Sorry for the long wait guys, all I remember is me uploading the 2nd chapter the first week of July then the next thing I know it's the beigging of February. Where the hell did the time go? Anyway I had some major writers block and with school it was a headache. I feel ashamed to call myself a writer. But I also wanted to make this one a bit longer cause I know the other ones were on the short side. Oh one more thing I need your guy's help in spreading the word about my brother just published book that can be bought online. Down below after Rikku's Question of the Day will be part of the prologue to his story. Read and if you like you can buy his book online at Barns and Noble. Last thing is tell all the people you know put the link and prologue on your Face book or on whatever online games you play. Or even send it in a text or e-mail just help get the word out about this awesome story that my bro wrote. And without further a due...

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited away. (Though I wish I did, but I'm sure just about every fan wishes the same)

Chapter 3

Nightmare

I stood on a hard dirt floor, the rocks in the dirt felt like spikes digging into my bear feet. The room was dim. The only light came from came from a small flame that was burning inside a huge furnace. I looked down at myself. I wasn't wearing my school uniform, or even my own cloths. On me was some sort of work clothing; an off color pink with long baggy sleeves, and pants that were the same.

"What is this place?" I asked myself.

I glanced around the room. Behind me, I saw large square drawers that rose all the way to the ceiling. Below those drawers were small mouse holes that lied on the floor. To my right I saw some sort of tall stand that had a small wheel on it. On this stand I could see dark colored pillows, old bowls of food, and what looked like a giant golden tea pot. I was confused. I had no idea where I was, yet this place seemed to have a familiar feeling to it. It was as if I had been here before. Before I knew it my heart began to race and sweat ran down my face, as the familiar feeling was replace by fear. To my left I heard the sound of an old metal door creak open. My head shot towards the sound. My eyes widen with shock as t saw who came walking out from behind that door.

"It's you!" I shouted.

Before me stood the samurai warrior that had appeared at my school, the one that tried to kill me; the one that wasn't real. My thoughts began racing through my head.

"Wait, if he's not real, then that means none of this is real either… right?"

My eyes were locked on the samurai in fright. He began to move, slowly. It was like I was some wild animal he was trying to catch. My ears twitched to the sound of his armor clanking together as he bent his knees slightly and aimed his spear right at me. There was dead silence in the room, as neither of us moved. Suddenly there was a burst of steam that came out of a pipe from behind the samurai. He began to charge straight towards me.

"If…if it's not real then…"

I was frozen stiff. My heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. As the samurai got closer I found that I could no longer breath, and yet I still couldn't move. Te samurai was almost right on top of me when he jumped high in the air, his spear hanging over his head.

"Aahh!" he roared as his spear came plunging towards me.

His spear was only mere inches away from me when I notice a small wooden sliding door behind. I sprinted to the door, at this point I didn't care where it lead to as long as it was away from here. As I reached the wooden door I dropped to my knees; the door was just bigger than I was. As I cleared the door way I crashed into the wall in front of me. I quickly noticed as I began to run that my surroundings were completely different from the room I was in before. It wasn't dim and lit only by a single flame, instead it had lights on both sides of the wall brightly lighting the halls. I looked down to notice that the floor wasn't dirt but light brown wood. Colorfully decorated sliding screen doors were all around me, each room light up on the other side. Yet there wasn't a single person to be seen or heard in this place. I began to feel a stinging pain coming from my left arm. I slowed my pace form a full speed run to power walk. I looked to see hot steaming blood pouring from my arm. But if the wound is real, then that means that this is all real; which means that the samurai could have actually killed me. I put my hand on the wound and carefully tried to wipe away some of the blood.

"What's going on? I don't understand where I am?" I asked myself.

I continued to grope my arm hard, to attempt at stopping some of the bleeding. I leaned against a one of the screen doors and slide down to the floor to sit. I breathed deeply trying to slow down my heart rate. This hall full of rooms was so quiet that all you could hear was the creaking of the wood. It was peaceful, until I began to hear noise coming from where I had just come from. Down the hall I could see the samurai making his way up to me. Without a second thought I jumped up from the floor and began to run further down the hall. As I ran the room became distorted; swirls of blue, purple, and black engulfed the room around me. As the distortion cleared I could see that now I was in a different area. I was no longer running in a hallway, but a large room filled with partially cover tubes, of all different sizes.

I began to slow down as I noticed I could no longer here the sound of the samurai coming after me. Once I stopped I took a long good look around the room. There had to be a way out of this place. But all I could see were tall tan colored walls. I continued to walk down the way I had been going, looking inside all the shallow rooms with tubes, to see if there was a way out. Then the sound of footsteps caught my ear. I froze. Could the samurai truly be here? But as I heard the footsteps come around the corner, I noticed that they were not like the samurai's, nor could I hear the sound of armor clanking.

