The melody echoed on the serene river. Slow notes, plucked out carefully as a boat drifted along side a huge stretch of limestone cliffs. Greenery dotted the pockmarked stone, and trees that had somehow rooted on the forboding cliffs dipped their branches into the river. Beneath the gently swirling waters, all manners of fish swam in their schools peacefully. At the boat's approach, they scattered in a panic, but would resume their leisurely pace somewhere else. The sturdy wooden boat had a simple cloth roof near the end of the boat. Silken drapes hung from the edges of that roof and were drawn up at the moment, revealing two women studiously bent over their instrument. A boatman kept to the very back of the long flat boat, operating the simple rudder/oar skillfully. A wide-brimmed straw hat kept the sun off his face, his navy shirt hung open to reveal a lanky muscular frame that shot down into gnarly legs.
Within the enclosure, the music flowed continuously, like water. Each tremulous note bounced back from the cliffs, filling this little piece of beautiful wilderness.
“Good,” That low murmur was almost a shout in this silence of water and cliffs. Xaio Qing leaned over Kim's shoulders and pecked a kiss on Kim's cheek. “Very good, disciple.”
“Thank you,” Kim shrugged bashfully. “I have an excellent teacher.”
“Always the flatterer, hm?” Xaio Qing wrapped her arms around Kim's waist and hugged her close. “Good girl. Now,” Xaio Qing plucked several strings in quick succession. Immediately, Kim followed up with a flurry of movements as her arms moved swiftly to drag her fingers across the strings, bringing forth a wild melody that built until Kim released it, flaying her fingers outwards. It was barely visible, but there it was, a ripple in the air, blurring the image of the cliff-side. When it hit, a line of smoke burst from the rocks where the melody had cut into it, the valley roaring with the violence of hewn stone. When the smoke cleared and the echoes of destruction faded, Kim could make out right across the cliff face, a thin line that spanned several meters and maybe a half a meter deep into the limestone. A tree, however, that stood right in the center of the line seemed unharmed.
“How come that tree's still standing?” Kim said in distress. Xaio Qing laughed at Kim's disappointed pout.
“Oh, I am sure you got that tree.” Xaio Qing clapped her hands. The sound echoed and made the valley tremble. With a groan, the tree slid into the water. The wound on the tree had been so fine, it hadn't been visible to Kim.
“Excellent, indeed.” Xaio Qing nodded her head. ‘Almost as good as Shego.’
With a medium, it was easier to manifest the energy within a user. A medium such as a guzheng. With the range the musical instrument had, it was easier to lash one's own energies on the notes and the airwaves and send it out in physical form. Shego, who was not musically inclined at all, had to learn to grapple with her gift the hard way. But it also put her a step above Kim. Cutting out the middleman, Shego was more powerful and didn't require a tool to send out her gift. A glance or a wave of her hand was all that was needed to draw up, harness and throw out that power. Of course, the fact that Shego had wielded a powerful plasma attack since she was young might have helped in the controlling of Xaio Qing's gift.
‘And Shego's already grown a good amount of scales.’ Xaio Qing noted. The dark-haired woman had already shed Xaio Qing's grafted scale a while ago. The first stage of the transformation had passed, and they were onto the second. Just underneath Shego's human flesh, Xaio Qing had seen baby scales through Shego's pale skin that was steadily growing more transluscent.
“Who are you?”
Those were the first words the green-eyed woman snarled at her. The snake demoness tilted her head to one side, smiling at this curious sight. The woman was ready to attack, her hands alight with eerie green fire. But Shego could also barely keep her attack up as Xaio Qing took a step forward, her presence causing the other woman to wilt before Xaio Qing's piercing gaze.
“I don't understand.” The snake demon said in Chinese as Shego crumpled to the ground. That was the first meeting between master and disciple. Xaio Qing knelt down in front of Shego, stroked that green-tinged face. Those brilliant green eyes… “Bai Su Zhen.” Xaio Qing tried that name on her lips. This woman reminded her of the white snake. How? She didn't know. They were similar.
Xaio Qing had drawn the unconscious woman into her lap awkwardly and contented herself to stroking Shego's forehead and studying this young woman's face for more traces of Bai Su Zhen. It was a few hours before Shego woke up.
“Who are you?” Xaio Qing asked in Chinese. The questioning tone in Xaio Qing's voice didn't need any translation, and Shego answered, looking up at Xaio Qing wonderingly.
“Shego.”
“Shego.” Xaio Qing tried the name on her lips and giggled. “How did you come to be in She Cun? How did you get in?”
