Invisible

by maria the dreamer

Sort of a romantic adventure set in Digimon 02. A girl with a crush on Yamato ends up in the digital world with him... except that she's now invisible.

Hey... my first fanfic from years ago... just fixing some typos I noticed while reading it tonight. If you read, hope you enjoy. I still reallly like this one... but then again, it's mine... !!!

Invisible

By maria the dreamer

**

Part 1

The cool night air blasted through the doors, and I breathed it in. It was way too hot in the corridor. People were still wired from the concert and were shoving from all directions. To where? I don't know. The parking lot? No big hurry to get there. My friends? I couldn't even see them anymore.

"This can't be the right way to go," complained a girl's voice behind me. "It's far too crowded."

"He told me the door would be on this side of the building," was the boy's reply. "Wait! I think I see it. Come on."

The girl must have been pushed from behind, because she clutched at my shoulders for balance and we were both forced towards the wall until we were free of the crowd. But there was no where really to go from there.

"I'm sorry," she said to me, as we stood with our backs pressed against the wall. I didn't know quite what to say. I'd never seen a girl with pink hair before. And she was so beautiful, like a fashion model or something.

"That's alright," was all I could come up with.

A guy with red hair elbowed over beside us. "Where's Tai?"

"Hey! Over here!" A voice called out.

"Tai!" the girl cried.

I turned to see a guy with wild, dark hair, his hand held high above his head as he waved at them. He stood next to an unmarked door further back along the corridor. Then, the door opened. It was Yamato! The lead singer in the band!

Was he looking right at me? No it wasn't me. It was the girl next to me he was smiling at.

"Hurry!" he shouted.

"Let's go, Mimi!" The red-haired guy grabbed the pink-haired girl by the wrist and pulled her against the crowd to the doorway. The three friends squeezed through the door and the one named Tai pulled it closed behind him.

I stood, watching the closed door, jostled by the crowd, until there was no one left except me.

**

When the security guard kicked me out of the building, I wandered onto the street. There were still lots of people out, which was good. It's easier to be alone in a crowd.

I found an empty end of a bench near some shops and perched up on the seat, sitting on my heals, my chin resting on my knees. The stores were all closed, but their lights were on. Still hoping to sell to the passersby, perhaps. Girls clutched the arms of their boyfriends, laughing from window to window. Curled up as I was, no one even noticed me.

And why should anyone notice me? Yamato or anyone else for that matter? I'm not the kind of girl guys notice right away. You're the kind of girl boys want to marry, my mother always says, but that doesn't do much good when you're fifteen.

A breeze shared with me fragrances from flowers it had passed on it's way along the street. It blew a lock of my hair over my eye and I couldn't help but think of Yamato. I smiled. Well, at least I saw him close up. Or relatively close up. None of my friends could say as much. Who cares if he didn't see me?

I stood right up on the bench, stretching my fingertips high into the air. I let my head fall back, closed my eyes, and breathed the wind inside. And breathed.

When I opened my eyes, a shiver went through me from my heels up the back of my neck. I pulled my arms in tight and hopped down from the bench. I walked over to a shop window, stepping over an empty coffee cup next to the curb.

Bathroom fixtures decorated this window. Shower curtains with matching toothbrush holders. Light switch covers with matching bathmats. My reflection in a gold-inlayed, mirrored bath door. My dark hair flickering at my shoulders. Sleeveless light blue dress, straight down the sides, probably too short. My favorite black boots. Arms wrapped around my waist. Big round eyes.

Did I always look so hopeless?

Voices behind me, a flash of pink in the mirror. I turned to see the girl, Mimi, from the hallway, Tai, plus the other guy and Yamato! He was there, he was right there! My heart was beating so fast I could hardly breathe. I followed him, even before I realized what I was doing.

And what was I doing? If even one of them turned around, I would be caught for sure. They had all seen me at the concert. I was sure they'd recognize me. I kept pace with them for about a half a block, stepping near the other people on the street whenever I could trying to blend in.

They came to a street corner, and were just about to cross, when the red haired boy stopped. Something from the shop window on the corner must have caught his eye. He grabbed Tai by the arm. Something he said made the others look over at the shop.

I stopped at the nearest window, watching them as best I could out of the corner of my eye. Tai looked upset all of a sudden. Yamato argued with him, then Tai motioned for them to go around the corner.

I inched closer, until I could peek through the window on the main street through the glass window on the side street. It was a television shop, with all the TV's still turned on. Instead of each television playing different stations, like they usually would, they all just showed some sort of graphical image. Why would that get them so worked up?

The blue television light shone on Yamato's face, making his eyes seem even bluer. He was so close, I could almost pick out his voice. Just a little closer and I would be able to hear what he was saying.

Suddenly, light blasted out of one of the television sets. It looked like it exploded right at Yamato! I raced around the corner of the building just in time to see Tai get sucked into another explosion of light and disappear.

I couldn't move. I couldn't control any part of my body I was so shocked. Tai was gone and the red-haired guy was no where to be seen. I watched as Mimi lifted a strange little electronic gadget thing into the air, and before I cried out, she too had been sucked up into the light! Now Yamato lifted up the same sort of device!

I found a way to move my legs, and reached him in three strides, grabbing his arm. He turned his face to mine, his eyes confused. The light exploded again. He tried to pull my hand off his arm, but it was too late. I felt every cell in my body get sucked towards the television set. Yamato was still holding my wrist, looking into my eyes, as we were pulled through a tunnel of pure energy.

