~~Hello readers, I'm back with a new chapter.
I do not own anything from Yugioh Zexal.
Only my original characters belong to me.~~
It was now mid afternoon.
I had just defeated the officer in a duel.
The duel I had with that crazed maniac was a major struggle, but Yuma, Astral, and Dark Mist helped me win.
Their close friendship with me was more powerful than any of the officer's duel monsters.
After ascending back to the fourth floor, the officer quietly led Yuma and me back down the long hallway toward Julie's room.
Astral floated between Yuma and me.
Our ears were once again met with various beeping sounds as soon as we entered.
I focused on my plan to expose the officer in order to distract myself.
Kara and Lynn were sitting in the row of chairs along the back wall.
Julie's daughter Mira was also present in the room.
She sat quietly by her mother's bedside wearing a saddened expression.
"I miss you very much Mom, Please come back to me. I'll be right here when you wake up," she whispered in Julie's ear.
As much as Mira annoyed me, I really felt bad for the girl.
Nobody should ever have to see their mom on her death bed.
I turned to Yuma and whispered. "We didn't see Mira come into the room before the officer showed up. She must have arrived while I was dueling him."
"It sure looks that way," Yuma replied.
Yuma and I sat down in a separate chair.
Astral hovered directly in front of us.
I put on a brave smile in order to hide my fears.
"Hello sisters, how are you doing?" I greeted with a proud smile.
"Hi Sioku, we're doing all right," answered Kara.
"How did your duel go?" asked Lynn.
I pointed to the officer and looked at my sisters.
"I won the duel thanks to my best friends, and this man over here has a story to tell," I answered.
The officer didn't say anything back which surprised me.
I expected him to make a rude comment to me.
"Excuse me Sioku, but what are you talking about?" asked Mira.
"You'll find out very soon," I answered reassuringly.
"Congratulations on your win Sioku," replied Lynn.
"Thank you Lynn, we can talk about the duel another time. I believe that we're about to get some big news right now," I said confidently.
The officer stepped slowly until he was standing in front of Julie's bed.
Once again, he didn't say a single word to any of us.
He had a worried look on his face instead.
As shocked as I was, I felt glad that the tables were finally turning on him.
I paused as I looked around the room.
"Hey Kara, have you seen the doctor yet?" I asked curiously.
"Yes, the doctor came in shortly after you and Yuma left. He told Lynn and me that there is something poisonous in Julie's system," Kara answered.
Mira started to cry in response to the horrible news.
"What? The doctor said that my mom has been poisoned? This can't be possible!" Mira said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Seeing her cry like that broke my heart.
I wanted to help her even more now.
"I am so sorry Mira," Kara said sympathetically.
I gave the upset girl a reassuring look and added. "Don't worry Mira, you will get your answer as soon as the doctor comes back. This whole mystery should be solved, I promise."
Mira only nodded in response."
I looked at the officer and then back at Kara as a thought crossed my mind.
"Before this man tells us anything, we should wait for the doctor to return. The doctor deserves to hear this story as well since he is the one taking good care of Julie," I said calmly.
"I like that idea Sioku," Kara replied.
"Me too," Mira added.
I tapped on Yuma's shoulder and whispered to him. "This is our chance to make this crazed maniac pay for all of the horrible things he has done to us."
Yuma nodded his head in agreement.
I turned to Kara with a grin and said. "I have something funny to tell you. The officer stopped calling me a trouble maker as soon as I was about to knock out the rest of his life points with my favorite duel monster."
Kara smiled back at me in response.
"I remember exactly which monster took him out," Yuma whispered in my ear.
I chuckled as I stared down at my pendent.
"Great job Dark Mist, you are very powerful. I wouldn't have won that duel without your help," I thought.
"Thank you Sioku, I will always come to your aid whenever you need me. You have done that for me multiple times," he replied.
"That's what good friends are for," I added.
Ten minutes later, we heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," answered Kara.
The door opened to reveal a male doctor.
"Good afternoon sir," I greeted politely.
"Same to you, is your name Sioku?" he replied.
"Yes sir, I am Julie's student. She is my academic assistant at school. Thank you for taking care of her," I answered sincerely.
