Disclaimer: I do not own Alvin and The Chipmunks, nor do I make any money whatsoever from writing and posting this fanfiction.
Chapter 8 – Aaron's Story
"Aaron, can you... can you tell me about yourself?" Simon asked quietly.
Simon didn't want to hurt Aaron by forcing him to talk about something he didn't want to talk about. But he desperately wanted to understand Aaron who was slowly becoming like an older brother to him. Aaron though, let out a depressed sigh. "It is not a pleasant story, but if you want to know... I will tell you," he replied quietly.
"It all started when I found a strange glowing crystal on the forest floor..."
My life was simple. Day by day my brothers and I searched for the food we needed to survive. It was an easy life and I enjoyed it more than anything. But then again, it was the only life I had ever known.
It was a normal day like every other day in the forest that spring. Aaron was wandering around looking for nuts. It was his turn to gather food for the next couple of days. Walking around the bottom of the tree the young chipmunk bent down and picked up another nut. Carefully examining it, he smiled at seeing it was good. No bad spots or cracks in it. Aaron picked up his small cloth sack and gently tossed it in with the others.
People wandered through the forest everyday and dropped stuff. He had managed to find a large piece of cloth one day and had turned it into this sack. He and his two brothers used it to gather nuts so they didn't have to make multiple trips. Wandering around the trees, Aaron searched for more nuts, quietly humming to himself the entire time. Stepping around towards the next tree Aaron stopped as a black flash caught the corner of his eye.
Turning, he quickly headed over to where he saw the light. Looking down at the ground Aaron brushed some stuff aside and was surprised to see a small black crystal lying on the ground. Bending down he touched it gently and lifted it off the ground. The crystal was black and glowed with a strange black light. There was a silver chain coming from the tip of the crystal and it looked like one of the necklaces he has seen the humans wear.
Humans wandered through the forest all the time. Unlike nowadays, they lived at one with nature and respected the forests and the creatures that lived within. They would often pick up anything they noticed that didn't belong and tried everything to take care of the nature god had provided them. I didn't realize that day just how strange finding that crystal was.
Wrapping his hand around the crystal Aaron was surprised to feel an incredible warmth spread through his body. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it was gone. Looking at the crystal strangely Aaron wondered what had just happened. Deciding it must have been a coincidence or something, he put the crystal over his head. A massive cyclone of black light exploded outwards around Aaron and he dropped to the ground in pain.
His head felt like it was pounding and his body felt like it was being cut open by sharp tree branches. Then it disappeared and Aaron found himself breathing heavily on the ground. Groaning lightly, the chipmunk climbed to his feet.
I hadn't known what happened at that time. It wasn't until weeks later that I discovered just what the crystal had done to me...
A week later and life had remained mostly the same. I hadn't thought about the crystal since the strange aura had disappeared. My brothers had thought the crystal was strange at first, but had quickly gotten used to it. I had also discovered I could not remove the crystal from around my neck. As if some type of barrier blocked me from removing it.
Aaron jumped from the top branch down a level and landed safely on a new branch. He hadn't seen his brothers since he woke up and he couldn't help but wonder where they were. He was more worried about Tommy though, than he was about Natherion. Natherion could take care of himself but Tommy was still too innocent to be own his own.
I had two brothers. I was the oldest and I acted a lot like Alvin. In the way that my brothers meant everything to me and I would do anything to protect them. Natherion was younger than me by five minutes. He had deep yellow eyes and acted a lot like you, Simon. He loved to learn things and was very smart. He would turn normal things into stuff that helped us in our lives.
I didn't know it at the time. But Natherion had sight problems and nowadays would have had glasses. But back then, there was no such thing. So he was forced to try and act normal when he could see nothing that was right in front of him. Tommy was the youngest of us. His eyes were an innocent sky blue and he loved to eat different types of nuts and fruit. I worried about him the most. Because he was a lot like Theodore.
My brothers and I had faced bears and other forest creatures before. But nothing like what I would discover that day. That horrible afternoon where my life changed forever.
Aaron had finally reached the point of panic. It was past lunch and his brothers had still not appeared. Jumping to the ground he began searching for them. He didn't know why, but every time he couldn't decide which way to go, he was pulled in a certain direction. Finally, after walking for over half an hour, Aaron found himself in a large clearing. It was obvious the trees that used to stand here had been destroyed by something.
