Author's Note: The usual disclaimer: All Alvin and the Chipmunks characters are copyright to their original creators. But the story, and my original characters are all my own work.

Neptune's Palace - Part 8

Theodore raced to follow the speeding trident down the twists and turns of the underground waterway, making his path - in a stream of bubbles - past seaweed and fish poking their heads out of their homes, only to retreat back in as they saw the trident, Theodore, Remy, and the large electric eel barreling after them.

He wondered just how far the trident planned to take them this time - maybe straight to King Neptune? He didnt know for sure. If anything, chasing after the trident was keeping his mind occupied on something else other than the eel rushing after him and Remy.

Remy hadn't been far behind him in the rush, but after they'd reached an open stretch in the water, he glanced back out of the corner of his eye, seeing Remy suddenly sink to the ocean floor, and the eel quickly closed the gap between them.

"Remy!" Theodore cried, and he realized he had a decision to make, and fast. Should he help Remy and risk getting barreled by the eel who approached quicker with each stride, or continue to chase the trident when it was so close within the reach of his limbs? It wasn't like he could do both, because just as soon as he'd go for one, the other would be quickly out of reach.

Theodore only hesitated a second before stopping in the water, and turning back to help his new friend. Remy lay on the sands, gripping his injured arm, teeth clinched and groaning as the eel closed in.

But Theodore had a plan, since the eel's attention focused on Remy. He managed to swim over the shifting black body of the eel, position himself behind it, and used his octilegs to grab ahold of the eel's tail. Theodore pulled as hard as he could in the opposite direction of where the monstrous eel opened his jaws wide, about to devour Remy.

Remy opened his eyes at the moment before he saw the eel nearly clamped on him, jaws wide and pointed. He cried out, but he saw the beast's own surprised expression with suddenly being yanked backwards, and Remy saw Theodore swimming a distance up and away, having clamped on the back of the beast's body.

Remy noticed that the eel wasn't as charged as he'd been when Theodore and him first encountered the beast. But he realized quickly that Theodore could be shocked with a moments notice if the eel got agitated.

Before he could shout a warning, the beast did exactly that. Its body suddenly sent out a brilliant shimmer of blue electric light, one that enveloped Theodore along with it. Theodore let out a startled, strangled cry.

"Theodore, NO!" Remy struggled to pull himself upright, but his head wavered, and he couldn't move from where he'd landed on the ocean sands. He'd been hit with a wave of dizziness followed by the pain in his arm, which had made him tired and suddenly drop when the beast barreled after them.

What was wrong with him? Theodore was definitely in trouble and he was powerless to be able to help him. The more he moved, the more he struggled to swim toward where the beast had turned his attention to Theodore, who floated in stunned suspension, Remy couldn't get the strength to move.

An overwhelming darkness began to take his vision. He struggled to keep his eyes focused. If only he could stay awake...

Suddenly, a brilliant beam of warm light struck the eel with a powerful blow, sending it spiraling and crashing into a bed of nearby coral. The creature shrieked and writhed, and it tried to regain its composure, only to be struck again with the same golden stream of blasts.

Remy recognized it as the same light that glowed around the trident. He knew that Theodore had raced after it, but abandoned it to help him.

So who had the trident now? Or was it doing it on its own?

When Remy turned his head, he saw the majestic form of King Neptune swimming from a distance away, his trident aimed at the eel and firing multiple blasts.

"Stay back, vermin, and return to the dwelling you belong. This is MY kingdom." King Neptune's voice had a rumble that stirred the waters around Remy, and he could feel the power of the sea god if even from the timbre of his voice. It shook him a little more awake than he'd been before, but Remy still struggled against the pain in his arm.

The eel retreated, swimming back furiously along the path it came, and back into the twists and turns of the cave. Remy saw Theodore's jaw drop in surprise when he recovered from the shock from the creature. It looked like Theodore had been stunned, but not hurt too badly. That was at least a good thing.

But Remy felt fatigue overtake him again, and his merbody sank to the sands as he closed his eyes. He could hear Theodore call out to him from a distance, but he felt a pair of hands lift him up from the ocean floor.

"Well now, it's been a while since I've had strangers roam into my domain, let alone those struck by poison magic. He's lucky to have survived this long under its influence. I take it he's your company?"

Remy could hear King Neptune's voice right against him, and while he couldn't see the sea god, he could tell that the King held his shoulders.

"H-he's m-my f-friend," Remy heard Theodore stammer. Then he heard Theodore's voice register with shock. "Poisoned! You mean he's..."

"He'll be fine, young one. This will only take a moment, though I'm afraid I may put him at discomfort for a little while longer." Neptune said.

