Archive of Our Own

There were many opportunities for students to get to know each other at Night Raven College. From clubs and committees to Halloween week; to classes and dorm activities to Beans’ Day’s chaos, they could intermingle and have fun with others from their dorm and outside, from their classmates to their upper and lower classmen. One of the events that the first-years in particular look forward to is the end of the year amusement park trip.

“I wanted to come here with waka-sama!”

“I’m sure you can come with him next time, Sebek-kun.”

“Gisneyland has a lot of interesting souvenirs but...the prices....”

“Deuce, can I see the map?”

“Here. There are a few souvenir shops around this area. I wonder what I should get my mom.”

“Just get her a keychain and be done with it.”

“I want to get her something nicer than that, Ace!”

“Too troublesome,” Ace scoffed much to Deuce’s annoyance. “Get her something simple. Why make such a big deal out of it?”

“It’s not like we have many chances to come here so of course I want to get her something good,” Deuce replied sharply. “Aren’t you going to get your parents something?”

“No need. We’ve been here a bunch of times when I was little,” Ace answered with a shrug. “They have all the basics, y’know? The popcorn lanterns, the dumb headbands, the branded mugs...it all gets old fast and everything is overpriced too.”

“I think it’s quite nice to get a souvenir for your family even if you’ve been here before,” Epel said as they walked by some shops. He peeked over. “Coming from a village in the country, we don’t get these kinds of things so it’s a nice surprise for everyone.”

“I will purchase waka-sama the grandest item here!” Sebek announced loudly, holding a determined fist in front of his chest. “I’m sure he will appreciate it with open arms! But of course, it must fit his image perfectly! I cannot get anything that will disgrace him!”

“We can go shopping later,” Jack said. He glanced around the amusement park. “We have to beat the lines if we want to do anything.”

“I agree,” Epel quickly looked back at them. “I heard the Spiral Crusader was incredibly popular so we should line up.”

“But the go karts are where it’s at!” Deuce protested, taking a look at the map to find it. “It’s not that far from here.”

“Neither is the Test Your Strength!” Jack argued, pointing to a spot on the map. “We need to get there before the prizes are gone!”

“Such ridiculousness!” Sebek exclaimed, aghast by all their suggestions. “Obviously, we should enjoy ourselves on the Merry-Go-Round.”

Everyone stopped and stared at Sebek. He was smiling smugly, proud of himself.

“The Merry-Go-Round?”

“Really?”

“Sebek-kun, that’s a little…”

“Lame.”

“All of you don’t have any taste!” Sebek yelled, catching the attention of other people walking by. “None of your activities are anywhere as good as the Merry-Go-Round.”

“What are you talking about?” Jack stepped forward, getting close to Sebek’s face. “The Test Your Strength is a competition to show that you’re man, better than everyone else! Obviously it’s the best.”

“Hey, guys…” Ace began. He could sense the tension in the air.

“What do you mean?” Deuce replied with a shake of his head. “The go karts are all about speed. It takes real skill to drive them and win.”

“Guys, calm down—”

“Rollercoasters have speed and can swerve around!” Even Epel was getting heated with this debate. “There are so many types and so many different loops, how can they not be the best?!”

“All are good—”

“Mine’s the best!” The other four shouted indignantly and Ace gave up.

He sighed.

“Why don’t we just do all of them since we have time?” Ace reasoned. He wanted to have fun but he wouldn’t with this group if they were this high-strung. “It satisfies everyone, right?”

“That’s a good idea!” Epel nodded. He grinned. “Then everyone can see that rollercoasters are the best.”

“No, the go karts!”

“Test Your Strength!”

“Merry-Go-Ro—”

“DEFINITELY NOT.”

“Let’s just go! I don’t care where!” Ace said, trying to catch their attention. “Where to?”

“Go karts!”

“Test Your Strength!”

“Merry-Go-Round!”

“Rollercoasters!”

Ace sighed once more. They had only gotten there but he felt exhausted already.

This was going to be a long day.

