Author's notes: It's been one hell of a week at work which delayed the release a bit. I wanted to give a big thanks to everyone that reviewed it. It helped provide a different perspective of what was going on and the possibilities for the future. They will require a bit more tuning, but that's all part of the fun.
Big thanks to Cassibeth and Acaykath for reviewing the chapter and sniping a bunch of mistakes out of existence.
On with the show!
Drop in Reality
Chapter 8: Frigid Reception part 2
Ron's breathing slowed after his bout of laughter; his eyes fixed on his aged opponent.
'I hadn't expected Sensei to have the ability to read my aura. It's lowered my chance of success to forty-three percent. That is an oversight I cannot repeat if I ever hope to fight what is coming,' he thought, glad that the moment needed to recalibrate had not brought any changes aside from confusion to those around him.
"Perhaps my premonition was worse than expected. I can assure you, young false Stoppable-san, that you will not have the chance to use your observations in the future," the old man said as yellow energy crackled into life, surrounding his body. Small hisses escaped as the fluttering snow made contact, instantly evaporating. The violent arcs smoothed, solidifying into a uniform yellow shell, almost like a second skin. This sunk out of sight to merge with his body. As the light faded, more ninjas appeared, dropping from trees, exploding from snow piles, and some from apparent thin air. All of them quickly closed around him, circling in a low stance with daggers, nunchucks, sai, and even tantos to form a wall between him and the old man. Yori stayed behind the rest, glancing uncertainly between them.
"I am Ron Stoppable," he declared. His amused smile dropped as he slowly moved away from the gate, leaving the case. His eyes flicked from one opponent to the next. To his vision, a flurry of numbers and figures morphed and shifted in front of each. The numbers expanded, filling out to become an upright semi-shadow that moved in time with the actual ninja. After a few moments, the phantoms' movements were several seconds ahead of their subjects. A confident smirk emerged when everyone moved perfectly in line with his predictions.
The smirk disappeared when Ron realized that the old man had no such figure. The calculations of him predicting that for all eternity, he would remain frozen in place.
The boy wasn't left to wonder long at the anomaly as one of the shadows leaped at him, sword aimed to cut him straight through the middle. Ron moved before the ninja could follow along with the shadow's strike.
Ron ducked, catching his opponent's leg and swinging him bodily to intersect three other opponents. These barely scattered around the surprised ninja's blade. As if a starting gun had gone off, all the ninjas jumped in after their colleagues. Ron dashed forward, catching a thrown sai from the air, swinging it around to knock its butt against another's temple sending them careening into their partner. From the two, he leaped off the right's head. Suddenly his vision was filled with phantom images of Sensei, swarming all around, each converging from every possible angle straight at him.
Ron dropped flat as the older man's foot sailed past where his head once was. It smashed into the walkway, blasting a hole that sent rocks flying. He jumped as one of the recovered ninjas sent a sai his way. He lashed out with a kick to his attacker's knee, forcing them to jump away.
Ron bit off a curse as more images of the old man surrounded him. Suddenly they collected into a flaming fist coming straight at him. He leaped away, sending himself flying back to only narrowly dodging the fist that split the ground where his feet once were. He grunted as he was forced to shift midair from one of the ninja's swords. It left him in no position to avoid the kick straight after which sent him into a mound of snow.
He nearly swam through the loose snow; barely avoiding blades stuck blindly in after him. Sensing a presence, Ron jumped out with all his might. The ninja's eyes shown with surprise for only a moment, but that was far more than enough as Ron grabbed the loose end of the nunchaku, slamming his foot full force into the man's stomach. There was a grunt as his opponent slid away, crashing into another pile of snow.
. "You are not the pure-hearted boy named Ron Stoppable."
Shivers ran down Ron's back at the voice just behind his ear. There was no sense of images, just a wild feeling of warning bells pounding in his mind. He tried to duck, to move away, but it did no good as he felt a searing pain on his back as he bodily flew into the compound's wall, falling limply to the thankfully soft snow below.