Then, there was nothing.

But that's not completely true. There was something. There was still me. I still existed. But where was my body? I felt nothing. There was only blackness, no sensation. Was I dead? Was this what it was to be dead? Where was the light? Wasn't I supposed to see a light? Here I was dead and there was no light.

My mom and dad wouldn't even know I was dead. There sure wasn't going to be a body on the street, what with me being, well, with whatever happened to me. How long would it take them to notice that I was gone? No one was expecting me at home tonight. What will Rei think when I don't show up at her house? She'll never know I died in Yamato's arms. Well, practically in his arms.

Was he dead, too? Yamato hadn't seemed scared at all, now that I thought about it, just confused. And what was that crazy device he was holding? It was almost as if that thing caused the light to surge. Maybe it actually activated the light maybe it opened a gateway? and we went where? Where was I? Someplace else. Someplace where I wasn't dead.

But I was alone. Where were the others? I imagined looking all around and only seeing blackness. I screamed out in desperation, but I could only hear it in my thoughts. Please! Somebody! I don't want to be alone! Doesn't anyone know I'm here? Yamato, don't you know I'm here? Where are you? I don't want to be lost in this place. I want out! I WANT OUT! My heart was racing, my chest heavy, my head spinning My heart! I felt my heart! It was hard to breathe, but I was breathing! My hands, my legs, my dress, my boots, I felt everything now. I looked down and light started shattering the outline of my hand. Suddenly, I could see!

It was night. I stood outside in an open area in front of a television set. Voices whispered behind me and I whirled around.

Yamato was pacing, hands tucked in his pant pockets. He didn't even notice I was there. He couldn't see me. None of them could, I realized. I held out my hand as he passed by me. He walked right through it. I didn't feel a thing.

"Are you sure, Matt?" asked the red-haired boy, calmly sitting against one of a bunch of boulders scattered across the clearing. "It's impossible for someone to pass through to the Digital world without a Digivice."

"Matt!" I cried out, using the name his friend had called him. "I'm right here!"

No one heard me.

"She came with me through the gate, Izzy," Yamato said, or Matt, I guess it was. "Then, she just dissolved or something."

"She was probably converted to digital energy," Izzy concluded.

"And that's supposed to be okay?" Matt snapped.

"Yelling at me isn't going to alter the fact that she was converted to digital energy," Izzy continued. "We need to be concerned about getting her back."

Matt sat down on the ground and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Izzy."

"Who was she?" Tai asked.

Matt's shoulder rose and fell in a heavy shrug. "I don't know."

"I didn't notice anyone around when we were on the street," Mimi said. "Where could she have come from?"

"An even more important question is: why was the gate open," Izzy said, confirming my thoughts about the devices opening a gateway.

"And where exactly are we?" Tai added, waving his hand to indicate the desolate looking clearing. "Where are our Digimon? Do they even know we're here?"

"One thing is certain, our Digivices now seem to be useless." Izzy spun one of the gadgets through his fingers.

"Can we get back to the girl?" Matt said, looking up. "What are we going to do to get her back?"

"Gee Matt, it's always about girls with you," Tai teased. "Was she that cute?"

"I, I don't know," Matt said, blushing.

"Come on, Matt" Mimi giggled. "You can tell us!"

"There was something in her eyes" Matt said, as if he were trying to remember.

"Terror, maybe?" was Tai's guess.

I laughed at that. It was probably true!

I didn't understand everything they were talking about, but at that point in time, I didn't care so much. Who cared about gateways and devices? I was invisible! I walked wherever I wanted. I laughed whenever I wanted. I stood so close to them I saw the length of their eyelashes. They had no idea I was watching them.

Izzy talked about the television set, how they could maybe use it to get back. He sounded detached, and it certainly seemed as though he wanted to appear that way from a distance. But if you got close enough, you saw he had a kind of playfulness lurking at the edges. Red hair cut just short enough to contain it but not too short. The way he lifted his eyebrows when he talked. The mischievous look in his eyes when he smiled.

Even though Mimi complained about having to spend the night out in a dusty rock pile, she didn't ask any of the guys to give up their jackets. They did anyway, but she didn't have to ask. It was like she just knew they would.

Tai alternated between being completely impatient and completely at ease. It was like his emotions were wide open. He smiled easily, and when he did, his whole face lit up. He was fascinating to watch, especially his hands. They were always moving, and the way he moved them was, well, I don't really know how to describe it except that I liked it. He and Matt were constantly at each other, in a friendly sort of way.

And Matt, well, he was so beautiful I memorized every feature, every movement. Not that he moved much except in bursts of laughter or frustration. He tried to keep his emotions close, pushing them down inside somewhere, but they were leaking out all around him. I saw what he was feeling in his blue, blue eyes. The others saw it, too, I was sure of that, but they never called him on it. He was like a tightly wrapped present everyone handled very carefully.

When they finally decided to get some rest, Matt didn't lie on the ground, instead he leaned back against one of the boulders. He looked out at the stars for a long while. I found a place right near him. I watched his eyes, his face. He seemed worried, maybe even sad. I saw his chest rise with every breathe, slower, and slower, until his eyelids began to fall, then softly close. I was so close his lips were right there. I could just lean over and kiss him if I wanted to. And I did want to. He wouldn't even know it.

I tilted forward on my arms until my lips were right above his. I heard his breathing, and I wished I felt his breath on my face. One more inch, just a little more, he was right thereif only I could feel it if only this were real

Matt's eyes flew open and he gasped.

