I have bad news guys, my grandfather is dying. The only way to cure him is with...REVIEWS! ONLY REVIEWS CAN SAVE HIS LIFE! THINK OF MY GRANDFATHER YOU SADISTIC READERS! Ahem...not really, jk, lol.

Note: Thanks to the guest reviewer who told me a great way to mark dramatic scene changes! From now on, a big scene change (to avoid confusion) will be marked with "XX." This is just so people don't get confused when suddenly everything changes. Also, terribly sorry this took so long. I've been very busy lately. Those waiting for some serious shipping shall wait no longer! Finally, and seriously, leave a review or I won't even know that you're reading!

XX

Chapter 6

Alvin dipped his feet into the water. He sighed and gazed out into the pool. He could still remember when members of all the tribes bathed here together. It was packed from end to end with chipmunks, chattering and laughing. Children would run around the edges, playing and screaming. It was chaos, but it wonderful. One giant family, all together and enjoying each other's company. How far they had fallen since then. These thoughts caused Alvin's thoughts to drift back, back to when the tribes truly began.

XX

A young Alvin was pitching a fit in the middle of the jungle. He was throwing around pieces of a broken glider, cursing. In the many months since he had that fallout with his brother, he had tried everything that had went through his mind to get off this island. All his rafts had washed him back on shore days later. All the gliders were blown back into the trees. Alvin even tried a convoluted idea involving the building of a log bridge to escape the swirling waters around the island. None of them worked. Now, in a final outburst of frustration, he was pitching a childish fit. It was at this inopportune time that Brittany emerged from the jungle. As time went on, the chipmunks had had worn less and less clothing. Now the only thing clothing Brittany was a thin ring of flowers around her chest, and a loincloth of weaved flowers around her waist. She watched with annoyed eyes at Alvin's childish antics. She finally sighed and rubbed the area between her eyes. She raised her eyes back up to him.

"ALVIN!" she shrieked.

Alvin stopped. He was in the process of throwing a piece of wood. He froze in place, not looking towards Brittany.

"Did that make you feel ANY better?" Brittany asked with attitude. Alvin only grunted. He dropped the piece of wood and sat grumpily on his behind. He began sulking.

"I'm gonna get us off this island..." he muttered.

"No, you're not." Brittany replied. She put her hands on her hips. "Alvin, we've all accepted the fact that we're stuck here. We've worked through it. We've all settled down and decided to have lives. You're the only one who's sitting all by himself in the middle of the jungle!"

"I'm the only one who hasn't given up!" Alvin shouted. "You can all settle, but I won't! I will get off this island! I'll show all of you!"

"Alvin!" Brittany snapped. "Enough! Why can't you let this go?"

Alvin finally snapped his head around. There was anger and desperation in his eyes.

"Did you get us stuck here?" he demanded. "Did you refuse to listen to your father? Was the last thing you said to your father a lie? I said I would behave and I knew I wouldn't! The last thing I said to the man who raised me was a complete lie! I shattered everyone's dreams of performing at the International Music Awards! I cut us off from everything we've ever known and loved! I'm not going to settle for this hot prison!" Alvin then turned his head away from Brittany. "I will leave this island, no matter what it takes."

Brittany's eyes melted into a mix of emotions. It was a look of pity, sadness...and resignation. It was as if she finally realized something. There was a tense silence between them. Brittany finally sighed and shook her head.

"Jeanette's probably going to give birth tonight." she said. That caused Alvin to jump slightly. He turned his head a little, but didn't actually look at Brittany. "You've missed the whole pregnancy. Simon's been a jittery mess the whole time, but all of us have been working together, me, Eleanor, Theodore, and Simon. The only one who isn't a part of this family is you." Brittany turned her back to Alvin. "I hope you'll be there tonight." She then marched away. Alvin only sat unmoving, in complete silence.

