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AFTERMATH 2: THIS IS NOT HONOUR

(A/N: Preceded by Aftermath 1: Redemption. Decided to do something a little different with Hirotaka and Yori in this story compared to what most authors do. Enjoy.)

Monkey Fist Strikes

Yamanouchi, situated high on a mountain against the backdrop of a full moon, was quiet and peaceful. A silent watch was kept around its walls, but there was no reason for the ninjas within to think they were in any sort of danger. Their greatest oppressor was gone, cursed by a deceitful immortal to an eternity of suffering. Now he was encased forever in a tomb of stone. There would be no release for him, so what really was the point of a watch? Nonetheless, they obeyed their Sensei's order. He had posted them here for a reason. Though they did not know why, they didn't need to know. Everything Master Sensei did was for a purpose.

Inside the school, a young ninja silently patrolled the corridors listening for any sound that seemed out of place. She was one of Yamanouchi's top graduates and had stayed on afterwards. In fact many of the most important missions Sensei delegated fell to her, so you could imagine how confused she was about being put on guard duty in the relic wing of the school. She was not the only one either. Many other top graduates had been posted as well. Rarely did Sensei do such a thing. It very much puzzled her. Why had Master given them such a seemingly pointless task? An outbreak of thieves would at best prompt a patrol of average students along the walls. Still, she did not question him. Earlier he had seemed troubled by something, and that in itself was cause for concern. The last time he had been troubled, Yono had come calling... She did not believe Yono was the cause of this particular irregularity this time, Sensei would have warned them well in advance if that had been the case, so something else was going on. While she was curious what it was, she, like many others, held her tongue and did not pry. If it had been something particularly distressing, Sensei would have told them. He always did.

Suddenly she heard a noise behind her and froze. Swiftly she hid herself in the shadows and listened carefully. Silence. Still she waited. Someone or something was there, of that there was no doubt. Let the intruder come. She would be waiting. Her grip on her tessan tightened.

All at once someone landed right next to her from above! She gasped and immediately kicked upwards. The figure easily dodged, but it gave her the opportunity to cartwheel away from them and get into a battle stance, eyes narrowed. The intruder dropped into a battle stance of their own and she took the invitation, immediately striking at them. Whoever it was, though, was skilled. Exceptionally so. They blocked each one of her blows with little trouble, even attempting to exchange blow for blow. She tried to deliver a spinning kick, but the figure seized her leg and swung her around, throwing her to the side easily. He was male she quickly deduced, which meant her tactics had to change. She leapt up and swiftly attacked once more. The figure fought back, hardly breaking a sweat, but suddenly she dropped and delivered a low spin kick, knocking his feet out from under him and causing him to drop. Immediately she leapt on him and seized his ninja hood, pulling it off. She gasped when she saw the face of the young man beneath, whose eyes danced with excitement. He began to laugh.

"Hirotaka!" she hissed viciously, pulling off her own hood. "Ooh!" She got off him in disgust, standing and crossing her arms while turning her back on him with a pout.

"Yori, you made a sneak attack too easy!" the young man said, grinning in exhilaration.

"And you made the battle too quick," Yori retorted.

"All in fun sister, all in fun," Hirotaka replied.

"This is no time for fun, Hirotaka! Sensei has given us the honor of guarding the school this night," Yori replied in exasperation, bowing for emphasis.

"It seems to me a waste of our skill. He has not informed us of any great threat to our school, nor has he informed us of an outbreak of thieves. Even for thieves he would not post graduate students to stand guard," Hirotaka stated.

"We must not question Sensei's ways, brother. He has his reasons. He always does," Yori replied.

"Tell me you do not wonder as well," Hirotaka challenged.

Yori frowned, choosing not to answer that. "Go back to your post," she ordered. "You will be to blame if anyone slips passed your position."

He fondly smiled at her, chuckling, and relented. "Typical Yori. Forever about obedience and honor. As you wish, little sister." Bowing to her, he disappeared as silently as he had come. Left alone, she found she missed the company... No matter. It was her honor to guard the ancient relics hidden in the school. Silently she continued on her way.

