Chapter Nineteen- Race or Break
"Eighty-one! Eighty-two!"
"Close to another record!" said a little mouse as she hung onto the iron bars of the weight set, a large rat sitting on the weight bench.
"I'm not in tha mood for breakin' records…." The rat said as he continued to exercise "I just need…I just need…"
"Need what?" asked the mouse curiously as she hopped off the bench and landed next to her friend "You've been rather MOUSY for the past few weeks. What's been goin' on?"
The rat didn't even finish to ninety, instead putting the weight back into place as he lay on the bench. Why did she have to ask that question? He had done a well enough job distracting himself from the drama that was floating around the arcade but as his friend asked him, he knew there was no way he could keep the truth from her any longer.
"Hey."
He looked over at the little mouse, her whiskers twitching in worry. The rat felt as if the coils of Snake were already around his neck but as he looked around he remembered that he was safe within the walls of his own game, among friends and away from the pressure of the other bad guy.
"Can ya keep a secret?"
The small mouse nodded her head, her hands clutched together; finally she was getting somewhere with her game-mate.
"I've been thinkin'…." Continued the rat "'Bout somethin' a certain bad guy's been doin'."
"Is it Ralph?" asked the little mouse, Rat shaking his head.
"Nah, but it's someone who sticks ta his side faster than a super glue trap." Rat went on, making certain that no one else in the weight room could hear them "It's-!"
"SNAKE!"
Rat let out a rather high pitched yelp and fell over on his back, another lanky rat poking his head around the corner, his hands clutching the telephone.
"Snake's callin'!"
Rat felt as if the entire room were spinning, a deep feeling of doom welling up in the bottom of his stomach.
"Wh-what's he callin' for?"
"He wants ta see ya at Sugar Rush!" said the skinny rat, the other two rodents hearing some yelling through the end of the telephone "Somethin' 'bout a race he wants ya ta see!"
"A race?" blinked Rat, rightfully confused as he took a gander at the clock.
The rodent had been dragged to and from the game so many times he knew the racing schedules by heart, the hands showing him that it was far too late for the roster race to go on.
"Ah-huh. Yeah. Oh, REALLY?" went on the skinny rat, listening in on the conversation.
"Well, what's goin' on?" asked the female mouse, climbing on the back of Rat's shoulder to get a better view.
"Snake says that there's ta be some sorta big race between tha President an' some new green kid or somethin'." Said the thin rodent "An' a BIG wager's been put on tha table!"
A wager?
Rat could only moan; there was no way he could RAT his way out of this as he was certain the reptilian bad guy would hunt him down just so he could get a front row view of the action. Begrudgingly, he went for his jacket and slogged out of the room.
"Tell 'im I'll be there in five."
And it wasn't just Rat who was invited. Thanks to certain 'connections' and the rapid-fire speed of which word traveled through each game soon EVERYONE in Litwak's knew of the race that was happening and before anyone knew it, Sugar Rush was filled to the BRIM with characters from nearly every game around.
The stands were packed and a massive roar echoed across the land, all for two racers.
Pastilli Gumbettino looked at the crowds from his spot on the track, bewildered by the sheer size of masses around him.
"I know I can remember what tha crowds looked like from tha stories…." He said to himself "But they've NEVER looked like this!"
"LUMI!"
The boy turned, the other Sugar Rush racers running up to him with Candlehead leading the way.
"C-Butt!"
"Lumi, ya got time ta back outta this!" Candlehead pleaded "I gotta bad feelin' 'bout this! Even worse than eatin' TEN jumbo banana splits with hot-sauce 'n peanut butter!"
Lumi frowned and puffed out his chest; he knew the conditions he made for the race were high but there was no way he was going to back out now! He wanted to show Vanellope and Snake just how much of a racer he was and more than that, he knew that if he were able to clench a victory it would be a victory for the other racers as well.
"Don't worry your head about a thing, C-Butt." The boy said with a sense of pride bouncing in his voice "No matter what happens an' no matter what that gob face tries ta do, I KNOW I'm gonna come out on this! I'm a racer ya know! This should be easy peasy, lemon squeezy!"
"I don't wanna sound like I doubt ya either…" said Taffyta, eyes darting about "But…but maybe we jumped in this too soon."
"Taffyta! Don't tell me ya don't believe in me either!"
"It's not that!" the girl said, her voice breaking "It's just-!"
She looked back at the crowd, so many eyes peering down at them and even from afar she could tell that they were not cheering their graces towards the boy nor them. Nearly the entire stadium was choked with supporters of Vanellope, her name ringing around everyone and given how a few rowdy guest behaved whenever THEY won, she knew that things would only get worse for Lumi.
The boy had made a promise though and a BIG one at that. He was risking his status as a racer and his kart as well in this and part of Taffyta DID want to see him wipe the floor with Vanellope…
But the other part of her was dreadfully worried. She still didn't know what would happen to Lumi should he be in an accident on the track. She knew that everyone else could recover, that they would reset if things got dicey Lumi was another case? She was still worried about his code, that any chance of it being erased meant losing him forever…
As well as their chance of uncovering the rest of their hidden memories.
"Taff, I know I can do this."
The strawberry racer peered at Lumi, his smile not making her feel any better. She knew there was no way of stopping him, no way of convincing him otherwise so there was no other point.
"O-Okay…." She groaned, putting a gloved hand on her forehead "Just watch out. I wouldn't put it past Snake ta try ta CHEAT."
Taffyta shot her glances towards the grandstand, Snake of course close to Vanellope with a few others, the group hearing his sickening cackle from afar.
"You've got thissss Pressssident." The creature hissed, giving the girl a pat on the shoulder "There isssss no way that sssssomone of your calibure can lossssse to a pathetic little nosssse wiper like h-"
"Can we just get this race started?" the vanilla racer grumped, sitting heavily in her kart as she started the engine "I wanna get this over with."
"Kid, are ya sure you're up ta this?"
Vanellope looked over at Ralph, the man filled with all flavors of worry.
"Ya KNOW I got this." The girl responded "What? Ya don't think I can do it?"
"What would give ya that idea?" Ralph asked, feeling even more worried than before "This race though! It-!"
"What is it, Stink-Breath?"
Ralph didn't want to say it, he didn't want to admit it but for the first time since that dangerous race with Candy, the big man was scared.
Something didn't sit right with him about the entire set up and surprisingly, the involvement of the other racers had nothing to do with it.
There was just something so unnatural to everything that was going on. Something so dark and unsettling about the purpose of the race and Vanellope's take to it. It felt like she no longer had a choice, that she was no longer racing FOR HERSELF but rather for someone else.
"Snake believes me." Vanellope growled as she shot Ralph a miffed look "Why don't ya?"
"I do, I do!" Ralph said again "But are ya sure this is what ya wanna do? I know ya love racin' but this? All'a this?"
Ralph spread his arms open, the measure of the crowd ALARMING.
"Vanellope, think a bit before ya act. This could put YOU an' that kid in dan-!"
"That kid?" Snake hissed, crossing his arms against his chest as he glared at the Wrecker "You mean that bully? That cheat? That virussss?"
Ralph felt his throat go dry as Snake spoke, an uncomfortable stir hitting him as the term VIRUS was thrown at him again.
What made Snake so certain that this was true? And why of all times was Ralph feeling bad NOW?
"Jusssst let her racccce." The creature smirked "It'll give your friend a chance to sssshine and sssshow thosssse TWERPSSSS their placccce!"
"It's what I gotta do." Vanellope grumped, Ralph surprised by her change of mood "They asked for it, so I'm givin' it to 'em."
