In all honesty, I never expected I'd ever do something like this. I would like to thank Genolover from Deviantart whose King Candy comic "Can't Sleep" and fan-fiction "Interrogation" inspired me to do this quick, little one-shot. Just so you know, though, this piece, like the "Take My Hand" series, will be a part of a group of mini-stories revolving around Daddy King Candy, Vanellope, and, yes, even Ralph—as if I'd ever exclude that big lug. X)
All characters and elements of Wreck-It Ralph belong to Pixar and Disney.
Darkness.
Just pure...total...darkness.
That was all I could see in this damp, smelly place. My old mind couldn't even remember what the Sun looks like anymore.
All I could feel was the cold metal around my wrists. My wrists must be raw by now. They hung so high up that my only comfortable option was to stand. Not fun, I assure you.
How long? How long had it been already?
I couldn't tell anymore.
Fifteen years?
That's what he'd told me. The last time he'd been here. Then again, he probably lied. That desperate excuse for a main character always loves to lie.
Not that I know him save for his reputation...nor that I could do anything about it...much less "say" anything...stupid, electrical cuffs...
And I hate that. All fifteen, stinking years of it.
Amazing I haven't gone completely mental yet.
Hoo-hoo.
...
Okay, I said completely. Pretty sure I've lost a few screws by now. Then again, wouldn't have you?
CLANK!
I yelped.
Yes, you heard me right. I yelped.
Everything had been so quiet that that sound might as well as have been cannon-fire next to my head. It rattled me that badly!
And I know for a fact that that imposter never rushed during his "interrogations"—if you could call slapping and frying someone like a piece of meat that.
'If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's in a hurry. Probably doesn't want to keep his royal subjects waiting.' Like he even deserved their loyalty...they couldn't even remember their first day in this arcade anymore. Poor things.
I readied myself for another one of "the king's" sessions. More than a decade and I still cringe at the feeling of having so much electricity course through me.
So painful. So inevitable.
But I don't hear any footsteps. Nope, not one.
Turns out that sound hadn't belonged to someone entering the Fungeon.
It belongs to the door of my prison cell—it's opening.
For so long, I'd had nothing to do but hope and dream in the dark. Freedom seemed so far away... until now.
That's why those metal bars giving way to escape seems so surreal to me. Is this a dream?
My answer comes as a smaller clank. My cuffs opened, allowing me to fall face-down onto the stone floor. Hard.
"Ow..."
Welp, at least the pain means I'm not dreaming. I had to take a few seconds to soothe my aching noggin.
Something didn't add up. He couldn't have freed me.
But then who did? Prison cell doors don't open on their own. Unless...
...
No.
Yes.
Yes, she'd done it...My little girl had done it.
It was over.
It was finally over.
I feel a true smile for the first time in years.
Being in the dark for so long sure didn't do my eyes any favors. I hiss like a vampire at the sunlight streaming through the windows the second I stumble past the Fungeon's entrance doors. At least I wasn't sizzling like bacon, though.
Heh, I probably don't look so hot either. I know for sure my thinning (not balding, mind you) brunette hair had grayed all over...no thanks to that crummy face-stealer.
At least everything looked the same. I'd forgotten many things, but I could vaguely recall the castle still looking like this long ago.
"So what's first on my To-Do List?" I mumble to myself as I continue shielding my eyes from the light. The feeling of finally being free hadn't worn off on me just yet.
But that wasn't my only reason. I have tons of things that have to be done now that this place has been restored. Fifteen years was a long time for an unintended vacation, after all.
And my top priority was—
All of a sudden, I hear voices, every single one of them unfamiliar to me. There's no way whoever I'm hearing could belong to my kingdom. They sound too...grown-up.
Grown-up...
Personally I think I like this look. It makes me feel grown up, wouldn't ya say?
That sentence and the memory-voice speaking it stir up something awful in me. Something awful and foul.
I clutch my heart and try to breathe deeply and calmly. My feet try to steady themselves, but I eventually find my back to the wall.
No...It can't be happening again. It couldn't be happening again. Not now.
...
'No, of course, it wasn't happening again,' I tell myself as I close my eyes and sigh to calm down. 'I'm just being paranoid. Crazy old bat.'
