Chapter 27: Fate's Shackles

Kyle and Luke

Kyle is at the grocery store, per Mrs. Marsh's request. Well, it was his turn anyway. They have a routine to only restock on groceries whenever they get low, Kenny was the first to volunteer and was ecstatic about it too. Kyle chuckles a little at the memory as he grabs several bags of chips and puts them into the shopping cart. He goes over to the opposite row of shelves that contain the drinks, and gets four two-liter bottles of soda of different flavors. After setting them down into the cart, he goes back to get two cases of soda, grabbing his personal favorites because he can, and puts them underneath the cart in front of two cases of water.

Getting behind the cart, he pushes it, leaving that aisle, and going to one that has healthy foods. Mrs. Marsh hates it when they only bring back junk food, and Kenny is to blame for that. With the amount of snacks and sodas he brought to the house that one time, Kyle thought he had almost emptied the shelves.

"Are you tryin' to make us fatter than Eric?" Stan commented that day. Only Kyle laughed while Kenny quickly denied the assumption, bashfully admitting that he went a little overboard, which was an understatement. Mrs. Marsh made him return half of the snacks and sodas. It was since then on that if they ever got just unhealthy foods, drinks, and snacks, then they would be forced to swap majority of them out with fruits and/or vegetables. The rule has not once been broken.

Kyle puts a bag of green grapes into the cart, then scans around for any other fruits to get. Whilst doing so, he can't help but be amazed all over again. Mrs. Marsh is really incredible. To be able to keep everything in here fresh that are well past their expiration date is just...admirable. This is the only grocery store she managed to save and protect inside of a 'Cessation Barrier'. Time does not flow here, thus none of the foods and beverages go bad—unless they're taken out of the barrier. However, anything the boys take home from here remain edible thanks to the barrier surrounding their home. Kyle doesn't know for sure if it's also a Cessation Barrier. Mrs. Marsh has more barriers put up around a few more stores and shops with the purpose of preventing them from being destroyed. After knowing this, the boys naturally became worried about her, thinking that having more than two barriers up was rapidly consuming her magical energy day by day. She told them that the barriers weren't taking too much out of her, and also told them that if she hadn't done this, then they wouldn't survive long with the rations they had.

Kyle settles on getting two cartons of strawberries since he and Mrs. Marsh like them.

"Don't Forget The Milk."

Kyle nods. "Okay, thanks for reminding me, Luke." He heads to where the dairy section is. Hearing just the wheels squeaking as he strolls along is a sound he's gotten used to, but every now and then, he would envision individuals, couples, and families walking about. He frowns, but he doesn't feel any sadness compared to the other times. Rather, he feels...nothing. Not one emotion.

The mental imagery alters drastically.

All of the lights go out and everyone stops, except Kyle. The silhouettes of every single person look at him. Their eyes glow and change to dark green. A little further ahead, two rows of fangs smile within the darkness.

"Sooon...Soon, you will join our cause, Kyle Broflovski. Your friends cannot change your fate. It is futile."

"Kyle?"

The eyes and fangs disappear, then the entire store brightens up. Kyle stops, he is alone. He blinks, light swiftly returning in his lime-green eyes. He notices instantly that he is not near any dairy products. Instead, he wandered into the frozen foods section. He heaves a sigh. "Sorry, I spaced out for a moment."

Luke frowns at the circular viewscreen in the orange sky in his domain. Nothing about the serene, evening landscape has changed. Kyle irregularly detaching himself from reality has been bothering Luke. Could the Dark Master be trying to get to Kyle through psychological means? This is what Luke initially thought whenever his host daydreamed, and he still thinks it's a possibility.

"Kyle...you know you can tell me anything that troubles you, right?"

Kyle decides to get four boxes of pizza—two cheese, one pepperoni, and one meat. "Yeah, and when something does trouble me, you'll be the first one to know."

"So, When Are You Going To Tell Me What The Dark Master Did To You Just Now? Or Has Been Doing For The Past Five Years."

Kyle sighs again after hearing Luke's miffed tone. He frowns. "Luke, it's nothing like that."

"Then Why Won't You Tell Me Or The Others?"

Kyle grips the handle of the shopping cart tightly. "Because it's nothing for you guys to worry about."

