Disclaimer:Kim Possible and all related characters are owned by Disney.
Shikabane Hime originally owned by Gagan Comics, anime by Feel and Gainax.
No profit (and definite loss of time) accrued.
1
Ron Stoppable wandered down stairs in his boxers. He still rubbed his eyes and his animal side guided his feet. He had already used the bathroom. Now his primary feelings was this inexplicable draw as if some sort of supernatural summons and hunger. Hunger found his path to the kitchen. The pull drew his sight to Yori in a white ju-jitsu gi.
"Ohio, Ron-kun.", Yori greeted gently.
"Ah!", the boy yelped. Waking to full alertness rapidly, his memories flooded back. Yori's bonding post-mortem. KP's concerns. Rufus wanting a moment before joining him down stairs, which seemed weird at the time but considering last night and the corpse in the kitchen...
Oh, and he was in his boxers.
"Ah!", he yelped again. Ron threw his large hands over his under wear.
Yori giggled. "You and your American-styled modesty. As if there was anyone left who had not seen your boxer shorts after the Nakasumi kidnapping attempt you foiled. The parade was televised."
Ron nodded. "You know, Japan may not be the only country where that's true."
"Here, I've made spring rolls for breakfast.", Yori told him holding out a tray of them.
Ron licked his lips. He then picked up the chop sticks on the tray. Then he proceeded to pick up nothing but air as Yori pulled the tray away.
Ron stood crest-fallen. "Aw man, not this again."
"It will be your honor to be able to practice in the traditional manner, Master Stoppable.", Yori replied.
Ron frowned, sighed, blew his bangs from his face and decried his fate. "Wait a minute.", he began. "How are you in the house with Han/
Ron stabbed at the tray with chop sticks. He got nothing but air as the corpse yanked the tray away. He tried jabbing behind where the tray was to intercept it after the yank, but Yori merely lowered it. Ron jabbed at the tray hard enough to follow the drop but the tray was raised away from him.
Yori smiled. "Oh, you and your American-style distractions. Your mother took Hanna to the park. Stoppable-san went to work. Anything further that you wished to know, Ron-kun?"
Ron shook his head. "nooooo", he uttered dejectedly.
A spark of blue entered Ron's eye and a spring roll was grabbed. But also a sharp 'clang' rang out as two chop stick sized dents appeared in the tray. Ron made a second jab and the shikabane simply pulled the tray away at a speed no living person could reason to match. Ron didn't reason and let his reflexes capture another spring roll. Soon, the contest was in earnest and any normal observer would only see streaks of motions. Perhaps an occassional blue glow on Ron's part. Perhaps Yori's inhuman flexing. And maybe the occassional spark as the tray gained another scratch and lost a filing heated into glowing.
Soon, Ron was fed but tired. "That was great, Yori. Way better than KP trying to deep fry milk. I'm going back to bed."
Yori laughed out loud. "Of course, it will be our honor to continue morning's practice outside."
"Of course, right, heh heh.", Ron agreed sarcastically. "Well, if I'm going outside, let me get something on."
2
In front of the tree, was Yori and Ron. On the other side of Ron (way on the other side of Ron) was Rufus.
Yori motioned with a red fan decorated with steel teeth. Ron motioned with an identically shaped fan that was a pale blue crystal throughout. Rufus followed the motions designed for humans as best he could. At first Yori was teaching Ron her personal kata. Soon enough, she was mimicking his motions. No, that was wrong-following him. He would bring his fan in his right hand to cover the left side of his waist and slowly draw it to the right while snapping his fist from its hiding place. She would motion a stab. He would snap his fan close and lash out at an imaginary opponent farther away while she would clenched the closed fan and strike with a fist. He would spin in a roundhouse kick and she would sweep her whole body in a path underneath.
The katas were disimilar and performed meters from each other. The binding of them seemed seamless.
With a few cleansing breaths, Ron felt refreshed, relaxed and aware. Something he recalled from his week at Yaumanouchi but never seemed to be able to do at Middleton high.
"I become dirty expending myself with you, Ron-kun.", Yori noticed. Ron agreed that Yori's brilliantly white gi had some markings from grass and dirt.
