Thanks to Comet Moon, TheBaldOneMpls, Pharaoh Rutin Tutin, daywalkr82, Stand Alone Battle A.I, Molloy, Isamu, korovan, Magnatron, CajunBear73, Akinyi, Randy C, RonHeartbreaker, Danny-171984, and XyKPfan for reading and reviewing. They all know what it's like to get a special thank you from yours' truly.
Now, it's time for some smack-monkey! Enjoy!
Kim, Ron, and all other characters within are owned by the Walt Disney Corporation.
Episode 6: Return to Yamanouchi
by Ultimate Naco Topping
The cold chill of the mountain air was sharpened by a bitter wind rushing down from the peaks above. A small round figure carefully made his way across the courtyard surrounded by several humble pagodas. Keeping a tight grasp of his cloak to keep as warm as possible, the small man entered one of the buildings.
Once inside, the man carefully hung up his cloak revealing his status as a monk. In the middle of the room in front of a small fire sat a powerful man in full Samurai armor. His eyes were closed in meditation only opening once the monk sat down across from him. The monk sat ready with a feather pen and a scroll. The pair exchanged respectful bows before the warrior spoke.
"This is the prophecy of Toshimiru, Master of the Mystical Monkey Power, forger of the Lotus Blade, and founder of Yamanouchi…" he said in a deep mystical voice. The monk began to transcribe every word – his master talking slowly and assuredly. Soon the scroll was full and the warrior drew his sword from his side and placed its tip in the fire. The monk rolled the scroll placing a thick ring of wax around the middle and held it out before him. Taking the sword out of the fire, the warrior touched the red hot glowing end to the wax. As he did, the sword came alive in a bright blue light that soon enveloped the scroll, the two men, and then, the room…
Valuables and artifacts filled display case after display case. Katanas, ninja stars, smoke pellets, battle helmets, monkey idols, and hundreds of other priceless oriental objects were awaiting their public debut; including a small scroll with a monkey seal on it in a forgotten corner of the display.
On the other side of the curtain keeping the items hidden before being revealed to the assembled public and press, the museum's curator nervously looked to his assistant who finally signaled him that all was ready.
"Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press," the curator began. "We are proud to present this exhibit in conjunction with the Japanese Museum of History and Antiquity for the first time in the United States. We would ask that you not use flash photography or to handle any of the items due to their delicate nature. And now, it gives me great pleasure to present to you Ancient Secrets of Tai Shing Pek Kwar!"
With a ceremonious tug of a rope, the assistant pulled the curtains back. The crowd gasped as cameras clicked furiously. However the gasp was not at the splendor of the collection, but rather the refined but brutish looking man in a black gi standing before it. The man's scowl was enough to make the museum curator take a couple steps back in shock as two figures jumped to the front of the crowd.
"Lord Monkey Fist," began the girl of the pair. "Only you would be so bold."
"Whatever you are planning, you will not succeed," added the young man next to her.
"Spare me the heroic banter," Fist replied with a disgusted sigh. With a snap of his fingers, monkey ninjas descended from the ceiling sending the crowd into a panicked frenzy for the exits. The pint-sized warriors paid them no mind and instead, focused their attack on the two teenagers with a swarm of fur, fists, and tails.
The former English lord grinned baring his sharpened incisors as his foes were completely occupied by his warriors. Turning his attention to the artifacts, he quickly spotted what he was looking for – the scroll. His monkeylike hand hovered over it for a brief second - hesitant to actually touch it - before reverently picking it up. Slowly, Monkey Fist began his evil cackle before bringing it to a fevered pitch.
"Finally, with the prophesies of Toshimiru in hand, my destiny as the Supreme Monkey Ruler will be revealed to the world!" he ranted holding the scroll overhead.
Catching the villain's triumphant pose from the corner of her eye, the young woman knew she had to get to him. As she ducked a flying kick from a monkey ninja, she seized its tail as it flew by. Swinging it around like a whip, she hurled him towards another wave of attackers clearing them out like bowling pins. With a clear path to Fist, she wasted no time charging him.
