So, another chapter. Trying to make up for my shortcomings. I admit the death was a bit quick, but I couldn't figure out how to plot it as it's own scene. I'm also not big on wasting time trying to fluff up the length. At least I'm learning from the reviews. Hopefully.
Chapter 5
Kim crested the mountain and looked across the familiar forest valley, one she had never seen before, to her destination. Mount Yudono. She had been saved a few days time on her journey when the elderly gentleman she had come to find had met her at the airport. After being able to talk to Ron in her dreams, someone with prophetic visions was easy to accept.
Sensei had only been able to tell her which mountains to try. He had provided a basic summary of the two gods and an idea of what to expect. Izanagi and Izanami were the parent gods in Japanese mythology. Izanagi was the primordial god of the sky and creator of everything good and right; Izanami was his wife and the primordial goddess of earth and darkness.
Kim spent most of her journey thinking about the one solid thing Sensei could say on the tests; everything else was dependent on the request and mood of the gods. "We are many people. You must decide who you truly are." Easy to understand, hard to answer. Hero, daughter, cheerleader. She was something to everyone. She could say she was The Coward. Even as she grew closer, she didn't have the nerve to tell Ron her feelings, or ask his.
Before she knew it, Kim stood before a giant ornate door set into the opening of a cave. Various warriors were shown, seemingly ready to leap out in defense. Two figures in the center appeared to be waiting to open the doors. Standing before these two figures in the door, she chose to say the one thing she knew she'd always be no matter what happened. "I am Kim Possible, friend of Ron Stoppable, seeking audience for a request."
For a long moment, she feared she had already failed; but the doors separated with a loud rumbling. With a sigh of relief, she quickly strode through the opening. The young girl found her way to a large chamber lit by sunlight filtering through some fissures. Across the room were two simple but elegant thrones. Looking around for traps, she could make out statues of various warriors in all the alcoves.
Once she had taken a few steps, several of the statues rushed forward to block her path. These appeared to be samurai in full regalia. Not sure whether to fight or to reason with them, she got her answer when two of them rushed her. The redhead ran forward for a handspring off their shoulders. Thinking she would clear the entire group, she was surprised to meet the kick to her mid-section as she landed. Recovering from the tumble, she saw more attackers. These wore training uniforms, and she judged them to be to be a mix of jiu-jutsu and shotokan martial artists.
Kim tried various tactics to get past her assailants, but they all failed. Taking them one at a time only left her open from another angle. It was too crowded now to leap over them. And they were too coordinated to use against each other. No sooner did she gain ground, than she lost it. And she was losing more as the fight wore on.
As she pushed on, she attacked less and less. Blocking became difficult as fatigue set in. There was only so far willpower could go before the body couldn't handle it. Kim continued to push herself; fear and guilt fueled her until they were the only things keeping her moving. Stepping to the side to dodge an attack, her legs didn't move with her. Toppling, she didn't have the energy to absorb any of the fall and hit the stone floor hard. Tears of shame came to her as she desperately tried to get up. Her body didn't even twitch with the effort, but the exertion caused her to black out.
Kim groaned as she regained consciousness. Scanning the room, she saw she was propped up against the side of a cave. Seeing her friend, she smiled. "Hey, Ron," she said weakly. "Thanks for saving me from the cave-in. How long have I been out?"
"About an hour."
"I had the weirdest dream. I was fighting these statues so that I could get you resurrected."
"It wasn't a dream. You lost, and my chance at life is gone."
She bolted up. "What! No, it was a dream. You're right here. Alive." Her hands found the pendant, and all her guilt came crashing down. "There has to be another way."
"Let it go, KP. It's over. At least I'm being allowed to move on."
"But you wouldn't
be dead if you hadn't saved me."
"You think I don't know
that?" he yelled. "You'll get over this, and I'll still be
dead. I don't have to keep the happy face now that I'm not stuck
to you. I'll never grow up and have a family. I can't fulfill
any dreams. And all because you didn't think I could do it alone."
"That's not true," she whispered through her tears. "I was afraid you'd be hurt if you didn't have backup."
Ron laughed. "Yeah, that plan worked. I didn't feel any pain when the laser shot me."
"Ron," she whimpered.
"What?" he interrupted. "Going to say you're doing this because you love me? Too bad. If you did, you'd have trusted me. You were only a friend to me, and a selfish one at that."
Kim's eyes hardened as she stood. "It doesn't matter if you hate me, as long as you're alive to do it. If I'm going to be denied, I want them to look me in the eye to do it."
Ron walked over to the thrones and split into two forms that seated themselves. She looked back and forth at the petite, beautiful Japanese woman in a dark kimono and the trim Japanese man in a light blue business suit. "As you wish," the man said. "I am Izanagi, and this is my wife Izanami."
Fear gripped her heart. "Isn't there anything I can do? I'll take his place if I need to."
They smiled. "Fear not," Izanagi said. You passed the test of will by fighting until the end."
"And you have passed the test of heart, not only with your unwavering compassion; but your desire to save your friend regardless of the price. We have seen the sincerity of your soul and will hear your request."
"Ron died protecting me in a situation I should not have been in. I ask that his life be returned to him."
"He died honorably in battle," the man said.
"But had I not been there, he might have lived."
