"You ready to go Mikey?"

Pulse! Zephyr recognized the voice instantly. Where did it come from?

He looked around, then his eyes rested on a nearby door. He floated through it.

Another hallway? He observed. Zephyr looked down it and saw his two team-mates a little further down, close to a large room.

Pulse, Mike! They're okay! He happily floated to them.

"Yeah." Mike replied - almost seeming sad.

They can't see me..What are they doing out in the open like this anyway? Hmmm...I wonder if they could hear me? Wait a second here.. their glowing green too! Now I know it has something to do with being a ghost...I wonder if it has something to do with them not seeing me... No, that wouldn't make sense..then why would inanimate objects be glowing too... Could it be showing me what I can phase through? If that's true...what can't I go through?

"We better get going then." Pulse's voice interrupted Zephyr's thoughts.

"Right, let's go." Mike replied. They both started walking to the bigger room further down the hall.

"Wait!" Zephyr called. Mike and Pulse froze.

"Was that..." Pulse started.

Come on, think Zephyr! How to make them see you...Wind, how could you see- Zephyr remembered when he built so much pressure in the wind that he could actually see it. But, how can I do that?

Pulse turned around- almost staring right at Zephyr, but he knew that he wasn't looking at him, he was looking through him. Mike followed Pulse's gaze.

"But, I'm sure I heard.." Pulse said, almost sounding disappointed.

"Pulse, don't tell me you're going crazy..." Mike replied with a half-smirk.

Pulse sighed, "Sorry...I was...I thought I heard.."

Zephyr blinked, I am here! He floated closer to the ground - hovering about a inch above it. You did hear me say something! Zephyr clenched his fist.

Pulse's ears went down and his long furry tail drooped. He sighed.

I'm here! I am! Look at me! Zephyr practically screamedin his head.Then, suddenly- as if someone heard his call- the darkness around him started to fade away. The bright green glows around everything also disappeared. Zephyr blinkedand looked around. Emotional pressure?

"Zeph!"Pulse's exited yell snapped Zephyr back into reality.

He could see me...does that mean... He looked at his hand. Not as much as before, but still see though... I guess I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, there's no way that could have happened...I'm dead...I just have to deal with that.

"So, you managed to escape death once again Zeph." Mike commented with a smirk. "Or did you," Mike walked up to Zephyr and looked at him closer.

"Of course he did, he's standing right there." Pulse interrupted. Mike looked back at Pulse and smirked, then started to move his hand toward Zephyr's ear. Out of reflex, Zephyr tried to wave Mike's hand away, but Zephyr's hand went through Mike's hand- with no resistance.

Pulse's eyes widened. Mike just smirked and said "Thought so. I heard you may be tagging along."

"Tagging along? Where?" Zephyr asked.

"Back to the base." Mike replied.

"Is there something I'm-" Zephyr's ear twitched. He heard footsteps! "Hurry, hide!" Zephyr quickly thought of what may turn him invisible again. If pressure turned me visible, then I have to think of something that'll release the pressure!

Zephyr got an idea. He quickly dismissed all thought of wanting his friends to see him. Then- as quickly as they disappeared , the darkness and green glows appeared once again. Zephyr looked at himself.

Very see-through again...I guess that means it worked.

He looked back at Pulse and Mike- they hadn't moved.

"Hey!" Zephyr whispers rather loudly. "Hide!"

"Just watch." Mike replied - sounding amused. Zephyr flicked his ear. He didn't like the fact that Mike and Pulse were disobeying. Just because he was a ghost doesn't mean he's not still the leader! But the footsteps neared, he didn't have time to argue.

You two better know what you are doing. He thought angrily.

"You two!" Zephyr flinched when he heard the new voice. When he looked to the source, he saw a male cheetah with stars for spots.

Pulse waved, "Hi." He said nervously.

"You both should get to your mission!" He said authoritatively. "Dimension said that now is the time to go! So hop to it!"

Zephyr blinked, confused. Had he mistaken them for someone else?

"Chill," Mike said with a taunting smirk. "We were just about to leave."

"You better be." The cheetah snapped, "Dimension wants you at that base within the hour." With that, the chetah walked back in the direction he came from.

What was that? It almost sounded like they were...No... Zephyr focused all his emotions on his viability, and - again- the darkness and green glows disappeared.

"Tell me that what I'm thinking is wrong." He tried to suppress the plead from entering his voice, but he couldn't.

Pulse looked down.

"Sorry Zeph, we couldn't help it." Mike said somewhat solemnly, but it still had that annoying quality that sounded like he was taunting him.

"But-"

"We better go." Pulse interrupted Zephyr.

Zephyr blinked, "I'm coming." He told them.

"Don't" Pulse replied shortly.

"Why not-" Zephyr started.

"Zephyr, please, just don't." Pulse cut him off again. Zephyr was surprised by Pulse's tone. It sounded serious, sad, and this one of the first times he called Zephyr by his full name.

He blinked again. "What are you going to do?"

Both Pulse and Mike were silenced by the question.

"Just," Pulse broke the silence. "Don't follow us."

Zephyr paused, then nodded in fake compliance and let himself disappear once again. Pulse's eyes rested on Zephyr's location for a few more seconds as if he still saw him, then turned and walked into the bigger room, with Mike following close behind. Zephyr waited a little while before following his former team-mates. He floated into the larger room.

Looks like they already left... Zephyr concluded when he saw that Mike and Pulse weren't there. He spotted a large double door on the other side of the room. It was swinging, meaning it was used recently. He floated to the door, closed his eyes, and went through it. Zephyr opened his eyes again. He looked around. Pulse and Mike weren't anywhere in sight!

Damn it! I lost them! He cursed. They couldn't have gotten far. He started heading toward his base. Mike said they were going to the base...If they are working for Dimension now...What would he make them do? Make them all work for him? Zephyr remembered what Dimension told him before he was killed.

'This is only the beginning of your punishment' What could that mean? Surely he didn't mean turning me into a ghost.. What kind of punishment is living - sort of - forever? He thought about that. Unless... he wants me to feel...he wouldn't...He wouldn't make Mike and Pulse...Zephyr remembered sad they were and how serious Pulse was about not wanting him to follow them.

He did...he told them to-! He started floating faster to the base. It's late, the rest of the team should be back from the patrols and lookouts by now. I gotta go faster! He swung his arms forward, but instead of the familiar feeling of the wind pushing his back, he felt nothing. He tried again, and got the same result.

"What the-" Zephyr stopped. He pointed his palm toward a nearby tree and made a wiping motion to the left with him hand. Instead of the wind blowing the tree in the way he made the motion, the tree made no movement whatsoever. Only the slight night-time breeze made the tree's leaves move. Zephyr looked at his hands.

"I can't use my powers?" He shook his head and let his arms fall back to his sides. "It doesn't matter now. I have to get to the base." With that, he continued going to the base- quickly.