Loud ringing? She didn't hear that when she was driving earlier. The sound was getting closer. It wouldn't leave.
No. Don't get distracted. You have to win. You've got to. She dreamt.
The finish line was right there. That sweet red and white checkerboard strip of triumph.
It was coming.
Both her eyes opened into slits. Everything around her was fuzzy, as if her world couldn't comprehend details. Where did her perfect eagle vision go? Why did everything look like little bubbles?
Voices past the walls echoed in her ears. She couldn't even process what she was seeing before her eyes stung like bees when they wanted to close.
A low ring flown in her eardrums again. This time it was longer; slightly more annoying. Her muscles felt like pyramids were dropped on them.
Okay Vanellope, just glitch. She thought.
She couldn't move. Even breathing gave her pain, so she held her breath.
The sound of a castle door cracked open. Vanellope didn't even try guessing who that was, maybe she went to another dream. Maybe she was in the afterlife.
"She's up!" A boy her age had yelped across from her. Her mind wanted to stay focused to the other child's voice, but her body passed out on her.
"I think your lying." Taffyta said, her tone shifting in and out of Vanellope's eardrums, along with the sound of gum chewing.
"I'm not. She opened her eyes, I swear it." Gloyd insisted.
"Ow..." Vanellope moaned, forgetting she was in pain for a second until it kicked back in.
"Hon, she's wakin' up!" Felix whisper-yelled, holding on to Tamora's forearm.
"Wake up, V. You can do it, I know you can!" Candlehead encouraged, still in disbelief of seeing their leader who was half-alive.
She opened her eyes without much effort this time. They were blood shot, and dark rims roamed her eyebags. She glitched as she became aware of her surroundings, her sight turning clear.
"Mm... Felix? Rancis, wha... am I in my castle?" She drawled, slowly staring at the other racers.
"Uh-huh. See you almost died and um, we had to bring you back here to save you." Felix explained.
"Yeah, you were gray and looked like a zombie!" Jubileena added, receiving a punch in the arm by Taffyta's elbow.
"Ow! Sorry, jeez." She apologized.
"How? Why does my body hurt so bad?" The raven haired girl asked.
Tamora rubbed the back of her neck, hesitating on how to recap such a terrifying scenario to her.
"That's because um, a bunch of viruses linked to your glitch and... you almost killed everyone on the internet?"
Flashbacks started ramming back to Vanellope faster than she felt the wind in her hair when she drove with Shank in Slaughter Race. The dark net attacking her, the invincible strength, the dangerously fast tracks...
She would've destroyed everyone.
"Aunt Tammy, where's Ralph?" She asked eagerly, hazel eyes planted at the door. "Is he okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course he is. No need to get yourself in a bunch." Tamora chuckled. "I'll get him."
She strolled outside, looking for Ralph who was standing by himself awkwardly near the castle's pink wall. A paper comic panel was held by him, folded up in his hands as he continued reading.
"Hey, Sarge. What's up?"
"What are you standing there all alone, for? Vanellope wants to chat with ya!" She led the wrecker to the pink bedroom in a friendly manner, clarifying that she was out of her coma.
Vanellope smiled weakly when she saw her favorite goofball in his classic red shirt walk in with a kind expression on his face.
"R-Ralphie!" She whispered happily as she sat up, her chipmunk smile growing the closer he got.
"Hey kiddo. You alright?" Ralph kneeled next to her bed, with his elbow resting on his leg.
Vanellope rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine... kinda. How about you?"
Ralph looked down, and looked back up to her. "Pretty awesome, now that I know your awake."
"Oh, that's great! I'm still in pain though."
"Yeah? Well you don't have to rush, you know. As long as you recover, 'kay?" Ralph assured.
"And your gonna get through it. 'Cause I know your a tough cookie." He poked the girl's stomach, making her giggle and hold on to it.
"Hey Sour Bill? could you tell 'em to give us some private time?" She requested respectfully.
"Of course, President." Sour Bill agreed. Everybody except Ralph left the castle, some of the kids giving Vanellope fist-bumps and wishing her well before they were escorted out by their parents.
She rolled over to her best friend. "I'm really sorry I tried to hurt you..." She remorsed guiltily, choking on her own voice. "I promise, I didn't mean it-"
"No. No, I know kid. I know you wouldn't do that on purpose." Ralph softly replied, putting his enlarged hand next to hers.
"I-I know, it's just... every time I wanna do something, I just can't do it right, and I'm just a mistake!" She cried, resting her head in his hands as she slumped deeper into her bedsheets.
The wrecker lifted her up, refusing to let her feel sorry for herself.
"Hey. That is not true, you hear me? You are anything but an accident. I don't want to hear you say that about yourself. You were programmed for a reason. A big reason, alright?" He hugged her tightly, tears of regret still leaking on his chest.
Vanellope kept eye contact with him, wiping away her tears that made her eyes twenty times redder. "T-thank you, Ralphie."
"Of course, anytime. So you wanna come outside yet, or...?"
"Wait, I drew something a while ago from a movie I liked." Vanellope started excitedly, taking out a small notebook from her sweater pocket and sniffing. "And I never finished it, wanna continue it with me?"
A huge smile laid on Ralph's lips. "Let me guess, there's superheroes in it?" He asked, pulling out a drawer filled with markers and crayons that Vanellope gestured to. Although knowing all of her typical interests when it came to drawings, he himself couldn't help his enthusiasm.
"You know me so well, chumbo." The little girl smirked, turning to her opening page. "My heroes are awesome when you get to know 'em!"