CHAPTER 22: END OF THE ROAD
The quest for the Golden Chalk has been a long and hard journey, one not for the weak or faint of heart. In all of ChalkZone's recorded history, no Zoner has ever made their way to the fabled chalk. Having many enemies and dangers of ChalkZone to fight through, surviving the trek seemed to be an impossible task, and completing it beyond that.
However, these four human heroes, having taken on this quest, find themselves on the verge of that completion. Rudy Tabootie, the one known to many Zoners as the Great Creator; Penelope Sanchez, his best friend and now lover; Carol and Carlos Sanchez, the young but enthusiastic children of Penelope; all have come together for this important quest, with the fate of ChalkZone on their hands.
In the beginning, Rudy and Penelope seemed to be at complete odds with each other, and faced many internal challenges as well as external challenges. Where both seemed to be in places of no return, they have both overcome their troubles in amazing ways, seeming to become entirely new people all over again.
Penelope, having the ghost of her best friend return after his supposed death after so many years, had to fight back on her own crumbling sense of reality and guilt in order to complete the quest, all on top of the stress with raising two children. With so much going wrong in her mind, finding any sense of peace within her life seemed impossible.
Now, the young mother has found resolve to her issues, finally finding the peace she had been seeking. Knowing her time in ChalkZone was indeed not a delusion, and her guilt for losing Rudy gone, all sense of regret had finally left her.
Rudy, being forced to live in isolation in ChalkZone, had lost his talent and emotions, unable to return to the real world. Believing himself to be alone and betrayed, Rudy acted extremely hostile towards Penelope, blaming her for his years alone. With the troubles of having living out his years of adolescence in isolation and forgetting who he was entirely, it seemed bringing Rudy Tabootie back to his old self was a lost cause.
However, in a place like ChalkZone, even the impossible can be made possible. Now, Rudy Tabootie has not only been able to face his fears and emotions, but he has also obtained his talent to draw once again, able to use the magic chalk to create anything his mind could concieve.
While Rudy and Penelope had their own different paths to take on their transformations, each with their own effects, both shared one major difference with each of them. Rudy was no longer the innocent young boy he once was, nor was he the ruthless and unfeeling barbarian either. Likewise, Penelope was no longer the logically-thinking little girl she used to be, nor the budding young scientist trying to raise two children.
Both were now entirely new people; a melding of their past and present selves; a melding of two personas into one new person, a marriage and rebirth between self and self. Moreover, the two new people that were Rudy and Penelope found a rekindled bond between one another, taking the first steps of their new lives together.
Now, after so many steps taken together as so many different people, their quest now comes to its final stages, ever-nearing its completion. As Rudy continued to lead the group down the path of the Golden Chalk's road, he found himself coming to a stop, seeing the final portion of the road just ahead.
"Rudy? What's wrong?" Penelope asked.
"I can see the end up ahead. We're getting close to that Golden Chalk." Rudy said.
"Really? That's great! We've done it!"
"Not just yet. We've still got to get there first. Let's keep moving."
Continuing to follow the final steps of the Golden Chalk's road, Rudy led the group to their final destination, at last reaching the end of the road and to the location of the Golden Chalk. Stepping just outside the final resting place of the Golden Chalk, Rudy led the group just to the edge of another edge of the Wait 'N Sea.
Just as the group finally arrived, the sleeping Carol finally emerged from her nap, giving out a loud yawn as she stretched her arms out. Taking off her eyepillow and earmuffs, Carol exposed her eyes and ears to her surroundings once again, placing her consciousness back into the present time.
"Finally, a good rest. So, what'd I miss?" Carol asked.
"Went sledding, you slept through." Carlos said.
"What?! And you didn't wake me?!"
"You wanted to sleep, let you sleep."
"Well, I would've been up for some sledding. So, now what's the deal? Why are we stopped?"
"We're at the end of the path, we've reached the Golden Chalk." Rudy said.
"Really? Cool. So, where is it? Is it out in the water?"
"I don't think so. When we were crossing the Wait 'N Sea before, the path was still showing itself right on top of the water. It's stopping right here, right where the beach starts, nothing after that."
"Wants us to go in the water." Carlos said.
"Really? Are you sure, Carlos?" Penelope asked.
"Golden Chalk supposed to be start of human abstract. Maybe wants us to do something unexpected to get it."
"He's got a point, everything we've gone through, we've had to go through some weird way to solve it. It'd make sense that we'd have to this to get it." Rudy said.
