((Chapter 5 is here. There are some mistakes I might have made, but I have been busy with tumblr and other stuff))
Chapter 5
Swizzle was sitting against his kart, throwing rock candies into a chocolate pond near the Unicorn Pop Woods. He watched the ripples grow and then disappear. His expression was blank and he could feel his soul crushing. His mind was filled with all kinds of confusion and bitterness.
He did not understand how he can no longer participate in the races anymore after all his coins are used. He still hadn't reached his potential yet, but it was taken away from him before he can show everyone what he's truly made of.
"This is all Taffyta's fault! And King Candy! And Rancis!" he shouted suddenly, counting of the names of the people he believed destroyed his chances of becoming a winner and a great racer. "If they weren't pretentious stuck-ups, I would have stayed being a racer! I would have won more gold coins and cups!"
He gets up on his feet and angrily throws more candy rocks into the pond, splashing chocolate.
"I'll show them all!" he said. "I'll show them that they can't keep The Swizz down! I'm still a racer, and I won't accept my fate!"
He eventually calmed down and tried to think; he has to find ways to become a professional racer again quick, before he gets further shunned by Taffyta and the others. He began to worry about his future, his dreams, and his kart… would it be confiscated because he's no longer a racer?
Then he gets an idea. Since King Candy won't lend him any coins, maybe he can persuade the other racers to lend them theirs. He's sure that half of the girls would gladly give him a coin in a heartbeat, and he would even beg (he shuddered at this thought) Taffyta to give him a coin if he has to forcefully and painfully admit she's a better racer than.
Feeling confident with this plan, Swizzle was about to get into his kart and find the other racers when he heard someone shouting over the other side of the hill, coming straight from the junkyard. He went over to check it out and saw the other racers, minus Taffyta and her posse, circling around Vanellope. The group, led by Snowanna and her own posse (consisting of Minty and Adorabeezle standing side by side next to their friend) seemed to discover Vanellope scavenging for spare parts.
"What's a glitch like you doing in a rundown place like this?" Snowanna demanded, her party girl sass evident.
"I'm not a glitch, Snowanna!" the dirty-haired girl said. "I have pixlexia, okay? And give me back those parts!" Vanellope added with a plea. Gloyd and Crumbelina had taken the spare parts Vanellope had found, and were examining it with disgust.
"This is the most horrible-looking spoiler I ever seen!" Crumbelina shuddered. "Mine is way fancier than this!"
"Are you thinking of making a kart, Vanilla Pee?" Jubileena snickered.
"That's a good one!" Swizzle couldn't help but chuckle as well. However, he secretly gives Vanellope credit for standing her ground. He continued to watch from his spot on top of the hill.
"What's it to you?" Vanellope asked them.
"You know the rules, glitch girl," Snowanna said, frowning. "Glitches may never, EVER have a kart."
Vanellope stared at all of them and glitching a little in fear when she noticed them coming closer, their smiles nasty. "Well, suppose I could get a kart? Then will you let me race, right?"
"You're just being ridiculous," Minty said irritably.
"Oh, Vanellope," Snowanna approached Vanellope with a mocking smile, "if you get a kart, we'd let you become a professional racer and even participate in all the future roster races." The Sugar Rush racers all laughed. "But you're not a racer; you're just an ugly mass of failed codes!"
Snowanna shot a pointing finger at Vanellope's chest, which made her image flicker.
"Hey, don't that!" Vanellope's eyes wide, backing away.
Adorabeezle laughed unkindly and began shaking her body, imitating Vanellope's glitching—then one of her arms slapped Vanellope right on the face. Vanellope's face flickered rapidly. She tried to make a run for it, but she's blocked by Gloyd and Jubileena, who began to shove her back into the circle.
"Where do you think you're running off to, glitch?" Crumbelina sneered and pulled Vanellope's ponytail hard which made the latter cry in pain. "Oh, yuck! I touched her dirty hair!"
