Part 3 Choices and Discoveries
"About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will like you for what you can do for them, and some won't like you at all."-Rita Mae Brown
"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."-Aristotle
He felt surrounded by them. Clouds. They were so damn puffy, and white, and..*cheerful*. And that's what he hated. He had been so close. So *close*. Now where was he? After he ressurected-a good week or so later-where would he wind up? With his wonderful luck, back in South Park. And most likely never able to get as far along as he did again, especially without Elisabeth. Kenny McCormick sighed, and stepped up to the Pearly Gates. "Name-oh, hi Kenny," said St. Peter, rather casually. "What was it this time?" "Gun," he muttered, a bit irritated. "Look, Pete, I'm not in the mood right now." "You know you're not supposed to call me that.." the Saint said, laughing. "Respect and all. What's going on?" Kenny grunted, hurriedly explaining the story. "Well..I had this dream that my friends took off my hood, and then I woke up and I was really curious about who I was so I asked my mom and she said I was found on their doorstep...*breath*...and then I ran away because my friends didn't understand and I fell asleep and had this weird dream, and this voice gave me a piece of parchment...*breath*...and it gave me instructions on how to go into this portal, which took me to this other world, and then Ms. Cartman was there and she tried to seduce me and then knock me out with sedative..*breath*..and then I met a girl named Elisabeth, only it's really weird because she knows everything about me, and how to complete my quest, and then Chef tried to hypnotize me with an island full of pretty woman...*breath*...and then Elisabeth and I were just at a clearing and she was going to tell me how she knew everything when someone shot me from behind, and now I don't know if I can get that far again!" "My..." St. Peter looked amazed. "That is strange...and I would be just as depressed. Well..it seems the only thing to do when you ressurect is go back and try again." Kenny shook his head. "There's nothing to go on. I'd be retracing my steps, and become just as clueless as before. I.." he sighed. "I give up." The kindly Saint suddenly changed into a rather firm and imposing authority figure. "You have never once said that, Kenny McCormick, and you never will again. Don't be a fool and give up your only chance. If you were a quitter, you would have given up long ago. Your immortality and frequent deaths would have discouraged you to the point where you would have not wanted to live, for you knew that your only fate would be to die. But you don't quit, and you go on, and you always endure. What would make this any different?" "Who's going to care if I give up anyway? Before, it was between life and death. Who will it matter to now? Who'll care?" St. Peter raised an eyebrow. "I thought it was obvious. You will." "I-well...I-" "That's what I thought. Hurry along, you're holding up the line," the Saint grinned, and suddenly Kenny felt a rush of air, and the beating of an angel's wings. His being suddenly flooded with words, and he felt as though it was a blessing. "Godspeed, Kenny. Find happiness, and find where you belong. Perhaps it isn't as far as you think."
****
"Bitch!" Mr. McCormick swore. He looked in the window, an unofficial mirror,
at his eye. Once again, it was bruised, soon to become swollen and black. He
had been a bit too drunk to fight this time. "*Bitch*!" he cried again. Mrs.
McCormick stared at her fist. She had done that. Though she had given him
many more eyes like that one before, she seemed to value this one like it was
the first.
"It serves you right, you son of a f*ckin cow-"
"That's 20 times better than the f*cker that concieved *you*! Having a
sh*tass of a son like that, running off and not saying where the f*ck he was
going, and most of all, not getting my SCOTCH!" Mr. McCormick shouted.
"Don't you *dare* insult our son! That's how you got that eye, you want me
to give you another one?!" screamed Mrs. McCormick, tears in her eyes. "And
forget about that sh*t, think about something other than you and alcohol for
once!"
"Peggy, either one of the boys goes out and gets me my alcoholic content,
or God help me I will *kill* you!"
"Send Kevin," said Mrs. McCormick. "And leave me alone. I want to think
for a while."
Mr. McCormick gave another look at his eye, and then slowly left the woman
to her silence. When he was out of her line of sight she began to sob.
