Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Once upon a time, there was a King named Ainouske. The heir of Crazy Rock Kingdom was beloved by the people when he was a prince. However, the day he took the crown the pressure to find a suitable bride corrupted the new monarch into becoming a Demon.

Yes, after the coronation it was quite common back then for the newly crowned king to host skating tournaments to find a bride. But these balls never sufficed Ainosuke's desires. Whenever a suitable partner was on the verge of winning the king would push them too far. Sometimes literally off a cliff. Leaving the skater in question with major injuries. Eventually, the kingdom had enough of the king's dangerous balls and exiled him to Sadist's Cavern. Where he crowned himself Emperor ADAM.

Now he has come back to steal Prince Langa and Cindereki's happy ending for himself. Attacking the royal guard and taking the prince and his old manservant back to his lonely empire. All hope seems lost for the redhead.

But wait what's this?

"LANGA!" A hoarse voice cries out in the night.

It seems the redheaded servant has been skating through the woods in search of his prince for quite some time. Such a long time that the sky went from a clear sunny day to a cold rainy night. Even so, he has not given up hope on finding his prince just yet.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" Cindereki was doing his best to stay hopeful, but he'd been searching for hours now. His voice was going out. His thighs were aching. Cindereki could barely keep his balance.

"Please Give Him Back!" Cindereki called out once more with tears stifling his voice.

"Please." The last word was whispered to the wind.

"Oi!" A booming voice answered his prayers

"Langa?" Reki whipped his body to the sound. Forgetting that he was on a skateboard. The sudden weight shift caused the glass board to slip from under him.

"Woah! Ow!" Cindereki couldn't help the words that slipped out his mouth when his hands and knees hit the muddy ground. Ruining the dress he had run out in.

"Cindereki! Are you okay?" The booming voice called out once more.

Now that the voice was closer, Cindereki felt stupid for thinking it was Prince Langa.

"Joe?" He looked up from the ground to see the Muscle Magic Wizard, on his board, jump over a fallen log and braked behind Cindereki.

"What are you doing here? I thought ADAM put a mask on you?"

"Yes, he did. But it only took a few magical muscle flexes to break it" Joe the Wizard explained, "I came to find you right after I got it off. You shouldn't have left so soon. Those masks make it impossible for those wearing them to help you. Be glad I was able to find you in this forest before someone else did.” Joe stepped off his skateboard.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I just-" Cindereki couldn't find the words to explain himself.

The wizard however was very good at reading other people, so he knew what the redhead was trying to say. He crouched to the ground to get closer to the boy.

"You want to save your prince don't you?"

Cindereki's cheeks flushed a pink bright enough to rival his step-sister Cherry's hair. Even as he began to mutter under his breath.

"It doesn't matter. I've been out here for hours. He's gone." The redhead's shoulders were beginning to shake,

" I don't know what the prince saw in me. I wasn't even able to protect him from that ADAM guy. I'm just a dumb maid. Not a knight in shining armor. Why did I think I could save him?" Silent tears mixed into raindrops streaking down his cheeks.

Joe crouched down to get closer to the poor boy.

"Hey hey hey. Don't throw in the towel just because of one minor setback. Prince Langa thought highly enough of you to search for you when you disappeared. Don't you think it's time to return the favor?"

As much as the boy wanted to believe in the wizard's words. Cindereki had already tried searching for the prince. But after spending a whole day in the woods, it was hard to find any hope in the words of a strange man he barely knew.

"I've been searching for the Demon Emperor for hours and I still don't have a clue where they went." Reki began to wipe away his tears as the rain began to slowly dissipate.

Joe brazenly grinned at the downtrodden boy.

"I know exactly where they went."

Cindereki quickly bounced back to life.

"You do! Where? Where did they go? How do you know?" Cindereki tried to stand up but his knees were weak from all the skating and he quickly fell back down.

"There's only one place that that devil could have run off to," Joe looked off in the direction of this location. "The kingdom exiled him to Sadist Cavern, so I'm sure that's where he took Langa.'

