Post by jurneejakes on Jul 27, 2008 12:48:01 GMT -5
An episode from my Kim Possible: All Good Things... series originally located on www.fanfiction.net. Taking place a week before Christmas a year and a half after the ending of the television series, Ron has once again been forced to summon his Mystical Monkey Powers and must now face three other bearers of the Monkey Power. As of the beginning of the All Good Things... series, Kim and Ron have entered college, and have been sharing an apartment for a number of weeks.
Kim Possible: An Unstoppable Christmas Carol
Prologue
Ron woke with a start. The television before him was showing quiet static and the DVD player was still on. He looked around, blinking his bleary, tired eyes. Rufus was still snoring, his tiny claws securing him to Ron’s sleeve. Kim was still as well, and Ron carefully glided the fingers of his free hand through her hair before pulling a blanket over her shoulders. He smiled. Waking up to find himself surrounded by the people he loved the most was perhaps the best Christmas wish he could hope for.
“I love you guys.” he whispered to Kim and Rufus. He watched them both smiled sweetly as he ran his fingers through Kim’s hair again.
“I can’t say the feeling is mutual, my good chap.” came a familiar voice. With the quiet laugh of a monkey, Lord Monty Fisk stepped out from the shadows. Before Ron could react, Monkey Fist pressed a finger to his own lips. “Shh... you wouldn’t want to wake your precious dumpling, would you?”
Ron glared at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be buried and gone, or something?” he whispered.
“Hardly.” Monkey Fist replied with a hint of sarcasm slipping through his well educated English accent. “I am only here as a messenger.” he said, sitting in a chair across for Ron. “May I?” he asked, reaching out with a prehensile foot and taking a fistful of popcorn. Ron gave a disgusted look.
“My baby sister defeated you. I’m the ultimate monkey master now, Monkey Fist. I can take you now too!” Ron said. He heart was beating hard now though. Monkey Fist was his original arch foe and even though he had just faced down a giant Diablo robot single handedly, Ron couldn’t help be feel a little intimidated.
“Yes... I know.” Monkey Fist admitted in a low voice, steepling his fingers. “After all my sacrifices and research. After all my training that I put towards becoming the ultimate monkey master... only to have it all go to a buffoon of a teenager!” he shouted.
“Dude! Are you going to rant much more, because I’m kinda tired and I don’t think KP would take kindly to being woken up to a villain in her own apartment.” Ron said with a yawn.
“Don’t worry. Neither of your... friends will awaken before I am gone.” Monkey Fist said with a grin.
“KP?” Ron asked, shaking his leg slightly. “KP!” he shouted. “What’d you do to her?! Rufus?” he asked, shaking his arm. Neither of them even stirred.
“I haven’t done anything.” Monkey Fist continued. “And as much as I’d like to end your meager existence, I’m afraid that I cannot. What I can do to increase your suffering though... is to deliver the message that I have been sent to.”
“What?” Ron asked, confused.
Monkey Fist rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. “I will never understand why you were given such an honor. A boy... with a phobia of all things simian, even!” he sighed. “No matter. What’s done is done.” he said, standing. “Tonight, you will be visited by three beings! Pay attention to what they have to show you, and both wisdom and lore of your abilities will be granted to you.”
“Coolio!” Ron said with a grin.
Monkey Fist sighed again. “Why on Earth was I sent to you as a punishment?” he asked himself. He pointed at Ron. “You, boy, will undoubtedly fail and since you and that rodent are the last creatures that can experience the mystical monkey power, the secrets of it will be lost forever. How does that make you feel?” Monkey Fist leaned in close and threateningly.
Ron shrugged.
Monkey Fist stood straight once again. “As I thought. You destroyed the mystical monkey idols and now its secrets will die with you. Take heed my message, boy.” he grinned and turned, heading towards the door. “Or you and your precious friends... will be doomed.” he said, moving through the closed door.
Ron leapt up and ran to the door, tossing Rufus from his arm and dropping Kim onto the floor.
“Ron!” Kim said, rubbing her head in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“Monkey Fist was here!” Ron shouted, looking each way down the hall before closing the door and locking it again.
“What?” Kim asked, confused as she picked up Rufus and set him in his bed.
“Monkey Fist! He said I was going to be visited by three beans!” Ron exclaimed.
“Beans?” Kim asked, looking down at the DVD case. “Ron, you were dreaming.” she said, holding up the movie ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Ron looked back at her, unconvinced. “Are you sure, KP?”
“I’m sure.” Kim replied with a smile and a yawn. “Come to bed, okay?”
Ron watched Kim stagger to the bedroom and turn of the light. He stood where he was for a moment, looking around the room in the darkness. With a worried look, he sprinted to the bedroom and closed the door behind him.
He never had the chance to notice the samurai that was standing in the living room.
Chapter One
Ron laid in bed, one arm around Kim’s shoulders as her head rested on his chest and he held her hand with his. He could feel her breath as she snuggled up close. She was fast asleep but Ron’s eyes were wide open and his hearing was as alert as it had ever been.
With a tiny scratch at the door, Ron tensed. “Kim?” he whispered. “You awake?”
“Huh?” she stirred.
“There’s something outside the door.” Ron said.
“Rufus. He probably wants in. Could you open the door for him?” Kim asked through a yawn as she rolled over.
“This is why I kept a kitty door in my room...” Ron whispered to himself, peering into the darkness from over the covers. He sighed, sticking a leg out from under the covers and tip toeing over to the door. Slowly opening the door, he looked through the crack and down, heaving a sigh. Rufus staggered through and climbed the side of the bed to snuggle up at Kim’s feet.
Ron smiled. “Poor tired little...oi!” he yelped as an armored, hand grabbed him by the neck. The door to the bedroom slammed shut and Ron was forcibly turned to face his attacker.
“Are you Ron Stoppable?!” came a deep, resonating voice.
Ron grinned nervously. “Uh, well... that depends...”
Blue glowing eyes enveloped in shadow narrowed at him. “Are you a Monkey Kung Fu Master?!” the armored figure shouted.
“Well, I wouldn’t say master, really...” Ron said. Suddenly, the figure drew a katana from a sheath on his hip and raised it for a strike. “Wait!” Ron cried. “I’m Ron Stoppable! An ultimate monkey master! I’m five foot ten, nineteen years old and get rescued regularly by a girl!”
The armored figure dropped him and sheathed the katana. “You do not sound like a Monkey Kung Fu Master.” he said, turning his back on Ron.
Ron sniffled, hugging his arms around his chest. “Is it an accent thing? Because I recently found out I’m Canadian and...”
The figure turned back to face him. “You sound like a child.”
“Hey, come on! You attack me in my underwear and threaten to cut my head off with the Lotus Blade and then expect me to not cry like a little girl?!” Ron whined.
The samurai sounded surprised. “You recognize the Lotus Blade?”
“Uh, yeah...” Ron said, looking back at the bedroom door and sighing, realizing neither Kim nor Rufus were about to wake up. “Know it. Wielded it. Like I said, I’ve got the monkey power. Uhm... you mind if I put some clothes on if I’m going to be fighting evil today?” The figure nodded, and Ron stepped toward the closet next to the front door. Pulling on his mission gear, he looked at the samurai that continued standing in his living room. “So I guess you’re one of the dudes Monkey Fist talked about.” he said, laying down on the couch. “Okay, go ahead and teach. I’m listenin’.” he said, folding his arms behind his head.
“I am Toshimiru, a master of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar...” the samurai stated, looking at Ron as he slept on the couch, snoring. Toshimiru sighed and shook his head.
“Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru said, giving Ron a kick in the side. “Wake up.”
“Ow! Hey, what the?” Ron shouted as he rolled over. Gross tickled his face and he sat up, supporting himself on his elbows. “Uh, where are we?” he asked, looking around. From what he could tell, they were at the base of a mountain and he was laying in a grassy field in the middle of the day.
“We are at the base of Mount Yamanouchi in Japan.” Toshimiru said, beginning to walk away.
“Hey wait! I’ve got classes tomorrow! You can’t leave me in Japan!” Ron shouted, struggling to get up.
“Then follow.”
Ron caught up quickly and matched pace with the samurai. “Y’know, I’ve actually done a little bit of research into the monkey kung fu thing... can I ask a question?”
Toshimiru grunted.
“Uh, okay... so you were the first mystical monkey master, right? How’d that come about anyway?” Ron asked.
“Many years ago, I discovered a number of monkey statues that had been hidden away for centuries, and...”
“You got hit by a funky beam of light? Yeah. Been there, done that. Hey, if Monkey Kung Fu is Chinese, why are we in Japan?” Ron asked.
Toshimiru grunted as he stepped through a waterfall.
“Oh, come on! That’s a cop-out!” Ron shouted. “Why do teachers never answer the tough questions?” he asked himself before following. “Hey, Toshimiru-dude, sir? Just so you know, your school kinda got destroyed last time I was here so if it doesn’t look quite the same, it’s not my fault!” Ron said nervously.
“School?” Toshimiru asked.
“Yeah. The Yamanouchi Secret Ninja School.” Ron explained as though it should be obvious. “Hey, I wonder if Yori’s still here? I haven’t seen her in ages!”
Ron and Toshimiru came to a great chasm separating the peak they were on from where the school... should have been. But there was no rope bridge, no dorm building, no dojo. There was solid mountain topped by a sinister temple that Ron found to be vaguely familiar. “You must help me, Ron Stoppable. The monkey king seeks to enslave these lands, and with his power, he can.”
“Then why hasn’t he?”
“Hasn’t what?”
“Enslaved the land already? Is it because there’s no bridge from there to here, because I have to admit, that’s a major design flaw.”
“He grows his army. He is patient.”
“Okay, but what happened to the school?” Ron asked, worried.
“There is no school. Only the destroyer’s temple.”
“Destroyer?” Ron asked, realization kicking in. “You mean Yono?!”
“Yes, young Stoppable. Yono the destroyer resides within that temple.” Toshimiru said.
“Whoa, wait a second. Yono is here, there is no school... and well, you’re alive... so that means...”
Toshimiru stared down at him.
“Come on, big guy. Help me out here. That means... are we in the past?”
Toshimiru nodded.
“Awesome! I so had a paper due tomorrow that wasn’t done!” Ron shouted and Toshimiru clapped an armored hand over his mouth. “Sneaky. Quiet time. Gotchya.” Ron smiled.
“We will strike at dusk.” Toshimiru said. “And we will battle...”
“Till dawn?” Ron asked, folding his arms over his chest. Toshimiru nodded. “Gonna be a long night...”
As night fell, Toshimiru and Ron stepped up to peer at the Yono Temple again. “So how’re we gonna get across?” Ron asked.
Toshimiru sat, crossing his legs into a lotus position. Slowly, he began to float. “Use your mystical monkey power.”
As Toshimiru began to float across the chasm, Ron watched after him, then looked down into the clouds that surrounded the peak he was on. “Not too likely...” he said, pulling his grapple gun from his back pack. He loaded a piercing head and took aim at a small speak halfway across. Squinting, he squeezed the trigger. The grappling spike narrowly missed Toshimiru’s head and ricocheted off of the stone Ron had been aiming at. He cringed. “Sorry!” he whispered, but the samurai continued on without flinching. “I’ll have to get Wade to fix the sights on this thing.” he said, retracting the cable.
He carefully took aim again and, going for lower on the peak. The spike drilled in on impact and Ron swung over to the halfway point. Climbing to the top, he caused the spike to undrill and reloaded it. Toshimiru was standing on the other side, waiting. “Show off.” Ron whispered. He fired the grapple again and swung across the remainder of the chasm.
“Why do you not use your mystical monkey power?” Toshimiru asked.
“Y’know, after it not being there when I could have used it for so long, it’s kinda hard to trust.”
“Mmm.” Toshimiru said, nodding. “And yet it was there to summon when you need it most?”
“Against Warhok?” Ron asked as they began sneaking up to the temple. “But he was about to kill Kim! I... I couldn’t let that happen.” he said, hanging his head at the memory.
“Ah.” Toshimiru said with a smile. “It comes from the power of your love for a woman! That is the most powerful of all.”
“Kim’s not exactly in danger too often, though.” Ron said.
Toshimiru almost laughed. “When is a woman not in danger?”
“Uh, yeah... news flash. I’m from the twenty first century. Women have changed, dude.” Ron said.
