"Frozen Tundra!" Reito muttered coldly, his palm pressed firmly against the ground.
KRSHHH!
The shattered earth beneath him began to crystallize, sharp cracks of frost racing outward like veins. Trees splintered into jagged statues of white, their limbs frozen in mid-sway.
Hikaru noticed the sudden chill biting at his skin and turned to Reito, concern flashing in his eyes.
"Um… Reito?"
Ghost, who had been halfway phased into the ground, noticed the creeping cold too late.
The ice surged toward him like a tidal wave–
CRK!
His body was instantly overtaken. The frost latched onto his skin, encasing him in an icy prison mid-phase.
"Wai–!"
KRAK!
Ghost was now completely frozen, half-merged into the ground, stuck in the middle of his escape.
Ikazuchi grinned. "Hah! You got him!"
Moriya gave a proud nod, and Haruto simply exhaled in relief.
Master Takeshi's eyes gleamed as he looked on. "Reito…"
Hikaru smiled and started walking toward Reito.
But–
He couldn't move.
"Huh?" Hikaru looked down, only to find–
His feet had been frozen to the ground.
"What?" he gasped, panic building in his voice. The ice was climbing – creeping up his legs, encasing him inch by inch.
And it wasn't just him.
Haruto's eyes widened as frost began climbing his arms. "What's happening?!"
"I… I don't kn–" Moriya began to say–
Until the ice overtook him completely.
SHK!
Frozen solid.
"Oi, Reito! ARE YOU TRYING TO FREEZE US TOO?!" Ikazuchi shouted, his voice muffled as the ice reached his throat–
KRK!
Frozen.
Hikaru tried to raise his arm, tried to say something, but the cold was too fast. "Reito! You need to stop the ice!"
"I-I don't know how to!" Reito shouted back, his own breath visible in the freezing air.
Then–
WHRRRAAAAM!
Silence.
Utter silence swept across the Shaolin Temple like a final breath.
Reito's Frozen Tundra had frozen everything.
Hikaru.
Haruto.
Moriya.
Ikazuchi.
Master Takeshi.
Ghost.
Every monk in the Temple.
The buildings.
The trees.
The training weapons, scrolls, and even the temples gates–
All of it, frozen solid in perfect stillness.
Only Reito remained unfrozen. He stood in the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by ice-covered devastation.
He looked around at the frozen faces of the people he had just fought beside.
"Did… I go too far?" Reito whispered to himself.
But…
Reito wasn't the only one who hadn't been frozen.
SSSKRRRHH!
Reito turned sharply toward the noise. "Huh?"
It was the sound of something sizzling – aggressive steam hissing into the cold air.
Beside the frozen Master Takeshi…
Stood Teshii.
His body steamed intensely, heat radiating from him like he was a furnace in the dead of winter.
Reito's eyes widened in disbelief. "Teshii?"
Teshii's usual grin returned to his face.
"What's up, Sub-Zero! Looks like the heater in my fleece has prevailed once again!"
Reito just stared, still processing how Teshii had survived his strongest move.
Teshii strolled casually toward him, hands in his pockets. "You alright, Sub-Zero?"
Reito hesitated for a second, then gave a small nod. "Y-Yeah…"
Then–
CRACK!
Both Teshii and Reito's heads snapped toward the sound.
The frozen Ghost.
Or… what used to be him.
The figure was still frozen in place–
But Ghost himself was gone.
Reito's breath caught. "He's gone!"
Teshii narrowed his eyes behind his crimson glasses. "Yeah… looks like he phased through the ice and escaped."
Reito lowered his gaze, his voice full of disappointment.
"So… I used Frozen Tundra… for nothing."
Teshii turned to him and sighed. He placed a firm hand on Reito's shoulder.
"Don't beat yourself up over it, Sub-Zero."
Reito glanced up. "Teshii."
Teshii looked around at the courtyard – at the frozen monks, the solidified trees, his team locked in icy stillness.
"Though… you did go a little overboard."
Reito looked at his comrades – Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, Ikazuchi – and Master Takeshi, all frozen mid-motion.
"Yeah…"
"I'm assuming the ice well melt in an hour," Teshii said matter-of-factly.
