A SHORT STORY.
THE OUTWORLD,500 YEARS AGO.
King Zarok,ruler of the shokan,a subterranean race of creatures sat upon his very throne.
Earlier,his wife gave birth to a pair of Shokan twins,one copper skinned,the other bronze skinned.
He would name the copper skinned one Durac,the bronze skinned one Goro.
Many years passed and the two shokans grew to a great a size and strength as their father.
Zarok also trained them in the ancient fighting arts that his people utilized for centuries and were taught surivavl of the fittest,and the most ruthless.
On a particular day each year it was customary to pay tribute to the king.
Durok decided to offer his father a very rare and magical jewel that he found in the deepest caverns of the Outworld's lairs.
But Goro,jealous of this,challenged his brother to a fight so to who would offer their father the jewel.
The battle raged on for hours,the two Shokan struck blow after blow with each other,until Durok overcame his brother.
But in the end,it was through vile treachery when Goro knocked his brother over a nearby cliff and he fell to his death.
Young goro was now the victor as he presented his father the jewel. His father was pleased that his son had become ruthless and decieving,for that was the Shokan way.
Goro was then made successor to the throne and it was then he would be known as GORO-PRINCE OF PAIN!
After the events of the first Mortal Kombat tournament,after Kung Lao's victory,Shang Tsung was banished to the cobalt mines of Shokan.
And it was there that Shang had met prince Goro and he offered him a very lucrative deal,an offer of true power!
If Goro were to participate in the next Mortal Kombat contest,they would reap the spoils and victories over the realm of earth.
Goro grinned wickedly and a true alliance of evil was born.
Once the next MK tourney began,Shang brought Goro with him and it was there that the Great Kung Lao would face him.
The bald headed monk and the four armed Shokan both clashed in the final battle arena.
It was a long and hard battle,Lao used every skill and strength in the battle against his adversary and it looked as if he would previal.
But in the long run,Goro's own strength and stamina was far more overpowering than he was ever was.
The Shokan caught Lao by his lower hands and then punched and slammed the monk several times with his upper hands.
Once he finished dishing out the punishment to his opponent,Goro threw him down to the hard marble floor.
Shang Tsung stood across from Goro and a wicked grin formed on his face,revenge and power were at last his-thanks to Goro.
"FINISH HIM!"shouted Shang.
Goro smirked and nodded in response.
He then brought down his left hand in a deadly massive chop to Lao's neck that killed the warrior monk instantly!
Goro had won his first MK contest,he was now the grand champion over the great Kung Lao.
"At last!"said Shang Tsung. "Or reign over the great Shaolin tournament has begun!"
"Yes,it has."said Goro.
Over the next 500 years,each millenium,Goro and Shang Tsung defeated each generation of warriors,those foolhardy to fight in the contest.
Goro had defeated and killed many opponents,warrior monks,wrestlers,martial artists,grapplers,many warriors of different lands and even some from Outworld itself.
No one survived his onslaught of power once they faced him.
One of Goro's greatest fights was with a large fighter from Mongolia named Sukhata.
The mongolian grappler faced off with Goro at a great length,but like Kung Lao before him he was also overpowered by Goro's power and his very neck was broken in a very savage manner.
Goro did however see that Sukhata was a very worthy opponent,so he took the lifeless body of the grappler and shackled it against one of the wall of his lair.
Many years went by and the mongolian's body decayed and rotted away till all that remained was his large skeleton frame. Another grim reminder of what happened to those who faced Goro in the end.
Other fighters in the last few contests were defeated early on by the either the ninjas of the Lin Keui like Sub Zero or other vicious ninjas like Scoprion,Reptile and even Ermac.
The last contest had the bodies and remaints of skilled fighters in the very pit of death itself.
With Goro's aid,Shang Tsung had won nine MK tournaments.
Then,the day came for the tenth to arrive.
Goro sat back in his throne and was suddenly bored with the lack of real competition.
Just then,Shang Tsung entered the prince's throne room.
The years had not quite been so kind to the sorcerer as his hair and beard grayed and his skin wrinkled from the past 500 or so years of his existence.
Goro snorted and adressed his master.
"Master Tsung."he said. "I have grown bored with this..I have not found any worthy oppoenents since Kung Lao or Sukhata themselves.
"Patience,Goro patience."said Shang. "The 10th tournament has arrived and once we win one last time,earthrealm shall be ours,and true power shall be yours as well."