The samurai grunted as he drew his sword. “We are in an ambush.”
“How can you tell?” Ron asked as what seemed like a thousand beady eyes flashed in the darkness around them. “See, this is usually the part where Kim comes in and saves me.”
“A woman saves you?” Toshimiru asked, moving back with Ron as monkey ninjas closed in. “Does she have the mystical monkey power too?”
“No. She’s just a basic average girl. Well, not average, average. Save the world, super hero kinda average.” Ron said, touching his chin in thought. “Y’know, she’s really kind of a basic extraordinary girl, actually.”
“Young Stoppable-san... I believe we should stop talking and begin our battle.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s do everything that YOU want to do.”
Chapter Two
Toshimiru was batting away monkey ninjas by the dozens while Ron ducked, weaved, and generally stayed out of the way. “Ron Stoppable, I could use your assistance.” Toshimiru said.
“You know, I’m really more into the staying out of the way style of ninja fighting.” Ron replied. Toshimiru stomped the ground, causing a crater beneath his foot that tossed a crowd of warriors away from him. Snatching Ron by the collar, Toshimiru began sprinting up the stairs, the Lotus Blade cutting a swath through the continuous stream of monkey ninjas that exited the temple.
Ron was kicking away monkey ninjas as he was dragged up the steps, screaming and flailing the whole way. “Why am I always being dragged to my death?!” he shouted.
“Ron Stoppable! Either you fight with me, or I will destroy you myself!” Toshimiru said, dropping him. The Lotus Blade rang, morphing into a Bo staff that Toshimiru whirled around himself as a shield, flinging monkey ninjas to and fro.
Ron crawled away. “I though you were supposed to teach me something first!”
“I am trying to!” Toshimiru stated between strikes.
“Ah. Tough love approach, huh? You wouldn’t happen to have any descendants by the name of Barkin, would you?”
The samurai glared at him.
Ron sighed. “No, I thought not.”
“Protect my back, Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru ordered. “I will face Yono the destroyer alone.”
“Dude, I really don’t think that that’s a...” Ron began. As Toshimiru leapt into the temple entrance, he was thrown back, tumbling down the steps and bowling through the crowd of monkey ninjas. “... good idea.”
As Ron watched, a familiar diminutive monkey in a purple robe stepped through the temple door. “I am Yono! I am the Monkey King!”
“You...” Ron whispered. Yono ignored him, instead leaping high and landing at Toshimiru’s feet. The resulting shockwave tossed the samurai up onto the roof of a nearby building of stone. The Lotus Blade flew in the opposite direction, changing back into its natural sword form and piercing the steps of the temple.
“Toshimiru, you should not have come here.” Yono said, seemingly stepping more than jumping the distance to where Toshimiru struggled to stand. The sound of a thousand monkeys rang through the air as Toshimiru lunged at Yono. The samurai glowed with a fiery blue aura that matched Yono’s red. Thunder crashed overhead as they met and Toshimiru knocked Yono from the roof top, causing a crater where they landed.
“Your reign will end here, Destroyer!” Toshimiru said, pummeling Yono with his fists.
In a deceptively deep voice, Yono laughed. “Yono is eternal! You cannot defeat me and my armies, Toshimiru!” With an acrobatic flip, Yono tossed the samurai off and blasted him with a yellow ray of energy. Toshimiru extended his arms, blocking the ray in a flurry of blue light. Yono leapt straight up, now fully encompassed by his red aura and continued throwing beams of yellow energy at Toshimiru.
Ron was shaking his head as he watched the battle below. It was like watching Shego and Kim’s battle in Buenos Nachos headquarters again. When he was helpless. “Not again.” he said through clenched jaws. He looked down the steps at the Lotus Blade and began running down the temple stairs.
Yono was tossing blast after blast at Toshimiru, who was doing his best to dodge or block each one. Finally, an energy blast tore through Toshimiru’s chest plate, knocking him down. Yono landed softly at his feet, grinning. “You are defeated, Toshimiru.”
Toshimiru staggered, climbing to his feet. “There is still another that can defeat you, Destroyer.”
“The whelp you brought with you? I think not.” Yono stated and as he leaned forward, beams of light fired from his eyes, striking Toshimiru and turning him to stone. The Monkey King raised his fists in victory and laughed. “Now, the Lotus Blade is...”
“Mine.” Ron said, holding the katana low as he stepped into view.
Yono turned and grinned. “Yours? Ah. So the apprentice has replaced the master, has he? This should be amusing.”
“It end tonight.” Ron said, still casually holding the sword.
“Oh, I know.” Yono said, floating once again and firing blasts of energy at Ron. Ron didn’t seem to even twitch. As no more than a blur, Ron met Yono in mid flight with a shoulder check, knocking him through the wall of a stone hut as Ron landed gracefully.
The thunder around them increased in intensity and the sky swirled red. Yono scrambled to his feet and glared at Ron, his eyes flashing. Ron charged, batting aside mystical energy blasts with the Lotus Blade as he got closer to Yono.
Yono leapt high and Ron shifted the Lotus Blade’s form into a staff, pole vaulting up to the Destroyer’s height, pelting him with an outstretched foot. Again, Yono crashed through a stone wall.
Ron landed on both feet, spinning the staff around him as an extension of his body before ending in a stone monkey kata, calling the Monkey King on. Yono struggled to his feet and held out an open palm, feeling the rain as it began to fall. “Who are you?” he asked in his resonating voice.
“I’m Ron Stoppable. You turned my master to stone. Prepare to die.” Ron replied. Yono moved in a blur, charging Ron with a flurry of kicks and strikes. With apparent randomness and ease, Ron blocked each one. Yono growled, finally wrapping his arms around Ron’s waist and jumped high. “Get off of me you dirty monkey!” Ron shouted, bringing up a knee into Yono’s chin.
Within moments, the pair were above the clouds and Yono turned, diving. Ron felt the rain rush around him as they descended. He was struggling to block Yono’s close up strikes and clenched his hand around the Lotus Blade, concentrating. It flashed through a variety of implements before taking the form of a simple brick. “That’ll do.” Ron grinned, smashing it against Yono.
Yono howled, letting go and floating away. Ron continued to fall, tears beginning to form around his eyes. He though of Kim, of Rufus, of his parents and of Hannah. Then he grinned, turning over and pulling his arms in close to increase his velocity as the wind pulled at his jacket and cargo pants.
Yono grinned. He had decided that this battle had gone on long enough. Destroyed enough of his resources and wasted enough of his time. Descending slowly, Yono touched the ground, putting his hands into their opposite sleeves. He looked around for the blonde boy, but saw no impact, no body. Smiling intently to himself, Yono began climbing the destroyed steps of his temple, considering how long it will take to rebuild his fortress and armies.
Suddenly, he leapt back as Ron impacted the stairs in a crouch, sending out a massive shockwave that rippled the stone around him. Ron’s blue aura was intensifying as Yono back flipped to a safe distance. Ron waited, lifting his grapple gun. He had a grabber head loaded and he aimed carefully. “Here’s a little present from the future, dude.” he said, firing the grapple.
“What magic is this?” Yono asked as the grapple head clamped onto his robe. Ron pulled the cable taut and Yono began to hover in an attempt to escape. Leaning back, Ron began to rotate, swinging Yono around on the cable.
A swath of stone was cut into the temple where Yono flew. Ron stepped up to Yono as the monkey struggled to get up... and failed. “Merry Christmas.” Ron smiled as the rain began to turn to snow.
“You have... defeated me.” Yono said, rolling over onto his back. “What? What is happening to me?” he asked, watching as his arms and legs began to solidify into stone.
Ron stepped back as the temple began to sink. “Path of the Yono.” he said, shaking his head. He spun his grapple around his finger like he had seen Kim do several times before it flew off of his finger. “Aw man!”
An armored glove settled on Ron’s shoulder, and he looked up at Toshimiru as the man smiled. “You’ve done well, Ron Stoppable. With Yono the Destroyer defeated, the villages that surround Mount Yamanouchi will be safe through the winter.”
“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Toshimiru.” Ron said, picking up his grapple gun. “Here...” he said, handing the samurai the Lotus Blade. “Your school is gonna need this. Eventually.”
“Tell me, Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru said, taking the sword and walking away from the crater that the Yono Temple was buried in. “How did you know how to defeat Yono?”
“My baby sister Han defeated him... or, will, I guess.” Ron said.
“Han? Interesting.”
“Oh, I should tell you about graduation when I actually became an ultimate monkey master! I had to go into space with Shego, who’s got these super glowy hands...”
“Space?” Toshimiru asked.
“The stars.” Ron said, pointing towards the sky. “Anyway, she and I...”
Toshimiru stopped him. “I will record your deeds, Ron Stoppable.” he said as they reached the edge of the mountain. “But it is time for you to return to your home.”
“Oh. Well, that’s cool. I guess.” Ron said. He closed his eyes and threw his arms around the man. “I’m gonna miss you, dude!”
When no reply came, Ron opened his eyes to find that he was back in his apartment and hugging the refrigerator. Rufus looked up at him suspiciously. “What? Midnight snack, alright?”
Rufus chittered at him and walked away. Ron looked around the darkened kitchen and sighed. Kim was undoubtedly still sleeping and after the hard weekend she had just had, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. His retelling of his adventure could wait. He sat in his tattered mission clothes and turned on the television.
Static.
“Oh, come on!” Ron sighed.
“Ron Stoppable.” came a deep familiar voice.
Chapter Three
“Sensei?” Ron asked, bolting upright as a translucent figure in a floating lotus position appeared.
“Mmm...” Sensei replied with a nod.
“Dude! You’d never guess what this night has been like for me!” Ron shouted. “First, Monkey Fist shows up, telling me about three guys that are going to teach me about my monkey powers. Then I got to meet Toshimiru, and we kicked some Yono tail together and now I’m just waiting for the next two guys. You haven’t happened to see the next guy, have you?”
Sensei sat there, hovering.
“Wait, are you the next guy?”
Sensei nodded, and Ron sat down again into a lotus position on the couch. “Y’know, Kim’s yoga stretches have sure made this easier.” Ron said, staring up at Sensei. “So what have you got for me?”
“Follow me, Ron Stoppable.” the elderly ninja stated, seemingly without emotion.
“What?” Ron asked, looking down at his criss crossed legs. “You know how hard it is to sit like this?” Ron struggled to stand, but when he did, he noticed a translucent glow to his own hands. He spun around to find his body still sitting in the lotus position on the couch. “I’m a ghost!”
Sensei put a hand on his shoulder. “You have opened your mind, Stoppable-san.”
“And what, my ghost fell out?!” Ron asked in a panic. “Am I dead? Oh, Kim is gonna kill me!”
Sensei seemed as patient as he had when Ron first met him. “Come with me, Stoppable-san. There are things that you must see.”
“Well, I guess I won’t be doing anything else.” Ron said, slumping his shoulders.
Within only a few moments, Ron and Sensei were back in Japan, at the base of Mount Yamanouchi. Within one of the deepest chasms, Ron could see excavation equipment that were lying dormant, sitting quietly around a crater that Ron knew had held Monkey Fist’s stone form. “Someone freed Monkey Fist?”
Sensei shook his head. “No, Stoppable-san. Though even one such as Monkey Fist has had those that loved him.”
Ron became very sober as he thought about what Sensei was showing him. “And I helped destroy him, didn’t I?”
Sensei nodded.
“So what, I get shown how to master my monkey power and then that I shouldn’t use them?” Ron asked, his foot passing through a stone as he tried to kick it.
“You must learn that with great power...”
“Comes great responsibility?” Ron finished. “Yeah. Heard it, lived it, bought the movie rights.”
“Mmm.” Sensei nodded. “You must come to understand that even doing much good, there are consequences.”
“Like with the Lorwardians?”
Again, Sensei nodded. The scene before them blurred and they stood together outside of a colorful bi-level house with a large garden outside. “Here, you will learn of Monkey Fist’s fate.” Sensei said, leading Ron through the front door.
“Where are we?” Ron asked. The inside of the house was beyond joyful and even as a ghost, he nearly had to shield his eyes. Then he saw Monkey Fist’s stone face. Chiseled in agony, his former arch foe stood in amongst a wall of plush cuddle buddies. “That is sick and wrong!” Ron shouted, pointing.
“Mmm...” Sensei said with a nod. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Ron spun around.
