Alrighty. So sorry for such a long wait, had some personal things happen this past weekend but I'm back so we can move on with this.

This is consequently the last chapter, thank you everyone who stopped by to check this little bit of drabble out. I appreciate every review.

And thank you Trashy for letting me do this to start with, as challenging as it was I really enjoyed this little fic!

Enjoy!

Cats and water don't mix.

He had told them this over the course of their four year long friendship.

Yet somehow, he was made to stand in the unbarring heat for more than half an hour. Just to be pushed on some log flume ride known as Splash Mountain. Where fuzzy animal animatronics sang a song about as bad as 'It's a Small World' on repeat. There were highs and lows, literally, where water was rushed into the log, soaking into his shoes and his pants. Not to mention the seat had already been wet from the last ride it had gone through.

Now, granted he was more cooled down from the sun and heat of the day, but that also meant he was wet and his shoes squeaked as he walked as the water sloshed inside them.

The only one that had been saved from the torment was Tala, all because he had upchucked his breakfast and lunch after trying to eat something after they had gone through a few of the smaller rides throughout Fantasy Land (which was where he had suffered through that god awful song earlier). Somehow finding themselves in Frontier Land where Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain sat, Max more than eager and excited to pull them towards the water ride first.

Despite his protesting, and without Bryan able to torment his captain, it was him who had dragged Ray practically kicking and screaming into the line and on the ride.

Nobody helped him.

He hated them all.

Whatever Tyson had tried to bargain him with earlier in order to go peacefully wasn't worth the torment, he hated him too.

And now, for whatever reason, they skipped the roller coaster for another water type ride in the form of a small raft looking thing that was to take them from the main bulk of the park to an island that was sat in the middle of a man-made lake.

What was over there, he didn't care to know or bothered to ask. Everyone was getting the silent treatment for the rest of the night. His lips were sealed shut tight.

Max was bouncing as they boarded the raft, a guy in a uniform almost close to what a boy scout would wear at the helm of a long pole to guide them through the water. Tom Sawyer Island.

Max had loved this place when he was a child. Got a little lost until he found his mom, but now he was a big boy and knew the place like the back of his hand.

Fearless leader number two for the day he was!

Getting crowded on the raft with possibly thirty other people and they were off across the water, the raft ride barely taking ten minutes before they were docked on the other side and were being ushered off quickly. The first thing they came to was a tall windmill and set of wooden stairs that led up the side of a small hill near the back of it.

"Hey guys, look at this." Tyson called as he had stopped at a wooden sign sticking out of the ground, pointing at it after having made their way up the stairs.

"Wel-cum." He snorted as he pointed it written out on the sign.

"Oh Tyson, that's so gross." Hilary gagged while Bryan snickered beside her, only stopping when he got an elbow to the ribs.

"What? It's funny!" Tyson defended as the others continued to walk away from him, following Max and having to rush after them.

The whole island's aesthetic was that from the book, mid 1800's America. With more wooden stairs and bridges that led in one direction or another, man-made mines and caves one could walk through with places to sit in the shade around small shacks that fit the theme of the place.

In a way it felt as though they had been transported back in time, going through it all, Max taking them across a long wooden bridge to another island that held a fort made of logs when the familiar voices of people they knew flitted through the air as they made it through the gates of the fort.

"Hey guys, fancy seeing you here." Max waved at them, gaining Michael and the others that had wandered off with him their attention.

"Max!" Michael had never looked more happy to see him than he did right then and there, running up to him and the others.

"Please tell me you know how to get off this island!" He pleaded.

"Yeah, it's easy." Max said, though felt that was the wrong choice of words as Michael looked ready to explode.

"Maybe for you! You've been here before." He bit out.

"How… How long have you guys been stuck here?" Hilary asked as she blinked a little and took them all in.

Aside from them gaining a bit of sun from being outside, they looked as though they hadn't gone through any of the rides like they had.

"Since we got here." Miguel explained in a slight whine, "We haven't been able to find our way off, we keep getting turned around and end up back here."

"We haven't done any rides, haven't had lunch." Eddy continued on for him.

"Why didn't you just ask a cast member for directions?" Max paled a little at them.

"We couldn't find any." Kevin answered as he was slumped against Crusher's back, looking like a baby koala attached to him.

Max paled even more. The poor things! "It's okay! We'll help you out of here!" He exclaimed as he waved his hands in his face quickly, "I'll just take you back now, you guys wait for me to come back!" He said to his group before waving on the other boys who followed him quickly and quietly.

Once Max was gone with the other group the others went about to check out the fort while they waited for him. Bryan climbing the gun roost to check it out, a little disappointed to find that replica rifle bolted down to the wall. Still not quite feeling good Tala made himself comfortable on a bench while he waited, Ray sitting with him because he had enough of the water in his shoes and walking around in it.

Hilary tugged and pulled Kai along, a child like wonder in her eyes at the animatronic horses inside the blacksmith's hut while Tyson wandered around checking everything out and touching the props and displays like an actual child.

About ten minutes later Max came rushing back up to them, looking pleased with himself for having helped their friends find freedom.

"Okay, they're on a boat back to the park."

