July

By Julia MacGregor

The night sky is still alive with the sounds of distance gun fire. – a quote.

Rio was in darkness. She felt heat surrounding her. The light was there, but hiding. She wondered if the noise of distance beeping could be made up. She wondered in a sleepy stillness. Sue opened her eyes slow as a stage burning scent of strong cleaning salutations were hitting her senses. She realized the blankness of the white was there. It was all around her as she stared dozily at a ceiling. She scanned the room with weary eyes. She realized she was in a room of sorts, but where? She also realized someone was in the room with her. She began to sit up carefully. She noticed the person's hair was black as she viewed a head resting on the side of her bed. To realization, Rio was in the hospital. She placed a hand on the visitor's head. She thought to herself, "What happened?"

She noticed the person who was resting their head on the side of her bed was Sekiya. He looked like he could sleep for another week. His breathing was stilled with a slight whisper in his throat. It sounded like he was a distance valley and having no way of scramming. He was very drained. She did not have a heart to wake him up.

She heard a knock on the door. She said gently, "It's opened!"

Serena and Taiki entered the room. Rio noticed the concerned faces on both serene and Tajiki. Serena asked, "Are you all right!"

"I feel like I was put through the wringer. I have no memory of the whole event at all," rio said as she placed a hand on her forehead. She combed back slow her bangs. She felt the bed moving slightly. It meant Sekiya was waking up. She asked Serena why did Seiya was there.

Taiki said gently, "he was worried about you…even to the pout of a nightmare!"

"he even showed up at the woods near the water tower. He was putting himself at a great risk!" Serena added. Then, she told Rio what had happened to Sekiya. There was a passivity of losing not Rio, but Sekiya as well. She knew it was not the dark kingdoms of Galaxia's domain, but something darker still.

"I'm really sorry…but, I like said…I have no memory. All I have right now is an awful headache and a bitterness in my mouth. I don't really feel like any sort of food in my stomach right now…" riot sighed.

the day was just beginning for rio. she wondered if she could piece anything together. Seiya raised his head to see Rio. he smiled slightly in his half sleepy gaze.

Tajiki cased, "Are you all right... Sekiya?"

"yes. I'm glad that she's awake!" Seiya whispered loudly.

"What really happened?" Rio asked, she placed a hand on her left cheek. on feeling the coolness, she relaxed a little.

"I'm not really sure on how to put it!" Seiya said. he felt like he should the one who had to tell Rio.

"Go ahead...there is so much that needs to be answered!" Rio sighed. The hazy surge had surrounded like a water wool blanket. She felt like she was going to be dizzy for the rest of the day. She had no idea on how she ended up there. She tried to piece everything from the previous night in her mind. She had no successes at all. It was trying to release a strong station on the radio during a heavy storm.

"Joe-Casey and Hariem were there as well…with me!" Seiya said. He sat up slowly. He felt a salty taste of a linger fear in his mouth.

Rio slowly blinked as she tried to figure why she had a feeling of Joe-Casey was with her at the time during the sleep-walking. She heard from Seiya about the events of the dark kingdom was there and why Seiya needed up there as well. It felt to her like a horrific dream. She said, "What else happened?"

"I'm not sure…everting was totally hazy," Sekiya said before yawning. Then, he stretchered, letting his arms go after he had raised them for just a few seconds. "Then, I realized Joe-Casey was gone. There was a huge bird flying overhead. It was flying up to the top of the tower."

"A bird!" Rio asked. She closed her eyes for just another minute. She had an image in her mind of a large white bird. She had to focus on it. It was large enough to be a man, but it was more like an eagle. "I have vision!"

"What…a vision?" Serena asked. She wondered if Rio was on other leg of her recovery.

"it's a blur. I can't make it out all too clearly. It hurts a little…my head!" riot breathed slowly. Then, she placed a hand up to her forehead. She glanced at Sekiya. He smiled sadly as he returned her gaze.

He whispered loudly, "Don't put yourself…take it easy!"

She could sense Dusty's presence nearby. She said, "Where's Dusty…is he O.K.?"

Serena looked at Tajiki for a minute, then at Sekiya. She swallowed al title as she said, "He's here. He was not feeling good!"

