The Eighth and the Keys
A Kim Possible Fanfiction
immo
author's note: Ahahahaha... I actually had this lying around my harddrive for a month or so, looking it over. Here you go, guys. Hopefully my next update won't take as long. Sorry.
"What do we do first?" The room's occupants was comprised of Nam Ho and a couple of his monks who had volunteered to accompany Haoxian in his search; and Lang and his people. They all sat in a large room in the monastery that the monks used for meetings. Chinese would be the language of choice for this assembly since the majority of people in the room didn't know a word of English. Ron, Rufus and Monique used their translator earpieces and had no problems understanding what was going on. It was only when they spoke that the Chinese people who knew English in the room had to scramble to translate for their compatriots who were in the dark.
"We find my brothers' keys." Lang held out his sword. "This is my key... and now that I have awakened, it no longer has power over me. We find my brothers' keys, then we go back to Lang's village. The proximity of the keys will help them escape and giving them their keys will fully awaken them."
"Are... my family in danger?" Lang asked the question that was on all his people's minds. Knowing now that a body-snatcher was head of their village was unnerving. Knowing how he snatched bodies broke Lang's heart and all the hope he had of having back the father he had as a child died the instant he couldn't keep denying the truth of Lang's words.
"They might be." Haoxian didn't try to hide the truth from them. "He knows that I know. And he probably expects me to tell all of you."
"Then we have to go back." Lang pounded a fist on the table while the rest of the hunters murmured their agreement. "We might have left the village, but our families are back there. My... mother's back there."
"We can't go back now." Ron's statement brought on an explosion of outrage from the hunters but he silenced them with what he said next. "Think about it: Haoxian said this bodysnatcher thing draws his power form Haoxian's brothers and even Haoxian hasn't made a direct attack on the village yet, even though he's free. That thing ran away yesterday but Haoxian didn't go after him. If we go back now, we'll be fighting on his terms and we'll probably lose."
Haoxian nodded, impressed with the young man's insight. "He can channel more of my brothers' powers the closer he gets to the village. In the village itself, he is invincible. Against the combination of my brothers' powers... I would not be able to win. That was how we fell, one by one."
"How'd they get your keys in the first place?" Monique asked curiously. "I mean, if y'all are so powerful, how'd you get caught?"
"Our most precious things were used against us. They caught us because we, the nine children of the Fifth, succumbed to our weaknesses." Haoxian's voice was emotionless as he spoke. "We all had something we held dearer than life. My most precious thing was my lover," Haoxian drew his sword and moved it this way and that so the blade would catch the light from the candles that brightened the room. The expression on his face was surprisingly soft and open. "And this was my lover's sword."
Haoxian sheathed his sword again, all business once more, the fragility he had shown before, completely gone. "I am Haoxian. I have eight brothers and they are Yazi, Chiwen, Baxia, Pulao, Bixi, Qiuniu, Suanmi and Jiaotu. Their keys will not be the same as mine and are most likely items that their most-precious owned or that item itself was their most precious thing. To fight Master Heen, we would need all of my brothers' keys in our possession. When they are no longer imprisoned, we can fight him together."
"Lets do this, then!" Ron rubbed his hands together, enthusiastic at the idea. Monique could see right through him, though. Had seen him crying after that big blow-out with Kim. Ron hadn't even been around to see Kim, Drakken and Tigger leave on the cerulean man's UFO. In fact, it seemed like he had completely blocked out the event and was choosing to ignore Kim and whatever she was doing.
"Where do we start?" Ka Yi, Lang's second-in-command asked.
"I think we'll need some help on this." Monique announced, then paused, waiting for the people who knew English to prepare to translate to their friends. "We're gonna be looking for... antiques, right? Old things, maybe a sword--"
" --or a vase. Or ANYTHING actually. But antiquities would be the right direction to look, these keys will be old and most likely of Chinese origin. Since the keys are either something that belonged to our most precious or something that was their most precious, it would most likely have something to do with what they loved." Haoxian placed an unconscious hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Wade," Monique pulled out her kimmunicator, the boy-genius immediately appearing on screen with a wave. "Got a minute?"
"How can I help?" Wade smiled brightly, typing away at his computer. "We're looking for antiquities. Chinese origin, the older the better. Maybe a list of things from museums and private collectors? ...that was kinda broad, wasn't it?"
Wade frowned a bit, looking off to another screen and continued typing away furiously. "That's A LOT broad, Monique. Can we narrow it down? Like what are you looking for specifically?"
"What is this thing you have?" Haoxian looked over Monique's shoulder at the device in her hand. "How odd. There is a little man inside. You humans are so inventive."
"Hey." Wade chuckled humorously at the otherfolk's curiosity.
"So you are looking for specifics?" Haoxian blinked slowly, head tilted to the side, deep in thought. "Their keys might have something to do with what they loved doing, since I do remember meeting my lover while I was doing what I loved best. It has been so long ago and being awake meant time eroded my memory of my siblings' most precious things--"
"How could you forget them?" One hunter sniped. "Eight objects aren't that hard to remember."
Haoxian paused, his expression hadn't changed at all, but the temperature in the room seemed to have dropped several degrees as the son of the Fifth answered the hunter.
