The wounds heal.

A depressing Valentine's day.

Six months had passed since the Timequake. Earthrealm and Outworld were at peace and things were slowly returning to normal. After that fateful day, Liu Kang and Kitana started a formal relationship, they had promised to take the time to know each other under different circumstances and they had been fulfilling it. They didn't hesitate to take such an opportunity since they weren't in the middle of the tournament or any war.

During those months, the new Kahn had to deal with quite a few problems that were nothing more than the results of Shao Kahn's reign of tyranny. His great indifference to his own realm made the grounds practically in ruins except for the palace. Much of the inhabitants were sick and in deplorable conditions due to the carelessness of their ruler.

But that wasn't the only conflict.

From the beginning, Mileena wanted to kill her upon learning that Shao Kahn, Sindel, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were executed and erased from history. It was difficult to deal with her, since, added to that, she wanted to take away Kitana's new position arguing that she deserved it more. Being raised by Shao Kahn, she followed his same ideals, plus her wild nature clouded his judgment. Many of her allies advised the new Kahn to execute her as well but she was unable to do so because she had compassion on her clone. It wasn't until Baraka spoke with Mileena and managed to convince her to make peace with her ruler for the good of all.

However, and even after that, the Kitana refused to accept her as her sister due to her wild and impulsive instinct. However, as the months passed, she realized that all she wanted was to be taken seriously and not just be seen as a simple clone of the Empress. This led to her being more patient with her, which made their relationship less turbulent.

While that was happening, Jade along with Liu Kang took care of Kotal's wounds when they searched for him in the Flesh Pits. The Osh-Tekk was in extremely serious condition, nearly dead from Shang Tsung's inhumane experiments. It took several weeks for him to recover as he was missing several vital organs, including parts of his skin. Later he would become Kitana's advisor and bodyguard.

Besides, she had conflicts with Goro and Kintaro when they learned of the sudden death of his former ruler. They considered that Kitana wasn't the right one for the position. Because of that they almost raised a rebellion against the new Kahn until Sheeva had to intervene. She supported Kitana because she found out about Sindel's deception and how she had manipulated them all. Thanks to this help, the empress rewarded her loyalty by giving better terrain and higher priority to the Shokan, calming things down between them.

All these events and carrying the weight of having executed her own mother, were very stressful for the Edenian. For this, Liu Kang went to Outworld very often to aid her. He was the one who comforted and emotionally supported her throughout that process. Since, to tell the truth, he have very little experience in how to deal with political issues, much less those that are foreign to their world. He therefore limited himself to helping her in matters that required strength and being a kind of consort. In any case, the champion couldn't be happier because he was with the woman he loved. From the first time he saw her at the tournament, he developed a strong attraction for her. Even though when they met, she tried to kill him, the champion showed mercy and didn't regret it at all.

Although the days were stressful to the point where Kitana felt like she couldn't take it anymore, when the night came, both could indulge their deepest desires in intimacy. The chosen one didn't hesitate to give himself body and soul to his partner to show his love and loyalty.

The time passed until February 14 arrived, a day considered special by humans as it represents love, friendship and togetherness. The Shaolin monks woke up like a normal day. They don't usually have a celebration that day as some would, however, many are used to giving each other gifts or letters. Younger students usually give some little gift to their superiors or classmates as a sign of respect and appreciation towards them. Besides, the couples inside the monastery are not a secret either, so It's also normal for them to show their love to each other that day. They do this to foster unity among their equals.