Mortal Kombat

Chapter 1

Ashlynn picked the mail up off of the coffee table.
“Bill,” she said, tossing the first envelope back onto the table, “Bill, bill, junk, coupons...what’s this?”
She was staring at a strange brown envelope, sealed with blood red wax. It didn’t even have an address on the front, it just said her name. She opened it, squinting to read the peculiar handwriting.

Ashlynn,
You have been chosen to represent Earth in the great Mortal Kombat tournament. You are one of many skilled warriors who have been selected to compete. The fate of your world depends upon your success. The tournament will be held from April the 12th to April the 19th. You will be transported by boat, which leaves pier forty, Hong Kong, China, at exactly 7:00 p.m on the night of April the 11th. Please tell no one of this invitation.
Good Luck,
Shang Tsung

She read the letter three more times.
“This has to be a joke,” she said to herself, “Wait...Maybe it’s one of those contest things. Maybe I’ll win money or something if I show up fully packed like an idiot. But Hong Kong is a long way from New York...”
She glanced at her cat, who blinked.
“I won’t leave you by yourself Zoe,” she said, scratching the cat’s head, “I’ll ask Teresa to keep an eye on you.”
Teresa was the owner of her apartment building, but also a good friend.
“It’s the 9th,” she said aloud, “So I have two days to pack and somehow afford a plane ticket to Hong Kong. But, if I win that money, it won’t matter.”
She smiled, walking toward the bedroom, Zoe following behind her.


Two days later...
Amilee grunted, picking up her bright pink travel bag. She had obviously packed too much, but this tournament thing was a week long...She glanced at her watch, 6:43. She still had about fifteen minutes before the boat would arrive. She noticed that there were quite a few people waiting near pier forty, she hadn’t expected there to be so many. Still trying not to drop her bag, she pushed through the crowd so she would be in the front when the boat arrived.
“Ouch!”
Amilee turned toward the person she had tripped over. It was a woman probably in her early twenties, around her own age, with long red hair and a black hoodie that said DISTURBED.
“Sorry,” Amilee said.
The woman kept glaring at her, she seemed angry about something. Amilee realized that this woman was most likely going to the tournament too, and she might as well get to know someone.
“Um, hi,” she said, “You’re going to the tournament too right?”
The woman blinked.
“Uh, okay...My name’s Amilee.”
She waited for the red haired woman to give her own name, but instead she said.
“So, why are there so many people here? Is this contest like a drawing or something?”
Amilee shook her head, confused.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, “What contest?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t catch on to that?” the other woman said rudely, “You actually think there’s a tournament?”
“Uh...yeah,” Amilee said, “That’s what the letter said. Why wouldn’t there be?”
The woman laughed.
“Oh my god,” she said, “You actually think you’ve been chosen, or whatever, to compete in some tournament so you can save the world?”
The woman was cracking up now, and Amilee was getting irritated at being made fun of.
“Well excuse me,” she said, “That’s what the letter said, and I don’t see why someone would send random people invitations to come all the way to Hong Kong for some stupid contest, when they could just send the prize in the mail.”
The woman shook her head.
“I don’t believe this,” she giggled, “I bet no one else here believes it.”
“Well you know what?! I-
Amilee was cut short when I gasp rose from the crowd. Coming toward the pier was a boat unlike any she’d ever seen. It was huge, with a bow in the shape of a dragon’s head. A fog seemed to follow the boat, and soon it covered the crowd. A ramp was lowered, and the crowd began to move forward.
“Oh yeah,” Amilee said to the other woman, although she could hardly see her through the mist, “This sure looks like a contest to me.”
“We’ll see,” the woman said, “When we get on the boat, and they draw my name, and then I can get my money and get out of here.”
Amilee rolled her eyes, following everyone else up the ramp and into the boat.
Inside, it was damp and smelled of stale water. There was a corridor, line with doors, and a man dressed in black stood nearby, holding a long scroll. He was stopping everyone, and then sending them down the corridor. Amilee was too far away to hear him.
“Your name?” he asked, when she finally approached him.
“Amilee Turner,” she replied.
The man scanned his scroll, then looked up at her.
“Fifth door down on the right,” he said. Apparently that would be her cabin for the night.
“Your name?’ he asked the person behind her, it was the woman Amilee had been arguing with.
“Ashlynn McManness,” she said.
“Fifth door down on the right.”
Amilee groaned. So now she would have to share a cabin with the woman who had been basically calling her stupid for the last half hour. She made her way down the dim corridor, and slid open the door to her cabin. She could feel the woman, who she now knew as Ashlynn, walking close behind her. The cabin wasn’t much at all. A small, stuffy room with two beds, a mirror on the wall, and one window. Amilee set her bag down on the bed gratefully, massaging her aching shoulder. Ashlynn sat down on the opposite bed, crossing her legs.
“So,” Amilee said, smiling, “Did you win your money yet?”
Ashlynn glared at her.
“Well,” she said, “Maybe...maybe when we get there-
Amilee cut her off.
“What’s wrong with you?” she laughed, “Can’t you just accept the fact that we’re going to an island, to compete in a tournament, and you’re not winning any damn money?”
Ashlynn sighed.
“So...this is...for real then?” she asked.
Amilee nodded.
“Yeah,” she said, “I’m pretty sure it is, cause I don’t see a man in a suite with a big ass check.”
Ashlynn laughed a little, although it sounded forced. Just then, the door slid open. The woman in the doorway was small, with raven black hair. She seemed surprised.
“Oh,” she said, “Am I in the wrong cabin?”
“What did the man tell you?” Amilee asked.
“Sixth door down on the right,” the woman replied.
“That’s the next cabin down,” Ashlynn told her.
“Oh,” she said, “Sorry.”
She left, only to return a few minutes later.
“Um,” she said, “The man who’s sharing my cabin is a little...weird. Could I stay in here with you guys for a while?”
Amilee looked at her cabin mate, but Ashlynn wasn’t paying attention, she was too busy reading some magazine.
“Yeah,” Amilee said, “What’s your name?”
“Maria,” the woman said, sitting on the bed next to Amilee.
“Why was the man in your cabin weird?” Ashlynn asked, still looking at her magazine.
“He had...metal arms,” Maria told her.
Ashlynn looked up from her magazine.
“Metal arms? Right...” Ashlynn laughed.
Maria looked hurt.
“I’m not lying,” she said, “He did.”
Ashlynn shook her head and turned the page in her magazine.
Amilee looked at Maria.
“Don’t worry about her,” she said, “Apparently this girl has a hard time believing anything that doesn’t have to do with winning money.”
Ashlynn ignored her. Almost an hour went by before once again the door slid open. Ashlynn gasped, and it only took Amilee a second to realize why. Standing in the doorway was a black man. He was bald, and his arms were the strangest things any of them had ever seen. They were covered in metal, all the way from his wrists to his shoulders.
“Well ya’ll just have a party goin on in here,” he said, “Hey girl, I saw you come in here after you left the cabin, and you been gone for a long time, I was just checking up on you, cause you know, something could’ve happened...or something.”
Maria looked at Ashlynn.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the redhead said.
The metal armed man looked confused.
“What?” he asked, “What are ya’ll staring at? Oh...the arms...gotcha. Yeah, maybe they’re a little...drastic, but I got three times the strength I had before I got these things put on.”
There was an awkward silence, so Amilee decided to break it.
“Hi,” she said, “My name’s Amilee, that’s Ashlynn, and you probably already know that’s Maria.”
“Jax,” the man said, “Well, Major Jackson Briggs...but don’t call me that. Hey, have any of ya’ll seen a blonde chick, probably carrying a gun...maybe pointing it at somebody?”
He laughed. That last part was supposed to be a joke, but none of them got it. They all shook their heads.
“Why?” Ashlynn asked.
“Oh, she’s my partner...I mean my police partner,” Jax said, “Okay then, guess I’ll see ya’ll later.”
“Yeah, I should probably go back,” Maria said, “I need to get some sleep.”

