DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mortal Kombat or it's characters in any way.
This story begins years after Mortal Kombat 4, before Deadly Alliance, and into Deception. After that it reaches Armageddon and reverts to Mortal Kombat (2011). The story follows mainly Mileena. Also stars Kitana, Jade, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and others!
MORTAL KOMBAT
REDEMPTION
Chapter ?: Before the End Began
EDENIA ; After First Slumber
Clicking heels down a dark stone hall roused It was dinner time, judging by the scent of food in the air. She crawled out of bed and leaned on her cell bars to await the delivery in her moonlit cage. It was a much larger cell than she had last year; her 'good behavior' granted her such a privilege. She moved up from far below the castle to an above-ground secret prison.
She was dressed in rags instead of her preferred garbs. Gone were the days of battle ready attire. Instead, she wore a brown cloth that she wore like a dress. Along with it, she wore a black veil over her lower-face.
A candle's light illuminated a female figure coming down the hall. The guard at their post stepped out of her way to allow the visitor to see Mileena. It was her 'sister', Kitana.
The azure-clad princess wore a regal hooded robe that enhanced her beauty in the eyes of the guards. After all, Kitana was seen as the most beautiful woman in all of Edenia. The hood of Kitana's robe concealed the upper portion of her face and the lower-half held a smile. She carried with her a candle-lit tray with a book on it and a plate of Earthrealm styled spaghetti and meatballs.
"Dinner time, Mileena." Kitana's tone was soft and maternal. Kitana kept her distance from the bars as she lowered to her knees. "I brought your favorite."
Mileena crouched down along the bars of her cell. There was an opening just a few inches off the ground along her cell's lower region, just enough to slip meals through.
"Let me see, first." Kitana said while setting the tray aside.
"Does Mileena have to?" The feral woman grumbled lowly as Kitana grew closer.
"Yes, you do, Mileena. Let me see your progress." The elder twin said firmly. "I am sure it is complete by now."
Reluctantly, Mileena's hands pried her veil down her lower-face at a snail's pace. As the veil came down, it exposed her changed features. Her nose curved naturally, and it was not as thick in the front. Her lips were a little dry – nothing cosmetics wouldn't fix – and her mouth was much smaller than ever before. Mileena's mouth was normal.
Kitana smiled in approval. She cracked open the bookshe brought with her and pulled a mirror from the pages it was wedged between. She placed it face up on the stone floor and slid it beneath the opening of Mileena's cell. "What I say will not matter. You have to see this for yourself."
Mileena's golden eyes fixated on the mirror before she took it. It had become something of a routine these past few weeks. She hated seeing flesh forming over gaps of her mouth during her healing process, but she hoped it was minimal this time. What she saw in the mirror instead was surprising. She gasped at the look of her mouth. She touched her cheek bones, her jawline – all of it was completely...normal. She had no words – only tears dropping from the corners of her eyes.
Kitana was moved by the reaction. She covered her mouth with her fingertips to fight back her own joy. Her voice cracked briefly as she spoke. "The mages can truly do a great job when given a task. I am glad I was able to assist you, sister."
Sister was a name Mileena had only been recently regaining with her now frequent visits from Kitana. Since her imprisonment after the defeat of Shinnok, it wasn't believed Mileena could ever reform. She was 'evil', as her royal subjects told her time and time again. "You have grown a great deal these past years. I hope you do not think me a harsh and cruel elder for leaving you locked away for so long."
Mileena's continued crying quietly. For her entire life she was made to believe she was worthless. Kitana got all the favor and her resentment grew – and it was enhanced by her rowdy Tarkatan blood. She did everything for her 'father' Shao Kahn, and still gained no love. She tried to fit in with the Tarkatans and Baraka and met only violence.
"N-no...,"she began, "Mileena understands. You did what you had to do to help Mileena. You could have killed her, but you kept Mileena alive." She wiped her eyes with her forearm as she looked at her reflection a bit longer.
Kitana bowed her head slightly. "I'm glad. I know this next part makes you uncomfortable, but let me see your teeth." Kitana said as she leaned closer to the cell.
"No!" Mileena backed away from Kitana while holding the mirror far from her.
"Mileena –."
"Nngh!" She pouted deeply like a spoiled child.
"Mileena, show me your teeth or you're not going to get your supper." She took a firm tone.
