Chapter 6: In Which Vanellope Makes a Mess and Sorceress Receives an Unwelcome Visitor

The first thing Ralph and Vanellope noticed about Sorceress' castle was how dark and menacing it was. It wasn't as tall as the 99-story skyscraper of Hero's Duty, but it was still plenty huge and constantly surrounded by storm clouds. The looming, ancient building looked more like a medieval fortress than a luxurious palace. It was hewn out of heavy blocks of black stone with crenellated walls, cross-shaped windows and jutting turrets. The dainty white candy castle in Sugar Rush with its delicate spires and towers was like a dollhouse by comparison.

The building stood in the middle of a lake surrounded by craggy mountains, and was accessible only by a long stone bridge lined with gruesome statues and gargoyles. During gaming hours they came to life, and once the gamers fought their way past them they got into the castle through the iron gates at the end of the drawbridge. Then they fought through even more enemies waiting inside until the ultimate battle with the final boss; none other than Sorceress herself.

Needless to say, the place wasn't designed to attract guests. But, like everything else Ralph and Vanellope had encountered in Blood and Thunder so far, it wasn't as bad as it seemed, though they didn't know it yet. With Sorceress leading the odd little group, they made it through the haunted forest without further incident and none of the guardian sculptures on the bridge made any move to attack. They just remained silently frozen on their pedestals, watching their mistress, her monstrous pet spider, and her two human guests pass by with curious, stony eyes.

A somber, unsmiling Cyclops greeted them at the door. He was shorter than Ralph but taller than Sorceress, and dressed in a dark gray suit. With a guttural groan, he bowed to his mistress and gazed at the two unfamiliar humans with his round single eye.

"Roger, this is Wreck-It Ralph of Fix-It Felix, Jr." Sorceress said, looking very regal and composed in her bright purple tracksuit. "And this is President Vanellope Von Schweetz of Sugar Rush. They are my guests this evening."

With another guttural groan, Roger inclined his head and opened the creaky wooden door wider, gesturing for them to come inside.

Sorceress turned to Vanellope, who was still riding on the giant spider's back. "You'll have to come down now, Miss President. Charlotte can't fit in here."

Pouting, Vanellope hopped to the ground and patted one of the monster's long, hairy legs. "See ya later, Charlotte. Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah, and thanks for not eating us, too," Ralph added, still carrying Sorceress' yoga mat under his arm.

Charlotte made a squeaky chirp in reply. Then she turned and disappeared over the edge of the cliff, climbing down the rocks as easily as any normal-sized spider would do.

As they followed Sorceress and the Cyclops named Roger inside the castle, Ralph and Vanellope looked around at their new surroundings. Felix wasn't kidding when he'd told them last night that Blood and Thunder was the perfect place for Halloween. They were walking through a corridor where the main source of light was a row of torches on the wall, casting flickering light on aging suits of armor standing at attention. There were dusty cobwebs in every corner and faded oil paintings on the wall. All that was missing was candy and jack-o-lanterns.

Ralph felt the little hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. All of the armors were shorter than him and completely motionless, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were watching him. The paintings were giving him the same unsettling feeling, as if their eyes followed his every move.

"Uh, Sorceress?" he asked, trying not to sound nervous. "These things aren't alive, are they?"

Floating beside her Cyclops servant at the front of the line, Sorceress looked back over her shoulder at Ralph. "No."

He started to relax a bit.

"They're possessed," she added.

He tensed up again. Instinctively, he reached for Vanellope, who was walking by his side, and pulled her closer. She looked up at her large friend, confused.

"What does possessed mean?" Vanellope asked.

"It means they're inhabited by ghosts," Sorceress replied casually. "Their job is to attack intruders. Since you're my guests, they won't bother you."

At the mention of ghosts, Vanellope's eyes lit up with excitement. She scampered away from Ralph and up to a particularly imposing suit of shiny black armor holding a spiked club. Then she banged on its hollow leg with one tiny fist. "Hey, Tin Man! Rise and shine!"

Ralph snatched her up by her hood. "Cut it out! Are you out of your mind?! That thing's got a weapon as big as you! It could squash you like a bug!"

"But it won't!" Vanellope whined. "Sorceress said so!" In a flash of blue and white pixels, she vanished from Ralph's grip and zipped right back to the black suit of armor. "Wake up, ya lazy bum!" she demanded, kicking impatiently at the suit's armored shins. "Come on! I ain't got all day!"

