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Outworld
Shao Kahn's Throne Room
c. 950 CE
Rayden watched Shao Kahn finger the souvenirs of his victory and named each victim silently in his stunned mind.

"A traitor," Shao Kahn pronounced, lifting a fanged mask and then tossing it aside contemptuously. Reptile. "Dead."

A Black mask made of shadows was held high by Shao Kahn "A Fake Hero" then tossed the mask away "so called Noob Saibot"

A dagger-like adornment and a torn black shirt were next to be lifted from the innocent-looking box. Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. "Two sorcerers. Dead. A queen --" This time it was a sequined green cape, the fragile gauze tearing in Shao Kahn's grip. Vorpax. "Dead."

Rayden felt his heart grow colder with each item, then squeeze in agony at the next item. A fan of blades that was unmistakable, one of a kind . . . and useless to its owner now. Kitana. Shao Kahn confirmed it. "A daughter . . . dead."

There was only a trace of remorse in his voice, but it changed to gloating soon enough, and Rayden felt the next words and souvenirs as mortal wounds in his own heart. Siro's dagger. Taja's knuckle-ring. Kung Lao's shirt.

"A bodyguard. Dead. A thief. Dead. And a champion. Dead."

Shao Kahn tossed the last item at Rayden, smiling as the powerless god caught it numbly. The tragedy, the loss, was too great for him to even contemplate, let alone comprehend. There was only thought in his mind, circling endlessly: How did I let this happen?

Shao Kahn made a motion and the guards pushed Rayden down onto his knees. He hardly felt it, barely registered Shao Kahn's next words. "And you will bow before me!!"

Rayden looked up at him, anger slowly working its way through his shock-numbed heart and mind, filling him as Shao Kahn's gloating laughter echoed through the throne-room. Oh, how he longed to shove a lightning bolt right down the bastard's throat, watch it rip out through his intestines, exploding the self-styled Emperor of Outworld with all the power of his fury and hatred. Rayden's fingers clenched reflexively, willing the power to flood him . . . but nothing happened. He was powerless in Outworld, no better or stronger than a mortal -- perhaps less so, since his strength didn't come from his muscles but from his Power.

Power he no longer had, thanks to his own arrogance and stupidity.

He had been so sure of himself, so sure he knew what Shao Kahn was up to, that he had never even considered what might be happening outside the Netherworld between Realms. He hadn't thought of the assassins Shao had sent through to kill his enemies, destroying Mortal Kombat without ever using his army. Hadn't thought about how much time would be passing in the mortal worlds while he was in-between Realms. Hadn't thought of what Kung Lao, Siro, and Taja's reactions might be to his ‘disappearance' into the Portal.

I thought of everything, he sneered contemptuously to himself, except the most obvious. And now everything is lost. Because of me.

Not quite yet, youngling.

Rayden froze, then slowly looked up. Shao Kahn and his guards were staring at the same thing that he saw: a light that was growing within the throne-room, intensifying until it vanished in a sudden burst, leaving imprints on their eyelids and a glowing figure on the top step of the dais. Fear and relief swelled in the thunder god's heart, in equal measure.

"Eiyasat."

It wasn't his own voice, Rayden realized, but that of Shao Kahn. And for the first time in a long time, there was fear in the Emperor's voice.

Shao Kahn. The lips of the Goddess of Justice and Balance did not move while She spoke, but there was not a soul in Outworld who did not hear Her voice. You have broken the spirit of My decree.

"No," Shao Kahn protested. "I followed the rules. I led no army through to EarthRealm, and Rayden came through of his own volition. He is my prisoner by right, and powerless here!"

But I am not. You followed the letter of the law, but not the spirit. This is no more acceptable than if you had ignored Mortal Kombat.

Rayden said nothing, only watching as the Eldest of all the Gods, rumored to have been ancient when the Elder Gods themselves were just babes, came down the dais with delicate steps that lightly shook the ground. Eiyasat paused, looking down at him, then looked at Shao Kahn. The Emperor swallowed and took a step back.

"I followed the rules," Shao Kahn protested again. "EarthRealm is mine by right, and even if you argue that, you can't argue that I had a right to destroy my rivals and enemies!"

Eiyasat raised an eyebrow. Your actions have destroyed the Balance between the Realms, a balance I created over hundreds of millennia. This displeases Me. That was the closest Rayden had ever heard Her come to an admission of Her age and the scope of Her power; it left him as speechless and shaken as it did Shao Kahn and his minions. Eiyasat reached down a hand to Rayden and the thunder god followed Her silent order to stand. The foolishness of the Protector of EarthRealm was only in believing that you would respect My decree as he does. He will not be punished for it. Not by you.

Shao Kahn started to argue, his mouth opening in protest. Eiyasat's eyes flashed with Power and he shut his mouth without a sound. Balance will be restored, She continued. That which you took unrightfully will be returned.

She made a motion with Her hand and the souvenirs Shao Kahn had tossed to the ground rose as if on a breeze. Light gathered about each item, circling and then working its way through to form the shape of each item's owner, until each individual was whole and real. Reptile, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Vorpax. Kitana, Siro, Taja, and Kung Lao. All of them floated in mid-air, their forms suffused with light, eyes closed as if they were asleep. Light flashed again, even as Rayden's heart soared with them, and then the sleepers vanished.

Rayden looked at Eiyasat and saw the tiniest of smiles dancing in Her eyes as She regarded him. It vanished as She looked to Shao Kahn and the fury on his face. Balance will be maintained. Mortal Kombat will continue. And you. . . She took a step forward and Shao Kahn cowered for the first time in centuries. Will Never . . . Do This . . . Again.

