Though it seemed like hours, in reality only about thirty minutes had passed since leaving the African coast. The Kirrnan spacecraft was extremely fast, and Kim found herself admiring the vehicle's abilities. She rubbed a sore spot on her arm, a souvenir from the evil phoenix's energy ray, and wondered what to expect when they arrived. She glanced at Ron, who had been unusually quiet since takeoff. He sat silently, staring out the viewport, but not really noticing the passing scenery. Kim glanced in the other direction, noticing that Blaze was keeping busy monitoring readouts printed in an unfamiliar language.
For his part, Ron didn't notice the passing of time...or the lack thereof. Since being reunited with Kim he hadn't had time to sit and think, but the events of the last few hours had finally caught up with him. He had no idea how he was supposed to "save the world". That was Kim's job, no matter what she said. He may have the power, given to him through Monkey Fist's icons, but he didn't understand it or want it. No one had explained how he was to use the power either. "Jump-start" the planet's magical energies. Right. Sure. No problem. Actually, there was a problem.
"Rufus." The name slipped out unintentionally, and he snuck a quick peek at Kim to see if she had noticed. She hadn't, and he returned to his brooding. Whenever "Team Possible" had gone on a mission, Kim had save the world. When she needed help, it had always been Rufus who knew what to do. Ron had just been the sidekick...the distraction. And he LIKED that role. He didn't have to think too hard or worry that if he messed up the world would end. Half the time he was SUPPOSED to mess up, as part of the distraction. Now the whole world depended on him, and he no longer had his confidence. Rufus seemed to have supplied that too.
"I think we're descending" Kim broke into his reverie. He blinked quickly, looking out at the rapidly approaching rain forest. He couldn't see any significant landmarks, anything to indicate they were in the right spot, but he supposed he'd have to trust the mole rats' programming. The craft touched down lightly, and Blaze jumped down from the console. He half-ran, half-slid down the corridor and opened the outer hatch. Kim and Ron followed a bit more slowly. Upon exiting, Kim withdrew the Kimmunicator.
"Ok, Wade, we've landed. Any ideas as to what we do now?"
"The mole rats...I mean Kirrnans...didn't tell you?" Wade had gotten a more in-depth explanation of the situation during the flight.
"No. I'm not sure they even know. The only info they could give was that we needed to be here and Ron had the magical powers needed to save Earth." Wade shook his head, chuckling.
"I never would have guessed that one day Ron would be the one to REALLY save the world. And with magic, no less! I have to admit, Kim, I don't know how much help I'll be. It's hard to fight magic with science."
"You did it when she was a monkey!" Ron appeared over her shoulder, sounding a but accusatory.
"Yeah, well I had DNA to work with!" Wade shot back. Kim pushed Ron back.
"Chill, you two! We're all stressed but let's not take it out on each other." The two boys nodded repentantly. Blaze had disappeared into the forest and suddenly returned, chittering excitedly and pointing into the undergrowth.
"I guess we should follow." They picked their way through the dense foliage, trying not to stumble. After only a minute or so, they came upon an ancient ruin, overgrown and nearly covered with vegetation. The carvings made little sense to Kim, but Blaze had scampered into the dark entrance, so she shrugged. "This must be the place."
"Yeah." Ron sounded so dejected that Kim reached out and took him by the hand. She knew how much he must be hurting, after losing Rufus. Now he was somehow going to hopefully save the world, but at what cost? Ron loved coming on her adventures, but he wasn't really as brave as she was. He had to be terrified as the unknown loomed ever closer.
Just inside the door the floor dropped into a set of eroded stone stairs. The trio carefully made their way down, deep into the earth. As they descended, darkness enclosed them, seeming to smother them with its intensity. Kim could feel Ron tensing up, and just as she was about the break the silence to calm him, she noticed a glow emanating from somewhere below. It grew brighter and brighter the lower they traveled. Finally the stairs gave way to flat ground once again, and they found themselves on the edge of a great room. In the center a strange orb floated, pulsing with a light that seemed to be alive. Kim stopped, entranced by the rhythmic fluctuations. Shaking the effects off, she turned to Ron, but he wasn't there anymore. She looked around, startled, and saw him moving slowly towards the light. An uneasy feeling welled up inside her, and she stepped forward, intending to stop him.
"Ron..." It was as if her actions had awakened some sentient being within the orb. The intensity of the light doubled, then tripled, and the globe began to grow. Kim shielded her eyes, feeling the heat wash over her. When the light dimmed again her heart leapt, for there was now a barrier of energy between her and Ron. She tested it, but it resisted her attempts to pass through, though it did her no harm. Ron seemed to be in some kind of a trance, slowly approaching the center of the room without notice of anything else. Blaze struggled up Kim's leg and managed to climb onto her shoulder. They watched helplessly as Ron reached out a hand. As he made contact, the room erupted in a blinding flash of light, and a great wind blew through the chamber. As Kim blinked furiously, trying to regain her sight, she noticed that the room suddenly seemed... different. She shook her head, clearing her eyes of the last few spots, and gasped.
"Where's Ron?!" She frantically punched buttons on the Kimmunicator.
"What happened?" Wade's image was blurred by static.
"Ron disappeared!" She heard a rapid clicking, and knew Wade was trying to get information on their location.
"Kim, my readings show that there is MASSIVE geological activity going on back where Monkey Fist is. The repercussions are reaching across the globe!"
"Not helping!" she cried, struggling to keep from screaming. She was a person of action... feeling helpless made her feel...well...helpless. And she hated it.
"No, let me finish! The activity is on a global scale, but it WAS on a greater global scale five minutes ago than it is right now."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that whatever Ron did seems to be helping! The earthquakes, eruptions, storms...all of them are lessening in an expanding circle, with your location at the center."