"You're very welcome Sioku," the doctor said warmly.
I pointed to the girl sitting beside the bed and added. "This is Mira, she is Julie's daughter."
"Hello Mira, thank you for coming. I am pleased to meet you," the doctor said with a kind smile.
"Same to you sir, thank you for taking care of my mom. I really don't want to lose her," Mira replied sadly.
The doctor placed a calming hand on Mira's shoulder and said gently. "My team and I are doing everything we can to help your mother. We won't give up on her."
He then pointed at the officer who stood silently in front of Julie's bed.
"Where did he come from?" the doctor asked curiously.
"That insane man right there has a story to tell us," I blurted out.
The officer's face turned red in response.
I felt absolutely no remorse for putting that hateful officer on the spot.
It actually felt good to have the upper hand in this situation.
I then pointed to the doctor and smiled.
"Excuse me sir, but you might want to find a notepad to write things down on. The officer agreed to reveal the truth behind Julie's illness since I won my duel against him," I suggested.
"Good idea," replied the doctor.
The officer cleared his throat before telling his story. "It all started after Julie was accidentally attacked by Yuma's monster during his duel with Sioku. Julie came to me for sympathy, so I let the woman tell me her story as I walked with her to the nurse's office. She claimed that Sioku and Yuma ordered the monster to attack her. I was desperate to reprimand somebody, so Julie and I came up with a plan to punish Sioku. I intercepted Sioku outside the gym and dragged her toward Julie and me. Unfortunately for Julie and me, I couldn't find Yuma anywhere. Sioku and Julie got into an argument over the duel monster incident that happened before school. I repeatedly scolded Sioku every time she disobeyed me. Then I chained Sioku up with heavy shackles. Julie dragged her around while I constantly blew my whistle in her ear. This strange looking kid noticed all of the commotion and threatened to turn Julie and me in if we didn't let Sioku go. Julie and I didn't want to get caught by anybody else, so we automatically fled the scene. I offered to take Julie home so she could rest and recover from that wound. Julie allowed me to stay since I was being so kind to her. While I was at Julie's house, I thought hard about how stubborn Sioku had been the last time I saw her. I wanted to create another incident far worse than the previous one. Julie wanted a bowl of soup, so I prepared it for her. I added a poisonous liquid to the soup before I gave it to her. Julie never noticed that anything suspicious was in there.
As soon as Julie started experiencing symptems, I quickly drove her to the emergency room. Julie's condition worsened with every second that passed. I wrote a fake report and placed a picture of Julie with a wound on her side to make it seem like Yuma's duel monster put her in the hospital. Then I recorded a video of Julie fighting for her life in here. Lastly, I reported both Sioku and Yuma to the school principal. Julie recently told me that Sioku had an older sister caring for her, so I asked the principal to call the girl's family into his office. That's when I tried to convince everyone that Sioku and Yuma hurt Julie."
The whole room fell silent at that.
Everyone in Julie's room except the officer wore horrified expressions on their faces.
Mira began to sob loudly as she leaned over Julie's weakened body.
My sisters and I watched the scene in absolute shock.
After a few minutes, Mira turned to the officer and yelled. "You should be ashamed of yourself! I might lose my mom because of you! I spent this whole time being angry at Sioku, when I should have been going after you!"
Kara glared at the officer with burning hatred and said sternly, "How dare you try to turn me against my little sister! I almost grounded her due to your suspicions!"
The officer only shook his head at her.
My body trembled as I forced myself to hold back tears of sadness mixed with anger.
Without thinking, I flung myself out of the chair.
"Try to calm down Sioku," urged Yuma.
I ignored him and stomped up to the officer with rage spreading across my features.
"I've never seen Sioku look so angry before," Astral said fearfully.
"Neither have I," Yuma replied quietly.
The constant beeping noises didn't exist to me in that moment.
"You are a sick monster! You used Julie's injury to take advantage of her? Why would you do that?" I started.
"I was just doing my job as a school officer," he answered calmly.
