The News

"ALL OFF FOR SUGAR RUSH!"

At the booming sound of their foster mother's voice, the fifteen children, who up to that point had been jumping and playing and getting into all kinds of shenanigans with each other, obediently stood to attention. They clambered to the window of the cruiser that the sergeant was landing... right upon the rainbow bridge of their sugary homeland that they'd missed.

The whole brood gasped in delight, overjoyed to see everything about their game back into its tiptop, saccharine-saturated state. From the ice-creamed mountains and taffy swamps, to the lollistix trees and dark chocolate lakes. They shrieked happily, all talking over one another in excitement.

"Whoa! Sweet!"

"It's back! It's back!"

"Everything is just the way it was!"

"The castle's even shinier than it was before!"

"Even better!"

"Oh, look! Our karts are down there!"

"I wanna go drive, I miss driving!"

"I can't wait to get back in the Random Roster Race!"

"Me too!"

"No more pulling the plug on Sugar Rush!"

"All right, kiddos, settle down, now."

The last voice had come from the group's foster father. All fifteen heads whipped around to face him as he came up to them, Felix's blue eyes filled with pride and his gloved hands clasped together.

"Now remember," he said, "just because you got your game back doesn't mean you can go back to being those feisty little fireballs you were! What are you gonna be, now?"

"Good little eggs," the kids all said, imitating his Southern accent and giggling.

"Ahem."

The kids instantly winced when Sergeant Calhoun came up behind her husband, arms crossed and a displeased look on her face.

"Children," she said, her words calm but her tone fierce, "getting your old game back also does NOT mean that you have a right to mock the parents who took you in."

Taffyta rolled her eyes. "For a day," she muttered under her breath.

Calhoun, with her sharp hearing, heard the girl and she narrowed her eyes as her vision honed in on the little pink racer. "What was that, solider?"

Taffyta opened her mouth, but thought twice when the taller woman glared down at her, no nonsense written all over her face. Thinking better of her actions, the girl huffed a breath of defeat and slumped her shoulders. "Sorry, Mom."

Calhoun nodded sharply, satisfied with her discipline. "Now, let's try that again, shall we? What are you kids going to be now?"

"Good little eggs!" the children all chorused in unison, loudly and proudly.

Calhoun nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Now get your butts over here and give your Ma and Pa a big hug!" she ordered.

With happy shrieks, the children all piled on Felix and Calhoun, smothering the pair in huge, tight hugs, with the 8-bit repairman bidding each and every one of them goodbye as they sauntered out the door of the cruiser.

"Bye, Gloyd! Try not to spill anymore milk at dinner, 'kay?"

"Bye, Rancis! It's okay to lose a race, all right?"

"Bye, Candlehead! Keep that attitude shining as bright as that candle on your head!"

"Bye, Swizzle! Make sure you don't take things that don't belong to you!"