*Chapter 37*

"Here, Lickity," Tessa called; she placed her hands on her hips and gazed out to the sun kissed, afternoon sky.

She was dressed in a orange tank top and her usual racing pants. Her auburn hair was tucked back into a long, low ponytail that cascaded down her back. After her first day back at Academy, she had bravely left Lickity in her new home. Rancis had kindly offered the sprawl and entirety of his beautiful, looming trees and gardens for Tessa's new dragon companion to live in, so long as she didn't destroy anything or eat any of his flowers. With one simple reprogramming, finger swipe, they had made an invisible barrier to dome over the entirety of Rancis's garden, so that Lickity couldn't get out. Tessa crossed her arms and beamed a wide smile once she saw her new friend largely sprawl it's wings and emerge from a few trees far off in the distance. As if she were practically a cloud, she gently glided from her perch, across the stretch of green, candy grass of Rancis's domain. She bellowed a soft, happy noise as she neared; she flapped her wings quickly as she came down to the ground, though she gently trot up to her new owner and instantly nudged her snout into Tessa's center, like usual.

"Hey, girl," Tessa breathed as she largely rubbed her snout and the top of her head, "You miss me?"

Lickity let out a chuff of a breath and lay her ears flat, as if to reciprocate the endearing feeling; she closed her large, green eyes and shook her body a little, to rid herself of a few leaves that clung to her fur along her spine. Tessa idly glanced at the saddle on her back and furrowed her eyebrows. As tenderly as she could, she tucked both her hands underneath her dragon's chin and brought Lickity's head up. As if the pit of her was scared for befriending such a huge beast, she flinched lightly as she finally braved her swelling heart and leaned down to place a smooch on Lickity's snout.

"Yeah, I'missed you too," Tessa mumbled kindly with a wide smile, she scratched underneath Lickity's chin and chuckled, "I'll leave you with Zane tomorrow. I think he got lonely without you."

"First day alone in my garden, and she didn't destroy anything," Rancis suddenly chimed, albeit in a quiet tone with a soft demeanor.

"Hey, Uncle Ranc," Tessa's smile widened as she glanced over her shoulder; Rancis was dressed in a comfortable tank, though he still wore his dusty racing pants.

"Hey," Rancis eased softly as he approached Tessa's side; Lickity's whole snout wrinkled over and over, as if to get a good smell of the new figure before her. Rancis breathed a small laugh and held his steady hand out. Before too much time passed, Lickity finally allowed him to pet her, "How was Academy?"

"Ah, it was good," Tessa lightly shrugged, "Still sort of getting the hang of things... It helps to have Penny, Tammy and Emery there."

"Pretty soon, you'll be chaperoning Oliver right along as well," Rancis smiled as he shrugged his hands into his pant pockets, his dark blue eyes held true to Tessa's.

"That'll surely be weird," Tessa's eyes bulged, "I feel like it was just yesterday, he was born."

"Trust me," Rancis raised his eyebrows in a light pang of grief-stricken delight, "That's what all four of us say about you kids."

Tessa heaved a small laugh with a gentle smile as she gazed at her uncle, though she suddenly felt as if she was plopped in a new dimension with him. She lightly furrowed her eyebrows and welcomed Lickity's snout and gentle presence into her center, yet again, though her eye contact on her uncle never wavered. She suddenly could feel every single last thought of his practically billow over the edge of his brain, as if he was bound to explode if he didn't share everything he knew to her, about anything and everything. Tessa lightly side eyed him as he continued to stare at the ground. He opened his mouth a few times and inhaled a sharp breath every other second or so, as if he was trying his very hardest to find words to speak. Tessa long blinked once and continued to make idle, messy crop circles in the fur on Lickity's head.

"Weird that it was only last year," Tessa said gently. Rancis's eyes bulged lightly as he hung a small nod in his almost defeated demeanor.

"Yeah," Rancis hissed, he largely furrowed his eyebrows and set his eyes on a different blade of grass underneath both their bare feet, "I would say it was easier times, but... Ever since our upgrade, Sugar Rush has always been sat in a boiling pot of viruses."

