Rudy stood on the grassy field, surveying the area all around him. It was hard to believe that, not so long ago, he and his two friends were having fun here, a rousing game of chalk golf. It was hard to believe at this place had been torn apart by fire and lava, and has since then been reconstructed. It looked like nothing had happened to this place. And standing here, a weird feeling tugged at his heart. It was almost like he and Penny were never kidnapped.

It had been three months since the incident with Bardot. Two long months. The recovery process was not easy. It had taken until about a month ago before the pain he and his friends experienced got a lot better. Even now, though, it was still a little tender. It was still better than it used to be, though. They had some scarring, which he had expected, especially with how deep some of the wounds were. But they were alive, and that's what mattered. A few scars didn't really bother him so much, knowing that they had managed to come out alive in the end.

His arm was doing a lot better now, the bone pretty much fully healed by now. His leg had mostly healed and he no longer needed to wear a cast. However, he did still need to use a cane to get around as his leg could not yet bear his full weight. The doctors say it will take a little longer before his leg is ready to be used regularly. To help out, they had him come to therapy so he can regain the strength he lost from his leg. His arm recieved the same treatment.

His hand had mended. It still radianted in a dull ache from where Draow had bit him. He knew it would get better in time. For now, painkillers helped immensely here. Much to his delight, he had regained some use of his right hand. It wasn't where it used to be, but he could at least hold objects again such as the magic chalk. But his right hand got tired faster than it used to, so he had to go for therapy for his hand as well. The doctors did believe he had a chance at regaining full use of his right hand once more, and he just needed to give it some time. Rudy certainly believed that as, each day, it felt like he gained more and more strength in his once shattered hand.

Penny's injuries had also healed up pretty well. She didn't complain about pain as much as Rudy, although once in a while, one of her scars would sting her. Her leg was healed up as well and she was able to walk. Her leg managed to heal faster than Rudy's and she didn't need a cane as often as he did. Walking was still a little painful for her, and like him, she still needed therapy. Rudy was just glad that she was able to recover at all. He no longer felt guilty about being injured. It wasn't like he chose for it to happen or wanted it to. It wasn't his fault. It was Bardot's and Draow's. It was their fault this all happened...

His mind turned to Snap. Out of the three of them, he was the worst off. He had suffered the most severe injuries. He was the one who had been closest do death. Heck, the poor little guy had died. Even if it didn't last long, he still died. Snap had been through so much agony to save them. No matter how badly hurt he had gotten..he still kept trying to save them...

Snap's monitoring did still continue, but it was getting less and less frequent. The doctors believed permanent damage was unlikely. And though Snap sometimes still wobbled, even that was getting better as that area of the brain was healing and mending. There didn't appear to be any damage to his bodily systems. Everything appeared to be functioning fine, outside of a hiccup or two regarding his sense of balance. Memory was still good, no changes in personality. The doctors still wanted to monitor him to make sure his brain is fine. But so far, they were quite optimistic about it.

Rudy was glad. His brain was the most stressing injury. The brain gets damaged, a lot could go horribly wrong. It wasn't Snap's only injury by far, but it was the one that caused him and Snap's other friends the most distress. There was the very real possibility that something terrible might happen to him as time went on. So many things could have happened to Snap due to the brain injuries. It was a relief to know that, despite who slim the chances were, Snap was recovering nicely and hadn't shown any severe symptoms.

His gashes had healed up and most of them no longer bothered him. Sometimes his chest or stomach do. Like Rudy, he took painkillers to try to cope with it. It was still a lot better than before, and each day, the pain dulled. Snap's injured lung healed up a month ago and he no longer suffered issues with breathing. There was no longer any pain associated with it either. His stomach, which had been so horrifically damaged by Bardot's claws, also managed to heal up nicely.

And then there was his arm. Snap's arm no longer wore a cast. The bones had mended and reconnected. It took longer to heal than Rudy's arm due to how badly it was broken. But though it didn't need a cast anymore, he still needed therapy to regain strength in it. The arm was sore in the areas where the bone had been broken. And it was hard for Snap to use his arm a whole lot without aches and pains. It was still getting better day by day though, and Rudy knew, in a matter of a few months, all their injuries would have healed completely.

The dogs that Snap had drawn were given up for adoption. Snap was not able to take care of them properly with his injuries. So he, Rudy, and Penny had taken the dogs into town and put up an adoption stand. They managed to find homes for the dogs. Everyone who adopted a dog, Snap knew personally, which didn't surprise Rudy considering how well known he is across ChalkZone. And Snap knew that those who adopted the dogs would take good care of them. Rudy was glad; the dogs did play a part in saving them and they did deserve a good home after that.