"But, wait, if the Golden Chalk knows that we need to get it to stop the Chalk King, then why would it make it this hard on us? Better yet, why didn't it just come to us? Why'd we have to go through all of this?!" Carol asked.
"Good question, make sure you ask the chalk when we get there, wherever it is down there."
"But how are we supposed to get down there? We'd need some diving suits and scuba equipment, and- Oh, wait a minute, I remember now, the chalk." Penelope said.
"That's right. I've got the chalk this time, and I can make us some of those easy. Carlos?"
Carlos tossed Rudy a piece of chalk off his bandolier, taking a piece of his own as well. Both Rudy and Carlos, using their artistic talents at work, used their chalk to create scuba equipment for themselves, allowing them a way to reach the bottom of the Wait 'N Sea.
Rudy drew a full diving suit over himself, complete with an oxygen tank on his back, and flippers on his feet to allow him to swim faster. Carlos, the out-of-the-box thinker that he was, drew a small rebreather, one the size of a roll of quarters. While such a device that small could not possibly exist in the real world, it could easily come to existence in ChalkZone, and Carlos took full advantage of that fact.
"Gotta say, I wish I'd thought of that." Rudy said.
"Better that you didn't. Wait 'N Sea turns you into a child, makes you dumb and unfocused. Need to keep you dry to keep you focused." Carlos said.
"Oh, you're absolutely right. I almost forgot about that."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want another episode like that. My art's a little rusty, think you could draw one on me?" Penelope asked.
"Sure thing, Penny. I got you." Rudy said.
Helping Penelope get a wetsuit on to protect her from the magic of the Wait 'N Sea, Rudy took his chalk in hand and prepared to trace a wetsuit over her. Carefully running his chalk over her body, Rudy began to create a wetsuit over Penelope. Taking his time with more nuanced movements, Rudy took his time to carefully trace over each curve and groove of Penelope's body, appreciating the view.
Being a mother of two, Penelope had a more 'motherly' body, with slightly more body fat than most. With little time to take care of herself, most of her fat filled in her crevices and thickening her shape; not to a point of being overweight, but carrying a healthy amount of weight. With much of the weight distributed to her bosom and bottom, she certainly did not suffer any harm to her figure, but, like many women, only viewed this as an undesirable sign of obesity.
Rudy, conversely, thought of these details not as shortcomings, but as strengths. While he had never seen another female body after his maturity had taken its course, Rudy instantly knew that a body like Penelope's is exactly what he liked best. A thick figure, well-fed, with a large bust, the latter he had especially come to like. While he had loved Penelope and would always love her no matter her shape, size, or form, there was no denying that a body like hers was an extremely large bonus.
Still cautiously running his chalk over her body, Rudy took in every last detail for himself, wanting to memorize every part of Penelope in his mind. Tracing down the chalk ever so slowly, Rudy put in as much thought and detail as he could into the wetsuit, giving it as much love and care as he could, ensuring that Penelope only had the best of treatment.
"Uh, Rudy, we've got to get down there soon, you wanna finish up?" Penelope asked.
With Penelope's inquiry bringing his mind out from her body and back into the task at hand, Rudy gave a slight blush and rubbed the side of his head, giving a sheepish lip bite.
"Oh, right. Heh. Sorry. I got kind of... caught up for some reason." Rudy said.
"Well, at least you actually like my body. For the longest time, I thought I was getting fat." Penelope said.
"No, no way, you look really beautiful. Don't ever think that. I love you just like you are."
Taking his compliment with a smile, Penelope began to blush, holding back her own embarrassment. Thinking of a way to bring herself out of her embarrassment, Penelope opted to reply to Rudy's compliment with a joke.
"Especially my boobs?" Penelope joked.
"Yeah, ha-ha, especially your boobs. Ever since I came out from the Wait 'N Sea's magic, I can't stop thinking about them. Is that normal?" Rudy asked.
"For a guy? Yeah, that's pretty normal. But how about you think about finishing now?"
"Yeah, I know, I know, sorry."
Not wasting any more time, Rudy continued to finish Penelope's wetsuit, not spending so much time on details as he was before. Despite his best attempts to fight off the urge to do so, he found himself spending a good amount of time on Penelope's bust, not for the sake of detail, but because his own newfound sense of lust drew him to do so.
Finally, with a few remaining strokes of his magic chalk, Rudy finished Penelope's wetsuit; the group now all ready to dive into the waters below. After having to wait on Rudy and Penelope's antics delaying the two, Carol and Carlos gave disapproving stares towards the adults, not happy with having to wait any longer than necessary.
