Me: OMG I'm back!

Twila: Finally….

Me: Oh hush up, no one missed you

Twila: Uh, I did. Now get writing

Me: Because I'm so happy I will ignore you. *Sighs* All right, disclaimer; I don't own SRMTHFG but I do own this rose, oh la la! (That's why I'm happy!)

Twila: Blah blah blah, now read!!

Me: this is my fav chapter (so far)! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

The hyper force didn't know what to do. Curtis was on the lose, Twila was missing, and all the options were running slim. Nova was getting better, but Sprx wouldn't leave her side.

"Sprx, for the tenth time I'm fine!" she said for, well, the tenth time.

"I just can't let anything happen to you." He said.

"I can take care of myself." She said. "Um, where's Twila?"

"That's what we'd like to know." Said Gibson. '"She vanished without a trace."

"So know we have that to worry about among other things." Said Chiro.

"Chiro," said Nova. "It's worse than you think."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was under Skeleton King's control," she said. "I … was connected to him in a way. I could hear his thoughts. This…. Curtis, as Otto says, if it gets you, there's no going back. It's. . Equal to you in dark power."

"I don't understand." Said Chiro.

"I can't really explain it, but I know it's not good. We have to think of a plan."

"What if we…." Began Sprx. "nah, it's stupid."

"What is it Sprx?" asked Antauri.

"I was gonna say: when was the Skeleton King most vulnerable

"Well, I suppose before he was transformed, but what are you getting at?" asked Gibson.

"What if we could go back and stop him?"

"Sprx that is the most-," began Gibson. ". Well, actually, let me review the numbers." Gibson went to the large computer and began doing the math. "I can't believe it but Sprx might be right. But it would require a lot of raw power, and entrance through a black hole, and such things a extremely difficult to master."

"But is there a chance?" asked Chiro.

"Yes, but it's very slim."

"As long as there's a chance, we're taking it." Said Chiro. "Gibson, do what you need to do, whatever it takes, we're stopping him."

"We're going back in time?" asked Otto. "Cool."

So the team got to work, setting coordinates, collecting data and training. Otto tried tracing Twila's whereabouts, but he only got dead ends. It took awhile, but it was worth it. Gibson had tracked down a black hole that he believed could reconfigure the space time continuum, but even he wasn't 100% sure.

"By my calculations, even the safest method is risky." Said Gibson.

"But what about the rest of the items, like Twila said." Said Otto.

"Otto, if this works, we won't need to." Said Chiro.

"So what do we do with this lily?" asked Jinmay.

"Keep it," said Antauri. "The Skeleton King needs all the items, and that's one less he can't have."

"But how, many more are there?" asked Jinmay.

"In total there are three." Said Antauri. "We have two."

"I thought we had one."

"We have two," he said looking at Chiro.

"When are we leaving?" asked Sprx.,

"It's not so simple as leaving, we have to time it precisely," said Gibson. "Then of course there's a matter of finding it."

"Is it like a swirling black hole in the center of nothing?" asked Otto.

"Yes."

"Found it!"

Mandarin approached the cell that held Twila. She looked up from the ground where she had been handcuffed for the last few hours. She was too weak to summon enough magic for a spell, she could barely get up. She was his prisoner.

"Your father wishes to see you." Said Mandarin, mockingly.

"He is not my father, he is a monster!"

"He is above you! Hold your tongue, young fool! He posses more power than you are able to imagine! He wishes to see you so you will come!" he forced her to her feet and she had no choice but to follow him to the throne room where the dark lord sat proudly.

"Twila, so good to see you." Said Skeleton King. She spat on the floor before his feet in response.

"Now now, no need to be tense." Said the evil monarch. "I have brought you here to propose and offer I don't think you can refuse."

"And sell my soul to the devil himself? Never!"

"Don't be so quick to answer until I have spoken." He said. "Your friends, those foolish simians, are in my sight. And if you don't agree to my terms I shall destroy them."

"You've never been able to destroy them, why is now different?"

"Because now I have you. I have Curtis-."

"His names really Curtis? That's not very evil! In fact-."

