Chapter One- One Year Later
It had been a year.
A year since that night, a year since that battle.
It had been a year since anyone had seen the image of King Candy in Litwak's arcade. It had been many months and the thoughts were split on the whereabouts of the former King. For years, the monarch had paraded himself to all, picking up fans and worshippers alike from many games but what they did not know was the bitter poison that lay under his candy coating.
For you see, there was no King Candy. There was no monarch of his appearance that ruled over the little racing game called Sugar Rush.
That was because King Candy did not exist.
Candy was a con, a fake, a fraud. He had stormed the game and rewritten its code, its history. Taken the throne from the rightful ruler Vanellope Von Schweetz and stolen the memories of the candy citizens, turning their lives upside down, throwing everything out of order.
But there was one man.
One person.
One HERO.
Ralph.
Wreck-it-Ralph.
He had gone in search for a medal but instead he came back with a friend and respect he never thought would be possible.
The bad guy used to hate his job, used to hate the way people treated him, feared him. He used to hate being a bad guy but after saving Sugar Rush, after saving Vanellope….
No, after she saved HIM.
They saved each other.
After that moment, things seemed to improve. His life had changed; he was a bad guy, but he wasn't BAD. He was a hero and everyone recognized it. They sang his praises, lauded his talents and skills and gave Ralph everything that he could have ever wanted and dreamed.
Things seemed to have been looking up in Litwak's. People had made promises that things would change, that things would get better.
But…
Change takes time.
And tonight, things were going slow.
It was the end of another game night and things were just going on as sleepily as they could for everyone in Fix-it-Felix Jr. The group did their cleaning, set everything back up but the warm autumn air put upon them a feeling of peace and calmness that made them desire nothing more than to pull out a few blankets, lay them on the grass and just look at the stars.
At least, that's what RALPH wanted to do.
"Aw man, am I tha ONLY one that isn't hyped up?" the man chuckled as he looked at his neighbors. The east Niceland neighborhood was as bright as ever, Felix and Calhoun were getting ready to go on ANOTHER night out and the Nicelanders themselves?
C'mon! DDR time!
No, not after the LAST session! I'm surprised we weren't BANNED because of you!
I wanna check out that new Sonic Runners game!
Everyone was so busy but after the day he had, Ralph just wanted to lounge about and relax. Things had never been so peaceful for the man, so tranquil, so perfect.
Never in his near thirty one years on the job did he think he would find happiness like this.
And then….
"What am I thinking, what am I thinking, what am I THINKING?!"
The big man looked off to the side, noticing a little round figure in blue pacing up and down around the side of the building.
"Big Gene?"
It was the Mayor alright and for whatever reason he looked LESS than pleased. Granted, Ralph was used to Gene being snappy and grumpy by this time but there was something in the man's walk, in his gaze that made him curious. Gene didn't appear to be frustrated at ANYONE….
"Breathe in, breathe in…."
If anything, he looked NERVOUS.
"Gene?"
"NYAUGH!" shouted the little man, putting a hand on his chest "Gracious, Ralph! Don't scare me like that!"
"Hey, I only save that for GAMES." Ralph smirked, looking down upon the man but Gene had turned away, picking up the pacing again "Whoa, is somethin' tha matter?"
"Hmmm?"
"I mean…ya've been actin' a lil funny since tha arcade closed. Somethin' buggin' ya? Find out one of your favorite bakeries is closin' down?"
"No, no, no! It's not that at all…" Gene said, his cheeks blushing a tad "It's just…."
"What is it?" Ralph asked, sounding more worried this time as he noticed just how distant Gene looked "Really, someone isn't botherin' ya guys again, are they?"
Gene felt so terribly antsy and with the way Ralph was looking at him, he didn't know if the Wrecker was being serious or awaiting the info to use against him later.
Hold on a moment Gene.
You promised not to think like that again.
Ralph's a good guy, a REAL good guy.
"Mmmmm….."
From the corner of his eye, Ralph noticed that Gene was clutching something in his hands. Something small, something cube-shaped.
What was it?
The Wrecker's curiosity had to wait as Gene quickly shoved the item back into his pocket, his other hand going for his pocket watch and flipping it open.
"I-It's late…."
"Puh, not THAT late."
"F-f-for her-! ME-! I mean US! For us it is!"
"Seriously, Big Guy? You're a party animal! Need I count ta times ya nearly went three days without sleepin' when we had that LONG holiday back in-!"
"I-I'm sorry, but I have to go." Gene meeped, stepping aside from Ralph and rocketing towards the apartments, the doors shutting behind him. The big man scratched his head, left to wonder what had just happened during the exchange.
"Huh. Wonder what's eatin' him…."
"Yo, Ralph!"
An unfamiliar voice hit the big man's ears, the man turning to see a few faces walking up to him, the group lead by a rather tough looking space-man. Ralph gave a simple wave towards the troupe, their names not at all placed in his mind.
"Eh, hello?"
