Scatter
A Kim Possible Fanfiction
immo
author's note: Wonder what happens next after this? Well... me and you both. lol. Just a quick reminder again. Any characters speaking in italics means that they're speaking Chinese.
"There you are. I am sorry I forgot to check you too." Haoxian smiled serenely at Jim after healing his wrist.
"It's fine." Jim flexed his fingers, rotating his wrist this way and that in wonder. It *was* completely healed! Tigger watched in wonder too and whined with excitement, his tail whipping the air furiously.
"How is your brother?" Haoxian asked quietly while petting the canine. Haoxian had laid his hands on the boy and healed his more serious wounds, the smaller wounds he left for Tim's own healing to kick in.
"Still sleeping." Jim looked over his shoulder at the bed. Hooked up to an IV, Tim was dead to the world and had been since Haoxian had healed him. The otherfolk had explained that what he did was more accelerating Tim's natural healing powers and less true healing. But in exchange for accelerating Tim's natural healing time, his body demanded rest and nourishment. The exchange, however, was worth it in Jim's opinion. Now, there was little to no evidence of the brutal punishment that Tim suffered at the hands of Master Heen.
Haoxian nodded then patted Jim's arm absentmindedly. "You should probably head to the kitchen and find something to eat now."
"I'm not hungry--" The young man was interrupted by his stomach telling him that it disagreed with his assessment.
"A broken wrist takes a lot for your body to heal. Now you need to replenish, go." Haoxian chuckled. "I will watch your brother for you."
Even though the Asian man had healed both him and his brother and chased off Master Heen and his hunters from the massacre in the woods, Jim was still loathe to leave his brother's side. Haoxian was just... a big question mark. He would jump from emotion to emotion, his personality hard to pin down. Arrogant and superior one minute, unsure and scared the next; then angry and snarling after that. And now, it was even stranger. With that shining sword by his side, all emotions seemed to have disappeared from his face. Where before, Haoxian's words and actions showed everyone the inner turmoil and confusion he was feeling, now there was... nothing. Like all of the things he felt before had been swept away, replaced by this glacial being.
"Well, alright." Jim felt his stomach complaining again. It felt like he hadn't eaten in AGES! "Just.. if anything, call me."
"Of course." Haoxian nodded politely.
'Tim is safe with him.' Jim reassured himself, turning back with one foot out the door to look at Haoxian. The young man with the white-streaked hair smiled at him blankly. When the door closed, Haoxian waited a few seconds before getting up slowly, dusting off imaginary dust from his sleeves. Turning on his heels, he walked over slowly to Tim, head tilted to one side, curious.
Finally reaching the young man's bedside, Haoxian looked up at the IV, his eyes following the tube all the way to where it connected to this curious young man lying unconscious before him.
"You are just human." Haoxian said quietly to the silent boy. Because compared to Haoxian, Tim was just a boy. "You could have stopped antagonizing him."
Jim had quietly told Haoxian what had happened during their capture, almost unaware that he was pouring his heart out to the otherfolk. Told Haoxian how Tim had refused to talk, as Haoxian placed his hands on Tim and sped up Tim's body to heal his grievous wounds.
"I hid when they came and they took you and your brother." Haoxian sat down on the edge of the bed. "I did not stop them because I was afraid. You could have saved yourself the pain just by telling them everything you knew about me, it would not have mattered since you did not know much, anyways. But you did not betray my trust. Why?"
"Can't you just accept that he's a better person than you are?" Lang was leaning against the open doorway of the room and Tigger gave a short bark and a faint wave of his tail in greeting. Haoxian didn't react to the man, just slowly turned to look at the ex-hunter.
"I have not thanked you for risking your life to bring Tim and Jim back." Haoxian ignored Lang's jibe rising from his seat on the bed, pressed his palm against his closed fist and bowed low at the waist. "Thank you."
" No," Lang mocked Haoxian's formal bow. "I should be thanking YOU. After all, you did bring a quick end to our fight."
It had been almost... surreal. Lang had been trying to move away from the fight with Kim Possible's friends and brothers inside the protective circle of Lang's group of deserters. Unfortunately, trying was all they could do as hunters came at them and refused to let them retreat into the trees. People were falling, dying all around them with Kim and Master Heen in the centre, dueling for supremacy.