Chapter 2

Quan Chi stepped off of the boat, careful not to let his hood fall. He didn’t want any of the chosen warriors to see his face...not yet at least. He watched them as they made their way past him, toward Shang Tsung’s palace. It was true, Quan Chi had not been at the previous tournament, in fact he hadn’t cared much about it at all. But this time was different. He’d made a deal with Shang Tsung, his fellow sorcerer. Once all of the misfortunate Earthrealm warriors had been killed, and the tournament had been won for Outworld, he, along with Tsung, would assassinate the emperor. Shao Kahn had recently returned to power after being defeated by a man named Liu Kang, but his reign would not last long. Shang Tsung had also been defeated by Liu Kang in the last tournament, although he hadn’t really been dead. He had waited four years, recovering his strength, and now he was holding another tournament, only this time he had Quan Chi’s help, because in order to win the tournament, the Earthrealm warriors would need to defeat both of them, and Quan Chi did not find that too likely. He was snapped out of his thoughts when two women passed by, arguing. One was tall, with dark curls and bronze skin, the other was shorter, with fiery hair and fair skin.
“For the last time,” the taller woman said, “You are not winning any money.”
“You don’t know that!” the red haired woman snapped, “Maybe when we get inside-
“No,” said the other woman, “No, no, no. You’re going to go in there thinking this is some contest, and you’re gonna get you’re butt kicked.”
“I am not!”
Quan Chi smiled, this was going to be far more interesting than he had thought.


