Chapter Fifteen
Talking with Ralph
"So," said Dr. Despair, facing one of the large stained glass windows of the throne room, "that's it. My greatest failure. I could have saved your game -I could have saved you- if I'd only acted quickly and decisively."
"Thanks," said Vanellope.
Dr. Despair blinked. "What?"
"Thanks," Vanellope repeated. "Thanks for the one nice thing you ever tried to do for me."
Dr. Despair turned about. "Vanellope von Schweetz," he said, "you apparently have an uncanny ability for missing the point when it's right in front of you. I did nothing."
"You took a while, but you ended up trying something…before you stopped caring."
"I started caring."
"I was in your 'care'," said Vanellope. "I still have the scars."
"Insolent child!" Dr. Despair snapped. "You think this is all about you? This is about what's best for the arcade."
"Or what's best for your ego," Vanellope shot back. "You're just a selfish brat now."
Dr. Despair made as though to grab Vanellope, but then stopped. "No," he said, his voice calm yet again. "No. You're out of his grasp now, and all is right. No hurting the arcade by your death." He fingered the ornamented head of his cane momentarily, before continuing. "Your game is safe now- maybe not in the way I expected, but safe nonetheless. And that's what matters."
"Yeah- safe from you."
Vanellope turned to leave, but Dr. Despair blocked her path with his cane.
"Hear me well," he said. "I make no apologies for anything, save for not hunting down Turbo when I had the chance. That apology you can take or leave as you please. But take this from my tale- when there is a threat, act."
"I'll take what I can get," Vanellope replied curtly. "Apology accepted." Pushing the cane aside, she strode towards the throne room door, never once looking back.
"Thank the developers you're safe," said the Surge Protector when he saw Vanellope. "I'll let procedure slide right now. There's someone who wants to talk to you."
The hulking form of Ralph appeared in front of Vanellope. He glanced from Vanellope to the wire entrance, and back again. "Come on over to my game," he said. "We need to talk."
He was clearly in earnest, so Vanellope followed Ralph to his extra-large apartment building within Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph offered her a seat. She glitched into it. Ralph sat across from her on a large boulder- the only object in the living room that would support his weight.
"I know what you're thinking," Vanellope began. "Why I'd go into that game?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Cause I knew you'd have stopped me."
"You bet I would have," Ralph said sternly. "You could have been killed."
"He doesn't want to kill me."
"Not right now, he doesn't," Ralph replied. "What we're you thinking?"
"I wanted to show him I wasn't afraid of him," she said.
"That was kind of a dumb idea," said Ralph. "What made you want to do that?"
And then the explanations poured forth. She explained the nightmare, the raw terror, the candy monsters- everything. When she was finished, she breathed deeply.
"Was this the first time?" Ralph asked.
Silently, Vanellope shook her head.
"When did these dreams start?"
"This was the third night in a row."
"And you didn't tell anyone? Not even me?"
"I…I didn't…I mean, it almost slipped out around Otis and Floyd, but I didn't…"
"Look." Ralph's tone was firm, but kind. "Otis and Floyd are your friends. I'm your friend. You can talk to them. You can talk to me. Hey, you can talk to Felix too. I bet even Sergeant Calhoun would listen."
"She'd just tell me to tough up," said Vanellope. She grinned suddenly. "Tough-up, you mangy bundle of bat-wings!" she said in her best imitation of Calhoun's voice.
Ralph laughed. "Not bad."
The moment of levity passed, and both characters looked serious once again.
"Ralph," said Vanellope. "I've got something else I need to tell you."
As succinctly as she could, Vanellope told about her encounter with Dr. Despair. Ralph was intrigued by the doctor's revelation in particular.
"I guess it explains what he was thinking," he said. "Still doesn't make what he did right."
Vanellope had been looking down at the floor when a new thought entered her mind. She looked up again.
"Something else on your mind?" Ralph asked.
"You once told why you broke my kart," said Vanellope.
Ralph grimaced at the memory. "You don't need to remind me. I was wrong to do that."
"But you didn't know that at the time. And you really thought you were helping me."
"What made you think of that now?"
"Ralph," Vanellope said slowly and hesitantly. "Dr. Despair said he tries to help the arcade. What if he's telling the truth? What if is trying to help?"
"He's a twisted idea of helping the arcade, then."
"But he believes in it."
Ralph was silent for several moments. "You may be right," he said at last. "But stay away from him in the future. He's too dangerous."
Suddenly, Vanellope yawned and blinked several times.
"We've still a couple hours before the arcade opens," said Ralph. "Go get some sleep while you can."
Vanellope nodded and glitched to her feet.
"And if you have any more nightmares, come talk to your friends," Ralph added. "We're all here for you."
As she headed for the door, Vanellope looked back over her shoulder. "Thanks," she said.