.
Redeemable?
Yori sat on the floor at her brother's side, face buried in her hands. He wasn't waking up. It had been two days... She sniffed and looked down at him. "Hirotaka? Hirotaka, please. Do not leave me," she pled. She'd lost count of how many times she'd begged him to respond to no avail. Yet again there was no answer. She sobbed and lay at his side, curling up against him and hugging him tight. She feared he would never get up again...
"He will awaken, Yori," an old voice suddenly said from behind. Sensei. She didn't turn. She could see him in the reflection of the mirror her brother kept in his room. Hirotaka had always been vain, and not at all superstitious, so there it sat. Behind Sensei were Kim and Ron, looking concerned.
"How can you be so sure?" Yori asked.
"You and your brother share a powerful bond. One that no one will ever break. Stronger than any I have ever seen before. As long as the gods permit it, it will bind him to this life," Sensei said.
"He shared that bond with another too," Yori numbly replied. "What did it do for either of them?" Sensei winced a bit and chose to say nothing.
"You and Hiro are kinda like Yin and Yang, huh?" Ron said to Yori.
"Chinese myth, Ron, not Japanese," Kim informed. "Besides, it's just an analogy. One person's life can't literally be bound to another's."
"Can it not, Kimberly? People have died of broken hearts before," Sensei remarked. Kim winced and glanced uneasily at Ron. Subconsciously their hands found each other and entwined.
"Yori," they suddenly heard Hirotaka murmur.
Yori started, sitting up quickly. "Hirotaka?" she said, shaking him gently. Kim gasped in hope. Ron nervously nibbled at his nails, eyes wide.
Hirotaka turned his head from side to side, softly groaning. "Yori," he repeated in a whisper.
"I am here, brother. I am here," Yori said, voice breaking a little. Slowly the young man's eyes began to flicker open. "You're alive!" Yori said, enveloping him in a tight hug. In that moment she didn't care about discipline, decorum, propriety, or anything other than her brother! He was alive!
Sensei breathed a sigh of relief, shoulders sagging. "I am most pleased you have survived, child. I do not believe anything has ever brought me such joy as this. I promise you, Monkey Fist will pay for his attempted murder,"
"Attempted murder?" Hirotaka asked in surprise. "Sensei, you do not understand."
"He doesn't understand? How can he not understand?! You just got run through by Monkey Freak!" Ron exclaimed in shock. "Dude, he was so ready to kill."
"No! If he had wanted me dead, I would be dead," Hirotaka insisted. The others gasped in shock.
KP
"Wait, wait, wait, are you saying Monkey Fist spared you?" Kim began. "There's no way! He's not afraid to get his hands dirty."
"Perhaps not, but in a moment of blind anger I forgot myself and all of my training. As I went for the kill, everything, every vital organ, was open and easily accessible. Yet he missed. Have you ever known him to miss such a broad target?" Hirotaka replied.
"Well, no, but seriously?" Kim asked, still shocked. Yori was pale. Ron's jaw was dropped along with Rufus'.
"He meant to miss, Kim," Hirotaka repeated without hesitation.
There was stunned silence for a moment. "Perhaps now, then, is the time to present you all with this," Sensei at last said, breaking the silence and pulling an envelope from his robe. "It was addressed to you, Yori," he added, handing it to her. Surprised, she took it from Sensei's hand and looked at it, but didn't open it. "It was delivered to me last night, brought by a monkey ninja that appeared to have been recently wounded but then tenderly cared for."
Yori stared numbly at the paper realizing immediately which ninja it had been. At last she opened the letter, took out the paper, and began to read it out loud for the benefit of the group.
Yori,
I am not an honorable man. Not by any stretch of the imagination. Honor is for the weak. Honor is pointless. More pointless than even power. However, I am capable of it. Look. Your brother alive and well. Now my debt of honor and of life has been paid. Do not expect the same mercy the next time our paths cross.
Endurably,
Lord Montgomery Fiske
"This is so weird," Ron said as Yori finished reading, mystified.
"Oh yeah," Rufus agreed, looking worried. Kim and Hirotaka remained silent. Sensei seemed unfazed. Yori couldn't tear her eyes away from the letter, reading it over and over. She was completely at a loss...
KP
Yori sat on the roof of the school, knees drawn up to her chest. Between her fingers dangled the letter. She watched the horizon solemnly, almost unaware of it.
From inside the school, Kim and Ron watched worriedly. "She looks so lost," Kim said in concern.
"Sensei, shouldn't we do something?" Ron demanded of the teacher, turning to him.
"What do you think, Stoppable-san?" Sensei inquired.
"Come on Master, not now. She seems really bummed!" Ron begged. "Just tell me what to do."
