Con't VI

Aiko woke up inside the shared bedchamber. There were less than 24 hours left until the hot dance of the Matokan, and she knew in her heart that it's going to take all her energy to konjure inner peace to the Shaolin and herself. She kouldn't wait for Kung Lao, Raiden, Liu, and Nightwolf return, and she hoped they won't be konsumed like she was so long ago... She still wondered how and why she was the only one, being tension sensitive and all.

She hardly noticed the tremors pulsating from her heart gem in the topmost drawer. Out of kuriousity, and intrigue, she slowly took it out. She held it in both hands even when she sat back on the mattress. Aiko was actually growing entranced as her own heart began to slow down, her pupils dilating, her eyes getting heavy as she looked down on her energy source. She laid it on her lap and began to tap the mattress rhythmically, following the lulling performance... Her mind drifted and it made her have that urge to be one with the drums and whoever's playing them... It must've been the Matokan, or perhaps the Makeba, and she hoped that her klose family would follow them...

This...is what she was chosen for... She zoned out as she beat harder and kross-legged. She was in a fog, forgetting the upcoming performance and rather let herself be enthralled... Even the underside began to swell, and she wished to be a full-fledged tribeswoman taking the Shaolin along... To no longer resist and fear their temptations.

She was so deep in her thrall that she hardly noticed the sound of the drums be muffled and even her heart gem dissolved at its kore to what looked like a blurry hologram of herself!

"Is...is that you, Aiko?"

Her same voice knocked her out of the tribal reverie! She kouldn't believe she was actually looking at herself! Although it wasn't entirely her as she had on grey skin, wearing warpaint around her eyes which looked as dark as her own blood red top! Even the grey and crimson headdress was startling! Was she really a part of a tribe after all?

She stammered on her words, "Yeah-I-I'm-I'm you, you're me? What's going on!?"

"It's just a glitch. I zoned out just as you did, like as if our subconsciousness must have met. I was drumming too."

"Oh, ok, it's just a glitch, that explains it." The lively Aiko replied sarcastically, hardly noticing her doppelganger's heart gem as black as her own soul!

"No, look, I'm more familiar about this than you are. See? I kame from the same timeline, but it isn't alike at all. Where I'm from, I've seen this happen before. When reality is disrupted like this, two timelines start to blend together. I'm from another paradox, but I'm in the same year as you are. It's still March 1996."

"It is...? But you're actually wearing tribal attire! You're even wearing a headdress, and-where is this, the Nettherrealm!?"

The altered Aiko's eyes gleamed as she smiled, "Yes, I belong here... I am now one of the Revenants, and I govern this realm with my lovers, my chieftain, Liu Kang, and the significant other from the living, Kung Lao."

"Hold on! You have both, not as your Shaolin siblings!?"

"They are with me, Aiko... In this time paradox, Liu Kang killed me. And I was konverted to his ranks."

"Where's Shinnok?"

"He is powerless. He was once beheaded by Raiden." The soft r belonged to a male, and in walked the Dark Emperor himself! He bowed low, "Praise be, Aiko."

"Agh-Liu Kang?" She still recognized him despite the black, crimson, and fiery orange headdress with a pair of piercing horns and the long manes.

"Yes, dear Aiko. Unlike you, she no longer fears the Makeba drums. We embrace them. And use them as our strength. You had mastered a tremendous gift, and you must never shy away from them. It is a part of who you are."

"...Wat, what're you trying to tell me? That I should join the Dark Side, and become like the Matoka?"

"No, Aiko. I'm telling you that you must accept this foreboding part of yourself. Aiko has shown me this fascinating technique. You must join us...if you wish. Shinnok has seen great potential in you. I had seen Him do the same, as did you and Kung Lao. It is not the omnipotence that makes it unfathomable, it is how you use it. A god named Darkseid persuaded me to accept and embrace my evil prowess once again, and you must do the same."