Ralph groaned and rubbed his temples with one finger. He looked up to see Sorceress floating next to him, staring blankly at the little girl trying to order an empty suit of armor around. Maybe he shouldn't have brought Vanellope here after all. Not only was it impossible to spend quality time with the woman he'd just started dating and developed a serious crush on, but the kid was doing a great job of embarrassing him in front of her.

"Eh heh…" he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "She really wants to see a ghost."

Sorceress didn't answer. She still wasn't sure what to make of Vanellope. From the stories Ralph told of her at Bad Anon and her own limited experience, the young president of Sugar Rush was a highly unusual child. She was an excellent racer, the ruler of her game, a glitch who wasn't technically a glitch, and the best friend Ralph ever had. In short, Vanellope's opinion of Sorceress could either make or break their budding relationship. So she had to be nice to her, even if she was behaving rather badly.

She cleared her throat to get the girl's attention. "Pardon me, Miss President," she said politely. "But that's not going to work."

Vanellope stopped kicking the armor to look back at the floating woman in confusion. "Huh?"

Sorceress nodded seriously. "The ghosts around here aren't like the ones in Pac-Man. You can't bully them into doing what you say. If you really want to get their attention, that's the worst way to do it."

Vanellope arched an eyebrow curiously. She was still learning about this strange woman who Ralph had taken such an interest in lately, and so far she seemed to be okay. Anybody who could keep a giant spider under control, rule over a bunch of monsters and still have decent manners was alright in her book. She could fly and use magic, too, which was really cool. But they weren't exactly friends yet. And if Ralph wanted to keep dating this woman, she needed to make absolutely sure she was worthy of him. That was the real reason Vanellope wanted to come to this game in the first place. The chance to see monsters and ghosts was just an added bonus.

She tucked her hands inside the front pocket of her sweatshirt and turned to face the floating woman in the purple tracksuit. "I guess you'd know all about that, since this is your game and all. How do you talk to ghosts around here?"

Sorceress tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment. Then a smile spread across her face. "A séance."

Vanellope arched a confused eyebrow. "Say what, now?"

"A séance," Sorceress repeated. "It's a simple ritual for contacting the dead."

Vanellope still looked confused. "Why do you need to use a ritual in the first place? Can't you just tell 'em to come out and talk to us?"

"The spirits around here are a timid lot," Sorceress explained. "They rarely show themselves without a proper invitation. If you truly wish to see one, a séance is the best way to go about it. We could have one now, if you like."

Vanellope glanced up at the suit of armor she'd been banging on. It remained as still and silent as ever. "Well, my plan didn't work," she said with a shrug. "Let's give yours a shot."

Sorceress' smile widened. "Excellent! Roger, fetch my séance kit and bring it to the living room."

As the Cyclops butler shuffled off to obey his mistress, Ralph cleared his throat uncomfortably. He'd been listening to their conversation with a growing sense of dread. "Uh, ladies, I don't think this is such a good idea."

Vanellope smirked and nudged him with one little elbow. "What's the matter, fraidy cat? You're not scared of ghosts, are ya?"

He stiffened and frowned down at her. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying this whole summoning dead people thing could be a bad idea."

"You worry too much, Mr. Wreck-It," Sorceress assured him. "I've held many séances in my time, and nothing bad has ever come of it. Don't you trust me?"

He stammered a bit, trying to think of some way to talk her out of this without admitting he was scared. "Yeah, sure, I trust you. But…"

Suddenly she laid a finger against his lips. "Hush," she said firmly.

Ralph froze. He tried to say something back, but he couldn't seem to get his lips to move with her touching them like this. His mouth went dry and he felt warmer suddenly. Then he had a flashback to the night before. This was just like the moment when she touched his face as she was about to kiss him. Oh, man, was she going kiss him again? Here? Now? With Vanellope and who knew how many invisible ghosts watching?!

Sorceress couldn't help smiling. It was fun to see him get all flustered and blushing like this. He looked so adorable that she was strongly tempted to kiss him right then and there. But there was a child present, and this wasn't the time or place. It could wait until later, when the moment was right.

With some reluctance, she took her finger away from his lips. "It's alright, Ralph. I promise you, nothing bad is going to happen." Then she turned and motioned for her guests to follow her. "Come, the living room is this way."

