Chapter 7

"Papa Ron?" I said, looking up at my stepdad.

"Yes, honey?" Ronald replied, still looking forward at our destination.

"Will you, Mama Leilei, Jarod, and James be okay while I'm in Sector Seven?"

"Of course, we will. There's no need to worry about us. What I am worried about is you. You're going to be there by yourself."

"But I'm going to see Papa Ray and all my old friends! They'll protect me." Ronald chuckled at her response and said,

"I know they'll be there, but can you handle being by yourself without us?"

"I think so," I admitted, holding Ronald's hand. "But if not, then that's what I am going to be there for. I'll learn how to defend myself." My stepdad nodded, and the two of us stepped to the big gate, where I will be going. It's been a long while since I was in Sector Seven, and I honestly didn't think I'd get to come back for a long time. After a few weeks of being with the Wood family, I made up my mind to go back to Sector Seven when I was old enough, maybe in my teens or 20s.

But I'm nine years old, and I'm going back to the place I once called home. The reason was evident to Papa, me, and everyone in our house. I wanted the chance to learn self-defense, like Jarod and James, have already. Jarod started karate class when he was young and is now learning how to shoot a gun. James fascinated himself with archery and has been getting better with it ever since. But for me? I only know a few things of magic and potion-making. Oh, and I have been learning how to play the violin. That's it though. Mama and Papa were beginning to worry about me and how I would be able to defend myself if they went away for a little while. Papa was still a part of Yuina's military, and Mama wanted to get a job as a museum historian when Jarod, James, and I were old enough to live in the house by ourselves. It was one of her big dreams, to be a historian and be near Yuina's historical roots. I kind of took after that fascination in history, but I liked more general history.

After Ronald talked to some of the gate guards, he turned to me and said, "Are you ready to go?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm ready," I replied nervously. At that moment, I didn't want to leave my stepdad. I was about to venture out to the unknown again. There was never any big gates when I was still living in Sector Seven, and I didn't know where I would go.

"Don't worry too much," Ronald smiled gently, sensing my anxiety. "Ray and his new wife are going to be waiting for you at the other side of the gate."

"But I don't see them," I noted, looking past the guards and seeing no one there.

"Well, the security here is very particular on who comes near the gate, and Ray is an interesting fellow when it comes to the police in Sector Seven."

"I would imagine that. Ray is that type of guy."

"Identification, please!" the guard exclaimed to me. I was startled by his voice but I handed him a few papers, and he skimmed through it. "Who do you call yourself?"

"It depends, sir," I replied politely. "I'm known as Lizzy Belle Wood outside of Sector Seven, but in the sector, I'm Fiore Mamoru."

"Fiore Mamoru it is then. We've already spoken to the ones taking you in, and they will be on the outside portion of the gate area. Go to them and no one else. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The guard walked out of the way so that I could pass through the big gate. I stared at the gate for a second before hugging Ronald tight. "Bye, Papa!" I said. "I'll see you near the end of the summer."

"See you then, Lizzy," Ronald smiled. He pecked my forehead and let go of the hug. I grinned at him and ran through the gate. Then I felt a different presence as soon as I entered Sector Seven. It was a strange feeling, yet very familiar to me. Was it nostalgia? I'm pretty sure it was because many memories of the sector began to enter my mind. All those fun times and innocent laughs came to my focus, though now I'm sure that it won't be the same. I'm a lot older than I was when I left, so now I'm going to be aware of the things that I wasn't aware of before. What a weird thing to think of for my age. I then smiled to myself as I walked beyond the gate. I read way too many books. I kept walking a little bit longer and found Papa Ray with another lady right beside him. He still looked the same as how I remembered him. He had a few more scars, but they were on his neck, and he grew out his beard more. I grinned happily and waved at him, still walking towards them.

"Hi, Papa Ray!" I exclaimed, still waving.

"There's one of my kids!" Ray chuckled, going towards me. "How's living with Ron and his family?"

"It's been great! How's living here in Sector Seven?"

"Good but it can be better. I am glad to see you again."

"Me too, me too!" I ran the last few steps to him and hugged Ray tight. He hugged me back tightly and whisked me up into the air. I laughed as he whisked me up and then put me back on the ground. "So, where's Naty and the others?"

"They couldn't make the trip here, sweet girl," Ray explained. "Rocky's working with his dad on some metal work and the other three are doing me a favor of watching over some kids. But there is someone that is here who wants to meet you." He turned to a woman who was walking towards us. She was a dark-skinned lady with brown, dreadlocked hair and blue eyes. She looked a little plump, but I didn't mind that. She was beautiful in my opinion. "Fi, this is my wife May," Ray introduced. "This lovely lady has been mine for two years now."

"Wow," I said in surprise. "I wish I was there when you two got married." I looked over at May and said, "It's nice to meet you, ma'am. Has he caused you any trouble yet?"

