"Of That Which Multiplied"

A Yahgahn Fable

   It has been told to me by my ancestors that long ago, a scant time after Chaos and Order reunited and married in the forms of Ahndahn and Shao'Kehn, that Shao'Kehn and Her consort were as adolescents, though appearing fully grown. For such is the way of Deities, it is told.

    It has also been told that, being adolescents as they were, they reveled in experiencing all that Life had to offer, as well as continuing to contribute to the ever-growing and changing cosmos. For youth, whether mortal or not, is ecstatic and full of fire. And these two were the original such youths, being as they were the first of all beings to be filled with fire, chaos, and passion.

    Now Ahndahn, being Order, had myriad interests, but always managed to set aside proper times for each one, and still have time leftover to be with the love of Her life, the young Lady Shao'Kehn. It was a life that suited Her well, and She was much pleased at its pace and structure. For though She had recently been introduced to chaos and fire and passion, Her nature was still orderly, and thus Her passions burned with a cool and stable fire.

    Shao'Kehn, however, was Chaos incarnate, and had only recently been introduced to order, structure, and time. Her interests therefore far outnumbered Ahndahn's interests, and Shao'Kehn never seemed to have enough time for them. Always She would try to devote as much time as possible to them, but always She became overpowered by the powerful sense that She was not doing enough, and would invariably be drawn away mid-interest into another interest. She did, of course, always manage to make time for Her love Ahndahn as well as for returning to the Heart of the Chaos to rest and rejuvinate. But She always felt rushed and unsatisfied, having not learned to cope with Her new gifts as easily as Ahndahn did.

    It is said that one day, Shao'Kehn could take no more, and ran weeping into Her consort's arms. Despairing, She told Ahndahn of how She never got to enjoy anything because of Her endless need to switch from one activity to another. Weeping, She sought Her lover's advice.

    Ahndahn considered the problem silently for a brief time, then softly said, "Why not devote one day per month to each of Your passions, return to chaos each night, and set aside one day at the end of the month to be with me? It would seem a good way to manage time."

    "Ahndahn, My Love, You are truly wise," quoth Shao'Kehn, who hugged Her consort quickly and took off to act on the suggestion.

    For the first month She did these things, She loved it utterly. It was so exhilarating and liberating to Her to have an entire day as Deities reckon time - which is centuries for a mortal - dedicated to each of Her passions. This was pure joy to Her for many months; She especially loved spending a whole day with Ahndahn each month.

    However, before too long, She began to grow weary and discontented. One day per month was not enough time to be with Her most beloved Ahndahn; She missed Ahndahn in the vast spaces between these days. Furthermore, She had not gotten even one-sixteenth of the way through Her list of passions and interests, and had again those powerful urges to abandon current interests and act on those desires well in advance of their place on the list. She did, however, resist; but it was difficult. Eventually, She could not resist anymore.

    Despairing again, Shao'Kehn returned prematurely to Ahndahn, interrupting Her lover's reading, for She was in desperate need of Ahndahn's advice again. Ahndahn smiled and set the book aside, knowing that the day would come when She would seek Shao-Kehn's wisdom instead of the other way around. For now, though, She only listened to Shao-Kehn's problems, and then made another suggestion.

    "Perhaps if You returned to me every other night, and in the remaining nights return to the Heart of the Chaos to rejuvinate? Then perhaps you could also spend only half a day on each interest?"

    Shao'Kehn, much relieved, leapt for joy and hugged Her consort again warmly, then ran off once again to act on Her lover's latest suggestions.

    This, too, went well for a time. Shao'Kehn much enjoyed the extra time with Her consort and lover Ahndahn, and the extra time saved by doing two activities per day. Her complete joy at this extra time was almost enough to make Her feel completely at ease. Almost, but not quite. She ignored the uneasiness and discontentment for quite a while, trying bravely to continue. When it became clear to Her that it wasn't working, She tried spending a fourth of a day on each activity, then an eighth. Finally, She knew She could not continue. She had frequenly grown tired from not being able to rejuvinate as often, and now was getting further exhausted by doing too much in a day. What was worse, the lack of refreshment and the strain was dulling the vividness and power of Her experiences, as well as reducing Her joy.

    So it was that a year and a half after starting to enact various forms of Ahndahn's latest suggestions, Shao'Kehn was once more weeping into Her lover's arms. Ahndahn, knowing what was going on, produced many more suggestions, but Shao'Kehn refused to follow any more of them, no matter how well intentioned or seemingly clever they were, because none of them had worked for Her thus far.

    Tearfully, She said, "I am not like You, Ahndahn! I am not content with a structured existence! I cannot follow schedules and itinerary as You can, My Love!"

    Ahndahn looked sad. "I don't know what You wish Me to tell You, My Love. If structure is not working for You, I don't know what will. It is not like You can be everywhere at once."

    At these words of Ahndahn's, Shao'Kehn stopped Her weeping and and looked into Her lover's eyes with a thoughful expression on Her face. Then She beamed.

    "You are BRILLIANT, Ahndahn!"

    Ahndahn was puzzled. "How so? I have not made any new suggestions."

    "You were not aware of doing so, but You did."

    "Again I ask You: how so?"

    "Because You are wrong, Ahndahn! I can be everywhere at once! And I will do so, right here and right now!"

    And so it was that Shao'Kehn stood up, Her arms raised to the Heavens, and burst into flame. Not only was She brightly aflame, She was a flame more brilliant than all the stars of all the cosmos throughout all of time... and She was growing. She grew and grew more and more enormous until finally She was larger than Creation Itself. And then, just as Ahndahn was about to really worry for Her lover and for Creation, little pieces of Shao'Kehn flew everywhere away from Her in all directions and in all colors imaginable (and a few that are beyond imagining). It was a sight so wonderous to behold that it left even the Deities in awe, most especially Ahndahn.

    As this happened, the main fire that was Shao'Kehn grew smaller and smaller again, until at last She was back to Her old size and shape once more.

    Recovering quickly, Ahndahn stammered, "Y... You have divided Yourself, Love!"

    Shao'Kehn smiled knowingly and warmly. "No, My dear Ahndahn, I have not. Division is a breaking apart, a seperating. What I have done is not a division, it is a multiplication.

    "For, dear Ahndahn, I am still a flame that is larger than Creation. Only now, where I was once a single large flame in one spot, now I am a single large flame in an infinite number of times and places. Now, I am everywhere, doing everything I wanted to do and more! And this particular incarnation shall always and forever be with You, My Consort."

    Ahndahn gaped. "But... Your rejuvination in the Heart of the Chaos! What about that? How will You rejuvinate an infinite number of Yourselves?"

    "Even now, a piece of Me is there in the Heart of the Chaos, soaking up the chaos and spreading it through the ether to the rest of Me. You came up with the perfect solution to My problem, Ahndahn, without even trying to. And for that, I am truly thankful."

    And then She kissed Her lover, shutting Ahndahn's mouth of all but Her tongue. And with this, Ahndahn could only accept all that Her consort had done, and enjoy the kiss.

    When at last they parted, Ahndahn smiled happily and said, "Now there is so much more of You to love. I wonder if I shall ever meet them, these other Yous."

    Shao'Kehn grinned impishly. "I too am curious. Come, let us find out together."

    And so it was that they parted together seeking to meet all the other Faces of Shao'Kehn that She now could always and forever feel as She felt Her legs and arms. But that is a tale for another day.