The ground was black and scorched and wood splinters lay everywhere. Looking around, Aaron's eyes widened at the sight of his brothers lying unconscious on the ground. Running forward he skid to a stop beside them. Reaching down to shake his brothers, Aaron stopped as something tickled the edge of his senses. Dropping to the ground Aaron just barely dodged the lunge of a large blackish-yellow eyed sickly looking bear. Springing to his feet he rushed to move away from his brothers so that the sickly eyed bear would not attack near them.
Aaron watched as the bear crouched and charged forward. Aaron had run from bears before with his brothers, but something about this bear told him it would be a bad idea. Sliding to the side, he let out a pained yell as the bear's claws ripped through his shoulder. Blood flew through the air and Aaron found himself clutching his shoulder as he jumped away from the bear's claws.
Where your crystal, Simon, had given you knowledge of how to fight, mine had done no such thing. Even though I had the power of destructive Lunarium at my fingertips, I knew nothing about what it was or how to use it.
Still clutching his shoulder, Aaron bent down as the bear's claws swiped over where he had just been. He moved to jump back but was too slow as the bear's claws ripped down his chest. Yelling in pain Aaron stumbled back. His shoulder was stained with blood and still bleeding and now his chest had joined it.
Slowly, Aaron began to feel a strange anger not his own. The crystal around his neck began to glow brighter and his eyes matched it. But his eyes were not glowing silver. No, his eyes had begun to change and glow black like the crystal around his neck. The bear lunged forward and Aaron… not knowing why… slashed his hand out in front of himself. A massive crescent slash of dark black energy flew through the air before cutting right through the bear.
The bear fell to the ground dead. Strange black blood flowing from its body. Aaron's eyes instantly returned to normal and a horrified expression came across his face. He had just killed the bear. He had been so angry. But when he thought about how he had done it, Aaron came up blank. As if he suddenly didn't remember what he had done.
I didn't know it then. But that was my first time experiencing what my crystal had done to me. My first time using the incredible power of my crystal. My first time killing. But most important of all it was my first time feeling the terrible anger of my alter ego.
Shade...
Aaron ran over to his brothers and shook them awake. He forced them both to look at him and not the dead bear as he led them out of the clearing and back to their home. But as they left the clearing, Aaron failed to notice a figure wrapped in shadows walk into it. His face was hidden by the long black hood he was wearing and he bent down beside the bear. Touching the bear's corpse he nodded and then stood.
The stranger left the clearing as the bear's body burst into flames before turning to ash...
It had been months since the encounter in the forest. I had begun actively seeking the strange power of the crystal hanging around my neck. I learned how to summon and manipulate its power. But I failed to notice as everyday my brothers grew sicker and sicker. I would later learn that the power of my crystal had tainted them.
Aaron sat calmly on the ground in front of the tree. His crystal glowing brightly around his neck as he created small orbs of black energy to rotate around him. His speed and control of pulling the strange energy into the world was getting better and better. It irritated him somewhat about how slow it was. But the power it had was worth the wait. Smiling, Aaron allowed his power to fade away before climbing to his feet.
Turning around, he ran up the tree to where his brothers had been watching him. They talked for a while, his brothers coughing every few sentences, but Aaron failed to notice. The entire time he barely listened to his brothers. Instead he ran his hand over his crystal with a happy grin on his face. With this, he would be invincible. No one would ever harm his family again.
It would be many months after that when I discovered the truth. The power my crystal contained had changed me and was harming my brothers. They were not meant to feel its power and by using it so close to them, it harmed them. I swore to never use my crystal again. But a time would come many months later… after my brothers had healed…where I would be forced to break my promise...
Aaron struggled against the chains holding him up against the wall. But even as he struggled he knew these chains would be able to hold him. He felt as if he was weakening by the second. As if these chains were draining the power from within. Aaron looked up as he heard footsteps coming from the long spiral staircase in front of him. A figure covered in a long black hooded cloak walked into the room. It was obvious from his height and stature that he was human.
"Hello Aaron, Holder of the Obsidian Crystal," the figure said, his voice sounding like someone ripping the bark off a tree.
"Who are you?" Aaron questioned.
"Heh, you foolish chipmunk. You may call me Lord Shadow," Lord Shadow said.
Aaron snarled loudly. Though this 'Lord Shadow' had his face covered it was easy to tell from the sound of his voice that he was smirking.
"Like hell I will," Aaron snarled as he spit out at the human's hooded face. Lord Shadow titled his head to the side as the spit flew past him. Smiling he walked over to the wall to Aaron's right and pulled down a thick metal lever.
Slowly the wall opened and Aaron found his eyes widening in horror. Chained to the wall in the other room, currently unharmed, were his two brothers. Aaron started thrashing against his chains as hard as he could but they still would not break.
