On the balcony surrounding the keep, the revenant Kitana and Liu
Kang observe them.
KITANA: They are unaware of our army’s full strength.
LIU KANG: We will unleash hell.
At the doors of the Keep, Fujin readies the crown of Kronika.
Raiden spots the revenants looking down on them.
RAIDEN: We must capture him, quickly.
SHANG: Now, Fujin.
Fujin takes the crown in his hands and carefully places it on his
head. He grimaces and cries out as he struggles to contain its
power, but he regains his composure after a few moments. He
summons the wind and blows down the gates of the keep, knocking
them straight over. He falls to his knees from the exertion and
quickly yanks the crowd off his head. Raiden kneels down by his
side and tries to help him up.
FUJIN: I need but a moment. Lead the charge!
O. JAX: (To Raiden) Go! I’ll cover him.
Raiden summons his lightning powers and levitates into the air.
Underneath him, the Special Forces and Shaolin monks charge into
the keep, led by Jacqui, Nightwolf, Young Jax and Shang Tsung.
They charge across the bridge and straight into the Netherrealm
army.
A soldier brings his gun to bear on an oni, but the demon throws
his weapon aside and slashes him across the neck, tearing his
throat out. Another soldier shoots the oni with his pistol and
grapples it, while next to them another oni grabs a soldier by
the head and bites into his neck. Next to them, another soldier
is disemboweled by an oni wielding a mace and bashed aside.
An oni slashes at a monk, but the blow is parried and the monk
punches him backward. A soldier slashes an oni in the back of its
ankle. Another soldier stabs an oni in the side and shoots it in
the head at point blank range with his pistol, only to be
suddenly picked up by an oni with wings and dragged into the air.
The winged demon grapples him in a rear naked choke and then tears
him in half. As his remains fall back to the ground, Nightwolf
sidesteps a swipe from an oni and hits it in the back of its knee
with his tomahawk. He finishes it with a swipe that takes its head
off.
In the sky, Raiden charges up a lightning blast and lets loose
with a barrage of strikes. At least fifty oni are caught in the
blast and instantly killed. Raiden somersaults through the air
and lands back on the ground, readying a pair of lightning blades.
He slashes out at any oni that charges him, the blades outright
disintegrating the oni they connect with.
Raiden takes down several oni in this fashion, stopping to look
over at twenty five more bearing down on him. He slams the blades
into the ground, channeling lightning through the ground and
frying the attacking oni around him. He looks up to the Keep’s
balcony, spotting the revenant Liu Kang leaping into the air.
He somersaults through the air and lands a few feet away from
Raiden. They face each other down.
RAIDEN: Time after time, Kronika’s schemes have pitted us against
each other. That cycle must end, Liu Kang.
LIU KANG: You… will have to kill me.
RAIDEN: I would rather save you.
Liu Kang charges directly at Raiden… and suddenly, the bones
in his right leg burst out of his body. Liu Kang crumples to
the ground, writhing in pain and clutching his newly broken leg.
Raiden looks down on him in shock.
RAIDEN: By the Elder Gods!
The scene cuts to the ship ferrying the Outworld troops. Sindel
stands with one foot on Kitana’s head, and Liu Kang clutches his
right leg, writhing in pain. Shao Kahn lifts his warhammer into
the air, swings downward directly at him…
…and back at Kronika’s Keep, the left leg of revenant Liu Kang
suddenly bends at an angle it naturally wouldn’t, bleeding
profusely.
LIU KANG: Shao Kahn… he’s smashed my legs!
RAIDEN: Shao Kahn?!
A warhorn sounds from back at the beech, prompting Raiden to turn
around. The scene cuts to the beech, and the final of Kharon’s
ships crashes ashore. A battalion of Outworld forces are already
ashore, and they stand and wait while the boarding plank is
lowered to the ground. Immediately afterwards, a single object
is thrown off it, rolling to a standstill directly in front of
our view.