KP

Hirotaka returned to the roof, still smiling about the exchange between himself and his sister. He glanced back at his fellow sentry to make sure he was still doing alright. Satisfied he was, he took once more to scanning the courtyard and the path up the mountain to Yamanouchi. His keen eyes took in everything and anything that moved within his field of vision. He placed full trust in his fellow guards to handle the rest. He didn't patrol like most others did, always moving back and forth. Instead he preferred to stay still and hidden, taking in all he could from a single position so as not to lose sight of any particular blind spot. In the location he had chosen, it was best to do it that way anyway.

Out of sight, a group of figures watched the school closely taking in every movement and every pattern of the ninjas guarding it. Observing the sentry who patrolled the back of the school from the roof, and the guards below him patrolling the grounds and walls, the group's leader raised his hand. The moment an opening appeared, he made a fist and pointed ahead. His minions surged forth without hesitation. He himself kept pace with them in equal silence. In less than ten long bounds, before a single guard was the wiser, they had reached their destination. Silently their leader snuck up behind the sentry on the roof. At the last second the ninja heard something and quickly turned with a gasp, but it was too late. Before he could cry out, the infiltrator pressed two pressure points in his neck and rendered him unconscious. The guard slumped to the roof with a groan and the intruder flashed a villainous grin. Silently he returned to his minions. Swiftly they pulled up a hatch in the roof and quietly jumped inside single file, their leader taking up the rear.

Hirotaka had worked out a periodic method of checking on his fellow ninjas. Like clockwork he turned to check on his fellow watchman. That was when he saw it. A group of figures jumping down into the school with the tallest of them following last! He gasped in shock. Oh no. What had happened to his old classmate? Hirotaka hurried to his fellow guard's post and found the young man lying on the roof. Paling, he raced over praying his companion was just unconscious. He checked the vitals quickly and breathed a sigh of relief upon finding a pulse. Frowning darkly, he turned towards the roof hatch. His old classmate would be fine. Right now his concern needed to be on the intruder. Swiftly, silently, he raced over and jumped through the hatch, landing soundlessly. He looked quickly around and saw a shadow disappearing around a corner. His eyes widened. The intruder was heading towards the relics wing. Yori! Scowling, Hirotaka hurried after them while being sure not to give himself away.

KP

Yori wandered the relics wing, all her senses primed. Suddenly she heard the sound of something being bumped, a grunt following it. She froze, turning quickly with a gasp, and melted swiftly into the shadows. When instead of an intruder a monkey rolled into sight, she blinked in surprise. That was... unexpected. A smile began to pull at her lips, and she stood up straight. She was just about to go help the poor creature when it stumbled into the moonlight. Immediately she froze, gasping softly. The monkey was wearing a gi! Three more suddenly rolled into sight, surrounding their fallen comrade curiously. Ninja monkeys? No... Her eyes widened in alarm. Monkey Ninjas! But-but that was impossible. Their master was dead!

She retreated into the shadows once more as a fifth figure came into sight, this one the size of a man, and her eyes slowly widened in fear. It couldn't be... When he stepped into the moonlight, a shaking breath escaped her lips and her head began to spin. It was him! Lord Monkey Fist! A sense of dread welled up inside her. This couldn't be real. She had seen him turned to stone, cursed to follow the path of the Yono. As Stoppable-san and Kim Possible were her witnesses, she'd seen it! Was he man, monkey, or specter? Was she to fight the undead?! Immediately she forced away the alarming thought. The dead could not rise. Not like this...

"Will you be quiet?" the man hissed at the four monkeys. They guiltily looked up at him. He peered down the hallway in which she was hiding, scouting the area. What could he possibly be searching... Wait... The Lotus Blade! The sword that had bonded to Stoppable-san. The sword that would only react to those who possessed mystical monkey powers! He could be after nothing else. In that case, he would have to first get passed her. Gripping her tessan, she prepared for the fight to come.

KP

Monkey Fist, eyes narrowed, scanned the corridor with a keen and practiced eye. This was too easy. He knew the Lotus Blade was kept just down this hall. He could sense it. Feel it. It was just beyond the locked door, yet no guards were in sight. Hmm. No matter. He would deal with whatever tried to stand in his way. Besides, he had backup. He grinned villainously at the monkey ninjas, then casually walked down the hall, focused on his goal. His eyes darted to the shadows, searching for any movement. Not that any Yamanouchi ninja could take him on of course. No sooner had he reached the halfway point when he spotted something out the corner of his eye and gasped, turning quickly to face the threat. He wasn't fast enough. The next second he found himself pinned against the wall, staring down into the masked face of the ninja who dared deny him his right. She was female he knew. He could tell by her strength and build. Scowling, he lashed out. The ninja dodged, but in the process her grip on him loosened enough for him to break free. This fight wouldn't stay quiet much longer he realized, but he'd been ready for such an eventuality.