"I was too busy making sure I did not forget my most important one. Because of the nature of my imprisonment, I was very aware of time's influence on me. Time is a most successful thief; I do not remember my lover anymore, except that I loved them. That is why I do not remember the most important things of my silblings." Haoxian answered curtly. He gripped the hilt of his sword, his jaw clenched tightly. "I dwelled on the memory of my love for so long, polishing it, holding on to it as long as I could until all I had left of them was dust. I locked my father up for this person, yet I do not remember anything besides a few qualities they have... But we are getting sidetracked. My brothers, however, I do remember. Since I spent all of my childhood and most of my maturing stage with them, it is hard to forget. I seem to recall that my brother, Yazi, enjoyed warfare."
One of the monks in the room had parchment, ink and brush and was writing down the hints Haoxian was giving them.
"Chiwen loved... looking. I am pretty sure I know what his key was since he owned it ever since we were young." Haoxian, unsmiling and without expression, still seemed amused at the memory he had dredged up. "He owned a pair of binoculars that enabled him to focus on things far away. Baxia loved water... and Pulao loved bells."
"Bells?" Rufus chirped.
"Bells." Haoxian nodded. "Loud things with sounds that resonated throughout your body. And Qiuniu... loved music. Suanmi loved fire, even though my brothers and I were all more weather and water inclined. I remember that he had his own fire cult at one time or another."
"One more left, Haoxian." Monique had counted off the names of Haoxian's brothers. But Haoxian had a faraway look in his eyes and the wind was slowly picking up outside.
"Haoxian." Nam Ho, who had not spoken the whole time now spoke up, sensing the otherfolk's agitation. "Haoxian, calm."
Haoxian registered the monk's voice, but he couldn't keep calm. He wanted to scream, he felt like the walls were closing in on him again as he remembered his half-awake state in his prison. "Jiaotu was always fond of... locks. He designed our prison."
Rain was pattering down outside now, the wind blowing angrily at the shutters as Haoxian took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Al...right..." Monique looked around the room cautiously, afraid something else would set off Haoxian. The wind and the rain had come from nowhere. And as Haoxian took deep calming breaths, the brewing storm outside died as suddenly as it had started. "Well. Uh, Wade, did you get that?"
"Warfare, binoculars, water, bells, music, fire and locks." Wade's voice chirped from the Kimmunicator. "Got it! I'll see what I can find; I could also contact some of the art and antiquities dealers Kim has helped over the years... so I'll get back to you on that later. Oh, by the way, the boys are enroute to the hospital."
"What?" Monique frowned at Wade, suddenly worried. "What happened? Are they okay?"
"They're just going in for a quick evaluation." Wade tried to calm the woman down. "Apparently, when Dr. Lipsky had called for a ride for the boys, he decided to give the doctors Possible a heads up."
"Oh no."
"Yeah." Wade frowned, troubled. Everybody on Team Possible tried their best not to tell the parentals anything about what they did. Wade tried his best to keep all of his cyber-activities hidden from his mom, since his information gathering sometimes stepped over that thin line between legal and not so legal. All members that were okay'd for field activity kept their wounds hidden and downplayed what they did to their parents but some times, bruises and scrapes on places that couldn't be covered were inevitable. "Seems like nobody told Dr. Lipsky bout the 'don't-tell' clause we have about injuries."
"Crap." Monique winced.
The cave stretched downwards, down hewn stone steps for quite a while and opened up to a marvel of human artistry and ingenuity. Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, the small group had to slip through a narrow stone passageway carved with strange pictures, each one telling a story. Shego didn't have the time or patience to study the drawings, though. She didn't have time for any of this and knew what these drawings would entail, anyways. The story of a veritable god, a power that situated itself in the desert and was buried here when the nine sons of the Fifth came calling.
Upon reaching the end of this passage, Shego snapped her fingers and lit the room in an eerie green glow. Looking up, she spotted braziers filled with candles hanging from the ceiling and threw up her little ball of green fire. As the flames sputtered above the braziers, the small ball of green fire fell apart into as many different tongues of flames as there were candles and lit up every one of these braziers, bathing the room in a soft warm glow as the green light faded to a warm yellow.
At Shego's self-satisfied smirk and the challenge in the green-skinned woman's raised eyebrow, Bai Su Zhen rolled her eyes. Since Shego started carrying the Sixth and realizing that she was powerful beyond all imagination, she had been showing off as much as possible without straining herself.
Now with the dark cavern lit up, they could see that the passage ended and poured the group into a medium-sized hall that had COUNTRIES' ransom in precious jewels and crystals, gold and other precious metals in decorations. There were also large piles of priceless rocks all the colours of the rainbows, sparkling quietly admidst coins from different nations and eras. The floor was tiled with large slabs of black stone, worn smooth by traffic through this hall. Walls were encrusted with gems in a gaudy display of wealth and smooth marble pillars made a path up to a large, ornate throne that was grotesque in it's extravagence.
The only thing that was out of place in this underground hall full of riches were the skeletons, dressed in rags that used to be clothes, strewn about the floor. Some were laden with strings of gold and silver, rings with shiny rocks set in their thick, exquisite bands. These people had died, almost peacefully. Against the wall, even in the wavering candlelight, outlines of people were charred into the walls, as if a fiery blast of fire had ended the lives of these trespassers and reduced them to nothing but dust.
"So this is your home." Shego mused out loud. There was an answering reply, a quietly inquisitive pulse from the throne. He was still aware. He was awake. And he was so very angry. He was just about to lash out when Shego receded and the Sixth approached the throne with one hand raised.
