A/N: Hey guys! I posted a journal on my deviantART all about Phoenix Comicon, with pictures and such included - go take a look! My username is Vyntresser

Song Listened To : Zaleilah - Mandinga

*Chapter 63*

The next day came quickly, after a long Saturday of studying with Zed, Tessa was eager to stay in Sugar Rush for their typical, lazy Sunday, closed arcade day. She crossed the Dead Zed skies first, however, to pick up Zed. She knew this day was special, for one reason and one reason only. She wondered just when this day would creep up on her, and she was certain it wouldn't happen so quickly. The day before Oliver joins everyone at Academy was definitely long awaited, though Tessa knew Zed would be sad to be without his best guy friend. She wondered if all this new-found attention, Zed had been given, has lightly spoiled him, though he knew it was for the better, and was at least lucky to stick with Lickity for the days Academy was open.

With grace and speed, Lickity easily slunk from Dead Zed's outlet and into Sugar Rush's without having to land. Tessa and Zed lightly chit-chat their way back to Sugar Rush, and through it's long, winding wires. As Lickity's large, bat wings caught Sugar Rush's warm, summer air, she largely flapped and gained quick altitude over Tessa's future kingdom. Zed inhaled a deep breath through his nose and knew, no matter how many times he entered Sugar Rush, he'd never get tired of it's sweet, welcoming smell. His eyes scanned Sugar Rush's sprawling, sweet land, abundant in pinks, browns, reds and creams. With a few kind colors in between, the mint blue sky boasted all of it's warm, summer glory; with hot pink cotton clouds, Zed was certain this place was the closest to heaven he was ever going to reach. He easily tucked his grip tighter around Tessa and nuzzled his face into the back of her shoulder, as if to silently express gratitude towards her; his wide smile never faltered. He shut his eyes and let Lickity's calm flight ease his ever softening spirits, though it wasn't until a loud, thunderous boom was heard a little beyond the castle. The two perked up, as did Lickity's ears.

"What's that?" Zed wondered nervously as he pointed, Tessa largely furrowed her eyebrows and squinted through Sugar Rush's late morning sun. Just beyond the castle, in the thicket of candy cane trees, a gentle puff of a mushroom cloud could be seen rising. She felt her heart dip in panic, for a moment, before she finally slumped her shoulders and exhaled a noise of kind, knowing relief.

"User, that scared me," Tessa said as she had to remind her circuits to chill out, "I think it's dad... Sometimes he goes out to the forest, behind the castle, to wreck the trees."

"Is he mad?" Zed asked in a tone of light fear, though Tessa lightly glanced at him.

"Doubtful," Tessa chimed as she gripped the handles on Lickity's saddle, "Let's go check it out."

Zed raised his eyebrows in poised confusion, though he quickly sunk into Tessa's position as the two hunkered down to Lickity. Tessa chirped a kind few commands to Lickity, to cue her to speed up. Lickity largely flapped a few times before kindly bowing towards the ground, far below, and gaining a good, solid amount of speed. With taut positioning, Lickity's strict wings allowed for sharp precision as the three sliced through Sugar Rush's thick, sugary air. They quickly zipped past the racer's neighborhood and along the winding road that led up to the castle. Zed eagerly looked at the passing scenery, though he flinched once the three easily whipped past the thick tower that led to the Loft, as well as nearly clipping a few high spires of the castle. Lickity's exact precision was on point, she easily weaved through the light obstacles of the castle's reaching existence. They easily floated past Orion's tower and was quickly greeted with the opposite side of the castle, which was gaping green grass for about a mile or two. With scattered, beautiful trees, it finally dribbled into the thicket of candy tree forest, in which a plume of candy dust had risen from minutes prior.

