Forever Is A Long Time Coming Chapter 3: Christmas at the House of Mouse, a wreck-it ralph fanfic

Christmas at the House of Mouse

Today was the big today. The day Ralph had been waiting on for the past two months. All he had to do was get through four more quarters. Two more players and he was free. Free to spend his time doing whatever he wanted.

There was only one thing he wanted to do with that free time; visit his best friend in the whole world. She had invited him to meet her at Oh My Disney for their annual Christmas party, which was being held a retro venue this year.

Lucky for them Ralph's middle name was retro, so he knew he'd fit right in. All he had to do was get through this shift.

The first player would be no problem. It was just another one of the arcade's regulars. A little kid round Vanellope's age that played Fix it Felix Jr during his rounds on Friday Afternoon and Saturday Night, telling his friends about how Felix and Ralph were his dad's favorite video game characters growing up.

For that reason alone, Ralph went a little easier on him, a practice that most of his retro colleagues weren't exactly fond of but Ralph couldn't help it. He had a soft spot for the little guy. Seeing him flipped the big brother switch in his head, just like what happened when he saw Vanellope.

Today was different than normal though. The little kid looked tired, his brown eyes were dull and his pace through the level was agonizingly slow. He kept missing jumps and falling to lower levels but hardly showed any frustration at his less than stellar performance.

Ralph did his best to get him moving at something that resembled a normal pace, breaking windows and chucking debris in certain patterns to flush the little guy out of the lower levels of the building but if he tried any harder he'd have to let him win. Which would definitely catch him some flak at Tappers.

"Come on kid, move," Ralph muttered, jumping up and pulverizing the roof with both fists to create debris shower. An attack he had refused to use until now. If this didn't get him moving, nothing would.

Much to his surprise, the little kid couldn't get Felix out of the way in time and the debris shower killed his coworker and took away his last life. Ralph assumed his standard victory stance as the continue counter ticked down from thirty.

The little kid eyed his quarters as Mr. Litwak passed by, stopping to take note of the situation.

"Ah Lucas, did Ralph's super attack get you again?"

Lucas nodded and scooped up his quarters from their resting place against the screen.

"I can never get past that attack, no matter what I do…I think I'm gonna call it a day." He told him, shoving his hands in his sweater pocket. Just like Vanellope did when she got frustrated or annoyed.

Litwak wasn't letting him off that easy though, getting down on one knee and looking at Lucas with concern, angling his gaze like he was trying to see something hidden below the surface of a pond.

"Everything ok bud?"

Lucas frowned and started to speak but then shut his eyes tightly and turned away from Litwak like the old man was about to give him a flu shot.

"Yeah, everything's fine."

Litwak pursed his lips like he was unsure if he should speak but then smiled warmly at the little kid.

"Fix it Felix Jr is one of the hardest games in here. That's why people love it, and we've all had days where Ralph wouldn't let us anywhere near the top. You'll get there one day though."

A small smile appeared on the little boy's face, he looked about 10 years younger.

"Thanks, Mr. Litwak."

"Anytime kiddo...You look hungry. Want something from the snack bar? It's on the house."

Lucas furrowed his brow like he was considering it but then pulled out his phone and sighed.

"Thank you, really but, it's almost five. I gotta go find mom. Maybe next time."

"Next time it is then," Litwak said with a nod as the little kid set out for the door.

"Night Mr. Litwak."

"Night Lucas!" He replied weakly, and as he disappeared out of sight, Litwak pinched the bridge of his nose and cast his gaze downwards before another little kid came looking for his help.

"Looks like it's my turn!" A new voice declared, putting his quarters into the machine and starting a new game.

Compared to Lucas, Jeremey was a whole other being. Jeremey was the kind of kid who played Battle Toads while eating cocoa puffs to start his day and things only got crazier from there.

He had menaced, albeit unintentionally, every character in Litwak's for a little over a decade. Sometimes spending an entire day at one cabinet so that he could get his name at the top of the high score list for every cabinet.

Today he had been roaming around the arcade, trying to improve his high score on some of his favorite games or reclaim his throne on the cabinets where he had been knocked down from the top spot. Now he had returned to the game where he had gotten his first high score. Where it all began for him.

Ralph knew he didn't need to hold back with Jeremy. Whatever he dished out Jeremy could take, and even throw right back at him. Jeremy was the only thing standing between him and Vanellope now.

"Shall we old friend?" Jeremy asked him, of course already knowing what Ralph's response would be.

"I'm gonna wreck it!"

...

Weeks ago, Vanellope was told she was going to be a guest of honor at the big Christmas party that was being held at The House of Mouse on the Oh My Disney site. She wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but she had been told to bring her ball gown (yuck!) and some nice regular clothes, presumably for lounging around before it was time for the party to start.

The House of Mouse had shut down for years to undergo a major refit and tonight would be its big reopening. Vanellope's friends at OMD had been talking about it for months, and finally convinced her to invite some of her own friends to join them for the holiday festivities this year.

The perpetual night of Downtown Disney had made it difficult to navigate but as Vanellope approached the building, she was taken aback. The silver metal with red detailing that made up the front of the building reminded her of an old hot rod. Above the doors was a large neon red sign shaped like the head of a mouse. A red carpet that started at the curbside of Main Street led her into the building that was already bustling with activity.

As Vanellope cautiously advanced down the red carpet, someone tapped her on the shoulder, almost making her jump.

"Heya little girl, we aren't open yet." Said the Toon that was standing before her, almost equal in height. He was dressed in a burgundy chauffer outfit, which was adorned with brass buttons and gold trimming. His long ears sticking out from his little hat, which had a little mouse ears symbol on its front.

"Oh uh sorry, I was told that I was supposed to get here early. You see I was invited-"

"Hey, Oswald! Who's that?" A new voice asked.

"Not sure Max, never seen her before. She said that she was told she was supposed to get here early?" Oswald replied,

Max was also a chauffeur except his uniform had a few more bells and whistles, namely the gold mouse ears on either shoulder. He had long ears as well but nowhere nears as long as Oswald's and two front teeth that peeked out from his lips. Despite his odd appearance, he wore a warm smile as he pulled out an electronic tablet and scrolled through it.

"The only people who are supposed to show up early are the princesses and their guest of oh-oh here we go! The guest of honor! Vanellope Von Schweetz!" Max exclaimed.

Oswald turned back towards her.

"I am so sorry, I didn't know-"

Vanellope raised a hand and shook her head.

"It's ok Oswald, I know I don't look anything like who you're used to letting into this place." She assured him.

