N E E D

By DarkHououmon

Chapter 1: Amusements

First rule: never get cocky...

sss

Blocky found a hard time believing it. A part of him wondered if time really could fly this fast. He had heard the expression, but he had often enjoyed life so much that he didn't really pay attention to the details. Perhaps he should take a moment and do that once in a while. He could very easily miss things.

Just like today.

Much to his shock, today was his birthday. He was four years old. It had been exactly four years since Rudy Tabootie had drawn him. Four years of living in ChalkZone. Four years of interacting with others, of having fun, of playing. He had not noticed how fast time went, and for him, it still felt as though he had just woken up from being created.

It felt this way for many zoners. They did not have the same concept of time as humans in the Real World did. They did not have the same concept of age. Zoners are born into the world and then find their purpose, a place to live. Then they live about as if they had always been that way. Some zoners had a tougher time adjusting, and there were some unlucky zoners, like Skrawl, who had no purpose and invented their own. Of course, not all of them were as destructive as Skrawl.

Blocky was one such example. He had really no purpose. He was just a silly drawing that Rudy drew when he was a tiny boy in first grade. Just something little Rudy made when he was bored and wanted to have a little fun.

Coming into ChalkZone, he was like a newborn without a parent. He didn't know what he was going to do. Rudy only designed him to be a happy, fun-loving guy. Those traits stuck, but they did little to help him figure out his place in the world. So he had wandered around without a purpose. He never became as bad as Skrawl, or any other of the nastier zoners. He was able to find something to do, even if it didn't exactly benefit the other zoners.

He had been relieved when Rudy draw Snap. Although younger, Snap, at times, acted more mature than he did. Blocky had been impressed with how much Rudy had improved art wise. He felt some tinge of jealousy, but he never let it distract him from being nice with Snap. He was grateful to finally have someone to hang around with. Snap proved to be a great friend. And it was Snap who had reminded him of his birthday.

"Come on!" Snap cried as he dragged Blocky forward. A wide grin was on his face. "The party is about to get started!"

Blocky was perplexed. "Party? I don't remember anything about a party..."

"You don't?" Snap asked. He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe I should have stuck a note in your house or something." He paused between two trees. He put his hand over his eyes and looked around. "It shouldn't be too far from here..." He tugged on Blocky again. "Let's get going!"

Blocky struggled to keep himself from slipping. He understood Snap's excitement. He was always one for parties, even if they weren't about him. But he wished he didn't tug so hard. He was nearly making his feet trip out from underneath him. It was a struggle just to keep his footing.

Snap appeared to realize what he was doing and, while he still gripped him tightly, he slowed down a little so that Blocky could keep up with him better. Blocky was relieved, but he still wished that Snap would just slow down. The party was going to wait for them, right? It wasn't like, if they were a few minutes late, everyone was just going to get up and walk away. But Snap was so excited, he wasn't taking this into account. He looked as if they just had to be there in the next few seconds or they would miss out on everything.

Snap was taking him along the grassy plains that stretched along the side of Candycane Forest. His first thought was that they were going to the city. He recognized this path. He knew that if they kept going along it, they would eventually reach ChalkZone City. It wasn't a bad place for such events, and with all the supplies that they had, there was so much they could do for a party.

Instead of that, however, Snap made a sudden, sharp turn, and Blocky found them going into the Candycane Forest. He stiffened up, momentarily remembering their nasty run-in with the mother chocolate bunny. Even though she had ended up being nice to them later on, he was still haunted by the memories of what had happened. Simply being in the forest was enough to trigger the memories, and try as he might to push it away, he was not able to fully dismiss it.

Snap had taken the mother's babies and he had tried to eat them. The thought still gave him a tinge of anger. He had tried to warn Snap, but he wouldn't listen, and they both nearly got ripped apart by the angry mom because of it. At least it all worked out in the end, and Snap never tried to pull the stunt again after that.

Snap didn't appear nervous at all entering. His eyes were wide and focused. It was as if he was on some kind of mission. He looked left and right, as if trying to find something. Colors of white and red zipped by them in a blur as they kept turning seemingly randomnly. He had no idea what Snap saw that caused the changes of direction, but he could hardly focus on that as he tried in vain to keep himself from tripping.

His luck didn't last too long and he felt his foot get caught in something. A raised bump on the ground. He let out a cry of pain and he fell forward. He nearly smashed his face in the ground, Snap barely able to stop it from happening.

"Are you okay, Blocky?" Snap asked, looking at his friend with concern.

Blocky rubbed the top of his head. "Y-Yeah I'm fine..." He looked up at Snap. "But...can you please slow down? I don't think we need to be going this fast."

"I'm sorry." Snap said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm just so excited!" He spread his arms out. "I mean, how often does a birthday come around?"

"Once a year?" Blocky asked.

Snap pointed a rounded hand at the rectangular zoner. "Exactly! There is no way I'm going to miss this kind of celebration! And neither should you!" Snap grabbed his other hand and started to pull him. "It's in your honor! You should hurry up and..."

