Kung Lao never regretted his choice of headwear, unless it was raining. It often made him wonder if Lord Raiden had always opted for a slanted hat so that the rain that rarely subsided around his Sky Temple would slide right off. Kung Lao's flat ancestral hat had a much harder time shaking off rainwater. Still, it was better than being soaked through; and theoretically good for training to have the added weight. Plus, the rain had always added to the evening atmosphere of the teahouse.

A burst of flame erupted before him. That the flames died down of their own accord, and not a result of the downpour, was rather apparent. No matter how many times he saw this display, he doubted her would ever shake the brief expectation that Scorpion would be the one to emerge from the supernatural flames. Instead, it was Liu Kang.

Kung Lao had grown up with Liu Kang. Cousins, training partners, comrades in the battles against Outworld and other threats. They had even been enemies during the Mortal Kombat champion's time as a revenant. And just when things were starting to go back to normal, Liu Kang went and got himself deified by the Elder Gods. Kung Lao shook his head and held out his arm.

Liu Kang gripped his cousin's arm around the elbow, allowing him to do the same. "Were you waiting long, Cousin?"

"For a while, yes. But it gave me a chance to reminisce, so it's not all bad."

Liu Kang looked out over the waterlogged farmland of Fengjian. "It is as beautiful as it was in our youth."

"Make sure you say that to Madam Bo. She might let you off on the bill."

Liu Kang laughed aloud. "Yes, I suppose she might. Come."

The two monks entered the establishment they had frequented since their time training for the tournament. In the decades since, the two had found less and less time to do so. The rebuilding of the White Lotus, the supposed death of Kung Lao in the invasion, Liu Kang's real death, his time as a revenant... It was as if fate itself was conspiring to keep the two friends apart. And after learning of Kronika's schemes in the other reality, the two monks had to wonder if this idle notion actually held some truth to it.

In their youth, the two would find several patrons greeting them politely. They were, after all, training for the protection of the entire world. But nowadays, it was full-on reverence with which they were greeted. They were now bonafide heroes of Earthrealm. And between Liu Kang's ascension to godhood and Kung Lao's status as head of the White Lotus since he ousted the corrupt monks that had exiled Kung Jin, the two were beyond celebrity now.

As always, the tiny lady that ran the teahouse appeared before them with a polite smile. "Good evening, Kung Lao, Lord Liu Kang."

"Madam Bo, please," Liu Kang said with a slight blush. "We have known each other long enough for such formalities to be unnecessary. You are like family to me." Madam Bo had been like a kindly grandmother to Liu Kang after the deaths of his parents. She had also served as a positive parental figure for Kung Lao, who provided an environment free of the expectations heaped upon him since birth.

"As pleased as I am to hear that, we are still Chinese. You may be a god now, but never forget where you came from."

"Of course, Madam," he replied with a bow. "A table for two, please."

"You're in luck. Your favourite table in the back just became available. Come." As she did back in the day, Madam Bo led the two through the teahouse to their preferred spot.

"Did you plan to arrive just when the table became available?" Kung Lao whispered into his cousin's ear.

"Not at all. But I am thankful for my perfect timing. I have little doubt Madam Bo would shoo away whomever was sat there to make room for us."

Kung Lao chuckled. "I can see it."

"Here we are: your old favourite. The menu has changed rather a lot since you were last here. Please, take your time to peruse, and I'll be along when you need me."

"Thank you, Madam Bo. Your customer service has not faltered at ounce."

"You flatter me," their host said with a dismissive wave and a grin. "You have been spending too much time with Johnny Cage."

"It is purely a ploy to acquire his autograph for you, Madam," Liu Kang joked.

"Get him to come and film here, and you can eat here for free."

"Isn't saving Earthrealm... what, eight times...? enough to earn that privilege?" Kung Lao asked with a grin of his own.

"You underestimate how much I like his movies, Kung Lao."

"Especially since he started telling our story, I'm sure."

"Young Max Huang is a better martial artist than you are."

"Ouch. We can't all be a fount of youth like you are. Some of us actually have to age with time."

"Your quips are better, though. Let me know when you're ready to order."

With that, Madam Bo departed to see to other customers. The two looked over the menu and found that it really had changed substantially since their youth. Fortunately, their favourite tea was still on the menu.

"I see less fish options here," Liu Kang noted.

"That is because you stopped providing the ingredients," Kung Lao joked.

