"Guardians"
By: Eliyora
Chapter One
The Red Shard of Courage
Nights flew lazily about Nightopia. It had been a while since he'd been to this place, Elliot's Splash Garden. He found it to be very relaxing here, and so did the Nightopians, as they seemed to flock here a great deal. Or perhaps they were merely following Nights, hoping the gentle Nightmaren would play his flute for them. Whatever the case, Nights loved relaxing here, even though he had not actually seen Elliot in this place for quite a while.
Feeling peaceful, Nights began playing his flute, much to the delight of his little friends. They began to sing along with him in their high-pitched voices. Nights smiled in his head, but suddenly realized that there was one voice that did not sound like a Nightopian. Continuing to play his flute, he drifted quitely in the direction the voice was coming from. When he found the source, he stopped out of shock. A being that seemed simliar to himself was sitting on a low wall, singing to the tune he had been playing.
Realizing that there was no more music, the mysterious being got up and turned around to face Nights. That was when Nights realized that there were some serious differences between himself and this person. The being floating in front of him, first of all, was a girl! A girl with long blonde hair, sapphire blue eyes, tiny angel-like wings on her back, clothed in blue and pink, and wearing a tear-shaped golden gem on her chest.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't bother you, did I?" she asked in a timid voice.
"No, not at all. I was just surprised that there was anyone other than the Nightopians here," Nights assured her.
"I see. I'm glad. The last thing I want is to cause trouble," she said, more to herself than to Nights.
"I've never seen you around here before. Who are you?" Nights asked.
The girl stiffened. "That tune you were playing was lovely. I hope I can hear you play it again sometime. Goodbye!" And she flew off very quickly, leaving Nights confused.
"What was that all about?" he wondered. A few Pians flew up next to him, giving a pleading look. "All right, okay, I'll get back to my music." Nights smiled. "You're all just so pushy," he joked, making the Pians laugh. He pulled his flute back out again, wondering about the girl, but allowing her to slip to the back of her mind.
A few days later, Nights came across his friend Will, who invited him to Pure Valley for an evening of play. Nights agreed, and they were off. After a couple of hours, Nights began to play his flute again, and the girl came back to mind. He turned to Will and asked, "Hey, have you ever seen a girl with long blonde hair and wings, kind of looks like me?"
Will thought about this for a moment, but shook his head. "No, sorry. Why?"
"Just a thought. Nevermind," Nights assured him. He resumed his playing, and WIll let it go. Unfortunately, the peace would not last long. Several Nightopians were soon seen fleeing from one direction, alerting Will and Nights.
"What's going on?" Will asked. "Do you think there are Nightmarens around?"
"Probably," Nights responded. "Looks like we've got work to do!" He and WIll Dualized and flew on the direction the Pians were flying away from. When they saw what they were fleeing, though, even Nights had to admit to being afraid.
A hulking, solid black, demon-like creature had emerged from the ground, and every single plant that it touched was wilting. Nights had never seen anything like it.
"Wh-what is that thing?" Will asked. "Is that a Nightmaren?"
"I have no idea!" Nights answered. "I've never seen this thing before! Still, we can't just ignore it. If we do, it'll destroy your world!"
"You mustn't! You're no match for that thing as you are!" came a voice seemingly from nowhere.
"Who's there?" Nights demanded, looking about. Finally, his eyes came to rest on a small, glowing ball of white light. "What's this?" he wondered, going to touch it.
Suddenly, the ball darted around Nights and made a beeline for the monster. Before either Nights or Will could utter a word, the ball had suddenly taken off one of the monster's arms. As quick as a flash, the monster lost another arm, then its legs, and then, before the now-limbless monster could hit the ground, the ball of light dove into its body and the thing suddenly evaporated into nothing. Nights and Will both blinked at what they had just seen. A tiny little ball of light had taken apart a gigantic monster like it was nothing. As quickly as it had taken off, the ball flew right back over to them.
"Let's land. I need to talk to you Nights," it said. Too stunned to argue, Nights landed and separated from Will. The ball came down and began to change shape.
"What in the?" Nights began, but stopped when the light changed into a person.
"Who are you?" Will asked.
"My name is Fantasi," he said. "I am the Overseer of Nightopia."
"Overseer?" Nights asked. He took a good look at the person floating before him. He was a tiny creature with long white hair kept in a braid, crystal clear green eyes, clothed in a white cloak and matching garments, and wearing a star-shaped crystal that seemed to swirl with rainbow colors.