Yori continued. "I must ask you something. It embarrases me. I only ask because of my weakness. I would not otherwise.
"Will you help me, Master?"
Ron thought the build up wasn't needed. "Sure. With what?"
3
Kim Possible opened the door to Ron's house with a key she had for years. The only noise she heard was the shower running.
A not new thought occurred to her. Yori was right in her own round about way that she should definitely not interfere with Kim and Ron's relationship. And this was supposed to be a summer with her boyfriend before college. Maybe surprising that BFBF in the shower would make a good start on that.
Kim stepped against the wall all the way up the stairs to take away any possibility of them creaking. Seeing no one and the bathroom door open, she sneaked past Ron's parent's bedroom and Hanna's nursery. The girl continued, pressed against the wall and sprang out into the bathroom's doorway.
Then Kim Possible screamed like no other.
The sight was Ron in a white gi scrubbing a naked Yori's foot while steaming water and soapy suds cascaded down her toned form.
Kim turned instantly to storm away. Before she got a step Ron had rebalanced Yori, raced through the room and grabbed her arm.
"Let go of me right this very instance, Ronald Stoppable.", Kim told him. She used the same serious tone of voice that her father did when Dr. Possible assured him of his possibility of a deep space probe ride to the center of a black hole.
"KP, Yori committed suicide bathing alone.", Ron blurted out.
Kim spun on him to lay into the boy. But in that turn she caught sight of Yori without Ron at her side. She heard Ron's voice assuring the shikabane that he was still with her. But the sight of Yori grasping the shower curtain with all her might, shivering in the hot water, biting her lip to keep from screaming took its toll on Kim.
"Oh god.", she uttered. The girl collapsed in the door frame.
"I'm sorry, Ron. I had this idea coming up here. You know, for just us. Then I saw and I...I'm sorry I blew up at you. I should have trusted you. You..um, finish up here. I'll wait for you in your room."
Yori tried to speak. "That is not neccessecc...That is not needed, Possible-sama. I made a promise to you." Yori drew in a deep breath obviously meant to steady her for an act that seemed to take an incredible amount of will. "I can finish bathing...by myself."
Kim instantly picked herself up and raced to Yori. "Oh...no. Ron can help you. I don't mind. Really. Take all the time you need."
Yori bowed her head. "Arigato, Possible-sama."
Kim came out of the bathroom. "I'll be in the attic, waiting for you.", she said to Ron. With a peck on the cheek, she left to his bedroom.
Kim flopped down on his bed. From that position, she caught sight of Rufus munching on a piece of cheese thoughtfully while intermittently shaking his head.
"Tell me about it.", Kim told the naked mole rat. Rufus squeakily agreed.
The teen's mood seemed to ride a roller coaster the next few minutes, unseen since a Moodulator chip blew up on her neck. She imagined Ron's large hands lathered with shower suds and smiled. She imagined those hands on Yori's body...no, Yori's corpse and frowned. When the sounds of running water ended, her attitude brightened. Just as it darkened as she heard Yori explain how her panties blended in with her school-girl plaid skirt to dissuade 'baka-hentai'.
After Yori was dressed (she sure dressed loudly enough, Kim thought), Ron poked his head up through the doorway to his room. Kim nearly pulled him the rest of the way. When he was standing with her, Kim kissed him as hard as she dared.
"Wow.", was Ron's first response. The second was a dopey grin. The third was a suspicious glance.
Kim reassured him. "I'm your girlfriend. Your only girlfriend. It's high time I started acting like one."
4
Yori, dressed in her disguise as a Japanese or Catholic school girl, nearly skipped outside. With the way she felt after Ron had washed her, she was surprised she didn't glide. Returning to the base of the tree, Yori again checked for witnesses before leaping up into the tree house.
Yori wrapped herself in Ron's blanket before laying on the couch. She didn't know if it was just the hot shower raising her body temperature to something approaching healthy or just the afterglow of the experience but she felt joyously warm. Well, mixed with tense anticipation. It was nearly like an inexperienced teenager going through a bout of akwardness on the path to some new often hoped for event. Weird.
