Play The Game

COMEBACK:





Snap stared up in horror at Bardot, his eyes focused on the fangs above him. His body shook from fear and pain. He tried to move, but he found that he was unable to. Most of his strength was gone now. He could only just lay there and wait for Bardot to bite down on him.

Despite Bardot's talk of not holding back, he was taking his time. He was clearly savoring this moment. He just stood there, showing his fangs to the frightened and injured zoner. He knew he had won this fight. He knew Snap could no longer fight back. There was no need to speed things up anymore. And his venom would make short work of him. He could hold Snap down for a little while longer before he decided to bite. The anticipation of the bite was killing Snap. He was mentally tormented by the fact that he knew he would be bitten, but how long he had left, he wasn't sure.

His body ached all over. His breathing got worse. Even just trying to move a limb a centimeter seemed impossible. He was frozen, both from the pain and from fear. He stared up at Bardot, his lower lip quivering. Tears flowed down his face. He couldn't believe this was it. He couldn't believe that, after all this, after how hard he had tried...he had ultimately failed...

He really hadn't stood much of a chance. He should have known, once he got here, that there was no way he was going to win. He was already badly hurt when he arrived. Draow really beat him up during their battle. And Bardot...he was faster than he was. He was lucky to have gotten any hits on this guy at all. And he was the one in charge here. Draow answered to Bardot. Out of the two, Bardot was the worst one, the most vicious enemy of all. If he could control Draow, who was dangerous himself, Snap should have known he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Snap looked over at Draow, who laid on the ground close by. It was hard for him to believe that, just a short time ago, he had been struggling against that guy. It was shocking for him to realize that, despite how hard Draow was to defeat, he had been pretty easy compared to Bardot. Draow was larger and stronger, and he won against him. But now he was up against Bardot, who was faster and had potent venom he could use at any time.

And he knew, in a matter of seconds, that venom was going to be injected into his body. And there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even move now. He was too weak, too wracked with agony and pain, to do anything except watch as Bardot his head a little closer to him, letting him get a good look at his fangs.

Staring into Bardot's eyes filled with insanity, Snap felt his life flash before his eyes. Memories, both good and bad, both dreadful and pleasant, flooded his mind. He could see the time he and Rudy first met, when they first encountered Biclops, when he and Penny first met, all their various adventures, including dealing with Skrawl before he changed, finding Barney, trying to stop Vinnie and Terry, and the memories just kept coming.

More memories came into his mind as his brain kept flashing them. He remembered how he and Rudy helped to save Christmas in ChalkZone when the Santas were all injured. He remembered the type when a large taffy was swallowing up parts of ChalkZone and Penny managed to save them all. He could recall the time when Skrawl and Craniac 4 released a robotic Rudy to destroy the Chalk Mine. He remembered meeting Queen Rapsheeba for the first time, dealing with Jacko twice, stopping Boorat from exposing ChalkZone...

It was hard to believe that those adventures were over. It was hard for him to accept that this really was the end. Despite all he had gone through over the years, despite all the dangers he managed to survive, he was going to die in this cave by the teeth of this deranged zoner. And it wasn't just him.

Rudy and Penny...they were going to die, too. Snap looked at them, his eyes watering. He couldn't believe that he had let them down. He promised he was going to save them. But in the end, he had lost. He tried as hard as he could. He moved as fast as he could. He fought as hard as he could. But his struggles were all in vain. Rudy and Penny were going to die. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He stared at their prone forms. They were still unconscious. They hadn't moved, not even a twitch of the finger. They looked so...so lifeless like that. Snap silently begged for them to show some signs of life. He begged for one of them to say something, anything. He took in shaky breaths as he could hear their voices in his head. Thoughts of the conversations they had together, no matter how trivial or stupid the subject, echoed in his mind. The more he listened to them, the more depressed he got, knowing he was never going to hear those voices again.

He knew their time was almost up. He guessed that Rudy and Penny only had maybe half an hour left now. He couldn't tell. He didn't have a watch and he wasn't able to tell time. He wasn't about to ask Bardot. He would rub it in his face. The last thing he needed right now is another verbal abuse round from this evil zoner. Tears flowed down his face, the full weight of his failure come crashing down.

This was it. This really was it. There was no escaping. There was nothing he could do. He stared up at Bardot. He watched as his evil smile spread across his face. He could see the venom drop on the tip of his fangs. He knew that it was going to go straight into his body. And this time, he wasn't going to be able to stop it. He wasn't going to be able to pull that tail trick again. Bardot would see to it that it won't work a second time around.

He looked back over at Rudy and Penny. His lower lip quivered a little harder. He felt ashamed. He couldn't believe that he had failed them. Now they were going to die and it was because he wasn't able to stop Bardot. He had tried his best. However, his best just wasn't good enough. All his determination and hope..they hadn't been able to save them, or himself, in the long run.

"I-I'm sorry Rudy..." Snap whispered in a weak, faint voice. "I'm sorry Penny.. I'm so sorry I couldn't save you guys..." He shed a few tears as he stared at their limp forms. He knew that was the last time he was going to see them. This was the last look he was going to be allowed.

"How touching..." Bardot said cruelly. "Now that you've said your last words...Let's get this over with."

Snap's heart pounded as he looked up at Bardot. He was staring straight at his death. Reminders of Cosmo came back, when he had placed that vinegar where he could clearly see it. Now he was in the same situation. Standing above him was the zoner that was going to kill him. Dripping from his fangs was the venom that was going to kill him. He wanted to desperately to look away, but found himself unable to. Those eyes...he couldn't tear himself away from them.

He could see the muscles in Bardot's jaws tightening a little. He could see the tension building up in the neck. Bardot was preparing for a strike, much like a snake. His neck was pulled back, the tension clearly going towards the strength of the blow. Unable to speak, Snap just whimpered, staring into the jaws of death.

He did try again to move. He tried to do something. He tried to hit Bardot. But any time he moved, he was wracked in pain. He had to remain still, otherwise he would be in so much pain. More strength left him, making it even harder for him to move. Even the act of turning his head was impossible. He was unable to look away from Bardot even if he wanted to. He was forced to stare up at him as he got closer with this fangs, preparing to strike him.

Snap let his eyes closed. He whimpered softly as he waited for the final blow. He waited for his death to arrive. As he did, failure kept flashing in his head, hovering over him like a cloud. It taunted him, told him how he failed to keep his promise. He did nothing to fight back. At this point, it was too late for that.

He had no choice but to give up. His determination had come to an end. He couldn't move. He couldn't escape now. All he could do was just wait for the blow, and wait to die.

Then he heard something. A muttering sound. It was faint, but it was there. Using whatever strength he had left, Snap turned his head to the side. He looked over at his friends. His eyes wided slightly.

Penny was still unconscious, laying still as stone, minus her breathing. But Rudy...he was a different story. He had shifted a little, now laying on his stomach. His head was raised up, but just barely. His eyes stared at him. His breaths were shaky and weak. It was obvious it took what little strength he had to even hold himself up like that. His body shook a few times from the pain he was in.

For a few moments, Snap and Rudy stared at each other. Snap could see the fear in Rudy's eyes. The boy tried to say something, but he was too weak to talk. His eyes, so full of fear, bored through Snap's eyes. He could see just how frightened he was. Rudy saw Snap was in danger, and he looked absolutely horrified. He lifted up his uninjured arm and tried to crawl over. He immediately collapsed and cried in pain. Tears of pain flowed down his face as he stared at Snap, his eyes silently crying out 'No'.

Staring at Rudy like this filled Snap with intense emotion. His stomach twisted in knots. He started to cry himself. The knowledge that this was the last thing Rudy was going to see of him..knowing that this is was the last thing he would see Rudy do, it was heartbreaking. He wished there was something he could do. He wanted so much to comfort Rudy. But what could he say?

He had lost..

Snap's heart ached when he saw Rudy try to stand up. Snap knew, with his broken leg, that wasn't going to work. As soon as Rudy put even the slightest pressure on his leg, he'd cry out in pain and fall back down. Rudy soon gave up and stared at Snap with a look of hopelessness and denial. He clearly didn't want this to be the end. Neither did Snap. He wanted to do something to get free. He was too weak to move much.

Something clicked with Snap. The way Rudy was on the ground in agony, it reminded him of something all too well. It brought him back to when he was a prisoner of Mr. Cosmo. He remembered Rudy being brought in to the room with his cell. Snap was laying on the ground, staring at Rudy with that same expression the boy has on right now. Snap had looked so hopeless, so scared and frightened. Now Rudy was in the same posture.

Snap recalled how desperately Rudy tried to save him. He remembered how hard he and Penny tried to keep him safe. He himself wasn't sure if they were going to make it. He had been so scared..so terrified... There had been no telling if he was going to get out of there or not.

But his friends...they never quit. They never gave up on him. They continued to try to save him. And against all odds, they had done it. They got him out of that horrific nightmare, and they helped him recover. It was a long, painful recovery, but he still pulled through.

The look in Rudy's eyes reminded Snap what he himself had been through. He had been that scared before. He had been in that much pain before. He knew what it felt like to be tortured. He had never wanted them to suffer the way he had. And the knowledge that he had been through what they are now made Snap realize one thing.

He..he couldn't give up. It seemed hopeless now, but he just couldn't quit. He couldn't just lay here and let Bardot win. His friends needed him now more than ever. He was their last hope. They never quit on him. He was not going to do the same to them. They had continued to fight for him. So will he. Despite his injuries, he would keep fighting for them. He was going to save them. He was going to defeat Bardot. And there was nothing that could be done to him to make him stop. Only death would make him stop.

And he wasn't about to let that happen. Not now...

Snap felt adrenaline start pumping through his body again. The pain was still there, but now it was turning into energy. The pain served as a reminder of what he had gone through with Mr. Cosmo. It served to increase his determination to ensure they wouldn't have to keep suffering like that. The pain reminded him of what his friends had gone through to save him from Mr. Cosmo. It reminded him of the strong friendship that they shared together. It reminded him that, no matter what, they don't give up on helping each other.

Snap was not going down that easily. Slowly, he felt his strength returning. The adrenaline that spread through his body gave energy back to his limbs. Bardot growled at this. He pulled his head back and struck down. Snap's eyes widened suddenly. And what happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

Bardot moved his head fast, striking down towards Snap. He opened his jaws a little wider. Suddenly, Snap shot his hands out faster than what seemed possible given his condition. Snap's hands gripped the front of Bardot's jaws, one on his lower one, and one on his top. And he managed to stop Bardot from moving any closer. Bardot's eyes widened in surprise. He tried to push harder, tried to get close enough to bite. But Snap wasn't budging.