Ralph nodded dumbly, still unable to speak even though his lips were free. His emotions were strangely conflicted. Part of him was relieved that Sorceress hadn't kissed him this time, but another part of him wished that she had. And she'd called him 'Ralph' again. Why did it feel so good when she called him by his name?

Vanellope had seen the whole thing, of course, and was more than a little disappointed that no kissing had happened. It wasn't a total letdown, though. She'd suspected since yesterday that Sorceress liked Ralph the same way he liked her, and this moment seemed to confirm it. And judging from the goofy, dreamy look on his face, his crush on her wasn't as little has he claimed.

Ralph snapped out of his trance when he heard the all too familiar sound of her snickering. He glowered down at her. "Don't. Say. A word."

Vanellope said nothing. She just flashed an annoyingly smug, mischievous grin at him.

In the living room there were no possessed suits of armor or spooky paintings with staring eyes anywhere. It was cleaner and more lived in compared to the old and dusty corridor. Everything was coordinated in varying shades of black, crimson and violet with the occasional glint of gold here and there. There were no cobwebs in the corners, and no dust on any surfaces.

A sofa and coffee table sat across from the fireplace, an iron candelabra hung in the center of the ceiling, and a Persian rug covered the stone floor. The mantelpiece and coffee table had some odd knickknacks decorating it like bird skulls and dragon figurines. A bookshelf stood in one corner and a stack of books sat on the coffee table with various bookmarks sticking out of their yellowing pages. A single window on the wall looked out on the lake. Naturally, the weather was still dark and stormy outside.

"Wow," Vanellope commented, amazed by how different this room looked from what little she'd seen of the rest of the building. "Are we still in the same castle?"

"I think we are," Ralph said. "This must be one of the rooms the gamers don't see."

He bent down to place the rolled up yoga mat he was carrying next to the sofa. As he stood up to look around some more, his head collided with the metal candelabra hanging from the ceiling. Fortunately for him it wasn't lit, but it was still painful.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his skull with one hand. "Mother Hubbard!"

"Watch your head," Sorceress called out a little too late. She picked up a fresh log by the fireplace and placed it in the fire. Then she floated up to the candelabra and started lighting the candles one by one with a flame at the end of her finger. "Please make yourselves comfortable."

Vanellope took this as an invitation to explore the new room. She walked up to the coffee table and picked up a book from the top of the stack. It was thick and heavy and had a musty smell. The title read Hurricane Irene: Nightmare From Above. Curious, she opened the book to see what was inside.

WHOOSH!

A gust of wind blasted from the pages, filling the room with a whistling whirlwind that quickly turned into a tornado. It blew Vanellope completely off the ground and Sorceress had to cling to the chain of the candelabra to keep from flying into a wall. The only person who wasn't swept away was Ralph. He was too heavy for the winds to lift him, but they were pushing him back pretty hard, flapping his hair and stretching his lips back from his teeth.

"Vanellope!" he yelled over the noise, shielding his face from the gale with both mighty arms. "What the heck did you do?!"

"I don't know!" she screamed, flailing her arms and legs helplessly as the winds swirled her higher and higher, carrying her closer and closer to the ceiling. "Help! I can't stop!"

Sorceress managed to catch the flying Vanellope by the wrist before she could get blown any higher, but it was harder to keep her grip on the chain while holding onto the girl. "Ralph! The book! Close the book!"

Ralph lowered his arms just enough to look around and see the book lying open on the floor at the center of the tornado. Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the powerful swirling air currents, making his way across the floor. What kind of crazy magic was this?!

"Ralph!" Vanellope cried, clinging to Sorceress' arm for dear life. "I'm gonna puke! Hurry up!"

"I'm trying!" he bellowed back, though he could barely hear his own voice anymore.

He was crawling on all fours now, using the stones in the floor to pull himself along. When he was within arm's reach of the book, he reached out and grabbed it. Squinting against the gale blowing in his face, he forced the book shut. The instant the pages were closed, the winds stopped completely and the room went silent, save for the sound of his breathing.

Then gravity kicked in and the furniture came crashing down around him. Ralph yelped and covered his head as the sofa, bookcase, and coffee table clattered and banged noisily to the floor. Then Sorceress and Vanellope dropped from the candelabra and landed on his back with a whump.

