"This is horrible.", he said. "How could they let this happen? I mean LOOK at that.".
He pointed.
"This room hasn't been maintained in years! But worry not.".
He got into his pose.
"I can fix lt!".
He went around repairing the shabby walls, floor & ceiling. After doing a number on the room, he put away his hammer without breaking a sweat.
Leaving the room, they wanderred down a long corridor, with a high ceiling. They could see faint light as they rounded the corner to another corridor.
Down at the end was a large room with lts mounted torches lit. Upon closer inspection, he spotted the baby cybug.
"There he is.".
It spit out a metallic looking object onto the floor. A large shadow blocked out the light & positioned ltself on the other side of the room.
The light returned, but the object was gone. Felix gulped.
"So, you're saying that candy king dude was actually some dude named, 'Turbo'?", Bobby asked, knowing almost nothing of either character.
"Yes. He reprogrammed the whole game.", responded Vanellope.
She opened her arms diagonally.
"And then you found out you're the President of the game?", he asked.
"Actually, I was the Princess. Noo thanks. I chose to be President instead.".
"Well, Miss President. You're welcome to come to Love Island anytime.".
"Love Island?".
"It's where I live in EZ Livin' 2. Minty too'. It's got food, martinis, hot tubs & a big spaghetti sea.".
"You can't top that.".
"Ralph. Calhoun.", he turned to greet the approaching characters.
"How's lt hanging, Bobby?", Ralph asked, pounding him.
"Soldier", Tamora said, barely giving him a glance.
She folded her arms.
"You know Ralph?", Vanellope asked, taken aback. "And Calhoun?".
"Yep. I met this bromigo & the Sarge here in Hero's Duty.".
"I knew lt. You are from Hero's Duty.".
He nodded, about to affirm.
"Hey, you said, 'Hero's Duty', without laughing.", Ralph noted.
"It's taking everything I have not to.".
She bit her cheeks down.
"What are you doing here? Did you find any bugs?".
"None. I came over to tell you the good news.".
"It couldn't keep up with the rest.", Calhoun mused.
"Where's Felix & my sister?".
"Waiting back at the Castle for us.", Ralph said.
"Let's go.".
"See you later, Bobby.", Ralph, Vanellope & Minty all said.
"Bye bye, bromigo & lady bromigos.".
"Are you coming?", Vanellope asked Tamora.
"I have to go talk to Hologram & Lockload to call off the mission.".
"Okay, then. I guess we'll see you later.".
"You can count on lt. I'll be back in 2100 hours.".
"Uh...".
Calhoun quickly elaborated.
"I'll be back by nine.".
"Great".
They left, with Calhoun departing for her game & Bobby leaving for his destination.
"Princess", he whisperred. "Stay here in this room. Let me check this out.".
She didn't argue. He put a foot forward & stared down at the distant room.
'What is that thing?'.
Felix then recalled the hole in the wall. He put the two peices together. Musterring up his courage, he got up against the wall & walked along lt, to avoid detection... by whatever THAT was. Room upon room he passed by, checking inside each as he went. There really was no point, since they were pitch black. He thought of putting away his flashlight. Not wanting that thing to see lt, he listened to his mind. He was a good 3/4 way there now. It was clear that there were two small cybugs in the room. Two vanilla columns could be seen at the end. A chandelier decorated with assorted candy hung high on the ceiling.
'A candylier.', he thought.
And a big shadow was cast on the floor. The thought of turning back occurred to him, but he had already come all this way. He snuck a little further along the wall. He turned his cap backward as he entered stealth mode & peered into the room slowly. He looked right first. There was an open door with cells inside.
'The Fungeon?'.
He looked left. He had to supress his horror with two gloved hands.
'Turbo?!'.
He inched slowly backward. They had to get out of there quick. As he backed up into the wall, his toolbelt made a soft sound against the wall.
It was already silent in there, but in the instant he made that sound, the entire floor became more quiet, lf that is even possible. It was as though the ambience of the cold air halted. Something had changed. He silently made his way back to the Princess, crossing room after room of darkness in lts entirety. The already dim hall dimmed more as he crept back to the room he had left her in.