"He took the duty himself. Had you not been there, he may have failed," the woman replied.
"He and I have
protected the world many times. Without him, I don't know if I can
succeed alone."
"This man is worthy of a warrior's death.
By your own words he is strong in the virtues. But others will arise
to face evil as is the cycle," he answered.
"But Ron is a good man and my best friend. He shouldn't have to suffer for my mistake. He does so much to enrich the lives of everyone around him. Someone like that deserves another chance."
"You love him very much," Izanami stated.
Kim nodded. "More than I ever knew."
"Aptly put." With a wave of her hand, the goddess brought forth the images of Ron as himself and as he appeared in her dreams. "Given a choice, which form would you have him in?"
The teen carefully considered each. Dream Ron really was taller, more muscular, and handsomer. Normal Ron was almost laughable with his gangly limbs and goofy face. "I would choose his normal form. That's my friend, and the one I fell for. With work, he could look like who is inside. But that's his choice."
"You honor him with your wisdom," Izanagi said. "But to return his life, a balance must be maintained. Another life must be substituted."
"If it means his life, you can have mine."
"You must choose another. We are aware you were requested not to sacrifice yourself."
Kim looked at the god with shock. "I can't just choose someone to die for him. It's not right."
The god formed a projection in the air that shifted through a series of images, each a different person. "You can choose an elder or a terminally ill patient. Some will die soon anyways; some will suffer pain for years that modern medicine cannot alleviate."
The young girl tried to speak, but no words would come out. "I can't do it," she finally said. "It's not my right, and I know Ron wouldn't forgive himself if someone had to be chosen to die for him to live. I'm sorry."
"Do not feel shame for valuing life. But this does mean your audience with us is complete," the god said.
She bowed her head in defeat. "Thank you for your time."
Izanami called to her as she turned to leave. "Your friend has given you a most precious gift; it is yours to do with wisely or wastefully. Farewell, Kim Possible."
The young girl watched the two deities fade to nothing and walked out of the temple uninterrupted. She trudged her way back to the main road. It was not until she had boarded the plane home that she allowed herself sleep, too ashamed at her failure to talk to Ron in her dreams.
Ron hugged his friend. "Still haven't found the right sacred mountain?"
She sighed heavily. "I found it. Someone has to die to take your place so that you may live. Balance. I'm sorry I failed you."
He hugged her tightly. "You haven't failed me, KP. We knew it was a long shot. At least you tried, and I can take comfort in that. You've always been a great friend."
Kim cried tears of joy at his words. She hadn't wanted to admit how much she had been shaken by what the fake Ron had said. "Izanami said you'd given me a precious gift, and it was up to me to use it wisely."
"What do you think she meant?"
"Probably my life. There's still a lot of good I can do."
"Well, I'm here for you. There isn't anything you can't do."
She smiled at him,
then turned serious. "Ron, there's something I wanted to tell
you. Something I should have said before."
"I love you,
too."
Kim looked at him with shock. "You knew?"
He laughed. "I hang around your dreams, and even your daydreams. The signs are there. I've also had a lot of time to think about my own feelings. It just took you're amnesia for me to see it."
"You really feel the
same way?"
Ron grinned. "Yeah. Come on, you hunted down a
couple of gods for me. What's not to love?"
She hugged him around the neck and kissed his cheek. "Now I do feel like I can do anything."
He laughed. "That's what I'm here for." The blonde looked off into empty space. "Wade's calling you. Might be important."
Kim quickly woke and picked up the Kimmunicator. "What's the sitch, Wade?"
"Kim, I just got word from Dr. Director. Whatever you did worked. They're moving Ron to Middleton General, but he hasn't woken up yet," Wade said excitedly.
She couldn't believe her ears. "That's great news, Wade," she replied. Checking her watch, "I'll be touching down in a few hours. Tell my folks I'll be checking on Ron."
"You got it," he answered, signing off.
Ron. Alive. The redhead was too excited to sleep and couldn't wait for the plane to touch down. She didn't know why the gods had given him his life, and she wasn't going to question it. All that mattered was that he was alive again. Kim began nervously playing with her pendant as she became more impatient.
Kim sat next to the hospital bed, holding his hand in both of hers. An IV provided nutrients to his body. Fortunately, he was only sleeping. They didn't know how long he'd be asleep, though. Someone coming back from his heart being shot out wasn't exactly something you would normally diagnose the recovery of.
Tears came to her eyes again as she looked upon his peaceful face again. So much like he was dead except for his soft breathing. She didn't want to let go of his hand for fear that he'd somehow be taken from her again. Kim kissed his hand and brought it to her bowed forehead. Her body shook from holding in her sobs.
"You'll feel better if you let it out."
Kim looked up, afraid she was hearing things. But his eyes were open, and he was looking at her with concern. "You're awake."
He laughed as she hugged him tightly. "Yes, I believe I am."
"This is amazing. I thought Izanagi and Izanami said a balance had to be maintained." The young girl got worried. "I hope no one had to die."
"The balance of life and death isn't so fragile," he assured her. "It will be strained for a short time, but it will reassert itself. Lives are taken all the time; this time a death was taken."
Kim looked at him oddly. "Are you feeling ok, Ron?"
"I'm not Ron."
"You're not?" she asked slowly.
"No, I am called Tai Shing," he answered.