DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mortal Kombat or it's characters in any way.
Chapter ?: Kitana's Plan
EDENIA ; Noon
Much like her own reflection, Edenia never lost its beauty to Kitana. She parted her curtains to let the sunlight in and to take in the view of the realm her family ruled. Kitana stepped out onto the balcony with a sudden gust of wind creating rippling waves along her silky robes. She set her hands on the stone railing of her balcony and watched in glee as white doves flew by to complete the beautiful morning aesthetic before her. The rolling hills, mountains, rivers, and woodland in her line of sight was never anything short of breathtaking.
After a moment of relaxation she returned to her bedroom to check her bookshelf. She brushed her fingers along her collection of thinner books and plucked The Frog Prince from her collection. brushing her fingertips along the thinner books. When she opened the book she smiled. The memory of reading with her clone satisfied her quiet wish to become a teacher to her own children someday – at least in a small way. She sat at her vanity table with her assortment of cosmetics neatly set up before her, but she instead kept her attention on the book.
On her vanity table there was also a blue headband in which Liu Kang gifted to her. She traced the soft material with her fingertips and instantly thought of his smile. His soul was as warm as dragon's fire, and his touch as unforgettable as dreams to a dreamer. Once she removed her hand from the cloth she placed her hand on her right shoulder. It was the last place the two physically touched before they had to unfortunately part ways. One day, that would change.
Her reminiscing was interrupted by a servant knocking on her door. Politely, she answered them. "Yes? You may enter."
The handmaiden that entered had her eyebrows elevated and her lips parted as if words refused to leave her. There was a long pause before she bowed. "Your majesty, Lord Raiden has arrived. He comes with urgent news. He is in the throne room with Queen Sindel."
"Lord Raiden?" Kitana was intrigued and rushed to the door. "Thank you. Let us be on our way."
"Will do, your highness." The woman bowed once more. The two women moved through the halls and the stairs of the large Edenian Castle, soon they would arrive at the throne room's doors.
Upon entering, Kitana's eyes focused on Raiden as he stood before her mother on the throne. "What is the urgency, Lord Raiden?" Kitana asked as she moved closer to her mother's throne.
Sindel pursed her lips and held onto a breath. "Darling…" Another pause, but she turned her attention to Raiden for assistance.
Raiden did not have such a paternal filter; he spoke directly to Kitana despite his heart feeling three tons too heavy. "Quan Chi and Shang Tsung have joined forces. Their plan has already begun reaching a critical point where Armageddon for all realms is nearly inevitable if we do not act."
Kitana denied his claim calmly. "It is never too late, Lord Raiden. We must contact the other realms. The Champion of Mortal Kombat will be of great assistance,"
There was silence for a few heartbeats before Raiden spoke again. "Liu Kang is dead, Princess Kitana."
Sindel leaned forward on her throne, disappointed in the god's handling of the sensitive topic. "Raiden!"
Kitana's eyes became as wide as her fists. She shouted in rage. "Liar!" Tears brimmed over her eyes as the sinking blade of truth buried itself in her heart.
Raiden, even with all he'd endured also became emotional initially before resuming his firm tone. "The sorcerers ambushed him and killed him. Shang Tsung even went as far as to take his very soul. They call themselves the Deadly Alliance. They live up to such a title, as they have also slain Shao Kahn, and continue to destroy every threat in their path. I am rounding up warriors to oppose this threat and end it. What I need from the two of you is to protect Edenia. If all else fails, we will need your military to merge with others to launch an all-out assault."
Queen Sindel curled her fist along the armrest of her throne. If business wasn't being conducted, she'd be consoling her child. "We will defend Edenia with all of our might. I will contact Jade to ask her to fight on Edenia's behalf against this...Deadly Alliance."
"Very well," Raiden spoke as he walked away from them. "I leave this in your able hands." Electricity surged over his eyes as he used the last of his might to teleport away from Edenia.
Kitana turned her redden and tear-filled eyes onto her mother. "I am going to fight."
"No, you are not." Even firmer was the voice of Sindel.
"Why is this? My abilities are needed in this battle! I must see to it that Liu Kang is avenged! This is just as much my fight than anyone's, mother!" Kitana did not back down.