"No, she kan't join us, but we kould still tempt her. If we do talk too long, the two dimensions may just end up swapping. And we won't want that to happen, so you kan just hide it away so the transmission would fade. Although, we shall be looking forward to the upcoming Matokan ceremony, they are a part of us too."

Her living kounterpart was just speechless.

"Anyway, don't fear them. Let yourself be embraced by them instead of wasting your strength and time resisting them. They are a part of who you are like chieftain said. So, go back to whatever you're doing."

"I'm...practicing on a number to kounteract with the ceremony."

"It is best to use it. I watched your Raiden do the same. To use both the dark and the light sides of himself, thus he never slayed me. You will see in time..." the satanic, though, enticing ruler persuaded.

"Anyway, bye now." The korrupt Aiko reached forward as if turning off a switch.

The living kardiokinetic's heart faded the illusion before she hastily shut the drawer and plopped on her mattress! She tried to process what in the Netherrealm just transpired! "A glitch... Two timelines merging. That's impossible. That never happened. I would never succumb to the darkness, just like I did with Shinnok. But...how does she know all this...? It just isn't like me. Embracing the darkness and the tribal drums like that! Never again, even with the Makeba!"

"You actually made a mistake, Aiko" Fujin stated back near the Sky Temple. "China is 13 hours ahead of the US's East Coast, not 8. I monitored and kompared our differences between China and from where you were from."

"13!?" Her jaw felt like it dropped to the ground!

"Yeah. If the Matokan should start on 7 am, we would be 13 hours ahead, thus they'd pick up the number at their time if we were to do so at 6pm, tonight."

"Tonight!? I thought you said it wouldn't matter in the heavens."

"Still, we must plan accordingly. There's no more time to waste." Fujin ushered her to join with the rest of their bandmates which kurrently were missing Jerrod and Goro. "Tis kurrently 11 am in Chinese Time, which means it's still in the wee hours of the morning at the Matokan territory. We must proceed for the 7 hours ahead."

Aiko took a hard gulp, fighting her anxieties. "Wait, Fujin. I just saw myself, saying that...I need to embrace this part of myself, my weakness."

"Indeed, you should. You'd been konnected to this since you were 4 years old, and it's been inseparable from your psyche ever since. Use it well to motivate you and use your koherence. Do it for the Shaolin and leave no more distractions."

He kommandeered his musical troops to work, and it was a bit trickier without the drummer and the keytarist. Luckily though, kourtesy of Kenshi, he projected the full squad's kues which seemed to ease their stress and strummed as if they were still there!

An hour later, Goro and Jerrod shown up, though only as themselves since Ashrah kept a lookout on their instruments. With the blind man's same projection, each entertainer mastered their own part to play! In an intermission, Kenshi stated to do the same to avoid any outside meddling, just as he did negate Aiko's mind from her astraphobia as she escorted the monks to safety by Dark Raiden and Zombie Liu's assaults.

"We...might want to make some glorious announcement, before our encore." Ashrah suggested.

At the other side of Earthrealm, it was just what Fujin speculated; darkness hung still over the open reservation and only the Thunder God, Raiden, was still awake and eagerly awaiting the hot dance within several hours.

He just took in a deep breather taking in the fresh air as he pondered.

The Matoka tribe has certainly changed ever since Shao Kahn's invasion. Nevertheless, they have been the best and the most gifted aboriginals in all of Earthrealm. Nightwolf and his people greatly kare about the existence of other realms. However, ever since they had prepared to take in a young one, his family konsisted of a documentarist. They began to have a change of heart; they started to evolve into modern kustoms and learnt how to adapt. They bridged the gulf between modernization and tradition. And the kid seemed greatly inspired by Nightwolf and Kiba, so too he wants to be a fighter like Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The latter nearly was reminded of his nephew, Jin.

He sighed and paused for a moment and looked up to the klear sky,

Brother... It feels like eons despite only being four days. I pray the Shaolin are faring well in your guidance...

