DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mortal Kombat or its characters in any way.
Warning: Violence!
Chapter ?: Darkest Hour
OUTWORLD; Night
Jade and Nido traveled together on-foot for nearly a full day. Their daylight hours were spent evading Tarkatan guard posts, and hostile Outworld habitats such as the Living Forest as much as possible. Jade knew her way around a lot of places within other realms all thanks to her short-lived alliance with Reptile years ago.
As darkness spread over the land, Jade slowed to a stop. "Let's take a break." She said with a huff of breath. She reached into her travel bag to get her water bottle – only to suddenly jerk upward when struck on her rear. "Hey!" She retaliated with a sharp elbow right into Nido's side with such force that he stumbled.
"Okay, I deserved that." He held his sore side and smiled for her. "Hey come on, I was just..."
"Being immature? Yeah, I got that." Jade snapped back before drinking from her bottle.
"Yeah, guess so." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Jade. I just thought we were comfortable with one another."
"We are. That isn't an excuse to openly touch me like that out in the open. It's disrespectful." She placed her hand on her hip as she spoke to him in a firm tone. "I do not know how women react to it in Earthrealm, but I will have you know for certain that most Edenian women are not as open to it."
"I'm really sorry, Jade. It won't happen again." Defeated, Nido held his hands up slightly. "Seriously, though, you don't have to get upset. I messed up, and I'll do better. It's not like anyone saw."
"It's not respectful to me as a woman, Nido. For you to be so openly-."
"Openly affectionate? When we first started out, you didn't mind the affection anywhere. Now I'm lucky to get a kiss on the cheek out here. What's really going on, Jade? Is it Outworld?"
"Can I finish what I was saying?" Jade deflected. "Outworld has nothing to do with-."
"I'm the one talking, Jade. Can I finish wh-...!"
"No. Because I amtalking now." She took another tone with him. She dropped her water bottle into her carry bag and folded her arms beneath her bust. "This is an issue of respect. You do not respect my reputation, a man of honor should-."
Nido put his own bag on the ground. "I don't respect you? How is that, Jade? All that I've done for you? For us? I've put my neck out on the chopping block just as much as you have." He shook his head and paced away from her to gather nearby fallen branches to try to start a small campfire. "If anything? I just think you're ashamed of me or somethin'."
"Oh please." She scoffed.. "When I tell you how I really feel, all of a sudden it's about me being 'ashamed'," she used quotation fingers, "Or 'ready to break up with you'. Please, grow up."
"Really? How you really feel, huh?"
Jade restrained herself and held a hand up to pause Nido. "You know what I meant, Nido. Do not try to make this into a big fight." She assisted him in collecting wood, though the tension between them seemed ready to catch fire at any moment.
"Right." Nido spoke flatly while withdrawing his lance Gungnir. He was just about to use the weapon to get a fire started when Jade suddenly stopped helping He watched as Jade grabbed her bag and walked off toward the trees. "...Where are you going?"
Jade said nothing.
"Jade. Where. Are. You. Going?"
She glanced over her shoulder and marched onward. "To get more fire wood. I can do it alone." She left him on that note. After a few steps she felt lightheaded. Jade held her forehead as a distant whisper filled her mind and faded entirely moments later. Jade most likely needed rest more than she assumed.
Jade walked and tucked branches under her arm. She tried convincing herself that everything was fine and that the two of them could cross this minor hiccup in their relationship. They had time.
Though Jade's concentration was broken by a familiar taunting tone. "Hello, Jade."
Jade dropped the branches.
With a gunslinger's speed, Jade whipped out her staff in a defensive stance. Her green eyes scanning slowly around her. "Tanya. Show yourself!"
"Aw. Show myself? What fun would that be? This is the final act, Jade. You need to overcome great obstacles to finally clash with me!"
Tanya's glowing white eyes gave away her position in the shadows of the trees. Several glowing red eyes appeared around her soon after. Within a split second, Tarkatans burst from the darkness by the dozen to surround Jade.
Jade spun her staff like a windmill. She jabbed backward to catch a Tarkatan through his throat. Like a jackhammer she drilled into several enemies before her while the dying and dangling beast flailed on the back-end of her staff.
