The Keeper of Flame and the Master of Ice (Sub-Zero x Reader)

I - The Beginning

A/N:

Just a quick explanation before we begin:

1) Reader is part of the Tengu clan, which appears in MK Armageddon: Konquest as an enemy to the Lin Kuei and Wu Lae is their leader. Of course, this would be in the original timeline. However, in the alternative timeline we still see that Liang has moved his clan to what I would guess is the Lin Kuei palace from the original timeline— an ancient temple built in honor to the sorceress Delia, who also appears in MK: Armageddon. I will not bore you with details, however. Just wanted to put you in perspective so you have an idea of what's going on. Sorry if this is confusing. Trust me, it made my head hurt too. You don't need to worry about the original timeline because we're only interested in the new one!

2) Why do I call Sub-Zero Liang instead of Kuai? I found out not long ago that his name seems to be that of a real person in Chinese history. Kuai Liang was the name of an advisor to the warlord Liu Biao in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He also had a younger brother named Kuai Yue. In light of this information, I can infer that Kuai is his last name because the Eastern ordering of names is family name/given name. I wanted to explain this because in later chapters I'll be calling him Liang, instead of his full name. We could say his brother is Kuai Bi-Han, too, but it's not as catchy as Kuai Liang XD also, I don't think the writers actually cared about that? I'm rambling so much, oh god.

3) I'm taking some artistic licenses here so... bear with me.

Edit: 10/05/20: Shout-out to bahyek and a huge thanks for the invaluable help and effort in fixing my grammar mistakes and typos. You're amazing! And so sorry it took me so long to implement your corrections! ;A;

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Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat or its characters. They all belong to NetherRealm Studios. No copyright infringement intended. All I'm trying to do is provide entertainment to the readers and by no means do I have lucrative purposes.

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Warnings: Unbetaed. Misogyny. Unbetaed! Cheesiness. English is not my first language. OCs. Did I mention it's unbetaed?

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Chapter I: "The Beginning"

It was said that the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei was a man who possessed power unlike any other.

Ever since his clan had crossed the reaches of the land that had been home to your people for centuries, rumors had spread about the prowess of the Lin Kuei as formidable warriors. This also meant your clan saw them as a threat, and territorial conflicts didn't take long to ensue. Confrontations and skirmishes became the norm, and it soon was clear that it would be a feat in itself for the Tengu to defeat the enemy. Fortified in an ancient temple in the mountains, the Lin Kuei had been a force to be reckoned with, and the situation wasn't faring better after several years.

Affairs had reached a point of stagnation, but it wasn't until the grandmaster of the Lin Kuei sent word to your uncle that hope for a truce was born. It was a relief, to say the least, for you feared that many lives had been sacrificed in this war. While you understood that it was in the best interests of your people to take action against any threat, you also knew that the Lin Kuei had grown in numbers and their might greatly surpassed that of your clan. The way you saw it, there was more wisdom in peace and it surprised you that this man, Kuai Liang, had taken the first step towards that path— even when the Tengu were at a disadvantage.