Chapter 34: A Dramatic Turn of Events
Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating for so long! After being in Hermit Mode for so long, I'm pleased to announce that I'm back! I've had lots of personal things happen, both positive and negative, but I'm not letting the negative stop me! Please read this note fully, as I have several positive notes regarding Kind At Heart! Now, it's review response time!
Avimo, thanks for the support! I hope that this chapter will be worth the wait!
Guest 1, I hope so too. I hope that he'll return one day.
mattTheWriter072, thank you for your compliments! It makes me happy to know that you enjoyed the last chapter. I bet you'll be happy to know that there are more grandparents' moments in this one. :)
Tessa, Oh, no! I'm sorry for my late update, too! I hope that your friend is doing okay now, and that you'll enjoy this chapter after so long.
Guest 2, seeing as how that room was referenced in the original Next in Line, I'll certainly consider it here!
Guest 3, that doesn't sound that good, but who knows?
Justin Fleck, I'm happy that you're enjoying my story! The next update is finally here!
Ghost, funny thing you mentioned the Arctic Room...! Those are great suggestions!
Aknow Ylliw, read on and maybe you'll get the truth!
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I have gone through and polished several chapters of Kind At Heart. The notable moments are- Yuna's Oompa-Loompa song is polished up, including a few overhauls to some of the couplets that I found weaker, and minor tweaks to the Japanese lyrics (Chapter 24); Mindy's Oompa-Loompa song is polished, as well as expanded (Chapter 30); and Yuna gets a new interaction with Antonio in the Chocolate Room chapter (Chapter 16). Please check these additions out and tell me what you think! Also, Kind At Heart will be getting illustrated by the artist Kamui Ayami, and the illustrated version will be released for free in PDF form when ready! Feel free to leave suggestions for scenes that you would like to see illustrated. Color will not be off the table, either, for a few pictures (but not a majority, due to budget reasons).
Due to this chapter being longer than expected, the next demise will be in Chapter 36, but this also means that notes for Chapter 35 are done, and updates will be quicker! Now, on with the story!
(Credits: New Loompaland was created by MysteriousMaker1185.)
"Are you Charlie's other grandparents?" Jenna asked as two other people approached her, Grandpa Joe, Grandma Josephine, Theo Kekoa, Igor, and Jasir.
The first resembled a balding, stern, yet kind elderly man with a wrinkled face. At that moment he was wearing fabric sleepwear with a bathrobe beneath it and sleep pants. The second person was a woman, and she was holding the first man's hand. She was smiling from ear to ear, and was wearing a wool hat on top of her head, as well as a knitted sweater and a scarf.
"It's nice to meet you, Jenna," said the balding man. "I'm Charlie's Grandpa George."
"I'm Grandma Georgina," smiled the woman with a wool hat, "and I love turtles." At this, Grandpa George smiled and patted his wife's hand.
"Why did you choose me to see all of these beautiful things?" Jenna asked curiously.
"It's not just you," Grandpa Joe said. "Chris, too. Remember when he was saved in the Licorice Rainforest? You two have quite the solid friendship. Be sure to keep it going."
"Well said, Joe," Grandpa George remarked. "A true friendship is like wine, as it gets better with age."
"Let's show Jenna more of what New Loompaland has to offer," Grandma Josephine said. "That is why we took her here, correct?"
"You're right, my dear," Grandpa Joe replied. "You're going to love this next area, Jenna."
Back in the real world, Charlie and Mr. Wonka continued down the path towards their next destination in New Loompaland. Shortly after the Vivacious Volcano, they came across another area that resembled Osaka. Traditional Japanese-style buildings mingled within the midst of modern-style architecture, and Oompa-Loompas who saw the group as they went by stopped and waved, and several remaining group members, in particular Chris, Mr. Davidson, and Mr. Adams, waved back.
Chris Davidson walked towards the front of the group led by Mr. Wonka and Charlie Bucket, and Mr. Davidson followed his son.
"Mr. Wonka and Charlie," Chris said, managing to find the courage to speak up to his two idols, "where on Earth do you get the ideas for all these wonderful places and things?"
"Imagination, Chris," Charlie smiled as he looked down at the boy. "The real world can provide as much inspiration for things as fantasy does, and New Loompaland is a prime example of this."
"Do you mean to tell me that you've actually visited all these places?" Chris said in awe.
"Of course, my dear boy," Mr. Wonka replied. "Charlie, mostly, but sometimes I do come along for the ride. We do have a protocol for staying out of the public eye whenever possible."
"I've been all over the world," Charlie said. "From learning how to cook pasta in Italy to trekking in the mountains of Japan and exploring the freezing chills of Antarctica. We actually have an Arctic Room inspired by our time there. We may or may not have time to fit it in the tour, but unlike the last tour, you are allowed to come back whenever you wish. This will retroactively apply to the previous contest, too, for fairness purposes. It would be nice to catch up with everyone again."