Tessa exhaled a hard laugh as suddenly a few of the large, towering trees crackled with no effort whatsoever. The three quickly were rocketed into the left over dust and debris, which spewed everywhere. Lickity flapped her wings in a wild, confused manner as fine powder covered her fur and feathers. As easily as she could, she sharply banked and found a clearing in the forest, in which Ralph had destroyed. Lickity bellowed an excited noise and, with a confused thud, she finally found the ground with a rough skid. Her wings largely flapped about as her tail held rigid, to try and steady herself. She garbled a noise and lightly flapped her head back and forth. Tessa coughed a few heaves and waved her hand around.

"Beautiful landing, Lickity," Zed said sarcastically as he finally unglued himself from Tessa's back.

"Yeah! Throw a dragon in the mix, set the forest on fire!" Taffyta's voice suddenly hollered from their far left.

Tessa harshly furrowed her eyebrows and finally got a good look around. In the midsts of the crackled, destroyed candy tree stumps that hung around in a chaotic manner, Taffyta, Vanellope and Penny were comfortably sat on a single stand of bleachers that had been curiously placed; Tessa figured it was placed there via her mother, from the code room, as if they were merely watching a show. Tessa and Zed slowly climbed off of Lickity and, with curious eyes, Tessa peered in the directions in which the bleachers faced. She could see Ralph and Oliver standing a few dozen feet away, gently talking to each other. Tessa finally felt the gears turn in her head; Oliver was getting a proper lesson in wrecking.

"What's going on?" Zed laughed softly as he slowly strolled over to Vanellope, Taffyta and Penny.

"Hey Zed!" Penny happily waved and stood. She stepped down the one or two steps, got to the ground, and met Zed half way. She gently gave him a friendly hug.

"Hey Pens," Zed smiled as he returned the hug, he gently peered to Taffyta and Vanellope; he gave them a tender hello as well, in which they happily returned.

"Whatcha guys doing?" Tessa wondered softly as her and Lickity strolled up.

"Oliver is getting a wrecking lesson," Vanellope said through a mildly annoyed smile, she gestured to the two far off, "I don't know how well it's going."

"How come?" Tessa frowned as Zed and Penny lightly took a comfortable seat.

"Well," Vanellope heaved a soft sigh, "When YOU got your wrecking lessons, you were probably easier to teach. You understand the aggression of it all, the meaning behind wrecking and what it takes to truly wreck things into oblivion. Olly, on the other hand..."

"He has the hands for it, that's for sure," Penny muttered gently, Zed curiously peered to the situation far before them.

"He's so sensitive," Tessa heaved through a knowing, kind sigh. Her and Zed caught eyes, "I mean... I am too, but... I think I just know how to let my anger out."

"Olly has always been a hermit, when it comes to his anger," Vanellope giggled softly as her and Taffyta got more comfortable next to each other, "I think he doesn't know how to properly express it."

"I don't think it helped that him and I never fought, physically anyways," Tessa said lightly as she took a seat next to her mother; Lickity made herself comfortable on the first two rows of the bleachers they were all perched on; it croaked under her weight.

"I think he's just afraid to hurt someone," Taffyta chimed as she gestured outwards, "He wields a lot more power than any of us know."

Zed furrowed his eyebrows lightly and fixed his gaze on Oliver, who was stood with Ralph, far off. He wondered just why Oliver was truly having a hard time. He let his mind wash into the girls' conversation, they carried on with theories as to why Oliver was struggling. Zed inhaled a soft breath and felt his existence suddenly bubble with that same feeling of deja vu he was struck with, the other week. He tilted his head in gentle confusion and wondered just why these flits of memories kept coming back to him, though for some reason, he felt his heart go out to Oliver, as if he were simply the little brother Zed never had. He smiled lightly and almost wanted to chime in to the girls' conversation, though he figured he shouldn't butt into family matters. Everyone slowed their talking once Ralph began to make his way over, however.

"What's goin' on, bub," Vanellope chimed dully, Ralph strolled over with clenched fist, almost in annoyed grief.

"I don't know," Ralph urged as he stood before the group of five. He lightly gestured to Tessa's boyfriend, "Hey, Zed."

"Hey," Zed eased, though his curiously inquisitive gaze held glued to the King. Ralph shook his head and lightly peered back to Oliver, who remained at the other end of the clearing, he looked as if he was stewing in billowing contemplation.

