Author's apology: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter out. I'm still trying to find a good writing routine that works for me…and, admittedly, I have been enjoying my new home a lot (last night – which was Tuesday as I write this – I was at Safeco Field watching the Mariners stomp all over the Yankees. Oh how I hate the Yankees.) as well as having fun with my DevArt page. And I'm afraid it's going to be like this for some time until I get really settled back into this story. Lately I've had a difficult time trying to motivate myself to get any writing done when all I want to do is explore the Seattle area. Anyway, that's my long-winded explanation as to why the chapters will be posted with a little more infrequency. I will do my best not to let a whole week go by again… but no promises.
Also: These first few chapters of act three are somewhat short and bland because I am trying to build to the climax of the entire story on the heels of the climax of act two. Just so you know.
And finally: Sorry about all the time travel techno-babble in the last chapter. I considered spreading it out over the course of a few chapters but chose instead to get the last of it crammed into one chapter so we can get on with the final act of UNION. The good news is: no more long-winded time travel explanations… I think.
Story spotlight: reader WesUAH has a terrific story that manages to successfully blend the flavor of a spy novel with fantasy elements. It's called "The Fallen" and you can find a link to it in my favorite stories list. Check it out.
Thanks much to my peeps: AndyCosta, TusconCoyote, Zaratan, The Incredible Werekitty, JPMod, Dreammergurl2007, mattb3671, demon-sword, MrDrP, aimtbj, Recon228, Sestren NK, Porphyria-Kris, LKillingsworth, kpultimatefan, Megan, Visigoth29527, Widow Shark, and cwizard.
Thanks to those who are reading.
"News flash, Shego, I'm a bad man!"
XVIII
From Ron's perspective it was as though everything had gone silent, and reality had taken on a slow-motion sort of quality.
A roiling, turbulent sea of Japanese warriors was bearing down on him like a human tsunami. The faces of those in the front ranks were twisted into murderous rage; all eyes were upon Ron Stoppable. Indeed, miles away on either side, the ends of the enemy lines began to curl inward as Ishigawa's soldiers all wanted to be the ones to kill the golden-haired stranger and win favor with their lord.
Having been distracted by his brief battle with Monkey Fist and the dragon, Ron hadn't noticed the forward ranks of Ishigawa's army had broken into a run.
He was still too shocked, dazed, confused. And yet, cognizant thought still flew through his mind, abstract though it was.
Ron, in fact, hadn't noticed much of anything since losing the Lotus Blade. His mind was trying to comprehend how and why Monkey Fist would be able to make off with such a prize. Yes, he had the mystical monkey power, but didn't the Blades choose their masters? If so, did this mean the Blades were evil entities after all? Or was evil just more powerful?
He stood staring after the Blade that was grasped in Monkey Fist's paw. Monkey Fist himself was grasped in the talon of a Monkey Dragon, and Ron could see it all with stark clarity. After all, the Dragon was still only some twenty feet from him. His hand went up again, calling the Blade to him.
And still it did not come.
Ron felt the breeze ruffling through his hair. He felt anguish only at having lost the Blade. He did not notice the tens of thousands of warriors all about to crash upon him in a deadly wave. He saw only the Lotus Blade, and the paw that clutched it.
To Ron he did not just lose an item. It was almost like he'd lost an old friend. A friend he'd been recently reunited with and then was cruelly taken from him.
Many images flashed through Ron's mind; Sensei opening up the case to show him the Blade for the first time at Yamanuchi when he was in high school. He saw the Blade as it fell in to the chasm after Fukushima had knocked it from his grasp. He remembered the Lotus Blade as it looked when it sailed through the wall to his grasp that day he decided to return to Middleton and seek out Kim. He saw the misty, swirling apparition of the giant Lotus Flower as it held the behemoth Deathray Battlebot in its grasp. And he remembered the Lotus Blade literally becoming an extension of him as he wavered between taking Ray Beam's life and sparing him. Finally, Ron remembered the flash of light as the Lotus Blade disappeared, only to learn later that it had returned to Yamanuchi, it's destiny apparently no longer intertwined with his.
Or so he thought.
But something about his reunion with the Lotus Blade upon his arrival in ancient Japan made him feel somehow whole again, or complete. But that idea was instantly dismissed in Ron's mind. It was Kim who made him feel complete. Perhaps it was best described as the Lotus making him feel like a complete warrior.