Blocky planted his feet firmly on the ground. He tugged his hands back. He winced as he felt Snap's hand lose grip on him, making him stumble back. He looked at his hands and shook them. "I know you're excited, Snap. But we can take our time, right? I mean..." He paused for a moment. "It's not like the party is going to start without me, right?"

Snap blinked at this. He then rubbed the side of his face nervously, a small grin spreading across his face. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that, Blocky." He gave a quick, nervous chuckle before holding his hand out towards Blocky. "I do apologize about that."

"Oh don't worry about it." Blocky said with a smile. "We're almost there I'm sure." After a second, he gave a light frown. "...aren't we...?"

Snap nodded his head. "Yeah, it's real close!" He motioned with his hand, encouraging Blocky to come follow him. "So let's get going!" With that, he turned and continued walking along the path.

The walking continued for sometime. Without a watch or anyway to tell time, Blocky had no idea how much time had passed. For him, it felt like hours. Each step felt as though it was taking an eternity, and the effects of that increased each time he set his foot on the ground. He occassionally looked at Snap to see if there were any indication of him getting close. But Snap's expression didn't change, so Blocky just continued on forward.

They eventually reached a part of the Candycane Forest that he wasn't too familiar with. Up in front of him, he could see what appeared to be a whole ring of candycane trees. They were curved and bending down, creating a circular pattern. In front of them were a patch of candycane bushes, sharpened ends sticking out, as if to threaten anyone who tried to touch them. The sight of them was enough to make Blocky nervous, but Snap kept pulling him along.

Snap released him when they were standing between two of the candycane bushes. He placed a hand against one of the trees and pressed against it. To Blocky's surprise, the tree moved. Slowly, but it still moved, bending itself to one side. He repeated the same process with the one next to it. In seconds, a small opening was created between the two trees.

Blocky stared at this in wonder, his mouth open. He hadn't seen anything quite like this before. ChalkZone was truly full of surprises. He had been in this forest countless times, and he had never seen this section, nor did he ever see a candycane tree behave like that before. He looked over at Snap, his mouth still hanging open.

Realizing what Blocky was thinking, Snap said, "I found this place a little while ago. I figured it'd be perfect for your party!" He grabbed onto Blocky's hand and tugged on him. "Oh just wait until you see what it looks like on the inside!"

Blocky stammered, "Wh-What...?" His voice trailed off when he was pulled all the way into the interior circle. Snap let go. Blocky took in a sharp intake of breath as he looked around slowly.

The interior of the place had multiple, candycane colored rocks, each of them giving off a small light. It created a glow, giving the place some illumination as the candycane trees were so densely packed, the Day Zone sun had a hard time shining through. It bathed him in red and white colors, swirling around almost like a disco ball. There was a small stream of white fluids with red stripes moving through the center, and a few raised platforms. What sunlight could get through created a dapple effect, decorating everything with small, round shadows.

Then, in the center, he took notice of something else. It made him freeze, feeling shocked that he didn't notice this when he first walked in. And as he approached it slowly, he could practically feel Snap's grin spreading from behind him.

There, right before him, was a large group of zoners. Not just zoners, but tables, instruments, games. It was all clustered together. The zoners, some of which he recognized like Lars, Rapsheeba, and Howdy, waved at him, wide grins on their faces. They were all wearing party hats, some of them glowing some party streamers in his presence. A small band was in the background and they had begun to sing a rendition of Happy Birthday.

There was a huge cake on a large table in the center. It was not as large as Snap's cake was, but it was still quite a sight to behold. It wobbled a little as it was thin, with about five layers of frosting. The sight of it was enough to make Blocky's mouth water. He couldn't tell if it was baked by hand or if Rudy or Penny drew it for him. He would be grateful either way.

And there, hanging above the cake, a long streamer, strings attaching it to the trees. It had sparkling lights on it, along the rim, making it easy to make out its details. It was a lavishing green color, pale, close to the color of emerald. Written along the thin, flimsy cloth was a single phrase.

'Happy Birthday Blocky'

The sight of it made him smile. He stared at it for a few seconds. He then looked over at the group of zoners who had shown up for his birthday. He felt his smile tug tighter along his lips. "Th-Thanks, guys. You..didn't have to go through all this trouble for me."

"It was no trouble at all." Rapsheeba said. "We were glad to do this for you!"

"Yeah! You don't need to apologize for anything." Howdy walked up to him. The living puppet looked up at him, meeting eyes with him. His smile was practically contagious-looking. "You deserve a party!"

"So why don't you kick back and relax, pal?" Snap walked up to him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Blocky looked at him. Snap motioned his arm out towards one of the nearby chairs. "We walked for a while, so if you want to relax for a while, go on ahead." He then motioned to where the games were. "Whenever you're ready to have fun, join me over there!" He smiled broadly at Blocky. "Rudy and Penny cooked us up some fun games to play!"

