If you ever wondered what happened after Soul of Evil, this fic is for you.

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time. Like, a seriously long time. First of all I'd like to say hello to anyone who still comes to the site who did way back when I used to post more often. Unfortunately, I get the feeling most of you guys never come around anymore. It's quite sad - when a show ends often the strong bonds of friendship many of the fans form in anticipation of the program simply fall to pieces. Anyway, enough about my hello.

Also I'd like to say that I had this story done quite a while ago. As many of you may remember, I started a fic titled The Power Within. I wrote about three chapters of that, then realized I couldn't get it where I wanted it to go, so I ended it, thus, I only ended up posting the first chapter, which got a pretty good response, but unfortunately I never published the little more of it that I had written. (I went around after finishing The Night Goes On with partial intent of posting the rest of it, but it seems in dispair I threw it out, so I don't even have those few chapters anymore.) Well, a few months (like, 8? Hahaha) went by, and I slowly lost interest in SRMTHG, I stopped watching my VHS tapes, I stopped checking the forums, I stopped looking at FanArt, etc. However, the last few months of my senior year, I was given a creative writing assignment to interview an author, and I wanted nothing more than to interview a SRMTHG script writer! Well, as I began working on my assignment and speaking with Brandon Auman, my interest in the show was reawakened, I began watching episodes and checking out screenshots and talking with fans again, and I found that in some ways, the fandom really is still alive.

Part of the assignment was writing in the author's style, or on the same subject matter of the author, and my thoughts instantly went back to my failed project The Power Within. Wouldn't it be cool if I finished it? I had had the ending in my head almost nonstop for the past year or so, and I really wanted to finally get it down on paper, so, over the next couple of weeks, I worked on the almost 30-page epic tale that was the ending of the SRMTHG story. I turned it in, and amazingly my Creative Writing teacher actually read the whole thing (though by her own admittance there was a lot she didn't understand) and gave it back to me. This was, oh, five or so months ago? I had honestly only read through the thing once before turning it in, and while I was proud to have it written, I wasn't sure I really wanted to post it before getting some feedback. One night, as I was transfering my VHS's to DVD's, and waiting for the show to come on at 5:30 AM so I could get better footage for Soul of Evil, I decided to crack open the old fanfic - so I did, I read through it several times that night - fixing grammatic and spelling errors, finalizing the plotline, trying to make better descriptions, etc. And finally I had something I was proud of.

And now, probably a month or two from that night, I am finally posting this.

I'll warn you - this fic is long, and it's intense (I've split it in half for convenience). I had myself in tears by the end, and I hope beyond hope it has the impact for you. I've answered some mysteries in my own way, some questions SRMTHG have had since season one, and I don't believe I've left any mysteries unanswered. Are they canon? Maybe - I won't know for a while, if ever. But I believe it makes sense, and you'll have to tell me after I get both parts up.

So here's part 1, I'll probably upload part 2 in a week, or maybe less, we'll see. Obviously it's done and all, but I didn't want to put it all up at once. Please read, review, and enjoy! If there's something you don't understand, let me know and I'll try to clarify. Love you all! Enjoy!

Prologue: It's not perfectly related, but it may help you a little bit to read my intro chapter in The Power Within. The basic idea is that during the great war, the monkey team (minus Gibson) sneaks into the Citadel of the Skeleton King as Gibson leads the many allied forces on the outside, battling the hard core formless forces attacking Shuggazoom. Meanwhile, within the Citadel, the team is forced to split up to find the best path to the Skeleton King, but they still keep in contact with their Com Receptors. This tale is from Chiro's point of view starting several days within this battle, and things have already been more difficult than anyone could have imagined. It seems this night has gone on forever, but even now, the night goes on...

The Night Goes On - Part 1/2

Chiro wiped the sweat from his brow. His reward was only the dirt and filth now coating his arm and forehead. His eyes were puffy from his shed tears, and he could feel the salt remaining on his cheeks. His body was accented by cuts and bruises; his clothes were tattered and ripped; his right shoulder was stained with the blood from where the lead formless had struck him. He rubbed the area which had healed only by Antauri's amazing abilities in wielding the Power Primate.