"Sadist Cavern is a long way from here. We can head there tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Cindereki nearly screeched in disbelief. "Shouldn't we head there now?"

"Calm yourself, kid. You can't even stand up, there's no way you can just waltz into ADAM's empire and get the prince back." Joe sighed at the boy's impatience.

Joe stood up and stretched his back, "Besides it's gonna take ages to get there anyway. That should give us plenty of time to spare."

Cindereki was confused.

"Give us plenty of time for what?"

"You said it yourself, kid. Right now, you're just a maid. If you want to save your precious Prince, you're gonna have to become a Knight."

"You can make me a knight?"

"Of course, I can. Knights and Muscle Wizard training are very similar. All I need to do is pass on my workout regimen onto you and soon you’ll be able to defeat any enemy you come across," The Wizard paused for a moment, and then he smiled as if he remembered something important.

" Besides," Joe held out his hand "I haven't taught you all the tricks your skateboard can pull off."

Cindereki looked towards the glass skateboard that had gotten him into this conundrum.

“It can do more than make an Ice Road?” Cindereki questioned the wizard

The tan wizard replied, “That’s not even half of what it can do.” Knowing that the boy’s natural curiosity would shake off any lingering doubts he had with him.

With a new sense of resolve, Cindereki took The Magician's hand and began the training session.

After spending the night in Joe's hut, the pair simultaneously traveled to ADAM's empire on skateboards and trained for the inevitable battle.

Joe taught Cindereki how to do speed-gaining slides for curves, how to flip the board to block attacks, and most importantly how to use the board's powers to his advantage. Offensively and Defensively.

By the time they came upon the entrance of Sadist Cavern, the redhead had transformed from a sad little housekeeper covered in the cinders of the fireplace into a confident skater knight determined to save his fiance from the clutches of evil.

Joe renamed him Sir Cindereki-

"Can you just call me Reki from now on?" the boy requested before the Magician could finish the ceremony.

"Sure." Joe agreed easily.

Joe dubbed him Sir Reki Kyan, Knight of Crazy Rock, and to celebrate the occasion he gave Reki a new outfit befitting a knight.

"These bands will do half any physical damage you take while wearing it" Joe handed the silver headband with gold detailing and a matching wrist sweatband.

"This hood will ward off ADAM's demon masks and overall demonic energy." An earthly-toned hood was given to the redhead. "Finally, these clothes will be resistant against elemental attacks. That way you won't be hurt by the board's magic."

Joe replaced the Cindereki dress with form-fitting trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, black riding gloves, and some athletic boots that had good gripping soles that would make it harder for Reki to fall off his board.

"Thanks, Joe." The knight took the items and ran off to change.

When he came back it was noticeable that Reki had cuffed one of the trouser pants legs and one sleeve. But Joe was known for refusing to wear a shirt. So he had no room to judge. But Joe did compliment Reki's new hairstyle, as instead of ill-fitting braids, the long sections being pulled into a low ponytail.

Once the Red Knight was ready they stood beside the dead tree that marked the entrance to the empire.

"Ok. Let's go!" The Knight rushed forward to the entrance.

Joe cried out to Reki,

"Wait! I'm not going with you."

"What!?" Reki slid to a halt right before he could enter the purple hellscape that was ADAM's empire.

"What do you mean you are not coming with me?"

"Just what I said Reki, My magic doesn't work in the Sadist Carven. ADAM's demonic power is too strong here. If I tried to use my magic in there I could poof into nothingness. "

"Oh come on, you're covered in muscles. You're telling me that once we pass through the barrier you'll be useless." Reki whined.

"Absolutely," Joe said without a hint of shame.

When Reki started to pout, the magician shook his head and gave a small smile before he walked over to the boy.

"You don't have to worry. Anything I made outside of the empire should survive in the cave. Especially the board."

He pointed to said object, "That baby can take on a tank and make it out in one piece. Just like a certain redhead, I know."

"Who?" Reki was hoping that Joe would tell him where to find this indestructible redhead so he could help the knight take Langa back.

