Finale

"Move over here, over here!"

"No! Over to the left a bit!"

"Guys, this is gonna take all day with the way you're carrying about!"

The arcade had only been closed an hour but the group of characters from Fix-it-Felix Jr could not contain their excitement. In the last few days so many things had happened and for once those things were welcomed.

Ralph and Felix had never felt such a sense of balance before and it was a sentiment that was shared with the Nicelanders. For once in so many years, it felt like the entire game was one, that the entire group felt a collective sense of being among each other.

The Nicelanders were not scared of Ralph.

Ralph knew he could trust the Nicelanders.

Felix felt that peace had come between both.

But they were all aware of what had happened between them all to bring them to such a place. Ralph knew he was still learning, still finding out about all his neighbors and how much they shared between each other. The very thought still took the big Wrecker for a loop. In all his years in the arcade he had never considered it. Heck, when he met Vanellope he had never considered it, considered the fact that maybe he shared a lot more with his neighbors than he thought and there was still a much bigger picture for him to find out.

As it were, everyone was getting into place, a special event about to happen.

"Over here, kid!" Ralph waved towards Vanellope, the girl glitching onto his shoulder "Don't wanna miss out, do ya?"

"'Course not!" The girl grinned as she readied herself.

The Nicelanders laughed and chattered with themselves, Ralph watching as the little characters got into order.

It was amazing that only a year ago he had thought to himself that he would never want to be with them in such a way but after listening to them, listening to them like so many others had refused to do so, he found he enjoyed their company a lot more than he could have thought.

Everyone had called them useless.

Everyone had said they deserved to be treated badly because of their roles.

Ralph no longer thought that.

He had made strides himself to show the arcade that he was more than just a bad guy, that any baddie was more than just evil, mean or cruel. And he knew now, learning the hard way, that there were still many problems to contend with in the arcade. Things didn't just end with the bad guys getting their respect; there were so many others who were still trying to make their way, many closer than he thought.

And he was going to make certain that he could help.

"What's going on?" someone from East Niceland asked Calhoun. She grinned, hands out as if she were measuring something.

"Oh, just a lil family photo."

"What?"

The woman turned, a familiar face approaching her.

Quasar.

And as usual there was something sour about his mood.

"What else can those lil blobs be doing to disturb the night?" Growled the space fighter, rolling his eyes. Calhoun went about the comment in a calm manner, making sure her hair wasn't in her eyes.

"It's their home." She replied, sensing the content leaching from the character next to her "Sides, FELIX planned this. If you're so hot n' bothered 'bout US takin' a group photo, ya can take it up with HIM."

The way Calhoun had worded it, the way she had mentioned her husband's name, it was almost as if she were trying to remind Quasar of his own 'limits'. She was very much aware that despite his attempts to pretend otherwise, the space character still had enough respect for Felix as a main hero NOT to complain when the choices were HIS.

At least in MOST situations anyway.

From the side of her eyes she could see him falter if only a tad, the steam starting to lessen even within the view of some of those who followed him. Quasar had instigated a lot of things between Ralph and his neighbors for a WHILE but if things were going to change, if the arcade did not want a REPEAT of what had happened between the apartment residences and Turbo those years ago it meant one thing.

Actually standing up to the real bullies in the arcade.

"Ya know..." Calhoun said, her voice smooth "If ya want ta, ya could JOIN in."

Quasar gave the marine a puzzled look as she cracked her fingers.

"We're just tryin' ta have a lil FUN. Everyone needs some."

Calhoun wasn't playing angry the way he was used to, the way he WANTED her to if only to start another argument and to hear his followers agree with him. She was cool and collected, refusing to let his words remove her from those moments of enjoyment.

And he couldn't stand it.

"I thought you were better than that, SARGE."

"What do ya mean?"

"What I mean is I would think that someone of YOUR status would rather spend your time around characters who MATTER in their games." Quasar hissed, his eyes looking cold "The fact that you would WILLING want to hang out with THEM is-!"

"Is MY business." Calhoun finished, looking down upon Quasar "Last time I checked, there were NO rules on who had ta hang out with who. Or are ya tryin' ta tell me somethin' ELSE soldier?"

Quasar took a step back, eyes watching his little shake "Tell you-?"

"If I didn't know any better." Calhoun began "Seems ta me that SOMEONE wants characters all separated based on their roles as if it's a BAD thing ta actually RESPECT a character for their inner code, not what they do during work hours."

Calhoun was bringing it down hard on Quasar but the man wasn't a dummy. He knew EXACTLY what she was saying and Iit had no effect to what he still felt inside. He stepped closer to her, not at all intimidated by her size nor glare.

