Chapter 3: Curiosity and the Cat

Felix couldn't help but smile as he and his wife made their way down the streets with Goofy leading the way. He looked up at the various buildings they were walking by, seeing all the shops that lined the streets.

"So, are all of these houses occupied?" Felix questioned.

"Ayup," Goofy answered with a chuckle, "We've got to have room for everybody. It's not just main characters like you folk that get brought in but all the people wandering about in the background too, so we need all sorts of room to house them."

"Speaking of which," Calhoun spoke up, "When we got in here, there were only four games, when Litwack's arcade had dozens. What happened to all the other games?"

"Oh well, you guys were made for the story," Goofy explained, "All the other video game characters were made by actual video game makers. We borrowed them for the movie so when it was over they went back home."

"Gee, I've known those fellows for years," Felix thought, before pausing, "or at least, I guess I did. It's hard to tell now."

"It can be confusin' when ya first arrive here," Goofy stated, "The other fellers say the best to keep in yer mind that yer past still happened."

"Was it hard for you when you first arrived?" Felix questioned.

"Gwarsh, that's a hard one," Goofy replied ponderously, "That was a while back so it's hard to remember."

"How long have you been here?" Calhoun asked.

"Oh, about eighty years or so, I suppose," Goofy replied nonchalantly.

"Eighty years!?" Calhoun sputtered in surprise, "You're eighty years old!?"

"Older actually," Goofy replied, "I'm not even the oldest one here."

"Wow, I would have never had guessed," Felix said in surprise.

"Yeah, you don't look a day over sixty," Calhoun joked, earning a chuckle from Goofy.

"So, how's about we start by getting some lunch?" Goofy asked, "I know a great place nearby."

"Sounds good," Calhoun agreed with a nod.

"I can't even remember when the last time I ate was," Felix mused as he rubbed his stomach.

"Well, you're in luck," Goofy stated as he rounded a corner, Calhoun and Felix following him, "Because, we're here!"

Rounding a corner, a building came into sight, or, to be more accurate, two buildings that seemed to be attached to one another. On one side, there was a multistory inn while on the other was an equally tall restaurant. Both appeared rather upscale, with brightly colored fronts and large windows in a style similar to those seen in the American South. Above the door's hung a neon sign which read "Tiana and Sarah's."

"There it is!" Goofy said, indicating to the building as he led Calhoun and Felix towards it.

"Looks like a swell place!" Felix exclaimed happily.

"Certainly colorful," Calhoun commented with a smirk, "Who are Tiana and Sarah?"

"Tiana's a newer arrival," Goofy explained as they continued to approach the building. "She's one of the princesses. Married into it. She always dreamed of owning her own restaurant so when she got here she set one up for herself. Sarah owns the other part, which is an inn. She's been here a bit longer. They decided to partner up and form this hotel and restaurant combo that everyone really likes."

"Do you get a lot of call for an hotel around here?" Calhoun questioned.

"Oh sure, people are always coming to visit and such," Goofy elaborated, "Plenty of people visit for business or pleasure."

By then, the group had reached the entrance to the building, which Goofy pushed open before ushering the Fix-Its inside. Beyond the door was a small lobby, with a wooden desk on the opposite side of the room directly across from the door. The floor was covered by a plush red rug and a brass chandelier hung from the ceiling. A few sitting chairs were scattered around the lobby. A staircase leading upwards sat to the right of the desk while the wall to the left had a glass double leading into another room.

Behind the desk stood a middle aged woman. She had long brown hair that she wore in a loose ponytail and blue eyes. She wore a simple white and red dress and a golden locket hung around her neck.

"Good mornin' Sarah!" Goofy greeted as he entered, waving jovially at the woman.

"Good morning, Goofy," the woman, Sarah, replied with a smile, "I see you've brought friends. Are these our new arrivals?"

"Ayup," Goofy replied before turning towards Felix and Calhoun, "Sarah, may I introduce you to Fix-It Felix Junior and Sergeant Tamora Calhoun Fix-it."

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you, I'm Sarah Hawkins," Sarah said her smile growing into a grin, "Are you two married?"

