Author Notes: Okay chapter 9 is up and ready to go. Hope every likes and reviews. I think there are only about 2-3 chapters to go so it should be done soon. As always I don't own anything. It's all Disney.
Open the Door Chapter 9: Spirit Journey
By
Darkcloud
Ron Stoppable knew he led an extraordinary life. How many people could say that they had helped save the world several times and still hadn't finished high school? Not to mention the fact that he traveled more, in just a few years, than most had traveled in their entire lives! Ron had faced monkey ninjas, mutants, evil robots, magical beings, and henchman of all shapes and sizes and he had always come out on top in the end. Ron held no illusions about himself however, he never would have gone on any of those missions, never helped fought any of those evils and certainly never done what he had in his life without the help of a certain red-headed best friend. In Ron's eye that was one of the things that made Kim special, how could you be friends with her and not feel like you could save the world?
It was due to reasons such as these that Ron was proud of his composure over the last few minutes. His last memory before finding himself in his current sitch was sitting with Kim and Elder getting ready to start his training. After his best friend slash quasi girlfriend finished fighting with his recently appointed new sensei Ron had taken a gulp of some really fowl smelling tea. At first Ron had felt the stuff didn't taste all that bad (had kinda of a minty taste if anyone's curious) but when the pain hit he hadn't really cared. Ron believed he had only blacked out for a moment however when he woke he found himself in a clearing wearing a light blue Gi, no Kimmunicator, a slight headache and a leftover mint taste in his mouth.
That was when it got weird.
Standing before him was a large Arnold Schwarzenegger version of Rufus with a voice that reminded him of the guy from Space Passage: The New Guys. Of course he said he was some sort of spirit thingy fill in but right now Ron was chalking the whole experience up to bad tea. The muscled mole rat continued his speech (which Ron had missed the past several moments of since he still debating whether this was some sort of bad tea induced hallucination).
"……so that is why I am here to assist you on your journey Ronald Stoppable." The spirit creature intoned.
"No wait I missed the last part."
"What was the last thing you heard?"
""Something about being a fill in?"
"…………."
"You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying have you?"
"Uh no sorry you were kinda going on and I'm still trying to figure out how I got here."
"I explained that."
"Oh…sorry. Okay dude I swear I'm listening this time."
"Sigh….alright as I ALREADY said once before you were sent here for a journey of spiritual enlightenment. Well, normally it's about spiritual enlightenment, but you've already made a hard case of that." The spirit said with a grimace on his face as if he were remembering something particularly unpleasant.
"In your case, however, time is of the essence and if you are going to save your mate, we are going to have to settle for more of a spiritual "okayness" than anything else. We must help you overcome your fear."
"Wait a minute what--."
The enlarged molerat gave him a stern look. "Please do not tell me I have to start over again. I will be very angry."
Ron failed to understand how he seemed to be looking up at the angry spirit guide when despite the spirit's bulk Ron still towered over him by several feet. After a moments consideration he decided anything with that much muscle could be as tall as it felt.
"No Spirit Dude I'm listening but what mate? And why is it in trouble?"
'Not IT, she."
"She who?"
'Your mate, the Blue Fox." the guide stated again with a look of annoyance and he felt he was being very clear. Where were the powers that be getting their Monkey Masters these days?
"Blue Fox, wait you mean Kim!"
"That is what I said."
"No it's not you said mate!" Ron said in a worried tone and looked around expecting to see Mr. Dr. P readying a rocket with his name on it.
"Is she not?"
"Dude we are nowhere near mating yet, we only kinda just started going out!"
"Ah my mistake. Then I suppose it doesn't matter if she dies then?"
"Of course it does!"
Ron was a little anxious as he tried to follow the conversation but if Kim was somehow in danger then he needed to figure out what Uber-Rufus meant.
"What's happened to Kim?"
"Nothing."
"But you said she was in danger!"
"Was, Is, and Will Be. Time in this world is not the same as yours, here, things are more fluid and an event can be felt even if it is yet to be."
Ron's eyes grew afraid but if someone knew how to look hard enough they would see a strong core, more than ready to go fight for his friend.