Later that night Simon was sitting beside Jeanette, the both of them sweating profusely. Jeanette was lying on a blanket on the ground. Her engorged stomach was occasionally moving, causing her to wince. Her pain was getting worse, and Simon was getting more nervous. When he was initially told by Jeanette that she was pregnant he was completely blown away. It had happened so soon, probably after their first time. He didn't quite know what he thought about it. Still, he knew they couldn't just wander around the island with a family of newborns. He found a cave down the river, past the cliffs. He had set about making it as much of a home as he could for the moment. He had watched with amazement as Jeanette's stomach grew over the months. They had discussed names, how many they wanted, how big a house they wanted to build, and even how they were going to raise their children. It was all amazing to Simon...and terrifying. His life was shifting dramatically. Only months ago, he and Jeanette were only flirting. Now, it was like they were married and they were having a family.

Jeanette abruptly whined and squirmed. A powerful surge of pain went through her. Simon nervously glanced over her body. The movements in her stomach were increasing. It was only a matter of time. Jeanette was sweating out of pain...Simon out of nervousness.

"Are...are you okay?" Simon asked.

"It...really hurts..." Jeanette replied. After a few moments he relaxed and began panting. "I...I can feel our children moving around inside of me. They...I don't think it'll...be much longer..." Jeanette tensed up and whined even louder. Her pains were getting worse. Simon gulped and glanced around. Abruptly, two of them heard noises from outside the cave. They turned their heads, but didn't move. Then they heard someone shout a name.

"Alvin?" Simon asked, his eyes perked up a little. "He's here?"

Jeanette then shrieked a little. She began writhing on the ground. Simon glanced at her nervously for a moment, before standing up.

"I'm...I'm going to go outside a moment." he said.

"No! Don't leave!" Jeannet cried in fear.

"I just...I need to get some air!" Simon cried. He turned and dashed outside.

"No! Please! Don't leave me!"

Moments before, outside of the cave, Brittany, Eleanor, Theodore all mingled about nervously. Eleanor and Theodore were holding hands by a fire they had lit. Brittany was pacing back and forth nervously. They had thought about going inside, but decided that Jeanette and Simon should be alone. Brittany was quickly becoming very agitated, for multiple reasons. She kept glancing around the jungle, as if expecting someone to come out. After what seemed like an eternity she growled and stomped her foot on the ground.

"I hate waiting like this!" she declared. "Even worse...that stupid idiot won't stop being such a selfish son of a..."

"You might not want to finish that." said a familiar voice. Everyone jerked their heads around to see Alvin emerge from the jungle. Theodore gasped loudly and jumped to his feet.

"Alvin!" he shouted. He quickly ran over and practically tackled Alvin into a hug. Alvin almost fell over as his brother wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"Oh...hey...Theodore..." Alvin said weakly. "Seriously...can't breathe..."

"Oh!" the fat chipmunk replied. He released his brother, who took a deep breath.

"Geez, you trying to strangle me?" Alvin asked.

"I haven't seen you in nearly a year!" Theodore cried.

"No! That can't..." Alvin then paused. "Wait...no that's probably right. Sorry about that. I've...uh...been busy with my own projects."

"Well," Brittany began, walking over. "I'm glad you could take a break from your "projects" to come and see your nieces and nephews getting born." Her tone was clearly dry and sarcastic. Alvin threw her a wry look.

"This isn't about us Brittany." Alvin replied. Right at that moment, Simon emerged from cave. He was sweaty, with a wild look in his eyes. Alvin's surprised expression caused everyone else to turn and see.

"Simon!" Brittany cried, running over. "Is Jeanette okay? Is it over?"

"Huh?" Simon asked, briefly crazed. "Uh...no...she...uh..." He abruptly lost his train of thought.

"She what?" Brittany asked, looking angry. Alvin walked over and gently pushed Brittany backwards.

"Hey, hey!" Alvin said. "He looks like he's about to panic. Give him a second."

Simon panted for a few seconds. He quickly wiped seat from his forehead. It took him a few moments before he finally collected himself.

"Jeanette she's...she's giving birth!" Simon cried.

"Uh-huh. I got that." Alvin replied. "What are YOU doing?"

"I...I don't know..." Simon said. His wild eyes darted around. He seemed to have forgotten that he was supposed to be mad at his brother. "I just...I don't if I'm ready for this...I mean...I'm about to be a dad!"

"I think it's a little late for that." Alvin replied.

"Yeah! You knocked my sister up and now you...!" Brittany shrieked.