"Indeed we are, ma'am," Felix said proudly, reaching out and wrapping on of his arms around Calhoun's leg, causing her to smirk warmly at him.

"Well, I have to say you are one of the cutest couples to walk through that door, and I've seen my fair share," Sarah complimented, "I suppose you're here for some food?"

"I could certainly go for some grub," Calhoun commented, patting her stomach.

"Well, you're in luck," Sarah said, "You just missed the lunch rush, so there's plenty of room in the restaurant. Tiana's in some kind of hurry though. I think she has a princess meeting to attend."

"Probably has to meet our little princess," Calhoun stated with a chuckle.

As they talked a young man came down the stairs into the lobby. He looked about sixteen with brown hair and blue eyes. His hair had been shaved off at the sides of his head while some of it was tied in a small pony tail. He wore a brown leather jacket over a white shirt along with brown pants and brown leather boots.

"Hey Mom," the young man greeted as he adjusted his jacket.

"Jim, come meet some of our new arrivals," Sarah said, waving her son over. Jim nodded and walked over, standing in front of Sarah as she placed her hands on her shoulders.

"This is my son, Jim," Sarah introduced, "Jim, this is Mr. Fix-It Felix Junior and his wife, Sergeant Tamora Calhoun Fix-It."

"Good to meet you," Jim said with a smile and a nod.

"Same to you, kid," Calhoun replied with a smirk.

"Anyway, Mom, I have to get going," Jim said, indicating towards the door, "I need to go meet the Captain."

"Have to go meet him?" Sarah asked in confusion, "But he usually meets you here."

"I know but we had to work on something and I just wanted to-"

Before Jim could finish, the door leading inside was suddenly flung open and a man half stumbled, half sauntered into the lobby. He was a middle aged man, with dirty black hair and brown eyes. He wore his brown hair in a series of long dreads, some of them braided with trinkets. He had a short goatee that he had also braided with beads and he appeared to be wearing eyeliner. He wore a long brown jacket over a blue vest and a white shirt with a white sash and a brown belt around his waist. He wore a pair of dark blue pants along with brown leather boots. He wore a red bandanna along with a brown tri corner hat. He wore black fingerless gloves on his dirty hands with a few rings on his fingers. He smiled as he entered, revealing discolored and mismatched teeth.

"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted bombastically.

"It's the afternoon," Jim stated, a sour look on his face.

"Well, good afternoon then, Mr. Hawkins," the man answered back with a sly grin as he waltzed towards the group, "Sarah, my dear, your shinning countenance adds radiance to this already brilliant day."

"And hello to you too, Jack," Sarah answered with a smirk.

"I've come to collect young Jim for our daily escapades, but I find it very hard to pull away from your lovely company," Jack continued, his smile growing wider.

"And yet," Jim said as he stepped away from his mother, grabbed Jack's arm and tried to lead the older man away, "We have to go."

Jack looked at Jim curiously as the young man pulled him along, his eyes not focusing on where he was going so that he ended up bumping right into Calhoun.

"Hey, watch it!" Calhoun snapped, glaring at Jack.

"Sorry, young man," Jack replied, placing his hand on Calhoun shoulder as she glared at him while Jack looked at her in confusion, "I don't believe we've met."

"Calhoun," she growled, "Sergeant Tamora Calhoun Fix-It."

"I believe that is a woman's name," Jack pointed out.

"I am a woman," Calhoun snarled.

A look of surprise passed over Jack's face, quickly replaced by one of confusion as he squinted his eyes at Calhoun.

"Are you sure?" Jack questioned, causing Calhoun to look like she was about to slug him.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Calhoun shouted, "Who the bits are you!?"

"Apologies, you must be new here," Jack replied before taking a step back and bowing dramatically, "I am Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Calhoun questioned.

"Evidently not," Jack replied with a shrug as he turned his attention towards Felix, "And who is this? Your son?"

"I'm her husband, Fix-it Felix Junior," Felix replied, looking annoyed as well.

"Are you now? Well, whatever floats your boat, mate," Jack replied with a nonchalant shrug which only seemed to anger Calhoun further.

