"You're the one Gomamon!" shouted Tai, as he threw the card into the lock. The massive gate opened, and a white light engulfed the room. All the Digidestined ran toward the opening, and jumped in, not knowing where they would end up.


"Ow." moaned Tai. "I feel as if a bus just hit me." he rubbed the back of his head. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." said Sora walking over to him. She offered a helping hand up and he gladly accepted.

"So, did you see anybody else?" he spied the area for Agumon.

"No. And I can't find Biyo anywhere. I've been looking around for hours now. You're the first person I've seen." she looked at the ground sadly.

"Don't worry Sora. We'll find them. We always do." he said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up and smiled.

"Thanks Tai. You always know what to say." he looked up at her, and grinned. For a moment, he was lost in her bright eyes.

He wanted to reach over and brush away the tears on her cheek, but he couldn't. Something was keeping his hand back. His conscience. It was telling him not to screw of their friendship, by pulling a stupid stunt like that.

'It can't happen.' he told himself for what seemed like the millionth time. 'She doesn't care about you. Not like you do her anyway.' the thought saddened him tremendously.

"Tai. Tai are you all right?" asked Sora. He hadn't moved for a while now. She was becoming worried. "Tai."

"Yeah! I hear you." he said happily. "I was just thinking, do you think we're home? This sure doesn't look like Japan."

"I'm not worried about that right now. I want to know where our friends are. I'm worried about them." her voice trailed off. "I'm worried about Biyomon." she began to cry lightly.

"Hey." Tai said, walking over to her. "Don't cry." he wrapped his arms around her. "We'll find Biyomon, and Mimi and Tk, and all the others."

Sora shut her eyes. 'Why did you have to mention her? Don't you see how much I care about you?' she did feel a little better knowing that Tai was there comforting her though.

She liked the feel of his arms around her, making it seem that they were the only two people on the face of the earth.

Tai gently cupped her chin in his palm. "We'll find them all, and bring them back. Okay?" he said confidently.

"Okay." she muttered, staring into his umber brown eyes. They held a confidence that was catchy.

"Let's get going then." he smiled, as he grabbed her hand, and began walking.

He stopped as he heard a rustling sound behind them. "Stay back. I don't want you getting hurt." he cautioned, as he stepped in front of her.

"What is it Tai? Do you see anything?" she asked.

"No. But it looks a little like..." he burst out laughing. Sora peered over his shoulder, and couldn't help laughing as well.

"Shut up!" barked Matt, as he walked out of the shadows. He was covered from head to toe in mud. It had begun drying in some places and there was grass sticking out making him seem like an over grown chia pet.

"So Matt," began Tai through laughter "do I have to water you now?" he doubled over, and began gasping for air.

"Shut up! It's not my fault I landed in a mud puddle." he retorted.

"Try a mud ocean!" giggled Sora. She knew she shouldn't be laughing, but she couldn't help it.

"Okay. Enough of the jokes." said Tai seriously. "Matt, did you happen to see one of the three little pigs on your swim?" he laughed out again. "That's it!" screamed Matt, as he launched himself at Tai, sending him flying back. He raised his fist in the air, ready to strike.

"Stop that Matt! We were just joking! No need to start a fight!" she said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"Yeah, no need to get all defensive." muttered Tai. "Get off me will ya! You're getting my clothes muddy!"

Matt flinched at the remark, but got off him. "Please. Enough of the remarks. This is disgusting! How would you like to be covered in mud?"

Tai opened his mouth, but the look Sora was shooting him, instantly shut him up.

"Matt, did you see anyone else?" Sora looked at him.

"No. I was hoping you had Tk." he began to peel dried strips of mud off himself.

"Great. We're back at square one." said Tai, disappointed. v"Why?" asked Tk, emerging from the bushes. Joe was close behind him.

"Tk!" shouted Matt. He opened his arms, to give his little brother a hug. Tk backed away.

"I'm not sure what to do Joe. It's seen me." said Tk seriously.

"Don't move. They hunt by movement." said Joe.

"Tk." said Matt irritated.

"It sees us! Run! Save yourself Tk!" shouted Joe. The two boys looked at each other and erupted in laughter.

"Not you too." said Matt sadly.

"What happened to you Matt? You look as if you spent a few days in a pig pen." said Joe, wiping away little tears, that had formed in his eyes.

"That's IT! I'm taking a bath!" shouted Matt, as he turned around, and began walking over to the small stream that was close to them.

He pulled off his socks and shoes, then jumped into the water. His head emerged seconds later.

"Damn! It's freezing!" he quickly got out, and began to shiver. "It's like minus 100 degrees down there. A polar bear would turn into a popsicle!"

"Wouldn't want to be stuck in there to long." said Tk, shivering at the thought.

"Okay." said Joe looking around. "Where are Izzy and Mimi?"

Tai shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to say.

"Okay then, it shouldn't be too hard to find them. We found each other in a few hours. They couldn't be that far away."

"You're right." said someone behind them. "But now you don't have to find Izzy!"

"Izzy!" shouted Sora. "You're here!"

"Where else would I be?" he said sarcastically. "By the looks of it, you have not detected Tentomon, or any of the other Digimon."

"No." said Joe sadly. "Me and Tk just got here."

Izzy looked around. His gaze locked on Matt. He was still muddy, but now it was wet, and mud was dripping off his body. He shook his head. "Not asking." he said simply. "I am not asking."

"So, all we have to find is Mimi. Right?" said Matt, looking at Tai.

"Dude. Please. Don't make eye contact. You're scaring me." Tai said placing a protective hand in front of his face.

Izzy couldn't help himself. "So what did happen to you Matt? Go one on one with Porky Pig? Looks like he kicked your ---" he looked at Tk, and cut off his sentence.

"I fell in a mud puddle! That's it! Enough with the comments!" he exploded.

"Matt's right guys. We should stop making fun of him, and go look for Mimi." said Sora.

"But Sora," Joe began. "look at him. He's a walking punch line!" a cold sensation touched Joe's shoulder. He shivered involuntarily.

"Joe!" shouted Matt. "I thought you were the mature one!"

"Boy, were you wrong!" he snapped. "And me, thinking you were the smart one."

"Hey! That just mean Joe!" exploded Tai. "What's gotten into you? You never act like this."

"Well, maybe I"m tired of everyone thinking that they know me best! You have no idea of what I'm really like! You're all too busy worrying about your own little problems, to care about you friends! I'm going to find Mimi by myself!" he turned on his heel, and walked off.

"Joe! Joe come back!" shouted Tk. "Now look what you did! You made Joe go away!"

"Joe come back!" pleaded Sora.

~*~*~"He's not the one."~*~*~

Joe turned around and stared at her blankly. 'What am I doing over here?' he thought to himself. 'I must be going crazy. The Digiworld has warped my mind, and I'm losing my sanity. That's it! I'm so sending Gennai my psychiatrist bill.'

