Author's Note
My thanks to CajunBear73, Sentinel103 and Daccu65 who have provided inspiration, ideas, plot hole detection and valuable. Any remaining problems or deficiencies with this story are entirely my property. :)
All the Kim Possible characters belong to Disney, Kaa and Bagheera are from Kipling (although I am guessing that Disney owns them also), and nobody owns little kittens, they own you. The name "Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow" is from Steve Jackson's game Illuminati.
Thora
"Kjrr," said the young blonde girl, "They're right, I am no longer fit to command." She looked up at the massive, grizzled Viking with traces of tears in her eyes.
Kjrr looked down at the young girl walking beside him. Thor, the god of lightning and the best fighter in all of Asgard had been changed into a young girl, perhaps fourteen winters in age. Freya had sent him to sit in on Thor's morning meeting with his captains and he was surprised by the lack of respect those captains were showing their cursed commander. In fact, he had literally knocked a couple of heads together when he walked in to find that the young "Thora" looked like she was about to be assaulted by a couple of the men present. He believed that if he had been a few minutes later in arriving, there would now be bodies cooling on the floor.
Kjrr was old, old enough to remember a young Thor. Gods, just like people, rarely get a second chance at life and Kjrr was going to see that the young Thora got the chance to be what he wanted. Or rather, what she wanted.
Freyr, Freya's brother, had shown up a few minutes later to take over as their temporary leader before Kjrr had to provide any further lessons in respect and manners.
"Are you going to ask for Holmgang on the man that did this to you?"
The young girl laughed without humor, held out her arms and did a little twirl before continuing to walk beside her companion, "I'm not crazy, I haven't the strength to fight a duel. Asking for a champion to fight for me would just prove what I have lost."
She walked a little farther and continued, "The change is more than just physical. It is not like when I donned a bridal dress and traveled to gain Mjollner back from Thrym. Then, I was still Thor, but in a woman's clothing. I am not Thor in a girl's body, my mind is changing as well. The anger from losing the size and strength that made me the fiercest and best fighter in Asgard is fading. I am slowly becoming a little girl with a little girl's heart and soul."
The pair stopped at the sound of footsteps coming up behind them.
"Thor, I would speak to you in private, please," Sigyn requested, her face flushed with emotion.
"Please, Sigyn. Call me Thora. Thor is gone and is not coming back," answered the young girl. "My apartment is just down the hallway."
"Pardon me, I don't know if we have met, but I need to speak to Thora alone," Sigyn looked coolly at Thora's companion who appeared to have every intention of sticking with his young charge.
"I am Kjrr, Lady Sigyn. Freya has charged me with being Miss Thora's housecarl and for now, where she goes, I go."
Sigyn who was used to such intransigence from people like him simply gave a small snort of annoyance and followed the pair into Thora's apartment.
Sitting by the windows looking out over the city, the two women looked at Kjrr who, looking a bit out of place, said, "Miss, would you or your guest care for some tea or other refreshment?"
Thora looked up, a bit startled by the question from a person who was for all intents and purposes, a senior battle sergeant, "Actually, I would like a glass of Midgardian pale ale if there is any left."
"Tea will be fine," replied Sigyn. Turning to the young woman, she said, "I'd be careful of alcoholic beverages in that new body of yours until you get more used to it. Is the change really permanent?"
"Yes, Eir and Freya agree that this is not an illusion or a simple curse, but a transformation of my entire body structure down to the cell level."
Sigyn swore quietly under her breath, "Odin's ravens! So what are you going to do about it?"
The young goddess laughed, a laugh with more bitterness than humor, "I will learn how to be a young girl and to live without the advantages of a full-size hero's body."
"And what does Sif say? I expect that she will miss that 'full-size male' body as much as you will."
"She is being inscrutable, mumbles something about 'start playing for the other team in a few years' and says that just maybe I can get my sense of justice back."
"Justice? Like getting justice for your brother Loki? Duels are not supposed to be to the death! Kim's mate ripped his heart out and laughed while he danced over his dead body!"
"Freya has warned me to not seek vengeance for my brother. I do miss him, he really was my brother even if adopted."
"Loki was my husband. I was prophesied to stand over him for nearly an eternity trying to protect him from pain. I loved him enough that I would have done so willingly. Now, while I am spared that fate, I am denied his company, his touch, his affection for the rest of eternity."
With a degree of grace that was unexpected from such a massive fighter, Kjrr came over with a tray and placed a mug of steaming tea, a small glass of amber liquid, and a plate of cookies onto a small table between the goddesses.
Thora took the glass, closed her eyes in bliss, and took a sip of the precious golden liquid. She set the glass down on a coaster and picked up a cookie to nibble.
Sigyn took a sip of her tea and looked at the grizzled Viking suspiciously. The tea was sweetened to her liking and even had the touch of citrus she preferred.
"Will that be all, for now, Miss?" Thora felt that she was in some storybook or something. She answered, "Yes, that will be all for now, Sergeant. This is very nice, thank you very much."
Kjrr tucked the tray under his arm then turned and walked to return the tray to the little kitchen area and then went to stand by the door. 'Housecarl' seems too soft a word to me. Perhaps I will call myself Thora's armsman,' he pondered, 'Yes I think that armsman sounds more like an occupation for a man. Implies more of a fighter than a fetcher of cookies and tea.'