"Something's here!" he cried out, jumping up. The back of his hand wiped my kiss from his lips. He looked really scared.

I sat perfectly still on the ground, not daring to move.

Then Tai shouted, "I see something!" He pointed right at me.

"What?!" Matt exclaimed, looking but not seeing anything.

"Can't you see it? It's right there! It's like a light or something," Tai said, coming closer.

"I can't see anything, Tai. Are you sure?" Izzy was up, and closing in from behind me.

"Hey! I think I can see her!" Tai was looking at me and I knew he could see me. I turned to Matt, and he had this freaked-out look on his face. Oh, what have I done! My heart collapsed. I just wanted to get out of there. I scrambled to my feet and ran towards the trees as fast as I could.

"She's running away! Wait!" Tai shouted, and as his voice faded away I realized I wasn't really even running. I was flying over the ground. So, I simply opened my arms and my mind and flew up into the midnight sky.

**

Part 2

I flew until dawn, my thoughts alternating between what a fool I had been to try kissing Matt and the realization that he actually felt it. I was sure Matt was totally disgusted with me. I totally screwed that up.

The good news, though, was that obviously, if I really concentrated, I could make myself un-invisible. Matt felt me and Tai actually saw me. Since there was a chance of communicating with them, I knew I'd have to go back. Plus, I didn't know any other way out of this place.

I saw the clearing far below me, so I circled down and around. Gradually, I picked out the four of them together. I was gliding around again, trying to figure out what to do once I got down there, when I noticed tiny bursts of light coming from over the crest of a nearby hill. Since it was the only other sign of life I had seen in this desolate place, I flew up and over the rise to get a better look.

What I found was a pink creature about the size and shape of a soccer ball with long, thin ears that flew out from its body. It was blowing bubbles with incredible fierceness, but the bubbles were simply popping a few inches from its face. Apparently frustrated with the bubbles, the creature started bouncing itself against something like a wall, although I didn't actually see a wall.

Afraid it might get hurt, I shouted, "Stop that!"

I was shocked when the creature stopped bouncing and looked up at me.

"Who are you?" it asked from a mouth almost the width of its body, tiny fangs glistening. It heard me!

"A friend?" I offered. I hoped it was friendly, too.

The creature smiled.

"What are you doing?" I asked, as I hovered at what I thought was a safe distance.

"I can't get out. I'm trapped inside," it said sadly.

"Trapped inside what? I can't see anything."

"But it's here," it replied. "I can feel it. See?" It proceeded to bash itself against an invisible wall once again.

"Okay! Okay! Please stop!" I said.

Once the creature stopped bouncing, I flew down to the ground. I put my hand out in front of me to where the wall would have been and took a step forward. I didn't feel anything, so I kept stepping forward. There was no wall for me. I passed right through whatever it was. Just a strange flash of blackness and a creepy feeling, then I was next to the creature. I turned around and walked back through. There was the same weird feeling, nothing else.

When the creature tried to follow me, it couldn't get through the wall. Tears welled up in its big brown eyes. "I'm scared," it said, lips quivering.

I passed back through the wall to comfort the little thing.

"Don't worry. I know some people who may be able to help," I offered, pointing back over the hill.

It looked up at me hopefully. "There are more of you?"

"Yes, there's Matt, and Tai, and."

"Tai! Tai! Tai! Tai! Tai!" It took off bouncing in the direction I had indicated.

"Hey! Wait!" I called out, running behind it across the dirt.

"Hurry! Hurry!" it cried.

For a creature with no legs or arms, it sure moved quickly. Mimi was the first one to see it coming.

"Look!" Mimi squealed. "It's a Koromon!"

The Koromon bounced right into her arms. "Are you Tai?" it asked.

Mimi giggled. "No! I'm much better!" She gave it a big squeeze, while the others gathered around.

"Actually, he's Tai," Izzy indicated. Without a thought, the Koromon popped right out of Mimi's hands and jumped into Tai's.

"Hey little guy! Where'd you come from?" Tai said, holding it up in the air.

"Hmph!" Mimi pouted, crossing her arms.

"Hey, Mimi, what will Palmon think!" Matt teased.

They were all so happy to see the Koromon, I felt like an intruder at some kind of reunion.

"Have we met before?" Tai asked it.

"I have never met Tai before. I have only heard stories about Tai. He's a hero!" the Koromon replied.

"Have you heard any stories about Izzy?" Izzy probed. "I'm a hero, too, you know."

The Koromon proceeded to have another bouncing fit. "We found Tai! We found Tai!"

"We? There are more of you?" Matt wondered, looking in the direction the Koromon had come from, which was right at me. He stared for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, he said, "It's her."

"Huh?" Tai turned to look. "Hey! It is her! She's the one I saw last night!"

They were all looking at me now, talking as if I wasn't even there.

"You know, I think I saw her at the concert," Mimi said.

"I remember her from the concert, as well," Izzy added.

Great. Now Matt probably figured I was some kind of psycho groupie. My fingers curled up into tiny fists while I waited for someone to talk to me directly. It was Tai who finally did.

"I hope you're not thinking of running away, 'cause then we'd have to get worried all over again," he said. His voice sounded warm.

I looked out over the horizon. Running wasn't really a possibility this time. I turned back to the four of them. "I'm not going to run away," I said quietly.

"Hey, did anyone else see her mouth just move?" Mimi asked.