"Good job Maxie." Tyson clapped him on the back, "But this place is pretty boring, why don't we hit the main park and some more rides again?"

"B-but there's caves and mines we haven't gone through yet!"

"We've been stuck in caves before, you had a building fall on you, do you really want to walk through a fake one?" Tyson countered.

"Well… I guess not…" Max answered as he kicked the dirt with the tip of his shoe.

"Tyson." Kai called, "We have to do what everyone wants, not just what you want." He scolded lightly.

Tyson held in the groan he felt coming up, Max's eyes sparkling as he stared at Kai almost in disbelief.

Fearless leader number one had his back! He could kiss him!

"Alright! Well, um… Let's go check out the cave, it's close by." Max suggested quickly before he lost his chance, turning on his heel and pulling himself out from under Tyson's arm to take the lead.

The others followed him once more, going back across the long wooden bridge and traveling through the dark man-made cave Max had been too excited to go through.

It was nothing that special to a bunch of teenagers fixing to break adulthood, but with Max's excitement it was as if it was slowly seeping through their skin. They could slowly see the appeal to it, it was done up well and once more made them feel as though they had been transported to a real cave until the light of day broke the illusion and they came out the other side.

It was the same way through the mine, once they had reached it, and by the time they all came out of the darkened tunnel their feet were hurting and were ready to sit for a bit. On a ride or just in general, nobody really cared at that point what was next on the bucket list. As long as it wasn't It's a Small World again.

"Hey Max." Hilary called as they were walking down a dirt path around the side of the island, able to see the other side of the park across the water.

"What's that?" She asked once he turned around to look at her, pointing across the river at a mansion that was peeking through the brush and foliage.

There was a line of people walking up to it under a green tarp overhang, the mansion looked like it was rather old and still somehow fit with the aesthetic around it and the rest of the park.

"Ohhhhhh! That's Haunted Mansion! We should go, it's not that scary." He answered as his eyes lit up, "And it's pretty slow, has AC and it's fun."

"You had me at AC." Tala said quickly, looking as though he was about to collapse from heat exhaustion. His pale skin now redder than any of them, even after Hilary had forced him to wear sunscreen though he had put it on a bit too late.

"Just follow me!" Max called them forward again in order to find the rafts that would lead them off the island.

After a bit of searching, they found the docks again and boarded another crowded raft quickly. Back on the side of the park they were ushered towards their next ride, the line for it almost a mile long but at least they were covered by the shade of the green tarp overhead.

Thirty minutes and they were finally through the mansions doors, the wonderful AC cooling their skin as they took in the décor around them. Playing up the 'haunted' theme almost to a T before they were pushed into a small room with other riders, a chandelier hanging in the center of the room that felt like it came from the Victorian era. A gravely voice speaking overhead as they entered with a picture of a man's face hanging on the back wall, that slowly transitioned into a skeleton's face as the gravely voice continued to speak to them.

Before they were able to stand too long a wooden panel beside the picture slid open, the crowd moving forward and into the other much smaller room. The one they came into was almost circular in shape, above their heads around the banisters sat statues of gargoyles with two candle sticks on either side of them. More pictures were hung along the wall, while the gravely voice followed them.

The wooden panel shut on it's own, Tyson feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the lights dimmed. Feeling out for Ray's hand who jerked it away quickly, still sore from their earlier ride on Splash Mountain.

Bryan leaned back to where Kai and Tala were stood behind him and Hilary, her clutching his hand in a death like grip, as the other two had taken to standing as close to the wall as they could to stay out of the mess of the crowd.

[Reminds ya of home just a bit, huh?] He joked to the two in Russian.

[Would have taken this over that place any day.] Tala answered with an eyeroll, his eyes staying focused on the ceiling as it looked like it was stretching above their heads.

The gravely voice barely coming in over the crowd talking that he had missed what the man said, though was unable to tear his eyes away from the ceiling and the pictures that became elongated.

Max nudged Ray and Tyson in the sides and pointed upwards to grab their attention, the two looking up and Tyson's heart slammed into his chest harder and this time succeeded in gripping at Ray's hand and squeezing it.

"This chamber has no windows, and no doors."

Tyson swallowed the lump that had caught in his throat at the sinister laughter that floated around the room, unable to look away from the ceiling as his nails started to embed into Ray's hand.

"Which offers you this chilling challenge… To find a way OUT!" The sinister laughing came back, making Tyson's skin prick.

"Of course. There's always my way."

Tyson let out a yelp as the lights in the room turned off without warning and a loud crash of thunder filled the room, jumping slightly as a flash went off and above them they could see the silhouette of a man dangling from the ceiling. A few screams were let out, Tyson one of them, but whether the others came from other riders or was part of the ride he wasn't sure.

Then the lights came back on, his body trembling slightly while Max tried not to laugh at him and Ray was praying he'd let go because his fingers had gone numb.

Bryan leaned back towards the other two behind him again quickly after having watched what happened, [Oh look, Boris.]

[I thought you buried the body.] Kai said in a humorous tone.

Bryan shrugged his shoulders at him, [Can't remember what we did with it.]

