Disclaimer - I don't own south park, never will...don't sue me bro…

Author's Note - I hope everyone is doing ok out there. Don't forget to reach out, digitally, to people. Check on each other, provide help and support where you can. Make sure they know they aren't alone. Loneliness is a dangerous thing to be stuck with. Even apart we need each other now more than ever, look out for each other.

Also sorry I haven't updated in the past couple weeks, working from home right now. My personal struggle is that I feel like I never leave work. I need my after-work drive home to blast music and rage at bad drivers. AND I haven't hit anyone with a sword in almost a month now. I need my sparring on Wednesday to get through the week.

ANYWAY let's get started!

Chapter 32

Stan walked into the Marsh living room with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step. It was a stark contrast to how he'd left only an hour or two earlier. Kyle quickly filled in Sharon about what had happened during their sparring session. Stan didn't pay much attention to the conversation, he was busy focusing on the magic he could now tap into. He was calling up the power and then letting it go over and over again, like any physical task he had mastered in the past, he planned to make calling up that power instinctual.

"Stan?" Kyle asked, bringing him out of his meditations. Both Sharon and Kyle were staring at him oddly.

"What is it?" He asked when they just gave each other a look.

"What were you just doing?" Sharon asked curiosity and excitement in her voice.

"Oh, I was just practicing tapping into my magic. I know what the trigger is to pull it out, but it takes too long and too much focus. I need to make it come as easily as when I throw a punch or make a cut with my sword." He said and instantly went back into his thoughts again and called up the power as quickly as he could. There as a slight delay before he was able to pull it out, which would definitely be far too long in combat.

"How much of your magic would you say you're pulling up when you're doing that?" Sharon asked, wheels turning behind her eyes. Stan thought about it for a moment and compared the amount of power he was tapping into with everything he could feel waiting to be tapped.

"Maybe...five percent? Trying to start small." He said smiling and scratching the back of his neck nervously. Kyle and Sharon both had their mouths open in shock. "What?" Stan asked, now feeling even more nervous. Was else wrong with his magic?

"Stanley, if that's five percent...you potentially have more magic than both Kyle and I put together. But-" Sharon started.

"But it's different than ours." Kyle finished for her.

"Different how?" Stan asked confused, magic was magic, right?

"I don't know how to explain it exactly…" Kyle said rubbing his chin and feeling for his own magic. It had a feeling he could only describe as potential, it wanted to become something. Patiently waiting to be released. Stan's felt like it was straining for release.

"Remember when I said that each person had a different affinity for magic? Kyle has an affinity for manipulating space. I have an affinity for elemental magic and enchantment."

"Can you tell what my affinity is?" Stan asked following her line of thought.

"I am not sure, but I have an idea. Let's take this lesson out back." Sharon said using her staff to push herself to her feet with considerable effort. "We're going to need more room." Both boys followed her out into the back yard. As soon as they passed through the backdoor, the world dimmed and they knew they were now in the Nightlands.

"Mom! You shouldn't be using your magic like this!" Stan said as she wobbled unsteadily for a moment.

"Opening a portal to the Nightlands is hardly a taxing experience Stanley. But I appreciate your concern. But we needed to be away from the normal world if we're going to see just how much magic you've got.

"Ok then, what do you want me to do?" Stan said reaching inward for the magic stirring within him. Every time he felt that connection it was like electricity through his body. To him, it felt like raw energy waiting for release.

"First, Kyle I want you to come over here. You and I are going to put up the strongest barrier we can." Kyle did as he was asked and walked over to Sharon and performed a technique she had taught him only a few days earlier. It allowed two mages to share their magical barrier and amplify their strength to be more durable than the sum of its parts.

"Ok, I'm ready," Kyle said as he felt the barriers fall in sync with each other. "But why do we need to put up such a strong barrier?"

"Because Stan is going to pull out all of his magic at once," Sharon said concentrating on her half of the barrier. "Take it slowly Stanley, but I want you to pull out as much magic as you possibly can and then hold onto it."

"O-ok then…" Stan said trying to shake off his nerves by hopping from foot to foot in place. "Alright then, let's do this!" Stan took a wide and deep stance and threw all of his focus into calling up that feeling again. He knew exactly what he needed to think of. He thought of Kyle. How he sounded, how he looked, how he felt, how he tasted. Everything about his best friend and boyfriend. He never felt as whole as he did when he held Kyle for the first time.

