Author's notes: Japanese is an ever-evolving language. Most languages are, but Japanese seems to be among the most flexible in the world. For instance, the Japanese word for 'flower' is 'hana'. After some research, I found out that at some point in the past it was probably 'ohana'. Another example; the modern Japanese word for 'thank you' is 'arigato'. It used to be 'domo', and then if you wanted to say 'thank you very much' it was 'domo arigato'. What used to be words that addressed only men ('sama', 'san', and 'chan') are now different; 'sama' has pretty much been dropped, and 'chan' and 'khun' are becoming formal address suffixes for boys and girls. Unfortunately, I don't have access to an ancient Japanese dictionary, so most conversational Japanese in this story is from a modern dictionary, which means we have something of a hodge podge of ancient and modern Japanese linguistics in this story. I suppose I could have left it out altogether, but I wanted it to have a bit of authentic flavor.
My thanks to all who are reading.
My grateful thanks to the reviewers: MrDrP, LKillingsworth, cwizard, JPMod, Invader Thing, Texas Dad, jasminevr, Lydia King, bdburns7289, Spooks-A-Lot, Muttly, demon-sword, WesUAH, aimtbj, chao-hellsing, Sestren NK, Zaratan, Porphyria-Kris, recon228, Dreammergurl2007, mattb3671, Ace Ian Combat, Pseudo Juliet, Pwn Master Paladin, oneredneckgoddess, The Incredible Werekitty, Widow Shark, and Drakken Shego.
Alas, poor Yori, we thought we knew her…
XXI.
"Tell me exactly why I need you." Ishigawa looked at his counterpart with abject contempt.
"Because I have all but two of the Ohana Blades." Monkey Fist was still trying to get used to speaking Japanese. Because he'd been hearing almost nothing but Japanese over the last several months, the Magnolia Blades worked to help him remember all that he had heard, and discern the meanings and context of each word.
"What of it?" Ishigawa verbally shrugged, "I have conquered all of Japan. Hidesato's army will soon be defeated and the Shogunate will soon lie within my grasp."
"You have conquered Japan with my help." Fist reminded him. "We have an agreement."
"Your help has become unreliable of late." Ishigawa said icily. "You retreated from the field the day we took this castle."
"I rode from the battle in triumph. I captured the Lotus Blade; a better prize than this mere structure of stone and mortar." Monkey Fist matched Ishigawa's icy tone. "There are only two Blades left to be captured. While you have yet to conquer Hidesato."
Ishigawa flew out of his throne in a rage, "Do not speak to me so impudently, monkey demon! I will soon be the emperor of this nation. You would be wise to learn your place."
Ishigawa had brought his face right up to Fist's, snarling and seething as he talked. Monkey Fist remained unfazed.
"Your nation is a tiny island. An insignificant part of a much larger world." Fist stepped back and looked about him, "You know, I rather like this world. Cleaner air, cheap labor… Perhaps I will stay here and conquer this one. You may be Emperor of Japan soon, but I will be supreme Monkey Ruler. Perhaps you would be wise to learn your place."
Fist snapped his fingers. Four stone gorillas came bounding into the room, shaking the castle to its foundation with their movement. They each took up a position around Ishigawa and drew their swords. The monkey ninjas came scampering in afterward and gathered around Fist.
"Watch him at all times, even when he sleeps," Fist addressed the gorillas in Japanese for Ishigawa's benefit, "He may go where he likes, talk to whoever he likes. But he is to see no one in secret. If you become aware of any plot to eliminate me, destroy him. He may not command his army until I give my permission for him to do so."
"But I am marching a force of fifty thousand against Hidesato today!" Ishigawa protested.
"Send Momoye," Monkey Fist said evenly, then turned and began to exit the room, "My Monkey Ninjas will be with me at all times. If for some reason I am killed, they will come and report to their brethren here and you will be dead soon after. Once I have all the Ohana Blades, I will take Japan for myself, then move on to China, Mesopotamia, Rome, and then North America. My legacy shall be as the first Monkey King to truly rule the whole Earth. If you cooperate, I may leave you in charge of Japan."
"We had an agreement!" Ishigawa shouted, eyeing the stone gorillas nervously.
Monkey Fist stopped at the door, turned, and looked back at Ishigawa with a cold glare, "I am altering the agreement. Pray I don't alter it any further."
"Will you hurry up already? My feet are freezing!"
Veronica turned around and gave Shego an annoyed look, "No one's making you stand in the water."
"How else am I supposed to catch the fish?"
"If Veronica's idea works, maybe we won't have to catch them." Kim said placidly, then caught a look from Veronica, "What?"
"Ronnie-Anne."
"Huh?"
"Only my school teachers and Ray ever called me Veronica. To everyone else I'm Ronnie, or Ronnie-Anne."
"Oh!" realization came upon Kim, "We named you after both of us. 'Ronnie' for your father and 'Anne' for me."
"Yeah, plus Daddy always said 'Anne' made me sound like 'Unstoppable'."
"Right!" Kim said excitedly, "Ooh, I can't wait to get home and start having you and TJ!"
Shego snorted, "Now there's a sentence you don't hear very often. Can we get on with this? I'm starving."
Veronica chuckled and turned her attention back to the stream she was standing in. Hunger had finally driven them to try a somewhat dangerous idea. She stared at the small pool before her, then saw movement flicker beneath the surface.
"OK," She said hurriedly, "Brace yourselves."
Veronica brought the Cactus Blade swinging over her head and plunged it into the pool. A deep, resonating boom shook the earth. Several large rocks dislodged from the stream bank and fell into the water. The stream itself churned and frothed for a few seconds then settled again. Recently deceased fish began floating to the surface.
"It worked!" Kim squealed, then scrambled down the bank and into the water to gather up the fish.
"So where did you learn that?" Shego asked sarcastically as she went about gathering up her breakfast. "Did you date Dementor's kid or something?"
"No." Veronica shot back, "I saw it on TV once, some poachers were using dynamite to catch fish. Besides, Dementor didn't have kids. Wasn't interested in them. Wasn't all that interested in women either if you follow me."
"Dementor? Really?" Kim had a curiously shocked expression on her face, "I had no idea."
"I had my suspicions," Shego smirked. "So how do we cook these?"
"We don't," Veronica explained, "Come on, Shego, you're in the land of sushi. Just take a big ol' bite out of that fish!"
"Ugh!" Shego said, eyeing the fish she had clutched in her hand, "If I weren't so hungry, I'd be throwing up all over northern Japan right now."
The three women gathered their catches and scrambled up out of the water. Kim was smiling and humming tunelessly to herself as she took a small rock and began to scrape the scales off the fish.
"And if I wasn't nauseas before, I will be soon." Shego muttered, "I'm surrounded by perky Possibles."
"Stoppables." Both redheads barked simultaneously.
"The first woman who says 'jinx' will get a fish thrown at her." Shego growled.
Veronica and Kim looked at each other, shrugged, and each tossed a fish at Shego.
"You said it first," Veronica chirped in a perky tone meant to annoy her mother's green-skinned foe.
"Look," Shego said, ignoring Veronica, "We all know you're happy because you got some mystical monkey e-mail last night, but I don't see any reason why you have to be so chipper about it."
"Why not?" Kim asked evenly, "My husband's alive and well, and with Sensei. Plus, my kids totally rock, which is a nice thing to know before you have them. What's not to be chipper about? You know you could lighten up a little. You found out you're going to have at least one great kid, too."
"No kidding," Veronica agreed, fully intending the pun, "Kimono's great. She's kind, and warm, and funny. Always calls me her sister, not just 'sister-in-law'."
"'Always'?" Shego asked, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you were cut off from your family for the last seven years or so."
"You know what I mean," Veronica said, her tone growing icy. Then she checked herself. "No. No way. You are not going to ruin my good mood just because you've never been in one."
Shego's fists flared up. She took a step toward Veronica. "You're lucky you have that magic sword on you, Little Princess."
Before Shego even finished her sentence, Veronica turned and casually tossed the Cactus Blade to Kim, who caught it with a surprised look on her face. When she turned back toward Shego, she had a look of such ferocity that Shego actually took a step backward without knowing it.
"You want some of this? Right here? Is that what you want?" Veronica demanded with a quiet steeliness in her voice, "I've been intimidated long enough by bigger monsters than you. I am not about to start letting you walk all over me."
"Whatever." Shego huffed, and began to turn away from Veronica.
Veronica's hand shot out and gripped Shego's arm in a vice even Shego didn't think she was capable of. The dark-haired villain found herself involuntarily turned back to face her arch foe's daughter.