At the mention of the two creators' names, Blocky asked, "Where are they? Will they be here soon?"

"Not yet." Snap shook his head. "They're still in school right now."

"They'll be here later." Lars spoke up. He raised a claw, pointing it up towards the sky. "I'm sure they will be here before the party is over."

Howdy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I don't think they would miss one of their best friend's birthdays!"

"And even if they are late..."

Blocky turned his head to the sound of pitter pattering on the ground. A silver shape appeared in the corner of his eye. It didn't take him long to see who it was. There was no mistaking that walking tub and the old lady that resided in it.

Bathtub Granny strode up towards the group. With her bathroom brush in her hand, scrubbing her back, she said, "You can bet that they will still find the time to hang out with you. So I wouldn't worry so much." She pointed her brush towards Blocky. "You just worry about having some fun, you hear?"

Blocky nodded his head a couple of times. "Yeah, I understand." He was about to say something else when he felt someone grab him from behind. He flipped himself to see who had grabbed him. "Oh hey, Rapsheeba." He said, smiling softly. "What are you...?"

"Come on! The band is going to play a song for you!" Rapsheeba cut him off before he coud finish his sentence. Her smile covered most of her face, going from ear to ear. "Let's sit down and enjoy it together!"

"Yeah! Come with us!" Snap walked up to Blocky's other side. He grabbed onto his other hand. He smiled broadly, the look of it alone being enough to fill Blocky's heart with positive emotions. "This band is pretty new, but I'm telling ya, they have some of the best music you ever did hear!"

Blocky found himself being dragged forward. His feet stumbled on the ground. His friends were able to hold him up just fine, however, and soon he was taken over towards one of the chairs. His friends released him, allowing him to be able to sit himself down. As he got comfortable and Rapsheeba and Snap joined him, up in front of him, he could see the band getting on the platform, getting ready to perform.

The band, Blocky noticed, consisted largely of cheetahs. Or were they some other species? Spotted cats was what he knew. They wear black suits and looked professional. He guessed that someone with some higher degree of artistic talent than Rudy had, as well as a taste in music, drew them. There were about four members, each one with a different instrument.

One of them walked forward a little, positioning himself in front of his bad members. Strapped around him was a gold trumpet, swinging slightly from side to side with each step. He grabbed onto the mic that was sitting in front of him. He tapped it a few times, getting feedback from the large speakers that surrounded them. The thumping sound encouraged the many zoners to quiet down and turn their attention to them. One by one, they all found a seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The feline zoner called out, raising his hand in the air. "Today is a special celebration!" He motioned his paw towards Blocky. "Cheerio And The Cheetahs would like to dedicate this number to our very own Blocky!"

The rectangular zoner smiled and blushed as there was a round of applause around him. He felt emotions moving through him swiftly. He felt his body shake a little. He had never felt this happy before.

The feline zoner raised his hand in the air, forming a fist. "Let's get this party started!" He swung his arm towards the band members behind him. Pointing at them, he cried out, "Hit it, boys!"

Instantly, Blocky's ears were filled with the drum roll of one of the members. It got his heart to speed up with excitement, and he felt his foot tapping tot he music. Then the drum was joined in by the other instruments. They soon fused together to create a sympony of music, a melody that hung strongly in the air.

He almost felt his heart leap out of his chest when he heard the felines start to sing about him. He was taken aback by it. He looked at Rapsheeba and Snap, who merely smiled back at him. Blocky turned his attention back to the singers. Even though he knew they were singing a song about him, he was still taken aback by the presence of lyrics. He wouldn't be able to write anything about himself. He was never good with words.

But these felines apparently were. He listened to them sing, seemingly coming up with lyrics on the fly. Verse after verse was sung, revealing more and more things about him, what he had done, among other things. And with each line his smile stretched more.

Leaning back in his chair, folding his arms behind his back, Blocky took in a deep breath and sighed softy. He closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the song. This was one of the best days of his four year life in ChalkZone.

sss

Judging from Rudy's expression, it seemed as though he wanted to curse himself out. Penny tried to tell him that it was going to be fine, but Rudy was still stressed out. He had wanted to be there sooner, but problems had arisen. It wasn't his fault, but he still blamed himself. Penny wished he would just relax and calm down.

There was an incident at school earlier. Some kid had pulled the fire alarm, resulting in everyone being led out of the entire school. When it was quickly learned it was not a drill, which took maybe two seconds to realize that, the teachers, especially Mr. Wilter, scoured everywhere, interrogating everyone until they found the culprit. It turned out to be someone in a grade level one lower than them. She didn't remember the student's name, but they were sent to the principal's office for punishment.

Because of this, they were late getting back. The alarm had been pulled about half an hour before the final bell would ring. And it took about an hour before they figured out who had done it. It was an inconvenience to everyone, students and teachers, all for the stupid actions of one.

