Author's Note: Okay, so I ended up splitting this chapter into two pieces, so this is not the last chapter on the formatting end (Ugh, I tried to edit out places where the writing was a bit superfluous, but in the end, the chapter ended up being over 5,000 words, so I had to split it to make it easier for all of you to read. Most of the chapters in this here average about 2,500 to 3,500). The final chapter will be uploaded soon, though, as will the lyric sheet and my final comments. Thanks again for those of you whom have submitted comments/reviews thus far, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 11: Passion Colors Everything
At breakfast that morning, Simon and all three of the Chipettes were downstairs eating breakfast as Alvin and Theodore came in the kitchen. Alvin and Theodore were dressed and ready for school, though much later than the others. Dave was preparing the last of their bag lunches. None of them said much during breakfast, and Dave reminded Alvin, Simon and Theodore of afternoon practice. Alvin breathed relief knowing that they could probably wrap up recording and head to the event before anything could happen.
As Dave handed each of them their lunches, he noticed Alvin's downcast expression.
"What's wrong, Alvin?"
"Nothing, Dave."
"Oh, I know it's something, all right. It's as plain as the nose on your face, which would be ten times longer if you were a certain puppet." Dave frowned, but set Alvin's lunch on the table, and motioned for Alvin to take a seat at the table, while Dave took a seat next to him. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"Well, it's kinda a lot to explain - and even if I did, you probably wouldn't believe me." Alvin confessed.
"There are a lot of things you've done I haven't believed. " Dave said with a sigh. "Somehow, I don't think what you're worrying about could top those things, unless you prove me wrong. And somehow, you always do. What is it this time?"
Alvin laughed nervously. "Well...let's just say - I...uh...kinda made a promise to somebody, and... it might be too late to keep it. But if I don't, then the person I made the promise to...might be in a lot of trouble. I don't know what I should do..."
"Well, it's never too late to keep promises, Alvin. If you give someone your word on something, then you have to follow through with it no matter how hard or scary it might be. I can't fight all your battles for you boys, as much as I want to. But if you want me to help, I can't do anything unless you tell me."
"Well, you know that event that's going on at the Arts and Sciences Museum this evening?"
"Yeah, I think Simon mentioned something about it earlier this week - something about a moon event?"
"That's the one. Can we go, please, please?!" Alvin jumped up, grabbing Dave by the collar.
"Okay, okay, easy. I don't mind swinging by there after rehearsal; I'll even go with you guys to the event. It might be a lot of fun."
"Really?! Great, thanks Dave!" Alvin's expression instantly brightened, and Dave raised an eyebrow as he saw Alvin grab his lunch, and race out the door.
"That was definitely strange. Alvin worried about not going to a museum event? That's not like him. He must be trying to impress someone. Probably a girl." Dave shook his head, with a smile, and shrugged his shoulders before getting ready for work.
"At least he's not getting himself into trouble this time around."
***
"Guys! I got the okay from Dave on the museum event!"
"All right Alvin!" Theodore said.
"Nuts, I knew there was something I forgot to ask Dave this morning." Simon said, carrying his bag lunch and backpack as the Chipmunks made their way to school.
"What the heck, Simon?! How could you forget?!" Alvin grabbed Simon by the shoulders, startling Simon that he dropped his bag briefly. Luckily it didn't spill, but Simon looked at Alvin with an annoyed expression. "We've gotta find some way to save Anilie and the other ghost lady. And the only way we can do that is to find that...um...what did you say it was, again?"
"It's an artefact, Alvin. And I didn't mean to forget, but you do realize we were up all night and we nearly overslept this morning? It's bad enough that Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette all beat us out this morning while we were waiting for you. Still, I'm thinking that the artefact might have been that missing statue -the gargoyle - on the bridge that Anilie showed us. That may connect our world to theirs, and they may use that bridge to come into our world. It would be opportune for them, because a lot of people will be there, and they want to steal souls. But even then, it's a theory - I'm not even sure how they're going to do it, or even if they can. What we're looking for may not even be there! You do realize that, right?"
"But what about Anilie and the other ghost?!"
"I don't know. We may not be able to go back to that world again. Anilie was pretty much our only link there, and if she's been captured...then...well..." Simon's voice trailed off.
"But we have to! I made a promise, and I can't just let Anilie down!"
