Chapter 9: Please Don't Let Go…

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

Kim Possible's demonic eyes narrowed as she walked toward the advanced technological fortress hidden on the side of the mountain range. "So, Shiva was right," Kim mused as she gripped what hid her from the Command Center's early warning systems, the Spear of Longinus. "Let's see if it'll let me in." She said as she stopped before a near-invisible force field. With a cry, she swung the spear in a slash that caused a visible gash to appear in the barrier.

"No big," Kim smiled wickedly as she stepped through the barrier and on toward the entrance of the Command Center. She froze and spun around to face away from the Center, eyes searching for what she was sure she heard. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

She lowered her guard slightly and turned back to enter the fortress, only to yelp out in surprise. "Nice kitty …" Kim said, holding the spear out to the large white tiger sitting in the entryway, staring at her with large, distinct, green eyes.

The tiger narrowed its eyes and flicked its tail from around its body before climbing to its feet. It turned and stepped toward the entrance, growling softly while staring intently at Kim.

"Do you want me to follow you or something?" Kim asked suspiciously. The cat just turned its head and walked inside. "A white tiger appears out of no where in the Colorado Rockies… like I'm not going to check it out." Kim whispered to herself as she followed the large, out-of-place feline.

Kim hissed, inhaling a breath as she saw the tiger once again sitting at the end of a long hallway as if it was awaiting her. "Weirdar going off big time …" Kim blinked as she walked slowly and carefully down the hallway.

Kim walked till she was a few feet safe distance from the tiger before pausing. "Um, where do you want me to go now?" The tiger looked to the left at an opened door, then back at Kim. "In there?" Kim asked and started to enter, but the tiger jumped to its feet and roared angrily. "Ok, ok, you can go first."

The tiger seemed pacified by this and slinked into the room, the sliding metal door closing behind it. "Hey, wait up!" Kim called and pounded on the door. She gasped and stepped back as it slid open for her. "Ok, really freaking me out now … DON'T MOVE!" She ordered, noticing a figure in the center of the dark room. As she walked in, the lights came on. "Don't move an inch …" she said to the white uniformed ranger in the center of the room, standing before a pedestal.

She narrowed her eyes and lowered the spear when she realized it was an empty uniform on display in a glass case. "Wow, a museum in here, too? Where's the gift shop?" Kim chuckled as she approached the costume. She looked over the armored uniform; it was mostly white with gold trimmed cuffs and boots, and a black, gold-trimmed vest. In the center of the chest was a coin-like symbol of a tiger, and the helmet was designed to look like a tiger's face, its mouth being the helmet's visor. "Nice outfit … probably put up to wear before Labor Day."

She glanced around the opened room. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty …" She said, feeling more than a little unsettled at the fact that there was no other exit for the large cat to have left by. Kim continued in and finally stopped before the pedestal and looked curiously at the metal case sitting on it.

She felt an odd drawing to the case and held her spear in one hand while her free hand traced on top of the chest a symbol matching that on the uniform's chest. She carefully unsnapped the clips and slowly opened the case to see a golden coin with the same symbol as the case and uniform.

Kim slowly tentatively reached out her fingers to the gold coin. As soon as her fingertips touched the gilded surface, it erupted in a bright light. Kim looked up away from the coin and gasped when she saw her reflection. Her skin was slightly tanned but white, her ears were rounded as once was normal, and her eyes were emerald green. "What?" She asked before gasping and falling to the ground.

She pulled herself off the ground and could see her demonic features through the reflection on the floor. "Too weird …" Kim whispered to herself as she glanced up to see the room completely empty. No uniform, no pedestal, no coin case, not even a display case for the uniform. "Ok … I'm just … going to leave now …"

"Why leave so soon?" Kim heard as a whip wrapped around her ankle. "The party's just started!" The Yellow Ranger said as she dragged Kim across the floor toward her.

"You know, of all of you multi-colored freaks," Kim growled looking back at the Power Ranger. "You and Red are my least favorite."

"Oh, if you only knew, K," Yellow Ranger said before gasping as Kim leapt back with both heels slamming into her chest.

"The others may want to save you first, and I may want to, too," Yellow Ranger shook off her daze as she took a fighting stance. "But I've ALWAYS wanted to kick your ass."