"Pathetic. Your caring for them is your greatest weakness. I will make you a deal young chipmunk. If you do as I ask, I will allow no harm to come to your brothers, disobey me..." Lord Shadow trailed off, his voice sounding even more evil than before, "And I will kill them."
"I'll do it," Aaron whimpered painfully.
He would do anything to keep his brothers safe. Lord Shadow smiled and removed the chains from Aaron's arms. He then told Aaron to follow him. The chipmunk followed Lord Shadow up the stairs and through countless winding hallways until they entered a dark room. The walls were lined with weapons. Looking around the room though, one thing caught Aaron's attention. Wrapped around a stand was a large tattered black cloak. Under it was thin black armour and hanging on the wall behind it was a large scythe made of a strange shining metal.
"Welcome, to your new home!" exclaimed Lord Shadow, his voice still sounding evil but yet filled with glee.
It was on that day I agreed to a deal with a man who I would soon see as the Devil. He tasked me with using my crystal to destroy his enemies. To fight his battles and wars for him. I would serve him for six years under the name he gave me.
Obsidian...
The massive army of a thousand men decked out in pure white armour let out a victorious scream of joy. After a day and night of battle, they had defeated all of the soldiers under the command of the foolish man who called himself Lord Shadow. His army had been weak and they had been easy to defeat. No one could save Lord Shadow from being killed now. Looking up at the shining sun, the leader of the army of light smiled.
Suddenly, a black cloud caught his attention. The soldiers looked into the sky and felt their eyes widen in horror as the sun was blocked out by the unnatural black clouds. A massive black lightning bolt rippled across the clouds and then slammed into the ground. A massive crater appeared and out of it stepped… no… floated, a man dressed in black.
The strange man floated in the air and black lightning whipped around his form. He was wearing a long black tattered robe with a hood that covered his hair and face. A black cloth acted as a mask and the hood was currently obscuring his eyes. The man looked up and the army of light felt fear rip through them as they stared into his pure emotionless black eyes.
The strange reaper-looking man held up his hand. Another flash of lightning and a large silver bladed scythe was held tightly in his hands. The army of light found themselves wanting to run. It was The Reaper, there was no other explanation for this strange being.
"My name is Obsidian. Prepare to die," said Obsidian, his voice floating over the entire army like a whisper in the wind.
Then before the soldiers' eyes, Obsidian vanished.
And blood rained through the air...
Obsidian pushed the door to the grand hall opened and entered. Slowly he walked down the large red carpet, his footsteps echoing throughout the large hall with each step he took. Once he had reached the throne, Obsidian bowed down to one knee and lowered his head.
"I have destroyed them all, Lord Shadow," his emotionless voice said.
Lord Shadow smiled behind his hood.
"You have done well, Obsidian. Just one more task before I let your brothers go," said Lord Shadow.
Obsidian's head snapped up instantly. Even through his mask, the emotion was plain on his previously emotionless face. Finally after six years his brothers would be free. They could finally leave this place and he could be Aaron once again.
"What is this task, Lord Shadow?" questioned Obsidian, the eagerness in his voice barely hidden.
"It is simple," said Lord Shadow as he reached into his robe and pulled out a pure translucent diamond, "I want you to charge this crystal with your dark energy."
Obsidian's eyes widened in surprise. That was it? Charge a diamond that would lose all of its power in three days and he would be free. Obsidian didn't even move and the diamond glowed a blinding black as it was filled instantly to the brim with energy. Obsidian climbed to his feet and looked at Lord Shadow expectantly.
"You may have your family. But first, please return everything to your room," Lord Shadow said, his voice emotionless.
Obsid...Aaron grinned and ripped open a portal. Stepping through it he disappeared from the room. Lord Shadow grinned and climbed to his feet. Walking to the wall he descended into the dungeon and into the room that contained Aaron's two brothers. They looked up as he entered and he grinned as he held the diamond in the air.
"You two shall be the first. The first of the Tainted!" exclaimed Lord Shadow
And the room was bathed in black light...
Yes. It is my fault there are Tainted in the world. He used the diamond I powered to change people with pure hearts into Tainted. My brothers were the first ones turned but hundreds soon followed. An army of mindless slaves filled with incredible dark power. I would discover years later just what had happened to the diamond I charged with power.
He had copied it, somehow managing to seal the power into it. He would give them out to certain people. Their souls, not the true users of the crystal, would be tainted and a Tainted would be born. But that was not the end. If someone had a truly strong soul they would keep their free will and become a more powerful form of Tainted. Corrupted I would come to call them.
