“Very good!” Xaio Qing clapped excitedly and let out a peal of delighted laughter. Shego had a look of surprise on her face as she regarded Kim with a new respect. Kim smirked as the two combatants stood locked together. In the year she had been here, she had worked almost every day to catch up to Shego. For a year and some… Kim gathered. She had come to Er Mei late spring/early summer. It was fast approaching fall, and the hot warm days were coupled by cooler nights, signifying fall's approach.
“Thanks,” Kim grunted as she quickly avoided a kick from Shego. The only hint to how Shego felt about this new development was the wide grin on her face. At the one year mark, Shego had stopped holding herself back and pushed Kim brutally. But the redhead kept up. Shego watched Kim's relaxed stance, and though she would never say it out loud, she was so proud of Kim. Any other person would have broken at the pace that Shego set, but no, not Kim.
‘I chose the right person,’ Shego's breath came out in short puffs, reveling in the feeling of having to push herself, of Kim now helping her re-invent herself, make her better. Their attacks were fast, brutal to any passersby. Their fighting from before had been child's play compared to this. The force of one of their blows, plus the speed with which it hurtled at someone, could very easily crush someone's skull. But so many times, absorbing each other's blows had made their bodies hard and ready to take the damage.
Once again, a move Shego executed was successfully stopped and countered by Kim. Shego was even more surprised when an elbow slammed her in the side. She quickly tucked and rolled away, disengaging from Kim to launch herself back when Xaio Qing called out.
“Stop, stop!” Xaio Qing ran to Kim and threw herself onto the young woman who caught her readily. “You did it!”
The two woman jumped around hugging each other and squealing with glee while Shego watched them from a distance away, nursing her very likely bruised rib. The months together had knit the three of them closer, more Kim and Xaio Qing then any other combination. Xaio Qing was extremely playful and curious and loved following Kim around. Like most of the villagers, Xaio Qing had a fascination with Kim's hair and would use every excuse she could to touch Kim. Which Kim didn't mind at all. The hugs, the charming affection that Xaio Qing lavished her with was something she appreciated.
“Please, she hasn't beaten me yet!” Shego was happy for Kim, but her pride wouldn't let her admit defeat.
“Shego… come on,” Xaio Qing still had her arms around Kim's neck. “Congratulations are in order!”
Shego just grumbled, but her face had broken into a smile. She straightened up and tried not to wince. Walking over to Kim, she patted the woman on the back briefly. “Good job, Kimmie, you're finally up to speed.”
Kim scoffed. “Please. So not the drama.” Inside, her spirit soared at the compliment and the congratulatory pat on the back. It was nothing, but it was something. Ever since Xaio Qing had come, Shego had put on an air of formality around her and kept Kim at arms’ length. Not as isolating as before, but their conversations were so… stilted. Shego never stayed too late for lessons either, because Xaio Qing was always there. Whenever the snake demoness got tired, she would require Shego to leave with her. Since Xaio Qing arrived, Shego had practically moved into Xaio Qing's room. And that bothered Kim. Just… thinking about them sleeping together.
Xaio Qing was welcome… but Kim wanted Shego to relax, to talk to her again before Xaio Qing came. To stay in her room. To hold her hand and guide her writing. To fall asleep there in her room. Kim wanted Shego.
“Shego, you're not hurt, are you?” Xaio Qing reached out and took Shego's hand in her own in anxious worry.
“No, not much.” Shego pressed a hand against her side. “I'm gonna bruise tomorrow for sure, though.”
“Come, let us see to that.” Xaio Qing let go of Kim, giving her an apologetic smile before grabbing Shego's hand and pulling her towards the house. The triumph Kim felt before was dulled by the jealousy she was feeling. Kim liked Xaio Qing. But she liked Shego even more. Following the duo in front of her, she seethed just a bit as Xaio Qing coddled Shego. The redhead was less annoyed at Xaio Qing actually, and more annoyed with Shego. The green-eyed woman was allowing the coddling!
