A/N: This marks the first time I've written a story for a fandom that's based on only 2 movies, so I'm not sure what the community is like, though it seems busy enough. An interesting move for me, but honestly, those Sugar Rush guys have captivated my interest enough to write something, expanding on a select relationship between 2 of the racers and using every source of material available. This fic isn't intended to be romance-based per se, but rather focusing on something a little different. You're free to view it in whichever way you choose, though.
Let me know what you think!
To Light a Candle
May 18, 2019 – May 23, 2019
Litwak's Family Fun Centre and Arcade was closed on Sundays, which meant a day off for the video game characters on a weekly basis. After six days of racing, dancing, shooting Cy-bugs, wrecking buildings, and gobbling up dots upon quarter alerts, it was a very welcoming and rightfully deserving treat to look forward to, as it allowed the virtual denizens to kick back and have some extended fun for themselves. For the young racers of Sugar Rush, their relaxation started on Saturday nights. Without needing to hold their nightly Random Roster race to determine who would represent their game in the following morning's avatar selection, a common thing for the kids to do (which was now quickly becoming a tradition) would be to head straight over to Fix-It Felix Jr and spend their Saturday night with their adoptive parents as soon as the arcade closed for the day. Even though Sugar Rush had been restored after that infamous unplugging and each kid had his or her own individual home back, they all still liked to visit Fix-It Felix and Sgt. Calhoun come any chance they got.
It was a shocker, really, to everyone in the arcade. Being programmed as children aged 11-12 years-old, they were naturally notorious for being rowdy, or even – as Surge described them – feral. But in the span of just a few days, the goodhearted repairman and hardcore battle commander had miraculously transformed the lives of these energetic children, much to the surprise of Surge, Ralph, and even the racers themselves. From the moment Mr. Litwak had unplugged their game to the day it was plugged back in with a new steering wheel fitted, the racers' behavior and attitude had improved dramatically and they had come to truly view Felix and Calhoun as their parents. None of them had been programmed to have families of their own, so to actually have one together united the kids under a special bond, one that may seem icky and mushy, but deep down something special that none of them wanted to give up.
On this particular Saturday night, Rancis Fluggerbutter lay awake in his sleeping bag upon the living room floor of his parent's apartment. All around him, he could hear the gentle, steady breathing and light snoring of his fellow racers, who were his brothers and sisters. There were ten all told, sprawled around in their respective sleeping bags wherever they could find room. Mr. Felix had initially wanted to build spare bedrooms in the apartment so his kids wouldn't have to sleep on the floor, but Rancis and the others insisted that they were fine like this. It was like a giant sleepover and they were a family after all. Besides, they only got to stay overnight once a week.
Things like sleeping and eating weren't in their official code, but that didn't mean they couldn't do it. The first time they actually got legitimate hours of sleep only started once Felix and Calhoun took them under their wings and told them that 'growing children like themselves needed plenty of rest to conserve energy'. It had been quite an adjustment, for the life of a kart racer meant nonstop adrenaline rush on the fast lane. But eventually, the two adults managed to get the kids to sleep every night at exactly 9:00 pm.
In the darkness of the room, Rancis could just make out Adorabeezle kicking in her sleep, probably dreaming of skating on the frozen molasses rink or something. The peanut butter-themed racer couldn't help but smile, for he had come to genuinely enjoy the quirky habits of his friends. He wasn't exactly sure what was keeping him up this late at night, but equally wasn't too worried about that. He had been thinking a lot about the big changes to his life recently, which extended far beyond his initial programming.
Before Wreck-It Ralph or Vanellope had made a significant impact into his life, Rancis usually hung around Taffyta and Candlehead, but mostly because the former led them as a sort of rough-and-tumble biker gang. They pointed their snooty noses into the air, played pranks on the Sugar Rush citizens, and taunted the other racers over who was going to win the next race (a little ironic for him as he had never won a single race at the time). To Rancis personally, life had been about three things only: living it fast, winning as many gold coins as possible, and keeping his swirly blond hair fabulous. Totally cool and confident, but also incredibly vain and selfish, it was just who he was and he had been proud of his serious, get-to-the-point, no-nonsense boy status.
