Hey there, long time no see, eh? So, I'm not really gonna say anything about the year-long gap between the prologue chapter and chapter 1 because... no one cares. Just going to apologize and segway into this—here we go!
Bizarreberg. Hicksville. That one little freaky town with all the freaky shit.
South Park had developed a... weird relationship with the rest of Colorado. Folks from nearby towns would exchange glances when the town was mentioned, as if uttering the town's name would summon its mysterious influence on them. A magical influence that allowed the South Park folk to contact aliens by dawn, summon eldritch gods by midday, bring about the largest non-war massacre in world history by evening, and be in bed by 9. People just accepted that after a while.
Sean sat in the same office, swirling the same golden liquid as the same hailstorm buffeted the window behind. He was more careful when he set the glass down. He didn't want to ruin another glass full of whiskey after all. He thumbed through the official town page on a tablet with his right hand, pausing only when he raised the glass, which obscured his vision.
'They really just... advertise all this?' Sean scrolled past an image of a naked blonde child surrounded by anti-bullying propaganda. 'No. There's something else here.' His mind buzzed with possibility and impossibility. How was it that three people being murdered garnered national attention, yet hundreds in South Park didn't even make most local news? How was it that the laws of the country—the laws of reality—seemed to just vanish? Even now, seeing the image of Cthulhu caused a pit to appear in the bottom of Sean's body, like something was eating away at his flesh, emotions, sanity, and fiber of being at the same time.
He scrolled past.
'Even now, it just feels muted. I can't remember any of this, yet the evidence is right here.' He sighed, pushing the tablet down. Despite his fairly grim appearance, his white, deathlike skin didn't help, he wasn't annoyed. He was curious; intrigued. 'Questions for the future. For now...'
He spun around, facing the hailstorm. His hand made a curling gesture and the room groaned. The mahogany walls shuddered as a disguised metal passageway opened up. He had paperwork to file, bribes to make, and had to do a little convincing. Once all of that was taken care of though...
'It will become the perfect experimenting grounds.'
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Winter break had just hit. It wasn't exactly 'winter break', but there had been enough snow for South Park Elementary to close a week early. Ironically, The snow wasn't impeding anyone either with people finding time for their usual activities. Some said it was because the teachers just wanted an early break, but the school still closed, so it didn't really matter.
There was lots of excitement, doubly so for almost every fourth grader, with Christmas right around the corner. The town's warm lights and snow-covered building exuded a cozy charm. Energetic kindergartners dashed down streets, their warm laughter fighting away the frost. Some fourth graders were opting for more 'indoor' fun, catching up on series, playing video games and reading books. The adults frequently found themselves at Tweek Bros. Coffeehouse enjoying a special hot chocolate coffee, a drink that came with the assurance that it was not, in fact, laced with cocaine.
"CARTMAN, YOU FUCKING FATASS!"
But South Park was still South Park.
Kyle's voice rang out from the depths of their snow fortress. It had weeks of effort from nearly every boy in South Park, hours of learning, days of digging and sculpting the snow, and the end product spoke for itself. Walls of tightly packed snow bricks rose to just cover their heads, fortified with a strategic layer of ice for added resilience. 'The Wall', as they dubbed it, was Artica's first layer of defense, so they spared no expense. There were 4 towers on each corner, ice jutting out of them menacingly, and an in-progress moat surrounded it. Kyle grabbed at his hat, frustration almost causing him to tear it. It wasn't just him either. Stan, Tweek, Kenny, several of the boys sat in the well carved war room confused as the why The Snowverlord had summoned them so suddenly.
"We weren't supposed to attack them yet! The mo-"
"The moats will be ready in time, Sir Frostowitz." Cartman faced all the other boys, reached into his backpack and pulled out an ornate crown bedazzled with a rainbow of jewels. He held it up for all them to see. "With the Crystal Frost Tiara Diadem..." His serious expression dropped and he turned to Stan. "Dude. That is so weak."
"What?" Stan's face was totally confused.