All of the Tarkatan's forearms burst with elongated bone-blades to meet Jade for battle.
A sharp pain shot through her body as a slice scraped across her shoulder blades in a botched attempt to behead her. Jade cried out as her blood flung across the dirt and grass. Her survival instinct made her react like lightning; she spun in a complete circle and used her staff and the now dead Tarkatan on one end to attack all of the Tarkatans. Once space was cleared, she kicked the dead beast off of her weapon and shook it free of lingering blood.
One Tarkatan jumped above the rest and came down behind Jade.
SHINK!
The blades sunk in deeply...
...in the dirt.
A cloud of green smoke surrounded the now coughing Tarkatan, as his allies got back to their feet. From above, Jade's Razorangs shot from the treetops and severed branches on route to meet the skulls of two Tarkatans. Their blood burst from their craniums like water filled balloons with large punctures.
Jade dropped feet first on the stomachs of the dead Tarkatans. The impact pushed her razorrangs from their faces and back into her hands. She threw the bladed projectiles more as her enemies closed in.
Eventually, the weapon was sliced out of the air.
Jade took a defensive stance once again. "Nido! Help!" She called out as loudly as she could. She charged in to meet her attackers head-on, regardless.
Hearing Jade's call, Nido drew his weapon and rushed from the camp. Seconds into his sprint, two Tarkatans jumped out to bar his path. Each one chomped at the air, drooling the foulest smelling fluids from their rfang-filled mouths.
"Whoa." Nido said while stepping backward. "Hey guys. I uh, I was just going to check on my girl back there. You know how that is, right?" He said, as the two began their slow progression to him. "Of course you don't. I mean, who would want a guy with a mug like yours?"
One Tarkatan growled. "What? I'll have you know my wife and I mate constantly, human!" He shook his fist in a threatening manner toward Nido.
His fellow Tarkatan glanced to him. Each of their blades sunk back into their forearms. "Kaizar, you have no wife! Tarana dated you a handful of times, that's it!"
"Raizar! We're engaged! Do you not keep up with the news of our clan?" Kaizar snapped back and shoved his brother.
"You speak lies! You always try to make yourself seem like the alpha male when we get in situations like this!" Raizar shoved him back.
Kaizar stumbled and drew his bone-blades. "Brother! I have had enough! I challenge you to Mortal Kombat!"
Raizar responded with drawing his own blades. "Very well!"
Nido snuck around them slowly as they bickered. He smacked each behind the head of one Tarkatan with the blunt end of his lance, and dropped them cold on the dirt. "Good talk, guys." He said before rushing toward where he heard Jade's voice.
Jade screamed as she flew through the air and cracked spine-first into a tree. She fell on her front as Tanya walked up to her. then falling near Tanya's feet. Her staff and travel bag fell nearby but out of arm's reach.
Tanya leaned down and pulled Jade's head up by her hair. "This is the grand finale, Jade. The final act of our story. You should have killed me long before this play even began." She slammed Jade's face back into the dirt and rubbed it in before she walked away from her. "Finish her. Bring her belongings to me when you are done." She said in parting, walking through the darkness of the woods.
The Tarkatans crowded around her pulled her up by the arms.
One of the Tarkatans leaned in close to Jade's face. His bladed maw opened, and his hideous tongue licked along the side of her face, much to her disgust and terror. He pulled back and gave a mighty war cry with his bladed forearm elevated. Then he stopped.
Glass broke not far from where they stood.
Jade's eyes widened. She then locked eyes with...Nido.
He was far from where they stood – it was impossible for him to run over in time to save Jade's life, and he knew it. The glass orb was broken over his chest. The Tarkatan essence was on him and Jade was dropped. The beasts snarled and turned their eyes to him in a deep craze. Their more feral sides were triggered and they charging Nido immediately.
"Jade! Run!" Nido called out as he held his weapon forward.
"Nido, why?!" She remained on all fours with her eyes wide in shock. Jade collected her staff and her bag. She had to protect Nido.
"Get out of here, now!" He shouted again while the Tarkatans closed in.
Tears poured from Jade's eyes. If they both died all of Jade's mission would be for nothing. She ran as hard in the opposite direction as she could. No matter how Nido screamed, no matter how horrible it sounded with flesh being ripped from bone, she kept running.
