Antauri's Masters.
Ellie's POV.
The deep waters of the harbor of Shuggarzoom.
The Monkeys, Chiro and I were in our stations of the Super Robot, looking for an ancient sea demon, under the name 'Achulu'. If we don't handle the demon now, he'll make Shuggarzoom the new sunken city.
"Where is he?" Chiro asked. "Achulu's gotta be around here, somewhere."
"The entity is curiously invisible to our radar scans." Gibson noticed, as he reconfigured the scans, "Setting to a higher frequency."
The sonar scans heightened. I looked over the scan through my visor. Lot of fish down here.
"I say we wait him out on the surface." Sparx spoke up, "I don't like this."
Otto activated his receptors, "I got hyper-sonar contact." Then alarmed, "It's coming right at us!"
I looked at the scans and something large was coming from behind us. The Robot turned and saw the demon.
"It's on the attack!" Antauri notified, "Readying Torso Cannons!"
"Fire!" Chiro shouted.
The Torso Cannons fired at Achulu, but it protected itself and the blasts didn't even tickle it. The demon charged and grabbed the Robot's head.
"It's got Antauri and Ellie!" Nova cried.
Achulu ripped the head off the Super Robot, knocking Antauri and I out of our positions. Achulu put the head in its mouth and swam off.
"Disengaging Underwater Armor Mode!" I shouted, as my station put my in an armored wetsuit, rebreather helmet and my rocket pack. The orb opened and shot me out.
"Activating Brain Scrambler Mode." Antauri announced and flew out of the demon's mouth.
"Monkey Team. Ellie and I are free." He told the Team, "We're returning to-"
Then intense pain surged through me. I gritted my teeth and clutched my head, as a green flame eneloped me. It burned.
"Something's wrong with the Power Primate!" Chiro groaned in pain.
Power Primate, what's wrong? Is something hurting you? Tell me!
The pain intensified to the point my very bones felt like they were burning and getting shocked by dark energy. I seethed and got Achulu's attention. I couldn't hear and see anything.
I screamed and released a powerful wave of energy at Achulu. Achulu protected itself, but my explosion left a mark. My body felt limp and I blacked out.
Chiro's POV.
The pain subsided, but Ellie looked like she was still in pain. Gibson and Sparx were able to return Antauri back to the Super Robot.
"Antauri, are you okay?" Nova asked.
"I'll be fine." Antauri answered.
Ellie screamed and released an explosion of black and green energy at Achulu. Similar to Nova's explosion. It was hurting the demon. How much power does one girl have?
The flame faded and Ellie blacked out.
"Ellie!" Antauri and I cried in worry.
Sparx quickly grabbed her and put her into the Command Center, "I got her."
Achulu charged toward the Super Robot.
"Come on, Team. Let's make seafood out of this squid-bag." Otto encouraged.
"Firing Mega Missles now!" I announced.
The Robot fired its missles at the sea demon. But the missles had no effect.
"Chiro, the reef above Achulu." Gibson instructed.
I nodded, "Already on it."
I fired the antennea laser at the reef and the rocks fell on top of the demon. There was no movement.
Sparx cheered, "Let's blow this mud-hole and get home."
*A Little Later...*
We returned to HQ and found Ellie already in the Sick Bay, inside one of the recovery tubes.
Sparx and Otto were making repairs. Antauri was in his quarters. He hasn't been acting like himself since we got back. Nova, Gibson and I were checking on Ellie.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Nova asked.
"Ellie has a deeper connection with the Power Primate than we thought. Her brainwaves are off the scale." Gibson started, "But I believe she is going to be fine."
Nova and I looked at each other. We made our way to Antauri's quarters, with Gibson, and knocked on the door. Inside, Antauri was meditating.
"Antauri, can we speak to you for a minute?" I asked.
Antauri turned to us, "Of course, Chiro."
"We were just wondering... Why you haven't been yourself lately?" Nova asked.
"I've been sensing something ominous within the Power Primate." He answered.
"I've been feeling it too." I told him, "Ellie must've felt it. She's out-cold right now."
Antauri looked at me with concern, "Is she alright?"
"She'll be fine." I assured, then asked, "What's happening?"
"Something terrible." He answered, his brows furrowing.
"Perhaps I should run a few test on your cyber-static nervous system." Gibson suggested.