"Yes. I am the one who watches over this world, and when need be, I protect it," Fantasi said.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Will asked.
Fantasi paused. "Hmm. How to put this. . . Oh! I guess in terms a Visitor would understand, I would be classified as a god."
"A god?!" Will yelped.
"Well, something along those lines," Fantasi confirmed.
"Hm?" What's wrong Will?" Nights asked his stunned friend.
"Don't worry about that right now," Fantasi interrupted. "I need to speak to you of important matters, Nights of the Nightmarens." That got Nights' attention. He wasn't ashamed of what he was, but it wasn't a fact that was widely broadcast over Nightopia either. What he met someone that knew what he was before he said anything, it made him uncomfortable.
"What is it?" he asked cautiously.
Fantasi looked down at Will. "I'm sorry, young one, but this is not something you can know of just yet. Besides, in your world, it is almost time for you to awaken. Have an enjoyable day, young Visitor." With a wave of Fantasi's hand, Will faded away.
"Will!" Nights yelped.
"Be at ease, Nights. I merely woke him up in his world," Fantasi assured the startled Nightmaren. "Now come. We've much to discuss."
Nights decided that it was in his best interest to follow that small fellow, so he flew behind him with no protest. They travelled to a part of Pure Valley that Nights had never seen before, where Fantasi conjured up a silver, mirror-like gateway. He gestured Nights to go through it first. When Nights hesitated, Fantasi laughed. "It's alright, young one. I am not attempting to do you harm. I will follow right behind you."
Feeling less than assured, Nights floated through the gateway. On the other side of it was a gigantic library with shelves as tall as skyscrapers. While Nights looked around in wonder, Fantasi flew through the gate, closing it behind himself. Seeing Nights' atonished expression, he smiled. "Impressive, isn't it? Sometimes I find myself just stopping and looking around this place, wondering to myself how it is that I could have read so many books," he remarked.
Nights stared at him, flabberghasted. "You've read all of these books? Are you kidding?"
"Not at all. I've have millenia to read them," Fantasi floated up a particularly tall bookshelf, gesturing for Nights to follow him. They flew up to almost the top shelf, where Fantasi pulled a single book off of the shelf and then led Nights to a pair of floating beanbag chairs. Before Nights could ask, Fantasi answered, "Regular chairs are a tad uncomfortable, and besides, beanbag chairs are fun! Just plop right down, and when you need to change position, the chair shifts so that you're always comfy!" As he explained, he donned a big, childlike grin that made Nights finally relax.
The two settled into the chairs. When Fantasi opened the book, an image appeared above it, like a small movie, showing Nights getting struck by Maria's red Ideya(1), leaving a shard of it embedded in his chest. Nights blinked, then asked, "How do you know about that?"
Fantasi smiled mysteriously. "I knew about it before it happened. I was waiting for the red Ideya to choose someone, but I will admit to being rather surprised when that someone was a Nightmaren."
Nights shifted uncomfortably, but asked, "What do you mean by choose someone? Do you mean that is wasn't an accident that Maria's Ideya left a shard in me?"
"No, it wasn't," Fantasi answered. He turned the book backwards a few pages, and an image of the five Ideya appeared. "You know already that Ideya are born of a Visitor's heart, and that the power of these Ideya are what give Nightopia life and beauty. As such, every Ideya is a bit different for each Visitor. However, there is something that very few know. The Ideya, while seperate, have a collective conciousness, one for each color. This conciousness watches over the individual Ideyas, and over Nightopia itself. This is what allows for much of the Night Dimension to remain peacful, even when Wiseman or another dark entity deems to attempt a takeover. Very rarely, however, a deep darkness will rise up from the very depths of the Night Dimension to attempt to destroy it all. I've no idea what it is that triggers these happenings, but the Ideyas and I know that if it is not stopped, then not only our world, but the world the Visitors come to us from will be in danger."
"But how is that possible? Don't beings of the Night Dimension need the power of the Ideya to cross to the human world?" Nights asked.
"Yes, but the Ideyas have told me that the source of this darkness, while it does indeed reside in the very bowls of Nightopia, is not in fact born of this world, so it does not need the power of the Ideya." Fantasi turned the page, and an image of Nights' Ideya shard appeared. "The Ideyas have decided to actively do something to stop this. They sent the Visitor Ideyas to find ones who could help protect both worlds, and they succeeded. They have found five individuals who can aid us, each one marked by a different Ideya shard."