The shikabane wrapped the blanket around herself enjoying the heat. It was as if the blanket itself pulled in tighter, trying to power itself onto her body. She happily let it. Then came a wash of hesitation then surprise. But the warmth returned and she ignored the moment's interruption. She continued to revel in it, even as a restless tenseness built. Her corpse rolled in the heat and the urgency until she rolled off the couch.
Yori didn't stop her motions until a sudden release of the building anticipation. She stretched her whole length. She stretched as much as she could but still couldn't reach...whatever it was she was reaching for. Then it snapped and the girl relaxed again.
The girl didn't get back onto the couch. She just luxuriated in the gentle spreading warmth. While not the rising heat, it felt...like the warmth was contentment as opposed to the heat's ecstasy. But still, she could perceive her environment with an even greater clarity than she remembered from the day before. She would only move if she had to.
The shikabane did not doze while motionless. Yori wondered if she could still sleep. She was told she'd be able to eat if not exactly extract nutrients from food. While aware of every passing microsecond, her calmed state allowed her to ignore the passage of time. She didn't notice it was nearly exactly a sleep cycle later Ron called for her.
Looking out of the tree house' window, she confirmed no one would see a lithe girl fall from third-story height.
5
Yori walked in the house to find Ron and her standing very close to each other. The small amount of apprehension that Ron showed amused her greatly. Kim smiled gently then went back to the kitchen sink. The living girl ran her finger over her teeth, gargled with water, made a show of spraying her mouth with the sink's hose and gargled again. Kim then came back to Ron and pecked his cheek. Ron relented and kissed his girl friend.
Kim hung on his arm as he turned. "Yori, Kim had a question."
"It will be my honor to help you with any information, Possible-sama."
Kim perkily asked away. "You only brought a duffel bag with you, right? Is there anything in it besides gold, the weapons our ride back let you sneak through customs, a black and a white gi, and the clothes you're wearing now?"
Yori's arched an eye brow. "I also brought my memorial's kimono. You saw it yesterday evening. And a ceremonial robe issued to all shikabane hime."
"We need to get you some clothes, stat.", Kim said. "If you're gonna be with us in America blending in, you need to blend in."
The girl turned to her Kimmunicator. "Hey, Wade."
The ever present and awake boy genius answered. "Hey, Kim. What's up?"
"Can you create a debit account and card with the equivalent of say, two pounds - I mean a kilogram - of gold?", Kim instructed while checking with Yori to make sure she had that much. "We're going on a Club Banana shopping spree for an entire new wardrobe. Please and thank you."
"Oh, sure Kim." Wade replied. "But why not just forward it to your employee account?"
"It's for Yori.", the girl informed.
"But Kim...Yori's listed as deceased. I have her death certificate up on a monitor. Do you know how difficult it's going to be to legally open an account, in another country no less, for a dead/
"Done.", Wade said as he stopped typing.
"You rock, Wade.", Kim said as she signed off. Then to Yori, "We are gonna get you spankin'."
As they walked out to the Sloth, Kim continued. "But we may have to either take the long way or fly over the center of the city. It's still being rebuilt after the Invasion. Apparently, Warmonga was just after me and Drakken and 80 percent of there giant robot thingies landed in Middleton."
Ron nodded. "By the way KP: How did Dr.s Possible get your house rebuilt so fast?"
"Apparently the Loydd's of London insurance plan that covers the tw'eebs for fusion experiments and rocket launches also covers for losses of extraterrestrial origin."
6
"A card with no limit and a need to look real hot, real quick.", Monique rejoiced. "Girl, you came to the right place and talkin' to the right woman."
Kim put a hand as if to physically ward off her friend's enthusiasm. "Let's not be too hasty."
Monique pointed at her. "I had to cover your shift again for one of you missions again. I get to have a little fun when you bring it to my doorstep. If you were anyone else, you'd be as out of a job as Ron."
Ron disagreed. "No, I still have a job. Surprisingly, knowing Mr. Smarty personally and occasionally remaining in frame when magazines take pictures of Kim tends to let me make up shifts I miss with overnight inventory restocks."
Yori frowned. "You do not keep yourself available for preserving the world full-time, Stoppable-san?"