“What?” Shego blinked, confused at the barrage of Chinese that assaulted her ears. Xaio Qing sighed in exasperation.
“We will have to teach you Chinese. This… garble you speak will not do.” Xaio Qing had said firmly.
“What?” Shego asked again. Even if she had understood what Xaio Qing was saying, she would have been too entranced by the demon's moving lips and reptilian eyes to process the words. Xaio Qing had put her back to sleep afterwards, left careful instructions with Lo po-po and went back home. It had been centuries since such a physical reminder of what she was missing was placed in her arms. Her house on Er Mei seemed so much emptier now. Even the summoned and polymorphed carps couldn't keep her company. Playing with them wasn't fun anymore.
That girl that could summon green fire was on her mind.
“Why aren't you playing with us?” A female carp pouted.
“Leave me alone,” Xaio Qing growled, making a dismissive motion with her hand. Her playmates all ran screaming as their unlucky companion who had bothered the powerful snake demon fell to the ground choking and gasping for air. Xaio Qing watched emotionlessly as the carp slowly morphed back to its original form, watching its half-human half-fish body flop about in mindless terror. Finally, as its struggles grew weaker, her voice called out for one of the cowering carp-turned-human.
“Y-yes, mistress?”
“Take her back to the water.” Xaio Qing turned away from them and headed towards her room. She could have anything she wanted. She could create playmates out of the various creatures that inhabited her territory. But what she lacked was someone like Bai Su Zhen. The carps would forget about this incident as soon as they were turned into fish. Their long-term memory could be eradicated easily. They were flighty and forgetful, whimsical and lacking. Other demons… were painful reminders of Bai Su Zhen, and Xaio Qing tended to keep to herself because of that fact. In the centuries since Bai Su Zhen, Xaio Qing had faded into the background and kept away from the rest of the world. She was content in her life up in Er Mei. She had playmates, she made sure She Cun had everything it needed, she hibernated and she was happy.
“Shego.” Xaio Qing tried that name on her lips again. It was a strange name. But it fit the green-eyed woman, she had decided happily. She looked up at the sky and felt impatient for once. She never felt impatient. There was never anything of any importance to feel impatient for. everything was given to her right away. When Xaio Qing asked for something, she got it. She had asked for Lo po-po to make sure their guest got more acquainted with the village and with the language before Xaio Qing met with Shego again. That feeling of anticipation was annoying. But Xaio Qing got a thrill out of it. It had been a long time since she was this excited.
The first thing Xaio Qing did when she saw Shego was burst into laughter. Shego had apparently torn off a sleeve of her shirt and blind-folded herself.
“We are playing blind man's bluff?” Xaio Qing asked excitedly. They were in that small house at the edge of the village where the elders usually had meetings regarding She Cun's welfare.
Shego understood enough to frown. “No… play. I don't want sleep.” Her Chinese was broken, heavily accented, but passable.
“Sleep?” Xaio Qing pondered Shego's words. “Oh!” Xaio Qing giggled when she realized what Shego was saying. Last time Shego had fallen unconscious on her first encounter with the demoness. “That was unfortunate. It was also not my intent. But you are not used to me yet… that is why you fainted.”
“I no faint!” Shego said furiously, recognizing that last word.
“You think not seeing me will help you?” Xaio Qing stepped closer, listening to the quickening of Shego's heart. In a few more steps, she was right in front of Shego. Swooning at the near proximity of Xaio Qing, Shego fell forward. Xaio Qing caught the pale woman easily and tugged away the make-shift blindfold. “Why hide your eyes, Shego? They are very pretty.”
Shego pushed away from Xaio Qing and the snake let out a cry of surprise. Nobody had ever been so disrespectful before! Xaio Qing easily dodged a swipe from fire-encased hands. Such insolence!
Xaio Qing grinned. This was refreshing.
“Stop,” Xaio Qing held out her hand, wanting to please this woman. “Please. I do not want to fight.”
“Who are you?” These words sounded more natural, as if Shego had been practising saying that question consistantly throughout her month.
“Xaio Qing. I take care of this village.” Xaio Qing latched eagerly onto this line of conversation. Questions and answers. Answers to the mysterious green-eyed woman. “What brought you here, Shego?”
“Vacation.” The flames surrounding Shego's hands died down as she gazed at Xaio Qing suspiciously. “What…” Shego struggled to grasp the word. “Are you? What are you?”
“I gave Lo po-po instructions to tell you. Has she not told you?”