"I'll take her inside Oz, I'll have someone bring your tablet. We've got a few more people we're expecting that you won't recognize." Max told his colleague.

"Thanks, Max!" He replied as Max gestured for Vanellope to follow.

"So you know the Princesses huh? How'd you pull that off?" Max asked.

"It was chance meeting really, I was out working, and one thing led to another when I came here. After that, we became fast friends. Probably because I'm a princess too."

"Oh yeah? Where you from?"

"A game called Sugar Rush, that's where I spent most of life but I've moved onto greener pastures. That place was never really for me…" Vanellope said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Max examined her with concern but elected not to press the issue and opened the door for his guest.

"Well trust me, there's no other place like this on the web. We'll make sure you have a great time tonight. It'll be the best Christmas party you've ever been to." He assured her as she stepped inside.

The lobby was just as extravagant as the exterior. Red carpet with gold swirls paired with the chandelier that dangling above the image of another set of mouse ears. The walls were plain white but were adorned with the simple line art of a variety of toons. Vanellope even recognized a few of her friends. Ariel singing on top of a rock as a wave crashed behind her, Snow White singing to her animal friends, Belle in her library searching for another book to read.

Suddenly all of the images faded away and were replaced by Cinderella running down the steps of a castle, leaving her signature glass slipper behind but then the image slowly started to move as color filled the image turning it into a moving work of art like a memory playing out in real time. The scene carried on for a few seconds before fading and being replaced with another mass collection of line art although this time, Vanellope didn't recognize anyone.

As she and Max walked towards the front desk, they passed a boy with black messy hair in a blue sweater that read San Fransokyo on the front and dark jeans who was talking to a small rusted robot who was watching him with two large optical sensors that looked like binoculars.

"Could you go find R2 and tell him that the spotlights on the east side are acting up again. I know he just took em apart, but Horace says they're still flickering every few minutes."

The tiny robot made a noise that's Vanellope could only guess was an affirmation before driving off as instructed.

"Thanks, WALL-E!" He shouted before looking up to see Max and Vanellope approaching.

"Hey, Max!"

"Hey, buddy! How's it hanging?"

"Ugh, it's alright. Just trying to get the kinks ironed out before showtime. You know how it is. Two weeks of dress rehearsals and I still don't know if we're ready." The young boy huffed. "Who's that you got with you? I don't recognize her."

"Oh, Vanellope Von Schweetz, this is Hiro Hamada. He's one of the guys that keeps the show running in tip-top shape." Max announced.

"Oh! She's the guest of honor, right?" Hiro guessed.

"You got it," Max replied.

"Nice to meet you Vanellope," Hiro said, extending his hand which Vanellope shyly shook.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Hey Hiro, is your team running security tonight?" Max asked.

"Nope, the Parrs are helping tonight. I'll be working for a few hours but then R2 is going to cover my shift for the rest of the night." Hiro replied before frowning at his tablet.

"Aw jeez, well Max I'd love to stay and chat but I've got a show to prep. See you around."

"See yah Hiro," Max said, waving goodbye to his friend as he walked off before walking Vanellope over to the front desk.

"Hey, handsome!" The redheaded toon at the desk said with a smile as Max approached.

"Hey you, c'mere!" Max said pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on the top of her head, much to Vanellope's disgust.

"Max, Max, introduce me to your new friend." The Toon said with a giggle.

"Oh right! Roxanne this is our guest of honor-"

"Oh, Vanellope! Ariel was telling me about you a few hours ago. I need to get you backstage. Guests are going to be showing up soon, so we've got to get you ready for the Royal Procession. Um…Where are your friends? Ariel was telling me you'd be bringing three more people." She asked.

"They're still at work but they'll be here later."

"Oh, that's right, the arcade. Can't exactly ask to leave early huh?" Roxanne muttered as Max released her. "Whelp no problem, I'll have Max bring em straight to your table once they arrive. For now, though, you need to head backstage." Roxanne picked up the phone at her desk and punched in a number, while the phone rang Max tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey, I gotta get the valet staff ready for opening, but I will come see you during my break."

"Ok, sounds good," Roxane said with a nod as Max gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Love you!"

"Love you too! Have a good night Vanellope!"

"Thanks, Max!" She said, waving to her friend as he walked back towards the entrance as someone answered Roxanne's call.

"Oh, hey Auto, can you send Officer Hopps over? We need to get Ms. Von Schweetz backstage…perfect thanks!" She asked before she hung up and looked to Vanellope.

"You can wait here with me, Officer Hopps is going to escort you backstage."

Vanellope furrowed her brow.

"You could always just tell me where to go." She offered.

"Well whenever the princesses, or their guests, are in the House of Mouse, they have to have an escort from the security office. You know in case the villains try to hatch some crazy scheme or the building starts spontaneously growing again."

Vanellope's eyes were wide with alarm.

"Uhhh…"

"You must be Vanellope!"

The little girl jumped, glitching out before turning to look at the rabbit in the police uniform that was standing next to her.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to startle you. You're probably not used to rabbits that look like me huh?"

Vanellope shook her head as the rabbit chuckled and offered her paw.

"Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. I'll be looking after you tonight."

"Nice to meet you Officer," Vanellope said before Judy turned to Roxanne.

"Where is everyone else I thought-"

"They'll be here later, but hey before I forget how did that thing go last night, you know…the date?"

"It was amazing, we went out to our favorite place and had a really nice dinner."

"That's really good!"

-But then it got kinda weird towards the end. I felt like I was getting some mixed signals." Judy continued.

Roxanne plucked the pen from behind her ear and started jotting notes down.

"Ok, we're going to put a pin in this. You take Vanellope backstage and we're gonna talk about this later."

"Thank you so much, Roxy, you're a lifesaver!"

"Anything for you Jude, I'll talk to you later!"

"Later!" Judy replied as she motioned for Vanellope to follow, leading her past a darkened stairway marked with a sign that read Villains Lounge that was being guarded by two men in white body armor. Opposite of them was a freakishly large and very creepy mirror. She remembered Ralph had told her they were called Stormtroopers and explained how an old Star Wars arcade game used to sit where Hero's Duty is now back at Litwaks. Now Stormtroopers, apparently, were guarding the entrance to the Villains Lounge.

They hardly acknowledged the pair as they passed and walked through a door marked: Staff Only. Judy chuckled as Vanellope stared at them through the closing doors.

"Don't worry, I don't think they're the same guys who were chasing you when you first came here and if they are don't worry, they're not the type to hold grudges. Believe it or not." She explained as they walk through the sterile white corridor.

