I, To Sacrifice

by WingedWolf101

After fighting a four year war, the final hour has come. The resurrected Skeleton King prepares to destroy the city once and for all. But recalling the memory of Antauri's sacrifice, Chiro will give up his final breath just as his mentor did for him. Not only fulfilling his destiny as The Chosen One... but also his role as a son.

A/N: Hey everyone, I started watching "I, Chiro" again and I forgot how dramatic it was. Antauri sacrificed himself to save Chiro and everyone else. But the sacrifice was kind of in-vain when it didn't fully stop the dark one worm. SO anyways after I watched it, a thought crossed my mind. 'What if a sacrifice was needed again for the resurrected Skeleton King?' and this is where this one-shot came from.

So sit back, relax, enjoy this one-shot! (This takes place in the 5th season time era)

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I… To Sacrifice

It was utter hell. Violence beyond all measures, it brought fear to those who didn't know what hell even was. What was it exactly? Well this war could trump many things he went through. Here Chiro stood on the super robot, strained blue eyes ghosting over the battle field that lay before him. His hair was long with bangs grown out with more noticeable side-burns. A few inches taller but still slim in the body. Why did he look different? Well four years can really change a person, especially if that person was leading a whole rebellion against a dark over-lord.

Nova, his left hand monkey, stood by his side. She leaped through the air in a valiant display of her strength. Her upgraded battle fist waved deadly raw power as she broke her knuckles in the concrete bellow. The shattering earth quake ripped the ground open and sucked in half of the undead formless targeting them.

She landed on the ledge's tip and stared down, her angry red eyes narrowed a she looked back to him.

'Nova… the team's strongest warrior… and my family…'

Sprx came shooting over head with his magnets sparkling with a charged up attack. His onyx eyes narrowed with no mercy as he discharged a powerful magnetic burst. The crackling orb of electricity cracked through the sky as it torpedoed its way into the middle of the dead's army. It sparked and blew a huge hole in their enemy's forces. Leaving nothing but a pool of bloody ooze in the place where the soldiers once stood.

Sprx leaped away and landed on the cables that held the city's bridge. He breathed a heavy sigh as he looked back at Chiro.

'Sprx… the team's most skilled pilot… and my family…'

Otto came running towards the horde with his saws drawn. His green fur bristled from his scathed body, but the pain didn't hold him back. He was corned by five formless, but the skeletons didn't last long as Otto broke out into a series of twists, turns, slices, and kicks. He fumbled through the group, slicing each individual in half or kicking them into the lake.

Once cleared, he landed back on his feet. Looking back, he whipped the black ooze from his face and cut his leader a beaming smile.

'Otto… the team's most gifted mechanic… and my family…'

Gibson bounced over the heads of each formless like hop-scotch. Shooting energy beams from his blue tipped drills and stunning his targets. He managed to get through the many dead fingers reaching for him and made it to Master Offay and the Sun Riders. Their team mates laid in agony and were unconscious. But the intelligent simian came prepared as he removed a medical kit and began working on them. Layering wounds shut and drying the blood, Gibson sighed in relief when he saw no signs of death in their allies' eyes.

Grabbing some medical glue for Offay's sliced up chest. Pausing for a brief second, the blue simian turned and looked at his leader with hope blazing in his black orbs.

'Gibson… the team's most intelligent scientist… my family…'

Chiro ran from his position and thunder-punched a pair of undead formless. But he was overcome when one slipped past his defense and nailed him in the chest. He gasped as he fumbled but landed on his feet. Turning to meet the blank eyes of the minion that served the dreadful warlord Skeleton King, he narrowed his eyes.

"Monkey Mind Scream!"

Chiro's heart ceased its rapid beats at the sight of spiritual rings falling from the heavens. There a familiar sterling primate came shooting past in a barely noticeable blur. Antauri came in with swift claws as he laid-waste to the undead entity. He soon came head to head with four more entities. With a calmed expression on his face, he slowly closed his eyes. Then sliding his feet he went dancing around the opposers. Dodging claws and weapons, slicing each one with the sharp tips of his ghost paws.

When the small group was defeated, the monkey turned back to look at his leader… his friend… his child.

'Antauri… the team's wisest mentor… my family…'

….

The war had changed all of them, for better or worse? Chiro didn't know. He was now almost twenty, so in a way fighting this war almost felt like a passage to adulthood. It tested his sanity as he watched many of his allies fall beneath the claws of the one demon he wanted to see die. The frog Hyperforce were wounded horribly while Quint met his fate by getting shot down in his airship.