He took out one of Aiko's heart gems and gazed into it. The item momentarily shown the Sky Temple occupied by various warriors.

"Fujin is at the Sky Temple? Ashrah, Aiko and Kenshi are with him as well. Even a Shokan." The small gem's vision sharpened, and he made out more details. "That's...Prince Goro! And King Jerrod of Edenia! They...are playing different instruments. What does this bode? ...They must be desperate to kounter the Matoka's palpitations. She must have held onto her own heart. ...I hope they will be prepared in the hours to kome. Perhaps I should pay a visit."

He withdrew the gem before he summoned his rod and konjured a quick flash of lightning and thunderous krash.

The Wind God just made the number take a halt before the key change. "Alright, stop! Goro? The drums sound a little sloppy. Tighten up the screws." He obliged, then the aerokinetic went to the photokinetic. "Ashrah? Damn. What's with the stiffness playing the bass? You must stay loose. You nervous?"

"Aye, yes. It's just...I hadn't played the bass in so long since I was being hunted by the Brotherhood of Shadow. But I never actually played for a live audience before."

"It is nerve-wrecking, I'll give you that. But we won't necessarily see them. It's just going to be us, and whoever possesses each of Aiko's hearts would be the ones to witness it. Especially the Shaolin, and perhaps my brother if he and his disciples still hold them."

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the plateau, making most of the spectators startle. Everyone, including Aiko, figured it belonged to a storm kloud. "Fujin! We should abort!"

He rose a hand, "No! I see someone emerge from the lightning. ...Brother?"

He just slumped his arms while holding the staff, and the group went to him, while Goro looked up for a second before he kontinued to adjust the bolts. The kardiokinetic simply just hugged him tightly with a smile, and the God followed.

"I appreciate the warm welcome. I wish circumstances were less kritical. The Matoka are about to make their last-minute preparations for the hot dance in several hours."

"Is... the ceremony supposed to start at 7 in the morning, or 9...?"

"9:00 Eastern Standard Time, they will kommence the dance itself, although you must be ready for any of the warmups. It will take a while before the performance. Making your own, I see."

"Yes, Brother. We are planning to make a kouple riveting numbers to not only protect us from going astray, but for the Shaolin as well."

"How are they, Fujin?"

"They had been discussing of their plight, Lord Raiden." Kenshi intervened. "On how meditation has affected the lot of them with negative side effects."

He hung his head, "Yes... The dark night of the soul. They will need all the light they can possibly harness. Their demons kould even outrival any treatment from the Jinsei. And they no longer accept enlightenment. Liu Kang has grown very koncerned."

"Aiko's heart is still pure. She has been pining for Kung Lao lately, but she is still strong. She even learnt how to use koherence!" Fujin recapped.

Raiden's face brightened, "Has she now...!" She gleamed after his remark.

"Indeed. She'll be essential to emitting positive energy to those who wield her heart gems." The OIA agent said. "The remaining Shaolin have the majority of them, as do you, Nightwolf and the Champions?"

"We do. Our arrangements had been made for the ritual. Are you all prepared mentally for your recuperating rite?"

Unlike her kohorts, Aiko didn't respond. She just sulked, "Raiden..."

He knelt and matched her height as he laid a firm hand on her shoulder. "The ball is in you and Fujin's kourt now. I will be taking a portal and escort the remaining participants. Liu Kang and Kung Lao...shall also be mingled within the drumline. Even they had grown fascinated while Nightwolf and Kiba would join as well. I shall accompany them kloseby, so your hearts will be mixed in with the krowd." Her face fell.

"Aiko, focus on your objective and use the beats to our advantage. Ashrah and I kould only be our shields." Kenshi stated with earnest.

"Good luck, fellow musicians. Restore balance with the Shaolin and never wind up being mixed in with the Matoka. We have our own agenda, for the time being. Lead them well, Fujin. And may we be successful."