"Don't step to me like that again," Veronica rumbled, just loud enough so that only Shego heard, "And if you do, you better bring kryptonite. Otherwise I will take your snarky attitude and cram it somewhere uncomfortable. Are you hearing me?"
"Let go of me." Shego meant for it to sound threatening, but it came out as a whimper. Her fists winked out.
"No problem!" Veronica chirped, resuming her cheerful demeanor.
Shego walked away a few paces, completely rattled.
Veronica calmly walked over to her mother and retrieved her weapon. Kim looked at her, offered a weak smile, but said nothing. Veronica didn't just seem to be emerging from her shell, she was exploding out of it. But why so abruptly? Was it the mystical monkey power within her?
She's had that all along, Kim thought to herself, But then she never knew it, and she's never really used it until now.
It occurred to Kim that the power of Tai Xing Pek Wah was probably what kept Veronica from trying to end her life sooner; some innate sense within her that drove her to keep a small ember of hope burning, despite Ray Beam's best efforts to extinguish it. And now that she was free from her shackles, so to speak, Veronica was not only enjoying her freedom, but enjoying the rediscovery of who she was; the offspring of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable.
Still, Kim felt bad for Shego. She'd been open with them the night before and she didn't want Shego feeling ostracized after being so vulnerable. Kim stood up, a half-cleaned fish clenched in her hand, and tried to think of something to say in the way of a peace offering.
Shego didn't give her the chance.
"Look," She said, walking back over to Veronica, "I… you gotta understand… I hate what you are."
"And what is that?" Veronica asked, folding her arms in front of her.
"A reminder," Shego explained, "Of what I went through with Ray Beam. I've been trying my best to put it behind me, but I realized I still have serious issues where Ray is concerned. And you went through a thousand times worse than anything I ever went through with Ray, so I start feeling like my issues are petty and I shouldn't be such a baby."
Veronica nodded, "OK, so we were both shot with the same gun. The fact that I took more bullets doesn't make your experience any less painful. I don't know what the right answer is for you. Frankly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all these emotions I haven't experienced in years. But the way you're dealing with it now-"
"I know, I know." Shego acknowledged, putting up her hand.
"No, hear me out," Veronica insisted, "You're feeling guilty about something, but you're taking it out on me. That's pretty much the wrong way to deal with it. You've got your own set of emotions to deal with. We understand that. You've just met your daughter-"
"Please," Shego interjected, "No more psychoanalysis. I've had enough for one week."
"Fair enough," Veronica acknowledged, "But I was just trying to say that mom and I understand how tough it must have been for you to feel so vulnerable in front of us. Believe me, Shego, you aren't going soft, or losing your edge. I still think you're pretty darn evil."
"Really?" Shego asked, almost hopefully."
"Sure!" Veronica soothed, "And I have no doubt that when you get back home, you and Dr. D will open up a giant can of freak on the world. But until then, I think we can all get along without your reputation taking a hit. What happens in ancient Japan, stays in ancient Japan."
Shego snorted, and Kim chuckled a little.
"Well," Shego began, "I guess I could-"
She was interrupted when Kim uttered a startled yelp. Surprised, the other two looked at her and then followed her gaze.
"Kore wa nan desu ka?", came a voice from the opposite bank of the stream.
They had been found.
Ishigawa soon found himself a virtual prisoner in his own newly-conquered castle. They didn't even let him relieve himself alone! When he entered the small human waste chamber, the stone gorilla closest to him put out a hand and stopped him from sliding the door shut.
Humiliating, having to relieve himself next to an open door with four great stone gorillas staring at him. He was now subject to the kind of embarrassment even a peasant didn't have to endure. And for this he hated Monkey Fist with every fiber of his being.
In a small way, however, he respected Monkey Fist, because he wielded his power ruthlessly and without mercy. That was the proper way to show your might. That was what his father believed. And that is what Ishigawa believed. Mercy was for the weak. The ruthless were always remembered; they were the ones who built memorials to themselves. And Ishigawa wanted his likeness to be in every corner of Japan.
In an evenly matched duel, Monkey Fist wouldn't last two minutes against Ishigawa's prowess with a sword. But in the same manner, Ishigawa's provincial army wouldn't have lasted three weeks against the combined forces of Japan. Indeed, he doubted he could have gotten past Benkei's army early in the campaign.
But when power was given to those who were outmatched, Ishigawa believed they had an obligation to use it. And Monkey Fist had, to the point that he'd betrayed Ishigawa and their agreement. In addition, he'd done so just at the moment when Ishigawa was about to commit his own violation of the agreement. That was power. That was true might. Ishigawa had to respect that. But that didn't mean he had to love the monkey demon.
He decided he would bide his time. Much as he now loathed the outlander, he saw no other options. Monkey Fist had talked about going on to conquer China, and then several other countries Ishigawa had never heard of. If so, this meant he would leave, and he had at least indicated he would put Ishigawa in charge. Best to let it play out and seize his opportunity when it presented itself.
If Ishigawa got the chance, he'd kill Monkey Fist. But he couldn't risk any harm coming to himself. Monkey Fist didn't understand the ways of the people of Japan. They would be content to allow Ishigawa to rule over them, because whether they liked him or not, they realized he had conquered his way to becoming Shogun, and then Emperor. But Monkey Fist they would not tolerate. They'd cower in fear under his rule for a few years, but ultimately they would revolt. Ishigawa would be only too happy to lead them.
So let Monkey Fist have his charade. Let him think he's conquered Japan, and then let him move on to other countries. Ishigawa would still find himself ruler, one way or the other.
Without announcing his presence, Monkey Fist strode into Ishigawa's chamber. Anyone else would have been put to death immediately for such an act.
"Has Momoye gone?" he demanded.
"One hour ago," Ishigawa answered.
"What are the numbers of your remaining forces?"
"About one hundred and ten thousand."
"Get them assembled and ready to go immediately." Monkey Fist ordered.
"Why?"
"Because we are going to march out behind Momoye, and overwhelm the enemy while he is already engaged in battle. Hidesato must not be allowed to command a potential revolt." Monkey Fist explained with contempt.
Not as stupid as he once was, Ishigawa observed bitterly to himself, Those Blades truly do have power.
"An excellent plan." Ishigawa said aloud, I will take your life at the first opportunity.
"I do not care what you think of it. Just do as I ordered. Tonight the enemy will be vanquished, and we can concentrate on retrieving the remaining Blades." Monkey Fist paused, then added, "One more thing."
"What is it?"
"Your home province of Satsuma is on the extreme southern end of Japan. Are there any uninhabited islands near its coastline?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Yori and the yellow-haired one will be taken to one of them. They are to be exiled."
"Why not simply put them to death?"
"I have my reasons."
"There is a good-sized island about a day's journey eastward from Satsuma's eastern shore. It is large enough to sustain several varieties of animals and you cannot see the mainland from its beaches." Ishigawa offered.
"Perfect." Monkey Fist finally allowed himself a smile, "We will discuss the details of this later."
"As you wish, Fist of Monkey." Ishigawa said through clenched teeth, guard your flank, monkey demon. You will not live long enough to regret making an enemy of me.
Montgomery Fiske's first impulse was to kill Stoppable outright, and then eliminate Yori as well, since she would have outlived her usefulness.
But the young woman had an intriguing offer for him: allow her to take Stoppable somewhere remote, and she would keep him occupied, and more importantly, pacified. At first, Fist didn't see any incentive to keep Stoppable alive, but the Magnolia Blades must have worked upon him, because he actually began to see an advantage in not killing Ron.
Dead, Ron's wife and kids would probably stop at nothing to avenge him. Kim Possible would not allow Fist to be killed, of course, but she certainly would make it her life's work to capture him and return him to the twenty-first century. But Fist no longer had any intention of returning, and being stalked by someone so resourceful and – let's face it – heroic, would have been a nuisance he did not need. He could have his army protect him, but Kim Possible had a way of getting through all sorts of security measures. There was the outside chance she just might get to him… if properly motivated. Ron's death would no doubt give her that motivation.
But if he were left alive…
Yori desperately wanted Stoppable for herself, that much was certain. She was the one who had come up with the idea of convincing Stoppable that he was trapped in Apollyon's simulation. Fist, with the help of his new Blades, had figured out what all that machinery was that Apollyon had him put together over those months before he came into the past. Apollyon clearly had used the immersion chair on Stoppable, keeping him from pursuing Monkey Fist into the time stream. Why Apollyon wanted to help Monkey Fist he did not know, and certainly did not care. Whatever his reasons, he had helped Monkey Fist come further toward achieving his dream of Supreme Monkey Ruler than any plan he had concocted before.
