You've seen Kim and Ron in every crossover & fusion imaginable--in the Avengers, the Justice League, aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, on Tatooine, in Transylvania--but how about Kim and Ron in--Narnia! (If you have seen it, let me know.)

I've wanted to write this ever since I found since I learned that Disney was releasing "The Lion,The Witch, And The Wardrobe" in December '05.

I'm pleased, but not sastisfied. I want it to blow you our of your seats; I want it to knock your socks off. Oh my readers, critique the daylights out of it!

All the excellent children's books mentioned were by their respective authors. Kim & Ron belong to Disney; Narnia belong to--Disney? Oh, well, it's a corporate world; Narnia is the creation of C.S. Lewis.

All Hail the True King, both here and in Narnia.

THE LION, THE TREEHOUSE, AND THE NAKED MOLE RAT

CHAPTER ONE

"Mom, can we stay overnight in the tree house?"

Both Dr. Mom Possible and Mrs. Stoppable pretended to give weighty consideration to the issue. "Well, dear, I suppose so." Each mother marveled at both the duration and the durability of this friendship; and each mother dreaded the day when it must inevitably dwindle.

Dr. Possible in particular did not relish the prospect of this unique pair succumbing to the peer pressures

Kim would become enmeshed in the social food chain

she would notice boys

Kim was gawky now, with her braces and wide-eyed smile. She was already evincing Nana's Possible's feisty temper and impatience with people who were less motivated--and that included Ron. Kim would also be a beauty; her mother could envision her daughter even at this young age; after middle school, when the braces were due to come off, and she let her hair grow out, Kim would be a sultry-eyed siren.

But that was then, though, and this was now. It was a gala day for Kim in particular; it was her tenth birthday, a milestone occasion. Her parents had offered her whatever her heart desired: a party with dozens of her classmates at the local video arcade pizzeria, the toy(s) of her choice (she did express a keen interest in the new PandaRoo Cuddlebuddy), clothing, or cash. Kim was not to be swayed; it was a night with her very best friend in the treehouse. She wanted to spend this most important day with her most important person. Both parents consented.

And so both Kim and Ron slung their backpacks, laden with a couple sweatshirts, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Gatorade, and whatever other provisions were deemed suitable. Both shouldered their sleeping bags, hefted their flashlights, trekked to the base of the tree after sunset, and intrepidly scaled the ladder to their outpost.

The tree house had its well-stocked bookshelf: The Hobbit, Jumanji, The Magic Tree House, The Pagemaster, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, The Wizard of Oz, and The Chronicles of Narnia; tales of adventure, tales where ordinary people, children in particular, journeyed to new worlds, or were swept up by magical forces, embarked on quests, and emerged victorious over evil with enduring friendships.

"K.P., don't any of these have pictures?" it was an inane comment, and Ron was full of those.

Kim's hand ran over the bookcase; her finger settled on a particular book: "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe"; "Ron, let's read from this book," she said eagerly.

He shrugged; "Cool." They alternated chapters.

Kim began the first chapter: "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy..."

They loved this book in particular. It seemed to grow on them. They identified with it as with no other book. Dorothy had no other human in Oz, even though she had the four fast friends. Bilbo was a wonderful hero, but he seemed too much like a fussy grownup. How cool it would be to wield magical powers, like Harry Potter but Kim and Ron had grown up loved and doted on; they couldn't identify with living under the stairwell, and boarding school was out of their realm of experience entirely. A mystical game that transported them to a dangerous land piqued their interest. But it was the idea of having secret adventures in a huge rambling house with empty rooms--so like the treehouse--and doorways to new worlds where one could grow up and have lifelong epic quests, and still return home in time for supper, that seized their imagination.

Lucy's conflicts with her two brothers felt just Kim's frustrations with the Tweebs, and Lucy's friendship with Mr. Tumnus felt like Kim's friendship with Ron. In fact, Lucy's protective feelings for the little faun reminded Kim exactly of how often she defended Ron from the bullies.

