.
Pursuit
"Yori, this way!" Hirotaka said as he took his sister's arm, spotting a section of the cliff that might just be possible to make, but only for the most experienced of them. Yori nodded, and the brother sister duo sprang into action, making their way up the cliff. Within moments they reached the top and began looking around for their target.
"Hirotaka, blood!" Yori exclaimed, pointing at the drops on the ground. Hirotaka nodded, and the two immediately followed the trail. They raced around a bend only to see Monkey Fist starting up another cliff!
"Monkey Fist!" Hirotaka shouted, immediately leaping into action. Monkey Fist gasped. He barely had time to look back before Hirotaka had leapt up, grabbing him around the waist and pulling him down.
Monkey Fist let out a monkey shriek of pain upon hitting the ground. "Curse you boy!" the man spat furiously, striking the ninja and sending him flying off. Hirotaka leapt up nimbly as Monkey Fist staggered to his feet panting and holding his wound. Clearly he was in a great deal of pain. Yori and Hirotaka stood near to one another, eyes fixed determinedly on the man. He looked from sister to brother and winced a bit at a burning pain in his side that seemed to be blossoming out from the point of entry. Oh that wasn't a good sign. He moved his hand from the injury and pulled his gi up a little ways to expose it. He caught his breath when he saw the damage, eyes widening in horror. Yori gasped in shock as well, covering her mouth. Dark veins were creeping out from the blackened wound. Poison!
Cursing under his breath, Monkey Fist scowled darkly, expression twisting into a mask of rage. Sharply he looked at the two ninjas, growled, then sprang at them with a monkey shriek! "Watch out!" Yori said. Nimbly the two reverse hand-sprang back, getting out of range of the attack.
Monkey Fist struck viciously in every direction. The duo dodged determinedly, exchanging blows of their own. Finally Monkey Fist dove at them, forcing them to split up and giving him a brief opening. Leaping on the opportunity, he jumped once again onto the cliff and began scrambling quickly up again. Hirotaka, though, was having none of it. With a battle cry he leapt at Monkey Fist, pulling a concealed kunai from his gi. Monkey Fist looked quickly back and gasped, barely managing to dodge him in time to avoid a fatal blow, flipping over his head and landing on the ground behind him. Hirotaka struck again and once more Monkey Fist did his best to avoid it, but injured as he was, he couldn't sidestep it completely. The kunai ripped through his thigh, tearing it open, and Monkey Fist shrieked in pain, collapsing as blood spilled from the wound. To fall now, though, would mean death, so from the ground he delivered a driving kick to the attacking ninja, sending him flying back. Quickly Monkey Fist leapt to his feet once more, willing the adrenaline coursing through his body to keep him standing long enough that he could escape. "Monkey Ninjas, attack!" he ordered, pointing.
Before Yori and Hirotaka knew it, a group of monkey ninjas leapt from hidden crevices in places they hadn't even realized had crevices. The two gasped and went back to back, fighting off the creatures while trying to find an opening to chase the British Lord. Monkey Fist, though, was already disappearing from sight up the cliff. The moment their master was safe, the monkey ninjas broke off, springing way from Yori and Hirotaka to clamber up the cliff after him.
"Yori, Hirotaka, which way did he go?!" they heard Kim call. They looked back only to see her, Ron, and the rest of their classmates catching up.
"There!" Hirotaka replied, pointing up. "Follow us!" Together he and Yori sprang ahead.
KP
Monkey Fist, staggering through a bamboo forest, pulled off the sash of his gi and tied a tourniquet around his leg as quickly as could be gotten away with, damning his misfortune. As soon as it was done, he hurried towards the destination he had planned out long ago in case of emergencies such as this. It was an ancient temple carved into the mountain, possibly linked to Toshimiru and Yamanouchi itself. If that were so, though, it wasn't linked to them in any way that was good. You see, he'd never seen a Yamanouchi ninja enter that place...
Undoubtedly there was some ancient superstition linked to it that kept even the boldest of students away. That meant trouble. It was trouble he had to chance though. He wasn't a mere Yamanouchi ninja. He was the ultimate monkey master, endowed with mystical monkey powers that had become as much a part of him as his own flesh and every bit as dear. He spotted the temple up ahead, decorated with carven monkey symbols, and smirked. Almost there. He had explored parts of it, but had never gone very far in. He simply hadn't gotten around to it. Now, it seemed, was as good a time as any to delve deeper within.