"Brittany! Seriously!" Alvin interjected. "You're not helping!"

Brittany backed down, but still looked incredibly angry. Alvin sighed and shook his head.

"Okay, Si, what is it?" Alvin asked. "What's going on?"

"I just...I don't know..." Simon muttered. "She's hurting and I...I can't do anything. I'm going to be a dad and my kids are going to grow up and..." He looked at the ground. "I can't do anything. What if I mess it all up? What if Jeanette leaves me? I can't...I don't know what I'm going to do..."

"Hey! Hey!" Alvin said. He walked forward and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. This caused Simon to lift his eyes. They stared directly at each other, arguably for the first time since they got to the island. "Do you love Jeanette?"

"Yes." Simon replied.

"Does she love you?" Alvin asked.

"Yes."

"Would you do anything for her?"

"Yes."

"Then don't worry about it." Alvin then grinned. "If you love her, then you'll love your kids. You're going to be a great father, and even if you're not, we'll step in and help." Alvin then turned to Brittany had gave her a hard look. "Right?"

Brittany shifted her feet and folded her arms. She made a sour face.

"Yes." she said.

"I'll help!" Theodore threw in.

"Me too!" Eleanor piped up.

"So, don't worry about it." Alvin said. "We'll all help."

"O...Okay..." Simon said. He suddenly began to look calm. "What am I supposed to do now? I can't...I can't help."

"Yes you can!" Eleanor said. "Just be there! Hold her hand. Wipe her forehead. Tell her it's going to be okay, and that you'll always love her! Just...be supportive!"

"And actually be there!" Brittany shouted.

"Okay...okay..." Simon said.

"Seriously though, you need to get back in there." Alvin said, pointing.

"Yeah, you don't want to miss this." Theodore added on.

"Alright." Simon said, taking a deep breath. "I'm going." He turned around and marched back into the cave. Alvin heaved a sigh of relief and wiped his own forehead.

"Geez that guy..." he muttered. Brittany smiled slightly. She walked over to Alvin, standing very close to him. When Alvin noticed he jumped slightly and cringed, afraid she was going to hit him for yelling at her. She didn't.

"You know," Brittany began. "Simon listens to you. He's also been pretty depressed lately. I think he was missing you more than anything else."

Alvin scoffed at that and made a sour face.

"I find that doubtful." he replied.

"I think she's right." Theodore said, smiling. "He would get this look on his face every time someone said your name."

Alvin crossed his arms and turned away from everyone else. He didn't say anything, but his tail was twitching slightly. Brittany giggled.

"We're a little lost without you." she said.

"Yeah...well...I am an awesome guy." Alvin replied. Brittany laughed again and shook her head. Alvin was still a kid at heart...but everyone else was moving forward. There was quiet for several tense moments. Just as it looked like everyone was falling back into an uncomfortable silence, Eleanor cleared her throat.

"I suppose now would be a good time to mention that I'm pregnant." she said with a giggle.

"WHAAAAAAAAT!" Everyone else shouted. They turned to her with wide eyes as she giggled again. Brittany looked completely ecstatic, with her eyes wide and sparkling. Alvin looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe what she just said. Theodore's mouth was hanging open, with his eye twitching slightly. Alvin turned to Theodore and punched him on the arm.

"You dog, you!" Alvin shouted.

Simon reentered the cave. When he turned the corner he saw Jeanette still on the blanket. She had turned on her side and was gripping her stomach. She was in much more pain now. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was whining. She had part of the blanket in her mouth and was biting down on it hard. Simon felt a wave of guilt. She was in incredible pain and he just ran away. He had been so panicked that he hadn't thought about it. Perhaps Brittany was right to be mad at him. Simon grabbed a cloth and walked over. Jeanette was in so much pain that she didn't notice him approach. He wiped the sweat from her forehead, causing her to open her eyes and drop the blanket from her mouth. Her eyes widened and her hands came up. She grabbed his clothes, lifting herself up slightly.

"You came back!" she shouted in surprise.

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere now." Simon replied.

"I thought you had run away!" she shouted. "I thought you left me!"

Simon flinched and gulped. He took a moment to compose himself before answering.

"I...I just heard Alvin outside." he finally said. "I wanted to talk to him about this. He missed the whole pregnancy, you know?"