"You think you can take me on?" Kim scoffed, her crimson eyes narrowing, "Personally, I don't think you have it in you … you're just … 'Yella.'"

The Yellow Ranger paused and looked down at her uniform. "Oh. That was funny. Ha. You should have quit the hero thing years ago and became a comedian."

"Bonnie powered up over here somewhere," Josh's voice called from down the hallway behind the Yellow Ranger, causing both fighters to stop.

"Bonnie?" Kim asked in confusion. "Bonnie Rockwaller?"

"Didn't figure it out before now?" Bonnie removed her helmet and glared angrily at the redhead.

Kim eyes shined with confusion as she took a step back, then widened in horror as Josh Mankey and Ron Stoppable made the corner and froze dead in their tracks.

"Kim!" Ron gaped as Kim took three quick steps back like a frightened animal.

"Ron, what are you … no … you can't be … you can't be one of THEM …" She shook her head. "It can't be true … please … it can't be …" She shook her head violently as her shoulders touched the wall of the hallway.

"Kim, it's ok … you're safe here." Ron said, approaching carefully. "But you have to stop this …"

"Please … don't yell at me …" Kim whimpered, sliding down the wall slightly. Ron took another step forward, unsure of why she thought he was yelling, and Kim slashed out with the lance. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" She called out wildly.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" She sniffled. Ron was silent as she curled into a ball on the floor. "You're a Power Ranger, aren't you?"

"Kim, let me talk to you, I'm not going to hurt you anymore." He said carefully.

"Not here. Not with … THEM," Kim spat, glaring at Bonnie and Josh.

Ron nodded and lifted his wrist communicator to his lips. "Zordon, can you teleport me and KP to the Middleton Pre-K playground?"

"Are you certain you can be alone with her, Ronald?" Zordon asked.

"I have trusted her with my life as long as I can remember; I won't stop now." Ron said seriously, holding eye contact with Kim.

"Very well then, may the Power protect you…" he said as Kim and Ron teleported out of the Command Center. "May the Power protect you both …"

---

The wind blew through her hair as Kim sat in the old swing set, staring at Ron with her confused crimson eyes, the Lance of Longinus held tightly in her grasp as she studied him. "Why?"

"Why what, KP?" Ron ran his hand through his hand. "I messed up a lot lately; you need to narrow it down."

"Why are you fighting against us?" Kim asked, standing up carefully but not threateningly.

Ron was slightly taken back by the question. "It's what we always did before. Take on the bad guys, save the world, etc."

"But … I'm not a bad guy …" Kim hugged herself and glanced away.

"No, Kim, you're not," Ron said with a caring smile. "You're just … confused…"

"I … I don't think so; Shiva hasn't confused me. It's the Rangers that have confused you," Kim said, her eyes brightening up hopefully. "Don't you see, Ron, how wonderful it will be after Shiva has finished with the world? It's going to be just … wonderful! We'll be together and happy forever, Ron. We won't hurt each other and we won't leave each other; it'll be perfection!"

"Will it really be us then, Kim?" Ron asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What about free will? Will I still be the Ron you like if I don't get on your nerves every so often? And who's perfection will it be, Kim? Ours or Shiva's?"

"No, you're just trying to confuse me! Shiva said you would!" Kim said before her eyes began to literally glow with anger and pain. "You just want to use me … like you've always used me!" She held the lance in a combat position.

"You know I've never used you KP. Put the spear down. I don't want to fight you, Kim." Ron said, simply taking a step back.

"Was what it everyone always said about you, Ron?" Kim sneered, a single tear sliding down her cheek. "You're nothing but a coward?"

"That's not my Kim talking …" Ron whispered.

"Ok, if you won't fight, maybe I'll just go after your parents," Kim smiled darkly. "They deserve to be tortured to death for raising a COWARD."

"Stop it, Kim," Ron's brow furrowed as his morpher appeared on his wrist. "I don't want to fight you, but I will…"

"If you think you can stop me, Ron," Kim growled, "Then STOP me."

"It's MORPHIN TIME!" Ron brought the morpher up before him. "GORILLA!"

