Hey guys... I have some exciting news, or at least, I'm pretty excited about it. So it's summer and some of us might have a little more free time (I definitely don't lol), and in hopes of kind of getting a little more happening in the fandom, I've decided I want to try and hold a contest! Now I know there's not a lot of us, but I'm hoping people will be inclined to participate...

Criteria: It has to be a summer romance oneshot (because who doesn't love those? We don't have nearly enough)! Any shippings are allowed, including those with OCs :) In general, I'm being pretty lax with rules, but stories need to be a minimum of 1,000 words, mostly because if they're less I don't know that they'll be fleshed out enough to have a chance. That being said, aim to keep it under 5,000 words as well, but I'm not going to hold it against you if you do go over. The story can be as fluffy and action-packed or angsty and serious as you want- surprise me! If you do have any questions, feel free to PM me! And when you post, either message me or include in the summary that this for the contest so I don't miss out on your story :D Ultimately, what I'm looking for is a great, well-written enjoyable summer story.

And uhhh... so because this is FF, it's really kind of hard to come up with "prizes" for the winner (other than bragging rights I guess? lol), so right now I'm thinking first place earns a guest appearance for one of their OCs in an upcoming chapter of To The Top. If there's a lot of entries, I'll try to come up with more prizes. Anyone who already has an OC in that story is welcome to enter as well!

The deadline for the competition is August 31. Essentially, the end of summer. So that gives about a month and a half for writing.

To kick this off, I'll be writing my own series of summer oneshots, based around my own favorite pairings. They'll all be posted under this story, and this is where you can find the most up-to-date information on the contest! And if nobody enters, that's okay, too! Cause I'll still be writing this :) Best of luck everyone!

I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade.

Her stomach squirmed, although Madoka wasn't sure whether it was from excitement or nervousness. Maybe a combination of both.

It had been her idea, but now that it was actually happening, a whole myriad of emotions had come bubbling to the surface. Years had passed since she'd last gone camping; she'd probably been no older than eight.

Gingka had looked at her in disbelief this morning when they met up. According to him, three large bags were too many for just three days of vacation, but what did he know? She was the expert here.

Although, admittedly he had been the one to grow up in a small, isolated village in the forest while she'd been raised in the city.

Regardless, she was excited for this little getaway, just the two of them. Their journey had taken them several hours north, and they were less than five minutes away now.

"Ready for this?" Gingka grinned.

"Of course!" Madoka chirped, holding his hand as he steered the car with the other. If it were even possible, her heart started beating faster.

Gingka pulled the car into an open spot in the camp parking lot. There were other cars there, but that didn't matter. Madoka felt her stomach flutter, like crazy butterflies all over again. Other people might be there, but the only ones they knew were each other.

Madoka dragged out one of her bigger bags from the trunk while Gingka pulled out the tent. It was a bit of a walk to the campsite, but they were prepared for it. It was better to take some of their heavier items now when they still had the energy.

Gingka stole a quick kiss from her and she giggled, nearly toppling over from the weight of her bag as he set her off balance. "Hey!"

She steadied herself and followed after Gingka down the well-worn dirt path.

Within moments, she could already feel herself breathing heavy. She sidestepped to avoid a big rock, then again to get out of the way of a puddle.

Sure, it had been a few years since she'd last been- okay, more than a few- but Madoka didn't remember the trek to the campsite being such a far walk, or it being over such uneven terrain. And she'd been teeny back then. She didn't recall anyone carrying her back then, either. How had it seemed to go by so fast?

She groaned internally. She and Gingka were going to have to make at least two more trips. She cursed herself for packing so much for a short trip. Maybe Gingka did have a point after all.

Of course, she couldn't exactly admit that now. He'd tease her for sure.

She grit her teeth and stepped up onto an earthen ledge, avoiding a large tree root. The ground was covered in them.

If nothing else, at least their walk was providing an excellent view of the pristine lake surrounding them.

The lake was part of the reason she'd loved this particular spot so much, and part of the reason she'd been inclined to come back now that she and Gingka had the time and the means to do so.

Dozens of shades of glittering blue flecked the surface. It was a glacial lake, formed well over ten thousand years ago and it was to that it owed its beauty, in addition to the series of mountains it was nestled between. White foam pulsed up on the edge of the beach shore as they walked past it.

It seemed they'd chosen a good weekend to come; at the moment, there weren't too many people on the beach. It was practically dinnertime, so by now most people who were coming would already be there.

She watched as Gingka's red-orange hair bobbed up and down ahead of her. She was already falling behind.

Several trips later, including one particularly awful one that required both of them to each carry an end of the grill they'd brought along and the propane tank needed to fuel it, just about everything had made its way out of the car. They'd picked out a nice spot, all of the other campers set up roughly twenty feet away from them or further. They weren't going to get total privacy, but at least no one was on top of each other.

Madoka sighed as the tent finally went up. At least that had proven to be a fairly easy task. Both of them were more than up to the job thanks to previous personal experience on both ends, so it took no more than ten minutes. She brushed her short hair back out of her face. Sticky with sweat from trip after trip back and forth from the car, she wanted nothing more than to cool off in the peaceful lake.

