Frontal Assault.
Felix's eyes opened.
He looked side to side, and up at Vanellope's tear-streaked face. "Everyone safe?" He asked.
She froze, sniffing, her mouth open. Ralph, hovering overhead, was like a statue. Felix pushed himself up a little. "Himiny jiminy, that was not fun at all."
Vanellope's eyes were the size of plates. She stuttered; "You're… you… alive?" She turned to look towards Tamora, who looked like she was about to run away. "HEY!" Vanellope yelled; "Hey! He's alive! Ya hear me? ALIVE!"
Felix had pushed himself up on his elbows. He smiled and tried sitting up straight. He felt right bruised in quite a few places.
Tamora didn't quite grasp completely what was going on. Vanellope was yelling and waving at her. Something about Felix. No one ever survived being chewed by a 'bug. And it wasn't his game. She walked closer, everything still a blur. As she got closer, she saw Felix… standing up? What was happening? Was her mind telling her lies again? She saw Vanellope holding him steady as he looked around for his hat, of all things. He looked at her and waved weakly.
Felix raised an arm in self defense as a reflex when Tamora slid to a stop in front of him. Her knee had dug a foot-long ditch in the ground. She grabbed him by both shoulders. She was trying to cry and laugh at the same time, and the result was closer to a cough than anything else.
She shook him, trying to decide if he was real. Felix looked into her eyes; "Gee, Miss Tamora, I told you not to worry."
That convinced her he was real. She clasped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder, now crying, now laughing. Felix tried to pat her back, but the armor made that useless. Besides, those bumps in her chest armor were squeezing the air right out of him. He finally put his hands on her shoulders and pushed back slightly. "Now. I'm fine. I told you."
She eased the pressure on him slightly. Pulling back and looking into his face, she was choking on her words; "But… how?"
Felix looked at the deep blue eyes, and the pain in her face, and couldn't think of anything. He put both hands on her head, and kissed her. For a long time.
It was quite long enough for Vanellope to recover and exclaim; "Alright already! You're fine! We see that. Save it for later."
Ralph had been scratching his head; "Felix, you just broke the only law of the arcade. They said it couldn't be done."
Felix finally quit kissing Tamora, and looked up at Ralph, smiling again. "Nope. Didn't break any rule at all." Tamora reluctantly allowed him to leave her arms as he stepped back to rub his leg where it had been gnawed.
He actually seemed a bit embarrassed. He looked around at the faces and tried to explain; "Well, I know Mi… Tamora was all worried about us down here." He waved his arms at his friends; "I couldn't think of any way to get her to believe I'd be okay. I can't shoot those things." He looked from one face to another; "Ralph can smash stuff, and Miss Vanellope can get out of the way plenty fast, I saw it."
Tamora looked intently at him, still wiping water from her eyes; "Get to the point, Fix-it."
The nail pouch on Felix's belt opposite his hammer was usually empty, since he didn't need many nails. He reached in, and pulled out…
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Ralph was the only one who got it. "Ho! Genius!" He fell back on the ground, rolling with laughter. The shock of thinking Felix dead, then finding him alive made Ralph's laughter almost maniacal.
Tamora and Vanellope both had totally blank looks. Of all possible explanations, this made the least sense. The two girls looked at each other, bewildered.
Ralph got control, somewhat, and sat up. He and Felix smiled at each other. Ralph noticed the confused faces on the women. "Ahem.", he said. "In our game, When Felix gets a pie, he gets to be invobu… uhh, death-proof!" Felix was holding a half-eaten piece of Mary's special game pie.
Tamora looked from Ralph back to Felix, who was putting the piece of pie back in the pouch. Her emotions couldn't handle much more today. Her grief, turned so quickly to joy, now slid towards anger. She poked Felix in the chest with an armored finger hard enough to make him 'oof', and massage the spot while catching his breath. "Why didn't you say anything? Don't you think I'd like to know things like that? Like maybe whether you will or won't die on me? Huh?"
Felix was feeling embarrassed again. He looked down, digging a small furrow in the ground with his work boot. "Well, I wasn't sure it would work, to tell the truth. But it's all I could think of."
Tamora's anger evaporated like her grief. She hugged him again, tightly enough that his face started turning red, then stood up and took his hand. She was still wiping the water pooling in her eyes. "Well, I think… we ought to take a break. The Café's open, folks, and I think I could stand to sit down for a minute. And maybe a large drink." She headed down the street, still a bit weak in the knees. She still had Felix's hand, and practically dragged him along. He wasn't getting out of her sight again.