‘If I oo'd and ah'd over her, she would kick my ass.’ Kim sulked.
Jealousy was never good. And with that jealousy came guilt. Xaio Qing had been nothing but nice to her. She shouldn't but having these thoughts!
‘But I can't help it…’ Kim thought glumly. Unnoticed by Kim, Shego had glanced back and seen the crestfallen look on Kim's face.
“Tomorrow morning, first thing, Shego will walk you down Er Mei. Cheung will be waiting to bring you back to She Cun.” Xaio Qing announced at dinner. This had been happening for a while, since Xaio Qing came. Every full moon, Xaio Qing wanted ‘alone time’ with Shego. The first time Xaio Qing had requested this, Kim had thought she had sensed Shego's… relunctance in staying alone with Xaio Qing. She had thought it was just in her head… but coming back after the first time, Shego had been bedridden for days, and when she did come out of her room, she was visibly sick. Every full moon it happened, and Kim was a little bit worried.
“Don't ask.” Shego had growled when Kim tried to. “Its none of your business and she's not hurting me.”
“Maybe… I should stay.” Kim offered. “I won't be a bother--”
“No, its alright.” Xaio Qing said lightly, though there was steel in her voice. “You will go to She Cun.” Xaio Qing's face broke into a smile. “Besides, you must get sick of seeing just the two of us all the time. Especially Shego here.”
‘No, actually, I don't see her enough.’ Kim felt her heart constrict painfully when she looked up and saw Shego staring at her. Kim had so many questions to ask, but she knew to keep her mouth shut. Looking down at her food morosely, she looked up again and Shego was no longer looking at her but attentively listening to Xaio Qing. With three people here, it was less lonely some times. But with three people here, one of them had to be the third wheel. And Kim constantly felt like the third wheel.
They walked in silence down the steps. Xaio Qing had started sleeping later than usual, so it was just Shego and Kim. Kim had woken up in a bad mood. Some nights, the Shego/Xaio Qing thing would bother her to no end. When Kim tried to ask Xaio Qing about their relationship, the demoness would just smile and give very vague answers like, “We're really close”, which really did nothing to explain the relationship Xaio Qing and Shego shared. Really close in what way? As friends? As lovers? What? Asking Shego, of course, would amount to nothing so Kim just didn't even see Shego as a source for information. Kim had pondered the strange relationship Xaio Qing and Shego seemed to have. There were some times when they were so close Kim could swear they were lovers. There were other times, though, when Shego seemed to want to get away from Xaio Qing. There was nothing really solid… sure, Xaio Qing was unnecessarily affectionate, and Shego bore it well… but Xaio Qing was also unnecessarily affectionate with Kim too…
“Okay, what's wrong?” Shego snapped after fifteen minutes of silence. Shego's good morning had been met by an uncommon grunt from Kim. Shego's tries at conversations were left hanging, and Kim's attitude just frustrated the hell out of Shego. “Something's obviously wrong, so you might as well tell me!”
“Nothing's wrong.” Kim lied.
Shego snorted in disbelief. “Bull. Don't make me guess, Kim, you know I hate that.”
“Maybe I don't know you that well!” Kim snapped right back. “If you hate being with me so much, you don't have to walk me down, go back to Xaio Qing!”
“What?!” Shego's steps halted, then started again to catch up to Kim. “You, what the hell is wrong--” The answer to her question suddenly occurred to Shego. She remembered how many times Kim had been casting melancholy glances at Xaio Qing whenever Shego had been with the snake demoness. “You. You're jealous?”
“I'm not!” Kim's face reddened and she quickened her steps.
“Well you have nothing to be jealous about,” Shego scowled. “I'm actually glad you're so attached to Xaio Qing.”
It was Kim's time to suddenly stop. “What?”
“Are you a lesbian?” Shego asked suddenly.
“I--” The question caught Kim off-guard. “I, I don't know.”
“Do you… like Xaio Qing?”
“W-what?!” Kim sputtered.
