Kim Possible is copyrighted/owned by Disney, etc...

Author: Special thanks again to the "Native Languages of the Americas" website and it's co-ordinator, Laura Redish,
and their myriad of experts. http://www.native-languages.org/

Chapter 7
Epilogue:
Aw, Natural

Jade let out a tinny breath of amazement through the speaker in Grimm's communicator. 'Woah.' she said. 'So Kwitcherbeliakin really did turn out to be dangerous. Who'd have thought that Rhonda had a point?'

Grimm nodded, adjusting his arm in its sling with a wince. He was sitting alone in the camp's infirmary cabin. Sakituya had gone to fetch some special medicine. Rhonda had stayed for some of his treatment but when Sakituya had set his arm, she turned green and stumbled back outside. They had hiked through the night, reaching the camp just after dawn. Despite the early hour, Sakituya was there within moments of their arrival, as if he had been expecting them, or watching for them.

'She's been full of surprises on this trip.' Grimm said.

'Yeah.' said Jade. 'A Bear Priestess you say? I kinda get the strength and invulnerability - but what did the 'spirit strike' do?'

Grimm shook his head. 'I'm not sure,' he said. 'Whatever it was, it tore up the ground where it hit, but it didn't injure me - or Maze.'

'So it damages objects, but not flesh?' said Jade, typing on her keyboard. 'Did it do anything to you?'

Grimm thought. 'Thing is, I was drugged and possessed at the time - but I remember it hurt like blazes. And I felt totally drained for some time afterwards - Rhonda had to help me walk back to camp....'

Jade whistled. 'Can't wait to get a sensor on that package....'

'And I'll want to keep a close eye on it.' said Grimm. 'We need to train her until she can tap into this power at will - no matter what it takes. Dredge up every bit of research you can on Blackfoot mythology and the Great Bear. Rhonda's gonna get a whole new training regimen - and we're gonna be able to charge more premium prices. Wait 'till the villains of the world learn they could have the Bear Priestess working for them.'

Jade grinned. 'On a related note,' she said. 'Looks like you've hit the big time. I caught a report out of Go City. You remember that job you pulled for Electronique? Turns out she wanted the components to work her mojo on an Attitudinator.'

Grimm stared. 'You mean she....'

Jade nodded. 'Uh-huh. She pulled a 'mini-Mega Synaptic Transducer' on Team Go. Ron even got caught up in it - but just for a few minutes.'

'So great minds do think alike.....' said Grimm, smiling.

'Or smaller minds rip off from the bigger ones.' said Jade.

Grimm shook his head. 'Electronique had me deliver the components before we launched our scheme in Middleton. The web forums are gonna be arguing for months about who ripped off from who.'

Grimm shut off the communicator as Sakituya came back into the cabin with a cup full of what smelled like herbal tea. 'Drink this,' he said, handing the cup to Grimm. 'It will speed the healing process.' As Grimm grimaced and drank the bitter-tasting concoction, Sakituya checked his sling and the splint. 'You were most fortunate, Grimm Probable. I am somewhat trained in treating field injuries. The break was clean and has set well. But you should still have it properly checked and a cast set when you return to your home.'

Grimm nodded, looking quietly at the Indian Chief. 'There is... something you wish to say?' said Sakituya, who was putting bandages and gauze back into their drawers and cupboards.

Grimm frowned slightly. 'Maze said that you and he disagreed on issues of... power and how it should be used.' he said. 'You knew - didn't you? You knew what was out there waiting for us, and what Maze was prepared to do to get it.'

Sakituya lowered his head and sighed. 'I knew that Maze had become darker in his ambitions.' he said. 'His shadow-medicine is an ancient art, and has not been practiced for many ages. It was long thought lost, but I could sense it within him from the day he began to study it, like a black spot on a clear window. I knew also that Katasistsikoowa was destined to be a chosen one of the Great Bear Spirit, and that the hollow she described was important.'

Grimm scowled. 'And you didn't think to warn us about any of it?'

Sakituya smiled. 'Would you have believed me?'

'No.' said Grimm flatly. 'But we might have been more careful.'

'And both of you might have acted differently, and things might have been better - or perhaps worse. Who can say?'

