Sitch of a Wish
Chapter 9 - Wish Your Troubles Away
Kim stumbled to her feet, the pain from the plasma finally fading down to a manageable level. Shego hovered nearby, keeping an eye on her. Part of her was grateful for that while another part was irritated that the green girl had taken it on herself to babysit her unasked. She could deal with this sitch just fine.
"Give me your power!" Monkey Fist roared from beyond the broken wall.
"Dude, why would you want this on purpose?" Ron answered back.
"Shego, let me go, we gotta help!" She tried to free her arm from the genie's grasp.
"Kimmie, you need to rest. My fire... it keeps hurting you, I know you can't be all right after what just happened." The green girl stopped her. "I'll go help him in a minute, but you need to rest. Please."
"I can't just sit here and not help." Kim complained.
"Then go keep watch and make sure the monkey moron is the only new problem we have to deal with." The genie pointed to a nearby tower. "He got his power from somewhere, so either my idiot brother misplaced his ring, or there's someone else out there with magic."
"That... makes more sense that I like right about now." Kim frowned. "I don't like it, but you're right, Shego. It's necessary."
"While you're at it, can you remember anything about this 'Han' thing Fiske and Yori were talking about?" Shego asked her as they scanned the landscape outside the mansion. "It sounds... well, I don't want to say familiar, but I'd swear it sounds like something I've heard before. Something from my world, the magic world."
"I don't know." The redhead tried to recall all the lessons she'd had over the years. "I'd say ask Yori about it, but it seems like a touchy subject with her. When we get back to the palace maybe we can ask Wade or the sultan. One of them is bound to know something about this."
"Yeah, the way she flipped out, it's gotta be serious." The genie shook her head. "I'm not sensing anything in terms of magic, besides the two monkey guys down there."
"Not seeing anything else either. And it looks like Lord Senior is keeping his word. His guys fell back and they're stabling our horses." Kim eyed where they'd left their... 'ex-prisoners' for lack of a better word. She couldn't spot any sign of Josh. Perhaps he hadn't known what his uncle intended...
Ron pressed the attack on Monkey Fist, trying to take down the crazy lord as quickly as possible. He didn't understand why Yori was so furious, but he needed to keep the attention on him, as her reckless attacks were leaving holes in her defenses. "Look, what is this all about? Why attack us? We saved you from Jack Hench!"
"Saved me? Are you that much of a fool?" The lord smiled contemptously at him. "He's the one who promised me this power to begin with. I merely decided to not rely on his word and take my destiny into my own hands."
"Yeah, but what does this have to do with this 'Han' thing?" Ron ducked a kick and rolled towards the lord, sending a series of punches flying at his head.
"Hench thinks money is power. He thinks if he gets enough money and men, he can do anything he wants." Monkey Fist posed, letting his power flare. "Once I control the Han, I will control destiny itself!"
"Never!" Yori snarled and leaped past Ron, slashing out with her blade. Blood trickled from the long gash she opened on the lord's forearm.
The lord frowned slightly, then punched quicker than Ron could track even with his monkey magic. Yori let out a pained gasp and collapsed to the floor, pained. Monkey Fist was about to attack again when Ron threw himself between the two of them. He knocked away the next blow aimed at the fallen ninja and glared at the lord.
"Okay, so not caring to play nice anymore." Ron let the monkey magic flare up even higher, wanting to finish the fight as quickly as possible. "I'm ending this."
"You can't - ugh!" Monkey Fist grunted as Ron drove an elbow into his gut. He tried to kick the blond boy's feet out from under him, but he leaped over the attack.
"Can too." His kick sent the lord reeling backwards.
"My destiny will not be denied!" He roared, picking himself up off the ground and advancing on Ron.
"Yeah, well, deny." The younger monkey master blocked the attack and landed a few blows of his own on the lord. "No destiny for you."
"I will be the true monkey master!" Monkey Fist lurched towards him once more.
Ron waited until the enemy was nearly on him before before kicking the older man's ankle. Monkey Fist stumbled past him and collapsed. Before his opponent could recover, Ron grabbed him, immobilizing him. "It's over, surrender."