His eyes opened, the world a haze of double vision. He had to move, and flee his position NOW! No matter how he struggled, he felt nothing. His muscles were mere lifeless slabs of tingles. He was…helpless. Through the haze, a flash appeared, zooming at his head.
'Is this it?' Ron thought as that fist slammed straight at him.
"STOP!"
The vision of death disappeared, replaced by a shapely back in black. Seconds stretched, and the void of feeling slowly drained, giving way to small twitches in his limbs. It was enough to shift his head to look up to find a familiar crop of black hair.
Taking a pained breath, he found that Yori had saved his life. The fist of death hovering close to her heart stopped mere inches away. It was close enough that her uniform was blackened from the visible aura surrounding the fist. The elderly man's eyes switched between both of them before the fist retreated, vanishing into his sleeves.
"Please Sensei, he says he is Ron-san, surely he must have a reason to come here and say such," Yori said, facing him with not even a twitch of fear in her voice.
"Thank you," Ron said with a grateful nod to the girl. Gingerly, he stood, turning back to the old man, he continued with as much confidence as he could muster given that he could barely move. "I am Ron Stoppable,…" seeing that he wasn't interrupted, he continued, "…however, I've been affected by a device that alters the mind. You could almost say I represent the opposite of the Ron you once knew." His proclamation was met with stony silence, the elder's eyes narrowing further as they examined his every feature.
"If this is true, then you must realize that you stand in the worst place for your continued existence." Sensei examined him, waiting for a response or disagreement, but Ron offered none. "Yet you have come anyway. You either seek a cure or believe you have a reason great enough to dissuade us from restraining and reverting you to the pure-hearted boy of prophecy. Given your aura, I very much doubt the first, so what have you come for?" with a snap that echoed across the compound, the remaining energy surrounding the old man winked out.
"You are right, I did come here to request services from this school, but I have every intention of compensating you for them. In fact, as a means to show my goodwill, I've come with some important news that will affect the secrecy of this school. May I?" Ron gestured to the case that lay handle down in a snowdrift near the door.
Long minutes passed as the two stared at each other. The old man's arms slowly sank into the opposite sleeve as his eyes relaxed. He gave a short sharp nod.
Smirking, the boy retrieved the case, cracking it open to slip out a single sheet of paper. Before anyone could see the rest of the contents, the case snapped shut. Ron lifted the page which promptly disappeared from his grasp, appearing in the elder's.
The old man scanned it. His eyebrows rose before lifting above the paper to send him a questioning look. Ron returned a simple nod. Sensei reaffixed his attention, appearing engrossed in each letter.
"A satellite?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. He continued when the boy nodded. "I trust you are aware that this remote location has a great many rare ores that make any such scan nearly impossible?"
Ron rolled his eyes. "Yes, but this one isn't a standard satellite. It incorporates new technology that allows it to scan past such interference, searching far below the surface for mineral deposits. I found out before leaving that the Japanese government has leased its use to provide them with a complete scan of Japan for all its natural resources along with a cost analysis for extracting them. In effect, the very ore that has protected you is what will draw their attention like moths to a flame."
Suspicion grew in Sensei's eyes as he looked over the boy's face. "And you have a way to correct this?"
"Of course," Ron acknowledged.
"And the cost of this service?"
Ron shook his head. "I told you this in goodwill. I will make sure it only finds worthless deposits of igneous rock not worth a second glance. I have every intention of showing you my reasons along with paying you for your services."
"How do we know that this satellite is not something conjured to inure yourself to us? After all, you yourself have said that you are the opposite of the innocent boy that originally came to us."
"Your alumni hidden throughout the government should provide confirmation, but I would suggest hurrying as you have…" Ron stopped, shifting his right glove aside to display a cheap Mickey Mouse watch. "… about five minutes before it sweeps this region."
"No strings?" Sensei asked, his eyes drifting passed Ron to the shrouded sky above as if he would be able to see the threat.