Watching that with his own eyes was very traumatizing. But those were small agonies compared to the one sight that raddled Chiro till he was merely nothing. Watching Jinmay, his teammate, his girlfriend… fall to her death by the hand of Skeleton King himself. He came out of nowhere when they were least expecting it, ripped them away from each other, and targeted the most wounded member. Jinmay.

Chiro didn't have time to react as he and Nova rushed Antauri and the others to safety. Only able to hear the shrill screams of a young woman. Screams that yelled his name, crying for his help. But when he turned to return, it was too late. All he saw was a body of sparking wires and leaking fuel cells. He had ripped Jinmay open and destroyed everything that made her who she was.

Destroyed… everything that he loved. With all his heart.

Now Chiro fought with all his strength, all his determination, and the remaining bits of his will power. He had cracked through the dwindling army of the undead, feeling the watchful eyes of his teammates. One by one he took out every zombie that was in his way. Tearing them apart as he blazed through their numbers. He could feel the claws scrape against his back, cutting his soft flesh wide open. But the pain did little to stop him.

He made it into the castle of his most hated foe. Chiro caught his breath as he looked up the huge winding stairs that would lead him to the moment he had been fighting for so long to see. Gnashing his teeth together, he ran up the stairs. His tense muscles burned in his calves as they cried out for a break. But determination bled him raw as he ignored his bodily desires.

No formless dared to stop him. The minions either ran away or jumped off the stairwell, rather to die that way then be crushed under the nineteen ticking time bomb.

That action made the boy smile in satisfaction. But he could still feel a ting of disappointment in his heart, he would have preferred them to die miserably. A painful end similar to what their master put his allies through. But never the less it was still a good feeling to see them jump to their end.

After what felt like hours of climbing, the young adult came face to face with a large skull-locked door. Growling with savagery, Chiro leaped through the air. Winding his leg he drove his ankle into the metal lock, smashing it to pieces. The door swung open the minute Chiro landed on his feet. Tightening his fist, he came face to face with the back of the Skeleton King's head.

The undeads' superior didn't even bother to face him, was he that cocky? Chiro cracked his neck, loosening his joints. Or maybe… he was that cautious? Chiro shifted his feet hesitantly, he came all this way without too much trouble. That was an immediate red flag.

It was quiet, even the sounds of the fighting between their forces didn't penetrate the tainted tomb's walls. Then the Skeleton King's broad shoulders began to shift. His hooded head began to release a familiar deep laugh that would turn fire to ice. It was so confident, so cruel… it boiled the youth's blood beyond all measures.

"Young Chiro… " He whispered out. Still not even giving the young boy the pleasure of facing him.

Chiro was so focused on the demon before him that he failed to see his badly damaged teammates appear behind him. Antauri stood as close to Chiro's side as he could, seeing the older teen bleed out litters of blood worried him beyond extent.

Finally, the skeleton crooked his head, showing his left cheek and soulless eye. "You fought me for so long… but I can see the unsteadiness in your eyes… you are ready to end it. Arent you?" he cackled another laugh that infuriated the boy.

"Maybe you and your fifthly pets should have surrendered to me when you had the chance. Now look what your rebelling has caused… the deaths of the ones you cared for the most. Deaths that you yourself had caused."

A nerve snapped. Within the blink of an eye Chiro came bellowing towards the dread lord. Thunder roared around both his fist as he planted them into his enemy's back. He discharged as the powerful force sent the crystal skull bearer flying through the wall before him.

Chiro panted heavy as he stood there, analyzing the gap in the wall. Then a large hand slashed out and blasted Chiro right across the room.

The monkeys drew their weapons, but they were brushed aside with ease by the Skeleton King's telekinesis.

He stepped out from his landing point, swatting some rubble off his shoulder. His skull was cracked, but he paid little attention to the injury. "That was a poor choice of action boy… now watch the final moments of your world as I destroy it ALL!"

Turning away with his cloak flailing through the wind. Skeleton king stepped towards a window in his fortress, the glass giving him a perfect view of Shuggazoom. He smirked as he raised his spiked hands. There purple fire began to surround his shadowed form. He unleashed another mocking laugh as lightning blew around the gathering clouds.

The monkeys rushed towards Chiro.

"Chiro!" Antauri called out. "Are you alright!?"

