Kathy whirled around to face a young man riding on a large dragon, the Liniarc still held firm in her hands.

            "So you have chosen war?" the man eyed her.

            "I... I don't know." Other noises caused Kathy to look around.

            A large group had gathered around the two girls, so large that Kathy could not make out any faces or bodies. They all blurred together in the dim moonlight.

            "You see," the rider began, "I am going to visit your world whether you want me to or not. If you stand in my way, I will have to cut a path through you. I plan to either find your leader and shake his hand or duel him to the end. After that, we will set the stage for any crossovers."

            "If that is your plan, you must kill me first." Kathy replied, straightening up and raising her sword higher. "This will not be about one person, but about the best for both worlds."

            "You are mistaken." Kelly said, "It is about one person: you."

            "How can I say that there will be peace from the other side, when you are speaking with such a demeaning tone?" Kathy asked, still addressing the rider.

            His dragon retreated a few inches. "Perhaps you are correct. Perhaps I was over zealous to see your world; however, the fact remains that you carry the Liniarc. Thus, you must decide what to do." He paused.

            Kathy thought for a long moment. "My plan will only work if everyone can agree to follow it, including you."

            The man paused before answering, "I will follow what you say."

            Kathy turned to the circle surrounding them. "Do you agree as well?"

            The group murmured between themselves for some time before declaring, "Yes."

            "Alright," Kathy said, slowly turning to speak to everyone. "I will figure out a way to return to my side of reality. There, I will try to speak to the leaders of earth; the United Nations is where I will start. It will be a very difficult tale for them to swallow. I don't know if I will even be able to convince them to see me, but I must do so anyways.

            "I will explain the crossover, what and how everything is supposed to happen, based on what others have told me, including the ultimatum of peace or war. Then, I will help them send the message to the people of the world. We have a population of over six billion people, so it will take a long time to get the word spread to everyone everywhere. I truly hope that between the leaders and me, we will be able to convince the people that this is truly happening and that we must all band together and complete this merge peacefully.

            "This is the best plan of action that I can think of, however problematic it may be. I am open to other suggestions, but this must be started quickly. The gap between the two realities will only continue to close, so the timeframe for letting everyone know will only continue to diminish. One issue with my plan is the likelihood of those in power not believing me until it is too late. Another problem is the huge population. I highly doubt that we would be able to warn everyone, especially with the time limitation. Also, even those who have been told might respond out of fear and attack anyways."

            The rider thought for a long minute before speaking up. "That plan is shaky at best, yet I agree that there is no better option readily available. As time is of the essence, I agree to your plan."

            "And I will go with you." Kelly added, addressing Kathy.

            "Wait a moment." Kathy turned around. "Why would you come along?"

            "You will need to be able to give them a reason that what you say is true. I am from this world; thus, I know how to do things that those from your side never imagined possible. I can help convince them that what you say is true while working as an ambassador for my people."

            "That is wise. She should go with you; Kelly knows this situation better than anyone else besides you." The rider said, nodding approvingly. "The rest of us are just now starting to learn of your reality."

            "Okay. You can come." Kathy agreed, facing Kelly. She turned to the rider, "Meanwhile, you should make sure that everyone in this reality knows our plan, and especially the fact that we are going to try for peace."

            "Consider it done."

            "Also, the next time I see you, I will signal the verdict. If I raise the Liniarc, know that war is inevitable. If I put it away, the peace plan is progressing well. If I partly sheath it, know that peace is a firm possibility, but I need more time. Finally, if I do none of these then know I did not see you; I will explicitly and distinctly do one of the actions if I notice you."

            "That sounds like a good idea; I will await your signal."

            "I have just two more questions." Kathy stated.

            "What are they?"

            "The first is simple," she said, "what is your name?"

            "My name is Brandon." He patted the dragon he was riding, "and this Valtor."

            "Thank you, Brandon. Now, how do I return to the other reality?"

            "That's easy," Kelly declared. "Just go through the pool."

            Kathy looked down. She had not noticed that to her right was a pool of some strange, blurry gray-blue liquid.

            "I also have one question before we depart." Kelly requested, addressing Kathy, "Please do not take this the wrong way, but how are you being so decisive and solid throughout all of this?"

            "What other choice do I have?" Kathy responded, moving over to the pool. "Are you coming?"

            "Yes."

            The two stepped into the pool.

 

*****

 

After wandering for a half an hour, the two reached the waterfall.

"Where to now?" Kelly asked, taking in her surroundings.

            "We need to get to Manhattan. That is where the UN is." Kathy responded.

            "The UN?"

            "UN stands for United Nations, our starting point."

            "Okay. Let's get going." Kelly started to walk westward.

