NIGHTWOLF: Go! Your soul is not safe!
Sub-Zero takes the advice and hurries off.
QUAN CHI: Earthrealm’s fate is sealed, Nightwolf!
NIGHTWOLF: Not yet! We fight until the end!
They fight. Nightwolf’s protection from Quan Chi’s magic and his own mystical powers give him equal footing in the battle with the Netherrealm sorcerer, and his fighting ability gives him the edge needed to defeat him. After an intense fight, Nightwolf beats Quan Chi to the ground.
NIGHTWOLF: Your time is over.
Before Nightwolf can finish Quan Chi, Noob Saibot recovers and rushes him. Nightwolf blocks and avoids his attacks before striking with a right cross to Noob’s face. Noob fights back, only to get a backfist blocked and take a left hook to the kidney. Nightwolf goes on the offensive, but Noob counters a downward punch, twists Nightwolf’s arm and strikes him in the chest with an open palm. Nightwolf growls in anger and charges in, lands a solid punch across Noob’s face and kicks him into the Soulnado.
Noob Saibot is sucked up into the Soulnado, infecting it with his wraith-like powers. As he is pulled into the heavens, the Soulnado turns from glowing green to purple. Quan Chi pulls himself to his feet, and realising the battle is lost, immediately opens a portal and escapes. Nightwolf generates a mystical shield to protect himself as the Soulnado gathers itself into a giant portal and explodes outward. Nightwolf is thrown from his feet as the shockwave travels across the cemetary, destroying everything in the immediate radius. Nightwolf, however, is unharmed and sits up.
NIGHTWOLF: Pilamaya. (“Thank you” in Lakotan.)
Back at the temple, the Forces of Light are in the midst of a discussion.
SONYA: But how do we know? Raiden could be having visions of possible futures, not the future.
JAX: Sonya’s right. Was I supposed to have my arms replaced with these? Or was it caused by interfering with the timeline?
JOHNNY CAGE: My head hurts just thinking about it.
KITANA: This isn’t helpful. We cannot second guess our decisions. Raiden, what are your thoughts?
Raiden is unresponsive.
KITANA: Raiden?
He suddenly reacts.
RAIDEN: Yes, that is best.
CYBER SUB-ZERO: What is our next objective?
LIU KANG: Nightwolf!
The Forces of Light turn to see Nightwolf approach them.
NIGHTWOLF: It is done. Earthrealm’s souls are safe.
Raiden looks at his amulet. More cracks appear on it.
RAIDEN: No! How is it not enough?!
He slams a palm down on the slab in front of him.
RAIDEN: I must speak with the Elder Gods. Shao Kahn’s violation must be punished.
LIU KANG: But the battle is joined here, in Earthrealm!
RAIDEN: We cannot win without the Elder Gods.
LIU KANG: But Master
JOHNNY CAGE: Liu Kang, close as a shadow…
RAIDEN: Nightwolf, you will lead until we return.
NIGHTWOLF: As you wish, Haokah.
Raiden takes a hold of Liu Kang and they disappear in a flash of
lightning.
STRYKER: Well, now what? Standing around here won’t do us any good.
CYBER SUB-ZERO: Wait!
He looks around.
CYBER SUB-ZERO: The Lin Kuei! They surround us!
Multiple Lin Kuei cyborgs reveal themselves around the temple.
STRYKER: So much for standing around.
NIGHTWOLF: Attack!
The Forces of Light immediately charge the cyborgs. Nightwolf goes for Cyrax, but his attack is blocked and Cyrax punches him in the stomach, and then across the face. As Cyrax moves in, Nightwolf recovers and kicks him back. They circle one another.
CYRAX: My speed and skill are beyond you.
They fight. Despite Cyrax’s cybernetic enhancements, Nightwolf’s spirit powers keep him both in the fight and able to take it to the cyborg. Eventually Nightwolf leaves Cyrax disabled on the ground.
NIGHTWOLF: Mere speed and skill will not win this war, Cyrax.
With Cyrax down, Nightwolf looks around the temple and sees Smoke battling Sektor on the stairwell. Smoke is unable to even land a hit against the cybernetic assassin. Sektor grabs his hand as Smoke throws an ineffectual strike.
SEKTOR: You are weak, Smoke.
Sektor blasts him in the chest with his afterburn strike, sending Smoke careening down the stairs.