Goro sighed wearily and arose from his throne.
"Very well."he said. "But once this is over,I shall return to my people and take the throne from my father-it's time I got on with my own plans."
"Of course."said Shang.
Sure enough,once the 10th contest arrived,three warriors under Lord Raiden't guidance fought their way through the competition.
The greatest of them,Liu Kang who like Kung Lao was of the White Lotus Society.
It was there,he reached the finals and would face Goro in his very lair.
Goro stood menacingly over the warrior monk.
"Huh,you'll prove no problem to me."he said. "I'll crush you in blow."
"Alright then."said Liu calmly. "Show me."
Goro made the first move as he lunged his right fist at Liu,but the monk dodged it and then landed a drop kick into the side of Goro's head.
Goro grunted in pain,but kept on his fight as the fight raged on.
The two warriors decked it out in the lair,both were at the end of their limits until at last Liu Kang did one last flying kick and slammed the Shokan giant through one the brick walls of the lair.
It was over at last,Goro was at last defeated,Liu Kang was now the new victor of Mortal Kombat.
"Your reign of terror is last over,prince of pain."said Liu. "I have avenged the deaths of all you have killed,especially that of the great Kung Lao!"
Now-I must face Shang Tsung himself to complete this evil contest."
Liu ran back out through the entrance were Shang was waiting for him in the courtyard.
While back on the ground where the defeated and perhaps near death that Goro lay...thoughts and flashbacks raced through his mind.
Flashbacks of all that happened to him,his first battles,his rise to power,his victories and now his inevitable defeat which he just experienced.
His pride was shattered,his arrogance and overconfidence were also factors in his defeat and soon to be destruction.
What would his father or even Durok think of this defeat?
Goro had at last learned that pride would come before a fall and nothing truly lasts forever-even victory or the reign of a great ruler.
"I...I must rise again."he thought. "I am Goro-prince of pain-I-I"
Goro's final thoughts of determination faded as he succumbed to slumber-or even perhaps death?
Years later,Goro awoke and found himself laid atop a metal table in what appeared to be a lab of some kind.
Both forms of technology as well as alchemy were formed about the room.
Standing before him was a humanoid figure dressed in black and wore an eerie display of white and black warpaint across his face and bald head.
He also like Goro wore the yin yang symbol on his costume as well.
"Who-who are you?"said Goro as he arose from the table and approached the man.
"Steady yourself,mighty Goro."said the man. "It wasn't easy,but I managed to bring you back from near oblivion."
"You-you revived me?"said Goro.
"Yes."said the man. "Quan Chi,black magic sorcerer extrordinaire at your service. You see,my partner and I disovered your body in the forests of Outworld where you were discarded.
I used my own-methods of reviving you and we ask of your particpation in a new Mortal Kombat."
"Mortal Kombat?"said Goro. "Will..will Liu Kang himself be there in this battle?"
"Absolutely."said Chi. "He would of course defend his title once more."
"Hmmm.."said Goro. "...very well,if it means another chance at him,I accept. Just one question-who is this..partner of yours?"
As if in answer,a single flash of green energy exploded in the air and a single humanoid creature appeared before Goro.
He was dressed in a red and black costume and wore an expression of cruelty across his face.
"This..is the Elder God of evil."said Chi. "Lord Shinnok. For reviving you,he demands you serve him for the time being."
Goro cringed inwarldy a the sight of the villian before him.
"Very well."he said. "If it means restoring my honor-I shall do so-but only until Liu Kang is defeated-and by me and me alone!"
"Most excellent."said Shinnok. "All shall be prepared at once!"
"Yes master."said Chi. "We shall begin our master plan at once at that."
Goro smiled proudly.
Perhaps some journeys and battles were never meant to end after all.
THE END-TILL THE NEXT MORTAL KOMBAT!
(Author's closing note:The idea for this came right out the blue for me when I was thinking over other fight games that deserve a short story and this little backstory on Goro just came to me at that.
I had to look through the recent MK animated move the Journey Begins for what info it had on that as flimsy as the video was. I also felt this story could've used a more fitting conclusion to it and I remembered Goro was of course in MK4.
I hope you all enjoyed it. I do have another idea for a MK story,but..I really and I do mean really have to get to that current Street Fighter story under the way,but it's good to get some short story work done whenever you have the inspiration and you all next time. DUNE7.)