The War of Light and Darkness Pt. 3
A loud crash in the sky shook Li Mei to her knees as she stepped away from her bed. She shook her head, slowly rising back up. She strained herself channeling the chi in her body to sooth her pain. As she escaped her room, she looked around to find the entire area vacant. No physicians. No wounded. No fighters. Few corpses. All abandoned at some point as she was.
"Hello!" She called loudly. No one responded.
She continued looking around the halls and searched for her armor. She knew it was there. Somewhere. All Seidan Armor is magically linked to its owner. At least, that's what she'd been taught. Whether true or a gut feeling, she knew it needed to be found. In her present state, an attack would only ensure her demise. The sky rumbled again. An aftershock was what she concluded it to be. A door she lied her eyes on pulled her. She immediately walked through, seeing a chest full of differing armor and weapons. She could tell someone tried wearing the armor but it was never made for them. She slipped into the armor, the cold feeling helping sooth the pain. The girl stretched as best she could, not wanting to strain the pain any further with her diminishing chi.
She treads her way out of the facility and finds herself watching the chaos ensue as numerous warriors of different realms fought back against NetherRealm's army. A few Oni notice her presence and come after her. Though she raises her guard, her injuries begun taking their toll on her. A flash of light followed by a trail of fire came between her and the fiends. Scorpion turned to the girl, observing the armor she wore. Li Mei was still staring at the Oni, now disintegrated into ash. Scorpion marched up to her as she raised her guard once more.
"Who do you fight for?" he asked.
"Outworld!" she shouted as she took a step back. Scorpion nods.
"We may be enemies after this," he says. "We've aligned ourselves with your former emperor."
"Empress," Li Mei clarified. Scorpion tilts his head. "I don't care who you fight for. I just need to find Chan."
"Then it seems we have a common goal," he responds. "Unfortunately, it seems we'll have to spill far more blood to draw him back."
"What's happening out here?"
"The realms are merging. Even Heaven and the NetherRealm. The souls of the dead bring more power to Anomaly as they have no where left to go. But the stronger she becomes the closer the realms come together."
"We're leading ourselves to our own demise then," she muttered, falling to her knees.
"Get up, warrior!" Hanzo shouts. Li Mei looked up to the man. "Its far too soon to give up now."
"I can't fight," she says, looking at the other warriors still fending off the attack.
"Then you should've stayed hidden as you have been this entire time." Li Mei turned to the new voice. Shujinko approached the two, dragging along a large oni. He drops the corpse in front of them both. "Li Mei, what happened to your training?" he asked.
"I can't use my chi anymore," she said. "I pushed too hard fighting her army once."
"Your lack of will and faith is the reason you cannot," he said. Shujinko placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. "You're frightened. It's a normal response to have in this situation."
"However, it is not the response we need for this situation," Scorpion said. "Those who truly cannot fight are depending on us all. You have a duty to protect them, whether you desire to or not." Li Mei bit her upper lip, lifting herself to her feet. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"I must meditate to regain what I can," Li Mei explained. "How much time can you spare?" she asked, voice trembling.
"7 Seconds," Scorpion said. Li Mei clasped her hands together, keeping her eyes closed. Chan's words raced through her mind. Her lips trembled. Shujinko placed his hands along the girl's shoulders, closing his eyes as well. He channels some of his own Chi inside the girl. His body began to age slightly before he removes his hands. Li Mei drops her arms and looks to the man.
"Master Shujinko—"
"Do not worry about me. We must all fight against this if we are to save the realms." Li Mei frowns, looking to the ground.
"About that," Li Mei begins, rubbing the top of her left hand. She senses a demon reaching for her. The woman ducks and quickly sweeps the demon off their feet. She sinks her hand in the ground before pulling a metallic rod from it. She thrusts the rod through the Demon's skull, causing it to split on impact.
"It seems not all is lost with you," Hanzo commented.
"The range of my senses are shortened," she complained.
"No," Scorpion corrects, "this is the power of Belokk's demons. Stay on guard. We will push through!"
