Previously in Ttakepa: Shego has started her training in swords under Ron and sorcery under Ryujin-sennin. She is also starting to bond with Katarin.

Chapter 11

The fatigued brunette extinguished the orbs of jade fire she had been holding in each of her hands as she neared the house. For the last four months, Shego had been required to jog with the old hermit to and from the training grounds he had chosen a couple miles away; training ground being a nice euphemism for a rock quarry. In the beginning, the young woman had only to keep her hands lit while they ran. As her control and abilities progressed, it became flaming spheres in her hands and keeping her feet lit. That had been one of the most painful lessons she had learned.

Channeling fire to her feet had turned out to be a major roadblock. No matter how hard she tried, she just could not get it. So, her teacher moved to using her powers to improve her strength and athletic abilities and to continue refining her control. The pale beauty was able to see in the dark and control the amounts of heat and kinetic force in her blasts. What she hadn't realized was that the focus on improving her physical abilities was to prepare her for what could only be described as an extreme case of tough-love training. He had been tough on her, but Shego had never expected this.

Ryujin-sennin only had one exercise for that day. The villainess would have to fight her way out of the training grounds. She had been reluctant, but the old man gave her no quarter. Within the first few minutes, he had hit the pressure points that allowed her to light up her hands. Within ten minutes, parts of Shego's uniform had been singed by fire attacks or ripped by the rocks she was sent tumbling over. If she tried to run, he was there to knock her back with fist or flame; it took all she had to dodge the hermit's attacks. She wasn't sure how long the session had been going when the old man decided to escalate the training. Fire erupted all around his body, twin pillars of flame flaring like wings from his back and forming claw-like flames gave explanation to his namesake.

Shego would never remember how she did it. All she knew was that she had kept him at bay by throwing her green flames with kicks until she was able to get out of the quarry. The young woman didn't even know she had run back home until she realized she was sitting against the door of her room. Ron eventually found her curled up in her closet, shivering and crying. She immediately clung to him and wept into his chest. The young blond held the hysterical woman until she had cried herself out, whispering comfortingly. Still in shock, the brunette numbly allowed herself to be given a bath and to be bandaged up by her host. Shego had come to her senses in time to finish dressing herself, though she wasn't sure if her blush was because he had seen her being weak or because he had seen her naked.

Ron told the young woman she would be able to take a break from magic training, but she would eventually have to return since Ryujin-sennin was the only one that could properly instruct her. During the break, she still trained in weapons; she had become proficient with the broadsword and twin swords, and the young woman was learning sword and shield now. Shego would use the spare time to test out an obstacle training course as large as a stadium that the blond had commissioned. The walls and fixtures had been enchanted like the walls of the prison cells to protect them. Each training set had things like parallel walls, large hoops, rope swings, and fixed horizontal bars. It took the limits of her acrobatic skills to clear the obstacles and strike the targets. She hadn't pushed herself like that in a long time. It was comparable to getting past a high-tech security system or fighting Possible. The young woman still routinely ran through the obstacle courses.

Entering the house, Shego called out her presence to find no one else home. She had asked about why there weren't any locks on the door once; it turned out that there were magic locks. The house gained a sense of the occupants and would only open for them or those they gave access. So, she wouldn't be picking too many locks anytime soon. At least not in this kingdom.

Undressing, she left her uniform draped over a chair. Collecting a change of clothes, Shego caught a glimpse of her naked form in the mirror. Turning about and posing, she watched her reflection with awe. It had been a while since she had had time to look at herself. The pale beauty had always been fit, but now she looked amazing. She scrutinized her well-defined abs, tight butt, and toned legs. In her opinion, she was muscular but still feminine. Squeezing her breasts, Shego noticed how firm they were. And if she wasn't mistaken, a little fuller. Posing with her sword, she felt like she had stepped out of a Boris Vallejo drawing. Shego sighed and picked up her clothes again. It would only make her unique back home; the image was pretty much common here.

As the hot water swept away the day's sweat and grime, the former villainess' mind wandered to what she would be up to tonight. She had gotten used to looking forward to the time she spent with Katarin, especially now that she was mostly able to understand the language. There were still things she didn't get yet, but she could handle basic conversations. It still surprised her how much the little girl had changed her. Or the young woman was finally being herself; she hadn't decided yet. The brunette knew she should be infuriated with her life right now and how complacent she had become, but she felt better than she had ever felt. The training was hard, but she had always loved learning new techniques. She couldn't help smiling when Katarin looked at her with eyes that said she could do no wrong, even when she was messing up reading a story to the child. If Shego was to have a daughter, this was how she wished it could be; but that was a life that had been denied to her.

