Mortal Kombat Fan Fiction ❯ Of Serpents and Sirens ❯ Situational Awareness ( Chapter 12 )

The pain was excruciating. It felt like her head was literally splitting open, like something was trying to break out of her skull. 

'He is mine.'

Lily's scream echoed throughout her room as though there were two voices instead of just hers escaping her throat.

Johnny watched in horror as his sister stilled in shock and then collapsed into a seizure.

"Lily!"

He immediately grabbed at her head, trying to keep her still as she foamed at the mouth, her eyes where flickering, trying to roll back into their sockets.

"Raiden get me a small stick or something! Now! Before she chokes on her tongue!"

Raiden scanned the room, eyes landing on the dresser and found her hairbrush. He quickly handed it to Johnny.

"Will this do?"

"Perfect! Now get some pillows! We need to prop her feet!"

He held her head as still as he could and forced the hairbrush handle into her mouth sideways until it was holding her tongue down.

"Oh god sis. I've got you! Come on! Snap out of it!"

"Here are the pillows."

Raiden lifted her legs and placed the pillows under her feet. He shook his head at the state she had been reduced to. She had stopped convulsing violently but her body still jerked from time to time. Her eyes were closed and her breathing, once erratic and gasping was now quiet and calm.

"This is wrong."

"You're damn right. I'm going to kill that bastard!"

The thunder god shook his head, "No, I do not believe that Shang Tsung is responsible for this."

"You serious? He got what he wanted from her and now he's just tossing her out like trash."

"Think. She was gone the entire night was she not? At any point during that time he could have easily discarded of her but he did not. He allowed her to return...Why?"

"Then if he isn't responsible...who is?"

"That is a question we must have answered and quickly, before your sister suffers anymore."

"So lets talk to the old bastard and get those answer-"

"I will speak to Shang Tsung alone. It would be best if cooler heads prevailed at the moment."

"So basically, you're telling me to calm down."

"Yes. I will return momentarily. Stay here, watch over your sister."

"Alright, thunderstruck. I'll stay behind...just this once, though."

Raiden nodded as he took a step farther away from the two. He raised his hands and with a crash of lightning he was gone.

Johnny scooped her up and placed her in her bed, propping her feet up before pulling the covers over her. 

Looking down at her in this state was like a stab in the gut. He wiped at the tears clouding his eyes. 

"Damn it sis, you got to wake up."

/  -  /  -  /  -  /

Shang Tsung studied the small humming jar and the wisps surrounding it, approaching it with caution.

"You have never once interfered until now. Why? Why her?"

The humming stopped and the green wisps combined to form a cobra that snapped at him.

He took two steps back from it.

"You are draining her, aren't you? How? This prison is one of my own design. You cannot leave."

The jar rattled as if held by invisible chains, a soft voice giggled at him.

"Bù, dànshì nǐ kěyǐ. Surely you haven't forgotten? You've healed her three times now, husband." The voice spat the last word out like it was venom.

Shang stilled, hands clenched in anger.

The migraine...when his fingers had slowly rubbed and gently kneaded the tension and pain away. Then his hands tracing symbols into her skin to chase away the ache their violent passion had caused her. And then this morning when they had slowly fucked, his hands caressing and stroking her body he had seen the green tendrils snaking across her back.

'Damn it!'

She had used him like a puppet...again! And he was so wrapped up in his seduction, his possession of Lily's body he hadn't even noticed.

He had been a fool.

"She is so soft and warm, isn't she? So very pliant. Such a perfect vessel."

"Enough with your words, È mèng. You will release her at once."

The voice cackled at him, "Release her?! Why would I do that? Once I am finished with her...I will be whole once again. Won't that be wonderful, my husband?"

He pointed at her, "I should have destroyed you long ago. I guess that is a mistake I will just have to correct."

A crack of green light formed on the ceramic jar as it rattled violently. A cloud of green wisps rose from the jar, forming into a mass of hissing serpents writhing and undulating around it. A few of them snapped at him.

"You? Destroy me?! You can't! I am your wife!"

"You WERE my wife...once."

Sneering at the jar he turned on his heel, walking out of the room, the fires slowly dying out as he moved past them.

At the doorway, he stopped, his voice deadly calm as he spoke.

 "It has been nearly 10,000 years, È mèng. Whatever we had between us has long since passed. Release her or I will destroy the jar and you."

Her voice hissed at him. "Why? Why so much trouble over that slip of a girl? One night of such passion and ecstasy and you suddenly care for her? How good she must have been. How good she must have felt underneath you."

He refused to turn, to give her any notice that her words had any effect on him. This game he was far too familiar with.

"Lust and love are two very different things. I've had my fun with her body, now she will be discarded, but not by you."

The voice cackled again, "you've gotten better at lying, my love. But I can see through them just as easily as I can see through you.. No you do not love her, but she left quite an impression on you didn't she? One that even now you can't seem to rid yourself of. Or do you even want to?"

His hands clenched tightly together behind his back.

"You have my ultimatum. The choice is yours."

The door slammed shut behind him as the last fire snuffed out.

Her screeches echoed, muffled through the door.

"Choice?! Like you gave her? Like you gave me once?! You fool, Shang Tsung! You utter fool! I will be free! And your pet will be the one to free me! Do you hear me?! Shang Tsung?!"

He ran a shaky hand over his face, composure slipping a moment as his thoughts raced.

For È mèng to pull this stunt now after so long being silent. And during the damned tournament of all times?  This did not bode well.

If the emperor found out...

This was something he could not easily do on his own. He was one of the greatest soul sorcerer's to ever live with the power of a thousand warriors' souls at his beck and call and now he needed help? It was aggravating to no end.

Unfortunately since that was the case, there was only one course of action he could take if he wished to resolve this issue quickly and quietly.

He had to speak to Raiden.

He can already feel the migraine approaching at just the thought of explaining this little...incident...to the thunder god.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and he gave a long-suffering sigh as he looked up.

"Vey well, Raiden. We will speak on my private balcony."

The sky rumbled as if in agreement.