Tiger Lover 16: Hello again my friends, I'm back. Yeah, I know I said I'd be back with a chapter of Philosopher's Stone or You're Amazing, Charlie Brown first, but I'm working on that. Don't frown at me or anything, my mum's just been in hospital for over a week, I haven't really had much time to write lately. And while I was trying to write my other stories I just got a lot of inspiration for this chapter and was compelled to write it, so sorry to disappoint anyone. Anyway, I'd like to say this chapter isn't really my best work. I plan to rewrite it as soon as possible actually, make it a bit better, but I wanted to see what people thought of this story. I had a lot of backstory to cover, and the exact situation of this chapter isn't exactly easy to write for, it's hard to put into perspective how someone would react in the situation Charlie Brown is in here. Anyway, I'm sorry if it's not that good, but it is what it is. I plan to write more of this story just after I update one of my others. I'm sorry for my very slow updates, that's something I'm trying to overcome. But anyway, without further ado, I present the first chapter besides the Prologue.
Chapter 1: You're the New Guardian, Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown lay on his back in the middle of the park underneath the small oak tree. He appeared to have been knocked out by the impact of the falling star, but his body was currently surrounded by a glowing, golden aura of light. For the longest of times Charlie Brown just lied there, looking content in his slumber. Then finally his eyes began to drift open. But when he sat up and took a good look at his surroundings, he saw no sign of the oak tree, the childrens play area or anything of the park. All he saw was endless white.
Confused and afraid, Charlie Brown slowly got to his feet, rubbing his eyes several times and shaking his head in hopes this was all just a trick of the light. But when he looked again, he still saw the endless white space, and no sign of life other than himself.
Nervously, Charlie Brown got to his feet and walked around a bit, wondering just where the heck was he. After a minute of pointless wandering Charlie Brown came to a stop and placed a thoughtful finger to his cheek.
The boy tried to remember what had just happened to him. He remembered the baseball game, and what a disaster that had been. He remembered walking dejectedly to the park and sitting by the oak tree, trying to find solace. And then, he thought, a giant falling star had plunged from the heavens and struck down directly on top of...
"GOOD GRIEF" Charlie Brown jumped in shock, shaking with fear and concern. He placed his hands to his mouth, a look of plain horror on his face as several grim thoughts surfaced in his mind.
"I'm not... I can't... can't be... I'm not... or am I... dead?" Charlie Brown thought, now starting to hyperventilate a little.
"My boy, you are far from dead" Came a mystical, soothing voice that nethertheless made Charlie Brown jump ten feet into the air. When he landed the near-bald boy began looking around frantically for whoever, or whatever, had spoken. But it wasn't until he finally relaxed his neck and looked directly in front of himself that the speaker revealed himself.
Seemingly out of nowhere the Dog Guardian appeared before Charlie Brown, now in a more translucent, ghostly form, but still coloured. Charlie Brown backed away nervously, weirded out by the impossibility of what he was seeing. The Guardian smiled and floated downwards so that he was on level with Charlie Brown.
"Don't be afraid Charlie, I am not here to do you harm" The Guardian said kindly. Charlie Brown rubbed his eyes a few more times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, then smiled weakly as he didn't want to risk offending this... this... whatever he was.
"I suppose before anything else I should introduce myself" The Guardian spoke again "My name is Sparky, I am the now-former Guardian Of Light. Since the dawn of time, it has been my duty to watch over the Realm Of Light and all the worlds that Dwell within it"
Charlie Brown stared in confusion at the Guardian, who frowned thoughtfully "I lost you at "My name" Didn't I?" Charlie Brown meekly nodded. Sparky chuckled lightheartedly, but then turned serious.
"My story is a very long and complicated tale of wonder and woe, but only the most crucial details are applicable at this very moment. I come to you now because I am in need of your help" Sparky said importantly, Charlie Brown blinked in confusion.