“Come in!” rang a sing song voice that made Ron shudder. DNAmy danced into the room to answer the door.
“Poor Monkey Fist...” Ron said, letting his shoulders slump again.
“It is time to go, Stoppable-san.” Sensei told him.
“Oh, Bonnie! Ready for another session?” Amy asked the figure at the door. “I’ve got a new addition you’re just going to love!”
“Bonnie?!” Ron shouted, his attention perking up. “I thought she was...” Suddenly, the house around him began to fade. “What? No, wait!” he said, trying to hear what was said next.
But Bonnie and DNAmy were gone, replaced by an unfamiliar bedroom that was lined with pictures of Kim. ‘Humans’ magazines with Kim’s picture on the cover were strewn around the room and an old photo projector that ran with a news interview of Kim lit up one wall. “Obsess much?” Ron asked to no one in particular. He jumped as the door to the bedroom slammed open and Walter Nelson barged through, his jaw wired shut. “Walter?”
“Ron Stoppable!” Walter mumbled through his clenched jaw. “What Ronald, Kim?” he asked the posters on his wall as he paced, still in his black and grew Team Possible mission gear. “I mean, come on! The guy’s a loser, always has been!”
“Hey!” Ron shouted. “I don’t have to listen to this!” He looked around the room, then at Sensei and folded his arms over his chest. “Okay... I guess I do.”
“And he destroyed my Diablo!” Walter shouted, bringing his fist down on the desk in the corner of the room. “There’s only one person that could destroy him now...”
Ron floated over to what Walter was staring at. It was just another picture of Kim. He laughed. “Dude, that is so not going to work!” But Walter moved aside some papers, beginning to write down complex formula.
“Okay, this guy is really starting to creep me out. What exactly am I supposed to be learning here, Sensei?” Ron asked.
“You must understand that as you grow more powerful in your mystical monkey power, the more power your enemies will seek to attain.” Sensei explained as Walter’s room faded into Ron’s apartment living room.
Ron stared at the bedroom door. “What about Kim? Other than being a cheerleader hottie and honor role student with sixteen forms of Kung Fu... she’s still normal.”
“Ms. Possible has a destiny of her own, just as you do. You will do...”
“What my heart tells me?” Ron finished. He sighed, looking down at his yoga positioned body on the couch then back at the bedroom door. Passing through it, Ron looked down at Kim and Rufus as they slept. “Am I gonna lost them, Sensei?”
Sensei seemed to ponder the question. “There will come a time when you will be forced to choose between trusting in your powers, and trusting in your friends.”
“That’s not really helpful.” Ron said, sitting on the foot of the bed. “I mean, how can I trust my powers...”
“You are afraid, Stoppable-san.”
“Yeah. Monkey Fist had the mystical monkey power too, and look how he ended up. Even I was calling on Yono when Kim and I were evil, and... and...” Ron stammered. “Is it a good thing? I mean, good good?”
“Many forces in the world are what your heart makes them to be.”
“I haven’t been to Temple since the battle with Warhok.” Ron admitted. Kim had asked him a few times when he had stopped going, but he had purposely scheduled his work at Smarty Mart to cover it.
“Mmm.” Sensei nodded. “Your power has only been used to protect others, Stoppable-san. It blossoms from the love you hold in your heart for others.”
“I guess. I wish Kim had been the one to get it. At least she’d know what to use it for.” Ron said with a smile.
Sensei shook his head. “You were given the mystical monkey power for a reason.” It was the first time Ron had ever heard any impatience in his voice. “Come. You must return and await your next visitor.”
Ron followed Sensei back into the living room and sat back into his body on the couch. He opened his eyes, feeling his hands... and the pins and needles sensation in his legs. As he struggled to get up, a female voice spoke up from behind him.
“Ron Stoppable...”
“Oh, what? Does every entity in the Universe know my name?!” Ron shouted, falling off of the couch.
“You don’t look so tough.” the woman said.
Ron looked up to see a Japanese woman about his age wearing a tight purple shirt with a bare midriff and loose fitting black pants. He couldn’t help but think she looked vaguely like Yori. “Well hello, there.” he said in as charming a voice as he could muster.
She looked down at him with a look of mild disgust. “You really don’t want to go there.” she said.
Ron picked himself off of the floor, standing straight. “I’m tough! Honest!” he said with a whine. “Who are you?”
“No time for introductions at the moment.” the woman said, touching a button on her wrist watch, opening a rippling portal. “We’ve got a date...” she said.
“Sorry, I’m actually taken.” Ron said matter of factly. “Dating Kim Possible.” he grinned.
The woman smiled. “Good. Then I’ve got the right guy. Now come on!” she said, grabbing him by the collar and leaping through the portal.
“Waah!” Ron was shouting as he tumbled through a bright, flickering tunnel. The woman seemed to be only shaking her head at him, flying calmly through before rolling onto her feet as the tunnel came to an end. Ron hit concrete and was splayed out, groaning. “Now... where am I?”
“Middleton.” the woman smiled, helping Ron up.
Brushing himself off, Ron looked around. There were skyscrapers lining both sides of a six lane street that had cars of a design Ron had never seen before, zipping back and forth. “Riiight...” he said. “Let me guess. I should probably be asking when am I?”
The woman grinned, grabbing him by the sleeve. “I’ll have to explain later. Right now, we’ve got a meeting with the Director.” she said, pointing to the tall metallic blue tower in front of them.
Ron looked straight up at the massive GJ logo above the over abundance of glass doorways that had a constant stream of people coming in and out. “No way!”
“Way. Global Justice is the first line of defense against any and all terrorist threats.” the woman explained. “Now come on. I’m sure the Director will want to meet you.”
“Dr. Director’s still around?” Ron asked, following the woman through the glass door. The took an elevator down to the lower levels of the complex, standing silently together. Ron couldn’t help but look the woman up and down. Her outfit was vaguely similar to Kim’s new mission gear, yet with a militaristic look to it. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something oddly familiar about her.
Exiting the elevator, the woman led Ron to the end of two lines of GJ uniformed personnel and took a position at full attention, and enthusiastic grin on her face. “Just stand still, Ron.” she whispered.
Ron did as he was told until the crisp sound of heels clicking on the floor tempted his curiosity. At first, he tried darting his eyes down the aisle formed by the two lines of people, then poked his head out slightly to get a better look.
“Commander Stoppable!” came a vaguely familiar, if hardened, female voice.
“Yes, sir!” the Japanese woman said before Ron could respond. Ron squinted, trying to concentrate on her features.
Before Ron realized she was standing there, the Director stood in front of him and the woman beside him, arms crossed. “Who is this, Commander Stoppable? He looks a little small to be a GJ recruit.”
Ron stared dumbfounded at the woman before him. She was the same height as he was, with tired rings under her eyes that betrayed her attractive complexion and physique. But this wasn’t Betty, the Director that he knew, despite the blue military uniform and black eyepatch over her right eye. This Director had short red hair and a piercing green left eye that Ron would recognize anywhere... anytime. Fear and familiarity seemed to enter that one eye. “Hannah... who is this?” she whispered in a restrained, shaky voice.
“Hannah?” Ron asked in a surprised tone, looking at the Japanese woman.
“Director, this is Ron Stoppable. From twenty years ago. Merry Christmas, Aunt Kim.”
Chapter Four
Ron knew Kim for long enough to know when she was struggling to keep her composure. Though it had the sound of a whisper, Kim’s voice echoed through the hall. “In my office, Stoppable. Now.”
Both Hannah and Ron stepped to follow, but Kim held out a hand to his chest, careful not to touch him. “Not you.” Ron frowned, furrowing his brow. “Dismissed!” she ordered to the rest of the personnel standing there.
Hannah followed Kim into her office with Ron right behind her. “Aunt Kim, what’s wrong?”
“You were given express orders not to mess with the timeline, Stoppable.” Kim shouted once the door slid shut. She then turned her attention to Ron. “I thought I told you to wait outside!”
Ron shrugged. “I’ve got a problem with following direction.” he replied, stepping forward. “What happened, Kim? To you? To... y’know... us?”
“He deserves to know, Kim.” Hannah said.
“No, he doesn’t. And you shouldn’t have brought him here.” Kim argued. “It’ll put the time stream into flux.”
“Never stopped you before.” Hannah grinned.
“You Stoppables...” Kim said, narrowing her eye.
“I’ll let you two get reacquainted. Remember Kim, you’ve only got an hour or so.” Hannah told Kim, then turned to Ron. “Don’t let her scare you, big brother. She’s still a softy.” she said with a wink. Leaning in close, she whispered. “She’s still got her panderoo...”
“That’s enough, Stoppable.” Kim growled.
As Hannah left, Kim turned and straightened her uniform. “Your baby sister has the same disrespect for authority you did.” she said to Ron. “Not to mention the same penchant for Nacos...”
Ron grinned. It sounded as though something had gone right. “Uh, Kim?” he asked, having difficulty looking at a forty year old version of the woman he had just seen a few minutes before.
“It’s Director Possible, now.” she replied, looking away.
Ron narrowed his eyes. “KP... why did Hannah call you Aunt?”
Kim managed a smile. “It’s unofficial. When she decided to join me, I guess I raised her. She’s been called me that ever since.”
“Joined you? As in, like a sidekick?” Ron asked.
“Sort of. Once you...” Kim’s voice cracked.
Ron reflexively reached out to her hand and she recoiled instantly. “Kim, what happened to us?” He couldn’t believe that they could have possibly split up at any time.
Kim turned, lifting a picture that sat on her desk. It was a photograph of Kim, Ron, Felix, Zita, Josh, Tara, Monique, and a dark skinned man holding Monique that Ron didn’t recognize. They were all standing on some kind of deck with a lake in the background. Kim sighed. “The world’s at peace, Ron. If I tell you things and you go back... there’s no telling what might happen.”
“World peace?” Ron asked, a little surprised. “Did they come up with a prison that Dementor couldn’t escape from?” he joked.
“Dementor... now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” Kim said, putting the picture down. “No, Ron. There’s only one place that no one comes back from.”
Ron’s face fell. “You mean...”
“Yes, Ron. The super villains of the world have all been destroyed. It took awhile for new ones to stop cropping up, but eventually they got the message. There’s only one left that we haven’t been able to defeat...” Kim explained, unconsciously reaching up to her eye patch.
“Can I ask...”
“The eye patch?” Kim smiled. “You always were bold. Chimera. She was the second villain I went after and the only one to get away. She’s the only one left, and has become the most powerful.”
“Kim, I can’t believe that anything could happen that would make you outright destroy anyone. I mean, even Drakken and Shego went back to jail after the whole Erik sitch.” Ron said.
“Drakken and Shego didn’t take you away from me.” Kim glared. She touched a button on her miniaturized wrist Kimmunicator. “Hannah?”
“Yeah, Kim?” came Hannah’s voice.
“Take Ron around to meet the crew. I’ve got things to do today.” Kim replied, looking straight at Ron.
“Kim, come on! It’s me, Ron!” he insisted, grabbing at his jacket.
“I know, Ron.” Kim said, opening the door as Hannah walked through.
“Come on, big brother. Don’t let Ms. Crankypants ruin your Christmas.” Hannah grinned. Kim stood with her arms crossed, waiting. Ron looked her in the eye, looking for the optimistic, joyful and full of life girl he had known all of his life and fell in love with. But Kim’s face was stone cold.
As the door slid shut behind them, Ron looked over at Hannah. “Han, how’d Kim get like that?”
She shrugged. “I was too young to remember any details, and Kim would probably kill me if I told you...” she said, leading Ron into and up the elevator. “But I imagine she’s probably told you I have a problem with authority.” she grinned.
“Yeah.” Ron said, stepping out of the elevator and bumping into a blue metallic humanoid. “Oh, sorry dude.”
“Watch it buffoon!” came a familiar voice.
“Dr. Drakken?!” Ron asked. The shape of the body looked angular for the most part, and had a slight resemblance to Drakken’s BeBe bots in construction. “You’re a robot!”
“And you can kiss my shiny metal...” he replied.
“Dr. D! That’s my brother you’re talking to.” Hannah warned. Dr. Drakken glared at Ron and growled, moving past him into the elevator.
“Where’s Shego?” Ron asked, watching the elevator door slide shut. “Don’t tell me she went evil and Kim...”