"Why RAAAALPH." Greeted the leader, smiling big from ear to ear "It's about time we meet the legendary hero face-to-face!"
"Heh, thanks…." The Wrecker said in a modest tone "But really guys? Hero? C'mon, don't brand it on me like tha-"
"Didn't I tell ya he was modest?" said the first character "After everythin' he's done for ALL OF US here in Litwak's an' he doesn't wanna hog tha credit!"
The characters in the back agreed, Ralph STILL trying to figure out their names.
"Hmmm, tha one in tha back looks familiar. Ah, yeah! He's from Silver Gates!"
"Say, ya know what's comin' up?"
"Er, MANY things are….." Ralph replied honestly "Tha place has been so busy as of late that there are times that I can't keep up!"
"Well, even with those OTHER things there is ONE date comin' up that blows all that junk outta tha water!" said the leader.
"Oh?"
"Yeah!" he nodded "Need we all be reminded that comin' up is tha day that YA, an' YOU alone, saved tha arcade?"
That Night.
That memorable night.
So many things had happened on that night that Ralph would never forget but in truth, why would he have wanted to? The thirtieth anniversary party might have ended badly but what came from that catastrophe lead to…
It led to so many wonderful things.
Friends.
Revelations.
A new outlook on life.
The other character was correct; it WAS a big night but Ralph had other things on his mind for it. He had wanted to do something but before he knew it….
"Ya got anythin' planned?"
"ME?" asked Ralph as he looked down at the character, the figure now leaning on him as if they were old friends "Well, I DID-! I mean, I WANTED ta plan somethin', somethin' for ev-!"
"What? Let ya handle all that work?" the character said, an astonished look on his face "No. No way, Ralphie-Boy!"
"Um, if ya don't mind me askin'…." Ralph finally said, gently taking the character's arm off his shoulder "WHO are ya?"
"Quasar!" the character said "Ya might know me from Cozmik-Naunt. We've, hehe, been here a few years."
Oh really?
A FEW years? In all that time, the figure's FIGURE had never crossed his path but from the way he was talking with him, this Quasar person was behaving as if he had known the Wrecker since day one. Ralph wasn't the one to push someone away though but upon learning the name of this space-man he couldn't help but feel a tad awkward.
"Listen up, Big Man. Put your feet up an' relax for a bit! We'll get ya."
Ralph arched a brow "Ah-heh….get me WHAT, exactly?"
Quasar looked back at his gang, their faces smiling cheekily "Keep your nights free for the next few days. That's all I'm gonna say."
"Aw, c'mon! What if somethin'-!"
"AH-BAH!"
"No, really. I migt-!"
"AH-AH-AH!"
Ralph raised a finger in the air but he paused, Quasar waiting for him.
Three
Two
One
"I COULD BE CALLED IN FOR-"
"KEEP. NIGHTS. FREE." Quasar interrupted again "Look, we're on tha spot an' I might'a already spoiled too much as it is! Please, Ralph! PLEASE!"
"This is gonna be hard."
"Just PLEASE. It'll be tha best."
"I don't know….."
"From one big guy to another?" Quasar smiled "Heart of a hero. It'll be worth it."
Ralph rubbed the back of his neck "Weeeell….."
"GREAT. Don't call us, we'll call YOU." Quasar chuckled as he and his cohorts left leaving Ralph alone on the lawn.
"Um. Makes sense….seein' as I don't have your numbers ANYWAY!"
"Hey, brother!"
Ralph turned, thankful to see Felix exiting the apartments "Hey, just tha dork I was lookin' for!"
"Is somethin' that matter?" asked Felix "Ya look a lil….PERPLEXED."
"Felix?"
"Yeah?"
"Ya gotta Black Book of all tha Heroes here, right?"
"AH."
"Do ya know someone by tha name of Quasar?"
Felix thought for a moment, so many names and faces going through his mind "Hmmmm, tryin' ta but…."
Nope.
Zero.
"Sorry, Ralph but tha name escapes me. Why?"
Ralph rubbed his chin, looking back at the trolley entrance of the games. He couldn't put his finger on it but he just could not shake off the feeling he had gotten from this Quasar character nor his friends. He enjoyed the fact that more people saw him as an actual person rather than a 'scary bad guy' but Quasar
He had acted a little TOO forward.
He had acted a bit TOO smugly.
Ralph knew all the pain that could come from judging a person but the way he had been talked to; it was as if Quasar had EXPECTED something of Ralph and perhaps this 'surprise' was just it. The Wrecker had given his promise to keep his eyes open for the next following days and indeed he would….just not in the way that Quasar was probably thinking.
"Ah, never mind." Ralph sighed, going back to his shack "I'm probably thinkin' a lil too hard inta things."
Felix continued to think, trying his best to place names and faces together.
Quasar?
Quasar?
…..
QUASAR?
The little man felt a jolt run up his spine, things finally coming together.
"Wait, QUASAR?!" the game's hero gasped "What did he talk ta ya about?!"
But by now it was too late.
Ralph had gone into his shack and fallen asleep.