" SILENCE!" he demanded. "The point is, I am more powerful and unless you cooperate, I will end them."

"What do you want?"

"The ring you wear on your left hand.'

"What ring?" she asked, dumbly.

"The ring I gave you, girl!"

"My father gave me this ring."

"I was foolish enough to give it to you so you would stay unaffected as I changed for the better. Now hand it over and fulfill your destiny. In return the hyper force will survive."

"All of them? Chiro and Jinmay included?"

"I shall spare their lives. You have my word, they will live."
"And no harm will come to them? Why would I trust you?"

He placed his hand above his staff. "To you I keep my word, Twila. You are apart of me and you can't deny it. Either way, I shall succeed."

"You liar! I will never join you!"

"Have it your way. And in turn your friends suffer!" he raised his hand and Twila had a vision of the Super Robot plunging onto a black hole. Now she thought it was danger, so she thought she had no choice but to agree.
"You'll make them prisoners!"

"But they will live! Do you value their lives? Or do you want their deaths on your shoulders and be just as much to blame as I?!"

"Fine! Fine!" she screamed through tears." Just let them be."

"I'm glad you see it my way." Said the sinister overlord darkly.

"But if you harm them, even one of them I swear I'll . . ."

"Then I shall set them free."

"Then, I have no choice." She toke off her ring and laid it at his feet, tears falling from her eyes.

He lifted his hand and Curtis worked his devious way into her very soul. Her eyes became dark, her face darkly different. She was under his control.

"Like father, like daughter." He said with a laugh, and she joined him. They were joined as one.

"Turbines to speed!" ordered Chiro. "It's about to get bumpy!"

The robot was spiraling out of control toward the black hole; the team was trying to regain control as soon as possible.

"Nova reset the ordnance, Otto calibrate the altitude," ordered Gibson." And everyone hold on tight!"

The hole sucked them closer, and they kept getting closer and closer. Just as they were about to enter it, they stopped.
"What happened?" asked Sprx. "what's going on?"

"Something's got a hold of us, but what?" asked Chiro.

"Hey, Twila's back!" exclaimed Otto holding her book. They all looked to see it was her who had stopped them with her magic, but the team knew at first glance Twila was changed. As she held the robot in a tractor beam like energy, they immediately tried escaping.

"Fools! You cannot escape! You are my prisoners!" she said laughing. "But worry not, no harm shall come to you. I need you only out of the way so father can achieve his dream."

And for a while the whole team went black.

She took them to the very cell she had been entrapped in. They each woke up one by one and realized they were handcuffed to the wall. The cuffs were tight, so hoping to escape was pointless. The room was without any light and the team could barely see each other. They were weak and confused, but just, as the Skeleton King had promised, they were unharmed.

"What's going on?" demanded Chiro. "Where are we?"

"In my dungeon." Said the ever iniquity voice of the enemy, laughing. "I've left you to rot while I take the universe as my own. But not before I take your power. Now that you are weak and can't fight back, it shall be easy."

Chiro felt something burn inside him, like as if he was numb and if he could feel it, it would hurt, but he felt no pain. He knew what was going on, something was missing. The power primate.

"No!" pleaded Chiro, but it was too late. The Skeleton King was gone and there was nothing he could do to fight back. His screaming awoke the rest of the team.

"Chiro, "said Jinmay weakly. "What's going on?"

"It's gone, he toke it. He's finally won."

"What do you mean?" asked Otto. But Chiro couldn't answer him. The hurt look on his face proved that to the team that he was right, the Skeleton King had won.

"No!" said Sprx. "there's gotta be something we can do!"

"I can't fight back, he got what he wanted." Said Chiro.

"But how? How can he suddenly take you down? It doesn't make sense." Said Nova.

"I can answer that."
The team looked to the doorway and saw it was Twila who had said that. She walked toward them.

"My father, my master, gave me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I joined him. With our powers combined as one, we are unstoppable. And with this," she held up the lily and the team gasped. "We shall remain that way. Now that my father has the power primate and immortality, all that's left is the final item: the ring of purity. That way all traces of his previous self shall be eliminated, including you. It shall be so there is no Alchemist only the Skeleton King!"