Yes, that was it. The old Ronin had returned, and Ron had welcomed that part of himself back into his life.
But now, it was gone again.
The sun was just edging above the mountains to the east. Wisps of steam rose from the dew on the meadow as the day's temperature began to rise. The light breeze ruffled the grass, fluttered out flags, and tussled Ron's hair.
"Dad!", TJ's voice again, very faint, very distant.
Ron stood alone; a black figure with yellow hair in the early morning light, amidst a deep green meadow, staring up into the sky as a horde of raging warriors bore down upon him.
Then darkness filled Ron Stoppable's world.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Ron shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know what else to say, Kim. I can only tell you what I saw. Whatever method Sensei used to call up the Ohana Wraith was not in my dream."
Late morning, the day Drakken and Shego arrived, and Kintaro had finally insisted they break camp. Ishigawa would surely be at or near the gates of Yamanuchi by now, and when he discovered the Blades were not there, search parties would certainly be sent out.
It was at that point that Kim suggested they use the Ohana Blades to summon the Ohana Wraith and send it out to destroy Ishigawa, Monkey Fist, and the Tempus Simia itself.
But Ron had never seen that part of the process in the dreams Sensei had sent to him, and thus had no idea how to call up the Wraith. Apparently it was a secret Sensei kept to himself. Kintaro knew of the Ohana Wraith, but did not know how to call it up, whether it be some spell, or catchphrase or whatever.
Though Kintaro insisted they get moving, Ron suggested his family take a moment and bring the tips of the blades together, all of them touching, to see if anything happened.
Nothing.
"Maybe there's some magic words involved." Veronica suggested.
"Abra Cadabra?" Kim queried.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos," Ron suggested.
"Mecha Lecha Hi, Mecha Hiney Ho!" Kimono contributed with a grin.
"Cheese Doodles." TJ proclaimed. Everyone looked at him, "Hey, it's no worse than what you guys came up with."
They all stood there a moment, feeling rather silly huddled in a circle with their sword tips touching. But the five of them did feel something besides self-consciousness. None of them could quite figure out what it was, though later it would come to light. In that moment, they weren't just five members of the Stoppable family, they were something more, something none of them could quite put into words. They felt a bond, a connection that went deeper than family. They were-
"You guys gonna stand there posing all day?" Shego asked, "I think this Kintaro guy would like to move out."
And the moment was broken. The Stoppables all looked at each other, knowing something had just happened but not knowing what.
They weren't the only ones to notice, of course. Shego saw it, and though she still wanted to deny the younger, raven-haired beauty was her daughter, she couldn't help seeing a lot of herself in Kimono. But there was more than that. Shego saw in Kimono what she herself might have been.
A true hero.
A creeping, haunting sort of regret began to steal its way into Shego's mind. What could have become of her life if she'd just stayed with her brothers? Heroism? Self-respect? Perhaps even friends with Kim Possible instead of enemies? Since she'd helped Kim and Ron defeat Ray Beam and his plans for world conquest, Shego had come to discover she hated Kim Possible a little less.
And for some self-conflicting reason, that perceived softness toward Kim made a deeper part of Shego hate her just a little more. It was an inner turmoil that plagued her, even haunted her in her sleep. She and Kim had been enemies for well over ten years, and this morning, she'd met her daughter who not only called Kim 'Mom', but also had married – would marry - a Stoppable offspring. Even that made her hate Kim just a little bit more. If it weren't for the urgency of the matter at hand, Shego would probably be fighting her old nemesis right now.
Why did some people get the fairytale life? Why did Kim get to have it all, even getting Shego's own daughter for her own? It wasn't the fact that she'd had a daughter by Drew… well, OK that was a little disturbing as well. Yes, she thought she might have blossoming feelings toward Drakken, but having a child with him… that didn't exactly leap to the forefront of her mind.
But what really galled her about Kimono was the betrayal. How could she? How could she call Kim Possible 'Mom'? How could she even marry into that family? Somewhere in the timeline that existed before Monkey Fist corrupted it, Shego apparently had a gradual softening of the heart, and raised a daughter with Drew… and with contributions from Kim and Ron. But this wasn't gradual, it was just too abrupt for Shego to accept.
No.