What a strange thing to say! What was she talking about? Didn't they see me? I lifted my arms slightly and looked down at my same dress, legs, and boots.

Izzy must have read my mind. "You are currently composed primarily of light and energy, so, to us, you appear to be transparent."

"Why am I like this?" I asked.

"Oh, and we can't hear you either," Izzy added.

"Can you still hear me, Koromon?" I called out, starting to feel a little desperate.

"I can hear you! I can hear you!" the Koromon sang as it shot towards me from Tai's arms. I lunged to catch it, and amazingly, I did. I could actually hold the Koromon!

"Be careful!" I said, smiling down at my new friend.

"If that Koromon can hear her, why can't we?" Matt asked.

Izzy had his own question. "Is it my imagination, or did she just become less transparent?"

"I saw it, too. Maybe if she can hold the Koromon" Tai's thought trailed away as he walked towards me. "Do you think you can try to touch me?"

I hesitated for a second. What if I couldn't touch him? What if I was never able to touch or speak to anyone ever again? I scanned his face for reassurance. He seemed so confident, I had a strange feeling it would all be okay. I nodded yes.

Tai lifted his hand towards me. I watched him slowly turn it over so his palm was open to the sky. My heart was racing. I reached out and I did it! I touched his hand with my fingertips! It was the most wonderful feeling I ever experienced. I closed my eyes, and slowly slid my fingers across his palm. Energy tingled from my hand through my arm until my whole body felt electric. He closed his hand around mine, and I smiled. I didn't want to let go.

When I opened my eyes, Tai was grinning at me.

"Hi there," he said.

My head was spinning so badly, I had to blink a couple of times to refocus my eyes. I looked past Tai to Matt, then Izzy and Mimi. From the looks on their faces, I knew I was myself again.

"That was amazing!" Mimi exclaimed. "One second you were all beautiful and glowing and now you're real!"

"Perhaps focusing on Tai helped bring her fragmented digital energy together," Izzy said.

"Oh, Izzy," Mimi sighed. "You make everything sound perfectly boring."

I laughed out loud from relief.

Tai looked over his shoulder at the others. "Well, that sounds encouraging!"

Sensations were still rushing through me, and my head felt like it was going to explode. "I think I'd better sit down."

Matt was suddenly right there beside me, his arm around my shoulder. "Let her sit down, Tai." As he maneuvered me away, my hand slipped from Tai's. I gazed up at Matt. His face was just inches from mine. He was really touching me! I was in heaven! Except that I was feeling so very dizzy. and my legs were collapsing...

I felt Matt's arm slip around my waist, and then I blacked out.

**

Part 3

As I woke, I felt the ground beneath my back. I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet air whispering across my face. My eyes opened to a cerulean sky and a scattering of pink clouds.

I turned my head to one side. Izzy was trying to connect to the television with a palm sized computer.

Tai seemed restless, kicking some smaller rocks into the air, bouncing them off his feet half-heartedly. "I'd sure like to get away from this place. There's nothing here but that stupid television, and I'm getting hungry."

"We can't risk leaving, you know that, Tai."

"I know. If the gate opens, we need to be here. That doesn't mean I want to be here." Tai kicked up another rock, then suddenly snatched it from mid air. He tossed it up once, caught it, pulled his arm back and threw it hard across the boulders.

"Tai! Stop throwing things!" Mimi whined, from somewhere nearby.

"Tai's a little edgy." The comment Matt made was for my benefit. I turned my head to find him sitting next to me in the shade of a huge boulder. He watched Tai with a dark expression on his face. After a second, he looked down at me, and his face cleared. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," my voice creaked. I sounded terrible. "Do you have some water?"

"Luckily, Mimi always carries bottled water with her." Matt passed me a small plastic bottle. It was half filled. "It's the only one we have. Here, let me help you up."

After a certain amount of fidgeting, I was able to prop myself against the boulder beside Matt. I took a sip of water and held it in my mouth, swirling it around with my tongue.

"Aargh!" Izzy suddenly stood up and kicked the side of the television set.

"Izzy! What are you doing!" Tai exclaimed.

Izzy raised fists to his temples. "I just don't understand why I can't communicate using this stupid thing!"

"Izzy," I called out, my voice doing much better now. "There's a wall. There's a wall around this place."

Izzy turned to look at me, his face hopeful. "What do you mean there's a wall?"

"That's how I found the Koromon. There's some kind of invisible wall it couldn't get through."

"Maybe the wall is blocking the signal," Matt offered.

"That makes sense. If our signal is blocked, we wouldn't be able to communicate with the others," Izzy determined.

Tai was anxious. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out!"

"Take it easy, Tai, she just woke up. We don't want her to collapse again," Matt said, the dark expression back on his face.

"Calm down, Matt!" Tai raised his hands in mock defensiveness. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on - hey, what is your name anyway?"

"Sachi. My name is Sachi." I looked over at Matt. "I'm feeling pretty good now. I think I was just thirsty."

Matt took my arm, helping me up anyway.

"It's over this way," I pointed.

Izzy, Tai and Matt walked with me. Mimi and the Koromon stayed at the television set, just in case something happened while we were gone. When we got to the crest of the hill, I pointed down to where I had seen the Koromon.

Tai started to run down the slope. Suddenly, he did a strange spread eagle in mid-air and crashed flat on his back. He lay moaning at the sky until we all caught up. We gathered over him, trying hard not to laugh.

