/throws confetti and blows party horns/ VOOT! LOOK WHO'S BACK! YEEEEEEAH!!!
Okay, so it isn't really that big of a deal...But considering how long it's been since I updated this story, I think it deserves some kind of recognition.
/gets beaten up by angry, impatient readers/
Seriously though, I do apologize for how long it's been since the last chapter. I'll admit that I let this story fall to the wayside, but recently I've gotten back into SRMT (as I'm sure some of you noticed by the other three stories I posted before). I'm hoping the feeling will last long enough for me to finish the story and start on the next one I have planned (I'm not sure whether to make that one a sequel to this one or just have it stand on its own...but I feel the latter would be the best choice).
Admittedly, I don't think this chapter is particularly exciting. There's not too much action, but it's important because it explains a few things that you might want to know. Hopefully everything makes sense, and I apologize if it doesn't.
On a separate and completely unrelated note...my birthday is this Saturday. Just thought I'd mention it... /wink wink/
That's really all I have to say right now. So I'll just shut up and let you read this. Enjoy!
Antauri closed his eyes for a moment as he stood underneath the rain, sighing as he tried to calm his trembling hands. Looking down at his body, he made half-hearted attempts to clean the mud from the silver form. The rain softened the dirt to help him remove it, but streaks of brown remained where it already hardened and left his silver appearance dull.
The only thing that stood out against the dark storm was the jade pendant he wore around his neck.
He gripped the pendant as a shiver rippled through his soul, and he glanced up at the looming clouds above. Though the pain no longer spread for the time being, it continued to pound against his frame. He knew it would only get stronger if something wasn't done soon…and he knew that he wouldn't be the only one affected when that happened.
Slowly he headed back into the cave, leaning against the wall as he walked down the narrow passageway. Ignoring the glaring light at the top of the altar, he entered the open chamber and passed the stairs of the shrine. Carefully he sat in front of the cloaked skeleton, wincing as pain shot through him and nearly sent him crashing to the floor.
My friend, you continue to weaken. Please, allow me to help you.
Antauri shook his head, fingering the jewel around his neck. "We both know…you can only provide a temporary relief…" he replied, his weak voice barely above a whisper. "There is only one…true solution."
I understand. But you also must have the strength in order to achieve it.
The silver monkey couldn't argue with that. Closing his eyes, he held the pendant in both hands. "Very well."
The jade crystal began to glow with a soft blue light that expanded over the silver body, encompassing him and filling him with a gentle warmth. The glow lasted for only a moment, but the sensation continued to linger as he opened his eyes and let the pendant rest against his chest. "Thank you," he said with a stronger tone.
I only wish I could do more to help.
"We'll think of something soon," Antauri replied, resting his hands on his knees.
Yes. We do not really have a choice, do we?
He sighed, wiping water away from his eyes. "Unfortunately not. How much longer do you think the process will take before completion?"
Not long, I fear. At the rate things have progressed, I believe she would accomplish her goal by tomorrow.
Antauri rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Then we must do something before it's too late."
But what do you propose we do? No one else will believe you, and you cannot confront her alone.
Just as the silver monkey was about to answer that there was no other choice, he felt a sudden presence throughout the cave. Actually, he felt several presences…several familiar presences. He closed his eyes and sighed, rising to his feet. As he turned around, he found the small mong bird hopping towards him, chirping curiously.
That is quite peculiar. Mong birds are normally not fond of the rain. It is strange for one to have traveled during this storm, especially a young chick like this one.
'Unless the chick was brought by its parent,' Antauri thought, reaching down and scooping the bird into his hands. "Otto?" he called.
At first, silence was his only reply. Then he watched as Otto peeked out from behind a rock, grinning sheepishly. "Uh…hey…Antauri," the mechanic said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Otto, what are you doing here?" Antauri asked, holding Ring out to the other as he approached.
"Well…uh…" The green monkey carefully took back the baby bird. "I was…kinda worried about ya, s'all. I just…y'know…wanted to make sure you were okay. Y'know…just me. By myself. All alone here…checkin' on ya."
Though touched by the other's concern, he knew there was more to the story than that. Folding his arms across his torso, he said, "Otto…"
"Yeah?"
Antauri focused his gaze on the rock. "You can tell the others that they can come out now."
Otto winced a little, and the three still behind the rock peered out. "Toldja he'd know we were here," Sprx retorted.
"It was your idea to have Otto pretend we weren't," Gibson shot back.
