"Moreover, for this exercise, you will all be competing against each other," Hope explained on the live feed. "As soon as one of you acquires the item of value, the exercise will end. That is all." Or so he said before adding on, "A Samurai must have a thorough grasp on his surroundings. I have hidden a certain item of value in the 2nd Stratum of Naraku. Find it and return to Aquila Statue Plaza with it. And make no inquiries regarding its nature..."

I hadn't heard anything from the other Prentices in a while. Walter appeared as if he could easily handle is own, albeit hastily. Jonathan and Isabeau seemed to be the calmer ones while Navarre... Well, Navarre was a strange one. But where did I stand in the batch of newcomers?

"Hey, Master Flynn?" As if sensing my doubt, Burroughs appeared once more. "If you're going to do the next quest, I recommend using a different app." She then recommended that I used the Mapper app when it came to exploring further. I admit that it was pretty helpful, but I had to travel some distance before the map began to clear on the Gantlet.

It's also funny how Napaea came to join my party after I took a narrow path that required crawling around a bit. I didn't have much to give and yet she still decided to join me. "You better treat me nice!" I still don't understand her. Stranger still was the fact that Centaur vanished and returned with a souvenir as we returned to one of the middle chambers. A Needle Orb? This small gesture was enough to reassure me in that dark place.

Though it wasn't long before I was running from a swarm of demons and fell down a hole into the Second Stratum. I don't rember the fall, to be quite honest. I don't remember the impact or how much pain I initially felt, but I'm sure it must have been a great deal. Once I came to, Napaea and Lham Dearg were hovering above me. Napaea seemed teary eyed while Lham Dearg let out a gruff sigh.

"The invisible woman said you spaced out."

"He didn't space out," Napaea interrupted while reaching out to sit me up. She refused to let me move until she was sure that I had recovered enough to walk. "He fell from the First Stratum!"

"Yet thou still lives." came Centaur's voice.

'Mind what is above you. Some say that new paths have been found by doing so.' As I looked toward the left of the sign I noticed a low hanging ledge. Climbing was a little difficult due to the ache in my side, but I managed none the less. Though, what was waiting for me was something that I wish I could forget. To this day, the thought of those creatures tends to haunt me from time to time.

A Disaster Horde of bright blue wisps, hooded figures with red eyes, dog-like creatures and black horses towering over the rest.

"...Be careful." Was all I heard from Burroughs as the horde began to circle once I found my footing.

I slowly swallowed while reaching to draw my blade. Fuxi's feathers began to ruffle as the demon horde prepared for the first attacked. When I blinked, Centaur was heavily damaged from the first blow. Lham Dearg and I countered while Centaur used Bufu to clear out two sections of the horde. Physical attacks dealt minimal damage, but Fuxi was the one who discovered their weakness before fainting from a flank attack by the horde. The fighting didn't last long, but a rush of weariness and unease soon overcame me as I slowly moved towards the chest they were hiding behind them.

The horde was gone, but I wasn't able to shake the need of wanting to find a corner to release the contents of breakfast. How long had I been down here? Would the sun be out, or would the first rays of moonlight greet me when I stepped out of Naraku?

A simple woman's ring awaited me in the chest that was being protected by the horde. Why would Hope go through such great lengths to hide something so minor? Did he even know about the horde? If he had, at the time… Well, I tried not to discourage myself even more. The victory already seemed so small in comparison to the damage my demons had faced.

"Look, Master Flynn!" Burrough's face highlighted the screen on the Gauntlet as she spoke. "You've found something interesting."

Her face was then replaced with a projection of Hope. "All Prentices, this is Hope speaking. Your training session has come to an end."

I released the breath I had been holding in at that moment. I would be able to leave these chambers, regain my senses and fill my lungs with fresh air. The thought alone was enough to lift my spirits, but the eerie chill of being in a demons horde caused me to return to my paranoid thoughts.

"It would seem someone has beaten me to the finish line." Johnathan gave a light-hearted chuckle. Did nothing cause him to worry? How could he be so upbeat given the danger?

"Aww... I was so close, too." Walter seemed discouraged, but he gave a small smile on the projector. Something about that smile gave me a tiny sense of comfort.

Hope then gave us the final order to return to Aquila Plaza, and I was more than willing to run passed any and all demons that decided to pursue me. Thoughts of being able to leave this place fogged by mind, and distracted my focus. Fortune didn't smile on me as I turned a blind eye to the figure quickly coming up behind me. A sharp, warm pain coursed through my body and my vision began to fade. I could see the outlines of Fuxi, Lham Dearg, Centar and Napaea turning and beginning to move toward me frantically. But everything had already gone black...

