South Park in the Emotional Warzone Chapter 1: Nine Years Later
(From here on out, my story)
More than nine years have passed since the war in Iraq, and the death of Stan's beloved wife, Wendy Testaburger. Wendy died not long after she gave birth to hers and Stan's only daughter, Lyra Marsh.
The now nine year old girl went through her life not knowing about what really happened to her mother. Stan tried to conceal the truth from her, worried that she'd blame herself for what happened. He simply covered up his wife's death by saying she worked as a secret agent for the FBI, and her job required her to travel all the time and she didn't have enough time to come home. Stan managed to convince his parents, Wendy's parents, and his friends and their kids to play along so that Lyra would be none the wiser. To keep up the lie, Stan's mother Sharon wrote letters, pretending to be Wendy, and put them in Stan and Lyra's mailbox when neither of them were home. The letters were false stories about "Wendy's" supposed "job." Stan always told Lyra to keep "her mother's job" a secret. Without any questioning, Lyra's lips were sealed about the subject, not telling a single soul. Stan planned on telling Lyra the truth when she was ready and got a better understanding on the concept of death.
Other than that, Stan was a spectacular single father to Lyra. After she was born, Stan went to college, got into law enforcement, and is now a police officer. Both him and her live comfortably in a reasonable house in the suburbs of South Park. Stan always made sure Lyra was put to bed at a decent hour, ate the right things, was raised on good morals, and was enrolled into a good school system. Lyra seemed to inherit her mother's intelligence as she got straight A's.
Stan always seemed happy with his life, but deep down he was hiding great sadness. Every once in a while, after Lyra goes to bed, Stan just goes to his room and looks at a photo album of him and Wendy, just thinking about what life would be like if she were still around, and reminiscing on all the good times they shared together. Stan didn't blame Lyra for the death of his wife, and he'd always say that it was just "a part of God's plan." It didn't change the fact that Stan missed Wendy greatly, and he was very reluctant to start dating again, in fear of losing another loved one.
Anyway, our story begins on a normal summer day in mid-June of 2019. School let out for the summer, and Stan and Lyra were on their way Kyle and Bebe's house to spend some time with them. After Wendy's death, not a lot of Stan and Wendy's friends stuck around, going to college in different cities or states, and starting a life in said locations. The only ones that still reside in South Park are Stan, Kyle, Bebe, Clyde, Red, Lola, Kenny, and Kenny's sister, Karen.
As far as what Stan's seven friends have been up to over the past nine years, Kyle became a lawyer, Bebe became an eye doctor, Clyde became a chef who opened his own restaurant in town, Red became a history teacher at the Middle School, Kenny became an architect, Karen works as a bartender at Skeeter's Bar and Grill, and Lola became a concert violinist.
Clyde and Red have two children, an eight year old girl named Chelsea and seven year old boy named Tommy. Lola and Kenny had a set of twins out of wedlock, both of which are eight year old boys named Larry and Barry. Karen is a single mom with a six year old girl named Penny. Kyle and Bebe currently have two children, an eight year old boy named Felix and a six year old girl named Isabella, though everyone calls her Izzy. However, for the Broflovski's are expecting a third child to arrive within the next two months as Bebe is now seven months pregnant and on maternity leave from her job.
Kenny proposed to Lola a few months ago and are pushing for their wedding date to be sometime in May of next year, Clyde and Red have been married for five years, and Kyle and Bebe have been married for seven years. Karen, again, is a single mother after Penny's father disappeared after he learned she was pregnant with her.
Stan and Lyra pulled up in Kyle and Bebe's driveway to find Clyde's car and Kenny's car already parked. The father and daughter walked up to the front door and knocked on it. Kyle answered the door with a smile on his face. "Good day, Officer Marsh." Kyle said happily.
"Mr. Broflovski," Stan joked back. "It's been a while." "Indeed it has" Kyle said and looked over at a happy Lyra. "Hello, Lyra." Kyle said. "Hi, Mr. Broflovski." Lyra said waving. "Come on in bud, everyone's waiting."
Stan headed inside, and the two friends walked towards the dining room where Bebe and the other five adult guests sat and partook in donuts and coffee. Bebe had a craving for jelly filled donuts that morning, so Kyle decided to pick some up, while also picking up some Boston Crème and chocolate frosted donuts for everyone else. Stan and Kyle arrived in the dining room and Kyle offered a seat to his friend.
"Have a seat Stan. There's plenty of donuts and coffee to go around" Kyle said. "Just keep your distance from the jelly filled ones." Bebe said defensively. "Don't mind her, Stan, it's just another craving for her." Lola said. "Don't worry, I don't even like jelly filled donuts." Stan said as he took a Boston Crème and started nibbling on it.