Despite being wrapped in self-delusion, Monkey Fist's saw the heroine's charge. Quickly, he grabbed the smoke pellets from the display and threw them at the ground. The two-thousand year old relics worked as if they were new filling the room with a dense gray smoke. Without being able to see, the young woman pulled up her attack in a fit of coughing. Almost as quickly as the smoke came, it cleared away revealing the girl and the young man alone in the middle of the room.
"Hirotaka, are you okay?" Yori asked of her partner. The young ninja student dropped out of his fighting stance.
"I am fine," he replied in his usual even demeanor. With an almost unnoticeable sigh, Yori turned her attention to the display as the curator and his assistant emerged from their hiding spots under one of the tables.
"Call the police immediately!" the curator, still coughing, ordered his assistant.
"That will do you no good," Hirotaka stated matter-of-factly joining the other three in front of the spot where the scroll had been.
"There is only one person who can stop Monkey Fist now," Yori said seriously. The curator looked confused for a moment before he thought he knew who she was talking about.
"Ah, Kim Possible!" he declared.
"No," came Yori's quick response.
"No?!" curator and assistant asked dumbfounded.
"No," Yori affirmed. "But she is our contact."
Completely befuddled that the world famous teen hero would not be the one to stop Fist and recover the scroll, the two exchanged very confused glances before the curator asked for clarification.
"Contact…? To who?"
--
Ron Stoppable's fingers quivered over the packet of Diablo sauce like a gunslinger's. Eyes twitched as they locked onto his foe. The naked mole rat standing on the table across from him flicked his whiskers back at the teen as his paw hovered over his own stack of Diablo sauces. In a booth on the other side of the restaurant, a young boy stared in awe at the showdown before his mother covered his eyes and whisked him out the door. Neither side budged as a crumpled up chimerito wrapper tumbled its way between them.
Kim sat trapped against the window on Ron's side of the booth watching the display of macho will power play itself out. Monique, too, was watching but had the freedom to leave if she desired. However, she remained praying that what she thought was about to happen didn't. The redhead realized that she was a part of it whether she wanted to be or not, but the sooner she fulfilled her small role, the sooner it would be over.
"Draw," Kim said flatly. In a flash, both human and mole rat grabbed a packet of Diablo sauce and emptied it onto a bite sized section of the burritos that were also in front of them. As expected, each took a bite and repeated the process with another packet. Beads of sweat quickly formed on both their heads; their skin turning redder with each bite. The effect was more noticeable on Rufus, but that didn't stop him from taking a decisive lead. Ron, seeing that he was falling woefully behind, fumbled the next packet. Panicked, he grabbed another and opened it forcefully sending a stream of hot sauce into his left eye.
"Yeeeoooaw! IT BURNS!" Ron shouted as he bolted out of the booth. His hand immediately covered up the injury as he continued to run around the store in a pattern that could only be descried as a 'sick chicken' yelling and complaining every step of the way. Through the tears in his right eye formed from the intense heat, Ron spotted a chance at relief and made for the soda stand. Jumping the counter and nearly knocking customers and Ned out of the way, the blonde grabbed the soda water gun from the drink machine and began washing out his offended eye.
Thankfully, relief came quickly, though his left eye was considerably more bloodshot than his right. Ron took a few deep breathes to calm himself down before catching the very annoyed stare of the store's assistant manager.
"Sorry, Ned," Ron said delicately while jumping back over the counter. "Diablo sauce in my eye," he added pointing at it for unneeded emphasis before making his way back to his booth.
Monique looked on with mild repulsion as Kim, without saying a word, tried to suppress her smile at her boyfriend's 8.5 on the Weird-o-Meter display and began to help dry him off. As the redhead came right out and called Ron a "weirdo" with a big grin and a kiss to the cheek, Monique couldn't help but think the duo were made for each other. A rather unsettling idea came to mind that she couldn't help but voice.
"Does it scare anyone that the fate of the world is sometimes in Ron's hands?" she asked rhetorically. "Cause it scares me…"
Before either Kim or Ron could respond, a loud rumbling belch accompanied by flames and smoke erupted from the table below. The three teens looked down to see Rufus patting his bulging gut before giving a thumbs up after another impressive victory.
