DAY THREE
The next morning, everyone got ready and met at the end of the hall where their rooms were.
"We're taking the monorail today guys!" Armin told everyone once they were all there.
"Ooooh! I've never been on a monorail before!" Sasha exclaimed.
"It's basically a train." Armin exclaimed, "It should be fun!"
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Marco said enthusiastically.
Everyone, with Marco and Armin leading of course, made their way out of the automatic doors and onto a walk way leading to the Monorail station. Just like the pathway to get into the hotel, there were torches on the poles that burned brightly. The twelve kids noticed that they weren't alone as a few other people who resided at the hotel were waiting for it as well. After a few minutes, the monorail arrived. It was completely white with the exception of a orange stripe streaking horizontally down it. The machine slowed down to a complete stop and the gates that held the guests back opened. A muffled dinging sound was heard from inside as the doors to the monorail automatically opened. The inside was very big and had blue seats that stretched from one end to the other on opposite ends. Two silver poles stood near the middle of the car. These were used for handrails if there weren't enough sitting room.
"C'mon Connie! Let's get a window seat!" Sasha exclaimed, racing onto the monorail.
As the kids began to board the monorail, the intercom voice spoke,"As you board, please continue moving across your car to make room for everyone. Please offer available seating to those needing special assistance. If you're standing, please hold on to the handrails and stay clear of the doors. The monorail will depart momentarily for the Magic Kingdom. Thank you."
"This is so exciting!" Krista squealed as she sat down by another window seat.
Ymir sat in the seat next to her girlfriend. "It's basically a subway. Just not under ground." She shrugged.
"I know, but it's still exciting nonetheless!"
Reiner stood off to the side holding one of the handrails. He thought it better to stand just in case somebody needed the seat more than him. When everyone was seated or standing in the monorail, the intercom voice spoke once again. "Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor manténganse se alejado de las puertas." As he was saying those words, the doors shut. A few seconds later, the monorail began to move. "Welcome aboard the Walt Disney World Express Monorail—your highway in the sky to the Magic Kingdom. For those of you standing, please hold on to the handrails throughout our journey, and stay clear of the doors. For the comfort of others, no smoking, please. Thank you."
As they started moving Eren pressed his face against the window as he looked out. "Wow, guys!"
"It's just a subway above ground." Ymir pointed out once again.
As the kids were looking out the window and chatting, Bertholdt looked forward. Sweat poured down his face. His eyes were filled with fear and worry as he shifted them from left to right. It was his first time on one of these monorails, like many of his friends, shouldn't he be excited? Well, the lanky lad had all of these scenarios that ran through his brain. What if the monorail tipped over and fell or they crashed into another monorail!?
Reiner looked over to Bertholdt and extended his hand to him out of everyone's line of sight, "Wanna hold my hand?" He asked quietly.
Bertholdt glanced up to his best friend and nodded. Taking a deep breath, the boy held the strong blond's hand, tightly grasping it.
Reiner's tension left him as he held his friend's hand, Oh thank god. I was terrified. This helps.
Annie glanced over at Reiner and Bertholdt from her seat. Even though their hand holding was out of everyone else's sight, it was right in her line of vision. Her eyebrow raised in confusion. "Why are you two holding hands?"
Reiner turned his head to look at Annie and offered a loud, and quick response, "THIS IS WHAT BROS DO FOR THEIR BROS WHEN THEIR BROS ARE AFRAID OF THE SKY TRAIN."
Before Annie could comment anything else, the intercom interrupted. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching our station at the entrance to Main Street, U.S.A.—gateway to the six themed lands of the Magic Kingdom..."
As the voice on the intercom continued to talk, Sasha looked out the window of the monorail with wide eyes. "Guys! There it is! There's the Magic Kingdom!"
Marco spun around, continuing to hold on to the handrail. He was beaming as brightly as the sun, "Wow!"
"It's just like I dreamed it would be!" Krista exclaimed happily.
Eren looked out the window and Armin practically crawled over him to get a look, "Wow..." The boys said at the same time.
"... If you're standing, please hold on to the handrails and stay clear of the doors until the monorail stops completely and the doors open." The monorail's intercom stated as it pulled up to the station. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Magic Kingdom monorail station!"
The dinging sound was heard once again as the doors opened. Everyone made their way out of the monorail and walked down a descending ramp to go to security. Once everyone made it through security, they walked through a tunnel with maps and posters of rides. This led right into Main Street USA. A beautiful circle with greenery and other buildings surrounded it. Stores laced both sides of the street. The sweet smell of candy filled the air from one of the many stores. Near the end of the street was another circle. In the center stood bronze statues of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
"Wow! This is so nice!" Sasha exclaimed with a smile as she looked around.
Bertholdt nodded in agreement. "Y-Yeah. It really is."
"Yeah! So what are we doing today Armin?" Eren asked.
"Well, there are two parades today!" Armin told the group.
Sasha's eyes instantly lit up. "Parades? Disney has parades!?"
The boy nodded, "Yep! We have the Celebrate A Dream Come True parade during the day, and the Spectromagic parade tonight!"
"Oh, those sound wonderful!" said Krista, clasping her hands together happily.
"They looked really nice from the pictures I saw." Armin said with a grin. "We have a little bit before the parade starts. We can go get something to eat, or go on a ride quick!"
"Speaking of getting something to eat," Sasha began as she turned her head to Reiner. "You promised that you'd take me to get ice cream today mister." She said with a smirk.
The strong blond sighed with a smile, "Yeah I remember, let's go."
"Woohoo!" The brunette cheered and grabbed Reiner by the hand.
"You want any ice cream? Bertl? Annie?" Reiner asked.
"I do!" Connie butted in, grabbing Reiner's other hand.
"I'm fine for now." Annie politely declined. "Thanks anyway."
Bertholdt nodded. "Sure."
"C'mon!" Sasha said as she tried to run, nearly dragging Reiner and Connie with her. "That ice cream isn't going to eat itself!"
