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Mileena's Palace Gates, Outworld...
Raiden teleports himself and his chosen warriors to Outworld just outside of Empress Mileena's palace. Kurai approaches the gate and stops when one of the guards shouts at him and the others. "Halt there! Who are you? State your business!" The man shouts as Kurai raises his hands in a non-threatening manner.
"I am Prince Kurai! I am here to speak with Empress Mileena! It's urgent!" He says to the guard, who tells one of the other guards to send word to Mileena that Kurai had arrived with a large group of people.
The guard nods and heads into the palace. It wasn't too long after that when Mileena, dressed in an elegant nightgown, comes to the gate to see for herself if Kurai had arrived and to see who he brought with him, knowing that he doesn't do surprise visits often.
Seeing that it was indeed her brother with Raiden and his chosen, she nods to the guard to let him know that it's safe and to let them inside.
Once inside Mileena's palace, Mileena herself welcomes Kurai and the group with open arms. "Kurai, I'm always overjoyed to have you visit me." She says to him with a bright smile. "But why are you here? This most certainly is an unexpected visit. Not unwelcome, but unexpected." She then says to him with concern as she and Kurai embrace each other in a warm hug.
Pulling away, Kurai briefly explains. "I'll tell you everything you need to know, Mileena. But Goro and the others need to hear this too. The more people we warn, the better prepared they'll be." He says to his sister seriously, causing her to nod before leading him and the group to her throne room to discuss what Kurai has to tell her and her court.
After only waiting for an hour for Mileena's chosen to arrive to the palace and the throne room. "Empress Mileena, what could be so important that it couldn't wait until-" Sheeva says walking into the throne room with the Outworld group groggily, but stops mid-sentence when she sees Kurai standing in the throne room with Raiden and the champions of Earth Realm. "Prince Kurai?" She asks curiously, causing Kurai to nod to the female Shokan with a friendly smile.
Sheeva smiles in return, but tensions remain high between the champions of Earth Realm, and the champions of Outworld as they all stare intensely at each other.
Drake and Skarlet, however, did steal glances at each other and both smiled lightly, despite the tension between the two forces. Outworld may have made peace with both Edenia AND Earth Realm, but that didn't mean that the two forces made friends with each other like Kurai had.
However, with both Kurai and Mileena there to keep the opposing forces calm, everything should go smoothly as long as no insults or vulgarities are thrown at one another.
Sitting down on her throne, Mileena begins to question why Kurai arrived to Outworld. "Now then, what brings you here this late at night, Kurai? I have a strong feeling that this isn't a social visit. It must be because of that demon attack in Edenia." She begins with voicing her thoughts, which causes Kurai to nod with a smile.
"Nothing gets past you, Mileena. You're right. It is because of the attack on the palace in in Edenia, but that was only a part of what's currently happening." He explains as Raiden steps forward.
"Explain, Kurai. What have you found out?" The thunder god asks with concern. Kurai turns to him with an expression of worry.
"Shinnok." He states simply, causing the god of thunder and others that are aware of the fallen Elder God to tense at the name.
"What about him?" Raiden asks curiously, but also worriedly.
Kurai continues and answers. "If you had him banished or imprisoned somewhere, then he's escaped and is now running amok while doing whatever he pleases." He explains as Raiden's eyes widen in disbelief.
Looking at Kurai with uncertainty, Raiden continues his questioning. "Are you certain of this?" He asks sternly, not fully believing that Shinnok has escaped from the Nether Realm, considering that he has no means on his own to escape. Though he knows that Kurai would not lie to him unless he had good reasons to.
Kurai nods softly. "I'm positive, Raiden. I saw the woman, Delilah, speaking to him myself on the ship that was attacked." He continues to explain as a new name catches Raiden's attention.
"Delilah?" He wonders curiously.
Kurai shrugs. "A sorceress, and obviously a new piece on this massive chessboard. Though I have strong reason to believe that she is secretly the mastermind behind all of this. Shinnok and Quan Chi may think they're in control, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they're just pawns in Delilah's twisted little game. And so are we." He voices his suspicions as Raiden takes a moment to think while all the Earth Realm and Outworld champions wait patiently.