That object is the severed head of Kotal.
A moment later, Shao Kahn and Sindel stride down the boarding
plank. Shao lifts his hands (and warhammer) into the air,
prompting the Outworlders to burst out in cheers. As they start
chanting, Sindel and Shao pump their fists in the air and charge
forward. Immediately their followers do the same, and the Outworld
army plunges toward the Keep.
At the gates of the Keep, Old Jax and Fujin look upon the army
charging at them.
JAX: There’s the Sindel I remember.
FUJIN: No rest for the weary. Hold on to me!
Jax puts his arm around Fujin’s shoulders, and Fujin supports
him in the same way as he levitates them both into the air with
his wind powers. They fly over a battalion of Special Forces
soldiers, who ready their weapons against the Outworld army.
Fujin and Jax land just ahead of the Earthrealm forces fighting
the Netherrealm army. Raiden walks up to them both.
RAIDEN: Fujin, the crown! I must wield it against Sindel and
Shao Kahn!
Fujin takes the crown in his hands.
FUJIN: I will do it. Save your strength for Liu Kang.
RAIDEN: No, brother. The crown is our burden to share.
Fujin looks down at the crown, considers these words for a moment,
and hands the crown to Raiden, who smiles at him.
RAIDEN: Thank you.
Just then, a clap of thunder sounds out above them, and Raiden
lands down on the ground next to them. Unlike the Raiden already
present, this one is coursing with lightning. He angrily strides
towards them.
RAIDEN: Your lies are revealed, sorcerer!
Both Raidens stand eye to eye. Fujin looks at them both… and
back in horror at the one he just handed the crown to.
FUJIN: Shang Tsung?
“Raiden” smirks in amusement and reverts back to his true form.
SHANG: You should be more vigilant, Fujin. Now, bear witness, as
the power to decide destiny becomes mine.
He lifts the crown up and places it on his head. The effects
are astounding – a gigantic tornado of souls arises around him,
pushing Raiden, Fujin and Jax backwards. When it disperses, the
souls are pulled back into Shang’s body… which has dramatically
changed appearance. He is now clothed in ornate gold and white
attire, much like Kronika’s minions wear. But most striking of
all, he looks thirty five years younger, with dark flowing hair
instead of grey, and his beard has completely disappeared.
Surrounded by the green glow of his soul power, he floats into
the air, high above the heroes.
FUJIN: This has always been your endgame, hasn’t it? From the
moment you were trapped in the void.
SHANG: Kronika was wise to banish me.
He holds his hands up in the air in a grandiose pose.
SHANG: With this crown, I am her equal.
RAIDEN: Your evil will not triumph!
Fujin envelops Raiden in a tornado of wind and he flies directly
at Tsung. Shang doesn’t even move as Raiden teleports behind him.
As Raiden tries a knifing chop, Shang blocks it, then he blocks
a reverse elbow and ducks under a roundhouse kick. He blocks
another back elbow and leans backwards to avoid a left hook.
Raiden throws a spinning roundhouse kick, but Shang catches his
leg and tosses him through the air. Raiden spins around but
rights himself after a moment. He launches back at the sorcerer
with a flying kick, but Shang deflects it once more, and leans
back to avoid a right book. He parries two more of Raiden’s
strikes, ducks another roundhouse kick and grapples Raiden by
his leg. He spins the Thunder God around multiple times before
throwing him back down to the ground.
As Raiden falls, Shang summons two flaming skulls and shoots them
down after him. Fujin jumps up and catches Raiden, but the skulls
crash into them, causing them to fly backward and bowl over Old
Jax on the ground. Shang Tsung laughs to himself at the
destruction he has caused.
SHANG: All too easy.
Back on the ground, Nightwolf slams his tomahawk into the arm
of an oni, following through with another slash on its shoulder.
He chops it in the leg to knock it down, then chops another
charging oni in the arm, following it by burying the tomahawk in
its face. As it falls, Shang Tsung floats into his path.