"What happened?" Izzy asked, even though we all knew what exactly what had happened.

"The wall wasn't here before. It must have moved." I apologized.

"Oh, really!" Tai complained. We helped him sit up, and he shook his wild hair out in all directions.

"What's it doing here?" I wondered, looking at the open space where we knew the wall to be.

"I guess it couldn't wait to bump into Tai!" Matt laughed.

Izzy was already examining the wall. He ran his hands up and down along the wall as he walked a dozen or so steps to his right. Then, he turned back and walked past us to his left. "We definitely are inside a dome. I believe it's some kind of a force field." Izzy studied the area just outside of the wall. "We can't pass through the barrier, or communicate through it, however inanimate objects such as trees and rocks remain unaffected. If the position of the barrier has changed, it may be wise for us to assume it is contracting in around us."

"Look how far it's already moved!" Matt commented. "At this rate we'll be pancakes before breakfast."

"Please don't talk about food, Matt," Tai grumbled. "I'm starving."

"Me, too," I sighed. I reached over to where the wall was supposed to be and made contact. "When I was here with the Koromon, I could pass right through the wall."

"You passed through the wall!" Tai said, jumping to his feet. "Do you think you could do it again, Sachi?"

"I don't know," I answered.

"If she could get through the barrier again, we could try sending a Digivice with her. I could run a program on it to repeat a message to the others," Izzy suggested.

"Wait, you guys. Sachi doesn't even know if she can go through the wall again," Matt said.

"We have to try something!" Tai said.

"It could be really dangerous. What if she can't come back?" Matt argued.

"What if none of us can get back? No one knows we're even here! We can't just sit around waiting to be rescued," Tai said impatiently. By now, he and Matt were right in each other's faces, their voices getting louder and louder.

"So, you don't care what happens to Sachi, as long as you get home?"

"Of course I care what happens to Sachi!"

"Then why don't you act like you care about somebody besides yourself!"

"I'm thinking about all of us!"

I stepped a bit closer to Izzy. "Are they always like this?"

"Uh, yeah," Izzy replied. "Tai always wants to take chances and Matt always worries about everyone."

"Do you think your idea about the Digivice will work?" I asked.

"We have friends who have their own Digivices and can use them to come to the Digital world. Unless there's another force field around us, which I doubt, they'll definitely get our message."

"What about me," I wondered.

Izzy shrugged. "It may be possible for you to turn into digital energy and then return to your original form. You've already done it once."

"It's hard to know what to do," I said.

"If there's one thing I've learned since I started coming to the Digital world, it's to trust my instincts," Izzy offered. "It's up to you whether you want to try."

I watched Tai and Matt battling each other for a moment. I was scared to try, that's for sure. But what was the alternative? "Tai's right," I said. "Can you set up the device?"

"It's actually all ready to go. I've been running the program on my Digivice since we arrived here," Izzy replied. I looked down as he put the device in my hand. It was a small computer, with smooth metal edges, buttons, and a tiny screen. As my fingers wrapped around it, Izzy gave my shoulder a squeeze. "Good luck".

Matt and Tai were too busy with each other to notice me as I backed up toward the barrier. I pressed my hands against the wall and leaned forward, bowing my head. I closed my eyes to block everything out.

I tried to remember what it was like when I was digital energy. I imagined not being able to see, not having any sensation. But it didn't work at all. I still felt solid. Figured. Right when I had the chance to do something amazing, I choked. I shouldn't have even tried. Now I was going to look like a complete loser. They needed me to do this, no matter what Matt said, and I couldn't do it. What's he going to think of me now? Some loser groupie that tried to sneak a kiss while he was sleeping. My hands were burning as I squeezed my fists tighter and tighter. I let them down. My new friends. A black feeling sank into my stomach. Who was I kidding. They probably didn't even think of me as a friend. My whole body began to tingle as I sensed tiny little robots swarming across my skin, devouring me. No one cared no one cared

"Sachi!" The voice calling me sounded so far away.

Did someone care?

"Sachi!" The voice was louder. It was Matt. Did Matt care about me? The robots started scrambling down my arms and pouring out my hands.

"Sachi! Come back!" This voice was different. It was Tai. Tai cared about me. He said so. I remember. Touching him. Energy surged throughout my body instantaneously.

I felt hands on my face. "Tai" I said weakly. "Help me?" I tilted my head over into one hand.

"I'll help you," was the answer. But it wasn't Tai that answered me. I opened my eyes to see that it was Matt with his hand cupping my cheek. I felt confused. This was Matt touching me? I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. No! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! My heart broke into a million pieces.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Matt blinked. I felt his hands pull away. Without thinking, I grabbed both his hands and held them against my face. My hands must have been on fire because his felt like ice. He searched my eyes, but I don't know if he found what he was looking for. He clasped his fingers around mine before pulling our hands from my face.

Over his shoulder were Tai and Izzy. I suddenly felt embarrassed. How much did they hear? What did they see? My hands dropped to my waist. Matt squeezed my fingers before letting go.

All of a sudden I realized I no longer held the Digivice. I spun my head around, looking for it on the ground. I crouched down to reach for it once I spotted it behind me. My hand hit the wall.

"You did it, Sachi. The Digivice is on the other side of the force field," Izzy informed me.

"Is the program running?" I asked.

"As far as I know."

"So your friends will be coming to help?"

"We hope so."

I took a deep breath. A smile crept across my face as I held the breath. A sigh followed as I let it out.