"Hmm... And what of Percival Silva? What is his part in this?" Raiden continues his questioning, causing Kurai to shrug again.
"I don't know what his role is in this situation, Raiden, but I doubt that it was Shinnok or Quan Chi that brought him back. Considering what Quan Chi witnessed with Silva during the tournament here in Outworld two years ago, I highly doubt that Quan Chi would want to bring Silva back to life, considering how arrogant he is." He explains his reasoning as Raiden quickly deduces what Kurai was thinking.
"You believe that this Delilah is the the one that brought him back to life?" He asks, which causes Kurai to nod.
"After I saw him standing beside Delilah inside a portal leading to who knows where? Yes. I firmly believe that Delilah was the one that brought him back. And I also stand firm with what I said. Shinnok and Quan Chi may think they're the ones in control, but I believe that Delilah is the puppet master behind all this. But that doesn't mean that Shinnok isn't a threat. If he's roaming free, he obviously has some sort of plan to conquer the realms." He says to Raiden and his allies, who all nod at the fact.
"I agree. Even if Shinnok isn't holding all the cards in his hands, that doesn't mean that he isn't a threat. As a matter of fact, he's may be the biggest threat at this very moment, besides this Delilah woman." The thunder god says in agreement with Kurai and the others before he continues.
"Unfortunately... there's nothing we can do at the moment. Kurai, Jade, I know that Sindel, Kitana, and Ophelia have been captured by our foes, but... there's nothing we can do right now. We don't know where they are or where they're being held. If all of us run around in circles trying to find them, none of us will have the strength or energy enough to save them or stop Shinnok when we catch up to him." He explains, making Kurai and Jade nod in agreement, though they still didn't like not knowing where their family is. And for Kurai's case, not knowing where Tanya is either.
Raiden continues while looking at the Earth Realm and Outworld's champions. "I suggest that you all get some rest before we encounter the battles and foes ahead. For now, I will go and consult with the Elder Gods and my brother, Fujin. Maybe they can explain how Shinnok managed to escape from his confinement. In the meantime, I bid farewell to all my friends. Old..." He says to the Earth Realm champions before looking at the champions of Outworld.
"...and new." He concludes with a smile, causing the Outworld champions to smile gratefully before Raiden teleports away in a bolt of lightning, leaving the realm of Outworld and his champions to continue with their discussion.
Drake decides to strike up a new conversation by looking over at Goro. "Prince Goro." He begins, causing the Shokan Prince to look over at Drake curiously. "You and your fellow Shokan are familiar with the Centaurs of Outworld, yes?" Drake continues with his question.
Goro nods in response. "Yes, that's correct, human. Why do you ask?" The Shokan Prince says to Drake before he continues.
"Because the centaur army helped the demons attack Edenia again before we pushed them back then came here with Raiden. And one called Malek was leading them." He says to the Shokan, shocking him and the rest before Sheeva looks over at her group and Mileena.
"Our scouts did report that Malek lead the centaur army away from their lands six months ago, and was never seen again." She explains as Mileena looks over at the female Shokan with a slight glare.
"Six months ago and was never seen or heard from again? Why wasn't I informed of this, Sheeva?" The Empress asks her sternly before Ermac steps in to explain.
"Because we thought nothing of it at that time, my Empress. If there were indications of Malek leading an attack against you, we would have informed you. But ever since he and the rest of the centaurs disappeared, we thought that they had just left to find new lands far away from the city. And since it seemed that he had no intention of bothering us, we felt that it was unnecessary to bother him and the rest of the centaurs." The Soul Being softly explains the reason to Mileena and the others in the room, who all nod in understanding.
But Mileena still wasn't happy. "You still should've informed me of such news, Ermac. All of you. Just because the Malek had no intention of leading an attack against us, doesn't mean that he would just drop everything and leave. The Shokan know better than others that the centaurs are highly proud creatures. If they feel they've been insulted or disrespected, they'll retaliate just because they can." She explains as Goro and Sheeva and the rest of the Outworld group all nod at this fact.