"My help?" Charlie Brown wondered, speaking for the first time towards the Guardian spirit. After another moment of hesitation, Charlie Brown asked "But how can I help, I can't do anything right"
"Not true, Charlie" Sparky said with an air of warmth. He began circling Charlie Brown, who anxiously followed the spirit's progress "I know all about you Charlie Brown, I know that you are an undeserving victim of unfortunate circumstances. You fail to fly a kite, your team never wins a baseball game, and your friend Lucy never lets you kick a football. But these faults are nothing to be ashamed of, and most of them aren't even your faults. And you have proved time and time again that you are a loving and caring person, loyal friend and responsible big brother to your sister. You do have potential Charlie, you defeated Joe Agate at marbles and won back the marbles he took from Rerun, did you not? You won your school spelling bee, and made it all the way to the nationals. And while you may have lost, the fact that you made it so far while many others failed to keep up with you is still a great achievement, one you should have acknowledged at the time. Yes Charlie, you can do things right, you just have to have faith in yourself"
Sparky stopped circling Charlie Brown and gave him time to digest everything he had said. The young teen was dumbfounded by how the Guardian could know so much about him, and despite the attempt to inspire confidence he still didn't really see how he could be any help at all to anyone, let alone a supposed Guardian of worlds.
Sensing Charlie Brown's doubt but deciding it would be best to save the persuasion for later, given the urgent circumstances, the Guardian snapped his ghostly fingers to regain the boy's attention.
"You are too hard on yourself Charlie, and I promise I shall do whatever I can to help you overcome your insecurities. But time is of the essence, a great disaster has befalled our realm" Sparky said darkly, which worried Charlie Brown.
"I suppose the only way to explain it so you fully understand the situation is to start from the very beginning. You see, while your people believe the universe was created by a single almighty God, there were actually seven God-like beings who worked together to form all of reality" The Guardian explained, then he clapped his hands, and besides him another ghostly image appeared.
Charlie Brown fell backwards at the sight of the illusion. It appeared to be a horse-like creature, but it's face resembled anything but a horse and had a long mane that stretched far away from it's head. It was mostly white with a gray underside and face, had golden hooves and a golden cross-like wheel going around it's abdomen, with green jewels at it's four points. The creature had green eyes with red pupils, and looked to be carrying itself with dignity and refinement. Though it looked bizarre and very weird, the creature also seemed very magestic and powerful.
"This is Arceus, the Original one, father and leader of the Ancients, Sole creator of the Pokemon world and the supreme deity of this universe" Sparky explained, as though he were resciting a speech he had learned from heart. Charlie Brown tried to comprehend what he had been told and made to bow to the Ancient, but Sparky spoke up.
"There is no need Charlie, this is not the real Arceus. It is but a hologram, to express my point" Sparky explained, Charlie Brown nodded and got up, still extremely confused about this whole situation as Sparky summoned another image. This time it was a large lion, with a golden mane and green eyes. Charlie Brown was stunned by how the lion could look so terrifying, yet also wonderful.
"This is Aslan, King of Beasts, the creator of animal life and the magical Kingdom of Narnia" The Guardian explained, then summoned an image of an amphibious creature with very long hands, dark blue trousers with a golden belt buckle, and a large purple top hat.
"This is Polokus, the Bubble Dreamer, Sole creator of The Glade Of Dreams and giver of sleep" Sparky then created an illusion of an old but bold looking man in golden armour, with long grey hair and an eyepatch over his left eye.
"This is Odin, the All Father, Sole creator of the Marvel world and father of the Asgardians, a race of lesser demi-God's" Sparky explained, then clapped his hands and made an image of... an enormous gloved hand?
"This is Master Hand, Lover of games, Sole creator of the World of Trophies, where he brings forth great warriors to train and do battle to earn glory and fame" Sparky said. Charlie Brown stared oddly at the giant hand, who seemed slightly less impressive than the other beings that had appeared so far. But the next illisionnary Ancient left him Speechless. It appeared... vaguely humanoid, but looked more like an Ancient Egyptian monster, with chains all around it's body, sandy-orange skin that resembled armour with bits of yellow and other colours forming various marking around it's face, and it had a most sinister grin.
"This is Exodia, the Forbidden One, a being so powerful he has sealed himself away, and wears chains that restrict him from using his full strength. His full power was used only to help shape the worlds" The Guardian explained.
Charlie Brown waited with bated breath to see what the last Ancient would look like. The Guardian clapped his hand again and summoned the seventh illusion. This one looked the most similar to what Charlie Brown would imagine God to look like, tall and humanoid with a flowing white robe, a long grey beard and gray hair that covered his face, so that it was not visible to Charlie Brown. However, it's skin was a bright yellow, instead of pink like a normal human being.
"This is... well, God. His name is the most commonly known among the Ancients, and most people in most worlds believe him to be the sole creator of life. However, the only world he created solely by himself is an alternate version of earth, named the yellow earth by the Ancients after the colour of it's peoples skin. He is, however, extremely powerful and loving to all" Sparky explained.
