Consuming Darkness, Arising Light

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.