Chapter 41: An Unexpected Bond

*Twelve Years Ago, In The Realm Of Darkness*

Time flew by seemingly without motion as Eric waited for his Inner Guardian to return. He was feeling bored, nervous, and impatient all at the same time. It felt like it's been a really long while because his clothes felt dry now, but not his hair. It's still a little wet. There was nothing to do in this beautiful, boundless realm, his mother...didn't want to talk to him. She seemed sullenly content inside of the boy's red barrier, as if at ease that it was shunning his existence from her, which filled her with great guilt deep down. So all Eric could do was look around the ethereal environment and let his mind drift. He still marveled the big full moon behind the large grey castle, the hundreds of stars scattered throughout the black and dark blue sky, and the black star-shaped sculptures atop of some of the dark purple stone pillars. He noticed that either a red, blue, green, or purple dot of light would flicker one after the other every few seconds and circle around the stars. He was still curious about the house that's surrounded in a dark barrier on the other side of the pillars, wondering who the two boys were. Could they be people he knew from school? For some odd reason, he didn't doubt it, but he knew for sure they weren't Stan, Kyle, or Kenny. He smacked his teeth after remembering those three, irritated that he couldn't kill Kyle because Mrs. Marsh and Kenny got in his way. It was to be expected and had Stan's Inner Guardian not been in control, Stan would've tried to stop Eric too, since they're 'super best friends'.

Eric shook his head with a scoff, suppressing a laugh at the stupid title. "They're just a bunch of losers." He pressed his lips together into a faint frown, his eyebrows furrowing. He usually meant that in jest, but not this time. Today's altercation surely severed the feeble string that struggled to maintain the friendship he had with Stan, Kyle, and Kenny. Now, they were enemies, Eric was certain of it. He imagined Kenny telling Stan and Kyle about his traitorous stunts. He couldn't help but smile a little, his red eyes glinting with nefarious intent, giving him a look unbefitting for a 6 year old. They most likely deemed him a traitor now, which suited him well. If he ever were to come across his ex-best friends again one day, killing them won't leave behind a regretful after-feeling. Though taking their lives would have to come last because Mrs. Marsh would be there to protect them, and that would be a huge problem. Had she not been weakened by the Being of Darkness, Eric wouldn't have stood a chance against her. But it was a really good thing she was disinclined to retaliate, she only wanted to impede his path, so he took advantage of that thanks to Zerphy's quick thinking.

"Eric?"

The boy blinked at the familiar voice, then looked at who called him. His Inner Guardian was back and the frown on her pale face made Eric copy her expression but of remorse, once again thinking her Superiors took offense to what he said earlier and she got scolded in his stead. "I'm really sorry, Zerphy," he apologized sincerely. After everything she did for him, the last thing he wanted to do was repay her by getting her in trouble.

The long-haired blonde gave him a small smile. "You're not at fault. It's..." She frowned again. "Mines. I'm afraid we cannot stay here."

"But why?" Eric asked, then he softy murmured, "Are you sure it's not because of me?"

Zerphy's frown deepened and her body tensed up. This reaction led Eric to think she was lying to him, keeping the truth to herself so as to not hurt his feelings. "I promise you, you are not the reason my presence was demanded at the castle." Eric didn't fully believe her, but decided not to voice out his disagreement. "We must leave now. I'll transport you and your mother back to South Park-"

"No." Zerphy widened her eyes a small fraction at Eric. His frown conveyed a displeased forbearance. "I don't think it would be a good idea for us to go back there." He balled his hands into fists. "Not for a while, at least."

How shrewdly preceptive Eric had become. Zerphy was pleased with this progress, even more so since he's still very young. He's aware that it's way too risky to return to the place where his friends, who were now foes, were doubtlessly going to remain at, plus in order to take Kyle's life, he would need to do a hefty amount of training in order to get rid of the obstacles that shielded the red-haired boy. Zerphy looked at Eric's mother, she appeared uninterested in their conversation. No, that's not entirely it. She'd completely dissociated herself from reality. Zerphy looked back at her host. "I understand. I will send you two someplace else."

Eric banished his barrier from around his mother, then the two of them were engulfed in a single reddish-pink barrier. They're gone from the realm expeditiously.