"In my defence, fishing is not as high on my list of priorities as saving the world."

"Don't let Madam Bo hear you say that. She'll have you out on your rear end before you can say 'I didn't bring a coat'."

"You won't leap to my defence?"

"Against sorcerers, gods and undead? Any day. Against her? You're on your own, friend."

The two men shared a good chuckle.

"I have missed this."

"Me too. We should bring Jin along next time."

"We should. How is he, anyway?"

"Taking time away from the O.I.A. and the White Lotus. He still has not fully discovered himself yet..."

"You should not hold yourself accountable, Kung Lao. It was Master Ping that drove Kung Jin away."

"I should have spoken up, though."

"You were caught off-guard by the revelation. Kung Jin does not blame you for it anymore. Why must you?"

"Jin has always looked up to me. He revered me the way I did our ancestor. He trusted me to always look out for him. This was right after I left him to guard your tomb. And then, I was used as a tool by Onaga. And then, I returned and didn't immediately stand up for him when Ping outed him. And I didn't go after him for years."

"Cousin" Liu Kang held up a hand to stop this self-flagellation. He then held up a finger for each counterpoint he presented. "First, no one could have predicted Lord Raiden's corruption and desecration of my tomb; you entrusting Kung Jin with what should have been an important, but non-hazardous task meant a lot to him, I'm sure. I know that my doing the same to you meant much to you. Second, most of Earth's defenders have been used as pawns by malefactors by now, including me. And the havoc I wreaked under Quan Chi is far greater than what you wreaked under Onaga. As for your hesitance... your upbringing, so focused on family, legacy and our bloodline... It is no surprise that you were taken aback by the revelation. Kung Jin needed space after that. And time to contemplate and understand you.

"None of these things are your fault, any more than your loss to me before the tournament was your fault. And you have always striven to make right your perceived failures. You joined me in Outworld to avenge our fallen brothers. You've fought for Earth and Edenia against tyrants and gods. You fought to avenge my murder. You even stepped up to lead the White Lotus while I was a revenant. And it was you who joined Kitana and brought me down, in the end.

"For every failure, you have two successes, Cousin. It is thanks to you that I am now a Fire God and not a Death God. It is thanks to you that I can prepare for what comes next. And I hope I will have your wise counsel, Master Kung Lao."

Kung Lao took a few moments to take in Liu Kang's words. It was clear from his expression alone that he was hesitant to accept these words of praise and assurance, as the self-deprecating so often were. Eventually, however, a small smirk crept its way onto Kung Lao's lips.

"You're as good at these pep talks as Raiden was."

Liu Kang returned his own grin. "You have given me plenty of practice."

"Ouch. Kick me while I'm down, Cousin. Hm? Madam Bo?"

Madam Bo, the two realised, had been observing them silently from nearby. "Hm? Oh, I was just thinking how amazing it is that you two turned into such fine men, even with my idiot husband teaching you."

"How is Master Bo' Rai Cho?" Kung Lao asked. The duo's master had been tortured by Shinnok following his takeover of the Sky Temple. That was five years ago now. But even so, he had yet to fully recover from Shinnok's dark magics. Even the Jinsei Chamber and its hidden Outworld counterpart could only do so much to help him heal.

"He is... doing fine. As well as he can, given the circumstances." It was rare for Madam Bo to not be the image of youthful optimism, despite her advanced age.

Madam Bo had been married to Master Bo' Rai Cho for over seventy years now, having met him during the previous round of tournament training back in the 1930's. Although never a competitor in the tournament herself, she was skilled enough to often be entrusted with assisting in her husband's training of hopefuls, and those of the generations between that kept their respective styles alive.

The contrast between the two was always apparent to the two monks. He, a large alcohol-lover, specialised in slow, heard-hitting techniques, born an unaging Outworlder. She, a short tea-lover, specialised in swift, precise strikes, born a mortal Earthrealmer. It was the image of the couple, eternally in love and playfully rude to one another, but set to one day be parted by Madam Bo's comparatively short lifespan, that had always haunted Liu Kang.

Master Bo' Rai Cho, beard and weight loss aside, looked no different today than he did when Liu Kang had first met him back in 1972 - fifty-one years ago. Meanwhile, Madam Bo had aged substantially in that time. It brought to mind the portrait of the Great Kung Lao and his two children, Kung Zian and Kung Xiaohui; he, locked in his twenties until his death in his seventies, and they, appearing twice the age of their father.