The old Professor reminded Ron exactly of his grandpapa, Jon Stoppable, who had passed away when Ron was very young; an empathetic man with a twinkle in his eye, a childlike sense of wonder, and the ability to make Ron feel like anything he said was worth all the attention in the world.

Ron often saw Lucy in Kim, the steadfastly loyal, the adventuresome; he also was starting to see Susan in Kim, the ever more maturing young lady growing out of childhood innocence--and that did not necessarily please him; he was starting to feel left behind.

The historical setting resonated with them also. Nana had told Kim stories of growing up during the worldwide conflict, and for any Jewish family, of course, the Second World War was fraught with somber significance.

It happened while in chapter seven Kim was reading the very words: "At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in it's inside." At that very instant something jumped inside both Kim and Ron. They stared at each other. Ron spoke first. "K.P., did you feel something just now--like going down a roller coaster? I feel like my stomach is left behind."

"I feel like--I don't know--like I'm going to see Mom at her office. Every time I go, it's like I'm going for a checkup; I hate that nervous feeling--but I love Mom--and I don't know which feeling is stronger."

"Or it's like Christmas--well, I mean Chanukah--it's the time of the year when all the decorations are up, and everyone looks so happy. You feel so--I dunno--Christmasy! It isn't just the presents--it's like something wonderful is gonna happen, and you feel nervous and happy all at once."

The conversation break seemed to break the thread of following the book's narrative; it felt perfectly natural to take a time out.

Kim folded her arms and leaned on the window sill, looking out. She sighed and gazed at the starry sky. "Ron, don't you long for something bigger, something more important ?"

"K.P., are you gonna sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'?"

"Ron--" she said wearily; even for Ron, this was excessively inane.

"Kim, seriously, I sort of like things how they are, like I always want them to be--like us, friends for life."

Kim was silent;she knew what she wanted: to attain a higher goals, to achieve, to aspire to a higher level, scholastically, socially, and ultimately, vocationally, not to settle for average. She hoped she would not outgrow Ron; she hoped he would keep up. She poured out her heart in silence as she marveled at the great dome of Heaven. Please, God, let him keep up; don't let me outrace him.

Ron was silent. He knew what Kim wanted: bigger and better. He was painfully aware of an increasing gap in their respective interests. She was acting older; he was acting dorky out of a sense of inadequacy--a defense mechanism. She used to laugh at it, but it didn't work any more; it irritated her. Adonai Elohenu--Lord our God--he would pray, like Grandpapa used to pray the Shema when he was most serious, when he meant business with God; don't let me choke--don't let me blow it--make me like David the warrior.

"When I'm in high school, I'm going to be on the yearbook committee, the cheerleading squad, the student council, the swim team...what about you, Ron? Are you going to try out for sports?"

As Ron had been listening to the roster of accomplishments Kim would aspire to by the time she was able to drive, he felt the strong sense of inadequacy stealing over him again. "Sports? nah--too violent--might get injured. Now if they have a club for video gamers, I might join the 'Ms. Pac-Men."

He grinned--until he saw her face. She seemed hurt--disappointed.

"Well---whatever you want to do with your life."

There was a low whistle from the ground below. "Son, your mother and I are about to turn in. She wonders if either of you kids want to use the bathroom before we turn the lights out."

And suddenly from the house, Mrs. Stoppable's voice blared. "Ronnie, do you have to go to the toilet before you fall asleep?

Ron cringed. At that moment, he could have leapt from the tree house into a bed of nails to try and ease the sense of shame. "No, Ma!" he bellowed back.

Mr. Stoppable called quietly again. "Sorry, son; I tried to tell her not to let the neighbors know--tell you what, I'll leave the porch lights off; you can come down to the house and do your business with out anyone watching." He glanced over at the house. "Better make it soon; she'll be out here in five minutes."

"Thanks, Dad,'" said Ron morosely.

The magic mood was gone; Both the kids felt very ill at ease and wanted to be anywhere but there.