Zerphy looked back over her shoulder and smirked smugly at the castle. Recalling the irate faces her Superiors displayed while they rebuked her one after the other nearly made a laugh slip out. During the vehement scolding, her inner thoughts did all of the laughing. Instead, she chuckled quietly as she turned her head away, then teleported to the comfort of her domain.

/

A blue sky with scattered clouds was the very first thing Eric perceived as soon as the Transportation Barrier dissolved into black smoke after dropping him and his mother off at an unknown location. A crisp breeze was blowing past them, Eric hearing tree branches susurrating in the background, then seeing several trees planted in a few front or backyards of nice-looking houses - full of healthy green leaves. There were chirping of birds resounding through the fine neighborhood, further creating a serene ambience. Not even the sight of the cars that were either stationary in the driveways or dispersed almost throughout the street they're standing in the center of disturbed the peaceful vibe. Eric could tell people were attempting to drive away before they'd succumbed to corruption based on how some of the vehicles were parked. Oh well, unlucky them.

He decided to bask in the tranquility for a little while, his red eyes softening up at the sky, watching the white clouds glide very slowly in one direction. He could feel his slightly damp hair being gradually dried off as the short, brown strands swayed in the gentle winds. His mother's long hair was fluttering behind her, her vacant caramel-colored eyes transfixed by the sky, her mind not fully grasping that they had returned to earth.

After presumably three minutes, Eric shifted his gaze towards his mother and felt a pang of sadness in his chest. He missed the smiles she would always wear, even the forced and tired ones. It's better than her looking like an emotionless husk.

"No way..."

Eric spun around with a start.

The light gust gently ruffled naturally unkempt, blonde hair belonging to a slightly taller little boy - whose abyss-like eyes were wide in disbelief - and a pretty woman's sleek, dark hair that stopped in the middle of her back, her eyes were a hot pink color. It's like they both appeared out of thin air. After sensing a soothing magical energy from both individuals, though it was barely perceivable from the boy, it now seemed highly plausible since the woman was not human. She was a Light Inner Guardian. Eric thought Inner Guardians weren't allowed on earth at the moment, that's what Zerphy told him during the time he was training for a bit in her domain. The boy who was slowly starting to seem familiar to Eric was wearing a red T-shirt with a skull on it, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers stained with faded traces of dirt. His Inner Guardian had an upstanding yet gentle businesswoman appeal—her attire was mostly white while her dress shirt that's underneath a vest and tucked into her pants was light blue and the belt that's around her waist was grey with a shiny gold buckle. On her feet were a pair of loafers. She wore a single earring in her left earlobe, it was a sliver stud shaped like a star.

Eric finally recognized the boy. He confusedly uttered, "Trent? What are you doing here?"

The infamous bully slanted his eyes into an uneasy glare. It was kind of rare to see him make such an expression. "How do you know my name?"

Eric's confusion doubled. He raised an eyebrow. "Cuz we went to the same school? I thought you recognized me when you said, 'No way'," he mimicked how surprised Trent looked and sounded just seconds ago.

Trent didn't respond for a moment, his stygian eyes studying Eric's chubby face. "...Are...you really Eric?" The brunette nodded. "What happened to your eyes?"

"That's the result of 'Forced Power Link'," Trent's Inner Guardian said in a rich tone of voice.

"Oooh, that's why," Trent said in understanding. Then he looked up at the spirit with a glare. "You told me 'Forced Power Link' would always have 'dire' aftereffects," he pointed at Eric. "But all it did was change his eye color and made him look cool." His Inner Guardian heaved a small sigh, but before she could respond, Trent then excitedly asked Eric, "How did it feel using 'Forced Power Link'? Did you kill the Being of Darkness in one shot?"

"He won't know since his Inner Guardian was the one in complete control," the Light spirit answered. Trent pouted, letdown by the fact. The woman's eyes softened sympathetically at Eric. "I hope your Inner Guardian warned you of the repercussions of that forbidden ability. Even if you were going up against the Being of Darkness, 'Power Link' would have been the somewhat safer option."

