Disclaimer: "Wreck-It Ralph" and all characters related to the movie belong to The Walt Disney Company, and/or their respective gaming companies. Wreck-It Ralph was created by Rich Moore, Phil Johnston, and Jim Reardon. Level Up! and any characters not associated in their own respective franchise belong to Berserkeroo. All rights reserved.
(A/N: I thought I was happy writing the chapter about the date, but this one hits me closer to home. I'm including a character I love to bits. He's so freaking adorable, and from a game I use to play as a kid. If you guys are a fan of this guy, I hope you enjoy it, and please don't give me backlash on his backstory. I think it fits him, and after all, he is a forgotten dream. Just a warning, Ralph's not in this chapter, and Vanellope isn't really the star either. Sorry, but the story needs this chapter.)
Vanellope sighs as she gets ready for bed. True to their word, her parents found her something to do during her confinement. She couldn't find a reason why they couldn't pass the task onto the cabinet members, but decided against thinking too much on the subject. It wasn't that bad. It's only been three days, and she's been hanging out with Sweetie Jill. Even Roxas visited his favorite president a few times on business. Sometimes the ambassador would sneak into the castle off the clock. As to how he managed the feat time and time again, it was still beyond her. She stifles a yawn as she walks over to her window. Her eyes went up to the sky as she notices three neon wisps sail across the sky; violet, amber, and green. She plops onto her bed, bounces a few times, and settles under the soft sheets. Sleep soon consumed the young girl.
Unknown to her, the king of the game entered her room with a concerned look. He's been doing so since he asked her to stay. "Nothing is working. I've tried everything!" he mentally scolded himself. Almost as if she heard his desperation, she tosses in her sleep. He plants a chaste kiss on her forehead as he sits on the canapé in the corner.
A creak comes from the salmon colored door. It was the queen. She shuffles over to the soft canapé and leans next to him. "Candy you need to come to bed. You've been up for three days, and if you have another wreck during open hours, we might be in some serious trouble," she whispers. Her eyes went to Vanellope, as she stretches out like a lazy house cat. "I can't. That nightmare is going to happen again, and I fear for her. She's been getting worse," he states. "I know, but we've tried everything. The guru can't pinpoint who the enemy is and we've tried talking to the best doctor in the arcade. We're on the roster tomorrow," she replies. "What if she starts having glitch attacks in her sleep?" The silence in the room could be more prominent than it was in that moment.
Candy knew that it was a low blow, but the possibility popped into his mind more than once. He knew he wouldn't stay with her through the night, but a few more minutes couldn't hurt, right? "I'll be in bed soon," he promises. Confection plants a kiss on his cheek before leaving the room, albeit very slowly. Her eyes went to Vanellope once more before closing the door.
True to his word, he left the room within an hour. He walked the hushed of the Sugar Rush castle, but his mind was elsewhere. He glances out of the stained sugary windows out towards the courtyard. A few guards stood at attention while guarding the entrance to the castle.
Confection was already asleep by the time he entered the room; or she appeared to be. He eases into the bed and snuggles under the covers. His eyes went to the painting that ran across the dome-like roof. It was similar to a painting in the player's world called The Starry Night. The parody of the infamous painting had a soothing effect on the king, and soon, he was asleep as well.
Darkness shrouded the realm from the tip of his nose until the endless horizon. Wind harshly blowing his sleeping wear. He turns to try to find the source of the random gust, only to come short of a dent in the ground from a concussive blast. A fierce mewl came from a black and white, long eared, feline creature. The anthropomorphic cat clearly looked as though he were a child, albeit a very skeptical one. The cat examines him before deeming him non-threatening. "Who are you?" Candy finally asks the odd child.
The feline looks at the royal with a confused glance, but he shakes his head. "My name's Klonoa. I'm from the game Klonoa: Door to Phantomile in GBS. What's your name dreamwalker?" he asks with a sway in his tail. "Dreamwalker?" The boy groans at the formality he was going to have to give. He pondered on why he should bother. It's not like the stranger would remember any of this. He sighs at the thought. "A dreamwalker is a person who is conscious or aware of their dreams. Only a dreamwalker or an enemy can see me," he states with another observing glance to the king. Definitely not dangerous. "What are you doing in my head... uhm.. dream?"
Klonoa is surprised at the man's interest in his presence in his dream, but then again, who wouldn't be? He's probably seen as an intruder. "I'm known as the dream traveler, the guardian of the dream realm... the forgotten dream," he pauses before continuing. "My job is to find the source of nightmares and destroy it. There has been a big source of negative dream energy from GCS. I've been hopping from dream to dream trying to find it, but it's only been small fish so far. I'm positive that it's in this game. I've checked everyone in the game except the people in this castle. I can just smell the nightmare in this place!" Candy gawks at the perceptive young lad. The feline glances his way. "You know something don't you?"