Antauri…

"Go ON Chiro!"

"Antauri! I can't leave you! Not after coming all this way! Not like this!"

"Chiro, I have surrendered my life for Shuggazoom before, and I will be proud to do so again!"

"Antauri, no! You can do it, you can squeeze through! Just don't let it crush you!"

"Go Chiro! Release my hand and run!"

"I can't! I can't do this alone! I need you!"

"Chiro, no monkey team member is ever alo– Augh!"

"Antauri!"

Chiro looked at the hand where the electrical charge had sparked him. Curse those formless and their stun sticks. If only he had held on… He no longer felt Antauri's presence.

Static buzzed in his ears from his helmet. He waited to hear a friendly voice over the com signal, but none came – simply radio interference. He hadn't heard one through the radio in what felt like days.

"Chiro! Send help! We can't hold him off! He's too strong!"

"Nova? What's happening?"

BOOM

"Gaugh!"

"Sprx! Sprx! Get up Sprx!"

"Nova…"

"Sprx, please! Say something!"

"Nova, I… I love you…"

"Stay with me Sprx, look at me, right here in the eyes. Look at me!!"

"Nova…"

"Look at me!!"

"…"

"I love you too, Sprx."

"Nova… Watch out!"

Fuzzzzz

Tears returned to Chiro's eyes. To hear such cries. It's one thing to see death. To know it is coming. But the sound of death is far worse. You have no warning, you can't see it coming. You can close your eyes, but your ears are unsheltered. The sound of the red and gold monkeys being torn from life would be forever embedded in his memory.

Chiro growled. "You won't get away with this."

He pushed open the door in front of him. Never before had he seen such a room. The ceiling towered what looked like miles above. The air was chilled, almost frozen, and yet his skin felt as though it were burning. The walls were black and stained with hatred and soot. The air smelled of burning sulfur, mixed with a potent vinegar, and Chiro fought his own gag reflex. There was an open hallway to his left, a hallway better lit than this entire room. And in the center, by far the eye-catcher of the room, was a magnificent throne towering above Chiro's head. It was black as sin itself – blacker than darkness. And sitting in this throne was the Lord Skeleton King himself. And from him, and yet it seemed from everywhere, came a horrible, dark, raspy chuckle.

"Can you be so foolish, boy?"

Chiro snarled.

"Or perhaps boy is not the correct term. You have put up quite a fight. Some of my best formless generals have fallen to your hand. Your skills with the Power Primate have grown into near mastery. You have power. Immense power. You are much like me."

Chiro scowled. "I'm NOTHING like you! I am the OPPOSITE of you!"

"Well-trained, a hunger for perfection, a desire to take charge over others."

Chiro's frown weakened slightly.

The Skeleton King lowered his gigantic staff so that the tip was just above Chiro's head. "Join me Chiro. Help me to rule the cosmos. You will rule by my side. Entire galaxies will bow at your feet." He paused a moment before adding, "You cannot say you don't want it."

"No!" Chiro yelled, knocking away the staff above him, "I will never join you!"

"Then," the Skeleton King smiled, "you will die."

The Dark Lord jumped from throne and leapt toward Chiro, trying to conquer him with a single bound, but Chiro quickly dodged out of the way. His wrath began to grow, spurring the growth of a yellow rod of energy in his palm. "Chiro Spearo!" The blow hit the Skeleton King, but he did not wince, he did not cry out, he did not even blink. Chiro gasped aloud. "What?"

"Stupid boy – did I overestimate you?"

The Skeleton King unleashed a large purple wave toward Chiro as he cackled loudly. Chiro dropped to his stomach to avoid it, and the beam removed a small section of the top his helmet. Chiro snapped his entire helmet off as he stood to his feet – nobody to radio anyway – and returned fire. "Monkey fu!!" The blow struck right to the Skeleton King's stomach. But still, it had no effect. "No… no!"

