Chapter 43: An Acquaintance From The Distant Past

Bebe

A long beam shoots out of the big aura towards the very black clouds. Only Bebe and her friends, except Tweek, are awestruck as they watch it burrow into the dense gloom. Inch by inch, the beam of light starts spreading its pure luminescence from within.

Bebe lowers her head with a flinch when she hears a chorus of distant cries beneath them. Seems the monsters have begun to panic.

"Wow, can even hear them from up here," Kenny says.

"Be on your guard," Raven says. "We don't know how long Ingrum's barriers will hinder them for."

Bebe looks up at the sky again and frowns. She knew Henrietta wasn't exaggerating when she said it's going to take them more than a few hours to Purify the darkness here, but based on how the beam of light is progression thus far, it might just take them a few days to finish.

"Emerald, how long do you think this will take?" Bebe asks. Perhaps her Inner Guardian will know the exact duration.

"If They Keep This Up Ceaselessly, Which Would Be Very Unwise, Then They Will Succeed After Approximately Five Days."

Bebe nearly pales at that as she lowers her gaze, staring at Wendy's and Craig's backs through the bright aura. They're both only able to do this due to their Inner Guardians aid, though the extent contrasts the other. Bebe is mostly worried about Craig. As Yuna stated seconds ago, the constant flow of magic will potentially hurt his body. Yet, despite that, he wasn't concerned of such a risk at all. It was odd.

"So no matter how many people help, it won't change anything?" Bebe asks.

"Yes."

Even still, Bebe wants to learn Purification. Emerald told her it was within her capabilities, all she just has to do is practice her healing ability more. The downside is that it will take her some years to grasp even the fundamentals of the incantation, that is if she successfully overcomes the complicated training regimen Emerald once recommended to Wendy. Bebe is willing to give it a try and she won't stop until she learns Purification.

Time ticks by seemingly slowly. The monsters' panicked screeching hasn't calmed in the slightest. Bebe decides to strike up a conversation with her unoccupied friends, bored, but still on the alert in case the monsters manage to break free. Bebe realizes she never questioned Kenny about his hair, even though that was the first thing that came to mind the moment she saw him. She noticed this before, almost right after Stan and Kenny returned to the Marsh's house, that there are more white strands than blonde now, making it seem as if Kenny had unevenly dyed his hair. He answers that he woke up one day with a single white strand in his hair when he was a child, and he still has no idea how or why it suddenly appeared. Thanks to the aura, Bebe catches a glimpse of Yuna's face shifting into a slight frown. She reveals that Kenny has been marked, but has no knowledge on who could've done it, then reassuringly states that his life isn't in any sort of danger.

Kyle looks like he has something he wants to say on the topic, but soon opts not to comment. This makes Bebe curious, however she won't question him since he won't give a straightforward answer. He still hasn't told her and Wendy about how he, Stan, Kenny, and Mrs. Marsh overcame one of the worst ordeals they ever faced back at South Park. Instead, she and Wendy had to hear it from Clyde and Craig, who lent them a hand at the time.

"Hang on." Stan looks up. He widens his eyes. "The rain's slowing down."

That's when Bebe and the others notice this too, now cognizant of the decreased speed of the pattering sounds. The monsters below are making even more of a racket, but it seems they still haven't broken through Ingrum's magical defenses. It's impressive that he's managing both his barriers and doing Enhanced Purification simultaneously, just how much magical energy does he have? Bebe will definitely ask him later.

"They still have a long way to go though," Clyde says, frowning at the group ahead of them.

Bebe looks up at the clouds, only a small portion have turned grey. "A long way is a huge understatement..."

Today is going to be a very busy day.

/ /

Loud banging and monstrous clamor fill the silence inside of the tower. The monsters in the Research and Production Lab have broken out of their glass tanks, however they cannot break through the stone walls. Some, in a fit of aggravated rage, went on a rampage and blindly destroyed everything, first starting with the lights—concealing the mess they created in darkness.

