Authors notes:
Watanuki-Kun: Hello everyone. Watanuki-Kun's here with a brand new story me and my good pal Tiger have being working for the last year. This fanfic is another one of these Kingdom Hearts fanfics mega crossovers that you're probably not worth your time but I assure this fanfic will be nothing alike. I and Tiger worked day and night in order to work to perfect this fanfic in every way possible. So now lay back and enjoy the prologue chapter and the first chapter as well.
Tiger Lover 16: Indeed, but let me have my say first. well folks it's taken us more than a few months, but it was worth it to publish this now. Anyone who's played the game Kingdom Hearts might experience a little head scratching at the start of this chapter, but after a few paragraphs it'll make more sense. You'll get more scenes like the game in the next few chapters but, like Watanuki-Kun here said, it's going to be more original and a bit of a wider scope, at least in the amount of series involved. Hopefully you'll enjoy this story as much as we're enjoying planning and writing it. Ok, I've said enough, on with the show!
It's Kingdom Hearts, Charlie Brown!
Prologue
In this universe there are many worlds. Worlds home to humans, anthropomorphic animals, wizards, heroes and all sorts of weird beings. And there are two realms that divide the universe, The Realm of Light, and The Realm of Darkness. For untold generations these realms have been separated, and light and darkness had been kept at balance. But things quickly change.
Our story takes place mainly in the Realm of Light. Here is where most worlds reside, and these worlds are watched over by a group of guardians. The Inner Circle, a group consisting of representatives from many worlds, the most powerful and wisest beings of their respective home worlds. Together, The Inner Circle watched over the Realm of Light, overcoming threats that no single hero or even God could conquer alone.
Despite this, the Inner Circle was rarely if ever gathered in its entirety. So it was a rare occasion that tonight, they were all informed to do just that.
The story being deep in the vacuum of space, the area between worlds. Overlooking a swirling blue vortex, we find a clear crystal platform. The meeting place for the Inner Circle. Though currently, only one was present.
Rachel Alucard, current head of the Alucard Vampire Clan, sat on one of her servants, Nago the cat, who had transmogrified himself into a comfortable arm chair. Her feet were rested on Gii the bat, a plump red creature and her magical familiar, who had no qualms with it's current position. In her right hand Rachel held out a cup, as her elderly butler, fellow vampire Vaklenhayn, poured some freshly brewed tea into it. Rachel took a sip of the tea, her eyes wandering across the otherwise empty platform. She was quickly annoyed by the lack of company.
"They're late" Rachel said plainly "Don't they know it's rude to keep your guest waiting? I have more important matters to attend to"
"Milady, please be patient. The envelope said to arrive tonight at 00:00 precisely. They'll be here just as instructed" Vaklenhayn tried to reassure her.
"I know how to read Vaklenhayn. I just can't wait any longer for their arrival. I have a busy schedule to attend to and I cannot simply wait here for rodents who won't show themselves" Rachel seethed.
"If you have plans to uphold to then please leave. Nobody is holding you hostage, dearest Rachel" The clan leader turned to see the speaker, an old green tortoise walking towards her, using a mystical staff to support himself like a cane.
Rachel smiled "Oogway. What a pleasant surprise. What took you so long? Was crawling all the way here tiring for an old turtle like you?"
"Perhaps I'm old, but these ancient bones can still move youngling" Oogway laughed at himself. Noticing she wasn't laughing along he asked "You look upset my dear. What could be so frustrating?"
"Haven't you noticed? The darkness… it's moving" Rachel place the cup on the table, looking into the vacuum of space.
"Oh yes, the darkness. No matter what we do it'll always come back. One cannot exist without the other. Trying to change nature's treasures is folly" Oogway said, sitting down in a chair next to Rachel's. Vaklenhayn offered him a cup of tea, but Oogway politely declined it. With a respectful vow the vampire butler slipped away.