With a single hand and a mastery of telekinetic powers, the Skeleton King slammed Chiro's entire body to the ground, holding pressure upon him. With all of his force Chiro struggled to stand – to move at all, but it was no good.

"Chiro… You have great power. Your training with the Power Primate far surpasses any I have ever seen. But still you are weak! You play only with the good side of the Power Primate – based on love and dependability. But oh Chiro, there is so much more. Learn to hate, to yearn for destruction. Hunger endlessly for your own self-advancement. Do this, and your power will be unmatched in the universe!"

"F-- you, Skeleton King."

Chiro felt the pressure on his body increase.

"You would choose to die?"

Chiro gasped for air as he responded. "I don't want your power Skeleton King! To die having been loved is way better than living having been feared – hated! Even if I fail today, someone will defeat you. You will fall!"

"Defeat me? Ha! I think not." The Skeleton King looked toward a formless guard standing in a far corner near the bright hallway. The Dark Lord nodded at him and said, "It is time – bring them out."

The guard went down the lighted hall and after a few moments, reappeared with two dull-colored lumps behind him in chains. Instants later Chiro recognized them as a badly mangled Gibson and Otto. Their metal shells were severely damaged. Gibson had crusted red between his metal joints, and the peak on Otto's helmet was completely broken off, revealing the underlying circuitry. Their metal was chipped and broken in pieces, and Gibson no longer had a thumb on his left hand. The guard slung them forward and they landed with a clang and a groan in front of the Skeleton king. Otto was the first of the two to look up toward the tattered boy.

"Chiro!" He tried to yell, his voice hoarse and raspy. "You're alive!"

"Otto…" Chiro felt the sting of tears in his dry eyes, "Gibson…" He had seen his companions in pretty bad shape before, but never like this. They were so dirty and broken he had a hard time identifying which of them was who.

Gibson gulped and rallied his strength before proclaiming, "Chiro! I'm sorry! I failed you!" His voice began to waver. "I tried to lead the outer forces! We had motivation and strength! We had drive!" Gibson gulped, "We had skill and perseverance… but they had more." Gibson now had to stop every few words to take a deep breath, and to hold back his own tears. "They had power! They had a never-ending force! We couldn't even put a dent in their forces, and people kept falling! Or being captured, or falling into the dark waves below." Gibson could no longer hold back, and began to sob. "Chiro, they kept falling. And I was injured – I was only concerned with restoring my own health. When I returned, everyone was gone! They took control of the Super Robot. They captured me with Neeketah. And Jinmay…"

"What Gibson? What about Jinmay?" Chiro sobbed.

"They dismantled her Chiro. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

"No! Jinmay!" Tears flowed down Chiro's cheeks as well as Gibson's.

"What a pathetic sob fest!" The Skeleton King jeered.

Chiro felt the pressure upon him increase once more. He now had to force his chest to rise and fall.

"Do you see, boy? Do you see now the weakness of the Power Primate? Of your companions? All you know is destroyed. Your city, your home, your family, your precious girlfriend. All destroyed."

"But at least I will not die alone."

"Oh Chiro, can you be so foolish? When you die, you will be COMPLETELY alone!"

The Skeleton King held out his left hand, the one not holding Chiro down, and pointed it at the blue and green monkeys. A glowing ball of purple energy began to form in his hand. Chiro had seen this before – they all had. The day the Skeleton King was first resurrected. This was the beam that ended the life of Valina, vaporizing her in a cloud of darkness. This was the beam that would end the lives of Gibson and Otto.

Chiro immediately recognized it. "Run! Otto! Gibson! Move!"

They struggled, but lacked any strength to stand. Gibson had just enough energy to place his hand in Otto's, and to tightly wrap their fingers together. Lastly, Gibson looked up at the crying boy.

"Goodbye Chiro."

The beam fired a flaming mass of dark Power Primate energy. Both monkeys held each other rightly as the power took effect, but they did not scream. Though pure evil seared through their bodies and life itself was taken from them, they refused to cry out – to scar Chiro further, to give the Dark Lord any further satisfaction. They simply winced, gritting their teeth, praying for an end to their pain. Chiro could not bear the sight. He saw them in the midst of the energy, turned his head, and when he looked back once more, they were gone.