He turned around and walked back to the group, blushing under his glasses.

"People, lets just get back to finding Mimi. My guess is, she's been separated from us for about three hours, so in either direction, she should be close to the base of that mountain." said Izzy pointing.

"We'll find the Digimon after we find Mimi, agreed?" asked Matt.

"Right!" they all said shaking their heads.



'Where am I?' Mimi thought, barely conscious. She looked around her. Saltwater stung her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but it wasn't her eyes, it was her surroundings. 'I'm underwater!' she realized.

Something was wrapped tightly around her legs, and her lungs were burning for air. She tried to move, but found it impossible. She was frozen solid. The water around her was freezing!

Her head started spinning really fast, as she was slowly being asphyxiated. She managed to open her mouth, and let out a dull scream. But the only thing she accomplished, was losing more oxygen.

'Somebody help me...' she begged. 'Please.' her head was pounding, as her lungs began to shut down. Her heart beat began to get fainter and fainter. Her eyes began to droop shut.

Suddenly, a transparent figure, rose from the bottom of the lake she was in, and swam over to her. He floated right under her, looking her straight in the eyes.

Mimi could only stare at him. 'He looks so familiar..." she ventured. The pulling sensation in her body ended. 'I know who you are...' her fingers sank lifelessly to her side. Her body buckled. Her heart stopped beating.

The boy looked at her sadly. He leaned over and kiss her lightly. Just then, the thing holding her down, had let go, letting her float to the surface.

He grasped at her hand, as she floated upward. He caught it, but she went straight through him.

He cursed under his breath, but then recalled his mission. A wide smile crossed his ace, and he disappeared, as if he was never there.

Regretfully, Mimi had been in the water so long, her clothes had gotten really heavy and she sank a little. Just enough so you couldn't see her with the naked eye.

"Tai, we've been walking for hours!" complained Izzy. "Can I sit down for a minute, and see if Gennai's contacted us?"

"No! We find Mimi first." said Matt forcefully. Memories of when the Kuagamon was chasing her, flooded back to him. He vowed that day that he would never let that happen to her again.

"I'm with Matt." said Tai. "We have to have a whole group. I not leaving anyone behind." he said bravely.

"Matt look!" shouted Tk. He pointed over to a large tree.

"What is it Tk?" he asked confused.

"Mimi's hat! It's caught on one of the branches!"

Matt's head swung around. He strained his eyes to see what Tk was pointing at. Then, a hint of pink came into vision.

Tai obviously saw it first, ran over to the tree, and began to climb it.

"Be careful Tai!" shouted Sora, worried.

Tai scurried up the tree, grabbed the hat, and practically jumped down. Unfortunately, he landed crooked on his ankle, and went over on it.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, falling to the ground with a thud. A razor-sharp pain, pounded in his foot. "Damn." he muttered. He knew it was probably sprained.

"Tai!" screamed Sora, as he fell. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." he said getting up, wincing in pain. "I got the hat!"

"Give it here!" yelled Matt, as he grabbed it out of his hands.

Matt brought it to his face, examining it closely. It looked as if it had been put through a paper shredder. There were faint hints of red, outlining the long gashes, making Matt shudder at what could have possibly done such a thing.

"She's in trouble!" he said fiercely. "We gotta find her now!" panic kept up at ever angle, and hit Matt. "She's in trouble! I know it!"

"Calm down Matt!" said Tai encouragingly. "We'll find her."

Matt looked at Tai, but for some odd reason, something was telling him to look beyond Tai.

Matt didn't know exactly what to do, so he looked over the boy's shoulder. Then, he saw it.

Hovering, right in the middle, of a large lake, was a boy. The odd thing, was Matt could see right through him.

The boy was staring deeply into the water, looking depressed. He looked up at Matt, and shook his head. Much to Matt's surprise, the boy looked a little like him. Blond hair, blue eyes, and was about the same size.

He opened his mouth and words came out, that only Matt could hear. "Don't lose her again."

"What?" asked Matt.

"I said, what are you looking at?" said Tai aggravated.

Matt began walking past him, moving toward the lake. Something cold was dragging him there, being lead by his shoulder, and Matt had no control over it. Mostly, because he wanted to go with it.

He couldn't help but feel scared though. Here he was, being dragged away by something he couldn't see, to somewhere he didn't know. Who wouldn't be scared?

As he approached the water, his heart stopped. "Oh no...." he gasped. He wanted to jump in, but he couldn't. His legs were firmly placed on the ground, and wouldn't move. Mimi was laying face down in the water, and wasn't moving.

Matt felt something hit him. Hard. Then, some water splashing on his legs. Joe had thrown his bag, which landed on Matt, and jumped in.

Joe began to swim faster and faster, until he reached Mimi. He expertly, grabbed her by her neck, began to swim back to land. Mimi had turned an odd blueish green color, and her once red lips, were purple. Her hair had little ice crystals forming on the ends.

Joe tossed her limp body on the ground, and instantly began barking out orders, to the newly arrived Digidestined. "Izzy! Get my bag! Sora! Try to get a fire going! When we wake her up, she'll need it. Matt! Help me! You know CPR don't you?" he brushed away his wet, matted hair, waiting for Izzy.

Matt nodded as he slowly crawled over to Mimi's side. He stared at her, not knowing what to do.

"On three!" shouted Joe. "One, two, three!" Matt parted her cold lips, and began to blow air into them. Joe pushed over her heart. Matt looked at him hopefully. "Again!" cried Joe. Matt blew once again.

'Funny.' he thought. 'If this was any other time, I would be in heaven.' he was half listening to Joe, half listening to his thoughts.

"Again!" Joe yelled, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"It's no use." Matt croaked softly. "She's gone..."

"We are not letting her die! I'm not letting her die!" he said angrily. "You can give up on her, but I sure as hell am not!"

Matt felt embarrassed. Here he was, the one that cared about her, giving up. Then there was Joe. A guy that had no feelings whatsoever for her, and he was still fighting to keep her alive.

Matt then pressed his lips to her, continuing the recovery. Joe looked pleased with himself, as he firmly pushed again.

'Come on Mimi. Don't give up. Come back to us.' thought Joe. After 10 minutes of failed attempts, Matt had officially given up all hope.

"She's gone Joe. She was under way to long." he said sadly. Everyone turned away, crying.

"No!" screamed Joe grief stricken, as he gave one final push, with all his might.

Mimi, suddenly gasped, coughing up mouthfuls of water.

"Mimi!" shouted Matt. He hugged her tightly. Joe looked at her.

'There's no way she could have survived that. It's a miracle, if I've ever seen one.'