Ron surprised her the most. He was still a goofy guy, but it was tempered by intelligence and confidence now. He still did things with food that she would have thought was magic if she didn't know better; in some cases, she wasn't convinced he used mundane means. She had teased him with simple flirting and innuendos in the beginning, but he didn't blush and stammer like he would when she knew him. This Ron would flirt back proficiently or team up with the little princess to launch a tickle attack. But she was getting better with accepting that Kriger was just a matured Ron. The paintings of him depicted as a conquering knight or viking god were a bit much, though. They looked too much like the cover of some trashy romance novel. But he made sure she had everything she could ask for without making her feel like a kept woman. All in all, she was safe, warm, and well fed; it was a pretty good life. She liked thinking of herself as Chloe; much like how she grown to enjoy being called by that name again.

Clean and dressed, Shego returned to her room to pick up her uniform. Her host had gotten her into the routine of dropping it off in his office so that it could be cleaned properly like her practice weapons. Hanging the uniform on the coat rack, the brunette noticed a folder open on the desk. Curiosity got the better of her since Ron normally completed all of his work while she was training during the day or sleeping at night. If she didn't catch him taking naps all the time, she'd wonder when he slept at all. The young woman sat down and pulled the file closer.

As she read, a frown grew and deepened on her face. Flipping back a few pages, she growled under her breath and went to the first page. "Power possibly radioactive," she mumbled as she read, "must be filtered by body as no known cases of radiation poisoning; initial data confirms base atomic force." Shego scanned down to another entry. "Weapon training: broadsword - instinctive use of power to augment physical skills." "Power increasing as estimated; base atomic energy remains with magic energy drawn to supplement; extreme measures being taken under advisement for training block." "Excelling in augmentation of acrobatic skills." The young woman felt like she had ice in her stomach as she scanned the rest of the entries. There were even charts and graphs pertaining to her training in both weapons and energy powers. She was confused as to how he had attained so much information without her knowledge until her gaze fell upon a table detailing exactly what information was recorded when. At the top were five column headings corresponding to her body and her right and left arm and legs. The brunette looked over at her training uniform; she had assumed the clasps were to replace the snaps that were normally there.

Shego was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the other presence until she caught the hand closing the file in her peripheral vision. Jumping up, she turned on the man like a cornered animal until recognition quickly dawned. "Who the hell do you think you are, Stoppable," the woman accused.

Ron looked at her without concern. "Uh, I think you kinda just answered that."

"That's not what I meant," she growled, moving to stand in front of him. "What gives you the right to record me without my knowledge like I'm a criminal!"

"One: it's my job to keep track of everyone with magical power," the blond reminded her, condescendingly. "That includes myself and Ryujin. Two: News flash, Shego, you are a criminal."

The young woman was stunned. "But...you've never...and the kid..."

The tall man looked at her coldly. "You have always been under the supervision of someone that could kill you without breathing heavy, and you are no good to me dead or locked up. The only reason I let you near Katarin is because I thought she would make you easier to control."

Shego looked at him, dumbfounded. "How can you act like this? You're supposed to be one of good guy, a hero. I trusted you."

"There are no good guys or bad guys, just who you swear allegiance to," the young man replied. "The only law in this world is what I can uphold with my sword."

"You can't treat me like this," she yelled, getting her face up into the blond's. "I should tear you apart."

Ron's pupils began glowing with blue light. "Give it a try. You don't know how strong I am, but I know exactly how strong you are. And even if you could kill me, my armies will hunt you down like the bitch you are."

"I know you just didn't call me what I think you just called me," she screeched.

Not wavering or backing down, the young man was nose to nose with her. "You have nowhere to go and aren't fluent in the language. If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead or whoring right now."

Shego could see the arcs of energy behind his eyes and could only think about the stories she had heard of this man calling down lightning in battles. But he was right. She new he was strong, but not how strong. Turning on her heels, she stormed off in huff. Before stepping out of the room, she gave a parting shot to get the last word. "What would Kimmie think if she saw you now?"

---

Shego paced before a reflecting fountain, her eyes blazing with a green fire to match her hands and feet. Located in the center of the castle garden maze, it was a place the young woman liked to go when she wanted to be alone. She cursed Stoppable for making her feel welcome when she was only a means to an end for him. It also hurt that he was right about her not having anywhere to go. But she was angrier at herself for believing she could have anything resembling a happy life.

Turning for another lap, she stopped short noticing the little girl sitting on one of the benches. Shego extinguished the flames as the princess ran up to her with a loop of flowers in hand. Kneeling more out of habit than anything, she accepted her usual hug and peck on the cheek. "I made this for you, Big Sister," Katarin squealed happily placing the flowers on the older woman's head.

"Uh, yeah," the brunette said, rubbing the young girl's head. "Thanks. How'd you find me?"

"I saw you come here, so I made your present. And then you were grumbling and walking around like a fire sprite," the redhead said adoringly. "Except you don't have wings, but that's okay because you are much bigger so I can hug you lots and lots."

Shego chuckled and poked the princess' nose, eliciting a giggle. "How can I argue logic like that."

"Are you upset?" the young redhead asked, pouting.

The young woman sighed. "Stoppable and I had a fight. Hurtful things were said, and I'm probably gonna have to leave."

