Okay, this is my first serious fanfiction I've ever written. I'm really sorry if it sucks. I really just wanted to write Vanellope and Taffyta being cute... but then this idea came to me. I guess because I like sad things and comfort. I should also go ahead and say this is an AU, where everything is pretty much the same except Vanellope decided to stay a princess instead of being a president (and another obvious thing is different but you'll find out when you read it). Okay, I'll quit rambling. I really hope you enjoy it.
It was just a regular night at Litwak's Arcade. The Turbo incident had been put behind everyone for a long while at this point. Princess Vanellope entered her throne room. She was quite tired from a long day of racing, but she was expecting company. She always did on Sunday nights. The arcade was always closed on Mondays, so on Sunday nights, Taffyta Muttonfudge would visit Vanellope at the castle and the two would go exploring or bake or watch movies, and then Taffyta would spend the night in the castle. The two had become inseparable best friends.
This particular Sunday night, however, something seemed a little off.
Taffyta didn't worry about knocking on the castle doors, she knew she was always welcome there, no matter what time it was. The doors opened slowly and she stepped into the castle. Vanellope had been reclining on her throne when she saw Taffyta's small figure on the other side of the long hallway. Vanellope smiled as she wondered what they would do for their sleepover tonight. As Taffyta got closer to Vanellope's throne, however, her smile faded. She noticed that Taffyta had been crying. It was always easy to tell when Taffyta was crying, as opaque black streaks were seen around her eyes, and her eyes were red and puffy.
Vanellope quickly hopped out of her throne and ran over to Taffyta, pulling her into a hug. "Taffy, what's wrong?" she asked, stroking the other girl's white hair.
Taffyta forced herself to speak in-between sobs. "Can we…please… go to your room?" Vanellope couldn't blame her for wanting to be alone with Vanellope, as there were guards and servants out and about in the castle. Vanellope's room was considered one of the most private places in the castle. No one was allowed in there without Princess Vanellope's permission.
"Of course we can." Vanellope spoke softly as she grabbed Taffyta's hand and they walked up the staircase and down the long hallway to her bedroom.
Princess Vanellope's room was enormous, much larger than Taffyta's entire house. Right now, the curtains had been pulled over the large window in the back leading to the balcony, for added privacy. Vanellope clapped twice, which prompted the lights to turn on in her room.
"Is there anything we can get for you, your Highness?" Called a voice of one of the castle servants over the PA. Vanellope gave Taffyta an annoyed, exasperated look.
"No, no. Please, don't bother me anymore tonight. Taffyta and I wish to be alone for the rest of the night."
"As you wish, your Highness."
"Finally, we're alone." Vanellope sighed. One of the downfalls of being a princess was that it was very hard to get any privacy. Everywhere she went, she always had to have someone follow her. It was exhausting and annoying. But there were more pressing matters than her "problems" of being a Princess. She turned to Taffyta, and gave her a small smile before walking over to her enormous bed and sitting on it. She patted the space next to her for Taffyta to sit, which she obliged.
"Now," Vanellope started, "tell me what's wrong."
Taffyta could feel tears forming in her eyes again. She looked up toward the ceiling in an attempt to suppress them. She saw prints of pieces of candy, several different fruits, and stars adorned on the ceiling in all sorts of colors and shapes. "I-it's too hard… to talk about…" Her words came out slowly and painfully. Vanellope felt like her heart was going to break. She had never seen Taffyta this upset before, even when she had made that silly execution joke so long ago. No, this was something way different. "It's so hard…I've kept it inside for so long…"
Vanellope placed a reassuring hand on top of Taffyta's. "You don't have to tell me if it's too hard, Taffy. We can do something fun to get your mind off of it."
"No!" Taffyta blurted out quickly. Then looked at Vanellope with pleading eyes. "I-I want to tell you… I think it would help… to… get it off my chest."
Vanellope understood. She took Taffyta's hand and interlaced their fingers together. "Okay. Take your time. I'm right here." She enveloped Taffyta's hand with her other hand in a comforting fashion. Vanellope was definitely a 9-year-old girl in certain aspects, but she was incredibly patient when the time called for it. This was one of those times.
Taffyta thought she would be more comfortable lying down and staring at the ceiling instead of looking Vanellope in the eyes while she spoke. She crawled over to the spot she usually designated as her own when she spent the night at the castle. Vanellope got the clue and joined her in the spot on the bed next to her. Still grasping Vanellope's hand, she sighed deeply before talking. "Well…it's about King Can-er, Turbo."
Vanellope's eyes widened. She honestly wasn't sure what Taffyta would say next, and the thought terrified her. Her heart began beating rapidly, but she said nothing.
"He did… he did some bad things to me. I didn't know they were bad until… later. I feel so guilty, Vanellope! I feel like it's my fault! Like I should have done something to avoid it but there was nothing I could have done!" Her tears flowed freely down her face. She sobbed profusely.
Vanellope didn't really understand what Taffyta had meant by "bad things", but she felt she probably had a clue. She let go of Taffyta's hand and pulled her into a tight hug, and she stroked the girl's white hair. "You have no reason to feel guilty, Taffyta," She whispered to her softly, though she could feel herself beginning to cry as well, "he was a very bad man. But he's gone now. He died when Diet Cola Mountain erupted. He'll never hurt you ever again."
"He said that…he loved me…" She buried her face in her hands, ashamed, "and he told me that's why he did it."
Vanellope continued to stroke her hair. She couldn't believe it. When she was hiding out in Diet Cola Mountain trying to survive, Taffyta was also fighting a battle of her own, and she had no idea. She finally spoke. "Someone who loves you will never hurt you like that." Vanellope obviously couldn't change the past. She couldn't go and take back all the damage Turbo had done to Taffyta. All she could do was hold her.
"I still believed it, though." Taffyta said, her hands muffling her words as she sobbed. "I still feel guilty. It went on for so long…"
Vanellope could feel tears prickling her eyes. "Taffy… None of it was your fault. You did nothing wrong. You have nothing to feel guilty for. He is the only one who did anything wrong. And he's gone. I'm here now. Everything is going to be better for you, now."
Taffyta sniffed. "You… you promise?"
Vanellope smiled at her. "Yes, of course. I promise." She held her tightly. "You're my best friend, Taffyta. I love you. So much."
Taffyta looked away from Vanellope. "I'm not sure why. I don't know what I have done to deserve your love. Or anyone's love, for that matter."
"Oh, hush, now." Vanellope said, still holding her friend in a tight hug. "I know nothing that you said to me when King Candy was around was really coming from you. When we got our memories back, I remembered how we were such good friends before he came along. I felt terrible that King Candy took that away from us. But it's okay. It's all okay now."
They lied there in silence for a few minutes. Vanellope continued stroking her best friend's hair, and it seemed to calm her down a little. Vanellope finally spoke up again.
"Taffyta, I know this is hard for you, and I know I can never fully take the pain away. But I will always be here for you. Always. You know you are always welcome to spend the night with me if you get scared, or just want someone to hug or talk to."
Taffyta buried her face in her friend's shoulder, sobbing. Vanellope shushed her in a failed attempt to quiet her sobbing, and then she spoke softly.
"And I'll never hurt you. Ever."