Whatever happened, Shego decided that if she returned to her own time with Drew, she'd leave him, and go find her own life in the world. No Drew, and no daughter. Not ever. And that would be her final revenge on Kim Possible. She would deny Kim's son his happiness, she would deny him the existence of his wife.
She allowed herself an evil little smile and began to get ready for their journey.
Shego wasn't the only one who witnessed the moment within the Stoppable family. Yori saw it too. And she actually perceived better than anyone what had just happened. Five masters of the mystical monkey power had begun to form a bond that strengthened their already tight family ties. Never before had so many people at once possessed the powers of Tai Xing Pek Wah. Yori knew this because Sensei had told her time and again that only Ron Stoppable and Monkey Fist possessed that power.
But Sensei had lied to her. He hadn't told Yori that he himself was a master of the mystical monkey power, or that he was immortal. Yori began to feel like she had no true friends or family in the world. Sensei had not been honest, and Ron had turned his back on her. Now Ron had a proud, strong family gathered around him; people who would no doubt put their lives on the line for him.
There was no one for Yori; no one she could call friend, or husband.
Jealousy burned deep within her, but she did her best to push those feelings away.
Ron should have been hers; this family should have been hers. But Yori was an orphan, and she felt as though she would stay an orphan for life.
"We must make ready to continue our journey," Yori said with a cold edge in her voice, "We can no longer afford to lose any time."
As the others finished packing what little needed to be carried, Drakken stood at the edge of the tree line and looked wistfully out at the lake. Kimono came to stand by him, not saying anything but smiling up at him as he turned to see who it was. He returned her smile.
Drew was quite taken with her. He, too, found the idea of a child with Shego somewhat strange, yet there she was; so much like her mother, and yet so different. It was as though all the rough edges had been strained from Shego to leave this warm-hearted, yet mischievous young woman. He could tell the moment he looked at her that she was a caring person, who could just as easily put a thumbtack on your chair while you weren't looking, and yet her smile would be genuine and friendly.
Drakken was still his old villainous self, but somewhere in that lump of stone he called a heart there was instantly a soft spot for his daughter. She seemed happy, and apparently was successful at what she did. That she was in the hero business was incidental as far as Drakken was concerned. Secretly, Drakken hoped none of his offspring would go into supervillainy.
It wasn't exactly an easy life.
But she was happy, and she loved her husband, and her father… and then it occurred to him, Drakken discovered just exactly why he had a soft spot for Kimono. It was because somehow, despite having Drakken and Shego for parents, Kimono had turned out OK. Sure, what little Drakken had heard thus far was that Kimono spent a good portion of her high school years with Kim and Ronald. But high school was essentially the last four years of childhood, which meant Kimono had spent the bulk of her formative years with her parents, and look how she turned out.
In all his failed attempts to take over the world – or build a better robot girl - it seemed as though he'd done one thing right: his daughter. At least, he felt he must have done something right because she had Drakken and Shego for parents and she actually loved them. Yes, she called Kim and Ron 'Mom' and 'Dad', but Drakken knew there was only one 'Daddy' in Kimono's universe, and he was it. Somewhere deep within him, Drew Lipski, AKA Dr. Drakken, was perfectly fine with having just that one success in his life. Indeed, to achieve that success would take an eighteen-year long operation which would no doubt prove as challenging as attempting to take over the Earth. He was being given a rare opportunity to look into his future and know for certain he'd successfully raised a daughter.
Score one for the bad guy.
"Anything wrong?" Kimono asked him quietly. She'd heard him sigh but wasn't sure what it was about.
Drakken considered sharing with her what he'd been thinking, but that sounded dangerously close to talking about his feelings. Supervillains just didn't do that.
"I'm going to miss my hovercraft", he told her instead, nodding his head in the direction of the lake, "I almost had it paid off."
"I thought you built it," Kimono said conversationally.
"No," Drakken admitted, "I bought it in an online auction from some kid… a Jimmy Electron… Jimmy Micron… something like that. When he found out I was villain, he tacked on a huge interest rate. Cost me more than ten years worth of payments."
"I'm surprised you made any payments, you being a supervillain and all," Kimono observed.
"Yes, well, I actually did skip out on a few payments. But this Jimmy Nucleus kid sent some sort of mechanical dog after me," Drakken rubbed his behind with nostalgic pain, "I decided it was better to just pay for the thing."
