• Water 7 was made mostly of waterways and buildings set on top of ancient buildings. The fountain contained the other half of the city. Inside it are elevators that close up and pump water in to raise bulls to the next level and so on until they reach their destination. Off each level is another part of the city. Pin Joker boarded the elevator to Zousenshima, where the city hall and ship yard was located.

    Alice was anxious and held onto Chester when the gate slammed shut and water began to rush in.

    "Don't worry, Alice. It's just the aquatic elevator working," Pin Joker assured her with his back to her. "You'll be fine, I won't let anything happen to you."

    She smiled, a feeling of security running over her like water. She was relieved when the water began rising with them along with it. Pin Joker wouldn't let her sink after all.

    They exited the elevator when the gate opened and all the bulls were let out into the main stream to the ship yard. There were seven gates, each one numbered 1-7. Pin Joker docked them beside the first gate and helped Alice out onto the cement dock.

    "This is a ship yard?" Alice asked, a little disappointed.

    "It's behind the gate. Here Alice, hold my hand," he told her after he pushed the gates open and gave her his hand. She took it and followed him into the loud construction site floating on the water.

    There were turning gears, lifting pulleys, wood splitting, metal being hammered. So much was going on as they walked down the main road towards the head mechanics. Alice gazed at all the work going on in awe and curiousity as Pin Joker negotiated with a mechanic.

    "We'll send someone out to look at it. Could you stay here for a little bit?"

    "Sure, how long will it take?" She heard Pin Joker ask.

    "Ten minutes."

    "At least this girl has some shame," a man said as he passed by Alice. She looked around, confused.

    "Don't be bothering the customers, Paulie!" someone shouted at him.

    Alice saw this man named Paulie. He smoked a cigar and his blonde hair was slicked back. Her wore mostly denim and was carrying a small pile of two by fours over his shoulder. He looked rather irritated.

    "Stay by my side, Alice," Pin Joker told her, pulling her back in place beside him. "I do not trust the carpenters here," he whispered so no one but Alice could hear.

    She held her breath as a memory came back to her in fragments. She was walking down a paved road and she was very warm. She stopped when three boys jumped out in front of her. She was pushed back, carefully out of the way as the elf boy rushed forward, sabre drawn.

    "It's okay now, I chased them off," he told her when he came back.

    His sabre was sheathed at his side and he wasn't so menacing anymore. She took his hand and continued walking.

    Alice exhaled and put her hand on her forehead. She wished she could remember more of her childhood and of Jorick but her memories came back so slowly.

    "Are you alright?" Pin Joker asked her.

    "Yes, I'm fine," she looked up at him and smiled, "I just remembered the day you chased off those boys with your sword for me."

    He raised an eyebrow and finally remembered hisself. "Ah! Oh, yes. They never came back around to pick on you after that day," he boasted, making Alice giggle.

    "Hey mister! The chief mechanic says it'll take a couple days to repair your ship. Possibly four days. Would that be alright?"

    "Sure!" Pin Joker shouted back at the man at the blueprints. He turned to Alice, "We'll go rent a hotel room and start exploring," a childish smile spread across his face as he said, "exploring."

    Alice returned him an excited grin before they set off, back through the gates and back onto the bull where Chester was patiently waiting. The bull went into the elevator, back down to the residential region. Alice wanted to learn more of her past. Her best guess to learn a lot would be a library.