The Guardian (Young Plumbers)

The Guardian is the thirty fifth episode of Young Plumbers and the sixth episode of Season 3.

Plot
[Horkbok, standing in front of recruits]: There is a day, in every Plumber's life were things are darker than ever. When good has failed, evil seems to have won, and all seems lost. But, some things are more powerful then evil. Some things are more powerful than a crystal, or a sword of darkness, or even a demon king. You see.. one of the most powerful things in the universe.... is hope. Remember that. Always remember that.

[Paper is reading the Solvens Tenebrae Vestibulum when Sci enters]

[Sci]: Paper.... what are you doing?

[Theme Song]

[Paper]: Reading. To learn more about the Prophecy about you, and the one at the Temple of Rigon.

[Sci realizes there's a picture of Horkbok right next to the book]

[Paper]: Man....

[Sci]: Paper, its not your fault. They...

[Paper]: I feel so bad.....

[Sci]: We looked everywhere.

[Paper]: What about Salimore and Ranova?

[Sci]: We wanted to but.....

[Paper]: I know. I know. But.... Horkbok kept talking about Hope. I mean... how much can we have now?

[Sci]: Hey! Being depressed is a 24-7 job for me, not you. You’re the leader, not the Child of Darkness.

[Paper]: Speaking of that....

[Sci]: They’re getting worse and worse. The Nightmares. Its mainly the sword. Every time I used it, or touched it... I was controlled. By him. He’s like... like ...

[Paper]: I know. Quick question... you know how... you learned you were the Child of Darkness, and all about Rigon, and the prophecy, and everything?

[Sci]: Yeah...

[Paper]: Did you feel ... different? Beforehand? Like you knew you weren't just a normal person like everyone else?

[Sci]: Still do. And yes.

[Paper]: Yeah... just, I know I’m meant for something. Just don’t know what.

[Sci, suspicious]: You never talked about stuff like this before. What’s going on?

[Paper, starting to have a nervous breakdown]: It started.... the day after they died.

[Flashback begins]

[Paper, V.O]: My Parents were plumbers, but they never told me. The day after they died, a cop told me that someone had killed them, and sent me to an orphanage. One night, a woman was in my room.

[Scene changes to his bedroom.]

[Woman]: Paper.... do not lose hope. All Heroes must have tragedy. Some small, others greater. One child in the cosmos suffers the most. He has a father who is evil, a father who hates all and will destroy everything. Don’t give self-pity child, they gave their lives for the greater good. For your good.

[Paper, V.O.]: Then, she explained everything about them, and the universe I lived in, and all of that. But she didn’t say anything about my destiny, or Rigon, or the Elite.... or even my parents.

[Scene shifts to Plumber’s Academy, a few weeks before the present day, when Horkbok and Paper chatted in private.]

[Paper, V.O.]: She led me to a Plumber, who helped me join the Academy. I learned everything about aliens and weapons and fighting from them. A while before you returned, in Ranova... there was a mission. And in that mission, I learned a horrible truth.

[Horkbok]: I’m sorry Paper. It was him who killed your parents. I should have told you but....

[Past Paper, crying]: NO! SAVE IT!

[Past Paper runs down the hall, into a ship and leaves the academy, and heads towards Earth. Camera shifts to his room, in ruins, where he and the woman stand.]

[Paper, V.O.]: She was back.

[Woman]: Paper... don’t have self-pity.

[Past Paper, angry]: WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME????!!!! WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ABOUT SCI, AND RIGON, AND LOTIN, AND MY PARENTS OF ALL THINGS????

[Woman]: You had to find out yourself. Don’t lose your own hope. By the end of the night... hope shall be bound, until we find ourselves right, and the Guardian found. Think about those words.

[Sci, V.O]: She told you the Prophecy from the Temple?

[Paper, V.O.]: Yes, but I just remembered now. Anyways.... I didn’t see her until 2 days ago. In a dream. But this time, it was different.

[Cuts to Paper in a chamber with the Woman tied up in chains.]

