Chapter 1

Life sure goes by fast, doesn't it?

Believe me, I would know. I live for speed- it's what I used do every day. It's what lies at the very core of my being. It's a part of my shattered past that I simply can't seem to shake away, as much as I'd like to. For as luck would have it, that entire past was nothing but a big lie, and for fifteen long years I swallowed it like a jellybean.

I don't know why I bother keeping my head in that meaninglessness past of mine. I can't even say that my days of racing were particularly memorable. It was a natural talent of mine, but compared to the others I was always the black sheep. No matter how and why, I always seemed to end up as target practice for the others to use their power-ups.

But that wasn't important.

No, it wasn't about the fame, or the money, or the victory (well, at least the thought of it). It was the company of the others that I cherished each day. Racing meant everything to the others, but to me it was a hobby at best. The only thing that mattered to me was love- the company of friends, compassion, a warm pair of arms to sink into.

Love, speed, and cherries- the main ingredients that make up yours truly, Jubileena Bing-Bing.

It's funny how those two things were the world to me, and yet that world crumbled around me before even I could expect it. Life goes by fast, sure, but I feel as if I've lived an eternity during these past days of ruin. They came all at once, in a catastrophic torrent.

First, that Glitch. That miserable mistake who not only once again got it into her head that she was able to race, but this time she had somehow found a coin that got her on the board officially. Well, we all knew what needed to be done. We found her and decided to give her a taste of what would happen if she should ever hit the track. But did that stop her? No, of course not- if anything, it encouraged her. Perhaps we should have been more accepting. Perhaps forcefully keeping her away from racing was the worst mistake I've ever made in my life.

We all knew things would go terribly wrong the moment she started racing, but never could we have guessed to this degree- an entire race of virus-like bugs erupted from below our game's world and proceeded to do what I now know any virus does best- devour anything in its path. It was perfectly logical for us to turn to the king in this dark time. After all, we all served under him. We trusted him. He was the leader of the game- or so we thought. None of us expected him to be the true leader of these viral monstrosities.

At that point, there was only one thing we could do- run. Run for the safety of Game Central Station, with the knowing we would never see our home world again. King Candy, the man we trusted, who turned out to be in league with the Glitch, was really biding his time to unleash his pestilence upon the entire arcade.

I only wish I could have somehow seen through his little ruse. I wish I could have looked beyond my diminution and put a stop to him. But of course, by the time we all knew, no one could stop him.

Well, there was one who tried.

Wreck-It Ralph- a name now known to everyone in the arcade. How ironic that a former Bad Guy, this villain from Fix-It Felix Jr., would be remembered posthumously as the arcade's last great hero. Fate had brought him to our world, where he had succumbed to the wiles of that Glitch, and probably inadvertently helped her bring about her army of destruction. In one last desperate act, he gave his life to stop the impending takeover of the arcade.

But he was too late.

The world that he left behind quickly fell into ruin. In this sorry existence, I find myself conflicted- not wanting back the peace I thought I had, but not ready to face this realm of destruction.

At least when things seemed normal, holding on to a set of values was the easiest thing in the world. Ever since everything changed, it's never been so easy. Now I have to self-evaluate: I think to myself, "Well, what's important to you now?!" Racing is certainly out of the picture, not that I would necessarily welcome that back with open arms anyway. Cherries- well, I can't say that my love for cherries will ever go away, and I sure wouldn't have it any other way. But love? Can love, of all things, really stay a top priority in this fight for my own survival? Of course not- not according to my code, anyway, as it's what makes up the vast majority of it. But when the time comes, when I need to weigh my own survival against others- when that time comes, will I really be able to fight who I am?

I put the thought aside. Just as I have always done in the past, when the horrid idea of putting my live before someone else's lingers, I banish it from my mind.

Because right now, someone else's live is in danger.

My little sister.

How can I hold on to this value of love, this seemingly useless principle, at a time where everything and everyone I've come to know has vanished? Because in spite of all that's happened, I still have someone to care for. Citrusella is everything that remains important to me, and we only have each other. She is my last true friend, my last glimmer of hope.

And now, as I wander through the desolate wasteland that was once my home, only one thing remains clear: My sister, that last shred of hope, is surely going to be ripped to shreds unless I find her and get her out of here.