"Calm, brother. Do you remember me?" There was a pause, then his excitement shook the room sending little avalanches of coins and gems rolling down the small mountains of precious baubles. "I will not stay long, I am not at my best right now. My children seek your Avatar and they will bring them to you. You shall be free, then we shall talk."
Another little pulse pinged the room, deep and weary, as if the being trapped here was sighing deeply in acceptance.
"We can stay here for a while." Shego blinked and stumbled a little bit as she took hold of her body again. Xaio Qing was at her side right away, eager to help her former disciple in any way possible.
Shego smiled wearily at the Green Snake. It was hard to keep being angry at her, especially since they were working together for a common goal and with how persistant she was being. Maybe it was also because the Sixth looked upon the Green Snake so kindly that it affected Shego's feelings too... "I'm fine."
"How long until the Eighth's Avatar gets here?" Bai Su Zhen asked, looking around the room. The White Snake brushed coins off a silver chair and sat down.
"The Eighth's Avatar is in a place that my children do not like to go." Shego frowned, noting that she was speaking as if she WAS the Sixth. "We're trying to contact the Third, but it seems like Lady Tiger is also out hunting somewhere a bit too chilly for us. We can't go someplace that cold again."
The cold-blooded snakes naturally hated cold and gravitated to warm weather. Searching out the Third had been a big risk and had sapped the Sixth's strength, too much and too fast to be safe for her and her Avatar. Letting Xaio Qing or Bai Su Zhen go was not an option either since they supported Shego's weak system. Yinchun was the resident doctor but was not to be trusted in the process of awakening the Twelve. Her mutinous grumblings were not lost on the Sixth and if it weren't for the fact that Yinchun was necessary and Xaio Qing was fond of her, the Snake would have killed the young fox a long time ago.
"Do you need to rest?" Xaio Qing asked Shego softly. The green-skinned villainess nodded, fighting to stay awake. The Sixth did use a lot of her reserve strength and energy when she wanted to take over the body, causing Shego to require more rest and nourishment than usual. Xaio Qing quickly took off her cloak and signalled for Yinchun and Bai Su Zhen to do the same, intent on making Shego as comfortable as possible.
"Thank you." Shego nodded sluggishly, wrapping herself tightly in the borrowed cloaks and sitting back onto a pile of coins and jewels. In just a few short seconds, the woman was out like a light.
"Hello."
Shego blinked, looking around at her surroundings. Almost every time she went to sleep, she was here, in what looked like an abandoned temple. Motifs of snakes, statues of the serpents and offerings of flowers and fruits littered the temple's many offering tables.
"I'm trying to sleep." Shego sighed, turning to face the Snake. It was just a small thing, the length of her arm and it's inky black coils shimmered in the warm sunlight streaming through windows high up on the wall. The calls of birds would periodically sound and the sound of so many leaves outside, shifting in the wind, gave Shego the impression of standing next to the ocean.
"But we have much to talk about."
"We talked this to death."
"I asked. But you never answered me."
"I don't wanna talk about it."
The Snake chuckled kindly and reared up to better look at her Avatar. "But that is all I see, Shego. She is everywhere. Even here."
Sensing someone else in the temple, Shego turned around, already knowing who would be there.
"Hey, Shego." Kim waved cheerily, lounging on a windowsill with her hands behind her head. She looked like the careless youth that Shego had first encountered such a long while ago. At that time, Shego had been intrigued by the redhead, how such a skinny, small little thing could go into the hero business. But Kim Possible had proved a worthy adversary.
"I have not looked into your memories of her, Shego. Because you have asked me not to." The Snake sighed. "But you do understand that your feelings overlap my own and I can guess. You might as well tell me who she is."
Shego had been watching Kim Possible the entire time the Sixth was talking to her. Now, she strode over to the redhead who watched Shego with lazy interest.
"She's my girl." Shego crouched down beside Kim and reached out to touch the heroine. And like all the times before in this dreamscape, Shego wouldn't be able to touch Kim. No matter how hard she tried to push her hand through that invisible barrier around Kim, it was impossible. The green-skinned woman let out a sigh. "You know that."
"But who is she to you, Shego? Let me in." Shego's memories were shared in this slow, awkward way. The villainess opened herself up to the Sixth grudgingly, while the Snake had seen the Second's and the Third's Avatars open up completely and bond perfectly. Avatar and the entity riding in their Avatar's body have to mesh as seamlessly as possible and there should be little to no resistance. It was a tad maddening to have her Avatar resist her... in fact, it was a little bit dangerous. Shego was already weak because of how their bond was formed. For her to resist their bond, it was weakening her more.
"Fine." When Shego didn't answer her, the Sixth sighed, lowering her head. "I will just have to ask her when she comes."
"What?" Shego rose from her crouch in alarm, taking two steps towards the reptile laying in the sun.
"She comes to find you." The Snake said lazily, the warmth making her sleepy. "And we will talk when she arrives."
"How--"
"She comes now." The Sixth explained. "I feel the heart she wears, following me. It is hard to miss such a powerful artifact."
"I wanted her away from all this--"
"I did not promise that." The Snake said carefully. "We talked about this. It is impossible once my brethren are awake for her not to affected by any of this. I can only promise her safety. Remember?"