The blue zoner started to push back. Slowly, little by little, he pushed Bardot's head away from him. No matter how much Bardot tried to bite him, he couldn't get any closer. Snap then started to close his mouth. Despite Bardot's attempts, he couldn't stop Snap from shutting his jaws together and keeping them closed. Still gripping on him, Snap pushed back even further, forcing Bardot to move one leg off of him.

Then, still holding onto Bardot's muzzle, Snap lifted him up off the ground. Not a great distance, but enough so he could flip him onto his back. He slammed Bardot into the ground, still holding onto his mouth. He held him there for a few seconds before he released him.

Snap moved back. Moving still hurt him. He was still feeling really weak. The adrenaline, he knew, wasn't going to last long. But now he didn't have just adrenaline to help him. He had Rudy. Him being awake and watching him gave Snap the strength he needed to continue fighting. He was going to keep fighting back. And Penny...he wasn't going to let her suffer either. He still had some fight left to go against Bardot.

He stood there, shaking in pain, as he glared hatefully at Bardot. The yellow zoner got up to his feet and shook his head. He stared over at Snap, his eyes widened in absolute shock. He panted heavily and kept his paw raised above the ground, his ears and crest perked up.

"I..I don't believe it..." Bardot breathed. "Y-You stood up... You managed to get me off... You were on your deathbed. And you still managed to get up..."

Snap took a wobbly step forward, wincing at the pain. "I-I...told you...I wasn't...g-giving up... I will not...stop fighting you..you c-can't...keep me down..." It was difficult to speak with one functioning lung. "Y-You...cannot stop me..."

Snap took notice of the walls and ground. Some areas had cracked open a little. And where he had slammed Bardot into, there was a chip that went away, showing that parts of this cave were actually fake. Wood was exposed underneath. And, when he continued to stare, he saw a glint of blue.

The blue chalk...

He turned his attention back to Bardot. He acted like he didn't see anything. He couldn't let the evil zoner know he saw the blue chalk. He would need some way to get to it without looking suspicious.

"N-No matter what...you throw at me...I will still come back... I-I am going to b-be the one...to..defeat you...Bardot..." With that, he took another agonizing step forward. Bardot took a step back, still staring at him in shock. It was clear he did not expect Snap to be able to get up after all he had been through. "P-Prepare Bardot... This fight has...just gotten started..."

Snap took a few steps forward. They were very painful to take, but the adrenaline and the will to save his friends helped him endure the pain a little better. He kept pushing himself, forcing his body to move forward. He was not done fighting. Not yet.

Bardot took a few more steps back. For the first time, Bardot was looking at him in absolute fear. Eyes wide, ears folded back, Bardot put some distance between him and Snap. He shook his head from side to side in denial. Snap could have sworn he could see him shivering a little. Barely noticeable, but it was still there.

"N-No...it's not possible... Y-You shouldn't be able to stand..." Bardot said, continuing to shake his head. "Y-You really are the unkillable..." He whispered in a soft voice mixed with horror and realization.

"Come on...Bardot..." Snap said. He raised a hand and gestured to the yellow zoner. "Let's...finish our fight.."

Bardot stared at Snap in horror and fear for a moment. Slowly he narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth. He took a fighting stance. In a matter of seconds, the duel was going to resume. But this time, something has changed.

This time, it was Bardot who was on the defensive.

sss

Skrawl felt stupid wearing this thing. A metal band went around his waste. With the push of a button, a polymorph shield went over his body. It looked pretty stupid to him. Although he could still walk just fine, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to run into something. The whole thing felt awkward to wear, and he didn't like the chuckles he was getting from the other wardens.

He wasn't the only one wearing them. Five of his Beanie Boys were also wearing them. They didn't seem to mind it so much. They looked pretty happy to wear them, saying how pretty they were, with all the different colors that they shimmered.

The jellybean wasn't sure at first if this was going to work. When Barney told him about these devices and where to find them, he wasn't sure what to expect. But polymorph shields wasn't what he thought they would be. He had doubts that they were even going to be effective. Barney had assured him that they would do the trick. Although Barney had a wealth of knowledge and likely knew more than he did, Skrawl still wanted to test it out to make sure.

So he put these things to the test a while ago. He temporarily turned off the EMP pulser and put up a new working camera. He walked in front of it a few times, doing a few different gestures so that the camera would catch his movement. Then he turned to check the security footage. Sure enough, he wasn't on the camera anywhere, no matter how far back he rewound. Satisfied, he turned the EMP pulser back on, letting it do its job at frying any nano cameras that dared to infiltrate his facility.

The polymorph shields worked by reflecting light away, hence the rainbowy effect, preventing the cameras from capturing them and rendering them invisible to them. It still looked stupid, but invisible, it should be easy for Skrawl and his Beanie Boys to find Draow and Bardot's hideout.

The hideout, from what Barney said, was located in the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. Skrawl had been right. Barney was taken there once. Barney was unable to describe the physical look of the place because he had been blind at the time. But he could give other details, such as how far into the jungle it was, the fact that it was in a clearing, and that it was in some kind of cave. It wasn't a lot of details, and Barney had only been there once, so he wasn't able to gather more details that could be useful. Skrawl thanked him for the information nonetheless and offered a quick apology for pushing him too hard.

King Mumbo Jumbo was glad that he was going. The tortoise wasn't very happy with him. Skrawl would talk to the tortoise later to settle things. Right now, he had to find Draow and Bardot's hideout. He knew there wasn't a whole lot of time left.

"Beanie Boys! Bring me my chair!" Skrawl demanded, cupping a hand to his mouth.

Seconds later, he saw the five Beanie Boys he had chosen for this important mission come towards him. They held his chair in their hands. It had a polymorph shield on it as well. It was activated, allowing him to see the blocky projections quite easily. Skrawl shook his head. It looked even more ridiculous than he imagined.

"Beanie Boys! Beanie Boys! We're the boys that Skrawl employs!" The Beanie Boys sang as they approached Skrawl.

"Will you please stop saying that?" Skrawl groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Sorry sir. We couldn't help it." One of the Beanie Boys said.

Another nodded. "It's hard changing the habit."

"Nevermind that for now." Skrawl said. The bumble boys lowered the chair and Skrawl got into it. He raised a hand, gesturing for them to lift him up. "Come on! We've got to get to the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle stat!"

With that, the Beanie Boys lifted the chair into the air. Holding on tightly, they started to carry Skrawl in the direction of the jungle. They moved as quickly as they could.

YOUR REIGN OF TERROR IS OVER, BARDOT:





Terry wasn't sure yet what she was going to do after Rudy and Penny were rescued. Thoughts ran through her mind, but a definitive answer escaped her.

On the one hand, she did feel it was important to tell the family members of those who were killed by Bardot. They needed some kind of closure after all. It would be unfair to keep this a secret from them. They had no idea their loved ones were dead. They don't know that they'll never come back. They don't know they had been tortured and eaten by some psychotic being from another realm.

And what of everyone else in general? Even if Bardot was stopped, who is to say that it won't happen again? What if another zoner got access to the real world and exploited it? ChalkZone had hidden dangers, and the more that knew about it, the better perhaps. Precautions could be taken so that no one could get hurt.

Then...there was some doubt implanted her during her trip here. She couldn't quite name what it was. Perhaps the very act of being in here, along with other things, that helped her reconsider her decision. She had never been in ChalkZone before. She had never interacted with the citizens here. There was a world of difference between researching something and experiencing it. Being in ChalkZone felt a little different than she imagined. She had seen it through a portal, but that was it.

There had to have been a reason why Rudy and Penny tried so hard to keep this place a secret even from their own parents. Terry had never bothered asking them about it. Now she wished she had. If she had stopped to think about why they wanted to keep it a secret, then she could have done something about it...or at least understood their point of view.

Terry wondered if part of the reason was due to how alive this place really was. Being in ChalkZone further cemented into Terry's mind about the zoners definitely being real, perhaps more than she had imagined. The world felt real. Despite being created by chalk dust, everything there seemed to have a life of its own, so to speak. From the chalk drawn plants to the chalk drawn birds flying overhead, there didn't seem to be anything that suggested they weren't as real as her or the other adults.

Even bizarre things like the wiggies she encountered years ago, and the flying pencils... even things that didn't seem possible, they still had a 'real' feel to them. Terry imagined that if she saw more of ChalkZone and met more citizens, if she saw more sentient life here, she would further see how alive this place was. If Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were any proof, the sentient zoners were just as capable of thought, reason, and emotion as any human.

Perhaps, in the end, this is why Rudy and Penny kept this place a secret. Maybe they were afraid of what might happen if just any human could get into ChalkZone. They might have been afraid of exploitation, of how the zoners might be treated, of people drawing whatever they wanted to and wreaking havoc in this world.

Terry still couldn't decide, ultimately, which route was the best to take. She could expose this world and make it safe for anyone who wanted to enter. There could be some positive interactions between the two worlds. It might be hard to accomplish, but it was still possible. But the problem with exposing it is that it could all go horribly wrong. More people might disappear if they wander into ChalkZone and had no idea what they were doing.

So there was the option of keeping it a secret. Sometimes ignorance was bliss. Keeping it a secret would reduce the chances of anyone wandering into the place and disappearing. It could also prevent any negative interaction between the worlds. Yet...by not telling..what was she going to tell the families of the victims? She had to come up with some kind of story. She wasn't sure if she could come up with anything believable. She wasn't that good at coming up with stories.

So in the end, it was hard for her to say. Choosing an option wasn't going to be easy. To make her final decision, she may have to speak with Rudy and Penny whenever they recover enough to speak. She could get confirmation from them so she could understand more of why they were determined to keep this place a secret. Then, after talking to them, she could spend some time alone to think about what course of action was most appropriate.

Her thoughts went to Bardot. She didn't like the way he was looking at her. Something about the look in his eyes... Does he know that she used to stalk Rudy and Penny? Does he know about all the evidence she gathered from said stalking? The way he looked at her...it did suggest that. What if he decided to tell them? What would she say to the parents? They wouldn't be happy knowing that she had been stalking their kids for a time.