"Took you long enough. Are we finally ready?" Carol asked.
"Yeah, we're good, sorry about that." Rudy said.
"Good. So, where are we supposed to go?"
"I'm not completely sure. I'll lead us down, try to find any sort of significant place to look out for. Stick close to me as we dive."
Heading to the edge of the water, Rudy fastened his mask and snorkel to his face, preparing to dive in the water and search for the Golden Chalk below. Having his inhibitions about entering the waters below, Rudy backed away from the water at first, not quite ready to dive in.
Penelope, taking note of his reaction, grabbed his hand and held it tight, giving her own reassurance of safety. With Penelope's hand closed around his own, a sense of serenity came over Rudy, washing away his own fears towards what laid in the waters below.
With his confidence now restored, Rudy gave a deep breath, preparing to finally dive in and take the final steps on his quest.
"Well, here goes nothing." Rudy said.
Taking a simple leap off the ground, Rudy and Penelope rushed straight for the water below, with Carol and Carlos following behind.
[Soundtrack Cue: Dio - Holy Diver; Starting from 1:20]
Diving into the magical waters of the Wait 'N Sea, Rudy and Penelope took the lead in the search for the Golden Chalk, with Rudy carefully watching the road as it laid before him in the waters below. With Carol and Carlos following the duo, the group of four swam their way through the sea, all dedicated on finding the Golden Chalk and ending their quest.
Wading through the thick waters of the Wait 'N Sea, the group encountered many strange beasts and creatures as they continued their swim, encountering many various and unique children of the sea. Looking to their left, a school of mullet-haired mullets swam by with their teacher, giving a lecture on trigonometry. While the lesson seemed like a jumbled mess of an alien language to Rudy, Carol, and Carlos, Penelope, the bright mind that she was, looked past the lesson as if she were being read a children's book.
Past the school, moving forward through the water, a pod of Dhal-Fins, a hybrid of dolphins and dhal, an Indian delicacy, swam next to them, curious about the travelling humans.
"Hey, what brings you down here in the Wait 'N Sea? Haven't seen many humans down here." One Dhal-Fin asked.
As he still wore his speech collar, and since it was designed by Crainiac 7 to be waterproof, Carlos spoke to the Dhal-Fin, answering its question.
"On a quest to find the Golden Chalk. Almost got it." Carlos said.
"The Golden Chalk, huh? It's been talk of the town down here, especially since that Chalk King fella started that whole war up top, but we're safe down here, not to mention the Golden Chalk's in a place where even he wouldn't think to find it." The Dhal-Fin said.
"Where is it?" Carlos asked.
"Oh, you'll see. Not far off now. Well, we've got to be going, good luck to ya, humans, here's hoping to cod you won't have any more troubles!"
"Thanks."
Continuing on their swim down the Golden Chalk's road, the group moved past numerous other creatures, all continuing on with their lives. A group of Clown-Fish swam past the group, honking their noses as they passed; a soccer game between several Goal-Fish was hosted, with one team barely beating out the other; an assortment of Bass-Guitars and Tuba-Tunas played a jazz tune; and a Hammer-head Shark continued his work on a DIY project, pounding in a few nails with his head.
As they moved past the various sea life of ChalkZone's waters, the group continued to follow the Golden Chalk's path, every stroke through the water bringing them nearer and nearer their destination. With so much time, work, and heartache spent on their trip, being able to finally complete their quest was a relief on their hearts, able to finally see all their efforts pay off.
Just over the edge of a hill laid a massive air bubble, encasing a city within. With the Golden Chalk's road ending just short of the bubble, the group instantly recognized this as their destination; the location of the Golden Chalk itself. Now having reached their destination, the group swam to the bubble, preparing to enter its void.
Approaching the outside of the bubble, Rudy swam through first, penetrating through the shielding of air from the Wait 'N Sea and entering the city within.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
Just as Rudy entered the mass of air, stepping into the city within, Penelope, Carol, and Carlos all followed through, entering the city alongside Rudy. Removing the scuba equipment from their faces, Rudy and Penelope instantly recognized the city within, despite never having seen it before.
While Rudy and Penelope had made countless plans to find this particular city over their years in ChalkZone, never had they before reached it. Now, reunited as adults years later, that sole uncharted territory has finally been toppled, and they have at last discovered the city they were seeking. Carol and Carlos, not familiar with said plans nor this city, grew confused at the adult's reactions, questioning the matter for themselves.