Jeanette seemed to accept that answer. She nodded and winced. She squirmed for a few moments before speaking again.

"You...you're not going to leave me again are you?" she asked, sounding desperate. Simon felt another wave of guilt. He lifted Jeanette up slightly. He sat down and put her head in his lap. He took one of her hands and squeezed it. He stared directly into her eyes and began stroking her hair.

"No." Simon said. "I'm never going to leave you again. I love you Jeanette, and I always will."

Jeanette smiled weakly. Even caked in sweat and exhausted her beauty made Simon's heart skip a beat.

"I love you too, and I always will." she said. They stared into each other's blue eyes for several seconds. Then Jeanette's face cringed. Her hand squeezed Simon's so tightly that it caused him pain. Jeanette turned and buried her face into Simon's stomach. She screamed at the top of her lungs, muffling it with his fur. Moments later with wide eyes, Simon watched as his first child was born.

Outside, things had simmered down. Eleanor and Theodore were sitting by themselves. He hadn't spoken and seemed to be slightly catatonic. His expression hadn't changed since Eleanor's announcement and his eye was still twitching. Brittany and Alvin had decided to give them some time alone. They were sitting at the edge of the jungle, silently gazing at the entrance of the cave. They were nervously waiting for someone to emerge. Alvin was compulsively tapping a tree nut under one of his claws. Brittany glanced at him a moment before turning back to the cave.

"Simon's about to be a father." she said.

"Uh-huh." Alvin replied.

"Kind of makes one think, doesn't it?" she followed up with.

"I guess." he retorted.

"About the future...about how we're going to live here."

"Until I get us off this island."

Brittany gave Alvin a serious look. He responded by picking up the tree nut and biting it in half. It actually wasn't one they usually ate, as it tasted like tree bark. Alvin didn't seem to notice. He chewed it loudly. Brittany sighed and shook her head. She had no idea why she even bothered.

Eleanor was beginning to worry about Theodore. He hadn't spoken a word, and it looked as if his brain were stuck. She cleared her throat several times, trying to get his attention. When that didn't work she scooted over to him.

"So...um?" she asked. "Do you...I mean...what do you think?"

Theodore didn't respond, but his eye kept twitching. Eleanor gulped. She was starting to feel incredibly nervous..

"I know it's a shock…" she said. "But, like Alvin said we'll all work together and…"

Abruptly Theodore turned towards her. He had a large smile on his face.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" he shouted louder than necessary. Eleanor was taken aback for a moment. Then she saw the huge grin on his face and returned it with a smile of her own.

"Yes, you are!" she declared.

"And you're going to have my children!" he shouted again.

"Yes I am!"

"We're gonna need a house!" Theodore's brain finally seemed to catch up and his volume decreased. "And a crib...a bunch of cribs…!" He gazed off into the jungle, as if to gather his thoughts. He then gasped and turned back to Eleanor.

"We should get married!" he declared. Eleanor's eyes widened and she flinched. For a few moments, she looked as if she were completely stunned. Then she grinned from ear to ear.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked.

"Yes!" Theodore shouted.

"Then yes Theodore!" she cried. She practically tackled him into a hug. They both began rolling around on the ground, giggling and kissing each other.

Brittany had watched the whole thing. When she saw the two of them roll around happily, she gushed.

"Awwww...that's so sweet!" she said.

"Yeah, I mean...if you're into that…" Alvin muttered. Brittany whined slightly and smiled. They both looked so happy together. They were going to settle down, have a family...and move on with their lives. Brittany turned to Alvin. He wasn't looking at his brother and future sister-in-law. He was gazing off into the jungle, trying to keep his eyes away. Brittany looked at him for several moments. Then, without warning, she moved over to him and snuggled under his arm. Alvin jumped and jerked his head around.

"Whoa, Brittany! What are you doing?" he asked. Brittany grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulders.

"Alvin, just for tonight, let's pretend." she said. She stared directly into his eyes. They were large and sparkling. "Please?"

Alvin could feel a knot in his stomach tighten. He gulped...and found he couldn't resist her.