Shego did remember that first talk she had with the Sixth. The entity had explained who and what she and the Twelve were and what she planned to do in stark and horrifying detail. Shego had bargained, to the Snake's amusement, for Kim, a blue man named Drakken and her super hero brothers' lives. The Sixth had agreed to this, overwhelmed by the sheer flood of unchecked feelings Shego had let flow. Shego had learned to control herself a bit more but now, the Sixth could feel Shego's emotions crashing on to her like a tsunami right now. Kim Possible was important.
"How important is she?" The Sixth questioned. "I would not harm her, you know this. I promised. And I keep my promises."
"I know." The Sixth had opened herself up like a book to Shego, hiding nothing from the woman. Shego knew the Snake was honorable, would keep her word and that she wouldn't make promises that she wouldn't keep. Shego also knew the Sixth was so very angry... and the Twelve's awakening was inevitable. Even if Shego had refused to help the Sixth, conveniently, the Snake would find another Avatar quickly in Bai Su Zhen.
"Your resistance is tiring you out. You are suffering. And I cannot leave you unless you die." The Snake's tail twitched, Shego could feel the genuine twinge of sorrow the Sixth felt. "I do not want you to die, Shego."
"How long til she gets here?" Shego looked aorund the temple. It was from the Sixth's memory, a temple now destroyed, deep in the jungles of South America somewhere. The Sixth had made her home there until she had fled the sons of the Fifth and ended up in trapped in the place that Xaio Qing and Bai Su Zhen's son would unknowingly choose as the site for She Cun. They hadn't known that what was buried underneath the earth there was what had attracted them to that site.
"Very soon. When you awaken, she should be here." The Sixth answered. "She comes fast on one of your Dr. D's flying machines." The Sixth's tongue darted out, tasting the air. "You care for her that much that you would risk your life for her?"
"I would give up everything for her." Shego exclaimed truthfully. "And she'd do the same for me."
"You would." The Sixth chuckled. She had been privy to that memory, painful and bloody, of Shego dying in the dirt. "But I doubt that she would. She is human, of course."
"I'm human too!"
"You are my Avatar. You are more than human." The Sixth explained patiently. "You possess all the qualities that are necessary for you and I to bond. In fact, between you and Bai Su Zhen, you are even more suited to me than she. Our Avatars are far and few in between and you are one. Do not ever group yourself with that race. You are more than that."
"Shego!"
"They call you." Their surroundings shimmered, like a mirage. "How much has humanity changed? And how much have they not changed? You seem to think the best of this Kim Possible, Shego. I wonder... I really wonder..."
Shego woke up slowly to Xaio Qing's face hovering above her.
"She's here?" Shego's question, her extra insight of the waking world didn't surprise her companions any more. They were aware that Shego and the Snake... talked while she slept. And the Sixth seemed to know everything.
"She is outside." Bai Su Zhen also hovered nearby, more for Xaio Qing's sake than Shego's. The Green Snake didn't look alright. In fact, she looked downright sick to her stomach at the thought of seeing Kim.
"I think I will go somewhere else." Xaio Qing remembered quite well, how much she had hurt Kim. How she had rammed her fist through Shego's chest, knowing with a malicious satisfaction that it would hurt Kim, maybe more than it would hurt Xaio Qing herself. She remembered how insanely happy she was at the sight of Kim, reduced to nothing... how her own anger, her sorrow, her grief and her elation all crumbled together in a deadly mixture. Xaio Qing remembered feeling so incredibly alone, so overwhelmed with everything and nothing at the same time... even now, she could feel traces of anger, of indignation. Where did Kim fit in in their world? Kim didn't belong here, didn't belong with Shego. Shego belonged to Xaio Qing, to her... Xaio Qing tried to fight her less charitable thoughts about Kim Possible, but she didn't know if those horrible feelings would come up again and swallow her whole.
"No escaping." Shego smiled wryly. "You have to face her some time."
"What if I cannot?" Xaio Qing asked softly. "I do not think I can control myself..."
"Your sister is here with you, isn't she?" Shego looked over at Bai Su Zhen. They were all very aware that even if Xaio Qing seemed alright right now... it was unspoken, but everyone was thinking the same thing: they weren't sure if Xaio Qing really was okay.
"Yes." Xaio Qing smiled at Bai Su Zhen and held out her hand to the White Snake. Bai Su Zhen took the Green Snake's hand in her own and smiled at her sister, a reassuring smile that told the younger snake that she would be there for her.
Shego let out a shakey breath she didn't know she had been holding. How was Kim going to react to her? How was Shego herself going to react?
'How, indeed.' The Sixth was awake and interested. Shego's lips pressed together in a grimace and closed her eyes, vertigo hitting her. It was always like that when the Sixth decided she needed to be conscious as well.
"Bring her down to us." Shego sat back, letting the power that came with the Snake's appearance wash over her. She felt so incredibly drunk on it... but so wearied by it. At Xaio Qing's hesitation though, the Sixth's voice escaped from Shego's mouth. "Go. Bring her to us unharmed. You must learn control."
Xaio Qing hesitated for a second, then dipped her head in a slow bow to Shego before heading for the stairs. Bai Su Zhen and Yinchun were quick to follow, the fox looking a bit worried at what might happen since she remembered quite well the damage Xaio Qing had done last time.
'Sit and wait. she will bring her to us.' The Sixth soothed Shego's worries. 'You are still tired.'