Charlie Brown stared at the hologram-styled images of the seven Ancients before him with a look of uncertaintly. Were these really the beings that created the universe? And if so, what was the Guardian's purpose of showing him these images?
While Charlie Brown was still pondering over that question, Sparky clapped his hand one final time and caused the Ancients to vanish. And in their place... sprang up a most terrifying figure. Thin like a shadow and with her evil red eyes glowing maliciously, the image of The Dark Witch towered over Charlie Brown, making him fall on his back again, this time cowering in fear.
"And this... is my sister" Sparky said mornfully. With another wave of his hand he shrunk the oversized image of the Witch so that it was about his size, motioned for Charlie Brown to stand up, which he did so quite cautiously, and then Sparky cleared his throat before he spoke again.
"While the Ancients created the worlds and their people, they left themselves fatigue doing so. Arceus and Master Hand retired to the Hall Of Origins to rest, Polokus went into a deep sleep to regain his power, leaving four masks in The Glade of Dreams that could awaken him in case he was needed, God settled down in the Kingdom of Heaven, where good souls would go once they were departed, Exodia as I explained had to seal himself away to protect people from his own power, Aslan took rest in his own special garden, and Odin settled down in his own Kingdom in the Marvel realms, called Asgard, where he would go on to create a race of God like beings, marrying one and siring far less powerful sons"
"You see the Ancients believed in minimal intervention, they wanted the people inhabiting the worlds to make their own lives, accomplish tasks themselves and solve their own problems, so they would never have to depend on the Ancients for every small task. So they made a pact, that neither of them could visit a world that they hadn't created individually. But of course the Ancients cared about their people, and wanted to make sure they were always watched over, in case disaster struck. That's where my sister and I come in" Sparky explained. After taking a moment to make sure Charlie Brown was still following him, the Guardian continued his story.
"The universe has always been split in two you see, one half of it is light, and one half is darkness. Despite common belief, neither of these two sacred elements is either good or evil, darkness can be used for good purposes, and light can be used for evil purposes, it is all a matter of choice. People merely fear what they don't understand, and those who seek the opposite element from which they were naturally born into are sometimes corrupted as they become overwhelmed by it's great power. But that's getting a little off topic, forgive me...
"Now, as there were two realms, the Ancients decided to create two mighty Guardians, with power just below their level to watch over the universe and it's people. I was formed from the purest of lights, to watch over the Realm Of Light. And my sister, she was spawned from the mightiest darkness in the universe, to watch over the Realm of Darkness"
Sparky trailed off for a moment, staring whistfully into the eyes of his sister's hologram. Charlie Brown looked at him uncertainly, the look on the Guardian's face made him feel really sorry for the old dog. After a full three minutes of silence, Sparky sighed heavily and explained further.
"For a time, everything was fine. The universe was at balance, people were safe, and the Ancients could rest peacefully, knowing that my sister and I were watching over the worlds. But though my sister and I were always close and worked together many times to keep the peace, The Witch... had vastly different opinions on how to go about helping her people" Sparky said, shuddering fearfully and clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.
"I have always done as the Ancients commanded, and I followed their example, including their belief in minimal intervention. Of course I always looked out for the people of light, I allowed them to work on solutions to their own problems, create their societies in the way they envisioned them, and I only aided them at times when the worlds were at utmost risk. That, I believed, was what my duty entialed" Sparky explained, looking increasingly ashamed of himself "But my sister, she did the exact opposite. She cared deeply for the people of darkness, and despite the wishes of the Ancients, she aided her people in accomplishing virtually every task they performed. She built their cities, she solved all their crimes, undid disasters and wiped out all diseases and famine. She was not doing an unkindness, of course, but her people became dependent on her, and became slothish, ignorant and, if I may say, extremely fat. They had no motivation or interest in helping themselves or each other, simply letting my sister do everything for them"
"Of course the Ancients did not approve. They demanded that The Witch do less to help her people, make them fend for themselves more often, so that they would all grow as people, build character, and learn to work together to achieve peace and prosperity... she did not obey. She continued to solve all the dark ones' problems for them. But then one day, she decided that, despite all she had done to accomplish her goal of keeping her people safe from harm, there was still one threat she could not defend them from... themselves" The Guardian said dramatically. Charlie Brown raised an eyebrow, confused by this statement.