She would have to think of something to tell them. She would have a hard time lying about it. She wasn't that great at lying. They would likely see right through any fib she tried to tell them. She would have no choice but to explain to them why she did it. Perhaps if she drove home the point that she wasn't trying to harm their kids, they might be a little less...peeved off.

But the best thing to hope for was that it would never have to be brought up. She'd have to hope that Bardot never gets the chance to tell them.

She glanced over at the parents. They were really worried. She couldn't blame them. Their children were dying and time was running out. They felt useless. They wanted to do something to help, but there was nothing they could do. All they could do was stand there and wait for Snap to return. But none of them knew how long it was going to take. There was no telling when Snap would come out...or if he would come out at all.

Blocky and Rapsheeba also looked really worried. They, as well as the parents, kept looking back at the cave entrance. Their expressions said it all. They were hoping that, at any moment, Snap would return with Rudy and Penny.

Terry bit her lip as she looked over at the entrance herself. She did hope that Snap would make it. She hoped the teenagers would make it. Seeing how badly injured they had been...it made her blood boil. It disgusted her that Bardot would be so cruel. Granted, she hadn't been the nicest person in the past, like how she stuffed Snap into a bag. But at least she didn't hurt him that badly. She hadn't been torturing him or his friends like Bardot had.

Despite how annoying these three had been to her in the past, she would never wish this kind of fate upon them. She would never have wanted them to get tortured and killed. They hadn't done anything to deserve this. In the back of her mind, she kept hoping that, at any second, Snap would return with the two teenagers. And once he returned, they would head back to the real world as soon as possible.

Then, moments later, she heard a scraping sound. She turned her head towards the entrance of the cave. Something was pushing up against it. Her eyes widened a little. Someone was coming out.

"Hey..look!" Terry cried, pointing her finger at the entrance.

The other adults looked over to see what Terry was pointing out. They quickly saw what she was looking at. The vines covering the entrance were moving, bending. Something was coming from behind them. They watched, waiting for the few seconds it took to see what was going to emerge.

Then, seconds later, they saw a bunch of dogs rush out. Chalk dogs...they all had outlines. They were attached by some rope and they were pulling something. The screaming sound was getting louder. Soon, something that looked like a sled came skidding out, bumping against the ground. And in the sled itself, they could see Rudy, Penny, and Snap. The blue zoner was barely awake while the two teenagers were clearly unconscious.

The sled came to a halt a few feet away from the cave entrance. The dogs yapped and whimpered as they looked around at everyone. Terry had no idea how those dogs got in that place. Had they been prisoners? Did Rudy or Penny manage to draw them? She didn't wonder about that for too long. It wasn't important. What was important was the condition of the riders laying down in the sled.

"Rudy!" Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie shouted.

"Penny!" Mrs. Sanchez screamed.

Terry watched as the parents rushed over to the sled. They stared at their children, absolutely horrified at what had happened to them. They were a wreck. Their bodies were covered in gashes, Rudy had a broken leg and arm, Penny a broken leg, they were covered in so much blood... It was terrifying. It was amazing that they were still alive, even if just barely.

The parents tried to wake up their children. They called out their names, gently shaking them. There was no response. They kept trying again and again. They shook them a little harder. That didn't change a thing. Terry watched sadly as they tried, for a minute or so, to wake their children up. They started to cry when there was no reply, no reaction to what they were doing.

"Snap!"

Blocky and Rapsheeba ran over to their friend. Snap looked just as bad off as Rudy and Penny. Bruised and banged up, tattered and torn, so much blood, it was amazing Snap was still alive. He looked like he had gone through a blender. He looked worse off than the teenagers with that terrifying wound on his chest. She wondered just how damaging it was to him. Judging from how it seemed like taking a single breath was painful for the zoner, she'd have to say it did a lot of damage to him.

Snap was awake, but just barely. His eyes were open and he was looking around. He had some awareness as he was smiling at the parents as they came up to their children. It was a smile of satisfcation. He had succeeded in bringing their children back alive, just like he had promised. He was happy was able to fulfill that promise.

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked down at their friend sadly, their lower lips quivering. Snap turned his attention to them, the smile never leaving his face. He attempted to sit himself up, but it was clear he was in too much pain to move. Rapsheeba and Blocky helped him up, minding the many injuries he had sustained.

Mrs. Sanchez put her arm around Penny and pulled her into a gentle hug. She pressed her face against her daughter's and cried hard, her body shaking with emotion. "Penny...My sweet Penny... You'll be okay..."

"Rudy...come on sweetie...wake up..." Mrs. Tabootie said to her son, tears pooling from her face. She cradled him gently, lifting him up a little.

Mr. Tabootie reached down and touched his son's face, his eyes glistening. "I-If you can hear me son...you'll be fine... We'll get you to a hospital..."

Terry walked slowly over towards the sled. She stood next to Blocky and Rapsheeba. She looked down at them. They were huddled close to their friend. She looked down at them sympathetically. Terry felt a little uncomfortable standing here. Seeing these wounds this up close and personal...it was nerve wracking. They looked a lot worse up close than further away.

She stared at Snap. As she looked at him, she let everything start to sink in. This nightmare might be over. She didn't see any sign of Bardot. Snap must have been able to defeat him somehow. She had been right about Snap. He really wouldn't give up. She was right to have faith in him. She had been right to believe that he could beat Bardot and Draow. Because it was clear that he had.

Slowly, she smiled down at him. She lowered herself down and gently touched Snap on the shoulder. The zoner weakly looked up at her. He looked at her with a somewhat uncertain expression. She guessed it was because he had no idea what kind of plans she had for after all this was over. She could understand why.

"Well...you did it, Snap." Terry said. "I knew you could."

"Heh..." Snap said, staring up at Terry. "Nice that...you know I...never give...up..." He stopped talking and winced, clutching his chest and letting out a whimper.

"Snap..." Rapsheeba said, her eyes welling up.

"They're all in trouble." Blocky said as he looked at Rudy and Penny. "They aren't going to last very long."

Rapsheeba turned to the parents. "Get in the sled! We have to get you guys back to your world so you can get your kids to the hospital!" Rapsheeba turned to Blocky and said, "After we get to the portal and drop them off, we'll keep going and get Snap to a hospital!"

No one was going to argue with her. They knew she was right. Although the sled wasn't very big, they didn't have much of a choice. They all climbed in, careful not to hurt the mortally injured passengers. The dogs started to wag their tails, staring straight out ahead and awaiting a command.

Everyone settled in as comfortably as they could. The sled was a little crude and angular. It had a few somewhat sharp edges. It was difficult to sit in the somewhat crowded sled without feeling like they were being poked. But it would have to do. As long as Rudy, Penny, and Snap weren't being squished, they should be fine. Blocky went towards the front and prepared to mush the dogs.

Terry couldn't wait to get out of here. She hated this place. This cave of dread with those vicious monsters. And she knew that the parents felt the same way. The sooner they got out of here, the better. At least the worst of it was over. There was still the matter of Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Whether or not they'd be okay...it all depended on when they could get to the hospital and just how exensive their injuries were. But at least they were safe now, away from that place. Terry imagined that, pretty soon, someone would come and lock up those zoners. She imagined this place had some kind of justice system.

Blocky shouted, "Mush!" And, slowly, the dogs started to move.

Suddenly, before the dogs could break into a run, when the sled had barely moved a centimeter, something shot out from behind the sled. Something yellow and red... Terry and the others stared in horror when they saw Bardot leaning over the sled. He had gripped Snap by his shoulders with his claws. Before any of them could react, he yanked the injured zoner out.

"Snap!" Rapsheeba cried. She jumped out of the sled and rushed towards the entrance.

The sled was starting to pick up speed. Terry narrowed her eyes and she turned to Blocky.

"Get them to the portal!" Terry shouted. "Come back for us after!"

"But what about..." Blocky started to say.

"Just get to the portal! Rudy and Penny need to go to the hospital!" Terry glanced over at the parents. They were staring at her, wide-eyed, as she started to move towards the edge of the sled. "I'm going to go with Rapsheeba and get Snap out of there!"

With that, before anyone could say anything, Terry jumped out of the sled. She stumbled into the ground. She groaned and shook her head. She got up to her feet and she looked at the cave entrance. Her eyes widened as she saw Bardot holding Snap in a headlock. The blue zoner struggled a little, but he was too weak to fight back effectively. Terry noticed the arm that Bardot was using to hold Snap had a broken toe, but that did little to slow him down as he continued to move towards the entrance. In seconds, Bardot had run back inside the cave, carrying Snap along with him.

Terry run towards the entrance, Rapsheeba a good distance ahead of her. Their feet pounded the ground, their hearts racing, as they rushed over to where Bardot had taken Snap. As she got closer to the entrance, disgusted ran through her mind. Taking advantage of the weak and injured... Just how low was Bardot willing to sink? Snap needed help. She didn't know how much more of a beating the little guy could take. She and Rapsheeba had to get him out of there and fast.

But as they got close, things just took a turn for the worse. There was a low rumbling sound and then rocks fell at the front of the entrance. The eyes of the cave seemed to glow and Terry wondered if some kind of trap was set or something. Bardot must have activated something. Now, standing in their way, were a bunch of thickly packed rocks. The entrance was completely blocked.

"No! Snap!" Rapsheeba cried. She tried to dig through the rocks. She managed to get a few small ones out. But she was unable to dig out too much, and none of the larger rocks would budge. Tears flew from her face as she pounded against the rocks. "No! This can't be happening! Snap!" She fell to her knees.

Terry came up to her. She looked down sadly at the zoner. She bent forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Rapsheeba looked up at her.

"We'll find another way in. I'm sure Bardot made more than one entrance to this place." Terry offered her hand. Rapsheeba hesitated, then took it. Terry helped the zoner up to her feet. "Come on, let's look around the back. We might find something that can help us."

Rapsheeba nodded her head rigidly. Seeing no choice, she followed Terry as they walked around behind the cave, looking for any sign of an entrance. Terry knew there had to be one in here somewhere. Unless Bardot was suicidal, he would have put another entrance in here. The question was...where was it? And would they find it in time?

sss

Moments ago, Snap had barely been awake. He could still see his surroundings, but his mind was pretty numb. He was so tired, so sleepy. It took what little strength he had to stay awake. The world around him had gotten darker, his eyes losing focus. Although he wanted to rest, he wanted to stay awake first and make sure Rudy and Penny made it through the portal with their parents. Then, after that, he would rest a little.