Bebe looked over at Lyra and said, "You're welcome to take a donut or two and join the rest of the children in Felix's room. Last I saw they were playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe."
"Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!" Lyra said excited. "I hope there's room for one more!" With that, Lyra took a donut and ran to Felix's room to join the fun.
With the eight adults gathered around the dining room table, they began to converse about things that are going on in their lives. Stan was quick to mention his promotion at the police station. Karen said that Skeeter made her co-manager and he trusted her enough to give her the key to the bar. Clyde said that his restaurant was getting positive reviews on Yelp and even got a recommendation from Trip Advisor. Red kept prattling on about how well her students did on their history finals. Kenny is in the process of trying to build a Great Wolf Lodge in South Park. Lola went on and on about how well her performance at the Boettcher Concert Hall went.
While these events were great and all, they were really looking forward to Kyle, Bebe, and their soon-to-be third child.
"So what gender is your baby going to be, guys?" Red said very excited.
"We already told you, Red, Kyle and I want it to be a surprise." Bebe said. "When we know, you'll know."
"Have you guys even thought about where to have a baby shower?" Kenny asked.
"Way ahead of you, buddy." Kyle said. "I already booked South Park Plaza, gave out invitations, and talked Clyde and his restuarant into catering the affair. All that's left is to get a cake and decorate. My parents, Bebe's parents, and Ike agreed to help me decorate the plaza. The rest of our gang also called to confirm their invitations. They'll also help us out too."
"Cartman and Shelly aren't coming?" Stan asked.
Kyle shook his head. "Cartman said they were shooting a movie the day of the baby shower so he couldn't make it, but Shelly said she'd come with Junior."
"How a bastard like Cartman managed to become an actor is beyond me." Lola muttered
"Anyway, sounds like you got this all figured out and under control, Kyle." Karen said.
"Just don't forget that we're also here if you need any extra help." Red said.
"I'll help out anyway I can too." Bebe said.
"No, darling." Kyle said gently rubbing his wife's pregnant belly. "It's okay. You don't have to lift a finger. I got this."
Bebe chuckled and said, "Baby, I appreciate you taking charge and manning the helm with this baby shower, but I can still be of some help if you truly need it."
Kyle kissed her cheek and said, "Just knowing that you always love me, and you'll always stay by my side is all the help I need." He kissed her cheek again. "I love you, Kyle." Bebe said happily.
Stan smiled to see his best friend kiss and hold his spouse lovingly. "I'm so happy for you two." He said, "Though at the same time, I can't help but envy you a little, knowing that you have someone who loves you while I don't."
"You know, Stan, that can be fixed." Kenny said. "All you have to do is just put yourself out there again. You'll find someone."
"Thanks, but…I just don't know if I can go through heartbreak again if something bad happens." Stan said. "Besides, I don't think there'll be another girl like Wendy. She was one in a million."
"Have you at least thought about putting yourself out there again?" Bebe asked. "I mean, Lyra needs a strong mother figure too in her life. It's great that she has a father figure like you so she knows what kind of a man she should look for, but a mother figure should tell her what she should be in this world."
"I don't know what the big deal is?" Red chimed in. "You're all forgetting that I too am a daughter of a single father, and I turned out just fine."
"Yeah, but Lyra isn't you, Red." Bebe said. "Ever heard of the saying, different strokes for different folks?" Red just shrugged her shoulders at that comment, still not seeing how big a deal this is to everyone else.
"Speaking of Lyra, are you still hiding Wendy's death from her?" Clyde asked.
"I haven't mustered the courage to tell her yet." Stan answered.
"Dude, how long are you going to wait until you tell her?" Kyle asked. "She's going to find out sooner or later, and I'd rather she found out through you and soon, instead of through someone or something else and later down the line."
"Look, I'll tell Lyra the truth when I think she's ready." Stan said.
"And when's that going to be?" Lola asked. "When she goes off to college? When she gets married? When she's praying over you on your death bed? My point is, it's time to stop putting this off. You need to tell her soon before she finds out the truth on her own and resents you for hiding it."
Stan was put in a tough spot, facing pressure from his friends. He was planning on telling Lyra the truth in due time, but he wasn't sure she was ready. So, with a deep breath Stan said, "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."
After saying that, his friends backed off. "Alright we'll trust you." Bebe said. "Yeah." Kyle chimed in. "Just please promise us you'll tell Lyra soon. We've all seen and helped Lyra grow up. In a way, we're all like one big family. We'd just hate to see her upset."
