Chapter 25: Misfortune Pt. 4- (Un)knowingly Walking Into A Trap

Leopold

"Are the two of you ready to return home...or to what's left of it?" Raven asks the two blondes that are sitting on the sofa in the living room. She's sitting in one of the armchairs.

Leopold isn't certain if he wants to see the state South Park is in right now. During the long years, he and Tweek have done nothing but train in the Dark realm under Raven's tutelage, not once did they leave this place. She wasn't easy on them, neither was she lenient, but she made sure they didn't receive serious injuries amidst their training. She also kept track of the years going by, as well as Leopold's and Tweek's ages. While she remained the same in both appearance and attire, Leopold and Tweek have grown into fine young men, although Tweek still have the eyes like a dead fish. Despite that, he's gotten less reclusive. Leopold's hair grew out smoothly and now covers his whole head, the tips just inches away from his shoulders. He and Tweek are wearing the same clothes they were dressed into when they first entered this house, though they were altered to fit their taller and slightly muscular frames. Tweek's hair grew a little bit, and is still spiky.

After more than a few minutes of tense silence, Leopold pushes his doubts aside to answer Raven's question, but in the form of another question. "H-how bad are things in South Park?"

Raven frowns. "It's best I show you both glimpses of what continuous battles ensue." She sticks out a hand towards the empty space in the middle of the living room, and a black aura manifests around her hand. An oval-shaped viewscreen with smoky borders appear before Leopold and Tweek. The aura disappears from Raven's hand and she lowers her arm. Leopold and Tweek are shown images of their hometown, rendering them stunned in horror, although Tweek isn't visibly expressing it. The clouds in the sky are nearly black. Many buildings have been razed upon recognition, and have big black roots coiled around them and on ones that are barely intact. The snow on the ground is a mixture of white and black. But what disturbs Leopold the most are a flock of unnaturally large birds perched along the walls belonging to half of a building. "The rest of the world appears just as horrific as this in similar or different aspects, or probably even worse," Raven says. "The roots and the snow are signs that the darkness isn't too far away, and those monsters are the Dark Master's creations. A small group of people and their Inner Guardians have been doing their best to prevent South Park from being completely destroyed. I'm sure the both of you know those humans very well." While Leopold looks somewhat at ease, Tweek—on the other hand—is still inexpressive. "So? What do you two want to do?" Raven asks as she crosses her arms. "Think deeply and carefully. If you boys aren't fully prepared to leave, I won't force you. But bear in mind the consequences of your choice. If you choose to remain here, then your allies will eventually meet their end, and Leopold..." After she said his name, Leopold locks eyes with her. He frowns nervously at the seriousness in her stygian orbs. "You may lose your chance to meet your Inner Guardian. They've been waiting and most likely have been searching for you for the past twelve years now. Any longer and they might get appointed to someone else." Leopold averts his attention to his lap, appearing conflicted. He doesn't want either outcome to happen, but... "However, if you choose to assist your allies, then you both will have to execute everything you've learned in your training sessions into actual battles."

Silence takes a hold of the house once more. Tweek maintains a blank stare on the picture of the bird monsters. Leopold is not ashamed to admit that he enjoyed his time in the Realm of Darkness more than on earth. He at first thought training to get magical powers was going to be extremely tedious, but it wasn't so bad. All that was mostly required was absolute concentration. Since he was destined to acquire an Inner Guardian, it didn't take him too long to gain a Magical Core. He attained it at the age of eight. Tweek got his at 10 years old. Because he was once a Being of Darkness' means of keeping itself hidden, Raven doubted an Inner Guardian was assigned to him. Leopold wasn't sure if Tweek was saddened by her honest assumption or not, even now he still doesn't know. Tweek hasn't shown any emotions for twelve years straight.

"What...do you wanna do, Tweek?" Leopold asks, keeping his gaze on his lap. Raven warned him and Tweek not to become too attached to this place for they were humans, plus Leopold still hadn't met his Inner Guardian yet, and they didn't know what their attribute was. Leopold couldn't help but feel more at home here than at his own home back on earth, the main reason being he didn't have to deal with constantly getting grounded. Even though all he and Tweek did was train, at least Raven didn't punish them unfairly for failing certain tasks. Instead, she did the complete opposite of that—she encouraged them to keep at it and never give up.