Mimi was chocking on the mouthfuls of water that she was rapidly spitting out. After she was done, she sank back into Matt's open arms. Some color had returned to her skin and lips. "Tai...." she gasped.

Tai bolted over to her side, ignoring all the pain in his ankle, and took her hand in his. "What is it? No. Don't speak. Save your strength."

"Tai..." she whispered again, this time passing out. Tai collected her, in his arms.

"Quick! We need to get that fire started!"

"It's almost done Tai!" shouted Sora sadly. Sure she was happy her friend was alive, but she couldn't help but feel jealous, that he just dropped everything, and ran over to her, when she barely said his name.

'For all we know, she could've said dye, or bye...' she thought.

She was disturbed from her thoughts, as Tk yelled. "What's that light?" he said pointing off in the distance.

Sora looked up. "I don't know Tk, but don't go near it."

"Hello! Is anyone there? Do you need help?" said a deep, masculine voice.

"Yes!" screamed Tai frantically. "Our friend is really sick! She needs medical help!"

The man came into view. He must have been in his late 40's and was wearing a tuxedo. He was holding a small lamp, which was providing most of the light. He looked at her, and gasped.

"Quickly. Bring her to my mansion! I have an open fire, and blankets." he said, as he turned around and began guiding them to his place.

Tai grabbed Mimi, and began to follow the man. His ankle begging him to stop. She had begun shivering, so he took off his blue shirt, and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Hurry!" the man shouted. "The waters here are close to, if not polar. She'll die of hypothermia!" he then broke into a dash, leaving a small trail of blinding light to follow.

Tai ran after him as well. "Why are you helping us?" he called out. He tucked Mimi's head in close to his chest, so it didn't hit a passing tree.

The man didn't reply, but stopped running, and took out a large bronze key. He shoved it in a lock, which opened up the gate, to the main house.

"Wow..." muttered Tai, as he looked at the massive grey stone castle laying before his eyes. It was the most awesome structure Tai has ever seen.

It had four large towers on the north, south, east and west wings, several floors, and had monstrous gargoyles at the top, that seemed to protect the castle. There was row upon row of balconies, with a large window, that probably lead to a master chamber. Velvet curtains hung from each of the windows, outlined in silky white drapes.

"This place looks like the castle in Frankenstein." moaned Izzy, as he stepped into the house. He gasped. The inside was even more amazing than the outside.

Thick, China carpets ran rampant on the mansion vast floors. Enormous pictures littered the walls, which were painted a smooth beige color. Satin and silk pillows lay on an expensive couch. Antique tables and chairs were everywhere. A blazing fire was lit, inside the huge fireplace.

Above the fireplace, was the largest painting of them all. There was a girl, dressed in a white and pale green dress, covered with jewels. Her long amber, honey, brown hair was pulled back, into a complicated braid/ twist, and baby's breath was laced into it. She was holding an ancient book in her frilly white gloves, which reached her elbow. Her exquisite cinnamon brown eyes, were highlighted in a light teal powder, and her cheek bones were emphasized by faint rose blush.

"She's beautiful." said Sora, as she stepped into the room. "Who is she?"

"That was my sister. Sadly, she passed away, quite some years ago." said the man.. "My name is Niles." he said hastily. "Quick, bring your friend up to the bathroom. Run the hot water, and leave her in there for a few minutes. When the color returns to her face, take her out, and I'll show you where she can rest."

Tai ran up to him. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Up those stairs, and to your left." he fingered.

"Here. Give her to me. Your arms must be getting sore." said Matt.

"No!" snapped Tai. "She called out for me. Not you, me! She want's me to be there for her." he held her frail body protectively.

Matt stepped back in shock. Tai's words made sense, for once in his life. 'If Mimi had wanted my help, she would have asked for it. But she wanted Tai.' he said to himself slowly. 'She wanted Tai.'

He watched as the boy sped up the stairs, closely followed by Sora.

Tai placed her in the bathtub, and opened the hot water faucet. Within minutes, the whole room was filled with a thick layer of steam.

"Tai, you can go now. I'll watch her." said Sora.

"No!" he barked. His eyes, burning, almost glowing, with aggression. "Get out! Trinity and I need to be alone." he said as he pushed her out of the bathroom, and locked the door behind him.

"Trinity? What?" asked Sora bewildered. 'Slip of the tongue, I guess...'

Tai looked at the unconscious girl, laying in the tub. The water line was almost over her nose. He just walked over to her, and sadly spoke.

"I was so close. We were almost together again. If it hasn't been for that boy, you'd be with me right now." the water was now way above her head. Tai stopped it, and gently pulled her head up. "You can't go that way. Not twice in a row." he smiled. "Until another time."

Mimi's skin slowly began to change back to its normal, cream color. (^_^) She opened her eyes, and stared at her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she whispered, almost unnoticeably.

"Save your energy." Tai said softly. "I'll explain everything later." he passed his hand over her matted hair, freeing it from her face. He took her out, and opened the door. Outside, Matt was waiting.

"I need to use the shower." he said simply, avoiding all eye contact. He didn't want Tai seeing the look of disappointment, chiseled on his face. Tai just nodded, not caring.

Matt watched him, as he walked away, with Mimi snuggled closely to him, walking to the room that Niles had given her. He sighed deeply. 'Of all the people, you had to fall for Tai.'

He depressingly walked into the bathroom, and began to run the shower. Stepping in, he let the water wash away his worries.

When he was done, he grabbed the pair of sweat pants that one of the maids had given him, and pulled then on. He swiftly pulled a towel through his hair, and walked over to the mirror, in an attempt to restyle it.

"Damn." he cursed. "I hate it when the mirror gets fogged up." he took his towel, and brushed it across the glass. He accidentally dropped the brush at his side, so he bent down to pick it up.

When he looked back up, he saw Tai's reflection in the mirror's surface. Tai's eyes, wide with hatred. Matt spun around, only to be faced with a blank wall. He hastily looked back in the mirror, to find a message scratched into its surface.

"Never again." he read aloud. As soon as the word again rolled off his tongue, the message disappeared, and a pair of hands came out of the glass, and pushed him backward.

Matt stumbled back, and slipped on some water that was spilled on the floor. He fell, smashing his head on the side of the tub. Blood trickled down the side of his head.

He began to see patches of black, which was until, a pearly white figure, elevated over his body. It was the same boy Matt had seen earlier.

The figure looked at him, with tears in his eyes. "You tried." he said in a melancholic voice. "You tried." he placed his hand over Matt's head, and the wound instantly healed.

Matt shot up. He looked everywhere for his mystifying aide. After he couldn't find him, he gave up, and walked back to his room.

He passed by Mimi's room and looked in. She wasn't in her bed. He backed up, and walked inside. He spied her room, not finding her.

Just then, he saw a figure move outside, on her balcony. She turned and looked at him.