"Can't do that, Yori.", Ron reminded. "The money to take your girlfriend on dates doesn't grow on trees."
"But she has her own job. Why does not Possible-sama pay for wherever it is she wants to go?", Yori questioned.
"That didn't go over so well.", Ron replied.
The girl rolled her eyes as if the world was just messed up that way and tried another tactic. "What about your, how do you say, royalties? You told me you invented the Naco for Bueno Nacho and within a few months they sent you ninety and nine million dollars. Or was that one of your American-style jokes?"
"No, that's all true.", Ron assured. "But after Drakken stole it because I was carrying it on me, my dad set up a trust fund. I can't really touch any of it until I'm 18."
"But that was a few weeks ago, Ron.", Kim reminded.
"Holy Moly! I'm a billionaire!", Ron blurted out. Then he started pointing at his fingers as if he was a kindergartner learning to count. "Well, okay, not quite billionaire. I still uphold the 'Holy Moly'.
"But don't worry, KP. No more diamonds, gold or mercenary S.W.A.T. squads for the Ron Man."
Yori seemed confused again. "But those all seem like such wise investments, Stoppable-san."
"How is a S.W.A.T team an investment?", Monique nearly accused.
Before Yori could answer, Kim stepped in. "None of this is getting Yori into any more clothes."
Monique agreed. "You're right, girl friend. Come on, let's get you some BTB." With that, she hustled Yori off toward the dressing rooms while yanking from the racks.
Ron looked puzzled. "Boy-toy bait.", Kim explained.
A moment later, Kim and Ron stood with Monique at the entrance to the dressing rooms. Yori stood before them in pink slacks and a white t-shirt with an emblazened pink heart with a hint of mid-riff showing. All three shook their heads and the shikabane hime walked back into the dressing rooms. She returned dressed in large auburn shorts and a light blue hoody. The three shook their heads again.
Then Kim noticed something. "Those are the clothes I wear."
Yori returned wearing a tight, black, lightweight turtle neck and burgundy mini-skirt.
"I'm wearing that right now!", Kim protested.
"Do you not like these clothes, Stoppable-san. You've disapproved of everything I've tried on so far.", Yori hoped, er, asked. Kim stared down Ron.
"Oh, no. I like...no, love those clothes. It's just that, um...never be normal! I mean, that's my motto, right. You have to be your own person, Yori. What makes Kim beautiful may not work on...no, I mean definitely won't work on you." Ron ran his tongue around his mouth to count his teeth and assumed no one was offended because no one slapped any out his mouth.
Monique began anew. "I think we need to get started with a man's opinion. Ron, what do you think is Yori's best physical feature?"
Ron stared at the ceiling, wishing for just one break. When he brought his gaze down, he met Kim's. "Go ahead, Ronald. What's Yori's best feature?"
Okay, think Ron Man! You've dodged line backers and spinning tops of doom. You can figure your way out of this. Okay, Kim has that bright red hair. And the eyes. And the mid-riff. And the...well, I couldn't very well say that, anyway. Um, okay they're staring at you...
"Her legs?", Ron guessed. "I mean, KP's got so much going on from the mid-riff up. What if Yori went the other way? I mean, lesser men might not dig her six-pack and the smoky black eyes/"
Monique cut him off. "What do you mean six-pack? I've never seen this child out of the uniform she walked in in."
"Please, don't ask.", the other three replied in unison.
Monique cocked her head. "You know what? I'm gonna grab some skirts and I'll be back. You can deal with your own weirdness alone for a few minutes."
The Zombie Mayhem theme played out of thin air. A rudely awakened Rufus poked his head out of Ron's pocket to hold up his ringing cell phone.
"Hey, Felix.", Ron started. "Yeah, yeah. We're just finishing up some clothes shopping. We'll be over in a half-hour or so."
Ron listened for a second. "Yep, KP and another girl. Why?"
Ron frowned. "Oooooo-kay...."
The boy turned to the others after he hung up. "We're headed over to Felix' in like, a couple of hours?"
7
Yori didn't act like she minded the micro-skirt Monique convinced her into. But something scratched at the back of Ron's...well, it certainly couldn't be soul so...intuition? The boy shook it off and held KP's hand a little tighter as they walked up the path to Felix' house. After ringing the doorbell, it was opened by Zita.