"That'ssss the sssspirit, Pressssident!" Snake cheered as he watched the racer take her place at the starting line "That is how a TRUE leader actsssss!"
The man in red was left in silence as he watched his friend leave, the worry only growing.
What had Vanellope gotten herself into?
"LAAAAAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" cheered the marshmallow announcer "I hope you've found your seats because this race is about to GOOOOOOO!"
The crowds cheered wildly again, waving their banners and flags in support of Vanellope. Down below the other racers felt so small, not a single supporting coming to their side and even the usual candy spectators were hushed out and scared, not a single one of them cheering as the outsiders covered their voices.
"I wanna go home, I wanna go home…" Candlehead moaned, pulling her hat down.
"What we have here is a FIRST, ladies and germs!" the announcer continued "We have a race for the ages! A duo duel of deliciousness! We have President Vanellope Von Schweetz going up against new comer-! Pastilli Gumbettino!"
Lumi felt a prickle going up his spine; he remembered this. All of this! The way his name was called to the tracks, the way he would rush down and greet the spectators!
"This is how it was…." He said to himself "This is how it w-!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Maybe not.
The boy huddled down as he heard the wave of boos hurled towards him, his head turning towards the stands to see the wall of characters standing up and thumbing him down.
It was inescapable, so many faces and voices jeering him, a clear indicator of just how welcomed he was on the track. Vanellope looked on but even she couldn't push away the awful feeling she was getting. She remembered those many years she was on the run, when people would run in fear of her but to hear the booing, and coming from people who had many times told her that they supported her?
This didn't feel right.
In the stands, Ralph and the others sat and they two felt bogged down and surrounded by the negativity. Ralph felt tiny and out of place among the crowds, some of the faces he knew and had several good times with but to see them booing on a kid so badly?
GET OFF THE TRACK!
VIRUS!
PLACEHOLDER!
BULLY!
BULLY!
BULLY!
Ralph had thought the arcade had moved on from this, that they had learned their lesson after his escapades in the game but as he was slowly starting to see their discontent of bad guys had just been passed onto another target. Another target who didn't have the means or support to fight it back.
"GO, LUMI! GO LUMI!"
A little voice.
Vanellope and Lumi turned, seeing Candlehead, her colors and brightness a massive spot in the middle of everyone else, jumping up and clapping her hands.
"G-GO! Go Lumi! Y-Ya can do it!"
She may have been only ONE but she was one voice that was starting to break through many. Taffyta could only look at her friend with wide eyes, the girl still jumping up and down.
"Candlehead-?"
"I-I know you can do it, Lumi!" the girl cheered again, her candle throwing off sparks "I know ya can do it!"
"Candlehead!" Taffyta said, still amazed and crouching a bit from the crowd "What are ya-?"
"H-He'd cheer for me!" the cake girl said "So-! So I hafta show 'im I think he can do it too!"
Despite it all, despite being woefully outnumbered Candlehead continued to cheer Lumi on. Both he and Vanellope looked on in awe at the tiny girl as she jumped and cheered about, her bright cheery colors contrasting against the shadows of the others in the stands. Calhoun and Felix looked over, hearing the little voice carry upwards to where they sat.
"Wow." Said Felix, tipping his hat up "Miss Candlehead's sure gotta lotta energy!"
"Doesssss sssshe think ssssshe'ssss helping?" Snake scowled, the sight of the girl serving as an irritation "Doessss ssssshe think her cheerssss matt-?!"
"GO LUMI!"
Another voice had joined in, those next to Snake looking down to see-!
"Taffyta?"
The strawberry racer felt her legs wobbling like Jell-O under her but she knew she couldn't leave her friend alone. She balled up her hands, brows furrowed against the opposition behind her.
"L-U-M-I!" the girl began, pumping her fist in the air before jumping up and spinning "What's that spell?! LUMI!"
Candlehead smiled, clapping her hand together as she waited for Taffyta to land, draping her arms against her shoulder and joining in on the dance.
"L-U-M-I! He's so fast, we cannot lie! Lumi! Lumi! GOOOOO LUMI!"
The two jumped in the air together, sparks and stars going everywhere.
"Hey, HEY!" shouted Snake from his stand "Cut that out you bratssss! NO one wantssss to ssssee-!"
"YEA, LUMI!"
"GO PASTILLI!"
"GO GO GUMBETINO!"
Before Snake knew it, the other racers began to cheer on the new boy, the lot of them joined in together and despite being outnumbered by the crowds for Vanellope they continued to show their support. Neither of the drivers knew what to make of the show but it was definitely something that stood out against the masses.
"Guys?"
Lumi gulped but there was a twinge of happiness rising from within. He could not believe that they were cheering him on like this. He knew some of the other racers were still skeptical but it was amazing. It felt wonderful, it felt like HOME.
Before Lumi knew it, he swelled with great pride. The energy could not be contained and as the others cheered he lept into the air and did his signature pose and move, the other candy racers cheering even louder with more added on from the tiny candy NPCs.
"YEAH YEAH!" sand Taffyta as she began to rouse the little candies "Show 'em what ya got! Show 'em you Sugar Rush PRIDE!"
The candies, whether they belonged to Taffyta, to Crumbellina or to ANYONE began to sing, cheer and spin. They were no longer afraid to show their support for their racers but in this case their support went to LUMI as he now stood for the entire game.
And that was what hurt Vanellope the most.
She looked at the crowds, the hundreds of eyes that were looking down at her and it hit her; she wasn't racing for herself, she wasn't racing for her friends, she wasn't racing for Sugar Rush.
She had NO IDEA who she was racing for anymore.
Sugar Rush now looked to have sided with Lumi, the unknown kid that many days before had embarrassed her greatly in front of the others and it burned her to the very core of her code.
This was HER game, not his. This was HER home, not his.
Those were HER FRIENDS, not HIS!
But….
It had been a long while since she and the other racers had treated aech other like friends…
"RACERS! To your marks!"
Red light.
"Get set!"
Yellow.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
GREEN!
The sound of screeching tires filled the air as both Vanellope and Lumi took off at breakneck speeds, the shinning bits of sugar still floating in the air.
"Ooooh, please don't get hurt! Don't get hurt!" Candlehead meeped, her eyes going to the jumbotron.
Ralph and the others had their sights locked on the two, the first turn taking them right into the middle of Sour Straw canyon. The roads were rough but Lumi hung on, clutching onto the wheel and making sure that he didn't lose control. Vanellope on the other hand was well versed on the course, having maneuvered her way through the patch hundreds of times before.
"But he's catchin' up…." Vanellope said, seeing Lumi creeping behind her.
"An' Von Schweetz has an early lead!" said the announcer, the crowds cheering as they watched the girl on the trno "But Gumbettino is catching up! Seems that this GREEN HORN isn't as GREEN as he seems!"
"Ya think he can make it?!" Candlehead said to Taffyta, the girl nodding.
"I know he can! He's a racer just like us!"
"Yeah, but even if he has his code he doesn't know tha roads as good as Vanellope does!" said Swizzle in worry "An'-!"
Taffyta looked over to the boy "An' WHAT, Brain-Boy?"
There was a moment of hesitation, Swizzle trembling a bit "All his data, his memories! They were put in before tha game was FINALIZED!"
"So, what does that have ta do with anythin'?"
"Who knows if tha roads he remembers are even in tha game!" the boy said "If he goes by his gut, it could spell disaster because nothin' is tha same!"