"It's true, isn't it? Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And I never
loved you so much, and never realized how special you were, until you left,"
she whispered, speaking as though Kenny was somehow there next to her. She
looked out a shattered window at the stars. "God," she said, "if you can hear
me, if you're there, please, bring Kenny home-" She paused. "No, don't bring
him home. Bring him wherever he is happy. Just give him the happiness he
deserves. And God, if you can, make that happiness be here. Amen." Here, she
thought, looking at the surrounding houses and buildings of the little mountain
town. She couldn't imagine him anywhere else. "Kenny, please, come home."
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Kenny: Warning: 10 on the Mush-O-Meter!
Me: Oh no, the *real* mush comes later. Sort of making up for the action of
Part 2.
Kenny: Who needs to make up for it?!
Me: I do.
Kenny: *Don't*. *PLEASE*.
Me: I hate to break it to you but...too late.
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Trey was still far from normal. Even killing Kenny McCormick so he would
return to South Park hadn't satisfied him. Perhaps he sensed the failure
before Matt sensed Kenny's presence on Earth again.
"Kenny's ressurected," Matt reported.
"So soon?"
"Yes.." Matt braced himself for screaming. "And not in South Park."
"What? Impossible! The other boys are back in South Park, he has to
ressurect nearby the boys!" Trey slammed his fist down on the table, for rather
dramatic effect.
"Well, I can only gather that the other boys..are not where we thought they
were."
"Excuse me, I hope I heard that wrong."
Matt sighed again. "You didn't. They must have gone to look for Kenny. I
can't think of anywhere else they would go."
"Wonderful!" Trey shouted. "And how do you propose to take care of this
little problem?"
"We have two choices. We get on without them..which won't work..or-" he
sighed.
"Or what?"
"Or we go after them ourselves."
Trey paused. "Yes! Yes, ourselves. Oh, I'll rip that little excuse for a
running gag apart, so help me-"
"Calm down, Trey."
He nodded. "So, where do you think they are?"
"Well..you know how we sense them in signals?" Matt sighed again. This
wasn't easy. "The signals are too strong. I don't think they're near South
Park. I don't think they're in the Fictional World altogether."
"What?!" Trey was fuming now, nearly screaming.
"And if they're not in the Fictional World, they must be in the World of
Reality."
"Our world?"
"Yes.."
"Then we follow his signal immediatly."
"It seems only a few hours away.." Matt paused as he realized something was
different about Trey, besides insanity. "Did you dye your hair again?"
"Yeah, do you like it?" Trey grinned as he fingered the blonde strands, now
streaked with purple. He knew that Matt hated it.
***Hope was filling him again, more than ever. He welcomed the clouds now, though there were few in the sky. In fact, the expanse of blue was endless. Kenny had somehow returned to the forest, and nothing to him could have been more wonderful at that moment..short of completing his quest, that is. "Help!" His eyes widened, and if you could have seen the rest of his facial expressions, they would have most likely shown surprise. Why did that voice sound so much like..no..
"Let us go, damnit!" "Silence...Kyle, do they call you? Whatever those who spawned you chose to name you, you had best hold your tounge before you are met with a fate none to pleasant-" "Be quiet, bitch! Leave us alone! We need to find him, damnit, we need to save him-" "I like you, boy. Which one are you?" Cloaked entirely in black, whoever or whatever held the three boys captive was surprisingly quiet, if not thoughtful, as it eyed the boy. His eyes narrowed. "My name is Stan." "You have such fire..such spirit...you remind me so much of him..I sensed that fire in him." Their unknown captor's voice was soft, almost wistful. Stan was still on guard. "Who? Who was he?" "It doesn't matter. I barely knew him..if he had lived, he would have been about your age." "Really?" Kyle was slightly interested now. "Yes..how I miss him..I can only pray he survived.." All was silent for a moment. Cartman let loose with an ear-splitting 'HAAAALP!' Then there was silence again.