Chris looked at the two chocolatiers in complete admiration, and his eyes shone as bright as two stars. Mr. Sparkman walked up by Mr. Wonka and Charlie now too, and he cleared his throat.
"Do you mean to tell me that you don't hold any grudges against the previous Golden Ticket winners?" he asked.
"Of course not," Charlie replied.
"I've learned that over the years– and pretty recently– that the biggest thing that determines how a child turns out is the parents', um, parenting," Mr. Wonka said, "and that everybody can change, and that everybody deserves a…chance."
"What's it to you?" Daniel Sparkman snapped, butting into the conversation.
"Your father just asked a question," Chris said. "What's it to you? What's so annoying about that?"
"Look, Mom," Tyler Smith whispered to Kitsune, staring at Chris, Daniel, and the others as they were talking. "For once, a fight that doesn't involve me."
"That's a shocker," Kitsune remarked. "Hopefully we'll find a place to get back at Mr. Wonka and Charlie soon. Those two and their goody attitudes get on my nerves."
"Tell me about it," Tyler whispered back. "And Chris and his lovebird, too. They ruined our little fun back on that street with that wretched shopkeeper."
"Don't worry, son," Kitsune said, patting Tyler's head. "We will come out victorious, or our names aren't Tyler and Kitsune."
"Do you really mean it?" Mr. Sparkman asked as he walked alongside Charlie and Mr. Wonka.
"Of course we do," Charlie replied. "Why do you ask, Mr. Sparkman?"
"Because," Mr. Sparkman sighed, "you may or may not remember me, but I'm actually one of the original Golden Ticket winners, Mike Teavee."
In Grandpa Joe's subconscious, the four grandparents and the past figments of Igor and Jasir were continuing to show Jenna around New Loompaland. After looking at the Vivacious Volcano in the midst of construction, they approached the construction site of another area of New Loompaland. Foundations were being constructed, and Oompa-Loompas with hard hats, jeans, and safety vests were walking around.
"This will-" explained Theo Kokoa, "or is, in the case of the physical plane, to be the site of an Osaka-themed area."
"Why Osaka, if you don't mind me asking?" Jenna enquired.
"We want New Loompaland to be as real as possible," Igor said, "combining our former home of Loompaland with the wonders of the outside world."
"New Loompaland is gorgeous," Jenna remarked. "I love this place. It's my favorite room in the factory so far."
"Thank you," Theo Kekoa smiled. "We're so glad that you're enjoying it."
The supernatural tour group went down the path once more, and Jenna looked everywhere around her. She heard the chatter of Oompa-Loompas. The movement of construction materials. The sound of wind in the air, and plants moving with it. She could have even sworn that she heard the sound of animals communicating with one another, but dismissed the thought as her mind deceiving her.
"Oh, Chris," she sighed in disbelievement. "If only you were here right now to see all these wonderful things with me. I…I…" She shook the thought from her head, and continued her way towards their next destination in New Loompaland.
"Of course we remember you, Mr. Teavee- or should I say, Sparkman," Mr. Wonka smiled in the real world. "Welcome back, my dear sir!" He held his hand out for Mr. Sparkman- previously Mr. Mike Teavee- to shake, which he accepted with a surprised look on his face.
"My full name is Michael Cameron Sparkman," Mr. Sparkman said. "After the factory tour, being unnaturally tall and skinny changed my perspective on the world. People ridiculed me for my appearance, and I used that to change my life around. I changed my last name so I could distance myself from my past, met a woman who shared my interests, and we had Daniel together. I even came around to your chocolate and other candy. I'm really sorry for insulting your candy all those years ago, Mr. Wonka."
"It's alright, Mr. Sparkman," Mr. Wonka assured him. "You were just a kid, and the important thing is that you've learned from your mistakes."
"Do you mean to say that you knew who I was the entire time?" Mr. Sparkman questioned.
"We figured as such, my dear sir," Charlie said. "All we needed was confirmation to put our theory to rest."
"But if you remembered me, then why didn't you say anything?" Mr. Sparkman asked.
"Because we could tell you were embarrassed," Charlie replied, "so we didn't want to put you on the spot even more."
"I was so worried," Mr. Sparkman admitted. "I thought my previous attitude at the factory put a permanent stain on my legacy."
"Nonsense," Mr. Wonka said. "We're happy to see that you've gotten a second chance here. We do hope that you're enjoying the new tour so far."
"I am," Mr. Sparkman said. "Thank you for accepting me again. It means a lot to me."
"No problem," Charlie smiled. "We're sure that you'll enjoy this next area. Let's move along, everyone."
Down the path they went, seeing more and more Oompa-Loompas as they walked. Some were males with deerskins, some were female with a covering of leaves, and others were Oompa-Loompa children with their gender's respective covering. One Oompa-Loompa had his deerskin fashioned into a yellow outfit with a black and white stylized logo which spelled out "W W," and another had theirs in a similar fashion except in the color red. Some Oompa-Loompa children were climbing nearby trees, and looked curiously at the tour group as they walked by them.
