The two girls were playing with a deck of playing cards. Sasami wanted to play go fish for a while. She had wanting one day to play alone with Reenie. They were both princesses from two different worlds. It seemed nice to be in the same boat. Reenie and Sasami were playing on the front stoop as Rio pulled weeds from front garden. She had been hoping to get some outside work done to get her mind off from Joe-Casey if only for a little while.
Betty pulled in the drive with her own car. She had gotten a small little hatch back for trips to and from work. She had also used it for other smaller trips when she needed. She rolled down the window to speak. "Are you ready?" she asked Rio.
Rio tried to put on a cheerful face as she told Sasami and Reenie to make sure they got in the house when it rained. There was supposed to be a front of storms coming in later. Reenie said, "When you are coming back?"
"Later…I'm having lunch with Seyia and Dusty. Just be careful with the storm. I have a feeling there is going to be more than just rain!" Rio sighed. She felt like she was at odds with herself. She had to stop for just a minute or two to get her head cleared.
Reenie said, "Are you going to be long at the station?" She wanted to know if Rio was coming home later.
"Yea…there is nothing really for me to do at the station when I am done with the new scripts. I do want to see Marie and her family. They want to have a word with me!" Rio nodded slightly.
"Are you going to have Marie over….Lita is having a lady's tea later and Marie is invited," Reenie blushed. She knew Lita wanted to show her sympathetic towards Marie's loss. Lita was tied up with her chooses, but she did ask Reenie to pass along the message to Rio about having Marie over.
With a slight nod, Rio said, "she would like that…in fact, they are going to have a pow-wow to send Joe-Casey off!"
"A pow-wow? What is a pow-wow?" Exclaimed Rennie with curious tone.
Sasami joined in asked, "Have you been to one?" She was equally curious.
"When I was younger!" Rio said. Then, all three girls heard the car horn beep. Rio looked over to the driveway and said, "Keep your hair on…Miss Robert…I'll be there in a tick!" then, she tuned to Reenie and Sasami, "You have all day to go to the library in den and check out the study book!"
"Can we go…?" Reenie asked. She wanted to see what kind of celebration a pow-wow.
"There is that study book. Check out what kind of cool life Marie's family has!" Rio said as she tired to leave for her job. "Go to the den…you will be amazed to see what kind of life the Native People of here lived." Then, she started to walk down to the driveway. She said as she reached the car, "Sorry…Miss Roberts….Reenie had a question for me…"
Betty asked when she saw the passenger car door was open, "What about?"
"It's a long story, but there is a pow-wow that Marie would like to have for her brother, Joe-Casey!" exclaimed Rio, climbing into the car.
"A Pow-wow! Marie's family is native American?" Betty asked, she had seen some native American artifacts in a museum before when she was young. Betty started up the drive. Putting the car in relives she asked, "Does she have family around here?"
"We have been talking about this for a while off and on. She does have one sister n the Chicago and one other brother in Texas. The rest of her family is in upper new York.!"
"Where is Joe-Casey going to buried at?" Betty asked, making small talk.
"I'm not really sure!" Rio said. She did not feel the need to be putting her nose where it was not suppose to be at.
The car pulled out of the drive way slowly. Betty had been checked for any monsters, she had a feeling a strange creature was watching her from a distance.
Rio had been thinking to herself as she entered the large office space at the Radio station WMMM. She and Betty had talked over a few things about life and growing up. She wanted to remain eighteen forever, but life was not getting to let her off that easily She glanced at the desk top to see the paper. There was nothing new as she said, "Hi, Mister Bloom!"
Mackie has been sitting at the desk, he looked up from his reading. She glanced at the desk top to see the paper. There was nothing new as she said, "Hi, Mister Bloom!"
He quickly went back to his reading. He noticed Rio standing at his desk. She noticed Scott the station manager entering the room. Mackie has been sitting at the desk, he looked up from his reading.
"Hi…Rio…what's going on with you?"
She noticed a few large block letters on the page facing her. "I'm OK. I'm having my uncle and aunt coming over from Canada!"
