Sticky Takes the Lead

There are three familiar sisters in Sugar Rush; Minty, Sticky, and Torvald.

Minty is the oldest and the strongest.

Torvald is the youngest and the brightest.

And then there's Sticky.

Sticky was in the middle, a little blue bundle of sweet who always seemed to be dragged along everywhere with her sisters.

On some days, Sticky found herself racing for her life out of Grape Gouge.

Why?

Because Minty wanted to 'explore' and forgot that the large Grape Bears didn't like to be disturbed in their sleep.

Other days, Sticky found herself swimming for her life out of Seltver Sea.

Why?

Because Torvald wanted to swim but forgot that the large Raspberry Jelly Fish don't like to be disturbed in THEIR sleep.

It was always something there, it was always something here but through it all Sticky remained by her sister's side.

She remained there with a smile on her face each and every day. Sure, there may have been times when she found herself fighting between them, there may have been times when she would spend many a late nights patching them together after a particular rough day.

But in the end?

It was worth it.

She loved her sisters and she wouldn't change a thing about it.

Even if that always meant that Sticky was the one being lead through each and every wild adventure.

"Let's go to Ho-Ho Hill!" said Torvald excitedly "We can see if the chocolate pinwheels are in season now!"

"Urgh, not now!" grumbled Minty, putting her hands behind her head "I'm sick'a chocolate right now. Let's do something exciting! Like go to Honeycomb Grove!"

"But the bees will attack us!" gasped Torvald.

"Yeah? That's the best part!"

Torvald said no, Minty said yes.

Minty said yes, Torvald said no.

And Sticky?

She just sat there, listening to both points.

"Um, perhaps we should…."

"Hey, yeah!" said Minty "You're on my said with his, aren't cha sis?"

Sticky blinked in confusion; it had begun.

"Nuh-uh!" pouted Torvald "She agrees with me! Ho-Ho Hill is MUCH safer this time of year!"

Sticky tried to wriggle herself free from under both sisters' arms "Well, actually…."

"Yeah?" asked Minty.

"Yes?" asked Torvald.

And then the felling came.

That terrible, TERRIBLE feeling that Sticky would feel every time she found herself pitted against her sisters. She loved them to bits, she loved them more than her favorite sweets, but this was a position she HATED to find herself in.

Sticky was the keeper of the peace of the three but what peace could be found when if she went either way, ONE would be unhappy?

And if one was unhappy, then the other would be unhappy and then SHE would be unhappy.

It was the worst trap she could be in but even worse than that?

Even worse, she found she also didn't agree with either one of the racers.

"There has got to be something I can do…" Sticky thought to herself "Something that can solve this before there is an all-out war here!"

"Ho-Ho Hill!"

"Honeycomb Grove!"

"HO-HO HILL!"

"HONEYCOMB GROVE!"

"STOP!"

Minty and Torvald looked at their middle sister, surprised that she had shouted out as loud as she did. She looked upset, VERY upset.

"Sticky, you okay?"

"Is something the matter?"

"Look, how about this?" Sticky said, trying to be brave in the situation "W-Why don't we try something new?"

Minty and Torvald blinked; something new?

"What do ya mean?" Minty said, arching a brow.

"W-Well, YOU don't want to go to Ho-Ho Hill."

"What's wrong with Ho-Ho Hill?" asked Torvald, huffy.

"And YOU don't want to go to Honeycomb Grove…"

"Because is BORIN'!"

Sticky could feel the tension growing between the two but she had to stay brave, she had to stay came!

She had to keep the peace.

But it was so hard!

"Look you two!" Sticky said, trying to sound as powerful as possible "There are better things for us to do than sit here all day and argue! We'll never get anywhere by behaving like this!"

Again, the two other girls looked at each other, either wanting to admit defeat to the other. Eyes went to Sticky, her heart beating faster.

"Okay, Ms. Sticky…." Said Minty "If you're so excited 'bout tryin' somethin' new, why don't YA pick tha trip this time?"

"Me?"

STICKY?

But Minty and Torvald were always the ones to pick the adventures! Never Sticky!

