Mortal Kombat 12

Chapter 11: Gone With The Wind

(Fujin)

"What do you mean they're gone?" I asked, growing horrified with the news we all just received.

Briana crossed her arms and looked down again before repeating, "Exactly what I said: they're gone..."

"Everyone? Hanzo Hasashi? Kuei Liang? Bi-Han? The Cage Family? Jackson and Jacqueline Briggs?" Raiden asked as I, too, named a few people off.

"Bo' Rai Cho? Kenshi and Takeda Takahashi? Kung Jin?" I inquired as the girls looked at each other with worry.

"What about Liu Kang and Kung Lao?" Rose asked, stepping from behind Raiden.

"And Jade and Princess Kitana?" Teegan asked as she stood beside me.

"All gone. And it's not just them." Briana explained, pulling up a list of that was claimed to be gone. "Kotal Kahn, Erron Black, De'Vorah, Skarlett, Baraka, Queen Sheeva, and many more." As the list continued to go on and on, I saw a few familiar names myself on the list, making me cringe with guilt. "Its almost like all universes population was wiped out. At first, I thought Shang Tsung had harvest their souls, which is still possible, I suppose, but I don't really think that's the case." Briana explained as Natalia rejoined her aunt's side. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I'll rest later. Right now, the Resistance needs their Shirai Ryu leader up and at it. Where do you want me to scout next." Natalia claimed as she waited for instructions. "And I'm not taking no for an answer."

Briana sighed and shook her head before standing tall and ordering, "You're on guard duty with your men and Sereena. The Lin Kuei need rest; they've been out there since morning."

"Roger," Natalia replied as she spun on her heel and ordered her men to follow her.

We watched her and her men leave without another word as I couldn't help but smile proudly. "She's quite the fierce one." I said, turning back to Briana. "Seems like the right choice to have her in charge of the Shirai Ryu. They follow her every command."

"Natalia admired Hanzo Hasashi with great pride. She wanted to learn from him but... never got the chance to do so." Briana shared as she took the Lin Kuei Dragon Medallion off her shirt and stared at it with depression. "We both agreed to continue on the Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu as a means to honor both of the great Grandmasters."

I saw the look of heartbreak in her eyes as she pinned the medallion back to her shirt, trying to force a smile but I wasn't so easily fooled.

"You were familiar with him, weren't you? With Kuai Liang, I mean?" I asked, watching the look on her face go from depressed to surprised.

"How did you –"

"Because you speak in heartbreak and fondness about him." I tell her, offering a chair to her as I sat in another. "We can talk if you like?"

Teegan immediately saw my intentions and suggested that she, Rose and Raiden go help others while I sit and chat with Briana. Once they were gone, Briana sighed and took the seat across from me as she sat back with her arms crossed.

"How did you know each other? Family? Friends? Lovers?" I inquired as Briana smiled at the words.

"The third one. I met him back when he was Tundra and Bi-Han was Sub-Zero. Natalia's mother was my twin sister – Liliana – but she died shortly after giving birth her daughter. Liang and I were inseparable, fell in love quickly, and he even proposed, but..." Briana said, pausing at the end as I lean in.

"Your sister died..." I said as she nodded her head.

"Yeah... Bi-Han was dead and later resurrected as some shadow demon – not exactly father-material – and my sister died giving birth. I had to protect Natalia, so... I took her and ran. I wrote Liang a note telling him sorry and not to look for me, and that was that. I never saw him again." Briana said as she played with her fingers. "I regretted leaving him like that. I truly loved him, and I still do, but I had to protect Natalia. Perhaps if I stayed, maybe it would have been alright. We could have been happy."

I smiled with her as I noticed this beautiful ice diamond ring on her finger, recalling seeing something similar in the past just like it that belongs to Kuai Liang. Studying the ring, trying to remember where I saw something like that before.

"Is that the ring Kuai Liang gave to you?" I asked as Briana nodded and showed it to me.

"Yes. He made the diamond himself from just a tiny shard of ice." Briana explained, twisting the ring a little as she frowned once more. "I bet he married another. Had many children and forgot all about me – and rightfully so. I'm the woman that broke his heart. The woman that abandoned him."

I kept staring at the ring. I heard everything she was saying but my focus remained on the ice ring surrounding her finger. Suddenly, everything clicked.

"No... He didn't." I informed her as I go into detail about where I've seen the ring before. "He never married or so much as looked at another woman, and I know that for a fact." I then clutched her hand and showed her the ring. "Because he has a wedding band similar in design to this one in his room at the Lin Kuei Temple. He keeps it in this special box standing on his bedroom mantel."

"Are you sure?" Briana asked, hope glimmering in his eyes.

"Yes! One New Years, while passing through, Kuai Liang was hosting a festival for his clansmen and I was invited to take part in their festivities. I have many friends in many different places." I explained as I released her hand. "He showed me the wedding band that night and said the diamond ring was with the woman he loved most. And that there was no other woman in the world he wanted to marry because she was the only one he wanted. Always made excuses that he has no time to socialize but in truth, he was looking for you in his spare time. Always prayed he would see you again on this Earth." I told her as Briana looked at her ring, trying not to cry as she closed her eyes tightly.

"He... He looked for me? Liang wanted to..." Briana stammered.

"Be with you, Briana. Kuai Liang wanted to find you and bring you home." I told her, smiling with genuine purpose.

Briana wiped her tears and smiled as she tried processing every word I told her, and when she looked at her ring again, she pressed her lips to it and held it over her heart. Suddenly, Rose came from behind her, this shocked expression written over her face, as I raised my eyebrow and began questioning what she's thinking about.

"What's wrong, Rose?" I asked as Rose looked between me and Briana.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen in. But... How do you guys remember those memories?" Rose asked as Briana and I looked at each other with confusion.

"I don't follow. I've always had those memories." Briana claimed as she rose out of her chair.

"But they should have never happened... This timeline should have started with Shang Tsung recreating the Realms with him in charge. In his image." Rose claimed as Raiden joined her side.

"She's right! According to many others, time started with Shang Tsung creating the Realms. However, people like you, me, Briana, and Natalia recall events that never happened in this timeline." Raiden said as I began putting the pieces together.

"So you're saying that by remembering different events, then..." I paused, my eyes widening as the truth hits me. "This is one of his illusions! The timeline we remember is masked by one of Shang Tsung's illusions."

"But how come others remember differently? Most here remember the horrors Shang Tsung inflicted upon them." Briana asked, looking at all of us.

"Because the others are wearing the mask too! If they remember their real lives, then they'll remember the current timeline. Possibly weakening Shang Tsung!" Rose theorized, growing excited as Raiden actually cracked a smile in her direction. "We need to act fast before he realizes we're on to him. We need to find the crown and the hourglass."

"Then lets get started." Briana said as everyone gathered around to set up a plan to storm Shang Tsung's Island.