Chapter16: Facing This Together

Clyde

Clyde is anxious yet also curious about his current surroundings. This is the very first dream he's ever undergone where he's actively conscious within it. There's nothing but a long, well-intact bridge before him, stretching deeply into this dark place. But he's flummoxed as to how he even ended up here.

Just approximately one minute ago, he was just sitting in his bed, listening to the rain and the infrequent thunderclaps. At some point, he must've dozed off without realizing it. Well, he was feeling very bored, and the sounds outside were rather soothing to listen to, so it was impossible not to fall asleep. He just wishes this dream he's experiencing wasn't so tedious and creepy.

He takes one step forward onto the bridge. The hard wood beneath his bare feet feels cold. A strange noise comes from behind him and he turns around so fast that he almost loses his balance. The starting point of the bridge extends just as long as the opposite end. Before he can question it, he notices something above and he looks up. There are a cluster of grey clouds, but they seem to be concealing something. He can see a faint light peeking through the clouds.

He looks down with an uneasy frown. He doesn't want to be here any longer. He pinches his arm, hoping pain would be enough to rouse him awake. "Come on, me. Wake up." When nothing happens, he applies a bit more pressure onto his skin, hissing while clenching his eyes shut. He soon relents heaving a disappointed sigh, opening his eyes brimming with tears while rubbing his agitated skin.

Suddenly, a new sound loudly penetrates the silence. It startles him, and he scans around for the source. When he's unable to locate where the sound is originating from, he's given a hint. The sound becomes more distinct, Clyde now recognizing it as water pattering against more water. He nears the railing made of thin rope, and looks down in between the wide openings. He gapes at a massive body of water rising up to the bridge, however it's only raining on the side he's facing a little far away from him and the bridge. He's shocked at himself for failing to notice the rain falling from the clouds sooner. He observes the water gradually reaching his level, seeing its steady advancement fills him with wonder.

He decides to sit down underneath the railing, and swings his legs back and forth. He's starting to like the sound of the rain. Snowfalls are silent unless it's a snowstorm, and he hates when South Park gets those. He once learned about Antarctica, back when Mrs. Wayford was still teaching. She said that Antarctica was the coldest continent in the world, and only marine species lived there, listing a few of them, though there were some dwellings for humans. It was fascinating information. Clyde wants to visit there just to see the penguins. He remembers seeing them in a picture book, and even colored them in as an activity. They look so harmless and cute, especially the baby penguins. He then gets an interesting thought: How would a penguin adapt in South Park? It always snows there making it cold all year round, and it can swim in Stark's Pond and eat the fishes in it. The only main difference is that there are more humans than animals in South Park, so it might get uncomfortable by not being with its kind. Clyde thinks that if it's taken care of properly, it would be just fine.

His immersion is interrupted when the rain stops. He pouts, then focuses on the position of the water. It's just meters away from his feet. He raises an eyebrow, though, when he sees the clouds beginning to disperse through the reflection of the still, pellucid sea, looking up just as a pretty night sky shows itself. "Wooow..." He is left in awe once more. He can't believe that a big and bright moon, and hundreds of stars were all obscured by a bunch of grey clouds. An exact situation that happens every night in South Park.

The longer Clyde gazes up at the sky, the more he becomes unaware of the approaching danger. It's only until he hears someone stepping onto the bridge that he snaps out of his reverie, which sounded close by. He looks down turning his head towards his left, a tall, fairly-built man with curly, apricot-colored hair and hazel eyes is standing there with a dull fixation at the sky. If it wasn't for the moonlight, Clyde would've thought the guy was merely a floating head. That's how well his clothes camouflage with the background. He's wearing a long trench coat over a turtleneck sweater that's tucked into his cargo pants, and his pants legs are tucked into his combat boots. The belt around his waist is a charcoal color, and lastly, he's wearing a fingerless glove on his right hand.

Clyde opens his mouth, about to ask the man who he is when there are more footsteps. Clyde averts his attention to the other side of the bridge, but can't see who's there. He gets a sudden chill.

"Tch."

After the man expressed his irritation, two rows of sharp teeth spread into a smile from within the shadows.