All of a sudden, lightning blinded almost everyone in the clearing, followed by a loud crack of thunder. When they could all see and hear again, there stood the young Haoxian, standing in the middle of the clearing. The source of all this. Resplendant in a long, golden-yellow robe, he held a sword high in the air, brandished a blade that shone as bright as the sun, illuminating the clearing.
"Retreat!" Master Heen had called out, an arm over his face to block out the light, already back-pedaling, not even trying to get an extra swipe in. The monks let them leave, half-heartedly chasing after them, letting them leave with their wounded. Most of the hunters left basically intact since the monks used non-lethal weapons. The same could not be said for Kim's side as they scattered to tend to their wounded or mourned the few who had fallen to the hunters' sharp weapons.
"You are most welcome. Now, do you have a reason other than thanking me to be here?" Haoxian made Lang... nervous. The young ex-hunter had always been told that these creatures were always up to no good and should be exterminated. But he had watched this otherfolk help as much as he can, healing gaping wounds like it was nothing.
"I want to know what you're after. If you're going to hurt people." Lang proclaimed. Even if he was no longer allowed back home, he could still help and protect people. Haoxian's face remained impassive as he turned his back on Lang to look down at Tim.
"I make no promises. Humans are fragile. But the door has been opened, so I must do my part. I understand what is going on now." Haoxian placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "This was started long ago by you people and now... you reap the consequences."
"That sounds like a threat." Lang growled, reaching for his weapons, then remembering how they had been confiscated as soon as he stepped foot in the monastery.
"It is not. It is just the truth. I will try my best to dissuade the more violent of my kind... but the floodgates have been opened. The Twelve must rise again."
"And that's what we're here to talk about." The abbot was at the door, supported by Ron on one side and Vince on the other. Kim Possible followed behind them, as did the rest of the team and Vince and his family. A couple of elder monks also stepped in to the room, making it quite crowded.
"Master Lang?" Ka Yi, his second-in-command, poked her head in to the room. "Is everything alright?"
"No 'Master'. Just 'Lang'." Lang grimaced. "And everything is fine in here."
Ka Yi entered the room anyways and stood beside her leader. In her eyes and the eyes of all the deserters, Lang was their leader now and they would follow him to hell if he lead them there. There was no turning back, no going back. They no longer had a home to go back to.
"I remember everything." Haoxian announced to those present, touching his temple in an absentminded gesture. "Everything."
"Good. Because you have some explaining to do, Haoxian." Abbot Nam Ho said gravely. When Haoxian moved to touch him, the abbot held up a hand. "I see what you've done for my people, but my well-being can wait. I want to understand. And I want you to return our monastery's sword to us."
"It is not yours." Haoxian replied, watching Kim walk over to her unconscious brother. She sat at his bedside and took his hand in her own while keeping an eye on the proceedings. "This was stolen from me a long time ago. This was the key to locking me away. Please sit, sir, and I will explain everything."
When everyone was as comfortable as can be, Haoxian started his story slowly.
"I am," Haoxian drew himself up, stood a bit taller. His voice seemed to echo and bounce around the crowded room. "one of the sons of the Fifth. My brothers and I are nine, altogether. Our sins are great and we did unforgivable things. Our most precious things were used against us and we were commanded to commit atrocities. Instead of disobeying, we obeyed, for the sake of what we held dearer than life. Our first commandment was to lock our father away, extract all that he was from his body and entomb him in stone. For our troubles, we were imprisoned in stone in turn and placed inside the dwelling place of our captor."
"My village." Lang thought aloud.
"The very same. He took our keys and scattered them to the ends of the earth. My key," Haoxian patted the scabbard of his sword. "Managed to travel back into my general vicinity. I gained consciousness as soon as my sword neared me, but that tortured me to no end. While they slept, I was half-awake for... centuries."
The anguish Haoxian had faced caused that emotionless mask to slip just a bit, before the feeling passed and he continued his story. "Every time my sword was drawn, I was able to escape my prison. But almost immediately afterwards, whoever held my sword at the time sheathed it once more. So I was caught every time I escaped."