When Kim and Ron were bedded down for the night, he whispered, "Kim!" But she did not move. Fine, he thought resentfully, I can ignore her, too.

In a moment Kim turned over and whispered "Ron!"; but he had turned away, and was sulking.

Kim too turned back away from her friend. she sniffled and wiped away the tears that trickled down her cheeks. The little girl's heart she was trying so desperately to outgrow was desperately trying not to grieve. Her dearest and warmest friendship was slowly growing cold before her eyes--on her birthday! With a pathetic little pout she mouthed the words; why, God?

Ron heard the sniffling and reproached himself, but he was absolutely clueless how to fix things--even he felt the fundamental change; they were growing apart, and it couldn't be made right by just saying I'm Sorry and going back to how they were.

Both of them drifted off to uneasy sleep to the sound of the crickets.

In the morning, a strong wind swayed the tree. Ron saw an eagle overhead through the window--in Middleton? There were more eagles. "Uh, K.P..." He ran to the window. What was a back yard with the Stoppable house was now a vast forest; mighty oak trees, and sycamore, and elm. Valleys were all around them. At the edge of the horizon were towering purple mountains, capped with snow It was breathtaking; a wild far-flung landscape. Kim gasped in astonishment.

"K.P., we're not in Kansas anymore."

"You mean Colorado," said Kim impatiently.

Ron shrugged and pointed to the ground.

Kim felt the short hairs on her neck stand up; underneath the tree house, two leopards prowled.

Ron's brow furrowed. "Are we in Jumanji?"

They heard voices; thank God! They sighed with relief. Ron's parents were coming. A sense of safety stole over them; surely there would be an explanation.

They ran to the ladder--what they saw next was--a short but broad man with a long beard, dressed in chain mail and an iron cap, carrying a double bladed axe. They heard the thump of a hoof, and another hoof--a huge horse, and a huge bare chested man--not riding the horse--connected to the horse, at the neck, where the head should be.

Kim grabbed Ron's hand in a panic. "Ron...!"

Ron had seen such a creature in the Everlot video game. "K.P.--that's a centaur!"

The short man heard their frantic whispering and looked up. He squinted his eyes under his bushy eyebrows and pursed his lips under the bushy mustache. "That's them--the human cubs we were told about. Aye! You two! Yes, you two scrawny looking things--come down!"

Kim and Ron shook their heads no vehemently. The Centaur folded his arms and curled his lip; he regarded them with supreme disdain. The Dwarf put his hands to his hips and tapped his toe with impatience. He turned to the leopards. "Well--it's up to you!"

One of the leopards scaled the tree and glided sinuously into the tree house. Kim and Ron stared in mortal terror, and hugged each other. Each had the same thought: if that thing attacks, I've got to protect my friend! The leopard bowed its head to the floor--and spoke--in cultured accents. "Children, most honored Visitors, my friends the Centaur and the Dwarf asked me to reassure you that they mean you no harm; therefore I implore you not to be frightened by their appearance. I am told that such beings are very rare in your world." Kim and Ron stared at each other, astonishment added to their mortal terror; polite talking leopards were not often seen either.

Kim was trembling like a leaf; Ron gathered himself as best as he could, and asked, "Pardon--." His voice cracked and came out falsetto, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Pardon me, sir--could tell me where we are?"

The Leopard cocked its head to one side quizzically--if a leopard could have a quizzical expression. "How puzzling--we were told that you had asked to come; we were sent to escort you to the Lion, Who is King over all. Very well, then..." The Leopard bowed again, more formally, and said in a courtly manner: "Kimberly Ann Possible, and Ronald Adrian Stoppable--" Kim and Ron jumped at the mention of their names; "--Children of Adam and Eve, in the Name of the Lion, the Son of the Emperor-Over-The-Sea, I welcome you to the Land of the Talking Animals, ruled by the Lion, Who is the True King, Blessed is He..."

Kim and Ron both began to gasp as it dawned on them; they knew what the Leopard would say next."

"I welcome you to--Narnia."

TO BE CONTINUED