"I will never stop!" He struggled, but Ron maintained the hold.
"Dude, just give up already." He looked around, wanting something to secure the prisoner. He spotted some rope amidst the rubble a few feet away and snagged it, tying the lord's hands. He left the prisoner there and went over to check on Yori, but made sure to keep an eye on the captured enemy.
The ninja had mostly recovered by this time and was getting to her feet awkwardly. She pulled her dagger and advanced on the captive, anger still marring her face. "Whoah, time out Yori." Ron stepped between them.
"He... I cannot let him threaten my sister!" She growled.
"It's done. He can't hurt anyone now." He put his hand on the hilt of her knife. "It'll be okay, I promise."
"Ron, I..." The ninja tried to get by him one more time, then gave up, sinking against him in an awkward embrace. "I want... I want..."
"It's okay, really. It's over now." He hugged her. "We won."
She held onto him for a while before finally stepping back a pace. "Thank you."
"This was a team effort, Yori. We took him down together, you don't have to thank me."
"I did not mean that. Thank you for stopping me at the end." She squeezed his hand. "I will not forget this."
"So what're you gonna do with him? Throw him in jail or a zoo?" Shego asked them when they regrouped.
"Eh, I'm sure the sultan can figure out something to do with him." Ron shrugged. "If she can handle her brother, I'm sure monkey freak won't be too much trouble."
"Did he say where he got his powers? I mean, I'm pretty sure that he got my idiot brother's ring, but it'd still be nice to know." The genie sighed. "I just know he's gonna blame me for this one too."
"He hasn't said much aside from some crazy rants about his destiny. Had to gag him after the third one." He turned to Kim. "How about you? Did you get that fire problem under control? Are ya feeling better?"
"I am, thanks." She smiled weakly at her friend. "Whatever happened, it's gone now and I feel fine."
Shego eyed the redhead, and from the way Ron stared at her, she knew he too was aware the other girl was lying about how she was feeling. She glared at the shorter girl until Kim shrugged guiltily. "Okay, maybe not fine, but I can deal with this sitch for now. It's not like I have any other options."
"Snap... Well, hopefully Wade or the sultan have some answers for us when we get back." He stood up. "I'm gonna go check on Yori then make sure Monkey Fist is secure. Are we really staying here for tonight?"
"Yeah, Lord Senior seems pretty serious about honoring the truce. Besides," Kim grinned. "He said he wanted to talk with you about ideas for some new death traps over dinner."
"I so don't get how you can think this is funny." Ron replied as he got up to leave the room.
"He's bored and not actually evil. Besides, he's been honest with us. Guy's got class." Shego answered before Kim had a chance. "Plus, this beats camping any day. I heard he's even gonna use some of your recipes."
"Booyah!" The sandy blond smiled.
When he was out of the room, Shego sat down next to Kim. "Okay, we've got a couple hours until we're expected at dinner, why don't you rest some, Cupcake?"
"I'm not tired." The redhead protested around a yawn. Shego stared flatly at her and she relented. "Fine, I might be a little tired."
"Kimmie, there's nothing that needs doing right now, so please, be smart about this. Get some rest while you can." The genie leaned against the door, making it clear that she wouldn't let it open easily.
"You swear you don't know anything about why this is getting worse?" Kim frowned at her fist, as if she expected the plasma to flare up again.
"Because it's magic. It can't exist in the mortal world without a price." Shego spoke quietly. "Especially since it's... misplaced."
"So..." Kim stared to the side, lost in thought.
"It's trying to get back to me." The genie guessed. "That's why the reactions are getting stronger. So please, just rest for a bit. You need to be as strong as you can to keep it under wraps."
Shego worried when Kim kept flicking her eyes over towards her from time to time. Clearly, the redhead had an idea about something, and Shego was pretty sure what. She could only hope that the other girl hadn't paid much attention to Hego's boring speech...
"I assume that since you're here, you have the lamp for me, thief?" Jack Hench raised an eyebrow at the young man standing before his throne. "That was our deal, after all."