"M-monster!" Clyde shouts, horrified. He scrambles onto his feet, but his hastiness leads to his downfall. He loses his footing and slips off the bridge. He wants to scream, but his vocal cords refuse to work. He shuts his eyes as he braces himself to make contact into the water...

But that doesn't happen.

He instead lands onto something solid. He snaps his eyes open, bolting upright on his knees. He examines the grey-colored object that captured him. "What the..." Despite his bewilderment, he feels...safe inside this ball. He feels it move, ascending to the bridge. Once it touches one of the wooden planks, the orb splits apart like an egg and disappears, leaving him facing the creature that's still smiling. He panics all over again, which intensifies when the thing points a finger with a red bead of energy up at the moon. It starts increasing its size and the next thing Clyde knows, the monster fires at the moon.

The energy orb unexpectedly educes a burst of wind without any temperature. Clyde shields his eyes with an arm while using his other hand to grip the plank, so he doesn't get blown away. Fortunately, the wind quickly remits, and the monster chuckles shamelessly as it disappears in a similar fashion.

Now, it is silent.

Clyde hesitantly lowers his arm from his face while releasing the plank. The prominent light is gone, but thanks to the many stars it is not too dark. The pointy teeth are also gone. Clyde looks up at the sky. There's a clear indentation where the moon once was.

"That will happen one day in the future, Clyde Donovan."

The child jolts a little at the voice that spoke behind him. He almost thought that the man was no longer here either. He stands up and faces the man, who is now walking towards him. For some reason, Clyde doesn't feel the need to keep his distance from him, even though he appears mean-looking.

"H-how do you know my name? Who are you?" Clyde asks.

The man stops after taking one more step. His bored expression isn't sitting well with the boy. "My name is Leon Edgewood, and I am a spirit known as an Inner Guardian."

Clyde blinks. "A...spirit? Like a ghost?"

Leon's mien hardens, as if his questions irked him. "No, do I look transparent to you?" Clyde shrugs, not understanding what transparent means. Leon sighs. "Anyway, there are three types of Inner Guardians: Light, Dark, and Mixed. I am Mixed, meaning I possess both Light and Dark magic."

The last word he said greatly piques Clyde's interest. "Magic?! Wait, were you the one who saved me?" Leon confirms that he did by nodding his head. Clyde smiles. "Thank you!"

Leon can't help but smile back, though only slightly. "You're welcome." But then he frowns. "Alright, let's get this over with." He ambles over towards the railing where the large body of water is. "There are two more things you need to see."

Curious, Clyde joins him by the railing. The sea starts to change color, turning a blood red. The liquid becomes so thick that they can't see the reflection of the sky anymore. "Y-you're not about to show me a monster, are you?" Clyde asks nervously.

"No. What destroyed the moon was a Being of Darkness, the very creature that's been lurking within your hometown longer than necessary."

"...Ooooh, so that's what that was," Clyde says, remembering Craig telling him about the Being of Darkness last week in school.

Leon regards him with a raised eyebrow. "You already knew about it?"

Clyde nods his head. "Yeah, a friend told me." He frowns. "So...monsters actually do exist, huh?"

" 'fraid so," Leon answers looking back at the red sea. He extends his right hand over the railing with his index finger out. Very similar to what the Being of Darkness did, a small red aura produces itself from the tip of Leon's finger, and a sickening sound of sloshing liquid promptly follows.

Grimacing, Clyde watches a ripple forming in the middle of the crimson sea. A long trail of the water slithers up into the air, glistening disturbingly in the moonlight. It goes all the way up to the sky, then stops—its length identical to an anaconda's. Leon does a circular motion with his finger, causing the water to coil up. Clyde is wonderstruck at this point. Once the water has formed into a complete circle, it crystallizes, then the aura on Leon's finger changes into a different color: white. This aura causes the center of the hardened liquid to illuminate, blinding Clyde. He closes and covers his eyes with his hands.

"...Look," Leon orders seconds later.

