Chapter 8: The Fall
AN: As of 2005, Nov 28th, it is confirmed… There will be a Kim Possible Season Four! Rejoice!
Kim and Jerri are both running in opposite directions around the site with Jerri holding onto Ron's orb in her hands tightly. Atheus had quickly gotten back up onto his feet and was not sure who had his toy so he was trying to decide who to go after first!
Just as Atheus decides to go after Jerri, Kim stops and shouts, "Hey Atheus! Remember me! I'm the disobedient wife to be!" This makes him stop and turn to growl, "That's right and little women should learn their place which is right at my feet!"
Kim growls at the way he said that and thought he was so very primitive in his thinking and related him as no better than a beast in the cavemen times. She clenches her fists for a moment and then shouts at him, "Well you're going to have to force me to my knees before such a thing could ever happen!"
Atheus was about to respond when Kim runs off away from him and he moves quickly to start chase after her, forgetting for the moment all about Jerri and his toy, Ron in her hands.
Kim runs as quickly as she can, hoping to give Jerri the time needed to get away from Atheus and save Ron.
Jerri sees that Kim is not running fast enough and that it is only a matter of time before she is caught! She didn't want to see her get caught so as she runs, she looks around for something she can use to her advantage.
Jerri spots a place that was just the right size to hide the orb that held Ron's soul. She brings up the orb as she runs towards the spot, "I am sorry about this Ron, but I need to go help Kim. She is more important to the world than I am."
Ron says as he presses his palms to the orb, "Wait, what are you doing? Who are you? Where is Kim?"
Jerri says, "Atheus is chasing Kim which she is allowing to happen because she wants to buy me enough time to escape with you." She pauses and starts to push some debris out of the way for Ron's hiding spot before she says, "I am Jerri Rastic, a archeologist that no one will miss. Tell Kim I am sorry but it was the only way to defeat him."
Ron pounds on the orb as he shouts, "No wait! Come back!" He watches as Jerri quickly tries to cover the place he's in with some grass but he can still see everything. He watches as Jerri picks up a large rock the size of Ron's orb and takes off deeper into Atheus's territory!
Kim takes a moment to see if Jerri had escaped yet and is surprised to see Jerri running towards them! She thinks, "What is Jerri up to? She should be escaping with Ron!"
Atheus snarls and shouts, "Wives should always pay attention to the husband!" before he fires a blast from his hand at her.
Kim sees him attacking out of the corner of her eye and leaps to the side, bouncing off her hands to land upon her feet which had the bonus for her of giving her more distance away and enraging Atheus at the same time!
Jerri runs up to near where the statue of Atheus had once rested, intending on shouting to get his attention if he got too close to her and she pauses when she spots the statue that was his sister! She simply could not believe her luck!
Jerri steals a quick glance at Kim and Atheus, catching the questioning look from Kim that read, "What are you doing?" She doesn't know how to tell Kim what Rufus told her which confirmed what she had already guessed but also did not tell her without letting Atheus know.
Then an idea strikes her and she hopes that Kim knows sign language since that kind of thing would be way past his time. She quickly signs, "Ron is safe, have idea on how to defeat him. Need time." She is relieved when Kim nods as if understanding.
Jerri is very surprised, and probably just as surprised as Atheus is when she pulls out something from her backpack and turns to face him. She wonders what Kim is thinking! She couldn't possibly defeat Atheus with whatever she pulled out, could she?
Kim has a very determined look on her face and when she smiles, Atheus looks at her as he wonders what she could possibly have up her sleeve. She says, "I am never going to be your wife, do you understand that?"
Atheus fumes for a second before he says, "Oh yes you will! You already have no say in the matter and there is nothing you can do or say that will change things!"
Kim says, "I wouldn't be so sure of that! She holds up a small thing that from Jerri's point of view looked like lipstick.
Jerri remembers the laser lipstick and thinks, "She's not really going to try blasting him with a laser is she?"
Atheus didn't know what it was but it looked harmless enough and so he laughs wickedly, "What is that? Is that one of your modern toys? It looks rather stupid to me!"
Kim's smile grows into a grin and she says, "What do you want to bet that it is enough to stop even you for a few seconds?"
