Chapter Twelve
Scars
A smoky, purple haze coated the ground upon which Vanellope was standing. It thickened, enveloping her in its chilling embrace. All around her, she could hear the sound of skittering legs.
"Hello, my dear," said a voice, almost radiant with joy. "You've come a long way, I thee. You've made new friendth, loved life, and tho on. Ah life, how I mith it."
"You're dead," said Vanellope, though her voice was shaky.
"Of courth I am!" said the jolly voice. "I'm jutht a figment of your imagination. Like the crawling thingth you hear."
As the haze cleared a little, the diminutive form of King Candy emerged in front of her. "Whath thith?" he exclaimed. "Your memorieth- I wathn't the latht one to threaten your life?"
A chill ran down Vanellope's spine as her old enemy placed his fingers on her forehead.
"Oh yeth!" he cried. "Him! I remember him! Nice fellow, he ith."
"You know him?" Vanellope asked, almost involuntarily.
"Thure I do," said King Candy. "Nice character- but wait!" He touched her forehead again. Sudden jolts of agonizing pain coursed through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to move her limbs, but it was as though there were heavy clamps around her wrists and ankles. The pain increased, and she could no longer hold back the tears of pain and fear.
"Just change your mind," said a new voice, disturbingly gentle in tone. "Just give up your visions of democracy, and the pain will stop."
"No!" Vanellope shrieked. She opened her eyes to see she was hanging upon a torture rack. Below her, there stood the black-garbed form of Dr. Despair. The villain's red eyes gleamed behind his expressionless silver mask.
"You make this so difficult," he said. "Just give up. You'll never escape from here. You might never even be missed."
"They'll find me," she managed to gasp out before more energy surges sent her body into further spasms.
"If they do, I hope they prove more reasonable than you," said Dr. Despair. He reached for a knob on the control panel to one side and twisted it. The energy shocks increased in intensity. Vanellope screamed.
"Well," said King Candy, withdrawing his fingers from Vanellope's forehead. "Look how he turned out. I never would have guethed."
Vanellope blinked. She was back in the purple haze, with the onetime racer still in front of her.
"Go away!" she cried. "You're…you're dead."
"Ith that all you can thay?" said King Candy, laughing. "Ath long ath I'm part of your patht, I'll alwayth be around in thom way- which meanth forever. I'm a legend Vanellope, a legend. And it's quite a Turbotathtic one, I mutht thay." He cackled and raised his hands. The fog vanished, revealing an assortment of giant candies- each with six cybug legs.
"Have thom candy, my dear," he said with another laugh.
The giant candies began skittering forward…
With a start, Vanellope sat up. She blinked several times before she realized she was sitting in bed. It was the last stretch of the night, when she took her rest before the arcade opened at eight o'clock in the morning. Slowly, her breathing returned to its normal pace. She glanced up at the clock. There were still three hours to go before the arcade opened.
Slowly, she got out of bed and strode toward the mirror. She raised her nightshirt slightly, revealing a jagged scar not far above her waist. She touched it. No pain came, but the memory of how she had gained the wound returned at once.
The clone's gone, but it's master…
A determined look came onto Vanellope's face. She strode over to her wardrobe and pulled out her usual outfit. When she had changed into it, she went to her bedroom door and opened it- there was no one outside. Slowly and quietly, she slipped out into the corridor. She threaded her way through the various passages, until she was out of the castle.
Making her way across the fields, Vanellope arrived at the wire entrance. She passed through it, soon arriving at Game Central Station. As usual, the Surge Protector appeared, his ledger in his hand.
"Name?" he asked.
"Vanellope von Schweetz."
The Surge Protector looked up from his ledger. "I figured you were in bed this time of night," he said.
"I can't sleep," Vanellope replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that," said the Surge Protector. "Destination?"
"Clash of Chaos 2."
The Surge Protector assumed a look of what Vanellope guessed was surprise. She was right, for his next words were: "Clash of Chaos 2? Are you sure that's…er…wise?"
"You heard me," Vanellope replied firmly "I said Clash of Chaos 2."
"As you wish," said the Surge Protector, shaking his head. "Are you carrying anything?"
"Nothing," said Vanellope.
"You should have taken an energy shield or something," said the Surge Protector. "Anything to report?"
"Nope."
"Alright, you're free to go," said the Surge Protector. "Stay safe." He vanished from sight and Vanellope continued on her way.
Game Central Station was short on traffic at this time of the night. Most of the characters were within their own games, or over at Tapper's sharing pints and anecdotes. The few characters who were passing by gave her nods of recognition. But it wasn't until she reached the wire entrance to Clash of Chaos 2 that she began to receive any stares.
No turning back now she told herself as she passed into the wire.
The carts were waiting at the end of the track. Climbing into the nearest one, Vanellope threw its switch. In moments, it was gliding at a smooth clip down the track towards the large circular door she remembered all too well.
The cart came to a stop before the threshold. She clambered out of it and reached for the door handle. Then, she stopped, hesitating.
It's not too late to turn back.
And then she remembered the nightmare- the third one she'd had, and the most disturbing yet. But one part stood out among everything else. One thing King Candy had said imprinted itself firmly in her mind
"Him! I remember him!"
Resolution in her eyes, she grasped the handle and opened the door.