Chapter 8

The group swam towards what seemed to be a whirlpool. The water from the surface funneled down into a hole in the sea floor. Kamemon looked up at his respective partner and nodded. Ryota then turned to the rest of the group.

"This is our only way out." He said, growing a bit green

"You'll be fine." Kazuki said, patting his friend on the back

Makoto observed the funnel

"I guess we really have no other choice in the matter." He finally said

"You're right." Shuichon said "It's just a bit frightening though, looking up at that massive whirlpool."

"Everything will be alright, I'm sure of it." Ai said, smiling. Shuichon returned that smile. She trusted Ai; everything seemed to go well when she was in a good mood.

All of the Tamers and their digimon grabbed hands, and swam into the whirlpool.

One by one, our heroes found themselves being spit up onto the barren sand once again. While some of them were relived to be out of the ocean, others were once again throwing up. Kazuki and Ai took care of Ryota's moment while Makoto and Shuichon scoped out the area, everything seemed to be in place, or so they thought.

"We have company." Makoto said

A big digimon with wings approached them, and landed right in front of them. It was wearing a huge cloak and had goat horns protruding from its head. Makoto pulled out his digivice.

"This is Daemon," Makoto said "He's one of the Seven Great Lords."

"Are you kidding me?" Kazuki yelled

"Don't worry; I'll take care of this clown." Fairymon said, walking up to him

"You kids aren't worth my time." He said, laughing "I guess I'll have a bit of fun with you before I kill you."

Suddenly, the ground started to rumble, Shuichon grabbed onto Makoto's arm, stumbling over a bit. Kazuki tried to protect Ryota and Ai, but gravity is pretty hard to protect against. As they all fell through the crust of the earth, nothing could think anything.

And then there was darkness, no sounds, no movement.

Makoto opened his eyes, to find he was in a hospital. Did Daemon send them back to their own world? What ever the case was, he was somewhat relived. He then sat on one of the chairs in the waiting room. He knew he had to wait for something, but he didn't know what. Suddenly a nurse came to him, and walked him back to a small room. He then saw something he never needed to see.

It was his dear sister, Ai. She was laid on a hospital bed, her face paler than he had ever seen it.

"We did everything we could to save her." The nurse said "We're very sorry about your loss."

Makoto's eyes widened, he ran up to his sister's bed, shaking her dead body.

"Wake up! You have to wake up!"

"She's dead Makoto, Dead." The nurse said, echoing in his ears "She'll never wake up, it's you're fault."

"You're fault."

Makoto attempted to run, but two see through arms grabbed his. He quickly turned around to see his parents.

"I'm sorry Makoto, we're lonely." His mother said "We've missed you all so much."

He quickly looked up to his father, who nodded in agreement.

"It's your turn now, Makoto." He said, smiling "Please be good and allow us to take you with us."

He quickly pulled his arm away from his parents and ran out into the main hallway, he ran in one direction for quite awhile, until he realized what was on the other end, a parade of nurses with knives all called out to him. He quickly ran in the other direction and found a bathroom, slamming it shut. He slid onto the floor, unable to think of anything else besides morning his sister's death and his appending doom.

Ai was sitting in darkness, she could feel her head pounding, her head caving in, all the negative emotions, of everywhere, and she could feel it all. It was overwhelming. Ai felt tears slipping down her cheeks as she felt her whole world coming crashing down on her.

Shuichon found herself in her home. She instantly smiled, being so glad to be home. She hated being in the digital world, it was so scary and not very cozy at all. She ran to the refrigerator to eat real food when she felt someone grab the back of her shirt, and slam her up against the wall. She turned around to see her older brother, the one she had looked up to. She noticed he had Lopmon in his arms.

"Please give Lopmon back." She asked her brother

"I don't want to be with you." Lopmon said to Shuichon "I like Jen better; you're just an annoying brat, just like before."

Shuichon felt something break inside of her; she stumbled back, falling to the floor. Terriermon and Lopmon walked up to the fallen girl, taunting her. Shuichon gripped her head tightly and silently wished for it to all go away.

Kazuki looked around; he was outside his home. He felt himself hesitate, and then knock. When no one answered, he decided to let himself in.

"Mom? Dad?" He called out, trying to find his parents. He then walked into the kitchen and saw his older mother, slowly chopping food.

"Mom, I'm home." Kazuki said to her, she slowly looked up at him

"Oh, so it's our disgrace of a son." She muttered, continuing to cut vegetables.

"Mom, I just…"

"No!" She yelled "You don't understand! Get out of my house now!"

"But mom…"

"NOW!" She yelled, hurling a knife at his head, Kazuki ducked and ran out of his house, and sat down on his front porch.

"Why can't I be her son…?" He said to himself, burying his head into his arms.