Yori informed him that Stoppable seemed to accept that he was trapped inside a virtual world, and that she was actually his wife wearing a virtual disguise. According to Yori, Kim had told her all about Ron's experience in the Roman simulation, and how Possible had assumed the guise of Yori herself to go in and bring him out. Kim had shared all this with her on their second night in Japan thinking, perhaps, that she was somehow bonding with a would-be rival. Kim Possible was weak that way. She always cared too much about others; always wanted to help.
Monkey Fist uttered a grunt of disgust at this last thought.
So they played their little ruse, and Stoppable's mind seemed to be so screwed up by his experience already, that he simply believed it. Fist speculated that Ron probably wanted to believe it. It was a simple explanation for what had happened to him over the last few weeks. Simpler than reality, anyway.
Now they had to build on Ron's acceptance of his new reality. They would stage an attempted rescue, with Yori trying to help Ron escape from the virtual world. But, of course, she would be caught.
"Ah ha!" Monkey Fist would spring out of nowhere, "I knew you would try something like this again, Kim Possible!"
"Apollyon!" Yori would shriek, "No! I am not Kim!"
"Oh, but I know you are. And now that I know you are here, I have just written a program that will trap you inside this virtual world forever!" Fist would explain, laughing maniacally, "Furthermore, your appearance will always be just as it is now! You shall never truly be Kim Possible again!"
"You will never get away with this!" was Yori's line. Fist was against this because it was such a hoary old cliché, but it was Yori's show. As long as it convinced Stoppable, what did he care?
Then Fist would respond, "Of course I will! And just to prove to you that I am not to be trifled with, I will erase all your long term memory! You will only remember events that have happened in this virtual world!"
Fist expected a some kind of fight between himself and Ron to break out around this point. He and Yori decided that if Ron attacked Fist early, then Yori would explain that Apollyon had erased her long-term memory as punishment. With that little nugget in Ron's head, the idea of asking Yori to prove she was Kim would suddenly become pointless. How could he ask her about memories they shared together when she no longer had them?
From that point it would be up to Yori to playact as though she did not remember Ron, or even remember herself as Kim. This would no doubt endear him to her. Believing she was Kim, but realizing she had her memories erased, Ron would probably do the noble thing and try his best to take care of her. It would probably be awhile before he realized that with "Kim's" memories erased, there was no way to contact the outside world. Yori would do her absolute best to make sure Ron was too occupied to try and escape.
Stoppable would be trapped on that island for the rest of his life.
Clearly, they would have to go through a lot more trouble to keep Stoppable alive, than they would by simply eliminating him. But Fist believed the benefits outweighed the cost. With Stoppable dead, Kim would stop at nothing to come after him. But if she knew Ron were still alive, she and the rest of her companions would do all they could to retrieve him. That would definitely keep them occupied while Monkey Fist fought the rest of this war.
The beauty of it was that Monkey Fist wouldn't even have to tell Kim Possible that her husband was still alive. Once it was established to Ron that they would be trapped here forever, he would have two of his Monkey Dragons fly Ron and Yori to the island. But initially they would head westward, toward the Sea of Japan and China beyond. Villagers all through that part of Japan would look up and see the two dragons with the two strangers clutched in their talons. Then rumor would get around, and eventually reach the ears of Kim Possible and her companions.
"Oh yes", the villagers would say, "I saw them, they flew westward toward China."
In the meantime, the dragons would make a gradual circuitous route to the island in the southeast of Japan that would take days to fly, and they would be over water the entire time. Ron would be convinced that he'd been taken far away, far from any land, too far to try swimming or even building a raft.
And his family? Why they would probably go to China itself to track Ron. And after months, return in frustration. Or maybe they would never return at all.
What really appealed to Monkey Fist about this plan was that if he still had difficulty acquiring the remaining Ohana Blades, then he could simply give over information on Stoppable's whereabouts in exchange for them. All of this made the trouble of going through the simulation charade seem very worthwh-
A messenger came running frantically through the halls, interrupting his thoughts. Whatever the message was, it was serious. He knocked several people over on his way to Ishigawa's chambers.
"Here!" Monkey Fist barked at the messenger, "What is the meaning of your haste?"
"My lord," The young man said breathlessly with a bow, "I bring word that our main force is assembled at Itsu village. But I also bring news that our advance force has been turned back, and that Momoye is dead."
"Is Hidesato's army pursuing?"
"As we speak, my lord."
"Perfect," Monkey Fist muttered to himself, then spoke louder, "Deliver your message to Ishigawa and tell him to meet me in the courtyard. We will be riding to battle together."
"Hai, wakarimas!" the young boy bowed again and scampered off.
Monkey Fist strode off in good spirits. The plan with Stoppable looked as though it would work, only two of the Ohana Blades remained to be captured, and Hidesato's army was about to run headlong into annihilation.
"Enough!" Shego groaned, "Please, I can't take any more!"
"Me too," Veronica pleaded, "This is too much!"
"Be strong, guys," Kim encouraged, "We'll get through this."
"I don't think I'll make it through the whole thing!" Shego said despondently.
"Just a little more," Kim said, "That's all, just a little bit more."
"Well," Veronica said thoughtfully, "Maybe just a little more wouldn't kill us. Pass me some of those dumplings."
With a contented sigh, Kim reached for a small bowl filled with steaming, white doughy lumps. She handed them across the table to her daughter who gingerly took two and set them on her plate.
"You want some of this brown sauce?" Kim asked.
"Ooh, yeah!" Veronica said with a gleam in her eye, "That's delicious."
"It's all delicious!" Shego pronounced sleepily, "Man, I am stuffed! I wish I was wearing a belt so I could loosen it."
"Mo sukoshi?" The old man laid a hand on Shego's shoulder and gestured toward the table.
"Is he asking me if I want more?" Shego looked toward Kim.
Kim nodded.
Shego looked back up at the old man, smiled, puffed out her cheeks and patted her belly.
The old man chuckled and gently squeezed Shego's shoulder. He moved to the fireplace and brought back a pot of steaming liquid with four cups.
"Sake atsui," he said smiling, and then began to fill each cup.
His called himself Mukashi, and he looked as old as the hills he lived in. He was a sort of hermit farmer, living alone in a snug little lean-to that huddled against the side of a cliff. He also had a larger structure, a lean-to barn that housed several goats, and a few chickens. In addition, he had a small garden where he grew a few vegetables. When he had free time, he liked to hunt, just to add variety to his meals. He told them he had been hunting when he stumbled across them at the stream bank.
He knew who they were right away. Kim surmised that there probably weren't too many orange-haired women in Japan these days and word had gotten around, even to an old hermit like this.
Kim filled him in on the taking of Mutsu castle, how they had come to be at the stream that morning, and Hidesato's march north. Mukashi nodded often, as though he knew exactly what they were talking about. After a short while, he motioned for them all to come with him, and they began a two hour journey back to his home.
Mukashi knew all about Hidesato's supply cache at the caves. He explained to Kim that he had about a wagon-load's worth of supplies stored up and wished to get them to Hidesato the next day. She and her companions were welcome to spend the night at his home and accompany him on the journey.
They gladly accepted, eager for the chance to spend the night indoors, even if it was in a small hut. As they walked, Mukashi told Kim all about how he fought in several wars for Hidesato's father and grandfather.
When they reached the lean-to, there was something about the place that appealed to the women. It was a tiny dwelling, to be sure, but very well built. There were no neighbors. In fact, Mukashi informed them (through Kim, of course) that the nearest neighbor was actually Itsu village, about a half-day's journey to the northwest. A small column of smoke rose from the crude, wooden chimney. The whole place had a sort of lonely beauty to it; a place that made you want to live there and just exist off the Providence of the land.
Opposite the lean-to, about twenty yards away, a great tree had fallen some years before. When they drew near, they could see what appeared to be boards, and a few mortared rocks lying around it. It was a curious sight, but they forgot all about it when dinner was set before them.
Mukashi himself was a small, ancient man. Short, even by Japanese standards, with a long, white beard and a bald head. His eyes were besieged with wrinkles that multiplied whenever he smiled, which seemed to be a lot. He'd lost most of his teeth, and he had an incredible talent for cooking.
"How can you cook like this and not have a wife? Most women would love to be married to a man with your talents." Shego said to Mukashi as he poured out the steaming cups of rice wine. Kim relayed it to the old man.
