A/N: Well, this is my very first oneshot here. Here goes. The first bit is crappy, but I hope the end is better.braces herself

Darned disclaimer that says I don't own anything: I don't own anything from SRMTHFG except for the diary! It's mine! Has anyone noticed that the Alchemist's voice is exactly the same as Jafar's from Aladin? Watch In the Grip of Evil on YouTube then Aladin if you're weird enough to still own a tape. I know I am.

Diary of an Alchemist

Entry 1

The monkeys are fully grown. Start work on metal armour.

Entry 2

Commenced work on metallic bodies. Weapons and jetpacks still need to be added. I have told them their purpose in life. I have told them what they must do.

Entry 3

I am now writing more freely, as little Otto discovered this notebook and said simply, "I think you should write more." And with that he bound off to exclaim at something else in the world.

Young Otto is a playful fellow. First thing he said was "Wow!" He then ran around the robot looking at this, admiring that. Poor guy tired himself out and fell asleep on the floor. He woke up suddenly and shouted,"WOW!" Much to the shock of Gibson, who was walking past at the time.

Ah, Gibson, you should have seen the look on your face. Not surprisingly he scowled at Otto and gave a lengthy telling-off. He's so serious all the time. He prefers to creep into my lab and immerse himself in one of my books. He doesn't talk to the other monkeys much. Except for Antauri of course. The two are inseparable.

Let's not forget the other set of Siamese twins in the team, Sprx and Otto. Otto's the mechanical whiz and certainly showed it when one of the training machines broke down. Sprx is absolutely amazing on the flight simulator. Both hitted off really well. Sprx is a tad ambitious though. The other day I saw Sprx say something to Nova. I didn't catch what he said, but he had to be fast on his feet to avoid Nova's tail headed straight fo his head. Of course, Otto laughed. Those two are like the Three Stooges. Minus one. Sprx does something and gets busted. Otto laughs. Sprx sets up Otto in retaliation. Otto gets busted, probably by Gibson. Sprx laughs. Otto laughs too and starts planning...

Of course Antauri gets on well with everyone. A quiet chat with Gibson, a warm smile at Otto, intense training with Mandarin and Nova. And he grasped the concept of meditation amazingly fast when I first taught him. Calm, intelligent and when I told the team that they were to fight evil he accepted the duty but commented that his dearest wish was universal peace. A bit like me. I designed the monkeys but let them take on their own characteristics. Antauri turned out like me. I am proud of him.

Completely opposite to Antauri is the leader, Mandarin. Violent and fierce. I sense problems with that one. But the two are dear friends. And Mandarin is never easy on the team when it comes to training.

But then Nova loves training. But her heart is not empty either. Dearest Nova...

My monkey team have turned out well. They are everything I hoped they would be, and more. I am proud of them all. I think I'm getting a little attached to them...

Entry 4

The day has arrived. How I have been dreading this. I have told my beloved creations that they are to fight evil. What they do not know is that the evil the oppose is me. All the time I worked, I slaved away at something to stop it, the demon was growing. The darkness spread inside me. And now it is close to taking over. Soon I will cease to be their loving creator. I will be their sworn enemy. I may even destroy them. They must not feel any guilt. No hesitation. And when they finally find out, they must not regret it. I must erase their history. I have to wipe their minds free of my existence.

But how it pains me to do so.

GOOD WILL PREVAIL!!!!!

Entry MANDARIN

I can't believe he did that to us. I find this stupid little book, open it and find that it belonged to him. The man that created me. My siblings. The man that left us and betrayed everything he worked for and represented. The traitor. Anyone would say, "That's rich, coming from you." But they do not know why I did it. They do not know. That is why they mock me. All of them! They scorn me. Treat me like the dirty traitor they think I am. But they don't know the slightest thing about me. They probably never will.

Do they not think that I regret it? Do they not think that I lie at night thinking about what I did? Well they probably don't, considering my actions today. I used to be their leader. They could not survive without me! But then the boy. He came along and my already miniscule chances of redemption were wiped out. The boy is their leader now.

But I, I serve Skeleton King now. I know what my former team mates do not. I know Skeleton King's secret. I know what he used to be. He told me, hoping to strengthen our bond. I hate to say it, but it worked. The bond bewteen parent and child is strong.

Perhaps that is why I was driven to betray my team. The urge naturally programmed into every sort of primate. The urge to be with the ones that created you. The unbearable desire hidden deep inside every sub-conscious mind to be with the person that gave you life. My traitorous doings were just a carefully calculated step in the Skeleton King's scheme.

He is in another form now. Fighting the other side of the war. But I still serve him. For I too, have switched sides.

But the world is not black and white. There are several shades of grey. The day I betrayed my own kind, I took a step outside the white and into the grey. For years I wandered the grey zone. But today, I have entered the Citadel of Bone. Not to retrieve a kidnappped brother, but in hopes of santuary and a future with the evil lord inside. I stepped into the black territory.

But tonight, as I lie in a room inside the Citadel, writing these words, I feel that I am not completely black yet. There is still a bit of white in me. Perhaps this was triggered by the sight of them again. The five monkeys I once led. Maybe they let the stream of memories flow. Whatever it is, I am still grey, if not white.

They think I am black. They classified me as utter darkness the day I betrayed them. And today I have proven it to them. The boy did not help things. My team has moved on. They consider me nothing but a past to be ashamed of. They don't know what it was like. They don't know what it is like to see your own hand deal the death card. See you break away from what you believe in. The harsh accusations and taunts of Sprx. The disgust on Gibson's face that he was unable to hide. Antauri's disappointment in my actions. Otto, close to tears. He thought I was his friend. He puts too much trust in everyone. He is a fool. And Nova, desperately clinging on to the hope that this was all a charade. Oh, it was real, sister. All real.

There is a voice that echoes through my mind. Why did you go bad? Now it taunts me even more. I am no longer in the HOOP. It is worse now. I am in the domain of Skeleton King. Why do you serve him? Is this the voice of that boy, Chiro? My old team? Or maybe it is my own voice asking me questions which answers I seek. Perhaps it could be the Alchemist. The dying voice of a pure heart?

I know what it is like to have darkness inside you, fighting to get out. To know that at any time the demon could control you. The Alchemist said he made us to protect the universe from evil. It was all just a noble-looking cover-up for our true purpose. The only reason we existed was to protect the Alchemist from his inner demon. Nothing more. So we could make him look good again. Does he think that creating a team of advanced chimps would redeem him for what he has done? He is Shuggazoom's public enemy number one. He can never go back to the man he used to be.

But for some sick, twisted reason, I want to be with him. I want to please him. So I am giving evil a helping hand. But I am with the man that made me. Why do you serve him? That stupid voice again! But this time I have an answer. If I stick with him, there is a chance that I will bring back my creator, my father. I want the man I remember to return. And I don't care what side he's on. "Evil one, teach me. And I will learn."

Aw man, the end is crappy too! The bit about Mandarin takes place just after Secret of the Sixth Monkey. Well, go ahead and flame and point out my numerous mistakes already. I'm waiting. My writing's always worse than I think it will be. The diary of two of the show's corrupted hearts, flame it already. I will roast marshmallows tonight.