The three stepped through the door to see Felix laid out on the couch. "I hope you don't mind if I don't get up.", Felix said pleasantly.
Yori was about to reply, but then took Kim's subcouncious cringe into account. "Oh.", she realized.
Zita returned to the couch and lifted up Felix' legs to sit under them. "I was in the middle of wearing Felix out with some strenuous movement. I hope you don't mind the show."
"You don't have to make anti-atrophy exercises sound so suggestive.", Felix mock-protested.
Zita bended one of his toes back and forth. "That wasn't suggestive." Zita then licked the toe. "This is suggestive."
"Are we gonna play Castle Crashers of Atrophied Toe Tasting?", Ron asked concerned. He then apologized to Yori. "Because if we're playing Toe Tasting I think I'm gonna lose. I have no idea what the difference between active and paralyzed tastes like. Pumpkin? They're kind of stationary."
"Don't worry man.", Felix assured. "The X-Box is already primed."
With Felix and Zita taking up the entire couch; Kim, Ron and Yori sat from right to left on the floor. Zita didn't take up a controller, still moving Felix' legs.
The paraplegic was surprised at the progression of the game. He expected Kim to be in last place: knowing her Zombie Mayhem skills, he knew saving the world skills did not transfer to video games. So the girl put every experience point she got into strength, hoping that any blow that actually connected with a bad guy would do something. Ron took just health and ran head long into every fray. Felix pounded out magical spells while staying as far away as enemies as possible. But Yori sat in first place. She picked only speed, and would steal every other player's kills by stabbing the enemy the final time to register the experience.
"Nice playing.", Felix said sarcastically.
"Domo.", Yori agreed in a smug tone.
Felix glared at the back of the new girl's head. Then he noticed something. Zita shifted everytime she moved him. Kim bounced around in frustration hoping her on screen guy would move faster and actually get to an enemy. Ron bounced playfully back and forth against her, like they had some subtle communication going on. Yori...just sat there. Felix didn't think she moved anything but her thumbs since the game started levels ago. He wanted to change positions so he could make sure the girl blinked.
"How did your condition occur, Renton-san?", Yori asked in a making-small talk voice. "Or would that be pyring?"
Kim gave horrified glances to Yori and Ron which allowed Yori to steal more of her kills and therefore experience. "It's no problem, Yori.", Felix replied while keeping watch over his own character. "I was in a car accident when I was very little. My father was killed instantly by the steering column. I was sustained major nerve damage, so I can't actually stand but I do get some sensation."
"I'll give you some sensation from the waist down, chico.", Zita teased.
"Hush, you.", Felix said pleasantly. "Mom was lucky. She was thrown clear of the car and apparently didn't get a scratch on her. But she's always been lucky like that. I haven't even seen her sick."
Yori clenched her brow. "Your mother was in the crash with you and didn't receive any injuries despite your father dying. She doesn't get hurt or sick. Can I say she is very devoted to you?"
"Well, we're all we have.", Felix said, taking advantage of Yori's split concentraiton to make up for lost experience. "Except for Zita, now, of course."
"Of course.", Yori politely agreed. "Could you tell me what is your mother's main passion in life, Renton-san?"
Now it was Felix' turn to clench his brow. "Yes. It's cybernetics. It's been her main work since the accident. She researches over at Middleton Space Center with Dr. Porter."
"Is she there now?", Yori asked.
Felix shook his head. "No, she's in the basement, working on some tentacle propulsion device."
Yori nodded. "Thank you for sharing. I did not mean to overstep."
Felix nodded. "No, that's okay."
Felix noted that he had made some headway in catching up to Yori in the experience standings. But mostly his second place was due to Ron and Kim trying to surprise each other with pecks on the cheek. One could tell every time their lips met at the same time with the quick "Jinx, you owe me a soda." whispered by one or the other.
"May I be excused?", Yori said handing the controller off. "Zita may play my part until I return. Which is the way?"
"Oh, through there.", Zita instructed.