Remy felt a shocking burn run down his arm . A yelp came out of his throat, but just as soon as the shiver ran down his arm, it went away. His arm felt normal again, and he didn't feel as tired anymore.

His eyes flickered open. Floating in the water beside him, steadying him was the Sea God himself, sporting a long white and grey beard that reached his chest. His long green tail shimmered in the light of the moon streaming down into the water.

"Are you all right now, young one? I've cured the poison within you, so that wound should not only heal, but you're out of danger from any of the effects of the weapon the pirate used upon you."

Remy nodded in silence, unable to speak. He righted himself in the water and looked over toward Theodore.

"You okay?" Remy asked.

Theodore nodded. "I think so. Though that eel really stung."

"It didn't hurt you as badly because of the natural magic in your limbs," King Neptune said. "I take it you are the two who broke through the lock upon my domain, and returned my trident."

Remy and Theodore looked at each other before nodding to the sea god. They weren't sure whether they were in trouble with the King or whether he was grateful. His booming voice and stern demeanor made it hard to judge.

"That means you both foiled my son's plans. Two mortals at that. What are the odds?" The king's voice relaxed, and with it, the two were less on edge.

"Your son?" Remy asked.

"Siran. He's half mortal, half of my blood, which means he demonstrates abilities that he abuses. He even managed to trick me out of my trident."

"What?" Theodore and Remy said at the same time.

"When a god courts a mortal, usually their sons and daughters inherit abilities that are beyond a mortal's natural abilities," King Neptune explained. "Siran's body shifts states of water, far more than a mortal should possess. He's learned to wield its powers on his own. I've watched him from afar, and I had been warned he would turn against me by those living on Olympus, but I was too stubborn to see the truth - that he'd been bitter and blamed me for not being in his life."

"That's not your fault - he's your son, right?"

King Neptune nodded. "I take it you two have met Siran in some form."

"He banished us here," Remy said, scowling. He told the story about how he and Theodore had ended up in Neptune's realm, their encounter with the pirates, and how they managed to end up there. The sea god listened carefully, nodding between turns in the story.

"I owe you both as much to return to your home safely. Follow me." King Neptune turned, and swam with powerful strides ahead of them.

Remy and Theodore grinned, realizing that they could, finally, be able to go home.

But Remy's grin faded almost as soon as it came when he saw Theodore swimming ahead of him, because as relieved as he was, he wasn't sure if he had a home to return to.

"There really hasn't been anyone here but maintenance and staff, Mr. Seville. I can personally vouch for that. But I did meet Theodore earlier - bright little fellow I must say," Tony stretched his limbs, having had some time off before returning to work his shift. He'd met with Dave and Mrs. Miller as they'd entered the main gate, calling each of the names of the Chipmunks and Chipettes.

Mrs. Miller was a little more demanding, but Dave managed to keep the conversation level, and Tony had been cooperative enough to answer all of their questions.

"That means if Theodore was here, the boys and girls must've came out to look for him," Dave mused. "You haven't seen anyone out here tonight? At all?"

Tony shook his head, sadly. "It's been mostly quiet. I've had to tell the parents of the boy who went missing here days ago the same thing. We'll have a look around and if we see anything at all, we'll let you know and get your boys and girls back to you."

"Thanks, Tony," Dave said gratefully.

Before Tony could say anything else, several loud crashes and yells came from a distance away from the park entrance.

"What was that?" Dave shouted.

"Sounded like it came from the Hall of Rivers," Tony said, his expression becoming firm, before he held up his radio. "Johnston, Carter. Code 214 on the Hall of Rivers. I need you there now."

Tony rushed toward the Hall of Rivers, with Dave and Mrs. Miller following anxiously, but none of them expected the streams of water looping from the windows like ribbon strings suspended in air.

"What on earth?" Tony said, his mouth falling open, and nearly dropping the radio in his hand.

"You can say that again," Dave said, equally stunned. But Dave shook off his shock just as soon as it came, racing toward the building.

"Mr. Seville, wait a minute!" Tony began.

"My kids could be in there!" Dave said, long enough to answer Tony before racing inside the building.

Theodore looked around Neptune's lair, his eyes wide in taking in all the underwater columns and stony figures.

"Can you believe all of this Remy? It's so huge!"

Remy whistled lightly, his eyes scanning the area. "You would never think all of this could fit underwater."

The slightest hint of a smile crossed King Neptune's face. "Well, it is my kingdom after all."

He motioned to the two of them, and they all floated above a shimmering crevice which held some other liquid in its confines, but didn't leak out into the water around them.

"What is that?" Theodore asked.

"A portal for you both. I can transport you back to your world, but I'll need you to put your hands on the rim in order for it to recognize you before you leave."

"But what about Siran? If we go back to the water park..." Remy began, but King Neptune shook his head.

