"Ralph's Trip to Reality" Prologue
"Don't go!" whimpered Rancis, Vanellope's boyfriend: "Not into the filthy Human World!"
Vanellope rolled her eyes at the boy holding on to her leg for dear life: "It's fine, I'll be back in about two days. Can't you just entertain yourself for just two days?"
Rancis gave her his signature puppy-dog face—which a regular person wouldn't be able to resist the cuteness. But Vanellope's poker-face showed no mercy: "Whatever, Butterfingers. Just stop bothering me; I've got to study a bunch of stuff to prepare for the Human World."
"Why can't you stay here, you'd perfectly safe in Sugar Rush? Or at least let me come with you…?" He whined
"No. I signed up. I'm recruited. It's been done. I can't undo it. Me and a bunch of other people have sent in our forms and have been accepted into going in the Human World." She replied sternly. Vanellope usually wasn't mean to anyone like this—especially Rancis, the one she loved so much.
Vanellope peeled Rancis off of her leg and placed him on her bed: "I've gotta study, there are tons of stupid rules, guidelines, and missions I have to do."
"A mission?" Rancis asked "Are you a secret agent now?"
"No. A mission simply is something I have to test out in the Human World…Like testing out my glitching powers or Felix's magic hammer powers for instance." She sighed.
Rancis looked depressed: "So I absolutely can't go with you?" He said, changing the subject.
Vanellope glared at him and nodded: "Yes."
Rancis eyes fixated on the floor: "Oh, okay…" his voice trailed off.
Vanellope—who was beginning to feel sorry for him—walked over to her bed and sat down next to him. (Just to warn you, there's a major VanillaButter part coming up soon.)
She put her hand on top of his and squeezed it gently: "Are you okay?" she asked "You don't look so good."
Rancis looked up and wrapped his arm around Vanellope's waist "Vanellope, I-I don't really want you to leave…"
"I know…It'll only be for a couple of days—not too long." She replied, scooting even closer to him.
She giggled and rested her head on his shoulder, making Rancis smile and blush.
They met each other's eyes and slowly leaned forward.
Suddenly, Ralph barged into the room: "Vanellope!? Where are ya? You're almost late for the "Reality Jump" meeting they're about to ha-"Ralph glanced over at Rancis and Vanellope—kissing.
Ralphs eyes widened and his mouth fell open: "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" he bellowed.
Vanellope immediately pulled away and Rancis slowly turned his head around, only to see an enraged Ralph giving him a "death stare". Rancis smiled sheepishly waiting for Ralph to do something.
"Run, Rancis…Run!" A voice screamed inside Rancis's mind, but he was practically frozen with shock.
After a few seconds of Ralph glaring at Rancis with his massive hands on his hips, he said: "Okay, Mister Pretty-Boy. You think you can mess with my friend's emotions here, buddy?" Ralph growled. "Well, think again. Yeah, I know how you boys are…" then he muttered something about breaking girl's hearts that Rancis couldn't really catch. Ralph then picked Rancis up by the collar of his jacket and stormed out of the room while Vanellope watched silently in horror.
Ralph brought Rancis out of the "Von Schweetz Castle" and into the courtyard.
"What were you guys doing back there, hmm?!" Ralph asked, trying to constrain his fury.
"Uhhh…" Rancis replied intelligently "Kissing?"
Ralph stomped his foot angrily at Rancis's words, and it felt like a gigantic earthquake rippled through the ground: "YES!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea how delicate Vanellope's heart is?"
Rancis didn't reply.
"Just what I thought…" Ralph grumbled "And do you have an idea what you and all those other racers did to her—emotionally?!"
Rancis shook his head, plainly embarrassed. He hated when people brought up anything that had to do with King Candy. Whether it was Codes, or glitches, or even the bullying that went on—started by Taffyta, him, and Candlehead.
Ralph sighed: "Just don't even go near her. Don't even touch, talk, or look at her anymore, okay? Got it Pretty-Boy?"