Eric pursed his lips, recalling the moment Zerphy took over his body and his mind going utterly blank from there, like he'd fell into a coma for a short while. He willingly allowed her to do it, so she could get rid of the perverted man that was having sex and harming his mother, but what he didn't understand was why Zerphy didn't explain to him what the ability she used was. "I've...never heard of either of those before, but Zerphy didn't do 'Forced Power Link' to kill the Being of Darkness. She-"

"Say No More, Eric." The boy went taut, then noticed Trent's Inner Guardian widening her eyes.

"Zerphy..." The noirette frowned deeply, expressing heightened pity for Eric. "Oh, you poor child."

"What?" Trent arched a puzzled eyebrow at her. "Do you know who that is?"

"Yes, however I will refrain from speaking ill of her since she's...an ally."

Trent eyed his Inner Guardian curiously. "Did she used to be evil?"

"I cannot say for we are from different realms, but I have heard hearsay regarding her...personality and past deeds." The Light spirit shook her head. "Let's not discuss this further-"

"Why?" Trent smirked. "You scared of her?"

"No," his Inner Guardian calmly denied as she looked down at him. "We should take this chance to get acquainted with each other." She returned her gaze to Eric.

Trent's smirk dropped into a deadpan frown. "I already know who they are."

"Well I don't and I've yet to introduce myself," the black-haired spirit stated. She furrowed her eyebrows at Eric's mother. "But before that, is your mother okay?"

Trent looked at Ms. Cartman's unmoving figure. "Yeah, why she hasn't turned around yet?"

Eric tensed, then slowly turned to face his mother. "She's...not feeling well." Even though he himself didn't commit the crime of killing someone, he still felt at fault for appalling his mother.

"Then let's go into the house Trent and I are staying in, so she can get some rest," the Light spirit advised.

After hesitating for a second, Eric turned away from his mother. "We're not the only ones here?"

"We are," the noirette said. "The corrupted citizens fled the State not too long ago, and the same thing could be possibly happening in other places as we speak. I'm assuming they were all summoned by the Dark Master."

"Was freaky too," Trent commented, grimacing. "They looked like zombies with creepy, green eyes."

Just how long had Trent been here for? Eric wondered. He's also curious about the boy's parents...he settled on asking him about his parents instead. "What about your parents? Did they get corrupted?"

The mention of his mother and father embittered the blonde. "I don't know and don't care." His indifferent response took Eric aback.

"Come." The Light Inner Guardian turned around. "We can talk more after we put your mother to bed and perhaps get her some medicine."

"S-she's not sick, she's..." Eric couldn't think up the right word to describe his mother's current emotional state. She was frightened initially, even going so far as to kick him out after being gone from home for half a week, but now he didn't know what she felt anymore.

"Traumatized."

"Traumatized," Eric murmured sadly.

The woman turned back around, her eyebrows knitted together in both perplexity and worry. "Traumatized, you say?" "Is that why she's not corrupted?" She wondered.

Eric decided to show them what he meant rather than explain. Steeling himself, he turned around and reached out to grab his mother's hand. The instant his stubby, little finger merely grazed her skin, she flinched with a gasp and quickly distanced herself away from him, still refusing to look at him. Her body trembling as if she suddenly became cold, she held her hand up to her chest. "D-don't touch me..."

Eric's eyes glistened, but he fought to keep the tears in. He expected this kind of reaction, but even still...nothing could ever prepare a child to be avoided by their parent. He heard footsteps, then saw Trent's Inner Guardian walking over to them. She stood in front of his mother and gave her a kind smile.

"Hello, my name is Ebony Winters," she said, introducing herself.

Liane's fretful eyes hardened with confusion and a hint of skepticism. "H-hello."

"This will sound very sudden, but would you like for you and your son to come with me and his friend to our house?"

"We're not-" Ebony shot Trent a glare so fast that the look forced him to end the rest of his curt retort in slight fear.

The admonishing scowl went unnoticed by Liane, who was contemplating the woman's offer. Well, she seemed nice, and given Liane's mental condition, that was enough for her to want to accept. Hopefully, Eric would be preoccupied chatting with his friend, which would give her a peace of mind for a while. She answered with a timid nod, then Ebony ushered her to the abode she and Trent were living in.

Curling his hands into fists, Eric trudged after them. Trent started walking alongside Eric, observing his pained expression. "What did you do to her?"