"Wait when I first came here-do you all know who I am," Vanellope said sheepishly.

"Well most of the staff do, after that, it's kind of hit and miss, but the princesses told the staff about how we met you and your story. Well, at least what you were willing to tell them…I hope that was ok. We all just like to know who our guest of honor is and how they found their way to us."

"Yeah no that's fine, most of the people in the arcade knew what happened to me. It was kind of a big deal since we all worked together and hung out together. Word got around, and soon everyone knew. Makes sense the same thing would happen here. I just hope I fit in."

"Fit in?" Judy asked.

"Yeah because my whole life I've always been the outcast, the glitch, the stupid little girl who ruined someone's favorite game, even now after everything I've been through I still feel like-"

"Whoever made you made a mistake?" Judy asked Vanellope stopped glitching, not even realizing she had been doing it.

"Yeah…sorry, I must be really bumming you out. Tonight we're supposed to be having fun and-"

"Vanellope, I've been working here for a few years now and I've met all kinds of people. Angsty space wizards, a baby that can shoot lasers from its eyes, a talking candle, a skeleton that tried to be Santa Claus and an all-powerful cosmic deity with a deep love of old Polaroid cameras. There's a lot of us misfits and oddballs in this place. We don't belong anywhere but with each other. You're far from the strangest person that's walked through those doors. So, give this a place a chance. We're all excited to meet you and I really think you'll fit in well here." Judy said as they came to a stop in front of a familiar door.

Vanellope smiled at the rabbit.

"Thanks, Officer-"

"Call me Judy."

"…Thank you, Judy."

"Anytime." She replied as she opened the door to the dressing room and Vanellope was greeted by her friends.

…

"Hey, Uncle Stan? Can I stay a bit longer?"

"Sure Jeremy, I have to make an important call in my office. Once I'm done, we can go."

"Ok, thank you!"

Ralph was exhausted. The arcade was supposed to close fifteen minutes ago, but now Jeremy was intent on seeing his game through to the end. Ralph knew he couldn't just let him win, because he'd just go for another round and that could drag on for an hour. Ralph had been hard on him today, trying to wear him down fast so he would give up and leave.

Despite Ralph's efforts, Jeremy had dodged, jumped over, and fixed everything Ralph threw at him. He had whittled him down to one life in the past half hour but now Ralph couldn't stop him as he chained together level clear after level clear.

Why in the name of all that was good in the world had Jeremey come to the arcade?

"Hey Phillip, it's Stan. Listen Lucas came into the arcade today and-"

The sound of a door closing echoed through the arcade, leaving Ralph and his colleagues alone with Jeremey, who seemed mildly concerned by this development.

"If he's talking to Phillip about Lucas than its going to be awhile. Probably another hour at least…oh well." He muttered before going back to the game.

AN HOUR

The big party started in fifteen minutes! Ralph's eyes darted down to Felix who wore the same alarmed expression. His friends eyes snapped to the left once, them twice. Ralph's eyes narrowed and he nodded grimly.

Felix nodded and chucked his hammer into the air, letting flip over twice before it landed back in his hands. Off-screen, Ralph heard the game-less characters rally to their call.

"BLUE SHELL! WE NEED THE BLUE SHELL!" Someone shouted.

Ralph heard Qbert reply with his signature &*# before seeing him sprint to the tram for train central station. Felix and Ralph knew help was on the way, they just had to keep Jeremey engaged for long enough for it to arrive.

Ralph ripped an A/C unit and hurled at Felix, who gracefully sidestepped the machine as it brought a window washing platform crashing down to earth. Ralph punched a hole in the second A/C unit before pulling out the fan and hurling down at Felix like it was a frisbee. Felix yelped as Jeremey waited for the last possible second to duck under the attack. The fan blade crashed through a window which Jeremey quickly made Felix fix, likely to spite Ralph.

"Where's that blue shell?!" Ralph asked, retreating to the backside of the building to see a small army of game-less Space Invader aliens trying to lift a giant anvil the size of a car labeled GAME OVER to the top of the building, although they were ascending, progress was slow.

"Where's Calhoun?!" Ralph asked them as he threw another A/C unit off the building.

"The water filled meat sack designated as Calhoun is taking approximately 2.5 times longer than normal to arrive. We have elected to assist until her arrival." The aliens responded in unison.

"Ok, thank's guys!"

"Your gratitude is noted meat sack." The aliens replied as Ralph rushed back to his post, leaping into the air and delivering a ground pound that shook the entire building and would almost assuredly change Jemrey's planned ascent path.

Just as expected, Jeremey cursed and was forced to change tactics but made sure to fix a few more windows and holes in the wall as he readjusted. In the corner of his eye, Ralph saw a blue blur dart from the tram station and towards the back of the building.

"Ralph! I heard you guys called for a Blue Shell!" Sonic exclaimed from the ground.

"Yeah, we did! Where's Calhoun? Have you seen her?!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Surge caught wind of what she was doing. He's holding her in GCS telling her she can't interfere with a game in progress."

Ralph groaned as he looked towards the Space Invader Aliens.

"Can you guys maybe go a little faster?!"

"Our silicon-based forms are not built for lifting comically large instruments of metallurgy meat sack. We, as you organics say, our doing our best." They protested.

"Guys please I've been waiting for this day for months. I can't be late or I'm gonna miss the Royal Procession, which Vanellope is in!" Ralph pleaded.

"Your words…they have touched our gelatinous inner membranes. We will tap into our auxiliary power cells. This may be enough to expedite our ascent, although we will be indisposed for several sols." The aliens offered.

"I'll bring you guys all the burger time burgers you want if you help me!" Ralph shouted as he hurled his last A/C unit at Felix who was nearing the top.

"The Collective is an agreement. These burger time burgers will suffice as payment. We shall prepare for our ascent. Stand by while we calculate our required delta V."

"How long will you need?"

"30 seconds." They answered, sounding almost determined.

Ralph knew this would work, Operation Blue Shell was something he discovered a long time ago. Lost his game's code was an attack Ralph had called anvil toss, which according to the story text, was Ralph's ultimate attack. On the last level of the game, before the bonus levels started, if Felix had cleared 70% of the building and had over 100,000 points, Ralph unlocked the ability to hurl an anvil into the night sky before it would come down and wreck everything in the entire middle portion of the screen. If a player didn't dodge it quick enough, they would die.

Obviously, this was never enabled as the developers thought that the attack was incredibly unfair and came out of nowhere although the method to dodging it was the same as dodging Ralph's other big attack, debris shower. You just had to stick to the edges of the screen.