"None,"
"Do it," the whisper precipitated a flurry of action as Ron slipped out a thin tablet from the suitcase and hunched over it, his fingers flying even as his back shielded the device from the building storm.
The ninja around them still had their weapons drawn, some looking at him, others imitating their sensei to stare into the sky. Ron's fingers blurred sweat beading on his brow despite the dropping temperatures as his eyes went back and forth along the screen. He hardly noticed when a handkerchief lightly pressed against his brow, removing the sweat before the droplets reached his eyes. A small flash of his eyes and a grateful grin were all that Yori received in thanks before he went back to work.
"There," Ron whispered, heaving a sigh of relief. "Sorry, the satellite's encryption was stronger than expected. Whomever they leased it from must have a very advanced team to give me this much trouble."
The ninja around them noticeably relaxed. Stowing their weapons, a few even gave an appreciative glance to the boy before bowing and stepping back.
Sensei only nodded. "I do not trust you, but as thanks for your efforts I will hear your reason for coming here this day."
"I expected nothing more," Ron responded, stowing away the tablet into his case. "You see, I wasn't the only one affected by that mind-altering ray. Kimberly Ann Possible was also hit. In fact, she was the one that forced it on me."
"Kim Possible?" Sensei's eyes widened at the news.
"Yes, she has said that she only has two things on her mind, defeating me and destroying the world. I have no reason to disbelieve her."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Sensei asked, his head covered in light snow while even the other ninja became noticeably uncomfortable with the snow swirling around them.
"I have no intentions of losing to her. But to win… and possibly revert her condition… I'll need help."
"And if I were to go and confront her, I could find a way to restore you both myself."
"That would be a very pragmatic approach. In a one-on-one fight, you probably could beat her. But what are the chances that you would get a one-on-one fight? She would be long gone before you ever reached her. She wants to fight me. She will come to me. And I have the perfect plan to both draw her out and win." Ron nodded in certainty.
"I see, your claims appear too large to be true. I will need to have them verified. I would like to discuss the details of your plan and this possible… cure you intend to use." He gestured behind them, and all involved appeared relieved as even the gate shuttered against the howling wind pounding against it. "Child," Sensei said, turning towards Yori. "Could you please prepare some of your exquisite tea to warm these old bones?" He gently nudged the girl who reluctantly dashed off. The other ninja, taking the cue, made themselves scarce returning to whatever they were doing previously. "Please, follow me." The elder turned, walking at a steady pace up the well-trodden path to a familiar temple. Ron could hardly contain his glee as they approached the resting place of the Lotus Blade itself.
Walking into the room, not two feet from the weapon, the old man turned, his hands held behind his back.
"That was not the only reason you came here, was it," his statement was punctuated as he examined the sword himself.
Ron frowned, 'The old man is a little too clever,' he thought. 'Still, this may yet work to my benefit.'
His eyes drifted during his thoughts to the blade, longing filled him as they saw the curvature and handle that fit perfectly in his hand and all the possible uses he could make of it.
"You wish to use it, do you not?" The man didn't bother prodding. He simply gestured as if to allow the boy to handle a piece of china.
Ron eagerly accepted, opening the case that stood between him and the blade. His right hand hovered over it, feeling the power hidden within. It was waiting for the one capable of mastering it.
Waiting for him.
His fingertips barely brushed against the hilt before his world exploded into yellow. There was a loud crash and he found himself staggered against the far wall. He shook his head, glaring at the sword that rejected him.
"I was correct, you appear to have mental faculty and physical capability where Ron did not, yet you lack the pure heartedness that made him the chosen one. I dare say you have had this problem when using your monkey powers in the past." Ron simply glared at the blade as if blaming it. The old man nodded, sitting down on one of four mats set facing each other, gesturing to the one in front of him. "Come, let us speak of the specifics of your plan, shall we?"