Eric clenched his fists. "..." He didn't know if he should tell him the truth or make up a lie. Given that Zerphy cut him off from spilling why she actually initiated 'Forced Power Link', he's left with no other option than the latter. Or, he could try feigning ignorance. "Why do you think I did anything to her?"

"Why else would she be scared of you?"

Eric almost smacked his teeth in frustration. Was Trent always this sharp at reading people? Eric wasn't afraid to admit that it's weird, perhaps it's like a bully's intuition or something. "Like I said, she's traumatized."

"But how come?" Trent pressed.

Eric couldn't contain his annoyance. He's reminded how much of a pain in the ass Trent and his two lackeys he'd forgotten the names of were in school, he's glad they're not here too. "I don't know, go ask her yourself." It's not like Trent would actually-

"Okay."

Eric was proven wrong in that instant. He widened his eyes when he saw Trent picking up speed to catch up to the two adults, the four of them were closing in on one of the houses. Eric reached out to seize Trent's skinny wrist in a desperate attempt to stop him. When he succeeded, Trent stopped moving, then turned around, the smirk he wore dipping into a frown once he perceived the genuine fear on Eric's face. Trent always thought that the fat boy was incapable of showing this kind of emotion. Back at school, whenever he got into serious trouble, he would appear completely unfazed by the teachers' and Principal's threats. However, unbeknownst to Trent, that arrogant and uncaring side of Eric would crumble when he got home.

Eric lowered his head. "I can't tell you, Zerphy won't let me," he admitted quietly. His grip on Trent's wrist tightened a little and shook. "Please don't ask my mom."

"Trent? Eric?"

Trent twisted around upon hearing Ebony's voice, she and Ms. Cartman were standing on the porch, waiting for them. Trent heaved a sigh and turned his head to look at Eric throughout the corner of his eye. "Fine, I won't. Now let me go." Eric did and Trent resumed towards his and Ebony's house. Eric took a moment to follow, keeping his head down.

Ebony opened the door, beckoning Liane to enter first. A fragrant aroma traveled into her nose. She wandered to the cozy and wide living room, there was an entrance that led to a kitchen on the other side of the room beside a cabinet full of antiques. The boys walked inside shortly after, Trent heading towards and up the stairs. Ebony closed the door and locked it. Eric stood near the front. He raised his head, yearning to go over and sit on the beige-colored couch beside his mother. Spending time together felt like a luxury at their own home because her job drained all of her energy each and every day, but now, thanks to the crime his Inner Guardian committed, the distance between them had widen to a point where his mother's figure was practically gone from his sight.

"Why don't you go chat with Trent in his room? I'll keep your mother company."

Eric didn't realize he was crying until Ebony's soft voice snapped him out of his depressing thoughts. He wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve. "Don't ask her why she's traumatized, please."

Although Ebony wanted to know why, she compelled herself to comply with Eric's pleading demand. She had a hunch his Inner Guardian was the cause. "Okay." Feeling a bit reassured, Eric gave his mother one last look before going upstairs.

Ebony joined the child's mother in the living room, taking a seat next to her on the sofa. She looked over at the human, who seemed to be off in her own world once again.

"Liane Cartman."

Liane widened her dull eyes and gaped uneasily at Ebony. "H-how do you know my name? I never told you."

Ebony gave her a small smile. "I am a spirit known as an Inner Guardian."

Liane's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "A spirit?"

"Yes." Turning her body halfway towards Liane, Ebony raised a hand slightly and a bright yet pale blue orb manifested a meter above her palm. Liane was left in awe, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "The world is changing. It is not just your son, who was also granted an Inner Guardian."

Liane frowned at that. She looked away and down at her lap, her clasped hands clenching each other tightly. "Could...his Inner Guardian have been the reason he killed someone?"

Her question took Ebony by surprise, as well as confirmed her suspicions. The dazzling orb silently exploded into glitter, then vanished. Ebony pursed her lips. "I'm afraid that's an answer you're going to have to hear from Eric." Liane tensed up even more. Ebony put a hand over Liane's hands. "There is much you need to know, and I'm going to start by explaining what I meant about the world changing."