Ashlynn followed Amilee across the beach, up a ridiculously long flight of steps, and into what looked like some sort of palace.
“What is this?’ she said.
Amilee shrugged.
“Probably where you’re supposed to collect your cash,” she replied.
Ashlynn sighed, “Fine, all right. Maybe I was wrong, maybe it’s not a contest...”
Amilee looked at her.
“No,” she laughed, “You convinced me, I think it is a contest.”
Ashlynn walked with her new...acquaintance, as they were led by a group of robed people up another staircase. They weren’t assigned rooms, like they had been on the boat, so they were left on their own. Ashlynn knew absolutely no one else, so she stopped Amilee.
“Do you um...want to share a room?” she asked.
Amilee faked a surprised look.
“Oh my,” she said, “You want to share a room with little old me? You, the future millionaire, want to share a room with me? A poor peasant like me? Why I just-
“Okay,” Ashlynn said, “That’s enough. Do you want to or not?”
Amilee laughed, “Yeah, sure.”
Later in the evening, they were led to a dining hall, with tables filled with every food they could have possible imagined. Or at least, it seemed that way. Ashlynn sat down next to Maria, and across from Amilee, who was already piling her plate full of anything sweet she could find. Jax sat beside Amilee, his plate full of nothing but chicken.
“That’s all you’re eating?” Ashlynn asked.
“Nah girl,” Jax replied, “I’m just getting started.”
Maria looked at the glasses spread throughout the table, filled with various drinks.
“I bet they don’t have Sprite...” she mumbled.
“Hey look,” Ashlynn said, pointed toward the stage at the front of the room, “Who’s that?”
A man was making his way to the center of the stage. He was of Asian decent, with jet black hair, and a tattered looking leather coat.
“Shang Tsung,” said the blonde woman sitting next to Jax.
“How do you know that?” Amilee asked.
“I was at the last tournament,” the woman told her.
“Yeah,” Jax added, “This is my partner, Lieutenant Sonya Blade.”
“Whoa,” Maria said, “Whose the other guy?”
They all looked. Sure enough, standing in the shadows near the back of the stage was another man. He was extremely tall, he had no hair, and his skin was that of someone who had never in their life seen the sun.
“Damn,” Jax said, “Looks like Satan’s granddaddy...”
Ashlynn would’ve laughed, but she was too busy staring at the bizarre man. He was frightening, but at the same time, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Shang Tsung clapped, and all eyes were focused on him.
“Welcome,” he said, “You are here to compete in Mortal Kombat. I see a few familiar faces, obviously some of you have returned to compete once again.”
His eyes fell on Sonya for a brief moment.
“Yeah,” Sonya whispered, “At least, the ones who survived the last tournament.”
“Survived?” Amilee squeaked.
“Some things have changed in the four years since the last tournament was held,” Tsung said, “This time, if you want to save your realm, you must face not only myself, but also my fellow sorcerer...Quan Chi.”
The man that had been standing in the shadows stepped forward, and there was a stunned silence. He said nothing, only examined the room, taking in every face.
“The tournament begins tomorrow,” Tsung said, “Good luck.”
He walked away, but Quan Chi remained, sinking back into the shadows to continue his inspection of the warriors. Ashlynn did her best to eat, but every few minutes she would glance up to see him still there, half hidden by darkness.
“Are you okay?” Amilee asked finally.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah,” Ashlynn said.


Quan Chi continued to stare at the red haired Earthrealm woman. Everyone else had gone back to their meals and conversations, but not her. She seemed...distracted, and she kept glancing up at the stage. He wasn’t sure what she was looking at, it could’ve been nothing, but he didn’t know. Finally, after fifteen minutes or so, he decided that he should mingle with the warriors. Maybe if he played a few mind games he could keep them from concentrating on the upcoming tournament, therefor giving Outworld an advantage the next day. He made his way from table to table, enjoying the looks of fear and confusion on every face.


“Hey,” Jax said, “What’s bald, white, and scary doin?”
“I don’t know,” Sonya said, “But he’s getting closer to our table.”
“Let’s hurry up and leave before he gets here,” Maria said.
Amilee snorted.
“Uh, no,” she said, “I’m still eating.”
Jax rolled his eyes, “So take some with you, damn.”
“And put it where?” Amilee asked, “In my pockets?”
Ashlynn didn’t say a word, she was too preoccupied with the sorcerer.
“Is he coming over here?” asked the woman sitting on the other side of Amilee.
“Oh hey Sarah,” Jax said, “Didn’t even notice you.”
“Um, yeah hi Jax,” the woman named Sarah said.
Quan Chi was now at the table in front of theirs. Maria looked like she would pass out at any second.
“Seriously,” she said, “I think we should leave...”
“Too late,” Jax said, just as the sorcerer approached their table. Amilee pretended to find something on the floor underneath the table, Sonya was retying her shoe, Maria suddenly noticed a dirty spot on her fork, Ashlynn was looking at her food, she kept saying she thought she saw a bug, and Sarah had started a pointless conversation with the person sitting across from her.
“Well,” Quan Chi said, “Busy, are we?”
“This is useless,” Jax mumbled, then looked up at the sorcerer, “Wassup?”
Amilee sat up, hitting her head on the table.
“Ouch...”
“Tell me,” the sorcerer said, “Are you prepared for tomorrow?”
They all looked at eachother, then nodded in unison. Quan Chi chuckled. Then unexpectedly, he looked at Ashlynn.
“What is your name?” he asked.
Ashlynn blinked.
“Ashlynn...” she finally managed to say.