"I don't have the lamp." Josh told him smugly. "But there was another genie, Hego, this one in a ring, who was an idiot and left it sitting around. Much easier to grab."
"I see... And the other matter?"
"Didn't work." He shrugged. "She was friendly, but not interested. I didn't really see any safe way to ask about the other thing. I figured it was better to get out with the ring than stay and get caught."
"Disappointing." Hench replied. "At least I will have my wishes, despite you not getting the lamp. You understand this failure means your pay will be reduced?"
"Yeah, about that..." Josh grinned. "I think we need to renegotiate my fees. After all, what you're currently paying me is just too small. It makes me think of risking some wishes of my own. Don't you agree?"
"You're playing a dangerous game, Mankey." The lord gritted his teeth. Why did amateurs always insist on being stupid? "Hand it over and I'll forget about this little incident."
"Oh, it's not on me. I left it somewhere nice and safe, and it's going to stay there until I get what I want." The thief gloated.
"And what do you want?" Hench asked tightly.
"Obviously, a real genie is worth far more than the mere thirty thousand you promised. That number needs to be much, much bigger." The boy paused. "Oh, and that 'uncle' you stuck me with talked about estates, trade caravans, stuff like that. I'd really like for that to be more than just a cover story for me."
"Anything else?" The thief failed to notice the dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"Nah, I think that's it for now." Josh looked to the door. "Though I could really use some tea..."
Hench gave a small wave and one of his guards slipped out the door, only to return a few minutes later with a pot of tea and three cups. The thief frowned at that. "Uh, were you expecting someone else?"
"It's funny, if you think about it." The lord mused. "I planned on simply paying you and letting you go, as you really weren't worth my time to deal with and an amount like thirty thousand is trivial for me. But you see, you present me with two problems. First, you challenge my authority, and I can't have that. I don't mind a little initiative at times, but not from someone who failed in his basic instructions."
The thief gulped and Hench continued. "The other problem is that I specified the lamp for several reasons. It's not just about the wishes. I have other allies, and that lamp, as well as the staff you didn't bother to try to steal, are important to maintaining those alliances." Hench snapped his fingers, and once again the door opened, this time the guard stepping aside to admit someone else to the room.
"Your little thief failed? Pitiful." Avarius strode into the room. "You disappoint me, Hench."
"Have some patience, my friend. You will have your staff back, as promised." Hench smiled. "And while he might not have gotten Shego for you, he has her brother's ring."
"Hego... Yes, that fool has opposed me for too long. If I can't have his sister, he will have to do." The ifrit turned his burning red gaze towards Josh. "Give Hench the ring, boy."
"I..." The thief gulped. "Not without my money!"
"You did not retrieve my staff, you brought the wrong genie. You have no bargaining power."
"If it's so important to you, why don't you just get it back... or do you just stand around and look intimidating?" Josh tried to look intimidating, but failed as the other two didn't seem to be threatened.
"Hench, I will honor our bargain, but until you provide me with the staff and Shego, I will make do with Hego. I want this business done with as quickly as possible." The ifrit growled. "I will even agree to assisting your men in battle against the sultan, provided it is done soon!"
"I'll send out orders to the troops tonight. Avarius, I find I no longer need this thief so you may... 'renegotiate' with him as you like, just be sure to get the location of the ring. If we are going to take down Betty and get the staff back for you, we'll need a genie of our own." He paused at the door. "Try not to make too much of a mess."
"What's up, KP?" Ron asked her as they rode on towards the capital. She'd wanted to talk to him earlier, but he'd been off with Yori and she hadn't wanted to disturb them.
"Um, Ron, when you use your monkey powers, do they hurt you or anything?" She asked. It was part of what she wanted to know, part of what she'd spent most of last night thinking about.
"Nah, but they still feel sick-wrong, y'know? Why did it have to be monkeys?" He shivered. "Plus, it's still kinda random and all. I hate that I can't seem to control it. It just... happens."
"I see..." Kim frowned. "And Fiske... it's obvious what he paid for his powers. At least you're not stuck looking like half a monkey forever."
