A/N: Wow! Whoa! This place is a ghost town! Yeah, to be honest, I wasn't happy with the last chapters either, but I couldn't get my head around the rest. I haven't been well for awhile so if there is any flaws here, my fault. I can't concentrate at the moment on the story. So, here we go with a little kind gesture and a made up place. Well, mint is suppose to be fresh and one can receive that feeling... Yeah, I'll shut up. Turbo sure does get hurt alot, doesn't he? Well, there's more of that later. Enjoy.
The following characters does not belong to me. All characters belong to the creators of Wreck-It Ralph; Walt Disney.
The final hour of the arcade's open schedule was now over. The dancer of DDR announced the closer, and all sighs and soft moans of relief bellowed from the consoles speakers.
Turbo could also hear the relieved characters from afar of where the main game screen was set on the Royal Raceway. The racer then began to hazard a guess that at any moment now the little glitching rugrat would come in with a frolic and expect the racer to go by the Princess, well, Presidents demands.
However, little did Turbo know, Vanellope was excited - even though she appeared so throughout the entire day - she was eager to take Turbo to a place she doubted he would have ever ventured to see during his reign of Sugar Rush.
Sure enough those ginger-bread doors flung open, casting a silhouette of the munch-kin. Turbo rolled his eyes and stood to attention idly.
"Did you miss me?" Vanellope asked as she skipped along up to the racer who grimaced to even the expectant look on the girl's face.
"As much as a toothache." Turbo answered, sourly.
"Aw! Is someone still a grumpy-gut?" Vanellope cooed, smirking at the racer.
"I'm furious, you little nitwit!" Turbo spat, and quite literally as well.
"That's good then." Vanellope said as calmly as she wiped away the little droplet of spit that had landed on her cheek. "Because I'm taking you somewhere to help you calm down."
"I don't need calming down." Turbo asserted as he folded his arms and raised a stiff upper-lip at the young girl.
"So does that mean I need to take you there by the hard way?" Vanellope asked as she started up her flaw on her own accord.
"Looks like it," Turbo uttered, "and I wish you luck on ever managing to drag my rear along with you."
"Very well then." Vanellope then wiggled her fingers eagerly as she moved her hands close to Turbo. The racer simply remained still and watched for Vanellope to role out her dare. And just before he could react, Vanellope had him within her grasp of pale-blue pixels that glitched and began to distort Turbo's contour in to his own scarlet and white pixels, forcing the racer to endure the intense pain.
"Stop it, glitch!" Turbo cried out.
"Are you going to come with me then?" Vanellope asked as she kept up her glitching on the racer.
"Yes! I give! Just stop now!" Turbo howled. And to his relieve, Vanellope halted her flaw and watched as Turbo tried to muster some strength which still took its time to return. "Honestly! Do you expect me to go with you while I'm not conscious?"
"Good point. Any way, let's get going."
Turbo was rather curious to where Vanellope had planned to take him. But on the other hand, he didn't exactly enjoy the idea of secrecy until he finally saw the very thing with his own eyes. He definitely wanted to know where it was the young girl was going to take him.
"Hey glitch?" Turbo spoke aloud as he noticed the young girl had moved further ahead than he had. "Where exactly are you taking me?"
Vanellope stopped in her tracks, spun round on her toes and smirked at the racer. "That would be telling, Turbo." She answered in a strange sing-song voice. Vanellope then skipped along to a pair of tall, silk texture crimson curtains which she drew back for Turbo to enter first.
To where he entered was pitch black, but nothing that his own luminescent eyes could not handle as they acted like a torch, guiding the racer to where a dim-lit spotlight shone down on to Vanellope's personalised cart that was parked upon a circular platform. He came to a halt before the raised ground.
"We're going by cart." Vanellope piped up as she skipped past the racer and sat herself on the driver's seat.
"Glitch, I only hope this is just one place I haven't seen before since this game is ever lasting and there's just so much to see and I'm not that interested right now."
"That's fine but we have little time to see so much, and it is just one place that I do believe you've never seen. So, come on, get on the cart, Turbo." Vanellope called out as she began to rev the engine impatiently.
Turbo climbed on to the back and settled against the carts spoiler. Vanellope shifted in to first gear and toed the accelerator. The cart now roared on forth along the road of the underground tunnel to exit the castle.
"We'll have to go through by Ice Cream Mountains." Vanellope called out over the sound of her cart's engine. "It's much quicker to this one part of Sugar Rush I'm really sure you will like."
"I can only hope so." Turbo chuckled slightly. He kept his gaze upon his surroundings, taking in more of the candy world. In the distance he saw soft sugar for flurries of snow fall graciously before a layout of three giant, chocolate sauce covered scoops of ice cream that stood tall as mountains.
