Monday
"Are you sure that there isn't anything that I can get you, Ms. Possible?" the flight attendant asked her for what seemed like the fiftieth time. "Perhaps a blanket or something to drink?"
Kim had to smile, despite the slight annoyance that she was feeling from being interrupted constantly. Everything that she had heard about first class was true, right down to the almost personalized service that one got from the cabin crew. Still, all she wanted to do was be alone with her thoughts at the moment, no matter how friendly the woman in front of her might be.
"No thank you, I think I'm just going to get some sleep," Kim lied. She had no intentions of even trying to, despite the fact that she desperately needed it. "Only six hours in the last two days. Damn, if I don't get some shut eye soon, I'm gonna pass out," she thought. But if it was anything like the sleep she had gotten lately, then the redhead wanted no part of it.
All she could see was his face. It was amazing just how little damage there was to it after all that electricity had coursed through his body. Every time she closed her eyes, his face greeted her. It was the same thing, time and time again. She would watch as his hand made contact with the metal connector, how for a split second it seemed that his body became almost completely blue, and then it was over. He would just drop to the ground, like a marionette with its strings cut, those chocolate eyes staring into space without the usual sparkle that accompanied them.
She would dash over to him, time slowing for her as she got closer to his body, almost as if she were running through water. Falling to her knees, with the first of many tears already welling up from the pit of despair that was insider her, she would gently place his head in her lap, lovingly close his eyes, and wonder for the first of many times why it had to be him. A look of utter peace had come over him as he left all his cares and worries behind. Then, suddenly, his eyes would snap open, he would look at her, staring intently into her green eyes, and tell her in a voice that was at once his and not his, "I'm still alive, KP. Help me."
It was at this point that she would wake up screaming. The first time it had happened, her father had broken down the door to her room believing that some horror was befalling his daughter. After the first week went by, she would no longer wake up screaming, but the cold sweat and the gasping for air remained. And the lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll. She would forget things, she had trouble concentrating, and her appearance was suffering. If this kept up, she would go seek some professional help, if for nothing else than a good night's sleep.
She looked over at her sleeping friend that was sitting in the seat next to her. No, friend wasn't the right word. Yori seemed straight-forward enough, but Kim was beginning to wonder if the Asian girl wasn't leading her into some kind of danger. Boys raised by monkeys? Visions from the gods? It all sounded like some folk myth that had been passed down from one generation to the next, a cultural story that had faded from truth into fiction over the course of many generations.
Yet, she had been Ron's friend. He had spent a week in her company, training at her school, and hearing her stories. If he had thought it important enough to keep something like that from her, his best friend, then maybe there was something to what Yori was saying. After all, Ron might have been annoying at times and goofy all the time, but he had had a good head on his shoulders. Yet....
There was more to it than just Ron's beliefs, Kim had to admit to herself. When Yori had first told her that she would have to fly half way around the world in order to hear the second part of a story that she had already decided was fantasy, her first instinct was to decline. She had a lot to do back at home, packing up her things and preparing herself mentally and emotionally to return to what would pass as a normal life. But, there was a voice, one that she wasn't even aware that had ever been there before, that spoke to her, telling her to go. It was small, and would be drowned out anytime another part of her psyche arose from her subconscious, but it was persistent. And eventually, she could no longer ignore it.
That was how she came to find herself flying in the first class cabin of a Jumbo 747, streaking across the night sky towards the Asian coast. She rolled over once more, staring out into the inky expanse that was the Pacific Ocean, and wondered what was to come. She closed her eyes, and for the first time since her ordeal began, she slept in peace.
XXX
The bus that Kim found herself on wasn't very different than one that she might find on the streets of Middleton, except for the fact that all the advertisements were in Japanese. They had been riding this particular one for over an hour, having gotten on it in Kyoto after an early breakfast. The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountains of Southern Japan, and the view was breathtaking.