"No kidding. I don't think I could handle having my feet turned into... that." Ron grimaced.
"So it's true." She spoke quietly. "What she said.
"What did who say?" Her best friend looked confused. "I'm a bit lost here."
"Shego. She told me that magic can't exist in the mortal world without a price." Kim replied. "That's why the fire that gem stuck me with hurts me so much. That's why your power is monkeys. Why his feet are monkey paws."
"Yeah, but Shego's here and she's-"
"Bound to her lamp." She finished for him.
Ron was silent beside her for a time. "That tanks."
"Yeah."
"Do... you think that's why she wont, y'know... you and her..." He turned red. "Sorry KP, shutting up now."
"No, that's kinda the same thing I've been thinking. I wi-" Kim caught herself before the wrong word came out. "I probably should have paid better attention to her brother when he was talking, but..."
"Dude, I'd rather have the monkey powers going than listen to that again." Ron agreed. "He could put rocks to sleep."
"So yeah, I guess... I mean, if she's stuck bound to the lamp and someone else gets it... Gah, this whole sitch is a mess. Why can't I do anything to... deal with this?" She stared at the ground, frustrated. "Anything is possible for a Possible, so why can't I..."
"KP, why don't you just wish her to stay?"
"No!" Her refusal was louder than expected, causing even Yori, who was scouting up ahead to look back at them. "Force her to stay? That's... I can't do that, Ron. Not to her. Not like this. I want her to stay because she wants to, not because I make her. And what if I got it wrong? You should know better than anyone that wishes never work out like you intend."
"Then what're ya gonna do?" He asked.
"Not a clue..." Kim sighed. "How do I make it work when the whole world is against us?"
Shego pulled up alongside her friends, tired of hanging back knowing that they were talking about her. Kim gulped and looked to the side, but at least she didn't pull away this time. "Yeah, that's right, can't talk about me anymore, not without getting uncomfortable or anything. Wouldn't want Cupcake to get embarrassed and flare up. Not when we're so close."
"Shego, we weren't..." Kim started, but the genie cut her off with a wave.
"Save it, Pumpkin." Shego ignored her glare and returned one of her own. "I know this sucks, but it's how it has to be."
"Then why? Why lead me on? Why be nice to me and then push me away?" Kim demanded. "Why make me like you and tell me there's no hope? Do you hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you!" Shego's voice rose to match the redhead's.
"So why not try at least? There has to be some way around all those rules. You can't make me think... make me feel this way and tell me to just forget it and make it go away!" The shorter girl's face darkened, and the genie could see her hands starting to glow a little.
"Kimmie, calm down." The green girl didn't want to see her... friend hurt again because the fire flared up.
"I think I've been plenty calm. I'm tired of this. Tired of you trying to protect me from everything!" Kim shouted.
"Uh, KP, maybe you should..." Ron tried to get between them, but neither girl paid him any attention.
"I can't keep doing this. It hurts, and I don't mean this damn fire. I want it to stop or get better, or... or... something. I like you so much, Shego." The genie's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Kim continued. "I can't help it, and you alternating between being nice to me and pushing me away... it's too much!"
"I can't help it either. I tried so hard not to like you, Kim. I really did." Shego confessed. "I still... you don't understand. I. CAN'T."
"Then I wish you'd just go away!" Kim screamed.
Granted... The word echoed in her mind as her magic ripped her away...
"Ron, is Kim-san going to be all right?" The ninja asked him.
"Not a clue." He eyed the redhead riding a slight distance behind them. She barely seemed aware of her surroundings, let alone what they were discussing. After a search of the area revealed that neither Shego nor the lamp was anywhere nearby, they'd reluctantly continued on towards the capital, needing to deliver Monkey Fist to prison and warn the sultan about Hench's massing army.
Kim had been silent since just after the wish, looking almost broken to Ron. She'd hunted desperately for the lamp, but found no trace of it. When they'd had to leave, Ron got her on her horse and she just shut down.
"I've never seen her like this. I'm really worried." He admitted.