"O-Okay." he stammered. Brittany cuddled up to him, putting her head on his chest. Alvin tightened his arm around her shoulder. He could smell her hair. It had the scent of flowers and tightened the knot in his stomach.

After what seemed like hours, Alvin finally spoke. It was after he saw Simon emerge from the cave once again.

"Hey! He's back!" Alvin cried. Much to Brittany's chagrin, he instantly jumped up and ran over. She gazed after him annoyed, before following him. Eleanor and Theodore dashed over quickly as well. When everyone crowded around Simon they saw that he wasn't alone. In his arms, wrapped in a blanket, was a tiny newborn, it's eyes not yet open. Eleanor and Brittany instantly gushed and "awwed" at the sight. Simon had a wistful and happy expression on his face.

"Is it over?" Brittany asked excitedly.

"It is." Simon said, his eyes glued on his tiny child.

"Did Jeanette only have one?" Eleanor asked.

"No." Simon said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "She had four. This is the boy. The girls are inside." He glanced between Brittany and Eleanor. "She wants you two in there to help with the names." Both Eleanor and Brittany shrieked and hugged each other. They bounced around in circles screaming, causing Alvin and Theodore to cover their ears. The tiny baby in Simon's arms squirmed as well.

"Go on in." Simon finally said. Both of them dashed into the cave. Halfway inside however, Brittany stopped. She turned and looked at Alvin. Alvin would never forget the expression she had. There was this look in her eyes. It was like...she was giving up on something. She then briefly threw him a weak smile and ran inside. It was an expression Alvin couldn't understand...not yet.

"Does he have a name?" Theodore asked, looking at the newborn.

"No, not yet." Simon said. He walked over to a log out in front of the cave. He sat on it, with Theodore and Alvin also taking a seat on either side of him. "Jeanette thought we should name the boy, and they could name the girls."

"Three girls and one boy?" Alvin asked. "That'll be trouble when they grow up."

"That's what I thought." Simon said. "I'm looking forward to it. When I saw my kids being born...it's was so...I mean...I've never seen anything like that. It was...it was incredible and beautiful."

Alvin smirked and put his hands behind his head.

"Tell Theodore about it." he said. "He's next."

Simon jerked his head up and turned it towards his brother.

"You and Eleanor…?" he asked weakly. Theodore chuckled a little and shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah…" he said.

"I didn't know you had it in you!" Simon cried.

"I know, right?" Alvin said. "So, what should we call this one?"

"I don't know." Simon admitted. "We talked about names before but...now I'm not so sure."

"What names did you think about?" Theodore asked.

"Oh, for boys?" Simon asked. "Well...we thought about Dave…"

Alvin flinched and tried to swallow down the surge of sadness he felt. Fortunately, Simon moved on quickly.

"Or maybe...Sam, Adam, Bruce or Glenn. Jeanette was pretty high on Glenn actually, but she said she'd leave it up to me."

"What names do you like?" Theodore asked.

"Hm…" Simon thought for a moment. He rocked his son back and forth quietly. "I'm very lucky to have both Jeanette and my kids. So...I think...he should be called Felix." Simon glanced between his brothers. They both looked a little confused. "Oh, Felix means "lucky.""

"Oooooooh." Theodore and Alvin said at the same time.

"Let's all work together raising them." Theodore said.

"Together?" Simon asked, turning his head towards Alvin. "Right?"

Alvin made a sour face and crossed his arms.

"Yes, I'll help." he said. "But that doesn't mean I'll give up. I'm going to get us off this island, mark my words."

"I have no doubt you will." Simon replied. "If you waste too much time Alvin...people will leave you behind."

"What does that mean?" Alvin asked.

"Brittany." Simon stated.

"What about her?" Alvin snapped. Simon sighed and shook his head.

"Let's forget about it for today." he said. "Let's just worry about Felix and his sisters."

"Hear, hear!" Alvin shouted. At his noise Felix gave out a tiny cry. He began squirming in his father's arms. Simon quietly shushed him and rocked him back and forth again. Alvin smiled as he looked at the tiny baby. If someone had told him that he would outlive that child, and his children, and his children's children...he wouldn't have believed it. He wouldn't have wanted to believe it.