Sticky was surprised, she was shocked, she was-!

She was unable to figure out what to do!

Great, she had succeeded in preventing a brawl from happening but at the cost of what? Now Sticky had to figure out where to take her sisters and the worry didn't come from simply finding a place.

No, it came from finding someplace that all three would enjoy. Sticky didn't know what to do if one of her siblings had fun while the other didn't. That would be a TERRIBLE thing to go through!

And yet…

"Well…we're waiting."

There she was, the eyes of both her sisters going into her but she knew she couldn't back down now. She couldn't hide away this time!

This time, Sticky was in charge!

After a few moments of things, and some choice words from the others, the three were on their way! Sticky was in the front this time but as she took ahold of her new position, she felt a little strange. It was so odd to find herself in the front, leading the other two to parts unknown. She was so used to keeping everything balanced, to keeping the others from wailing when things got hairy.

But now she was in charge?

This was a change of pace.

"So where are we goin'?" Minty asked in a huff, sounding less than pleased.

"Um, well I figured that since we decided to compromise we can go someplace that we all enjoy!"

"And where would that be?" asked Torvald.

Where was that, indeed? Sticky had no clue. She was just following her gut and hoping for the best.

"Y-You'll see guys! You'll see."

The trek continued, the three sisters journeying through the many vast lands of Sugar Rush. They passed the hazelnut forest, picking up a few tasty treats along the way. They stopped near Mallow Marsh, where Minty found plenty of time to wrestle with a few gators along the way.

Minty was ALWAYS the one who liked to get dirty.

Stopping by the jelly-bean fields proved to be an enjoyable stop and when they got too hot, they rested new Frosty Paw Glen.

And through it all, not an angry word was thrown around.

But it was getting late and Sticky was getting worried. She had promised to take her sisters on a great journey, something they could all agree and love but the sun was starting to set and it would be time to return home soon. This wasn't what Sticky wanted! She couldn't let it end here!

"Yo, Sticky!" said Minty, waving a hand "Where is this place at? Feels like we've been goin' for HOURS!"

"It has been hours." Torvald said, not fully getting Minty's expression.

"I KNOW Tori! I know!"

"Um, we'll be there soon!" said Sticky nervously "I'm sure both of you will love it!"

"Aw, man I knew we should have gone to Honeycomb Grove!" Minty pouted, crossing her arms "Ya guys didn't hafta worry about the bees! I could'a taken 'em on!"

"But I didn't want to go! Ho-Ho Hill was better!"

"No, Honeycomb Grove was better!"

"No, HO-HO HILL!"

Uh-oh.

Sticky looked back, her sisters starting to argue and with her mind already flustered about what to do, she had no idea how to stop the argument.

But she wanted to keep the peace, that's all she wanted to do.

"Guys, stop!" Sticky cried out "This isn't any time to argue! We're supposed to be having FUN!"

"Honeycome Grove would have been fun…"

"Not as fun as Ho-Ho Hill!"

The tussle became even more heated but as the girls were soon to learn, they were NOT alone.

In her attempts to keep her sisters entertained, Sticky had lost track of where she had lead them. The setting sun was a signal to the area's inhabitants to come out and as the yelling of the racers had woken them early from their slumber….

*Caw caw caw.*

Sticky glanced around; there was that feeling again but this time she knew things were about to get much, MUCH hairier. She could hear the beats of wings around her but as she looked up, she only saw darkness.

"Guys?"

More yelling.

"Guys!"

More yelling!

Two hands shot out, covering the mouths of Minty and Torvald.

"GUYS!"

Three racers stood silent in the area, three racers looked around.

Twisted trees, crispy leaves, darkness all around.

Sticky realized where she had led her sisters.

The Hallow Forest.

And there were a PARTICULAR brand of candy creature that roamed the forest at sundown, a creature none of the girls wanted to see.

But as they looked up….

Red-hot cinnamon eyes.

Slick, black wings.

Sharp beaks, sharper talons.

CANDY CROWS!

LOTS OF THEM!

