She opened her eyes, once more, in the grey lightless lands, but this time, not alone.

"So, did you enjoy your trip?" She turned round to face The Prince once more, once again in a form more suitable for human eyes. He smiled at her confusion. "Yes, we can be a little aloof in that form, a little less capable of human interaction. But, tell me, what did we say to you? Any messages for us, here, trapped in this physical realm?"
"There were these things, they kinda looked like you, and, and they fired on…you? And then you killed them all and, and…"she trailed off, remembering the screams of the dark elven captain as his flesh was moulded and shaped by a cruel, cruel god. "You're a monster. You…you did horrible things to them, to their bodies. Why! I can still hear the screams! Why!"

"I think I understand. I know why. It's because I can. In that place, at that time, I am nothing but all powerful. For any one else to attack me was foolish, and, surely they knew that? Do not weep, from what I understand of the subject at hand, they survive still, but as something else. They should be thankful; I granted them the gift of transcendence!"

"You're sick! I heard the crunch as you pulped their bones and…ugh, If I wasn't dead, I'd be hurling right now!"

"Yes, about that; don't you think it's time to return? Don't you think you're loved ones miss you? Don't you wish to hold your beloved in your arms once more?"

"Well, yeah, sure. I mean…look, I need to know; did you really just manipulate things so we'd fall in love?"
"Of course"

"So, so it's all a sham? All we've shared, all we've meant to each other?"

"Can you truly believe that?"

"Well…"

"Child, child, child; yes, I manipulated events, I even may have tugged at the heart a little here and there, but do you really think I could have achieved what I have without there being something to begin with. Face it, you two were destined to be together; I just helped things along a little."

"I want to believe you…"

"Just go home, little one, go to your world, and see, when you open your eyes, you'll understand. I will see you next time you visit."

"Yeah…after today, I don't think I'll be visiting for a LONG time."

"Oh I don't know…three weeks, four days, seven hours, sixteen minutes and 5 seconds!" his voice trailed of as his body faded.

She opened her eyes, and saw white, blinding, perfect. It took her a moment to adjust, to realise that she was, once more, in her own body, alive and well. She stared for a moment at the ceiling, then a noise to her right caught her attention. She turned. It was Ron, but something was wrong. She realised that his smile was gone, the childlike wonder lost from his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept in days. He was crying, softly. She looked intently on the one whom she had loved, whom she had been influenced into loving, who, if not for that influence, she may not even have been friends with, and she realised…she didn't care. None of that stuff mattered, because, right here, right now, he was hers, and he was dying inside, and her heart broke. She reached out a feeble hand and stroked his cheek. He started at her touch.
"Kim! Your alright!" he embraced her tight, forcing the little breath she had out of her lungs.

"Ron…a little gentler, please!" she gasped. He let go immediately, and almost blushed with embarrassment.

"Sorry. I, uh, I guess I don't know my own strength, huh?" he sighed and sank a little "I'm, I'm sorry."
"It's no big, Ron, I'm just a little weak right now."

"I know. But, I mean, I… I failed you. I let that, that freak do this to you, and I couldn't stop. I understand if you don't want to see me right now."

"Ron, shut up. Please. That has got to be the biggest load I've ever heard. It is not your fault. This was, as far as I know, all his plan to begin with. Of course I want to see you right now, and forever. Your, you're my heart. I think I'm only just starting to realise that. Drakor said something very interesting, when I asked him about how we were manipulated into falling in love. 'When you open your eyes you'll understand', that's what he said, and, at the time I don't think I understood what he meant. Now I do. I saw you, and it felt like a great weight had been lifted from my chest. I saw you crying, and I had to reach out to comfort you. I don't know if any of that makes sense."
"Perfect sense, Kim, perfect." He leant down and kissed her on her temple, then twined his fingers with her own and rested his head against her. They rested like this for several minutes, eyes closed, revelling in each others company. Finally, the moment passed, they parted.

"So, how long was I...dead for?"

"About 3 days. your parents have not been coping well. Your dad, well, he threw himself into his work, as usual. Your mom, i haven't seen her since, you know. She hasn't left her bed. The Tweebs, they've been really quiet. I'm starting to worry about them."

"Three days? but, but it only felt like an hour, maybe two hours, tops!"

"what happened, Kim? what did he do?"