"You're gonna be wild about what's coming up next, children," Mr. Wonka smiled. About a minute later, they approached a cluster of enormous, opaque domes. Curious-looking creatures could be seen inside each of them, and Oompa-Loompa families were pointing at the creatures in excitement, especially the children. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Loompaland Zoo and Aquarium!" Mr. Wonka announced on his microphone so that everyone could hear him over the noise of their surroundings. Mr. Wonka and Charlie guided the group near these domes and through an arch that said "LOOMPALAND ZOO AND AQUARIUM."
"Each of these domes," Charlie explained, "serve as either zoos or aquariums for non-hostile creatures which are native to the real Loompaland. For instance, check out the Fiery Fishes."
He pointed to one dome which contained water so green that it was almost dark. Small holes were at the top of the dome for breathing, and for several seconds, the group could only see water sploshing around. Then, everyone saw a strange orange glow in the water. The glow became so bright that everyone could see the fish clearly even in the murky water. It resembled a giant goldfish, and its fins and tail were in the shape of bonfire sparks. After about a minute or two of this behavior, the water became dark once again.
"The Fiery Fish is nocturnal," Mr. Wonka said, "and they communicate with one another by glowing on and off and in various patterns. They also prefer murky water so that they can eat the tiny 'lil microscopic critters floating on top of it. For those wondering why the whangdoodles and other predators of the Oompa-Loompas didn't catch them, it's because those are diurnal, which means active during the day. You won't find any live ones here, though, although we do have some stuffed dummies somewhere, as well as a special recreation of them during an upcoming part of the tour."
"What did the Fiery Fish think of the Oompa-Loompas?" Mr. Adams asked.
"That's a great question, Mr. Adams," Charlie said. "The Fiery Fish is also quite shy except with other members of its own species, so they didn't interact much. The Oompa-Loompas are diurnal as well, obviously, so that's another reason they hardly saw each other. For Oompa-Loompa children, creatures like these are almost legendary, so Mr. Wonka and I made our way back to Loompaland one final time in order to stop the Fiery Fish and other animals from potentially becoming endangered, and so that future generations of Oompa-Loompas can learn about them and see them in person."
"What's the Fiery Fish's scientific name, Mr. Wonka?" Daniel Sparkman asked, speaking up as he stared at the Fiery Fishes in the tank as they glowed to one another.
"It doesn't have one, my little mumbler," Mr. Wonka replied. "As far as Charlie and I are aware, nobody else in the outside world knows of the existence of these creatures except us and yourselves."
Daniel looked at the Fiery Fishes one more time before the two chocolatiers guided the group towards the next animal. Mr. Sparkman went by his son and gripped one of his shoulders, and the two of them looked up at each other for a brief second before going to the next dome.
This dome, instead of being full of water, had plants, twigs, and dirt inside it. Everyone could see shining purple butterflies flying around, and these butterflies had antennae with a curl at the end of them. Their wings were every color of the rainbow, and they shone like glitter in New Loompaland's light fixtures. Large green caterpillars could also be seen crawling around, and grey pupae were hanging on branches.
"This dome is home to the Chrominum Caterpillars," Mr. Wonka said, "named after the Greek root word for 'color,' chrom-. These caterpillars were the same ones that Oompa-Loompas were forced to mash up in order to survive while they were living in Loompaland."
"They may not look pretty when they start out," Charlie added, looking at the caterpillars and pupae, "but when they reach their final stage, they become one of the most beautiful animals in Loompaland."
"I think the caterpillars look kinda cute," Chris Davidson said.
"All beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Mr. Wonka remarked, "and that's what makes the world so beautiful. One man's trash is another man's treasure."
"Now," Charlie announced, "we should be moving along to the next area of New Loompaland, but be sure to remember our new rule if you wanna see more here!"
Daniel Sparkman looked at the dome of the Chrominum Caterpillars just as he'd done to the Fiery Fishes. He sighed and looked up at Mike Sparkman, and after a pause, he said, "Dad? You're…right. Imagination is real. Very, very real."
That's the chapter! What do you think? All segments in New Loompaland were, of course, created by MysteriousMaker1185, but I decided to elaborate on them as a tribute. Also, for those of you who are familiar with the development of the original, the chapter title used here was once used in Next in Line before being changed, as Mr. Sparkman is NOT Mike Teavee there. The fact that moment was scrapped was, to be honest, one of the triggers for this story in the first place, as that bothered me to no end. I found it obvious (as the reasoning for this provided was that it came off as arbitrary to a lack of hints aside from the previous two chapters prior to that scrapped moment) and the lack of a plot twist felt strange and last-minute to me. With that said, thank you for your support, everyone, and feel free to leave a review and suggestions if you'd like. I'm excited for Chapter 35!
Until then,
Gabe S. :)