Clyde rubs his eyes first to reduce the stinging. He blinks his eyes open while lowering his hands. What he sees is a chilling image of a pair of pupil-less dark green eyes staring back into his lavender-colored ones. He can practically sense the evilness those eyes are giving off just from looking at them. "I thought you said you weren't gonna show me a monster," he says, upset that the man lied to him.

"This is 'The Mirror Of Converging Fates'," Leon says as he crosses his arms. "What you see is no monster, rather it is a child that has just been corrupted by the Being of Darkness. Their name...is Bebe Stevens."

"..." Do those cold, empty eyes...really belong to Bebe? Clyde shakes his head, refusing to believe it. No, it can't be her, it just can't.

"Hmph, I'd figured as much," Leon says. "Here's some proof." He uncrosses his right arm to snap his fingers. The picture is swallowed up by another colorless light for several seconds, the radiance dimming away to display a new image. This time, Clyde sees who the owner of those depraved eyes belong to, and he's filled with tremendous dread. Even though it is clearly Bebe standing there with a blank expression on her face, he's still unable to fully grasp that it's her. "Just accept the fact that the girl you once knew has become a pawn to the Dark Master and the darkness," Leon tells him.

His harsh statement nearly makes Clyde burst into tears. "N-no! There has to be a way to save her! You can do it, can't you?"

Leon gives him a hard yet sympathetic stare. "You're right, there is a way to free her from the Dark Master's influence...However..." He pauses as he looks back at the mirror and snaps his fingers once again. Clyde wipes the tears from his eyes as he waits for the light to dwindle. The third image shocks him as well. He sees a boy in an orange parka and a Being of Darkness standing across from each other in the rain. "We must defeat the Being of Darkness first before anything else."

"Will...will killing it turn Bebe back to normal?" Clyde asks, his voice small.

Leon shakes his head. "Unfortunately, no. Killing a Being of Darkness does not dispel its corruption." Even he looks vexed by the fact.

Clyde appears dejected. "So, how do we save Bebe then?"

"We don't." Clyde gapes up at Leon in disbelief, the man keeping his gaze on the mirror. "Like I just said, getting rid of the Being of Darkness is our top priority. Even though I want to train you, we don't have time. Kenneth needs help-"

"And so does Bebe!" Clyde retorts with fresh tears in his eyes.

Leon heaves another sigh. "She is not the only person that's been corrupted." He turns to face the little brunette. "Do you want Kenneth to end up just like her?"

"N-no..." Clyde responds timidly. He doesn't want that to happen to Kenny. He, too, is a nice kid just like Bebe, and he considers him a friend, despite not interacting with him much. He never cared about Kenny being poor, on the contrary, he pitied him. Very much. But he especially hates it when the boy is constantly picked on for it.

"Then be prepared to lend him a hand because he'll need it," Leon says. "I'll be there with you, of course, just not in person."

A heavy weight settles in Clyde's chest. "B-but...what about my parents?"

"They are to remain where they are, unless you wanna take them with you to get either brainwashed or killed," Leon replies bluntly.

Clyde releases a whimper. He most certainly doesn't want anything to happen to his mother and father. He jumps when a melodious toll of a grandfather clock rings out in the distance. The darkness all around begins to close in on them, first erasing some of the sea, the sky, and the entire mirror.

"When you wake up, leave your house and go straight to Kyle's. That's where Kenneth and the Being of Darkness are."

Clyde's field of vision goes completely black.

/

The first thing Clyde sees when he wakes up is...nothing. Nothing but darkness. Worried, he sits up in his bed, glancing around his bedroom. "W-why is it so dark?"

"Clyde!" After the urgent call of his name, thudding footsteps race towards his room. He sees his door fling open, and he flinches when it hits the wall with a loud bang. It's even dark out in the hallway.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Clyde asks, knowing that it's him thanks to his voice just now.

His father enters his room with haste. "Oh good, you're awake. C'mon, we have to go. Right now." He locates one of Clyde's hands and grabs it, carefully dragging him out of his bed, then out of his room. Clyde realizes that the whole house is dark as they head to and descend the stairs with caution.

"What's going on? And what about mom?" Clyde asks. Once they're off the last step, his father has them run for the front door, but they pause before it.

Clyde feels his father's hand gently clench his. "I...I'll tell you once we're away from here," the man promises. He reaches for the doorknob.