Go Karts

The need for speed, taking the controls in your hands, guiding the vehicle through its speed and direction, it was something Deuce had loved since he was young. It was exhilarating to feel the rumble of the car (and ideally, the Magical Wheel) underneath him and be able to go as fast as he could without worrying about the repercussions.

Go karts were definitely the best.

“Jack, why aren’t you getting in a kart?” Deuce asked, noticing that Jack had stepped back and walked to the other side of the fence. They were almost near the front of the line when Jack decided that he was going to leave. How was Deuce going to prove that go karts were better than everything else if one of them didn’t even get in one?

“I’ll see if it’s truly the best when I race it!” Jack grinned, pointing to his chest with his thumb.

“You have to get into the go kart to race,” Ace pointed out with Deuce furiously nodding in agreement.

Jack huffed. “Are you telling me I can’t beat you in the go kart?”

“You need to be in the go kart to at least try to win!” Deuce replied in confusion. How was Jack going to race out there?

“Wait a minute…” Ace narrowed his eyes. He sighed. “Are you going to race, like, you’re going to run?”

“Of course,” Jack said with determination. “What’s a better way to judge the value of something than to compete with it?”

“That’s not—”

“Leave it, Deuce,” Ace pushed him forward. “We’re almost there.”

Deuce frowned. They finally got to the front and were prepared to get in their karts. Deuce ran up to the pitstop and grabbed a helmet, knowing exactly which was his size. He went to the blue kart near the front, getting ready in no time.

“Alright!” Deuce heard Epel yell excitedly, glad that someone else was excited. “Let’s get going—”

There was silence. Deuce turned to the kart on his right where Epel was sitting. He stayed still in the seat, head down, and he could only see his hair covering his eyes.

“I…” Deuce was sure he heard him mumble, “...can’t reach the pedals.”

No one spoke, feeling tension in the air. Ace, from in front of Epel, broke it by laughing so hard, Deuce thought his head was going to pop off. Epel’s face got red and he slammed his hand on the go kart, sitting up.

“Ace, ya better shut yer trap!”

As if Jack knew what was going to happen, he suddenly appeared after cutting the line and grabbed Epel. He held him back when he got out of the kart to punch Ace and Epel was dragged out but not without saying a variety of colourful profanities.

“Ace, don’t be rude!” Deuce scolded. He saw him wipe a tear from his eye but he didn’t stop snickering.

“You’re disrupting our time on the track, making us lag behind!” Sebek yelled from in front of Deuce. He was so loud, it was like he was right next to him. “We have to get this over with so we can move onto the Merry-Go-Round!”

“Got it, got it. You’re too loud,” Ace turned back to the wheel. “Let’s start then!”

The engines started going. Deuce could feel his blood boiling, anxious to drive. He remembered when he was little and his mother was the one to drive the go karts with him in the seat next to her. He never got a chance to do it on his own but the memory of driving and racing with his mother remained in his heart. 

They got the signal to start and they started trickling out slowly. He saw Jack and Epel behind the fence from the corner of his eyes, already running though Epel was still yelling angrily. He was anticipating zooming past them to show them that go karts were much better than what they wanted to do!

But he didn’t.

In fact, nobody did.

Deuce waited for Sebek’s green kart in front of him to finally move. He was taking an awfully long time for him to get going so he thought that maybe Sebek just wasn’t used to driving a go kart or something was wrong with it. After a few more moments and hearing Sebek’s loud (how?!) humming, Deuce’s impatience grew.

“Sebek!” Deuce yelled. He could hear frustrated people behind him. Sebek happened to be driving right in the middle of the track so if anyone tried to pass him, they would wind up going off-road. “Step on it!”

“We need to be safe!” Sebek declared. “We must be cautious. What if we hit something? What if we go off track and end up in the hospital? I can’t possibly get myself injured when I have to protect waka-sama.”

“YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.”

Test Your Strength

“When you’re on a track like that, you go as fast as you can! It’s a race.”

“One needs to follow the rules of the road, human.”