"Likewise, Raiden." Fujin nodded before he left with a bit of electricity.

"Seems that everyone is being melded by this get together. I hardly know anything of the Matokans' and the Makeba's power." Ashrah thought aloud.

"So, this IS actually a battle. Moreso, a battle of wills." Goro summarized.

"Quite right, Prince Goro." Jerrod added. "I too know very little of the Makeba and their many Earthrealm descendants."

"Their power karries a great distance and enormous tension." Fujin described. "I think we shall keep Aiko's hearts on our person, sad to say, but it's the only way to emit our own energy to those who will receive it; the heart both gives and receives. I think Brother would keep his away, yet still, even if they're mortal, their magnitude kould rival us Gods sometimes." He faced the team, "I shall signal you all when the time is right. We will only have a few more hours remaining, be prepared."

For once, everyone was in both dread and eagerness, like the everlasting klashing extremes of both dark and light, or even perhaps the heart and the mind.

These last few hours gave everyone enough time to hang out with their loved ones before their big break. Fujin and Aiko discussed with the White Lotus to prepare her heart gems for the korresponding events. She swore for her kompatriots both near and far to never be dissuaded, and it was just enough for a hearty meal with Jin and his mom. Jerrod surprised the Edenian royals and encouraged Sindel to prep her own gem for the number, whereas Goro did the same as he alerted Sheeva and others in the Resistance. Kenshi noted to Hanzo of his agenda and the former wraith wished him luck, especially for the Shaolin. Baby Takeda let out some irritated kries as he also felt the tension in what seemed to be hanging over the majority of Earthrealm. Even Ashrah was beginning to sense the lingering storm which felt as if it was diminishing her light aura and giving her some worry as whether or not her own aura would be potent enough.

The Shaolin, Jin, Sindel, Raiden, Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Nightwolf, and even the Shirai infant each held a portion of Aiko's life energy; although it was risqué since the quartet intermixed with the Matoka kan make the other spectators vulnerable. Although, at times, Aiko actually heard her original gem emitting soundwaves as soon as she returned to Fujin who was awaiting her near the Shaolin stronghold. They hardly noticed their other allies march into the desolated kamp. The vision reminded her of Fujin's words as being unsuspecting moths being attracted to the dazzling, dangerous flickers of fire. The display reminded her of the warning from her darker self, in which Fujin was puzzled. The sight and sound made her heart race, trying to fight off the temptation.

The Wind God distracted her, "Aiko, it is time."

Jerrod opened a neon green portal to escort Goro thru and onto the Sky Palace. Fujin just touched down with his signature F0 funnel gently descending his own posse. Everyone was accounted for, and each advent musician felt the same angsts.

"Alright, gang, we must focus on the task at hand. The Shaolin, as well as other watchers, depend on our topnotch performance. Let's give them the greatest otherworldly koncert they'd ever seen! And use our hearts to guide and empower us. Let's get rocking!" The group cheered.

"For the Shaolin!" Kenshi declared, then they all made a hand pile before breaking.

"It has begun. I hear the Matokan drums inviting everyone." Ashrah noted.

"This is only the summons, Ashrah. They're just warming up." Raiden's kid brother explained. "Still, our hearts must be our anchors to our minds' buoys. Take up assembly positions. Aiko, stay with me! And we must stay the kourse."

From place by place, everyone kept a keen eye and ear for the oncoming performance at the Sky Temple they'd seen, although they also heard murmurs from the drums of the East. The latter seemed to give them the most attention, even the numerous members of the Shaolin, who were awed and distracted by the involvement of their klosest komrades. The sextet also noticed the sonokinesis and their allies koming to them which made the band a bit unnerved on how to deal with them. Raiden, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao wandered the slowest, as if they were the last three. Nightwolf and Kiba were already present inside the largest teepee where the chief and the last born were applying paint on the latter's face.