The footsteps stopped. I looked up to see a young boy standing in front of me. He had short cut charcoal black hair, with slightly pale skin. He wore some sort of light green overalls that extended of his entire body. On top of them he had a white shirt with long baggy sleeves and slits that were on each shoulder. I looked closer to try to make out more detail on the boy, but his eyes were covered by bangs.

"Who are you?" I asked him.

No answer. The boy lifted his arm and held out his hand to me. Did he want me to come with him? I was hesitant to go. Then the boy's arm moved from pointing to me, to pointing to around the corner where he was standing.

"I don't understand. What do you want?"

The boy said nothing. He began to wave his hand at me, telling me to come to him. I was afraid. How do I know he won't hurt me, like how that samurai did? Even though I was unsure of myself, I found that my body was slowly inching towards him. I didn't recognize this boy, yet I found that he had a familiar feeling, just like from when I first found myself here. Then the boy began to run around the corner.

"Wait!" I yelled. "Where are you going?"

From my right, crashing thought the wall came the feudal era samurai. His powerful battle cry pierced through me as his spear yet again came down on me. I felt as if time its self had stopped as I was face to face with this man once again. In this instant I could see this man's murderous eyes as he a waited to crush me with his spear. But still this was a dream, wasn't it? As I thought this the pain in my arm reminded me of what if this wasn't a dream. What if, if this samurai pierces with his spear I actually die? There was no time to question. I sprinted off again the way the boy had gone.

"Where are you? Please help me. Someone, JUST HELP ME!" I screamed to the ceiling.

As I turned a corner I feel, tripping over my own feet. I could hear the samurai not far behind, running in an angry rage. I tried to get up but I couldn't, the fall caused me to sprain my ankle. I began to cry as the samurai drew closer. I slowly crawled as far as I could.

"Someone please help me!"

Before me appeared the young boy once again. He looked at me but did nothing. I reached for him.

"Please help me," I begged.

But the boy just stood there mumbling. I couldn't tell what he was saying.

"…Say…."

"What?" I asked.

"…My name."

"I don't understand. What are you saying?"

"…Say my name…"

"You're name?"

I didn't understand. His name? But I don't know your name. What did that have to do with you helping me? I tried to crawl some more.

"Say my name," the boy repeated.

"I don't know your name."

In that moment the samurai came rushing around the corner. Without wasting any time his swung his spear from his back.

"Aahh!" I screamed.

With this instant the floor began to give out underneath me. I was plummeting into nothing but darkness. I reached for the boy to help me, but he did not move.

"If you do not say my name I can't help you," he spoke to me.

"But I don't know who you are."

As I fell the burst from the destruction of the floor pushed the bangs from the boy's hair out of his face. There I saw emerald green eyes. Words spilled from my mouth.

"Ha…"

That was all I could say before the darkness had fully taken me in.

"Aahh!"

I screamed as I found myself in my school classroom. I looked around the room, to see everyone looking at me with confused eyes. I was sleeping.

"Chihiro are you alright?" asked the teacher worried.

I had no Idea what was going on. I had been dreaming. But it seemed so real.

"Chihiro?" asked the teacher again.

"I'm...I'm fine… teacher… I just feel asleep and had a bad dream." I smiled.

I smile so they would think everything was alright. But inside I was shaking. The pain, the feel of the wooden floor, everything felt so real.

"Oh my god Chihiro you're bleeding!" shouted Maki from the back of the room.

Suddenly the stinging pain from a large gash on my arm came to me. The cut was underneath my school uniform, yet the blood seeped right through. It even ran down my arm. I could feel the blood drain from my face in horror. That was the same cut I got from the samurai who had hit me with his spear. How could that be? I was here sleeping. I excused myself to the nurse's office before anyone could begin to ask any questions. Even if I wanted to hear them, I had no possible answers. As I wondered to the nurse's office I stopped to gaze out the window. I had no idea what was going on. The samurai appeared at the school, then in my dream. Yet the cut I got from him is here on my arm. I groped my arm tritely to try to stop some of the bleeding as I continued on to the nurse.

Rikku's Question of the Day! Now this question does not pertain to the story as not all of them always will. So here it is – What would you do in the case where you felt as if you were a complete out cast. Like you didn't belong, even with people you've been friends with for years. If you were lost and you didn't know how to find your way back.

Now I'm going to answer because this is more of a personal question coming from me because this is actually happening and honestly I don't know what to do. I feel that there are times when I don't belong, like I'm just a stranger or ghost who's watching everyone else as their lives goes on and mine does not change. Then there are the times when I'm completely in the dark about things and I hate it. Like when there is something wrong with a friend and everyone else knows but me. It's like I can't be trusted. Or they tell me I've never gone through this so I wouldn't understand. Yet these friends of mine though I've known them for years there so much I've never told them. I feel that there are times for all of us when we're going to get lost. And we are going to have to try to find our way back somehow, and sometimes there won't be anyone there to help, but that's alright because I myself have been there and I've found my way back. Yet here I am again; lost. I haven't found that way back yet, but I am searching. Searching for that light that pushed me way with a second thought. I'm also hoping. Hoping that one day the things that dragged me down won't be there anymore, and then maybe I can open my heart to people and tell them about the pain that I've been hiding.