"...I don't know."

Tweek's impassive response almost makes Leopold sigh. Whenever it comes to making a decision, it is always left up to Leopold—whether it be for himself, Tweek, or them both. He didn't mind it when they were younger because he liked the feeling of being relied on, but now that they're older, he wishes Tweek would start deciding things for himself.

Without much deliberation as to whether he wants to stay here or leave, Leopold locks eyes with Raven and voices out his answer. "We'll go."

The Dark spirit gives him a small smile. He looks a bit nervous contrary to his firm tone just now. He is ready to go back to South Park, however he is not ready to fight the enemies there. Uncrossing her arms, Raven dispels her spell, then stands up. "Very well. We will depart now." Leopold and Tweek also rise to their feet. Tweek is at least five inches taller than Leopold not because of his hair, but because of his natural height. They face Raven. "Do not let your guard down when we arrive," she warns them.

"Okay." Despite his resolute reply, Leopold is becoming increasingly anxious. He balls his hands into fists. Tweek inches to stand next to him. Leopold feels fingers timidly trying to grab his hand. Relaxing at the obvious person's touch, he gently grasps Tweek's hand. He looks over at Tweek with a small smile to which Tweek returns seemingly half-heartedly.

Raven engulfs all three of them inside of a dense, black barrier, then they're transported to South Park.

After a couple of seconds, Raven's house and the barrier it is in begin to vanish, soon leaving the large grey castle as the only building in the realm.


Kenny and Stan

Stan pauses what he was doing, only having boxers and a short-sleeved shirt out on top of his dresser, to look at Kenny with furrowed eyebrows. "What makes you think that they're still here?"

"I had Yuna look into the condition of my house, and she told me nothing happened to it," Kenny says.

Stan appears shocked, but then he shakes his head. "That's definitely a trap." He resumes rummaging through each drawer for a pair of pants and socks.

"Exactly What I Said," Yuna says.

Kenny presses his lips into a line. "Even if it is, I still wanna go look."

Stan sets both his pants and socks down on the surface of his dresser, completing his attire. He doesn't put anything on since Kenny is still in his room. He faces the blonde and white-haired teen. "Did you tell my mom and Kyle about this?"

"No. I don't plan on telling them." It's not because Kenny doesn't trust them, rather he wants to avoid causing a big commotion. All he wants to do is check if Karen and Kevin are still in the bungalow, that's it.

"So you only want the two of us to go into enemy territory?" Stan asks incredulously. "I already went into one earlier, and almost died."

"That's because you were by yourself," Kenny says, smirking faintly.

"Still, I don't think we should risk it."

Kenny frowns. "C'mon, Stan. Please? I just...want some closure."

Stan resonates with the desperation Kenny is feeling. When it comes to a missing family member, one would do anything they can to find them. Even going so far as to put themselves and others in danger. Stan has held onto the likelihood of his father and older sister being in the custody of an Inner Guardian. If Kenny hadn't reassured him the day he found out they had disappeared, he would've believed that they'd been corrupted. He feels he owes Kenny for abating his worries in this regard. He heaves a sigh. "I understand not telling my mom, but how come you don't wanna tell Kyle?" He knows full well that his mother is very protective of him, Kenny, and Kyle, not that he can blame her for being that way.

Kenny looks at the floor. He must choose his words carefully, they're best friends and he doesn't want to say something that will weaken or shatter their bond. He doesn't think their friendship is feeble enough to be ruined by some truthful words, but since it's concerning Kyle, someone Stan deems as his super best friend, Kenny knows he will get offended if he badmouths him unintentionally.

"You won't believe me if I tell you."

"Depends on what you say."