Taffyta felt as if the ground had opened up under her, the realization of the danger Lumi had put himself in coming at her fast. She quickly turned back towards the tron, seeing the boy starting to struggle on the track.
"He's losin' ground!"
Indeed he was, the boy caught through the sharp twists and turns of the spiraling track that he could not remember.
"Whoa, WHOA! What is this?!"
Vanellope grabbed an easy lead, her tires kicking up sharp spikes of sugar and sending them back towards the boy and clouding his view.
"Urgh! When did they put this in?!"
The crowds were going wild at the battle, even if it had only begun.
"Haha!" laughed Snake "Sssshow that placccceholder who'sssss bosssss! Break him to BITSSSSS!"
"Man oh MAN!" said Calhoun, standing up and far too excited to sit back down "This is just road ONE too! I hate ta see how things are gonna turn once tha road REALLY starts ta heat up!"
The fight on the track was only starting to heat up, Lumi struggling to find a place to keep the kart stable but it was becoming harder and harder as he had no idea where to turn, where any open spots were so he could lay a trick.
"N-No!" he shouted to himself "Keep your eyes on tha bait, Lumi!"
He had to focus, to keep his mind on the drive and off of the distractions around him. He managed to get a view out from the massive kick-up in front of him, noticing a narrow gap coming up.
"Ah-HA!"
Thankfully for him, the shape of his kart proved to be a blessing for the boy. He picked up speed, reeving up hard enough that his kart could slide on the wall, the round corners of the kart allowing him to slide next to Vanellope-!
"HUH?!"
And SNATCH the lead from her!
"HO-HA!"
"What a turn of events, folks!" said the marshmallow announcer as several camera-mallows took shots of the race "It seems that Gumbettino has finally gotten a hang of tha track and gave us a nice look at a few tricks up his sleeves!"
"NO!" shouted Snake in disgusted, hissing loudly "That-! That wasssss a foul! ILLEGAL MOVE!"
The crowds began booing in agreement with the Snake but there was no buzzer, no offending flags thrown.
"For those in the audience-!" said the announcer "Moves such as performed by our golly green gent ARE fair play in the game! As long as you stay within the perimeter of the track, it is not a foul!"
The booing only grew, Snake cursing to himself as he struck the guide bar of the stands. Ralph and the others could see him from afar, the little man in blue crossing his arms.
"Well, we can see someone isn't in tha sportin' mood."
"Givin' that guy, I doubt he ever had one." Said his wife, pondering what other reactions Snake would soon show off.
Focus returned to the two on the track, Vanellope now caught BEHIND Lumi as the track narrowed.
"Well, guess it's time ta pull out my favorite…."
GLITCH!
In a flash, Vanellope GLITCHED past Lumi and once more took the lead. The crowds back at the stands cheered wildly as they watched the move while the racers below were less than thrilled.
"I hate that move!" Taffyta said "HATE HATE HATE IT! It's the biggest cheat in the game yet she's PRAISED for it because 'IT'S SPECIAL'!"
"Well, don't count Lumi out yet." Said Snowanna "If WE can counter it, I'm sure he can too! ….hopefully."
"GLITCH, GLITCH! USE THE GLITCH! GLITCH, GLITCH! USE THE GLITCH!" sang the crowds, their energy greater than that to power the game itself.
Indeed the glitch was a move that severed to give Vanellope more than her share of an advantage over the other racers but Lumi wasn't out yet. After seeing the others being countered with it and then accused of cheating when they countered it, he wasn't going to LET himself be beaten by it.
"I don't care how much Von CHEATZ cries that her glitch is FAIR." The boy growled "She wants her MOVE? Well, I'll show her mine!"
Lumi looked down at the controls of his kart, his mind racing to push the right button. He then took a quick glance ahead, seeing a massive hill coming their way as well as some SEEKERS popping up.
"Yes!"
The road began to widen, allowing Lumi to move next to Vanellope again. Picking up speed, the boy pulled up next to her.
"Hey, Von CHEATZ!"
The girl refused to answer, her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Ya got a flashy car an' a flashy GLITCH." The boy spat out "But they ain't no substitute for REAL TALENT!"
Just then, the boy forced a sharp turn, casuing the kart to skid much to Vanellope's surprise.
"What is that kid-?!"
Vanellope was distracted, the girl looking forward and nearly running into a split in the road!
"AAAAH!"
She GLITCHED again, though in her rush she did so BACKWARDS and missed the row of Seekers completely. Lumi on the other hand managed to pick up speed once more and rushed into the first one, his kart armed!
MOLASSES MAYHEM!
"Alright!" the boy cheered "This is for C-Butt! An' tha rest of tha gang!"
Vanellope realized what was about to happen, the girl GLITCHING constantly to get back into place but even though she was able to correct the position of her kart the many glitches in a row had left her dizzy and vulnerable. The crowd gasped in shock, Ralph standing on his feet in terror.
"Vanellope! Watch out!"
But it was too late for warnings. Lumi aimed his cannon and shot the Molasses shooter at the girl, her kart struck-!
And slooooooowed dooooooooown…..
"Heh, guess ya gotta glitch but you're effected by everythin' else, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!"
Vanellope tried to say something but her words came out in a long, slow string, Lumi driving past her.
"OOOOOOH! A Molasses Mayhem!" the announcer said "Can ya guys hold your breaths for thirty seconds? Because that's how long it's gonna take for Von Schweetz ta get FREE!"
"Holy-! Tha kid knows his stuff." Calhoun said in surprise, Ralph still worried.
"Oh man, oh man, OH MAN!"
"Ralph, calm down! You're actin' as if this is her first race!" said Felix as he pulled the man down "She's gone through HUNDREDS of races before an' we KNOW she can make it outta it!"
Vanellope COULD make it….but at this point she was so FURIOUS at being caught that she could not wait for the effects of the Seeker to take its course. She tried to glitch through it but as Lumi had said, no matter how many times she glitched it was still running through her code, she just could not force it through.
She glitched again and again, wanting nothing more than to break free from the effects but the more she glitched-
"uuuuuuuuUUUUUUURGH!"
The more unstable her kart became. The sparks and flashes became more frequent, raw code showing through her and her vehicle.
"Von Schweetz is still fightin'!" said the announcer "Let's see if she can serve that up once she gets her speed back!"
"Have…have ya seen Vanellope glitch like that before?" asked Candlehead.
Taffyta knew she had; before Vanellope could control it, before she learned how to use her glitch against the others she would glitch like that and nothing good came from it.
This wasn't good.
"And Gumbettino is headin' towards Cracker Jack Canyon!" screamed the announcer "He's got a good lead on Von Schweetz but it's still anyone's race!"
Vanellope could still hear the yells of the announcer and the crowds from where she was and after a few seconds-!
DA-DING!
She was free!
"AND THERE'S VON SCHWEETZ, BACK IN ACTION!"
The crowd gave a roar once they saw Vanellope taking full control of herself again but her driving was wobbly, her tires screeching loudly on the candy track.
"What's happenin'?" panted Ralph, feeling as if he could pass out at any moment.
Vanellope felt dizzy, unsteady. She tried to focus on the track but it was blur.
"Urgh, stay focused! STAY FOCUSED!"
She SLAMMED the gas on the kart and took off, wanting to catch up with Lumi.
The boy knew he was still in the midst of a battle, his eyes and ears kept open for Vanellope as he knew she would be on him soon.
"Gotta time everythin' right….." he mumbled to himself "Von Cheatz can launch that stupid glitch at any moment an' steal tha lead but I can catch her, use it against her!"
KA-BOOM!