When I awoke the sky appeared to be smoky, the sun was blinding and the air smelled stale. I was lying on my back while rows of shadows slowly trudged by. The ground was hard and uncomfortable, but my body no longer hurt as I sat up. The shadows were shaped like men and women without faces, all going in the same direction. Nobody spoke when I asked them questions, but I decided to follow.

At the end of the path was a white haired man in white robes. Behind him was a desk with two masked figures standing on opposite ends. Further back appeared to be a set of ships floating aimlessly in a body of water.

"Beyond the river is the land of the dead..." When he uttered those words I vaguely remember asking what he meant by that, and where I was. "It is where the souls of the deceased endure nothingness as they await reincarnation..."

Souls of the deceased? I murmured those words on my lips until I started to remember. The pain I felt while I was running towards the entrance of Naraku after the mission, my demon companions being the last thing I saw before my vision had faded. The shadows I had seen must have been dead souls waiting to be reincarnated. I was among them, meaning that I was not dreaming. The pain I felt was real. The shadowed souls I had seen were also real - which meant that I had died. The reality of it all caused my body to shake, my breathing became labored as I looked from one line off shadows to the other before staring down at the palms of my hands.

"Soul of the deceased youth, welcome to the River Styx." The white haired man's voice boomed, echoing through my mind. "My name is Charon. I am the ferryman of this river."

I had died without being able to see Issachar once more. Died without seeing my mother, without being able to see the village I grew up in. Issachar? Surely he would have been distraught if he were to find out I had died on my first say as a Samurai in training. Jonathan? Isabeau? Walter? Hope? What would they do if they found out? Such thoughts caused the tempo of my heart to beat faster and I could feel myself breaking into a cold sweat. This was for real and I could do nothing about it. I began to fear that I would have to wait my turn with the other spirits. That Issachar would no longer be alive by the time I was reborn.

Issachar…

The thought of him alone caused my muscles to stiffen. Sounds of pained groans and shuffling feet came from the shadows around me, drowning my ears and suffocating me with noise.

"I have a proposal for you. Wouldn't you like to be revived in the world of the living?"

"Wha..?" My heart stopped. Face filled with disbelief, I tilted my head to see a tilted smile on Charon's face. "Do you see this immense mountain of souls?" As he asked, I glanced over my shoulder being answering that I could see them. "They are all waiting their turn to undergo the ritual crossing of the River Styx. But I can't keep up my dealings with them. Their number increases by the day."

With that said, he gave a drawn out, irritated sigh before continuing, "My point is, I don't want to accept any more new souls. If you return to the world of the living, it would make my job easier. It would also allow you to be revived in the state you were in just before you died." A smirk appeared on dry, aged lips. "Well? Not a bad deal, hm? The only problem would be that doing this breaks the rules as a ferryman and treads on dangerous ground..." As if reading my mind about payment he added, "But don't worry. Macca opens all doors. I'd be willing to do this for you for a little compensation. You can pay me when you return to the world of the living. Though if you like, I can put it on a tab as well."

It felt like a bribe, but the thought of being able to return home filled my heart with hope. Tears threatened my eyes, mixing with the sting of the stale, smoggy air.

"Come now, don't you have unfinished business in the world of the living? You don't want to wait in line, do you?"

I did. I had promises to keep. And although I didn't agree with the choice from the Gantlet Rite, I had to finish my duty as a Samurai in training.

"Hm... Seeing as you have a healthy supply of Play Coins.," he paused if eying some invisible force. "You can play me in Play Coins, if you'd like."

"Play…Coins?" To this day I'm unsure what Charon meant by that. It must have been some form of foreign currency only useful to this realm. I don't remember when I had earned such money, but I was able to pay Charon for his services. If it meant I could return to the world of the living, I was willing to do anything. I paid him the desired amount of coins and he chuckled, before explaining that he would send my soul back.

When I came took I inhaled deeply as my eyes flew open. I remember feeling unusually cold and the sweat that clung to my body. I could make out the shapes of my demon companions, but neither of them asked me what happened, and I was grateful for that. Napaea didn't leave my side until I managed to calm down and stop shaking. Lham Dearg and Centaur kept and eye out for rouge demons. With each breath I took, time seemed to slow down even more, but I knew that I had to get up and leave the madness. The warmth and light of day was beautiful, and I took the deepest breath I could manage. Though my body still ached, the fresh air was undeniable.

"So... you all came back alive." Hope and the other Prentices were already gathered a few paces from the entrance. I never asked how long they had been standing there, but I simply joined the other Prentices in a line, standing next to Isabeau in silence.