Already Stan sounded defensive. Kenny raises his head to look Stan in the eyes. "What you said about Kyle becoming a different person one day...has come true." Neither Stan nor Mrs. Marsh noticed Kyle's change in personality because he's been hiding it from them like a flawless disguise. However, Kenny witnessed his uncommon disposition when they all fought against the mob of monsters five years ago. Everyone was so focused fighting, but Kenny was very attentive of his surroundings, managing to fight and look out for his allies simultaneously. Mrs. Marsh did the same, but she didn't see Kyle standing further away from the rest like Kenny did. Either that or she didn't think much of it. He won't ever forget Kyle's distant visage, his face stained with purple blood. Not only that, but hardly any monsters were attacking him. That in and of itself was very strange. Since then on, only Kenny would see Kyle acting aloof from time to time. He thinks when Stan told them about a dream he had when he was a child that featured Kyle behaving hurtful towards him back when they were 12 years old is what sparked such a change, saying that was how he was going to be in the future. The only advise he was given was to basically observe Kyle, which displeased the redhead, rightfully so. He wasn't some rare specimen. Stan vowed to keep a close eye on Kyle, not saying that to his face of course, but it seems he failed to do so as the years passed by.

Kenny watches as Stan's face slowly morphs into an expression of horror, a look he didn't expect to see. He thought Stan would instantly be skeptical of him. "Shit...w-when did it happen?"

"Five years ago when we were fighting all of those monsters."

"Shiiiit," Stan curses, pinching the bridge of his nose. All this time he thought he was doing a really good job keeping a watchful eye on Kyle, but it turns out he had been utterly oblivious. How frustrating.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. Kyle is still Kyle no matter how he acts. At least he's not acting like Eric."

Stan lowers his hand from his face with a frown. "You're right, but..." What if he does? What if he becomes hostile someday? Stan sighs again. "Let me put on my clothes. I'll meet you outside."

Kenny can tell that he's still troubled. "Okay." Kenny leaves the room in a white flash of light.

Stan switches his shirt to a long-sleeved one before putting on his clothes. Not long after, he joins Kenny outside of the barrier, who seems not fazed by the cold.

"We need to be quick, so no one notices that we're gone," Stan says.

"Right," Kenny says with a nod.

"Meaning if there's a monster there, don't fight it. Just teleport away."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Kenny teleports them to his old home in another white light. They enter the poor side of town in a matter of seconds, standing in the McCormick's front yard.

Stan can't believe that the bungalow hasn't changed even in the slightest. It's the only house in the neighborhood that's still intact to a certain extent, but that's how it's always looked. He looks over at Kenny, his hazel eyes are threatening to water, but he's keeping any from falling through sheer willpower.

"Kenneth, Be Careful. There's Something Inside That House," Yuna says.

Clenching his hands into fists, Kenny walks up to the porch. Stan follows after him. They stop before the front door. Kenny hovers a hand over the doorknob. After exhaling through his nostrils, he grips the round handle, and opens the door. He walks into his previous home with caution, the inside looks and even smells the same as he remembers them.

The moment Stan takes one step forward, the door slams shut in his face. "W-what the hell?!" He exclaims.

Kenny spins around, shocked to see the door closed. He tries to open it, but it doesn't budge. "Stan?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm the one who should be asking you that," Stan says calmly. "Looks like the door's locked."

"Yeah." Kenny takes some steps back. "Try-"

"Kenny...?"

Kenny's breath hitches in his throat.

"Kenny?" This time, Stan is the one who calls his name. "What's wrong? What were you gonna say?" Is what he asks, but his voice didn't reach Kenny's ears.

His eyes wide, Kenny slowly turns around. He sees a little girl with light brown hair and mocha-colored eyes standing in the short hallway, wearing a dirtied green sweater and dark blue pants. There's nothing on her feet.

Tears resurface in Kenny's eyes. "K...Karen?" He forces out in a whisper.

"No, That's Not-"

"Is that...really you, Kenny?" Karen asks, hesitantly approaching him.

Kenny manages a weak smile. "Yeah...it's me, Kare." He walks towards her, and they stop once they're close.

"Kenneth-"

"W-what happened to you?" Karen asks, studying her second elder brother's appearance. "You're...taller now, and your hair...did you dye it?"

A few tears drip down Kenny's cheeks. He gets down on one knee and hugs the girl. The fact that he's touching her right now means she's real. She's not an illusion. "I've...gotten older..." Saying that causes him to widen his eyes in realization.

"Where's mom, dad, and Kevin? Have they gotten older too?"

"Kenneth, Let Go Of Her Right Now!" Yuna's loud voice startles Kenny completely back to his senses. "That's Not Your Sister!"