Quan Chi laughed inwardly. He could sense something in the red haired woman, a weakness. Now all he had to do was find out what that weakness was. She was still staring at him, waiting for him to say something, that was when he noticed her eyes. They were a bluish color, but when she moved the light from the torches around the room made them seem green as emeralds.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” he said finally.
She looked confused.
“Um...thank you...” she said, averting her eyes.
He said nothing else, he didn’t have to.


After the sorcerer had walked away, everyone but Ashlynn was unable to keep their laughter under control.
“Oooo,” Jax said, “Looks like old badly got a crush.”
“Careful Ashlynn,” Amilee giggled, “He’s a hottie. You might not be able to control yourself.”
“Funny,” Ashlynn said, “You’re all so funny.”
She got up angrily, leaving her uneaten food, and left the room.
“Well damn,” Jax said, “Somebody has some sensitivity issues.”

Chapter 3
Ashlynn stormed out of the dining hall. She didn’t know where she was going, but it had to be better than staying with those people. She walked through hall after hall, until finally she came to a small courtyard. She stopped for a moment, trying to catch her breath.
“It’s not a big deal,” she said to herself, “I shouldn’t be worrying about it.”
“Worrying about what?”
She spun around. Making his way toward her was a man in a white robe, with silvery hair that fell over his shoulders.
“Who are you?” Ashlynn asked.
“My name is Raiden,” he replied, “I am here to guide the Earthrealm warriors, and to make sure that Shang Tsung abides by all of the rules. I followed you out here, you seemed upset.”
Ashlynn sighed. This man didn’t look like a bad guy, and he seemed nice enough.
“Yeah,” she said, “It was just...it’s stupid. I’m Ashlynn, by the way.”
Raiden smiled.
“I was in the dining hall,” he told her, “I saw you talking to the sorcerer, Quan Chi. Whatever he said to you, pay it no mind. He will try to scare you, to distract you from the task at hand.”
“Well,” Ashlynn said, “He didn’t really say anything that scared me...”
“What did-
Raiden was cut short, when none other than Shang Tsung came walking down the stone path.
“Good evening, thunder god,” he said, “Trying to motivate your fighters?”
Ashlynn wanted to ask why Tsung had called him thunder god, but she didn’t want to interrupt.
“Yes,” Raiden replied, “As a matter of fact, I am, just as I believe Quan Chi was trying to do the opposite.”
“But, as you know,” Tsung said, “Mind games are not against the rules.”
Raiden nodded, “I am aware of that.”
Tsung glanced at Ashlynn.
“The tournament begins tomorrow,” he said, “You should get some sleep.”
With that, he walked away.
Raiden looked at her before walking away himself.
“Do your best to stay clear of the sorcerers,” he said.
She stood there after he’d gone, staring at nothing.


Cherin made her way down the dark hallways, searching for one of the Earthrealm warriors. She’d been passing by the corridor near Shang Tsung’s chamber, and had accidentally overheard a conversation he’d been having with Quan Chi. She couldn’t listen for long, they would have seen her, but she’d heard enough. They had a plan. She’d heard them talking about an ambush, and the thunder god, Raiden, and one of the Earthrealm women. She had to hurry, she had to warn them. Shang Tsung was her master, true, but she despised him more than any man she’d ever met. The sorcerer had taken her from her home in Outworld when she was just a child, and for five hundred years she’d been forced to watch him win tournament after tournament. She couldn’t let it happen again.


Maria could hear someone approaching, but it was too dark to see who it was. Finally, the woman came into view. She was taller than Maria, with blonde hair that contrasted with her dark skin, making her strangely beautiful.
“You,” the woman said, “You are here on behalf of Earthrealm?”
Maria nodded.
“Yeah...why? Who are you?”
“My name does not matter,” the woman said, “I have to warn you about-
“Cherin.”