Atheus didn't know how such a tiny thing could do that but he felt highly confident that his godling powers could overcome anything Kim could throw at him. He laughs and says, "You are bluffing! There is nothing that you could do that could stop me from for even a split second! If can stop me for even 10 or 20 seconds I'll give you back your freedom!" He continues to laugh so hard that he closes his eyes so he never sees what hits him!
Kim twists the bottom of the lipstick the wrong way and fires a long pink strand of goo that wraps around Atheus's arms and legs, causing him to become immobile and fall over onto his back!
Jerri is shocked to see the pink stuff and not a laser come out of it as she was expecting. She reaches out in her surprise and touches the statue.
Meanwhile Atheus struggles in the stuff as it becomes tight and hard around him and he growls, "Release me woman or I will make you regret this!"
Kim walks up and twirls the lipstick in her fingers like a baton before putting it away in her pocket. She places one foot on his chest and says in a mocking way, "What's the matter? The big, bad godling not able to overcome modern technology?"
This makes Atheus growl and squirm harder until Kim says, "I do believe it has been more than 10 seconds..." She looks at her watch and says, "Yep, it has be 23...24...25... seconds. And according to what you just said, I am not yours anymore."
Kim grins as she leans closer with her foot still on his chest, "Isn't that right? Atheus?" Before Atheus growls, "You are right! I can no longer claim you as my wife as according to our agreement!"
Atheus closes his eyes and he starts to glow and Kim steps back watching, as he breaks free from the pink goo! He stands up with an evil grin as he says, "But then when have I ever been a godling of my word?" He moves quickly enough to slap Kim hard enough in the face with the back of his hand to send her flying backwards and to the ground.
As Kim looks up at him with hatred in her eyes Atheus laughs menacingly and says, "You are where you belong, on the ground before me!"
Just then Jerri shouts, "Don't give up Kim!" which causes Atheus to look in her direction and say, "Where is my toy?" He holds out his hand and a few moments later the orb comes bursting out of the hiding place and flies towards him.
Jerri's eyes go wide as she hears the voice in her head from the nice godling in the statue, "Please... do it now before he can destroy the boy!" She turns to the statue, knowing what she must do and quickly leans forward to kiss the statue on the lips as she thinks about the guy she lost and how very much she loved him.
As the memories and heart poured into the statue, tears ran down her cheeks as she remembered how she had lost him on the very expedition that had started all of this. In some ways she had blamed herself for the release of Atheus and all of Kim's problems. She forced herself to remember the trap in the cave that she had missed and he had sacrificed himself to save her. Her heart overflowing with great sadness and love, a love she never really got to explore even though it had helped that he knew in the end it didn't totally take away all the pain.
Atheus saw that Jerri was freeing his sister and he loses his concentration on the orb, which housed Ron's soul. This causes the orb to drop and making Kim cry out, "Ron!" just as he shouted, "KP!" and the suddenly out of nowhere Rufus appears in the nick of time to catch the orb!
It takes Ron a moment to realize what happened before he says with a smile, "Rufus buddy! Thank you!" Rufus just smiles and squeaks, "No big! No big!" before Kim says, "Rufus! As naked mole rats go, you rock!"
The moment is spoiled as very dark clouds appear overhead and with both of them having been there when they appeared last... neither wanted to be a target this time around. Kim leaps to her feet and runs over to where Rufus and Ron are. She scoops the both of them up in one swift motion and is looking for cover when she notices where Atheus's attention is.
Kim's eyes go very wide and she immediately starts to run as she shouts, "Jerri! Look out! Atheus is going to attack!"
Jerri continues to kiss the statue despite the warning and she thinks, "Sorry Kim, but this is the way it has to be... I only wish I could tell you how much I've grown to value our friendship..." When suddenly a powerful bolt of lightning strikes her body! She writhed in such pain like never before and she knew without a doubt as it trailed off that she was dying. She could hear the screams of Kim, Ron and even little Rufus's sound as she started to let go of the statue... falling to the ground with a thud.
Kim rushes towards Jerri and reaches her quickly even as the statue cracks and pieces crumble to reveal the one that he had tried to stop from becoming freed!