"We're coming." Reiner laughed, following the girl. Bertholdt shook his head with a smile as he followed after the trio.
Marco looked over Armin's shoulder at the map. "What kind of rides are here Armin?" He asked.
Armin scanned the map, "Well there's, the Mad Tea Cups, Splash Mountain..."
"Oh! Let's do that one!" Eren interrupted.
"Yeah! Let's go check it out!" Krista agreed.
"Eh, it sounds alright." Jean said looking at the map, "Alright it's this way." He pointed and started off.
"C'mon guys!" Krista said, following after Jean excitedly.
Those remaining in the group followed Jean until they reached the ride. The ride was designed like a real mountain, except on the top was a medium sized dead tree. From the hole below the tree, a log carrying a few passengers plummeted into the Briar Patch below and a giant splash erupted.
"Oh wow!" Krista said, her eyes widened.
Jean stared at the ride for a moment. "I'm gonna sit this one out."
"Get your ass back here." Ymir said, grabbing him by the shoulder. "If I have to ride this, so do you."
"Let's get in line guys before it gets too long." Mikasa stated as she began to make her way to the queue line.
Ymir begun to drag Jean as she walked to the line.
"Just because your little girlfriend is making you do this doesn't mean I have to." Jean wiggled out of Ymir's grip. "I'm not committed to anyone!"
Annie crossed her arms. "If you want Jean, I'll stay with you. I'm not really into this ride either."
Ymir paused and looked Jean up and down, "Now just wait a minute Angry not Krista formerly known as Annie. He's going on this ride, because he is totally committed to someone. Hey, Marco!"
Marco, having heard his name, turned around. "Yeah?"
"You wanna go on this ride?" Ymir asked.
He nodded. "Of course I do!"
"You want Jean to go on it with you?" Ymir threw her arm around Jean's shoulder with a smile.
"I mean if he wants to, sure!"
"Sometimes I hate you." Jean looked up at Ymir.
"I'm gonna tell you what I told you when we got on the bus to the airport." Ymir patted Jean's chest roughly, "Go get it Jean." She shoved the boy ahead of her in line to stand behind Marco.
Eventually the kids got to the front of the line and the cast member, an elderly woman asked how many there were in their party.
"Eight." Marco told the woman.
"Alright, we need six people to go in one log and two to go in another." The elderly woman informed. "I'm so sorry we have to split your group up."
"No, it's alright ma'am!" Marco said with a smile. "We can figure it out real quick." He then turned back to everyone. "Alright, we need two people to ride in another log. Whose willing to volunteer?"
"I think you and Jean should." Ymir shrugged, "Since Krista and I had to last time. It's only fair."
"I'm going to kill you in your sleep." Jean muttered to her.
"I'd like to see you try." Ymir smirked.
Marco nodded. "Okay!" Then he turned back to the lady. "My friend and I will ride separate."
Ymir pushed Jean to the front next to Marco. Just then, a log carrying people entered. The people in it were soaking wet as they exited. The cast member smiled to the boys. "Alright you two, you may go in this one. The rest of you wait here until another log comes by okay?"
Marco took Jean's arm. "C'mon Jean! Let's go!" He said happily.
Jean gave a small nod and got into the ride after Marco, "This is gonna get my hair wet..."
"Don't worry. It'll dry." He said kindly as the log began to make its way through a tunnel.
Jean sighed and sat back as far as he could in the seat.
After a few fake hills and beautiful view of Frontierland, the ride truly begun. Country music played as the log entered a room. The animatronic animals sang a song as they floated past. The ride told the story of Br'er Rabbit, a mischievous hero who leaves his home in search of adventure. All the while, Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear try to catch him. As they continued to pass, they saw Br'er Bear stuck in a hole while on Br'er Fox's shoulders. The boys entered another tunnel as they quickly plummeted down a medium sized hill. They passed another room as the characters sang another song about finding a 'Laughing Place' Near the end of the room, Br'er Fox had kidnapped Br'er Rabbit in a beehive. Menacing music begun to play as they began to ascend the biggest hill on the ride.
"Here we go!" Marco said as they continued going up.
Jean gripped to the lap bar tightly. It wasn't the height he minded, but the fall.
"Time to be turning around." One of the vultures that were perched above said as they continued to ascend up.
"Oh shut up you dumb bird!" Jean snapped a little loudly at the animatronic.
As they reached the top of the hill, they heard Br'er Rabbit pleading. "Please Br'er Fox! Don't fling me into that briar patch!" The log then plummeted down the giant hill into the briar patch below. The log touched down and the water drenched them. At some point during the fall, Jean had thrown his arms around a screaming Marco and held on for dear life. Once they were at the bottom, he quickly let go.
"Woah!" Marco said after taking a few deep breaths. "That was fast."
Jean cleared his throat. "Yeah... Woah."
As they rounded the corner, they heard screams from the right of them. The tall freckled boy whipped his head around just in time to see the log hit the briar patch and water soared up into the air. "Looks like the others just made it down." Marco said, turning his head to Jean.
"Yeah, at least Ymir will be soaked too. Almost good enough revenge." Jean glanced back.
The log then made its way back into the mountain as the animatronics began to sing one of the most famous Disney songs of all time: 'Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah'. On their right, they passed a steamboat with anthropomorphic animals in old-fashioned clothing singing and dancing. To their left as they continued, they found Br'er Fox trying to get away from an alligator. Br'er Bear was stuck in yet another hole. Finally, they passed Br'er Rabbit back at his home with a bluebird as they continued singing the song. At last, the ride was over and the log made it back to the station.
"That was so much fun! Wasn't it Jean?" Marco asked as he exited the log.
"Yeah. I could have done without that huge drop though." He chuckled lightly.
The taller boy laughed. "Yeah. Me too." He moved out of the walk way. "Let's wait here for the others. I'm sure they'll be here very soon."
Jean nodded and stood off to the side.
Ymir's voice could be heard as they got back. "You know, this still isn't the wettest I've ever been."
"Eww! Ymir! Don't say that! There are children here!" Krista scolded.
