Here we are!

Chapter 2: History - Not So Past

AN: A short chapter - and a very long overdue one at that.

Enjoy!

"So where are you from?" Stella asked with a bright smile as she walked down the hallways, one eye in front of her and the other on the handsome boy that had saved her friend. The green muscle shirt that he wore provided a rather nice view of his toned body. She tried to avoid looking at the lifeless golems that were escorting Ben. She knew that it wasn't just to protect her but to protect Ben as well. Some people would make assumptions without thinking... so to see a guard would help to mitigate any damage that might occur.

A smile formed on Ben's face, "Well that's a hard question to answer my dear. My story is just slightly on the side of unbelievable." He gave her a quick wink when he was sure that no one was looking. The sword that he had used to save her and her friends was currently resting on his back, carefully bound by magic until they were certain that he was not a threat. Still, that didn't mean that he wasn't dangerous. Just his form alone screamed that he didn't need his sword or armor to do some serious damage.

"I'm a fairy from another world... I think you'll find a way to find your answer," Stella told him with a coy grin before she opened the door to the headmistress office. With a grand wave of her dainty hands, she gestured to the woman who would be conducting the 'interview', "And here we are, Miss Faragonda's office."

Stella gave Ben a small wave before walking out of the room and back the way that she came. She wasn't going to leave Bloom on her own as long as she was still in the medical room.

Giving a soft smile, Ben walked into the room. He took a deep breath of air and narrowed his eyes. It was now or never. He needed to show the headmistress that he wasn't a threat to her or her school. He stretched his hand out for a handshake and did a little dance in his head when she accepted it with a warm smile. Good, that meant that his first impression of her wasn't wrong. That in itself was rare as he had a bad track record of trusting the wrong people. He could name a few people that tried to kill him after he gave them his trust, Albedo, and Keven being at the top of the list. On the bright side, at least the latter had redeemed himself in the end.

"I hope I'm not interrupting whatever conversation you are having with yourself," Miss Faragonda told him with a smile, not at all surprised by the fact that his attention wasn't all there. She'd met people like Ben before, warriors with a deep history. They all had one thing in common - getting hung up on the past. She could tell, though, that Ben's past was, for the most part, a good one, so she wouldn't try to pry into it too much during their 'conversation'.

Ben blinked as he found his mind coming back to its senses, his eyes meeting warm brown ones. A sheepish smile crossed his face as he rubbed the back of his head. How embarrassing.

"I'm sorry," He told her as he took note of the fact that she was alone in the room.

Faragonda merely waved it off, "Think nothing of it, my dear. Everyone has something that they do... yours just so happens to be thoughtful thinking." She gestured for Ben to take a seat, "Now we have a lot to discuss and so little time for it all."

"Understood," Ben replied as he took his seat, the sword sliding off his back and onto the floor. The magic that kept it bound was still going strong... though Ben knew that he could easily shatter it if he needed to.

The morning sun shone into the room, alighting the room in a semi-magical glow, as the two people stared at each other. Hero met Headmistress in a stare that could only be described as tense and thoughtful. There was no malice from each other... just sheer concern.

Faragonda spoke first, breaking the silence with a slight chuckle, "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself? I'm certain a man as unique as you has some sort of backstory."

"My story? Well, that's going to take a while." Ben replied back. "I guess I could tell you how I ended up in your universe." He closed his eyes in thought as he remembered the conversation that he had with an 'old' friend.

He felt strange. That was the first thing that Benjamin Kirby Tennyson came to terms with as he opened his emerald eyes. His whole body felt as if it had been dunked into a tub of ice... after taking a dip in a lake of fire. It was both pleasant and unpleasant, hence the strange feeling. He looked at his arms and noticed what appeared to be metal armor over his body, much like the one that he had worn when he had wielded Ascalon.

"What the!?" He exclaimed in a panic as he backed away, almost as if trying to convince himself that he wasn't the man wearing the armor. He paused as he felt his back come in contact with someone behind him. He readied himself to fight the being behind him as he turned around to face it, his armored hand going for where he knew the Omnitrix was resting.