"I thought I heard something about that," Tessa eased, though she felt her heart dip in a bit of nervousness. She lightly looked up to the sky, to ponder, "Y'know, Zane told me that he was around when Sugar Rush was going through a bit of a virus scare."

"He's Tammy's age?" Rancis wondered as his eyes finally met hers, as if she had given him reason.

"Yeah, about," Tessa gave her uncle a tender smile, though her heart swelled at the thought of Zane. She lightly furrowed her eyebrows and just barely shook her head, "I-I feel like there's something you all aren't telling me... Something, you guys really don't want me to know."

"No, it's nothing like that," Rancis said kindly through a sorrowful smile, though his eyes gazed back at his niece, as if he could swear this all was a dream. He inhaled a readied breath, though he faltered and lightly glanced back at the patio, in which lead to his wing of the castle; it was crowned with beautiful, mint green ivy and blossomed white, honeysuckles, "Y'know, we should really... Go sit down."

"Okay," Tessa said gently as the three began to mosey across the large field they had found themselves in.

Rancis was quiet, as was Tessa. She gently gazed at him in her peripheral and felt as if her footing, on this solid kingdom she had come to know as her own, was quickly sinking into sticky, molten taffy swamps. She shrugged a few fingers into the front pockets of her pants as the two made their way through soft, velvet grass. The afternoon sky was a honey pink, warm with Sugar Rush's hot, setting sun. The candy clouds boasted their pops of pinks and reds with the sunset, though dewy stars could be seen trying to make their great debut. Tessa idly glanced around the back spires of The Loft and her parent's bedroom; the sheer size of the castle had her nearly dizzy just looking at it.

She was surprised to feel Lickity's gentle presence remain behind her and to her left, as if she knew she had found a new home and a new family. She seemed perfectly at peace with practically being kidnapped from her home game; she seemed happier in Sugar Rush, though Tessa had to wonder if it would be too soon to code her to the game. She shook her wandering thoughts as the three approached the messy cobbled path that lead to the cozy under hang of Rancis's patio. She squinted her eyes lightly as a few lights had come on, warm bulbs that illuminated the area with a welcoming glow. Rancis lightly motioned to a couple of comfortable chairs; they slowly sat down, though Rancis seemed nervous. He sat on the edge of his seat and rested his strong arms and elbows on his knees. He cupped his hands together and nervously gazed down to the ground, as if he was preparing himself for this moment for his whole life. He inhaled a shaky breath, though he flinched once Tessa let out a happy laugh.

"Uncle Rancis, you're acting as if you're about to tell me you killed dad, or something," Tessa's laugh grew; Lickity's ears perked to her eagerness as she calmly sat down next to Tessa's chair.

"Well, make it your uncle Felix, and you'd about be right," Rancis said through a dark, though sorrowful smile. He shook his head and gazed down at the ground, though his eyes met Tessa's in a fit of nervousness, "Tessa... I'm the reason Sugar Rush is in and out of turmoil."

"What?" Tessa hissed with an almost annoyed smile, "That can't be r-"

"Listen to me," Rancis said gently as he leaned farther in his chair and tenderly reached out to hold Tessa's hands, warmly. Tessa flinched, though the two held solid eye contact, in which Rancis was thankful he had her full attention, "I'm telling you the truth."

"How could... That doesn't make any sense," Tessa shook her head and nervously gazed back at her uncle, "You're Sugar Rush's Knight... Mom and dad wouldn't have knighted you if this was all your fault."

"But, they did," Rancis breathed with a grateful smile and a long blink to his niece. He shook his head lightly and held his eyes on hers, "It took so long, but, I finally proved myself to them... I proved myself to Sugar Rush."

"I don't understand," Tessa furrowed her eyebrows, though she longingly peered after her uncle as he gently let go of her hands and relaxed a little, "You... You killed Uncle Felix? How? Why?"

"I wasn't successful," Rancis looked down, as if talking about it was too painful, "Thank User for that."

"Surely, it was an accident," Tessa glanced to Lickity.