"There were a few abbots back in the days who scoffed at the saying 'curiousity killed the cat' and drew the blade." Abbot Nam Ho nodded, remembering his old master telling him the stories that accompanied the sword. Anyone who drew the sword was marked by an influx of the otherfolk so that was why even touching the sword was severely discouraged. "And some who had to use the sword to defend our home. But this time, I didn't touch the sword and I'm pretty sure none of mine touched this weapon."
"This time, the sword did not wake me." Haoxian closed his eyes. "The Sixth's awakening did."
Kim asked. "Who is the Sixth?"
"You did good on these translators, Dr. Lipsky." Monique whispered and gave a thumbs-up to the blue scientist. The man beamed at the compliment and would have tucked his thumbs into his suspenders if he had been wearing any.
"Who da man?"
"You da man!"
"The Sixth is one of the Twelve." Haoxian said patiently, amusement showing in his eyes, knowing that he was deliberately speaking in circles.
"Who are the Twelve?" Kim asked, not liking how the man was talking in circles.
"They are the Twelve who oversee the world, Kim Possible. They are a force of nature, the most powerful beings on the face of this world." Haoxian explained. "They are the source of 'magic', as you humans call it. A long time ago, they were captured, one by one. Without the Twelve, the magic became scarce. They are like.. oxygen for those who practise the art. Without them, those who sought to practise the art would not flourish as they did long ago."
"Magic?" Ron snorted, folding his arms across his chest. "Seriously?"
Haoxian tilted his head to one side, speaking in English for Ron's sake. "You of all people are doubting this, Ronald Stoppable? Do I not sense a certain... monkey magic around you?"
"Don't SAY that!" Ron held his hands over his ears, shivering at the word 'monkey'. "Sick and WRONG!"
"Since the Twelve were cut off from the world, there is a significant decrease of mystical activity. Things became a whole lot more mundane. This world's atmosphere did not allow for us 'otherfolk' as we have been named, to roam freely." Having proven his point to Ron, Haoxian continued his explanation in Chinese. "But you can not keep the Twelve under wraps entirely. They have become so enmeshed in the world that they could still influence it in little ways. For example... wherever one of the Twelve is imprisoned, that area has an extraordinarily large amount of us there. Such as Er Mei and She Cun."
Michelle and Vince perked up at the mention of their home and their ancestor's dwelling place. Ga Ming was totally uninterested in the conversation, however, and amused himself in his mother's arms by chewing on the collar of her shirt.
"This Sixth thing was hidden near our village?" Vince frowned. "How did... I don't understand..."
"Did you actually think the Green Snake, had enough power to shield an entire mountain, surrounding valleys AND your village? They were drawing the power from somewhere, probably without even knowing it and thinking it was all their own doing. Not many of the otherfolk even remember the Twelve, because the ones who achieved power after they were sealed away had no-one to tell them the beginnings of us." Haoxian's face darkened. "All the ones who had that knowledge had been slaughtered or sealed away so they were not able to educate the young."
"Why do you remember?" Monique asked and Dr. Lipsky pointed at Monique and nodded, making it known that he thought the woman had asked a VERY smart question.
"I am one of the children of the Fifth. I have personal knowledge of the Twelve. And I was one of the ones who could not be destroyed, so I was sealed away." Haoxian blinked slowly. "I guess one could say that I was 'lucky' to have been just sealed away and not killed outright."
"Okay, so it's nice that we know all of this." Dr. Lipsky crossed his arms petulantly. "But I don't really care."
"Drew!" Monique glared at the man. Dr. Lipsky, however, made no apologies and just shrugged.
"I came here after one thing and one thing only: Shego's body." Dr. Lipsky said solemnly. "And you people said he might have answers! Or-or at least it was implied that he would have answers! And I've been good, I've kept quiet for a long time. Now I want to know if he can help me find Shego's body or not! If not, I want to move on!"
Kim hadn't wanted to say anything until she was alone with Haoxian, but she was glad Dr. Lipsky had voiced her thoughts for her.
"What I have been saying recently, HAS been relevant to your search for your friend." Haoxian shook his head at the blue man's impatience. "The Twelve have been imprisoned in a way that would not allow them to move about freely. Basically, the bodies they had before had been destroyed. They canot make new ones since they are not powerful enough alone to do so, at the moment." Haoxian stressed the last words, pausing significantly before continuing. "So they require the service of a vessel."