"Um... I'm sorry, mr Guardian" Charlie Brown interrupted, trying to sound as respectful as possible "But, I'm not sure I understand that. How can people be a threat to themselves?"
"In many ways Charlie" Sparky said "You are still fairly young, you don't yet know just how peoples negative emotions can work against them. While most people will just try to go about their business and are kind to others, all mortal beings are flawed. Everyone makes mistakes, as you would know very well, only sometimes, people make really big mistakes, that have consequences, both for themselves and the people around them. My sister saw the flaws in her own people, how many of them were greedy, and despite all she had given them some still tried to make their own lives better through vile acts, such as stealing. She saw that sometimes people would fight each other, and while she put a stop to all wars people were still getting hurt and even killed fighting over arguments. She saw that people were dishonest and argued over trivial matters. Basically, she looked past all the good qualities her people had, paying her mind only to the flaws that every living person has, and the negative impacts they have on societies and to the indivuals. And in my sisters one track mind, anything that was a risk to her people had to be destroyed!"
Charlie Brown gasped at this, placing a hand over his mouth in shock.
"What did she do?" Charlie Brown asked fearfully, Sparky's face fell, and he looked both revolted and a bit terrified himself as he remembered his sisters vile actions.
"She didn't kill anyone, if that's what you're wondering. Oh no... she did something far worse. Not only did she use her powers to extinguish the last shreds of light in their hearts, but she robbed them of their free wills. She destroyed their conscious minds, turned every last one of her people into mindless slaves of darkness... in effect, they became a new breed of shadow monster... the Heartless! No longer feeling emotions, no longer able to act on their own will, my sister had reduced them to slaves" Sparky said, horrifying Charlie Brown.
"How was THAT helping anybody?" Charlie Brown asked in disgust.
"It wasn't, of course, but my sister thought she was doing everyone a favour" Sparky replied, shaking his head "She thought that if her people were all soulless puppets, then they would be safe from themselves. And if that wasn't enough, she then declared war on the Realm of Light. She wanted to turn my people into the same sort of Heartless beasts she had transformed her people into!"
Sparky stared once more into the face of his sister's hologram, which had conveniently began to cackle in a nefarious manner. Sparky sighed, the light spirit seemed to be in pain as he continued his story.
"Naturally, I opposed my sister. I was horrified at what she had done, and at what she was trying to do to my people. I didn't want to fight her though, she was my sister, and no matter what she did I loved her. So I tried to reason with her, I tried to make her see the error of her ways, to undo the damage she had caused, before the Ancients ordered her dead for her crimes... and she attacked me" Sparky said, wincing painfully and clutching his chest "And thus, I had no choice but to fight back. We battled for many days and many nights, a war broke out between the people of our realms as we fought. But though my sister was strong and more focused on the battle, in the end I managed to defeat her, and seal her away in a glass bottle. After discussing her fate with the Ancients, we hid her miniature prison away in a world on the edge of our realms. But victory came at a high price..."
"You see, during our battle the Witch had cast a spell on me, forbidding me as the Light Guardian from entering the Realm of Darkness, a similar spell to which I cast on her after the battle to keep her out of my realm. And as the Ancients could only enter worlds that they alone had created, of which none unfortunately dwelled in the Realm of Darkness, we were unable to heal the people of darkness. We could do nothing, but leave them as they were... I honestly doubt we could have restored their wills anyway, my sister will have made sure to destroy every last trace of them..."
The Guardian trailed off once more, finally turning away from Charlie Brown completely as he wiped the ghostly tears from his eyes. Charlie Brown stared sympathetically at the Guardian. For a moment his eyes wandered to the illusionary Dark Witch, her smile sending shivers down his spine. He couldn't believe that there could exist anyone so cruel, so... evil.
There was a long moment of silence, and Charlie Brown wasn't sure if he should break it. There were still so many questions running through his mind, still so much he didn't understand. Like why was he even being told about all this. Charlie Brown made several times to ask this question, but gave up halfway through an "Um... erm". Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Sparky turned around and addressed Charlie Brown once more.
"I know what you are wondering Charlie, and I implore you to ask me what is on your mind" Sparky said gently. Charlie Brown nodded, cleared his throat and tried to find the right words to express his concerns.
