Disclaimer - I do not own South Park, i wish i did but i don't sooooo don't sue me bro…

Author's Note - What is this? Another chapter without a nine month break? Yes you are not drunk/hallucinating(though you'd probably be having more fun if you were) I can't sleep so instead of sitting in bed restless i figured i might as well start working on the next chapter for you guys.

Chapter 23

The next day at Jimbo's house…

Stan and Kyle were sparring lightly again, not going all out just yet. Stan just wanted to get Kyle warmed up before he told him to cut loose and see what he could do. "How ya feeling this morning dude?" Stan asked his friend as they traded blows.

"Pretty good, still not sure how confident I am with making a barrier at the moment. But otherwise feeling pretty good." Kyle replied, in his head the events of his accidental success replayed. He tried to grab hold of that feeling again. Stan moved in for a thrust and Kyle tried to use the same power as the night before. Stan's shinai shuddered for a moment before being thrown off to the left slightly but still striking Kyle in the shoulder. "Shit!" Kyle hissed jumping back.

"Well not perfect but you deflected from a vital point to area that would have only caused a flesh wound, a crippling one, but not lethal necessarily. certainly better than the alternative." Stan said backing up to give Kyle some space. "So how about it. Ready to go all out? See what you can do against me at full strength?" Stan was curious to see how he'd hold up against Kyle once he started using magic against him. His friend fidgeted for a moment.

"Sure, what the hell." He finally sighed and took a ready stance.

"Don't use any magic that would be lethal obviously, but other than that, don't hold back dude. You're objective is to fight until one of us can't continue." Stan said taking on a more determined look and a slightly different stance than Kyle had seen him use before. Kyle saw the cold look overtake Stan's eyes and he knew his friend was serious.

"Ok then let's do this!" Kyle shouted rushing at Stan. "Push!" He swung his cane upward in a similar motion to an uppercut. Stan blocked horizontally and seemed to lean forward at the same time as jumping off the ground. Kyle's attack lifted Stan up into the air, he used the moment from his jump and the downward force of his block to flip end over end in the air and land behind Kyle, nearly back to back. Kyle spun thrusting the straight end of his cane out behind him thinking to catch Stan. But he wasn't there. Stan had spun at exactly the same speed as Kyle was still behind him. Kyle didn't realize this until he felt the sharp crack of a shinai against his temple and he dropped.

"Shit, you ok dude?" Stan asked his shinai on his shoulder. Kyle's head spun but he wasn't sure if it had been the blow or the speed that Stan had moved.

"Are you sure you can't use magic?" Kyle asked standing up and dusting himself off. "I can barely see you move when you fight serious." Stan smirked. Glad he could still amaze his best friend. He figured that wouldn't last forever as his own skills improved and eventually eclipsed Stan's but he would enjoy it while he could.

"Hah, yea I can't even move a hershey kiss across the room, most I can do is make it shake a little bit. That was all physical effort just now." Stan said taking a ready stance again. Kyle did the same. "When you're ready."

A few days later at Jimbo's farm...

"Rah!" Kyle rushed forward lashing with his cane. He hoped to catch Stan off guard with his change of tactics. Stan though was ready and caught the strike close to the guard and pushed the strike wide. Kicking out and catching Kyle in his forward leg causing him to crumpled and tumble across the ground. Kyle stopped his tumble on his hands and knees and scrambled forward anticipating a strike from Stan, a strike he barely avoided. "Gust!" Kyle yelled whipping around his hand outstretched toward Stan who instinctively covered his face as a blast of dust and dirt slammed into him. He dove out of the cloud of dust to Kyle's right. The red head boy rushed ahead towards Stan, the straight end of the cane aimed at his chest. Stan was still choking on dust just as Kyle came within arm's length. Stan cracked an eye open and in the same instant slapped Kyle's attack up into the air ripping his cane from his hands. Stan didn't give Kyle a moment to recover and brought his sword straight back down with a crack against Kyle's head. The redhead slumped almost immediately, ears ringing from the jarring strike. He vaguely heard Stan try and ask him if he was ok through his coughing fits.

