XXIII.
Down from the ice caves Van did fly
the finish line within her sight;
amazed by several things was she:
never heretofore had she
had grasp of glitching, as a tool
for her to use at her command;
driving, next, was naturally
a brand-new pleasure, deeply felt;
but out of corner of her eye
she also noted the strange pall
of darkness, low'ring, that had come
with these odd insects flying 'round.
But, noticing this last detail,
there suddenly from either side
a geyser of these bugs arise.
She thought: "Is this a feature new
that challenges the first to cross
the finish line, which I have missed?"
For she had watched from time to time
the racers take the checkered flag,
and dream of herself doing such—
'fore trudging back into her lair.
She drove on, ignored the bugs;
but then they geysered—from the track!
She swerved, she jogged; did what she could;
then could no longer stay in clear.
Her kart, upset, flew through the air;
and landed not a hundred feet
before the line—wiped out, and stopped.
Ralph and Felix to her ran:
"Are you okay?" She answered them,
"I'm fine—let us just finish this."
But since the two had left the line,
the bugs, attracted to the shine
of Winner's Cup and flashing lights
moved to devour these delicacies.
The trio saw this, mouths agape;
Ralph picked up Vanellope
and said to her, "We gotta flee."
"I didn't cross the finish line!"
protested she; but he replied:
"There is none such; it is quite gone."
'Twas true—there was no place to drive,
but only cy-bugs side by side.
Putting Van upon his shoulder,
Ralph joined the throngs heading towards exit.
Vanellope'd been there before;
she knew 'twas futile—scores of times
she'd tried escape; but force field strong
e'er blocked her way—'twould be
no different, on this day.
She said to him, "This will not work."
"We gotta try," said he; perhaps
his massive strength could get her through.
But as they tried the game to leave,
the force field plucked Vanellope
from off his shoulder; he went through—
but she remained. "Ralph, I told you,
I can't leave!" He doubled back
and picked her up; and tried with all
his might, to move her past the gate.
Vanellope was zapped all over;
the pain intense, she cried, "Ralph, stop!"
He tried again, but will did ebb—
'twas hurting her, that he could tell.
"Stop—it's no use," she to him said;
he saw her point. With heavy heart
he knelt by her; felt at wit's end—
what else to do?
Pain and disappointment both
coursed through their veins; a crueler fate
could not have been foreseen by them.
They both could feel it in the air:
either one'd do anything
to save the other—that was clear.
From hard defeat they raised their eyes
and looked deep in each other's souls.
"It's okay, Ralph," she said to him.
His breaking heart, she could not mend,
she knew—but what she wanted him
in turn to know, was that he should not
feel at all, that he had not turned
every stone, to help her break
the bonds her life imposed.
Just then, Calhoun and Felix came
unto the exit; she did say,
"Okay, that's everybody gone;
now this exit, we must blow."
Ralph and Van looked back again
at one another; both were crushed.
'Twas the last time that they would see
the other; could they lower feel?
"He needs to go, and save himself,"
thought Van. She said: "Just go," and then—
"Go without me." Crushing blow.
Felix cried, "What of this game?"
Calhoun replied: "It's done. Without
a beacon, we've no hope to stop
these monsters fell. We've got to go."
'Beacon'.
Of a sudden, there flashed through
Ralph's mind a series of memories:
the effect that H.D.'s beacon had
upon the bugs in that dark land;
and then, the fiery plumes of flame
the cola hot springs did produce
when touched by Mentos. These combined
into one picture: if he could
dislodge the Mentos, there likely would
be long eruption. Long enough
to light a beacon, and kill the bugs?
He did not know—but did not care;
he would not leave Van standing there
with him in safety—not a chance.
Standing up, he saw the sergeant's
hoverboard off to one side.
He took a breath, then said to Van:
"Stay with Felix!"—and then ran;
jumped on the hoverboard disused,
wobbled slightly, then took flight.
Running after him, Van cried:
"Ralph! What are you doing, now?!"
"I've got some wrecking now to do—
meet me again at finish line!"—
and off he flew. Felix cried,
"No, wait!"—he knew—should Ralph not make it
back from there, 'twould be 'game over'
for him then; not only this,
but his own game would be unplugged.
Calhoun ordered them both back
behind her as she tried to stem
the looming cy-bugs' slow attack.