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His head ached and throbbed. Like photographs, incoherent scenes flashed before Raiden's eyes. He saw unfamiliar places, people, and events, but somehow he felt he knew them well. It all began with the hourglass; the battle between Lord Liu Kang and a dastardly sorcerer who could be none other than Shang Tsung. Raiden saw the split of the timeline and both outcomes of their battle. The scenes were happening simultaneously, in parallel, layered on top of each other to the point where he couldn't fully comprehend them before they were replaced by new ones. A dark scorched desert, a vast scarlet sea, a ship stormed by the Empress and her Emperor. Each location was accompanied by death, violence, humiliation: Kung Lao thrown overboard, Liu Kang separated from Kitana by a heavy hammer, Johnny and his family taken prisoner.... With another image in his mind, the lump in his throat came closer and closer, as if foreshadowing something bad.
The edges of his vision took on a crimson hue. A man was kneeling before him, chained tightly to his hands and feet. His battered, swollen and blood-stained face contorted into a grimace of pain every now and then as the red lightning bolt from somewhere in the ceiling struck him. In the previous scenes, the foreshortening was not clear, nor was the perspective from which he saw what was happening; the same could not be said now. Raiden could feel the electric energy habitually sparking through his forearms and making his fingertips go numb.
He was himself.
Some kind of obsession, a poison, flowed slowly and nastily over his organs, filling them. The man was saying something, but Raiden couldn't hear the words themselves, only feel their impact. An inexplicable rage clouded his sound reasoning. Lightning sprang from his closed fist and froze, resembling a red, fiery blade. One precise swing of such a blade, and the stranger's head landed on the floor with a resounding thud. Sweat beaded on his forehead, a shiver ran through his body and at the same time he felt nothing. The boundary was blurring, Raiden didn't understand where his own emotions ended and the emotions of the person on whose behalf he was witnessing the events began. It was nauseating. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying to get out of this nightmare for real.
The penetrating wind fluttered the hem of his robe, and the smell of burning filled his nose. He opened his eyelids and looked around. Unlike the previous scenes, the scene was somewhere on Earth: Raiden stood in the middle of the roof of a high-rise building. The neighboring skyscrapers appeared in a more deplorable state, some of them reduced to rubble, and of some only bare piles remained. The smoke from the helicopter burning on the roof created a veil that hid the real extent of the city's devastation. Screams could be heard in the distance, columns of fire and smog rising up. During all this horror, Raiden stood immovably in front of the greenish portal; no matter what he did, his legs wouldn't move, as if trapped against an invisible wall. The simple fact was that he was only an observer, unable to influence the unfolding story in any way. Anxiety scrambled somewhere in his subcortex. Amidst the gray lifelessness, his eyes involuntarily caught the only glimmer of color, a red bandage framing his long brown hair. The young and youthful naiveté of the man before him did not prevent him from recognizing him as Lord Liu Kang. Raiden knew it was him, and yet something was wrong. The other's brown eyes burned with fierce determination, without a hint of his usual gentleness or kindness. His brow was furrowed, his features hardened; the change made Raiden's heart bleed. Never before had he seen his mentor in such a state. Being around the Fire God had always brought nothing but calmness, ease, and confidence, but not this time. Like an echo, Liu Kang's indignant and resentful voice came from deep within him. Raiden felt that he was the one responsible for the outrage, and if it were his will, he would have immediately crouched down and started apologizing until awe returned to the man's face. This, however, was not destined to happen.
A terrifying figure resembling General Shao could be seen more and more clearly on the other side of the portal. Liu Kang finally burst out and rushed towards him. Lightning was released from his own palms, striking the concrete floor in the path of the Earth Realm protector. A warning shot. Raiden didn't understand why he was stopping Liu Kang, why he was preventing him from preventing the tyrant's invasion. Had he renounced the title of champion, the Fire God, and joined the rebellion of the Outer World? His head was beginning to split from searching for possible reasons for his actions. Liu Kang abruptly turned around to face him. Whereas before, only irritation and misunderstanding had come from him, now he felt full-blown anger. His palms were covered in flames, intent on forcing his way through with brute force. He lunged at Raiden, but he didn't even get close enough; the thunderous discharge, amplified by the fire already on his body, served as a spark to ignite it. The blaze of flame obscured the writhing body.
