Author's apology: I tried to get around and read at least one work by each of the folks who left a review for REUNION. I'm sure I didn't get to everyone. If I missed you, please accept my sincere apologies. If you'd like me to read something of yours, please feel free to drop me an e-mail (it's in my profile) and I'll be happy to. Please, don't be shy. I promise I don't leave flames. In addition, I only leave honest reviews (because I think there are positive aspects that can be highlighted in everyone's writing). Anyway, the whole reason I say this is because I don't generally read other fics while I'm working on mine. I know, it's a bit self-centered, but it's not meant to be. It's just that if I don't stay focused, I'd likely get distracted, lose interest and then lose my story. Can you see now why I identify so readily with Ron Stoppable? OK, enough about me.
You guys rock: Daeron Blackoak, Sand Lord, LKillingsworth, Kemiztri, Spooks-A-Lot, WillK1989, recon228, Jezrianna2.0, Miss Piratess, The Opal Fairy, JPMod, PsudoJuliet, Kimnronever, Dreammurgurl2007, aimtbj, PotenialBoy, SestrenNK, Cold-Chaos, Melissa Ivory, Jokerisdaking… And all who are reading.
The flashback in this one goes back a ways…
II.
No one said anything.
Shego walked a couple of paces ahead of Drakken, her fists ablaze, causing the people closest to her to retreat a few steps.
Rufus, who had been asleep in Ron's pocket, scampered up on to his shoulder and stood quietly observing everything.
Kim stepped up beside Ron, unsure how much combat she'd be able to manage wearing a wedding dress. Ron looked at her but neither of them spoke. No one could think of anything to say.
Shego stepped into the pavilion and glared at everyone, pausing slightly to grudgingly admire Kim in her wedding dress, then continuing to stare menacingly at everyone. She never looked at Ron. She still couldn't see him without seeing his face that night in Deathray's lair. For a brief second, her eyes caught Junior's. Junior threw her a tiny wave and a smile. Bonnie elbowed him in the ribs. One side of Shego's mouth turned up slightly in an amused grin. She stopped and stood at the edge of the pavilion.
Drakken strode in, carrying a device and a small package. He surveyed the crowd with half-closed, almost disinterested eyes. He wasn't smiling, but neither was his face twisted into some sinister stare. He seemed to be looking down his nose at everyone. His eyes halted briefly when they reached the newlyweds. He nodded, but did not smile. He continued gazing out over the guests, and the pavilion itself. Finally, his eyes alighted on the gift table. He silently walked over and placed the package on it, turned and began to walk out of the pavilion. He stopped when he reached Kim and Ron, raised the small device he was carrying and pushed a button.
Ron stepped forward, clenching his fists. Shego did the same, advancing on Ron. Drakken turned to Shego first, and held up his free hand in a 'halt' gesture. She stopped, though her fists continued to glow. Drakken then turned quickly to Ron and again, held up his free hand, palm out.
A small beam emanated from the device and played across Ron, then did the same with Kim.
"Drakken…" Ron began, again clenching his fists.
Drakken simply shook his head. Ron seemed to understand that Drakken's intentions weren't harmful. The beam ceased and Drakken put the device away somewhere. Again, he looked around at the guests, his gaze halting when he spied Tim speaking into his wristwatch. He turned to Shego, nodded, and they exited the pavilion.
Ron and Kim got the shock of their lives when, just before they stepped out of the light and back into the evening darkness, Shego slipped her hand into Drakken's.
The Stoppables looked at each other, disbelieving what they had just seen, and hurried outside after their foes.
The engines of the hovercraft powered up and roared to life. The craft lifted into the air. Suddenly, a Global Justice helicopter flew low overhead.
"Tim", Kim said, turning to her brother, "Do we really need to do this?"
"They're wanted fugitives," Tim said apologetically, "I thought at least one of your foes might try something, so I had GJ put a chopper on standby."
The hovercraft ceased its upward climb and began moving off at a high rate of speed. The helicopter took off in pursuit. Suddenly, a blinding, pale blue flash overhead. Everyone involuntarily shielded their eyes. Then darkness again. The hovercraft disappeared.
"Did you shoot them down?" Kim asked, incredulous.
Tim held up one finger. He seemed to be listening to something. Then he looked at his sister and shook his head.
"They disappeared," Tim relayed the news from the chopper, "Nothing on radar. I want to take a look at that package Drakken left on the gift table."
They went back inside. Jim and Wade were already examining the package.
"OK, people," Barkin hollered over the microphone, "Looks like the excitement's over. I think it's time we all did the Chicken Dance, COME ON!"
Kim shuddered. She hated that stupid dance. But a lot of folks did seem to be making their way to the dance floor. It would probably take their minds off what just happened.
Ron went over to examine the package with Wade and the Twins. Kim, mindful of her guests, rushed over to say goodbye to Bonnie and Junior.
"Sorry about all that," Kim said with conviction.
