elisteran: I agree that on the show, Kim dodges stuff. She has to, otherwise she'd get hurt. I think that having the knowledge that you were highly resistant to damage would alter your behavior to a certain degree, though, and Kim is starting to show that.
Lydia King: My idea was that the teeth would be easier to get without Kim noticing, and could be accepted as having definitely come from her, which would be important to a scientist.
MrDrP: I have admit that I hadn't even considered the 'Kim as the ultimate outsider' angle, though it is a valid one. I'm a fan of the John Byrne revamp of the 1980's that made Superman not a demigod who pretends to be a normal person, but a regular guy who does the Superman thing on the side, and that comes through here.
FAH3: The Fortress, as such, was mentioned several chapters ago.
MatthewC: That's one problem with my style of writing: I sometimes forget what I wrote in previous chapters. I tried to address some of your concerns here.
Thanks to: Psycho King, demon-sword, Bugleader, Visigoth29527, drakwolfstoppable, Spyke the Hedgehog, mattb3671, Triaxx2, campy and daywalkr82.
Though it hardly needs me to plug it, MrDrP has a story called 'Epic Sitch' that covers a hypothetical fourth season of the show. If you like drama take a look at it.
This chapter was tough to write. My job is partly to blame (What, seven days a week? Sure! It's not like I have a life or anything.), and partly it's that I couldn't figure out how to include everything I wanted to without rambling or jumbling stuff together. I think I got it so it works, but let me know what you think. Thanks.
Kakuichi Takahashi stood ramrod straight on the parapet of the wall that surrounded the Yamanouchi School and tried not to shiver. Like all students at Yamanouchi it was, from time to time, his honor to stand guard through the night.
In one way the exercise was pointless. Yamanouchi didn't shun modern technology. Anyone who needed proof of that had only to look in the library at the computer workstations with their high speed internet access, or at the satellite dish atop the main dormitory. A high tech perimeter surveillance system could have been installed easily enough.
But that would have defeated the purpose of the exercise, the reason it was done at all, let alone the way it was.
Guard duty taught discipline. Four hours atop a windswept wall, even in the summertime, was a chilly business. An undisciplined mind would let itself be distracted by discomfort, let its attention be drawn away from vigilance.
It also taught responsibility, as well as the danger of pride. Sensei had explained it thus: "Anyone who accepts a duty, whether it be large or small, should perform it faithfully." By which, Kakuichi had learned, meant doing even small, boring, or unpleasant tasks as well as one possibly could. If one let their pride label a task as beneath their dignity, they would likely not give it as much attention and effort as they might, and so fail.
Kakuichi felt but did not show a grin. Of course, there were more immediate reasons to be vigilant. Instructors were known to leave the school before sundown and then attempt to sneak in again after night fell. For a sentry to allow such a thing to happen would be at the least extremely embarrassing. For an older student in could mean discipline or even expulsion. Shamed sentries had even been known to commit suicide, at least in the old days.
With that thought in mind Kakuichi returned his gaze to the mountain that sloped away beneath him. The eastern sky was lightening. Soon the sun would up and his watch would be over. Behind him he could hear his fellow students at morning exercise. He wished briefly that he was among them. The activity would ward off the chill.
Then Sensei's wise words came back to him, and Kakuichi pushed thoughts of warmth from his mind.
Other thoughts soon took their place, though. Sensei was wise, that was certain. He did many things, some of which Kakuichi (and sometimes even other Masters) didn't understand at first, but none of which he considered foolish. Still, there was the matter of the gaijin girl, Kim Possible. Master Masatake had thought she was a demon. Sensei had dismissed that notion, but had also hinted that Possible wasn't what she seemed to be. Kakuichi wondered about that. He saw Possible often (that red hair was hard to miss) and had even spoken with her a time or two. It irked him somewhat that she spoke little or no Japanese, but she was pleasant enough, and even pretty, in a foreign sort of way.
She had attracted more than a few stares at first, but familiarity had whittled that down to the occasional surreptitious glance. There were rumors, though. The most widely circulated rumor was about an old prophecy. The funny thing was, no one seemed to know exactly what the old prophecy said. Kakuichi had heard a dozen different versions, none of which made a great deal of sense. The only thing they had in common was a reference to a demon. There were two that seemed (emphasis on seemed) to mention the other gaijin, Ron Stoppable, and Kakuichi found those two to be the most interesting, if no more plausible than the rest. He was a level headed young man, and didn't have a lot of time for superstitious nonsense.