"Dude *cough* are you *cough* OK? *cough* mother *cough* fucker" Stan finished as he went into a hacking fit and began spitting into the grass off to the side. Kyle stumbled getting up, he could feel a slight headache building in his temple by this point. He might have to see a doctor after all these blows to the head.

"Ugh, i'm fine dude, how's the ground taste?" Kyle said trying to sound cocky, he only came off as tired and a bit woozy though. He was disappointed, he thought he'd finally had Stan that time. They had been training like this for several days, the conditioning had been cut back a bit, but the sparring had gone up a notch since Kyle started using magic. That had been by far the closest he had come to beating Stan so far. Stan would agree with that assessment at that moment. That had been a close one, he had barely had enough time to react to Kyle's attack and only pure instinct had stopped the strike from landing. If Kyle had more training he probably would have kept hold of his weapon or even turned Stan's clumsy moves aside. Suffice it to say Stan had gotten lucky that time.

"Like victory actually." Stan said smirking and wiping dirt from from his cheeks. "Ready to call it a day? It is getting late."

"What? Already, I almost had you!" Kyle protested. He was sure today would be the day he beat Stan at least once. Stan just shook his head at the other boy. He thought about insisting they finish up and get Kyle back for his magic lessons, but he liked this confidence from Kyle and he wanted to encourage it.

"Alright then tough guy. One more shot at the champ." Stan said holding his sword on his shoulder as he did sometimes. Cocky, he wanted to egg Kyle on and see what he could do. The redheaded boy didn't seem to take the bait from Stan's taunt and took a guarded stance. "Whenever you-" Stan began but was cut off by Kyle's sudden outburst.

"Move!" Kyle shouted and pointed his cane at Stan for emphasis. The black haired boy seemed confused for only a split second before pebbles began to pelt him from Kyle's direction. He dodged left and right using his left arm to shield his eyes as he swatted away many but not all the projectiles with his sword. He swung his sword and across the ground in one powerful slash kicking up surprising amount of dust. Kyle couldn't see him and began to run out of projectiles. He decided to change tactics. "Whirl!" He said focusing on the dust Stan was trying to use as cover. It began to move violently like a small tornado. Inside Stan had his shirt pulled up over his mouth and nose and his eyes pinched shut. He knew it would be difficult fighting a mage, but Kyle was being brutal. Stan dove to the left suddenly and charged Kyle without stopping. It took Kyle a moment to realize Stan had moved due to his speed and because his focus had been on the dust tornado, that was a moment too long. Stan thrust his sword directly at Kyle's midsection with frightening speed. But it didn't connect. The tip stopped inches from his chest and the entire shinai quivered violently before exploding back at Stan violently. The blast sent him flying backwards out of the ring to skid on the ground. Kyle looked stunned for a moment before running over to Stan's Still form. "Holy shit dude! Are you ok?!" He was worried that he had accidentally gone overboard.

"Ow…" He groaned as he began picking himself up off the ground and spit out some grass and dust he'd picked up on his flight through the air. Stan hurt all over, he'd been pelted with pebbles and had welts all over he could feel it. His skin was scraped from the dust tornado and now his entire body ached after being thrown ragdoll out of the ring. His pupil had definitely benefitted from all the martial training. His reflexes and instincts were excellent. "Well done." Stan said simply, limping he walked over where his jacket and phone rested. He proceeded to call his dad and ask him to pick them up.

"We heading back now?" Kyle asked worried Stan was mad at him.

"Yea we are done for the day. And other than continuing your conditioning and helping you improve your reflexes, your training with me is done." Stan said slumping down sore all over. Kyle just looked at him confused.

"So no more sparring?" He asked, he had actually started to enjoy the challenged and liked working up a sweat from hard work, there were few things like it.

"Not with magic no. At least not against me." Stan said smiling weakly, Kyle could tell he was pretty hurt, he had really done a number on him. And now Stan didn't want to train with him anymore.

"I knew it, I went overboard didn't I? I am so sorry dude." Kyle said hanging his head. But Stan laughed and shook his head vigorously.