"I had a feeling," she said as she closed her eyes for a just minute. She could sense Joe-Casey's presence as well. He was talking to her in a voice that she could only hear. She said, "Is Joe-Casey here…I have a feeling he's not long for this world!"

Then, she spends her eyes to see all three of them staring back her. Serena asked, "is your dream time coming back!"

"I don't know…I want to say yes, but there are roadblocks that are holding me back for now," Rio said.

There was a second knock on the door. Rio said, "It's opened…can you excuse me, guys…it might be Terri!"

Rio and the others were a little purposed to see it was Marie entering the room. She was dressed rather plain with a green and blue dress. Her long black hair was pulled back into a lose pony tail. The parry look on her face was all that Rio could tell what was on her friend's face. She asked, "are you O.K."

"Little Cub…I'm glad that you are in one piece…what were you doing up on the water tower!" Marie said in a calm voice. She came close to Rio's bed.

"What is she doing here…I thought she was with your Uncle Zigfield!" Taiki said.

"He's in Prince Edward's island!" Marie said with a smile. She glanced at Taiki, Serena and seiya. She noticed on how the three were maturing into young fighters of their own kind.

"I had a feeling, he was close by…. sorry everyone for scaring you lot like that!" rio sighed. She tried to think of remembering what had happened to her, but she was still in the dark about everything from the previous night.

"You have no memories!" Serena asked.

Rio shook her head. Then, she asked Marie about Joe-case. She had a feeling Joe-Casey was gravely ill from his cancer.

"You have something on your mind little cub…you want to tell me?" Marie said.

"Yea…but I don't' how to go about it!" Rio sighed.

"There is a truth about my brother…"

"he's not in good health," riot said. Her sadden stare was cold. She had to reach down to find out what was inside herself before doing nothing else.

Marie smiled in an effort to warm up Rio's sadness. She knew Rio was close to her family as well as Rio's own family. "He never could keep a secret," she shook her head.

"he must be man instreaming brother to have!" Rio said. Rio asked Surname, Taiki and Seiya if she and Marie could have a few minutes alone. She needed to talk to Marie about Joe-Casey.

Later in the afternoon, rio was still in the hospital. She was visits by Steve and Allen. She heard about Dusty's near death experience. She began to panic at the mere thought of losing Dusty was truly fighting. She was reassured by both Allen and Steve that Dusty was still living, but weak.

Rio felt a little relieved at the mention of Dusty's connoting life. He was her one and only. She waited for Terri who was going to examine her in a few hours. She had some blood tests done to see if she had a virus. She wondered how she ended up at the water tower without no prior knowledge. She rested for an hour, letting the two in the room just play a Dead end kids film, Storm Alleys without no one else around. She liked to be alone at times.

Rio had talked to Marie for a few minutes. They discussed about Joe-Casey. Rio had a feeling Joe-Casey was in his true form when he saved her from a possible murder. Rio had to know if he was still alive. Marie was thankful that Rio was not kill by her brother's heroic act. He was willing to take his own life to save another. Marie sat at riot's bed side.

"I just wish there was something I could remember about last night…. all I can remember is a very boring day with even a walk…" rio said as she noticed the movie on the two was ending.

Marie was like a mother to Rio. She wanted to be sure that Rio was fine and happy in the states. She smiled when she asked, "With who?"

Rio blushed as she said, "It's just a friend…Taiki…he was here with Seiya, his brother and Serena…you remember the girl from Tokyo!"

Marie was surprised that she did not reorganize Serena or the two Kuo brothers. She asked a little puzzled, "that was Serena…she look so mature!"

"You mean grown up?" rio wanted to laugh. She knew for a fact that Serena was still a goof ball and never intended to grow up any time soon. "I have a hard time in thinking that Serena is all grown up. She still fights with Reenie over Darien and will never stop being a crybaby…"

"But!" Maier asked. She gave the woman-child who was lying in the bed across from her a special stare. "I'm talking to a young ion who never grew up herself. You are a big baby yourself and love to get her way over the littlest thing!"

"Marie?!" Rio gasped. Quickly changing over to one of complete surprise. Rio had to come back with a good answer and fast.

"You are the most speechless creature I know on two legs…little coyote. You have much to learn as you grow…" Marie smiled, leaning over to take one of rio's hands into hers. "you are almost there…give a year or two…maybe you will finally make it!"

