Final Day
Just when things were getting good, it would all come to an end. The sun rose from the ocean for the last day for those on the island getaway. It's sad. Everyone started to get along with each other. Ichigo stepped out of his room, breathing in the ocean air. He remembered the fight with InuYasha and how abrupt it ended thanks to Kagome. He leaned on the railing, gazing out toward the ocean. "Seven days," he counted. "Can't believe it's over already. I wonder how Rukia and my sisters are doing." He began to walk down the stairs where another door opened and out popped Serena and Ichijo's little sister. Little sister came to the island last night after Ash, Kari, Edward and Nodoka stopped an army of Puchuus from invading Earth. The oceanic air made Serena yawn. "Morning, Serena...Little sister." Serena turned to Ichigo while little sister hid.
"Morning, Ichigo," she welcomed. "Sorry about last night. I guess I should have been more specific to what happened to those guys." Ichigo waved it off, not a big deal at this point.
"It's okay. It all turned out well." Serena felt relieved to hear him forgiving her. "Why say that? I mean, there wasn't anything we could have done to stop it." A giggle from her hinted to Ichigo that she did something during the night.
"Well, I visited Ash's room during the night and gave him and Kari a kiss." Little sister got interested with what Serena did. Ichigo came to the conclusion that she did that to apologize for the ruckus yesterday, especially to Ash for all the trouble she, Ruri, Asuka and Orihime gave him and Kari with trying to pair them together, via sexy swimwear.
"Huh! For all the cause, Asuka should be the one saying sorry to them, not you." Serena gulped. He believed she said sorry to Ash and Kari when all the blame was on Asuka. Before she could reply to his reply, a growl. Both blonds heard the growl, turning to the little sister. A reminder...
"Right, we're gonna have breakfast with everyone." Little sister nodded as the two made their way to the dining hall where Emma and Pete set the tables for the visitors' last meal. Pete produced a high chair for the latest visitor.
"I called it, Pete," she nagged. "I told you and Neo that a high chair would come in handy." Pete groaned at Emma's cackle.
"Okay, okay!" he muttered. "No need to rub it in my baby face." Emma giggled. "Look, I'm still in disbelief that aliens came to attack us, let alone be furry teddy bears that could use its cuteness to lower our guard." They were more of mice than bears. The doors opened, Ichigo, Serena and little sister entered the hall.
"Sorry if we're early," Ichigo apologized. Pete shook his head.
"Nah, it's cool." Serena loaded little sister on the high chair and Emma presented her with a sippy cup of milk. For a toddler, she knew how to hold the cup tight and firm.
"Can't believe a whole week came and went," Serena summarized. Emma acknowledged Serena's subtlety. "I mean, I've met new friends and some...I wish I couldn't leave them." Ichigo bobbed his head.
"I couldn't agree more," he huffed. "I might not feel so bad the next time I beat a member of the Soul Society, knowing how strong InuYasha is during our fight a few days ago." The fight could be considered a draw since Kagome ran interference.
"Yeah, but I think the real lucky son of a gun is Ash. I had a chance to walk with him, Asuka kissed him on the first day, Miharu was his teammate in that volleyball tournament, Yuna had a chance to help his training, Ruri helped heal him when the boys ditched him and...Kari..." Kari became the ultimate winner in the Ash Ketchum sweepstakes. Soon, more people came in the halls. TK and Misty entered, holding hands. More than one romance seemed to bloom. Everyone and their creatures came to eat one more meal before heading back to their own dimensions...except for Ash and Kari. Those two were still asleep, missing breakfast. Kari nestled her head on Ash's shoulder. Mesousa, Larvitar and Gatomon woke to the sunshine. Hopping out of bed, the sun was a welcoming to the nightmare that was last night. Mesousa and Larvitar scoped the bed with the kids still sawing logs.
"Should we wake them up?" Mesousa asked. Larvitar looked but shook his head. He didn't want to disturb the two. They looked so comfortable together that waking them up would be a bad idea. Any number of circumstances could come from rudely getting them out of bed.
"Let 'em sleep," Gatomon reassured. "After what happened last night, they just need sometime to calm down." Mesousa smiled at the two before joining the other two for breakfast. Kari snuggled ever closer to Ash. What else happened last night besides being abducted by a toddler stowaway, going into outer space, getting involved in an alien battle and stopping a fleet of murderous teddy mice? Something might be hinting underneath the sheets but let's not go under there and say we did. As everyone else enjoyed breakfast, Neo, Pete and Emma entered.