Watching as the two women walked out on the balcony to chat in the warm sun, he thought 'I wonder if I can get Hrolf and Thrasi to join me as fellow armsmen.'
With a growing sense of dread, he watched Thora reach back through the open glass door to the war axe propped against the wall. It started to fall over, then flew towards her hand, nearly knocking the young woman over when she caught it. His dread turned to satisfaction as he saw her struggle, then successfully raise the heavy weapon using one hand up to the open sky. A moment later a blinding bolt of lightning struck the axe, traveling down the girl's arm across her body and out her other outstretched arm, dissipating into the space beyond the balcony.
The two women spoke for a bit longer, then Sigyn walked into the apartment, across the room, and out the door without acknowledging the 'armsman' she walked past. Sigyn's grim frown was terrible to behold. Thora looked thoughtful, then came inside, sat down, took another small sip of her beer and selected another cookie from the plate.
"Is there anything you need, Miss?"
"Get yourself something to drink and come back and sit down. I want to talk about the meaning of Justice. And stop calling me 'Miss'. 'Thora' will do when you need to call me something," his charge commanded, "particularly when we are alone." She dipped her cookie in her glass and took a bite of it.
"Justice? Of all the people I can think of you are the last person I'd expect to need to discuss Justice with."
"My memories of life as Thor, God of Thunder are becoming as dreams," the young woman explained, her eyes showing the vulnerability she felt by telling him this, "Freya told me to trust you and rely on your guidance for, well, many things."
"But I saw you call the lightning!"
"Kjrr," large, earnest eyes of youth looked at him, "Thor, the God of Thunder lost his sense of Justice and that didn't really bother him. I want to become Thora, Goddess of Justice and Defender of Realms. I need you to help me. I've lost the cynicism that crippled Thor. But I've also lost his knowledge of Justice. Maybe with your help, I can once again become the Hand that holds the Hammer."
The grizzled senior veteran walked over to the little kitchen area and poured himself a large mug of the Midgardian Pale Ale instead of the weaker mead. He was confident that he could guide his young charge in the direction she wanted. He remembered the stories of his youth where a hero was someone who was feared by those doing evil and loved by cheering crowds of common folk. He could turn this girl into such a hero. It might take years and it most assuredly would make him a better man and fighter, but frankly, he had been coasting too long and looked forward to the challenge.
Sitting down across from his young student, he started, "Don't make the mistake of confusing Justice with Vengeance. Justice is more rational than emotional. Justice isn't about getting even, it is about righting a wrong that violates a people's standard of fairness and equity. Justice cannot be for one side only, Justice must be for both sides."
"Was what happened to me, Justice?"
"Let's examine the events. Loki started the circle when he struck Lady Kim, then Lady Kim ripped off parts of his body, then he cut off her hand and beat her nearly to death when she was defenseless, then finally her mate killed him. An indication of vengeance is the escalation of violence in each turn of the circle. This part was clearly Vengeance, not Justice."
Kjrr took a large draught of beer, he had forgotten what thirsty work these kinds of discussion were. He continued, "In the conflict between you and Kim's mate, you put Lady Kim in a defenseless position where she was abused by Loki. You did that because since she was a woman, you felt that she didn't deserve the same respect or honorable treatment that a male warrior would have deserved. The Hammer changed you into a woman, perhaps that you might learn firsthand the way we treat women is neither equitable nor fair."
"I'm not sure I understand," the young student admitted, "I thought justice was an 'eye for an eye' sort of thing."
"That is a very old concept of justice. The problem with it is that people always want more done to their enemies than was done to them. It is too easy to slip into a repeating cycle of vengeance where soon everyone is blind and toothless."
He remembered now that he preferred sword drills to philosophical discussions, but pressed on, "But instead of you trying to turn Kim's mate into a little girl or worse, you are asking for help to become a Champion of Justice and Defender of the people who live in all the realms. I suspect that the Hammer decided that the real injury was that you did not respect Lady Kim because she was a woman. Justice requires fairness and equity and the Hammer made you a woman to let you learn that women deserve respect by giving you a chance of becoming a woman who deserves respect. I believe that in your journey to become a Champion of Justice you will encounter people who expect you to fail because you are a girl."
"Do you expect me to fail because I am a girl?"
"Miss Thora, I fought beside Lady Kim against giants. She directed her men well and smartly, fought giant champions herself when they broke through our lines. After the battle, she did not look to her own wounds until after her wounded were taken care of. I learned that day that how a person pees has no bearing on how well they can lead or fight. How good you are at becoming the Champion of Justice depends on how hard you work at it. In a male body, you grew up to be the Champion of Asgard. I believe that if you work at it, you can be as good a champion as you were before. Maybe better. You won't have the raw strength you had the last time, so you will have to be smarter this time. Lady Kim could wield the hammer without using Thor's iron gauntlets, so raw strength isn't everything."
"I think that makes sense. Can we talk more about it later? I'd like to do some sword drills before dinner."