The world seemed to stand still for one long second. Raiden ran over to his mentor, who had fallen on his back. Whitish scars and burns littered the exposed skin, his left eye had lost all brightness, merging with the whites into a cloudy mass, and blood was streaming from his nose and mouth. The perpetrator of this picture cupped the other man's cheek, seeing the last bits of life leave the body. "You've ruined us all," he read Liu Kang's last words on his lips.
“Raiden!”
As if doused with a bucket of ice water, he came back to reality. He saw that he was in Shaolin, he saw the worried Kung Lao in front of him, but he still had the image of his dying mentor in front of his eyes. With trembling hands, he abruptly removed the amulet from his belt, something he had never done since receiving it, and threw it on the ground. A faint cracking sound was heard.
The electrical energy immediately stopped circulating through his body, making room for a sigh. Fear of an unbelievable magnitude gripped his heart. He clenched his fists painfully, his nails digging into the soft skin.
“Take it easy, buddy! What's wrong with you?” They had just started warming up, and Raiden was already drenched in sweat, as if he had run ten laps around the temple. Kung Lao firmly took his friend by the shoulders and shook him, bringing him back to his senses. “Raiden, what happened?”
The warmth and measured pulse of the other man's body made it clear that this was no longer a dream. The champion snapped out of his stupor as he felt control of his limbs return to his mind. He unclenched his fists and pulled Kung Lao toward him, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“You're all right," Raiden finally said, his breathing evened out.
He unclenched his grip, more like a vise, and took a step back, realizing the outward spontaneity of his actions. His gaze ran over the silhouette of his friend, healthy and alive. Raiden felt as if they hadn't seen each other in years. His head was still reeling.
“Of course I'm fine," Kung Lao rubbed his shoulders and crunched his neck. This sound cut the champion's heart in a special way. “I'm not so sure about you, though. Raiden, what just happened?”
“I saw something like-“ he broke off, but the next word came out as familiar and natural as if he'd experienced it more than once “a vision.”
“Yeah, and not a very pleasant one, by the looks of it.”
Raiden nodded. There was a silence that no one wanted to break, one with questions and the other with answers. Together they looked reproachfully at the amulet lying on the pavement, as if it were the cause of all the trouble.
“Why did you call out to me?“ Raiden asked suddenly, focusing his attention back on his friend.
“Hm?”
“You called out to me, right at the climax of this vision.”
“Ah, that. As you may remember, we came to train," Kung Lao spread his hands apart, hinting at the champion's possible memory lapses. “I went to stretch, and I thought you were doing the same. Imagine my surprise when I saw that you were just standing there like a stumbling block. Then the lightning started to gather around you, like your cheater's move, with an electric ball with a huge radius of destruction. And we hadn't even started training yet! I thought you were acting weird, so I called out to you.”
This was not the first instance in which Raiden's powers had run amok under the influence of emotion. Previously, it had been at most in the form of mild strokes of static tension on his nerves-the evening of the first day of Mortal Kombat, he'd ruined Johnny's hair in such a way that he'd stayed away from the champion for the rest of the time, so as not to spend hours styling it again. But to randomly attack someone... Kung Lao had only confirmed Raiden's fears - he couldn't control the amulet. If this continued, who knew how soon his visions would be repeated in reality? Echoing his own words he said to Lord Liu Kang after receiving the award, "Is it really necessary?" Inwardly, he had always feared this power.
Raiden walked over to the storm amulet that had been carelessly discarded. There was a small crack in the middle of the blue dragon stone. He took it in his hands for a second, but did not fasten it to the belt of his training uniform. The discharges wrapped around his palm, but it seemed to him that each spark pierced his body with millions of needles, causing pain and rejection.
