A/N: Next chapter up, hope you enjoy! :D

Chapter 6

RJ

Forever…

The word is faintly etched on the whiteboard, barely visible; yet it is also extremely clear at the same time.

For a moment, I stare at that single word, unable to look away, as if there is something mesmerizing about it that captures my attention. Quickly, I shake my head, clearing my thoughts, and then look up at the character who'd written the word.

With its tale complete, 'Ralph' lets out a sigh and turns its board around. It wipes out the word, then proceeds to toss the marker it is holding to its left. The clone's story was so long that it took five markers to write down every detail, everything that had happened to it.

Setting its board on the ground, 'Ralph' turns and lumbers over to a medium-sized box over in the corner. It rummages through it and plucks out a couple of new markers, tearing off their wrappers. How many markers did it manage to grab up there? I wonder as the clone returns to where I'm at.

As I continue to sit there, 'Ralph's' story keeps on replying in my mind. Although it cannot speak, it manages to paint up a scene that is to real you can reach out and touch it. It is like I can see the Crash in its point of view, feel the wind in my hair as it dodged across the buildings, feel the pain when the fallen building landed on top of it, feel the weapons hitting on its back as the netizens tried to kill it…

And feel its loneliness.

Its utter, sickening loneliness, desperate for companionship.

Sure, 'Ralph's' a clone, and a dangerous one at that. Along with its duplicates, 'Ralph' did cause unmistakable damage to the Internet, one that characters will remember for years. I understand why the netizens tried to kill it, I really do: if I were a netizen whose website got destroyed by the very character in front of my eyes, I would have done the same thing. But somehow…I kept thinking 'Ralph' shouldn't be treated this way. Even if it really did help ruin the Internet, it shouldn't be beaten and chased and tried to be killed when it has just barely escaped. It shouldn't. It really shouldn't.

Did 'Ralph' deserve this?

Did it?

I shake my head, but not only I'm not able to shake off 'Ralph's' story, I can see another story, from another character, shifting up from the depths of my memory. I close my eyes, as if seeing both stories play in front of me, overlapping in front of my eyes. As they played, I can finally see why it was so hard for me to forget what the clone said. Now I can see it. The isolation, the rejection, the neglect...everything, it was all so familiar, so real, so tangible…

As if I've heard such a story before.

I look back up at the clone: 'Ralph' has finished stashing its newly-unwrapped markers into its pockets and has started cleaning its board once more, polishing it furiously. Very carefully, I break the silence.

"So…really? No one ever came down here to the Older Net after yer here? No one?"

'Ralph' nods. Sometimes I see characters come down here to retrieve stuff, but they're gone fast. It rubs out its sentence and returns with a new one. You're actually the first character to chase me back down here. It finishes, smiling a bit.

"Well, thank you!" I say, bowing. I couldn't help letting loose a giggle as I do so. "I take that as a complement! Guess ya learn somethin' new every day!"

The clone lets out a silent chuckle. Loads of the characters up there don't realize I'm among them. The blocky-headed ones, to be exact.

"Yeah, gotta agree on that one." I say, cocking my head as I recalled my experience with the avatars in the websites moments ago "They just walk right by ya, not carin' who's in their way, like they're in their in their own little world or what!"

'Ralph's' grin widens at my words. Suddenly, I stand up and start to walk stiffly towards the clone.

"Hey look! I'm an avatar!" I pretend, staring blankly and jerking unnaturally as I move. "A normal, blocky-headed human avatar, who doesn't care about everyone who gets in my way!" I hear snickering, but I ignore it and continue with my act. "So take that, ya idiots! Take that! I don't care about a thing in the world! Fear my big head, and bow at thy blockiness!"

THUMP! I glance to see where 'Ralph's' at, only to find it fallen on the ground, rolling and pounding and crying with hysterics. I know the clone's supposed to be voiceless, but throughout the quietness I can hear a very faint laughter, with a tone slightly lower than my brother's, come out of it. Are clones able to feel joy and laugh like normal characters do? Are they able to? I don't know.

"Move along, move along! Get outa my frickin' way! King Blocky the First comin' through!" I have reached to where 'Ralph' is lying on the ground, and march to my left while continuing my ridiculous performance. "I see and hear ya, but I don't care! I'm in my own little world and ya can't kick me out! Even if an explosion happens right next to me, I won't notice! At least, not until I actually get hurt!"

The laughter abruptly stops. The clone gets up and turns to me with a horrified expression. Wait, so you've seen it happen?

"Nah, nah. 'Tis just an example right off my mind, don't worry. I've never seen it happen, and I hope I never will. Just chill, dude." I wave my hand at 'Ralph', shrugging it off.

The clone's expression relaxes, then it starts with a new sentence. Sometimes I try to get their attention, even when I know I shouldn't.

"Oh, really?" I ask, "What for?"

'Ralph' doesn't respond, as we both know the answer.

"Ya really want a friend, right?"

'Ralph' looks away from my gaze, avoiding me. I can tell this is something that it does not feel comfortable talking about. Eventually, it slowly nods its head.

"I understand." I say, walking closer to the clone. "Everyone needs a friend in their lives. Everyone really. Can't disagree on that."

The clone sighs and holds up its board. No one wants to be my friend, though, after what I have done. It then sets its board on the ground, and looks away from me.

"No, don't say that!" I reply quickly. "I mean, ya did break the Internet, literally, but it doesn't mean that no one would neglect ya as a friend! The Internet is so big; there are so many different kinds of characters here! There's bound to be someone who doesn't mind ya past and status and is willin' to become yer friend!"

Someone…like you?

I freeze, my body glitching up briefly. This is not what I expected this conversation to go.

"Wait a minute…so…what yer are sayin'…'tis that ya want me to be yer-"

"Friend?" It asks verbally.