All of that changed when Vanellope reclaimed her rightful spot as their ruler. After that, there was a much friendlier atmosphere in the game environment. The racers, though still rivals, began to see each other more as friends. Especially towards their new president. For the first few days of Vanellope's reign, she was approached by the others with extreme caution, afraid that she might change her mind about that execution threat-gag, until they finally began warming up to her after realizing that she had truly forgiven them for her past mistreatment. While of course there was still high competition in the air during quarter alerts, they were all now happier and friendlier with each other. Rancis still tended to stick with Taffyta and Candlehead, but thanks to tensions being quietly loosened, he was able to get to know his two companions on a different level. Taffyta retained much of her arrogance and competitive spirit, but he had seen a kinder and caring spark inside her, though it was rarely shown to her peers. Regardless, she stopped ordering him and Candlehead around to do her bidding and gave them much more respect. As for Candlehead, well, Rancis already knew the birthday-themed racer was naturally bubbly and bouncy, if not a little ditzy, but never before had he met such a kind girl in the game. She always asked him how his day was going and offered to share her candy with him. And she never failed to try to lift his spirits when he was feeling blue. He regretted never noticing these things about her before.
The changes only got bigger upon Felix and Calhoun's adoption of the kids after their game's unplugging. Now, Rancis saw his fellow racers in a whole new light for a second time. They were not just his friends anymore; they were now his family, something that was definitely not in the code. Their parents taught them manners, patience, and even to eat vegetables at dinnertime; the latter was something they ALL had trouble accepting, having eaten candy all their lives. ("A healthy soldier is an alert soldier!" Calhoun had told them.) Cavities weren't in the code either, so that had never been a problem to them, but nonetheless, you didn't want to argue with Mom, who had the voice and authority to make even the 8-bit cockroaches in the pipes tremble in fear.
Having never ventured outside their game before, all of this had been completely new to them. It had taken them a while, but eventually, the children had managed to settle in nicely and shape up for the better. Altogether, their concerns for their own image gradually reduced, replaced instead by friendliness and respect towards one another. Even grouchy Taffyta had a new change of heart and was much more pleasant to be around.
Quarter alerts still made them into rivals, but no longer were they bitter rivals. They were a family and remained happy together, even after Sugar Rush returned upon the arrival of the new steering wheel. Rancis now spent his free time having fun with his brothers and sisters, congratulating them when they won, or encouraging them when they lost. He still liked to admire his reflection in the side mirror from time to time though.
From competition, to friends, to family. Yep, things were looking pretty good for the young peanut butter boy and his siblings.
The sudden creak of the front door opening and a brief flash of yellow hallway light slicing through the darkness for an instant suddenly broke his thoughts. Rancis caught sight of a head of bright emerald hair tied in pigtails just before its owner disappeared through the threshold. The door closed, leaving the apartment in black once more. He knew it was Candlehead, having seen her every day, but where was she going? Mrs. Calhoun had made it clear that bedtime was 9 o'clock sharp and no one was allowed to leave the apartment after that. Something was wrong. Rancis' newfound brotherly instincts – though still developing – began to kick in and he quietly crawled out of his sleeping bag. Carefully stepping over the sleeping forms of Gloyd and Snowanna, he tiptoed his way to the door, snatching his racing jacket and slipping it over his pajamas on the way out.
His tired eyes adjusted painfully for a moment as he left the darkness of Mr. Felix's apartment and entered the brightly lit hallway. He scanned the area and though he saw someone disappearing though the stairwell. Rancis swiftly and quietly jogged down the hall to keep up, and upon reaching the door leading to the stairs, felt certain he could hear tiny feet walking up. There was only one floor above them in the building and it was where the penthouse was located, used for parties and social gatherings. With the objective of catching up with Candlehead on top of his thoughts, Rancis waited until he could no longer hear footsteps above his head before sneaking his way up the stairs to follow the girl.
He had never actually seen the penthouse before, though he had always wanted to. Once he reached the top of the stairs, he looked down the hall and saw that the door was wide open. Upon peeking in, his immediate thought was to give up all his hard-earned gold coins just to live up here. Rancis didn't have much of a mind for interior design, but even he could tell that this was the real deal. Everything from the floor layout to the furnishing was definitely high-class, even in its slight 8-bit style. His eyes trailed around, taking it all in at once. He spotted a fancy-looking bar right at the entrance and a set of glass stairs leading to another floor. There was even what looked like an indoor fountain and a bunch of odd objects and accessories stuck to the wall that he wasn't sure of their purpose, but probably decorative. No one in Sugar Rush had a house that looked anything close to this. The living room was gigantic to a little kid like himself and the windows were so tall. As Rancis stared up at them, he almost missed the lone figure standing outside on the balcony. His spirits rose.