SEKTOR: Now do you understand? The power of the Grand Master’s vision?
Before Sektor can finish Smoke, Nightwolf throws his tomahawk across the temple and hits Sektor in the chest. As the mystical weapon dissolves back into Nightwolf’s hands, Sektor throws up a fighting stance and faces down the shaman.
NIGHTWOLF: You are no match for the power of the Spirits.
They fight. While Sektor has filled his robotic form to the brim with weapons and technology, it doesn’t give him the advantage against Nightwolf’s mystical strength. After a fierce exchange, Nightwolf manages to leave Sektor down and disabled on the ground.
NIGHTWOLF: Perhaps even you can be saved.
Around the temple, Smoke repeatedly punches a cyborg and kicks it down. Kitana decapitates another with her bladed fans. Cyber Sub-Zero is busy reprogramming another downed opponent with Kabal watching. As Nightwolf checks the area, Kitana walks up to him.
NIGHTWOLF: What is it?
Kitana doesn’t reply at first, but then she spots what she was looking for.
KITANA: Mother…
Sindel walks into the temple, letting off a banshee scream multiplied tenfold from her original powers. Sonya and Stryker are pushed to the stairwell by the force, Sub-Zero is forced to generate an ice shield, Jade wards off the attack as best she can with her staff, while Johnny Cage only keeps his balance by holding onto one of Jax’s arms. Only Nightwolf is uneffected by the scream.
SINDEL: Come forward, if you dare. I will finish what the Lin Kuei could not.
The Forces of Light quickly come together.
JAX: Let’s do this.
NIGHTWOLF: Attack!
Nightwolf charges Sindel with a tomahawk raised, but she parries the attack and punches him across the face, knocking him down. Johnny Cage tries next, but Sindel blocks his attacks, grabs his arm, knees him and punches him in the face, letting him drop. Kabal moves in, but Sindel kicks him down before he can even strike and stomps her heel straight through his respirator, killing him. She lets off a laugh as she does so.
Stryker attacks next, but Sindel dodges his attack, kicks him in the knee and caves in his lower jaw with a ferocious punch, killing him. Cyber Sub-Zero charges in, but Sindel blocks his attack, punches him across the face, rabbit punches him and unleashes a brutal uppercut to his face that destroys his mainframe and sends his body flying away, sparking as it does so. Jax runs to face her, but she grabs both of his arms and drives her heel square into his throat, spraying blood from his neck and killing him too.
Smoke tries to kick Sindel, but she grabs his leg, knees him in the groin, then grapples him in a sleeper hold and snaps his neck. Sonya charges right into a high kick that sends her sprawling. Jade rushes forward and tries to punch Sindel, but Sindel grabs her hand and punches her in the face twice. Kitana runs forward with a roundhouse kick, but Sindel ducks it and grabs Kitana in a choke hold. She kicks Jade away and throws Kitana aside, before turning to Jade and finishing her by tearing out her stomach.
As Sindel throws the organ aside, Kitana attacks again. Sindel blocks her attacks, punches her twice and kicks her down. As Kitana tries to rise, Sindel grabs her arm, pulls her in and repeatedly punches her in face, before dropping her with a flying kick. Kitana rolls over onto her stomach, and though unable to stand, gets to her knees.
KITANA: Mother, please!
SINDEL: I am no longer your mother.
KITANA: Mother, this is not your way. Shao Kahn has corrupted you!
SINDEL: Shao Kahn has resurrected me! You have betrayed him. Embraced a pathetic cause.
KITANA: Remember Edenia, mother. Remember your rule before Shao Kahn’s invasion!
SINDEL: Quiet, child. It is time for you to join your friends.
She generates a purple swirl of magic and begins draining Kitana’s soul. Nightwolf drags himself toward her.
NIGHTWOLF: Monster!
Sindel turns around, stopping the spell on Kitana, who falls unconscious, and faces Nightwolf.
SINDEL: Still alive? No matter. Soon you will reunite with your ancestors.
They fight. Empowered by Shang Tsung’s magic and strength, Sindel proves to be the toughest fight of Nightwolf’s life. It takes all of his fighting ability and protection from the Spirits to even keep in the fight, but in the end he gains an advantage and knocks Sindel to the floor.
NIGHTWOLF: Now, Sindel. Face the Spirit’s judgment.