Grimm had no answer to that. Sakituya sighed again and turned away. 'After Rhonda left the camp when she was a child, I saw that I was wrong to meddle with the path the Great Bear had laid before her - even as gentle as I thought my efforts were.' He looked out the window, where Rhonda stood in a clearing before the main hall. 'I knew that she would return one day - and I promised myself that when it happened I would not interfere, that I would let the Great Bear to draw her to him in his own way.' He turned back to Grimm, looking at his injured arm. 'I am sorry for the pains you have both suffered. But as it stands, no lasting harm was done - and much has been gained I think.'

Grimm looked keenly at him. 'You knew Rhonda was a 'chosen one'. Chosen for what? What else are you hiding from us?'

Sakituya shook his head. 'You want specifics of future events when only generalities are sure. When the horizon becomes dark on a clear day, you know that a storm is coming, but cannot tell its precise strength or its exact path.'

Grimm's eyes narrowed. 'You're saying - a storm is coming?'

Sakituya's face remained impassive. 'I can only say - there is darkness on the horizon.'

Rhonda looked up as Grimm and Chief Sakituya exited the medical cabin. Grimm's arm was bandaged and splinted, but he seemed fine, except for a curious gleam in his eye as he looked at her. Sakituya carried the earthenware cup of his herbal medicine back towards his cabin, glancing at them before turning the corner.

'We all done?' she said, hopefully. 'Can we finally blow this popsicle stand?'

Grimm smiled. 'You don't want to kick back and relax for a while?' he said, 'You aren't any better disposed towards Kwitcherbeliakin?'

'Well gee,' said Rhonda, in a posture of mock contemplation, 'We got saddled with a jerk who tried to kill us, I had the snot scared out of me by a giant bear, and we wound up taking the short route down a five hundred foot cliff. Yeah, I guess I should feel better about this camp after all that.'

'You're as cute as Pollyanna, but you don't think like her at all.' said Grimm. 'Upside: we completed the mission, so the payment is ours fair and square; you clobbered the jerk who tried to kill us, none of us died, and the giant bear gave you what could only be described as super powers.'

'They're not powers like that,' said Rhonda. 'They aren't on all the time - they kinda come and go....'

'Even so, you could be our new ace-in-the-hole - even beyond the 'Rhonda Factor' that Gemini wanted to study. Possible and her crew are gonna be in for the surprise of their lives the next time we cross paths.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Aren't we still just kinda... even-ish?' she said. 'I mean, Ron's still got that Monkey Power dealy-o. I thought you said you were worried about Kim training Ron on how to use it.'

Grimm looked at her, and she saw the familiar smirk that she knew and loved. 'That was before.' he said. 'I've had time to think about it since then. Ron has had Mystical Monkey Power for years. If Possible was going to push Ron to use it, she'd have done it already. But she hasn't. That means, for whatever reason, she doesn't want him to use it. And that means - it'll be advantage Probable across the board.'

Rhonda shrugged. 'Not sure how...' she said, feeling nervous. Grimm was actually looking excited.

'I think Possible is too scared or vain to let Ron use his full strength.' he said. 'But I'm not afraid of letting you use yours. We'll find a way to help you tap into it. And when we do, you could be the rising star of the team.'

At that moment, Sakituya returned from his cabin and Grimm motioned her to silence. Together, they went to the storage shed which Grimm unlocked with his left hand somewhat awkwardly. The bike was there waiting for them and Grimm tapped a sequence of numbers on a keypad on the dashboard. The rear trunk opened with a hiss and the computerized female voice sounded dully in the stuffy air.

'Rear cargo hold disengaged - welcome back, Grimm Probable.'

Rhonda rolled her eyes, wondering why it was that whenever a guy gave a computer a female voice, they always made it British - as if female computer geeks were all foreign supermodels or something.

Grimm took out the case full of money, laid it on a wooden workbench and opened it. 'Chances are Maze followed us back and he'll come here after we've left.' he said, turning to Sakituya. 'Tell him we hope he enjoys his statue - and not to call us again.' Rhonda stared in surprise as he took out his communicator. It beeped and Jade popped up on the screen. 'Jade - do we have a list of clients who are banned?'

Jade looked just as surprised as Rhonda. 'Banned?' she said. 'You've never refused a client - the website motto is 'Just pay enough money and we can do anything.'

'So is that yes or no?'

'Uh... no.' she said.

'Start one.' he said firmly. 'Put Maze on it. And add a disclaimer to the website - if you try to kill us, the deal's off.'

Jade nodded. 'O.... K....' she said, then blipped off the screen.

