Hourglass (Mortal Kombat)

The Hourglass, sometimes referred to as Kronika's Hourglass, is a special relic controlled and maintained by Kronika, the Keeper of Time and Architect of History. The Hourglass is the focal point of her power, allowing her to alter time and space itself, plan or alter course history, or even bring those in the past to the present. The Hourglass is protected by Kronika and her forces in the very heart of her personal keep.
Theme song: Kronika's Hourglass (Mortal Kombat 11)
Paul UnFaces' theme: Kronika's Hourglass
Ikran's theme song: Sandman's theme (Spider-Man 3)
== Final Kombat ==
Aiko's mind was overreacting while Blaze unleashed his rage onto the Pyramid of Argus. And she was suddenly transported from the Grotto to Yin Yang Island. Caro stuck out his snout encouraging Aiko to follow him, and she wound up at a spacious area where the Hourglass stood! She never saw one so majestic and enormous! Kitana revealed that ever since the elder Fire God Liu Kang defeated Kronika (and soon retrieved the Krown from Shang), Kitana became a goddess before Aftermath's incidences, and they watched over Earthrealm and Edenia. As Liu observed the dystopian future, he transported Aiko and Baraka into the past. He had been watching over Earthrealm once he did, anticipating for Armageddon or a repeat of the Revenant invasion. He noticed the former as his amulet began to crack. He then watched over Taven's journey in hopes on assisting the heroes and defeating Blaze. Everything began to come to a head as he transferred riddles to Aiko and Raiden, that He must win, and their hearts must be one and together. Raiden and the younger Liu Kang merged, and Blaze decimated the Pyramid while he changed the trajectory! Since Armageddon was over, the elders Liu and Kitana were free to roam to any time!
It was revealed that the so-called mystical portal that the Oriental, the Edenian, Orin and Caro were looking thru was the one emanating at the epicenter of the Hourglass! Fire God Liu Kang was the chronokinetic watching over the events that unfolded throughout history up till Armageddon! Even when he randomly shifted to his and Aiko's dystopian future when the Revenant invasion began, even further as he took back Baraka as time was being manipulated by Kano (inspired by MK: Legends).
== Kontentment ==
The Hourglass stood within Kronika's Keep until the titaness rewound to the prehistoric era with Liu caught in it. He was able to defeat her, and Raiden encouraged him to resculpt history. At the other side of a ravine, Liu went to it. And it stood tall within the meteorite it was first developed. Together with Kitana, Liu was about to expedite time until they were interrupted by Shang who coaxed them that they can't use it without Kronika's Krown, in doing so would shatter all of existence! Liu decided to stay with Kitana and the Hourglass while Shang, Nightwolf and Fujin retrieved the Krown at Shang's Island before Jax and Jacqui!
After the sorcerer defeated Kronika, he worn the Krown and was about to begin his New Era, before Liu intervened. After a tough battle, he rewound the Hourglass to the Chaotian Age when Kitana awaited. But he caved into fatigue, so Kitana dashed to when Edenia was developed and took him thru it! It still remained safe on the meteorite, even until the couple returned, then fastforwarded to 1492 when Liu trained the Great Kung Lao.
After he succumbed to his injuries by Goro, Liu erased all history, reformed Yin Yang Island where the chrono objects remained and witnessed his promising mortal self in the first modern tournament! It still stood proudly within the isle, and he made Caro as its new guardian!
== Koherence ==
The Hourglass still stood as majestic as an impenetrable mountain. Fire God Liu Kang escorted Aiko and Kung Lao there as he wanted to show them the connections with the Makeba and the aboriginals of Earth. Wearing the Krown, he activated the eye as the trio watched the world take shape and evolve with Pangea splitting up and the inhabitants taking in its center and the left portions soon to be Africa and the Americas. He then shifted it to 1991 when the young Aiko became entranced as a few of the events happened in real-time before being televised such as the African dance and the Montanna trip, then it shifted to her growing up and encountering different forms of media with the same effect as before. Liu then rewound back eons to trace her lineage until he followed to her numerous ancestors from European nationality and even...Matokan after they occupied the colonies! Although, thankfully, they weren't being mutilated as Aiko often felt regretful on what they went thru... Liu came to the conclusion that Aiko's lineage was the connection and she must embrace it as a part of herself.
== Trivia ==
* Inside the Hourglass flow the literal Sands of Time, with both the sands and the hourglass itself commonly used as a visual metaphor to represent the passage of time itself across various media.
* In most endings, the Hourglass transforms the user's body and clothing as they become Keeper of Time.
** Despite all endings giving the winner freedom to rewrite history with the Hourglass, none of them depict the victor with the Crown as Aftermath reveals its necessity to control it despite it being left behind after her death.
*** Even more confusing is that Fujin, Sheeva and Robocop - characters introduced in Aftermath where this plot point was revealed - do not wear the Crown in their endings when they use the Hourglass.
== Gallery ==
File:Mk11 Kronika's Hourglass.webp
File:Prehistoricage.webp|Hourglass in the Prehistoric era, and at Liu and Kitana's Yin Yang Island
File:Hourglass in Chaotian Age.webp|Hourglass in Chaotian Age
File:MK11 Fire God Liu Kang and Mortal Raiden.webp|Fire God Liu Kang and mortal Raiden with the Hourglass
File:Kronika's Hourglass MK1.webp|Kronika's Hourglass (MK1)
HourglassDamaged.webp|Hourglass Carnaged
File:Cheung Nursery.png|The Hourglass, albeit fake, located in Cheung's nursery
Category:Mortal Kombat
Category:Chronokinetic
Category:Objects
Category:Artifacts
Category:Relics
Category:Magi-Tech