After a pause, Mileena crawled to the front of the cell. She placed her hands on the bars and opened her mouth up for Kitana to inspect.
Her teeth were all there; all dulled and normal in appearance. Kitana reached in bravely to touch Mileena's chin. She turned and movde her head around to inspect her.
"Alright, they're all there. Now show me your real teeth." Kitana said as she backed away from the cell again.
Mileena sighed. Her dagger-like jagged teeth ripped downward over and between her dull teeth. Her mouth stretched like that of a snake'. Her smooth flesh ripped away to recreate her Tarkatan maw. Mileena turned her head about so Kitana could see all of her teeth. Once every sharp fang was inspected, she collapsed them back into her gums. As she shut her mouth, it shrunk back to its 'normal' size.
"Very good. Your skin seems to regenerate once torn." She noted to herself while removing her hood. Soon after, the book and candle holder were taken off of the tray, and the food was slid beneath the opening at the bottom of the cell. There was a dull fork placed beside the dish for Mileena to eat with.
Mileena dug in to eat it with a beast-like hunger immediately.
Kitana sat back and watched. "Your sentence will be over soon, Mileena. You have earned your right. If your good behavior keeps up, many good things will be in your future, sister."
It didn't take too long for Mileena to finish. Once she did, she licked the plate clean before returning it to the tray along with the fork. She slid it back out to Kitana, now feeling quite full and satisfied. "Mileena can't wait to walk around again freely..." She leaned her head to the bars, once again holding them. "Can Mileena oversee the kitchen duties and prepare spaghetti?"
Chuckling, the elder nodded. "It is quite possible, sister. We will discuss that at a later date. Have you been reading at all?" She asked, now grasping the book she brought with her.
"Mileena has been. It's a little hard reading for so long."
It was a sad truth. Kitana had found that Kahn refused to educate Mileena as highly as Kitana had been. It explained her odd speaking patterns, and willingness to serve even when it had become obvious she was expendable to her superiors. Kahn kept her undereducated in fear she would rise against him much like Kitana had eventually. Though Mileena's hunger for knowledge had led her to experimentation in battle and ultimately played a part in her at times brilliant schemes.
"Would you like to read a bit more of The Frog Prince with me?" Kitana placed the book across her own lap while watching her sibling.
"For a little while." Mileena agreed. She crawled back toward her bed and reached underneath to pull her copy of the book out. She moved herself to the corner of her cell with one shoulder against each set of bars. The moonlight peered through over her shoulder and onto the old pages. There was a bookmark where she left off.
"You read a page, and I'll read a page. We'll read just three each, okay? Follow along with your eyes." Kitana said softly as she moved closer to the bars.
The two sisters read together – with Kitana helping Mileena pronounce certain words she struggled reading. Yet another consecutive night ending on a high note for the two of them. Mileena was proud she had finally gained what she wanted; affection, respect, and family.
( Side Event #01: Jade in Outworld )
Morning again. A morning with a dreary sky and purple horizon. Jade bathed, dried, and took her time getting dressed for the day inside the inn she managed to find. Her trusted staff was leaned against her bed until she snatched it up once she stood.
"Lost about an hour on the trail. You sleep well, babe?" Called the voice of a man as he sat up in bed. He was just as dark-skinned as she, though his black hair was a mess of dreadlocks. He was partially dressed, but still had his strongly built torso exposed.
"Next to you, who wouldn't?" Jade narrowed her eyes at him with a grin. "The trail's time period will be fine. We just need to head back to your home in Earthrealm to have this chemical reproduced a lot more than this town could offer." Jade said while pulling a small glass orb from her carrying bag. She handled it with extreme care. "To think Tarkatan essence could be created to make them go mad." She said examining the orb.
"These people live in this world, so I'd think they know what they're talkin' about. We get enough of these babies, then our enemies become our assassins. For now? One for Tanya," He pointed to Jade's orb, "and one for Kahn." He motioned over to his own carrying bag.
Jade carefully put the Tarkatan essence orb away. "You know, Nido, we should probably visit Sub-Zero in Earthrealm. The Lin Kuei could serve as bodyguards on our journey back through here. It may not be wise to trail Outworld like this twice."
"Sub-Zero? Whoa, isn't that guy dead?"