Besides, this castle belongs to my child just as well as it does to me. She wouldn't let just anyone in, especially not since letting just anybody in was what caused all this misery and woe for us in the first place.
The voices have stopped, but I know in my gut they're still here. Call it a hunch.
I need to find her...but where do I start? Is she outside, by any chance?
As if on cue, something else rings into my ears from out of the blue...a sound I never believed I'd ever hear again.
It draws me to the window.
The familiar screeches and revs of candy-karts dashing across the sugar-coated landscape is enough to make me cry. The light doesn't bother me as much as before so I just rest my elbows on the sill, grinning like the sappy goofball I still am deep down, and take in the sights and sounds of my regained kingdom.
No, not just my kingdom...
My home.
I'm honestly, truly home.
Well...almost...
As swell as seeing all of this again is, I'd rather have my little cherry in my arms right now. Besides, watching all my subjects racing out there reminds me: I haven't been in my kart for over a decade. My driving skills must be rusty by now.
Ugh, another reason to dislike that no-good—
"S—S...Sire?"
Ever have one of those moments when you meet someone from long ago and realize that person's more or less stayed the same as you remember them?
I take a good, long look at the sourpuss my cherry and I would always poke fun at back then. Not a single thing about him had changed.
Still green, still round, still short, and as apathetic as ever—well the last part is kinda toned down for the moment. He's got this huge, bug-eyed stare. Hoo-hoo, I swear he'll lose his eyeballs if he keeps doing it.
On the other hand, I can't really blame him. He thinks he's looking at someone who shouldn't be alive right now.
The thought of this makes me realize the full extent of the damage brought to this game: my subjects led and lied to by a look-alike, my daughter forced to exile...and even with him gone, there were still pieces missing.
Pieces I might never be able to fix.
Turbo had used this face—my face—to do all of those terrible things...and almost succeeded.
And I'm the one who'll have to deal with the consequences.
I'm not eager to see my child anymore.
I'm terrified.
Too bad I don't have a choice anymore...because Sour Bill has other plans than just staring.
If I ever look back at what he did next, I'm not sure if I'll view it with gratitude...or contempt.
He just keeps looking at me. And gestures his hand to the outside and says, "The princess had to attend today's race. It's the first one for this game with her as the ruler. Would you...rather wait here or be in the entrance hall when she comes?"
I swear I'm not even in control of myself when I say, "I think I'll be better off where I am now. And to save your breathe, yes, I'm also keeping my current look on for now. It might make things easier for her to take in."
Perfect. (Hear my sarcasm?)
At least Sour Bill takes what I say seriously. Not that I can tell anymore—he's back to being...well, sour.
"As you request, Your Majesty..." Then he just turns-about and walks off without a single glance back. Like meeting a long-lost monarch is an everyday thing for him.
I'd never admit this out loud, but he's sorta making me jealous right now. He makes the idea of letting everyone see my face again seem so easy now.
Or maybe I'm just making too much out of this?
I mean, after all, the reset restored everyone's memories...so they'd have to remember who the real me is.
That logic helps me perk up a bit. 'Yes, of course, they'll remember who I am! You can only keep a lie up for so long before it starts crumbling down.'
So I make due on my word to Sour Bill and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
...
Oi, this is gonna be a while.
Stop.
'Now it's my turn at the throne, old man.'
Stop.
'Thanks for the kingdom.'
Please stop.
'You weren't there.'
You don't understand.
'You weren't there to protect us.'
Please.
'You weren't there to protect me.'
I...I didn't mean to...I'm so sorry...
'YOU LEFT ME ALL ALONE!'
'I'M SORRY!'
"AH!"
...
Cuffs gone...no Fungeon...I'm still here.
I'm still alive.
Thank Programmer. Thank Programmer.
A glance to the left...a glance to the right...
I'm still alone.
Lovely.
Fifteen years without seeing my daughter...Now this? I'm sorry, Sour Bill.
I can' wait any longer.
'Where the Snickers Bar is that stupid door?'
That's got to be the hundredth time I've asked myself that by now. I don't have the slightest idea how long I'd been searching, but I'm pretty sure it's already been past two hours, maybe three.
