Fan Fiction - The Lin Kuei Chronicles (Part One)
Chapter Four - Explanations

Rayden stood up and walked over to a tree trunk. He pressed his hand up against the bark and slowly stroked it. He cleared his throat and began.
“From the time you were born, Sub-Zero, I knew you had the power. The power that your father had, and his father before him. Each of you were granted the same name, and each of you were destined for great things. Your great-grandfather was the first. He was a young member of The Lin Kuei at the time. Back then, you know, they were taking contracts. Killings, thefts, anything that normal people didn’t want to do.
“The sorcerer Quan Chi endorsed the help of your great-grandfather, the original Sub-Zero, to capture the sacred Map of Elements. In doing this, the ninja started a chain reaction that took him all over the globe to save the world. At the end of his quest, he reached the Netherrealm, where he was greeted by Shinnok.
“Shinnok imprisoned him, but Sub-Zero escaped and stole his source of power, his amulet. In doing this, he allowed me to travel through the realms and capture the sorcerer. The legacy of the first Sub-Zero ended there.
“His son, whom he also named Sub-Zero, was also a hero in his own time, for he competed in the first ever Mortal Kombat Tournament, and then he had a son, who was your father. Your father, before he died, was no hero. In fact, he disgraced his clan, and they banished him. For what he did was so inexplicable that no mortal could comprehend it. He fell in love with a member of a Japanese clan, a counterpart of the Lin Kuei. They had a son.”
Sub-Zero’s head snapped up from his daze. “Who?”
Rayden looked at him. “You know who.”
“Scorpion.”
Rayden nodded. “The Lin Kuei murdered the woman, along with her clan. They only left the child Scorpion alive. Your father fled the country, married a young Chinese woman, and had three more children.”
“Myself, and my brother. And...”
“Frost.”
“Why?” Sub-Zero looked at his hands. “Why have I never been told this?”
“Because It was not yet time for you to know.”
The ninja shouted wordlessly into the night sky and slammed his fist as hard as he could into a tree. A small band of ice formed around the trunk and a beetle scrambled to get out of its way. “Enough with these goddamn riddles!” he shouted.
Lord Rayden dropped his staff. He walked over to the ninja and stared into his eyes. They stood not a foot apart. “Fine. Frost is your sister. The both of you are destined to recreate the Lin Kuei, to bring it back to it’s former glory. You cannot do it alone, though. You will need help from an experienced warrior, someone who has never lost a battle.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Before we start after another damn warrior, you tell me where the girl is. Right now.”
Rayden nodded and pointed over Sub-Zero’s shoulder. The ninja turned. Frost leaned up against a tree, her hair surrounded by a thin fog cloud. At the mention of her name, she smiled.
“Hi.” she said.

The sun is rising. I close the book and gather the children. I love to see the sun rise in the mornings. The Elder Gods always put on a fantastical show. As I watch the golden sphere of flame make it’s journey over the mountain and into the sky, my mind drifts back to the book on the kitchen table. Once again, the mention of the Lin Kuei. Could the mysterious new warrior be another Lin Kuei? A sorcerer?[/i[ I do not know. [i]As soon as the sun has risen, I think to myself, I shall take a bath. And then I shall return to my book.

The Indian man scraped one rock against another. He did it again. A spark. It was not enough.

Shinnok’s plan was already beginning to unfold. After the defeat of his Oni, he had gone back to his study in a furious rage. While there, he realized that his army had lost because they had not had a commander. With this in mind, he began to reorganize his attack. No more Oni, he was done with their clumsy ways. Instead he would gather the tortured souls from the depths of the Netherrealm, the warriors and the criminals. He would offer them a choice : Fight, and be granted freedom. Or, they could stay in the hell they were in now.
A commander, thought Shinnok. He looked out over his desert. Towards Earthrealm, he saw what looked like a single figure. It was moving. Shinnok walked over to his telescope and peered through it.
Scorpion.

The Japanese ninja was bleeding. With each step he took he lost more blood. He was not in pain, though. Being dead had it’s advantages. The heat did not bother him either. It was the humidity that made his clothes stick to his skin.
“SCORPION!”
The ninja jumped. He looked around for the owner of the voice, but no one was there.
“SCORPION!”
He knew that voice.
“Shinnok?”

The bath had felt great. I wrap myself in a warm robe and sit down next to the window. I spy the book laying on my bed. It’s shiny letters are glinting in the sun. I start to reach for it, then stop. Before I know it, sleep envelopes me.

By C. J. "Wingman" Zepplin

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