"Calm down, Alvin." Simon took Alvin's hands and shoved them away, then picked up his bag lunch promptly. He noticed Theodore looking at something...seemingly fixated without saying a word about his and Alvin's conversation. They had come close to passing the usual place where Melina ran her fortune telling shop.
"What's wrong, Theodore? Are you okay?"
"Guys...where's Miss Melina? Her shop's not there anymore."
"What do you mean her shop's not there?" Alvin turned and looked at Theodore.
"Look at the alley. It'd be one thing if just the sign was gone, but look there now."
In the alleyway where Melina's fortune telling room used to be was a sandwich shop called "Luigi's Deli", with a flashing neon sign and a guy sweeping the porch. The Chipmunks looked between each other in surprise.
"Okay...that definitely wasn't there yesterday." Simon observed.
"Something's definitely wrong. We're going to talk to that guy, and we're going there now!"
"Alvin, we're going to be late for school..." Simon scolded, but saw that Alvin had already started stomping towards the tall, plump man, with Theodore following close by. Since he was the only one standing behind, Simon grudgingly followed them.
Alvin was the first to reach the man, wearing a baker's hat and apron, and he looked like he was going to greet them cheerfully, but Alvin took the opportunity to yank the poor man's apron to where his face was close to the frustrated chipmunk.
"Okay mister, what's the deal? Who are you, and what did you do to Miss Melina's business?!"
"Luigi doesn't know what you are a'talkin' about!" The man seemed shocked, and even a little angry at such a rude gesture.
"Alvin! Look, forgive my brother for his very unruly behavior. He had a rough couple of nights, and it's not been good on his...relationships with others." Simon cut his eyes at Alvin as he addressed the shop owner. Alvin crossed his arms and looked away with a haughty expression. "What he really means is...there was a fortune teller that used to be here. Have you seen her, and did she move or something? Her name was Melina."
"Luigi not know of any fortune teller here." The shop owner said, shrugging his shoulders. "Luigi's been here for five years now. Maybe you boys have wrong shop? In any case, Luigi not open until lunchtime, so you maybe come back later?"
As the shop owner retreated into his shop, the three chipmunks stood in shock at the revelation.
"Okay...now I'm officially freaked out, because that...can't be anywhere close to possible." Simon noted, closing his eyes and wondering if he would make sense of anything that was going on.
***
"I knew it! I told you that I wasn't crazy!" Brittany said as the Chipmunks and Chipettes sat at lunch together that afternoon. Alvin had told them about the strange disappearance of Melina's shop, almost as if it never existed in the first place. "It wasn't just a dream that Melina disappeared from where we met her! And Jeanette was the one who told me I probably had the wrong block!"
"Why would she disappear like that?" Theodore asked.
"I really don't know. But I bet it has something to do with the coming of the red moon."
"You think, Alvin?" Simon noted sarcastically. "Okay. Let's run with these...weird events for a sec. Everything we know is going to happen at the museum - what are we supposed to do when we find that gargoyle statue?"
"What do you think? We're going to pulverize that thing to pieces!"
"Nuh-uh. No way. We'll be destroying museum property AND we'll not only rot in jail for the rest of our lives, but we'll also break any chance of saving Anilie and the other ghost woman. And who knows how many other ghosts or spirits they might have that weren't in that room or didn't get away."
"You're not getting me, Simon - we won't have lives if the Hanti cross that border. That gargoyle statue is their way out. And it's our way in! You said it was the bridge between our world and theirs, so why can't we use it?"
"That's a possibility, but you were the one who had the smart idea of breaking the statue."
"I was talking about AFTER we saved Anilie."
"And you're not getting me? You want to go back in? We don't even know where she is. I'm asking you what will happen when..."
"Guys, stop arguing! You're confusing me and giving me a headache!" Brittany interrupted with a sharp exhale. "Simon, you plan too much and Alvin, you don't think enough! Why don't we just go to the museum, and work our way from there."
"I think Brittany might be right. The Hanti seemed like they had their own plan too, and we won't really know what will happen until we get there. And it's not like we can get there until the portal opens anyway." Eleanor chimed in.
Alvin sighed, sinking in his cafeteria seat. "Fine. I guess you're right. I just hope Anilie's okay."