Kim had once again retreated into her mind. She had asked Yori several times after their plane had landed about what was to come next, but the Asian girl simply smiled and told her to be patient. The former cheerleader was certain that Yori had had some cryptic phrasing to get the point across, but it seemed that the other girl was not willing to push Kim any further than she already had.
So, given the lack of information that was forthcoming and what little she knew of her companion, Kim was content to watch the pristine landscape of the Japanese country side pass by. As time passed, the bus arrived at many stops, always letting off more passengers than it was letting on, until finally, the only people who remained were Yori and herself.
As the bus traveled further into the countryside, Kim found that they were on moving along at the base of a range of mountains. She looked up and discovered that she was unable to see beyond the sheer rock face of what she assumed to be Mount Yamanuchi. The redhead was an accomplished climber, and would have no difficulty reaching the school at the top of this mountain, but she had left her climbing gear back in the states.
As she was pondering the perils of a free climb without any safety gear, the bus came to an abrupt stop. She looked forward and saw that the bus driver had apparently stopped in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't even a proper bus stop, just a small pull off on the side of the road. But it looked like this was their destination because Yori stood up, grabbed her things, and headed for the front of the bus.
Kim grabbed her bag as well and followed Yori towards the front. Just as the other girl was about to get off, she turned and bowed to the driver who merely nodded in return. The redhead thought that it was odd that Yori would bow to the man; she knew that bowing was the custom in Japan, but she didn't think that it was that prevalent. She was already dismissing the gesture when, as she passed by the driver, she noticed that he had a tattoo at the point where his right index finger met his right thumb. It was small and had faded over time, but it was one that Kim would recognize anywhere; after all, she had sported one on her own neck for a time. The tattoo was of a green monkey in a martial arts stance.
Kim was unsure what the tattoo signified and she gave the man a quizzical look as she stepped off the bus. She turned back, a question at her lips but the driver just gave the girl an enigmatic smile. The redhead had barely a moment to ponder this turn of events before she heard Yori calling out to her. She turned to look at the other girl, her attention momentarily diverted away, and the man was able to drive away, back down the road in the direction of Kyoto.
Suddenly beginning to question whether it was a wise choice to follow a prefect stranger into the countryside of a foreign land, the former cheerleader started walking towards her guide when she noticed that Yori was moving some of the brush that had grown around the base of the mountain face. Wondering what the other girl was doing, she was just about to ask her when her guide pushed back a section of the growth to reveal a tunnel in the rock face. Amazed at the perfect camouflage, Kim stood there for a moment until Yori signaled to her to enter.
Too stunned to realize that she might be walking into a trap, Kim grabbed her bag without any thought and stepped into the tunnel. It wasn't very long, and she needed no illumination as she could see through to the other side. As she stepped out of the other end, she was forced to squint at the bright sunlight that began assaulting her eyes. But when she was able to recover, Kim was awestruck at the scene that lay before her. Completely concealed by the mountain peaks surrounding it was a valley that was undetectable from the outside.
The redhead found herself standing at one end of the gash into between the two sets of peaks with a path that stretched out before her, leading up and into the mountains. Kim heard a noise behind her and turned to see the smiling image of Yori. "Impressive, is it not?" the Asian girl asked. Kim was only able to nod in response, having returned to the view that had captured her attention.
"Come, we have many hours to go before we can rest at the school," Yori stated as she walked passed Kim on her way towards the path. The redhead followed and found that the hours passed quickly enough as she strolled amongst the lush vegetation of the terrain. Eventually, she began to wonder if they were close to the school when they rounded the last bend in the path. It seemed that they had made it through to the other end of the valley for before her lay another mountain peak that was perpendicular to the two set of peaks that she had already seen.
But it was what was carved into the final mountain that she was interested in. There, on the top of what she assumed was Mount Yamanuchi, was a city carved out of the rock. She could clearly make out several giant pagodas made from stone with bright red and green rooftops. Her curiosity demanded that she know what else there was to this hidden city, so she quickly crossed the set of three rope bridges that granted access from the mountain path into Yamanuchi.