SHANG: How does it feel? Knowing that you will be the last
Nightwolf?
NIGHTWOLF: The Great Spirit will choose another. I may die, but
the mantle will live on.
They fight. In spite of his martial skill and all of the powers
bestowed on him, Nightwolf cannot match the power of Shang Tsung.
With Kronika’s crown magnifying his magical prowess, he proves to
be far stronger than anything the Native American has ever faced.
It’s not long before Nightwolf is beaten unconscious.
SHANG: Fool. The mantle dies with you.
Shang Tsung approaches his fallen form and readies his soul
stealing ability.
FUJIN: His soul is not yours to take!
Shang stops the process as he spots Fujin and Raiden walking
toward him.
SHANG: His soul – and yours – are mine.
RAIDEN: You think us unprepared? Your treachery is expected,
sorcerer.
FUJIN: You are incapable of choosing the righteous path!
SHANG: The path I choose ends with your souls sworn to my service.
That future is now undeniable.
They fight. The combined strength of Raiden and Fujin would have,
at one time, been too much for Shang Tsung to handle. But now,
empowered as he is, not even the Earthrealm gods together can hope
to match his power. Shang Tsung mercilessly unleashes the full
force of Kronika’s crown upon them. Despite their best efforts,
Fujin and Raiden are overwhelmed and defeated by the sorcerer.
SHANG: Now, I choose your destiny.
With both Raiden and Fujin down before him, Shang readies himself
and starts to drain their souls from them. Both Raiden and Fujin
are powerless to prevent it, and soon their bodies start to
shrivel as they writhe in pain. However, Shang does not completely
drain them, and as a result they are not left as lifeless husks,
but barely alive and unconscious wrecks.
Shang revels in the boost of power the souls of the gods provide
him. Behind him, Shao Kahn, Sindel and the Outworld army walk
up, taking in the sight of the defeated Raiden and Fujin.
SHAO KAHN: Let’s finish them.
SINDEL: With pleasure.
SHANG: No. Keep them alive. We can siphon their powers for
eternity.
SHAO KAHN: All the better.
He motions to them. Two Shokan pick up their unconscious forms
and drag them off.
The scene cuts to the inside of the Keep. Kronika manipulates
the sands, with Cetrion by her side. The revenants Kung Lao,
Kitana and Jade run into the room.
KITANA: What now, Kronika? Shang Tsung has breached our defenses.
KRONIKA: Victory is still at hand. We will put down Shang Tsung’s
defiance. But you will require more assistance.
She turns to Cetrion.
KRONIKA: Dearest Cetrion, you have served me admirably.
She holds out her hands, even though there is no warmth in the
tone of her voice. Cetrion takes her hands regardless.
KRONIKA: Now there is one final service you must perform.
CETRION: Yes, Mother. I understand.
She raises her hands to the heavens and exerts in pain. Her form
disintegrates into a glowing ball of multicoloured light that
flies into Kronika. The power that Cetrion wielded now flows
out of Kronika.
Outside the room, an oni is knocked to the ground. Shang Tsung
immediately drains its soul. Sindel blasts another off its feet
with a banshee scream. Shao Kahn grabs another by the throat and
snaps its neck, throwing it aside. The corridor behind them is
littered with similarly butchered oni. The three of them walk up
to the door leading to the Hourglass.
SHANG: The Hourglass awaits.
SHAO KAHN: Beyond that door… ultimate power.
SINDEL: It will be our privilege to wield it.
Unseen by them, Shang smirks to himself.
SHANG: Please, allow me.
He lifts a hand toward the door. It immediately opens at his
gesture. They walk into the room to face down Kronika and the
revanants, who are now wearing the same gold-white battle outfits
that Kronika’s minions bear.
KRONIKA: Shang Tsung, pretender to my role.
She turns to face them.
KRONIKA: Your strategy has been novel. But in the end, you will
not prevail. Finish them!