"Mama, Rudy, what's wrong?" Carol asked.
"For years, we'd made plans to come here, but never followed through. Funny how we got led here after all that time." Penelope said.
"Well, where is 'here'? Where are we?"
"Carol, we're in Chalklantis." Rudy said.
Long ago, there existed an idea in the mind of Rudy Tabootie. This idea was a chalk drawing, conceived in his mind to be a gift for his friend's birthday, a classmate named Michelle, but this idea was vandalized by several others in the process, perverting it into an amalgamation of various and random ideas, all creating an unfinished and bizarre mixture of an idea.
When this incomplete drawing was erased from the blackboard, it came alive in the realm of ChalkZone, doomed to live a life without purpose or wholeness; without meaning or heart. This creation named himself 'Skrawl', believing himself to be nothing but a monster of a Zoner.
Born without his meaning or purpose, this Zoner also possessed the knowledge of the one who had initially created him, and who had cursed him to live his life as nothing but a random scribble: Rudy Tabootie. Unable to stand the pain of living without his intended purpose, Skrawl swore revenge on Rudy, vowing to make him feel the exact way he feels every day.
After suffering several defeats in his endeavors to beat Rudy Tabootie, Skrawl meet with another strange creation of a Zoner calling himself the Chalk King, approaching him to make him an offer. This offer was not known to any other Zoner nor could have anyone guessed what it included, but this sole offer was enough to forge the alliance between the two.
With Rudy finally at his mercy and ChalkZone soon to be in the control of the Chalk King, the plan that Skrawl had set in motion seemed to be going well, but it has had its uncertainty in recent years. The Chalk King's conquest of ChalkZone came with a campaign of genocide to the 'Zone, aiming to bring an end to all abstract within, aiming for a more 'realistic' world.
Despite his reservations against such horrific actions, Skrawl held onto his pact with the Chalk King, wanting the offer he was promised most. With the only way to achieve this goal being obtaining the Golden Chalk, Skrawl pushed himself on to obtain it and win the trust of the Chalk King back.
Now, after spending much time following Rudy Tabootie and the other on their quest to obtain the Golden Chalk, Skrawl has found yet another roadblock in his goal. After passing through the territory of Queenie Beanie, the aforementioned bee-human Zoner took him captive, seeking to charge him for his crimes against her and the Beanie Boys.
Being brought from his prison cell into the throne room of the Beanie Boys' Hive, the imprisoned Skrawl was brought before the leader of the Beanie Boys herself; Queenie Beanie. As Skrawl had committed the horrendous crime of abducting Beanie Boy larvae and brainwashing the Beanie Boys to be his own minions, taking advantage of their hive-minded mentality, he was jeered and heckled the instant he was brought into the throne room.
The onlookers threw various blunt objects straight at Skrawl, each object carrying with it a piece of hatred taken from each of the Beanie Boys' hearts. Taking his heavy berating, Skrawl lowered his head and accepted his punishment, unable to fight back or retaliate against the Beanie Boys.
Not tolerating her subjects delivering their unsanctioned justice upon Skrawl, Queenie Beanie raised her hand, ordering the Beanie Boys to stop their loud protests against Skrawl. The Beanie Boys, fiercely loyal to their queen, laid their rage aside, but not their hate. Continuing their disapproval of Skrawl being present in their hive, the Beanie Boys angrily stared down Skrawl, silently wishing for his punishment to come.
"Myself won't be tolerating none of that. Myself called for Skrawl to be brought here to answer for what himself did to myself's beautiful babies. Myself and myself alone will decide the judgement upon this wretched soul." Queenie Beanie said.
"He has wronged us greatly and cannot be forgiven for his transgressions, my queen! I say we put him to death!" One Beanie Boy said.
The angry mob of Beanie Boys, all in agreement with the vocally dissenting Beanie Boy, raised their voices in agreement, wishing for Skrawl to be put to death for his actions. Queenie Beanie, no longer tolerating any more dissent from her children, rose from her throne, instantly putting all the Beanie Boys to silence.
"I said, it'll be myself and myself alone that makes any judgement on Skrawl. Myself built this hive from the ground up, myself brought each and every one of yourselves to life, and it is myself's right and myself's alone that I do what myself will with himself. All of yourselves will take yourselves seats, and ourselves will be startin' with the judgin'. Is myself clear as clear can be?" Queenie Beanie asked.