"Yeah, now is a good time to leave," Jim said, urging Jack to move.

"Very well," Jack agreed, opening the door and stepping outside, but not before turning to look back into the lobby, "Welcome to the neighborhood!"

With that Jim gave Jack a final push before closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry about that," Sarah apologized rubbing her forehead with her fingers, "Jack is something of a character."

"You're telling me," Calhoun growled, crossing her arms and glaring at the door that Jack had gone through.

"Come on, fellers," Goofy spoke up indicating towards the door leading out of the room, "We should probably get some lunch."

"Yeah, come on, Tammy," Felix said, reaching up and taking Calhoun's hand before leading her after Goofy. Following Goofy through the door, they came into a large dining room. The room was large with at least two dozen tables and booths set up. The room was two stories tall with smaller tables set up on the second floor that looked onto the first floor on a patio that wrapped around the room. The ceiling was made mostly of glass, allowing the sunlight to filter in from outside. A stage was set up on the other side of the room, with a few instruments sitting unused on it.

"Well, this sure is a swell set up," Felix said as he observed the room with an impressed look on his face.

As they looked around, there was a loud crash as two people entered from the back room. One was a young, dark skinned woman. She had dark brown eyes and curly brown hair that she wore pulled back in a loose ponytail. She wore a simple yellow dress with a white apron wrapped around her waist and white sneakers on her feet.

Accompanying her was an older man. He was tall and thin, with auburn colored hair that fell to his shoulders and a pale complexion. He wore a black and white maitre d's uniform and was currently arguing in rapid fire French with someone inside the back room, his brown eyes glaring hatefully into the other room as the young woman tried to tug him away.

"Come on, Lumiere," the woman pleaded with the man, pulling him back as the door swung close, "I don't have time for this."

"Pardon, Tiana," the tall man apologized, "That cretin just has a way of getting under my skin."

"I know, but Louis is still one of the best chefs we have," the girl, Tiana, replied, "I can't have you fighting with him while I'm not around."

Turning, Tiana's eyes widened as she saw the Felix, Calhoun and Goofy standing in the room.

"Especially when there are customers around," Tiana muttered while putting a smile on her face, "Good afternoon!"

"Afternoon, Tiana," Goofy replied with a nod, a look of concern on his face, "Having some uh, trouble in the kitchen?"

"Just some…disagreements between my staff," Tiana replied, eyeing Lumiere, who had the good grace to look embarrassed, "I see you have some new folks with you."

"Indeed I do!" Goofy replied before turning to indicate to Felix and Calhoun, "Tiana, let me introduce you to Fit-It Felix Junior and, his wife, Sergeant Tamora Jean Calhoun-Fix-it."

"It's wonderful to meet the both of you," Tiana replied with a smile, "I'm Tiana, the owner of the restaurant, and this is my maitre d', Lumiere."

"Pleasure to make your acquaintances," Lumiere stated as he bowed dramatically towards them.

"It's wonderful to meet the both of you," Felix stated as he tipped his hat towards the two of them.

"Can I interest the three of you in something to eat?" Tiana suggested.

"Sure thing," Calhoun replied with a smirk, "Our guide here says you have the best grub in town."

"I certainly like to think so," Tiana replied, "If you'd like, Lumiere can show you to a table. I have to be leaving to attend a meeting."

"Princess meeting, right?" Felix questioned.

"Yes," Tiana replied with a bemused smile, "How did you know?"

"We have a little princess of our own," Calhoun explained with a smirk.

"That's who I'm going to meet!" Tiana said with a smile, "Vanellope right? Can you tell me anything about her?"

"She's a real piece of work, I'll tell you that much," Calhoun replied with a snort before turning to look at Lumiere, "So, how's about you show us to our seat's so we can get some grub."

"Of course, Madam," Lumiere replied with a nod as he motioned for the three to follow him, "Right this way."

As Lumiere lead them away, Tiana raised a curios eyebrow at Calhoun, who merely mouthed "good luck" at the princess while smirking. The only thing Tiana could do was shrug before turning and leaving to go prepare for her meeting.