I glared furiously at the officer and yelled back. "Do you realize what you have done? You've taken a simple situation way too far! First, you hurt Mira by intentionally putting her mom in the hospital! Then you tried to blame every one of your evil deeds on Yuma and me! Julie almost died because you were obsessed with reprimanding us! You were also planning to do something to Yuma! I'm glad that you didn't have the chance to traumatize Yuma like you did to me. If Julie's body gives out on her, I hope you rot away in a prison cell for the rest of your life! You have created problems for so many people."
The officer remained silent as he stared blankly at me.
Kara and Lyn looked at each other equally stunned.
"What do you have to say to everybody in this room?" I demanded.
The officer still didn't answer me.
He just stood frozen in place.
My face flushed with fury as I continued. "First of all, you owe Mira a sincere appology! Second of all, I could have lost everyone I care about because of your petty little obsession! By the way, other kids at school have told me their painful stories of how you hurt them too."
I didn't receive a response to that either which meant that this man really didn't regret his heinous actions toward anyone.
The tears that I was holding back finally fell from my eyes as I sadly walked away.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
I rejoined Yuma on that same chair.
He gently pulled me into a comforting embrace.
I buried my face into his chest and sobbed.
"It's okay Sioku," he said soothingly.
Astral stared at me with a look of deep concern.
He didn't understand anything that was happening.
Yuma held me tighter and said softly. "Don't worry Sioku, everything will be all right. Please stay here with me for a while."
I slowly started to calm down as Yuma and I held onto each other.
The doctor approached the officer wearing a stern expression and said. "Pardon me sir, please come with me. I have a lot to discuss privately with you."
Without a word, the officer followed the doctor out of Julie's room.
The silence had returned once again.
"Sioku, is everything all right?" asked Dark Mist.
"No, I'm very upset right now. The officer just revealed that he was the one who purposely put Julie in the hospital just to hurt me," I answered telepathically.
"Oh Sioku, I really want to come out of your pendent right now. I can't stand not being able to help you during this time," my celestial friend said sadly.
"I know Dark Mist, but Astral is still here with me. I need to keep you safe until we can get rid of that mind control spell," I replied sympathetically.
I lifted my head and looked at Kara wearing a saddened expression.
"I sincerely apologize for causing a big scene in here. The officer's heartbreaking story just infuriated me," I said remorsefully.
"It's okay Sioku, you had every right to be mad. I would have yelled at him too," Kara replied calmly.
"Hey Kara, what are we going to do now that we know what really happened?" asked Lynn.
"We can only let the authorities handle him now," Kara answered.
"One thing is for sure, I don't ever want to see that man again. He tried to ruin all of our lives," I added.
"I don't blame you Sioku," Lynn said sadly.
A brief moment of silence passed between us.
I slowly started to relax in Yuma's warm embrace.
My heart rate gradually returned to normal.
Kara looked at me as a thought crossed her mind.
"Sioku, would you like to stay at Yuma's house until tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes, I would love to do that. Thank you," I answered softly.
"Kara, are you serious?" asked Yuma as he perked up.
Kara laughed before she replied. "Of course, Sioku looks like she needs a break. You're the perfect person for her to spend time with."
Yuma's cheeks pinked up in response.
"Don't let it get to your head Yuma," I joked.
Lynn burst into laughter as she stared at Yuma.
"We should get ready to go," Kara said as she stood up.
"Pegasus can stay with me tonight," Lynn offered.
"Thank you Lynn, I appreciate you for letting him stay with you. Pegasus doesn't like to be alone," I replied.
After releasing me, Yuma carefully helped me get back up on my feet.
"Thanks Yuma," I said graciously.
"Any time Sioku," he whispered back.
As I was walking toward the door, Mira looked at me and said graciously. "Sioku, I apologize for blaming my mom's absence on you. Thank you so much for all of your help. My mom has a better chance of surviving now."
"You're very welcome Mira, I forgive you. I hope she gets better soon. Stay strong for her," I replied sincerely.
Yuma and I then followed Kara and Lynn out of Julie's room.
Those beeping noises soon faded into silence.
Kara led us back down the long corridor and into the elevator.
The elevator took us back down to the first floor.
Once outside the hospital, Kara led us to her car.
The fresh air helped me relax and collect myself.
I was finally able to think clearly again.
Yuma and I situated ourselves in the back seat while Kara and Lynn sat in the two front seats.