Mukashi smiled and nodded, then took a minute or two to reply. Kim hesitated slightly, then translated, "His wife was killed during a typhoon about thirty years ago… they were huddled together in the house, which used to be… where, Mukashi-san?… out there. His wife was insistent they get out, because the high winds were frightening her… but Mukashi wanted to stay inside. Then the tree fell over on the house; he escaped but she did not. He buried her in the garden; originally she was the one who tended the crops. He says he should have listened to her, and often has bad dreams about what happened."
"Oh, gosh," Shego said guiltily, "Please tell him I am so sorry."
Kim relayed the question, then turned back to Shego, "He says you did not know, so you should not apologize. And also, he is curious about your question."
"What about it?" Shego asked.
Kim spoke to Mukashi, then turned to Shego with a big smile on her face, "He wants to know if you are seeking a husband."
Veronica laughed, along with Mukashi and Shego. Kim sat there grinning.
"Tell him if I didn't have to go back to my own world, I would be hopelessly devoted to him for life." Shego said warmly.
Kim relayed the answer to which Mukashi replied.
"Awwww", Kim put her hand over her heart and sounded like she'd just seen the cutest puppy in the window of a pet store, "Mukashi says he would gladly follow you back to your world, or any other world, just so he could be near you and gaze upon your beauty."
"Awww", Veronica sounded like she'd just seen a baby bunny rabbit. "That is so sweet!"
Shego's eyes became bright with tears, though they did not spill over. She was used to men ogling her, making cat calls and lewd remarks and generally talking about her the same way they would talk about a particularly exotic sports car. But never had she received a genuine compliment on her looks. She got up, moved around the end of the table, and planted a kiss on Mukashi's ancient, wrinkled head.
Mukashi smiled, said something to Kim, and then looked at Shego with his old man grin.
"Mukashi says he will pay you the same compliment later this evening," Kim said laughing, "He is curious what your reaction will be after you have had a few more cups of rice wine."
Shego put her hand over her mouth and gasped in mock surprise, then giggled and sat back down.
Veronica helped Mukashi clear off the table, and the four of them sat talking and sipping their drinks. They asked Mukashi for his life story, which he was glad to share with them, though most of the details were vague. He was born in the Mutsu province, and had apparently dome some extensive traveling, including mainland China. He and his wife had several children, and had watched them all grow up. When asked where they were, he simply replied that they were all gone and would say no more on the subject.
As the evening drew on into night, Mukashi taught them all a game called "Ichi-ni-san-yon". It was simple. Mukashi would point at one of the three women, and the first had to say "Ichi." Then he would point at another who had to say "Ni", and so forth. You had to say the correct words in the correct order the second Mukashi pointed at you. If you failed, you had to take a sip of rice wine.
The first few rounds went about as expected, with none of them getting the words and order right. But several rounds later they seemed to improve, though this did not last very long because the sips from the first few rounds began to take their effect. They laughed, giggled endlessly, and drank rice wine well into the night.
Kim, as was her occasional habit, sat back and took stock of the situation. She was playing a drinking game with her daughter (who was older than her) and her arch foe (who turned out to be a very silly person once she got some wine in her) and a very old Japanese man in a small hut in northern Japan somewhere around the year Four Hundred A.D. They were involved in a war, both to save ancient Japan from the rule of a murderous tyrant and save the universe from collapsing into nothingness. Somewhere out there her husband was with Sensei, a man who seemed to be immortal, and elsewhere, her other younger child, who was married to the daughter of her arch foe, both of whom were helping in the fight.
Life could really get weird sometimes.
Awhile later – Kim was not sure exactly how long it was – Mukashi rose and bade them all come out to the barn. Three very sleepy women got up and trudged out into the frigid night air, following the old man to the larger structure, though, for a barn, it was also small in its own right.
Once they got inside, they were surprised to discover how warm it was, though the cold didn't seem to bother them too much anyway. Kim realized Mukashi was not just simply entertaining them with a silly drinking game. The alcohol would insulate them somewhat from the chilly air. The old man led them to the furthest stall which had been cleaned and prepared with fresh straw. Three deerskin blankets were spread upon the straw while three other blankets woven from goat's hair were placed upon the deerskins. Just outside the stall, in the center of the barn, a small fire was blazing in a large metal bowl set upon three smooth, round rocks. Normally the fire kept the animals warm in the winter, but tonight it would warm three sleeping strangers from another world.
Mukashi bade them all good night, and walked to the barn door. Though they could not hear him, he whispered "Sleep well"… in English. Then he went back into his hut.
As soon as Kim snuggled into her bed, she marveled at how warm and cozy the blankets were, and how wonderfully soft the straw was. She felt she would probably be asleep in a matter of a few…
WHAM!
Kim was startled awake by a thunderous noise from outside. She leaped to her feet, trying to shake the sleep from her. Suddenly she realized that Veronica and Shego were gone.
BOOM!
Another explosive noise. Kim ran through the tiny barn and burst outside into bright sunshine. It was morning.
"Good morning!" Veronica's cheerful voice came from somewhere nearby.
Kim looked to see Veronica and Shego standing near the great fallen tree.
"What on earth is going on?" Kim asked sleepily.
"The Little Princess and I are making firewood." Shego explained, then turned back toward the tree, "Try that section."
Veronica raised her Cactus Blade and struck the tree with it. That section of the tree shattered into mostly small pieces, while one large chunk broke off and flew into the air. Shego flared up her fists and blasted the chunk into smaller fragments.
Mukashi sat on a gnarled old stool just outside his doorway, watching the entire procedure with keen interest.
Knowing there was no way she would be able to get back to sleep with all the noise, Kim simply picked up an armload of wood and began stacking it against the side of the barn near the hut. A short while later, with the entire tree lying in fragments, Shego and Veronica did the same. It took almost two hours to stack all the fragments, and since they were all in odd shapes and sizes, stacking them was not easy. Veronica took the Cactus Blade and destroyed what little was left of the house, which proved to be harder work than she thought.
"This would be easier in a Deathray", she muttered, wiping sweat from her forehead.
The old man simply observed all the proceedings without comment.
When they were finished, Mukashi served them a hearty breakfast of mostly leftovers from the night before, though there were several new items. Once again, it was all delicious, and once again, Mukashi bade them to eat their fill.
When breakfast was complete, Shego got up, retrieved a piece of wood from the newly stacked pile and brought it back inside.
"Burn this," Shego said, handing the piece to Mukashi. Kim translated without comment, "And when you've burned the last piece. Do not have any more bad dreams. What happened was not your fault."
"This is a really nice thing you did, Ronnie." Kim whispered to her daughter.
"It was her idea," Veronica said truthfully.
"No kidding?"
"No kidding."
Mukashi looked up at Shego with shining, grateful eyes. He turned and tossed the piece of wood into the fire, then turned back to face Shego, bowing low.
"Watashi wa arigataku omou." He said in an emotional voice, then continued on as Kim translated.
"He says he's grateful," Kim relayed, "And that even though you may think of yourself as a villain, within you beats the heart of a hero… eiyu?"
"Hai," Mukashi confirmed.
"Hero," Kim said with some wonder, "Someone actually called you a hero."
"Hey" Shego warned, "What happens in ancient Japan, stays in ancient Japan, remember. How do I say 'You are welcome?'"
Kim told her the words and she looked at Mukashi once more, "Yoku irasshai mashita."
Mukashi took her hand and kissed it, then informed Kim it was time to be leaving. He went and retrieved a small wagon from behind the barn, dragging it into the yard in front of his hut. He turned, faced outward and began clucking his tongue and whistling. To the women's surprise, from somewhere unseen came trotting a fat, gray little pony. Mukashi harnessed the animal to the wagon while the women began loading supplies into the cart at Mukashi's direction.
Just before they left, Mukashi opened the door to the barn and then opened all the stalls. One by one, each of the animals came wandering out. The three women supposed this was because Mukashi might be gone for a few days and they could fend for themselves. He made sure to extinguish the fires, and closed the door tight.
Just before they left, Mukashi took one long look at his hut, the barn, and the space where the tree had been. Then he stood near the garden, gazing at it and saying soft words no one else could hear. After a short time, he walked to the pony, took the reins, and began leading it northward. Kim, Veronica, and Shego walked silently beside him.
Ron was certainly confused, but he was also relieved.
Still trapped in a simulation!
This made more sense. He'd never actually gotten out of virtual reality; this was much easier to believe. And Kim had come to rescue him once more.
Who is Apollyon?