Joe held back a sigh, "You, Reki. I'm talking about you!"

Reki deflated, "Oh," Was all the knight could say as he stared into the dark cave.

The redhead had spent most of his life being told he couldn't do anything right. Now that he had to complete such an important task all by himself. The boy couldn't help but second guess himself.

But the man couldn't help but notice the boy's hesitation. Fortunately for him, the wizard knew just how to push him forward.

He pulled the boy into a playful headlock as he did his best to encourage him. Even as the knight was trying to tap out.

"Come on, Reki! If you want to impress your prince you should be the one to save him. Just imagine the praise you'll get once you find him."

Reki took a moment to imagine the praise he would get from the people for saving the prince. He had to admit that he found the idea charming. Then he took another moment to imagine the praise he would get from the prince. The image of the blue-haired prince singing his praises was truly a fantasy he wanted to become reality.

"Okay. I'm ready! Let's go!" The knight's cheeks were blushing as he started marching forward to the cave with his skateboard under his arm.

The wizard laughed at the boy's eagerness and waved at the boy. Truly believing that he would come back.

"I'll be waiting out here when you get back!" He called out to the boy as he crossed the threshold.

The knight waved a final goodbye to the wizard.

"See you soon." Those were the last words Reki spoke to him before he disappeared from sight.

Chapter Text

The Red Knight had long crossed the barrier into the demon's labyrinth. A land shrouded in darkness with strange glowing purple rocks to guide any poor souls through the cavern. Reki followed these lights along the solitary road that climbed up to over a hundred feet in the air. It gave the knight slight acrophobia every time he peaked over the edge.

Thankfully he had only skated up to the outcropping before a booming voice caught his attention.

"Oh My! It seems that a little fox has wandered into my garden." The salacious voice Reki was hoping to avoid now echoed across the cavern.

Reki braked hard and turned his board to face The Demon Emperor of Love as the man stood with his board on a wide cliff similar to that of a grand stage. The demon had also gone through a costume change. With his new horned skeleton mask and his black and green avant-garde caped ensemble.

“Hmm, I was sure that ugly maid was going to dash into my holy sanctum to ruin the wedding. But instead, I've got a stupid knave crawling around my domain. Well little boy, did you get separated from your troop, or did you come here to prove something?"

Reiki didn't bother answering the question. Not caring whether Adam recognized him or not.

"Where are you hiding Prince Langa?" Reki shouted at the Blue Demon.

"Oh, I see." His bawdy tone of voice made Reki not want to be seen at all. "You're here to take my Eve away, aren't you? What a naughty little fox you are." The Emperor began to giggle maniacally at the prospect. “I'm just kidding Cindereki. I know it’s you underneath that knight costume.”

Reki glared daggers into the emperor above him at the mention of his old name.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you’re wearing. You won't be able to do anything after I add you to the roster of Love Minions. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!"

A mask came flying at him. Reki covered his eyes and ducked, not seeing the mask fly in the opposite direction as soon as it came within a foot from the Knight.

"Huh?"

The eccentric emperor spoke the magic words again. Two masks shot out towards Reki and once more they veered off before it got too close.

Adam made a foul grimace.

"Tch. Damn, Magician and his mediocre tricks." The demon cursed, before regaining his composure and giving the boy a flourish of his cape. "They say that love is sweeter when you overcome obstacles to achieve it. You want your Prince back? Just try to take him."

Adam viciously threw his horned board off the stage. Once he managed to hop on, he started speeding away from Reki.

“Hey! Wait.” The redhead didn't hesitate to give chase. Reki was soon trailing close behind the devilish skater. Even through the uneven road and the flamboyant tricks the devil performed, the knight stayed steady on his upgraded glass board.

But, just when Reki could reach out and grab the demon. A strong gust of air nearly pushed him off his board. The sight he was greeted with as he regained his balance shocked him.

"MIYA?"

The younger step-sibling was gliding in front of Reki. He wore the same casual dress Reki had seen him in before he left to find Langa. However, he was also still wearing the mask ADAM forced onto him. The edges are decorated like green fairy wings. It made him look creepy. Not to mention the unsettling grin that was plastered on Miya's mouth wasn't helping.