"Well, Mr Guardian... um, Sparky" Charlie Brown recoiled for a moment, wondering if it was disrespectful to refer to a Guarian by his first name. But Sparky gave him a weak smile to tell him it was ok, so he meekly continued "Well, I think this is an... erm, really fascinating story... I mean, it's amazing, I never thought any of that stuff would have been possible... and I feel sorry for you-really sorry, I just wish there was something I could... erm..." Charlie Brown fumbled, Sparky made a gesture to tell him to stop.
"Charlie Brown, it's alright. Though I am pleased to know you have sympathy for my tragedy, I would rather you just get straight to the point" Sparky said importantly. Charlie Brown nodded thankfully and tried to compose himself.
"Well... I just wanted to know... what does all this have to do with me? Why am I here, and why are you telling me all this? And why do you need my help?" Charlie Brown finally asked the question that had been burning in his head since the Guardian had first come to him. Sparky nodded solomly, giving Charlie Brown a most remorseful look.
"Yes, I know this all seems confusing, but it all revolves around you now... as bizarre as it may sound" Sparky said. Charlie Brown raised a brow, and Sparky elaborated "You see, I always feared that my sister would escape her prison. Though only her and myself could freely travel between worlds, there was always a fear that someone would find a way to her prison, that someday, she would be released, and go on to continue her maniacal ambition to conquer The Realm of Light, destroy every last trace of light in the universe and enslave my people as she did hers. And earlier this day, those fears came true"
Charlie Brown gasped as the Guardian simply nodded to confirm it.
"A scientist from a world besides your own, a Dr Ivo Robotnik, he had ended up in the corridor between worlds, known as White Space, which resembles where we are now. I'll explain more of that later. Anyway, by an astonishing coincidence, his attempts to escape the White Space resulted in him discovering the Twilight Realm I had hidden my sister's bottle in. And of course he released her. I immediately sensed my sister had escaped, and went to confront her in the Twilight world, the only world in which we could both enter with the curses placed on us. I tried to subdue her, to either reseal her or else talk some sense back into her, appeal to the good that I knew was still deep down inside her..." The Guardian stared whistfully upwards, as the Witch's hologram gave her most wicked grin yet "But I failed, and my sister struck me with a killing blow"
Charlie Brown yelped in shock, shaking his head. But the look on the Guardian's face confirmed his statement to be true.
"I managed to escape at the last minute, but it was already too late... I was fatally wounded, with every second that passed my body began to deteriorate. I could never reach the Hall of Origins in time for Arceus and the other Anceints to heal me, so I merely accepted my fate, and died in the corridor between worlds" Sparky said with a sad sigh of defeat. Charlie Brown's face fell, he tried to place a comforting hand on the Guardian's shoulder, but it sunk right through.
Surprised, Charlie Brown settled for saying something he hoped seemed comforting "I'm sorry" Then Charlie Brown mentally slapped himself. What good was it to just say he was sorry when someone had just died? But Sparky did seem to appreciate it, judging by the tiny smile he gave him.
"Thank you Charlie. Now, as I am the Guardian of Light, my death proves problematic for many reasons. My sister's return is the biggest concern, with me now departed there is no one capable of standing up to her, no one who can protect the worlds from her wrath. Mind you, with her inability to materialise in the Realm of Light this would not be such a disaster... if she did not have someone from the Realm of Light to do her bidding. My sister is crafty, she will use Dr Robotnik to further her plans. She will build up her army, gather the beings in this realm who have devoted themselves to the darkness rather than the light, and take over... with no Guardian of Light, there would be nothing to stop her..."
Sparky's ruby red eyes shined for a moment, he gave Charlie Brown an apologetic look before he added "And now, Charlie Brown, we have finally reached the point where you come into the picture"
Charlie Brown gave Sparky a look of absolute uncertainty. He hadn't the slightest clue at what the dog Guardian was getting at. So Sparky elaborated...
"Now of course my sister and I did not possess the Ancients' power of immortality. Though there was hardly a power in the universe that could compare to us, there was still a slight risk that one of us could one day be killed trying to safeguard the worlds. Knowing this, the Ancients created us with a safety precaution... if one of us were to die, our powers and spirit would survive in a ball of light, or darkness in my sisters case, and seek out someone in the universe who had a heart positively brimming with our respective element. And whoever was chosen by our inner power, would become either the new Guardian of Darkness, or the new Guardian of Light" Sparky explained. He leaned closer to Charlie Brown so that their faces were but inches apart "So, do you know what this means, Charlie?"