“No.” Hannah interrupted. “She got hit by Chimera early on. Chimera got her glow first, then went on to the rest of Team Go, as well as Drakken. Fortunately, he was able to transfer his consciousness into the robot body.” she explained. “Anyway, you were asking about Kim.”
“Yeah, she seems so sad. She said someone took me away from her.” Ron said, not certain if he wanted to know the answer.
“It was your wedding day.” Hannah smiled fondly. “I’m told I was only three years old when I got to be the flower girl.”
“Three? You’re almost three where I come from!”
“Really?” she grinned. “I guess you’d better get started on that then.” Hannah opened a sealed glass door into a laboratory. “From what I’ve heard growing up, someone hit you with a beam of some kind. Kim went ballistic and wound up... well, the guy didn’t get a second shot. After that, something in her died. Every mission she had ended with the destruction of every villain she came across.”
“Except Chimera...” Ron said.
“Wade, online.” Hannah ordered as they entered the lab. “Right. I guess Kim and Chimera really have a hate for each other. Always have.”
Ron shook his head. “Don’t know a Chimera.”
“Hey, Hannah.” Wade said. “I see you found Ron.”
Ron looked up at a projection of Wade, just as Ron remember him. “Hey Wade, my man! You haven’t aged at all!”
“Of course not. I’m a hologram now!” Wade replied.
“Just a hologram?” Ron asked.
“When Kim started getting aggressive in her missions, some villains opted to go after who she had left in her life. Both of your guys parents tried to stick by her, but when things started getting hairy, she pushed them all away.” Hannah whispered.
“She lost everyone?” Ron asked, his throat beginning to tighten.
“You were always there to keep her heart light, Ron. Without you...” Hannah stopped.
“I always thought I was just getting in the way. Watching her back, sure... but.” Ron said, feeling his knees grow weak.
“You were always more than that, big brother. Kim really could do anything so long as she had you for back up.” Hannah said.
“But she saved the world!” Ron exclaimed.
“At a pretty high cost, Ron.” Wade said. “I’ve got detailed files on everything that’s... wait a sec.”
“What’s the sitch, Wade?” Hannah asked.
“Chimera just struck again! This time in Arizona!” Wade replied.
“Better let Kim know, and get a team together.” Hannah ordered.
“Already done.” Wade grinned.
“You rock, Wade.” Hannah smiled.
“Okay, so what’s going on?” Ron asked, interjecting.
“Oh.” Hannah said, as though noticing him for the first time. “You won’t have time, Ron. You have to go back before your window closes.”
“What?!” Ron shouted. “You can’t tell and show me all of this and then just send me home!”
“We can and will.” said Kim as she stepped through the door. “Electronique, is the weapon ready?”
The cybernetic female stepped out from behind a rack of equipment, holding a pistol sized contraption. “Yez, my dear. Difficult to tezt though, zeeing az how zpecialized it iz.”
“It’ll have to do.” Kim said. “Hannah, send Ron back and get suited up. Jet leaves in one minute.”
Ron turned to Kim, his eyes narrowing. “Now way, Kim. I’ve got your back.”
Kim poked a finger at his chest, hard enough to leave a bruise. “You stepping in the way when I can handle things is what got you killed in the first place, Ron!” she shouted. “If it had been me, you could’ve... could’ve...”
“I could’ve what, Kim?” Ron asked, suddenly cold. She had slipped. He had somehow sacrificed himself for her and she hadn’t been able to save him. But how could he change that? How could he allow Kim to be killed if he had the chance to save her?”
“Tell him, Kim. He needs to know.” Hannah said.
Kim looked at her with her left eye. “The world’s at peace. How can I sacrifice that for my own self interest?!”
Hannah’s wrist watch beeped. “It’s time to go, Ron.” she said, opening the portal. “Don’t worry, we can handle Chimera. There’ll always be a Stoppable watching Kim’s back.” she said with a wink.
Ron back away from Kim towards the portal. “If I can do something, KP, I will!” he shouted over the wind that accompanied the portal.
Kim reached out to him with a hand. “It’s been nice to see you again, Ron.”
“Good luck, Kim.” Ron replied, stepping back. He tumbled through the portal again, thinking back over the night. He had learned that his monkey powers had always been used to protect, even if it meant lethally. He thought back to the moments when he had tried to summon them in an attempt to directly attack, and they had never come. He had learned that he would need them, if not to protect Kim, but to protect all the innocent of the world, just as Kim did.
He had also learned that Kim needed him. As a partner, as an equal. And he had learned that he didn’t... couldn’t... always protect her. Even with his mystical monkey power.
Ron hit the floor with a thud. It was dark and he reached out to find where he was. There was no portal that he could tell. “Ron? What’s wrong?”
It was Kim’s voice. The Kim he knew. He stood up, discovering he was now in his boxers. He felt the bed and crawled up behind Kim. His cheeks were wet, yet he was grinning like a fool. “I’m just glad you’re here, KP.”
“Must have been quite a dream to wind you up on the floor.” Kim responded with a yawn as she tucked his hand up against her chest. “Well, get some sleep. We’ve got finals this week.” she said, snuggling into his warmth.
Ron didn’t sleep.
Chapter Five
“So how did finals go, honey?” Anne Possible asked her daughter. She was supervising the potato masher that Jim and Tim had worked up for the holidays.
“No big, mom. Aced, as always.” Kim grinned, shaking her hips in a victory dance as she placed a bowl of beets on the dining room table. The table had been expanded to allow extra seating for the Stoppables. Despite celebrating Hanukkah instead of Christmas, they had decided to take Kim’s parents up on their invitation since Kim and Ron were only there for the week. “Have you seen Ron?” she asked.
“I think he’s up on the deck.” Jim said as he and Tim walked through the kitchen, each stealing a taste of the turkey.
“Hey! Cut that out!” Kim’s mother shouted at the twins and Kim grabbed hers and Ron’s jackets on her way up the stairs.
Kim slowly opened the patio door to find Ron in his blue sweater, hugging his knees and staring up at the night sky. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked, wrapping his jacket around him and sitting. She tucked an arm under his and gave his hand a squeeze.
“Hmm? Oh, hey Kim. Thanks.” he said, entwining his fingers around hers. “Just needed some fresh air, I guess.” Rufus chittered in agreement from his resting place on Ron’s shoulder.
“You seem... thoughtful.” Kim smiled. “Talked to your parents yet? About us?”
“That and a few other things.” Ron admitted. His dad had accepted his and Kim’s new living arrangements better than his mother had. But after facing down Kim’s dad on that subject, his own parents seemed easy.
“Like what?” Kim asked, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. That last week had been composed mainly of studying for both of them and they hadn’t had much time to talk. Ever since the battle with Walter and her dad’s eventual acceptance of them living together, he seemed to have matured.
“I asked my dad what he thought of my monkey powers. From a religious point of view, I mean.” Ron said.
“And?” Kim asked, cuddling up to him.
“He said that while he didn’t have all the answers, he knew that I’d never use them for anything bad. He said he was proud of me. For standing up to the Lorwardians and for helping to save the world all these years.”
“We’re all proud of you, Ron. You really stepped up when we needed you. When I needed you.” she paused. “Why did you wait so long to use them again?”
“I guess I needed to know I wouldn’t turn out like Monkey Fist. That it wouldn’t make me evil.” Ron surmised.
“And you know that now?” Kim asked.
Ron stood up, helping Kim up as well with an outstretched hand. “I want to show you something.” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The hair on his neck began to stand on end and he could feel a warm wind envelope them both.
Kim watched as a blue light shone out from Ron and dark rings formed under his eyes. Suddenly, their feet left the patio and Kim held onto Ron’s shoulders. “Ron, I...” he comment was silenced as he opened his eyes halfway for a moment before kissing her. “Ron, you know you’re not a sidekick anymore, right?” she asked, not bothering to look down to see where the ground was.
“I... I’m not?” he asked.
Kim pulled herself close. “Of course now.” she whispered into his ear. “From now on, we’re partners.” she felt her feet touch the patio once again and the wind and blue aura dissipated. “You’ve come a long way, potential boy. Come on, let’s get some Christmas dinner.”
The rest of the night was a typical festive Possible Christmas. Even Drew and Shego had called from the GJ base in Go City to ask how things were going. Kim could hear Shego arguing with her brothers in the background. “Some things never change.” Kim said to herself as she hung up the phone.
“Is everything alright, dear?” Nana asked. She was looking tired tonight. Kim smiled at her, wrapping her arms around the frail shoulders that she knew had once stood side by side with shoulders and Shoalin monks alike.
“Everything’s perfect, Nana.” Kim said.
“And how are you and Ron doing?” Nana managed a smile, nudging her with an elbow. “Any chance of some great grandchildren before an old woman passes on?” she smiled slyly. “I’ve pretty much given up on your cousin Larry...”
Kim blushed. “Nana!”
“Oh, don’t worry, dear. I’m sure you’ve still got some time before that happens.” Nana said, slowly walking away.
Kim watched after her, thinking. “Mom?” she asked. Her mother was finishing filling the third load into the dishwasher and Kim stepped over to help. “Is Nana okay?”
“Oh, she’s fine honey. It’s been a big day for everyone.” Anne responded, pouring herself an eggnog. “So..?”
“So what?” Kim asked.
“What happened after we left?” he mother smiled.
“Last weekend? We watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch.” Kim said with a shrug.
“That’s all?” Anne asked.
“Yes...” Kim insisted. “Why?”
“Ron seems different, that’s all. Just curious if you were telling everything there is to tell to Nana.” Anne smiled.
“No, I’m not...” Kim began.
“Go for it, Ron!” shouted one of the twins from the crowded living room.
“He seems a little more mature.” her mother commented. “I guess you’ve been good for him.”
Kim turned to look at what trouble the Tweebs were getting Ron into. “Matured? Yeah. But still...” The living room lit up with a bright flash and a loud blast as Ron pulled the ends of a Tweeb modified Christmas cracker, leaving him coughing and sputtering, with soot on his face as Jim and Tim laughed. “... full of child-like wonder.” Kim smiled as Ron met her eyes for a moment, then grinned as his baby sister tackled him to the floor. “And I wouldn’t want him any other way.”
Epilogue
Kim Possible stepped through the sliding glass doorway, limping. “Wade, online.”
“Right here, Kim. How’d it go?” Wade asked, his digitized voice echoing in the empty laboratory. “Where’s Hannah?”
“Let me see him, Wade.” Kim said, her voice cold and devoid of emotion. “Now.” Wade’s imaged faded and a pillar in the center of the laboratory began to open. The lights dimmed and Kim stepped toward the bubble of anti-time that contained Ron Stoppable. He was very much alive, and not a day over when he was struck by the pandimensional vortex inducer. He even still wore his wedding tuxedo. A constant reminder to Kim what had been taken away from her in an instant.
“I’m sorry, Ron.” Kim said, placing a hand on the glass containment shield that kept the vortex from expanding. “I wasn’t prepared to see you again. Not for such a short time... I...” she stammered. Tears were flowing from both her left eye, and from under her eye patch. “I lost her, Ron. I promised to keep Hannah safe, but Chimera got her. I don’t know what to do.” she cried, banging a fist against the containment shield.
“I hope... I hope that Hannah told you everything you need to know. Forget the world, Ron. It’s not worth this...”
“Kim?” Wade asked as his image returned. “We’ve got an intruder.”
Kim opened her eye, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I know, Wade. She’s probably already got Hannah’s DNA spliced.”
“So she’s a super ninja now too?” Wade exclaimed.
“Things just keep getting better, don’t they?” she chuckled, forcing herself to stand.
Suddenly, the protective glass that separated the lab from the rest of the building exploded inward and massive, plant like tentacles reached in like spindly spider legs that glowed with an evil hue, the combination of purple, red, green, and blue glow of Team Go. A grotesque creature waded in, with barely any semblance of the woman Kim used to know. “Hello, K.” came a voice that seemed to be a combination of thousands.
“B.” Kim said with a nod as Chimera settled into the lab, knocking over equipment and spearing Wade’s holoemitter with a plant like tendril that she had stolen from Drakken’s DNA. Kim closed her eye, whispering. “Ron... I need you to make the right decision.”
“Your loser boyfriend can’t help you now, Kim. It’s over. I’ll rule the world now.” Chimera stated as she glowed red for a moment, splitting into a multitude of equally formidable monsters.
