Chapter 15: The Holiday Season
December had come to the Magic Kingdom, though due to the sunny, temperate weather, the only way one would know this was due to the Christmas decorations that had been set up all over Downtown. On one of the streets running through Downtown, Elsa and Anna walked side by side, with Anna dressed in a black t-shirt under a green, flannel shirt along with denim short shorts and sneakers, while Elsa wore a light blue skirt over a pair of black leggings along with a blue tank top under her cardigan and her white flats.
"You know, I've always liked Christmas," Anna said with a smile, "But I definitely feel that the way we used to do it didn't involve enough shopping."
"I think I agree," Elsa replied with a chuckle before she glanced over her shoulder, "Though I'm not sure we're being fair to Ralph and Kristoph."
Glancing back as well, Anna saw Ralph and Kristoph following behind them, both carrying equally large amounts of packages and bags, though Kristoph was clearly struggling with his load more than Ralph was.
"Oh, they're fine," Anna replied with a dismissive wave of her hand before she gave Elsa an excited smile, "Now, where should we go next?"
"Well, Ralph and I have a Bad Guys Anonymous meeting tonight that we have to prepare for," Elsa replied with an apologetic expression, "So I don't think we have time to go to another store."
"Alright," Anna said with a nod of her head as she came to a stop, prompting the others to as well, though Kristoph almost walked into her by accident, "We've probably done enough shopping for today anyway. Should we drop all of this stuff off at the castle?"
"I'm not sure we have time for that," Elsa replied with a pensive expression, before a thought suddenly occurred to her and she turned towards Ralph, "Ralph, don't you live close by?"
"Uh, yeah, why?" Ralph asked as his brow furrowed.
"Do you mind if we drop these things at your house and then go to the meeting from there?" Elsa asked hopefully.
"Um…." Ralph mumbled, a nervous expression on his face as he turned his gaze towards Kristoph, who, obviously able to tell what the wrecker was thinking, emphatically shook his head while struggling with the mass of packages he was currently carrying.
"Yeah, sure," Ralph said with a sigh as he turned his attention back towards Elsa.
"Excellent," Elsa replied with a warm smile, "That should make everything easier. Shall we get going?"
"Yeah," Ralph agreed with a nod before he turned and began walking away, "Just follow me."
Elsa nodded in reply before she turned to look at Anna.
"I'll see you back at the castle?" Elsa asked with a smile.
"Of course," Anna replied with a nod before she gave Elsa a questioning look, "So, this is the first time you're going to his house, right?"
"I suppose so," Elsa replied with a nod, "Why do you ask?"
"I was just wondering if you're gonna….you know?" Anna replied with a suggestive look.
"Know what?" Elsa asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"Are you gonna kiss him?" Anna explained with a whisper.
"That is none of your business!" Elsa hissed, her cheeks turning red.
"Oh come on, Elsa," Anna replied with a sigh, "You're gonna have to do it eventually. He's your boyfriend, isn't he?"
"Oh, I hate that term," Elsa grumbled, "It's so….crude."
"Yeah, but it's a lot less of a mouthful than "this is Ralph, the man who's courting me,"" Anna countered with a roll of her eyes.
"Be that as it may," Elsa replied as she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Anna, "It's not any of your business."
"The two of you have been dating for weeks now," Anna pressed, undaunted, "You must have thought about it."
"Maybe I have," Elsa admitted, as she looked away from her sister, "But we're taking things at our own pace. And so, I'll kiss him when I'm good and ready."
"Hey, uh, Elsa?" Ralph spoke up, prompting the queen to look over at him and find he had stopped a good distance away and was looking back at them, "You coming?"
"Yes, of course!" Elsa replied as she gave him a quick wave, "I'll be right there!"
"All I'm saying is that I want details," Anna whispered before waving to Ralph, "Have fun!"
With that, Anna turned and headed the other way with Kristoph in tow, the blonde man continuing to struggle with the packages as he followed her.