XX

Alvin gazed down into The Pool. He could see his ancient, wrinkled feet in the clear water. That day in front of that cave was when the tribes began. To even think that at this moment, somewhere in the jungle, the descendants of those people sitting on that log, thinking up baby names, were killing each other. It was horrifying. Alvin then sighed.

"Oh Simon...I just can't do anything right." Alvin said to the sky. "On that one day and one day only...I should not have listened to you. I should have...let her go."

XX

In The Thicket the rocks cascaded down heavy and hard. Georgia was quick enough to grab David and dive into one of the burrows. Many others were not so lucky. Some were hit several times before they could scramble for cover. One unfortunate soul was hit on the head and fell to the ground, unmoving. All throughout the grove the shrieks of pain could be heard. David gazed out of the grotto in shock.

"They knew!" he hissed. "They knew we were coming!"

"But how?" Georgia asked.

"I don't know…" David muttered. Georgia gazed out of the burrow, only to dart back inside when a rock came at her head. She then pointed to one of the trees.

"I saw the fat chieftain in that tree." she said. "If we can take him out…"

"On it." David said. He walked over to the entrance again, only to receive a salvo of rocks and ran back inside.

"They saw you come in here!" Georgia shouted. "They know who are! They aren't going to let you out!"

David growled deeply and walked as close to the entrance as he could. He spotted several of his fellow tribesman in an opposing burrow. The three men looked at him for orders. Through a series of hand gestures he indicated that the chief was directly above them. After a few moments they nodded in understanding. The three of them put their stone knives in their mouths, steeled their will, and dashed out of the burrow.

Ian was the first to shout and point. All the other members of his family turned their heads. Three savage chipmunks were climbing up the tree...fast. The family, minus the chief due to his weight, aimed their collective fire at the invaders. One rock connected with one of the climbers on the shoulder. He slipped and fell, landing on the ground, shrieking in pain about his back. The other almost reached the branch they were on before being hit directly in the head. He instantly went stiff and fell into the underbrush. The other made it to the tree limb and lunged.

The first chipmunk on the row was Lillian. She screamed and attempted to jump away. She wasn't quick enough. The savage chipmunk stabbed with his knife, sinking it into her leg. Lillian screamed in pain as the knife tore downwards, ripping her leg and muscles. The invader sliced his bloody knife out of her and attempted to stab her again. Ian suddenly leaped forward and threw a rock directly at his head. The savage chipmunk attempted to block it, but it bounced off his hand and collided with his skull, albeit with much less force. He released Lillian, who was pulled away from him by Ian.

The savage chipmunk recovered quickly and lunged for the next person, one would couldn't move. He seized Jacob and put the bloody knife to his throat. All of Jacob's children, by blood or by adoption, backed away, three out of four of them with terrified faces.

"Back off!" the invader shouted. Everyone obeyed and took a few steps back. Ian slipped in his step and almost fell off the tree. He caught himself and hung from the side tree limb. Everyone briefly glanced at him before he waved them off.

"I'm fine!" he shouted. Everyone's attention turned back to their chieftain, who looked obviously distressed.

"Stop the rocks!" the savage chipmunk demanded.

"Don't do it!" Jacob shouted.

"Shut-it fat-ass!" the invader shrieked, tightening the knife at the chieftain's neck.

"Father…" Gabriel began. There was defeat in his voice.

"Don't stop them!" Jacob shouted again. "That's an order!"

"Stop them or I'll kill him!" the savage demanded.

"We can't let you die!" Joshua said. "We have to stop them!"

"Don't you dare!" Jacob shrieked. The knife around his neck tightened. The fat chipmunk gasped for breath as his windpipe as being crushed.

Then Lillian screamed. Her eyes were glued to something behind the invader. The savage chipmunk turned his head and a rock smashed against his eye. Ian had crawled under them on the branch, grabbed a rock, and had slammed the stone directly against the eyeball of the hostage-taker. The invader screamed and his grip became loose. With all the might he could summon, Jacob broke from the grip on his neck and practically rolled forward into the arms of his waiting children. The invader held his eye, through which blood was gushing. With his other hand, he was swinging the knife wildly at Ian. Because of his pain and loss of vision he wasn't accurate at all. Ian grabbed the invader's knife arm, stuck his foot out, and shoved the savage over it. The invader tripped, careened off the branch, and fell face-first towards the ground. He landed on his neck with a sickening cracking noise and didn't move again.