"Looks like the slime is playing at being a hero, huh?" Miya chirped as they turned a corner.

"Not only that," a much older and proper voice continued behind him. "He also intends to steal something that does not belong to him."

"Cherry?" Reki glanced behind him to find the older step-sibling was wearing the same pink winged mask and smile. Although Cherry had fixed his hair into a high athletic ponytail rather than a low casual one.

"Little housekeepers should be cleaning up others' messes. Not interfering with another’s marriage. Idiot!"

Cherry rammed CARLA into the back of the glass board.

"Hrk!" Reki swayed but held his balance. "Stop that! I'm trying to save Langa."

A deep raucous laugh echoed through the cavern.

"NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, DOG!"

Reki barely managed to kick-turn out of the way before Stepmother Shadow could squash him. Shadow was the only one in his full goth/metal regalia dress. Of course, the punk’s orange matched his children's masks.

"Looks like I haven't beaten you enough, Cindereki. When I'm done with you, you'll never leave the house again. Now be a good dog and Stay Down."
With those last words, Shadow threw several brightly colored explosive streamers at Reki. Reki dodged the best he could and stayed close to the walls.

It was an attack on all sides with Miya slowing down and trying to use a Tic-Tac trick to hit Reki's Ankles while the knight did his best to slide away from them. Cherry was quick to swoop to Reki's side and started to bump CARLA into the glass board. Pointedly when Reki was close to the protruding rocks that covered the cavern road. Shadow was no help with all his taunting about all the things he would do to Reki once he was knocked off his board and his explosives.

Reki was starting to feel the pressure. It was hard enough to barely catch up to Adam's speed. Now that the step-family had arrived, he felt that he might as well crash into a stalagmite.

But soon they came upon a spiky crossing of the road. If you bailed out here…. Well… You might as well give up walking for the next week. Reki knew that this would be hard to pass. But he also had an idea of how to make it harder for the others.

Reki sped forward while the others slowed down.

"Trying to run away won't work Slime. There's no nowhere to hide." After Miya chastised Reki, The redhead jumped over a small rock and did a flip.

Thinking back to his training the red knight let his thoughts cycle over the words “I want to disappear” as images of his step-family berating him flowed through his mind's eye. All his life had been spent trying to escape their grasp, so it was easy for that same mixed emotion of fear, anger, hatred, and despair to wash over him. Once the board hit the ground the wheels started to smoke.

"Huh?" The stepsibling watched as the smoke grew thicker and thicker. Soon enough the red knight disappeared from view. As did the rocky road.

"Cindereki you-" Miya couldn't finish the sentence before the smoke infiltrated his lungs compelling him to cough. He continued to criticize the knight’s techniques in between wheezes. "Just because you can hide doesn't mean-"

Whatever the cat boy was going to say next was interrupted by his board colliding with a rock. Knocking him off onto the ground. The sounds similar to that of a cat yowling in pain could be heard by the two skaters who passed him.

The knight had just managed to get through the rocky path. As the smoke trailed behind him, his vision was as clear as day. Risking a look behind him the smoke had grown into a huge dark cloud. Beginning to think that was enough, he used the Nollie trick to end the SMOKE WHEEL Trick as Joe had taught him.

That was only one of the elemental powers the board harnessed. Joe had taught him that every power had to be activated by successfully pulling a trick, and each trick was associated with a certain emotion while doing it. In the days spent training for this moment, Reki had managed to learn every trick in the book.

As Reki checked his board to see the wheels had finished smoking, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was soon ruined by Cherry and Shadow breaking through the wall of smoke.

"You may now open your eyes Cherry-sama."

"Thank you. CARLA."

Crap. He should have known Cherry would be able to get through the smokescreen using CARLA. That robot could easily calculate when Cherry needed to turn this way or that to dodge the spikes. Shadow getting through on the other hand was a slightly more unexpected turn of events. Maybe he was just good at memorizing the track or plain lucky.