Meanwhile, within the dungeon, is where the shrieking is the loudest. There are an unknown number of cells on the left and right sides of the long and wide corridor, each blocked by a sturdy pink shield. On the walls are torches lit with pale purple flames. The pure magical energy they exude already agitated the monsters, but the copious surge of that same magical energy from outside frightened them even more. They long since broke the metal bars and are currently trying to do the same to the barriers, though their combined sporadic strikes aren't powerful enough to even dent them.

With time, that will change. A crack or two will inevitably begin to appear in Ingrum's barriers.

Sharon

Standing in the heart of the woods, Sharon flings the purple blood off of the sliver blade of her Royal Sword, the abnormal fluid splattering to the defiled snow. She stares at the grisly carnage with a dull gaze, her eyes long since adjusted to the darkness. It's late into the evening and she has just cleared out the last spawn point she knew about. There have been two different kinds so far: a nest—which housed the crow monsters and other winged creatures that used to be birds, and cocoons—which procreated insect and animal hybrids or just insects.

Sharon isn't tired even though she's been fighting for hours, the only part of her body that's dirty are the work boots on her feet. However, she can't be out here any longer. Once nightfall settles in, the monsters will become too much for her to handle alone. "As much as I want this to be the last spawn point, it would be naive to think that there aren't more nests or cocoons that are spewing out monsters in other places." She clenches her sword's handle. "I'll search for the rest bright and early tomorrow."

Just when she's about to teleport home, she senses a sudden presence of Dark magical energy.

"Oh my, this is a pleasant encounter." The voice belonged to a man.

Narrowing her eyes, Sharon turns her head to look right while pointing her sword at the person. "Who are you?" She can barely see the outline of the male's glasses.

"An old acquaintance."

Sharon hardens her glare at the vague response. "An old acquaintance?"

The man takes a step closer to her. "Yes, both from the past and present time."

Confused, Sharon keeps her arm firm in the air. "What do you mean? Identify yourself clearly."

"How about I prove myself first?"

Sharon sees a green aura manifest around one of the man's hands, and he raises that hand towards the sky. Then, the entire woods is enclosed within a box-shaped barrier.

Sharon lowers her head with a frown. "Why did you-"

"To not let your efforts go to waste. We'd best hurry to do the same to the other spawn points before nighttime, otherwise it'll be difficult to seal them."

Sharon observes the man's features for a moment, his short hair (which appears to be a brown color) and middle-aged face do look a little familiar. His attire consists of a white dress shirt, brown khaki pants, and dress shoes. So he used to work in the office. Since they are short on time, Sharon will trust him for now. "Very well." Summoning away her sword, she teleports them to the previous spawn points she destroyed, and the man seals them all swiftly. Afterwards, Sharon transports them in front of her home that's protected within her barrier. She crosses her arms. "You may have proven to not be an enemy, however you still need to explain yourself if you want to gain my full trust."

"I understand. We did only meet once at our children's elementary school." Sharon widens her eyes at that. The man's lips curl into a small smile. "I am Bebe's father."

Sharon nearly gasps. "Ben Stevens?"

Ben nods. "I'm pleased you still remembered me."

Sharon frowns. "I'm afraid you missed reuniting with your daughter."

Ben's smile changes, falters even. "It's...fine. I don't really deserve to see her again...not after what I've done."

Whatever it was, Sharon won't ask. It's not her business anyway, plus there are more important things they will need to discuss. "Let's go in." She turns around and ambles into her barrier, Ben following right behind her. They enter the house and head towards the living room. "Would you like a cup of tea?" Sharon asks.

"Oh, most certainly," Ben says with a hint of eagerness in his voice. He sits down on the sofa.