A sound drew Kakuichi's attention. It was a crashing sound, like a tree falling, and it came from somewhere down the mountain. Another crash followed, then another. The sounds grew louder, and seemed to be coming closer. Staring intently, Kakuichi scanned the mountainside for some sign of the source of the noise.
A head appeared above a small rise. A huge head, of stone and at least five feet wide. A head in the shape of that of a demonic monkey with glowing green eyes. The thing's torso followed, equally massive. Staring in shock Kakuichi barely noticed the figure clad in ninja garb riding on the thing's shoulder. He did notice it though, as well as the scores of smaller yet similarly clad figures that swarmed along behind.
There were gongs at regular intervals along the walls, placed there for the purpose of sounding the alarm. Kakuichi ran to the nearest one and rang it.
Repeatedly.
Students and teachers reacted swiftly to the alarm. Within moments the walls of Yamanouchi swarmed with armed men and women. The gates, already shut against the night, were reinforced with additional bracing. Watch fires were kindled atop the towers that flanked the gate and stood at the corners of the walls. It was like something out of a late night movie, without the comically bad English overdubbing.
Ron found himself atop the wall near the gate, along with Yori, Hirotaka, and Master Masatake. Below them was the familiar figure of Lord Monty Fiske, surrounded by him horde of monkey ninjas, and backed by the nightmarish figure of a demonic monkey thirty feet tall with glowing green eyes.
A sound behind him drew Ron's attention. Sensei was walking across the courtyard toward the wall, his pace dignified and unhurried. Coming in from a different direction was a bleary-eyed Kim Possible, still wearing her night shirt, having paused only to pull on a pair of green cargo pants.
Kim reached the top of the wall first. Laying a hand on Ron's shoulder as she moved beside him, she peered out over the ramparts.
"Monkey Fist," she observed redundantly.
"And his monkey ninjas," Ron rejoined.
"The monkey ninjas concern me less than that thing," Master Masatake growled, pointing at the giant stone monkey. "Powerful magic is as work here."
Sensei reached the steps at the base of the wall and began to climb. As he did so runners from other sections of the walls arrived and breathlessly made their reports to Masatake, who seemed to be in overall charge of the defense.
"What are they saying?" Kim demanded. Masatake ignored her, concentrating on the messengers. Yori spoke, translating for Kim and Ron.
"Monkey ninjas have been sighted all around the school. Their numbers are relatively few, though, and they are keeping their distance."
While Yori was talking Sensei gained the parapet and looked out at the source of all the commotion. It was then that Ron saw an expression on the old man's face he had never seen before: consternation.
Sensei said something in Japanese. Ron caught only the name of a nearby mountain - Higashidate - but whatever Sensei said seemed to startle the others.
Once again Yori came to Ron and Kim's rescue, not by translating this time, but simply by reacting in English.
"The Stone Guardian of Higashidate? That's only a myth!" Yori's eyes flicked toward the stone figure in disbelief. "Isn't it?"
"Apparently not," was all Sensei said in response.
Monkey Fist, having busied himself with giving orders to his ninja army, turned his attention to the crowd atop the walls.
"Sensei-sama, it is good to see you again," Monkey Fist said, bowing slightly from the waist.
Masatake answered gruffly, "Why have you returned to Yamanouchi, Monkey-kuso?"
Ron had no idea what Masatake meant by the last bit. It wasn't any honorific he'd ever heard, and he knew enough about Japanese culture to know that if Masatake had wanted to insult Monkey Fist he would simply have used no honorific at all. Yori tittered, though, and her brother chuckled.
Monkey Fist's eyes blazed angrily. He spat back a retort in Japanese that made Masatake go pale with his own fury.
"I have come for the Lotus Blade, fools!" Fist continued in English. "Surrender it and Ron Stoppable to me, and I will spare your school and your lives. Refuse, and you will die." Monkey Fist's ultimatum was delivered to Sensei in haughty aristocratic tones.
"We are not in the habit of throwing our friends and guests to the dubious mercies of savages," Sensei replied calmly. "Your request is denied."
Monkey Fist's face twisted. "It wasn't a request. The time for the fulfillment of the Hiei Prophecy is at hand. If you wish to see the end of this day, you will do as I command."
"What's this prophecy he's talking about?" Kim asked with quiet urgency. Monkey Fist might be insane, but he was far from being a harmless loony. Wherever he'd gotten that rock monkey, he was sure to use it, along with every other means at his disposal, to try and get what he wanted.
