Kim Possible and all characters and elements used in this story belong to Disney, and I'm not making any money with this.

FATE

Sensei believed in fate.

During his long life, he had seen and experienced much that was too unbelievable and unlikely to happen if one couldn't believe that everything was following the grand plan of some higher entity. One such thing was the chain of events that had brought the young Ron Stoppable to his attention and pushed the lad on the long path to becoming the Ultimate Monkey Master. Though Sensei knew that there were many who didn't believe in Ron, he himself had complete faith in him. It was all meant to be this way.

It was because of this faith that Sensei wasn't very surprised to see that he was not alone in the Simian Valley. Early that morning, his meditation had been broken with the unsettling feeling that he had to go and visit the site where one of their most dangerous enemies lay buried. Despite this, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him there.

A massive hole had been dug into the ground where the shrine of the Yono had sunk, and abandoned shovels and hoes lay scattered around the scenery. There was a small crane standing on the edge of the bizarre excavation, but even that wasn't what startled Sensei the most.

He was well aware that the power of the Yono was something that every greedy evildoer yearned to possess. The events that had taken place in that very spot and sealed the fate of one such soul in stone were enough proof of that. Everyone gifted in magic must have been able to feel the destruction the Yono had caused only weeks before, and Sensei had been expecting opportunistic foes to come and attempt to claim the power.

The intruder he now found himself looking at, however, was not a fallen ninja or an evil magician. In her explorer's attire and pink hat, the chubby woman looked like the exact opposite of every dark force he had ever dealt with.

"Hello there!" the woman greeted him as soon as she noticed him. She flashed a cheerful smile at him and then got back to tying a rope around the frozen form of the villain Monkey Fist.

"Good evening," Sensei said.

He offered her a hand and helped her up when she was done with her work.

"My, aren't you the gentleman! Too bad I'm taken," the woman said with a giggle.

"You're planning to remove Monkey Fist from his destined place as the Yono?" Sensei questioned, nodding at the form of the trapped man.

"Uh-huh. Ending up like that was so irresponsible, wasn't it? It took me all this time to track him down and find out what had happened, but now I'm finally here to take my pudding back home," the woman said. Obviously she had no restraints about revealing her entire plan to whoever came her way.

"Oh, how rude of me, haha. I'm Amy Hall, but everyone calls me DNAmy," she continued. "Anyway, I must be getting back to work. It's already getting dark and I have to get back home in time for the Cuddle Buddy convention this weekend."

Sensei shook his head. "I cannot allow you to have him," he said.

The line of Amy's lips turned downwards and she frowned. "Why not?" she asked.

"What lies buried here is a dark force that could destroy the world if it was let loose. Many lives were lost when the Yono was sealed away for the first time, and Monkey Fist lost more than that when the Destroyer was defeated again, though he did not do so willingly. A third time might cause even more terror and anguish. The world is not ready for that," Sensei said.

"So you won't let me have my sugar monkey because that might plunge the world into eternal darkness and destroy the universe as we know it?" Amy confirmed.

"Exactly," Sensei said with a nod.

"Well, I'm not listening to you," Amy announced defiantly. She made a move to return to work, but a sharp "Stop!" made her freeze and turn to take a look back. Sensei didn't have to do that to know who had yelled; the voice was all too familiar to him.

"Sensei, we were alarmed when you left and didn't tell us where you were going," Yori told him as she and Hirotaka emerged from the shadows and took his side.

"I did not see it as necessary," Sensei replied. Any other time he would have reminded his students that he was not a weak old man and that they had more important responsibilities than worrying about him, but he was now glad to see how Yori and Hirotaka's instincts had led them to the valley. They were his best students for a reason.

Amy looked from one ninja to another, and her face twisted in sudden rage as she realised she was outnumbered and outmatched.

"You!" she shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at Sensei, startling him a little with her sudden change of mood. "You are the biggest meanie in the whole wide world!"

Sensei suddenly felt like his grandmother had caught him stealing rice cakes again, and he almost felt guilty when hearing how the woman's voice shook with anger and disappointment. However, he wouldn't have been the head of a secret ninja school if he hadn't been able to take that and much more with a straight face.

"I am sorry, but even if we let you, you wouldn't be able to take him. The spell that sealed him in stone prevents anyone from removing the statue," he explained, talking to Amy like she was a child who had been denied her will.

"But I must have him!" Amy wailed. "I didn't even have the time to show him my new chickler yet! Why must everything always come between us?"

"Not every path fate chooses for us is a pleasant one," Sensei said patiently.

"I know. That's why I like to make my own paths," Amy said, reverting back to her earlier cheerful state of mind and winking suggestively at Sensei. She made a move like she was about to dance her way to the crane. Yori and Hirotaka immediately tensed, ready to stop her.