Rancis quietly walked to the balcony doorway and gazed at Candlehead for a moment. She was staring out at the game console's inverted window screen. Despite the arcade in the human world being illuminated by the lights of the other games, including Sugar Rush, it was clearly dark, signifying a late hour. Even though Fix-It Felix Jr was permanently set at nighttime, the Nicelanders had clocks and watches to tell them when it was time for bed.
He approached Candlehead cautiously, and spoke out to her quietly so as to not spook her.
"Candlehead?"
It didn't work. The girl let out a loud squeak and jumped at the sudden voice that broke the silence. She spun around wildly, but looked relieved upon seeing who had spoken to her. "Oh, hi Rancis. I-I thought I was alone…sorry I…"
He saved her the trouble. "Don't worry Candlehead, it's just me. I just saw you walk out and…well, you know we're not allowed to leave the apartment. Mr. Felix might get mad. Or even worse, Mrs. Calhoun."
Candlehead turned her head down to her purple slippers, looking ashamed. "Sorry Rancis, I…I just wanted some air."
The young boy walked up and stood beside her on the balcony. "Are you okay? You look kind of sad."
The girl didn't say anything, but instead turned to stare down at the dark 8-bit forest below. It gave Rancis the chance to get a good look at her. She was wearing birthday-themed pajamas and clutching her candy wrapper blanket. Her emerald green hair was still tied in the usual stubby pigtails, but he noticed that there was no sign of a candle on her head, which surprised him; he rarely saw Candlehead without one. With it being her trademark apparel that she was named after, she always sported it whether it be on her frosted beanie or even mounted on her racing helmet; never a day did he see her without featuring a brightly lit candle. But right now, it was just her head, covered with a layer of silky emerald hair that seemed to glow in the soft illumination of the game's artificial moon and the arcade past the window. Without her candle, Rancis thought she looked…unusual. He kind of liked it.
He tentatively put a hand on her shoulder. "Candlehead, you can tell me if something's wrong. We're friends, remember?" He thought he saw her mouth curve a little when he said this, but wasn't too sure.
At last, she timidly looked up at him, and even in the nightly darkness, he could see tears in her eyes. She let out a soft whimper and spoke quietly. "I miss Vanellope."
He blinked before letting his eyes drop down. "Oh," was all he said. He felt a familiar pang of pain at the mention of their former president. When he glanced back up at her, he saw that her lip was trembling.
Back in the old days, Rancis wasn't exactly the affectionate type, preferring to keep his distance and avoid any 'mushy' situations. And even now, after softening up to become very close to his racing pals, he still retained a slight glow of his standoffish characteristics. To put it quite bluntly, he wasn't the touchy-feely sort of guy, both physically and mentally. But for some reason, seeing Candlehead, one of his earliest and closest friends and one he treated like the little sister of the group, so broken like this seemed to tear down a dozen of his internal rules about all this. So without a word, he gently pulled the sad girl towards him, hugging her close as she finally released her tears, sobbing quietly into his shoulder. He was beginning to feel sad himself as he thought about Vanellope, who was no longer present with them in the arcade.
"I miss her so much," Candlehead choked, crying all over his jacket.
He sighed, feeling a few tears of his own clouding up his eyes, which he wasn't sure was because of Vanellope's departure or the crying girl in his arms. He was used to Candlehead being the most cheerful and innocent of the family, and it just didn't feel right to see her so distressed. "I miss her too," he whispered.
They stood like this, hugging, for several more minutes. Rancis, still very new to offering this kind of comfort to anyone, wondered if there was anything else he should be doing right now besides holding her. He then remembered witnessing a similar scene between a couple of game characters in Game Central Station a few weeks back while he was returning to Sugar Rush after a trip to Tapper. The male character had been comforting the female while she cried (something about not being picked for weeks by the player for her arcade game) and the male had stroked her hair while she bawled in his arms. While this scene had utterly disgusted Rancis to the point where he had dashed away back to Sugar Rush as fast as his little legs could carry him, it now ultimately provided a spoonful of inspiration for his next move. Gingerly, he stroked Candlehead's emerald-coloured hair. The effect that followed was so immediate that he almost stopped. Her quivering slowly but surely began to cease. Her short breathing slowed and he could feel her starting to calm down. Rancis wasn't too sure how this particular action was helping her in her sorrow in any way, but it seemed to be working. The softness of her hair was rather surprising to him too. No way could he do this if she had been wearing a candle.