As they walked to the training Salle, Kjrr wondered, 'I wonder how long it will be before she realizes that fairness and equity also applies to the privileges and courtesies given to her as a goddess of Asgard versus common folk or even warriors like me.'
Kjrr found that the little girl's body had not kept any of Thor's muscle memory, but something was there. He might have to show her a move twice, but never three times. He decided that they would dine at Sessrumnir, Freya's hall. He wanted to talk to some of his men plus he thought that Thora would like to pet and play with Freya's cats, Smokey and Misty. His young student might have the heart of a champion, but it was still the heart of a young girl. He decided to ask Freya and Sif about how to treat young girls, that was one area he had no experience in. He vaguely seemed to think that they liked small figures of people or animals to play with. He thought they were called 'dolls'.
The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow
"I'm ready for breakfast, where is Ron?" Carlynn grumped. She and Jessica sat on overstuffed chairs in a large apartment high on the main castle's southern wall where the entire team had spent the night. The 'L's were out on 'recon', at least that was what they had told Carlynn when they left this morning. Carlynn had gotten up early, she had slept poorly the last two nights, troubled by dreams.
Right on cue, Paksmason opened the door for Ron who was carrying two covered platters on a tray.
Ron frowned at the two, "You aren't chatting with KP?"
Jessica replied turning to point at Kim sitting on the balcony in the morning sun, "She wanted to be left alone to meditate."
"She's all yours, caveman, we're off to get some breakfast," said Carlynn, pulling Jessica to her feet and out the door, taking the Lawyer with them.
Ron set the food laden tray on the table, then walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up the entire wall. Sliding open a section, he stepped onto the balcony.
"KP, I've got breakfast," he announced, "want to eat out here or inside?"
"Inside," the redhead replied, "I think I've had enough sun this morning," walking past him at the door, she radiated unhappiness that weighed heavily on Ron's heart. "I really didn't need babysitters this morning, Ronald," she quietly snapped.
Ron reached out and snagged her as she walked past. Wrapping his arms around her rigid body from behind, he nuzzled her hair, saying "I love you KP. Love you now, love you forever. You were asleep when I left to make breakfast, Carlynn offered to stay in case you felt like company or, God forbid, in case somebody came to hassle you."
"'Cause I couldn't take care of myself with only one hand?" Ron thought he felt a teardrop fall on his forearm.
"Naw, I'm thinking they were both hoping to use their thunderbolt sticks again."
"Thunderbolt sticks?" Her body finally started to relax into the warmth of his arms.
"Yeah, Jim and Tim made them and your dwarven buddies upgraded them. They can throw a bolt of lightning about six feet or shock anything they touch. Bzzzt," Ron had bent his head down with his lips running along her neck and shoulder, "Bzzzt, Bzzzt," making zapping noises then blew little raspberries on her skin.
"Ronnie!" Kim squealed, nearly collapsing in a fit of giggles, "No fair, that tickles!"
"Let's start over," Ron helped her stand straight, turning her to face him while holding her by the waist, "Good morning, KP, love of my life, I made you breakfast. Are you hungry?"
Kim surrendered her bad mood and visibly brightened, putting her good arm around his neck, "Morning, Ronnie, I love you and I'm famished," pulling him close for a slow kiss. Pulling back, she said, "Jury is still out on the mustache. Maybe trim it back a little?"
Ron stepped around the table and pulled out a chair for her. She managed not to roll her eyes or complain about being babied but said, "Thanks."
Ron uncovered the first platter, "The guys around here eat meat on meat with meat on the side and I figured that you were getting tired of it. I got into the back kitchen and managed to fix us this. It's a gnocchi-like dish made with some sort of potato, some kind of chopped oats and onions and tomatoes. Has heavy cream and a fried egg on top." He lifted the lid on the other platter. "And under here we have toasted muffins, butter, and jam. Is that OK?"
"Smells great, I'm game to try it," Kim discovered that she was famished and dug in.
Ron added a small bowl of fruit slices to the table. "Eir says for us to split this. She says that eating these will help us in ways that she didn't have time to go into."
They ate for a while in companionable silence. Kim was surprised that Ron had made her a meatless breakfast. She had been thinking of studying Buddhism and going vegetarian to help her spirit recover from all the killing that had surrounded her but had not told him. Was her Ron that perceptive?
She hadn't really talked more than a dozen words to him since he showed up in Asgard. She remembered Zorpox chastising her for being surprised that Ron would come for her and for not telling Ron where she was. She remembered waking back up and had fuzzy memories of her Ron being back, Thor coming in, harsh words being exchanged about Ron killing Loki in a duel and a short fight where Ron used the Hammer. Thor wasn't killed, but the Hammer had changed him into a young girl?
After things had calmed down, she had tried to talk about what had happened, but her stories came out confused and frustrated, she ended up crying. Eir had told Ron, "Lady Kim is a mess mentally due to the drugs that kept her asleep and the healing process. Come back in the morning when she will be lucid." Ron refused to leave, so they and his team were taken to this apartment where Ron was told in no uncertain terms "No physical relations with your mate until I tell you it is OK."
She spent the evening sitting in his lap, just basking in his Ronness and listening to the others talk. She had spent the night wrapped in his arms and woke to find him gone 'to get you a decent breakfast' as explained by her former cheer squad teammate.