Sharon walks to the kitchen, and it doesn't take her long to brew a fresh kettle of tea. She pours the steamy hot liquid into two mugs, her own and a different one that hasn't ever been drank from. She walks out holding them each by the arched handle to the living room. She sets the mugs down on the small wooden coffee table in front of herself and Ben before sitting down in the armchair closest to him.

"Thank you," Ben says.

"You're welcome." Sharon clasps her hands together over her lap. "So, what have you been doing these past twelve years?"

Shock appears on Ben's face. "Twelve years? That much time has passed?"

"Yes. I assume you've been really busy throughout the years?" Sharon asks.

With a frown, Ben pushes his glasses back up over the bridge of his nose with a finger. "I have. I just...never realized that more than a decade has gone by. But I guess the grievous changes throughout the world was an obvious enough sign that time is still moving forward." He heaves a soft sigh, then reaches for his mug. He holds it over his lap with both hands. "I've been traveling from State to State and country to country for information regarding the Dark Master and the darkness. However...I'm afraid I cannot impart my findings to you." Ben looks at Sharon, his frown appearing serious. "For you do not have Lady Selene's memories."

His last statement takes Sharon aback. "I didn't know that was even possible."

"The guiding spirit that helped you awaken your magic should've forewarned you about the chances of you gaining your ancestor's memories during the process. Unless, you achieved such a feat on your own."

Sharon recalls awakening her magical powers the week she failed to discern Sheila had been corrupted. "I did. Sadly, I didn't awaken my magic quick enough to stop the Being of Darkness from spreading its corruption."

Ben lets out an amused huff. "That was unavoidable, but you are definitely Lady Selene's descendant." He frowns again. "It's a shame you don't have her memories."

Sharon frowns at the disappointment she heard in his voice. "Why is acquiring her memories a must?"

"Because then you'll know why the Dark Master took her life."

Which is what started his reign, that much Sharon knows. She remembers the first Being of Darkness calling Selene a backstabber. She didn't believe it then and she still doesn't. In fact, she will never believe it to be true. Even without Selene's memories, Sharon knows she wouldn't have ever done anything to put herself and her people in danger. But now Sharon sees why it is crucial for her to have them. Knowing the reason Selene and her people were killed will not only prove if she's really a traitor or not, but Sharon will also learn more things about her and the Dark Master.

"How do I gain Selene's memories?" Sharon asks.

Ben takes a sip of his hot tea before speaking. "Have you ever been to the Realm of Darkness?"

"No, but the thought did cross my mind once before," Sharon admits, though that was many years ago.

"What dissuaded your decision?" Ben inquires.

"My duty to protect both my sons and my home."

Ben blinks at her. "Your sons? If I'm not mistaken, you have a daughter as well, don't you?"

Sharon keeps a straight face. "Yes, I only gave birth to two children. The other sons are Stan's friends and the little brother of one of them."

Ben blinks again, this time in understanding. "Oh, I see." He looks down at his tea, gazing at his reflection. "Seems we're the same in that regard."

"So you've been helping people whilst acquiring information?" Sharon asks.

"Yes. At one point, I even had a little group of my own accompanying me. But the journey soon became too dangerous for them since they were just ordinary humans, so I distanced myself from them and instead began pointing any survivors gone astray to safe places to take refuge."

Sharon widens her eyes. Ben is the man Kenny mentioned this morning. Perhaps Randy and Shelly were also fortunate enough to have run into Ben. "Did you come across Randy and Shelly, by chance?" Ben shakes his head. Sharon's disappointment is minimal since she didn't get her hopes up too much. The earth is incredibly vast, they could be on the other side of the world for all she knows. She has faith that Stan will find them one day. Or, they will return home themselves one day.

"Oh right. Earlier, you referred to yourself as an old acquaintance of the past and present. I now understand that you meant someone Selene knew and yourself," Sharon says.

Ben nods. "That's correct."

"Whose memories do you have?" Sharon asks.

"Even if I tell you, you won't know them since you do not have Lady Selene's memories yet. I'll tell you everything when you do."