The end of the last bridge led to a small path between two pagodas that in turn emptied into a large courtyard. It was evident to Kim that this was a space that was used for many purposes from martial arts practice to silent meditation to the gathering of the students here. The further into the courtyard that she went, the more that her status as an outsider was felt by her; the stares that she was receiving from the students that she passed, who were all dressed in a white ninja gi, ranged from curious to pondering to outright hostile. She was about to say something to Yori when her guide placed a hand on her shoulder and pointed towards a bench off to the side of the courtyard.
The two girls walked in the direction that Yori had pointed and they came upon a man who was sitting on the bench. He was easily well into his eighties, but looked like he possessed an inner strength that Kim could only hope that she had when she reached his years. The elderly gentlemen motioned for Kim to take the spot next to him, and he waited while she sat down before speaking.
"Ms. Possible, I am glad that you have come. I am the Master Sensei of the secret ninja school here at Yamanuchi." He then turned towards Yori and said something in Japanese. The other girl bowed deeply to the old man, turned, and took her leave of them.
Figuring that finally she had met the person who was going to give her the answers she so desperately wanted, Kim began to ask the Master what was going on when he held up a hand to stop her. "I know that you have many questions, Kimberly, but be assured that you have come to the place where you will find your answers. If I am not mistaken, you have come all this way to hear the other half of the legend of Lotus Blade," he stated with a gesture towards the giant statue that resided to his right.
Kim looked in the direction that he had motioned and saw an immaculate stone figure that stood before her. There he was, the first master of Ti Shing Peck Quar and founder of the Yamanuchi School. He almost looked larger than life, and she was sure that when he was alive, Toshimu gave that impression to those around him. And in his hand, he held the Lotus Blade.
Yet, as she gazed at the statue of the great warrior, she noticed that there was another statue, smaller and behind the first one, of a woman. The redhead moved her head slightly to get a better look at her and noticed that she was a little younger than Toshimu, dressed in a kimono and kneeing.
Master Sensei noticed that Kim was no longer looking at the statue of Toshimu and spoke up. "The other statue is of a student, one of the very first here at Yamanuchi. Her name was Suiko. The exact year that she was born is a mystery but we do know that she was around seven years younger than Toshimu. She, herself, was not of Japanese decent but rather Chinese. Her father lived near the present day city of Shanghai some seventeen hundred years ago. His name was Nobunaga and he was also a disciple of Ti Shing mysticism."
"However, unlike the monk who was the surrogate father to Toshimu, Nobunaga was an evil sorcerer. As the legend goes, he had some success in gaining mystical monkey power, but as his heart was not pure, he could never be completely successful. Instead of a mission to bring the enlightenment of Ti Shing mysticism to the world, he sought to harness its power to rule all of China. He was known as a violent man, with little room in his heart for mercy. Many the gruesome tale was told about what happened to those who entered his estate, and as time went by and the horrors grew, so did the legend of the mad sorcerer."
"Sometime in the year 325 AD, he had achieved enough power to attract the attention of a demon from the underworld. This demon promised him powers beyond those of mortal man in exchange for a sacrifice to his greatness. Nobunaga had by this time already descended well into madness and thus he had no objections to the death of one more innocent in his quest for power. It was at this time that the mother of Suiko made the unfortunate decision to enter the lands of the madman. She was on a great journey to see the rest of her family, and choose to cut through his lands to save days off her trip instead of going around it. It was a decision that would cost her her life."
At this point, Master Sensei paused in his tale. Kim, so far, had not said a word nor allowed a single emotion to cross her face. She had long ago decided that this tale was a myth that had been handed down from generation to generation, so the thought of some fictional woman meeting her death at the hands of an equally fictional madman really had no effect on her. It did seem to have an effect on the Master of Yamanuchi, however, as Kim realized that the elder man had paused to collect his emotions.
When he had composed himself, he returned to the story. "Nobunaga took the life of the young woman as a sacrifice to the demon. And the demon kept his part of the bargain and allowed an amount of mystical monkey power to enter the room, to be absorbed by whoever was there at the time. The madman thought he was alone, having killed the only other occupant of the chamber he was in, and would receive all of the power for himself. He was wrong."