Kohut, who had arrived with others and watched Felix return from the dead, walked up beside the two and tapped Felix on the shoulder.
"Mr. Felix… sir? You think you can get us some of that pie?"
Ralph reached over and scooped up Vanellope with both hands. They walked off with her standing in the crook of his arm, leaning back against his shoulder, with her head resting against his neck.
She straightened up and looked into the one eye on her side; "You were pretty brave, going after those bugs for Felix."
Ralph's heart had been in his throat when the warning came. Then he had seen her on the ground. He didn't look her directly in the face. He felt badly about himself, because if he had had to choose between Vanellope and Felix, it might have been Game Over for Felix. He whispered to her; "I don't know how brave it was, and I know you can take care of yourself, but you've got to quit scaring me like that."
Vanellope leaned back and kissed him lightly on the neck. "I promise. But you have to quit trying to get yourself dead, too, you know."
Tamora had never noticed the church.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
They went into the little Café. There was some damage here, like every building in the town. Calhoun led them to a large table in the middle. While they sat down, Kohut and a few other troops sat down at a table along one wall. None of them had put their guns away. Calhoun seemed to collapse into her chair. Ralph sat slowly. The chair creaked ominously, but held up. Everyone still seemed to be trying to calm themselves after the short, but furious battle. Calhoun also remembered that this was the same café that Brad had proposed to her in. She reached over and squeezed Felix's hand. Unlike her memory of lies, this fiancé was right here. And still alive.
A woman walked in. "So, what's it going to be?" She looked around; "Okay, how about drinks first? You look like you need it." Like most of the town, she had seen the battle from inside. 'Bugs getting in happened occasionally, but the civilians just locked themselves in and let the troops handle it while they waited for the 'safe' signal. And civilians especially did not go after 'bugs bare-handed. She looked at Ralph closely. Everyone knew about the man who flew the escape pod with a cybug to another game, but this was the first time anyone in town had seen him. He looked like the kind of guy who could take care of himself. She went off to get them drinks.
She had stared at Ralph long enough for Vanellope to take notice. It was the thing she was the most worried about. Bugs and guns didn't scare her nearly as much as women. She watched the woman walk off, long brown hair swinging. She noticed the eyes of the troopers following her out. Vanellope fumed. It was so unfair. Despite her love for Ralph, she was having such trouble breaking through to him, all because of her code stuck inside… this. Now Ralph was a hero. Just like her becoming Princess of Sugar Rush, people don't run and hide anymore from them. When other girls find out that Ralph is not only extremely strong and brave, but a nice man, what chance does she have anymore? Was she going to lose him to someone like that? That one was tall, her hair long and smooth, and she had big girly parts. How do you fight those… err… that?
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Since the reset of Sugar Rush, Sour Bill and others had been straightening out things here and there. In the curtained area behind the throne room, he noticed something sticking out from a cabinet. Frowning, as usual, he picked it up. He knew what it was. Not being part of this game, it had not reset with everything else.
It was a napkin. From Tapper's. And on it were the instructions King Candy had used to get into the code. He hid it under some odds and ends in a never-used drawer. This was too dangerous to leave lying around.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The woman came back into the seating area, pushing a cart filled with glasses, pitchers, and bottles. She put a glass of Calhoun's favorite wine in front of her, and a mug of ale went to Felix. She placed a huge mug in front of Ralph. Leaning over, she said; "I'm Tina. Anything you need, just tell me." She blinked her green eyes at him. Ralph looked back; "Thank you. I'm fine."
She walked around and put a tall glass in front of Vanellope; "And fruit juice for the little girl." She went to serve the troopers, who got tea, since they were on duty.
Vanellope stiffened visibly. Calhoun cringed a bit. Uh oh. Even the armed troops twitched. Not noticing, Tina served the troops, and promising food soon, pushed the cart down to the kitchen. Calhoun saw the flush creeping up Vanellope's face. Ralph looked over, forehead furrowed. He knew something was going on under that ponytail, just not what.
Calhoun leaned over the table. She grabbed one of Vanellope's hands. She shook it, getting her attention. "Listen!" She said in a harsh whisper; "Listen to me, Princess. She's not like us. Remember that. She's not as smart as we are." Calhoun was trying to convince her that the townspeople, who were not major characters, simply acted their part of the game code.
Vanellope relaxed a bit, and looked at Tamora. She whispered back; "Maybe. But I don't think everybody is looking at her smarts."
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The rest of the meal went quietly. They were finally relaxing after the rush of earlier. Large sandwiches were served, although Vanellope still smoldered after Tina had brought her a child's plate. That, together with the fact Tina seemed to hover around Ralph, filling his mug, and touching him. It all looked innocent enough, just a hand on the shoulder, or leaning over him.