Kim opened her eye. “Not yet.” she replied, pulling Electronique’s weapon from her holster and charging...
End of Volume One
Kim Possible: An Unstoppable Christmas Carol
Prologue
Ron woke with a start. The television before him was showing quiet static and the DVD player was still on. He looked around, blinking his bleary, tired eyes. Rufus was still snoring, his tiny claws securing him to Ron’s sleeve. Kim was still as well, and Ron carefully glided the fingers of his free hand through her hair before pulling a blanket over her shoulders. He smiled. Waking up to find himself surrounded by the people he loved the most was perhaps the best Christmas wish he could hope for.
“I love you guys.” he whispered to Kim and Rufus. He watched them both smiled sweetly as he ran his fingers through Kim’s hair again.
“I can’t say the feeling is mutual, my good chap.” came a familiar voice. With the quiet laugh of a monkey, Lord Monty Fisk stepped out from the shadows. Before Ron could react, Monkey Fist pressed a finger to his own lips. “Shh... you wouldn’t want to wake your precious dumpling, would you?”
Ron glared at him. “Aren’t you supposed to be buried and gone, or something?” he whispered.
“Hardly.” Monkey Fist replied with a hint of sarcasm slipping through his well educated English accent. “I am only here as a messenger.” he said, sitting in a chair across for Ron. “May I?” he asked, reaching out with a prehensile foot and taking a fistful of popcorn. Ron gave a disgusted look.
“My baby sister defeated you. I’m the ultimate monkey master now, Monkey Fist. I can take you now too!” Ron said. He heart was beating hard now though. Monkey Fist was his original arch foe and even though he had just faced down a giant Diablo robot single handedly, Ron couldn’t help be feel a little intimidated.
“Yes... I know.” Monkey Fist admitted in a low voice, steepling his fingers. “After all my sacrifices and research. After all my training that I put towards becoming the ultimate monkey master... only to have it all go to a buffoon of a teenager!” he shouted.
“Dude! Are you going to rant much more, because I’m kinda tired and I don’t think KP would take kindly to being woken up to a villain in her own apartment.” Ron said with a yawn.
“Don’t worry. Neither of your... friends will awaken before I am gone.” Monkey Fist said with a grin.
“KP?” Ron asked, shaking his leg slightly. “KP!” he shouted. “What’d you do to her?! Rufus?” he asked, shaking his arm. Neither of them even stirred.
“I haven’t done anything.” Monkey Fist continued. “And as much as I’d like to end your meager existence, I’m afraid that I cannot. What I can do to increase your suffering though... is to deliver the message that I have been sent to.”
“What?” Ron asked, confused.
Monkey Fist rolled his eyes and rubbed his temples. “I will never understand why you were given such an honor. A boy... with a phobia of all things simian, even!” he sighed. “No matter. What’s done is done.” he said, standing. “Tonight, you will be visited by three beings! Pay attention to what they have to show you, and both wisdom and lore of your abilities will be granted to you.”
“Coolio!” Ron said with a grin.
Monkey Fist sighed again. “Why on Earth was I sent to you as a punishment?” he asked himself. He pointed at Ron. “You, boy, will undoubtedly fail and since you and that rodent are the last creatures that can experience the mystical monkey power, the secrets of it will be lost forever. How does that make you feel?” Monkey Fist leaned in close and threateningly.
Ron shrugged.
Monkey Fist stood straight once again. “As I thought. You destroyed the mystical monkey idols and now its secrets will die with you. Take heed my message, boy.” he grinned and turned, heading towards the door. “Or you and your precious friends... will be doomed.” he said, moving through the closed door.
Ron leapt up and ran to the door, tossing Rufus from his arm and dropping Kim onto the floor.
“Ron!” Kim said, rubbing her head in surprise. “What’s wrong?”
“Monkey Fist was here!” Ron shouted, looking each way down the hall before closing the door and locking it again.
“What?” Kim asked, confused as she picked up Rufus and set him in his bed.
“Monkey Fist! He said I was going to be visited by three beans!” Ron exclaimed.
“Beans?” Kim asked, looking down at the DVD case. “Ron, you were dreaming.” she said, holding up the movie ‘A Christmas Carol’.
Ron looked back at her, unconvinced. “Are you sure, KP?”
“I’m sure.” Kim replied with a smile and a yawn. “Come to bed, okay?”
Ron watched Kim stagger to the bedroom and turn of the light. He stood where he was for a moment, looking around the room in the darkness. With a worried look, he sprinted to the bedroom and closed the door behind him.
He never had the chance to notice the samurai that was standing in the living room.
Chapter One
Ron laid in bed, one arm around Kim’s shoulders as her head rested on his chest and he held her hand with his. He could feel her breath as she snuggled up close. She was fast asleep but Ron’s eyes were wide open and his hearing was as alert as it had ever been.
With a tiny scratch at the door, Ron tensed. “Kim?” he whispered. “You awake?”
“Huh?” she stirred.
“There’s something outside the door.” Ron said.
“Rufus. He probably wants in. Could you open the door for him?” Kim asked through a yawn as she rolled over.
“This is why I kept a kitty door in my room...” Ron whispered to himself, peering into the darkness from over the covers. He sighed, sticking a leg out from under the covers and tip toeing over to the door. Slowly opening the door, he looked through the crack and down, heaving a sigh. Rufus staggered through and climbed the side of the bed to snuggle up at Kim’s feet.
Ron smiled. “Poor tired little...oi!” he yelped as an armored, hand grabbed him by the neck. The door to the bedroom slammed shut and Ron was forcibly turned to face his attacker.
“Are you Ron Stoppable?!” came a deep, resonating voice.
Ron grinned nervously. “Uh, well... that depends...”
Blue glowing eyes enveloped in shadow narrowed at him. “Are you a Monkey Kung Fu Master?!” the armored figure shouted.
“Well, I wouldn’t say master, really...” Ron said. Suddenly, the figure drew a katana from a sheath on his hip and raised it for a strike. “Wait!” Ron cried. “I’m Ron Stoppable! An ultimate monkey master! I’m five foot ten, nineteen years old and get rescued regularly by a girl!”
The armored figure dropped him and sheathed the katana. “You do not sound like a Monkey Kung Fu Master.” he said, turning his back on Ron.
Ron sniffled, hugging his arms around his chest. “Is it an accent thing? Because I recently found out I’m Canadian and...”
The figure turned back to face him. “You sound like a child.”
“Hey, come on! You attack me in my underwear and threaten to cut my head off with the Lotus Blade and then expect me to not cry like a little girl?!” Ron whined.
The samurai sounded surprised. “You recognize the Lotus Blade?”
“Uh, yeah...” Ron said, looking back at the bedroom door and sighing, realizing neither Kim nor Rufus were about to wake up. “Know it. Wielded it. Like I said, I’ve got the monkey power. Uhm... you mind if I put some clothes on if I’m going to be fighting evil today?” The figure nodded, and Ron stepped toward the closet next to the front door. Pulling on his mission gear, he looked at the samurai that continued standing in his living room. “So I guess you’re one of the dudes Monkey Fist talked about.” he said, laying down on the couch. “Okay, go ahead and teach. I’m listenin’.” he said, folding his arms behind his head.
“I am Toshimiru, a master of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar...” the samurai stated, looking at Ron as he slept on the couch, snoring. Toshimiru sighed and shook his head.
“Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru said, giving Ron a kick in the side. “Wake up.”
“Ow! Hey, what the?” Ron shouted as he rolled over. Gross tickled his face and he sat up, supporting himself on his elbows. “Uh, where are we?” he asked, looking around. From what he could tell, they were at the base of a mountain and he was laying in a grassy field in the middle of the day.
“We are at the base of Mount Yamanouchi in Japan.” Toshimiru said, beginning to walk away.
“Hey wait! I’ve got classes tomorrow! You can’t leave me in Japan!” Ron shouted, struggling to get up.
“Then follow.”
Ron caught up quickly and matched pace with the samurai. “Y’know, I’ve actually done a little bit of research into the monkey kung fu thing... can I ask a question?”
Toshimiru grunted.
“Uh, okay... so you were the first mystical monkey master, right? How’d that come about anyway?” Ron asked.
“Many years ago, I discovered a number of monkey statues that had been hidden away for centuries, and...”
“You got hit by a funky beam of light? Yeah. Been there, done that. Hey, if Monkey Kung Fu is Chinese, why are we in Japan?” Ron asked.
Toshimiru grunted as he stepped through a waterfall.
“Oh, come on! That’s a cop-out!” Ron shouted. “Why do teachers never answer the tough questions?” he asked himself before following. “Hey, Toshimiru-dude, sir? Just so you know, your school kinda got destroyed last time I was here so if it doesn’t look quite the same, it’s not my fault!” Ron said nervously.
“School?” Toshimiru asked.
“Yeah. The Yamanouchi Secret Ninja School.” Ron explained as though it should be obvious. “Hey, I wonder if Yori’s still here? I haven’t seen her in ages!”
Ron and Toshimiru came to a great chasm separating the peak they were on from where the school... should have been. But there was no rope bridge, no dorm building, no dojo. There was solid mountain topped by a sinister temple that Ron found to be vaguely familiar. “You must help me, Ron Stoppable. The monkey king seeks to enslave these lands, and with his power, he can.”
“Then why hasn’t he?”
“Hasn’t what?”
“Enslaved the land already? Is it because there’s no bridge from there to here, because I have to admit, that’s a major design flaw.”
“He grows his army. He is patient.”
“Okay, but what happened to the school?” Ron asked, worried.
“There is no school. Only the destroyer’s temple.”
“Destroyer?” Ron asked, realization kicking in. “You mean Yono?!”
“Yes, young Stoppable. Yono the destroyer resides within that temple.” Toshimiru said.
“Whoa, wait a second. Yono is here, there is no school... and well, you’re alive... so that means...”
Toshimiru stared down at him.
“Come on, big guy. Help me out here. That means... are we in the past?”
Toshimiru nodded.
“Awesome! I so had a paper due tomorrow that wasn’t done!” Ron shouted and Toshimiru clapped an armored hand over his mouth. “Sneaky. Quiet time. Gotchya.” Ron smiled.
“We will strike at dusk.” Toshimiru said. “And we will battle...”
“Till dawn?” Ron asked, folding his arms over his chest. Toshimiru nodded. “Gonna be a long night...”
As night fell, Toshimiru and Ron stepped up to peer at the Yono Temple again. “So how’re we gonna get across?” Ron asked.
Toshimiru sat, crossing his legs into a lotus position. Slowly, he began to float. “Use your mystical monkey power.”
As Toshimiru began to float across the chasm, Ron watched after him, then looked down into the clouds that surrounded the peak he was on. “Not too likely...” he said, pulling his grapple gun from his back pack. He loaded a piercing head and took aim at a small speak halfway across. Squinting, he squeezed the trigger. The grappling spike narrowly missed Toshimiru’s head and ricocheted off of the stone Ron had been aiming at. He cringed. “Sorry!” he whispered, but the samurai continued on without flinching. “I’ll have to get Wade to fix the sights on this thing.” he said, retracting the cable.
He carefully took aim again and, going for lower on the peak. The spike drilled in on impact and Ron swung over to the halfway point. Climbing to the top, he caused the spike to undrill and reloaded it. Toshimiru was standing on the other side, waiting. “Show off.” Ron whispered. He fired the grapple again and swung across the remainder of the chasm.
“Why do you not use your mystical monkey power?” Toshimiru asked.
“Y’know, after it not being there when I could have used it for so long, it’s kinda hard to trust.”
“Mmm.” Toshimiru said, nodding. “And yet it was there to summon when you need it most?”
“Against Warhok?” Ron asked as they began sneaking up to the temple. “But he was about to kill Kim! I... I couldn’t let that happen.” he said, hanging his head at the memory.
“Ah.” Toshimiru said with a smile. “It comes from the power of your love for a woman! That is the most powerful of all.”
“Kim’s not exactly in danger too often, though.” Ron said.
Toshimiru almost laughed. “When is a woman not in danger?”
“Uh, yeah... news flash. I’m from the twenty first century. Women have changed, dude.” Ron said.
The samurai grunted as he drew his sword. “We are in an ambush.”
“How can you tell?” Ron asked as what seemed like a thousand beady eyes flashed in the darkness around them. “See, this is usually the part where Kim comes in and saves me.”
