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Fan Fiction
| Legends of the Lin Kuei |
| Chapter 22: Ice Balance |
By: Shaun Penney |
Subzero knew he had little time to lose as he headed towards the Takishu border. The monks at the temple were kind enough to give Subzero something to eat before he went on his way. He was grateful of their hospitality. As the days had gone by he felt less and less like he was controlled by the Lin Kuei and felt more and more like a person of true free will. And he began to realize within himself, that he was not an evil man. His heart was cold, there wasn’t any doubt about that, but once he knew that his brother and sister were still alive, something in him made him more aware of his surroundings. Like family was at the top of his list now, not assassinations or tournaments, or even pride was above standards as a Lin Kuei. He was still a proud warrior, but a true warrior to himself. Now all he had to do was convince his brother, that he didn’t have to be evil to be a person. He just hoped there was still a way to save him, before all was lost.
The Takishu border was a good ways away and Sub wanted to make good time. He kept the images of Scorpion and Subzero in the front of his mind and the rest of his situations far in the back. At the heart of feeling like a judge, he really did begin to understand why Scorpion felt so confused in the realm of the living. He was a dead soul, a wandering dead soul never feeling at peace. It could condem any soul that didn’t have the will to survive, and Scorpion was indeed a strong soul. And then there was his brother. He was a master of impossibilities. Back when Sub learned of his brother’s supposed death, it took him a great while to accept that his own brother, a man who was always better then him had been defeated. And just when Sub thought that he had finally put the memories of his brother’s life behind him, he returns, colder and more ice filled then ever.
Sub used a very specific unresolved anger to motivate him to reach the border of Takishu faster. The unresolved anger of his older brother choosing a side that has broken and manipulated earth realm more times then any human would care to admit. It was a deep cut and Subzero wanted to make his brother see the truth in his error. But he had to refrain from such tendencies. Resolutions would come…eventually.
It took the latter of the day before Subzero grazed the outer boundaries of the Takishu border. It was a long border that divided two neighboring disputing lands. Normally certain points would be guarded, but since the invasion of the Centaurs, people around there were either dead, or hiding. Subzero kept a close eye on his surroundings, he didn’t want to catch himself being watched like last time. Never make the same mistake twice. A drill hard motto that he had to learn as a Lin Kuei warrior. He approached the edge of a rocky mountain that scattered out on some hillsides for a ways blocking some sides of the borders. Sub made his way up one hill, then another, then another. It didn’t seem to be as quite like it was back at the temple, but it felt eerie nonetheless. The sixth sense of not liking a situation had once again come over the cold blooded fighter. He knew there was something wrong somewhere. Then, he began to her the sounds that confirmed his suspicions.
Fast punches, echoes of flying kicks. Metal striking body parts with flesh ripping clangs bursting out into the air. These were the bloodied sounds of Mortal Kombat being played out somewhere just overhead the next hill from where Subzero was. It didn’t take him long to rush himself to the top of that particular hill to view for himself the sounds of physical combat. To his amazement he had already spotted those he had been looking for in the first place.
Princess Kitana stood with her fan blades curled around her face and body in her most comfortable stance. Surrounding her, at least 7 combative fighters all dressed in Chinese loose fit clothing. Kitana swung her blades out as a fighter came in close combat, but got a sharp end popped right across his face knocking him to the floor with a twist. Subzero watched with a pair of proud eyes. Subzero always had the deepest respect for Princess Kitana. Her charisma always won the side of him no matter the situation. That was what prompted him to help her and Liu Kang as he turned against his own friend who had become a cyber…Smoke. As that thought crossed upon his mind, he began to scan around the uneven battlefield. Where was Liu Kang? He wasn’t standing by the Princess’s side fighting against those enemies. Then, as he looked by the floor about twenty feet away from Kitana, Subzero saw him. He was on the ground holding himself, barely moving. He looked hurt, even with as far as Subzero was, he could still see some of his injury. His chest was extremely exposed as he bled somewhat. Something had cut him up bad, Liu was holding himself with both arms trying to keep his breathing down to a minimal. Sub’s eyes widened. That meant that Kitana was fighting alone.