Her eyes blinded to her surroundings as the tears fell. She didn't care if she found Tanya, she just had to get away from this. Jade ran until she heard nothing that had happened behind. She ran for miles and miles in the near total darkness until she could no longer. Eventually, she collapsed to her hands and knees.
The tears had reddened her eyes, streaming down freely. She felt horrible. So many things left unsaid. So many feelings left unexpressed. Apologies unheard. She would have to live the rest of her life knowing their last conversation wasn't a confession of true love, but an argument born of insecurity and stubbornness.
She cried for several minutes while trying to find the strength to go on and go after Tanya. She had to pay.
Side Event: #03: The Deadly Alliance
[ NEARLY TWO MONTHS LATER: Outworld; Night. The Deadly Alliance Stronghold]
The rain poured over the battlefield but still could not wash away all of the bloodshed. It drenched the kombatants as they did battle against a horde of Takatans. Lord Raiden fought alongside Princess Kitana, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage, Sonya, and Jax in their pursuit to end the Deadly Alliance. However, their combined strength was proven to be too little against swarm after swarm of merciless Tarkatans.
Near the battlefield there was a stairway that led to Shang Tsung's palace. The Deadly Alliance stood at the top of these stairs watching the brutality unfold. Each of them wore a smug expression as they watched their victory unfold.
In the heat of battle, Raiden electrocuted a great mass of Tarkatans to clear a path. "Go!" He shouted out to the princess. "Kung Lao! Assist Kitana! We will keep these creatures away!"
As Kung Lao went for the stairs, Kitana rushed to keep up with him. "We must take them on separately!" Kitana shouted over the roar of the thunder above. "I will leave Shang Tsung to you."
The monk glanced to Kitana as they ran. "Then Quan Chi is yours to defeat."
As they got closer to the apex of the stairs, the Deadly Alliance turn their backs on them and walked toward the palace. Once at the very top of the stairs, Kitana drew her bladed fans. "Quan Chi! Shang Tsung! This ends here, tonight!"
Shang Tsung and Quan Chi looked over their shoulders in unison. The bearded sorcerer seeming the most amused out of the two of them. "Ah, the brat and the side-kick. It's a pleasure to finally see you two again." Shang Tsung spoke as he fully faced them.
"No words, Sorcerer. I challenge you!" Kung Lao pointed to Tsung. "To Mortal Kombat!" His eyebrows furrowed as rage overtook his heart.
Shang Tsung's amused features dropped into annoyance, but Quan Chi in turn looked amused as he spoke on behalf of the duo. "So, the two of you wish to challenge the Deadly Alliance in a battle to the death?" He stepped forward while drawing two swords that were formerly latched to his back. "You have no chance."
Shang Tsung placed his knuckles lightly on Quan Chi's shoulder and spoke with a calm tone. "They have a chance, Quan Chi," he began, "give them hope. It will feel much better when it all slips away from them. Just as it did Liu Kang..."
"Enough!" Kitana screamed as she rushed Quan Chi. She and Kung Lao engaged the Deadly Alliance with rapid flashes of lightning and the roar of thunder all around them. The initial scuffle was intense, but soon Kung Lao tossed Shang Tsung away from his partner, and the two battles took place apart from one another.
Quan Chi's sword swept through the raindrops but failed to cleave Kitana's throat. His rapid and furious swipes made Kitana back up and bat away the slices. When she had an opening, she breezed past him with her tessen cleaving along his hip. The gash was bloody, but not satisfying enough.
The next clash had sparks flying as metal met metal. Kitana's lifetime of training as an assassin led her to quickly disarm Quan Chi. She knocked each of his swords to the ground and dropped him face first into the stone pavement with an overpowering overhead kick. Blood splattered along the cracked stone on impact like a bloodied pie being dropped to cement.
Quan Chi rolled away a half second later to avoid her knee which cracked into the pavement just as hard, but hurt Kitana a hell of a lot more. Quan Chi took the opportunity to throw dirt in the eyes of the princess and thrust-kicked her face with the force of a horse's back-kick.