"Kyle-"

"Just drop it...please?"

"...Fine. I Will For Now."

Ignoring the pang of guilt in his chest, Kyle teleports home in a green flash of light, taking the shopping cart with him...But forgetting the milk.

Oh well.

As soon as he's standing in front of the barrier, he hurries inside it, so none of the groceries spoil. He stops when the front door flings open, and Mrs. Marsh steps out. Behind her are Clyde and Craig, Craig putting his chullo on his head. Damn, he's gotten taller. He's definitely surpassed Kenny in terms of height. Kyle forgot Luke informed him of their arrival earlier. He meant to greet them before leaving, but that slipped his mind too.

"Stan and Kenny are gone," Mrs. Marsh says as she approaches the redhead. "Did they tell you where they were going?"

Kyle can tell that she's trying not to panic solely from her face. "No." Mrs. Marsh appears distraught by his answer. "I don't think you should worry though since they're together," Kyle says, but Mrs. Marsh doesn't look the slightest bit reassured.

"Still, the fact that they left and didn't tell anyone was incredibly foolish. I've said countless times to never leave the house without any notice." Mrs. Marsh sighs, diluting her increasing anger and worry. "Clyde, Craig, and I are going to search for them. After you're done taking those inside, do not leave." With a serious expression, she walks away. "Even if we don't come back."

Clyde and Craig follow after her, greeting Kyle with a wave, though Craig's is meek. Kyle wants to comment about the purple blood staining every part of his clothes, to lighten the mood, but contains the impulse. It would be forced and most definitely lame since he's not feeling particularly jocular, and would make things twice as awkward. He musters up a small smile and waves back as they pass by him. "Be careful," he says as the smile leaves his face. He gets started on his task, deciding to take the heavy items inside the house first. He grabs the two cases of soda and sets them into the cart, then after taking in a deep breath, he grabs one of the cases of water. He hauls it into the house, going into the kitchen. Placing it on the floor next to the pantry door, he goes to bring the other one in. He pauses on the porch, his eyes widening a fraction. He sees two females standing outside of the barrier, one of them also looks surprised.

"Kyle?" The girl with long, blonde hair utters out almost quietly. Her frizzy locks remind Kyle of the popular yet talkative child of Park Tree Elementary. If she's here, then of course the teen beside her is her best friend, who was equally popular back then.

The small smile returns to Kyle's lips. "Hey, Bebe and Wendy."

The duo amble into the barrier. "Hi, Kyle," Wendy says sweetly.

"No way...are all the stores still intact?!" Bebe asks, gaping at the shopping cart.

Kyle nears the cart. "Not all of them. Mrs. Marsh only managed to protect one grocery store." He seizes the last case of water. "And a few other stores."

"Is the mall one of them?" Bebe asks, hopeful. Wendy rolls her eyes. Kyle just shrugs, uncertain but mostly uncaring, then goes into the house. Bebe pouts, disappointed.

"Would you like some help?" Wendy asks, noticing that he's taking the groceries inside the house by himself. She figured his friends would be lending him a hand by now.

"Not really," Kyle says.

Wendy looks down into the shopping cart. She seizes a bag of chips and looks at its expiration date. "Wow," she murmurs, astonished. She shows Bebe the date. "This expired six years ago."

Bebe grimaces in disgust. "I don't think I can eat anything that went way past its expiration date."

"Would you rather starve to death then?" Kyle retorts as he walks outside.

Bebe frowns, unable to give him an answer.

"We don't have any other choice," Wendy says. She gives Kyle the bag of chips, and he takes the rest of the snacks out of the cart. He heads back into the abode. "If he and the others have been surviving this long with expired rations, then so can we."

Bebe's frown appears more accepting. "Yeah, true."

Kyle returns outside seconds later. "Where's everyone else?" Wendy asks him.

Kyle grabs both cases of soda in each hand as he answers, "Mrs. Marsh, Clyde, and Craig went out a few minutes ago to search for Stan and Kenny. Those idiots left without telling anyone."

Bebe perks up at the mention of Clyde and Craig. "This never happened before?" Wendy asks.