"Peace, Benjamin. I mean you no harm." The man stated in a regal British tone, his voice soothing Ben's nerves, as he rested his right hand on Ben's armored shoulder. His dark black eyes met Ben's scared green eyes and a smile came across his face, "I know that you are scared, but allow me to explain some things before you allow panic to cloud your judgment."

Ben sighed as he realized who it was that was talking to him, "Paradox... thank god." He gestured to himself, "What the heck is going on and why... for the love of all that is good in this universe, am I wearing this metal armor?"

The frown that marred the older man's face was nothing short of sympathetic. He pulled out a small gobstopper and handed it to Ben, waiting for him to take it and insert it in his mouth. One he saw his protege do so, he allowed his frown to disappear of his face, "Now you have so much time and so little questions... no wait." He paused and tapped his chin in thought. There was something wrong about that question... ah. It was actually the opposite of what he had said already, "Actually scratch that. You have many questions and so little time to hear the answers to them all."

Ben shook his head in slight amusement, temporarily forgetting his panic as he sucked on the candy that Paradox had been so kind as to give him. As he swallowed some of the fruity salivae, he asked the first question that was on his mind, "What is this thing on me?"

"A good question." Paradox started his answer with a small compliment, though it was meaningless to Ben if he didn't get the answer that he so yearned for, "But one that is more than hard to explain. Well... actually it's easy enough to answer... the problem is your ability to handle it. You've matured over the years but even I'm not certain how deep the damage goes. For all we know, this version of you could be one that is a child at heart or a psychopath with a desire to murder everything in his path." He paused as he took note of Ben's scared face.

"Version!?" Ben exclaimed in shock, "Wait... are you saying I'm not me?" He started to pat down his body in a panic as he tried to check if what Paradox had said was true. He knew the man didn't lie, but that didn't mean that he couldn't double-check.

Paradox laughed slightly, "No... that's not what I mean." He snapped his finger to draw back Ben's attention, "Do you remember your Ditto transformation? You could consider yourself as one of those clones... though your separation from the original was a bit more complex than that."

That did little to calm Ben, but it was enough for the young man to stop trying to check himself over... not that he was getting very far with it. Metal armor made it hard to check one's own state of being. With a forced sigh, he sat on the ground, "That's good and all, Paradox, but what about this thing that I'm wearing? Why does it look like the armor that Ascalon gave me when I used it?"

"It looks like that... because it is the armor that Ascalon provides its users with." Paradox answered Ben, though, his smile made it hard to see if he was just joking or actually being serious. Ben, though, had a feeling that the Time-Walker was truthful... that didn't mean that he had to like it. It was just his luck to be stuck in a situation like this.

He shook his head with a sigh, looking up at his mentor with a rueful grin, "So I'm going to guess that there's something important going on if I'm wearing this armor... and the fact that you're still here." He gave the man a pointed look, daring him to try and be coy about the situation. Respect the man he did, his sense of humor and timing not so much.

"Quite astute of you Ben... I think I've made the right choice in picking you for this job," Paradox complimented, "But you are very much right. When the accident happened, the original Ben was split into various versions of himself, and while the original is safe right where he is... you lot are not. I've been busy placing each and every one of you in a universe where your particular skills will be best applied and give you a higher chance of survival against those who would wish to harm you."

"So what about me then?" Ben asked as he looked up at the man that was more mystery than man, "Where are you placing me?"

Paradox smiled, "You, young man, are a far more curious case than the others. You see... when Azmuth hid Ascalon away... he thought it best to hide it in the Omnitrix that you are now wearing. He had faith, and still does, that you won't abuse its powers should you ever have need of it. It was a good thing too, as when you were split, the Omnitrix that you were wearing was ready to explode and destroy your body. The sword prevented that by absorbing the excess energy and fusing itself with the remains of the watch." He gestured to the parts of Ben that were coated green and white, "Hence the new color scheme of Ascalon."

The whistle of awe that escaped Ben's mouth could not be faked... he was genuinely impressed by what Azmuth's creation was capable of doing. Then it hit him... without the Omnitrix, he wouldn't be able to transform into his aliens anymore, "So my powers... they're gone?" That was very bad.

