Author's notes: this is probably the first time I'm really glad about insomia. For once I'm not even tired at morning, and it givesme a bunch of extra time to study/read/write/fool around. Not bad, I hope the whole 'not tired' thing will last - wouldn't want to fall asleep during an exam or something XD
About the chapter, I almost felt bad writing it. No, not almost - I DID feel bad. Oh, well...Monty just had to confront the fact he would never be the Monkey Master sooner or later. Or maybe it's just a good excuse for me to torture the poor guy further - you tell me XD

Enjoy!

"It was about time," Monkey Fist muttered angrily as the monkey ninja stepped inside his room and put the tray with his dinner on the nightstand. He had been in a nasty mood the last few days, which didn't surprise his minions – being forced to bed by fever would make anyone angry, let alone somebody who could barely stand being secluded and that was too obsessed by his quest to care about his own health.

Actually, the monkeys had been kind of surprised when their master had listened to the doctor's advice to get some rest instead of rushing to Madagascar immediately. For a while he had stubbornly refused to give up, repeating that his business could not wait, but he had went a little pale and had finally accepted the doctor's advice when he had been told he risked pneumonia if he didn't take a better care of his health and get some rest.

For some reason, the mere idea of that illness seemed to scare their master more than any deadly trap he could find in his way to the next item.

Monkey Fist sneezed, putting the book he was trying to read with an annoyed frown – it was too dark in the room to read, and he didn't feel like getting up to open the curtains and turn on the light. He tried to sit upright to eat, but his head spun, forcing him to lie back on the pillows with a frustrated growl.

"I'll eat later," he snapped angrily as he noticed the look of sympathy Chippy was giving him – he loathed being pitied for whatever reason "stop staring and open the curtains – it's too dark here."

Chippy whimpered something and went to open the curtain, letting the light inside the room.

"Now get lost."

As the monkey ninjas left the room Monkey Fist coughed grabbed the book again and tried to read, but he didn't seem able to stay focused enough to read – the words seemed to wave in front of his eyes, and his head throbbed. He sneezed and threw the book aside with an annoyed grunt, holding his throbbing head in his hands.

The mere thought that he was forced to bed while he should already be on his way to find another part of the Obsidian Monkey was maddening – he had definitely chosen the worst moment to fall ill. Oh, well, it didn't matter: he would get better in a few days, and then…

His chain of thoughts abruptly stopped as he glanced out of the window – the sun was setting, spreading a beautiful orange glow across the sky. He froze as his gaze met the setting sun, his expression blank for a few moments as his mind went back to his father's last sunset as he lay dying in that same room, in that same bed.

Monkey Fist instinctively turned to the right side of the bed, to the spot where he and his mother had been during his Matthew Fiske's final moments. It was empty – of course it was, what was he expecting? He didn't know many people that would be ever slightly bothered by his death, and definitely nobody who would assist him in illness. Nobody but one – but she was going to hate him more than anyone else as soon as he would take his rightful place as the Ultimate Monkey Master.

It is a necessary sacrifice.

He shook his head and closed his eyes to not see the orange glow of the sunset, trying to ignore the horrible feeling of emptiness as he quickly turned his thoughts back to the Obsidian Monkey.

"Not one of your best mornings, is it?" Sensei asked with a small smirk as he watched Monkey Fist sit up on the mattress with a groan.

"There is no part of me below the neck that does not hurt," the monkey man muttered as he rubbed his eyes, careful to not move his shoulder too much – each movement sent bolts of searing pain through his already aching body. It hurt even to breath: apparently his ribs still hadn't healed completely either.

"I told you it was too soon to start training like that. You should have begun with something easier – your body has been badly damaged, and it is no longer used to so much strain."

"Are you sure the fact you literally paralyzed me yesterday didn't help?" Monkey Fist asked, rubbing the back of his neck – despite what he had said to Sensei, even his neck ached.

Sensei shrugged. "Probably. To paralyze you I had to cause a shock, after all – and considering your general conditions, it's no surprise your body didn't react too well."