"You talk a good word, SARGE but I know from EXPERIENCE." The space man said, making certain that he made a little nod towards the Nicelanders, the group unaware of what was being said of them only a few yards away "NPCs? They're NOTHIN' an' they ARE gonna drag ya down if ya don't keep 'em on a leash."

"Ya think so?" Calhoun said, a grin suddenly appearing on her face much to Quasar's surprise.

Why was she smiling?

The space man's felt his backbone tingle further as Calhoun leaned near him, dropping a heavy arm on his shoulder.

"I guess you're free ta think such things..." The woman chortled "But I wanna give ya a lil challenge."

"….Yeeeeeeah?"

"I want ya ta take those words, an' tell them RIGHT ta MY soldiers." Calhoun said "Tell that ta tha NPCs who work in MY game."

If only the others had turned in time to see the man's face BLANCH in utter horror.

There were MANY type of NPCs in Litwak's aside from the Nicelanders.

Many BIG NPCs.

Many STRONG NPCs.

And if they had been told they were USELESS-?

"Lemme give ya a bit of advice, PAL." The marine said, the smile fading "We've...we've been through a LOT an' I'm not just talkin' 'bout Felix n' me. Not just talkin' about THIS game, or Sugar Rush, or my home. I mean EVERYONE in this arcade. EVERYONE."

Quasar looked, finding that he was now alone with the marine, his 'pals' having ran off once they felt he had said enough.

Uh-oh.

"An' tha LAST thing we need in this arcade is someone else tryin' ta break us apart when we JUST began fixin' tha place."

Quasar opened his mouth to say something but he felt a HEAVY and PAINFUL grip on his shoulder, Calhoun turning him around.

"So might I suggest ya take that hateful attitude an' SHOVE IT?" Calhoun growled "Ya already caused enough trouble with tha way you've been tryin' ta bring EVERYONE down but I'm willin' ta give ya somethin' that YOU never gave any NPC here."

Quasar was shaking in his boots but he frowned nonetheless.

"An' that would be?"

Calhoun moved in closer, the space man able to see the power clear in her eyes.

"I'm givin' ya a CHANCE ta mellow out." She replied "Don't disappoint me."

There was something rather...UNDIGNIFIED about the way Calhoun had spoken to Quasar in that moment and it was in that moment that the character felt even more of a loss. He had always expected some form of respect due to his status as well as his game's age in the arcade and to have CALHOUN speak to him in such away, even if she were a hero?

It would have only been worse had a NICELANDER told him off!

He growled, pushing Calhoun's hands "Aw, how sweet. A soldier in space and one for mercy."

Yup. He wasn't buying it.

"I don't need your pity, SARGE." The man growled as he prepared to walk away "I don't need your pity because I already KNOW what is going to happen."

Calhoun said nothing as she glared at the man, arms folded across her chest.

"They're gonna muff up. They're gonna muff up AGAIN an' soon you'll have NOTHING." The space man said "Heroes and bad guys? At least WE have meaning. At least OUR purpose is clear and has meaning. After everything Ralph and Vanellope went through with people like THEM-!"

"People like THEM..." Calhoun cut in "Right now, I am more concerned about people like YOU. Keep lettinin' your blood pressure rise like that can't be good, pal. Chill out instead of worryin' so much about Ralph an' tha Nicelanders."

"But THEY-!"

"I could bring up tha way YOU treated your NPCs, how horrible Iit was..." Calhoun cut in again "But I won't. I COULD bring up how poorly you treated them an' how it doesn't make you any less guilty of bein' a massive BULLY as you're tryin' ta pin on every NPC now...but I WON'T. I won't because I actually wanna give ya a chance kid but it's up ta ya in tha end. I can't force ya ta change."

Calhoun moved in closer, a heavy feeling dropping on the man in front of her.

"But if ya so much as HURT anyone, inside or out of this game again, you're gonna find yourself a new home. A new home along side TURBO in tha stocks!"

The message was coming in clear; Quasar knew that Calhoun meant business and as angry as he was...

"Uuurgh..."

He had no one to back him up THIS time. Not even Hailey had joined him in this, his former partner not sharing his sentiments given the situation.

And it hurt him.

To his very code, it hurt.

He looked over at Ralph and the others, the group enjoying each others company in a way he had never done with his own NPCs. In his eyes, the whole thing just wasn't right!

How dare the Nicelanders act as if they were Ralph's friends!

How could the Wrecker think that THEY were being truthful!

Only GOOD GUYS and BAD GUYS could understand Ralph!

ONLY GOOD GUYS LIKE-!

Like...

Like what Quasar USED to be.

"Honey, stop fidgeting!"

The man looked over, seeing two particular Nicelanders hit his view.

Gene and Mary.

For the last few days, the entire arcade had been abuzz about the two finally getting engaged and it was a squawking that Quasar could not escape. He could see their engagement rings sparkling in the night light, the two holding hands as they embraced, as they showed their love for one another.