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but I think we're ready to get going," came TJ's voice behind them.
TJ was pleased to see his wife beaming after the disastrous meeting with Shego. Kimono slipped an arm through her father's, and another through her husband's and the three of them set out after Kintaro and walked like this for awhile.
"So tell me something," Drakken asked his son-in-law, "Are you her sidekick?"
"Actually, I'm his sidekick," Kimono said with a wink at her husband.
"Don't you believe her, sir," TJ said with a smile, "We're partners… in everything."
"Please," Drakken said with a dismissive wave of his free hand, "Just call me Drew."
"Actually," TJ said a little shyly, "I usually call you 'Pop'."
"'Pop'", Drakken said hesitantly, "Hmmm… OK, I approve. You were saying…?"
TJ began telling Drakken all about their work as GJ agents.
Shego walked behind the three of them in a sulking silence, consoling herself that at some point, she would be rid of the lot of them. Watching them behave like such idiots threatened to drive her mad. Shego began to entertain the idea of simply parting company with them before this mission was accomplished. After all, she could probably conquer this world fairly easily, and live like a queen.
Dark thoughts began to take shape in Shego's mind.
Up front, Kintaro walked quietly beside Yori, stealing secretive glances at her from time to time. Her beauty and quiet inner strength had found a way into his heart, and he began to believe he would not be happy unless he could spend the rest of his days with her. Yori, for her part, sensed his feelings for her, and was aware of every one of his glances. But any consideration she might have had for him was always crowded out by the thought that, if they were successful in their mission, she would have to return to her own time without him, and live in a world where the one she loved belonged to someone else.
Ron walked along by himself, taking the time to get reacquainted with the Lotus Blade. Just the feel of it in his hand stirred his blood. Somewhere deep within him, Ronin was ready to come out and play.
Kim, in the meantime, was making a new friend; her daughter Veronica. Kim decided she was not going to conduct herself in the same manner Shego had treated her own daughter. It was strange enough to think of this woman as her daughter since she was actually four years older. Stranger still to think of the reality that where Kim had almost married Ray Beam, her daughter actually had been his wife. And perhaps strangest of all was the almost mirror-like image that was so like her, and yet so different. Veronica had her mother's strength of character, but it had been smothered in a marriage to a monster. Kim saw in Veronica what she herself might have been had it not been for the return of Ron Stoppable, in the nick of time no less. Then it occurred to Kim that Veronica might actually not be living if it hadn't been for the return of Ron Stoppable… in the nick of time no less.
Kim asked Veronica to tell her story again, this time in much more detail, and simply listened quietly. Veronica initially had some difficulty speaking. This was not the Kim Stoppable she had left in her own time; a sixty-four year old woman whose spirits had been crushed by the death of her husband and living twelve years without him. Indeed, it wasn't even the older, mellower woman she knew as her mother growing up. This was a fiery, young hero with a fierce gleam of strength in her green eyes. This was the Kim Possible that had vanquished Drakken countless times and still made it back to Home Room in time to turn in her homework.
Next to this younger version of her mother, Veronica felt almost ashamed that she'd been trapped in a marriage with the same man her mother managed to escape from. Kim never would have let any man treat her the way Ray had treated Veronica, and in her mind, Veronica heard the laughter of her dead husband as he scoffed at her weaknesses. More than once did Veronica break into tears as they walked. She tried to keep them to herself but once or twice couldn't help it.
It took Veronica a couple of hours and some ten miles worth of walking to tell her story. Eventually, she was the only one talking. Most of the others found themselves listening in without meaning to. Though, when she cried they tried to act as though they weren't paying any attention to Veronica, so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable, or feel like the unwanted center of attention.
The second time Veronica's tears came, however, Shego snapped.
"Would you shut her up already?" She seethed at Kim, "I'm getting tired of listening to this self-pity fest."
The party halted. Kim turned slowly toward Shego, clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes.
Shego didn't let her speak, but continued on, mocking Veronica, "'Oh, poor me! Poor little me! Ray Beam was a big meanie. Boo hoo hoo!'"
Kim and Shego squared off. Shego raised her clenched fists, but caught a light in the corner of her eye. Kimono's hands were ablaze with turquoise fire, fury was carved into her face. Shego flared up her own fists, but was suddenly self-conscious as she realized her own green light was pale and weak next to the intensity of Kimono's power.
