Ch.64
Turning, Kim asked. "Ron how long have you been there?"
Devoid of any emotion Ron answered. "Long enough to know that even after you knew I found out about the chip you would still try to take advantage of it."
The already pale Kim dropped her backpack to the floor. "Ron I just needed to find you so we could talk."
"Kim I have a cellphone and you know the number." Ron simply stated.
"Ron but that's..." Kim started to say but was cut off.
"Of course I could refuse to talk and that would go against what you want." Ron said adding. "And that's my right, as an equal."
"We are equals." Kim said.
"Are we?" Ron asked. "Do you have any idea how it feels to have your body and privacy violated. Then find out that your bestfriend takes advantage of that violation when it suits her needs. Add to that finding something you're good at but your bestfriend shuts it down like it's a threat or a problem. Well, do you?"
"No Ron but I can explain." Kim pleaded.
"Explain what? That preventing my success was for my benefit. That keeping track of what I do or whom I do it with would keep me safe." Ron demanded.
"Well, when you were kidnapped by Malcom that's exactly how I was able to save you." Kim suggested.
"I was on a date and it happened the one time. You can't excuse your repeated uses with one time being right." Ron stated.
"Ron, you're right but calm down so we can talk it through." Kim says starting to cry.
"I am calm. Just stating the facts." Ron says and waits for Kim's next words.
"Ron, I did what I did for you. Think about it, how many times have you let success go to your head?" Kim asked.
"Don't you think that like those other times having my back and talking to me about it would have worked better?" Ron asked back.
Kim was starting to run out of patience. Every argument was shut down and by Ron of all people. Thus what she said next was without thought. "It's because you're mine."
"I'm your what? Bestfriend? You proven to not really think that anymore." Ron said not understanding.
"You want the truth?" Kim asked then proceeded to yell. "It's because you're mine! You are my Ron!! No one else's."
Ron looked like he just recieved a blow. In another setting, in another mood, before he knew, before Yori and Shego, those words would have made his day. Now though, knowing that Kim has no romantic interest in him, they twist everything this friendship meant to him.
Taking a deep breath Ron spoke. "Kim our friendship is done. I want you to maintain some distance from me and return the key I gave you to my house."
"Ron you can't be serious." Kim said.
"Note, serious face." Ron said and added. "I'll also be talking to Wade, no more missions."
When Ron extended his hand Kim thought about what was going on and started to plead with the p.d.p. "Please Ron, think this through."
"I have been thinking Kim. Lastly, I'll be talking to your parents and explaining the situation to them, you need some help." Ron says honestly. "Now the key."
Kim was reluctant but being at school she conceded and handed the key over in tears.
"Goodbye Kim." Was the last thing Ron said before walking away.
~~~~~
Yori did not originally want to let Ron confront Kim alone fearing that the redhead would manipulate him but after Ron looked her in the eyes and said: 'I need to do this alone.', she admitted he was right.
When a shaking Ron stepped out of the school doors, Yori's heart hurt for him. With tears in her eyes she opened her arms and he walked into the hug. One thing to note was that he wasn't crying and the shaking stopped soon after. A few minutes of hugging and Ron took a deep breath and parted.
"Thanks, Yori." Ron said beginning to lead the way.
In step right next to him, Yori replied while grabbing his hand and easing it open. "You're welcome."
Yori became aware of where they were going once Ron led them past his house.
The Possible's.
Ron shaked a little while standing on the porch and then rang the doorbell. It took around three minutes for the door to be opened by Ann, to which Yori suspected that the older woman had to convince herself to open.
"Hello, Ron, Yori. How may I help you?" Ann asked politely.
"Hey, Ann." Ron greeted then said. "We need to talk." Seeing Ann tense Ron added. "It's about Kim."
"Right, come in." Ann invited.
Yori followed them into the kitchen and listened as Ron explained everything from beginning to end, even going as far as calling Wade to confirm. At which point Wade asked them to go to the livingroom and played Ron and Kim's conversation on the flatscreen. After seeing the video Ann looked at Ron like she wanted to hug him, maybe more but refrained.
"I understand Ron, I'll talk to her father and see to getting her the help she needs." Ann assured him then asked. "How are you holding up?"
"As can be expected Ann, my world has just been turned upside down." Ron said and turned around to leave.
"Ron...take care." Ann said.
Yori and Ron let themselves out in time to see Kim walking up the driveway.
"Ron! I knew you would understand." Kim said but Ron simply walked by like she wasn't even there.
Yori followed though she was on guard in case Kim retaliated for the slaps in the morning though it seemed unnecessary as Kim just stood there shocked.
Once home, Ron went to the backyard and sat in meditation, so Yori joined him, meditating how life can so easily change.
~~~~~
Ann wanted to bring Ron into her arms when she saw the pain he was in but with how complicated everything was she couldn't bring herself to make it worse. Now adding to things was her daughter somehow getting the impression Ron belonged to her and seeing him as some form of property, ruining a friendship that had endured over a decade.
When Kim entered through the door shortly after Ron left Ann wanted to set her daughter straight but upon seeing her lost expression couldn't bring herself to yell so she talked to her.
"Oh Kimmie, what on earth made you think Ron belonged to you?" Ann asked.
"Mom, I know what's best for him. So what if I make him mine because of it." Kim said.