"So, Ron, what have you been up to since I saw you last?" Kim held out her goblet which Ron refilled from a carafe of cold water.
"Not much KP, I got settled into college, been taking classes, got a woman pregnant, been chilling with Lowardians,…"
"WHAT!" Kim spluttered out the sip of water she had just taken. "Pregnant?! Wow, I wasn't expecting it this soon. How did…"
"It was a turkey baster kind of thing," Ron interrupted, "Your Mom was there KP, it was all on the up and up. Jess wrote up the contracts, she is doing an arbitrator internship for the BHS. Awanata and Joseph are a great couple and already have two of the most adorable daughters you can imagine. Almost as cute as Hana. They emailed me a picture of the sonogram thing, all I could see were blobs, but there was a baby in there somewhere. They live in the country next to their extended family, and they have horses. How cool is that?"
Ron saw Kim's face fall. "KP, talk to me. What's the sitch? I mean we talked about the BHS stuff."
"Ron, they offered to make me an Asgardian goddess. Said I could make a difference in their society. I told them no, then they offered to make you immortal so we could remain together. I was still thinking no, but that I needed to come talk to you when everything went to hell."
"Wow KP. A Goddess. Think that the offer is still open? Who made the offer?"
"Thor and Loki, but…"
Ron looked stricken, "I'm sorry! You had something great going and I ruined it!"
"No Ron," Kim put her left hand on his, "I was miserable. They had me try out to be a commander of troops, Ron. I was directing battles! I was fighting and killing! Then I find out that I was fighting for nothing! No people were in danger…these idiots just like to fight. I was talking to Freya, she told me that I need you for balance, that I need to find an adventure that we can share, but it's too late. You've gone on without me, you've got a college life, a family started with a child on the way…" Tears appeared in her eyes.
"No. Stop," Ron scooted around to sit beside her so he could put an arm around her. "This baby won't really be my child."
"OK, maybe technically," Ron cut off Kim who looked ready to argue, "but it doesn't need me. It has a mother and father ready to love and care for it along with a grandmother, plus aunts and uncles who live literally the next houses down. At most, I might be able to be 'cousin Ron' who drops in from time to time to teach martial arts and spoil the kids. You and I are so far down on the custody list for the kids in case something happens to the parents that it will never happen."
"Me? Kids?" asked Kim.
"Well, yeah," replied Ron, "your Nana had a letter giving Jess power of attorney and she signed for you because I said that we had talked about the general case and you wanted it. If we ever had to take care of this child, we'd have to take the two sisters also," Ron tried not to panic, "But I'm sure Jess can change that if you don't want to be on that list."
"No, no, let's not be hasty," Kim gave his hand a squeeze and decided to ask about normal things. 'By Odin's Ravens', she thought, 'I want to hear about something that is so not the drama'. Trying to keep her feelings of abandonment out of her eyes, she said, "Back up a bit, tell me about school."
Then she looked at her hand holding Ron's. Of all the body parts that she typically checked out on Ron, his arms weren't high on the list. Usually he wore a long-sleeved mock-turtleneck shirt under a short-sleeved jersey. But today, he had on a black short-sleeved technical-tee shirt, the kind that fit close to the body to help keep you cool. Later she would notice that the close fit looked good on him. But for now, the large red mark on his right forearm caught her eye. The large red tattoo of a simple heart. A heart with a ribbon floating across the front that said simply "KP". Tears building in her eyes she murmured, "Ron, you sweet goof. Now I suppose I need to get one."
Ron followed her eyes to see what she was looking at. "I was totally sober when I got it. Actually, my sister's tattoo was the inspiration."
"Hana has a tattoo?"
"No, at least I don't think so, I mean my other sister, Rhi. Let me start at the beginning." Ron started telling her about showing up at school to discover that 'Ronnie Trappable' had been assigned to the Pi Epsilon chapter of the Nu Omicron sorority and that Jess had fixed the paperwork but kept him assigned to NOPE. At first, he thought that Kim's narrowed eyes might indicate that he had just set Jessica up for a Kung Fu demonstration, but by the time he got to his performance as the referee at the Naked Pillow Fight of Honor followed by the Feast of the Fresh Churros of Eternal Sisterhood, Kim was laughing.
Ron did gloss over some of the more intense drama and conversations surrounding those events. Recent troubles had left dark circles under her eyes and her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, but smiling and laughing gave her a beauty that still nearly stopped his heart. At one time, he had worried that she was destined for the stars, now that he had a chance at the stars, she was on other worlds, hanging out with gods.
Pushing his doubts down, he continued with his tale of college life and his meeting Rhianna Pimm, an amateur magician (with a magic tattoo!), aspiring MMP master and his genetic sister along with his other NOPE sisters. When he got to the story of the sisters threatening him if he did anything to take advantage of Rhi, he thought she would laugh, but she appeared thoughtful instead.
Sun Wukong drifted down to the balcony and looked in at the young couple lingering over breakfast. The young woman was planned by a group of meddlers to become the "Chosen One" and the next Mystical Monkey Master. That the Lotus Blade came to her hand was evidence that the meddling was effective, but random chance caused the young man and his mole rat companion to absorb the bound power including the Avatar that he had so carefully placed in the statues hundreds of years ago. 'Sometimes random chance does better that any planning of gods… or Monkey Kings,' he thought, laughing to himself in delight.