Fujin stood upright like Sonya ready for kombat. The distant gems were about a foot away to avoid any strays being kaught in the assembly as they prepped. It wasn't audible but they kould still overhear the steady beats. Aiko prayed that her mortal friends shalln't succumb to the entrancement like she always did...

"K'mon, Fortunate One." The Wind God whispered, anxious for his emergence. By what seemed to be a minute or two...

He raised an arm and sharply dropped it! The drums' pace began to pick up like a sudden gale and the Matokan began to chant, while Kung Lao played a nearby massive bongo as if he was born to do it...The shaman seemed to have led the ceremony with the elder as Raiden and Liu stood at the sidelines.

"Let's do it!" The Wind God declared.

As if there was an interference on a TV antenna, the hearts belonging to the faraway audience activated and brightened. Aiko and Fujin were the first to announce!

"Ladies and gentlemen. We've been thru the darkness; we've been thru the light. We've went across all realms. And you know? ...Fujin?"

"The best place to be? Is here. The best thing to use, is with both ends! And the best time to be, is now. And all's we kan say is..."

There was an extended silence that stretched on before they shouted in unison with ascended fists...

"Let's rock!"

They kould've sworn they heard a roaring audience, as if they actually belonged on their own rock stage!

"1, 2! 1! 2! 3! 4!"

Kenshi started off their song in C major and his melody was smooth. Fujin motioned to Ermac who strummed and hit the keys on his instrument. Goro followed along with a rapid drum roll, then Ashrah kicked in with the bass in sync with the keyboardist and guitarist!

When it was time for his kue, Fujin took the front as Aiko danced!

Sudden darkness kreeps into your soul

Envy moves the light of self kontrol

The kage that holds you kaptive has the door.

Burnin' with determination to evens up the score.

Hearts on fire

Strong desire

Rages deep within

Hearts on fire

Fever's risin', hiiiiiigh

The moment of truth draws near.

The rhythm picked up as did the snares and bass drums before Fujin chanted the second verse!

Time will not allow you to stay still, no

Silence breaks the heart and bends the will.

Defense is guilty passions out of kontrol

Rules and regulations have no meaning anymore.

Hearts on fire

Strong desire

Rages deep within

Hearts on fire

Fever's risin', hiiiiiigh

The moment of truth is here.

The bass silenced some, as did the other instruments, but Kenshi and Ermac still led the bridge. Fujin's voice wasn't the least bit strained.

Oh!

Is here.

Oh yeah!

Then it seemed the keyboard went quieter as the keytarist headed the number with a lot of its tubular kues since the previous rehearsals. It was one hell of an instrumental break. Goro kontinued to bang the snares, cymbals and bass keeping in time. When the second part fortowed, Kenshi hit the keys as if encouraging the soul shifter more! After those krazy solos, he died down as the blind swordsman sliced thru the air. Then, Fujin sang the second khorus as the key changed to D major.

Hearts on fire

Strong desire

Rages deep within

Fever's risin', energizin'

Right up till the end

The middle of the intense number reminded everyone of the fights they'd worked thru and won, even the Champions' own victories, as if triumphing their greatest adversaries.

Hearts on fire

Ashrah actually functioned as the backup with Hearts on fire with the Wind God.

Strong desire

Rages deep within

The former demon followed with Oh in different tones in the last line.

Aiko was konducting and signaling the performance in the instrumental break building up in decibels, as if it was a volcano ready to erupt! They were for sure breaching the legendary klimax at the end! She KNEW this was the perfect melody on not only about koherence, but also as a way to unite most of the benevolent realms, disregarding the Netherrealm and the worlds of Chaos and Order.

"BREAKTHROUGH!"

The key changed to around E minor, and the drums, keyboard, keytar and bass went incredibly wild! As if the air was bursting with incredible sound like a series of fireworks! Aiko then outstretched her arms, "GO FOR IT!"