"Roger, Clyde, where are you two going?" Asks an innocent voice.

Clyde quickly turns halfway around. "Mom-" His next set of words get stuck in his throat and his eyes widen with horror. Bright dark green eyes...Clyde knows instantly what that color signifies, and seeing those alone in the darkness is scary enough to make him think he's experiencing the worst nightmare of his life. His father finally opens the door, and they dash out of the house.

Clyde stumbles as he struggles to keep up with his father, but the man's firm hold on his hand is preventing him from falling flat on his face. As they run away, Clyde refrains looking back. Two people dear to him have been corrupted by that stupid monster. He feels tears building up in his eyes, and he lets them accompany the rain on his cheeks.

Betsy walks towards the doorway, standing there watching them go with her arms folded behind her back. She's wearing a faded dark blue dress and black low high heel shoes. She has no intentions of chasing after her husband and son. She smiles, giddy at the thought of finding them when they least expect her to. Oh, she can't wait to see their reactions. However, if they defy her...well...With a giggle, she removes her arms from behind her, possessing a kitchen knife in her right hand. She caresses its sharp blade with a finger.

Craig and Clyde

"Master Craig, Are You Ready?"

Craig nearly answers 'no' outright, but he remains silent. He's standing outside on the porch of his home, the small roof protecting him from the rain. He's in his casual clothes, and his chullo is comfortably over his head. It took awhile for him to get used to being in his day clothes since he wore his pajamas the entire week. Even his sneakers felt foreign on his feet.

It was a few minutes prior when Stripe informed him of the battle occurring soon near Kyle's house. He was very shocked to find out that Kenny was going to fight the Being of Darkness, also possessing an Inner Guardian to aid him. Craig wondered if Clyde was going to go help Kenny as well, thinking and also hoping that he had an Inner Guardian just like them.

Craig furrows his eyebrows, hesitant, as he mulls over Stripe's query. This is going to be his very first fight, and it's not going to be a normal one either. Truth be told, Craig isn't a fighter nor does he see himself as one. Even though he flips the children and sometimes the adults - but behind their backs - off at school, he never got into any physical altercations over it. Rather, due to their young age, the kids thought telling the teacher on him was punishable enough, and it was. His parents didn't tolerate him being rude to anyone, especially towards the adults, thus his habit of shooting people the bird became something he did out of 'self-defense'.

"Master Craig?"

The boy blinks, Stripe's concerned voice bringing him out of his strayed thoughts. But he has an answer. "I...I don't think I am."

"I'd Figured As Much," Stripe says. "You're Still Just A Child, And This Is A Life-Or-Death Battle, So It's Only Natural To Feel Nervous." Craig tenses. "But Please Do Not Worry. Just Remember That You're Not Alone. You Have Me And Your Friends After All."

Such reassuring words make Craig feel only slightly at ease. "Stripe, do you know what'll happen after we beat it?"

There's a delayed response. "...Yes, But The Aftermath...-" Stripe suddenly pauses for a brief second. "Master Craig, I Sense Another Inner Guardian Approaching."

Craig tenses up again, unsure if he should feel relieved or be on the alert. "W-where? Do you know who it is?"

"All I Know Is That They Are A Mixed Inner Guardian."

Craig steps out from under the shelter, instantly getting drenched. He walks across the front yard to get to the sidewalk. Amber eyes scan the neighborhood for the host of the Mixed Inner Guardian. After some seconds, Craig descries two people rounding a corner on his right: one is an adult and the other is a child, both running side by side on the pedestrian path.

"Here They Come."

The little noirette turns to face the duo, who are gradually coming into perceivable view. "Who..." Craig squints, discerning the soaked brown hair on both individuals, and the glasses on the adult. "Wait, Is that...Clyde and Mr. Donovan?!"

"Clyde Is The Host For The Mixed Inner Guardian," Stripe tells him.

Craig is happy to see his one and only friend owning an Inner Guardian like he hoped. "Clyde! Mr. Donovan!" He shouts, waving a hand to try and grab their attention.