Chiro couldn't answer as he held his stomach. The primates' eyes widen at the sight of a hole blown right in their leader's gut. Antauri stood beside himself, unable to form any words at the horrific sight. He shakily took Chiro's shoulders, trying to steady the young man before he hurt himself more.

Nova looked up to see Skeleton King levitating out the window. The hellish flames he summoned began to grow in size as the lightning continued to gather around him.

"Guys he is about to destroy everything!" she yelled to alert her teammates.

Gibson gawked in shock, "He is combining the former dark one's energy with the storm! One blast from that would level all lives within a hundred mile radius!"

"Like a nuclear bomb…" Otto murmured out in horror.

"No one will survive this!" Sprx yelled out the obvious as he grabbed his antenna ears in distress.

Antauri had sat in silence, his grip glued to his leader's arm. He could feel the eyes of his family bore into the back of his scrapped up helmet. He knew what they were waiting for. The Hyperforce was waiting for the wise monkey to come up with a plan that would end this. A plan that would save them all.

He bowed his head, "Monkey team… the hour before the storm is now upon us." He whispered out, "This moment is not like the awakening of the dark one worm."

Still holding his leader's hand, Antauri turned to face the city that stood staring down the barrel of the Skeleton King's gun. He shut his eyes tightly, pain obvious in his deep wallowing voice. "I fear… I do not know what to do…" he weakly vented. "He is going to attack in mere seconds… i… i…"

The team stood in horror, for the first time in forever the wise second in command hit a road block. Though a few of them knew Antauri was considering something.

Sprx narrowed his eyes, "No Antauri. You won't sacrifice yourself again!" the red pilot yelled in steep anger. "The first time you did it was in-vain! There is no egg to close up this time! The only way to stop this is to kill the bone head before he blows the whole world up!"

Gibson looked towards the city, he bowed his head. Misery evident, he whispered out "If we make it to the robot before impact we might be able to get out of here alive… but…"

"We can't leave the city here to die!" Nova shouted with rage flaming from her eyes. "I am not leaving! If the city falls, so do I!" She slammed her fist into the ground. Destroying the rubble beneath her powerful strength.

As the team began debating back and forth with possible plans of escape, Chiro opened his eyes. He mentally groaned at the pain that lightning bolted up his spine. The whole in his stomach was a big one, but his lethal injury was the last thing on his mind.

He looked at his team, their injuries all too noticeable for him. Then he looked out, seeing Skeleton King descend from the tower and hover in midair. The dark power generating his final attack sent tingly shivers through his fingertips. He then looked at himself, his weakened body with blood staining him from head to toe.

Then glancing once more at his team, his eyes fell on Antauri. The sterling simian's beautiful royal blue eyes were closed. He seemed to be deep in a trance with his usual unreadable expression masking his face. But the boy knew his mentor all too well. He could see the invisible twitch to his lips and the micro tear building up in his ocular lens.

That told Chiro everything…

Then Chiro looked up to the hole Skeleton King blew out of his own roof. The dark skies reflected in his pupils. Then shutting his eyes, his body began to glow green.

He remembered the moment he heard his own heartbeat. Watching the small smile grow on his mentor's face as he levitated in his normal lotus position. The fear Chiro felt rush through his core, he will never forget that moment. The memory of Antauri hurling himself over the cliff's edge, his body exploding into a green light that ended up closing the dark one's egg.

Chiro felt a tear roll down his cheek. That was a sacrifice that forever churned his existence, even with Antauri returning to them. But now this dreadful moment was back in his life, but this time… he wouldn't let any more lives be ruined.

Before Gibson could reason with the team that his idea of escape was best, a shadow blocking the moon's light caught his attention. All eyes looking up, their hearts stopped as they saw Chiro.

Their young leader sat in a similar position as Antauri did. He floated through the air and away from the cliff's edge. The Power Primate glowed brilliantly around his body, juicing up his shredded skin with much needed energy. The wind speed began to pick up as they watched him floating towards skeleton king.

Realizing what was about to happen, Antauri froze. "No…" he whispered out, "Chiro!" He shot away from his companions. His jetpack was busted so he relied on mind-over-matter to launch him towards his student. His hand raised to grab Chiro's.

Skeleton King laughed as his powers were now at full peak. He aimed his sights on the city, "Goodbye Shuggazoom!"

He unleashed his attack.