Yori's fingers trembled from something other than the cold outside as they held the lit match happily burning down the short stick. Her eyes stared passed it. She hissed as the flame found her slender fingers before flying away to land neatly with its fellow brethren from previous attempts. Yori took a step back with a sigh, closing her eyes. "I must remain calm," she whispered to herself in the small kitchen assigned to the students. Her eyes again glanced to her surroundings, checking those evident and, more importantly, those not-so-evident hiding places, but finding no one to listen to or see her unprofessional state. Shaking her head, she struck another match to light the burner.
"I am so excited to see Ron-san again, but he is evil now? Beam or not, how can the kind-hearted boy, an expert in the American-style jokes, ever be evil? It is simply impossible."
Another hiss and the match went flying as she shook her head in denial. 'No, I have already stated that it is destiny that he be with Kim Possible. I must not feel this way." A growing throb beneath her chest belied her words.
'Sensei has said that he is not the same, and how he fought so many and only lost because of Sensei, it seems true. Yet, what could he want here?' A little daydream forced its way before her eyes. Ron dressed as a shogun standing in front of her, the sword of legend at his side. She crouched before him with one fist against the floor, the other to her heart. Out of all the ninjas that bowed before him, he knelt beside her, asking for her personally to assist him on the mission to restrain Kim Possible, the threat to the entire world. A threat that would be removed, her hard work would be rewarded, and without Possible-san… Yori viciously stomped and smashed the daydream down.
'That is not right. He said himself that we would be helping Possible-san to become normal. But what of Ron? Is there anything I can do?' Yori gasped, sticking her finger into her mouth, the arrant match flying through the air. Lightly rubbing her fingers, she forced herself to light the next match and managed to ignite the burner this time.
Yori watched the flames lick at the kettle, her eyes staring beyond it, remembering when she first met the boy fascinated by the food Bueno Nacho. Indeed, it was the first test of Sensei that he climb to the top of the mountain to reach the school, a task that was not easy for those unaccustomed to it. The fact that he not only did so but did it while carrying this... food spoke volumes of the love he held for it. Her mind shifted to those days of training where Ron would share his American-style jokes with the rest of the class. She wished she could have appreciated them as much at the time, but Sensei would know immediately if she shirked her training.
A loud constant whistle caught her attention as she found steam pouring from the tea kettle. Her hands took the tea herbs that she had grown and dried, neatly adding them to the boiling water, and stood back.
A small smile rose as memories of their various encounters came to mind. Especially when he continuously requested that she call him Ron-san. She was uncertain if the boy from another land was aware of how familiar calling another by their first name was considered but felt her heart skip each time he did so. It was very unlike her, but she couldn't resist a little peck on the cheek after he had done so much for her and the school.
Yori found her hand lightly touching her lips as she recalled that innocent little peck.
"Yori?"
Only years of strict ninja training allowed the girl not to jump to the ceiling and stay there. Instead, she quickly lowered her hand to face one of the younger students at the doorway.
"I am sorry to disturb you, but Sensei was asking about the tea," the youth, barely ten summers, hesitantly spoke, bowing to one older and more experienced than he. When she nodded, the boy bowed lower before he disappeared, either through a ninja trick or nerves was anyone's guess.
Yori once again shook her head, lightly slapping her cheeks. With a sigh, she took out several cups, pouring tea into each, setting them on a tray, and going on her way. The tea was likely a little strong given her negligence, but it was a light flavor so should be all right, especially for someone unaccustomed to her blend.
As she walked out of the building, she wrapped an arm around her steaming cargo from the newest storm to strike the mountain. Of her master or the boy that had captivated her thoughts for the last fifteen minutes, she found no trace. A fellow student with the unfortunate duty of sentry for the night saw her and pointed ahead. She followed the direction and raised an eyebrow when she looked upon the sacred resting place of the Lotus Blade. Thoughts of why Sensei would bring him there of all places after he had stated that the boy was changed, Yori could not guess. She continued as if her feet had a mind of their own through the torrents of snow. Before she could think too far about it, she navigated the snow mounds to reach the entrance. She lightly opened the sliding door, keeping the tea steady in the other hand before entering, the door sliding back into place.
Within, she found the two sitting, staring at each other. Her Sensei was at peace while the boy looked very troubled, the smirk she had noticed at the gate completely missing.