But she wasn't too upset. They might be half an hour later than usual, but they were going to be able to get to Blocky's party before it ended. Rudy shouldn't blame himself for the actions of one other child. He wasn't the one who pulled that alarm. He shouldn't feel guilty about being later. Blocky would understand. He always did.

But Rudy was still worried. His expression never changed, save for a few deeper frowns. He looked like he was ready to tear his hair out. As they continued walking forward, Penny reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax, Rudy. It's going to be okay." Penny said with a smile. "You'll see."

"What if he's angry with me, Penny? What if he's sitting there, waiting, and I don't show up, and..." Rudy's voice had something of a panicked edge to them. He stammed for a few more seconds before he finally trailed off, his voice dissipating in the air like vapor. He sighed and he said softly, "I'm just worried, that's all."

"I know you are, Rudy." Penny gave the boy a smile. She pulled him a little closer, the two of them still managing to walk despite how close they were together. "But Blocky will understand. He's not going to hold you by the neck if you're late. So please...try to relax."

Rudy lowered his head slightly. He darted his eyes from side to side. He gritted his teeth nervously. He then let out a soft sigh. "I suppose you're right, Penny." He smiled at his friend. "Thanks."

Penny continued to smile at her friend. "Don't mention it, Rudy." She nudged him forward, prompting him to move faster. "Now let's get going!"

With that, the two children quickened their pace across the grassy, hilly landscape. It didn't take them long before, in the distance, they could see the tell tale signs of the Candycane Forest. There was still some ways to go, but at their pace, they should be there in no time.

They kept up their speed, picking it up a little as they got closer. Though they could have run, they refused. They knew how intense the party was going to be, and they didn't want to waste any of it by running. They would rather save their energy for the fun and games that they were going to have when they arrived. At this rate, Penny knew they would be there in a couple of minutes.

They coud already hear the sounds of instruments playing. Dull at first, steadily getting louder as they approached. Soon they could being to slightly feel it in the ground, a reverberation that swept up their feet. If they didn't know where the party was, this would have been a definite give away.

Soon, they stood just outside the Candycane Forest. Penny and Rudy looked at one another. They gave a single nod to each other before turning their attention to the forest. They entered it.

They walked in a little bit, looking left and right. Penny wondered just how Snap and the zoners marked the place. How were they going to find their way to the party? The music wasn't helpful at this point as it now sounded like it was coming from all directions. A consequence of the music bouncing off the candycanes, she supposed. It didn't help that she didn't come into the Candycane Forest too often, and thus didn't know its structure as well as someone like, say, Blocky. And he wasn't here right now.

That was when she noticed something, as did Rudy. Most of the candycanes around here were single striped, like they would expect with a candycane. But there were a few ones that were double striped. A regular stripe, and then a much smaller one corresponding with it. This wasn't a random thing, either. They appeared to be forming a singular path going in one direction. Looking at each other momentarily, the two children headed down the path.

They followed it through the forest. They made left turns and right turns as the line of double striped candycanes led them to one particular location. They followed it, and as they did, they could feel the music's rumbling get more distinct, and the music definitely was increasing in volume, and not due to the reverberations off the candycane trees all around them.

Soon, they reached a clearing, and in front of them, they could see a circular formation of candycanes in front of them. And all of them were double striped. This realization made them smile at one another. They had finally reached the location of Blocky's party. They didn't hesitate to enter.

Rudy pushed one of the curving candycane trees to the side with surprising ease. The two of them walked past it and entered the large center 'room', if it could be called that. They were immediately greeted with the sights of the party and the sound of music.

There was a band of cheetahs playing some kind of song. Must be one that they wrote as she did not recognize it herself. They looked a little tired and it made her wonder just how long they had been playing. Turning her head, she could see there were some zoners playing games. Some were merely talking with each other, and some appeared to be passed out from exhaustion. Still others were enjoying the cake that she and Rudy had created for Blocky back at the bakery before they had to run off to school earlier today.

And there, sitting in the chair, was the birthday boy himself. Blocky was sitting between Snap and Rapsheeba. He was stuffing his face with cake, bits of it staining his face and chest. He didn't look presentable right then, but so long as he was having fun, that's what mattered.

It didn't take long for Snap to notice them. He grinned broadly at them, raising his hand and waving at them to come over. "Hey Bucko! Buckette!" He motioned for them to come over. "Join us! The party is just getting started!"

"It's been a few hours I'm sure." Rudy said, scratching his head. "How could it just be getting started?"

"Well we didn't really do anything until later. We had to still set things up." Rapsheeba explained as she continued eating her slice of cake

After Howdy, who sat at another part of the table, swallowed his piece, he said, "The party didn't start until...an hour ago at most."

"That is later than we thought it was going to be." Rudy said, his eyes filled with surprise. "Have you guys gotten to the main event yet?"

"You mean Blocky's song?" Snap asked. He nodded his head swiftly, the smile still on his face. "Yeah we did! It was fantastic!" His smile faltered slightly. "A shame you guys couldn't enjoy it as well."