Zathera places a gentle and loving hand upon Kim's shoulder as she softly says, "It was her love and willingness to sacrifice it all for the sake of love that has freed me."
Jerri says in a raspy voice, "Kim... Ron... you two... live the...uhhh... life I never...ooohhh could you hear?" She closes her eyes and with a final breath she is still.
Kim cries out loudly, "Jerri! NOOOOOOOOO!" Tears fall down her cheeks as, pulling Jerri into her lap and tears fall upon her face for a minute while Atheus tries to figure out how he can best turn this to his advantage.
Ron hated to see Kim cry and he says, "Isn't there anything you can do? You're a goddess!" to Zathera.
Kim looks up at her with sad but hopeful eyes but the hope fades as she says, "I am sorry, but she is beyond my abilities to return. I could heal her body but her soul has already gone off to join that of her own true love. Please rest assured that she is happy now."
Atheus says, "Good riddance, she is just another worthless mortal human! She deserved to die for freeing my annoying sister!"
Kim, Ron, and Rufus all look angrily at Atheus for his words and even Zathera seemed upset, as she had absorbed so much of the memories and feelings of Jerri that she felt anger through that way.
Zathera softly says, "Kim, I have never been much of a fighter in my life..." to which Atheus interrupts with a loud laugh, "HAH! You've never fought in your life! Maybe if you had, Zeus would not have turned us both into statues!"
Everyone gives him a harsh glare to which he gives an "I don't care that I've upset you" kind of smile in return. Zathera then continues to speak as she says, "I will lend you all that I am, all my power if you will take up the sword and shield for your fallen friend and fight my brother where I could not. It will be very dangerous. Will you do it?"
Kim looks at the still smoldering Jerri and the tiny Ron in the orb before she looks at her and says, "Yes, I will!" She gently lowers Jerri to the ground and stands as she says, "Lets do it!"
Zathera says, "Very well... I hope you win, for your love's sake." Before she starts to glow and becomes transparent. It seems like she is diving into Kim's body but it really is a merging of the two bodies with Kim's normal features standing out.
Kim's hair becomes much longer, almost doubling in length and she becomes a foot taller as well. The two have a weird, but cool goddess glow to them and after a few moments Ron says, "Kim? Is that you? Are you in there?"
Atheus steps back in fear and thinks, "Oh no! That annoying mortal girl now has the power to be my every equal!"
Kim smiles at Ron and says in a weird kind of overlapping, almost echoing voice, "Yes Ron. I am here and so is she. Our goal and existence is to defeat Atheus... so just stay there and enjoy the fireworks."
Kim floats up for a second off the ground before she flies straight at Atheus and delivers a powerful kick to his chin, sending him flying! He flies backwards through the air and stops when he seems to reach some sort or invisible barrier point when a powerful lightning bolt out of nowhere strikes him, sending him to the ground hard!
Ron shouts, "Way to go Kim!" before Kim says, "That was not us... that was Zeus's doing. He put up a barrier around here so that only by having a mortal wife, could he ever leave the grounds. We have just witnessed what happens when you try to leave."
Ron says, "Ooooh, so that is why he was so gung-ho about having you for a wife KP!"
The goddess Kim turns her attention back to Atheus as he gets up and growls, "You may have my sister's powers but you still think like a mortal!" Suddenly there is rumbling in the sky and Kim looks up. She raises a hand up just as lightning strikes her palm but instead of any harm, the lightning collects into a ball of energy after which she drop-kicks it hard at Atheus and it moves so fast that he doesn't have any time to dodge!
Kim was glad that the merging with the goddess meant that all of the goddess's memories and knowledge was now one with her even though it had also meant that all her own memories, knowledge and skills were also for the goddess to see. She didn't care though, not if it meant being able to bring down the most evil of person she had ever fought against.
Ron looks in awe as the Kim Goddess kicks Atheus's butt but using a combination of the goddess's powers and her crime fighting skills but he also had to wonder, would it be enough against Atheus who had such disregard for any kind of life?
The two merged women do well until Atheus remembers an evil kind of trick and starts by using his godling powers to first get them to back off of him for a few moments so he could have the time required to do what he needed.