"What? It's not like they understand what I mean." Ymir smirked, "Besides you're the one that-"
"Ymir that's not decent!" Armin said from the front of the ride.
"And I care why?" Ymir scoffed.
Jean rolled his eyes, "Just because you have to be disgusting doesn't mean everyone wants to hear it." He told her as she got off the ride.
"So what? I think everyone should know about the kind of love Krista and I share. If you had a boyfriend you would be the same way." Ymir smiled and winked at Jean as she walked past him. "C'mon Krista. Let's go look at our picture. I bet it's super cute."
"Okay!" Krista smiled as she followed Ymir.
"Wait, they took our picture?" Marco asked.
"Yeah, didn't you see the flash or were you two busy doing something else?" Ymir asked.
Marco shook his head. "My eyes were closed for most of the drop."
Jean stared at Ymir for a moment then bolted to the picture stand, "Listen man! I need you to get rid of that picture right now!" He demanded, pointing to the picture of Marco and himself. In the picture, the freckled boy's eyes were closed, but Jean was holding onto him with a smile on his face while simultaneously looking terrified.
The young man in the booth shook his head, "I'm sorry I can't get rid of it until everyone else sees their picture."
"Oh my god." The teen whined and splayed himself across the counter.
While the rest of the group made their way to the picture booth, Ymir's face lit up like a little kid's on Christmas. "I love my life." She said, dashing to the booth. "I need one of those." She first pointed to the picture of Krista and herself where she was kissing the other girl's cheek. "And one of those." She pointed to the picture of Jean and Marco.
The young man nodded and handed Ymir the pictures in a bag. She went over to Marco first. "Isn't this just a great picture!" She said, pulling out the one of him and Jean.
"Let me see." Marco said as he looked at it. His eyes widened a faint blush appearing on his cheeks. Soon, the freckled boy began to chuckle. "You're right! This is a great picture."
"And this, my dear friend Marco, is just for you!" Ymir said, handing him the picture and tapping his nose lightly. "So you can always remember the wonderful time you had getting wet with Jean!"
Marco smiled brightly at her as he took the photo. Being a bit more naive than the others, what Ymir really was referring to went right over his head. "Gee, thanks Ymir!"
Jean groaned as he let his body fall to the ground. "Why am I friends with you?"
"Because I make your life worth living." Ymir said, smiling teasingly. She handed the picture of Krista and herself to her girlfriend with a more genuine smile.
Krista took the photo and looked at it with a gentle smile. "Awww! We look great!" She cooed, glancing up at Ymir happily.
"And that one's for you." Ymir said wrapping her arms gently around Krista in a brief hug. She nudged Jean with her foot, "Alright, get up loverboy. We've got things to do."
Jean whined as he reluctantly got up from the ground.
"Where to next?" Mikasa asked as she finished looking at the photo of her, Eren and Armin.
Armin shrugged, "We could go on another ride, but I'm feeling kind of hungry."
Eren nodded in agreement, "Yeah me too!"
"I'm sure there's a restaurant somewhere nearby." Marco assured. "Armin, may I see your map?"
Armin nodded and handed Marco the map.
The taller male thanked him and politely took the map out to the blond's hands. He opened it up and scanned the Frontierland section. After a moment or two, he spoke up, "Here's one! It's called 'Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe.' "
"Oh! That sounds like it would be good!" Eren said with a grin.
"Yeah, I agree!" Krista nodded.
"Then let's go and forget all about this!" Jean said with a small nod.
---------------
While the eight others went to go on Splash Mountain, Reiner, Bertholdt, Connie and Sasha got their ice cream at a vendor near Cinderella's Castle. They sat on a beach and began to enjoy their ice cream. Sasha took one bite of her Mickey Mouse ice cream bar and she instantly fell in love. "Where have you been all my life?" The girl asked, holding the ice cream out so she could stare at it.
Reiner chuckled and shook his head lightly. "It's just ice cream Sash."
"It's Disney ice cream, therefore it's better." The brunette stated before taking another bite of her bar.
Connie sat down beside Sasha with an ice cream bar in each hand. "This looks so good!"
Bertholdt, who was sitting on the other side of Reiner, nodded in agreement to Connie's statement. He had gotten just a ice cream sandwich and that was enough for him.
"So what do you guys wanna do before we have to meet up with everyone else?" Reiner asked, leaning back.
"We should go on a ride!" Sasha exclaimed while having a mouthful of ice cream.
"Alright, do you know what's around here Bertl?" Reiner figured he would have been the one to pay the most attention on the way here.
The tallest male nodded. "Yeah, um...You can't see it from here because of the greenery behind us...but I saw that Adventureland is right across the bridge to the left of the castle." He explained, gesturing behind him.
"Alright! We can check that out after you guys finish." Reiner had neglected to get anything, but that was fine with him as long as his friends were happy.
"Okay!" Sasha beamed as she continued devouring her ice cream bar. Connie ate his ice cream bars at the same time eating them as fast as he could so they wouldn't melt.
"Guys, d-don't eat so fast. You'll have upset stomachs later." Bertholdt warned, after finishing another bite of his ice cream sandwich.
"But if we don't eat fast, it'll melt!" Connie said continuing to eat at a fast pace.
"Yes, I-I know but-"
"Don't worry Bertholdt!" Sasha interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "We'll be fine!"
"Yeah Bertl, don't worry." Reiner smirked, "If they get sick there are trash cans all over."
Once Sasha and Connie finished their ice cream, the four of them began to head over to Adventureland. Bertholdt led the way, holding a map he had gotten when the group first entered the park. In about a minute, the gang saw the entrance. It was yellow with red letters that looked like ancient writing. Once they crossed the bridge and entered Adventureland, Bertholdt opened the map and scanned it.
"Alright, what ride should we go on?" He asked.
"How about the Pirates of The Caribbean?" Reiner suggested, pointing to the ride on the map.
The v-fringed male looked to where his best friend pointed to and nodded. "Sure, that sounds good."
Sasha looked around for the ride. "Where is it?"