"What he had first mistaken as the distended belly of a malnourished woman was in fact the womb of a pregnant mother. The child had been carried for almost the full term, and with the death of her mother and the savage way in which her mother's body had been ripped apart, the baby girl was brought into this world in the worst way imaginable. By the time the sorcerer realized that there was another in the room, it was too late and he had shared the gift of the demon with the newborn child."
"He immediately tried to kill the infant girl, but found that no matter how hard he tried, he could bring no harm to the little one. No sword could cut her flesh, and no magic could cause her ill. It was then that he decided that if he could not kill the baby, then he would raise it to be his puppet, thus regaining the mystical monkey power that he had lost."
"Life for Suiko was a brutal existence. Her 'father' was an unyielding taskmaster who saw fit to keep her working at her chores from morn till night, all the while crushing her spirit under the heel of his boot. But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how bad the punishment, she would not break. For ever since she was old enough to remember, Suiko had felt a calling. It was as if there was a great destiny awaiting her in a far off land, and she was determined to discover what it as."
"Her opportunity came when she was eighteen years old. Her master was leaving on a pilgrimage to a mystical monkey temple in India, giving strict instructions to his servants to ensure that the girl remain in his castle at all times. Suiko knew that if she were ever to have her freedom, she would have to escape on the night that the evil sorcerer left. So, while the entire estate was busy with the preparations of getting Nobunaga off on his trip, she used the distraction to slip away in the night. Being neglected finally became a blessing for her instead of a curse for it was several days before anyone noticed that she was missing."
"The young girl had no where to turn, no place to go to for shelter, not even a pair of sandals to cover her feet. But she knew that she had to get as far away from the lands of the madman who had been her captor. Guided by fate and a destiny that was beginning to assert itself, she raced to the Chinese coast of the Sea of Japan where she stole away on a boat that was crossing the body of water. Once she was in the land of the Japanese emperor, she began to feel a stronger and stronger pull towards the southern end of the island. Guided by a force that she knew nothing of, Suiko began a trek for Yamanuchi."
"She, of course, knew nothing of the school that Toshimu had built seven years earlier. The legend of the Ti Shing Peck Quar master coupled with the pull of the Lotus Blade to those who possessed the ability to receive mystical monkey power had brought word of the school to every end of Japan. By the year 343 AD, the founder of our school had many students and was fulfilling the promise he made to the gods. It was in this year, the same year that Suiko landed in Japan, that Toshimu began to feel a strong presence of mystical monkey power, almost equal to that of his own. After many days spent in meditation over the matter, he concluded that another master of Ti Shing Peck Quar had been found and was seeking out the school at Mount Yamanuchi."
"So, with Suiko guided by her heart and Toshimu guided by the mystical monkey power, it was only a matter of time before the two met. When she first stumbled into the school, her clothes were tattered and she had not eaten in many days. The girl was immediately taken to Toshimu, and after seeing Suiko for the first time, he knew that she was the one that he had felt. He ordered that she be nursed back to health, making sure to spend some time each day with the young girl. When Suiko was fully healed, Toshimu offered to personally teach her the ways of Ti Shing Peck Quar. The girl readily accepted his invitation, and she began to learn the ancient art under the personal guidance of our founder."
"As the years passed, the relationship between Toshimu and Suiko went from one of master and student to friendship to that of lovers. Working in close proximity with each other every day for seven years combined with the fact that he was the first man that had ever shown any care for her brought the two together until they pledged their love for each other and were joined. The ceremony took place on the exact spot that Toshimu had received his first vision, and it is the most sacred place for members of our society."
"Their marriage took place in the year 350 AD. This was the same year that Nobunaga returned to his estate in China, having acquired new powers from his trip to India. When he learned that the girl had escaped, he became enraged. He killed most of his servants, those that were not fortunate enough to be able to escape his wrath and laid waste to his lands. The evil sorcerer vowed that he would find Suiko and bring her back with him, no matter the cost."