So tell me, what would you do?

Here is his story!

Heroes of Midgar- Rise

Prologue

Lightning flashes across the sky; followed by the deafening sound of thunder. The rain began to fall as well, slowly at first, but then gradually began to pick up until the simple storm transforms into a downpour. Another bolt of lightning illuminates the sky, as it does it reveals a tower. Sitting in a nest of mountain is a giant stone tower standing two miles high, reaching towards the sky like a finger pointing to the heavens. On top of the tower is a spire, and at the top of the spire a statue of a dragon standing proudly, wings full spread in majestic beauty, its tail runs the entire length of the tower as it wraps around all the way to the base. This tower is the home of the Dragon Knights, the guardians of the continent of Midgar. In the Hall of Gathering of the Dragon Knights tower, events are nervously unfolding. The hall is lavishly decorated with luscious red carpets, pictures of dragoons of past decorate the walls along with a map of the continent of Midgar that covers the entire back wall, above is a giant chandelier that provide light along with the torches along the wall. In an almost complete circle are seven beautifully crafted marble chairs, they form a circle around a wooden podium where those who wish to address the council would stand. On normal days the Dragon Knights would gather in their dining hall where they would discuss the day's events, however on this night they are discussing matters grave importance. The Dragon Knights are each sitting in their seats calmly discussing the matter at hand, each Dragon Knight is wearing similar armor of a steel breastplate with a long sleeve chain mail underneath, bracers along with leather gloves, greaves, and boots. The mood of the room is one worry, and something that would worry the Dragon Knights would terrify any other person.

"How long has Nicholas been gone?" Nixie asks.

"It has been nearly fifteen days since we last heard from him." Barrett says as he idly strokes his beard.

"Should we begin to go out and search for him?" Karla asks as she laces her fingers together in nervousness.

"I'm afraid that is not possible, there are many situations arising here at the capital that require our full attention." Ehren says

This statement catches everyone's attention; the first one to speak is the youngest dragoon Jarvis, "What exactly are you referring to? The temper tantrums of the Senate are usually best ignored until they feel like actually talking, instead of their usual whining." This statement causes the hall to fill with the mirth of laughter.

Ehren chants several short words, he then points to the map of Midgar, a spot on the map began to glow brightly so the other could see it, the place that is glowing is the small country of Ironoe, the continent's single most exporter of metals, the most important being iron. If trouble is brewing with Ironoe being at the center of the conflict, it could very well de-stabilize the fragile balance between the three great countries as they seek to gain control of the precious resources in Ironoe.

Before the Dragoons could begin to debate anything, the deep voice of Alphonse, "What had happened in Ironoe to cause the current situation?"

Ehren let out a sigh of frustration, never a good sign before a person begins speaking. "I am not sure exactly what events transpired, but we have recently learned that there has been a regime change in Ironoe. The new leader of the country, a man name Brandon Braeden has overthrown the previous government. From what the Senate has been able to gather it seems he is still working towards solidifying his position, however at the current moment he is in control of the capital, the mines, as well as every major city, though a few villages refuse to accept his rule. While they are hardly a threat to Brandon's regime directly, they are causing him much grief as the villagers have become nests for rebels that are raiding other villages loyal to Brandon, as well as harrying his troops as they try to bring what he is calling a rebellion under control."

"Well, now I understand why you have been returning from the Senate meeting looking more ragged than usual, so tell us, what does the Senate plan to do? While I am sure they would like situation to resolve itself, I imagine some pockets in the Senate are getting a bit lighter each day this conflict is unresolved" Jarvis said while pulling out his pipe in preparation for a much needed smoke break.

The mirth returns for a second before the mood dampens once more as the weight of the situation begins to be felt by all those in the room, though they all generally avoid the world of politics they are from ignorant of it . They are well aware of how deep corruption in the Senate ran, of the one-hundred senators who make up the Senate there are only a handful whose hands are completely clean, the corruption in the rest of the Senate ranges from small things such as simply taking bribes in return for favors, to the ones who go as far as to kill their rivals in order to keep their power. Despite attempts by the many of the past king they have never been able to either to entirely purge the Senate entirely of the corruption, nor keep it away when new senators assume the positions. Over the centuries the Dragon Knights have done what they can to help with ever festering problem, but the most that any king has been able to be done is pass a law that allows a member of the Dragon Knights to attend Senate meetings.

