((I finally uploaded the newest chapter. Sorry it took a while, I've been very busy with my studies. BTW, I finally (and hopefully) name for Vanellope's kart. It should be called The Whipper Snapper, because it's based from the word "whipped" (like whipped frosting, mostly in vanilla flavor) and "snaps" (a licorice candy, like how Vanellope has licorice in her clothing). Also, the word "whippersnapper" refers to someone who is young and cheeky (like Vanellope, lol). I hope that makes sense for you, haha...))
Chapter 18
This turn of events took everyone by surprise. The recolor racers fainted while the candy crowd screamed in panic. Vanellope, however, jumped in victory.
"Yes, I'm in the race!" she cried, her image flickering. Swizzle couldn't help but laugh with relief; he remembered that while Vanellope didn't exactly enter a roster race before, she still won during the many challenges they did together in their private racetrack.
Thank goodness for loopholes, he sighed.
"I thought the platinum coins only register a code of racer and nobody else," Snowanna said, confused at what she saw.
"Does that mean... Vanellope is actually a racer?" Adorabeezle suggested nervously. Minty Zaki just scoffed. "That glitch as a racer? Don't be ridiculous!"
King Candy could feel his blood boiling like a jawbreaker in a microwave. "SECURITY! ARREST THE GLITCH!"
The donut police officers Wynchell and Duncan came running out and they were whacking their clubs against their hands.
"Come here, you freak," Duncan called out to her. "This is payback for what you did with our devil-dogs."
"You're not going to escape us this time, kid," Wynchell said.
Vanellope looked at the two cops and made a break for it, glitching and pushing aside racers who were sneering at him.
"Vanellope!" Swizzle screamed. He was about to run after the donut cops, but he was held back by Gloyd, Minty and Rancis. After she got over her shock of being punched, Taffyta removed one of her gloves and slapped it across Swizzle's face.
"That's for striking me, Malarkey!" Taffyta hissed. Then she slapped him again with the same glove. "And THAT was for pushing me into the punch bowl at my achievement party!"
"Hit him again for being a terrible driver!" Gloyd suggested, grinning like a naughty boy. Taffyta did just that.
Duncan and Wynchell chased Vanellope along the starting line but she got to her kart first. She started the engine and floored the pedals; but since she was glitching like crazy and not thinking straight, she accidentally drove backwards into one of the stalls, sending the fans flying everywhere.
"Sorry!" she screamed. She saw the donut cops approaching closer. In her panic, she pressed the accelerator to get moving but she ended glitching through them, knocking aside go-karts and then hitting the pole of the finish line. The cops were taken by surprise and they crashed and stumbled over King Candy's kart.
"My lovely kart!" Crumbelina wailed when she saw her Tira-Missile lying upside down after being knocked over by Vanellope's kart.
"For the love of Hershey! Stop lying on the job and catch that glitch!" King Candy cried out to the cops in despair. He then heard a weird noise. "Oh, sweet mother of Milky Way..."
The finish line that Vanellope's kart crashed into began to creak and everyone watched as it collapse to the ground. Dust and debris scattered everywhere, and several fans began screaming and jumping out of their stalls in blind panic.
"Oh, the chew-manity!" Jubileena cried in horror.
"You mean humanity," Rancis corrected her.
"It's a play on words, like Fungeon the Fun Dungeon," Candlehead explained, smiling with pride knowing she learned a new word. She seemed oblivious to the damage in the arena.
Rancis wanted to face-palm at his friend's lacking sense of reality. "We hung out with King Candy too much," he groaned.
"Let me go!" Swizzle screamed, but he was still pulled back by the racers. He then yell to Vanellope, who was looking at him with wide scared eyes, "Just get out of here, Vanellope! I'll catch up to you later!"
Vanellope finally got control of her glitching and her kart is whipping fast, leaving everyone in shock and anger. She was smirking to herself; she's finally in the race despite the unnecessary trouble she made. But her smile faded immediately when she thought of Swizzle. "Escape as soon as you can, Swizz."
King Candy looked around the racetrack in shock; this was not supposed to happen, especially on the day before the anniversary. His voice came over the loudspeaker, "Okay, folks, calm down... We'll repair all the damage. Don't worry! We'll still have our Anniversary Roster Race before the arcade opens!"
Then he smashed the microphone down, startling his assistant. He looked up to the board where Vanellope's name has been added. "Sour Bill, that glitch cannot be allowed to race!" Then he looked down to Swizzle, who was struggling to free himself from the racers' grips.
"And as for you, Swizzle Malarkey!" he called out to the racer and pointed a finger at him. "I wish to have a word with you!"
Swizzle was dragged by the racers into a private room somewhere in the stadium. The crowd had left and while the marshmallow workers clean up the damage caused by Vanellope.
"I hope you're happy, Malarkey. You've actually doomed us all, " Taffyta said coldly to him. Her frown changed into a cool smile. "But, we can all change that if you tell us where the glitch is. Then we'll pretend it never happened, and we'll be friends again. You're either with us... or against us."
"Over my dead body!" Swizzle spat at her feet much to everyone's disgust. This made Taffyta frown again. "That can be arranged..."
King Candy was pleased to see Swizzle brought in and he told the others to wait outside. Taffyta and the remaining racers, excluding the recolors, gathered around in a circle. The strawberry-themed racer was seeing red.
"There is no way I'm racing with a glitch," Taffyta calmly told them as she licked her lollipop. "Someone should put her back in her place once and for all."
"Who?" Candlehead asked, confused.
"Us!" Taffyta answered in a firm voice and stuck her strawberry lollipop on Candlehead's hair.
"Taffyyy, I hate it when you do that," Candlehead whined as she tried to removed the sticky candy.