            "Hold on a second." Kathy said quickly, eyes widened, "How did you know which direction the plane was in?"

            Surprised at her own knowledge, Kelly could only say, "I don't know."

            "Don't do that again. It was strange." Kathy stated, starting to jog towards the plane.

            A few minutes later, the girls met up with Brad, who was waiting for them at his plane. "Oh hello," he said, spotting Kelly. "My word, you two look close enough to be sisters, even twins."

            Kathy chuckled and looked over at Kelly. We are rather similar she thought, stunned. It was the first time she had taken a good look at her in the sunlight. I wonder why that is.

            However, they needed to continue onward. Both Kathy and Kelly could somehow tell that the barrier was continuing to break, accelerating as time went by. Thus, the trio boarded the plane and flew off, aiming for New York.

Just in case it matters down the line sometime, I must state that The Dreamer is my story. I claim all rights on it, and if anyone wants to use it or publish it, they must ask me first and I have the right to turn down the request.

(I know this does not affect 99.999% percent of you. I must do this for the remaining 0.001%.)

Thanks for all of the comments on this story (The Dreamer). In case some of you want more, go here: http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=25618233&union_id=12179&page=0. It will take you to a second story that I am working on (and really getting far on (although I am still only in the prologue ;) (Look at the post and you will see that this is going to be one massive game as I already have almost twenty story posts on the topic!))). I want reviews on that story as well, especially as that is only a rough draft and no one knows how to make it better! I personally believe it can be twice as good as it is now, but then I always am as high as possible. Please check it out sometime and comment on it (and keep your eyes peeled for chapter three of this story).

BTW, the reason I am putting this on its own blog is if you do not want to become a member of the union but want to post a comment on it, you can comment here instead. Any and all comments are welcome! Thanks for all of the ones thus far!

            Kathy stopped. The tunnel had opened up into a large cavern, with a floor made up of ice, glowing green-blue ice. At the highest part of the ceiling, great stalactites formed a ring around a hole. The sun shone through the hole, sending a single ray of brilliant white light straight down. The walls had been polished flat over the years, showing off their symmetrical stonework. Even the air smelled crisp and clear. Everything about the room seemed to be in perfect harmony with one another... except for the dead center.

             Directly in the center of the cavern, buried deep into the ice, was a sword. It was what spread the sunlight across the cave, lighting up the entire space. The golden hilt appeared to bask in the radiance of the light, but something about it seemed wrong to Kathy. Perhaps it was because the sword was stuck in its icy grave, but that didn't quite seem to be it.

            "It is waiting for its owner to claim it," a voice behind her answered.

            "What?" she asked, slowly turning.

            "It is waiting for its owner to claim it." Roger repeated.

            "Why have you brought me here?" Kathy asked Brad.

            "I asked him to bring you," Brad's grandfather replied.

            "Why?" Kathy said, looking back towards the sword.

            "Why don't you pull out the sword and find out." Roger stated.

            Kathy slowly slid over to the sword and took a hold of the hilt.

            "Just give it a try." Brad encouraged.

            She looked back at them one last time before giving it a tug.

The sword came out effortlessly.

            "You are 'The Dreamer!'" Roger exclaimed in solemn delight.

            Kathy hardly heard him as she stared at the sword. Its golden hilt was just the beginning. In fact, now seeing it up close, Kathy could see many vibrant precious stones lining the hilt, shining luminously in the sunlight, embedded into the hilt in perfect alignment with the gold. The blade was made of solid diamond, the edges too sharp to touch, feeling very solid and unbreakable as she ran her hand down the broadside. This was no ordinary sword; of that, Kathy was sure.

           

 

*****

 

            "What happens now?" Kathy asked, breaking the silence.

            It had taken a good two hours for the trio to make their way back to the waterfall; not a word had been spoken until now.

Roger breathed in heavily. He knew exactly what was to come. "Well... to put it bluntly, you are about to steer the course of the worlds."

            "Worlds?" Kathy inquired, looking over at Roger.

            "Yes. Worlds. You are the bridge between two worlds. You will ultimately decide which, if either, will win."

            "What exactly do you mean by 'win'?" Kathy responded with a seriousness that mirrored her situation.

            "Let me explain." Roger stated evenly. "On earth, there are two competing worlds. One is the pragmatic world, which you are walking in. The other is a fantasy world, which you will start to know soon. Both are real, but each was only real to those living in that reality, and to those specially chosen, such as you."

            "Just what will happen when these two realities collide?"

            This time Brad answered. "No one can guess what will happen. The only thing we know is that you will decide the outcome. Whether you hinder or help either side is up to you. Each decision you make will have large consequences, especially as there is no easy answer; how do you assimilate two completely different societies? That is the question you must answer; otherwise, we may all be destroyed in the process."