Mackie folded yip his paper. He was gong to get his mail as he got up. He needed to get started on his part for the latest show that was going to start in a few hours. Rio asked for the paper to read. She was eating for Betty to come in and give her a stack of scripts to touch up for a new account. She was handed the paper by Mackie. She began to read the ad for the movies at the theater. Her eyes bugged out as she read. She tossed the paper into the air before she began to dance around the room and singing, "YEA…YEA…YEA!"
Seyia was nearly plowed over Rio who was looking at the article about the Beatles films that were going to play at the theater close to station.
"I have waiting for this!" Rio squeaked.
"Waiting for what?" Mackie asked as he put down the paper on the desk. He stared at her for just a minute or two.
Scott and Mackie were in awe as they watched as Rio tossed the newspaper into the air. Scott asked as he reached how shaken up Rio was, "What just happened here?"
"The Beatles are coming….the Beatles are coming!" Rio squealed, jumping up and down aorta Mackie's desk.
Mackie had left to get his mail when he ran into Daren and Seyia. Seyia was was now standing in the office pool. He had to premont a summer concrete for the students at Mount Union to addtion for international music day. Darien and Seyia had been the station earlier to talk about putting on a radio play for the group of Friends of America.
Keiichi recognized what was going on with Rio. She had the fan girl addiction of being a additive.
"I think someone mentioned that fact about a group of bugs?" Exclaimed Belldandy with puzzled look.
Keiichi wondered why Rio was having fun after he and the rest of the sailor senshi and their friends heard about the passing of Joe-Casey. Belldandy noticed Seyia, Scott and Mackie. Seyia entered the room when he heard Rio's excited voice. He was surprised to see her. At the same time, Keiichi and Belldandy had entered the room from a second entrance in the opposite end of the room. Darien was still int eh hallway with Hilary Booth, talking over a play he was thinking about doing back in tyoko.
Keiichi recognized what Rio was talking about. He said as entered the room, "There was a group of musicians who took the world And changed for the better. Their work made different innovations in and out of recording studio industry."
Scott walked over to only the desk top which was in the office. On a whim, he typed in musical groups. He tapped first the word beetle. All he got were bugs. It seemed like the computer was thinking on the same liens as Belldandy "how is the name spell?" Scott asked,
"I think it's…" Keiichi began to say before Rio cut in.
She smiled and said, "BEATLES!"
Keiichi and Belldandy looked at Rio. She was fast on her feet when it was something she knew abut for years.
"and…" Scott typed the letters in slowly. He clicked on to the search engine. Then, he waited for a second or two before looking a picture of four young men with puddling bowl hair cuts. He said, "So, that's them!"
Rio, Bell and Keiichi walked over to the desk. Rio smiled as she pointed to each member of the group. "The one is really thin and tall is George Harrison. The one with the cutie pie look is Paul McCartney. The Third with the squinty eyes is John Lennon and the last one is shorter than the other three, that's Ringo Starr…his real name is Richard Starkey, but Ringo Starr is because he loves to wears rings on his fingers."
"And these guys sing?" Scott asked.
"Of course. They still do…outside of John. He was killed a few years ago!" Rio said with a sad look. She was barely a baby when John's life was ended by a madman's bullet. He was starting his life all over again with a new album and a new family with Yoko and Sean.
"What…is rock and Roll that dangerous?" Scott asked.
"No…it's that. There was a creep that followed John around and shot him!" Keiichi said.
Rio felt the words just little deeper then anyone else in the room because she knew the Beatles a little more on the personal side. She did met them after the wild time traveling trip before she became a sailor scout. She had met them in London after they came to mid-nitrites .
Seiya had been in the hallway with Hillary booth. They have been talking about music and stage plays.
When Seyia and Hillary entered into the room, they heard Rio's excited chatter.
"You are excited about what?" Seyia asked.
"I'm excited about the Beatles!" Rio squeaked.
"The Beatles?" Seyia asked a little surprised.
"Yea…the Beatles."
"Who are they?"
Rio noticed Seyia and Hilary as they entered the room. She turned to see the two as they stood now in the room. Hilary was wearing a plain, but tailored brown dress suit. Hilary was going to get her script from from Betty the main offices.
"Why are you so excited at a group boys who sing?" Hilary asked. she was curious at Rio's excitement.
"they are best of music could offer!"