For a moment Vanellope just sat in Sorceress' arms in stunned silence, her black hair a windblown mess and her large eyes wide with shock. Then her face broke into an almost maniacal grin. "That. Was. Awesome!" She broke out of Sorceress' grip and scrambled across Ralph's back to reach his face. "Let's do that again!"

Ralph peeled his face off the floor to stare at her with a look of absolute bewilderment. He sighed and shook his head. "Kid, you are three kinds of crazy."

Recovering from her rough landing on Ralph's back, Sorceress sat up slowly. Her long thick hair was blown out of its ponytail and hanging over her face in a tangled blue mass. "Is… Is everyone alright?" she asked, rising shakily to her feet and trying to smooth her frazzled hair back into place.

"Yeah, we're good," Ralph said. He pushed himself up off the floor and held up the closed book, eying it suspiciously and turning it over in his hands. "What kind of book is this?"

"It's magic, obviously," Sorceress said. She took the book from him and frowned sternly at Vanellope. "And I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't touch my books without asking from now on."

Vanellope frowned back and put her hands on her hips. "How was I supposed to know that was gonna happen? Books don't usually cause hurricanes!"

Sorceress tucked the book under her arm and propped one hand on her hip. "My books do. So if you would please be so kind, do not touch them again."

Vanellope was none too pleased by the woman's bossy attitude. Frowning harder, she puffed herself up to her full three feet of height. "Listen, sister. You can't tell me what to do. I'm a president!"

Sorceress loomed over her and glared. "Well, I certainly didn't vote for you."

Seeing an argument starting, Ralph decided it was time to intervene and gently pushed the two headstrong females apart. "Hey, hey, everybody calm down! This was all an accident, okay? The important thing is that no one got hurt."

Suddenly, something smashed through the window, sending broken glass scattering across the already damaged living room. That same something landed a powerful kick on Ralph's jaw, and once again he found himself lying on the floor. When he came to, he found an unfamiliar man standing over him with one boot pressing down on his chest. He had dark hair, pointed elfin ears and a square jaw, and was dressed in brown leather armor. He was also aiming the tip of a gleaming broadsword at Ralph's nose.

"Aha!" the heroic-looking man exclaimed, keeping his sword aimed firmly at his enemy's face. "I've tracked you down at last, foul-smelling ogre! How dare you attack a lady in her own home and destroy her property!"

Ralph stared blankly up at him from the floor, struggling to make sense of what was happening. "Huh?"

Vanellope was also staring very blankly at the stranger. She looked up at Sorceress, the only person who might be able to explain what was going on. "Who's this guy?"

Sorceress knew exactly who this man was. She should, after co-starring in the same game with him for the past twenty-five years. With a longsuffering sigh, she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with one hand. "That's Hunter," she said to Vanellope. "My fool of a Good Guy."

Oblivious to his co-worker's words, Hunter sprang back from his fallen opponent and crouched in a fighting stance, holding his sword in both hands. "On your feet, sniveling cur! Stand up and fight like a man!"

Ralph pushed himself up into a sitting position and frowned, rubbing his sore jaw. He didn't know what a sniveling cur was, but it sounded insulting. "Fight you? Look, buddy, I don't even know you."

"Enough!" Sorceress interrupted.

A clap of thunder sounded at the same time, and Ralph was sure there was a connection. He recognized the cold, hard look in her eyes and wisely kept his mouth shut.

Sorceress marched up to Hunter and put her hand on her hips. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Hunter looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn't even noticed her until now. "Oh, hello, Sorceress!" he said, flashing a dazzling white smile. "Did you just get back from your yoga class?"

"Don't change the subject," she retorted, completely immune to his dashing good looks. "Explain yourself. Why did you think it was a good idea to crash through my window and threaten the first person you landed on?"

Hunter arched an eyebrow, not understanding why she was upset with him. "I picked up this vile trespasser's awful stench in the forest. Then I followed his trail to the castle." He swept one hand dramatically over the scattered and broken furniture in the room. "It seems I arrived just in time! See what damage he's already inflicted!"

Vanellope cleared her throat, fidgeting somewhat guiltily. "Uh, that was my fault, actually."

Hunter gaped in surprise, finally noticing the little racer for the first time. "You, tiny dwarf child? How could someone so miniscule create a mess so gigantic?"

"She opened one of my magic books," Sorceress said, holding up the book in question. "Ralph had nothing to do with it."