Again complying with their queen, the Beanie Boys no longer protested the presence of Skrawl, instead seating themselves and preparing to witness the judgement of Skrawl. Seating herself back on her throne once again, Queenie Beanie looked down upon Skrawl, eyeing him as if he were a bug underneath her shoe. Leaning back and crossing her legs, Queenie Beanie continued her observation of Skrawl, contemplating her next move against the malformed Zoner.
"So, let's be gettin' the obvious out of the way. Himself, himself known as Skrawl, took many of myself's babies in their larval states, and himself surgically and mentally changed 'em to be himself's personal minions to go after Rudy Tabootie, is myself correct?" Queenie Beanie asked.
"Yes, that's true. I took your larvae. I brought up your Beanie Boys to work for me. Now, if you're going to put me to death, would you please just do it and get it over with? I'm sure your own Beanie Boys would be more than happy to do the job." Skrawl said.
"If myself wanted himself dead, himself would already be long past dead. Myself brought himself here because there was somethin' myself was lookin' for in himself."
"Oh, really? And what might that be?"
"When himself was under the influence of my antennae, himself began to grovel at myself's feet, as if himself felt regret for himself's actions."
"No thanks to those antennae you mentioned. Has it occurred to you that I was perhaps acting under an influence which you were responsible for, making me act different than how I normally would?"
"Don't be sellin' myself short, now. Myself's antennae have a very peculiar effect on others. They be actin' on other's senses of good and goodness in others, bringin' out a sense of love; that's how a mother's lovin' works. Somebody like himself, it shouldn't have worked. Himself stole myself's babies, made themselves into mindless little slaves. That be the actin' of a loveless monster. But yourself still had some love and regret in yourself from myself's effects. So, myself be thinkin' there's some other kind of reason himself does what he does, acts like he acts."
Not fully understanding what the queen of the Beanie Boys was saying, Skrawl was left confused by her words, trying to figure out what she was trying to convey. With his emotions shifting from angered to simply confused, not sure what to do or how to react.
"What are you trying to say? What's the point of all this?" Skrawl asked.
"What myself is saying is that himself's got more to himself than just bein' a bad guy. Why is it himself wants his revenge on Rudy Tabootie?" Queenie Beanie asked.
"Well, I've already got my revenge out of him, but my main quarrel is, or, rather, was, the fact that he allowed me to exist the way I am now."
"And what does himself exist as now?"
"What do you think? Look at me. I'm hideous, a freak, a pointless amalgamation of different ideas and abstracts, all turned into the thing you see now. Every last Zoner in ChalkZone has a purpose, a direction. You were meant to be a queen and mother to the Beanie Boys, and you serve that purpose well. I, conversely, have no such purpose or meaning behind my existence."
"And himself believed revenge would grant himself purpose?"
"For a while, I admit it started to. Being able to exact my revenge on Rudy Tabootie was extremely fulfilling, and I was able to break him. Not just his arms, mind you, but I broke his soul itself. I took away his ability to draw. If I couldn't have a purpose i my life, at least I could take away all purpose in his. He'd escaped before I could see him die of old age, but it is what it is. At the very least, I've still taken away his ability to draw."
"Monster!" One Beanie Boy shouted.
"Fiend!" Another Beanie Boy shouted.
"Vile creature!" A different Beanie Boy shouted.
While the protests had made themselves verbally known, they were small in number, as none of the Beanie Boys wished to further defy their queen. Carefully processing the information she was given, Queenie Beanie analyzed the words of Skrawl, studying him and his choices carefully.
"Well, first and foremost, Skrawl, myself can tell himself that himself's plan to break Rudy Tabootie has failed. After Rudy Tabootie stumbled upon myself's hive, myself took himself in and helped himself to get his drawin' back. Himself really did a number on Rudy, though." Queenie Beanie said.
With his efforts placed within his torture all defeated after his years of work, Skrawl hung his head with a soft growl, angered that his seeming revenge was completely undone.
"So, let's be forgettin' about that. Himself starting workin' with the Chalk King. That man's self wants to destroy all abstract and sense of art in the 'Zone. Why, oh, why, would himself ever ally himself with a self like himself?" Queenie Beanie asked.
"I didn't seek him out, he sought me out. In fact, I hadn't even heard of him until he showed himself to me; no one had, I think. ...You know, it's funny. There was always something so strange about him, ever since I met him." Skrawl said.
"And what, pray tell, was that somethin' so strange about himself?"
