Chapter 20: The Time Machine
After what seemed like a long time, Vanellope began to open her eyes. She groaned a bit and looked down, and her eyes widened in shock when she saw that she was sitting in a chair with her wrists bound in glitch-proof restraints.
"Vanellope, are you alright?" a voice asked.
Vanellope turned her head to the side to see the Sugar Rush racers, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe sitting next to her, their wrists being held down by anti-power restraints.
"Guys! What happened to us?" Vanellope asked in surprise.
"I think Licortwist knocked us out." Crumbelina replied.
Vanellope looked forward and noticed Licortwist standing in front of the time machine. He turned around with a smirk on his face.
"Greetings, Sugar Rush. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Licortwist asked coldly.
"Not long enough." Nougetsia replied with a glare of hatred.
Licortwist approached Nougetsia.
"You shouldn't have come here, Nougetsia. You and your pathetic friends should have stayed out of my way, because if you had, you wouldn't be here." Licortwist said.
Swizzle frowned.
"If you let me and the others go, I'll probably consider letting you live once I get through with you." Swizzle sneered.
Licortwist smirked and walked over to Swizzle.
"Acting cynical are we, Swizzle? Of course, what should I expect after everything we've been through together?" Licortwist asked.
Swizzle growled and attempted to stand up with the restraints on his wrists holding him to the chair.
"Don't toy with me, you little runt!" Swizzle replied angrily.
Licortwist frowned kicked the front of the chair, causing it to fall backwards with Swizzle still tied to it. The Sugar Rush racers, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe winced as they watched.
"Swizzle! Are you okay?" Candace asked, worried.
Swizzle groaned in pain, and Licortwist grabbed the arm of his chair and pulled it back up.
"Anyway, I'm guessing that your wondering why I haven't finished you all off. That's because I'm only keeping you here so you'll stay out of my way." Licortwist explained.
"And we got everything we need to do what we want!" a voice said.
Crepe's eyes widened. She remembered Licortwist talking to Hannah, Mindy, Mark, Mike, and Tammy back in the junkyard.
"That voice." Crepe muttered. She then asked "Why don't come out and show yourselves, Forgotten racers?".
The Forgotten racers stepped out from the darkness of the throne room.
"You really know how put a damper on the mood." Hannah said.
Crepe frowned.
"Why did you guys team up with him anyway?" Crepe asked.
Licortwist nodded to the Forgotten racers and started typing on a screen that was on the time machine. As he did, Mindy turned to the Sugar Rush racers, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe, and she started to speak.
"I'll be glad to. We've built this time machine so we can enter the past." Mindy replied.
"You what? Why would you want to go to the past?" Gloyd asked in shock.
Before Mindy or any of the other Forgotten racers could reply, Licortwist finished typing and a time portal appeared.
"We're ready!" Licortwist announced.
The Forgotten racers grinned and walked up to the time machine.
"About time. Let's start this thing!" Tammy said.
"Agreed." Licortwist said.
The Forgotten racers stepped through the time portal one by one, and they disappeared. Licortwist turned to go through the time portal, but before he did, he turned to Crepe and walked over to her. He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him.
"How much are you worth, Crepe?" Licortwist asked.
Crepe became nervous.
"What?" Crepe asked nervously.
"Your hair? How much do you think it's worth?" Licortwist asked.
Crepe shrugged.
"I don't know. I like my hair, but I don't know what it's worth." Crepe replied.
Licortwist smirked.
"Oh, is that so?" Licortwist asked.
Before Crepe could react, Licortwist summoned the licorice pieces and shot them at Crepe's head, cutting through her hair like a knife. Crepe screamed and managed to get Licortwist off of her.
"Why did you do that?" Crepe asked angrily.
Licortwist smirked.
"Because I could, and also because I believe that you are also a Forgotten racer, but you chose not to join me." Licortwist replied.
Crepe's eyes widened and she stared down at the ground in shock. Meanwhile, Licortwist smirked and went over to the time machine. He got onto the licorice pieces and started swarming towards the time portal.
"Hey, wait!" Vanellope screamed.
But it was already too late. Licortwist rode the wave of licorice pieces straight into the time portal while laughing maniacally. Once he was gone, Vanellope turned her head around to see Crepe.
"Crepe, are you okay?" Vanellope asked in concern.
Although Crepe still looked surprised and emotionally hurt, she looked at Vanellope and forced a smile on her face.
"Don't worry, Vanellope, I'm fine." Crepe replied.
Snowanna began trying to struggle her wrists out of the restraints.
"We got to find a way out of here before Licortwist and the Forgotten racers mess with the past." Snowanna said.
"How are we going to do that, Snow? In case if you don't remember, we're stuck here!" Toxika bitterly asked.
Before Snowanna could reply, the door to the throne room slammed open and Sticky and Cinndon ran in. Behind them were Cindy and Gary.
"Guys!" Sticky exclaimed.
Sticky, Cinndon, Cindy, and Gary freed the Sugar Rush racers, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe from their restraints.
"Are you alright?" Cinndon asked.
The Sugar Rush racers, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe nodded.
"Yeah, we're alright. But Licortwist and the Forgotten racers built a time machine, and they've used it to enter the past." Rancis replied.
Sticky, Cinndon, Cindy, and Gary became confused.
"The Forgotten what?" Gary asked.
Vanellope shook her head.
"We'll explain that later. Right now, we need to use the time machine to follow them." Vanellope replied.