Atheus first sends two pillars flying at them which causes Kim, who still remembered her mortal half to back off by dodging in a move that she had learned as a cheerleader and while the Goddess self had seen the move as unnecessary, she was also impressed by the agility that Kim had managed to summon out of even their merged body.
Atheus then uses what he'd learned from Zeus himself in a private conversation and he had gone up against him. He knew he didn't have Zeus's power or control but he knew that it would be adequate against his equally powered sister.
The clouds start to rumble in the sky again and the Kim Goddess look up, expecting another lightning attack but while the Goddess was simply content to wait and deflect it as before, Kim was never one to just sit by and so she uses her powers to shoot a beam of intense sun light at Atheus which burned his chest badly through his godly clothes.
Atheus growls softly, "You will pay… both of you will pay dearly for that." Just as he summons his control to the extreme, putting almost all his power into controlling it.
The lightning shoots downward and the Kim Goddess is very surprised when the lightning doesn't head straight down at them but rather around them! Together at the exact same moment, they realize it was a trap! With the many pillars of lightning surrounding them quickly bending over their heads to keep them from flying out, the merged women know that they can't easily get out of this.
Atheus completes the trap by adding some rings around it and making it very much to Ron's point of view like that of something you'd see in a school playground, only instead of it being made of metal, it was being made of highly dangerous lightning!
The Goddess half knew her twin brother and that if he was putting that much control and power into it their cage, then if they could somehow overcome it, they could win because he would have to be nearly defenseless for this plan to work!
The only problem was the Goddess half didn't think they could escape and defeat Atheus without a mystical power boost from somewhere. It was then that the Kim half remembered that they did have a mystical source but it was trapped in a orb and she didn't want to risk Ron's soul just to defeat Atheus, nothing was worth that to her, not even her own life.
With the two merged as they were, the Goddess knew of Kim's thoughts as they were based with such strong emotions it was next to impossible not to notice them. She didn't want to harm Ron any more than Kim and she remembered her own words about the special connection that they had. She wondered if she could communicate with him and tries to send him a message.
Ron was staring at Kim being trapped and yelling, "Kim! Are you all right?" He hits the orb with his fists, not noticing at first that he was using his mystical powers to make the orb places he hits glow and the beginning of the tiniest cracks begin to form.
Kim Goddess looks at Ron and says, "I am ok Ron! I'll get out of this somehow!" which makes Ron relax a little as he trusted Kim with all his heart and well… he supposed, his soul too.
Just then Ron hears the Goddess's voice in his head, it was very weak though. He could barely make it out but it sounded like she was telling him that if they had his mystical power joined with theirs, then they could defeat Atheus for once and for all!
Ron wonders how he can do that and watches as Atheus walks up towards them with an evil look on his face. He wonders what he is going to do when Atheus stops just a few feet away in from of them. He could tell Kim was not happy as she was standing in the lightning cage in a posture that he recognized as her being ready and willing to move and strike her opponent.
Ron also knew he that had to give Kim and the Goddess his mystical monkey powers somehow and that's when he remembered what the sensei said to him once at the ninja school about how the sword will always find its way to him as long as his spirit remained pure and true.
Atheus summons a lightning bolt down from the sky and catches it, cradling it much like Zeus usually did and while the power was not as great as that of the cage holding them and it was virtually tapping him to even hold it in his hand. It still felt very satisfying to know that he was very close to destroying an annoying nuisance in his life.
Atheus grins and says, "I know this won't be enough power to destroy you dear sister, but it should be enough to destroy your human host…" Stopping as Kim Goddess says, "I can't believe even you would be so low to even do that. You don't know the powers, the forces that you're messing with here."
Atheus just laughs and says, "So what if you will forever retain some of that mortal human's traces… at least I will be forever rid of that annoying woman and then I shall finish off her friend as he will no longer be necessary."
There is a distant rustling sound, almost whistling as it seems to be approaching at high speed coming through the air and at first neither Kim or Atheus notice it as they were too focused on staring each other down.
It isn't until it passes right in front of them, between them moving so fast that they both aren't sure what it was until they turn their head to see where they both think it was heading.