“Fong tell me.” Shego nodded. “True?”
“All true.” Xaio Qing confirmed what had been told to Shego.
“Huh.”
“Are you surprised?”
Shego gave Xaio Qing a wry smirk. “Lady, I not surprise easy.”
And that had been the beginning of something beautiful.
So Xaio Qing had visited Shego once or twice every week, always in that tiny house alone. Talked to her and played with her. Finally, Xaio Qing lured Shego up to Er Mei and Shego went. The pale woman had slowly learned to enjoy the woman's company.
“Right there,” Xaio Qing pointed up to the sky, tracing the lines of the constellation Shego had shown her. “What you call ‘the big dipper’.”
Shego nodded, pleased. “Right.”
Xaio Qing's lips widened to a pleased smile as Shego patted her head indulgently. Eager to please, Xaio Qing pointed to the star at the end of the big dipper. “And that star up there… its named after you?”
Shego looked up at the north star, and Xaio Qing was a bit doubtful if that was really the name of the star when she could see Shego trying hard not to laugh. “Yeah. That's it. The Shego Star.”
Xaio Qing was about to question her mischievous disciple but stopped when those laughing eyes regarded her with a deep fondness. Xaio Qing snuggled deeper into Shego's arms, content in the comfortable embrace. Sitting on the roof of Xaio Qing's house in Er Mei, with Xaio Qing tucked against the crook of Shego's shoulder, this was bliss for the snake demoness.
“Hold me tighter, Shego!” Xaio Qing demanded childishly.
Shego rolled her eyes. “You're such a brat, eh? And you're supposed to be my shi fu…”
“Hey, I am a *great* master!” Xaio Qing bit Shego's shoulder playfully which drew out a squawk of protest from the green-eyed woman.
“Why you--”
Laughing, Xaio Qing rolled off the roof and hit the ground running, gaining a headstart from a furious Shego.
Shego took Xaio Qing on a rollercoaster ride of feelings; from the lighter side of the spectrum of general happiness and pleasure, to the darker spectrum of things… Like when Xaio Qing found out why Shego had been making increasingly frequent and long stays at She Cun. During one of these disappearances, Xaio Qing had gotten impatient and gone to She Cun to find her wayward disciple. What was keeping her Shego? Had Shego found something fun to do? Or something good to eat? And was she not sharing it with her master? Maybe Shego was planning a surprise for Xaio Qing!
Eagerly, she had sought out her disciple, delighting in this supposed game. It was easy to find Shego. Xaio Qing peeked through the window and was a bit disappointed when she saw that Shego was in bed. Nothing fun. But what she had seen next had made her blood boil and dashed away the roguish grin on the demoness’ lips. Someone gasped out Shego's name. A tangle of limbs. What Xaio Qing had heard had conjured the most unpleasant feeling inside of her. Jealousy. Being there was too much, and Xaio Qing fled back to Er Mei, heart pounding in her ears, absolutely sick with anger.
“No,” Xaio Qing had retreated to her bed, curling up in a fetal position underneath the covers. “Don't, please, Don't,” Xaio Qing pleaded with that excrutiating feeling inside of her and tried to hold it in. In the end, she had gained control again and stuffed those unpleasant images away into a deep dark part of her mind and locked it away.
When Shego came back to Er Mei though, that part had unlocked, and she could feel all those feelings roaring up, caught in her throat and chest. The smell on Shego triggered it, that curious scent that she had been so ignorant to before. Xaio Qing knew what it was. It was in her Shego's hair, in her Shego's pores, meshed in her Shego's clothes.
“Where were you, Shego?” Xaio Qing could hear her own voice, high and pleasant. “I missed you!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Xaio Qing was used to Shego's gruff reply. Even though Xaio Qing knew that Shego didn't mean to be so brusque, that Shego did care about Xaio Qing, that tone of voice enraged her. The snake demoness moved more quickly than she had ever moved in a long time, before she realized what she was doing.
“I asked you a question.” Xaio Qing's voice was low and dangerous. Leaves fluttered down around master and disciple, jarred from their branches by the violent thud of Shego's body against a tree trunk. Shego clawed at the hand that pinned her to the tree by her throat. The green-eyed woman hadn't seen it coming at all. Xaio Qing had hurled herself at Shego, pushing her back until the tree stopped them.
“Xaio Qing--”
“Where were you, Shego?!” Xaio Qing's voice boomed across the area, and birds flew up en masse, terrified at the supernatural voice that resonated with anger. “I missed you! Does that mean nothing?! OR WERE YOU TOO BUSY?!”