Cherin cursed inwardly, Quan Chi had followed her. She spun around, to find him staring at her suspiciously.
“Master Quan Chi,” she said, as innocently as she could.
“What are you doing?” he asked, though she was afraid he already knew.
“I was just...chatting,” Cherin replied, “With this nice woman.”
“When you are finished chatting,” the sorcerer said, “Your master would like a word with you.”
Cherin knew better than to disobey him, so she bowed politely, and walked away. Unfortunately, this left Maria alone with the sorcerer. She started to walk away, but of course he couldn’t let that happen.
“Wait,” he said, “Before you go, I have some advice for you.”
“I don’t want any advice from you,” Maria replied.
Quan Chi grinned.
“Oh but you do,” he said, “You see, I know something about one of your fellow Earthrealm warriors.”
He paused, waiting for her to say something.
“Well?” she asked impatiently.
“One of your companions is not what she seems,” he continued, “She will betray you, eventually.”
“First of all,” Maria said, “Why are you telling me? And second, if it is true, how would you know?”
“I am a sorcerer my dear,” Quan Chi replied, “And I have lived a long time, I know things. But, to answer your first question, I am not helping you, per se.”
“Then why are you telling me this?”
“I just thought it would make things more interesting if you had this dark cloud hanging over your head,” he chuckled.
Maria scowled, irritated.
“I don’t believe you,” she said, “You’re lying.”
“Believe what you will,” he told her, “But when one of your companions stabs you in the back, you will wish you had listened.”
He walked away, and she could hear his laughter echoing down the hallway. She knew he was probably lying but...she had a strange feeling.


Quan Chi made his way down the hall, pleased with himself. He knew the woman did not believe him, and he didn’t blame her. It was true, he had lied to her. He had no idea if any of the Earthrealm warriors were planning to turn traitor, but he would make sure that one of them did. It would be easy to convince the red haired woman, he was sure of it. He had seen the look of doubt in her eyes. She was unsure of herself, and of her role in the tournament. It was the perfect opportunity to turn her against the others, and he, of course, was going to take full advantage of it. He had followed behind Ashlynn and the other dark haired Earthrealm woman, he knew exactly where their chamber was. Now it was just a matter of getting her alone.

Chapter 4
Ashlynn opened her suitcase, searching for a tee shirt or something she could wear to sleep. She had packed lightly due to her belief that this was just a contest. Now she was regretting it. Finally she found one. A pink size 2x tee shirt that came down to her knees and smelled like a perfume she hadn’t used in two years. Apparently it hadn’t been washed recently...Amilee was sitting on the bed nearby, reading something. The room was small, but comfortable, with two beds about four feet apart, a mirror on each side of the room, and a dresser. They’d been forced to share the dresser, and Amilee’s things had taken up all but one drawer.
“Why are you wearing a Bon Jovi shirt?” Amilee giggled, looking up at her. Ashlynn glaed down. Sure enough, it said BON JOVI in big silver letters.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, “I got it a long time ago...”
Amilee shook her head, turning her attention back to her book. In a few minutes, while Amilee was looking in the mirror and Ashlynn was listening to her cd player, there was a knock on the door.
“Damn,” Amilee mumbled, looking at her alarm clock, “It’s 1:30 in the morning...”
Still muttering, she opened the door. Standing there, looking worried, was a man dressed in blue. His face caught her attention immediately. He was very attractive, but he had a scar running across his left eye.
“Um, can I help you?” she asked slowly.
“I’m sorry to wake you but...there’s a woman in the dining room. She has black hair, I think her name is...Maria, or something like that.”
“I know her,” Amilee said, “Why?”
“She says she was attacked,” the stranger replied, “I offered to help her, but she said she would only speak with you.”
Amilee’s brow furrowed. Why would Maria ask for her?
“Yeah, okay...I’m coming,” she said, “Hey Ashlynn, I’ll be right back.”
Ashlynn only blinked, still listening to her headphones. Confused, Amilee followed the man quickly toward the dining room...

Quan chi waited until the tall woman was gone. His plan was going perfectly so far, she had fallen for his trick, following the imitation of a warrior named Sub-Zero, who was also at the tournament. The sorcerer smiled to himself, and then crept into the room. He had expected Ashlynn to be asleep, but instead she was sitting on the bed, listening to a cd player. Her eyes were closed however, and he doubted she could hear him. Quietly, approached the bed, careful not to make a sound.

Ashlynn gasped, trying to free herself from the hand that was clamped over her mouth. She opened her eyes...and froze.

Quan Chi hadn’t wanted to be so rough, but he knew if he didn’t cover the Earthrealm woman’s mouth she would scream, and he didn’t want anyone rushing into the room to help her.
“Shhh,” he said, “Quit struggling.”
Strangely, she obeyed. Now she was just staring at him, wid eyed. He kept his hand over her mouth however, he wasn’t taking any chances.
“I need to speak with you,” he continued, “You see, I am searching for...allies. I have seen the other Earthrealm warriors, and they are all great fighters, but none of them compare to you. You are far too good for them, which is why you should help me.”
Finally convinced that she wouldn’t scream, he let her go. She sat up slowly, staring at him warily.
“Why?” was all she said.
The sorcerer paused. He hadn’t really thought about why she would want to join him, he had just assumed that she would.
“If you help me,” he said, thinking quickly, “I will give you everything you could ever possibly want.”
He wasn’t exactly sure if he could, but it sounded convincing.
“Like what?” she asked.
Again, he wasn’t expecting this question. This was going to be more difficult than he’d thought...
“Well,” he said, “What is the one thing that you have always wanted?”
Ashlynn looked thoughtful.
“There are a lot of things I want,” she replied.
“Fine,” he said, “You can have it all.”
The Earthrealm woman shook her head.
“No,” she said, “You can’t give me what I want most.”
Quan Chi bit his tongue, trying to control his temper. This was taking far too long.
“And what is that?” he asked.

