Chapter 8: The Trial

Later, Vanellope groaned in pain as struggled to open her eyes, which felt heavy. She felt a throbbing pain in several corners of her body, and her vision was blurred. She got to her feet, but as she did, she felt something weighing her down.

"Huh?" Vanellope wondered.

Vanellope looked down and noticed that she was chained to the floor in some sort of room. There were tight glitch-proof chains on her wrists, neck, ankles, and torso.

"Well, this trip isn't going very well." Vanellope muttered to herself.

"Hey, she's awake!" a voice said behind her.

Vanellope turned her body around and saw a man standing a few feet away from her, holding a couple of documents in his right hand. He had pale skin, black hair, brown eyes, and a neatly trimmed black beard, and he wore a fancy red triangular shaped hat, a dark red robe, and red boots. A door that was on the side of the room opened up, and Lemon Honey and five guards that wore bulky dark red armor walked in.

"Well, look here, boys. It's the so-called president of this game." Lemon sneered.

The five guards frowned at Vanellope and remained silent. Vanellope suddenly remembered Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika, and she looked around.

"Where are my friends?" Vanellope asked, struggling against her restraints.

Lemon smirked.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be joining them in a few moments." Lemon replied.

Vanellope's eyes widened in shock.

"You killed them!" Vanellope said angrily.

Lemon raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean that we killed them. They're in the other room. You'll be joining them in there." Lemon explained.

Lemon gestured for three of the five guards to take Vanellope away. The three guards unchained Vanellope, who tried to escape, but the remaining two guards grabbed her arms, while the man that was in the room yanked her ponytail, dragging her out the door. They walked into another room, where Vanellope saw Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika chained up as well, only they were in anti-power chains so they couldn't use their powers to escape. Twelve guards were guarding the doors and windows.

"There's their leader." a guard muttered upon seeing Vanellope.

Vanellope was brought into the center of the room, and then the man pushed her down with Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika. Vanellope glanced to her side and saw the others glaring at her.

"I know, I know, this is my fault. We should have turned around when we had the chance, because if we had, we wouldn't all be chained up and powerless and..." Vanellope started to say.

"Silence! You will talk only when you are spoken to! This is a trial!" Lemon snapped, startling Vanellope.

"When did you say this was a trial?" Candi asked, confused.

Lemon sighed and turned to the man.

"DiLicorice?" Lemon asked.

The man nodded and made his way up to a judge's seat that had been set up in the room. As for who he was, the man's name was Licor DiLicorice and he was Licorice Island's judge, as well as the man that was in charge of the island's security and military.

"Let the trial begin!" Licor announced, his voice reverberating across the room.

Lemon faced Vanellope, Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika.

"Alright, let's explain why all of you are here. We islanders have lived in peace ever since a couple of events back in 1997. For a long time, we've stayed on Licorice Island and have not tried to interfere with people outside of our nation. However, it appears that you do not respect these customs. And now, you have trespassed on our land like you owned it, so you will be held accountable for your actions." Lemon explained angrily.

Lemon paused and shut her eyes, taking a deep breath, and then she turned to Licor.

"You can do your job now." Lemon said.

Licor nodded, cleared his throat, and then shuffled some papers. However, he took a while, and Taffyta groaned at the length of time.

"So, are we going to get this started, or am I just waiting for you to open your mouth?" Taffyta asked.

"SILENCE! If you make another outburst without permission, I will personally throw you in the dungeon. And believe me, you do not want to go there. Is that understood?" Licor asked angrily.

Taffyta winced and nodded. Licor frowned and nodded.

"Very well. Let's get started." Licor said. He pulled a piece of paper in front of him and announced "Vanellope von Schweetz, Taffyta Muttonfudge, Rancis Fluggerbutter, Jubileena Bing-Bing, Minty Zaki, Swizzle Malarkey, Adorabeezle Winterpop, Candi DiCaramello Owens, Sticky Wipplesnit, Cinndon Sodagard, and Sylvia Thompson, you stand accused of trespassing and disrupting life on this island.". He then looked at them and asked "Do you deny any of this?".

Vanellope, Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika didn't know how to answer, so they remained silent. Licor grew irritated.

"Very well. Since the defendants remain silent and we can't decide what's really going on, I find the defendants guilty of both crimes, and I hereby sentence them to immediate execution. Justice will be swift and short." Licor announced.

Licor was met by much applause from Lemon and the guards. Two of the guards exited the room, and after two minutes, they returned to the room with a guillotine. Vanellope, Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika gulped when they saw the large blade, imagining it cutting their heads off. The guillotine was placed in front of them, and Lemon walked in front of the device.

"Okay, who will go first?" Lemon asked.

She placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully, looked at Taffyta, and grinned.

"How about you, strawberry girl?" Lemon asked.

Taffyta froze.

"Wait, what?" Taffyta asked.

Two of the guards grabbed Taffyta by her collar and began dragging her towards the guillotine. Taffyta tried to use her taffy powers against the guards, but the anti-power chains still disabled her abilities.

"This is outrageous! We only came to this island because we wanted to explore!" Taffyta yelled.

Taffyta was silenced when Lemon shoved a red lollipop in her mouth.

"Put a pop in it, will ya?" Lemon asked angrily.

The two guards shoved Taffyta's head under the guillotine's blade. But as they did, Vanellope stood up.

"Wait! Don't kill her!" Vanellope pleaded.

Lemon and Licor turned to her.

"Why not?" Lemon asked, narrowing her eyes at the president.

"I'll make a deal. Let them go, and I'll take their place." Vanellope replied.

"WHAT?" Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika asked.

Lemon thought about it and then turned to Licor. Licor nodded, and Lemon turned back to Vanellope.

"Alright, I'll accept your deal." Lemon said.

Lemon took Taffyta out from under the guillotine and pushed her away, and then she motioned for Vanellope to be taken to the guillotine instead. One of the guards grabbed Vanellope and dragged her to the guillotine. Rancis tried to help Vanellope, but two guards held him back.

"No, you can't do this! What will we do without a president? What will I do without her?" Rancis asked.

Lemon shrugged.

"I don't know and I don't care. You should have thought about that before you entered our territory." Lemon replied.

Vanellope's head was roughly shoved under the guillotine's blade, and Lemon walked up to a lever that controlled the guillotine. She put her hands on the lever and turned to Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika, who struggled against their restraints.

"May this be a lesson to all of you! Never again will you..." Lemon started to say as she prepared to execute Vanellope.

However, before Lemon could finish speaking, a voice spoke up.

"STOP!" the voice ordered.

Everyone, including Vanellope, turned their heads to the room's door, which had been forced open. Two figures stood in the doorway, and upon seeing them, Vanellope, Taffyta, Rancis, Jubileena, Swizzle, Minty, Adorabeezle, Candi, Sticky, Cinndon, and Toxika gasped.

"Oh my mod." Sticky said in shock.

There, wearing a golden crown, a fancy black robe, and black boots, was the king of Licorice Island, along with a woman that wore a black dress and black heels, who turned out to be the queen of Licorice Island.

"What are you?" Jubileena asked.

The king frowned.

"I am King Gary Hothead, and this is my wife, Queen Cindy Hothead. And this "trial" stops as of right now." the king replied.