Reito made a small, sheepish smile. "Yeah…"
He turned to Teshii. "So… what do we do for an hour?"
Teshii smirked and held up three fingers.
"Three choices!"
He lifted one finger. "Options one – we continue our conversation about Mortal Kombat."
He raised another finger. "Option two – I brought a pack of cards with me. We can play a game."
And the third finger went up. "Option three – we do some good ol' fashion Element of Ice training."
Reito blinked at him. "…Um…"
1 Hour Later…
The Elements were still completely frozen solid, alongside Master Takeshi and he other monks.
In he middle of the courtyard, two figures sat cross-legged on the ground, surrounded by silence and a frozen world.
Teshii and Reito.
Playing cards.
Teshii placed a 10 of Hearts on the ground, speaking with animated enthusiasm, "Basically, after fighting Liu Kang, Raiden figured out Kronika had restarted the multiple timelines."
Reito, visibly drained after listening to Teshii's never-ending storytelling, dropped a Jack of Spades over the 10 of Hearts. "Uh-huh…"
Unfazed, Teshii followed up with a Queen of Diamonds. "After that, Raiden confronts Kronika, and she took away Liu Kang."
Reito yawned, barely keeping his eyes open, then placed a King of Hearts over the Queen.
Teshii's eyes widened behind his crimson glasses. "KING?! Well… I definitely lost."
Then–
"–ow!"
A voice echoed across the courtyard.
Teshii and Reito both turned.
It was Moriya, shivering violently as the ice that once held him cracked and fell away.
Moriya wrapped his arms around himself. "C-Cold…"
"Woody!" Teshii said with a grin.
Next to Moriya, the rest of the Elements – Hikaru, Haruto, and Ikazuchi – were also now free from the ice.
"I'M F@%#ING COLD!" Ikazuchi roared, his voice echoing through the temple.
Haruto trembled, his teeth chattering. Hikaru rubbed his arms, shivering as well, but his eyes landed on the sight before him:
Teshii and Reito, calmly sitting in the middle of the icy chaos, playing cards like nothing had happened.
Hikaru blinked. "Teshii! Reito!"
"You, Sunshine, what's up!" Teshii waved casually, grinning.
As Hikaru was about to speak, he was interrupted.
"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY PLAYING CARDS WHILE WE WERE FROZEN?!" Ikazuchi shouted, his tone a mix of outrage and disbelief.
"Yep!" Teshii replied shamelessly, still smiling.
Reito chuckled softly – until his gaze shifted.
His eyes widened.
Master Takeshi… was now free from the ice.
"Master Takeshi?" Reito muttered.
Master Takeshi shivered, wrapping his arms tightly around himself. "That… was too cold."
Reito immediately stood up and sprinted toward him.
As Master Takeshi opened his eyes through the lingering frost in his lasts, he saw Reito closing the distance.
Whmp!
Reito crashed into him with a sudden hug, burying his face in Master Takeshi's chest. The impact forced Master Takeshi to stagger back a step.
"Reito?" he said, surprised.
He looked down to see Reito clinging to him tightly, his face nuzzled against his robes, saying nothing.
A warm smile slowly spread across Master Takeshi's face. Gently, he placed a hand on Reito's head and began to ruffle his white hair.
From a few feet away, the Elements and Teshii watched the moment unfold in silence.
"Reito…" Hikaru whispered softly.
Teshiis smirked, folding his arms. "Even though they're not blood-related, you can still feel the father-son connection between them."
Hikaru glanced at Teshii and nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
Teshii's gaze drifted away, scanning the temple grounds. His expression suddenly shifted.
The ground was beginning to flood – the ice from Reito's Frozen Tundra was now melting rapidly, sending streams of water coursing across the courtyard.
Teshii let out a soft chuckle and turned to Haruto. "Tsunami!"
Haruto nodded before Teshii could say more. He already understood.
Raising his hand, Haruto concentrated. The water obeyed, rising as though lifted by invisible threads. Then, with a graceful motion, he swung his arms, guiding the flood away from the temple and back into the snow-draped mountains.
