Disclaimer - Don't own south park or any of the characters, just bored and wanted to write something fun.

Authors note – Felt like the last chapter was just meh, so wanted to get another chap out tonight before I crash so hopefully you'll like this one betta!

Chapter 10

Stan's room late that night...

Kyle woke up sweating, he'd had a nightmare about shells attacking him while he slept and now was far too nervous to go back to sleep. He just lay staring at the ceiling listening to the silence. He almost jumped when something rolled on top of him. He looked over to see Stan's arm draped across him. The boy had rolled in his sleep. Kyle wondered for a moment why Stan wasn't using any blankets until he realized he had wrapped himself in them. He carefully unwrapped and then pulled the blankets over both of them Stan rolled back onto his back seeming content. Must have been trying to get warm thought to himself. He lay back down to stare back at the ceiling, he was still afraid to close his eyes. "God this sucks..." Kyle mumbled to himself. Stan groaned next to him and mumbled something in his sleep. Kyle leaned over trying to hear it.

"Ky...mm...sorry..." Stan seemed to be having a nightmare of his own at that moment. Kyle debated whether he should wake his friend from it.

"Stan, hey dude, wake up." Kyle spoke gently shaking Stan. The other boy's eyes shot open and he was up and had Kyle pinned before Kyle could even speak. Stan had his hands around Kyle's throat when he froze. It was dark but Kyle could see the confusion and horror on Stan's face.

"Oh god, Kyle I'm so sorry!" He jumped off of Kyle and backed up across the room. He couldn't believe what he'd almost done, he had almost strangled his friend. He'd been having a nightmare, one he'd had before. Unarmed and surrounded by shells, where other hunters would fall back on his or her magic, he was powerless and fought screaming. A normal human couldn't hope to physically overpower a shell with muscle alone though and would be pulled down. Kyle's incident that morning must have sparked something. It'd been a while since he'd that particular dream, but it was as brutal as ever.

"I-it's ok..." Kyle managed to get out, shaken from what had happened. Kyle sat up and rubbed his throat, Stan had only squeezed for a few moments but he could feel a bruise forming. Stan walked over to Kyle and tried to get a look. Kyle leapt back though. "It's fine!" He jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom. Stan just stood there stunned, Kyle had shyed away because he was afraid of him. Kyle sat on the bathroom floor back to the bathroom door. He had never once been afraid of his best friend, until now that is. Kyle had felt powerless in the moment Stan had tackled him. He'd been back in the school that jock shell pulling him down about to devour him. And now he couldn't stop shaking. He felt something press against the other side of the door and heard what must have been Stan sliding to the floor.

"Kyle...I didn't mean it...please believe me I'd never hurt you!" Stan sounded as though he was crying, Kyle knew he wanted to.

"I know dude..." Kyle replied muffled as he buried his head in his arms. "You just scared me...I felt powerless, just like this morning. I woke up because I had a nightmare about being attacked in my sleep. I saw you were having a nightmare and I wanted to help. But then...that happened. I felt like the shell still had me and the rest of today was just a dream." Stan leaned his head back on the other side of the door looking at the ceiling. The guilt was killing him now, he'd done this to Kyle, maybe not intentionally, but he had.

"Kyle...do you promise not to hate me...no matter what?" He said tilting his head to the side so he was speaking more into the door. From the other side he heard Kyle's muffled reply.

"Of course dude, I could never hate you." Stan doubted that very much but he knew he need to come clean to Kyle for both their sakes.

"Kyle...It wasn't Clyde who marked you..." Stan said waiting for some sign that Kyle had heard him. On the other side of the door Kyle sat there, with a blank stare on his face. Kyle stood up and opened the door behind Stan. He just sat there on the floor not turning around to face his standing friend. Kyle looked down at him.

"...It was you wasn't it..." Kyle spoke from behind him. Stan never thought he could be hurt by something Kyle said before. He started crying, bawling his eyes out. His best friend would hate him now, he'd lose Kyle and he'd hate him forever for ruining his life. He was shaking from his sorrow knowing he deserved every bit of Kyle's hate.

