Hey there! After 5 years, here's the final chapter to conclude this story about Lizzy's origins. Quick recall, the first chapter was written in 2015, the second in 2017, and now we are in 2022. Yay! I finally finished this story after finishing the special episodes of South Park about covid. I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter.

Almost a whole year. It has been almost a year since she has been missing. Her family had been looking for her all this time and the police were led to believe she was most likely dead. But even so, her family had hoped she would come back someday. And their faith had been rewarded.

"Oh, Lizzy, I'm so glad you're okay! Please if you ever are in trouble again, talk to us, okay honey?" her mom had told her as she had hugged her.

"Yeah, don't go run out like that for almost a year again!" her dad had added, half scolding half relieved.

Ah, yes. She couldn't really tell them the truth, right? That she spent the last year frozen in a rock inside a volcano after an attempt to prove her immortality (which she did, by the way). So instead, she just pretended she ran away from home because of some personal trouble. That geologist who found her, Randy Marsh, didn't seem interested in telling the truth. He himself wasn't even sure of what he witnessed and seemed to have been high on something (weed, probably). So he wouldn't be a problem. Just the nice man who found her and brought her home.

Even her little sister Sally, with whom she didn't always had gotten alone, had given her a warm hug when her big sister came back home safe.

Physically safe, that is to say. But mentally? Lizzy wasn't sure.

She really can't die. She tried everything. And now, she lost almost a year and made those who cared about her worried. And she had no idea why she had that ability…

" Maybe I should have just… died. This way I wouldn't feel shitty for worrying my mom, my sister, and even my stupid dad… and… "

Knock Knock Knock

Lizzy flinched. Someone knocking at the door. With her mom at work, her dad at the bar and her sister at a friend's house, she was all alone. She was tempted to ignore it, not in the mood, but whoever was there was pretty insistent.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Ugh, fine! I'm coming!" she said, before giggling. "Hehe, coming…"

She got out of her room and went to the living room and opened the room. She immediately froze when she saw who it was.

"You-"

"How dare you leave me like that without a word!" Powder yelled as she stepped inside the house.

Sally Turner, aka Powder (yep, same name as her little sister) was Lizzy's best friend. And she seemed clearly pissed right now. Of course. She was of the people who must have been the most affected by Lizzy's disappearance.

"P-Powder, wait! Let me explain-"

"I heard everything! Your mom told my mom! You ran out from home and didn't even tell me, your bestie!? How could you!? If you were in any kind of trouble, I could have helped you! But instead, I… I thought you were dead!"

"But, Powder… you're friend with all the popular girls, I'm sure you weren't alone when I was gone…"

"It doesn't matter! You think I care about them? Sure they are 'friends' as in 'school friends', classmates, but they are not close friends… they are not my best friend…"

Now Lizzy really felt bad. She really thought Powder would be fine and might even be better how without her, an asocial girl who never really wanted to get along with her classmates. Powder was popular and she felt like she might one day endanger her status among the other popular girls. But it seemed like her best friend didn't see it that way.

"Powder… I… I'm sorry… I didn't think you view valued our friendship as much as I did. I thought… you'd prefer to be with those popular girls rather than me…"

"Lizzy… of course not! I'd ditch them all if one day they tell me to stop hanging out with you in a heartbeat! Screw them! You're my bestie, I couldn't care less about Wendy, Bebe, Red or even Esther!"

Lizzy could feel her mood lighten. Powder… still view her as her best friend, and she mattered more to her than all the popular girls.

"Is this… why you left? Because you thought I would rather hang out with them rather than you?"

Now Lizzy felt conflicted. The real reason why she was missing had nothing to do with that, but it was true she felt that way regarding Powder and the popular girls. It might be a lie, but there was some truth in it and it could be a way to just, solve this whole issue. That and telling the actual truth.

But telling Powder about her strange ability… She might not believe her. Think she was pranking her. Or be scared of her. She might be able to prove it somehow, but Lizzy had enough of injuring herself on purpose. Not after losing almost a year from her last attempt. Who knows how it would affect their friendship if Powder knows the truth, she would probably not be able to look at her the same way ever again.

"Y-Yeah, that's why," Lizzy nodded. "And it was very dumb of me and I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again or doubt our friendship! I swear I'll make it up to you!"

"Hmmm…. Well then, I'd like for you to come back to school so I can have my only true friend with me once again. I'm pretty bored in class."

"Huh? But… I missed 10 seasons-

"Actually, it's 11 now plus 4 specials."

"Whatever, what I mean is that it's been almost an entire year! Fourth grade is almost over, how am I supposed to do? I'm not gonna make it to fifth grade!"

"Well, I guess you really need to start studying now to catch up if you want to pass the final exams," Powder said with a grin. "But don't worry, I have no problem helping you study anytime!"

Lizzy sighed. Seemed like those few next months will be harsh on her. But, if it was what it took to be with her best friend and make it up to her then maybe it was worth it.

She actually did it. She was standing in front of the school. Today was her first day as a fifth-grade student. She studied like crazy, hated it, but it paid in the end as she passed her fourth-grade exams. She will be able to be with Powder this year as promised, in the same class. She might have lost a year, but she wouldn't waste this one. For Powder's sake, she won't leave her all alone again.

And she didn't have to actually bother with the other students either. She can just be a background character once again. Everything could go back to normal where she hang out with Powder, away from others, while still allowing her to keep her status as a popular girl when she needed it. The best of both worlds.

Or at least she thought so. But little did she know, Lizzy was about to become one of the stars of her own spin-off…

Most of what happened in South Park did happen here. Back in 2017 Randy was still a geologist in the show and I believe and the tegrity stuff hasn't happened yet but let's assume it happened while Lizzy was studying at home.

I always had an idea of a spin-off focusing on four (or five) female characters, Lizzy, Powder, Wendy and Bebe, ever since 2011 but never really pursue it. I think this story can be a prequel for the spin-off I had in mind so if you're interested please let me know!

You can find some of my old comics following that idea on my tumblr ricky-toon!