Hours had passed since Vanellope was kidnapped, and Sugar Rush was on a full lockdown. Sour Bill took over as acting President, since he knew what most of the duties entailed. Nobody was allowed in or out of Sugar Rush until Vanellope was found.

Rancis and Taffyta had recovered from their injuries and they, along with the other racers, and the Pastry Police were spread out far and wide throughout the game to find Vanellope. Candlehead had told the police about the mysterious racer; the glitch who had kidnapped Vanellope, and hurt Rancis and Taffyta and were on the lookout for him as well. After a few hours of searching, Rancis, Taffyta, Candlehead and Gloyd met Sour Bill back at the castle.

"I don't understand!" Rancis yelled. There's not many places for someone to hide here, yet this guy and Vanellope seem to have disappeared completely from the game!"

"He couldn't have left the game!" Taffyta said. "If he's a true glitch and not just bugged like Vanellope, he'd have nowhere to go!"

Gloyd was trying his best to keep things under control.

"Now calm down! There's no doubt that he's still in the game. We just have to figure out where he is."

Rancis was thinking. He wanted to find the guy and make him pay for kidnapping Vanellope and whoever put him up to the task. The words that the boy said kept repeating in his head:

"I have a feeling I'll meet you again, in the world beyond the looking glass."

"He said something about 'the world beyond the looking glass.'" Rancis said.

Sour Bills eyes widened. "Did you say, 'a world beyond the looking glass?'"

Rancis nodded. "That's where he said we'd find him."

"I don't get it." Candlehead said. "What's a looking glass?"

Taffyta sighed at Candleheads ditziness. "A mirror, Candlehead."

Sour Bills eyes widened. "A mirror!?" He shook his head in disbelief. "But there's no way he could be from the Mirror Racer world!"

Suddenly, everyone's attention was on Sour Bill.

"The Mirror Racer world? What' s ?" Taffyta asked.

Sour Bill sighed. "The Mirror Racer world is an alternate world deep inside the game." Sour Bill replied. "I learned about it from King Can- I mean Turbo, when he went inside the games code." He recalled in his head the times Turbo, in the guise of King Candy, went into the code of the game to alter it to his liking. "The Mirror World is a world where the Mirror Racers live. They live for Time Trials, a mode that's scrapped in this game. They can only cross over to this world when a gamer is playing that mode, and it's locked since this is the arcade version; there's no way a racer could have come here from there. It's impossible."

"Well, he had to have gotten here somehow!" Taffyta thought for a second.

"Remember when Vanellope showed us the hidden place in Diet Cola Mountain? What if there's another hidden area like that?"

Rancis thought about it. "Maybe there's a place in the game that connects this world with the Mirror World!" He started to pace in thought. "But, where could such a place be? There could be hidden areas all over Sugar Rush!"

"It could take forever to find another spot like that!" Candlehead said with a pout.

Sour Bill nodded. "I'll tell the Pastry Police to keep an eye out for suspicious places. If they find something, I'll let you know…"

Rancis sighed and nodded. "Alright. We'll keep looking as well." Rancis knew that time was counting down. He had already wasted enough time in the castle infirmary. He didn't know what the enemy was planning or how it involved Vanellope. All he knew was that he had to find her and bring her home.

Somewhere, in another place, a figure cloaked in shadow sits on her throne. The boy who had kidnapped Vanellope bowed to the figure. Behind him was his kart with Vanellope still inside, unconscious.

"Ah, Clair Crèmecape! I see you were successful on your mission."

"Yes, My Lady." He replied. "I have brought you Princess Vanellope. You were right about her. She possesses the ability to glitch even though she's a real racer."

"Yet you were able to subdue her?"

"Indeed, My Lady. It was through the powers you granted me when I was awakened that I could complete my task."

"Very good, Clair." She sounded pleased. "I also trust you weren't seen or followed?"

Clair swallowed nervously. "I regret to say, that I was seen by the Princess' guards and her friends." He looked up to her. "But I had managed to subdue them, and I wasn't followed…"

"I see…" His leader sounded mildly annoyed. "I was hoping you'd complete your task with no mistakes."

"I apologize, My Lady. I did not mean to disappoint." He bowed apologetically

She sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter. I don't expect the way to this world to remain hidden for long. By the time the inhabitants of the other world find it, my plan will already be in motion." Her voice became pleasant again. "Take her to the dungeon. I'll be there soon." she said. "You did well, my knight. "

He bowed once more. "Thank you, Lady Marzipanne." He turned and glitched into his kart and drove out of the throne room.

While he drove through the halls of the castle, he looked to the to Vanellope and frowned. "Tch... You really do look just like her…" he said.

Inside the Candy Castle throne room, some of the racers were meeting up to discuss some information Sour Bill had acquired from the Pastry Police. Taffyta, Rancis, Gloyd, and Candlehead were already there.

"Where's the others?" Rancis asked

"Jubi and Crumbelina are with Sour Bill." Gloyd answered. "The rest are with the people in town, trying to help the police keep things under control."

"I see." Said Rancis. "Well what's the news you had for us Taffyta?"