Astral hovered in front of Yuma and me.
I stared at the blue skinned being as I slipped into my thoughts.
His pleasant aura had a calming effect on me.
The car ride was mostly silent.
Kara looked at Yuma as soon as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Hey Yuma, where is your house?"
"I live across the street from you guys," Yuma answered.
"That's convenient," replied Lynn.
Twenty minutes later, Kara parked her car near a gate.
Yuma looked up at Kara and said. "Thank you for letting me come along with you guys to help Sioku. Also, thank you for allowing her to stay at my place."
"You're welcome Yuma, I'm sure Sioku really appreciates all of your support. We're glad you came with us," Kara replied.
"Everything my sister said is true," I added."
Yuma blushed in response.
I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Yuma's pink cheeks.
"We're here Sioku," said Kara as she smiled at me.
"I'll see you two tomorrow afternoon. Have a good night," I replied.
"You do the same," Lynn added.
Yuma opened the door and hopped out.
I climbed out of the car and then met Yuma by the gate.
Astral hovered patiently behind him.
"Hi Astral," I said cheerfully.
Astral perked up and replied. "Hello Sioku, I'm glad to see you looking happy again."
"Hey Sioku, are you ready to go inside?" asked Yuma cheerfully.
I gave a simple nod in response.
Yuma and I waved at Kara as she drove away.
Yuma unlatched the gate and held it open for me.
"Thank you," I said before I passed through the opening.
"No problem Sioku," Yuma replied as he closed the gate behind us.
Astral floated between Yuma and me as we walked toward the front porch.
Yuma and I were greeted by an older woman as soon as he opened the door.
"Hello Yuma, you actually arrived early for once," she said with a smile.
"Awe come on Kari," Yuma groaned in annoyance.
I giggled and patted the boy's shoulder.
"Oh Yuma, you're so adorable," I complemented.
The woman named Kari pointed at me and then grinned at Yuma.
"Who's your girlfriend?" she asked curiously.
Yuma's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment as he replied in a flustered way. "What? She's not my girlfriend. Sioku and I are just friends!"
I burst into laughter at the flustered tone in Yuma's voice.
I then turned to Kari and smiled.
"Hello, my name is Sioku. I'm pleased to meet you," I greeted.
"Right back at you Sioku, my name is Kari Tsukumo. I am Yuma's older sister," she replied.
"Please come in you two," Kari urged.
Once inside, Yuma generously led me into their living room.
We sat down on a long fluffy couch.
Astral hovered behind us.
Yuma's grandmother Haru looked at both of us and smiled.
"Good afternoon Yuma, I see that you've brought a friend over," she greeted.
"Hi Grandma, this is my good friend Sioku Marie. Can she stay here tonight?" Yuma replied.
"Of course dear, she can stay in the guest room," Haru answered.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Tsukumo. Thank you very much," I added politely.
"You're most welcome," said Haru.
Kari pointed at Yuma wearing a stern expression on her face.
"Yuma, have you been duling today? Don't lie to me," she said roughly.
Yuma flinched at the harsh tone in his older sister's voice and pleaded. "No Kari, I didn't duel at all today. Please don't get mad at me."
I comfortingly put my arm around Yuma and chimed in. "Yuma is telling the truth. I was the one dueling somebody today. He just watched and cheered me on."
"Kari doesn't like when I duel. She always thinks that I'm going to be in danger," Yuma whispered.
Haru looked at Yuma and asked curiously. "Is there a reason why you brought Sioku over?"
"Yes Grandma, Sioku needs a break. She has already had a long day," Yuma answered sadly.
"Really? What happened?" Kari continued.
I looked at Kari and explained. "My academic assistant Julie is in the hospital. She is currently in the ICU in critical condition. Julie has been there since a couple days ago. My sisters and I went to see her today. I invited Yuma to come along with us. Julie looked as if she was on her death bed. The officer who has been attacking Yuma and me lately revealed that he caused Julie's illness by intentionally poisoning her. I'm really hoping the doctors can still save Julie. Her daughter is devastated right now."
Yuma placed a comforting hand on my back.
I snuggled up to him for comfort.
Haru stared at me wearing a stunned expression and asked. "Sioku, why on earth would he do that?"