Ashlynn stopped, the realization of what she was doing finally hitting her.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, “I would never help you.”
A muscle twitched in the sorcerer’s jaw.
“You want to,” he said, “My offer is tempting to you, I can tell. But your conscience is getting the better of you. Tell me, why fight on the side of the Earthrealm warriors? What have they ever done for you? Do really think they care about you? Do you really think they care what happens to you? Trust me, if you die tomorrow, they will forget about you, as if you never existed. That is all you are to them, nothing more.”

Quan Chi smiled inwardly. He could tell she was reconsidering. But he knew that in order to completely convince her, he would have to promise her the thing she wanted most, and she had yet to tell him what that was...While she was thinking, he took the opportunity to peer into her soul. In a matter of seconds he knew her most intimate desires, her most private thoughts, her hopes, her dreams, and her fears. There it was, the thing she had been longing for her entire life...love. But now he was once again unsure of what to do. She had been right, there was no possible way he could give her what she wanted, unless...
“You may be nothing to them,” he said, “But you are to me.”
Ashlynn raised an eyebrow, and Quan Chi had to force himself not to laugh. This was probably the most outrageous lie he’d ever told.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“You see,” he continued, “When I first saw you earlier tonight I...
He stopped, faking a look of uncertainty.
“You what?”
“This is very difficult for me to say but...I think I am in love with you.”
At this point, it was almost impossible for him to keep from laughing. He wasn’t sure if she was buying it, she was just staring at him...Then suddenly, she burst out laughing.
“You...you what?” she asked, through fits of laughter.
“You heard me,” he said, although it was very tempting to laugh.
“Okay well, it’s like two in the morning,” Ashlynn said, still laughing, “And I need some sleep, so you can go now.”
Now he was irritated, “I am not going anywhere until you agree to join me.”

Ashlynn shook her head, holding back a yawn.
“No,” she said, “I already told you I wouldn’t.”
Suddenly, Quan Chi jumped to his feet, shattering the mirror on the wall. Ashlynn pushed herself back against the headboard of the bed, terrified.
“I have had enough of this!” he bellowed, “I have been more than patient with you, and yet you act like this is some sort of joke! Trust me, if you refuse to take me seriously there will be severe consequences!”
Ashlynn had no idea what to do. She glanced at the door, but the sorcerer was blocking her only exit.
“No,” he said, “There is no escape. Either you help me, or you will suffer pain on an unimaginable level! So, the choice is yours. Will you join me? Or will you take the more painful road?”
Ashlynn swallowed, it was clear she didn’t have a choice.
“All right,” she said, her voice barely audible, “What do I have to do?”
The sorcerer’s rage seemed to vanish, and he smiled.

Quan Chi sat down on the bed, relieved. He hadn’t meant to lose his temper, but apparently that had been the only way to convince the Earthrealm woman...through fear. Now that he was sure he had her, he figured he might as well entertain himself. After all, the tournament wasn’t until morning, and he knew the other woman wouldn’t be back for a while, he had all night...
“Obviously,” he said, “You must compete on behalf of Shang Tsung and myself.”
Ashlynn looked suspicious, “What else?”
Suddenly, he had an idea.
“I want you to swear yourself to me,” he said, “That way, I can make sure you will never...have a change of heart.”
He knew that if he could get her to do this, she would belong completely to him. There was no way she could refuse any of his commands...She would be his property.
“Swear myself?” she asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means you will bind your soul to mine,” he explained.
“But what-
“Do not question me!” he interrupted. He was tired of explaining things to her.
“How do I do this...this binding thing?” she asked.
He smiled, “Give me your hand.”
She complied, holding out her hand. He noted that it was shaking.
“I will need something sharp,” he said, smiling broadly.
Ashlynn’s eyes widened, “Why?”
“It is a part of the ritual,” he told her, picking up a shard of glass from the broken mirror, “Close your eyes.”
Again, she obeyed. He said something in an ancient language, carving two vertical lines into her palm. She winced, but didn’t cry out. Then he did the same to his own hand, making the lines horizontal this time. He took her hand in his, making sure that their blood mingled, and then repeated the words he’d said earlier. He let her hand go, very very pleased with himself now. Ashlynn looked at her hand, realizing that the blood was gone, but the two lines remained.
“Is that is?” she asked, still staring at her hand.
“Yes,” the sorcerer replied, “All that is left is to test it.”
He smiled, this was what he’d been waiting for. There was no way she could refuse him.
“How?” she asked.
“Raise your right hand,” he commanded.
She did, but she looked surprised. Obviously she hadn’t done it of her own free will.
“Good,” he said, “Very good, but that was too easy. I shall have to think of something more difficult...something you would never dream of doing...”