But when Bardot suddenly grabbed him from behind...he had been jolted awake. Suddenly he was fully awake, fully aware. His eyes stared at Bardot with fear as the zoner dragged him back into the cave, blocking off the main entrance so no one could come in and save him. There was no one else in this cave now. It was just him and Bardot. Well there was Draow, but he wasn't going to help him.

Snap saw the look in Bardot's eyes. His pupils had become pointy, like a claw almost. He was constantly snarling and growling. Drool flew from his mouth as he ran. His fur was raised up, looking wickedly sharp. He looked feral, like he was just some wild animal. Just looking into his eyes filled Snap with dread. Snap gave a few whimpers and tried to struggle against his grasp. But he had lost too much strength. He couldn't dislodge himself.

Bardot continued to run down the tunnels, just simply going straight, making no turns. It was like his mind was so focused on him, that he didn't really care which direction he went. During the running, Snap hit the ground a few times, scraping his legs or feet against it. He let out a few weak cries of pain. Bardot made no response to these cries, not even a chuckle of satisfaction. He was really lost in his own anger, rage overwhelming him.

Then, up ahead, Snap could see what appeared to be a large, round room. It looked somewhat incomplete. The center of the floor had some wooded planks. Snap wondered, briefly, just what Bardot had planned to do with this room had his scheme succeeded.

When Bardot got to the entrance of the room, he stopped. He looked down at Snap and let out a snarl. He gripped him with his paw. He was so filled with rage that he did not acknowledge his own pain as he held Snap with the hand with a broken digit. He grew Snap into the room with as much force as he could muster.

Snap cried out in pain as he rolled across the ground, landing on his side on the wood planks. He moaned and tried to get back up. But with his adrenaline gone, he could barely lifted up his head as Bardot came barreling down towards him. Snap knew, even before Bardot got close enough to attack, that he wasn't going to show any mercy on him. Bardot didn't care if he was already hurt. He didn't care that he was too weak to fight back. All Bardot cared about was hurting him more. He had truly snapped and now Snap was going to, unfortunately, bear witness to his temper.

The claws came down swift and without much warning. They dug into his side and tossed him across the ground. Snap shrieked loudly as his side was torn further open. Then another blow, claws cutting across his chest, further slicing open the wound there. Another scream of pain. Blood quickly covered the wooden planks. Then Bardot struck down on his shoulder, ripping it open and pushing Snap into the grond on his stomach.

Again and again, Bardot struck with his claws. He slashed into his back and shoulders. He cut into the back of his head and on his scalp. The claws ripped apart his cloth and flesh. Blood pooled out of the various new wounds. Then he struck him in the side again, forcing him to roll onto his back.

Bardot was absolutely relentless. Snap kept screaming, crying in pain, as Bardot continued to slash him. He struck him across the face, almost tearing his eyes out in the process. He slashed his limbs, hacking away at them. He kept striking his chest and stomach. Snap started to cough up blood. Bardot didn't stop. His tiny pupils stared down at him, boring through his soul. He didn't speak; he just growled at him like some wild beast.

The fighting on the planks caused them to start to break. Snap's eyes widened in fear as he felt the ground below them give way. Down he and Bardot fell. They were falling into one of the lower levels, a room that looked kinda like the room Rudy and Penny had been held in. Snap closed his eyes and waited for the impact.

He felt Bardot grab onto him. He pushed Snap underneath him and tightened his grip. Snap realized what Bardot was about to do. And he quickly got that confirmation. When they collided, he felt Bardot's weight crash in on him, increasing the blow. His side was crushed up against the hard ground. Then he felt a sharp pain and he let out a loud scream. His arm...the one with the pulled muscle..it had been bent under the weight at an odd angle. A crack sounded out. His arm had been shattered.

In the midst of his pain, Snap saw something purple laying not far from him. Purple chalk? He knew what blue chalk could do. But what of purple chalk? It had to have some kind of important function. Why else would Bardot have it here?

He didn't have time to think about it. His mind was overwhelmed by pain again as Bardot struck him againd and again with his claws. More wounds gushing with blood. Soon Snap looked like he had went through a shredder. His clothes are almost completely ripped to shreds. His body was covered with so many slashes, he was losing so much more blood... There was hardly a piece of blue left on him now. Most of his body was covered by his own blood.

"Do you think it'll be all over so easily?!"

Snap's eyes widened at that dark, scratchy voice. He realized it was Bardot. He regained some of his thought to speak to him. And he wished that he hadn't. That voice...so terrifying. It was like a hungry wolf trying to mimic speech. It was so...alien...

"I will not allow you to take another victory away from me!"

With that, Bardot lifted up his uninjured paw, carefully holding his weight with his injured one. In a second, he plunged the claws deep into Snap's stomach, slicing in deeply. Snap let out a bloodcurdling scream, more blood pouring from his mouth. Snap had a disturbing, morbid thought. Just how much more blood did he have left to shed..?

Snap felt three thick clawed digits wrap around his neck. They squeezed tightly, choking him. He weakly struggled, kicking his legs slightly. But he was too weak to fight back. He stared up at Bardot in fear, silently pleading him to let him go. But Bardot just tightened his grip.

Bardot bared his sharp teeth at him. "I will just go back into hiding! Then I will come back!" He shouted, his voice laced in hatred. He stared down intently at Snap. "But you won't...!"

"Snap!"

Snap and Bardot looked over at one of the tunnels. They stared at it for a few seconds. Then came another cry.

"Snap! Hold on!"

Snap widened his eyes a little. He couldn't believe it. It was...it was Terry and Rapsheeba. How..how did they find them so fast? How did they get in when the entrance was blocked? He watched as they came into view, running towards them, horrified expressions plastered on their faces.

When they got close enough, Snap started to speak weakly, hoping Terry could hear him. "B-Bouffant...the purple chalk..." He gagged, the pressure from Bardot's hand making it hard to speak. "I-It's over there...u-u-use it..."

Terry wasted no time. She rushed over to where the purple chalk was.

Bardot's eyes fixated on Terry for a moment. He watched as she went over to grab the purple chalk. His eyes widened in fear for a moment. Snap took note of this. Was purple chalk something that could stop him? It must be. He looked more visibly afraid of Terry going after the purple chalk than he did when he had found the blue chalk.

Then Bardot glared down at him. His eyes narrowing dangerously, growls emitting from his throat, the very sight of him struck fear and dread in Snap's heart. It was clear Bardot was not happy with him giving the location of the purple chalk. His jaws opened and closed a few ties, an obvious threat. Bardot threw Snap and watched as he landed on his stomach. Terry, by then, had grabbed the purple chalk and was drawing something with it.

Snap pushed himself up with his unbroken arm and stared at Rapsheeba, who he had landed in front of. Rapsheeba helped him up to his feet. She stared at him with wide, worried eyes. Snap wanted to smile and comfort her. But what could he say to this?

"S-Snap..." Rapsheeba whispered, tearing up. "P-Please be okay..."

"I'm...still...standing, aren't I...?" Snap whispered back. "B-Barely...but I'm still..standing... I'm still alive..." Rapsheeba smiled a little at this, but she still looked concerned.

Suddenly, Snap was reminded that the threat of Bardot had not yet passed. He felt something clamp down on his shoulder. His eyes snapped wide open and he screamed. Rapsheeba put her hands to her mouth, her eyes big with horror reflecting out of them. She took a few steps back, shaking her head in denial. Snap turned his head to see what had happened.

Bardot had rushed over to him and grabbed one of his shoulders with his claws, holding him still. And then, to Snap's absolute horror, his jaws had bitten down onto his other shoulder, driving the remaining fang into him. Snap could feel the burning venom being injected into his injured body. Bardot did not release him until he pumped in as much venom as he could. After Bardot finally let go, he took a step back and stared at Snap with an evil smile.

Snap fell onto his knees. He felt the venom start to take effect. A tingly sensation spread through his shoulder. He felt his bones start to ache, like they were being filled with something forcefully. He looked over at Rapsheeba, staring into her frightened eyes. His body trembled from the pain, and the ache in his bones increased, becoming sharper and more pronounced.

Snap looked behind him, seeing Bardot there. He stared at him with a satisfied grin. Bardot let out a cruel laughter that echoed off the walls. This was cut off when Terry lassoed him with a shining purple rope, the rope tightening around his neck. Snap watched as Bardot froze where he stood, waves of purple pumping over his body. His fur raised on end, his eyes widened. He let out a loud yelp. Then he slumped to the ground, his eyes closing.

He was shocked by this and so was Terry and Rapsheeba. None of them could figure out what had happened. But at least, for now, Bardot had been subdued.

The venom's effects were becoming stronger. The effects of blood loss and the injuries intermixed with that as well. Snap's world started to spin. It became darker and darker. His vision blurred. All strength started to swiftly leave him. He looked over at Rapsheeba, a tear flowing down his cheek.

"...s...s...sorr...sorry..." Snap whispered.

Then he slumped to the ground. He could barely register Rapsheeba's panicked cries. He could barely see Terry coming over to him. He barely felt Terry pick him up into her arms. All he could hear was a garbled mess, and all he could see was a mixture of shadows.

Then soon, he saw nothing. He fell limp in Terry's arms, and he closed his eyes.

THE ROAD TO RECOVERY:





Rudy sat down in his bedroom. He was sitting by the window, looking out and staring at the world outside almost absent-mindedly. He watched as the kids played in the sidewalks and in their yards. He watched as the cars zoomed by. He watched the clouds rolling over the sun, blocking out light momentarily, only for the light to return.

He watched as the trees swayed as a somewhat strong wind swept through them. Beautiful green leaves grew from the branches. Not a lot, but enough to provide a little bit of shade for the kids playing outside. He could hear their laughter, their joy, as they ran around, playing games. It was such a nice day out. Not too cold, not too hot. It was just right. If he were in a better mood, he'd be outside playing.

It reminded him so much of the fun he, Penny, and Snap had over the years in ChalkZone, from when they were children to when they got older. Well Snap was still considered a child at least chronologically. He was eight after all. He and Penny were sixteen, and would soon be seventeen. Staring at the kids playing outside made him think of the adventures they had when he and Penny were ten years old. The laughter...it took him back to those times.

