South Park © Matt & Trey.

Thanks for all the reviews! This is the epilogue, hope you guys enjoy it. Yeah, I tend to overuse letters in fanfics, but shhhh, it's okay. They just tie things together so nicely.

r&r ~

Kyle's POV

Because this was a story about life and love, in turn, it was a story about death.

Kenny never did come back.

When we were nineteen years old, he disappeared from our lives. He was slipping away, I could feel it. I wanted desperately to stop him from slipping away any further, but I couldn't. No one could, not even himself.

The following week we found a note. It said:

Hey, everyone.

I wrote Craig a letter and I decided I'd write you guys a letter, too!

You're all probably wondering how I'm writing this, and how you can be reading it, right? Let me just say that being on Satan's good side gets you all kinds of things.

I'm sorry. I always knew it was inevitable. I used to go around saying I was invincible, but no one is truly invincible.

Try not to cry too much, hell isn't that bad of a place. There are motels, and parties. Satan is pretty cool once you get to know him, and someday you'll all be here with me. Don't let that scare you, though. Heh heh heh.

I'll be okay. I already know what I'm going to do when I get done writing this letter. I'll play chess with Damien. I'll help Satan with his many problems, because deep down, he's a huge softie. I'll go find my mom, and I'll tell her I forgive her. I'll wait for you all.

I'm glad I've helped you guys, even if just a little bit.

So maybe that was it. Maybe that was my purpose in life. Maybe that was Destiny's plan for me. I feel like I was too busy trying to figure it out that I didn't realize it was what I've been doing my whole life. The answers to my questions were right under my nose.

Even if it was something small as that, it makes me happy knowing I did something right. It makes me happy knowing I might've made a positive impact in a few lives.

It took me long enough, but maybe I've figured it out.

So don't feel sad for me anymore. I've embraced my death. Sure, I'd rather be up there with you guys but hey, goodbyes aren't forever.

Anyway, I'm ranting! I'll wrap this up.

Be good to each other. I'll see you all again, but not until you've lived your lives.

Infinite love,

Kenny

Yeah, Kenny had always been all-knowing, so it had only made sense for him to have known he was going to die. Yet still, I wanted to question him. I wanted to tell him he was lying. I wanted him to crack a smile and tell us that yes, he was lying. But that didn't happen. It wasn't another one of his jokes.

At first I couldn't believe it. I kept thinking, "Kenny may be gone, but he'll be back, right? This has to be a joke." However, this time, true to his words, he didn't come back. When I watched him walk away, I wasn't as hopeful as I had been earlier on in the night. The reality of it all had set in, and then there was only room for acceptance.

People always told Kenny that he couldn't possibly know the things he claimed to know. He continued to prove them wrong every single time he turned out to be right.

It all happened many summers ago. None of us saw him die. He wanted it that way. We all watched him walk away until he had disappeared and that was it.

Kenny was gone.

Kenny is gone.

I used to think he held us and this entire fucking place together. After he died, I realized that wasn't true. We can all hold our own, and we do it while staying together. But maybe it is thanks to him that we can.

I remember weeks before he passed, we were playing guitar hero and chatting mindlessly about things that didn't matter at all.

They were all laughing and they were all smiling. I was trying to pay attention but my mind kept going back to Kenny, who was laughing along with them. Looking back on it, I have a nagging suspicion he was faking it, putting on a happy face so he wouldn't have to worry us.

So there he was, looking like he always did. Happy. To this day, I still don't know how he did it. I would have gone mad, but maybe it was the only thing he could do to keep himself sane.

No one will ever be able to replace Kenny, but it's nice to be able to share our memories of him together with everyone else. I think knowing that would have made Kenny happy. Then again, maybe, wherever he is, he already does know.

Months after it had happened, I said to Stan, "There are no ghosts, but I think it's possible for people to still get haunted."

"How so?" he asked.

"It's memories that haunt people and make them see the dead," I explained, "The good and the bad memories."

And maybe that's okay.

Years have passed since then, but not a day goes by where Kenny doesn't cross my mind.

Kenny died, but he never once stopped being a part of our lives.

I think I can say the same for the rest of the guys as well. However, it isn't a bad thing like some people may think. It isn't bad at all to remember old friends.

Old friends, and new.

Cartman is now the proud CEO of his own company, the proud husband of Wendy, and a soon-to-be-father. Though, to be frank, that thought kind of frightens me.

I'm a lawyer now, and Stan dropped out of university, believe it or not. Sometimes I think the only reason he went was because I was going. He now coaches the local football team. I think that suits him.

Craig has taken over the auto shop after the old man he worked for retired.

Thanks to Craig's time and patience, Tweek was able to leave the hospital. He's still sick, and some days are worse than others, but I doubt the hospital was doing him any good. Slowly, I think he's doing better.

Though Tweek isn't the only one, I think we are all doing much better.

Today, we are all gathering once again to show Kenny how much we love him. We laugh and share silly stories and it's nice.

After visiting Kenny, we will go back to the local bar. Cartman will order rounds of beer and a cup of juice for me. We will make a toast to Kenny, celebrating his life – something we will continue to do until we see him again.

It's just like Kenny always said – life goes up and life goes down. It truly is a roller coaster but then again, who said it would be otherwise? There are good times, there are bad times and if Kenny was here I know he would agree that death is always painful. It is painful for the person dying, but painful for those left behind as well. I know he must have understood this, too.

Craig walks hand-in-hand with Tweek, while I do the same with Stan.

"You're much gentler these days," I say to a humble Eric Cartman on the walk to the cemetery. He has a protective arm around his very pregnant wife, who is smiling contentedly.

"I know," he laughs, "I wonder what happened."

He says that, but he knows exactly what happened. We all changed after Kenny died. I think he made us all better people.

Each time we gather here I find myself wondering what he might have been thinking of when he finally left us, or was he thinking of anything at all? I find myself wondering what it would be like to be buried with the earthworms, dirt, lanky roots and skeletons. It's something I'm sure Kenny was all too familiar with –

Kenneth McCormick

1994 – 2013

A son, a brother

A lover, a friend

Letting go of Stan's hand, I lean down and place a daisy on the gravestone. A simple flower for a guy who wanted nothing more than a simple life. I stare for a long time before finally speaking.

"Hey, Kenny..." I put on my best smile, the way I did when he walked away seven years ago. "We're back."

The end.