"And who's fault is that?" Shego growled. But she sat there, waiting anxiously, listening for any sound that might tell her that Kim was coming down the stairs, wondering what she should say, how she should react.. how DID she feel? What would she say, really? Shego had tried so hard, before she had died, to keep Kim safe. Now, with her second chance at life, she was still trying to keep Kim away... but it felt like everything was just working against her all the time. Shego was no good for Kim. The only thing she was good for was giving Kim trouble. She should just get Xaio Qing to take Kim away, to keep the heroine away from Shego. She was bad for the younger woman, Shego was no good--
"Shego?"
Shego, wrapped up in her own tortured thoughts once again, was shaken out of it. There she was. There was Kim. And the usually energetic and joyful woman looked so completely broken. Kim looked bedraggled and exhausted, worn out and weary. Her shoulder-length hair--it had grown since the last time Shego saw her--was oily and limp, dark circles under her eyes and the palour of her skin made Shego heart clench tightly in her chest.
"Kim... what happened to you?" Shego struggled to get up, lurched forward unsteadily on her feet and almost stumbled as Kim crashed into Shego with jarring force. The redhead was still strong, despite her appearance and held on to Shego desperately, sobbing into Shego's neck. Her blubbering was incomprehensible and after a while, Shego gave up trying to push Kim away and just help on to Kim as if her life depended on it, revelling in the feel of the redhead in her arms, murmuring soft words to comfort the young hero. Shego was surprised at the words that were pouring out of her own mouth, was surprised how much she meant it as she repeated the simple phrase over and over again."
"Kim, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Shego!" a high-pitched scream, one-part demanding, one-part whinning and wholly all-in-all annoying, was heard. Shego would recognize that voice anywhere and looked up just to see Dr. Drakken rush towards them and join in on the hug. This was accompanied by the high-pitched whining bark of a familiar canine as Tigger loped towards Shego, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
"SHeeeegooooo! Where have YOU beeeeeENnnn? I MisSed you soooo much!" Snot and tears were dribbling down Dr. Drakken's face in an entirely unattractive way. But Shego was unable to drag up any feelings of the usual disgust she felt at one of Dr. Drakken's little outbursts. In fact, she was sincerely touched by his tears and though she would never admit it, missed him probably as much as he missed her.
Xaio Qing, Bai Su Zhen and Yinchun had come back down and stood off to the side, watching this reunion quietly. Xaio Qing had a tight grip on Bai Su Zhen's hand, holding on as if it was the only thing anchoring herself to her sanity. When she saw Kim and that blue man holding on to her Shego, and even the dog jumping around the three in excitement... those uncharitable feelings welled up inside of her again. Shego was HERS. She had brought her back, SHE had loved her and everybody else was just in the way--the grip on her hand tightened and Xaio Qing felt herself being pulled away.
"Lets give them some time alone." Bai Su Zhen whispered. "We will get some fresh air."
Xaio Qing gave a tight nod, knowing to follow the White Snake. She gave the trio a last, careful look, before allowng Bai Su Zhen to tug her back out of this chamber and up the stairs. Yinchun, who had been watching everything like a spectator, shivered at that last look. It reminded her of Xaio Qing back at Er Mei, back when Shego was desperately trying to leave Xaio Qing but the Green Snake would drag the woman back kicking and screaming. Xaio Qing still looked at Shego like the green-skinned woman was her property...
Xaio Qing hadn't gotten better, or if she had, she was barely okay. Yinchun looked over sadly at Kim, weeping in Shego's arm. They were together again, but for how long? It felt like they were all barreling towards an inevitable conclusion that boded ill for everyone. Following Bai Su Zhen's lead, Yinchun removed herself from the humans and trailed after the Snakes.
Kim had cried until she had exhausted herself completely and Shego had carried her to a side room which, unsurprisingly, was also filled with riches. The green-skinned woman had sat back in a pile of coins--which was damn uncomfortable--and let Kim rest against her. Tigger lay at Shego and Kim's feet, awake but resting while Drakken was curled up in a ball next to Shego, looking highly uncomfortable but unwilling to remove himself to somewhere more comfortable. He wanted to stay close to Shego. Both Kim and Drakken had a hold of a part of the cloak Shego was wearing, in fact, Kim was wrapped in it with Shego while Drakken had a tight grasp of it in a tiny fist even in sleep.
So it was surprising, when Kim woke up suddenly feeling the loss of Shego's warmth, alerted by the soft rumbling growl coming from Tigger's chest that something was wrong.
"Shego?" Kim sat up abruptly, panicked. She had been having such a restful slumber, her head on Shego's chest with the villainess' arms wrapped around her... Where did she go? "Shego!"
Drakken, dead to the world, grumbled a bit but continued sleeping.
"She is not here." Shego's voice, but not Shego's voice, replied silkily. Across the room stood Shego, her head tilted to one side as she studied Kim. The redhead had to hold herself back from running to the other woman, dread filling her as she realized that the person who stood in front of her might have Shego's body but was definitely not Shego. "And I think you would rather I talk to you with a bit of... distance."
"So it's true." Kim looked at the Sixth calmly, prepared for this moment. This was her worst-case scenario. "Where's Shego?"
"Sleeping. She is tired." The being in front of her smiled in amusement. "I believe you have questions to ask me? Demands to make?"
"I want you to leave Shego alone." Kim's hands clenched into fists at her side.
"If I do, she will die." The Sixth replied, tilting her head to the other side. "That is not what you want, right?"
"What do you want from her?"