"It's cool," Bonnie returned, actually smiling a little, "I suppose that's the life you guys have chosen for yourselves."
Kim nodded, "You're probably right."
Bonnie looked thoughtful for a few seconds.
"Hey Kim? I'm sorry for all the mean things I said to you and Ron back in High School. It's pretty obvious you guys are happy together. I guess I was a little jealous because you had a best friend, who turned out to be a really great guy. I guess I never did."
"Looks like you do now," Kim said quietly.
Bonnie smiled in acknowledgment. She squeezed Junior's hand and then stepped forward and gave her former rival a quick hug.
Kim was a little amazed. First, Drakken and Shego show up at their reception, now Bonnie was actually giving her a hug. Two big surprises on her wedding night.
"Come see us sometime, Kim Stoppable," Bonnie said almost cheerfully.
"Hey! You're the first person who's called me that!" Kim beamed, "Take care of yourself…CannonBonnie!"
Bonnie looked puzzled for a second, then her eyes went wide. Kim laughed, not unkindly.
"Don't worry, I've never told anyone about that. Not even Ron knows." She said with a wink.
Bonnie and Junior said their goodbyes and departed. Kim considered joining the others at the gift table but figured two GJ agents, a super genius, and her husband could handle thi-
Wow.
Bonnie had just called her by her married name, but it hadn't really hit her until she actually said the word to herself in her own mind.
Husband.
Ron Stoppable was her husband.
(the sky is blue, water is wet, ice is cold, I am going to spend my life with Ron)
Echoes from the past.
She had said those words to herself once before, but when? In a slightly overwhelming realization of irony, she remembered she had told Junior in an e-mail that she was going to spend the rest of her life with Ron. And here, more than a decade later, the fulfillment of that little prophecy was just confirmed by Junior's wife.
Life sure was weird sometimes. At least, Kim thought hers certainly was. But what did she expect? She might be the only person alive who had two supervillains show up at her wedding reception. Well, one at least, Junior was never very good at the villainy thing.
She had dedicated a part of her life to fighting crime and saving the world, she couldn't expect the kind of life experiences everyone else had. If she wanted to get married, then a couple of surprises were to be expected.
Barkin had segued from the Chicken Dance to the Hokey Pokey. Kim rolled her eyes. Yep, Supervillains at the reception, her old High School principal as the DJ. At least her life would never be described as boring. Kim worked her way around the room, greeting and talking to guests.
Meanwhile, there was a pretty serious discussion going on over at the gift table.
"A bomb, maybe?" Tim queried.
"Not Drakken's style," Ron said, dismissing the idea, "I'm betting on some kind of doomsday device."
"Maybe we should evacuate the pavilion," Wade suggested nervously.
"I don't know," Jim said with a doubtful tone, "I've only been a GJ agent for a year or so, but it isn't the usual M.O. of supervillians to just walk brazenly in and leave some kind of doomsday device. Drakken's already a wanted fugitive. He would have to know that if he did anything here, GJ wouldn't stop until they hunted him down and put him away."
"OK", Ron said, thinking, "So what now?"
"We could get a GJ team down here to dispose of the package. But standard operating procedure means the pavilion would have to be evacuated," Tim informed him.
"Or," Jim finished, "We could just open the package and deal with whatever we find. My instincts tell me it isn't anything dangerous."
"I don't know," Wade said hesitantly. He wasn't too accustomed to fieldwork.
"I'm with Jim," Ron said, and that seemed to decide the matter then and there.
The package was about the size of a hat box. It was wrapped in green and black wrapping paper with a pale blue ribbon. There was no card. Ron undid the ribbon and carefully unwrapped the package. A plain white box with a lid. Ron lifted the lid and the four men crowded around to peer inside.
In the box was what looked like a tabletop microscope, such as the kind you might find in a high school science class. Except in place of the actual scope was an electronic apparatus that was cylindrical in shape on one end, but tapered down to a fine point on the other. All up and down the small cylinder were various tiny electronic components, some of which had lights that blinked. On the larger end, three clear discs spaced evenly, encircled the thing. There was an envelope lying on the bottom of the box. Ron reached for it.
Wade grabbed his friend's arm. Ron hesitated, throwing an inquisitive look at him. Wade said nothing, but reached into the box and pushed a small red button on the larger end of the device.
A very faint hum was followed by a tiny laser beam that shot forth from the pointed end of the device. The beam traveled up one side of the envelope and then ceased. The hum faded. Wade nodded to Ron.
Ron reached into the box and found the envelope very neatly cut open on that side where the laser had touched it. With a puzzled look at his friends, Ron extracted a card from the envelope. On the outside was a picture of two bells wreathed in flowers. The words 'For The Happy Couple' stamped above the image. Ron opened the card. Inside were the words 'may you find the happiness you deserve'. Apparently Drakken had scrawled a quick note on the inside cover. It read:
The scan I took of you was a simple energy reading. It was harmless, but necessary in order to save my life, and Shego's. Understand that there is no ill intent on our part toward you in this matter, and we will not be using the energy readings for what you might consider 'evil' purposes. In due time, you will come to understand that what we did was imperative for reasons that will reveal themselves at some point in the future. In return, we hope you will accept this letter opener, which I constructed myself, as a wedding gift, and a token of our appreciation for your seemingly involuntary cooperation.