Sensei seemed lost in thought, for he said nothing. Yori, who stood nearby, said loudly, "Possible-san, the Hiei Prophecy says that at the seventh full moon of the seventeenth year of the achievement of peace, a demon will walk freely in Yamanouchi. The lone guardian will arise. Two wielders of the mystical monkey power will meet; one will gain the Lotus Blade and become the true master; the other will be his servant."
Ron swallowed nervously. Kim snorted. "Sounds like gibberish to me," she said dismissively. "I haven't seen any demons around, have you?" Kim directed the question at Yori, who looked away, seemingly uncomfortable. Masatake and Hirotaka did likewise.
"You are the demon!" Monkey Fist declared. "You, Kim Possible! You are a fiend in human form! I can sense it!"
"As can I," echoed Masatake, reluctantly meeting Kim's disbelieving stare.
"I am not a demon!" Kim said emphatically.
"The prophecy does not refer to a demon," Sensei said, startling everyone. "Yori and Monkey Fist have both fallen victim to the ravages of time." He turned to Kim with a slight but knowing smile. "The prophecy is old, and the language has changed since then. The original text uses the phrase 'one who is not of this world'. And strictly speaking, it could just as easily refer to Stoppable-san, since he is gaijin as well and so 'not of this world', if for 'world' you read 'Japan'."
Kim smiled back grimly. She had an idea now why people had been a bit stand-offish to her at first. If Ron could sense that she wasn't human, it wasn't such a surprise that others with similar talents could as well. She nodded at Sensei, then turned to Monkey Fist.
"Sounds like your prophecy is whacked, Fist."
"That old fool is twisting its words!" Fist shrieked, spittle flying from his mouth. "All the pieces are in place! My destiny is at hand!"
"Fine, your destiny is at hand," Ron jeered. "I guess that means mine is, too." He tried to sound confident, but his stomach was tying itself in knots, and it was all he could do to keep from trembling. Sensei's words echoed in his mind, 'Sometimes a warrior must do what is necessary, no matter how unpleasant it is.' Ron sniffed. Not too different from what he'd been doing since he started going on missions with Kim. He'd often been scared out of his wits, but he'd never let that stop him before. Stepping back, he raised his hand. Moments later the hilt of the Lotus Blade slapped against his open palm.
"You want this, Fiske?" Ron called. "Well, why don't I come down there, and we'll see if you can take it from me?"
"Ron, are you...?" Kim began, but Ron cut her off with a smile.
"Not really," he admitted with a grin, "But I figure if I can keep Monkey-boy busy while you deal with the walking rock pile, Yori, Hirotaka and the others can hold off the monkey ninjas."
"I'll do my best," Kim pledged with a smile. She jerked her head toward Monkey Fist. "Shall we?"
"We shall," Ron agreed, and together the two of them leapt over the ramparts.
Fist turned and called to the Stone Guardian, "You! Kill Kim Possible. But Stoppable is mine."
The Guardian's head nodded once. It was carrying a crudely carved representation of a sword half its own height in length. As its designated foe approached, the Guardian raised the weapon to a ready position.
Ron turned his attention to Monkey Fist. The Lotus Blade was like an extension of his hands as he settled into a en guard position, the tip of the blade pointed toward Monkey Fist's throat. Monkey Fist bared his teeth in a predatory grin, even as he drew his own blade from its sheath.
"You've been practicing, Stoppable," Fist observed, matching Ron's stance.
"A bit," Ron admitted.
"You're also remarkably calm for a man who's best and only friend is about to be crushed to goo," Fist added, baiting his foe.
Ron just grinned. "Do demons crush easily?" he jibed mockingly.
"We're about to find out," Fist snarled, launching a probing thrust toward Ron's face. Ron took a step back. A slight movement of his own sword moved Monkey Fist's attack off center, spoiling it, and Fist drew back.
Kim approached the Guardian cautiously. As far as she could tell it was plain old rock. Nothing she could detect seemed responsible for animating it. It watched her come, its movement slow and ponderous, its glowing eyes reminding her uncomfortably of Kryptonite. She felt no weakness, though, so whatever the eyes were made of, she wouldn't have to worry about the debilitating effects of pieces of her homeworld. Kim leapt up onto a boulder near the thing, close enough that it took a swing at her. She dodged it easily enough, but the Guardian's blow shattered the rock she'd been standing on. A few repetitions of the exercise led Kim to conclude that however powerful the Guardian was, it was slow and somewhat clumsy. With that in mind Kim started running, planning on delivering a kick to the thing's face. As she launched herself, the Guardian moved suddenly, quick as lightning, the sword sweeping her out of the air and sending her hurtling toward the canyon below the school. She bounced once on the rocky slope, then disappeared into the depths.
"Almost too easy," Monkey Fist said gleefully. Ron never took his eyes off the man.
"I hate to disappoint you, Fist, but Kim's fine. All that did was make her angry."
Monkey Fist blinked. Stoppable hadn't questioned what had happened, nor had he showed the slightest concern for Possible. Something had changed. This wasn't the hapless, easily distracted buffoon he remembered. Stoppable was calm and confident. Monkey Fist felt a twinge of worry.
Ron raised the Lotus Blade and struck at Monkey Fist's head. Fist parried, then counter-attacked.
"Kim's already on her way back," Ron announced as the two men circled, their weapons clanging together as the fighters took each others measure.
"You can't possibly know that," Monkey Fist accused. "You're lying."
"Dude, I can sense it. She's almost to the top," Ron said confidently.
Monkey Fist dropped back and, almost against his will, turned his gaze to the edge of the cliff. His jaw dropped as a familiar redhead came sailing up over the brink, her face like a thundercloud.
Kim hit the ground running. She sometimes raced Ron, her on foot, him on his scooter. His new one had a top speed of sixty miles and hour, and even with the throttle wide open he could barely outrun her. Covering twenty feet with every stride, Kim lowered her head and charged the Guardian.
"It's impossible," Monkey Fist gaped in shock.
"Dude, check her name," Ron suggested sarcastically. "And while you're at it, don't drop your guard during a fight!"
After his first trip to Yamanouchi Ron had joined a kendo club in Middleton. He hadn't applied himself as zealously as some of his fellow students did, but he enjoyed the lessons and had gained some skill. Evaluating his enemy, Ron decided that the sword wasn't Monkey Fist's best weapon. In fact, the two of them seemed evenly matched. Which meant it was time to knuckle down and get serious about ending the fight. A real swordfight was usually over quickly, Ron knew, because the first mistake one combatant made was usually the second to last event in the contest.
Ron's opportunity came when Kim threw a punch at the Guardian's jaw that almost took its head off. Monkey Fist cried out in disbelief, momentarily forgetting Ron.
The Lotus Blade flashed.
Monkey Fist screamed.
Ron stared down at the Englishman, who was on his knees clutching at the stump of his right wrist. The sight of the wound made Ron's gorge rise, but he kept his face cold. The tip of the Lotus Blade slipped under Monkey Fist's chin and lifted it.
"This fight is over," was all Ron said.
"So the whole prophecy was a crock?" Kim asked. She and Ron were seated with Sensei at the low table in his private quarters while Yori served them tea. It wasn't a Tea Ceremony per se: no ritual formalities were involved, and Yori was taking part in the conversation.
"That depends on how you choose to interpret it," Sensei answered enigmatically. "The time reference is accurate at least."
"How so?" Ron wondered.
Sensei smiled. "The seventh full moon of the seventeenth year of the achievement of peace is today."
"I get the full moon, but the rest?"
"It is the seventeenth year of the reign of His Imperial Majesty Akihito," Yori explained, "His reign is known in Japan as heisei, which means 'achievement of peace'."
"Do you really think a guy who lived seven hundred years ago was able to foresee what would happen today?" Kim asked.
Sensei shrugged. "Who can say? The prophecy is vague, as such things usually are. With a little work we can fit it to what happened today. Does that mean it refers to today? Who knows?"
"What about Monkey Fist?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Tomorrow the police will come for him. Your involvement will not be mentioned."
"Won't he talk? When he tells the police how he lost his hand, won't I get arrested?" Ron persisted.
Sensei smiled again. "Monkey Fist is mad, of course, and so anything he says will be regarded skeptically. As for the police, I am confident they will accept our word without question."
Ron sat back, a vaguely unsettled feeling in his belly. How much power and influence did Yamanouchi, and by extension Sensei, have in Japan? It had to be a lot, if what Sensei said was true. And it did seem true. Ron sensed no deception from Sensei, or Yori. More importantly, he trusted both of them.
Sensei regarded Ron and Kim with carefully veiled curiosity. Ron had proved himself to have the makings of a warrior both skilled and wise. Watching from the walls, sensei had seen that Ron had ample opportunity to strike a fatal blow, but had chosen the 'pacifistic' wrist strike instead. Ron's compassion even for deadly enemies might get him killed eventually, but somehow Sensei doubted that would ever come to pass.