Sometimes, he misses those days. Back when it was easier protecting ChalkZone. Back when the biggest threat they had to face was Skrawl or Terry or Vinnie, all of whom had been easy to deal with. It was before they dealt with some rather dark and twisted stuff. Before they knew about the dreaded black chalk, before they knew about the near holocaust ChalkZone suffered at the hands of Mr. Cosmo. It was before Rudy was almost corrupted, tainted, by the black chalk. It was before they knew about Bardot and Draow. It was before all this horrific stuff happened.

And now, unlike with Mr. Cosmo, something was going to change. There was no way they could erase their parents' memories. They had asked Biclops about that, but the method upon which they used to erase memories was almost forgotten as they hadn't had a reason to use it in so long. And Rudy wasn't sure if it was a good idea to erase his parents' memories because..well...he couldn't think of a coverup story this time.

He had been gone for days. He had suffered so many horrific injuries. Just...how was he going to explain that to his parents? It might be best to just let them keep their memories, but then..what about ChalkZone? They still hadn't talked about that in depth yet. The wait was killing him and Penny, and Snap was quite nervous, too. He was worried that he might not be able to see them anymore if their parents decide to close off the gates. Restriction was another option they thought, but even then...it wasn't going to be the same. It would be really sad if, after all the struggles they want through just to survive, something like that was going to happen.

Their parents kept trying to assure their children that they would try to think of a decision that would be for the best. But that did little to comfort him and Penny. What their parents might think is the best might actually cause a lot more harm. They have no idea what they're messing with. They have so little inkling of what ChalkZone was really like. They didn't know what would happen if just any human could prance around the place. They really had no idea.

Rudy let out a soft sigh. There was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to wait until the meeting took place. His dad made it clear that, soon, they would have a meeting in his house with Penny, her mom, his aunt Tilly, and little cousin Sophie.

Upon hearing that his aunt knows about ChalkZone, Rudy did freak out. His mom assured him that they only told Tilly and it was only because Sophie had made some wild claims that seemed to match ChalkZone. Rudy was still angry, though. It was a risky move. As much as he loved and trusted Tilly, he had no idea how she would have reacted to ChalkZone. She could have thought his mom was crazy, or she could have freaked out and told everyone... So much could have happened.

He was relieved when he found that Tilly really hadn't told anyone else about ChalkZone and had agreed to meet with them to talk. His dad said that he wanted Snap to be there as well. They had already talked to Mr. Wilter more about what to do. Rudy hoped that he was able to convince them that ChalkZone was safe and why it was important to keep it hidden from the rest of the world. But the meeting could go either way, and ultimately it was down to the parents what would happen.

He often had nightmares about this kind of scenario. Sometimes, as he grew up over the years, he dreamt about his parents finding out about ChalkZone, and all the reactions had been terrible. Being locked out, being sent to an insane asylum, having troopers rush into ChalkZone, talking about it on TV... All these flashed through his mind as he waited for the inevitable meeting. He had no idea how the meeting was going to turn out. He could feel his heart racing just thinking about it. His nightmares...might have just become a reality.

A tear escaped his eye as he turned his head to the side. He let the tear fall and felt it land on his right arm. He opened his eyes and glanced at it. His eyes trailed his right arm all the way down to his hand. He no longer wore a cast on his arm. It was still sore, but he could use it now. His hand, though, hadn't regained all its function. At first, he couldn't move it at all, but recently, he started to be able to move it a little. The doctors believed that, as time went on, he could regain some use in the hand. As for a full recovery, they weren't certain and told Rudy to be extra careful.

The fact that he now had two weak hands did strike a blow to Rudy's psyche. His right hand hurt too much to really use and he doubted the pain would go away any time soon. Whenever he wanted to go ChalkZone to visit Snap, he would have to have one of his parents, or Penny if she came over, to draw a portal for him. And he couldn't even go through the portal with his broken leg.

His leg was still in a cast. He would have to wear it for another month or so. Three months tops. Legs always take so long to heal. His left arm, although not dominant, was strong enough to hold himself up with the crutch. He had gotten used to moving around with it. It did hurt after a while of using it, so he wasn't able to walk as far as he used to. And going up and down the stairs always required assistance as his house did not have an assitive slope. It was suggested that he could get a second crutch, but that was declined since he wouldn't be able to grab onto it with his hurt hand.

His gashes had closed up and the pain dulled. At least for most of them. His side still caused him considerable pain with how bad it had been. It was still wrapped up in tight bandages. The skin had covered up but it was thin and weak and could easily be torn. He usually wore something similar to a back brace to protect the injured area until it healed up some more.

His mind went to Snap. He thought about the last time he was able to see him, which was just yesterday. He had gone into ChalkZone with Penny to see how his friend was doing. Out of them, he was the one who would take the longest to heal. He had suffered so much, been through hell to save them. Raphseeba and Blocky had fully healed by now, much to Rudy and Penny's delight, and they often visited Snap as well.

Snap's recovery was going to be slow and painful. The last time he saw his friend, he was still covered in scars. The doctors feel most of them would fade away, but some of the deeper ones, like on his back and chest, might be permanent. Reminders of what had happened to him... Rudy wondered how his friend felt whenever he had to look upon those scars. He wondered if his mind flashed back to...him... Bardot...

And though the wounds had closed up, the pain was still there. Snap still complained of pain and often took a lot of pain killers to try to stop it. It was getting better. That was some good news. But Rudy would like it that he didn't feel any pain at all. He wanted Snap to make a full recovery. But that was still up in the air. None of the doctors could confirm if everything would fully heal. At least the worst was done and over with. The blood transfusions were a success. The antivenom was a partial success; the purple chalk did the rest.

His arm was still casted. It was horrifically broken in the fight against Bardot. Rudy winced as he recalled what Snap told him, about how Bardot grabbed him and went all crazy. Although Rudy hadn't been there, the details of how Bardot brutally attacked his friend were fresh on his mind. He could see it all vividly, and as he looked on the scars that adorned his body, he winced, imagining Bardot swiping him with his claws. Bardot was going to be on his mind for a long time, but at least he and Draow cannot hurt anyone anymore. They were locked up in the Fire Zone where they'll never escape.

Snap's internal injuries were still healing up. There was a lot of internal bleeding and damage that had been done as he played through those 'games'. His lung and stomach especially were damaged. His lung was doing a lot better and the broken rib healed. He still couldn't breathe as well as he used to, but it was still better than it had been before. His stomach healed up pretty well although it still hurt him. It at least healed up enough so he could eat properly without having to rely on an IV tube. He recalled how happy Snap had been when the was finally able to eat real food, to actually taste it rather than feel a cool liquid being pumped into his arm.

Snap was still being monitored for brain damage. There was some minor damage that was noticeable, but the doctors were certain it was just temporary. A little bit of damage to one part of the area caused Snap to stumble a little as he walked. His sense of balance had gone wonky. Because of this, he had to wear protective head gear. This symptom was delayed, confirming the doctors' suspicions that the full extent of the damage Bardot caused slamming his head into the ground like that wouldn't be noticeable until later.

But the damage to that area was relatively minor, and the doctors believed it would correct itself eventually. They just had to give it some time. They were more concerned about his frontal lobe, which had recieved the brunt of the damage. They continued to monitor Snap, putting him through tests that required the frontal lobe to try to assess the damage. So far, there hadn't been anything noticeable. The only change is that Snap's reaction time had slowed down, but it was a change so minor that it didn't raise any red flags.

Though it looked promising, the doctors can't be sure of anything yet. They want to keep an eye on Snap for another month or so just to be sure everything was all right. They didn't want Snap returning to his sleeping quarters until they could be certain that he was out of danger. Snap was understandably frustrated that he was 'trapped' in the hospital, but he understood the consequences if he just left while he was still hurting so bad. And visits from his friends made it all the easier for him to cope.

But at least, at the end of the day, Snap was alive. And he was on his way to recovery, as they all were. Each day, he was doing better. Each day, he healed a little more. The same thing could be said about him, and of Penny too. The road to recovery was going to be a long and painful one, but if it meant that they'll all be better and could all have fun again and not be confined to a room or by their own bodies, he felt he could endure it.

He heard a knock on his door, and it opened up slowly. He expected his mom or dad, but when he looked over, instead he saw Penny walking in slowly. She used her crutches to get in, being careful of where she set it so she didn't trip over anything. She shut the door behind her and made her way over to Rudy. She stood not far from him, keeping her balance with her crutches.

Rudy took a good look at her. His eyes went over her injuries. Her gashes had closed up but he could still see marks. He thought that they all might retain some form of scarring after what they had been through. Her leg, like his, was still casted. None of her arms had been broken, so she was able to use two crutches. This did make simple acts like shutting and closing doors difficult but she could still manage okay. Her broken collar bone had mostly healed, though it still caused her some pain.

Overall, she was doing better than he was. Despite what Draow and Bardot said, it was he, not her, who suffered the more brutal injuries. And a part of him was grateful for that. He would gladly take the fall for his friends. Though a part of him did feel guilty. He didn't like worrying his friends so much, and everytime Penny saw his still healing hand or his broken leg, she would look at him sadly, making Rudy's heart tighten.

The biggest blow Bardot took against Penny wasn't physical. He had done something to her that he did not do to Rudy. He had taken the life of a family member. He had taken her father away. Penny was still distressed about it, still had nightmares about it. Bardot had gone much further than just kill her father and tell her about it. He had tortured him, eating part of him in front of them... He had taunted her about his death. He had showed his tooth to her. And he had even briefly tormented Mrs. Sanchez about it as well.

Rudy comforted Penny the best way that he could. He tried his best to be there for her as she tried to cope with the loss of her father. Her physical wounds would heal, but her mental wounds might not. This would continue to hurt for a long time. There was no medicine he could give her to help the pain go away. The best he could do was be there for her and give her comfort if she needed it. He needed to be a shoulder she could lean on.

The funeral had taken place had taken place a week ago. It was a large funeral. Not just Penny's father, but the other victims that had been slaughtered by Bardot were there as well. The funeral was meant to honor those lost by this mysterious serial killer. Nobody knew the details yet of what happened. Rudy hoped a fake story could be spun and delivered, one that would give closure to the suffering families, but also keep ChalkZone safe.

The funeral lasted a few hours as each grieving family member said a few words about one or more of the victims. So many people had showed up. Rudy had never seen so much depressing black in his life and he hoped he never would have to again. A funeral for one person was devastating enough, but five...it was even worse. Cries filled the air, some of which were coming from Penny as she hugged him for comfort.

