Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat or any of its characters. All rights belong to Ed Boon, Nether Realm Studios, and Warner Bros.

"The day I betrayed Edenia, Kurai, was the most horrible day of my life. After the four of us had spent the day together with you mother and father, I had went home to my parents to rest up for the next day. Jade and I were training to be part of the Edenian guard." Tanya begins to explain in Kurai's bed, still in the nude as she just looks away from him.

Not bearing to see the look on his face if he believes her or not. She hopes he does, but if he doesn't, she can't bear to see it. "Once I got home, I suddenly blacked out. When I awoke, everything... and everyone was burning. My parents were dead, you disappeared, Shao Kahn and his forces were storming the palace, Jerrod had already been killed by the emperor, and all I could see were the looks on Kitana, Jade, and Sindel's faces when they were being brought to him. It was then I knew, just knew, I had done something wrong. I just didn't know what it was at the time." She continues to explain as tears begin to build up in her eyes.

"After that, I went on the run. But before I did, I had tried talking to your mother, Kitana, and Jade to find out just what the hell had happened and what I had done. But none of them would talk to me. Well... except Jade, but I wouldn't exactly call it talking. More like she struck me down and called me a traitor that had allowed Shao Kahn's forces in through the main gate of the Edenian capital. After that, well, you can figure out what all happened from there." She tells him, causing him to nod, as she continues.

"Once Jade told me that, I kept thinking to myself, why? Why would I do such a thing, and why can't I remember that I did it? Before I left, it was a question that haunted me for days. In that time, Sindel had been forcefully married to Shao Kahn. He adopted Kitana as his daughter. Jade continued training, but for the elite Outworld guard. Which I know she absolutely hated, but given the circumstances, she had no choice. And I was the cause." She lowers her head somberly and began to weep quietly, causing Kurai to scoot closer to her and place a reassuring hand on her back, making her tense for a moment, then she looks at him tenderly.

She hugs him tightly, and him her, before she continues. "Jade's mother, Ophelia, disappeared, her father was killed, and you, Kurai... you disappeared without a trace. Word went around in Outworld that you had died during the attack, but no body had ever been found. I had hope that you were still alive, but after the first millennia or two, I was beginning to lose faith." She tells him as she pulls him closer to her while he caresses her back softly.

"After everything had happened, being told I was the cause for Edenia's fall, Sindel and Kitana unwillingly becoming part of Shao Kahn's family, Jade and Kitana not talking to me anymore, but you... you were the only light in my whole life that kept me going, Kurai. Alive or dead, the thought of you alone was all I had left. The little brother I never had. Your big beautiful eyes, your smile, the sound of your laugh. All of that was keeping me going. All just hoping for the day to see you again, or one last time, at the very least, but I didn't know what had happened to you." She begins to weep again as she plants her face against his chest and lets out all the pent up emotions from multiple millennia.

Kurai hugs her tightly, she does the same as her whole body trembles and shakes from the thought of losing her friend again. Kurai whispers to her soothingly and brings her into his lap, not caring that she was still in the nude.

After a while, she quiets down and they both just hug each other as he gently rocks her back and forth. Tanya sighs contentedly in his arms. Even though she doesn't have those types of feelings towards Kurai, it felt nice to be comforted and held by a man that isn't looking to have a one night stand with her or just use her as a distraction from another lover.

She reaches down and pulls the bed blankets over them both when she felt a cold chill going up her spine, causing Kurai to smile. He soon loses that smile when another question popped in his head. "Tanya, you said that you had went on the run after everything that had happened. Why? What caused you to go on the run?" He asks her, causing her to sigh, but she doesn't look up at him.

She adjusts her head to a more comfortable position against his chest before she answers. "I... I had used my training after nightfall to sneak out of the barracks and into Shao Kahn's palace. I made my way towards the throne room to actually assassinate the bastard. Or at least try to." She admits, shocking Kurai, but before he could say anything, she continues.