Bertholdt beckoned her over and bent down a bit to show her the map. "It's on the other end of Adventureland."
"...It's worth the walk. C'mon guys!" The girl exclaimed as she began to race away from the group.
"Hey! Wait up!" Connie shouted after her and ran after her as fast as he could which wasn't quite fast enough.
Eventually, the boys caught up with her and there they were in front of the ride. It looked like an old Spanish building, sandstone walls and all. On the left was the black flag with holes in it. The title of the ride was on the battered cloth as it waved from a pirate ship mast. Inside was the entrance to the ride itself.
"This looks so cool!" Sasha said. "C'mon! Let's go on it!"
The gang entered the ride and made it into the queue. There was a musty smell in the air as the quartet moved along with the line. The music that softly played was mysterious and eerie, yet sounded intriguing. It was almost as if it was preparing the guests for what was to come. Sasha was standing in line, completely bored out of her mind. Her hazel eyes gazed around the surroundings in the dim light. Just then, her eyes caught sight of a hole in the wall, with vertical prison bars. The girl walked over to it and looked in it. Inside, she could see a old cannon pointing to the right. Some cannon balls were along side it, looking an awful lot like Mickey Mouse's head. She blinked a few times before turning around to the others.
"Hey guys, come check this out!" Sasha called quietly, beckoning them over.
Connie went up alongside her and looked through the hole, "What is it?"
"It's a cannon." She told him. "Pirates used those all the time...at least I think they did..."
"Oh!" He nodded, "I'm sure they did. It's in like every pirate movie!"
Bertholdt was the next person to come up after them. He had to crouch down a bit to look into the hole due to being so tall. "Oh wow...that looks like a real cannon." He said with awe in his voice.
Reiner squeezed into a space between his friends to look in the hole. "Wow. They really put a lot of effort into this stuff!"
The line continued moving through the stone covered halls, the four teens saw many other interesting things. From barrels and treasure chests to more cannons. Eventually, they reached the front of the line and were able to get on the boat. They were allowed four people in the same seat so thankfully the four weren't separated and were allowed to sit together. A few people sat behind them in the other rows. Finally, they were off on their journey through the ride.
"I bet this ride is super cool!" Connie said, practically shaking in his seat.
The boat entered a dark room that was illuminated faintly by dark blue lights on the left side. In the distance, a creepy voice spoke out: 'Dead Men Tell No Tales'. They soon went under a waterfall (which was really fog) as the image of Blackbeard was projected onto it. "Ah, but they DO tell tales, so says I: Blackbeard" he said with a menacing chuckle. After a few moments, the boats passed by a little beach that also had dim lighting. There were a few ruins of a rowboat, full body skeletons of dead pirates were laid to rest. One in the ruins of the rowboat, the other next to it, tied to a mast.
Sasha gazed towards the skeletons with an uncomfortable look on her face. "That's really creepy."
Reiner nodded in agreement. "At least it's fake though."
Soon after that, the boat went down a hill. It was fairly small but still went down fast. The water splashed up slightly, thankfully not getting any of the passengers in there wet. The boat then made a small left entering a giant room with life-size pirate ships. The sounds of cannons being fired were heard. The music was adventurous as the dialogue continued over it. "It's Captain Jack Sparrow we're after! Put up your white flag you scurvy scum or I'll send ya to Davy Jones' Locker!" A gruff voice threatened from one of the animatronics on the ship to the left. The boat soon entered another portion of the ride. It seemed to be an old-fashioned looking Spanish town. To the right, there was a line of men dressed in nightgowns, bounded with ropes around their waists. There was a well where a pirate was holding a rope. A few moments went by before he pulled it up gently to reveal a man in the well.
"Where be Captain Jack Sparrow and the Treasure, you bilge rat?!" The pirate on the other side of the well cried out.
"Do not tell him Carlos!" cried a woman with a Spanish accent. "No! No! No!" Just as she finished speaking, the sound of a bullet being shot out of a gun was heard and the woman gave a shrill shriek, her silhouette above shut the curtain.
"No, por favor!" The man in the well pleaded. "No! No!" Before he could finish, he was placed back in the well, gargling the water.
"Hey guys! Look! There's Captain Jack!" Sasha exclaimed, pointing to the man in question hiding besides the building near where the well and the other pirates were.
"Woah!" Connie grinned, "It looks so real!"
The boat proceeded down the path through the town. To the left was a wife auction. Like the men before, the woman were also bound with ropes only with their hands and not their waists. A beautiful red-headed woman was being shown off, fluffing her hair and lifting her skirts a bit.
"Shift yer cargo dearie, show 'em your larboard side." The auctioneer said.
"We wants the Redhead!" A drunken pirate cried out.
"Those poor women..." Bertholdt mumbled quietly under his breath.
"Why are they being auctioned off anyway?" Sasha asked, clearly confused.
"I-I don't know." The taller male answered honestly.
The boat then sailed under an arched bridge and they entered another part of the town. Two pirates ran in a circle carrying a treasure chest. Another pirate was being chased in a same circle only with a woman holding a pitchfork.
"There's Captain Jack again!" The girl pointed towards the barrel behind another pirate where Jack was hiding in. He looked around suspiciously, hoping not to get caught.
Reiner smiled lightly as he looked around the ride. "This stuff is great!"
The boat went under another arched bridge and the scenery was changed. It was still the same town, but it was now ravished and plundered by the pirates. Realistic flames were projected onto the ruined town as the pirates sang a song.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we're really a fright.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
"Being a pirate would be so cool!" Connie said with a smile as he watched, "Eat whenever we want..."
"...Find hidden treasure..." Sasha continued turning to face her best friend with a gleam in her eyes.
"Sasha, we should be pirates." The boy told her with a small nudge.
"Yes. Let's do it." The girl said with a determined nod.
Bertholdt glanced over to the two smaller teens. "Guys, you DO know that-," Then he stopped. He was going to tell them that pirates weren't all about food and treasure, but were murderers and thieves. Yet, seeing how happy they were, he didn't have the heart to tell them. "N-Nevermind."