"It was no accident," Rancis's voice was dry and nervous, "I was power hungry... I wanted the throne for myself. I wanted to get Ralph out of the game and out of order, at all costs."

"...You, you really did, try to kill Felix," Tessa repeated, though as if it had finally hit her skin; she began to feel her blood boil in a dwelling, protective surge that wanted to sky rocket to the Sugar Rush moon. She lightly furrowed her eyebrows, though her piercing glare on Rancis made him want to crawl out of his skin with how much it reminded him of Vanellope's powerful stare.

"Yes," Rancis breathed as he gazed into his young nieces's eyes, "What I'm trying to tell you, is... I was in my own game and I tried to take it over. Can you imagine how many idiots out there have the same mentality?"

"How... How are you even here?" Tessa suddenly said in a louder voice as she stood; Rancis flinched, and knew this reaction was bound to happen. He slowly stood as well and put his hands up, though he began to feel nervous. He knew Tessa's new, massive pet would protect her first and foremost. He idly glanced at Lickity and noticed her head immediately shoot up with the sudden outburst; her pupils shrank to mere slits as her large, bat like ears held onto any noise Rancis emitted.

"What do you mean?" Rancis wondered, though Tessa gestured her arm outward towards his garden and took a few nervous steps away, in a pacing manner.

"You tried to overthrow Sugar Rush, you tried to kill my uncle, and rid my dad of the game," Tessa almost laughed and shook her head, though she quickly peered back at Rancis and squinted her eyes, "How in the hell are you allowed in this castle?"

"I don't even know, sometimes," Rancis chuckled as he glanced back at his wing, though he quickly took a step closer to his niece, "It was hard work, and... One, hard reset and a long, grueling trail later, and they knighted me. It sort of helped that Taffyta took me under her wing."

"How could they possibly forgive you?" Tessa hissed, "If Tammy ever tried to kill Oliver, I'd NEVER forgive her. Even if she is my cousin! I know the meaning of loyalty, uncle Rancis."

"What do you mean by that?" Rancis wrinkled his nose and began to feel pushed; he knew he didn't want to loudly argue with his precious niece, though he knew the two were traipsing down a road they were somehow meant to go down. Rancis gestured to himself, "If there's anyone here who knows the meaning of loyalty, it's me."

"You!" Tessa barked, "You almost took a life just to have the throne... And now, you don't even HAVE the throne. I do! So, what, you gunna overthrow me?"

"Tessa, this is ridiculous," Rancis urged loudly.

"You going to try to kill me when I'm not looking, so the crown can somehow, miraculously, go to you?" Tessa took a step closer to Rancis, though she was surprised to see him ease a step back.

"I made poor choices," Rancis said as he finally stood his ground and gestured his arm outwards, "Everyone makes poor choices... I was lonely, I went mad. I needed some sort of release, and somehow, the idea of having the kingdom as mine would make me feel better."

"Well, I'm glad your plan didn't work," Tessa spat, she furrowed her eyebrows at her uncle in pure anger.

"Y'know what, Tess, I am too," Rancis retorted loudly, "Because if it did, YOU wouldn't even be here."

"I'm sure mom wouldn't have left dad over a fallen kingdom," Tessa sassed as she shook her head and crossed her arms.

"Well, you're oh so welcome, your highness, because of me, you have a kingdom to call your own," Rancis sassed back; he wondered just when Tessa stepped into adulthood with him, though he felt foreign arguing with her about mature matters.

"Because of you," Tessa sarcastically laughed, "Like you had help in making me!"

"No, but I sure as hell had help in saving you!" Rancis bellowed.

"Saving me!" Tessa repeated, though she furrowed her eyebrows hard in extreme confusion, "Saved me from what!?"

"Myself!" Rancis urged, though he heaved a hard, loud noise and whirled around to take a few steps away from the escalating situation. He gripped the hair on his head and muttered a few things to himself. Tessa raised her eyebrows in mild surprise and idly glanced down at Lickity; she looked poised and ready for action, though she was solid, her wise eyes held trained to the situation, just in case she had to intervene. Rancis inhaled a sharp breath and finally continued, "I saved you, from the monster I let into this User forsaken Arcade."