Keiichi asked as walked over to the desk, "Didn't they start at a bar!"
"no, Paul met John at a local fate!" Rio began to retell the Beatles' history.
"Never the less…are they here?" Hilary asked. She walked over to her desk in the pool of desks.
"No…they are not, yet the films are hing to be shown and I'm not going to let at least one go by!" Rio squeaked again as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
"O.K. if seeing is believing….I'm going with you!" Seyia said. He waned to know who were the Beatles. He wanted to also what kind of music they had piont out and the reason of being so popular.
"And you going to see which film?" Scott asked. He glanced at the nutshell historical facts about the Fab Four.
"I want to see Help, but Yellow Submarine is my favorite. Their films are the best!"
"And why get excited about watching over films?" Seyia asked
"they are fun!" she turned on her heels. Then, Rio skipped out of the room, humming out a tune from the Beatles catalog. She left the others in a complete bewildered state of puzzlement.
The group of friends of America showed up at the graveside of Joe-Casey. They wanted to pay their respects to someone they barely knew outside of Rio and Dusty. She was dressed in a very plain Grey dress. She knew Joe-Casey was indeed special, but did not like a lot of fuss with the way that people would dress. She told the others in the group to dress naive, but plain too show respect for the family. Marie looked at Rio as the pow-wow was starting. The Pow-wow was held out at a small part of the Hope cemetery.
It was mid summer. There was nothing better to than go to sweet haven to have a nothing day. Rio had found a few books she was going to read up in. The tree house near the border between earth and Acadia. She asked a few friends to come over for a feasible.
Ryoko was the first one to come to the tree house. She found Rio and Stephanie sitting on the floor as they read their magazines. She had flown int through the window. She glanced at the two as she landed on the floor.
"What are you reading…" she asked. She glanced at one of the covers. There was a picture of an airship on the font cover.
"I wanted to read about airships for years. I do like blimps…that's why my uncle has at least one airship for his comp may!" Rio smiled shyly. She knew having a rich uncle could have it's advantages.
"A blimp?" Ryoko asked. She knew Rio's family was well off, but did not act like they were better than everyone else.
"Yes. When I was a kid, I and some of my family studied airships. I know all about the Akron, the Macon and Hindenburg!"
"What about now?" Ryoko asked before the three girls heard a voice calling out Stephan's name.
Stephanie perked up as she placed the book that she was reading on her lap. "It's Steve!"
Rio was a little surprised to see her cousin getting excited over another boy. "I thought you were done with Steve and was dating Terri. Why the switch!" she questioned her red haired cousin.
Stephanie had worn her favorite sleeveless shirt and shirts in matching blue. "I have been hoping to go see Steve before Uncle Anthony shows up!"
"And what else? Grandfather will be coming soon as well!" Rio said.
Stephanie who got up to to walk over to the edge of the house.
Stephanie was curious why did Steve showed up. He wanted to spend some time with Jamie, Allen and Tinny. There was a car show in the area, he knew there was something to be said if he would show up at seeing Stephanie's and Rio's grandfather. She was happy ever the less to see Steve.
"I bet Dusty will be there at our aunts!" Stephanie said.
"Yes…grandfather had been asking to see Dusty as well as Allen!"
"Hey…Ryoko?" another voice called it.
"Keyone's here?" Ryoko asked Rio and Stephanie., she knew there was going to be picnic later on to watch the evening stars on the mid-summer night. Yet, it was still early and some of the others from friends of America were still busy doing other things.
"Keyone…what's up?" Stephanie asked. she glanced at the galaxy police officer.
"I did get any call from home, but there was a letter from Friends of America. It was all about the fall, they want to do a met and greet at the high school!'
"That's what we got too!" Stephanie said. She tried to find the rope latter for Keyone to climb up on it. Keyone was invited up to the tree house.
"We also need to see Jakten. He has a few things to tell us!" Rio said.
Stephanie found the top latter tired to the end of the opened doorway. She quickly untied it to see if it had any knots in the works. To her relief, Stephanie was surprised to see there was none. She told Keyone that she was throwing down the latter the opened doorway. Keyone moved back a little in order to catch the rope latter.