"What was that about?" Ralph asked Elsa as she joined him.
"Oh, you know," Elsa replied with a shrug and a nervous chuckle as her cheeks turned pink, "Just Anna being Anna."
"No surprises there," Ralph said before his expression turned nervous, "So should we get going to, uh, my place."
"Of course," Elsa agreed with a nod of her head before she gestured for Ralph to walk ahead of her, "Lead the way."
Nodding in reply, Ralph turned and began walking down the street, Elsa following along behind him. A few minutes later, the couple came to Flynn's Arcade, and Ralph led Elsa inside.
"So, Ralph," Elsa said as she looked around at the various arcade cabinets with a mixture of confusion and fascination, "Where exactly do you live?"
"In there," Ralph explained as he pointed at the Fix-It Felix Jr. cabinet with his free hand.
"And how are we to get in there?" Elsa questioned as her brow furrowed.
"Come on, I'll show you," Ralph replied with a chuckle before he gestured for Elsa to follow him.
Together, the couple made their way into the arcade's backroom, which was largely empty save for a large piece of advanced looking equipment sitting across from the door, thick cables leading from the machine to various ports in the wall. The machine had a tall, cylindrical base upon which sat a long, metal tube with numerous prongs sprouting off of it. As Elsa stared at the machine in confusion, Ralph walked over to it and pushed a button on the side, causing the device to begin humming as it powered up.
"Ralph," Elsa said wearily as the wrecker walked over to where she was standing, "What is that?"
"That is the digitizer," Ralph answered as he turned to face the machine with Elsa, before he gently placed his hand on the queen's back and led her into the center of the room.
"What does it do?" Elsa questioned as she subtly leaned away from the digitizer, which was humming louder and louder by the moment.
"It, well, digitizes things," Ralph explained with an awkward expression, "I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure how it works, but it's how you get into and out of the games."
"Alright, if it's the only way," Elsa replied nervously.
"Just a heads up," Ralph said as the humming seemed to reach a crescendo, "Since this is your first time, it might feel a bit weird."
"What do you mean by wei-" Elsa began to say but was interrupted as a beam of electric blue light shot out of the front and struck both her and Ralph, freezing them in place with an aura of blue energy before they dissolved into pixels that were absorbed into the machine.
A moment later, Elsa and Ralph reformed in a large room that resembled a train station that was colored off-white. As they reappeared, Elsa let out a small yelp of surprise and lost her balance, falling against Ralph as the wrecker quickly caught her with his free hand.
"Whoa!" Ralph exclaimed as he held her up, "You alright?"
"Yes," Elsa replied quickly, clearly flustered, "That was just….it was weird."
At this, the couple chuckled in amusement as Elsa continued leaning against Ralph's hand. After a moment though, Elsa realized Ralph was still holding her, and a blush colored her cheeks.
"Um, Ralph?" Elsa said awkwardly.
"Yeah?" Ralph replied as he smiled down at her.
"You can….you can let me up now," Elsa replied as she averted her gaze.
"Oh, right," Ralph replied, his expression turning awkward as he raised her back to her feet, "Sorry about that."
"It's fine," Elsa replied, worrying her bottom lip as a smile crept across her face, "Shall we go to your house now?"
"Uh, yeah," Ralph agreed with a nod, before gesturing for Elsa to follow him, "This way."
A short while later, Ralph and Elsa emerged from the tunnel that led into Fix-It Felix Junior. Smiling, Elsa looked around at her surroundings, taking in the sight of the endless night and the Nicelander apartment building.
"Is that where you live?" Elsa questioned as she pointed at the apartment building.
"Uh no," Ralph replied with a smirk, "I mean, unless I lived in the penthouse, that place would be a little too cramped for me. I live over there."
Looking in the direction that Ralph indicated, Elsa spied the small, brick house that sat nearby.
"Oh!" Elsa said as her face lit up, "It's-"
"Small?" Ralph interrupted with a smirk as he made his way towards the house.
