I FINALLY FINISHED IT AND IT'S TECHNICALLY STILL SUMMER! Yes, this story has finally come to a close after 5 years and I want to thank everyone so much for reading and reviewing. For my first attempt at romance, I hope this didn't come off too bad- although the ghost story arc kind of unintentionally overshadowed the romance in some aspects; but then it wouldn't be a GhostFairy story without something spooky going on, now would it?
As with my other chapter stories, I would like to take a moment to thank all my reviewers: The Lonely Potato, Duhvxduopbcsaepkbfswuinvsat, Random Queen 101, DragonFang2016, Kingdom's Oathkeeper, DazzlerAngel, Guest, Desert Rose 111, meimei, choa xin, Guest, purpleprincess1147, Rokushimo, meamaya101, Momo, 91101TakaharaShiori01995, Exotic girl 26, skycold, striker86, Fanfic Jewels, SailorCandy, Guest, Hidden Jewels, Ryukaru, Guest, Guest, tccI4, and EDfXn. I realize this community has changed over the past few years and people have come and gone, but I am grateful for the continued support that helped motivate me to finish this.
I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.
The alarm clock went off promptly at six, causing Hikaru to groan loudly and Sophie to slap the snooze button for five more minutes. In the next room over, Madoka and Mei Mei were already up, beginning to move their luggage downstairs.
Hikaru squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out the remains of the alarm still echoing in her ears. She was forced to get up a few seconds later, when a bang reverberated from downstairs. A quick inspection revealed it was simply the result of when Mei Mei lost her grip on one of the bags, sending it tumbling down the stairs. Hikaru looked forlornly at her bed, but it was already too late to go back to it.
Eventually, the four sluggishly made their way down to the kitchen table.
Mei Mei rested her head on her arms to keep herself from collapsing on the table. "It's too early," she moaned.
Madoka shrugged. "I know, but we really don't have a choice. We need to get to the airport before nine."
"Oh, joy," Sophie said dryly. "We get to walk back through the jungle to the less desirable part of the island and as if that's not enough, we get to take one of those rickety old boats back to the main island. Yippee."
"Don't forget we have to bring all our bags," Mei Mei added weakly. "Are the guys leaving today, too? Any chance we can get them to help?"
"I doubt it," Hikaru scoffed. "There's no way any of them will be willing to wake up this early to lug suitcases around."
Madoka glanced the pile of bags sitting by the door. She was well aware they would be leaving with more than they came with, but this was a little alarming.
By seven they were more than ready to go. Sophie removed her final bag from inside and shut the door, locking it for the last time.
"This is so sad," Mei Mei's lip trembled as she surveyed the distance between the ocean to the condo. I can't believe we're leaving."
Hikaru ran her hand through her hair. "I know. It doesn't feel real."
"No time for small talk!" Sophie barked and began carrying bags down the stairs. "We've got to get going now if we want to catch that plane!" Truthfully, she was just as upset as the other girls that their vacation had finally come to a close, but she didn't dare let it show. Sophie was afraid she might break down if she thought about leaving the pristine island too much.
She began moving bags from the porch to the soft sand below, grimacing when she thought about how difficult it was going to be to wheel bags across it.
For the first time since they'd arrived, the beach was deserted. Madoka glanced back at the condo one last time. The boys were still there, but soon the duplex would be completely empty. Just last night Gingka and Masamune had orchestrated one final prank attack that was ultimately resolved by Sophie and Hikaru threatening them with a broom. Getting back home and not having everyone so close by was going to be an adjustment.
Things might be more peaceful when she got back, at least at home, but Madoka was definitely going to miss it.
They made their way through town for the final time, back to the woodsy path they had followed previously. Town was eerily quiet at this hour. They had the area to themselves. The shops were closed, too dark to see inside.
Just like the before, it was a bit of a hike to make it to the shore where the docks were. The four managed to make it to the rocks without too much difficulty. Nobody tripped over any hidden tree roots this time or got their luggage stuck. The path looked as though it was more traveled since last time they used it, maybe even a little wider, too. Summer traffic was no doubt to thank for that.
The docks were the same as before, slightly dilapidated but operational nonetheless. The area was frozen in time, a memory of a simple past. Up ahead, Madoka could see a small crowd standing at the edge of the water.
Maneuvering their way carefully over the rocks, the four girls reached the group and waited for the boat to arrive.
It didn't take long. Briefly it was a blip in the distance, but grew larger with each passing second. Loading was a quick affair as well. Within twenty minutes, the boat was ready to go out to sea again.
Hikaru watched as the boat pulled away from the dock and picked up speed. The island fell away into the distance and a few minutes later she found she could no longer see it at all, as if it had only ever been a fantasy place out of a dream.