“Okay, you don't have to tell me, I'm just trying to warn you in advance, okay?” Shego sighed and scratched the back of her head. “Xaio Qing doesn't swing that way.”
“So, you mean you and her…?” Kim asked innocently.
“No.” Shego shook her head and grinned. “That's what was upsetting you? I was worried.”
“You were worried?” Kim slyly asked, catching that slip of tongue easily.
Shego blushed and stammered, “A-a little bit, okay. Just forget I said that, okay? Jeez!” Shego stormed ahead. Kim let Shego get a little ways ahead before running to catch up.
“So you're saying… she doesn't like you in that way?” Kim asked innocently.
“No!” Shego snapped at the inquisitve redhead.
“Howabout you? Do you like her in that way?”
“She's like a sister to me! I just haven't decided if she's like an older sister or a younger sister…” Shego mummbled the last part.
“Pardon?”
“Nothing.”
“…”
“…”
“… so you're sure she doesn't swing that way?”
“I don't know.” Shego shrugged. “I never bothered asking her that question.”
“Why not?”
“Its not like I like her that way or anything!” Shego answered. “Why would I care? She's my master, what she does in her bedroom is her own business.”
Kim stayed quiet for a while, extremely pleased at what Shego had revealed. “Well… you're always in her bedroom…”
“Kimmie!” Shego sighed in exasperation. “She… Xaio Qing has nightmares some times. And she likes it when someone is sleeping next to her.”
“You care about her a lot,” Kim watched Shego frown. “You know… I never see this side of you before. Back with Drakken and everyone. You were always so… cocky. And annoying.” Kim started counting stuff off on her fingers. “Frustrating. Aggravating. Irritating. Unwanted.”
“You're totally just saying the same thing but using different words.” Shego said dryly. “And thanks. Thanks a lot for the list of ‘what's wrong with Shego’.”
“That was back then! You didn't let me finish!” Kim protested then continued when Shego motioned for to get on with it. “That was back then. But… I never knew you were good with kids… or did things that weren't--”
“Criminal?’ Shego supplied helpfully.
“No. I was going to say, mean or bad. But thank you, that would totally do too.” Kim said cheerily.
“Well, what did you expect from me, Kimmie?” Shego spread out her arms. “We're on different ends of the spectrum! I work for an evil blue-skinned still-to-be-proven genius! You go around saving the world with your sidekick and his pet rat-thing. Our career choices totally does not let us go out for lunch and chill on a regular basis.”
“Why not stop?”
“Don't start with that,” Shego growled. “Now you sound like my brothers.” Shego's voice deepened dramatically to mock her brother, Hego. “ ‘You may be a smart-mouth, prone to excessive violence, but deep down, you're still a member of Team Go. A hero.’ Jesus Christ,” Shego's voice reverted back to normal. “Where the hell does he get this stuff? I swear to god he's got like, a billion more of those corny lines floating around in his brain somewhere. Idiot.”
Kim, meanwhile, was too busy laughing at the impressive imitation of Hego. After that bout of laughter passed and she had wiped the tears from her eyes, she grinned at Shego.
“What?” Shego raised an eyebrow.
“Its just… been a while since we've done… this.” Kim motion from Shego back to herself. “It seems like… you're holding yourself back when Xaio Qing is around. And I don't understand. Its like you don't want her to know that we're friends--”
“We're not friends.” Shego said loudly, just as much to convince herself as to tell Kim. The hurt look that flashed across Kim's face made Shego feel a little guilty. “Okay. We're… situational friends. But. Okay, I just don't want to be too comfortable around you when we're with Xaio Qing.” The walked along without talking for a while before Shego continued. “Remember that time when you came back and… I hurt my leg?”
Kim remembered that incident too well. She hadn't wanted to mention anything since Shego and Xaio Qing seemed alright with each other… “Yeah, I remember.”