"Indeed. It'd be pretty immature trying to change this. We should let someone with more experience deal with this kind of problem"
"Like who? It's not like you can find a hero on a silver platter" Spoke a third voice. Rachel and Oogway looked around for the speaker, but there was no need as he appeared before them in a burst of yellow smoke. He was a man with black hair with a streak of white through it, dressed in unusual clothes that one would associate with a wizard: An orange cape and neckpiece, blue robes, an orange sash and black leggings that also covered his feet in place of shoes. This man was Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme.
"Ever heard of knocking? You're a Houdini wannabe, always popping in like a prima donna. You simply can't enter a room without a fireworks display, can you? Aw, typical" Rachel insulted the sorcerer.
"I see your manners are as stunning as ever, Rachel. Still hasn't improved since our paths last crossed" Doctor Strange barked back.
"And I can see you haven't changed that ridicules attrite you're wearing. Still playing make believes?" Rachel mocked Strange's unusual orange garb.
"Still playing like a spoiled princess? When will you stop that disgraceful attitude of yours?" Doctor Strange said, shaking his head disapprovingly.
"We didn't come here to insult one another," Oogway interrupted their fight. "We can all do that later. Right now we must discuss the dire matter at hand"
"That's right. The darkness is approaching" An amphibious creature wearing blue pants and a long purple top hat appeared standing on top of Oogway's shell. The elderly turtle looked up at the creature with a small smile
"Polokus, my friend. You're still dreaming aren't you?"Oogway asked concerned.
"I'm afraid so. My masks are yet to be gathered" Polokus said to everyone. It became obvious by looking at him that the Bubble Dreamer was only here in an astral form.
"Poor Polokus. I feel so terrible for you," said a timid voice. Everyone turned to see a female echidna dressed in ancient garments enter the platform, accompanied by a cute blue creature known as a chao "I wish there was something we could do"
"Tikal, as much as I admire your empathy I'm not worried about my condition," Polokus smiled. "Creating the Glade of Dreams was the purpose of my existence. I knew that by finishing my work I'd have to conceal my powers, but I'm not worried. One day I'll be needed again, and on that day I will be awakened. But in the meantime, I can send my spiritual form here to help all of you"
"My, my, what a courageous sacrifice you had to pay. All that for the sake of those creatures you created? I can't decide if you're enjoying playing this martyr act or you do care about those inhabitants of your world. Either way you're the most fascinating organism I have ever met" Rachel complimented.
"Did I just hear Alucard complimenting?" Doctor Strange was startled. "Never in my wildest dreams had I excepted this cheeky child to flatter anyone"
Rachel, furious with his use of the word child summoned a lightning bolt to electrocute him. The other wise beings covered their eyes as the sorcerer's screams echoed. By the time the screaming stopped and they all thought it was safe to look Doctor Strange was on the floor, covered in black burns with smoke rising off of him.
"Ahem. I see you already started without us" A floating brown mask with several colourful feathers forming his hair, Aku-Aku appeared. Behind him the angelic Digimon Ophanimon stood tall and proud. And seconds later they were greeted by another figure, the leader of the Inner Circle and the most powerful being in the Realm of Light. Arceus, the original one.
"I trust there will be no need for further violence" Arceus began, Rachel folded her arms, glancing down at the crispy Doctor Strange and gave a shrug.
"Whatever" Was her reply.
"Now then, for the reason I have summoned you all here. We must-" Arceus began before being cut off by Tikal.
"Wait a minute. Where is the Great Pumpkin? Isn't he with you?" Tikal asked in wonder.
"Yes, now that you mention it where is that jolly good fellow?" Oogway asked.
"About that…" Ophanimon tried to explain, but there was no need. The Great Pumpkin rolled onto the edge of the platform, a small yellow bird running along the top of the enchanted vegetable.
