Cola

It had been a month since Litwak had installed a new Turbo Time machine due to a request from a resident. There had been 3 other games installed a week after the new Turbo Time was brought in and the characters from it were still getting adjusted to socializing with the regulars of the arcade. A Dastardly & Muttley game where you flew planes to try and catch a pigeon, a new version of Soul Calibur and a game called 'Oh, Ionia' based on the popular sci-fi fantasy comic and animation series where you'd have to fly around defending villages.

Ionia, the star of the game, had managed to fit in well with the Sugar Rush characters, Ralph and Felix and would often visit when the arcade closed. She just loved the way the Sugar Rush world looked and smelled and enjoyed flying over the candy cane forest and perching herself on the tops to watch the racers do what they did best. Ralph got on with her well enough, though he found her clumsy and a little socially awkward. Felix found her charming, though he knew his wife did not share this notion. She was indifferent to say the least.

The new Turbo was, as he had been before, self-absorbed, only interested in his game and deemed himself superior to the Sugar Rush racers. However, he had one thing different to the previous incarnation. He hadn't invaded another game.

Ralph and Felix had taken it upon themselves to shadow Turbo's every move when out of his game to make sure that it didn't happen again. Felix, being the optimist he was, didn't suspect that he would ever do it. After all, it was a different version of him and the circumstances were entirely different. There was no Road Blasters game in the arcade and the Sugar Rush characters had already made it perfectly clear that they'd have no shenannigans or there'd be Ralph to deal with. Ralph, on the other hand, was always suspicious of him and felt that he shouldn't let his guard down no matter what.

However, something had happened that had caused somewhat of a stir in the group. Ionia and Turbo had developed a friendship, something Ralph did not think was even possible. He couldn't help but feel this was entirely fake on Turbo's part and that he had a hidden agenda. Old habits, as they say, die hard. He had followed the two into Sugar Rush after the arcade closed and watched them like a hawk as they greeted the racers.

Taffyta Muttonfudge leaned against her cart and grinned at the pair as they slowly made their way into the clearing they were all stood in. "Well, hey there." She tossed a lollipop around in her hands and nodded to Ralph and Felix who slumped on a nearby fudge mound. "Long day, huh?"

Vanellope scoffed. "Naaah, long schmong! These guys are tough." She punched the air to make her point sending a ripple of giggles through the group.

"Well, it was down right fun, if you ask me." Felix grinned widely and patted his golden hammer. "I think it was the best day so far! We had a lot of quarter alerts."

"Yeah, well, you're not the one having to land on your butt every time are you?" Ralph whirled his eyes around and rubbed at his lower back in protest. "After 15 quarter alerts it starts to hurt a bit."

Ionia let out a laugh, a little too loud than what she had intended. She instantly slapped her hands over her mouth and stifled her giggles.

"You wanna trade places, Blue?" Ralph looked over to her with an unimpressed expression plastered on his face.

"Nah! I'm good!" She waved frantically in reply and continued to stifle her giggles through a giant, beaming grin and leaned down to Turbo. "Heeheehee he said butt!"

"Yes. Yes he did." Turbo couldn't help but find her overreaction somewhat amusing and cracked a small smirk. Normally such behaviour would be above him, but he was in a good mood. His game had brought in many quarters that day and he felt the need to celebrate regardless of the company.