"Would you two cut it out?" Nova asked, moving away from the rock and approaching the silver monkey. Looking at the other, her gaze softened a little. "Are you okay, Antauri? You seemed like you were in pretty bad shape when you left."
The second-in-command frowned. He had tried his best to leave his condition unnoticed. "I'm fine, Nova," he assured her.
"Have you…suffered any since you left?" Gibson wondered, unsure of how else to word the question.
Antauri hesitated, subconsciously fingering the jade pendant. "To some extent," he replied. "Right now, however, everything seems to be fine."
Sprx watched the other curiously. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to the jewel.
It was the question he'd been expecting, but had no ready answer for. As he quickly thought of an explanation, Otto's sudden exclamation resounded throughout the cave, "Whoa! What is that?!"
The other simians looked at the green monkey who stood behind Antauri, pointing at a dark object lying on the ground. Under the intense violet light, they could just make out the bones left uncovered by the black material.
Four pairs of eyes widened, and four cybernetic simians stepped away from it. "What is that?!" Gibson repeated.
"That would be a skeleton…Mine to be exact."
The four monkeys jumped as the voice echoed around them. "Uh…who was that?" the red monkey wondered.
Antauri sighed, turning slightly to look at the skeleton behind him. "I didn't expect to have to explain all of this so soon."
"Nor did I. However, now seems to be as good a time as any."
The silver monkey nodded, turning back to the bewildered Monkey Team. Taking the jade pendant in his hand, he removed it from his neck and held it up. A column of pale blue light shot from the jewel, countering the violet glow and repelling it away from them. Soon, the image of a hooded man appeared in the shining column; his features were concealed by his cloak, but the simians felt a strange warmth looking over them.
"Greetings, Monkey Team," the figure said, extending a hand towards them. "My name is Manjit. Though you may not know much about me, I am quite certain you have heard of me."
"Uh…" Otto scratched the top of his helmet as he tried to recall. "I don't think so…"
"I believe Kalli has mentioned me to you, although her account of me is most likely grossly fabricated."
Gibson's eyes darted from the cloaked skeleton on the ground to the glowing jade crystal. He quickly studied the projected figure, trying to determine the connection to the young sorceress while attempting to understand why it all seemed so familiar. Something about the occurrence seemed…mystical.
"Magic…" he whispered. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "Then…you must be the sorcerer who taught Kalli her magic! You were the one who sealed her away!"
The other simians turned to look at the projection, eyes wide at the scientist's accusation. The figure looked away from them and seemed to sigh. "Yes…" he said, "that was indeed my doing…"
"Please try to understand," Antauri said suddenly. "The story that Kalli gave us is not what truly happened." He glanced around at the others, noticing their doubtful expressions. "Please…just listen to what he has to say."
The four monkeys looked at each other, exchanging uncertain yet curious glances. They remembered the story Kalli had told them before; the story of the sorcerer who arrived on Verdane, looking for someone to pass his magic to…the sorcerer who took Kalli away from her people, and then attacked her village and locked her away in the orb. What else was there possibly left to say?
But then they glimpsed at Antauri, whose cobalt eyes were imploring them to give the sorcerer a chance. Hesitantly, Nova finally answered for them all, "Okay…"
The sorcerer nodded. "Thank you. You see, the very beginning of Kalli's story is true. I did come to Verdane because I felt a powerful skill for magic, and I had intended to pass my knowledge on to her. I was progressing in years, and I wished to find an heir who would learn my magic and continue to expand mystical wisdom throughout the universe. I did ask her parents for the opportunity to train her, and I did bring her here in order to teach her. But that is where the similarities to our stories end. Kalli was actually a very talented pupil. She learned my teachings quickly, and she seemed to enjoy studying magic.
"However, the more magic she acquired, the greedier she became. After finishing one lesson, she demanded that I begin showing her the next one. She began to develop a type of arrogance when using her new abilities, and she had every intention of flaunting to the villagers. That was not the reason I began teaching her, and I could not continue showing her my magic if she planned on using it for selfish reasons. I informed her of this and gave her the choice to either mend her ways or permanently terminate her lessons. I then left Verdane to give her some time to decide while searching for another heir. I returned after 20 days on Verdane had passed, hoping that Kalli had changed. And she had…but not in the manner I wished.
"Verdane…was not the same place it was when I left. Kalli…destroyed everything."
"No way…!" Otto breathed. "Kalli wouldn't do that!"