"Ralph?" Hunter echoed. He turned his attention back to the huge wrecker before him, who was now standing upright and dusting bits of broken glass off his overalls. "As in Wreck-It Ralph?"

Ralph looked back at him, slightly less bewildered and more than a little annoyed with the Good Guy for kicking him in the face. "Yeah," he replied gruffly.

Hunter lowered his sword, an expression of awe on his face. "The same Wreck-It Ralph who singlehandedly eliminated a swarm of ravenous Cybugs with a blazing geyser of boiling hot Diet Cola at the risk of his own life, thus saving every game and sprite in this entire arcade from an untimely demise?"

Ralph arched an eyebrow at the elaborate, long-winded description of his exploits. "Yeah…"

With a dramatic gasp, Hunter dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "A thousand pardons, most great and valiant hero! I beg your forgiveness for my rash and unseemly conduct! Had I known who you were I would have never raised a hand against you!"

Ralph took a step backward. This guy and his over-the-top mood swings were starting to freak him out. "Uh… Sure, whatever."

Hunter's head perked up suddenly. "Ah, but I'm forgetting! The heroine of your tale is also here!" Still on his knees, he spun around to face Vanellope. "Am I correct, dear girl, in assuming that you are Vanellope Von Schweetz? A champion among racers and the one true ruler of that fair kingdom known as Sugar Rush?"

Vanellope, who had been snickering at the dashing hero's melodramatics, was suddenly thrown off-kilter. "Um, yeah, that's me."

"Noble maiden fair!" Hunter cried, gripping one of her little hands in his. "When I heard the tale of your meteoric rise from the ashes to regain your rightful place like a glorious phoenix, my heart was moved to tears! I am truly honored to be in your most illustrious presence!"

"Well, thanks, I—Gah!" She yelped in disgust as he kissed the back of her hand. Glitching herself free, she reappeared behind Ralph and used the rumpled Persian rug on the floor to scrape at her contaminated hand, convinced that Hunter had just given her cooties. "Gross, gross, gross, gross, grooooss!"

Hunter stood up and let out a hearty, good-natured laugh. "What a merry gathering this is!" He sheathed his sword and turned to Sorceress. "Why didn't you tell me you had such esteemed company tonight? If I'd known I would have worn my formal armor and brought mead for everyone!"

Sorceress just stood there glaring daggers at him in an expression of quiet fury. Her patience was wearing thin and it was starting to show. Her living room was just destroyed in a magical hurricane, her foolhardy Good Guy had broken into her home and attacked the man she'd just begun dating, and now his audacious personality was driving her to her wit's end. A bolt of lightning flashed outside the open window, and a clap of thunder shook the castle.

Ralph felt a nervous lump forming in his throat. This was not a good sign. Sorceress wasn't quick to anger, and on the rare occasions when she did get upset she managed to keep it tightly controlled. But on the even rarer occasions when something pushed her too far, the results weren't pretty. Images of her legendary temper tantrum in Game Central Station all those years ago flashed in his mind. If somebody didn't calm her down quick, there'd be dark spirits and green slime everywhere.

He decided to start with the Good Guy of the game, since he was the most obvious cause of her steadily worsening mood. "Uh, look. Hunter, was it? Sorceress didn't know we were coming tonight. We kinda dropped in by surprise."

Somehow Hunter remained oblivious to the glare of pure rage he was getting from his Bad Guy. "Ah, I see," he replied, nodding as if he understood completely. "May I ask as to why you chose to grace our lowly game with your most illustrious presence, Sir Ralph?"

Ralph shuffled somewhat uncomfortably. He'd been hoping to say this to Sorceress at a more private moment, but it seemed like it needed be said now. "Well, uh… I just really wanted to see her again."

Hunter arched an eyebrow at this, but Ralph wasn't looking at him anymore. His eyes were on Sorceress. She was looking back with surprise rather than anger in her eyes. The thunder outside became quieter.

By now Vanellope had returned to her rightful place next to Ralph. Yes, this was good. Things were finally getting back on track. "Don't stop there, knucklehead," she whispered loudly, nudging his giant hand with her elbow. "Go on, tell her the rest!"