The card was unsigned.
Ron called Kim over and showed her the card. While she was reading, Ron picked up another envelope from the gift table, set it in front of the device, and pushed the red button. Again, the machine hummed, a tiny laser traveled along one side of the envelope and then turned itself off. The envelope was neatly cut along one side.
"Baddical!" Ron exclaimed, "I'm gonna keep this on my desk!"
Kim gave him a look.
"OK," Ron said, "First, I'm going to buy myself a desk, and then keep this on it."
Kim shrugged, "Seems harmless enough. I don't feel any ill effects from the scan he took of us, and if he really is doing something evil with it, there's not a lot we can do until he decides to try taking over the world again. And as far as that is concerned, I'm pretty confident with our win/loss record."
"I wonder what he meant by implying that his and Shego's lives were in danger?" Wade asked.
The four men shrugged, almost in unison. Ron wondered if that might be a 'jinx' moment. Kim returned her attention to the guests. Rufus hopped down to the gift table and seemed to be studying the letter opener. Ron, Wade, and the twins went and sat down at Felix's table with drinks and told Felix about their discovery in the box.
Barkin had abandoned the Hokey Pokey in favor of a few ballads. A lot of folks were slow dancing.
Wade was feeling a bit overwhelmed. This was probably the longest he had ever spent out in public, and he wanted to go home an hour ago, but felt it would be rude. But since the evening was no longer young, he thought it would be a good time to make an exit. He leaned over to Ron to say his goodbyes when someone appeared in his peripheral vision.
"Hey, Wade," she said lightly, "Wanna dance?
Five jaws hit the table.
"Oh!" Wade stammered, "I…gosh…I don't…"
"Oh, come on Wade, you can dance with me, can't you?" She purred.
"I…no…I mean yes…I …I don't know how to…really… I'm really sorry."
"It's a slow dance! It's really easy, I'll show you!"
And, ignoring his protests, Monique took his hand and led him out to the floor.
Wade turned to look at his friends, an expression of desperation on his flushed face.
Help! his eyes entreated them.
Wade's silent plea was answered with four grins and eight thumbs up.
Ron got up and hurried over to Kim.
"Hey sweetie!" She said happily, extending her hand to him, "I want you to meet Dr. Rolondo and his wife. They were my mentors at Johns Hopkins during my residency."
"Hi", Ron said pleasantly, shaking hands with both of them, "Will you excuse us for just one moment?"
Ron turned her head toward the dance floor.
"What am I looking for?" She asked, and then saw them, "No way!"
Monique was smiling and talking with Wade. Wade was staring at his own feet, concentrating all his energy on not stepping on hers. He looked like he wanted to be invisible, or at least anywhere else in the world at that moment. Not because he disliked Monique, on the contrary, he once had a crush on her. Probably still did. But Wade was in his element and most comfortable when all his friends were on the other side of a computer screen. Actually being in contact with them was something else entirely.
He was comfortable enough with Ron or the Twins, maybe a little nervous around Kim, but Monique was an entirely new realm of frightening yet marvelous experiences. She was his first crush, and now, his first slow dance. Her closeness was at once intoxicating and petrifying.
She apparently used the same shampoo as his mother.
That night, Wade's mother would catch him in her bathroom, smelling her shampoo with his eyes closed and a huge, dreamy sort of smile on his face. At first she was mildly disturbed. But then he explained everything.
"A girl? Danced with you?"
"Try not to act too surprised, mom," Wade begged her.
"Oh! My sweet baby boy!" She cried out, swooping him up in her arms and nearly squeezing him to death, "Not only did my son go out in public again, but my baby danced with a girl today!"
She went on like that for quite some time, but you get the idea.
Monique was in new territory herself. She had pretty much dated jocks exclusively going all the way back to Brick (and yes, he did hit on her that evening). Several months earlier, when her relationship with Chile Garcia – a minor league baseball player with a shot at the majors – ended like all the others did, Kim was there with the customary shoulder to cry on. It wasn't as though all her relationships ended badly. It was just that, after awhile, things would grow stale and shallow. Monique would come to discover that these guys were either dumb, or worse, too cocky for their own good. To them, Monique was just another in a long line of girlfriends, and they usually acted as though she should be grateful they were even dating her.
Kim suggested Monique set her sights some place other than the ball field. Muscles weren't what made a man, you had to dig deeper than that.
So, here she was, dancing with Wade. And though she could tell he was really awkward socially, she could also sense by his demeanor that he considered it a privilege just to be dancing with her. Monique wasn't necessarily vain, or so insecure that she needed constant emotional validation, it was just nice to be appreciated for the first time in a long time. She also knew Wade was a caring person. He had risked his life at Kim's near-wedding to Ray Beam almost seven months ago. A guy who cared that much about his friends was probably one who would care a great deal more about a loved one.
