Reviews :

Burgie : Aww that's sweet of you, thanks! Ehh, likely a little too soon to feel relief. Turbo does eventually end up walling up again, due to someone's loud mouth.

CHICKENM4N : Thank you! Sorry the gap is a little lengthy, but I'll figure it all out shortly.

chuckiboo : Thank you so much! Yes, Boss and Royal definitely remain on the outs for a hot minute, but Boss warms up to Royal a lot faster than Royal comes around, unfortunately.

Snake557 : It's all good, I appreciate it, nonetheless! I love Hungry Howie's :D I knew you'd understand my reference haha. Well, Turbo's used to the entirety of Arcade absolutely hating his guts, so even just hearing the fact that he's unknown by someone, anyone, is a shock to him.


*Chapter 14*

"Your highness, supposed delivery girls are here to speak to you? They have, erm... Sustenance, I believe," Stated one of the palace guards; a spikey-candied creature that reached only to about Ace's kneecaps, in height, though the lot of these guys secretly defended the palace's exterior with fervor.

"Thank you, I-I... I forgot to warn you guys, we just ordered a pizza, is all," Ace sheepishly smiled, him, Nox and the guard stepped into Sugar Rush's glorious sunshine, the kiss of a cold, winter breeze licked at their skin as they strolled, with purpose, across the main outdoor terrace. Ace cleared his throat and now felt a lump gather in his throat the second his eyes cast across the glorious tiles to the ajar palace doors, seemingly stretched into the wild blue. Ace straightened his shirt in a weird wave of tidiness and glanced down at the guard, "Certainly they didn't scare you guys, or anything?"

"Well, no, two mild-mannered young women on a vespa carting around lunch," The guard chuckled, his voice was deep considering how little he was. He wrinkled Ace a wise, old smile and gave him a cheeky look of understanding, "Certainly you two can handle it, a User and Turbo's brother."

"Did you specifically say to send delivery girls?" Nox muttered to Ace as both boys slowly separated from the main guard; as they crossed the beautiful, glossy outdoor tiles, they could hear the excited, nervous murmurs of the two delivery girls from across the way.

"Yeah, Nox, I asked for two of their finest delivery girls knowing full well I have a woman inside who is due to bear my two children in one go," Ace muttered through the clench of his teeth in whole annoyance as he eyed his best friend; Nox was entirely in stitches as Ace begrudgingly continued, "You certainly understand just how quickly Marble, Balba and Libby would have my head?"

"And your mother," Nox added on his finger, he looked up in contemplation and began to simply name off any lady of stature on palace grounds, "Uh, Penny, Vanellope, Lickity, Taffyta, TAMMY for certain-"

"I didn't ask for delivery," Ace interrupted in a now sharp whisper of frustration.

"...You wanted dijorno, huh," Nox geeked, Ace sagged his shoulders in defeat.

"I wanted to eat pizza in peace," Ace grumbled now underneath a whisper, and as they neared the two girls, both men straightened their postures and attitudes, "Hello, I'm Ace, uh... Thank you so much for bringing this all the way here, we were more than happy to ride into the city and pick it up."

"It's our pleasure, it's not everyday we get to delivery to the King and Queen's palace, of all places," One of the more extroverted girls stated in a cadence that was clearly forced into a mixture of cuteness and teasing coy.

Both girls were strictly Sugar Rush, with a gentle blush of pink skin riddled with almost freckle-like specks of candy. Amidst Sugar Rush's gorgeous landscape, it also had a few different breeds of humanoids, these girls, of which, were the epitome of poise and beauty. With colorful hair messily tucked into high ponytails, their typical uniforms, it was clear that said employee, on the other end of the phone, made his promise to send their best deliverers. Ace nervously put his hands on his hips, his masculine chest broadened as his shoulders dropped, a nervous tactic he pick up from his father, one of physically, though subtly, asserting dominance. He eyed Nox in gentle curiosity and nearly felt weird with the amount of shy giggling coming out of both girls.

"Thanks a lot," Nox eased politely, he put his hands in his front pockets and relaxed, though he eyed Ace in return and noted his posture, "So, what part of the city do you guys come from?"