Meanwhile,

Heavy hooves beat across the ground as Merida drove Angus down the street, Vanellope doing her best to hold on to the horse so she didn't fall off.

"Slow down, would ya!" Vanellope shouted with a mixture of annoyance and fear.

"Whit's th' matter?" Merida asked with a laugh, "Ah thought ye were some kind o' racer?"

"There a big difference between riding a horse and driving a go-cart, Carrot Top" Vanellope replied as she gripped Angus' mane so hard her knuckles turned white, "Now, could you please slow down?"

"Alright, alright," Merida replied as she urged Angus to slow down, "Daenae get yer wee head in a twist."

As Angus slowed to a trot, Vanellope glanced to the side with an annoyed sigh. As she did, something caught her eye, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat in an effort to get Merida to stop the horse, "Stop! Hold up! Wait a minute!"

"Whit!?" Merida said in surprise as she pulled Angus to a stop, "Whit's wrong!?"

"What the bits is that!?" Vanellope exclaimed as she hopped off of Angus' back and began to run towards what she saw. On the edge of the road, surrounded by a simple wooden fence, was a dirt race track. The road weaved and wound its way through the dirt hills and dips, with wooden poles rigged with lights set up periodically along the track. A sign was set up on the opposite side read "Radiator Springs' Race Track" in big, bold letters.

"It's a race track!" Vanellope exclaimed happily as Merida trotted over on Angus.

"Ye act like ye've ne'er seen ane afore," Merida observed with a chuckle as she slid off Angus' back.

"Well, of course I've seen them," Vanellope replied, rolling her eyes as she hopped up onto the wooden fence and hung from it, using it to boost herself up so she could get a better view, "My game's chalk full of them. I just didn't think you guys had one of your own."

"Aye, there's another, more professional ane on th' outskirts o' town," Merida replied, leaning against the fence, smiling down at Vanellope.

"Awesome," Vanellope said excitedly, before turning and narrowing eyes as she tried to get a better look at something, "Hey, what's that?"

Looking up, Merida saw what Vanellope was talking about and smiled.

"'At is saemeane Ah think ye'll like tae meet," Merida said before putting her thumb and forefinger into her mouth and blowing a sharp whistle. A second later, the thing Vanellope had been watching paused before heading in their direction, allowing the young girl to get a better look at it. It appeared to be an old tow truck with a hook and winch fitted into the trunk bed. The truck was covered in brownish orange rust, though specks of baby blue colored paint peeked through here and there. On the doors was written "Tow Mater's Tow Service." What caught Vanellope's eye though was that where the truck would normally have a windshield, it had a pair of green eyes. Looking closer, she could also see the truck had a mouth in the place of its grate with two large, buck teeth poking out.

"Howdy Merida!" the truck greeted with a thick southern drawl, "What brings ya about these parts?"

"Jist showin' ma new friend around," Merida replied, indicating towards Vanellope.

"Well, howdy, little lady!" the truck said as he turned his attention towards Vanellope, "I don't reckon we've met before. What's yer name?"

Vanellope could only stare back at the truck in open mouth shock before she slowly leaned towards Merida, never taking her eyes off the truck.

"The truck is talking to me," Vanellope whispered with a frightened tone.

"'At he is," Merida answered with a smirk, "Now, why daenae ye be polite an' introduce yerself."

"I'm…Vanellope," Vanellope introduced herself hesitantly, "Vanellope von Schweetz."

"Nice ta meet ye, Vanellope," the truck greeted with a big, goofy smile, "The names Tow Mater, but most folk just call me Mater."

"It's…nice to meet you too," Vanellope replied awkwardly with a forced smile.

"Somethin' the matter?" Mater questioned in confusion.

"I've just never met a talking car before," Vanellope replied with a shrug.

"Well, Ah'm sure Mater's ne'er met a video game character afore either," Merida pointed out.

"Ye're from a video game?" Mater asked, with an excited smile on his face.

"Uh, yeah," Vanellope replied with a smirk.

"Wow, that's pretty neat!" Mater exclaimed, "Say, what type is it? One of them futuristic ones with the fightin' and the aliens and the Pew! Pew! Pew!"

