((New chapter uploaded! We're finally at the big race~))
Chapter 25
The morning of the the 15th Anniversary Roster Race finally came. All the grandstands are filled with screaming and cheering candy citizens who came far and wide to watch the biggest race of Sugar Rush and see the nine racers who will make the roster list and the winner of the prestigious Platinum Cup. Colorful soda fireworks fizz into the sky as confetti showered over the starting line where the racers revved up their go-karts. Taffyta looked at Candlehead and Rancis, her arrogant smile on her face; Snowanna and Crumbelina shared each other dirty, competitive looks; Gloyd is making sure his helmet stayed on, and the the recolors were bouncing with excitement.
Minty, Adorabeezle and Jubileena are the only ones who looked nervous. They hoped Swizzle and Vanellope will arrive soon, but they knew that if they appear right now, especially Vanellope, the whole stadium will be filled with chaos and fear just like last time.
"They better be here," Minty muttered under her breath as she venomously eyed King Candy (or Turbo, which is real name) on top of his podium.
"Citizens of Sugar Rush," Turbo's voice, in his King Candy impression, boomed all around the racetrack, "I have never been more happy in all my life to say that I am proud that everyone important is all here to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our game! May Sugar Rush continued to be played for another fifteen years!"
He briefly glanced to the board and saw that the only missing racers were Vanellope and Swizzle but he giggled with triumph; he can't wait to rub his victory into their disgustingly sweet faces before he personally executed them. He wished Sour Bill was beside him as usual, but his former assistant is now stuck inside a birdcage back at the castle to prevent him from escaping.
Turbo continued, looking down at the racers with a feigned admiration, "All of you are potential winners but only one shall bring home the Platinum Cup!"
On cue, a glowing platinum trophy cup materialized out from the pot of the starting line. It hovered above the racetrack, ready to be presented to winner of the anniversary race. Everyone oohed at how shiny and majestic the cup looked. Taffyta even dropped her lollipop and her eyes glinted with greed.
"Let the race commence!"
Turbo pulled down a lever and a giant red carpet rolled down right next to his royal kart. He happily slid down the carpet and into his ride. At the start of the signal, all the karts rocketed off. Taffyta's posse easily swerved around the other races, and leaving them in the dust.
Suddenly, Swizzle and Vanellope's karts drove into the starting line. Better late than never. Nobody even noticed Vanellope arriving since they're all absorbed in the race.
"You don't have to win, Vanellope," he shouted to her. "Just cross that finish line and you'll be real racer again!"
"I know that!" Vanellope nodded. "And I'm going to win!"
"Is that so?" Swizzle asked, smirking "Since this our first REAL race... you'll have to beat me first!"
He slammed the pedal and the Tongue Twister shot forward. Vanellope grinned and drove faster if she wants to catch up with the others, and prove to them that she's an excellent racer like them.
The other racers finally arrived at Gumball Canyon, the first major track of Sugar Rush Speedway. All the racers have to be extra careful whenever they reach a new track. If they are knocked out of the race, they'll be taken back to the starting line and race again. It was King Candy's original idea to make the Random Roster Race more challenging, and how nine different racers can be chosen for the game's daily avatars.
Adorabeezle and Jubileena avoid the rolling huge gumballs. Minty was about to drive into a sugar cube that would give her a power item at random. However, she was pushed aside by Gloyd at the last second, and he took the item.
"Syrup Puddle!" The announcer's voice shouted. Gloyd cackled with glee.
A thick, gooey liquid flowed out from the back of Gloyd's kart. Sticky Wipplesnit had the misfortune to drive into the puddle which made her kart slowed down just in time for a gumball crash into her. The three girls winced when they watch Sticky went flying out of her kart before they made the jump that leads them to the next major track, Cakeway.
At this moment, Vanellope came zipping along the Gumball Canyon. She was doing an impressive job so far, driving past Swizzle and the gumballs, and she didn't even glitched. She made a quick swerve in front of Crumbelina and stuck her tongue at the fancy dessert themed racer.
"Huh?!" Crumbelina's eyes widen with shock. "Snowanna, the glitch is alive!"
Snowanna looked back and tried to block Vanellope. Her attempt failed since Vanellope moved to the other side, easily getting past Snowanna's kart.
"Tough taffy, Sno!" Vanellope laughed before she catches up to the other recolors driving ahead of her.
"You're gonna regret you did that, glitch," Snowanna growled quietly as she drove into another sugar cube.
"Sweet Seekers!" the announcer shouted.
"Perfect!" the snow cone racer exclaimed. She received sort of shooter weapon; she giggled nastily as she shot three meteor-like candies toward Vanellope and the recolors.
"Whoa!" Vanellope screamed as she quickly drove out of harm's way. The Sweet Seekers hit Citrusella, Nougetsia and Torvald instead, throwing them off the track.
Swizzle finally caught up with the others and he was horrified when he saw Snowanna was trying to hurt Vanellope. She, along with Crumbelina and Gloyd are now chasing her.
"Hey! Leave me alone!" Vanellope snapped at the racers behind her while she tried to steer clear from the rolling gumballs at her.
"You can't escape from us this time, glitch!" Crumbelina declared.
Swizzle wanted to speed up faster but he didn't want to risk getting hit by a gumball and putting himself back at the starting line again. In his determination, he drove into another sugar cube and hoped for a useful item to help him stop the three racers.
"Power Up!" the announcer shouted again. Swizzle could feel his heart soar; it's time to show off The Swizz's special moves.