"I need her to help me awaken the rest of the Twelve... I know you must have come across one of the nine sons of the Fifth. I can smell his scent on you. Did he not tell you? I was sure he would." The Snake took a step forward and Tigger's growl became a little bit louder, warning the being to stay back. Kim reached down to bury her fingers in the thick fur around Tigger's neck, trying to calm the dog. "But the body of Shego cannot hold me for long. Because of the way I entered her, her body can not sustain the strain of both of us."
Fear gripped Kim's heart, her body turning to ice. She couldn't lose Shego again, she couldn't, she just--
"I will leave, as soon as I get my own body. For that, I need all of the Twelve to awaken." The green eyes of the Sixth looked at Kim, looked through her, studying her carefully. "Will you help me, Kim? In doing so, you help Shego. I will not harm my Avatar, but she MUST carry me and the longer she does, the weaker she becomes. The Twelve are strongest together and the nature of our imprisonment... are all different. For me, my true body was destroyed, so I must have a new one that can hold me. Think of it as..." The Sixth accessed some of Shego's general knowledge of this age. "My mind as radioactive material. I am slowly eroding this container that was supposed to be suitable, but was not prepared correctly to house me."
Kim's silence prompted the Sixth to continue.
"If you do not want to help, I understand... but you cannot stay with us as you will hinder our mission. I understand that you have reservations... and you are right to have them." The Snake watched the emotions flitting across Kim's face as she battled with herself, trying to figure out what she wanted. She knew, or at least she had an inkling of, what the Twelve together would be. Powerful. And Kim knew what the Sixth wanted to do with this power, could feel her anger even now, like a storm on the horizon.
"I don't care anymore." Kim shook her head, all the information not making sense, her rationale screaming that this was all impossible. But she didn't care, SHE DIDN'T CARE ANYMORE! She just wanted Shego to be alright. "I don't care how, or why, just tell me what I need to do."
"Even if that meant sacrificing the world?" The voice was sharp, acidic. "Well, do not answer that now. I will point you in the right direction, then, after this is finished, we will talk. Just bear in mind that your actions will have consequences."
"I'll deal with everything after." Kim gritted out. And she didn't care, she didn't WANT to care anymore. For once, she wanted to put herself first, to have things her way... to go against everything that she had worked for. "Tell me what I need to do."
"You are truly devoted." The Sixth's tone of voice, the way she said 'devoted' put Kim's teeth on edge. "Cut right to the chase. I need the First. But the First will not come if the rest of the Twelve are not ready. I need the Twelve to awaken and hold council. We will be whole again and then... we will do what needs to be done. But you must know that what you will do will unleash our full fury on your world. What will you give to have your Shego back again?"
"What do you need me to do?" Kim ignored the question. The question was too uncomfortable, it made her think about her priorities... but she forced herself to ignore the opposing voices in her head, a picture was forming in her mind. Her heart's desire... and the tiny fox heart would give Kim the answer.
"You already have a very good map. It will take you where you need to go and you, world-traveler, can go where I cannot. I love my Avatar and any more stress on her will make her weaker. Bring the Twelve together, Kim. This is the temple of the Eighth, he is locked here similar to the way I was locked away. Find him his Avatar." The Sixth pointed at Kim's chest, where the tiny fox's heart nestled between her breasts, hidden underneath her shirt. "If you are truly focused on the well-being of this body, you should know where to go to find the vessel that will house the Eighth."
"I do." Kim knew. It was her heart's desire to see Shego well again and the little fox's heart was tugging her in a certain direction.
"Then go and come back quickly." The Sixth smiled with Shego's face, with Shego's lips. "Come back quickly and Shego will be whole again once I am too."
Kim nodded. There was no time like the present and it was strange how, just seconds ago she didn't want to be apart from Shego. But seeing this thing in front of her that was Shego but not-Shego... she wanted to get away. Kim wanted Shego so much her body ACHED with the hurt but this wasn't her and if she had to move a mountain to have Shego, whole and well in front of her... so be it.
"Wha-what's going on?" Dr. Drakken woke up, blinking sleepily when Kim bent down to wake up Dr. Drakken. "I was having the nicest dream..."
"Lets go, Dr. Lipsky." Kim tugged the good doctor to his feet.
"Uh-uh-uh." Dr. Lipsky frowned, dusting himself off and waving his finger in a no-no-no gesture. "It's Dr. Drakken to you, now that I have Shego back! And you, Kim Possible, you'll RUE the day--"
"Dr. Drakken." Kim sighed, exasperated. "We have work to do. If you're not helping, I'm putting you in jail. I don't have time for this."
Dr. Drakken's mouth opened and closed, unable to give a retort. Finally, he turned towards Shego, indignation written all over his face. "Shego! Kim Possible is disrespecting me! Eliminate her!"
"How very odd," The Sixth chuckled. This blue man with the tiny hands was very strange.
"Wait... Shego, speak English!"
"That's not Shego, Dr. Drakken." Kim rolled her eyes. "It's some other entity high-jacking her body."
Dr. Drakken spun around to face Shego. "I demand you give me back Shego!"
"Ignore him." Kim crossed her arms, facing the Sixth, who was studying her with an unblinking stare. The fire in Kim's eyes spoke volumes. And though this girl in front of the Snake was haggard, weak and dirty, her inner strength shone through. Kim had been weak, but she had been tempered by her experiences thus far. She was determined.