To ensure the attack wouldn't be useable, they put the anvil not on top of the tower but in the field behind the tower itself. Rendering it inaccessible to Ralph. That, of course, assumed Ralph would never have any help.

As Felix neared the top, the Space Invaders shot into the night sky, flying so fast it made Jeremy jump but he didn't appear to recognize what was happening. As the invaders climbed, they bellowed in anger.

"Jeremy Litwak! For keeping the meatsack known as Ralph from the tiny adorable one known as Vanellope. We, The Collective of Planet X, strike so that your high score to forever remain second on the Fix it Felix Jr leaderboard so that one day, your name is condemned to be forgotten in the blackness of the void!"

The Space Invaders released the anvil and Ralph jumped up to meet it as it descended, striking with both his fists. He could hear Jeremy panicking as the anvil fell, the whistling sound warning the player of its imminent arrival echoing across Niceland. Felix barely had time to flinch as the anvil struck him mid-jump and sent him falling back to the floor with a thud. Jeremey cried out in frustration and stepped away from the arcade cabinet. Too demoralized to continue, the young man let the continue counter go down to zero and the game over music played and showed that Jermey's score wasn't second, but third.

Ralph almost felt bad but was too relieved to be free of work for the day and jumped off the back of the tower as the Space Invaders fluttered back to earth. Ralph made sure he carefully caught them one by one.

"From one villain to another, thanks, guys. I owe you big time." He said after catching all two dozen of the tiny killer aliens.

"The Collective is happy to serve. It is as you taught us. There is no other physical form would rather inhabit than our own. For once, The Collective did something…exemplary. Being game less cannot take that away from us."

"You know, you guys are always welcome to help out during Bonus Level time. I'm sure Jeremey will be back."

"Litwak's spawn was a worthy opponent. We are curious as to how he would handle a starfighter, but for now, fighting him here will be sufficient."

"Ralph!" Felix shouted as he ran towards his friend. "We gotta go! We're gonna be late!"

"Right right, hey grab my clothes! I gotta get these guys to Burger Time."

"Ralph…" The Space Invaders groaned. "leave us with the others. You must go to Vanellope. Your ceaseless excitement for this day cannot be for nothing."

"Are you sure guys, it wouldn't take long and you must be starving after lifting the-"

"Resistance is futile Ralph. We have spoken. Go. We will collect on our debt another time." The aliens said sternly, rising into the air one by one as they spoke.

"Tomorrow night then, we're going out to burgers. Thanks again, guys!" Ralph exclaimed as he and Felix ran towards the exit of the game.

…

Vanellope stood behind the curtains, peeking out nervously as she searched for her friends who had yet to arrive.

"Maybe they got lost?" Belle wondered.

"He's never been here before, so it's a possibility," Jasmine replied.

"Maybe we should send someone to go find him? Oh! How about Dash?" Ariel offered, snapping her fingers.

"No good, he's working security tonight." Mulan reminded her.

"How much longer can we stall?" Anna wondered aloud.

"I already 'lost' my shoe once tonight, can't pull that one off a second time," Cinderella told them.

As if on cue, Minnie Mouse joined them backstage and walked over to Vanellope.

"Anything from your friends?" She asked, her voice full of concern.

"Nothing yet, I'd call Ralph, but my communicator is back in the dressing room," Vanellope replied.

Minnie pursed her lips before speaking again with stern, motherly authority.

"Five more minutes. Then we have to start."

Vanellope frowned but nodded quickly.

"I understand." She replied as the lights dimmed and Mike the Microphone dropped down from the ceiling, taking his place on center stage

"Ladies and gentlemen. The show is about to start, thank you all for your patience. Before we begin, I just need to reiterate a few ground rules. There is to be no smoking in any part of the building tonight. There will be no villainous schemes during any part of the show. Any violators will be detained and ejected by our security staff and last but not least, no eating our other guests."

"I don't see him! Are we about to go on?" Vanellope muttered.

"Not yet! We won't be in trouble until Mike introduces you and Mickey." Rapunzel told her.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. The hosts of our show tonight-"

"We're in trouble!" Rapunzel squeaked.

That's when Vanellope saw them being led through the crowd by Judy.

Her heart practically did a backflip.

"It's Ralph! Guys it Ralph he's here! He's here!" Vanellope said, almost shouting as she hopped up and down.

"You're up Vanellope," Elsa said with a smile.

"Break a leg!" Tiana whispered.

"-and our guest of honor, Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

The crowd cheered as Vanellope exited from backstage, with Ralph, Felix, and Tamora being the loudest by far. Ralph and Felix were wearing the same tuxedos that they had worn years ago when Felix got married to Tamora. Calhoun herself was dressed in a beautiful violet evening gown. Vanellope would never get used to seeing her friend without her signature battle armor, even though this was far from the first time she'd seen her without it.

The main dining area seemed to be cut up to 3 distinct sections. The main floor was the largest area, filled with tables and booths, and was where Ralph, Felix, and Tamora were seated. They were tucked into a sea of faces, some familiar but most were new. One table was occupied by a group of teenagers who were conversing with Hiro, who had his tablet tucked under his arm. While at another table there was a towering man dressed in a green pancho, who was sitting with a woman and two kids as well as another man dressed in extravagant red robes like he was royalty.

The next area above was filled with animals of all kinds and resembled an indoor garden more than a dining area. Vanellope could make out two pairs of lions, a large bear sitting upright next to a little kid and she could have sworn there was a dinosaur up there somewhere although how they got him up there was beyond her.

The final floor above was similar to the main floor except the dining tables sat on a balcony that overlooked the rest of the room, with a darkened area behind the seating area that Vanellope couldn't see into. The guests in that section looked down on her like how vultures looked at dead players in Slaughter Race. The most distinctive profiles she could make out from here was a pirate with a hook hand, a woman that was half octopus, and a woman in all black with scepter who sat tall and proud amongst her peers, almost like she wanted to be seen.

"Hi everybody! We've got a big show tonight to welcome you all back to new and improved House of Mouse but first, we've got something special planned. So to start us off I'm going to turn the show over to our guest, Vanellope!" Mickey announced, signaling her to start her act.

"Hiya everyone, for those of you at the back, my name is Vanellope. I recognize a few of you from the first time I came to Oh My Disney. So let me start by thanking you for having me, it's awesome to be back. I was actually invited this time so that's pretty cool too."

The crowd chuckled and Vanellope 's confidence grew.

"Accompanying me tonight is my friend, Wreck-It Ralph. Yes the same Ralph who accidentally made like a million versions of himself and almost, literally, broke the internet. But he's my best friend so what can you do?"