"Hey! Leave him alone!" A young redhead ran up behind a group of bullies who were surrounding the blond-headed kid.

The Red Ranger's twin swords blocked Kim's spear just barely before coming around with a slash of his own as the two parried attacks in the middle of the playground.

"Lookie here, guys, a pretty little redhead who thinks she's all that." The bullies turned and started to tower over the little girl.

Not a word was spoken, the only sounds were growls and cries as they slashed, punched, and kicked each other, moving across the playground.

"Hey, leave her alone!" the blond called after them. "I'll sick my imaginary friend Rufus on you! He's REALLY big!!"

The spear and swords both flew from their hands from a hard impact, leaving them to fight hand to hand.

Kim growled and then pounced the Red Ranger, sending him on his back with her on top, one hand digging into his shoulder while the other punched at his protective face place, cracking the visor and protective plates before digging into the protective material to pull the damaged hole bigger.

"Watch your back!" the girl called out before jumping at the bully approaching the blonde from behind and proceeding to bite at his wrist like a rabid dog.

Kim got one sucker punch into the now unprotected part of his face before the Ranger gave a very hard kick to her gut, sending her flying off him.

Keeping his momentum, he swung his other leg around and caught Kim in the face, splitting her lip and sending her to the dusty ground as a few raindrops began to fall around them.

"Let's show these losers who they're dealin' with," the little girl said to her new friend.

The Red Ranger took a fighting stance as Kim pulled herself to her feet and wiped her bloody lip. The skies opened up with rain as if crying for the wrongness of this very fight.

Kim moved in quickly and pushed her fist into Ranger's abdomen. Blood splattered on the inside of Ron's helmet and leaked out of the large, gaping crack Kim had made. Ron returned with a two-hit-combo punch to Kim's side, followed up by a failed leg sweep. Kim leapt back, and the two glared at each other, both realizing that neither was going to give an inch here.

"Thanks for saving me; my name's Ron…"

The fight continued on for hours, or minutes, but to the two contenders, it felt like a lifetime. With a hard roundhouse kick, Kim fully knocked out the black visor and could easily see Ron's brown eyes, well, one, as the other was swollen shut, behind the protective helmet.

"No Biggie. I'm Kim and … did you say a really big imaginary friend named Rufus out there?"

"Giving up?" Kim panted as she picked up the Lance.

"Yup, he's quite intimidating if he's in the right light."

"Not a chance …" The Red Ranger lifted one of his Power Swords and prepared for a final strike. "Let's finish this, KP…" Ron called out to her with a wheezing breath.

Kim narrowed her eyes and growled as the two powerhouses started dashing toward each others like two medieval knights jousting. Kim could see that there was no way to dodge the Power Sword, yet there was no way for him to dodge her lance. This was it, and she'd have it no other way.

Kim vaguely heard the sword hit the ground seconds before the sound of her lance cutting and pushing through armor and flesh. "Oops …" Ron gasped as Kim held the lance impaled through his midsection. "I dropped my sword …"

"You're weird … but I like you …"

"R-Ron?" Kim whimpered as the Ranger armor flashed weakly before fading away, leaving a badly beaten and wounded Ron… her Ron impaled on her lance.

"I said … I'd … never hurt you … again …" Ron struggled to breathe as Kim helped him to his knees. "I meant it …"

"No … Ron …" Kim shook her head as her crimson eyes swelled with fresh tears.

"I'm sorry … I pushed you to this …" Ron whispered, hunching forward and glancing around "Hey … isn't this where we came in?" Ron gave a smile as his blood leaked from the corners of his mouth. Kim took a glance around herself, and indeed the fight ended under their tree.

"Yeah … it is …" Kim whispered as Ron rested his head on her shoulder. "Oh God …" Kim felt bile rise up her throat at the sight of Ron's blood covering them both. "What have I done?"

"We both messed up … but you can still … do the right thing …" Ron breathed, his eyes growing heavy. "Save the world like you always do, KP … I … got your back."

Kim clung to Ron and cried into his shoulder as she felt his shallow breathing. Her eyes snapped open at the applause behind her. She turned to see Shiva grinning at her. "Congratulations, my dear; you have saved our world from one of them. Now, there's only five left."

