In the name of Everything

Exhaling, Fujin looks with understanding at Jackson Briggs, whom he has just defeated in a fight. "Kronika won't heal your wounds, Jackson," the Wind God says and walks over to his ally to help him to his feet. But Jax is in no hurry to accept this help. With hostility looking at God, he abruptly throws, "Damn it, Fujin, you know how I've suffered," Fujin knows. He saw how Jackson was a revenant, how he was saved by an accidental intervention, he saw everything… The inhabitants of the Earthrealm have always admired Fujin precisely for how they experience their pain, "Kronika is my only chance to prevent all this," Jax bends his leg to himself and sourly finishes, "Not only for me, but also for Jackie... for Vera. Oh shit," the man suddenly grimaces, "You're a god. You'll never understand what it's like." Sighing, Fujin looks away, slightly bowing his head. He... understands Jax. Even more than Raiden might think right now. "Do you know," Fujin looks at Jax again and sees in him not only a warrior, but also a husband, a father, an ordinary man with an inhumanly cruel fate, "that there was only one case when Raiden and I quarreled? When I left the Heavenly Temple to live among people," Fujin's voice, which had previously betrayed bitterness, becomes quieter and deeper, "Don't get attached to them, Fujin," he mimics Raiden, "Showing feelings will not allow you to fulfill your duty," he looks Jax in the eyes with all confidence, "But warriors like you and me... we are reinforced by feelings. We don't fight to kill enemies. We are fighting to protect our loved ones," Fujin once again looks like the Wind God should look — strict and dangerous, "That's why the battles in which we suffer defeats leave such deep wounds." "Well," Jax smiles wryly, and the old warmth sounds in his voice, "Maybe you do understand what I'm talking about." Jumping up, Fujin helps Jax up as well, "Kronika feels your pain. With her help, she manipulates you. Jacqueline will be here soon. Kronika wants you to fight against her. Moreover, for you to break her heart," Fujin says understandingly, having managed to see the horror in Jax's soul, "And do you really think that she cares one iota about you or your family?" At this moment, the temple of Shang Tsung shakes, the stucco crumbles, the ceiling collapses and Sindel falls to the ground on its fragments. Oh, Fujin even feels sorry for the Empress, even though it is she and Shao Kang who will contribute to making him and Reiden worse than useless in this confrontation. But if Sindel is so crippled, then there... up there... is it really Cetrion? Oh, One Being! It's definitely Cetri. Terrible-looking creepers descend behind Sindel to lift her back to their owner. The writing on Fujin's hand flashed for a moment, sensing the Elder Goddess. "Were you supposed to beat me?" Jax, thank God, just doesn't see what's going on in the Wind God's head. And memories of Cetrion flash before his eyes… Their evenings in the Earthrealm, when she went against her mother and lived there for more than one life. They had a lot of things — both good and bad. Cetrion preferred to observe people, and to the best of her ability punished those who harmed nature, but they were extremely weak then… He managed to prevent her most dangerous plans. "I'm not done yet," Sindel can be heard snapping at the Elder Goddess. And soon her own scream. Sharp blows of Nightwolf axes. The fight, the shuddering stones, the belligerent cries of the Wolf, the screeching of Sindel... no, little fool needs to be saved. Fujin picked up the sorcerer and Jax, burst out of the ground like a whirlwind and... damn the universe! The warlike form of Cetrion, the same Cetri who spent hours braiding Fujin's hair into a braid, who gently stroked his cheek and called him a Breeze. Well ... now he can gather his strength, he can hit her, because it is from him that she does not feel threatened. After that, he will hide for a while to meet with Cetrion alone. Fujin pronounces the necessary spell in the ancient language and sharp stone spears pierce the Cetrion. Damn it! It hurts him to hear her surprised cry, it hurts to see her bloody body… Shang Tsung has to send Cetrion by portal to her mother. Perhaps Fujin even hates Kronika, who poisoned her daughter's mind and heart with her crazy ideas. Twisting Cethri in the air stream, he hears her screams and tries not to lose concentration, and the sorcerer, a lover of special effects, creates a huge fiery snake instead of the usual portal, which absorbs Cethrion, sending her to Kronika. Exhaling, Fujin hurries to go to Nightwolf to treat him. Then he turns to Shang Tsung, "Well, Shang Tsung. In the end, your strategy turned out to be correct," and looks at him with unprecedented cruelty. "It couldn't be otherwise," the sorcerer grins and thinks about how soon he