Kenny quickly separates from the child, and creates some distance. The little girl stares at him in confusion. He glares at her.

"Reveal yourself, now," he demands sharply.

The girl tilts her head slightly to the side. "What are you talking about?" She asks, blinking her eyes innocently.

Kenny feels his blood beginning to boil. He doesn't know who to be mad at, himself for getting swept up in his emotions or this...thing pretending to be his younger sibling. "You're not my sister."

The child blinks again, then her lips break out into an uncanny smile. Her eyes darken in color. "It's a shame I couldn't fool you a little bit longer." A thick, black aura springs up from the floor underneath her feet, and surrounds her whole body. "Toyin' with a human's emotions will neva get old." 'It' giggles.

Kenny grits his teeth, hardening his scowl. The aura becomes bigger, surpassing Kenny's height but not to a point where it touches the ceiling, and two rows of sharp white teeth emerge from within the aura.

"Just Our Luck, It's A Being Of Darkness," Yuna mutters scornfully.

Kenny wipes the tears in his eyes. He cracks his knuckles on each hand, itching to take his anger out on this bastard for impersonating his little sister.


Leopold

"We're here," Raven announces as she summons away her Transportation Barrier.

Standing on a snow-covered sidewalk, Leopold and Tweek look around for any bird creatures, spotting two of them observing them from on top of a crumbled building several yards away. Leopold keeps his body from shivering, only the hand gripping Tweek's is warm. He forgot how cold it is here. It's going to take awhile for him to get re-accustomed to the low temperature.

"Let's go," Raven says, and she starts walking. "Since those monsters aren't making an attempt to attack us, let's not provoke them otherwise we will alert the rest of them that are nearby. Stay vigilant though."

Heeding her advice, Leopold and Tweek trail behind her. Every bird monster within the vicinity watch them with their big red eyes, but they stay put.

"Where are we goin'?" Leopold asks.

"We're going to look for your Inner Guardian. Their energy is faint, but I think I know where it's originating from," Raven answers.

Leopold becomes a bit excited to see his Inner Guardian. He feels bad for keeping them waiting for so long though, he'll be sure to apologize to them when they meet. "Are you able ta tell if they're Light, Dark, or Mixed?"

Raven shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. Once we get closer, I might get a hint of what their attribute is."

As they gradually walk away from the bird monsters, Leopold decides to glance around. His small smile drops into a line. South Park wouldn't have looked any different if most of the buildings weren't damaged and had unearthly roots around them, if the darkness wasn't mixed within the clouds and snow, and if the birds weren't turned into ugly beasts. He looks over at Tweek, he's staring straight ahead with a dull gaze. For a brief moment, Leopold envisions those blue-green irises brimming with life. He looks away.

After about ten minutes of ambling, Raven stops. Leopold and Tweek stop beside her. A chilly breeze brushes past them, gently swaying their hair. Leopold instantly sees something that causes his sky-blue eyes to widen, a maroon-colored house that's across the street from them. Unlike the other houses in the area, his is still in one piece, looking as though someone or perhaps something has been protecting it throughout the years.

"Seems your Inner Guardian is in your house," Raven says to Leopold. Her eyes soften sympathetically when she sees the hesitant and horrified look on the teen's face, his eyes noticeably quivering.

Memories of Leopold's childhood race through his mind—all of which are of his parents being overly strict and callous. It ends with two pairs of pupil-less dark green eyes looking at him, his parents' faces expressionless.

"Leo?"

Leopold blinks with a gasp, registering the pressure on his hand, and Raven's and Tweek's concerned eyes on him without having to look at them.

"It's okay, Leopold. None of the corrupted people are here," Raven says.

Leopold is far from being relieved. He shakes his head. "A-Aah don't want anythin' ta do with that house." He doesn't care that his parents are gone, it's not like they took the bad memories with them.

"But your Inner Guardian is waiting for you. Don't you-"

"Raven, please don't force him," Tweek says, his tone soft yet stern.

"You're right. I apologize," Raven says, frowning out of guilt.

Tweek gives Leopold a small smile. "We don't have to go there right now until you're ready to." Leopold purses his lips into a tight line, appreciative of Tweek's kindness. "Instead...do you wanna come with me to check out my house?"