The gods of the realms fight back against the horde of shadow apparitions arriving from the dark realms. Silhouettes of fallen warriors whose souls are trapped on the other side. Raiden's fires off two powerful bolts of lightning through the chests of two apparitions. One attempts to strike the Thunder Lord from behind, only to be pulled away by Fujin's whirlwind. Fujin slams his elbow into its back, splitting it in half. The shadows vanish upon defeat. More and more continue to fight against them.
"The merger is affecting us," Fujin said. "How many realms have been merged at this point?"
"Too many," Wynd says as she cuts through more shadows.
"You can say that again," Rayne followed up.
"Lord Raiden. Lord Fujin." Wynd called. "We will still be beside you no matter how many realms may weaken you. We will not be as arrogant as we were mere hours ago."
"We will need more than heart to stop this," Raiden says.
"We have the Elder Lords," Rayne says. Wynd side eyes the girl and Rayne catches a glimpse. "I know, I know." Wynd flips over a charging shadow before firing a white energy ball into its spine. "It does not hurt to be optimistic sometimes."
"Do not disrespect the elder Lords," Fujin commanded.
"They do not respect us enough to help," Wynd responds.
"They are working on a solution to end Armageddon before it continues."
"By adding more bodies to Anomaly's collection?" Wynd questions.
"By reducing their presence to slow it down until a different solution arrives." Fujin spins around, forming a 12-foot tornado. Raiden flies away while the girls plant their blades into the ground. The shadows closest to them began vanishing rapidly. As fewer were near, Fujin slows himself down. The others plant their feet back on the ground with the twins pulling the blades back up.
"If this is true, why didn't they leave the Gods in Earthrealm before Anomaly's assault?" Wynd asked.
"This is EarthRealm, fool," Rayne fussed. She sighs before continuing. "And Now, I see why they were called to stay here."
"As do I," Wynd grumbled, rubbing her forehead. "And do not call me a fool!"
"I would not, if you would not act as one."
"We have more pressing matters at hand," Raiden says. He points to the new group of shadows approaching. "Such as them."
"Forgive us Lord Raiden," the girls said in unison, preparing the fight the next wave.
Jax pushes the Red Dragon merc against the dead tree before mashing his head in with his fist. He pulls his burning fist back, with pieces of the man's skin following behind it. He turns to Hsu Hao, who holds one of the Special Forces soldiers by the neck. He begins squeezing, only to have the man's blood plaster on his face. He looks past Jax finding smoke rising from Sonya's gun.
"I...missed?" Sonya muttered to herself. Jax rushed to Hsu Hao, who tosses the corpse and runs toward Jax. Sonya continues firing, missing her target over and over. "Focus." She holds her breath and keeps her gun aimed at the man. As her finger lays on the trigger, she raises the gun up and fires against the flying Oni above them both. She looks around the desolate valley as legions of different races were engaged in combat. The invasion of Earthrealm replayed in the woman's mind. She remembered the reports about the fight against Kreeya and her children. How many people fought, even those with no desire to. How Kreeya turned against Anomaly. Something was wrong. As if something was plaguing everyone's minds. Could this be the second face of Evil Cetrion spoke of?
Johnny and the others continued fighting the Red Dragon warriors along with the Shadow Apparitions that have appeared in this realm. Two assassins used the thrusters in their boots to zip along the battlefield. They quickly burst toward Jin, whose bow was drawn on one of them. An arrow passes through the neck of the second assassin. The first looks over, distracted. Jin releases his arrow, passing it through the assassin's heart. As his body stiffened, he glimpsed his ally still moving forward, uninjured with no arrow in sight. Takeda's rope latches onto the other assassin, pulling him away from Jin before he could swipe at him. His own thrusters propelled him toward the man before incinerating him with his pulse blades.
"The deception worked," Takeda sighed in relief.
"You say that like you never tried it before," Jin told him.
"Well…"
"Come on," Jin groaned.