"Kim, he is a person! You should see him as an equal not property, even if you had his best interest in mind." Ann corrected.
"But mom without me he's hopeless!" Kim argued.
"Sweetie he can more than stand on his own two feet." Ann assured.
"You won't understand." Kim decided.
"Kim, I'll be talking to your father about this and your going to be seeing a therapist." Ann declared.
"Fine!" Kim said walking away.
~~~~~
Ron felt complicated with how things went down with Kim. On one hand his heart felt like it had been torn to pieces, on the other he felt like he shed a shackle that held him back. It was like the doubt that was present in everyone of his actions was gone.
As he sat in meditation he went deeper than ever before and was able to enter his mindscape with little difficulty. Seeing teacher Xu, he asked. "How come after breaking free from a toxic relationship I was able to reach this level in meditation?"
"You know the answer to that even if you have yet to admit it to yourself." Teacher Xu responded thinking. 'That relationship offset the balance within yourself.'
"So it was my fault that our friendship ended up this way." Ron said.
"On that I would disagree." Teacher Xu denied.
"But I was the one constantly changing to suit her needs. Always supportive, always following her preferences and never stepping out of line. I gave the impression that I was some form of servant." Ron lamented.
"You were simply a great friend that did his best to maintain a friendship. Now you should have learned that giving up who you are is not the way. A friendship that requires you to suppress your abilities or pretend to be something else would not end well. The same can be said for a friendship that it's not properly balanced. Think of ying and yang." Teacher Xu advised.
"I always thought we'd be there for each other." Ron admitted. "Ending our friendship, though necessary, was the hardest thing I've ever done."
"Yet in doing so you regained balance within yourself. Now your Ki responds more smoothly and your concentration is no longer clouded by doubt." Teacher Xu explained.
"Yes, I can feel it." Ron said adding. "Like everything is easier. Let me try something." Saying so, Ron sat and tried to finally complete the cycle of the dragon Ki control.
Seeing what he was doing Xu Ming Yue wondered if he was going to connect to the heavenly plane like herself or connect to the earthly plane. The difference were huge though with training even someone who connected to the earthly plane can raise their sensitivity to that of the heavenly plane people.
Ron had ignited the Ki in his dantian and after guiding a couple strands through the flame began the cycle. As he guided the Ki through key points Ron became more and more aware of the dragon forming. The technique's nature revealed itself to be overbearing as it followed the cycle to completion. As he neared the end Ron could tell that the Ki's purity would be incredible though only a bit would complete the cycle. After reaching the key point just before the dantian Ron felt like he hit a wall. Ron was instinctively aware that this was a test and as such it had a solution. Ron tried going over, under and around but it didn't work so he had to go through it. The problem is the lack of power but Ron had an idea. He was going to cut off the Ki flow before the wall and let pressure build. Once he couldn't hold it back anymore he would let it smash into the wall and hopefully through it. The process to carry out the plan was slow and Ron became increasingly aware of how difficult it was to control such pure Ki. Without completing the cycle it was like trying to hold back a waterfall with a hand. Still, he kept at it till he felt he had enough force to push through. When Ron let all the force impact the wall he briefly wondered if he made a mistake as the wall held firm and he felt like passage were the energy was going through would tear. He tensed but instead of backing off he tried to control the tip of the Ki into a spear to focus where it would go through. A couple of moments of tense determination and Ron was rewarded when the wall gave in completing the cycle.
Upon completion of the cycle Ron felt like when he used Ki at Shego's weeks ago. Everything looked colorful and more detailed. His senses even picked up Yori and the ninja around him yet still expanded further though he wasn't trying to check his surroundings. Ron could feel the Ki in nature all around him for a few moments before his focus returned to the dantian. There weren't many changes just a couple of drops of Ki floating just above the flames of Ki and from what he could tell they were still being refined.
Opening his eyes the first thing Ron saw surprised him. Xu Ming Yue stood before him with a smile and Ron knew he stared when he noticed she was talking.
"Congratulations on becoming a heaven grade practitioner." Xu Ming Yue says.
"What's a heaven grade practitioner?" Ron asked.
"Completing the cycle for Ki control and refinement branches between earthly plane and heavenly plane. A heavenly plane or heaven grade practitioner's senses are enhanced naturally upon completion while an earth grade would need to train his senses just to reach the base for a heaven grade practitioner. With training a heaven grade practitioner's senses would grow to such lengths that their surrounding Ki would submit to them." Teacher Xu explained.
"Wow." Was all Ron could say.
"Indeed. Teacher Xu agreed.
Then Teacher Xu proceeded to explain what Ron should do to stabilize the Ki refinement and eventually make it a subconscious process. When she expected him to rest Ron seemed reluctant to stop so she asked. "Are you trying to avoid facing your problems?"
"Not exactly avoid them but take a break from them?" Ron questioned.
"The best way to do that is relying on those by your side." Teacher Xu reminded.
Thinking of Yori's calming presence even now by his side Ron agreed and stopped meditating.
Authors Note:
I absolutely love the reviews so thanks for the encouragement or critique, they help.
That aside the beginning of this chapter wrote itself but left me conflicted since Ron seemed to detach himself as I wrote. I tried rewriting it but the flow just kept going the same way.
Xu Ming Yue's real training will begin once Ron stabilizes the Ki refinement and with it my break from Middleton.
Now Happy Holidays(though late) and hope you enjoy!