Teshii gave an approving nod. "Thank you, Tsunami."
They all turned back toward Reito, who remained in Master Takeshi's arms – quiet, unmoving, and safe."
Reito finally released his embrace and took a small step back.
Master Takeshi placed both hands gently on Reito's shoulders, his expression calm but filled with concern.
"Are you doing okay, Reito?"
Reito nodded softly. "Yeah… but…"
Master Takeshi raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently.
"…the mutant got away," Reito finished, lowering his gaze in disappointment.
Master Takeshi looked at him for a moment, then smirked.
"Reito."
Reito looked up, surprised by the tone.
"You don't need to worry about that mutant. The most important thing… is that you're alive."
"Master Takeshi…" Reito whispered, emotion flickering in his eyes.
Then–
"YES! ALIVE AND WELL!"
Both Reito and Master Takeshi turned toward the sudden voice.
It was Teshii, striding toward them with a grin, his crimson glasses gleaming in the soft light.
And behind him…
Were the Elements – Hikaru, Haruto, Moriya, and Ikazuchi – now all thawed and walking together.
"I'm glad you're all okay after being frozen," Master Takeshi said.
"Actually–" Teshii pointed his thumb casually toward the group behind him, "–they were the ones frozen. I wasn't."
Master Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "You weren't?"
"Nope." Teshii grinned proudly.
Master Takeshi narrowed his eyes at him, trying to read through the mischief.
At that moment, two monks hurried over, visibly relieved.
"Master Takeshi! Reito! Are you two alright?" one of them asked, panting slightly.
Master Takeshi nodded. "Yes. We're okay here."
The second monk let out a deep sigh. "Thank goodness."
"You two," Master Takeshi said, his voice returning to a tone of calm command.
The monks immediately stood straighter. "Yes, Master Takeshi!"
"Check on the others. Make sure all the monks are accounted for and safe."
"Understood!" they said in unison, bowing respectfully before hurrying off across the courtyard.
As the two monks departed to assist the others, Teshii spoke up:
"Master Takeshi!"
Master Takeshi turned to him. "What is it, Teshii?"
"It's about what we discussed earlier," Teshii said calmly, his expression serious.
Reito tilted his head slightly, curious.
"What did they talk about?" he thought.
Master Takeshi looked at Reito. His hands clenched into fists.
He remembered every word Teshii had told him. About Reito. About the Order of the Elements.
About destiny.
But as he looked down at the ground, hesitation gripped him again. Sixteen years. That's how long he had raised Reito – not as a student, but as a son.
And now…
He glanced up again, recalling the other truths Teshii had shared with him. The truth of Master Jiro's brother. The purpose of the Order. Reito's connection to it all.
Finally, he turned fully to Reito.
"Reito."
Reito looked up, confused by the weight in his master's voice.
"You should leave the Tempe… and go with them," Master Takeshi said.
Reito's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Why?!"
Master Takeshi smiled gently. "Because staying here will no longer help you grow. Your path… it's no longer here. Your destiny lies with them."
"Destiny?" Reito repeated, unsure.
Master Takeshi nodded. "Your destiny is to fight alongside them."
Reito looked at the Elements, still stunned. "My destiny… is with them?"
Then–
"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, JUST JOIN US ALREADY!" Ikazuchi shouted, losing all patience.
Haruto elbowed him in the ribs. "Calm down, would you?"
"Hmph." Ikazuchi crossed his arms clearly annoyed.
Teshii chuckled and turned to Reito. "So, Reito… what do you say? Will you join us?
Reito stared at Teshii, uncertain. "I… I don't know. If I leave this Temple… I'll be all alone."
"That's not true," Master Takeshi said softly.
Reito turned to hum. "Huh?"
"You won't be alone, Reito. You'll have Teshii and the others. And…" Master Takeshi smiled. "There's someone waiting to see you."
Reito blinked. "Someone… waiting to see me?"
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Then–
"Your mother!"
Reito turned quickly to the voice.
It was Hikaru.
"That someone… is your mother, Reito," Hikaru said gently.
Reito stood frozen, eyes wide. "…My mother?"
TO BE CONTINUED!!!