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"
A massive explosion hit beside Lumi, the boy feeling his kart lift a good YARD off the track.
"What was THAT?!"
The boy then looked to the side, seeing the lines of caramel and sticky melted sugar coming down around him, some puddles bubbling over. Once more an explosion rang out beside him, massive kernels of popcorn shooting into the air before crashing down around him.
"WHAT'S THIS!?"
"Looks like Gumbettino has been caught off guard!" said the announcer "The young boy is having a bit of a conundrum in the canyon!"
"Oh NOOOOOO!" mewled Taffyta, pulling her hat down as the warning from Swizz sprung up before her "Was there a Cracker Jack Canyon in Lumi's version?!"
There was not for the boy found himself trapped amongst an unstable road with an even more unsuitable kart. The roads were extremely hot and the pits of molten sugar sent giant clouds of steam in the air.
"Urgh! I can handle tha heat-!" he said "But-! But tha roads! They're too sticky! They're too hot!"
His kart began to slow, the gummy wheels effected by the environment. He knew his kart could take SOME heat but not like this!
Vanellope's on the other hand-
She had been through enough tracks to know where to utilize her moves, her speed, her strength. She watched as Lumi struggled and fought to gain control over his kart, the wheels of the vehicle wobbling the softer they got.
"Okay, Pest-tili!" she growled "Time ta pay ya back for that trick back there!"
GLITCH!
Vanellope once more glitched, rolling past Lumi and gaining speed!
"I need ta get back on course, I can't let her beat me!" the boy shouted to himself but it looked as if things were turning sour, Vanellope having both the advantage of knowing the track and her glitch.
He couldn't give up, not with all that was at stake! He needed-!
"COVER!"
And it was there right before him.
As the popcorn was falling from the sky, tiny bits broke off and floated on the track the boy getting an idea in his head. He then began to swerve, using the stickiness of his tires to pick up the popcorn and with the weight of the kart they would FLATTEN and ADHERE into place.
"Hmmm, seems that Gumbettino has a plan in his head!" said the announcer "If only I knew what it was exactly!"
"What IS he doin'?" asked Minty, jumping up and down. Taffyta looked on but her eyes grew bright, letting out a cheer.
"Wow!" said Gloyd, coving his ears "What's got YOU so ex-?"
"He's usin' tha kernels ta protect an' reshape his wheels!"
"Wait, what?"
"Those gummie tires don't have a CHANCE in all that heat!" said the strawberry racer "But if he found some way ta COVER 'EM-!"
"He can gain some ground again!" finished Swizzle, his mind LOVING the idea "Yeah! YEAH! GO LUMI! GO LUMI!"
The other racers began to cheer again as they watch Lumi regain his control over the kart and speed off. Cracker Jack Canyon continued on but there was one road left to be taken; Brownie Boulevard.
"Aw man, he caught up!" Vanellope said as she noticed the pop-corn covered tires "D-D-Don't let 'im get ta ya! Ya still got a chance ta push 'im back!"
"Not a chance!" Lumi said to himself, more determined than EVER to claim victory over the Sugar President. This time he wasn't going to let himself get distracted, to let an unfamiliar track scare him.
"This time, it's for all tha sprinkles!" he growled, the RUSH hitting both he and the girl.
Everyone was on baited breath as they watched the two go toe-to-toe, bumper to bumper, sweet to sweet! Just when it seemed that Vanellope would take the lead, Lumi would counter and when it looked as if HE would hold onto it, Vanellope would respond!
GLITCH GLITCH GLITCH!
She kept using the glitch more than ever, jumping up ahead but Lumi kept going, kept catching up.
"H-How can he do this?!" the girl panted, surprised that anyone would gun for her in such a manner but then she stopped, remembering that there was one other person in the game who went after her so hard.
TAFFYTA.
Taffyta was the only one who did not fear the glitch, who FOUGHT the glitch, who could BEAT it when it came so close.
And it made Vanellope shiver.
"I'm not losin' ta some virus!" the girl shouted to herself, unaware that her voice had carried over so well that Lumi could hear.
"I AM NOT A VIRUS, GLITCH!"
"I AM NOT A GLITCH!"
I AM A RACER!
The two did not realize their words had come at the same time, Vanellope getting so angry that she hooked a sharp right-!
"AUUURGH!"
And SLAMMED her kart against Lumi's!
"I am not a glitch!" she screamed, trying to drive Lumi out of bounds "Do ya know how long I had ta SUFFER!? HOW LONG I HAD TA LIVE BY MYSELF AN' BE BULLIED?! I'M NOT LOSIN' TA YA!"
"AN' DO YA KNOW HOW LONG I'VE BEEN STORED AWAY?!" Lumi shouted back "AN' WHAT YOU'RE NEW FRIENDS HAVE DONE TO ME AN' EVERYONE ELSE?! I'M NOT LOSIN' TA YOU!"
"STOP IT!" Vanellope cried "STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!"
GLITCH!
Another glitch hit the game….but it didn't come from Vanellope.
The girl gasped and opened her eyes, the road ahead of her glitching wildly.
"What tha-?!"
She quickly pulled away but as she and Lumi continued to drive on the entire road ahead of them started to change and warp!
"What's goin' on?!" the boy cried out, the road underneath him going up and down, up and down!
"Seems that we've hit another snag, folks!" said the announcer "I-! I don't know what I'm seein' but tha entire road is startin' ta glitch out!"
Ralph and the others shot to their feet, amazed and scared by what they were seeing.
"It's like Turbo all over again!" said the Wrecker but rather than Cybugs another transformation took place.
Before the eyes of everyone in the game, Brownie Boulevard started to change, the road resetting and several other items appearing on it. Vanellope's jaw dropped as the decor appeared though she made certain to keep moving quickly as new turns continued to pop up.
"Is…is tha game resettin'? In mid-play?"
Lumi struggled but he managed to stay the course, his teeth jittering with each bump that came up.
"HO-HO-HO-HO-BOOOOOOOY!" he cheered "This is bumpier than ANY roller coaster!"
GLITCH!
Another glitch hit the game, signs starting to reappear on the side of the road.
"What-?!"
MALARKEY MOTORS!
So it was true; the assets WERE buried in the game!
In the crowd, Swizz stood as still as a statue as the camera hovered close to the new sign.
"No….no way!"
GLITCH!
Another glitch popped up, this one showcasing Sundae Sonata and a concert! Snowanna felt as if she could fall over, the drawing of her mother out for all to see.
More and more signs started to appear but as the two racers took notice, they seemed to only be signs off the racers who had already been 'unlocked'. In some portions the game continued to struggle as if there were assets missing.
"W-Wait!" Lumi said to himself, the signs coming on faster and faster as more things showed up around him "No! NO!"
Vanellope looked back, seeing Lumi losing control over his kart but what haunted the most-
"Pastilli?!"
The boy let out a scream, feeling as if the billboards and drawings were focusing on HIM. It seemed that no matter which way he tried to turn, no matter which way he looked something else popped up in his vision.
Memories started to flow back again but as had happened before on the searches….
Nothing.
Nothing of his.
The brownie track continued to manipulate itself under him but the gummie racer did not take notice. He COULD NOT take notice as everything around him began to warp and swirl before him.
"N-NO! WAIT!"
Vanellope could see the boy slowing down behind her but there was something more she was fearing, his kart veering out of control.
The crowds continued to watch on, the camera focused on him.
"LOOK!" shouted Snake as he pointed towards the screen "He'sssss sssstarting to loossse it!"