Monique was finally learning to dig deeper.
Kim took one more approving look at them, chalked up surprise number three for the evening, and then turned her attention back to the Rolondos. Ron was already chatting with them, asking all about Kim's med school years and their relationship with her. Every now and then he'd steal a quick glance back to Wade just to make sure he wasn't trying to escape or sneak away.
Monique and Wade slow danced through three songs and then she dragged him back to her table, wanting to get to know him better.
The newlyweds were just about to greet some other guests when the pavilion was filled with the sound of a helicopter swooping in low above them. Kim hurried over to her brother.
"Now what?" She asked Tim.
Tim shook his head, "It's not one of ours. I received notification of its approach a few minutes ago."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"We had our chopper move to intercept," Tim explained, "They rendezvoused several miles out and produced all the necessary clearances, including an invitation to the wedding. I figured you knew about it."
The helicopter hovered some fifty yards off and then settled to the ground.
"Do you want us to move in?" Tim asked his sister.
"No," Kim said absently, "I suppose it's time for surprise number four. But if there are any more, I'm going home."
Ron had already moved outside, stepped into the darkness and peered at the helicopter. Then he turned, came back into the pavilion and went over to the DJ booth and whispered a couple of things to Mr. Barkin. The music was shut off once again, and Ron spoke into the microphone.
"It's OK everyone," he tried to sound authoritative, "It's not a villain, or a giant robot, or anything like that. It's an old friend of mine. We'll have the music back up in a couple of minutes."
A hush came over the guests. Ron walked back over to the side of the pavilion and prepared to welcome his newly arrived friend. Kim, extremely curious, came and stood by him.
"Who is it?" She whispered.
"You'll see," He said taking her hand and squeezing it.
The hush over the guests became an almost dead silence. The helicopter engine wound down and was still. Crickets continued to chirp, while far off, a lone coyote howled and barked at the moon.
Into the pavilion stepped an elderly Asian man with long white facial hair, bushy white eyebrows and a short white ponytail pulled up high on the back of his head. He wore a simple robe, and clogs on his feet. He was followed very closely by a young female wearing ninja garb. Kim knew them both immediately.
He was known simply as Sensei, and she had not seen him since she helped Ron rescue him more than ten years ago He still looked very much the same now as he did back then.
Yori, the young woman accompanying Sensei, looked quite a bit different than when Kim had seen her last.
Sometimes, people have a tendency to let themselves go over a lengthy period of time. They let themselves get out of shape, gain a few extra pounds, or, in the case with men, lose their hair. Sometimes life, with its worries and pressures, can wear away at a person's looks. They can become haggard, seeming to age prematurely. Even things like bitterness or discontent can have an affect on a person's appearance; they tend to develop permanent frowns, or worry lines around the eyes.
Of course, none of that was the case with Yori.
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
Even Kim gasped slightly at the sight of her, and suddenly felt like a dandelion must feel if it finds itself next to an Orchid.
Or a Lotus.
Her hair had grown long, down to the middle of her back, and was full-bodied; voluminous. Her skin was flawless, delicate, without a single noticeable blemish. Her eyes, dark as always, carried a gleam of mystery within them. She was athletically thin; healthy without looking hungry. And yet, there was still the subtlest hint of curves, visible even in her black outfit.
She stood a little behind Sensei with her hands neatly folded in front of her, and never once took her eyes off Ron.
Kim kept an eye on Yori.
"Sensei", Ron stepped forward and bowed low, "You honor us with your presence. The invitation I sent you was really more of an announcement. I did not expect you to come. I ask your forgiveness if I have caused you any inconvenience."
"Do not trouble yourself, Stoppable-San," Sensei also bowed (Yori did likewise), "I do not go where I do not wish to go. I am honored that you would consider me worthy of attending your wedding ceremony. I am only sorry that we have arrived so late."
Kim noticed Yori's brow furrowed ever so slightly when Sensei called Ron by his name, then it smoothed over once again. Otherwise, her face showed no emotion whatsoever.
Why would she be disturbed by that? Kim wondered.
Then something occurred to her. During her fourth year at GCU, she and Ron had taken a film appreciation class. One of the films they studied was a masterpiece called 'The Seven Samurai' (A film which, dear reader, I consider to be one of the five greatest ever made). In order to truly appreciate the film, their class did a brief study of Japanese culture during the feudal periods. In those days – and it's a tradition that continues to this day in parts of Japan – men were addressed by their last names, followed by one of three titles that indicated that man's place in society in relation to the person speaking to him. Those three titles were 'chan', 'san', or 'sama'.