His parents had permitted Snap to come along. He rode in the back seat of his parents' car and sat next to Rudy during the funeral. Snap made a comment about how very depressing funerals in the real world were. It wasn't meant as an insult; ChalkZone rarely had funerals like this; most of them were, as Snap put it, a celebration of life. Zoners could still die, but they didn't die of old age. Though Snap did not know any of the people who died personally, he still grieved for them, as he had experienced first hand what it was like to be tortured to death by Bardot. He himself had died, and if it weren't for Terry's efforts, it would have remained that way. He had been lucky.

It had come as a shock to him and Penny when they found out Terry saved Snap's life. They had a hard time believing that someone who had been their enemy so long had done something like that. Terry wasn't even friends with Snap, yet she was so determined to save him. When asked why, Terry simply replied that she couldn't just let him die after what he had been through. Her attitude towards ChalkZone and zoners in general appeared to be changing, but whether or not that would change things in the long run...they weren't sure.

For now, they decided it was best to be on their guard around her. There was still a chance that she could still try to expose ChalkZone. Until Terry herself confirmed whether or not she had a chance of heart, they would be on full alert around her.

"It's so hard to believe..." Penny said, breaking the silence. "After all that's happened...it's finally over."

Rudy nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah..."

They went quiet for a while. Rudy's thoughts went to ChalkZone. During a recent trip to ChalkZone, he and Penny found out that all of Bardot's contraptions, the lands he had transformed for his 'game', had been dismantled and removed. The areas were returned to the way they once were, must to his and Penny's delight. The hideout that Bardot and Draow used was also taken apart and bulldozed. There was little trace left in ChalkZone of their existence. No sign of what had taken place..well except the Fire Zone, but that was off limits and it wasn't like they were going to visit that wretched place any time soon. After all those two had done, it was fitting the harsh and unforgiving land of the Fire Zone would be their punishment.

They had also visited Skrawl, Barney, and Mumbo Jumbo. Skrawl was happy to see that they were doing fine, although, being Skrawl, he didn't show too much happiness. Rudy didn't really expect anything less from him. Skrawl wasn't the type of guy to really admit to his feelings that much, even if called out on them.

Mumbo Jumbo and especially Barney were happy that Bardot and Draow were now serving their name. It took Barney sometime to get used to being safe again. He had lived so long in fear, never knowing when Bardot would show up to torture more information out of him. Rudy understood why Barney still felt unsafe even after Bardot was punished. A year and a half is a long time to be tortured. At least he had Mumbo Jumbo with him to help him through this. The king offered to stay with Barney wherever he went and this time Barney accepted rather than push him away for his own safety.

Rudy offered Barney a chance to have his eyes restored using the magic chalk. He felt so bad for him because the missing eyes reminded Barney so much of what happened with Bardot. It was his deepest physical scar, the one thing that constantly reminded Barney of his months of torture. Rudy recalled how he had drawn an extra eye for Biclops and he wanted to try the same for Barney. There was still a chance it wouldn't work, but he still wanted to try. Barney was willing to let him try since there wasn't much to lose. He was already blind. The worst that could happen is the eyes would not function.

Rudy was happy when his plan had worked, despite how hard it was to draw the eyes with his injured hand. He fought against the pain, for that moment, because he really wanted to help Barney out. Barney was grateful to be able to see again and he and Mumbo Jumbo thanked Rudy. Rudy was glad he could help. He was glad that Barney no longer had that horrific reminder of what Bardot had forced him through.

He soon felt something brush up against him. He looked over and saw that Penny had sat down next to him. He realized that several minutes passed since the last time one of them had spoken. He knew the reason why. They were both still having a hard time believing that it was over now, that Bardot and Draow were finally stopped for good. Penny must be reflecting on recent events, just like he was. It was a lot to take in. And it would take them some time to get used to things being passive again. There was still that fear in the back of their minds that something, somehow, could still go horribly wrong.

And there was still the matter with their parents. Rudy felt his heart tighten a little as he thought about them. What were they going to do about ChalkZone? He was terrified about what the consequences might be. As bad as Bardot and Draow were, what they did pales in comparison to what a greedy human might do to ChalkZone. Zoners were easily stopped. Humans...not so much...

"It's...it's almost time..." Penny said softly, staring out the window.

Rudy looked at her. "Time for what?"

"The meeting." Penny said. She gave him a sideways glance. "Remember? Today is the day our parents will...give their verdict about ChalkZone..."

Rudy's eyes widened a little. That was right. Today was the day. His fears started to increase. Despite the fact that he had wanted to talk to his parents for some time about this, for the moment to almost be here...it did terrify him. This was it. This was the moment that could change everything. There was no going back.

The way his parents had used the word 'verdict' when they talked about their talk about ChalkZone..it made Rudy feel like he was going into court for something he did wrong, and his parents were the judges. It made him feel less comfortable about talking about the place, yet he knew it had to be done. If they didn't talk about this now, it was going to continue eating him up inside. He knew his parents wanted to get it over with as much as he did.

"When?" Rudy asked softly.

"In fifteen minutes or twenty. They're waiting for your aunt to arrive." Penny replied, her voice low.

Rudy knew Penny was just as worried as he was. Wanting to comfort her, he put his arm around her and pulled her close, making sure he didn't accidentally hurt her. She returned the half hug, pressing her cheek against his. She shifted her body a little so she was facing him. A small smile came onto her face.

"I...I'm sure it'll be okay..." Penny said, trying to sound hopeful.

"Yeah. We just..have to hope for the best." Rudy said. Hope...it was all they can do now.

Slowly, the two leaned in towards each other. They pressed their lips against each other into a kiss. They stayed like this for a few seconds and then broke apart. They smiled at each other, despite their growing fears.

Suddenly they heard a shout from downstairs.

"Rudy! Penny! Come on down here!" Mrs. Tabootie said, using her usual sing-along kind of voice.

"Well...this is it..." Rudy said quietly, the smile vanished from his face.

Penny nodded her head. "Yeah..."

After a moment, Rudy looked at her and said, "Let's get Snap. I'm sure he's waiting for us now."

Penny nodded and she went over to Rudy's chalkboard. As she drew the portal, as the light shined from the lines she was making, Rudy felt dread rise up inside of him. The meeting was about to take place. The fate of ChalkZone will be decided very soon. He could only hope for the best. He hoped that his parents would ultimately understand why they had to lie to them all this time, why they had to keep ChalkZone a secret, and come to accept it. Because if not...

...Rudy dreaded what the future of ChalkZone might be like.

sss

Rudy, Penny, and Snap headed down the stairs. It took some time with the crutches. Snap helped them down one and a time using his unbroken arm. It wasn't easy, and it took a while, but it worked. As they reached the bottom of the steps, Rudy couldn't stop the feeling of dread rising up inside of him. He no longer felt like he was in his own house. He felt like he was some strange land, where he didn't know anyone. He felt like he was in a prison being sent on death row. So many thoughts swam through his mind, making his headache. Each step was almost like torture, as he knew that it brought him closer and closer to what might be the end of ChalkZone.

In the corner of his eye, before he even made a turn, he could see that their parents were sitting in the living room. They were still waiting for Aunt Tilly and Sophie to show up. They would at any minute. They saw their children and Snap walk down and they nodded their heads, acknowledging them. They turned their heads towards the television screen.

Rudy and his friends walked over. Rudy tried his best to hide his fear. He didn't want to look terrified of his own parents. They hadn't even done anything regarding ChalkZone yet. But something could still go wrong. And the looks they were giving him...it suggested they were pretty upset with them hiding all this from them for so long. He hoped that they would come to understand.

His thoughts were derailed when Penny gasped and pointed at the screen. Rudy looked over and his eyes widened in horror. It was some male reporter talking about how he found evidence of the culprit who harmed the five victims. His heart tightened up. Did...did Terry do something like this? Did she decide to expose ChalkZone after all...?

"You...you don't think Bouffant..." Snap said in a low voice. He looked up at Rudy nervously. "After all that..did she really..?"

"I-I don't know..." Rudy said softly, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Terry did find footage in Bardot's hideout." Mr. Tabootie said simply. He looked over at Rudy. "She said she was going to do what was best with it."

That sent cold chills down Rudy's spine. His friends looked visibly shaken. No...it couldn't be... Even after all that, after all the explaining Rudy and Penny did...Terry was still going to expose ChalkZone. She had given the footage to some other reporter, and now that reporter was going to show it on television. Soon everyone in town, anyone who got this news station...they were going to know...

He watched the television screen, frozen in fear. He and his friends continued watching the screen. They could easily read the headlines. 'Footage Of Culprit Found'... and there was a warning about how there might be graphic violence. Rudy wished there was something he could do. He wished he could go over to the station, grab the footage, and leave with it. But even with a portal...there was nothing he could do...

"I warn you, this footage may be graphic." The male reporter said solemnly. "But as gruesome as it might turn out to be, I feel that it is important for the families who lost their loved ones to this psychopath get some closure in knowing just who it was who had harmed those they care about."

Then it switched over to one of the anchor men. He was holding some papers stacked against each other. He straightened them out, staring at the screen with a worried expression. Showing something that might be graphic wasn't something he liked to do.

"Thank you. And now..." The anchor man sucked in a breath. "Here's the footage. We warn you...it might be graphic. It has been untouched and we were just given this footage now. So...let's play it, shall we?"

This was it... Rudy wasn't sure if he could watch. He shut his eyes and turned away. His body shook a little. In a second, footage of ChalkZone was going to play in front of the whole town. Everyone was going to know about it. Everyone was going to want a way in.

At first, he refused to open his eyes. He refused to look. But then, knowing he was going to have to face the music, that he was going to have to, sooner or later, accept that he failed as a guardian of ChalkZone, he looked over at the television screen. His eyes slowly widened in shock at what he saw. He had been expecting footage of Bardot and Draow, or of differnet places in ChalkZone. But this...this wasn't what he thought he was going to see.

Judging from his friends' expressions, they were surprised as well. They rubbed their eyes as if they felt that they were just seeing things. But looking again confirmed that what they saw was reality. There was no mistaking it.

The footage that played was not of ChalkZone. It was violent yes. Rudy would rather unsee what he just saw, and he felt bad for anyone with a squeamish stomach, whether they be young or old, who saw this. But the footage itself depicted shaky, blurry, sharp moving images of some kind of beast, a bear perhaps, or maybe a wolf, and it also included an image of it being shot, giving the impression that the predator had been stopped.