The number quieted a bit and went more smoother as if going up a slope not as steep. Then, the keyboard picked up again as if it was only klimbing up! Next, Ermac and Goro were joining in almost muting Ashrah's barely noticeable bass.

The volume went as high as the stratosphere the sacred temple was beneath!

Trumpets were blowing the Rocky theme, even though it belonged to Kenshi. Aiko turned and spread out her arms as if signaling the last note, and the legendary samurai kontinued to rapidly use the buttons several times repeating the quick-paced solo before the song finally faded...

Aiko stimmed as she kried with ecstasy, as did the Shaolin down below cheering for the energizing performance! Even those who seemed to have any discomfort or upset extinguished! Even the Kombatants, along with Goro raising his arms and roaring, followed suit.

"We did it! We did it, Fujin!"

"No, wait! Stop!"

The Kombatants silenced, and the Wind God told them the assembly's going on longer than anticipated. Aiko just whispered in his ear for the backup number. He nodded then signaled Ashrah to lead the secondary song. She strummed her bass, and Kenshi hit the keys in the same note, G major, in a slow rhythm. After four beats, Fujin blown on his woodwind instrument, a more attractive melody, and the heroes knew what it belonged to restoring their dwindling konfidence.

The song picked up as the trio played, even with the changing notes. As the performance fortowed again, Goro tapped on his klaves four times, then Ermac strummed his electric keytar with the melody in C! After an iconic tune, the song quieted, and Fujin kept it going. The number repeated the second verse, but Kenshi was the one leading it. Goro just karried on tapping the rhythm with his four sticks. The number picked up again at the same intervals as the first verse although there was something different as Aiko and Fujin sang in C...

We are the Champions, my friend.

And we'll keep on fighting to the end.

The kardiokinetic signaled for everyone to sing along!

We are the Champions; WE are the Champions!

No time for losers, kuz we are the Champions!

...Of the realms!

The instrumental repeated the khorus, and Aiko and Fujin chimed in.

We are the Champions; WE are the Champions!

No time for losers, kuz we are the Champions!

...Of the realms

Ashrah added, Of the realms, with Goro, Kenshi and Jerrod, then everyone sang,

Of the realms!

And finally, Kenshi and Ermac made the finale before Goro klosed with a drum solo!

They hardly heard the Shaolin and the rest of the audience cheer louder than they ever did before! Sometimes the uproar was so kontagious that the group let out their own! They even noticed the heart gems just ignite as if storing loads of positive energy from the watchers and others who gave and received it! It even made the quartet at the Matoka snap out of their own trances when they observed Aiko's gems sparkling in konjunction with whistles and kries!

Kung Lao received loads of endorphins as his shined! Followed by Liu's, Nightwolf's and Raiden's.

"Unh, what's...happening?" Liu's and Lao's eyes shrunk from dilation.

"The Shaolin. Aiko and the others. They saved them!"

"I've never seen her heart so ignited!" Nightwolf was amazed, and his people were still so deep into their own number.

"Alright, the last born's adopted. We should go."

Raiden stuck up a finger, "Not...until we say farewell, Kung Lao." Aiko's lover kouldn't help but give a warm smile knowing he would see her very shortly and was eager to exchange tales.

Like a broken fever, they felt relieved. And kourtesy on being surrounded by the rich endorphins and strength, as if they bathed in the Jinsei, they were no longer vulnerable to the tribal influence ever again.

It was now almost midnight, and Aiko stayed up later than usual. She was still inside the shared bedchamber sitting on the deserted mattress and looking down at Lao's cheerful picture of his younger self. The kardiokinetic kouldn't help but grin back, still feeling the kool air and stress relief thru out her body as if it was tingling.

"I wish you were there, Kung Lao... Raiden, Nightwolf and Liu Kang too..." She whispered. She lifted his face and kissed it, and was hoping someone would answer her in the extensive silence; she felt slightly disheartened, disbelieving if they would ever return, and be forever bound... She just shut her eyes as if holding back tears or trying to omit bad pangs from her mind.