"I did it!" I said, turning to face them. I guess I was looking for some kind of approval. They seemed strangely quiet, each standing on his own. They were smiling, a bit. Matt's hands were stuffed in his pockets. Tai stood with his arms crossed his chest. Izzy's shirt front was completely messed up and crinkled. "What happened?" I wondered out loud.

"When you accessed the barrier, you became filled with light and energy again, like you were when we first saw you. The dome went completely black, until light from you shot into the dome. The blackness started emptying into you," Izzy explained. He gave Tai a strange look, and crossed his arms defensively. "We all agreed it didn't look very good. Matt tried to get you back. And he did. Luckily, when you were coming back, the Digivice fell on the other side of the force field."

"I could feel that blackness," I said. A chill went through me. "Like tiny robots were eating me alive."

"That sounds like nanotechnology," Izzy said, intrigued. "Tiny robots programmed to do a task. They're very effective since they continue performing as programmed until their program is altered."

Tai turned away. "Look, we'd better tell Mimi." He started to walk away, but stopped. Without turning around, he said, "I'm glad you're okay, Sachi." With that, he left.

"What's the matter with Tai?" I asked.

Izzy gave me an odd look, absently smoothing his wrinkled shirt. "Tai? I'd better go see." He walked backward a few steps. "You two want to keep an eye on the perimeter?"

"Sure," Matt said.

Izzy turned and jogged after Tai.

I watched Izzy and Tai disappear behind a large boulder. My whole body felt stiff, so I stretched my arms and fingers high in the air, letting my head fall back, eyes tightly closed. I curled my hands into fists and let out a loud sigh.

When I opened my eyes, I turned to find Matt quietly watching me. Suddenly, it dawned on me that we were actually alone. Is that why Izzy gave me that look? Because he thought he should leave us alone? In a flash of self-consciousness, I wrapped my arms around my waist. But when I remembered how pathetic I had looked in the shop window, I forced myself to drop my hands at my sides.

"So we just wait for your friends to come?" I asked, filling the uncomfortable silence.

Matt looked out over the horizon. "If they get our message."

Matt didn't sound very sure. "What if they don't get the message? What then?"

"I'm sure Tai is already figuring out another plan," Matt said. I thought I could hear an edge to his voice at the mention of Tai. I realized how competitive they really were, despite their friendship.

"It's my fault you're here," Matt apologized.

"It's my own fault I'm here, Matt." I said quietly. "There's nothing you could have done to stop it"

"Well, I'm sorry you have to go through all this."

"I'm not sorry," I said quickly. If I hadn't come here, I sure wouldn't have ever spoken to Matt. Everything that happened to me, even the black robots, was worth it, just for that. Plus Matt, Tai, Izzy, Mimi, they all accepted me. They even needed me. I felt like I was a part of something. "I've learned a lot about myself."

Matt turned to me, a small smile on his lips. "This place does have that effect on people."

More silence. What should I say now? Matt turned away from me again, staring off to some unknown place. I figured he didn't want to talk to me. Did he even like me? Or was he just being nice to me because he felt responsible for me being here? What a horrible thought. At least the others, they liked me. I felt pretty good when Tai asked me to help, he had confidence in me. So did Izzy. Here with Matt, I felt like I was a complete waste of time.

"I'm going to go back to the others." If I hadn't said it myself, out loud, I never would have believed it.

"Hey! Wait! I see something!" I looked out in the direction he was pointing. Several specks in the distance quickly turned into strange flying creatures.

"Is this good?" I asked. Whatever they were, they were going to be here in a matter of minutes.

"It's good. They're friends." Matt replied. "Now maybe we can get out of here!"

The closer they came, the weirder the creatures looked. The one I recognized first looked like a giant eagle. The other two looked similar except one was a Pegasus and the other was a flying cat-like sphinx. On the backs of these creatures rode three people. The eagle creature flew overhead to land behind us in the clearing, but it hit the dome and skimmed along the curve, almost losing it's passenger in the process. The girl on it's back let out a scream. The other two creatures turned back, staying clear of the obstacle. The eagle recovered quickly, circled back around and landed with the others nearby. The riders ran towards us. Matt and I joined then at the barriers.

The girl who rode the eagle reached out and touched the wall. "What is this?" she asked. Her hair was tucked inside a small leather helmet. She wore matching aviator pants and a jacket. She looked at me from behind her round glasses. "Who's she?"

"This is Sachi," Matt said quickly. "How did you guys get here so fast? We just dropped Izzy's Digivice a few minutes ago." Matt pointed to the Digivice, now ten feet or so away from the barrier. The boy with blonde hair ran to grab the Digivice.

"I'm Kari," said the tiny girl with the long gloves that reached past her elbows. "Nice to meet you. How did you get here?"

"I'm T.K.," said the blonde boy as he slipped the Digivice in his pocket.

"And I'm Yolei," the aviator girl added.

"She came through with me," Matt said. "It was an accident."

"What's with this wall?" T.K. asked.

"We're trapped in here, and we can't get our Digivices to work." Matt explained.

"Sorry we took so long to find you," T.K. apologized. "We knew you were missing last night, but when we came to the Digiworld, we couldn't get your signal. I guess this wall explains it."

"Lucky we were so close," Kari added.

"So, should we blast you out?" T.K. asked.

"Sounds good to me," Matt said.

The three riders hurried back to their creatures, while Matt and I ran away from the barrier to tell the others. Tai and Izzy met us part way. By now the riders were circling above the dome.

