Ron was worried; not forgetting to turn in a few assignments worried, but it's-the-end-of-the-world kind of worried. They had been trekking through the forest towards Yamanouchi for what felt like forever. It would have felt like old times, but the fact that Drakken and Shego were present made the situation feel much more dire. His eyes flickered over towards Kim, her auburn hair tied up into a high ponytail. Her face outwardly showed determination and the fearlessness she always exuded, but Ron knew to look past the surface. After all, he had known her his whole life. Kim was exhausted, and rightly so. From the look in her eyes, if you searched deep enough, her fear was as plain as the nose on her face.
Kim caught his eyes, giving him a soft smile. She reached out for his hand, interlocking their fingers together. She squeezed his hand three times; that was their silent way of saying 'I love you.' There appeared to be a break in the thick forest trees up ahead, and surely enough the bridge to Yamanouchi presented itself to them.
"It's about time," Drakken remarked. "These bugs are getting on my last nerve." Shego elbowed him not-so-lightly. "Well, they are," he continued as they walked across the rickety bridge.
"Sensei said he would be awaiting us in the courtyard," Yori told them. "I can see him from here." Surely enough, everyone else saw the small dot of a man in the distance. Yamanouchi had definitely suffered from the attack that happened just days before Hana was kidnapped. There were portions of the structure on the ground in several pieces.
"I see we have two more guests than expected," Sensei pointed out when the group arrived. "Drew Lipsky and Sheena Gordon."
Drakken's jaw dropped, and Shego's hands began to glow. "How do you know our names?" she demanded.
"Sensei is clairvoyant," Yori explained. "He knows and sees all except for how Fukushima's plans will affect us."
Shego scoffed. "Well, that's not very helpful is it, Mystic Man?"
"Shego!" Kim hissed. "Now's not the time for snark."
What Kim saw as disrespect, Drakken saw as a defense mechanism. He could differentiate between Shego's attitudes. This particular bit of 'snark,' as Kim put it, was what Drakken had come to understand to be Shego's alternative to showing fear. When in a stressful, life-threatening situation, she tended to give attitude, but it was downplayed more than her usual cockiness. It was very rare for her to be afraid, which surprisingly made Drakken feel braver; or perhaps he was feeling protective, which in turn, would boost his valor.
"It is quite alright," Sensei told them. "Stressful situations tend to bring out the worst in people." He turned to Ron, studying him for a moment. "Stoppable-San, as you know, the Lotus Blade was taken by Fukushima, as well as your sister. She is needed for his plan, which tells us that he plans to unearth the Yono yet again."
The faces of Kim, Ron, and Yori were horror-stricken. The last time the Yono had been unearthed, everyone but Hana had been turned to stone. Though Hana defeated the one who unearthed the Yono, they were very close to eternal destruction.
"What?" Drakken asked as he and Shego noticed the expressions on everyone's faces. "Who's this Yono?" Shego pinched the bridge of her nose at Drakken's use of air quotes.
Sensei, sensing the tension in the air, motioned for everyone to follow him inside. "Come, and we'll talk it over with tea. I will tell you the tale of Yono."
Fukushima dug through the coarse dirt in Simian Canyon, searching for the golden pull ring of the Yono's temple. Hana had finally woken, and was now running around the canyon, distracting him from his work. He couldn't allow her to get away, as that would risk his chance of receiving absolute power. Digging through his satchel, Fukushima found the powder he had used on Kim Possible. He lifted Hana in his arms and sprinkled the substance over her, putting her tiny body in stasis for the time being.
After another hour of digging, the pull ring was just barely visible, but it was enough for Fukushima to grab ahold of, and lift. He was thrown back, and watched as the monkey temple rose from the depths of the earth. A turned-to-stone Monkey Fist could be seen at the top of the temple, forever frozen in a prison of his own making.
Not for long, Fukushima thought. "Simian mon kayala uwono aluay ken servant." He felt the ground quake, and looked up at Monkey Fist who had begun to move, but still made of stone. Emerging out of the temple's entrance was a cloaked figure that stopped just a couple of feet from him.
"I am Yono," he bellowed, ripping away the cloak to reveal a short brown monkey with piercing green eyes dressed in a purple Mandarin tunic with gold trim.
"Fukushima!" Monkey Fist shouted. He disappeared out of thin air from the top of the temple, and reappeared atop of the steps. "Have you come to finish what I began?"
"I have bigger plans than having you become the monkey master," Fukushima scoffed. "Ever hear of the War of Darkness?"
Shego sipped her tea tentatively, unable to figure out if she liked it or not. She had always been more of a coffee person, but when in Rome…or Japan, rather. Sensei was pouring tea for Kim and Ron, who looked to be in deep conversation on the other side of the room. Shego had never seen Possible look so exhausted in all the years they were acquainted. She was itching to find out more about this Yono character, and why it signified danger all around.
"Gather around," Sensei told them. Kim and Ron finally sat down between Sensei and Yori, facing their former foes. He looked at Drakken and Shego. "I take it you were told of the War of Darkness?" They nodded. "Yakunan plays a large role in the tale of the Yono."
"He does? You never told us that before," Ron remarked.
