The Light and Dark Series (AKA "LD Stories") is a patchwork fanfiction storyline written and illustrated by Numbuh 404. It is a continuation of the original cartoon show with additional elements from the comics, including amalgamations of both story mediums.
Series Information
This epic tale begins in Season 1 with the re-introduction of the time-travelling Smurfs last seen in Season 9 of the cartoon show. They find themselves in the modern era in a big, bustling city where nobody believes Smurfs are anything but a wishful fantasy. Luckily, they discover a human with immaculate knowledge of their dilemma -- and by chance, their teamwork leads to the Smurfs' successful return to their own timeline.
Shortly thereafter, a colorful array of new characters begins to appear. It all begins with a brand new Smurfette followed by a runaway human girl, both of whom join the main cast and drive the main storylines throughout the series.
Overview
The main characters are generally imported from their mainstream media counterparts at some point from the cartoon show (such as Brainy having been "King Smurf"), but with elements from Peyo's original comics (such as Sassette having freckles). The inclusion of new characters happens periodically as the storyline progresses and while some may only have sparse appearances, they all play an important role.
Generally the focus skips around to depict the happenings of each character set so the readers have a fairly balanced idea of everyone's roles. The cut scenes are specified by a ". . ." header followed by a new paragraph starting with any of the other parties.
Lastly, there are physical descriptions of each character upon their introductions into the story, unless they are simply mentioned or only appear once. The Smurfs -- as I figured -- are so well known that they do not need to be described, unless they undergo transformations or costume changes.
Humans
- Sir Johan -- The keystone protagonist of the series. He is a young knight under the Good King who is often accompanied by his best friend, Peewit, on a series of adventures. His valiance and relentless efforts to bring justice to anyone who is suffering is what leads him to the many friends and foes he comes to know.
- Peewit -- The faithful comedic sidekick to the main heroes of the series. After Johan lands him a job as the Good King's court jester, he has been a loyal friend with a heart almost as big as his stomach.
- The Good King -- The primary ruling figure of the series. He rules his kingdom fairly and is beloved by his subjects, especially his family members. He considers Sir Johan like a son and would welcome anyone into his castle if the boy vouched in their favor, including vagabonds.
- Dame Barbara -- A recurring secondary character. She is the Good King's Governess and personal caretaker for Princess Savina, with whom she is frequently accompanying. She does not take kindly to outsiders until they prove their worth in the castle.
- Princess Savina -- The first main female protagonist of the series. She is the Good King's niece primarily seen in the watchful company of Dame Barbara. She is learning to be a "proper princess," but greatly admires Johan and Peewit, often hoping to join their adventures around the kingdom.
- Homnibus -- One of the main good wizards of the series. He is an old friend of the Smurfs, the Good King, and Johan and Peewit who is willing to lend his magical assistance whenever needed. He has an adopted son of whom he has yet to reveal his ways of sorcery -- although he intends to do so when he is of proper age.
- Gargamel -- One of the main villains of the series. Ever since he first saw the Smurfs, he has been determined to prove their existence to the Dean of Wizards at the same school he and his lowly apprentice, Scruple, were expelled from. After years of miserable defeat, he and his cat, Azrael, are willing to do virtually anything to destroy the Smurf Village -- regardless of the consequences.
- Count Tremaine -- The former leading knight under the Good King. He was Johan's role model and loyal friend before Johan had reached squire hood. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
- John Baufort -- A lesser-known ruling figure of the series. Originally from Besdorf, Germany, John is the direct descendent of Aldebert Baufort and the rightful heir to the Baufort castle. Had it not been for Johan and Peewit's help against an army of conniving relatives, he would have surely joined his great-great-grandfather.
- Chamberlain William -- A late-introduced character of the series. His debut is pending finalization.
Cartoon Show Characters
- Justin -- A recurring background character of the series. Once he was an unwilling street rat in the hands of his thieving guardian, but has been growing into a noble young man after being adopted by the Enchanter Homnibus. He is frequently in school or studying at home and has not yet been exposed to the realm of magic.
- King Gerard -- The youngest known ruling figure of the series. He was once imprisoned in his own castle by his Aunt Imperia who planned to seize his throne on his 13th birthday. Thanks to some help from the Smurfs, he was able to expose her plot and quickly appointed the Clockwork Smurf as his personal advisor. He now rules with a heavy focus on the welfare of his people -- especially the Smurfs -- and is eager to spend time with his uncle or cousin, Princess Savina.