"Thank you so much," Monkey Fist said dryly, carefully getting up.

"You said you were ready."

"I shouldn't be allowed to speak."

The old man chuckled. "Do you want to get out, or do you ache too much? It's a wonderful day outside. But mind you – no training until you get better."

Monkey Fist let out a sigh of relief – after what had happened the previous day he had feared Sensei wouldn't let him get out of his room until he had healed completely, and now that he had finally allowed to get outside more often the thought of being caged up in his room again was unbearable.

"Yes, I nee– I want to get out."

"Good," Sensei stepped outside the room "There is something I need to take care of right now – I'll join you outside in a few minutes. You know the way, don't you?"

Monkey Fist blinked. "You're letting me go outside alone," he stated, bewildered. Since when he had brought him out the first time to see his monkey ninjas, six or seven weeks before, he had never been allowed to go anywhere without Sensei keeping an eye on him – he was strictly forbidden to wander around the school alone and to get anywhere near the students.

Sensing his surprise, the old man shrugged. "I don't think you can be a serious treat to anyone right now, nor I think you would leave the school in you current condition, considering how far we are from the nearest town and how much you ache – you know better than that. Besides, I don't see any reason why you should want to leave right now."

Monkey Fist smiled a little bitterly at his last statement – it was true, there was no real reason why he should try to escape: greed and obsession had left him with nothing but an empty castle and many regrets, and he highly doubted someone would ever miss his presence. His monkey ninjas were probably the only creatures that would.

"Point taken," he said, his voice shallow and emotionless.

Sensei seemed to understand his thoughts. "Things can always change, you know," he said quietly "don't give up on yourself."

"It's easy to say," Monkey Fist said bitterly "you didn't destroy your own life."

Sensei just smiled inwardly and left the room, not even bothering to reply, his mind set on other matters as he got in his meditation room – Stoppable-san would need his help in a few minutes.

It was time.

Middleton, Graduation Day.

"Sensei?"

Ron Stoppable got up from the ground and looked up to those aliens freaks, his blood chilling as he heard one of them talking about turning Kim in some kind of trophy as he held her unconscious form as if she was some rag doll.

Shego had just been knocked out, and Drakken was nowhere to be seen. He was alone, facing two powerful aliens that were threatening his girlfriend's life, and he didn't know what he could do.

"You are the Monkey Master."

Ron turned to the ghost-like figure hovering behind him, forgetting for a moment the dramatic situation he was in.

"I am?" he asked, a bit confused. Could he really be the Monkey Master even though he feared and loather anything simian-related, even though he got Mystical Monkey Power only casually, even though he could barely do anything without dropping his pants?

Sensei just nodded. "This is your destiny," he said solemnly "you are ready."

Ron turned to see Kim's unconscious form. He had to protect her – for once, he was the one that had to save her: he wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt her. Not ever.

Ronald Stoppable clenched his fists and stared at his enemies with a frown, ready to fight, a flow of energy he had never really known to possess flowing through his body, making him feel strong and invincible.

Unstoppable.

"I am."

"Ah!"

Monkey Fist let out cry as he leaned against a rock, his hands holding his head as if trying to soothe the sudden stab of searing pain that had shot through his skull. He was barely aware of the worried screeches of his monkey ninjas around him as he gritted his teeth, struggling to not scream again.

Thankfully, the pain disappeared as quickly as it had started; all he felt now was some kind of buzzing in the back of his head, and the sensation that something had happened – something that had caused the part of Mystical Monkey Power in him to react that way.

"Oh, stop screeching!" he snapped at his monkey ninjas "I'm –" he trailed off, watching his worried minions.

"You're their protector and mentor, and you owe them a fair treatment for their faithfulness. Don't forget it."

Monkey Fist sighed. "I'm fine," he said, keeping his voice calm with some effort "just keep quiet, will you?"

As the monkey ninjas stopped squealing, Monkey Fist sat on a rock, trying to think of what could have happened to cause such a reaction. He was sure it was related to Mystical Monkey Power somehow – but how?

