Filling in the Empty Spots
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Chapter 3: The Ice Cave
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Ralph was a bit more vigilant the next time he crossed the meadow of Red Twist Park, this time noticing the disturbance in the grass before he reached the spot where Jubileena Bing Bing was lying amidst the red candy stems. At first he moved slowly, silently, but as he got closer he decided it best to warn her instead of scaring her again. "Hello! Anyone there?"
The racer sat up, again wearing her long gown and the teensy tiara of cherry-shaped rhinestones that went with it. "Ralph?"
"Just me again." It had been two weeks since he had traversed the area and literally bumped into her, and while he had not expected to find her there, he was almost happy she was. And it seemed as if she were happy to see him. "All dressed up and nowhere to go?" he asked her.
"Ralph, what are you doing here again?"
"Oh, just wandering back through."
"What's with the lantern?" she asked, pointing at the one hanging from his hand.
"I thought I'd go up to the Snowcone mountains again. There was this really pretty ice cave up there, but I couldn't go in far since I didn't have a light."
"Really?" she asked interestedly. "I've never been up there," she said, looking up to the icy heights towering above the park.
"I'd ask you if you wanted to come with, but you're not really dressed for exploring. A ball, yes, but not where I'm going."
She looked down at herself, all satin and chiffon and embroidery, her matching ivory slippers poking out from beneath the hem of her dress. "No, I guess not. But I do have my regular clothes in my kart, if you would wait for me to change."
"You do? Well if you'd like to come with me, then all right. I'll just wait here for you to change your clothes." Ralph plopped down as Jubileena stood up, gathered up her long skirts, and ran across the meadow. He smiled. He and Vanellope used to go exploring together all the time, escaping the worlds they knew in hopes of seeing others, a favorite past time that had eventually led to her death. "Don't think about that, Wreck-It," he chided himself as the little girl bounced away from him across the meadow.
In ten minutes she was back, this time dressed in more familiar and more practical clothing, her little red jacket and boots, striped leggings, and white cherry-printed tee-shirt, red skirt and her glossy cherry beanie. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along," she said. "I really would like to see that cave."
"I don't mind at all. It will be nice to have a little company for a change."
"I thought you liked being alone. That's what everyone says."
Ralph looked at the diminutive racer with a confused expression. "Being alone? I never wanted to be alone. Ever."
"Oh...everyone just said you did because you always were coming here alone and watching the races by yourself."
"What does 'everyone' know about me?" he growled.
"I'm sorry. I was just repeating what I'd heard."
"Well you heard..." and then he stopped, realizing the girl was cringing slightly. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I didn't mean to raise my voice."
Jubileena straightened up. "I thought you were going to get angry."
"I thought so too." And then he chuckled. "I guess I'm kinda sensitive about it."
This made her smile and she walked up to him and reached for his hand. "Let's go see that cave."
"All right."
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Ralph led the way up the slopes of the Snowcone Mountains, a bit of a smile on his face. It was nice to have company. But his mind raced, trying to think of the right things to say to her and how not to frighten her. He knew his size could be intimidating. His first two encounters with the Sugar Rush racers had involved them running away from him in terror. There was also the worry that the expedition up into the cave would be too difficult or dangerous for her.
But every time he turned back the cherry girl was there, trotting along a few paces behind him, her pigtails bobbing with each step and her face all one smile.
The red ropy grass gave way to bare ground as the altitude increased, and as the climb became exhaustingly steep the bare ground became icy. But not too much further along Ralph found the crevice that led into the ice cave.
Stepping inside, out of the wind, Ralph lit the lantern and adjusted the flame. "I fuel this thing with the oil that seeps at the Baklava Flats. It burns pretty well."
Jubileena wasn't really listening. "Ooh! Pretty!" she exclaimed looking at the icicles hanging from the ceiling and the multicolored frozen waterfall clinging to the wall. The frost crystals caught the flickering light of the lantern and made everything glitter. "How far in does it go?" she asked.
"Not sure. I didn't have a light with me so I couldn't go too deep. But I could see these in the bit of light that comes in. And I could see that the cave went much deeper."