The crowd laughed and clapped as Ralph stood up and waved to everyone, a spotlight slowly turned to focus on him before he sat back down.

"Next to him is my friend Fix it Felix Jr and his lovely wife Tamora Calhoun. In case you're wondering, yes you may squeal in glee about the height difference, Felix doesn't mind."

Felix and Calhoun stood up as well, drawing continued applause from the crowd for few more seconds before everyone's attention shifted back towards center stage.

"So let's, officially, get tonight started with the moment you've all been waiting for The Royal Procession! First I'm going to get into more comfortable clothes so give me a sec-"

Vanellope glitched out of her ballgown and earned some oohs and awes from the crowd. She was in a slightly more spruced up version of her new slaughter race outfit which lacked bandages, and her cloak was missing the dust and grime that made it look like she had spent years in the wastes.

Vanellope pointed to the house band, comprised of Donald's nephews: Huey, Dewy and Louie. "Alright fellas give me a beat, I'll get us going!"

As the boys got started, Vanellope turned to the audience and started a steady clap.

"I'm gonna need your guy's help. Start clapping." She instructed, and the audience complied. Once they got going, Vanellope smiled and glitched to the first mark on stage right.

"Roll call!" She shouted, taking her cloak off and tossing it aside as the princesses came out in their casual clothes, clapping to the beat Vanellope and the House had set.

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Vanellope got the princesses to line up, seven on each side like they had practiced and in the desired order. Once they were lined up, Vanellope glitched to the back of the human alley they had created and walked between the two columns of royalty, coming to a stop at the edge of the stage.

My name is Vanellope! She sang, earning some cheers from the audience.

Yeah?The other princesses asked, still clapping.

Racing is in my code

Yeah?

I'm the fastest girl you've ever seen

Yeah?

I'll never be slowed!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Vanellope returned to her spot at the back of the alley as the next princess walked towards the front of the stage. Moana was wearing dark jeans and a dark blue varsity jacket with a giant white stylized fish hook on the chest.

My name is Moana

Yeah?

I was chosen by the ocean

Yeah?

The Heart of Tafiti was restored

Yeah?

Thanks to my devotion!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The Procession continued as Anna and Elsa both walked up to the front of the stage together. The sisters both wore darkened jeans and high top shoes but Anna top was a t-shirt and flannel combo while Elsa wore a sky blue turtleneck sweater and a short cape that was apparently made of ice.

My name is Elsa

Yeah?

I've got the power to control ice and snow

Yeah?

The haters say I'm overrated

Yeah?

But I just tell them to let it go!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Her sister followed without even skipping a beat, and a wild holler could be heard from the back of the room. Anna suppressed a laugh as she started to sing.

My name is Anna

Yeah?

I see you've met my sister, she's real swell

Yeah?

Come visit us sometime, our home is a heck of a town.

Yeah?

'Do you wanna build a snowman?!' we'll yell!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

As the sisters returned to their spots, Anna turned a blew a kiss to a blonde-haired man who was sitting with a reindeer. Vanellope was able to gather that he must have been Kristoff, who Anna had gushed about before.

My name is Merida

Yeah?

Got my mom turned into a bear

Yeah?

Didn't want a prince I told her

Yeah?

Just my bow in hand and the wind in my hair!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Vanellope was beaming as she lifted her arms into the air as she danced in place. Much to her surprise, everyone stood up and followed her lead. Still clapping the beat as Vanellope glitched across the dining room and up to the villain's lounge. The collection of rogues and evil sorcerers were so far refusing to partake.

"You know guys, my best friend is a villain." She started, extending a hand to the scariest looking woman she had ever seen in her life.

"Just because you're all the way up here doesn't mean you can't party." She offered.

The woman just leaned forward, her voice steely calm and barely audible.

"I know you're new here child, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Maleficent. I poison princesses and I turn crusading young heroes to ash but I do not party."

Vanellope swallowed hard as a muscular man in a yellow and purple outfit stood up.

"Well didn't you try to kill Princess Aurora because you weren't invited to a party?"

"Kronk…" His companion, a frail old woman in an extravagant dress, hissed.

"Well, I'm just saying you can't say you don't party when you tried to kill someone who didn't invite you to their party... Just doesn't make a whole lot a sense." He protested.

Vanellope turned to her new-found ally, leaving Maleficent to her brooding.

"I didn't know that Kronk. Thank you for your insight. Havin fun so far?"

"Well yeah, I just wish I could dance." He grumbled.

Vanellope scoffed.

"Kronk, you wanna dance man? You dance, don't let anyone tell you not to party." She told him.

"I'm gonna be just like Mr. Bacon!" Kronk exclaimed. "Peter is going to be so excited when I tell him about this!"

Vanellope nodded, pretending to know who he was talking about.

"I'm sure he will Kronk." She told him

He beamed at her as he started to dance in place and clap, earning a groan of disgust from his companion. Nearby, Vanellope could see another burly guy who was doing his best to ignore her and brood…except he was tapping his foot.

She pointed and locked eyes with him.

"I'll be back for you buster!" She exclaimed before glitching back to the stage as the girls got the procession going again with Rapunzel and her pink cardigan over a white blouse paired with the standard dark jeans.

My name is Rapunzel

Yeah?

Left tower with nothing but a frying pan

Yeah?

But my friends had my back and I found my way home

Yeah?

That's when my life began!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

As Rapunzel returned to her spot, she gave Tiana a high five before she started her walk. The spotlight wasn't needed for Tiana whose white sparkly dress and matching hat that actively illuminated her.

My name is Tiana

Yeah?

Grew up down in New Orleans

Yeah?

Waitin' tables, chasin' dreams

Yeah?

Stop by my palace, and I'll show you what happily ever after really means!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Mulan got a cheer from the crowd as she walked forward, the gold dragon on her red varsity jacket glowing as the spotlight struck it.

My name is Mulan

Yeah?

When the Huns attacked, my dad was called on to fight

Yeah?

Convinced the army I was a man with just by putting my hair in a bun

Yeah?

But with cunning and courage, the Huns were defeated and now my dad is with us here tonight!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Vanellope guided the crowd and slowed the beat down for the next princess who was wearing her traditional garb. Even the band changed the song to a quitter softer version of itself.

My name is Pocahontas

Yeah?

My story, it's a little complicated

Yeah?

But at its core, it's about love and hatred.

Yeah?

So perhaps it's time to take a second a look because it lessons cannot go unstated

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The music sped back up as the next princess moved to take center stage. Jasmine was another princess who was still in clothes from their homeland except her clothes were a dark blue rather than her lighter signature sky blue with an ornate white and gold sash as an accessory.