"Sensei, I have brought the tea," Yori announced. The venerable elder lifted his gaze to meet hers. He nodded once for her to come forward. She entered the room, lightly distributing the tea between the two before standing a little hesitantly at the side, uncertain if she was to remain or leave discreetly.
She noticed a small sad smile on Sensei's features, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
He took a light sip of the tea, his eyes met hers with one raised brow. Yori's cheeks colored at the quiet admonition.
Looking over at the boy, she felt a little concerned that he did not appear to realize that the tea was even there.
"Stoppable-san, please partake of the tea, it is most soothing." Sensei indicated by taking another sip of his own.
The boy shook himself out of his deep thoughts, looking around first at her and then at the tea she had brought. He lifted the cup, taking a sip. After a few moments, he swallowed nodding in approval.
Yori released a breath she had not realized she held.
"Please, have a seat, Yori. I believe this concerns you as well," Sensei requested, his hand gesturing to the mat facing them both.
She quickly knelt, matching the other two occupants. She didn't trust her eyes so focused on the case that held their sacred relic.
"I believe you asked for Yori to be present?" her venerable teacher asked.
Ron nodded, setting down and fully opening his case. She was quite curious about what it contained. At first glance, there was the thin computer he had used to once again save her school this time from discovery. When he removed this, she found the rest of the case filled with stacks upon stacks of ten thousand-yen notes.
"Yes, I would like to hire Yori's services for the purpose we have discussed as well as a few matters of my own. I believe this should be sufficient."
'My services?' Yori thought, her eyes opening wide at so much money all in one place. Her professional guess estimated that the case contained enough to hire out half the school for several months.
Her treacherous thoughts recalled that small fantasy, almost seeing the boy before her wearing the shogun gear. She mentally shook herself. 'Why would someone pay so much for just a student's services?' she thought, secretly glad of the cold to hide the scarlet her cheeks must be right now.
Her master seemed to take it in stride, not even raising an eyebrow at what could probably keep the school running for years.
His gaze continued to look at the money before turning to Yori.
"Given the nature of the matter at hand, I'm afraid I can provide few details. But I will say that the situation is dire and the consequences far-reaching. Given this, I leave the decision to accept or not in your hands."
Yori's eyes widened, looking down at the money and up at the boy's eyes. He was paying her great honor by offering so much for the humble services of a student ninja, but her eyes tried to look deeper into his, to see if there was any trace of more. She was frightened as she saw not the humorous boy, but rather a determination of steel. Ready and willing to remove anything in his path.
'Ron…' Yori mentally shook herself, recalling that unearthly laughter from earlier. 'Stoppable-san…' she thought sadly, fully realizing that this truly was not the boy she once knew. Taking a deep breath, Yori turned to her master and bowed low.
"I trust your judgment in the gravity of this situation. It will be my great honor to accept," Yori responded. She knew that even though Stoppable-san was not Ron-san, Sensei would only have asked her if it was indeed a weighty issue.
Ron nodded his acceptance sliding the money forward which Sensei accepted. The boy then stood, his gaze longingly sweeping over the Lotus Blade before walking out. "Prepare for an extended mission, my child. The storm should pass by the time you are done."
Author's end notes:
And thus Yori is inducted into team Stoppable. What plans does Ron have for his alter-ego's once been crush? With all the world his enemy in one form or another, why a simple ninja in training? How will she react to his schemes? And what results have borne fruit from Shego's training? Those answers and more next time!
In all seriousness, it may take a bit for the next chapter. It was completed and I liked how it sounded up until the point I realized I didn't fact-check part of the story. Come to find out something was way off from my expectations so it's going to take some rework and investigation.
In case anyone was curious, the satellite threatening their secrecy was what Ron sold to Japan in part 1. Of course, he doesn't want them to know that lol.
As always, let me know what you think. Your thoughts and perspectives are invaluable in seeing things from a different point of view which will help me flesh out later chapters to make the story better all around.