"But I don't want you to leave, Big Sister," the girl sniffled while hugging Shego tightly.

The ivory skinned woman held the girl, stroking the back of her head. "I don't want to go either. Stoppable's only keeping me around to further some plan instead of friendship; I can't live like that."

"Okay, I'll tell Big Brother to stop being a meanie," Katarin said before running off.

The young woman stared in confusion and indecision. The child had always been mercurial, so the sudden decision to be helpful wasn't difficult to get past. A part of her feared what other revelations this conversation would reveal; she worried that more of what she took comfort in would turn out to be lies. "You're such a waste, Chloe," she mumbled to herself. Her face hardening with resolve, she stood up and ran after the princess. Chloe was too soft-hearted for this, but Shego had never backed down from a confrontation.

---

When the young woman got back to the house, she could see Ron sitting on the porch steps with his head in his hands. Noticing the little redhead approaching the young man, Shego hid behind a tree to observe the exchange.

When the blond finally noticed the girl, he looked up into her frowning face. "Why are you making Big Sister Chloe go away?"

"I...um...it...," he tried to start before sighing. "It's kind of complicated."

"So, you don't know why either?" the girl asked innocently, nearly causing Shego to burst out in laughter.

The young man smiled sadly. "Out of the mouths of babes. I don't really want her to leave, but hurtful things were said."

"Why don't you go say you're sorry? Don't you love her?"

"Well,...I...I wouldn't say love," Ron replied, flustered. "She's grown to mean a lot more to me than I thought possible, sure. But she's probably long gone on her way to making a fortune; she's way too smart to be held back by someone like me."

The brunette had to smile that a man who had faced death on a nearly weekly basis since he was twelve could be brought down so easily by a little girl; she always did enjoy watching the two together. "Big Sister Chloe was at the fountain being all mad at you," Katarin informed him.

"Was she really, really mad with me?" the young man asked.

"Uh-huh," the princess nodded vigorously. "She was going fwoosh and grrr and 'Big Brother's a meanie.'"

The blond chuckled at the animated girl. "That angry, huh?" he sighed. "Why don't you go wash up, and I'll try to find her to apologize."

The little redhead skipped inside, leaving Ron still sitting on the porch. Shego was beginning to get upset that he wasn't looking for her when he suddenly looked right at her. "You can come out now," he called to her.

Stepping from behind the true, the young woman walked up and took a seat beside her host. "How long you know I was there?"

"Just a minute," he replied. "I can get an automatic sense of personal danger, but specific details or other stuff requires concentration." After a few minutes of silence, he lay down on his back. "Look, I'm sorry, Chloe. There are some personal issues I've been trying to work through, and I'm kinda stressed with some peace negotiations going on."
"Apology accepted, but you'd better not treat me like that again," she told him. After receiving his agreeing promise, she noticed a somewhat expectant look from him. "What?"

"Well, aren't you going to apologize for anything you said?" he asked.

"Uh, no. I don't recall saying anything wrong," she informed him.

"It would have been nice," Ron mumbled.

"Aw, don't you wuv me anymore," she teased him.

"No," he exclaimed blushing. "Not that I couldn't, you know, 'cause it's not like your ugly. I mean, you're beautiful, of course; but you're not my type. Not because you were a villainess or anything." The blond took a deep breath. "Can't I just stop talking now instead of digging myself deeper."

Shego laughed. "That's the Stoppable I remember."

"Yeah, that's kinda the problem," he said sadly. "You're the only person to remember me as a bumbling idiot, so I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

She shrugged. "We've both changed because of this place. You've become more serious and responsible; I've mellowed out some. It took a while to get used to, but I still see the Ron from before when you're doing crazy antics to make the princess smile. The old you would have been more familiar, but all I really knew was that you were a nice guy. It's been pretty cool getting to know you as a friend."

Ron smiled at her. "Yeah, it has been nice to have someone I can connect with like this. It hasn't felt as lonely with you around; I'd miss that if you left."

The young woman blushed slightly and looked away. "So, uh, what's a fire sprite?" she changed the subject.

"It's pretty much what we'd have called a will-o-the-wisp. It lives in deep forests and marshland. They guide the innocent to safety and the wicked to their deaths," he answered. "Don't ever follow one, even if you are with Katarin."

"Because I'm wicked?" she laughed.

Ron smiled. "All adults are wicked to them; only children are innocent. There are a lot of good people out there, but every adult thinks the same thing if they see a fire sprite while accompanying a child: 'I can follow the child while they are led out.' They'll trick you into getting separated and cause you to become further lost or die by some feature of the land."

The two drifted off into a comfortable silence that was broken when Katarin latched onto the brunette's back. Laughing, Shego carried the girl inside like this so that the three could make dinner together.

A/N

This turned out to be longer than I had intended. And it's only half of what I had planned to include in this chapter. The next chapter will see Ron showing how strong he is. Depending on how long that turns out, I might be able to add another event or two. Well, thanks for everyone's faithful readership.