My name is Jasmine

Yeah?

My story is known far and wide

Yeah?

If you haven't heard, remind me to tell you if we have time

Yeah?

Al and I can tell you all about it on a magic carpet ride!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

In the corner of her eye, Vanellope could see the burly man from earlier standing up and walking towards the back of the lounge. In the blink of an eye, she zipped upwards to intercept him, cutting off his escape.

"Told you I'd be back!" She told him. "You gonna dance now?"

"No." He grumbled flatly.

"Hm, well that's disappointing. I can't blame you though. I'd be intimidated as well." She said with a sigh, shoving her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Intimidated?" He scoffed.

"Yeah, I mean look at Kronk. The guy's groovin over there. How could anyone possibly hope to stand up to that?"

"I could…If I wanted to." He insisted.

"Is that so?" Vanellope pressed, her keen instincts telling her to keep up the attack.

"Yes."

"Don't let her bait you," Maleficent growled, not even turning around.

"Well I for one would like to see that, but if you're going to let Miss Hot Topic over there boss you around-"

"Gaston-" A nearby pirate captain warned, picking something from his teeth with his hook hand.

"No one is the boss of me. I will not dance because I do not wish to."

"Don't be embarrassed, Gaston. There's no one in the world who can dance like me." Kronk told him.

The villain inhaled sharply and Kronk's companion put her head into the table and groaned as Gaston whipped around. That did it.

"No one dances like Gaston!" He declared, walking over to Kronk who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh boy! A dance fight, haven't had one of these since high school."

"Looks like my work here is done," Vanellope said with a sly grin, glitching back down the stage as the procession neared its end.

My name is Belle

Yeah?

My story starts with a magic rose,

Yeah?

From there, there was a castle and a beast.

Yeah?

An adventure worthy of my favorite books, but it's my story, not some fictitious prose.

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The warm yellow of Bell's blouse traded off well with the cool violet of Ariel's pullover sweater which was adorned with the image of a snowman. Securing her spot as the most casually dressed of the procession.

My name is Ariel

Yeah?

When you chase a dream, you will stumble and fall

Yeah?

I've made my mistakes, and I've left the world I knew for a fresh start

Yeah?

I don't know what'll come next, but I'm not afraid despite it all!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Most of the house was on its feet as Aurora made her way to the front of the stage in a dark red version of her classic dress. The oldest of the Princesses had elected to keep their signature dresses on for the finale.

My name is Aurora

Yeah?

For those who don't know, an evil sorceress put a curse on me.

Yeah?

Then there's fairies, a prince, a spindle, even a dragon!

Yeah?

Quite the fairy tale, wouldn't you agree?

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

Vanellope laughed as the dance fight in the villain lounge intensified before her eyes went down to Ralph who was watching her with pride. She beamed at him and waved as the show carried on.

My name is Cinderella

Yeah?

Under my stepsisters and my stepmother,

Yeah?

I slaved away, cooking and cleaning all day

Yeah?

But that all changed with the help of some friends, a pumpkin, and of course my fairy godmother!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The Princesses were clapping now as well, as opposed to just being backup singers. Vanellope looked up to Horace's control booth and gave up the thumbs up. The dining tables were pulled into their storage bays in the floor, turning the main dining area into a dance floor as Huey, Dewey, and Louis started transitioning into another song. Now the rest of the House was singing as well.

My name is Snow White

Yeah?

Why yes it's me, when it comes to princesses I'm the original

Yeah?

Welcome to the House of Mouse, it's so nice to see everyone

Yeah?

I can assure you tonight will be far from typical!

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The Princesses broke their formation and lined up side by side with Vanellope in the middle belting out the chorus one last time before the song ended.

Roll Call!

Shabooya sha sha shabooya roll call!

The crowd burst into applause as Vanellope and her friends bowed before they all encouraged her to go to see her friends. She squealed with joy and glitched over and through the crowd, flying into Ralph's waiting arms like a cannonball.

"RALPH!" She shouted, hugging him as tightly as she could and crying tears of joy.

They stayed that way for a minute or two before Felix and Tamora danced their way over to them.

"Uh excuse me, where's my hug?" Tamora asked, prompting to Vanellope to glitch over and wrap her arms around the space marine's neck.

"I missed you!" She exclaimed.

Calhoun playfully ruffled her hair.

"I missed you too kiddo."

"Don't forget me!" A voice called from down below.

"Felix!" Vanellope shouted, jumping down onto the handyman and nearly flattening him.

"Hey, jellybean!" He winced, holding her tightly.

"Felix…" She murmured, blushing.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you-"

No no its…I just never thought I'd miss being called that." She explained.

"No matter where you go or how much butt you kick, you'll always be my jelly bean." He told her, her only response was to nuzzle into the hug before they both got up and the song winded down.

…

After several songs, everyone sat back down after their table remerged and Goofy and his army of penguins started dinner service, bringing out one of three appetizer options listed on the menu. Vanellope had insisted on the onion ring tower, which everyone else quickly agreed upon after the little girl gave an impassioned speech about onion rings.

The table they were sitting at was the largest in the dining area and was occupied primarily by Disney royalty, save for Vanellope and her friends who were all wedged between Rapunzel and her husband Eugene and Anna and her husband Kristoff, Elsa, their reindeer Sven and last but not least, Olaf.

As they waited for their food, Vanellope was telling her friends about the tour she had gotten when she had first arrived.

"It was awesome! Judy took me down to this big vault where they had all this old stuff that they don't use anymore. Like these old parade floats that are covered in Christmas lights, and this robot that used to fly spaceships and a big laser gun lookin thing hooked up to this computer they found in some old arcade. Oh, there was even this spooky iron cauldron was whispering stuff-"

"What did it say?" Ralph asked, leaning closer.

Vanellope shrugged.

"No idea." She replied as Snow White exchanged a nervous glance with Belle.

"I remember when I first saw that thing," Mulan said with a small shutter. "Those voices gave me nightmares for a week."

"So Vanellope! What else did you see down there?" Calhoun asked, noting her husband's discomfort.

"Well there was this guy walking around down there, he was carrying a box and he seemed to be looking for something."

"What did he look like?" Kristoff wondered.

"It's hard to say, his head kept appearing and then disappearing."

"Wait, he wasn't on a horse, was he?" Jasmine asked as Judy moved a paw to her radio.

"No, he had a cane though."

The Princesses breathed a sigh of relief and Judy relaxed.