Antauri lifted his hand and shook his head, "No, Gibson. The trouble lies not within my body, or mind, but within my spirit." Then announced, "I have decided to visit my order for counseling."
"Your order? What order?" I asked.
"The Veron Mystics." He answered, "The ones who taught me the ways of the Power Primate many years ago." He sulked, "This is something I must do alone."
With that, he returned to his meditation.
*Later That Night...*
Antauri's POV.
"Good luck, Antauri. Have fun on your vacation." Otto farewelled.
"He's not going on vacation, Otto." Nova told him.
"Farewell for now, Monkey Team." I farewelled as I entered the black elevator, "Take care of the city. And yourselves."
I entered the Brain Scrambler and left Shuggarzoom into deep space. Once it was quiet, I turned to the hatch to my left, "You can come out now, Ellie. I know you stowed away."
Ellie, in Hypermode, exit the hatch, "I couldn't let you go alone. I had a bad feeling you weren't coming back."
The Brain Scrambler jumped into hyperspace.
"You don't have to worry about me, Ellie. We're travelling to the safest place in the cosmos." I assured her.
We exit hyperspace and entered the orbit of a planet that looked like a vast green gem.
"Kurala-Dall. Jewel world of the Veyron Mystics."
The Brain Scrambler flew toward the planet. Past the stratosphere the planet lived up to its nickname. Everything from the minerals, flora and fauna were crystals or crystal-like.
Ellie gasped, "It's beautiful, Antauri."
"The Power Primate is stronger here than anywhere else in the galaxy." I told her.
She smiled, "I can feel it. This place feels familiar too."
I smiled back, "It should. You were born here."
"Whoa." Was all she could say.
Ellie's POV.
Antauri piloted the Brain Scrambler to a large building crafted by emeralds, and landed the aircraft just outside the doorway. I still can't wrap the fact that I was born on this planet. But it does explain a few things...
Antauri and I exit the Brain Scrambler.
"The Temple of the Verons." Antauri spoke up, as he walked toward the doorway. I followed beside him.
We walked deeper into the hallway, two floating figures, wearing white hooded cloaks and masks, were waiting.
The one on the left (Our right) bowed to Antauri in greeting in a light voice, "Greetings, Brother Antauri. Master Zan has been expecting you."
"Master Xan?" I repeated.
"Our High-Mystic, Sister Eleanor." The one on the right answered in a deep voice, bowing to me, "It is relieving to see how you have grown. Master Zan has been expecting you as well."
He spread his arms wide. In a bright light, Antauri and I were wearing dark grey monk uniforms with black hooded cloacks. My scarf, glasses and gloves remained.
"Come with us." The left one instructed, then floated down the halway.
Antauri and I followed behind them. We entered a room with a two-headed stone guardian, around the same size as the Super Robot. Between its legs was a gateway.
The deep-voiced Mystic turned to me, "You must remain here, Sister Eleanor. No Initiate may pass."
"But..." I was about to argue, but Antauri assured me, "Wait here. I'll return soon."
He followed the Mystics into the doorway. Before he entered through, I grabbed his arm.
"Antauri... Please come back to us safely." I told him.
Antauri looked at me. He lifted my head and pressed his lips against mine. This took me by surprise. My heart exploded, time stopped and my face heated up. He pulled away and resumed into the gateway.
I sat down and waited.
My child, there is something you must know.
Power Primate? What happened? What's wrong?
I can feel your concern.
The High Mystic has been performing something dark and sinister.
I put my hand over my heart as it started to burn painfully.
Master Xan? How? What's he done to you?
You catch on quick, my child.
A great evil is seeping into my very essence.
It's the-
An intensely powerful surge of pain shocked me to my knees, cutting Power Primate from our mental conversation.
I gasped, "Antauri!"
I had to help him! I ran toward the gateway, but the guardian sprung to life and grabbed me.
"You shall not pass!" The guardian told me.
"Let me go. I'm not your enemy. I need to help Antauri!" I told it, struggling to breathe.
"You shall not enter." The guardian told me, "You are no master of the Power Primate."
"The Power Primate lives within me. I can prove it." I answered.
Not listening to me, the stone guardian threw me into the wall on their left. It approached me, ready to finish me off.
"Very well." I sighed.
I closed my eyes and summoned the White Monkey Astal Body.