"The officer wanted to hurt me personally," I answered with a sigh.
"That guy seriously deserves to get locked up in prison. What he did wasn't right at all," Kari said with a frown.
I nodded my head in agreement.
Haru then turned to her grandson wearing a delighted smile and said. "Yuma, I am very proud of you. You have been a wonderful friend to this sweet girl. She really seems to enjoy being around you."
"I enjoy being around him as well. Yuma is the reason why I finally have friends in school. He was the first person to actually talk to me instead of automatically turning me away like most of the other kids do," I replied to Haru.
Yuma only blushed in response.
He then turned to me and said in a happier tone. "Hey Sioku, I want to show you my favorite place in the house."
"Where is that?" I replied curiously.
"It's a surprise," Yuma answered playfully.
I couldn't help but smile at him.
After standing up, Yuma and I gleefully exited the living room.
He then led me up a set of stairs.
Astral floated after us.
"I can't wait to see this place," I said to Yuma.
"I'm excited for you to see it. You're going to love it just as much as I do," he replied.
Astral smiled at me and chimed in. "Yuma brings me there whenever he needs some alone time."
Yuma then led me up a ladder that led to an attic.
I gasped in amazement as I looked around.
There were many objects set up on shelves.
"These are the treasures that my parents have collected during their adventures," Yuma informed.
"Wow, those look really cool," I commented.
"I spend all of my alone time in here," Yuma said as he led me to a sofa.
"I can understand why you would want to be in here by yourself. This place is comfortable," I replied.
Yuma and I snuggled up to each other on the sofa.
It felt good to be close to my best friend.
Yuma laid his head on my shoulder and said softly. "Hey Sioku, did you really mean everything that you said about me to my grandma earlier?"
"Of course I did," I answered as I lovingly tightened my hold on him.
A long period of silence passed between us.
Astral stared at Yuma and said politely. "Pardon me Yuma, but may I please watch The Sparrow now?"
"Hold on Astral, I'm spending time with Sioku right now. Your Tv show can wait," Yuma answered in annoyance.
I smiled at Astral and then back at Yuma.
"Take it easy Yuma, I think you should go watch Tv with Astral. Besides, you and Astral need a good distraction from that chaotic event as well. I'll be just fine in the guest room by myself," I said cheerfully.
"Sioku, are you sure?" Yuma replied hesitantly.
"Yes, I was planning to get some rest anyway. I'll be back with you and Astral soon," I assured.
Yuma helped me get back on my feet and said. "Okay Sioku, I'll take you to the guest room. We'll talk more later."
"Sounds good," I simply replied.
Astral floated behind Yuma and me as we exited the attic.
Yuma then led me into a medium sized bedroom across from his own.
"I hope you have a good rest. Please come to my room if you need anything," Yuma said as he hugged me.
I gratefully returned the hug and replied. "Thanks Yuma, I won't hesitate to come find you. I hope you and Astral enjoy your Tv show."
Yuma quietly exited the room before he closed the door behind him.
I sat down on the bed and pulled out my Baria crystal.
My Baria crystal began to glow as I pointed it up toward the ceiling.
The glowing light swirled around me like a vortex.
I was transported to Barian World once again by the same force of energy.
It felt great to be back in Barian World.
I began to walk around the Area in search of Don Thousand or Vector.
To my surprise, I heard a familiar male voice calling out my name.
I happily sprinted down a grassy path.
As soon as the familiar black winged figure came closer to me, I slowed down to a walking pace.
A spark of happiness lit up inside me as I continued walking.
"Don Thousand, is that you?" I called out.
"Of course it is," the Barian answered.
Hearing his low voice again brought a relieved smile to my face.
I raced over to the Barian and embraced him tightly.
My heart began to race with joy.
Being close to Don Thousand again made me feel safe and secure.
Don Thousand's eyes widened in surprise.
"Oops, sorry Don Thousand, I shouldn't have startled you like that. I just really need you right now," I said remorsefully.
"Don't worry Sioku, you didn't startle me at all. Did something happen?" he replied calmly.