"She's not dirty," Minty said with an idea. She then kicked Vanellope right in the stomach, pushing her into a chocolate mud. "Now THAT'S dirty!"
Swizzle stared in shock. He had bullied Vanellope before, and gang up on her with the others, but for some reason… seeing others doing it to her while he's one the side is making him feel uncomfortable. He wondered if he's always that cruel, and for the first time, he actually felt sorry for Vanellope.
"She's a glitch," he tried to reassure himself. "She's not normal like the rest of us… but she doesn't really deserve THAT."
"Lemme go!" Vanellope cried as Gloyd pushed her down while Minty tried to tie her leg with a long licorice rope they found. Snowanna tied the other end of the rope to Jubileena's kart.
"Hey, Vanny, you still wanna race? We'll give you a race! Start up your engine, Jubi!" Snowanna gave her the signal.
Jubileena laughed and pressed the pedal. Her kart began to move in circles around the junkyard, dragging Vanellope who is glitching crazily and trying to escape.
"Now THAT'S drag racing at its finest!" Gloyd laughed.
"HELP ME!" Vanellope screamed as she felt her body getting bruised up and further dirtied. Swizzle gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He can't stand to watch anymore.
"HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!" he shouted, running down the hill.
Jubileena's kart stopped and everyone turned to Swizzle. "Hey, Swizz, where have you been?" Jubileena greeted him cheerfully. It seemed so surreal that they are acting friendly towards him right after they bullied and humiliated someone.
"King Candy told us that you're no longer a racer," Adorabeezle said, her tone filled with concern. "We're sorry to hear that."
"Shaddup," Swizzle hissed. "Don't you guys think she had enough?" He motioned to Vanellope, whose body is flickering and trembling. "I thought you guys were cool."
Snowanna's mouth dropped. "Are you saying… we're uncool?"
"Swizzle, are you actually becoming this glitch's buddy?" Minty asked suspiciously, crossing her arms.
"I'm not her buddy, Minty, but I think you guys are going too far!" Swizzle untied the licorice rope from Vanellope's leg. Everyone gasped at what he has done. "If I ever see you guys dragging her like that again—"
"We get it," Snowanna rolled her eyes. "Let's go, everyone. The Swizz ruined our fun."
The other racers got into their karts. Swizzle heard someone whispered, "Glitch-Mate". Then they zoomed off leaving the two kids in the junkyard. Swizzle turned Vanellope, who was getting up on her feet. She was covered dust and mud; she looked like a broken doll.
"What are you looking at?" she said, sniffling.
"You're welcome," Swizzle grumbled, even though he really did feel sorry for her. "I can't believe Snowanna and the others could pull such a dirty thing like that..."
"Taffyta's worse," Vanellope snorted, trying not to look at him. "Come to make fun at me too?"
"I only came to your rescue because it was to pay you back the debt for saving me from that Nesquick Sand."
"Whatever," Vanellope wiped away her tears and wiped off all the dirt from her clothes. Then she went over to retrieve the spare parts that were taken from her earlier.
She turned to Swizzle, trying to smile despite still feeling angry. "What did Adorabeezle Winterpop meant that you're no longer a racer? Did you offend King Candy or something?"
"No, I don't have any more gold coins to pay my fee," he told her. "That means I'm out the roster races. But I'm still a racer!"
Vanellope stared at him. "Whoa, that means you're an outcast like me now. Sweet!"
"What?" Swizzle said. "No, no, I'm nothing like you! Unlike you, I'm not a glitch. Besides, I'm going to ask someone to lend me a coin so I can become a racer again."
"I don't think you paid attention earlier," Vanellope sighed. "You stood up those guys for me, and they think you're my friend now. I doubt they'd even let you come near them after what you did today."
Swizzle stared at her, processing her words...
"I don't believe it!" he cried, throwing his hands up. "First my coin chest is empty, and now I lost another chance for me to get me back on the racetracks!"