They know Mileena was right. Centaurs are indeed proud creatures and easily offended, even when someone doesn't actively disrespect or insult them. The moment they set their minds to something, they have every intention of carrying it out, regardless of their own casualties.
It's one of the reasons why many in Outworld, the Shokan included, have a deep respect for the centaurs. What they don't like, however, is that they treat they're soldiers or family members as expendable pawns in their army. It's why the Centaur army and Shokan clan always butted heads with each other over the centuries. Both forces have different views of honor, respect, and loyalty.
Turning in Kurai's direction, all of the Outworld champions bow their heads low. "We humbly apologize for our lack of foresight, Prince Kurai. We, the Shokan, and all of us present, should've foreseen this. We know the centaurs better than anyone and we were foolish to believe that Malek and the rest of the centaurs would not have retaliated against you and Edenia." Goro says apologetically while Sheeva and the rest of the group all nod.
Kurai just smiles and shakes his head before walking up to Goro and Sheeva. He places a hand on each of their arms gently and nods while glancing at the rest of Outworld group. "Apology accepted, Goro. But what's done is done. Nothing we can do about it tonight." He says to them kindly before turning his group and the Outworld champions.
"For now, I suggest we take Raiden's advice and get some rest. That's the best thing we can do right now." He says to them as they all nod, but Sonya and Jax decide to make themselves heard.
"I agree with you, Kurai, but Jax and the rest of us have to return to Earth Realm and report back to our superiors. We can't leave them in the dark about this in case Shinnok and this Delilah woman decides to attack Earth Realm." She explains as Jax, Cage, Kabal, and Stryker all nod.
"Yeah, kid. And they've already attacked that tanker ship in Earth Realm as a start. If we don't give our superiors a heads up, it's our asses for withholding information from them." He tells Kurai, who nods with understanding before Liu Kang speaks up.
"Kung Lao, Kai, and I also wish to return to Earth Realm to prepare our fellow monks, should Shinnok and his allies decide to attack the Wu Shi Academy. And we'd like to return as quickly as possible." He explains, causing Kurai to nod again before looking over at the small group of ninjas.
"Sub-Zero, Eclipse, Smoke, what do you guys want to do?" He asks them curiously. The three ninjas look back and forth at each other for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly.
"Well, we don't exactly have a clan to return to, so... I guess we'll stay here with you, Drake, and Jade, Kurai. Safety in numbers, right?" Sub-Zero answers him lightheartedly with a smile under his mask. Kurai smiles in return and nods before looking over at the Outworld group.
"Is there any way that Sonya, Liu Kang and the others can return to Earth Realm safely?" He asks as Sheeva nods, but pauses for a moment when a thought came across her mind.
"Wait... But what about the Dark Wu Shi Academy, Kurai? Shouldn't you return to Earth Realm with this Drake Lee and warn them about Shinnok?" She asks him with concern.
Kurai smiles as Drake chuckles. "Don't worry about the Dark Wu Shi Academy, Sheeva. Knowing Grandmaster Han like we do, he's never been unprepared. If Shinnok wants to attack him and the temple, he and his allies will be in for a rude awakening." He explains as Drake nods in agreement while Sheeva nods with understanding.
"Then we shall see to it that your allies all return to Earth Realm safely, Kurai. After that... I... will be getting some rest." Goro says to everyone, who all chuckle before the Shokan Prince and Sheeva lead them all out of the throne room to the nearest portal that goes to Earth Realm.
The ones that remained are Kurai, Drake, Jade, Sub-Zero, Eclipse, and Smoke. Mileena stands up from the throne and walks down towards Kurai. "Come then, my brother. I'll take you to Kitana's old room to rest up for the night." She begins before looking over to Jade.
"And Jade, I can take you to your old room, if you like?" She says to her politely. Jade glances over at Kurai with concern, while Kurai watches her, patiently waiting for her answer.
After a moment, Jade shakes her head lightly. "No, Mileena. I would rather stay with Kurai since... well, you know." She says nervously, causing Mileena to smile lightly before nodding.