But two-on-one was better than one-on-three and Reki was far ahead of them for the time being. But now he had to figure out how to get rid of the other two.

Of course, the Matador Demon was miles ahead of them on a lower track. The chances of Reki catching up were 0 to none. Not unless Reki could find a shortcut.

As if the gods had heard him, the skaters came upon a piece of cliff that stuck out like a ramp. He headed straight for it. As did Cherry, trailing close behind him.

“What are you doing? Idiot! you can't fly!” The sister yelled as CARLA advised Cherry to brake. Soon enough Cherry stalled while Reki zoomed faster towards the natural ramp.

The exhilaration of a trick that was executed perfectly. The thrill of skating with Langa. A moment where gravity didn't exist. Those passions are what fuelled the fire that lit the back of Reki's board, acting as FIRE JETS to push Reki even faster as he soared over the ramp. Into the cold air.

For half a second, he was flying like a Phoenix in Spring skies. Alone for now, but soon to find his mate. Unfortunately, Shadow wasn't willing to let this bird fly free. The stepmother skated to the edge before launching one more attack.

"Take this! Haemanthus Bomb!"

The lit fuses headed straight for Reki. He had no choice but to block them with his skateboard in mid-air. As the explosions hit the bottom of the glass Reki gave a slight push so they bounced off his board back to their owner. With just enough time to point the wheels back down to land safely on the other side.

Reki heard the remaining Step-family give out a yell as the bombs exploded on the other side but Reki wasn't looking at Shadow. His eyes were glued on ADAM.

Who was gazing right back at him? While simultaneously flamenco dancing with his board?

“That muscle freak gave you a nice trick board. But you're no match against a real star.”

There was a real light show filled with sparkles, fireworks, spotlights, and a myriad of flashy dance moves as ADAM’s magic bounced over the cavern. Reki did his best to not be blinded as the protective barrier repelled any magic directed at him. Squinting nonplussed at a man who was nothing without his board or magic.

Sooner than expected, ADAM flipped his board around to start breaking necking at the kight. Holding out his arms for a LOVE HUG. “Come to me, my silly Knave!”

There was no space to turn out of the way of the oncoming collision. The one option to get out of harm's way was to jump over ADAM. But he didn't have the speed nor the strength to pull that move off.… No, that's not right. There was one more direction to go.
Right before the Demon could touch him, Reki leaned all the way back. Grabbing his board for balance as he climbed the Demon's arm while adjusting his board to curve around Adam’s horns just in the knick of time.

“WHat?” The Demon stumbled while righting his board. “How dare you! Stupid Fox,” The Demon growled as he sped back to meet Reki’s pace. “ This Is UNFORGIVABLE! You’re just a housekeeper. An amateur skateboarder with no real talent. A pauper playing at being a prince! In what world would Prince Langa take you as his spouse instead of ME!”

It was the ramblings of a psycho who kidnapped a prince because he couldn't handle someone else being happy. Yet, Reki couldn't help asking himself those same questions. Why did Langa want to marry him? All he did was spend one night skateboarding with him. He didn't even know Langa was the Prince at the time. He just wanted to have some fun with a stranger with wintery blue hair…

Hang on, did Reki answer his own question? The others didn't care about Langa. Not as a person, not as a friend. They all wanted The Prince from the Land Of Snow. They wanted a piece of his throne. The status of being his spouse. But none of them saw Langa. The boy that could hold Cindereki’s hand and laugh at nothing with her. The one who looked heartbroken at seeing her dash off without even learning her name. The one who was utterly relieved to find her again. Not even ADAM cared about Langa. What did he know about what Langa wanted?

“Did you even think to ask Langa what he wanted or did you just decide for yourself what his happiness looked like?” Reki shouted at the demon before doing a switch backside 180. The ground behind Reki’s board became slick with water. “You may be a Love Demon but you don't know the first thing about real connections. You have to think of someone other than yourself to have that!”
The demon’s wheels were shaking in the mud. No one skates in the rain, especially not in Sadist Cavern. ADAM was focusing most of his energy on keeping the board balanced. Barley hears The Red Knight's words before executing the final trick.
“I don't care about marrying Langa. I don't care if he marries someone else instead of me. But I can't let him get coerced into a crappy marriage with you. He’d live the rest of his life miserable and alone. I care about him too much to let that happen. So do us both a favor and just LEAVE US ALONE!”