Only when her shaking and crying stopped completely did he slowly pull back from her and observe her features. She was a mess. Tear stains were streaming her rosy cheeks and her eyes looked awfully red. He didn't like seeing Candlehead like this one bit and wasn't too sure what he should say to make her feel better. Then he remembered how she always tried to cheer him up when he felt sad. While most people would try to make him happy by telling a joke or offering him candy, Candlehead instead chose to talk him through whatever it was that was bothering him, taking the time to just talk about that particular subject. Now the tables had turned, and it was his turn to try it on her.
"What do you miss most about her?" he asked, his voice gentle and calm.
The girl wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled, trying to speak properly. "She…she was so kind…so friendly with all of us. Even after we were so mean to her, she acted as if all that never happened. She invited us to her castle for sleepovers and sometimes baked us cookies. And I felt so happy with her around. She made Sugar Rush a better place to live, even though she won most of the races. And now she's gone. And I really want her to come home."
Rancis listened to Candlehead and nodded slowly. He too missed the girl whom he had once tormented and always referred to as 'The Glitch', something that still painfully stung his mind when its memory resurfaced from time to time. But thankfully, he had new memories, much more pleasant ones that he shared with Vanellope. He decided to share one with Candlehead.
"Yeah, Vanellope's pretty awesome all right…she helped me win my first race."
Candlehead slowly looked up at him. "Really? How'd she do that?"
Despite the mood that was currently hanging between them, Rancis smiled as the warm memory unfolded before him. "Remember the time I drove up to the starting line in that super fancy kart?"
Candlehead tried to remember. Her memory wasn't the best. "Oh yeah, I do! You kicked rock candy onto my sugarbubble windshield with that thing."
Rancis chuckled. "Yeah, I was tired of always losing races. So, I sold everything I owned to buy that kart. Turned out to be a pretty bad idea once I crashed it on the first run."
Her eyes widened. "Wait…you sold all your stuff for that?" He nodded in confirmation. Candlehead no longer looked sad. Now she looked shocked as she covered her mouth at the thought of her friend living without a cozy bed or a comfy blanket. "That's terrible…but what does this have to do with Vanellope?"
He smiled as he continued. "Just as I was losing hope that I could never race again, Vanellope drove up and helped me build a new kart. We went around Sugar Rush finding parts for a new one, and we built it together. It turned out to be the best kart ever and I even named it after both of us. And that very day, I won my very first Sugar Rush cup! I felt so happy, but even happier that I had a new friend in Vanellope. That was really the first time she and I did anything, just the two of us. I couldn't have done it without her."
Candlehead gazed at him as he finished his story and smiled…just a little. "Wow. I didn't know. She really did help you win a cup. But…you lost everything for it! Oh, you should have told me! I-I could have given you my extra blankets or a pillow or a sweet pack…"
Rancis couldn't resist letting his friend fret over him for a few more seconds. It just felt teasingly satisfying for some reason. But deciding that she had suffered enough, he eased her off. "Aw thanks, Candlehead, but I was fine. Vanellope gave me some of her things and the rest I built myself, like the kart. She has tons of stuff stocked up in the castle."
He watched as she stopped babbling on about his well-being and was rather surprised when she started blushing a little. "Oh…well that's good. But-but-but if you ever need anything ever again, just come to me, and I'll help you out as much as I can!"
Her blubbering statement made Rancis smile. Typical Candlehead. She may not have been the brightest of the racers, but she was still the most genuine, sweetest soul that he ever knew. Putting others before her was just who she was, and he gave her much respect for that.
"Gee Candles, that means a lot. Thanks."
She smiled brightly. "You're welcome," she said in that innocent girly voice that he secretly liked.
They looked at each other in silence for a minute or so. Candlehead was smiling a little, but Rancis thought she might still be a little sad. He also noticed that she was shivering slightly. Instinctively, he removed his racing jacket and draped it around her shoulders, surprising the girl. "Wh-what are you doing?"
"You look cold. Put it on," he said kindly, yet firmly.
And so she did, albeit with hesitation and understandably so. This jacket was his pride and joy aside from his kart and his sole Sugar Rush cup. But the soft expression upon the boy's face told her that he cared more about her staying warm than the jacket. She smiled up at him for his act of selfless chivalry.
Rancis would most certainly not have handed over his prized jacket to Candlehead in the old days. One could blame Felix for this new action, for among the many things the repairman had taught the male racers, the proper treatment towards their female companions was one of them.
"Thank you," she whispered gratefully, that blush reappearing on her cheeks. She sighed longingly. "I feel a little better now…but I still miss Vanellope."
