Chapter 23: The Final Battle
Cindy and Gary groaned after getting thrown into the wall. They heard distant calls for their names, but the words were fuzzy. But then the feeling of sudden weightless sensation forced the two of them to open their eyes.
They were hanging upside down.
Cindy and Gary tucked their heads to their chests to look up at the licorice pieces that were in two fists, holding their legs and lifting them higher.
"This is what happens when you play games on my mind." Licortwist sneered.
Gary tried to speak to Licortwist.
"Licortwist, we're sorry!" Gary said.
However, Gary's sentence came out slurred and hoarse. Meanwhile, Cindy struggled weakly and was promptly shaken. Licortwist stared at his parents and narrowed his eyes.
"I should be the one that's sorry." Licortwist said in a low tone.
Licortwist dropped Cindy and Gary. They started falling to the ground, but at the last possible moment, Swizzle flew up, caught them, and flew back down to the ground and set them down gently by the exit to the courtyard, so they would be out of the way of the battle. Licortwist growled angrily and sent a stream of licorice pieces at Swizzle. Swizzle gasped and flew up into the air, avoiding the strike. Toxika came up behind Licortwist and shot a root at him, but Licortwist smashed the root with the licorice pieces before it could hit him. Sticky threw a marshmallow orb, sticking together some licorice pieces that were on the ground and making them immobile for the time being. Damon held his hands against a couple of licorice pieces and used his mod abilities to make them glitch and disappear. Candace shot fire at licorice pieces that headed her way. Rancis spat sprays of toxic sugar waste at the licorice pieces, burning them away completely. Snowanna sent sound waves that smashed the licorice pieces apart. Candi and Crumbelina hardened licorice pieces into Caramel formations. Torvald created butter clones that smashed through the licorice pieces. Gloyd shot pumpkin bombs that blew up the licorice pieces. Nougetsia froze the licorice pieces. And Crepe turned invisible and punched through the licorice pieces.
Vanellope and Swizzle charged at Licortwist, avoiding streams of licorice pieces that were sent at them. Vanellope ordered Swizzle to shoot at the licorice pieces that were under Licortwist, and Swizzle obeyed and shot energy rays. Licortwist went tumbling down a bit before he was caught again by the licorice pieces that were left. Licortwist noticed the Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe taking out the licorice pieces, so he swept all of them, except Vanellope and Swizzle, off their feet with a tentacle of licorice pieces. Vanellope and Swizzle glared at Licortwist, and the two of them charged at him. However, Licortwist shot a licorice stream that rammed into Vanellope and Swizzle, sending them flying back onto the ground.
Crepe charged at Licortwist while staying invisible. However, Licortwist sensed her, grabbed some dust, and threw it at her. The dust covered Crepe and revealed her outline. Licortwist smirked, formed a licorice stream, and shot it at Crepe. Crepe noticed the licorice stream and tried to get out of the way, but the licorice stream hit her and threw her back. Candi tried to attack Licortwist from behind, but Licortwist heard her, turned around, and redirected the licorice stream in her direction. Candi gasped as she saw Licortwist reel the licorice stream back, ready to strike.
"Sorry it had to end this way, Candi." Licortwist said sarcastically.
Licortwist then shot the licorice stream at Candi. She closed her eyes, ready for her fate, but then someone ran up to Candi and shoved her out of the way.
"Watch out!" the person screamed.
The licorice stream hit the person instead of Candi. She landed on the ground a feet away, pushed herself up, and looked at who shoved her out of the way. Her eyes widened, while the other Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, who were now getting up along with Damon and Crepe, gasped. However, Damon and Crepe were confused because they didn't know the person that had saved Candi.
The person was clutching her chest where the licorice stream had hit her, glaring at Licortwist. Candi stood up again, tears falling down her face.
"Great-Grandma Abigail?" Candi asked in shock.
Abigail, along with both groups of Rugrats children, had arrived during the fight, and upon seeing Candi in danger, she had ran into the courtyard so she could save her. The other children were back in the castle, nervously watching the battle through a window.
Abigail looked over at Candi in confusion.
"Do I know you?" Abigail asked. Before Candi could answer, Abigail said "Don't answer that. That answer's not important right now.".
Abigail looked back at Licortwist, who glared at her.
"Your trying to ruin everything!" Licortwist shouted.