"The way he acted, the way he looked; all of it. He's like no Zoner I've ever seen before. The way he moves, it looks like there's something... 'real' about his movements."
"What does himself mean by 'real'?"
"I don't know. When humans move, it's different from us. They're made of flesh and bone and muscle, all real things. They're restricted to the way they move. We don't follow those rules, we're all pure abstract and thought. The King, on the other hand, moves like a human. Even the way he moves, it puts off some kind of... aura... that makes him seem less Zoner and more human."
"So what's himself trying to say?"
"I don't know what I'm trying to say. There's always just been something weird about him. I never thought much about it until now. All I really wanted out of him is what he offered me."
"And what did the Chalk King offer himself?"
"After Rudy had escaped, I felt like my purpose had gone. Without Rudy to bring my revenge on, I didn't have my purpose, my reason to exist. The Chalk King made me an offer, saying it was the least he could do by helping me get rid of Rudy. So, for years we searched for the Golden Chalk, following every detail he left us. Over the span of a decade, we never found so much as a trace of it; no idea how to get it. We'd heard numerous sorts of myths and prophesices, but nothing conclusive. Some told us that we'd need a child to find it, hence why we went after the children; others saying some sort of 'chosen one' would find it, but we never had anything close to an answer."
"That's a very interesting tale, Skrawl, but myself haven't gotten myself's answer, neither. What was it that the Chalk King offered yourself?"
"He said that if I could find the Golden Chalk, he could give me the purpose I was looking for. He promised to give me purpose again."
"And how did himself explain how himself was going to do that?"
"He didn't, but I didn't care. I just believed him because I was so desperate to get any sort of meaning or purpose back in my life again. Ever since, I've been desperate to get that Golden Chalk and get my purpose, whatever the cost. Now, I've wasted enough time talking, so I'll make this short. If you're going to do something with me, just do it. By now, I've long lost my trail on Rudy, and I've no hope of getting that Golden Chalk now. For all I know, Calcite could already have it. So, do with me what you will, because I don't care anymore."
Hearing Skrawl's motivation and drive laid out before her, Queenie Beanie found herself almost overwhelmed by the sense of emptiness that Skrawl had been through: Never having a full purpose in his life, driven to desperate measures to obtain any meaning in his life, and, here and now, losing all motivation to move on. While Queenie Beanie was far too wrapped up in her thoughts to think about her own surroundings, the remaining Beanie Boys were not as moved by his words, still demanding his blood.
"He's lying! He's a a great big liar!" One Beanie Boy said.
"If he wants us to kill him, I say we kill him!" Another Beanie Boy said.
"NO! There's not gonna be any killin' here, and especially no killin' of Skrawl." Queenie Beanie said.
With her order seeming absurd and completely against the common interest of the Beanie Boys, the surrounding group all gave a shout, demanding a reason behind her actions.
"Why won't you kill him, my queen? He's guilty! He's guilty of crimes against us!" A Beanie Boy said.
"Maybe yourselves can't see what Skrawl feels, but myself can. Himself's a tortured soul; himself believes that nothin' gives him any purpose or meanin' in his life. For that, myself extends his pity upon Skrawl." Queenie Beanie said.
Not expecting Queenie Beanie to treat him with compassion or kindness, Skrawl began to grow even more confused, not sure whether to accept this compassion or not. Further extending her compassion upon Skrawl, Queenie Beanie placed her hand over his face, lightly stroking his cheek.
"Myself don't know everythin', but myself knows this. Himself won't be gettin' a purpose or a meaning in his life by gettin' it from some other self. Himself's got to find it inside himself, however himself sees fit." Queenie Beanie said.
"But art is meant to have a direction and purpose. I was drawn without that." Skrawl said.
"Art isn't direction and purpose; art is art. Art could be somethin' simple like an apple or a jigsaw puzzle, or it could be somethin' like a giant bag clip that spits glitter, or a book that reads yourself instead of yourself readin' it. Art can be lots of things, Skrawl. It don't need no direction or purpose behind it. It just is. That's what art is about."
With Queenie Beanie sharing her words of wisdom, Skrawl continued to carefully think over her words, reconsidering his own methods and goals. After hearing all that Queenie Beanie had to share with him, his entire perspective of all his goals seemed to reverse themselves.
"And with those words, myself tells himself to go." Queenie Beanie said.
The Beanie Boys, still wishing for Skrawl's demise, immediately disagreed with their queen's decision, all shouting and protesting her actions. Despite their reaction, Queenie Beanie stuck with her decision, not faltering to the mob's protests.
