SPECTRE: Life in the Shadows
Part 1: Chance Encounter
.o.o.o.
What does it mean to be a Guardian? To devote one's entire life to a singular duty that so many depend on.
Edmund, a scientist, was the first to try to become a protector of his people, yet he did not live long enough to realize this idea.
But he had a son, who determined to carry on with that idea, to become the Guardian of the Floating Island- Protector of the chaos emeralds and pillar of strength and reassurance for the populace.
Over the many generations that followed him, Guardians came and went, aspiring loftier planes in the end.
Yet, to simply be a Guardian is not enough, the task must be a way of life- must be that Guardian's life. The duties of the Guardianship must be paramount to all else- because the Guardians know the sacrifices they make are for the greater good.
"Meaningless drabble." Spectre remarked, tucking the book into his cloak. He looked up at the blue sky, the rays of the sun reflecting off his metallic helmet and gleaming in his dark eyes. The wind rustled his cloak slightly as he stood atop the roof of a tall building. "What am I protecting?" He asked no one.
"What is this all for; where does tradition end and I start?" He asked the sky, as if expecting it to offer an answer in response.
He then looked down at the streets below him, at the people passing by. They went on with their daily lives, they could be happy and live a normal life- marry, raise a family, grow old together with a lover.
But these were the things that the Guardians forsook for their grand cause. Spectre knew what he HAD to do. He'd grown up with two generations of Guardians as role models. Grandfather Hawking seemed happy enough, but he was different, he had the kind of charming magnetism to manage an attempt at a normal life, among the masses.
Spectre's father had been like that- 'had' being the operative word. As a child, Spectre watched as his father changed from a pleasant contented father and husband to a pedantically obsessive Guardian. His mother never actually divorced Tobor, but she practically lived in a separate world after the accident that blinded him.
He looked back up at the sky. "What kind of barren, dispassionateworld did those new eyes of yours show you father?"
Spectre wouldn't speak of it, but it was hard to see his father drift away from him and watch his mother live her life so sadly. He suspected that it was the sadness that really finished her off- not the story that the Doctors gave him.
Spectre made a decision that he would not fall into the same trap that Tobor had fallen into. He would not become the victim of undependable affection and devotion. He accepted his duties and the dogma that came with them, but he didn't have to like them. Neither did he have to be the seen champion of the people- he had his grandfather for that.
Whenever he happened to be spotted, for whatever odd reason, in public, the other echidnas simply smiled or waved at him and went on with their lives- in this way, he envied them.
.o.o.o.
"...concerns of rising crime in the eastern suburbs of the residential district were addressed when Chief Constable Henchcliff made an unexpected appearance in the Central Square Forum."
A female echidna watched a teli-monitor in the reception hall of the City Public Arcives.
"The appearance was prompted by an overwhelming number of concerned residents who had gathered in the Public Forum." Continued the male new caster. He then turned to another echidna, a female. "What's your view on this, Jana-Va
"Well, it was certainly an unexpected turn of events to see such an important person as Henchcliff appeared in an informal manner, which bring up the issue of--"
The Female echidna switched off he monitor and turned to another female. "You must be worried, you live in the East, don't you Sasha?" She asked.
The female she addressed was sitting behind a desk with a pair of round spectical perched on the bridge of her muzzle. Her fur was a light violet color with long locks of dark violet hair hanging down around her head. Her dreadlocks hung down a bit further then usual for a female.
She looked over the other female- a short red echidna with short black hair and silver rings around her shorter dreadlocks; she was wearing a black skirt and shoes with a white blouse.
"Well, I'm sure 'Henchy' 'll do something about it, plus there's the guardian, Memi-Ri."
"Heh, you mean 'Guardians'." Memi corrected. "There's that creepy one- uh Spectcre I think."
Sash-Ra smiled. "Yeah, and my mom still sees Hawking at the Research Center on her way to the Botanical Dome."
"Isn't he, like, the grandfather of the current Guardian?" Memi asked, walking over to where Sasha was seated.
"Yeah," she replied. "But my mom says he's got a cute 'tail' for his age." she added with a smile
Memi squinted her eyes and emitted a girlish laugh.
"What?" Sasha asked, her interest peeked.
"Do you think he's "built" under that cloak?"
Both of the females laughed at the question.
.o.o.o.
Spectre looked down into the street. "I'd better get this thing back to the archives." He remarked, patting the spot on his cloak where the text was hidden in.
And with that, he walked up to the edge and leaned forward- dropping off of the roof...
...And landing on his feet, perfectly, amidst the crowd of echidnas. His motions so smooth and effortless that he slipped into the mass without the slightest notice
.o.o.o.
Sasha-Ra and Memi-Ri were still busy talking when another figure walked past them.
Both of them failed to notice the red male echidna as he exited the hall, his hand tucked into his long coat.
Spectre brushed past an echidna in a long coat and spotted a pair of chatty female echidnas- one little red one with black hair and a taller violet one with dark violet hair.
"Excuse me."
Both of them stopped and looked up. Memi leapt back, and Sasha jerked back deeperinto her chair, causing it to recline unnaturally and slide back a bit.
Spectre looked at them admonishingly and sighed. He's never had any patience for females. "I'm going into the archives to return this- if Sheldon asks, I'll be in the stacks."
He then walked away and into the recesses of the building.
Memi placed her hand over her chest. "Aurora! He scared the living hell out of me!" she blurted out.
Sasha nodded, as if to say yes, but felt something far more complex, it was like the pair of blazing red eyes were burning into her, making her feel vulnerable.
.o.o.o.
"You have such a way with the girls." Remarked a small voice.
Spectre's eyes darted to the side, noting Deo Vilente on his shoulder, green barrette and all. "What's the point of it all, that 'soul touch' thing will kick in and some point, keep the family line going."
"But that's not the point, you could try to take and interest in something else besides standing around and being moody and introspective, I mean you're going to be twenty soon." He paused. "I also find your total lack of passion and involvment concerning."
Spectre frowned. "I'll keep that in mind." He replied to the fire ant that had acted as a mentor for him over the years.
.o.o.o.
Sasha-Ra picked up her purse and headed out of the of the reception hall, this was her night to look the doors, and Memi had already left.
The Archivist Sheldon was somewhere in the building- as he also lived there, the Job had eventually become a life-time position.
She entered in the code to the doors and listened to the mechanical bolts lock into place.
She turned around and began making her way towards the buss stop. She stopped suddenly, next to a dark ally and looked into it. She had sinking feeling that she was being watched… She stepped closer towards the shadows, against common sense, and stared quietly.
"I'd be more careful if I were you."
She jumped and whirled around, coming face-to-face with Spectre. "Gaurdian!"
Spectre sighed inwardly. "Come on, I'll see you to the buss stop." He conceded.
"t-thank you." She Replied.
The two of them began walking away. Sasha told herself that the feeling must had been caused by the Guardian looming by. She shrugged it off and kept on walking. Though she could have sworn she had heard a clicking sound- almost like some kind of machine…
"Oh well." She thought. "It's not important."
.o.o.o.
I hope you all enjoyed this first installation of Spectre's story. I really want to get into the life and troubles of Spectre, as he is one of my favorite guardians (hell, I love em all)
Some readers may notice that Sasha might just become a little more important as things go on... you never know.
-Bojack727