"Oh that's all right." Penny said. It was a little disappointing not being able to hear the song that they had all written for the zoners to sing. They had all worked so hard on it and there were some hurdles to overcome with getting it to sound right. But in the end, it didn't matter if they heard it, just as long as it was enjoyed by the person they made it for. "Did Blocky enjoy it?"

"Yeah I did. It was great!" Blocky, who finally took notice of them after eating his cake, cried. He turned to face them. He looked ecstatic, like a kid on the morning of Christmas. He was smiling so broadly that it looked like his mouth would rip off from his face. "Maybe the band can sing it again for you?"

Rudy shook his head, waving his hand out in front of him. "Don't worry about it. It was your song, not ours."

Blocky tilted his head in uncertainty. "Are you sure? I..."

"Yes, I'm sure." Rudy placed his hand on Blocky's shoulder. "It's your party, Blocky. It was your song. As long as you enjoyed it, that's all that matters to me."

"And me." Penny touched Blocky's other shoulder. "And besides, we can do other things together. The party isn't over yet!"

"There is still plenty of time for fun!" Rudy said. He turned his head, looking at the area with the games. "Wanna play a game, Blocky? You can choose!"

"Oh sure! I'd love that!" Blocky cried.

Penny smiled at this, watching as Blocky tried to think of what game they could play. She was glad that Blocky was able to have fun and enjoy himself. And she was glad that she and Rudy would be able to join him and help Blocky have the time of his life today. He certainly deserved it.

It didn't take Blocky long to figure out a game for them to play. He immediately jumped out of his seat and rushed over, his feet moving himself across the ground as quickly as possible given his rectangle design. She and Rudy looked at one another and, on cue with Snap and the others, followed Blocky over. He proceeded to take out a board game. Penny smiled as she recognized it.

"Who is up for a round of Chalk Chess?" Blocky said with a grin, holding up the board game.

After some enthusiastic cries from Rudy, Penny, and a few zoners, they all settled down in a circle. Everyone was silent as Blocky quickly set up the game. They spent a few moments figuring out how it was going to work, making sure everyone got a turn. Soon, everything was ready and it was time to begin the game.

"Penny, you're first!" Blocky said.

"But it's your birthday." Penny said, confused. "You should go first."

"No. I insist." Blocky nudged the tip of the board against Penny. "I want you to have the first turn."

Penny was surprised by this gesture. She soon smiled. Blocky certainly was a generous zoner. Turning her attention to the board, she reached down for the dice. She remembered how differently Chalk Chess was played, and moves were determined by the roll of the dice. She cupped the pair in her hands, shook them, and then let them fall to the ground.

"That was a good move, Penny!" Blocky said enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Not many can get that high of a number on their first try!" Snap said. He took a look at the dice again, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You got an eleven..." He pointed his rounded hand at Penny. "So you can be either a knight or a bishop."

"I think I'll go with the bishop." Penny gripped her piece. She licked her lips as she tried to figure out the best move to make. She soon moved the pace a few paces to the right. Satisfied with her move, she looked around at the others. "Okay...who is next?"

sss

Rudy was disappointed in having to leave the party earlier than expected. As was Penny. But it wasn't like they had much of a choice. It was getting late and their parents were going to get suspicious if they did not return soon. So he and Penny gave a farewell to their zoner friends and headed off.

Rudy still couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt. Yeah, he knew the thing at school wasn't his fault and that he shouldn't get too upset about it. But he couldn't help it. He still felt that he should have been able to get back sooner. It was Blocky's birthday, a special day, and for him to be late... He felt it was an insult to his friend.

At least Blocky understood. He didn't seem at all upset about them being late and was just happy he was there. He appeared to be having a great time, which Rudy was glad for. The zoners really went out of their way to create a special party for him, with all kinds of songs and food and games. Even some stand up comedy near the end, hosted by Howdy.

He was glad the party was a success. He was glad that Blocky was having a great time on his birthday. So long as Blocky was happy, he was happy. The party still hadn't ended when he and Penny left. They spent a good two hours there, having fun. He hoped that Blocky would continue to have fun for the remainder of the party. He deserved it.

Rudy twirled his fork around the spaghetti his mom made. He pulled it up from the plate and resumed his consumption of it. He wasn't feeling that hungry right now, but he knew that if he didn't eat much, his parents might suspect something. He wasn't in the mood trying to come up with an explaination for them right now. So he just ate what he could without making himself feel too sick.

He looked around the table. Both his parents were positioned in their seats, both dining on their own plate of spaghetti. They had been a little quiet at the moment. He wasn't sure why. He didn't think anything of it and he looked back down on his plate. He was about to take another bite when he heard his mom speak up.

"Rudy."

Looking up at his dad, Rudy said, "Yeah? What is it?"