"Oh him? That's just the Hatbox Ghost." Cinderella explained.

"Who's he?"

"Just a guy who died after his wife chopped his head off," Anna said flatly as a small group of penguins carefully brought over a towering stack of onion rings to the table.

Felix was deathly pale.

"Are there a lot of ghosts in this place?" He asked quietly.

"Tonight, there should be at least a thousand or so. They're probably hanging out in the rafters. It's their favorite spot." Judy said matter of factly.

"No way really?! Can we meet them? I always wanted to talk to a ghost."

"Vanellope-"Calhoun said gently.

"Do you guys have like a Ouji board lying around or-"

"Vanellope." Ralph insisted a little more hesitantly this time.

"I could probably just glitch up to the rafter and get em to come down and hang out with us."

"Vanellope!" Ralph and Tamora snapped, drawing the racer's attention to Felix who was practically under the table at this point.

"Ohhhhh yeah, I forgot you got trapped in that haunted mansion and your brother had to come to save you that one time." She muttered before smiling sheepishly. "Sorry!"

"It's ok…let's just change the subject," Felix told her as giant onion ring tower was sampled by everyone at the table.

"What are you guys gonna get?" Ralph asked, tapping his menu.

"The double bacon cheeseburger with garlic fries is calling my name…" Vanellope muttered.

"Are you gonna be able to eat the whole thing by yourself?" Felix asked.

"Felix…buddy…pal, are you kidding me? It's me." She chided.

"It wouldn't be the biggest burger she's eaten," Ralph added.

"Wait seriously?" Rapunzel asked.

"Oh yeah totally," Ralph confirmed. "If the picture on this menu is to be believed, it won't break the top five, maybe even ten."

Eugene's jaw dropped along with Felix's as Vanellope looked to Ralph.

"What are you gonna get Chumbo?"

"The lasagna sounds really good." He admitted.

"I think I might have that too," Tamora said before looking to Felix.

"It looks pretty big though, wanna share?"

Felix shook his head.

"I think I'll have the burger as well." He declared before flagging down one of the penguins.

"Are you sure Felix?" His wife asked before he nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll be fine." He assured her as everyone at the table placed their orders.

"If Vanellope can do it then so can I!"

…

Felix hadn't taken into account that Vanellope was built like a vacuum cleaner attached a black hole. A being that could eat almost indefinitely so long as there was food to eat. In the aftermath of dinner, he watched slack-jawed in terror as she and Ralph looked over the dessert menu while sat in his chair in a food coma, having barely finished half of his burger.

The dining room had settled down now that everyone was fed, conversations were now staying at the tables they had started at rather than drifting to the surrounding ones. As another cartoon on the big screen wrapped up Webby had joined Huey, Dewy and Louis on stage as their vocalist, singing a cover of You've Got a Friend in Me.

"Hot fudge sundae buddy?" Vanellope asked her friend who nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's do it!"

"While we're waiting, let's bring out presents!" Tamora exclaimed, pulling a large box in red and white wrapping paper out from under the table. Ralph did the same, and Vanellope gasped.

"I forgot your presents in the dressing room! Be right back!" She yelped before glitching away.

"Oh Felix, Calhoun, I'll give you guys your present while we're waiting on her," Ralph said, handing the pair a large box in golden wrapping paper.

"Good call brother," Felix replied as Tamora handed him a small silver box from her purse.

"Back!" Vanellope shouted, arriving with three boxes in hand and a Santa hat sitting on her head.

"Whose opening theirs first?" Felix asked.

"Can I go?" Vanellope asked, earning her some endearing smiles. It was her 6th Christmas ever, after being alone on the holiday for years and years. It was a feeling Ralph and Tamora knew all too well.

"Sure!" Felix replied before she grabbed her first present and shredded the wrapping paper. Inside the military grade crate, she discovered a pair of black boots with metal soles and a led light on both sides of the heel. They were surprisingly lightweight for how bulky they appeared.

They're magnetic boots. Usually, they're used for EVA work, but I figured you could use them when you're helping Shank set up ambushes. That way you can get the drop on any players you run into."

"Awesome!" The little girl exclaimed, glitching over and giving Calhoun a hug.

"Thank you!"

"There's one more thing in there, it's from Felix." She told her.

Vanellope darted back to her seat and dug around in the box for a minute before emerging with a dark brown tool belt, packed with tools that would make maintaining and even upgrading her car a lot easier.

"Whoa…"

"After you left, I remember Ralph saying how you wanted a toolbelt like mine so you could work on your car when you're out and about rather than trying to track down a garage that wasn't swarming with players."

"That…isn't that your Dad's belt? Ralph asked.

"Yeah, we had to make some adjustments so it would fit Vanellope but it's ok. Dad always said I could give it to my firstborn child once it was time."

Vanellope had already glitched into Felix's arms, toolbelt around her waist and hugging him tightly.

"Thanks, Dad…" She whispered as he hugged her back.

"Merry Christmas Jellybean." He replied as she turned back around, asking for Ralph to pass her a present which she then handed to Calhoun who methodically tore open the wrapping paper to reveal the gift inside.

What Calhoun found inside made her heart melt. A fuzzy white teddy bear with two distinct eyes. A button eye and a candy cane mint. The bear had light caramel stains from his time in Diet Cola mountain and the fur was tangled and matted in some places but it was still one of the cutest things she had ever seen.

"Before I left, I remember overhearing Felix and Ralph talking about your nightmares. How you kept reliving…well you know…that day. I wanted to help but I wasn't sure how. At first, I thought I should get you a self-help book but I know you hate those because they come across as super condescending. Then I remembered Theodore. He's gotten me through a lot of rough nights, especially when I was alone. I'm hoping now he can help you too."

Calhoun blinked several times before pulling Felix and Vanellope into her embrace.

"Thank you Vanellope, I'll take good care of him."

"Thanks, he's a really awesome bear."

"I'm sure he is."

She released them as Ralph handed Vanellope the next present.

"Here you go Felix, hope you like it."

Felix smiles and opened the gift, silently admiring Vanellope's choice of blue and gold wrapping paper. Slowly he pulled out a brass pocket watch and flipped it open and gasped. The watch, in its center, was marked with the initials F. . Above the clock was a nice picture they had taken a few years ago of all of them having milkshakes and burgers at Burger Time.

"My dad's watch!" Felix exclaimed, "I thought I lost this-"

"When you were fighting cybugs in Sugar Rush? Yeah, Tamora told me. That's why I sent the racers and Ralph looking for it.

"It took forever, but we found it!" Ralph added.