"Uncle, what do you mean?" Tessa hissed as she finally braved his presence, yet again.

He looked over his shoulder and slowly turned around as Tessa neared him. He let a gentle smile sprawl his face, after a few minutes of steaming, and he finally heaved a final sigh and looked down. Tessa held her hands to her sides and gazed at her uncle in hurt confusion. He nervously peered at her, after mustering the bravery. He shook his head and, as tenderly as he could, reached his hand up and lightly cupped her cheek in his strong hand.

"As Knight, it was my duty to do anything and everything to make sure the kingdom remained solid," Rancis said to her ever so softly. He tenderly stroked her cheek with his thumb and kept his curious eyes to hers, "That fateful night I tried to kill Felix, Ralph knocked me into Vanilla Lake..."

"Vanilla Lake," Tessa breathed as her eyebrows raised in a perk of surprise. They finally furrowed after a moment as she shook her head in shock, "I-If you're a bad person, the lake-"

"Turns you into a hologram," Rancis's voice croaked as he glanced about Tessa's face, which was practically rewritten with sudden knowing, "I haunted your aunts, mom and dad for months... I thought somehow being a forceful jerk would earn me a title. All it earned me was hatred."

"Mom reset the game on you," Tessa breathed as tears lightly billowed in her eyes.

"Vanellope did it because our game was taken out of Litwak's," Rancis explained softly, though his thumb continued to lightly stroke Tessa's cheek, "Once they were home, they did a hard reset, and... I came back."

"You were renewed," Tessa eased as her eyes locked on Rancis's; he nodded and heaved a gentle breath as he remained poised before her.

"Yeah," Rancis smiled a weak smile and looked down. He heaved a hard, silent laugh, as if that were hardly the truth, though he accepted it anyways. He peered back into Tessa's eyes, "My duplicate somehow persisted, as if I was merely a copy-paste... He called himself Radex, though everyone else really only knew him as 'the intruder'... Somehow, Radex continued to reek havoc on Sugar Rush... Just days before you were born, Radex stole you from the code room."

"I-I... My code box?" Tessa wondered as her tears finally billowed down her cheeks; she glanced about Rancis's strong chest and shoulders in a sweep of realization, though she flinched once Rancis pushed deeper into her presence and cupped her face in his loving hands.

"I don't know what I would have done if you died in Dead Zed, the other day," Rancis eased, though Tessa gazed up at him in stunned knowing. She raised her eyebrows and lightly shook her head. He grit his teeth and tried his hardest to force back tears, as well, "I-I... I would have felt so helpless."

"Weren't you helpless when my code box was taken out of Sugar Rush?" Tessa wondered as a few more tears slipped down her soft cheeks. Rancis shook his head gently and swiped her tears away easily.

"Not at all," Rancis exhaled a gentle breath and furrowed his eyebrows, "I upheld the duties placed upon my shoulders. I saved your life."

"How?" Tessa lightly shook her head and gazed up at her uncle in wondered confusion, "You saved me from yourself...?"

"I made the ultimate sacrifice," Rancis's voice croaked as he tenderly brushed away a few more tears that crept down Tessa's cheeks, though he tried to keep his own tears from escaping as well.

"Reintegration," Tessa breathed as her eyes dazed over Rancis's chest and shoulders, as if realization finally enveloped her as a whole. She raised her eyebrows in stunned knowing and finally braved his eye contact, yet again.

"I'm telling you," Rancis started deeply as he cupped Tessa's cheeks a little harder, "Please be careful about who you let into your life... It is far to precious and far too sought after to just be thrown around."

"I-I'm okay," Tessa whimpered, though she let her eyes lull closed in a fit of mild defeat.

Rancis finally exhaled a hard sigh and smiled lovingly into his nieces's eyes. As tenderly as he could, he gently lugged Tessa into his strong arms; he was delighted to feel her sink into his chest and wrap her arms around his center. She buried her face into his shoulder and inhaled a few nervous breaths, as tears gently soaked his shoulder. She shut her eyes tight and clung onto her uncle with shaking hands.