--
"Ron, come on," Kim pleaded outside the dressing room in Club Banana. "You're just going to have to trust me."
A heavy sigh emanated from behind the flimsy door followed by a "Fine."
Monique gave a teasing whistle as Ron emerged from the room in a blue button down shirt and black slacks. Kim took a more analytical approach as she walked up to her BFBF and straightened the shirt out. Standing a couple steps back, Kim motioned for him to turn around and with a roll of his eyes, he complied. Monique caught Kim lingering 'back there' a few seconds too long and with a snap of the fingers, brought the redhead back to reality.
"Okay, that'll do for Picture Day," Kim said grabbing the next clothing combination off the hanger and trying to hand them to Ron. "Let's take a look at these."
"Ah, Kim," the sidekick groaned as he resisting taking the clothes from Kim. "Is this really necessary? What's wrong with what I normally wear?"
"You 'normally' wear the same thing every day," Kim countered. "You're not a cartoon character… Plus, we're going to be seniors in a week. It's time to step up your game."
"This is worse than shopping with my mom," Ron grumbled.
"Well, I could call her and have her join us," Kim retorted brandishing the Kimunicator.
"No! No, that's okay," Ron said falling for the bluff and taking the next outfit out of her hands. But before he could tuck tail and head back into the dressing room, an almost frigid voice stopped him in his tracks.
"You know, Kim, they say that clothes make the loser," Bonnie said from behind. Kim and Monique clinched their jaws as they turned to see the personification of high school evil standing before them.
"Brrr…! Did it suddenly get cold in here?" Ron quipped coming to his own rescue with a fake shiver.
"Bonnie, to what do we owe the displeasure?" Monique almost growled. The brunette let the snide comment go as she answered.
"Just picking up something for my date with Brick tonight."
"Really," Kim scoffed. "I thought he was finally leaving for college this year."
"He is, tomorrow as a matter of fact - full football scholarship to Upperton U.," Bonnie said with a sly grin.
"Hey, good for him," Ron said sincerely. Bonnie twitched at his comment but continued.
"Quite an accomplishment comparatively speaking," she added motioning to Ron. "Wouldn't you say, K.?"
"Yeah," Kim began temperature rising and taking her boyfriend's hand. "That's nothing compared to creating the number one selling item at an international restaurant chain, winning an episode of American Starmaker, and helping save the world constantly…"
"Glad to see you agree, Kim," the venomous cheerleader turned the tables on Kim. The conversation had become a major annoyance to Monique who decided to put her foot down.
"Are you planning on buying something or are you just here to harass my customers?" she asked flexing her muscle as the store's assistant manager.
"Me? Buy something from here?" Bonnie laughed. "That would be so second rate. I order all my clothes straight from the designers themselves… Ta! Ta! Losers."
With a flip of her hair, the brunette sauntered out the entrance leaving two snarling girls in her wake. If anyone was going to try to get the last word in, it would have to be Ron.
"And now it's warm again," he said loud enough for the exiting Bonnie to hear. "Kim you should have Wade check if Drakken's got another weather machine… And…"
"And what?" Kim asked more sharply than she wanted. Ron shied a bit before giving an answer.
"And…, could you ease up on my hand? You're sorta crushing it."
--
"I swear," Monique seethed stabbing her fork into her salad. "If I hear that girl make one more snide comment, I'm gonna snatch that pretty little hair off that pretty little head."
On the opposite side of the food court table, Kim and Ron had joined the raven haired beauty for lunch – Rufus scurried around the table sampling a bit of everything.
"Bonnie," Rufus said addressing Monique. The naked mole rat followed it with a raspberry and a paw's down. Pleased with the little guy's response, Monique patted his head and handed him a slice of carrot. The vegetable being a rare part of his diet, he sniffed it cautiously before taking a small bite.
"Let it go, Monique," Kim said still upset but calming down from her encounter with her cheer squad rival. "It's just Bonnie being Bonnie."
"Well, if I had access to sixteen styles of kung-fu, she wouldn't be 'just Bonnie' when I was through with her."
"Though, I have to admit I'd pay tickets to see that," Kim began as she visualized such an encounter. "The kung-fu is reserved for the bad guys trying to take over the world…"
As the conversation seemed to die down, Monique kept a stealthy eye on Kim before she picked up on something with a crafty smile.