[Woman]: Help me.... help me....

[A shadow appears, and attacks the woman. She falls to the ground, and the Shadow attacks once more as Paper, in the dream stands in horror. Her blood spills on the walls as he runs into a hall. Then, Paper stops at the end of the hall, to see a horror. It’s him, dead, bloody, and chained to a wall with a the words “ Elite “ carved into his chest. It then cuts to a world on fire as a civil war rages. ]

[Paper, in dream]: Oh god..... no.... no.... NOOOOOO!

[Flashback and Dream ends]

[Paper]: Horrible Images..... Horrible...

[Sci]: That Shadow... you know it was ... Rigon, right?

[Paper]: Yes.

[Sci]: Wait. That Woman.... she kept saying “ You are the hope they need “. Hope... Hope.... and the Prophecy. “ By the End of the Night.... Hope shall be bound “ ..... they’re connected. And the woman was ... bound. She’s.... she’s part of the Prophecy we found. She’s Hope.

[Paper]: Like the hope we need?

[Sci]: No, she LITERALLY is Hope. As in a person. Hope is a person.

[Paper]: We have to find her.

[Sci]: Maybe we can find this “ Guardian “ as well. But first.... I gotta head to my locker. Ah...ow.... gotta release some of that Dark Energy...

[2 hours later, Paper and Sci are in a spaceship heading into the unknown.]

[Paper]: So how are we going to find Hope?

[Sci]: You had two hours to figure that out, and you didn’t?

[Paper]: I was having a NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!

[Sci]: Okay, okay.... wow. Yeesh. Well... I might have an idea.

[The Ship lands in a crater surrounded by a tunnel system. Paper and Sci exit the ship and see a bunch of aliens.]

[Paper]: I thought the Aurora Manotizes were dead.

[Sci]: So did I. But apparently, a group of 200, including leaders, doctors, scientists, farmers, teachers and more joined the Naran Manotizes during the battle. When the planet had been destroyed, and all but them seemed dead, the Naran Manotizes realized that war only killed and destroyed, and they realized peace was the best for their kind. So they dedicated their resources to preserving history, culture, and above all, peace. They also decided to rid themselves of modern technology, because it was too tempting. Anyways, the Aurora Manotizes integrated with the Naran ones. I thought they were dead, but when I left the Academy, as I traveled across the universe, I met them. Apparently, they know a lot about the Universe’s history, including the prophecy and Rigon.

[Paper]: And do they know about Hope?

[Sci]: That’s why we’re here.

[An Aurora Manotize walks up to Sci]

[Sci]: Walker...

[Walker]: Sci, its been a long time you know.

[Sci]: Yes. It has.

[Walker]: Please.... come this way.

[Paper and Sci follow Walker into a tunnel. Along the way, they see many farmers making food, The farmers are a mix of Aurora and Naran Manotizes.]

[Sci]: How’s the crops?

[Walker]: Good... good. We did have a little... um, incident but that’s not important.

[They enter a room with a bunch of drawings and stick figures.]

[Walker]: Drinks or Food?

[Sci]: No thank you. I have a question.

[Walker grabs a cup and starts drinking]

[Sci]: Do you know anything about Hope?

[Walker spits his drink, and coughs.]

[Walker]: The Sage Hope... the 3rd Sage to Exist, and one of the most powerful.

[Paper]: It’s a woman... isn't it?

[Walker]: Yes. She symbolizes the hope, the light that all life needs, for without hope, there is no life. Where there is no life, there is no being.

[Paper]: You truly believe in her, don’t you?

[Sci]: That’s why they call him a Saint.

[Walker]: The Sage Hope.... its been so very long... but I know where she is. My great great great great great great ...

[Sci]: We get it.

[Walker]: Well... it was a dark time for the Aurora and Naran Manotizes. They were in the middle of a food crisis. One man, my great great... you get it, grandfather, he was the only one left with hope. So the lady sage Hope herself lead him to her mystic palace in the Orion Nebula..... which no mortal has ever been able to go to since. She gave him a rare seed that we call “ The Savior Seed “, which when he planted it, created enough food for hundreds of years. She... is a legend, and a heroine.