- Mrs. Sourberry -- One of the background characters of the series. She is the faithful caretaker of King Gerard and the Clockwork Smurf who fondly hopes the young king will find happiness and love in his future.
- Scruple -- One of the main antagonists of the series. He is a child who recognizes that his former professors assigned him as Gargamel's apprentice simply to avoid having to expel him on the school records. Fearful of following in his master's footsteps, the boy is desperate to return to school and graduate; he might believe in his future if someone else believed in him, too.
- Denisa -- One of the smaller recurring good characters of the series. She is the daughter of Lord Balthazar's wealthy sister with a bubbly personality and an uncanny set of vocal chords. She has made friends with Sassette Smurfling, so she finds her uncle and Gargamel's plans to destroy the Smurfs as wicked and cruel.
- Hogatha -- One of several villainesses of the series. She is a vain witch with an insatiable desire to have real hair, ultimate wealth, and a man to make her his queen. While not generally a threat to the Smurfs, she has sought to use them for personal gain in the past. She has teamed up with Gargamel more than once, although they can hardly stand being near each other.
- Chlorhydris -- A background character of the series. She was previously a cruel sorceress who aspired to destroy all love in the world, which was caused by the betrayal of her ex-best friend: Drusilla sought after Manfred the Magnificent, but he chose to marry Chlorhydris. Thinking she had been upstaged on their wedding day, Chlorhydris grew bitter from a broken heart, but with help from the Smurfs and beloved cherub, Cupid, she and Manfred were reunited twenty years later and miraculously rekindled their long-lost love.
- Lady Jasmine -- One of the lesser-known females of the series. She was once engaged to Prince Theodore, but only liked him for his wealth. Had it not been for her deep-rooted fear of frogs and the intervention of the Smurfs (unbeknownst to her), she would have succeeded with her plan.
- Princess Francesca -- One of the lesser-known females of the series. All that is known is that she is a suitor for King Gerard's consideration, and he seems to like her enough to keep her on his list.
- Prince Theodore -- A lesser-known ruling figure of the series. After having been turned into a frog by his former court magician, he was saved from this fate (and a one-sided marriage with Lady Jasmine) by Smurfette, Poet, and Sassette. He also once hired Gargamel and Scruple as his new court magicians, which was a mistake he will not soon forget.
- Giles -- A small recurring character of the series. He is a student at the Wizard's School and one of Scruple's former classmates who now bullies him for being a dropout. He is often seen in the company of his friends, Cedrick and Ericson.
- Cedrick -- A small recurring character of the series. He is a student at the Wizard's School and one of Scruple's former classmates who now bullies him for being a dropout. He is often seen in the company of his friends, Giles and Ericson.
- Ericson -- A small recurring character of the series. He is a student at the Wizard's School and one of Scruple's former classmates who now bullies him for being a dropout. He is often seen in the company of his friends, Giles and Cedrick.
- Brenda -- A small recurring character of the series. She is a young witch at Witch Haven Conservatory who learned what it meant to be "good" thanks to the Smurfs. She once had a crush on Scruple and was his date to the Broomstick Ball, but lost such feelings after realizing he only liked her for her magic wand. She was last seen expressing her intentions of spiting him by someday becoming a powerful good witch.
- Melina -- A small recurring character of the series. She is a young witch at Witch Widow's School who is genuinely wants to be a good witch, but so far lacks skill. Luckily, her teacher keeps a watchful eye on her to assure she does not accidentally cause others harm.
- Queen Gwendolyn -- A queen from an unknown kingdom who only appears in "Queen Smurfette" on her way to King Gerard's castle.
- Count Gabriel -- A regal figure who attends the King's Golden Jubilee in "Peewit's Unscrupulous Adventure" upon invitation.
- Lady Versailles -- A regal figure who attends the King's Golden Jubilee in "Peewit's Unscrupulous Adventure" upon invitation. She is canonically nameless because she had no lines.
New Characters
- Falla Cye -- The second main female protagonist of the series who debuts in "The Thief of Boarsford." She is a teenage girl who supposedly ran away from a kingdom south of the Good King's castle and was thought to be the culprit behind a robbery in Boarsford. With help from Johan and Peewit, she proves her good name and is assigned by the King to help bring the real bandit(s) to justice. Since then, she has been granted a room in the castle and becomes friends with the boys.
- Josten Lancaster -- One of the supporting protagonists of the series who debuts in "King Gerard's Squire." Being one of only three boys to remain loyal pageboys in King Gerard's castle, Josten sees any desire to pursue his interests in music as an act of cowardice. His kind nature, pretty face, and unusual health issues earn him more pestering than praise by his peers, so his self-esteem is a lower than average.