The Tongue Twister moved so fast, the surroundings around Swizzle blur. This ability, Rainbow Bullet, made him temporarily invincible against minor obstacles and his kart rocket down the track, leaving a rainbow trail behind it. Snowanna, Gloyd and Crumbelina were so busy tormenting Vanellope that they did not see Swizzle coming up fast behind them. His kart slammed against all three of them and threw them right into one of the gumball machines, shattering glass and spilling the candies.
"Wooow!" Vanellope stared with awe as the Tongue Twister returned to its normal speed. "Swizzle, that was so extreme!"
"Thanks!" Swizzle smirked.
Swizzle's jolly rancher fans back at the stands were jumping for joy while they chant his name. A few female fans even swoon. The candy fans of Snowanna, Gloyd and Crumbelina grumbled with disappointment however.
"We love you, Swizz!" the jolly ranchers squealed.
Vanellope and Swizzle hit the speed boosters and they made the jump from Gumball Canyon to Cakeway. Up ahead, they can see the large, spiral cake mountain where they will make the next jump to another track.
Meanwhile, inside the broken gumball machine. Snowanna was feeling disoriented and had bits of glass sticking out of her afro while Crumbelina was wailing beside Gloyd.
"What... how?" Snowanna mumbled. "Was that Swizzle...?"
"So he was a good racer after all! I'm impressed!" Gloyd said in astonish. His voice echoed since he got his head stuck inside a gumball.
Vanellope and Swizzle zoom up the spiral cake, finally catching up to Minty and others. In front of them was Rancis who was humming smugly and checking himself in the side-mirror every once in a while. Taffyta and Candlehead were not far away, but all three of them paid no attention to the other racers.
"Well, it's about time you two showed up!" Minty said as her two friends' karts drove along side the Veloci-Wrapper.
"Vanny, you finally got your engine fixed!" Jubileena chirped.
Rancis heard them talking and checked his side-mirror. He yelped when he saw a familiar kart coming up behind him.
"It's the glitch!" he alerted Taffyta and Candlehead.
"The glitch?! She's supposed to be dead!" Taffyta yelled, glancing back. She grew angrier when she saw Swizzle with Sugar Rush's enemy. How he escaped from the Fungeon she'll never know. She can't let them get to the next track. Then she remembered the cherries sitting along the edge of cake mountain and turned to Candlehead.
"Light 'em up, Candlehead!" Taffyta ordered.
"But... But, Taffyta, the others are still behind us!" Candlehead cried. She seemed hesitant to use her special ability against her fellow racers, even if the glitch is among them.
"I said... Light 'em up," Taffyta repeated slowly. "Do it, Candlehead!"
Candlehead stared at the strawberry and then frowned. "No."
Taffyta gritted her teeth and then slammed her kart against Candlehead's Ice Screamer, moving it to the edge of the mountain. The candles from her kart lit up the cherry stems.
"Cherry Bombs!" The announcer's voice boomed.
Taffyta's Pink Lightning then shoved Candlehead's kart off the mountain and everyone watched in horror as Candlehead fell into a cupcake below. She's unharmed, of course, and they heard her cry out, "My candle!"
"Taffyta, that was dirty and low of you!" Vanellope snarled. She couldn't believe Taffyta could do that to one of her close friends.
"Anyone who won't listen to my orders don't deserve to be on my team!" Taffyta said. She smiled nastily at Vanellope. "Besides, you should worry about something else!"
All the cherries that were lit exploded. Vanellope quickly moved to avoid the explosions, and flying icing and crumbs. However, she was glitching uncontrollably much to her chagrin. Adorabeezle and Jubileena were not so lucky. Their karts got hit and they fell off the mountain too. Only Vanellope, Swizzle and Minty were left.
"Grease them, Rancis!" Taffyta shouted.
Rancis nodded and sprayed the track with his secret weapon Fluggerbutter Oil. Minty skidded into the oi. She screamed as she slid off the track.
"Mintyyy!" Swizzle screamed. He angrily turned his attention to Rancis and Taffyta. They're going to pay for what they did to his friends.
Taffyta and Rancis laughed as they zoom into a tunnel, ready to make the next jump. Rancis suddenly found himself and his kart rammed against the wall of the tunnel by Swizzle's kart.
"Let me go, you talent-less barbarian!" Rancis shouted at him.
"Stupid pretty boy!" Swizzle retorted and continued smashing against him.
Taffyta rolled her eyes, ignoring the two boys and finally made the jump after much concentration. The two boy racers got so distracted with each other that they didn't notice something peculiar happen which not even Swizzle expected. Vanellope suddenly glitched in front of them, driving backwards.
Swizzle and Rancis both shrieked with surprise, as well as Vanellope. The latter made the jump and crossed the other side to the new track. Swizzle and Rancis didn't make the jump and they safely fell into the icing of the cupcakes. Vanellope stopped her kart momentarily and peered down.
"Swizzle, are you okay?!" she asked.
Swizzle's head pop out and he spat out icing. "I'm fine!" he told her. "I'm gonna be taken back to the starting line so I can start all over... Just keep going, and reach the finish line!"
Vanellope hopped into the Whipper Snapper and zoomed off while floating marshmallows tend Swizzle, Rancis, and the other racers who had fallen of the cake mountain. She sighed as she continued to drive so she catch up to Taffyta and Turbo who were now in the lead.
"Okay, I gotta control this now," she muttered. She swore to herself that she will never glitch again in this important race of her life.
((I hope I did a good job writing the racing scenes, but I did have a lot of fun writing this chapter. Don't worry, Swizzle will catch up to Vanellope soon!))