Chapter 1: The Taste of Friendship
"The winners are...Vanellope Von Schweetz! Taffyta Muttonfudge! Candlehead! Adorabeezle Winterpop! Minty Zaki! Rancis Fluggerbutter! Jubileena Bing-Bing! Snowanna Rainbow! And...Crumbelina DiCaramello! See you at opening time!"
With that, the nightly race was finished. Vanellope began to wander back to the palace, but was stopped suddenly.
"Umm...President Vanellope?"
Taffyta Muttonfudge had followed her with a nervous look on her face.
Vanellope turned around and gave a sincere smile. A lot had changed since their memories had returned.
"What's going on, Taffyta?"
Taffyta blushed slightly and hung her head.
"Oh, don't tell me it's about coming in second.."
She shook her head.
"No, it's..um, about what like, happened earlier..."
Vanellope smiled...
"Taffyta, it wasn't your fault. That was all Turbo's doing."
"I know I couldn't help it..." Taffyta said, sighing. "But...does what I said...what I did…does it still hurt?"
Vanellope suddenly choked a little.
"Umm...Taffyta? Maybe you'd better follow me..."
Within moments they were driving into the side of Diet Cola Mountain.
"We're going to crash!" screamed Taffyta.
"No we're not..." sighed Vanellope.
"Then why are we-oh..."
Taffyta looked completely baffled.
"There's a whole unfinished track in here...how do you…"
"This was my house for years, Taffyta. I was a hobo, remember? A little homeless glitch."
Taffyta rubbed at her eyes, as if to say "Darn it, Taffyta, don't cry..."
"Where did you sleep?" Taffyta wondered.
Vanellope ran over to the little shack she'd built, the candy wrapper blankets still there.
"This was my home." she said. "Have a seat. I don't mind."
Taffyta blushed again before sitting in the bed.
"Does it...still hurt?" she asked again.
Vanellope grew solemn. She ran a hand through her sweet-covered hair.
"Yes...it does. Sometimes, I'll be napping between the race's end and the opening of the arcade...and I'll have a nightmare that I really am a glitch...and you're tearing apart my kart again, and I'm crying because all of your friends are telling me I'll never belong...then Turbo comes along, with his Cy-Bug body and everything, and he opens his mouth wide...and it all goes black."
"I just can't...I'm so sorry! You were sleeping in what we all threw away...I'm such a bad girl!" Taffyta cried.
"Taffyta..." Vanellope started. "Look, it's... it's alright. Yes, it still hurts. But!" Vanellope tried to keep spirits and happiness up. "All of that is behind us now!"
"I know you're so willing to move on...but...I'm having a hard time." Taffyta sighed.
It was hard to blame her, really. Taffyta had always had a haughty streak, but she never really meant to be malicious. Tampered-with programming or no, the fact she had the capacity to be cruel disturbed her.
"When you were joking about executing us...I honestly felt, on some level, I deserved it. Am I really that different from Turbo? All I want to do is win...what happens if I ever grow tired? Will I end up like him?"
She paused before breathing...then a soft, gasped whisper came out.
"You won't...leave me, will you Vanellope? I...need you. You're a wonderful friend...racing without you...even if our game gets unplugged...you'll still get root beer with me at Tapper's, right?"
"Oh posh! Don't think like that!" Vanellope was always happy. That's how she always acted. "You are here for a reason, and that reason is to race! I've learned to forgive all of you, and you all are great racing partners to have as well." Vanellope pushed Taffyta's shoulder playfully.
"And of course! Root beer is my fave!"
"Darn...my makeup's running again." Taffyta weakly laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes.
She paused and then thought of something.
"T-Turbo didn't have any friends, did he? Just...opponents. Maybe if he'd known someone like you...he wouldn't have well...gone Turbo."
"Turbo is just a big meanie head, don't worry about him! He's gone now..." Vanellope trailed off.
Did Turbo have any friends? Or just enemies... Vanellope wondered.
"Well... I'm not quite sure about that, honestly. I wonder... Wait! Turbo's game got unplugged... do you think that's why he was such a meanie head? All he cared about was winning. 'Win! Win! Win!' That's all he ever cared about ever."
She stopped. "Let's just forget about it. Let's go!"
They ran to the kart and they were off.
"I know it's in the past...but, it seems parts of his tampering are still leaving me...after all, I was teasing Rancis the other day...and then I stopped myself realizing what I was doing."
She tried to stop fretting, but then a devilish little smile crept over her face.
