Ch. 03

The dream had started off relatively normal, Shego found herself at an island resort and was just enjoying the sun. She had on a black bikini and was seated by the pool. There were people of both genders admiring her, but these were not the looks she normally got, like a score to brag about, instead they resembled a kind and almost shy attraction, like they were looking at their first crush. It brought a small, satisfied smile to her face, content with the experience. There had only been one person to look at her that way, Ron Stoppable. Although he probably thought no one noticed his discreet glances but Shego was extremely aware when she was being watched, having suffered thru countless stares in her life.

Then, Shego went for a swim, that's when things started to change. After a couple laps in the pool, he was there, Ron Stoppable coming towards the pool. He was wearing blue swimming shorts and black T-shirt. His physique resembling that of an average teen, not overly muscular or too thin. Shego was not overly surprised, he had started to show up in her dreams a little over a month ago, after she made eye contact with him when he was peeking at her, he had blushed deep red holding her gaze for a second before turning away. She expected him to seat himself on the chairs as it normally happened but he walked past them heading towards the diving board.

As Ron stepped on the board, he took a moment to look around and upon spotting her, flashed her his goofy grin causing her heart to slightly quicken. Shego continued watching him as he moved forward, jumped and performed a front flip off the diving board. Shego felt a smirk come to her lips, seems like Ron was trying to impress her this time around and for some reason she felt like playing along. Still observing the spot he went under, she found herself wondering why he was not coming up. When he finally did, Shego's heart sank, his skin had taken on a blue hue and his eyes had lost all warmth, now resembling the insane look from when he threatened to feed her to the sharks.

"No no no, this is a dream, this is a dream!" Shego's dream self begins to mutter, shaking her head and trying to wake herself up.

"You betrayed me, Shego." Ron states, moving towards her in the water. "I thought I made it clear what happens to sidekicks who don't know their place." As if on cue, fins begin to appear around him.

Shego starts to panic, not questioning how salt water fish came to be in a pool with chemicals and begins to swim towards the edge as fast as her limbs can take her. 'There's no way he knows' she thinks to herself remembering how she threw the fight with Princess. 'How can he?' She felt trapped and was trying to get away.

"Did you think that you're performance would fool me, Shego?" Ron questions as if reading her mind, which was entirely correct, since this was her own mind showing her the worries she kept to herself, since she decided to throw the fight with Princess and get him back to normal. Worries of wether he noticed her actions and if the damaged Attitudedinator had malfunctioned.