Rudy looked over at his father, his eyes wide in shock. "But...but I thought Ms. Bouffant brought back tapes and..."

"What's...what's going on...?" Penny asked, her voice so low it was barely understandable.

Mr. Tabootie gave a light-hearted chuckle. He gave a knowing sideways glance to the children, his eyes focused mainly on his son. "I told you." He pulled out what appeared to be a video tape. He held it up in the air for Rudy, Penny, and Snap to see. "She wanted to do what was best."

The trio of friends looked at Mr. Tabootie in shock. They weren't sure what to think. They didn't expect this turn of events. They never thought that Terry would really pass up on the chance to expose ChalkZone. They were so used to her trying to expose it...the fact that she did something completely opposite...it was hard for them to digest.

Their parents sensed their confusion. They looked at each other, nodded, and then turned back to the teenagers.

Mrs. Sanchez said, "She did consider showing it on television..."

Mrs. Tabootie spoke, "But she wanted to talk to you first. She wanted to get your side of the story."

So that was why Terry visited them in the hospital. She had wanted a second opinion before she showed the footage to the whole town. She had considered exposing ChalkZone, but had second thoughts. This was...the first time they've known Terry to do this. The fact that she was having second thoughts about revealing ChalkZone... it did bring a sense of hope to them. That would be one less enemy to worry about.

"She decided, after what you two told her, that it would be a mistake to show the footage." Mr. Tabootie said. "So she decided it was best to give it to you, Rudy."

Mr. Tabootie held out the tape towards his son. Rudy stared at it for a moment. He reached out and took it. He held the tape in his hand. He was certain there was a lot more that Terry might have taken. If there were, he imagined his dad put it up in his room somewhere, maybe in his closet or something.

Rudy let it all sink in. Terry...seemed to have had a change of heart. He and Penny had finally convinced her to stop trying to expose ChalkZone. She must have seen just how real it really was during her stay. She must have come to the conclusion of all the damage that would be brought to the place if she had revealed its existence. It did feel a little strange, after all these years of trying to stop her, and he knew that he and his friends would still be on their guard.

Still, the chance that they might have lost another enemy and gained another ally, it did help them feel a little better. He looked over at Penny and Snap and smiled at them. They returned the smile, looking relieved and grateful that Terry did not send that footage in. That was one good thing that went their way.

But their parents still hadn't delivered their verdict on ChalkZone... Rudy's happy smile was replaced with a worried frown. Penny and Snap looked at him sympathetically. Rudy's gaze turned towards the ground. An uncomfortable feeling rose up in his chest. He looked over at his father, who seemed to be able to read his mind.

"Aunt Tilly and Sophie will be here any minute. Then we will discuss the matter of ChalkZone." Mr. Tabootie said, his voice taking on a serious tone. He eyed the three, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And when she does, you three have a lot of explaining to do."

Rudy, Penny, and Snap nodded their heads solemnly.

"We know..." Rudy said in a defeated tone. "We know..."

sss

When Aunt Tilly and Sophie arrived, when the door opened up and they walked inside, Rudy felt his heart pound. It was almost like the bell to his punishment had been rung. The meeting was to start. Time seemed to slow down as they all headed into the kitchen, each taking a seat. Rudy and his friends sat on the same side next to each other. His mother sat at one front of the table, his father the other. And across from them, Tilly and Sophie sat.

The moment he and his friends dreaded, the moment they were waiting to get over with, was finally happening. He felt almost like he was in a courtroom. The looks his parents and Mrs. Sanchez were giving them made him feel uncomfortable. There was no telling what they would do after they told them everything they wanted to know.

His heart wouldn't stop racing. His expression remained fear-filled no matter how relaxed he tried to be. He looked towards his friends. They were just as worried. Snap's teeth were clenched nervously as he glanced around the room. Penny's wide eyes looked at her mom and then she looked down at the table as if she was expecting to be yelled at.

The silence that took place was awkward. Despite the meeting now in session, nobody really said anything. And it lasted this way for a little while. The silence was becoming deafening, and Rudy wanted someone to try to speak. Why weren't his folks saying anything? Why wasn't Mrs. Sanchez? What were they waiting for?

Then, at last, someone spoke. It was his father.

"You three are not in trouble." Mr. Tabootie said in a relaxed voice. He clasped his hands together and raised his head up. His eyes were closed and narrowed for a moment. He looked at his son, his expression holding confusion. "We just...want to know why..." Rudy and his friends looked at each other nervously. "Why, after all this time...did you keep this from us?"

A pang of guilt stung Rudy and Penny in the heart.

"We're your family. Didn't you trust us?" Mrs. Sanchez asked.

"What if you had gotten hurt in that place? What if we never found out?" Mrs. Tabootie shed a few tears as she spoke. "What if you got lost? We wouldn't have known...where you were..."

Rudy knew he was going to feel horrible whenever his parents learned the truth. After so many lies...he was expecting this kind of reaction. He just..never knew it would hurt this bad. He looked at his friends. Penny was shedding a few tears of guilt. Snap had his head lowered, obviously feeling bad even though it wasn't his fault.

Tilly was the next one to speak. "I would have thought, after all these years, you would have known to trust your folks..." She sighed softly and shook her head. "But to keep something like this from them... What possible reason did you have? What could have..justified something like this?"

"I'm...sure they had a good reason." Sophie said. "He did try to get me out of ChalkZone when I went."

Rudy was surprised that Sophie remembered that. Then again, ChalkZone was an unforgetable place. So it made sense that she would remember it.

Mr. Tabootie spoke up again. "We aren't trying to make you three feel guilty. I hope you know that. All we want are answers. Please...tell us why you lied to us after all this time. Why have you tried so hard to...keep this place a secret from us...?"

"We wish to understand." Mrs. Tabootie said through her tears. "We want your side of the story. Please...talk to us. Tell us why you did this..."

All eyes turned to Rudy. He lowered his head a little, feeling nervous that he was being put on the spotlight. But considering he was the one who discovered ChalkZone, he was the best person to start. He looked at his friends for support. They gave him small smiles in an attempt to comfort him. He smiled back, then looked back at his folks and Mrs. Sanchez. They looked at him, waiting for him to talk.

There was no going back. This was it. It was time he told them the truth. All of it. He could only hope that, once he did tell them everything...that they would be understanding. He hoped, prayed, that years of protecting ChalkZone was not going to come to an end. He didn't want ChalkZone to suffer an unfortunate fate...

And so, he began his story.

sss

"And..that's the whole story... That's why we couldn't tell you the truth..." Rudy said softly, his head lowered.

"We're sorry if we hurt you.. We didn't mean to." Penny said. "We just...had to protect this place. The zoners might be drawings, but they're still people. We don't want to see them get hurt, exploited, even killed if this gets out."

Snap bit his lip. "We hope you...understand..."

Rudy didn't know how long he had been talking. An hour? Two hours? It felt like he was talking forever. His mouth felt dry and his throat felt a tad sore.

He had managed to tell his folks everything. He told them about discovering ChalkZone, meeting Snap, the different encounters they had, the story behind Mr. Cosmo, among other things. He didn't tell them about all their adventures. That would have taken way too long. He had to pick a few most notable ones and told them about it. He didn't hold details back. If they were in danger, he told them. If there was a particularly nasty zoner they countered, he told them. He knew that holding back information would make things worse.

He told them about what ChalkZone was like, how any human with the magic chalk could draw things into reality there, and how ChalkZone was the home of everything erased on a blackboard. He told them how diverse the place was and how most of the citizens were relatively friendly. Very few zoners were like Draow and Bardot.

He explained, the best he could, the consequences if just any human could enter ChalkZone. Because a human can draw anything into creation, they held a god-like status in ChalkZone. They could easily exploit this power to take over the place. He said that the zoners could be harmed or killed from this. He didn't want them to suffer. And he mentioned that danger could be brought into the real world as well if a particularly large and dangerous zoner, like Draow, got into the real world.

Penny and Snap helped explain any details that they could. And they didn't just talk about the negative stuff, like the suffering ChalkZone would go through if it were exposed or the occasional vile villain that showed up. They also mentioned the good things. They talked about the holidays the zoners celebrated, how they are generally nice towards each other and towards Rudy and Penny. They mentioned how the zoners looked up to Rudy as their protector and trusted him with their lives. Whatever positive they could think of, they made sure to bring it up.

Rudy could only hope it was enough. He hoped that, somehow, by some miracle, their folks would understand. So far, they were just sitting there quietly. No one, not even Sophie who had experienced ChalkZone once before, said a word. They looked at Rudy, their eyes filled with confusion and worry, and a bit of awe and fascination. Rudy had a feeling it would take them sometime to completely digest this information.

"So...you're telling us that... this place, this ChalkZone...It would be in grave danger if word slips out about its existence?" Tilly asked.

"And you two are the guardians of ChalkZone, keeping it a secret in the real world?" Sophie added in, her eyes widened a little in understanding. Rudy guessed she was starting to understand why she was yanked out of ChalkZone. "After all this time?"

Rudy and Penny nodded their heads.

"It's really important you don't tell anyone." Penny said pleadingly. "The damage would be irreversible."

"We'll decide that soon." Mr. Tabootie said firmly.

Rudy flinched at this. Even after explaining, there was still a chance that their parents wouldn't understand. A tinge tugged at his heart. He hoped that his worst fears weren't going to become a reality. Please no...

Mr. Tabootie continued, "So you've been keeping this a secret from us since you were eight years old?" Rudy nodded his head slowly. Mr. Tabootie's eyes widened and he put his hand on his head. "Eight years... Almost a decade. That's a really long time to be keeping a secret."

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah I know..." He said regretfully. "I never meant to lie to you so much. There were times I wanted to tell you guys. But the risk...it wasn't worth it. I didn't want to bring so much pain and suffering to ChalkZone. I've been protecting them for years. I..I can't turn my back on them..."

Mr. Tabootie sighed. "Yeah, I know, son. I know..."

Mrs. Sanchez opened her mouth to speak. She paused momentarily, like she was having a hard time thinking of what to say. Then she finally spoke. "We... you really should have told us sooner..."

Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head. "I'm sure we could have worked something out. We're your family. You could have trusted us."