Kim stared at the goddess in a whole new light. "Kim …" She heard Ron gasp and glanced back down as he painfully pulled the lance from his own body. "You can do it, KP …" Ron smiled weakly as he handed her the lance. "Do the right thing."

Kim wasn't fully aware of what she was doing as she stood to her feet and turned to face the demon. "Hand me the spear, and your mission is complete, my most faithful servant." The words sickened her as she took steps toward her master, the Lance in her hand glistening with Ron's blood.

"You promised Ron and I would be together …" Kim whispered softly.

"I did not foresee him being a Ranger, my dear," Shiva smiled consolingly. "That is … unfortunate."

It's what we always have done before, take on the bad guys, save the world, etc.

Kim closed her eyes as Shiva held out her arm, the same arm that empowered her when she bowed to her. And in a moment, Shiva's omnipotence was proven false as her face shown with shock when Kim leapt into the air, and with a mighty roar, brought the Lance of Longinus down onto Shiva's arm, pushing it deep into her.

"Kim!" Ron called out as Shiva screamed in pain before exploding in violet light and wind. Ron shielded his eyes.

"You traitorous COW! We had a DEAL!" Shiva screamed as the smoke settled and she showed her true form. She stood eight feet tall, hideous and demonic with neither male nor female features, six arms, three on each side with one hanging limply from the wound. "You will pay for this betrayal, Kimberly Anne Possible; you will pay dearly!" she ranted before she vanished, probably to lick her wounds.

"Kim? Kim!" Ron called out as he crawled along the ground, looking for her. He finally spotted her, still in her demonic form, laying on her back, breathing heavily. "Kim? Are you alright?" he grunted as he crawled to her side.

"I … should be asking you that." Kim smiled, coughing lightly.

Ron forced himself to sit up in spite of his pain and pulled her into his lap. "You're back …"

"I … think so… Ron… I'm sorry …" she whispered in his arms. "I … I never meant to hurt you … I just …"

"We both made mistakes ,Kim. I'll forgive you if you forgive me …" he said, running his hand through her hair.

"Ron … I … have to tell you something …" She said, gripping his hand. "Ron … I … I love you… I think I always have …"

"KP …" Ron smiled but the smile faded when she stiffened in his arms. "Kim?"

"Ron … Ron, she's back!" She whimpered, clinging to his shirt. "Ron … Ron, help me … please … she's trying to take me, Ron … Ron help … HELP!"

"Kim, we're the only ones here," he stroked her hair, trying to calm her.

"Ron, it burns … my whole body .. IT BURNS! HELP ME! PLEASE! RON! RON!" She clung tightly, her eyes wide and crying. "Make it stop… please make it stop hurting … Ron, please …don't let go ... Ron, don't let go ..." Kim's wide eyes turned her natural color before her features returned to that which Ron remembered. Then, Ron's eyes watched in horror as those beautiful emerald orbs slowly faded to white as Kim went limp in his arms, shallowly breathing as if only a physical reaction.

"KP? Kim?" Ron shook her. "Kim, say something …" he vaguely heard the sound of the other Rangers teleporting in and Josh telling him they had to get them back to the Command Center, but Ron was focused on Kim's blank eyes. His mother and Rabbi Katz always said that the window to the soul was the eyes. That saying repeated as Ron stared horrified into Kim's empty, lifeless, white eyes …

She follows the path of least resistance
She doesn't care to see the mountain top
She twists and turns with no regard to distance
She never comes to a stop

And she rolls, she's a river
Where she goes, time will tell
Heaven knows, he can't go with her
And she rolls, all by herself
All by herself

He's headed for a single destination
He doesn't care what's standing in his path
He's a line between two points of separation
He ends just where it says to on the map

And he rolls, he's a highway
Where he goes, time will tell
Heaven knows, she can't go with him
And he rolls, all by himself
All by himself

And every now and then, he offers her a shoulder
And every now and then, she overflows
And every now and then, a bridge crosses over
It's a moment that every lover knows

And she rolls (and he rolls)
She's a river (he's a highway)
Where she goes (where he goes)
Time will tell (time will tell)
Heaven knows she can't go with him (he can't go with her)
And she rolls all by herself
And he rolls all by himself
Fare thee well

To Be Continued …