"I bet you wish Bonnie would try taking over the world just so you could kick a little Bonnie biscuit from here to Miami," Monique bated her redheaded friend. Kim gave her a soured look that confirmed everything. She thought about lying but was smart enough to realize Monique had her number.
"Yeah, maybe a little," Kim conceded with a defeated sigh. "But only if she was trying to take over the world…"
"Bonfie, frying to fake ofer fah world?" Ron asked with a mouthful of food before gulping the oversized bite down. "Now there's a disturbing concept.
"Stranger things have happened," Monique said looking at the couple sitting across from her. "But you guys wouldn't have any trouble handling her. It's not like she's a…,"
The Club Banana assistant manager stopped as three hooded figures dropped in behind her two friends. She nearly lost the fork full of greens she was holding as a look of alarm covered her face.
"Ninjas…," she finally squeaked.
"Ninjas?" Ron asked still absorbed in his meal. "Don't you mean 'ninja'? There's only one of her. Thankfully…"
Before he could take another bite or a terrified Monique could explain the danger, three more masked ninjas dropped down behind Monique trapping the teens.
"Oh, you meant actual ninjas," Ron said flatly. "I was wondering when we were going to get to the 'normal' part of the day."
Acting on pure instinct, Kim, Ron, and Rufus jumped into fighting stances. Kim had to roll her eyes as Ron added all-too gimmicky martial art's yells to his multitude of postures. Monique slowly got up from the table not allowing her fear to leave her and looked at the watch on her wrist that she wasn't wearing.
"Well, look at the time," she trembled. "Lunch break's over."
The poor girl dove behind a planter full of bushes.
"Well, at least we don't have to face monkey ninjas this time," Ron commented as the standoff continued. However, a familiar and rather innocent giggle broke the tension.
"You and your American style assumptions, Stoppable-san," Yori said as she removed her hood.
"Yori?!" Kim and Ron asked in shocked unison. A further shock was visited on them as a second ninja de-hooded letting his perfect hair bounce into place as if it had just been styled.
"It is good to see you again, Kim Possible," Hirotaka said politely. Ron, though normally oblivious to such things, caught Kim's blush and shy smile. After a brief battle with the bushes, Monique reemerged and attached herself to the Japanese hunk with a starry-eyed smile.
"What'da you know? They gave me another thirty minutes!" Monique said with everything except floating hearts circling her head.
"So let me guess," Ron started almost glumly. "Monkey Fist stole something that he thinks will make him the 'monkey king' and we have to go stop him…"
"You know your arch foe well, Stoppable-san," Yori said drawing closer to the boy.
"Like the back of my hand," Ron mumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"The situation is grave," the young ninja continued as took Ron's hands. "Sensei requests that you return to Yamanouchi to train immediately. And I once again call on our bond of honor…,"
Trailing off, the beautiful but lethal young girl leaned in to give a very uncomfortable Ron a peck on his cheek. However, as her lips touched flesh, she instantly realized that she was not touching him. Her eyes opened and traced the hand covering the side of Ron's face back to an openly irked Kim.
"Excuse me, Yori," said Kim without disguising her jealousy. "But I need to have a talk with my boyfriend."
The words hit Yori like a well-placed kick to the gut, but years of training masked the emotional impact it had on her. Kim marched Ron away from their visitors until she was satisfied they could talk privately.
"Ron!" she yelled in a whisper. "You didn't tell her about us?"
"Speaking of not telling, anything you want to clue me in on about you and Mr. Biker Hunk Ninja over there?" Ron fired back coming to his own rescue for the second time in as many hours. It was a risky move, but succeeded in the rare occasion of disarming Kim. "Look, I'm sorry. Yori goes to a secret ninja school on a mountain top with no TV, no phone, and no e-mail. About the only way to send a shout-out would be to use a carrier pigeon and that seems pretty silly to say, 'Hey, Yori, I'm dating Kim now'!"
The side of Kim that was fiercely competitive wanted to keep going not willing to concede anything, even an argument, to anyone but Kim herself. But the growing side of her that wanted to see Ron succeed and live up to his potential won out convincing her that he had a valid and decisive point.