His monkey ninjas raced alongside him, helping him along if he stumbled or began to lag behind. He cursed his injuries yet again. It didn't do any good to complain he knew, but what else was he supposed to do? At least complaining about it was keeping his mind off of the pain and blood loss. He glanced down at the injuries slowing him so much. The blackened veins from the poisoned arrow had spread even further now. It was still bleeding freely. So was the gash on his thigh, which currently was his principal concern. Blood loss would kill him far quicker than poison if he lost control of it. He couldn't tell whether Hirotaka had nicked an artery or not, but he felt dizzy and sick so wasn't taking any chances. For a moment he feared this would be the end for him, but quickly he denied that unbidden thought and willed himself to push ahead to the temple.
Before he knew it he was inside. He looked quickly around. "Monkey ninjas, divide!" he ordered, clapping twice. Instantly the ninjas got into groups or pairs and disappeared into the temple. Hearing distant voices drawing near, he scowled back at the entrance then bounded ahead, desperately trying to find a place to hide. He'd sooner die than be caught by Yamanouchi! He grimaced a bit, pausing. Perhaps he was overstating a tad, but that wasn't the point! Hurriedly he pressed on.
KP
Uneasily the ninjas stared up at the ancient temple, hesitating to enter. They looked expectantly back at the Sensei, who slowly made his way to the front. He looked gravely up at the entrance, then turned to them. "It seems Lord Monkey Fist has been watching us," he said
"What do you mean?" Kim asked.
"He has chosen this place as his sanctuary because no ninja has ever entered it," Sensei said.
"Uh, question, why?" Ron asked. The ninjas all looked at him and Kim like they were kidding. "I'm guessing the answer is bad?" he sheepishly said.
"This temple is said to be both cursed and guarded by two powerful deities linked to the mystical monkey legend," Sensei said.
"Please tell they aren't monkeys," Ron pled.
"One is not technically a monkey. Only monkey-like. The other? Not so much," Hirotaka corrected. "The first is Sarutahiko. Without going into a great deal of explanation, he is the god of the crossroads between heaven and earth and is considered to be the patron of martial arts."
"A monkey-like patron of the martial arts. Right up Monkey Fist's alley," Kim dryly said. "And the second?"
"The reason we do not enter that place," Hirotaka solemnly said.
"He is Sarugami, the monkey god. Messenger of the mountain god Sanno. He becomes both many and few as he pleases, so often becomes 'they'," Yori said.
"The Sarugami look just like the wild monkeys found across Japan, only bigger, smarter, more vicious, and able to talk," Hirotaka threw in, smirking.
"Welp, I'm out. See ya KP," Ron said, turning to head back.
"Bye bye," Rufus backed.
"Ron," Kim warned, grabbing his arm with a frown and holding him back.
"Hellooo? Giant talking monkeys! Big, smart, vicious? Yeah, see, I totally get why you guys don't go in there now," Ron said to the ninjas.
"Uh huh, uh huh," Rufus agreed, nodding nervously.
"Ron, they're just stories!" Kim insisted.
"If they were only stories, we would already be inside this place," Hirotaka said. He looked to Sensei. "Let the Sarugami have him, master. All we will have to do is wait for the screams to stop."
"The what?!" Ron exclaimed in terror. Even Kim looked disturbed.
"As much as this temple is cursed by Sarugami, it is protected by Sarutahiko," Sensei answered.
"To whom Mystical Monkey Powers are intrinsically linked," Yori agreed. "Powers Lord Monkey Fist possesses. Nothing will do him harm in this place. Or you, Stoppable-san."
"There's no way I'm going in there alone! Not happening," Ron said, folding his arms.
Yori giggled. "Oh Stoppable-san, you will not be alone. It will be my honor to go with you," Yori said.
"And mine," Kim backed. There was no way she was letting Ron tackle this one solo.
"Absolutely not!" Hirotaka immediately said, turning sharply to Yori.
