It was a perfectly ordinary day at the arcade. The kids were playing eagerly. The games were running smoothly. Stan Litwak sat back in his office, glancing between the security camera feed and his browsing of the internet. With all the attention Nightmare Moon had brought the arcade, he had actually considered increasing hours the arcade was open just to tend all the people who wanted to play. This was a debate because he wasn't sure how much he wanted to cut in on the sprite's down time. Especially not after last week.
With the news of how successful the arcade had gotten, a few thugs had broken in after hours with the intent of breaking into the safe and making off with the week's profits, which had become quite substantial by now. The thugs had been found hiding in the back room, huddled in a corner, screaming about how the Queen of the Night would eat them for trespassing on her sacred home ground. Nobody knew exactly what had happened, as the security cameras had shut themselves down the moment the lock had been picked. However, everyone agreed that the Nightmare Moon sprite looked unusually smug over the next few days, no matter what game she appeared in. Also, a few of the games had shifted position slightly, as had several less heavy objects, but that was attributed to the thugs. Even Litwak didn't want to entertain the possibility that the sprites - Nightmare Moon especially - could influence the world outside the games.
As he browsed the net looking for new locks, new security systems, and exorcists just in case, he noticed a strange flicker to his screen. "Huh?" he asked in confusion. "Somebody in there up to something?"
Moments later, the screen flashed, and lines of code streamed across the screen in a strange manner. "What the-?" Litwak banged the side of his computer, trying to figure out what just happened.
Shouts of confusion from out in the arcade caught his attention. Turning, he saw that all the games' screens were flashing and glitching. "Oh no..." he moaned. He didn't know what was happening, but he had to figure out some way to fix it...or hope the sprites could fix it.
Nightmare Moon was taking a break between games, sipping a root beer float made with ice cream from Sugar Rush and root beer from Tapper's through a twirly straw, relaxing her wings after a rather intense campaign in Soul Calibur. She knew she was technically still on the clock, but she wasn't part of the campaign mode unless she was selected as the player character, so she could afford a break.
As a result, she was the first to see the wave coming in through the connection to Litwak's computer. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It resembled a giant worm surrounded by living code, and it seemed to be trying to take bites out of Game Central Station.
She staggered back briefly, dropping her float. The crash of the glass hitting the floor snapped her out of her fear. If it came through Litwak's computer, then it came from the internet, and that meant it was her job to handle, hers and others. "Anti-viral Squad!" she bellowed in her Royal Voice. "Incursion! Repeat, full incursion! Squad members to me! Cybugs, prepare for backup!"
The voice echoed through all the games, and the urgency was backed up as the worm took a bite out of the surge protector hologram, causing the power supply to all the games to flicker momentarily before he repaired himself.
Cybugs poured out of Hero's Duty, their eyes black as the Beacon Hum filled the air. Members of the AVS - and every sprite with combat prowess - poured out of their game worlds, grabbing the weaponry that Wily pulled out of every cache hidden around Game Central Station and in several games.
The worm turned, seeming confused. The living code around it took shape as it lashed out, taking the form of strange black bats. They flowed forward to attack.
All sprites with long ranged weapons focused their attack on the worm. Those who were close range fighters focused on the bats. Sonic led that charge, dashing between the bats and confusing them as they tried to follow his movements, only to get struck in the back from the less speedy close range fighters. Nightmare Moon focused on the code the worm was generating, using her code damaging lightning to sheer chunks of it off, which Wily captured and contained for later study and disposal.
Stan could only stare in amazement at his computer screen. Bits and pieces of the screen full of code had been sheared away, revealing the view of the battle going on he knew not where. He saw the sign reading 'Game Central Station', and realized this must be some sort of 'in-between' world for the games, somewhere that let the games connect to each other and interact. Seeing the worm, he began to realize what was going on. He'd heard the terms, but had never seen it expressed so literally.
He had been hacked, and somehow the hacker was using his computer to access and attack the games. He had to figure out what the connection was and cut it off, to protect the sprites.
As he watched, his mind racing, he noticed something about the gates. They all looked like power plugs...
Hoping he was guessing right, he lunged for the power strip, seized his laptop's power plug, braced against the strip, and yanked it out.