Manjit shook his head. "Unfortunately, it is the truth. She had decimated the forest. The terrain where grass and flowers once grew had nothing left but scorch marks. Her village lay in ruins, and her people…" The sorcerer paused for a moment, as though trying to determine the right words to say. Hesitantly, he continued, "Her people…had no hope."
"What does that mean?" Sprx asked, his harsh tone disguising his alarm.
The sorcerer sighed. "As you can imagine…Kalli was not happy when I gave her my ultimatum. I sensed her anger, but I was certain that everything would turn out all right. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In her rage, Kalli somehow managed to…expand her magical potential. She exercised what she learned from me…and manipulated it to her own advantage. Without my ever showing her how, Kalli learned an amateur, but effective way to control sentient beings…
"By manipulating the part of the brain that processes reason, Kalli discovered a way to influence someone's thought to benefit her. By controlling them, she used her people and absorbed their energy…their life force…in order to increase her own power. This left her people as empty shells…puppets for her to exploit. She had ruined her world to enhance her magical force…and she wanted my magic to do the same throughout the galaxies.
"I knew it was my responsibility to stop her. However, because of her tremendous magical upsurge, defeating her was surprisingly difficult. In my advanced age, using the magic necessary to overcome her was strenuous. As I tired, her fury and pride only served to energize her. She wounded me…severely…and I had no choice but to perform my most desperate spell.
"The spell allowed me to separate Kalli from her magic and seal both of them away in the violet orb placed on the altar. They were sealed in separate chambers so that she could never access her powers without tremendous help. However, powerful enchantments such as that require tremendous sacrifice. In order to perform this, I was required to separate and seal away something of myself…I was forced to separate and seal away half of my own soul…"
Nova gasped, her pink eyes darting to the jade pendant in Antauri's hands. "How…how do you separate a soul?"
Manjit shook his head. "It is actually quite possible. Though normally only a portion of the soul is separated instead of an entire half, and often it occurs without notice."
Antauri felt the sorcerer's eyes focus on him at this statement, but the silver monkey said nothing and glanced away.
Turning back to the rest of the Monkey Team, the sorcerer continued, "However, splitting my soul apart was a condition of the spell, and I had no other option. It was a painful process…and with half of my soul sealed in the amulet, it was too demanding for my aged body to continue."
"So…is that why…?" Otto asked, glancing at the clothed skeleton.
"In a way…" Manjit replied. "Since I still maintained my magical abilities, I thought I could use it a final time before I moved on. So I used my magic to heal the planet of what Kalli had done. I restored the foliage and the animals returned on their own…Verdane would never be the same as it was before Kalli's wrath, but I tried at least to help conceal the scars.
"After expending the rest of my powers restoring this planet, my body expired here, and Kalli and I have remained here until Chiro and Antauri, respectively, found us."
Frowning a little, the golden monkey then looked at Antauri. "When did you find him here, Antauri?" she wondered.
Antauri and Manjit exchanged hesitant glances. "I…had only met Manjit earlier after I left the campsite," the silver monkey replied.
"But when did you find him?" Nova repeated. Pointing to the skeleton, she added, "I don't remember seeing that when we were here the last time, after Chiro freed Kalli from the orb."
"That…is a good point," Gibson remarked. "None of us have been here since that time, and Chiro and Kalli never mentioned returning here either. If they had returned, and they explored around this cave further, they would have found Manjit's body. Since they did not, we can assume they haven't been here since that time either. But Manjit would be hard to discover without returning at least one other time."
Nova looked at the silver monkey. "You didn't just find Manjit today…did you?"
Antauri sighed, looking up at the sorcerer, who simply nodded. "I… came across Manjit's body shortly after our arrival on Verdane," he finally said. "After Chiro had sent us to search the planet for traces of Kalli's people, I was returning to the landing site when I briefly stopped here. That's when I located his remains."
"But…you told us that day that you didn't find anything," Otto said softly.
The second-in-command nodded slightly, turning away.
"So you lied to us," the golden monkey stated, her tone dripping with accusation.
"Unfortunately…I did."
"Please do not blame him," Manjit interjected. "It was I who asked Antauri not to reveal my presence here to anyone."
"Well, that's a perfect reason to trust you," Sprx retorted.
"Please try to understand," the silver monkey pleaded. "Kalli is plotting something, and we couldn't risk her discovering Manjit and the amulet because he is the only one who knows how to stop her. If you had known, Chiro would have also found out, and then Kalli soon after."