“Xaio Qing,” Shego grimaced. “Is very jealous. She really doesn't like me getting close to anyone. She's afraid… I would leave her. We… got into a fight that night. Not because of you.” Shego reassured Kim and rubbed her arm, remembering the dark, remembered how horrible Xaio Qing's temper was. Remembered trying to run… remembered being pursued. “She thinks I'm all she has, and she knows… that some times her jealousy gets the better of her.” Shego's voice took on a defensive edge. “She would never really hurt me.”
“What do you define ‘hurt’ as? Because what I saw rated as ‘hurt’ to me.”
“You know what? I don't need you looking out for me, so stop.” Shego had come to the end of her patience. She had never told Kim this, but she was uncomfortable with the fact that Kim had seen her injured. It raised too many questions about Xaio Qing that Shego did not want to answer. “I'll be alright here and we just don't need you around right now, okay?”
Stung by Shego's cold words, Kim shot back sarcastically, “What you want some ‘alone’ time with Xaio Qing?” Raising her hands to make quote signs when she said the word ‘alone’. Obviously implying something else.
“You should stop acting so desperate, you know?” Shego snarled. Their little hike had gotten ugly and Shego immediately regretted what she said at the furious look on Kim's face.
“Desperate?” Kim whispered. “Desperate? Okay… you are just--you're just such--”
“What?” Shego stuck out her chin, not knowing when to back down.
“Forget it. I'm not doing this with you. You're always picking fights and I'm sick of it.” Kim threw up her hands. “You don't have to walk me. Cheung'll probably be at the base of the steps waiting for me. I'll see you in a few days.”
Shego stood there and watched Kim go, holding herself back from running after her. From explaining herself. When did she ever explain herself? Why did she have to explain herself?!
“Fine!” Shego hollered at Kim's retreating back.
“FINE!” Kim yelled back.
The trek back up to the house was a long one, but Xaio Qing hadn't woken up yet. Cutting through the garden, she entered Xaio Qing's warm room. In the center of the room was a huge round bed. Unlike the rooms in the rest of the house, which were nice in their own way, this room was grand. It was something straight out of Arabian Nights. The number of downy pillows around the floor, and eternally lit incense pots reminded Shego of what a harem would look like. Gold statues resided in the corners of the room, holding bronze braziers that would magically light up with white fire when the sky darkened outside. The Green Snake's room was spledorously decadent, rich in detail, and had an expensive bitter-sweet scent to it. Green eyes watched Shego sleepily as she closed the door. It was almost time for Xaio Qing's hibernation. She could stay maybe a month more before she had to go back into her cavern.
“I'm back.” whispered Shego.
“Come to bed.”
Upon arriving at the village, Cheung and Kim were both treated to the sound of fighting and the villagers swarming the area, some trying to run, some trying to find their loved ones, and still others fighting very familiar robe-garbed men. Monks.
“What--?”
“Monks!” Cheung slammed on the brakes and threw himself out of the car, a look of panic on his face. “Kim, I… Fong and Ting Ting, you're--”
“Lead the way!” Kim nodded to the young man. With an answering nod, Cheung ran into the village in the direction of his house, disappearing into the crowds with Kim following close on his heels through the confusion of people. She didn't get too far though, as a young monk stood in her way, a staff in his hands grimly pointed at her.
“I found her!” His shout brought one more monk quickly.
‘Run…’ Kim's first instinct was to do just what her inner voice was telling her, but her retreat was quickly blocked by two more monks. They had her surrounded. Since her option to flee was gone, the next option was to fight. But… she found that her limbs wouldn't respond to her command. Around her, the monks hadn't advanced at all, but had their eyes closed, muttering softly as their fingers worked the prayer beads that they each had in their hands. From each of them, Kim could see a glow…
“Kim, we meet again.” From outside the circle that held her captive, a familiar face came into view and Nam Ho entered past the barrier that had been thrown up around the monks who did not pause in chanting their prayers.
‘Run! Run!’ That overwhelming desire to flee gripped Kim, but she couldn't move an inch, stood there caught in the grips of something she did not understand.