Yori bowed slightly and left. Ron looked away for a moment. Yori was dead, well, undead. And he didn't remember eating or even drinking anything since her death. Kim then scored a quick two pecks on his neck while his head was turned. The Ron Man couldn't let his girlfriend get away with that, could he. Ron whistle casually in time with the game music and then went in for the kill. He met Kim's lips and was told.
"Jinx, you owe me a soda."
8
Yori walked down the stairs to the basement, thankful that her blazer made up for some modesty that micro-skirt refused to allow. She came upon a cluttered workshop. Against the far wall was a blonde woman who seemed average looking enough...except for having six arms instead of the usual two. Yori coughed politely.
The woman turned abruptly. One arm whipped off the welding glasses to reveal hazy, swirling, gray blue eyes. Another wiped the sweat from her brow. Another smoothed out the MSC lab coat she wore. Another brought a hand to her mouth as if to calm down from surprise and not hide the razor rows of teeth. One reached behind her to grab something off the table. The last held its hand out, as if to gesture calm to the intruder. "Don't worry about the extra arms, dear. I'm a cyberneticist. I wear these during my work to help with certain welding and soldering projects."
Yori nodded. "That is one explanation, Renton-sama. I have another. If you will do me the kindness of listening to it, we may be able to expedite this.
"You and Felix moved to town recently, after moving to another town from another and another. What if that was spurred everytime someone caught you in your corpse' true form. They would have to 'disappear' to keep your secret. And you would have to move to allay suspicion.
That secret you were trying to keep is that you did indeed die the night your husband crashed the car. While you were dying, you heard the screams of your child and refused to let him face the world alone. So your seemingly miraculous escape from injury was merely a much less holy rise away from the grave. Every action you've taken since then has been for Renton-san...and no one else. And the new ability you acquired, the ability to make metal come alive (like the car that paralyzed your son and killed your husband seemed to jump away under its own control), made your work jump by leaps and bounds."
The blonde woman narrowed her eyes. "If what you were saying had any shred of truth to it...and that's a big if. What harm would it be for a mother to want to care for her son so much?"
Yori conceded. "Of course, who could fault a mother caring for her paralyzed son. Perhaps more could condemn a woman who killed how many family friends, family...members to conceal the truth about her undeath? Maybe a few more could blame a woman who has utilized her medical expertise on behalf of only one patient and shared her knowledge not with the scientific or healthcare communities, but with arms manufacturers seeking to maximize casualties of those who fall to unmanned weapon systems. A more effective mine, a roving turret...do they not make better arguements to the worth of a woman's soul than a single man in a wheel chair? Particularly when no one else in the world has their special needs child in a advent wheel chair."
"Go tell your boyfriends, your brothers.", the woman spat. "They won't believe you. They never do. And then I'll get rid of you and move on! And with Felix in college, no one'll find me again."
Yori stepped down to the floor. "You mistake my intention, Renton-sama. I have no need to alert any authority to this situation to handle it."
Felix's mom's corpse brought the hand from her jacket back to the workbench she was at. A screen lit up with a superficial scan of Yori. It revealed a temperature that was lethally low and a complete lack of internal movement. "You're a monster too!", she accused.
"At least we agree on what we are.", Yori replied. "What we need to agree on next was how to de-animate you."
"You'll have the devil's own time trying to take me away from my son.", the shikabane warned.
Yori pursed her lips. "You are a trained scientist, taught to understand complex concepts through thorough research. My time alive was spent learning...simpler things."
With a flick of the girl's wrist, the lights went out as a shriuken hit the light switch. The monster clapped four of its hands and the lights came back on.
Just in time to see Yori's knee come down with the girl's entire weight on the woman's skull. The elder monster pushed Yori off of itself while Yori grabbed at the electrical cords of equipment on the workbench. The waveform monitor came off its shelf as Mrs. Renton pushed the girl and away and came crashing down on the woman's head. Yori swung the device in an arc around herself. The woman blocked with her left hands but only met cords:the device traveled on a shorter path and connected with her skull again.
Mrs. Renton's left hands grabbed the cords and pulled them away from Yori. Yori let her and stepped from the ground with her left foot to connect her right knee to the woman's chin. The girl's right elbow came down on top of her brain pan. Pulling with elbow and 'stepping' with the knee, the dead ninja got her other knee to connect with her opponent's face.