"I know." Stan said before changing the subject. "So, we eating those donuts before they get stale or what?" With that, the group of eight continued eating their donuts and sipping on their coffee.
Meanwhile, the eight children were hanging out in Felix's room playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Nintendo Switch. They were playing four player split screen, racing on Sunshine Airport, and the players in this round were Felix, Lyra, Chelsea, and Larry. Felix was playing as Ludwig Von Koopa, Lyra as Rosalina, Chelsea as Yoshi, and Larry as Waluigi.
"Final lap, everyone, let's wrap this up!" Tommy said.
"Yeah, I want to have my turn." Penny chimed in.
"Look out, now, I'm catching up!" Chelsea warned as she went from 5th to 1st with the most minimal effort. "Not for long!" Larry said as he launched a red shell, hitting Chelsea and taking 1st place from her.
Meanwhile, Felix is in 6th place approaching a row of item boxes. "Oh, ho, ho! I'm about to snatch me an item box!" He grabbed the item box and got… "Oh, Larry, you better look out! Guess who has a blue shell!"
"Felix, I swear to God if you use that blue shell, you're banned for life!" Larry threatened.
"Let me respond to that threat with a question." Felix said. "How can you ban me from my own Nintendo Switch?" With that, he launched the blue shell, and it hit Larry, allowing Felix, Chelsea, and Lyra to pass him. "Oh you better hope I don't get a blue shell of my own, or a lightning cloud, because you are so screwed when I do!" Larry threatened.
The race was getting intense as Larry managed to catch up with his three friends in a race for first place. The four friends kept at it until…
"YES! I win!" Lyra cheered. Chelsea gave a sigh of discouragement. "I would've had this race in the bag had Felix not launched a blue shell at me!" Larry pouted. "Hey, that's Mario Kart for you, bud." Felix said all nonchalant.
"Hey Tommy, you want the next round?" Chelsea asked her brother. Tommy quickly took his sister up on her offer saying, "'Bout time you let me play!" Lyra gave her controller over to Penny, Larry gave his over to Barry, and Felix gave his over to his sister saying, "Knock 'em dead, Izzy!" "You got it, big brother!" Isabella said. The four new players chose Electrodome as the next course and the four previous players watched the race unfold as they engaged in small talk.
"So, Lyra, did you get any letters from your mom yet?" Chelsea asked, still trying to keep Stan's lie going. Lyra's friends were starting to get tired of Stan's ruse, wanting to tell the truth to their oldest and best friend. However, their parents told them not to tell Lyra the truth, and like the good little kids they were, they had no choice but to abide by their parents wishes.
"Not yet, Chelsea." Lyra said. "But I'll let you know when I get one."
Lyra, Chelsea, Felix, and Larry watched the other four kids play Mario Kart.
"Yo Barry, if your fingers start to cramp up, trying doing those finger exercises I showed you to get them to limber up." Larry said. Barry nodded, having received the message.
"Izzy, if you get hungry, just let me know and I'll head to the kitchen and get you something to eat." Felix offered. "Thanks, big brother." Isabella said.
With Chelsea, she started to hear her little brother softly wheeze. Tommy was an asthmatic and needed to take an inhaler every so often. Chelsea grabbed his inhaler out of the front pouch of her sweatshirt and gave it to Tommy, who immediately took a puff of that. "Thank you, Chelsea" Tommy said as he went back to playing the game.
Lyra just sighed and said, "You're all lucky."
"How so?" Barry asked.
"You all have brothers and sisters to hang out with and look out for…but with my mom always on the move, I never really got the chance to have a sibling."
"Just to let you know, Lyra, you're not alone. What about me?" Penny said.
"You may be an only child, but Larry and Barry are your cousins. That's as close to siblings as you're going to get" Lyra said. "My cousins live miles from here and they rarely visit." Lyra let out another sigh.
"Being an only child doesn't sound so bad." Larry said, trying to be optimistic.
"Yeah, you can always get what you want all the time, and you never have to share it." Isabella said.
"Nobody to bother you when you're busy doing something else." Chelsea said
"And you're always going to be your father's favorite child." Barry said
"You all make valid points." Lyra said. "It's just that it can get lonely and boring sometimes. Daddy always has to go to work, my mom is never around, and I can't expect you guys to hang out with me all the time."
"True." Felix concurred
"Oh well, you made it through nine years as an only child, I think you can manage the whole rest of your life." Larry said.
"Eh, maybe." Lyra said before getting up. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Right across the hall." Felix reminded her. Lyra left for the bathroom, and the other seven friends started to talk.