"But how do we know we can trust him?" Gibson wondered. "It seems to be her word against his. And Chiro appears to be correct in his assumption that you dislike Kalli to begin with. How do we know that isn't just affecting your judgment now?"
"Besides," Nova added, looking at the robotic simian, "he asked you to lie to us…And you did. How can we believe either one of you that way?"
Antauri winced a little. Everything he feared was coming to pass. He could already sense their doubt, and they were beginning to share in Chiro's negative view of him. If he didn't regain their trust soon, they would return to the Super Robot believing that he was wrong to do the things he did, and they would tell Chiro and Kalli about Manjit, which would put them all in peril.
There had to be a way to help them see…to make them believe him, as they used to. But seeing the blame and disappointment in their eyes, he couldn't think of any way.
Suddenly, Ring, who had been quiet almost the entire time, began to chirp softly. Flapping her wings, she hopped off Otto's shoulder and fluttered to the ground. When she landed, she hopped up to the silver monkey, flapping her wings and chirping happily. Then she turned to the green monkey and chirped again before sitting on Antauri's foot.
Watching her curiously, Otto's ebony eyes suddenly lit up. Looking up at the sorcerer, he said, "Hey, um…Mr. Magic Guy? You said Kalli can control things, right?"
Manjit, as well as everyone in the cave, looked towards the mechanic. "I mentioned she could control sentient beings, yes."
"Can she control things like Ring?"
Gibson sighed. "'Sentient beings' means those who are able to reason," he replied. "Ring is too primitive to accomplish cognitive functions like that."
"Kalli's abilities only allows her to control those who reason," Manjit continued, "because she is able to warp the process of reasoning into something more suited for her. And with most of her magic sealed away in the orb, her ability to control anyone now is limited. Controlling something such as…Ring…is something she cannot do."
"Why are you asking this?" the chief of science wondered.
With a grin, Otto turned towards the others. "Guys…" he said, "we gotta believe Antauri."
Even the silver monkey was surprised by this statement. "What do you mean, Otto?" Nova asked.
"Remember a few days ago?" the mechanic prompted. "When I asked Kalli to watch over Ring so I could get some food for her?"
"I remember Ring screaming…" Sprx muttered.
"That's just it though!" Otto said, turning back to Antauri. "That had to be why Ring was crying that day! Since Kalli can't control Ring, Ring musta sensed Kalli's inner evil! She doesn't like Kalli at all!"
"That doesn't mean anything," Gibson replied. "Kalli just doesn't spend a lot of time with Ring, that's all."
"Neither does Antauri," Otto said, beaming at the silver monkey. "But Ring likes him anyway."
Antauri granted the mechanic a thankful smile. The other's unconditional support was just what he needed. He could sense the others debating, wondering…hoping that what Otto said was true. But there was still some hesitancy to accept it. There was still….something preventing them from listening.
My friend, I believe I understand the problem…
Glancing at the sorcerer, the silver monkey nodded slightly. He already knew what needed to be done. Carefully taking Ring into his free hand, he stepped closer to the rest of the Monkey Team. Holding the jade pendant out to them, he said, "I believe things will seem much clearer…after you place your hands on the amulet…"
The four monkeys glanced at each other curiously, but Otto was the first to step forward. Reaching out, he carefully placed his hand on the jewel; the column of light and the projection of the sorcerer did not fade, continuing to glow over his hand. Reluctantly, Nova drew closer as well, imitating the mechanic and placing her hand on the jewel. Finally Gibson and Sprx followed the others, placing their hands under the light.
The glow of the blue light shone brighter, spreading out and surrounding the four simians. They felt a soothing warmth filling them, spreading throughout their entire bodies. But even as they reveled in the wonderful feeling, they shuddered.
Because they finally realized just how cold they used to be.
The light from the gem faded from around them, returning to the pendant. As they withdrew their hands, the four of the monkeys fell to their knees, shivering as they felt the frozen air all through the cave. Wrapping her arms around her body, Nova looked up at the sorcerer. "What…what did you do?" she asked through chattering teeth.
"I merely reawakened your senses," Manjit replied. "You see, when magic is separated from the wielder, it acquires a certain characteristic that the wielder is known for. In this case, Kalli's magic has taken on her frozen callousness towards those around her. But because she was able to manipulate your minds, because she forced you to think and act in certain ways, you could not feel what was so obvious around you. Essentially, she had numbed you all to her true presence. I used my magic to negate her influence…and now you can understand the type of pain that Antauri has been suffering through all this time."
