Sir Scrappy Passes the Torch (Real Life Version)

Sir Scrappy Passes the Torch (Real Life Version)

Many years have passed since the Legendary Knight First Knight Sir Scrappy took over the reins from the Legendary First Knight and his late best friend Sir Scooby. He takes a moment to reminisce of the times of old.  Many adventures they went on together until he fell like a true hero in his final battle. It was then that Scrappy was thrown in the leader spot unexpectedly. He has carried himself well and made his best friend proud over the years. He knows that he is too sick and too old to be in charge anymore. It is time that he passes the reins over to one of the younger knights. Truth be told two or possibly three leaders will take over. Only one knight will get the Legendary Knight's spot.

He had never picked a knight to take his late Best Friend Scooby's place after he died. He took it upon himself to be the sole leader. However, it is a new generation now. It is time for more than one knight to be in charge once more. He chuckles to himself knowing exactly which knights will be the new leaders. They aren't who anyone expected them to be.

Many would expect for Lady Molley to take over the position of First Knight. In reality, the position would rightfully be hers. However, after she had several meetings with the Legendary Knight, they both decided because she was up in the age herself and diagnosed with heart failure, liver disease, and possibly a tumor, it was best that she stay away from the leader position and just help guide the younger knights.

Lady Chloe would have been next but she was just diagnosed with a heart murmur. Pooh Bear decided she too would guide the younger ones as well. Sir Scrappy muttered to himself, "Youngins" That left him with Gizmo, Bobbi Lou, Mango, Gangster, maybe Muttley Crew , and Bella. Oh, the decision he had to make.

He couldn't really rely on Muttley Crew. He was the youngest out of everyone. However, he was what he likes to call him, a "Traveling Freelancer."  He looks like a much younger version of Lady Bella with the feistiness of Rottweiler.  At one point he even thought he could take on Lady Chloe. She would just look at him as if to say, "Little one, I could have you for a snack if I really wanted too."

In many ways, it is a no brainer. At six months old Gizmo the paper shredder terrier dachshund mix was going to have to take over the reins of First Knight. Sir Scrappy hated to do that to him at such a young age.  If Gizmo had his way his second would be his best friend, the traveling freelancer Muttley Crew. Sir Scrappy sighed at the thought, "It is just that Muttley Crew is so small and so  young." It is not like size matters. Scrappy's best friend Scooby the miniature Dachshund was literally five pounds fully grown with a big mouth, a feisty attitude, and a heart of gold.  At the same time, he knew how and when to go into a battle when he had too.

Muttley Crew already has the attitude of, "Come pick a fight with me if you want too. I dare you." He and Gizmo even fight with each other once in a while. Maybe he would be a great second knight after all. Scrappy shakes his head again. "Puppies! They have to grow out of that stage. In reality, they are being forced to grow out of it must faster than most. 

If Scrappy, Molley, and Chloe were not ill, Gizmo and Muttley  would not have to grow up so fast. Lady Molley and Lady Chloe might be around a few more years to see the Youngins grow and handle the leadership position. However, Scrappy knows he won't make it through the next year, so it is not something he will get to witness first hand.  He could only hope that they would never lose tradition altogether. A little shake-up in tradition sometimes is not a bad thing. After all, he was about to do something that breaks tradition.  When you lose tradition altogether, that is when everyone starts to forget where they come from.

Scrappy had one more surprise in store. That is Lady Bella. "He smirked and thought to himself, "Yes, this surprise is part of the tradition I am breaking." She is the bigger, older version of Muttley Crew. Scrappy, Molley, and Chloe cannot chase the youngins around, but Bella can. She is older than them but much younger than Scrappy, Molley, and Chloe.  Scrappy made the decision to do something that has never before been done. There will be three First Knights. Lady Bella will be the third First Knight. She will keep the youngins in line.

Molley, Chloe, Mango, Bobbie Lou, and Little Gangster will remain active knights. Lady Molley's and Lady Chloe's duties will be much different due to their illness and age. However, they have no plans to completely retire and will remain active for now.

Muttley Crew will become less of a traveling freelancer. He will no longer be a long haul traveling freelancer. He, however, might have to be a short haul traveling freelancer for the gang from time to time.  A few more traveling freelancers have been around that stop in to visit. Muttley Crew invited them over a few times for game night and a night of storytelling. Freelancers are starting to come from far and wide to hear the stories of the original Legendary First Knight Sir Scooby and the battles he fought and won in his cup and saucer.

The Legendary Knight's mind is made up. He knows what has to be done.  Tonight, the torch must be passed at the ceremony.   As Sir Scrappy makes his way down the hall to go get ready for the night, he can hear Gizmo and Muttley play fighting in one room. In another place, Bobbi Lou is flirting with one of the female warriors that stopped to play whistling games with him. Mango is laughing at some bad joke someone told. Little Gangster, yes, Little Gangster, he is threatening to kick someone's butt and call his attorney.

His mind flashes to his unlikely friend, Mango. Mango is known as the not so nice Giggler. Lately, Mango has shown a much softer side. It is a side of Mango that Scrappy always knew was there even though Mango hides it very well. Mango was caught crying when Laurel and Hardy the two Black Ghost fish died. The even scarier part is the fact that he sounded just like Mom. At that time, Mom was not even in the same room. Mango was busted and he knew it.