Rancis gasped, ever since Vanellope and he had gotten into a relationship, Ralph had been following them everywhere—literally. Rancis had spent five minutes with her in her bedroom a few moments ago, and that had been the longest time Rancis and Vanellope had spent together alone in four whole weeks.
"I can't even look at her?! This is stupid, Ralph!" Rancis huffed "This is me and Vanellope's business only, and we sure didn't invite you to come aboard."
Ralph looked disgusted by Rancis's comment: "I am trying to protect her from stuck-up, snobby, and egotistical, jerks like you, Rancis."
"I'm no jerk! And now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to walk my girlfriend to this 'meeting' you're talking about."
Rancis spun around and headed back toward Vanellope's castle.
He knocked on Vanellope's bedroom door, and then he pressed his ear to the door and heard sobbing sounds coming from inside as well as a familiar monotone voice.
"Come in…" the garden-variety voice greeted.
Rancis opened Vanellope's door and saw her and Sour Bill sitting on her bed. Vanellope's face was buried in Sour Bill's forehead, which is –I guess—the only empty spot to cry on.
"I know, I know…" Sour Bill said in his most 'comforting' voice, which wasn't that much different than his regular voice as he patted her on the back.
Vanellope sniffled: "Go away, Ralph. I don't know how you could do something like that to Rancis…" she sobbed.
Rancis smiled sympathetically: "I'm not Ralph, I'm Rancis."
"Rancis?..." she said weakly
Rancis sat on the bed, next to Vanellope, who was still holding Sour Bill up to her face like how a child would cuddle a teddy bear. He gingerly took Sour Bill from her (rather suffocating) grasp, who silently thanked Rancis and began to wipe the wetness off of his green forehead.
Vanellope beautiful, gleaming hazel eyes stood out to Rancis, as he swept a stray tear off of her face: "Should we go to that meeting?" He asked politely. She smiled and nodded slowly.
….
Vanellope, Rancis, and a few others gathered in Pac-Man's "Bad-Anonymous" meeting room. Even though Rancis wasn't going into the Human World, the doughnut cops sill let him in to hear the announcement meeting.
Sour Bill strolled up to the brown podium in the center of the room and began to give his announcement.
"Hello, everyone. I'm about to give a stunning presentation to you all today." Sour Bill said, glancing over at Vanellope and Rancis and smiling awkwardly—totally out of his character. Then he glanced down and read over his cue card.
"Unfortunately, the voyage into the Human World was been delayed." He said quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone.
Surprised and angered whispers and murmurs spread through the small audience.
"I know, it was a bit late to tell you, but we'll be going into the Human World in tomorrow instead of in three days." Sour Bill added "I think we're done here now."
Everyone rose up from their seats and trudged out the door and out of Pac-Man. Rancis looked over at Vanellope, she didn't seem too happy about Sour Bill's news. "…No time to study now… Gotta' pack everything tonight… stupid Sour Bill…" she grumbled. Vanellope already had a rough afternoon; it never needed to be totally ruined by Sour Bill.
Rancis and Vanellope entered her castle and went into her room.
"I-I'll help you pack." Rancis said, trying to make her feel better.
When they were done, it was about nighttime for Sugar Rush, and Rancis was getting tired.
"I'm gonna go back to my house and try to sleep…okay?" he said taking Vanellope's hand.
She sighed and nodded: "Fine, I'll need some shut-eye too." She replied.
Rancis smiled and kissed her on the forehead; then he got up and strode out of her palace.
When he arrived home, he flopped out onto his bed and tried to sleep, but for some reason, he couldn't. Rancis kept thinking about what Ralph had said to him earlier about him somehow "breaking" Vanellope's heart. Surely that couldn't be true, could it?
He glanced out his window and saw the fake stars twinkling like gems. Oh well. Whatever could possibly happen next couldn't be that bad, and with that thought, Rancis drifted off so sleep, completely oblivious to what would come next.