"A vessel?" With a sinking feeling, Kim already knew where this conversation was headed.
"One who contain the essence of one of the Twelve for a time." The sword-carrying otherfolk nodded.
Monique frowned slightly. "So anybody would do--"
"No. Not just anybody. The chosen would have to be the Avatar of that specific one. Those are very hard to come by, but your friend Shego so happened to be one of the Twelve's Avatar. The coincidence, the odds of something like this happening is just astounding." Haoxian rubbed his chin. "The Sixth would have entered the body of the Avatar when it came in close proximity to the Sixth's prison. The body, of course, had to be newly dead. As in killed right at the spot."
"Shego's wasn't." Kim's whisper was loud in the suddenly quiet room. Needing to believe that the vision she had of Shego, her heart's desire, had been HER Shego and not just someone wearing her skin. "If you're suggesting that she was the Avatar... it's impossible. She was killed up at Er Mei. We brought her back down and she was buried--"
"--days later." Michelle felt a lump lodge in her throat, remembering the day they lowered Shego down into a hole in the ground. That had been one of the worst days of her life.
Haoxian smiled at Kim pleasantly. "As I said before, the odds of all of this coming together for the Sixth... it is just unbelievable. It is a mystery how she managed to acquire her Avatar's body past the window of time alotted to her."
"So what you're saying is that someone's hijacked her body?" Dr. Lipsky smacked a fist into his open palm in a gesture of sudden understanding. "That IS what you're saying, isn't it?"
"It is." Haoxian nodded. "Well, 'hijack' is not quite the word I would use. 'Borrow' would be better."
"Woah." Jim's stunned voice brought everybody's attention to the young man at the door. "You leave for a second and everybody invades your room."
Monique waved him over and told him they'll bring him up to speed later, as the discussion continued.
"The Sixth has been reviving the Twelve. She has already woken the Second and now it will just be a matter of time before the others awaken. That would be the biggest problem."
"Why?" Nam Ho frowned, asking in Chinese.
"Because I believe most of them will be angry." Haoxian clenched his teeth, a flash of something passing in his eyes that Nam Ho immediately recognized. Fear. "My brothers and I were not only used to contain our father. We were used to hunt down the other Twelve and find ways to put them away."
There was a long silence. Then Monique cleared her throat and looked at Haoxian seriously. "What now, then? What're you gonna do?"
"I am... going to free my brothers." Haoxian sighed, resigned. "We are the keys to our father's prison. We must all go to free him. Then... we shall see."
"So let me get this straight..." Lang hadn't said much since the beginning of this discussion, but now he pinned Haoxian with an incredulous look. "You want to free your father, whom you betrayed and imprisoned?"
"What we did was wrong. And we shall right that wrong." Haoxian chuckled humourlessly. "It is better for us to face our just desserts for imprisoning the Twelve anyways, then to wait for them to hold council and hunt us down."
"Council?"
"They hold one every year, but the decisions are usually made by the ruling member of that year. It is only when the First holds council that things become interesting. What the First dictates will happen in the first year shapes the decisions the other eleven will make in their years. I am certain that once they are all awake, they will hold council immediately."
"Well, like I said, that's all well and good. But I want to find Shego and put her to rest. I don't care about anything else." Dr. Lipsky said stubbornly. "Tell me how to find her and we'll all be on our merry way."
"Well, you do not have to look far." Haoxian pinned Kim with a look, his eyes traveling down to where the little fox's heart was hidden underneath her shirt. "Kim Possible has the means to find her. Though putting her to rest will be a bit hard right now."
Kim knew it was true. Now that she had no distractions and her brothers were safe. She could leave with her team and look for Shego... Shego's body. Bring it back and bury it. Kim kept a tight hold of her feelings, feeling the hope die inside her again. It hurt the same every single time. Why did she even hope? It was like having Shego die again and again and she could feel it all breaking inside of her again... In her mind's eye, that image of Shego was just the image of someone in her skin.
Kim cleared her throat, hoping she wouldn't choke on the tears that were threatening to spill again. She was so tired of crying. "Sorry, Haoxian. I think we're going to have to go after Shego's body first. Then we'll help you with your brothers and father--"
"Leave me out of the 'we', Kim."
Ron's calm announcement shocked the team. Ron went everywhere with Kim!