Charlie Brown, at first a bit disturbed by the dog spirits closeness, pondered over his words for a long moment. Then something clicked in his brain and his face lit up with shock... and a bit of horror.
"Wait... that falling star... you don't mean... I'm not-"
"Yes Charlie Brown. YOU, are the new Guardian of Light" Sparky confirmed. Charlie Brown stared in amazement as Sparky returned to his upright position "With the guideance of my spirit, it is now your duty to protect the universe. You are now responsible for making sure my sister does not take over. Now you must become, dare I say, the greatest hero in the universe"
...
...
...
Charlie Brown just stared blankly at the Guardian's spirit. Sparky gave him a curious look, Charlie Brown merely stared at him cluelessly. And then he burst out in hysterical laughter.
Charlie Brown laughed, and laughed, and laughed some more, all the while Sparky just stared uncertainly at him. Charlie Brown laughed for what must have been a full five minuted before he finally caught a glimpse of the look on the former Guardian's face.
"Wait... you're... y-y-you're serious?!" Charlie Brown gasped.
"I have never been more serious throught my entire existence, Charlie Brown" Sparky replied honestly. Charlie Brown's eyes widened in shock, then he started to hyperventilate again.
"But-but... but that's crazy!" Charlie Brown yelped. After taking a moment to get his breathing under control, he added "I-I can't be a Guardian. I'm not a hero, I'm not a saviour, I'm not... I'm not anything! I can't pitch one strike at baseball, let alone save the whole entire universe! That can't be right!"
"I'm afraid it is Charlie" Sparky said calmly "Despite your doubts, you were chosen to inherit my power. Because you have a pure heart. Sure, at sometimes in your early childhood you occasionally did things that others may find selfish or inconsiderate, truthfully you have never commited any true act of unkindness or greed. And despite the way people have treated you, you are still a devoted and true friend and a good person. Your heart is filled with light Charlie, you are a natural candidate for the position of the new Guardian"
Charlie Brown pondered over what Sparky said for a moment. But no, that didn't change his oppinion at all.
"You're saying you want me to be a Guardian. You want me to be some sort of great hero, to save the whole entire universe. Not that I wouldn't like to be a hero, I'd love to, but... I just know I'm not anything like that" Charlie Brown said hopelessly "I'm not strong, I'm not brave, I didn't know about a single thing you've been telling me until now. And to top it off, I've never been able to do good at anything. I always try my best at things, but I usually always fail. And if the whole universe is depending on me, then that's bad. I just know I can't do what you're asking, and I don't want to screw up at something that could put the whole universe in jeopardy, because I know I will. I'm sorry but, I can't be your new Guardian. I just can't"
"I'm afraid, as unfair as it may sound, you have no choice Charlie" Sparky said "You have been chosen as the new Guardian, and once chosen, you can not turn back. There is no way to pass on the powers of the Guardian to another, you have become the new Guardian of Light, and you are oblidged to carry out the resposibilities that title enhails. Whether or not you believe yourself capable, you are, until death do you part, the Hero of Light"
Charlie Brown looked away from the Guardian, shaking his head in disbelief. He just couldn't comprehend any of this. Him, Charlie Brown, blockhead extrordinare, the guy Lucy, Patty and Violet had nominated the worlds biggest failure face, some sort of protector of the universe? No matter what way he looked at it, that just didn't sound right. For a moment he tried to think positive. Maybe he could be the Guardian, maybe if he had amazing powers over light that would make him a capable hero, one who could actually succeed at saving everyone. And everyone would love him if he were a hero, maybe even... maybe even the Little Red Haired Girl... but no. No, Charlie Brown knew that couldn't just happen. He couldn't get his hopes up this time, because every time he did that, he always ended up failing and feeling miserable afterwards. In desparation Charlie Brown began pinching himself, praying that this was all just some very, very crazy dream he was having. But he wasn't waking up, and it actually hurt a bit when he slapped himself. If this were a dream, it was a very realistic one. Good Grief, Charlie Brown thought. Why did it have to be him, why couldn't it have been someone else? Why couldn't it be a real hero, someone who could really live up to the responsibility and handle the pressure. Or maybe this was just his luck. His bad luck was always ruining things for him and even his friends, now it was about to ruin things for everyone in the universe.