And then, to the astonishment of them all, Kimono's eyes turned blue/green.. Not just her jet-black pupils and irises, but the entirety of her eyes were filled with a blazing turquoise brightness. Whatever mysterious power she inherited from her mother was being affected by the presence of the mystical monkey power within her. Kimono's clenched fists glowed even brighter as she advanced upon her mother, her teeth bared in a snarl.
"That is my sister. Don't mock her again," her voice had a tone of utter authority, "You know full well what Veronica has been through, because you endured some of the same yourself. Yet she survived it for a full seven years. You and I both know you wouldn't have lasted that long. So don't you ever… EVER… make fun of her relationship with Ray Beam again. At least she has to courage to talk about it. You never did."
And abruptly, Kimono's eyes were their proper black color once more, the fire from her fists winked out instantly. Kimono turned a cold shoulder to her mother and began to walk away.
Shego's fear was suddenly replaced by rage. She had been wounded in the worst possible place.
Her pride.
Shego's fists blazed up again, still looking pale even after Kimono's hands and eyes had ceased their glowing, and lunged at the back of her daughter.
"How dare you-!" she snarled.
"NO!" came a shout from nearby.
Shego caught movement in her periphery and pulled up short. It hadn't come from Kim.
A blade at the end of a long spear shaft sliced through the air a mere inches from Shego's face, it sailed downward and struck the ground.
Veronica had simply reacted, meaning to put the shaft of the spear out in front of Shego and halt her advance on her daughter. But for some reason, the weapon suddenly felt very heavy and it continued its downward arc. She let out a yelp when the Blade hit the ground. So did several others.
There was a roaring, explosive sort of noise very similar to a sonic boom. The earth shook beneath them while the ground split open and a crack traveled fast as lightning to a nearby tree. The tree burst into splinters with an ear-splitting explosion, forcing the entire party to crouch and shield their eyes.
Then all was quiet.
Everyone stood stunned for a few minutes. The fire had gone out of Shego's fists, the anger out of her eyes. The others were equally speechless and a little taken aback, Veronica most of all. She stood quivering with a tentative hold on the shaft of the spear, the Blade dragging on the ground.
"I think it's time you told us how these things work," TJ said to his father.
"I have no idea how they work," Ron said, perplexed, "I only know the Lotus Blade. I never knew other Blades existed until yesterday."
"What about Kintaro?" Kim asked turning to Yori, "He was a student at the school. What does he know about them?"
Yori relayed the question to Kintaro…
As the others talked, Drakken sidled quietly up to Shego.
"Don't do that again," he said in a low voice.
"I think I've had just about enough of you giving me orders, Dr-"
"No," he cut her off, "I give you orders all the time. What you're upset at is that I expect you to follow them. Up until now you were content to choose which of my orders to follow whenever it suited you or served your purpose… No, don't try to argue with me, I know you better than that. I saved your life by bringing you here. Now we must do what we can to restore the timeline."
Shego simply glared at him with cold green eyes.
Drakken was unfazed.
"Since we got here, you've been nothing but counterproductive," Drakken continued, then nodded in Kimono's direction, "You don't like her, fine. I do. But I care a great deal for you as well, Shego. I don't want to have to choose between the two of you."
A malicious grin spread across Shego's face, "Did it occur to you that maybe there won't be any children when we return to our own time? Maybe you and I aren't such a good idea together after all. I split, and she never exists. How do you like them apples, Drew Lipski?"
The evil mirth went out of Drakken's eye. The look on his face was cold, hard steel. Only one other time had she seen him look like that; when he was exacting his vengeance upon Ray Beam.
"Did it occur to you that maybe she isn't your daughter?" He said coldly.
Shego's eyebrow went up, "She calls me 'mother'."
"You?" Drakken said almost casually, "Or your clone?"
"You wouldn't."
"I already have."
"Where is it?"
"Well, 'they' are gone now, along with the rest of the timeline. But normally they're…well, it's not like I'm going to tell you, now is it?" Drakken's voice was filled with quiet menace.
"I told you no clones," she hissed.
"Oh, look who expects someone to follow her orders," Drakken said with no small amount of sarcastic irony. "Go ahead, strike out on your own. Your recent track record of solo work isn't exactly a positive indicator of future performance."