Sub reacted and took ten fast running steps before he leaped high into the air and completed a perfect double flip jumping into the center of attention between Kitana and the remaining six Chinese warriors. Kitana looked rather stunned as she froze her body stance. Subzero had no time to look back at her reaction as he kept his concentration on her enemies trying to harm her. Two fighters directly in front of him both swing a left and a right kick at Sub’s face. Sub whipped both his hands up and grabbed each of the two’s legs and pulled them both forward as each fighter lost their balance. Sub then stuck his arms out and close lined each of them by their necks. The impact of their throats hitting Subzero’s arm guards caused them to choke instantly. They were already out of the fight. Another came right at Sub holding a long dagger. Sub widened his stance and let the stab come right at him. With a quick stride to the left, Sub slipped his hand right over the fighter’s wrist as he twisted the man’s arm around and pulled his palm up causing the grip of the blade to be loosened quickly. The dagger fell to the ground as the fighter tried to recoil his arm. Sub held on tight and yanked hard with enough pull to jerk the man’s arm right out of the socket. A loud pop from the man’s shoulder croaked out. Sub wrapped his right leg around and struck his heel right on top of the man’s cerebellum. A brief thud came from the man as his body just dropped to the ground. Sub turned around. Three left to face. Sub stepped away from Kitana as two of them charged Sub head on. The first mistake a fighter can make it fight thinking only one attack at a time. Sub was taught be four steps or more ahead. And never strayed away from that style. The first fighter went for a straight solarplex shot, the second fighter came with his left leg thrown towards Sub’s side. Sub jumped and twisted his body half way so his back was showing to the fighter punching him. In mid air, Sub threw his back right leg out and struck it right on the fighter’s fist. At the same time in the air, Sub grabbed the other fighter’s leg and as Sub landed with both feet on the ground, Sub took his other hand and grabbed the tendon of the fighter’s foot. With the other hand, he bent his elbow inward and smashed it like a pike hitting a nail right across the fighter’s knee. The sharp blow turned the fighter’s leg upside down and bending backwards. That fighter yelped a painful scream. Sub shut him up by back chopping him in the chest. His body flew backwards and hit the ground like a rock. The other fighter, held his hand. His knuckles were split and bleeding already. Sub turned around and leaped into the air sticking his right leg straight out. His foot nailed dead on and banged the fighter right on the center of his sternum. That blow knocked the wind right out of him as he forgot to push his breath out from such an attack. A warrior must never forget to let the air of a blow exit his body as he is struck. Tension can make an untrue fighter forget such things. It was an advantage that Subzero was counting on. That fighter fell to the ground as well lost of breath and of fighting spirit. From a direct front view, Sub did not see any more oncoming enemies. Then a step behind him promptly made him turned around. The fighter was a few inches away from stabbing Subzero in the back. But a fan blade came zipping through the air landing right in the last fighter’s back. The fighter cringed then dropped face first into the ground by Subzero’s feet. Sub looked down then up again and saw that Kitana has thrown that fan blade.
Sub brought his hands together and bowed in respect and in thanks. Kitana walked forward and pulled the blade out. All of the fighters that attacked Kitana and Liu appeared to either be dead, or knocked out. It was enough to satisfy the end of battle. Subzero raised his sights back as he saw into her eyes. She had a look of thanks in her own eyes that told him. It was enough for the Lin Kuei warrior to accept. Kitana then turned to see Liu still lying on the ground apparently still extremely hurt by some attack. She ran over and dropped to her knees laying him on his back. Sub came over as well. He saw in a more clear view his injury. There was a deep cut that drug across his chest. He was sweating a lot. This wasn’t a normal blade cut. Subzero could tell that the dagger used to cut Liu was laced in a dark green poison. It must have entered his blood stream already.
“What happened?” said Subzero. Kitana ripped Liu’s shirt more and wiped the blood off of Liu’s chest holding his wound to stop the bleeding. Liu seemed quiet but he held his eyes tightly shut, trying to block the pain he was feeling surrounding his body.
“We were ambushed. They came out of nowhere and went after Liu. One of them managed to injure him. I tried to draw them away from him just before you showed up” she said. Her eyes never leaving Liu’s tender scared face as she wiped the sweat from his brow and face. Subzero looked down at Liu. He saw the victor in Mortal Kombat laying on the ground for the first time. It made him wonder for a moment, that anything was possible now. If someone could get the better of the champion of Mortal Kombat, then Earth Realm was truly in danger.
Sub bent down and raised his hand over Liu’s chest. He could feel the heat in his blood rising at an alarming rate.
”Let me help,” said Sub as he opened his palm and began to breathe slowly. His hand sprinkled out a soft glaze of ice particles as they coated Liu’s chest. The intense cold began to slow down the rate of the poison in Liu’s body. For the current time being, Liu began to relax, but he was too weak to wake up. He fell into a deep sleep.
“That should stabilize his vital signs for the time being. But it will only slow down the poison intake. If he doesn’t find an antidote soon, he will die.” Said Sub. He didn’t know when that would be, he just knew that it would be soon. Sooner, if he hadn’t have spread his ice cold shells into Liu’s chest. Kitana held Liu’s head as up for a moment reflecting on a memory or two before she finally let him rest on the ground. Sub and Kitana then both stood up.
“Thank you for saving us Subzero, I don’t know if we would have made it without your help…again” she said. Subzero knew that Liu didn’t have all the time in the world, so he skipped the pleasantries.
“What kind of poison pierced him?” he said. He didn’t recognize the scent at all. Kitana shook her head.
“I do not know. I do not know many things about your world. I fear that Out World’s invasion will finally over take us all” she said in an old lingering doubt. Sub faced her as he took his mask off.
“From a Princess, I would think a more positive attitude is your style. Do not doubt Earth Realm yet. It is never over so long as some of us are alive to defend Earth Realm. We will find a way to restore Liu Kang, then we will take back this realm and stop Out World for good” said Subzero. Kitana saw the determination in his eyes. She noticed a lot more too. It wasn’t just saving Earth Realm on his mind either, there were other things.
“Where have you been Subzero?” asked. Sub wasn’t sure if he was prepared to give her all that answer quite yet. At that moment, the answer would have to have waited. A single bolt of lightening came crashing down and the lone whitely dressed pearly figure of the Thunder God Raiden appeared right to the side of Kitana. Both Sub and Kitana stepped back but then quickly assessed who it was as they looked calm again. Unfortunately Raiden looked far from calm, he had a look of extreme rage in his electrical sizzling eyes, and they were pointed straight at the ice warrior…
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