"I don't know what to do... He's having a hard time truly letting out his power," Ralph said softly as he held his gaze to Oliver, "User knows that kid has the power... He's probably the strongest wrecker out of all four of us."

"Really?" Tessa harshly furrowed her eyebrows in surprise, though she didn't seem offended, "Even over you, dad?"

"Either that or we're on the same level," Ralph eased, "Olly's key to success is how well he hides it. Coupled with Vanellope's agility and grace, I know you two kids have a cleaner, more precise wrecking power than I do."

"So what's the problem?" Taffyta wondered softly.

"I don't know," Ralph shook his head and heaved a soft sigh. He opened his massive hands, which were lightly scraped with the typical candy tree bark, "I thought this would be easy. It was easy with Tess... Why is it different with Oliver?"

"Oliver is a completely different person," Vanellope reminded tenderly, "It was easier to teach Tessa because, chickie here, wears her heart right on her sleeve."

"That's not true," Tessa furrowed her eyebrows in mind offense, though her face turned beet red as Penny, Taffyta and Zed shot her excited, incredulous gapes.

"Aunt Taff, make more! I'm hangry!" Taffyta quoted in a girly, high pitched tone.

"I'm going to sock Selka in the face, he pisses me off so badly!" Zed mocked Tessa.

"I just want Zane to dance with me! Zane kissed me, I hope he does it again! User, Zane is Zed! I feel so special! USER!" Penny loudly mocked with dainty, twirling hands.

"Did she really say all that?" Zed wondered as he turned his attention to Penny in a bashful, incredulous way. Penny gave him a dull stare, as if to ask if he was kidding her.

"Since when did Tess turn into a valley girl?" Vanellope laughed, which cued Taffyta in as well.

"Alright, Tess, how many feet can you fit in your mouth?" Taffyta side eyed her bashful niece.

"I hate all of you," Tessa muttered deeply as she pushed her elbows to her knees, and her chin to her palms. She glared in the direction of Oliver and began to sulk.

"Cue sulking," Penny gestured, though Tessa shot her a daring smile.

"Alright, alright," Vanellope waved her hands around, she knew wrecking the limits of her internally fragile daughter was going to end in everyone being destroyed. She gestured to Ralph, as if to ask for assistance, "What should we do about Olly? What do you think he needs?"

"I don't know," Ralph heaved a soft chuckle as he slumped to the ground, before the first row of bleachers; that immediately cued Lickity to make her presence known to him. He exhaled a small laugh and shook his head, "Maybe Lickity can teach him. I could have sworn this would be easy, but... I guess Olly is just a different breed of wrecker."

"What do you think he needs?" Taffyta wondered softly as everyone continued to gaze out to him.

"A brother," Zed dared as he furrowed his eyebrows and lightly peered back at Taffyta and Vanellope.

"Great, lemme get right on that," Vanellope mumbled, though Ralph shot her a smirk; she covered her face in mild embarrassment as Taffyta nudged her arm.

"What do you mean?" Tessa wondered softly to Zed, though to everyone's surprise, he lightly stood.

"I guess I don't have any room to talk, because I don't have any siblings, but..." Zed rubbed the back of his head and peered out to Oliver in contemplation, "Maybe he needs an outside perspective, a brotherly sort of nudge... Mind if I give it a try?"

"Be my guest," Ralph gestured to Oliver, though he gave Zed a curious smile, "If YOU can pull him out of his stubborn shell, I'll give you the crown right here, right now."

Zed cocked an eyebrow lightly, though as if on a cue from the sass gods, he gingerly turned heel and began to march towards Oliver. Everyone froze in a sudden dip of dominance that was lightly placed in front of Ralph, though once Zed was out of earshot, everyone nervously peered to Ralph, as if to wonder just what Ralph had gotten himself into.

"I'll give it to you, Tess," Ralph grumbled in mild annoyance, "That kid's got balls."

"Get the crown, ready, you idiot," Taffyta muttered.