"Lord Monkey Fist!" the girl said, and his eyes widened in shock. He knew her voice. It was that ninja friend of Stoppable's! Recovering himself, he grinned wickedly.

"You. Oh this just gets better and better. Monkey ninjas, attack!" he ordered, pointing. The relics were kept separate from the actual dorms. This far away from the others, no one should hear her scream. Here was hoping he was right about that.

Immediately the monkeys leapt into the hall with battle shrieks and sprang at her. Quickly he joined them in their attack. Yori could handle herself every bit as well as Kim Possible, he knew, so this was no time for halfway measures. Within seconds she had sent his ninjas flying, albeit one had managed to pull off her hood in the process. She wasn't quite so lucky with him. The two of them exchanged blow for blow at constant stalemate. Yori spin kicked, aiming at his face. He easily dodged, kicking at her side. She hand sprang backwards out of the way, then went at him again, spinning, whirling, and striking at every opportunity. He expertly blocked and dodged each blow, scowling. Oh she was good, but not quite good enough.

He ducked under an attack and grabbed her leg with his foot, pulling it out from under her. Instantly the monkey ninjas pounced. She screamed unbidden and managed to quickly stagger up once again, focusing on defending against the monkey ninjas. "I'd love to stick around and catch up my dear, but I'm afraid I must get the Lotus Blade and be on my way. Reclaiming my rightful place as Ultimate Monkey Master and all that, you know. Ta ta," he taunted.

Cruelly he laughed, racing for the door on all fours. Yori flung off the monkeys and pursued him, but there was no way she would catch up. All of a sudden, however, a figure landed in front of the monkey lord and delivered a powerful kick to his chest, sending him flying back with a cry of pain! Yori gasped in shock, sliding to a stop. Monkey Fist sat up, mouth agape. "Hi," the figure greeted, stepping into the light.

"Hirotaka!" Yori exclaimed, grinning widely.

He smirked quickly at her, winking, then focused on Monkey Fist again. "Monkey Lord, we have not yet met. Please, allow me the honor of introducing myself. I am Hirotaka," he said, bowing to the man cordially.

Monkey Fist, recovering from the shock, scowled. "Well bully for you," he replied. Leaping up by springing with his hands, he pointed at the young man. "Monkey Ninjas attack!" he commanded again.

Hirotaka huffed a half-laugh as the creatures dove at him. Easily he dodged them all with a smug smirk on his face. Not a single simian landed so much as a blow, leaving Monkey Fist gaping in disbelief. Shaking his head desperately, he scowled and leapt at the newcomer with a monkey shriek, tackling him to the ground and wiping that smug smirk right off the young man's face. Furiously he began raining blows down upon him. Desperately, Hirotaka blocked the attacks. Yori raced to help him but Monkey Fist, hearing her approach, cut his onslaught short to kick her in the side, knocking her away. The distraction was enough for Hirotaka to recover, and quickly he escaped Monkey Fist's grasp, rolling backwards and into a crouching stance. Yori backflipped away from Monkey Fist, landing next to her brother with her tessan spread wide and her eyes narrowed challengingly.

Now both ninjas stood in front of the door which lead to the Lotus Blade, and Monkey Fist scowled in distaste. They were siblings, he noted. They had to be. They looked too much alike for it to be coincidence, and fought in that sort of perfect harmony only siblings, or those as close as siblings, could possibly achieve. He'd never even known the girl had a brother. Interesting. That information could prove very useful one day. He logged it away for future reference. "Why must you meddling busybodies always insist on making things difficult?" he demanded, eyes blazing with contempt. "Monkey Ninjas…" he began.

"Attack?" a calm, elderly voice finished for him. Monkey Fist gasped, paling, and spun around. Yori and Hirotaka lit up, grinning. Standing just down the hall was Sensei, flanked on all sides by their fellow ninjas!

"It will be our honor to defeat you now," Hirotaka teased, nudging his sister playfully. She giggled good naturedly at the rib.