Heaving a sigh, Sharon grabs her mug. It's not too hot to the touch. "I guess that was rather foolish of me to ask."

Ben lets out a chuckle while shaking his head. "You needn't feel any shame for naturally being inquisitive. Lady Selene's memories will appease your curiosity, as well as enlighten you on other aspects. The only way to obtain them is by going to the Realm of Darkness and seeking an audience with one of the Superiors. You may or may not have to state your reasons for being there. Perhaps after a mere glance, your appearance alone will convey the message for you."

The thought of being in the presence of a spirit of high status makes Sharon nervous. She grips her mug tightly. "Okay. I...will probably go one day this week."

"I'll accompany you, if you'll allow me."

Ben's company will give Sharon much reassurance. "Of course. Have you been there before?"

"Yes. It is a very beautiful and reposeful realm." Ben spoke with a fond longing to return to the Dark realm once more. A brief silence follows. "There is one piece of information I can tell you." He frowns. "Parasites have been infecting a certain number of humans, turning them into Beings of Darkness' or...a different breed of monster while retaining their human appearance. I not too long ago discovered a little boy afflicted by a parasite, causing him to have cravings for and consume monster flesh." Sharon expresses sadness, anger, and horror after hearing that a child is tormented to behave aberrantly. "The origin of these parasites are still unknown. At first, I believed they came about from the darkness, but after seeing that boy...I am no longer certain..."

"...I am already aware of the parasites' existence since I was told this morning that the Being of Darkness we defeated last week was the father of one of Stan's friends."

Ben's eyes appear sympathetic. "How devastating."

Sharon recalls Kenny's indifference towards the matter during breakfast. She doesn't think his emotions were still dulled by 'Forced Power Link' at the time, rather he genuinely did not care that he killed his father. Sharon shakes her head. "Yes, it was an unexpected loss. This may not be a direct assault, but I suppose this is the result of the darkness' immobilization."

Ben widens his eyes at her. "What? Something has stopped the darkness?"

Sharon nods her head. "Indefinitely, thanks to the moon. Stan's Inner Guardian assigned a spirit from the Dark Realm the task of keeping track of the darkness' movements, and recently found out that the moon is a formidable force it cannot bypass."

Ben is left speechless for a few moments, looking as though he's processing Sharon's explanation into his brain. "Then this could be disadvantageous for us, rather than favorable."

And that's because the Dark Master will eventually notice its sudden pause if he hasn't already, and will take action himself. "You are right, but that's not all," Sharon says. "We're also being aided by a spirit, although they are anonymous. They're probably the ones who made it so the darkness cannot advance any further."

"Hmm." Ben ponders the possibility. "I think we should ask one of the Superiors about this when we depart for the Dark Realm. Perhaps they will know who the spirit is." Sharon nods in agreement.

As the silence settles comfortably over the two adults, Sharon contemplates if she should let Ben examine Ike. For some reason, she thinks he might have an inkling as to what's really wrong with him. She hasn't forgotten that Kenny also said his mother, older brother, and little sister were freed from corruption. However, their savior harnesses Dark magic, not Light. Sharon faintly purses her lips. "Hmm...perhaps there is a Dark spell similar to Purification he casted on them." If her assumption turns out to be correct, she will cultivate the spell as a new addition to the Dark Arts and relay this newfound knowledge to Stan and the others.

After taking a couple of slow sips of her tea, Sharon asks, "Would you mind taking a look at something?"

"Does it pertain to the irregular energy upstairs?" Ben asks, frowning concernedly.

"Yes. I've been told that his life isn't in any danger, however I want to know what really caused him to be in a coma for this long," Sharon says.

"You have that much trust in my assessment?" Ben asks, a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

"Well, I also wish to see how you cured people from corruption, despite having Dark magic."

After a heavy beat of silence, Ben's face develops into a stony frown. He gently sets his mug down on the table. "Who gave you that information?"