The gate to Litwak's computer closed quickly, cutting the worm off in the middle. It roared in pain, thrashing around as it slowly began to dissolve. There were cheers as the code around the worm began to break down and the bat creatures it had created dispersed.
Nightmare Moon wasn't ready to cheer, though. She, along with the rest of the AVS, were moving forward to contain what was left. Just because it was no longer actively attacking didn't mean it was no longer dangerous.
"Daddy, help!"
The sound of that voice drew everyone's attention. A little blonde girl in overalls was a little too close to the worm, trying to dodge its thrashes and failing.
"Tara!" Felix shouted in fear, started to rush towards her. He knew he wouldn't be fast enough to save her. He knew this would destroy him and Calhoun. Tara was their first chibi-custom. They couldn't lose her...
Nightmare Moon was faster.
A flash of light, and Nightmare was between Tara and the worm. With a sweep of her wing, the little girl was flung into Felix's arms, completely safe.
"Moony! Watch out!"
At that shout, Nightmare Moon spun, just in time to take the worm's last thrash right to her face. The last thing she saw was a smaller worm breaking off and diving into her horn.
And then everything was black.
Ohhhhh.... shiiiiiiit. this can't be good
Most awesome job Moony!
1: why is this only the first time we're seeing this adorable little sprite? 2: MOONY IS OFFICIALLY A HERO!
Well, I'm guessing Moony is going to 'level up' to fight off the worm attacking her. I hope Wily and Robotnick can work together to track the worm's origin down and destroy the hacker's computer from the inside. Also, they need to take a trip into Litwak's computer and clean it out for him.
There was no part of this chapter I didn't like! I need more!
Oh crap. Nightmare Moon's possibly going to become a potential virus...
Nightmare Nightmare Moon is all I could think of.
IDK why, but I thought that was funny. On a more related note...
[youtube=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgzio7ZKfY]
Oooh dear, don't tell me... It's the hacker from A.I Love You, isn't it?... Oh, right, I'm probably the only one who's ever read that manga... never mind.
Why is a chibi custom in the fight anyway?
6149501
In answer to one...because I didn't have any ideas on how to write her. She appeared sometime in the year of the previous chapter.
6149606
Because youngsters never listen when they're told something's "too dangerous".
YUS!!! FINALLY!!! IMA READ YOU NOW, BEEEEEEYYYYEEEEEEEETTCCH!!!!
Oh balls! D= Moony has been... wormed.
AWESOME JOB!
Ok, so the good news, is that this fic updated. And the bad news, is now we have to wait for the next one....
Have mercy on us and update again soon, please?
Moony is just going to get some awesome worm powers ala Turbo and the cybugs isn't she? Then she'll become the singularity and launch the world into a new golden age of eternal night and it will be awesome because she has infinite problem solving abilities!
...
Hey, it could happen!
I much prefer that to Moony being hurt.
You know, unless this makes her forget anything, NMM isn't going to hurt anyone or anything. After all. Nighty is a good girl.
6149600
You're not the only one. I've actually got the entire series in print on my bookshelf.
6149829 SWEET!
NMM is super powerful, was able to scare of some thugs outside the game by god knows what, and can break code in all the games. And now she has a virus in her, this is going to be a major problem in both the game and nongame world.
I am both pleased and disappointed.
Anywho, for the next hack incursion, you should have it be the Cursed Wave, and have the Eight Phases be bosses. That would be awesome.
Another enjoyable chapter. Great job.
6149600 HEY! I own all of A.I. Love You--its a great manga!...
...I imagine its the sort of Manga Twilight would have enjoyed...
...and then try to program her own coltfriend...
6150017 Double sweet!
OH MOON AND STARS ABOVE!
aspergersathome.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/beln703_5_480x360_2030108368.jpg
CLIFF HANGER!
And suddenly danger...
And Tara... uh... that was kind of out of nowhere don't you think?
Tara... as in Tara Strong? Voice of Twilight Sparkle, Rikku and Timmy Turner? Gasp.
6150152 Hanging from a cliiiiiff! And that's why he's called Cliff Hanger!
Not sure if typo or bad joke.