The boat went under yet another arch as they entered a jail. To their right, were three pirates in a cell. They were trying to get the keys to the cell door, which unfortunately for them, were hanging from the mouth of a dog. One of the pirates whistled for the dog while crouched down and held a rope in his hands. The standing pirate behind the other two held a bone out. The third pirate held out his hand towards the dog to try and snatch the keys away.
"Sasha! Look at that!" Connie pointed, "That dog is way smarter than they are!"
The brunette laughed. "Yeah, it's gonna take a lot more than a bone to get the dog to give them those keys!"
"We wouldn't be as dumb as those pirates!" Connie gave a small nod.
She gave a sharp nod back. "We'll be much too clever to get caught!"
Not very long after, they heard singing once again. To their left, was Captain Jack Sparrow. He was sitting in a room filled with treasures galore. He sat in a rocking chair as he sang the song from earlier. Right after that, the boat returned to the docking station.
Bertholdt was the first one to exit the boat. "I'll have to admit." He said with a light chuckle. "That was some adventure."
Sasha nodded as she followed. "That was a lot of fun!"
"Yeah! I think it was the best ride we've been on so far!" Connie added.
"I still think Soarin' was the best, but this one is a close second!" Sasha admitted.
"It was pretty great. Everything looked so realistic." Reiner commented.
Bertholdt nodded in agreement to his best friend. "Yeah, they didn't even look like animatronics."
After going up a small escalator to get back up to Adventureland, they entered a gift shop for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. There was merchandise and souvenirs galore, mostly pirate related of course. There was some Peter Pan merchandise as well, for that story was also about pirates.
Sasha glanced around the store until she saw something that made her gasp aloud. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed. Sprinting over to one of the shelves closest to them, she pulled out a pirate hat. She placed it on her head and looked down to see the plastic swords conveniently placed there. The brunette grabbed the sword and examined it for a brief second before pointing it at Connie. "Where be Captain Jack Sparrow you scurvy dog?" She asked in a playful tone, mimicking the pirate from the ride almost word for word.
Connie stared at her for a moment before he began to laugh. He just couldn't take Sasha seriously when she was wearing that... He needed it too, "Hey, get me a hat! Oh! Oh! And an eye patch!"
She went back and grabbed another hat and an eye patch for her friend. "Here ya go!" The girl laughed, handing it to him.
"Thanks!" Connie put the things on and grabbed a plastic sword, "Oh, we have to buy this stuff!"
"Oh yeah, it's absolutely a must." Sasha nodded seriously. Then, she playfully pointed the sword at him again. "Have at thee, you bilge rat!"
Connie copied her and pointed his sword back. "You'll never best me!"
"You guys might want to buy that stuff before you break anything," Reiner told them, lowering their swords.
Sasha sighed and glanced up to the tall blond. "You're right." She then turned to Connie. "This isn't over just yet." She said with a smirk.
Connie smirked back. "If I were you, I'd stall for as long as possible because I'm going to destroy you." He teased, hitting her shoulder lightly with the sword.
The brunette laughed. "Oh, it's on! Once we buy this stuff..." She stared at him for moment, then began to sprint towards the check-out counter. "Race ya to the counter!"
"Hey! No fair!" Connie exclaimed, running after her.
Bertholdt watched the two run off. "...Reiner, should we...um...stop them before they hurt themselves?" He asked, turning to face his friend.
"You and I both know they won't hurt themselves. Once one of them thinks they hurt the other, they'll stop." Reiner shrugged.
Sasha was the one to reach the counter first. "Ha! I won!" She cheered as she made her way to the cashier lady.
"It wasn't fair!" Connie whined, "You got a head start!"
"I know." The girl said, glancing over her shoulder and gave him a smirk, before paying the lady and getting her stuff in a bag. She placed the hat back on her head and took the sword. She crossed her arms over her chest, that smile still on her face. "I'll be waiting."
Connie rolled his eyes and paid for his things quickly removing his things from the bag and put them on. "I'm ready for you Sasha!"
Sasha got into a fighting stance, once again pointing the sword at Connie. "Bring it on Connie!"
"Ahh!" Connie yelled as he went at Sasha with his sword drawn above his head.
Sasha let out a battle cry as she ran towards him, holding the sword in defense. The screaming continued as Connie brought his sword down to hit hers. The girl pushed his sword back with her sword and hit it back with a hearty laugh.
"Hey!" Connie laughed and tried to take a swipe at Sasha's legs.
The girl quickly moved her legs to the side from her friend's sword. "Ya missed me!"
"You're faster than me!" He whined, trying to hit Sasha's arm, "It's not fair!"
"You just have to go faster!" She teased lightly. Yet, she really felt bad for having the upper-hand over Connie. Should she at least give him a chance? Her heart and her mind thought the same thing: Yes. So, Sasha slowed down just a tad so it could be at least fair.
Connie took another swipe at Sasha's side. Sasha was almost hit but thankfully, she moved out of the way just in time. Reiner watched carefully to break it up just in chase anything got out of hand. The older teen let the 'fight' go on for a few more minutes before breaking it up, "Alright guys we have to go meet Armin, and everyone else. You can finish this later."
Sasha lowered her sword and nodded to Reiner. "Okay." She placed the sword back into her shopping bag. "Do you know where we're supposed to meet them?"
"No, but I'm sure if we head back to the front of the park we'll see someone." Reiner shrugged, taking Connie's sword and putting it in his bag.
"Alright, then let's go back to Main Street USA." Sasha said, pulling her sword back out once again and pointed it to the sky. "Onward mateys!" She exclaimed.
Connie rushed to stand beside Sasha and pointed to the sky with his finger, "Onwards!"
Reiner only chuckled and shook his head, "Come on you two."
----------------
Meanwhile, the other eight were standing on the sidewalk on Main Street USA. The cast members had begun to place ropes around the road. They were preparing for the parade.
