Writer: Steve Hattman Director: Bruce Seth Green
The evil sorcerer Quan Chi casts a spell over Kung Lao, Taja and Siro
to lead to their self destruction and downfall.

The evil sorcerer Quan Chi (guest star Adoni Maropis) dispatches a trio of
deadly women from the NetherRealm, which he rules, to do away with Kung
Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban), Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken)
and Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt). However, it's not an ordinary
execution Quan Chi has in mind for Kung Lao, Taja and Siro, but a plan by
which each would die in shame.

Quan Chi has his three she-warriors, Mika (guest star Jamie Pressly), Siann
(guest star Dana Hee) and Sora (guest star Renee Tenison), insinuate
themselves into the lives of Taja, Siro and Kung Lao and with a little trickery,
each is able to "infect" her intended victim with a potion of Quan Chi's
creation.

The potion that was given to Kung Lao, Taja and Siro masks all of their good
qualities and enormously magnifies their shortcomings--Siro becomes an
obnoxious drunk, Taja goes back to thievery in a big, big way, and Kung Lao
finds that his temper is uncontrollable to the point of violence and paranoia.
Unaware that they've been the victim of sorcery, Kung Lao, Taja and Siro don't
recognize their own destructive behavior and only see how out of control the
other two have become.

At one point, Kung Lao attacks Siro at the trading post and nearly kills him,
throwing him out of a second-floor window. During this fight, Rayden (series
regular Jeffrey Meek) appears and after seeing the irrational Kung Lao and the
near-dead Siro, surmises there's more at work here than meets the eye.

Rayden then finds Taja just as she's about to be executed for stealing from
the villagers. Among the mob chanting for her death he recognizes Sora and
things start to make a little more sense. Rayden corners Sora and makes her
tell him what's going on. Once Sora explains Quan Chi's spell to Rayden, it's
up to him to convince Kung Loa, Taja and Siro, that only they can break the
spell by accepting that life contains both darkness and light and they must
choose to live in the light and contain the darkness.

When Quan Chi learns of Sora's betrayal, he is furious and decides that he'll
take care of Kung Lao himself. Quan Chi's hope was that Kung Lao would kill
an innocent person in a fit of rage. As a warrior, Kung Lao would be disgraced
and banned from his temple, sure to die a broken man. Quan Chi would then
take Kung Lao's soul back to the NetherRealm where he would sell it to the
highest bidder--most likely Shang Tsung who would use it to win his freedom
from Shao Kahn.

Rayden explains this scenario to Kung Lao and warns him that if he is to fight
Quan Chi, he must remain focused and not fight in a blind fury. Kung Lao
heeds this advice, and when Quan Chi sees that he cannot win the battle he
returns to the NetherRealm.

Despite the bruised egos, hurt feelings and broken bones, Kung Lao, Siro and
Taja realize what they mean to each other and return to trading post to put
their lives back in order.