It was foolish of me to want to return to Sugar Rush now of all times, but to return to save a mere palette swap was an act some would construe as a lost cause. But Citrus is so much more to me, and with her gone and her fate uncertain, the Surge Protectors, now busier than ever with the ongoing Cy-Bug invasion, were powerless to watch as I bolted into the doomed game the moment before they could seal it away.

As I wander what remains of the track, something catches my eye, and I run forward to get a glimpse, not believing. Yet sure enough, there it is, the starting gate. Everything looks so familiar, even in this mass of desolation. The finish line was still visible. Even most of the grandstands looked intact, albeit sans the candy inhabitants of this world. I tentatively approach the stand that bears my own name, with a faded red motif and a big number 5 at the top. I reach out my hand, then pull it back suddenly- you never know when you're going to have an unexpected encounter with a Cy-Bug, after all- then, with a reassured sense of safety, place it against the stand. I glance back at the starting line… In spite of all the lies, this place bears so many happy memories. It was where races began, fans cheered you on, and most importantly, your friends were there for you. And now I will never know that feeling again. I can't help myself- I sink to my knees, bury my face in my arms, and begin to sob.

It takes me a while to regain my composure, but eventually it happens. It was so overwhelming- this was the first time I had returned to the game since it had been debunked. For the longest time, I stare at my own stand, before suddenly, reality sets in, and I remember what brought me back to my home world in the first place. I spent too much time lingering in the past to remember the present- and the present is that Citrus's life is in grave danger.

I take off sprinting in the direction of our house- that's surely where she would have stayed behind. I may be fast in a go-kart, but luckily I can hold my own on foot as well. Speed comes naturally to me, even if I'm not the fastest racer around.

It doesn't take long before I reach the square. The first thing that catches my eye is the smoke coming from the stemlike chimney atop our cherry-shaped house. That can only tell me one thing- Citrusella was indeed there.

Cautiously, I pry the gingerbread door open. The inside of the house still seemed vibrant and cheerful, but against the bleak world outside, it only added to my uneasiness. I tiptoe into the living room, taking care not to attract the attention of any Bugs I might find inside. A fire had been stoked in the fireplace in the living room.

And there she was, just as I hoped, her face glued to the nearby window, a little teddy bear dangling from her hand. She spots my reflection in the window, and whips her blue pigtails around in excitement. "Jubi?! You came back for me!"

I rush forward, but her arms are already around my waist before I can extend mine. "Of course I came back, you little stinker." I throw my arms around her and hoist her up so her face meets mine. "Don't you ever scare me again like that, okay?" I tell her, before I release her and she buries her face in my chest.

With the little stuffed bear in her arms, Citrusella follows me joyfully back to the portal to Game Central. We make great progress- in fact, the Rainbow Bridge to the portal is right on the horizon.

That's when we hear the sound.

Citrus hears it first. A buzzing sound, followed by an increasingly loud rumble from beneath the ground. The one sound you never want to hear in a game occupied by Cy-Bugs.

"Citrus…" I whisper nervously, as she backs into my side.

All at once, the ground behind us splits open. At least half a dozen Bugs emerge from the gaping hole, their eyes red with menace.

"Citrus, go," I tell her.

"Jubi, no! You can't-"

"I said go! Get out of here, Citrus! NOW!" I yell as I scoop up a nearby pebble and, with all my strength, pelt it at one of the Bugs. It emits an enraged cry of pain, and as it and its companions close in on me, out of the corner of my eye I can see Citrus making a beeline for Game Central Station.

Ever since the Glitch caused this whole mess, I can't say that I didn't know this day would come. Of course, I can't really say that I haven't had a great life, either, so it was easy to accept it.

And here, as I am being torn apart, the strangest thing happens. The Bugs that are attacking me suddenly begin to wail in pain as if their very code was coming apart. And, indeed, before my eyes, they slowly begin to disintegrate into a mass of bits and pixels. As the remaining bugs flee into the distance, my bruised, battered body sinks to the ground, and, just as I begin to wonder if I'm really not alone in this game, a pair of hazel-brown eyes and a matt of jet-black hair come into view inches above my face.

The Glitch.