"If Kim's in trouble, I got to help her."
"If you go to her, you doom her." The rodent said gravely. Ron who had already started to walk away (without quite knowing where he walking to) turned back.
"Wouldn't I be dooming her if I didn't go find her?"
The Spirit guide shook his head slowly. "This is the point of your journey here, your Nemesis is as strong as he's ever been and while you have grown in strength if you were to fight him now, he would prevail and your mate and indeed the whole world would suffer at this hands."
Ron gave up arguing the whole mate comment and kneeled so he would be closer to his guides eye level.
"Fine. Your the magical animal mascot, so what do I need to do to beat Monkey Fist?"
"Ron Stoppable you have known that ever since you received your gift." The guide looked at Ron and he knew the Spirit expected him to make the leap himself. He thought back to the night he had first received the Mystical Monkey Power and with a bit a dread it came to him.
"Become what I fear the most."
The Guide just nodded in acknowledgment.
"Monkeys. It always comes back to monkeys."
(Scene Break)
Elder was not often surprised. Things tended to go his way after all. Many, many years of learning how to guide people to their proper place had left him with a certain smugness, if truth were to be told, and a sometimes unnecessary flair for the dramatic. However despite his ability to predict people, he had to admit he had not expected this.
"What do you mean killed him!" the young woman shrieked as she held the ancient master off the ground by the collar of his kimono. "She probably hadn't even known what she was doing when she slammed me," into a wall Elder thought to himself. A different man from his time and culture would have been filled with rage at a perceived insult and try to put the gaijin in her place.
But Elder was not this kind of man and he knew with a sense of shame that his words were unintentionally cruel. "You have kept to yourself for too many years if feelings of another are so readily discounted," he thought with a sense of chastisement.
He spoke softly and apologetically. "My pardons Possible-Sama, I should have explained it more clearly."
"How do you explain "killing him" more clearly?" Kim almost snarled.
"If you let me down I will explain."
A spark of realization proved Elder right that she had not know how violent her reaction had been, but she did not seem sorry as she let him down. Elder politely looked away as Kim used her sleeve to wipe some tears from her face. He handed her a cup of tea which she eyed with suspicion.
"I assure you, this will only serve to calm your nerves, nothing more. Drink and I will explain about the Journey young Stoppable has taken."
She paused, as not sure if she believed him, but slowly took a sip of the tea. It seemed to be pleasant and she decided to have some more and Kim sat where he gestured.
"Thank you. Young Stoppable is not dead but at the same time he is not quite alive either."
"What do you mean?" she replied trying to hold on to her emotions.
"The tea young Stoppable drank from is made of a rare herb which causes the Spirit to leave the body and travel to the Spirit World, but unlike a true death the body still functions and can be returned to."
"Why didn't you tell him?"
"What that I was going to separate his Spirit from his body? The boy barely was able to come thru the front gate when he thought it was haunted. Elder was not going to let himself "chicken out". "
Kim was still pretty angry but she had to concede his point, of course if someone else told her she needed to be killed for some sort of training she might very well "chicken out" as well!
Kim rubbed her head with her palms trying to stop the headache forming. "Okay, so how is this the training you promised him?"
"There was never any real way to train Young Stoppable even someone with Elder's skills needs more than a few days in order to battle an experienced Monkey Master. So that left only a shortcut. If we could not give him the necessary skills we had to give a greater connection to his power. "
"So when he wakes up his Monkey Mojo will be stronger?"
"If he wakes up." Elder said solemnly.
"What do you mean if? I thought Ron was fine?" Kim replied barely restraining more anger rising in her voice.
"Aghh girl! Elder never said that he was safe! His spirit is no longer in his body! If he fails to complete his task he will not be able to return and his body will die in truth!."
He held his hand up to stop her next protest. Elder certainly felt for the girl but she was trying his patience. "You think he would have been any better off if Monkey Fist had dashed his body upon the ground. Elder did not do this out of some twisted sense of American humor. It was the boy's only chance. " His voice softened. "He is not alone over there. A friend was sent to help him and Elder is sure he is keeping Ron on the right path."