"Nope, this is a first," Kyle says. He turns around, missing Wendy frown at his nonchalant response. He's about to go into the house, but another question from the noirette stops him.

"Then how come you're so calm?"

The silence that follows engender tension between the three. Kyle keeps his back to the girls, aware of their eyes on him. Without having to look, he can tell that they're eager to know his reason, but are also suspicious. He almost wants to laugh, which unnerves him. He finally replies. "Because I know they'll return." He enters the house again.

He finishes bringing in the remaining groceries five minutes later. Wendy and Bebe had made themselves comfortable in the living room during the while, moistening their parched throats with a bottle of water. They're sitting on the sofa whereas Kyle is sitting in one of the armchairs. No one has said a word after Kyle finished bringing in the rest of the groceries, not even Wendy was brave enough to break the fraught silence. It's become way too heavy.

Kyle doesn't mind, and it shows in the form of utter boredom. Usually, he would strike up a conversation with Luke to keep his mind preoccupied. They would discuss new and potential spells that Kyle could utilize under certain circumstances, when to train, whom to train with, or when to go out and clear an area of monsters. But given what happened earlier in the grocery store, Kyle believes Luke is very upset with him. He hasn't informed him what Wendy's and Bebe's Inner Guardians are like he's supposed to. "Are you that mad at me that you don't wanna tell me what attributes their Inner Guardians have?"

Luke lets out a sigh. "I'm...Not That Petty. I Apologize For Not Telling You Upon Their Arrival. Bebe's Inner Guardian Is Mixed, And Wendy's Inner Guardian Is Light."

Kyle retains his bored expression the best he can. If he looks excited now, he won't be able to contain himself when either female questions him. "Maybe Wendy can help me with her or her Inner Guardian's magic."

"Oh my God!" Kyle and Wendy look at Bebe in slight shock for the sudden outburst. She crosses her arms with a huff. "The silence feels like it's literally killing me, and it's so fucking boring!"

"Uh, how about we go and look for Stan and Kenny too?" Wendy suggests sheepishly.

"No," Kyle says calmly.

The girls give him an incredulous look. "What?" Wendy asks. "But-"

"It's getting darker out there, and the monsters become even more aggressive, therefore making them too dangerous to encounter."

"Isn't that all the more reason to help them?" Wendy presses. "To hasten the search?"

Kyle shakes his head. "We can't risk getting into danger ourselves. Just trust them. This isn't the worse predicament we've been in."

"Is that why you've been looking so composed?" Bebe asks in an interrogating tone.

"Yes, more or less." Leaning back against his seat, Kyle spreads his lips into a small, impish smile. "Aren't you curious as to what the ordeal was? How we overcame it without any fatalities?"

Bebe narrows her eyes. "Based on your tone, you won't tell us, will you?"

Kyle chuckles a little. "I will, but not now."

Bebe rolls her eyes. "Wow, what a tease," she says sarcastically.

Disregarding her remark, Kyle casts a serious gaze to Wendy. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Wendy blinks, taken aback. It must be really important for him to switch up so fast. She nods her head. "Sure, what is it?"

"Before that, I need to know something first. Do you know how to Purify?"

"Yes, to an extent. I'm still working on it, trying to make it thoroughly...effective."

Kyle sits up, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Please elaborate."

Wendy gently nips her bottom lip, averting her eyes to her lap as she clasps her hands together nervously. She feels that she will need to choose her words carefully so as to not upset Kyle. "It's...not strong enough to completely cleanse the Dark magic from a person's body. I've done multiple attempts with Bebe's help, but I can't figure out a way to strengthen it."

"What methods did you two use to go about each Purification process?" Kyle asks.

"Well, I was the test subject," Bebe divulges.

Wendy shoots her a contrite glare. "Don't say it like that."

Bebe huffs again. She uncrosses her arms. "Okay, fine, I'll put it like this then. I helped her out by infecting myself with my Dark magic. She could only Purify me halfway, so Elena, her Inner Guardian, had to cleanse the rest of it."

Kyle furrows his eyebrows pensively. It doesn't take him no more than five seconds to figure out the possible reason behind Wendy attaining partial results every time she tried to Purify Bebe. "This is just my assumption, but maybe the problem is that she lacks full understanding of the spell. When did you start learning it?" He asks Wendy.