They stop for a moment before resuming their run towards Craig. He stops waving. Clyde and his father slow their pace once they're closer to Craig, the two panting heavily. Craig watches Clyde wipe his eyes with an arm, sniffling while catching his breath. He grimaces, though, when he realizes that Clyde isn't wearing anything on his feet. He's sure to catch a cold the longer he's out here. "C-Craig, w-what are you...d-doing out here...b-by yourself?" Mr. Donovan asks in between pants.

Craig frowns, having two reasons as to why he's outside alone. The first reason is, just an hour or so ago both of his parents were corrupted at the same time. Stripe told him that there was nothing he could've done to free them, despite the spirit being a Light Inner Guardian. His powers alone weren't strong enough to banish the Darkness tainting their minds. So instead, he had Craig bind them together in their bedroom, a beginner spell anyone could master at any age. As for Tricia, Stripe was generous enough to let her stay in his realm until the battle ended, and Craig was beyond grateful. His baby sister is all he has now. And the second reason is he's supposed to be preparing himself to fight the Being of Darkness. But he still isn't ready to do that. In fact, he isn't certain if three children will be able to defeat it. It must be really powerful since it's seized almost every citizen in South Park in such a short time frame.

But before he answers Mr. Donovan, he notices someone missing. "Um, where's Mrs. Donovan?" He knew it was a bad question when he sees the depressed expressions developing on Mr. Donovan's and Clyde's faces, the raindrops streaming down their cheeks like tears. "Oh...so it got Mrs. Donovan too..." Craig appears equally apologetic and sympathetic. "S-sorry."

Mr. Donovan shakes his head, mustering up a weak smile. "No need to apologize. It's just..." His smile drops. "I honestly don't know what happened to her. W-we were just in the kitchen, talking about the storm when she suddenly...changed..."

"What about your family?" Clyde asks Craig.

"It got my parents too," Craig says sounding just as melancholy. "But Tricia...is somewhere safe."

"Oh, okay...That's good she's alright, at least," Clyde says, considerate. Craig expresses his gratitude by nodding his head.

A stiff silence settles over the three. Feeling awkward, Craig looks down at the ground, watching the countless number of raindrops pelt against the concrete incessantly.

"Master Craig, We'd Best Leave Now."

"Kid, We Gotta Go," Leon says inside Clyde's head in unison with Stripe, surprising him since it's the first time he's heard the man outside of his dream.

Craig and Clyde lock eyes with each other, and they both feel one thing: irresolute to confront the Being of Darkness.

Clyde then looks at his and his father's clasped hands, then slowly lets go. Craig notices that he was unwilling to do so, but they can't take Mr. Donovan with them. Clyde doesn't meet anyone's gaze as he ambles over to Craig's side, his father giving him a perplexed stare.

"Clyde-"

"Sorry, dad, but me and Craig have to go," Clyde says. "We're going to Kyle's house to...to..." He presses his lips into a line. There's no way his father will believe that they're going off to fight a supernatural creature.

"To fight a monster," Craig finishes for him without any hesitation, feeling his friend's eyes on him.

The confusion intensifies on Mr. Donovan's face. "A...monster?"

"Yeah," Craig says nodding his head. "We have spirits called Inner Guardians inside of us...I think. They'll help us defeat it with their magic powers."

Mr. Donovan opens his mouth to speak, but Clyde quickly says, "It's true! Craig isn't lying." He doesn't blame his father for doubting Craig since he himself was the same way when Craig told him about the Being of Darkness.

His father lets out a small sigh while fixing his spectacles. "Even if you back Craig up on this, I still find it hard to believe. But if he's actually telling the truth, then..." He gives the boys a stern look. "Show me some proof."

The two children blink, a bit taken aback. "Proof?" Craig repeats.

"Yes. Either show me what this so-called Inner Guardian looks like, or cast some magical spell," Mr. Donovan says, his overprotective parenting mode activated.

Craig and Clyde share a look of uncertainty. Craig has only had Stripe as his Inner Guardian for two days whereas Clyde just received his not too long ago. Craig is only able to use a binding spell, so there is no way he's going to use it on Clyde's father.

"Stripe, what do we do?" Craig asks.