The sudden impact dropped Kitana to the ground, but she was burst into the air again by an eruption of green skulls. The blazing unnatural magic burned into her skin and left lingering stinging sensations after each impact.
Quan Chi captured Kitana by her hair and tossed her toward the stairs as she descended. The fall to the base of the stairs alone could kill her, but he hadn't counted on the warrior princess' agility.
Kitana righted herself by tucking her knees to her chest, and she landed at the very edge of the stairs. Her arms flailed about to keep her balance. Her war fans were summoned instead to create gusts of wind to elevate her and thrust her toward the charging sorcerer. Kitana drove her hip into his face and send the pale necromancer rolling across the dirty and rain-soaked stone floor as if ejected from a moving vehicle.
"First you," Kitana expanded her bladed fans, "then Shang Tsung will suffer slowly. I will give you the most painful end for all of those you have made suffer." She stomped forward until a trio of green skulls burst from Quan Chi's hands as he got to his knees.
Kitana leapt and spun over the trio of projectiles and landed in a crouch. Another set of burning skulls at her from a low angle, and she sprung over them as well. Every missed shot did massive damage to the stone floor as well as the nearby stairs. Large chunks of rock littered the ground near Kitana as the debris rained behind her.
The two charged each other once more. Lightning clapped through the sky as Kitana ducked beneath a strike. Quan Chi elevated a leg to avoid a low sweep in return from Kitana. Their close-ranged and missed strikes tore through the raindrops. Back and forth they went, trading evaded blows until Kitana's foot caught Quan Chi across his face. The impact sent ripples through his cheek and turned his head at an unnatural angle. The sorcerer twisted away and spun through the rain until he landed on his back several meters away.
Kitana lost herself to rage. She dropped her fans and mounted him just so she could wrap her hands around his throat. She squeezed with all of her might. She watched him struggle with a murderous glee in her eyes. He reached for her head and neck, but she kept away. He tried clawing at her face to no avail. Kitana's eyebrows furrowed down deeply as she watched his face turn purple and blue from lack of air.
Kitana felt Quan Chi's life slipping between her fingers. "I hope you rot in the Netherrealm.." She whispered as she applied more pressure.
Quan Chi struggled to breathe and choked on his own blood.
Kitana banged his head to the pavement and maintained her grip on his throat. "You used my sister, conspired with Shinnok and turned Tanya on Edenia! You killed..." She felt his motions of his hands growing weaker. "Liu Kang...you killed the only man I've ever truly loved! Why? For power? For personal gain? Do you not know that Shang Tsung nor yourself can be trusted?"
Kitana pounded Quan Chi's head to the pavement once more, splattering his vitality across the wet stone. "This is for Liu-!"
SHINK!
Kitana's mouth suddenly dribbled blood. Even more blood splattered across Quan Chi.
Her eyes wide as the pain wasn't immediately apparent, due to her adrenaline. She looked down and saw a curved blade beading with her blood sticking out of her chest. Then another ran through her stomach.
SHINK!
Kitana screamed out in pain as she released Quan Ch. One of his skeleton minions had finished her off and she never saw it coming.
The minion lifted Kitana from the ground with each blade ran through her and then dropped to the side in a pool of her own blood.
Quan Chi eventually got to his feet, wheezing, and grabbed at his bruised throat.
"You little bitch!" Quan Chi shouted as he kicked Kitana in her ribs. He stood over her and roughly pulled her up by her wet hair. One hand set on top of her head, and the other on her chin. He pointed her to the still combating Kung Lao and Shang Tsung. "You fought well. Liu Kang should be proud."
Everything for Kitana went black after a sudden snap rang through her ears.
Side Event: #04: Failure of a Friend [ Shortly after Kitana's death, Raiden's defeat, and Onaga's rise]
The great blast over the horizon startled Jade. She had gotten word from Raiden where the fight would be taking place, but she was very caught up in finding Tanya to finally extract her revenge for the death of Nido.
Bodies and body parts of Tarkata lay strewn across the ground while she progressed toward the now ruined palace of Shang Tsung. She was too late. She saw the body of Sonya Blade laying with several puncture wounds on the ground, and Johnny Cage's own form over hers, seeming to try to protect her. Jax was also along the ground with his fist driven through the torso of a Tarkatan, though he had bled to death from several wounds on his body.