“I-” Shego tried lying. “I don't know what--”
This was the first time Shego had ever seen Xaio Qing this angry. Shego wasn't even aware of the fact she was flying through the air until she hit to ground and skidded across the length of the courtyard and bounced to a stop against a tree. The rough ground had gouged bits of skin and flesh from her body. Shego could register that something was leaking down her face as she lay there trying to get her breath back. And without a doubt, she knew it was blood. When Shego opened her eyes, true horror gripped her soul as she watched her shi fu's body stretch and rip out of her clothes… lengthening to the already discernable shape of an enormous serpent.
“DON'T,” Xaio Qing's voice contained the barest hiss, “LIE TO ME, SHEGO!”
Shego barely managed to roll away from the snake's winding path, but wasn't fast enough as Xaio Qing turned around, its midsection catching Shego in a glancing blow. Shego tumbled away again, as fast as she could, knowing that the only option was escape. But even though Shego had become so much faster than she had been when she first entered the village, she couldn't dodge Xaio Qing's lightning fast moves. A scream ripped itself from Shego's throat as she felt bones crushed under the pressure of Xaio Qing's powerful maw. The feel of her arms crushing, splintering and rubbing against each other in her arm sent a wave of nausea through her. She would have lost her lunch if it wasn't for the fact that the pain overrode everything else she was feeling.
“DO NOT LIE TO ME, SHEGO. WHO WAS THAT? WHO WERE YOU WITH?”
From the defiant glint in Shego's pained grimace, Xaio Qing knew she would not get the answer she sought. Even if Xaio Qing shook Shego like a rag doll, even if Xaio Qing made Shego realize that there were so many more levels of pain than she had already experienced, the asian demon was pretty certain Shego wouldn't divulge that bit of information.
“FINE. I HAVE THEIR SCENT. I WILL FIND THEM.” Xaio Qing snarled and tossed Shego aside. “YOU CANNOT HIDE THEM FROM ME.”
“No!” One arm was crushed, useless and bleeding. But Shego still managed to stave off unconsciousness and grasp onto the serpent's body, shuddering in revulsion at the feel of powerful muscles rippling under smooth, pebbly scales. “Master, no!”
“Master?” The snake demoness’ voice lowered. “Now you call me master? Why call me master when you do not listen to me? What did I ASK YOU TO PROMISE WHEN I SWORE YOU IN AS A DISCIPLE?!”
“Shi fu, please,” Shego held on tightly with her one good arm, knowing she was losing the battle to keep conscious. Her vision was beginning to blurr… “Please…” Shego slumped to the ground in a boneless heap.
“Shego!” The snake shrieked in alarm, and in a few seconds, a naked woman stood in the middle of all the destruction, cradling the unconscious and mangled form of Shego in her arms. Xaio Qing looked around the courtyard helplessly, seeing how the earth was tossed up, how several trees were standing lopsidedly because she had thrown Shego into them…
“Oh Shego, my Shego, my Shego,” Xaio Qing moaned. Even though she wanted to cry, her eyes were dry. She touched Shego's destroyed arm and stared at it in muted anguish.
An arm that seemed beyond repair could easily be fixed, especially by someone like Xaio Qing. Knitting bones and flesh together was something even a rank two-hundred-year-old demon could do.
But some things, magic just couldn't fix.
As Xaio Qing worked on Shego's arm, the demoness was sure her actions today had broken something irreparable between master and disciple.
Shego sat forward in the tiny wooden chair on a beach in Cuba. A huge beach umbrella shaded her from the unforgiving sun and a young Cuban girl was in the process of braiding Shego's hair. Since she left She Cun, Shego had travelled as much of the world as possible. And now she ended her two month vacation in sunny Cuba. In a black bikini, and wearing a green shirt, she sat on the beach soaking up the sights and sounds of sun, surf and sand.
“Does it hurt?” The girl's accent made her voice rich and exotic.
“Its tight,” Shego admitted. A good part of her hair was tamed down in tight conformed rows of braids on the villainess’ head. The girl was almost done.
“But very pretty,” The Cuban girl blurted out, and smiled winningly at Shego. Shego was about to shoot back a friendly quip, but was interrupted by the sudden sandstorm that was being whipped up by a very familiar looking mode of transportation. One she had flown very often in Drakken's employ. It landed rather abruptedly, two people being thrown from the vehicle at the rough landing while three jumped out rather nimbly.
