Chapter II

Becoming Stronger

"Where am I…?"

Vanellope is seen wandering aimlessly in a dark, empty void.

She couldn't recall how or why she's here to begin with.

The only thing she recalled is her falling asleep on a bed whilst still covered in bandages. She could no longer feel the pain nor were there bandages wrapped around her body. She was still dressed in her gray sweater like she was programmed to.

She had been wandering for what felt like forever— as if time didn't exist in this spaceless void.

Until…

"Vanellope? Where are you?"

She hears a familiar voice calling out to her.

It sounds like…

"Vanellope?"

...Ralph?

Vanellope ran in the direction of the shouting until she saw a familiar figure in the distance— Nine feet tall, 643 pounds in weight with unkempt hair and gigantic hands.

"Ralph?" Vanellope called out.

"Kid?" The figure turned to face her.

"Ralph!"

"Kid!"

Vanellope ran towards the hulking man just as he ran towards her with his arms out. Once they were closer, Vanellope jumped onto Ralph in a warm embrace.

"Oh kid...I thought I lost you." Ralph said.

"Me too. I thought I'll never see you again, stinkbrain." Vanellope hugged tightly.

"Everything's going to be fine, sugar. You're going back home to your game and things will be back to normal." Ralph assures.

"You mean it…?" Tears flowed down her cheeks. "We're really going home?"

"Absolutely! Come on! Felix and Tamora are waiting on the other side." Ralph lifted Vanellope up to his shoulder before turning to the direction of a distant, lonely door.

"You ready to head home, champ?" Ralph said.

"Ready as you are!" Vanellope answered with sheer enthusiasm.

Right as Ralph turned the door handle over, what lies ahead of them is none other than a fiery hellscape with buildings crumbling to the ground. The flames raged on the nearby trees and wooden structures, turning the sky to flaming amber.

"Holy mary mother of wreckin'..." Ralph blurted out. "Time to run, kid!"

Ralph quickened his pace as they dashed through the flames. Burning amber and dust flew past as for every step taken.

"What's happening here!?" Vanellope screamed amidst the raging flames.

"Just hang on!" Ralph yelled back.

During the run, a tree beside them titled to the side as the flames burn away its wooden structure. Within seconds, it's starting to tumble.

"Look out!" Vanellope yelled.

"Woah!" Ralph moved just in time before the tree landed completely onto the charred ground, nearly tipping him off balance.

"You okay, pal?" Vanellope said.

"I'm alright! Look! The door!" Ralph exclaimed. "We're almost there! Hang on!"

BANG!

A violent, loud bang comparable to a gunshot echoed.

"AH-" Vanellope yelped as she tumbles over after Ralph thuds to the ground.

"Ralph?" "RALPH!?" Vanellope cried.

"Ralph! Wake up!"

Ralph remained motionless on the charred, hard ground despite her loud cries.

"C''mon, big guy!" Vanellope desperately tried to drag Ralph closer to the door, only for her efforts to go in vain as he is too heavy for her size.

"C'mon! C'mon! We're almost there!" Vanellope grunted.

In an instant, Vanellope was sent flying by a powerful gust of wind landing near her. She dove head first into the dirt.

Wiping the dirt off her face— she turned to see what hit her…

…to her absolute horror, what emerged out of the dust was a figure her size. Their brightly lit, amber eyes glowed through the clouds as it approached her.

"...You weak, little wretched worm…think you can escape from this world?" The figure stalked past Ralph.

"What are you going to do without your friend now? You failed to protect him, and you shall pay the price." The barrel of a rifle peeked through the cloud, pointing directly at Vanellope's forehead.

"Why are you doing this…?" Vanellope sobbed as she trembled at the sight of a muzzle between her eyes.

"It's not personal, Vanellope…it's strictly business. Our deal ends here." The figure slowly wraps their finger around the trigger. Before it could pull, it felt something grabbing hold at its foreleg.

"No…Not today you little devil!" Ralph shouted.

"Ralph!" Vanellope shouted.

"Out. OF THE WAY!" With a powerful blow, Ralph was rolled over to his side after being kicked to the face. The figure then quickly aimed it's rifle at Ralph.

"Perhaps I should start with you first, you wreckin' hunk of no good!" The figure quickly pulled the trigger, sending a trade of bullets down on the helpless wrecker.

"NO!" Vanellope screamed loudly, only to be left unheard by the hundreds of raging flames around them.

"Stop it! PLEASE! STOP IT! STOP IT!" Vanellope's sobbing screams echoed through the air, helplessly watching as her hulking best friend gets repeatedly shot by the shadowy figure.

"STOP IT!...Huh."

Vanellope shook from her slumber with tears flowing down her cheeks, her breathing hastens after being rudely awoken. She took a brief glance out the window— the sky was still dark beyond the glass.

"Of course…it was just a nightmare…" Vanellope murmured. "Get a load of yourself, champ!" Vanellope's steadies her breathing.

She glances down at her palms, disappointed by the new revelation she finds herself in.

With tiny palms like hers, she knew she couldn't protect anyone should that scenario flew by. She hated that she was protected whilst being able to do the same for others. Afterall— she was a mere racer, not a fighter.