"I saw Him, Ron, the real Him in his true form. The one we've had to deal with is just an aspect, a fragment of what he is. I saw...Heaven help me, I saw what he could do with us, all of us, if he wished. his body, it isn't flesh, it's...emptyness, it's Void, and it glows as if lit with a dark candle. He towers, vaster than any living thing i've ever seen. These other creatures crowded round in worship, eyes blindfolded, and, every so often, one would shout and whip of it's blindfold and, eyes bleeding and a smile of joy on it's face, it would fall into death. I saw him grasp the bodies of those that attacked him, and reshape them as if they were clay, make them into hideous, terrifying things. Two pairs of wings spread from his shoulder, one set those of a raven, the other, like a bat, a demon, a, a dragon. He never touched the ground, always hovering, refusing to allow his feet to press the base clay." She shuddered, and gripped her shoulders. "I hope that I never have to see that again." Ron wrapped his arms around her again, and embraced her.

"Sh, Sh, it's alright Kim, It's alright. I won't let it hapen again, I'll protect you. I don't know how, but we'll stop Him."

"I wish I had your confidence. After seeing what he could do, seeing what he is, feeling the horrible cold of the Void that is his flesh, I Just don't know what we can do."

"I know we'll do it, Kim, i know you can do it. Your Kim Possible, you can do anything, and i believe in you." He kissed her cheek, and then her lips. She kissed him back, placing her hands at his cheeks. a cough at the door broke them apart.
"Dad!"

"Kim, it's so good to have you back!" he rushed to her, and embraced her, then called over his shoulder to the door "Honey! She's back, She's alright!" Soon her mother joined them as well. Ron smiled at the scene, and, thinking it prudent, left them to become reaquainted, going to the living room and seating himself on the sofa. he sighed, and rubbed his eyes, relieved that kim was better, and, hopefully, life would go back to what passed for normal. After some time he felt a hand on his shoulder, and, turning round, found that it was Kim's dad.

"Hey, how is she doing?"

"Just fine, still weak, and very tired, but she's going to be ok." The redness of his eyes showed that he had been crying. "Ron, what are you doing down here? why did you leave the room?"

"I thought that, maybe, you'd like to spend some time together, you know, just the family."

"Ron, look, after everything, I don't think you have to worry about that anymore. You have always been there for my Kim, and I don't think you left her side once in all the time she was out. I, I don't think she could have made it without your support. As far as I'm concerned, Ron, you are a member of this family." he smiled, and grasped Ron's shoulder in a fatherly manner. "I think you should go back up there, she needs you now as much as ever."

"Thank you, Dr P, that really means a lot to me, that you feel this way, that you accept Kim and I's relationship."

"Please, call me James."

"Sure. James." he sighed and clenched his eyes shut. "however, there is something i feel i should talk to you about. the other day, at the start of this whole mess, I came here, in the middle of the night, and me and Kim, we, uh, we..." he gulped. "You know. Anyway, I'm sorry. It was a huge betrayal of your trust in us." he sighed, and waited for the inevitable response.

"Hmm. I see. You realise that you have put me in an awkward position. I have already accepted you into this family, and I am loath to withdraw that, but you have in a way betrayed me. I realise that you did it out of love, but that still does not totally excuse you, both of you. However, i am going to be lenient, in light of your recent trials, and because my daughter loves you more than life itself. Also, your honesty, right now, speaks highly of your character. It's simple. You and Kim can do whatever you want together, be together as much as you want, but I do not want to know about it. Don't consider it sneaking around, consider it sparing an old mans feelings. do I make myself clear?"

"I think so."

"Good. now back you go. she'll be waiting for you."

Ron ran back upstairs to his waiting beloved, and embraced her again.

Dr Possible smiled, and wiped a tear from his eye. He was still, at heart, an old romantic. Of course, he had heard them, that night, he would have had to be deaf not to, and would have stormed into the room and stopped them, but something, thankfully, stayed his hand. He chuckled, and remembered his own youth. He climbed the stairs, and waited while Kim and Ron, haltingly, explained their story. At Kim's insistance, Ron pulled up his top, revealing the scar, by now returned to it's normal, red, bloody appearance, rather than the odd eldritch sigil that once replaced it. The unveiling drew gasps, and even Kim, who had seen it countless times by now, brushed away a tear and felt an overwhelming urge to hold him.

Her parents left the room, leaving them in each others arms, and sharing a glance, departed. Her mother called the hospital where she worked, and ordered a brace of tests for them both, just to see if there was anything medical that could explain it all away, and to ensure that their recent trials had not, in any way damaged them physically. Eventually, they turned up nothing. No explanation could be found but that already given.