Cheeks reddening with embarrassment, Ralph frowned at her. "I don't need any coaching from you, bossy boots." Then he straightened up and cleared his throat. "The, uh, the rest is… That is, I was wondering, maybe, if you're not busy…" He paused to collect his thoughts. This had sounded a lot less pathetic in his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, he pushed on. "Would you, uh, maybe… wanna come hang out in Fix-It Felix, Jr. some time?"

There was a moment of silence as Sorceress processed what he'd just asked her. Then she hugged her book to her chest, hovered a foot off the ground, and beamed like a giddy schoolgirl. All thoughts of messy living rooms and obnoxious co-workers vanished from her mind. She'd been hoping Ralph would ask her out on another date, and she'd never been to his game before. Finally something good was happening!

"Of course I would! I'd love to see what your game is like!" Realizing she sounded too eager, she blushed and looked away, allowing her messy hair to hide half her face. Then she managed to regain enough composure to resume her usual dignified bearing. "I mean… Yes, that sounds nice."

Ralph hadn't expected such an enthusiastic reply, nor did he expect Sorceress' mood to improve so completely. She was smiling and literally floating on air, and despite her seemingly calm demeanor her pointed ears were still pink from blushing. The thunder outside had gone practically silent, proving his theory that the weather in this game was magically in tune with her emotions. He almost expected the sun to burst through the clouds, complete with a rainbow and a choir of angels singing. Actually, no, not angels. That would just be silly.

Vanellope was grinning from ear to ear and hopping from one foot the other. This was going better than she could have expected for a clumsy oaf like Ralph and a prissy snob like Sorceress. Especially Sorceress. Oh, she managed to put on the prim and proper act again pretty quick, but she wasn't fooling anyone.

Eager to keep things moving in the right direction, she cupped both hands around her mouth and spoke to Ralph in a stage whisper. "Good job, lover boy! Now tell her she's pretty! Then she'll have to kiss you!"

Turning beet red, Ralph spun to face her. "I am not gonna say that! And you're still whispering too loud!"

Sorceress couldn't suppress a giggle at their childish squabbling. Unfortunately, Hunter was still present and of course he wasn't going to keep quiet about what had just happened. He strode up to her fearlessly and clapped a gloved hand on her shoulder, flashing that dazzling grin of his. "Well, well, well! I never would have guessed you had a soft spot for Wreck-It Ralph, of all people! Will wonders never cease?"

With those words, Sorceress' mood turned sour again. Not as sour as before, though. There was nothing that could bring her down from the high she was experiencing. Nonetheless, she'd grown tired of her Good Guy's affably irritating presence. "Shouldn't you be out hunting monsters?" she said, fixing him with a very withering look. "Somewhere else, preferably far away from here?"

He wasn't perceptive enough to notice the contempt in her voice, but the prospect of hunting distracted him from the topic, as it always did. "That's a first-rate idea! Perhaps I'll a pay a visit to Hero's Duty tonight. I've been meaning to try my luck in battle against a Cybug or two." His mind made up, he turned to Ralph and Vanellope and bowed to them floridly. "Farewell, my friends. Until we meet again!" With that, he back flipped out the broken window and disappeared into the night.

Vanellope stared after him. "That guy's about as nutty as a PayDay bar."

Ralph nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, with an extra-large side of fruitcake."

Just then, Roger the Cyclops appeared in the doorway holding a medium-sized carpet bag. He stood there and gaped with his single eye at the overturned furniture, scattered books and broken glass all over the floor. Then he looked up at his mistress, silently asking what in the world had happened here.

Sorceress had all but forgotten that she'd sent him fetch her séance kit earlier. Her demeanor remained as prim and proper as ever. "Thank you, Roger. You'd better go get the broom now."

Author's Note: There are a lot of references in this chapter! Sorceress' castle is meant to look like Maleficent's castle in "Sleeping Beauty", though it borrows a few elements here and there from the Beast's castle and the Haunted Mansion. The book Hurricane Irene: Nightmare From Above and the storm it produces are borrowed from "The Addams Family". Also, Roger the Cyclops is based on the Addams' butler Lurch, and Hunter is based on Prince Edward from "Enchanted."

Also, I don't know if anyone caught the reference about Sorceress' legendary magic tantrum yet. The dark spirits and green slime are borrowed from Wizard Howl's tantrums in "Howl's Moving Castle". Will she ever get angry enough in this story to throw such a tantrum? We shall see. For now, the next thing on the agenda is Date #2! Or #3, if you consider the wrecking fun in Street Fighter a date.