"Go now. Himself's got a lot of thinkin' to do." Queenie Beanie said.
Following Queenie Beanie's instructions, Skrawl began to leave the hive. While he was followed closely and scowled at by numerous Beanie Boys, none of them dared attacked him; none wanting to disobey their queen's wishes. Feeling their eyes beat down upon his back, Skrawl's walk to the outside felt less like a few feet and more like several hard miles, each step seemingly shorter in length than the last.
Finally, upon reaching the outside of the hive, Skrawl turned to take one last look at the hive of the Beanie Boys. Where he entered the hive as one Zoner, he left as an entirely different Zoner.
Once, Skrawl was certain of his objectives and his goals, and why he wanted them. Before, he wanted to obtain the Golden Chalk and bring it to the Chalk King, wanting to have his promise of a purposeful life fulfilled, so that he might finally feel whole in his life.
Now, after being given a perspecive of a life where he finds his own purpose in life, Skrawl is no longer so sure of anything. With a long walk ahead of him with a destination to nowhere, there was much for Skrawl to ponder on, and an endless amount of time to do it on.
If only he could find the answer he looks for in the time he has, he hopes.
Back in the city of Chalklantis, the four humans, now finally nearing the end of their search, explore the lost city of Chalklantis, seeking out the Golden Chalk. Were it not for the task of finding the Golden Chalk being set and fresh in their minds, the group could easily find themselves getting distracted by their surroundings; the city of Chalklantis like nothing any of them had ever before seen.
The drawings and depictions of ChalkZone were unlike any other the group had encountered before. Before, most Zoners and other forms of creation had at least followed certain trends; some appeared to be drawn by preschoolers, some by eccentric street artists, some being created by advertisers for small restaurants, and others followed similar traits. The buildings here, however, appeared very different, more closely resembling cave drawings, hieroglyphics, stone carvings, and other archaic methods of communication.
"Wow. Have you ever seen anything like this before, Rudy?" Penelope asked.
"No. Once, I visited a Colosseum with some drawings of a chariot race, but even that didn't compare to this. This looks even older than that." Rudy said.
"So, what do you make of this place? It's obviously based on Atlantis, but who could've made all this?" Carol asked.
"Plato wrote about Atlantis around 360, B.C.E., tons of people drew it since then, maybe." Carlos said.
"That means that this place would have to be old. Like, really, really old. So, why isn't anyone here?"
"I don't know. This is the first time I've ever set foot in Chalklantis, and, even though I didn't know what to expect, I still don't know what to think of this place. The Golden Chalk led us here, so we need to find it somehow." Rudy said.
"That is not all you must find, Rudy Tabootie." A voice called.
As the strange new voice echoed its way through the city of Chalklantis, Rudy, Penelope, Carol, and Carlos all huddled themselves close together, with Penelope holding her children close. Rudy and Carlos, the ones most able to use the chalk, held their pieces of chalk close, ready to draw anything to fend off whatever threat may come.
"Now, now, don't be alarmed, there's no need to be afraid. Nothing here can hurt you. After all, you don't really think we'd make you go through all that trouble just to hurt you, now, don't you?" The voice asked.
"It was you. You're the spirits of the Golden Chalk. You're the ones that led us here." Rudy said.
"Yes, indeed. We are the very first 'Zoners', as you so dearly call them, to enter this plane of existence. It is us that comprise the Golden Chalk, and it is us who have led you here now."
"Okay, great. We made it. Care to show yourself so we can take down the Chalk King?"
"It won't be that easy, Rudy Tabootie. You don't think after all that hard work we'd put you through, we'd make it easy on you now, would we?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I thought you wanted us to find you so we could beat the Chalk King, and, you know... STOP HIM FROM COMMITTING GENOCIDE?!" Carol shouted.
"That's because he's not ready for the Golden Chalk. Neither are you, Carol Sanchez, or you, Carlos, or you, Penny. You want to know why we've brought you through so many trials and hardships through the path we've given you? It's because none of you were ready. You required change, and, although your progress is great, it is not complete, not just yet."
"'Progress?' What are we, just toys to you? Are people like my children just meant for you to endanger so recklessly?" Penelope asked.