Liane felt she couldn't turn down being informed even if she wanted to. She had noticed during Eric's absence that South Park was more inactive than usual, and the storm that followed gave her an ominous feeling, conspicuously implying terrible things were happening around her. But as the days passed by, she began to not care about anything. She'd thought she had lost Eric, that she would never see him again. Just when the tiny bit of hope that lingered was about to disappear, Eric returned, but he was no longer the sweet boy Liane knew. And she now believed it's thanks to his Inner Guardian. Eric would've never resorted to murder to save her.

Ebony could tell right away Liane only wanted answers pertaining to Eric's Inner Guardian. She won't be able to tell her much about Zerphy, but she won't omit any facts regarding Dark spirits as a whole. However, that topic would have to come later, after she enlightened Liane about the Dark Master and the approaching darkness. Thus, she began her long and informative explanation.

Up in Trent's bedroom, Eric's stomach grumbled over the television's speakers, it was set to low volume. It's positioned on top of a dresser. Eric was sitting on the white carpeted floor while Trent stingily occupied the bottom bed of the bunk bed, saying Eric would break it if he sat on it too. They'd removed their shoes, and were placed beside them. Both were watching a cartoon. The bedroom was lit up by the ceiling fan's light, showing that the bare walls were a light grey color. There was a single window covered by a colorless curtain.

Trent laughed, making Eric blush in embarrassment. He remembered that he hadn't eaten anything these past few days, which was surprising that he's just now conscious of his hunger. Despite that, he didn't feel brave enough to go to the kitchen, knowing his mother and Ebony were conversing. Well, Ebony was most likely doing all of the talking. Either way, he could wait.

"I bet fighting the Being of Darkness made you super hungry, huh?" Trent teased.

Eric pouted, but suddenly felt the urge to boast about his battle against the monster. Even though he didn't deal the final blow, he at least dealt a lot of damage to it. He crossed his arms. "Of course. That thing was crazy tough. It took hours to beat it," he said, stretching the truth in the end.

"Did your friends fight it with you?"

Eric frowned. "Kind of. Stan was possessed by his Inner Guardian, but he kept messing around, and Kenny..." He turned his body to face Trent. "Did Ebony warn you about Kyle?"

Trent locked eyes with him, then shrug. "Yeah, but I didn't believe her. There's no way he would become a Bringer of Evil, whatever the heck that means. He's way too nice." He averted his eyes back to the t.v.

"A Bringer Of Evil," Zerphy repeated, as if she liked the way the words rolled off her tongue. "What A Fitting Label."

Eric agreed too for some reason. "Do you know what it means?"

"Wherever He Goes, Calamity Will Surely Follow."

Zerphy answered with absolute certainty. No wonder she had changed her mind and thought it was best to kill Kyle, he was another existence that would put the entire world in peril. "Ebony's right," Eric said. "The Being of Darkness was near Kyle's house, I don't know why but it couldn't have been for anything good."

Trent formed his lips into a line. "Oh..." He didn't know what to say. The Being of Darkness' abrupt attack was the reason he moved away from South Park, Ebony didn't want to risk him fighting it without any combat knowledge. It was strange that the Being of Darkness went to Kyle's house, perhaps it wanted to corrupt him and his family in person? Whatever its real purpose was, it definitely wasn't good, just as Eric had said.

Neither boy uttered another word. Thinking that the conversation was over, Eric turned back to watch the cartoon, but it cut straight to a commercial. Unfortunately for him, it's a fast food one. The juicy hamburger and the crispy french fries they showed almost made him salivate, instead his stomach growled again, though it was louder and it sounded longer than it did previously.

Trent laughed again. "Go get somethin' to eat already."

Eric shook his head, placing a hand on his belly. "I can't. It'll be too awkward." He didn't see Trent give him an 'Are you serious?' look.

"Just walk past them," the blonde-haired boy said, incredulous that he had to provide such an obvious solution.

Eric refused to leave due to nervousness. He wasn't prepared to hear what Ebony was telling his mother. Moments later, he got an idea. "Um, Zerphy? Could you bring me some food from out of the kitchen?"

"Transporting Food And Even Beverages Will Spoil Their Edibility."

"...Oh, okay." Although Eric didn't understand what the last word meant, he felt disappointed nonetheless. And here he thought he could summon any kind of food or drinks into his possession whenever he had the cravings for either. How lame.