"So, how has everyone been during this past week?" Emma asked. A mix of sounds were of good tone. The three hosts were happy that their offering of the week-long break from their worlds was worth it.
"That's awesome," Pete smiled but as he did a headcount, he found two vacationers missing. "Timeout, 30 seconds! Where's Ash and Kari?" Everyone stopped and looked around. No Ash. No Kari.
"Room 16," Gatomon called out. "We thought it would be best to let 'em sleep after all that happened last night." The hosts glared at each other, what to do about the two late for breakfast. Winry stood up, her plate clean.
"If it's not too much, I can go and deliver their breakfasts," she requested. Neo thought that getting breakfast to the two would be wise if they wanted to stay in the room.
"Sure, Ms. Rockbell," he accepted. Seeing the two plates without feeders, she snagged the plates and walked out. Reaching the room, she placed one plate on her arm and used her free hand to knock on the door.
"Ash! Kari! Breakfast!"
"Coming!" voiced Kari. She opened the door, greeting the blond. "Morning, Winry. Sorry about not coming for breakfast." Winry didn't see their absence as a big deal.
"Hey, I know the deal from Gatomon. You wanted to spend as much time before we all go home today." Kari gasped a little. She began to admire Ash and now, it's ending.
"But...we just..." Winry understood Kari's feelings. She didn't want to separate from Ash.
"I'm sure you two will see each other again." Kari couldn't believe what came out of Winry's lips. She didn't want Kari to lose what she wanted because they were all going home today. "I mean, if I wanted to, I'd take Alma with me and leave Ed here. You'd want to go with Ash to his world and be with him for the rest of your life." It was just not now. Kari mulled that the love would be put on hold.
"Winry?" Ash called as he stepped out of the bathroom, towelling his hair. So that's where he disappeared to. He's freshening up. "Oh, I didn't know breakfast could be delivered." Winry laughed, thinking Ash made a joke.
"Well, you two didn't show up in the dining hall." Ash felt silly for passing up breakfast to spend the morning...the last morning with Kari. The girls forgave him for feeling some love on this island getaway.
"That's actually a first for me. Other than Pokémon, food's the only thing I care for." No big deal to the girls.
"Just goes to show that there's more to life than food and Pokémon," Kari chuckled. Ash joined in the humor. After Ash and Kari ate breakfast, everyone returned to their rooms to pack up. It was time that they left. Alma picked up Hellbrick. It can't walk, it has no legs. Everyone packed, they joined the hosts at a huge device with a swirling light in a circular hoop.
"Well, everyone?" Pete mentioned. "The portal back to your worlds are opened. Present your Dimension Card to me and I'll activate the portal." The girls had white cards ready. Yuna and Kazuki stepped up first as Ruri and Hellbrick approached Ash and Kari, TK and Misty right by them.
"Ash, I'm sorry for all the ruckus yesterday," Ruri apologized, Alma watching from a few feet away.
"It's okay," Ash sighed, forgiving her. "It all worked out." Larvitar, in Ash's arms while Pikachu perched himself on his head, softly roared in happiness.
"If you forget the connection between you and her, I will personally give you hell," Hellbrick warned. Ah, good old Hellbrick. Never a moment of boredom when he has a word to say.
"Hey, I would like to see everyone again and maybe have another volleyball tournament," Kari wished. "And maybe have that night with Ash in that cavern like TK and Nia got." Simon and TK giggled in unison before Nia dragged Simon to the gate. A final waive and the two vanished. Almost all the guests have stepped beyond the gate back to their worlds. Ash, Misty, TK, Kari, Patamon, Gatomon, Pikachu, Larvitar and Togepi were last to go. "Ash, I will never forget what happened yesterday, let alone all week we've lived together. Same with you, you brave Larvitar." The Pokémon loved the praise from the brunette. "I want to see you mostly...no, I want to live with you, forever." Ash placed a hand on Kari's head, a sign of comfort to say that he won't forget her, let alone what love was about.
"I know we will," he promised. "To think, love is something I've started to like and you showed me what it is." Without warning, Ash returned the favor of lip locking to Kari. Misty and TK smiled at the two while the vortex's color changed to pink.