He hadn't intended to be away from the Middle Kingdom for so long, but shortly after he created the statues there was this incident where he might have unintentionally peed on the Buddha. The Jade Emperor was not amused and had imprisoned him. Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, was offering him freedom from imprisonment in exchange for his help escorting a monk on a journey to the West. He had about two days left before he had to meet Xuanzang, the monk that he was to escort, so there was no better time than now to address this last Mystical Monkey Master and his Chosen One.
Starting to slide the door panel open, he paused when the hallway door opened and the rest of the team walked in. It was not in his nature to go unnoticed, and to be truthful most of the trouble he found himself in was due to his desire to be noticed and recognized as a Celestial Equal. Still, he could be unnoticeable when it was to his advantage, so he opened the door just a crack to hear better and faded from view.
"Mad Dog," said the Lowardian team leader, "we need to return as soon as we can. Warhong traveled to the gate and checked in with Pakshok, we have orders to return as soon as we can without putting you or Miss Possible in danger. If you believe that you are safe at this time, we will return immediately. Dr. Drakken and Lady Shego need to make an appearance soon, it appears that your government is nervous about their disappearance."
Ron stroked his beard a little in thought. (He had decided that was one of the coolest parts of having a beard.) "Loki and Thor are out of the picture and I think everyone else likes Kim, so we should be fine while they replace her hand. So, nobody misses us?"
Warlanse had the grace to look a little embarrassed, "Actually, they seem to be only worried about Miss Possible. The few people that actually know who you are assume that you are assisting Miss Possible in returning. It all seems a little strange to me."
Ron chuckled, "I wouldn't worry about that, it's the way it always has been for me, so I'm used to it."
While Ron and the Lowardian team lead were finishing up details, like what to do with the gold, Drakken and Shego stepped over to talk to Kim.
Shego was surprised when the redhead stood up and gave her a hug saying, "Thanks for watching out for Ron and me."
She pried the younger woman loose and replied, "Not a problem, princess, it appears that saving those skinny butts of yours is getting to be a habit."
Kim started to give Drakken a hug but froze. "Dr. Drakken? Is that really you?"
"Yes, Kimberly," the man smiled, "I had a reason to buff up so when the opportunity to do so arrived, I took full advantage of it."
"Paws off my man," Shego teased, stepping over and embracing her lover.
"Thanks, you guys," Kim managed to hug them both and was startled when vines hugged her back.
The Monkey King watched the people in the room depart, they were all going to see Heimdallr with the Lowardians returning to Earth. The Plant Man and his consort along with the two young bodyguards were all going to Nidavellir to talk technology, something about mystical friendship bracelets, with the dwarves and most importantly, the last monkey master and the chosen one would return here. Walking over to the table, he saw that there was plenty of food left over for him to sample, so he sat down to eat and wait.
Heimdallr greeted the departing Lowardians warmly. The pale god was fond of Lady Kim and that fondness spread by association to these people. He set up the Bifrost to drop them on a part of Slim's ranch where they were sure to be seen arriving. That was to help keep the lake gateway in Nidavellir a secret, from both Earth governments and Asgardians.
Fifteen minutes later, one of Thor's former soldiers reported to Sigyn that all the giant, green Midgardian fighters had returned to Midgard.
Conversation with Dad
"Hi Dad. Long time no see," the half white, half black goddess sneered at the new arrival.
"Hel, my beloved daughter,…" Loki started to reply.
"Cut the crap dad, you stuck me with this place and then I never heard from you again. Mom sends me funny greeting cards with honey cakes every solstice. Even pops in for tea every now and then. I suppose you want me to return you to the land of the living so you can continue being a dick?"
"Well, yes, you see I was…"
"You get the same deal as Balder, Dad," the bad-tempered goddess interrupted. If everyone in the universe weeps for your loss, then you go back. Otherwise, I think that beekeeping is suitable for you. I've reserved a nice cottage for you down by the river. Lots of trees, flowers for the bees, all that crap." Not waiting for a response, she turned him around, pointed him down the road and clapped him on the back, saying, "Why don't you go check the place out? By the way, one of your neighbors is a giant stonemason. I think you and he have something in common, a stallion if I remember correctly."
She then snickered at his distraught expression, "Once you've… uh, mended your fences… with your neighbor, you may want to keep an eye on the river. There's a man who has the ability to change into an otter that's been swimming the river, keeping a close eye on your home for ages now. I think he said something about gathering his family and coming for a visit once your house is occupied. Something about a ransom."
Monkey Lessons
"OK, let me gather up the breakfast dishes to take back to the kitchen," said Ron, "and you can give me a tour of the place."
Ron opened the door to the apartment, took one step in, moved to the left and stopped. he lifted his hand and pulled a short piece of wire from behind his ear. "You were in the room when we fought Thor!, You're Sun Wukong!" Ron growled.