The Kim half of the merged women recognizes the flying sword as Ron had once shown her when he told her about the trip to the school in full and yells, "Noo! Ron!" Neither Atheus nor Zathera knew what was happening or how the flying sword would do any good.
All three of them watch as Ron punches the orb with his fist as hard as he can just at the same moment the sword touches the orb and there is a brilliant explosion in blue light that makes them all cover their eyes with their hands for a moment.
All jaws drop as Ron stands in spirit form with the sword somehow being held in his hands, glowing a bright blue light. Even if Kim had not been merged with a godling at the moment, she would have been able to see Ron's spirit form as clearly as she saw him now.
Atheus says, "H-how? What ARE you? No ordinary mortal can do that!" While only one answer comes through the mind of Kim Goddess, "The Monkey Mystical Power!" Both women were stunned and while Zathera knew more about mystical powers and objects than Kim, she knew that only an Ultimate Monkey Master could possibly have the power to do what she was witnessing.
Ron flies through the air with the sword in his hand and he shouts, "I'm coming KP!" Once he gets to the energy cage, he flies through the gaps, which was also big enough for the sword. He turns towards Atheus and says, "I warned you that if you ever tried to harm Kim that I would make you regret it!" before he then changes the sword into something not so metallic and swings it down HARD, smashing the energy cage bars and slicing it half! There was still metal on it and it shocks Ron even in spirit form.
Kim cries out "RON!" as she watches him get shocked for a second time before her, for her. This time is different though as he turns to her with the goofy smile of his that Kim loved and even made Zathera smile.
Ron goes up to Kim and says, "Let's combine our powers Kim and defeat this guy, what do you say Kim?"
Kim Goddess's eyes are starting to fill with tears as she says, "I… don't want to lose you Ron." She was still worried about the state of Ron's soul before he then says, "You could never lose me Kim. I will always be by your side until the end of time."
Atheus makes a slight gagging sound and says, "Oh Please! That mortal sentimental crap is making me sick!"
Both Kim/Zathera and Ron turn to give him an angry look before Kim says, "Come on Ron, let's beat him and go home. You've got your body waiting for you, and a kiss." She smiles just as big as Ron does before he changes his weapon back into a sword and hands it to her with him flowing into her body as she wraps her fingers around the handle.
Kim closes her eyes for a moment, feeling all at once at peace, happiness and love as she is filled with the one who has always been by her side, the one she trusted like no other, and loved with all her heart and soul. She knew at that moment as she glowed blue that he felt exactly the same way as she did without any doubt.
Atheus realizes that his sister and the mortal girl had just gotten a power boost and he was still tapped with his only defense being the lightning bolt he currently held in his hands. He shouts, "No! I won't be defeated by my sister and some stupid, worthless mortals!"
Atheus prepares to throw his lightning bolt and destroy the mortals within his sister before they can do anything but he didn't count on the combined power and hearts of Kim and Ron being guided by Zathera's mind to strike at his very core.
As the sword smashes the lightning bolt into tiny pieces of light, which falls, Atheus finally realizes what his sister had known since before the battle even began. Kim and Ron belonged together and it had been his folly to try to separate them.
Atheus feels the sword plunge into his body as the combined power of his sister and the mystical monkey power destroys the very part of him that made him a godling. He knew he wouldn't go alone though, for his sister was linked to him.
Atheus falls to his knees for the first time in his once-immortal life and screams, "NOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooo!" as he then collapses to the ground face first and closes his eyes.
Zathera knew her time was extremely limited so she had to work fast. The first thing she did was grab Rufus with the same kind of power Atheus had used to throw Ron's ball around before she says in their minds, "Thank you… thank you both. Now my brother's evil can never harm anyone ever… again."
Kim was still merged with Zathera and knew that something was wrong even though she could tell she was trying to hide it. She says, "What's going on?" as she catches Rufus in her hands and they start to fly up into the air and she wonders why Zeus's barrier wasn't stopping them before she realizes, "It was meant to stop Atheus, never her…"
It took only a minute to get to Middleton and they fly through the bedroom window into Kim's house where the body of Ron was laying with her mother watching over him in the room.
