Shao Kahn was sitting upon his marvelous throne at the far end of his massive throne room. The fireplace in front of him was lit aflame, and the reflection of the dancing flames lit up sections of his demonic looking face. His most trusted general Reiko was standing beside him, as he was also admiring the fire almost identically to that of Shao Kahn. There was a deathly silence in the room for quite awhile before Shao Kahn would eventually speak.
"Of all the people I never expected Kitana to betray my orders. Her entire life she has followed my commands to a tee, and she chooses now of all times to do the opposite. I had thought she had escaped Sindel's rebel spirit, but she is her mother's child. Everytime I see her I am reminded of her face. It haunts my sleep." Shao Kahn spoke in disappointment. Reiko turned his head slightly away from the fire to look over in his lords direction. Reiko knew his lord very well. He Knew of the love he shared for Kitana, even though technically she wasn't his actual daughter. This was Shao Kahn's darkest secret. Long ago Shao Kahn had invaded the realm of Edenia. A beautiful realm in which the men, and women appeared to be directly linked to the Elder Gods themselves, and they looked the part. Even the common folk of the realm had the beauty of kings and queens. For centuries Shao Kahn had never had a queen to share his rule of Outworld. Though he had many concubines within his service, none of them ever managed to pull at the strings of the intense warlord's heart. Many in Outworld were worried about the hierarchy of the Outworld throne. Shao Kahn had never wedded, and never bore children thus leaving his rule in jeopardy of being taken over by his political court. As is most empires a political court that's left in charge of running an empire usually leads to disaster. Knowing this Shao Kahn began seeking a wife, and queen. He first heard of Queen Sindel of Edenia through his court, and often heard the legends of her beauty.
Shao Kahn needed to meet her, and the only way to achieve that was to invade Edenia, and cut a path to her. The war was a long , and brutal conflict, and Shao Kahn mercilessly butchered dozens of generals in combat until facing Edenia's king Jerrod in combat as Sindel watched in the distance. Only after ripping Jerrod's spine from his body did Shao Kahn meet with Queen Sindel, and the legends were finally proven true. At first glance Shao Kahn thought he had been eyeing an elder god. Sindel was unlike any woman he had ever seen. The only problem here was that Shao Kahn had made himself a monster while invading Edenia, and Sindel would have rather died than be taken as the Kahn's Queen. She was forced against her will, and dragged to Outworld after Shao Kahn finished merging Edenia with it. A marriage was held in the castle, and when it became time to begin preparing for the creation of his own heir Shao Kahn had learned that Sindel was already pregnant with Jerrod's child. Legends say that while Sindel hated Shao Kahn, Shao Kahn loved Sindel with all of heart. He never hurt her, and once he found out about Jerrod's child he never again attempted to create a heir. Behind Sindel's back Shao Kahn had Mileena created with blood magic in case anyone had found out about Kitana's lineage, but Shao Kahn was ready to father Kitana as if she was his own child.
When chaos erupted within Outworld many years ago Sindel was at the front of it. She had rebelled with a group of conspirators, and attempted to assassinate Shao Kahn, and murder the infant Mileena. This act of betrayal pushed Shao Kahn into a temporary sense of madness, and finally he saw that Sindel would never love him as her king. With a tear in his eye he had Sindel executed for her crimes, and continued to raise Kitana as his child out of his love. Shao Kahn never told these secrets to anyone. He holds them deep within his heart, but Reiko had managed to put it all together piece by piece over the years, and it was times like this that helped him see his hero in a different light than the others had.
"She is too soft hearted for Outworld. She fails to understand that the creature she committed treason for would have eaten her face eventually had it got close enough. Reptile has the blood of his ancestors. He is a savage who has learned to hide his savagery due to my strength. The moment I'm gone, and Kitana takes the throne he would have plotted her downfall." Shao Kahn sighed as he continued to gaze blankly into the fire.
"I should never have given her that egg when she was a child. She became attached to that reptilian like she was it's mother. Only she fails to see that it was using her to cover up his own downfalls." He finished crossing his arms.
"My lord, if I may speak on the situation, I would say do not punish the princess too harshly. Clearly she was manipulated by the creature. Mistakes are made in life. It was not as if she was rebelling against your rule. She was blinded by her emotions." Reiko suggested as he himself was fond of Kitana as an ally.
"Despite what some may call me Reiko, I am no monster. I would never execute my own daughter for such a small act of treason, but a lesson must be learned from this. Either I will kill Reptile myself when he is found, or I will move Mileena up in the inheritance." Kahn answered bitterly.
"I never believed you to be a monster my lord." Reiko expressed sincerely.
"What is it you see when you look at me?" Shao Kahn asked curiously as he looked over to his most trusted general. Reiko pondered a moment before speaking.
"I see a man hardened by the duties of running an empire. A man who loves his family despite the horrors he's endured, and those similar horrors he's been made to push onto others. Other's may mistake your actions as you being a demon, but I see a man who will do whatever it takes to provide for those he cares about." Reiko spoke casually. Shao Kahn was moved by Reiko's words.
"You truly are the only man that understands my struggles. How do you relate so well to me general?" Shao Kahn asked sounding interested in what Reiko's response could be.
"I too have been hardened by how cruel war is. As much as people seem to think the Osh-Tekk I have adopted is a fools mistake, I still see him as my own son since I was the one who raised him. I would do anything to keep him safe." Reiko spoke seriously. Shao Kahn nodded slowly with an uncharacteristic smile on his face.