She glanced up over to where it greeted them no more than 100 feet from their campsite.

That was going to be the perfect sight to greet them when they woke up with the sun early in the morning. She was already imagining the scene in her head.

The current was just strong enough to bring soft waves lapping up against the rocks at the edge of the trees. The beach was a bit further down back toward the cars, but if they wanted they could jump right in from next to their campsite. There wasn't much for sand here, but the smooth rocks would provide a nice platform to step off into the water from.

Which, Madoka decided, was going to be her next move.

She knew Gingka was hungry, but for once, food was going to have to wait. Lugging that grill over tree roots and the rest of the dirt path had been especially exhausting; she needed a break from work, even if it was just cooking.

Madoka stepped into the tent, quickly changing into her new red and white polka dot bikini she'd bought just for this occasion.

She glanced over at the air mattress they had yet to set up, and felt her cheeks grow hot.

In the past, she, Gingka, and the others had spent nights in tents together, but this was different. This was the first night they would be completely alone, just the two of them.

Again, she felt equally excited and nervous, just as she had in the car. Sharing this memory from her childhood with Gingka already made her feel even closer to him.

"Madoka," Gingka called from outside the tent.

"One minute!" Madoka blushed furiously as she looked away from the mattress and sleeping bags piled on top of it.

She stepped out of the tent a moment later.

Gingka was standing over the grill. "Want to- Oh." He realized she was in her bathing suit. "You look great! You're going to the beach?"

She smiled at the compliment before answering. She knew it'd be a worthwhile purchase when she got it, and she hadn't been wrong. Madoka shook her head. "Not tonight." She pointed over to the rocky spot between groups of trees that had grown up along the water's edge, their roots extending into the lake. "I'm going in over there, just to cool off a bit."

Gingka's face broke out into a grin. "Awesome!" His face suddenly fell. "But wait, what about dinner?"

Madoka laughed. "Soon, I promise."

Gingka ran into the tent suddenly, and came rushing out almost as soon as he'd gone in, in his own bathing suit. He wrapped his arm around her waist and they started walking over to the rocks.

Madoka eased away from him and stepped on the nearest one. She dipped her toe in the water. It was cool, maybe even a little cold, but that wasn't the end of the world-

She shrieked as she went flying forward into the water, arms flailing. It wasn't at all deep, nor too shallow, but she certainly hadn't been expecting it.

Madoka whirled around. "Gingka!" she sputtered, water still coming out of her mouth.

"Sorry, sorry!" He jumped in right after her, coming up alongside her a moment later. "I couldn't help myself."

Madoka splashed him playfully. "Save it for your other friends," she joked.

He kissed her then, and she chose to take that as an apology for his little prank. Honestly, though, she knew she should've seen it coming. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and after a few more minutes splashing around, they both got out and set their sights on dinner.

Gingka started digging through their cooler while Madoka got to setting up the propane tank.

Still, as much of a pain it had been carrying the grill, it was definitely worth it, Madoka reflected. Most of the fallen branches and wood around them was still wet from the previous night's rain, hence all the mud they'd walked through earlier getting there. Starting a fire wouldn't have been nearly as easy as starting up the propane grill.

Madoka went back inside the tent to change again.

When she came out, predictably Gingka had thrown burgers on the grill and was already salivating as he flipped them over.

"Give them time to cook," she admonished gently. She barely stifled her giggle. If she didn't, he wouldn't take her seriously. No matter how many times this happened, she was constantly reminding him of that. One of these days he was bound to give himself food poisoning from the raw meat if he wasn't careful.

Madoka sat in one of the folding camping chairs and watched contentedly as the sun began to set over the lake. She could finally feel herself truly relaxing now that the work was done and enjoying her vacation.

Just as she'd predicted the day before, the rising sun was what woke her up, though thankfully later than she'd anticipated. The time of her phone read just after seven. Out here, telling time was pretty much all her phone was good for; they had no service. That, and taking pictures. Other than that, they were completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Madoka was loving it.

It hadn't been nearly as nerve-wracking as she thought it would be sharing the air mattress with Gingka. She'd really slept better than she'd expected, nestled in her own sleeping bag. It was nice having his close company. She'd woken up in the middle of the night, startled by some sudden animal noise, then fallen back asleep moments later as she curled up next to him again.

He was still asleep. Madoka figured she'd give him a little while longer; he looked so peaceful. She carefully and quietly unzipped the tent, hoping not to wake him as she sneaked out intent on starting breakfast.

The early morning lake was a beautiful sight. An odd, greenish shade was out just a ways in front of her and beyond that, into even deeper water the lake was a gorgeous cerulean blue. No matter where she stood in the lake, she could always see straight through to the bottom. It was wonderfully clear.

Madoka was suddenly glad she'd gotten up early. They still needed to get the kayaks from the car, and they had an abundance of plans already set out for the day.

After Gingka woke up and breakfast was finished, they headed back down the path to their car. They only carried the kayaks so far as the beach before sticking them into the water and paddling out the rest of the way to their campsite.