- "Zoe" -- A supporting character of the series. He is set to debut in Crestfallen Christmas.
- Sir Jacob -- A formidable antagonist of the series. He is set to debut in "Josten's Dark Horse."
- Lady Pricilla -- A character of unknown intentions thus far. Her debut is pending finalization.
- King Copprick -- A late-introduced character of the series. His debut is pending finalization.
Special Cases
- Falla's Parents -- They are seldom mentioned by Falla herself, but will be revealed late into the series.
- Ripple's Father -- Inspired by a character from mainstream media, his debut is pending finalization.
- Johan's Parent(s) -- Currently, there is no information about the main protagonist's origins, but this may be revealed towards the end of the series if possible.
- Scruple's Parent(s) -- As with Johan's origins, nothing is known about Scruple's family before living with Gargamel. This may be revealed towards the end of his story arch.
Magical Creatures
- The Smurfs -- The alternative main group of characters of the series. They are a fairly mysterious two-gendered race of little blue creatures composed of males that are delivered occasionally on a Blue moon by a stork while females can be made by a magic spell. They are the greatest asset to the human cast as either friends or foes, respectively.
Cartoon Show Characters
- Ripple -- A lesser-seen supporting character of the series. He is a Woodsprite known as "Ripple the Remarkable" for his stealth and cunning. He likes to play pranks, which are often more dangerous than funny for his targets, although his intentions are never to hurt anyone. After befriending the Smurflings, he has become more aware of how his pranks may affect others, but remains a generally carefree and mischievous spirit.
- Mystico -- A lesser-seen supporting character of the series. He is a goblin who was formerly introduced as a prisoner of a magic fountain in the forest. His knee-jerk reaction to the Smurfs who freed him was to turn them into goblins with an emphasis on their worst qualities, thus establishing him as an antagonist. He was imprisoned once more by Nobody Smurf and wants nothing more than to find a place in the world -- but first, he must reclaim his freedom for good.
- Marina -- A tertiary character of the series. She is a mermaid with whom Handy Smurf had romantic feelings for, which she reciprocated after he saved her life. Although the difference in their species prevents them from being an item, Marina wants to maintain their friendship.
- Tebuli -- A background character of the series. He is an unattractive genie that once appeared in "The Clumsy Genie" who wanted to be free from his lamp, but later realized that his home was worth more than anything. He has one main role in the series, in which he is revealed to be Ripple's most recent past-life persona.
- Ernie -- A background character of the series. He is a fellow genie and best friend to Tebuli whose lamp was destroyed by a human, rendering him mute and powerless. He has a supporting role in one part of the series, in which he is revealed to be Mystico's most recent past-life persona.
- The Gnome King -- A background character of the series. He is a royal Gnome in the forest struggling to overcome a deep-rooted overeating problem. Had it not been for the Smurfs' intervention, the claim that he loved food more than his son would have caused his son to leave his kingdom forever. While the road to recovery is difficult, his love for his son is worth it all to him.
- The Gnome Prince -- A background character of the series. He is a royal Gnome in the forest who wants a better relationship with his father. Until the Smurfs intervened in his affairs, he believed his father loved food more than him, so he was willing to leave in search of greener pastures. Although his father's recovery progress tests his patience, he knows the king refuses to quit on himself. In return, the prince does everything in his power to support him.
- The Game Master -- A one-shot villain of the series. He is a child Imp who likes playing games that are dangerous for his opponents, takes immense pride in winning, and is an extremely sore loser. After being defeated by the Smurfs at his own game, he has every intention to return and enact his revenge with a new game.
New Characters
- Karma -- A lesser-seen supporting character of the series. She is a Woodsprite who is known best for her signature "Gotcha Gag" prank. She is a gifted singer with a happy-go-lucky personality and is easily distracted by the beauty of nature, making her a reliable target for her love interest, Ripple.
- Wisteria -- A tertiary character of the series. She is a beautiful young Woodelf with a persnickety mindset that leaves her being dissatisfied with her romantic endeavors. After being turned into a goblin and being freed by Mystico's genuine love for her, she seems to have lightened up a bit.
- Dorgone -- A tertiary character of the series. He is a kindhearted young Woodelf with two great loves: his cabbage fields and Wisteria. His reputation as being the "Cabbage Patch Klutz" is one of the reasons he has had no luck in courting her, but he dreams of someday succeeding.