Although Kenny didn't reveal who he got the details from, Sharon has a hunch that his father told him. "The Being of Darkness that was once Kenny's father."

Ben furrows his eyebrows, appearing as if he's recalling something. He sighs, the sharpness of his frown lessening. He raises a hand, palm facing upwards. Sharon notices as soon as the green aura manifests around his hand that it's paler in color, but the energy she senses from him now surprises her the most. "There isn't a Dark spell akin to Purification. Darkness cannot negate darkness, the same principle applies to Light. I am capable of utilizing Dark and Light magic each to their fullest potential, as if they are not hindered by each other, and I can switch between the two elements or have them both shown within my Inner Aura. It can be quite the deceptive tactic."

Now Sharon is left at a loss for words. Feeling her grip on her mug loosening, she quickly composes herself and places her mug down on the table. "H...How...?"

Ben gives her a small smile. "Because of my ancestor's memories, of course." His aura disappears, then he drops his hand on top of his thigh. "I wouldn't have thought of any of this myself."

Sharon wonders what new abilities she will learn from Selene's memories. She knows for sure that she will acquire additional knowledge on Dark Arts spells. "I...see. That's very impressive."

"Indeed it is. You will undoubtedly become stronger in combat as well once you attain Lady Selene's memories, since she enjoyed training." Ben pauses for a moment. "I don't mind taking a look at the comatose person. I've been greatly curious as to why he's been exuding abnormal energy waves the second I entered your house."

Sharon and Ben stand up from their seats, and Sharon leads him upstairs. She pushes the door to her daughter's bedroom open and turns on the ceiling light. They walk in, ambling towards the bed Ike has been sleeping in ever since he was brought to this house as a baby. Sharon really hopes today will be the day he finally wakes up, though she hates that he will see the side of their once grey-colored world shrouded in wicked darkness. He would immediately think he's in a nightmare, and worse enough, his older brother won't be by his side upon waking.

Sharon and Ben stop by the bed, quietly looking down at the boy.

"He's...still just a child..."

Sharon doesn't need to see Ben's face to know he's feeling anger and sadness at the sight of another child being a victim of cruel evil, the tone of his voice was enough indication. "Ike has been in a coma ever since he was a baby. Do you remember Sheila and Gerald?"

"Yes," Ben answers softly.

"They're his adoptive parents. Sheila was the first person in our town to get corrupted, but she only spread the infectious magic onto her husband, not their sons."

"Were Sheila's eyes red?" Ben asks.

"No." Sharon has never seen a corrupted person with red eyes before. "What does having red eyes entail?"

"Aggressiveness," Ben replies. "Those kinds of corrupted people will go so far as to kill you if you defy them, or rather their Master. However, their eyes do not turn red right away. It either takes a few minutes, a single day or two for the color to surface."

Sharon looks at him, puzzled by his calculated analysis. "Did you-"

"Yes," Ben looks her in the eyes with a calm yet flinty gaze. "I have monitored a few corrupted individuals before they were summoned away. All of which behaved with hostility when they realized I was their enemy." Sharon's frown deepens, her confusion gone completely. "What? Do you find what I did inhumane?"

Sharon shakes her head, then looks back at Ike. They only met once, after all. Said their greetings, talked for a bit, then went about their way. "No, I have no reason to judge you since your intentions were to merely obtain information. I just never knew a Being of Darkness' corruptive magic could have another effect on humans."

"There are various forms of threats almost every day ever since the darkness reached earth. That's why there will never be an end to them unless we take care of the root causes."

"And we will," Sharon says confidently. They still have time to increase their forces and train to strengthen their abilities. Acting rashly just because they have a slim advantage will only lead to a quicker demise.

"I know. I'm going to examine Ike now," Ben says.