The revenants charge them, Jade facing off against Sindel, Kitana
against Shao Kahn and Kung Lao against Shang Tsung.
Kung Lao throws his bladed hat at Tsung, but the sorcerer slides
under it. Lao jumps over his attempted sweep and rolls to his
feet, catching the hat on its way back. He slashes at Shang’s
legs, but he hops over the swipe. Lao swings the hat down at him,
but Shang kicks his wrist to knock it away, then follows with
several sidekicks that force Kung Lao to block, losing ground as
he does so. A high kick breaks through his defenses and tags him
in the face, allowing Shang to follow with a roundhouse kick to
the gut.
Jade and Sindel swing at each other with their staff and naginata,
respectively, each one expertly parrying and avoiding every swing
at each other. Finally, several strikes from Sindel cause Jade to
lose her grip on her staff, and Sindel immediately sinks her
naginata straight through Jade’s stomach, running her through.
Shao Kahn swings his warhammer around him, but Kitana avoids
several of his swipes. She slashes him across the cheek with her
bladed fan, but he counters another slash with a straight punch
to her face. With Kitana stunned, Shao smashes her in the chest
with his hammer, knocking her backward right into Sindel’s
naginata, impaling her right next to Jade. Sindel yanks her
weapon free and both of the revenants fall over dead.
Behind them, Kung Lao snaps the neck of… Kung Lao… and then
blasts Kronika with a burst of soul energy, knocking her backward.
“Kung Lao” then swipes at his hat and reverts back to Shang Tsung,
grinning sadistically.
Kronika lands hard on the ground, clearly in pain and unable to
rise. Shao Kahn and Sindel stride toward her.
SHAO KAHN: How easily you are felled, Kronika. Once your power’s
mine, I will rule eternity!
Behind them, Shang Tsung smirks one more time, then blasts Shao
and Sindel in the back with twin bursts of flame, knocking them
down. He strides in front of Kronika and faces them down.
SHANG: Killing Kronika is MY destiny.
Shao and Sindel struggle back to their feet, clearly angered.
SHANG: Yours is to serve me. My obedient subjects, projecting my
influence throughout the realms.
SHAO KAHN: You’re drunk on the crown’s power, Shang Tsung. In your
stupor, you forget your place.
SINDEL: He is a dog who betrays his masters. Come, let’s put him
down.
Shao Kahn readies his warhammer and strides forward, Sindel on
his heels.
They fight. Even with their combined strength, not even the power
of Shao Kahn and Sindel can hope to match Shang Tsung. With
the magic of the crown and that of the souls he has taken, the
sorcerer is far beyond any threat that they have faced. Shang
Tsung eagerly dishes out the beating of a lifetime on both Shao
Kahn and Sindel, leaving them both a broken mess on the ground.
SHANG: My service to you is over.
Just as he did to Raiden and Fujin earlier, Shang Tsung readies
his powers and unleashes his magic on Shao Kahn and Sindel,
draining them of their souls.
SHANG: Now yours to me begins.
Unlike with the Earthrealm gods however, Shang holds nothing back,
fully draining his former employers of all of their souls. For a
few moments, they both wail in agony, but after that, the two
of them fall silent. As Shang laughs to himself, Shao Kahn and
Sindel have the last of themselves drained, now nothing more than
ravaged husks. Behind Tsung, Kronika floats through the air
and addresses him.
KRONIKA: You have no one left to betray.
He turns to face her.
SHANG: Concede, Kronika, while you have time. I’ll let you live,
to serve me in my New Era. Or would you prefer to be wiped from
history?
KRONIKA: Sculpting the Sands of Time requires great power and
skill. You may wear my crown, but you are NOT a Titan!
They fight. The battle against Kronika proves to be far easier for
Shang Tsung than it was for Liu Kang. With the power of her crown
at his disposal and the strength he has gained from the souls he
has consumed, Shang Tsung matches and exceeds the Titan of Time’s
ability at every turn. In spite of her best efforts, Kronika is
eventually left bloodied and beaten.