"Four years ago."

He guessed right. "I thought so. Purification is a semi-advanced spell, so it'll take a lot more than four years to fully get the hang of it."

Wendy frowns, but Bebe raises an eyebrow. "How do you know so much about it?" Bebe asks. "Your Inner Guardian is Dark."

"I got the information from Kenny's Inner Guardian, who is Mixed though. But how come you had to hear this from me and not your Inner Guardian, Wendy?" Kyle asks.

"She did tell me," Wendy admits. "But I assumed that with enough training, I would've gotten better at Purifying eventually."

Kyle wants to inquire her regarding her healing, since it is linked to Purification, but doesn't. They've talked long enough, and he's gotten the answer he wanted. "Now you know that's not the case." He stands up. "Come with me, I'll need both you and your Inner Guardian's help."

"You haven't told us what the favor is," Bebe says.

"I thought you would've already figured it out considering the topic of our discussion," Kyle states in a deadpan tone.

His cheeky response strikes a nerve in Bebe. "L-lead the way," Wendy says before her best friend can verbally retaliate. They stand up.

Kyle ushers them upstairs. This time, Wendy refuses to let the silence be unbearable like before. "Do you know what kind of barrier Mrs. Marsh put over the house? It can't be normal since I get the feeling that it's preserving the power in here."

Wendy has become quite astute, not that Kyle thinks it's unusual. She was intelligent as a child after all, unlike Bebe, who had random moments showcasing her intellect. She's mostly known for being a chatterbox. "I guess it's also a Cessation Barrier," Kyle says. "It not only protects, but also stops time within it. She placed a barrier like this around the grocery store, everything in it has stayed fresh all this time because of it."

He can practically sense Wendy's and Bebe's amazement. Now in the hall, the room they're heading to is just more than a few steps away. It was left open, and the light is still on. "Jeeeez," Bebe says. "I mean, it shouldn't be surprising since Mrs. Marsh is related to the Queen of Darkness, but it's...kinda hard to believe that she's strong enough to stop freaking time."

Giggling a little, Wendy nods her head in agreement. "Yeah, I get what you mean. We were all but ordinary people twelve years ago, living normal lives. It feels even more surreal knowing that adults can use magic too."

"Exactly! Oh, this reminds me of this one cartoon, but I totally forgot what it's called. It had kind of a similar plot except a certain number of kids got their magic powers from mythical animals instead of spirits."

"Hmm, I think I remember that cartoon. Was it-"

"We're here," Kyle says, interrupting their exuberant conversation. He enters the bedroom, approaching the young teen lying in the bed.

Bebe and Wendy eye the child as they only take one step into the room. The slow rise and fall of the boy's chest indicate that he's still alive, he's just sleeping. "Who is that?" Bebe asks.

"My little brother," Kyle says.

Bebe raises an eyebrow again, skeptical. "Really? You two look nothing alike."

"Bebe," Wendy hisses.

Kyle suppresses the urge to sigh. "He's my adoptive little brother." He turns to face them, looking only at Wendy. "Wendy, can you and your Inner Guardian perform Purification on him?"

Wendy looks determined. "I'll do my best."

Kyle steps aside as she nears Ike. Bebe walks a little further into the room. Wendy looks sadly at the boy. "Before I get started," she looks over at Kyle. "Can I ask what happened to him?"

Kyle frowns, his eyes containing a deep sadness. "I...I think he's been contaminated with Dark magic. He's been in a coma ever since he was a baby."

His last statement shocks the girls. "H-how...has he stayed alive all this time?" Bebe was barely able to voice out her query.

Kyle forces a small smile. "Kenny's been healing him." After Kenny got the basics of healing down, he took it upon himself to stave off the Dark magic inside Ike, hindering it from reaching his brain. Doing so would most times render Kenny exhausted and would color half a strand of his hair white, but he never stopped to take any breaks. Once he began, he kept at it until Ike was safe from harm that day, then, he would do it again two or three days later.

'It's good practice', was what he said with a grin, his face drenched with sweat.

Wendy diverts her attention back to the unconscious child. "I'll begin now."