The Pastry Police were questioning the citizens of Sugar Rush, asking if they had seen any suspicious guys around time of Vanellope's kidnapping. Most of the citizens claimed to have seen nothing that night, but a few reports had shown that some had seen an unknown kart come out and go into the Nougat Mines. The cart appeared to be made of French desserts, which matched the cart the boy was driving. The police had reported this information to Sour Bill, who relayed it to Taffyta and Candlehead.

"So if there's a hole that leads to the mirror world, the mines would be a good place to investigate…" Taffyta explained.

"But we drive through the Nougat Mines all the time!" Rancis said. "There's no way that there's something there!"

"Rancis, we only drive through there when we're racing." Taffyta said. "It's not like we actually make time to take in the sights…"

"You're right…" Rancis said. He thought to himself for a second. "So if we do find a hole there, then rescuing Vanellope should be easy!"

"Hold on there!" Gloyd said. "Even if there is a hole to the mirror world, there's no guarantee that it's safe…"

"Yeah, I think you forgot about the glitch with the sword who knocked us out…" Taffyta said

"Ok, I get it." Said Rancis. "We have to prepare. Mod the karts, gather supplies, and whatever else."

"I think only a few of us should go." Gloyd said. "The rest of us should stay. There would be more than panic if all of us are missing…"

Everyone nodded in agreement. With Mr. Litwak being gone for a while, they won't have to worry just yet even with just one racer missing. But if there were more than a few gone, even with the roster randomized, there would be some notice and the threat of the game becoming unplugged could be very real.

"Ok then…" Said Rancis. "Whoever is gonna go, get your karts ready. We'll meet at the entrance to the Nougat Mines. Someone should tell Jubi and Crumbelina, so they can be prepared as well."

Everyone nodded and began to part ways. Rancis stayed behind along with Gloyd. Rancis had a look of worry on his face. Gloyd approached him.

"Hey bro, don't worry. We'll get Vanellope back." Said Gloyd

"It's not just that, Gloyd..." said Rancis. "It's that glitch. What if we face him again? I didn't think I'd survive the first time."

"Bro, the way Candlehead described him, he could've killed you anytime he wanted." Gloyd responded. "He said he was a knight, right? Maybe he didn't think it right to kill you."

"Oh great, a kidnapper with a conscience. That makes me feel SO much better…"

"Don't worry about it right now, man. You'll see him again when the time comes." Gloyd put his hand on Rancis' shoulder. Rancis smiled a little, feeling at least a little comfort from the words of his friend.

"Now, go get her back. We'll be waiting for you." Gloyd held out his hand, prompting Rancis to grab and shake it before bringing him in for a hug.

"Thanks, man."

On the cold floor of the Mirror Castle's dungeon, Vanellope began to wake up. She rubbed her neck, still in pain from when she was knocked out by Clair.

"Ugh, where am I?" she asked, as she rose up and observed her surroundings. She was clearly in a dungeon; that much she knew. It looked almost exactly like the Fungeon except it was a bit darker. She looked down at herself, noticing the chains with the words "glitch-proof" on her legs and around her body. She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape so easily.

"Well, this is a familiar situation…" She said dryly. She looked around but it was only her. "Hey! Someone let me out!" Vanellope yelled in desperation but she could only hear her own voice echo. She looked down at the floor of the dungeon, only looking up again when she started hearing the sound of what seemed like footsteps. On the other side of the dungeon door, a voice spoke.

"I'm afraid you aren't going anywhere, Princess." Said the voice. "I still need you for my plans."

Vanellope eyes widened, as a figure started to phase through the door of the dungeon, a red glitch aura surrounding her. The figure appeared to have a black version of Vanellopes princess dress, blond hair with curls and the same red eyes that Clair had. Her most prominent feature however, was what shocked Vanellope the most. She had her face.

"What the heck?" Vanellope yelled. "Who are you!?"

The girl laughed.

"I bet you're expecting some cliché line like, 'I'm you.', or something." Her face turned into a frown. "But I'm nothing like you…" She herself directly in front of Vanellope.

"You're a glitch too!?" Vanellope yelled.

"I am Lady Marzipanne, and I'm no glitch. Glitches are something that occur in the game, but are rejected by its inhabitants." Vanellope looked at her and remembered how when she was a glitch, she was rejected by everyone around her. Marzipanne smiled sinisterly at her. "But I rule everything here. Nobody rejects me. I have more power than you've ever had, even before you were glitched. So no, I'm not a glitch..." She grabbed Vanellopes arms. Vanellope struggled to get away, but her shackles made it impossible. "I'm much worse…"

"What could be worse than a glitch?!" Vanellope stammered as Mazipanne's aura started to glow.
"Tch, you'll find out soon enough... In fact... You'll find out RIGHT THIS SECOND!" Marzipanne cackled as some malignant energy flowed from her body and into Vanellope, the latter screaming as if she were being electrocuted.

Clair stood outside the dungeon, listening to the laughter and wincing at the screams. He frowned. "I hope this will all be worth it, in the end..."