"It took the madman several years, but finally, in the year 358 AD, he was guided by the mystical monkey power inside him to Mount Yamanuchi where he discovered the school. When he learned that there was a warrior who was spreading the secrets of Ti Shing mysticism to others, secrets that Nobunaga believed to be for him and him alone, he knew that he must destroy the school and get back Suiko."
"The next few years were ones of hardship for the students of the school. Nobunaga was a very wealthy man and was able to amass army after army to attack the school. But each time he tired, the students of Yamanuchi repelled the onslaught, and always with Toshimu, armed with the Lotus Blade, at the forefront. Some were lost in the great battles, but many more were lost on the other side as four years of fighting led to nothing for the evil sorcerer."
"Realizing that he could not afford to keep throwing army after army at the school, Nobunaga once again turned to source of the mystical monkey power that he had. When he had finally contacted the demon, the evil spirit was not pleased to learn that part of the power that it had bestowed upon Nobunaga had been wasted on a girl, and it became enraged at the thought that she would use that power to spread the secrets of Ti Shing mysticism to those whom the demon deemed not worthy. So, it granted the madman's request for an army that even the Lotus Blade itself could not stop"
"At this, a great hole appeared in the ground and from it issued forth an army of Hell's own soldiers. Amorphous and as black as the night, they stood one thousand strong, and no match for the students of Yamanuchi. The demon then gave the power to command this army over to Nobunaga with the instructions that he should not fail or face his wrath. Vowing that he would lay waste to the school, the madman turned and led his army off towards Yamanuchi."
"It was at this time that Toshimu felt a great evil come into the world. He knew that it was more powerful than anything he had experienced before, and he was not sure that he would be able to defend the school against such a force. Our founder took to his favorite meditation spot and there he remained for many days and nights until finally he received another vision. The monk that had been his guide in life once more returned to him to offer him the advice of the gods. He was told of the army that Nobunaga had amassed and what those soldiers truly were. He was told that no ordinary weapon could harm the demons in the madman's army, but only through a combination of Toshimu and the Lotus Blade could he defeat them. If Toshimu was willing to give of himself, then and only then, would he be triumphant."
"Toshimu took this to mean that it was he, and he alone, that must face the evil army with the weapon that the gods had given him all those many years ago. The great warrior, taking with him only the Lotus Blade, slipped out of the grounds of the school in the middle of the night to go face the approaching army for he knew that if anyone should see him leaving, they would follow him to their certain death."
"He did not have to travel far to engage the enemy, for they had already traveled a great distance. It was one against a thousand of Hell's best warriors, but Toshimu was not scared. He had his faith in the ways of the Ti Shing and was armed with the weapon of the gods. The great warrior did not hesitate for one moment and rushed head first into the fray. But, he soon learned that victory was not to be his that day, for as he tried to attack the soldiers in Nobunaga 's army, the Lotus Blade would pass right through them, as if they were made of nothing more than ether. The madman, who had been watching the entire display from a safe distance, merely laughed at Toshimu and told him that he would lead his army to victory this time. That he would wait until his school was destroyed and all his students perished before he would give Toshimu the release of death. Defeated, our founder retreated back to the school."
"He returned to the school only a few hours before the demon's army was to reach the gates. Exhausted, Toshimu was helped by Suiko to his place of meditation to contemplate the dire time that the school found itself in. And it was then that the answer came to him. The Lotus Blade itself was not enough to defeat the evil power that the demon had given Nobunaga. But, if he was to give of his own power and infuse it with the power of that the weapon already possessed, it would surely be enough."
"The transfer, however, came at a high price for Toshimu. In order to give of his mystical monkey power to the Lotus Blade, he had to give a piece of his soul. In order to keep the secrets of Ti Shing Peck Quar safe and to protect the students of Yamanuchi, he fragmented his very essence, a man forever incomplete except when he is in possession of the Lotus Blade. That is the reason why only a true heir of the Lotus Blade can wield it to its full potential."