"I'm actually surprised that I'm not jealous of the two, now," Misty realized. "I mean, why should I be when the two have understood love, if to each other?" TK had an answer to her theory.
"Maybe because of what we talked about last night and that you gave me a kiss?" he pointed out. Once broken, the blushing duo nodded a fond farewell. Ash, Misty and the Pokémon entered and followed by TK and Kari. All 13 couples were back in their worlds, leaving Pete, Neo and Emma to clean up the messes left by their guests.
"Well...I say that the week went well!" Neo summed up. No arguments among Pete and Emma.
"Tell me about it," Emma agreed. "Who knew the insanity of having so many guests could be so much fun."
"Yeah, I'm thinking we should start accepting more customers, expand the amount of rooms, provide continental meals, adjust daily costs to rent rooms...I mean, this can be successful to our business!" No one noticed that Pete stopped and his head tilted to the sky. "I bet Pete would feel like a kid again helping the guests out, wouldn't you?" That's when they figured out Pete wasn't paying attention to the conversation. "Pete?" Seeing where Pete was looking, they turned up and viewed... a spaceship falling onto the island. The hosts couldn't believe that something from space was falling...and it was aimed right at them. Someone acted fast.
"In the water!" Pete commanded. "In the water!" The three dashed and dove into the ocean while...KABOOM! The ship, no doubt damaged from the fight last night, didn't hit the resort, missing it by a few feet. The hosts surfaced, viewing the down aircraft and seeing that none of the resort, man-made, was unscathed.
"I think I'm gonna have a heart attack," Emma huffed. The men exited the ocean water before approaching the fallen ship. Emma hustled back to the rest, using Neo as a shield. Suddenly, the hatch door popped open. Hey, it's the aliens who helped Ash and the rest back to Earth.
"You're kidding..." Neo hushed. "Talk about a gust of wind..."
"Neo, that's my catchphrase!" Pete snapped. Captain looked at the remains of his vessel while the rest of the aliens filed out to escape the wreckage.
"Is everyone okay?" Captain asked. He's worried about his crew. He's the one responsible for them.
"They look like in good shape," the associate acknowledged. "You want me to check and verify?"
"Safety concerns, friend. Make sure they're evaluated." A nod from the associate and he strolled to check on everyone that was on-board. Captain looked at his ship, now scraps of twisted metal. "First, the subject of the matter, then the Puchuu fight...when did everything go to hell?" Some contemplating to do. Pete got to Captain's side, mocking the Federation's regulations.
"Eh, look at the bright side," he spoke. "You didn't hit the resort. You can stay until you get your ship back to working condition." Captain looked to the building his ship nearly crushed. Astonishment...to a point.
"Great...and me without the current currency to pay for lodging my crew." Leave it to Pete with an idea. He pondered a way to deal with the problem.
"No problem! Send out an SOS to whoever funds your missions and when we meet, we'll negotiate a settlement and send a payment plan to make sure everything fits the bill." Captain's astonishment grew. Pete would let them stay and rest while they broadcast a distress signal to have them rescued.
"You humans are more understanding than we studied from above. I mean, yeah, we're not really supposed to have direct contact with the species of the test subject but there are humans who feel sympathetic to anyone and anything." Pete wasn't too humored with the praises.
"We're the ultimate mixed bag. Hell, we feel like aliens to each other." Captain laughed hard, thinking how funny it would feel to consider humans as aliens.
"Pete!" Neo called out from the portal machine. "I'm gonna head back to Oregon for a bit. You think you can keep these aliens entertained?" A nod from the blond told Neo that he'd be fine.
"Sure thing!" Neo opened the portal and jumped inside before it vanished again. That left Pete and Emma with the aliens. Boy, wasn't this going to be a fun time. Meantime, the guests all made it back to their home worlds. Still, the adventures on the island were unforgettable. Ash and Misty, TK and Kari, Serena and Darrien, Rebecca and Shun, Simon and Nia, Alma and Ruri, Asuka and Shinji, Kazuki and Yuna, Yukinari and Miharu, Edward and Winry, Negi and Nodoka, Ichigo and Orihime and InuYasha and Kagome. These 13 pairs had a vacation of a lifetime. They can only wonder if the island will be there the next time.
THE END