"I don't care if you have Lickity with you or not... You promise me you'll watch your back, in Dead Zed," Rancis eased into her shoulder through their tight hug, "That game surely has a few dark secrets up it's sleeve, as well."

"I will," Tessa meeped gently into Rancis's shoulder.

"I know you go to see Zane, but," Rancis trailed off and inhaled a nervous breath, "Just be careful."

"I don't think it helps that Zed is never around, anyhow," Tessa mumbled as the two lightly pulled away from each other.

"Oh, he's around, trust me," Rancis rolled his eyes, though Tessa gave him a confused look as she wiped tears away from her face.

"You've seen him?" Tessa wondered gently.

"From time to time," Rancis nervously glanced down, "W-we don't ever talk anymore,... Sort of a stone cold guy, if you ask me. I've met with him a few times to discuss the virus scares going around. He never really has much to say... It's sort of like he's erased that year of his life, from his memory."

"I wonder why," Tessa furrowed her eyebrows, "You'd think he'd want his game to be safe."

"His game is too new, I don't think he's as worried. Our game is almost two decades old, on the other hand," Rancis explained calmly.

Rancis tenderly held his eyes to hers, as did she. They stared at each other in new-found appreciation, as if the secrets of the universe had just been handed to them, albeit clumsily.

"I'm sorry," Tessa finally eased after a few moments of their calm silence. She shook her head lightly and glanced about Rancis's shoulders, "I didn't mean to be mean... I just got protective of Uncle Felix."

"And Sugar Rush," Rancis smiled into her eyes, "You're proud of your kingdom. I will be proud to stand by you, as Queen, one day, Tess. You will make a fine leader."

"Thank you," Tessa said bashfully under her breath as a smile finally surfaced, though she lightly flinched when Rancis reached out and tenderly gripped her hands.

"Though, watch your hide, Tess," Rancis chuckled and shook his head, "I killed myself for you once... I'd do it again, but I really don't want to."

"Fair enough," Tessa beamed true smile, once and for all, and squeezed Rancis's hands.

"You've got to be careful with your code, too," Rancis suddenly worried, though Tessa rolled her eyes.

"Uncle Rancis, you really don't need to give me a code-ed talk," Tessa laughed as they parted hands and she began to stroll over to Lickity, who was still patiently assessing the situation. She laughed and looked over her shoulder, "You should really save it for Penny!"

"Penny's not the one with a shiny, new boyfriend," Rancis laughed softly as he rubbed the back of his head, "You've got a father in your life to come down on any boys you bring into the castle, but you've also got two uncles that'll hunt them down if they do anything to hurt you."

"Are you insinuating that Zane is my boyfriend?" Tessa wondered with a curious, bashful smile as Lickity got to her feet when Tessa neared. She gently pet Lickity's head and kept her curious gaze on her uncle.

"I-Isn't that a thing?" Rancis wondered with a confused hand gesture and facial expression, though he was surprised to see Tessa shake her head and side eye her uncle.

"No, he's not my boyfriend," Tessa laughed, though her voice was laced in disappointment.

"Oh, I-I just figured since... y'know, you went to the dance with him and such. And you're constantly with him," Rancis shrugged lightly.

"Uncle Rancis, the day I have a boyfriend is the day the whole kingdom does backflips," Tessa giggled and crossed her arms, "It's also the day I become single, again, because dad will make sure no one after him is proper King material."

"Probably true," Rancis idly gazed away, "I know from experience when I say you'd have to pry this kingdom from Ralph's cold, dead fingers."

"Besides, I'm not ready to run this whole game," Tessa breathed as she peered down at her companion; she eagerly returned the eye contact as Tessa ran her fingers in dainty circles over Lickity's scales, "Let alone drag a future King into the mix."

"Well, whatever happens," Rancis put up his finger, "Make good choices. This game has suffered too many poor choices to have it continue to happen."

"You can count on me, oh grand poobah."