"LUMI!" shouted Candlehead in worry "please hang on, please hang on! You only have a few more yards before the finish line!"
Taffyta was silent, her heart beating a million miles as she could only dread what was to happen to the boy. Before she was worried that he was going to lose but now?
"Wh-what if he crashes?! WHAT IF HE GETS HURT?! WHAT IF HE DOESN'T COME BACK?!"
"CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!" jeered Snake, his cackling hanging in the air "CRASSSSH YOU LITTLE WASSSTE! CRASH!"
"NO!" bellowed Candlehead "Keep goin' Lumi! Keep-!"
CRASH CRASH CRASH!
"No, please!"
CRASH CRASH CRASH!
The entire crowd roused up in a massive fever, all of them calling for and awaiting the collision of the gummie racer. As they neared closer to the finish line, Vanellope could hear the crowds as well.
"Sweet MONKEY MILK!" she shouted, but a sharp pain went through her body.
GLITCH!
"AURGH!"
Both she and the boy were subjected to the painful glitches of the game, the track breaking apart behind them as he reset haphazardly behind them. Vanellope was still in the lead but the painful glitches rendered her unable to gain full control over herself, her kart starting to spin.
"Vanellope!" shouted Ralph, watching on helplessly as his friend spiraled out of control. Lumi was close by but his condition was far worse. All he could see before him was Snake, all he could hear before him was Snake!
VIRUS!
PLACEHOLDER!
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO ANYTHING?!
DID YOU REALLY THINK YOU COULD HELP ANYONE!?
"G-G-GET BACK!" Lumi panted "ST-STOP IT! STOP-!"
YOU'RE NOT A RACER!
"I-I AM A RACER!"
YOU'RE A VIRUS!
"N-NO! NO I'M NOT! NO I'M-!"
KA-KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!
The sound of skidding tires and breaking candy filled the air as Lumi went headlong into a collection of lollipop trees! The crowd gasped as they watched the boy collided but none shouted louder than the other racers below.
"LUMI!" Candlehead cried in grief as she rushed towards the accident "Oh, no! LUMI!"
Vanellope felt something release from her head, the girl snapping back into her right mind as she took hold of the wheel-!
"AURG!"
And crossed the finish line for a very clumsy win!
"VON SCHWEETZ WINS!"
The crowd erupted into massive cheers as they began to flood the winner's circle, confetti and glitter raining from the sky.
"OUTTA MY WAY!"
"OOF!"
Ralph bowled over several characters to make his way towards Vanellope, the girl still strapped in her kart and clutching onto the steering wheel.
"Kid? Kid!"
Her eyes were distant and vacant, her hands shaking as her body glitched.
"Oh coconuts, she's hurt!"
The girl turned around in a twitch, looking back towards the other as they rushed towards Lumi's crash.
"Mo-mo-mo-more-!"
"Vanellope?!" gasped Felix, just as worried as Ralph "What-?!"
"I-I-I s-sa-sa-sa-saw-!"
Vanellope was petrified, her words unable to come out as she wanted nothing more than to run back home, to hide from what was happening but she was trapped, a wave of 'admirers' starting to push their way towards her.
"That was awesome!"
"Ya took tha win right from under him!"
"I knew ya could beat him!"
"Hey, HEY!" shouted Calhoun, trying her best to keep the crowds at bay "Everyone, BACK OFF or you're gonna wind up with my gun down your throat!"
"TAMMY!"
"Okay, how 'bout a GRENADE. Those will slide down better!"
"Babe, just calm down."
Lumi lay dazed in his kart, the poor boy knocked cold from the impact.
"Ooooh….."
"LUMI!"
HE gasped, waking with a jolt to see the other racers gunning for him. At first he smiled, glad to see them all in good condition but then he remembered.
He had lost.
He had let them down.
He shrank back, trying to get out of his kart but his hands fumbled with the seat belts, his legs kicking about.
"N-no! Stay back!"
"You're hurt!" Candlehead said as she finally reached the boy "Oh my gobs! I can't believe ya made it outta there! What happened?!"
"I-I don't know!" the boy said, catching his breath "Vanellope an' I-! We-!"
The boy looked down, shaking his head; how could he explain it when even HE couldn't wrap his head around the events that had taken place on the track.
"Didja see 'em?!" he said again, looking at the others "Those-! Those signs! Tha way tha track went all bonkers 'round us! What-?! What happened?!"
"I'd say somethin' else reset, that's what." Said Swizzle.
"Yeah, but HOW?" asked Taffyta "All these other times, we had ta unlock somethin' or solve one of Tur-Butt's puzzles. All Lumi an' Vanellope did was RACE! How did that-?"
"Maybe…maybe it was his presence on tha track that did it in!" said Swizz, pacing about as his brain went to work again "When we all race, tha game keeps tabs on our scores, on our stats…an' seein' as Lumi's data is still part'a tha game, even if he wasn't put in tha final part-!"
"Ya think it was just like how tha game reset when Vanellope crossed tha finish line?"
Swizz nodded "Yeah! But I don't think tha game took it as well. I mean look at what happened!"
The group looked back towards the track, the path twisted and turned into a formation they could not remember or recall but the signs that aligned the path painted a new story. Taffyta furrowed her brows, doing her best to push her fear aside.
"If this tells me anythin' we still got a lot a do." She said in a tough voice "An' we need ta-!"
"Taffyta, stop!"
The girl looked over, Candlehead looking at her worryingly.
"Right now, we need ta help LUMI! He's hurt!"
"I-I can make it." The boy said, feeling a little sore but otherwise unharmed "'Sides, ya know I've taken harder hits than this! It'll take more than some stupid lollipops ta-!"
"SSSSSSSSSSTOP RIGHT THERE!"
The group cried out as a massive shadow loomed over them, others joining them.
"Don't you even more an INCH, VIRUSSSSS!" hissed Snake "We are not through with you!"
Taffyta quickly remembered the 'deal' that had been made between the boy and Snake and despite knowing the consequences that could happen should a promise be broken-
"BACK OFF, SNAKE!"
She jumped in front of him anyway.
"Get out of my way, Muttonflub!" the creature hissed, sneering at the tiny racer "A deal'ssss a deal and the kart issss MINE!"
"I don't care what kinda stupid promise you made, there's been ENOUGH damage today!"
"Not to me, there hassssn't!" Snake cackled again as she shoved Taffyta out of the way "And I owe my FRIENDSSSS a little fun!"
The racers looked down, seeing a hoard of LARGER characters approaching them, armed and ready to turn the gummie racer's kart into smithereens. The gravity of his promise had come back around to bite the boy, wanting nothing but to protect his kart.
"NO!"
"It isssss only FAIR, PLACCCEHOLDER!"
"I swear, Snake! If you-!"
Before another word was uttered Taffyta felt herself swept away by Snake's massive tail as well as the others, the candy racers shoved off to the side as they could only watch as Snake's hoard seized on the candy kart, the reptile lifting up a crowbar as he readied to smash it to bits.
"Thisssss issss going to be SSSSSSO much FUN!"
"SNAKE!"
The creature stopped, turning back to see Vanellope looking at all in disbelief.
Boy, did this moment feel familiar and painfully so.
Only a year before did Vanellope find herself in a similar situation, the other racers destroying her kart and leaving her at their mercy but this time things had changed though not in ways Vanellope could have imagined.
She looked at the pile of racers, seeing them so helpless and weak compared to Snake and his group. They all waited for her word, her motion.
But she could do nothing. She was far too scared, far too frightened to say anything and more than that-
What side should she take?