Yori frowned at him. "Hirotaka, Ron-san has the Lotus Blade and is the ultimate monkey master. There will be nowhere safer for me than at his side and Kim's! I am going with them. They must not be alone," she said.
"Sensei!" Hirotaka practically pled, gesturing to Yori.
"We have no choice," Sensei gravely said.
"Okay. Yori, Ron, Hirotaka, with me," Kim stated.
"If I may interrupt, Miss Possible, I would prefer if Hirotaka came along with me," Sensei stated.
"What?! But Master…" Hirotaka began, eyes filling with alarm and fear as he looked worriedly back at his sister.
"We may need your aid," Sensei stated.
"And if they need it more?!" Hirotaka demanded, pointing at Kim, Ron, Yori, and Rufus.
"Hirotaka! This is not up for debate," Sensei firmly and sharply said.
Hirotaka hesitated, clenching his teeth uneasily. Finally he sighed in defeat, hanging his head. "If it is as my Sensei wishes," he miserably said.
"Don't worry Hiro dude. Your baby sister's safe with us!" Ron confidently said.
Hirotaka didn't smile as he looked back at Ron. Instead, his eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Be certain that she is," he darkly warned. There was no question of the threat in his voice. Ron and Kim tensed up a little, eyes widening. Ron swallowed nervously.
Huffing, Hirotaka turned from them and angrily marched towards Sensei, giving the man the dirtiest look he could possibly get away with. Sensei frowned warningly at him but didn't chastise the behaviour. That he would address at another time. Instead he turned the other Yamanouchi graduates. "Who chooses not to enter this place?" he asked. After a brief moment, hands started going up one after the other until the only ones whose hands remained down were Yori and Hirotaka. "So be it," Sensei said. "Return to Yamanouchi or wait here. Should we not emerge before daybreak, assume the worst and leave as quickly as you can."
"Um, why should they do that again?" Ron nervously asked.
"Because if we have not emerged by daybreak, Stoppable-san, it means the Sarugami found us," Hirotaka said, a mischievous smirk on his lips. Ron visibly shuddered.
KP
"Is it just me, or is there some tension going on between Hirotaka and Sensei?" Ron asked as he, Kim, and Yori made their way through the ancient temple.
"There is," Yori said. She didn't elaborate.
"O-kay. Is there a reason for that?" Kim asked. Yori paused, and curiously Kim and Ron looked back at her. "Yori?" Kim asked.
Yori considered her answer carefully. "There was... a situation some years ago regarding a close personal friend of Hirotaka's. My brother was not in agreement with how Sensei handled the matter."
"A situation?" Ron asked.
"I am sorry. That is all I can say," she said. "I am afraid it was a very difficult time. For all of us."
"Hey, no harm no foul," Ron replied. Yori smiled gratefully at him.
They walked around a corner and froze in place, gasping. Before them stretched a narrow walkway bordering a seemingly infinite hole in the ground! "A bottomless pit! Who would have guessed?" Kim dryly said.
"Predictable," Ron sang. "So who wants to lead the way?" he asked right after, fear in his voice as he cowered behind the two girls. They turned to him in disbelief then exchanged looks.
KP
To no one's surprise, Kim took the lead. She had always been the type to grab the bull by the horns, so to speak. Cautiously they moved along the path, sticking as close to the wall as they could. "This cannot end well," Ron said nervously, holding the Lotus Blade close.
"Calm yourself Stoppable-san. As long as we are careful and do not stray too close to the pit, we will be safe," Yori assured.
"Yeah. Right. Stay away from the edge," Ron repeated, looking worriedly at it. The path wasn't so narrow that it was single file or die, but that pit was still way too close for comfort.
"Shh. Can you two hear that?" Kim suddenly questioned, pausing. Yori and Ron fell silent, listening. Sure enough, up ahead they heard monkeys chattering.
"Sarugami," Ron tightly said. Rufus, whimpering, hid lower in Ron's pocket.
"Monkey ninjas," Kim corrected frowning at him.
"And where there are monkey ninjas, there is Lord Monkey Fist," Yori said.