will take possession of the crown and become the Keeper of the Times. Fujin listens to the dialogue of Jax with his daughter and his young version, who for some reason arrived here in the company of special forces, with half an ear. But he intervenes when he hears about the crown. "Yes, and now we have to deliver this to Raiden," Fujin confirms and shows Jacqueline the artifact. Jacqueline winces at the sight of the object in his hands. "The Kronika`s Crown. Without her, she won't have the strength to restart the story," Fujin rather brazenly declares and young Jax talks about the good news, Nightwolf and Shang Tsung talk about how now the timeline has been changed forever. "Thank you for helping us," Fujin turns to Sindel, because it's necessary. They should not change their plans ahead of time, "We will meet at the Sea of Blood in six hours." "Well, until our next battle," Sindel flirts and leaves through Shang Tsung`s portal, completely not hiding the meaningful, "Sorcerer," before disappearing. Then Nightwolf is going to go with the Briggs to inform the Special forces about what happened. "May the Great Spirit protect you," Fujin sincerely wishes. "Better let him protect you, Fujin, when Raiden sees you with Shang Tsung." Nodding to him, Fujin steps aside, allowing Nightwolf to go with the others. "The sorcerer!" Fujin squeezes Shang Tsung's shoulder, "A few words." "Of course, Fujin," he wonders, "Did something happen?" "I need to leave you for a few minutes. Try not to find trouble for yourself." "This is my home, Fujin," Shang chuckles, "A couple of spells and I'm completely safe."  "So be it," Fujin nods and goes to where his heart has been striving since the disappearance of Cetrion. He knew the loopholes that would prevent Kronika from finding out that someone else had appeared in their domain, and the Cetrion`s room had always been their secret place where they could sit in silence for hours, interlacing their fingers. However, now the room has changed beyond recognition and has become unpleasantly dark. "Cetri," Fujin, seeing the wounded girl on the bed, squats down next to her and gently touches her face with his fingertips, "Forgive me." "Hello, Breeze," Cetrion smiles affectionately, in his true form, which was not so threatening. "You... fought very worthily," clearing her throat, she sits down with the help of Fujin and takes a glass of water from him to empty it with a few greedy sips. "Cetrion, you were reckless in this battle, — Fujin begins sternly, but as soon as he looks at the girl's face, he becomes much calmer. "You were against Kronika's plans for many eons," Fujin looks into her eyes so greedily, with such a desire to find in them at least a hint that the baby Cetri is not lost to him yet. "Raiden beheaded Shinnok," Cetrion weakly objects. "Shinnok tried to hurt you a lot more," Fujin calmly retorts, "Cetrion, you are the Elder Goddess, even if they left us for a while. Go against Kronika, you can see that her mind has lost its perfection," ignoring everything, Fujin abruptly squeezes her palms in his and pulls the girl to him, "She manipulates even you, her daughter. You've seen Sindel and you know perfectly well that she will betray her daughter. Well, what do they both deserve, Goddess of Virtue?" "Kronika gave me life," Cetrion continues, but much more gently, habitually disputing his words and at the same time looking at Fujin completely in love, "I... I'm tired of this, Fujin. From Kronika and her plans, from the guardianship of Geras, from Raiden and his hatred..." " Cetri," no, it's already beyond his strength — when she speaks so vulnerable — and Fujin hugs Cetrion to him so tightly that the girl indignantly squeaks, "Hush, I've missed you infinitely."  "I tried to pull you out of the Void, but," Cetrion whispers these words into his shoulder, "It was impossible for me to remove of the Kronika`s seal. Shinnok could, but I..." "You're not a Shinnok, in the name of Everything," Fujin says with a smile and pats Cetrion on the back, "This will end soon, and we can take a break from all this. Do you want to go to the Earthrealm for three hundred years? Let's settle down next to our past home, revive the forest," Fujin does not have time to finish, and the Elder Goddess with all the passion available in her state kisses her lover. The weakly moaning Cetri does not care about everything that happens outside the room, and the strong hands of the Breeze overturn her on the bed. Fujin, hovering over her, shakes his head and whispers, "Not now. In the next... era. I'll find you," with a wink, Fujin manages to heal her and disappears through the window so that Cetrion, who is standing on her elbows, only hears that a gust of wind. Cetrion's lips stretch into a smile. Well, she had been waiting for him long enough and could bear it a little longer. She already has a plan.