"No," Vanellope replied with a chuckle, "I have a friend who's from a game like that though."

"What type of game are ya from then?" Mater asked curiously.

"A racing game, actually," Vanellope answered.

"A racin' game!?" Mater exclaimed with a hoot of laughter, "Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! How about that! Ye'll get along with my friend Lightnin'."

"Who's Lightning?" Vanellope questioned.

"Lightnin' McQueen! He's my best friend and the fastest race car around!" Mater explained excited, "I bet ye could learn a thing or two from him."

"I doubt it," Vanellope replied with a snort of contempt.

"Why do ya say that?" Mater asked in confusion.

"Because where I'm from, I'm the best racer around," Vanellope replied haughtily, "I bet I could race circles around this Lightning McQueen."

"That sounds like a challenge," a new voice said as another car came racing off the track and skidded to a stop next to Mater. It was a race car, painted bright red with yellow lightning decals on the side, overlapped by the number ninety-five written in orange. The car flashed a winning smile with sparkling white teeth as he observed Vanellope with blue eyes.

"I take it you're Lightning McQueen?" Vanellope questioned, looking the race car over with her chocolate brown eyes.

"I am," McQueen replied with a chuckle, "Who might you be, little lady?"

"President Vanellope von Schweetz," Vanellope replied, "Though I guess you can just call me Vanellope."

"Alright, Vanellope," McQueen said, his grin widening, "Just what makes you think you're faster than me?"

"She's a videogame character, McQueen!" Mater exclaimed helpfully, "A racin' game too!"

"A racing game, huh?" McQueen questioned, raising an eyebrow as he turned his attention back to Vanellope, "Let me guess, it's one of those cute little cart racers, isn't it?"

"…Maybe," Vanellope replied, crossing her arms and looking away with a blush on her face, McQueen's condescending tone hitting her harder than she was willing to admit.

"That's adorable," McQueen said with a chuckle, "But still, you name the time and place, little lady, and you have yourself a race. Don't let anyone say that Lightning McQueen backs down from a challenge."

"How about right now?" Vanellope asked defiantly, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Right now?" McQueen asked with an incredulous smile, "I hate to break it to you, kid, but I think you're missing a key ingredient."

"Oh yeah?" Vanellope questioned, "What's that?"

"A car," McQueen replied with a smirk, "I mean, you weren't planning on racing me on foot, were you?"

"N-No…" Vanellope answered, deflating again. Sighing, Vanellope turned away from McQueen and her eyes fell on Mater. As Vanellope looked at the tow truck, her eyes brightened as she gasped in excitement.

"I'll drive him!" Vanellope declared, pointing a finger at Mater.

"Huh?" Mater asked in bewildered confusion.

"What!?" McQueen asked incredulously, "You want to race me in Mater!?"

"You bet!" Vanellope shouted in return, earning a chuckle from Merida over the girl's enthusiasm, "I'll lap you so fast your headlights will spin!"

"I'd like to see that," McQueen stated with a snort.

"You will!" Vanellope asserted, "Right here! Right now!"

"Hey, wait a minute," Mater began to say but his protests fell on deaf ears.

"Alright, you've got yourself a race!" McQueen declared as he spun around and sped back towards the race track, "See you on the track!"

Smiling broadly, Vanellope quickly vaulted over the fence and rushed up to Mater.

"Now Princess," Mater began to say wearily, "I…I don't reckon this is the best of ideas."

"Nonsense!" Vanellope declared as she stepped up and pulled his door open, "We're going to beat his metal butt!"

"But I ain't a race car!" Mater argued as Vanellope climbed into his cab, causing him to go cross eyed for a moment, "Hey, be careful in there!"

"Relax!" Vanellope urged as she pulled the door closed, "With my help, we can beat this fartsniffer easy!"

"Ya really think so?" Mater asked.

"You bet!" Vanellope exclaimed excitedly as she settled herself in front of Mater's steering wheel. Mater, still looking unsure, glanced over at Merida.

"Ah wud trust th' lass," Merida stated as continued to lean against the fence, "She seems tae know whit she's daein'"

This seemed to placate Mater, an excited expression crossing his face.

