Twisted Wonderland 2

We Shall Reign Supreme

You and the boys dance and feast well into the night. Laughing and partying as the clock rings out. The villagers start settling down and the music stops playing.

"Okay, ladies and gents!" Marja calls out. "It's been a blast, but we gotta wrap things up now."

"Mrah? But I'm still having fun!" Grim complains.

"You heard the clock." Epel says. "It's eleven p.m. Time to wind down."

Marja walks over to you and the boys. "I'm sure you're all tired after the day you had, so you should turn in."

Grim shakes his head defiantly. "I ain't tired at all! Let's keep this shindig goin'!"

"GET TO BED, YA VARMINTS!" Marja shouts.

"Mrah!" Grim jumps behind your legs.

"You can't be messin' up tomorrow from lack of sleep!" Marja folds her arms sternly. "I don't care if you aren't tired or if you're still havin' fun! It's bedtime, and that's that! Even apples know to store their nutrients in the winter! That's how they get to be so good! Ya get it now?"

Grim slumps his shoulders. "Not really, but fiiine."

Jade tilts his head. "She really is like a whole other person when the sledathon's involved."

Epel sheepishly laughs. "Thanks for throwing us this party, Grandma! It was tons of fun!"

After the townspeople has left, you and the boys help clean up and put everything away.

"Okay, everyone's left." Epel says. "We'd better get ready to turn in."

Sebek nods. "Good idea."

"Pardon me." Jade folds his arms in front of him. "I agree with Marja's point, but we still have one thing to do before bed."

"You mean, something friends do at a sleepover... like a pillow fight?" Epel asks.

Sebek folds his arms with a grin. "He clearly means a pre-bedtime workout!"

Idia holds his arm. "The girls in Sled Over Heels had pajama parties..."

Jade shakes his head. "All incorrect. We need to hold a strategy meeting. I say we take a few minutes to devise a plan for tomorrow. After all, we wouldn't want to lose to Royal Sword Academy."

Sebek clears his throat sheepishly. "Ah, of course."

Epel nods. "All right, yeah, sure."

You and the boys gather together around the coffee table. Jade lays out a book on the table.

"I borrowed a race rulebook from one of the villagers during the party." Jade opens up the book. "Let's have a quick review of the rules, shall we?"

Epel grins. "Well, I'll be. Now that's what I call thinkin' ahead!"

Jade starts reading the rules. "Rule one: If any team member is absent, the entire team is disqualified. Rule two: The winning team is determined by the combined time of all four team members. Rule three: Time is called when the tip of a plushie's nose reaches the finish line."

Sebek quirks an eye. "I'm surprised it's determined by then the plushie reaches the end, and not the sled or the musher."

Idia stares at Sebek for a long moment. "Uh, Sebek... This is a PLUSHIE sled race. The stuffed animals are the real stars. The mushers are just the power system driving them."

"Yeah, the sledathon was created to honor the animals." Epel adds.

"Rule four." Jade continues. "If an individual is involved in a collision or a crash, they are solely responsible for themselves."