"I'll go talk to her," Kim assured, putting a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "Hirotaka would probably be the better option, but clearly he's not in any condition to tackle it right now." She looked woefully at the wounded ninja who had lapsed into unconsciousness once more with a fever and a cold sweat.
"Go for it KP," Ron said. Kim nodded, heading out. Ron watched woefully after her.
"Stoppable-san, I am surprised you did not go as well," Sensei said, attention on Hirotaka. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"
"Sensei, why do you always have to ask questions you already know the answer to?" Ron complained. Nonetheless, he moved to sit cross legged on the floor next to Hirotaka and Sensei. "All right, lay it on me. What's the big lesson here?"
"Lesson? How can I give you a lesson when I do not even know your questions?" Sensei inquired.
Ron shifted a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable, then looked down. "Sensei, do you ever feel like something's wrong when it's right? Or you know, something like that?"
"I am afraid I do not understand, Stoppable-San," Sensei replied.
Ron gave him a dubious look, highly doubting that. He'd bet anything Sensei understood perfectly well. "Is Monkey Fist worth sparing!" he blurted anyway.
"Do you feel that he is?" Sensei questioned.
"Well I mean, I don't know. Aside from the fact he's like, the only villain who remembers my name on a regular basis, he's bad road. I mean really bad road," Ron stated.
"Yet still you ask me this question. Do you see something redeemable in him, Stoppable-san?" Sensei questioned.
Ron winced. "Well I mean, it's not like I want anyone to die. Sure Lord Fiske is a monkey obsessed freak, but he's still, you know, human. Right? The last thing I wanna do is kill him."
"So you are not certain that he is redeemable, yet you cannot picture him as deserving of death either," Sensei summarized.
"Okay, why didn't you go talk to Yori about this?" Ron demanded, eyes narrowing in a pout. He knew full well those were probably her very concerns.
"Because, young Stoppable-san, I sense there is a greater turmoil inside of you than you are expressing. Please. Tell me what it is so I may attempt to help you," Sensei replied.
Ron shifted uneasily, then looked down. "I don't know, Sensei. I guess it's just a little bit of uncertainty? Me being the Ultimate Monkey Master and all. I mean seriously. Why me? I barely even know the difference between a chimp, a gorilla, and a monkey! As far as I'm concerned, they're one and the same. Besides, I was never really that great at all the cool kung pow moves Kim pulled off. Not until I got the powers at least. I mean I guess I had some talent before, but even then it was usually Kim that dealt with the hand to hand combat, not me! Especially against Monkey Fist!"
"You feel inadequate, Stoppable-San," Sensei said.
"Look, Sensei, Monkey Fist was the one who spent his whole life researching these powers. Monkey Fist was the one that gathered scroll after scroll, who chased down relic after relic and collected them from the farthest corners of the globe. He was the one who trained for weeks on end deep in the jungle. He was the one who banded together an army of butt kicking Monkey Ninjas. He was the one they returned to even after learning that I was supposed to be the true Ultimate Monkey Master. He's the one who loves them, Sensei, loves them! I barely even like them at the best of times! In what universe am I the one who deserves the title of Ultimate Monkey Master? He did all the work, he threw himself into it blood, sweat, tears, and all. I would have been content with my normal life! Well, normal considering, you know, the whole saving the world thing. Heck, I've even found myself referring to him as the Ultimate Mystical Monkey Master! He's so much more deserving of it than me that it's not even funny."
Sensei listened patiently. When Ron was done his rant, he considered his words a moment. "Do you truly believe that he is more deserving of it than you?" he finally asked.
"Well, yeah," Ron replied.
"I see… Ah Stoppable-san, you have much to learn. You two and Rufus-san are the only ones left upon this Earth who possess Mystical Monkey Powers. Once you are all gone, they will fade from the world forever. Yes, he has done everything and anything to take on the title of Ultimate Monkey Master; yes, in that sense he does deserve it more than you; but that is not what counts," Sensei proclaimed.
Ron looked up curiously. "Um, run that by me again?" he said.
Sensei smirked. "You see, Stoppable-san, the abilities you two share can be used for both good and evil in equal measure. Either they will serve to save the world or destroy it. He wants that power for the sake of power and domination. He wants it for no other reason than to simply possess and use it for his own selfish gains. Lord Monkey Fist has been consumed by his passion for a very long time now... As for you, you have used these powers for good. You have saved the world with them. The moment they came to fruition you proved yourself worthy of their possession and the title with them. More worthy than he will ever be. Perhaps if he had chosen a different path, destiny would have taken another course and you, young man, would not have been put into this position you find yourself in now. You and he are driven by two separate motives. With the passing of the evil, the good will prevail. Then this world will not have to suffer. It is why I chose to end Monkey Fist's reign against even my own conscience. If, however, you feel that you will be able to keep him at bay should his powers ever come to fruition, just as yours already have, I will forget this endeavor and leave Lord Fiske to his fate. Wherever that path may lead him."