Thus, the dream changed into a nightmare. Shego's attempts to leave the pool were useless, as it seemed to always be just out of reach. The sharks and more importantly Ron, closing in on her no matter how fast she swam. Never being one to shy away from a fight, Shego brought her fear under control and decides it was time to teach Ron who should be afraid of whom. Turning, she willed her comet powers to appear and began her retaliation, unaware that her actual hands started to fling plasma around herself and that the automated voice of her house was announcing someone on her property.

~~~~~

8 Miles Away from Go City

Ron had not expected the estate on which he found himself at, expecting a resort or something along those lines. No, this was not in his expectations, when the house came into view, he found himself marveling at the architecture. It was of modern design with two visible floors, lots of glass windows (though they were tinted), to enjoy the nature surrounding it and enough space for a family to live in. Despite its size, it had not one bit of flamboyance, opting to show that its owner simply thought to have the comforts of modern technology.

Ron was lost in his thoughts coming up the driveway. He parked the ATV, leaving the helmet on the handlebars and powered off the powerful engine. Coming up the steps to the door, finally realizing that this part of the plan to apologize, never crossed his mind. Ron had tracked Shego down while she was on vacation, not even stopping to check wether she was with someone or letting her know he was coming. Add to that the fact he had threatened to feed her to sharks hours earlier, although he was not in his right mind at the time, Ron was becoming aware that his apology might actually be a trip to the hospital, assuming nothing unexpected happens.

Settling down by the door, to at least wait till morning, Ron began thinking through possible scenarios that his apology could take. Just after the fourth scenario, which had him dodging plasma balls and screaming for his life, he started getting a feeling that something was wrong. Thinking that it was just his nerves he chose to ignore it, seconds later a green and black plasma ball blasted its way from the second floor landing inches away from his feet.

'Okay not my imagination' Ron thinks to himself hurrying to stand and position himself to where he can see if there are any more shots on their way. What he saw was an alarming amount of smoke coming out of the broken window with no sign of Shego. Ron waited a moment, expecting her to come out any second and begin blasting him just like in scenario four. He started to sweat when the only thing that happened was another plasma ball shot through the window.

"H-hey Shego!" Ron yells hoping for a response, when he received none he added. "Are you okay?" Yelling louder but still not getting a response.

In moments a change came over him, gone was the nervous and insecure teen replaced by a careful intellectual assessing the situation he found himself in. Still failing to see Shego's silhouette and wanting to make sure she was okay, he ignored the possibility that it was a trap, his instincts telling him that he needed to act, he moved into action. Ron took a look at the door, more specifically the handle and up to the second floor balcony and rail. Not stopping to think, he started running. No doubt in his actions he leapt, right foot stepping on the handle and pushing off of it, left hand already reaching for the balcony rail. His grip firmly holding onto the rail, quickly using his right hand to grab on and in one motion flings his legs over the rail and onto the balcony. Ron did not even realize, that such a feat for him, would have taken longer than the second it took, probably loosing his pants in the process. He will eventually become aware that from this day, he had stopped loosing his clothing when on a mission.

Once on the balcony, he rushed to the already shattered window peering inside, he became aware that the plasma balls were being thrown from the right side but there being too much smoke he could not see Shego's silhouette. Ron noticed the fire sprinklers were already trying to fight the flames. Taking a deep breath he dove into the room, dodging another plasma ball heading towards the window and from the trajectory, faintly aware that his ride was in trouble. Rolling to his feet and moving in the direction he knew Shego to be, already wet from the powerful sprinklers, he came to a stop at the foot of a king size bed. The sight before him engraving itself into his mind forever.

Shego, wearing nothing but sexy black underwear and soaked from head to toe, was on the bed, her blankets torn to shreds and at times throwing plasma balls. Ron frankly thought to be in the presence of a goddess, her form ethereal, even as she struggled with her nightmare.

"Shego wake up!" Ron shouts, shaking himself free of distracting thoughts and hoping to wake her. Having no effect, he moves to the left side of the bed, deciding to try shaking her awake. The result was not optimal, the moment Ron's hand came into contact with her unbelievably smooth skin, Shego's left hand wrapped around his wrist and moments later, an incredible level of pain assaulted his senses, as her plasma activated beginning to burn his skin.

"Arghhhh-" Ron cut off his pain filled shout by biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. He quickly noticed that after shaking her, she showed no sign of waking, remaining trapped in her nightmare.

Grabbing Shego's right hand, just above her wrist, to prevent her from latching onto him with that one as well. Ron started panicking, seeing as he could think of no way to wake her without the use of force. Without any apparent solution to his predicament, Ron decided to turn to the Mystical Monkey Power within himself. Closing his eyes, he began to search his mind for a clue and after a while felt something. Really, it was just a shot in the dark, one he fully expected to fail, leaving him no other choice than to use force but to his astonishment it yielded results. In his mind he saw a blue flame, delicate and trapped in a corner seemingly about to go out. Thinking of Shego's predicament, he threw himself around the flame, as if to protect it from unseen winds and going out. He then began to beg it for a way to help her, resolving himself for what needed to be done.

~~~~~

Across the world in Yamanouchi Ninja School, Japan

Master Sensei eyes snapped open. A smile was hidden behind his white facial hair, having just been in meditation, he was floating by a lone Sakura tree facing the sunset.

"It seems the chosen one has finally taken a step towards his destiny." Master Sensei whispers in Japanese.

"Is anything the matter, Master Sensei?" Asks a female ninja appearing at his side bowing respectfully.

"No Yori, it appears Stoppable-san is finally ready for his training to commence." Master Sensei replies softly, already beginning to think of the task at hand and how to go about completing it.