"Tell Shego I'll be back for her." Kim said softly, her expression soft again, her eyes searching the face in front of her for traces of Shego. Then with an unreadable expression, she turned on her heels and went to collect her traveling companions.
This human confused her.
"I wonder... I wonder indeed..."
And the Sixth was left wondering as Kim whistled for Tigger to follow and dragged Dr. Drakken out of this little room in this temple in the ground. She walked out, up the steps through the darkness into the moonlit desert and past the snakes and the fox. It was almost morning and the dim light over the horizon tinged the skies a dark blue.
The dawn was coming.
"Yes." Haoxian picked up the intricately carved binoculars, meticulously manufactured out of bronze and polished glass. Through some blackmarket contacts, Wade had managed to find the location of where a pair of the world's oldest binoculars would be located. The collector looked at the collection of people nervously.
"Careful, everything here is thousands of years old." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "And those binoculars in your hands is worth a king's ransom--"
"You have no idea." Haoxian chuckled, bringing up the binoculars to his eyes. The binoculars felt warm in his hand, as if his brother had just handed it to him after spending a long while using it to gaze up at the stars... the memories were coming back to him, the ones that he thought he had forgotten. They were bittersweet and made Haoxian long to see his siblings. "These are my brother's. I will take these."
"Wait--I... um..." The man quavered under Haoxian's unwavering stare. "I mean... please take them. I-I'm sorry."
"Thank you for keeping them safe." Haoxian nodded. This old white man, with his large house nestled in the heart of the US had quite a collection of Asian antiquities, some of which had been considered lost forever. Here were all these treasures, secreted away into his own private collection. The four ex-hunters Lang had brought along had searched the house from top to bottom to see if there were any items that might fit the description of a key that might unlock the prison of the sons of the Fifth. But unfortunately there were none and none of the other items pulled Haoxian towards them like these, his brother's beloved binoculars.
"How does one person amass so much stuff in their life?" One of the ex-hunters gaped at an authetic set of black lacquered plate armour from the Qing Dynasty.
"Why is another question you would ask. Why would you need all of these things." Haoxian carefully placed the binoculars into a silken bag that had been used to hold these ancient binoculars. "Now our search becomes easier."
"How?" Ron trotted out of the house after Haoxian, who was now standing on the large front lawn of the house, looking this way and that.
"My brother's binoculars, if used correctly, could find things." Haoxian smiled and took the binoculars out again. "There are certain items, one of which Kim Possible posesses--" At the mention of Kim's name, Ron stiffened visibly and when Monique tried to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off. "--that helps you find what you want. Kim's item is a lot more tricky. But my brother's binoculars are simple. It shows you what you want as long as your view is unobstructed. So we need a high location."
Haoxian looked up at the large mansion they had exited, then walked back towards the house. Within several feet of the front of the house, he jumped straight upwards. It was... surreal as he seemed to fly up and perch on the highest point of the extravagant mansion.
Placing the binoculars to his eyes and looked out into the distance, he could only see pitch black, as if something was covering the binoculars. Slowly, he rotated almost a full circle before the binoculars cleared, showing him as far as regular binoculars could see, in the north-east direction.
"I want to see where the other keys were and I wanted to see where the closest key was. It is in that direction." Haoxian pointed and jumped down, landing soundlessly in front of his gaping audience. "I do not know how far."
"This is going to take forever." Monique groaned. Michelle and Vince had opted not to go with them and were staying at the temple with Nam Ho to help get word out to other temples Nam Ho had a connection with. Things were going to happen on a global scale and Vince, Michelle and Nam Ho were of the opinion that they should be ready for it. Lang had also left some of his people back at the temple to help out, since traveling in a big group looking for god knows what would be a big waste.
"How should we do this?" Lang asked.
"We go as far as the binoculars let me see, then I use them again to see if we have further to go." Haoxian explained. "I can do this part by myself, actually, if you do not mind. I am much, MUCH faster than all of you and any flying contraption you might use. You have already helped me quite a lot."
"Then--"
"I will find where it is and inform you." Haoxian pointed to the Kimmunicator clipped to Ron's belt. "If I could have one of those and you can tell me how to contact the little man in there... I understand that he would be able to contact you when I ask him to?"
"He will." Monique tried to hide a little smile at Haoxian's techno-knowledge. Little man inside the screen, indeed. The African-American woman unclipped her Kimmunicator and handed it to Haoxian. "Just press this button. He'll answer right away."
"Like this--"
"Hey Mon--oh. Hey, Haoxian, was it?"
"Yo, Wade, I'm gonna let Haoxian take my Kimmunicator for a while. S'okay?" Monique looked around at everybody in the clearing. "And can you get us a ride and the location of the nearest restaurant? I think we're gonna need to refuel while Haoxian does some of the groundwork."
"No problem-o!" Wade grinned, typing away. "I got you a ride and it'll be there in 5 minutes! I'll also send you a couple of mini-Kimmunicators for everyone. The techs not as high as a regular Kimmunicator, but it'll keep everybody in the know."
"We get one of these things?" Lang asked, wonderingly. He was not completely technology-stupid, but he HAD been living in a village in rural China for most his life. All of his men were already fitted with little translator ear-buds and were already in awe of THAT piece of technology. Having one of these little communicator things would be strange, but even more exciting!