The king nods with a sense of relief. "It's my daughter. She's been having a nightmare for over a week. We've tried everything." Klonoa smirks as he finally finds his target. "That matches the timing of when I started feeling the negativity. I'll send that nightmare packing," he smirks with a thumbs up. "You will? Thank you. You don't know how much it means to me. She has a very sensitive code, and I don't want her to get hurt." The black and white cat nods as he takes in the information. "Thanks sir. I'll be on my way to her dream right now."
Just as he was about to leave the older man's dream, he hears the racer speak out. "Can I come with you? I'm concerned about her well-being, and I want to find out about what's terrifying her." The dream traveler waves his hands and shakes his head. "No way! Out of the question! There's only one character besides me that is qualified to fight nightmares — and that's NiGHTS — and since Litwak doesn't own that game, I work solo. The character that owns that specific dream realm can't die, but anyone or anything else is fair game. Everything you would experience in there is real. It will be your Game Over, no regeneration, even if you're in your game," he warns with a stern look. "I have to go. Maybe her dream is more than a dream. She started having that dream after finding out some disturbing news pertaining to our game's fate. As king, I have to know what's going on in her dream, at least to rule out the possibility that there may be something more to her nightmare."
Klonoa flattens his ears at the persistence of the monarch, but he had a point, although it had one major flaw; the guardian himself. "Fine. It's not like you'll remember anyways," he mutters. With a waft of his hand, they fade from Candy's dream world into that of Vanellope von Schweetz.
The two materialize into what appears to be a slightly distorted version of Sugar Rush. The skies were glowing red, giving the entire game an eerie crimson stained appearance. The haunting voice of an elderly woman echoes across the landscape. "Danger lies up ahead..." Klonoa readies himself for his off the clock duty. "Stay close sir," he says as he pulls out a massive ring. King Candy did just as instructed and stayed as close to the young dream traveler as possible without hindering his flexibility in battle.
Klonoa leaps into action, quite literally to be honest. The ring discharges a gust of wind, immediately making the common Moo enemy gather into his grasp. A throaty roar comes from behind him. "What the heck is that thing?" he mutters before hurling the Moo at the oncoming bug. The small enemy stuns the massive bug, but only long enough for Candy to run to safety. Good. He flaps his massive ears, easily evading the charging insect. He made quick work of finding another Moo, and throwing the helpless thing into the bigger threat.
The guardian rolls his shoulders as he calls over to his traveling companion. "It's all clear." Candy returns from his hiding place, and to the cat's side. "I've never encountered an enemy like that before. It's so strange. Maybe you were right about this nightmare. It's not normal, at least as far as normal goes for nightmares. Something dark is going on in this dream world..." Before he could ponder too much on the subject, a scream heralds across the sugary expanse. "That sounds like Vanellope!" the king says. "Take it easy. We'll get to her."
The two sprint off into the direction of outcry. Klonoa almost runs right off of a sharp incline into a gnarly portion of the Candy Cane Forest. Candy almost did likewise, until a gloved hand grabs him by his arm and swings him back to safety. "That was a close one sir," he noted. "Call me Candy." Klonoa's ears raised in a manner that added to his confused expression. He shook his head before looking the other way. "Alright. Sure. We'll have to find another way down there if we want to get down there safely."
An elongated coleopteran stampedes through the massive forest, knocking over candy canes left and right. It appeared to be chasing something, or someone. Vanellope glances back at the massive beast chasing behind her. She held a cherry bomb in her hand as she heads out towards Diet Cola Mountain. "Can't escape. Got to set off a beacon. Must save game. Don't want to die again..." Tears welling into her eyes as she glances back at the fully throttling bug. "Who created this thing?!" she shouts in distress.
She makes a sharp turn into a ticker part of the forest, hoping that the extra branches would slow it down. The beast roars since it can't reach the girl. Almost on instinct, it began to eat away at the minty treat. Vanellope smiles at the amount of chewing the creature would have to do in order to catch her, but before she could get too overjoyed, the flutter of metallic wings could be heard echoing in the distance. Three of the much smaller bugs emerge from the shadows. "Oh for sweets sake!" she grumbles before weaving through the trees and onto the cocoa road.