"It was all beat up at first, but my friend Felony got it fixed up good as new." She explained as he smiled fondly at the picture.

"I know its hard to be happy all the time, especially when you spend half the day dying every five minutes. So, I hope that whenever you're having a long crappy day you can look at this and remember that we're your family and we love you." She said with a smile.

The pair exchanged another quick hug as Tamora put Ralph's present for them on the table. Vanellope glitched back to her seat as the pair opened their present. Felix squealed in glee and Tamora laughed at her husband as he pulled a karaoke machine from the box.

"I know how much you two love karaoke night at Tappers- "

"It's only the best night of the week!" Felix exclaimed.

"So, I figured you'd guys would want a machine for when you host your own parties," Ralph explained.

The couple thanked Ralph as they placed their new pride and joy below the table.

"Now you open yours partner," Felix said before Ralph carefully opened the tiny present to find a golden key. Ralph examined it closely before realizing that key was marked 2001. 20th Floor, first room.

The only room.

"Is this?"

Felix nodded.

"The key to the penthouse. So, you and Vanellope can party in style when she comes to visit." Felix began "It took some convincing, but after a nice long conversation with Gene."

"Followed by a much shorter one," Calhoun added sharply.

"Gene relented and ceded the penthouse to you," Felix concluded.

"Guys…" Ralph murmured. "I'm sorry, I wish I had gotten you something better now. Compared to this a Karaoke Machine is nothing."

"It's the thought that counts Ralph. It's not a competition." Felix reminded him.

Ralph sighed before giving them a nod.

"Ok…thank you so much you two."

"Love ya brother. Never forget that." Felix reminded him before the gift giving continued as Vanellope prepared to open her gift from Ralph. After shredding the wrapping paper and prying open the box, Vanellope pulled out a large blanket that depicted some of their best moments together in 8-bit style. Building Vanellope a go-cart, Vanellope giving Ralph his medal, late nights at Burger Time, racing light cycled in Tron and more. There were even some blank areas, presumably so that more memories could be added in later.

"I remember when you lived in Diet Cola mountain and you slept under candy wrappers and now in Slaughter Race, you have real thin blankets that don't keep you super warm. So, I decided to get you a custom weighted blanket. Dr. Mario said it should help you sleep better, and it might even help with your nightmares." Ralph explained as she wrapped the blanket around herself.

"It's beautiful Ralph. Did you make it yourself?" She asked.

"Yeah, Cinderella and Aurora helped me out." He replied sheepishly.

"Oh, don't be so humble Ralph! We gave you some pointer and you took off from there." Cinderella explained as Vanellope pushed her present closer to her friend.

"Go on, open yours." She insisted.

Ralph complied and opened his present, which slid from its box and onto the table. He carefully picked it up with his fingers and recognized it as a multi-color bracelet. He slipped it onto his wrist and ran his fingertips over the beads. Some were yellow, others were red, blue, there were was even one with candy cane stripes and another looked like a jack-o-lantern.

"So, you know how I was telling you about that big expansion my game is planning, and how they're expecting the player base to double once it comes out. It may be hard to get ahold of me, so Yesss helped me make this for you." Vanellope reached out and put to fingers around an orange bead "You just press two fingers around a bead and, presto!"

A hologram of Vanellope appeared on the table, standing stiff as a board with her arms pinned to her sides.

"Wakey wakey Major Body Odor! You're gonna get out there and you're going to show those players why you're the Wreck-It Ralph. The baddest bad guy who's ever lived. Yeah, I said it Bowser, whatcha gonna do about it? Fall off a bridge again?" Holo-Vanellope chuckled as she broke her serious façade. "Ok seriously though, get up stinkbrain. It's time to start your day, you got this."

The hologram vanished and the two friends exchanged a glance.

"Do you like it?" She asked.

"Like it? I love it!" He exclaimed as Vanellope relaxed and smiled.

"Did you like your gift?" Ralph asked her, prompting her to nod enthusiastically.

"This is one of the best Christmas presents I've ever gotten. Thank you, Ralph." She replied as the penguins brought their desert, along with mugs of hot cocoa with candy canes as stir stickers, offering them to people who hadn't ordered dessert.

As snow began to fall from the ceiling, prompting everyone to ooh and ahh as they enjoyed their desert, Webby stopped singing as the band rearranged themselves for the next song.

"Ok everyone, we'll be singing a classic tonight. I'm sure most of you know the words but for if you really haven't heard this song before, it's called the Best Christmas of All and the lyrics will be up on the screen over the mainstage."

As the song started, Vanellope glitched up onto her friend's shoulder and rested her head against his, the pair humming the melody as they took turns eating their ice cream as the snow continued to fall.
…

A few hours later, the party was over, and everyone had gone their sperate ways. Vanellope went back to Slaughter Race, sharing a long hug with Ralph before she left. Felix and Tamora had gone back to their house, wishing Ralph a merry Christmas as they departed. Which left Ralph by himself, heading up to his new penthouse apartment.

He made his way through the front door with a grunt, careful not to drop any of his presents before heading to his room and flopping onto his bed. Despite all this time, saying goodbye still wasn't any easier. The time they had spent together had flown by. It was hard to believe she was gone already.

He held up his arm and looked at the bracelet Vanellope gave him. His eyes were drawn to the candy cane bead. He reached up and gently pressed it with his fingers, and his best friend materialized next to his bed, wearing a Santa Claus hat.

"Hey Ralph, I remember one Christmas, a few years ago, after Gene was being a jerk one night, I found you at home. You practically barricaded yourself in your house and I couldn't get you to come out, so I decided to start singing Christmas carols. Just to see if I could find your favorite and I did!"

Vanellope smiled bashfully and Ralph felt himself relax. He wasn't sure why, but sound was a big comfort for him. Crickets were what helped him sleep on his stump, after that is was the creaking floorboards in his house. Now, it was the voice of his best friend.

"So, I'm going to sing it for you, in case you ever need a pick me up for the holidays and I'm not around."

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen

But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose and if you ever saw it you would even say it glows…

Ralph sighed and shut his eyes, listening to his friend's voice as he drifted off to sleep.

…

A.N-Sorry this obvious Christmas special was so late! I still hope you guys like it! Who remembers the House of Mouse? I loved that show, especially the Christmas special. I hope it becomes a legit restaurant at one of the Disney Parks one day. The Roll Call song was tough because I haven't seen any of the classic princess movies (except for Mulan) so I hope I did a good job with each of the verses. Rhyming and song writing is tough! Next time we're flipping back to Vanellope's perspective, hope to see you all there! Until next time! Thanks for reading.