"We heard about the fire alarm mishap today." His dad said. He looked at Rudy, his eyes furrowed in concern. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

"What?" Rudy shook his head. He was confused as to why his dad would ask that. "Of course not! Why do you ask?"

"We heard from one of the other parents on this street that there was a ruckus." His mom said. He heard a clang as she set her fork down. "The child in question wasn't hurt too badly far as we know, so there's that." She interlocked her fingers on the table. She stared at Rudy for a moment and said, "We were just making sure that you weren't involved in any of these accidents."

Rudy was confused. He didn't remember any of this happening in school. None of the teachers had mentioned it. He wondered how many students were hurt in the confusion, and why none of the teachers told them about this. Or what if they did and he just wasn't paying attention? He wondered if Penny had heard anything.

He wasn't even sure how the accident could have occurred. Everyone was in single file line just as they rehearsed. They still moved pretty fast, though, rushing out of the building as some thought a real fire was going on. Maybe that's how it happened. A student could have tripped up and they got trampled, or perhaps pushed around, against the wall, wherever. He hoped the student was going to be okay.

"I can assure you I'm fine." Rudy smiled the best he could, hoping to reassure his parents. "No injuries or anything on me!"

His dad stared at him for a few seconds. He reached down with his fork and took another bite of food. "Well that's good. You were a little late and we were worried that you were limping home or something."

His mom nodded in agreement. "I know we were jumping to conclusions. We just..."

Rudy raised his hand up, silencing his parents. "It's okay." He said, still smiling at them. "I understand."

Rudy understood why his family was worried. They had every reason to be. If there had been an incident or two at the school during the alarm situation, it would be understandable if they were worried he got hurt. It didn't help that he had not gotten home at the usual time, and he had gone to ChalkZone as soon as he could. So it only made sense for his parents to think that something had happened to him. At least he was able to clear their minds of any similar thoughts that they had beforehand.

Rudy realized, however, that this meant that he had to be a bit more careful when and where he made his trips into ChalkZone. He should have realized his parents would be worried and he should have interacted with them more before heading out into ChalkZone. He could have them understand what happened earlier so they didn't worry. But he had been so worried about being late, he had overlooked that detail. Well, it won't happen again. He'd make sure of that.

He looked back down to his plate of food when his parents looked satisfied with his answer. He resumed eating, finishing off whatever was left of it. A bit of a tough task since he wasn't terribly hungry, but still manageable. The last thing he wanted was his parents to be worried about something else.

As soon as he was done, he got up from the table. He stretched his legs, feeling how sore they were from all the fun that he and his friends had at the party. He did his best to hide his discomfort from his parents, who were both looking at him in curiosity as he removed himself from the table.

"Are you finished already, son?" His dad asked.

Rudy nodded. "Yeah. I'm going to go up to my bedroom now."

His mom motioned towards the stove where the pot filled with spaghetti was located. "Are you sure you don't want more, dear?" His mom asked. "You usually go for seconds."

"Not this time. Sorry." Rudy took his plate and fork and headed towards the sink. "I've had enough."

His parents looked at each other. Rudy realized he goofed up when he saw looks of concerns on their faces. He had to think of something fast to quell any thoughts that they were likely having. And something did come to mind.

"We had some snacks in class." Rudy said quickly. His parents gave him a puzzled look. "I-It was part of our class project." Rudy smiled, doing his best not to look suspicious. "It was a one time thing. He has no plans on doing it again."

He hoped this lie worked. He hoped that his parents would buy it. They usually believed any of his other stories. So perhaps they will believe this one. Then again, he hadn't made a lie like this. Just thinking about it, he realized just how absurd it sounded. Since when did Mr. Wilter ever have any project relating to snacks?

Oh no..if he screwed this up... He could feel his heart start to race in his chest. A bit of sweat began to form on his brow. He did his best to keep smiling, but he was not able to stop the waves of fear rising up inside of him. He could only hope that, somehow, it all worked out in the end. Please let it work...

And his hopes had been answered. He could see his folks' faces relaxing, confusion leaving their eyes and mouths as they returned to a more neutral stance. His cover up story had worked.

"All right then, Rudy. You may leave now." His dad said as he resumed eating.

His mom waved at her son. "If we don't see you until the morning, good night!"

"Yeah. Good night!" Rudy said as he made his way out of the kitchen. He wasn't sure if he would be up in his room the whole time tonight, so it best to say that phrase to his parents now before they tried opening his door and potentially seeing ChalkZone's portal. Now that would be a disaster...

He didn't take more than five seconds, six tops, to make it to the stairs. He was about to start to climb up them when something stopped him in his tracks.

A sound. Coming from the living room. Voices, and a bit of music. He realized that his parents must have left the television on. It was usually turned off at this time. He shrugged his shoulders and tried to make his way up the stairs, but the words started to get his attention. Out of curiosity, he peered into the living room, looking at the TV set.