"Don't be! You did excellent! It just so happens that there is someone far better suited for teaching you to fight with magic and martial arts at the same time." He'll be taking over your main training from now on. So our training in the mornings will be shortened and you'll have a third trainer. And while you do that i'll get some of my own special training in. Kyle was intrigued by that. Stan's special training? And who would be the one to train Kyle, if it was someone new then it wasn't Mrs. Sharon, Randy perhaps? He was dying to know.

Back at Stan's house…

"Ok now listen up you whippersnapper!" Marvin Marsh yelled pacing back and forth in his wheelchair in in front of Kyle, waving his own cane he used to hit stuff with when it was in his way. "I've been a hunter for longer than Stan's dad has been alive and longer than even I can remember! So I will accept no backtalk from you, got it Kevin!?" He said stopping and facing Kyle.

"Kyle, and yes sir!" Kyle said correcting the elderly marsh. What happened next Kyle couldn't tell you. One moment he is standing looking down at Marvin, the next he is on his back his head spinning looking up at a the old man who was no longer in his wheelchair.

"I said no backtalk." The old man said. He began to hobble around using his cane. He cracked his back and groaned and then walked into the backyard motioning for Kyle to follow him. Stan tagged along eager to see how Kyle would fair.

"What are we going to be doing back here?" The redhead asked of the oldest Marsh.

"Training." Was all he said. He turned to face Kyle. "Well let's have it then." He said impatiently at Kyle who just looked at Stan for what to do.

"He wants you to attack him dude." Kyle just looked incredulously at the old man.

"I can't just attack a old ma-" He couldn't finish his sentence as the old man was gone. "The hell did he go?" Kyle asked looking around. He felt a tap on his shoulder and whirled in time to see the old man smile before he was flying through the air to land on his back.

"And that sonny boy is your first lesson." The old man said hobbling back into the house. Kyle just laid there dumbfounded as Stan walked up and looked down at him apologetically.

"Duuuude, the fuck just happened?" Kyle asked stunned as Stan pulled him back to his feat.

"The Invincible Marvin Marsh happened." Stan said laughing and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Invincible?" Kyle asked incredulously, for all the time he had known Marvin he had just been an old man complaining about how he wasn't dead yet. Stan nodded before turning to head inside.

"Yea I don't really know the story, my parents and gramps don't talk about it, but apparently he did some really amazing stuff in the past. The hunters dubbed him the invincible and he is sort of a legend now." Stan said as they made their way inside and noticed Mrs. Sharon pulling a big turkey out of the oven.

"Hey mom, that looks delicious!" Kyle said laughing to himself after referring to Stan's mother as such. He could feel his friends glare on his back. Sharon turned towards him and smiled. "What's the occasion?" he asked as he headed towards the stairs.

"Well it is sort of a dual celebration, for one it is Thanksgiving." Both boys were surprised at this, they had completely lost track of time over the last month due to the nonstop training. But thinking about it for a moment it made sense that it was about that time.

"What is the other reason?" Stan asked suspicious of his mother now. She just smiled innocently.

"Why you and Kyle coming out to us dear!" She said setting the timer for the mashed potatoes. Kyle snickered at Stan from just outside the kitchen. He was going to enjoy playing this up at dinner to Stan's discomfort. What were friends for if not to make unnecessarily awkward moments for your friend?

"Mom seriously…" Stan started, pinching his nose as he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Oh and Kyle dear, make sure you wash up real well. I don't want your mother to think i'm letting you become a hooligan!" Sharon said reaching under the counter for something. Kyle stuck his head back into the kitchen at that.

"Uhh what would make her think that?" Kyle asked suddenly. His eyes grew wide in horror as he guessed what was coming.

"Well it is a celebration of both of you dear, so of course your family will be joining us!" She said sweetly before shooing them upstairs to shower and change. Stan snickered all the way up the stairs, he was planning out his revenge even as they rounded the top step. Oh it was payback time for poor little Ky. Oh that was good one, he should definitely have a pet name for Kyle with the way he kept calling him Stanley in a mocking tone. Both boys were trying to figure out the best way to mess with and embarrass the other one more to distract from themselves. Tonight would be fun.

Authors note - So two chapters in two days! What a streak! Just kinda in the groove right now. Though i know this one is not nearly as long. I'd like some opinions on the fight sequences. Are they coherent enough? And as always REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!