Some days it really did feel like it had all been a dream.
She stepped away from the railing to sit on a nearby bench. Madoka joined her. They sat in silence, still processing everything that had happened.
Even if it had started out not the best, their vacation had worked out in the end. Everyone had come out stronger with something to show for it.
"Look!" Mei Mei called, capturing everyone's attention. Madoka got up from the bench to see what she was talking about.
Mei Mei pointed in the distance. Madoka squinted, then saw it.
Whales! They'd gone out on that whale-watching trip ages ago with no luck, but now they were right near them. Madoka clung to the railing, trying to get a better view. Until the whales dipped back below the surface, they provided a wonderful distraction and source of entertainment.
The boat docked at the port of the main island right on schedule, giving the girls enough time to signal a taxi. The four of them squeezed in, narrowly avoiding being crushed by their own luggage. Trying to squish it all in the trunk had been a lost cause.
The airport was buzzing with activity. Enormous and packed as it was, after getting through security and check-in, it didn't take too long to find their terminal.
Only a few more hours separated them from finally boarding the plane. Sophie sighed.
Because of the obscene amount of luggage, the girls decided to take shifts exploring their side of the airport to kill time. Madoka and Hikaru would go find food and check out the airport shops first, while Sophie and Mei Mei stayed behind at the terminal with their belongings. Annoying, but it was better than the four of them attempting to drag it all simultaneously the entire time. Getting to the terminal in the first place had been a mess. Someone was always struggling to keep up or dropping a bag, or there was some other minor inconvenience. Sophie was not keen to relive it.
Granted, they had been able to drop off the majority of their things at check-in, but even with their carry-ons… They'd each been allowed to keep two bags and in all honesty Sophie was shocked those bags were within the size requirements.
So here she was, stuck babysitting eight bags while Madoka and Hikaru were free to do as they pleased.
Well, Mei Mei was here with her. She was so grateful for the company. Sophie turned her attention to the other girl.
"So. You and Chao Xin. What's going on there?"
Mei Mei blushed. "Oh nothing, really."
Sophie smirked. "Don't give me that. You two are obviously together now. I need details."
"Fine," Mei Mei drew out the word. "It's not just a vacation fling. He made that clear to me. Once we're both back he wants to go on a real date."
"Oooh, a real date?" Sophie teased. "What was all that on the island, then?"
"You know what I mean," Mei Mei rolled her eyes. "Things got a little messy between us, and by the time we finally sorted it out there was so much else going on that we didn't really have a chance to establish us as a couple. So once we're home we'll make it official. It'll be a lot easier to see if this will actually work between us once we're in a more stable frame of mind with less going on."
"Fair," Sophie nodded.
Mei Mei's expression turned devious. "Enough about me. Tell me about you and Wales. I know all about you sneaking away from everyone else after going to the restaurant; Madoka told me. What happened there? Keeping any secrets?"
Sophie turned scarlet. "What!? Oh, like you can talk! You and Chao Xin were already long gone by the time Wales and I decided to leave!"
Mei Mei laughed.
Meanwhile, Madoka and Hikaru were scouring the airport in search of a reasonably priced early lunch. They hadn't eaten much for breakfast, seeing as they didn't want to make a mess of the kitchen with no time to clean.
Not that there was much choice at the airport, either. It was mostly chain restaurants and the few that weren't were more than the girls cared to pay. They were running on a limited budget at this point.
"What about this one?" Hikaru pointed at one advertising their latest burgers.
Madoka wrinkled her nose. "Sorry, but I think I've had my fill of burgers this trip."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "You'd better hope Gingka doesn't hear you say that."
Madoka sighed. "Exactly my point. Do you know how many burgers I'm going to be eating when I get home? I need to eat everything that isn't a burger while I still have a chance." She giggled.
"Then how about pizza?"
"I can live with that," Madoka decided.
After that, they spent their last half hour browsing the shops. Most were filled with overpriced items designed to entice tourists, but Madoka was able to find a book for the plane ride. Their last stop before trading off with Sophie and Mei Mei was one of the snack shops.
She picked up one of the postcards from its stand. It had a nice image of a sailboat in front of one of the islands.
Madoka watched as Hikaru looked over a bag of fruity gummies. Ever since Sophie had brought it up, she'd been curious, but the opportunity to ask hadn't presented itself.
Hey, Hikaru," she began carefully.
"Mhm?"
"Sophie told me earlier about last night… Something about you and Ryuga?"
Hikaru dropped the bag. She hurriedly picked up, using it to cover her face. "Was she now?"
"She said she saw-"
"Okay, okay, yes it's true!" Hikaru cut her off. Her tanned complexion was turning a deep shade of red. " I'm think we'll be getting together, we just need a chance to talk! You don't think it's a bad idea, do you?"