Paradox did a so-so gesture with his hand, "It really depends on how you look at it. While you won't be able to transform into any of your aliens anymore, you'll still be able to access their powers via Ascalon and the armor that you are wearing. So you could say that your powers have simply gone through a metamorphosis." He turned towards the scene in front of them, watching as the first life form on Earth crawled out of the water on two fins.

The younger man joined his mentor, of sorts, in watching the fish.

"So... not gone, just different then?" Ben asked of himself.

Paradox simply hummed due to the candy that he popped off into his mouth. Despite what some people might have thought, Paradox knew Ben wasn't an idiot. He was quite smart in ways that others might not have been. For one thing, he was always the first to come up with ideas that the enemy might not have ever thought of using.

"Quite right my young friend."

Faragonda smiled as she listened to the boy. The tale that he spoke of sounded both amazing and sad. What interested her the most though was his sword and these aliens that it drew its power from. There was so much about it that intrigued her. Sure she knew all that there was to know about magic... but aliens? Well, that was a whole new world to explore.

But there was something about the name of the sword that tickled her mind. It was almost as if an old memory was trying to emerge.

"And the sword's name is Ascalon?" She asked, hoping to make sure that she had the name correct and wasn't mistaking it for something else. Gods help them if that turned out to be the case.

Ben nodded his head, "That's correct mam. Ascalon, the same sword that was wielded by Saint George when he slew the fearsome dragon."

That now raised a rather important question in Faragonda's mind. It was one that she feared to ask... but knew that she had to. She just hoped that her first impression of Ben was correct and not misjudged.

"How did you happen to come across this sword then?" Even she knew the legends about this sword and the terrible power that it wielded.

"Now that is a long story... but allow me to reassure you that Saint George himself gave me this sword. He entrusted it to me... and I will live up to his memory." His eyes hardened slightly, "And the girl, Bloom, is under my protection for as long as I live."

Faragonda laughed, "Of course. I know enough of knights to know how you mean to protect her... but there lies a problem." She gestured to around the room and to the courtyard that her office overlooked, "This is an all-female campus... aside from one other male, who is a teacher here, you are the only man here. To allow you to stay here... it would break the rules that protect this college."

A frown adorned Ben's face as he listened to the woman. He understood the need for such rules... but that would put a real hamper in his plans to protect Bloom.

It was at this point that a knock on the door alerted Ben to the appearance of an elderly man walking into the room. He wore all white and walked with a golden cane that had the figurehead of a dragon. But there was something about him that screamed power... power, not unlike that of Faragonda

"And I believe that is where I come in." A charming smile came upon the older man's face. It was as if someone had told him a joke, one that went over the head of the only earthling in the room.

Ben raised an eyebrow, "And you are...?" His hand reached for the sword that was resting to the side. If the man meant any harm... he would be more than ready to strike him down.

"A spunky one! I like that," The man cheered to himself, "I am the headmaster of your new school. You may call me Headmaster Saladin... and I will be the one to train you in the ways of being a knight... or at least that which passes for knighthood today."

Well... that was certainly a surprise.

Bloom wasn't too certain as to what was going on. She had just woken up and found a few familiar faces staring at her. Some had smiles and others wore deep frows. Then there were the faces that she didn't know. Their hands glowed with golden energy as they poured some form of magic into her. Whatever it was that they were doing... she liked it. It helped to ease some of the pain that she felt... pain that she felt that she deserved.

"Bloom... I'm so glad to see that you're awake."

The voice that spoke was so calming and powerful... it almost made her want to relax and forget that any of this had happened. But she resisted the strong urge and looked at the owner of the voice... and turned away as quickly as she could. The person who spoke was the same person that had saved her... only this time he was not wearing any armor. In fact, he wasn't wearing anything except for jeans, a shirt that hugged his body, and a silver sword.

What also stood out was the length of his hair and just how amazingly green his eyes were.

The blush on her face didn't stop her from talking to him, "Thank you."

"For what?" The curiousness in his voice could not be faked.