"Bro, look at what the chicks named it. This is why girls aren't all-"
"CARTMAN!" Kyle yelled.
"Alright, alright... Jew."
"The hell did you just say to me?!" Kyle lunged at the fat boy, but was held back by Stan. Cartman pulled the tiara to his chest and held up his other hand, peacefully.
"Relax, Sir Frostowitz." He coughed, and held the crown up again. "With the Crystal Frost bla bla bla, we now have control over two-thirds of Artic Three and are one step away from avoiding the Great White Storm." The room was filled with the muttering of the other boys. "Yes, I took the Frost Cloak of Invisibility," He turned to Kyle. "But chill out. The girls are dumb and they aren't tough like us. They probably haven't even noti-"
Butters kicked the door in and slid into the room. Literally, he skidded a few feet from the momentum. He was clutching his chest and breathing hard. The room became dead silent, as reached towards Cartman and wheezed out the words. "Gurls sighted, Frosty's-." He collapsed from the exertion.
Kyle slowly brought his face into his hands.
Cartman was more active.
"THEY'RE PLOTTING A RAID!" Everybody rushed out of the room, sans Stan, Kenny, Kyle and the Snowverlord himself. He turned to the trio, and instead of being embarrassed, he was annoyed. "What are you g- You guys? It's a siege. You gotta defend Artica." Stan and Kenny moved out the room slowly, both casting glances at Kyle who made no effort to move.
They left the room. Cartman just raised an eyebrow to the boy who curled into a ball against the wall. Cartman waved to the door. Kyle didn't move. Cartman groaned, "Alright, Kyle. Why're you being such a baby now? I alread-"
"I'm counting."
"Look, unless you're fuck-"
"74." Kyle raised his face and looked Cartman dead in his eyes. "Seventy four times Cartman. Seventy four times you've gone behind our backs and done something this year." He rubbed his forehead. "I-I can't ev-Are we masochists? I don't even know why we're still friends with you." He got up slowly.
In every game that they played, there were 'roles' and 'classes' not that far from a role-playing videogame. Like how when playing Stick of Truth, most became Fighters or Mages, an Archer maybe if they had good aim. They always did it and here it was no different. Cartman was the Snowverlord, Great Mage of Ice, Snow, and all things relating to Cold and Winter. His outfit and weapon matched of course, being more light than what the Frostguard would wear.
Kyle was the head of the builders. He didn't want a fancy title, because there were twenty of them already and they were starting to get confused.
Kyle grabbed his spade and held it over his shoulder. "Every adventure. Every game. Every day." Cartman backed up slowly, accidentally pushing himself against a wall. He moved towards the door, but his short stubby frame paired with the snow, sent him tumbling down. "I'm sick of your shit Cartman, almost everybody in South Park is. I even decided to not be a fighter to not deal with your bullshit rules. What do you do? What do you go and do? You make it so what I built is torn down." He shook his head. "And one day... I hope you know how that feels." He left.
"...What the actual f-?"
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Figures dashed between the snow-laden trees leaving only footprints behind. Five, all cloaked in light furs they prowled for their targets. The gravity of the situation reflected in their eyes, as the girls shared a nod. One slowed, climbing the trees as they waited. Four, then three, then two, then one. The final broke through the edge of the forest and pulled out a pair of binoculars. She searched, and hissed disdainfully once she saw the colors peeking between crafted blocks of white and cold. The wind picked up, blowing off her hood. Rebecca "Red" McArthur didn't even notice, kept warm by her boiling blood. She raised a ball, small and inconspicuous, and shook it.
They would never understand.
It glowed red. She turned, holding it close to her chest so the bright, bloody light wouldn't be seen by their targets. The scout before her flashed her signal and then turn to the on behind her, a movement so quick it seemed choreographed. The chain reaction unfolded with dozens of lights visible, and then blinking out. The longer it went on, the brighter the flashes were as the concentration of scouts grew bigger. Until they didn't disappear, until all manner of colors stood lit up in a fluorescent wave near the heart of the forest.