But nothing would compare to Lord Shadow. He would become the most powerful being I had ever meet. Today, he continues his dark plans. Hunting me, and others with crystals, constantly. He wishes for nothing more than to destroy the planet and make it his own. One day... One day I will avenge my brothers.
But I suppose you wish for the rest of the story. I had, of course, returned to my room and removed the armour and put the scythe back onto the wall. I had no idea what was going on. I was just about to leave for the dungeons when something incredibly powerful reached my senses...
Aaron's head snapped up and he spun around and gazed seemingly through the wall. Two decently powerful energy signatures reached his senses. Though they were nowhere near the power he could wield, they were still stronger than a normal human. Knowing he needed to check this out, Aaron sighed and removed the scythe one again from the wall. Looking at it, Aaron frowned and focused on it. The blade and handle glowed brightly as he used his power to shape-shift them.
A few seconds later, a normal longsword was in his hand. Smiling, Aaron created a sheath in mid air and slid it through his belt. Aaron had still yet to revert to his original chipmunk form. He had been about to but whatever he was sensing would be easier to fight as a human. Leaving the room, he traced the signatures to the abandoned east courtyard.
Walking outside, he was greeted with the sight of two figures that looked like black silhouettes. They both had a pair of wicked looking black claws but he could make out no clear features, other than their bright blackish yellow eyes that glowed eerily. Both of the creatures turned towards him as he entered the room and charged forward.
Aaron pulled his new longsword from it's sheathe and vanished in a burst of speed. Seconds later, without having drawn any energy, both creatures crumpled to the ground. Looking down at them, Aaron noticed they were still breathing. Raising his sword he prepared to administer the killing blow only to take a step back as they both were surrounded by a familiar black glow.
The glow faded away and Aaron's eyes widened in horror. His grip loosened and his sword clattered to the ground. Shifting back to his true form, Aaron knelt down over the barely breathing forms of his two brothers.
"Natherion... Tommy... no... god, please no," cried Aaron as tears began to fall from his eyes.
Natherion and Tommy both slowly opened their eyes. Aaron winced at seeing the pain and suffering that filled them. They both smiled at him and he wrapped them in a tight hug. It had been years since they had been together, but both of them suddenly went limp and fell backwards. Aaron cried out as their breathing began to slow and the beat of their hearts faded almost to nothing.
"Aaron... we do not... blame you... so do not... blame yourself... please Aaron..." coughed and stumbled the two brothers in sync, "...l...i...v...e..."
"I... I will," promised Aaron.
His brothers smiled, and then their breathing stopped. Screaming to the sky, Aaron did nothing as a massive aura of black energy surrounded him and he instantly reached level 10 as he had come to call it. Climbing to his feet, Aaron grabbed the sword off the ground and spun around, sending an icy glare towards the guards that had appeared in the courtyard.
"Sir Obsidian! CONTAIN YOURSELF!" shouted the guard captain.
"I am not Obsidian, I am... SHADE!" screamed Shade as his aura exploded outwards, instantly vaporizing all the guards in the courtyard.
Ripping open a portal, Shade appeared in the grand hall and found himself facing the point of Lord Shadow's sword. Faster than Lord Shadow could follow, even with his newly charged diamond, Shade's hand shot out. Grabbing the blade and ignoring the blood starting to fall from his hand, Shade titled his hand to the side and snapped the blade in two. Then, in another burst of speed, he ran his sword through Lord Shadow's right eye.
Lord Shadow stumbled backwards clutching his now bleeding eye. Shade moved forward to kill him only to be thrown backwards by a burst of black energy.
"Goodbye, foolish chipmunk," called Lord Shadow as he disappeared in a blur of black energy.
"SSSSHHHHAAAADDDDOOOOWWWW!!!!" shouted Shade loudly as his aura expanded outwards.
...
Outside the mansion, people of the town could only watch in horror as a massive storm of black energy swallowed the building whole. Lord Shadow was never seen by the people of the town again...
Aaron stumbled through the forest. Blood dripping from the hundreds of wounds on his body. He had destroyed his castle. He would hunt him down and destroy everything he held dear.
I will help you...
Aaron looked around in confusion before calling out, "Who's there?"
Foolish Aaron, I am Shade and I... am you!
Aaron's eyes widened at his new apparent insanity. But then he just started laughing. With Shade's help he would destroy Lord Shadow, even if it took him a thousand years. He would do as he had promised his brothers. He would,
Live...