“A woman saves you?” Toshimiru asked, moving back with Ron as monkey ninjas closed in. “Does she have the mystical monkey power too?”
“No. She’s just a basic average girl. Well, not average, average. Save the world, super hero kinda average.” Ron said, touching his chin in thought. “Y’know, she’s really kind of a basic extraordinary girl, actually.”
“Young Stoppable-san... I believe we should stop talking and begin our battle.”
Ron rolled his eyes. “Fine. Let’s do everything that YOU want to do.”
Chapter Two
Toshimiru was batting away monkey ninjas by the dozens while Ron ducked, weaved, and generally stayed out of the way. “Ron Stoppable, I could use your assistance.” Toshimiru said.
“You know, I’m really more into the staying out of the way style of ninja fighting.” Ron replied. Toshimiru stomped the ground, causing a crater beneath his foot that tossed a crowd of warriors away from him. Snatching Ron by the collar, Toshimiru began sprinting up the stairs, the Lotus Blade cutting a swath through the continuous stream of monkey ninjas that exited the temple.
Ron was kicking away monkey ninjas as he was dragged up the steps, screaming and flailing the whole way. “Why am I always being dragged to my death?!” he shouted.
“Ron Stoppable! Either you fight with me, or I will destroy you myself!” Toshimiru said, dropping him. The Lotus Blade rang, morphing into a Bo staff that Toshimiru whirled around himself as a shield, flinging monkey ninjas to and fro.
Ron crawled away. “I though you were supposed to teach me something first!”
“I am trying to!” Toshimiru stated between strikes.
“Ah. Tough love approach, huh? You wouldn’t happen to have any descendants by the name of Barkin, would you?”
The samurai glared at him.
Ron sighed. “No, I thought not.”
“Protect my back, Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru ordered. “I will face Yono the destroyer alone.”
“Dude, I really don’t think that that’s a...” Ron began. As Toshimiru leapt into the temple entrance, he was thrown back, tumbling down the steps and bowling through the crowd of monkey ninjas. “... good idea.”
As Ron watched, a familiar diminutive monkey in a purple robe stepped through the temple door. “I am Yono! I am the Monkey King!”
“You...” Ron whispered. Yono ignored him, instead leaping high and landing at Toshimiru’s feet. The resulting shockwave tossed the samurai up onto the roof of a nearby building of stone. The Lotus Blade flew in the opposite direction, changing back into its natural sword form and piercing the steps of the temple.
“Toshimiru, you should not have come here.” Yono said, seemingly stepping more than jumping the distance to where Toshimiru struggled to stand. The sound of a thousand monkeys rang through the air as Toshimiru lunged at Yono. The samurai glowed with a fiery blue aura that matched Yono’s red. Thunder crashed overhead as they met and Toshimiru knocked Yono from the roof top, causing a crater where they landed.
“Your reign will end here, Destroyer!” Toshimiru said, pummeling Yono with his fists.
In a deceptively deep voice, Yono laughed. “Yono is eternal! You cannot defeat me and my armies, Toshimiru!” With an acrobatic flip, Yono tossed the samurai off and blasted him with a yellow ray of energy. Toshimiru extended his arms, blocking the ray in a flurry of blue light. Yono leapt straight up, now fully encompassed by his red aura and continued throwing beams of yellow energy at Toshimiru.
Ron was shaking his head as he watched the battle below. It was like watching Shego and Kim’s battle in Buenos Nachos headquarters again. When he was helpless. “Not again.” he said through clenched jaws. He looked down the steps at the Lotus Blade and began running down the temple stairs.
Yono was tossing blast after blast at Toshimiru, who was doing his best to dodge or block each one. Finally, an energy blast tore through Toshimiru’s chest plate, knocking him down. Yono landed softly at his feet, grinning. “You are defeated, Toshimiru.”
Toshimiru staggered, climbing to his feet. “There is still another that can defeat you, Destroyer.”
“The whelp you brought with you? I think not.” Yono stated and as he leaned forward, beams of light fired from his eyes, striking Toshimiru and turning him to stone. The Monkey King raised his fists in victory and laughed. “Now, the Lotus Blade is...”
“Mine.” Ron said, holding the katana low as he stepped into view.
Yono turned and grinned. “Yours? Ah. So the apprentice has replaced the master, has he? This should be amusing.”
“It end tonight.” Ron said, still casually holding the sword.
“Oh, I know.” Yono said, floating once again and firing blasts of energy at Ron. Ron didn’t seem to even twitch. As no more than a blur, Ron met Yono in mid flight with a shoulder check, knocking him through the wall of a stone hut as Ron landed gracefully.
The thunder around them increased in intensity and the sky swirled red. Yono scrambled to his feet and glared at Ron, his eyes flashing. Ron charged, batting aside mystical energy blasts with the Lotus Blade as he got closer to Yono.
Yono leapt high and Ron shifted the Lotus Blade’s form into a staff, pole vaulting up to the Destroyer’s height, pelting him with an outstretched foot. Again, Yono crashed through a stone wall.
Ron landed on both feet, spinning the staff around him as an extension of his body before ending in a stone monkey kata, calling the Monkey King on. Yono struggled to his feet and held out an open palm, feeling the rain as it began to fall. “Who are you?” he asked in his resonating voice.
“I’m Ron Stoppable. You turned my master to stone. Prepare to die.” Ron replied. Yono moved in a blur, charging Ron with a flurry of kicks and strikes. With apparent randomness and ease, Ron blocked each one. Yono growled, finally wrapping his arms around Ron’s waist and jumped high. “Get off of me you dirty monkey!” Ron shouted, bringing up a knee into Yono’s chin.
Within moments, the pair were above the clouds and Yono turned, diving. Ron felt the rain rush around him as they descended. He was struggling to block Yono’s close up strikes and clenched his hand around the Lotus Blade, concentrating. It flashed through a variety of implements before taking the form of a simple brick. “That’ll do.” Ron grinned, smashing it against Yono.
Yono howled, letting go and floating away. Ron continued to fall, tears beginning to form around his eyes. He though of Kim, of Rufus, of his parents and of Hannah. Then he grinned, turning over and pulling his arms in close to increase his velocity as the wind pulled at his jacket and cargo pants.
Yono grinned. He had decided that this battle had gone on long enough. Destroyed enough of his resources and wasted enough of his time. Descending slowly, Yono touched the ground, putting his hands into their opposite sleeves. He looked around for the blonde boy, but saw no impact, no body. Smiling intently to himself, Yono began climbing the destroyed steps of his temple, considering how long it will take to rebuild his fortress and armies.
Suddenly, he leapt back as Ron impacted the stairs in a crouch, sending out a massive shockwave that rippled the stone around him. Ron’s blue aura was intensifying as Yono back flipped to a safe distance. Ron waited, lifting his grapple gun. He had a grabber head loaded and he aimed carefully. “Here’s a little present from the future, dude.” he said, firing the grapple.
“What magic is this?” Yono asked as the grapple head clamped onto his robe. Ron pulled the cable taut and Yono began to hover in an attempt to escape. Leaning back, Ron began to rotate, swinging Yono around on the cable.
A swath of stone was cut into the temple where Yono flew. Ron stepped up to Yono as the monkey struggled to get up... and failed. “Merry Christmas.” Ron smiled as the rain began to turn to snow.
“You have... defeated me.” Yono said, rolling over onto his back. “What? What is happening to me?” he asked, watching as his arms and legs began to solidify into stone.
Ron stepped back as the temple began to sink. “Path of the Yono.” he said, shaking his head. He spun his grapple around his finger like he had seen Kim do several times before it flew off of his finger. “Aw man!”
An armored glove settled on Ron’s shoulder, and he looked up at Toshimiru as the man smiled. “You’ve done well, Ron Stoppable. With Yono the Destroyer defeated, the villages that surround Mount Yamanouchi will be safe through the winter.”
“I’m glad to see you’re okay, Toshimiru.” Ron said, picking up his grapple gun. “Here...” he said, handing the samurai the Lotus Blade. “Your school is gonna need this. Eventually.”
“Tell me, Ron Stoppable.” Toshimiru said, taking the sword and walking away from the crater that the Yono Temple was buried in. “How did you know how to defeat Yono?”
“My baby sister Han defeated him... or, will, I guess.” Ron said.
“Han? Interesting.”
“Oh, I should tell you about graduation when I actually became an ultimate monkey master! I had to go into space with Shego, who’s got these super glowy hands...”
“Space?” Toshimiru asked.
“The stars.” Ron said, pointing towards the sky. “Anyway, she and I...”
Toshimiru stopped him. “I will record your deeds, Ron Stoppable.” he said as they reached the edge of the mountain. “But it is time for you to return to your home.”
“Oh. Well, that’s cool. I guess.” Ron said. He closed his eyes and threw his arms around the man. “I’m gonna miss you, dude!”
When no reply came, Ron opened his eyes to find that he was back in his apartment and hugging the refrigerator. Rufus looked up at him suspiciously. “What? Midnight snack, alright?”
Rufus chittered at him and walked away. Ron looked around the darkened kitchen and sighed. Kim was undoubtedly still sleeping and after the hard weekend she had just had, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. His retelling of his adventure could wait. He sat in his tattered mission clothes and turned on the television.
Static.
“Oh, come on!” Ron sighed.
“Ron Stoppable.” came a deep familiar voice.
Chapter Three
“Sensei?” Ron asked, bolting upright as a translucent figure in a floating lotus position appeared.
“Mmm...” Sensei replied with a nod.
“Dude! You’d never guess what this night has been like for me!” Ron shouted. “First, Monkey Fist shows up, telling me about three guys that are going to teach me about my monkey powers. Then I got to meet Toshimiru, and we kicked some Yono tail together and now I’m just waiting for the next two guys. You haven’t happened to see the next guy, have you?”
Sensei sat there, hovering.
“Wait, are you the next guy?”
Sensei nodded, and Ron sat down again into a lotus position on the couch. “Y’know, Kim’s yoga stretches have sure made this easier.” Ron said, staring up at Sensei. “So what have you got for me?”
“Follow me, Ron Stoppable.” the elderly ninja stated, seemingly without emotion.
“What?” Ron asked, looking down at his criss crossed legs. “You know how hard it is to sit like this?” Ron struggled to stand, but when he did, he noticed a translucent glow to his own hands. He spun around to find his body still sitting in the lotus position on the couch. “I’m a ghost!”
Sensei put a hand on his shoulder. “You have opened your mind, Stoppable-san.”
“And what, my ghost fell out?!” Ron asked in a panic. “Am I dead? Oh, Kim is gonna kill me!”
Sensei seemed as patient as he had when Ron first met him. “Come with me, Stoppable-san. There are things that you must see.”
“Well, I guess I won’t be doing anything else.” Ron said, slumping his shoulders.
Within only a few moments, Ron and Sensei were back in Japan, at the base of Mount Yamanouchi. Within one of the deepest chasms, Ron could see excavation equipment that were lying dormant, sitting quietly around a crater that Ron knew had held Monkey Fist’s stone form. “Someone freed Monkey Fist?”
Sensei shook his head. “No, Stoppable-san. Though even one such as Monkey Fist has had those that loved him.”
Ron became very sober as he thought about what Sensei was showing him. “And I helped destroy him, didn’t I?”
Sensei nodded.
“So what, I get shown how to master my monkey power and then that I shouldn’t use them?” Ron asked, his foot passing through a stone as he tried to kick it.
“You must learn that with great power...”
“Comes great responsibility?” Ron finished. “Yeah. Heard it, lived it, bought the movie rights.”
“Mmm.” Sensei nodded. “You must come to understand that even doing much good, there are consequences.”
“Like with the Lorwardians?”
Again, Sensei nodded. The scene before them blurred and they stood together outside of a colorful bi-level house with a large garden outside. “Here, you will learn of Monkey Fist’s fate.” Sensei said, leading Ron through the front door.
“Where are we?” Ron asked. The inside of the house was beyond joyful and even as a ghost, he nearly had to shield his eyes. Then he saw Monkey Fist’s stone face. Chiseled in agony, his former arch foe stood in amongst a wall of plush cuddle buddies. “That is sick and wrong!” Ron shouted, pointing.
“Mmm...” Sensei said with a nod. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Ron spun around.
“Come in!” rang a sing song voice that made Ron shudder. DNAmy danced into the room to answer the door.
“Poor Monkey Fist...” Ron said, letting his shoulders slump again.