"Revenge will blind you, Kitana! It already has! You will only get yourself hurt!" Sindel stood and stepped down from her throne to meet Kitana. "You are my only child, Kitana. I do not wish you to lose you to rage as you once lost me." She went to touch Kitana's face, but her child turned away.
"I am not." Kitana paused. She felt a need to defend Mileena. "I am not going to be lost to rage. I can defeat them. I know this. Why do you doubt me, mother?" She turned her face to look at her mother directly once more.
Sindel's hand dropped to her side. "When I lost your father, I felt as you do now. Though my only escape was death, which I took upon myself." She explained, though the recollection of such an event was cloudy, the feeling it brought to the heart was something one couldn't forget. "This is a suicide mission Kitana. Please, do not repeat my mistakes. You are a strong young woman. We must take this threat on as requested by Raiden."
Tears streamed over Kitana's cheeks. Her voice cracked from the pressure of pain and greif. "If I stay here, my heart may as well be taking its own life."
Sindel was at a loss for words. She had no real way to ease the pain, and that in turn hurt her as well. "I forbid you from partaking in any of this battle beyond that of Edenia. Do not think me to be harsh, for as your mother this is what I must do to be sure you are safe. This is my final decision. Understood?"
"Yes, mother," she lied, "forgive me."
The queen embraced her daughter tightly. "It is alright, Kitana. I understand how you feel more than you may realize. Words...cannot truly express it." She placed her hand behind her child's head and stroked her hair.
Kitana held onto Sindel a few moments longer, and released. "I am going to rest. This news still weighs heavy on my heart." She stepped back and excused herself.
Sindel watched in silence as Kitana left her. She reached out for her and slowly retracted her hand over her heart. "I pray there is more of Jerrod in you than there is of me."
Kitana did not speak to anyone on route back to her room. Warriors had come back from death before, though Liu Kang was not be coming back. Not as long as Shang Tsung held his soul.
Once reaching her chambers, Kitana simply sat at her vanity table, just looking at her reflection. Her servant did not even dare ask if she needed something – the door was simply shut.
Kitana looked at her reflection; the same reflection she stared at with so much joy when she prepared herself for a dinner with the Champion of Mortal Kombat, before the pending invasion of Kahn and his forces on Earthrealm. The one night that she was so very happy to spend some time not fighting. To spend some time with the man who had saved her world and many others through his unyielding spirit. Such a wonderful man he...was.
She was certain they would be wed one day. The day Kahn would be no longer a problem to any of the realms. She counted on this, even often times made small plans in her mind in her daydreams. His kiss was electric to her. Addicting in its softness and warmth. Haunting every day and night she spent alone and without him. The feeling she would never again regain.
Only her hands could hide her weakened face away as she sobbed into her palms.
She cried for several minutes until she just couldn't any longer
Kitana knew what action she had to take now – she could not simply run into this blindly. She had to seek out Raiden and his group of warriors. She had to seek out Kung Lao, in hopes to honor Liu Kang's memory by defeating his killers together, as the closest friends he'd held.
She had to...
Run away from Edenia
( Later on, after First Slumber )
Mileena's cell was filled with the wild sound of her eating. She was seated on the floor as she tore into an assortment of cooked meat. All was consumed except her vegetables.
She chugged her massive mug of tea with streams of the liquid sailing between her fangs and burped upon releasing. "Yummy!"
After a while, Mileena finally cleaned her plate of all her meats and veggies and left only bones behind. She shoved it under the cell opening. "All done!" She said, patting her belly in satisfaction. One of the guards came over to collect it, Mileena tried her hand at a conversation. "Hey!" She called out to him, placing her hands on the bars. "Is Kitana alright? She hasn't come to see Mileena today."
The guard was preparing to turn to tell her he hadn't the slightest – but it was at that moment the door opened from the rather secret passage way. Heeled steps came across the stone, as Kitana was seen in her flickering candle light. She held her tray, only this time it held brushes, and a small box full of hair accessories.
"Kitana!" Mileena said excitedly, bouncing up and down on her knees.
"Hello, sister." Kitana said sweetly before she turned her attention to the guards. "I will need the keys. Also, please leave us to our privacy." She paused before the guard who was currently giving her an odd look. He placed the keyes on her try and stepped away to wait outside the door.