Sparky watched as Charlie Brown mentally beat himself up over his unfortunate situation. After vanishing the hologram of his sister, which he had forgotten was still present, Sparky floated down behind Charlie Brown, used what little power he had left to turn his hand semi-solid and patted Charlie Brown comfortingly on the back. Charlie Brown looked over his shoulder at the ghost Guardian, who gave him a supportive smile.
"You spend too much of your energy doubting yourself my boy" Sparky said in a warm, grandfatherly type voice "I know life is unfair to you, I know you have grown up to believe yourself to be inept at the simplest task. But, my boy, you need to snap out of it. You are a good man, Charlie Brown. You look out for your friends, you are always there to help them no matter how badly they mistreat you, that shows loyalty and a great sense of forgiving, which many people sadly lack nowadays. You are a loving pet owner, though Snoopy may not seem to appreciate you, you still feed him, give him shelter, provide love and comfort and do everything a good pet owner would do, whereas many pet owners would grow exhasperated trying to raise a dog with such unrivaled creativity and wackiness, and would start to pay him little-to-no mind, or else abuse him. And as I've said before, you are a loving brother. Though there are times you have been too frightened to stand up for her around bullies, you are still there to comfort Sally and help her get by. It goes without saying you had a bigger role in raising her than your own parents, you have taught her right from wrong, helped her with her homework, and given her the support she needed to become the happy ball of sunshine she is today. Yes Charlie, bespite what people say about you and what you have led yourself to believe, you are a wonderful person who deserves to be hailed and admired for his nobility and warm heart. And that is exactly the quality that is required in a guardian. Not heroism, not bravery, and not a perfect track record. What matters in a Guardian is having a good heart, the ability to love and forgive all, even those who forsake you. The determination to keep trying to help others and succeed, even if your attempts are met with failure. This is the quality I have always most appreciated in myself, and it is a quality you embody every day of your life. Yes Charlie, though you may not have faith in yourself, I believe you will make a fine successor to me"
Charlie Brown looked hopefully into the face of his predecessor. He couldn't remember anyone ever showing so much genuine faith in him in his whole life. And the things he said... while he still doubted himself, a lot of the things the Guardian spirit was saying actually seemed to make sense. The way he put it, Charlie Brown did feel like he was a really nice person. Not really hero material, but a nice guy at least. But it was the mere fact that someone was showing such belief, such kind faith in him and his abilities, that made Charlie Brown actually cheer up a bit.
"I still don't know though" Charlie Brown said, hoping for some more kind advice "I really don't feel like I'm the hero type. I've never really been good at anything. And, if you're right about me having all these powers, I wouldn't really know how to use them"
"I never expected you to. The reason my spirit was sent along with my power was so that I could teach my successor to use the powers of the Guardian properly. I shall teach you to use your powers Charlie, and I shall be here to guide you all the way. You don't have to do any of what I'm asking alone, I'll be here for you. Not just to train you in using your powers either, I also plan to help you improve yourself. I want to teach you to be a little more confident, have a little faith in yourself, and to be happy" Sparky promised, completely sincere. Charlie Brown smiled, that actually did sound nice. At least he this Sparky sounded a little more encouraging than a certain "Licensed psychiatrist" he knew. But yet, doubts still filled Charlie Brown's mind...
"I still don't know..." Charlie Brown sighed, feeling dejected as he said "Even with help, I still don't feel like I should be the one doing this"
Sparky himself sighed a little. He sensed that he was close to convincing the boy, he just needed another push. But what else could he say to persuade him? Suddenly, he had an idea.
"No ones saying you HAVE to do this Charlie" Sparky said, surprising the thirteen year old "You may have my powers, but no ones saying you have no choice but to defend the worlds and face my sister. You have free will Charlie, like any other living being. Though I wish for you to go through with my request and become the new Guardian of Light, you can just as easily refuse if you don't feel you're capable. Of course, the only problem is that we cannot extract my powers from you, and though there are many heroes from many other worlds, there's no guarantee they alone will stand a chance against whatever my sister has in store for this realm. And with the Ancients unable to spread their influence among the worlds besides their own individual creations, the fate of the worlds really does depend on the Guardian of Light. But you still don't have to do this, if you wish you can walk away, continue your life as you please. I will not chastisise you if you do, you are still young, and I realise I am asking a great deal of you, perhaps unreasonably so. You have every right to stay out of this, I ask you only because I need you to say yes Charlie. So feel free to choose, will you be the new Guardian, Charlie Brown?"