"Oh, and Vanellope...no one else knows this, but...Rancis has a SERIOUS crush on you. I heard him say after a race: 'If I'm going to lose...I may as well lose to the sweetest girl I know...' Heh. He's so cute about it. I hear him sometimes when he's napping whispering your name."
Vanellope turned to Taffyta quickly.
"R-really? Hah! No... no way!" She let out a giggle and hopped on the kart.
"You really think he has a crush on me? Heh... well, he is pretty cute... I guess..." She smiled as her cheeks were glowing red.
"We've still got another few hours..." Taffyta said.
"Want to go to Tapper's? And maybe...you can ask Rancis to join you..."
She giggled.
As Vanellope's cheeks were glowing red she giggled.
"Hah...haha, okayyy"
They got to the start line where the other racers were chatting and waiting for the races to start. "Wait here!" Vanellope says and she walkes up to Rancis.
"Uhm, hey, Rancis." She says with a smile.
"OH! Vane...llope, hi there." Rancis says with a nervous smile. "How's it goin'?"
"Me and Taffyta were heading down to Tappers for a couple of minutes before the races start... and I was wondering if you would... like to join us?"
Rancis started to blush and with a crackling voice he said "S-sure Vanellope!"
"Alright! Follow me!"
They headed to the entrance to Sugar Rush and headed to Central Station.
Taffyta grinned wickedly as she saw Vanellope being followed by a blushing Rancis.
She decided to give the two some alone time.
"Hey, Vanellope, I'll meet you there in a minute! I forgot my eyeliner at the Bad-Anon meeting centre!"
This wasn't a lie-she had been attending Bad-Anon sessions despite Clyde and Kano's assurances. She wanted to make sure the last of Turbo's interference was gone.
That, and patch things up with Ralph.
Rancis sat beside Vanellope in Tapper's, blushing a deep shade of red and smiling at her.
"I ain't got much, Prin-er, President Vanellope, but...how about I buy you a drink?"
"Aw, Rancis, that is very sweet of you! And hey, just call me Vanellpoe, alright?" She gave him a wink and started to blush.
"A-alright, Vanellope. Hey, I'd like a root beer, and...two straws please. If, if you dont mind, Vanellope!"
She giggled. "Of course not!"
As he paid the money and got their drink, they chatted about how the races were and how things are since Turbo was gone.
"I know you're probably sick of hearing this, given how Taffyta keeps going on about it, but...just...sorry about the whole thing. To be honest, I had a suspicion something was wrong...but I didn't want to say anything because well, first of all I couldn't remember you, and secondly...Taffyta would make fun of me if I didn't."
He stirred the ice in the drink before sipping.
"I don't have a lot of money, 'cause I don't win often. But I'd do anything to win...for you. It's why I don't mind losing. It's so I can see your name up there in lights. To me...that's the most inspiring thing in the world."
Rancis blushed.
"I know I must sound syrupy sweet...but I don't care. I...just had to tell you how much you mean to me."
Taffyta slowly entered the bar, but ducked away when she heard them. She went into the washroom to fix her eyeliner, then returned...hidden just enough to hear the last part.
"Wow Rancis... I never knew you..." She giggled in between her words. "I never knew you cared so much about me... How sweet... But you are a great racer, no matter what." She smiled and blushed.
"I... I wonder if Taffyta found her makeup. Where do you think she is...?"
She took another sip from the glass as she heard footsteps from behind.
"Where do you two lovebirds think?"
Taffyta stood between them, finishing a root beer of her own.
"You can get to know each other better after closing. The race will be starting soon, and we don't want to be late for Mr. Litwak. Oh and Rancis? Sorry about earlier. I don't mean to bully you. It's...what Turbo did to me. It's taking a long time to fix my programming."
Rancis smiled.
"Aw, it's nothing, Taffyta. I know you're good, really. Tell Kano I said hi at the next Bad-Anon meeting. I've got some candy cups you can bring."
Taffyta smiled.
"I'm just glad you're my friends..."
"Of course! Now let's get goin' before the races start!"
As they ran out of Tappers and entered Game Central Station, Vanellope spotted a friend. A good friend, that she loved like a brother.
"Ralph! My main man!"
She ran to Ralph and jumped onto his shoulders.
"Vanellope! How's it going? Don't you have some races to do young lady?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it Stinkbrain." She shoved Ralph's shoulder playfully. "Anyway me and some friends were just at Tappers for a rootbeer. Wait a minute... don't you have some wrecking to do?"