"Princess", he whisperred. "Let's get out of here.".
He looked both ways. Nothing in either direction. They started for the exit. They rounded the corner to the first corridor & were now running without making much sound. Felix checked behind him. Nothing. They returned to the room that Felix had fixed up with his trusty hammer & leapt over the bricks, what remained of what once was a castle wall. They took a minute now that they were back in the tunnel.
"What is lt, what did you see?", she asked him, a pink array of bytes encompassing her being.
"Turbo. Still changing between King Candy & himself.".
With zero light where they stood, Felix turned the flashlight back on & furrowed his brow, looking down at Banannaby.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?".
"Your hand.".
She looked at her left hand in confusion.
"Other one.".
She held out her other hand for examination. It was slightly translucent & ghostly.
"What...?".
She cautiously touched lt with her other hand.
"It's really soft.". "Maybe lt's from glitching. It will probably go away.", she assured herself.
"Yeah. Probably.". "Come on.", he whisperred. "We're not out yet.".
"Oh, no. This guy's going to stop me again.".
Ralph put his hand over his face. Vanellope walked into the gate to Sugar Rush. The buzzer she expected went off & a blue hologram of a cop teleported beside her.
"Hello, President Vanellope. Go ahead through.".
"These two are with me.", she pointed to Ralph & Minty.
"Alright. Have a good night.".
Ralph was waving his arms around. He couldn't speak. They went through the gate together & took seats on the Sugar Express.
"No fair. He lets you through, but not me?!".
"I'm a PRESIDENT, numbskull. You're not.".
"I'd like to see him let me alone through just once.".
"Hey, you're not going to go get another medal & go through all of THAT again just to get through the gate, are you?".
"Pff. Nah. I threw that stupid hero medal away. The only medal I need is this.".
He pulled out the medal she made him. It was around his neck under his shirt the whole time.
"You still have lt?", she looked at him thoughtfully, but not too' obvious.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I? I don't see any other Stinkbrain's to give this to.".
She laughed.
"There's the Vanellope I know. Let lt out.".
She started holding lt in.
"Heeeroooo's".
She started shaking her head, trying not to laugh. He paused a few seconds.
"Doody!".
She began laughing joyfully.
"Big doody all over the floors.".
She was cracking up.
"Why did the hero flush the toilet?".
Still laughing, she gave an, 'oh, no.', look.
"Because he just took a big doody!".
Now she was in all out hysterics. Minty started laughing at the sight. It wasn't that funny, but Vanellope's laughter made lt really funny.
"See? You can be yourself & still be President. You just gotta let lt out every once in a while.".
"Yeah. You're right.", she smiled at him, whiping away tears of joy.
"Remember: you're not always on doody.".
They shared some more laughs as they got off. Ralph noticed the karts on Rainbow Hill.
"Hop on, Goliath.", she got into her kart.
"Oh, boy. This again.", he sighed as he grudgingly sat on the back, using his arms to balance the weight.
They drove off to the Castle, passing Candy Cane Forest & the Junkyard, where the President made her first kart from scratch. Turning onto Sugar Rush Speedway, they followed the winding road straight to Castle Schweetz. When they got to just outside of the Castle, they noticed Felix & Banannaby running up to them.
"Guys!", Felix yelled.
"What's the matter, brother?".
"Turbo!".
Ralph didn't look deterred.
"That little guy is back? No problem. I'll just pick him up & flick him into the Nesquick Sand.".
Felix quickly shook his head, eyes wide open.
"Not little. Big.".
"He's still a cybug?".
"Yup. And he's still King Candy too'.".
"How in the Arcade did he survive?" "We saw that King Turbug plunge into the fizzy fire.", Vanellope said, looking the most shocked.
"I don't know. But I saw him. And there was another cybug. I think he's making more.".
"Where?".
"Right under your castle.".
They looked down.
"There's a tunnel in the back. I think he's by the Fungeon.".
"Well, let's get Calhoun & take care of lt.", Vanellope pounded her fist into her hand.
"Can you call her?", Ralph asked Felix.
Felix pulled out the transmitter she gave him.
"Yes, I can.".