"Okay. Stand back. I've got this," Ron said, brandishing the Lotus Blade and holding it out in front of himself with both hands. Clearly he was unpracticed in its use, Yori noted. He moved around Kim, carefully approaching the chamber ahead while preparing for the first sign of attack. With every step, the monkey sounds began to get louder and more disconcerting. Ron began to falter, slowing down a little. "Uh, KP, we're sure these are just the monkey ninjas?"
"Of course they are," Kim replied. "Aren't they?" she nervously added, looking questioningly back at Yori. The ninja girl's wide, fearful eyes weren't at all reassuring.
"Yes, of course Possible-san. Only monkeys," Yori nervously replied, glancing around uneasily. Suddenly she felt something move beneath her foot and gasped, looking quickly down. Her eyes widened in alarm. A trap! "Look out!" she exclaimed, lunging at the others and shoving them hard. They toppled back onto the ground with shouts just as the path gave way beneath Yori's feet! She screamed in fear, toppling into the pit!
KP
"Yori!" Kim and Ron cried, diving for the edge and trying to catch her hand. They were too late! Kim immediately pulled out her hair dryer grapple, fully prepared to dive off and rescue her friend.
"There she is!" Ron suddenly said, pointing. Kim gasped, looking, and her eyes widened in relief. On the other side of the ravine, hanging from her own grappling chain, was Yori, currently in the process of climbing her way up onto a much lower path on the opposite side.
"No way!" Kim exclaimed, grinning.
"Yori, are you okay?!" Ron called in alarm.
Yori, panting to catch her breath as she pulled herself onto solid ground, looked up at them from across the way. Though still shaken, she was composing herself quickly. "I am fine, Stoppable-san!"
"Hold on! I'll come get you!" Kim called, starting to tie her grapple rope around her waist. When Yori didn't answer, though, Kim paused curiously, looking down at her friend. Yori's eyes were locked on the wall next to her. As if transfixed, she reached out and gently touched it, trailing the stone with her fingers. "Yori?!" Kim called.
Yori, snapping out of it, gasped and looked quickly up at them. Hesitating, she looked at her fingers once more and rubbed them together. They were wet and sticky with blood. Fresh blood. Quickly she hid them with a fist and looked back up at her friends. "Stoppable-san, Possible-san, keep on going! I will explore this path instead!"
"Uh, hello, Sensei said no splitting up, remember?!" Ron called back down.
"It is our mission to capture Monkey Fist by any means necessary. We cannot afford to let him get away, and no one else knows of this path. If some rules must be bent to see our mission through, then they must be bent. I am sure that Sensei would agree," Yori argued. She didn't honestly believe that he would in this particular case, but she would take that chance.
Kim and Ron looked uncertainly at each other. "She's right. Monkey Fist has gotta be stopped. Who knows? Maybe we can find a way around the whole killing thing," Kim said.
Ron grimaced, considering this, then looked worriedly down at Yori once more. He and Kim would be fine he knew, but if she ran into Monkey Fist alone… He looked at the Lotus Blade in his hands. He couldn't save her when she'd fallen, but he could do the next best thing. He'd promised Hirotaka she would be okay! Besides, the sword would come to him if he called it anyway. Frowning determinedly, he looked down at Yori once more. "Yori, take this until we can meet up again!" he called, drawing back his arm. Her eyes widened, but before she could protest he'd thrown the blade down to her. She gasped and quickly reached out to grab the prized object, snatching it from the air.
"But Stoppable-san, this sword is under your protection! I do not have mystical monkey powers. I cannot use it!" she called up to him urgently.
"Sure you can! You just can't, you know, turn it into all those nifty little gadgets. The blade still works though," Ron replied.
She looked down at it once more. Perhaps it would be useful if she came across the Sarugami... Now that she was apart from Stoppable-san, she did not have the protection of Sarutahiko any longer. With luck she would find Monkey Fist before the creatures found her. Then as long as he didn't manage to take the blade, things should be fine. She looked back up at her friends. "Thank you, Stoppable-san! Be careful, both of you!"
"Hey, we'll deal. It's no big," Kim called worriedly back. "You be careful too, okay?!" Yori smiled, bowing to them, then slowly picked her way along the narrow path. Now she was on her own, and Kim and Ron exchanged worried looks. Hirotaka would not be happy about this.