Kitana waited until the door was shut, before she proceeded to her sister's cell. She could see Mileena was confused – though she was sure Mileena knew she had gained her trust by now. She placed the tray down carefully, and pulled the keys up. She unlocked Mileena's cell and cracked it open slightly.
Once the keys were back on the tray, she picked it up and stepped inside. "Forgive me for my...tardiness." She said, stepping over to Mileena's bed to seat herself. She placed the tray aside carefully.
It had become clear to Mileena that something was different – Kitana was wearing her travel robes, as well as her battle attire beneath which she could see clearly.
"What's wrong, sister?" Mileena stood and came to sit beside Kitana. She smelled the dried tears near the corner of her eye and felt an awkward vibe coming off of her skin...something was surely wrong.
"Nothing." Kitana tried to lie.
"Mileena can see your thoughts, sister."
"Then you know..."
"Running away? What about Mileena? Mileena wants to fight too!" She lowered her eyebrows, snarling toward her sister – though it was not to threaten her, but to show her she was prepared to fight alongside her sister for the first time since they were young. "Shang Tsung made Mileena into the monster she was. She will destroy him with you!"
"No, Mileena." The elder interrupted, "I can't allow you to come with me." She stood firm by her words. "You are needed...here."
Mileena's lips fell into a small pout. She didn't understand – she could not read Kitana's now jumbled thoughts too clearly. "Why is Mileena needed here?"
Kitana placed her hand along Mileena's now smooth jawline softly. "I need you to stall time for me. I left mother a note that I am going to Edenia's sacred temple to pray away the vengeance infesting my heart until I am needed. The cleansing ritual usually takes two months to complete...you have exactly two months and a day remaining in your sentence, sister. I will need you to pose as me until I return. I will be traveling to find Raiden's resistance, and I will fight alongside them. Should I not return...you will have direct access to our growing army."
"But Kita-...!"
" – No, listen, Mileena." Kitana stopped her sister mid-sentence. "I want you to come at them with everything you have. I want you to use all you have learned and be as ruthless as possible. I need you to promise me you will do away with the Deadly Alliance should we fail. I need you to be the old Mileena again."
Mileena turned her head away from Kitana's hand. She looked out to the moonlight with anger rising in her golden eyes. She swore off of Kitana impersonation, but this was what her sister wanted. This was how they built more trust. "Alright. Be careful, Kitana. Swear it to me."
The sisters embraced. Mileena placed her face against her big sister's shoulder. Kitana shut her eyes and squeezed Mileena tightly. She felt as if she was going to cry again. She pulled back, placing her hands on either side of Mileena's face. "I swear I be careful as well. You are the only thing that will keep mother from trying to find me."
Mileena's expression began to sink as she felt more of a tool all over again.
"I love you, sister. I will miss you more than you will ever know." Kitana brought Mileena back into another hug.
"Mileena loves Kitana, too." She squeezed Kitana tightly, as if she would never see her sister alive again. Once they parted ways again, Mileena sniffled. She was almost ready to cry. Though she rerouted her attention to the brushes and the box of accessories that Kitana brought her. "What's that for?"
Kitana chuckled while dabbing at her eyes. "Oh..., I was planning on easing this into the conversation while I did your hair. As well as teach you a few make-up techniques I use. We've a lot of time before I need to leave, I can still teach you."
Mileena bounced excitedly and clapped her hands. Her childlike glee came back in full-swing. "Mileena loves make-up and hair! Yes, yes! Show Mileena new things!"
Kitana giggled at Mileena's enthusiasm, lightly clasping her fingertips over her lips. "Alright Mileena. Let's start with the eyes. How no one can tell us apart from these alone astonishes me."
"You think people look at your eyes?" Mileena quipped back with her eyebrows lowered.
_
A/N
Also, as a side note...it is entirely canon that Mileena can read Kitana's thoughts. She was granted that ability by Shinnok during the events of MK: Trilogy. Though the extent of it is never explained (I'd think that would allow her to defeat Kitana...but she got beat again.) So, I made it limited, and only when concentrated.
So, this chapter ends with more sisterly bonding, then a parting of ways. Also...I am skipping the training with Bo' Rai Cho and Kitana (mainly because I can't stand him), but it will be canon in the timeline of this story.