"! ##^&$ ^*^" shouted the bird as the enormous living pumpkin rolled at uncontrollable speeds towards the gathered entities. Fortunately most of them were able to sidestep out of the way, but Doctor Strange, only just through recovering from Rachel's lightning strike was struck dead on, sending the Sorcerer Supreme flying into what seemed to be an invisible wall at the other end of the platform.
"Now that was entertaining," Rachel laughed. "Oh Great Pumpkin, you never cease to amaze me with your clumsiness"
"I'm sorry Strange. I shouldn't have eaten those Candy bars the children gave to me. My doctor said my cholesterol is high, and it's affecting my balance" The Great Pumpkin apologized as Tikal and Oogway dragged the unconscious wizard back to the centre of the platform
"Is he alive?" Ophanimon examined the body of Doctor Strange.
"He'll be fine. Right now, there are much more important matters to discuss" Everyone's attentions turned to Aku Aku as he spoke, and then to Arceus.
"Then why did you call us here, Arceus? What is so urgent that you had to summon the entire Inner Circle?" Polokus inquired.
"As all of you have noticed by now, the darkness is growing. Something is tampering with the forces of nature. I do not know who or what is the cause of this, but I think the time has come my brothers and sisters. A new master must be chosen to wield the key once again" Arceus's words echoed.
...
"Truly you must be joking. Didn't we all learn from our previous attempt that we should not intervene with such things?" Oogway scolded him.
"Oogway's right. Choosing a new master would be disastrous. I mean, the latest master was brave and confident and look how that turned out in the end" Aku-Aku objected.
"Maybe the new master will be different. Maybe he's the key" Tikal suggested. She seemed the only one to share such sentiments.
"Don't be a fool Tikal. Choosing a new master is the least of our concern. We shouldn't even talk about this!" Ophanimon said coldly. And all at once the other members of the Inner Circle broke out in an argument, with only Arceus and Rachel remaining silent. While Arceus merely shook his head at the almost childish bickering, Rachel scoffed loudly, gaining everyone's attention.
"Frightened aren't we? Just the mention of the keyblade master and you all start barking like a bunch of dogs. True, the last master became the threat we all fear is the cause of the sudden change in the universal balance, but that doesn't mean we didn't learn anything from our failure. Now more than ever we will be able to choose a master more carefully, more wisely. Don't let fear control you. You're worse than toddlers" Rachel lectured the group.
Silence… then-
"Then who shall we vote for? Who in the worlds is worthy of wielding such incredible power?" The Great Pumpkin asked.
"Someone who's not afraid of carrying this heavy burden alone. It has to be someone who has faced these dangers before" Arceus replied.
"Like Sonic!" Tikal rejoiced. She clapped her hands and a hologram of a blue hedgehog appeared in the centre of the platform "He can do everything. I'm sure he's perfect for this job"
"The Hedgehog? You want him to do it? Don't be silly Tikal. He has too many commitments. Another one will be too much for him," Polokus refused.
"Why not? He's brave and strong and he's beaten countless monsters and villains! If he can't do it, then who else?" Tikal tried to reason. And she did seem to garner some support.
"I say we should let him do it. He has a strong heart," Ophanimon agreed.
"And he's funny too. Don't forget that," Oogway laughed.
"And he's only going to involve himself in all this anyway when he figures out what's happening" The Great Pumpkin added.
"Terrific. So now we're letting animals wiled the keyblade? Who's next? A pebble?" Rachel rudely voiced her refusal. After some more thought among the members of the circle, Arceus came up with another alternative.
"Then how about Pikachu?" Arceus said. The image of Sonic disappeared, and in it's place a hologram of a small yellow mouse creature with brown stripes and chubby red cheeks appeared.
"He's an endangered species. You can't possible think of sending him into battle," Tikal denied.
"I think he'll be perfect. He's strong and even without the keyblade he can use his cheeks to unleash lightning bolts," The Great Pumpkin said enthusiastically.
"More like adorable. You want that little critter to do what exactly? To defeat the Heartless using his chubbiness? A chubby animal is not a hero," Said Doctor Strange, who had finally come back to his senses.