"I was sure you would have sensed something."

The monkey man turned to see Sensei approaching, his expression unreadable. "What happened?"

"Just what was meant to happen: the Chosen One has taken his rightful place as the Monkey Master."

It took a full minute for those words to sink in his brain as he stared at the old man, unmoving and unable to think. "No," Monkey Fist finally whispered, staring at Sensei with widened eyes as if he hoped would say it had been some kind of sick joke, "it's not true."

Sensei raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying I'm a liar?"

"Yes! You are lying – you must be lying!" Monkey Fist growled as he quickly got up, completely oblivious of his aching body's protest. Ron Stoppable, the Ultimate Monkey Master? No, it just couldn't be – he refused to believe it!

"If you don't believe me, just believe your sensations. What else do you think could have happened? You and he are the only ones to possess Mystical Monkey Power. Stoppable-san's powers have reached their full potential – he is the Monkey Master," Sensei cocked his head and smiled a little "why is the truth so hard to accept?"

Monkey Fist gritted his teeth. "He never deserved that power! I gave up on everything I had, and he never did anything to deserve it, he never made any sacrifice to get it – he just stole it from me!"

"How could he steal from you a something that didn't belong to you? That power was rightfully his – it was his destiny," he paused before striking the last blow "you were merely a tool in the fulfilment of his destiny as the Monkey Master. Accept it and move on, Monkey Fist."

"NO!" Monkey Fist snarled, anger burning in his eyes as he grabbed the front of Sensei's robe, almost lifting him from the ground – the thought he could have been just some kind of tool in a cruel joke of fate was unbearable "I refuse to! You are wrong, Mystical Monkey Power doesn't belong to that buffoon, much less the title of Monkey Master!"

"Even if it didn't, why should you care?" Sensei said serenely, not even bothering to break free from his grasp "that power doesn't belong to you either. You admitted it yourself a few weeks ago."

Monkey Fist blinked, startled, his grip on Sensei's robe slacking slightly against his own will.

"I…"

" 'I've been a fool, an arrogant idiot, trying to possess a power that doesn't belong to me,' " Sensei quoted, staring the incredulous monkey man "this is exactly what you said, correct me if I'm wrong."

"I…you…" Monkey Fist tried to speak, but he could think of nothing he could say – he had been betrayed by his own words. He let go of Sensei's robe and took a staggering step back.

"What is it that hurts the most, Monkey Fist – the knowledge you were never meant to be the Monkey Master or the fact you destroyed everything you had trying to get something that would never belong to you?" Sensei asked.

The old man just watched serenely as Monkey Fist dropped his shoulders and sank on his knees with a mournful cry, a look of utter defeat on his face. "Why?" he asked, his shoulders trembling as he stared at the ground, crushed by the revelation "why him? What does he have that I don't have?"

"He has a pure heart; you don't. He will make a good use of his powers; you only wanted power for yourself. That's why you never stood a chance to be the Monkey Master."

Monkey Fist closed his eyes and swallowed, saying nothing, struggling to not break down. He felt like his heart, or what was left of it, had been ripped from his chest leaving nothing but a horrible sense of loss. So it was true – he was never meant to be the Monkey Master: he had only been a tool to give the power to its rightful owner. He probably should have felt furious with fate and with himself for being foolish to serve it as a pawn, but right now he could feel nothing but an awful sense of emptiness.

The silence was suddenly broken by a hesitant squeal – the monkey ninjas, who had followed the scene with growing confusion, were approaching carefully to their master. Sensei couldn't understand what they were saying, but he was sure they were trying to comfort him somehow. A small smile formed on his lips as one of the monkeys awkwardly put a comforting hand on Monkey Fist's shoulder and whimpered something.

Monkey Fist raised his gaze from the ground with some effort, his heart feeling horribly heavy, and gazed at his monkey ninjas. He would have normally felt enraged and somehow humiliated by the pity in their eyes, but this time he felt nothing but a faint sense of gratitude for having them by his side. He chocked back a sob and gritted his teeth, struggling to keep a hold on himself.