“Rules of the road?!” Deuce placed a fist in his palm, ready to throw a punch. Ace immediately grabbed him, trying to hold him back. “That’s not the goal of go karts!”

“Oi, Deuce, calm down!” Ace commanded. He was slowly being dragged before he looked over at Jack. “Help me here!”

Jack sighed. The race didn’t end up exactly how he envisioned. He easily completed his laps before the others because of the traffic jam so he felt a little cheated. He walked over and grabbed Deuce’s shoulder, easily making him stay in place. They had to figure out a way to focus Deuce’s anger somewhere else.

“I got it,” Jack suddenly stated, an idea coming to him. He smirked. “We can settle it the best way we can here: a competition.”

“The race was a competition and look what happened!”

“There are other ways to compete, some definitely more manlier and shows your strength too,” Jack replied. This was the perfect opportunity to get them to enjoy his activity. If Deuce was all riled up, and Sebek was – was Sebek, then they would be able to get into it. “Follow me.”

Jack, Epel and Sebek went on ahead while Deuce and Ace lagged behind. He could hear grumbling from Deuce, and Ace was scolding him this time.

They went further from the rides and into the games section instead. There were many people at the different places, taking a shot at winning the large stuffed toys hanging from the ceiling of each booth. It was thriving and bustling with tension, followed by cries of victory, or groans of failure.

Jack was looking forward to the former.

The pack arrived at their destination with Jack leading them. There was a crowd surrounding it, a single person in the centre with a large hammer in their hands. When he lifted it up, there was a stutter; he took a step back before thrusting himself forward and slamming the end of the mallet head on the base. They watched as a light went up the tower, flashing next to the numbers to indicate the man’s strength. It fell short of a third of it before falling back down. At the top of the tower, a large flash of ‘22’ appeared.

“Ahhh! Too bad!” The operator laughed as he grabbed the mallet. “Not even a dent! Try again next time, good sir. Who will be our next challenger? Remember, if you score within the eighties, you get a nifty prize; in the nineties, an amazing prize. If you get 100...who knows?! No one has achieved that yet! Step right up and let us see what separates the men from the boys!”

“I’ll go!” Jack announced with an arm up. The operator scanned him up and down, a large grin on his face as he was handed the money.

“A challenger! You look quite strong, young lad! Do you think you can win the grand prize?”

“Of course,” Jack said confidently. He grabbed the mallet, weighing it in his hands first. It was heavy but he’s lifted heavier before during his training. He wielded it above his head, lowered his arms and struck the bottom.

It went up much higher than the other competitor, going up a good portion before falling back down. The red lights twinkled brightly as ‘88’ shone overhead.

“Amazing!” The operator exclaimed. The crowd around them started clapping and Jack turned to his companions, a pleased grin on his face. “Now, let’s take a look at the prizes and you can choose the one you want!”

The prizes weren’t anything special but Jack chose a small plush wolf that came on a keychain. He could probably give it to his sister as a gift. He would have to find his brother something at the gift shop too so he had to think carefully.

He returned to the group, proud of his small prize. Although it wasn’t the result he wanted and he was sure he would be able to get that grand prize after a few more tries, he could see that the fire Deuce had was on him, Epel was grinning at the challenge, and Sebek was trying hard not to look intrigued.

“I’ve set a pretty high bar,” Jack smirked, looking at each one of them to watch their expression. “Let’s see if you can beat me.”

“Of course!”

Deuce went up first. He paid for his turn and grabbed the mallet, a little unstable when he first picked it up but found his footing after testing its weight. He took a step forward to brace himself before raising the hammer high above his head and then striking it down.

‘78’

“So close!” The operator called out.

Deuce huffed and reached in his pocket for his wallet. “Again!”

“Human, step aside!” Sebek shouted. He beat Deuce to handing his money over. “It’s my turn!”

Sebek grabbed the mallet from Deuce. He lifted it up to test to the weight before shifting his legs so they were shoulder-width apart. He bent his knees, bracing himself, and Jack looked on in confusion at his stance. He held the hammer close to the bottom as if he was holding a sword and Jack wondered if that was even going to be effective.

