The long empty halls stretched with old fashion wood flooring. Every time someone took a step it would echo throughout the house with a scuffle sound of the velvet carpeting lying along middle of the floor. The walls held a deep marron color with dark brown paneling that came half way up the wall. The mansion itself was her childhood. One of two homes she grew up in, the second one was in Hargeon. This house was really her father's and now that he was not here most of the time, she remained with this house. It was a gracious gift from her father. Holding down two house payments was hard, but not impossible. Hans helped pay for hte house in Crocus as she had this one covered. Though, it was probably paid off by now. Her dad would try to pay for the house payments, but she refused any sort of help. She held a bit of pride. Her fingers skimmed along the old walls that held more than a fragment of memory. These walls held so much. It was too much to take it. It has been almost eight months since she was last in this place. She rarely ever was home to even enjoy the small bit of relaxation. The word 'vacation' held no meaning to the young Nakamura. Everyday was productive and work. She never complained. She never question, but kept her mind off things. Always finding an excuse to work. Her mind was always on something.

It had been a while since she talked to her father and her brother. One on one. She missed her family. Hans was nice and held dearly to her heart. Though, there was something about the father and big brother she grew up with she missed. Slowly, the lonely footsteps trailed off to a stop as her fingertips glazed over a single picture very still. It was of her right before she had been kidnapped. She was fourteen. Bright. Pretty. Full of sass and sarcasim. Happy. Most of all, held the world with a smile. There stood her father and her laughing. Daddy's little girl. She knew he favorited her most out of all three of his kids. A long depressed sigh came out of her lips. The good eye looked away not wanting to see that horrid sight anymore. So, she kept moving forward into a small bedroom. It was locked when she jiggled the old gold doorknob. A key ring full of keys for all the rooms in the house as on it. It was a mess trying to find the right key. Finally, she found the correct key to fit into the lock. With a twist of her wrist, the door became unlocked and was pushed open. Putting the key ring full of keys back into her pocket, she walked into a bedroom that was full of kid toys still spread out everywhere. The room was preserved from when she last played in it years ago The wall paper had cute animals on it mostly lions and tigers and elephants. She sat on the bed and bouncing on it a little to check the springs. LeeAnn paused. A calmness yet empty feeling came inside her chest that she again push out immediately. Soaking up everything in the room, she remembered the good times with her father. Nowadays, she missed her father and not her mother. Why that was? She never knew. It was such a strange.

She laid down on the bed. It was big enough to hold her and give her enough comfort. It wasn't the best bed, but its was decent quality for its age and usage. Memories of her being scared of the dark and finding her parents so she could sleep in their bed. Many times, her father would sleep next to her or sleep on the floor as she slept in her own bed. LeeAnn turned her head to look at where her father would of been years ago.  "Where has the time gone? I miss dad. she whispered. LeeAnn lied there for at least ten or fifteen minutes contemplating on the old day until a loud crash was heard downstairs. Groaning, she got up to see what Hans had done now. Most likely, something that is not technically humanly possible again like trying to break the laws of physics again and trying write his own or building a blimp in the middle of the living room. Quickly, she rushed to the kitchen where the source of the sound was heard. The sight was not surprising. Pots and pans lied everywhere as the tall, kitsune man stood there with his ears drooped with a look of disappointment on his face. "What did you do this time" she would say already accusing her fiance. He blinked and sighed. "I need more cowbells and piano keys! My mechincal T-rex isn't working" he sighed. He was so sure this would work with what he had planned, but it fell through and literally. Pots, pans, and other weird items were everywhere. Some of them were even on the cieling. How? She never question him. The kitsune looked at LeeAnn as if she had an answer. He had the most playful smile anyone could ever pull off. "Say...perhaps you know where I could find some more plasma? I need that for decor you know" asked Hans. LeeAnn blinked cluelessly. Shaking her head, she only sighed. "Why do I even bother? Just don't make a mess" she said. As she turned, in front of her was a metal, mechnical robotic T-rex that was barely holding itself together. It was quite impressive even for LeeAnn's standards. A mouthing of 'wow' came from her. "Impressive" she said. As she stared at it, she noticed how it was slowly unhinging at the jaw. Her head tilted. something screamed at her in the back of her mind to dodge, but she just stood there.

It was like she was stuck in a trance. Creaking and rustic noise came from the T-rex hinting it was about to fall apart. Hans looked at it was a warning. "LeeAnn! Look out" he cried. The loud cry caused her to look back and see Hans running towards her. Without a moment's notice, she looked up to quickly see the metal robotic jaw come down. It felt quick and hard. A dead weight. Her mind was blank. All she saw as blackness.