Sharon gives him some space, standing in a spot where she can see what Ben is about to do. She watches him hover both of his palms over Ike's torso, and they emit pale green auras. Not even a minute later, Ben lets out a grunt. The auras fade away as he takes a step back while putting a hand up to his head.

Sharon hurries to his side. "What happened?! Are you okay?"

"Ugh, I'm fine. A bit startled that a demonic voice shook me out of my perusal."

"A demonic voice?" Sharon repeats, her concern doubling.

"They told me not to interfere." Ben lowers his hand from his head to fix his crooked glasses. "But I managed to-" He and Sharon notice something flicker on Ike's forehead. In that fleeting moment, there was a symbol of a quill. "Well that confirms it even more."

"How so?" Sharon asks, mostly confused now. Ike remains undisturbed.

"Ike has been marked."

Sharon snaps her attention back at Ben. "What?"

"In some cases, it's not a bad thing and the marker is always anonymous unless they reveal themselves. But that's about all I know. Though...given the voice I just heard, I can say with absolute certainty that the entity that marked this boy is not an ally."

Sharon is dismayed by the news, but there is one thing she has to get to a definite answer to. "But...do you know if this will endanger his life in any way?"

Seconds tick by without a response. Sharon stares worriedly at Ben's face, who looks uncertain. He speaks after forty seconds have passed. "I'm not sure since I do not know much about the ability. The energy within his body doesn't belong to whomever marked him alone, that much I was able to ascertain. Do you know when the energy developed and expanded like this?"

Sharon fails to remember the day the strange energy changed. "I don't. I'm going to have to ask Kyle about it, which I'll do tomorrow." The remaining spawn points will have to come later.

Ben nods. "Okay." He turns to face Sharon, giving her a faint small smile. "For now, I'll take my leave. Thank you for the tea."

Sharon faces him as well while forcing her lips to return the smile, dread weighing heavily on her mind. "You're welcome. Will you come by again tomorrow?"

"Yes," Ben replies with a serious expression. "There will be much to discuss, and I would like to save Ike as well." Sharon is thankful for his continued assistance, perhaps driven by his fatherly duty since it concerns another parents' child. "Oh, um, where has Bebe been staying when she was here?" Ben asks sheepishly.

"At Wendy's home," Sharon says.

Ben seems pleased to know that his daughter and Wendy are still friends. "I see. Well, it looks like I'm going to have to rebuild my house then."

"Do you remember where it is? You've been gone for a long time."

"I have a vague memory of what it looks like, at least. Hopefully it's not damaged too badly or buried in a heap of snow."

"Be careful out there," Sharon says, the trace of her smile gone.

"I will and try not to worry too much. One way or another, we will get through this dilemma."

Sharon nods, then Ben leaves the room. Once she hears the front door open, then close, Sharon breathes deeply through her nose, trying to calm down. Ben is right, she mustn't agonize over this. She promised Kyle that she would protect Ike with her life and she will not let him down. She turns her body towards Ike again and caresses his head. It looks like she's going to have to trim the ends of his hair soon. She walks out, turning the light off before closing the door.

/ /

Outside, Ben thinks back to when he spotted Randy and Shelly as he walks down the street. Shelly was still young, so it was more than a few years ago. It was in the middle of a desolate city and the evening hue had a mystifying appeal to it. He saw them cornered by a large bat monster, its fangs and wings were nearly as big as its body. Before he could come to their rescue, there was a red line that appeared from the monster's head down to its torso, then it was cleaved in half, purple blood gushing out of the laceration. Ben was stunned, he didn't see who performed such a swift and flawless maneuver. He saw Randy grab Shelly's hand and they ran away.

"That was so freakin' cool!" Was what Ben heard Shelly exclaim in excitement.

"Forgive me, Sharon, but your husband and daughter are on a journey that will shape them into redoubtable warriors." Ben stuffs his hands into his pants pockets. "You and your son will see them again one day."

He proceeds down the road in leisure strides, aware of a flock of crow monsters watching him from afar.