"Oh, well Sarrif is from the East side, more near Cascadia Park," the shyer girl finally spoke; they both looked almost identical, though this particular girl had piercingly vivid blue eyes. She bashfully continued on, all whilst desperately trying to hold eye contact with Ace, "I-I live closer to the Northern end of the city, near the palace's borders, but we just came from work, obviously."

"I hope the guards didn't give you any trouble, coming in," Nox pressed, he gently lofted his gaze over his shoulder, to where three of the guards were now lightly mingling and conversing with one another, likely about the situation at hand.

"Oh, no, they... Just asked us a few questions, who we were here to see, and all that," Sarrif shrugged, of the gutsier girls, she coyly tucked her arms behind her back and glanced up to Sugar Rush's gorgeous, minty sky, "You uh... You boys ever leave palace grounds and head into town?"

"The nightlife is awesome," The shyer girl tried so desperately to conjure up solid conversation without blushing or looking off in cute shyness.

"Ah, well... I typically am a bit of a home body, and well," Ace rubbed the back of his head and contemplated his next move, somehow to let them down gently, though he eyed Nox in gentle curiosity and wondered if letting Nox in on his little secret, so soon, would be a good idea, "My... Fiancee is due with my twins, shortly, so I will be needed here."

"Aww," Both girls cooed at the same time; it was clear their demeanors shifted, and although they looked massively let down, they seemed genuinely happy. Sarrif was the one to keep the side-stepping conversation moving, "More heirs, then I guess?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ace eased politely; he was well aware he was due for twenty questions once him and Nox were alone, strictly by the look of subtle bewilderment Nox was eyeing Ace with.

"A-And I, uh... Well... I gotta keep Turbo company, then, I guess," Nox cheesed, he knew he should've likely mentioned Koko, though he figured, at this point, it'd be overkill. Both girls' expressions dropped to severe, stunned surprise, "Poor guy is having a hard time finding friends."

"... Turbo, like THE Turbo?" Sarrif choked as both girls figuratively sank within themselves.

"H-He's in THERE?" the shyer girl now looked wrought with terror, she pointed behind Ace and Nox and both girls glued their scared eyes to Ace for assurance.

"Oh, yeah he's in there, he's a great guy, I wouldn't worry," Ace rushed to their aid; they seemed to finally un-tense their shoulders, "Y'know, the whole lore behind Turbo was all just a big misunderstanding. He helped save Sugar Rush, and all."

"He did?" Sarrif questioned, they both began to ogle Nox in further assessment, having just learned that he was of Turbo's coded family.

"Yeah, he was Knighted by my grandmother, former Queen Vanellope, actually," Ace nodded, kept his hands lazily on his hips and sighed, "He's really funny, too."

"Well, that's good to know, what a relief," Sarrif put her hand to her chest and eyed her friend in a rile of conclusive happiness; they both nodded, "I wish more people knew about that."

"Trust me, Turbo does as well," Nox bobbed a nod, though as Sarrif began to unpack the pizza box from it's secure warming container, she smiled in warmth and turned back to both boys with both pizzas.

"Well, tell Turbo that if he's ever down at our pizza shop, he's welcome any time. One's on the house, even," Sarrif assured as Ace tenderly retrieved the pizzas from her.

"That's really nice of you guys, we'll be sure to tell him," Ace nodded, though he urgently began to fumble into his pant's pockets for that wad of cash Turbo had generously given, "Speaking of Turbo, he wanted to make sure you guys were tipped well."

"Wow, that's insanely nice of him," Sarrif stuttered as her and her coworker sifted through the bills, their eyes widening, "Tell him thanks, for us."

"We will, thanks again," Ace waved as both parties began to slowly separate, and once both girls got back onto their bikes and began to speed away from the palace's gates, on the paved path for them, Ace heaved a hot sigh he was holding in and gave Nox a disgruntled look of confusion, "Dang, I haven't talked to anyone outside of the palace grounds since we moved in."

"It shows," Nox grumbled as he crossed his arms, both men slowly sauntered back into the safety of the Great Hall, "Sooo, just when were you going to tell me that you proposed to Libby?"

