Chapter one

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter…

Two things I'd like to tell you quickly:

One, I have a poll on my profile that I'd love some votes for!

And two, I've started a sugar rush ask blog on tumblr! It's called ask the sugar rush racers. You should be able to find it at this link: www. tumblr blog/askthesugarrushracers. Spaces before and after tumblr have to be removed. Go have a look!

Vanellope picked her way over fallen branches, moving in and out of the trees aimlessly. She reached a rather large tree, and began to climb. She'd gotten very good at climbing over the years, with several of her hideouts being in the tall candy canes that were her home.

She reached the top in a matter of minutes, and leant against it, staring out at the landscape. She could see the castle in the distance, and even further than that the track. She sighed. It had been a long time since she'd visited the main town...

But no. There was no point. Nothing in her life really seemed to have a point. Sometimes she wondered why she existed - why would they program her, a racer, without a kart or even a home? She flickered sadly. And then there was this dastardly pixlexia. She wished she'd never developed it. It only made her more of an outcast.

She sighed again, and jumped onto a branch above her. It flickered and disappeared. Damn those double stripes! With a yell, she fell through the trees, bumping this way and that, until she finally hit one big branch on the head and blacked out.

The last thing she remembered, as she continued to fall, was seeing a glimmer of movement in the tree above her. Then, her eyes closed.

When she awoke, she was lying in something soft. She reclined in the warmth for a second or two - she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this comfortable. Her visits to the castle had diminished to nothing over the years.

Then, her common sense woke up. What was she doing in a bed? She passed out in the forest! She sat up immediately, and looked around.

She was in a smallish bedroom, with slanted walls on two sides. She must be in the attic room. She could see the rain hitting the window panes, and the door was open to reveal stairs going down. It was plainly furnished, with a small armchair in the left corner near the door and a chest of drawers in the right. The bed was against the opposite wall, a comfy sponge cake one with a chocolate headboard. Ensconced in the pink sheets, she really didn't want to get up.

But she had to.

She jumped out of bed, finding she still had her same clothes and shoes, to her relief. She was just deciding whether to go downstairs (the more favourable option with the pouring rain) or leave through the window when she heard steps on the stairs.

She ran for the window. To her dismay, it was locked tightly, but that didn't stop her tugging at it desperately as the footsteps got louder.

A figure entered the room, stooping a little at the low door. They straightened, and Vanellope turned to face them, her back pressed against the window.

The man had pale skin and platinum blond hair. He wore a white racing jacket and white trousers, with a pink shirt. His eyes sparkled a bright blue, and he was what one could call handsome, were it not for the scar that ran across his face, marring his features. Currently, he was sporting an unimpressed, bored look.

"Well, you finally woke up." He said, stretching his long arms. If Vanellope was guessing, she would have placed his age at around thirty, but with this chibi game style it was hard to tell. He leant against the door, crossing his arms, and asked: "Now tell me - what where you doing in my territory?"

Vanellope stayed silent. The man rolled his eyes in a way that seemed almost familiar to the girl. "What, you a mute now? You kept muttering in your sleep, much more talkative then."

Vanellope swallowed. "Who-who are you?"

The man smirked. "Name's Raphareese, but please don't call me that. You can just call me Reese Muttonfudge."

Vanellope backed up even further. "Like as in Taffyta Muttonfudge? Is she here?"

Reese took a seat in the armchair, scowling. "Of course you associate the name with her, don't you? Never mind that I was the greatest Muttonfudge in a century, it's all about the current one."

Vanellope felt the need to clear her ears. "A century? We've only been plugged in for about three years!"

Reese rolled his eyes again, and Vanellope realised why she recognized it. It was the exact same motion and expression Taffyta would make.

"Don't you know anything? Backstory, kid. Backstory. Anyway, back to my question - what were you doing in my territory?"

Vanellope frowned. "Your territory?" She said, crossing her arms. "I'm pretty sure the forest is a public place."

Reese stood up and strode over to her. She shrank back in fear, but he simply opened the window and pointed to the ground.

"It's not a public place when you land inside my garden."

As Vanellope peeked out the window, she could clearly see through the beating rain the imprint her body had made in the grass as she fell. It was indeed inside the quaint little fence that surrounded the garden, which had been worked on devotedly.

"Look, I didn't mean to get in your territory, okay? I just happened to fall in it as I was climbing."

Reese closed the window again, the howls of the wind dying down. "Wow. No thank you for bringing me inside, no I'm sorry for landing in your perfectly grown petunias, no nothing. Don't you have better things to do then climb trees? You're a racer after all, aren't you?"