"Great, he's back," Rachel sighed in disappointed. "It was so quiet without him"
"None of these candidates are appropriate for this job," Doctor Strange ignored her. "How about someone from my world? Like Spider-Man?" Pikachu's hologram vanished, and the image of a man dressed in a full body red and blue suit with black webbing along the red parts appeared.
"Spider-who?" Tikal lost him.
"I forget you've never been to my world. He's a teenager who was bitten by radioactive spider, which granted him all the powers of a spider" He explained.
"A teenager isn't suitable for this job," Ophanimon rejected. "He has a good heart and was taught by a very special man but he's still a child. This job requires someone older. An expert"
"Then it should be Captain America" Doctor Strange suggested, and an image of a man dressed in an odd blue outfit with an American flag motif appeared before the group "Of all the heroes in my world, none are more noble, confident and skilled than the Captain. He is a perfect choice"
"But he is also tied down to many commitments" Arceus explained "Leader of the Avengers, public face of super heroics in his world, battling countless super villains. He would not abandon all of these duties for one task, no matter how vital it may be to protecting the universe"
Doctor Strange sighed, waving his hand to dismiss Captain America's hologram.
"This will take hours…" Rachel complained, taking her cup and sipping from it.
"How about someone from my world? Like Crash" Aku Aku eagerly suggested, summoning forth the hologram of an orange bandicoot wearing blue shorts.
...
Everyone looked at him with wide eyed expression, the response was unanimous: "nah"
"Why not? What's wrong with Crash?" Aku-Aku asked, raising his eyebrow.
"You really want me to explain this?" Rachel said, giving Aku Aku a funny look.
"I think his face says it all" Doctor Strange added.
"Crash is powerful but he lacks the intelligence needed of the keybearer, I'm afraid," Oogway said gently.
"What happened to this poor creature? Why is his face so twisted?" Tikal cried in anger. Aku Aku stared nervously at her.
"Long story…"
"I have a suggestion. Kind of stupid, but hear me out" The Great Pumpkin spoke up.
"Who?" Everyone asked in unison.
"Well... just give me a second" The Great Pumpkin said. Two long tendrils grew out from behind the Pumpkin's back and he clapped them together. Down below the platform, visible through the clear floors, several large apparitions appeared throughout the blue vortex. The images of the many worlds within the Realm of Light. The Great Pumpkin selected a world that looked like a pleasant little American town, the hologram of which also appeared on top of the platform. The other members of the Inner Circle watched curiously as the Great Pumpkin began sensing around the world for his suggested candidate.
"Ah, found him" The Great Pumpkin said cheerfully, the image of the world sunk back below the platform, and before the Inner Circle appeared another hologram. A young boy, thirteen at the most, dressed in a yellow shirt with a black zigzag pattern and black shorts, appearing bald apart from a tuft of hair on his forehead.
"This is Charlie Brown, a thirteen year old boy from my world" The Great Pumpkin said, turning eagerly to his colleagues. The other members of the Inner Circle just stared blankly at the boy's hologram. Rachel was the first to make her opinion known.
"You're right, that is a stupid suggestion" The blond vampire said with her usual snobbery.
"A child, really?" Ophanimon said, ignoring what Rachel had said and looking sternly at the living pumpkin "Haven't I already covered my disapproval of underage heroes"
"I must admit, I'm not seeing what you're getting at here" Tikal said in a softer voice. The Great Pumpkin's carved lips formed into a nervous smile as he tried to explain.
"Well, like I said, this is kind of a silly idea, but past experience has no doubt taught us that we need someone pure of heart to wield the key. And my personal experience as a Halloween icon, at least in some worlds, has taught me that children are the most innocent and pure of all people. So, I thought, why not take a chance with one" The Great Pumpkin said, shrugging his tendrils. Oogway, Tikal and Polokus seemed slightly receptive of this idea. Everyone else, still not convinced.