Another massive bug lands on the ground with a large thudding sound. A shrouded figure snickers from on top of the insect. "Why are you doing this?" Vanellope asks with fear in her eyes. A row of yellowed teeth gleams from the veiled figure. "Why? My naive girl isn't it simple?" the voice sounded almost feminine. "If it were simple I would have figured it out by now." The figure cackles at her confusion. The insect lowers its head, allowing the silhouette to get closer to the girl. "I want revenge!"
Klonoa and Candy arrive at that moment. But on Klonoa's insistence, he advised them to stay back. He mentioned something about nightmares being stupid enough to blather away at their plans. "Shh... We'll be discovered. You said you wanted to find out didn't you?" he whispers. "Yes, but Vanny-" Candy says as he looks out towards his daughter pulling a brave front. "Don't worry about her Candy, I won't miss. I've got a clear shot if the hag tries anything. It's my duty to protect her and all dreamers." They tune in on the conversation only a few feet away.
Vanellope takes a step back, not out of fear, but out of bemusement. "Revenge? What did I do to you? I've never even met you!" The figure only laughed harder. "Oh yes you have. Well, I guess not me per say, but you have met the one whom I've taken a physical manifestation of. Quite frankly, I don't care what she looks like so long as I get to feed. You give out the most delicious fear I've ever tasted. It tastes just like candy," she said with a snap of her finger. The massive bug sends out a battle cry as it advances onto her.
Candy looks at Klonoa with concern. "Can we move now?" he hisses with urgency. "No. Not yet," he whispers. Vanellope starts walking backwards as the insect slowly walks upon her. "Now!" the worried father starts to sweat. "No!" Klonoa eyes the girl with expectancy. Come on. Come on... She turns around to run in a full burst of speed. Yes! The sudden act infuriates the bug into going into a pursuit. "Now!" he jumps out and sends a blast of wind into the creature's glowing eyes.
The coleopteran rears back now that it has been effectively blinded. The nightmare glances at the sudden arrival of Klonoa. "You!" she hisses with despise. "Not happy to see me?" the dream traveler smirks with confidence. "What nightmare in its right mind would be happy to see you, pest!" she grits her yellowed teeth. Her equally yellowed eyes went to the retreating form of her prey. "I'll let her get away for this dream. Once this pest is dealt with, I can always come back and get her later," she ponders.
The brief distraction cost the nightmare her mount, as he tossed a few Moos at it's dissipating eyes. "No!" she wails out as the beast went down. "Candy! Go to her! Make sure she defeats the nightmare's underlings!" Candy briefly pauses at the helpful feline. "But what about you?" Klonoa throws one of the Moos at the oncoming attack of the ringleader behind the madness. "Just go! We came in together, and we'll leave together!" Without further encouragement the racer rushes off to aid his daughter in her quest.
Vanellope runs through the hidden shortcut into the mountainside. To her dismay, one of the creatures was nesting in the mountain. She jumps at the sudden hand that grasps her shoulder, and she would have screamed too, had another hand not covered her mouth. She turns to see who or what was after her now. "Daddy?" she muffles at the sight of her father. He put a finger up to his lips.
As soon as he gave her freedom over her mouth, she asks him "What are you doing here? Why didn't you leave the game with the others?" Candy waves her off as if he were a part of her dream. "And leave my little girl to save our game by herself?" Vanellope embraces him with a loving hug. "You may be a young lady, but everyone needs their parents sometimes," he says with a smile. "Thanks dad," she whispers.
In the heat of their warm moment, they failed to realize that they've warranted the unwanted attention of the slumbering insect. "Vanellope look out," Candy pushes her out of the way. The insect misses her, and barely missed him; although he gained a bleeding wound on his leg from the creature's fangs. It reared it's head back, and came in for another attack, but the father-daughter pair rolled out of reach. "Run Vanellope, run! I'll distract it. You set off the cherry bomb." Good thing this was a dream, or she would never believe that she did what her father said without thinking twice.
On the main road to the soda-based mountain, Klonoa stumbles back a bit as he took damage from his formidable foe. "You're not bad for a nightmare," he spat. "Foolish little kitten! I'm the embodiment of fear, and you'll find out soon enough how bad I can be!" she warns with venom dripping from her words. Before she could make heads or tails of the situation, the volcano erupted in the background. Klonoa chuckles in triumph. "They did it!" he cheers. "It doesn't matter. Once I'm rid of you, one little victory will only be the door to a brand new world of fe-" she doubles over herself before she could utter another word. "Wha- What is happening to me?!"