Vanellope looked at the floor. "A racer without a kart." She mumbled. Reese raised an eyebrow. "Wait, come again?"

"I wasn't programmed a kart. Or a home." She said, looking up at him. "So I've spent the last three years being bullied by the other racers and pin balling between the comfy beds of the castle and the isolation of the trees."

If she'd expected some sort of pity or empathy from Reese, she wasn't getting any. His expression became a little softer, and he said, "Well how about this kid - you answer one of my questions, then I answer one of yours." When the Vanellope nodded, he continued. "Ok, first question - what do you know about Taffyta? Do you talk to her?" There was an almost hungry light in his eyes as he spoke.

"Uh, not really... Like I said, the racers basically ignore me or bully me. I know she's a good racer, and seems to have a similar charming disposition to yours." Reese didn't seem to catch the sarcasm.

"Okay. Your question."

"What's your relation to Taffyta?"

Reese laughed darkly. "Technically, I'm her uncle. My older sisters are about five years older than me. But I haven't set eyes on the girl since she was a babe in arms. Apparently, I'm a disgrace to the family who they don't want to associate themselves with."

This just made Vanellope ever more curious, but unfortunately, it wasn't her turn.

"Alright then," said Reese, stretching out his long legs like a lazy cat, "Why were you in the tree, and why did you fall out?"

Vanellope shrugged. "I felt like climbing. I don't really do much for a reason these days. And as to why I fell out," she grimaced. "Double stripe branches."

Reese nodded, then rolled his hand. She continued, "So ... Were you a racer then?"

Reese laughed again. "I was the greatest racer on the track. At my highest point, I had a winning streak of one hundred races." He happily noted Vanellope's exclamation of surprise. "But then it all crashed and burned one day."

"Why? What happened?" Asked Vanellope, an eager look upon her face. "Nuh uh. My turn." Said Reese, shaking his head. "Now, answer me in complete honesty on this one. Do you want to race?"

"More than anything in the world." Answered Vanellope sincerely, a serious expression as she stared him straight in the eyes. He nodded. "Then I'll teach you."

"What?" She exclaimed, disbelief on her face but hope in her eyes. "But I haven't got a kart!"

"We'll bake one!" Said Reese, getting up and waking downstairs, Vanellope hot on his heels.

"But I don't have any gold coins!"

"You can borrow mine! I've got stacks. Jus pay me back later!" He said, grabbing a coat off a hook and tossing her an umbrella.

"But I haven't even got a house! Where am I supposed to keep my helmet and stuff?" She cried, catching the umbrella.

Reese finally turned to her. "That's where I'm taking you."

They walked out through the back garden, the wind hitting their backs and the rain stinging their skin. Eventually, they reached the fence, and, climbing over it, made their way into the forest. When they had walked about a hundred feet, Reese pulled to a stop facing an enormous candy cane tree, perhaps one of the biggest in the forest - in both width, and height.

Reese turned to her, the scar on his face stretching until it was nearly invisible as he grinned. "Welcome," he shouted over the wail of the wind, "To your new home." Then, he walked inside the tree.

Vanellope stood for a few moments, astonished. Then, she ran forwards, and stroked her hands along the bark. Where had he disappeared to? She found nothing but pure, smooth candy cane until on point, just below the lowest hanging branch, which was still taller than her. Her hand slipped inside, the surface glitching as she entered the tree.

She found herself in the hollowed out trunk. Somehow, the tree was still standing despite its inner core being taken, and the noise of the wind died down immediately once inside. It was quite warm, as well, just suited to her liking. To furnish this humble abode were walls complete with all around shelves, a small cupboard, a sponge cake bed, a little desk and even a mirror and coat hook. Standing in the middle of it like he owned the place was Reese.

"Welcome to the Reese cave! I own the place," he stated, waving one hand around, "but I'd be more than willing to let you live here whilst I train you. It's the perfect location as well - close enough for you to get me should you be dying, and far enough for me not to hear you! I like my peace and quiet." He stated sternly.

Vanellope could hardly believe her ears. "So you'd let me live here - no catch?"

"None at all." He replied. Suddenly, he was met by her small form grabbing him around the middle and hugging him tightly. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!" She shouted, then she proceeded to run the length of her new home. "Mod, it's brilliant!"

Reese allowed himself a small smile as she continued.

Maybe, just maybe, this would work.

Thanks for reading! Hope you like it!

This is Sticky (a.k.a Miss Wipplesnit) signing off for the night! Goodnight!