"Children can also be selfish and reckless" Aku Aku said seriously.
"And annoying, loud, filthy, impatient, lazy, stupid, nosy-" Rachel listed off until Doctor Strange quietly used his magic to summon a gag over her mouth.
"I must agree, if the belief that children are more pure hearted than older people, then I'm afraid you really don't have a good argument here" Arceus informed the Great Pumpkin, who to the Alpha Pokémon's surprise just gave him a wide grin.
"Well then good thing that's not the only reason I suggested him" The Great Pumpkin said, gaining the curiosity of all but Rachel, still struggling to remove the gag over her mouth "You all know that I travel between many worlds, I've seen many, many people, mainly children due to my occupation. And out of all the people I've secretly observed in the lead up to Halloween, never have I met anyone with a heart more sincere and pure than his. If he waited in his local pumpkin patch more often with his friend Linus, I'd have no choice but to visit them. He may be young, but there's something about him that... well, why don't you look into his heart and see for yourselves?"
As Rachel finally had Vaklenhayn pull the accursed gag off of her, the other members of the Inner Circle turned to Charlie Brown's hologram. Though neither of them were quite in agreement with the Great Pumpkin's views, they were all willing to go along with his request. They focused their eyes on the hologram, their eyes glowed blue as they began sensing for the boy's true self and looked into his heart. When Rachel realized what they were all doing she joined in.
The Great Pumpkin watched on with a certain smile as the other near-divine beings looked into Charlie Brown's heart. For a moment they all just stood still with their eyes glowing, to the unaware they might have looked like they were having a seizure. Then suddenly they all gasped, the blue glow vanishing shortly after from their eyes as they all began to register what they had just experienced. The Great Pumpkin chuckled joyously.
"So, get it now?" The Pumpkin asked.
"This boy... rarely have I ever seen something like this..." Polokus said, a far away expression on his face.
"This boy's heart is full of light, with hardly any darkness. Only the Princesses of Heart themselves could have a more pure heart than his" Ophanimon spoke, looking over the holographic teenager with great curiosity.
"The boy certainly has potential, that much is certain" Doctor Strange summarised what everyone was thinking.
"Exactly. This is what I'm trying to say. Charlie Brown has exactly the type of heart that is required of a keyblade master, he is a good person who would never abandon his morals. He may be young, but if nothing else he's a safe bet. We needn't fear him turning to the darkness" The Great Pumpkin explained with childlike enthusiasm.
"Yeah, but I've also seen his memories. And honestly, you want THAT kid to fight our enemies?!" Rachel began one of her rants "He may be the closest to a pure heart we could get, but the kid is a failure. A loser. A geek. He can't so much as fly a kite, win a baseball game or anything. How's a kid this pathetic supposed to be a hero?"
The Great Pumpkin just smiled at her.
"Maybe he's not strong or brave or a winner, but he has one special quality that makes up for all that: He never gives up" This comment got the others attention "No matter how badly he fails or how constantly he messes up, Charlie Brown always gets up and tries again. Even with all the sadness he feels from his failures, he remains optimistic and persistently tries to succeed. That gives him plenty of opportunity to grow, under the right circumstances he could flourish as the keybearer, grow into the role, you know. Not every hero starts out as such, just look at Mario. How many people would have chosen a plumber to go out and fight an entire evil army and their monstrous leader?"
The rest of the group nodded their heads and murmured in agreement.
"He has a very good point actually" Aku Aku said to Ophanimon.
"The quality of a warrior is not determined by his strength or achievements; it is gained through their conviction. And young Charlie has that in spades" Oogway said kindly.
"I think Charlie could do very well as a keyblade master" Tikal said nicely.
"What do you think Arceus?" Doctor Strange asked the deity. Arceus hummed softly, staring thoughtfully at Charlie brown's hologram. All eyes were on him as he began to speak.