The girls were surrounded, their loud noises having woken the beast up and if there was one thing that EVERYONE in Sugar Rush knew, it's that you never, EVER wake up Candy Crows before their time!

And yet there they were, the small racers surrounded by birds who looked more than ready to attack. They huddled together in fear, each one feeling the other shake.

"W-What do we do?!" shivered Torvald, terrified beyond all belief.

Minty held up a large stick but it was easy to see she was petrified as well "S-Should I swing, Sticky?"

No reply.

"Sticky?"

Sticky stood in the middle of the trio, unable to find the courage to say ANYTHING.

All she wanted to do was make her sisters happy, all she wanted to do was have fun with them but as soon as she was given the reigns to lead this type of disaster had happened.

"Look at what you've done…" the girl thought to herself, her knees knocking loudly together "You got EVERYONE in trouble and why?"

Why indeed.

"Sticky, c'mon!"

"Sticky, what should we do?"

"Huh?" Sticky said, suddenly looking over and seeing the faces of fear on her sister's face "W-What do you want ME to do?!"

"C'mon, ya know we think you're the best when it comes to plannin' things like this!" said Minty.

"W-WHAT?!"

"Y-Yeah!" whimpered Torvald "Your plans ALWAYS work in the end!"

Sticky could not believe what she was hearing. After everything she had led her sisters into, after getting them lost at the worst possible time…

They still believed in her.

They still COUNTED on her.

The crows began to circle around, looking as if they would dive bomb at any second but Sticky couldn't have that. She knew this wasn't the time to just fold and stay quiet, this wasn't the time to back away!

She had sisters to protect!

And she knew EXACTLY what to do!

The crows braying filled the air as they leapt from their perches but Sticky was quicker, grabbing both her sisters by the hand and pulling them away.

"WHOA!" cried Minty.

"GAH!" shouted Torvald.

"LET'S GO!" said Sticky, her voice sounding BIG and POWERFUL.

The three sisters ran as fast as their legs could carry them but Sticky wasn't just leading them away. She looked to the side, her eyes quickly scanning the brush and forest around her. In her haste, she grabbed several pucker berries in her arms.

"MINTY!"

Running alongside her younger sister, Minty looked over "Yeah?"

Sticky threw the berries in Minty's hands and gave a nod "You know what to do!"

It didn't take a second for Minty to see the plan, a smile forming on her face.

"Oh yeah. I'm gonna enjoy THIS!"

The mint racer stopped, allowing her two younger siblings to run ahead but just when it seemed she would be the first to go.

"HO!"

Minty tossed one of the large berries into the swarm and with a loud and gushy *POP!*, many of the crows were hit!

"Want more of that?!" Minty laughed loudly, throwing more berries into the air and with her aim, every hit was a bulls-eye!

The berries did their job quickly, the sour juice much too great for the birds to handle and for those that were hit, down they went, pink, sticky, sour goo covering them and their mouths so full that somehow their beaks puckered!

Her arsenal gone, Minty ran ahead but was happy to see that the flock was losing some soldiers.

"What's next?" panted Torvald.

With the crows still on their trail, Sticky looked up at the twisted tall trees around them, including one Weeping Willow.

"Tori, grab a vine!"

"But why?"

"Just do it!" snapped Sticky, Torvald following the words and pulling hard on the vine. The tree creaked as Torvald held on but she could feel the vine slipping from her grip. She struggled, her tiny feet planted in the ground to keep her steady.

"STICKY!"

"NOW!"

Torvald let go of the vine and to her shock she saw what she had been preparing for the onslaught of candy birds. With the force of the vine unleashed, the branches whipped forward and-!

*KA-POW!*

Even more birds were taken out but things were not over yet!

The girls had to make it to safety, anywhere away from the crows! Sticky continued to lead her sisters through the winding path but she was getting tired. She knew EVERYONE was getting tired but if they were to fall back, they would surely be attacked!

What to do, what to do?

Wait….

She looked ahead and saw it.

The gum bushes!

They all sloped down the path, leading out of the forest back into the fields but there was one problem.

