Mortal Kombat: The Phoenix Verison

Chapter 29: Fanning the Flames

The four ventured to the top of the Sky Temple, crouching underneath the stone walls of the courtyard. Standing in the center were the Revenants, discussing how to deal with Raiden's ward. The S-F team couldn't see who was there, but assumed that all the Revenants were present.

They should've tried to listen in, but from their distance it was difficult, adding the fairly loud noises of impending doom crashing from the sky. Worried glances passed amongst them.

Jacqui nudged Takeda "We can distract them if you two try to find another way in."

Cassie frowned "Are you sure?"

"If they're here then they won't be guarding the chamber."

"Good point."

The group split up, with Jacqui and Takeda hopping the wall and moving on the attack, while Jin and Cassie went in the opposite direction.

Quietly, the two found another entrance into the Sky Temple, spotting it in the clearing of the woods.

"Halt!"

Cassie and Jin froze. "Dammit..." She muttered as Kitana and Smoke came out into the clearing.

"Your meddling ends now" Smoke hissed.

Kitana threw one of her fans at Cassie, the weapon cutting through the air swiftly. It would've hit its target had a fireball not struck it down.

They looked to the trees, where the fire came from.

"Go, I'll handle this" Ember said as she stepped into the clearing.

Jin nodded, nudging Cassie. They ran off, straight for the chamber. The Revenants did not try and stop them, their eyes glued to her.

"Ember?"

Kitana lowered her remaining fan.

"I don't go by that name anymore." Her voice leveled with indifference "I am the Phoenix now"

If either of them had been hoping for some kind of emotional reaction, they were deeply disappointed.

Tomas took a step forward "You ally yourself with Raiden?! He's the one responsible for our fates, our deaths"

"Not mine..." she put a hand on her hip "If we're going to play the blame game, you two were more responsible in my death than he was."

He flinched, sharing a glance with Kitana who lowered her head.

"If I really wanted to blame someone, I could blame you for allowing Quan Chi to take me." Ember narrowed her eyes, it was unbelievable that the last time she had seen him they were making out in a temple.

Tomas averted his eyes.

Ember then faced Kitana "And you, you stood there and watched me die. All you did was state the obvious...you could've tried to do something!"

She paused, her voice rising. She needed to control herself, keep her cool.

A moment passed, Ember swallowing down her anger. "Whatever, it doesn't matter,"

"What matters now is that you're in my way"

Tomas ducked, avoiding the jet of fire burning above his head. Quickly, Kitana fanned the flames away.

Ember moved in, kicking Kitana in the back of the leg. The princess staggered, using her fans to keep her balance.

"Our anger is not with you, we do not need to fight" Kitana exclaimed, blocking Ember's fist. "Leave now!"

Tomas kicked Ember in the hip before disappearing in a large plume of smoke.

She winced, feeling bruises forming, but tried to ignore the pain and kick Kitana in the chest.

The handles of her fans started to burn her palms, Kitana grunted as they fell into the snow.

Tomas reappeared behind Ember, gripping her head and vibrating her brain. She tightly shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, feeling everything rattling around.

Suddenly he was thrown back, head landing on a rock. Ember glared, clenching a fist and watching as the surrounding trees caught on fire.

The wood crackled as the flames invaded, their roots weakening. One by one they came crashing down on the Revenants. Kitana had backflipped away from the trunk of one, but Tomas was not quick enough and it landed on his back.

The undead princess quickly picked up one of her fans and flung it at the trunk, hoping it would either put out the flames or cut the trunk so that Tomas could get out. She sucked in a hiss of pain as the burning metal seared her palm.

Ember was focused on bringing the trees down, and didn't block in time. Kitana's heel connected with her pelvis, forcing her to double over and gasp in pain.

"You cannot hope to defeat us, Ember."

"I don't need to beat you...I just need to distract you" Ember clenched her fist and a few trees fell around the entrance to the temple, blocking it altogether.

Anything that would buy Cassie and Jin more time.

Kitana narrowed her eyes, looking to where her ally was. He teleported again, reappearing beside the fallen tree. The former Lin Kuei ripped a heavy branch from the trunk and swung it at the back of Ember's head.

It missed, thankfully, as she ducked just in time. She retaliated, swinging back her elbow into his groin and spinning around to kick his knee in.

Kitana moved in to punch her in the back, but Ember moved out of the way and she accidentally hit Tomas in the head. He staggered backwards, but fell when a cannon ball of fire hit him.

Fire soldiers fell from the burning trees, pinning Tomas down. The horror on Kitana's grey face was poorly concealed.

"Ember..." Kitana's frown deepened "Shinnok will win, it's not too late to join us"

Another tree fell, cutting Kitana's leg as it went down. The hand of one of Ember's fire spirits wrapped around Kitana's ankle.

Fear struck at the revenant's heart as her old friend got closer, not being able to see her face was nerve wracking.

"You know you can't trust Raiden. What if his actions kill you again?!"

She was close enough that Kitana could see her eyes through the holes in the mask. There was nothing but cold indifference staring back.

"I won't give him the chance"

Ember struck her in the throat. Hard enough for her vision to sway, she started coughing. Hand massaging her throat, she watched as Ember raised the temperature.

Kitana felt overheated, dizzy and tired. The heat overwhelmed her and she fell to what remained of the chilling snow.

The flames in her fists extinguished, Ember cautiously stood closer to the unconscious bodies. She knelt beside Kitana, staring at her closed eyelids. The yellow glow dimmed in rhythm with her undead heart.

Her eyes wandering over to Tomas, she started to back away. Ember wished there was still hope for them, to bring them back to normal, but Quan Chi's demise had seemed to be the only solution.

They were stuck. Her chest tightened, at least she was safe.

There's no point in dwelling on the past. She adjusted her mask, thankful that her mixed emotions could be hidden.

As far as she knew, there was no solution. Perhaps Raiden would still treat them as if there was hope-but she wouldn't. They were a lost cause.

Ember may have cared for the two lying in the snow before her, but they were doomed to eternal hatred and darkness and she would not let them drag her back.

"Hopefully this is the last time I ever see you"

She wanted to sound stronger, but her voice cracked.

Taking a deep breath, Ember turned from them. She needed to find Cassie and Jin.