Mortal Kombat: Sub-Zero's Student

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sibling Sympathy

-Bi-Han's POV- I watch Kuai stare into the fireplace. He absentmindedly toys with the gauze bandaging wrapped firmly around his right palm.

"Kuai, you can tell me what happened. You do not need to be afraid of harsh judgement from me."
He sighs, looking down at his tender hand and rubs it. "There's no way I can phrase what I saw and make it sound normal to you." He rasps.

"Then tell me anyway, brother. I will believe whatever you say." He blinks, tugging at the rug he's sitting on near the floor of the fire.
"Do you promise?" He asks without looking at me. He sounds like a frightened child.

"I.." I'm momentarily caught off guard at his request.
Kuai has never asked me to promise him something since he was a boy. This is the first time I've heard him say it again in years.
"I promise, Kuai." I rub his back slowly to reassure and calm him down.

He takes in a deep breath and looks at me for the first time since I walked into his room. The glow of the fire reflects off of his eyes and gives him a more innocent and boyish appearance, despite the fact that he looks ragged.

"I saw something....horrible." His voice is low and soft, like a child recalling a nightmare.
He turns his whole body and head to face me, his knees curled up into his chest and hands near his heart. "I can hardly explain it myself."
"You can tell me," I gently urge him, growing a mixture of impatience and fear that something stunned Kuai so badly.

"I saw the corrupted form of myself in that mirror. I know it sounds crazy, Bi-Han. I...I.." He trails off, his face twisting into one of panic as he begins to hyperventilate.
"Hey, hey. Kuai, calm down. Just breathe." I grip his left hand gently and squeeze. "Start from the beginning. You said you saw a corrupted version of yourself. Was it in the mirror? What did it look like?"

Kuai takes a deep breath and begins to speak in the soft tone again. "It was me, but messed up by the Dragon Medallion. You know, purple-blue eyes, a mess of icicles on my back, icicle claws on each hand and a voice raspier than mine."

"Go on," I state, feeling like something is watching us. "He taunted me, Bi-Han. Saying that I could have frozen both you and Hanzo solid just for the hell of it. He said the power flowing in me felt....o-orgasmic." Kuai looks like he's about to puke.
"He said both him and I are the same. Same thoughts, appearance, doubt of myself...."

"That is not true, Kuai." I whisper. "You are more than that...beast in the mirror. You are your own person. Whatever that thing was, it most certainly isn't you."
"But he told me more," The fear in his voice turns to irritation. "He was right to say that you bullied me." He looks off at the mirror, and his anger immediately turns into horror.

Kuai yells, backing up from the me and the nightstand. "What is it? What's wrong?!"
"Do you not see him?!" Kuai shrieks, wincing as he puts weight on his injured hand while he backs away on the floor.

I whirl around, staring at the shattered mirror.
Nothing. Only my broken reflection and Kuai's.
"I don't see anyone, Kuai."
"He's here. He's here! He's taunting me! Saying that I should just crawl into your lap like the little boy I am!" Kuai weeps, curling up into the corner.

"Little brother," I trail off, watching helplessly as he beats himself up verbally.
"He's right. Of course he is right," he rambles, sniffing angrily.

"Kuai Liang!" I yell, breaking him out of his spell.
He snaps his attention to me, tears streaming down and freezing onto his skin.

"Look, I..." I walk up to him and crouch down, holding my hand out. "Whatever is haunting you, I will protect you from it." He grabs my hand and I help him to his feet. "You're right," He sniffs, rubbing his eyes. "Besides," He looks at me, his eyes like glittering sapphires. "We all have demons we need to face."