"Yeah." Wade grinned, hearing Lang's voice. The leader of the group of ex-hunters conveyed what he heard to his group which also lead to little exclamations of excitement. As they stood around discussing what would happen next, a black van pulled up the long driveway of the mansion. Saying a quick good-bye to Haoxian, they all piled into the van and drove off. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Monique peered out the window at the side mirror to try and see if Haoxian was still standing there watching them... but all she could see was... something reflecting the midday rays of the sun, shimmering and disappearing in the sky, far in the distance.
Their ride brought them to a small diner with some pretty good fare and they all dug in, everyone realizing suddenly that they were famished. It wasn't until everybody was slightly full did Lang decide to broach the subject that was on his mind and the minds of his people.
"What happens when Haoxian's father awakens? When the Twelve awaken?" That stopped most of the forks and knives and everyone sat back, uncomfortable. It was all well and good to help Haoxian free his brothers and to stop Master Heen... but when the Twelve were free... Haoxian had said that they were angry and they wanted justice. What would these creatures do? And Lang and his party had been taught since birth that the otherfolk were all evil... it was hard to change their minds and they suspected Haoxian's intentions.
"What do you think we should do?" Monique shrugged. "We got two options right now: Help Haoxian and free his brothers, also getting rid of the crazy runnin' around making decisions in your village. Second option: We don't help him and let the crazy continue running your village. And really, in a village full of supposed 'demon'-hunters, how da hell did you miss this bodysnatcher?"
Lang had the decency to look ashamed. "This was too close to home. We didn't think my father, our leader could be one."
"All the signs were there, now that I think about it." Gee, one of Haoxian's men spoke up. "But the elder taking the younger into the woods was always a time-honoured tradition and the change they went through was--well, we thought was because of the burden of responsibility they would have accepted--"
"So you're saying this has happened since your village was founded?" The implications of what Ron said rested heavily on everyone's shoulders. For centuries, probably, someone had been murdered quietly and nobody knew.
"So who has a problem with the fact that someone was killed everytime a new leader was chosen in your village?" Ron raised his hand. Everybody slowly raised their hands in agreement. "And who wants to not help Haoxian free his brothers and in doing so, NOT stop this guy?"
Nobody raised their hand.
"But what'll happen after?" Gee spoke up again. "It's a real concern. Especially if we free Haoxian's brothers. Who says they won't destroy our families?"
"We'll talk to Haoxian about it." Ron shrugged and looked over at Rufus who was finishing off a piece of toast. "Not as good as Bueno Naco, eh, buddy?"
"Nope." Rufus said sadly. A Fed-Ex guy suddenly walked into the restaurant. Spotting them, he placed the box on their table and took out a little signing device.
"Monique?"
"That's me." Monique perked up.
"Package for you from a 'Wade Load'?"
"Yup." Monique signed for it and opened the box, exclamations of delight coming from their Chinese friends as little wrist-Kimmunicators were passed around. Just in time too, as their Kimmunicators all beeped with a familiar tone that made Ron wince a bit.
"Guys, Haoxian's coordinates." Wade didn't waste any time, his face serious. "He's... somehow made it to Hawaii in the time that you guys have been eating."
"We've only been here for like, an hour!" Monique was stunned.
"Yeah. Well, I got you guys the fastest ride I can because Haoxian seemed pretty angry when I was talking to him and I heard shouting in the background. I don't know what's going on, but you guys gotta get there fast."
They all exchanged worried looks. Monique put down money before heading out to meet their ride. It was odd hitching rides again for Monique, after having a permanent ride in the form of Dr. Lipsky's UFOs... But she kept quiet about it, knowing that mentioning either Dr. Lipsky or Kim Possible made Ron really angry. She couldn't blame him either when the whole sordid story came out and Vince had uncomfortably confirmed that he knew they were pretty close... but Monique, though a bit angry herself, couldn't really blame Kim. The whole story sounded like one of those stories of those girls that were kidnapped for years and even when given a chance to escape, they'd gotten so used to the situation that they don't. It was some kind of weird stockholm syndrome thing...
'The whole problem is that Ron and everybody else is still thinking Kim Possible can do anything, including getting herself out of a situation like the one she was in.' Monique was not one of those people who thought Kim was some kind of mystical diety who could do anything. She had seen Kim worry, been there when Kim crushed on boys, been there when the redhead was uncertain... and they had all seen Kim completely break when Shego had died. But now was not the time to worry about Kim, Monique was worried that she had made a fatal mistake of giving Haoxian freedom to roam as he please.
"See, he can't be trusted." Lang's people muttered amongst themselves.
"What do you think?" Monique leaned over to ask Ron. The young man turned his head to talk to Rufus on his shoulder.
"Buddy?"
Rufus shrugged relunctantly.
"Well, lets see what's going on first." Ron, read his furless pet's body language quite well. Rufus was unwilling to pass judgement on Haoxian which told Ron one thing: Rufus was giving Haoxian the benefit of a doubt, therefore he couldn't be as bad as the ex-hunters thought he was. If there was one thing Ron had learned, it was that Rufus was usually right when it came to judging situations like this.
"Right." Monique settled back in her chair, the military-aircraft that had been called for them would speed them to their destination, but that was still a few hours away. She might as well get some sleep. With that thought in mind, she closed her eyes and willed sleep to come.
endnote: Sorry again for the late late LATE updates, guys. My bad. And EDIT frickin' ffnet keeps getting rid of my seperating lines! for frick's sake!