Well, I got a few reviews, and they seem to like it, and that's good enough for me to continue! So...on with the Many Guardians of BeastBoy!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot.
Chapter 2: Sidekick Complex.
The Titans had noticed that BeastBoy, although not quite the same, was so much happier than usual. There was still something...incorrect about him. A tendency to lose himself in thought. He never was as thoughtful as now, when he would be perfectly still, staring into space, a blank look upon his face. This seemed to worry the other Titans.
"You all right, BB?" asked Cyborg. BeastBoy seemed to snap out of a trance.
"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm all right. Just thinking..." he said.
"That's why I was worried about you."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" yelled BeastBoy. Cyborg just chuckled and walked away. It didn't take long before BeastBoy was deep in thought again.
'Hmm...Zelos said I'd get talks from other people from different realms. About the other negative feelings I have. But I feel fine now! Maybe he knows that I'll feel more bad feelings sometime?' BeastBoy's train of thought was put to an end, as the alarm rang throughout the Tower. Following orders from Robin, he followed them out to where the emergency took place.
It turns out it was Cinderblock, mindlessly rampaging throught the park. The Titans knocked him back with their first blast, and the fight began. It was a relentless assault, with the Titans attacking mercilessly, but Cinderblock seemed unusually resilient this time, and was taking it all in stride, and retaliating with attack of his own. BeastBoy had been noting some of Cinderblock's actions, in an attempt to find any weaknesses, but he found none currently. Suddenly, BeastBoy noticed that they were close to the lake, and something inside his mind came into place. He called for the other Titans.
"Hey, guys, try pushi--" he began, but was cut off by Robin.
"Titans, push him into the lake!" he yelled, almost like he read BeastBoy's mind. BeastBoy stared for a minute, then reluctantly did as Robin said, without any argument. As BeastBoy had thought, getting pushed into the lake weakened the stone body of Cinderblock, and he was soon defeated and taken to jail. The Titans returned to their tower.
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Later, about the time of night, all the Titans were heading to their rooms as usual, but Raven had to talk to BeastBoy. He had seemed to be in a bad mood since the fight against Cinderblock, and she was curious as to why.
"BestBoy, is something wrong?" she asked. He scoffed.
"Aside from the fact that Robin took my idea, I'm just peachy." he said, in a scathing tone that startled Raven.
"What do you mean?"
"I was about to tell everyone to push Cinderblock into the water, but he interrupts me, and yells the same idea. I mean, I know he's the self-proclaimed leader and all, but he should give us all equal opportunities!" he finished. Raven patted him on the shoulder.
"Hey, don't get worked up. Maybe he just didn't hear you begin to tell us." she replied.
"Maybe. But I still feel like a damned sidekick." said BeastBoy, and left. Raven was standing in mild shock. She had never heard BeastBoy so upset as to say a curse, and it upset her, for reasons she was unsure of.
Meanwhile, BeastBoy climbed into his own bed, and went to sleep in a grumpy mood.
He had completely forgotten he was going to get a visit from someone...
BeastBoy's Dream...
Once again, BeastBoy found himself surrounded by blackness all around him. BeastBoy looked around for whoever he was to meet, although he just now remembered.
"Hey, BeastBoy." came a voice that just seemed to be in his head. He did recognize the voice, though.
"Yeah, Zelos?"
"I may not get to talk to you after this, so I decided to give you some advice. Just remember my magic words, my life's motto."
"Yeah? What's that?"
"Whatever will be, will be." said Zelos simply. "Alright, I got to go. Be strong, pal. Later!"
BeastBoy smiled. He kinda liked Zelos. BeastBoy awaited for the next person.
"Over here. Behind you." said a calm voice behind him. BeastBoy turned around, and saw two people this time. A tall man wearing a green hat with an L on it, and green overalls over a blue shirt, and beside him was a fox standing like a human. The fox had two tails.
"Who are you guys?" BeastBoy asked, no longer in the contempt he first held for Zelos. He knew they must be here to help him.
"My name's Luigi." said the man in green. He spoke with a kind, Italian accented, voice.
"And I'm Miles Prower. But everyone calls me Tails." said the fox. He had the voice of a child, full of innocence. "I suppose Zelos told ya about how we're here to help, right?" he asked, and BeastBoy nodded. "Okay, that's good. Then let's get straight to the emotion in question. Right now you have what we like to call a 'Sidekick Complex.'" When BeastBoy looked at him in confusion, Luigi spoke up.
"It means you feel like the other people regard you as nothing more than a sidekick, undeserving of any notice or adoration. Like you're an unwanted parasite. Does any of this sound familiar?" he asked.
"Yeah. I had felt that way after Robin used the plan I was about to shout out. You guys are good at knowing this stuff!" he exclaimed.
"We try to be." said Luigi.
"The point is, even if someone is considered a 'sidekick', which is stupid to be considered, as a sidekick is often a term used to express insignificance, and nobody's insignificant. But I digress. Even if you're considered one, sidekicks are often the reason the 'more significant' people..." said Tails, doing air quotes on the words 'more significant.' "..are still living. That's why we're the ones here to talk to you about it." he finished.
"Really?" asked BeastBoy. "Sidekicks are sometimes the reason the heroes are alive?"
"Yeah." said Luigi. "I'm proof of that. My brother Mario was the hero of my kingdom, and was known for his heroics far and wide. I, on the other hand, had never been called for adventures, and as such, I was known as merely 'the brother of the great Mario.' I thought I'd never get a moment of adoration, a moment to shine. But, I was wrong. Moments have come where my brother was kidnapped, and I had to rescue him. That's happened twice, and people began to recognize me afterwards. I even teamed up with my brother on several adventures, and even helped him through a curse in one." he said.
"And my best friend Sonic, whom most people think I just follow, and am more of a hindrance than a help, has told me several times that he'd be captured, or worse, without some of my assistance." said Tails.
"The point is, even if you still think you are a 'sidekick,' sidekicks have their own strengths. They'll find their own glory, fans, and love, much like I have, in a princess, just like my brother." said Luigi.
"And I've found some love in a person closer than I expected. Remember, love can be found closer than you expect." said Tails. "Do you understand what we're saying, BeastBoy?" he asked. BeastBoy nodded. It all made sense.
"Yeah. Even if some people consider themselves above me, and think of me as a sidekick, I should always remember: Sidekicks have their own brand of strengths. Right?" he asked.
"Absolutely." said Luigi and Tails at the same time. They went over and shook BeastBoy's hands.
"It was a pleasure talking to you." said Luigi.
"Yeah! Don't forget what we talked about!" said Tails happily.
"I won't!" said BeastBoy, waving at them, as he was engulfed by a familiar white light, and once again awoke in his room. Getting up, he wondered once again whether it's all just a dream. He stepped up to his mirror to examine himself, and saw something on his dresser.
A green hat with an L on it. Smiling as he looked back in the mirror to examine himself, he suddenly, inexplicably, transformed into a green fox, standing upright, with two tails. As he transformed back, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"This is gonna be so cool!" he said to himself, and left his room.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Well, there's another chapter in this fic, which I think is a pretty sentimental one, if I say so myself. I have another list of choices for the next chapter:
Feeling of Weakness
Feeling of Losing Control
Feeling of Uselessness
Not that I thik BB is any of these, but these are the feelings he'll feel in this fic.
It's your say-so that matters! Please, R&R!
Later!