This time she had to hide her green eyes. Before, it had been an Irish Princess who had tried to lure him away from the real world and his wife. Now it seemed as though a simulated version of his wife was trying to keep him here. And to really add a hook; grown versions of his kids.
Why did the Roman simulation seem more real than this one?
Ron supposed Kintaro was just Apollyon - whoever he was - trying to keep an eye on him. One long ruse, just to keep him separated from the real Kim. Or perhaps it was some sort of revenge plot, or some evil villain had captured him and was keeping him occupied while he was a hostage.
How did Apollyon know about the mystical monkey power, and Sensei's ability to levitate?
Kim had put herself on the line to find a way back in, but was caught. Now she was trapped here with him. She was always doing that; charging in and rescuing him when he really needed her the most. Ron realized she would probably rather be trapped with him in this simulated world, than living in the real one without him. He certainly would feel the same way if the situations were reversed.
Why would the simulated Kim foolishly challenge Hidesato if her purpose was to keep him occupied in this charade?
Ron spent the better part of a day in his tiny room in the castle. The guards never left their posts, but neither did they look inside the room to make sure he was still there. They were just down the corridor, out of sight and out of earshot. But once, when he poked his head out, they brandished their weapons and challenged him in Japanese.
Why could I speak fluent Latin, but here I can barely speak Japanese?
Ron had returned Yori/Kim's kiss somewhat reluctantly. He didn't feel it was the time or the place, and found it a little odd that she seemed more interested in kissing him than making plans for an escape. When he told her so, she seemed to grow sullen, but then told him she needed to go before she was discovered. Ron wanted her to stay. He felt so bad about sharing all that intimate time with the simulated Kim, and he wanted to be in the company of the real one, even if she did look like Yori.
Why do I have memories of lying in a chair and seeing Wil Du standing near by?
Though, upon further consideration, Ron concluded that the kiss probably wasn't so out of place. After all, the last time Kim had come into the simulation as Yori, one of the first things she had done was kiss him. She missed him. It was that simple.
Why was I able to bluff my way so easily through the Roman simulation, while everything here seems so much harder?
She had come to him again, late the night before, after his lights had gone out. She crept quietly through the window and crawled into his bed with him. He had asked her about plans for escape but she almost seemed to brush him off, saying it would be several days before they would be able to try something. She told him Wade was trying to come up with a way to distract Apollyon so he would be gone while they tried to make their escape. For now Ron had to be patient.
If Yori was actually Kim the whole time, why didn't she say something earlier?
So Ron agreed to wait. Yori/Kim was handling things, and she'd let him know when the time was right to make their move. In bed together, she had clung to him, and even offered to make love. But Ron was afraid such an activity might catch the guards' attention. Yori tried to convince him otherwise, but there was too much on his mind anyway. So she clung fiercely to him, told him many times how much she loved him, and kissed him often.
Why so many extra simulated people? What was the point of a simulated Shego and Drakken?
When he woke up in the morning, she was gone, and Ron had spent most of the day alone. Monkey Fist/Apollyon did not come to see him, and neither did Yori/Kim. Ron spent a good deal of his time trying to push away or explain the hundreds of questions that nagged at him; questions that cast doubt on the entire premise of a simulated world. Of course, the idea that he had time traveled to ancient Japan with his grown children and was battling Monkey Fist and a monkey army seemed much less plausible. But still, those questions plagued him.
Perhaps the extra simulated characters were to keep him off guard. Perhaps Yori/Kim didn't say anything earlier because she didn't have a good enough opportunity to do so. Perhaps he could bluff his way through the Roman simulation much more easily because this one had been improved over the last one. Perhaps the simulated Kim challenged Hidesato just to convince Ron that she was his real wife.
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps…
Why does this all feel so wrong?
Ron had no answer for that one.
"They'll be slaughtered!"
"We can't just sit here and watch, we've got to do something!"
Kim turned to Mukashi, "What can we do?"
"We must get to the signal bearers and convince Masaharu-sama to order a retreat." He replied.
"You mean Hidesato," Kim corrected.
"Yes, of course," Mukashi muttered.
They had topped a high hill and heard a rumbling, roaring sort of noise, much like a crowd at a football game but deeper, and somehow more ominous. Mukashi tied the pony to a tree and walked with the three women to the point where the hill began to slope downward. There they viewed a terrible sight.
Armies were clashing, and one was clearly in retreat, while the other pursued. To their right was the entrance to a pass, with lower hills on either side of it. Three wagons stood in the gap, while soldiers charged forth around them.
They were too far away to make out any individual faces, but Mukashi told them the army on their right was Hidesato's. On their left must have been an advance force from Ishigawa's army. Then Mukashi pointed to the south – their left – beyond a hill which they could see over the top of but Hidesato's army clearly could not.
All three women gasped as it became clear to them the large, dark mass beyond that hill was the remainder of Ishigawa's forces – more than one hundred thousand strong - and they were readying a charge. Hidesato's army was being drawn by a false retreat into a trap. One from which there would be no possibility of escape.
It was probably the largest gathering of humans any of the women had ever seen. Like a great inkblot on the terrain, the army seemed to stretch out to the horizon.
Then, to their horror, they realized the monkey army was there too. Monkey Dragons were flying low, making sure to stay out of sight of Hidesato's forces. The stone gorillas and stone chimp archers were there. Even the great stone Guardian of Satsuma was there, crouched low so it could not be seen either.
The retreating army began to run up the near side of the low hill. Once the forward waves of Hidesato's forces crested the hill, they would surely see the trap. But since the ensuing waves would not see the trap until they reached the crest of the slope, they would continue the pursuit. The forward waves would turn to retreat, but would be unable to because of the still-advancing secondary waves of attacking soldiers.
There was no question Hidesato's forces would be wiped out. Completely.
Before anyone made a move, Veronica gasped and pointed. From one of the forward waves, a shadowy arc seemed to erupt and spread outward in all southern directions. The Black Orchid Blade.
"TJ's down there!", Veronica said in a horrified tone.
"Then we've got to make it to the signal bearers." Shego growled, "Let's move!"
She was already sprinting down the hill toward the pass.
"That's right!" Drakken shouted in triumph, "Laugh with me! Mwaaa ha ha ha ha!"
He was thoroughly enjoying his moment of victory, his daughter standing next to him, laughing maniacally. He couldn't remember when he'd felt so alive.
"Daddy, look!" Kimono was pointing off toward the west.
Drakken ceased his laughter and gazed in the direction his daughter indicated. There were four figures running down the hill in the distance. He couldn't make them out, but noted the fourth figure was barely running at all, more like hobbling. Then he noticed green energy beams burst from the lead figure and shoot into the air.
"It's Shego!" Drakken cried happily, "Your mother's alive! This is the most bon-diggity day ever!"
"That must be Kim and Ronnie-Anne with her," Kimono said excitedly. "I wonder who the forth one is. Is that Ron? He seems to be injured, or… no it's an old man. What on earth?"
Drakken and Kimono jumped down from the wagon and began running toward Shego. Drakken stretched out his arms to greet her, but there was a look on her face that told them something was up.
"No time for family reunions!" Shego shouted as soon as they were within earshot, "We've got to get to Hidesato! The main body of Ishigawa's army is waiting on the other side of the hill!"
"But Hidesato is up there, he charged in with the first wave… along with TJ." Kimono said in a terrified voice.
"The old man was right," Shego panted, "We've got to get to Masaharu."
Shego had come running up to them as she shouted, and slowed her pace to a walk to relay the information. Kim and Veronica were able to catch up to her.
"Masaharu is on his horse!" Kimono turned and pointed, "Next to the signal bearers, there."
Kim didn't slow down but sprinted on, Veronica trailed after her. Kim was virtually exhausted when she reached Masaharu, and had trouble remembering her Japanese.
"We've got to turn the army back," she said between gasps for air, "Ishigawa's main army is waiting on the other side of the hill."
Masaharu dismounted and looked Kim square in the eye, "You are certain of this?"
"Upon my life," Kim said urgently.
Masaharu nodded and turned to the signal bearer, "Sound the horn and call for a full withdrawal. No exceptions."
The bearer acknowledged, picked up what looked like a ram's horn, and began unfurling a flag.
Msaharu then turned to the Zuijen archers, who had not been sent with the charges. "Divide your number in half and position yourself on the hilltops on either side. We will need your skill to cover our retreat."
The archers immediately began to move.
"Tell your blue friend we will have need of his machines again," Masaharu said back to Kim.
"Huh?…uh, OK." Kim turned and headed for the center wagon.