The first voice sounded like Kyle. The second could have been Stan. The third was a distinct scream from Cartman. "What are they doing here?" Kenny muttered softly. <<Kenny..>> He looked around and realized that the voice was coming from within him. <<It's Elisabeth. Listen to me, Kenny. I want you to find the place where you were shot, about 3 minutes south from where you are. I'll meet you there. We need to reach a portal in a certain amount of time, before it closes, or else the quest is lost. Stop for nothing, and go straight there.>> "What? Why-" Kenny sputtered. <<There's no time. Go, now. Farewell.>> And like a reminder of the conflict that this change of events created, Cartman screamed again. He couldn't save his friends without abandoning his quest, and if he continued on, they would be in danger. Either way, he would make a sacrifice. Either way, he would win and he would lose. Kenny sighed, and moved towards the voices. "I'm coming, guys. Just hang on." -------------------------------------------------- Kenny: (sputtering) You stupid bastard! Go find your mom, damnit! Go! Me: (smiling) I see the real Kenny lacks nobility as well. Kenny: Victory is better than honor. Me: Where did you hear that? Kenny: I read it on a Magic card once. Me: (sighs) Look, Cartman saved Kenny from the falling building in Mecha-Streisand. All three of them have, at one time or another, cared about him, though they deny it. In Pink Eye, they cried at his grave, and I doubt he would make theirs. Kenny: It's still stupid. Me: I call it courageous, and here's a Magic card quote for you: 'The heart's courage is the soul's guardian.' Now sit back and listen. (mysteriously) The most direct road is not always the one to take. Kenny: What's that supposed to mean? Me: You'll see. ----------------------------------------------------- "Let them go." "Dude, Kenny?" All three heads turned simultaneously to look for the orange-clad figure, but all they saw was a rather long, ominous-looking shadow of the boy. "Who's there? There are more intruding here?" the mysterious captor looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice and shadow. "My name is Kenny McCormick. I come here searching for that which is my past. I have abandoned this to rescue those who you hold captive-those who I call my friends. Release them, or prepare to fight for them. I am small, but unlike you-" he laughed. "I come back." "Dude!" Stan's eyes were wide. "Where did you come up with that?" "I made it up. You like it?" "Step into the light, and let me see you. I won't be challenged by a shadow," said their captor. Surprisingly, Kenny agreed, and kept a proud stance even with his small figure. "Now.." it softly chuckled at the proud boy. "What's this about coming back?" "It happens. I know Death rather well. We're quite close. And yet, I always escape him. Every time I experiance physical death, I return in only a matter of weeks, right next to my friends. I don't think now would be any different, therefor I would keep fighting, while *you*-" "Would know no danger as well." "Excuse me?" "I cannot even be killed, not to mention come back," it said, smirking. "You're bluffing." "Am I?" A pause. "You said you were looking for your past?" "This is no time for-" "Just explain-Kenny-please." Once again, Kenny told the entire story, while the figure listened intently. When he had finished with the tale, it swiftly and suddenly removed it's hood. Female. She was female. Her hair was long, wavy, a few shades lighter then Elisabeth's. The eyes, brown as well, and with the same irises Elisabeth had, held the expression of a sadness that had found joy. Kenny felt a strong connection, and a strange one. Suddenly, he knew what it was. And he knew who *she* was. "My name, Kenny, is Sarah. You, perhaps, know me by a different name." "Mom..."
"You know, why did we do it anyway?" Stan dangled from a tree branch, swinging his legs casually. "Did what, dude?" Cartman picked a few berries from a stray bush and popped one into his mouth. "Go after him? I mean, Kenny's immortal, he would have made it. And he's a hippie bastard anyway." Stan ignored the last comment and dropped down from the branch. "Yeah, but what if we never saw him again? I mean, you'd miss him, wouldn't you?" "Me? Never! I'd never miss that son of a bitch, I don't even like him!" said Cartman, munching more berries. "Those are probably poisonous, Cartman," Kyle pointed out. "Augh, damnit!" Cartman shouted, spitting what was left of the fruit out on the floor. "Crap, now I'm hungry again." "You just ate 20 minutes ago, when Sarah fed us after Kenny saved us," Stan pointed out. "Hey, 20 minutes before fatass is hungry again, I think it's a new record!" Kyle said, grinning. "Yeah. A few more minutes without a snack and he'll get in Guiness!" "Would you guys skip the fatass jokes for *once*? I mean, pretend I'm not fa-er, big-boned for a few hours. Don't crack jokes. Maybe even call me buff. How's *that* for a record?" Cartman challenged. Stan turned to Kyle, shrugging. "He has us there, dude." "Ok, but take back what you said about Kenny. I mean, you may not care, but we do. And we won't call you fat until we get back to South Park." The boys shook on it. "Now what? Now that Kenny knows who his mom is, now that he's reached his goals..now what?" "We wait until he catches up and go home, I guess," Cartman said, shrugging.
