Turbo locked up everyone's memories to insert himself in the game. All was well for him and (arguably) the entire game for 15 years. But the reset put everything back where it belonged. And unfortunately, that meant several racers would now suffer from an identity crisis. Of epic proportions when the Random Roster Race takes on a whole new meaning.
Hey, this story covers something the movie alluded to- there's more racers in the game than we see because of something Turbo did. But what? Why? What if those other racers aren't locked away exactly like the others think?
For those not reading on AO3, here's the current tag list:
Rating:
Not Rated
Archive Warning:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Categories:
F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi
Fandom:
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Relationships:
More TBD - Relationship, Tamora Calhoun/Fix-It Felix Jr., Applejack O'Lantern/Rocher du Reese, Astrotwinkle Starglazer/Cherriebomma (may or may not be romantic), Gloyd Orangeboar/Rancis Fluggerbutter
Characters:
Wreck-It Ralph, Fix-It Felix Jr.,Tamora Calhoun, Jeanette Gloria Havok (OC), Vanellope von Schweetz, Taffyta Muttonfudge, Poproxie Cola (OC), Candlehead, Cherriebomma (OC), Gloyd Orangeboar, Applejack O'Lantern (OC), Rancis Fluggerbutter, Rocher du Resse (OC), Snowanna Rainbeau, Chailata Marmachoca (OC), Swizzle Malarkey, Astrotwinkle Starglazer (OC), Crumbelina di Caramello, Sorbetty Gingerspice (OC), Minty Zaki, Sticky Wipplesnit, Torvald Batterbutter, Adorabeezle Winterpop, Nougetsia Brumblestain, Jubileena Bing-Bing, Citrusella Flugpucker, Voland (OC), Heather Lightheart (OC), Dorian Twilight (OC), Turbo, References to others from the movie, various non movie video game cameos
Additional Tags:
identity crisis, Post Movie, things aren't what they seem, what did Turbo DO, Supernatural Elements, Disturbing Themes, Drama, Angst, There is totally a point to these OCs, I mean it, the general warnings that apply to how my mind works, references to Reboot TV series (1994), blatant, I mean REALLY obvious I'm a fan of that show, Yes I do understand how tagging works
Language:
English
Series:
« Part 7 of the Plot Bunnie Farm Escapees series »
Here we go!
*GITC*
It started about a week after the reset.
Everybody was settling into the new normal pretty well. Since nobody remember many specifics of how the game was a decade and a half ago everyone pretty much accepted that Turbo's tweaking wasn't how they were meant to live their lives. And that was that. Until...
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE UNLOCKED CHERRIEBOMMA!" The game bellowed. For the 7th race in a row, this gamer had won with the same cake themed racer. Candlehead struck her winning pose with gusto but...who was Cherriebomma?
"You trying to unlock em all?" Another boy with a blond buzz cut leaned over the back of the seat.
"Oh yeah. I wanna see how many I can. It's harder to do on the arcade version but Mr. Litwak gave me permission to try. If it's this popular now, imagine if all the characters were availible." The seated boy said.
"It'd definately make things more interestin..." The other kid shrugged.
After Yuni sounded the all clear, the Sugar Rush Racers met for the random roster race.
"Vanellope vonSchweetz!" After tossing in her coin, the President adjusted her goggles and turned to her advisor instead of hoppong in her kart straight away.
"Gloyd Orangeboar!"
"So who's this Cherriebomma racer?" Vanellope asked Sour Bill.
"Snowanna Rainbeau!"
"...I have no idea Madam President. Though it sounds familiar, like I've heard it before." The little sour ball pondered.
"Minty Zaki!"
"You got nothin'?"
"Swizzle Malarkey!"
"No ma'am. 15 years is a long time to have memories cooped up."
"Taffeyta Muttonfudge!"
"Weird, but understandable. I mean Turbutt stole my daddy's NPC avatar from my backstory and I only realized THAT yesterday." Vanellope shrugged.
"Crumbelina DiCaramello!"
"Yeah, it gets confusing to have all that data running loose in your mind." He sighed.
"Jubileena Bing-Bing!""It is kinda odd they didn't just compile the instant they were unlocked though." The Prez played with the licorice tie in her hair.
"Rancis Fluggerbutter!""Maybe it's not something the arcade version of the game fully allows. I do know there's other lands in game the players never see cuz of that." Bill suggested.
"Torvald Batterbutter!"
Vanellope pondered that for a bit. She knew that to be true. Most of the time, arcade and console versions of the same game had very little difference. Well it was mostly the ones less than 20 years old. Players could just get further access on a console because of extra time, saving content and the lack of play to play. Calhoun's game actually had 14 levels not including a boss level versus the Cybug Queen. There were really 3 other towers (with 3 levels each) with their own achievements that activated once you got the first medal. The players hardly see it because the 3 levels that get you to the top of that one tower take forever to finish. The furthest one kid got was level 7 beating two towers but eating it on the ground floor of the third. She did however unlock of Tamara's mentor, Sergeant Major Havok, who could now randomly take her place and give her a break now and again. And also that he tough as nails persona was fudging hereditary. Turns out Calhoun's mama never took her husband's name but did give it to her daughter. Boy was Felix justifiably terrified of his mother in law.