"We shall start from the beginning," Sensei said softly. "His full title is Yono the Destroyer. When Toshimiru claimed victory, he banished Yakunan, and had him sent away to the hidden valleys of Simia Canyon. Unbeknownst to Toshimiru, Yakunan had meddled with the darkest of magic previously. This dark magic kept him truly immortal. This kind of magic required human sacrifice, and Yakunan gave plenty after slaying so many on the battlefield. However, he did not anticipate the transition into a monkey, as he was only made so by his jealousy of Toshimiru being the monkey master." Sensei took a sip of his tea, observing everyone's reactions. By the look on Kim and Ron's faces, they had figured it out. "Yakunan would remain immortal, but would live out his days as a monkey imbued with the power of wielding the darkest magic in the world, only able to help those evil enough to seek him, for he is the one they call the Yono."
"Soooo," Shego began. "We're scared of…a monkey?"
"A monkey who wields dark powers," Drakken pointed out.
"And who has caused death and destruction in his wake every time he is summoned," Yori added. Gesturing toward Kim and Ron, she said, "We are lucky that we survived our last encounter with him, but it was only because Monkey Fist was unable to get Hana to comply."
"That's the other part that doesn't add up…what does Stoppable's little sister have to do with any of this?"
"My sister is a ninja prodigy, but is also the weapon called The Han," Ron explained. "For reasons still unknown, the Yono has a connection to the monkey mystic weapon that my sister apparently is."
"From what I could tell from Monkey Fist's ramblings, if you are able to have The Yono and The Han comply with your wishes, you'll gain endless power to do with what you wish," Kim added.
"And how do you even know all of this, if it isn't common knowledge?" Shego asked Sensei. "I mean, you're old and wise, I get that, but how are you sure?"
"Because," Sensei paused for dramatic effect, "I am Toshimiru."
After the shock of Sensei's revelation wore off, Yori stood up, gesturing for Kim, Ron, Drakken, and Shego to follow her. "It is time that we get some rest, I suspect. We have all had a long night." The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains, but not one person in the room had enough sleep to still be standing. "I will show you to your rooms. I assume it will be alright to share?" The four guests looked at each other in surprise. Yori laughed, realizing they thought all four of them would be sharing one room. "I meant to say that Drakken and Shego will share one room, while you and Stoppable-San share another." The look of relief on everyone's faces was extremely noticeable.
Drakken and Shego settled as comfortably as possible on the bed roll, though that wasn't saying much. Her eyes closed instantly, and she was veering off into sweet obliviousness until Drakken's quiet laughing woke her up. "What are you laughing at?" she asked irritably.
"I was just thinking, maybe we shouldn't fight this monkey; he might use gorilla warfare," he laughed. "Get it? Cause guerilla war—oh never mind." He noticed the roll of Shego's eyes. "This whole thing is just bananas!" And the laughter started up again. "We can't be caught monkeying around, you know."
Shego growled. "That's it! If you tell me one more pun, I'm shoving you off this bed."
"But—"
"No."
"Just—"
"Sleep!" Her tone was crueler than she meant to be. She harrumphed as she turned herself away from him, unable to get rid of that niggling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew that Drakken was only trying to ease the tension that Sensei's story filled the air with, but the fear she felt had her lashing out at everyone.
Meanwhile, Kim and Ron were continuing their heated conversation from earlier, neither bothering to at least sit upon the bed roll.
Kim's eyes were aflame with frustration. "Ron, I don't care how many times you say it, I'm not just going to get up and leave. Yes, Fukushima is after enacting revenge on you, and the world, but the truth is, I'll be in danger no matter where I am. You don't have to do any of this alone."
"You don't know what you're saying, KP. You need sleep," Ron told her, sitting down on the bed roll. "We both do. Hopefully, tomorrow you'll realize how absurd you're being."
"Excuse me!?" Kim exclaimed. "I'm being absurd? Who's the one planning on taking down Fukushima head-on without any backup? You can't do that, Ron, it's certain death!"
"But it'll ensure that you stay alive!" he argued. Kim was taken aback by this statement. He sounded so sure of it.
"Ron," her voice softened, "how can you be so sure of that?" He said nothing, but slipped a small, rolled piece of parchment from his pocket. "What is this?"
"I found it in Hana's room," he told her. "Read it."
Outsider, your sister will not come into any harm, as I need her alive in order to enact my plans. However, if you want Possible to remain alive, meet me in two days' time in Simia Canyon where you will inevitably perish for the woman you love.
Kim couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes due to her anger and fear. "Ron, you can't do this! I'm not worth this. There's always another way." She sat down beside him.
"Not worth this? KP, you're worth everything good in this world." Ron's determination to die for her was frightening. Not that she wouldn't do the same for him, but what good would it be to not even try to defeat Fukushima together?
"I won't let you do this alone," she told him. "We'll get Hana back, we'll defeat Fukushima, and send the Yono and Monkey Fist back in the ground. It seems impossible, but well, do I have to say it?"
Ron smiled at her, unable to keep it from his face.
"Anything's possible for a Possible," they spoke in unison. "And don't you forget it," Kim added.
Author's Note: Please tell me what you thought of my backstory for The Yono. And how about that twist, huh? Sensei is Toshimiru, the original Monkey Master!