"V-Vanellope!"
Taffyta struggled to get back to her feet, running over to the girl "CALL IT OFF!"
Vanellope looked as if she had just snapped out of a trance, looking right into the eyes of the frantic strawberry girl.
"W-What, HUH?!"
"CALL THEM OFF!" Taffyta shouted again "This-! This is goin' too far! Ya know it is!"
"But a promisssss issss a PROMISSSSE!" Snake laughed in glee, his followers chuckling as well as they watched the girl in pink scramble "He LOSSSST assss expected from the lot of you LOSSSSERSSSS! THISSSS wassss part of the deal!"
"Tha deal was no good from tha start an' ya know it!" Taffyta shouted as she marched back towards the group "Ya wanted ta wreck his kart from tha very start because ya couldn't stand it! Ya couldn't STAND seein' us have fun an' enjoy ourselves!"
"Likely ssssstory, BRAT." Snake spat back, turning up his nose "I knew from the moment I looked at thisssss heap that it wouldn't even manage to crosssss the finisssssh line. What more could I expect from a bunch of SSSSSSHODDY no-bodiesssss and a character SSSSSSSO pointlessssss that even the programmersssss didn't want to finissssh him!"
Vanellope once more felt as if she had been slugged in the chest; everything that Snake was repeating were words that the other racers had told her so many years ago. That she was nothing, that she could not do anything, that as a glitch…she was POINTLESS.
Snake and the others laughed harder and harder at the racers, encircling them to prevent any escape and to keep Ralph and the others from noticing what was going on all the while Vanellope was locked on the outside.
"Thissss pile of junk issssn't even worth the sssscrap that it issss built from!" Snake laughed again "It'sssss TRASSSSSH, jusssst like it'sssss DRIVER!"
"N-NO!" shouted Lumi, getting on his feet as he attempted to fight back against the group but they were far too many of them and they were much too big.
"I think the green glob is gonna cry!"
"CRY TO HIS MOMMY!"
"HAHA! He doesn't have a mommy! None of them do!"
Try as he might, Lumi did indeed feel the tears starting to flow as he looked around, no escape to be found as he and the others were huddled closer and closer.
"N-No…." Vanellope meeped to herself "NO! NO! STOP!"
"Lumi!" shouted one of the larger characters "LOSER LUMI!"
"LUMI THE LOSER!"
"LOUSY LUMI!"
The laugher continued, getting louder and louder as it surrounded the kids.
"SHUT UP!" Taffyta roared, trying to fend off against the crowd "SHUT UP OR-!"
No matter what she did, no matter how loud she yelled, she and the others were trapped, enveloped by the darkness and vile that had invaded Sugar Rush. Candlehead looked to her side, Lumi ducked down towards theg round as he sobbed painfully, the girl seeing his tears hit the ground.
"I-I-! I'M a racer! St-stop! No!"
"And now to get rid of this trassssh-!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Once again someone had stopped the reptile before he could hit the kart, his eyes opening WIDE to see a tiny candle-headed girl standing before him, her arms out to protect Lumi's kart and a look of pure vitriol on her face.
Taffyta was astonished, never seeing her friend look so angry before but Lumi looked the most surprised of all.
"C-C-C-Butt!"
"Don't' even take another step, BUSTER!" the girl said towards the MASSIVE snake "Ya touch this kart, you're gonna get a REAL taste of what Candlehead Hanabi can do!"
"MOVE OUT OF MY WAY, PLACCCCEHOLDER!" Snake roared out but the girl slammed her foot on the ground.
"NO! An' I'm not a PLACEHOLDER either, ya BIG BULLY!"
The snake twitched, eyes narrowing "What did you call me?"
"I called ya a BULLY!" the girl shouted again "That's all ya are! Ever since ya slithered in here, ya've been treatin' my friends like rotten banana peels an' I hate it! HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT!"
"C-Candles, get back!" Lumi called back but the girl was unstoppable, the fire within her burning brighter than the flames atop her head.
"An' tha way ya treat Vanellope too! Ya don't care 'bout here!"
Vanellope slowly pushed her way through the crowd, saying not a word as she watched the mint-chip girl stand off against the snake.
"Candlehead?"
"Ya pretend that you're her friend! That ya think she's so cool! Ya try ta sugar coat it but I know what you're doin'!"
Vanellope heart beat loudly against her chest, the girl hoping that no one could hear it.
"You're just USIN' her! You're USIN' HER an' Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph ta bully EVERYONE! Vanellope is NICE but you're usin' her ta be MEAN!"
There was a shared silence between everyone in the group, Felix looking towards the lot as he and the others tried to ward off the overly excited crowd.
"Kids?"
Snake glared at the tiny candle-headed girl, his cold blood starting to boil.
"Candlehead…." Vanellope said to herself, stunned by what she had heard "Do…do ya really think th-?"
"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF FILTH!"
Snake reached down and grabbed Candlehead with his sharp claws against her face, the girl screaming.
"C-BUTT!"
"CANDLEHEAD!"
"You want to protect thissss kart ssssso badly?" the snake hissed, Candlehead kicking his hold "THEN TAKE IT!"
Time felt as if had slowed down around the racers, Lumi, Taffyta, and Vanellope looking as they watched Snake SLAM Candlehead down towards the ground. All three of the racers tried to run, tried to glitch, tried to jump to prevent what happened next but they were all too slow, all unable to save her.
Candlehead was thrown right into the front of the kart with TREMENDOUS force, everyone hearing her body make impact with the hard candy shell with a THUD, her body hitting the side of the door HARD before landing right at the feet of Lumi.
"CANDLEHEAD!" the boy cried out "OH-! OH MY GOBS, CANDLEHEAD!"
The candy racers looked down, the audience around them still glaring down at them as they rushed to their fallen partner.
"Candlehead, say somethin'!" begged Taffyta, hope coming to her once she saw the girl stir and move.
But they had not seen the damage.
A massive gash cut straight through the girl's forehead, another deep line going across her cheek, her hands scratched and blood slowly rolling down her pink skin. Taffyta felt her breath escape her, the sight of her best friend injured so horribly looking her right in the face.
Vanellope paled, her knees weakening underneath her as she glitched once more.
"C-Candlehead?!"
The girl said nothing but it was clear to everyone what was about to happen next. The pain was growing, the girl feeling the warm trickle of blood and the sharp sting of the cuts and bruises on her body.
"heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-"
Her face wrinkled up, her eyes glossed over.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The dam had finally broken and Candlehead erupted into tears, the girl not knowing what to do as she lay in a heap of pain, tears mixing with the dirt and blood on her face.
"No! Candlehead, it's gonna be okay!" Taffyta shouted, not sure what to do but then she looked over, Vanellope running away from the sight as fast as she could.
Why?
Of all the times the group needed a leader….she had left them.
"AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"
Snake let out a terrible guffaw, he and the others cackling at the broken girl before them.
"Well, perhapssss we HAVE found a usssse for you lot now!"
Snake slithered over to the group, crushing Candlehead's cap under his weight. The very sight of it made Taffyta's anger reach new heights, wanting nothing more than to break the reptile as he had broken her friend, Candlehead still crying loudly as she huddled next to the strawberry racer.
But then Lumi saw it.
In Snake's arrogance he did not notice that some of the cake girl's Seeker hoard had fallen from her cap, the colorful orbs rolling about on the ground. The boy spotted one, just one and he knew what to do.
"And now, before I was RUDELY interrupted…." Snake smiled, gearing up to wreck the kart "LET'SSSS-!"
PIXIE POWER POWDER!