It was the news. He usually didn't watch it, but from time to time, he would check it out. Part of it was to keep an eye on Terry. Ever since the time she had kidnapped Snap to put him on TV to expose ChalkZone, he had been more cautious around her. It was comforting that no one believed her, but there was always that chance she'd find someone. Vinnie was one such person, who had actually gotten into ChalkZone and tried to take it over. If those two were ever to join up...

He pushed the thought out of his head. Such an alliance between the two had yet to be forged, and even so, there wasn't a lot they could do without the magic chalk. Terry might know that's the gateway into ChalkZone, but she knew not of where to find it. And neither of them know about erasing things into existence, so they wouldn't try creating anything to steal the chalk. He relaxed himself, easing his heart rate, as he realized that ChalkZone was going to be fine.

Seeing nothing of interest on the TV, Rudy turned and began to walk away. It was just the weather and a few local stories. Not much that could keep his attention. However, he didn't get that far up the steps when something familiar caught his interest.

A familiar voice.

"I tellz you, zee plug on zat boy'z machine wazn't zere before. I don't know how he did it, but I will find out!"

Rudy froze for a moment. It was that doctor he had been taken by a couple months back. Doctor Von Doktor. He remembered how his blunder with forgetting to draw a power source nearly resulted in ChalkZone being exposed. The memory still, at times, made him shudder, especially with how determined the doctor was in figuring out how he had accomplished perpetual motion.

The only reason he had even gotten out of the mess was because of Penny. She had been able to sneak into the facility and devised a plan to foil Von's plans. He owed a lot to her that day. If it weren't for her, who knows what would have happened?

Judging from that one line he heard Von say, it was apparent that he hadn't given up. He wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not. He hadn't really thought about Von in all that time. After his humiliation, he didn't think Von would attempt something like that again. Well apparently he had been wrong about that. The man looked as determined as ever.

"Are you sure the boy had created a device that literally ran on no power?" The newswoman, not Terry Bouffant thank goodness, stood next to the old man. She was a bit taller than him and had sleek, back hair that reminded him of Vinnie. "Perhaps it did have a plug and you were so excited, that you just didn't see it."

Von stood a foot away from the newswoman. He glared down at the mic, which was moved closer towards him so he could speak. He looked flustered, as if he had been trying to argue with the woman for a while. He formed a fist, raising it up. Not a threat, but a show of determination.

"Yez I am sure! Doctor Von Doktor iz never wrong!" He pointed a finger up towards the air as he said that. Rudy couldn't help but smile. Von's arrogance never ceased to amuse him. "Zat boy hid a scientific breakthrough, but I promize you, I will find a way to replicate the boy'z zuccezz. Perpetual motion is the way of zee future!"

The newswoman cocked an eyebrow at this. It was clear that she wasn't completely buying into this claim. "What will you do if you found out you were wasting your time?"

Von shot her a glare, looking offended that she dare say such a thing. "What was zat? Do you doubt me?" The woman took a small step back, surprised momentarily. She soon returned the man's frown. "You doubt me, don't you? Everyone doubtz me! Well I will prove all of you wrong! Zoon I will be the one laughing!"

After that dramatic display, Rudy expected the woman to react to it. But when she did, it was deadpan and underwhelming. She merely gave an 'uh huh' before turning her attention back to the camera.

"Well that's all we have for our science section." The newswoman put the papers together and tapped them on the table to get them even. "Now we turn to..."

"No! I didn't get enough time! Zere'z ztill more to talk about!" Von cried. He rushed towards the camera, as if to grab it. "Wait! Please..."

The camera had already shifted. Soon, Rudy was seeing another group of people, and the images in the background suggest they were going to be covering something with farming. Seeing that the doctor was no longer the center of the camera's attention, Rudy turned and headed back towards the stairs.

"That Doctor Von Doktor...I still can't believe he's trying to do that. I hope he doesn't..."

"Oh don't worry about it, Millie. He won't get far. Ever since that...incident... he's been the laughing stock of the scientific community. Just let him tie himself in knots."

Rudy couldn't help but smile at the way his dad said that. His voice really did fit the tone of what happened. He knew his dad was right. There was no way that Von would get too far in whatever he had planned. No scientist in their right minds would invest in anything he had to say, not after the way he was humiliated in front of some of the leading scientists of world. How would they even begin to take him seriously after that?

A small chuckle exited Rudy's throat as he recalled how the news was so quick to change from him to farming. That was a testament to how little he was respected now. How desperate were they to switch to farming of all things? Von had started to plead to get more screen time and he didn't get it. The thought of Von grabbing the camera and shaking it, giving a slew of his arrogant comments, intermixed with a higher pitched, desperate voice, entertained Rudy's mind.

He fondly remembered that incident from months ago. As scary as it was nearly having ChalkZone exposed, Von's attitude was quite amusing. He was too easy to make fun of, even while he was there. It was amusing to mock the way he spoke and the things he said, and most of what he did wasn't even scary. It was just Von being Von. An arrogant scientist who believes that everything he thinks is right. It reminded him of some professional artists he saw once, who so stubbornly clung to the idea of them being the best artist ever that it just became comical.