Vanellope slowed the cart down as the new type of ground became difficult for the carts tyres to grip on the snow covered track. Turbo noticed a sign that led off the main road. 'Perhaps a secret track during the actual race.' He thought to himself. But as they drove away from the area, Turbo could not help but feel a sudden Deja Vu brew within him.
Turbo tried his best to shrug off the sudden feeling but as they entered a crystal blue underground track that was led by a repetitive rainbow road with sugar that glistened atop its surface, Turbo shuddered as that feeling returned. But that wasn't all he received. He could see something strange through his minds eye; another cart that was pure white as snow with a golden cartoon-like crown upon its back had forced another cart sitting atop its bonnet. The other cart looked alot like, 'Vanellope's cart?' Turbo stared blankly as the video in his head continued to play.
However, as Vanellope drove deeper in to the mines, Turbo could hear a vicious roar of the white cart along with muffled yelling. He could see an older looking man thrash a rod furiously at Vanellope. She then began to glitch as she grabbed the rod, causing the man to receive the back fire of the distortion. His body rippled with scarlet pixels as his features changed dramatically.
Turbo squinted to get a good look of the strange apparition which slowly began to faded in to nothingness. Turbo shook his head and rubbed at his eyes. As he looked up he saw a stalactite splitting the track in to two lanes.
Vanellope directed the cart to the left but strangely, Turbo saw she was darting forth to the formation.
"Vanellope stop!" Turbo screamed as he reached down and pulled the steering wheel to the left.
"What? Turbo! What are you doing?!" Vanellope snapped as she tried to relinquish Turbo's hands from the steering wheel. The cart swerved towards the wall, the bumper now dangerously close to collision.
Vanellope tried to wrestle Turbo to let go but he had a deadly grip on the wheel which wasn't going to give in. Vanellope then slammed her foot on the brake for the last resort but it was done all too late. The rear bumper of the cart collided with the final nick of the underground exit, jerking violently before going in to a dangerous spin. Turbo lost balance and fell off the cart, rolling to a halt against many lollipops that sprouted by the track.
Vanellope managed to stop the cart with its violent spin as she struck the brake once again and turned the steering wheel in the same direction the cart spun. As the cart came to a halt, she turned off the ignition and got out of the cart. She immediately spotted Turbo who laid motionless.
"Turbo!" Vanellope hurried over to the still racer, skidding down on her knees before she gently rolled him on to his back. The softest of movement brought out a moan of pain from Turbo. "Turbo? Can you hear me? Are you ok?" Vanellope quizzed in a frantic tone.
"N... No. I'm - I'm not ok." Turbo groaned as he winced to even the first breath he exhaled.
"Well, that is obvious." the girl shrugged and allowed herself to relax, letting her arms drop to her sides and sit down on her heels. "Why did you force me to steer my cart towards the wall?!" She then snapped at the racer.
"You were heading towards that stalactite!" Turbo snapped back.
"No I wasn't! I was taking the left of the forked track." Vanellope contradicted.
"No you weren't! You were driving aimlessly to that stalactite." Turbo protested once again.
"Ok. Fine. Whatever you say. Now, can you stand up at all?" Vanellope asked.
"I'll try." Turbo mumbled as he rolled over on to his side and pushed himself up by his hands to be on his knees. "Ok. Come on." Turbo muttered under his breath as he now tried to get himself to stand on his own two feet.
Vanellope stretched out a hand offering the racer some help. He stared at her chibi hand then in to her eyes. Sighing with defeat he took hold of her hand and the young girl helped the racer to stand up.
"Agh!" Turbo hissed through gritted teeth as he keeled over slightly and set a hand on to his lower back. "My back!"
"Wait here." Vanellope then hurried over to her cart which she hopped in to and started the vehicle up. She then drove the cart close enough to Turbo so he needn't put much effort in to walking to the vehicle. Vanellope then got out of the cart and stood by Turbo's side.
"Come on. I'll help you up on to the back." She assured the racer as she then wrapped an arm protectively around his back.
Turbo inhaled softly biting at the throbbing pain and exhaled slowly to be rid of the nuisance the ache was upon him. Vanellope continued with helping him to clamber up on to the spoiler of the cart which he used to get comfortable and also maintain his balance.
"Well, we'd best head back to the castle so you don't end up doing anything else stupid." Vanellope said aloud as she shrugged to her not-so advisable words to the invalid of a racer.
"No. No, I'll be ok." Turbo then sighed as stretched out his legs which felt much better for his back. "I'd like to see this place you have in stall for me."