Sugar Rush, as I remember, is unique in that it has an actual day and night, unlike most other games. And with the sun already halfway down to the horizon, I can tell closing time isn't too far from now.
Which means she'll be coming back soon. Maybe even with her new friends as well.
Turbo ranted last time about some "halitosis-ridden warthog" that'd come demolishing everything in sight.
Sounds like my kind of guy.
But I won't be meeting anybody until I find that blasted front door. I've got to remember to put signs in this castle that says where is where. Like that one arrow there that says "Front door, this way, genius."
...
Oops. Um, never mind.
Heh.
Okay, this way, up these stairs, down the left hallway and—
Here! Finally!
And not a second too soon because the second I step into the foyer, the doors to the outside swing open. I can see someone ginormous standing in the doorway, his hands the biggest hands I'd ever seen in my life.
And the giant's not alone. I can see three shorter people coming up from behind him: one is a woman, judging by her figure, another is someone about my size (if I'm correct), and the last and smallest one is...
"VANELLOPE!"
My baby! My sweet, little sugar baby! Seeing her made me crazy enough to run towards her like a maniac, arms open wide to grab that little munchkin and never let go!
Not my brightest of ideas...
BOOM!
Next thing I know, the ground explodes right in front of me! If I hadn't noticed that ridiculously huge blaster in that lady's hands and jumped back in time, I'd had been barbeque!
But by the looks of things, my trouble's just getting started.
Why, you might ask?
Try a pair of giant fingers plucking you from the floor and bringing you face to face with the angriest look you've ever seen in your life. Personally, I think the dark, thick eyebrows and red, spiky hair made it even more effective.
"How the freaking heck did you survive?!"
...
"You're gonna hafta to be a bit more specific, Morning Breath." Okay, so being sassy won't help my case here, but can you honestly blame me? I never take well to being manhandled. And I'm not joking about his breath either. Sheesh.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...take it easy, tough guys!" That's my girl: taking charge while everyone else's busy losing their marbles. I half-expected her to scream at this lug to let me go.
Instead, she calmly tugged on my captor's trousers to get his attention. "Hey Stinkbrain..."
"Stinkbrain" and I looked down at her, curious as to what she had to say in this situation.
"Remember that certain real someone I told you about?"
The giant raised an eyebrow in confusion and slowly responded, "Yeah?"
"Well...?"
Something tells me this big guy isn't exactly the quickest kart in the bunch.
Thankfully, Vanny notices this, too, because pretty soon she's rolling her eyes and snapping with a snort, "Hello...different clothes...different attitude (well at least without the crazy psycho tendencies)...and I'm no expert on skin, but it's pretty easy to see my Dad hasn't had much sun in a while."
Call me particular but I swear I'm seeing something flash in Stinkbrain's big, brown eyes. Right around when Vanellope calls me "Dad." Something painful...
It's not around for long. Stinkbrain deposits me on the floor but gives me one last suspicious glance that I really have to roll my eyes at.
Oh relax already, ya big ape.
But I don't care. I'm alive. I'm home again. And best of all...
"You're back." For the first time, I see her sweet, sweet eyes light up at me. And I can see the tears starting to form, too. Oh, my little vanilla bean...
"Please don't cry, sweetie. I'm here." My arms spread out wide for her.
She keeps the tears back and steps towards me slowly. Her heads shakes little by little but her eyes never leave mine. Her voice barely comes above a whisper, "It's just...so unreal."
"Oh no, sweet pea...it's very real. I'm back. Turbo's gone. We can be a family again."
Her lips start to curl up.
"Even after all these years alone, I never forgot about my little girl." That was the truth.
And that was all she needed to hear.
The whole world could burn around us for all I cared after Vanellope jumped into my arms, her tears no longer held back but now streaming down her cheeks as she burrows her face into my chest.
My heart can't take it anymore. My eyes water with my own tears until I feel the dampness take over my whole face.
Pretty soon, the two of us are sniffling and clinging to each other like there's no tomorrow. We must look like a bunch of babies by now.
We don't care.
We're together again.
I have my kingdom back. I have my life back. I have my little cherry back.
I'm home...for real this time.
I hope everyone has enjoyed this little piece of emotional requite. Feel free to drop a review on the way out. Buh-bye! :)