Kim slid in at his side to see what the threat was. The apartment was tidied up, all their dishes were gone and a medium built man was reclining on the couch smiling. A man with a longer beard than Ron's neatly trimmed one, plus his beard covered a lot more of his face. He stood, revealing a long tail.
"Sun Wukong, at your service, honored ones," he bowed deeply, "I am honored and humbled that you have heard of me."
Kim spoke first, "I've heard that Sun Wukong is the demigod possessor of the Mystical Monkey Power, creator of the Lotus Blade, holder of the Compliant Golden-Ringed Rod, is a woman chaser, and has been flirting with the female light elves lately."
Ron added with a growl, "Also the being that imprisoned the researcher Paksairlea in the Jade Statues for hundreds of years and pierced my sister Rhianna's arm with a needle as a message to me."
"True, True," replied the Monkey King, "Well, except the Lotus Blade, actually Sindri made that for me in repayment of some enchantments I taught him and Brokk. I was imprisoned shortly after the Jade Statues were made. I admit that I was wrong to use White Blossom to bind the MMP to the statues. I honestly believe that I would have freed her after a few months had I not been imprisoned. I have been free for a very short time and was afraid that her wrath would prevent me from talking to you. Actually I did see her a few days ago and she kept trying to use the Lotus blade to separate my head from this old body."
"Please, sit. We have much to talk about and not much time," he motioned them to the couch and pulled a chair from the table turning it around and sitting in it backward, "Much more comfortable to sit this way when you have a tail."
"And to be accurate, Master Ronald is now the holder of the Compliant Golden-Ringed Rod. Did Rhi give you the message about the rings?" he cheerfully asked.
"She told me that the rings would solve my 'fertility leper' problem," Ron replied as he warily sat on the couch with Kim sitting next to him.
"May I?" He held out his hand and the wire that Ron was holding expanded into a staff with one end reaching the Monkey King's hand. Gently stroking the staff, the two rings adorning the end slipped off into his palm.
He tossed a ring to each of them. "Put the ring on the other person's left hand, the finger doesn't matter for the magic to work."
Ron reached for Kim's hand. Kim decided that now was not the time to push the relationship sitch and extended her middle finger. Ron quirked an eyebrow but slid the ring on, feeling it quiver as it adjusted to match the size of her finger. Kim took her ring and slid it on Ron's hand, same finger.
"OK, now what?" She asked.
"Now, you cannot get pregnant by Master Ronald. The effect takes place immediately. Rings like these were provided to all the Mystical Monkey Warriors and their mates. Otherwise, the countryside would have been overrun with little Mystical Monkey Children. Take the rings off and the effect wears off in six or seven days."
"Why are you here now?" asked the blonde haired young man, no trace of the goof evident.
"As I said, I have been unable to check up on the Middle Kingdom because I was imprisoned. I am free, for now, and want to make sure I can fix what I can because I may never come back. In exchange for my freedom, I am tasked with escorting a monk named Xuanzang on a long journey to the West. I believe the goal of this journey is not simply to retrieve scrolls but to bring me to a state of enlightenment. I spent the first part of the journey protecting him from attack from demons. I killed a few of them who were trying to kill him. He vehemently objected to this and threatened to send me away if I did not stop. There was this one demon that had spent a month trying to kill Xuanzang to drink his blood in the hope that would make it immortal. I did not kill this demon, but I managed to protect Xuanzang. Still, in the end, he sacrificed his life without the guarantee of personal reincarnation as part of a bargain that would give this dying demon the gift of reincarnation."
"So, this monk died to save a demon?" asked Kim.
"He did it in the hope that his example of love would encourage the demon to choose a path of love and to seek enlightenment when reincarnated as a human. It was a strong lesson and one that I do not fully understand yet."
"If he is dead, how can you escort him?" asked Ron.
"Xuanzang will be fully reincarnated and ready to continue in two days. At that time, I must leave here to join him. Either or both of you are welcome to join us on this journey. It is a once in an eternity chance. Think about it, you don't have to decide this instant."
"Will we be reincarnated?" asked Ron.
"I cannot say. I certainly would not make any decisions that depended on it. Certainly, I am expected to learn from all this but understanding is coming slowly."
"So, we should have set an example and died in peace and forgiveness when the Lowardians were trying to kill us?" Kim was trying to wrap her mind around the concept.
"I am the wrong teacher to ask, Kimberly. You should journey with us to the west so we can learn together. Perhaps the idea is that the small chance of your example changing his heart versus the massive amount of good should you succeed makes the chance worth taking?"
"But enough of talking about me," continued the Monkey King, "we need to work on your access to the MMP. The Jade statues were a bad idea. Binding the power to a human plus an avatar worked very well. Ronald, you have the MMP, but you need an avatar to enable imbuing others with the power. An avatar will also allow you to pass on the MMP to someone else."
"Nope, I'll give up the power all together before I become a part of enslaving some person," declared Ron.
"I was thinking this as the avatar," the grinning Monkey King produced a black plush toy and tossed it to Kim saying, "Ronald's never be normal mindset plus the echoes of White Blossom will let us use this inanimate object instead of a living being."
"It's a Cataconda! The limited edition black one!" Kim nearly squealed in delight, holding up a Cuddle Buddy with a cat head on a snake body. The head was covered in black fake fur except for a white star on its forehead. The body was black fake leather embossed to look like scales.