"I waited inside the throne room for Shao Kahn to arrive, and he eventually did, but he wasn't alone. Shang Tsung was with him. And they were talking about how well the plan had worked and that "the girl" had proved useful with her weak mind." She explains as Kurai, still in shock that Tanya had planned to assassinate Shao Kahn, just listened.

"That useful girl with the weak mind they were talking about, Kurai... was me." She tells him, shocking Kurai further at the revelation. "Shang Tsung had snuck into Edenia and somehow possessed my mind then took control over my body, causing me to allow Shao Kahn's army through the gates of Jerrod and Sindel's kingdom, bring about the destruction of Edenia, and absolutely destroy my entire life. Mind, body, and soul." She tells him with a blank expression and an emotionless tone.

Kurai says nothing and just allows Tanya to continue. "After hearing that, where I felt so numb and cold, I completely forgot about why I was in Shao Kahn's palace to begin with. They had already left and I was still in the rafters above, deciding what I wanted to do next. So, I just made the decision to leave Outworld, make my mind, and my body stronger, and also figure out a way to make things right with everyone. Which included you, if you were still alive that is. And thank the Elder Gods, you were." She tells him with a more happy tone as she hugs him again tightly, which had reminded Kurai of the night she approached him.

"Speaking of, how did you even find out that I was alive, Tanya? When you approached me that night, you already knew who I was before I even looked at you." He asks her curiously, causing her to smile with a shrug.

"I had been sent on a mission to the island to assassinate Shang Tsung. Start from the bottom and work my way up, you know?" She admits with a shrug. "I found out who you were because of Shang Tsung's big mouth and Reptile. Reptile had spied on you and your friend, Drake Lee, was it?" She asks him, causing him to nod.

"After Reptile reported to Shang Tsung, I just had to see for myself if it was true. That's when I approached you, and you should know the rest from there." She tells him as he nods then smiles slyly, causing her to look at him suspiciously.

"What?" She asks him with a smile.

Kurai snorts humorously. "Nothing, it's just, you were sent to assassinate Shang Tsung just like you were planning with Shao Kahn, and you failed both times? You're not a very good assassin, Tanya." He says with a laugh, causing her to laugh as well before she playfully slaps his chest.

"Oh, shut up, you." She says to him playfully as they both share a hearty laugh together.

A moment later, Tanya just stares lovingly at Kurai as her pent up emotions quickly return, staring at him, she's remains dumbfounded at how much Kurai had grown and how beautiful he had become as a man, in her opinion. To her, Kurai was the most beautiful man she has ever seen in 10,000 years. She is not looking at the little boy she used to care for anymore, she's now looking at a man. A warrior. A survivor. One she can see herself falling in love with without a seconds hesitation or regret.

Though initially not having romantic feelings for her friend, Tanya could feel those feelings rapidly develop during this moment as she just wraps her arms around Kurai's neck and kisses his cheeks softly. Kurai, confused, but not wanting to stop her from letting out any more pent up emotions, just holds her close and allows her to let everything out.

Tanya groans after each kiss to Kurai's face as she holds him close. Genuinely believing that if she lets go again, like she did that night on the island, he'll disappear again and never come back this time. She adjusts herself in his lap as she presses his head against her chest and lets out quiet weeps of joy and sorrow, all from her countless centuries of closing her heart off from the realms and the world.

She had been with men, as well as women, before, many of whom had only used her as a distraction or a tool for their own satisfaction, but with Kurai, she felt at home again. Because he is one of the only people in all the realms that truly reminds her of Edenia. There are, of course, Kitana and Jade, but after everything that had happened in Edenia, they have not seen her since she left Outworld. With Kurai here with her at this very moment, it is something she has not felt for many millennia.