"Yeah… Yeah, I understand! All right. Rufus, give me some!" Ron whooped, standing up excitedly and clenching his fist.
"Oh yeah!" Rufus chimed, clambering up and giving Ron a high five.
"Then you feel you will be able to handle him, when the time comes?" Sensei questioned.
"You mean if?" Ron corrected. "Totally dude!"
"I mean when," Sensei gravely stated. Ron's smile fell. After a moment he looked uncertainly at the roof, where Yori and Kim were speaking, then back at his master. Nervously he swallowed and nodded solemnly. "Then I will call Yamanouchi together and remove the price on Lord Montgomery Fiske's head. It is up to you and Possible-san, though, to keep him in check."
"Like always, "Ron boasted. "No problemo Sensei. And uh, thanks."
"It is no trouble Stoppable-san. Now I must explain as much to Yori as well," Sensei said, turning to watch the two girls.
KP
"Hey, what's up?" Kim asked, coming up to Yori and sitting next to her on the roof.
Yori hunched in on herself more. "I am worried for Hirotaka," she replied.
"You sure that's all?" Kim gently prompted.
Yori was silent a moment, not meeting the other girl's eyes. "No," she finally confessed. She lifted the letter in her hand to look at it once more. "Possible-san, do you... do you believe he is redeemable?"
Kim winced, considering the question. After a moment she replied, "I believe almost everyone is redeemable."
"Even one as consumed with power as Lord Monkey Fist?" Yori asked.
Kim was silent. That she wasn't sure of... "I didn't want him to die you know," she finally said. "I never wanted that. It was his obsession with power that got him there."
"His blind obsession," Yori said in frustration, running her fingers through her hair.
"You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped or doesn't figure they need it," Kim gently said. "All we can do is hope he finally gets a clue and gives it up. He can't win, everyone seems to know that but him, and if he doesn't stop now..." She trailed off. "Next time there might not be anyone around to catch him when he falls," she finally said. "He got lucky with Drakken and Killigan, but he won't always be. I wish I knew how to get through to him, everyone who cares even the slightest bit about the guy probably does, but how to you get through to someone that fanatical?" She sighed in frustration. "I'm sorry. Guess I'm not being very helpful right now, huh? I wish I could be more comforting, but you know me. This kind of discussion isn't exactly my strong suit."
"On the contrary Kim, I believe it is. You just have not yet been given much opportunity to practice," Yori assured, smiling.
Kim smiled back. "Good to know. Now come on. Let's get inside and check on Hirotaka," she said, standing and offering her hand. Yori took it, allowing Kim to help her up, and the two girls headed back.
KP
As the two girls entered Hirotaka's room, they noticed Sensei's grave expression. Immediately their smiles fell. Gently, slowly, Sensei reviewed the conversation he'd had with Ron to them and explained his changed stance. As he did, Yori began to grin once more, widely and excitedly. Words could not express her relief to hear her Sensei's words. Honor would remain intact after all! Kim, though, was a little more concerned. Sensei had said that to kill Monkey Fist was Yori's destiny, hadn't he? Where did that fit in now? Something was missing in this narrative. She only wished she knew what.
She met Sensei's eyes, so full of wisdom and understanding, and winced a bit, turning away from him. He knew more than he would ever tell, she sensed, and that didn't bode well for any of them. She understood, though, why he chose to remain silent. Destiny and fate could be changed. Opting for silence kept self-fulfilling prophecy out of the mix. Would it be enough though, she wondered? Only time would tell, she guessed, but she feared for her friend. For Ron even more... She wanted to trust that her best friend turned boyfriend could do it, after all he had before, but as Ron himself acknowledged, compared to Monkey Fist he knew nothing about his powers! He didn't understand them, he hadn't researched them down to the smallest detail, and when the time came could he really hope to hold his own against an expert on all things simian and MMP related?! He had to, she determined to herself. He just had to. He couldn't loose because if he lost... if he lost, she'd lose him forever...
Looking out the window towards the rising sun, she swallowed over a foreign lump in her throat. She hoped desperately that Monkey Fist finally got a clue. For all their sakes. If he didn't, there was no telling how things would play out. Who could possibly reach him though, she wondered? Drakken and Killigan? DNAmy? Her and Ron? Yori? Was there anything Monkey Fist cared enough about that it could sway him from his destructive path? If there wasn't, they were in serious trouble, she wryly noted to herself.
Please let there be something out there somewhere that could reach the nobleman's heart... Anything.