They had filled Biclops on what had happened. The giant was shocked to learn that there was a Cosmo creation that he had missed, but was grateful that they were able to stop him. He was horrified at how badly hurt the trio were, and frightened when they told him about how much worse Bardot turned out to be compared to Cosmo. Upon learning about the blue and purple chalk, Biclops admits he had heard of them at least once, but never knew their powers or where they could be found.

He wasn't happy at first when they told him about how their parents knew about ChalkZone. They did their best to assure the giant that they meant no harm and had agreed to keep ChalkZone a secret. Biclops was understandably skeptical, but agreed to give the parents a chance. He would keep an eye on them and observe their behavior. If they go out of line, he would have them kicked out of ChalkZone. The trio understood these terms and agreed to them. They weren't going to argue with the giant; he was only doing what he felt was right for ChalkZone.

They told other zoners about how their parents know about ChalkZone, and assured them everything was going to be okay. After speaking to them more, the zoners agreed to give the parents a chance. Rudy, Penny, and Snap planned an outting with the adults to show them around ChalkZone and telling them more about it.

This had taken place a month ago. They brought in Rudy's parents, Penny's mom, Tilly, and Sophie into ChalkZone. The tour lasted for a while, but instead of walking around, they used a tour centipede, like the one Snap used from time to time, only this one was larger, which made it easier for the adults to take a seat. The tour went great, and their parents were having a good time with them, especially when they got to one of ChalkZone's celebrations. Even though they couldn't eat anything since the food and water was made of chalk, they still had fun.

It was nice being able to tell the truth to their parents after so many years of being forced to lie to them. It was nice being able to be honest and open with them. It was such a relief to be able to head into ChalkZone without worrying about their parents. Their parents were amazed at what their children were able to accomplish, and they felt proud of their children when they saw just how much of a difference they made in ChalkZone, and how much the zoners really looked up to them.

His thoughts were interrupted when someone let out a cry of surprise.

"D-Did that ball just walk away?!"

Rudy looked behind him. The voice had come from Mrs. Sanchez. She was staring at the ball in shock, which currently had legs. It had repositioned itself, although Rudy couldn't tell which direction it had gone. A small smile came into his face. The way Mrs. Sanchez reacted, it reminded him of Penny's reaction when they were playing this game, just before they found out Draow had escaped.

His parents were also shocked by what had happened. They were looking at each other, perplexed. Although they got to know just how weird some of ChalkZone could be, there were still things that surprised him. And apparently, chalk golf was one of them. They weren't prepared for this. Perhaps he and his friends should have explained it to them better.

Penny grinned at her mother. "It's chalk golf, mom. That's how it's supposed to be played. The balls can walk in any direction by one foot. It makes it more challenging."

"It makes it more confusing!" Mrs. Sanchez said, a little louder than she had intended. "Where's the logical sense behind this?"

"That's what my feelings were at first, mom." Penny admitted, still smiling. "You'll get used to it."

"Yeah! Relax!" Snap said, grinning broadly. He held his golf club in his hand, twirling it with his hand. "ChalkZone is different. Expect the unexpected!"

Rudy walked back over to them. It was nice to, after all this time, to have fun again. He had offered his parents a chance at chalk golf, and they accepted. Penny invited her mom as well. Tilly and Sophie couldn't make it. Sophie had a doctor's appointment and Tilly had several errands to run. Oh well. They could always come next time.

Seeing not just his friends, but family together having fun, it made him feel all happy inside. It was hard for him to believe that, after all the hardships they went through, everything turned out better in the end. With Mr. Cosmo, they almost lost ChalkZone to slavery and Snap nearly died, and in the end, they had gained a new ally. And recently, they were tortured almost to death by Bardot and Draow, Snap having died for a while, and they gained even more allies for ChalkZone. Things just keep getting better and better.

He hoped that it would continue being that way. He hoped that, down the line, more things would go their way. He hoped that things would continue to improve, especially in ways they never would have imagined. Their parents accepting ChalkZone...it came as both as a surprise and a great relief.

"Rudy!" His mom called after him.

"It's your turn, son!" His dad said.

Rudy said, "I'm coming!"

Rudy rushed over to his parents. He positioned himself by his ball. He held his golf club steady. He pulled it back and struck it. He and the others watched, smiling, as the ball rolled across the green ground and towards the hole. And as he watched, Rudy continued to feel happiness swell inside his heart.

He and his friends were near death. They had been tortured and beaten. Just a few months ago, they were all feeling a little hopeless. It really did seem like, for a time, things were going to end. But they beat the odds. They brought Bardot and Draow to justice. They were serving their time. Their bonds with their family had grown stronger. Earning their happy ending this time was much harder...but in the end they still succeeded.

Things really had changed for the better, but in ways that Rudy had never imagined. And he couldn't be happier for it.