“It is time to go, Stoppable-san.” Sensei told him.
“Oh, Bonnie! Ready for another session?” Amy asked the figure at the door. “I’ve got a new addition you’re just going to love!”
“Bonnie?!” Ron shouted, his attention perking up. “I thought she was...” Suddenly, the house around him began to fade. “What? No, wait!” he said, trying to hear what was said next.
But Bonnie and DNAmy were gone, replaced by an unfamiliar bedroom that was lined with pictures of Kim. ‘Humans’ magazines with Kim’s picture on the cover were strewn around the room and an old photo projector that ran with a news interview of Kim lit up one wall. “Obsess much?” Ron asked to no one in particular. He jumped as the door to the bedroom slammed open and Walter Nelson barged through, his jaw wired shut. “Walter?”
“Ron Stoppable!” Walter mumbled through his clenched jaw. “What Ronald, Kim?” he asked the posters on his wall as he paced, still in his black and grew Team Possible mission gear. “I mean, come on! The guy’s a loser, always has been!”
“Hey!” Ron shouted. “I don’t have to listen to this!” He looked around the room, then at Sensei and folded his arms over his chest. “Okay... I guess I do.”
“And he destroyed my Diablo!” Walter shouted, bringing his fist down on the desk in the corner of the room. “There’s only one person that could destroy him now...”
Ron floated over to what Walter was staring at. It was just another picture of Kim. He laughed. “Dude, that is so not going to work!” But Walter moved aside some papers, beginning to write down complex formula.
“Okay, this guy is really starting to creep me out. What exactly am I supposed to be learning here, Sensei?” Ron asked.
“You must understand that as you grow more powerful in your mystical monkey power, the more power your enemies will seek to attain.” Sensei explained as Walter’s room faded into Ron’s apartment living room.
Ron stared at the bedroom door. “What about Kim? Other than being a cheerleader hottie and honor role student with sixteen forms of Kung Fu... she’s still normal.”
“Ms. Possible has a destiny of her own, just as you do. You will do...”
“What my heart tells me?” Ron finished. He sighed, looking down at his yoga positioned body on the couch then back at the bedroom door. Passing through it, Ron looked down at Kim and Rufus as they slept. “Am I gonna lost them, Sensei?”
Sensei seemed to ponder the question. “There will come a time when you will be forced to choose between trusting in your powers, and trusting in your friends.”
“That’s not really helpful.” Ron said, sitting on the foot of the bed. “I mean, how can I trust my powers...”
“You are afraid, Stoppable-san.”
“Yeah. Monkey Fist had the mystical monkey power too, and look how he ended up. Even I was calling on Yono when Kim and I were evil, and... and...” Ron stammered. “Is it a good thing? I mean, good good?”
“Many forces in the world are what your heart makes them to be.”
“I haven’t been to Temple since the battle with Warhok.” Ron admitted. Kim had asked him a few times when he had stopped going, but he had purposely scheduled his work at Smarty Mart to cover it.
“Mmm.” Sensei nodded. “Your power has only been used to protect others, Stoppable-san. It blossoms from the love you hold in your heart for others.”
“I guess. I wish Kim had been the one to get it. At least she’d know what to use it for.” Ron said with a smile.
Sensei shook his head. “You were given the mystical monkey power for a reason.” It was the first time Ron had ever heard any impatience in his voice. “Come. You must return and await your next visitor.”
Ron followed Sensei back into the living room and sat back into his body on the couch. He opened his eyes, feeling his hands... and the pins and needles sensation in his legs. As he struggled to get up, a female voice spoke up from behind him.
“Ron Stoppable...”
“Oh, what? Does every entity in the Universe know my name?!” Ron shouted, falling off of the couch.
“You don’t look so tough.” the woman said.
Ron looked up to see a Japanese woman about his age wearing a tight purple shirt with a bare midriff and loose fitting black pants. He couldn’t help but think she looked vaguely like Yori. “Well hello, there.” he said in as charming a voice as he could muster.
She looked down at him with a look of mild disgust. “You really don’t want to go there.” she said.
Ron picked himself off of the floor, standing straight. “I’m tough! Honest!” he said with a whine. “Who are you?”
“No time for introductions at the moment.” the woman said, touching a button on her wrist watch, opening a rippling portal. “We’ve got a date...” she said.
“Sorry, I’m actually taken.” Ron said matter of factly. “Dating Kim Possible.” he grinned.
The woman smiled. “Good. Then I’ve got the right guy. Now come on!” she said, grabbing him by the collar and leaping through the portal.
“Waah!” Ron was shouting as he tumbled through a bright, flickering tunnel. The woman seemed to be only shaking her head at him, flying calmly through before rolling onto her feet as the tunnel came to an end. Ron hit concrete and was splayed out, groaning. “Now... where am I?”
“Middleton.” the woman smiled, helping Ron up.
Brushing himself off, Ron looked around. There were skyscrapers lining both sides of a six lane street that had cars of a design Ron had never seen before, zipping back and forth. “Riiight...” he said. “Let me guess. I should probably be asking when am I?”
The woman grinned, grabbing him by the sleeve. “I’ll have to explain later. Right now, we’ve got a meeting with the Director.” she said, pointing to the tall metallic blue tower in front of them.
Ron looked straight up at the massive GJ logo above the over abundance of glass doorways that had a constant stream of people coming in and out. “No way!”
“Way. Global Justice is the first line of defense against any and all terrorist threats.” the woman explained. “Now come on. I’m sure the Director will want to meet you.”
“Dr. Director’s still around?” Ron asked, following the woman through the glass door. The took an elevator down to the lower levels of the complex, standing silently together. Ron couldn’t help but look the woman up and down. Her outfit was vaguely similar to Kim’s new mission gear, yet with a militaristic look to it. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something oddly familiar about her.
Exiting the elevator, the woman led Ron to the end of two lines of GJ uniformed personnel and took a position at full attention, and enthusiastic grin on her face. “Just stand still, Ron.” she whispered.
Ron did as he was told until the crisp sound of heels clicking on the floor tempted his curiosity. At first, he tried darting his eyes down the aisle formed by the two lines of people, then poked his head out slightly to get a better look.
“Commander Stoppable!” came a vaguely familiar, if hardened, female voice.
“Yes, sir!” the Japanese woman said before Ron could respond. Ron squinted, trying to concentrate on her features.
Before Ron realized she was standing there, the Director stood in front of him and the woman beside him, arms crossed. “Who is this, Commander Stoppable? He looks a little small to be a GJ recruit.”
Ron stared dumbfounded at the woman before him. She was the same height as he was, with tired rings under her eyes that betrayed her attractive complexion and physique. But this wasn’t Betty, the Director that he knew, despite the blue military uniform and black eyepatch over her right eye. This Director had short red hair and a piercing green left eye that Ron would recognize anywhere... anytime. Fear and familiarity seemed to enter that one eye. “Hannah... who is this?” she whispered in a restrained, shaky voice.
“Hannah?” Ron asked in a surprised tone, looking at the Japanese woman.
“Director, this is Ron Stoppable. From twenty years ago. Merry Christmas, Aunt Kim.”
Chapter Four
Ron knew Kim for long enough to know when she was struggling to keep her composure. Though it had the sound of a whisper, Kim’s voice echoed through the hall. “In my office, Stoppable. Now.”
Both Hannah and Ron stepped to follow, but Kim held out a hand to his chest, careful not to touch him. “Not you.” Ron frowned, furrowing his brow. “Dismissed!” she ordered to the rest of the personnel standing there.
Hannah followed Kim into her office with Ron right behind her. “Aunt Kim, what’s wrong?”
“You were given express orders not to mess with the timeline, Stoppable.” Kim shouted once the door slid shut. She then turned her attention to Ron. “I thought I told you to wait outside!”
Ron shrugged. “I’ve got a problem with following direction.” he replied, stepping forward. “What happened, Kim? To you? To... y’know... us?”
“He deserves to know, Kim.” Hannah said.
“No, he doesn’t. And you shouldn’t have brought him here.” Kim argued. “It’ll put the time stream into flux.”
“Never stopped you before.” Hannah grinned.
“You Stoppables...” Kim said, narrowing her eye.
“I’ll let you two get reacquainted. Remember Kim, you’ve only got an hour or so.” Hannah told Kim, then turned to Ron. “Don’t let her scare you, big brother. She’s still a softy.” she said with a wink. Leaning in close, she whispered. “She’s still got her panderoo...”
“That’s enough, Stoppable.” Kim growled.
As Hannah left, Kim turned and straightened her uniform. “Your baby sister has the same disrespect for authority you did.” she said to Ron. “Not to mention the same penchant for Nacos...”
Ron grinned. It sounded as though something had gone right. “Uh, Kim?” he asked, having difficulty looking at a forty year old version of the woman he had just seen a few minutes before.
“It’s Director Possible, now.” she replied, looking away.
Ron narrowed his eyes. “KP... why did Hannah call you Aunt?”
Kim managed a smile. “It’s unofficial. When she decided to join me, I guess I raised her. She’s been called me that ever since.”
“Joined you? As in, like a sidekick?” Ron asked.
“Sort of. Once you...” Kim’s voice cracked.
Ron reflexively reached out to her hand and she recoiled instantly. “Kim, what happened to us?” He couldn’t believe that they could have possibly split up at any time.
Kim turned, lifting a picture that sat on her desk. It was a photograph of Kim, Ron, Felix, Zita, Josh, Tara, Monique, and a dark skinned man holding Monique that Ron didn’t recognize. They were all standing on some kind of deck with a lake in the background. Kim sighed. “The world’s at peace, Ron. If I tell you things and you go back... there’s no telling what might happen.”
“World peace?” Ron asked, a little surprised. “Did they come up with a prison that Dementor couldn’t escape from?” he joked.
“Dementor... now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” Kim said, putting the picture down. “No, Ron. There’s only one place that no one comes back from.”
Ron’s face fell. “You mean...”
“Yes, Ron. The super villains of the world have all been destroyed. It took awhile for new ones to stop cropping up, but eventually they got the message. There’s only one left that we haven’t been able to defeat...” Kim explained, unconsciously reaching up to her eye patch.
“Can I ask...”
“The eye patch?” Kim smiled. “You always were bold. Chimera. She was the second villain I went after and the only one to get away. She’s the only one left, and has become the most powerful.”
“Kim, I can’t believe that anything could happen that would make you outright destroy anyone. I mean, even Drakken and Shego went back to jail after the whole Erik sitch.” Ron said.
“Drakken and Shego didn’t take you away from me.” Kim glared. She touched a button on her miniaturized wrist Kimmunicator. “Hannah?”
“Yeah, Kim?” came Hannah’s voice.
“Take Ron around to meet the crew. I’ve got things to do today.” Kim replied, looking straight at Ron.
“Kim, come on! It’s me, Ron!” he insisted, grabbing at his jacket.
“I know, Ron.” Kim said, opening the door as Hannah walked through.
“Come on, big brother. Don’t let Ms. Crankypants ruin your Christmas.” Hannah grinned. Kim stood with her arms crossed, waiting. Ron looked her in the eye, looking for the optimistic, joyful and full of life girl he had known all of his life and fell in love with. But Kim’s face was stone cold.
As the door slid shut behind them, Ron looked over at Hannah. “Han, how’d Kim get like that?”
She shrugged. “I was too young to remember any details, and Kim would probably kill me if I told you...” she said, leading Ron into and up the elevator. “But I imagine she’s probably told you I have a problem with authority.” she grinned.
“Yeah.” Ron said, stepping out of the elevator and bumping into a blue metallic humanoid. “Oh, sorry dude.”
“Watch it buffoon!” came a familiar voice.
“Dr. Drakken?!” Ron asked. The shape of the body looked angular for the most part, and had a slight resemblance to Drakken’s BeBe bots in construction. “You’re a robot!”
“And you can kiss my shiny metal...” he replied.
“Dr. D! That’s my brother you’re talking to.” Hannah warned. Dr. Drakken glared at Ron and growled, moving past him into the elevator.
“Where’s Shego?” Ron asked, watching the elevator door slide shut. “Don’t tell me she went evil and Kim...”
“No.” Hannah interrupted. “She got hit by Chimera early on. Chimera got her glow first, then went on to the rest of Team Go, as well as Drakken. Fortunately, he was able to transfer his consciousness into the robot body.” she explained. “Anyway, you were asking about Kim.”