A pang tugged at Rudy's chest. He didn't like the way they were talking like that. Something inside his head was screaming at him that it was going to go all wrong now. Their parents sounded like they would have been more understanding if he had just told them sooner. But after years of lying...could he have damaged their trust in him? Could he have inadvertantly caused more harm than good?

His friends looked worried. He knew they understood what this could all mean. It might be over. After years of fun and adventures and hanging out, it just might all come to an end now. The feeling of finality hit him hard, and he tried his best not to shed tears.

Mrs. Tabootie seemed to take notice of how sorrowful the three looked. "I'm sure this is hard on you... I admit, we should have just spoken to you the first chance we got. And if we caused you any stress by holding this off, we are sincerely sorry." Her husband and Mrs. Sanchez nodded in agreement. "We really did think that we did the right thing by holding this off, but, judging from how upset you three looked even before we started, I see we were wrong."

"We're sorry." Mrs. Sanchez said, looking at the three with sympathy.

"We understand why you did it." Rudy said. He wanted to say that they were right, that it did make things worse by holding it off, but he held his tongue. He took another glance at his friends and then spoke the dreaded question. "What's...what's your verdict...?"

"What are you going to do? Now that you know everything..." Snap said, a tinge of fear in his eyes. "What's your plan..?"

Sophie looked up at her mother. "What's going to happen?"

Tilly bit her lip. She glanced at the other adults. She didn't respond. In fact, none of the adults spoke. They just looked at each other, giving each other glances that held confusion, frustration, interest, and several other emotions. It was almost like they were talking to each other, but telepathically.

Soon, the adults got out of their seats and walked into the living room. Sophie remained where she was and glanced over at where the adults went. Rudy, Penny, and Snap stared off after them. They could hear their whispers. They couldn't make out too much of what they said. A word or two, but that was it. Some of the whispers sounded angry, others more sympathetic. But nothing they heard put the trio's mind at ease. Nothing really revealed what the adults planned on doing now that they know everything about ChalkZone, now that they know that this place existed and where they had disappeared to all this time.

Five minutes passed by and the adults were still talking. Their whispers echoed in their minds, teasing and taunting them. The trio had no idea what to expect. Anxiety rose up inside of them. They couldn't fight off their fears really well. Their bodies started to shake slightly. Each second that past by felt like an eternity. And as time went on, the more stressed out they became. The only thing they could do was hope that the best case scenario was going to happen.

Finally, after a couple more minutes, the whispers stopped. They heard the shuffling of the adults getting up out of their seats. They all came walking back into the kitchen. They didn't bother sitting down. They stood next to each other, eyeing Rudy, Penny, and Snap. Their expressions were serious, and they looked almost...regretful.

Rudy's heart tightened. It...it looked like whatever answer they were going to give... It wasn't going to be a good one. He hoped he was wrong. As his heart started beating faster, he hoped he was wrong. But when the adults looked at each other nervously, he felt his heart break. No...it couldn't be...no...

"Son...I'm not sure how to tell you this. I know what I want to say, but putting it to words..." Mr. Tabootie said, rubbing the back of his head. He clenched his teeth and sucked breath through it as he continued to rub his head thoughtfully and nervously.

"Just say it..." Rudy said, his voice sullen and defeated. He might as well accept fate. Penny and Snap lowered their heads a little in sorrow. "I know you want to say it. So do it." Sophie glanced at her cousin, looking at him sympathetically.

"This world of chalk, this ChalkZone..." Tilly said. "It really means a lot to you...doesn't it?"

The trio nodded their heads.

"And if anything were to happen to it, it would break your hearts...wouldn't it?" Mrs. Sanchez asked.

"Yeah it would." Penny said sadly.

"P-Please...you can't..." Rudy begged, a few tears forming in his eyes. "You must understand..."

Mr. Tabootie raised his hand up. Rudy and his friends grew silent and stared at him expectantly. "We...talked about this in the living room. We're sorry it took so long. But it was hard to decide what appropriate action would be best. Trust me when I say coming up with a decision wasn't easy. We thought about what you told us, what Mr. Wilter told us. We took every word into consideration. And after talking it out, we decided that..."

This was it... The decision... Dread filled up inside of Rudy and his friends. They stared at Mr. Tabootie intently, waiting for him to continue. Rudy knew that it could go either way. He knew that the next phrase could be the beginning of the end.

Time seemed to slow down for him. All he could hear was his heartbeat. Pounding harder and harder against his chest. Shivers went through his body. He tried to suppress it. Yet it was hard for him to hide his fear. He couldn't stop the overwhelming mental agony growing in his chest and stomach. Everything...everything was riding on what his dad was about to say next.

And when his dad did continue speaking, Rudy couldn't help but close his eyes and turn away. He feared the worst and waited for the horrible news to be delivered.

"...well...if keeping this place a secret is important to you... We're with you 'till the end."

Rudy froze, sucking in a sharp gasp. His eyes flew open. Did...did he hear him right? Did his dad really say that? A confused feeling overtook him. He and his friends, with shocked and perplexed expressions, all looked at Mr. Tabootie. He wondered, his friends wondered, if he had really said that. Did they hear him right, or was it just their imaginations? Were they dreaming? Or was this reality?

As they stared at the man, slowly, a smile came onto his face. A smile of confirmation... Mrs. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez also started to smile at them. Slowly, they nodded their heads, affirming their decision. It was a simple gesture, but it had a profound impact on the trio.

Waves of relief hit him hard. It went up and down their spines. Their bodies shook with emotion, this time from happiness rather than fear or worry. It felt like a large weight was lifted off their shoulders. All the anxiety they were feeling, it all lifted away as if some hand came down and yanked it off of them. Tears of happiness welled up in their eyes. They were unable to stop the strong wave of emotion sweeping through them, and they weren't sure if they wanted to.

This...this was the best news they could have gotten. It was the best case scenario. Their folks...they understood. They not only understood, but they appeared to have accepted ChalkZone. The fear that they would expose it was laid to rest. And the more they looked at the adults and Sophie smiling, the more they realized that it was not a dream, but reality. This wasn't some fantasy they had where they accepted ChalkZone...

...it was real life. They really had understood why ChalkZone had to be kept secret..and they were willing to go along with it...

"Thank you...thank you so much..." Rudy said, wiping away a tear as they came. "You don't know...how much that means to us."

"We really appreciate it." Penny said, her voice a little choked up from the strong relief running through her.

Snap smiled gratefully at the adults. "Thank you for understanding."

Mr. Tabootie's smile spread a little wider. "You three are quite welcome."

"What...what helped the decision?" Penny asked.

Mr. Tabootie, continuing to smile, turned his gaze upon Snap. "Your friend did." Rudy and Penny looked at Snap, who looked up at Mr. Tabootie in surprise. "When we were talking about what to do about ChalkZone, we did consider everything you told us. And we did come to understand why you kept a secret, but even then, it was still hard to make up our minds. It was when we reminded each other of what your friend went through to save you two...that was the clincher."

Mrs. Tabootie walked over towards Snap. She smiled down at him, holding her hands together. "We saw the way you kept fighting off Draow, no matter how hurt you got. We saw how much pain you were willing to go through as long as you were able to save them. We could see just how much you care about our children, and if it weren't for you...they wouldn't be here."

The large woman lowered herself a little. She put her arms around him, careful not to hurt him, and pulled him into a hug, as tight as she could without hurting him. Tears of happiness flowed down her face.

"Thank you..." Mrs. Tabootie whispered.

She let go as Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez came over. They took turns hugging Snap and, like Mrs. Sanchez, thanked him for his efforts to save Rudy and Penny. And for each one, Snap did say 'you're welcome' and hugged them back with his unbroken arm. Mr. Tabootie and Mrs. Sanchez shed a few tears of happiness as they hugged the blue and white zoner.

Tilly and Sophie smiled as they looked over at Snap. Tilly said, "You're always welcome here, Snap." Sophie giggled happily when the blue zoner returned their smiles.

"We were worried that you two might get hurt in a world like that. We felt that you'd be safer if you had someone with you to protect you. A supervisor. But we realized..you already had one all along." Mr. Tabootie said. He gently stroked the top of Snap's head. "Your friend here is a real trooper. And he has shown himself to be an excellent guardian. He has earned our complete trust."

Rudy and Penny's smiles broadened at this. Elation welled up inside of them. They never knew they could feel this much happiness and relief all at once.

Mr. Tabootie lowered himself, gently squeezing Snap's shoulders. He looked at him in the eyes and spoke. "We trust that you'll be able to keep our children safe...in case something like this ever happens again.. Can you do that?"

Snap nodded his head. "Of course! They're my best friends! I'd do anything to protect them."

Mr. Tabootie said, "Yeah...we know." He pulled him into another hug. "Thank you." After he hugged Snap for a few seconds, he straightened up and looked back at Rudy and Penny. "We will not be putting any restrictions on you two. You have proven to us that ChalkZone is safe, and we have seen how far you all are willing to go to protect each other. So we find it unnecessary to bar you from entering that world. We only ask that you, if possible, tell us when you go there so we'll know where you are. That is our only request. Do you accept?"

Rudy and Penny didn't even have to think about that. They nodded their heads swiftly, very happy that their parents not only accepted ChalkZone, but weren't going to restrict them in any way. Telling them where they'll be going isn't really a hindrance, and if anything, it provides a sense of relief.

No longer did they have to lie to their folks. No longer did they have to worry about getting back in time, or race to come home before they noticed they were gone. No longer did they have to come up with stories. No longer did they have to feel guilty.

Their parents have relieved them of all that. A great burden was lifted off their shoulders. Their parents had extinguished their fears. And things were only going to get better from here.

Mrs. Sanchez went over to Penny and pulled her into a hug. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie went over and hugged Rudy. And Tilly and Sophie hugged Snap. And as they hugged, Rudy let his mind wander a little.

He thought about all they had been through. He thought about how he and Penny were captured and tortured, and how Snap came to save them. It had felt hopeless for a while until he came, and risked his life to save them. He remembered how worried he had been when his parents found out about ChalkZone. He was worried that, after all the pain they had been through, that even after Bardot and Draow were taken care of, that something awful would soon come out of it.

But now those fears were washed away. They were gone, replaced with happiness, relief, elation...all welling up inside, making him shake a little from the emotion. Words couldn't describe how happy this made him feel. He was so relieved that, despite his initial fears, everything was going to be okay.

Their folks really did choose what was best for them. And he couldn't thank them enough for it.