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Fan Fiction
| Legends of the Lin Kuei |
| Chapter 27: Prelude to Hell |
By: Shaun Penney |
A dark chapel covered a central arc around the very heart of this elusive city. Empty of life yet lit with countless ancient torches. The city ran with an evil glare burning a permanent void within Earth Realm. A void created solely by Quan Chi, a menace with the utmost wicked intentions. The chapel rang a cloudy bell sinking a deep dark bellowing gong like echo into the empty city. It rang loudly like a calling for something outside the barrier walls.
Above where the tallest trees dangled over the tips of the city walls, Subzero and Night Wolf carefully climbed down onto the outer fringes of the gates looking onward towards the center where the chapel stood. They crouched down together staring blankly around seeing nothing but the silent wind whipping in and out brushing the torch flames lightly. The thunderous slow sounding echo of the bell from the chapel continued its melancholy gaze as a luggish rumble began to shake the ground. The two warriors turned their heads around but still saw nothing from their excellent sights.
What is that?” said Night Wolf. Subzero was not sure. He looked onward at the chapel as he finally saw what he had been waiting to see. Quan Chi emerged from a high balcony above the same arena that Subzero had recently fought in before. It still bruised from the action it took when Subzero faced all of Reptile’s minions and his brother for a short moment. He stared at the darkly dressed magic user. Large curved spikes ran from his collars and arm gauntlets. He looked dressed to kill…literally. The intense rumbling grew closer and closer. Then Sub looked on the opposite side of the gates of the barren city and saw what was to come.
The gates opened upward as the great crowds of Centaurs roared in massive bulges. They cropped a dust cloud, which stormed in around them with their powerful hooves slapping the dirt in bursts. Once they gathered in the center around the chapel Quan Chi quieted them down as he raised his hand. Subzero and Night Wolf crouched down again ready to here what the bald white head had to say. The quietness almost grew gloomy around everyone. Quan Chi’s eyes appeared to be searching amidst his own little legion of world destroyers along with the walls of the city. He looked perplexed.
“My followers. Your allegiance has earned you all the privilege to once again feel the power that was once the MIGHT of the centaurs!” said Quan Chi underlining his might word. This made the centaurs cheer in a robust sense.
“Before you were just a front line made to serve the will of the Emperor Shao Kahn. But now, under my guidance and help, we will bring Outworld to Earth Realm and forever turn this place into a fury unlike which has ever seen BEFORE!” Quan Chi made his voice known for the centaurs as they again cheered for such a qualified leader.
“And when this planet finally falls, are one and true Leader Lord Shinnok will return and fuel this planet with a new fire to burn. An eternal flame of hell!”
Subzero’s eyes glared madly as he tried to repel himself from just throwing a pick right in that sorcerer’s eye.
“Shinnok? He’s trying to resurrect Shinnok? This is not good. If he does that is will be the end of us all Subzero” said Night Wolf. Subzero nodded his head.
“I know Night Wolf. That is why we are not going to let that happen. We are going to stop them,” said Subzero.
“Just the two of you?” said a voice. Sub and Night Wolf jerked their heads up as a lady flew down from the same tree the two had come from. She landed like a feather and crouched along with Subzero.
“Princess Kitana?” said Night Wolf. Subzero didn’t look too surprised. Kitana pulled out one of her patented blade fans out ready to unwind it.
“You followed us. Why?” Sub asked.
“I respect your bravery Subzero and yours too Night Wolf, but I cannot let you two fight this by yourselves. If we are all that is left, we cannot fail now.” Said Kitana. This the three knew to be sure of. Subzero nodded.
“Agreed” he responded.
A black emptiness quenched down hard in the pit of Subzero’s stomach. Time and time again he tried to reassure himself that if he believed strongly enough in the fight and the victory, that it would not be denied to him. Warriors come and go in the realm of Earth. Even those who succeed in Mortal Kombat tournaments one day are set to rest. His only sure thought left in him was that he would not stop until he knew that Earth Realm was once again safe. If his sins were to be atoned this night, his courage would be the defining proof.
Quan Chi continued to marvel at his own enticing speech to the centaurs as the three Earth Realm warriors snuck around a corridor and through an upward passage towards the side wall where Quan Chi stood. The plan appeared simplistic and to the point. Kill Quan Chi and the Centaurs will not have a leader. Centaurs have independent minds, but without a central key figure ordering them they are helpless. Once Quan Chi was out of the picture, the destruction of this imaginary city would be next. A clear intent Subzero was not going to falter in. Nightwolf watched behind them as Sub and Kitana approached the top of the hallwasy leading to Quan Chi’s large balcony. Quan Chi’s words began to echo louder and louder the closer Sub and Kitana walked.