"Come on guys! I have the perfect spot for us to stand! We should be able to see everything!" Armin told the group ushering for them to follow him.
"Oh yay!" Krista said gleefully. Being the smallest out of the group, she was afraid she wouldn't have been able to see at all.
Armin lead the way to a straight stretch and planted the group directly in the middle. Ymir shoved her way through to the front dragging Krista along with her.
"Wow! This IS a really great spot!" Marco gave the small blond boy a smile. "Nice job Armin!"
"Thank you!" Armin smiled up at Marco, "I wanted to make sure everyone had a good view."
"So, what time is this parade supposed to start anyway?" Annie asked.
"Oh," Armin looked down at his watch, "In about five minutes!"
"This is so exciting!" Krista said happily as she looked back at everyone. "I hope these five minutes go by fast so we can see it!"
Ymir nodded in agreement, "You know I never thought I would care, but where's Reiner and the rest of his little gang?"
"That's a good question." Mikasa said, glancing around her. "I don't know."
"Maybe a few of us should go find them?" Krista suggested. "I don't want them to miss this!"
"They're big boys and girls Krista. They can find their own way here." Ymir shrugged lightly.
Soon after Ymir spoke Connie busted across the walkway still dressed in his pirate hat and eyepatch. "Hey guys!"
"What in God's name are you wearing?" Ymir asked shaking her head lightly.
"We're pirates!" Sasha exclaimed as she made her way over.
"You're idiots is what you are." Ymir scoffed lightly.
"I wouldn't make them mad Ymir," Reiner said following the two, "They have swords."
"Yeah! See?" Sasha said, showing the sword to the tall freckled girl.
"It's a hunk of plastic." Ymir said uninterested.
"To you, maybe...but to me," The girl raised her sword. "...it's a sword."
"Fine, it's a hunk of plastic shaped into a sword."
"Ymir," Krista looked up at her girlfriend. "Let them have their fun."
"Fine, whatever."
Suddenly, the sounds of drums were heard eight times as voices began to sing out. 'Celebrate! C'mon Celebrate!' they repeated over and over for a couple of moments, before ending with 'Celebrate A Dream Come True!'
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls!" A man's voice enthusiastically exclaimed. "Everyone has something to celebrate and here at the Magic Kingdom, every day is a celebration!"
Celebrate a Dream Come True! The voices sang once again.
"So we invite you to join us now as we proudly present our Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade!"
"Guys look, here it comes!" Krista beamed, pointing down the path.
Everyone looked to where she was pointing to see two men, dressed in fancy blue and white dance outfits, carrying a fancy sign that read 'Celebrate a Dream Come True.' Two girls wearing red and yellow dresses danced on the sides of the men, holding ribbons as they made their way up the road. They were followed by Pluto and Chip n Dale (who interacted on the ground with the guests as the parade moved), and a few dancers wearing purple, red, yellow and blue. They begun to sing:
Celebrate a Dream Come True
And you might just find a wish for you!
When you close your eyes and you realize
Any Dream is Possible!
As they continued to sing, the first float appeared making its way down Main Street USA. On that float was the one who started it all: Mickey Mouse. He was standing on the top of the float wearing a white tailed tuxedo with purple designs on it. Right below him on the float was his sweetheart, Minnie Mouse. She wore a lovely dress which was white on top and pink on the bottom. They danced in place with the dancers and waved to the guests as the float moved by.
"Look guys! It's Mickey and Minnie!" Sasha exclaimed, waving frantically towards the float.
Krista also began to wave as well. "Mickey! Minnie!" She cried.
Minnie noticed the small blonde in the front and waved to her. She also blew her a kiss as well, making Krista's smile widen. As Mickey and Minnie's float left, more dancers followed and the second float began to make its way down the path. On the top of the float, under a wood carved arch, was Pinocchio. He also danced along with the dancers as they sang songs from his movie as he waved to the guests below.
"My wish was to become a real boy and my dream came true, didn't it Jiminy?" Pinocchio asked his cricket friend, who was below him on the float, in a balcony like area.
"It sure did Pinoc, so never stop believing in your dreams!" Jiminy said, motioning with his hands.
"C'mon! Let's celebrate today!" They said at the same time.
As the float began to pass them and slowly moved away, Snow White and her Prince were placed on the back. The young princess waved to the group and blew them a kiss. The third float appeared as more characters, like the Genie, Abu, and Jafar and more dancers led it down the road. Chimneys were on both sides of the float. A giant Genie carried the magic carpet where Aladdin sat. He waved happily to everyone down below. On the back of that float, stood Mary Poppins wearing a beautiful red coat with a grey scarf and white gloves. Next to her was Bert, who was on the side of the group was standing. He danced along with the dancers as the chorus sang a small bit of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.'
"It's Mary and Bert!" Sasha cheered as she waved towards them. Then it dawned on her. "Hey! Bert and Bert!" She then clamped her hands on the sides of her mouth to amplify her voice. "Bert! We have a friend here who has the same name as you!" She called out to him from where she was.
Miraculously, Bert heard Sasha and looked to her surprised. "Did I 'ear that someone 'as the same name as I do?" He asked excitedly as he beckoned Mary over to join him.
"Yeah!" Sasha turned around and yanked Bertholdt towards her. "This guy right here!"
Bertholdt looked down to the girl surprised and looked up to Mary and Bert, not knowing what was going on at that moment.
"Ah, 'ello to you fellow Bert!" The chimney sweep said, tipping his hat towards the v-fringed male. Bertholdt had now realized what had happened. Sasha had told him that they had almost the same name. In response, the tallest male gave an awkward smile towards Bert and waved to him.
Soon after, the fourth float appeared. It was a beautiful silver float with glass bubbles holding golden designs inside them. There were four characters standing in the front.
"Oh my gosh! Peter Pan and Wendy Darling!" Krista squealed as she saw them.
"And Alice and the Mad Hatter too!" Marco said waving.
Sasha began to wave. "PETER! WENDY!"