"What?" Kim asked hoarsely.
"I said," Ron drew back his shoulders. "I'm not coming along. I think Haoxian might need a bit of help on his end. And I don't think getting Shego's body back trumps saving Haoxian's family. What's so important about getting Shego's body back, anyways? It's just a body. She's dead."
He was deliberately pressing her buttons, Kim knew it. But she still couldn't stop herself from rushing him and pinning him to the wall, the impact of body against hard object knocking the air out of him. Tigger was on his feet, barking excitedly, not knowing what to do while everyone moved as one to pull Kim back.
"Kim!" Vince and Monique were at her side first, trying to pull her back, but the redhead was like a rock.
"No, Kim! No!" Rufus was at Ron's shoulder, trying to loosen Kim's fingers, make her let go of Ron's shirt.
"Why is it so important, huh?" Ron shouted breathlessly. "Huh? What's so important, Kim? You didn't even tell us!"
"Shut... up..." Kim breathed out, feeling lightheaded with grief. She pulled back then slammed Ron against the wall again. The blonde didn't fight back, just let her do what she wanted, feeling the air whoosh out of his lungs. "Shut up! You don't know anything!"
"You could've escaped." Ron's weezing voice was loud in the silent room. "You could've, so why didn't you? Why don't you tell us, huh?"
"Kim, girl, you gotta let him go." Monique was intrigued by what was being said, but not enough to stop and ask. She just wanted Kim to let Ron go. "Kim--"
"You want me to tell them." Kim suddenly released Ron and took several steps back. "Fine."
Michelle was rubbing her baby's back soothingly, trying to calm him down as he looked on in wide-eyed fright at the sudden violence that had unfolded before his young eyes.
"We were worried about you." Ron rasped out, tears streaming down his face now. "But you were too caught up in 'helping' Shego. Did she like your type of 'help'? Did she tell you how good you were? Did she 'help' you back--"
A swift slap silenced Ron Stoppable. He touched his cheek gingerly, deeply hurt that his best friend in all the world had actually slapped him.
"Ron." Monique was horrified at the unfolding scene. "What are you saying?"
"Ask her." Ron pointed at Kim Possible. The sorrow, the apology on her face was not enough. "Ask her what she was doing while we ran ourselves ragged looking for her. While her parents, her family and friends were worried SICK for her."
"You make it sound like Kim was sleeping with Shego or something." Monique joked weakly. The sudden silence in the room was deafening. The dark-skinned girl spun to face Kim. "You... you were actually sleeping with her?"
"We have more important things to worry about right now." Lang suddenly snapped. "I'm sure your little drama here is important to you, but there are more important things. Like," Lang took a step towards Haoxian. "What the hell did you mean by us 'reaping the consequences'?"
"The Twelve were angry." Haoxian said softly, remembering how each of the ones he had helped track down, strained, furious against their restraints. Bewildered by their bonds. Promised retribution. Promised pain. "The Twelve felt betrayed. They had always done what they thought was right by those they protected. Who knew that the race that asked the most of them would do this to them? They were caught by surprise, ambushed, unaware. Their power stolen for a purpose that seems so... small."
"What purpose?" Lang asked, didn't realize that his hands were clenched into fists at his side.
Haoxian stared at Lang unblinkingly, for a long time. Then he shook his head. "All who are aware of death fear it. What would you do if you found out how to conquer death? If you could have life eternal, youth everlasting... Would you do it? Even if it meant that you would have to sacrifice someone innocent?"
Lang's hands started to shake.
"But of course, the power of the Twelve is almost impossible to harness. It is too much for a simple human. To actually be able to learn how to attain immortality would take too long for someone impatient, it would be easier to just slip into the skin of someone younger and stronger. That would be much easier to learn in one lifetime."
Lang swayed, almost fell down but Ka Yi's hand steadied him. "My father--"
"Has not been your father for quite some time, young Master Lang." Haoxian shook his head, sympathy in his eyes. "You lost your father a long time ago and you did not even know it."
"No." Ka Yi shook her head. "Master Heen--"
"Is one of the original hunters that took down my father. And now, I must free my brothers to make things right. Once my father is free, this body-stealer will lose his stolen power."
"What will you do after you free your father?" Nam Ho asked.