“Look, if you don't need it, I can keep it, at least for the time being," Raiden knew his friend was talking about the desire to try and combine his hat with the lightning bolt - it was an endless subject of their conversations. Not risking further damage to the amulet or the monastery's property, the champion shook his head.
“I appreciate your offer, Kung Lao, but it's not necessary.”
“Whatever you say. Let's get some rest, shall we?“ Determined to break tradition to the end, Raiden agreed to skip training for the first time.
From that day on, he stopped wearing the amulet, leaving it lying orphaned on his bedside table, the only island for storing his personal belongings. Every morning his gaze fell involuntarily on the magical device. Every now and then, faint electrical discharges burst from the crack, as if chastising its owner for negligence. To be honest, Raiden didn't know what to do with it; such a precious object forged by the Elder Gods couldn't be repaired with glue or tape, and he didn't want to tell Lord Liu Kang the reason for its breakage. It wasn't appropriate for the champion of the Earthrealm to react so rashly and throw away his rewards. Raiden couldn't get those visions out of his mind. They were too situational, too concrete for his imagination.
His results in Shaolin training had undeniably deteriorated: his mind had lost concentration and his strikes had lost power. Raiden hadn't felt so helpless in a long time. At first glance, one might think that the lack of an amulet was the cause of his weakening. In reality, however, that was not the case. He had been learning hand-to-hand wrestling from Madame Bo for almost his entire life, the same kind of wrestling that had earned him the title of champion. His spiritual strength was what was shaken. This vision kept him restless, and no amount of meditation helped to take away the ringing anxiety and fear that he might harm those dear to him. There was no telling what it could have been: events of the past, warnings of the future, or altogether an alien timeline whose existence was confirmed by the final battle with Shang Tsung. Raiden tried to find the answers to his questions, replaying the vision in his head over and over again, making him feel worse. He knew who held the key to his peace of mind, and still he delayed going to the Fire Temple. The final straw was his final suspension from training by Abbot Shen. Raiden did not question the elder monk's decision; until he dealt with this problem, no progress would be made.
The journey on foot to the abode of the protector of the Earthrealm took several days. Being away from Shaolin and its routine had a favorable effect on the champion. Perhaps it was the fact that there was some purpose to this little journey; he walked for hours on end, rarely stopping to listen to birdsong or to admire the wind playing among the bamboo stalks. A massive stone staircase loomed in the distance, its rungs welcoming everyone who entered with red arches in an aged style. The local monks bowed respectfully at the sight of the chosen champion; Raiden returned the gesture. He climbed the steps to the main area of the Fire Temple. The peacefulness of the atmosphere never ceased to fascinate him. Regardless of the time of day, the temple was in semi-darkness thanks to the shadows cast by the tall red maples. Each step towards Lord Liu Kang's pagoda was harder than the last. He could have turned around before it was too late, so as not to disturb the Fire God. On the other hand, every step was spurred by the desire to see the protector of the Earthrealm, to make sure that he was fine, that he was as sane and healthy as ever. These two contradictory thoughts struggled until the threshold, when Raiden found Liu Kang standing with his back to him, staring off into the horizon.
“Raiden," the god said softly as a greeting, turning around at the sound of quiet footsteps.
The champion bowed, hiding a relieved smile behind the brim of his hat. The warmth of the other's voice relieved some of the tension and practically drove his legs up in an urge to hug his mentor, just as he had done with his friend, to make sure what was happening was real. Raiden overcame that urge, raising his head.
“Lord Liu Kang, I apologize for the unexpected visit. I would like to consult with you.”
“Sit down, take a breath.”
Raiden took a seat on the small sofa recliner used for receiving visitors. Liu Kang sat next to him, not rushing his champion with his story. As much as he tried to act natural, the god could see through him, from the obvious lack of amulet on his belt to his qi energy wavering like a candle flame in the wind. Raiden glanced furtively at Liu Kang, feeling like a misbehaving child even though there was no reason for it.
“Recently, I saw something strange, like a first-person point of view vision.”