“Yeah, she seems so sad. She said someone took me away from her.” Ron said, not certain if he wanted to know the answer.
“It was your wedding day.” Hannah smiled fondly. “I’m told I was only three years old when I got to be the flower girl.”
“Three? You’re almost three where I come from!”
“Really?” she grinned. “I guess you’d better get started on that then.” Hannah opened a sealed glass door into a laboratory. “From what I’ve heard growing up, someone hit you with a beam of some kind. Kim went ballistic and wound up... well, the guy didn’t get a second shot. After that, something in her died. Every mission she had ended with the destruction of every villain she came across.”
“Except Chimera...” Ron said.
“Wade, online.” Hannah ordered as they entered the lab. “Right. I guess Kim and Chimera really have a hate for each other. Always have.”
Ron shook his head. “Don’t know a Chimera.”
“Hey, Hannah.” Wade said. “I see you found Ron.”
Ron looked up at a projection of Wade, just as Ron remember him. “Hey Wade, my man! You haven’t aged at all!”
“Of course not. I’m a hologram now!” Wade replied.
“Just a hologram?” Ron asked.
“When Kim started getting aggressive in her missions, some villains opted to go after who she had left in her life. Both of your guys parents tried to stick by her, but when things started getting hairy, she pushed them all away.” Hannah whispered.
“She lost everyone?” Ron asked, his throat beginning to tighten.
“You were always there to keep her heart light, Ron. Without you...” Hannah stopped.
“I always thought I was just getting in the way. Watching her back, sure... but.” Ron said, feeling his knees grow weak.
“You were always more than that, big brother. Kim really could do anything so long as she had you for back up.” Hannah said.
“But she saved the world!” Ron exclaimed.
“At a pretty high cost, Ron.” Wade said. “I’ve got detailed files on everything that’s... wait a sec.”
“What’s the sitch, Wade?” Hannah asked.
“Chimera just struck again! This time in Arizona!” Wade replied.
“Better let Kim know, and get a team together.” Hannah ordered.
“Already done.” Wade grinned.
“You rock, Wade.” Hannah smiled.
“Okay, so what’s going on?” Ron asked, interjecting.
“Oh.” Hannah said, as though noticing him for the first time. “You won’t have time, Ron. You have to go back before your window closes.”
“What?!” Ron shouted. “You can’t tell and show me all of this and then just send me home!”
“We can and will.” said Kim as she stepped through the door. “Electronique, is the weapon ready?”
The cybernetic female stepped out from behind a rack of equipment, holding a pistol sized contraption. “Yez, my dear. Difficult to tezt though, zeeing az how zpecialized it iz.”
“It’ll have to do.” Kim said. “Hannah, send Ron back and get suited up. Jet leaves in one minute.”
Ron turned to Kim, his eyes narrowing. “Now way, Kim. I’ve got your back.”
Kim poked a finger at his chest, hard enough to leave a bruise. “You stepping in the way when I can handle things is what got you killed in the first place, Ron!” she shouted. “If it had been me, you could’ve... could’ve...”
“I could’ve what, Kim?” Ron asked, suddenly cold. She had slipped. He had somehow sacrificed himself for her and she hadn’t been able to save him. But how could he change that? How could he allow Kim to be killed if he had the chance to save her?”
“Tell him, Kim. He needs to know.” Hannah said.
Kim looked at her with her left eye. “The world’s at peace. How can I sacrifice that for my own self interest?!”
Hannah’s wrist watch beeped. “It’s time to go, Ron.” she said, opening the portal. “Don’t worry, we can handle Chimera. There’ll always be a Stoppable watching Kim’s back.” she said with a wink.
Ron back away from Kim towards the portal. “If I can do something, KP, I will!” he shouted over the wind that accompanied the portal.
Kim reached out to him with a hand. “It’s been nice to see you again, Ron.”
“Good luck, Kim.” Ron replied, stepping back. He tumbled through the portal again, thinking back over the night. He had learned that his monkey powers had always been used to protect, even if it meant lethally. He thought back to the moments when he had tried to summon them in an attempt to directly attack, and they had never come. He had learned that he would need them, if not to protect Kim, but to protect all the innocent of the world, just as Kim did.
He had also learned that Kim needed him. As a partner, as an equal. And he had learned that he didn’t... couldn’t... always protect her. Even with his mystical monkey power.
Ron hit the floor with a thud. It was dark and he reached out to find where he was. There was no portal that he could tell. “Ron? What’s wrong?”
It was Kim’s voice. The Kim he knew. He stood up, discovering he was now in his boxers. He felt the bed and crawled up behind Kim. His cheeks were wet, yet he was grinning like a fool. “I’m just glad you’re here, KP.”
“Must have been quite a dream to wind you up on the floor.” Kim responded with a yawn as she tucked his hand up against her chest. “Well, get some sleep. We’ve got finals this week.” she said, snuggling into his warmth.
Ron didn’t sleep.
Chapter Five
“So how did finals go, honey?” Anne Possible asked her daughter. She was supervising the potato masher that Jim and Tim had worked up for the holidays.
“No big, mom. Aced, as always.” Kim grinned, shaking her hips in a victory dance as she placed a bowl of beets on the dining room table. The table had been expanded to allow extra seating for the Stoppables. Despite celebrating Hanukkah instead of Christmas, they had decided to take Kim’s parents up on their invitation since Kim and Ron were only there for the week. “Have you seen Ron?” she asked.
“I think he’s up on the deck.” Jim said as he and Tim walked through the kitchen, each stealing a taste of the turkey.
“Hey! Cut that out!” Kim’s mother shouted at the twins and Kim grabbed hers and Ron’s jackets on her way up the stairs.
Kim slowly opened the patio door to find Ron in his blue sweater, hugging his knees and staring up at the night sky. “Aren’t you cold?” she asked, wrapping his jacket around him and sitting. She tucked an arm under his and gave his hand a squeeze.
“Hmm? Oh, hey Kim. Thanks.” he said, entwining his fingers around hers. “Just needed some fresh air, I guess.” Rufus chittered in agreement from his resting place on Ron’s shoulder.
“You seem... thoughtful.” Kim smiled. “Talked to your parents yet? About us?”
“That and a few other things.” Ron admitted. His dad had accepted his and Kim’s new living arrangements better than his mother had. But after facing down Kim’s dad on that subject, his own parents seemed easy.
“Like what?” Kim asked, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. That last week had been composed mainly of studying for both of them and they hadn’t had much time to talk. Ever since the battle with Walter and her dad’s eventual acceptance of them living together, he seemed to have matured.
“I asked my dad what he thought of my monkey powers. From a religious point of view, I mean.” Ron said.
“And?” Kim asked, cuddling up to him.
“He said that while he didn’t have all the answers, he knew that I’d never use them for anything bad. He said he was proud of me. For standing up to the Lorwardians and for helping to save the world all these years.”
“We’re all proud of you, Ron. You really stepped up when we needed you. When I needed you.” she paused. “Why did you wait so long to use them again?”
“I guess I needed to know I wouldn’t turn out like Monkey Fist. That it wouldn’t make me evil.” Ron surmised.
“And you know that now?” Kim asked.
Ron stood up, helping Kim up as well with an outstretched hand. “I want to show you something.” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The hair on his neck began to stand on end and he could feel a warm wind envelope them both.
Kim watched as a blue light shone out from Ron and dark rings formed under his eyes. Suddenly, their feet left the patio and Kim held onto Ron’s shoulders. “Ron, I...” he comment was silenced as he opened his eyes halfway for a moment before kissing her. “Ron, you know you’re not a sidekick anymore, right?” she asked, not bothering to look down to see where the ground was.
“I... I’m not?” he asked.
Kim pulled herself close. “Of course now.” she whispered into his ear. “From now on, we’re partners.” she felt her feet touch the patio once again and the wind and blue aura dissipated. “You’ve come a long way, potential boy. Come on, let’s get some Christmas dinner.”
The rest of the night was a typical festive Possible Christmas. Even Drew and Shego had called from the GJ base in Go City to ask how things were going. Kim could hear Shego arguing with her brothers in the background. “Some things never change.” Kim said to herself as she hung up the phone.
“Is everything alright, dear?” Nana asked. She was looking tired tonight. Kim smiled at her, wrapping her arms around the frail shoulders that she knew had once stood side by side with shoulders and Shoalin monks alike.
“Everything’s perfect, Nana.” Kim said.
“And how are you and Ron doing?” Nana managed a smile, nudging her with an elbow. “Any chance of some great grandchildren before an old woman passes on?” she smiled slyly. “I’ve pretty much given up on your cousin Larry...”
Kim blushed. “Nana!”
“Oh, don’t worry, dear. I’m sure you’ve still got some time before that happens.” Nana said, slowly walking away.
Kim watched after her, thinking. “Mom?” she asked. Her mother was finishing filling the third load into the dishwasher and Kim stepped over to help. “Is Nana okay?”
“Oh, she’s fine honey. It’s been a big day for everyone.” Anne responded, pouring herself an eggnog. “So..?”
“So what?” Kim asked.
“What happened after we left?” he mother smiled.
“Last weekend? We watched a movie and fell asleep on the couch.” Kim said with a shrug.
“That’s all?” Anne asked.
“Yes...” Kim insisted. “Why?”
“Ron seems different, that’s all. Just curious if you were telling everything there is to tell to Nana.” Anne smiled.
“No, I’m not...” Kim began.
“Go for it, Ron!” shouted one of the twins from the crowded living room.
“He seems a little more mature.” her mother commented. “I guess you’ve been good for him.”
Kim turned to look at what trouble the Tweebs were getting Ron into. “Matured? Yeah. But still...” The living room lit up with a bright flash and a loud blast as Ron pulled the ends of a Tweeb modified Christmas cracker, leaving him coughing and sputtering, with soot on his face as Jim and Tim laughed. “... full of child-like wonder.” Kim smiled as Ron met her eyes for a moment, then grinned as his baby sister tackled him to the floor. “And I wouldn’t want him any other way.”
Epilogue
Kim Possible stepped through the sliding glass doorway, limping. “Wade, online.”
“Right here, Kim. How’d it go?” Wade asked, his digitized voice echoing in the empty laboratory. “Where’s Hannah?”
“Let me see him, Wade.” Kim said, her voice cold and devoid of emotion. “Now.” Wade’s imaged faded and a pillar in the center of the laboratory began to open. The lights dimmed and Kim stepped toward the bubble of anti-time that contained Ron Stoppable. He was very much alive, and not a day over when he was struck by the pandimensional vortex inducer. He even still wore his wedding tuxedo. A constant reminder to Kim what had been taken away from her in an instant.
“I’m sorry, Ron.” Kim said, placing a hand on the glass containment shield that kept the vortex from expanding. “I wasn’t prepared to see you again. Not for such a short time... I...” she stammered. Tears were flowing from both her left eye, and from under her eye patch. “I lost her, Ron. I promised to keep Hannah safe, but Chimera got her. I don’t know what to do.” she cried, banging a fist against the containment shield.
“I hope... I hope that Hannah told you everything you need to know. Forget the world, Ron. It’s not worth this...”
“Kim?” Wade asked as his image returned. “We’ve got an intruder.”
Kim opened her eye, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I know, Wade. She’s probably already got Hannah’s DNA spliced.”
“So she’s a super ninja now too?” Wade exclaimed.
“Things just keep getting better, don’t they?” she chuckled, forcing herself to stand.
Suddenly, the protective glass that separated the lab from the rest of the building exploded inward and massive, plant like tentacles reached in like spindly spider legs that glowed with an evil hue, the combination of purple, red, green, and blue glow of Team Go. A grotesque creature waded in, with barely any semblance of the woman Kim used to know. “Hello, K.” came a voice that seemed to be a combination of thousands.
“B.” Kim said with a nod as Chimera settled into the lab, knocking over equipment and spearing Wade’s holoemitter with a plant like tendril that she had stolen from Drakken’s DNA. Kim closed her eye, whispering. “Ron... I need you to make the right decision.”
“Your loser boyfriend can’t help you now, Kim. It’s over. I’ll rule the world now.” Chimera stated as she glowed red for a moment, splitting into a multitude of equally formidable monsters.
Kim opened her eye. “Not yet.” she replied, pulling Electronique’s weapon from her holster and charging...
End of Volume One