Tala rolled his eyes again. As much as he wanted that to be true, Boris was safely tucked behind bars currently.

The gravely voice apologized to the riders for scaring them prematurely before a back panel slid open on the wall again, letting the riders out into a long hall where their black cars with high backs were waiting for them on an already moving platform.

Being rushed to sit on the moving cars Tala followed after Kai, trying not to trip over his feet as it was like walking on a treadmill, jumping in beside him before they reached the opening and the small lap bar came to rest over their laps. The gravely voice and haunting music playing in the speaking behind their heads as the cart continued forward.

Bryan and Hilary jumped into the one behind them, Max getting his own cart while Ray had to tug Tyson into the one that followed.

"He lied." Tyson hissed as he glared at the cart in front of them, "Who knew Max was capable of lying!"

"Who knew you were scared of a fake haunted house." Ray grumbled under his breath, finally the feeling coming back into his hand Tyson had strangled half to death. Rubbing it to get the pins and needles he could feel in it to go away, not even paying attention to the ride as it continued on.

He consequently wasn't the only one not paying attention to the ride and what was going on. The moment it got darker on the ride Tala had turned to Kai and they were lip locked, Bryan and Hilary doing the same. Max was really the only one that was looking and enjoying it, Tyson had gone to covering his eyes with his hands as he tried to block out the haunting music that was coming out of the speakers by his head.

After the five or so minutes of bliss for some, and five or so minutes of horror and slight bliss for Tyson, they clambered off the still moving ride trying their best not to fall out on their faces before they were back on solid and unmoving ground.

"Did any of you actually stop to breathe?" Max asked as they came up to the wall that displayed their pictures from the ride.

On their laps in the carts, despite the others having been in a game of tonsil hockey, there were ghostly figures inside the pictures.

"Nope." Bryan answered with a smug grin, getting elbowed in the rib again by a flustered Hilary.

If she had known they were going to take her picture she would have looked more put together!

"At least you two made up." Max said as he glanced back at Ray and Tyson.

Ray shrugged his shoulders at him, "It kept him from crying."

"What time is it?" Tala asked as his empty stomach growled slightly.

Kai checked his phone, "About five."

"We could get some food and then find a place for the fireworks; those start around nine and we want to have good seats." Max said as they were walking away from their pictures and out into the gift shop.

The others nodded in agreement, all their stomachs getting tight with hunger.

Finding a place to eat back on Main Street they filled up on food and then meandered around the shops for a bit before going and taking pictures in front of the castle. Hilary taking her Minnie Mouse ears and putting an extra pair on Kai's head to have him pose with her in front of the castle, wearing the Mickey Darth Vader shirt Tala thought would be funny for him to have.

Of course when the snap of the camera went off the others groaned at him. His face was set in stone, again, like it had been throughout the entire day. At least, they thought, he had at least thrown up a random peace sign behind Hilary's shoulder while she had stuck her tongue out at the others.

With the pictures taken, bellies full, Max lead them around to find the perfect spot for fireworks as the sun began to set and the lights around the park began to flicker on. The other two groups that had parted from them earlier coming back to join them per Max's instructions.

Resting their feet from the long day they scattered around on the ground and the park bench they were able to snag. Now all that was left for them to do was wait the last few minutes before the castle erupted in array of colors and music blasted from the speakers.

Sitting beside him on the bench, Hilary leaned into Bryan's side where he put his arm around her shoulders. The chill of the night setting into her sun kissed skin now, their attention up at the colorful blast of the fireworks lighting up the night sky.

Tala had found himself with his arms draped over Kai's shoulders, having sat on a ledge of a half-wall with Kai leaning against it between his legs. Their necks craned up to watch, Tala's chin resting on the top of Kai's hair and their fingers locked just under Kai's collarbone.

Tyson was trying to refrain from bouncing, being on Ray's lap with his arms loosely held around his middle and his chin on his shoulder. Kevin, like he had become glued to Crusher's back, was still there on the burly giant and peeking over his head. Max was happy sitting beside Tyson and Ray, eyes sparkling as the fireworks broke apart once they touched the sky and exploded out in a colorful display just above the castle's peak.

Ming-Ming had been hoisted over Eddy's shoulders, making 'ooo' and 'ahhh' noises with every new explosion of color while Mariah stood beside them with Michael on her other side and Miguel sat down beside Max with Mathilda resting her head on his shoulder.

The final hit, the music kicking up as firework after firework shot up into the sky one after the other. Lighting the sky up brightly as if it were daylight again, the colors breaking apart and blending in with each other.

As the last of the fireworks died out of sight in the black backdrop of the sky, the music slowly down, the large crowd began to gather their things as the bladers picked themselves up off where they had been sitting, the others just simply turning to take them with the crowd back to the buses.

It had been a long day and they were more than welcoming their stiff hotel beds and a shower.

"So, what'd you guys think?!" Max asked as they were fitted onto a bus finally after almost an hour long wait.

"Never again." Kai answered him from near the back with Tala halfway asleep on his shoulder and against his side.

Max frowned a little at him, "Yes Sir…" He grumbled under his breath.

His fearless leader number two title stripped away.

For now…