Chapter 11: The Orb of Power

Vanellope and Adorabeezle stood together, held by two very large soldiers, in the corner of the chamber. Troops of both factions crowded around the altar, as Turbo, Taffyta, and Ralph prepared to take the Orb.

"It's said that only someone with good intentions can take the Orb. It's like Excalibur... except no one burned the instructions for that." Turbo said, glaring at Vanellope.

Taffyta smirked.

"You go first. I want to see what will happen if the unworthy try to take it." Taffyta said.

"You think I'm not worthy?" Turbo asked angrily.

"I don't think, old man, I know." Taffyta replied.

Turbo growled, and he picked up the Orb. However, he didn't notice a small purple spark emit from it as he did so. It glowed warmly in his hand, and he gave a cruel grin.

"Turbo, put in down." Vanellope ordered.

Turbo ignored her.

"Well, well. It looks like your wrong, Commissar. I'm the worthy..." Turbo started to say.

Suddenly, there was an ear piercing screech, and the Orb turned red. Turbo gave a terrified shriek as his hand began to crumble into dust before his eyes. The Orb fell to the ground and he stumbled backwards, his arms disintegrating.

"Ralph! Help me!" Turbo screamed.

Turbo looked over to where his second-in-command had been, but he saw only a dusty, discarded uniform lying on the ground. Around him, just like their commander, the grey uniformed soldiers were turning to dust, their helmets and clothing falling in heaps where they had been. Desperately, Turbo ran for the Orb, but his legs collapsed under him and he fell onto his face. With a final scream, his head collapsed and settled in a pile on the ground. There was a long silence before Taffyta spoke up.

"I told him he was unworthy." Taffyta said.

"Location: Unknown, May 21st 2109"

Crocker stood in a dark room, looking at a wall of Sugar Rush camera screens. Aragon and his dragons had the clear upper-hand, and Jubileena was taking a great deal of punishment.

"It's a facinatin' sight, Mr. Crocker, is it not?" a voice asked.

Crocker jumped and turned around. A shadowed figure stood in the corner with his arms crossed.

"Our plan is workin' perfectly. Aragon is under our control, Miss Schweetz is out of town, and her friends are suitably distracted. No one ta stop us acquirin'... this." the figure said.

The figure threw Crocker a black cloak. A tag reading 'Property of the Boston History Museum' was sewed on the back.

"We're stealing antiques?" Crocker asked.

The figure grinned.

"Oh, Mr. Crocker. It's much more then that." the figure replied.

The figure gave a toothy grin, and Crocker involuntary shuddered.

"Location: Negaverse, May 21st 2109"

As a group of the green clad soldiers dusted off what had been Turbo's troops, Taffyta prepared to take the Orb for herself.

"I really wouldn't recommend doing that." Vanellope warned.

"You think I'm not worthy?" Taffyta asked angrily.

"I don't think, Muttonfudge, I know. The last part of the map said that the Orb can only be taken if it will be used for a good cause!" Vanellope replied.

Taffyta shrugged.

"Then I've got nothing to fear. How would you be anymore worthy?" Taffyta asked.

"Try a dying friend and a poisoned boyfriend." Vanellope replied icily.

"He's your boyfriend?" Taffyta asked.

Taffyta motioned to Rancis, who was now lying on the floor, breathing heavily. Vanellope looked at him before nodding. Taffyta shrugged and continued towards the Orb.

"Well, no matter, I have an Orb to take." Taffyta said.

Taffyta reached forward and grabbed the Orb, and like Turbo, she didn't see a purple spark. There was a warm glow, and Taffyta gave a sinister grin.

"That's what happened to Turbo. Drop it!" Vanellope ordered.

"I'm not listening, dipstick. Maybe when I turn you to dust, you'll be a little less..." Taffyta started to sneer.