Whenever he recalled those events, he felt that the line between them and reality was blurring, that he was forgetting what was real and what was not. Nevertheless, he began the story, going into seemingly important details of people, places, and events. As the story progressed, Liu Kang's face frowned, a look of concern on his face. The assumption that these were just fictions of his overstressed mind was finally put aside. Raiden reached the scene on the skyscraper roof and shivered. Reliving this moment was morally the hardest, let alone retelling it to the protagonist. The champion felt a sudden surge of calm fill him: the fire god was sharing his chi, filling in the gaps and rough spots in Raiden's aura. The energy enveloped him like a warm blanket to keep him warm on a bad night. There was no hint of impatience in the Fire God's bright eyes. Considering the champion's spiritual state to be stable, he stopped the flow of energy. The silence hinted to continue once Raiden was ready. He took a deep breath.
“I saw us on the roof of a high-rise building. The city around us was engulfed in fire and destruction. General Shao was approaching the border between the Outer World and the Earthrealm, probably not for peaceful purposes. You wanted to stop him, and I wouldn't let you. The conflict quickly escalated into a fight, and I-- Saw you die. By my hands.”
Raiden was physically unable to utter the laconic "I killed you," though there was no other way to interpret what had happened. When he didn't get a reaction to his words, he continued a little more desperately:
“You said I ruined everyone, I don't understand what any of this could mean and it's driving me crazy.”
“Raiden," Liu Kang raised his palm, indicating that it was the champion's turn to listen. “What you saw represents the events of a past timeline. To be more precise, time lines in each of which the Thunder God, Lord Raiden, was the protector of the Earthrealm.” He looked away thoughtfully. “Perhaps his recent appearance has somehow triggered your visions.”
The Chosen Champion suddenly vaguely recalled a tall man with a conical hat and a staff. In the heat of the battle against Shang Tsung, there was no way to soberly assess the situation, let alone look around carefully. Having been an ordinary farmer in Fengjiang for most of his life, the fact that multiple universes existed was still extremely far from his comprehension. But what shocked him was not that he was a god in any of the multiple worlds, no.
Perhaps it was a caveat, or perhaps that was how Lord Liu Kang wanted to put it: past timeline. During the battle, it was about alternate universes, not past universes. His mentor's voice brought him out of his musings.
“So please don't worry, Raiden. Your visions are really nothing more than someone else's memories accidentally passed on to you.”
“Everything I've seen… really happened at some point? In this universe?”
Liu Kang smiled sadly. Further explanation was unnecessary; irrational shame tightened a soulful noose around Raiden's heart.
“I'm so sorry you had to go through something like this.”
“Raiden. There is not a shred of guilt in those events for which you are responsible. Your essence, the current you sitting before me, is your own merit, your actions and choices that led you to who you are now. You are not the God of Thunder, and it is unlikely that you ever will be.”
Raiden did not present a whole picture hiding in the past and could only gather information from bits and pieces of visions, however, it became clear to him that while he himself was the protector of the Earth Realm, Lord Liu Kang was the champion. What events could have brought the previous god, the previous him, to such a state? Liu Kang was a direct participant in those events, and yet, there wasn't an ounce of resentment or sense of injustice in him. He truly deserved the title of deity. Instead of repaying his former mentor in full, he had trained and cared for him without any bias, and allowed him to protect the Earth Realm as an equal to himself. While Raiden realized that he was not the same Thunder God that Lord Liu Kang was familiar with, this discrepancy still made him feel ambivalent.
“I realize that I have no right to question your decisions, but still... Why did you so calmly hand me the amulet, the power that once brought your downfall? What if it happens again? What if I make his mistakes?” - "And hurt you" was what Raiden meant.
“That's why you stopped wearing it," the god stated the poorly concealed fact.
“I'm afraid of what possessing it might do to me. As the past has shown, my power has done no good to anyone. Only death and destruction.“
This was not the goal Liu Kang was trying to achieve by hiding his past timeline from his friends. While their previous lives could serve as an experience, an understanding of how best not to act, they would also constrain freedom, limit the potential of fate to the limits of "safety". Two categories of choices would emerge - the past, with proven results, and the new, uncharted. Most people would choose something familiar, even knowing perfectly well the end point of this road of bad decisions.