"So how do we do this? Some big ceremony on a certain phase of the moon?" asked the skeptical Monkey Master.
"That is for people who really don't believe. White Blossom's meditation forest still exists in you. At least it will for a few more weeks until it dissipates from lack of use. Let's take a look and see."
"Uh, I don't have any MMP and if Ron can't give me any then…" Kim started to say.
"My dear child, I am Sun Wukong. I am Mystical Monkey Power. Both of you, take my hand. I have no wish to have Ronald beat me with his rod should we be separated."
He scooted his chair over to where the two teens could reach him and still be seated on the couch. As soon as they touched hands, they found themselves in a familiar forest.
The once lush leaves on plants and trees now looked sickly. Still holding the two teen's hands, he said, "Think of how the Avatar White Blossom loved this jungle. Kala was a good choice for her form, a mother figure to a young boy. Let's keep with that general idea, but change from Burroughs to Kipling. In Burroughs's story leopards and snakes are enemies to Tarzan, but in Kipling's stories, the snake Kaa and the black panther Bagheera are mentors to young Mowgli. I am pleased to introduce you to Kaa and Bagheera."
The Cuddle Buddy tucked under Kim's damaged arm broke into two parts, changing into a black panther and a huge snake. The snake shot off into the trees while the panther head butted Kim affectionately and then trotted off after the snake.
"Let's see if White Blossom's little house is still here. As he took the two teens down the path and around a corner made with a stand of bamboo, they all noticed the jungle become noticeably greener and lusher. Going around the corner, the scene in front of them suddenly changed and there was a small cottage, its door open and inviting. Walking inside, they found Kaa and Bagheera looking at stacks of papers on a long table.
"Monkey-brains, you do realize that neither of us avatars have opposable thumbs to look at papers," the giant snake sighed and hissed.
"Uh, if I can imbue people again, I'm sure we can get Paksairlea and Rhi back in here and they can figure out something different for you two," Ron offered.
"You can do everything you could when Kala was present," said the Monkey King, "this place is important because White Blossom stored all the information contained in the Jade statues that she remembered." As the printer whirred to life, he continued, "I will add some of the missing information." Looking seriously at the two, he told them, "This is the most important part of the MMP, its history, the knowledge of what it is, and how to use it. I recommend you have good people from Yamanouchi come study so they can correct their moldy old scrolls."
"But if I am the last Mystical Monkey Master, what does it matter?" Ron commented.
"There is another. Besides. in these pages are the information on how to pass it on when you can no longer use it yourself. People who are imbued need to know how to use it. I have one warning to you. Do not let people tell you that you are too important to risk. Do not let them hide you safely away and use you only as a battery to charge others. Now go find your meadow and spar or make out or something. I will find you in time to get some food before they come to get you both to put on Kimberly's replacement hand."
Kim and Ron were suddenly back sitting on the couch. Sun Wukong sat in his chair with a ghostly image of Kaa the snake wrapped protectively around him, huge eyes whirling with a soothing blue.
Ron decided that the couch was comfy enough for now. Scooting down so he could lean against the arm, he held out his arms, "How about we see if we can give you a charge?"
Instead of crawling on him and stretching out with him, she folded up her legs, frowning, "I'm not sure it's safe for me to have a boost," memories of the emotional rush of battle, of crushing foes with the Hammer along with memories of the sickening sounds of shields, armor, and bones breaking, both hers and foes clouded her eyes, "I have the Hammer, with the Hammer and the MMP both, I think that I could take out Hego. I'm too dangerous to be around people, but I need you, Ron. Even Freya who's never met you knew that you can fix me."
Ron made a come-here motion with his hands, "Well come here and let me start working on you. First thing you need is a trip to the meditation meadow and we can map out a plan. Trust me. Even if this is a harebrained idea, we have Kaa sitting there who can fetch a demigod to calm you down. Plus, there is nothing in the meadow you can hurt except me. Right Kaa?"
The ghostly image of the snake nodded, its eyes now whirling with soothing green swirls.
Kim thought for a few seconds and finding nothing wrong with the plan, crawled on Ron, cuddling into his arms. He held her tight, careful of her injured arm, and let the MMP flow into her. She closed her eyes, listening to her body. Her body felt a little excitement from being with him again, but mostly her body delighted in the warmth of his love. Some small part of her pointed out that they were given the rings for a reason. Deciding that was good and proper, she relaxed against him and soaked up the offered power.
Kissing her softly to try to distract her, he murmured, "Last one there is a monkey butt…" And the room faded around him.
"Hey, Monkey Butt, you're late," Kim grinned as she spread out a blanket under the tree in her meditation meadow.
"So, Freya says you and I need to have an adventure. Got any ideas? Interested in following that monk in his journey?"
"No, I think that I do want to study some Buddhism. I want a soul with more peace and less killing. Maybe the Shaolin would be the right people to start with. The monk that Sun describes is too intense, like his is the final lesson you learn after a lifetime of learning the little ones," Kim pushed her boyfriend down on his back so she too, could lay on her back with her head on his shoulder and his arm around her. "I mean I would have to study for a lifetime to get where I could have smiled at Warhok and told him that I forgave him as he killed me."