"You're right. I'm sorry," she said relaxing the tension she had built up. "I'm just being a little protective of you, that's all."
"Hey, I'd be protective too if I had the exclusive rights to Ron-shine," the sidekick said bringing a smile to his girlfriend's face – their little spat being instantly forgotten.
"So, I guess we'd better get going," Kim said heading back towards Yori and the others.
"Right behind you, K.P.," Ron replied.
"Actually, Monkey Fist is your arch foe, so technically I'll be right behind you."
"Wait a second," said the blonde at the possibility Kim's statement brought up. "Does this mean I get to call the shots this time?"
Kim stopped as her face contorted in thought. She realized she had boxed herself in and hurriedly tried to find a way out.
"We'll see…"
A cool mountain breeze rustled the leaves of the maple trees making the warm day much more pleasant on the secret ninja school's grounds than in the valley below. Standing watch at the gates, a distinguished old man watched as three familiar figures entered. Yori and Hirotaka gave their teacher a respectful bow as Kim did likewise. The old man returned their greeting before addressing Kim.
"Kim Possible," Sensei began. "We are honored by your presence here at Yamanouchi. I only wish your first visit here could be under better circumstances."
Before Kim could return the greeting, a cloud of dirt was thrown in the air as Ron hit the ground at their feet exhausted from the ordeal of catching up. Although his friends looked no worse for wear, Ron's clothes were tattered and dirty and his hair more tussled than usual.
"'Sup, Sensei?" he wheezed from his back. "You know…, if I ever get… another naco royalty check… it will be my honor to buy you guys… an escalator…"
--
Yamanouchi's armament room was full of swords, katanas, nunchucks, staves, and all other various tools of the ninja trade. Removing an object from an ornate glass case, the school's master approached Ron and Rufus who were joined by Kim, Yori, and Hirotaka - all of whom had changed into the traditional garb of the school.
"Cool!" Ron exclaimed as Sensei presented him the Lotus Blade. "Forgot about the magic sword! Wonder if this thing still works…"
"It just looks like an ordinary sword to me," Kim said trying not to be overly skeptical.
With a small bit of concentration, Ron stuck out his tongue and proved Kim's doubts wrong. A brilliant flash of blue light transformed the sword into a battle staff. The redhead, although knowing about the Lotus Blade, had no clue as to its true powers - a fact signified by her gaping jaw and wide eyes. Ron put the enchanted weapon through its paces transforming it into a shield, a set of nunchucks, a what-cha-ma-jigger, and a 9 iron. Getting a slightly sly look on his face, another burst of light changed the enchanted weapon into a Lotus bouquet. Ron presented it to a blushing Kim. She hesitantly took hold of it for a moment before giving it back to Ron who turned the blade back into its resting form. An impartial observer would have failed to notice, but the heightened senses of both Sensei and Hirotaka were able to catch Yori's near inaudible sigh at the display. His students' teen relationship issues aside, Sensei had more important matters to address.
"Stoppable-san, the scroll Monkey Fist stole holds the very key to the Mystical Monkey Power. It is said that only the Chosen One, using the power of the Lotus Blade, can unlock the seal and restore balance to the Power."
"Whoa," Ron began as Sensei's words impacted him. "You think I'm the 'Chosen One'?"
"That remains to be seen," the master replied choosing his words carefully. "However, the honor of recovering the scroll and defeating Monkey Fist, once again, falls to you. It would be best to begin training immediately…"
"Um, that's great, Sensei," the blonde replied not entirely Kosher with the idea. "But remember what happened last time you guys tried to train me? I practically destroyed the place."
"Do not be disheartened," Sensei said giving Ron a reassuring pat on the arm. "We were planning on renovating anyway…"
--
The mountain stream playfully tumbled over rocks and twigs as fish swam about in its rather strong current doing whatever it is that fish do all day. The gentle breeze continued to rustle the branches of the trees as birds chirped and flew about.