The forward wave of pursuing soldiers crested the hill and stopped almost dead in its tracks. TJ beheld a virtual sea of warriors, as well as monkey dragons and the heart-stopping sight of the twenty foot tall Guardian of Satsuma which was in the process of getting to its feet.
"Sono teki guntai!" he heard Hidesato shout.
Then, above the roar of battle, a high, piercing sound rang out over the valley. TJ turned toward it and saw a lone figure at the top of one of the hills next to the pass waving a large flag.
"Hikkomu!" Hidesato began to shout, "Hikkomu!"
TJ was sure it meant some form of retreat. He decided not to wait for a translation. As he was turning, a roar went up from Ishigawa's larger force, and they began charging up the hill.
Though it took only a few minutes, it seemed a frustratingly long time before the majority of Hidesato's forces were turned back. Most of the later waves that had not seen what was on the other side of the hill believed the call for retreat to be a mistake and kept charging forward. But two things convinced them the retreat was legitimate. First was the sight of Hidesato running back down the near side of the hill, calling for retreat as he went.
The second was the blood-curdling sight of the enemy pouring over the crest of the rise like a colony of ants streaming out of an anthill. The opposing army seemed to take up the entirety of the southern horizon, and they came running down the near side of the hill in a cascade of deadly earnest.
The first waves, including TJ and Hidesato, were in full retreat, but several subsequent waves were still trying to ascertain the situation when the enemy fell upon them. Hidesato's army was soon being reduced by the hundreds, and then by the thousands. Entire waves were lost. Many more were decimated. Though the retreat had been sounded in time, the damage had been done. Within minutes, Hidesato's army had been reduced by almost a third.
It was clear the enemy was not going to stop until their victory was total. Drakken, with Kim's help, ordered the barrels of his weapons raised by several degrees and began firing arrows over the heads of Hidesato's retreating army and into the ranks of the enemy where there clearly were no longer any friendly forces.
In the meantime, the enemy had advanced into the range of the Zuijen, and what commenced may have been the finest display of marksmanship in the history of warfare. Enemy soldiers in the nearest ranks began dropping as they ran, despite the fact they were in among Hidesato's retreating soldiers. One soldier found himself among a company of roughly fifteen enemy warriors, all of whom were raising their weapons to strike him down. One by one in rapid succession those enemy soldiers dropped, and none of their blades ever reached their intended target. This happened again and again as enemy soldiers were picked off deliberately by the keen eyes and skills of the Zuijen archers.
Soon, most of Hidesato's soldiers that had been overtaken by the enemy were eliminated. Battling them had caused the advancing enemy to slow its pace which allowed the retreating soldiers more time to gain ground. A gap appeared between the two opposing armies. The first of Hidesato's retreating soldiers were pouring between the wagons and back through the pass; TJ and Hidesato among them.
It became readily apparent that there wouldn't be time to order a regroup and defense of the pass. The enemy would begin arriving much sooner than there was time to organize a counter offensive. Their only hope was to retreat far enough ahead of the enemy in order to stop and regroup. But even those inexperienced in battle tactics knew they could not possibly hold their own fighting on the plains on the far side of the pass. In such wide open country, Hidesato's army would soon find itself surrounded by an ever tightening noose of enemy soldiers.
All would soon be lost completely.
"We're going to have to abandon the wagons," Drakken said to Kim, "Tell them, please."
Kim shouted to the Drakkenites who began to join the ranks of retreating soldiers. She took a quick look around to make sure everyone was withdrawing. Drakken, TJ and Kimono were already running into the pass with the retreating soldiers. Veronica was…
"Veronica!" She screamed, "What are you doing?"
Her daughter didn't seem to hear her. She was about twenty feet forward of the wagons and walking in the opposite direction of the retreat. In a few minutes, the last of Hidesato's soldiers would make their way between the wagons and into the pass beyond. Then the valley would be filled only with enemy troops.
Kim leaped from the wagon and weaved through retreating soldiers to where her daughter was, still walking toward the onrushing enemy line.
"Veronica!" She screamed again, "We have to…"
Kim trailed off; the look on Veronica's face was a familiar one, though she had never seen it on her daughter. Ronnie-Anne had a faraway look in her eye, as though her mind were filled with thoughts more important than the immediate situation demanded.
Kim had once seen that look on Ron's face, standing on a ramp in Deathray's lair.
Veronica held the Cactus Blade above her head and began to spin it, like a slowly rotating helicopter rotor. Faster and faster she spun it until it was spinning too fast for her to keep up. She released it and withdrew her hands, but still the Blade hovered above her, spinning ever faster.
Kim cast a nervous glance at the oncoming enemy and prepared herself for the inevitable.
The Cactus Blade began to rise above the valley. As it rose, it spun so fast Kim could no longer see it. Then, it seemed to grow in all directions at once, spreading outward in a swirling sort of misty apparition. And though it never achieved a solid appearance, there was – floating above the valley floor – the form of a gigantic Japanese cactus.
It had a squat shape to it; green with a bright yellow blossom at its peak.
Then, with a booming, rumbling crack a thousand times louder than thunder, it abruptly dissipated, the swirling image sweeping southward and rolling over the enemy like a mystical fog bank moving at incredible speed.
A cry went up from Ishigawa's forces.
"What witchcraft is this?" Ishigawa asked as he gazed upon the vision of the giant cactus hovering over the valley.
"It seems as though-" Monkey Fist began in reply, but cut himself off as the apparition dissipated into a green and yellow fog that rolled over his army.
"Our forces are retreating!" Ishigawa shouted, pointing at the forward lines. "What-?"
And he too was cut off as the fog rolled up and over them like a hurtling wave. Both Ishigawa and Monkey Fist screamed in pain. They felt like they were on fire, as if a million hot needles were constantly being jabbed into every part of their bodies. Imagine the most painful time when your foot or arm fell asleep, and multiply it by a hundred thousand. Suddenly they wanted nothing more than to be away from that fog. Even the horses and dragons seemed to feel it.
The army was already falling back upon them. Monkey fist rode his dragon into the sky, desperately trying to escape the blinding pain. Abstractly, he became aware that he was not suffering any kind of physical damage. He was not bleeding, nor was his skin broken anywhere. White hot pain seared through him, but he was otherwise undamaged.
Monkey Fist tried to sift his thoughts through the fiery agony that demanded his attention. Then, realization.
There were some soldiers in his army that did not feel pain.
It was a though a great invisible arm had swept through the valley and pushed back Ishiagwa's army. More than a hundred thousand men shrieked in pain. They turned and ran blindly back up and over the hill, desperately trying to get away from the embroiling fog that had brought such blinding torture. When they breathed, it was like inhaling fire itself. Many soldiers began to kill some of their comrades who impeded the retreat. They knew nothing of any impending victory. They were only aware of pain, and wanted to get away from it.
Kim watched it all with great satisfaction as her daughter stood stock still, almost in a trance, her arms stretched out above her as though reaching for the sky.
Suddenly, to Kim's horror, a line of stone gorillas charged, bursting forth from the fog, advancing rapidly upon them. They bounded along on threes and fours, covering ground much quicker than any soldier could unless he was running. The Zuijen concentrated their fire on the oncoming gorillas, but the arrows bounced harmlessly off them.
"Time to go!" Kim shouted, snatching Veronica and beginning to drag her back.
"Mother!" Veronica yelped as though snapping out of a daze, What are you-?"
And then she saw them. Veronica gasped as the great stone Guardian of Satsuma emerged from the fog behind the stone gorillas. It came onward with great, thundering strides.
"Let me go." Veronica said calmly.
Kim stopped on the other side of the wagons just long enough to disengage herself from her daughter and then resumed running. But Veronica stayed where she was. Kim halted and turned around, trying to stifle a scream. The stone gorillas were almost upon them, and the giant beyond was looming. Abstractly, Kim was aware of an odd sense of déjà vu upon sight of the great stone behemoth.
"Just go!" Veronica shouted.
There was such a ferocious, untamed look in her eyes that Kim only hesitated for a second. Then she began retreating through the pass.
Veronica turned and faced the line of gorillas, holding up her hands, once again reaching for the sky. The Fog receded from the enemy position and withdrew at lightning speed. It formed into the misty apparition of a giant cactus once more, then shrank, dissipated and once more became the solid, spinning naginata that was the Cactus Blade.
Veronica's life was saved by the fact that the line of gorillas stopped when they reached the wagons and smashed them to splinters. Had they simply rushed forward, Veronica probably would not have survived past that moment.