"Ok....that's the good news...but what happened to Ron!?" Wade typed furiously.
"Ummm... I'm not sure."
"You have him microchipped...where IS he?"
"Weeellll...." Kim's heart dropped into her stomach. He wasn't...he couldn't be... "My readings show him in, um, well, I can't pinpoint him."
"What? Why not?"
"Because he seems to be moving, at incredible speed, back towards Monkey Fist and the evil phoenix." Kim turned and ran back up the stairs, heading for the spaceship. Blaze held on tightly to her hair, to keep from falling and being left behind. The reached the craft and started it up, setting it to return to the Kirrnan colony. Everything was coming to a head, and Kim just hoped she could make it in time.
"What the...?!" Shego felt herself fly through the air, when only moments ago she had been steering the hovercraft to its destination.
"SHE-EGOO!" She barely registered Drakken's frightened cry before slamming into the ground with a jolt. She sat up, rubbing her head, and noticed two objects plummeting to the ground in much the same manner... Dr. Drakken and the Hovercraft. They, too, crashed with a loud THUD and an explosion, respectively. Shego didn't waste any time wondering if Drakken was all right. She leapt to her feet and flipped backwards towards some rocks that she hoped would offer her shelter. Sliding under a large protrusion, she thought back over the last half-hour to try to figure out what went wrong.
She and Drakken had reached the coordinates of the epicenter of the earthquake. She had still been disinclined to believe it was all about Drakken, and the ensuing quarrel had ended with neither of them talking to the other. The storm had worsened progressively as they approached, and Shego had stopped the hovecraft, wisely wanting to keep out of the most violent part of the tempest. Drakken, on the other hand, had angrily jabbered at her, and pointed to the controls, indicating that she should proceed. She wasn't sure what little shoulder demon had prompted her to listen to him, she didn't USUALLY pay any attention to Drakken, but she had complied. What they had seen at the center of the storm convinced her that Drakken was DEFINITELY wrong about everything.
Monkey Fist. A GLOWING Monkey Fist had been floating about 200 feet above the ground. His eyes were closed, and Shego couldn't tell if he was in a trance, unconscious, or dead. Energy flashed every so often from the aura surrounding him, keeping the storm's intensity building. Shego had tried to back the craft away, but one of the beams had caught them and torn the vehicle apart, sending them flying every which way.
"Hurry!" Shego looked up...she knew that voice! She was just in time to see Kim Possible and her stupid little sidekick's bald rodent running to the other side of the rock formation. Hesitating, she looked back to Drakken, but he had disappeared. She shrugged, and followed Kim around to the back of the rocks. She was just in time to catch a glimpse of Kim's foot as it disappeared into a cave-like opening...an opening that was rapidly closing! Shego leapt after her, sliding in just as the stones fell back into place. She felt herself sliding, falling, and then...
"Oomph!" she had landed on someone, and the resulting struggle to untangle arms and legs only served to earn her a few more bruises. Suddenly a light clicked on, blinding her.
"Shego!?" Oh. Great.
"Hey Kimmie." Shego's first rule...never let Kim Possible know if she's managed to get to you.
"What are YOU doing here?"
"I could ask the same." Shego glared pointedly.
"I'M trying to save the WORLD. What's your excuse?"
"Mwmble drnmpe phmbles"
"Come again??"
"Drakken thought it would be a good idea."
"Why?"
"Because he thought the earthquake that wrecked his lair came from you, and you were here!" Kim raised her eyebrow. She could tell that Shego was pretty much fed up with her boss. But she also wasn't about to start being a "good guy" either.
"O-Kaay. Right. So where is Drakken?" Shego shrugged, not really caring. Kim rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this. Blaze, take Shego somewhere secure. I've gotta find Ron, and see if we can stop this thing." The rodent nodded, saluting, and then prodded Shego with the flashlight it was carrying.
"Pshyea right!" Shego looked down disdainfully. Kim turned back to face her.
"I'd cooperate if I were you. The Kirrnans have a highly developed technological culture, and that flashlight also contains a laser, an acid spray, and an electro-shock mechanism." Shego looked down again, a little less sure of herself. Before she could respond, Kim had vanished down the dark tunnel. Shego turned to follow, and felt a numbness tingling up her leg. She looked down to see the... WHAT had Kim called it?... brandishing its weapon and giggling.
"Hehe...low setting!" Shego rolled her eyes and decided maybe she HAD better cooperate... for now.
Meanwhile, Kim had reached the main chamber and pulled out the Kimmunicator.
"Hey, Wade, I'm in. So where is he?" Wade shrugged.
"I dunno, Kim. My reading say he's somewhere nearby. I still can't figure out how..." he was cut off by a loud shriek. Kim turned, and nearly dropped the Kimmunicator at what she saw. Circling the ceiling at amazing speeds was a creature so brilliant, so beautiful, it defied words. This was DEFINITELY a phoenix, she thought. She could barely make out the image of a bird...a peacock from the looks of it. But it was about twenty times larger than any peacock she'd ever seen.
"Wade...can you SEE this?! It must be Shioa. It's so beautiful..." she looked down. Wade looked like he was about to be sick. "Wade, are you ok?"
"Ummmm. Kim?" she waited. "I think.... I mean....I..."
"Come on, Wade, spit it out."
"Well, either my readings are WAY off, or that...that..."
"Phoenix" Kim supplied.
"Yeah, well I think that phoenix is....Ron!"
"Ron?" Kim looked up at the creature. No way...he couldn't be...he wasn't... but some things were starting to fall into place. The Kirrnans had never told them just HOW Ron was going to save the world...or give back the magical energies. What if... what if he had been some kind of sacrifice...if he was...
No. She wouldn't think that. She whirled around and set off purposefully towards the council chamber. She WOULD get some answers.
To be continued...