Leopold looks to Tweek in shock. "Your house?" Then he frowns. "But...your parents..." He trails off, unable to say, or rather remind Tweek that his parents were killed there.

Sadness can be seen in Tweek's small smile. "I know. I...just wanna get one last look at it." Leopold already knows that Tweek has long since accepted his parents' deaths, it's the very reason why he's so numb to expressing his emotions now. Leopold nods his head, willing to go with him. Tweek looks at Raven. "We're gonna go to my house, if that's okay with you?"

The woman sighs. "Sure, go ahead. I guess I'll go talk to the Inner Guardian in the meantime." She walks to the Stotch's house. "Just remember to be careful."

"We will," Tweek says. "Ready?" He asks Leopold. Receiving another nod, Tweek conjures up a green barrier to transport them to his house.

/

Tweek and Leopold

The barrier disappears, leaving the duo standing in the front yard of the Tweak's partly demolished house. The roof looks caved in with the indication that something big must've crashed into it, and the plum color of the house has faded to a paler shade.

Tweek stares at what's left of his home with teary eyes. In his mind's eye, he sees his mother and father, but...he can't recall either of their faces clearly. He tries his damnedest to imagine what his parents looked like, but instead only pictures their heads almost severed from their bodies.

He feels Leopold lightly squeeze his hand, snapping him out of it. He closes his eyes, exhaling shakily.

Leopold has never seen Tweek be on the verge of crying before. He can feel his own eyes watering, not out of empathy because his parents weren't killed, but out of sympathy. Seems Tweek isn't entirely devoid of emotions like he initially thought.

Opening his eyes, Tweek shows him that he is alright in the form of a weak smile. Now that he's seen his home, they can leave. He doesn't want to go in, he doesn't have a reason to. There's nothing worth taking out to keep as a memento, not that anything would help him remember his deceased parents' faces anyway. Just when he's about to tell Leopold that he's seen enough, he hears a voice inside his head.

"Well, if it isn't the murderer."

Tweek's eyes expand at the female's cold and raspy voice.

Leopold shoots him a worried look. "Tweek? What's wrong?" He asks. He doesn't get a response.

"You got us killed." A male's voice spoke to Tweek this time, and he sounded just as derisive.

Leopold grows even more concerned when Tweek releases his hand and clutches at his hair, his body trembling as the tears finally stream down his cheeks. Leopold examines the house, trying to find what could be distressing Tweek, but doesn't spot the potential cause.

"You and the monster you served are both murderers!" The man and woman say venomously.

"No!" Tweek sinks to his knees.

Leopold immediately gets down on his level. "What's the matter?! Please tell me, so Aah can help!"

A creaking sound catches Leopold's attention, surprised to see the front door opening on its own. A potent stench he can't describe begins to pervade the air around him and Tweek. He covers his nose and mouth with one hand, feeling a sense of deja vu as he watches the door come to a stop, the inside of the house pitch-black. Two pairs of dark red eyes glow from within the darkness. Leopold is struck with dread.

"Aww, look at him cowering like a baby," a woman says mockingly. Leopold cringes at her voice, she sounded similar to a temperamental old lady. "Oh, and it seems he's brought a friend. How surprising."

"Friend? More like an accomplice. The bastard's a heartless murderer after all," a man says hatefully, sounding like a contumelious elder.

"Murderer?" Leopold repeats, puzzled. He looks back at Tweek, seeing that he's no longer shaking. His wide, lifeless eyes are staring at the ones in the opened doorway.

"I-it can't be..." More tears dampen Tweek's flushed cheeks. "They're...supposed to be dead..."

The entities in the house share a short laugh. "Yeah, no thanks to you," the woman points out harshly. "Our own son chose to spare the lives of his friends over his own parents. How utterly despicable."

"Mm-hmm," the man hums in agreement.

Leopold frowns behind his hand. He knows who those voices belong to now. Tweek told him and Raven what happened to his parents years ago. Even though they already knew, Tweek told them the full story without shedding a single tear, that his parents were killed because he couldn't decide if he wanted the Being of Darkness to kill them or Clyde and Craig. It was his punishment for disobeying its orders, which was to end his friendship with Clyde and Craig. He was never provided a reason as to why he had to do that, and he'll never know since the Being of Darkness is dead. Leopold was hurt after he found out Tweek ditched his friends to hang out with him because of the Being of Darkness, but the feeling quickly left when Tweek revealed that he actually enjoyed his company.