"I'm Afraid We Cannot Comply With His Demand. Inner Guardians Are Prohibited From Making An Appearance On Earth At The Moment."

Craig wants to ask why, but the patient yet serious look on Mr. Donovan's face forces him to save it for another time. "I...can't. My Inner Guardian just told me that they can't appear on earth right now."

"Oh? How come?" Mr. Donovan asks, sounding as if he knew he wouldn't get any sort of proof.

Craig shakes his head. "I don't know."

"...I see..." Is all Mr. Donovan says, then he looks at his son.

"U-uhh..." "L-Leon, can't you do something?" Clyde asks.

"You Heard Your Friend, So The Only Thing You Can Do Now Is Show Him Some Magic."

"H-how?"

"Look, you two," Clyde focuses on his father's face. He appears guilty. "I'm sorry if I pushed too hard, but as an adult and a parent, it's my responsibility to keep the both of you safe."

Craig completely understands. If his parents were in Mr. Donovan's position, they would care about him and Clyde to the same extent. Craig curls his hands into fists at his sides, his amber eyes gleaming with strong emotions. "Mr. Donovan, I understand how you feel, but we have to do this. If we don't, then more people will end up like my parents and Mrs. Donovan."

Mr. Donovan winces at the mention of his wife, his mauve-colored eyes saddening. "I-I see...Then let me come with-"

"You can't!" Clyde objects immediately.

"Yeah, he's right," Craig agrees. "You don't...you might get...killed if you come with us." Saying killed left a sour taste in his mouth.

Clyde's father gives them the same forced smile as before. "I'll gladly risk my life for my son and his friend," he says earnestly.

Craig makes a face expressing his discomfort while Clyde looks sorrowful. "Dad..."

"Well Ain't That Sweet," Leon deadpans. "Clyde, I'll Let You Transport Your Dad To My Realm Until Everything Has Settled Down."

Clyde likes Leon's idea, however there's one problem - he doesn't know how to go about using magic. "But how do I do that?"

"It's Simple. Just Hold Out Your Hand In Front Of Your Dad And Say 'Teleport To The Land Of Light And Darkness'," his Inner Guardian instructs. "And Make It Quick."

Clyde gulps nervously, but does as told, sticking out his palm directly at his father, who cocks an eyebrow. Before his father can even question his actions, he repeats the incantation. "Teleport to the Land of Light and Darkness." A warm heat springs up inside his body - right in his chest - and flows up to his arm and down to his hand, bringing forth a hazy aura intermixed with black and white. His father and Craig are mystified at the magical energy, and so is Clyde. Then, a round dark grey barrier encloses its target.

"C-Clyde, what's happening? What is this?" His father asks as he touches and glances around within the mystical barrier.

Clyde doesn't have any time to answer him for the barrier disappears in a grey-colored light, and his aura vanishes as a result. The warmth in his chest abates. The two boys are at a loss for words. Clyde pulls his hand back towards himself, inspecting his palm with extensive curiosity.

"Dude..." Craig utters. He breaks into a smile. "That was awesome!"

"Master Craig, Now's Not The Time To Celebrate."

Craig nods his head in understanding, a small smile on his lips. "Clyde?" The brunette meets his gaze, shock lingering in those lavender-colored irises. Craig stretches out a hand towards him. Copying his smile, Clyde reaches for his hand. "Ah, hang on a sec." Craig bends down to untie his shoelaces. He takes his sneakers off and place them near Clyde's feet. "You can wear them."

Clyde stares at the pair of shoes, touched by his friend's kindness. His feet are freezing. "Thanks." He puts on the shoes, and ties the strings. Standing up straight, he sees Craig holding out his hand towards him once again. He grabs his hand.

"So, Are You Two Ready?"

"You All Set?"

Craig and Clyde nod, giving each other a determined look and squeeze of each other's hand before dashing down the sidewalk to Kyle's house.

The two are no longer afraid to face the Being of Darkness. They are now prepared to fight for their lives since they know they aren't going to fight it alone. Craig has Stripe, Clyde has Leon, and the two boys have each other. However, they will soon have to face a new threat that's been watching them from afar...