"Tired yet?" Gingka asked.

"Not even close," Madoka used her paddle to mischievously flick water at him.

Pulling the kayaks over the rocks was a bit of a task, but they managed easily enough. Once they were ashore, they dragged them back over with the rest of their things.

"What next?" Madoka asked, squeezing some excess water out of her hair. Gingka hadn't let her get away with splashing him without a little retaliation of his own.

Gingka looked over at one of the tall, tree-covered mountains bordering them. "Wanna take on that?"

They'd spent some time online in the days leading up to the trip looking at the mountain trails, deciding which one would be best for them. Going over the names, Madoka had recognized one she'd climbed with her parents back when she'd last been there. The view at the top had been breathtaking, and she was eager to see it again.

After taking a quick break and easing into the rest of their morning, they were ready to go. A quick car ride took them to the trailhead partway up the mountain. It wasn't long before they were on their way. Gingka's eyes gleamed at the prospective adventure awaiting them.

Madoka rifled through her bag quickly, making sure she had everything. Water, sunscreen, bug spray, and snacks. Plenty of snacks. Still, even with all she'd packed, she knew it wouldn't be long before Gingka tore through them all.

They posed for a quick selfie in front of the trail sign, saving the memory. Madoka made a note that they needed to take more pictures when the opportunity presented itself.

Their trip could only go up from here, quite literally.

She'd though the trek to the campsite had been hard. Barely twenty minutes into the hike Madoka's thighs were already burning. They'd hardly even started. At least another hour awaited them before they even came close to the top. She panted heavily, reaching back around to grab her water bottle from her bag. She was glad she'd packed more than she thought they'd need.

Up ahead, Gingka joyfully climbed over rock after rock, seeking the summit.

So far, all this hike had done was show her how dreadfully out of shape she was. She grimaced, but grabbed onto the rock above her to help her navigate her way out of the muddy patch she was stuck in.

It wasn't entirely her fault, she reasoned. The mountain was so ridiculously steep, the trail went near perfectly vertical at some points.

Again, she had to wonder how she had ever done this as a child.

They weren't rock climbing, thankfully, but it still felt close to it. She constantly felt like she was searching for a new foothold, just to feel confident in her connection to the ground.

Finally, the trail began to flatten out a bit. It wasn't perfect, but it was much more manageable. The path did become more winding, but Madoka found it preferable as she wasn't wheezing to catch her breath while trying not to fall backward as she went for a sip of water.

After another half hour of walking, they came upon another sign, informing them they were close to the top, but it was still a ways off.

Madoka groaned.

"Want me to carry you?" Gingka asked.

Madoka stuck her tongue out, knowing he was joking. "Nah, I can handle it." As nice as it would've been to be carried, they'd never make it. All too soon, she could see the trail getting steep again up ahead. And, as beautiful as all the greenery was on the mountainside, it was getting thicker. She'd have to be careful not to trip over a tree root, or tiny bush, or-

She cried out as she lost her balance. Luckily, the sound caught Gingka's attention and he spun around just in time to catch her.

She smiled up at him before regaining her footing, pulling her left foot out from the root it had gotten snagged under.

"Thank you," she kissed Gingka on the cheek. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"I hope so, I'd rather not have to carry you all the way back down myself," Gingka grinned.

After taking another quick water break, knowing they were so close to the top energized her.

She sprinted on ahead, passing Gingka. She could see up ahead a gap in the trees, and that could only mean one thing.

Madoka scrambled up the rocks in her way, Gingka hot on her heels. They were so close now.

Then they were there. On top of the mountain, where they could see everything in every direction they looked. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue and the sun shone brightly overhead.

"Wow," Madoka breathed. Gingka came up beside her and took her hand in his.

Below them was the lake. They couldn't see their campsite or anyone else's; those were too concealed by trees. But they didn't need to. The lake sparkled with its dewy blue-green shades, so far away they couldn't see the current moving. Mountains surrounded them in every direction. Some were shorter, and they could see over their summits. Others were so tall they still had to crane their necks to look up to the top.

Madoka had thought they were isolated before, with no cell phone service and so few people, but now she knew she'd been wrong. Up here, for the moment, they were really and truly alone.

"Let's go climb another!" Gingka said cheerfully.

"No way." Madoka plopped down on the nearest flat rock and began pulling out trail mix. Gingka descended upon her in an instant. She handed him a second bag.

They stayed up there at least a half hour, but no one else came. When it was time to head back to explore more of the surrounding wilderness, Madoka and Gingka took one more surveying look around the top. Even with another full day, they likely wouldn't be climbing another mountain. There was too much else to do.

Madoka leaned in close to Gingka to kiss him, wanting to savor the remaining moments as much as she could. She let his kisses linger, if only to give them as much time as possible. Being on top of the mountain, camping at the lake, her past and present colliding, everything felt so right.

She squeezed in close to him and they snapped another selfie, capturing the gorgeous view of the scenery around them as she kissed him on the cheek.

Their vacation had only just started.