Gibson looked up at the silver monkey, trying to calm himself but found he was unable to do so. "Is this…is this really what it was like for you?" he asked. "All those times…you collapsed…Was it anything like this?"
Antauri sighed softly. "Yes," he replied. "It always felt as though a bitter coldness was piercing through my soul. Were it not for Manjit's magic, I would not be as well as I am now."
"Yet as you said yourself, Antauri, my magic can only provide you a temporary solution. What you struggle with is far worse than I can heal."
As Ring hopped down and fluttered to land on his tail, Otto looked at the other curiously. "Were you really that affected by Kalli's magic?"
"Not exactly," the sorcerer said. "Truthfully, Antauri was the only one free of Kalli's influence."
Slowly, Sprx managed to stand, yet continued to tremble under the cold air around them. "How does that work?" he asked.
"Simple. Kalli has never encountered technology until your arrival."
Four pairs of eyes widened slightly, turning to look at the silver monkey who looked away.
"So…" Otto said slowly, "Kalli didn't do anything to Antauri…'cuz he's a robot?"
"Exactly. Kalli could not influence Antauri as she could with all of you because she was unfamiliar with industrial science, since her people had no use for anything like it."
"Hold up," the red monkey said. Turning to Gibson, he asked, "Aren't our brains computerized?"
The chief of science frowned thoughtfully. "Well…" he replied, "it is true that our ability to reason derives from our mechanized minds…However, it is still connected to our organic brains that could affect the interpretation of our rational processes. If Kalli's magic could manipulate those biological functions, then it would be possible to affect us."
"That is correct. However, since Antauri no longer possesses an organic body, Kalli could not control him."
"I don't get it," Nova said. "If Antauri wasn't affected by Kalli's magic, then why was he always hurt by it?"
"Because Kalli's intended target has always been the boy."
The four monkeys exchanged horrified expressions. "Chiro…?!"
"Indeed," Manjit said. "While Kalli manipulated all of you, it was only a minor hold so that none of you would suspect her true motives. But all this time, it was the boy who she was after. His energy is exactly what she needed in order to free herself, and it is his energy that she will use to unlock her magic from the orb. For her to do that, however, she must corrupt him so that his energy will be compatible with hers. When that is completed, she will absorb him entirely and become powerful enough to release her powers. But at her initial level of strength, the corruption process was slow and took several days."
"And every time Chiro's energy was being altered, Antauri was the one who took the damage," Gibson finished as understanding hit him.
"Exactly. And as she continues to transform him, her strength increases as well. It will not be long before the process is complete, and she ultimately consumes him."
"But…what's gonna happen to Chiro?" Otto wondered.
The sorcerer hesitated, glancing back at the Antauri. But the silver monkey refused to face anyone. Turning back to the others, he said, "If nothing is done to help your friend soon…then he will be lost forever…"
In that one moment, as a heavy silence fell over them, the cave suddenly felt much colder.
"What…Kalli is doing to your friend," Manjit reluctantly continued, "is exactly what she did with her people. She manipulated them and corrupted them so that she could absorb them. That is how she…killed them."
"What…What are we gonna do?" Otto asked, turning to all the others.
Clenching his fist, Antauri finally looked up. "We're going to do whatever it takes to help him," he replied.
Everyone, even the sorcerer, looked at the silver monkey. "And how are we supposed to do that?" Sprx wondered.
"Chiro has grown quite fond of Kalli," Gibson added. "I don't think he'll appreciate if we accused her of using him. After all…he didn't react very well when you tried to help him."
"If we just tell him," Nova continued, "he won't believe us. Especially if Kalli's changed him as much as you say she has. No matter what we do, he's not going to listen to us."
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, the second-in-command then said in a low tone, "Perhaps Chiro will not listen to us…by conventional means."
Glancing at each other curiously, the four then looked up at Manjit. But he seemed just as unsure as they were. "What are you thinking?" Sprx asked.
"I…have a plan," Antauri said hesitantly. "It may be quite dangerous, however, and I can't guarantee that everything will fall into place correctly. Still, we must do everything in our power to ensure Chiro's safety."
Glancing at the others, Nova then grinned and turned to Antauri. "So what do we have to do?" she asked.
Antauri looked towards the others, smiling as they waited for his instructions. Then turning serious, he said, "This will be difficult, but I believe if everything goes well, this should help Chiro. Now listen carefully…"
TBC