***
"ARGGHHH!" Master Grol's frustrated growl echoed through the chateau while he paced around his office with his second hand officer, Pell. He knocked a can of pens, and other items from his desk, threw books
"Do calm yourself, sir. The Red Moon will rise quite soon." Pell's voice was formal and calm as he watched his master sink in his large chair, Master Grol's mask still contorted in the same grin - but he obviously wasn't amused.
"That, Pell, is precisely the reason why I CAN'T be calm! All of those souls we've spent long months capturing and in one night - ONE night I might add - we nearly lose all of them to a bunch of meddling mortal children?! Our vengeance was not meant to be so...so trivial!"
"I suppose I shouldn't remind you that it was your magic that, while accidental, freed them, sir?"
"Do you want to cross me, Pell?" Master Grol stated with a hiss. "Because you know exactly what I can do to your afterlife..."
"N-no, sir. You've made your point." It was the first time Pell actually felt nervous in his master's presence, and uttered an audible gulp, even with his mask contorted in the same firm expression.
"Okay...perhaps I should calm myself and look at the bigger and brighter picture." Master Grol stepped out of his office, walking down the long narrow hallways to a room upstairs - one where there were many paintings and glass figurines of various animals, city representations and other collectibles. It looked like an antique shop or a miniature display room. But Grol focused his attention to a set of glass orbs placed within a case. Pell had followed him the whole way, and followed his master's attention to the case.
Within each orb were diminutive spirits that pounded futilely against the glass.
"The bigger picture in all of this is that we now have every single one of the Ilreita in our possession - even the one that tried to transcend time to recruit for her ancestors. I've no doubt that woman tried to summon those mortal kids here using that Ilreita's spirit to guide them. It was her cursed plan all along to stop us. Hmph. Well she's no longer a bother to us now. I think using the Ilreita's magic to bring her here worked quite splendidly, don't you, Pell?"
"I believe so, sir."
Master Grol took one of the orbs in his hands, and faced the tiny ghost girl who was imprisoned in it, while she faced him with an angry expression - pounding on the glass.
"So your name is Anilie, as they said? I think you should find it very inconvenient that your power will be the one to steal the mortal souls beyond our world and those that you helped to release yestereve. Should be a pity if the souls we relinquish tonight end up being those of your friends, wouldn't you say?"
Anilie pounded against the glass, kicking and scratching at it, but the Hanti leader subdued her by summoning his own magic to quell her spirit.
"Save your energy, young one. You'll not interfere in my plans. Pell, summon the guard, and tell them to come to this room to receive each of the orbs. We shall perform the rite very soon - and make our glorious trek into the world of the living. Is the gateway ready?"
"Yes sir, I believe the artefact is still very much intact, and the gateway ready."
"Bring the woman along too. I should think she'd like to see the destruction of her world as well as her ancestry, as futile as she'd tried to save it."
"Yes, sir, I shall go at once." Pell headed from the room, while Master Grol looked out the window over the skyline of their shadow kingdom. He whispered low beneath his voice, as the fire from a nearby fireplace cackled in the reflection of his mask.
"Yes, Melina Redgrove - your soul will be the last I take - as your family was the one that confined my people. But now, we shall take the overworld as the one that's truly our own. Remember, the strongest are the only ones that are meant to survive. And we are by far, when our potential is realized, stronger than your mortal friends."
***
Alvin bent over his music sheet with a pen in his hand, frustratingly placing every lyrical line he could possibly place on the page as it came out of him.
"Man...I'm even surprising myself how much of this is coming out. Dave's gotta choose my song - I just know it'll be epic. I just wish it wasn't coming from something that makes me mad as heck to think about."
"Well, Alvin, umm...don't they say that part of your inspiration can come from frustration?" Jeanette was not far from where Alvin was working in Set B, going over her singing parts for the new Chipettes single. "I mean, that's kinda why Brittany wrote the song 'Signs' - because she was kinda frustrated at you."
"Yeah, for all the wrong reasons." Alvin quipped.
"But she actually wrote that song before the whole thing with Anilie...so...there are probably some other things she's mad at you about..." Jeanette trailed off, fidgeting.
"I guess so." Alvin admitted, shrugging. "But I'm not letting up on the challenge! Even if she's mad at me, I'm going to make her see that I can and will write a better single."
Jeanette sighed. "Well, if you wanna go for it, Alvin, go for it. She might not be that happy about it though."
"It wouldn't be right if I didn't try. I just hope Dave and the other panel members approve it. I mean, if they approved Simon's song, then they've gotta at least consider mine, right?"