"When we get back, I'll find the clone and destroy it." Shego growled.
"You mean destroy 'them'?" Drakken almost sneered.
"Whatever. Yes."
"Fine," He said somewhat disinterestedly, "Start with the one in the mirror."
"The wh-" Shego's mind practically went blank.
Drakken turned and began to walk away. A black-gloved hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"It's a lie," Shego hissed, "I am not a Shego clone."
"True," Drakken admitted shrugging his shoulders, "At least in the sense that you're not a clone of the original Shego. You're actually Shego number…oh…fifty-five or fifty-six, I can never remember."
"Explain," she demanded.
"You're a genetically altered clone, distantly related to the original Shego. Over the years you've been killed in battle with GJ agents or arch foes… Remember that time Team Impossible captured me? They actually eliminated you. I altered your memory so it seemed as though you escaped, hit out, and busted me out of jail. And yes, Kim's killed you once or twice but she never knew it, you died later from sustained injuries. Sometimes you were killed while trying to steal something for me. I actually lost more Shegos that way than in combat."
"But I remember-"
"-everything every Shego clone has ever experienced," He finished her argument for her, "Save for the actual moment of your deaths. I always delete that from memory. Then I download the Shego brain into a new clone and life goes on. As I said, you're number fifty-five or fifty-six.."
"No."
"Yes," Drakken insisted, "Think about it. Why have you stayed with me all these years? I instilled a loyalty protocol into your brain that overrides any feelings you have of leaving. Even now you're having doubts about whether leaving me is such a good idea."
Shego was disturbed to realize he was right… about the doubts at least.
"Oh yes, sometimes an occasional clone has been able to override the protocol and leave me for a little while, but she…you…always came back. That loyalty protocol is embedded deep within your system. Right now it's working to suppress these feelings you have of leaving me, and in the end, you and I will be together like always. Or… I can simply deactivate you and start fresh." Drew looked over at Kimono, "You know, there's no telling who her mother will end up being. Well, it'll be you, of course, but there's no telling which version of you it'll be, eh? At least she's an original."
Drakken tucked his arms behind his back and walked away whistling, silently congratulating himself. Just now, he'd given Shego a lot more to think about than just trying to erase his daughter from existence.
That ought to keep her busy.
And it certainly did. Shego was stunned speechless, and tried to wrap her mind around the new reality of her existence. From her perspective it was as though her brain had received some sort of error message and the program currently running would now close.
Kintaro, in the meantime, was just finishing with an explanation of all he knew about the Ohana Blades, including whispered rumor and legend, some of which seemed to confirm what just happened with the Cactus Blade Veronica was wielding.
Kim shared with them what Sensei had told her of the Magnolia Blades, and how they enhanced her perception and knowledge. What little experience she had with them, though, indicated that the Blades did not just simply give her knowledge she did not know, but rather helped her mind function more efficiently. She could literally remember anything she had ever been told or read or heard, etc. and she was able to put seemingly abstract facts together to form a conclusion where she otherwise would not have been able to do so.
"In fact," she concluded, "I know it's going to rain tomorrow based on the feel of the air; the humidity and the wind patterns. And I don't know a thing about meteorology, at least not under normal circumstances."
Ron grinned at her, "What exactly is 'normal' for us?"
"Good point," she said winking at him. "One more thing. Sensei said the Lotus Blade was the 'chief' – his word according to Yori – among the Ohana Blades, but he didn't know why. It was just a feeling he had."
Ron nodded and looked again at his own weapon. Why would this one be chief among the others? All this one could do was change shapes. The Cactus Blade could induce small earthquakes and the Magnolia seemed to make you smarter. What was shape-shifting compared to that?
"Guess we should see what these can do," TJ said, holding up the Black and White Orchid Blades.
A roaring filled Ron's ears. He began to wonder if this was what the point of death was like.
"Dad!"
He stumbled back a couple of steps before he realized he was still standing, still conscious.
"Dad, snap out of it!"
Ron looked dazedly around, and saw his son next to him, waving one of his arms out in front of him in the darkness.
Darkness, and yet he could see TJ. What was happening?
"Here," TJ said with utmost urgency in his voice, "Take this."