“Finish it,” Shego's hand shot out to catch the Cuban girl's wrist before she could flee. With trembling hands, the girl did as she was told as Shego regarded the five with narrowed eyes.
“Shego!” Drakken scrambled up from where he had fallen in the sand. Shego almost felt a twinge of affection for the idiot as he regarded her as a lost puppy would, when its finally found its way home. “Finally I've found you!”
“You mean finally, *we've* found you.” A young black woman helped Ron up. Shego searched her memory for the young woman's face, but found she couldn't really recall who she was. All she remembered was that this was one of Kimmie's friends. “Shego, we're only gonna ask you once: Where's Kim Possible?”
The last braid was done. Shego sent the young Cuban girl on her way with a big tip. Running her hand through the rows of braided hair on her scalp, Shego flashed Team Possible a feral grin. “Who's asking?”
“I am,” The last two of the five was a set of twins. One of them stepped forward, raring to go. The other one put a steadying hand on his brother's shoulder.
“And you are?”
“Jim.” The hot-headed twin hissed out through clenched teeth.
“Then you must be Tim.” Shego said thoughtfully.
“How did you--”
“--know that?” The twins completed each other's sentence. Shego felt annoyed yet comforted by this habit these two had. It reminded her of her brothers.
“How do you think I know?” Shego answered their question with one of her own as she started stretching, getting ready for the inevitable fight. “Aren't you two missing a sister?”
Jim let out an enraged scream as he charged Shego, thinking the worse. His twin and the others following close behind. In less than ten seconds, almost all of them were sprawled out in the sand, groaning. The only ones who were still standing were the ones who had been smart enough not to move. Ron and Drakken were rooted to the spot.
Ron knew. And Drakken knew.
“Shego…” Drakken started.
“Dr. D. I see you've been doing alright,” Shego drawled.
“You look good too, Shego.” Drakken managed a wavering smile. Then Shego turned her attention on Ron. Ron stared at Shego, paling as she neared.
“Stoppable.” Shego glared at the blonde man.
“Sh-Shego.” Ron cursed himself for stuttering. There was just so much… power emanating from Shego. It was an instinctive fear deep within him as Ron Stoppable and as a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar. Ron could sense the magic around Shego and tried to scramble away, but was too slow as Shego burst forward, knocking Ron to the ground. If it weren't for the fact that it was Shego on top of him who looked like she literally wanted to eat him, Ron would've thanked god. It wasn't everyday that a woman clad in a very tiny bikini was caught straddling him on a Cuban beach.
“Stoppable,” Shego hissed. The light caught Shego's green eyes in a certain way… Ron squinted--
“Monique!” Ron yelped as he realized his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Shego's pupils weren't round and normal like regular human beings. They were lightless, black slits. Rufus shot out of Ron's pocket and tried to latch its teeth on Shego's hand, but was smacked away unceremoniously. Thankfully, the sand cushioned the rodent's fall. “Monique, help!”
Totally distracted by Ron, Shego didn't notice Monique's headlong rush until the air was knocked out of her by Monique's tackle. Ron rolled desperately away from Shego's near vicinity and when he got up, immediately went running up a palm tree, screeching in very monkey-like tones. Shego threw Monique away, letting out another angry hiss.
“Girl, we're gonna fix that lisp of yours.” Monique dusted herself off and watched Shego warily. Team Possible surrounded Shego. She had nowhere to go.
“You're pretty dumb if you think you can beat me and Kimmie still can't,” Shego smirked.
“What did you do to our sister?!” Tim roared. The level-headed boy was the first to attack. A quick kick sent Tim to the ground. Jim followed behind his twin quickly as he was felled from a quick jab to the throat that left him gasping for air. Monique was thrown into the ocean. Drakken was used as a springboard up onto the hovercraft.
“Stop her!” Jim cried out hoarsely.
“Thanks, Dr. D,” Shego grinned. She had manged to pickpocket Drakken on her way up. She held up the keys Drakken had had and waved them at the downed Team Possible, taunting them. “You're about a million years too slow to be able to catch me!”
Monique was just trudging up to shore as she watched Shego zoom away in Drakken's hovercraft.
“Great,” Monique groaned. She delved into her pocket, thankful that the Kimmunicator was waterproof. “Wade, got a track on the craft?”
“Got it--its just blinked off.” Wade groaned. “Drakken's hovercraft--”
“--is equipped with jamming devices.” Jim rasped. His hand shot out to grab the front of Drakken's blue garb. “I'll kill you!”