The path was steep and if the three jumped at the wrong time, it would be a very rough ride down.

A PAINFUL, rough ride.

The loud bray of the crows was quick to remind Sticky of the situation they were in but for this, she needed EVERYONE to work together.

"MINTY!"

"Yeah?!"

"TORVALD!"

"Yes?!"

Sticky reached up and grabbed a huge broadleaf and after wrapping it around herself and her sisters.

Down they went.

There were a few shouts and a few screams but before Minty and Torvald knew it, they were sliding through the thicket of Gum Branches and up above they noticed the candy crows flying ahead but because of the twisted branches and the sticky coating, they could not penetrate it. The girls' ride was a bumpy one but the further they went, the further they got away from the crows.

Until finally, they had escaped!

The three finally made it to the fields, crashing through a thin wall of branches and rolling out on the ground but even with a few scratches, they were safe.

But to Sticky, they were not fine.

"WOO! That was AWESOME!" cheered Minty, feeling more pumped than ever "I wish we had brought a camera with us for that!"

"I never thought sliding through breaking branches could be so much fun!" laughed Torvald, feeling happy to be safe.

But Stick remained silent. She remained still as she sat with her back towards her sisters.

"Sticky?" Minty asked in concern "Ya okay."

The sisters could hear a sniffle, they could see Sticky twitch.

She turned, showing forth just how upset she was, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm so sorry!" Sticky wailed, huddling back up in fear.

"Sorry?" asked Minty "Sorry for WHAT?"

"I-I just couldn't-! I mean I tried-!"

It was just too hard to get out, Sticky feeling so bad and upset. After all that effort, after all that time she found she had put her sisters into danger, and why?

All because she tried too hard to make them happy.

"Minty, Torvald…." The girl shook "I-I never wanted things to end up like this…."

"But Sticky!" Torvald said, putting an arm around the sobbing racer "You helped us back there! It makes no sense that you're so upset!"

"Yeah, so what if we didn't make it to your place!" Minty chuckled "I had a rather fun time as it-!"

"That's the point…" Sticky moaned "B-Because of all the fighting, I-I really didn't know where we were going. I just didn't want you two to be upset at each other."

Sticky turned around in shame, her hands held behind her back.

"Look, I now you two wanted to go off to wherever you wanted but…but when you asked ME, I just couldn't decide. I wanted to take us to a place where we could all have fun but…but…."

Sticky could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She felt she had let her sisters down.

"I'm just no good at this stuff, not like you two…" she sobbed "I try to take us somewhere, I nearly get us killed!"

"Ya kiddin'?" Minty laughed, putting a warm hand atop Sticky's shoulder "Sis, this was tha best trip I've had in a long time!"

Sticky's eyes lit up in shock from the confession. Was Minty being truthful?

"R-Really?"

"Yes, it was so much fun!" smiled Torvald "We went to all sorts of places, found such great candy!"

"B-But I was just going to places at random….I-I really didn't know where to lead you."

"And that's what was so great about it." Said Minty with an honest smile "As much as I hate ta admit this, ya really showed us the way more so than I could. I mean, for a first time leader an' all."

Sticky began to smile; after all the worry did her sisters really think she had what it took to be a leader?

"You really think so?"

"Yes. Plus the way you handled those nasty crows? That was great!"

"I just wanted to make sure you were safe." Sticky said, smiling bashfully.

"That's why we love ya, sis." Beamed Torvald "Where would we be without you?"

Sticky looked at her sisters, finally realizing that even if things hadn't gone as perfectly as she had planned, she had gotten the outing that she had dreamed about. She dove in for a hug, never having felt so light and care-free in her life.

The sisters returned back to the village, the others awaiting them in worry but once Minty and Torvald told everyone of their adventure, the worry faded and was replaced by excitement. They wanted to hear more and more from Sticky and better than that.

They wanted to join her on her next adventure.

Sticky was the middle of the mint sisters, the calm one, the one no one really expected to do very much leading. She was only there to keep the peace many thought, only there to ensure nothing too hectic would happen.

But after her adventure, Sticky felt certain she could handle it next time.