There's Nopony I'd Rather Be Than Me

by Tatsurou


Turbo-tastic

It was an ordinary Monday morning at the arcade. Nightmare Moon sat with Ralph, eating her breakfast of power up pie. Once she finished, she stood up and stretched. "Off to see Zero," she said happily, shaking her ethereal mane.

"So, combatant or spectator today?" Ralph asked.

"Spectator," she replied. "Feeling kinda groggy. My horn aches."

"Sounds like a minor code error," Ralph muttered. "Maybe you should go see Wily-"

"No time," she refused. "Got a schedule to keep. The players are looking forward to seeing me."

Ralph couldn't help but smile. Over her time in the arcade, Moony had developed the same dedication to the players most sprites developed, knowing they were here to give the players an enjoyable experience. Reaching down, he ruffled her mane. "Alright. Have fun, but be careful, okay? Try not to exert yourself too much before closing."

Smiling, she nuzzled his hand in return. "Okay, Daddy," she said softly before turning and racing off to the station. Normally, she'd teleport, but the ache in her horn made anything magical seem like a bad idea at the moment.

The train ride to grand central was uneventful, but once there she staggered, feeling somewhat woozy. She leaned up against a column to rest and let her body relax.

"Feeling alright, little lady?" a high pitched, jovial voice asked.

She looked up, seeing a robed, hooded figure in black that clicked as he walked. "Just a little dizzy," she replied. "I can take a nap in the stage background...when I get to today's game."

"Well, you still need to get there," the figure pointed out, chuckling. "Why don't you let me lend you a hand? Where ya headed?"

She blinked up at him. "I...I don't know you."

"I'm from Eye of the Beholder," the figure replied quickly. "My monster design is one of the more...creative ones. I use the robe to keep from upsetting everyone."

Moony nodded. That made sense. Some of the sprite designs in that game were weird. Which was a pity, since if she didn't look so out of place in it, she'd have liked to appear in the game on occasion. "Marvel vs. Capcom 3," she muttered.

"I'll get you there toot-sweet!" the figure promised, scooping her up in red, clawed hands.

Nightmare nodded as she swayed. Those claws looked like they fit in that game. But something about what he'd said seemed...off, somehow. Especially since he was running along the side of the train tunnel...the wrong tunnel. "Hey, this goes to Hero's Du-"

The claws clamped around her muzzle. "If you know what's good for you, gumdrop, you'll keep quiet and behave. That virus I introduced into you while you were here after closing will have made any of your 'magic powers' painful to use. I need you alive. I don't need you in one piece!"

Nightmare whimpered as the thing that had her leapt into Hero's Duty, leaping from rock outcropping to outcropping until he began scaling the outside of the central tower. She shivered in fear as he took her away to do...whatever he had planned.

Daddy...help! she called silently in her mind.


Daddy...help!

Ralph paused as he brought his fist down towards part of the building. "Moony?" he asked, shocked. He knew for certain he'd just heard her voice...but not in his ears.

"Ralph!" Mary hissed from a nearby window as she set out a power up pie. "Get your head in the game! The player is watching!"

"But...but Moony's in trouble!" he growled back.

"Oh no!" Mary gasped, worried. "But...how do you know?"

"I heard her call me!" he snapped back.

"Ralph, we can't do anything now!" Felix hissed as he bounced from one window to the next at the direction of the player at the controls. "Once we finish the game, we can-"

"Forget the game!" Ralph roared back. "That's my daughter!" With that, he leapt from the building and charged back towards central station.

Felix glanced from where Ralph had gone to the building, and then to the player through the screen. "Oh...sugar cookies, fudge, and darling!" he swore - as close as he came to swearing, anyway - and leapt off the building, charging after him to gather the anti-viral squad.

A great many of the squad theorized that Mr. Litwak was more aware of what went on after closing than he allowed. The little script he'd left unfinished indicated that possibility. Right now, Felix desperately hoped they were right.


"Uncle Litwak! Something's wrong with Fix-it Felix Jr.!"

Stan turned as he heard that complaint. "What do you mean?" he asked as he approached the cabinet. "What's wrong?"

The little girl who'd called - his niece, Lauren - pointed at the screen. "Ralph stopped breaking the building and started arguing with the Nicelanders and Felix. Then he leapt off the building and ran off to the left of the screen. Then Felix followed him."

Stan frowned, glancing to the left. That's where the cord went to plug into the right side of the power strip. The explanation for this behavior was a little too obvious, given his long standing theories and suspicions. "Lauren, I need you to do me a favor," he said softly.

She looked up at him. "What's that, Uncle?"

He slipped something into her hand. "Drop this into the toilet and flush it. Then get back out here and complain about the mess."

Her eyes widened. "You're...clearing the arcade?"

He nodded. "Can you do that for me?"

She nodded eagerly, rushing off to the bathroom. Shortly afterwards, there was an explosion, and she came dashing back out. "Uncle Litwak! The toilet went kablooie!"

Stan acted quickly. "Alright everyone, out of the arcade!" he said quickly. "If there's water leaks, we don't want anyone getting electrocuted. We'll open tomorrow as soon as everything's fixed."

As everyone left pouting, Lauren winked at him.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Really the device only made the water fountain out of the toilet explosively - messy, but not harmful - which would give him the day to let...whatever the sprites needed to do happen. Once he'd locked up, he ducked back into his office and tuned into the security feeds.

"I don't know what's going on," he mumbled to himself, "but whatever you guys need to do here...get to it."

He watched in silence as sprites fled their games, leaving the title screens empty. He hoped things weren't too bad...