"Are you sure? You don't look so good." Vanellope asked.
It was true. Despite his ghostly white skin, he did appear even more paler as well as the imprint of pain that was upon his face.
"Look, I'm sure. Let's just go. I'm sure it'll take my mind off it." Turbo answered.
Vanellope stared at the racer. She was after all concerned towards any other injury he may have received and decided not for her hearing to pick up. "If you feel worse then you tell me, got it?" She immediately snapped as she wagged a finger at the racer.
"Ok, ok! Let's just go."
So Vanellope then allowed herself to slide down on to the drivers seat and shifted the gear in to first.
The ride continued on much more smoothly. Of course, Vanellope made sure that the drive was soft and free of any obstacles that she was likely to come across to avoid any comfort disturbance for Turbo. Thankfully they soon came to their destination that was greatly familiar.
"The Candy Cane forest?" Turbo questioned to their position.
"Beyond this part, my friend." Vanellope said aloud over the carts engine as she came to a halt before the start of a hill that began to fade from chocolate to what actually looked like blades of grass.
Now rather baffled, Turbo slowly slid down the side of the cart until his feet were firmly on the ground. Too curious to even notice the throbbing at his back, Turbo knelt down and brushed a hand over the fewer blades. He raised his hand to his stub nose and inhaled softly.
"Spear mint?" He quizzed to the scent.
"Come on, Turbo!" the racer looked up to see Vanellope had already made a start walking up the hill. Turbo rose up and followed on already straining to reach the top where the ecstatic girl awaited for him.
Now taking a moment to catch his breath and fight the pain he rose his gaze up to then feel his jaw drop. From where he stood and far beyond was a vast land that was nothing but a mere field that was born by dozens of blades of grass that was spear mint. The land did not have any extras, but the sight and even the relaxing aroma of mint was enough to wash Turbo and even Vanellope over with the relaxation that would have their very muscles unable to endure their existence.
In time their knees were ready to give in and send them down on the grass and remain content with the soothing atmosphere. In fact, Turbo was the first to allow his bottom to come in contact with the soft ground and lean back against the last candy tree of the forest.
Turbo inhaled the cool aroma and smiled warmly. "This is just perfect." He sighed as he stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles together.
"So do you like it?" Vanellope asked as she settled herself down next to the racer. "I know it looks rather plain but some times I, and even the other racers come here to feel relaxed."
"I can see why. But even if it just appears like an ordinary field it has the freshness in the air just ready to make you feel refreshed." said Turbo in the strangest tone Vanellope had ever heard.
"I guess this is your first time feeling relaxed? You sound kind of different." Vanellope pointed out her suspicion.
"I think it is. I can't remember the last time I felt this way." Turbo shrugged idly as he allowed himself to become more relaxed that his helmet-clad head laid among the grass only to wince for the movement brought on discomfort towards his back. Vanellope looked down at him with concern.
"I know what you're going to ask." Turbo spoke up stopping Vanellope from even having a chin wag with the racer. "And you know what? Let's go then. I really need something softer for this damn back." Turbo finished as he slowly pushed himself up to his stature with the help of the candy tree to obtain his balance once again.
Vanellope scoffed to herself. "So you finally suggest to do the right thing now?" She also got to her feet. "Well, that sponge-cake bed of yours is waiting for you back at the castle. Come on, old man." Vanellope then skipped along making her way down the hill to where her cart was parked. She awaited for Turbo who trudged on down slowly her way. The young girl began to tap a booted foot impatiently as the crippled racer took his time to approach her.
"I know what you're thinking, glitch, so just bear with me. I know we should have gone back straight away, but curiosity had me too eager to see this place." said Turbo as he raised a hand in defeat.
Vanellope simply smirked at the crippled racer. "I know. Now, move your molasses and let's get you back to the castle." The young girl then hopped in to her cart as Turbo now clambered up on to the back of the vehicle.
As soon as they arrived within the castle, Turbo threw himself on to the vanilla sponge-cake bed which he immediately regretted on doing so for his already throbbing back pulsed with more agony to protest towards the harsh movement.
"Ugh! I shouldn't have done that." Turbo moaned loudly.
"Well, you're rather silly then." said Vanellope as she sat herself at the foot of the bed.
Turbo now rolled over on to his stomach. "Is it ever possible for me to be alone for awhile?"
"Whine, whine, whine. That's all you ever do, isn't it?" Vanellope asked the faced-down racer.
"Listen, glitch, my back really hurts and I'd like to sleep the pain off." Turbo groaned.
"You know that won't help." said Vanellope as she crawled up to Turbo and sat cross-legged by his right side.