The pressure upon Chiro released, but still he did not move. His face remained against the floor as he graciously watered the ground. Antauri had been pulled apart. Sprx and Nova were blasted to smithereens. Jinmay had been dismantled and now Otto and Gibson were vaporized before his very eyes. The Skeleton King had destroyed his family. He had destroyed his home. He had destroyed his life. He had nothing.

"Skeleton King…" Chiro opened his eyes at last, "you will PAY FOR THIS!!" Chiro stood up and instantly became encased within a glowing green gorilla-shaped mass of energy – the inner primate. He charged at the Skeleton King, picked him up and threw him at the nearby wall. As soon as the Skeleton King hit the ground Chiro opened his mouth and yelled, "MONKEY MIND SCREAM!!" The reverberating energy slammed the Skeleton King even harder against the wall, and sent Power Primate sparks surging through his body. But Chiro wasn't finished yet. He charged toward the dark master and leapt up, landing on the Dark Lord's stomach. Chiro then began dealing punches wherever he could. The Skeleton King's face, his chest, his head were all hit – until the Dark Lord caught one of his fists in his huge clawed hand.

The Skeleton King jumped up and twisted Chiro's arm around behind his back. Then ran at the opposite wall, slamming Chiro's body into it, with his arm still twisted behind his back. "There's the Chiro we all know and hate!" The Skeleton King pulled Chiro's arm harder, and Chiro's body surged with pain. "I knew it wouldn't take much to motivate you, boy. Such obvious, pathetic weakness."

Chiro gasped for breath; it was hard enough to control the inner primate without being slammed into walls, much less with it. But he couldn't let go of his form – Skeleton King would squash him like a bug.

The evil master let up on the force for a moment, and Chiro took a small breath in the second he had.

"You should know that Antauri didn't die the instant you left him." Skeleton King chuckled to himself.

"What?" The winded boy gasped.

"No, the formless brought him back directly to me. We had a score to settle."

"He could barely move when I left him! You still – "

"It was my pleasure to give him what he finally deserved. In his last words he swore you would succeed. Then I killed him. Spiraling shocks of electricity pulsed through his metallic body." The Skeleton King spoke directly into to Chiro's ear. "You should have heard him scream…"

"Graaaaaah!" Still in his primate form, Chiro ran up the wall and over the Skeleton King's head, and pushed him hard into the wall. "Don't talk about him that way!"

The Skeleton King then pushed back against the wall, falling backwards and squishing Chiro. But with great force, Chiro pushed the Skeleton King off with his green primate legs. Both jumped to their feet and faced each other. The Skeleton King smiled grimly once more. "And when I was brought the scrap metal of the red and yellow monkeys…"

"SHUT UP!!" Chiro leapt up trying to land on the Skeleton King, but he quickly moved out of the way. Chiro landed on his stomach on the ground, but swiftly grabbed the Skeleton King's leg, slamming him against the wall once more. But Chiro didn't stop just once. He stood to his feet, pulling the Skeleton King back and again threw him against the wall, and again, and again, like a baby angry at a toy, wanting so much for it to break, but having no success. "You murderer! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

And even though Chiro didn't notice, he was changing. His green monkey-shaped aura began to alter. The bright green slowly became a deep blue, and finally a sickly purple. His anger escalated, the wrath inside ripened and strengthened, and Chiro's eyes grew red. And despite the fact that a few brief moments ago he felt like he was going to pass out, he now felt awakened, renewed, invigorated. "I HATE YOU!" Finally, he released. Chiro stood up and look at the Skeleton King now sitting in the corner. "Monkey Mind Scream!!" A dark purple energy shot from the violet monkey's mouth. It hit the Skeleton King, and he shrieked in pain. Then once more he sat upright, stunned.

Chiro also stood, stunned, and spoke with a voice deeper and more coarse than his own. "Get up! Get up and fight, coward!"