As Scrappy would lay underneath Mango on the days he was not feeling well, Mango would chase the young ones off so he could rest in peace without the younger knights bothering him. Scrappy will always be grateful for that.

Soon after his mind flashes to Bobbi Lou. He could always whistle a tune and Mom would match it. He would throw another one at her, and she would throw it right back. Scrappy chuckled to himself as he remembered the time that Bobbi Lou mocked a police siren to trick Dad.  That was just hilarious.

Little Gangster, the youngest of all the birds. He sure knows how to live up to his name. He has a big mouth and a daredevil attitude.  He still needs to be careful. No knight is invincible. The Gangster of the bunch just needs to learn to be wise.

Dad regrets some things over the years. He shouldn't regret anything. He did the best he could in any situation we have been in over his lifetime. He's a great Dad. He even let this sixteen-pound knight lay on him when he wasn't feeling good.  He can't deny it because there are pictures to prove he did.

Lady Molley and Lady Chloe don't know life without him. Lady Chloe will be okay. Lady Molley might have a hard time dealing with it for a while. She is his best friend in the realm of the knights after Scooby passed away. He could get her to play when she didn't really want too. She could also get him to play when he didn't want too.

The Baby doesn't know life without him either. Even though at times she would get mad at some of the things he would do, like the time he demanded to be allowed to sit in the front seat of Cameron, he knew she loved him as much as he loved her. He would have protected her with his life if he had too.

Mom will be the one to take it the hardest of them all. Tears fall from Sir Scrappy's eyes.  He and mom have been the best of friends over the sixteen years of his life.   She, Scooby, and he went through many trials and tribulations together.  When Scooby died, they pulled through together. No matter what they went through, they always came out on top.  Over the years he left as many Papillon paw prints in her heart as he could. They are memories that she will hold close and cherish forever. Just then, funny man Gizmo came to his mind. "You will be taking over my spot in the leader position young one. I trust that you will lead like warriors do, never lose sight of any mission, stay true to yourself, and when I am physically no longer here, take care of Mom and the Baby for me.

The Legendary Knight has one final meeting with Gizmo, Muttley, and Bella before the ceremony was to start. He needed to make sure everyone knew what was going to happen and what their positions were going to be. Once they left to go get ready, Sir Scrappy went to spend some time with Mom.

Once it was time for the ceremony, Sir Scrappy started down the hall. It had an eerie silence to it. There were no more knights engaging in play fights. No more knights were flirting with female warriors that stopped by. No more knights were laughing at some bad joke someone told and no more knights were picking fights yelling about calling their attorney. The traveling freelancers stopped roaming.  Everyone was sitting in another room waiting for the night's events to start. 

As First Knight Sir Scrappy arrived, he stood in the front waiting for everyone to settle in. He looked over at his Mom seeing the tears already flowing from her eyes. Once everyone was settled in Sir Scrappy looked around the room for a few seconds, and then he began to speak. "For many years, I have been the sole leader around here. After Sir Scooby died, I did not have the heart to pick someone who would be my second as I was his. Maybe it was a mistake to do that, but that is what I did. My time as reigning First Knight is coming to an end tonight. You will have new leaders to follow. Yes, you heard me right. I did say, leaders. There will once again be more than one leader. As I look around this room, I can tell that many of you think you know who will be in the leader position. You will be quite surprised that they are not who you think they might be.

I have had many meetings and conversations with the two knights who would rightfully have this position if they were not ill themselves. Since they are, the torch is not being passed onto them." He watched as looks of shock and amazement come over the faces of the ones that have filled the room before he begins to speak again. "I expect that you listen to them and respect them as you do me.  Before I pass the torch tonight, you will know who the new leaders will be."

He calls for them to join him. "Sir Gizmo, Sir Muttley Crew, and Lady Bella, please join me up here." He watched them walk to the front and stand there with him. Sir Gizmo was standing on the right next to Sir Scrappy. Sir Muttley Crew was standing next to him and on the other side of Muttley was Lady Bella. "After the ceremony tonight, I will no longer be the First Knight around here. First in command as your new leader will be First Knight Sir Gizmo. Second in command will be Sir Muttley Crew. Third in command will be Lady Bella."

He passes the torch first to Sir Gizmo knighting him as First Knight.  Sir Gizmo passes the torch to Sir Muttley Crew and Sir Scrappy knights him as First Knight. Sir Muttley Crew passes the torch to Lady Bella and Sir Scrappy knights her as First Knight.  Once they were all knighted First Knight Sir Scrappy salutes them all and turns to the crowd.  "It has been fun, my friends. Live, laugh, love, learn, and have fun doing it all.

Oh, and Dad, warriors and fighters never give up. You will walk again. For the Baby, stay strong. Stay on the right path. Achieve your dreams. Most of all, do not let anyone take it away from you. This is not goodbye, only see you around.

Everyone knows my Mom is a country girl at heart. Around here, we are all very familiar with George Strait's famous signature song This is Where the Cowboy Rides Away. Before I leave here tonight I have one final thing to say. "This is where the Legendary Knight Rides Away. "

He turns once more to salute the three new First Knights. He then quietly walks out, jumps on Dad's motor scooter, and rides away letting the three new First Knights take command. As First Knights Sir Gizmo, Sir Muttley Crew, and Lady Bella watch him leave, they give one final salute to the greatest Legendary First Knight of all time retired First Knight Sir Scrappy.