The guardian flashes a fanged grin towards the nightmare. "She feels like she has won. She's not afraid of you anymore!" he laughs. Just as if to emphasize his point, the skies started to return to its bright blue hue. "No! Not sunlight!" she screams before trying to flee into the dark recesses of the forest. "Oh no you don't," the traveler warns. He shoots a concussive force strong enough to trip the nightmare just shy of the forest. The sun shines in all its brilliance and glory. The nightmare begins to sizzle in the sunlight before it was reduced to nothing but wisps of darkness.
Klonoa glances off towards the mountain before deciding to pick up the dreamwalker. Candy and Vanellope walk along the same road until they come across the savior of the dream world. "Dad, who's he?" Before the king could introduce him, Klonoa waves his hands in denial. "No need for introductions." Candy looks at the young hero with confusion. "Why not? Even when I met you, you were against any form of introduction."
Klonoa gives a half-hearted laugh. "What part of me being a forgotten dream did you miss? Anytime I've tried to befriend someone that I've helped, they act as if they've never met me. It started off with my life in my game. My friends aren't my friends, my grandpa isn't my grandpa, and I don't even exist in the world that I thought was my home. I've helped dreamwalkers in their nightmares, and they don't remember me either. She won't remember me. You won't remember me. No one ever does, and no one ever will! So why bother getting close to anyone if you're going to be disappointed time and time again?!" Candy offers a supportive hand on the boy's shoulder, but he simply shrugs off the sentiment. "We better get going," he says before waving his hand. The sound of a songstress could be heard throughout Vanellope's dream. "Her dream world is being reborn. She, and anyone else who was aware of her nightmare, won't remember it. It can't hurt her anymore."
The two travel until they enter Candy's dream realm. Klonoa kicks the ground with spaced out expression. "You won't remember this, but thanks for adventuring with me. Even though it was dangerous, you still went. I admire that. Dreamwalkers usually ignore me after they find out I'm not a threat," he purrs a bit. "No problem Klonoa," the king smiles. "I guess this is goodbye." Klonoa held up his ring, and with his departing words, he vanished.
Candy awakens from his dream with a start. He takes deep, even breaths as he observes his surroundings. He was in his room, which was normal, so why was he shaken? He winces at a sharp pain he was feeling from his leg. He gently removes the sheet to find a bite mark shaped wound on his leg. As he trails his finger on the wound, something comes to realization. "Klonoa!" he whispers in a hushed tone.
Before he could think too long on the boy, he ambles over to his daughter's room. He tiptoes into the room, once he makes it passed her door. Vanellope was still asleep. To his relief, she was sleeping soundly. She mutters something about Ralph drinking her root beer. He rolls his eyes at the oddity of her new dream, but at least it was peaceful. His thoughts went back to the cat-like dream traveler. "Klonoa. You said I would forget you, but I don't. Why?" he asks himself as he walks up and down the halls of the castle.
A memory flashes by. "I've helped dreamwalkers in their nightmares, and they don't remember me either," Klonoa's voice reverberates in his head. "Helped dreamwalkers in their dreams," Candy mutters in reply. "In their dreams! We weren't in my dream. He didn't help me in my dream. So that means..." he comes up with a plan. "I'll have to personally show my appreciation at sunrise."
Vanellope stretched out with a refreshed look on her face, almost as if she's had the right amount of sleep that her body desperately deserves. A banging noise comes from her door. "Vanellope open up! We've got papers and pranks to do!" the voice of Sweetie Jill said in a sing song tone. The president chuckled at the odd combination of work and play, but she admired that about the candy girl. It inspired an idea. She would surprise her friend when the time is right, but it could wait for now. She opens the door to let the girl in.
The sugar racer takes care of her morning hygiene before getting dressed for the day. Same old clothes, same old boots. "How do I look?" she asks. "Like someone I'd vote for," Sweetie Jill said with two thumbs high above her head. They both laughed as they walked down the hall. Unaware that someone else was roaming the halls, Vanellope trips over a small candy citizen. She glances from her weird sitting spot towards a gummy bear in a candy dress suit. "Good morning Your Presidency. I'm sorry for my lack of attentiveness. I was just on my way to the throne room to meet your mother. I was planning on talking with your father, but he said he had business outside of the game to tend to," the gummy senator says as she dusts off her clothes.
Vanellope gives Sweetie Jill a look of disbelief. "Business my left foot," she rolls her eyes at the excuse. "Well carry on. I'm just going to fill out some work and head off to my training," she says before turning to leave. The gummy bear woman calls out to her before she could get a step further from her. "Wait, wait, wait!" Vanellope turns around with a puzzled look. "I need to discuss something with you," she looks at Sweetie Jill, "... privately." The brunette rolls her eyes at the privacy portion of the statement. "Pfft. Sweetie Jill won't have to worry about private business matters once I'm president," she tells herself, but plays at the senator's game.