The woman's six arms lashed out blindly. Before they could connect, Yori pushed off the shikabane and back flipped to her feet. Yori blocked out the woman's right arms with her left and the left ones with her right, driving her left foot up to connect with the woman's chin; but not before the word "Defend" was uttered.
Metal tentacles came at Yori from all sides. Yori ducked two from the cieling, pulled her right leg from one from the desk but her left leg was caught by one from the wall. Yori spun into the one that caught her which wrapped it around her leg more. When Mrs. Renton tried to stand up, Yori grabbed one of the ceiling tentacles on its second attempt and pulled the robot from its moorings. The woman used her multiple hands to steady herself and caught another hard blow to the head as Yori whipped the dead tentacle against her face. Yori kicked and pulled the robot anchoring her foot from the wall.
With her half step off balance, Yori stepped forward low. The two remaining tentacles shot toward her. The girl continued her momentum and flipped over them, landing on her back but allowing her right leg to connect with Mrs. Renton's left knee (popping it out of the socket). As the woman collapsed, Yori whipped the robot around her left leg around the monster's neck.
Using an impossible level of strength and control, Yori rolled backwards. Mrs. Renton used all six hands to pull on the steel and titanium wrapped around her neck, dropping the laser she intended to use on the ninja. When the remaining tentacles struck, they landed in Mrs. Renton's exposed torso and not the girl they had targeted. The tentacles tried to pull out of the monster to try again and with the robot wrapped around her vocal cords, she couldn't command them not to. Yori reached up and grabbed the metal noose with both hands and pressed away with her right leg.
The elder corpse felt her neck bones breaking, ligaments snapping, muscle ripping and skin tearing. She was struck dumb by the constriction and couldn't even cry out dying curses. The severing of her larynx and esophagus was nothing compared to the crushing force that destroyed her spine. Mrs. Renton was left wagging her jaw and eye lids as her head was the only thing still connected to her brain.
Yori held her fist above the severed head. It mouthed the words 'Don't tell my son what I became.'. Yori shook her head. "That may be for Master Stoppable to decide." The girl's fist broke the skull and destroyed the brain.
Yori ignored the tentacles trying to extract themselves from the now defunct and decaying corpse suspended above her. She stalked back up the stairs to the bathroom she had inquired about earlier. It would probably be best if there was no tell tale sign of the shikabane hime's first...success.
9
Yori's crasher fought and won the right to kiss the last princess. The other teens laughed hysterically.
"It is getting late, Stoppable-san.", Yori stated calmly. "Perhaps it is time to return to your family and allow Possible-sama to return to hers?"
"Okay.", Ron said. "Come on, KP. You put up a good fight."
Kim stood and stretched next to Ron. "I spent most of the game on my back waiting to come back to life to fight at your side. Oh, no offense."
Zita countered. "When you leave, I'm gonna put Felix on his back."
Ron shook his head. "Alright, you're just reaching now. Catch you later, Felix."
Felix waved his good-bye from the couch as Yori, Ron and Kim left. Zita closed the door behind them with a sly smile.
"It's good that they found each other.", Kim stated as she repossessed Ron's arm.
"And it's good they did.", Ron stated. "My neck couldn't take any more claw marks."
"I'm not that jealous.", Kim argued.
Before that discussion could get raging again, Yori began to speak. Fortunately, the occupants of the house were otherwise occupied. What began as whispered confession jumped to hushed arguement. Unfortunately, they managed not to notice the man with binoculars and a long distance microphone a mile away.
The man perched in a tree, despite the encumberance his dark blue Zen Buhhdist monks robe gave him. He quietly observed the three teens in the yard. Yori had bowed her head and told Ron Stoppable what she had done in very explicit detail. Kim's hair nearly danced around her as she lit up. Ron just sat down with the weight of three worlds on his shoulders. As Kim started to hiss at Yori, Yori pointed out that deep in her heart of hearts the American must know she was right; otherwise Kim would have just yelled for the world to hear. Kim ground her teeth and shook with rage and that motivated Ron to get up, only to soothe her. Yori insisted Ron not be mad at her, she was only fulfilling the contract.