He nodded. "Yeah, I do too. But Ralph told us that she's happy where she is in that other game. I guess maybe we should be happy for her too."
Candlehead perked up somewhat. "Maybe. I'm always happy knowing that she's happy." Rancis smiled. He felt the same way.
He secretly felt the same way about the girl standing right in front of him at this very moment.
"And we know she's safe," he added. "She can regenerate in that new game. And we can still talk to her using Ralph's buzz phone thing."
She let out a soft giggle. "I've never seen a phone that you can talk into and see the person's face at the same time before. She feels so much closer to home when we do get to talk."
A sudden brainwave wafted Rancis' mind and he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. "You know, I think Ralph said that he was planning on visiting Vanellope in like two months. Maybe we could ask him nicely if we could tag along…"
His spirits rose significantly as he saw Candlehead smile that familiar sparkling smile that he had grown so fond of. "Wait, what?! You mean we can visit her?! Like, all of us?"
Her immediate excitement at the prospect of seeing Vanellope again made Rancis laugh. "Sure, I don't see why not. I mean, we all miss her as much as Ralph does. So, what do you think? Worth asking him and our parents if we can go?" His answer came in the form of Candlehead yanking him into a tight, yet happy hug. She didn't need to say anything for him to know what she thought. She giggled happily instead. And that made him laugh too. He even hugged her so tightly that he lifted her off her feet, initiating even more laughter from the girl. They eventually separated, but he kept a hand on her shoulder. "Feel better now?"
She gazed up at him. Though the kids were programmed to be approximately the same height, she always somehow needed to look slightly upward to meet Rancis in the eye. "Much," she said, still smiling. Then she looked away. "I'm sorry for getting upset earlier…I guess I'm just not used to all these changes happening so quickly."
Rancis gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "A lot has changed, Candlehead, I get it. But you know, I've been doing some thinking lately, and I don't think any of it is all that bad. I mean, losing our game was pretty bad…but if it hadn't been for the unplugging, Mr. Felix and Mrs. Calhoun wouldn't have adopted us. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think having a family has been the greatest thing to happen to me, even more than winning my first cup."
Candlehead giggled. "Yeah, you're right! I love our family," she chirped. "We've done so many fun things. I learned how to wash dishes!"
"Mr. Felix taught me how to fix stuff with a hammer," Rancis said proudly.
"I planted flowers in the garden and did laundry."
"We had picnics in the forest."
"We stargazed on the roof of the building."
"We ate broccoli at dinner."
Candlehead pulled a sour face. "Ick! I really don't like broccoli."
Rancis shrugged. "I don't either. But it makes our parents happy when we eat it. And they said it's good for our bones or something like that."
She gave a warm smile. "I like Mom and Dad. They're so nice and so fun."
The boy agreed. "Swizzle was thinking that if we're really good, Mrs. Calhoun might let us shoot some bugs over in her game. I've always wanted to use those cool guns!"
Candlehead shivered, not out of feeling cold, but merely from the thought of facing those giant bugs in Hero's Duty, a thought that she was nowhere near as enthusiastic about as he was, especially given the fact that their game had nearly been eaten alive by those monsters six years ago. "But isn't that really dangerous? We might die and we won't regenerate!"
"I doubt it. Calhoun will crush those bugs before they can even get near us. You know how protective of us she is."
Though still looking uneasy, Candlehead nodded. "Probably. That sounds like Mom alright." Then she smiled dreamily. "I like having a Mom."
"I do too. But I like having a whole family even better. All of us. We were friends, but now we're something more. We're family."
Candlehead beamed. "Do you think Vanellope is family too? Could she be our sister?"
He nodded. "Oh, for sure. She's just as much family as the rest of us."
A shimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. "What about me? Am I family to you?"
Rancis gave her a funny look, as if to say that her statement wasn't at all necessary. Sometimes Candlehead just didn't think. "Of course you!" he confirmed almost automatically. "You're like my little sister. This family wouldn't be complete without someone to light up the dark. You know…other than with your candle."
She giggled bashfully at his answer, absent-mindedly playing with a lock of her minty-green hair.
Candlehead knew she wasn't the cleverest of the racers, nor the most popular. And she also knew that the others tended to see her as ditzy or even a kltuz of some sort. But she always tried her hardest to fit in, which was unfortunately the main reason why Taffyta found her so easy to manipulate in the Turbo era. Nowadays, she felt very much a part of the gang instead of merely Taffyta's henchman, and to hear those things from Rancis, someone whom she cared very much about, made her little candy-heart swell. She was just about to thank Rancis for being so nice to say that, but suddenly halted her tongue when she saw that he was no longer looking happy. His eyes were cast down at his feet and he was sagging his body all of a sudden. Instinctively, Candlehead knew something was wrong with the boy.