Grimm pushed the case towards Sakituya. 'Our usual SOP is that if a client is ever dissatisfied, we give the money back. It's never happened before, and technically we're dissatisfied with him. So feel free to take as much as you want. Consider it a thank you for the medical treatment and a penny for your thoughts.'

Sakituya shook his head, smiling. 'That is most generous, but this money was made through the sale of artifacts which are precious to our people. To use it for the enrichment of this camp would be wrong.'

Grimm nodded. 'Then it would also be wrong if you didn't use it to buy the artifacts back.'

Sakituya raised an eyebrow, pausing in mid-breath. Then he smiled. 'That, I cannot deny.'

They began pushing the bike outside of the cabin into the brighter, fresher air of the camp. Rhonda looked towards the camp entrance. 'You really think that two-faced skunk will come back here?' she said.

Chief Sakituya shook his head. 'I doubt that very much. Right now he is defeated and shamed. You may not know this,' he said, smiling and looking sidelong at Rhonda, 'But among our people it is considered a great humiliation to get beat up by a girl.'

Grimm smirked as they pushed the bike out of the cabin. 'We're not all that different...' He unhooked the key to the cabin from his key chain and tossed it into Sakituya's hand. He paused for a moment, and then with a smirk, he threw the keys for the bike to him as well.

'A gesture of good faith.' he said. 'I trust you to return it when you're finished.'

Sakituya looked at the keys, then at the bike, and a slow smile spread across his lips.

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'Whooooyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!'

Grimm and Rhonda stood by the lakeside watching as Sakituya, sitting astride the bike, soared above the camp, skimmed over the surface of the water, and weaved in and out among the taller trees. Considering Sakituya's simple and modest life, Grimm was surprised by how quickly he had learned and taken to the controls on the bike. He was flying it with daring and skill, and seemed to almost intuitively grasp its speed and maneuvering, filling the air with his musical Indian shouts.

'Hey, he's doing barrel rolls!' Rhonda said, staring up at the tiny dot across the lake which swooped and banked this way and that. 'I thought you said Jade told us not to.....'

Grimm shrugged. 'I warned him.' he said. 'But it looks like it wasn't necessary. The bike's handling them great. Who knew the old guy was such a flyer? Jade's gonna be set for cake all year.' Grimm looked aside. He saw Gentle Paw's hulking body sitting next to Rhonda, and she wasn't screaming. He thought that maybe she hadn't noticed him, but he looked in surprise as Rhonda absent-mindedly reached out a hand and scratched the grizzly behind his ears. Rueful grinned nervously up at Gentle Paw and waved. Gentle Paw snorted and looked out over the lake, seeming like he was ready to plunge into the water and swim out after Sakituya, but as Rhonda's hands continued to massage his ears, he relaxed and let out a contented growl.

'Now loop-the-loops?' Rhonda said. 'Jeez, he's gonna do all the cool tricks on that thing before we can!'

At last, the bike lowered from high above, soaring down smoothly to land by the docks. Sakituya stepped off, a grin of almost boyish delight on his face as he handed the keys back to Grimm.

'That was a great gift, young Grimm.' he said. 'To give an old man the chance to soar like an eagle - to see the beauty of this world laid out beneath me from the skies - I have rarely felt such wonder! A great gift indeed.' He smiled mischievously. 'Plus, I'm sure I looked cool.'

Grimm let out one soft chuckle. 'They don't come any cooler than you, Chief.' he said.

Sakituya ran his hand across the bike's windshield. 'I may have dismissed technology too easily.' he said. 'Just as you once dismissed nature - only to find through this journey that it holds greater power than you can comprehend.'

'About that....' said Grimm, his expression fading. 'You know this hasn't changed us.' he paused, as Sakituya looked him steadily in the eyes. 'You do know what we are, I'm guessing.' he continued. 'When we go back, that stays the same - with or without any storms.'

Sakituya smiled faintly. 'I have heard that change is the only thing in this life that remains constant, Otaatoyiwa.' he said. 'I see a gleam in your eyes when you consider the prospects of what it means to have the Bear Priestess as your ally. You wish to train her - for your own reasons.' He shrugged, looking out over the lake. 'I gave this warning to Maze, and I now offer it to you. The power of the Great Bear is not to be used. The Great Bear is the one who works through us. In time, you will come to see it.' Grimm said nothing, and Sakituya smiled. 'I can sense even now, after all you have seen, that you still do not truly believe in the Great Bear.' he said. 'That also may change. Already there are great changes coming. The proof is right before you.' He said, gesturing to Rhonda, who sat on the sawed stump of a tree shaking her head in exasperation as Gentle Paw licked her cheek like a puppy.