Raiden's case was even more mysterious, as he was only able to look into the negative results of actions taken by his divine counterpart. In fact, if one recalled, Lord Raiden's visions also focused only on the tragic events he tried his best to avoid, which often resulted in even greater catastrophes.
“I can understand your concern. When I created the universe, I too looked back, knowing what mastery of the sands of time had done to my predecessor. Had I allowed fear to take hold, there would have been no world. Inaction is worse than any action," it turned out that mentoring his champions was not as simple a task as the god had previously thought. He continued, noticing Raiden's awe at his words: “While history repeats itself, it is the people who set its course. The mistakes of your prototype are not what define you, your future. As for your question as to why I awarded you the amulet without a shred of doubt: because I don't doubt you, Raiden. I never have. I believe that every choice you make is the right one, as long as it is your own.“
It was so stupidly simple and yet so obvious. Raiden had indeed been doing nothing for the past few weeks, treading around aimlessly. Well, that only meant he had more training to do, both physically and spiritually. It was normal to make mistakes, even to be afraid of making mistakes, but it should not become the overriding principle for making decisions. All life is overcoming, first of all, yourself and your fears. He knew this as well as anyone: leaving Fengjian, accepting the responsibility behind the title of Chosen One were not easy tasks. Once he fell, he would always get up and carry on, no matter how difficult. And that would always be this way.
It suddenly felt so light and peaceful. The whole world seemed to narrow down to the two of them sitting side by side on the low bed. Raiden smiled as he had the first time he had surpassed Kung Lao, as he had when he had seen the parade in the Outer World in their honor, openly and joyfully.
“Lord Liu Kang, I am most grateful to you. I swear I won't let you down.“
His ravenous mind clung simultaneously to every thought that came to mind during their conversation. During his association with other alternate universes, he had seen dozens of Kung Lao, Johnny, Kenshi, the Lin Kuei brothers - and all of them, with few exceptions, were virtually identical to the versions he was familiar with. He couldn't say the same about himself. He was a unique specimen among the divine Raiden. This meant that of all the titans controlling the hourglass, only Lord Liu Kang had changed him. Maybe there was a little payback for the past in his actions after all: why else would he be a mortal youth and not a wise Thunder God. Or maybe the other Guardians just didn't care about Raiden, so they left him unchanged.
What feelings did the protector of the Earth Realm have as he looked at his mentor's current appearance? That question remained a mystery. But the champion himself suddenly became acutely aware of his current feelings for the god. As it turned out, the bond that Raiden felt between them was rooted much deeper, touching even other versions of the two of them. A long-buried emotion, previously hidden behind respect and reverence, had made its way out overnight. Raiden wondered if it was something predetermined, something Liu Kang himself wanted, or if these sentiments were his own decision. Either way, the mere presence of these feelings did not shock the champion in any way, but rather came as a missing puzzle, as something taken for granted and inevitable; something that had to be.
The return trip took no more than a few seconds: the Fire God's portal brought his champion back to Shaolin, ready to begin training with renewed vigor.
***
Several months had passed quietly since their last meeting with Lord Liu Kang. In that time, Raiden had come to a simple enough decision: to limit the use of the amulet. Lord Liu Kang had once done the exact same thing, denying some of the divine power. The champion, not being a god, didn't have to give up anything; he simply left the amulet in its old place, occasionally picking it up so that he wouldn't forget the sensation of lightning and wouldn't be confused in case he had to use it. The crack in the blue stone still gaped reproachfully in his direction.
The power of the amulet was undeniably a blessing, without the aid of which the outcome of the Mortal Kombat might have been different. Yet Raiden didn't want to rely on it too much, lest it become a crutch. In lieu of the lightning control he had no trouble controlling, he decided to return to his roots of strengthening his physical and spiritual form. Fortunately, Shaolin training was already geared towards improving stamina and martial arts: after all, he and Kung Lao and Ashra were more of an exception to the mainstream monk population. The only time they were allowed to use any weapons and tools were the evening sparring sessions. And while his friend was practicing his hat tricks and the demoness from the other world recognized nothing but her kris, the champion himself was back to bare-knuckle wrestling.