            "What if..." Kathy did not have time to finish her question. Although she was standing still, the world around her began to blur. Then, as quickly as the slurring started, it ended. However, the world around her had changed dramatically. It was now dark outside, with the faint moon being the only light to see by. The ground, the air, everything seemed to have changed.

            "Oh, hello." The girl standing in front of her said, a bit startled, placing a hand behind her back.

            "Um... hi." Kathy replied, looking around at her new surroundings.

            "I'm Kelly..." The girl's voice trailed off as she saw Kathy's sword, which was still in her hands.

            "Huh?" Kathy asked, following Kelly's gaze to the sword. "Don't worry about it; I don't plan on using it."

            Kelly just continued to stare at it. "What is your name?"

            "I'm Kathy." 

            "No," she looked up into Kathy's eyes, "that's not what I meant. Do you have another name?"

            Kathy did a double take, thinking for a long moment before responding. "Recently, some have been referring to me as 'The Dreamer.'"

            Kelly lowered her head, raising it again a moment later to look Kathy directly in the eyes, her gaze changed, now stronger. "I guess it is true."          

            "What do you mean?" Kathy now stared into Kelly's eyes.

            Kelly showed her the object that she had hidden behind her back.

            "A sheath?" Kathy asked.

            "Your sheath." Kelly responded. "Before you place the Liniarc into its sheath, let me explain what will happen.

            "You are currently in my reality, the world of fantasy. This sheath was recently given to me with the understanding that I was to find its proper owner. Once I found you, I was supposed to give you a message:

            "'Make sure you understand the consequences of sheathing your sword. The Liniarc will not be placed away without consequences; if you decide to do so, then you will become a symbol of trust between the two realities, that the two will not fight each other. Your sword will become the new symbol of peace. Thus, if you later decide that it is necessary to use it, then all hope of a peaceful mixing will be erased. Trust will be shattered. War will result.

            "'On the other hand, if you choose to use the sword, it will signify that this crossover will not be able to be accomplished peacefully. War will result. However, a lasting peace after the war would be possible as the trust would not have been destroyed. The choice is yours to make.'

            "It seems you have a difficult decision ahead of you." Kelly finished with a grimace, handing her the sheath. "I would hate to be in your shoes."

            Kathy let out a deep breath, trying to remain composed as she took the sheath; it attached to her side without any physical fasteners.

            "What is your decision?" a voice behind her asked flatly.

I figure that since this story made it into a college magazine, I might as well share it with all of you. I am open to suggestions on making it better/requests to see the next chapter (I am up to 4).

(This is the excerpt that would be on the back of the book):

What if someone lived in two realities without even knowing it?

What if the line between fact and fantasy was slurred?

What if long-held secrets were discovered?

What if one person held the key, but another held the lock?

Step inside Kathy's worlds, where nothing is at it seems.

 

CHAPTER ONE

            "You are 'The Dreamer.'" The words echoed through Kathy's mind as she stirred in her sleep. What does he mean? There's nothing special about me...Is there?

            Kathy was a normal teenager on most accounts. She went to school, obtained decent grades, and even had a boyfriend, Brad. Sure, his family was a bit eccentric, traveling to the east coast every month and having their own imaginary language, but Brad seemed normal enough.

            Perhaps it was the words, perhaps it was how he spoke them, but Brad's grandfather, Roger, had certainly gotten her attention. "You are 'The Dreamer'" was all that Roger had said, but he had announced it with such enthusiasm that he did a dance for joy, even though the man was celebrating his 120th birthday.

            "You're late."

            "What?" Kathy asked, snapping back to the present. "How did you know I was coming? How am I late? It's five o'clock. The sun isn't even out yet."

            "You came to figure out what my grandpa meant." Brad replied with that foxy smile of his. "Come on!"

            Six hours and a plane ride later, the duo reached their destination. "Wow! This place is amazing!" Kathy exclaimed, stepping out of the plane, staring into the vast expanse of foliage. Trees and shrubs of every type seemed to find their home here, including a multitude of flowers that awakened her senses with their astounding fragrance. She listened as flocks of birds sung just a few feet above her head, drowning out the sound of a waterfall in the distance. "Where are we?"

            "This is Islewood. It's where I grew up." Brad replied, head low.

            "What's got you so down?" Kathy asked, turning towards him.

            "I just hope I am not making a mistake."

            "What mistake?" Kathy asked.

            "Bringing you here." Brad walked off into the jungle, vanishing into the maze of trees.

            "What? Hey! Wait up!" Kathy hollered as she ran after him.