Looking back at Mr. and Mrs. Tweak, Leopold lowers his hand from his face. "He did no such thing." The dark red eyes narrow at him, unaware that Tweek is also looking at him, but in slight shock. "Aah understand that you both are upset at him, but blamin' him for somethin' that was clearly beyond his control isn't right. He was just a kid at the time."

"Hah! Upset is an understatement," Mrs. Tweak says. "We died because of him, because he got involved with some monster."

"Even if he had told y'all about the monster, y'all wouldn't have believed him," Leopold argues.

"Yes, that's true," says Mr. Tweak. "But I highly doubt the outcome would've changed seeing as how Tweek was that thing's little lackey. Actually, we'll let bygones be bygones if he does one simple thing for us."

"...R-really?"

Not liking how hopeful Tweek sounded just now, Leopold looks at him again. "Don't fall for it, Tweek. It can't be anythin' good."

"Silence, you bothersome pest," Tweek's mother seethes. "Your presence has been irking me the moment you opened your mouth. Let's do away with you."

A black tentacle swiftly slithers its way towards Leopold from out of the doorway, and wraps around his upper half three times. It lifts him up. "L-Leo!" Tweek reaches for his hand, but doing so causes the tentacle to tighten its grip. Tweek retracts his hand with a fright when Leopold lets out a groan of pain. He stands up giving the eyes of his parents a pleading look. "Put him down!"

"Oh?" His mother says. "You dare tell your mother what to do?"

Tweek flinches. "Please, leave him alone."

"If he had just stayed out of our business, he wouldn't be in this situation."

"Exactly," his father says. "Now, back to what I was saying-"

"N-no, d-don't l-listen ta whatever he has ta say-augh!" The tentacle increases its pressure around Leopold once again. His eyes shut tight and his teeth gritted together, a thin string of blood trails down to his chin. It feels like his organs are being crushed, making it difficult to breathe.

"You're going to keep 'it' entertained while we handle family matters, so try not to die too quickly," Mrs. Tweak says.

The limb raises Leopold a little higher into the air, then tosses him into the big hole in the roof. Tweek watches Leopold crash into the crater with hopeless horror, the harsh impact kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Now that your 'friend' is finally out of the picture," his father says. He returns his attention to the evil eyes in the house. "Are you willing to hear my proposal?"

"That shouldn't even be a question. He has no other choice if he wants to be forgiven."

Narrowing his eyes nervously, Tweek curls his hands into fists. His mother is both right and wrong. He does want to repent since he was responsible for their deaths, even though it wasn't something he could've prevented considering his age at the time, but he does have one other option.

"Hmm? What's with that defiant look?" Mrs. Tweak's eyes glare at him again.

Tweek recalls what the Being of Darkness said to him after it slashed his mother and father's necks.

"See? This was supposed to be Clyde and Craig, not your parents. Whether they're a baby, a child, a teenager, or an adult wouldn't have mattered to me, as long as you learned your lesson for failing to comply with an order that was assigned to you. What I merely did was set an example. If you ever were to oppose the Master's orders, you'd rue the day you did. You only have yourself to blame, Little Tweek. Keep that in mind as you live the rest of your days with regret."

Tweek channels some magic into his hands, bringing forth green auras. His empty eyes soften. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Mrs. Tweak asks. "For getting us killed, or for defying us?"

"Both," Tweek answers without any hesitation.

"Hmph, as if a mere apology is enough."

"I know it's not, but I had to say it in order to lessen the guilt I've been feeling all these years, as well as clear up the misunderstanding. You both may think that I value my friends more, but I don't and I never did. I just...couldn't choose who I wanted to die back then, I didn't even want to do it. I loved the both of you and my friends equally. It was...so unfair..." Tweek's fists start shaking. He's feeling angry and sad at the same time.

"So...you're going to kill us yourself?" His mother asks.

Tweek shakes his head with a pained small smile. A cold wind blows through his hair. "You're already dead. What I'm gonna do...is grant your souls a proper rest."