The first, 'chan', was a title given to students or young men of high stature, but a lower rank than the person addressing him. The second, 'san', was a title given to men of high stature and higher rank than those who addressed them. And finally, 'sama' was a title given to those with a very high rank in society, such as lords, military generals, or others of high social stature. Peasants were never addressed by these titles, and neither were women, since they also occupied roles of a subservient nature.
Thus, if Ron knew Sensei's true name, he would have addressed him as 'Toshimiru-sama', and Sensei would have properly called him 'Stoppable-chan'. It occurred to Kim that in the short time she had known him, she had heard Sensei only address Ron with that term of respect, and no one else.
And that is indeed what had tweaked Yori. In her long service to the old warrior, Sensei had never used the title 'san' when addressing others. It probably would have tweaked her even more if she knew that in his almost two thousand year life span, Sensei had only ever used the title with Ron.
Sensei felt a kinship with the young warrior called Stoppable. In all his time as an instructor at Yamanuchi, he had never seen one whose heart was so pure, and so free of malice toward anyone. Of course Stoppable got angry just like anyone else, but his anger never lasted, hate never took hold, and bitterness never consumed him. Like Sensei, Ron possessed the mystical monkey power known as Tai Xing Pek Wah. But Ron never used that power for his own ends, and never for evil. When necessary, Ron would tap into his powers to thwart the forces of darkness, and then the mystical monkey power would lay within him, dormant until needed again. In fact, Sensei considered it a blessing that it never even occurred to Ron to use the power for his own purposes. Truly his heart was pure, for if Ron realized the full potential of the mystical monkey power, he would become mightier than Kim Possible, perhaps even more powerful than Sensei himself. But the old warrior recognized that Ron Stoppable found happiness and fulfillment as sidekick to his best friend.
And later, that happiness and fulfillment would be conspicuously absent when Ron came to Yamanuchi during the years after he had parted ways with Kim Possible.
Ron was one of only three people – as well as a naked mole rat – to ever possess Tai Xing Pek Wah. Ron used it sparingly, as was proper.
Another, an Englishman formerly known as Montgomery Fisk, had become a twisted, half-man/half-animal villain bent on world conquest. He was convinced the mystical monkey power was the key to global dominance. But he had not been heard from in some time. Sensei had no idea what he was up to.
The third person was Sensei himself. As a young man, he had been given the power of Monkey Kung Fu by the Shao Lin Monks of what is now known as the Mandarin Province. In the year – known by our western calendars – two hundred twenty six, Sensei, (or Toshimiru), journeyed to China to study forms of martial arts that were unknown in Japan.
He had been training in Ninjitsu in a school outside of Osaka, but his moves were clumsy and unsteadied. Unable to complete his training, and banned from the school, Toshimiru set out on his journey and eventually came under the tutelage of a group of very wise, and very ancient masters of the art of all forms of Kung Fu.
Recognizing his clumsy and awkward tendencies immediately, they decided to bestow upon him the gift of Tai Xing Pek Wah; a fighting style that utilizes the seemingly uncoordinated movements of the monkey and turns them to the user's advantage. The Monks had observed that monkeys, when swinging through trees or fighting with each other, or even dealing with a predatory invader, would move as though they were inept and clumsy, but always they would manage to snatch the branch at the last second, or thwart the invader by confusion and unerring strikes with the fist. Soon, Toshimiru demonstrated to his masters that Tai Xing Pek Wah was very powerful indeed. In time, he became as skilled as his instructors, and was able to defeat them handily in sparring matches.
When he came of age, Toshimiru bid his masters farewell and returned to Japan to complete his training in Ninjitsu.
The Monks, in the meantime, decided the mystical monkey power was indeed, too powerful to leave in the hands of other warriors whose hearts might be turned to evil. So they instilled the powers of Tai Xing Pek Wah into four statues that resembled monkey heads carved out of jade. Each of the heads was given to a different Monk who journeyed forth upon the earth in order to hide each one as far away from the others as possible.
In the meantime, Toshimiru had demonstrated to his former masters at the Osaka school his prowess with Monkey Kung Fu and they completed his training in Ninjitsu.
During the course of his training, he made an incredible discovery.
At this particular ninja school, in a secret chamber deep within the mountain, there were four ancient weapons known by the instructors as the Ohana Blades. Originally, the intent of Toshimiru's instructors was to share with him the ancient secret of the Blades' existence. The Blades had come to the school from across the ocean and were supposed to contain mystical powers. But in the hundreds of years of the Blades' residence at the school, no one had ever been able to unlock their secrets.
When Toshimiru stepped into the chamber, a Katana that was resting upon a stand at the far end of the ancient room suddenly flew through the air, hurtling straight for him. Startled, Toshimiru put his hands up in a defensive posture, a surprised yelp escaping his lips. When he opened his eyes, he found the hilt of the blade resting against his open palm. He closed his fingers about the hilt, holding the blade up before him. His instructors gathered around him in unabashed wonder.
"No one has ever seen this before," the chief instructor, Tokagawa, informed him, "You are indeed gifted with-"
The Blade suddenly transformed to a pair of Nun Chucks.