6149754 it will update in three days, like always
6150277 BUD I DUN WANNA WAAIITTT!!!!!!!
6150328 that matters little, this author has many stories they update on a rotational basis, it is very regular, and i actually like it that way. as they say, dont be hasty...all things come...in time
6150399 Thats because they are conspiring against us! Don't you see it? They're lowering your expectations, playing to your feelings, hooking you in!!! I know for a fact that most authors write 2-3 chapters in advance! But do they post 'em? NOOOOOOOOO!!! They don't!!! They selfishly hoard them, feeding them to us, drip by drip, as we steadily become more and more dependent on our once-every-three-days fix. Do you have any idea how many lives this sort of thing has ruined?? DO YOU?!!?? I knew a guy, who knew a guy's girlfriend, who has an uncle, who has an honorary cousin, who knew a girl who DIED, because an author refused to publish the next chapter. Or something. Wait, that didn't sound right. Was it the guy's friend's girlfriend's uncle's honorary cousin's friend? Or was it guy's girlfriend's friend's uncle's honorary cousin's friend? And wasn't the guy's friend's honorary uncle's friend's cousin's friend the guy's friend's honorary uncle's friend's cousin's girlfriend? Somehow I feel an extra "friend" slipped in that last one. Oh well, the more the merrier!
Why do I have a feeling a Certain group of Pony are responsible?
6150444 well, u started out serious...but then u just got silly!
6150527 Thanks. I'm like that.
Or was I silly the whole way through?
Nopony can tell.
Not even me.
Especially not me.
Not that I'm a pony or anything, no not at all, not me hehe...
.....this was at 666 views when I finished reading....
6149774 It could... but then the story would be kinda lame if she was able to solve everything.
This is a seriously-awesome development of what might have been a purely-silly concept. Congratulations!
6150916 It always sucks when jokes fall flat. Of course I wasn't serious, you're right that it would be an incredibly stupid twist and I knew that when I said it. That was the point. Though in hindsight, I can see why nobody got the joke.
6149662
You know, Moony, they make medicine for that now.
One tincy weincy prob: this makes everything he thought canon in his verse, and makes all his fairy tails true from the get-go. Shouldn't something else happen? Other than worms for a computer?
6151034
If you're referring to Stan's perspective on the game sprites, that will be partially addressed in the next chapter...and further addressed in later chapters.
6151043 ahh. Thought that was a bit hazy.
Welp, time for Moony to level up again.
A few technical notes:
a) Transferring information through power network from arcade games is maybe possible, but from a laptop - it is not. The notebook is connected through an electrical transformer. Transformer, Carl! It remodulates the current, so passing data this way is impossible.
b) Computer viruses are not sprites. They are small sized and contain pure functions. So this visual means that either arcade mechanics rubbed of somehow, or the attacker is somehow arcade himself.
c) Computer viruses DO NOT make things that can give them out to user. Such as screen effects. IF they do, it means all job is done and it is time to get something from the user (usually money), like Winlock virus.
d) Isn't it simpler to shut down the laptop instead?
e) If the worm can infect the sprites, why melee fighters weren't and Moony was affected?
6151017 I am appaled bby the lack of Luna icons O^O
6151369
a) Wreck-it Ralph canon establishes that sprites - which are data constructs - can transfer between games via the power cable and the power strip. I also established earlier that the same mechanic enables the sprites to access Litwak's personal computer the same way. A laptop is no different in that regard. It's just another machine plugged into the power strip.
b) The worm was just a program when it entered the laptop, but when it followed the path the sprites used to access the laptop, it was bound by the arcade world physics.
c) By the time the worm went into Game Central Station, it had already completely corrupted Litwak's laptop hard drive.
d) Possibly, but Litwak isn't tech oriented. He made decisions based on his concept of the world within the games.
e) The worm itself could. The code surrounding the worm, however, wasn't part of the worm program. It was something else.
6150152
You just gave me feels with that picture. I always hated the singing helicopter guys leavin' Cliff hangin'.
If Tara is Tara Strong and she's blonde... somebody is a bad parent if she calls herself Juliet or becomes a zombie-slaying cheerleader. ...Just sayin'.
... Fuck.
Sweet baby Luna on the moon!
#1 they need to take NMM to a vet for worms
#2 fun fact worms can actually live to regenerate after being cut in half