"I was going to say cozy," Elsa answered with a chuckle as she followed him, "I like it."
"You do?" Ralph asked in surprise as he stepped through the door.
"I've lived in big, fancy castles my entire life," Elsa explained as she followed Ralph inside, "And maybe it's a little naive of me, but I always wondered what it would be like to live somewhere simpler."
"Well, this is about as simple as simple gets," Ralph replied with a smirk as he set the packages down on his wooden table, "Got a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a bathroom. All the bare necessities, courtesy of Fix-It Felix Junior."
As Ralph spoke, Elsa wandered into the living room and glanced around. Her eyes falling on the large orange leather armchair that sat at the center of the small room, Elsa tilted her head to the side in a curious manner. Walking over to the armchair, Elsa sat down in it, before letting out an unladylike squeak of surprise as the chair leaned back.
"You okay?" Ralph questioned as he spun around and looked at Elsa in surprise.
"Yes, I'm fine," Elsa replied as she looked around in surprise, trying to figure out how to return the chair to its previous configuration, "I seem to be a bit stuck though."
Chuckling, Ralph walked over and pulled the handle on the side of the armchair, returning it to its regular configuration and allowing Elsa to rise back to her feet.
"Sorry about that," Elsa apologized as she did her best to recompose herself, "I'm still getting used to modern furniture."
"You should see the kind that can vibrate," Ralph said with a chuckle before he motioned towards the door with his head, "As much as I'd like to give you the grand tour, we should probably get going if we want to get everything set up before the others get there."
"Right, lead the way," Elsa agreed with a nod, following Ralph out the door, sparing a single glance back at the inside of the home before closing the door behind her.
Later,
The backroom of the Ink and Paint Club was buzzing with activity as the normal attendants of the Bad Guys Anonymous meeting chatted with one another before the event started. Watching Ralph from across the room, Elsa couldn't help but smile as she watched him laugh in reaction to something Hades said.
"Elsa," Regina said, a tone of annoyance in her voice as she realized the young woman wasn't listening to her.
"I'm sorry, Regina," Elsa apologized as she quickly shook her head clear, "What did you say?"
"I said, you really need me to give you some magic lessons," Regina repeated.
"Magic lessons?" Elsa parroted in confusion.
"Yes, they're handy for doing magic," Regina drolled sarcastically.
"I don't mean any offense by this, Regina, but I already know how to do magic," Elsa replied with a confused smile.
"You know how to control your innate magic powers," Regina argued, "That's different. Someone like Ursula or I could teach you some real magic if you wanted."
"I'll uh, I'll consider it," Elsa replied, her tone uncomfortable, "Thank you for the offer, Regina."
"Alright, everyone!" Ralph called as he clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention, "Let's get this show on the road!"
As a feeling of relief passed over her, Elsa nodded at Regina before she walked over to Ralph's side. After holding hands and going through the Bad Guy Affirmation, everyone took their seats.
"Alright guys, there was an order of business I wanted to address this week," Ralph began as he looked around at the assembled group.
"And what business would that be?" Loki questioned with a quirked eyebrow.
"Well, as you all know, Christmas is coming up," Ralph explained, his tone turning nervous, "Which means that there will be the big Christmas party soon too."
"Yeah, so?" Hades asked, his brow knitting together in confusion.
"So, I was thinking we should….go," Ralph answered hesitantly, "You know, together. As a group."
There was a moment of stunned silence as the gathered villains looked at Ralph in dumbfounded shock. Then, the moment passed, and everyone seemed to be yelling at Ralph at once.
"Of all the stupid ideas-!"
"Are you insane?"
"I didn't start coming to these ridiculous meetings-"
"Alright!" Ralph shouted, rising to his feet and held up his hands in an effort to calm the villains, "Alright, if everyone would just calm down!"
"Look, Ralph, these little get togethers have been fun," Hades spoke up as the rest of the villains quieted down, "But what you're asking, that's crazy."