Turbo growled slightly to himself. "Well, unless you have a better idea I'd like to hear it. If not, then some alone time please."
Vanellope shrugged as she looked the racer over from his pearl-white helmet down to his red boots. "I know. Do you want a massage? I give good ones!" She piped up.
Turbo instantly looked up at the girl as though she had gone mad. "You actually give people massages?!" Vanellope nodded and smiled warmly. "Heh. You really are strange, glitch." Turbo then settled his head down on the marsh-mellow pillow. And before he could carry on the conversation he had ready at the tongue he suddenly felt tiny, stubby fingers prod gently and slowly at his upper back.
Turbo immediately found himself trying to conceal what sounded like a soft purr that thrummed at his throat and, sadly for him, found its way out. It was done so towards the easing of his tensed and knotted muscles within his back.
"Is this ok? I'm not hurting you am I? Just to be on the safe side." Vanellope asked as she moved her healing hands down the length of the racer's back.
"No... It's f - fine." Turbo stammered. "W - Why are you doing this? You don't... have t - to..." He continued on in his weak speech.
"Actually I do. It'll stop you from complaining all the time."
Turbo raised himself up slightly by his elbows. "Ok. You're either trying to relax me so I'll go more easier on you or you're just doing the favour of helping the ache of my back." Turbo uttered as he moaned softly. He actually wanted his words to sound as a threat but he could not register the words properly nor the meaning of his spoken sentence.
'Is she causing a possible malfunction upon me?' Turbo wasn't entirely sure. He could only melt to the relief his muscles received as they became undone of the knots and usable once again now that they appear no longer tensed.
"Are you ok there?" Vanellope asked.
Turbo could not answer her. He was in such depths of pure bliss with the massage. Vanellope shrugged to herself and assumed the racer had drifted off. She continued on with her work for a little while longer before tugging away at the sheets Turbo laid upon to wrap up the semi-conscious racer.
Vanellope then skipped out of the room as Turbo had raised his head to see the doors close. "Thank you." He whispered to himself. Turbo then tugged off his helmet that he set to the ground while he also within under the sheets he toed off his boots and nudged them out from under the covers.
He then laid there feeling immensely relaxed. Vanellope had given him quite a massage. Hence it was enough to make him feel he was in a world of tranquillity after taking quite an impact upon his back when he fell off the cart.
'My back does feel much better, but the day is still young and laying around can bring about immediate boredom.' Turbo then slipped out from under the sheets and padded over to the window of the room, brushing the curtains aside so he could enjoy the view of the Royal Raceway in the distance.
"Maybe I'll never be able to drive again." He spoke aloud as he sat himself upon the small sofa-bed that rested close to the window-sill. "And in all honesty this damn glitch will just send me off the track in a split second." Turbo sighed to his words as he adjusted himself to gain more comfort, stretching one leg out while keeping his other limb tucked in close to his bottom. Still looking out among the vast land while he also rubbed at the ball of his foot self-consciously.
"I wonder if the glitch believes I may be able to drive." He continued to speak aloud to the silence around him. "She appears hopeful while I appear doubtful."
Turbo then idly ran a finger along the sole he had self-consciously rubbed as he stared on out from here and beyond. Before he decided to tear his gaze away a wisp of smoke caught his attention from the corner of his eye.
Craning his head to his left, Turbo's brows furrowed as he identified the location of the smoke. "Diet Cola mountain." He murmured. "Is it acting up again?"
As Turbo watched the mountain that now began to spew tiny wisps of smoke from the sides of its structure, the racer felt a strange, but rather welcoming feeling towards his heart. He peered down to look at his chest as he placed a hand over his heart.
The pulsating organ did beat nicely, but it was the sudden appearance of scarlet pixels that shocked the racer. He was glitching, but the pain and lack of discomfort did not follow like it usually would whenever his flaw perked up in a mischievous mood.
Confused, Turbo pulled his hand away and saw the appendage spark scarlet with pixels. He moved his free hand to touch the pixels that rippled away. The tiny scarlet blocks that continued to distort moved on over to ripple on his other hand.
"What is going on?" Turbo whispered aloud to himself.
No-one could answer for him. He could only stare in bemusement at his flaw. Why it decided to free him of any discomfort was shocking for the racer. He didn't at all enjoy that the flaw decided to leave out one of the symptoms of his aggressive glitch.
Now unable to dwell on it or even wonder why Diet Cola mountain no longer spewed smoke out of pattern areas, Turbo dragged himself to his bed and allowed himself to go slack and drop down on to the sponge mattress with no further attempts to move, speak, or even whisper.
Final words? Sure! Good-night!