"Is it me or does every time she bring up her mother, it gets harder and harder for me to not tell her the truth?" Barry said.
"No, you're not the only one." Chelsea said. "I can't help but feel sorry for her. We know what actually happened to Mrs. Marsh, yet she doesn't."
"Why the heck doesn't Mr. Marsh tell Lyra what's really going on?" Asked Penny.
"My dad said she's afraid she'll blame herself for the death of her mother, that's all." Larry said.
"Oh yeah, that right! I forgot that Mrs. Marsh died when Lyra was born." Tommy said before getting depressed. "Poor Mr. Marsh. He has nobody to love, and every week he sees our parents together, showing nothing but the utmost love for one another. Honestly, it's hard to say who I feel more sorry for, Lyra or Mr. Marsh."
Felix began to speak again. "Our folks try and sympathize with him saying they know how it feels to lose someone they love. But in all honesty, and forgive me for saying this…I don't think they'll truly know how Mr. Marsh feels until they lose their loved one."
The other six friends gasped at Felix's statement, and his sister Izzy threw a pillow at him. "Big brother! How dare you say such a thing! What if one of our parents die now because of what you said!"
"I didn't say I hope they die, all I said is they'll never truly know the pain Mr. Marsh is feeling." Felix said in defense.
"Still, dude, saying that is just way out of line," scolded Barry. "For shame, Felix, for shame."
"Can we focus our attention back on Lyra please?" Felix said. "Look, ever since we were born, she was like a big sister to us. So, to spare Lyra nine years worth of heartbreak, we need to wait until Mr. Marsh drops the hammer. When he does, and if Lyra does blame herself, we'll be there as her shoulders to cry on. We just got to keep our mouths shut a little while longer."
"And how long is a little while?" Chelsea asked.
"As long as it needs to be." Felix said as Lyra came back from the bathroom. "What were you all talking about?" Asked Lyra.
"Nothing, just…stuff…football." Felix said trying to think of a cover story. "But now you're back, so conversation over, Mario Kart commence!" With that, the eight friends got back to their game.
Stan and Lyra hung out at the Broflovski residence for most of the day, and returned back to their home at about 5:00 P.M. Stan checked the mailbox and grabbed the mail that was delivered, another "letter from Wendy," being one of them.
"Well, look what we have here!" Stan said. "Another letter from mom!" Lyra got excited when she saw the letter in Stan's hand!
"Oh boy! I wonder what she wrote this time?" Lyra said.
"We'll read it inside." Stan said. The father and daughter went into their house, took their shoes off, placed them near the front door, and gathered in the living room to read the note.
Stan sat in his lounge chair, with Lyra sitting on the floor in front of him, legs crossed so she's sitting Indian style. Stan opened the "fake letter" and read it aloud. It said…
Dearest Stan and Lyra,
I miss you two so much. I hope this letter finds you well. I am currently stationed somewhere in North Korea, awaiting further orders from my commanding officer. We're going to try and gather intel on what Kim Jong Un plan on doing with his missile supply. If all goes as planned, we'll send in an elite team to try and confiscate every last nuke in his arsenal. Wish me the best of luck and pray for me, as you two are always in my prayers. Once again, I love you two from the bottom of my heart and I can't wait to be reunited with you again. Bye-bye!
Wendy, A.K.A Mama Bear
"What an amazing, letter!" Lyra said. "I hope this mission goes well."
"Yeah, me too." Stan said before asking Lyra, "You have been keeping mom's job a secret, right?"
"Yes I have, dad." Lyra said with a nod. "Not a single person outside us and our group of friends know about it."
Stan smiled warmly. "Good. So, did you have fun with your friends today?"
"Uh-huh." Lyra noded.
"What did you lot do while I was hanging out with their parents?" Stan asked.
"We just played Mario Kart and then a bit of Super Mario Odyssey." Lyra replied. "But we also talked a bit."
"Oh really?" Stan said curiously. "What did you talk about?"
"Mainly about brothers and sisters." Lyra replied.
"Hey dad? Do you think when mom gets back, if she gets back, from her job…do you think you two could give me a little brother or sister?" Lyra asked.
Stan got a little heartbroken. Back when Wendy was alive, he always fantasized about having at least three children so they'll never know what it's like to be alone. Unfortunately, that fell through with Wendy's passing, so now Lyra will never know what it's like to have a sibling unless he adopts. Without a wife, Stan felt so poweruless, unable to give his daughter what she wanted. He struggled to find an answer to Lyra's question so he replied with… "We'll see."
"Oh…okay." Lyra said a little disappointed with the vague answer.
Silence filled the living room before Stan looked at the clock and tried to change the subject.