On a stone that barely had enough room for his feet in the middle of the stream, Ron tried to maintain his balance while holding a bucket of water in each hand at arms' length. Despite the growing strain in his muscles, the sidekick endured though desperately hoping for the exercise to end. To make matters worse, a small lady bug landed on his nose producing a small 'eep!' in the back of Ron's throat. The blonde began twitching his nose hoping to shake the bug. But like a rodeo champion, the tiny creature held tough. Switching tactics, Ron stuck out his bottom lip and attempted to blow the bug off as his eyes began to show more panic over the encounter. A second attempt was no more successful than the first. Drawing in a deep breath, Ron blew as hard as he could finally forcing the lady bug to take flight but at the same time triggering his sneeze mechanism. He resisted as long as he could before a grande-sized 'Achoo!' toppled his wobbly balance and dumped him into the water.
Sensei watched as his pupil hauled himself onto the shore line with a shiver. Holding his hand out, the old man allowed the lady bug to land softly in his palm. As the bug explored its new landing pad, Sensei reflected at the lesson at hand and addressed his student.
"Stoppable-san, what have we learned?"
"That the water gets really cold after it leaves the hot springs," Ron replied with chattering teeth.
Calling on the patience of a lifetime of teaching, Sensei allowed himself a small smile beneath his flowing white beard before continuing.
"Look closer," he said displaying Ron the bug that had beat him. "And you will find that size and strength are nothing if victory and defeat have already been achieved in the mind."
As Ron leaned in closer to look at the lady bug, the creature stretched its wings a couple times before flying off into the afternoon.
--
Stoppable-san gulped nervously as he leaned over the edge of the pit. He wasn't sure why Yamanouchi had a pit full of bubbling lava or whose idea it was to stretch a long wooden beam across it. But he was certain that the chains swinging large sandbags, axes, and spikey metal balls across the precarious path were flat out overkill.
"That would be so cool if you weren't going to try to make me cross it," Ron said turning back to Kim, Yori, and Hirotaka.
Yori was busy fixing a blindfold around her ninja school mate. The young man calmly walked to the front of the treacherous course and, sensing the pattern of the first obstacle, made his way onto the beam. Stopping and starting at just the right moments, Hirotaka made his way across to the other side as if he had done it many times before.
"Okay," began Ron fully certain that he stood no chance. "This is definitely some sort of advanced placement ninja course. Wouldn't' you say Kim…? Kim?"
Kim sprinted past him with her blindfold securely on. She tumbled, flipped, dashed, and split her way across the beam in half the time as Hirotaka leaving Ron speechless and their two counterparts impressed.
"It's got the same rhythm as that routine we took to regionals last year," Kim said removing the blindfold.
With Kim now on the other side, Ron sickened to the notion that he would have to go next. Yori wasted no time confirming that fact.
"Now it will be your honor to go across," she said brandishing another blindfold.
"Shouldn't my parents have the honor of signing a permission slip first?" Ron inquired fruitlessly. The young ninja giggled at his request as she secured the blindfold and positioned him at the start of the course.
His heart rate skyrocketed as he could feel the heat from the lava ripple across his face. The constant rumble of the swinging pendulums of various dooms vibrated his core. In spite of an intense desire to run screaming in the opposite direction, Ron mustered every ounce of his courage. Okay, everyone's counting on me. Gotta make through training so you're just going to have to calm down and get this right, he told himself. Clearing his mind, he slowly began to sense the rush of air indicating when the first sand bag had passed. Allowing himself to get in sync, Ron finally walked out onto the beam.
Feeling the first obstacle rush behind him, the sidekick got a small dose of confidence and concentrated on the next one. He cleared the second one the same as the first; then the third; then the fourth; getting past each with more speed. But the fifth…
Ron took one step too far allowing one of the sandbags to brush his front side. Startled, he stepped backwards to get out of danger only to feel the one behind him brush his backside. His concentration broken, the Stoppable Flight or Flight mechanism overwhelmed his higher brain functions. Abandoning any pretext of using his senses to clear the next obstacle, Ron made a poorly balanced mad dash forward and didn't stop until he hit something – hard.
Falling backwards, Ron was almost certain of his doom and failure. However, as he hit the ground and noticed that it was all around him, he suddenly realized he had made it! Whipping off his blindfold, he found that the thing he had run into was a stunned Hirotaka.