"Well said general. Well said."
(Outworld holding cells)
Kitana was chained by her wrist to the bottom of a single black, metal cage. She was sitting upon the ground, and her eyes served the area around her. Prisoners were chained to the walls, and passed out from extreme forms of torture. Men had been mutilated. Holes burned into their skin, toes clipped from their feet, and tongues ripped from their mouths. Kitana had witnessed Sheeva doing most of it. Kitana had developed a deep hatred for Sheeva over the past few weeks as she witnessed the sick pleasure she would receive from causing such suffering. With Kitana being royalty she never worried about being tortured in such a cruel way. Still she figured deep down that her father would understand her motivations of aiding a friend in need, but then again maybe she wasn't so surprised that he would not understand. All her life she never understood how a figure like her father could never have many close friends. She had always heard rumors that before her birth Shao Kahn was a man with many close ties to his generals, but after her mother's death they said something changed in him. He became a shut it unless it was time for public appearances. He would just sit upon his throne, and gaze into the fire in his own personal free time. Legends say he's gone mad, and that sometimes he speaks to the fire as if he was talking to Queen Sindel herself.
In her experiences with her father Kitana always knew how much her father loved her. He made sacrifices. Many to keep her safe. She recalled the legend of warlord Severen Void. A fierce warrior, and king who attempted to kidnap her as a child, and whose claims to justify his actions were that the former king of Edenia, King Jerrod had arranged the joining of their families bloodlines ages ago, and that Kitana was to be married to his own son. Kitana, and everyone else pinned him as a delusional madman, and when Shao Kahn got a hold of him he paid dearly. General Reiko told her long ago that Shao Kahn, without any guards to protect him, rode alone across a massive battlefield, slaying anyone who crossed his path, to reach the castle Kitana had been held at. Kitana could onlybremember the details of the ordeal vividly. She heard the screams of men, as she sat alone, and tied up to a chair in a distant bedroom. She remembered her father breaking down the bedroom door to her makeshift prison, and she remembered the joy she felt instantly at the sight of him.
She recalled her father's smiling face, as he ran forward to hug her. He untied her from her restraints, and led them out of the room. From there, Kitana remembers seeing her mad captor tied, and bound, and severely beaten. Shao Kahn would find his mount, Motaro, and ride all the way back to his Outworld castle along with Kitana, with the warlord being dragged by Motaro at a full sprint. Kitana remembers the man's screams, and she was delighted in the fact that he suffered for his deeds. She took an even greater joy knowing that the madman was put down by her father himself. Reiko often said that Shao Kahn put a mask of curses on the man, and sent him to the Neatherrealm to rot away forever. Her father justified her. Kitana knew of her father's love. She also knew he became overprotective of her ever since allowing her to see no men unless he arranged it first, and allowing her few friends that he had to approve of. Reptile was the objection to the rule.
Kitana received Reptile as an egg gifted to her by her father after returning from a long voyage into the wastelands of Outworld. Shao Kahn figured the egg that that held Reptile's race had long been extinct, and that the egg would never hatch thus giving it to Kitana as a keepsake. Kitana cherished the egg, and even slept with it by her pillow. After Jade's tragic death it was the only thing she felt she could speak to, to clear her mind. She often told the egg that she would have a fair, and peaceful rule over Outworld, and that no realm would ever separate the two of them. She was in for quite a shock when the egg eventually hatched, and a baby Zatyern emerged from it's shell crying aloud. Mileena heard this crying, and out of jealousy told her father. Shao Kahn was outraged, and wanted to kill the creature instantly. Reptile's crying would only stop at the sound of Kitana's voice. Kitana noticed this and pleaded with her father to let her keep him. Shao Kahn was weary as he was uncomfortable with the idea of a Zateryn being raised by his daughter, but was reminded by Kitana of the loneliness she felt after Jade's death. Shao Kahn hesitantly allowed it, and from that day on Reptile was constantly at Kitana's side. Loyal to a fault, and very protective.
When Kitana first began training in self defense she would take her teachings, and entrust them to Reptile who was labeled an outcast by the Outworld society. Reptile was always treated with distrust by Shao Kahn, and he always had to earn his keep. Entering Reptile into the Mortal Kombat tournament was a way for him to prove himself, and in Shao Kahn's eyes Reptile had failed miserably when he lost to an Earthrealm actor. Kitana knew from that point on that her father saw him as a poor excuse of a life, that would only fail to protect her when trouble arrives, but Kitana knew a different side to Reptile that no one else knew. He had a strong desire to help create the rule that she had always wanted. He was a political, and peace keeping genius that she believed could match even Reiko in pure wits alone. As Kitana there she knew that if the situation would ever to repeat, she would do the same again for a being she trusts more than almost anyone else. Her biggest regret is that she knew her father could never understand. He would never know the true meaning of trust ever again since what happened with her mother, and to this day Kitana finds herself paying for her mother's selfish mistakes.
(It's been a while since I've heard any feedback on this story. I've been busy creating my own story, but I still plan to update this one until it's end. If you've been following along, and have remained interested in the plot leave a review. Who's you're favorite, and least favorite character in the story? What made you want to follow, and or favorite this story? I could use some feedback to spark my passion once again. A poll has also been created and should be linked to my profile if you wish to share your opinion that way.)