"I-I'm so sorry Kyle! I never meant- It wasn't-" Stan couldn't even keep his thoughts straight to speak clearly anymore as he sobbed. What happened next stopped Stan cold, Kyle had knelt behind him and wrapped his arms around him. He felt the other boy's chin on his shoulder and could feel his tears against the side of his face.

"Don't blame yourself Stan." Kyle spoke softly into his friends ear. His voice was surprisingly steady considering he was crying. "I don't." Stan's heart leapt for joy at that proclamation. "For all the bad things that have happened and will happen. None of them could be as bad as losing my best friend. I'm happy that I can be a bigger part of your life, I really am." Kyle pulled Stan back towards him tightly. "And It makes me happier than anything how much you look out for me."

"Kyle...I don't deserve such a good friend." Stan sobbed grabbing Kyles hands with his own.

"Shhh...It's ok Stan, you know this morning, I almost let the shells get me." Stan tensed at this admission. He was horrified at the thought of Kyle becoming a shell, that was one monster he would never be able to cut down. "But you know, of all the things that would happen, what scared me more than anything?" Stan waited for Kyle to finish and when he didn't he finally prodded him.

"What was it Kyle?" He turned his head so he was looking at Kyle's head on his shoulder. Kyle had an embarrassed look on his face.

"I was scared I'd never see you again, that you would forget me. That thought was unbearable. I decided then that I had to survive no matter what." Kyle closed his eyes and buried his head into Stan's shoulder. "You aren't allowed to forget about or leave me!" Kyle demanded muffled by Stan's shoulder. Stan couldn't imagine being happier than he was right then.

"I promise, I won't leave or ever forget you. Love ya dude." Stan said reaching across his body to ruffle Kyle's hair. He heard his friend snicker and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Gaaaaay." Kyle said laughing, Stan rolled his eyes but glad Kyle was back. Kyle buried his head again.. "Love ya too dude." The moment was of course ruined a moment later when Stan's mother decided interrupt.

"Oh my!" Kyle and Stan both looked down the hall to see Stan's mother in her bathrobe hand over her mouth red faced. Both boy's jaws dropped.

"Mom it isn't what you th-"

"Mrs. Sharon this-" They both began but she darted down the stairs yelling back at them.

"I'll come back later!" Both boys stood up quickly falling over each other trying to chase her down. Randy came out of his room then shouting.

"The fuck is all the noise on my night off!?" He chased the boys down the steps still half drunk from earlier. They all chased each other yelling around the kitchen table, no one able to understand anyone. Grandpa marsh lay in his bed in just the other room staring at the ceiling.

"Times like this I wish I were dead." He pulled himself into his wheelchair and grabbed his hitting cane and rolled out into the kitchen joining the yelling.

A little while later...

Sharon was sitting at the kitchen table drinking her morning coffee. The clock read 3:50. She was up early but she didn't mind, she had a smile on her face. Randy Snored from where he'd fallen asleep in his reclining chair while the boys were on the couch. Stan was sitting up on end of the couch and Kyle lay across the other part his legs across Stan's lap. Grandpa marsh had gone back into his room after smacking Randy on the head several times. Sharon, smiled at the conversation she'd overheard earlier. She had been in the hallway the whole time. She'd heard the original commotion and gone to investigate. She witnessed both boys pour their hearts out and was glad not for the first time that Stan had a friend like Kyle. Stan needed a friend like Kyle, and Sharon suspected the opposite was true as well. All of Stan's friends were good, and Wendy was as wonderful a girlfriend as she was a goddess but Kyle was Stan's rock and Sharon knew it. She got up and grabbed a blanket off the back of Randy's chair and laid it over the boys.

At school the next day...

Kyle felt a twinge of sadness as Mr. Garrison called role, again no mention of Clyde. He could hear some of the students around him whispering, making bets whether he'd have another outburst. Kenny and Stan made sure to shut anyone up with a sharp word and a glare. Kyle was glad he had friends like them. Stan had told him how Kenny and Butters had gone after him without hesitation when he was being pursued by the shells. He had to thank them later.