Kim sat back her chair appearing overwhelmed by the situation and Elder knew that this was probably the closest anyone had seen her to looking defeated. So it still came as a small surprise when he heard words like iron come from her mouth.
"He better be okay or I swear you'll never be around to do this to anyone else."
Elder sighed inside and almost wished she could.
(Scene Break)
By the best Ron could tell he had been walking for the better part of an hour without a break, though Uber (short for Uber-Rufus) had stated the time he spent here does not necessarily correlate with the time he spent in the real world. Strangely, even though Ron had been told that this was not his real body, he still felt it had been awhile since his last meal.
"Come on, if Kim's not in danger yet, can't we stop for a Naco?" Ron pleaded with his relentless guide.
"No."
"Well how come?"
"For one there are no Bueno Nacho's in the Spirit World." his guide replied with a sigh.
"What kind of wacky heaven does not have a Bueno Nacho?" Ron grumbled.
"This is not heaven."
"Of course it isn't Heaven would have access to all the great fast food chains.....with automatic Grande size!" Ron smiled as he thought of the potential of unlimited orders.
"You should be thinking on the coming challenges, not of second rate fast food." his guide reminded him.
"What am I supposed to think about? You said you don't know what the challenges are!"
Uber nodded in acknowledgment. "True, but I do have an idea of the kind of challenges you may face, if not their ultimate nature."
"Well, why not?
"These things are different for each mortal and cannot be decided until the event has come."
"Well okay little buddy, don't hold back! Spill already!" Ron said with a note of exasperation.
Uber looked at him with a glimmer of anger and Ron backed a step back. Since when had naked mole rats eyes been able to glow?
"Heh uh, Sorry. You just kinda remind me of Rufus and you know----. What I meant was please share your wisdom oh wise Spirit Guide."
"If you weren't so close to the Great Progenitor......." Uber shook his head and sighed.
"While you are here you shall face three tasks. Each task will test one aspect of yourself. Ronald, you must complete each task to reach your final challenge and if you succeed you will be sent to the back to world of the living."
"So if I pass these tasks then I will be able to beat Monkey Fist?"
"There are no guarantees, this whole journey is merely about giving you a chance. Nothing more. The end result is up to you." Uber turned and looked back as he realized his young charge had stopped and his head was hanging low. The human looked dejected and Uber could think of no reason the boys spirit had grown so dark so quickly.
"What is wrong Ronald Stoppable?"
"Even if I succeed Monkey Fist could still kill me?" Ron asked with a hoarse whisper.
"Of course what did you expect? That this battle would be handed to you on a plate?" Uber said with a cold look of disdain in his eyes.
Ron hadn't met his gaze. "No, it's not that."
"Then what?"
"It's just that, if I fail at any part of this then Kim is going to die."
Uber's gaze softened. "And who says you are going to fail Ronald Stoppable?"
"Oh come on! I'm just the sidekick! The hero is the one who's supposed to face these kind of things! I'm just here for comedy relief!" Ron was practically screaming as he finally let out his frustration.
Uber would have none of it. "Is that all you think of yourself Ronald Stoppable?"
Ron sighed as he sat on the ground and found he was eye level with Uber. "I don't know, I mean no one's really asked this much from me before."
Uber tried to put himself in the boys shoes but couldn't. However, that didn't mean he couldn't share some of himself, after all he was his Spirit Guide. Uber placed his hand on Ron's shoulder looking the youth square in the eyes.
"All warriors can feel moments of doubt Ronald Stoppable. But I feel you have at least a small chance of surviving the challenges and saving your mate."
Ron tried not to shudder at the "M" word. "Why? It's not like you seem to have a high opinion of me."
"I have not made my opinion known to you yet Ronald Stoppable." Uber paused thinking of what to say.
"Do you know why I agreed to help you Ronald Stoppable?"
"Owed someone a Naco?"
"No and once again there are no Bueno Nacho's here. The reason I agreed to help you Ronald Stoppable was that if it was not for you I would not exist."