"Yeah, but how long will that be?" "Hmm.." Stan thought for a moment. "I don't know." "At the rate he's going, it'll be forever." "What if he never comes back to South Park, guys? What would the point have been?" Kyle asked. "We'd have a chance to say goodbye..but you know, I'll miss him if he stays. Something about him, it makes this tension in the air. You're always wondering when he's going to bite the bullet. And he has this mysterious aura about him, you don't know anything about him, and you want to," Stan pointed out. "But you know that when you do, you'll regret it," Cartman added. "At least we know we're coming out of this alright.." Kyle paused for a second, recalling something. "Remember when Kenny was telling us how we got here? Who do you think that Elisabeth chick is? And why were our friends and family attacking Kenny, why were they acting so weird? And who shot Kenny?" "I don't think Kenny's going to leave until he finds out. He's.." Stan smirked at the thought. "Persistant." "Yeah. That's a good word for it." said Cartman. "When he gets the answers to everything, I hope he comes back with us..in whatever way we *do* get home." "Hey Kyle? Are these berries really poisonous?" "Of course not, fa-er, Cartman. I was just kidding you." "Good." Cartman popped a few more of the berries into his mouth and began munching. He didn't say it out loud, but he somehow sensed there was more respect in Kyle's tone as he called him 'Cartman' then there had been in a long time.
"Your father was mortal. That's how you can be physically dead and yet come back, by the way. You're a half-immortal. Anyway..he had the worst luck I've ever seen." Sarah glanced at Kenny and smirked. "It seems like it's been passed on." "Ha ha. Details, I want details. What did he look like?" "Tall, light build..dirty blonde hair, brown eyes. I'm not good at description. But I can visualize his face perfectly. He was the only man I ever loved, I ever had a chance to love before people grew so suspicious of me that I had to withdraw from society. I planned to tell him I was immortal, but before I could..his bad luck caught up to him. I feel such pain, knowing that I'll never be able to see him again, not even in my dreams, or in death. Being immortal, I can't die, and dreams.." she paused, as if recalling something, and sighed again. "Immortals never dream. They only see visions." "Wow..wait. Visions? Like what?" "I was getting to that..it was how I was told to leave you in South Park, in that horrible house, if I had known I would never have done it." "I have friends in South Park," Kenny reassured her. "I always managed, I was happy, there was nothing to regret. It lead up to an interesting life." "So you tell me, Kenny." Sarah lingered on the name for a moment or two. "Kenny. It suits you." "'Handsome' suits me?" Kenny said, chuckling as he gestured to his parka. "Is that what they told you it means?" "There's another meaning?" "Something much more pleasant. 'Born of fire'. And yes, that suits you. You're an undying flame, an endless flame, that may flicker, but never goes out, like those trick candles on a birthday cake. Come too close, and you get burned. That's you." "Yeah..I guess it is," Kenny muttered. "Tell me..tell me about the vision. Maybe you can figure out what it means.." "It's strange, so strange, but I remember it like..like it was yesterday."