Rio gasped for a minute or two before saying, "Look…I have a lot thing to finish up. I have still school and getting married. Remember I'll be eighteen in a few months. There is betrothal. I'm just hoping that dusty is o.k. there is the bond between me and him."

Marie could tell Rio was worried about dusty. She had some understanding Rio was growing closer to Dusty with every passing day. If events could turn tragus then, rio could be at a loss.

"you look like you have relieved a great power…little one!" Marie said. She has been around enough to sense Rio had mystical powers.

"Boy! I didn't see that coming…what make you say that?" Rio sighed. She felt another round of mystical connecting to the unknown power which connected her to Joe-Casey. She wanted to speak, but could not find the right words for anything. She wondered if tell Marie how she felt.

"Look…I'm going to see my brother. You just rest here for a few more hours…I'm sure that even Dusty will be O.K." Marie smiled. She reached to give rio's hand a quick squeeze, before she stood up. She told Rio to be strong for the battle was just beginning.

Days had quickly melt into one another like ice in a hot sink. Rio and Dusty were both treated and relied from the hospital. Joe-Casey knew he was dying, the cancer in which was stayed in his body with the medicines that he had taken was now spreading out like a wildfire. He knew it was uncontrollable. He wanted to be brave as he was heading for the last few days of his life.

Rio had to know what had happened to her at the water tower. She did want to put a strain on Joe-Casey. It took her a day or two of careful thinking. She had to ask Opal who was an elder of her calm to help out on picking out the right words to say to Joe-Casey.

Tenchi and Washu were walking toward the park. It was a warm day and they needed a break from everting. It seemed like Tenchi had been growing anoxic with the fact he was the only poem who could direct Yugi or Kagato. He felt a little surprised at that fact. He did not want all that power he was given at birth. He was just happy being himself. He expressed his feeling of holding back as he trained. It frightened him at first. Through the weekly contracts with his grandfather, Tenchi realized with his training, he really honing his skills in order not be all that quick in using them up.

Washu on the other hand was on the go with her studies and learning when yugi had dropped her guard down just enough for Washu to come in and change her for the good. She had no such luck. She noticed Yugi had been bold enough to get Sasami to recognize the young alien. Yet, there was no room to move on for a final connection.

It bothered Washu to no end. She asked Tenchi, "Sasami has bene with the others for a while now…has she seen Yugi?"

"there was talk from Keyon…she thought she saw Yugi at the park the other day!" Tenchi said.

"What will you do if she does show up?"

"I'm not going to let Yugi take Sasami again without a fight!" Tenchi said. He appeared to be a little angry at the mere thought of losing Saami again.

"I can understand that…. what is that she with Sasami!"

The two stopped in front of the tennis court. There was no player on the court. It was fairly early in the morning for any sort of sport. Tenchi noticed a ball on the court. He glanced at Washu, "I know that Sasami was the only real friend that Yugi had."

In another dimension, Yugi was watching Tenchi and Washu felt a twinge of pity. Not pity for Tenchi or Washu, but herself. She was always alone. She had to make her friends from the notes of the universe. Sasami had the power of friendship like Reenie when she met up with Hour and Memo. Yugi was so starved for any sort of relationship with anyone her own age so to speak, she latched on to Sasami when Sasami was just being kind to her.

"What are you thinking?" Tsugaru asked. He had quickly appeared behind Yugi was standing in front a large water filled crystal ball.

There was no response at first from Yugi. She was mulling over something in her mind. What it was she was not going let it slip that easily. She was still aching to see Sasami. She wanted to be normal like Sami was. She hated the idea being so different from the rest of the world.

"You are too quiet!" Tsugaru teased. He was going to get her started if he knew how to push the right buttons. He knew she had to fold in the near future. She had to have the right trigger. "Are you going to say anything.!"

It was a few seconds later before she said, "What is it? You are backing into a corner when you are pulling my chain.!"

"Ah!" Tsugaru smiled weakjty. He finally got a response from her.

Yugi snorted as she turned away slightly. Her iOS puckered slightly as she let her eyes traveled to where Turgor was standing.

"I was just curious at you… you have no idea what I was thinking on how to get that little pest Sasami!"

"she's not a pest!" Yugi snapped. Her mood soured quickly.

"And what makes you say that?"