Sindel rises without effort and laughs in his face. Nightwolf begins a chant in his native tongue and a light from the heavens surrounds him. He blasts Sindel with lightning from his hands. The camera switches to Sonya, who has also survived Sindel’s assault. She looks up to the ceiling.
SONYA: Raiden… Raiden, where are you?
On another plane of existence entirely, Raiden and Liu Kang stand in the temple of the Elder Gods.
RAIDEN: Elder Gods, I beseech you. Earthrealm is in danger.
There are six Elder Gods, all of varying genders and appearance, towering over Raiden and Liu Kang in spirit form, but they all speak at the same time.
ELDER GODS: We are aware of your plight, Raiden.
RAIDEN: Then you must intervene on Earthrealm’s behalf.
ELDER GODS: We cannot.
RAIDEN: But Shao Kahn… Liu Kang has bested him twice, yet he still
ELDER GODS: Shao Kahn has not violated the rules of Mortal Kombat.
RAIDEN: What?! He invades Earthrealm as we speak!
ELDER GODS: Invasion is not itself a transgression. It is the merger of realms that is proscribed.
RAIDEN: A distinction without a difference! Innocents are dying at the hands of Outworld!
ELDER GODS: It is regrettable. But the Mortal Kombat tournaments are not intended to prevent certain outcomes. They are intended only to maintain balance among the realms.
RAIDEN: Please, you must
ELDER GODS: We have spoken.
The Elder Gods’ spirit forms disappear, leaving Raiden and Liu Kang alone.
RAIDEN: The last doors are closing. We are nearly trapped.
The scene fades away to black. Back at the temple, Nightwolf crashes through the sacrificial alter. The fight has obviously not gone well for him. Sindel walks over to him and wraps her elongated hair around his midsection, dragging him into the air.
SINDEL: Victory is mine, Shaman.
She generates the purple aura around her hands and starts draining Nightwolf’s soul.
NIGHTWOLF: Not if I… take it – from – you!
He starts another desperate chant in his native tongue and his hand starts to glow with blue energy. Sindel laughs as he does so. As his chant increases in volume, he begins to glow blue as well. A cloud of mystical energy appears and both kombatants are blazed in blue light. Raiden teleports in with Liu Kang just in time to witness this.
LIU KANG: By the Elder Gods!
Screaming one final time, Nightwolf releases the spell and the blue light turns to a blazing white, engulfing both Sindel and himself. Liu Kang and Raiden are forced to cover their eyes. Sindel screams as she is disintergrated by the light, and Nightwolf does the same as he also dissolves into nothing. The light dissipates, leaving no evidence that Sindel or Nightwolf ever existed.
KITANA: Liu Kang…
LIU KANG: Kitana!
Liu Kang rushes to Kitana’s side and grabs her hand. She doesn’t even have the strength left to sit up.
KITANA: Liu Kang… You were right. I wish we had met… under… different… cirumstances.
LIU KANG: Kitana…
She gasps and then finally breathes her last. As her body goes limp, Liu Kang falls to his knees, still grasping Kitana’s hand.
LIU KANG: They are dead.
RAIDEN: Liu Kang, I
LIU KANG: We abandoned them and they’re dead.
RAIDEN: My heart, too, is heavy with their sacrifice.
LIU KANG: Their deaths achieved nothing!
Raiden looks once more at his amulet. More cracks adorn it.
LIU KANG: What is next, Raiden? Tell me the future! How do we honor their “sacrifice”?
RAIDEN: I climbed to heaven, now I must plunge into the depths. I will go to Quan Chi. Ally our realm with his against the forces of Outworld.
LIU KANG: What?! Grovel before Quan Chi?! What will he demand? What price will be paid?
RAIDEN: Would any price be too high to save Earthrealm?
LIU KANG: I had prayed it not true. But you have gone mad, Raiden. Your visions. They are nothing. Delusions of an addled mind.
RAIDEN: Liu Kang, please.
A groaning sound catches Liu Kang’s attention. Out of all of the Forces of Light, only Johnny Cage and Sonya have survived, and they are badly injured.
LIU KANG: Enough. I must help the wounded. Leave on your hopeless quest.
He gets up and walks towards the fallen heroes. Raiden looks at him as he passes.
RAIDEN: May the Elder Gods protect you.
He teleports away in a flash of lightning.