            Wow! Kathy thought as she wandered, still searching for Brad. This place is like something out of a dream. That waterfall is flawless. There's not a single rock in the way of its drop, which explains why it sounds like a roaring thunder. These trees... they must have been around for ages to be this tall. What are they? Some of these are taller than a large building.  She reached over to touch one. The leaves feel silky, not furry like the ones around my home. The ground is so soft; it is as if I am walking on a sandy beach. Even that smell... it is so vivacious that it seems like this island is actually alive. Just where am I?

            "You're right where you're supposed to be."

            Kathy whirled around to face Brad's grandfather. "You're here too?"

            "Yes. This is my home. I cannot leave this place for long."

            "Why not?" Kathy asked.

            "In due time. For now, just drink it all in." With that, he disappeared into the thicket.

            Drink it all in? Kathy wondered, staring at the lake in front of her.

            Hypothesizing that the answers laid behind the waterfall, Kathy dove into the water. The crystal-clear water felt just cold enough to send a shiver down her spine. She eyed the stream as her body slowly adapted to the coolness. She could see all the vibrant schools of fish swimming beneath her, weaving in all directions, brushing up against her legs while she stood on the smooth bottom.

            Hearing the bellow of the waterfall up close, Kathy resolved to wander downstream instead of checking it out. She swam onward until she felt something strange hit her foot and slowly give way. Trying for a better look at the bottom, Kathy dove underneath, watching as two crabs tried to rebuild a stone castle that they had created and was now in minor disrepair. She reached down to help restore the citadel back to its former glory.

            Coming up for a breath, Kathy was greeted by a snort. Backpedaling quickly, she swam to the other bank before turning around. A few yards away from her was a brilliant white Pegasus.

            "I see you've met Florina." Brad stepped out from behind a tree, grinning broadly. "She is one of the secrets of this island."

            "Uh..." Kathy muttered, unable to speak.

            "Come on." Brad gently took her hand and led her to the other side, wading gently through the stream.

            "Wow" was all that Kathy could say as she stroked Florina's mane, who neighed in tender delight. Meanwhile, Brad started to speak in his strange language.

            "Yeargh!" Kathy suddenly yelped as Brad gave her a rough boost up onto the Pegasus. "What are you doing?" she asked. "What if Florina doesn't want me on her back?"

            Grinning, Brad called out a few more odd words. Kathy watched in awe as a second Pegasus swooped down. Black as a moonless midnight with a white streak down his head and wings, the Pegasus landed just long enough for Brad to jump onto its back and fly back up again. A moment later, the ground moved away from Kathy as well.

            "Oh my!" Kathy exclaimed as she clung onto the mane. Florina sensed Kathy's unease and glided along calmly on her great white wings.

            The quartet had flown for hours, or so Kathy thought, breathless from just the idea that she was riding on a Pegasus. Wind whipped through her hair, allowing her to smell the salty marine breeze from the surrounding ocean. The sky seemed endless above them and below the island shined emerald from the sunlight. Still, it was less than an hour later when they stopped at the entrance to a cave.

            "So how was it?" Brad asked, grinning.

            "That was so utterly incredible; how could I have not liked it?"

            Brad beamed. "This is Vern, the one of the two males on the island. He has chosen me as his rider," he paused, "and Florina has chosen you as hers."

            "What? She has chosen me? How does she even know me?"

            "The Pegasi know much, a lot more than many give them credit for. They recognize when someone matches them perfectly. Now, come on. I must show you this cave."

            "Hold on there." Kathy declared in abrupt determination. "I don't want to go any further until I know what is going on here. A remote island, Pegasi, your grandfather... all these secrets, and now you must show me the cave?"

            "Yes." Brad held out his hand.

            The spurt of resolution evaporated, Kathy reluctantly took his hand and followed him further inward; the Pegasi soared off into the clouds behind them.

            The cave blackened swiftly as the duo turned a corner. Fear began to seep in. "Where are we headed?" Kathy whispered into the darkness as she felt her way around, steadying herself on the solid rock walls.

            "Just wait a moment." Brad replied.

            After one more corner, the cave brightened considerably. After yet another, they reached their destination.

Hi there. While I have been a member of gamespot for several years, I have recently been doing much more here. Within the last couple of months, my number of forum posts has over doubled and several of my guides have been finished or revamped. My main contributions come from guides, forum posts, and a union that will hopefully be running within the next couple days. Currently, you can find me on the unions I am on, Gallop Racer 2004, or Advance Wars: Dual Strike (the topic about AW4). Beyond that, there is not much to say, but you can comment on this blog if you want some more information (just be sure to be specific).

Hey everyone. If you're reading this, you probably know your way around gamespot quite well. Thus, I have a question for you. How does one get the signature to do images and links? Also, does anyone know how get the blurb thing in one's profile to work with the enter button? Mine wants to create a paragraph no matter how I work it.

Just wondering what this blog does.