"You leave Siran to me."

Theodore saw Remy's eyes widen but he didn't say anything further.

Theodore wanted to ask so many questions of King Neptune. He had no question that he was definitely the god of the seas, but he wanted to know more, ask more, and even be able to tell Alvin how he'd been wrong about Neptune's existence in the first place. But the only question Theodore found himself asking was the most pressing one on his mind.

"Will we ever see you again...um...your Highness?"

"Perhaps in time, but for now, I'll have to close this tear between the realms after you leave, so that no others can be banished against their will. If anyone decides to banish anyone, it should be me."

Theodore gulped, glad that he wasn't on the receiving end of Neptune's ire.

Remy and Theodore grabbed the edges of the portal with their hands. Neptune waved his trident over the face of the portal, as it started to shift colors.

Suddenly, Remy and Theodore noticed a glow around their necks, as two jade pendants dangled and materialized. Neptune smiled.

"A parting gift."

Theodore smiled as a light enveloped them, and Neptune's true palace faded before their eyes.

"Hey, what's going on?" Reed cried out as the watery mirrors and tanks started shifting in form around them. Lex looked concerned, but otherwise unfazed.

Siran sneered. "Something from the other realm must be trying to work its way through. I'll have to cut their path short. Perhaps I can do two motions at once by banishing one of these brats in the realm. So who would be my next subject?"

Alvin gulped as Siran's eyes traveled between the Chipmunks and Chipettes. Siran's eyes lingered on Eleanor, whose lips quivered, but then he shook his head and sighed. "I think I'd much rather try the annoying one."

That's when Alvin felt himself being lifted up in midair, watery cuffs around his wrists and ankles.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Alvin protested, and struggled against the grip, but as Siran guided Alvin with watery magic toward the portal, he knew that he was in over his head.

"Let him go!" Brittany cried. "Sure, I think he's annoying too, but he doesn't deserve that!"

"That's not helping, Brittany!" Alvin said, scowling. But as he approached the glowing column of shifting water, he gulped.

"Say your last goodbyes while you still can, chipmunk." Siran said, but just as soon as he did, a rush of water came out of several of the mirrors, spiraling in ribbons out into the area.

One nearly slammed into Lex's face, but he ducked just in time. "Siran, are you doing this?"

"No, I'm not," Siran growled. He plunged his hand into one of the watery portals, but found he couldn't pull it out again. He struggled against it, his teeth gritted.

"SIRAN!" A booming voice emerged around the room, causing the Chipmunks and Chipettes to gasp.

Alvin saw Siran grimace, but his angry expression didn't change. "Father...how did this happen?"

"You should've never deceived me, my son. The only one who will be banished to any realm is YOU!"

That's when Alvin saw Siran being pulled into the watery mirror, and he didn't miss the look of fear on Siran's face before he screamed "NO!" and disappeared into the mirror.

Lex and Reed's mouths dropped at about the same time. Alvin would've laughed, if the water didn't still hold him captive.

"Hey! Get me down from here!" Alvin yelled.

At about the time his statement finished, the cuffs disappeared and he dropped like a rock to the ground.

"A little softer next time maybe..." Alvin grumbled, but got to his feet, unhurt. Simon, Brittany, Eleanor and Jeanette all were released from their watery confines at about the same time, but the columns of water continued to swirl around the room in ribbons around the air. None of them touched the dry floor, but if gravity suddenly kicked in, the whole place would be flooded with the amount of water that was around the room.

"What's going on? Why is this happening?" Reed said, trembling with fear as his back touched the bare wall. "Who was that voice, and where did it take Siran?"

"I don't believe it," Simon said, adjusting his glasses. "If Siran was talking to his father, then that must mean that voice belonged to..."

"Neptune, the Roman sea god!" Jeanette finished, startled.

"No way!" Alvin and Brittany said at the same time.

Several more water columns appeared around the room, swerving like snakes around the area and breaking out several windows.

Lex and Reed grabbed Alvin and Brittany from behind.

"We aren't done with you yet, you've ruined everything coming here and while Siran may not be here, it doesn't mean we won't stop you from..."

Before Lex could finish, a column of water slammed into him, knocking him from his feet to the floor.

"You leave my brother alone!" cried a familiar voice. Though he couldn't see where the voice came from, Alvin knew exactly who it was.

"Theodore!"

"Theodore?" Simon repeated, scanning the room, but he couldn't see his brother anywhere.

That's when a glowing light emerged from one of the watery mirrors, and out tumbled Theodore and a boy alongside him. Both of them were soaked with water from head to foot.

"Theodore!" Eleanor said, grinning.

"Remy..." Reed said, scowling at the boy. His hold still gripped Brittany, who tried to squirm out of his arms.