“What do you want?” The redhead was relieved that at least her ability to speak hadn't been taken away from her.
“For you to understand.” Nam Ho sighed. “We will not hurt you. But if we didn't restrain you, I'm afraid, that you might hurt us.”
“What do you want?” Kim repeated, her eyes narrowing. “Why are you here? Why are you attacking the village?”
“To get you.” Nam Ho replied truthfully. “For you to understand that we are not the bad guys here. That we mean you no harm, but if you stay up in Er Mei, your life could be in danger.” Nam Ho watched Kim's face, saw in it that she saw some truth in his words and smiled. “As you know yourself. When has associating with a giant snake demon ever been good for anybody?”
That struck something in Kim, and suddenly, it was as if Nam Ho had unstoppered something inside of her that had been plugged up before. Her suspicions of Xaio Qing suddenly amplified, her feelings of just… something WRONG with Xaio Qing heightened and made itself known while the voice that told her to flee was dashed to oblivion.
“Is that better?” Nam Ho asked gently. “Now… I will answer your questions. What we want to do is get you away from here. Now you can tell you have your own misgivings about the… thing that dwells on that mountain. I know of you, Kim Possible. Even enclosed in a monastary, we are not cut off from the world. You have been missing and your family wants you back. Do you want to go, Kim? We will take you back to your family. Several of my colleagues have even bumped into your brothers… do you not want to see them?”
“Jim and Tim?” Kim reeled from the news. She managed to croak out, “They're here? Really?”
“In a village a ways off from here. They are certain that you are in the near vicinity, and they are correct in that fact. They also bring along your friends, Ron and Monique.” The abbot smiled at Kim kindly as tears suddenly started streaming out of her eyes. Finding that whatever force had been holding her from before had let go of her, she was brought to her knees by the emotions that were coursing through her.
“M-Monique?” Kim sniffled. “What is she doing here?”
“Isn't it obvious? To find her friend. You.” Nam Ho kneeled and helped her to her feet. “Come with us and we will take you away from here.”
Kim was about to comply when she suddenly realized something. How did they know she was here? She was usually up in Er Mei and came to the village sporadically. Her new clarity demanded that she voice her curiosity. “How did you know I would be in the village today?”
“When you didn't come to meet me after a few months, I worried about you and had someone look you up.” Nam Ho said mysteriously. “She's been keeping a close eye on you since the beginning, at great risk to herself.”
“Why are you worried?” Kim pressed on. “What could have happened?”
“We don't know.” Nam Ho admitted grudgingly. “But your presence here does not make sense at all. We don't know why Shego brought you here, but her reasons could not have been good--”
“Shego wouldn't hurt me.” Kim said quickly.
Nam Ho shook his head, as if admonishing a child. “You don't know her.”
The memory of the night Shego shared with Kim came unbidden to the young heroine. Of how Shego held her so tight and kissed her so softly. Of dark green eyes that regarded her with such a gentle expression. Of nights when Shego would carefully hold Kim's hand and help her work out an inky character while rebuking her for the mistake. Of the fights that Kim would have with Shego…
“No,” Kim pulled away from Nam Ho's grip. “YOU don't know her. I know her. She would never hurt me. That's what you're implying, right? That Shego brought me here for some secret purpose, but the end result would be that I would get really hurt, so hurt that maybe I might die.”
“There are worse things than death.” Nam Ho said grimly. “Now come.”
“No.” Kim's sudden kick took out one of the young monks that had encircled her. Nam Ho didn't even get to land his punch as Kim quickly entangled him and slammed him up against the wall. She smirked inwardly. She had just done a move Shego had pulled on her long ago, a move that used the full length of one's body to suppress someone. “Why should I trust you? Why should I listen to you?”
“Because I'm trying to save you!” Nam Ho snarled, losing completely the hold he had on his temper.
“Save me from what?!” Kim managed to continue her interrogation as she fended off attackers easily. No one could touch her now.