Madoka shook her head vehemently. "No way. If that's what you two want, then you should go for it."
"Okay," Hikaru peeked out from behind the bag, blush subsiding. "But seriously you don't think it's a bad idea, right? I mean, we spent so much time arguing."
"No, I don't," Madoka said thoughtfully. "Even when you were at odds, he was there to help. I think he cared, but didn't know how to show it. And if you do get together once we're home, but it doesn't work, at least you tried. I think it's worth a shot."
Hikaru let out a deep breath. "Cool. Cause I really do like him, and I know he likes me, too. We want this to work."
"It will," Madoka reassured her. "Things are going to be a lot more relaxed at home."
"True," Hikaru relented. "As long as we don't find anymore lingering spirits."
For some reason this struck them both as so unrealistic and far-fetched they doubled over laughing and were practically in tears by the time they made it back to Sophie and Mei Mei sitting in the terminal. The other girls looked at them questioningly, but the two were too busy gasping for air to provide any explanation.
By the time they were ready to board the plane, exhaustion was starting to set in. Mei Mei could barely keep her eyes open. They had spent the last hour sharing everything, from little details to their experiences with the boys, leaving no secrets lingering between them.
Judging by the large crowd around them, the plane looked full. Fortunately, they had been able to obtain boarding passes for the earliest load-in time, so they wouldn't be fighting for seats with the rest of the passengers.
The girls took their place in line, tickets ready to go.
Sophie boarded first. She struggled to lift the larger of her two bags into the overhead compartment then crammed her other bag beneath the seat. She sat down, securing the window seat as Hikaru slid in next to her. Madoka and Mei Mei chose seats directly across the aisle from them.
Mei Mei closed her eyes. "Is it bad if I sleep through the entire ride?"
"Only if you don't want your jet lag to be brutal," Sophie advised.
She sat up. "Well if I do fall asleep, somebody wake me up before I'm too far gone."
"No promises," Madoka was already deep in her book. At this rate, she'd be halfway done before the plane even took off.
Hikaru leaned back in her seat, prepping to endure hours of traveling boredom. She took out a pair of headphones while Sophie read one of the pamphlets regarding in-flight movies.
A little while later, the plane started to move toward the runway, quickly gaining speed. Moments later they were airborne, Mei Mei gripping the seat. She'd completely forgotten about the sensation of takeoff in all the excitement.
The island was getting smaller and smaller beneath them as the plane flew away reaching higher altitudes.
Soon the plane was well in the air, moving at a regular pace. Clouds obstructed their view, and Mei Mei found herself beginning to drift off, small memories of their time on the island poking through her mind.
It had been worth it. Everything that happened during this trip, even the bad things, had ultimately worked out in their favor in the end.
Madoka took a break from her book to peruse the in-flight menu. When the flight attendants finally came around, she opted for water. Sophie studied the plane-shaped crackers she was handed with interest.
"It's a bit tacky," she decided, "But they are cute." Sophie popped one in her mouth, flashing a thumbs-up sign.
Quite some time later, Hikaru woke up to mild turbulence and a voice crackling over the loudspeaker.
They were finally beginning their descent.
Hikaru blinked then looked past Sophie to see out the window. The other girl was beginning to stir as well.
She couldn't see much since they were still thick in the middle of the clouds, but Hikaru knew home was only a little ways below. Once they got out of the clouds and closer to the ground, she'd be able to see familiar buildings and roads.
All in all, she wouldn't have traded their trip for anything, Hikaru reflected. Somehow, something- fate?- had brought them all to the island, giving them wild experiences they'd never dreamed of.
They'd survived deadly weather, dangerous threats, and even helped a local legend find peace. Then there were the boys.
What had started out as a massive shock and even intrusion on what was intended to be a secluded getaway had evolved into so much more. Each of them had been brought closer to the boys in ways they never imagined possible and now had even more to look forward to when they got back. Sure, being home would bring new challenges for them to face, especially when it came to their personal relationships, but they were ready to taken them on.
Maybe in its own way, the summer had gone perfectly, or at the very least exactly the way it was supposed to. If nothing else, their adventures would live on forever in their hearts.
It truly had been a summer to remember.
And the story with a cheesy title gets a cheesy ending!
For the moment, it seems I've finished all my stories on this account; you may or may not be seeing a new one from me sometime soon. I have one in the works that's been in my notes since 2012, but it's still unfinished. I'm a little apprehensive to post it out of fear it remains unfinished and I have another half-written story on here hanging over my head. I'm also debating a short sequel to this, but it's not nearly fleshed out enough to guarantee it'll ever happen. So for the time-being, this is good-bye.
By the way, the plane crackers are a real thing. I had them over Spring Break. They're pretty great. XD
~GhostFairy