Pressing herself close to Kurai in an almost sexual manner, she continues to kiss Kurai's face, hoping he would do the same to her, if only for relief from her pent up energy and emotions that she has built up, but she knows better that he may not. She knows he'll think that he's taking advantage of her in this emotional and vulnerable state, but she honestly wouldn't care if he did. Even if this would be a one time thing, she wouldn't care. Kurai could have her in any way he wants tonight, and she would let him do whatever he wants because she just knows he wouldn't do anything to harm her.

She desperately wants him to do something. Throw her down against this bed and take her, claim her. Turn her around and claim her from behind. Kiss her back. Grab any part of her body that he would like. She didn't care. She just wants him to do something, anything, with her so she can feel something real again. Kurai would be that spark that makes her feel alive again. Remind her that she is still alive and still has a heart beating inside her chest. If that meant giving herself to him for eternity and allowing him to claim her for himself and no one else, she'd be perfectly happy with that.

"Kurai, please do something! Hold me down and take me! Make me spread my legs open for you, my prince! Command me to please you! Demand something of me! Take what can be yours! Claim me over and over again until my body hurts! Something! ANYTHING! Just please... I need to feel something... I need to remember the feeling of what it means to be alive... I need to remember... I want to remember... please..." Tanya pleads in her head desperately as she continues to kiss Kurai all over his face while tears stream down her cheeks. He allows her to do so.

Kurai then suddenly pulls his face away from her, causing her to gasp thinking she's done something wrong or has upset him from overstepping. After wiping her tears away, he moves one of his hands to her rear and cups it firmly, causing her to gasp again and bite her lip. He moves his other hand to her waist then slowly lowers her down against his bed.

On her back on his bed, Tanya's mind went a mile a minute, thinking of what Kurai would do with her until she begins to repeatedly plead with him over and over again in her mind. "Yes, Kurai, please, please, please! Make me remember what it's like to have a heart! Make me remember how to feel! Make me yours for all I care! Please, please, PLEASE!!!" She shouts at him in her head as she opens her bare legs and wraps them around his waist while pulling him down against her.

Kurai looks down at her while she looks up at him with pleading eyes as she opens her arms and holds them open for him. He leans down as she tightly wraps her arms around him thinking that he would ravage her and claim her. She wouldn't have cared if he made her his, because she believes if there is one person in her life that could jumpstart her heart, make her feel again, and love her like no other, it would be the long lost prince of Edenia.

But what he does next, she was not expecting. Instead of pulling out his manhood, penetrating her or entering her willing womanhood, he just locks his lips against hers and kisses her softly. Her eyes widen briefly before they suddenly begin to flutter until they feel heavy as they suddenly change from her usual pale, dead white to chocolate brown eyes. Her original eye color. She then closes her eyes and subconsciously grinds her body against his as they kiss each other passionately.

Taking brief moments to take a breath, they both kiss each other until he brings her back into his lap as she clings to him desperately like a lifeline. Moaning in the kiss, she breathes heavily as he pulls away to kiss her neck, causing her eyes to roll backwards before he goes back to kiss her again.

Soon after, Tanya suddenly loses all sense of her energy as her grip against Kurai loosens until her arms drop to her sides as her legs drop off behind him. Pulling away and ending the heated kiss, Kurai notices that her eye color has changed, they were no longer the unsettling dead white color that he had originally seen, but Tanya was so out of it from his kiss, that she seems to have passed out from the experience.

Placing his head against her chest, he hears her heart beating rapidly before it finally begins to slow down to a more steady pace. Sighing with relief, he gently places her down beside him in the bed and covers her up to keep her warm.

Kissing her forehead and smiling, he lies down beside her holding her hand as she subconsciously grips it tightly, while he falls asleep. Kurai can only hope now that she has let go a good portion of her pent up emotions so she can continue to move forward with her life.

Little did he know, he helped her a great deal, and she would be eternally grateful to him for reminding her that she still has a heart. Despite closing it off so many years ago.

Kurai's room, Next morning...

