North Beach was packed that evening. Many people walked toward the end, and many others, primarily children, swam in the ocean. Since it was later in the afternoon, the temperature began dropping.

When the children emerged from the ocean, their parents approached them and gave them a few towels. They then took the children by their tiny hands and tugged them forward.

Makenna and Peter soon arrived at North Beach's bike rack, and Makenna hopped off the bike's handlebars. She put her hands together and watched Peter slip his bike into one of the bike rack slots. While he locked it up, she brought her bouquet to her nose and sniffed it.

"Ah," Peter said after locking up his bike, "there we go." He smacked his hands together and turned to Makenna. "We're here, Makenna, and I don't see Ninja Boy anywhere." He searched the area to ensure Tracey was nowhere to be seen. Peter whooped and leaped into the air.

Makenna smirked. She felt Tracey's aura. He was very close. Although, Peter had no idea.

"Yeah!" he yelled, holding his fist over his head. "We win!" Quickly dropping his hand, he grabbed Makenna's arm. "Hurry, Makenna!" Peter pulled her and himself onto North Beach's boardwalk. They scurried down it, and Peter added, "Let's hurry to the end of the beach before Ninja Boy arrives. If we get lucky, we may see horses on the beach instead of him."

Horse riding was popular on Seabrook Island. Trails spread across the island; some even took riders to North Beach and let them ride on it. Every so often, if people went out at the right time, whether early morning or late afternoon, they could witness the beach rides.

Makenna and Peter continued scurrying down the boardwalk, drawing near the end and closer to the beach.

Makenna was the next to whoop. "Yes! Horses!" She really liked horses and loved seeing them on the beach.

She and chunky Peter soon reached the end of the boardwalk, and they took off their shoes and socks. They tossed them onto North Beach's sand, where they joined other shoes, and hooked hands.

Peter firmly grasped Makenna's, but she didn't mind.

She and Peter peered out at the Atlantic Ocean, and a whiff of seawater invaded their nostrils. They closed their eyes and let the sea breeze massage their faces.

"Isn't this wonderful, Makenna?" Peter asked.

"It is," she replied, taking in another whiff of seawater.

"It's just you and me," Peter told her, and Makenna nodded. "For now, at least. By the time Ninja Boy gets here, we'll already be at the end of the beach."

Makenna wondered why he didn't like Tracey, but she didn't bother to ask. Suddenly, she smiled.

A new voice chimed in and asked, "Well, you guys finally made it, huh?"

"Huh?" Peter yelped. His and Makenna's eyes fluttered open, and they together peered ahead. "What the—?" yelled Peter.

There was Tracey! He had appeared from out of nowhere and stood before them. His hand rested on his hip, and he smiled at Peter and Makenna. His wings were hidden in his ninja-style, tunic-like shirt again.

Tracey winked and asked, "Surprised?"

"How in the name of—?" Peter yelped. "Where did you come from? You weren't here just a second ago!" He glared at Tracey, but Makenna chuckled.

Turning away, she covered her mouth and whispered, "Keep in mind, Peter, that he's a ninja."

"I've been here for about twenty minutes now," Tracey told Peter, and Peter's jaw dropped. "I occupied myself by studying seashells."

"But I didn't even see you pass us!" Peter yelled. "And you were behind us the whole time."

"Was I?" asked Tracey. "Hm." He lifted his hand and rubbed his chin.

Makenna chuckled again.

"Well, it appears to me," Tracey explained to Peter, "that you were too busy chitchatting with Miss Delling there and didn't see me pass you. Keep in mind, Peter, that I'm a ninja."

"Oohh!" Peter yelled. He turned red. "Well, I'm a ninja, too!" he barked at Tracey. "Here, I'll prove it! Watch this, Makenna!"

"Uh, Peter?" asked Makenna. She reached for his shoulder.

Peter stood before Tracey and lifted his fists. "Put up your dukes, baby. Let's do this the hard way. Me breaking your jaw will be nothing but an accident!"

"Peter!" Makenna again repeated. She reached for his shoulder again, but Peter pushed her off. "Please," she begged, "you don't have to do this to impress me."

Peter, still threatening Tracey, bounced up and down.

The fairy smiled and shook his head. "Nice boys don't fight." With that, he turned and marched away from him.

Makenna snorted, and Peter glanced at her.

"Go!" he shouted at Tracey, and Tracey turned to him. "Leave us alone! Go find another girl to hit on, but not mine!"

"I'd prefer not to," Tracey told him. "I'm not stealing Makenna from you, Peter. I'm just trying to protect her."

"She doesn't need any protection!" Peter shouted, pointing at himself. "I'm all the protection she needs! Just leave us be!"

Tracey crossed his arms. "I'm not leaving," he spoke. "You can't make me. I'm not your slave. Nor is Makenna."

"Fine!" barked Peter, threatening Tracey with his fists again. "You can come, but you better keep your distance!"

"Cool," Tracey said, holding up his hands. "Thank you, Pete." He glanced at Makenna, and she blushed.

Lifting her hand, she chuckled flirtingly and put her finger against her teeth.

Peter noticed that, and steam puffed out of his nostrils. "Let's go, Makenna," he growled, forcibly grasping her arm. He dragged her down the beach, and Tracey followed.

He kept his distance, just like Peter said, and mumbled, "I don't like him. " He passed a little girl who had just escaped the ocean and headed toward her family.

Peter attempted to ensure Makenna didn't look back at the ninja-like fairy while he led her down the beach. Every once in a while, they stopped and studied the ocean.

Tracey was behind them, further away, but he stumbled everywhere. He tripped and almost fell at one point but caught himself by waving his arms. "Whoa," Tracey said. Sweat trickled down his temples.