Instead of the storm amulet, he drew strength from another emotion: love. In Raiden's case, it was pure and simple, in some places even naive, like himself. Indeed, what but love should drive the thoughts of a champion of the Earthrealm. In its primal nature, it manifested as a desire to protect what was dear to his heart: his home village, his new and old friends, and of course, Lord Liu Kang. He shouldn't even allow himself to dream of such a thing towards a god, his creator. His soothing words, his warm smile, his calm and patient disposition. His heart fluttered at the mere thought, and love blossomed in his soul, and there was nothing he could do about it. And while it definitely didn't give as much strength as the amulet, Raiden was willing to accept that.
The champion sat in the lotus posture and meditated. His deep, even breathing drowned out the rustling leaves, quiet conversations, and the sounds of training, relegating them to the background. His focus was directed inward to himself. Harmony filled his body from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Raiden felt a familiar warm breeze run as if through his being. He slowly opened his eyes, letting reality slowly fill his consciousness, and looked hopefully toward the entrance archway to the monastery. Soon a black lock of hair, held up by a gold-embroidered bandage, appeared on the horizon, and then Raiden was on his feet, hurrying toward it.
“Lord Liu Kang," the young man respectfully half bowed.
“Good afternoon, Raiden. I hope I'm not interrupting your daily routine.“
The champion shook his head lightly. While the god's visit was unexpected, Raiden was extremely happy to see him. Liu Kang swept his hand to the side, hinting to take a walk. Standing side by side, they wandered without much purpose in mind. The temple grounds were quiet;at noon, everyone often chose to meditate like Raiden did a moment ago. Those who noticed the Fire God acknowledged his presence with small bows.
“What brings you here?“ The champion asked, looking at his mentor.
“Actually, I came to check on you. What about your visions?“
“It's nothing new, Lord Liu Kang. It must have been a one-off after all.“
The god nodded his head approvingly.
“How is your training going?“
This special distinction from the rest of the monastery's adepts struck a chord of ego that Raiden hadn't even realized he had. Kung Lao had said that he literally glowed only when talking about Lord Liu Kang, so the champion had no idea how much he was glowing now, in person.
“Much better. While self-improvement is a never-ending process, and I definitely have room to grow, I can now give myself to training with a clear mind.“
“That's quite bold words for my humble champion," Liu Kang grinned without malice, but he couldn't help but be delightfully amused by the change in Raiden. “Don't you want to test yourself?“
“You mean...?“
“A training match. Without the use of elemental attacks, of course. In my time, I, too, dedicated myself to honing my fighting skills in this monastery. You might call it an intergenerational exchange," the edges of his lips lifted slightly.
At Wu Shi Academy, none of the champions, much less any of the ordinary monks, had ever had the chance to match up against the protector of the Earthrealm. If Raiden had thought back then that they didn't stand a chance against the Fire God, now, with all the battle experience and victory at the Mortal Kombat, he honestly still didn't envision his winnings. Unlike Kung Lao or Johnny Cage, Liu Kang's gaze was not one of arrogance, but a kind of mentoring support.
“I would be honored," Raiden finally decided.
The battlefield was a relatively flat area in the inner area of the temple. They spread apart, a little farther than usual, and began to warm up, otherwise the match would be of no use. Raiden stretched his arms, feeling the anticipation building. A small crowd of Shaolin Temple adherents had gathered around the makeshift training space, eager to see the defender of the Earthrealm and its champion fight. Once his muscles were sufficiently heated, Liu Kang asked:
“Shall we get started?“
Raiden nodded, and a hail of blows came at him at once. They could not be compared to the full force he had witnessed during his battle with Shang Tsung; however, the champion could only block the incoming attacks one after another, waiting for his opponent to open up. The Mortal Kombat champion had noticed that Liu Kang favored kicking attacks. No wonder: he had heard many admiring comments about the "dancing dragon", while the knowledgeable monks had only whispered about a certain "bicycle kick". Raiden's brain was quickly trying to retrieve from his memory any techniques suitable for a counterattack. Personally, with or without the amulet, he mostly fought with his hands, so while they were busy in the block, there were few alternatives. Unable to hold back the hail of attacks, Raiden set himself up for a kick and at the same time swung his shin towards Liu Kang's supporting leg in an attempt to knock him down. The maneuver didn't work; the Fire God easily jumped backwards, evading the lunge. The surprise allowed the champion to briefly take the initiative and even retaliate with a couple of punches, but the joy was short-lived.