Jade walked slowely with her eyes filled with tears for her fallen allies. She couldn't look any longer. There was nothing she could do for them, so she rushed to the top of the stairs to see what remained of the palace and potential confrontations.
There in the rain lay Kitana. She had bled out and her head was twisted beyond its limitations. Kung Lao lay not too far off with a blade protruding from his spine. Heartbroken, Jade felt her ultimate failure sink into her heart again. Several people had died because of her neglect. Her childhood friend was gone without a goodbye. Just like Nido.
"Kitana...," Jade whispered as she knelt beside her friend, "I am so sorry." She hung her head. All she could do for Kitana now was shut her eyes for her.
The ground quaked.
Jade quickly turned to see a massive figure approaching. She moved like the wind and hid in the shadows of the ruins to observe.
She saw a large dragon-like figure approach the bodies. He held a large golden amulet in his scaled and clawed hand. Within seconds, green lights overtook Kitana and Kung Lao's bodies. Their grave injuries were healed or disguised in their gray and rock-like skin. They became living corpses that bent to the will of their new master. Moments later, the bodies of, Jax, Johnny Cage, and Sonya were also 'revived' as Revenants by the massive figure.
"My soldiers." The booming voice spoke. "We will meet within the Living Forest as our attack begins. You will spare no one. I will await you there."
In unison, the Revenant said "Yes, Master Onaga" as the Dragon King's massive wings propelled him to the stormy skies. As a unit, the Revenants collected their weaponsand moved with urgency to their destination.
"Necromancy…?" Jade whispered to herself. "I cannot take them all on alone. I need to save them…with help."
Side Event: #05: The Deception Begins
[ Not long after Onaga's return ] ; EDENIA, Night
It was a long count down, but Mileena was about two days from the end of her sentence. She remained well behaved, and hopeful that her sister would return in due time. Though she was having nightmares. She kept seeing Kitana getting hurt in her dreams. She was worried, and despite her desire to end her sentence early to search for Kitana, she kept her word.
Something was off, however.
Mileena smelled blood in the air. Her yellow eyes bolted open and she sprung out of bed. Her body pressed against the bars of her cell. "Guard! We're under attack! Run!" She called out, but got no reply.
Mileena panicked – until the door swung open. The guard held the keys in his fist and slammed the door behind him. "Lady Mileena! We must get you to safety!" He announced, trying to keep the door shut. Though before he could make many actions a thick spike ran through the door and his skull in the process.
Mileena's eyes went wide in horror. She backed into the back of her cell.
The door was broken open, and there he was in the torchlight. He was still as hideous as she could remember; it was Baraka.
"Mileena!" Baraka's deep, animalistic tone barked out to her. He tore through her cell door with two slashes of his blades. "Come! We've been seeking you to join us." He gave a motion of his head to his former 'partner' in crime, though their relationship was usually more 'off' than 'on'. He noticed Mileena wasn't moving from her position in the corner, so Baraka proceeded inside. "Woman! I said come with me!" Baraka barked again. He sunk his blades back into his forearms, just to backhand slap her. "Do you defy me?!"
Mileena hissed at Baraka. "Don't touch Mileena!" She barked back at him, though it gathered her another set of knuckles against her face. She staggered into the opened bars and fell to the floor.
"You have two choices, Mileena." Baraka snarled. "You either join Onaga's forces with me, or you die!"
She cowered with her hands over her head. "M-Mileena will join! But please, spare Kitana, Jade, and Sindel!"
Baraka burst one blade from his forearm. With the other, he yanked Mileena to her feet by her ragged dress. "Come. We will meet Onaga!" Baraka roughly led her through the secret passageway halls. Members of his Tarkatan tribe pulled the now shackled Queen Sindel. In passing, they locked eyes.
"Kitana?" Sindel spoke weakly, as they passed one another. She was only attacked with a club as a result of her speaking from one of Baraka's men.
Mileena looked away, not being able to bare the sight of Sindel being attacked. Not only that, but for the fact that she was hoping to meet mother the correct way. Even if things were fixed, she was quite sure Sindel could never trust her.
Mileena just needed time to plan...