[Paper]: We have to head there now.

[Walker]: Well, I can help you get there. I’ll just tell my p- ah... what.... what the... no, not you.... you should be asleep... imprisoned!

[Sci, concerned]: Walker....

[Walker]: No.... I can’t do that.... please.... I was not aware that he was awake. And if he is awake at last, and he is coming, by all means, he must be obeyed.

[Paper]: It’s him.

[Walker]: The King of Shadows rises soon. You Sci.... your father would rather keep you ... away from Hope, and keep you to help him escape. But you, Paper.... he fears you above all others. You are a great threat to him. I’m afraid.... I must kill you know.

[Sci]: Go!

[Sci creates a giant gust of wind sending the now possessed Walker to the wall as he creates a tornado. Walker closes his eyes as baskets of food fly everywhere. When its finished, Walker opens his eyes to see Paper and Sci’s ship fly away from the planet. He growls, before Rigon’s Shadow comes out of his mouth, and it runs away.]

[Walker]: What happened?

[???]: You tell me.

[A figure punches him in the face and grabs him.]

[Virton]: Now... where did they go?

[Commercial]

[Paper]: We’re here.

[The Ship is right in front of the Orion Nebula]

[Sci]: Let’s go in.

[They slowly enter, and when they do... the Nebula disappears and it reveals a huge fortress, glowing blue.]

[Sci]: The Nebula does not exist. Its a Hologram.

[The Fortress opens up and they enter, landing. Paper and Sci exit, and walk through a hallway. A door opens, and they find Hope, in a seat, waiting.]

[Paper]: Hope.... you aren’t... bound.

[Hope]: No Paper, that was merely a dream I used to get you to this point. You see... WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?

[She points to Sci, who looks nervous]

[Hope]: The Child of Darkness can not be here. Darkness weakens Hope. You threaten everything that has or will ever exist by his mere presence.

[Paper]: Sci may be Rigon’s son, but he is good, I know it.

[Hope]: It does not matter. I’m sorry child, but I can’t let your father return. Forgive me.

[Sci]: No!

[Paper]: Wait!

[Suddenly, a chain grabs her, and throws her to the ground. An Electrical current starts, and shocks her. ]

[Paper]: What the....

[Suddenly, Virton arrives at the scene.]

[Virton]: The Sage is mine.

[Sci]: Virton.

[Virton]: Forgive me child of my once enemy. But Hope must be destroyed.

[Virton grabs Hope and runs down one of the other halls.]

[Paper]: After him!

[Paper and Sci run down the hall, chasing after him.]

[Sci]: Don't worry! I can see him right in front of us...

[The two recruits continue to run until a magical barrier appears in front of them and they both smack against it.]

[Paper]: OW!

[Slowly, the two stands up.]

[Sci]: There are two doors right through it and a question above it...

[Paper]: If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife. Bring me back, but in the door, and you'll see someone giving life...

[Sci]: What? That makes no sense...

[Paper]: Do we even need to answer it?

[Paper puts his hand on the door, but it zaps him and knocks him back.]

[Sci]: I'll take that as a yes...

[He steps back and thinks for a moment.]

[Sci]: A grieving wife is a widow... someone who gives life is a.... donor? Got it!

[Paper]: What is it?

[Sci]: The answer, is the letter "n"

[As if by magic, there is a clicking sound and both the doors unlock.]

[Paper]: The letter "n?"

[Sci]: Window without the letter "n" makes widow, door with the letter "n" makes donor. Now let's choose a door.

[Sci opens the left-hand door and the two recruits walk through it. They end up in a hallway that looks similar.]

[Sci]: Guess we picked the right one, huh?

[They continue to walk down the hallway until they make it to another magical barrier.]

[Paper]: Not again!

[Sci]: To the left is a room with air, but fire and death, but to the right is a room with no air and life...

[Paper]: We can hold our breathes, right...