Unlockables weren't unknown. And the daily resets didn't really affect them...
"Sticky Wipplesnit!"
"That's just it Bill. Other games don't have that issue. That Mama Havok is still kickin around in Hero's Duty for crimeny's sake!"
"Adorabeezle Winterpop!"
"I really wish I knew what to tell you ma'am."
"Citrusella Flugpucker!"
"It's not your fault. Everyone's head is still kinda screwy after all." She sighed.
"Nougetsia Brumblestain!"
"Well it might not be what we think, after all unlockable content varies. Not even sure if it's a racer or a new track or-"
"Cherriebomma!"
Silence as everyone turned to see who's coin activated the name. Standing beside the entry pedestal was a mortified Candlehead. She looked around frantically hoping there was someone behind her. That she hadn't been late and therefore the last to enter. No such luck.
Blue lines of code encircled her and her kart on the track. Wrapping her in a cocoon of light that pulsed wildly. Once it died down she wasn't by the entry cup. And the Ice Screamer wasn't at start position. Instead a fire engine red motorcycle sat in it's place. The body looked to be fashioned out of licorice. The wheels were actually perfectly spherical black cherries. The dual exahuats were patterned like pixie sticks but could easily be candles. Mounted on it was a new racer who's face was obscured by a black and red helmet, a long fuse hanging down and to the side that curved up at the tip. They wore a red and white leather jacket with black gloves and pants.
"What the frosting?!" Taffeyta exclaimed, furious that her best friend was now missing. "Where's Candlehead?!"
"She's around Pinkie. Hows about you shut up and drive?" Was the muffled, feminine response. The starter lights turned green and she was off like a shot. For a good while no one moved, loosing precious nanoseconds.
"Come on. We can't get answers sittin around!" Vanellope yelled flooring the Candy Kart.
Turns out they wasted too much time to actually beat her. All anyone ever saw the whole race was her dust. The next day's 9 avatars were:
Cherriebomma
Vanellope von Schweetz
Taffeyta Muttonfudge
Adorabeezle Winterpop
Gloyd Orangeboar
Crumbelina DiCaramello
Rancis Fluggerbutter
Swizzle Malarky
Citrusella Flugpucker (who was pleased as punch to finallly be on the roster agian after almost a month, whatever the circumstance)
"Alright who are you and how come you got a motorcycle?" President von Schweetz demanded.
"Name's Cherriebomma. My sweet ride is Licorice Whip. I finally get to race." Her voice was still muffled from the helmet.
"Yeah yeah where's Candlehead!?" Taffeyta yelled.
"Cool our jets Pinkie." She laughed removing the headgear.
"Um, anybody else confused right now?" Swizzle mumbled.
Cherriebomma looked like a recolor of Candlehead with flame red hair and eyes. Resting her helmet on her seat, she smiled at her fellow racers. Delighting in their flabbergasted stares.
"Wait...you're Candlehead?" Gloyd blinked.
"Not really. At least I don't think so. She's sleeping I guess? I don't know how to explained it but we are NOT the same person." She shrugged. "Now n laters!"
And that was that. She hopped on her bike and rode away to do who knows what. Still the mystery remained: did unlocking new characters replace others?
Cherrie got picked a few time the next day by curious gamers before the boy that unlocked her showed up. It was Saturday so they expected him to be there a while. He put in his first quarter and they all waited anxiously as he scrolled around with the steering wheel. He pressed the accelerator once he got to Gloyd.
/Oh great. I'm gonna disappear next./
The only suprise is how many races he has to win in order to do anything new. At the finish of race 13, the player whipped the Kernel around, threw it in reverse and crossed the line backwards in first place.
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE UNLOCKED APPLEJACK O'LANTERN!"
Fudge.
That night, Gloyd was hesitant about the random roster. He didn't want to disappear. Cherrie wasn't as sweet as Candlehead but she was still pretty cool. The new cherry racer got along great with Swizzle (someone who didn't even like the birthday cake girl she replaced) as both were smart asses. Heck, he even like her but that was mainly because Taffeyta despised "the imposter". The fact that Cherrie seemed just as clueless about where the other girl was did nothing to ease his fears.
He stood by the stands watching everyone pay to play.
"You comin or what pumpkin head?" Rancis called.
"Shut up pretty boy!" Vanny blew a raspberry. With an understanding look, she sighed at Gloyd. "Look, I don't get it either but what if that kid tells Litwak the game's busted cuz you didn't enter the random roster? He'll be here tomorrow."
"I know I'm just...what if Candlehead's gone for good? I'll go poof too!" He groaned.
/Whatever./ He marched up to the cup with his coin scowling all the way. /Betcha she wouldn't be so quick if was her. Well Sugar Rush, so long. Say hello to-/
"Gloyd Orangeboar!"
"That's not fair!" Muttonfudge shrieked.
"Shut up and drive Pinkie." He quipped as the lights shifted from red to yellow to green.
Vanellope didn't even wait for the roster board to compile before she lept out her her still moving kart.