Felix, even though he was quite oblivious to such things, couldn't help but notice something was happening. Miss Vanellope looked quite put out. He looked around at Ralph as Tina was leaning over his shoulder to top off his mug for the tenth time. He looked at his empty mug, which had been that way for a while now. Then it clicked. That pretty girl was making eyes at Ralph, and Miss Vanellope didn't like that at all.
He tried to sort it all out. He knew Miss Vanellope was sweet on Ralph. He knew she wanted to give Ralph the same honeyglow that Miss Tamora gave him. Felix had talked to girls before, but everyone had run from Ralph, as the Bad Guy, forever. Now, people don't think of Ralph as just the bad Guy. He has friends. He was running out of fingers to count on. And friends mean… girls. And girls mean… Miss Vanellope mad. Anything else? Oh, yes…
Fingers snapped in front of his face. Calhoun frowned; "You still here, Felix?"
Felix snapped out of it. He leaned over towards Tamora and whispered; "I think Miss Vanellope is upset with that pretty lady."
Tamora leaned over until their noses were an inch apart; "Finally noticed, huh? You think she's that pretty? You like that type?" She was baiting him, but she was smiling.
Felix blinked; "I… just meant…" Tamora leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss to shut him up. She sat back in her chair. Felix took the hint, sitting there with a grin.
Calhoun was joking. She could do that. And that was what was behind Vanellope's problem. Tamora drummed her fingers on the table. She wasn't worried in the least about Felix, or his affections. She had confidence in herself.
But she understood Vanellope, and her insecurity. Tamora had been 'born' six foot tall, beautiful, smart, and tough. She had that head start of being written as an adult. She also knew Vanellope's story. She grew up in a rough life. Now, she was more mature than most of the characters of the arcade, who lived in total innocence of their own games, for the most part.
Then it occurred to her. Vanellope is frustrated because she feels people, and especially Ralph, look at her like a child. But it seems that Vanellope herself has problems getting past that. After all the characters she had met in the arcade, she was still hung up on the fact that she thinks she looks too young to be taken seriously. But that was only in her own mind. Everyone else accepted her as just another person. Still, Tamora had no idea what to do, because she had never had to grow up herself, and her game wasn't old enough for her to be any wiser.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Ralph was watching Vanellope out of the corner of his eye. She looked mad about something. He couldn't remember her being angry for more than a few seconds at a time. How could he find out what's eating her? That was a bad choice of words after this morning.
He leaned over; "This is a nice place. We'll have to come back here."
Vanellope looked up into his face, her eyes narrowed; "Oh yeah. I figured that." Her voice dripped with venom.
All right, there was something definitely wrong here, and bad enough that even Ralph was catching on. He turned fully towards her. "Okay!" He said; "What has suddenly got you in such a… snit?"
Vanellope turned pink. She jumped up, standing in her chair to look straighter at Ralph. "ME! Me? You can sit there all day, getting all… googly-eyed with that… that… hussy! And then you have the…"
She stopped a second. She looked at his eyes. His forehead was carved with lines. His eyes were wide, and scared. His mouth had dropped open. His face was pale.
Vanellope finally understood. Her voice softened, the acid gone. "Ralph, you don't even have a clue, do you?"
Ralph blinked. He looked around. Felix was still, his eyes wide, and his mouth was pressed tight as if he was afraid to talk. Calhoun stared him in the eyes. She nodded, once. He saw her put out a hand, palm up, pointing to Vanellope. She was telling him; 'Go ahead.'
Ralph took a deep breath. He looked at Vanellope. "I guess I didn't. I'm not used to people… not running. But that shouldn't worry you none." He looked down at the floor; "Because… you're the… one I love."
He looked up at her again. She was completely still. Her eyes totally round, the pupils centered on his face.
Ralph sighed; "I think I gave up trying to fight you some time back. I worry about what people think of me. I think what people will say about us." He leaned forward close enough to feel her breath on his face; "But the thing I worry about the most is you leaving me."
"Oh, Ralph, you big dope." Vanellope leaped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He cupped her lower body in his hands. Her face was pressed against his neck, and her body quivered as she cried. To Ralph, her tears burned worse than Diet Cola Hot Springs.
He looked over at their friends. Calhoun and Felix both had huge smiles. Ralph had finally admitted what everyone else knew all along.
Vanellope had progressed to sniffing, and wiping her nose and eyes on Ralph's shirt. She relaxed against his shoulder. "I think I'll just nap here. Can we go home?"