Remy narrowed his eyes, clutching a pendant around his neck. "I've got him, Theodore." The pendant glowed, and a column of water rushed into Reed, causing him to release Brittany and slam into a nearby wall, drenched and coughing.

"This is a lot like playing with water guns," Theodore said, grinning at Remy. Remy smiled back.

"No kidding, only these are bigger."

"You guys are controlling those things?" Jeanette said, surprised.

"Not completely, but some of them we can, thanks to King Neptune," Theodore answered.

Lex looked ready to get to his feet again, but Theodore used his pendant to douse the columnist again with a rush of water. Lex collapsed to the ground, groaning and shivering from the cold, hardly believing what was going on around him.

"I think we're done," Remy said, his eyes turning upward to the watery streams in the air. "Thanks King Neptune, we've got it from here."

"Farewell," Neptune's voice boomed, before it, and the columns of water, disappeared without a trace.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What just happened?" Brittany said, scowling.

Alvin grinned, while putting an arm around both Remy and Theodore's shoulders. "I know what happened. These guys just got creamed by a kid, my brother, and a sea god!"

"So that's everything that happened, Dave. I'm so, so sorry," Theodore's lip trembled as Dave, Alvin, and Simon sat beside him on a bench in the Hall of Rivers, while "Oceania's Breath" played in the background. A towel draped over Theodore's shoulders to keep him warm. Many security officers stood in the area, surveying the damage from the water columns, and a few of them escorting a disgruntled Reed and Lex from the area. Reed kept mumbling something about needing a lawyer, but Theodore didn't hear all of what he'd said.

"I don't believe this..." Dave said, running his fingers through his hair. Theodore frowned, but Dave looked at him and smiled.

"No, Theodore, I meant that I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself before the water disappeared. But I guess the water park's blaming it on an accident and those two men for kidnapping. I'm just glad you guys are all right."

Theodore saw Dave looking over at a distance to where Miss Miller hugged each of the Chipettes tightly, and shook his head when Brittany fussed over how tight Miss Miller hugged her. Beyond them, Remy Turant stood with his parents and little sister, embracing each of them. Theodore saw Remy look over his way and wave with a small grin. He waved back, and Theodore was glad that Remy was able to be back with his own family.

"Does that mean we're not in as much trouble as we otherwise would've been? Because it's not like we snuck out just to take a joyride through the park," Alvin said.

Simon gave Alvin a hard nudge in the ribs. Alvin sheepishly grinned.

"Oh, no. You boys are still in trouble," Dave said, frowning. That made all three of the chipmunks wince. "But at least I understand why you did what you did. It was brave, but still very, very dangerous, and all three of you should've told me what was going on." Dave sighed and shook his head. "For now, I think we should go home."

"Okay Dave," the Chipmunks said in unison.

Before leaving Neptune's Palace, Theodore ran into Remy again.

"Can I see you again sometime, Theodore?" Remy asked.

"Sure! I mean, we don't live too far away from here, so if you ever wanna meet up sometime, that'd be awesome." Theodore said, but then paused and frowned. "But um...how are you and your mom and dad? Are they mad at you?"

Remy shook his head. "It kinda surprised me. I mean, they wouldn't stop hugging me and apologizing. Even my little sister seemed happy to see me. I mean, I was apologizing for running off and saying what I did, but I guess they...really cared."

"I told you they would," Theodore said.

Remy smiled. "Yeah, I guess you did. But as weird of an experience as it was, I'm glad we met, Theodore."

"Me too. Do you think we'll ever see King Neptune again?"

Remy shrugged. "I dunno, but I think it'd be cool if we could. I'm just glad that no one can be banished through the Hall of Rivers anymore, and that Neptune's Palace can stay open. Did you see the Rivera brothers - the guys who manage this place? They gave our family free tickets and everything!"

Theodore nodded, recalling when both of the Rivera brothers came up to Dave, Alvin and Simon to tell them about how Theodore had told them about the problems in the park, and they'd apologized for all the trouble. Dave had been totally forgiving about the whole thing, Theodore thought, but he realized that they couldn't have known that the reporter and one of their own higher staff members were trying to sabotage the place.

As for Siran, Theodore didn't know what happened to him, but he knew King Neptune wouldn't let him off the hook so easy.

Remy's mom called out to him and he waved to Theodore before joining his family.

Theodore walked past the fountain where Neptune's statue stood and grinned. He fingered the pendant around his neck.

But just before Theodore went to join his brothers and Dave, he thought he saw the eyes of the statue twinkling. Maybe it wouldn't be too long before he could have another adventure like that again. Only this time, he'd be the one to explore on his own terms.

Maybe he was getting a little braver, after all.

The End