Her eyes were shining in the moonlight, and silver tears streaked down her face. Matt walked over to her.

"Look at the stars." she said airily. "They're so beautiful. I can't remember the last time I stopped, and took a good look at them." she turned to look at him.

He looked at her face for a moment, studying it thoroughly. Her eyes were wide, filled with uncertainty. He abruptly grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her.

When Mimi didn't pull away and slap him, he kissed her hungrily, not being able to get enough of her. He grabbed her waist, and held her tightly, not ever wanting to let her go.



A boy, sat crossed legged watching the couple, from his own balcony. He scoffed silently in repulsion, as his long brown hair, fell in front of his brown eyes.

"Tai..." whimpered the sleeping form of Sora, in the bed next to him. She rolled over, and stretched out her arm, reaching out for him, but only finding an empty area on her oversize bed.

He smirked. ~*~*~Foolish girl. She understands nothing.~*~*~ he looked over the railing, seeing another person running near the ocean. The person suddenly collapsed, and didn't get up.

He then turned his attention back to the kissing couple. ~*~*~All in a matter of time. Soon, it will begin.~*~*~ A large bolt of lightening zig-zagged in the sky, followed by the earsplitting crackle of thunder. The boy winced as he looked at Sora, hoping she hadn't woken up. When she didn't move, he sighed, and continued looking at Mimi and Matt.

He had been very lucky Sora didn't wake up, for if she did, she would have seen that he was floating over the edge of the rail.......

Matt woke up, with the biggest smile on his face. He walked into the parlor, smiling ear to ear.

"Why are you so happy?" asked Joe smirking.

"Can't a guy be happy in the morning?" Matt replied innocently.

"A guy can. You, no. So spill! What happened with you and Mimi last night?"

"How do you know?" asked Matt.

"You just told me. So spill. For real this time." said Joe, with an evil look in his eyes.

Realizing his friend had painted him into a corner, with no way out Matt told him. "I kissed her." the thought bringing a smile to his lips.

"Really?" said Joe interested. "Go on."

"That was it. I just kissed her." Joe looked at him skeptically. Matt looked at him. He felt compelled to tell him the rest. "It was like magic Joe! It was unbelievable! I mean, it's really hard to explain, but I didn't want to stop."

"You got it bad for our pretty songstress Matt. It's as clear as crystal." Joe said as he walked by him.

Matt thought about what Joe had said, and realized he was right. He really liked Mimi! "Hey! What are you doing Joe?" asked Matt, when he saw Joe examining the picture over the fire place.

"This girl. She looks so familiar."

"You're right." said Matt. "She's cute."

"Yeah. She's really cute. Wonder what happened to her. She doesn't look that happy."

Matt looked at her face. It was true. Last night, he had been so worried about Mimi, that he didn't get a good look at the photo, just a quick glance. Her beautiful face was covered in a pout. There was this sparkle in her eyes though. A sparkle that told him something was wrong. Something was going to happen.

Matt turned away. He broke out in a cold sweat, for no apparent reason.

"Matt, are you okay? You don't look so good." said Izzy, as he walked into the room. His computer in hand.

"I'm fine Izzy. No need to worry about me." said Matt, smiling reassuringly.

"Well, I received an email from Gennai. You might want to sit down for this."

"For what? What's going on here?" asked Tai as he walked in with Sora and Tk.

"Izzy got an email from Gennai. He was just about to tell us, when you came in. Where's Mimi?" asked Matt.

"She's still asleep." said Tai. "I checked. She's looking better though."

"Well. What does the email say?" asked Sora, rather impatiently.

"I can't explain it exactly, so you'll have to hear it for yourself." said Izzy, as he placed a mini microphone into his computer. He pressed a few keys, and suddenly the room was filled with a familiar voice.

"Greetings Digidestined. If you are reading this now, you haven't gotten back home. Sadly, Tai placed the wrong card in the slot, sending you to an alternative dimension."

"No shit Sherlock." mumbled Tai under his breath.

"Quiet!" said Tk.

"Listen very closely to me. There is a way for you to get back home. You need to collect the Life Stones. Once you have all 7, a portal will open, and you will be permitted to go back to Japan. But, the portal can only be opened once. After that, it is useless. Izzy. I am downloading a device that will help you in your quest. If a Life Stone is anywhere in the dimension, it'll blink. The tricky part is finding them. Just in case you're wondering, your Digimon can't follow you in these worlds. We need them here. You'll do phoih ajfuhj hf jhfj." the voice stopped, and was replaced by jibbrish.

"Did you get the device?" Sora asked, looking at Izzy.

"Yes I did. I tested it out, making sure it didn't get damaged. It indicates that the Stone of Love is somewhere here."



"My stone." said Sora amazed. Tai looked at her.

'You look so beautiful when you're shocked.' he thought, as she turned and looked at him smiling. Tai felt his heart melting.

"Breakfast is served." said Niles, as he entered the living room. Everyone turned and faced him.

"Finally!" chirped Tk. "I was getting hungry!" he bounced beside Niles, as he walked to the kitchen.

Mimi was sitting there, waiting for them. Tai walked over to her, and gave her a huge bear hug. "I'm so glad you're okay. You had me worried."

"Don't worry about me." she said, returning the hug. Her skin felt like ice to Tai's warm cheek. "No need to worry at all." she whispered in his ear. They stayed hugging each other, until they were interrupted by coughs from both Matt and Sora.

Matt gave Sora a nervous glance, but she didn't return it. "What's for breakfast Niles? It smells delicious." she said rather monotone.

"The special of the chef. Me." he quickly added. "Scrambled eggs and French toast. Sorry, it's all I can make."

Izzy began to type on his laptop. The sound of the keys, blending in with the sound of the sizzling eggs.

"Don't apologize. We're your guests! We should be thanking you, for helping us out like you did. We'd be completely lost! Mimi might have died!" said Matt.

"Thank you for saying such nice things. It's been such a long time since someone has visited me. Not after my sister died anyway." said Niles sadly.

"What happened to her?" inquired Tk innocently.

"It was very tragic, if you ask me. You see, a long time ago, she was supposed to get married to her fiancee Ezekiel. Sadly, Ezekiel was murdered, days before the wedding."

"Oh my.." said Sora. She felt her eyes swell up with tears. She always had a soft spot in her heart for romantic stories.

"How did he die?" questioned Izzy. His focus off his computer, and directed at Niles and his story.

"He was pushed off one of the balconies here. We call them widows' walks, though. When the found his body, it wasn't pretty. He broke his neck on the fall, and the impact of the water crushed his body. Even if he had managed to survive the fall, the freezing water would have surely finished him off."

"That's so sad." said Tk looking really depressed.