"If you haven't realized by now, we're still getting surrounded," Jacqui commented, pressuring the opposition with her machine gun fire. Jin and Takeda continued helping push back those who got too close. Kenshi and Mavado continued their one-on-one clash. Numerous apparitions distract the blind swordsman as they assist Mavado. He struggled to focus on the man's mind as the minds of the apparitions distorted his thoughts. Kenshi thrusts his free hand forward. A blue spectre of his own appeared and fought back against them. Mavado takes the opportunity to kick the man in the hip, with the knife beneath his heel poking him. Kenshi staggers away.
"Got you," Mavado celebrates. He grabs onto the man's wrist and begins pulling away from his own hand. A long bungie cord appears inbetween as Mavado jobs backwards.
"No you don't," Takeda mutters calmly, closing his eyes and focusing on the path ahead. He could faintly hear the sounds of fighting surrounding him as the others continued their fight. He moved the trajectory of his mind from shadow to shadow, leading him directly to his father before focusing on Mavado's mind. As the mercenary began to quickly pull toward Kenshi with blade in hand, Takeda perked up. The thrusters on his boost pushed him toward the shadows one by one, with him swiping away at them. It took less than a second to reach his father before swinging his pulse blades toward the merc. Mavado attempts to move out of the way, but the force of his body wasn't strong enough. Not with Kenshi's telekinetic pull holding onto him. The blades pass through the man and his sword like butter, with Takeda and his father standing between him. They turn to watch the mercs staring in fear as one of their leaders fell. The shadows crept closer, now turning against the Red Dragon Mercenaries. Kenshi and Takeda both watched in confusion.
"Who do they fight for?" Takeda wondered.
"I can't tell," Kenshi said. "I couldn't even read their minds."
"Neither could I."
"Cetrion never told us who the other evil was. Perhaps this is their doing?" Kenshi suggested.
"A second evil?"
"Someone as powerful as Anomaly. We don't know whether they are friend or foe yet."
Fire and brimstone were painting the combined realm of Earthrealm, Outworld, Seido, NetherRealm, and now Edenia. Rain and his army fight back against Anomaly's Shadow Apparitions alongside Chan, while Anomaly faces NetherRealm's army. Rain sends a stream of water toward a portal opened by Chan. Anomaly rolls to the side dodging the stream as it pushes back against the large oni in front of her. She shoots a ring of fire back through the portal aiming it toward Rain. Three Soldiers wearing purple Edenian wear leap in front of the ring, stopping its path toward the prince. Rain ends his attack, focusing on the apparition sneaking up behind him while Chan leaps through his portal to combat Anomaly.
"These creatures are attacking you too you know," she complained.
"And so are yours," Chan rebutted. "What are they?"
"You know what they are," she says as she starts chopping through the four creatures encroaching her space.
"Yes, but what is their purpose here?"
"I messed up, Chan!" she shouted. The boy froze. Nearly attacked by an Oni, he's saved by Kung Lao's swift interference.
"Come back to us, Chan," he said before continuing to fight them off. Chan shook his head.
"Yes Chan," Anomaly said, "This is not the outcome I sought after. Thank your harlot for that!"
"What do you mean?"
"Those who've come back through the Other Side are not real!" she shouted. "They're manifestations of those who've died using a type of Projecting Magic. They were meant to draw out the firespawn. But all those deaths in Outworld, Seido, and the entire ChaosRealm? That wasn't supposed to happen. The more to die, the closer we see the end of everything. So these shadow projections must remain until the Pyramid appears. Otherwise, you all would destroy everything!"
"So, you can control them?"
"Of course I can," she responded. "These aren't like Lui Kang and Kung Lao. They aren't even attacking you, they are attacking everyone else. It's you fighting them on your own."
"They're attacking innocents," Chan said, pointing to the village of Sun Do.
"Then protect the innocent," Anomaly said. "Don't tell me how to see those who want me dead."
"You're destroying their realm, of course they want you dead." Anomaly remained silent as she fought back more of the Oni. She growls in frustration, turning back to the shaolin.