Kurai wakes up with a stretch then looks beside him, but sees that Tanya is gone. He sits up in a panic until he notices a note on his nightstand addressed to him. He quickly reaches over and unfolds it to see a letter written to him from Tanya.

"Kurai, my dear Kurai. My love.

Thank you so much for last night. It wasn't quite what I was desperately hoping you would do, but it was even better. Because I needed it. You jumpstarted my heart, Kurai, and reminded me that I still have one. There is nothing I can say, or do, to ever thank you enough for it.

I wanted to wait until you woke up so I can be spoiled with that feeling again, but I have business to attend to. Although, it makes me excited to see what else you can do with that experienced and built body of yours. If you can knock me out from just kissing me, I wonder what else you can do that will rock my world. Jokes aside, my dear prince, there is still so much I want to tell you, but it's too early.

However, I promise you, I will tell you everything once the time is right. You, Jade, and Kitana. Until that time, just know that I will love no other man, but you, and you only. Regardless of where you and I end up in our lives, my heart will forever and eternally remain yours, my prince. I love you, Kurai, and I thank the Elder Gods that you survived that day.

Until we meet again, handsome.

Forever yours, now, and always.

-Tanya."

He reaches the end of the letter to see pink lipstick in the shape of lips near Tanya's name, which causes him to smile tenderly as he reads it over and over again until he puts the letter away inside the nightstand, then gets out of bed to get dressed.

While he does, aggressive knocking is heard outside of his bedroom door. Sighing deeply, he walks over to the door to open it. "It is way too early right now for this." He says quietly to himself as he opens the door to see Drake with an irritated expression on his face.

Kurai just yawns. "Can I help you?" He asks him with an irritated tone, causing Drake's eyes to widen incredulously.

"Is that all you have to say, Kurai? "Can I help you?" You know what? Actually, you can help me. You can explain to me why you recommended sensei Akuma, now temple master Akuma, of all people to train me! You know how serious and strict he is!" He shouts at Kurai, who rolls his eyes as he walks back to his dresser to continue putting on his temple gi and start his own training.

"Yeah, I do know. No one takes training seriously enough like Akuma does. Don't get me wrong, Drake, I like sensei Kouken, he's a great teacher. But he's been too soft on you. So, you need a more serious teacher to train you and start getting you on track." He explains to Drake, who, while still irritated that he starts training with temple master Akuma today, gains a curious expression on his face.

"What do you mean, get me on track? Wasn't I already before?" He asks his Edenian friend curiously, causing the prince to sigh deeply before looking at him.

"Drake, listen, I'm not standing here saying that you're not a gifted or talented fighter, because you are. But the reason you managed to survive the tournament in the first place is one, that voice in your head during your fight with Rain. It gave the power necessary to be able to injure him and cause him to forfeit the fight. That's one reason. The second reason is near the end of the tournament, you were spared by someone that couldn't stomach the thought of killing someone. Although, you should've been able to beat that guy, easily. EASILY." Kurai explains, pointing out the two reasons why Drake managed to survive.

Drake crosses his arms and lowers his head with his eyes closed as Kurai continues. "Drake, I have all the faith in the world in you as a warrior and a friend, buddy, but you don't take this stuff as seriously as you should. You invited yourself to a tournament you were no where prepared for. It all luck alone that caused you to survive." He tells Drake earnestly, as the blonde young man remains silent and nods his head with an exasperated sigh.

"Now, with Akuma's training, while it is a punishment, it will also help give you the proper discipline that you need in order to take all of this more seriously. Because, gods forbid, if Outworld decides to be bold and tries to invade Earth Realm, luck alone won't save you, Drake. You'll need the right teacher to help you progress your training and get you on the track you need to be on. With Akuma's help, you could be one of Earth Realms greatest champions." Kurai continues as he admits his faith and hope in his friend, who looks up at him with a shocked expression.

"One of Earth Realms greatest... You really have that much faith in me, Kurai?" Drake asks him incredulously, causing Kurai to nod with a smile.

