Chapter 8

Vanellope wasn't taking to her time in the captivity of her own castle all too well. She had ceased howling (much to the relief of Bowser), and she was no longer in shock from the attack upon her kingdom. Yet now she was, more than anything, inquisitive, especially since no one had given her an explanation of its purpose.

From within her cage, she could see Bowser on the floor below her. He was pacing, just as he had been when she first approached him, thinking she could have trusted him. How wrong she had been.

"Y'know," Vanellope said, breaking a long silence, "you still haven't told me what it is you want with me."

Bowser didn't even look up at her. "That's none of your business."

"Oh, it's not?" said Vanellope, outraged. "Look, you've gone and stuffed me in a cage. Dontcha think it's only fair that you tell me what you plan on doing with me?"

Bowser heaved an exasperated sigh. "Alright, alright! But don't say I never did a nice thing for you."

He pressed a button on the side of the wall, and from a chamber beneath the throne room floor, his Koopa Clown Car came into sight. He hopped in, hovered up to the captive girl's cage, and looked her square in the eyes.

"I'll make it simple, Princess. You're here until you hold up YOUR end of the deal."

"Deal? What deal?"

"Have you no memory of our little bargain?" Bowser asked slyly. "I promised to help you defeat Mario- and you promised to do something for me in return."

"Well, forget it, chump," Vanellope said with disdain. "I don't remember getting kidnapped being a part of the deal either. I'm not doing anything for you."

"No," said Bowser menacingly. "No, I rather think you will." He pressed another button on the controls of his Koopa Clown Car.

A trapdoor directly below Vanellope's cage opened, revealing a crevice filled with boiling lava. Without warning, the cage began to slowly descend. Vanellope gasped as she realized what Bowser was doing.

"Let's see if this won't motivate you," Bowser growled, baring his teeth at her in a horrible grin.

"No! STOP IT! PLEASE!"Vanellope screamed. "Alright, alright! I'll give you whatever you want! Take some Gold Coins! I've got plenty of them!"

On that word, the cage came to a halt. Vanellope collected herself, watching as the lava chamber below was sealed again. Abruptly, the cage began to move upward, back to its original position. She was face-to-face with Bowser once more.

"A fine offer indeed, Princess, but I have something specific in mind," said Bowser. "Something only you can give to me- and, moreover, something I must keep you alive for."

Vanellope glared at him. "What could I have that you could ever possibly want?"

"Power," whispered Bowser. "In this sorry existence, power is infinitely more invaluable than a thousand of your Gold Coins could ever be. And yours, Princess, is one that, before I discovered its existence, I could only have dreamed of. But this dream will soon be realized, once your power is mine."

"You're crazy," she spat at him. "I don't know what power you're talking about."

Bowser appeared not to have taken notice.

"When this game was reset, so too were the memories of not only its citizens, but of everyone in the gaming universe. Everyone, after all, now knows you as one of gaming's greatest racers. But few are aware of your special ability- which, by chance, was brought to my attention by your dearest friend Ralph." Bowser grinned at her again, which made her cringe in horror.

"It's your glitch, Vanellope," he explained. "That's all I ask of you."

Vanellope gave him a cockeyed look. "You mean you kidnapped me and mucked up my home world- just so you could have this?" As if to demonstrate, she glitched to the far corner of the cage and back again. "That's what you want?"

"That's exactly what I want," said Bowser. "You see, when not controlled, the glitch is a hindrance. Not good for anything. Controlled properly, it has its small uses- as you've found, I'm sure. Once mastered, it can unlock great power- the power to bend the very fabric of the game world as one sees fit. That power is what I seek. And once I have it," he went on, his voice rising- "I will finally be powerful enough to defeat Mario in more than just kart racing! But that's not all, Princess- those who possess the glitch can transfer it to others. Once it is mine, I will return to my castle, capture Princess Peach and force it upon her, trapping her within forever! With an army of evildoers and Peach at my side, I will rule every miserable corner of this pitiful arcade! No one will ever dare defy me again!"

Bowser had evidently become lost in visions of grandeur, as he failed to notice the dumbfounded look on Vanellope's face. It masked the sense of realization that now flowed through her. She shut her eyes. If there really was great power inside of her, she was going to discover it before Bowser could. She squinted, charging all the energy she could muster, letting it spread across her. Just focus, she told herself. Focus and concentrate and…

The Koopa King returned from his daydreaming- and was just in time to see surges of electricity erupt from Vanellope's hands. The charges grew stronger as Vanellope, now floating inches above the ground, built up her power. A bright blue light began to envelop her. It was all Bowser could do to keep from losing it. He was getting a sneak peek at this incredible power- the power that was soon to become his.

There was a final, mighty blast of power, one that would have disintegrated Bowser in an instant if it weren't for the glitch-proof cage separating them. Vanellope fell to the floor and collapsed, panting. Bowser simply stared, lost in his own fantasies.

"I never knew…" she started. She looked down at her glitching hands, which glowed blue in the darkness. "I never knew all of that was inside of me."

"Like I said, don't say I never did a nice thing for you," Bowser snapped as he himself returned to reality again.

"Nice thing indeed." Vanellope stuck her tongue at him. "I wouldn't give you my glitch even if I knew how."

"As much as I admire your determination, Princess, I'm afraid you're mistaken," retorted Bowser. "When the time is right, you will give to me your power."

"How do you know?"

Bowser glanced out the window again. "If you must know, as we speak, your pathetic little friends are on their way here to save you. And when they get here, Princess, I'll make sure you get a good, long glimpse of their deaths. Unless, of course, you're ready to hand over that glitch of yours now. Either way works for me."

"You don't know that. Why would they be coming here?" asked Vanellope.

Bowser laughed. "Idiot girl! They're coming because I have what they want- YOU!"