"I'm with you there, KP. I have a proposal."
"Let's hear it."
"From now on, we stick together. If you go back to China to study with the Shaolin, I go to China. If I go to Japan to do MMP studies, you come with me. If you go to this Parajumper pipeline thing, I tag along and at least get an apartment in town. I was thinking of studying physical therapy and human bodies are pretty much the same everywhere, right?"
"How do we support ourselves?"
"KP, Jess negotiated a weregild that was paid with two hundred little bars of gold. The Lowardians, Drakken and Shego wanted one each for a souvenir. Jess and Carlynn figured that three each would more that repay them if this little adventure messed up their school year and they lose a scholarship or have to do an extra semester. The price of gold is up because the Lowardians are here and people are crazy. I propose that we give the bulk to Dad to invest conservatively. It's only like, two and a half million, so it won't last forever. But it should last long enough for our education adventure. Especially if we do the poor college student lifestyle and take the occasional job. Maybe make Global Justice pay us minimum wage and expenses for saving the world."
"I want to shut down saving the world, Ron. I am really afraid that that I will lose it and kill everyone in the lair the next time we stop some maniac from even threatening mass murder."
"Works for me, we can stick to search and rescue ops. Like finding lost kittens and such."
Kim laughed, "That's the new Team Possible."
"One more thing," Ron had his 'serious face' on, "we both need serious therapy, starting immediately."
"Ronnie…"
"KP, you woke up crying twice last night. I ripped out Loki's heart, spiked it into the ground and did a little dance." Ron couldn't meet her eyes.
"Ron, hey," Kim rolled over so she could see his eyes, "your personality knob was set to 'Zorpox', you just need to not do that anymore."
"I overrode Zorpox, KP…That was me. Even Zorpox thought that I was over the top."
Kim thought for a moment and then replied, "OK. We go with your plan. Together forever and therapy. I have two requests for your consideration."
"Really? You like the plan?"
"Yes. Really. I just want two additions. First, Freya said that I need to get together with you and you need to lay me like tile."
"A-Booyah, KP, this Freya seems like a wise woman to me! Uh, that does refer to sex and not kitchen remodeling, right?"
"Yes, lover, she was referring to sex."
"Then Booyah! And the second addition?"
"I want us to move these rings over a finger."
"OK"
"OK? Just OK?" Kim might have growled a little.
"Well, that would be the icing on the together forever cake," realizing that he might have screwed up by not being enthusiastic enough, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her. Once they broke for air, he whispered, "KP, I have regretted not saying 'Yes' back in the tree house for months. Think a Monkey King can marry us?"
"No, he's not a priest, not even a monk."
"Lots of gods and goddesses around here…:
"No, I'm not sure if these people actually have weddings."
"I know a spaceship captain…"
"Nope, I want a marriage that is legal on Earth."
"BHS arbitrator?"
"Ron!" Kim silenced the goof by covering his lips with hers. The kissing and cuddling continued until the two fell asleep. It had been, after all, a tough couple of days.
Back in the apartment the ghostly Kaa looked with swirling red eyes at the door to the hallway as it slowly and quietly opened. Five men with spears stood outside the door. Finding that the door was not bolted or locked, they pushed it open, spears at the ready, Sigyn had told them that their first strike must be quick and fatal, otherwise, they were doomed. Spears raised, ready to throw, the men stepped through the door, spreading out to give each other room to throw.
But instead of an apartment, they were standing in a lush jungle. A giant hissing snake with swirling red eyes and dripping fangs like long daggers was coiled ready to strike next to a snarling black leopard ready to pounce. As one, the five men dropped their spears, turning to flee back through the door before it could close and trap them in this green world of the damned forever.
The ghostly snake stretched out and closed the door. It returned to its guard position over the bearded man and the two sleeping teens.
The sun went down and the apartment grew dark. The Monkey King stood and stretched. His ghostly guardian faded from view as he walked around the room lighting lamps. Walking by the door, he noticed spears on the floor. 'How strange…' he thought. Picking them up, he leaned all but one in the corner. The last one he twirled experimentally and stroking it, shrank it to the size of a toothpick. Placing it behind his ear, he walked over to the sleeping couple. "Time to get up!" he announced.
"Too comfortable…" murmured a feminine voice.
"Five more minutes, Crystal…" mumbled the other sleepy voice.
"Crystal! Crystal Stamas?!" green eyes were flashing.
"Uh yeah, KP, she is part of the running class in the morning, she drops by to join the others. Since she isn't part of the sorority, she can stop by and wake me up before she has juice with the others…" Ron's brain finally kicked into gear, "Yeah, I guess we need to close that loophole in the rules that says no NOPE girl can come alone into my lair…"
"Your lair? You have a lair? And just what goes on in the lair of yours, mister?"
The Monkey King took pity on the next to last Mystical Monkey Master, helping Kim get up off of the target of her growing anger and said, "I just saw the Bifrost move to Nidavellir, I'd wager that someone will be here in twenty minutes to get Kim to take her to get her new hand. Perhaps we should go find some tea, cheese and bread to eat before they get here?"