SHANG: Destiny is mine.
He strides towards Kronika, who tries to desperately crawl away
from him.
SHANG: You should have accepted my offer, Kronika. I would have
allowed you to wield great influence. Surely service is better
than death.
At his words, Kronika defiantly turns to face him.
KRONIKA: I do not serve. I am a Titan.
SHANG: You WERE, Kronika.
He raises his hands and starts to drain her soul. As her power
flows into him, Kronika does not shrivel up like his other
victims. Instead, she outright disintegrates into sand, and
within a moment, nothingness.
SHANG: Time and destiny are now mine to command. Every realm will
bend to my will.
He faces the Hourglass and starts to manipulate the sands within
with his magic. But behind him, a portal opens.
UNSEEN: Cease! Before you doom us all.
Shang Tsung turns around. Out of the portal walks the Fire God Liu
Kang. He strides toward the sorcerer, who stops manipulating the
sands in surprise.
SHANG: Liu Kang! I thought your duties required that you stay
behind.
LIU KANG: A lie – something you know well.
Shang turns away, and in a moment, understanding hits him.
SHANG: I see now. The Hourglass shows that only I could wield the
crown against Kronika successfully.
He turns back to him.
SHANG: You LET me win.
Liu Kang smirks back in response.
SHANG: And to ensure victory, you sacrificed the lives of your
friends.
He returns the smirk, clearly amused.
SHANG: How deliciously cold-blooded.
LIU KANG: They are not gone, Shang Tsung. They will live again, in
my New Era.
SHANG: YOUR New Era? You underestimate my prowess, Chosen One. I
have the crown. I have absorbed Kronika’s power. You may have
obtained godhood, but I am the Keeper of Time. You are no match
for me.
LIU KANG: Kronika said much the same, Shang Tsung.
They begin to circle one another.
LIU KANG: You will share her fate.
As the camera cuts to an overhead shot of them circling, a
graphic pops up of a circle containing Liu Kang and Shang Tsung’s
portraits, and with them the following words:
“CHOOSE YOUR FINAL DESTINY”
[BAD ENDING: PLAYER PICKS SHANG TSUNG]
SHANG: Long have I had visions of this moment. I will savour your
death for eternity.
LIU KANG: You are mad, Shang Tsung! Your visions are nothing.
Delusions of an addled mind.
They fight. As was the case when they first clashed in the
Mortal Kombat tournament, the battle is truely epic, with neither
Shang Tsung nor Liu Kang getting any clear advantage for the
majority of it. For what seems like an age, the newly born Fire
God and the most treacherous being of the Mortal Kombat universe
fight with every power they have, but eventually… it is Shang
Tsung who prevails.
Bloodied and beaten, Liu Kang tries to rise. He struggles back
to his feet and looks around, but Shang Tsung is nowhere to be
seen… until he suddenly appears behind him. Before Liu Kang
can fully turn, Shang Tsung grabs him by the throat and hoists him
in the air.
SHANG: Breathe deeply in your final moments, Chosen One. For now
your existence ends in shame. All the power that was once yours is
mine… forever!
He readies his free hand and drains Liu Kang of his soul. The Fire
God can do nothing but scream in agony, and almost instantly his
head is reduced to a shriveled husk. It only takes a few moments
before Shang throws his corpse aside, and the power of Liu Kang
is transferred directly into the sorcerer. Shang Tsung is now
charged not only with soul energy, but fire and lightning as well.
He places his hands together and closes his eyes, focusing deeply.
When he opens them again, they remain as normal pupils, and he
floats over to the Hourglass.
He waves his hands and begins to project the time magic that
Kronika once wielded directly into the Hourglass, manipulating the
sands within.
The scene fades into what was once the chamber of the Elder Gods,
in an unknown dimension between the realms. The circular podium
remains, but the depths below radiate green with soul energy.