...

Her eyes opened to some faded light with her blurred vision. It was white as if it was a light at the end of tunnel. The redhead felt her body feel lighter. She squinted her eyes then slowly opened them. The light faded to a clear focus seeing nothing but a open space that looked like outer space. This space was large and empty. She was not at home anymore. She definitely was not in Kansas anymore. While moving her wrists, she felt a force pull down on it. Her eye peered downward to see a metallic cuff around her with white, glowing chains that looked to be made of magic. Turning her head to see the same result, she could see there was no way out even by heating up the metal cuffs. Magic was no use.

"Why can't I move" she said out loud.

"Because your chained up, you stupid" said a voice. LeeAnn lifted her gaze has her only good eye could clearly see a dark figure in the distance. It appearance to be a female voice speaking. One of sarcasm and young. Upbeat. "Who are you?! Why am I here? Where is Hans? You better not of hurt him" she cried, clearly panicked. The light shown on the dark figure as it came into the light. LeeAnn was confused at who this girl was.

She was no older than fourteen. Maybe fifteen. She looked to wear some kind of teenaged armor the Rune Knights would supply to her mother. This girl had brillant blue eyes. The color of aqua almost turquioise. Her face was unsaved and flawless with a young, sassy look to have as if she knew what she was doing. The most distinc part was her hair color. It was crimson.

Just. Like. Hers.

"He's fine! Your furry of a fiance is unharmed. We're somewhere...safe" she said, calmly. The young girl only looked sure. She held this sassy nature LeeAnn could be shaken off. There was something about this girl. "Who...are you" asked LeeAnn. This was a lot to take in at once. The girl crossed her arms and have a sigh out of annoyance. "Like it is not quite obvious enough? Perhaps this will jog your memory! Once a Nakamura..." she said.

"Always a Nakamura" they both said in sync. It was then she was mentally slapped in the face. LeeAnn surely felt extremely stupid. Her eye looked at her. "You're me. Young. Innocent. Unscathed. Happy" said LeeAnn. The younger LeeAnn, only smile with a grin.

"Oh good job, you know who I am! You get a gold star for figuring that out" she said extremely sarcastic. LeeAnn gave the girl a glare. This made LeeAnn realize how sarcastic she really was when she was younger. Wonder who she got that from? Perhaps her father maybe?

Her cat ears folded back giving a small glare. "Ah don't give me that look, furball. You know as well as I do that we're one. A mirror image of your forgotten self" she smiled. The younger LeeAnn roamed around her slowly. The redhead was still bounded in chains. She tried to struggle out of them, but was only bounded even more. A deep throat growl was heard. The girl only paused seeing it was hopeless to make the redhead listen. She had only grew more stubborn. The girl stopped in front of LeeAnn then cross her arms. "I say, your hopeless to work with. How do you expect me to talk to you when you are so stubborn. We maybe mirror images, furball. Though, one is different then the other. I mean, look at yourself. You're bounded in chains" she said, gesturing to the chains. The white chains glowed still preventing LeeAnn from moving. They weren't normal chains. For some reason, she thought this was the girl's doing which seemed logcial. Though, she was wrong.

"Well, duh, you put me here" she said, accusing the girl. The younger LeeAnn rolled her eyes like any moody teenager. Obviously, she was acting more mature than the real LeeAnn. "No, you put yourself here. Not me. I am just here" she replied. LeeAnn looked at the chains still confused. How did she put herself here? The answer that she had asked earlier was still not questioned. "Let me ask one more time, where are we" she asked. The girl gestured to all of the room. "We're inside your mind. I am something you created. I am your former self, something you have lost a long time ago, kitty" she said. LeeAnn calmed down and now was unsure of how to think of this whole situation.  She tried to think rationally of everything. It felt like a trance or state of thought she could not get out of.  "I see. Though, you brought me here. I know you did, but why did you bring me here" she asked.

The girl gave a dead pan face. One the was cleanse from sass, attitude, and any sort of emotion. She looked LeeAnn right into the eye. "Those chains are your doing, LeeAnn. Every time you feel sa, doubtful, and depressed. You bound yourself in chains to suppress your emotions. It's your way of controlling them" she said. LeeAnn would narrow her eye. "I don't bound myself in chains. It simply move on and focus on something else" she replied. It sounded more of an excuse than how it felt and sounded to her. The girl looked to be frustrated at LeeAnn, but remained her cool. "Its a way for you to run away from yourself" she commented. The redhead simply thought nad looked down. Looking defeated in her state, but she tightened her grip. The space bween them was nearing as the girl walked closer to LeeAnn.

