Disclaimer: I do not own Mortal Kombat or any of its characters.

Goodbye…

Shang Tsung's Palace...

Figures he'd have a backup plan. But it's far too late.

Quan Chi stood in the section behind the Soulnado. Before him were the now dead bodies of Dhamin and Moloch, each one with a broadsword impaled in them. Looking up, he saw the remains of the ninja specter Scorpion disappear within the green column. At least I will no longer have to deal with him. Or them. Now for one more detail.

Quan Chi then heard sounds of fighting. Looking around the Soulnado, he found its source.

Well, well. This is most convenient.

Shang Tsung was facing both Kung Lao and Princess Kitana. He was outmatched here, but that a situation Shang Tsung is familiar with. However, it seemed that both the Shoalin monk and the Edenian princess were unaware of Quan Chi's presence. Heh, take care of two birds in one stone. Summoning his dark magic, he formed a green skull in his hands and launched it forward. The grotesque ball swooped straight at Kitana and caught her completely off-guard. Quan Chi then came next to Shang Tsung, who grinned at the changed odds.

"Now to end this."

"Yes. By all means."

Quan Chi suddenly raised his amulet and shot a blast...at Shang Tsung! Shang Tsung fell forward and glared, about to evoke his wrath on the fellow sorcerer. But his thoughts were cut when Kung Lao came at him with a fierce attack. Shang backed away and Kung Lao saw his opening

"For Liu!"

Kung Lao then used the technique Bo'Rai Cho taught him. He launched himself and his leg twirled three times, smashing the sorcerer with oppressive force. Shang stumbled to his knee, blood clear on his mouth.

"Please...mercy."

Kung Lao seemed to blaze with more anger, "Mercy? You dare ask for mercy!"

Shang's hands began to glow, "Please."

Kung Lao said nothing and Shang suddenly shot his hands forward, sending out a fireball. But Kung Lao anticipated the treachery and rolled to the side. At the same time, he grabbed his bladed hat and flung it at the sorcerer. Shang Tsung looked in horror as the hat came at him and ran him through the chest and face, hurling him to the ground. Blood oozed out and covered the ground around the now lifeless body of Shang Tsung. Kung Lao stood over the dead Shang Tsung.

"It is done."

Suddenly, Kung Lao was hit back by a green skull blast. Looking up, he saw Quan Chi moved away from Kitana's fallen body and moving toward him.

"Thanks for doing the work for me. Now for your reward."

Quan Chi raised the amulet again, toward Kung Lao's fallen body.

"Now I will reign supreme!

The amulet glowed and Quan Chi laughed as he prepared to finish Kung Lao when...

"Huukkkkkkkk!!!!!!!"

A sharp object suddenly emerged out of Quan Chi's chest. The sorcerer eyes widened and his hand dropped the amulet. Quan Chi barely turned his head and saw what had impaled him. A spear? His eyes followed the spear to a cord that came straight from the Soulnado. His eyes widened even more when he saw...

"Get in here!!!"

Scorpion's body was being ripped to shreds by the Soulnado, but he still managed to keep himself stable enough to pull the spear toward him.

"No!!!! NO!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The sorcerer was pulled into the Soulnado and on contact, the souls in it began to tear him apart. He struggled to get out, but the spear held him fast. Kitana and Kung Lao watched as Quan Chi was ripped apart.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The scream finally faded into nothing, but silence. Kung Lao looked down at the sorcerer's fallen amulet and then picked it up. Without another thought, he smashed the amulet into the ground, causing it to shatter. The palace shook at the release of all the power. The army of the Dragon King began to moan loudly and the souls were eventually released. One of the souls came down to a corpse on the ground and glowed. The skin and flesh began to revitalize in the form of the warrior Li Mei, whose soul was just taken a few minutes ago and now returning. The young warrior lay there unconscious while the rest of the souls flew toward the now disappearing Soulnado.

"Look."

A number of souls from Shang Tsung's body were seen escaping into the Soulnado as well. As they entered, one remained. It began to take a more solid form, one that both fighters recognized.

"Liu Kang."

The ghastly form of the Shoalin monk came toward the two of them. He looked over too Kung Lao

"I knew that you would free me. Now my soul will no longer be polluted with Shang's evil. Thank you, my friend."

Kung Lao nodded, "You would have done the same for me."

He then looked over to Kitana and moved close to her.

"Liu."

"Kitana. There wasn't a day that I haven't thought about your offer. I mean that."

"I know. But we both knew where our duties lie. I just wish...it didn't end this way."

The Soulnado began to fade and thin away. Liu Kang began to fade as well.

"It is not over. I carry with me a piece of you in my heart. And as long as that is, I will always be close to you."

"Liu, I..." But she couldn't finish her words.

"I know." He then briefly looked Kung Lao once again, "Go in peace, my brother." Then to Kitana,

"You too...my love."

The Soulnado finally disappeared and the Shoalin warrior along with it. Kung Lao expected tears on Kitana, but none came. Rather, she moved over to Li Mei to check on her. Kung Lao regarded this. She's a tough woman. Kitana helped Li Mei up and began to walk out. But as they did, she took one last look back and a single tear escaped from her eyes.

"Rest in peace. Liu Kang. And goodbye."

(AN: Is anyone else out there ticked by the fact that Liu Kang was killed? I can't believe Midway did that. How do you kill off the main character? That's like killing Ryu in Street Fighter, or Terry in Fatal Fury, or even Haomaru in Samurai Shodown. But still, perhaps they'll make a second Deadly Alliance game where he comes back. After all, if they could bring back Johnny Cage and Kung Lao, then that shouldn't be a problem. Oh and the second part to this is kind of a second fic, but it along the same lines as this one.)