Chapter 11

Ralph couldn't believe Bowser was behind all this. He thought he knew the Koopa King before, from all those Bad-Anon meetings the two had attended together. And now, not only had he taken over Sugar Rush AND imprisoned Vanellope, one of his minions had just attempted to kill him.

As he flew with the other heroes aboard the remounted Cy-bug, he simply couldn't shake off the nagging feeling of betrayal. It was that feeling where you realize everything you know about someone is a lie.

Passing the remains of Diet Cola Mountain on the left, the foursome came within sight of the former Candy Castle.

"That must be our next stop," said Calhoun.

"You think-a Mario's in there?" asked Luigi.

"He must be!" Felix reassured him.

Ralph nodded in agreement. But where was Vanellope?

Suddenly, as the party approached the castle, Ralph's question was answered for him. Through the smog and the darkness, a voice rang out in his ears. It was a cry for help, in a familiar feminine voice. And it was coming from the castle…

"Ralph!" it screamed. "Ralph!"

"VANELLOPE!" yelled Ralph. "I'M COMING!"

The others stared at him, as if only he had heard Vanellope's voice. In an instant, they too heard it. "Ralph!"

"Oh no, it is Vanellope! No time to dillydally, we gotta save her!" yelped Felix.

A sudden explosion to the right of the group startled them. Calhoun leapt back to the reins of the Cy-bug.

"Something's out there…" she murmured.

But there wasn't anything. Nothing was visible in the dense fog that enshrouded the heroes. As they looked around, a second explosion went off right over their heads, and the full context of the situation became frighteningly clear. Something was out there, all right- and whatever it was, it was firing at them.

"Everyone hold on to your helmets! Whatever's out there, it means business!" Calhoun yelled, as she swerved the Cy-bug out of enemy fire.

They did indeed mean business- without warning, a third projectile struck the underbelly of the Cy-bug. The force of the explosion knocked Luigi off of its back. In desperation, he clung to the bug's thorax.

The Cy-bug emitted a howl of pain, and began to descend.

"We're losing altitude!" shouted Calhoun. "Nothing left to do but crash!"

"Oh land… we're gonna die… we're gonna die… which means we won't regenerate… which means…" Felix couldn't bring himself to say it. Instead, he whipped out a paper bag and began to hyperventilate.

"Get a hold of yourself, Fix-it!" snapped Calhoun, before turning to address the group. "Alright, everyone! Assume crash positions!"

Not knowing what to do, Ralph, Felix, and Luigi struck ridiculous poses.

"…On second thought, maybe we should just continue panicking," said Calhoun.

The foursome screamed in horror as the bug descended towards the lava-filled chasm below them.

However, as the bug approached the chasm, a massive airship suddenly emerged from the darkness. Calhoun instantly realized this was the unseen vessel that had been firing at them only moments ago.

Felix, Ralph, and Luigi shut their eyes in anticipation of the inevitable. Calhoun instead steered the downed Cy-bug with all her might in the direction of the airship. The bug came to a grinding halt on its bow.

Ralph opened his eyes. "We're… alive!" he exclaimed.

"Yay for me, Luigi! I'm a dance! I'm a sing! I'm-a so happy!" Luigi, overjoyed at the prospect of not dying, broke into a dance.

"Sweet merciful cherry pie! That was quite a landing, Tammy!" Felix beamed.

"Don't get too cheerful over there, ladies," snapped Calhoun. "I got a feeling we're not alone up here…"

The others looked at their surroundings. No one but themselves seemed to be occupying the craft. Yet as an eerie silence began to set in, they couldn't help but feel the sense that they were all in danger.

Luigi broke the silence. "Eh, y-you guys go check-a it out; I'll just… uh… stay here with this bug-thing and-"

At that moment, the Cy-bug gave a pained grunt and fell over, unconscious. Luigi screamed as he leapt out of its way.

Calhoun looked up at an eerie glow high above their heads. At the top of the ship's mast burned a massive flame. It seemed to be the only source of light in this dark wasteland. Soon, Ralph and Felix had joined her at her side, gazing at the firelight. That couldn't have been any ordinary flame, they realized- it simply felt too ominous.

Luigi hadn't noticed. Having escaped death by crash-landing and by being crushed by a Cy-bug, he had decided now was the time to initiate another happy dance. And he was too rapt in his emotions to notice the dark figure rising behind him…

Ralph, however, was not. "Green 'Stache! Behind you!"

Luigi whipped around. "Happy feeling's gone!" he shrieked as he leapt over the incoming magic projectile.

Calhoun dug into her holster in search of her blaster, only to find it missing. She must have lost it back in the taffy swamp. Looks like we'll be doing this the old-fashioned way, she thought.

Luigi was quick to identify the aggressor. "Kamek!" he shouted. "Where's Mario?"

The bespectacled Koopa cackled maniacally. "Your luck just ran out, you little pests! King Bowser will surely want to have a word with you!"

Kamek mounted his broomstick, and began encircling the airship with his dark magic. In an instant, the ship animated itself, and began to move in the direction of the Koopa King's new castle.

"Hey, I'm-a not done with you!" yelled Luigi. "What do you want-a with Mario?!"

"Perhaps I'm not the best one to ask!" Kamek chortled. "My newest minion will be happy to answer that for you!" He put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly.

The heroes looked up at the flame above them- and suddenly realized what had been so ominous about it. At the sound of Kamek's whistle, it was descending towards the ground. In an instant, the hotheaded figure of Kamek's new minion stood before them.

"So!" she exclaimed. "You must be the meanies Master Kamek said would come to try to steal my TROPHY!"