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Fan Fiction
| Legends of the Lin Kuei |
| Chapter 18: Finding allies |
By: Shaun Penney |
Two days had gone by since Subzero had found the sign saying "Choose Your Destiny" writin in blood on his wall. In that time he had brought forth all the knowleadge he could gain from his experience since he met Raiden.
First and foremost, Subzero was alive. His elder brother. He was alive and he had chosen to side with Quan Chi and Reptile. Reptile did not appear to have any ties with Scorpion, which meant Scorpion was acting alone. The Centaurs, like Jade had told him were attacking Earth Realm. Sub found out that they had invaded the United States and wrecked havoc on all the major forces they had to offer. The slaughter was not pretty. If America fell, then all the other countries would soon follow. Sub then deduced that Quan Chi was planning something sinister that involved bringing Shinnok back from the Netherealm. Sub had not heard from any of the other Earth land warriors. Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Kai, Styker, Jax, or any of the others. If they were still alive, they were somewhere else fighting someone somewhere.
Sub followed the list of known names that had contact with Scorpion just like the old man had given him days ago. Most of the names led to nowhere though. It wasn't until the last one that gave him a little more hope then expected. Sub came to a baron cematery on the outskirts of Chi'hae, a little unkown town much like the ones he had been too lately. The cemetary was dry and large. Most of the old gravestones were rotten away or getting there. Sub looked around as the wind blew through him cropping dust all over his gear. The sun was dying down it's long haul over the sky. Yet the sky seemed to dim a different shade of dusk other the the usual. Mystic arts were hard at work somewhere. Sub could feel the essence of dark magic at play. Nowhere would be safe soon. Soon Mortal Kombat may break into an Earth Wide event. Sub looked around for an old grave a grave with the name Siro on it. Why he was looking for a grave he didn't know. He much rather talked to "live" people then dead ones excluding Scorpion himself. It took a while but Sub finally found the grave of one Siro. The name was unfamiliar to him at first. Then after careful thought he began to remember some things.
Back when Sub was meant to take the place of his elder brother in the second tournament, they made sure that he knew everything about all fighters old and new from Mortal Kombat. He remembered reading about the allies of the ancient Kung Lao who lost to Prince Goro 500 years ago. Siro died when Scorpion came for him and his wife Taja. That was years after the battle that Kung Lao had lost. Sub looked down on the grave.
"Scorpion killed you? Why?" said Subzero to himself. How would a 500 year old dead man be able to help find Scorpion? Again more questions among a dozen unsolved mysteries. Sub then looked closer on the grave. He brushed away some some sand and read the chipped writing as best he could. It read something to the effect of.
"Your battles will always have your friends by your side" Sub then stood up and folded his arms.
"I knew I was going to have to do this" he said to himself. He cracked the knucles in his hands and pointed them face out on the top of Siro's grave. He then pulsated a large fury of ice pellets. He shot them long and hard as they shot through and kicked up a ton of dirt. In a matter of minutes the ice cleared through and revealed a cold decaying wooden coffin in the ground. Sub jumped down and prepared himself to open it.
Carefully Sub took apart the top of the coffin which revealed, first the stench of death, then a rotting corpse just snug and fit tight in its darkened eternal sleep. Sub tossed the top of the coffin atop the ground then looked at Siro's skeleton. Sub moved the skull and behind it almost underneath, like a pillow, was a very old book strongly laced and binded tightly shut. It wasn't very thick but Sub had an idea on what it was.
"What did you write in this?" said Subzero taking it. Sub took the book and hopped out the underground. He perfectly put the top of the coffin back in it's place and resealed the ground with the earth. Subzero then bowed a sign of respect for the dead.
"I am sorry for disturbing your sleep. Perhaps your past will help me find answers to my questions" said Subzero. He then left the cemetary.
The next day Sub found himself by a cool lake sitting down with his mask off as he layed his back against a tree. He opened the laces and broke open to the first page. The lettering was old and the italics were less then phenominal. Siro wasn't much of a writer it appeared. But Sub was able to read anyway. He kept his mind open to the past.
--There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss my old adventures with Kung Lao. Watching him die at the hands of Goro nearly broke my heart. I wanted to fight back, but I had no choice. The laws of Mortal Kombat dictated that Goro was champion and the next tournament wouldn't not begin until the next generation. It's been years now since those days. Rayden only spoke to me once in that time. He came to me and said that he was proud of out accomplishments for keeping outworls at bay for as long as we did. Shao Kahn had almost succeeded in defeating Earth Realm against the rules of Mortal Kombat. He trapped all of us and brought Raiden into Outworld draining him of his powers. There was nothing any of us could do. If it wasn't for Subzero, we would have never escaped.-
Sub's eyes blinked fast. Did he read that right? An ancestor of his? he thought back again in his training. There was one Subzero back 5 generations ago that had been banished from the Lin Kuei according to their history. He killed a grandmaster and fled before he could be captured. They spent a long time trying to find their "traitor" but never did. Perhaps here were some missing keys of information. Subzero read on.
--I would never have imagined a cold hearted traitor like Subzero actually find a way to stop Shao Kahn and bring the Earth Realm Warrios back from our personal limbo we were stuck when we were overtaken at the edge of the portal between Earth and Outworld. Maybe Omegis had a hand in it. I am not sure. One thing I do remember though. Once we were free, we had to fight our way out of Outworld big time. The four of us managed to Rescue Rayden and escape back to Earth Realm. Once it was known that the Elder Gods were kept from knowing of these events they took extreme caution with Shao Kahn and his acts of rule breaking. We didn't hear much from Subzero after that. All he wanted in return was a chance to find Scorpion, and to kill him once and for all. We tried to help him, but it was a lost cause. He never found Scorpion, and soon Subzero just disappeared. Then years later the next tournament began, and Kahn brought Goro in the game. I am still saddened this day.--.
Sub stopped reading. He thought for a moment. Scorpion came back and killed Siro. Subzero never found him. Maybe Scorpion was trying up loose ends. Whatever the reason was, it was clear that Subzero from so long ago was in fact an honorable man and not a traitor of the Lin Kuei like the grandmasters had taught us. A lot the Lin Kuei kept from their students. Truth that no doubt would have destroyed them earlier had it been known.
Sub stood up and closed the book. He had read enough for the moment. His friend who gave him the list of names surely had his connections, this was certain. He knew Siro's grave had this journal of the past contained with it. Some ancient piece of the puzzle that may be worth something later. Subzero kept the small book on hand always as he headed out of the lake. He had to make quick destinations soon. His brother needed to answer questions. Sub needed to find Princess Kitana and aid her, and even more unexpectadly, he had to find his sister. Someone who
he had never met before, or even knew what she looked like now. Subzero breathed a large sigh. This was going to be a long night...
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