"I've fought against that agenda long enough, Shaolin," she responded with a slight grin. "You can continue to save corpses. They'll join my side no matter who they choose to fight for." She throws a nearby pitchfork at Chan. The boy stands still as it passes him and strikes the demon behind him. "And learn to watch your back before you join them."
"I know you won't let that happen," he said, conjuring flares along his fingertips. With the swipe of his hand vertically, five waves of energy swept the area before him. Anomaly's body glows gold before overlapping it with purple. As the wave passes through her, she immediately dispels the purple shroud. The explosion behind the girl rocks her off her feet. As she tries to raise herself from the ground, Chan appears from above and slams both feet into her chest. But not before she was able to conjure a ring of fire around her finger. She swiftly thrusts her arm forward before slamming into the ground. Chan finds himself air bound. Wind whistled through the opening along his shoulder blade.
"Chan!" Kung Lao shouted. The shaolin slams his hat along the ground and guides it with his index finger. The buzz saw zipped along the ground going straight for Anomaly's neck. The golden aura returned to her body as she reached to grab the hat. She could feel it grind along her hands, cutting nothing but her glove. As it stopped, she rolls over and rushes to take on Kung Lao herself. She's quickly interrupted by the Edenian knights as they constantly pierced the woman with their spears. Gold energy formed around the wounds. The shadow warriors rushed to her aid, ripping through the knights. Rain raised his hand to the sky. A large bolt of lightning crashed atop of the witch and her minions. Although they fell, Anomaly stood still, one foot leaned forward. The golden aura around her body slowly dissolved as she continued her trek. Electric sparks surrounded her body before moving to her legs. A portal appears beside Rain. His body is yanked through as his hair stood and his tongue tasted of metal. The portal closes, and he looks at the position he originally stood. A trail of destruction and bodies came from Anomaly's direction and about three dozen yards from his original position stood the woman in question. Anomaly stood as a statue, her eyes bucked in terror.
"That should've crushed her," Rain said.
"It would've crushed me at the tournament. Anomaly's different," Chan retorted, closing his wound with his chi. "That gold energy, what is it for?"
"Look at her," Rain said pointing to the woman. "Why hasn't she moved?" The two men looked at each other and grinned. They make a run for the woman, attacking any and all apparitions within their trajectory.
"On it!" Kung Lao notices and joins them. Anomaly remained, grunting in pain as she tries her hardest to move. Chan finds himself outpacing the two. Rain cocks his head, looking at Chan's fingers. He raises his hand in the air, preparing another lighting strike.
"Liar!" the prince yelled before swinging his arm down. Chan leaps, creating a second portal beneath him. He infuses his chi into both portals before being struck by the bolt. The boy lands atop of Anomaly, both their body sparking with electricity. Anomaly channels her golden energy through the lightning. Chan swiftly lifts himself back up before tackling the woman through the other portal.
On the other side was only darkness. Anomaly grits her teeth as she could feel her muscles moving once more. Chan laughed maniacally as the portal behind him closed. He released the girl, looking directly at her as she did him. The gold aura around them made themselves visible to one another.
"What is there to laugh about?" Anomaly questioned. "I'll still return as I always do." Chan stops.
"I know," he says. "We are both alive, are we not?"
"Where did you take us?"
"The same place you've taken everyone else. The other side of nowhere." Anomaly's squints her eyes.
"You couldn't have," she said. "You do not have the firespawn's power. You haven't even seen him yet."
"This is a place of your own creation, not mine." he said. "I knew there was something off about that golden energy. But it wasn't until you were struck by Rain's lightning bolt. It reminded me of the tournament. Then I remembered, that is the power to fabricate the truth. To create a deal that satisfies both the One Being and the Elder Lord to make your wishes come true." Anomaly laughed.
"Delia's teachings," she said. "She knew what could become of things. Which is why the Firespawn was created in the first place. You, shaolin, have helped me learn of something too."
"And what is that?" he questioned.
"In due time," she responded. "For now, we shall wait in silence until the time limit you placed on this wretched prison ends." Chan frowns, folding his arms as they both float in the midst of the darkness.
End of Chapter 40
(Upcoming—The Pyramid)