Meanwhile, Dusty was walking up towards the path near the tree house. He was alone with his thoughts. He had realized what was gong with Rio. She had been busy with getting ready for the wedding. Yet, she did have time to visit Joe-Casey. He was somewhat special to her as a sort of uncle to her. Dusty was not jealous of Rio's other friends. He was happy that she had different people in her life. When she was found after the long six month absences when she was thirteen Rio had come back silent and changed. She would go off to her world on the farm to a hiding spot and read strange books. It was like she was not herself, but someone else who wanted to see where she had gone wrong on her way back home. Dusty had been very worried when Rio would lock herself into that strange world. In fact, there was a book, Rio would repeat in her reading to the point where her Uncle Anthony had to hide the book in order to get her to finish out anything oi had started.
Dusty smiled at the fact Rio was different in every way of being a young woman. He knew the idea of her Uncle Anthony finally putting an end to Rio's closing herself off from the rest of the world was a great deal of responsibly.
A bird cried over head as Dusty came close to the tree house. He could sense someone else was near by. Yet, he did not to alarm Rio or Stephanie as he scanned the area. He said to himself, "what is going on with place…why does it feel like there is going to be a tragic event that is just waiting to happen!"
He turned around to see Darien walking up the same path as he was. He had the same inklings as Rio when things were going from bad to worst in a person's mind. He knew Darien was not himself as he said, "Hey…what's up with you…mate?"
"Nothing?" Darien asked slowly. He stared at the young pilot. Then, his mood shifted from happiness to a dark moody slant. He could see what was going on with Dusty's mind. It was as if unseen force was pulling Darien's strings.
"Oh?" Dusty said when he glanced at Darien's eyes. He knew Darien was a nice guy to be around with, but this day Darien's seemed cold and distance. He could not place where he had felt this session before, but he wanted to find Rio and asked her what was going with Darien. He said in a matter a fact tone, "I'm looking for Rio and Stephanie. We have some family talking to do!"
Dusty was to the point he had no idea about what had happened to Darien or Serena. He had a feeling that Rio was going to be in trouble if Darien would acted out in anger if there was going to be any sort of trouble. Dusty and Darien began to walk towards the tree house in silence.
Rio and Stephanie had helped Keyone up as the Galaxy police officer had climbed the last leg of the tree house latter. Rio heard a slightly buzzing sound. She glanced to see a small, but tough looking fairy flying around the living area.
"AH…milady!" the fairy had caught Rio's attention as it flew past her.
"Yes…and who you might be?" she asked as she lifted Keyone up through the hole and onto the floor.
"Sunsong!" the fairy bowed as it came it view. It was a young, male fairy with a large spear and even larger wings. He seemed to glow about from a inner power
"Ah…from the Sundunes reign!" Rio nodded slightly. She talked with the faerie for a couple of minutes to find out the dark forces she had been fighting against was starting to get a little bolder as the moon grew larger for the summer solstice. She had to speak to Serena as soon as possible. The very universe might depend on her actions.
"What are we going to do?" Stephanie asked as she did not know her own cousin was a sailor scout. She had returned to see who Rio was talking.
"We will have to talk it over with grandfather as he set up consul for the houses of the line in the Ark of the Stars….but we have tho be careful. I remember hearing stories of the wars before the Celestial migration. The house were nearly wiped out from the Troll kingdom!" Rio said in a cautious tone. She told the fairies to go to her aunt's house on Lincoln, but keep out of sight as much as possible. The fairies departed very quickly to Aunt Marion's house.
Stephanie heard another noise. This time it was more like curious little girls who wanted to play all day. Reenie and Sasami with Ryo-oh-ki were first as they ran up to the tree. Rio stuck her head out of the window and called out, "What's going on here?"
Ronnie glanced around the tree as Sasami looked up. Reenie calling out, "WHERE ARE YOU?"
Stephanie found a couple of small pebbles on the window sill. She picked them up to drop them over the side. She hoped to get either Sasami or Rennie's attention. Reenie felt a pebble bounce off her hair. She said "What was that?"
"I don't know…" Sasami said as she glanced around the area. She looked up at the tree to see Stephanie and Rio looking down at them. Then, she asked in puzzled tone "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to read!" exclaimed Rio.
