Nightmare

A SRMTHFG Fanfiction

Sequel to His Legacy, Part Three of the Disaster Trilogy.

They think it's over. Too bad, they don't realize evil cannot be fully vanquished.

On the eve of Chiro's birthday, a spirit arrives. But no good spirit—it torments young Chiro, and he slowly begins to lose himself… But, the spiritual silver member of the team is on a journey to the far reaches of the galaxy, now, to find the last missing link to Chiro's hazy past: the only person who can save him.

Chapter One: Calm Before the storm

A soft, hissing sound echoed through the Super Robot. It was dawn, and the Hyperforce would wake up soon. The hiss then turned into a quiet laughter that would chill anyone to the bone.

"So many memories lost in this place," a voice whispered. "But, new ones to be regained. I just have to find his body."

An apparition floated down the hall; it contained no form, no shape, nothing. It radiated malevolence, hatred, evil. It suddenly stopped at a doorway and peered in. If it could have, it would have smiled. This was the room it was looking for…

But it couldn't. The room was now filled with sunlight. It took too long to find this one particular room. Of course, the Super Robot was big. It took a long time for outsiders to find anything.

The apparition looked out the bedroom's window as it began to fade. The moon was almost full. Tonight. Tonight, at midnight, the full moon would be in the center of the sky, and it would return to claim what it had lost.

As it vanished from sight, a mumbling could be heard from the room it had been peering into.

Chiro finally woke up.

—

"Now, Antauri, we're setting up the stuff for Chiro's birthday party, so make sure he doesn't come anywhere near the main room," Gibson told the silver simian.

Antauri nodded. He left to find the birthday boy.

He found Chiro in his room, looking through a small book with a red cover. Antauri's robotic heart pounded in his chest. That was the book that Chiro kept as a record of him being…

The Skeleton Prince.

But, of course, the pages were empty. Or, so he thought.

Antauri peered at the page Chiro was on. He activated his binocular vision, and he could see…words. He gasped. But, catching himself, he read.

But before he could, Chiro slammed the book shut and threw it out of his room. It hit the far wall in the hallway, falling page-down on the cold metal floor. Chiro then ran out of his room. Antauri could see that Chiro was about to fall down, but the boy stumbled along as he continued to run. He never saw Antauri standing there.

The party would have to wait.

Antauri reached out and grabbed the small red book. He opened the pages, and saw something new on the very first one:

My time has come again. This time, he will submit to my power. There is no escape.

On the next one, it said this:

The time of the Skeleton Prince has come again.

Antauri froze. The book fell out of his nerveless fingers. He echoed the movements of his young leader; only, he was going to find Chiro.

—

He found Chiro sitting on the shoulder of the Super Robot, anxiety emanating from him as he watched the sun. It was almost five, meaning the sun was setting.

"Chiro." Antauri spoke softly.

Chiro didn't answer. He didn't even seem like he was listening.

Antauri walked slowly up to him and put a metallic hand on his shoulder. Chiro's reaction was amazing. He flung himself backwards and sideways; if not for that, he would have completely jumped off the Super Robot and to a sure death. He landed with a thud, his breathing heavy in fright.

"It is just me, Chiro," Antauri said, shocked by Chiro's sudden reaction. He stepped forward.

Chiro didn't speak. He just stood up and slowly backed away. Then, he finally spoke two words.

"He's coming."

"I know," the silver monkey answered, nodding his head. "I read the book. Your journal."

"I…I need to go home…" Chiro murmured, as if in a daze. "I need to go…home…" He sat down and shook his head slowly.

"Chiro, no, running isn't going to help," Antauri stated, kneeling down next to his friend. "We need to face this, together. Remember what happened last time?"

Chiro's hand unconsciously went to his heart.

"I remember," he whispered. "I remember a lot of things. Weird things, good things, but mostly, bad things. That seems to be the most common. I only have two things good in my life."

Antauri cocked his head, silently asking.

"The Hyperforce, and…" Chiro stopped suddenly. He didn't continue for a while. Antauri didn't press. He finally spoke, and Antauri could barely hear his voice.

He only caught one word. "…Family…"

Antauri blinked. The sun's light was fading, but he could see still. He wondered…Chiro never, ever mentioned his past to the team. Could the key be in his long-forgotten past? What had Chiro dealt with as a kid?

A soft voice reached him. "At least…hope…"

As Chiro got up to leave, Antauri grabbed his arm tightly. It seemed to clear his clouded mind and he whirled around to face the silver monkey. "What?"

"I don't want you leaving us, Chiro," Antauri said. "We can help. Besides…it's your birthday. We still have a party to celebrate."

Finally, at last, a smile creeped across Chiro's face.