"No...dummy.," Jade scoffed, turning to face him. "That was his older brother that got killed. We've seen the other Sub-Zero before, remember?"
"Uh..., I remember the guy being a real prick on the island." He confessed, pulling his spear from the wall it leaned on.
Jade threw her hands up in defeat, rolling her eyes. "When you came here for the tournament after that and got eliminated by Johnny Cage, when we met? We watched Sub-Zero fight Mileena. He beat her and spared her life despite the crowd wanting more bloodshed."
Nido tapped his scruffy chin a moment. "Oh! Yeah, I remember!" Though he saw Jade didn't believe him. "Because that prick in the yellow was muttering how he was going to kick that guy's ass. I thought he looked like Sub-Zero..., I just thought his name was like...Freezer or something."
"Anyway, that guy is the current Sub-Zero. It's more of a title or codename than his actual name." Jade explained.
"...So what's his real name?"
She lifted a finger as to speak, but drew a blank. " …. That's not important. What is important is that we find a way to Earthrealm, get this essence produced more, find the Lin Kuei and enlist them as body guards, and then I can seek out Tanya, and we can finish off Kahn with his own army. Right?"
"Right!" Nido stepped forward, giving Jade a swat on her backside. "Better get moving then, Brown Sugar." He said as he headed toward the door.
("Augh...I hate that name...") Jade thought, "And when do I get to meet your parents?" She complained while following him.
"When you let me hang out and treasure hunt in the desert you own!"
"I don't technically own it," Jade explained. "I wonder if Cyrax is still stuck there, now that you mention it."
( Side Event #02: Sub-Zero )
A light knocking came to the door of the Lin Kuei's newly appointed Grand Master, Sub-Zero. He was at his desk writing the certificate that would authenticate the Lin Kuei tournament champion Frost as his new apprentice. He turned his attention away from the paper, and looked over his shoulder. "Come in."
As the doors opened, a pregnant woman stepped into the room. She was dressed seemingly opposed to the cold weather, but was perfectly fine in it. She wore a long white dress over her pale skin, with flowing black hair frosted at their very tips down her back. "Brother," She spoke out. "Are you sure it is wise to take up a student so quickly? Perhaps you should view more than just her combative skills."
Sub-Zero stood slowly. He had yet to leave his combative attire – as he planned on training a bit before he rested. "Frost is perfect." He said with an assured tone. "Her combative skill shows much promise. With a little mentoring I am sure I can mold her into one of the greatest warriors our clan has seen. Could you imagine? More warriors learning the gift we have, Wei-Yan?"
Wei-Yan nodded. She was another Cryomancer that was found by the prior Grandmaster, but she was not of blood relation to Sub-Zero. Wei-Yan showed more promise in strategy and recon than hand-to-hand combat. Had Sub-Zero not defeated Sektor when he did, it was likely she'd be dead rather than assimilated. "Yes, that would be great, Kuai Liang."
His hands went to her protruding belly gently, "How is my niece and your husband?"
"My husband is just fine. Still recovering from his match with Frost, but I am sure he will come out with ego intact. As for your niece, she's been keeping me up with kicking."
Sub-Zero laughed to himself. "Then perhaps she will become our next champion when she is of age?"
"I suppose," Wei-Yan just laughed lightly, looking to the floor and back up to Kuai Liang. "I just wanted to tell you something, brother. You don't have to risk your life for strangers nor prove yourself a worthy protector to any of us. You are a great man and brother, and I just don't want to see you leap before you think, and get yourself hurt."
Kuai contemplated her words, but remained self-assured. "At times thinking can take away the critical moment of reacting when it comes to life and death. I just take my opportunities before they fade, Wei-Yan. This opportunity with Frost will raise the morale of our clan and –."
"Alright." She interrupted him. "I have spoken my mind. No need to defend yourself." She waddled her way back to the door with poorly concealed annoyance on her tongue. " Have a good night, Kuai Liang."
"...Goodnight, my friend." With a heavy breath he turned his focus to his ceiling. "I am sure that amused you, didn't it, brother? Where ever you are." He returned to his desk and sat slowly. His body ached from his constant training, but his role of Grandmaster had a massive shadow cast over him and his Dragon Medallion. The shadow of his clan's hopes, aspirations, and the shadow of Bi Han.