"Rancis? What's the matter?"
She had no idea that right at this moment, the young boy's mind was in hyperdrive, replaying the events that had unfolded on the frightful day just moments before Mr. Litwak unplugged their game. As the old man was heading over to the power strip that contained their precious plug, the citizens of Sugar Rush had gone into complete panic mode, Ralph and Vanellope had shouted to everyone to run for Game Central Station, and Rancis had bumped nose-first into Candlehead as he made a mad dash towards the exit. He didn't even stop to see if she had recovered from their sudden impact; he just ran for his life without looking back.
"Rancis? W-why are you crying?"
Rancis blinked and saw Candlehead staring at him with confused, almost frightful, eyes and he became aware of the tears that were trickling down his cheeks. He tried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming. He sniffled loudly as he stared forward at the girl, the one he had almost lost that day.
"I…I…"
He couldn't even get the words out, and he had to look away from her quickly as the memory of what had breezed so easily over him all these past weeks suddenly stabbed him hard in the chest with the force of a razor-sharp Sweet Seeker with no hopes of regeneration.
Candlehead, who now looked very scared, stepped forward to cup her small hands around his cheeks, forcing him to look at her. "Rancis, what is it? Please tell me. Please." The way her timid, small voice whispered was what finally calmed the storm in his mind. She was begging him, pleading him to let her in. It was this realization that gave him the strength to speak.
"I…I'm so sorry, Candlehead. I could have lost you."
The girl tilted her head in confusion. "Lost me? What do you mean?"
He sighed uncomfortably. "When Litwak pulled our plug…just before he did, and we were all trying to escape to the exit, I bumped into you. I almost knocked you down, but I didn't even stop to see if you were alright or fallen because of me. I just…ran. I left you behind. All of you. All I cared about was saving my own life. I should have…I dunno…grabbed your hand or something…take you with me to make sure you got out alive."
Rancis felt himself blushing as he said that last part, embarrassment and shame swallowing him whole. He couldn't say anything else; his heart wouldn't let him. So he covered up his face as fresh tears streamed down, dribbling to the balcony floor.
Candlehead however looked at him, feeling very puzzled as she tried to piece together what he had just said, trying to remember exactly what had happened that day. The icing-frosted gears in her mind slowly began to turn when she finally realized what her friend was telling her. He was feeling guilty because he didn't make sure she got out of the game before the plug was pulled. He thought she might have died because of him. He was…afraid of losing her. This sudden revelation sparked her mind and made her heart flutter. If there had been a candle atop her head, it would be flaring up brightly right now. And as she stared at the crying boy before her, all these thoughts accumulated into prompting her to involuntarily put a hand to her heart.
Rancis still had his hands over his eyes until he felt another pair of hands gently taking hold of them and slowly pushing them down. He looked up from the ground to meet Candlehead's twinkling green eyes. She was smiling at him, which confused him. She spoke in a quiet voice that was so kind, so sweet…so Candlehead.
"Do you really care about me that much?"
He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I do. You mean a lot to me. Even back when we spent all our time racing and bullying Vanellope, and even with Taffyta always bossing us around, I still really wanted to get to know you better. But I never got the chance. Only when Vanellope became president did we finally become friends and I got to know who you really were, and…"
Rancis tugged at the neck of his shirt, suddenly feeling very hot. Was he really going to tell her everything he thought about her for so long? No backing out now.
"…I liked who you were. And when we became a family, I saw you on an even deeper level. I do like you, Candlehead. You're funny and sweet…you sing and dance on the spot for no reason, and for Reece's sake, you're adorable."
Candlehead blushed heavily as he said that. Rancis himself was looking very red.
"I like the way you raise your hands slightly when you get excited, like you're about to fly. But I think the thing I like most about you is that you're always so nice to me, even when I try to be hip and cool. You've always been there for me when I needed someone to talk to, even when I tried to hide it. You're a great friend, but I'm not. All I've ever cared about is myself. I left you to die in Sugar Rush when it got unplugged. I'm a horrible person."
The little cupcake girl watched him close his eyes, though no tears fell this time. He looked thoroughly miserable, but she thought she knew how to restore his sorrowful soul. She maintained her gentle, yet firm hold on both his hands in hers as they stood on that balcony together.
