Simone flew back to the Ice Kingdom, mulling over the sudden appearance of the little girl. She thought back to dropping her off, the way Vanellope had thrown her arms around her. It suddenly occurred to her where she'd left Vanellope, and within seconds, the woman flying high over Aaa was no longer Simone Petrikov, but the Ice Queen.

"I was there, and I didn't grab Gumball? I must be going soft in the brain!" She muttered, turning around and heading back towards the Candy Kingdom.

XXX

Vanellope held her breath as she heard the door open, and footsteps enter. "Vanellope?" She heard Gumball call. "Are you in here?"

"If she's hiding, she's not going to answer, you idiot." Marshall eased past him, and from behind the closet door, she could see him surveying the room with a searching look in his eyes. "Look, Vanellope, I never said you couldn't get home, I just said I didn't know how you would. But we can't help you if we don't know here you are."

She bit her lip, slowly creaking the door open. "I'm in here." She said quietly, very unlike her usual, boisterous tone.

Gumball walked over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I've just been told that everything I've ever known is completely fictional . I'm just peachy, you idiot." She glared at him, suddenly angry. "I'm stuck here, in this- this stupid 'Candy Kingdom' of yours! I might never get home, I might never see Ralph or Felix or Calhoun, or any of the others, or the Lickity Split again! I'm stuck here, with some floating fang-face and some bubble-head buffoon, with no idea of how to get home, and that's just perfect!" She yelled, clenching her fists. If she didn't get a way home yesterday, she might just start channeling Stink Brain on this stupid prince guy, she mentally threatened.

"Listen, it's not our fault! We don't even know how you got here in the first place!" Gumball protested loudly. "We've got no idea what's going on either! I'm really sorry this has happened, but-"

"'I'm really sorry this has happened!" Big deal, that's not gonna get me back to Sugar Rush!" She roared, swing her fist upwards toward Gumball's face.

In a split second, she was sailing across the room to land with a whump on a couch near the door, Gumball backed up against the wall, a huge mass of grey, black and brown fur in between them. "Cut it out, you two!" It yelled, and Vanellope realized it was Marshall, somehow transformed, maybe having something to do with being a vampire. "Vanellope, I know you're pissed, and you probably blame us for this, but we really have no more idea of what's going on than you do. Bubba, you're not helping, okay? This kid has a tongue sharp to cut Marcy, okay?"

"Okay." They both said sheepishly.

Which was when Simone burst through the window, snow whirling around her, ice shards whistling through the air around her as her clawed hands reached for Gumball, batting Marshall away like a toy.

She grabbed onto his shoulders, creating a set of manacles made of ice around his arms, pinning them behind him. "Hello, my love." She crooned, stroking his face and he grimaced and twisted away from her.

"Simone?" Vanellope jumped off of the couch and looked at her new friend as she manhandled Gumball, trying to pull him over to the window.

When she didn't respond, Vanellope glitched in front of her, blocking the window. "Simone! Stop! Leave Bubba alone!" She yelled, pulling at her arm. Simone finally tore her gaze away from Gumball and looked at the much smaller girl.

"Vane... but... Gumball... and... but I'm Si- no, wait, I... I..." She released Gumball and staggered away slightly before falling to the ground with a weak groan, clutching her head as it bounced against the floor, falling limp after a moment.

"Simone? Simone!"