He and Penny sure gave that doctor a run for his money. They had hit him in the ego and he was not going to forget it. Penny's plan had been genius, switching the machine's out like that. Von's temper, while disturbing on some level, was amusing to watch, and his tantrum was enough to make most scientists disinterested in listening to what he had to say.

Another chuckle left his throat as he quickly descended the staircase. He had a feeling that Von will not be seen on TV again any time soon. He probably had to beg to let them show him on TV, and after what happened, there was little chance he'd get on again. He didn't foresee anyone working with him anytime soon.

The man can continue on his research in his lab all he wanted to. He didn't know anything about the magic chalk or what it was capable of. He probably didn't know anything about a chalk world either. He was going to keep running himself around in circles, trying to figure out perpetual motion. His smile stretched more broadly along his face. Yeah, the man was not going to be of any concern to him.

Soon he reached the top of the stairs and he headed towards the bedroom. Perhaps he should head back into ChalkZone and talk to Penny. The least he could do was tell her. Even if there was no threat, she still deserved to know.

Yeah, that's exactly what he was going to do.

sss

"Why won't it work?!" Von slammed his fist against the device. "Produce zomething, you piece of..."

Suddenly, the contraption before him began to beep loudly. A red light eminated from it, giving it an ominous look. It began to wobble violently from side to side. The platform below it was shaking, and looked as if it was going to break apart any second. Steam rose out of its back, pillowing up into the air.

"Oh no..." Von muttered softly, his eyes bulging. He attempted to turn back and run, but it was too late.

There was a loud explosion that ripped through the sealed room. Von was blown back into the ground from the shere force. He collided into the ground. He rolled across the hard floor as he held onto his ears, the drums pounding in pain. The sounds of metal scraping and twisting filled his ears, and the smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils. He gritted his teeth as he laid there, groaning in pain.

It took a few seconds before everything settled down. He could hear the hiss of the machine dying from power loss. He opened up his eyes cautiously, looking over to see the aftermath of what had happened. Upon seeing the destruction, he climbed up to his feet, mouth agape as he saw what remained.

The machine on the table, looking like a more advanced version of the boy's, now lay in a few pieces, large portions of the metal ripped up and pealed almost lie a banana. Black smoke still drifted out, filling the room in a mist of blackness. A few sparks from the exposed wires could be seen, and their sizzling made his heart skip a beat, realizing that a second explosion could be imminent.

Fear riding in his heart and smoke making his throat scratchy and uncomfortable, the old scientist immediately rushed to one side of the wall. There was a large button there. He pressed it. A loud buzzing sound could be heard as the smoke was starting to be sucked up into the vent. A loud sizzle brought his attention back to the machine. He looked at it fearfully and he rushed towards the door. He immediately got out and he sealed the room behind him.

He watched, his heart beating quickly, as the machine continued to spark, and soon small flames began to bathe it. His eyes bulging, he pressed a button on the wall. The fire alarm. It sent a signal to sprinklers located on the roof. They spewed out droplets of water which eventually stopped the flames and cooled down the machine. The sparks vanished completely.

The man turned off the sprinklers and wiped his brow. a sigh of relief escaping his throat. That was a close one. There was some damage done to the room, but it was still largely in tact and none of the important stuff was ruined. He was lucky this was all that had happened. It could have been so much worse.

So much for that experiment. He thought he had gotten all the right materials, but he was sadly mistaken. He twitched his nose and grumbled softly. If only that child had told him the secret, he wouldn't be in this mess. Such a breakthrough could have benefited society, and, more importantly, made him rich. But the little brat had chosen to be selfish, and he knew he wouldn't get another shot at him. The boy's parents weren't exactly pleased with him in the end, and wouldn't let him near their son again.

But this was only a minor setback. He was one of the smartest scientists in the world. He could easily figure out the solution to this puzzle. He just had to keep trying new materials and new configurations. And by chance, somehow, he would figure out what the boy had done to make that machine of his work with no power source. And when he figured it out...

...the whole town...no the whole world, would bask in his glory. Those who had mocked him would beg his forgiveness and plead to be hired by him. He would be the most famous scientist in the world. His name would be echoed through the ages. No one would forget his name.

Doctor Von Doktor.

He brushed himself off. The dust that clung to his coat was easily smeared against his fingers. He looked them and made a 'blah' sound as he wiped it against his pants. At the moment, he cared not how messy he was. He had more important things to tend to.

He frowned at the machine, scowling in disgust. A shame that this one didn't work out. Oh well. Time to try again. He grabbed the now cooled, broken machine from the table and dropped it off in a corner with remnants of his other failed experimentations. He then looked over at the chalkboard that hung on the wall nearby. On it were smudges detailing his past attempts at building a machine. He walked over and grabbed a piece of chalk.

It was time to go back to the drawing board.