Everyone on the branch was completely breathless. Ian was standing with the rock still in his hand, panting from exertion. Everyone else was gawking at him, wordlessly. Ian then took a deep breath and hurled the rock at the limp body of the attacker.

"That's for ruining my day!" he shouted. Then, in exhaustion, he sat on his butt and slouched. "God I could use a snack…"

"What were you thinking?" Gabriel shouted as he helped his father back to his feet. "Father could have been killed!"

"That was too dangerous!" Joshua added on. "You put us all on the line."

Ian turned his head. There was vitriol in his eyes and he was about to explode on his siblings...but his father spoke first.

"No!" Jacob declared. He was glaring at his two other son for once. "He did the right thing! I am unimportant compared to the rest of the tribe! You can't sacrifice everyone to save one person, even me!" The chief pointed an accusing finger at them. "Both of you should be ashamed! That was selfish!" For the moment, both of them were silent. Jacob turned his head towards his youngest son. Their eyes met and something unspoken went between them. Then Ian motioned towards Lillian. The chief turned his head to see that the poor chipmunk was holding her leg and was crying silently. Her entire leg had been cut open and deeply. So much blood was coming out of her that it was dripping from the tree branch.

"You two." Jacob said. His two older sons perked up, sensing their father was talking to them. "Take your sister and get her patched up, now." They both nodded meekly and walked over to her. With great effort, they both hoisted her onto their shoulders and began walking along the tree branch towards the actual tree. They then lifted her up into the canopy, further away from the action. Once they were out of sight, chief Jacob waddled over to Ian and stood beside him. They both stared down at the carnage below.

There were a few chipmunks lying in the open, motionless. Some of them were bleeding and clearly no longer living. The vast majority of the Alvin Tribe was hiding in the burrows. The chipmunks in the trees had largely stopped throwing. They were waiting for heads to peak out of the burrows. It was a tense scene in a sea of rocks and carnage.

"What do we do now?" Jacob asked. Ian didn't immediately answer. He seemed to ponder the question silently. He was rudely interrupted.

A chipmunk fell from above onto their branch. Both of the chipmunks already on it shrieked and scrambled to grab rocks. The chipmunk that had just landed threw up his hands.

"Wait! Don't hurt me!" he cried. Chief Jacob stopped and squinted. It was a black chipmunk...like the natives…

"Richard?" the chief asked.

"Yes! It's me!" Richard cried. "I care for elder Alvin!"

"What are you doing here?" Ian asked. "Scratch that, how did you get here?"

"I knew your strategy." Richard explained, lowering his hands. "I just climbed to the treetops at the edge of The Thicket while no one was looking and jumped my way through until I found you."

"Industrious little rat aren't you?" Ian asked, not sounding kind. Richard looked over the edge of the branch and gulped. The blood and bodies he saw below made him queasy. He turned back to the chief and dropped to his knees.

"Please Chief Jacob," he begged. "Please let them run! They've already lost! Just tell them they can leave!"

"Why would I do that?" Jacob asked. "We have a chance to stop David once and for all."

"Yes but...I...please…" Richard begged. "They're just young and stupid! They've probably already learned their lesson! That's the whole Alvin tribe down there! If they died...it would break Alvin completely!"

Ian and Jacob glanced at each other, something unspoken going between them again.

"Why would you care about them?" Ian asked. "They hate you."

"I know they do...but…" Richard began. He seemed to struggle to speak for a few moments. "They're still my cousins, as are you two. We're all supposed to be family. I know they have forgotten that. They can learn it again, but not if you kill them all."

Both Ian and Jacob were silent for a few moments. It was Ian who sighed and gazed down at the bodies below.

"We have to get them out of our houses somehow." he admitted. "It's also difficult for someone to learn a lesson if they're dead."

"Alright." Jacob said. "But they only get one chance. If they blow it, we start throwing again. Find someone with powerful lungs, I'm holding back a coughing fit as it is."