"My purpose as a Rune Knight is to find my mother and to help my father rest" she said. A small shake of the girl's head waving her index finger at her. "You convince yourself with reason and logic than the true reason why you do the things you do. You persuade and lie to yourself that this is the true reason why. This is how your runaway from your problems. Is through lies! Then, your believe those lies thinking its the truth. You are escaping from reality" she hissed. The outer space backgroud then grew darker and as fire burned around the two of them. LeeAnn tossed her head as the flames emerged around them in a forumation of a ring. Colors of red, orange, and yellow burned with passion being fueled by the darkness inside LeeAnns mind. The girl raised her head, but still had her gaze locked on the chained up LeeAnn. "I do not lie to myself. It's my true motive. To make my father happy again, to end his suffering and to bring my family back together again! That's all I want she cried, hating the truth being told. To be honest, what they were both saying was true. but the younger LeeAnn did prove a point. She was lying to herself. "Tell me...why that is? Is it to  actually find your motther or is it to make your father happy? Huh? You looked conflicted to me, furball. There is something in your life that you were denyed all your life by someone special. It hurt you. Very much. You aim to impress them, but shot down like a hunted duck" she added. LeeAnn flinched back at what she said knowing she was now diging into her deeper and deeper into her. She was a large target and come to think of it it was actually her digging into herself. This girl was only a thought, a memory, and a voice telling her what she already knew. "Both are the reasons" she said, slightly hesitating.

The younger LeeAnn still had her head lifted as she started to get even more frustrated with her. "There you go again! Lying to yourself! You are afraid of your own problems. You go on to help other people who are sinking ships as well! How can a person help another when they are already drowning themselves?! HUH?! You are digging your own grave! Personally, you don't want to feel that pain. You yearn for that one person to hear you and I dont think it's Hikaru" cried the girl. LeeAnn then attempted to get up quickly, but was thrown back down due to the length of the chains. It remind her of a leash on a dog. There was only so much slack given on a leash. The girl only gae a smirk of amusement and seeked onto explain and pointing out LeeAnn's internal issues further. "You were shot down so many times by this one person. You became afraid of pain. They used you for their own personal benefit. You want to seek someone's approval so much you locked your own heart away! You lost who you really are! You know why Hikaru or anyone won't approve of you is because you won't approve of yourself! You are the weak link, LeeAnn or should I say...Ali. Let the fire burn you because that is all your doing to yourself. Burning who you really are" said the girl. Slowly, she turned her back to LeeAnn. The fire shown a unburned path making way for the illusion to leave. LeeAnn screamed. Fear and anxiety filled her heart knowing she was telling the truth. Though, old habits never die hard. She denied it. "That wasn't true. That wasn't true" was all she could say to herself prevent the emotions from further damanging her. The truth was ugly and was a dagger to the heart.

The ring of fire started to blaze around her. Slowly, the heat started to rise increasing the temperature. Usually, heat would not bother her since she was a fire mage. Somehow she could still feel the temperature making her skin become feverish. It was rather quick, but her skin started peeling as the illness started hurt. LeeAnn howled in pain and cried for someone to hear her. The darkness was hurting her. The illness would cause huge amounts of pain when she felt any negative emotion. Her mind was toxic with the black energy causing her pain to thrive. The flames burned even hotter. These flames were lies, pain, fear, and denial. "Someone?! Hans! Dad! Hika! Kon! Someone! Anyone...please...don't leave me alone...please" she cried, silently. There was no one there. No one to hear her cry for help. She was alone. Her head hung downward in defeat. A trail of tears come down from her eyes down her cheeks. One slowly dripped form her face and shattered meeting the ground. "I'm scared..." she whispered. Slowly, she felt herself face as so dd the background into smaller fragments. LeeAnn was released from the chains.

-----

"Quick, someone check her condition" said one voice. Everything felt echoed. The voices were slightly faded as if she was now concious. They were unfimilar to her ears although soothing. She wasn't panicking.

"Brain is swelled. Head trauma sir"

"Let's get her to ER. We need to reduce the swelling immediately. Condition looks severe"

The voice were now getting muffled. They started to fade as she heard a voice that reminded her of Hans's and her brother's.

"Hikaru...Hans...help me"

-------

A pulsing pain that felt like someone had smashed her head against a concrete wall several times in a row. It felt heavy and hurt liek crazy. Her eyes squinted showing she was now waking up. She lied in a hospital room with a nice window showing the view of Era. There was white walls with a few end tables one with a tray of food and another with a vase of flowers for decor. LeeAnn lied in the bed with her head lying in an upright position. Her eyes opened. Surprisingly she could see out of her right one better than before, but still looked awful and was damaged. Hans lied next to her in a hugging embrace. The kitsune looked to be extremely worried. The sight of the hospital did start to freak her out even more. With the help of Hans's embrace, she was calmer than she would be originally.