"Remember that we are the very beginning of art itself, Penny Sanchez. We've been around for a while, and we've seen art change and shift throughout the millenia. Abstract, Bauhaus, Cubsim, Dada, Expressionism, Futurism, Gothic, Happening, Impressionism, Kitsch, Lyco, Minimalism, Neoism, Orphism, Purism, Quajar, Romanticism, Symbolism, Tonalism, Ukiyo-e, Vanitas, and whatever'll start with W, X, Y, and Z when they think of new trends. The Chalk King wishes for a ChalkZone of Hyperrealism and Photorealism, one without any weirdness or strangeness. While both styles are good, he prefers these styles for the wrong reasons. Therefore, to defeat him, you must open your minds to more creative ways of expression, to learn the tools to beat him."
Just as the voice finished its sentence, a series of walls began to emerge from the ground, separating the group from one another and trapping them all in their own corners of a maze. Each of the members of the group, wanting to reunite with the other, all immediately tried to push through the walls.
Carlos, trying for similar solution a previous problem, tried to spit on the walls to erase them, but the erased portion of the wall instantly grew back, impeding his progress back. Trying another solution, Carlos drew a door, hoping to simply exit to the other side, but, upon opening his newly drawn door, was only met with more wall.
"Ah-ah-ah, no cheating, Carlos. Or any of you, for that matter. We've set up a few areas for each of you, all in hopes of getting you ready to fight the Chalk King. You've each got to understand how to solve strange problems with strange solutions, and we've put a lot of effort into seeing that you get to the points you need to get to." The voice said.
"Come on, this isn't fair! Put me through this if you have to, but let the kids and Penny go! They don't have anything to do with this!" Rudy said.
"On the contrary, Rudy Tabootie, they have everything to do with your quest. Why is it do you think it is that we told you that they must accompany you?"
"I don't know, and I don't care. Just please, leave them out of this, they've been through enough!"
"We had them accompany you to see that you change for the better. When you began your quest, you were a brute, a barbarian. You had no emotions within yourself, your ability to draw was gone, and the woman you once loved you hated with all your heart. Now, because of us, you can once again feel, you can once again draw, and you can once again draw. But you are only one piece of the puzzle. It will require all of you to obtain your goal, and imagine how much we can change you all for the better. Penny, Carol, and Carlos all have their challenges, just as you did and still do, and you must all overcome those challenges to obtain your goal."
Reflecting on how much he had changed since the beginning of the quest, Rudy could no longer argue with the voice, realizing that, despite its unjust control over the group, it had changed him for the better. Realizing this, Rudy knew that the entity could indeed change each of them for the better, readying them all for the fight to come.
"Now, good luck to all of you, and, remember: Think outside the box." The voice said.
With the voice of the Golden Chalk leaving them, the group all took their time to think on their next course of action, not sure how to deal with the situation at hand.
"So, what should we do now?" Carol asked.
"We do what the voice said. We follow these paths, see what happens, and we all meet up later somehow." Rudy said.
"Rudy, do you realize what you're saying? My kids have been through enough danger, I can't have them-" Penelope tried to say.
"Penny, listen to me. The voice, the Golden Chalk, it may not be fair that it's doing this, but it's right. When I started this whole thing, I wasn't ready to deal with the Chalk King. After we went down the path it gave us, I changed completely. I don't just have my talent back, but I've changed for the better as a person, and we've all been better for it. Please, if it says this is the best way for us to beat the Chalk King, then I say it's our best shot."
While the idea of having her children still in danger of whatever may come in the strange city of Chalklantis was not a pleasant thought in the slightest, Penelope also knew that Rudy was correct beneath his arguments, and the threat of the Chalk King outweighed anything standing in their way. After letting out a deep breath, Penelope prepared herself for the next step in completing the quest.
"Okay, Rudy. I'll try. Just, please, everyone, promise me you'll all be careful, okay?" Penelope asked.
"I promise, Mama, you be careful too." Carol said.
"Sure." Carlos said.
"I can handle myself, Penny. We all can. Good luck to us all." Rudy said.
With their temporary goodbyes and wishes of luck out of the way, the four all began moving down the paths they were led down, each moving deeper into the labyrinth of Chalklantis. Each member of the party had different paths to go down in one similar fashion, but each had very different challenges ahead, each for the group to tackle on their own.
Now, Rudy, Penelope, Carol and Carlos, cold and alone, walk down the walls of the labyrinth, each with uncertainty of what may lie down the walls ahead. Feeling themselves all growing closer to the Golden Chalk by the second, they find the courage to continue on deep down inside their hearts, pushing themselves on through.
In the labyrinths of Chalklantis, they'll be sure to need as much courage as they can find.