When the demon opened his eyes a TSUNAMI WALL was cresting far above his head. If it was anything else the exile could have countered it. Either with magic or with skill. But you can't skate in water, and ADAM never learned how to surf. All he could do was scream before the wave washed him out and over the edge. Sending him to the bottom of the abyss.

The red knight slid to a stop as he jumped off the board to peek over the edge. There was a small horned figure planted face first in the mud, with little pools of water draining out around him.

“I did it,” The knight whispered in disbelief, “I can't believe I did it.” For a full minute, The Knight of Crazy Rock basked in his victory and used the time to catch his breath. Before someone called out to him.

“Oi, Reki!”

The redhead knew who that loud voice belonged to before it had finished speaking.

“Joe!”

The Muscle Wizard was gliding up to the Knight with a proud grin. “The barrier broke a few seconds ago. So I guess that means you beat ADAM?”

Reki’s chest puffed with pride, “Yeah you know I did!” Then he remembered why he was chasing ADAM in the first place.

“Wait! I still don’t know where Langa is. That creep didn't tell me where to find him!” Reki peeked over again at the extremely deep cavern Adam was lying in, before whining “Don't tell me. I have to go all the way down there!”

“Hmm,’ Joe looked down for a moment, before laughing at the sight below him, “Nah, you don't need him. Whatever prison Langa is locked up in had demon magic protecting it. It should be broken now that ADAM is knocked out.”

“But where is he? The cavern is so huge I don't know where to start!”

Joe calmed the little knight down by putting a hand on his shoulder, “Just follow your heart kid. The board will lead you the rest of the way.”

Reki opened his mouth to ask his mentor how, but then the sound of three far-off groans stopped him.

“I'll take care of Cherry and the others, you go find the prince.”

With that, the Wizard skated away to help Reki’s annoying step-family. Leaving Reki alone to find the prince once again.

“Follow my heart, huh?” Reki pondered the meaning of those words while fidgeting with his glass board. “I guess it’s like all the other TRICKS I’ve done before. But what am I supposed to think about to find Langa?”

It can't be as simple as thinking about the Prince. Or else Reki would have found him already. It had to be a feeling. But what emotion could find Prince Langa? It can't be anger. That caused a tsunami. Not hopelessness or despair. What feeling could bring Langa back to him? No… the better question is what did Langa make him feel?

The warmth of Langa’s hand in his. The laughter the two shared their first night. The elation of finally finally finding someone who thinks you’re worth their time. Even if it is spent doing pointless stuff because it’s fun. It was a bright light that led you exactly where you needed to go.

Just like that, the glass beneath his feet began to shine brighter than the glowing rocks. Then the light escaped the glass and shot towards the back of the cavern.

“Hey, wait for me.” The knight called out to the ball of light as he pushed forward to follow it. The light did not take a straight shot, it went over stalactites and under stalagmites. Zigzaged across rocks and little streams. It even dropped down cliffs just to climb up the next one. Safe to say, the Knight had a very exhausting obstacle course to traverse before they made it to Prince Langa’s chambers. Settled in the far back of the cavern, sequestered away behind a waterfall. Reki would have never found it on his own. The ball of light hovered before the entrance to the chambers before dimming and disappearing.

Reki took a few moments to catch his breath. He did have to swim to get to the other side of the waterfall after all. Once he was breathing normally, Reki took one last deeper breath in anticipation of seeing Langa again. It had been a crazy journey to get here anyway. Then a strange thought came unbidden into his mind. What if Langa didn't want to see him at all? Maybe he would rather someone cool like Cherry or rugged like Joe come to save him. Not just a rookie knight he hung out with for one night.