"I think so. I mean, our panel even went with Brittany's last minute because they said it fit with the current sound in music. You know - angry relationships and all that."
"Yeah, but my songs have to be about something more than that. Something that sounds and feels different." Alvin said, playing a few notes on his guitar. "I even told Dave that when he taught me how to write my own songs."
"Well, good luck Alvin. Though I know Brittany probably wouldn't like me saying that, though - I think Eleanor wants you guys to do well too, even if it's in a competition."
"Thanks, Jeanette." Alvin gave her a thumbs up sign and took his guitar and lyric sheet into Studio A, where Theodore and Simon were resting from their last session.
"Alvin, what are you doing? We already spent more than an hour recording the single." Simon asked as Alvin went into the sound booth, setting up his guitar and placing the lyric sheet in front of the mic. "I'm surprised your voice isn't sore."
"Trust me, it's not. And I'm doing what I should've done a while ago. I've got a song to sing, and it just came to me. I may not have had a good fortune in the past few days, but at least I can make my own dreams happen, right?"
"Ooh, Alvin, you finished your song?!" Theodore said excitedly. "But what's it about? And how did you finish it?"
Alvin grinned and winked. "Let's just say I have some 'inspiration from frustration' to get out of me before we start kicking the Hanti back to wherever they came from tonight. And yeah, I took it from the song I started performing for you, Theodore."
"Oh, joy. I've gotta hear this." Simon said facetiously, sitting back in his seat.
Alvin strummed a few lines on his guitar and began to sing.
***
"Seville, you didn't tell us there was another song in progress." Dave heard one of the board members speak while he came from the meeting with the panel. The recording had been smooth for Simon's single, and Dave was relieved to have it behind him. Not that it hadn't been done well, but because it was such a scramble to put together. But as he heard the panel member's voice, he responded with a perplexed expression.
"There wasn't another song in progress - why?"
"Well, I think one of your boys is actually singing in the studio right now. The song I'm hearing sounds very nice. Impressive even with the minimal arrangement."
Dave stepped out into the hall, where the panelists were listening in the hallway, and Dave heard Alvin's voice from Studio A, in the recording room.
"Half past midnight, I'm undercover
Sounds echoing through my room.
Don't know why, but know there's another
Try to hide, but I know it's coming soon.
When I look 'round, in a different place
Can we leave the light on, just a little longer?
Cold and dark, my heart starts to race
See her face, and wish I were a little stronger.
When Fortune smiles, she's watchin' you
When Fortune smiles, there's no gettin' through
When Fortune smiles, she's watchin' you..."***
"I...never heard anything about another song. It's probably Alvin freelancing his work again. He sometimes does that for creativity."
"Well, I have to say he's doing a stand up job. Let him finish the song, and we should talk about recording it. I think we were too hasty trying to rush the schedule for the single. I'd like both the song we recorded before and the one he's singing now to be on the same EP, but also on the release schedule. But we should take our time organizing it as opposed to Larry's suggestion. Besides, who knows what other songs could come out of what you call 'freelancing'."
"R-Really?" Dave was surprised, but he saw the other panel members approaching the recording room, some of them chatting quietly among themselves. He shook his head, allowing himself to relax as he heard the melody and leaned against the hall wall. He didn't know from where the song originated, but he could even tell from his own ears that the song would be a hit.
***
"That was awesome, Alvin!" Theodore exclaimed as Dave drove them on their way to the museum that night. "You even used the same line you sang before as your opener!"
Simon didn't follow Theodore's comments audibly, as he seemed to be shaking his head in disbelief about the whole thing - the panel had collectively decided to pick up Alvin's and his song for an EP, and they asked Dave to include songs that were each written by the boys, meaning Theodore would have a chance to write his own, and then another song would be penned by all three of them. No word on a release date though- as they planned to push back the date to accommodate for more recording time.
"I'm still wondering how you came up with such a nice song, Alvin. And why you didn't tell me you were working on something like that." Dave asked as he drove to the museum.
"It kinda just came to me, Dave. Though, I've kinda been working on it off and on the past few days."
"Well, if you can come up with more songs like that, I'd tell you to keep doing what you're doing, because it was great!"
"Trust me, Dave. I really hope that what inspired that song doesn't happen again!" Alvin said, as he took a sharp breath, as his eyes searched the darkening skyline.