"Ok class now, on this weeks the Bold and the Beautiful..." And that was where Kyle tuned Mr. Garrison out. He decided to spend class day dreaming. He imagined him and Stan, Kenny and Butters, Wendy and even Clyde at Shakey's together. Things got weird though when Kyle realized Clyde and Wendy were sitting next to each other and Stan seemed to be making moves on him. He woke up realizing that he'd genuinely fallen asleep. Mr. Garrison had tapped on his desk with his pointer. "Well welcome back Kyle. Now what's the answer." Kyle just looked around the room trying to get some hint. Stan stared at him rubbing his own eyes, he obviously had been asleep too and Kyle instantly understood why he always slept during class.

"Uhh...Thorn Forrester is a closet homosexual who is only using Taylor as a beard..." Kyle wasn't sure where he even got those names, osmosis? Mr. Garrison blinked for a moment before adjusting his glasses.

"That's correct Kyle now class..." And Kyle was out again, breathing a sigh of relief to be out of the spotlight. Stan gave him a thumbs up. Kyle looked over to Kenny to see him practically drooling staring at the front row. Kyle followed his line of sight to Clyde's old desk and almost laughed. Butters was leaning forward his back arched as he tried to write down everything Mr. Garrison said. He his legs didn't quite reach the ground and they were curled back and hooked around the legs of the chair. Kyle looked back to Kenny and could very clearly see the bulge in his pants. Kyle rolled his eyes.

"Subtle Kenny..." he muttered and noticed Wendy staring at Kenny wide eyed and red faced before whipping her head around. Kyle laughed at this remembering what Wendy said, she knew everything about what she saw, which meant she probably just got an eye full of Kenny's fantasies about Butters. "Poor girl..." He mumbled, if he were her he'd never look in Kenny's direction, that's like hardcore gay porn starring Butters 24/7. He looked back to Stan who had buried his head in his arms again and was obviously very asleep. He sighed and felt for a moment that everything was back to normal.

Later at lunch...

They were all sitting in their usual spots, Stan was sleeping again while Wendy scolded him and asked why he hadn't slept well the night before. Kyle blushed slightly as she looked his way. He went about eating his food quickly. Kenny was trying and failing to cop a feel with Butters who was all business at school. "Now Ken, you know you have to wait till later!" He scolded. "If you're good I've got a surprise for you." Butters said smiling innocently. Kenny's eyes went wide and he held his hands up like paws and barked. "Good boy."

"Oh my..." Everyone looked at Wendy who had her eyes on Butters face beat red. "So bold..." Kenny was even more excited now, drool running down his chin. Stan and Kyle just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. "So how are you feeling Kyle?" Wendy asked as Kyle finished the soda he was drinking.

"Much better than yesterday morning, thank you for taking care of my injuries. And Kenny and Butters thank you for coming to rescue me. I'm sorry you were in danger because of me." Kenny and Butters both smiled and Kenny shrugged.

"You can apologize for putting Butters in danger, but you can't stop him when he's determined, and honestly a few shells don't stand a chance against him." Kenny said, obviously bragging.

"Kenny took care of the ones yesterday though, he was really cool." Butters said smiling, Kenny flashed him a glare. He preferred not to fight and wanted to maintain his, I'm useless in combat mystique.

"Well either way, thank you three." Kyle said bowing his head. Stan looked left out and Kyle snickered.

"What I don't get a thank you?" He asked obviously jealous. Kyle reached behind Wendy and ruffled his hair.

"Aww Stanley, thank you too!" Kyle said mockingly as Stan swatted his hand away.

"Ass." Stan said laughing and going back to his food. Wendy looked to the boys on either side of herself and then smiled. Kenny saw and thought it looked a bit sad. He'd have to ask her about it later.

"So Kyle, I wanted to ask you, can you really use teleportation magic?" Butters said leaning across the table and whispering. Kyle looked at him surprised. From what he heard Butters was a very good mage. Was it really that unusual to be able to teleport?

"Uhh yea I guess...I've only done it twice and it didn't work properly the first time...I kinda pelted Stan with some chocolate." Kyle said scratching his cheek a bit embarrassed making both Kenny and Wendy laugh Stan just rolled his eyes and went back to his food. "I wasn't sure it was gonna work when the shell was attacking me, but I didn't have any other options, I was desperate and so I used that to power my spell." Butters nodded, understanding that the desperation would have been quite a powerful emotion given the circumstances. "Is it really that big a deal though? Can't you and Wendy use teleportation magic?" Butters shook his head.