Red dropped the ball and begun to walk back. They had the location, and soon enough they would have their queen's crown.
/-/
Bebe was on the brink of death.
Sensing another wave, Heidi gently roused Bebe, compelling her to sit up. Bandages, syringes, medical supplies of every kind laid scattered around the room. She reached for the nearest - sterile, she swore - tissue and shielded Bebe's mouth with it. Bebe's body convulsed violently with each cough. Blood soaked through the fabric, splattering onto her and Heidi's clothes, but she was too weak to notice.
It was that serious.
Heidi didn't mind. She didn't mind the blood, or taking care of Bebe. What she did mind, however, was being the only healer in a camp of over one hundred girls. So not only did she have to try and stop her queen from dying, possibly sending The Ladies of Winter's Grace into another state of depression, but she also had to deal with every other injury that still happened like usual. Bebe basically required her full attention, and some of the others were even pretending to be sick or injured just so they could pop in every and ask-
"Is she looking any better?"
-"EXACTLY THAT! NO, WENDY. IT'S. BEEN. FIFTEEN. MINUTES." Wendy and Bebe flinched from Heidi's annoyance fueled outburst. Feeling her queen tugging on robes, she sighed and moved the blonde to lay down again. "Coming in here every few minutes and asking doesn't change anything. She needs her crown back."
Wendy looked like she hadn't slept in days. Her hair, wild and unkempt, clung to her face and highlighted the dark bags under her dull eyes. The shock from flinching had just worn off and her head and body went back to swaying side to side. Even through this, she still managed to look apologetic. "S-sorry, it's been a rough couple of days."
Heidi's expression softened. "Being the queen's stand-in isn't all it claims to be? Can you pass me that syringe, pink?"
"No." Wendy picked up the tool in question, and handed it to the healer. "It doesn't claim to be anything. Maybe it would've been fine if Bebe was better because at least then we all got along well. Now it's all 'war against the boys', 'she stole my scarf', 'you're terrible we want Bebe back'. Wendy did air quotes, looking seconds away from strangling herself. Bebe snorted... before dissolving into another fit of coughing.
Heidi pulled the syringe away so she didn't accidentally impale her. Wendy was tired, but not too tired to wonder, "What's in that anyways?"
"Magic." Wendy chuckled, but when Heidi's face didn't even budge warning bells went off.
"Y-"
"No, I'm not joking. It's just raw pr-" Heidi positioned the syringe in front of Bebe's arm, but instead pain raced up her hand. Wendy kicked the syringe upwards and it shattered upon contact, raining down glass and pink liquid.
Wendy's foot hooked around Heidi and threw her into a wall. The dazed Heidi slammed into it and crumpled onto the ground. She swiped against her nose, and her fingers drew back red. "Wendy n-"
She could barely bring her arms up in time to avoid being decapitated. Her arms wrapped around the shard of glass that Wendy pressed up against her neck. With her lax expression, Wendy looked tired, but that was no more. Her hair, the redness of her eyes, the way her body was constantly in motion, she looked like a feral beast. She didn't speak, but growled out a response.
"It's not the crown, it's you. Pumping magic directly into her," She pressed down harder, drawing blood as the glass dug in slightly, "No wonder she hasn't stabilized."
"That's not-" Wendy continued to apply pressure, the glass cutting into Heidi's skin. The healer, 'healer', wasn't a combatant. She had no muscle strength, and what little she had got even smaller when she tried to talk. She realized the situation she was in. "No, y- I'm t-to save her!"
Wendy's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and desperation. "By killing her? Cartman may be a theif, but you're a murderer."
Heidi's vision blurred as she felt the sting of tears. "No!" Only choked noises followed.
"You've done enough. The queen doesn't need someone playing pretend. Not when they don't even know that basic shit." Darkness crept at the edges of Heidi's vision. The adrenaline was wearing off and she could only feel regret. The camp, Bebe, everything was slipping away.