White. Everywhere was white. The room was blank, it was not even a room, it was a vast nothingness. Suddenly, they were there. They were just men, looking to be in their late 20s or so, if not younger. One was blonde, his hair ruffled, and his eyes a piercing green that made him rather attractive. The other seemed more the 'geek', an afro of dark brown hair and matching eyes hidden behind glasses. They radiated something, something that she couldn't place. Power, she knew, surging from them..the sort of power that could make and take life, that was what she sensed. She felt somehow smaller in their eyes. "Who are you?" she asked, and she knew her voice shook. "We're-uh..umm.." the blonde seemed at a loss for words. "We're-" "Gods!" interjected the other. "Ah, yes, Gods! Yes, that is what we are-good one, Matt-and we have come to give you a message." Sarah raised an eyebrow, feeling her awe subside. "Are you?" "Yes..we are the Gods of-oh, damn-" "Fate!" "Yes, Fate! We control all fate and circumstance, and we have chosen your son to-" "Fill a great place in the wheel of time!" "Right..where do you come up with this?" the blonde whispered to Matt. "Well, Trey, remember all those fantasy novels you kept teasing me about? I think they finally paid off." Seeds of doubt became planted in her mind, but Sarah knew this: they still radiated power. And immortals never had dreams, not to mention visions. "What do you want with my child?" "Listen carefully, Sarah, and listen good-" "How do you know my name?" "We're gods, damnit, we know everything!" said Matt, seeming flustered. "Listen. Take Ke-your son, and dress him in an orange parka, one of those drawstring ones. And enchant it. Make it unable to be removed, by anyone." "Right.." Trey said. "And then, take him and bring him where we tell you to. Leave him there, and he will be taken in by a new family, one who-um.." "Can properly train him for the task he must perform. And trust us," Matt warned, "or face our wrath...you *and* your son."
Up and down each street, trying to find the address..this was wrong, it was all wrong, but Sarah knew whatever life she could give him was better then living simply with her, in the hermit-like lifestyle her immortality caused. She mentally repeated the instructions to herself again. The next few houses..no, not this one..yes, this was it. She glanced at the crumbling shack, in even worse condition then her own makeshift cabin, garbage thrown across the front lawn. She checked the address again. Once, twice, thrice. This was it..but no, he couldn't be left here, this couldn't be it, not her child, not in this horrible place- "Here," Trey commanded. "Leave him here."
"You left my fate in the hands of two pothead 20-somethings?! Who were they?" "I don't know! I just don't know!" Sarah shouted, a few tears welling up in her eyes. "If I could go back, I would have never believed it, I would have kept you safe, and close to me, and-" "I'm...I'm sorry..." Kenny muttered, taking her hand comfortingly. "You did what you thought was best for me..it probably was. I have friends, I have a family that loves me, though they don't show it all the time..actually, I couldn't picture myself ever living here." "I'm so glad, I'm glad you've found your place here." They had been so engrossed in the conversation, mother and son hadn't noticed the stars appearing in the midnight sky. "The stars are beautiful, aren't they? So..endless...forever perfect in their beauty...always changing, but so sublty that few people take time to notice.." Kenny was rambling, but he was unaware of whatever meaning it held. "One thing I've never let immortality do for me is make me miss the small moments. The beauty of a flower, the shade of a tree, the light of the moon, the feeling of love..and so many things you've yet to experiance. You're growing up so fast, faster then any normal child, and I haven't been there to see it." "I'm here now, Mom..and I'm going to be here for a while..at least until we catch up, I get everything figured out, I find Elisabeth again..I need to find Elisabeth again, I need her to tell me what that 'opposing force' is." "I can't imagine you making enemies..I'll keep you here, if it makes you safe from them." "I think the only way to be safe will be to return, but I still want to figure out what it all means. I can't run from them, whoever..whatever they are." As if on cue, the leaves in a nearby tree rustled, as if someone was peering through the branches. "Who's there?" Laughter, sounding simply like a young man, but full of such a strange mixture of malice and insanity that it was chilling, echoed through the peaceful night "Show yourselves!" Sarah gripped Kenny's hand protectively. "Our pleasure." Sarah's pressure on Kenny's hand suddenly increased. "Mom, you're hurting me!" Her face was quite a few shades whiter. "I know those voices.." And from the trees, jumping down to land before the boy and woman, came Trey and Matt.
"Dude, something's up." Stan looked around nervously, sensing something the other boys did not. "What?" "Kenny..Kenny, and-and someone else, but I don't know who he-they, are. It's so weird, we-we have to get to them-" "Dude, calm down!" Cartman shouted. "We're not rushing over there because of some hippie vision that-" Stan had already rushed off. "We're going, Cartman!" Kyle insisted, before following after his best friend. "Eh..at least they didn't call me fatass." Cartman admitted, as he once again followed after them.