Wendy glanced over to the girls and Marco, waving back with a sweet smile. The girl then saw Reiner and Bertholdt standing behind them and her smile seemed to grow wider. She waved to them happily. Bertl gave Wendy a gentle smile and waved back to her. Reiner also gave the brunette girl a small smile and a brief wave.
The fifth float appeared soon after and the dancers waltzed in front of the float. The float carrying the princesses. It first started with the Fairy Godmother with Cinderella and Prince Charming on the top. Soon followed by Belle and the Beast, Ariel and Prince Eric, and Aurora with Prince Phillip.
"Eren! Mikasa! It's Ariel!" Armin said grabbing Eren's arm and shaking it violently.
"Yeah we see that! Chill out." Eren said as he tried to wiggle free of Armin's grasp.
Ariel had noticed Armin's excitement from her spot on the float. She waved elegantly to the blond, her smile was sweet and kind. The boy felt as if he almost had a heart attack and waved back enthusiastically while smiling brightly. He grabbed Mikasa by the front of her shirt. "She waved at me!"
Mikasa chuckled, giving him a smile. "I saw."
The final float soon followed and it had many parapets on it. Donald and Goofy were on this float along with Lilo, Stitch and a few other characters. Two guys carrying a royal purple sign that said 'Celebrate Today' on it walked at the end as the people began to congregate behind them.
Marco couldn't stop smiling. "That was great!"
"I loved it!" Armin said happily, "Hopefully Spectromagic is just as good!"
"Oh yeah! Spectromagic is tonight isn't it? What time does it start?" Krista asked.
"Well, it will have to start after it gets dark so I would say about nine." He responded with a small, and sure nod.
Marco glanced down at his watch. It was only four o clock. "We still have a lot of time until then, so what should we do to pass the time?"
"We could ride another ride!" Eren suggested grabbing the map out of Armin's back pocket.
"Yeah!" Sasha cheered. "Which one though?"
"How about..." Armin looked over the map, "Peter Pan's Flight!"
Marco smiled brightly. "That sounds great!"
"I didn't know they had a Peter Pan ride!" Krista said excitedly.
"Where is it located guys?" Mikasa asked, glancing over both boys shoulders.
"It's in Fantasyland. So we head this way!" Armin began walking ahead so the group could follow.
Everyone followed the blond boy as he led the way through Cinderella's castle, going up the ramp and through the archway. Inside were beautiful colored paintings of the story of Cinderella on the left wall. Soon, they entered Fantasyland. It was a magical place to say the least. There was a carousel right in the center. The group went to the left and passed Mickey's Philharmagic, and right next to it was Peter Pan's Flight. The wording on the sign was in fancy letters and were written on a cloud. It had Peter Pan, Wendy and her brothers John and Michael soaring around the letters with Big Ben in the back.
"Never thought I'd say this, but this actually looks fun." Annie admitted quietly to herself.
"Well, c'mon then! What are we waiting for?" Krista exclaimed. "Let's get going!"
The kids began to make their way into the queue line. They were quickly led inside and they saw paintings on both sides of the hall. The first one was of London at night and soon the different parts of Neverland. There were mermaids playing at Mermaid Lagoon, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee with the Crocodile on their tail at Skull Rock, and a painting of Neverland itself with Peter Pan flying by. They soon entered what looked like they were outside of the Darling's Household at night. Mr. and Mrs. Darling's bodies were shown in the windows, their top halves silhouetted by the shades. They were getting ready for some occasion like in the beginning of the movie.
As they entered the house, the walls were wooden on the bottom with fancy wallpaper on the top. Portraits of Wendy, John and Michael sat together on one wall. Wendy, the eldest, wore a beautiful gown with a sweet smile on her face. John, the middle child, wore a dapper hat and a bow tie and Michael, the youngest, wore a little sailor suit. They past the portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Darling who also wore fancy clothing. Even Nana had her own portrait like the other members of the family.
"That looks like the Captain..." Reiner mentioned, reaching out to the portrait of the dog.
"R-Reiner, it's not though...It's Nana." Bertholdt explained as he gently grabbed his best friend's arm. "Come on, the line is moving again."
The next room they entered was the Darling children's nursery. Wendy's bed was on one side of the room, everything neat and tidy. John and Michael's were on the other side, somewhat messy. On Michael's bed were building blocks that spelt out 'Peter Pan'. Even Nana's dog house was in there. Every once and awhile, Tinkerbell would show up as a small golden ball of light and zoom around the nursery. She would interact with the toys on the children's bed, moving them or being stuck inside something.
"This is so cute!" Krista giggled.
Ymir couldn't care less about this stuff, but it made Krista happy so she guessed she could try to enjoy it all, "Yeah, still not as cute as you though."
The small blonde blushed bright pink and looked up to her girlfriend with a flustered smile. A few giggled escaped her lips.
Eventually, they made it to the front of the line. They could feel the mixture of the air conditioning and the hot summer heat as they made it to the start of the ride. The cast member got them sorted out. It would be two to three people in a pirate ship. That would be no problem. As the groups of two and the two groups of three got into their pirate ships, Wendy's voice softly spoke from the intercom. "For your safety, remember to stay seated and keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the pirate ship and do watch your children. See you in Neverland!"
A cast member who was walking on the travelator (a moving conveyor belt) pretended to sprinkle 'pixie dust' onto the safety bar and it lowered down automatically and off they went on their adventure. One by one, the ships first flew through the Darling's nursery. Wendy sat on the bed while John and Michael were sitting up in bed with the covers on them. "C'mon everybody! Here we go!" Peter's voice exclaimed as his shadow raced across the wall of the nursery. The ships made their way out the nursery window and soared above the street. Down below, there was barking coming from Nana.
"You know who that reminds me of guys." Reiner paused and put his arms around Annie and Bertholdt's shoulders, "Captain Axel..."
Bertholdt looked down and didn't say anything. He just nodded in agreement to Reiner's statement. He already tried to stop him once, once was enough for now.
Annie, on the other hand, didn't think that way. She sighed in annoyance. "Reiner, not right now. Please."