This had always made Liu Kang hesitate to properly enter into a relationship with Kitana. She was already 10,000 years old before he was even born. His champion's immortality would have allowed him to live alongside her, so long as he never died in the tournament. But once the tournament cycle concluded, he was mortal once more, and finally looking his age. It was only with his recent ascension to godhood that he could feel confident that he would not die on her. He still needed to pay her a visit, actually...

"Here." Madam Bo interrupted his train of thought by placing two cups down on the table before them. The two monks recognised the liquids within, instantly.

"But we have not ordered yet," Liu Kang noted.

"Please. I may be older than your grandparents, but even I remember your favourite teas. These are on the house. The rest... not so much."

"Shrewd as ever, I see," Kung Lao quipped, eliciting a chuckle from the proprietress. "Can you remember our favourite dishes as well?"

"I can. However, the dwindling fish supply..."

"I did warn him, Madam."

"I'm sure you did. I'll bring out my secret stash, just for you."

"Please, Madam Bo," the humble Fire God tried to decline.

"Not one more word, Lord Liu Kang. A few good fish isn't near repayment for the debt every person in this realm owes to you, Kung Lao and your comrades. At least allow me to do this for you."

Liu Kang reluctantly nodded his acceptance.

"Good. Your meals will be ready in around twenty minutes."

"The first round, perhaps," Kung Lao responded. "We're going big tonight, Madam Bo. And he's paying."

Madam Bo simply smiled, deftly masking whether or not she took this joke seriously, and left to prepare their food.

"Shall we get down to business then?" Kung Lao asked, a serious tone in his voice, as Madam Bo departed.

"Yes. We have much to discuss."

"Clearly. There is no chance you would be deified by the Elder Gods without either dire cause or a bargain that benefits them." Kung Lao had never held as much faith in the Elder Gods as Liu Kang and Raiden had, and that faith had dissolved completely after they allowed Outworlders to assault the academy and kill many of their friends and masters. And Cousin Bo.

"Indeed. It is likely both. Cetrion told me I am to destroy Dark Raiden. That is the price for my deification."

"They want you to kill- No. Was that her exact wording? 'Destroy Dark Raiden'?"

Liu Kang smiled. "I am glad to see we are on the same page. Yes. Those were her exact words. As so, we shall."

"'We'?"

"I hoped you would have my back when the time came. You may have aged - gracefully, of course - but you have never lost your fire. Even with my new power, even if I have power enough to best him, I do not know if I can face Lord Raiden so readily. I need you, Kung Lao. To spur me on."

Kung Lao leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. "I see. Well, my 'death' did spur you on against Shao Kahn well enough."

"Don't even joke about that. If you die again, I will petition the Elder Gods to bring you back so I can kill you myself."

The two cousins had a good chuckle at the conversation. Then, Kung Lao gave his serious reply. "But, yes. I will accompany you. You can count on me."

Liu Kang smiled warmly. "I always have, Cousin. Even Lord Raiden will struggle to best another god and Earthrealm's best fighter."

Kung Lao was taken aback by this title. Liu Kang had long held that title; but as a deity now, he no longer qualified, despite having never lost a step. Kung Lao, however, still did, and he very likely was.

"So, what, this is like when you and Raiden fought Shinnok in the Netherrealm?"

"Precisely. And I believe you have what it takes to do what I did then, and more." Liu Kang eyed Kung Lao's hat, resting against the wooden railing overlooking the lower floor. Kung Lao noticed this gaze.

"If it comes to that, yes. If destroying him doesn't work, then I'll kill him. I'm sure that is what he would want."

"I am, as well. We have both been there, after all."

"We have... That's why we know he's counting on us to do what needs to be done."

"And I have seen how to do it, in the other reality. We will stop Dark Raiden from threatening the realms. Whatever it takes."

Today is both my and Mortal Kombat's birthday. So here's a fun tale about the monks, drawing from M1K. I loved the dynamic between Kung Lao, Raiden and Madam Bo, so here's a take on that in a more traditional MK setting.

I've reinserted a line that was cut from the previous chapter to set up the direction the MKK version of M1K is going. Kronika has NOT made her move yet. MKX happened, then Liu Kang was restored in another event, then he was summoned to the other universe to fight alongside the Fire God version, and now a take on M1K is being set up.

Don't forget to read Mortal Kombat: Rōnin.