"I will ask him to allow me to hunt down the rest of the original hunters and help free the Twelve. Then I will submit to the Twelve's judement."
Dr. Lipsky's eyes were darting from side to side, looking at everyone around the room. He only had one objective.
"I'm going to find Shego!" Dr. Lipsky stomped his feet on the ground. He looked over at Kim Possible expectantly. "Kim Possible, are you with me?"
"I'm going to help Haoxian." Ron spat out before Kim could answer. "Are you coming with us, KP?"
Kim had to choose. Actually, it wasn't much of a choice. The fox's heart told her clearly what her heart's desire was and she was tired, so tired of not having it.
"No, Ron." Kim walked over to Dr. Lipsky, not looking over at her friends. "I'm not."
There was silence.
"Of course. You picked her over us then, why would I expect you to do differently now?"
"I didn't pick her over anyone! It's... complicated. You don't understand--"
"I understand just fine. You picked her over us before. You're doing it again. Right?" Ron paused, looking at the back of Kim's head, wondering if she would try to explain herself. When she didn't say anything, he shook his head and left the room.
"Ron!" Monique started after Ron, then stopped to run back to Kim's side. "Kim--god, you two are just---Ron!"
"What the hell just happened?" Jim blinked stupidly, watching Monique tear out of the room after Ron. What the hell had just happened?
"Jim, I'm calling for a ride for you and Tim." Kim placed a hand on Dr. Lipsky's shoulder, as if to steady herself. "The both of you are going home."
"Hell no!" Jim was fast to argue, not really caring about what had just been revealed. This was his sister and he'd be damned if he let her run off by herself again! "I'm going with you!"
"You just got out of a bad situation." Kim's hand was shaking. Her brothers had been kidnapped and one of them had been beaten to the point where she had been unable to recognize him. Ron had walked out on her. Monique was angry at her. Someone might be taking Shego's body out on a joyride. "I'm not letting you walk in to another one. Go home with your brother."
There was steel in her voice, reflected in her eyes when she turned to stare down Jim. And he felt just like a child again, young and afraid of his sister's fury. But he pressed his lips together and stood his ground stubbornly, desperately.
"You won't go anywhere without your brother, right?" Kim tried a softer approach. "You're supposed to take care of each other and you can't if you're not by his side. Can you take Tim home? The two of you can give me support from home."
"At least take Tigger." Jim hung his head, defeated. His sister was right. Tim wouldn't leave his side and he wouldn't want to leave Tim's after what had happened. And he also refused to let Tim go out on any missions for a time. Jim had to watch over his brother.
"Okay. I'll take Tigger." Kim smiled reassuringly at him. Dr. Lipsky was already calling Wade for a ride for the twins on the Kimmunicator when she looked over.
"Sorry I won't be coming along." Kim apologized, meaning every word of it. Haoxian just shook his head.
"I seem to have many willing volunteers. I am sure Lang and his people would want to aid me, or just use that as an excuse to keep an eye on me." Haoxian paused, looking very solemn and very sad. "My most precious came first before anything else. Even my father. I understand what you are going through even if your family and friends do not. But be careful, Kim Possible. If and when the time comes for you to truly choose... choose wisely."
The tigress ran as quickly as she could, ignoring the pain that shot through her abdomen as she ran, blood dripping in the pure white of new-fallen snow. She ran as fast as she could, hearing a call not that far in the distance, promising sanctuary. She did the best she could, best she was able to. She was the fastest, the strongest; the undisputed queen of this cold world. Yet here she was, the greatest hunter in these forests, chased down like a dog. Two suns ago, the last of her cubs had fallen in the wake of a loud crack of thunder on a cloudless day. She had tried her best to lead them to safety, towards that voice that called to her, but her children fell, all three of them.
First was her youngest son, mischievous and adventurous. His death warned them of the danger nearby and they had fled.
The second to fall was her eldest daughter. There was that crack of thunder and she stumbled but continued onwards bravely, a red flower blooming across her flank. But she had slowed down and soon another boom sounded off and she stumbled and fell and didn't get up again.
The last to go, her second daughter, big and strong. She followed her mother stubbornly, then had veered off when the hunters got too close and had gotten a lucky shot in on her mother. Roaring a challenge, she had charged into the woods, ducking through trees. The screams of human men and her daughter's snarls and growls echoed through the woods.