Ryota looked around, carefully. He was in his own house, the real world, but that was impossible! He was in the digital world. Digimon didn't have the power to send people to and forth! Or did they? He examined his house up and down, looking for a mistake. Suddenly, his best friend walked in from the basement. He had a backpack on. He grabbed his best friend's arm.

"Where are you going?" He asked

"Somewhere." Kazuki said, pulling away

"You can stay here as long as you want."

"I know."

Kazuki began for the door, not fast, but slowly, almost like in a trance. Ryota picked up a stack of magazines, and hurled one at his friend. Nothing, Hurled another, still nothing. Then Ryota examined the Magazine carefully, and noticed all the lettering was backwards, he looked at another one, the same thing.

"I get it, this isn't real." Ryota said "because Kazuki would never really leave me like that, we're best friends! And I know he cares about him the same way I do."

Suddenly, everything around him shattered like a mirror. He knew it; it had all been an illusion. Then he had another thought, the rest of them must be going through the same thing, He then thought about Kazuki, and then next thing he knew, he was being pulled to the left, hard. He found himself falling into Kazuki's illusion, his nightmare.

Makoto was still in the bathroom, thinking about all this. Why had his sister died? He suddenly heard the pounding on the hospital door, and saw some of the knives being stabbed at the door. He had to think, and fast. He locked the door and passed around, looking for a way to get out when the door swung open. A sea of nurses stood before him, repeating 'It's you're turn now.' Makoto backed into the wall, and then his common sense kicked in. This wasn't real, it was Daemon's illusion! At this thought, the world around him suddenly cracked and slid apart, he was left in total darkness. Looking around, it was almost like his eyes were closed, until he saw one bright light, he swam through the darkness to find his sister, shivering and crying. He gently brushed her tears off, but she did not respond.

"I can feel all there anguish." She said softly to her brother "It's too much…"

"They'll find a way out, I know it." He said, staying by his sister's side.

Ryota found Kazuki very fast, unlike in his own world, this one seemed to be in a multicolored bubble.

"I bet Kazuki can't even tell, I bet I can because I'm not in my own illusion." He said to himself as he ran towards Kazuki.

"Kazuki-kun," He said gently, shaking his friend. He looked up at him, his eyes half glazed over and half closed.

"Ryota?" He said with a question in his voice

"Yeah, it's me." He said, sitting next to his friend.

Kazuki looked up at his friend and smiled "I'm glad you're hear."

"I'm glad I am too," Ryota said "Are you ok?"

He looked down

"I'm afraid not." He said "My parents, they don't…"

"We know that already," Ryota said "But it doesn't matter! You live with me."

"I know that man." Kazuki replied, and then he shook his head "They're still my parents; I wish I could live with them. I wish they would care about me."

"My mom has always treated you just like a son right?" He asked his friend, he nodded in response. "Besides, if they don't like it, they don't matter. I'm here, and I care about you."

"Ryota, thank you." Kazuki said, beaming. "You're right, why should I care what they think, after all I have you."

Kazuki stood up, and offered his hand to Ryota. Ryota took it, and then the bubble around them shattered.

"W-What just happened?" He said, looking around

"You were in your own illusion." Ryota said "I this Daemon created this for us, I hope the others did as well as you did."

"Hey, whatever." Kazuki said "I could have totally done that on my own."

"Yeah right." Ryota responded "I always have to be here to pick up your pieces."

Suddenly, the two felt themselves floating towards a light. They saw Makoto, floating next to Ai, who had her knees tucked into her chest.

"Hey!" Makoto yelled

"Hey yourself!" Kazuki yelled back, as him and Ryota floated closer.

"What's up with the hands?" He asked, pointing at Kazuki and Ryota's hands, which were still tightly clasped together.

"It's just him being a sissy." Kazuki said, swiftly pulling his hand away.

Ai looked up at the two

"Thank you, you're friendship is a relief to feel, but Shuichon's troubles almost drown you two out…" She said, saying the first part with a smile, and the second part with a frown, tucking her head back into her knees.

"Don't worry kid, everything'll be alright." Kazuki said, patting Ai's hair.

Shuichon still lay there, being insulted by Terriermon and Lopmon. Then Jen seased her up by the collar of her shirt, and threw her down to the ground again. He then kicked her. Shuichon cried out in pain, and then she felt something like she hadn't even felt before, a warmth rush over her. She quietly stood up, looking at her brother.

"This isn't real." She said giggling. "I get it know, I get why you did that back then."

Shuichon put two arms on his brother's shoulders "You just cared about me, enough to not want me to be a tamer and have to go through the hardships. It's ok, onii-sama. I'll be alright. I have wonderful people to protect me here, expectually Makoto-san."

Suddenly, just like the rest, her world smashed like a rock hitting a glass window. She felt herself being sucked upwards, just like the others did.