Again, his masters gasped in wonder.
"How did you do this?" Tokagawa demanded.
"I do not know," Toshimiru responded, shrugging his shoulders, "I was momentarily distracted by a bruise that has been tormenting me. Tanaka-sama injured me during a sparring match with a pair of Nun Chucks."
"You thought of Nun Chucks and these appeared," Tanaka stated.
"Yes." Toshimiru confirmed.
"Think of something else," Tokagawa suggested, "Another weapon perhaps."
"I will think of a-"
The Nun Chucks became a shorter style of Katana called a Wakizashi before Toshimiru could complete his sentence.
Tokagawa said nothing but looked thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "What of the other Blades? Do they react to you in a like manner?"
Toshimiru returned the Katana to its place, and then came back to stand near the entry of the chamber. He looked to another weapon, a Naginata, which is a short Katana-style sword on the end of a spear-length staff. Holding out his hand, the Naginata flew through the air and again, came to rest in his palm.
Nothing happened.
"I am sorry," Toshimiru said humbly, "I am thinking of all manner of weapons, but I do not seem to have the skill to control this one."
Tanaka extended his hand toward the Naginata, and then toward the Katana. Neither of them moved.
"It is clear to me these swords and your power of the monkey are connected. This is a great discovery. Do not apologize for that which you do not know." He didn't say it reassuringly, or kindly, or soothingly, he simply stated it matter-of-factly, as though he were telling Toshimiru the best way to clean a stain from his ninja outfit.
Toshimiru nodded. He had been holding the Blade aloft, as he had the Katana, but now brought it down by his side, allowing the butt of the spear shaft to strike the ground lightly.
There was a deep rumble beneath their feet. It lasted barely a second and then ceased.
The warriors all looked at each other.
Toshimiru brought the Naginata up again and this time, struck the ground a little harder with the butt end of the shaft.
Again, the earth rumbled beneath them, this time for just over two seconds.
Toshimiru looked at his companions. Tokagawa moved to the other Blades and gathered them up.
"Let us go outside, and discover what we can about these weapons." He suggested.
They all moved outside, Toshimiru still carrying the Naginata.
Outside the room was a small clearing with a large tree standing opposite the entrance to the Ohana Chamber. The men gathered around Toshimiru, who was staring oddly at the tree some thirty feet away.
Suddenly he let out a cry. His companions stepped back in alarm. Toshimiru raised the Naginata and spun it above his head. Faster and faster he spun it until, with a guttural war cry, he swung the spear in a great chopping sort of motion, slamming the blade-end of the weapon upon the ground before him.
The earth shook, the rumble turned quickly to a roar. A crack appeared in the ground in front of Toshimiru and traveled, fast as lightning, toward the tree. And, like lightning, struck the tree, shattering the trunk into kindling wood and splinters. The top of the tree fell over and crashed to the ground.
"Extraordinary," Tanaka exclaimed, "Though I heard the roar of the earth, it did not shake beneath my feet."
"Nor mine," Tokagawa put in, then turned to his pupil, "How did you know to do this?"
"It came to me," Toshimiru said truthfully, "As a thought enters the mind. Before, I did not know of this power, then it occurred to me, as a realization."
"Very interesting, now let us try another." Tokagawa picked up a staff and held it before him.
Again, Toshimiru held out his hand and again, the weapon flew to him. The staff stood about four feet tall. One half was black, and the other white with two silver bands encircling the staff at the mid point. Toshimiru placed a hand on either side of the silver bands, one on black, and one on white and pulled in opposite directions. The staff parted at the bands, revealing two Ninjato; straight ninja-style swords. He continued pulling on them until they came apart and he was holding a sword in each hand, one with a two foot black hilt and the other with a two foot white hilt. Toshimiru noticed the blades were set off-center in their hilts, while a small slit was placed next to the base of each blade. This allowed the blades to slide together, hidden away as their hilts connected in what appeared to anyone unknowing as a simple black and white staff. He held the swords before him, but nothing seemed to be happening. Then he slowly twirled the black-handled sword.
"Did you see that?" Tanaka asked, "Spin the blade faster!"
Toshimiru did as he was told. The air near the blade began to ripple, then grow dim. In the center of the radius of the blade's spin, a blackness appeared, like a dark hole in the air. It grew outward in all directions. Soon, the others could not see Toshimiru, but rather a large, darkening circle, in which it seemed even light could not pass through. Toshimiru ceased spinning the Blade and the blackness vanished immediately.
"Could you see me?" Toshimiru asked his instructors.
They shook their heads.
"Interesting," Toshimiru observed, "I could see you clearly, and yet I was aware of the darkness. Let us try this one."
He spun the white blade, but nothing seemed to happen. Then he swung it out before him, as if slashing at the air, or an invisible opponent. Bright, blinding light flashed from the blade. There was no accompanying sound, nor was there any physical effect on his companions save for the brightness. They all shielded their eyes involuntarily. When Toshimiru opened his eyes, the brightness was gone.