The guardian took a step back in shock, "Impossible! How can this be?"
"Monkey Fu!" I shouted, firing an energy blast at the gaurdian.
The guardian crumbled and fell to pieces. The Astral Body withdrew and I ran into the gateway. I ran though a multi-colored tunnel. Then I felt a surging pain, like something painful was sucking the life out off me. My bones burned.
"What's... Going... On?" I asked, seething.
My heart burned and my body surged in pain again.
Antauri? Can you hear me? Where are you? Power Primate, what's happening? Hello? Anyone!
The tunnel turned black with mutliple mirrors. I continued down the tunnel, until a large mirror caught me attention. It showed me Shuggarzoom City under attack of Skeleton King. Formless overrunning the streets.
Skeleton King standing over the city in ruins, "Shuggarzoom is mine!"
"No..." I gasped, stepping back.
This can't be what the Mystics see in the future of Shuggarzoom. If this is true, Master Xan must've turned to the darkness and...
"Antauri!" I exclaimed.
I need to call the others, but the Mystics took away my communicator. I have to remember Antauri's training. Create an astral form of myself to the Monkey Team.
I sat in a meditive position and closed my eyes. I took deep breaths and ignored the burning pain. Come on. I need to contact the Monkey Team. We're in trouble, if I don't.
I opened my eyes, and I found myself in the Command Center of the Super Robot. The Monkeys and Chiro were still repairing it. I looked at my hands. My holorgraphic projector, but black with a green hue and less monkey-like. My astral form! I did it!
I shook my head and called, "Monkey Team! Chiro! Can you hear me?"
Otto hung upside down and looked at me. He exclaimed, "Ellie's a ghost!"
He fell to the floor. The other Monkeys and Chiro dropped what they were doing an gathered in front of me.
"Ellie! Where are you? Are you safe?" Chiro asked me, "Where's Antauri?"
"I'm at the Temple of the Verons." I explained, "Skeleton King is coming for a second attempt. He'll succeed if we don't-"
The pain worsened inside me. I clutched my head and screamed, cutting off my connection. The last thing I heard was Nova calling my name in worry.
I opened my eyes and saw a mirror showing me Chiro and the Monkey on their way.
"Hurry, guys." I whispered.
Then I ran toward the other side of the tunnel, to the third gateway. The tunnel lead to a large room, with a blue flame in the center. I approached the gateway, but the flame blocked my path and took the form of a sphinx. The sphinx fired lasers from its eyes, but I jumped out of the way and summoned my claws.
"Please, let me through. I want to help." I told her.
"Theeerrreee isss nooo heeelp!" The sphinx told me, as she armed to attack me with her claws.
I dodged and the sphinx fired her laser-eyes at me. I jumped away to keep my distance, but got cornered by a wall.
Think like a monkey, Ellie.
I climbed the wall and leaped onto the sphinx's back. She tried to kick me off. She gave a powerful kick, my grip slipped and I was launched into the air. She hit me in the back with her laser attack, then buried me.
Okay... Now, I'm angry.
I summoned the White Monkey Astral Body and the sphinx fired her lasers at me again. I ran around two circles, until I tackled her onto her back. She grabbed my shoulders and fired her lasers again, through the astral body and at me.
My body felt like it was in the center of a stormcloud. I had to do something before this sphinx kills me!
"Monkey Mind Scream!" I shouted as the astral body fired a Monkey Mind Scream into the sphinx's face.
She exploded, knocking me in the ceiling. The astral body withdrew itself and I landed on the ground with a thud. Oww...
I picked myself up and walked through the gateway. The next tunnel lead to a flight of stairs, with crystals growing on both sides. No sign of a guardian either. Hmmm...
I reached to touch the gateway. It sparked and sent a jolt of powerful energy through me. It hurt. Some kind of secondary barrier. Great...
Wait a minute... Everything was starting to make sense. The first guardian flinched when I summoned the White Monkey. The second was defeated by an energy attack, merged with the astral body. Deeper levels of the Power Primate! Then that means I have to merge the White Monkey with myself! Become one with it. Shouldn't be hard, should it?
I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts on the White Monkey merging with me. Letting us become one.
My child... We are one...