Bloom turned to him fully and bowed her head, her fiery hair hiding her face from his sight, "It's only because you stepped in that I have my life. If not for you... I may very well have come back to Alfea in a coffin." Her hands clenched the bedsheet tightly as she thought about what could have happened and all the friends that she would have been leaving behind.

The young man did something that no one had expected. He got close to Bloom and gently raised her head so that she could look him in the eye. He gave her a smile, one that dimmed the shame and sadness that she felt.

"You have no reason to thank me, Bloom. I did what I did because it was the right thing to do... and please, I can see the regret in your eyes. What happened was not your fault whatsoever. All that you can do is move forward and trust in those that would protect you with their lives. And I promise you... as long as I live, you will always come home to those that care about you."

She felt awe as she listened to the words that he spoke. Her eyes were wide with admiration as she took in all that he spoke of and promised... and it lit a fire in her heart. She would get stronger so that she wouldn't need protection. And she would repay the favor that this man had done for her. She would get so strong that she could protect him when the time came for her to do so!

"Thank you for your kind words... but what is your name?"

The man smiled... and closed his eyes, "My name is Ben Tennyson, and I am your sworn protector. All who would wish you harm shall go through me first!" He looked at all the girls in the room, "All of you, as a matter of fact, are under my banner. Take confidence and hope in that. Should you call for my aid... I will be there to aid you."

He reached his hand out for Bloom to take, "That is if you will have me."

"Of course we would, Sir Tennyson," Bloom didn't even hesitate to take his hand in her own. While she had just met him... something in her heart told her that she could trust him.

It didn't take long for the rest of the girls to join in, though Stella was the most enthusiastic about it. It wasn't long before the handshakes turned into a massive group hug, with both Bloom and Ben at the center of it.

In the darkness of the night, hidden away from the prying eyes of those who would see them arrested, the Trix seethed and plotted. What they felt in their hearts could only be described as seething, brutal anger. If anger was a power source, then they would have been unbeatable. It was a shame then that anger was just that, anger.

"We should have killed the girl when we had the chance!" Icy snarled as she sent a bolt of pure ice at a poor deer. There was no satisfaction to be gained from seeing it die... but it did help to vent some of the anger that resided in her heart. She knew that she needed to release it before she and the girls returned to Cloud Tower. Headmistress Griffin could sense evil intent and would stop at nothing to purge it from them... hence why they needed to wait before returning.

Still... that didn't mean that she was just going to lie around and do nothing. She and the girls would scheme and plan their next attempt to gain the power that they so craved... and if a few people had to die... well that wasn't going to get any tears from them.

"That darkness..." A voice whispered into their ears, "What is the source of it? Are you the ones who call out to me? Even if magic was not my strength, I would have surely felt yours." The compliment was hidden by the fact that the voice sounded so sinister.

The trio looked all around them as they flared their powers, their hands glowing with their respective elements. But as far as the eye could see... only darkness was to be revealed. The owner of the voice was nothing more than a specter on the wind. And that... well, that scared them. After all, you could only attack that which you could see.

"Show yourself fool!" Icy demanded with a sneer as she fired a warning shot into the darkness. Oh if only she knew what it was that she was doing. The very being that spoke to her was so far above her that she might as well have been a gnat before a giant. Oh, she could try and attack the being... but that would only hasten her demise. And somehow the girl knew that and yet she still had the guts to try to do what she did.

So what happened next was of her own doing. Her sisters too would pay the price for the transgression of one. This would serve as a warning to all of them. If they ever tried to attack that which they didn't understand, well the scars that they earned this day would be a reminder.

But that is a tale for another day. For now... just know that the pain that they felt would be a tale for the ages. Just not the ages that we live in.

And another chapter is done and gone.

How was it?

What did you think of the conversation that Faragonda had with Ben? What of the flashback to Paradox? And who was the mysterious voice that talked to the Trix? Take your shots and leave them as reviews. If you get it correct, I may or may not reply back. Though if you leave guest reviews, don't expect me to reply back, cause I can't.

Thank you for taking the time to read this humble story.