"All right!" Mater exclaimed excitedly, "Let's do it!"

"Okay!" Vanellope replied, a look of determination on both of their faces as she leaned forward and gripped the steering wheel tightly. It took them both a moment to realize they were not moving.

"Um, I don't know if you realize this, Triple A," Vanellope spoke up after a moment, "But I can't reach your pedals."

"Oh, ah, okay I got that," Mater replied awkwardly before driving off towards the race track.

Merida smirked as she watched them go before grabbing hold of Angus' reins and leading the horse towards another part of the track.

"Come on, Angus," Merida said as she led the horse along, "Ah think we're gaein' tae want tae see this."

Meanwhile,

Ralph continued to make his way down the street, Jiminy humming to himself as he sat on the bad guy's shoulder.

"So, what's your story?" Ralph questioned, looking for something to chat about.

"I'm from Pinocchio," Jiminy replied with a smile.

"Pinocchio?" Ralph parroted, "You mean the story about the puppet with the nose that grows when he lies?"

"That's the one," Jiminy replied, "A lot of folks around here come from old stories like that."

"I figured when I was told we were on our way to Cinderella's castle," Ralph commented as they made their way towards a four way intersection in the road. Sitting on the corner was a house that stood out from the others do to the bright colors it had been painted.

Glancing over at the house, Ralph saw an old man sitting on the porch in a rocking chair. The old man was incredibly short, standing barely taller than a child. He had white hair and blue eyes behind thick square glasses which sat on his bulbous nose. He wore a brown jacket over a white button up shirt along with brown pants. Along with this he wore brown leather shoes, a brown leather belt and a brown bowtie. Sitting at his feet was a golden retriever that perked up as he noticed Ralph approaching.

Getting up, the retriever trotted over to the edge of the fenced in yard, his tongue hanging from his mouth goofily. As he approached, Ralph noticed the thick leather collar the dog wore which had a mechanical light near his throat.

"Hi there!" the dog, or the dog's collar said as the light flashed red in time with the words.

Ralph paused midstep, looking at the dog and blinking in surprise.

"Hello," Ralph replied, lifting his hand up and giving a little wave.

"My name is Dug," the dog continued, his tail wagging happily behind him, "I just met you, but I love you!"

"Well…" Ralph trailed off awkwardly, "Not sure I can say the same."

"Don't mind him," the old man said as he walked up, using a metal cane to support himself, "He's a bit over affectionate."

"I can see that," Ralph commented as he continued to watch Dug, who looked up at him with a goofy smile on his face.

"Name's Carl Fredrickson," the old man introduced himself as he held his hand out for Ralph to shake, "You must be Ralph."

"Wreck-it Ralph," Ralph replied as he reached out and shook Carl's hand, "Nice to meet you, Carl."

"So, how's the move in treating you?" Carl asked personably.

"Alright, so far," Ralph replied with a shrug and a smile. As the two of them talked, Dug continued to watch them, panting as his tongue hung out of his mouth. Suddenly a noise caught his attention, causing Dug to whip his head around so he could see the source of the sound. Looking towards an alleyway nearby, Dug saw a feline shape moving away into the alley.

"CAT!" he exclaimed excitedly, "Cat!"

"What's wrong with him?" Ralph questioned, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the dog.

"Oh, that's how he gets whenever he sees something like a cat or a squirrel," Carl explained as he turned his attention towards Dug, "Dug, what are you getting on about? There's no cat over there."

"Yes there is!" Dug exclaimed as he stood against the fence, pushing against it, "I see it! I see the cat! It is over there!"

Suddenly, there was a cracking noise as the boards of the fence broke and Dug tumbled through the fence. Quickly, Dug righted himself, before he ran towards the alley.

"I am coming, cat!" Dug exclaimed as he raced towards the alley, "I am going to capture you!"

"Dug!" Carl called, holding out his hand in a vain attempt to stop the dog, "Wait!"

"Oh man," Ralph said, as he watched the dog take off, "Don't worry, I'll get him!"

With that, Ralph turned and raced after Dug, Jiminy holding onto to Ralph's shoulder for dear life.