As it was, the gorillas busied themselves with the destruction of Drakken's wagons for a few seconds. Veronica rushed forward and slammed the Blade to the ground. A crack traveled through the earth as fast as lightning toward the nearest wagon. Those gorillas busy destroying it suddenly exploded and shattered into tiny, shrapnel-like fragments. Veronica shielded her face, but several stone fragments did pelt her in the legs and torso. She ignored the pain and moved to the next wagon. The gorillas scattered, startled by what happened, then regrouped and came at her. Veronica stood her ground, eyes wide open, and swung the Cactus Blade in a baseball fashion. The nearest gorilla was driven backward violently, and crashed into several more behind it. Instead of exploding, these merely broke apart, like ceramic dropped on a hard surface. Veronica didn't wait to see if any of them would get up, but charged at the next group. These began to fall back, seemingly unsure of how to approach the woman wielding such a powerful weapon.
The giant Stone Guardian was almost upon her.
"No!" Monkey Fist screamed, "My army! She is destroying my forces!"
Meanwhile, on the ground, Ishigawa was attempting to rally his troops. Now that the fog had receded, it was time to turn back and pursue the enemy before Hidesato had a chance to stage a counterattack. But it was like trying to turn back a stampeding herd of cattle. Many soldiers found their senses again and obeyed Ishigawa's orders to halt, but many more were in a full panic, unwilling to even consider facing such a weapon. Most of them did not stop running until they reached Mutsu Castle more than an hour later.
Back in the sky, Monkey Fist had called two dragons to him and was giving them orders.
"You are not made of stone, therefore you cannot shatter. Get to the Cactus Blade, kill the woman, and bring the weapon to me!" he screamed maniacally.
The gorillas feigned a charge then retreated a short distance. Veronica went after them. They held, then retreated again. Veronica began to realize she was being drawn out. The Guardian had reached the line of gorillas and charged through, bearing down upon her. She slammed the blade down once more. Again, a crack swift as lightning traveled through the ground, but this time it did not reach its target. Just as she was bringing the Blade down, the Guardian dropped and rolled to the side, causing the ground to shake. It had a little trouble getting back to its feet, but managed to avoid the destructive power of the Cactus Blade.
Fear finally managed to get its icy fingers into Veronica. She'd expected the stone giant to shatter like everything else, but it had dodged her attack. She turned to retreat but found that the stone gorillas were bounding ahead on all sides of her. She ran toward the pass as they closed in. She began swinging the Blade as soon as the gorillas were in reach, but her swings were hesitant, disjointed, almost random. She tried to calm down, tried to fight off panic, but she could hear the giant stone gorilla pursuing her again, and from above, two long, wailing, hooting howls.
A stone fist flashed out and caught her on the shoulder. With a grunt, Veronica went down, just barely managing to hang on to the Blade. She scrambled to her feet again, swinging the Blade as she came up. She caught two gorillas with her weapon, destroying one and hobbling the other. Then three more came at her from three different directions. She managed to destroy two of them, but the third tackled headlong into her and drove her to the ground. They went tumbling over and over. Veronica was struck in the head several times, and received many painful blows to the body as she tumbled with the stone gorilla.
Dazed, and with the wind knocked out of her, she barely managed to hang on to the Blade. Indeed, she barely managed to hang on to consciousness itself. When she and her attacker came to a rest, she weakly raised the Blade and let it fall on the gorilla. It cracked and broke apart. She tried desperately to get to her feet, but found she could barely get to her knees.
The gorillas began to fall back. At first she couldn't see why, but then realized it was to allow the stone giant and the two dragons to finish her off.
"No", she whimpered and tried to raise the Cactus Blade.
The dragons reached her first. They came swooping in low, fast as hawks in a dive. Their mouths opened and teeth bared in a snarl. Suddenly, one of them veered away, uttering a great howl. The other did not alter its course, but slammed into the ground only a few feet away from her, half-burying itself in the earth. The other tried to turn back but soon fell to the ground, as dead as the one that fell near Veronica.
The dragons, of course, were still wearing their bamboo armor. But from every crack, every gap, every space on each dragon that armor was not covering there protruded a Zuijen arrow. Both dragons looked like macabre pin cushions.
"Veronica!" A small, far away voice floated to her ears. She did not recognize it.
Then, into her field of vision came bounding a small, old man with a long, white beard and a wrinkled, bald head. He ran to her and knelt down.
"Mu… Mukashi?" Veronica mumbled in a daze.
"Do not talk," He said in English, though the accent was thick with Japanese. "I need you to deliver a message to Kintaro. Will you do this for me?"
Veronica was dimly aware that her head was nodding.
"Good," he said, "Tell him: 'She is not evil, though she may seem so. Within her beats the heart of a hero.' You will know when to deliver this message."
"To Kintaro?" Veronica asked weakly.
"Hai," He said, then stood up, "Goodbye, Raitaro."
Mukashi turned to face the oncoming Stone Gaurdian. He held out his hand.
The Cactus Blade flew to him.
Veronica uttered a startled gasp.
With a war cry that seemed far wilder and far deeper than Mukashi was capable of uttering, he charged at the Stone Guardian of Satsuma. The great gorilla did not break stride, but instead increased its pace.
Veronica saw everything as though it were happening in slow motion. As he came near the stone giant, Mukashi leaped into the air, raising the Cactus Blade over his head as far back as his arms could reach. Then he swung it forward and collided with the Stone Guardian just as the Blade came down in front of him. With a thunderous, booming roar that filled the air and was heard in every corner of Japan, the Stone Guardian of Satsuma exploded with such a violent fury that it left a crater in the valley where the giant had been standing.
When the dust and smoke cleared, Mukashi lay dead at the bottom of the crater, the Cactus Blade still gripped tightly in his fists.
Monkey Fist screamed unintelligible words at the sight of the destruction of the Stone Guardian. He withdrew the remaining stone gorillas and flew as quickly as he could back to Mutsu Castle. Gibbering and muttering, he snatched the Tempus Simia from the grasp of a startled Yori and flew off once again, heading south.
It took him most of the day to reach the mountains of Satsuma.
As the remaining gorillas retreated, a shout rose up from Hidesato's army. Kim, Shego and Kimono rushed out on to the field of battle to assist Veronica, who was crawling toward the crater to retrieve the Cactus Blade. She held out her hand and it came to her.
Hidesato ordered his forces into a defensive position across the opening of the pass, but it was unnecessary. No further attacks came that day.
However, the damage had been done. Hidesato lost more than fifteen thousand troops. His force now numbered just under twenty thousand, while Ishigawa, though driven from the battlefield, had lost perhaps ten thousand.
Hidesato was silently cursing himself for being outsmarted a second time during battle. He began to believe that Ishigawa was the superior general after all.
Veronica, bruised, bloodied, and dazed, was helped to her feet. Kim was able to quickly determine that nothing was broken, and promised to bandage Veronica's wounds when they reached camp. As they neared the opening of the pass, the shouting began to die down and then stopped all together.
The soldiers parted to let Veronica through. As they did so, they began to drop to one knee and bowed their heads forward. Many began to whisper; one word over and over.
"Raitaro!" They breathed quietly, "Raitaro."
Hidesato rode up, dismounted his horse and, without asking, picked Veronica up and placed her on it.
"Raitaro", he said, and bowed low, though he did not kneel as the others did. Then he straightened up, turned to his army and shouted, "Raitaro!"
"RAITARO!" The soldiers stood up and bellowed at the top of their lungs, "RAITARO!"
Kim took the reins of the horse and led Veronica through the pass as Hidesato's army cheered wildly, chanting "Raitaro" over and over again. Veronica blushed deeply, unaccustomed to such a hero's reception.
She leaned forward and asked her mother a question. "What are they saying?"
"Raitaro." Kim replied, smiling at her daughter, "It means 'Child of Thunder.'"
Yori tried to sort things out.
Monkey Fist was supposed to have helped her with the staged escape attempt. But instead, he'd snatched the Tempus Simia from her without a word and disappeared.
Worry snaked its way into her thoughts. Had he changed his mind?
Yori had staked everything on this. She'd betrayed everyone she knew, broken her word to Sensei to help Kim Possible (never once had she ever referred to the red-haired woman as 'Stoppable', even in her own mind), and perhaps now the universe would be destroyed.
But she clung to certain things she had learned since arriving in ancient Japan. Drakken said the destruction of the timeline could be drastically slowed for this particular 'railway car' they were riding in. If so, then just maybe there would be enough left for a lifetime spent with Ron, living on their own private island, and subsisting off the land itself. She rather disliked the modern world with all its technologies that were supposed to make your life easier but in reality only made you a slave. It was something she'd always dreamed of; a simple life with the one she loved.
