Tauria: I had the urge to write a Mandarin guilt-trip. I don't know why. However, this is what came from that.

Chiro: I'm just glad it's Mandarin and not me. Though I do question why you like to write about him.

Tauria: ...he has a twisted mind, and I guess I find it fun to attempt to get inside it... I have no idea why I like writing about him. I am considering writing a Mandarin centered fic, however xD

Chiro: What about, or do we want to know?

Tauria: It kinda stems off from this. Mandarin feels guilty for joining the Skeleton King, but has no idea how he's supposed to confront his brothers and sister, so he leaves Shuggazoom and decides to join the Silphirrian temples. Once there, however, Antauri arrives, and also joins. They end up at the same temple, and while Mandarin avoids him as much as possible, they end up meeting at one of the meetings for the masters. xD

Chiro: ...you like Mandarin-Antauri brotherly, don't you?

Tauria: ...yeah...

Chiro: -sighs- Tauria does not own SRMT.

Guilt

It had been years since the day Skeleton King had been defeated. Chiro had gone on to lead a successful life that didn't involve risking his life on a day to day basis. Antauri had become one of the Masters of the Silphirrian temples. Nova became a teacher on Galaxia. Gibson was a universally famous scientist. Sprx had become a famous pilot (though he still visited Nova on occasion). Otto was one of the top mechanics in the universe. Life was good. Skeleton King's fortress still remained, and parents would take their kids to visit it to make sure they understood what the Hyper Force had done for the universe. Teenagers liked to go there and go inside, but usually were too spooked to go past the front hall. The Citadel of Bone was collecting dust on Ranger 7. Shuggazoom was a peaceful planet.

Only one living relic of Skeleton King's evil remained, and that was the original Mandarin. He had been hiding out in the Savage Lands, thinking over his life. He had many years to do so. He had watched how happy his old team was... how proud Antauri had been of Chiro... and he had seen the boy in action. He was an excellent leader. And Mandarin was jealous. He was jealous of Chiro. Chiro had been all of the things he wasn't. He had been good, and resistant of all of Skeleton King's evil tricks... he had been resistant to the corruption that power could bring. All in all, the boy was a wonderful Chosen One, leader, and person. Mandarin couldn't compete with that.

And... Mandarin couldn't help but watch everything that happened to the Hyper Force since he had awakened from stasis in H.O.O.P, and he felt... guilty. He had betrayed his team...not the other way around as he had always tried to claim. He had regretted the decision to rule Shuggazoom. They say you never know what you've got until it's gone, and they were right. He should have never betrayed the team. And he knew, that if he went back to them now, there was no way they could forgive him. It would be impossible. Mandarin would have to live with this guilt for the rest of his life.

Swallowing a gulp of water, Mandarin looked at his reflection. It showed just how far he had fallen. He was hideous... Without all of the cybernetic parts, he had become ugly... Terrifying even. No one would be able to look upon the monkey and say, 'That's a hero.' No one would be able to look at him period. Maybe he wasn't as ugly as that stupid clone that Skeleton King had replaced him with... but he was still... wretched. How had he thought this was good idea, again? Why had he chosen to go against all of their programming? Why had he chosen to fight the team? To turn against those had once called family? He should have been there, for when the Chosen One had come... He should have been helping the downfall of Skeleton King. He shouldn't be here, wallowing in self pity and having to hide from those who had once looked at him as a hero.

He should have resisted that voice within his mind that told him to rule Shuggazoom. He should have resisted Skeleton King when he offered to teach him. He should have gone back to Antauri and the others... he should have never betrayed the teachings that he had once so strictly followed. He never should have betrayed the Alchemist. Had he not asked to be remembered as he once was? And not what he was becoming?

How could Mandarin have ever even thought he was in the right by wanting to rule Shuggazoom? He was no better then the Skeleton King. Why had the Hyper Force and allies chosen to spare his life? Oh... that's right...