Ralph stood up, and announced to everyone; "She's had a rough night. I'll get her back. We… uh… had fun. We need to, sort of, do this again."
Keeping her steady against him, he walked towards the elevator. Several troops were in the area, all scanning the skies.
The trip home was uneventful, and Ralph, with Vanellope still settled against him, arrived at Ralph's. He knelt by the door to her room. She stood in his arms and kissed him.
She looked up; "I'm sorry, Ralph. I think one day one of those women is just going to take you away."
Ralph smiled; "If this week didn't do it, I don't think anything… or anyone can. Give me a chance next time."
She went into her room and glitched into her pajamas. Ralph turned out the lights and went to sleep for a while. His thoughts were filled only with the smell of candy, and the taste of sugar.
Vanellope tossed and turned for some time. Being near Ralph kept the nightmares away, but not her own worries. Ralph loved her now, openly, the thing she had fought for all along. That part made her feel all fuzzy.
But time will pass, and how can she be everything he needs as the years go by? What could she do about it? She finally dropped into a fitful sleep. Dark thoughts from deep in her mind came out to toy with her.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Golly, those two have problems." Felix commented. He looked at Tamora.
She nodded; "I think they might finally be on the right path now, though. They need each other, and they love each other, and they both know it."
She put her elbows on the table, and rested her chin in her hands. "A psychiatrist could have a lot of work here."
"Sy… key… huh?" Felix blinked.
"Never mind." Tamora smiled. "I think I figured out those two. Ralph has this hang up about humans and growing up. But we're not humans. And the Princess is worried about being a woman's code in a girl's body." She sat up, and laid her hands on the table. "And one, or maybe both of them, is going to really have to change how they think if they want to make it work."
She smiled, leaned over, and gave Felix a kiss on the forehead. "And maybe we just saw that change starting."
After everything else, the night was pretty tame from then on. Felix repaired a few buildings, starting with the Café they were in. Tina stood in amazement when she saw the pristine walls, holes gone, tables and counter like new, and even the scratches in the floor vanished.
She smiled at Felix; "You're quite the handy guy to have around."
Tamora frowned at her; "This one's spoken for too, sister.", as the two of them left the Café. It seems even she could feel just a hint of jealousy where her man was concerned.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Ralph's nose twitched. It was sending his brain a familiar smell. He opened his eyes. He felt warm on his side. Carefully, he shifted his head. Stretched out between his arm and his side, head on his shoulder, was Vanellope. Her hair was a mess, but a gorgeous mess. He kissed the top of the tangled mass, tasting sugar sprinkles.
She stirred. Rolling slightly, she looked up, and yawned. "Good morning."
Ralph saw her eyes were pink, and her face looked a bit tired. "I thought you didn't have the dreams here." He said, worrying; "You said you didn't."
Vanellope nuzzled into his shoulder; "It's not those kind of dreams. It's… my dreams." She couldn't tell Ralph about those. She dreamed of Tina, and the Sorceress, holding Ralph. They laughed at her. Even Tamora was in there. She had sneered at Vanellope; "Face it, short fry. You'll never be a real woman."
She couldn't live like that. She couldn't spend the rest of her life just waiting for someone more beautiful to take Ralph from her. Ralph didn't seem to care, or even notice, but would it last? She had won Ralph, and that should have made her happy. But these feelings were still new to her. Being safe made her open to love. But love had its dark side sometimes. Like the envy of the beauty that other women had. The jealousy that it could be used against her. The fear that it would be used. And the anger that she felt when she realized that there were levels she could never compete with them on.
She stretched again and sat up. She looked over at Ralph. He was still smiling at her. He reached over and mussed her hair some; "You're adorable in the mornings."
She leaned over and kissed him. She was thinking that these were the moments she wanted most. No excitement… just the two of them. She wanted to hide him away in Sugar Rush with her, where he could be only hers forever. She knew that was a bad thing to think. It was evil, as evil as Turbo. But even in the battle of Vanellope's emotions, she could never forget how good Ralph was, and that he deserved his own choices. But still…
Reluctantly, she got up and jumped down. It was time to get to her game. Light through the arcade windows meant that players would soon be around. She ducked into her room, glitched into her outfit, brushed her hair, and sprinkled on some more perfume.
Ralph was sitting up when she came out. She jumped up on his leg. "Gotta go, Ralph." She kissed him quickly and ran for the door. She looked back; "Ralph, can we just stay here tonight? Just us?"
Ralph tilted his head; "Sure. I'm okay with that."