Part of the reason was seated next to him, in the form of the strange girl from another world, Kim Possible. He and everyone else on the wall had watched her plummet into the canyon to what all onlookers were sure was her doom. Then they had watched as she reappeared, unharmed, and proceeded to demolish the Higashidate Guardian with no weapon but her bare fists. Sensei considered her. She was difficult to 'read', partly because of the brilliance of her aura, and partly because of her strange thought processes. By studying her expressions and comparing them to what he sensed in her mind Sensei had managed to puzzle out a basic understanding of Kim's mind, but it's strangeness left him unable to gleam much beyond surface feelings. The inner recesses of her conscience were hidden from him, so he couldn't say whether she was trustworthy or not. But Stoppable-san did trust her, completely. That would have to be enough for now. Nor could Sensei shake the feeling that something more than mere greatness awaited, not the both of them, but the two of them.
"Here we are," Ron announced. Kim looked up. He had told her about the hot spring near the school, and suggested it when she complained of pains from her fight with the Guardian. The spring was a large pool whose surface was shrouded with steam.
"The coolest water is at this end," Ron said, gesturing. Kim stripped off her shirt and pants, revealing a two-piece swimsuit. Ron doffed his outer garments as well.
"The vent is at the far end, and it's boiling hot, so be careful," Ron cautioned as he waded into the water.
"I don't think that'll be a problem," Kim said with a grin, "But thanks for the warning."
Finding a suitably warm location Kim relaxed, letting the heat soothe her aching body. The water smelled faintly of sulfur, though not unpleasantly so, and it seemed to provide more buoyancy too. Ron was floating easily, a happy grin on his face. Rufus, who didn't much like swimming, floated confidently as well, chirping and whistling as he splashed around.
After a while Ron said, "That's a new suit, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kim answered lazily. "I didn't want it at first, but Monique talked me into it."
"Didn't want it? Why not?"
"I thought it was on the skimpy side," Kim explained.
"It's not so skimpy," Ron countered. Kim opened an eye and looked at him. "I mean," he added hastily, "It's not like it's one of Bonnie's string bikinis or anything."
"True," Kim allowed, closing her eye again.
"I like it," Ron added.
Kim opened her eyes again.
Shego put down the book she was reading, stood up, and stretched. The automatic gene sequencers had been chewing on the samples from Kim's baby teeth for several hours. A complete sequencing of Kim's DNA would take several days, but there were likely to be some preliminary results by now. Strolling into the lab Shego headed for the nearest machine. A henchman/lab technician who was working on another project looked up when she entered the room, nodded in recognition, and went back to his own work.
Shego moved the mouse to bring the sequencer's monitor to life. It came up to the words 'No Human DNA Found'. Shego bit off a growl. Sample one was no good. Fine. She hadn't had the highest of hopes for this scheme of Drakken's anyway. Shego went to the next machine.
Same result.
Despite her doubts about the merits of the whole 'baby teeth' plan, her blood pressure rose, and she ground her teeth. On to the third machine.
'No Human DNA Found'.
"Aaarrrggghhh!" Shego roared, putting a flaming fist through the offending screen. The henchman jumped up, startled, and hurriedly left the lab. In a rage Shego tore the sequencer's monitor off and hurtled it across the lab.
"Stupid, useless machines!"
Both her hands blazed up with green fire. Shego was about to torch the whole lab when Drakken came rushing in.
"Sheila, what's the matter?" he demanded anxiously.
"What's the matter? What's the matter? I'll tell you what's the matter, Lipsky!" Shego snarled, turning toward him, hands still wreathed in fire. "We wasted fifty thousand dollars and three hours of my time analyzing teeth with no DNA in them?"
"No DNA?" Drakken repeated disappointedly.
"Look at the damn monitors, Lipsky! No human DNA fou-" Shego stopped suddenly. Her hands winked out.
"Sheila?" Drakken squeaked fearfully. Shego stopping in mid-sentence was a turn of events almost always ended badly...for him.
"I'm sorry, Drew," Shego apologized absently. "I got so angry I wasn't thinking." She went to one of the undamaged machines. "You see," she explained, "If there was no DNA, the monitor would say 'No DNA Found'. But it doesn't say that."
Drakken edged forward, curiosity overcoming his sense of self-preservation.
"What kind of DNA would you find in a little girl's teeth except human DNA?" he asked cautiously.
"Let's find out," Shego suggested, moving the mouse. Stylized images of molecules began to appear.
Shego's eyes widened.
Drakken's jaw went slack.
For a time Dr. Drakken and Shego, international super villains, faded into the background.
In their places reappeared Andrew Lipsky and Sheila Gogh, doctors of genetics and biochemistry, respectively, the first human beings to ever see even a partial representation of a Kryptonian DNA molecule.