The Skeleton King opened his eyes, glaring at his enemy. Then, as an odd twist of fate, he smiled. "It's about TIME!" While he was still speaking, the Skeleton King lifted his hand, and Chiro immediately felt a choke hold at his throat. Chiro finally realized his transformation, noticing his purple shroud. He tried to change back, to power down out of his monkey form, but he could not. He had too much energy – too much power.

"What's the matter Chiro? More than you can control?" The Skeleton king picked the struggling child up by his neck and threw him against the far wall. "You are a fool, Chiro, and your foolishness has destroyed you!" With a flick of the Skeleton King's dark wrist, Chiro crashed into yet another wall.

The boy opened his mouth and spoke once more with his unnatural voice. "What… What did you do to me?"

"Ha, ha, ha, Chiro. You have done this all to yourself. Your hatred has transformed your energy. Welcome, Chiro, to the dark side of the Power Primate!"

"But, but I don't want this! I never wanted this!"

"It's too late, boy. You cannot defeat me! Your skills are great, but mine are greater!" Chiro once more felt his air passage close.

Chiro wheezed through his blocked passage, "Then why don't you just kill me?"

"Because, foolish child, for some reason I cannot have full control of this world without you! You and your Power Primate are stopping me! But now, now it will be mine!" The Skeleton King drew an odd black glow in his hand. It permeated from his claws and wrapped around Chiro's purple essence, as if it were sizing him up. Finally it latched onto him. "Hyyyyaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuugh!"

"Hey kid, wake up!"

"I'm Chiro."

"I'm Jinmay! Haha, I think he likes you."

"I think I like him, too."

"I won't let my fear stop me anymore!"

"Oh what a collection you'll be! Tick tock!"

"He gave me these! I think these are his hands!"

"What? Only Sprx can make jokes? You'll find I can be most humorous!"

"Chiro has weaknesses Mandarin can and will exploit."

"Don't worry, the kid is nothing like Mandarin."

"Are you accepting applications?"

"Applications?"

"For… membership!"

"That is just wrong."

"It's a book on philosophy. It takes approximately ninety-seven human years to read!"

"Ninety-seven years? I'll start tomorrow."

"Know what I love about 7? The peace and quiet."

"Wait… how can you understand our primate tongue?"

"You are better than any human."

"You're wrong. I'm the same – except for one thing. I've got five super robot monkeys backin' me up."

"Certainly popcorn is the superior snack!"

"If only we'd used it earlier – on you."

"I hate desert planets…"

"As far away as yesterday, and yet, as close as tomorrow."

"Sheesh! He talks like you Antauri!"

"How did you do that? You didn't even look!"

"I foresaw that you might give up."

"Great, and we've got Mr. I'm-a-Has-Been-Child-Actor piloting us."

"Like you can do better Mr. I-Travel-With-Chimps!"

"I'm afraid that the chances of finding a single rogue asteroid amongst millions is astronomical!"

"Or even asteroid-nomical!"

"You wanna end this? Do ya? Cuz I can help ya out!"

"Why don't you just stay here? Bake some cookies, or a –"

"A knuckle sandwich? For you?"

"I can't believe we're goin' out like this! Crushed by a 200 foot gangster colon!"

"No Gibson, the problem lies not in my body or mind, but within my spirit."

"I have seen the beginning and end of all created things. I've even seen your precious Chosen One fall before the might of the Dark Ones."

"That will never happen!"

"Surely as Shuggazoom will fall, so the universe will follow."

"Antauri, I've failed you."

"You've failed your world!"

"All this so you could bow to something uglier than yourself. You're no king. You're a slave."

"We're gonna miss you Antauri."

"My logic shall lead us to Chiro."

"The kid's actin' on instinct, and that's my department!"

"I return, monkey team. Reborn!"

"Maybe Antauri was right! Maybe the Super Robot really is more than a machine."

"Oh, their gut! Why didn't ya say so?"

"Sheesh, does a monkey have to get killed around here to get some attention?"

"No, he just has to ask."

"Then it's time for the master to say goodbye!!"

"You know, you and the Super Robot make a great team."

"He says he's already part of a great team."

"You're not nervous are ya? Want me to hold your hand?"