Then a thought occurred to him.
With a cry, he raised the Blades above him and struck them together in an 'X' formation. Light and dark burst forth and radiated outward. The light and shadow swirled, forming the brief image of the symbol for Yin and Yang, then burst forth all around them, swirling and pulsating. Each of them began to get dizzy, lose focus of the world around them, and even their balance. What they saw of the clearing became a twisted, distorted image that heaved sickeningly on its side. Again, they all closed their eyes, and again, the image – the light and the dark – vanished. Everything appeared normal once more.
"Most interesting," Tokagawa observed placidly, "And now…"
He held up the last weapon, a pair of Tanto blades; very short Katana style swords. They were mounted in an 'X' formation on a scabbard which tied to the shoulders and waist, keeping the blades on the back their wearer hilts facing upwards. Toshimiru tied on the scabbard and drew the swords from his back. He swung them around, slashed at the air, and executed several fencing maneuvers. Nothing seemed to be happening. Then he abruptly returned them to his back.
"Do they not function?" Tanaka asked.
"I believe they do," Toshimiru said, stepping to his instructor, "Do you remember the fighting style you were instructing me about yesterday? That one with the move you said could not be countered?"
"Yes." Takana replied evenly.
"Let us spar together, and I wish for you to execute that move upon me."
Without questioning why, Tanaka squared off against his student. They each threw a few punches and kicks before Tanaka employed his maneuver. Toshimiru dodged, and countered with an unexpected grapple, tossing Tanaka to the ground.
He walked over and helped his teacher to his feet, bowing low before him, "I thank you for your assistance in this discovery. I trust I did not cause you to lose face."
"He did not lose face," Tokagawa called out, "We are exploring the properties of the Ohana Blades. Have you come to a conclusion, Toshimiru-chan?"
"I believe so," the student answered, "Tanaka-sama helped me to discover the true nature of this weapon. I believe it enhances the perception and klnowledge of the one who is wearing it."
"Perception?"
"Yes. I became aware of Tanaka's vulnerabilities within a few punches. I countered him with a grapple I already knew, but would not have thought to employ in that situation."
Toshimiru paused, looking all about him, sniffing the air and listening to the birds.
"There will be a typhoon in three months. Earlier than expected." He stated.
"The Blade gave you prophecy?" Tanaka asked, visibly incredulous.
"I do not believe so," Toshimiru replied, "I know that the typhoon is coming because of the manner in which the wind is blowing, the patterns of the clouds, the types of birds that are chirping. Certain types of birds that are common to this area are not singing this evening. It is likely they have already left the area for the season. We have all seen the conditions that precede the coming of a typhoon. I believe the Blades have helped me to remember those conditions, and piece together the information I already knew."
And thus the secret powers of the Ohana Blades were discovered. The Naginata, with its powers for quaking the earth was called the 'Saboten' or 'Cactus' Blade. 'Ran' or 'Orchid' was the name of the staff of light and dark blades, while the Tanto swords that seemed to boost knowledge and perception were known as the 'Mokuren' or 'Magnolia' Blade. Chief among them was the Katana; the Lotus Blade, known in Japanese as 'Hasu'.
Toshimiru spent years studying the Blades and their functions, and became very proficient in their use. He grew in his knowledge of Ninjitsu, and eventually was made an instructor of new students that arrived at the school each year. He became very close to his teachers, and they were, for the most part, quite fond of him. He grew into a formidable warrior.
But then came a very dark day for the warrior who would one day be simply known as 'Sensei'. He had had a heated argument with Tanaka over the nature of their relationship. Tanaka was upset that Toshimiru no longer addressed him as 'Tanaka-sama' and demanded he be shown the proper respect. Toshimiru countered that he was the master of the Ohana Blades, and thus it was Tanaka who should be showing respect in their relationship. They almost came to blows, but Tokagawa broke it up, ordering them to go off alone and meditate, and to be prepared to address the issue reasonably with each other after a time.
Toshimiru stomped off sulking, and went to the Ohana Chamber to be with his precious Blades. All he could think of was throttling Tanaka, humbling him and making him beg for mercy. After a time, he began to grow angry at Tokagawa for not taking his side in the argument when clearly he was in the right. Soon, he was resenting the very existence of the school itself.
Then an idea occurred to him. He took each of the Blades and placed them in a specific pattern, remembering his calligraphy from his days with the Monks. He arranged them in the pattern that was the first symbol of the word 'Monkey'.
Suddenly, the blades dissipated, as if turning into a mist or fog. They swirled together, images of four different kinds of blossoms, and then began to meld as one. With an ear splitting roar, the mist solidified into the form of a thirty foot tall gorilla. Toshimiru uttered a fearful cry and fell to his knees, covering his head. The ape, towering above the warrior, regarded him for a moment, then turned and stomped off in the direction of the school.