Bebe's voice was firm. "Wendy. Stop."
Wendy's head whipped around, "Bu-"
On instinct, she dropped her weapon. Bebe had mustered the strength to sit up, her eyes locked onto Wendy in a mixture of authority and exhaustion.
Sadness.
Disappointment.
"B-but sh-she's—" Wendy stammered.
Heidi managed to croak out a response. "She's made of magic Wendy. I-I thought you knew."
Wendy looked to Bebe. Bebe nodded. Wendy threw herself off of Heidi, who rolled away, gasping for air. Heidi struggled to her feet, clutching a thin trail of blood that marked Wendy's assault. The healer was obviously angry, she opened her mouth but a glance at Bebe made and her hold herself back.
Wendy's shoulder's slumped. "I just... I thought..." There was a heavy tension as she searched for the right words. Heidi interrupted instead.
"I have more doses in my bag," she gestured to the bag beside Bebe, "Let me help her, then I can explain."
Wendy stepped away from the bag. Bebe kept her eyes on her as grabbed another syringe. She placed the tool by Bebe's arm, checking again for Wendy movement. Wendy was attentive, but she didn't move. Heidi pressed down slowly, administering half the liquid. Bebe's body sagged, she breathed out sounding relieved.
Heidi withdrew it and reached for other tools. She started to do checks, examining Bebe eyes, mouth, listening to her breathing. Minutes ticked on in silence as she looking for... something. She sagged off her chair and collapsed when she didn't find it. Her relief was short lived as her eyes locked onto Wendy. "Oh. You."
"I'm so sor-"
"I don't want your sorry. I just want to explain the thing, and then I want you to leave." Wendy's hand balled into a fist, but she let it go. Heidi got up and faced her, matching her glare.
"Fine."
"Good girl." Wendy took a step forward, more of a reflex than anything. Heidi was prepared. The tip of the syringe pointed at Wendy, the threat unspoken. They both knew that one press, one drop of the magical fluid and it was over. "I guess I'll begin then.
"When the three, y'know, Bebe, the pig, and... the ginger that has a name. They used to live in peace before they learned about the Great White Storm and they each took one of their special things and we got out three nations. You following me?" Wendy nodded.
"Cool. So this was the pig's idea, but since we're girls he didn't check Bebe's crown. Bebe isn't a human like us, she's an Ice Nymph."
Wendy held up a hand, so Heidi paused. "Ice Nymphs are going to appear before the storm though, so doesn't that mean..." The dots connected in Wendy's mind.
Heidi nodded. "We can't lose. Heidi's crown is permanently feeding her magic. Without that, or these vials, she would turn back and the crown would stop working. The Storm comes, and we'l; die, but the boys don't have the Crystal Diadem so they'll fall." Heidi snorted as she watched the realization play on Wendy's face.
Their heads turned to the loud horns that sounded. Heidi's hand relaxed, and she placed the needle within arms' reach. It was loud, almost deafening them through the walls. It was soon underlaid with the sounds of rapid chatter and movement, as every other girl responded to the war call.
Wendy glanced towards the door, the sounds rattling in her skull. Clarity stuck as she refaced Heidi. "So then nothing's changed. Our mission is still to reclaim the crown."
Heidi's lips curved into a small smile. "Good." She slung back into her seat. "The fate of our people basically rests on your shoulders so... bring the crown back, yeah?" Wendy nodded, and left. The war horns continued to sound, the camp turning into a flurry of activity.
Wendy swore death.
I've always wanted to do my own little 'game',but it's actually really weird to write. Like swapping what's real versus how the people playing the game see it for example. This was still fun to do, and I get to test it more in the next chapter with the actual war! Oh, and not really a plug since I don't intend to make money from this tbh. Still, I would want an external page besides fanfiction (especially since the site has been wonky lately) and Twitter/X, I can't see social media working really for writing. So this:
P a treon . com (slash) AlwaysMindfull. Check it out, don't, either or. Hope you enjoyed this nonetheless.