But a green haze threw itself in front of the purple fire. Skeleton King blinked in shock when a pair of transparent hands grabbed his neck and whirled him around. There eye to eye stood Chiro. The blowing winds whipped his hair around as his eyes became orbs of shining green.

Grabbing the Skeleton King in an embrace, the boy shot his power primate energy into the demon. The flames that were released were drawn back. Though once they were released the Flames of Chaos had to destroy something, so Chiro gave it what they wanted.

The rings blew around Chiro as he held Skeleton King into place. The demon roared in anger as his own attack consumed them like a giant hungry dragon snapping its jaws around its prey. With both their bodies mirroring themselves, a huge explosion engulfed them.

Antauri was blown right back into the tower. The last thing he saw was a small smile from Chiro's mouth… and a lone tear sparkle as it dripped from his dampening blue eyes.

The explosion sent shockwaves through the air. The undead army yelled out a spine chilling squall as their life source was depleted. They each began exploding one by one, leaving the Hyperforce's surviving allies stunned with perplexed expression.

The monkeys shielded their eyes as the green light gulped everything. Smoke blew everyone back as their vision was momentarily blinded. The flames that swirled hungrily for life shimmered as they swallowed up the lives that had been presented to them.

One the bright light faded out, the clouds as black as the deep oceans began to break. One by one stars began to peak their tiny heads through the cracking clouds. Rays of moonlight began to pierce through as the hot white beams shown down on the living city.

The citizens, who had been hiding from their unavoidable dooms, slowly peaked their heads out from their shelters. The families hesitantly stepped out into the open as they looked up to the skies.

It didn't take long before the city and the Hyperforce's allies realized that they had won. A loud cheer ripped through the air as the citizens yelled from the roof tops.

But the joy was not shared for everyone.

Back at the tower, the quiet monkey team just stared each other. Eyes wide as if their brains still couldn't process what happened seconds ago. After a few minutes of silent waiting, Nova was the first to leap down from their perched position. She eyed the shattered ground that had a huge hole blasted into it. Still fearful, she tore away with her battle fist drawn and began destroying the boulders.

She aimlessly searched for their lost leader. Otto and Gibson soon followed her example by activating their weapons and began digging through the rubble. Sprx was still in a haze, but he shook it off and leaped into the black ash with magnets drawn. Assisting in clearing some paths to search as well.

Antauri was left standing there, alone. His face could not be read as he stared up to what was a clear sky. So many stars out with the moon shining as bright as it could be. It was all suddenly bizarre to him, for just moments ago the cosmos was tainted with a fowl smelling evil. So thick he couldn't even sense a star nearby.

But now it was all clear. Like a virus just… vanished from the face of existence.

"Chiro!" Gibson yelled desperately. He didn't give Antauri a glance as he fumbled past him.

"Come on kid, talk to us!" Sprx yelled out, ignoring all the black smudge staining his red fur.

"Ch-iro!" Nova grunted angrily as she shoved a huge ton boulder, looking beneath it. But even angrier when she saw no one.

All the yelling for their leader's name suddenly dawned something over Antauri. Something his mechanical brain was refusing to accept. His systems bleeped for a minute as he idly stood on the side, something he never thought he would do.

To his eyes, he didn't know why the team was looking. Their leader was okay, he knew he was. The Power Primate protected all those who bare it. He knew Chiro was strong, he would not throw his life away. He never would…

But the constant yelling of the boy's name slowly began to pull Antauri back to reality. The closer he got back, the more a painful feeling started to surface. Soon Antauri found his arms moving against his commands. His body moved through the ash waste, his ghost claws activating as he started desperately digging through the muck.

Hours they searched, but still finding no body. Till the sound of Otto's voice caught their attention.

"Guys…" he whispered in a depressed manner. "I… found… something…"

The mystery encrypting the air drew everyone in as the team skulked over to the dreary sounding mechanic. There right before the hunched over green monkey was something that encased all their hearts in ice.

Right in Otto's hand laid a burnt up orange scarf. His back started shaking as his head started trembling. Tears flickered at the rims of his black orbs as he held up their leader's blood stained scarf for his team to see.

"T… this is... all I can find… of Chiro…"

As the pain surfaced, Nova was the first one to re-think their fruitless searching. "That explosion…" she whispered out. "It… was made up of dark energy, energy that consumed flesh…"

Gibson caught on as he also bowed his head, "Energy that… no human being could have survived."

That statement alone was enough to give the team the same thought as everyone else. The blast had destroyed not only Skeleton King… but also their young leader.