"Commander," Jonathan chipped in immediately after Hope, "shall I assume that your order to return means that someone has completed the quest?"

"Regardless of what you are no doubt thinking, I was not the victor." Navarre answered dryly with crossed arms.

None of us had thought that. From the corner of my eye I caught the irritated look that Walter had cast in Navarre's direction. Jonathan could only give a small, encouraging smile while Isabeau rolled her eyes a bit. When Hope announced that I had been the one to find the hidden item, by heart seized from Walter's surprised excitement. Jonathan moved over to lightly pat my left shoulder, Navarre scoffed and Isabeau gave me a slight smile. I wanted to confined in at least one of them, but if they had know about my experience with Charon at the River Styx they would have thought I was crazy. In the end, I never told anyone about what had happened and continued as if it were just a bad dream.

"I'll be needing that ring back, Flynn." after allowing the small celebration to happen, Hope turned his attention to me. I reached into a pocket of my blue coat, fumbling for the ring before handing it back to him. As he looked at the ring he rolled it between his thumb and two of his fingers. "It seems you've got the makings of a real Samurai."

We were dismissed and Hope left us.

Immediately afterwards Burroughs congratulated me from the LCD screen on the Gantlet. Saying that she couldn't wait until she bragged to the other Burroughs' that it was her Master that had gotten first place. I couldn't help but wonder if all Burroughs' like that. Isabeau admitted to underestimating me, and I took that as a sign that she had expected less of me. I wasn't offended, nor was I surprised because I never imagined me being in those kinds of situations.

"...You there. Flynn."

There was no denying the bitter tone in Navarre's voice. From the corner of my eye I could see Walter's clearly irritated expression. Walter was definitely the type that didn't try to conceal his emotions.

"I'll deign to congratulate you, but I'd warn against getting a swelled head over this." Navarre sighed as if he were trying to give me some heavy advice with crossed arms.

"Navarre, I know you're disappointed, but let's not go casting false aspersions." Jonathan butted in, trying to ease the growing tension before Walter had a chance to jump in.

Hearing that caused the green Samurai's nose to wrinkle, a scoff parting his lips before closing his eyes. "Indeed not... A Casualry isn't worth the headache."

I may be a Casualry, but what he said was highly unnecessary! I didn't even realize I had clenched my fist to resort to punching him, but Walter had already jumped. He was ready way before I was. "Pardon?!" The wild haired man interrupted. That was the first time that I witnessed a peak into Walter's unrelenting nature. The first time I respected him, and yet, feared him at the same time.

Navarre didn't respond for a while, but vowed that he would not forget this moment of defeat and excused himself from our presence. Walter yelled some things that I don't fully remember hearing, but Jonathan casually patted me on one of my shoulders while I unballed my fists. I gave a small smile of thanks, but the irritation was still flowing through my veins.

It was then that Jonathan's face seemed to lighten a bit as he cleared his throat. "I have an idea. why don't we go up to the castle rooftop for a change of pace? The wind is quite bracing there."

"Ah, now there's an idea, Jonathan!" It was a amazing how quickly Walter switched to the seemingly cheery person I had been introduced to. "I'd been meaning to take in the view." He beamed, arms spread up in the air.

I honestly felt grateful for the idea of more fresh air to clear my head. Those few seconds with Navarre were enough to nearly drive me mad.

"Sorry, but I'll be retiring to my room." Isabeau finally spoke up - after all that had happened - and quietly walked away towards the barracks.

Once Isabeau was out of hearing distance, Walter leaned towards my ear and quietly "What a priss. I'd wager she could don an iron helmet and you wouldn't notice the difference."

Jonathan promised that the view of the Eastern Kingdom from the top of Mikado Castle would be work the climb. Walter suggested that we all go together, but that he would return for more training in Naraku until I was ready to leave. I took the time to wander aimlessly, to clear my head and recollect my thoughts. Once again Issachar came to mind and thinking of him caused my heart to snag and I briefly had to clutch my chest with my left hand. But then my thoughts shifted to Walter, and I started to worry. He didn't seem at all phased or tired out by the idea of being in Naraku. Was he a madman? He had to be if he wanted to spend so much time there...

Feeling a little lighter and lifted, I returned to the Plaza to meet up with Jonathan who was eagerly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I greeted him with a brief wave and we made small talk until the sound of running slide alerted us that Walter had finally arrived. The blue Samurai had slid next to me and patted my shoulder while he bend slightly forward to catch his breath. This closeness allowed me to see freshly made scars from fighting. Although they were small, they were noticeable in number.