[Sci]: Are you kidding me? I have water powers!

[Sci places opens the left hand door and the two recruits walk through. They are still in the hallway. There is no fire.]

[Paper]: Something's not right here...

[Sci]: We should just keep moving...

[They walk down the hall even more until they get to another magical barrier.]

[Paper]: Remember what brought you here?

[Sci]: What did bring us here?

[Paper]: Well, we're looking for Hope, right? Why, because we learned about her in the prophecy... By the end of the night... hope shall be bound, until we find ourselves right, and the Guardian found.

[Sci]: And...

[Paper]: Who cares what the answers? We've been picking the wrong doors! Until we find ourselves right! Sci, we've always picked the lefthand door...

[Sci]: But Virton made these barriers, didn't he?

[Paper]: Maybe Hope made them and she's really testing us our something...

[Sci]: Or maybe Virton made Hope tell him which way to go...

[Paper]: Whatever, we're going through the right door...

[Paper opens the right door and the two recruits walk through. They end up in a circular room similar to the first one they were in. Virton is standing with his back to the recruits facing Hope, who is tied up in the chair.]

[Virton]: After meeting Fate, I decided I would become more proactive... Things had to fall into my hands... I decided to be the one to bound Hope, but then I would break the prophecy... and kill her... Try and stop me...

[Virton turns around and prepares for a fight.]

[Virton jumps out and attacks Paper, but Sci blocks his way by creating a tablet of stone. Paper grabs bows and arrows and shoots at him, while Virton knocks him out of the way.]

[Virton]: I will deal with you after I deal with Rigon's child. It's a miracle Rigon even found a wife.

[Sci]: Shut up about my mom. Shut Up!

[Sci slashes Virton in the face, making a scar. Virton laughs.]

[Virton]: You have no idea what you've done.

[Lighting comes from his feet as his body is fully replaced with red and black armor]

[Virton]: Super....Sage... Mode.

[Suddenly, he attacks Sci, and flips him over, smashing him to the floor. Paper shoots an arrow at him, but he grabs it, and breaks it. He jumps over to Paper, whom he grabs and throws at Sci. The two hit each other with extreme force. ]

[Virton]: While in this mode... I'm much more powerful. But you see... I can only be in this mode when I'm 1. Near a Sage, 2. Near a Guardian, or 3. Near Rigon's Presence. Luckly, I am near all 3.

[Sci punches Virton, and Virton strikes back. In a combo attack, he flips Sci while punching him at an excelerrated rate 5 times. Paper goes to Hope, who is still bound.]

[Hope]: Save me my champion. Save me, so Hope may be free for the Universe.

[Paper]: Did you just talk about yourself, or the feeling of hope....?

[Hope, becoming impatient]: Hurry Up!

[Sci gets up, and shoots fire at him, but he creates a sphere of lighting, and strikes Sci, torturing him as he hits the ground. Paper frees Hope from her ropes, and watches.]

[Sci]: Paper...PLEASE!

[His arms glow the same way they do when he needs to release energy]

[Paper]: I have to help him.

[Hope]: No, he must deal with this on his own. If the child of Darkness is to die, then let him die. Evil can't not be allowed to live.

[Paper looks at Sci, who is being tortured beyond anything he's ever felt.]

[Sci]: Paper...

[Paper]: No. He's not evil. There's still hope for him.

[Hope smiles as Paper charges at Virton, punching him in the face. Virton is knocked to the ground. Paper helps Sci up as Virton smiles.]

[Virton]: So my friends, you want to challenge me, hmm? So be it.

[Virton charges at Paper, who grabs Virton's left arm, twists it as Sci kicks Virton. Virton creates a blade from his armor and slashes at Sci, who grabs his armor and lights it on fire. Virton punches Sci, then goes for the head but Sci ducks down. Paper grabs two bows and shoots them, shocking Virton as he was sent flying to the wall. Sci creates a huge torrant of wind, breaking away Virton's sage armor. ]

[Virton]: My boy, you fight like your father. You know, I see the family resembance.