Sebek raised his arms and slammed the mallet down. They watched as the light went up, then back down, revealing a ‘79’.

“No! That is incorrect!” Sebek yelled angrily. He pointed to the tower. “This machine is rigged! I demand a more accurate one!”

“Nah, it’s fair! Sorry you didn’t get the prize but that happens,” The operator replied. He took the mallet away from Sebek. “Anyone else up for the challenge?”

“I would like to try.” Epel raised a hand.

Jack watched as he walked over and paid, accepting the mallet before it fell to the ground with a loud thud. Epel looked startled, staring at the mallet. He bent down and picked it up, arms shaking a little and taking a few steps back before balancing himself once more. 

“A…” Epel began to speak. He raised the mallet up, arms still quivering, “ACE TRAPPOLAAAA!”

Ace squeaked next to Jack as Epel threw his entire body with the mallet, hitting the bottom.

They all watched as the light zoomed up quickly, much further than expected. It finally slowed down at one point and then fell back.

The tower shone with the number ‘82’.

“Yeah!” Epel cheered happily, turning to the shocked operator. “I get a prize, right?”

“Y-you certainly do.” The operator chuckled. He showed Epel the prizes and he picked one before making his way back to them. He held up the small keychain with a plush rabbit. He was smiling pleasantly. “I feel much better after that!”

“What was up with that, Epel?!” Ace asked, staring incredulously at him. “Why did you call out my name like that? Are you still angry? I apologized already!”

“And I forgive you, Ace-kun,” Epel continued to smile though it dropped slightly, eyes becoming sharp. “However, I thought that channeling some anger and adrenaline might help bring out some more strength. Seeing as you were the one I was most recently angry with, I just imagined the target was your head and it seemed to have worked!”

Jack felt sorry for Ace, looking as he paled in fear. Although small and dainty looking, Jack does have to admit that the way Epel said that so innocently was scary enough.

Merry-Go-Round

“Do not be disappointed, human!” Sebek said as they walked away from Test Your Strength. Ace looked annoyed. “A mere 36 is disappointing, yes—”

“Shut up, Sebek.”

“—but we are off to the next ride, the noblest of all!” Sebek’s eyes sparkled as they reluctantly followed him. He walked much faster than them, feelings of smugness and joy as they passed the gigantic swing ride, the dropping tower, and the pirate ship. All of them were high in velocity but what was the goal? To make one’s heart and stomach lurch up to their throat, causing a complete mess? To make one so dizzy that they wouldn’t be able to stand anymore?

One must always stay alert and stay proud.

“Lame.”

“Slow.”

“Boring.”

“All of you are wrong!” Sebek scowled as they made it to the front of the line in no time. Of course, the Merry-Go-Round was obviously popular but they had many seats so more people could go up at once. This just happened to be the one time there weren’t as many people! “Ride upon the noble steeds and enjoy.”

“Too troublesome,” Ace said as he rubbed the back of his neck. Sebek frowned as Ace avoided the horses and continued walking. “I’ll just sit in the sle—”

“You shall not!” Sebek yelled, causing Ace to stop with one foot in the air. “That spot is for the most profound, the most grand, the most royal of them all: Malleus-sama!”

“He’s not even here.” Ace argued. He gestured around them; children and their parents stared at the five teenage boys. “No one else is taking it so it’s fine!”

“Coward.” Sebek huffed and pointed his nose up. “A human like you would never be able to sacrifice yourself for your master, flaunting proudly as he defends him, and show the world that their master is the best.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t.” Ace replied and he promptly sat down in the sleigh much to Sebek’s horror. “It sounds like such a pain.”

“How dare—”

“Excuse me, sir,” A woman dressed in the park’s uniform came up to them. She seemed a little hesitant, looking up at Sebek’s tall form. “Please choose your seat quickly. We are about to begin.”