"I didn't," Ace sighed, he shook his head, "I certainly WANT to, it just... Uhg... Requires a lot."

"What, certainly getting a ring is no problem Mr. My-Dad-is-King-of-Everything," Nox only teased, their quiet voices just barely echoed Vanellope's glorious Great Hall, one of the only things salvaged from the remodel.

"It's not money I'm worried about," Ace rolled his eyes as they both began to finally sink into the vicinity of the kitchen's long and glowing corridor; said kitchen was clearly bustling with busied bodies and voices of love and joy, every bit of it filled the castle with a typical lunch-time bustle. Ace shook his head as both boys slowed their walking and continued their conversation in a hushed tone, "It's more... Ritual, I'm worried about. I want to propose to her in such a way that reflects her Teltokuan culture, but... I don't know anything about it, naturally."

"She gave you knowledge through code swap, right?" Nox wondered quietly, they finally came to a stop together.

"Yeah, but I only know the bridal aspect of it because that's the only experience she's had," Ace shrugged, "Although Libby gave me all of my Teltokuan knowledge, I still have no clue what a man is to do for a woman he wants as a bride."

"Can't just waltz in and ask the tribe, can you?" Nox uttered through the grit of his teeth, to which Ace sighed and looked off.

"I had the idea... But, I think it's definitely something I'd have to save until our kids are a little bit older," Ace shrugged, "It's something I'd like them to be involved in, too, having that be a part of their heritage, and all."

"Well, surely Libby isn't anxious for a ring anytime soon, is she?" Nox wondered quietly, Ace shrugged and shook his head.

"Not that I know of, nothing has been said... We only swapped codes a few months ago, she very well may think it's all too quick, if I try and propose to her as well," Ace chuckled, Nox bobbed a nod.

"Welp... Y'ever need help getting in and out of her tribe in one piece, you know you can rely on me and the boys to help you out," Nox assured, insinuating Royal, Turbo, Zed and Oliver would drop what they were doing to help, as well.

"It likely will take an army," Ace uttered in a nervous, discouraged tone.


Having almost immediately left palace grounds, after Boss was reset inside Sugar Rush's code room, Lickity's sprawling wingspan soared her straight to Honeydew Ridge in search of Royal. The winter sunshine began to show signs of beginning to fall in the sky, setting the minty blue ablaze with an ironic, winter orange. Lickity felt a weird mixture of feelings; excitement, guilt, anger, sadness, confusion, her eyes trained to the glorious green ridge in the distance with a whole slew of anxiety. Honeydew Ridge, although peppered with a gorgeous amount of fluffy white snow, its vivid jade peaks still triumphed through the cold, glistening and twinkling with mystery. She was well aware Royal definitely needed some motherly care, right about now, something the two now had the luxury of in private.

After a small bank about the whole of the ridge, she was successful in finding Royal near Rancis's old cabin. Although his white scales blended in perfectly with the snowy ridge, the pops of gold and black, along his spine, made him stick out like a sore thumb. With a silent glide, Lickity did everything she could to remain unseen and unheard. With great success, she eased to the snowy field Royal angrily paced in; it was clear he had done a very decent amount of pacing due to the slops of chameleon paw prints, the slither of his massive tail, the snow even began to thin to dead grass, due to it. The second Lickity's paws crunched to the snow, however, Royal flung around in a hard sear of heightened surprise, sprawled his wings and let loose an intimidating snarl of riled emotion, though with the sheer sight of his mother, he immediately tucked away all defenses and sagged into himself like a sudden dollop of honey.

"Jumpy," Lickity barked a small laugh and stood proud and tall, a small show of parental dominance over Royal, something he immediately succumbed to.

"Defensive," Royal now begrudgingly corrected, he narrowed his eyes and situated his wings tight to his body, as if to somehow convince his mother he wasn't as previously frightened as he was. Although he was well aware his mother was as sharp as they come, and could see right through him, he looked off and finally ceased his agitated pacing, "What do you want..."

"Well," Lickity heaved a hot, long sigh through her nose, which caused a very long exhale of fog into Honeydew's frigid winter air, "Y'know, Orion gave me this really incredible ability to, um... User, what was it again... TALK, that's right. I want to talk."