“Monique!” Drakken hollered, cringing at Jim's temper.
“Jim…” Monique said warningly. The twin made a visible attempt to harness his anger, and finally relaxed his grip on Drakken who scrambled to hide behind Tim.
“You were the one who mod-ed the hovercraft's jamming abilities.” Monique shook her head while Jim grumbled something indiscernable. Ron had exited the safe haven of his palm tree and was walking towards them sheepishly.
“What happened to you?” Jim turned his anger on Ron.
“Didn't you guys see?” Ron asked. He was shivering violently as he picked up Rufus and stuffed the rodent back into his pocket. “On her back.”
“What?” Ron had everyone's attention now.
“It was… peeling.”
“So she got a bad burn,” Monique shrugged.
“No,” Ron shook his head. He had seen it. “Underneath her skin, it was black. There was a black spot underneath her skin on her back.”
“What?” Drakken peeked out from behind Tim. Ron's face was pale.
“I don't know. But Shego's changed somehow.”
Kim sat on the bottom steps to Er Mei, taking a well-deserved rest. When she didn't have to play with Xaio Qing, she worked on the physical aspects of her training. Something she kept up because--across her mind, a ghost was conjured up. Someone with angry green eyes, dark hair and fiery hands. Kim knew this person was important… but she didn't quite remember why. Or what their name was. And it was frustrating as her mind started going through a bunch of faces… A proud black woman… a naked molerat… A bright-eyed freckly boy that she had strong feelings of exasperation/affection for. There was also the image of two boys, obviously twins and an older couple who kept calling her name.
“Ugh,” Kim placed a hand on the side of her head. All these faces going through her mind was giving her a headache. When she was around Xaio Qing, none of these images plagued her. She felt good with Xaio Qing. She should go back. With renewed energy, she got up and stretched, intent on doing just that.
“Kim.”
Kim turned around quickly, tensing for a fight. But the sight of the dark-haired ghost of a woman in her mind turned flesh made her whisper that name she knew so well.
“Shego.”
“I'm back.” Shego grinned.
“Oh my god, look at your hair!” Kim shook her head, blinking away… what had happened? How had she forgotten Shego?
Shego ran fingers through her hair, braided tight against her scalp. The smile on her face was shy. Shy.
“It looks great!” Kim said excitedly. She grabbed hold of Shego's hands and examined the woman closely. There was an embarassed smile on her face as she met Shego's eyes again.
“What?” Shego grinned, couldn't stop grinning. Two months had been a long time for her. Long enough for her to boldly take the risk and place her hand at the side of Kim's face in an intimate gesture.
“I totally didn't realize you were gone,” Kim said apologetically. “Its been actually really busy lately and--”
“You don't have to explain,” Shego kept her voice even, calm and soothing. Kim knew Shego enough to know Shego was feeling anything else but even, calm and soothed. Kim would bet anything at the moment that Shego was seriously pissed.
“I'm sorry?”
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Shego gave Kim a strained smile. That quickly disappeared, along with the caressing hand on the side of Kim's face as Shego noted the approach of her master. Xaio Qing smiled at Shego brightly. Faced with Shego's disapproving frown though, her smile quivered a bit before it fell completely.
“Kim, complete your exercises. Xaio Qing and I have to talk.”
Kim left without saying another word.
When the sound of the redhead's footsteps had disappeared completely, Shego looked at Xaio Qing with a pained expression.
“What are you doing?” Even though Shego whispered the question, it echoed loudly.
“What I have to.” Xaio Qing sat down on the steps and looked up at the sky.
“You don't have to--”
“I do not?” Xaio Qing asked bitterly. “Shego… I did not think you would come back.”
Shego stared at her master. Then, with a determined set to her jaw, she walked up to Xaio Qing and crouched down in front of her.
“Shego, what--”
“I said I would come back to you.” Shego said more firmly. Xaio Qing studied Shego's face. Then her face took on an expression of pure joy as she saw Shego smile wryly and nod once, to confirm the unspoken question between them.
“Shego?”
“Of course.”
“You will stay with me?” Xaio Qing's voice became meek and pleading. “Forever?”
“You know it.” Shego smiled. “I'll never leave you.”
“I am so happy!” Xaio Qing squealed and hugged the other woman close. Shego returned the embrace, teeth clenched tightly together as she burrowed her face into the crook of Xaio Qing's neck.
end: so the end is nearing. And my chapters are getting rushed. Dun worry, its good. You all want this to end anyways, right? lol