[Sci]: I am nothing like him. NOTHING.

[Sci focuses his eyes on his hands and a gust of wind forms. Then, some durt from the ground comes into the gust. Fire and Water join the two elements, to form a giant bulb of the four elements. ]

[Virton]: What the....

[Hope]: Virton, I'd like you to meet the 5th element.

[Paper]: And There was Light.

[Sci shoots the combination of the elements at Virton, sending him into the hall. Sci falls down, and Hope goes over and brings him back up. Paper waits for Virton to return, but he doesn't. ]

[Hope]: My Guardian, he is gone. He will not return.

[Paper]: Wait... Sci. Was that... the Element?

[Sci]: A Combination of the elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Woah, it was.

[Hope]: Paper, you were right to still have Hope in him. Prehaps he isn't all bad.

[Paper]: Lady, you've got some explaining to do.

[Hope]: I've waited over two thousand years for this one moment. Yes, I shall explain.

[Flashback Begins.]

[Hope, V.O]: In the Beginning, there was Light and Darkness. Now, these were not people, but forces, like how Hope is a force, and a person. Now, one of the first people were my kind. We had a perfect world where he studied life, culture, music, much like the planet Earth. Now, the wisest of our kind where the sages. Hope, Fear, Rage, Joy, Grief, Hate, and Love.

[Sci, V.O]: There are 7 sages?

[Hope, V.O]: Let me finish, child of my brother.

[Paper, V.O]: Brother?

[Hope, V.O]: Now, Hate was mad at the world for he only saw the bad in life. He went exploring the univers, but when he realized the rest of the universe offered no compassion, the powers of Darkness told hold of him, and thus a monster beyond anything known to the universe was born. This nightmare took a new name, that in our language, means King of the Devils and Killers of the Angels . Rigon.

[Sci, V.O]: Rigon....

[Commerial]

[Hope, V.O]: During a Senate meeting, he slaughtered Love and sent her pieces across the realm of all existence. He created the army of Nikon'ali. They are the minons of Rigon, the nightmares born in the darkest parts of life. They know only one thing: Blood. He raged war, and claimed himself King of the Nikon'ali and our world. We named him the Lord of the Shadows, and the Ruler of All Darkness. In the war, the battle soon broke our world, and thus... it was destroyed. That is when Virton comes in. Virton was a hero from our world, and he fought againest Rigon. In the battle at the Infinty Pool, where Rigon became immortal, Virton defeated him and imprisoned him. We created the 4 crystals and sent them out. We took Rigon's sword, put it on a ship, and sent it towards a black hole. We took a piece of our world, and created the Temple of Rigon. We created the Prophecy of the Guaridan and the Prophecy of the Child of Darkness. We gave the universe emotion. We.... went into exile.

[Flashback Ends]

[Paper]: That explains so much.

[Sci]: And my mother?

[Hope, sad]: Sadly, I don't know much. But I do know this. Dark Days are ahead of you Sci. And as for you Paper... your destiny is greater then it seems. You are the Guardian. The Guardian of Sci. But, you must begin the trial. I must know, can you do it?

[Paper]: I know I can.

[Hope, happy]: Good. Let us begin.

[A bright light fills the room, and everyone goes blind.]

[When the light clear, Paper and Hope are standing in what appears to be the Infinity Pool.]

[Paper]: We're at the Infinity Pool?

[Hope]: Yes and no... We're on the Spiritual Plain, only our spirits can enter these areas...

[Paper]: I'm not going to have to fill up a spirit vessel by avoiding stone soldiers and eating Light Fruit am I...?

[Hope]: No child, the test you are going through is much more painful, much more enduring, much more difficult.

[Paper]: Why did I even ask?

[Hope]: Before we can begin I must explain about the Spiritual Plain... the plain is a realm where spirits wander, although only certain spirits can get in: mainly the spirits of the guardian and those of five remaining sages... Our bodies are still on the Physical Plain. Hopefully Sci is protecting them... If your physical body is killed while your spirit is on the Spiritual Plain...