"Say, is anybody else in the house hungry?" He asked. "How about for dinner we order some Chinese food."
Lyra's face perked back up when she heard that. "Awesome sauce!" She said with a fist pump.
"Find me the phone book and I'll place the order." Stan instructed. Lyra went to go look for the phone book as Stan just sat in his lounge chair in thought, thinking about his deceased wife, the fact Lyra is growing up without her, and the lie that he concocted to keep his daughter in blissful ignorance. Stan just let out a sight, looked up at the ceiling and said…
"Oh Wendy, what a mess I'm in."
TO BE CONTINUED…
(Cue Don't Think Twice by Hikaru Utada (Once again, characters and events that have yet to appear/happen will be mentioned here))
(How did I live in a kingdom of thieves? And people who say things they don't really mean?)
(It's a sunny day and Wendy and Stan are dancing together outside and right next to them are Kyle and Bebe, who are also dancing. Suddenly, the sunny skies turn stormy and Wendy is ripped away from Stan, and Kyle is ripped away from Bebe, both couples trying in vein to reach out to one another. Wendy and Kyle go up into the sky, can the ground gives weight for Stan and Bebe to fall down)
(You're only everything I ever dreamed. Ever dreamed of, ever dreamed of)
(As Stan and Bebe fall, they are enveloped by a red colored paint type substance. Behind the paint is a shadowy figure. It smiles evilly. This figure is one of Jacques Brodeur)
(You must be kidding me, did you really think I could say no?)
(Stan's daughter Lyra, and Bebe's son Felix are running through a grassy plain and two balls of light fall from the sky. The light balls reveal themselves as Wendy and Kyle, who hold their hands out to their children)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Cartman is standing in front of a statue of a heart. He pulls out a gun and shoots it, causing it to break. Shelly then appears and collapses to the ground, heartbroken)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Sometime later, Cody Oppenheimer finds the broken pieces of the heart and puts them back together)
(I really don't get what everyone else believes. So why do I say things I don't really mean, really mean.)
(Late at night, Lola and Kenny are in bed. But while Lola is sleeping, Kenny is looking up more information about the crystals he heard about in war)
(I'm only crying 'cause I never dreamed. It'd take this long, it'd take this long)
(Kenny thinks about General Rakish with the big purple crystal floating over him. Suddenly, eight more smaller crystals circle around the big purple one: A red one, a blue one, a green one, a gold one, a pink one, an orange one, a white one, and a black one)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know.)
(General Rakish turns into another villain, Carlos Murciélago. The crystals are still floating over him, and the background changes to the grassy plain from before. The main adults and children are watching in horror at the sight before them)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Carlos summons a demon warship from out of nowhere and easily takes out the adults and younger children, much to the older children's horror)
(Don't think twice, don't think twice. Don't think twice, baby, don't think twice)
(The children are crying and look like they're going to lose hope when an astral projection of Sir Justice appears. The sight of the unknown hero inspires the children to not give up and put the villain down. The children and Sir Justice charge at Carlos and the warship)
(If you want to take it to an even higher level. All you gotta do is say the word, you know I'll follow. If you wanna take it to an even higher level. I don't, I don't bite)
(Outside of the dream, Isabella Broflovski is looking at a picture of Kyle. Behind him Stan places a hand on her shoulder, which Isabella brushes off and walks away)
(If you want to make it happen, nothing's impossible. All you gotta do is say the word, the walls will crumble. If you want to make it happen, nothing's impossible)
(Shelly gets up from her heartbreak and finds Cody holding a hand out to pick her up. Shelly grabs Cody's hand and we cut to the next scene)
(I want you for a lifetime. So if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Stan and Jacques are fighting for Bebe's affections)
(Everything is just right. But if you're gonna think twice, baby. I don't wanna know, baby, I don't wanna know)
(Felix and Lyra are in a dark area, the look behind them to find a older, dying boy in a hospital bed. This boy is named Byron. Lyra and Felix try and run to the hospital bed to see him, but once again, the ground gives weight and the two kids fall into darkness)
(Kiss me once, kiss me twice, kiss me three times. Cross the line)
(Stan and Bebe are alone on a hill somewhere admiring the sunset. The two of them look into each other's eyes before making a move to kiss each other)
(Don't think twice, don't think twice. Don't think twice, baby, don't think twice)
(Cut to night time on that same hill where the Marshes, Broflovskis, Donovans, Tweaks, Tuckers, Cartmans, Stotches, McCormicks, and Oppenheimers are looking up at a full moon. Some of the kids are asleep, but those who are awake are enjoying the company and the beauty of the night sky)