As she zoomed out the door, Ralph got up. He worried about her because she worried about… something. But what? Could it have something to do with yesterday? In typical clueless guy fashion, he thought that had been settled.
He went out to start another game day, still worrying.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The next several days passed quietly. Sugar Rush was busy as usual. Fix-it Felix Jr. had slow and busy times. The word was getting around the humans about Hero's Duty, and there were often lines of players waiting for a turn.
They went to Tapper's a couple of nights. The girls liked to listen to stories of happenings past in the arcade, Which Tapper loved to tell, when he was not busy. Ralph and Felix half listened, since they had not only heard them many times before, they had lived through many of them.
Vanellope seemed more normal as the days passed. Ralph still worried, because every morning, he woke up with her lying on him. In his shoulder, sprawled across his chest, or on the pillows against his neck, she never failed to be there.
In Tapper's, they had a lot more friendly people than Ralph had ever seen. Tamora had said that anybody who was friends with anybody could be at the wedding. Since this had happened only a few times before, and some games weren't even in the arcade then, most were coming.
Tamora talked about how the town was in better spirits lately. Felix had been fixing up the buildings, and it was looking normal again. Of course, when players hit the level where they rescued the civilians, there was more wreckage, but that got reset every quarter alert. People were walking about more, too, Since Felix fully repaired all the rigged sensor and perimeter defenses. Almost no 'bugs got through anymore.
Zangief gave Ralph a bit of a scare one night. The four of them had been joined by a few others, all talking about the wedding and Copyright Day, and how busy the arcade would be soon. Zangief elbowed Ralph and said; "Felix marrying the tall woman is good thing. When you get married, Ralph?"
Ralph almost spit out his beer; "What? No way, Zangief. She's just…" Ralph stopped. He looked beside him. Vanellope was staring at him with a look between angry and about to cry. It was a quarter toss to figure out which would win.
"I didn't mean that." Ralph said; "I wasn't going to say it. You know how I feel about you."
Vanellope slid off the stool; "Yes you did, Ralph. And even if you don't say it, you think it. And when you think that, I don't know how you feel about me."
She turned to leave; "I'm going to Sugar Rush tonight, Ralph. I've got a kingdom to take care of. Good night." She walked down the hall to the exit.
Ralph watched her leave. He was confused, but concerned for her. He turned back to the counter; "Well, I just stuck my foot in it again, and I've got the biggest feet in the arcade."
As Vanellope walked across Game Central to the Sugar Rush gate, the Sorceress glided up in front of her.
Vanellope stopped and balled her hands into fists; "I don't need you right now, lady."
The Sorceress looked sad. Kneeling, she reached out and took Vanellope's hands. That voice spoke to her head; "Let me tell you something. Listen. My name is Mishaela. Remember that."
Vanellope frowned; "Why should I care?"
The Sorceress sighed; "In the world of magic, having the true name of a thing can give you power over it. That is why so few know mine. I tell you because you can be trusted. I tell you because now you can trust me." She paused; "But listen. There are dark clouds blocking the future. Things that were once clear are not. They stay around you." She narrowed her eyes to slits, as if trying to see inside Vanellope's mind; "You think dangerous things. Dangerous to you and those who love you."
Vanellope was worried, but her frustration and anger put the worry aside. She gazed at the tall blue woman; "Then help me. Make it so Ralph will only ever want me."
Mishaela shook her head; "My magic cannot change the heart. No magic in the arcade can."
Vanellope tried another thing; "Then change me! Make me what Ralph needs." She held the palm of her hand flat far above her head; "Make me tall… and shaped like a normal woman."
The Sorceress shook her head again; "That would be just an illusion. What you need to change is inside, Princess. The body is just a shell for the spirit. To change one would be to change the other." She laid her hands on Vanellope's shoulders; "And you have no guide. You do not know what Ralph needs most, and you are afraid to look at yourself."
Vanellope sneered; "That's easy for someone with a big round… shell to say!"
She stood up; "Look in the mirror. That is all you need to do to see what Ralph needs." She glided off towards her own game.
Vanellope continued on. As she got on the train, she really was trying to think about what the Sorceress… Mishaela… had said. She understood that it was her way to prove that she wasn't after her Ralph.
As she got to her room, she walked over to the dresser. Look in the mirror. She saw nothing unusual, just a girl. She gazed closely, intently, trying to find the hidden meaning in Mishaela's words. Nope, nothing.
And Ralph thought that he was slow to understand.
Vanellope went to bed. Maybe the answer will come to her in her sleep.
But all she got were the nightmares.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo