Power Rangers: Mortal Kombat (CURRENTLY PAUSED)

Feast Of Kings

This year, like a handful of years before, the tournament would be held in a courtyard within Shao Kahn's castle. The area surrounding and contained inside Shao's property was littered with heads and skulls skewered on pikes as a means to intimidate and frighten observers. Many lit torches were also littered with the same capacity as the pikes. Other decorations included spinal columns and rib cages tied together, almost akin to Christmas lights hanging from an urban winter house. These morbid adornments were strung along the fence encasing the courtyard and were especially notable on the entrance to Shao's castle itself.

In the castle, to the surprise of anyone who had any prior experience with Shao, he and Ivan were laughing and chatting as if they were a pair of lifelong friends. "So you're telling me their machine defeated you in battle by thrusting their knee into your groin?" Shao inquired, almost unable to speak through his deep chuckles. Ivan, who was once devastated by the loss of the battle, now cackled and nodded. "I won't say it's my proudest moment, but looking back, it sure is my most hilarious! And that's saying a lot, I'm quite the laugh, Shao," Ivan responded. Shang Tsung raised an eyebrow as he watched and listened to his leader spring to life as the purple man talked to him. Shang hadn't seen Shao this lively since his last near takeover of Outworld, which ultimately failed.

Shao took a deep breath then stopped his smile, composing himself into a more professional appearance. "Well Ivan, it's time for me to host the tournament," he informed Ooze. "Tournament, you say? What tournament might that be?"

Shao then remembered that Ivan was not a resident of this realm, so he was naturally not informed on the upcoming Mortal Kombat tournament. "Ah, that's right. You don't know. Well, the tournament of which I speak is that of Mortal Kombat. It is a spectacle of fighting abilities to depict the realms' best fighters. The winner is seen as an example of power and is to be respected and/or feared by all," Shao explained.

"Hmm, most interesting. I'm assuming you'll be competing in this tournament?" Ivan asked.

Shao stood up from his chair and puffed out his already large chest. "I will be the final challenge of whoever gets far enough to fight me. Should I win, they will forfeit control of their realm to me." Shao let out a laugh of evil hope. "And if someone from this realm is to challenge you?" Ivan asked. "That's the hope, Ooze! Should someone from this realm battle me, my victory would make me into the ruler of this realm, which should have been mine long ago!" Shao yelled ecstatically.

Ivan let out a noise of realization, piecing together Shao's nefarious plot to gain possession of this realm through technicality. That was the only reason Shao ever hosted the tournament. Yet time and time again, he continued to somehow lose control when it seemed unlimited power would be just within his grasp. This time, however, he knew Outrealm would be his.

Outrealm was merely the first step. Once it fell under his control, he would stop at nothing until all of the realms were his. With the purple man's army at his fingertips, that dream was now so close he could taste it.

The taste must have overwhelmed him because just as Ivan went to speak, Shao let out a rather raunchy belch. This caused the two to roar with laughter, while Shang Tsung rolled his eyes at his boss's lack of table manners.