"She looks..." The ninja began.
"Broken." Ron finished for her.
"Yes." Yori frowned. "I did not hear much, but I assume they had an argument that ended badly?"
"Very badly." He winced. "Kim got upset and made a wish by accident."
"And so Shego..."
"Got wished away." Ron continued. "She tried to take it back, but yeah... too late."
"What do we do?" Yori asked. "This is something I am pretty sure I never trained for."
"Not a clue." He repeated. "I really, really hope the sultan or Wade can come up with an answer, or I'm worried what's gonna happen to her."
They rode on, making sure to keep close to Kim, who still wasn't responding to anything. The redhead followed them but was still lost in a daze. Ron tried to talk with her a few times, but didn't get any replies. Even Yori made a few attempts, though she had no more luck than he did.
Jack Hench eyed the ring on his hand for a moment before rubbing the gem on it. A cloud of blue smoke billowed out before forming into a figure. So the thief hadn't lied about this at least. He had his own genie at last.
"Greetings, mortal! I am Hego the genie. I am here to grant you three wishes and-"
"Yes, we are aware of the rules, you blue fool." Avarius growled, stepping from the shadows and favoring the genie with a predatory grin. "Hurry up, Hench. I am looking forward to you no longer needing him."
"Avarius!" The genie gasped, stepping back. He looked at Hench. "You allied yourself with this monster? What kind of villain are you?"
"The villain who owns your ring." Hench smiled. "Now, I know all about your genie rules, so I think it's only fair that I tell you mine. You see, my friend here has some business with your sister, but he's willing to settle for you if necessary." The genie gulped and Hench continued. "Now, I know all about how wishes tend to go wrong, so here's my deal for you - you do your best to make sure that nothing goes wrong with my wishes and I don't hand you over to my colleague when I'm done. Does that sound good to you, genie?"
"I..."
"Let me have him, Hench."
"Well, genie? Do we have a deal?" Hench waited for the genie to nod. "Good, then for my first wish. I wish I had the staff that Avarius the ifrit intended to use against Shego."
"Granted." The genie gulped as the staff materialized in front of them. Hench picked it up and tried to hand it to Avarius but the ifrit was unable to touch it.
"This doesn't seem like cooperation, genie." Hench glared at the blue man.
"My sister's magic is stopping him from touching it. One wish can't cancel out another."
"He is a fool, but he's not lying. We will have to find another way. Still, you have honored your promise, Hench. I am leaving to join your troops." The ifrit snarled and stormed out of the room.
"I suppose if you can't interfere with your sister's wishes, you also can't get me her lamp?" He waited for the genie to confirm it. "I figured as much. Very well, my second wish. I wish that I had power to challenge whatever forces the sultan might put in my way, including your sister and any other magical allies she might have."
"Granted." Hench smiled broadly as the sense of power flowed through him. He felt stronger, better than he ever had in years. He looked down at himself. No unsightly body changes, no weird skin colors, no other problems. Experimentally, he punched the wall next to himself, smashing through the wall with ease.
"Excellent. As for the third wish..." The genie paled. "I think I'll wait on that for now. Best to have an ace in the hole."
Shego sat down on the rock, staring out across the seemingly endless desert. Her lamp had landed in the middle of the sand, dragging her with it.
"I wish you'd just go away!" Kim's angry, hurt face flashed through her mind.
Shego turned to face east. She could still feel the redhead in her mind, tugging at her. "Damn it, I'm such an idiot." She leaned back. "I should have told her the truth."
She sighed. "But then she'd just try to find some way around it, and there isn't one. She can't live in the magic realm, and I can't stay here, not without..."
The genie spoke quietly. "...Without giving up my magic forever."
Next Chapter: Endgame!
A/N 1: So yeah... finally got to the scene that sorta got me started on writing this in the first place. Kim gets mad, makes the really, really wrong wish and we end up here.
A/N 2: The next update is... unknown. With Thanksgiving as well as some R/L stuff I have to deal with, it might be a while and I don't want to make any promises. Sorry!