Out of nowhere, she hears the door open— The lights from the hallway were blinding to Vanellope as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. When her eyes finally adjusted, she turned a glance to look at her visitor.

The visitor is none other than Tanya herself.

"You're up early." Tanya said.

"Yeah? What do you want, goldilocks?" Vanellope said. "You're going to put me behind bars, aren't you?"

"I've never said such things, fraulein…" Tanya sighed before slowly approaching Vanellope. She sat next to her, this time with a much more relaxed, inviting demeanor— as if something had flipped her personality switch. Her shining blue eyes were now mesmerizing to the sight. Her usual fierceness was replaced with the innocent look of a little girl.

"You had a nightmare? Tell me about it…" Tanya said in a soft tone, her hands clasped around Vanellope's in a way that's assuring her.

"You really want me to spout nonsense again, don't you?" Vanellope said distrustfully. "It's nothing really…don't you have anything better to do than to listen to a total nutjob like me?"

"How long do you think you can hide, before it gets to you?" Tanya said. "I can help you."

Vanellope was in shock disbelief— when and for what reason this doll decided to treat her gently? Was she doing this to get something out of her? Silence befell on Vanellope's face as she stared at Tanya with distrustful eyes.

"Well? Tell me about it." Tanya pushed. "You can have anything you want. I promise."

"Anything…?" Vanellope's eyes slowly lit up. "You mean it?"

"I'm a high-ranking officer… I can make arrangements. All you have to do…is tell me what happened." Tanya lets out a smile— a sight that's rather intoxicating to Vanellope's eyes.

"Suit your needs… all you need to do…is tell" Those words rang loudly in Vanellope's head. After a brief contemplation, she finally relented.

"Okay then…" She draws in a gust of air. "Had a dream…where I'm nothing but a softball. I was protected, but what if the opposite happens? I can't protect those who loved me…these little palms I have? They're no good for those kinds of things…" She frowned.

"I wish I can do the same for others…That's the only thing I'm asking for." Vanellope stops abruptly with her eyes closed with Tanya remaining silent throughout the entire story.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Tanya reaching into her tunic, as if she's trying to show her something. She unveils a folded piece of paper whom Tanya seemingly offered out of good faith.

Vanellope reached to grab the paper, her eye quietly reading through the contents immediately after she unfolds it.

"...THE EMPIRE NEEDS YOU! BE AT THE FRONT OF GLORY AND HISTORY!"

"JOIN THE IMPERIAL ARMY!"

It was a recruitment poster displaying hand drawn illustrations of Imperial soldiers proudly marching in triumphant victory— a sight that seemingly promised glory, valor, duty and honor to anyone who takes up on the offer.

"What's this?" Vanelloped asked.

"...You want to be stronger— is that it?" Tanya replied. "I can teach you everything there is about fighting…whatever it is to survive in this world. I've done it all."

"All you gotta do now is sign here…" Tanya offers a recruitment form to Vanellope. "What do you say? Are you ready to change that, fraulein?"

"Joining the army, huh…I was never the type into those kinds of things other than perhaps, Sergeant Calhoun and her game." Vanellope thought. After going through her available options whilst wasting away her doubts, she gave an immediate, brief answer.

"I'll join."

"Good." Tanya smiled. "I'll see you at basic when you're in top shape again."

Tanya stood up from the chair

I must take my leave, unfortunately… I'll let my staff know of your possible arrival 5 weeks from tonight. At 0530 hours." Tanya turned to leave.

"0530?" Vanellope asked.

"Five-thirty. In the morning." Tanya immediately replied.

"See you on the other side…" She lets out an assuring smile before gently closing the door behind her, leaving Vanellope sitting alone in the room.

"Now what's in it for me, next…" Vanelloped murmured, staring at the poster and the form laying flat on her lap with her arms fold.

"Five weeks from now, huh…" She laid the form and the poster flat on the drawer next to her.

"Perhaps things are changing after all…" She lets out a faint, but a sad smile before her mood drastically changes. "On another note…"

"...Maaaaaaaybe I should shut up and rest a bit more— this stinging pain is killing me." she glanced down at her still-bandaged body before slowly laying herself completely flat on the mattress.

"I'll do this…for Ralph, for Rancis…for my family." Her sleepy face turned to fiery determination as she placed the side of her head on the pillow.

Meanwhile, Tanya was seen walking out of her quarters, on her way to a gigantic structure in the near distance.

"Come on…come on…there's gotta be more I can work with!" A certain scientist with small, beady eyes behind his tanned monocle is seen frustrated. Wrapping his head around this strange new contraption he had worked on for weeks. As he was in his trance of brainstorming, he heard a door knocking behind him.

"Come on in." He said.

"Herr doctor Adelheid." Tanya said as she walked into the room.

"Ah— what does the Colonel have in me, this time?" Adelheid von Schugel said enthusiastically after laying his eyes on the familiar blonde-haired girl.

"I would like you to put this together…" She hands Adelheid a blueprint of a possible new equipment designed specifically for troops under her command.

"Let me see…hmm…Yes. Very clever indeed." Adelheid said after running his eyes through the schematics.

"When do I start?"Adelheid asked.

"Right now." Tanya said as a grin widened on her face.