They all – students and instructors alike - stood with shocked looks on their faces at the sight of a gigantic gorilla clomping toward them, each footfall accompanied by a minor earthquake that shook the buildings to their foundations.
But Tokagawa rallied them all together, called for them to each take a weapon, and called out Toshimiru's name, asking for his assistance.
The battle did not last long. Soon the monstrous gorilla stood in the ruins of the school, its instructors and students dead all around him.
After a few hours, Toshimiru crept into view of the remains of the school. The gorilla continued to stand there, unmoved and unmoving. When Toshimiru came into view, it turned and looked upon him. A spoken thought came into Toshimiru's mind.
What is thy bidding, my Master?
Horrified, Toshimiru realized this was the final, deadly power of the Ohana Blades. When brought together, they formed into a behemoth Gorilla with powers beyond the capabilities of even the most feared warrior, and it would do the bidding of whoever was in possession of both the Blades and the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah. He had called forth its existence, and it had rampaged through the school, acting on the murderous thoughts that had been in his head just moments before.
Cease your existence, Toshimiru thought.
Instantly the giant gorilla dissipated, again as a swirling mist or fog, it separated into four distinct images of blossoms and frinally became the four Blades of the Ohana.
Toshimiru cried out in pain and grief and sank to his knees. Tears flowed freely from him as he emotionally tortured himself by reciting all the names of the instructors as well as the students who had perished as a result of his foolishness. He looked about at the destruction that was his doing, deeply ashamed of the results of his dark and murderous mind. What sad, pathetic life had his become? What waste had he wrought upon those who were closest to him? What use had he ever been to anyone?
He had progressed from student, to instructor to murderer.
(Ron Stoppable had gone from sidekick, to fiancé, to serious liability.)
For days, Toshimiru sat among the ruins of the school, weeping and wailing, bemoaning his very existence. He began to feel that the only way to atone for the evil he had caused was to take his own life. The idea became more and more attractive to him until it was all he could think of. At last he picked up one of the Magnolia Blades, parted his tunic so that his chest was bare, and readied to plunge the weapon into his own heart.
Do not apologize for that which you do not know.
The words Tanaka had spoken years before rang out in his head as though Tanaka had spoken them himself.
It is clear to me these swords and your power of the monkey are connected. This is a great discovery.
The blade stood poised to rend the life from Toshimiru.
Do not apologize for that which you do not know.
Again the tears came forth.
Tanaka-sama.
It began to rain.
Please forgive me, my brother. I did not know.
It began to downpour.
Tanaka-sama.
It coursed over him; mixing, diluting, and finally washing the tears from his face, and still the sobs poured forth as the torrent fell upon him. Toshimiru felt as if he was drowning in his own regret.
I'm so sorry.
He dropped the blade and turned his face to the sky. He let out a long, pitiful, grievous wail, his arms outstretched.
Forgive me my masters, my teachers… my brothers.
Toshimiru spent weeks burying his comrades and mentors. Then he set fire to the remains of the school, to stand forever as a pyre to their memory. He did not even stay long enough to watch the flames die out. He gathered up the Blades of the Ohana, and what little provisions he could carry, and set out.
His journey, of course, took him to the peak of Mt. Yamanuchi many weeks later. This would be his penance, his atonement for the inadvertent evil he had inflicted upon the earth. He would found a school, and teach young minds the ways of ninjitsu, just as his masters had taught him. He would do this as long as Whoever controlled the universe allowed him to live.
Upon arrival, he carefully placed each of the Blades in a sheltered crag in the side of the mountain. Then he picked up the Lotus Blade, transformed it into a sort of pick-axe, and began to carve.
"Please don't apologize", Ron begged his former master, "I am deeply touched that you are here."
Then he turned his eyes to the beautiful young woman wearing the black ninja outfit.
"Hello, Yori," He said affably, "What's it been, like, four years?"
Four years? Kim didn't really need to do the math, So he did see her at Yamanuchi after we broke up? Why didn't he ever tell me? Come to think of it, why didn't I ever ask? Guess I didn't want him to think I would go all jel.
"Greetings, Stoppable-san," Yori said softly, taking her eyes off him only to bow. When she straightened up, she continued gazing at him.
"And Kim Possible," Sensei continued, turning to her and bowing again, "You look more radiant than the Lily when it is newly in bloom."
She blushed, "Thank you, Sensei."
"Forgive me," Sensei continued, "I am unfamiliar with American customs. Are you still known as Kim Possible, or have you taken your husband's name?"
"Well, as a matter of fact…"
Kim chattered away to Sensei. Ron stood by but wasn't listening. He was distracted. He realized he hadn't told Kim the entire story of his training at Yamanuchi. And how he had left out what was clearly a very important detail escaped him. He looked from his wife to his former master. But invariably his gaze settled upon Yori. Their eyes locked, and he could not tell what she was thinking. Right then, he would have given almost anything to know what she was thinking.
"Stoppable-san… Ron… How is it you do not know that I love you?"