"Why Twila? Why would you do this?" asked Chiro.

"Power, you moron! You had your chance to join, now I extend the offer again, do you accept?"

"Never!"

"Then let your pride be your doom!" she said. "Enjoy what's left of your existence." And with that she took her leave, but not before picking up the book Otto had dropped when they were taken captive.

"So we're not going back?" asked Otto.

"No, he is. He's going to make sure he never created us." Said Antauri. "And I fear there really is nothing we can do."

"You can't mean that Antauri!" pleaded Jinmay.

"I wish I didn't."

"So, this is the end?" asked Sprx sadly.

"But the beginning to a world of darkness."

"He refused father." Said Twila returning to the Skeleton King. "But he is no use now, why bother?"

"Fool! He still possesses the power primate! He's still alive!" he answered.

"I shall end him master, entrust the task to me." Said Mandarin.

"You have failed me enough!" he replied, hitting the monkey with his staff.

"Separate him from his friends, he'll have nothing to live for." Suggested Twila.

"The journey to find him shall makes him stronger." Said Mandarin.

"But together they are stronger." Said Twila.

"The only way is to prevent them meeting. But until them I need the boy by my side." Said the Skeleton King. "So for now, you may join them." He said to Twila, and released Cutis' spirit from her. She gasped and collapsed to the ground, and was at her old self.

"Pity," said Mandarin. "She returns to her old self. She does not remain as you did, master."

"My heart was changed, she changed because of her heart." Replied his master. "Bring me the boy."

Mandarin took the dazed Twila to the cell and threw her against the wall and chained her like her friends. When he finished and reached for Chiro, hen was repelled like by some invisible force field. He tried again and the action repeated. He fled to his master.

"Twila? What's going on?" asked Chiro.

Her face was covered in tears. "I've betrayed you. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong. And now, it's my entire fault. There's no stopping him."

"There must be a way!" said Otto.

"Only if he breaks his word, but no harm can come to you here. He promised nothing would hurt you that you'd live. But now you'll live in a world as regular monkeys. You'll never meet each other, you will never meet Chiro, it's as is no good ever existed and it's all my fault."

"Wait, the deal was, no harm would come to us?" asked Sprx.
"yes."

"So if we get hurt, we're free?"

"Yes, but I-." Twila saw what he meant. "Oh, yes. Yes that's it!"

"What ever do you two mean?" asked Gibson.

"Hey Nova, bet you can't break these chains." Teased Sprx as he was imprisoned right beside her..

"Sprx, don't start. This is not the time." Said Nova.

"So that's a no? Hm, maybe you're not so strong after all."

"Sprx…" warned Antauri, but Twila shushed him to let Sprx continue. "Be patient.' she whispered.

"Sprx, don't make me hit you." Said Nova.

"Temper Novie, don't hit the one you love!" mocked Sprx. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"That's it!" said Nova angrily and she reached over and hit Sprx with her tail right in the back of the head.

"Ow!" said Sprx. "wow that hurt."

And as soon as he said this, the chains vanished, as the Skeleton King's word had been broken. Nova understood what had happened and looked at Sprx surprised.

"I can't believe you'd think of that." She said. "For once your annoyance saved us."

"No time for compliments, there'll be plenty of time after we stop that old bag of bones." He said with a smile.

"But how?" asked Chiro.

"The power primate is still in you." Said Twila. "We just need to work together."

"But is there a plan?" asked Chiro.
"We must beat him back. Perhaps we can stop him from changing." Said Antauri.

"But how?" asked Jinmay.

"With what we possess that he does not."

"What?"

"The legend." Replied Twila as she showed then the page again.

'At time's patience will be a test, no one can know truly what is best. One will go to the other side; sometimes it is best to lie. But all in all, one thing remains; at the end it will all be the same. Through tears, love, hatred and deception, they shall all end up in the right direction. One will rise and leave the others to fall, but will always come back if someone calls. Something's that are broken should not be fixed. In the end there can only be six.'

And what was underlined was what had already happened.

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