- Hethera -- A lesser-seen supporting character of the series. She is a goblin who comes from 500 years in the past and has been brought into the modern era by the Smurfs. She was dissatisfied with the suitors of her generation and was enticed by the Smurfs' description of Mystico, so she has become his love interest.
- Maeve -- A one-shot character of the series. She is a beautiful blind Imp who was once owned by a cruel human that kept her in perpetual debt to him. She makes one main appearance in the series, in which she is revealed to be Karma's most recent past-life persona.
- Tulip -- A background character of the series. She is a ditzy, but endearing Pussywillow Pixie who wants to someday be one of Mother Nature's personal assistants.
- Princess Glacia -- A background character of the series. She is a royal Gnome living in the forest who meets Prince Pyro through an arrangement between her parents and King Gordon. Despite the prince's resistance to her friendly intentions, she finds him interesting and hopes he will lower his defensive walls if they continue to cross paths.
- Drefuse Sylke -- A late-introduced lesser-seen supporting character of the series. He is a witty and handsome Woodsprite who was once Ripple's childhood friend, but unexpectedly left home for many years. As a young adult, he rekindles their friendship and captivates the Smurfs with tales of his travels, but his jaunty past soon catches up with him. His bold clothing and clever quips are not the only unusual things about him.
- Fierra -- A tertiary character of the series. She is a Firesprite who is set to debut in "Rising Flames."
- Bermudo -- A late-introduced tertiary character of the series. He is a Watersprite who is set to debut in "When Fire and Water Collide."
- Whisper -- A late-introduced tertiary character of the series. His debut is pending finalization.
Gods/Supernatural Beings
- Mother Nature -- Pending...
- Father Time -- Pending...
New Characters
- The Soul Stealer -- A one-shot main villain of the series. She is a dark fairy who was corrupted by the power an ancient staff and wanders the land in search of living beings' souls to steal to sustain her mighty form. She is set to debut in Mechanical Hero.
Animals
- Bayard -- Pending...
- Biquette -- Pending...
- Azrael -- Pending...
- Feathers -- Pending...
- Romulus -- Pending...
Cartoon Show Characters
New Characters
Objects & Magical Artifacts
- The Great Book of Spells -- Pending...
New Introductions
- The Tracing Mirror -- Pending...
- The Soul Staff -- Pending...
Sequence of Events
This list may be altered slightly in time.
- Season 1
- Season 2
- Season 3
Season 3
This section has not been properly developed, so things will continue to change until completion.
Season Specials
None developed at this time.
Episode Listing
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Brainy, Smurfette's True Love
- Reconciliation for the Wretched
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Pending Title
- Spritely Matrimony
- Pending Title
- Pending Title (Reserved for Story Three)
Trivia
- This page was first created on October 30th, 2011, but the concept for the series overview was in place since June of 2010.
- Since its original creation, this was known as The Reluctant Dark Knight Series (AKA "RDK Stories") because development at the point only focused on Johan as the main protagonist. After much thought and collaborative assistance, the series was finally renamed to The Light and Dark Series on November 12th, 2015. View the blog post about it here.
- Although the author had taken a long hiatus to work on other projects between a changing work and home schedule, the spark of motivation returned after seeing the spin-off CGI film, Smurfs: The Lost Village, on March 25th, 2017. This film is non-canonical with the original series or the LD Stories, but has notable aspects for inspiration for the author's long-term goals.
- The process of separation of the Expanded AU and LD Stories officially began on April 17th, 2017 after discussions amongst fellow Admins, VicGeorge2K9 and A Heroic Smurf. View the blog post about it here.
Story Two
This section will be moved later to the proper page.
- The title of this novel is inspired by one of Numbuh 404's favorite songs, "Take Back the Night" by Justin Timberlake (2013). Although the song itself has just about nothing to do with the plot of the story, the name itself is a parody with the replacement of "night" and "knight," describing the return of Sir Johan to his rightful place on the side of Good.
- In "Good Knight, Moon," it is revealed that Johan is periodically returned to normal during the full moon, and that he can remember being evil, but not good. This is based off of an episode of CSI: Las Vegas where a witness of a crime had a split personality: one was dominant over the other - the "shadow personality" is able to watch the dominant personality, but the dominant cannot remember ever being the shadow.
- Being a Cancer sign, Johan's birthstone is the moonstone, which happens to be the gem that saves him from Gargamel's curse in Story Two. This was not planned by Numbuh 404 - it was entirely coincidental, but works perfectly for the storyline. There is also a comic book created by Peyo in 1955 called "The Moonstone," which featured Johan & Peewit.