"Why is it crazy?" Elsa asked in confusion.
"You're new here, so I'll just give it to you straight," Ursula said to Elsa, "On paper, everyone is supposed to let bygones be bygones and live in harmony. But that's not how it actually works."
"People hold grudges," Regina added with a shrug, "It's understandable, I suppose, but it means that those parties they like to have for "everyone" aren't for us."
"So, you're not allowed in?" Elsa asked, her expression troubled.
"Not exactly," Hook explained, "But once you're in, well, someone will eventually come along, comment that you appear to be disturbing the other guests and suggests that maybe it would be better for everyone if you left."
"I see…." Elsa replied, her expression turning sympathetic, "That seems terribly unfair."
"Unfair or not, it is what it is," Gold countered, "And I will not be embarrassed because Ralph got some silly idea in his head."
"Look, I think it can work if we all show up together," Ralph said, his voice taking on a pleading tone, "Especially with me and Elsa there."
"He's not wrong," Loki commented.
At that, there was a pause as the rest of the villains turned to look at Loki in confusion.
"He's not," Loki insisted with a shrug as he looked around at the other villains, "Ralph and Elsa have connections with being "bad guys" though they would not be classified as villains by the rest of the Magic Kingdom, so they wouldn't be turned away and would add a sense of legitimacy to the proceedings. If you show up with them, and in force, then there wouldn't be much they could do to stop you."
"Maybe the Mouse wouldn't object," Hades said wearily, "But he's not the only one we have to worry about."
"Who else would you have to worry about?" Elsa asked in confusion.
At that moment, the door to the room suddenly banged open, allowing a cloud of green smoke to come billowing in. At this, everyone jumped to their feet, their eyes focused on the cloud of smoke. A moment later, a large, black raven came flying into the room, cawing loudly as it circled overhead.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps brought everyone's attention back to the door. Emerging from the cloud was an imposingly tall woman with a thin frame and skin so pale it was practically bone white. Her features were angular, with cheekbones so sharp they looked like they were going pierce her flesh, and striking, deep set, green eyes that seemed to glare at everyone in the room. She was dressed in black robes lined in royal purple with a tall, pointed collar and sleeves so voluminous that they hung down to the floor. A black wimple enveloped most of her head, from which a pair of twisting, ornamental horns stretched about a foot above her head. A golden staff topped with a glowing green orb was clasped in her left hand.
"Well, well," the woman said, her voice cultured and her tone clipped as the raven settled onto her shoulder.
"Who is that?" Elsa whispered as she leaned closer to Ralph, noticing the looks of fear all the other villains were sporting, except for Loki, who had a wide-eyed expression that she couldn't quite identify.
"That's Maleficent," Ralph whispered back nervously, never taking his eyes off the woman, "She's kind of the head villain around here."
"So, this is bad, isn't it?" Elsa questioned as a nervous expression spread across her features.
"From what I understand, she turns into a dragon when she gets angry," Ralph answered with a nod, "So yeah, I think this is bad."
"It looks like you're all having quite the little party here," Maleficent observed as she scanned the group, the other villains pointedly avoiding eye contact with her, "You do know how I feel about not being invited to parties."
"Hey, Maleficent, h-hold up now," Hades spoke up, "We just didn't think….didn't think-"
"Didn't think what, Hades?" Maleficent demanded as she whipped her gaze towards the god, causing him to flinch back reflexively.
"Didn't think you'd be interested in any of this," Hades finished nervously.
"And do tell me," Maleficent said, leaning in closer with an expression of what was obviously faux interest, "What exactly is this?"
"Bad Guys Anonymous," Ralph spoke up.
Arching an eyebrow, Maleficent turned her attention towards Ralph, the wrecker gulping nervously as her emerald gaze fell upon him.
"I remember you," Maleficent mused as she walked towards Ralph, pointing a finger at the wrecker, its nail painted crimson red, "Wreck-It Ralph, is it?"