"I'm not here to gab about your new boyfriend, mom," Royal grumbled in a show of now rising irritation that could so easily be seen as brewing spite and vengeance.

Lickity ceased her words. She knew full well she could simply strong arm Royal and make him figuratively roll over for her, by means of parental authority, though as she gave Royal her silent, undivided attention, she saw a scared, sad and confused individual, one who had fully come into himself. Although Lickity was used to treating her pup as just that, she saw a future father in the beast before her, someone who was ready for these mature challenges, and with the switch, Lickity sagged her wings and looked off in gentle understanding that she wasn't simply dealing with her small child any longer, and more so her full equal. One that deserved her whole understanding.

"Royal, I know I've hurt you by bringing home a mate," Lickity sighed, she looked up to Sugar Rush's gorgeous, cloudy sunset and recalled her's and Boss's previous conversation about the topic at hand, "Hot off the heels of Orion's death... I'm positive you're feeling as if this is all too soon and unfair."

"Congratulations, you cracked the code," Royal rudely side-eyed his mother, and although Lickity had a depth of understanding she was willing to give to Royal, it quickly turned to shallows the second she felt disrespected; with such, she tightened her posture a little and raised her large ears in a show of dominance.

"Excuse me?" Lickity's motherly voice went from tender to stern in a second flat, cueing Royal to let up on the snark immediately.

"Nothing," Royal mumbled in solid defeat; Lickity narrowed her gaze and tried to collect her now boiling geyser of frustration. She heaved another hot sigh through her nose and relaxed, though before she could return to trying to cater to Royal, he gently spoke up, "I-I just... Feel disregarded. I only just was able to meet my father, a-and then... He's just killed, right before me. Am I the only one who cares about this?"

"You're not, I guess... It maybe seems as if I'm more nonchalant about it all because, well... To be honest with you, I didn't ever know Orion, personally," Lickity shrugged, she looked off and tried desperately to recall that fateful night, long ago, "We swapped on a stupid, brainless whim, and... I don't think he realized his talking abilities would be transferred to me, because the second I started conversation with him, he immediately concluded anything we would've become and pushed me away. I didn't take it personally... It was a weird situation, quite frankly."

"Why didn't you stay with him? At least try and get to know him?" Royal begged in whole confusion, "He got you pregnant and you just... Left?"

"I was kicked out of Sugar Rush, shortly after, Roy," Lickity quietly and patiently corrected, and although she could swear Royal previously had all of this information, she felt relieved that the cogs were at least turning, now. The way Royal looked down in pondering humility, she was glad his tough scales were now softening, "I-I... I guess I didn't realize I was going into Dead Zed during mating season. I've never experienced anything like it, before. I gave birth to you during the last time I was alive during something like that, so obviously my attention was on you... Not finding another mate."

"I was warned this would happen, I guess... I didn't think it'd actually pan out, the way it did," Royal grumbled, though Lickity softened further the way Royal's masculine voice began to crackle with the potential onset of tears, "I wish I could've gotten to know Orion... I wish this looked different. He's the only part of me that's chameleon, no one else can relate to me in that aspect. Without that, I feel as if I'm sort of missing a part of my identity."

"Well... I can't sit here and say I understand where you're coming from," Lickity eased in dismay, and with the gentle cues of neediness Royal was giving off, Lickity ever so slowly began to step closer to Royal, in hopes of maybe being allowed to show him some physical comfort, "I didn't do any of this to bring this slew of issues to your life, Roy... I don't even really know what came over me. Boy, it hit me like a wall the second he looked at me and uttered words of confusion."

"That's what happened with Balba," Royal just barely blurt a small chuckle and looked down to his bow-legged chameleon paws with a small, nastolgic smile. After a few moments of gentle silence, outside of the crunch of snow underneath Lickity's carefully treaded footsteps, Royal inhaled a shaky breath and shook his head and a slump of defeat, "I-I never meant to hurt him, I just... Feel threatened."

"How? He's not replacing you, by any means," Lickity shook her head, "He spoke highly of you, inside Dead Zed... I warned him that he may not be welcomed, by you, at first."