"Hans...?" she would whisper.

Han's fox ears twitched as he his zoomed up and smiled widely at LeeAnn. His eyes looked relieved and happy to see she was doing alright. "LEEANN!!! YOU'RE ALRIGHT!!! i THOUGHT THAT DINOSAUR MIGHT OF KILLED YOU" he cried loudly. He was kind of milking it in all honesty, but she could tell he was sincere about it. He clung to LeeAnn even tighter. It made LeeAnn squeak in pain. At the sound of her painful squeaks, he let go. Looking at her right into the eye, she tilted his head. "You have your eyepatch off. Wow..." he said. This made LeeAnn feel a little panicked because he actually got to see her eye without the eyepatch for the first time. "It looks pretty...I like it" he smiled. She blinked a little and shook her head."Hans, honey, please...get serious for once. What happened? Why am I in the hospital? My head hurts as if it was hit with a brick" she asked. The kitsune's big eyes reflected with a guilty look as he peered down at her hands sitting on top of LeeAnn's lap. His ears folded back. [color:2a6c=#oo99ff]"You went into a coma because of me. I built a robotic T-rex. The jaw unhinged and hit you in the head. You were out for three days...I never left you side. I was scared I lost you. I'm so sorry, Lee" he said. The guilt could be clearly heard as. she gave a gentle smile. Holding out her arms, Hans gently gave her a huge hug. Though, the pain from the head trauma banged her in the back of the skull. She hissed out of pain as Hans quickly let go of her. "Sorry" he said.

From outside of the room, she heard footsteps as the doctor came in with her white lab coat and long, beautiful ginger hair. LeeAnn could sense the heavy sense of magical energy radiating from her. She definately was skilled at her level or higher. She held a clip board as she walked in with a smile. "Hello, Ms. Nakamura. It's pleasent to see you finally have awoken. How do you feel" she asked. LeeAnn held her head now panicking a little bit more about her throbbing in her skull. "I feel like my head has been hit by a brick wall a dozen times" she replied. She nodded then wrote it down on her clipboard. Her gaze looked up at Hans and gestured to talk to him. He nodded and followed her outside in the hallway. The doctor looked at Hans, LeeAnn could hear all of this clearly with her cat-like hearing. "We did some brain scans on Ms. Nakamura and noticed something rather odd. Usually with comas, depending on the severeity of the injury there is some percentage of brain damage. With her case, there was no brain damage from the last brain scan we did about six months ago from her last hospital visit. Her amygdala has shrunken even more. Something...perhaps has happened? Truama could possibly have some effect on this. I know LeeAn personally through her father and this is not normal. As a Rune Knight cleric, I would suggest perhaps seeking some personal help for her. It's just something to think about" she explained. She looked a bit older than LeeAnn by a few years around Hikaru's age. Hans was given a few numbers and the brain scans. He looked at the and tilted his head a little out curiosity. One questioned lied in his head. "What about her coma? Anything I should know about that" he asked. She switched some of hte paper and written down some stuff. She overlooked it a few times for review then met eyes with him. "The coma did some damage, but no where near the degree it would be for her case. We were able to reverse a lot of the damage with the most skilled healing magic. The coma was not very severe although I would have her take it easy. Perhaps get her doing something productive and relaxing, no work for few a while to allow this to settle. The human body is fragile. Do. Not. Allow. Her to work! Keep her safe" she said. She handed him papers of things to in case if anything would happen.

Meanwhile, LeeAnn heard every word that was said. Her heart sunk hearing all of this news. The news something could be wrong and possibly end her career as a Rune Knight increased her fright on a extreme level. It came to the worry of her having more time and with more time she knew drastically that it would make her think more about what happened in that dream or whatever it was called. LeeAnn looked down at the sheets and her hands. The grip became firm and tighter clinging to the sheets. Her eyes narrowed out of thought and serious knowing that she wanted to just forget about all of things. Her sticking her head in the sand and forgetting about her problems was now catching up to her. "Okay, thank you. I will" said Hans. The doctor left as Hans came around the corner with a smile that faded with a strict and stern look on her lips. "LeeAnn...we need to have you see the a therapist. Once you recover, were gettting you dianoisgned with something. They think your brain might damaged a bit. We're going home. Come on, lets have a good dinner" he said, with a smile. LeeAnn looked down with worried gaze in her eyes. She grabbed her eyepatch and put it over her eye.

"Okay" was all she said.

-End of topic-