"Well, this is a touch inconvenient," Monkey Fist said. He wanted the Lotus Blade desperately, make no mistake, but there was no chance of his getting it now with the ninjas converging on his locale. "No matter. Capture isn't in the cards tonight." From a pouch he pulled two smoke pellets. Hirotaka and Yori gasped. Monkey Fist slammed them down and the other ninjas immediately pounced on the spot he had just stood. Yori knew already, though, that there was nothing there. She had born witness time and time again to the ease with which this man moved and leapt. His agility was almost superhuman, far exceeding anyone here, and with little to no effort he could leap right over their heads and have no one be the wiser. Frowning, she ran at the wall and leapt against it before pushing off and hopping to the next one. She continued in this manner until she cleared the pileup. Her brother followed without question, fully trusting her judgement, and as soon as he joined her, they took off running down the hall in pursuit of Monkey Fist.

KP

"Where would he have gone?!" Yori called to Hirotaka.

"His point of entry. I will take you there!" Hirotaka answered. Yori nodded and let her brother take the lead. In seconds they'd reached the hatch. He leapt up first, her following, but no sooner had Hirotaka climbed up when he felt a jarring kick and cried out in pain, flying back and hitting the roof hard. He coughed, winded.

Yori, just barely managing to duck under her brother's body as it flew overhead, gasped, following him with her eyes. She winced when he hit the roof then frowned, sharply looking back at the retreating Monkey Fist with eyes like daggers. Clambering quickly out, she called, "Hirotaka, I am going after him! You must alert Sensei and the others!"

"Yori, wait, do not go alone!" Hirotaka called after her as he reached out. It was in vain. Either she hadn't heard him, or she'd paid no attention. He staggered up. He needed to go after her! He darted passed the hatch, but all of a sudden he felt a hand on his shoulder stopped, turning with a gasp. "Master Sensei!" he exclaimed.

"Do not worry for your sister's safety, young Hirotaka. She will be alright," Sensei calmly said.

"But Sensei…" he began.

"No. This is something Yori must do on her own," Sensei said. "If it helps ease your mind, however, you may wait on the roof for her return."

Hirotaka looked worriedly after his sister then sighed, shoulders sagging. "Yes Sensei," he agreed, though 'yes Sensei' was the last phrase he wanted to say. There was no point in arguing his master, though. He wouldn't win. Believe him he had tried. He looked after his sibling once more, eyes filled with concern. "Be safe, Yori," he pled.

Sakura Sakura by Rin Lyrics (I can no longer find this version of it on YouTube, unfortunately.)

Yamiyo mai oriru, sakura no uta, urueru omoi.
(Every time the dark night descends, the song of cherry blossoms quivers in my mind)
Koyoi izuru tsuki, aoku hibiki, towa ni kanaderu.
(As the night approaches, the moon turns blue and echoes the play of eternity.)

Yowa no koromo matoi aruku juzu no ne wo yurugashiti.
(The dead of night puts on its cloak and comes at the wavering sound of the beads.)
Hitomi tojite mo hitomi akete mo kawaranu yami wo sameru.
(When you close your eyes, when you open your eyes, the unchanging darkness fades.)

Mugen no yami ni oborozakura suzu no ne wo sasayaita.
(In the endless darkness, the cherry blossoms fade at the whispering sounds of the bells.)
Kuchite iru no ka saite iru no ka iro aseta sugata ni inoru.
(When they are dead, when they are in bloom, you pray for the fading colours of their petals.)

Kumoma ni arawaru kohaku no tsuki tomoshibi no uta.
(Behind the clouds the amber moon appears with its song of light.)
Koyoi izuru tsuki aoku hibiki towa ni kanaderu.
(As the night approaches, the moon turns blue and echoes the play of eternity.)

Jibun no tame ni kagayaku jiyuu ni ikiru koto de.
(For my sake, the sparkle of freedom exists.)
Michi afuru tsuki no gotoku futatabi hikari kagayaku.
Once again, the glittering path shines like the moon.)

Hirari maiori hana no shizuku hoho wo tsutatte.
(Lightly floating down, the drops of flowers touch your cheeks.)
Hohoemu anata to kasanaru kage eien ni kagayaku.
(Your smile overcomes the shadows and shines on for eternity.)