The nimbus of light that surrounded Her grew, pushing against the Outworld regent until he was forced to take several steps back. He ended on his knees of his own volition.

The light receded and Eiyasat turned her back on both Emperor and god, ascending the steps until She was back by the throne. Oh yes. She paused and turned again. One last thing. She raised an elegant hand, and the black-robed assassins Shao Kahn had sent against his adversaries were pulled forward as if by an invisible hand. Sickly green and red light began to pour out of the Shadow Priests, leaving them screaming in pain and fury as the greater part of their power abandoned them at the goddess' call. Balance will be maintained, Eiyasat repeated.

And you, youngling, she said, this time to Rayden alone, owe me. Warmth abruptly flooded through the thunder god, all of his energy returning in a rush as wounds were healed and his garments were restored to their usual appearance.

There was another slow gathering of light, a flash, and when it cleared, both Eiyasat and Rayden were gone from the throne-room. Shao Kahn breathed heavily, curbing his anger until he was reasonably sure She was no longer watching, then threw caution to the dogs and let out a bellow of pure rage. The assassins who had counted themselves lucky to have escaped more of Eiyasat's attention soon found themselves wishing they hadn't.

*

Rayden watched the three true heroes of EarthRealm, the three who had risked and lost their lives to try to help him, and shook with reaction. A hand touched his arm and he looked down at the Goddess who stood beside him. "They don't remember any of it."

Eiyasat shook Her head. It would only show them how easily they are defeated. It would serve no purpose.

"And it would show them how little they can trust me," Rayden added bitterly.

You made a mistake. You are still young enough for that to be excusable.

Rayden stared at her. "EarthRealm was lost due to my arrogance and incompetence. How can you call that a ‘mistake,' let alone excusable?!"

Eiyasat raised an eyebrow. EarthRealm still stands. And you have learned from the experience, have you not?

Rayden looked away. "I learned . . . I don't know what I learned. That I'm an arrogant ass who can't be trusted with this responsibility. I let myself be distracted and my friends . . ." He stopped, frowning. "That's what Shao Kahn called them. My mortal friends."

And are they not? A gentle hand settled on his cheek. That is why I chose you, youngling. Do you understand that only now, after so many centuries?

Rayden frowned. "I still don't understand."

Eiyasat chuckled. I chose you for Protector of EarthRealm because you were the only one who would value it for what it was. For its spirit, not its strategic value against Shao Kahn, nor its possible power. You were the only one who would grow to love it, and the mortals within it, for what they are and what they can become.

She smiled, Her eyes shining from within as Rayden remembered them doing on only rare occasions, when he was still a child himself. He had never understood the warmth the goddess seemed to reserve only for him, although She gave it as stingily as She gave advice or approval to anyone else.

You were the only one who would have the patience to put up with the limitations of their mortal view. And the only one with whom they would have the patience to put up with the arrogance of godhood.

Rayden smiled reluctantly, amused by the accuracy of her words. That pretty much summed up his relationship with the mortals of EarthRealm; it definitely summed up his relationship with the three warriors they were watching now.

He lowered his eyes in shame and gratitude. "Thank you," he whispered.

Eiyasat chuckled, a small smile flickering at the corners of Her lips. I meant only that you should remember, child, not that you should grovel.

The thunder god gave her a small smile and She chuckled again, then sobered and touched his arm. I chose you, Rayden, because of all My grandchildren, you are the one most like them. You are also, She added with a wry twist of her lips, the only one who seems to have inherited My sense of humor.

Rayden chuckled, although his mind reeled a bit at her phrasing. "Your . . . grandchildren," he repeated. "Are you . . . are you really as old as they say?"

Eiyasat lifted an eyebrow, amusement in her eyes. Do you not know that it is rude to ask a woman such a question?

Rayden blushed, remembering that he had asked her that same question once when he was very young -- and she had answered in the same way. That one little line was as close as he would ever get to hearing the truth of the matter, he thought.

Eiyasat chuckled and looked down at the three mortals in the courtyard, watching as they cleaned up debris from an earthquake they had only a vague recollection of. Soon Rayden would visit them, make up some reasonable story about what happened after he stepped into the Portal, and there would be no one to argue the case. Only Shao Kahn and his sorcerer/assassins remembered the truth, but, as Eiyasat had suspected would happen, most of the latter were now destroyed and the former would only be considered as mad as ever.

Balance will be maintained, she repeated silently, in thought only, then turned to her grandchild and spoke. Watch over them, and remember your lesson, youngling.

Rayden nodded. "I will." He went down to one knee, took her hand in his own, and laid a kiss on her knuckles. He could feel the tingle of Power beneath her skin, the soft rush of it passing through him in a warm embrace that had no match in physical reality. "Thank you," he repeated.

Eiyasat smiled down at him, reaching out her other hand to gently brush back his hair. "You are welcome, child," she said, aloud for the first time that Rayden had ever heard. While he stared in shock, the nimbus of light grew about her and she vanished.

Rayden smiled and looked down at the courtyard. With a thought, he traveled from the gable where he had been standing to appear in the center of the littered courtyard. "Doing a little spring-cleaning?" he asked, keeping his tone light, hiding his relief with centuries of practice.

"Rayden!" Kung Lao said, frowning at their immortal guide. "Where have you been!?"

Rayden shrugged and told his story. Taja shook her head at the fabrication; only the part about his fight with Shao Kahn was real, the conclusion stopping before the tables turned. "Sounds like you had a long day," she commented.

Rayden smiled slightly. "You have no idea."

He could feel Eiyasat's chuckle for a long time afterwards.