TJ held out the white handled Orchid Blade that Kimono had been carrying. Ron numbly reached forward and grasped it.
Roaring again, and this time the stomping of feet. Ron felt disoriented.
"Stay with me, Dad," TJ called out. He figured his father was dazed from the collision with the dragon.
TJ stopped waving his arm and suddenly light came back into Ron's world. He'd been enveloped in a sort of shadowy darkness generated by the Black Orchid Blade TJ was wielding. The darkness dissipated almost instantly and Ron was able to look about him and realize what had happened.
Both armies had seen Ron take down the Monkey Dragon, and had witnessed the brief struggle between Ron and Monkey Fist.
But Ishigawa's army had built up a healthy fear of Monkey Fist over the course of the war and seeing this lone stranger go after him struck some real hesitation into their resolve.
But still they came.
Then they saw Monkey Fist carried off by another Monkey Dragon while the stranger remained living. Indeed, the Stranger had stood with his fist in the air as the demon Monkey Fist took flight. Clearly this warrior was challenging Monkey Fist to return and face him.
In the minds of both armies, Monkey Fist was retreating. In fact, as Monkey Fist left the battlefield with his new prize, he called all his monkey warriors to him through the Tempus Simia and withdrew them back to the camp they had established the night before.
In Monkey Fist's mind, he'd already won his first real victory. He'd taken a prized possession away from his arch foe.
But to the rest of those on the battlefield, save for Ron, he was retreating in fear and dishonor.
The advance of Ishigawa's troops began to falter.
Then, unseen and unheard by Ron, the air around him began to sizzle and hiss. One hundred and ten of those enemy warriors nearest Ron suddenly fell as they ran, never to get up again. The Zuijen Archers finally had targets in range and set to work.
Ishigawa's troops hesitated, some of those behind tripping over those who'd been felled by the archers. A second volley of arrows came in and one hundred and eight more enemy warriors were brought down, all of them within striking range of Ron.
Suddenly, a shadowy blackness bloomed upon the space where Ron had been standing. TJ and Kimono both had run forward to help him. TJ began waving the Black Orchid Blade back and forth in slashing movements. To Ishigawa's warriors, it was as though a hole had opened up in the air and swallowed the strange warrior. The blackness began to spread outward. They could see nothing within it, and had no idea if the yellow-haired warrior was still there.
Ishigawa's troops halted altogether.
This wasn't supposed to be happening. Ishigawa's warriors had become accustomed to easily won victories thanks to the terror-inducing presence of Monkey Fist's army. But he had retreated, apparently knowing something the rest of them did not.
Another shout went up from Hidesato's army as they saw Ishigawa's forward lines halt outright while the Monkey demon retreated from the field of battle. Hidesato ordered his troops to advance.
It was not an order that needed to be given twice.
With a deafening battle cry that seemed to dwarf even the earlier shout of Ishigawa's much larger army, the massive wedge shape of Hidesato's forces began to move forward.
In the meantime, Ishigawa's soldiers were treated to quite an impressive sight. At least it would have seemed impressive to anyone but them.
From the shadow emerged a beautiful woman with waist-length ebony hair and a look of fury carved upon her face. Her hands were clenched into fists that, for the time being, hung at her sides. She took determined, resolute strides toward the enemy line and then halted a short distance from them. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with a blazing, greenish fire, her fists ignited with a fiery intensity that made the enemy soldiers nearest to her squint.
Another volley of arrows, another one hundred and fifteen soldiers fell.
Kimono stretched out her hands before her and, with a shout, unleashed her blazing fury on the enemy line. Beams of blue/green energy surged forth from her hands and eyes in unwavering intensity. The soldiers unfortunate enough to take the brunt of her attack were hurled violently backward. They slammed into the troops behind them and either knocked them down as well, or were inadvertently killed by falling on their weapons. Kimono spread her arms outward in slow arcs, swathing the enemy, pushing soldiers back or hurling them through the air.
Suddenly the shadow behind her dissipated and two warriors - one the golden-haired stranger they had seen defeat the Monkey Dragon, the other an orange haired man who bore a slight resemblance to the first – came charging forth on either side of her with weapons in their hands. Close behind them was Hidesato's army which had broken into a run, though they still loosely held the shape of the wedge.