Liu Kang continued the attack, doubling the pressure. Raiden was objectively inferior, and it was not because of experience or even their strength; he was without an amulet, and the god did not use fire, even though the blows were hot. The main difference was in technique-even a man unfamiliar with martial arts would have noticed the confident stance, the precise movements, as if carved from stone. There was nothing superfluous in his techniques, they were light and graceful, like a dance. Liu Kang's attacks not only had a longer range, but also provided mobility. Raiden soon realized that he wasn't going to get anywhere with his usual method, so he began to come up with something out of his norm to somehow catch his opponent off guard. It was obvious that he was giving up ground, but he held on to the last of it. Concentrating on his feet, he completely forgot about the block, so a high kick to the chest knocked him to the ground. There was no other outcome to be expected.
“I give up," Raiden backed away.
When he stood up, Liu Kang folded his hands in a respectful gesture and bowed as a thank you for a good fight. The champion repeated his actions. Ashra stepped forward from the people in the circle around them.
“Lord Liu Kang, I too would like to try my hand at fighting with you, if you will allow me.“
Several more monks followed her example and expressed their intentions.
“As long as I'm here, why not?“
Despite the renown of Shaolin monks, none of the challengers, regardless of the weapon they chose, were able to defeat the Fire God. After the match with his champion, he never used his fire powers, continuing to defeat his opponents one after another. Raiden watched the fights as if mesmerized: the lack of constant training had no effect on Liu Kang's form - his movements were simple and efficient. It was exactly what the champion aspired to, so he couldn't help but admire his mentor.
Other people's fights allowed him to scrutinize details that he hadn't been concentrating on in the middle of his own match. For example, the faint flames on his bandaged palms and feet. This explained the heat he felt from the blows, but it was clear from the outside that it actually served as a softening cushion between the god's limbs and the point of impact. Raiden continued to watch the practice fights with even more attention.
To the rapturous shouts and noise, Abbot Shen himself came in. After dismissing all the monks for a long-overdue lunch, he retired with Lord Liu Kang to his chambers, probably to discuss the physical abilities of his adepts. After a quick meal, Raiden sat down on one of the street benches near the entrance to the monastery-so the Fire God wouldn't have to pass him on his way back. He took off his hat and placed it on his lap, resting his head upward against the cloudless sky. About ten more minutes passed before Lord Liu Kang walked out of the temple building. Noticing the champion waiting for him, he walked over to him and sat down beside him.
“Did you use magic during the battle?“
“I'm glad you noticed.“ The god smiled, but then, taking a more serious look, he suddenly said: “Raiden, after our last conversation in the Fire Temple, I wondered if I had burdened you with the amulet too suddenly. Your instant success in wielding it relaxed me, and I didn't even bother to properly train you. As late as it is, I will give you instruction. Like everything in this world, energy has two sides, Yin and Yang. It can manifest outwardly - aggressively, as an attack, just as it can serve to protect and energize the inner forces. Energy heals and it also hurts. Only its owner determines which side should be used in a given situation. My mistake was that I never showed you the other, humane half of it.“
Without touching, Liu Kang brought his hand to Raiden's chest and began to infuse it with a healing power that was similar to fire in the nature of a god; but not an unbearable flame, but rather an enveloping, soothing warmth. He felt the most minor scratches heal, the blood boil with enthusiasm.