"Needless to say, our founder was successful when he fought the demon army for the second time. When Nobunaga reached the gates, Toshimu ordered them to be throw open as he faced the fearsome horde alone. Now, with a power that was unstoppable, the Lotus Blade was able to dispatch the unholy soldiers in a matter of moments. And after many years of cruelty and inhumanity, the evil sorcerer was sent to the depths of hell, to the demon that had now become his master and tormentor."
"With the threat now gone and many years of hardship coming to an end, the students of Yamanuchi rejoiced. All, that is, except for Suiko who had seen her husband win on the battlefield only to collapse. The battle had taken much from him and our founder lay there in the field, mortally wounded. Suiko helped Toshimu into the school where he disappeared into the mountains alone. He spent one day and one night in the mountains and when he returned, he asked to speak with his wife, who was summoned immediately to his side."
"He explained to her that, in fusing a piece of his spirit with the Lotus Blade, he was destined to forever return after his death to wield the weapon in the protection of Yamanuchi and Ti Shing Peck Quar. Because his would forever be a separated soul, he could never move to the next life until the day when both parts of himself were reunited. He would be reincarnated, always to be drawn to Yamanuchi and his destiny. And that, because of this commitment that he made, he would not be able to join his love in the afterlife. Toshimu then kissed his wife goodbye for the last time, and ceased to be."
Although Kim was sure that not a single word of what she was told had been had actually happened, the romantic in her was nonetheless touched by the sad story of Toshimu and Suiko's love and how they would be forever separated. Finally able to look away from the Master Sensei of Yamanuchi, the redhead wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes and sniffled slightly. It took her a moment, but she was able to recover her composure quickly and, once again, asked the question that was foremost on her mind.
"Master, that was a very touching tale and it was almost worth the trip to hear it. But, what does this have to do with me and Ron?"
The Master gave his guest a knowing smile as he stood up and gestured for Kim to follow him. "Perhaps it is time that I show you one more thing before I finish the story of the Lotus Blade."
The elderly man began leading the confused teen through the courtyard towards a section that she had not been to before. As they progressed, Kim noticed that they were approaching what appeared to be the entrance to a shrine of some sort. It was a simple stone archway, with cherry trees along both sides of it blocking the view of what was beyond. Standing at the entrance was Yori, who gave Master Sensei a questioning look, but the old man simply shook his head.
He led Kim through the archway to a small clearing that gave a breathtaking view of the valley below. She could see the entire valley from this vantage point, with its majestic snow capped peaks and its lush green floor. In fact, Kim could have simply lost herself in it, enjoying the beauty of the scenery around her. That is, if she was looking at the scenery.
But what held Kim's attention was the small table that was in the center of the clearing. It was made out of the same stone that the rest of Yamanuchi was made out of, except that it had been studded with what Kim assumed was jade. As the Master Sensei walked around the other side of beige table, she noticed that there was something lying upon it that was covered with a pure white cloth. And as the elderly man pulled pack the sheet, the redhead was filled with a sense of shock and anger that she had never known in her entire life before that moment.
For lying upon the stone table was the body of Ron Stoppable.
XXX
Author's Notes: Well, this chapter really has a supernatural feel to it. Demons and satanic armies and swords that hold men's souls. It's a little different from what I'm used to writing, so I hope that the story isn't over the top. Hopefully by now you can tell where the story is going. There are a few more twists and turns along the way, but we're more than half way there by now.
A note about the names. Toshimu comes straight from canon, and therefore was a given before the story started. Suiko was the Empress of Japan in late 6th and early 7th century AD. She was credited for opening the doors to China and for promoting Buddhism in Japan. Given that Ti Shing mysticism is supposed to be an offshoot of this religion, I thought it appropriate to use her name for Toshimu's lover. Nobunaga was an ambitious man who was born into nobility and in the 16th century led an army to conquer the city of Kyoto. Seemed like a fitting name given that Yamanuchi is close to Kyoto.
Until next time, enjoy chapter 3.