"Incredible," the young ninja with a perfect hair cut said. "It's as if you completed the course by sheer luck."
Bolstered not only by not being incinerated but his success as well, Ron got to his feet.
"Boo-yah!" he declared. "The Ron-san comes through again! What next?"
His enthusiasm faded as neither Kim nor Hirotaka looked him in the eyes or answered him. Kim cleared her throat in the 'please notice the thing that's making us uncomfortable' way. Ron didn't have to be told as his legs reported back to him a lot more contact with the air than they had a moment before. Turning back to the obstacle course, Ron saw the pants portion of his gi swinging from one of the battle axes.
"Now it will be your honor to get them back!" Yori yelled with another giggle from the other side.
Ron grumbled loudly as he started to walk back towards the beam before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. With a smirk, Hirotaka handed the blindfold back to an even more sour-faced Ron.
--
The courtyard was quickly filling up with aspiring martial arts students under the mid-day sun. Each fell into an orderly line and waited their turn to snatch a morsel of food from the elderly lady holding the tray.
"Okay, Kim," Ron said putting on his serious face. "This woman makes Cafeteria Lady look like a saint."
Near the end of the line but in front of Ron, Kim peaked ahead to try and see what Ron was talking about as he continued his speech.
"Gotta stay sharp; don't lose focus; take no prisoners; don't swipe until you see the whites of her eyes!!"
Having moved far enough ahead in line, Kim got a good look at Cafeteria Lady's Yamanouchi counterpart and the process with which lunch was served. She rolled her eyes as she turned back to Ron.
"Ron, I think you're being a bit overdramatic," Kim whispered as they reached the front of the line.
"Look at her! She's pure evil!" Ron whispered back.
The redhead shot him a 'just watch' glance before stepping forward. In a flash, Kim successfully swiped her lunch from the tray leaving Ron to stew over his girlfriend's victory.
With Kim enjoying her sushi, Ron stepped forward with a massive chip on his shoulder. Gathering himself, he made his first attempt – and came up empty. With a 'grr!', he tried again. And a third time. And a fourth. All coming up woefully short. The old woman didn't even bother looking at him as she kept his chopsticks empty of lunch. Having been soundly defeated, Ron switched tactics and started walking past her with a carefree whistle. Just before the next student could step forward and try his own luck, Ron spun on a dime and lunged for the tray. As with his previous attempts, he had nothing to show for his efforts. The woman easily moved the tray out of the way allowing Ron to land flat on his stomach.
The commotion was enough to disturb Rufus from his pre-lunch nap. Popping out of Ron's pocket, the naked mole rat quickly surmised the situation and spring-boarded up onto the tray. Before he could devour the remaining pieces of food, the old woman motioned for him to stop. After halting in confusion at the lunchtime denial, he was pointed to a specially prepared tray sitting on a bench behind her. With a squeal of delight, Rufus leaped from one tray to the other and gorged himself on the tray of sushi. Ron watched on his elbows and sulked at such an injustice.
--
The setting sun bathed the mountain school in an almost magical yellow-orange light. Sensei made his way down the steps to the lower level of the complex – a troubled Ron right behind him. Sensing his student's anxiety, he stopped near the bottom.
"Is something troubling you, Stoppable-san?" the old master asked. Ron halted a couple steps above him and sighed.
"Sensei," the blonde replied with a frown. "I appreciate you guys training me again and everything, but I think this is going worse than last time…"
The short, bearded man nodded as he thought about how best to pick-up Ron's spirits.
"May I ask how many buildings you destroyed today?" came his unusual question. It had been a long, tough, and altogether trying day, but as Ron thought about it, the answer was…
"None," he replied with a small grin.
"And that is what you fail to see. The path to every successful journey must always begin with a first step," Sensei observed before walking down the last couple stairs and into the school's dojo. Ron, tension relieved, followed him inside.
Inside the training facility, students worked on punching bags, breaking blocks of concrete, and sparred with weapons. Leading Ron to the center mat, Sensei joined a waiting Kim.
"I think it would be best if we ended the day with a friendly sparring match," the school's master said to Ron. Having just gained a confidence boost, he seemed to accept the idea.