Charlie Brown realised Sparky must have been trying to play the guilt trick on him... and it was working. Charlie Brown would feel like a real jerk if he said no, the entire universe was at risk, and for whatever reason HE was granted the power to save it. He still didn't think he was capable, and he realised he probably never would, but this wasn't exactly something someone could back down from. And also, this had been sort of what Charlie Brown had wished for. He wanted to be a hero, he wanted to be respected, and this was his chance to achieve just that. Though a million doubts still plagued his mind, Charlie Brown knew there was only one way to answer Sparky's question.
"Alright, I'll do it" Charlie Brown said, much to Sparky's delight "I'll be your new Guardian"
"Wonderful Charlie! Thank you, thank you so much" Sparky said, attempting to embrace Charlie Brown, but he passed right through him. The now teacher rubbed his head meekly as Charlie Brown leaped back a few feet in surprise, having almost forgotten he was talking to a ghost. Wanting to calm him down quickly and to further his confidence, Sparky resolidified his hand for a moment, patted Charlie Brown's shoulder and said "And by the way, the fact that you accept this responsibility, with the weight of the whole universe on your shoulders and with your head filled with doubts, proves that there is plenty of hope for you"
Charlie Brown briefly smiled in appreciation at this. While taking some more time to digest everything that he had been told, Charlie Brown found his attention returning to his endless white surroundings.
"By the way, how do I get back home?" Charlie Brown asked. Sparky chuckled.
"My boy, you never left home. This isn't really White Space, this is all happening inside your head. Your body's still in the park. Ooh, which reminds me, by now someones probably walked by and is wondering why your lying unconscious in a public park. I suppose we'd better save further discussions for later, right now you should probably return home. I'm sure it's also getting late" Sparky said importantly.
"Um, ok" Charlie Brown said, though he still had many questions he would like answered before he went anywhere. But before he could voice any of these questions, Sparky clapped his hands and disappeared. Charlie Brown was about to call out to him, but suddenly found himself lying on his back once more. And then the whiteness vanished, replaced with darkening sky and the first stars of the evening.
Taking a moment to reassess his situation, Charlie Brown, finding himself strangely fatigue and tired, summoned all his strength to push himself upright. He then got to his feet and found himself back in the park. Charlie Brown rubbed his head, wondering whether everything that just happened was really real.
"Charlie Brown?"
Charlie Brown turned around to find almost every one of his friends standing there, watching with looks of concern, which quickly changed to relief.
"Are you alright, Charlie Brown?" Linus asked, as though concerned Charlie Brown was about to collapse and fall into a coma.
"Erm..." Charlie Brown mumbled, finding the curious stares of so many of his friends offputting. He pondered his response for a minute, not sure how to express his situation. He looked to his side to find the oak tree he had been sitting under had been badly burned, and that the ground beneath him was scorched. He immediately summariesed that the encounter with Sparky was no dream.
"Well, are you alright, or aren't you?" Lucy, Linus's sister and one of Charlie Brown's oldest friends, asked in a slightly more annoyed tone. Charlie Brown continued to ponder his response for a minute before he finally came up with something...
"Well... sort of?"
Tiger Lover 16: Yeahhh... that ending seems a little confusing, but more will be explained next chapter. I actually intended for there to be several more scenes in this chapter, including one leading up to the rest of the Peanuts gang finding Charlie Brown in the park, but I desided this was a good place to end the chapter, and I'm going to put all those scenes into a chapter of their own. It'll help space out the Introductory arc a bit more anyway, overlong chapters aren't really a good thing, a fact I'm starting to learn. Anyway, we learned a lot of important backstory in this chapter, and Charlie Brown's now learned about his new role as Guardian of Light. Next chapter should focus partly on him learning to use those powers, so stay put. And next chapter sets up two more key villains, Joe Agate and Thibault, while also providing some focus on Charlie Brown's friends. The big crossover adventures will start soon, there's just a lot of set up I have to get out of the way first. I've seen a lot of big scale crossovers before that aren't very good, because people don't take the time to explain things and give certain characters enough spotlight, I'm trying to do my best to make this a good story. I know a lot of this chapter wasn't very good, and I don't know how realistic Charlie Brown's reactions were, but like I said, I plan to go back and edit this. Just tell me what you think in your reviews. Now, while I could go on and on with this note I really just want to get this chapter published. So, thank you for reading and please review. Seriously, review, I haven't got a single review yet for this story.