"I wanted to be away from the world!" Stephanie sighed. She was going to be a very funny girl this day.
"And what's stopping you?" Rio ached with a sly grin.
"Really nothing…you up for a little teasing?"
"No, it looks like Reenie and Sasami are looking for something…I'm going to see what was going on!" Rio said.
"O.K." Stephanie shrugged, "Suit yourself!"
Rio closed the book that she was reading. Pacing it on the floor of the tree house, Rio got up. She gave herself a quick stretch by raising her hands above her head. She felt all of her bones popping back into place. She said, "look…we have to got to get the last day of prep done before the summer solstice. The longest day will be here before you know it!'
"You mean the fireworks show…? Master Poal had been working for a while on them!" Stephanie said as she walked over to the window with a hand full of pebbles. She reached out through the opened window to let loose with the shower of pebbles.
Sasami and Rennie were given a shower of pebbles in a second or two after Stephanie threw them down. Rio said after hearing a quick squeal of surprise from both girls, "You know…there is going to be pay back when Rennie and Sasami gets up here!"
Reenie and Sasami climbed up a rope latter to get to the main floor of the tree house. Rio got up from her spot on the floor to walk over to the tiny shelf that housed books. She heard Reenie asking what was going on with people throwing pebbles at others. "Who was doing that? I wonder!" Rio said as she turned to look at Reenie and Sasami They did not seem the worst for wear, but they were still ticked off at the prank from Stephanie.
"Was it you?" Sasami asked. She had Ryo-oh-ki in a backpack.
"Nope…" Rio said as she turned her gaze at Stephanie. Then, she turned back to look at another book. "I wondered about a red-headed sprite flying about…you know they are always looking for strange pranks to pull on nice young ladies when they are not looking about hidden doorways to smother world!"
"I hate when you are in your riddle mode. You can't make any sort of sense!" Stephanie grumbled through pursed lips.
"What is sense…especially on a warm summer day. Remember Alice went down a rabbit hole and was never the same the since!;" Rio said as she noticed a book of short stories of the science fiction kind. She wanted to be away from the rest of the world for at least one day.
"And she had too much to think about…" Reenie said. She looked at Rio with a little disgust.
"Don't worry about it, Pinkie. There is more to life than looking for tree houses with Fairies in them!" Rio said as she found a thin book with a funny looking caveman trying to play golf on the front cover. It was one of her favorites, BC. "Ah…brain fluff!"
"Brain fluff?" Reenie asked a little curious.
"It's when the mind is full of nothing…you are just so full of drifting that you can't keep focused on nothing else than petty stuff like how much make up you should use or the latest dumb video. The mind should be used a good tool!" Rio smiled.
"What about getting a good guy?" Sasami asked a little surprised.
"There is time, but be picky!" Stephanie spoke up as she heard a bird as it perched on a window sill. She remembered how much she was not picky, but had fun dating both Terri and Steve. She evened her cousin Rio as she was already bound to marry Dusty through an aranged marriage. "Can I speak my mind…" she turned to see her cousin as Rio sat on the floor. She had asked Reenie and Sasami to come sit with her.
Rio asked, "What's on your mind!"
Sasami took off the backpack and placed it on the floor near her. Tenn, she adjusted the large strap on the front to loosen it so Ryo-oh-ki could hop out. Reenie did not take Diana because the little gray kitten wanted to talk to Serena about the old stories of the Moon kingdom before Serena was Neo-queen Serenity, Luna had been talking to Artemis about the old days before the attack the Nega-verse. There was gopsic about Chaos taking over the solar system in a sweeping attack if there was a large gap of real laxity in the Moon Kingdom.
Reenie looked at front cover of the book Rio was about to read. She asked, "Isn't that a book for little kids?"
"I'm still a kid…" Rio smiled with a brought look on her face. She knew Reenie had to grow up soon, but she was going to give a little more of the lasting taste of being a kid one more time.
"Yea…you are getting married!" Stephanie huffed.
"Yes…when I;m eighteenth. I'm still getting use to be seventeen. What's the rush?" Rio breathed out a sigh. She knew Stephanie was getting her goat. "Beside…if me and Dusty will be married soon. In fact, a few months there will be a great deal of getting together between my tribe and his."