“I didn't even realize it was like this. Am I really capable of this?“
“Yes. Creating is always more difficult than destroying," Liu Kang stopped the flow of energy. “With impressive diligence and a desire to take care of your close ones, you will definitely master this skill. If I were a better mentor, perhaps you would already be capable of using it.“
“I would never wish for another mentor other than you, Lord Liu Kang.“
An emotion akin to surprise flickered across the god's features. It seemed as if he had been waiting for these words for millennia, and now he finally heard them from the lips of his dear champion. They continued to sit in unstressed silence. The sounds of wrestling were coming from the main training field; it was the beginning of the day's training.
“In my past life, I often caught myself thinking that I didn't understand Lord Raiden,“ the atmosphere of Shaolin obviously brought back memories of the god. “As much as I respected him, I also often blamed him for his aloofness and lack of understanding of human needs. His actions were always driven by the good purpose of protecting the Earthrealm. Concentrating only on it, he did not realize that this very defense would be meaningless if there were no humans left to inhabit the earth. Without realizing it, he was willing to trade the lives of mortals for the prospect of peace. Yet, I know that I too would not have chosen a different mentor. Remembering these events makes me want to protect humanity even more, to protect all of you. But I can't be around forever. I can only selfishly wish that each of you were prepared enough to face possible threats on your own.“
It was strange to hear such personal experiences of his creator. A rare guest in Raiden's heart - pride - whispered that he was the only one to hear such details from Lord Liu Kang.
“Lord Liu Kang, I want to thank you again for all you do for us, and for me in particular. I can't speak for everyone with the same confidence, but your faith encourages me to move forward and train harder. Your trust makes me feel that my potential is limitless. I definitely want to live up to your expectations, and from now on I commit myself to improving even more tirelessly," the champion said without a single hesitation.
“Thank you, Raiden. For that, I appreciate it.“
His eloquent statement in no way exaggerated the feelings Raiden was experiencing. The god's posture visually relaxed, and the champion decided to take a moment to ask a long-standing question that had surfaced in light of the last topic of conversation:
“Lord Liu Kang, if I may ask... What I know about the Thunder God from the scraps of visions and your stories does not resonate with my soul. I realize that I am a different person, and yet, bearing this name, I feel no connection with my prototype. Your way of thinking and your way of looking at things is much closer to me. Did you create me as you once wanted me to be?“
“I can't answer that question," a thin smile framed the features of the Earthrealm's protector's face. He suspected that his champion would be interested in it, but it would be uninteresting to hand over the secret clue so easily. “I can only guide. Finding answers is part of your journey of self-discovery. And as a mentor, I would like everyone to walk that path on their own.“
The fire god closed his eyes. As if on cue, an extremely intrusive thought appeared in Raiden's mind. He shook himself, as if he couldn't believe he'd actually thought it. He quickly looked around, none of the monks were around, all busy practicing. Were Liu Kang's words a hint of action, or did the champion personally give them such a meaning? It was unbelievable that at this moment, he was more worried than he was when he went to fight against General Shao, and the fate of the Earthrealm depended on that match. Now something no less important to him was at stake.
It was the first time Raiden himself had allowed himself to initiate the touch. He touched his lips to the other man's cheek and held them there for a few seconds, during which his heart beat so loudly against his chest that he thought he could hear it from across the temple. A welcome warmth emanated from the skin beneath his lips. Raiden sealed the picture before him in his mind forever; it was far better than the ones that had plagued him in visions before.
He pulled away, but not far; Liu Kang's bandaged palms found his palms in a second, thumbs gently holding them to the backside. The look in his eyes spoke louder than any confession. Yes, it was indeed scary to be afraid of being wrong, but the reward of overcoming doubts was worth it. Liu Kang lifted up slightly to kiss him on his temple and then on the top of his head. The fleeting gestures of love, mutual love, overflowed with a happiness that even the punishment for skipping the day's training couldn't shake. No one knew what Raiden was smiling so contentedly at, forcibly sweeping the monastery courtyard all evening.
The next morning, a few sparks ran happily across the surface of the thunder amulet, as if greeting their owner after a long absence. Raiden noticed that the crack had magically disappeared.