Barret loudly claps his hands startling everyone, as well as breaking the ever depressing chain of thoughts. "So, how is the Senate proposing to respond to the situation?" Barret asks is he once again begins stroking his beard, nervous habit he has developed over the many years he has been a Dragon Knight.

Ehren swallows hard, his nervous habit when he is getting ready to tell them something they did not want to hear. "There are three motions on the table, the first being the obvious of sending an envoy to assess the situation, and take action based on the envoy's report. The second is a little more extreme, it suggests that we align ourselves with one of the two factions, in exchange for higher quantity of resources, as well as reducing amounts sent to other countries. As bad as this suggestion is the third is by far even worse, it suggests that we ignore the treaty of Licame, and simply occupy Ironoe." Ehren says sadly, his eyes drooping to the floor.

The room is quiet, so quiet that a needle would probably have sounded as if a suit of armor had fallen. This move that some of the senators are proposing is not just dangerous, it is simply ludicrous. The treaty of Licame, a treaty signed by all countries both big, as well as small, states that Ironoe is to remain neutral in all conflicts, in return Ironoe agrees to trading contracts with each country. The treaty has kept Ironoe safely out of wars for the last two centuries, the biggest reason being the fear that if one were to attack them, then every other country on Midgar would get war against them. The fact that the Senate is willing to risk disregarding that fact is a terrible sign, if they were to do it, the wrath of every country would be brought down upon Isra.

Alphonse turns towards Ehren with fire in his eyes. "And does the Senate expect us to assist them in this madness? Well they have another thing coming if they do, especially since no one, not even the king himself has the power to command us!" Alphonse shouts.

Everyone mutters in agreement, although the Dragon Knights live in Isra, which they have long before Isra was formed, neither the king nor the Senate have any power to command them to do anything since the Dragon Knights have pledge to support any country in need. It is because of this safety guard that has prevented countries from either rushing to war, or allowing Isra to bully other countries with the threat of releasing the Dragon Knights on them.

Ehren rubs his temples slightly before he begins to channel his unique power into the room. The reason Ehren is the one chosen attend the Senate meetings is because of his unique power of empathy, which comes in handy for subduing the wild emotions of his fellow Dragon Knights when they begin to lose it. Or when he is in a room full of vipers, and needs to try to figure out who is the most dangerous. It is only a matter of moments before each of the Dragon Knights begins to feel Ehren's power working on them, as the tension leaves both the room, and their bodies.

With the atmosphere brought back to the calm state they need Ehren begins to retract his powers. With his task now done Ehren returns to the matter at hand, "Now that we are all calm, let us get back to the matter at hand. Even with Nicholas missing he would not want us to neglect our duties. With the situation at the beginning to spiral out of control we must get ahead of it, and stop it quickly. Jarvis, tomorrow you will head to Ironoe, we need you to assess the situation, and see if there are options to end it peacefully. The rest of us will keep an eye on things here at the capital, as well as do what we can to stop this path of madness. It is getting late let us adjourn this meeting."

As one they all agree, and one by one they each leave the hall. After Nixie made her way out of the chamber Ehren slumps in his chair. The day had left him emotionally drain, and during the meeting in the Senate his power showed him so much malice that it seem to fill the entire rotunda. Ehren stays in the same position before he says, "I know my friend, there will be many dark days ahead." Ehren sighs before leaving the hall to go to his chambers for some much needed, and well earned rest.

The night pass with little incident, and morning came faster than anyone would have liked, on top of the Dragon Knights tower Jarvis waits patiently with his arms cross. Jarvis stands there in the same armor from night before except now he is also wearing helmet that cover his entire head save for the Y shape opening for his mouth and his eyes. The sun is nearly over the horizon when he puts on a brown travel cloak; he then places his war hammer in its sling, and then puts his left arm through allowing the strap to run diagonally from his right shoulder to his left hip.

"You are procrastinating, you know this correct?" says a voice, Jarvis smiles.

"I know Ryuu, but that hardly means I want to go. Ironoe is many leagues from here, which means instead of relaxing after a nice training session, I will be spending today, all of tomorrow, as well as the day after flying." Jarvis says.

"Just get going all ready, the more time you stand here whining, the more days you will spend flying. Ehren will not be please if by the end of week you are not even in Ironoe."

Jarvis smiles at the usual banter between himself, and his best friend is always fun. But now, it was time for work. Jarvis closes his eyes, his muscles suddenly began to bulge, his canines become elongated, and from his back two web wings fluidly sprout out. Jarvis opens his eyes, the pupils are now slits. With the transformation now complete Jarvis steps off the tower, his free falls for a couple seconds before flapping his wings, his descent slows, and then stops as he begins to gain altitude. Eventually Jarvis is high above the tower, as he enters the clouds above he begins to orient himself in the right direction before chanting a spell. When he reaches the end of it Jarvis suddenly begins to shoot across the sky at high speed.