"What about Swizzle?" Snowanna asked. "By the look of things, he might be her pal. So, we need him to tell us where she is."
"I doubt he'd tell us after he spitted at us," Jubileena crossed her arms, pouting.
"Everyone, don't you think we're actually going a little too far?" Adorabeezle slowly asked. She saw everyone turning their attention towards her. "I mean, if it's a poorly-made scrap kart, then I wouldn't feel guilty destroying... but you saw that thing she was driving on. It looked well made, despite its appearance..."
"Stop what you're saying, Beezle," Minty ordered her. "You know what happens to our game if she races. I'm not taking any chances!"
Adorabeezle nodded with agreement, but she still looked doubtful. Taffyta smiled haughtily when she saw the racers agreeing to help her.
"We're going to deal with that half-baked glitch whether Malarkey tells us or not," she said. "Anyone who backs out will be just as bad as Vanellope. But first, we should wait and see Malarkey deciding whose side he's really on because there are punishments for traitors like him."
Inside the private room, King Candy drummed his fingers together and took slow, deep breaths and looked at the unicorn pop-themed racer.
"Swizzle," he spoke slowly. "I seemed to recall that The Swizz doesn't hang out or make friends with a glitch. ... Would you care to explain what happened today, and how did Vanellope get a kart?"
Swizzle crossed his arms and stood tall, and looked at him straight in the eye. "I helped her made it. I even lend her my coin so she can register for the race tomorrow. I admit, I didn't expect to have my name included on the board..."
"Don't you realize what you have just done?" King Candy demanded, he looked desperate. "You've broken MY rules of MY game! Why would you do this to ME? She's a glitch!"
"She's not a glitch!" Swizzle yelled. "She has a name, you know. I didn't realize how horrible I was to her until I spend time with her. She's cool, smart, and a natural driver. And I will get her at the roster race tomorrow, you can't stop me."
He turned and was about to walk away, but King Candy quickly moved in front of him.
"Hold it, young man! I demand you respect your elder!" He whips out a few gold coins. "Maybe this will change your mind!"
Swizzle slapped the coins away. King Candy yelped but he held out several varieties of sweets.
"Have some candy!"
The racer groaned and throw them aside without a second glance. The king wouldn't give up so easily.
"How about I'll give you my gold trophy?" he suggested.
Now irritated, Swizzle grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. King Candy squeaked, terrified at the cold glare in the boy's eyes.
"Okay! You can have all my trophies! I'll even throw in a nice hat."
"You got nothing to bribe me. I'm not going to change my mind, twinkee-eater," Swizzle growled.
"All I asked," King Candy said slowly, "is that you hear me out."
Swizzle refused to let go him. "I'm not interested in anything you say."
"It's about Vanellope!" The candy ruler paused. "As sad as it is, Vanellope cannot be allowed to race."
"It's because of her code problem, right?" Swizzle blurted out. He was fed up with everyone pushing not only pushing him around but Vanellope as well. "She can control it perfectly if she puts her mind into it! Why do you have to be so against her?!"
"I'm not against her, I'm trying to protect her!"
Swizzle dropped King Candy, backing away with disbelief.
"What are you babbling about?" he asked suspiciously. "You have a funny way of protecting her..."
King Candy sighed. "Swizzle, when you are king or a hero or a friend, you have to make the toughest choices. Doing what's right. Do you remember me telling you what happens if Vanellope win the race and get added to the roster?"
"Of course, I do!" Swizzle rolled his eyes impatiently. "She can be seen glitching on the screen, the players will think our game is broken and all of us will be homeless."
"All of us?" King Candy shook his head.
"What do you mean by that...?" Swizzle then heard Vanellope's words echoing in his mind. Glitches can't leave their games!
"When the game's plug is pulled, she'll die with it," the king finished.
Swizzle began to imagine the OUT OF ORDER sign being placed on Sugar Rush's screen and Litwack unplugging the game. He can see the everyone, including himself, escaping to Game Central Station- except for Vanellope, because she was a glitch. She would be screaming for help, for his name, while she pounded against the invisible barrier preventing her to leave. He can see how scared she was until she got sucked into a vortex, blinked out into oblivion.
He shook his head. "You don't that'll happen! She... she just wants to race because she wants to find a purpose to exist," he whispered. "Even glitches are entitled for a little happiness. ... She's my only friend."
"Which is more important, Swizzle Malarkey? Her one shot for a short-lived happiness or her life?" King Candy asked. As he spoke, he placed a gentle hand on he boy's shoulder. "Now, you said she's your friend, right? I don't think a friend would let her get on the track. She can't race, Swizzle, but she won't listen to me... You have to do what's right for her... even if you have to break her heart."
"Just promise me you'll stop tormenting her," Swizzle demanded, his voice wavering.
"As the Rightful Ruler of Sugar Rush, I swear I won't lay a finger on her," King Candy declared. He smiled sadly and patted the boy's head before leaving the room.
Swizzle stood alone in the room, conflicted and reluctant. He thought of all the times he spent with Vanellope, winning parts in mini-games, baking a real go-kart, and sharing quiet, private moments together...
He couldn't believe that all this time King Candy was actually trying to protect Vanellope, but she still doesn't deserve to be treated like a criminal. However, if Vanellope wins the race and the game gets unplugged... He will never forgive himself if she dies. He knew what he had to do. He finally leaves the room and saw Taffyta and the other racers waiting for him.
"Are you with us, or against us?" she asked.
Swizzle frowned, clenching his fists; his head then nodded.
Taffyta then smirked, satisfied. "Welcome back to the team, Swizz."
((Uh-oh, looks like Swizzle is going to do something he might regret... will he he actually do it? Find out in the next chapter!))