"You can do this Stan!" he heard Kyle say even thru his intense concentration. The magic came quickly then, he gasped as it nearly overwhelmed him. He had grabbed so much of it, he felt like he was drowning.

"I can't!" Stan choked out as he lost his grip on the magic and it burst outward with destructive force. The force slammed against the combined shields of Kyle and Sharon. Cracks spidered through the incandescent shield as it strained against the explosion. And then it was over. Stan was lying on the ground unconscious.

"Stan!" Kyle cried letting his concentration on the shared barrier lapse as he rushed to his boyfriend. Sharon walked over slowly, clearly taxed by their struggle against Stan's magic.

"He'll be ok Kyle. He used too much power." She said pinching the bridge of her nose. The world shifted again and they were in the Marsh backyard again.

"Let's get him inside. When he wakes up we need to have a talk."

At the McCormick residence…

Kenny was in the kitchen cooking dinner for the four of them. Butters was giving Karen and Ike basic magic lessons. He was using the Hershey kiss training that Mrs. Marsh was fond of. He was still riding hide having his sister back in the house for good. He didn't even mind that it seemed like Ike might be crushing on her. He was a good kid. Butters noticed Kenny watching and smiled at him warmly.

"Dinner is almost ready. Go wash up." Kenny called and chuckled as both Karen and Ike practically ran over each other towards the sink to wash their hands. Butters walked into the kitchen and hugged Kenny from behind, hooking his chin over the other blond's shoulder.

"You seem happy." Butters said softly into his ear.

"Well I just love watching you be all motherly." Kenny said turning around in Butters' arms and wrapped his arms around him.

"This is nice." Butters said leaning into his boyfriend as he watched the two kids wash their hands and laugh. "It's been a while since we got to feel normal."

"I've never gotten to feel normal. But yea, I know what you mean. I don't want them to lose out on a normal life as we did."

"Then we better make sure we win." Butters squeezed Kenny's butt as he stepped back. "Now finish up, I'm hungry."

At the Testaburger's house…

Like the Marsh family, the Testaburgers had a magically reinforced range in their basement. The walls were magically warded against sound and damage, and it was much larger than normal. Wendy finished another magazine from the rifle she was using. Her mother had her mouth open in disbelief and her father threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"You're terrible! The McCormick boy shoots better than you!" He said slapping his knee in between pushing rounds into the next magazine. She hadn't hit even the farthest corners of the target.

"This is impossible! How do you control where the bullets go!?" Wendy said removing the magazine and ensuring rifle was empty before laying it down. "Magic is so much easier than this! I just think of where I want the spells to go!"

"You just haven't trained your hand-eye coordination dear." Her mother said softly stepping up to the line and leveling a shotgun and began hitting every bullseye, one after the other. Her dad stepped up with his wife's minigun and did the same, sending a barrage of rounds at each target.

"It takes time and practice. You'll get it, but you are far behind where most people your age are. You have had magic guiding your muscles since you were born. We're going to have to start with strengthening those muscles." Her father said while nodding. Her mother patted her on the back.

"Let's try to do some jumping jacks again. Take it slow and this time try and keep your arms and legs in sync."

Back at the Marsh house…

Stan woke up groggy. He was dizzy and didn't know where he was. His eyes wouldn't focus and everything was too bright.

"Kyle?" He called out as he tried to look for any orange and green blurs. A hand rested on his shoulder and Stan recognized the smell of his boyfriend.

"I'm here Stan. It's ok, just relax. You used way too much magic." Kyle said softly and rubbed Stan's back. He remembered what happened then and shivered.

"It was awful, I felt like I was drowning." Stan said as he rubbed his eyes that were finally coming into focus.

"I'm not surprised Stanley. The amount of magic you released was massive." Sharon said from her armchair, back in her bathrobe and slippers.

"How massive?" Stan asked sitting up the best he could with the dizziness.

"Sorcerer massive." She said smiling through her worry.

AN - Sorry it took so long for me to update again. Stuff is crazy as I'm sure you all are aware. Hope you all are doing ok. And like I said, look after each other!

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