Sebek gawked before turning to Ace who just grinned. Grumbling, he grabbed the reins of one of the fake horses and pulled himself up with ease. Deuce, Jack, and Epel all followed on different horses surrounding the sleigh.

The ride began and Sebek felt calm as the horse went up and down in a steady beauty, the music was cheerful and fun yet majestic at the same time. He wished he had his sword with him so he could point it forward, imagining leading an army because he knew one day he would. He will lead them into battle, defending Malleus’ honour and he will be praised for his good work and Malleus would smile at him, kind like always, and give him a head pat.

The ride was unfortunately quick. He got off his horse and was about to suggest they go again when he saw Ace sleeping in his seat. Even Deuce, Jack, and Epel seemed to be nodding off despite their positions.

Sebek pursed his lip, feeling his voice rumble.

“WAKE UP!”

Rollercoaster

“How dare you all! The noblest of rides and you just fall asleep?!”

“I’m sorry, Sebek-kun,” Epel apologized. The muscles in his face tensed as he tried to hold back the yawn. The other three, on the other hand, didn’t even try. “We all did wake up early for this trip.”

“You should’ve been bursting with energy!” Sebek scolded. “We were on the most exciting of rides!”

“There was nothing exciting about it,” Jack said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Sort of unmanly if you ask me.”

“It is certainly manly!”

“Um…” Epel was surprised when everyone’s eyes turned to them, a little more alert than a few minutes ago. He gave a nervous laugh under their gazes. “I would like to suggest my ride now if that’s alright.”

“As long as it’s better than the Merry-Go-Round, sure,” Ace replied with a shrug, looking pointedly at Sebek.

Sebek’s face became red. “The Merry-Go-Round is a perfectly good ride!”

“If you’re four.”

“Then let’s go,” Epel smiled. He took out a map from his pocket, locating where they were and how far it was to get to their next ride. “We should probably eat lunch before we go. It’s that time of day. On the way to the Spiral Crusader, there’s an area with lots of restaurants.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Deuce peered over Epel’s shoulder and nodded in agreement.

All of the restaurants were incredibly busy, worse than the rides. Of course, it was lunchtime so there was no chance for them to get in in a timely manner. They all looked around, checking the signs for the waiting times before settling on Michael Maus’ Magical Munchies , waiting for forty minutes.

The food was, as expected, expensive. Epel’s eyes popped out as he looked at the prices. There weren’t as many pictures so he couldn’t gauge at how big each item was. Being from the countryside, he had only heard stories about Gisneyland and it’s magical world. He didn’t expect something as essential as food to be so expensive.

His family had kindly sent him some extra money when he mentioned they were going as a first-year trip but he felt guilty spending so much. He should go for the cheapest item and save more for souvenirs later.

Everyone else ate heartily with burgers, pizza, and fries. Once they finished and paid, they made their way over to the Spiral Crusader. The line was long and intense, much worse than any of the others they had encountered so far. As they made their way through the line, they watched it zip by above their head, screams intensifying as it went through the quadruple loops. Epel was sure that he saw something sparkle in the light and fly out of one of the cars.

“That—” Epel looked up at Jack and was surprised to see him noticeably pale. His lips formed a tight line as if he was holding back something. “That’s quite a ride.”

“I heard it was the fastest ride in the world.” Epel said as he flipped through the map, finding some information on the back of the pamphlet. “It can reach a total of 250km per hour, has a slope that drops 130 degrees and instead of slowing down at the loops, it accelerates. It’s considered one of the most intense experiences you can ever have as of last year.”

“Whoa,” Ace looked up in awe. “That’s awesome. Can’t wait to actually get on it, right, Deu—eh? What’s wrong with you?”

Epel glanced over and saw that it wasn’t only Jack that was pale. Deuce and even Sebek didn’t look too well. He wondered if there was something wrong with the food that they just ate.

“N-nothing!” Deuce exclaimed. He shook his head and Epel could see his energy return. “This will be great! Magical Wheels aren’t as fast so I want to know what this will feel like!”