“Ask yourself this: Why does a snake stay here protecting a village?! She is a demon! Her very nature says that she is up to no good! Have you ever thought of that?! Who would stay here of their own accord?! Something so powerful would not stay in this… this hole when they could be GREAT!”
Kim loosened her grip on Nam Ho, and he immediately twisted away from Kim.
“Were you unhappy here?” Kim asked simply.
Nam Ho picked up a staff from the body of an unconscious monk. They were the only two here that were still conscious. Nam Ho's followers must have lured the worst of the fighting away from Kim when they surrounded her. The two fighters circled each other cautiously.
“My master asked me… what good would I do here?” Nam Ho said quietly. “It was just like this… how he confronted me. We are chained here.”
“The villagers aren't prisoners here--”
“They are.” Nam Ho said sadly. “I came to… see my brother and his wife a while ago and I was met with such hostility. I had no choice but to fight back. They are chained to the ideal that what they are doing is honourable. Each generation is chained here by that ideal, to continue this servitude to this snake--”
“Servitude?”
“Servitude!” Nam Ho nodded his head. “We do not need protecting. We, humanity, have prevailed through centuries, overcoming obstacles by ourselves without the help of any others.”
“By ourselves? Well, since you're a man of the cloth,” Kim nodded to Nam Ho's robes. “What you're saying is kind of contradictory to your beliefs.”
“God helps those who help themselves.” Nam Ho quoted. “Humanity needs nought else but their own strength. This is ridiculous. I was exactly like you back then. Thinking up excuses. They don't even know that they're unhappy!”
“Just because you were unhappy here, doesn't mean everybody else is unhappy here.” Kim argued, dodging a staff to the head. “And who are you to tell them anything?”
“This is beyond what I feel, yet its very personal.” Nam Ho regarded Kim cautiously as she casually knocked aside another of his swings. “No good will come of associating yourself with Xaio Qing.”
“She protects this village--”
“At what costs? And to whom? Have you ever thought of that?” Nam Ho asked calmly. “You don't understand anything.”
“Then explain it to me!” Kim attacked now, watching, almost as if Nam Ho was moving in slow motion. Knowing exactly what he would be doing and re-acting accordingly. Slow. What she saw as slow, Nam Ho saw as incredibly fast. Too fast. And he could only struggle to protect himself as he was quickly put on the defensive, trying his hardest to avoid Kim, but finally could not dodge as several successful hits, followed up by two fists pounding into his chest at once sent him sprawling on the dirt gasping for air.
“Kim!”
Kim recognized Fong's voice in the distance. And the monks she had knocked out were coming to and picking themselves up. One of them helped Nam Ho to his feet, and they all heard the sound of lots of footsteps heading their way.
“Maybe there's no convincing you,” Nam Ho gasped, gripping onto the man supporting him. “But I have done what I could and I have warned you. Be careful, Kim Possible. Though we part like this, I hope there are no hard feelings between us.” Injured as he was, Nam Ho managed a short bow. “Would you… would you like me to pass a message on to your family and friends?”
“Tell them…” Kim caught her bottom lip between her teeth in thought. Sent a silent apology to her friends and family, she gave her answer. “Tell them nothing.”
Kim knew if her brothers were set on doing something, they would not be deterred by anybody. If they were set on finding her, a monk telling them not to would not stop them. It would only cause them to search even harder for their sister. And Ron and Monique probably wouldn't be much different.
Kim watched Nam Ho leave and waited as Fong, Lo po-po and various others arrived at her side. Nam Ho was wrong about her. He probably thought Kim hadn't heard a word he was saying about how dangerous Xaio Qing is, was, or could be. She heard all of it. But one thing Kim refused to believe was that Shego would knowingly put her into as much danger as Nam Ho implied she was in. There was no way. And he didn't understand why she would never leave with him. If what he said was true about Xaio Qing, then Shego was in as much danger as she was. And Kim refused to leave Shego if that was indeed the case.
ending note: :P that is all.