"It's just so pretty," she said. "It sparkles like magic."
Ralph held forth the lantern and started to walk down the dark passage The footing was slippery and awkward and the going was slow, but he and the racer trekked steadily toward the heart of the mountain. The walls and ceiling continued to glisten with ice crystals and a multitude of icicles in a rainbow of colors. "It's like the Rainbow Ice Caves part of the Speedway," Jubileena declared. "Only smaller and prettier."
The passage sloped upwards and a faint light could be seen ahead. Ralph wondered if they were perhaps coming to another exit to the outside, but instead the narrow tunnel led into a large cathedral-like room. Columns of ice stretched from floor to ceiling. Frost crystals covered the ground like a carpet. Shorter stalagmites of ice stood about like so many frozen parishioners. At the very center a stream of meltwater plunged from a hole in the roof of the huge cavern into a frozen font before running in a streambed along the floor and disappearing into a crevice. The room was not dark, but instead seemed to be lit from below, giving the place a fairyland appearance of delicate luminous color.
"This place is amazing," gasped Jubileena. "I had no idea there was anywhere like this in Sugar Rush."
"Nor did I."
Ralph moved to the center of the room and sat on a broken column lying near the font. And for a long time he just sat there taking in the magnificent scenery, fascinated by the play of color and light and ice, marveling at the place they had found. Jubileena walked and slid about the room, skipping and dancing amidst the columns, her happy laughter and snatches of song echoing all around.
Ralph pulled out his notebook and began to draw out a map of the cave, doodling in the features and using his compass to get a more accurate representation down onto paper.
"Ralph, what are you doing?" she asked as she walked past to look at the waterfall again.
"Just making a map. I found an old map that Vanellope had drawn once, back when she was the Glitch, and I just kept expanding on it."
"Is that what you've been doing in Sugar Rush while you've been wandering around?"
"Yup," he said with a smug grin. "Gives me something legitimate to do here." He flipped the pages of his notebook, giving her a glance at all he'd been working on.
"And once it's all drawn, what are you going to do with it?"
"Eh, I dunno. Maybe make up one really huge map and hang it in the castle. Maybe just keep it for myself."
"It's kinda cool that you're making one," she said and skipped off again.
After a while they found themselves shivering and decided they should leave. "We can always come back, right?"
Outside the cavern and long tunnel, they descended quickly to the warmer temperatures of Red Twist Park and walked over to Jubileena's kart. "Thank you for taking me with you, Ralph. That was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen."
"You're welcome. It was nice to share it with someone." And then he tied his lantern to the little pack he carried. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around."
As he started to leave, Jubileena called to him. "Ralph, um..."
"Yes?" he asked, turning around to face her again. He'd only gotten a few steps away.
"If...if you're going exploring somewhere again, and you don't mind, I'd like to come with you," she said shyly, her usually reddish skin turning redder with a bit of a blush. "I don't get out much."
Ralph shifted his hands on the straps of his pack. "All right. I'll let you know if there's a trip you might like. I've got a lot more of my map to draw. There are so many empty spots."
She beamed. "Thank you, Ralph!" she squeaked. "You can leave notes for me at the Cherry Cabana, or find me at the Random Roster Race."
"All right."
To his surprise she hugged him around the leg with a happy little noise. And then she hopped into the Cherriot, waved goodbye, and zoomed away, a big smile on her face. What had started for her as another nearly pointless day of lying in the meadow had turned so interesting.
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Filling in the Empty Spots continues in:
Chapter 4: Soda Water Shores
Chapter 5: Pie, Performance, and Pleasantries
Chapter 6: A Painful Anniversary
Chapter 7: Changes
Chapter 8: Breakdown
Chapter 9: Little Cabin in the Woods
Chapter 10: Back to the Meadow
Chapter 11: The Spring Solstice Ball
Chapter 12: The President's Legacy
Chapter 13: A Heavy Crown
Chapter 14: The Final Secret
Chapter 15: Filling in the Empty Spots Commentary
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Wreck-It Ralph and all related concepts, characters, worlds, and events are property of Walt Disney Pictures. Original characters and story elements are property of E. Potter, writing under the pen name of Miratete.