Perhaps she and Ron would even have children together.
Yori flushed at this.
So what if the universe would perish? No one lived longer than a lifetime anyway, and if she could have hers with Ron, then it was worth it.
Pangs of guilt and regret bubbled within her, but she pushed them down, bottled them up and paid no attention to them. She had loved one man for more than ten years. And in that time, she'd had one week with him. Every minute of that week with Ron lived within her as a savored memory.
Now, she was on the verge, standing at the edge of…
(an abyss)
…her realized future with Ron Stoppable.
It was so tantalizingly yet maddeningly close that it was all she could do not to run into Ron's room and stage a 'real' escape. But Monkey Fist had arranged for an island, one cut off from the rest of the world.
Perfect.
Yori saw herself as a…
(traitor)
…woman at the beginning of a great adventure. And the thought that truly sent her into near spasms of ecstasy was how readily Ron seemed to accept it. Yori began to imagine that Ron knew the truth deep down, and he was simply playing along so that he could have her. Yes, that must be it. Deep down, Ron must have realized that he truly did love…
(Kim)
…Yori, and was helping her along in her plan for them to spend their lives together. Ron wanted her as much as she wanted him. But of course he couldn't say anything directly about it. The charade Yori had concocted was an easy out for him, a way he could love her in return. Yori marveled at the power that…
(chronotheta radiation)
…love had over her. She thrilled at the possibilities of her new life with Ron.
Monkey Fist would return. He had to. The battle had not gone as planned. But this would only serve to reinforce the idea in Monkey Fist's head that Ron should be sent away with her. Indeed, Monkey Fist had told her of the plan to make it appear as though they were in China. Kim would probably search the rest of her life in the futile search for Ron, while Yori got to have him. And some day, perhaps soon, she would be…
(guilty)
…the mother of his children. She would give him fine sons and beautiful daughters.
Again the doubt and guilt welled up, and again she pushed it away. The best way to combat the nagging remorse was to be in his arms.
She got up and made her way to the balcony below his room. In a few minutes, Yori was lying in his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Once again, she tried to convince him to make love to her, and once again he was hesitant. She could wait. For the time being she was satisfied to kiss him, and cling to him. The rest would come.
Soon.
(don't do this)
They would be together.
(it's not too late to turn back)
Together. Soon…and then always.
Monkey Fist stood staring, rapturous glee spread across his face. He could not believe what he was seeing, and yet there it was.
"We wondered when you would come for them," The dark monk said.
Monkey Fist said nothing, content to stare in malicious wonder and evil joy.
Before him stood hundreds of stone gorillas, as well as the Stone Guardian of Satsuma.
He had returned to the mountain temple that had given birth to his army. Initially, he intended to seek answers from the monks there. How could he make his army so that it would not be destroyed? Upon arrival however, he was surprised to find that what he thought had been destroyed, was actually reborn within the cave temple of Satsuma. Though only what was made of stone had been replaced. The Kappa, the Koji, and the Monkey Dragons that had been killed would stay that way. What was made of stone could be renewed.
"As long as there is stone within the mountain," The dark monk said humbly, "You will have an army."
An evil grin stretched across Monkey Fist's face. He was truly invincible. And once he had the Ohana Blades, nothing would stand in his way.
Nothing.
"Will they find their way north?" He asked the monk.
"As long as you possess the monkey idol, they will find their way to you." The monk replied.
"Make your way to Mutsu province." Monkey Fist said to the great stone giant, "You will find me waiting there for you."
The giant merely nodded, and then began descending the mountain, heading north. The newly created stone gorillas followed.
Mukashi was given a hero's funeral.
Shego had retrieved the pony with Mukashi's wagon, and the next morning, Kim, Shego, Veronica and Kimono spent a couple of days taking Mukashi back out to his lonely hut to be buried next to his wife.
On the way, Veronica told them of her encounter with Mukashi on the battlefield. Kim believed Mukashi had actually spoken Japanese to her and Veronica's mind simply heard English. But Veronica was insistent. None of them could explain how he was able to wield the Cactus Blade.
They arrived in the afternoon, found implements for digging, and were able to inter Mukashi by that evening. They used fragments of the tree to fashion a crude marker. As the sun began to set, the four of them stood looking down at the fresh grave, each of them wondering just who this ancient man was who had the mystical monkey power, and the apparent ability to speak English.
And though they only knew him for one night, the three women who had been his guests shed tears over his grave. In that short time, they had come to love the old man. He had fed them, given them shelter, and saved their lives, all with a warm smile on his face, and kind words from his heart.
It was an extraordinary moment for Kimono. She had never seen her mother cry.
They spent the night in the barn, though they did not enjoy it much. They were warm enough, and had plenty of wood for the small fire in the metal bowl that kept them warm. But two nights before, they had gone to bed feeling safe, and cared for. Now the thought of that empty hut filled them with sadness.
In the morning, they untied the pony, set it free, and bade goodbye to Mukashi one final time.
Kim, Shego, and Veronica never forgot him.
On the way back to the caves, Kimono timidly asked her mother to tell her all about the escape from the castle, and the ensuing adventure. To her surprise, Shego opened up to her daughter. They spent most of the journey back talking about the experiences each other had had in the last few days since the castle was taken.
Somewhere within her, Shego's heart of stone began to soften toward her daughter.
When they returned, they discovered Drakken had once again secluded himself with his builders.
Sensei and Kintaro had arrived while the women were gone, bringing with them the story of Ron's capture. In addition to this news, Hidesato had received information from a loyalist still within the castle that Ron was being held prisoner.
But Yori was not.
Mutsu Castle.
It was four days after the battle of the Cactus Blade, and all day a cold, steady rain had fallen.
Some twenty workers were busy digging four evenly-spaced, shallow trenches that led up the slope away from the castle's main gate. When questioned, they explained they were digging gutters to collect rain water in order to refill the pond because the drainage tunnel had been destroyed. Since this made some sense, the workers were not questioned further.
As the evening began to fade into night, a warm front moved into the area, bringing with it thunder and lightning.
While in a small room high up in Mutsu Castle, a plan was being set in motion…
"Yor-… I mean, uh… Kim! I was beginning to worry." Ron said, his heart beating faster. Yori/Kim was dressed for travel on a rainy night. "We're getting out of here, aren't we?"
"Yes, my love," Yori responded, then noted the odd look on Ron's face. Perhaps Kim didn't call him that. "With the current weather, tonight would be a perfect opportunity to slip away."
"I'm ready," Ron said nervously.
Yori moved to him, and put her arms around him, kissing him fervently. Ron returned the kiss, though half-heartedly. He seemed troubled. Troubled by questions he couldn't find answers for.
A loud voice startled them both.
"So, Kim Possible!" Monkey Fist bellowed overdramatically as he strode into the room, "I knew you would try something like this. You have fallen into my trap."
"No!" Yori said plaintively, "I am not Kim! My name is-"
"I know who you are!" Monkey Fist glared at her. "And you should know I have just executed a program that will keep you trapped in this virtual world forever!"
"No!" Ron cried, "Let her go, Apollyon. Let her go and I will willingly stay in the simulation."
He didn't even hesitate, the thought flew through Yori's head before she could rein it in, He loves her so much he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for Kim.
"Why would I want to keep you willingly, when it is just as easy to keep you both here unwillingly?" Monkey Fist shouted at Ron, "And now that I have you, Kim Possible, you shall be punished! In a matter of minutes, all your long-term memory will be erased. You will not know your husband, and you will not even know yourself! You will only remember your experiences here in my virtual world!"
"No!" Ron shouted, "Let her go, Apollyon! You have us both, why must you do this?"
"It is already done," Monkey Fist said casually, "Even now her memories are disappearing. Better say goodbye while you can."
Ron turned to her, "Kim, I… I'm so sorry."
Yori offered what she thought was her best frightened smile, "I will be all right as long as I am with you. Promise me we will be together, Ron. That is all that matters."
Behind Ron, Monkey Fist raised a short club over his head. In a few seconds Ron Stoppable would be unconscious, and he would wake up in the talons of a Monkey Dragon, flying westward toward China.
"Kim, I… I prom-"
There was a noise outside.
There were many noises outside, most of them were rain, thunder, and lightning.
But there was something else, something that rose in a roaring crescendo of vocals, all saying the same thing. The shout came from all directions at once. Somewhere out in the dark and tempestuous night, some twenty thousand Japanese warriors were delivering a long, loud, clear message:
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
And then, one lone, very faint but very clear, male voice:
"Fusion!"