The monk dialed a phone number into his cell and waited for the international connection. "Hello, respected brother.", he began in native Japanese. "The contract between Yori Yaumanouchi and Ronald Stoppable is being fulfilled. He has the control over his bound monster that we have come to expect and demand from one of our number. I see no reason for further monitoring. If anything, I would recommend a bit of...moral reassurance."
11
Ron and Yori sat before Kim's old locker computer. Yori had on a short, white robe with red trim. Kim would have had a problem with it if she didn't know it was formal dress, and what other reason would Ron have to spend a half hour trying to get his hakama to stay up let alone the dark blue monk's robes. Kim remained dressed as she was this afternoon and paced off screen, fuming.
The man they were talking to had different color robes to denote his higher rank. He sat behind a large, wooden desk that made him look very austere and righteous, yet authoritative and commanding. Beside him stood a thin blonde teen that looked like the librarian in a pornographic movie just before she lets her hair down, takes off her glasses and turns that hateful scowl into X-rated 'fun'. From what Kim could follow of the conversation, entirely in Japanese, there was going to be no fun.
"And so, Contracted Monk Stoppable, you see that there was no other possibility given that situation.", Takamine continued. "Yori acted completely in the interests of the civilians you were with. She probably saved their lives and certainly the lives of many other children on other continents by finally putting a stop to the supernatural weapons designer. Even the support of an invalid, pardon-I should use a more American term, handicapped cannot overshadow the cost of so many innocent lives.
"It is unfortunate that I have to be the deliver to you the news of the full report of that monsters damage. Be thankful that your friend has managed to not be contaminated by the corrupted corpse and can begin his university studies without its influence."
Ron nodded. "But how can I tell him that his mother was risen dead for most of his life? And that we were somehow right to end her life...animation? Even when I don't know for sure that's true?"
Takamine nodded. "Often we have doubts, regrets on the path of rigtheousness. It is what makes us human. The folly is in letting a single regret grow in our hearts until it consumes us and rules our actions instead of ourselves. Your shikabane hime is proof of that. Trust in your own judgement, Stoppable-san. We do."
The glowering girl behind the Japanese man spoke. "Permission to speak, sir?"
The man considered, the nodded. "Go ahead."
"Shikabane Hime Yori Yamanouchi-sama.", the girl addressed respectfully. "Congradulations on your first kil....on your first. It may be the earliest for any of us. I wish you continued success."
Yori nodded. "Master Stoppable, may I reply?"
Ron looked confused and gestured toward the screen. "I think electronic devices still detect you despite..."
"Thank you, Master Stoppable. Tokoroki-sama: Thank you for your well wishes."
"Hai."
Takamine canceled his skype session and the screen went dark.
Kim still glared at the two. Ron got up to calm her.
"Don't you dare, Ron.", Kim warned. "She killed Felix' mom."
Yori countered immediately. "I ended her restless walk and saved people. Is this not what you do, Possible-sama?"
"I don't kill!", Kim screeched.
"I apologize, Possible-sama. You just struck me as someone who had made the decision to kill before."
Flashback
The only thing keeping Kim's hair from gluing to her neck with rain was a storm force wind. The plan was foiled. Any other night, she would have already packed up and gone home. And it wasn't the experimental battle suit edging her on.
Shego turned and spotted her.
"You know what I hate?", the girl asked her arch nemesis for the last time.
"That your date melted.", Shego facetiously answered.
The shake of her head was nearly undetectable as she moved into position to line this up. "No.", Kim corrected. "You."
And she kicked with all of the suit's might. It should have shattered ribs. Shego went flying and broke the antannae tower's stone strength. Shego's body writhed in electric agony until the stone and metal tower collapsed on her.
And Kim smiled.
11
"Shut up.", Kim told Yori. "And how could you start your murder with Felix' mom?"
"If you want me Master Stoppable to point me at other targets, you will find them and inform him. Will you not?", Yori countered.
Ron turned to Yori and guided her out of the room. "I'll calm her down, KP. See you tomorrow?"
"If you survive."
