Chapter IV

"Shadows"

"I've come to make you an offer." Quan Chi said approaching Reiko who was cautiously staring at the sorcerer. "It seems your service to Shao Kahn has come to an end, and my employer is interested in offering you a job and sanctuary." Reiko stared at Quan Chi, puzzled as to how the sorcerer could know that already. "My employer and I have been watching this realm for some time and we are always eager for new recruits." He finished with a grin. "I have come to offer you a place in my clan, the Brotherhood of the Shadow. Fight for us, and I can guarantee sanctuary from Shao Kahn for you." he paused a moment and then said "And the girl."

Reiko thought about the offer briefly. He didn't trust this Quan Chi and suspected there were strings attached to this convenient offer, but he knew he and Sareena wouldn't survive in Outworld and maybe this was his only chance. He nodded and Quan Chi smiled and said "Excellent." He then waved his hand and a bright blue portal tore open in front of him. Quan Chi motioned Reiko to step through so he picked up Sareena and went into the portal.

Traveling through portals was never a pleasant experience. It felt like getting ripped apart and being spit across Reality before being vomited out on the other side. Reiko landed hard on the ground coming out of the portal and struggled to stand. He looked around his surroundings which was a vast desert, with black mountains on the horizon and an orange and yellow sky overhead. It was freezing there too. Even though the sun was glaring and they were in a desert it felt like the dead of winter.

"Welcome to the Netherealm." Quan Chi said walking through the portal before closing it. "Come. I will take you to my employer."

Reiko took Sareena and followed Quan Chi to a large dilapidated bridge which led to a massive pyramid that was floating in the middle of the ocean. As Reiko walked he felt this terrible burden in his chest. He didn't understand why he felt this strain on his heart. The air in the Netherealm felt so close and smelt like sulfur, ash, and dust. It was freezing, but Reiko was sweating and out of breathe. He had never been anywhere like this before. Quan Chi didn't seem to notice Reiko's ailment.

They reached the pyramid and Quan Chi whispered some strange sorcerer words and the door opened. They walked inside where it was dark and even colder than it was outside. All along the walls were large statues of some cloaked figure. They stepped into this circled area of in the center of the floor and Quan Chi again whispered some more incantations and suddenly they were teleported into this large open area near the top of the pyramid where a tall robed figure was waiting for them. He had a pale gray, almost ashen face and glowing green eyes.

"I am Shinnok. I am your god now." the robed figure proclaimed with a deep throaty voice. Reiko was slightly taken aback by this unusual proclamation. "I take it since you are here you have agreed to serve me?" he continued. Reiko nodded and humbly bowed. "Excellent. I assure you loyalty will be rewarded. If however, you are disloyal and insolent, I will send you to a world of pain and misery no mortal can possibly comprehend." Reiko again nodded. So far, serving this Shinnok sounded no different than serving Shao Kahn.

"However, I'm afraid you and the child cannot exist here for too long with your souls intact. I take it you can already feel the strain of being here now." Quan Chi then said.

"Yes, if you are to live in the Netherealm you must allow yourself to become a Demon. In doing so, I'm afraid, you will lose you soul. Forever." Shinnok paused, "Both of you."

Reiko wasn't sure how to take this warning. He never fully understood the power of the soul, but seeing Shao Kahn steal souls for thousands of years, he knew enough losing one's soul was not a good thing.

"I can assure you that you will for the most part remain the same." Quan Chi said, "You may notice slight differences, but the biggest risk is what would happen to you if you were to die. Without a soul, you would cease to exist." Reiko continued to think about the cost of accepting Shinnok's offer until Quan Chi said "It's either that, or you go back to Outworld." Reiko then nodded which made Quan Chi and Shinnok smile.

"Then let us begin." Shinnok said. His eyes and hands began to glow and energy wrapped around Reiko and Sareena. Suddenly, Reiko's body was wracked in agonizing pain. It felt like his heart was being torn from his chest, only many times worse. It looked like Sareena was still unconscious. If she did wake up, she would've passed out again from the pain. The souls of Reiko and Sareena were slowly removed from their bodies, looking like glowing green orbs. However, the light in the orbs dwindled away and what was left went into Shinnok who seemed to be energized by it. After their souls were gone, Reiko and Sareena's bodies began to twist and transform. Their hair turned white and their skin turned to a pasty gray. Their eyes turned to a pale blue and black marks that looked like tattoos formed on their faces. Fangs formed within their mouths and black claws grew from their fingers.

