It had been a few days since the buddy system had gone into effect; most of the characters seemed to enjoy the system, some not so much. Red and Gloyd obviously stayed together for their buddy system, Minty and Jubileena both stayed with their copies as well. Ran and Snowana really threw the system off and caused problems with Rainbeu and Rancis. Rainbeu wanted to be with Carmella who left Rancis and Crumbelina stuck with each other. Rancis originally wanted to be with his copy but after a few days of Ran always being around Snowana and the two unintentionally leaving him out, he decided being around Crumbelina wasn't so bad.
Taffyta was paired with Vanellope as everyone expected and the two were in complete heaven as they were able to spend every waking moment together. What was even greater about the buddy system was that as soon as it went into effect there was hardly any troubles in Sugar Rush for a while. It would seem that whatever Nelly had planned was not working and it left Sugar Rush in complete harmony. But that harmony wouldn't last for long.
"You're going where?" Taffyta asked as Vanellope walked about the room, putting things away and grabbing a few items to put into her pack. Taffyta came that morning as she always did to spend time with Vanellope and because of the buddy system. Luckily because of the new rule, Taffyta was able to get in a lot easier now and spend time with the girl alone.
Vanellope smiled and explained again, "I said I'm going to visit the popcorn family today…the arcade is closed and I haven't seen them for a while.". Vanellope had received several visits from the family after taking her place as rightful Princess of Sugar Rush, but since the family always visited and always came to her, the girl figured it would be nice to visit them today.
"I asked Marshmallow to stay with you today, but I would love for you to come with me if you want?" Vanellope offered and Taffyta waved her hand at her. "No please, I enjoy that you get one on one time with them, I wouldn't want to bother them either." Taffyta said and stood up to join the girl. Vanellope wanted to let her know that she wouldn't be bothering them by coming along but she knew by stating this to her that it would only end up in argument and let the comment drop.
"But I am going to miss you." Taffyta said and took the girls hands, kissing her softly on the lips. Vanellope smiled into the kiss and returned it, feeling her heart catch fire. When the two pulled away, Taffyta suddenly looked sad and Vanellope frowned trying to figure out why. But before Vanellope could even bother asking, the pink racer beat her to it. "Vanellope, what are we exactly..?" she asked and Vanellope gave her a curious look.
"Well I…am Vanellope and you are Taffyta.." Vanellope said and laughed at the girl, she was trying to joke with her but Taffyta didn't seem to appreciate it. She sighed, letting Vanellope know she was being serious. "I mean..like do you think we are just friends or…" she trailed off, losing her confidence. Vanellope still had a hard time understanding and pried at the girl to tell her more. "Just never mind.." Taffyta said and squeezed the girls hand tightly; Vanellope smiled and kissed the girl on the cheek. "You are my greatest friend I will ever know Taffyta, but you are so silly sometimes." She laughed and turned to leave, "I'll be back this evening!" Vanellope called as she left. Taffyta sighed again and waved goodbye to the girl. Although Vanellope didn't mean they were actually 'just' friends, Taffyta was hurt by her words and wondered if that was what she meant.
Realizing she was alone now the girl quickly left the room and headed down and out of the castle. Although she loved Marshmallow, the girl wanted to be surrounded by other racers today instead of staying in the castle with Marsh doing castle duties.
Not even a second out of the castle and down the stairs, Taffyta felt somebody was watching her. She turned to find Red standing there, glaring at the girl as creepily as he possibly could. "You know for someone who is apparently 'people watching' you don't really broaden your choice in people that you watch." Taffyta stated and Red shrugged his shoulders. "Not true, I just watched the love birds make out in the forest." He commented and pointed back at a forest near the castle, it had lollipops and other assorted candies peeking out of it. Taffyta gave him an odd look and then shook her head.
"Why were you spying on Snowana and Ran, why are you so creepy?" she asked and continued walking ahead, away from the castle. Red shrugged his shoulders again, "I never said they were Ran and Snowana…and I left when it got kinda ridiculous." He said again smiling at the girl. Taffyta felt even more creeped out then and glared at the boy. She wasn't expecting to talk to him today and now that he was following her she felt annoyed more than anything.
Red always had a way to show up right when Taffyta was feeling down, but he also had a bad habit of never showing up when anyone else was around. In a way he really freaked Taffyta out and in other ways she was happy that they were friends. "Wait why are you alone, you're supposed to be with Gloyd!" Taffyta said, remembering the rules. Red shrugged his shoulders, "I'm not alone…" he said and Taffyta gave him a questioning look before she realized that he was indeed not alone, he was with her.
"But what about Gloyd?" Taffyta said and Red looked back at the forest that was slowly becoming smaller as they continued to walk. "I said I was watching some love birds didn't I?" he said with a light chuckle. Taffyta seemed surprised by the comment, both for Gloyd actually liking someone and for the fact that someone could like Gloyd. She mentally tried to picture who Gloyd had been fond with the last few weeks, but couldn't think of a certain racer. "Wait Gloyd and who else?" Taffyta asked realizing none of the girls could never possibly like that bully.
Red seemed amused by the girls interest in the matter, "How about this..I'm bored, you race me and win and I'll tell you.." he said smiling and Taffyta pouted. Red continued to stand there waiting for the girl to say yes or no while Taffyta decided whether or not she wanted to say yes to the agreement. On one hand Taffyta had nothing better to do, on the other this was indeed Red and he was a trickster.