"You don't love him like I do Annie!" Reiner sounded as if he were close to tears
"I do, I just don't show it like you and Bertholdt do."
"Prove it."
Annie pulled her phone out of jean jacket pocket and turned it on, holding it out to Reiner. Her home screensaver was of Captain Axel with a heart around him. "Here's your proof."
"Hey, we have the same background!" Reiner pulled out his phone to show Annie a different picture of Captain Axel, but still with a heart around him.
"Woah, look at that Jean." Marco said in awe, gesturing his friend to look down. Below them was the city of London at night. Little cars went by on the roads, Big Ben in all its glory stood proud and tall.
Jean looked over the side of the boat and smiled softly, "Wow. It's pretty."
"Yeah, it really is." The freckled boy smiled. After a few moments of awkward silence, he spoke up once more. "You know, Peter Pan was my favorite Disney film as a kid...and this ride really feels like I'm actually with Peter and the Darling siblings." He admitted.
Jean smiled at Marco, "It wasn't my favorite Disney movie but I always liked it."
He turned to look at Jean. "Wait, what's your favorite Disney movie?"
"Ah, The Emperor's New Groove." Jean said leaning back in his seat, "I always liked Kuzco."
"Nice. That one's a good one."
"So why was Peter Pan your favorite?" Jean finally asked after a few moments of silence.
Marco thought about it for a moment. "It was one of the first movies I ever saw. Not only that, but whenever I was sad or frightened, my mom would put it on for me. It was like an escape from the real world and into the world of make-believe. It kinda holds a special place in my heart."
"That's actually super adorable." Jean said sincerely.
The freckled boy felt his cheeks heating up and looked to Jean. Having zoned out while talking about how Peter Pan was important to him, he didn't hear what his friend said. "Oh, sorry! I didn't hear you. What did you say?" He asked embarrassed.
Jean laughed lightly, and repeated himself, "Your connection with Peter Pan, It's adorable." He was still sincere.
All Marco could do was smile sweetly to his friend, his face starting to heat up a bit more. It was that contagious kind of smile that could lighten up a room.
Jean stared at Marco and said quietly, "You're adorable..." Once he realized what he had said, he looked to the other side of the ride.
Soon, the ships entered Neverland. Though it was dim in the room, the colors of the island seemed to glisten brightly. There were distant cannon sounds as they past Captain Hook's pirate ship. "Fire Mister Smee!" He ordered and there was a small red light from the puny cannon. The ships made its way around the island in a swirl. There were the Lost Boys at Hangman's Tree, the Indian Princess Tiger Lily and the mermaids at the lagoon. Eren practically hung over the side of the boat as he watched the scenery pass in wonder.
"Eren, be careful you don't fall out of the ship." Mikasa warned, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I'll be fine Mikasa. It's not like I'm trying to fall out! I just wanna get a closer look at stuff!" The brunet lightly shrugged Mikasa's hand away.
Armin gently grabbed Eren's arm, "Please sit down. Butt completely on the seat."
Eren glared back at his friends and mumbled before sitting down.
The ships soon sailed over Captain Hook's pirate ship. John, Michael and the Lost Boys were tied up at the mast while Wendy was walking the plank, a tear rolling down her cheek. Pirates surrounded them as Peter and Captain Hook duked it out above it all, dueling with sword and dagger.
"Hey Sasha! Look at that!" Connie pointed to the fight between Peter Pan and Captain Hook enthusiastically.
"Wow!" Sasha exclaimed happily as she looked where her friend was pointing. "You can do it Peter!" She cheered excitedly. "Get him!"
"Whoo!" Connie matched his friend's enthusiasm, "I bet that would be a real awesome fight in real life!"
The girl nodded in agreement. "I think it would too!"
The final scene was of the aftermath. The pirates were knocked unconscious on the deck of the pirate ship. Peter and the gang had won the battle. Peter was wearing Captain Hook's hat and steering the boat. Wendy was on his left while John and Michael were on his right. They were all smiling happily. Nearby, in the water was Captain Hook, keeping himself from getting eaten by the Crocodile. His legs pried open the Crocodile's mouth so they didn't gobble him up. "Help me Smee! Help me!" He cried as Mr. Smee sat in the rowboat, trying to help.
Connie started laughing hysterically as he pointed at the scene. "It's just like the movie!"
"Yeah!" Sasha laughed as well. "Peter was right! Captain Hook really IS a codfish!"
As soon as they past the scene, they entered the boarding station once more. The lap bars automatically went out and one by one, the kids got out of the ships.
"I-I enjoyed that ride." Bertholdt spoke as he exited the ship. "It was...um....really relaxing."
"I thought it looked really nice." Reiner said as he stepped off, offering to help Annie out.
Annie thanked the tall blond and accepted his offer to help her out of the ship. "I think that actually might be my favorite ride so far." She told them.
"It was awesome!" Connie said butting into the conversation, "Especially the end!"
"Yeah I agree! That was great!" Sasha interjected.
Jean exited the boat and walked over to the group his face still red. Marco followed after him with a big smile. "That was an amazing ride. It really brought me back to my childhood." The freckled lad said with a chuckle.
"It was okay." Ymir said as she sauntered over to the group holding Krista's hand.
"Well, I really liked it! It was so cute!" Krista gleamed happily.
Mikasa was the next one to join the group, turning to wait for Eren and Armin. "I thought it was very pretty." She said. "I loved the way Neverland looked."
"I thought it was very beautiful! London looked amazing!" Armin commented.
"I thought Peter looked awesome!" Eren said.
"Me too!" Sasha agreed with the brunet. "Especially when he was fighting Captain Hook!"
"So, now what should we do?" Mikasa asked as the group left the ride.
"We could go on another ride!" Armin suggested.
Krista nodded in agreement. "Yeah! Great idea! Let's see what else is in Fantasyland while we're here!"
With that, the gang began to search for their next ride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Magic Kingdom is my favorite park and Peter Pan's Flight is my favorite ride.
All of these children are precious.