There was another screech, and the Orb turned red again. The color literally drained from Taffyta's body and sucked into the Orb in her hand. Taffyta glanced down at the Orb as it vibrated angrily in her palm, and all of a sudden, her palm became see-through. Indeed, Taffyta's body had mostly vanished, save for a faint touch of visibility along her outline. Taffyta's outline dropped the orb and fell to her knees, a strange disembodied scream echoing through the cavern as she clutched her head. The outline suddenly glowed a bright red, and when the light subsided, Taffyta was nothing more then a small glass figurine, four centimeters tall and lying discarded on the ground. Around her, a small pile of tin soldiers gathered dust where her troops had been.

The soldier holding Vanellope stared for a moment, gave a high pitched scream, and ran out of the cavern.

"OK, that was… wrong. And maybe sick as well." Vanellope said.

"Vanellope, not to interrupt your lamentations, but we've been gone for four hours. I think we're running on time." Adorabeezle said.

Vanellope nodded and leaned down to pick up the Orb. Before she could grab it, she saw a purple spark and moved her hands away.

"What? After all that, I'm not..." Vanellope started to ask.

There was the sound of a loud coughing fit, and Vanellope turned around. Rancis was hunched over the floor, hacking up his lungs. Floyd leaned over to help him.

"Vanellope, we don't have much time! Find some way to get that Orb!" Floyd snapped.

"But I don't…" Vanellope started to say. She then got an idea and ordered "Floyd, hold her down!".

Confused, Floyd did so. Vanellope knelt over Rancis and looked for the wound. She found it and began to lean in.

"Your going to kiss it better?" Floyd asked, looking perplexed.

"I'm going to suck out the poison." Vanellope replied.

"But then you'll get infected!" Floyd said in shock.

"I still have to try to save Rancis." Vanellope said.

Vanellope leaned over the wound and began to suck, the foul-tasting poison entering her mouth. She stood up, spat it out, and kept going. For two minutes, she kept it up, until she could taste no more poison. She stood up and wiped her mouth, retching a little. Rancis coughed a few more times and then stopped. He breathed in and out, slowly and clearly.

"Vanellope, never do that again." Rancis muttered.

"I don't plan to." Vanellope said, still feeling the ugly taste in her mouth.

"What did you do? Vanellope, that stuff's still going to affect you! You have be treated within three..." Adorabeezle started to say.

Floyd grinned and raised his hand.

"Vanellope, you did it." Floyd said.

There was a short silence.

"Did what?" Vanellope asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Floyd motioned to the Orb.

"You passed the test. You made it past all of the challenges, and you proved yourself worthy to the Orb of Power. You can take it." Floyd replied.

"The illusion. The Orb's using it to talk to us." Adorabeezle said in realization.

Vanellope hesitantly knelt down and picked up the Orb. This time, it did not spark purple or turn red. Instead, it began to glow blue, dimly at first, but then brighter and brighter.

"What's going on?" Rancis asked, shielding his eyes.

"Your going back to Sugar Rush. After all, you've still got a friend and a game to save." Floyd replied.

The Orb was near blinding now, and Vanellope had to squint to see anything. As she squinted, she could vaguely see other figures appearing behind Floyd. She saw Turbo, Taffyta, Ralph, Swizzle, and even Jubileena.

"Wait! Was this all in our heads, or an illusion, or something?" Vanellope asked.

Floyd nodded.

"It was, but it doesn't mean that it's not real." Floyd replied. He then waved casually and said "Goodbye, Doctor Schweetz.".

The Orb glowed even brighter, and Vanellope's vision went white.

"Location: Litwak's Arcade, The World Of Disney, May 21st 2109"

Vanellope blinked several times as the light receded. She began to stumble, and she tripped over a trash can and fell on her face. In an alleyway behind her, Rancis and Adorabeezle gained their bearings in less embarrassing ways. Vanellope climbed to her feet and grinned as she realized where she was, and she started walking out of the alley.

"We're back! Now all we have to do is..." Vanellope started to say, elated.

Vanellope turned the alley corner, and she saw a half-destroyed street and a battle between several dragons raging above.

"Oh, come on!" Vanellope cried in disbelief.

BODILY FUNCTIONS: 12%. EMERGENCY! EXTREME LOW CONDITIONS!