The next couple of minutes were spent watching the rest of the cartoon until it ended, Eric's stomach kept begging to be fed all the while. An annoyed Trent had, had enough, so he'd asked Ebony through telepathy if she could bring up some snacks. The wait wasn't long, it's after Eric's stomach rumbled once more that there's a knock on the door. A relieved Trent got up to open it and the second he did, Eric inhaled a delicious smell. He saw Trent take two plates of ham and cheese sandwiches and potato chips from Ebony and thanked her. She nodded and said that she will come back with their juice as Trent brought a plate over to Eric, who was very eager to gobble up everything on it.

Trent grimaced in disgust at the drool slipping from his partly agape mouth. "Now your big gut can shut up," he said as he gave the hungry child his plate. He took it and began to eat like a starved wolf.

That small act of kindness sparked the start of an unimaginable camaraderie between the two boys.

...

...

...

"Oi, how long are you gonna sleep for?"

The deep voice of a male followed by a few nudges rouse Eric out of his extended sleep. He blinks his chocolate brown eyes open slowly, a bold turquoise glow entering his line of sight. He rubs his tired eyes, then sits up in bed.

"Until I feel well-rested?" He retorts a bit sluggishly, his own voice deeper than it really is since he just woke up. "That's the whole point of sleeping." He yawns.

"Yeah, well you've slept long enough. The day is almost over with, so hurry up and get ready. We gotta get a move on."

Eric sighs and scratches his bedhead, the length of his hair is still short. "The aggro monsters ain't goin' anywhere, so relax." He removes the patterned covers from off his lap and swings his legs over the edge of the bed, his feet covered in white socks. Physical training got rid of all the blubber in his body and was replaced by muscles, not much, but he was still proud to have developed some after so much hard work. Going on a diet, though, was the worst. He slept in his casual clothes, which are a grey V-neck long-sleeved top and black jeans.

"Tell that to Zerphy."

Eric stares at the teen standing across from him, who's using an Orb of Light to illuminate the room. The blonde's hair kept its wild style and has grown some. He is wearing a sleeveless dark red hoodie—exposing his well-toned arms, black tactical pants, and leather lace-up boots. On his wrists is a red and black wristband. "The both of you are addicted to fighting," Eric points out, though Zerphy has it worse. He looks down for his white sneakers, locating them by the bedstead, and slips them on each foot. He gets up and stretches noisily, his bones popping loudly. Trent walks away. As the bright light gradually shrinks, Eric searches for his red jacket, forgetting where he put it. He spots it in the middle of the room on the floor. "Are you fucking serious?" He mutters, nearing the outer garment. He knows for a fact he didn't take it off that carelessly. He bends down to pick it up and flings it to get any dirt that clung to it off, unable to tell if all of it came off since Trent is gone. He ties the sleeves around his waist, then exits the bedroom. He sees the light peeking from behind a corner at the end of the hallway as he approaches. Upon reaching the end, he sees Trent and both of their Inner Guardians standing by the front door. Neither woman's appearance nor attire has changed.

"Did you put my jacket on the floor?" Eric asks Trent as he stops next to the teen, who surpasses his height by several inches.

Trent appears offended by the accusation. "The hell would I do that for?"

Eric glares at him. "That's what I wanna know."

"Well it wasn't me."

"Yeah, right. Just admit it, man."

"I'm not gonna admit shit cuz I didn't do it."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't."

As the two teens argue like children, though Eric seems to be enjoying it now, Ebony shakes her head and opens the door before sauntering out.

Zerphy crosses her arms. "Are you two coming? Or would you both rather continue bickering?"

A grinning Eric and an irked Trent fall silent. Trent's arm that's producing the Orb of Light is faintly shaking, it's as if he's itching to throw the magical projectile at Eric's frivolous mug. His expression indicates that he provoked him deliberately. "Tch, you're so fucking childish." Trent closes his hand into a fist, cancelling the spell. The house is coated in profound darkness.

"Says the guy who threw my jacket on the dirty floor for no reason." And so the arguing recommences.

Zerphy walks out with a huff, then Eric and Trent leave right after. Far in the distance is a pale white light. The four stride in that direction away from the temporary house they stayed in, the quiet evening disrupted by the teens' voices going back and forth with each other. However, they won't be the only ones making a racket for long.