Ashlynn didn’t like the strange tone of his voice.
“Kiss me,” he said.
She struggled with herself, but every time she tried to resist, it felt as if her insides were being pulled apart. She had no choice.

As soon as she was close enough, Quan Chi pushed her gently down onto the bed. He kissed her, moving from her mouth down to her neck. The torches that illuminated the room flickered, and then went out completely..

Amilee had finally managed to pry open the dining room doors. She had followed the man with the scar, expecting to see Maria, but Maria hadn’t been there. Instead, as soon as she’d entered the room, the strange man had closed the doors behind her, blocking them from the other side. She pushed open the doors, almost slipping on the ice that covered the floor.
“What the hell?” she whispered.
The melting ice extended from the door handles down to the marble floor. She shook her head, making her way back to her room to tell Ashlynn what had happened. But when she did get back, Ashlynn was gone. Amilee thought maybe she’d gone to the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either. Back in her room, she noticed that one of the mirrors was broken.
“Ashlynn can take care of herself,” she said, yawning. She didn’t feel bad, she had searched after all, and it was almost four o’clock in the morning. She groaned, she was going to be exhausted the next day. She lay down, falling asleep almost immediately.

Chapter 5
The next morning...
Amilee awoke to the sound of people in the hall outside her door. She glanced at the other bed, but Ashlynn wasn’t there. The covers hadn’t even moved, it was obvious she’d been gone all night. Now Amilee was starting get worried...but maybe she would be at breakfast. She dressed, and made her way down to the dining hall to find Jax, Maria, Sarah, and Sonya sitting together at one table.
“Hey,” Amilee said, taking a seat as well, “Have you guys seen Ashlynn?”
They all shook their heads.
“I thought ya’ll were sharing a room,” Jax said.
Amilee picked up a piece of toast.
“We are,” she replied, “But...something happened last night and I had to leave...hey wait. Maria, where were you last night?”
Maria looked confused.
“I was in my room,” she said.
“Then he tricked me,” Amilee said, mostly to herself.
“Who?” Sonya asked, “What are you talking about?”
“Some guy came to my room last night, and told me Maria was in trouble,” Amilee told her, “He locked me in here, and when I finally got back to my room...Ashlynn was gone. I haven’t seen her since.”

Cherin rushed down the hallway, pushing past the crowds of people. She had seen the raven haired Earthrealm woman enter the dining room with a few other people. She had to tell them. It took her only a moment to find them all, sitting at a table near the middle.
“Excuse me,” she said, breathing hard.
“You just get done running a marathon or somethin?” Jax laughed.
“This is very important,” Cherin said, ignoring his comment.
“I know you,” Maria said, “I talked to you last night didn’t I?”
Cherin nodded.
“Yes,” she said, “Let me explain. My name is Cherin, I work for Shang Tsung...unwillingly. I need to warn you about your companion, the red haired one.”
Amilee put down her fork, “You’ve seen Ashlynn?”
“Yes,” Cherin said, “I saw her last night. She was...she was with the sorcerer, Quan Chi.”
“Old baldy?” Jax chuckled.
“This is not funny,” Cherin snapped, frustrated with his smart remarks, “She followed him into his chamber. I waited a while, I wanted to catch her when she came out but...she never did.”
Suddenly, breakfast didn’t sound very appetizing to Amilee.
“There’s no way,” she breathed, “She wouldn’t...”
“Actually Amilee,” Maria said slowly, “You don’t know that for sure. I mean, we did just meet this woman yesterday.”
“Like I always say,” Jax said, “Never trust anyone.”
Sonya snorted, “Bullshit, since when do you have a motto?”
“Since now,” he retorted.
Amilee stood from the table, leaving her breakfast.
“Where are you going?” Sarah called after her.
She didn’t turn, “To find Ashlynn. There has to be an explanation for this.”