“Now is the time of our ultimate grasp! I say to you now, seek and destroy all you find, and do not stop until all lay dead and their bodies empty of their souls!” Quan Chi raised his hands up and the centaurs again praised him. Subzero had had enough. From twenty feet away he saw the leathered clad back of this pitiful yet cunning sorcerer. He raised his hands and began charging an ice bolt with his fingers almost shaking with anger. The tips of his fingers ran hard and precise merging his life force with the element of cold. With his left elbow cocked back, his face cracked a vengeful stare. Suddenly he felt a warm hand touch hold over Sub’s nearly ice cold arm. Sub turned his face and saw the frail look on Kitana’s face. He saw it in her eyes. He saw her resentment as his action.
“Not like this Subzero, not like your brother. Face him with honor,” she whispered. Sub looked at a talkative Quan Chi then back again at the princess. He then sighed and discharged his most favored power. She was right and he knew it. Those who are honorable do not kill so unfairly. Even though the evil was far greater and even deserved such an action of death. Subzero’s life had been full of dishonorable actions. Killing without mercy, without remorse, assassinating for a cause he no longer fought for. The Lin Kuei he was once a part of no longer remained. Only his honor as a Lin Kuei now was all he felt he had left. Subzero stood tall and took two steps forward.
“QUAN CHI!” He yelled out. The sorcerer turned out as his words were cut short by the cold man. Subzero rushed forward and threw his body out with his leg pointed straight at Quan Chi’s chest. His force was strong enough to rip right through the evil of Quan Chi’s heart, however it was the Sorcerer who had the upper hand. Sub passed right through Quan Chi as his body became intangible and ghost like. Sub fell right over and landed hard onto the arena ground where the centaurs all surrounded him. Their fierce growls swarmed devilishly as a tight circle formed around a dazed Subzero. From up above, Kitana came forward to see what had happened.
“Not very smooth Princess, you have a lot to learn” spoke the sorcerer from behind Kitana. She tried whipping a fan blade around, but Quan Chi ducked and swung a hard fist directly into Kitana’s chin. The impact smacked Kitana right into an unconscious state as her hand immediately dropped the fan followed by her delicate body. Night Wolf, already running towards Quan Chi instantly felt an arm clothesline him on the chest. The arm was rough and scale like, covered in the wall’s colors. The body of Reptile morphed into his true state as he stepped out of the wall’s hiding. Night Wolf tried to scramble to his feet, leaving Reptile the only option to swiftly lay a boot across Night Wolf’s skull. The quick strike sung Night Wolf right to sleep.
Subzero crouched up but the centaurs had already over taken him. He felt large inhuman hands envelope over him and throw him from huge body to huge body. Several stomach and face shots slapped and rammed like tree trunks across Subzero. With his arms held tight he was helpless to the army’s vicious attacks. Fist after fist cracked hard over his face and body. It was then his mind almost faded into a relapse of anger and hostility. His hands clenched tight and his lips curled together to let loose a fierce and undying scream of anguish and resentment. The cold buried in his soul poured right out his clenched hands and shot out in all directions hammering any centaur that had a hand on or near him. Each one felt the raw intense pain as their bodies and faces froze both in physical and in mental horror. The Centaurs released their grasp on Subzero as the almost broken warrior dropped to the ground. His eyes opened as he rose up one more time still with his fists held ever so tightly together. Without as so much as snapping a word out of his mouth, Subzero threw everything he had and drained his energy spewing a deluge of ice from his palms towards the remaining army of four legged creatures. Their dark and demon like screams froze solid leaving only scars of ice like statues with the looks of fear and surprise left in their newly dead pale eyes. Every one of them died a cold death. Subzero knew it was a dark revenge, but his powers were being used to stop evil, this was the only way he truly knew. If these creatures can take lives, then their lives will be taken from them. When the last centaur tried to escape, Subzero bit hard on his lip and blasted the horned enemy and filled it’s body with chunks of spiked ice fury. Sub gave the last of his strength and kicked its’ shining frozen corpse into a pool of ice and blood. All the cheers and screams the centaurs gave only moments ago fell silent and void. Subzero bent over and felt his breath quickly gaining exhaustion. He knew he over did it, but for once he felt a small glimpse of satisfaction for stopping a massive threat that could have continued. A small glimpse short felt as a pair of hands came crashing down across Subzero’s back. Sub dropped like a stone as he drew unconscious. He didn’t even get a chance to see that it was his own brother that delivered the blow.
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