"It's not that bad though. Several years later, she ended up marring Aaron. Ezekiel's best friend. They lived happily, until she died mysteriously one night. Aaron work up and found her body. The poor man, grief stricken hung himself in one of the towers."

"Talk about a modern day Romeo and Juliet." said Joe. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Don't be. It happened a long time ago. I was just a small lad. I barely remember it. Now, let's forget that depressing matter, and concentrate on some eggs!" he finished happily.

"Sure." everyone except for Mimi said. She was staring at Niles, with daggers in her eyes. She turned to look at Tai, who now bore the same expression. They smiled, as if they shared a private joke.

Matt caught this gaze, and felt a ping of jealousy travel up his spine. "Let's sit down, shall we?" he said hastily, pulling out a chair for Mimi. He quickly sat down in the chair beside her, so Tai didn't get it.

Much to Matt's misfortune, Tai sat right in front of her. All through breakfast, they would casually gaze up, smiling and giggling. Matt looked at Sora, who was clutching at her cup. If she had applied any more pressure, the glass would have shattered into a million pieces.

She realized she was about to break it, and placed it down on the table. "I'm full. Thank you for the wonderful meal Niles. It was delicious." she got up, and walked out of the room.

Tai noticing Sora had left, excused himself as well. "Sora! Sora wait up!" he called after her.

"Why?" she demanded. "Tai what's going on?"

"Sora I have to tell you something. I did a lot of thinking last night. And I realized, that I want you in my life." he braced himself for her response.

"You... you... want me in your life?" she said stuttering.

"Sora, I really like you. And I mean, really like you."

"What?" she squeaked, not believing what was happening.

"I like everything about you. The way your hair falls perfectly on your shoulder. The way you bit you bottom lips, every time you go to kick the soccer ball. The way you always make people feel better. I like it all, and so much more."

"Tai." Sora said crying. She hugged him. "I care about you too."

"Really!" he said relieved.

"Yeah." she felt so confident. So happy. So, in love.

Tai kissed the top of her head.

Joe was in the kitchen, helping Matt with the dishes. He shivered. "Is it just me, or did it suddenly become cold?"

"It's just you." said Matt as he looked out the small window. He was watching Mimi, play with Tk.

Tk tossed her the ball, and she effortlessly caught it, and tossed it back. She grinned when the small boy stumbled backward, and fell. Strolling over to him, she held out her hand to help him up.

When tk reached for it, she pulled it back, and turned in the other direction, like a zombie. Her eyes had turned glossy, and were unnaturally bright.

"What the hell..." he said, as he dropped the towel, and followed her.

"Tai! Tai what's wrong?" begged Sora. He had suddenly stopped moving, and had pushed her away.

"Go now." he hissed.

"What's wrong? Why won't you tell me?" she pleaded.

"I said go away! What do I have to do? Pound it into that stupid head of yours?"

"Wha... Tai, this isn't like you."

Tai shrugged her off, and walked upstairs to his room. Sora couldn't take it, as she ran out of the house crying.

Slamming the door behind him, he was greeted by Mimi sitting on the edge of his bed. "Well, what are you doing here?" he said, as he folded his arms.

"I'm here to help you. I believe in what you say. They couldn't be making it any more obvious." she said.

"Then you know what you must do?"

"Yes." she said in a small voice. Tai reached into his pocket, and submerged with a small bottle.

"I know you can do this." he said as he kissed her cheek.

Mimi left the room, very determined. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out some milk. She then grabbed two freshly cleaned cups, and began to pour. When she was satisfied, she took out the bottle Tai had given her, and sprinkled a bit of its content in one.

"Matt!" she called out. "Matt will you come here for a minute?"

"Sure." he said, as he entered the room. "What do you need?"

"Someone to share a cup of milk with. Care to join me?" she said, showing him the cup.

"Yeah!" he said. "I was getting a little thirsty." he reached out, and grasped at the glass. Something cold hit him. Joe suddenly came barging in the room, screaming Matt's name.

Matt!" he said panting. "Don't!"

"Don't do what Joe. He said, as he pressed the cup.

"No!" Joe yelled out, slapping away the beverage. It fell to the ground smashing into shards of glass.

"Joe!" Mimi exclaimed. "Why'd you do that?"

"What did you do to his cup? I know you did something to it!" he said, grabbing her hand.

"Joe, I don't know what you're talking about!" said Mimi, beginning to cry.

"Don't pull that little miss innocent act with me! I know you did something!" he shouted.

"I swear to you, I have no clue about what you're talking about!" wailed Mimi.

"Joe that's enough!" boomed Matt. "Leave her alone!"

"You don't understand Matt! She spiked your drink with something!" he said, trying to keep his temper in check.

"This is Mimi we're talking about! She's not evil!" yelled Matt.

"This isn't Mimi! Not the Mimi we know anyway." said Joe calmly.

"What are you talking about?! I am the real Mimi!" she said, finally freeing herself from his grip. When she was loose, she ran out of the room in tears.

"Why'd you do that?! That had to be the most irrational, mean thing anyone could have done Joe!" bellowed Matt, fighting the temptation to hit him.

"Matt, I'm gonna tell you something, but you have to promise to believe me! I swear on my life that I'm not making it up." he said, as he seized Matt's shoulders.

"Tell me what it is." he said cruelly.

"I feel certain things. Like a few minutes ago, when I thought it was cold air, it wasn't, it was really evil!" he said this so fast, Matt barely caught a word.

"I don't understand." said Matt.

"There is evil at this house! I think, no wait, I know it's after you. I think it's taking over people around us, trying to get close to you, so it can finish you off."

"So that's why you hit the cup away from me. You thought it might have been poisoned."

"No. I know it was poisoned. I can feel it, whenever it's around. It knows that I know too. So, we both have to be careful."

"Joe, you sound like an overly obsessed X-Files fan! Nothing is out to get us! Especially not Mimi."

"Are you even listening to me? That might have looked like Mimi, but it wasn't her! It took over her body! Come on Matt! Don't tell me you haven't sensed something was wrong with this place! I know you have, but you don't want to admit it!" he said, breathing really hard.

Matt remembered the night before. Seeing the strange ghost like boy, helping him out whenever he needed someone the most. "Okay. So something weird is happening at this house. I won't deny it. But, evil taking over Mimi? Come on! That's just a little farfetched." said Matt, as he opened the door. "I'm going to find Mimi. She's probably scared out of her mind right now. He stepped outside, and began to walk slowly.

"Matt! Look out!" screamed Joe, as he pushed him hard. Matt stumbled forward, before falling to the ground. He then heard the thunderous crash behind him.

He spun his head around to see Joe lying under a chandelier. A puddle of blood was forming around his limp figure. "Joe!" screamed Matt, as he rushed over to his friend's side. "Joe, speak to me!" he waited for a response, but received none.