Once more Quasar felt an awful burning from within.

He and Hailey used to snuggle like that, they used to cuddle and kiss. They used to enjoy life and have fun. But that was before everything had happened.

Before Turbo had returned.

Before their game was destroyed.

And who's fault was it?

It was THEIRS.

Had those STUPID NPCs not gotten into trouble-!

Had they not been so useless and Turbo not captured them-!

If only-!

Had they not-!

It's their fault!

THEIR FAULT!

"Front n' center!" Felix cheered once everyone was in place "Wanna make this shot good!"

Even FELIX had bought into it.

FELIX.

Had the hero been a REAL good guy, he would have kicked the Nicelanders to the curb like any responsible leader had and-!

"Genie, don't take up all tha space!" Ralph laughed, Gene growling at the swipe "I don't think tha camera can handle so much booty space!"

"You're worried about ME?" Gene retorted "I'm more concerned that your MASSIVE head will block out the lighting for the photo."

"GUYS."

Whatever was happening, whatever was going on...Quasar didn't like it. Why should everyone else get the luck? Why should everyone else get to feel so good when HE had lost HIS game, when he and those who remained were out in the cold?

Well...

Maybe not EXACTLY in the cold.

Felix and Ralph HAD taken them in without any objection.

But-!

"I don't wanna hafta get rough with ya..."

The space man looked up, Calhoun's gaze still upon him "Excuse me?"

"I said, I don't wanna send ya an' your pals outta here." Calhoun continued "But if ya wanna stay here, ya can't go around startin' stuff, ya hear?"

SOMEONE was acting as if they were in second command, weren't they?

For a moment, Quasar said nothing but as he continued to look at Calhoun all he could do was snicker.

"What's so funny?"

The space man smiled "Okay. Fine. Have it your way for now if this makes you feel so good."

What was that supposed to mean?

"Your feelings for others is so ADMIRABLE, SARGE." Quasar said "Though I have to say I did hope that you WOULD stick in character when it came to handling those of a lower status than you."

The tall marine frowned "What did I TELL ya about-!?"

"I KNOW what you told me.' Quasar said, his turn to give the woman a sharp glare "I KNOW what you said but as much 'power' you think you have when it comes to bossing us around about this, I told you; I DO have more EXPERIENCE. I KNOW what happens when you let NPCs walk around as if they have as much reach as a good guy or a bad guy. I KNOW the trouble they can bring if you don't keep 'em in line an' lady, THOSE runts are gonna make your life a living hell."

Calhoun felt her throat tighten in anger as she looked down at the other character. She was fighting every code in her body not to slam her fist into his face for those words but she knew it best not to waste such energy on him, despite how she felt inside. Quasar on the other hand knew he had hit a crack and while anyone else would have avoided to make such jabs at the marine he felt rather proud because maybe, MAYBE she was only silent because she felt a small bit of what he had said was the truth.

"Go entertain the runts." Quasar said "If you feel that makes your purpose here worth anything."

"Tammy!"

Both looked over, Felix finally setting up the camera and waving at his wife with a massive grin.

"Get over here, baby! We have a photo to take!"

Seeing Felix's bright smile, his hopeful smile...

Suddenly, Calhoun felt a lot better.

She returned his smile "Comin' Honey glows!"

And left Quasar by himself.

Alone.

No one echoing his agreements.

Those who he thought would have backed him up had long scuttled off once Calhoun had arrived and even with the words he had given her, she had gone off with her husband, with her friends.

"Okay, in ten-!"

Felix set the timer for the camera.

One repairman.

One Wrecker.

One racer.

One marine.

And lots of little pie bakers.

All together for a photo that years ago, had not been taken. One of the group arriving to Litwak's on that very first year but perhaps there was a something good to missing the picture back then.

CA-CLICK!

"Got it!"

"Lemme see!"

"Oh, it looks WONDERFUL, Felix!"

Now they had a picture together, a group of friends the arcade never would have thought would come together.

Didn't Ralph hate the Nicelanders?

Didn't the Nicelanders fear Ralph?

Perhaps.

But time changes.

PEOPLE change.

And this time, Fit-it-Felix Jr. Felt like a home.

The attacks by the viruses had opened up many wounds and have revealed the true colors of many residence of the arcade but in the horrible things that had happened there were some who wouldn't let the events rip them apart any further. Now that some things had gotten out, there was a call to become stronger, to come together. The heroes knew that things were not as perfect as they hoped but that still didn't stop them. If things could start at home, maybe it could spread, maybe they could help others.

Ralph looked at the picture as it developed, seeing the smiles of everyone looking back at him. He was happy, they were happy, and as he looked up at the stars in the sky he knew that he only had better days ahead of him.

Better days for EVERYONE.