"I'll be fine," he said, his voice shaking just a little "now leave. Please."

Sensei followed the monkeys with his gaze as the scurried away, turning back to glance at their master sometimes. "You may not be the Monkey Master, but they are still loyal to you."

Monkey Fist turned his gaze away from his monkeys. "I know."

"Here, get up," Sensei stepped in front of him and offered him his hand to help him "tell me, have you thought about my question?" he asked as he helped the monkey man on his feet.

"Question?"

"What are you going to do with your life?"

The old man raised an eyebrow as the Monkey Fist began to laugh as if it was the funnies joke he had ever heard. He kept laughing for a while, over and over, ignoring the pain at his ribs, and for a moment Sensei wondered if his mind had just snapped.

"Life?" Monkey Fist finally asked as he stopped laughing "what life? My life is over – I have nothing left. Nothing. I wasted my whole life for Mystical Monkey Power, I even caused Yuki's death because of it...and it belongs to another – and I am the one who handed it to him, moreover. How delightfully ironic, isn't it?" he gave an odd sound, a mixture between a laugh and a sob.

"Not your whole life," Sensei stated matter-of-factly "you did waste quite some years, but you still have many years left to live."

"Years that are not worth living."

"You could rebuilt a life for yourself."

"How could I? Becoming the Monkey Master has always been the only goal in my life, and with Yuki gone I have nothing else worth living for."

"Always, you say? That's not true. Until a few years ago, you were a respected archaeologist who wanted knowledge for the sake of knowledge – that was your goal back then. Knowledge."

Monkey Fist shook his head somewhat mournfully. "That man is long since gone."

"That man was never gone – he's been waiting to get free from the chains of obsession all these years, and now he finally has his chance. Do you remember how your life was like back then, when your obsession still hadn't gotten the better of you, when you still valued knowledge above anything else?"

The monkey man closed his eyes. "I had what would have made anyone else happy. I was rich and respected. I was fascinated by the past, and I felt proud everytime I could show to the world some item I retrieved, a part of history I brought back to surface. I was offered a teaching position a few times, but…"

"You refused."

"Yes," Monkey Fist said, and this time there was no regret in his voice "I wasn't interested in teaching, I just…" he paused, a somewhat nostalgic look in his eyes "I loved my job," he said quietly. It was true – he had loved his job. He cringed inwardly, wondering when he had became so corrupted to start loathing everything he had been.

"You do have something else to live for besides Mystical Monkey Power then," Sensei said with a broad smile "nobody outside Yamanouchi knows you've broken the law – there is nothing preventing you from getting back to your old life," he said, deciding to not mention the fact that Kim and Ron did know about what had happened – he was confident they would keep their word and keep it a secret.

Monkey Fist scoffed. "Just getting back to my old life, after everything that happened? It isn't possible," he paused and gave Sensei an almost hopeful look – he had never thought about that possibility "…is it?"

Sensei chuckled. "Why not? Give yourself another chance."

"Do I even deserve a second chance?"

"Yuki didn't save your life to have you miserable. She didn't give up on you, and I won't either."

Monkey Fist swallowed, his mind blurred by an odd mixture of pain, loss, confusion, regret and hope. Even now that he had somehow managed to come to terms with what he had done, knowing he was never meant to be the Ultimate Monkey Master had been a terrible blow – and now the new task ahead of him, putting the pieces of his life back together, seemed insurmountable. Mystical Monkey Power had been the centre of his life for many years; could he really get over it?

"You seem to trust me more than I'm willing to trust myself."

"Someone has to, don't you think? You'll have a lot of work to do, so I'd suggest you to stop moping over what's done. You lost any possibility to become the Monkey Master, but now you can get your life back – it's a fair trade. Forget what you cannot have, and focus on what you can achieve. Are you at least willing to try?"

There was a long silence.

"I'll try," Monkey Fist finally said, avoiding to look at him "I'll try."