"The Powerpuff girls are in kindergarten, and they have faced the most dastardly of threats" Arceus spoke, everyone raised their eyebrows "Ben Tennyson was a ten year old boy, and he has saved the universe on more than one occasion. Many of the greatest heroes in the universe have been children younger than Charlie Brown, and many of them had backgrounds no more glorious than him. I believe with a little help, he could be just the hero we need"
"So you agree we should give him the keyblade?" The Great Pumpkin sang.
"No. I suggest that before we take the risk of bestowing it upon him, he must be tested. The boy must undergo an awakening" Arceus replied. There was a lot of surprisingly excited muttering among the Inner Circle.
"We haven't done an awakening for someone in quite some time, this should be fun" Polokus said eagerly.
"Indeed, this'll prove he can do it. Just you watch, he'll fly through it" The Great Pumpkin cheered.
"Oh for crying out loud!" Rachel's harsh tone of voice startled the majority of the group, and they all turned to listen to her "I understand your reasoning Arceus, but come on. Open your eyes. The universe is in grave danger, the darkness is approaching, and I don't think you've quite grasped the concept that worlds are in danger of being swallowed up by it. The fate of all that exists in the Realm of Light depends on the decisions we make here and now. And with so much at stake, are you really willing to risk it all with such a gamble? Pardon my French but, HAVE YOU ALL LOST YOUR MINDS?"
The meeker members of the Circle recoiled fearfully of the girls rage, but her words served not to dissuade them.
"We are perfectly aware of what is at stake" Ophanimon began sternly "I understand you completely; I myself do not believe this is the best course of action. But what is? We are not perfect, not every decision we make can be right, past events have proven that. We cannot be sure what is the exact right thing to do in this situation; we must simply follow what we believe in. Sometimes one must take chances, and though Charlie Brown is not the ideal hero, he is the best decision we can come to. We cannot risk giving the key to anyone who may fall down the wrong path again, and if he should perish it would be a tragedy, but we can at least try again. Simply put, I believe we should go for it"
Rachel opened her mouth to argue some more, until Doctor Strange leaned in and whispered to her "Besides, do you really want to spent the next twelve hours choosing another candidate?"
Rachel shuddered at the thought "For once you might have a point" She said as Strange returned to his previous position.
"Then we are in agreement?" Arceus made sure to clarify. The majority of his allies shouted "Aye!" While Rachel merely muttered an uninterested "Whatever".
"Then it is settled, Charlie Brown shall be tested for worthiness to wield the keyblade" Aku Aku spoke. While everyone began discussing the plans for Charlie Brown's "Awakening" Rachel just tilted her head and looked down through the translucent floors. Her eyes eventually drifted to Charlie Brown's world within the cosmos, and they widened as she sensed something most intriguing.
"Hold the phone!" Rachel suddenly declared. Everyone quieted down and stared at her uncertainly "I've just found something that you all need to see"
Everyone's curiosity grew as Rachel summoned a second illusion beside Charlie Brown's. The new hologram showed a young girl, about the same age as Charlie, with black hair and a blue dress. The girl had a certain look about her that suggested she was good at the core, but also rather mean and crabby.
"Another child?" Ophanimon was confused.
"Oh, I've seen this one before" The Great Pumpkin said, looking a little disturbed "She's no good. She's a spiteful little girl, the sister to Linus, the boy who's always waiting for me in the pumpkin patch, I really need to remember to visit it sometime. And let me tell you, she's mean. She has plenty of her good qualities, but overall she's almost a brat. Certainly doesn't live up to her brothers standards of nice"
"Why did you want to show us this girl?" Tikal asked cautiously. Rachel's face darkened.
"Because this girl is predestined to inherit a keyblade of her own"
Her words shocked the Inner Circle members to the very core. For a moment no one spoke, everyone looked worried.
"You... you must be joking" Doctor Strange gasped. Rachel shook her head.