Nights got up out of the chair. "Are you saying that..."
"Yes," Fantasi interrupted. "You were chosen by the Ideya of Courage. The Ideya has chosen you to become Guardian of the Night Dimension."
Nights just floated there, stock still, for several minutes, then began to drift slowly to the floor. Fantasi followed, waiting for Nights response. When they finally reached the floor, Nights just sat there for a few more minutes, then abruptly got up and floated to the gateway, even though it was closed. Confused, Fantasi followed after him.
"Nights?" he asked.
Nights gave him a dirty look. "I don't want anything to do with this. I don't care if the red Ideya thinks I'm the best guy for the job! I rebelled against Wiseman to be free, not to become some sort of hero! Now you're telling me that I have to do this? I don't think so! I will not be told what to do! Now, if you would be so kind as to open the gateway or whatever this thing is, I'll be on my way."
Fantasi frowned. "You're running away?" he demanded.
"No. I'm just choosing to not be part of this," Nights answered.
"You were chosen by the Ideya! You've no choice in the matter!" Fantasi snapped.
"If it's about this shard, you're welcome to it! I don't care! Take it!" Nights yelled.
Fantasi gave Nights a grim-looking grin. "I can't. The shard is a part of your body now. If I take it out, you'll die."
Nights stopped cold. "I'd die? Fine then, forget that! I'll just leave then!"
"You can't," Fantasi said quietly.
"The hell I can't! Let me out of this place right now!!" Nights screamed.
Fantasi chuckled darkly. "I wonder why the Ideya chose you. I know of your past exploits against Wiseman, but they were done out of a personal grudge. Any other time, you just laze about playing that flute of yours, or playing with the Pians, and now here you are, attempting to flee from your destiny. You seem a coward to me."
"I'm not a coward! I just don't give one whit about responsibility! All I want is to be free, to not have to worry about anything or anyone," Nights said, though his voice was beginning to get quieter.
"I can understand that," Fantasi said. "All your life was before was stealing Ideya for your master. I guess that for you, then, responsibility would then mean a bad thing, since your responsibilities before all meant hurting people." Fantasi flew to Nights and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nights, not all responsibility is bad. In fact, it's very rarely that way. And besides, you would only be called upon when a monster like the one you saw me kill shows up, and that's not very often. You could do something to protect the Pians, and Nightopia. If you think about it, it wouldn't be very different from what you do anyway."
Nights didn't respond.
Fantasi sighed. "Listen, whether you want to do this or not, you will feel compelled to by the shard. After all, had I not shown up, you would have taken on that creature before, correct?" Nights nodded. "Then why are you so reluctant?"
"I would have lost," Nights whispered.
"What?"
"I would have lost! I know that. I couldn't have won against that thing, even with Wil helping me. What do you expect me to be able to do against something like that? I can barely hold my own against Wiseman, and that's ony if I have two Visitors helping me! You're asking me to fight something even more powerful than that, by myself! I wouldn't be able to protect anyone! I'd... just get everyone killed..." Nights fell silent.
"You are afraid. I thought so," Fantasi said. "And you're allowing your fear to control you. Again, I wonder why the Ideya chose you, but the fact remains that it did, so there is no coice for either of us. You must become a Guardian."
Nights glared at him, but finally relented. "Fine. I give up. I'll be a Guardian, or whatever you said."
"Good," Fantasi said. "Now then, there's someone that I want you to..."
"Is that my cue?" came a cheerful voice from somewhere amongst the bookshelves.
Fantasi rolled his eyes and smiled. "Yes, that's your cue. Come on out!"
There was a happy squeal, then a girl with bright purple eyes, dark blue hair, wearing a pink top, green skirt, and green and pink boots came running over to them. Nights noticed that she had a heart-shaped white jewel on her chest.(2)
"Who's this?" he asked.
The girl smiled. "My name's Nova! I was chosen by the white Ideya, so just like you, I'm a Guardian!"
LINELINELINELINELINE
Eliyora: Okay, footnotes.
(1) For clarity on this, see my other Nights story, "How It Began."
(2) I have a picture of Nova on my Deviantart account. I'll post a link to it in my profile.
Eliyora: Okay, not too terrible I hope! Please enjoy, and remember to review! I'm kind of review-starved!! (tummy growls)