"Our work is finished, Aiko."

Her eyes shot open, registering that familiar, arcane voice. She looked behind and was astonished to whom she saw! "Agh-Raiden...!" Her eyes widened as did her smile.

He actually grinned, "You have done well, young one. You have finally achieved the art of koherence and restored inner peace and balance to the hearts of others. The Shaolin and I are proud on what you've done."

She was just tongue-tied, flattered by his praise. He was always the truthful and wise one, never doubting him on the days she had known him. She even made a low bow.

"And I forgot to tell him how and why I was always succumbed to them."

Months later, after Armageddon...Aiko still wondered in that same room with Jin and Lao why she still had that weakness.

"Well...to be fair, I was entranced by them at the Matoka ceremony too, I'm pretty sure so was Liu and Nightwolf. I know Raiden wouldn't let us go astray, but still... I understand now how powerful over someone they kan be. It wasn't until I... we, saw our hearts light up."

"I want to be educated by Nightwolf and his people someday. I'd been interested in them ever since she shown me when I was young. I also want to be an archer, and they kan teach me!"

"They are...intriguing. But we must not underestimate their prowess, Jin. I guess the White Lotus was right after all, the Makeba are our realm's ancestors. Just like us with the Great Kung Lao, or us humans with primates, or dogs with wolves."

"This...this doesn't make much sense... I'm sure you, Kung Lao, must've shared my weakness since those heart melds, even though I don't remember you being affected by the Makeba, and the Matokans might've been more direct...but... I just don't understand. I feel it's more than just hyperfixation..." Jin just sulked as Lao laid an assuring hand on her shoulder.

"I believe I kan answer that, young one. It IS more than just your sensitivities." From the open window, an Oriental tone was karried by the krisp air.

Everyone went agog, "Liu Kang..." Kung Lao made a kowtow.

He just stuck up a finger as he hovered thru, "Enough, Chosen One. ...The Shaolin are more intrigued than ever from those stunning performances. Nightwolf and the Matoka tribe had settled their differences and are now klose allies with the Shaolin. Bur, I only desire to show you something; you were konnected to the irresistible tribal kustoms. Kome with me, and I kan take you there."

Somehow, this made the Kungs fascinated, "Show us, Liu Kang."

A/N: The numbers represented here were actually Hearts on Fire, the extended version, the iconic song from Rocky IV and We Are the Champions that was rearranged by the Royal Philharmonic; the latter being the finale of my epic based on Deception, The Return of the Dragon King.

I too forgotten exactly what time the Sesame Street episodes began; they always kept changing it ever since I finally grew out of it by the 2000s and late 90s. Sometimes they'd air it more than once each day, maybe twice aside from other PBS programs. At least that's how I remembered it, but I kouldn't find much intel, so I'd to make up the airtime somewhere between 7 and 9 am, along with the error involving the Chinese Time Zone.

Also, the AVGN episode, the Berenstain Bears, gave me the most inspiration, on the possibilities on the Mandala Effect kreating a time paradox or how it's spelt are prrof of altered dimensions. Ironically, I never kared about the material that much, so I kan't say how it's spelt, but who it was pronounced it's Steen not Stain. Maybe it is possible, although I'm not a fanatic, though it has happened multiple times in the MK multiverse i.e., with DC and all that. So, it kind of makes the most sense, as is MK1 they keep saying it's in parallel universe with Liu's New Era.

And I also took inspiration from Bill and Ted, but mostly from Unaliving Liu Kang's RP, the Darkseid War, whereas he and I embrace the tribal drums and use them as weapons to empower those waging war onto the Elder Gods. The chieftain and chieftess, along with Liu and Lao as Aiko's soulmates, were from this! And he was the only one who accepted and made them as a guilty pleasure just as I did. I am so glad for all that!

And I had to kut this chapter short since it was dragging on, so stay tuned for the final installment.