""You're in charge Bill!" With that she vanished into Game Central Station.
"Where's the fire shortstack?"
"Sorry Mr. Bison!" She didn't even slow down after bouncing off the bad guy.
"Kids." He huffed watching her dash into DDR ignoring the SurgeProtector.
"Yuni!Yuni!Yuni!"
"Whoa there kiddo what's up?" The dancer laughed.
So, she began her explanation of the last two days. The new gamer, the swapping of Candlehead for Cherriebomma and how Gloyd didn't swap with Applejack O'Lantern.
"Well it seems the Randomizer really is random. Unlocking a character doesn't always make them instantly playable I guess." Yuni said. "I've never heard of it but I guess it's possible. I don't think any of you have to worry about vanishing into the void though. Programmer knows getting rid of popular characters for good would be pretty dumb."
"Thanks."
Ralph and Felix said the same thing. They never heard of it but it must be possible. But it was Tamara that shed a little more light on the situation.
"Turbo locked up those attributes for a reason. Maybe he wanted to make sure nothing ever changed with his subject to make it easier to lord over them but why? There's something really odd about this. I don't think it's bad...just odd. That virus didn't stay on top of that game so long being careless."
Okay...now she had more questions. Awesome. Still, Calhoun had a real good point. Why would Turbutt lock them up if they were swaps outs not extra bodies?
The next day was interesting. There wasn't just one unlockable Travis (Mr. Litwak had called him that when he handed him a roll of quarters) managed.
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE UNLOCKED POPROXIE COLA!" Was announced when Taffeyta got every power up one race.
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE UNLOCKED ROCHER DU REESE!"Was announced when Rancis took a shortcut thru Diet Cola Mountain.
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE UNLOCKED ASTROTWINKLE STARGLAZER!" Happened when Swizz came in 4th, 3rd, 2nd then 1st all in a row.
That Roster Race Cherriebomma tossed her coin in.
"CandleHead!" Called the Race Board.
"What? What's everybody lookin at?" She blinked. In the confusion, no one noticed the Licorice Whip convert back into the Ice Screamer.
"Uh, nothin." Rancis brushed past her to enter.
"Rancis Fluggerbutter!"
"Phew." The resident Pretty Boy clutched his chest before walking off.
"Let's go two for two..." Gloyd pleaded.
"AppleJack O'Lantern!"
"Fudg-"
In his place stood a rather...menacing looking recolor clad in black and orange after the light show. His brown hair now jet black but his outfit didn't really change much other than color scheme and his hat turning into a melting caramel apple with the stick off to the side like the one in Snowanna's fro. The Kernel warped into a jack o'lantern themed hot rod with spooky faces on the cookie tires and an exposed engine shaped like a jack o lantern that shot flames from it's eyes mouth and top when he revved it. The body made of dark chocolate in a slightly disturbing shape: a casket with marshmallow lining.
"Hey." Jubilieena waved as he got into his kart beside her. "Good luck."
"Meh." He replied.
AppleJack and the Hershula came in 1st but how he did it opened a whole new can of worms. Two cars behind the leader as they approached the stands, he passed a sugar cube and began to cackle. Suddenly the KitKart was behind Jubileena...in fourth place!
"How the heck did you do that?! I was in first place!" Raged Rancis throwing down his helmet.
"Trick for you, treat for me. Beat it." He gave a creepy grin that made the blond's skin crawl. It revealed the other version of his best buddy had fangs. Taking a step forward made the other boy instinctively take one back.
"That's not fair! You cheated." BingBing sided with her friend.
"How? Von Schweets can do stuff too."
He had them there.
"Guys...I think Turbo messed with our game more than we first thought. I remember more about it it now." Vanny took off her goggles. "I'm not special. We ALL have abilities."
"Huh?"
"That's why he locked up the alteregos. Once released, both versions have access to their powers. I think the recolors were him trying to experiment with releasing them or dealing with the data overflow. After Travis unlocks everything, we'll be back to how the game should be."
Wow. Just...wow.
The arcade was closed on Mondays. So that gave them plenty of time to practice. And anticipate Travis' return.
*GITC*
I may come back to this. I have lots of ideas but I also other stories going on. This was yet another plot bunnie; this one from rewatching Wreck It Ralph.
So far I only have the powers for the alter's introduced this time:
Gloyd Orangeboar driving The Kernel = Applejack O'lantern driving Hershula who can switch places with other racers at will (not the same as Vanellope's Glitch).
Swizzle Malarky driving the Tongue Twister= Astrotwinkle Starglaze driving Shooting Starburst who's able to create bursts of light to blind other racers.
Taffyta Muttonfudge driving Pink Lightening = Poproxie Cola driving the Coke Bottlerocket who can liquify parts of the track and create traps.
Rancis Fluggerbutter driving the KitKart = Rocher du Reese driving the Rocky Roadster who can alter the terrain of the track and create obstacles.
Candlehead driving the Ice Screamer = Cherriebomma driving the Licorice Whip who can set off explosions without the cherry bombs on Layer Cake Hill.
What do you think? Should I continue? Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out!"