"Not too much, sweetie," May laughed. "It's nice to meet you too, Fiore."

"Now Fiore, you know that I don't cause trouble," Ray said with his hands on his hips.

"That's not what Papa Ron has told me recently." May laughed at my comment while Ray sent a playful glare my way. I giggled softly at his glare and looked around a little. "I don't remember this part of the sector. Is it new?"

"No, it's still the same," Ray replied. "But there are a few things that have been added here, to make life easier for us."

"Like a dishwasher?"

"Not yet but we do have laundry mats now."

"Cool!"

"Now how's that card friend of yours?"

"Card friend?" May repeated with curiosity. Papa Ray knew of my ability for a while now, but I didn't realize that his wife was in the dark about it.

"She can bring Duel Monsters to life like me, honey," Ray explained to May. "The first time she did that was when she was still in the house."

"Yeah, and Naty was there too!" I added with a smile. "It was really cool."

"Well, that's incredible!" May commented. "You must be curious on what you can do with that power." I nodded. Besides learning self-defense, I'd like to know how my powers worked. Papa Ray was one of the people that I knew of that works with magic, and magic was one of the things that I wanted to know more about.

"Don't worry Fi, I'm gonna teach you what to do with that magic of yours," Ray said, gently grabbing my hand and May's. "It's gonna be part of your self-defense training. But for now, let's go home."

"Okay!" Then the three of us began to walk home, to where I called home long ago. As we went, we caught up on what has been going on in our lives. From what I was hearing, Sector Seven was doing its best to get better, but there are still some conflicts from inside the sector. We were walking past a small alleyway when I heard a small cry. I stopped walking and looked around, curious as to where it was coming from. "Did you hear that, Papa Ray?" I asked, still glancing around.

"Hear what, baby girl?" Ray questioned, looking back at me because he and his wife were ahead of me.

"I heard some cry in the alleyway just now. Should we check it out?" Papa Ray put some thought into it and then sighed.

"The problem is that you were the only one that heard it. So, I do not know if we all should-" Ray was interrupted by the same cry again, this time it was a bit louder, from the alleyway. "Well, I heard it now. It seems like there is someone that needs help." I gasped in surprise. There is someone that needs help? Well, I must help that person.

"I am going to help the person!" I announced, walking into the alleyway. "Can you keep an eye on whatever might come in after me?"

"Sure thing, Fiore!" Ray exclaimed as I went in the alleyway. I carefully stepped into the creepy place, hoping that what I just walked into was not a trap. There was not any light coming to the other side of the alleyway so I could assume that I would be coming up on a dead end.

"Hello?" I called out, looking around the alleyway. "Is anyone here?" I heard the voice cry again, louder than ever before. I walked quickly to where I heard it, which was near the end of the alleyway, and squinted my eyes. It was kind of hard to see in the alleyway, and I hoped that no one would come out of nowhere and scare me. I stepped forward and then heard a rustling noise in front of me. I gulped, not knowing what I would do if something actually jumped out at me. I do not know how to properly defend myself yet, and now something is going to jump out at me?! This is going to be an interesting experience. "C-Come out and show yourself," I said aloud, deciding to be brave despite non-expertise. After a few moments, I thought that something did come out of its hiding spot, but I could not see who it was that came out. So that I could see who this was, I started to step back towards the bit of light that ran into the alleyway. I stepped back until I was in front of the light, and from the shadows came a little four-legged creature. It had oval, yellow eyes with blue and black fur. His front legs were blue with a yellow stripe, and his back legs had just black fur. The creature had a yellow, star-shaped tip on its black tail, and it drooped to the ground. The little one looked kind of sad, staring at me as if it was wondering what I was doing here. I sighed in relief. The creature did not look dangerous in my eyes. "Why, hello there!" I said softly. "Was it you that was crying out earlier?"

"Shinx," the little creature replied, still staring at me. I somehow understood what the creature was saying, and I said,

"Ah, so it was you. Where do you belong, little one? Where is your family?" The creature only shook its head. I knew what that means: it does not have a family. How has it managed to survive this long without a family? I thought for a few minutes of what to do. I do not live here anymore, and I have no idea if the Wood family would take it in. But I did not want to leave it alone again, and it was getting pretty dark. So, I should just take it with me for the time being. "How about you come with me?" I said gently. "You can stay with me until we can find a proper home for you. How does that sound?" I sounded a lot like Papa Ron when he took me in. But I just wanted to say it. It made sense for me to say it like that. I saw the little guy smile, beaming brightly because of what I said.

"Shinx!" it cried happily, wagging its tail.

"You will come with me?" I said. "Hooray! Follow me to destiny, my new friend!" I began to walk towards the alleyway exit and turned to see that the little guy was following me. That made me happy as I went towards Papa Ray and May. "I found a new buddy!" I exclaimed happily.

