Epilogue
Life goes by fast, without a doubt. Sometimes it's easy to feel like your life is nothing but a giant race, littered with ups, downs and obstacles, and for fifteen years my very existence was centered on racing and speed. But these last few weeks have taught me an important lesson- it's not the finish line that matters, it's how you get there. And when you're as built for speed as I am, it's incredibly easy to miss all the subtleties and surprises in life if you take it too fast.
Perhaps the happiest of these surprises was the discovery that during my recovery in the hospital, Litwak had returned just in time to see the beginning of yet another typical day in his arcade. Well, almost typical- since his return, Game Central Station had lost Fix-It Felix, Jr., Frogger and BurgerTime, among others, but thanks to the efforts of Calhoun and the rest of her troops, the vast majority of the arcade will live to see another quarter.
This surprise, however, had nothing on the shock of learning that Vanellope was in fact not only a real racer, but Sugar Rush's true rulerno less. And even though Turbo had been lying through his teeth about her the whole time, I was just as stunned at her incredible generosity. Since a handful of characters such as Fix-It Felix Jr.'s Nicelanders were left homeless in Turbo's wake, Vanellope dedicated the entire Candy Castle as a shelter for those who lost their games during his siege on the arcade.
At last, it seemed as though all was right in the world once again. After being discharged from the hospital, I immediately took off for Sugar Rush once more, eagerly anticipating the return of family and friends and Random Roster Races- just another day in the life of a Sugar Rusher. But as I stepped into my empty house and found myself completely alone, the truth set in. Life could never again be the same.
Since then my life has been nothing more than a ghost of what it once was. The days are still lined with fun and friends, each of us feigning normalcy to try to move on from all that's happened. But beneath our happiness, we know that racing will never again be the same without Taffyta. She was the best out of all of us on the track, and we can only be thankful that her disappearance from the roster has thus far been unnoticed by Litwak.
And especially for me, life could never again be normal without Citrusella. There are times when I cry myself to sleep, nights when I wake up screaming her name. She can never again be with me in the flesh- only in dreams, dreams that the scars Turbo has dealt me have reduced to blood-curdling nightmares.
But the worst scar of all to bear is my glitching- my daily reminder of the haunting memory of Turbo, the terrible price of the battle against myself, and everything I am. People point and stare at me in Game Central, but I never know if they've come to get a glimpse of Jubileena, the arcade's greatest hero, or Jubileena, the Glitch from Sugar Rush. What would they think if only they knew the truth- that every hero has his flaws? That no Good Guys or Bad Guys alike can change who they really are?
It's always the moments when life seems normal again… when everything changes.
I wish you a long and happy life. We all have our hardships, our battles, our crosses to bear, but life stops for no one, it goes on just as it always has. So take my advice: even if you live for speed like me, don't always aim for the finish line- make your life about the journey instead. Take life too fast and you'll miss the most important things it has to offer- the compassion of others, the joys of friendship, the warmth of family.
Because in the end… the only thing that really matters is love.
THE END
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Whew… That was easily the darkest fanfic I've ever written. I hope you enjoyed Jubileena's tragic tale; leave a review if you liked it! Jubi's story is over for now, but I have ideas for a sequel if enough people are interested. Let me know what you think!
Before I go, I'd like to make a few quick acknowledgements. Thanks to Dixie Darlin and Miratete for their support on this story. I doubt it would have turned out half as good without your invaluable input; I can't thank you guys enough! Credit goes to Akaitsuki for the cover art (check out her awesome Jubileena ask blog on Tumblr!). And of course, thanks to Disney for creating Jubileena and the rest of the wonderful world of Wreck-It Ralph. (Can't wait for the sequel!)
Once again, thanks to everyone who read this. Writing it took longer than I'd hoped, but I hope the wait was worth it.
Until next time… Stay sweet.
1upDawg