"Great," Royal mumbled and looked off, though as Lickity's motherly figure finally came within his bubble, she gently tucked the wrist of her wing underneath Royal's chin and moved his skull to look her in the eye.

"He respected that... This isn't his first rodeo, when it comes to this kind of thing," Lickity mumbled with a loving smile as she shook her head; Royal sunk underneath her eye level and peered up to her in a show of tender desperation, the way his demeanor sagged in a slump of sorrow and confusion, his wings eased to the snowy ground underneath and big, billowy tears began to gloss his gorgeous, golden eyes, "Even when we reset him to Sugar Rush and reconvened in the code room, he had nothing bad to say about you... That lot is yours, Roy, and he respects that. If it'll make you feel better, he doesn't mind sleeping off of the lot, for your own sanity."

Royal long blinked tears down his white, scaly cheeks. A gentle show of secretive submission, he hung in his mother's warm, heavy care with gratefulness, the way his glassy eyes aimlessly soaked into the mess of velvety fur that Lickity's bat-like mane consisted of, Lickity knew it was in due time he'd probably appreciate a hug. Lickity finally huffed a small silent giggle, sprawled her wings in welcoming and did everything she could to close the gap. With as much strength, warmth and tenderness she could emit, she tugged Royal's upper body and head tight to the nook of her neck and chest, and much to her delight, he eagerly sunk into her care in a slump of now entire defeat.

"I'm not going to do that to him," Royal mumbled, as if he maybe potentially did want to leave Boss out in the rain, though knew it wasn't the right thing to do. Royal shut his eyes tight and shook his head in confusion, "I-I... I just hope no one expects me to treat him as my dad, or anything. He's not my dad. He never will be my dad."

"No one's asking that of you," Lickity confirmed tenderly, she rested her furry chin atop the side of Royal's head, where she could comfortably rest without laying on one of his spikes, "Maybe one day he will be a good male figure, in your life... The guy has a lot of life experience under his belt."

"He can live on the lot," Royal curtly protested through the nasally drag of his voice, he shut his eyes in annoyance he now was due to live with, until these hard feelings would eventually dissipate, "That's all I can handle, for now."

"Very kind of you," Lickity concluded, she was well aware this likely was going to be a hard transition for Royal, though somehow, she knew Boss's quiet, boyish charm would probably make Royal come around a lot faster than anyone anticipated.

"... What's his name?" Royal quietly pressed, Lickity popped open her eyes and now felt a pang of dread hit her fur. She swallowed in nervousness, and as the two pulled away, she grit Royal a toothy, sheepish grin of apology.

"Boss," Lickity only stated through the clench of her teeth; just as she dreaded, Royal narrowed his gaze and wrinkled his nose in a rise of further irritation.

"Was that his idea?" Royal dully argued, Lickity blurt a laugh and bobbed a nod.

"Actually, yeah, but it was an accident," Lickity giggled gently as Royal kindly allowed her to explain, "I introduced him to Zed, and explained that Zed was the final boss of the game... And just as he was asked what his name was, he was in the middle of questioning Zed's 'boss' status... Thus, answering their name question with 'Boss'."

"...Smooth," Royal's gaze narrowed further, Lickity rolled her eyes and laughed.

"It was not a calculated move," Lickity assured as Royal looked off in a twinge of irritation, though the conversation had clearly warmed him up to this fiasco, if just a tiny bit, "Why don't we stay here, at Honeydew Ridge, for a few days... Let Boss get acclimated to palace life. We can hunt and eat also all the rock candy you want, my love."

"...You sure?" Royal pressed in a pitiful show of curious defeat, "You don't want to be with your new boyfriend?"

"In this awkward transitioning period of meeting EVERYONE on the lot? No," Lickity choked an annoyed laugh and gestured her hand, "Maybe it's selfish of me, but... He's a big boy. He'll be fine. We'll hang here, gives us a few days to collect ourselves. We can head back together, and I can properly introduce you to Boss when the time is right. Deal?"

Royal finally bobbed a small nod, and although he was lukewarm to the entirety of it all, he finally eased his mother a look of gratefulness and sighed his end of the bargain, "Deal."