People Can Change

Under the Edenian evening sky, painted in yellow, orange, and magenta, a young adult strode to the palace as her boots hit the marble floors with clanks and clunks. As she brushed a few stray pieces of blonde hair behind her left ear, she spoke on her wrist communication device and reported her progress.

"Sergeant Cage, report," A female voice ordered through the tiny speaker.

"In Edenia now. Making my way for the palace," Cassandra Cage replied, not taking her blue eyes off of her destination as she hovered her wrist about three inches away from her lightly pink lips.

"Excellent. Inform me after you ask Mileena some questions on whether she's done with trying to take Outworld for the throne or not. Blade out," Sonya Blade confirmed, dismissing the call.

Cassie lowered her wrist and continued her way into the palace. She strutted her way to the closed fancy-looking gate and met two guards, one standing on either side of the gate. Left and right.

"Do you have any business with her royal highness, Queen Sindel?" One asked, pointing his spear at her.

"Yes, I was sent here by General Blade of the Special Forces. She wanted me to request Mileena's presence for some questions regarding Outworld," Cassie informed, glancing at one guard then the other. "Permission to enter?"

The guards approached each other and began to whisper amongst themselves. They glanced at her every now and again before turning to her.

"Yes, you may enter," Another guard confirmed, nodding his head as he and the other guard pushed the gate open with their strength. They each put a hand on his chest and bent forward slightly, bowing in respect as she walked through the open gate.

After about five minutes of walking on endless marble, the sergeant found a wooden double door with a gold trim around the edges. She briefly inhaled through her nose and out with her mouth as she pushed the door open and stepped in the throne room. She crossed over the threshold of the regal red carpet that lead to the throne, where Queen Sindel sat upon.

"Cassandra Cage," She acknowledged, standing straight and giving her a respectable bow.

"Queen Sindel," Cassie replied, bowing back before standing upright and clearing her throat. "Listen, I was sent here by General Blade to ask Mileena some questions that relate to Outworld, so can I see her?"

"Why, of course, child," Sindel nodded graciously, smiling at her. "She is in her bedroom as we speak. As you exit the throne room, take a right, take a left, and then another right. You should see a double door that contains her bedroom."

"Thanks, your highness," Cassie responded, turning her back and heading towards the double door. As she exited, she went to the right and walked down an endless hallway before turning to the left and walking through another endless hallway before turning to the right. She walked on the marble tiles endlessly until she found another double door that held the same appearance as the throne room door.

She took a breath for a brief moment and reached out her right hand, forming it into a fist and tapping her knuckles against the wood.

"Come in," A voice behind the door replied, which belonged to the deity inside the room.

Cassie pushed the door open and entered the sweet-scented bedroom, decorated with a patterned rug, a body-length mirror, a clear double door that lead to an outdoor balcony with a curtain over the door, a queen-sized bed covered in silky magenta bedspread and assorted throw pillows, and a cushioned love seat, which held the Tarkatan half-breed known as Mileena.

"Why are you here?" Mileena asked in suspension and curiosity, scanning the younger Cage with her beautiful yellow eyes.

Cassie sighed after inhaling through her nose and approached her with slight caution. "I just need to ask you some questions pertaining to Outworld-"

"I'm through with Outworld," Mileena replied, sighing as she closed her eyes.

"Are you still trying to- Wait, what?" Cassie asked in slight shock and disbelief, squinting her eyes in slight doubt. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I assure you, I have no need for Outworld anymore. Now that I rule Edenia alongside with my sister and my mother, it's just useless to me now," Mileena explained truthfully, crossing her legs and opening her yellow orbs to see the shock in the blonde's face, which made her chuckle lightly.

"Huh? But what about-"

"I've changed, Cassandra. My sister has shown me that being good isn't at all bad," Mileena continued, examining her long, sharp fingernails to see her reflection. "Besides, I like the transition that I've made."

Cassie was at loss for words. How could someone so lustful turn good? Well, then again, people can change. Even if the person is a Tarkatan half-breed. "Are you... sure? Because if not-"

"How many times must I say it!? I've changed!" Mileena yelled, slightly startling the blonde.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't get an attitude with me! I was just asking!" Cassie cut off, raising her hands in defense.

"...I'm sorry. It's just frustrating, trying to convince people that I'm good," Mileena sighed, rubbing her right arm with her left hand bashfully as she looked up at Cassie.

"It's okay," Cassie replied softly, trying to calm her down. "I understand."

"It's just..." Mileena tried to say, but cut herself off with a sigh as she folded her arms, glancing down at the floor.

"I get it," Cassie replied, nodding as she gently patted her shoulder and elbowed her right side with left elbow. She couldn't believe the reaction she got. A high-pitched yelp followed by her clasping her hands over her mouth. "Ooh, sorry. I hurt you, or somethin'?"
"No, you didn't," Mileena replied, shaking her head and looking back up at Cassie, then glancing down again in a feeling of nervousness. "I'm just..."

"You're just...-" Cassie drawled, her eyes widening slightly as a smile graced her lips, looking at the half-breed with a small smirk. "Wait a minute. Are you... ticklish?"

The question that escaped the sergeant's mouth made Mileena flinch out of nervousness and out of habit. She began to sway her head to the side, throwing off the short black locks on her shoulders and behind her ears.

"Wh- I... no?" She stuttered, trying to change the subject, which, unfortunately, did not change at all as Cassie stood up and approached the loveseat. She then knelt down in front of her as her smirk grew slightly bigger, making the Tarkatan half-breed shift in her spot uncomfortably as she looked down at the blonde's hands as she cracked her knuckles in preparation.