Blind panic spread like wildfire through Ishigawa's forces. They turned and retreated like rats pouring out of the hold of a doomed ship. They tripped over each other, such was their desire not to face the strange warriors, or Hidesato's fierce army for that matter. Many soldiers were simply trampled.
Most of the enemy warriors in the rearward lines had only seen Monkey Fist fly overhead, but had not witnessed the ensuing events. They were surprised at the crushing sea of humanity that collapsed back upon them. Fearing some sort of major catastrophe, they too began to retreat.
The three Stoppables were unsure of what to do at this point, their sole purpose was to get to the Tempus Simia, but at present, that was not an option. Should they continue fighting or withdraw from the field?
TJ seemed to sense what they were all thinking.
"I think our only option right now is to fight," He called out to them, "We can't get to Monkey Fist, but if we can help defeat this army, that would increase the necessity for Monkey Fist to get more involved in future battles. Who knows? We might even win and put Fist on the defensive."
TJ had his mother's practicality. Even though Ishigawa's army was in retreat, he knew they would regroup at some point if they were simply allowed to leave the battlefield unscathed. And fewer enemy soldiers meant less protection around Monkey Fist. Ron and Kimono realized the wisdom in this. Though their first instinct was to allow the enemy to retreat, sometimes nobility had to be subjugated to necessity.
Ron held up the unfamiliar White Orchid Blade and decided to see if it would function for him. He uttered a cry and slashed the air in front of him in a horizontal arc. Blinding white light burst forth in a semi-circular shockwave that spread before him like the aftereffects of an explosion. The light-wave broke over the enemy and spread out in an ever-widening arc before dissipating after a few seconds. To the enemy, it was like receiving a camera flash at point blank range (had they known what a camera was, of course). Those hit by the light arc were temporary blinded and began to stumble and crash into others around them.
Confusion became the master of Ishigawa's forward ranks.
Then, with a shout and a sickening collision of metal and bodies, Hidesato's army plunged into Ishigawa's lines and began drastically reducing the number of enemy warriors.
Kimono ceased her onslaught and switched to selectively blasting enemy soldiers while Ron and TJ plunged into the fray. The battlefield was a turmoil of grunts, screams, clanging metal, blinding white light, gaping black shadow, and turquoise fire.
Up on the ridge, sitting on his horse, Hidesato allowed himself the barest hint of a smile. He had ridden out on the field of battle with the knowledge that he would finish the day as Ishigawa's prisoner, and be dead by nightfall. But the presence of these strange warriors had turned the tide of the battle. Despite his misgivings, and the humiliating indignity he had suffered at the hands of the orange-haired woman who was the wife of the yellow-haired warrior, they had proven themselves skillful in matters of combat.
But the time for savoring victory would come later. Hidesato turned to his Daimyo – his chief general – and found a strange look of concern upon the man's face. His name was Masaharu, and he had fought at Hidesato's side since they were young warriors together in the Mutsu provincial army. He was a master tactician and Hidesato trusted him implicitly.
"What troubles you, Masaharu-san?" The Daimyo was the only person Hidesato addressed with such a term of respect.
"Ah," The Daimyo replied with a bow, "Forgive me Hidesato-sama, but something about the enemy's behavior gives me great concern."
"Yes?" Hidesato waited patiently for an explanation.
"I do not observe any signals coming from the opposite ridge," Masaharu explained, "Why are they not ordered to withdraw, regroup, or even change formation?"
Hidesato squinted as he gazed across the valley and noted that there were no signal flags flying. This did not make sense. Ishigawa should at least have ordered a strategic withdrawal and perhaps set a perimeter defense for the top of the ridge.
"Perhaps he retreated with the Monkey-Demon?" Hidesato speculated.
Masaharu shook his head, "I do not believe so, Hidesato-sama. He is not a man accustomed to retreat. Furthermore, I do not see any of his cavalry. He should have sent them into battle by now."
"Out with it!" Hidesato barked at his Daimyo. He could tell Masaharu had an idea of what might be happening and was impatient for the answer.
"Forgive me, Hidesato-sama, but I believe Ishigawa intends to-"
A cry of dismay from one of the signal bearers interrupted him. Hidesato glared at the man and then noted the direction he was pointing. Enemy warriors on horseback began streaming out of the dense forest that bordered the southern end of the ridge.
"We are flanked!" Masaharu cried out in alarm.