Ron looked up a little surprised, "Um I'm pretty sure the only thing I have ever created was usually on a menu."
"Perhaps not directly, but in your help with the Great Progenitor you helped form me."
"Okay, is progenitor one of those words I'm supposed to know?"
"I refer to the one you know as Rufus."
"My little buddy?"
"Your little buddy was the first of his kind in my species. He has a level of spirit that has not been seen in my kind ever before. The reason I believe, is because of your connection with him and an added bit of help from the Mystical Monkey Power."
"But what does that have to do with you?" Ron asked as he struggled with a few new concepts.
"A spirit animal represents the potential of a species. Because of the Great Progenitor and his future descendants I can exist. So in essence your friendship and kindness have elevated my whole species."
"That and my Dad's allergies." Ron responded.
"Indeed. But do these actions seem the work of a mere sidekick?" Uber asked.
"I wasn't trying to do anything special. I mean Rufus is just my friend. I was just being me." Ron countered.
"Most heroes do nothing more than face the world as themselves casting aside their doubts."
"So that's what I have to do?"
"No, that is what you chose to do." Uber corrected. "So are you going continue? You haven't started the challenges yet. I may be able to return you to your body before, but not after, if you start you have to finish or fail as your destiny decrees."
Ron stood and brushed the dust from his Gi. He flashed Uber one of his goofy grins. "No Ron Stoppable's your man, I'll kick these challenges butts and send Monty packing." He said with false bravado.
"I hope so" Uber thought to himself "because your first challenge is just up ahead and to fail will not just doom you Ronald Stoppable, but my races future as well."
(Scene Break)
Kim paced back and forth as she waited anxiously for her best friend to show some kind of life. But like many times in their friendship, Ron just laid there unresponsive, of course most of those times all she had to do was turn off the TV too cure that problem.
She paused and looked at him lying there. This wasn't the same was it? Kim couldn't even really pretend he was just sleeping...the way his body remained so still reminded her more of a dead person. She shuddered & tried to stop that train of thought. She had already checked him several times and even if it was extremely slow, he was breathing. "You should be getting him to a hospital," she thought to herself for the billionth time. But Elder had assured her he would be safer here.
Of course as Kim glanced over at the ancient Japanese man she wondered for the billionth time why she was choosing to trust him. Kim knew he had not been truthful with them, so why was she listening to his advice? "Because you know that no one else can help him," her head replied. She wondered for a moment whose side her mind was actually on as she started pacing back and forth again.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Kim was startled for a moment not realizing where the sound was coming from. Quickly she realized it was her own Kimmunicator going off. Wearily she took it from her hip and answered.
"What's the sitch Wade?"
"Kim are you okay?" her friend asked with a worried tone in his voice.
"No, what's going on?" Kim almost growled with impatience.
"Dementor's up to no good again ."
"This is not a good time Wade, can't anyone else handle this?"
"No one who knows Dementor as well as you do. What he's stolen has made several people very nervous."
"What has he taken the PDVI again?" Kim said as she attempted a really rough joke.
"........"
"Your kidding."
"Well it wasn't the actual PDVI per say, but he did get his hands on one of the earlier decommissioned prototypes and the powers that be are worried that he'll be able to get it working or worse."
"What's worse?"
"He could turn it on thinking he has it working properly." Wade replied letting her think on the implications.
"Oh." Kim turned and shook her head as she saw Ron lying there. "It doesn't matter Wade, someone else will have to deal with this one. Call Team Impossible or something."
"Young Possible." Kim looked up and saw Elder looking at her with a grave expression on his face.
"If you have a duty to perform you must go perform it." he said gently but firmly.
"No way! Ron needs me more than anyone else right now!" she yelled.
"Emotional American girl can do nothing for Young Stoppable right now!" Elder yelled right back.
"What? I leave him alone for Monkey Fist to come up and kill him while he's----"
"Whack!" Kim never saw the Bo coming and held her head as she backed away from the angry small man.
"What was that for?!" Kim yelped as she tried to stay out of reach of the dangerous stick.
"You think Elder is any less capable of protecting Young Stoppable than you are?"
