Chapter 3: The First World

"Wait, how do we even plan on getting to Fandom Heights? We can use our portal keys to reach it, but that's a long way to travel, and through several world dimensions as well." Minty asked.

She, Crumbelina, and Adorabeezle were heading towards the castle garage.

"Good point. By the time we even reach the other side of Fandom Heights, we'll be exhausted. I don't fancy our chances against hoards of Probus if we're already weak from travel." Crumbelina said.

Adorabeezle shook her head, unfazed.

"Don't be so worried, girls. We can utilize my latest invention. A transporter ship." Adorabeezle said.

"Huh? You never told us you made one." Minty said.

"I've been working on one for some time. I never told any of you." Adorabeezle said.

"You know, we really should have taken photographs of them while we were there. That could have been lovely blackmail material for years." Crumbelina said.

Minty shook her head.

"No. I don't want to be the one to approach Vanellope about her special feelings for Rancis." Minty said.

"And I wouldn't want to be there to see Taffyta wake up with curlers in her hair." Adorabeezle added.

The trio entered the garage and approached an impressive blue-and-white ship that looked like something out of Hero's Duty called the S.R. Plight. Adorabeezle raised her hand, and the gangway lowered for the three of them to head inside.

"This will be perfect. We can fly this through the gateway of Fandom Heights, and then go to whatever worlds we can reach. We'll be sure to find our friends matrixes somewhere in there, right, Adorabeezle?" Crumbelina asked.

"Presumably. I'll see if I can dig up anything with the on-board computer. It's still unknown how the matrixes the Probus steal are actually utilized." Adorabeezle replied.


"Location: Fandom Heights, October 14th 2110"

The gate to Fandom Heights was placed in the center of a tremendous asteroid belt out in the middle of nowhere, near any nearby entrances to other universes in the multiverse. It resembled a great plane floating in space, a white plane with blue bars protecting it from invading ships, and a tremendous Keyhole in the center of it. The S.R. Plight approached at a steady speed, and the onboard computers were finally able to pick up some more useful data regarding Fandom Heights as a whole. Adorabeezle was able to pick up a signal of a world beyond the gate.

"The computer is detecting the presence of Sugar Rushers in a world just beyond the barrier of Fandom Heights." Adorabeezle announced, sounding pleased.

"Sugar Rushers we know?" Minty asked.

Adorabeezle leaned back in her seat.

"No, I can't tell if it's any of ours." Adorabeezle replied.

The ship continued it's approach, finally coming within a short distance of the huge keyhole separating the dimensions from one another. Minty kept a close watch on her computer monitor.

"That's an impressive Keyhole on the gate to Fandom Heights. Is it locked?" Minty asked.

Adorabeezle shook her head.

"No, anybody can get into Fandom Heights. It's getting out with your brains and stomach contents intact that's difficult." Adorabeezle replied.

Crumbelina glanced into a computer monitor on her side

"What about this world on the other side? What is it picking up so far?" Crumbelina asked.

"Not much. The presence of at least one Sugar Rusher and many other worldly beings. I haven't yet scanned for our friends matrixes. But in any case, it seems that the world I'm picking up is a fairly large one, right on the other side of the Keyhole. We'll be forced to land there before we can go anywhere else." Adorabeezle replied.

"But that's alright. We'll need to look around for the matrixes anyway." Minty said optimistically.

After a few more minutes, Crumbelina stood up.

"We're close enough. Leave the ship here, Adorabeezle. We'll use our portal keys to teleport down and get this over with." Crumbelina ordered.

"You want to just let the ship drift around in zero gravity? Fantastic idea, Crumbs. I don't like the looks of these readings. This is no ordinary world we're landing on. It's coming back with all sorts of hostile negative energy and a huge concentration of Probus." Adorabeezle snapped.

"What other choice to we have? If you have to, invoke the EXON engines and let the ship drift wherever it likes. We're running on a time limit here." Crumbelina said.

Minty cleared her throat.

"I am going down to the world for initial scouting now. If you two wouldn't mind, please resolve your issues and join me. That would be really appreciated." Minty said.