I felt my body surge with power, as I felt lighter than air. I opened my eyes and walked toward the gateway. With little resistance, I walked through and entered a large white room with an alter on the ceiling. A pool of energy was spiraling with dark energy. My body shivered, as I felt cold just looking at it.
The power faded.
"Skeleton King will rule the universe, under the might of the Dark Ones." A dark voice cackled, "Your 'Chosen One' will be destroyed. And your 'Child of the Primate' will reunite with her father, at his side."
Antauri growled and shouted, "NEVER!"
He leaped to attack the cloaked Veron, but it stopped him in mid-air and lifted him into the vortex. That must be Master Xan. The dark energy sparked and he screamed in pain.
Anger burned in my already burning heart. I summoned my claws and leaped toward the Veron.
"Get away from him!" I shouted, "Ghost Claw Attack!"
My attack scratched his mask and the force threw into the closest step. Antauri fell the the ground.
I jumped down after him, "Antauri!"
Antauri got himself back to his feet and looked at me with a weak smile, "Rescuing me is becoming a habit of yours."
I smiled, "I call it 'Putting-Others-Before-Yourself." Then my smile faded, "Are you alright?"
Antauri nodded, "I have been better. But I'll survive."
"Will you!?" Master Xan shouted.
We turned to him and it turned out his mask was cracked, shining light our of it. He removed hia cloak and mask and glowed like a star. Antauri and I shielded our eyes until the glow faded. Under the cloak and mask, Master Xan revealed to be humanoid in shape, but black with dark colored parts.
"Behold. The countenants of your destructor." He told us.
Master Xan raised her arms and absorbed dark energy from the pool. He fired it at us. I stepped in front of Antauri.
"Nether Shield!" I created a shield of black energy, but the dark energy pierced through it and knocked me to the stair behind us.
"Ellie!" I heard Antauri call.
"I am impressed by your diligence, Sister Eleanor." Master Xan complemented, as I struggled to get up, "But you are not the Child of Primate."
"You're wrong!" Antauri shouted.
Master Xan fired another blast at him, but Antauri jumped out of the way and started running around the hexagon.
"What's this? Hold still, you fool! Then it'll be quick!" Master Xan shouted, as he fired blasts at Antauri, but he kept missing him.
Xan was able to hit Antauri, but Antauri charged toward him, ready to attack with primal rage. Howver Xan was able to catch him and throw him into the stair behind him.
I got back to my feet and summoned the White Monkey. I took Xan by surprise by whacking him across the face with the tail. Xan looked at me and zapped me with dark energy.
I tried to protect myself, but the dark energy started sapping the White Monkey out of my body. It felt like before: my life was being sapped out of me. It burned.
Xan laughed, "The end of the pitiful Monkey Team is at hand!"
Then there was a loud pounding sound, followed by the ceiling collapsing. It revealed the Monkeys and Chiro have arrived. Just in time, guys.
"Don't count it!" Sparx told Zan. Antauri and I smiled in relief.
The Monkeys and Chiro charged to attack Xan, but he was able to knock them back. He even forced Nova through him, scaring her.
It was Chiro's turn, but Xan turned to me and grabbed me by my scarf.
"Lower your weapon, Young Chiro, or this girl will not see what happens next." He told Chiro.
Chiro had no choice, but the cancel the Inner Primate.
Xan laughed and looked at me, "You've mastered the gates, Sister Eleanor. But you are no master. Your White Monkey is mine!"
I looked at Xan, then at Antauri and Chiro. I made the astral body grab Xan, and refuse to let go.
"What are you doing?" Xan asked.
"You want the White Monkey? You can have it!" I told him, "Monkey Fu!"
I fired the White Monkey astral body into Xan and the vortex. The last thing I heard was Xan laughing, until my body fell limp and my mind went dark.
Chiro's POV.
Xan faded into the vortex. The vortex reacted and was ready to exploded. I picked up Ellie and Nova grabbed Antauri. The Monkeys and I exit the temple and reached safety to the vehicles.
"The time of the Veyron Mystics has come to an end." Antauri sighed.
The explosion grew and destroyed the temple. A pillar of purple and white shot up to the sky.
"It seems that the Power Primate has also come to an end." Gibson grimaced.
"No, Gibson." A familiar whispered.
Ellie was awake. "The Power Primate is not gone. I can still hear it."
"Then... Where is it going?" Nova asked.
"I think I know." I answered...
To be continued...