Mortal Kombat 9: Ember Edition

Chapter 26: Surprise Visit

"She's dead."

Sub-Zero announced, as if Kitana didn't know yet. The princess said nothing but closed her eyes and lowered her head.

Water droplets dripped from Ember's hair, making a small pitter-patter sound on the floor. Her stomach was a gruesome sight that Sub-Zero preferred not to see, but at the same time he couldn't help glancing at it now and again in disgusted fascination.

To distract himself from the sight, Sub-Zero placed his hand over hers and lifted her hair to see her face. Her eyes were already shut in a pained expression that disturbed the cyborg.

Giving a squeeze to her hand, he felt something in her dead grasp and slowly lifted the limp hand. Underneath, to his surprise, were the two name tags with Bi-Han and her names engraved on it.

In her last moments Ember had removed the tags, knowing her fate was sealed. The thought made Kuai-Liang uncomfortable as he picked the tags up carefully and opened a compartment in his chest where his own name tag hid before placing the others along with it.

With a heavy heart, he reluctantly accepted his victory in their bet all those years ago.

"I won..." He muttered low enough that Kitana didn't hear. He lived the longest.

When the princess quietly approached him, Sub-Zero briefly looked at her.

Her head was still lowered but he could see small tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I am sorry for your loss." She didn't want to say more, she was mourning for Ember too.

Sub-Zero accepted the princess's condolences, giving her a short nod, but remained silent, sending prayers for his deceased sister. Once he finished mourning Sub-Zero gently picked up Ember's corpse and carried her out of the Water Maiden. "We should return to Raiden." He suggested to Kitana, his pained tone the only hint that he felt anything.

Kitana blinked 3 times fast and averted her eyes from Ember to Sub-Zero. "Yes, good idea." She nodded and turned away to follow the cyromancer back to the room they all agreed to meet up at.

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Raiden and the others were present, all standing around a table except for Smoke, who was sitting on the staircase because it hurt too much to stand. The warriors were in the midst of a conversation when Jade spotted Kitana and Sub-Zero approaching.

"Lord Raiden, we found Ember trapped in a Water Maiden." Kitana informed, gesturing to the limp girl Sub-Zero carried.

Raiden's face contorted into that of puzzlement and he was ready to state that the temple shouldn't have one, but the rest of Kitana's information processed and his eyebrows furrowed. "...is she...?" The princess nodded and Raiden's head lowered.

Smoke, upon hearing this, managed to stand and limp over to Sub-Zero with his heart dropping when he saw the dead body.

"Sub-Zero, please forgive me...I was too weak to protect her from Quan Chi--" he plead, grey eyes scanning over the sight before him.

"I do not blame you, Smoke. Bi-Han and his clone attacked you, there was no way you could've helped her." His stoic tone confused Smoke, who was breathing raggedly as he glimpsed at Ember's fatal injury.

Sub-Zero couldn't blame Smoke, he blamed Bi-Han. As for the calm tone while he was actually upset, that was another lesson imprinted by the Lin Kuei. He didn't respond when Smoke reached out and touched his sister's hair, but was puzzled by how devastated his friend looked.

Raiden walked to them and Smoke took a step to the side, feeling a great sense of shame. "Allow me." The thunder god said before placing his hands over Ember's corpse.