“Heh…” Ace began. He raised an eyebrow then smirked. “You guys aren’t scared, are you?”

“Of course not!” All three of them yelled causing the other two to jump.

“Something so fast should not be allowed!” Sebek finally said as they approached the front of the line. “Only waka-sama can be as quick, as agile! This is an insult!”

“Yes, yes,” Ace brushed off with a wave. He got into his seat next to Deuce in the middle. Epel and Jack took the front and Sebek was in the back.

Loud sounds locked them in their place and Epel’s body buzzed with excitement. The rollercoaster started and they swerved slowly before reaching the first incline. He couldn’t help but grin as they leaned back, the top of the hill obscured by the bright sun so it looked like it was endless. Even with Sebek in the back, he could hear him complaining though his voice sounded a little more nervous than usual.

When they reached the top, they could see the entire park. Epel could see the go kart tracks, the games area, and even the large Merry-Go-Round. The Ferris Wheel was further away but stood majestically and the pirate ship was swinging back and forth, and he could hear their screams.

Or perhaps that was just Sebek’s premature ones.

“LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!”

“Ace…” Epel heard Deuce from behind him. “I’m sorry.”

“What do—UWAH, DEUCE?!”

There was a deep grunt from Deuce but that was all Epel could catch as the rollercoaster went down, starting their journey.

He screamed, not because of fear, but because it was as the rumours said – intense. If it wasn’t for the seatbelts, Epel would be flying as he was already floating up from the seat. Everyone around him was screaming, even Jack’s low voice could be heard as they went through the loops. Epel almost laughed because it was incredible – he never experienced anything like that!

He was disappointed when they finished their ride. His hair was a mess, covering parts of his vision. He didn’t bother adjusting it, getting out of his seat and getting off, waiting for his companions as they all staggered out.

“Deuce, what the hell?” Ace angrily yelled. He came out and Epel could see his pants and shoes stained with…

Oh.

“I’m sorry, Ace.”

“You couldn’t have just held it in?!”

“ You try holding it in!”

“Am I dead?” Sebek asked as he collapsed onto the floor. “I’m so sorry for failing you, waka-sama…”

“M-maybe—” Jack’s voice was hoarse which caught Epel’s attention. He looked rather normal but he was sure there was sweat going down his cheek even though the wind should’ve dried it. Jack gave a cough but his voice didn’t fully return. “We should go rest somewhere.”

Epel slowly turned back to the other three, examining the situation.

He merely nodded.

Ferris Wheel

Ace returned back to the bench where the others were resting. He had tried to wash all Deuce’s lunch off him with varying levels of success. Although most of the stains were washed off, he could still smell the remnants of pizza and hamburgers. If he was going to walk around the rest of the park like that, no one was letting him in.

Gross.

“I’m heading to the gift shop,” Ace announced. Deuce, Jack, and Sebek were sitting there, all of them looking like they fought through a Magic Shift game alone, and somehow survived until the finals. Epel stood, handing them all some energy drinks from the vending machine. “Gonna get some new clothes. Deuce, give me money for it.”

“Ehh…”

“Whose the one who did this to me?”

Deuce said nothing. He slowly took out his wallet and handed Ace some madols. Ace made his way to the gift store, trying to find a new t-shirt and pair of pants so he could immediately change into.

He managed to find one and went back to the washroom to change, throwing his clothes in the gift store’s bag and in his backpack. The rest of the group had congregated to the gift store with most of their energy returning.

“Do you think a snack would be good to send back to my family?” Epel asked as he looked at the boxes, examining the ingredients. “It won’t last long and I want my family to have something that will stay with them.”

“Both are good. Maybe it’s good to get something useful like a mug or gloves,” Deuce said as he looked at a different set of snack. “But they are quite pricey…”

“I want to get something for my parents and grandma, but many of my neighbours have never been outside the village before…” Epel frowned. “Perhaps snacks are better.”

“They come in large packs, so that should be good.” Jack stated as he lifted up the biggest box. “They’re not too expensive either.”