Then thunder again, silenced her last daughter.
'Hurt, hurt...' The queen wanted to pause and lick her wound and rest. It hurt so much. But she knew if she stopped, she would never get to safety.
"God DAMN that stupid cat!" Not far behind, the poachers followed along, their way marked by the tiger's trail in the snow. One of their own had gone down in a blaze of orange and black striped fur, claws and fangs. They were hell-bent on taking down the last in this family.
'No more hurt.' The voice called out to her and she could see an opening, a cavern, in the roots of a giant tree.
'Safe.' Th queen breathed out a sigh, hobbling over so she was just at the entrance of the cavern. That was her last thought as she fell in end over end, feeling so tired, too tired to even try to slow her descent into this seemingly bottomless hole. The pain was too much, the hurt, the loss.
'You are safe now. I will make sure NO ONE hurts what is mine anymore. My dear child, my child..' The voice was inside of her now, pulling her away from the pain. She was surrounded by warmth now, as if she was a cub once more, encircled in her mother's warmth and drinking thick, rich milk from her mother's teat.
'Sleep. I will deal with these men.' The Third flexed razor sharp talons and jumped upwards, clawing footholds into the earth until her bulk was pouring out of the cavern, her golden eyes bright and glowing, lips drawn back in a hateful snarl.
"Holy HELL! Look at the size of that thing! She's like, the size of a fucking truck!" The poacher backed up, rifle pointed directly at the monster tigress that had pulled herself out of the roots of the tree. "The tiger we were tracking wasn't that big!"
"Less talking, more shooting!" As trigger fingers pressed against trigger, the sound of all of their guns jamming sent a cold shiver down their backs. The giant feline, if it was possible, smirked.
'Children...' She purred as the first of the tigers arrived. She had been calling her children to her, calling them from wherever they were in this cold region. They were to witness their queen, reborn. And she had prepared a feast for them.
'Your meal, children. Go... slow. Let them feel your teeth and claws. Let them feel you tearing their insides out. Let them regret ever having laid eyes on our kind. Let them PAY for what they have done to us!' She roared as her children broke from the woods and trotted towards the small group of poachers, licking their chops.
"No, no, no, get away!"
"ARGHHH! AAhhhAHRR!"
"Fuck! GAHH! FAWWK!"
"God, please, god..."
The Third watched as her children played with their food. Two big males and a large female had gotten here first, but she could feel more of them coming. And... something else. Someone else.
"I see you need no help from me, your Majesty." The Third turned to regard the four figures who stood before her, draped in heavy cloaks to ward off the chill. "Welcome back to wakefulness."
"You know me?" The Third closed her eyes, enjoying the delicious screams that filled the clearing. She flared her nostrils, trying to get the scent of these four. One of them was familiar. The other three were not of any importance, clearly they were this familiar one's people.
"Sixth." The Third purred, sounding very much pleased. "It is indeed, a pleasure."
The Sixth pulled back her hood, revealing Shego's flawless face, pale and green. Gracefully, she walked over to the large Tiger and reached up to sink her fingers into the thick fringe of fur that surrounded the queen's face. The Third purred, leaning down to rub her head gently on the tiny woman's shoulder.
"Will you help me? You are the Third and you are powerful."
"What do you ask of me, Sixth?" The Tigress looked down at the small woman, her tail lashed from side to side as she awaited the Sixth's request.
"The Second is still as soft as ever, but he is awake and he is waiting for us. Help me awaken the rest of us. Destroy any who get in our way." The Sixth hissed, her voice low and poisonous. "We shall be the Twelve once again and the First will come to us and hold council."
"I will search for my brethren. I have not tracked down game in a long while, this will give me the opportunity to hone my skills once again." The giant cat purred, deep and low, her eyes narrowed to slits. The screams of the poachers had died down to gurgling whimpers. "The First cannot possibly deny us justice for what has happened."
"No. The First is just." The Sixth grinned with Shego's face and faced the carnage of blood and guts that the Third's children were feasting on. "I will leave you to your own devices now, your Majesty. Good hunting."
The Third answered with a toothy grin of her own. "Good hunting, Sixth."
endnote: Wooooo. Comments, criticisms, questions, wtfs? send 'em my way! :D