"They're going to blast through!" Matt exclaimed.

Tai looked past me. "Here they come!"

I turned my head around in time to see the eagle shoot a fireball towards the dome. The fireball shook the dome, but didn't do much damage. The Pegasus and the sphinx circled around from the other side and shot some kind of blue and red energy beams toward the dome. The impact caused a wave of air to knock me off my feet, and I flew into Tai, knocking him over onto his back.

He quickly wrapped me in his arms and rolled me over onto my back, shielding me as another blast rocked the dome.

I opened my eyes to find us nose to nose. We took a breathe simultaneously, then another, before Tai snapped his head up, looking at the dome.

"This isn't working," he muttered. He sprang to his feet and started jumping and waving his arms at the riders. "Stop! Stop!"

They must have understood his wild gyrations, since they stopped attacking and circled above us. If they weren't friends, they would have looked like vultures.

I rubbed dirt out of my eyes with the back of my hand. Matt was getting to his feet. Izzy was on his way to Mimi, who cowered against one of the boulders.

"Oh no!" Tai yelled. "The barrier! It's moving!"

The wall was definitely moving, and moving fast. I still couldn't see it, but I knew exactly where it was. It was dragging rocks, boulders, plants, everything in it's path, and all the debris rolled up against the wall, spilling over itself only to roll up again in an ever bigger pile of rubble.

I had to shout to be heard. "What now?"

Tai spun around, his eyes piercing straight into me. "Sachi?"

Izzy sprinted over. "We're going to have to come up with another plan," he shouted.

Tai never took his eyes away from me. "Izzy, can Sachi do anything?"

"She'd have to reprogram the nanotechs."

Matt ran up in time to hear Izzy's comment. "She can't go back, it's too dangerous. Just look at that wall!" he said angrily.

Tai looked desperate. "We have to do something! I don't know what else to do!"

I surveyed the ever growing tumble of boulders crashing towards us from all directions. I figured in maybe five minutes, we'd be out of time. I saw at Mimi, curled up on a big boulder next to the television set, the Koromon squeezed tight in her arms. Izzy spun slowly, as if he were calculating the exact middle of encroaching dome. Matt looked up at the sky, his blue eyes vivid with frustration. Tai still watched me, waiting, waiting for me to say something. When I met his eyes, I felt I could do anything. Like he knew I could do anything.

"I'll go," I said quietly. Without a second thought, I walked straight past Tai, and broke out running toward the oncoming wall.

There was a smaller boulder in my path, and I leaped up onto it. I glared out at the rumbling debris field. For a second, I felt really scared. If I couldn't do it, I would surely be crushed. I closed my eyes, and saw Tai's. His eyes gave me strength. I lifted my arms high, stretching into my fingertips, breathing the dust filled air, taking deeper and deeper breaths. It came to me at that very second. I became invisible when I felt invisible, when I felt that no one cared about me. I let every feeling of despair and loneliness I ever felt fill me as I breathed.

Blackness. Crawling robots, covering my body, eating at my flesh, devouring me into nothingness. I focused my energy into the tiniest possible space, smaller and smaller, the robots getting larger and larger, until I was the size of a nanotech hanging off the side of a robot. I crawled into the power center of the mechanical beast. I didn't understand the circuitry, so I imagined sending an energy beam across the silver lines to kill the programming. The lines melted away, but instantly began reconnecting. The pattern was different - a new program! I crawled out of the robot in time to see it attack a nearby robot. Once attacked, the victim became the attacker.

The reprogramming spread exponentially through the barrier. I could feel the force field breaking down. It pulled at me, trying to keep me inside. I imagined the sun and flew as high into the sky as I could, finally breaking free of the blackness and losing myself in the light.

**

Part 4

I'm not sure where I went. I only remember the light, and how peaceful I felt. But I couldn't stay in the light, I had to be somewhere else. Slowly, I became conscious of my body, soaring.

I heard voices below me. When I looked down, I saw people on the ground, clustered in small groups. Black shards lay scattered in a circle around them. A television sat in the very center, glowing with an eerie blue light, a strange sight in the daylight.

I swept down towards the people.

A girl with pink hair tried to stop the bleeding on her arm. A boy with red hair stood near a television, shouting, "We have to get out of here!" A girl with glasses ran with a strange looking bird in her arms. Light flashed as she disappeared into the television set.

It was oddly familiar. I flew into the sky again, turning in a long arc. I noticed the black shards, sliding across the dirt, slowly building into a wall. I suddenly felt worried for the people. I knew them, I felt sure of that. I sped down to the people again. Everything was coming back to me now.

"The barrier is rebuilding itself! I don't know how long this gate will stay open," Izzy yelled as Mimi disappeared into the television with a flash.

"We just can't leave Sachi!" Matt said anxiously, looking around in all directions.

"I know that!" Tai snapped.

"Hurry, Kari!" Izzy ordered, pulling Kari towards the set. She disappeared in another explosion of light. He looked at the wall, which had already reassembled itself half way. "I'm going through. If anything goes wrong I can try to access this location from our world." Izzy jumped through the television screen and was gone.

"I should go last. I have a digivice that can open the gate." T.K. offered.

"The Digivices won't work once the barrier is closed!" Tai said.

"We have to go back, Sachi! Please come back!" Matt shouted. I flew directly at him and focused on making contact with him in some way. I saw the fear shining in his eyes as I passed right through him. I hit the ground running and fell forward onto my hands, skidding across the dirt.