“I like this mug for my mom,” Deuce accepted with a nod. “I think she’ll like those Willimina Maus ears too. Are you getting something for your family, Jack?”

“I think my sister will appreciate the wolf toy I won earlier so I’ll get something else for my brother.”

Sebek returned while they were still browsing with a large bag in his hand. They continued going through the various gift stores around the area and despite the fact that most of them had bought enough, Sebek kept charging through and coming out with another new bag.

“Waka-sama deserves the very best,” He announced proudly, taking out a pair of Boofy ears. “Lilia-sama told me that he loves Boofy so I’m excited to give these to him.”

“Um…” Ace glanced at the others. Nobody seemed to want to bring up that it might be a little off if the great Malleus Draconia wore a pair of floppy dog ears on his head, especially since he had horns that could get in the way. Sebek looked too excited and probably wouldn’t listen to them anyways.

The sun was setting and they were going to leave soon, their trip almost finished. Ace looked up at the sky, the warm oranges and pinks fading into the dark blue. Stars started appearing but the moon was not seen yet.

“Hey,” Ace began. They had been heading towards the gaming area when he began talking. “Let’s head to one more ride, yeah?”

Deuce, Jack, and Sebek immediately frowned. Epel smiled. “That sounds good!”

“W-which ride?” Deuce asked tentatively. He scanned Ace up and down, “One...that won’t cause a mess, right?”

“Of course not! Do you think I’m stupid enough to go through that again?” Ace rolled his eyes. “I hear the Ferris Wheel is supposed to be good at night, and now that the sun is setting, it should be even better.”

The three of them visibly sighed in relief.

“That...doesn’t sound so bad,” Jack responded.

“The Ferris Wheel is still a very good choice,” Sebek acknowledged. “It’s very relaxing.”

“And it’s pretty high up so there’s still some excitement,” Epel stated. Looks like they were all in agreement.

The line for the Ferris Wheel wasn’t too bad. The gondolas for these particular ones could hold up to six people so it moved quite quickly. The group settled into one and it began, swaying slightly causing Deuce, Jack, and Sebek to tense up before relaxing once more at it’s slow motion.

Ace watched them as they got higher, the sunset reflecting off the ocean that surrounded the island. There were gasps and coos as they marvelled in the brilliant colours, birds flying as small shadows in the air.

“The park!”

They all turned to the other side to see the various coloured lights from all the games, restaurants, and rides shining, creating a mesmerizing rainbow. Ace remembered when he was young and his family came, how amazing it was the first time he saw it. As a kid, he didn’t want to go on the Ferris Wheel, preferring to go on the fast rides, the ones that made you dizzy, and play the games for the gigantic prizes.

But the Ferris Wheel…

He looked at everyone’s faces of wonderment. They were all still learning to ride brooms properly and all of them wanted to ride them fast. Whether they could do it successfully or not, they weren’t able to enjoy such a view.

It truly was the best.

The ride finished after fifteen minutes and everyone felt invigorated even though they should all be exhausted. Ace grinned, remembering the entire day, from Sebek’s safe driving and Jack’s insistent racing, to Epel’s surprising power to – he forgot what happened after that – and Deuce’s mess that he’ll make him pay for further in the future.

“That was nice,” Deuce said. They were heading back to the main gate where they had to meet with the rest of their class. “That was a good way to end the day.”

“It was the best, wasn’t it?” Ace asked with a grin. “The sunset, the park…you could see everything and enjoy things at your own pace.”

“Yeah,” Epel agreed. “The sight was fantastic!”

Epel suddenly paused. He looked over at Ace. “Ace-kun, we missed your turn. We didn’t get to do your favourite ride or play your favourite game, did we? I’m sorry, it’s because everyone was still recovering after the Spiral Crusader…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Ace replied, hiding his smirk. “I had a good time anyways – considering some things.”

“I apologized already!”

Ace laughed, unable to help himself.

A wild day ended in the most perfect of ways; no competition, no humiliation, and no accidents.

It was obvious: he won.