I let out a heavy sigh and explained. "Yes, my sisters and I went to see my academic assistant Julie at the hospital. Her condition was absolutely horrible. There were many tubes sticking out of her body. She was hooked up to a lot of machines including a ventilator. Julie looked as if she was on her death bed. I hated seeing her like that. Shortly after we got there, that revenge obsessed officer showed up and challenged me to a duel. Luckily, I ended up winning the duel. Afterward, the officer revealed that he sent Julie to the hospital by purposely poisoning her. I freaked out and screamed at the officer. Now I don't know if Julie is going to survive."
Don Thousand stared at me with a look of shock on his face and said remorsefully. "Sioku, I apologize for not being there for you sooner. You didn't deserve to go through any of that misery and pain. I would have immediately transported you to Barian World if I knew you were caught up in that horrible situation."
"Please don't blame yourself Don Thousand, have you seen Vector yet?" I replied sympathetically.
"No Sioku, Vector is probably on a mission at the moment. I'm sure he misses you though," Don Thousand said with a smile.
I blushed at his comment and replied. "Stop it, you're making me excited to see him."
Don Thousand only laughed at that.
A long period of silence passed between us as we relaxed.
The Barian's calming presence brought a feeling of joy to me that I had been waiting for all morning.
I forgot all about that crazy hospital incident in this moment of peace.
Barian World was a paradise that I could escape to whenever I didn't have anybody around.
I stared at Don Thousand wearing a hopeful expression and asked. "Hey Don Thousand. are you able to communicate using telepathy?"
"Yes, that is how the other Barians and I talk to each other whenever they aren't around," he answered.
"Do you think you and I could do it too?" I replied cheerfully.
"I don't see why not," Don Thousand answered with a kind smile.
I snuggled into the Barian and continued. "Don Thousand, thank you for spending time with me. Your emotional support really means a lot to me."
"You're very welcome Sioku, I am also happy to help you during your time of need. You may come back to Barian World any time," he replied in a low voice.
I closed my eyes and slipped into a pleasant train of thought.
Don Thousand stared at me with an adoring expression as I relaxed beside him.
He watched over me as I drifted off into the darkness.
Unfortunately, my dream wasn't so peaceful.
~Dream~
My sisters and I were still visiting Julie at the hospital.
Instead of improving, Julie's health condition only got worse.
All of the monitors would beep erratically every few minutes.
Alarms would also ring throughout the space.
Doctors and nurses came rushing into the room to try and stabilize her.
Unfortunately, there wasn't anything they could do to save her.
Julie was going to die despite their best efforts.
The doctor made a decision to remove all of the tubes from Julie's body and let her pass away peacefully.
She was completely unresponsive and wouldn't move.
Julie would take a few deep shallow breaths with every minute that passed by.
That sound was absolutely horrifying.
I dropped to my knees and sobbed uncontrollably.
My body trembled violently as I hugged myself tightly.
~End Dream~
I let out a nervous yelp as I shook myself awake.
My heart pounded rapidly in my chest.
Sweat dripped profusely down my face as I panted.
Don Thousand heard the commotion and leaned over me.
"Sioku, are you all right? Please talk to me," he said frantically.
I only lay there sweating and panting heavily.
My eyes were still closed.
Tears of sadness rolled down my cheeks.
"Sioku!" the Barian called out.
I still didn't respond to him.
My body trembled as I desperately tried to redirect my mind.
"She must have just had a nightmare. Hopefully Vector can help her come out of it," he whispered fearfully.
Don Thousand sighed heavily and thought to himself. "Vector, where are you? Sioku really needs your help."
"Don't worry Sioku, I'll get you some help. Stay with me," the Barian said softly.
Suddenly, I sensed the presence of somebody else coming toward me.
"I'm here Don Thousand, what happened?" said a familiar voice.
I recognized the male voice and opened my eyes.
"Vector is here," I thought.
"Sioku just had a nightmare. I am unsure how to help her," Don Thousand answered sadly.
"Are you serious? How did this happen?" Vector replied with a concerned expression.
I began to perk up as I heard Vector raise his voice.
"Please calm down Vector, I can explain. Sioku just came here to visit because she was distressed. Her story must have triggered it," Don Thousand answered.