Kyle watches her take a deep breath as she closes her eyes and hover her palms over Ike's torso. Kyle perceives a subdued yellow glow emanating from her right wrist, then a smoky white aura surrounds her body.

"Kyle, Even If They Succeed, There's Still No Guarantee That He Will Wake Up," Luke says.

Kyle purses his lips. He didn't have high hopes of Ike regaining consciousness so soon after being Purified to begin with. "I know...I just want the Darkness out of his system for good."

A faint colorless aura surrounds Ike.

"I Understand. I Wish Them The Best Of Luck."

Kyle observes the Purification process silently and with bated breath. Bebe does too. A single minute passes when Wendy's eyes snap open and she gasps, startled. Both her aura and the glow from her wrist disappear. She stumbles back and her legs give way.

"Wendy!" Bebe hurries to her side, kneeling beside her. "Are you okay?"

Kyle is speechless, but not in a good way. Something is not right. Wendy finished way too quickly...which can only mean... A spark of anger flares up inside of him. "What happened?! Did you fail?!"

"Would it kill you to be concerned about her?!" Bebe snaps.

Wendy groans, putting a hand up to her head. "I-I'm fine," she tells Bebe, abating only her worry. "I...I heard a voice," Wendy says weakly. "They sounded...so evil." She lowers her hand with a shudder.

Kyle knits his eyebrows. "What did they say?"

"...Do not interfere."

A wave of dread crashes down on Kyle. He repeats the foreboding words in his head more than once, trying to figure out who said that to Wendy. Could...could it have been Ike? Kyle looks at his younger sibling, the aura hasn't faded away.

"Sounds like your little brother is corrupted," Bebe says.

Kyle instantly disbelieves her assumption. "How do you know?"

Bebe develops a forlorn look on her face. "Because when my mother corrupted me, I heard an inhuman voice telling me to serve them."

This is news to Kyle. He feels sorry for her, he really does, but he still doesn't believe Ike is corrupted. "I'm...sorry to hear that, but there's no way Ike is corrupted. My Inner Guardian would've told me long ago."

"I'm Afraid...She Might Be Right..."

The last bit of hope Kyle had disappears like the wind in that instant. His eyes darken. "Can...you two leave?"

Bebe stands up, gently getting Wendy to do the same. She keeps her hands on the noirette's shoulders to keep her steady, her legs are trembling a little. "Where's the guest room?" Bebe asks.

"There isn't one."

Kyle's toneless voice unsettles Bebe, especially his eyes. If they had been glowing, he would've looked corrupted. She's never seen someone appear so demoralized before, but she doesn't fault him for feeling this way. She and Wendy leave, going to the living room.

"I'm sorry, Kyle," Wendy says somberly.

Once they're out, Kyle drops to the floor on his knees. Complete silence fills the bedroom.

"Kyle..."

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me Ike was corrupted?"

"...Because I Wasn't Entirely Sure," Luke admits timidly. "Just Like Sharon, I Also Could Not Discern If The Dark Magic Had Corrupted Him Or Not. It's Never Forced A Human To Undergo A Deep Sleep Before."

Kyle now knows he has to accept that Ike cannot be saved, that there are no other options he can depend on. The years Kenny spent healing Ike were all for naught. Kyle feels stupid for not once thinking that his little brother had fallen victim to corruption like their parents did, he was always with them.

Always

The belated realization desensitized Kyle to the hollow feeling growing like a seed inside his chest. He stands up on his feet, and inches towards the bed. Looking down at Ike, his dull eyes widen. The aura is green. What could've changed its color? It slowly whisks away. Ike looks undisturbed, even when a symbol shaped like a quill flickers in the middle of his forehead for a fleeting moment. Kyle frowns, apprehensive.

"Oh No..."

Kyle was right to feel uneasy if his Inner Guardian feels the exact same way. "Luke, what was that?"

"Ike...Isn't Corrupted, He's Been Marked. By Whom...I Do Not Know..."

Kyle has never felt so miserable in his entire life until today. Being cooped up in an unlit room for a week and enduring his parents' neglecting behavior are nothing compared to discovering that Ike, who is the only family member he has left, is marked by an unknown entity. For some reason...he believes that this is a fate worse than being the Dark Master's tool.