[Paper]: Then I die?

[Hope]: Well, your spirit will live on but what will you be able to do...

[Paper]: Okay, let's get started then...

[Hope]: If you'll excuse me for a moment...

[Hope walks off and then gets sucked into the ground.]

[Paper]: Okay, I'm going to assume that we've started and that was supposed to happen...

[He looks around and notices that the sky begins to fall black. Paper looks in front of him and sees a shadow version of himself standing in front of him.]

[Paper]: Hello?

[Shadow Paper takes out a bag and spills its contents onto the ground. There is a sword and a pen.]

[Paper]: Am I supposed to take one?

[Shadow Paper looks at him but shows no emotion. Paper reaches for the sword. He picks it up but then the it dissolves and Paper gets sent back. He lands on a small island with 9 tiles. There is a large un-jumpable gap around the tiles.]

[Paper]: What...?

[Shadow Paper walks towards the edge of the gap. He takes out a red ball and tosses it at Paper. Paper catches it and tosses it back, but Shadow Paper bats it back without catching it. Paper catches it and the red ball disappears along with 3 of the tiles. Paper takes a small step back.]

[Paper]: I get it...

[Shadow Paper takes out a chess board and sets it up. He gives himself a few pieces in a specific formation and Paper a King and a Queen.]

[Paper]: No way...

[He observes the board for a few moments and eventually tips his king over. The board and pieces disappear along with 3 more tiles.]

[Paper]: What's going on...

[Shadow Paper takes out two blue balls and tosses one to Paper. He tosses his in the air and claps once before catching it. Paper tosses his in the air and claps once before catching it. Both the balls disappear along with 2 more tiles, leaving only 1 tile left.]

[Paper]: Down to the last one... Every game he's been playing with me he hasn't told me what to do... He's expected me to figure it out... He's expected me to think that I can do it... to not lose hope, but thinking that I can do it has doomed me... But what about the chess board... That's it, I know what to do for the next test.

[Shadow Paper takes out a rope and tosses one end to Paper.]

[Paper]: Tug of war? How? I have nowhere to step back onto... Alright... think... I can't be too hopeful, but I can't lose hope either... I have to be able to do this or I'll fail, but knowing I'll fail won't help me pass... If I think I can do it and step back, I'll fail... If I think I'll fail and let him pull me, I'll fail, so I'll be the smart one and... realize that I'm grabbing onto a rope! THAT'S IT!

[Paper jumps off the tile and swings forward. He pulls himself up onto the ledge to stand in front of Shadow Paper, who turns into Hope after a moment.]

[Hope]: What did you learn from this?

[Paper]: That as long as you have some hope, but not too much, you will always find something that you can use to get through the challenges you face...

[Hope]: Congratulations, you have passed The Trial of Hope... Now let's get back onto the Physical Plain...

[There is a white light and after a moment the camera cuts to the Fellson City Plumber Base. Sci and Paper are meeting with Future Paper, Future Toon, and Relgo.]

[Future Paper]: So you've passed the Trial of Hope... congratulations... You're 1/5 of the way there...

[Future Toon]: And you're making good progress, too...

[Sci]: The only questions I have is what happened to Virton...and Fear for that matter?

[Relgo]: We've been in touch with Fear, and now that we know Paper is the guardian we can call him back to have Paper pass that test, too... As for Virton...

[Future Paper]: I can tell you that he's off looking for the other sages, who knows where he is at this exact moment I don't care, but I know that we will meet up with him when we go to find another sage...

[Relgo]: But for know, we rest, and keep just a little bit of hope that we can stop whatever comes in front of us...

[Virton is meeting with Lucifer.]

[Virton]: Paper's the guardian and he's passed The Trial of Hope... She told them everything...

[Lucifer]: In a way I'm glad they know the truth; it shows them how evil someone can be... Because not the next step, but the step after that will be the most evil and diabolical act they have ever seen. It will quite literally break them into pieces...

[The End]