"Of course I do, Drake. You've got what it takes, but you really need to take this stuff seriously. Mortal Kombat... is not a child's brawl. And you need to start understanding that." He tells Drake seriously, who nods with a sigh.

Looking at the old timey clock on his nightstand, Kurai sees that Drake will soon be late for his first day of training with Akuma. "Drake, you better get going. You're going to be late." He tells him as Drake snaps his glance at the clock, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

"Shit!" He shouts before dashing out of Kurai's room to head towards Akuma's class, causing Kurai to shake his head with a chuckle.

He continues to put on the rest of his temple training gi when he hears wings flapping above him. Looking up at the ceiling of his room, Kurai can see a crow with a scroll attached to its claw. Whistling to it, he calls it down as it perches on his arm.

He carefully takes the message scroll off the crows claw then allows it to leave the room as he opens it to read what it says.

"Kurai, meet me in the main temple hall. It's time to begin your training of the Phoenix Cleanse.

-Grandmaster Han."

Not needing to say another word, Kurai nods and puts the message in the nightstand right next to Tanya's letter.

"Kitana, Jade, Tanya, I swear we'll see each other again soon. Just keep waiting for me." He thinks to himself before stretching one more time then walks out of his room.

10 minutes later, Main Temple, Main Hall...

Kurai walks into the main temple hall of the Dark Wu Shi Academy, but notices that Han is not in his usual spot in the temple. So, not wanting to look for the man or disturb him if he already has a prior engagement, Kurai kneels down in front of the altar and meditates while listening to the sounds around him as he waits for Han.

Half an hour later, sensing a presence nearby, he calls out. "You know, if you're going to summon someone, be sure to be in the room before they show up, Han." He says smirking when he hears Han begin to chuckle as he walks up to the altar and sits down on the soft pillow.

"I wanted to test your patience, my friend. Whenever a student is told that they are going to be taught a new technique, they tend to be... very eager." He tells Kurai while he lights up a few incense and places them in front of him and the Edenian prince.

While his eyes are still closed, Kurai grins and snorts humorously. "I've got over 9,000 years of patience and experience over you, Han. I'm one of the most patient people in the temple. So, don't underestimate my patience." He says to him before opening up his eyes.

They both share a friendly laugh together before Han gains a more serious expression on his face, causing Kurai to gain a similar expression. "Jokes aside, Kurai. The technique I will be teaching you is called, as you know by now, the Phoenix Cleanse." Han begins explaining, causing Kurai to nod, remain silent, and listen to the Grandmaster.

"The Phoenix Cleanse is a powerful technique that can be used to turn the tide of a fight in ones favor. When used against a powerful opponent, the Cleanse can be used to expel the opponents own power from them, rendering them temporarily powerless. However, when used against an opponent that has been corrupted by an evil entity or an another individual, it can be used to expel that corruption and free that individual from said corruption." Han explains in detail as Kurai just continues to listen with a serious expression.

"However, I should warn you, while the Phoenix Cleanse is a powerful technique to have in your arsenal, it is also a double edged sword. Should it be used against a powerful opponent or a corrupted individual, the technique will also temporarily weaken and drain you of energy. Leaving you open to an all out assault if your opponent regains their composure. Used wisely, it can be a useful technique for a powerful warrior of your caliber, Kurai. However, if used unwisely, it can bring about your ultimate downfall." He continues as Kurai says nothing.

Lowering his gaze at Kurai with an ominous expression, Han wants to know if Kurai is absolutely sure. "Now knowing that this technique can be a double edged sword that can work in your favor, Kurai, or against you, do you accept the risks of learning this technique?" He asks him earnestly with a dead serious expression.

Kurai looks up at the Grandmaster with an equally serious expression on his face. "Yes, Grandmaster Han. I accept the risk." He answers.

Han waits a moment then nods his head. "Then let us begin."