Well, that escalated quickly.

My head jerks up immediately, looking at 'Ralph'. As soon as it meets my gaze, the clone glances away bashfully, covering its face partially with its board. Meanwhile, my mind starts whirling, trying hard to process what 'Ralph' has just expressed to me.

Does 'Ralph' really want me to be its friend?

Does it?

"Ya want me to be yer friend?" I ask.

'Ralph' nods, still hiding behind the board, now with a response to my question. You really are the first character I've met who doesn't want to kill me when they know who I am.

I have an urge to answer, but I manage to clamp my mouth shut. I can see that it needs help, but help may not be the thing I can give now.

I can't let 'Ralph' know who I really am.

"Yer…friend?" I ask uncertainly, just to make sure that I'm not seeing things wrong.

When the clone nods, I stammer out my answer "I…I don't know. I really don't know!" I stand up quickly, my body flickering in and out beyond my control. As I glitched, 'Ralph' looks at me nervously, concerned at what is happening to me.

You're glitching! It writes.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Happens all the time." I breathe in and out slowly, trying to calm myself down. Meanwhile, I loosen my stabilizer to release some of my Glitch, letting a few flashes of green pulse through me until everything finally settles down. I breathe in once again, calming myself, before continuing my sentence.

"Unfortunately, I…I don't know. I don't think I can trust ya yet. I mean, we've just met. And yer a virus after all, that I cannot deny. And I mean, yeah, sure! I won't tell yer story out to anyone, I won't! Yer secret is safe with me. But when it comes to makin' friends with ya… I…I just…I don't know! I just don't know what I should do!"

'Ralph' nods, looking down at the ground. I understand.

"Look, I really want to help, I really want to." I say, "I understand that ya really want a friend. Ya don't deserve to be treated like 'tis. But…'tis just that…I don't know ya well, well enough to trust ya."

Okay, I admit it: I'm half-lying at this point. Yes, I really don't know the clone enough, I mean, we've just met! But this is not the main reason why I'm making this decision. No, it is not.

It's about Ralph.

Wreck-it Ralph.

My older brother, aka the very same character 'Ralph' is cloned from.

Being on the Internet, I've already broken his rule of staying in the arcade; and now with 'Ralph' being found, I cannot imagine what will happen if he manages to find out my secret. Our secret, if I really become 'Ralph's' friend.

I can't let my brother know.

I can't.

You know I just want you safe, Ralph Jerome. It's just that simple.

I really want to help 'Ralph', I really do; but if Ralph somehow manages to find out about our friendship, I don't even want to know what will happen to us, both of us.

With my dangerous background, this is now more than just keeping a secret: it's about building up a new connection with someone I'm not supposed to meet, should be fearful of. And…I don't know, I don't know. There's something about it that I don't think I can decide whether I can do immediately or not.

I'm not ready for this.

"I'm sorry." I stammer. "I don't know, I just…'Tis just that…I really can't trust ya yet. I can't! I'm sorry!"

I look at the ground, trying to get myself together. I can feel a part of me tug one way, pulling my feet to the ground, trying to keep me from leaving. But I fight against it, trying to break my way free, trying to tell myself no matter how much I want to help, I shouldn't, I shouldn't have any say in this! I'm glitching again; wilder than before, an internal war going on inside me. I hear 'Ralph' gasp, but I don't care. I don't care!

You can't trust it yet, RJ, you can't! You really can't!

You can't let 'Ralph' know who you really are!

I let out a loud sigh. I lift my head back up, meet 'Ralph's' waiting gaze, and give it my answer.

"I cannot be yer friend yet."

Without looking at 'Ralph' for its response, I start towards back the way I went, back towards the ladder that I used to get down here. I can hear it banging one of its markers on its board, trying to call me back. But I don't look back. Just as I put my hand on one of its rungs, I turn my head. There, I see the clone, its arms lying limp at its sides, the marker and board clattered to the ground. It tries not to look at me, but even from distance I can see the sadness in its eyes.

As if it doesn't want me to go.

"I'm sorry." I say again, muttering under my breath. I'm not sure if 'Ralph' can hear me, but it's better than saying nothing before I leave.

Sighing, I look away and continue to climb up the ladder, carefully hauling myself up until I return to the Internet. I don't look down, not until the Older Net is far below me.

I can barely remember the way I dodged through the alleys to get to the ladder, as if every turn I take manages to lead me further into the maze of alleys. But after making several twists and turns, I eventually make my way back out to where the tall buildings are. Throughout my walk, my mind seems foggy, as if I cannot shake off everything that just happened…

"Whoops, sorry!" I apologize as I bump into an avatar running in front of me, though she doesn't really seem to notice. My mind briefly flashes back to my performance back in the Older Net, where I can see the clone silently howling with laughter, the very first time I've seen pure joy come out of it. My decision of leaving it behind in the darkness, in its loneliness…it just doesn't seem right. It doesn't.

Did I do the right thing by rejecting to be 'Ralph's' friend?

Did I?

Just go home, RJ. A voice in my head says. Just go home. With the Internet Crash and 'Ralph,' you have more than enough of the Internet now. The arcade's about to open in a few hours, and Ralph would probably want to know where you're at now. And you can't tell him, right? You can't tell him that you're on the Internet.

As much I want to retrace my steps back to the Older Net, I know deep down the voice is right. I have been here for, like, four to five hours now? It's been a long time since I first arrived. True that without me my game would still operate as usual, but Ralph would probably be worried about me, even much so now!

I have to get back home.

You're…you're right. I think back, sighing. You're probably right. I shouldn't continue to think about this. Right now, home is more important. I should go home now.

I should go home…

Wait…

Wait a minute…

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO HOME?!"