"Yeah," Ralph replied nervously, "We, uh, we ran into each other not long after I first got here."
"Yes," Maleficent concurred with a nod, "I believe that you mentioned trying to do something to improve things for people like us. Is this supposed to be that something?"
"Y-Yeah," Ralph replied with a nod, "Yeah, I guess it is. It gives people like us a chance to express their problems in a safe, healthy way and form stronger bonds with their friends. We're trying to make things better for villains around here."
There was a pause as Maleficent looked at Ralph like he was an idiot before a mirthless smile spread across her face.
"How hopelessly naive," Maleficent commented, "Well, I for one, won't stand for this farce a moment longer."
Turning from Ralph, Maleficent glared at the other villains.
"Get out," Maleficent ordered, her tone brokering no argument.
Hesitantly, all the villains save Loki glanced at one another before they all began making their way towards the door.
"Wait, hold on!" Ralph called with wide eyes as he moved to stop the villains from leaving.
"Step back," Maleficent hissed as she spun towards Ralph, causing the wrecker to flinch back half a step, though he quickly regained his composure.
"You can't just barge in here and boss them around like that!" Ralph snapped angrily.
"And just who is going to stop me?" Maleficent demanded as she began marching towards Ralph.
Before Maleficent could fully close the distance though, Elsa stepped between her and Ralph, her hands curled into fists that were already covered in a thin layer of ice. Maleficent paused and turned her gaze down towards the slightly shorter Elsa, a bemused smile tugging at her lips.
"Well, well," Maleficent said, "If it isn't the little Snow Queen. Now, why would…."
Maleficent trailed off as she glanced back up at Ralph, a look of understanding spreading across her face.
"Ah, I see," Maleficent stated with a venomous grin, "Adorable. Tell me, Ralph, do you always let your woman fight your battles for you?"
"I mean, she's got magic powers, so if she wants to tag in, I'm not going to stop her," Ralph replied with a shrug, refusing to rise to Maleficent's bait.
"I don't know who you think you are," Elsa spoke up, her voice firm and her eyes narrowed, "But you can't just come in here and force these people to do your bidding. You need to leave."
"And if I don't?" Maleficent questioned as she looked back down at Elsa, "Because, I assure you, little Snow Queen, I am not someone you want to cross spells with."
"Try me," Elsa replied firmly, even as she could see Regina behind Maleficent silently but urgently signalling for her to stop.
"Ladies, ladies," Loki suddenly spoke up as he interposed himself between Elsa and Maleficent just as tensions were reaching their boiling point, placing his hand on Maleficent's shoulder for emphasis, "Come now, there's no need for this. I mean, if nothing else, I'm sure the owners would look badly on the two of you blasting apart the establishment."
"Take your hand off me," Maleficent snarled as she glared at Loki.
"Apologies, fair lady," Loki replied as he held his hands up in a placating gesture, "I meant no offense. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am-"
"I know who you are, Loki Laufeyson," Maleficent cut him off, "I've been aware of you sniffing around the Magic Kingdom for quite some time."
"Well then, I must apologise again for underestimating your keen mind," Loki said with a charming smile, "Now, I must ask, what is it about our little meetings that trouble you so? Surely a little social club like this doesn't bother someone as magnificent as yourself?"
"This so called social club, where you all gather and talk about your sorrows and petty problems?" Maleficent replied, her gaze firmly on Loki but her voice loud enough that the villains behind her could hear her, "It's weakness. And I will not stand for weakness."
"Why?" Ralph asked in confusion, "Who do you have to look strong for? Mickey Mouse, the nicest guy in the universe?"
"You know as well as I do how false these niceties are, Wreck-It,," Maleficent stated with a venomous glare, "One day, it will all come crashing down."
"Wow, here in the modern world, we call that paranoia," Ralph commented with a snort, "I mean, you can't actually believe that Mickey and the other good guys like him are actually going to turn on you all, can you? Like, yeah, maybe they can be insensitive jerks sometimes, but that doesn't mean they're going to kill you in your sleep. And even if they were, wouldn't you want people like me and Elsa on your side?"