Licortwist sent a licorice stream at Abigail, who dodged it. He tried to hit her again, but Toxika sent vines and roots that smashed the licorice stream. Licortwist turned his attention back to the Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe, and he continued attacking them. Meanwhile, Abigail turned back over to Licortwist, who was up in the air again with the help of the licorice pieces.
"I've got to stop him somehow and help the racers... and whoever is with them!" Abigail thought.
Abigail ran along the front of Licortwist, who sent multiple arms of licorice pieces raining down on her, trying to make her part of the ground. Vanellope also came along the front, while the Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe attacked the licorice pieces that were holding Licortwist up, distracting him. However, Candi stopped distracting Licortwist and got to a safe distance. She looked back at Licortwist and studied him and the licorice pieces.
"I need to stop him." Candi thought.
Candi saw that one of the licorice arms was lodged into the ground in front of her. She took the opportunity to run up it towards Licortwist. Since Licortwist was distracted, Candi took the opportunity to jump onto his back. Licortwist growled and tried to get Candi off of him.
"You little brat!" Licortwist snarled.
Licortwist's efforts made Candi loosen her grip a bit, but it was enough for him to fling her off.
"Candi!" Crumbelina shouted, heading for her airborne daughter.
However, Licortwist grabbed Candi and held her in front of him with the licorice pieces. The other Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, Crepe, and Abigail tried to stop Licortwist, but they were held in place by the licorice pieces.
"You shouldn't have defied me. Here's your punishment for doing so!" Licortwist sneered.
Crumbelina gasped.
"No!" Crumbelina shouted.
But it was too late. Licortwist slammed Candi on the ground three times before dragging her across the ground for a bit, leaving a faint trail of blood. He then dangled her upside down for a while, holding her by her left leg. Candi glared at him before spitting at him in the face. Licortwist growled and decided to tighten his grip. Candi clutched her chest, wincing at the pain. Blood dripped down from her head and onto the ground below, and she tried to break free, but she was to weak. Candi glared back at Licortwist and then looked over at Crumbelina, who was struggling against the licorice pieces that were around her. Candi's vision got blurry and she closed her eyes. Licortwist laughed mercilessly as he watched Candi struggle with conciseness.
However, little did he know that Crumbelina had broken free from the licorice pieces.
"Let her go!" Crumbelina yelled, hitting Licortwist in the face with her fist while he was occupied.
Licortwist groaned in pain and lost focus, letting Candi go in the process, only for Crumbelina to catch her. The other Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, Crepe, and Abigail were freed, and they went after Licortwist. However, they stopped when Licortwist took out a remote that created time portals. He had made it after the Forgotten racers had made the time machine and before he talked to Jin, so in case if something happened in which he couldn't use the time machine, he made another time machine that he could use.
"You may have won this time, Sugar Rush, but I will get you eventually! And I will finish you off!" Licortwist shouted.
Licortwist used the time remote to generate a time portal back to 2108, and he disappeared through it, which disappeared upon him stepping through it. Once the time portal disappeared, the other Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, and Crepe ran over to Candi and Crumbelina. Peter, Kimi, the Rugrats children, the alternate Rugrats children, and the Confederate soldiers also ran up to them, now free because they didn't have to deal with the licorice pieces. Kimi gasped, took out her cell phone, and quickly used it to call an ambulance. Meanwhile, Crumbelina looked down at her daughter, who had her eyes closed.
"Candi, wake up!" Crumbelina pleaded.
Crumbelina shook her daughter, while the others surrounded her. In fear, Crumbelina put an ear on Candi's chest.
Nothing.
"Candi! Don't do this! I can't lose you again! Please..." Crumbelina pleaded.
Crumbelina, still trying to wake her daughter, sighed in relief when she heard the familiar sirens of an ambulance in the back of her. Everything after went in a blur, but she was able to have one last look at her daughter before the paramedics put her in the back of the vehicle, already trying to revive her. She looked at Candi for what felt like eternity, tears falling down her face.
"You can't leave again. I won't allow it. Please don't go, Candi." Crumbelina thought.
Crumbelina fell to her knees, the other Sugar Rush racers, Cinndon, Candace, Toxika, Damon, Crepe, Cindy, and Gary trying to support her.
"Please... don't die." Crumbelina thought.