From where they stood, Peter watched the young fairy struggling and asked Makenna, "What's his problem? It's like he's never walked before."

"Oh, that's just Tracey being Tracey," Makenna lied. "He likes to play that game a lot. He does it all the time on the waves. Why don't we continue down the beach?"

"Sure," said Peter, grasping her hand.

Makenna blushed as he led her forward.

While walking, Peter said, "Did you hear, Makenna, that a boat washed up in the shallow waters just off Kiawah Island over the weekend?"

"Really?" Makenna asked, gasping. That must've been the shipwreck the voice mentioned. "What kind of boat was it?" was Makenna's next question.

"Ah," said Peter. He thought for a moment. "They say it was a sailboat."

"A sailboat?" inquired Makenna. "Oh wow, can we go see it? I want to check it out."

"Sure," said Peter, tugging her hand. "I was going to take you down to the end of the beach anyway. It's feeding time for the dolphins, and we can see them best from the end."

"I know, Peter," Makena said, nodding. "I watch the dolphins a lot. Remember, I've lived here for fourteen years. Most likely, I will continue to live here until I graduate. Which reminds me..." She and Peter stopped, and Makenna released her hand. Turning to her crush, she asked, "What do you want to do after graduation?"

"I'm not sure," Peter admitted, peering at the ocean again. "I'm thinking about going into astrocartography and becoming an astrocartographer."

"An astrocartographer, really?" Makenna asked. "So, you like maps and celestial objects?"

"I do," Peter admitted. "I've always been into maps and celestial objects. What about you, Makenna? What are your plans after high school?"

"I haven't thought that far yet," Makenna said. "I'm only in Ninth Grade, Peter."

"Ah," Peter spoke. "And what about Ninja Boy over there?" He and Makenna turned to Tracey, who tripped over a log and fell onto his front.

He huffed, and Makenna chuckled. "He's not sure either, Peter. Hm?" Over the sound of the evening wind, she heard a whiny. Makenna gasped, and so did Peter. "Oh wow, Peter!" Makenna yelped. She peered back down the beach toward the boardwalk. "Look!" She pointed forward, and Peter looked in that direction.

He smiled. "There you go, Makenna."

Noticing that they were staring at something, Tracey got up on his knees. While he smacked sand off his hands, he turned his head and glanced behind him.

His mouth dropped open, and he whispered, "Wow."

Trotting down the beach, jogging gracefully and beautifully, were four horses. Two of them were brown, another one was black, and the final one, a paint, was brown and white. All four horses were enormous and carried riders on their backs. The riders had excellent control of them.

When they reached the area where Tracey, Makenna, and Peter were, they slowed to a walk and came toward them.

Makenna, Peter, and Tracey quickly moved out of their way.

"Wow," Makenna squealed while she watched the horses pass her and Peter. "So cool."

The horses' tails and manes blew in the cool afternoon sea breeze, and they huffed as they walked.

Peter clutched Makenna's shoulder and said, "Well, there you go, Makenna. " He and Makenna watched as the horses continued to mosey down the beach. "You got to see some horses."

"Amazing," chuckled Makenna. "I love watching beach rides." She grinned. "Hey, Pete! I'll race you to the end of the sandbar!" She pointed at a sandbar that went far into the Atlantic Ocean. A few people fished and hung out near its end.

Makenna hurried toward the sandbar, and behind, Peter announced, "Oh no, you don't!" They leaped onto the sandbar and started down it. While they ran, they laughed and joked.

Tracey got up from where he had fallen and said, "Hm," as he watched the two scurry down the sandbar. He appeared on it through ninja speed and hurried toward Makenna and Peter.

Makenna and Peter soon reached the end of the sandbar. With their clothes on, they leaped into the Atlantic Ocean and started to play. They went waist-deep in the water and splashed each other.

Makenna laughed and turned her head when seawater sprayed onto her neck.

A fisherman, fishing further away from them, smiled and cast his line. He then turned his head and peered over his shoulder.

Tracey passed him. Stopping, he nervously waved at the fisherman, who nodded at him.

Tracey next went to the end of the sandbar. He plopped onto his backside and stuck his arms behind him, digging his palms into the sand. He stared at the Atlantic Ocean, and his eyes landed on the horizon.

Tracey froze. He didn't even blink. He just stared at the horizon. The sirens sang in his head again.

Tracey's eyes drooped. He suddenly felt exhausted.

Makenna and Peter continued to splash and have fun in the ocean. After about fifteen minutes, they stopped and rested. They were still waist-high in the warm water.

Looking at Peter, Makenna asked, "So, Peter, be honest. Do you think I'm pretty?" She grabbed her high ponytail and started to massage it, waiting for Peter's answer.

"Makenna," he said, picking up her hand, "I think you're beautiful. I have never seen a girl as beautiful as you."

"Would you do anything for me?" she asked, tightening her grip on his hand. "You would never do anything to harm me, right?"

"No!" Peter said in a quick, slightly sarcastic voice. "Of course not, Makenna!" However, he smirked when he turned away.

"Thank you, Peter," Makenna said, and she and Peter hugged. "It has been an amazing afternoon, and I do apologize about my friend."

"It's all right, Makenna," he voiced, and he and Makenna disconnected. "As long as he doesn't bother us, he'll be okay."

Makenna next focused on Tracey and saw him staring at the ocean, not moving a muscle.

He saw the sirens. They waved for him to come to sea and chuckled.

"I'm here, my loves," Tracey said in a low, trance-like voice. "I'm ready." He stood.

The sirens continued to wave.

Tracey stepped toward the ocean. He stopped, and the Octopus Man's trident reappeared on his arm.