Maleficent said nothing, though she continued to glare at Ralph.
"Come on, why don't you come to one of these meetings," Ralph pressed, "See what they're like for yourself."
At that point, a smirk formed on Ralph's face.
"Or is Maleficent, the great and terrible, too scared to share her feelings?" Ralph challenged.
At that point, the room fell so quiet that Ralph could have heard a pin drop as the other villains, even Loki, openly stared at him in shock. Ralph, however, never broke eye contact with Maleficent.
"You have some gall, Wreck-It Ralph," Maleficent hissed, and for the briefest of moments, Ralph worried he had made a mistake. Then an amused smile spread across Maleficent's lips.
"I admire gall," Maleficent continued before sighing, "Very well, Ralph. I shall consider your proposal and I may deign to attend one of these meetings of yours."
Maleficent paused, and her gaze turned icy and cruel.
"But you will not have another one of these meetings until I decide to do so," Maleficent stated firmly, "Am I understood?"
"Yeah," Ralph replied reluctantly, "I guess can agree with that."
"Good," Maleficent replied as she turned to leave, "I shall take me leave then."
As Maleficent found the other villains standing behind her, staring, her expression turned angry.
"What are you dolts still doing here!?" Maleficent demanded before she began waving her arms aggressively at the gathered villains, "I told you all to get out! OUT!"
With that, the villains quickly turned and fled the room, though Ralph noticed Hades flash a grin and a thumbs up at him as he left. Maleficent watched the villains flee for a moment before making a disgusted sound and storming out after them, slamming the door in her wake.
"Well," Ralph commented after Maleficent had left, "I didn't expect that to be the way today's meeting went."
"I'll say," Loki agreed with a chuckle of amusement as he looked up at Ralph, "I thought for a moment she was going to tear your eyes out."
"Yeah, me too," Ralph said with a nod before he looked at Loki with perplexity, "What was that, by the way?"
"What was what?" Loki questioned in return.
"You know what," Ralph replied in annoyance.
"I assure you, I do not," Loki stated with a shake of his head.
"You were flirting with Maleficent," Ralph stated plainly.
"Preposterous!" Loki argued a bit too aggressively, "I was doing no such thing."
"You were being a bit….overly charming," Elsa replied an amused smile.
"I was being nothing more than my normally charming self," Loki stated, "Plenty of people find me that charming."
"I don't find you charming at all," Ralph said with a shake of his head, "I think you're kind of an arrogant jerk most of the time."
"Ralph," Elsa admonished, though she couldn't hide her amused smile.
"Well, I can tell you one thing," Loki said in annoyance as he pointed a finger up at the wrecker, "I have much better things to do with my time than be insulted by the likes of you, Wreck-It Ralph. Good day!"
"I'll let you know whenever we have the next meeting," Ralph said as Loki stormed towards the door.
"I said good day!" Loki called back before leaving the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Yeah, he's into her," Ralph observed with a chuckle as he looked down at Elsa, "Can you imagine how terrifying the two of them would be as a couple?"
"You're being terrible," Elsa observed with a laugh before her face fell slightly, "Though I imagine this puts a damper on your plans for the party."
"Yeah, I can't imagine that Maleficent will come around any time soon," Ralph said with a shake of his head, "So, looks like I'm going to have to scrap that plan."
"I'm sure there will be other parties, Ralph," Elsa reassured him as she laid a hand on his arm, "At least now, you can just enjoy this one."
"Yeah, I suppose," Ralph agreed with a nod as he smiled down at Elsa, "I'll have to find a date though. It's terrible showing up to these things by yourself."
"Well, luckily for you, I know someone who's very interested in attending with you," Elsa replied with a smile of her own.
A/N: Happy to get this next chapter out! Hope you guys enjoyed it as well! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!