"Even I would not jest about something like this" Rachel said seriously. Worried murmurs filled the platform.
"How could this happen? All the keyblade masters are either dead, lost to the darkness, or who knows what. And we've never marked her, how could she have been chosen?" Aku Aku wondered.
"Perhaps before they were lost one of the keyblade masters performed the inheritance ceremony with her" Arceus said reasonably "It is possible, we didn't keep track of their every single movement. Or perhaps the keyblade of a long lost master finally decided to seek out a new master on it's own. I cannot say for certain. But the fact that such a thing could happen without our knowledge is quite worrying..."
"It is fortunate you sensed her presence Miss Alucard" Tikal said politely to Rachel.
"Ok, first, please don't call me that. Not that I don't appreciate being referred to respectfully, but here we are all equals, you're allowed to call me by my first name. And yeah, it certainly is" Rachel replied.
"So... what must we do about this?" Polokus asked.
Silence...
"Well, I suppose it's obvious" Rachel began, everyone listened curiously "If this girl has been marked by a keyblade, then we should just give it to her now, rather than waste the only one we have to spare on that other blockhead"
"What? Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. Bad idea" The Great Pumpkin was suddenly worried "You don't know this girl Rachel, she's as crabby as they come and more interested in helping herself than others. Not evil by a long shot of course, but waaay more susceptible to the darkness than Charlie Brown"
"Hmm... I think I have to agree, she doesn't sound like the sort of person I'd want holding the keyblade. Not after last time" Ophanimon said grimly. Rachel scoffed.
"Well do you think we have a choice on the matter?" Rachel asked irritably "This Lucy has been pre-selected, and we have not the power to undo that. One way or another she's going to inherit it someday, and we can't do anything about it. Wouldn't you rather she obtain and use it under our strict guidance and supervision?"
"She is right, it doesn't seem like we have any other choice" Tikal said gently. Doctor Strange shook his head.
"That doesn't mean she is the right candidate, especially when considering the threat we are about to face. If what the Great Pumpkin says is true, this girl would more than likely end up joining the forces of darkness. And a repeat of events past is the last thing we need right now" Strange spoke grimly.
"Perhaps we should not be so quick to judge" Oogway said quickly before Rachel could begin arguing with the sorcerer "If we are only going on words and what the Great Pumpkin has seen of her, that is not enough to determine young Lucy's character. Perhaps we should look into her heart and decide then if she is worthy"
The other members nodded their heads, agreeing that was the best course of action. Everyone but the Great Pumpkin, who was sure enough of what this girl was at heart, turned to the image of Lucy and their eyes began to glow. After a short minute of examining the depths of Lucy's heart their eyes returned to normal, and they all looked even more thoughtful.
"Well, she's not... so bad" Aku Aku tried to sound fair.
"Indeed, she does possess that core of innocence that one would expect from someone so young" Ophanimon said, but he was frowning "However, I must agree with the Great Pumpkin. She is not the right candidate for this mission, nor is she a person I would want to wield a keyblade"
"So she has a few anger management issues, big deal. We could have gotten a lot worse, just let her have it" Rachel said without the slightest hint of hesitation.
"Her actions go beyond mere anger issues Rachel. Punching her friends, scamming people with unlicensed psychiatry, and that horrible football gag that could well break Charlie Brown's neck" Polokus shook his head wistfully "I just don't think we can rely on her to uphold the responsibility of being the keyblade master"
The Great Pumpkin sighed in relief, glad to see everyone was starting to agree with him "You all see what I mean then? For all her good points Lucy simply isn't the right candidate. We should just go with Charlie Brown" The small yellow bird nesting on top of him tweeted in agreement.
"I quite agree, Charlie is the better candidate" Oogway spoke up. Most of the Inner Circle nodded and voiced agreement, but Rachel looked furious.
