Chapter One: Burnt
(Beginning A/Ns: In this story, I actually learn how to spell the Princess-turned-President's name finally lol My mind didn't even catch I was spelling it wrong this whole time! Oh well. Everyone knew who I meant ;D Anywho, hope all enjoy the story...now with the kid's name spelled right! ;D)
"Come on, Ralph! Move your molasses!" Vanellope chirped impatiently as she hastily made her way down the rainbow hill. Ralph rolled his eyes and smiled as he mossied down the path, meeting her at the bottom of it.
"Don't worry, kid," he told her calmly as she tried to figure out the quickest way to her home. "We'll get there when we get there."
"Well, ga-doi, " Vanellope spun around and countered to her large friend. "We'd just "get there" a lot faster if you'd actually move your wrecking butt for once!" She smirked devilishly at him. "Now, should we cut through Candy Cane Tree Forrest or take the trail through Diet Cola Mountain?" she asked, eyeing both her options to the left and right of her.
"How about Diet Cola Mountain?" Ralph suggested, brushing off the child's harmless teasing. "I haven't seen what's even left of that place since we blew it, Turbo and the other Cy-Bugs up."
"Nah..." Vanellope said after a moment of thinking. "It'll end up taking too long to make our way over there. And we need to get to the Candy Castle as soon as possible so I can show you the latest update to Sugar Rush!" She was practically seeping with excitement.
Rolling his eyes, Ralph couldn't help but smile, knowing Vanellope always got overly excited over every little update her game experienced. She always squealed and cheered and danced around happily anytime an update took place for Sugar Rush- even if it was as simple as a slight expansion of Candy Cane Tree Forrest or an extra gigantic gumdrop being added.
And the wrecker knew that he was always the first one outside the sugary game to learn of and see the update, since Vanellope always dragged him to see it after the arcade would close. Ralph always felt slightly honored and happy that he was her first choice to tell- except when the update of Sugar Rush was that time Wynnchel and Duncan got new candy batons and needed someone to practice hitting on.
But the gentle giant could tell this update to Sugar Rush was getting Vanellope extra excited and bouncy. She hadn't stopped talking about how cool it is since she went to meet him at his game or as they had made their way through Game Central Station over to Sugar Rush. Ralph had asked her to spill the beans and say what the update actually was, but Vanellope refused to tell. It was"too cool of an update" to spoil by saying what it was and he "just needed to see it for himself."
This update must be pretty awesome for her to be this excited, he thought to himself with an ever-growing smile as he watched the candy themed child excitingly glitch to the entrance of the forest in her game.
Her mind made up, Vanellope turned and wave him over anxiously. "Come on, Admiral Underpants! We've got a forest to make our way through!"
"Are you sure, kid?" Ralph asked her, cautiously eying the large amount of red and white trees behind her. "Don't you think it'd be better to just-"
"Aw, come on, Bulldozer, " she rolled her eyes dramatically. "Have ya really forgotten who you're talkin' to? I'm the President of Sugar Rush, remember?" She threw her thumbs up to point at herself and smirked. "I know this whole forest- no, this game, in fact- like the back of my hands. I know how to get us in and out of this forest, quick and easy. "
Suspicious, Ralph eyed her with meaty hands on his hips. "Oh really, kid?"
"Absolutely, Major Body Odor! Trust me, I got this! It'll take us no time to make our way through here and to the castle!" She smiled that huge excited smiled of hers as she squealed happily at the thought.
Although he was doubtful, Ralph just silently followed her and rolled his eyes again down at her. He swore that's what he did half the time he was with this kid when she'd come up with her crazy plans. But if it meant he got to spend time with her, Ralph always felt it was worth it...
Until he found that 'no time' of trudging their way through the forest had become an over-an-hour ordeal of burning thighs and lungs for him as he and Vanellope wondered around the forest, getting lost a few too many times for comfort.
"I think we should go this way...wait, didn't we just past that tree?" Vanellope would wonder out loud to herself every few minutes as Ralph gasped for breaths behind her.
"I thought...you said... you knew how to get in and... out of the forest quick and easy!" the panting wrecker growled at her.
"Oh, shut your pie hole, Wreck-It!" The little glitch hissed at him, sounding alarmingly like Calhoun. "I do know how to get through here...I just need you to stop sounding like you're gonna have a heart attack so I can think more clearly!" She paused for a moment before looking around her. "Now, did we go left or right last time?"
She continued to "lead" the way as Ralph trailed behind looking slightly miserable as he panting heavily. Either I need a new best friend who gets less excited about stuff, they need to move the Candy Castle closer to the stupid entrance, or I need to work out more, he decided mentally as he started to feel little lightheaded.
Following the little glitch, who was getting more and more excited (and assured) with each step, Ralph whined finally: "Are we there yet?!"
"Almost, Diaper Baby!" Vanellope chirped. She glitched up to the top of a high tree for a better view and gazed over to her castle, it's high, pointed tower clearly being seen over the field of trees. She pixilated quickly back down and made her way through the last bit of the forest, pushing back tree branches as Ralph trampled them behind her.
Thankfully, they reached the end of the minty forest right before Ralph felt like he was going to 'game over'. Both friends could see the castle and all its splendor now, which just made Vanellope that much more excited- and impatient with Ralph.
"Ooh! I wish I was big enough to carry you around everywhere instead of it being the other way around," she mumbled to the wheezing wreckor in frustration as he stumbled along behind her.
This update had better be good, the poor man couldn't help but think bitterly between painful, exhausted breaths.