'Will you please call him off?' she said. Then she turned to Gentle Paw, pushing his head away gently. 'Listen pal, I swear I don't taste like berries...'

Sakituya smiled. 'Pal.' he thought. 'Well - it is similar to 'friend'. And that is a start.'

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Soon after, Grimm and Rhonda returned to the bike and stowed their gear. Grimm had left his backpack on the mountain, but he didn't seem concerned about it, saying all the important gear had been in his hip pouch and the pack contained only the food and a change of clothes. Rhonda did note that Grimm had put Maze's vest and his bag of powders in the back trunk, but he didn't say why he was keeping them.

'So with your arm broke, how are we gonna get back?' said Rhonda.

Grimm shrugged. 'Duh.' he said. 'You're flying.'

Rhonda looked nervous at once, but also excited. 'Me?' she said. 'Pilot? No fooling?'

Grimm smirked. 'No fooling.'

'And you're not worried I'll crash it?'

Grimm shook his head. 'I'm worried - but I trust you.'

A strange look came over Rhonda's face. 'I want to change the name.' she said.

'What?'

'I want to change the name of the bike.' she said. 'Testoster-1; I mean, I get it, but there are too many lame-brains out there who are gonna think it's some kind of 'compensation' thing.'

Grimm frowned a little. He'd put a lot of work into coming up with the pun. 'But...' he said.

Rhonda put up a pouty face. 'Come on....' she said. 'I'm the pilot now. You said the naming was pilot's privilege...'

Grimm sighed. 'Don't quote me, Rhonda. You'd name it something girly like 'flowerchild'...'

Rhonda sputtered, for that was the exact name she had been thinking of.

Sakituya smiled. 'Why not ksikkihkíni - the eagle?'

Grimm and Rhonda stared at him. Grimm raised an eyebrow, his mouth opened as if to speak, but he was quiet for a few seconds. Finally he shrugged. 'Well, I was all set to argue, but that sounds pretty cool.' he said.

The Ksikkihkini rose up and Rhonda fidgeted nervously behind the handlebars. Kamp Kwitcherbeliakin soon lay beneath them, growing smaller to the eye. Rhonda turned and waved down at Sakituya, who stood next to the main hall waving back at them, with Gentle Paw standing on his hind legs and waving one massive paw.

'Easy.' said Grimm. 'The trip home isn't a race. And remember those handles control yaw and pitch. You don't want to mess with those until you've got the rest down...'

Rhonda gritted her teeth, then hit the accelerator, and they shot across the forest roof.

Sakituya watched as they vanished into the distance. Gentle Paw sank back down on all fours, a mournful growl sounding in his throat. The Indian Chief scratched his broad back consolingly. 'Do not worry Ikkinikinsstiwa.' he said. 'They will be back. This was only the beginning...'

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Rhonda didn't try any stunts, and focused with all her might on keeping the bike level and flying straight according to the GPS display panel. But she did see another button with a musical note logo above it.

'How 'bout a little traveling music?' she said.

Grimm was holding her with his good arm and sniffed slightly. 'All right, but nothing girly.' he said, his voice raised over the wind that howled around them as they flew.

Rhonda scrolled through the list of songs available and one caught her eye. The speakers pounded with drums and an electric guitar reached a crescendo before launching into a grating but skillful rhythm. And as the song began in earnest, she raised her voice and sang as they soared through the clouds.

Something evil's watching over you!
Coming from the sky above -
and there's nothing you can do!

And Grimm laughed briefly before holding her tighter and joining in.

Prepare to strike, there'll be no place to run...!
They'll be caught within the grip
of the evil you have done!

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Far away, in the city of Middleton, Kim Possible sat in a swinging bench on the porch at Ron Stoppable's house. She was cuddled up in his arms and her head was laid against his shoulder. She felt comfortable, and at peace. All the troubles and issues in her life weren't gone - but as she relaxed in Ron's embrace, they all felt very far away.

Suddenly, she felt Ron's whole body quivering and he sat up straight with a shuddering squeal. 'Ron?' she said. 'Are you OK?'