"I don't know about Wendy, her being a goddess and all, but I've never been able to make it work though I've tried a lot." Butters said rubbing his chin. "My soul is more inclined to alteration magic. I'm very good at changing things into other things, making things invisible, binding movement, that sort of thing." Kyle wasn't sure what he meant about his souls inclination. Wendy spoke up then having noticed Kyle's confusion.

"Every soul has a certain affinity to different types of magic, it makes it easier for the mage to perform these particular types of magic, but doesn't prevent them from learning others, it just wont be as easy." So it was like how every person had different talents Kyle thought. He looked to Stan.

"How come Stan can't use magic?" The whole table went quiet then and Butters started fidgeting nervously. Kenny looked away and even Wendy seemed uncomfortable. Stan as the one who finally answered.

"My soul has no affinity with any kind of magic, I was born broken, my magic is too unstable. I can activate the magic held within items like the one in my katana to return it to my hand. But I can't cast anything that requires me to use my own magic." Stan said it all with no emotion on his face but Kyle could see that it really bothered him that he was incapable of using magic.

"Is that a common problem...?" He asked wondering what could cause it. Stan shook his head.

"No It's unheard of before me for someone with a strong magical aura, the son of a sorcerer and an accomplished hunter no less, to not be able to cast a single spell." Stan said taking a sip of his drink. "Not even Wendy can tell why, she says she can't find anything wrong with the flow of my aura, according to her from what she sees I should be able to cast spells, and be an accomplished mage. But I can't even move a reeses cup." Kyle cringed knowing he'd poked an old wound.

"Well it's not like you need magic dude, I mean with your martial arts, you're like a borderline super hero!" Kyle said trying to perk Stan up. Kenny nodded and Butters chimed in.

"It's true! I've never seen anything Stan couldn't cut with his sword!" Butters had seen Stan use his sword quite extensively too, far more than Kyle had. Stan knew they were just trying to cheer him up, but damn it if it wasn't working. He took pride in his martial arts and always loved to be praised for them. He smiled and thanked them. He was about to speak again when his phone went off. Kyle felt for his own and then remembered he'd thrown it to distract the shells, he'd need a new one soon.

"Kyle, If you're up for it, I want you to come with me on the job tonight." Stan said looking up from his phone. "I want to show you how it's done." A chill went down Kyle's spine and he was truly terrified. He didn't want to see another shell just yet. Stan noticed and then started kicking himself. Kyle was terrified of shells of course he wouldn't be up for it, and now he felt pressured into coming. He had to give Kyle an out. "It's alright if you don't want to dude, you don't have to fight if you don't want to, honestly you don't have to become a hunter if you don't want to!" Stan blurted out the last part. He didn't want to put Kyle into any more danger, and especially if Kyle didn't want to be there himself. Kyle was shocked, before they had told him that he would have to be able to defend himself because they wouldn't always be around.

"But you said before-" Stan shook his head cutting him off.

"I told you last I'd never leave you remember? You don't have to learn to fight, I'll protect you from it all." Stan's demeanor got so serious and Kenny and Butters gave each other strange had her eyes closed.

"I want to come." Kyle said pushing down his fear. "I don't want you to face those things alone. And I don't want you to have to protect me all the time. I'll become a hunter and then I can protect you too." Kyle was embarrassed to say the last part, but he meant it. Stan smiled and nodded texting his father back that Kyle would be joining them. Wendy finished her food and then excused herself from the table not looking at anyone as she left, this didn't escape Kenny's notice though as he told Butters and the others he needed to go to the rest room. He caught up with Wendy on the stairs up from the cafeteria level to the first class room level.

"Wendy wait up." She turned around to see Kenny and answered him before he could ask a question.

"I'm fine Kenny I know you're concerned, thank you but I'm fin-" Kenny was giving her a knowing look. Kenny stared for a long time before he finally asked.

"What did you see when you looked at Stan and Kyle?"

Authors Note – And cliff hanger! Review please to find out what happens next or suffer the hell of a discontinued story :D (only mostly kidding)