"Ralph, wait!" Jiminy exclaimed, "I think something funny's going on-Whoa!"

As Ralph ran, Jiminy lost his grip and went tumbling head over heels through the air. Ralph glanced back as he continued to run.

"Sorry!" Ralph exclaimed as he ducked into the alley right behind Dug. As Jiminy landed on the ground with a grunt, he watched Ralph go with a concerned expression on his face. Picking himself up, Jiminy brushed himself off. As he did, a shadow suddenly fell over him. Slowly turning around, Jiminy found yellow eyes looking back at him.

"Hello, little cricket," the shadow said with a grin that was far too big, "Shall we play a game?"

Jiminy could only gulp in nervousness.

Meanwhile, Ralph ran into the alleyway, finding Dug near the end, looking around in confusion.

"There you are," Ralph said as he stumbled to a stop, "Your master is worried about you."

"I know, but there was a cat," Dug replied as he looked around, "At least, I thought there was a cat."

"Well, I don't see any cat," Ralph pointed out, looking around the alley as well, "All there is a…"

Ralph trailed off as he saw what looked like a door, frame and all, leaning against the wall. Ralph raised an eyebrow at the sight before turning his gaze back towards Dug.

"Let's get you back to Carl," Ralph told Dug as he began to turn and make his way out of the alley. As he did, Jiminy suddenly appeared on his shoulder.

"No need for that, Ralph," Jiminy said, "Dug's a smart dog, he can make it across the street and get back home. We need to get moving."

"You sure?" Ralph questioned in confusion.

"Oh I'm sure," Jiminy replied with a nod, before turning towards Dug, "Go on, Dug. Get along now."

Dug looked at Jiminy in confusion before he began to trot along out of the alley.

"Alright, well, I guess we should get going," Ralph said as he began to make his way out of the alley.

"Well, hold on, Ralph," Jiminy spoke up, "I know a better way."

"A better way?" Ralph questioned, "Like a short cut?"

"Exactly," Jiminy replied as he jumped off of Ralph's shoulders and landed on the doorframe sitting nearby, "Right through here."

"Through there?" Ralph asked, completely lost at this point, "But it's just a door attached to nothing."

"Normally, you'd be right," Jiminy stated, as he waved his hand over the door, yellow sparkles falling from his fingertips, "But with a little magic, it becomes something else."

Ralph looked on in confusion before taking a curios step forward.

"Go ahead," Jiminy urged, "Open it."

Reaching out, Ralph grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open. Peering inside, Ralph looked on in even greater confusion.

"What the bits is this?" Ralph asked, turning to look at Jiminy. As he did, Jiminy seemed to shift as he was covered in a cloud of purple and black smoke. When the smoke dissipated, Ralph was left looking at a fluffy cat, his fur colored purple and black in a striped pattern. He had large black-on-yellow eyes and a grin that was far too big.

"Watch your step," the cat chuckled before a large gust kicked up out of nowhere. The gust caught Ralph off guard, sending him stumbling backwards through the doorway. As he did, his feet fell away from the ground, sending him tumbling through empty air. As the air rushed past him, the wind whistling in his ears, Ralph let out a cry of fear as he grasped for anything he could grab to stop his fall.

After a few frightening seconds, Ralph managed to grab hold of something, jerking him to a stop. Quickly bringing his hand up so that he could grab whatever had stopped him with both hands, Ralph looked at what he was grabbing. It was another door, this one surrounded by a metal frame at the top of which was a red light. Looking around, he saw that the door was hanging from some sort of mechanical line that would be used to move it about. Looking around, he found that he was surrounded by similar lines, all full of doors. Hundreds of lines holding thousands of doors surrounded him as he hung suspended in a massive, industrial room that held it all. Glancing up, he saw the cat smiling down at him, chuckling before it disappeared as the door closed.

Ralph looked around, a shocked look on his face as he tried to understand what had just happened.

"Where the bits am I!?" Ralph shouted, his voice echoing of the metal rafters and wooden doors that surrounded him.

A/N: This ended up being a long one, but I got to introduce all sorts of interesting characters. I hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!