There's Nopony I'd Rather Be Than Me

by Tatsurou


Aftermath

The celebration of Moony being saved and her growing to a new level of power had lasted well through the day and into the night. Mary had gone all out in her baking, since she'd decided to make a cake Moony could swim in but Felix had mentioned she'd gotten bigger without saying how much bigger. As a result, Mary had presented a cake big enough for Ralph to swim in, made in Sugar Rush and having a pool of liquid chocolate in the center for swimming in. This promptly turned into a game of cake-chicken, where everyone climbed into the pool of chocolate and drank from the infinite fountain in the center, while also taking bites out of the cake holding the chocolate in, with the loser being the last to take a bite before the pool collapsed outward. They played this game several times, constantly spilling out to cover Tapper's bar in liquid chocolate, as each time Felix repaired the cake with his hammer, restoring it to its original condition.

"Say Felix," Ralph had asked the first time he'd done this, "how come you didn't do that to our 30 year anniversary cake when I accidentally smashed it?"

"I didn't know it worked on baked goods until I went to Sugar Rush," Felix replied apologetically.

That had gotten several laughs, although it might have been because everyone was starting to get punchy on the special root beer Tapper had broken out just for this party. The place was jumping, quite literally. The arcade cabinet was actually bouncing back and forth slightly from the force of their revelry, at least until Litwak - relieved that everything had turned out okay - came out of the office and sat on it.

Litwak, for his part, decided to join in on the celebratory side of things, having pulled out a beer and some Krispy Kreme donuts to indulge. Not for the first time, he wished there was a way to join in on the world inside the games, if only for a single day, just to meet all these wonderful characters in person for once.

The more he looked at the changes in Nightmare Moon, however, the more certain he became that there might just be a way to do that someday. He hoped he'd still be around when the time came.

As the clock ticked away, he yawned. "I think that's enough, fellas," he said, tapping Tapper's screen. "You'd best all get home and sleep it off. I know I need to. Got a new game coming in tomorrow. Want to make them all feel welcome." Turning, he headed out, locking up behind him.

All the sprites in the game looked at each other in surprise. For most of the veteran sprites who had been there a long time, one thought made itself heard in nervousness. "How long was he there?"

Wily chuckled as he downed his last glass. "Don't worry about it," he told everyone easily. "Litwak's known at some level that there's more going on behind the screens than we let on ever since Turbo went...well, Turbo. Besides, he cleared out the arcade to give us a clear area to work in for saving Nightmare Moon. He's firmly on our side in this."

As everyone was at least somewhat tipsy, this was readily accepted. "Alright," Ralph said, standing a little unsteadily. "Let's...let's go home, Moony."

Nightmare Moon smiled as she stood, not at all unsteady as she'd passed on the special root beer. She didn't want to accidentally de-rezz someone while inebriated. "Yes, Daddy...let's go home..."


Nightmare had to hold Ralph up with her magic once they actually made it back to Niceland, he was staggering so much as he walked. She couldn't tell if it was the special roots, too much sugar, or adrenaline crash and relief from having her back safe and sound.

As she let him down in their little hut in the junkyard, his falling impact caused the hut to collapse inward around him. Rolling her eyes and chuckling, she seized every brick in her magic and reassembled the hut, a bit sturdier than it was before. She paused as she gazed at the door, realizing how much she'd changed.

Before she had her growth spurt, she had been a little shorter than the Nicelanders, about the same height as the Sugar Rush racers, and most other sprites. Now she was easily double her former height, and filled out all around. She wasn't adorable as she had been before, but looking at her reflection in a nearby lake, she had to admit she was still cute. Possibly even spunky, like how Ralph described Vanellope.

Thankfully, Dream Eater had always been quite roomy. She'd be a little cramped riding inside it, but it mostly responded to her magic rather than any actual controls, so it wasn't like she had to move except to get in and out...and occasionally snap at a recalcitrant player. She was more concerned about how being a bigger target would affect her play in other games, and what new powers she had to bring to bear in this, which she still considered her home game...at least for now.

She knew Litwak had written something about her original game, clues that Wily and Uncle were tracking down. She knew when it was found, she'd have to go back to it. ...she hoped it would be in Litwak's arcade, so she could visit everyone.

Sighing sadly, she stepped into the hut. Since she was still small enough to do so, she curled up on Ralph's chest, resting his big hand on her back. It was too small to be a proper blanket now, though. She shivered, but not from the cold.

"...you alright Moony?' Ralph asked groggily.

She thought for a time. "Daddy?" she asked softly. "Will...will you always be my Daddy?"

Ralph nodded, yawning. "Course Moony," he mumbled through his yawn. "Always..."

"And...we'll always be together?" she asked.

"Always..." Ralph promised sleepily. "I promise..."

"Even when I go back to my own game?" she asked worriedly. "Even if...it's not in the arcade? And I can never come back?" She sniffled, struggling to hold back tears.

Ralph blinked up at the moon through the skylight he didn't remember the hut having. "Always, Moony," he replied finally. "Because even if you won't be here..." He wrapped one arm around her in a hug. "You'll always be here..." He tapped his chest over his heart with his other hand. "And I'll always be here." He tapped her barrel, right by her heart.

Nightmare Moon blinked away tears, then buried her face in Ralph's chest, sniffling. "...I love you, Daddy," she whispered softly.

"Love you too, Moony," he whispered back.

And they both slept.