"Did you see that?" Tai asked.

"What?" Matt demanded.

"I can't see anything," T.K. added.

"T.K. you need to get through the gate," Matt ordered.

"I don't need you telling me what to do," T.K. snapped.

I picked myself up off the ground and looked back over at them. Matt wrestled T.K. towards the television, managing to force the younger boy through the gate. Matt stood panting for a second in front of the television, with Tai behind him. Tai looked up at the dome. It was almost completely closed.

Suddenly, Tai pushed Matt into the gate. "Sorry, buddy," he muttered.

Tai turned, his back to the television. He looked towards me, but he didn't seem to really see me.

"Sachi! I know you're there! Please! Come with me!" Tai pleaded, his hand outstretched.

My heart turned over. It's Tai that brings me back. It's Tai. I ran towards him as fast as I could. I could see in his eyes he could see me now. He started to smile, and lifted his arms to catch me. I completely felt how much I wanted to be wrapped in those arms.

I knocked him back right through the gate.

The light in the tunnel was so bright, I couldn't see Tai, but I could feel his hands on my waist. In a few heartbeats, I found myself flipping right over Tai's head and falling on my back.

I was staring at a ceiling. I glanced around and could see walls, computers, desks. Matt bent over me. "Are you okay?"

I was back in my own world. I felt completely stunned. And then I burst into tears.

Matt helped me sit up, and held me as I cried and cried. It was like I was releasing all the fear and despair I had gathered all at once.

When I felt empty, the tears slowed, and I listened to the others talking.

"We don't know who or what built the force field," Izzy was saying. "But one thing is clear, whatever it is, it can access both worlds."

"Does Sachi know anything about what it could be?" Mimi asked.

"I don't think so," Tai answered.

I blinked away the last few tears, lifted my eyes and found Tai's. He seemed far away.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I don't really understand what just happened," I admitted, smiling faintly.

"Don't worry, we can explain it to you when you're feeling better," Izzy said, coming over and giving my arm a squeeze.

"We'd better get out of here before someone notices," T.K. said.

"I'll make sure Sachi gets home," Matt said protectively, his arm still around my shoulder.

"Maybe she'd better stay with me for awhile," Mimi piped in. "Until she feels a little better. I'm staying close by anyways and my aunt is at work today."

Matt walked both of us to Mimi's aunt's house. He left giving me a peck on the cheek, promising he'd check in on me. He took my phone number.

I phoned my friend Rei. She hadn't told my parents I didn't make it to her house, so she was really happy I was okay. I called my family to tell them I'd be home later.

I curled up on the flowered patterned couch, wrapping a polka-dotted quilt around my shoulders. I tried to drink some tea Mimi made me, but whenever I got to thinking about what had happened, I started to shake. Mimi was so nice to me. She hardly talked at all. She just sat in a big old chair.

Mimi didn't seem surprised when there was a knock at the door. "Oh, I wonder who that could be," she said with a voice sweet as sugar, as she got up to answer it.

I started shaking again, the tea spilling onto the quilt. I unwrapped myself and reached for a tissue to wipe it away. As I dabbed at the spot, I could sense there was someone beside me, and nearly jumped when I saw that Tai was standing nearby. His shirt still hung out over his pants, his dirt covered jacket sagging over his shoulders.

"Can I sit with you for awhile?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, suddenly shy.

Mimi spoke from the hallway. "Hey, if Tai's here with you, is it alright if I have a shower? Great! Thanks!"

As I watched her disappear, I felt my face get hot. I didn't look up at Tai as he climbed past my legs to sit on the couch. Instead, when he sank into the soft cushions next to me, I snuck a look at his hands as he wrapped them around his knees. His hands were broad and strong, his fingers long and elegant. I heard my heart beating in my ears. How is it that someone I hardly knew affected me so very much?

"I didn't push you too hard, did I?" he asked quietly. "Sometimes I push people into doing dangerous things."

"I'm okay," I said.

"I knew you could do it." His voice sounded like he was smiling.

"Thank you," I said. It felt so good to hear him say that. I held that warm feeling inside me. "I didn't push you too hard, did I? Through the gate, I mean."

Tai laughed softly. "I'm okay."

I turned my head towards him. He started fidgeting with his hands and abruptly looked out window. For some reason, the fact that he was nervous made me feel much better.

"You know, if you don't want me to be here, I can go and you can get some rest," he said, the words spilling over each other.

"I don't want to be alone," I said.

"Maybe you'd rather be with someone else," Tai said in the direction of the window, before turning his face towards mine, as if he couldn't help himself. I gazed into his soft brown eyes through to his heart. I saw him as he really was. And I knew he really saw me. From the beginning, he had seen me. Sure I was attracted to Matt, but it was nothing like this. There was a connection I felt with Tai, something I hadn't felt with anyone before.

"There's no one else," I said, smiling a little.

Tai looked so sweet as he let out a small breath he was holding. In that instant, I decided to kiss him. I knew I may never have the guts to do it again. I turned quickly, curling my legs underneath me, and leaned across his chest.

"Thanks for bringing me back," I whispered.

He looked up at me with wide eyes, waiting for me. I kept my eyes open as I kissed him, trapped by his gaze. When the kiss ended, he let out a heavy sigh that sounded more like a moan. He slipped his arms around my back, and pulled me in again. I felt the warmth of his chest against mine, his breath on my face. This time, when we kissed, I closed my eyes.

***