"Oh, fine." Adorabeezle said.

She pressed an important-looking red button labeled "EXON", and the lights within the ship began to flash red and green.

"Prepare yourselves, girls, for one of the most dangerous missions that we of Sugar Rush have ever partaken in, especially for the sake of our brethren. For we are about to enter... FANDOM HEIGHTS!" Crumbelina exclaimed.


The EXON engines had been developed two decades earlier by the most brilliant of game characters in all of Litwak's Arcade... that is, Adorabeezle and Turbo after a night of heavy drinking in Tapper's. It was first intended it to be used as a weapon in battling certain enemies, such as those that would try to take over certain games. It became apparent after a few uses, though, that the EXON made things almost a little bit too easy. So, rather then be completely thrown out, it was instead put into storage and later installed into the S.R. Plight.

Despite Adorabeezle's complaints, once Crumbelina finished her speech, the EXON engines kicked into high gear, creating a vortex at the back of the ship that opened up a long path from the S.R. Plight through time and space itself, through the great keyhole of Fandom Heights, and all the way down to a massive planet within a few light years of the Keyhole itself.

The three then used the vortex and appeared in the middle of a lush green field of grass. Immediately after landing, it was very apparent that it wasn't the sort of world they were used to, even though they had visited the real world many times before. There had been some changes to the wardrobes of everyone in the group.

Instead of their usual clothing, they each wore somewhat more "earthly" garments that appropriately matched their personalities. Crumbelina had gained a small pair of sophisticated glasses and a fine twill dress, the sort often worn by librarians or college professors. Adorabeezle's hair had been pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a white lab coat over a dress of her own. Minty was wearing the outfit of a biker gang leader, which consisted of a leather vest, ripped green jeans, and a pair of aviator sunglasses.

"Nice disguises, girls." Crumbelina said, examining a world guide book that had appeared in her hands.

"What is this place called, Crumbelina?" Minty asked, craning her neck to have a look at the guidebook.

"According to the guidebook and that large dramatic graphic in the center of the screen, this world is called..." Crumbelina started to reply.

LITWAK NICELAND RUSH HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMY GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Minty motioned to a large building with impossibly fancy architecture a short distance away.

"That must be the aforementioned school." Minty said.

"You've got to be kidding me. For one thing, aside from the ridiculously corny name, you cannot have a 'high school academy grammar school'. 'High school' and 'academy' are silly together as it is, but grammar school is the same as 'elementary school', which is for children ages 5 to 12, not teenagers. And second of all, why would anybody want to live in a world that is nothing but high school all over again? And why would anybody possibly want to invoke it in Fandom Heights?" Adorabeezle asked angrily.

Minty shrugged.

"They say high school is the best four years of your life." Minty said.

"Who's 'they'? If those four years are to be the pinnacle of my life, I might as well go jump in front of a train." Adorabeezle asked angrily.

"Why's that?" Crumbelina asked.

"Lousy football players, sucking all the funding into their cesspool of aggressive adolescent sporting events for the weak of mind, stealing chemistry sets and copying tests off the smart kids, stupid teenage girls moaning and crying about all the drama in their lives. For example, 'Adorabeezle! Adorabeezle! Oh my god, Adorabeezle, you won't believe what Sasha said to me!'. And the food... let's not discuss the food." Adorabeezle replied.

Crumbelina flipped to the back page of the guidebook, which had conveniently transformed into a small operational scanning computer.

"Good point. But let's focus on the task at hand. The Sugar Rusher signal is getting stronger by the second." Crumbelina said.

"It must be one of ours. Perhaps Rancis, Candi, or Citrusella." Minty said, looking optimistic at the guess.

"Maybe. The signal's coming from somewhere in the building. Also, we're picking up a second weaker signal that the guidebook can't identify. It, too, is somewhere in the building." Crumbelina said.

She closed the book and started walking towards the school, with Minty and Adorabeezle following behind her.

"Brace yourselves, girls. I've heard rumors about worlds like this. This could be a very difficult task indeed." Crumbelina said.