"I appreciate you for summoning me right away. You can relax Don Thousand, I've got this. Sioku is in good hands," Vector assured.
Don Thousand breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away from me.
Vector carefully knelt down beside me and whispered. "Hey Sioku, this is Vector. Are you all right?"
I shook my head in response.
Vector gently lifted me into his lap and said softly. "Come here Sioku, I've got you. You can relax now. I won't let anything happen to you."
I started to twitch in fear as Vector tightened his hold on me.
Julie's shallow breath sounds echoed loudly in my mind causing me to whimper.
The shaking in my body intensified.
I tried to control my breathing but to no avail.
My heart rate didn't slow down either.
"Calm down Sioku, I'm right here. Listen to my voice," he said soothingly.
I snuggled into him for comfort.
Vector held me close to him in order to help me calm down.
"You're okay Sioku," he whispered.
My heart rate gradually returned to normal as I slowly began to relax in his warm embrace.
"She's calming down now," said Vector to Don Thousand.
Don Thousand watched both of us in admiration.
"Thank you Vector, Sioku looks so peaceful with you. I didn't know how to help Sioku because I've never seen her like this before," he said softly.
Vector nodded before he turned his attention back to me.
"Sioku, are you all right?" Vector said softly.
I stared up at him and smiled.
"You're looking better Sioku, can you talk to me?" Vector added.
"Yes Vector, what just happened?" I whispered back.
Vector pulled me closer and said softly. "You just had a bad dream. Can you tell us what it was about?"
"My academic assistant Julie was going to pass away at the hospital," I answered sadly.
"Why would she pass away?" continued Don Thousand.
I took a deep breath and explained. "Before I came here, my sisters and I went to visit Julie at the hospital. She has been in the ICU and in critical condition since yesterday. Julie was hooked up to a bunch of machines. She was literally on her death bed. I absolutely hated seeing her like that. After winning my duel against the officer, he revealed that he had intentionally poisoned Julie wich sent her to the hospital. I freaked out and yelled at the officer. Julie's daughter has also been effected by this incident. Luckily, the authorities are dealing with him now."
Vector looked at me confused and replied. "Hold on Sioku, wasn't Julie the woman who was dragging you around by a chain at school?"
"Yes, but I'm not going to blame Julie for that at all. She had been tricked and used by the officer. He took advantage of Julie's injury and turned it into an unnecessary mess. The officer was obsessed with punishing me and got carried away," I explained fearfully.
A brief moment of silence passed between us.
Don Thousand floated until he was hovering in front of me.
I instantly perked up and grinned at him.
Vector let out a sigh and said to me. "I am very worried about you Sioku, but I do understand where you are coming from. If you're willing to give that woman a second chance, I won't stop you. However, Don Thousand and I will always be right here if you need us."
Don Thousand looked at me and chimed in. "Vector is right, we are not going anywhere. We will be right there with you every step of the way."
I smiled gratefully at both Barians and said. "Thank you very much, you two already mean a lot to me. I wouldn't trade our friendship for the world. You two are a joy to have around. I am so glad we met."
Vector placed a hand on my shoulder and asked gently. "Hey Sioku, do you have to leave any time soon?"
"Not really, why?" I replied curiously.
"I would like to show you the palace," Vector answered.
I perked up and smiled at Vector.
"Okay, I would love to see it," I said in a happier tone of voice.
"I will lead the way," said Don Thousand.
After standing up, Vector and I followed Don Thousand to a large palace.
The palace was surrounded by an enormous garden.
There were many different types of plants and trees everywhere.
This beautiful place was truly a breath taking sight.
"Wow... this place is lovely," I commented.
"I'm glad you like it," replied Vector.
Don Thousand opened a metal gate and led us inside.
He closed the gate behind him before leading Vector and me toward the large glass door.
The door automatically opened up for us.
"That's really cool," I said with a smile.
Vector laughed as he ruffled my hair.
Once inside, Vector and I followed Don Thousand down a series of hallways.
We passed by many elegant displays along the way.
I couldn't help but look around in amazement.
"The palace is even more beautiful inside," I thought.
Don Thousand then led us into a large bedroom.
Vector found a giant sofa and settled us in on it.
I snuggled up against Vector and fell asleep again.