Mrs. Possible gasps as she sees the blue-glowing goddess that looked like Kim with Ron's freckles on the face arrive through the bedroom window. She says, "What is happening?" before the glow goes down and the blue light flies into Ron's body.
Ron's eyes start to blink for a moment before he sits bolt upright and says, "Kim! Zathera!" He looks at where the two women are and watches just as Mrs. Possible does when they separate.
Kim says with tears in her eyes, "No… you're dying aren't you? You knew that was the price you'd pay for defeating Atheus didn't you?"
Zathera nods as she starts to fade, "Yes… Atheus is dying too and when he is gone, I shall be as well."
Kim says, "There must be something we can do!" But Zathera just shakes her head as she says, "No Kim… it is better this way. All I can ask is that you remember me, and watch over your true love who is a Ultimate Monkey Master it seems…" Zathera smiles weakly at Ron as she says, "Take care of Kim, you two are…a very special couple… very special soul mates… forever."
No one can say a thing as tears fill everyone's eyes, even Rufus was crying as Zathera's light fades even further. Zathera's final words were, "Thank you Kim… I can now be at peace… knowing that world will never have to suffer… my brother's cruelty and… the world is a better place for having Team Possible in it. Farewell my dear friends…" With that the light completely fades and she ceases to exist and Kim knows that even if she went back to the temple, she wouldn't find a trace of Atheus's body either.
Ron gets up and hugs Kim as he whispers, "I'm sorry Kim…" Kim just hugs back tightly and shakes her head, "It is ok Ron… she's gone to a better place now." Rufus cries loudly against the two hugging while Mrs. Possible walks up and wraps her arms around the two of them, not quite knowing what had happened for them but she knew it was something they would never forget.
The End.
Epilogue:
Kim, Ron and with the help of Mrs. Possible had finally got Jerri the credit that she had always wanted. The archeology community finally recognized the existence of Atheus and Zathera in the Zeus mythology.
Jerri was buried right next to her loved one so that they could always be together in body and spirit and to both Kim and Ron that seemed just right.
Somewhere in the heavens, were Jerri and her love watching as Kim and Ron paid their respects at the grave of the one who had made it possible for them to reunite. Together they had fought against a bastard godling and won against incredible odds, but without her love and sacrifice they might never have had the chance and their future doomed. As far as they were concerned, they owed Jerri more than they could possibly ever repay.
Jerri says, "Thank you my friends... may your future and fortunes be forever blessed." With her love Terry saying, "I bless you both and I thank especially you Kim for being a friend and reopening her heart to which was once closed because of pain."
Kim smiles as if hearing them before she turns to Ron and he says, "What is it Kim?" She just wraps her arms around him and gives him a soft kiss before she says, "I feel like we've blessed by our friend Jerri..."
Ron smiles as he wraps his arms around her waist and says, "Well KP, I know I certainly feel blessed to have you in my life..." He holds her closely as Kim lays her head on him and they both feel a small breeze that they know is a wave from Jerri.
The two of them turn towards the breeze and just for a few moments they can see Jerri and her love waving to them to which they both wave back. The wind fades and so does the vision of the happy couple.
Without another word, Kim and Ron look at each other with big smiles and they nod to each other before walking away to where Kim's mother had the car waiting for them, each knowing that for as long as they lived and even beyond, that they would be always be together.
That had been Jerri's final gift to her friends, the knowledge that your loved ones will be there for you even after their physical bodies are gone and to them, there was no greater comfort than knowing they will never have to part.
AN: Well everyone, that is the final chapter to KP in Godling Issues and now I can get started on wrapping up some of the many other KP stories I have posted! Don't fret, I still have many other KP stories in the wings just waiting to be written! Take my KP in Quantum Leap for instance, or Ron Stopped, or any of my other stories. They all have endings to them... just that I sometimes take my own sweet time in getting there! lol! I know that this chapter ending was very long, but I think it waswell worth it and I hope you all agree with me. I am doing a surpringly huge amount of writing on my palmtop ever since my desktop got fried. I guess when I get bored, I get really creative and it sure is boring without a desktop to play games, check email, etc... on.