"Don't worry about it, Schweetz." Ralph playfully said back.
They walked back over to where the Sugar Rush entrance was, and also standing there waiting for Vanellope was Taffyta and Rancis.
"Hey, you'd better come with us!" Taffyta called.
Ralph turned to Vanellope.
"We've just been temporarily unplugged so Mr. Litwak can do some console repairs-our labels and art are peeling, and we need a new screen and marquee. So while that's going on, Felix and I are gonna watch your race!"
"Well, hey there, Ms. Vanellope!"
Felix walked up beside Ralph.
"Aw, look, Vanellope, you've got some honeyglow in your cheeks. Meet somebody special?"
Rancis blushed again.
"Uncle Felix! Um... you could say that..." she looked at Rancis and blushed with a smile.
"Oh golly, thats adorable!" Felix said with a smile. "You know we're going to watch your races!"
"Yeah! Ralph told me. I'm very excited! We should get going though, to get ready for the races. Come on!"
They walked into Sugar Rush where the other racers were waiting.
The race began, and each of the friends thought to themselves.
Rancis began climbing the ranks.
"Vanellope...I'll win this race! I'm going to make you proud of me. I might be really shy, and dorky, and awkward, and poor...but I'm not going to let that hold me back, not anymore. I love you, Vanellope...and I'm going to win!"
Taffyta sped behind, blasting away two other racers.
"I'm not a bad guy...I'm not that good, either. But that's not bad...there's no one I'd rather be than me. And I'm not going to let some scary, washed up old jealous jellybean get to me. He might have washed the sugar off me, but that's just made me stickier! I won't stop til I'm sweet again. Kano has faith in me. Clyde has faith in me. Even Zombie has faith in me...Vanellope has faith in me!"
Ralph cheered Vanellope from the stands. But his thoughts drifted to their friendship.
"I never thought we'd be such good friends...given how we met. But hey...she's the best friend a Bad Guy like me could ask for. Someone who knows what it's like to do a thankless job. But nothing makes it all worthwhile like a friend."
Felix tipped his hat to Vanellope.
"Boy howdy, I'm just glad to see this place alright again...hopefully nobody's gonna go Turbo again. There's nothing wrong with a little game jumping. We're all friends, here. But Turbo...he was one nasty old snake in the grass, and everything he touched got that way. Why, Miss Taffyta's a downright fine young lady, but if you'd met her under King Candy, why you'd think she was the Devil himself! That's not quite fair; after all, Satan (pronounced Sateen) is a very polite guy."
The race was intense! Drivers passing each other, power-ups being used, sharp turns, crowds cheering. Thats how races were here in Sugar Rush. Vanellope sped to 1st place, and Rancis was right behind her. "Hah! I may like you, Rancis, but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on ya!"
Rancis smiled. "You're sweet. But don't think I don't have a few tricks up my sleeve."
He hit a power up box.
"HOT TAMALES!"
A few power ups had returned with Turbo's defeat.
Turbo had been a great racer.
He couldn't dodge a glorified flamethrower, however.
Soon, Vanellope felt the heat.
"Sorry, Van, but I always did have the "hots" for you, so to speak!" Rancis smiled, taking the lead.
Taffyta giggled as she blasted The Swizz out of her way.
The finish line was near in sight for Rancis.
"Oh please..." he thought, "let me win this one..."
Even though Vanellope was princess of Sugar Rush, she still never lost her glitch. She sometimes would even use it to win first place. Not this time. She felt something for Rancis. She really liked him. And she wanted him to be happy.
She glitched back to second place at the last minute as Rancis crossed the finish line in 1st place.
"Woah! I-I won? Oh man!"
Vanellope walked up to Rancis and hugged him. Rancis blushed.
"Looks like you did win, Rancis! You were lucky, though. You know I have glitches!" She pushed Rancis's shoulder and smiled.
Rancis claimed his winnings, and then hugged Vanellope.
"Oh, Vanellope..."
Taffyta smiled.
"Hey, you two can catch up later...Mr. Litwak just unlocked the door!"
They all panicked to get into place.
Rancis found himself with a note in his hands that Taffyta had slipped to him.
"See you between the Sugar-Free Lollipops after hours!-Love, Vanellope."
He grinned.
"That's a promise I'm keeping. Vanellope." he said to himself, hopping in his kart.
"See you tonight."
He'd been wondering, "When can I see you again?"
Now he knew.