"Why not?" he asked as he stepped away from Kim and Sensei to begin his theatrical style of warming up for battle. "Who you got for me?"
When Sensei didn't answer, Ron turned to find the old man was no longer behind him. Darting his eyes around the room, he finally spotted him taking his seat in the judge's box. The light slowly came on in Ron's head as he made the agonizing turn back to face Kim. His best friend looked at him like a lioness staring down its prey as she finished tying her hair back into a ponytail.
"Oh snap…," Ron groaned as the redhead began limbering up. When she was finished, she gave him the traditional bow and then launched a flying kick right for his head…
--
"Aaoooh!" Ron winced as Kim pressed the icepack to his bruised shoulder. The couple was sitting and leaning against the wall of Ron's entirely too small room. A single candle fended off the darkness of night.
"Sorry," Kim apologized shifting the pack for his comfort as he continued to scowl. "I thought you were going to roll with that punch…"
"I didn't roll with the first two, Kim. Why'd you think I'd roll with the third?" Ron retorted in a rare foul mood. Kim gave the boy some leeway knowing it had been a very difficult day on him. Still, she was going try to her best to put things in a positive light.
"You know, Ron," she said trying to encourage him. "You were really holding your own against me."
"Uh-huh," came the sharp counter. "Right up until I kicked the support column out and you had to save everyone before the roof collapsed."
"Well, if you want to bring that up…"
After a moment of silence, a heavy sigh from Ron shifted his frustration back into melancholy.
"I'm starting to think that maybe I'm not suppose to be the Chosen One," he said looking at the ground.
"Well, Sensei did say it remained to be seen," Kim said honestly before taking his hand. "But there's one thing I can see…"
"Yeah? What's that?"
"A guy who's trying his best and isn't going to quit because he can always count on his best friend being there for him," Kim replied softly. To ensure that her words lifted his spirits, she added a delicate kiss to the tip of his nose. It went a long way in pulling the blonde out of his funk.
"Thanks, K.P.," he said with his eyes thanking her more than his words.
"That's what I'm here for," the teen heroin said as the emotional tug of the moment pulled her lips towards Ron's. They were quickly separated by the sound of a rocket ship blasting off.
"Huh-uh! Black hole!" Rufus declared finishing his impression of a doomed space probe. The two teens stabbed the pink rodent with their eyes at his betrayal. He could care less about their indignation as he thought about the wonderful exotic cheeses his 'employer' had promised him for his chaperoning services. Deciding she ought to get to bed anyway, Kim gave her boyfriend another peck on the cheek.
"Goodnight, Stoppable-san," she added as she got up to leave.
"G'night, Kim," Ron trailed after her as she shut the door. The boy took in a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning to his pet.
"Traitor," he said with mock outrage. Blowing out the candle, Ron settled in for bed and as soon as he closed his eyes, he was fast asleep.
--
A dark menacing figure stood on a treacherous outcropping of rocks sticking out from the mountain. Staring out over the valley, Monkey Fist took in the soft glowing lights of Yamanouchi across from him as one by one, they went out for the night. It had been a year and a half since he had stood on this very spot certain of his coming reign as Supreme Monkey Ruler. A year and a half since one mistake allowed his, though he loathed to calling him it, arch foe to get the upper hand and defeat his plans. But this time was going to be different. He had planned every detail – was ready for any contingency – the sidekick's fate was sealed…
Reveling in his almost certain victory, the genetically-altered English lord was joined on his perch by a small hooded monkey.
"Report," Fist demanded coldly. The simian servant chattered away as his master nodded.
"Excellent. Let the fools think that a couple days of training will compare to a lifetime of devotion. Is there anything else?"
A few more sentences from the monkey ninja caused Monkey Fist to raise an eyebrow.
"So, it appears that hero and sidekick have become an 'item'," the monkey-man said with an evil grin. "That could prove most useful… Tell the others we attack tomorrow."
The pint-sized warrior scampered away leaving Fist alone. The villain leaned forward as he once again stared at the secret ninja school.
"Sleep well, Stoppable, for tomorrow you face your doom…"
To be continued…