He heard stifled laughter. He looked up the large stair case. Mimi and Tai were watching them. Smiles on their faces. Tai, holding back laughter.

Mimi had her hands wrapped around Tai's waist, and her head was pressed to his chest. Tai had one of his arms around her shoulders, while the other was pointed at the ceiling. More specifically, the area that used to hold a large crystal chandelier.

"Oops. You missed." said Mimi coolly.





"Joe!" screamed Matt, turning his attention back to his fallen friend. With all his strength, he pushed the heavy chandelier off him. Joe's legs were crushed and he had passed out. "Joe!" Matt yelled. "Joe wake up! You've got to wake up!"

Joe groaned, and rolled his head over to meet Matt's eyes. "I told you something was wrong." he uttered as he blacked out again.

"What was that sound?" asked Niles, as he ran into the room. He gasped when he saw Joe and Matt. Matt, covered in blood.

"Get Joe to a hospital now!" hollered Matt, taking off, up the stairs to look for Tai and Mimi. No one was there.

"What happened here?" asked Sora, as she ran in with Tk.

"Joe!" Tk yelled, running to his side. He began shaking the boy repeatedly, as tears streamed down his face.

"What happened?" repeated Sora, rushing over to Matt.

"The chandelier fell. Joe pushed me out of the way." he was panting really hard. "Tai! Tai and Mimi!" he said looking over to the staircase.

Matt saw a shadow move across the wall, as he dashed up the stairs. Turning the corner, he saw a white figure, several meters in front of him. He just ran faster, closing in on the person.

The end of the hallway, was pitch black. Matt could barely see in front of him, but he still chased after the person. It suddenly vanished.

'Must have gone downstairs or something.' thought Matt, as he sped up.

He was abruptly stopped, as he smashed face first into a wall. He flew back on impact and a smarting pain raced over his nose. A warm liquid rolled down his cheek, and onto his shirt. He cursed under his breath, as he pinched his nose, to stop the flow of blood. 'Great. My nose is broken.' he stood up, and felt the surrounding areas, with his free hand.

One of the area's he touched, was smooth. Very, very smooth. One area was bumpy. Like it was made of rock. It was rough, so Matt decided it must have been granite. 'So. That's what broke my nose.' he thought to himself. Finally, the other surface was hot. When Matt touched it, he pulled his hand back. His gloves were scorching hot, even though he only touched it for a second.

"What the hell?" he asked, as he touched it again. This time it was freezing cold. "This is one screwed up house." he said.

"Leave now with your friends. Look at Trinity. She has what you want!" said an eerie voice, which materialized out of nowhere.

Matt spun around, looking for somebody. A flash of something went off in the house. Lightening. It illuminated the whole hallway.

The smooth surface Matt had felt, was a mirror. He looked into it, seeing how much damage was done to his nose.

As if it never happened, his nose was okay. No blood. No stain on his shirt. Nothing. "What the hell is going on here?" demanded Matt. Every minute he stayed at the house, he hated it even more.

Joe had been right. Something was happening in the house. But neither he nor Matt knew what it was. Strange things were happening to Tai and Mimi. They weren't themselves. They were scarring him. They were really scaring him.

"What's wrong with you Mimi?" he asked the mirror. "Why are you doing this? Why Joe?"

"She's just fine. The only problem is you." snarled Tai. A flash of lightening zig zagged through the sky, sending a bolt of light into the hall. Matt saw Tai's reflection in the mirror. But only for a second.

Another bolt went off, revealing Tai holding a large lead pipe. Tai raised it above his head, and brought it down. The odd thing was, there were two Tai's. One that was the Tai he knew, and there was another one. One that was evil looking. His brown eyes were darkened, not anything like Tai's joyful brown ones.

Matt jumped to the side, with cat like reflexes, as the pipe smashed into the mirror. Matt stood up, and began to run. He ran faster than he had ever run before.

Lightening was going off, every five seconds, lighting Matt's way through the winding hallway. He turned his head, to see how much distance was between Tai and himself. To his surprise, Tai wasn't there.

'Where did he go?' he wondered, as something connected with his jaw. Matt fell back, and held his face. His jaw buzzing with a sharp stinging pain.

He looked up, only to find the sneering face of Tai. His elbow petrudeing from the wall.

He casually stepped out, the lead pipe in hand. Matt's eyes widened with fear. He shoved his hand out, to find something, he could defend himself with. First, his hand hit stone. He pulled it back as the stinging pain set in shortly after.

"Looks like you've reached the end of your rope."said Tai smiling. He took the pipe up, for one last blow. "Rot in hell Aaron." he said, as he swung his weapon.

Matt shut his eyes, as it hit the side of his head. There was a loud snap, as Matt fell to the ground dead. His skull smashed and his neck broken.

"Is he gone?" asked Mimi, as she came out of the same wall.

"Yes. He's dead." said Tai, holding her close. "He can't hurt us anymore."

"Ezekiel. What do we do with Aaron's body?" Mimi asked.

"Leave it here. He deserves to have the most mortifying death, and he got it."

Tai took Mimi in his arms. "Now we can be together, without him." he took her head in his hands, and brought it to his lips, into a passionate kiss.

Tai finally broke off the kiss, and took Mimi's hands. He lead her through the brick wall, away from Matt.

Mimi took one last look at Matt, before disappearing with Tai.

Matt laid there on the floor, covered in his own blood. His neck was bruised and swollen. A very noticeable gash in his head.

A ghostly boy hovered over his body. He touched his neck and head, and instantly his wounds healed, and he woke up.

Matt opened his eyes, only to see the boy in front of him. "Who and what the hell are you?" he said backing away from him.

"My name is Aaron. I'm sorry to have put you and your friends into this."

"Put my friends into what? What is going on here?" Matt demanded.

"It happened many, many years ago." the boy started. "There was this girl, who was the most beautiful creature in all of the county, and probably the world. Every man wanted her hand in marriage, but she turned them down left right and center." he said smiling. "You see. She was in love with my friend Ezekiel. They would meet in secret almost every night. They were engaged to be married."

"Wait. Your names. Ezekiel. Aaron." things began clicking in his head. "You're the people Niles' was talking about! So Trinity. That must be his sister. That's the girl over the fire place!"

"You're right." said Aaron. "What else did Niles tell you?"

"He said Ezekiel was murdered, then you married Trinity. When she died, you hung yourself." Matt said.

"That didn't happen." Aaron said hastily. "Zeke wasn't murdered, Trinity didn't die and I didn't kill myself."

"What are you talking about?" said Matt. "Niles said...."

"Niles doesn't know the truth." Aaron said sighing. "Zeke wasn't pushed off the widow's walk. You see, that night, we got into a huge fight over Trinity. Matt. I loved her so much. Everything she did, was like magic to me. I would watch her every day. She would plant flowers, and then would complain about the cat that lived next door, who would tear them up. She was as beautiful on the inside, as she was on the outside."