Sensei extended his arm and the two students relaxed.

"Sometimes one must see to believe," the old man said. This Amy Hall was not the kind of person to listen to reason. He understood that he would have to let her have her obsessed way if he wanted to convince her that she was dealing with forces beyond her understanding. Removing someone who had chosen to follow the Path of the Yono was impossible; the curse around the temple would not allow anyone to take away the statue into which the power was sealed.

For a moment, they watched in silence how Amy ran to the crane and started the engine, bringing it alive with a triumphant and expectant grin on her face.

"Sensei, what is this chickler she spoke of?" Hirotaka asked.

"One should not remove a tree's bark just to see what is under it. Only misery will follow from learning the truth," Sensei replied.

"Ah. I see," Hirotaka said.

"Look!"

Yori's voice brought the two of them back from their exchange, and Sensei was astonished to see that the stubby woman was actually making progress. She hadn't been able to lift the statue yet, but the ground around it was trembling, and a faint cracking sound reached their ears. It didn't take much longer before Monkey Fist snapped loose, making the crane almost fall over from the force of it.

"Yes! I did it!" Amy celebrated and brought the statue to solid ground. As soon as it was steady, she ran over to it and wrapped her arms around Monkey Fist's form, not caring that he was still made of stone and that an expression of pure horror was frozen on his face. She looked up to him with such an adoring and happy smile that her motivation for all this was no longer a mystery to Sensei.

He walked to her. She tensed when she noticed him and put herself protectively between him and the statue.

"Go away! He's mine now," she snapped.

"You were able to lift the statue," Sensei stated.

"I told you I do things my way. I had that crane upgraded by Motor Ed," Amy said. It didn't mean anything to Sensei, but he supposed this was something he should have been impressed by.

He shook his head. "You don't understand. There were spells here that should have prevented you from doing that," he said.

"I'm a scientist," Amy replied, sticking her nose up in the air like it was the answer to everything. Sensei realised that there was no sensible conversation to be had with this woman, so he decided to try another approach.

"Monkey Fist was turned into stone because of his own evil deeds and ambitions. There is nothing you can do to help him. Why do you want to take him away from his destined resting place?" he asked.

Amy's lower lip wavered a little and for a moment Sensei thought that she might cry, but she pulled herself together with a deep breath. She wrapped her arms around Monkey Fist's stone waist.

"Because I love him," she replied, now sounding only sadly determined instead of angry or happy.

Sensei nodded, understanding the emotion that was driving her. He realised he should have thought about it before and asked himself if there was anyone who might have cared for Monkey Fist. It wouldn't have changed anything, but if the villain had loved ones, they deserved to know what had happened to him. He had been too occupied with rebuilding the school and giving Ron advice regarding Hana to realise that.

"Since I was able to remove him, does it mean I can take him home?" Amy asked. They were almost the same height, and yet Sensei got the feeling that he was suddenly dealing with a little girl, and that the girl might have a massive tantrum if he said no.

He turned to look at the chasm where Monkey Fist had stood only moments before. The ring that was the key to releasing the power of the Yono was still intact, and he would have his ninjas bury it again as soon as possible. The ring might not even work if the statue wasn't there, so maybe this was for the best. If he put up guards and made sure nobody got to the valley again without being noticed, there shouldn't be any danger at all.

And she had been able to move the statue. That could not be changed.

"If that is what you wish," he said.

Amy's face brightened into a massive smile and she surprised Sensei by jumping at him and wrapping her arms around him in a massive hug.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed and when she let go, Sensei could see her eyes were misty with gratitude. He felt a little flustered despite himself and was glad when she turned her complete attention back to Monkey Fist and started packing him away.

You have crossed paths with someone who is capable of loving you despite your flaws, but I doubt you were ever grateful about that, the old ninja thought as he glanced at Monkey Fist for the last time. The villain, of course, offered no reply.

"Sensei, are you certain about this?" Yori asked.

"No, but I think this is what must be done. There must be a reason why she was able to move the statue," Sensei replied.

"Maybe her technology was stronger than magic," Hirotaka suggested.

"Impossible. The seal cannot be moved without releasing the Yono," Sensei said.

"Then what --" Hirotaka asked, but Sensei merely turned around and gestured for his students to follow him back to the school. There was still work to be done there, and he was certain that Amy didn't need their help.

He knew he would have to meditate about what had just happened, but he already suspected what conclusion he would end up with.

He would never stop marvelling at what an interesting concept fate truly was.

I know it sounds like there is more coming, but at least at the moment there isn't. I actually wrote this back in January and wanted to make it the prologue of a long multi-chapter fic. I ended up axing the project and forgot all about this until I just found it again this week. I edited it a little to make it better function as a one-shot, but at the same time I left the door open in case I feel inspired to work with my old ideas in the future.