The tournament would not begin for another hour or so. Ashlynn hadn’t wanted to go to breakfast, she didn’t want to face Amilee and others, and she had no appetite...So she wandered around outside, exploring the island. She had strayed into the woods near the rear of the palace, and had no idea where she was going. But hopefully, she thought, she would get lost and never find her way back. She was just wishing this, when she felt someone approaching. She whirled around to find a man clad in yellow and black making his way quickly toward her. As he got closer, she caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were a silvery white. Scary, but strangely beautiful. He stopped only inches from her, his milky eyes narrowed.
“I saw you,” he said simply.
Ashlynn had no idea what he was talking about.
“Do I know you?” she asked. It was a stupid question, of course she didn’t know him, but it was all she could think of.
“No,” he said, “And you don’t need to. I am not here to acquaint myself with you.”
“Look, mister...whoever you are,” Ashlynn said, “I’m tired, I have a headache, and I’m really not in the mood for this, so if you wouldn’t mind getting to the point, that would be great.”
“All right,” he continued, “My point is, I saw you last night with the sorcerer and-
Ashlynn cut him off, “That’s none of your business!”
“Normally I would not care,” he continued, as if she hadn’t said anything, “I would just consider you another whore and move on, but I saw you with the other Earthrealm warriors.”
“And?” she snapped.
“And, if you are sharing the sorcerer’s bed,” he said, “You are a traitor, and therefore a threat.”
“A threat to what?” Ashlynn demanded, “The others?”
“Yes,” the man replied, “But you are also a threat to me. You have associated yourself with Quan Chi, thus you have made yourself my enemy.”
Ashlynn felt like she was stuck in the middle of some nightmare she couldn’t wake from.
“I don’t even know you!”
“That makes no difference,” the man said.
Ashlynn was unable to take anymore. Unexpectedly, she sank to the ground, sobbing.
“It wasn’t my fault!” she wept, “I was scared! I didn’t have a choice!”
The man only stared at her, unsure of what to do. She kept crying, and after a while he knelt down next to her.
“What do you mean it wasn’t your fault?” he asked.
She looked up at him through watery eyes, her face was red and streaked with tears.
“Why should I tell you?” she sniffed, “You just want to kill me anyway.”
He wasn’t sure how to answer.
“I was never going to kill you,” he said finally, “I was just trying to scare you. Tell me what he did.”
“He...came into my room last night,” she said, “After my roommate left. First he tried to convince me to join him by offering me anything I wanted, bribing me, but when that didn’t work he threatened me. I agreed to help him. I was terrified, I knew I didn’t have a choice...”
“Is that is?” the man in yellow asked.
She shook her head.
“No,” she continued, “He said I had to bind my soul to his, so he did this weird thing to my hand and now...now I have to do whatever he says! I can’t say no! Whenever I try to resist...it hurts.”

Scorpion felt bad for being so harsh to this woman before. Clearly, if she was telling the truth, it wasn’t her fault. He didn’t think she was lying. He had known the sorcerer for a long time...he knew what Quan Chi was capable of, how low he would sink to get what he wanted...
“I’m sorry,” he said, helping the woman to her feet.
“I really am a traitor...” she mumbled.
“You say you’ve tried to refuse his commands?” Scorpion asked.
The red haired woman nodded.
“I have tried,” she told him, “But every time I do it feels like something is ripping me apart from the inside.”
“Do you-
“Ashlynn!”
They turned.

Ashlynn’s heart sank. Amilee was walking toward them, looking furious.
“Ashlynn!” she said again, “Where the hell have you been?! You didn’t come back all night, and the others are saying...some things...Who are you?”
The man raised an eyebrow.
“You,” he said rudely, “May call me Scorpion.”
“Whatever,” she snarled, shifting her gaze back to Ashlynn, “Answer my question! Is it true? What the others are saying about you?”
Ashlynn swallowed, “Yes but-
“Ashlynn!” Amilee screamed, “How could you?!”
“Let me explain,” Ashlynn started to say, only to be interrupted again.
“I can’t believe this!” Amilee yelled, “I don’t understand! Ashlynn, do you have any idea what this means?! It’s-
This time it was Ashlynn who interrupted.
“Yes!” she cried, “I know exactly what it means! But if you would just let me explain-
“I don’t need an explanation,” the taller woman growled, “You know, when that woman told me where you were last night, I didn’t believe her. I thought she was just trying to stir up trouble, but now that I know its true...You know what? You’re nothing more than a-
“A what?! What am I Amilee?!” Ashlynn shouted, the tears filling her eyes again, “You don’t even know me! In case you’ve forgotten, I met you yesterday! You have no idea what I went through last night, so stop judging me!”
“Fine,” Amilee said, “You’re right, I don’t know you. Do whatever you want, but I just want you to know one thing. If you’re fighting on the enemy’s side, I won’t hesitate to kill you in the tournament.”
With that, she stormed off, back toward the palace.
“She didn’t even give me a chance to explain,” Ashlynn said, as soon as Amilee was out of sight.

Scorpion was not particularly good in situations like this, and so he found himself unsure of what to say.
“The tournament,” he said finally, “Will begin shortly. You don’t have long to make a decision.”
“Don’t you understand?” Ashlynn asked, staring off toward the palace, “There is no decision to make. I don’t have a choice.”