Ron was looking off into space. 'I... donno KP.' he said. 'I think I just felt.... heebies.'

Kim looked at him curiously. 'Were there any jeebies?' she asked.

Ron paused. 'A few, yeah.' he said.

Kim shrugged. 'And the reason for the jeebie-ness?'

Ron shook his head. 'I... uh... um....' he stammered lamely.

Kim smiled, relaxing herself back into his shoulder. 'Maybe this has something to do your spinal shivers...' she crooned, letting her hand trace one slow, lazy finger across his jaw line.

Ron bit his lip. He didn't want to disturb her any more. But he raised his fingertips from Kim's shoulder, waving them in the cool night air - and felt a definite pricking sensation in his thumb.....

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The hollow where the Bear monument stood was empty and silent. All was dark and still when a tall, skeletally thin man stepped forth from the shadows. Maze walked slowly to the monument and cast himself down before it, bowed on his hands and knees.

'Forgive me, Great Bear Spirit.' he said, shaking his head. 'I failed you. I have failed the Blackfoot. Your power was stolen by those who are unworthy - but I swear to you, I will never rest until I find a way to reclaim your power and free you from the taint of the pale-faces....'

He gasped as a blue light glowed around him. He bowed lower as he heard a deep, rumbling voice. 'Maze.' the voice of the Great Bear quaked around him. 'My power cannot be stolen. To think so would be to believe that I can be tricked or robbed like a mortal man. Is that what you believe?'

Maze shook his head. 'No, Great One... I meant only...'

'Katasistsikoowa is the proper heir to this power.' said the Great Bear. 'You looked on her with evil purpose, but through her, forces have been set in motion that will save this world - not just for the Blackfoot, but for all. The redemption of which you dreamed will come to pass Maze - but your dreams of revenge and punishment are false. All will happen in due time and in proper course.'

Maze looked up at the monument, his hand curled tight around his staff. 'But.. she is not one of us...' he said heavily.

The Great Bear seemed to sigh. 'Listen to me Sskipoyiwa - I spare you these words for your betterment. Forsake your pride and your hate. They poison you and lead you to rob yourself of true happiness. You have become only what you sought to become - a creature of darkness. But it is not too late to turn to the light. The Bear Priestess will need help and guidance on her journey. You can use your talent and your strengths and you can also be a great tool in the hand of destiny. Be a friend to her - and thus be my friend as well. What I offer now is a great honor. Do not seek to twist my words to your own advantage. There can be only one heir to my power.'

And the light faded, leaving Maze kneeling before the monument. He gripped his staff, staring at the ground, his eyes still dark and cold. At last he rose up, and his face hardened.

'I understand, Great Bear Spirit.' he said, and he went to the edge of the cliff, looking down at the crater where he had seen Rhonda plummet to the earth. 'There will be... only one.' Then he turned and strode away into the night.

Author: A final thank you goes to the Native American Languages website: http://www.native-languages.org/ For making the last chapters possible.

With the final season of Kim Possible ending, it's up to the fans to continue it's legacy of excellent stories, goofy humor and teen angst. This story was fun to write, but there was a reason for it. As Bill Cosby once said, “I told you that story so I could tell you this one.”

The question of what power Rhonda has to match Ron's Mystical Monkey Power is now answered, and thus brings up a new question - what will happen when the two collide?

There's a storm coming that will rock the KP world to it's very core. But before Kim and Ron will be ready to face it, there’s another trial they must go through…

“All Things Probable 3” (working title in progress) will follow an established pattern in comics and animated series when a new villain shows up. The first episode introduces the villain. In the second episode, the villain establishes himself as a legitimate and consistent threat. Then after that, there's usually a third story, in which the hero and the villain are forced by necessity to join forces.... Keep a lookout, it should be excellent!

Blackfoot word pronunciation guide:
http://www.native-languages.org/blackfoot_guide.htm

Rhonda Fatigable: Katasistsikoowa - (Kah-tah-sist-sih-koh-wah) 'Never Gets Tired'.
Grimm Probable: Otaatoyiwa - (Oh-tah-ah-to-yi-wah) 'Cunning Fox'.
Gentle Paw: Ikkinikinsstiwa - (ick-kih-nih-kinse-stih-wah) 'Gentle Paw'.
Maze: Sskipoyiwa - (Sis-key-poh-yi-wah) 'Stands in Darkness'