"What do you win if I lose?" she asked and Red smiled, seeing that he obviously had reeled the girl in. Red thought for a moment and then smiled evily, "A favor." He said, and folded his arms. Taffyta waited for the boy to say more but he was unwilling to offer more than that. Taffyta nodded her head, "Deal."
Candlehead sighed heavily as she and Mark sat on the rainbow bridge leading in and out of Sugar Rush, "Your breathing is annoying me Mark.." Candlehead stated and caused the boy to give her a look. "My breathing..?" he asked and clutched his neck , the boy couldn't do anything right that day but he felt breathing was a little extreme. It didn't matter if Mark was ten feet away from her, she still would've found something he did wrong. Today, even though Candlehead was being a little more extreme, was no different from any of the other days he had spent with Candlehead. They always found some way they were annoyed with each other, Candlehead was just more vocal about her annoyances.
"Yes..you need to scoot away from me." She said and moved a little away from him as if to emphasize her point. Mark sighed and stood up walking a good couple steps away from the girl and turned back, holding his hands out "Better?". Candlehead nodded and Mark sat down. The two were completely bored and because neither of them had anything in common they couldn't find anything to do that they both wanted to do.
Mark used to explore the peppermint forests with Swizzle but Candlehead thought it was too minty. Candlehead wanted to sit and relax in the garden, drinking tea, but Mark didn't want to be seen doing such a girly thing. So the two decided to relax on the rainbow bridge, at least this high up they could see all of Sugar rush and possibly agree on another activity to do for the day.
It was quiet then in the land of Sugar Rush, both of them could have fallen asleep easily when the two suddenly heard a loud scream. Mark looked back at Candlehead, thinking she might have fallen or been bothered by something he did again, but she was too busy looking in the direction of the scream. "That sounded like…" Candlehead said, it took her a moment to process the tone of the scream before her brain clicked and she realized who it was. Getting up she grabbed for Mark's hand and yanked him from his seat. "C'mon!" she yelled and the two raced down the bridge and over towards Diet Cola Mountain.
Vanellope tapped lightly on the door of the small shack, hoping that the little candy creatures were home. At first she was nervous and looked back at the guard who accompanied her along the way, thinking that the popcorn family might have stepped out for the moment, but when she heard the scurrying of feet and the unlocking of hinges she smiled. Jo answered the door and attacked Vanellope with a hug, "Vanellope!" she yelled and Vanellope squeezed her tight as she stumbled back. The little popcorn seemed not so little anymore, she must have grown a good inch or two while she was away.
Ma and Pa popcorn came out next and hugged Vanellope tightly; eventually even Grammy was able to creep along to give Vanellope a small tender hug. The popcorn family reminded Vanellope a lot about aging and remembered that such a thing does happen in the land of Sugar rush. The candy creatures were the only ones who naturally aged and would eventually just regenerategoing from an old age back to a young kernel in the popcorn families case. However for the racers it was as if their time had not been stopped but slowed dramatically.
Vanellope remembers being a lot shorter and younger than she was now, back when Turbo had taken over. But now she was at least a year or two older as well as the other racers. Even if they looked the same and even if they eventually stopped aging all together, Vanellope knew this fact to be true.
"How have you been Princess?" Pa asked and invited her inside their small shack. Around the area there were several other shacks and villages where many other candy creatures had lived now. Vanellope remembered the whole Sugar Rush crew working together to make a land for the candy to live in after Nelly had destroyed their old one and placed them on the Candy Island.
When Vanellope came through the villages, searching for the popcorn family, she had to stop and say hi to several other candy creatures she had run into back on the island. Vanellope felt nice to have so many friends in this place. "I've been fine, how have you guys been?" Vanellope asked and the crew erupted in stories. Jo told most of them since she was a chatterbox when it came to Vanellope, then Ma and Pa told of a few interesting tales that had happened with the candy community. Grammy rocked back and forth in a chair Vanellope had brought her one visit and listened quietly to the group as they murmered on.
"Oh that reminds me.." Vanellope said and reached inside her pack that she had brought with her. "I brought you this Jo.." she said and pulled out the content from the pack, a small crown. The crown belonged to Vanellope as Princess of Sugar Rush, but Vanellope was growing incredibly annoyed of the flashy accessories and wanted Jo to have it.
The guard that was with Vanellope gaped at the present and Vanellope had to turn to remind him to keep quiet about this to the other guards. Jo smiled and took the crown, turning it in her hands lovingly. "Thank you Vanellope.." she said and placed it atop her head, it didn't fit perfectly but it did fit. Ma and Pa looked as if the present was made from the finest of material, they both went to try and have the Princess take it back.
"Please, I want her to have it..I'm not into these things..trust me." She laughed and Jo zoomed around the shack with it on. Ma smiled and you could see tears grace her eyes as well as Pa's, "Thank you Vanellope.." he said for the two of them and Vanellope smiled back at them. "Your welcome."
The visit continued on with talk about the castle, what Vanellope had been up to, and how Taffyta was doing. They were about halfway through their visit when there was a loud bang at the door. Vanellope turned while Ma got up to answer it, the whole bunch seemed on edge from the loud noise that erupted their conversation.
"Hello..?" she asked as she opened the door, barely enough for the visitor to see her. On the other side was another Oreo guard looking very grave. "Excuse me miss…you wouldn't happen to have Vanellope here..?" he asked, peeking somewhat inside. Vanellope stood up walking towards the door,opening it completely to let the guard in. "What happened?" she asked the guard, he seemed very upset and took a heavy breath before saying "A lot Princess, quite a lot.."