Flashback

Skeleton King sat atop his throne as he watched the Hyper Force head towards his throne room. He sneered. "Pathetic simians... Do you honestly think you can defeat me?" A giant bat creature Mandarin had never liked stood guard at the door. Several more like it hung from the ceiling, watching...waiting for the right moment to strike. Eventually, the throne room doors opened. The bat creature screeched and all of them flew to attack, using an attack modeled after Monkey Mind Scream. Skeleton King also summoned more of his skeleton army, as well as the traditional (though bigger and more powerful) Formless. They began to attack the allies as well. However, the Hyper Force and company eventually destroyed the entire army.

"Give it up Skeleton King... You're finished!" Chiro said, as Formless goop dripped off of him, and clung to his hair. Some of his Hyper Mode was torn as well, exposing the pale flesh beneath. However, the boy still stood strong, despite the cuts in his skin and the fatigue he had to be feeling after all of that fighting.

"Hah! Boy, you will fall under the might of the Skeleton King!" Mandarin sneered.

Skeleton King laughed. "He's right... I still have more tricks up my sleeve." As he said that, a great roar rang throughout the room. A huge dragon entered the large throne room, and it eyed the team maliciously. "Say hello to your doom." Skeleton King, Mandarin, and Mandarin Clone laughed wickedly as purple fire was shot over their heads. It burned through the walls of the castle with as much ease as one bit into bread. Spit dripped from it's mouth and onto the floor, burning a hole through it. Chiro, the monkey team, and their allies gulped, but did not back down from the fight. They all began to attack, Chiro shouting orders with ease. Soon, the dragon toppled over, lifeless. Skeleton King's empty eyes widened at the death of his prized dragon. He pointed his staff at the army.

"Your battle lies with me, Skeleton King," Chiro said bravely.

Skeleton King smiled wickedly. "If that is your wish boy." Together, the two began to fight, as the others watched, knowing that they could do nothing to interfere with this battle. Eventually, Chiro struck down the Skeleton King, and he was no more. The allies cheered, and the Mandarin clone was also dispatched. When they came to the original Mandarin however, Chiro stopped.

"He can go free."

"But why Chiro?" The team looked at him like he had grown an extra head.

"One day, he will regret the decisions he has made. And he will have to live with that for the rest of his life. That will be the punishment we bestow upon him." And they left Mandarin to grieve. Soon, grieving turned to thinking, and he learned that Chiro was correct. He did regret the decisions he had made so long ago, and judging by the tone in Chiro's voice, he would not be able to return to them. So, he roamed around the Zone of Wasted Years, as he waited for his end to come.

It had not come yet, dooming Mandarin to think more and more about all of the things he could have done differently. A few times he considered ending his life himself, but he had never been a fan of suicide. He had always admired Antauri's sacrifice for the universe (even if for the longest time he had been evil) for he knew that if he had still been good, he would have never been able to make that choice. Antauri had never feared death, he remembered. He remembered that Antauri had always viewed death as the start of a greater journey. He did not share his brother's views.

So Mandarin roamed, and roamed, never finding the courage to go and request the team's forgiveness, afraid they would shun him. Of course, that is what he knew he deserved, but... He missed being apart of a family. It had always made him feel like maybe he had another purpose in life besides destroying Skeleton King and training the Chosen One. No matter that now. Now all he did was wonder what could have been done differently, and wonder why he had given up his family.

Sighing, Mandarin prepared to move to a new spot. He allowed his feet to carry him to who-knew-where, running on all fours. When he noticed where he was heading, he found himself gulping. A newfound courage made it's way into his gut as he headed towards Shuggazoom City. It seemed he was finally ready to face the team after all.

Chiro: Why did you end it there?

Tauria: Because I wanted to.

Chiro: ...why?

Tauria: Because it just seemed better to do it that way, okay?

Chiro: ...but what if people wanna know what happens?

Tauria: That's what imaginations are for ^.^ Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this, because I had fun writing it... And my next chapter should be a Chiro/Gibson uncle/nephew fic. At least, it SHOULD be, but I make no promises...

Chiro: Please leave a review!