"No? Really?" Cassie asked, her smirk growing as her hands snaked on either side of Mileena's hips, enjoying how she stifled in laughter slightly before she even started. She easily could tell that she was lying when she said 'no' by the way she tried to back away and how she smiled helplessly in anticipation. It didn't take rocket science to figure that out.

"L-Look, I-I'm not t-t-ticklish, honest!" Mileena murmured, shaking slightly and her voice wavering as the fingers began to wiggle around. Certainly, this didn't make her feel any better at all. Whenever Kitana would tease her like this, she couldn't help but giggle or squirm around helplessly before she even touched her. The teasing had always kept her nerves on the edge and never felt good at all.

"Are you suuuuuure?" Cassie sang, slowly tracing a finger down each side, the fingernails teasing the sensitive skin and bumping her ribs.

"Y-Yehes!" Mileena yelped, covering her mouth with one hand to conceal her giggles and trying to bat at the blonde's hands with her other hand.

"Hmm... I don't believe you," Cassie replied, her other fingers joining in, skittering all over the ticklish sides in a spider-like motion.

"Hahahahaha! Nohohoho, stahahahahap!" Mileena squeaked, squirming around and flailing her hands around in an effort to ward off the tickling hands, but she avoided her hands with ease and continued to attack her with this playful torture.

"Stop? But I'm just getting started," Cassie whined teasingly, slowly trailing her scribbling finger upwards, making sure to get every inch of skin that covered her sides.

"Stooohohohohohoop!" Mileena giggled, flailing helplessly and clawing at her hands, scratching her left wrist and causing her to flinch.

"Ow!" Cassie groaned, clutching her wrist in her right hand and giving Mileena a playful glare. "Did you just scratch me?" She asked, getting a nod in response. She then towered over her with her hands on her hips, tsking in a mockingly scolding manner. "It's on now!"

"Wait, wait! Don't! I'm sohohohohorry!" Mileena apologized, laughing as Cassie began to tickle her unprotected underarms, making her clamp them down to her sides in an attempt to stop her.

"Oh, no, Milly, this is what you get for being a bad girl," Cassie replied cheekily, smiling as she continued to tickle her mercilessly.

"Plehehehehehease! I can't stahahahahand it!" Mileena laughed, rolling from side-to-side as she tried to grab her hands, only for the skin under her arms to be dug in deeper and scratched faster, causing her laughter to escalate and her grip to weaken.

"Aw, yes, you can!" Cassie cooed playfully, pulling her hands out from underneath her arms and digging her fingers into the soft skin of her abdomen, causing the Tarkatan half-breed's laughter to hit a new pitch and higher volume and her squirming to turn into thrashing.

"NOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAT THEHEHEHEHEHEHERE!" Mileena shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut and kicking her legs, leaning back harder than before, which caused the loveseat to fall backwards and both girls to scream in surprise.

"Whoa, daaaamn, Mileena!" Cassie laughed, rounding the fallen seat and looking down at Mileena with her hands on her hips. "You okay?"

"Thankfully, yes," Mileena wheezed, sitting up and turning her back against the seat and looking up at the blonde, who quickly straddled her thighs. "Wait, what are you- Get off!"

"Not done yet, sharptooth," Cassie shook her head fondly and shot her hands back to her tummy, tickling it vigorously and mercilessly.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" Mileena laughed, bucking and thrashing underneath her as she tried to fight off her hands, only for her tickler to dodge the flailing hands and dive back in.

"Don't be like that, Milly! You always show off your stomach! That means you obviously want it to be tickled!" Cassie commented, smiling to herself and kneading her stomach aimlessly, squeezing the flesh between her index fingers and her thumbs.

"PLEEEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEASE! STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!" Mileena begged, trying to fight back by swatting at her hands and struggling underneath her harder, trying to throw her off.

"Hmmm... nah," Cassie shrugged, tracing one hand around the rim of her exposed navel in a counter-clockwise motion once before dipping it in, vigorously tickling the sensitive walls and occasionally poking at the small knot deep within.

"AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! GEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHET IT OUT! GEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHET IT OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOUT!"

Cassie smiled even more upon hearing the high-pitched laughter that erupted from Mileena. She thought it was so cute. Almost how a baby sounded. High-pitched, loud, and helpless, nothing holding it back from escaping.

For the Tarkatan half-breed, however, it was torture. She was unable to escape and she felt as if she was slowly losing her breath from laughing so hard. She tried and tried to fight back, but couldn't break free from this unbearable, yet playful torture.

Then, much to Mileena's relief the blonde stopped and pulled her finger out of her ultra-sensitive navel and dismounted from her thighs, allowing her to grab her knees and hold them up to her chest and to breathe, gasping for air.

"T-T-Thank y-you..." Mileena panted wearily as she looked up at the blonde, tears of mirth in her eyes.

"For stopping?" Cassie asked, furrowing a brow and looking down at her softly.

"Yes, and for understanding my plight," Mileena replied, giving the sergeant a gracious smile with her functional lips.

"Hey, no problem," Cassie smiled back, reaching her right hand out for her to grab, having Mileena grab it with her left hand in response and to be pulled up on her feet. "If you and your sis are ever in Earthrealm, gimme a call, 'kay?"

"Yes, I will do that. Have a nice night, Cassandra- I mean... Cassie."

"You, too."

With that said, Cassie turned to the double door and strutted her way out, turning back around and giving Mileena a wink as she left. The Tarkatan half-breed smiled in response as she left to head back to Earthrealm, grabbing her loveseat and pushing it back upright and sitting down in a lotus position, meditating.

...

"Sergeant Cage, report."

Cassie smiled at her wrist communication device and replied to General Blade, "Mission accomplished.