"Very well. I'll take you both to Kitana's old room then." She says to them both before looking over at Reptile, and Baraka. "And you two, would you please be kind enough to lead Drake there to Jade's old room. And take our new ninja friends to some rooms as well. There are plenty here in the palace. I'm sure they must be tired as well." She says to them before they both nod and bow respectfully to Mileena before she leads Kurai and Jade out of the throne room.
"It shall be done, Empress." Reptile says before he and Baraka lead Drake, Sub-Zero, Eclipse, and Smoke out of the throne room. Drake takes a quick glance at Skarlet longingly, who smiles at him lightly before winking at him then walks out of the room with Ermac.
Noticing who Drake was looking at, Baraka smiles before lightly shoving Drake in the opposite direction out of the room. "Let's go, lover boy. It's late and everyone needs to rest." He says with amusement as Drake groans with annoyance. Baraka, Reptile and the three former Lin Kuei ninjas all chuckle while they, and Drake, are lead out of the room to stay in the palace for the night.
Mileena, meanwhile, leads Kurai and Jade to a pair of double doors that leads into Kitana's old room. Yawning quietly, Jade makes a beeline to the bed and plops down on her belly with a soft contented sigh. Edenian beds were more comfortable, in her honest opinion, but she had forgotten how soft the beds in Outworld were.
Both Kurai and Mileena chuckle lightly before looking at each other. "I can't thank you enough for allowing us to stay here in the palace, Mileena. I know it's very late." Kurai says to her with a smile, which causes Mileena to shake her head before gently placing her hands on his cheeks.
"You're my brother, Kurai. You've never given me any reason to doubt or not trust your kindness. After what happened with... my father, I was lost. I had no sense of direction in where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Then you showed up wanting to talk peace." She begins with a smile while Kurai listens.
"Then, after we talked peace, you removed and repelled Shang Tsung's corrupt magic from me, making me look a little more like Kitana, without me even asking you to. That's when I knew, that if there is one person in all the realms I just know I can trust until the end of my days, it's you, Kurai." She continues with an even brighter smile, causing Kurai to smile in return.
"We may not have had a strong connection at the start when I first awakened, but I am forever grateful that you accepted me as your sister... despite my previous appearance. Which is why that no matter what happens, my dear brother, whenever you need me or desperately need my help, I will be there for you. Now, forever, and always. You are the one person I never want to lose." She concludes before embracing Kurai in a tight hug.
Kurai hugs her back tightly and smiles before kissing the top of her head softly. "Thank you, Mileena. I feel the same way. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. I give you my word... dear sister." He tells her honestly, causing her to nod before she breaks away from the hug then leans up to kiss his cheek.
Mileena bids Kurai goodnight before she leaves to head for her room while Kurai enters Kitana's old room. Closing the door behind him, he approaches the bed and lies down beside Jade. She quickly adjusts the blanket to cover both of them before she wraps her arms around one of his and sighs.
She was sound asleep before long. After the long few days she's had, she wants nothing more than to get some sleep before they begin to fully focus on Shinnok. Though she knows that Kurai will eventually ask about her previous relationship with Kotal. It's going to happen sooner or later.
Kurai chuckles and caresses her cheek softly before laying down closer beside her to fall asleep and get some much needed rest after the experiences he just went through. Hornbuckle, Silva, Kano, demons, centaurs, Quan Chi, Shinnok, and this Delilah woman?
A foul plot was obviously happening, and it was happening right under all their noses before the aggressors made their move. After Shao Kahn, Kurai silently berated himself for being foolish enough to believe that he would be the end of it all. He should've remembered the one thing that he was forced to learn from all the different cultures he encountered over the years.
When there is peace, there is always someone in the world that will threaten it.
He sighs exhaustively before scooting closer to Jade and wrapping her arms around her while she gently pulls him closer to her. Thoughts of how he possibly let things get this far plague his mind as one thought flashes across his mind. "Mother, Kitana, Ophelia... and Tanya. Wherever you are, I will find you. No matter how long it takes, I will find you." He thinks to himself before finally falling asleep in Jade's arms, and her in his.