"Aaron, what happened that night."

"Zeke kept saying that I was plotting his death, so I could take Trinity all for myself." Matt could see a silver tear roll down his transparent check. "He stood up on the ledge of the balcony and kept demanding that I pushed him right there. Every moment of that night has been permanently branded into my mind. He was waving his hands wildly. When I refused to touch him, he jumped down and missed his footing, slipping back and breaking his neck. He then tumbled over the rail, falling into the waters."

"Oh my God." muttered Matt.

"They announced it a murder, because of his broken neck. I couldn't tell them what really happened, because I would have been put in jail. They wouldn't have believed me. A year later, Trinity and I married. She had never fully recovered from Zeke's death, but I knew she loved me. One night, she just died. Well, that was the story they told everybody. I was one of the only people to see the body."

"What do you mean?" asked Matt. "What happened to Trinity?"

"She was brutally beaten. Every inch of her body was covered in bruises and she had been scarred with the fire place poker. They cremated her body to get rid of the disgusting sight." Aaron said sadly, chocking back more tears.

"What didn't you help her?" asked Matt angrily. For some unexplained reason, he felt disgusted with himself. He felt as though he could have helped out.

"I was in my chambers. Even though we were married, we were still young. I gave her the privacy she wanted and needed. She had been complaining of a fever, days before. She was delusional. She would keep raving about seeing Ezekiel's ghost. That he would visit her at night. The doctors said she was crazy. That I should place her in the asylum, along with the murderers and terminally ill people."

"And you refused." said Matt.

"Yes. I never believed she was mad. Not for a second! I called in a priest to exercise the room, of any evil demons. It didn't help though. She died all the same." a fresh tear spilled down his face.

"What happened to you Aaron?" inquired Matt. He finally got his first good look at the boy.

He had hair much like himself, but his was combed back. Even though he was transparent, Matt could make out his eye color. The same shade of azure blue. Piercing, yet calm. The only differences were, was Aaron's cheek bones were cut roughly. His lips were fuller than Matt's, and his neck was shriveled somewhat.

"I was murdered just like Trinity. Right after Trinity's funeral, I went to the tower. The place we shared our first kiss." he smiled, remembering the happy memory. "We would always go there, when we wanted to get away." he shook his head, getting back on track. "When I entered the tower, the whole room had been ripped apart. The paintings, tapestry, and curtains had large gashes in them. There were traces of red along the rip mark. I was scared a wild beast had entered the room, so I fled. But the door slammed in my face. I was so scared Matt. I could barely see straight."

"It's okay. You can tell me." said Matt comfortingly.

"When I looked for a way out, I saw Ezekiel sitting on a chair. He was just sitting there, fiddling with a large rope. I asked him what was going on. Why he was there. The ideal shock of seeing a ghost hadn't yet hit me. He just glared at me, evil rushing past his pupils. He grabbed me, with one of his long arms. He was freezing. Colder than the water surrounding the castle." he stopped, and swallowed. Squeezing his eyes shut, he continued. "He placed the rope around his neck, and pulled it tight. I could hardly swallow. He tired the rope around the large mantle in the room. Kicking open one of the windows, he threw me out. My neck snapped on impact, and I was left to be found, days later."

Matt knew he should say something, but he couldn't even force a croak. Aaron was there, retelling his death, and Matt couldn't say anything. Luckily for him, Aaron spoke again.

"You need to get Tai and Mimi out of this place now. Now that they believe you're dead, they'll go through with the resurrection."

"Resurrection? What are you talking about?" Matt exclaimed.

"When Mimi was underwater, she died. Ezekiel was holding her under. He needed her body to be in perfect condition. You see. Zeke was trying to bring Trinity back from the dead, by giving her Mimi's body. Tai, as we speak, could be dying. Zeke is probably drowning him, or is forcing him to eat poison. The reason they broke your neck, was so I couldn't take over it, to try and stop them."

"Can't you help me out now? I mean, can't you take over my body? That way, we'll be able to save them!" he said hopefully.

"It's impossible. I cannot do that." Aaron replied. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Said Matt disappointed. "Can you at least help me get to them? I have no clue how to get around the castle!"

"Yes I can. But first, I have to pay a visit to Joe. He may be the only one who can stop them."

"Why is that?" Matt said, standing up.

"Ezekiel took control of him first. He has a link to him now. Telepathically, that is. Joe will be the only one who can reason with Zeke, and stop him from killing Tai. But hurry! You must get to him, before something happens!" with that, Aaron disappeared.

A path lit down the hall, guiding Matt to Tai. And Mimi.



"Stop it! You're killing him!" shouted Mimi, who was struggling to free herself.

"That's the point girl!" spat Trinity, who was restraining her.

"Damn it boy! Just die!" shouted Ezekiel, as he pulled Tai's head from the lake for the millionth time. He then shoved it in violently, not giving Tai much time to catch some air.

"Tai!" screamed Mimi, kicking furiously. Her feet went right through her. "Please stop it!" she begged, as tears flew from her eyes.

"You care about him. Don't you?" asked Trinity calmly.

"He's one of my best friends!" she cried, giving up the struggle.

"No. It's more than that. I can tell. You care deeply about this boy."

"You're wrong. I care about Matt! Tai's my friend!"

"Listen to me girl!" she said spinning her around to face her. "Matt will hurt you. Not now, but soon. Your true future lies with him!" she said pointing. "Well, actually, it will be with us."

"No! Matt cares about me! I know he does! He cares about me." she repeated.

"Fool!" Trinity spat. "Are you so blind to see his feeling for you? He's there, dying. But the only thing on his mind is you!"

"You're lying! I know he cares about Sora! He told me so!"

"You really are a fool. Sora, as you call her, is just an infatuation for him. He feels attracted to her, because he's scared of what will happen with you!"

"It's not true. It's not true!" Mimi repeated to herself.

"But it is. Over time you will see it. I just thought I should lay what would have been your future in front of you. You and Tai would have been together, and you would have lived a happy life together." she suddenly began shacking, almost convulsing. "It can't be!" she said. "You're lucky we're going to kill you now. If you somehow manage to survive this, you won't make it back home."

"What are you talking about?" whimpered Mimi.

"Never mind. Your future is with me and Ezekiel."

'I have to get out of here. I have to help Mimi. She's going to kill her!' thought Tai wearily, as Zeke brought his head out of the water again. He caught a large gulp of air, and was pushed back down. 'I won't let her kill Mimi!' he decided, as he used the last of his strength, to kick out.

The initial motion of the kick, startled Zeke, and he let Tai go. Tai then slowly pushed his way out of the water, and stood up.