Four pillars containing green torches powered by souls surround
what appears to be an offering table, and behind that table
is an almighty throne that sees a being over a hundred feet tall.
Fujin and Raiden teleport onto the podium, facing the gigantic
being.
BEING: Speak, minions.
Raiden – or more accurately, Dark Raiden – looks up at the being.
RAIDEN: My lord, your will is done.
Next to him, Dark Fujin speaks as well.
FUJIN: Outworld, Earthrealm, the Netherrealm… all are conquered.
RAIDEN: Per your command, Chaosrealm and Orderrealm are next. All
realms will soon yield to your influence.
The gigantic being is shown to be Shang Tsung, seated on a huge
ornate throne in magnificent attire. He laughs at the words of
his minion.
SHANG: It has begun.
Cut to black.
[GOOD ENDING: PLAYER PICKS LIU KANG]
LIU KANG: Now hand over the crown.
He summons his fire, which surrounds his body.
LIU KANG: This is your only chance.
SHANG: My only chance? This is my triumph, and your final moment!
Your worthless existence is at its end!
They fight. As was the case when they first clashed in the
Mortal Kombat tournament, the battle is truely epic, with neither
Shang Tsung nor Liu Kang getting any clear advantage for the
majority of it. For what seems like an age, the newly born Fire
God and the most treacherous being of the Mortal Kombat universe
fight with every power they have, but eventually… it is Liu Kang
who prevails.
LIU KANG: Make no mistake, Shang Tsung… you have chosen this
fate.
He turns to the Hourglass, summons some of its energy into his
body and shoots a torrent of fire at Shang Tsung, sending him
sprawling across the chamber. Shang struggles to his knees and
looks down at his hands… which he finds, to his horror, are
turning into sand and disintegrating.
He gasps in shock and terror as the sand travels to his arms,
dissolving them as well. Liu Kang strides towards him.
LIU KANG: No more timelines will be twisted by your evil.
Shang falls backwards, the sands affecting his legs as well. As
his ankles dissolve into nothing, the sand travels to his sternum,
then his shoulders. Liu Kang easily prises the crown off his head,
and Shang Tsung only has one moment to look at his nemesis with
one last expression of terror before the sand completely engulfs
him. In a moment, he disintegrates into nothing.
Liu Kang places the crown on his head, and his eyes spark with
electricity. He has no problems at all with its power. His flames
summoned to his body, Liu Kang floats toward the Hourglass and
begins to manipulate the sands within…
The scene fades into the scenic beauty of the Wu Shi Academy in
Earthrealm. A group of monks practice a kata in the courtyard.
In an enclosed workshop, a lone monk stands before a table,
working on something. As the camera pans closer, we see he is
gently dusting off a jade statue of a humanoid dragon. Behind
him, a portal opens. The monk turns around to see the Fire God
Liu Kang before him – notably not wearing Kronika’s crown.
LIU KANG: Kung Lao.
The monk staggers back into the table in shock. It becomes clear
that he is not the Kung Lao that we are familiar with.
KUNG LAO: Where did you– who– who are you?
LIU KANG: I am Lord Liu Kang, God of Thunder and Fire.
KUNG LAO: God of–
He immediately bows and clasps his hands together in the Shaolin
salute. Liu Kang returns the gesture.
KUNG LAO: Forgive my disrespect, my Lord!
Liu Kang holds up a hand and floats down to the ground.
LIU KANG: Enough, Kung Lao. You are humble. Not like the Kung Lao
I knew.
KUNG LAO: The Kung Lao you knew?
LIU KANG: A story for another time. I have chosen you as my
champion, Kung Lao.
He places his hand on Kung Lao’s shoulder.
LIU KANG: We have work to do. You must be prepared. Trained.
Kung Lao – or rather, the Great Kung Lao – looks confused at
his words.
KUNG LAO: Trained? For what?
Liu Kang says nothing… but gives a knowing smile.
Cut to black.