"Well no obviously."
"Then you will kindly trust Elder and go do your job!"
Kim looked at Ron and seriously considered her options. It could be some real stress relief to knock around Dementor and his goons she thought with a bit of savage joy. At least she could be doing something as opposed to wallowing in her worry for her best friend. Besides as she looked at Elder and the bo in his hands she realized she might not have a choice.
"Wade?"
"Yeah Kim?" the boy genius replied hesitantly.
"Get me a ride." Kim said her voice full of it's usual command once again.
"Already on it's way."
"You rock Wade." she said ending the call on the Kimmunicator. The young girl walked over to her friends side and took his hand. The protector in her wanted to keep him safe but she did have a job to do. Maybe he was right when he said that this was his fight. A mission like this wouldn't take her long though and she would be back before Monkey Fist was due to attack, if she hurried. Kim bent low and whispered to her friend.
"Be safe Ron and be strong, wherever you are." And then she leaned in kissing him, ever so lightly, on his lips. She turned away and looked at Elder. "Keep him safe." Whether it was an order or a request she wasn't sure, but she did smile as Elder nodded in reply. But she still hurried out of the room with tears in her eyes.
Ron's lips were so cold.
(Scene Break)
Monkey Fist crept ever closer to his Nemesis. He hadn't believed his minions when they said the presence of the....Chosen One was no more, they had not been able to be more clear when he asked if the boy had died. But when he had seen Kim Possible leave in tears he knew he needed to find out for himself. When he entered the room he almost laughed in delight when he saw Ron laying there. Monty knew that he was not dead. His enhanced senses could tell he was breathing, but he seemed as close to death as one could be and Lord Fiske would be more than happy to help him the rest of the way.
"Greetings Pretender." a voice said behind him. Monkey Fist turned, and where not a moment before there had been no one now stood the decrepit owner of this rotting mansion.
Monkey Fist pulled out two sais' and held one to Ronald's throat and the other threateningly at the old man.
"I believe it is not yet your time to face Young Stoppable." The old man said seemingly unconcerned with weapon pointed at him.
"Well if I had known killing him in his sleep was a option I would have finished this long ago." Monkey Fist replied with a dark grin. "As it is, I have to say I'm delighted with these turn of events. I will so enjoy killing this little American braggart."
"No you will not, the boy is under my protection."
Monkey Fist removed the other sai from Ron's throat. He wasn't going anywhere. Relaxing but in a guarded stance the villain couldn't resist a little mockery. "Ah and I'm supposed to be so frightened by you old man? I have been your house guest for sometime now without you knowing." He sneered as he looked the old man up and down. "Not that there would have been anything you could have done about it you decrepit old fool. What could you seriously do to stop me from sticking this boy like a----!"
In the first moment he felt nothing but he registered he was no longer next to his nemesis. Somehow, the ninja monkey master found himself slouching against a wall clutching his chest, the old man seemingly unmoved. It was then he felt the pain of broken ribs and knew he had been struck down.
"So much time wasted on talking without even knowing what you face, you are such a disappointment Young Fiske." Feeling the ridicule from the old man's eyes Monkey Fist started to rise in challenge.
"I am not your opponent." Said the old man and Monkey Fist could hear the command in the ancient voice and found himself obeying.
"He is your foe," Elder said pointing at Ron's unmoving form. "But only when the time is right."
Elder saw the hatred in Monkey Fist eyes. "Elder see that Pretender will need something to keep him occupied and Elder suppose he does owe you a boon. How would Pretender like another weapon against the Chosen One?"
"I need no more weapons against the fool except the one I'm already going to acquire!"
"Is Young Fiske so confident in his outcome that he would forgo an additional advantage?
Monkey Fist tilted is head as curiosity displaced some of his anger. "What kind of weapon?"
"That Pretender, depends on how well you chose to use it."
Authors Note: Special thanks to my friend Torie who performed editing duties on this chapter for me. Any additional mistakes are still mine I assure you. Sorry it has been so long for a update but I will finish this story. (especially with a good friend in the real world who read it and wants to know the end =)