"I had a feeling you'd be game, Flynn... It appears I was right." Once he finally caught his breath he straightened himself out and flashed the biggest grin I had seen. "We promised we'd all go together. There's no change you're leaving me out of this!"

He really shouldn't have, but it was in that moment that Walter reminded me of Issachar.

The climb to the top of Mikado Castle was quiet, save for Jonathan and Walter occasionally striking up conversation with each other. I simply walked behind them, staring at the back of one head and then the other. Something about them seemed familiar, and yet- no, I couldn't deny that we were connected in dream. Jonathan already admitted to hearing my name in a dream of his, but I still couldn't figure out what it meant. When we stopped walking I realized that the stairwell had finally ended and Walter stretched himself out at the sunlight blinded me for a moment.

Jonathan stood in the middle, Walter to the right of him and myself on the left. Jonathan was right, the view of the Kingdom from Mikado Castle was worth the trip. From there I could see the shores of Lake Mikado, passed the forest and out towards the direction of my village. The thought of that caused me to frown, wondering how the villagers I grew up with would take the news that I would not be returning to see them.

"Tis an unbroken view of the kingdom from here. I feel like a king!" Walter exclaimed, snapping me out of my troubled thoughts.

Walter and Jonathan then took the time to talk about how so much has happened in a single day. How much as happened since the Guantlet Rite and how they were both surprised by everything that was going on. If I expressed my worries and concerns that freely, what would they think of me? As a man, would they be disappointed that I felt fear or tensed up during battle. That if I said that this wasn't the life for me, would they look at me differently? Then again, how did they look at me now?

"Well, I'm glad to be chosen. I didn't want to carry on the family trade out in the countryside anyway." Walter's chuckle fills my ear. "I don't mind doing battle with demons, if that's the job. It's good sport! I think this Samurai routine suits me."

"I, too, feel honored to have been chosen as a Samurai." Jonathan's smile, kind as always. "A Samurai's duty is to protect this kingdom and its people. It's a worthy endeavor. I hope to carry out my duties as a Samurai as long as I live, that this peace might last forever."

"What about you, Flynn?" Walter asked, turning his full attention to me.

How was it even possible that these two had more resolve? They were accepted by the Rite on the same day I was. We began training on the same day, and yet they seem to already know that they are one the right path in life. Was it because of the dreams I had been having, or was there something more to this whole ordeal?

"I...I don't know." I hesitated to answer. How could it be possible to know so soon? My mind was still going back to the fact that I had died, how I was I supposed to fully act as if nothing had ever happened. Everything since the Guantlet Rite had been overwhelmingly fast, and it was at that moment I found myself longing for a normal life in Kiccigiorgi. The village looked so far away, past the walls of Mikado Castle.

"That's pretty pathetic. Can't you even form your own opinion?" No sooner had I uttered my response Burroughs' face appeared on the Gauntlet monitor. How could I have possibly known that I would have been made a Samurai?! It was an unfair response and I quickly felt irritated towards her.

Jonathan released a sudden, light-hearted laugh that caused my face to heat up a bit. "It seems even the Samurai who claimed first place can't best our Burroughs."

"Anyway... " Walter paused to sigh, turning his attention to look over the low wall and out toward the Kingdom. "This view's amazing. It's as if the whole Eastern Kingdom of Mikado is floating on the clouds."

When I glanced over I had to momentarily shield my eyes from the rays of light, but when things came into focus I felt my breath slowly leaving my chest. The walls dividing the Kingdom could be easily seen from this high up, and Lake Mikado was glittering with reflected sunlight. Perhaps, I found myself thinking at the time, this Samurai thing wouldn't bee too bad.

A bed had never felt so comfortable after I had removed my gauntlet and changed to more comfortable clothing. I didn't really sleep that night, but I remember curling underneath the blankets and clutching onto my pillow. That was the first of many nights when I cried. I had removed by hair from the tie that Issachar had given me, and remembering that caused my chest to tighten before easing myself into the land of dreams.

The first night that I felt alone.

AN: Originally published on AO3 on September 5th 2015

** AO3 updates ALWAYS come first since I'm rarely on FF Please feel free to click my AO3 link in my profile if you want to keep up to date with this fic :)

This chapter is long overdue, and I deeply apologize to those who take the time to read and kudos this fanfic. I haven't been able to write as much as I would like to due to college, but things "should" change this semester. I'm not quite satisfied with the way I presented Flynn's fears and anxieties, but I hope to get better over time. I also feel as if I'm a little out of touch with this fic, but I hope to pick things up again in the future. Hopefully my writing isn't too...wonky.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. :'D
Thanks for stopping by~!