He turned to kick at a jawbreaker in frustration, but ended up hurting his foot. Vanellope laughed as she watched him hop on one foot. She got an idea.
"Uh, feeling better now, Sour Patch Baby?" she asked Swizzle in her sweetest voice.
"Not really," he replied, trying not to look at her.
"Well," she continued, "while you were throwing a tantrum, I just remembered we were supposed to make a deal when I saved you."
"Uh, no," Swizzle realized what she meant. "I don't make deals with glitches."
"Well, you're gonna listen anyway," Vanellope insisted.
"Look," Swizzle stopped her. "I appreciate how much you want to help me, but I can fix my problems without your help. The Swizz works alone."
Vanellope sighed with resignation. "Well, good luck with that, The Swizz. But if you still need my help, or a place to stay, come to Diet Cola Mountain."
Then she skipped off while Swizzle returned to his kart.
"Girls," he shook his head.
When Swizzle returned to King Candy's castle, he was about to head up to his room when he saw the king accompanied by the two donut police officers Duncan and Wynchell.
"Hello, Swizzle my boy!" King Candy waved at him. "I was about to look for you!"
"Why? Are you finally giving me some gold coins? Am I professional racer again?" Swizzle asked from his seat, feeling hopeful.
"Hoo-hoo-hoo, of course not!" King Candy replied. "The reason why I need to see you is that, since you're no longer participating in future races, your kart will have to be confiscated. But the good news is that you'll still keep and stay in your private room."
"Uh… no, I don't want my room," Swizzle said, a little surprised. "I need my kart. Racing is part of me."
"Swizzle Malarkey, I know you broke a couple of my rules! Don't defy me, boy!" King Candy suddenly burst out in anger, which surprised Swizzle who has never seen the king this furious. "Taffyta told me that you snuck out of MY game before! I can't BUH-live you'd betray my trust like that!" He stopped for a bit, his nose flaring with anger. Then he cleared his throat, looking a little guilty.
"Sorry for that terrible outburst, my dear boy," he giggled nervously. "I'm actually more disappointed than angry. Honest~!" He giggled again, trying to make light of the situation but Swizzle knew King Candy is seriously angry, and he's in serious trouble. The sugary king spoke again. "I just want to know why... did you sneaked out like that? Didn't I treat you proper?"
Swizzle tried to find his words. "It's only because your rules are strict and unfair! If you're such a good king, why won't you help me become a racer again?"
"I said that you cannot race again until you pay your fee. In the meantime, your kart will be locked away until we sort these things out."
"But... when will I ever race again?" the boy demanded.
King Candy took a deep breath, trying to sound. "Swizzle, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, and you have forced me to something I really don't want to do. Trust me… you wouldn't like to be thrown into the Fungeon."
Swizzle did not wait for King Candy to speak another word. He hurriedly started his kart and zoomed off.
"Stop in the name of the king! That's me!" King Candy yelled.
The two donut cops got into their police bikes and were hot in his trail. Swizzle headed for Diet Cola Mountain, hoping to lose them. He finally reached the tall soda-shaped mountain towering above the landscape and he must have made a wrong turn because he found himself ready to drive into a wall between the two sugar-free lollipops. He screamed as he slammed the brakes, bracing for impact.
Duncan and Wynchell heard his screams before it disappeared. They screeched to a halt, but they couldn't see where Swizzle and his kart had gone.
Meanwhile, to Vanellope's surprise, she was taken aback by the sound of a large crash nearby. She hurried to the source and found the familiar Tongue-Twister propped against a pillar, thankfully not destroyed. The driver was completely unharmed but was still trying to process what just happened and why he did not break through solid wall.
Swizzle's eyes met Vanellope, who was giving him a smug smirk. He chuckled nervously.
"So... You ready to make a deal?" she asked him.
Swizzle stared at her, and then groaned. "I feel like I'm going to regret this..."
((Finally, Swizzle is on his way warming to Vanellope but he's not a wanted criminal.))