After David saw the three chipmunks fall from the chieftain's tree he could only sit and stew. Although Georgia attempted to keep him calm, she was failing. His perfect victory had been ruined, and now he couldn't escape. He couldn't even communicate with anyone else without getting a hail of rocks. Just as he was about to blow his top, he heard someone shouting.

"CHIEF DAVID!" the voice bellowed. David jerked his head towards the entrance of the burrow. He got as close to it as he dared and looked out. "THIS IS YOUR ONE AND ONLY CHANCE! YOU MAY COLLECT YOUR DEAD AND LEAVE THIS THICKET! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLIMB THE TREES LIKE A…" There was a pause. David could have sworn he heard the voice say "What? I'm not going to say that!" After a pause the shouting resumed. "DO NOT CLIMB THE TREES! DO NOT DRAW YOUR WEAPONS! GRAB YOUR DEAD AND INJURED AND RUN! IF WE SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS WE WILL RESUME! DO YOU ACCEPT?"

David growled and began punching the wall of the burrow. Retreat? Run away? Absurd! He couldn't run away from a fight! Not from these fat animal-lovers!

"Take the deal!" Georgia shouted.

"What?" David barked. "I'm not going to surrender to these people!"

"We've already lost!" Georgia declared. There was real fear in her eyes now.

"I am not going to run away like some common rodent!" David cried. Georgia grabbed his shoulders so he would look directly into her eyes.

"We've lost today." she emphasized. "They were ready for us, but they might not be on some other day. We won't see that day if we don't run." She took a deep breath and shook her head. "We have to run for now, please David."

David growled whirled around. He kicked the wall of the burrow. His green eyes darted back and forth as he thought desperately. He then walked out of the burrow into the open.

"FINE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs up into the trees.

"BEGIN NOW!" a voice shouted back. "WE ARE WATCHING!"

Even Ian was impressed with the Alvin Tribe's speed. Since the shouting echoed through the whole area, they swarmed out from the burrows at once, grabbed the bodies of dead and wounded, and charged in a line out of The Thicket. It was kind of amazing to watch. The Theodore Tribe shouted jeers down at them as they did so. David's face was red with both anger and humiliation as they all quickly exited the group of trees. If Georgia hadn't talked him out of it, he would have stayed in the burrow until he starved. He would never forgive them for this. The Theodore Tribe cheered riotously as the last of the invaders left. The first battle of the war was over.

"Well that went better than expected." Ian said flatly. "What are you going to do now...?" He turned towards where Richard had been standing, but the black chipmunk was gone. Ian briefly gazed around to see if he could spy the visitor, but there was no trace of him. "Huh, he's gone."

"Light-footed little native." Jacob stated. "He might be troublesome one day."

"You're paranoid old man." Ian replied. He stood up, dusted himself off, and began walking along the tree branch.

"Where are you going?" the chief asked.

"I ain't cleaning that up!" Ian said, pointing to the ground. Jacob contemplated trying to make Ian help, but after all his son did today...he decided to let it go. For once, Ian earned a day off.

XX

Alvin shed his clothes and dipped himself into The Pool. Normally Richard would help him with such an endeavor, but the boy was off chasing his heart. As Alvin sunk into the water he let out a sigh of relief. The pressure came off his joints and he felt light again for the first time in a long time. Looking over his body in the water just reminded him of how old he had become. He was nearly blind, his hands were frail and weak, his bones complained more than they worked, and his entire body was covered in gray fur. He had lived so many lifetimes...and yet he still couldn't get the one thing he needed done. It was the sin that weighed him down so much, the one that was finally coming to fruition in the jungle around him. The tribes that started among brothers and sisters were now killing each other...and it started with Alvin. The old chipmunk gazed out as far as he could into the waters. It all started here. In this very spot. The endless spiral down to today.

"Oh Brittany, I should have left you alone." Alvin stated. He gazed up at the sky. "Forgive them. Allow the sins to fall on me one more time." The oldest chipmunk on the island allowed his head to dip into the water. Under the water, his mind drifted back to when this whole conflict started, in this very place, with Brittany...and himself... As his head came back up, Alvin could hold back his memories no more. He thought of the memories that hurt him most...and the ones that would doom him to wander in darkness forever.

End Chapter 6

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