"Haven't you all been listening to a thing I've said?! We don't have a choice on the matter. Even if we don't give her the keyblade now she will someday inherit it, and if we're not careful she might slip out of our reach and go on to follow the darkness anyway. It's a lot better to give it to her now and keep her under our wing, rather than waste the only keyblade we have to spare on a loser bald kid. That way at least we'll have a keyblade to spare incase Lucy fails" Rachel explained.
"Sadly, that is true" Doctor Strange sighed.
"But what if she does fall to the darkness despite our influence?" Aku Aku worried. Everyone started to worry and panic amongst themselves as they all tried to reason whether they should give Lucy access to her keyblade now, or give one to Charlie Brown as a safe bet. Ophanimon turned to Arceus, the only one who had not said a word since looking into Lucy's heart. Noticing the thoughtful expression on his face, Ophanimon addressed the Original One.
"So what do you think Arceus?" The angelic digimon asked. The chattering died away again as everyone turned to Arceus. Though they were all equal here, Arceus was the one they all looked up to and who's opinions they most respected and followed. As the literal God, they held all of his opinions with high regard.
Arceus snapped out of his thoughts and looked down on his allies. He sighed and said "I admit, I am conflicted aswell" Everyone exchanged nervous glances at that. If Arceus could not decide this matter for them, what would they do? He spoke again "I agree that Lucy is rash and undisciplined, but that is not to say she can't be trusted. She is after all a good person. But Charlie Brown is exactly the sort of candidate I believe is best suited for the task. And Rachel is right, we don't have much of a choice. Lucy will inherit a keyblade someday, it might be tomorrow, it might be seventy or eighty years from now, but we cannot risk it. We could always give it to them both, but two keyblade masters at once would be difficult to control. I do not wish to shove this burden upon two children, one is enough. I must be honest my friends, even I do not know what to do about this"
The other members of the Inner Circle stared at the floor, all looking lost. Oogway raised his head slowly and whispered "But what do you think?"
Arceus stared distantly at the swirling vortex below them all, with his facial structure and subsequent inability to make facial expressions it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Slowly he lifted his head to the others "I think we should test both of them"
"Both of them?" Polokus asked.
"Yes, we'll put both of them through the Awakening. If Charlie Brown proves more worthy in the situation, we'll give the keyblade to him. If he fails to impress or Lucy proves superior to him, we'll let her inherit the keyblade, and mark Charlie Brown as a second choice in the event that she fails to defeat the heartless. It is the only choice I believe is reasonable" Arceus explained to them.
"I think it sounds perfectly reasonable" Tikal agreed full heartedly.
"Yes, this sounds like a good idea" The Great Pumpkin moved his body in a way that suggested nodding.
"Do we all agree to put both Charlie Brown and Lucy to the test first?" Doctor Strange asked, specifically referring to Rachel. The vampire girl sighed.
"I suppose so. But I still say Lucy's the one we need to give it to" Rachel muttered. And then choicely added "Besides, we really need more lady heroes saving the universe, there are enough boy heroes about"
"Is that the reason you were so insistent we pick her?" Aku Aku asked irritably, Rachel did not reply to him.
Arceus looked at the two holograms that showed Charlie Brown and Lucy. He dismissed the images at last and informed everyone to stand in a perfect circle.
"Alright then, we must waste no time in acting. Tonight, as they sleep, Charlie Brown and Lucy shall dream not of baseball and piano players, but instead they shall experience the Awakening process. Is everyone ready?" Arceus asked.
"Ready" Was the unanimous reply. Arceus nodded at them and raised his head to the dark skies. Suddenly he began to sing, not in any language known to mankind. His voice sounded soothing and mystic, his words impossible to describe. The other members of the Inner Circle began to sing along with Arceus, their combined song forming a strange melody that filled the platform. From the far side of said platform, Vaklenhayn, Tikal's chao and The Great Pumpkin's bird watched on in wonder as their song caused the ground around them to glow in a brilliant circle. A light of seven colours began to envelope them, and before the three non-members of the Circle knew what was happening it had began.