"Rancis?" She paused for a moment, causing the boy's curiosity for what she had to say next get the better of him and prompting him to look up from the cold balcony floor and instead towards something so much warmer: her loving gaze. "You're not a horrible person. You're a great friend too. In fact, you were my very first friend ever."
Rancis stared at her with misty eyes. "Huh? What are you talking about?"
She smiled. "You may not think we were friends during Turbo's reign, but I do know this: you were my friend even if I wasn't yours."
He didn't say anything, but merely stared at her, mouth slightly open.
Candlehead gazed into Rancis' shiny blue eyes and could see fear and shame in them. She let go of one of his hands to gently run her little fingers through his blond hair in light soothing motions as she continued on. "You were always so confident in who you were, and always determined whenever you had an idea, not to mention so cute whenever you pushed your hair back when you looked in a mirror."
Rancis felt his cheeks burning.
"Even though you let pride get in the way, I could see a kind little flare inside you. Believe me Rancis, I'm programmed to know all about candles…and I could see one shining within you. I wanted to become closer to you too, but was too shy to say anything. So, I settled for following Taffyta around because you were with her too. I felt like I belonged in a group, which made me feel special, until I found out later that it was all for the wrong reasons. But the main reason I was in it was because I got to hang out with you."
She stopped stroking his hair and placed her palm delicately upon Rancis' chest, not breaking eye contact with him; her other hand still interlocked with one of his. "And now we're family. This is something I never ever want to give up…because you mean a lot to me too. And don't worry about what happened with the unplugging. We were all trying to escape. Panicking makes us just want to run and get away from the danger as fast as we can. I was trying to get out as fast as I could too, you know. I didn't stop to help anyone either."
Rancis looked at her for a moment. Those big, soft green eyes gazed deeply into him, telling him that all was fine and she had forgiven him for something that she didn't feel he needed to be sorry for. The warm smile on her face showed nothing but care and assurance for him. He managed to offer her a little smile of his own before noticing how close they were standing before each other. Very close actually.
He spoke in barely a mumble. "Yeah, but still…I promise I won't leave you like that again."
Candlehead smiled wider. "And I promise to never leave you either."
Her hand was still resting upon his chest and he wondered briefly if she could feel his heart hammering hard against it. He then voiced a question he had been asking himself, yet for some reason felt she needed to hear it. "But how can I know for sure if I can keep this promise?"
Luckily for him, she knew the answer to that. "You already have. Tonight. You found me on this balcony and asked if I was okay. When you found out I was sad, you stayed right here and talked me through what was bothering me. It shows me that you care, Rancis. Now I know that you'll always be there for me…and that just tells me that you're the best brother I could ever ask for. And best friend."
As he let her words sink into his chocolate-coated brain, Rancis felt the corners of his mouth curving upwards. A real smile. He felt oddly better thanks to Candlehead's little declaration of assurance, comfort, and affection for him.
As if to top off this off the cupcake with another layer of icing, she broke the brief silence held between them. "I've lived among sweets all my life and I always thought the gummy bears were the sweetest ones in the game…but between you and me, I think you're the sweetest of them all."
Nothing could suppress the deep crimson tint that cascaded his cheeks by this point. Anyone standing ten feet away could look at him and mistake him for Jubileena. Somehow, he managed to collect his thoughts and put them into words. He even mustered enough confidence to flash his trademark smirk at her.
"Candles, I think the same thing about you."
Now it was her turn to blush. She smiled as she looked deeply into his pretty blue eyes and then started to caress his cheek gently with a palm, their faces only inches apart. She could count his freckles if she wanted to. "You sure know how to light a candle, Rancis."
He frowned. "But you don't have a candle."
Candlehead wrapped her arms around his shoulders, closing the small gap between them. "I am the candle," she whispered before kissing him on the cheek and embracing him fondly. Rancis stood transfixed for almost ten seconds before regaining consciousness and returning the hug, smiles all over his blushing face. A single 8-bit heart materialized out of thin air and circulated around their heads. No one had ever kissed him before.
For the third time that evening on the penthouse's balcony, they hugged. The first had been out of comfort. The second out of zeal and excitement. But this one was purely driven by a special love for one another. A love between friends and love for a brother and a sister. Love built upon the penthouse promise of forever looking out for and protecting one another at all costs.
"Don't ever think again that you're not a great friend. Because you are," the girl hummed, nuzzling her cheek into his neck. She felt warm and safe with the boy. Rancis said nothing; he couldn't think of anything to say…but he didn't want to. All he wanted to do was hug her, so that's what he did. He also took to stroking her soft hair again. While he still wasn't quite sure how doing this had any effect on her, he knew one thing: he liked it.