"Who did you find?" May asked curiously. I stepped out of the alleyway and glanced at the creature, who followed me out of the dreaded place and stared at my extended family. "My goodness, it is a Pocket Monster!"

"Pocket Monster?" I repeated, confused at what she called it. "What is that? Is it similar to a Duel Monster?"

"Yes, except that these little guys are not trapped in cards all the time. They go into little ball capsules called Pokéballs. It seems that this little one must have wondered in here from the other sectors."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah, other sectors have access to playing different games," Ray explained, kneeling down and petting the Pocket Monster. "Pocket Monsters, or Pokémon, is one of them. I believe they are coming in from Sector 3 or 4."

"Well, I have not heard of it until now," I mentioned. "What kind of Pocket Monster is it?"

"I do not know yet. I will have to ask around to see if anyone would know, or even if anyone knows the owner of this Pokémon."

"That would be good." The little Pokémon dashed in a circle around us, getting out of Ray's grasp, and stopped right in front of me. It nuzzled my foot and climbed up my body, up to my shoulder. "Hello again!" I said with a smile. "Do you want to be on my shoulder, buddy?"

"Shinx!" the Pokémon replied, nuzzling my cheek. I giggled happily, enjoy the little one's nudges. It is absolutely precious!

"The Pokémon seems to like you a lot," May smiled, watching me.

"Yeah, it does!" I grinned. "To be honest, I am just glad that it is okay. Should we head to the house now?"

"Yes, we should," Ray said. "Let's head out, everyone." He began to walk in the direction of his home with May and I following, with a new, little friend.

It seems like another happy memory came to me! I like all these happy memories. They need to be around more often, though I wouldn't be surprised if a sad memory would come up sooner or later. But this time, it was when I went back to Sector Seven when I was nine years old. It had to do with self-defense, though I don't remember the exact reason as to why I wanted to go back there for it. I know that Jarod and James already had a few years of self-defense experience but was there a specific reason as to why I got my chance to train? I don't know, and maybe I'll never know. That seems to be the running case for all the memories that I have had so far.

At the beginning of the dream, I was with Papa Ron, and we were near a gate that stood in between the current sector we were in and Sector Seven. Now, was that gate always there? I don't remember there being a gate that separated between two sectors of Yuina. I know that there are seven sectors in Yuina, but I don't recall there being gate dividers.

"Lizzy, James and I are going to play some Mario Kart!" Jarod exclaimed from outside of her room. "Do you want to join us?"

"Sure!" Lizzy replied. "Just let me finish the journal I'm writing for my memory dream."

"Okay!"

Lizzy thought for a moment and then exclaimed, "Hey, Jarod!"

"Yeah, Lizzy?" he yelled from another room.

"Can I ask you something about Yuina?" Lizzy waited for a reply, but then she saw her brother peek into the room.

"What is it?" Jarod asked curiously.

"Has this island always had dividers between the sectors?" Lizzy questioned. "I just had a memory dream that had me cross a gate to Sector Seven."

"Hmm...how old were you in that dream?"

"I was nine at the time."

"Well, by then the gates were installed, but they weren't there all the time. I'm sure that you remember that much."

"Yeah but why? Why do we have all these gates and divisions between the sectors?"

"It's quite a story, but I'm sure you'll remember the story in time. It's why some people are so adamant in bringing all the sectors of Yuina together."

"Oh...okay then. I'll join you guys in a few minutes, ok?" Jarod nodded and walked out of the room. Lizzy then began to write in her journal again.

Well, at least Jarod was able to answer a bit of my question. The gates have been around for a while. But for what purpose do they serve? Why do we have to be divided if we're supposed to be a whole city? But whatever the answer is, I hope to know it soon.

Another part of my dream focused on Ray and his wife May, which I found to be very sweet. Even though my dream emphasized it, I wish I was at the wedding! They look great together. I'd also like to know how they met and when they fell in love. I don't understand why romances fascinate me, but I think they are fascinating sometimes. Although in my opinion, I don't think I'm into love. It's too much heartbreak and drama for me. Also, the last part of the journal had the introduction of a little Pocket Monster or Pokémon. There was a noise coming from an alleyway, and I followed it until I met the little guy. Goodness, it was a precious little creature! I wonder what happened to it. Was it able to find a family, or is it staying with Papa Ray and his wife? Anyway, I am sure that it is okay. If it is with Papa Ray, the little Pokémon is in safe hands.

Lizzy took a relaxed breath and closed her journal, setting it on a table next to her bed. "Time for gaming!" she said to herself. The girl stood up from her bed and did a few stretches. She finally was able to walk without too much external support, and Lizzy was relieved because now everyone didn't have to worry about helping her walk downstairs or even out of the house. She began to walk out of her room until a red violin case caught her eye. Lizzy spotted the case leaning on the bottom part of her desk and examined it briefly before leaving the room. "What a cute case," she thought. "Could I play what's inside the case?"