His hair was matted down to his face, and he was really weak. "Tai!" screamed Mimi, breaking away from Trinity, and rushing to his side.

He collapsed in his arms, as she caught him. The force of him falling, brought her down as well.

"Are you okay?" he asked, breathless.

"Yeah. I'm fine." she said smiling. Her eyes had swollen with tears again, and she began to cry. The droplets hitting Tai's face.

He shut his eyes, nodding off. He knew he should be falling asleep, but he was so tired, he couldn't do anything else.

"Tai no! Don't sleep! You'll die if you fall asleep!" she said shaking him.

He was struggling to stay conscious. The only thing keeping him alive, were Mimi's pleas with him, to wake up.

"Tai, you can't die!" she muttered. "You can't die."

Trinity walked over to Zeke, and wrapped her arms around him. "And she says she has no feelings for him." she said smiling.

"Let them be together. It'll be the last time. He's not going to make it. As soon as I take control of his body, I'll kill her for you."

"You're so romantic." joked Trinity, kissing him lightly.



'I have to get to Mimi! I have to save her!' exclaimed Matt's mind. The small beam of light guiding his way to her.

It lead outside, so matt had to open a door, only to be scared half to death by Joe.

"Matt. So good to see you." he said in a monotone voice. "Follow me. I'll lead you to Mimi."

"Joe! You're all right! But, weren't you legs crushed?" Matt asked. He then remembered Aaron's ability to fix 'broken' things.

"We don't have much time."

Joe lead him to the bank of the river. He saw Mimi hunched over someone, crying. Seeing a long strand of brown hair, Matt concluded it was Tai.

"What happened?" he said, running over to Mimi.

"It's Tai." she sniffled. "He's... he's gone!" she continued to cry.

"It was about time too." said Ezekiel. "He put up a brave fight. I must commend him for that."

He walked over to Tai's body and reached out, to touch him. Mimi pulled his body back, protectively.

"Get away from him!" she snarled. "You've caused enough grief already!"

Matt was shocked at this outburst. This was a new side to Mimi. He had never heard her talk in that tone of voice, in his life. It scared him. And it made him feel really jealous. Mimi hadn't taken her arms off him. She had his limp head in her arms, and kept stroking his wet hair. "You've caused him enough grief."

"I told you." said Trinity knowingly. "I told you!"

"Listen Mimi." said Ezekiel. "Give me his body. He's useless to you know. You want him to live again, don't you?"

"You're evil!" she said angrily. "You're pure evil!"

"I'm not evil. I'm not evil at all. I just want to live the life, that was taken away from me."

"And don't you think Tai deserves to live his life?" asked Joe, speaking up. "The difference is, your life was taken away, because of you jealousy and insecurities. You killed him. You were the one who took away his life. As you did me and Trinity."

Matt turned to look at Joe. He could see the faint outline of Aaron, inside him, guiding his body and speech. He had taken control of his body. 'He told me he couldn't do that!' thought Matt surprised.

"You deserved it!" Zeke shouted. "You married the woman I loved, months after my death!"

"Wait." said Trinity. 'You told me that Aaron pushed you from the balcony. Now you tell me you fell! You were lying to me!" she said angrily.

"It's not what it seems..." Zeke tried to explain.

"He killed me as well." said Joe, looking at the ground. "I would never do anything to hurt you Trinity. I love you!"

"Aaron.... I'm so sorry!" she said, running into Joe's arms, crying.

"It's all right. I forgave you, even before you did what you did." he kissed her forehead, and returned to Zeke.

"I'll get you for that!" he shouted, as he lunged for Joe's throat. "I'll kill you again!"

"No, you won't." Joe said silently, as he pulled out his crest, and formed a barrier around them. "You won't be able to hurt anyone, from where you're going." his crest shone, blinding everyone. It was so bright, Matt had to cover his eyes.

He heard a piercing scream, and the light dissolved. When Matt opened his eyes, he saw Mimi and Tai, holding each other tightly. Tai, alive again.

"Joe!" screamed Izzy happily. "We found it! We found Sora's stone!"

Joe looked up at Izzy, who was holding a small, completely round, completely smooth rock. It was a light pink color, and had her crest symbol engraved in the middle, in a darker pink.

"That's great." he said. "Where did you find it?"

"It was..." began Tk

"It was in the picture of Trinity. Probably one of the jewels on her." finished Matt.

"How did you know that?" asked Sora.

"Sora." said Tai looking at her. He got up, and slowly walked over to her.

"What is it Tai?" she asked, as he stepped up to her. He stared at her features for a moment, then placed one of his hands on her head, bringing her into a deep kiss.

Matt smiled, as he watched his two friends, finally expressing their feelings for one another. He then stared at Mimi, who was looking at him. She smiled at him, and hugged his shoulders. Matt brought her face to his lips, and kissed her.

It felt as if the last time they kissed, had been years ago. The feeling of her lips to his, was almost forgotten.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." whispered Mimi, after they broke off the kiss.

"You could never hurt me, even if you tried." he said smiling. He pulled her slim figure, closer to him, not wanting to move.

~*~*~Matt!~*~*~ something called out. It was Aaron. ~*~*~Don't. Don't get to close to her. You're going to hurt her.~*~*~

'What are you talking about? I would never hurt her!'

~*~*~But you will. You don't know it, but you're going to hurt her more than anyone ever will. Just save yourself the trouble and heartache, and break it off now. I don't want either of you, to go through the trouble I see in the future.~*~*~

'Aaron, I won't hurt her! I promise!' shouted Matt's mind. 'I care about her.'

~*~*~I know you do. But it won't last. You weren't meant to be together. I'm sorry, but it's true.~*~*~

'Aaron please! I'm happy! She cares about me! Why are you telling me this?'

~*~*~Because. Matt, you have to listen to me! In the near future, you'll end up breaking Mimi's heart so bad, she'll never make it! She's going to die if you don't break it off!~*~*~

'I'm sorry Aaron. I don't believe you. I'm not breaking our relationship up.'

~*~*~I'm sorry to hear you say that. You'll see what I mean in due time. You'll learn the hard way.~*~*~

With that, Aaron's voice disappeared, and Matt was brought back to reality.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Izzy to the group. "Gennai told me how to get to the next destination, and hopefully next stone."

"Ready when you are." said Tai, holding Sora's hand.

"Okay. Sora, place the stone in the groove of your crest."

Sora examined her crest for a small groove. She flipped it over, and there it was. The stone fit perfectly.

A huge pink light washed over them. At first, they were all paralyzed, not able to move a muscle. Then, they became used to the light, and were able to move. They took off from the ground, and began floating in the air, to a new world, where they had no clue what to expect.

Aaron's voice appeared in Matt's head again. ~*~*~She'll die.~*~*~ It then vanished, as the light sucked them up, and transported them away from the castle, into total blackness......

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