The boy acted as fast as he could, grabbing onto one of the orbs and HURLING it to the ground, the ball erupting and activing upon impact.
"AURGH! WHAT-?!"
Snake and the others were blinded by the massive cloud of Pixie Stix powder, his throat burning and his eyes watering.
"What was-?!"
He looked around, finding that the racers, along with the kart had disappeared.
"How could they-?!"
"Ralph, let's go!"
Snake turned, rubbing his burning eyes and seeing Vanellope trying with all her might to pull Ralph and the others out of the crowd.
"Whoa, kid! What's u-?"
"HOME!" the girl cried, her skin still very pale as she looked about weakly "I WANNA GO HOME!"
"What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do?!"
The racers had fled to their hide-out in the words, Lumi's kart resting near the tree while they all huddled in fear within the folds of the branches.
"We gotta help Candlehead!" Lumi said in a panic, looking over at the bruised and dirty girl "She-! Look at her! LOOK AT WHAT SNAKE DID TO HER!"
"AS IF WE COULDN'T SEE THAT!" Taffyta shouted in rage, doing very well holding herself back.
"I told ya we should have taken her to see Mr. Fix-It." Whimpered Sticky.
"HA! Are ya kiddin'?" snorted Minty "Even if we did see Fix-It I betcha that Snake Skunk wudda been loungin' up in the palace! Candlehead wudda been in danger no matter where we went!"
"But she needs help!" said Torvald "Tha only thing we have that could help with his much is a Sweet Heal!"
"But we don't have any here." Said Snowanna as she dug through the Seeker stash the group kept hidden "An' C-Butt lost her hat anyway, an' tha only other place ta get on quick is-!"
In the code room.
Once more the group were reminded just how low they were on the chain of command in the game, the code room the only place they could get a Sweet Heal without going through the pain and time of finding one in the wilderness. The only problem was that in order to get to the code room they had to ask permission from Vanellope and THAT was out of the question.
"UUUUURGH! DID YA SEE HER?! DID YA SEE HER?!"
"S-See WHO?" meeped Adorabeezle.
"VANELLOPE!" roared Taffyta, kicking a chair over "She saw Candlehead! She saw what Snake did to her an' SHE RAN! SHE RAN AN' LEFT HER LIKE THIS!"
Candlehead said nothing, instead turning her head away and giving a pitiful sniff.
"She knew what Snake was gonna do, she knew he was gonna hurt us…" the pink girl growled "An' she let him. She let him because she WANTS ta see us hurt! She wants ta see us like this!"
"Whoa, hold on a moment luv." Rancis protested "How…how can ya be so sure of that? I mean, even with some of he things that have come between us, what in the arcade would make you think that Vanellope wanted something like this to happen?"
"Do ya remember tha way she HUMILIATED us when she got her stupid princess status back?" the girl in pink hissed "Do ya remember her stupid little smirk, how she WANTED us ta get hurt?"
"That was a JOKE!"
"JOKE MY BIG PINK BUTT!" the girl shouted back "Look at what she's been doin' since she came back inta power! She's let a bunch'a JERKS come in here an' push us around, she doesn't do a THING ta clean up all the messes they cause an' when we try ta tell her, when we try ta warn her she IGNORES US! SHE IGNORES US BECAUSE SHE WANTS THIS TA HAPPEN! THIS IS HOW SHE WANTS TA GAME TA RUN!"
The group fell silent as they all cowered before the might of Taffyta Muttonfudge, the girl dropping all restraints.
"This is how things are now guys. This is how she wants ta game ta run an' she an' Ralph have shown us they'll say anythin' ta keep it this way."
"Taffyta, that's not fair." Said Nougetsia "I know you an' Vanellope have your differences but even this is stretching it too far."
"Look at Candlehead."
"I-I am but-!"
"LOOK AT CANDLEHEAD!" Taffyta shouted again "I don't care what anyone else says about how we treated Vanellope! Tha snot nosed lil GLITCH can't take mud but she can send her thugs to SMASH us! TO BASH US! TO NEARLY BREAK OUR BONES an' WE'RE tha bullies?!"
Something had truly snapped within Taffyta, the girl seeing images of Vanellope in her sights and her FIST sailing into her face, turning the buck-toothed smirk into a crying maw. But she knew she couldn't let the girl win through her anger. As mad as she was she knew she still had to outsmart Vanellope but she wasn't going to let anyone else get hurt again.
Seeing Candlehead in such a condition was painful because she knew SHE could have done more too. If only she were fast enough, strong enough she would have at least done something to fend off Snake. Even if she got hurt by him she would have taken it, she would have rather taken the hit than let Candlehead.
Because she owed the girl. So many years, so many times Candlehead had defended her, had reminded her that there was something worth racing for.
And she couldn't even protect her.
"We have something…." Said Jubileena.
"That will help with Candlehead's injuries." Said Citrusella.
"So let us take care of her." The twins finished, the both of them going to the medicine cabinet and getting their gear. Everyone watched as the berry twins cleaned and patched up Candlehead's wounds.
"This will help to disinfect the area…" said Jubileena "It's made of a special kind of fruit Cissy and I grow near our home."
"And this will insure that the cut will heal properly." Said Citrusella, patching on a bandage "It is great for treating wounds."
Seeing that her friend was taken care of calmed Taffyta but it wasn't enough to erase the terrible feeling she had floating around in her stomach.
"Has things really come to this?" the girl asked, sitting down "We can't even live in our own home anymore without people treatin' us like this."
"An' ta think that King Candy was bad enough…" said Gloyd, his voice coming out gruff as he looked over at the mint-chip racer "But Nelly? She's supposed ta be our leader. She's from this game. It almost feels like she's makin' things-."
"WORSE."
Everyone looked over at Lumi, the boy standing near the corner.
"It feels like she's makin' things WORSE."
"Lumi?" Swizz asked "Aw man, don't tell me you're gonna go on a rampage too."
"Since tha moment I got here…." The boy began "I've been told I'm not a racer, a virus, a placeholder….an' from what ya guys told me, Vanellope went through tha same thing but she was called a 'GLITCH'."
"Y-Yeah?" said Rancis "What's that got to do with anything?"
"She should know." The boy said again, his hands balling into fist "If she's this great leader that everyone keeps barfin' up, SHE SHOULD KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE!"
Lumi SLAMMED his hands on the table, scaring a few of the others.
"NOTHING' HAS CHANGED!" the boy bellowed "SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS!"
"What do ya mean?" asked Snowanna, rightfully confused "Always been like this?"
"I know what it feels like. I remember every single thing she's said to me, every single thing she's done ta me. An' even back then she'd hide behind it. 'Scept this time she's got an entire arcade an' one big stupid bad guy lickin' her boots."
"Lumi?"
The boy looked at the makeshift map that the others had pinned onto the wall. As their adventures had continued, and as Lumi had relayed to them more information, the outlook of the map had shifted, the group going over the old lines that Turbo had molded to reshape the land that was once theirs. Seeing it made Lumi all the more angrier because he knew, despite what everyone else told him, there was more to Sugar Rush than this, there was more to Sugar Rush than Vanellope.
Yet there they were, reduced to hiding in a tree house while one sat battered and bruised at the hands of Vanellope's 'friends'.
"G-Guys?"
Everyone looked at Candlehead, the girl wiping her nose on her dusty sleeve.
"I don't wanna."
"Don't wanna what, C-Butt?" Taffyta said, quickly going over to the girl and putting a hand carefully on her shoulder "Tell us."
"I don't wanna race anymore."