"It is done." Shinnok said as the energy disappeared and Reiko and Sareena collapsed on the floor. They were no longer human, but soulless Demons. Shinnok groaned and said "I loathe the Demon form. Disgusting creatures all of them. I'll make them appear human."

"Allow me, my lord." Quan Chi said. A green light formed from Quan Chi's hand and suddenly, Reiko looked human again. However, his eyes were still a blank blue and now parts of his black hair were now white. The black marks on his face remained too.

Sareena now looked very different, though. While before she was a small girl, she now looked like a young woman. She too had black marks on her face and also now had a white streak in her hair.

Reiko stood up and tried to gain his bearings. Quan Chi was kind of misleading when he said losing the soul would only have minor differences. Reiko felt a big difference. He felt detached, almost empty. He felt angry, but didn't know why. He felt like he should be hungry or thirsty, but wasn't. There was no taste in his mouth. All he could feel was nothingness. And cold. Just an unending blackness and cold.

"Now Reiko, there's something I need you to take care of immediately. Call it your initiation." Shinnok said. He waved his hand and a tall, robed figure emerged from the shadows. "This is one of my guards of the Prison of Souls. There is a disturbance there that I need you to take care of. He will accompany you on your mission. Come with me and I will fill you in on the details."

"I will take the girl and see to it she is taken care of." Quan Chi said walking towards Sareena who was still unconscious. Reiko suddenly bolted in front of her, standing in Quan Chi's way. "No harm will come to her." Quan Chi said a bit taken aback by Reiko's reaction.

Reiko slowly walked away, not taking his eyes off of Quan Chi as he picked up Sareena and teleported away.

_____________________________________________________________________

Sareena awoke feeling very strange. She couldn't really understand how she felt but it felt empty. She also felt cold. Freezing cold. She then realized that she was in a small dank, very dark room. She looked around trying to figure out she got there, her last memory was with Reiko. As she then remembered what happened to Ash she also realized she was now grown up. All of this was too much to take in at once and she began to panic.

"What's happened to me?! Where am I?!" she screamed running around the room trying to find a way out.

She continued to scream and cry until she was interrupted by "Calm down. Now sit."

"Wh-who's there?" she said quietly.

Suddenly a tall figure emerged from the shadows, seemingly from out of nowhere and said "I am Quan Chi. You are now in the Netherealm."

"Netherealm? What is this place?"

"That is irrelevant. All you need to know is that you belong to me now." he said, crouching down in front of Sareena who was cowering in the corner of the room. "Understood?"

"Wh-what?" she asked. Quan Chi then sighed and slapped her in the face.

"I am Quan Chi. I am your master. You belong to me now. Understood?"

"What are you-" she was cut off by another slap, this time harder.

"Wrong answer. I am Quan Chi. I am your master. You belong to me now. Understood?"

"What the hell is your prob-" This time she was punched in the face.

"Wrong answer. I am Quan Chi. I am you-"

"Go to Hell you bastard!!" Sareena suddenly interrupted.

"Slow learner." Quan Chi groaned to himself. He then grabbed Sareena by the throat and lifted her into the air. Sareena tried to pry his hand loose, but he was much stronger. "I realize that you're really just a child but I need you to listen and understand. You belong to me now. You are my property. When I tell you to do something, you do it. Otherwise, I will introduce you to all new kinds of pain. Understand girl, I'm stronger than you and I'm smarter than you." He then threw Sareena to the floor and grabbed her by the hair. Suddenly a small mirror appeared in front of her. "And this pretty face of yours, the only reason you have it is because I ALLOW it." As he said this Sareena then saw her true form in the mirror. A horrid face that looked like it came from someone's nightmare. He then threw her down again and continued "Plain and simple fact: I own you. And the sooner you accept that, the better off you'll be." He then paused and knelt down in front of Sareena and repeated "Now let's try this again. I am Quan Chi. I am your master. You belong to me now. Understood?"

Sareena was silent for a moment and then quietly said "Yes.....master."

End of Chapter IV