Sweetie Jill walks down the hall until she turns a corner. "Fire away Nitro," she says with a smirk. "Please be careful slinging my name like that Miss von Schweetz. The last thing I need is the attention you're father has been having," she flails her sugary nubs at the girl. Vanellope chuckles at the wary nature of the candy, but who could blame her? Her president pulled some very generous strings to help her. "Relax Sen. Chew, no one knows about you or your brothers, and what do you mean about the attention my father has been having?"
Sen. Chew looks beyond the president's long legs to see if anyone was around. "It's the legislative. Things in there haven't rested, even after the game reset to remember your parents. They want you as president, and your father out of power as soon as possible. It's a madhouse in that place! Some of the members are using this as an opportunity to try and convince you to override the veto on the militia. If you don't do something we might enter a state of panic. As is, I'm sticking my neck out for the giddytine ma'am," she says as she wrings her nubby hands. Vanellope groans at the unearthed problem. "I appreciate it Nitro. I'll figure something out. We have no need for a military, and they're going to have to get it through their thick skulls that daddy isn't your brother!"
The candy senator tries to hush the girl's loud statement. "Ixnay on the otherbray!" she hissed lowly. "Sorry about that. This information is a headache to take in," the teen says with a sigh. "It's not your fault Miss von Schweetz, but they do have a point. What if a threat comes up?" she asks. "We can handle it. If we form a military, people will ask questions on why we need a military. They might go into a panic or think that the government is using armed forces as a way to have power over the people," she rolls her eyes at her logic, but it's a possibility she didn't overlook. "If you insist. I wish you all the luck in the arcade on this problem." Vanellope watches the candy run off towards the direction of the throne room.
Candy drives through the port to Game Boreal Station in search of a certain game. He was having a hard time locating the game. Whenever he asked someone about the small dream traveler, he only received confused looks from the inhabitants of the station. He knew he was going to regret his action, but he was going to confront the GBS Surge Protector.
"Name?" she asks with a less than interested expression. "I think Sour Bill might fall in love with a lifeless woman like her..." he ponders, but dismisses the idea; he wouldn't wish her upon his closest friend. "King Candy," he answers aloud. "And where are you coming from?" the Surge Protector asked as she scribbles detailed notes on the man. "Game Central Station: Sugar Rush," the racer sighs. "And where are you heading?" she asks. "That's the thing. I can't find where I'm looking for. Can you point me to a game called Klonoa: Door to Phantomile?" For a moment, the king thought that she wouldn't be able to know anything about Klonoa, and thus he would never find the boy, but she points to the Wii gate. "Thank you ma'am."
"Proceed..." the Surge replies as if he didn't say a word to her. "No wonder you're single."
Once he entered the Wii gate, he drives along the expansive sub region with a form of determination. Candy arrives to a gate that reads Klonoa: Door to Phantomile. His pristine white car roves over the terrain in search of the boy, but he comes up short; until he heard a familiar mewl coming from a field. He pulls over, and puts his car in park.
Candy walks the forest as he comes across another strong gust of wind. A pair of amber eyes lay upon the king before he reveals himself. Klonoa lowers his ring, but doesn't look happy to see him. "Easy Klonoa, it's me, Candy." The boy immediately drops his glare. "You said my name! Wait, of course you did. My name's on the gate," his ears wilt. "No need for the gate. I came to offer my gratitude for helping my daughter last night," he reassured the cat.
Klonoa's tail sways in interest. "You remember? No one ever remembers me," he runs up to the man and gives him a hug. The king rubs the boy against his head with affection. "I found a loophole. You saved my daughter's dream, not mine," the racer replies. "Then that means that only your daughter's memory of me was reset when the songstress sang the Song of Rebirth!" the dream traveler realizes with a genuine smile.
"You're my hero kiddo, and I came here to offer my gratitude. I hope you don't mind it being in the form of friendship," Candy says with a smirk. "Of course not! You're the first character to remember me after a dream. This is going to be fun!" he jumps for joy. The monarch wags his finger at the energetic youth. "Not just yet. The arcade will be open in two hours. We have a job to do. How about we get to know each other a little more after hours? We can go into Burger Time. My treat." Klonoa nods with enthusiasm. His first true friend.
(A/N: I hope this chapter makes some sense to those who haven't played Klonoa: Door to Phantomile, and if not, I'd advise you to either play the game or watch a let's play/walkthrough. Sorry for the lack of Jawbreaker, but I think the following chapters will make up for it. Enjoy. :3)