Reki shook himself out of it. He didn't come this far to psyche himself from crossing the finish line. With two grounding pats to the cheek. Reki stepped beyond the threshold.

“Langa!”

Reki had been expecting a dungeon. A dark dank space with metal bars and shackles to keep prisoners chained against their will. What greeted him instead was purple and blue soft lights illuminated by floating lanterns. A circular bed with a seashell headboard sat right in the middle of a room decorated with bits of coral and pearl decorations on the floor and the walls.

“IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE A LOVE HOTEL!” Reki’s ungodly shriek was not dignified nor manly but how can you blame him?

However, before Reki could start thinking too hard about what Langa being imprisoned here meant, the voice he wanted to hear the most rang through his ears.

“Cindereki!”

“Langa!”

The Red Knight leaped towards the Prince without a second thought. The Prince wasn't ready so the two fell backward to the floor. But truthfully neither one cared. As they wrapped their arms around each other, all their worries melted away. They could have stayed like that forever if it wasn't for The Chamberlain Snake's interruption.

“Prince Langa, you must finish tailoring your wedding dress-” The attendant stopped in his tracks, seeing that a knight had made it past ADAM’s magic barrier.

“Oh. Did the castle send a knight to save us, Prince Langa?”

“Whaddya mean did they send a knight you? You helped kidnap Langa!”

“I was conditioned to serve Ainouske’s every whim when he was a prince. I couldn't fight it when he came back. You should probably leave though before Ainouske finds you and-”

“I already beat him! How else do you think I got here?”

The expressionless face of the chamberlain changed slightly. Enough to give the slight impression of shock.

“Ainouske is dead?”

“NO! What do I look like? A crazy person who goes around killing people? I just knocked him out. Geez, do you really think I would kill someone?” Reki growled in annoyance at the man’s blunt questions. But he was pulled out of it when Langa spoke to him again.

“Is it really you? Cindereki?”

When Reki put his focus back on his prince, it was only then he noticed the lipstick. Langa must have been getting ready for the wedding because his face had been done up bridal style. His pale skin had blush artfully applied to make him look like well a “blushing bride” without being too red face. His eyelashes are darker and elongated like one of those baby dolls little girls play with, highlighted by the light blue eyeshadow painted on his eyelids. The lipstick however was his favorite part of the look. It was a nice natural-looking shade of pink that accentuated how kissable Langa’s lips already were. It made Reki want to ignore the rest of the world and just lean in-

No! Bad Brain! Stop! You're not kissing Prince Langa in Sadist Cavern! Get it together!

With great difficulty, Reki turned away.

“Yeah, it’s me, Langa. Although I just go by Reki now. Knight Reki if you can believe it!”

The prince repeated the name like a prayer. “Re-ki… It’s nice.” Both of them were tired of sitting on the ground so Reki stood up first before giving Langa a hand to help him up. That’s when he finally noticed the dress.

“Langa! You look amazing!”

Reki thought it was the most beautiful wedding dress he had ever seen. It wasn't the traditional white that most brides wore. Instead, it was a slight hue of ice blue that gave it a more wintry white than any other dress Reki could ever remember seeing. It made Langa look like a Princess from a storybook.

“You too. Knight Reki.”

The two blushed and fidgeted before Snake piped up to ask Reki a question.

“Does this mean we’re free to leave?”

“Um yeah, I think so. The Wizard Joe said that Adam’s magic is gone now. But we should probably leave before he wakes up.”

“I’ll take my leave then.” Without a word, Snake pulled out his very own skateboard and started the journey back home.

“I didn't know he could skate!

“Doesn't everyone know how to skate in this land?”
“I wouldn't say everyone knows here. But that’s not important,” Reki went back to his board and held out his hand.

“Let’s go have our happily ever after… My Prince.”

The other boy smiled lovingly before taking his intended hand, “Thank you for finding… My knight in shining armor.”

As the ICE ROAD appeared beneath their feet, the two skated away into their happily ever after. And if Reki decided to kiss his prince on the way back. That was fine, there was no one to stop him this time.