It felt like a ton of bricks had hit Taffyta, to hear the girl say such a thing.
"No, no! Don't say that!" the strawberry racer pleaded "We'll-! We're gonna take care of this! Tha whole gang will get things back in order to-!"
"N-No!" Candlehead whimpered as she turned away "No, I don't wanna go back out there! I don't wanna race because he'll be there!"
"Who?!"
"SNAKE!"
"But he'll-!"
"He'll keep comin' back." Lumi said "Because Vanellope's gonna let him. He won't stop because he knows he'll be backed up by her an' that Wrecker."
The game had turned ugly and this time it could not be blamed upon someone interfering with the game from within. Sugar Rush was rotting to the core and it was rotting away the further the racers strayed from each other.
"They're both bad guys…." Lumi growled "An' from what I've seen. From what they've done ta us? Bad guys can never be good!"
"Well, that was yet ANOTHER disaster."
"Uuuuurgh."
Ralph placed his forehead on the window of the palace, looking at the dark and sullied track. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself, no matter how he tried to sway himself the other way he could not ignore Calhoun's words this time.
The race was a disaster and it was only made worse through the interference of the outside guest.
"Did anyone see where tha rest of the kids went?" Felix asked, looking worried "I was gonna see if they were okay but as soon as I turned my head, POOF! They were gone!"
"Yeah, I noticed that too." Said Calhoun "An' I know that creep was gonna do somethin' ta that kid's car but maybe they rushed off before he got a chance ta slice it up."
"An' that's for tha best."
Calhoun looked surprised at Ralph, not expecting him to actually agree with her for once on the status of the candy racers.
"Scuse me there, Red?"
"Did ya guys see how everythin' lit up back there?" the Wrecker said, rubbing his chin in worry "An' it wasn't just Vanellope that got effected. Luni, Loomzie? Whatever his name was? Did ya see tha way he started glitchin' on tha track?"
It was rather odd to hear Ralph talking in such away about the race, both husband and wife expecting him to lay some sort of blame on the kids but it seemed that things had changed, Ralph finding himself dragged further and further into the mystery of the game.
"Maybe he wasn't kiddin'…." The man in red said to himself "But….but I was certain that when Vanellope crossed tha line, tha game was reset one hundred percent! Could it be-?"
"Games hold many secrets."
The man turned, Felix sitting calmly.
"It wouldn't at all surprise me if there were still many things buried deep in tha code of this place, things that Turbo tried his HARDEST ta keep from everyone, inside and out."
"Tha kid said enough…." Said Calhoun "An' some of his words are startin' ta line up. Tha missin' bits, tha track. Everythin' he mentioned can be easily altered if one knows how ta do it."
"An' Turbo was in here long enough to 'improve' things along tha way." Finished Ralph "But why now? Why? After everythin' we went through, after everything Vanellope went through, why now of all times is this happenin'?"
"Tha kids went through their own private hell too, Ralph." Calhoun said "Even if it doesn't seem as 'bad' as Vanellope, just take inta consideration what Turbo did ta 'em."
Ralph stood silent at the window, skin going over with goosebumps.
"He robbed them of themselves." The Marine said "Even if they still bullied Vanellope, they had sense of their own world, their own stories, their own code. All they knew was TURBO an' what he told them, what he molded them into an' what he wanted ta do."
"Sarge…." Ralph said in a heavy voice, sensing that she was really effected by what was going on.
"It doesn't excuse them from bullyin' her, it doesn't. But they COULDN'T fight him off. No matter what tha end results were, EVERYONE here as under HIS control an' it's somethin' think people choose to ignore because THEY don't want ta look tha fool either."
"What do ya mean?"
"Did ANY of ya guys know that Candy was Turbo?" the woman said, both Felix and Ralph shaking their heads "Exactly. NO ONE KNEW an' I bet tha same people who are bullyin' those kids are tha same people who were buddy ta buddy with Turbo, either back in tha day or when he was Candy. They just don't wanna admit. They don't wanna admit that they were friends with some lunatic an' they had no idea what he was doin' ta this game."
"So when tha truth comes out…." Felix continued "They try ta paint themselves as unaware of tha whole thing an' erase their connections ta tha guy. Blame tha kids for not fightin' back an' projectin' their own embarrassment on them."
"BINGO." Calhoun nodded "An' there's one guy IN PARTICULAR who's tha KING a'all this."
"I know who you're gonna say." Ralph mumbled "AN' Sarge, I'm just warnin' ya know. DON'T ENGAGE HIM."
"I'm sorry but suggestin' that a me NOW? After what he's done?" the Marine said with a growl "Tha only thing protectin' him at this point is that we can't pin any crimes on him an' since Surge just can't ZAP himself in a game-!"
The woman growled, slamming a foot on the ground.
"Scale crusted CREEP. Even if I never met Turbo in my life, I get tha feelin' this butt-hole is tha remastered version?"
"NO."
Ralph and Calhoun looked down, Felix peering at the floor and clutching his hands tightly.
"N-No….don't….don't say that." The woman said "Snake is….he's a hard one but even with some of tha things he's done, he will never, EVER reach tha scale of what Turbo has done ta people."
"Huh, I DOUBT Snake has tha prowess ta take over a game-!"
"That's not what I meant."
Felix took a deep breath, trying his best to compose himself.
"Tammy? Ralph? What I say? I don't want it ta leave this room, ya got it?"
The larger characters nodded, Felix taking the lead.
"I saw what he did." The man said "Tha way he treated people, tha way he treated a lotta folks close ta me…I thought I was helpin' but I only ended up makin' things WORSE."
"Felix?"
"Do ya know how long I've wondered, Ralph? How much I've wondered if it was because of what I DID that led ta Turbo takin' over this game?"
"Honey, what are ya talkin' about?"
"There was a time I stood up to Turbo…" the man said "Because I had ta protect two people I cared for, two people he KNEW couldn't help themselves but then…."
Felix shook his head, the pain of the past too much for him to take.
"Snake has been actin' horrible an' we HAFTA do somethin' ta stop him because if we don't, NO ONE WILL. But for tha life of me, for all tha code in my body he is nowhere near as ruthless, as heartless an' as manipulative as Turbo!"
Felix's words ECHOED across the hall, the thin man panting once he let go of the vice but he felt ashamed, going back to his seat.
"S-Sorry for shoutin' like that."
"Nah, ya needed it." Calhoun said with a smile, wrapping her arms around her love "I'm just glad ta see you're still in a heroic mood ta fight all'a this."
"Sometimes I just don't know." The man sighed "Sometimes I wonder if it would for tha better if I didn't help anyone at all. If I dropped this whole hero thing because I'm not one."
"Now that's somethin' YA shouldn't say!" said Ralph "Don't let those creeps make ya doubt yourself for a second, brother!"
"But Ralph-?"
"Ya ARE a hero, Felix! I know ya might think it but ya have helped me an' Vanellope so don't-!"
"Wait…"
Felix looked about, realizing that one head was missing.
"Where's Vanellope?"
A sinking feeling hit Ralph's gut, the castle eerily quiet since the group had returned from the races. He didn't say a word, taking off for the girl's room.
"Vanellope?!"
The door was open but the lights were dark, the man's eyes widening once he say it.
"VANELLOPE!"
The vanilla racer lay on the ground, breathing heavily as her body flickered and glitched. Ralph dropped to his knees and scooped her ip, her body so light and lifeless in his arms.
"No! NO! Say somethin'!" the man begged, the racer still glitching "Vanellope, wake up! WAKE UP!"