~A Month Later~

The citizens had begun reconstruction of their city shortly after the announcement of Skeleton King's final defeat. Though everyone cheered in their newly found victory, there was still a hidden source of darkness that drifted in the city's shadows. A shadow that took the shape of a young man.

The monkey team had waved their allies a fond farewell after giving them their internal gratitude.

Now the robot stood in its usual spot in the heart of the city. Its metal still cracked and burnt as it laid beneath the setting sun's gaze. Reflecting a bittersweet pink and red hue that mirrored itself from the sky.

Inside the robot laid a sight no mentally wounded person could bare. The team of now five members stood before the bedroom of what had belonged to their young leader. Each monkey had took their turns giving their regards in silent prayers.

As the day had finally reached night, everyone returned to their rooms. Their faces still stained with tears as they locked themselves up in isolation.

Antauri hovered in the middle of his room's Zen garden. Though it seemed like he was in a deep meditation, it was actually the opposite.

He sat in bitter silence as the darkness served as his only company. His mind was lost, unable to find the balance that would have come naturally to him. But now the empty space he sensed in the room down the hall haunted him with its presence.

No longer feeling the warm body that once laid so close had left him paralyzed in what was now his boy's permanent absence. Such guilt, such loneliness was all he could imagine. All he could do was ball up in the corner and bury his chromed helmet into his silver arms. Closing himself up, the only thing escaping his locked up shell was a small tear.

The silver monkey couldn't imagine life without their leader, their family, his son. Though he had pleaded with the holy one to return Chiro, his agonizing calls were left unanswered. He had tried every day and night to contact Chiro through the power primate. In hopes that maybe there would be answer. But as the days had passed, every action resulted in the same way. A failure.

But now tonight was something different. As the sterling simian laid suffering in his own silence, a strange ghostly whisper had reached out to him.

'Antauri…' came a tiny breath.

The word was so shallow that Antauri barely heard it. The wise monkey inched his head up, his royal blue eyes searching his room for the source of the sound. But when he saw nothing, he bitterly returned his head to his hands. The pain grew worse, making the emotionally bleeding wound stretch itself even wider.

'Antauri…'came the voice again, but this time a little louder.

When Antauri refused to raise his hand, something warm brushed across his snout. Then an unknown force had slowly raised his head up. There before the monkey's eyes stood the faded green outline of what appeared to be a familiar human.

The team's mentor gawked as he whipped his eyes. He sat up as blue transparent eyes met his own bitter ones. His gaze held nothing but disbelief, but he couldn't deny the sad smile that was given to him.

Chiro's spirit hovered before him. Though it appeared he was standing over him, the monkey could see the boy's feet were not touching the ground. His movements flowed fluidly like water as he moved without a sound.

Chiro gave a small smile as he reached his hands forward. Though it would seem he was going to fall right through Antauri, it came as a shock when the boy's fingers touched his hand.

'Antauri…' he murmured out.

Antauri brought his head down solemnly. An angry frown creeping up on his whimpering lips. He hid his eyes as another tear drop had fallen. "Chiro…" he coughed out in despair, "I feel… so alone now…"

'Someone wise once told me that no monkey team member is ever alone.'

Hearing his own motto stung a nerve as Antauri made a quick grab for the boy's hand. He held on, "Please… do not go…"

Slowly removing his hands, the boy intertwined his arms around the emotionally burdened monkey.

'I will see you again…'

With that as his final words, the boy nuzzled his forehead against his father-figure. Antauri had wrapped his hands around the boy's head. Mentally weeping as his son's face had fully faded out from his sight.

Whipping his tears, he gasped in as he looked back towards the dark void that was his room. "I love you too…" he answered as he leaned his body back against the wall.

After a few minutes to analyze what had just happened, the team's mentor couldn't fight the smile that worked its way onto his face. Going to his window, he looked back out to the stars that watched over him. He sighed a breath as he firmly placed his hand on the glass.

"We will meet each other again…"

He could feel the other presence of a hand resting on the opposite side of the window of wear his own silver palm was placed. He sighed a weak smile as he dried his eyes.

Turning away, he retreated from his window and headed towards his door. Feeling the urge to be by the rest of their family.

Mentally thanking the boy for saving them all…

As Antauri and the others knew, they will never forget the one that they loved with all their hearts.

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A/N: Woot woot! Sad sad story. But let me know what'cha think! Review please!