"How about you hold my foot up your-"

"I'm going back out to look for Nova!"

"Sprx, no! And that's an order."

"It's my fault she's out there."

"Is it me, Chiro? I don't know anymore. I've seen so much. The beginning of the universe... the creation of time, space, and reality itself."

"Wow."

"There's nothing I can do…"

"Garf!"

"Sprx, be careful!"

"Fight it Sprx!"

"I know what I'm meant to do!"

"I love you too much to lose you!"

"Let the war between the living and the dead, BEGIN!!"

"Chiro?"

"Go, Chiro!"

"Chiro, help! Help!"

"Goodbye Chiro…"

Chiro opened his eyes. The blackness had eaten through his Power Primate and latched onto his body. He felt frail and weak, as if his body at any moment could snap in half. He could see the blurred image of the Skeleton King looming over him.

"Your power feels good, boy. You know I tried this once before – when I was merely a spirit back at the Varon Temple. But your Power Primate was pure then – and of no use to me. But this – now it courses through me giving me new power, and I feel as though I could conquer the universe. And I have you to thank, Chiro."

His strength continued to wane, as life itself began to leave his body. The Power Primate had flown through his veins too long – replacing blood, hormones, and nerves. Without it, his body was shutting down. He had no force on which to live. He felt his limbs begin to fail. He could not move, he could not make a sound. Again his eyes squeezed shut and time slowed to where it felt as though it weren't passing at all. His heart stopped. His mind faded into utter blackness.

"No monkey team member is ever alone…"

The black essence unwrapped itself from Chiro's pale form, and reentered the Skeleton King's hand like a snake entering a hole. He audibly groaned as the power entered him, gasping as his own strength grew – the dark Power Primate filled him. "Ahhh… at last…" He held his hand out to the far wall and squeezed his hand a tad. In an instant the entire wall moved back a foot.

The Skeleton King cackled and stared down at the empty form of the pathetic Chiro, a small boy in street clothes surrounded by a white space suit. His skin was white, his eyes were closed, and his mouth sat open, as if gasping for air that refused to come. "And now, to get rid of the last remaining hope of Shuggazoom city… of the universe!"

And that ball of destruction, of total annihilation now pointed at the empty carcass that was once the protector of the cosmos. It sucked in all light and darkness alike, all feelings of hope and joy. "Now Chiro goodb–"

CRASH!
Rocks fell down from the ceiling, crashing to the floor and breaking, the whole world shook with one motion. And in that instant the ball of evil disappeared as a substance emerged through the debris. Illuminated by the pale green light pouring into the darkness, the rubble cleared, and there, majestically, stood the Super Robot.

"No… no! My minions were supposed to demolish you!" the Skeleton King snarled loudly. On the Super Robot's metal face one could almost perceive a smile. The Robot glanced down, seeing Chiro's limp form on the floor. Within a terrible moment the mechanical knees buckled, and he stumbled down upon them with an enormous thud.

The Skeleton King's deep rumbling laugh reemerged. "That's right – you were too late to save him. Only a matter of minutes has passed, but you missed it."

The Robot picked up the limp body and leveled him down within a panel in the Robot's palm. The Skeleton King snorted. "A foolish place to bury a child – but no matter. Soon you too will be destroyed. And finally all of the Power Primate will belong to me!"

The Skeleton King's dark form glowed purple and he began to grow larger and larger, until he was even taller than the Super Robot. "Old fool…" The Skeleton King grabbed the Robot's shoulder. Purple sparks ran through the metallic body, circuits smacked and cracked as the sparks flew. Finally, he released, and the Super Robot shuddered to stay on his hands and knees. "Had enough?"

The Super Robot sat for a moment, calculating what may be to come. But deep inside, a change was occurring that would alter the outcome of the entire universe's survival.

A/N: Please tell me if there's something you don't understand! Many things will probably become clear once I get the second part up! Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you thought of the first part in a review, and I'll be sure to get the second part up soon! I promise it will be soon!

RobotMonkeys4Ever, one of the Great Mysteries of the Universe