On that balcony, there was only truth. No more hiding behind masks to try to be someone who they were not. Nothing but truth.
The two young racers slowly separated, both smiling at each other with mad blushes upon their cheeks. Rancis reluctantly let her go, his mind buzzing with activity and blobs of aimless wandering. All that seemed to matter to him was Candlehead, who was giving him her adorable little smile. But all things lovely and perfect have to end sometime and now his mind was overcome with a rather bothersome thought that completely ruined the moment: they probably should leave the penthouse and return to the apartment before someone found out that two kids were out of their beds this late at night. Someone might become suspicious.
"Um, we…we should probably go back downstairs. Mr. Felix might notice that we're gone. Or Taffyta. You know how she likes to tattle."
Candlehead giggled a little and then yawned. "Yeah, okay."
Another brainwave struck him as they left the balcony. "Hey, uh…if you're not busy tomorrow…maybe after the Random Roster race, I could take you to all the places Vanellope and I collected parts for my kart. Just in case yours ever needs an upgrade or something…"
Candlehead took hold of his hand with a grin on her face. "That sounds awesome."
As they left the luxurious penthouse and silently made their way downstairs together, Rancis smiled to himself, suddenly looking forward to tomorrow while at the same time subconsciously wondering if he had just asked Candlehead out on a date. Whatever it was, she had accepted.
Thankfully, Felix's apartment was as silent and still as a cemetery, yet the bodies inside were very much still alive. The kids sneaked back in undetected, and Candlehead gave Rancis a friendly pat on the back before heading over to her share of the floor, carefully stepping over Taffyta, Crumbelina, and Snowanna in the process. She settled down into her sleeping bag feeling warm and cozy, most likely owing to the fact that she was still wearing Rancis' racing jacket, which she thought she better return to him, but quietly decided to do that task in the morning. It felt so warm. But there was a greater reason behind her candy heart feeling at peace. She felt happy. With the knowledge that Vanellope was still her friend and that she would always be with her, and with the bond that she now shared with her good friend and brother Rancis, she found no reason to be sad any longer.
She cuddled the jacket around her face and inhaled its peanut butter scent.
A shuffling sound caught her attention and she twisted her head around to see Rancis walking over to her spot with his sleeping bag, which he laid down on the floor next to hers.
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously.
Though it was dark, he sensed that she was smiling at him; it was all in the tone she used. "I promised that I would never leave you. That promise starts now," he whispered in that cool-boy tone he was known for using. He lay down and got comfy before feeling Candlehead's hand sliding gently upon his.
"Sweet dreams, Rancis," she murmured.
He gently grasped her hand in response. "Goodnight, Candlehead."
The 8-bit moon of Fix-It Felix Jr shone its artificial light upon the apartment building as the two Sugar Rush friends and siblings slowly began to drift off, hand-in-hand. Candlehead fell asleep long before Rancis did, who watched over her carefully. Darkness did not prevent him from listening to her gentle breathing as it slowly reached a steady, soothing pattern. His mind began to wander, thinking back to everything that had transpired tonight. His friend, once distressed and hurt inside, was now at peace, which meant he could be at peace too. It turned out that they both had needed comfort from each other. After telling Candlehead all that he had been thinking about her for so long, he now felt like a hundred pounds of rock candy had been lifted off his shoulders.
Yes, Vanellope was no longer with them and they both missed their former president very much. But that didn't mean that they couldn't be happy. Vanellope was still their friend and sister. She was happy where she was and they could be happy for her. He then thought about Candlehead, subconsciously stroking her hand with his thumb as he did so. While Vanellope wasn't around anymore, Candlehead certainly was. They had each other. But most of all, they had founded a greater trust and deeper appreciation for one another now. The promise made between them tonight up in the penthouse would leave its mark long into their gaming career, like a handprint on their hearts. She was ditzy and kooky, but she also seemed to possess a strange hidden wisdom that he would not be forgetting anytime soon. He recalled all that she had told him while they stood on the balcony; he honestly never thought that she could think that deeply. Perhaps there was more to this carefree, go-lucky girl than he gave her credit for.
And truth be told, as Rancis finally fell into dreamland that night, there was one last thing lingering in his mind that he had slowly been coming to terms with for years now, though he had yet to admit it to himself: he could stare into those beautiful green eyes for hours on end.
THE END