Sahara shifted. The smallest movement caused the board beneath her to react. She watched another racer disappear around the corner only to realize that she had unintentionally slowed down. Trying to pick up her pace she leaned forward, regretting it instantly. Somehow, she made it around the corner, almost crashing into it at one point.

She let out a sigh of relief as she found herself on a straight, the other races in sight before her.

"You're already falling behind." She almost fell off the board in surprise as she heard Terrell's voice in her ear.

"What in the world!" she exclaimed. "Why can I hear you?" she shot a glance around, yet Terrell was not in sight. She hadn't switched on her bracelet to communicate either, nor had she picked up a call.

"Relax, I just hacked the system a bit," Terrell told her in a bored tone.

"You what?"

"Don't worry about it."

The board swerved slightly and Sahara tensed as she tried to regain control.

"You're not doing too good," Terrell's voice commented.

Sahara clenched her teeth. She didn't need him to tell her. Seeing a pile of boxes her eyes widened. She lifted the board slightly high and yet not high enough. The board skimmed the boxes, knocking the top one over and almost sending Sahara flying.

"That didn't sound good," Terrell commented.

"Are you going to help me?" Sahara asked.

"Against the rules."

"Then why are you bothering me?"

"Is that what it feels like?"

Sahara didn't reply as she leaned forward in an attempt to catch up to the racers who were rapidly widening the gap. As her board sped up, she felt herself slipping backwards.

"This is impossible," she murmured. "You're board is too hard to control!"

"Really?" Terrell asked.

With frustration, Sahara noticed the gap had gotten even wider between her and the other racers.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Terrell suddenly told her. "With my board, the faster you go, the easier it is to stay on. That's especially the case when you aren't using gravity control."

"What?" Sahara asked in disbelief. "I just tried that. It got worse."

"That's because you aren't going fast enough," came the calm reply.

Sahara bit her bottom lip. Truth be told, she was actually quite terrified of the thought of going even faster.

"Impossible," she finally whispered. "I can't do this." She watched the other racers draw even further away.

She heard Terrell chuckle. "You're really silly," he said.

"Silly?" Sahara asked in surprise.

"I've told you before the secret to boarding before, haven't I?" Terrell told her softly/

Sahara didn't reply as she tried to figure out what he was trying to say. Her eyes widened as she remembered her conversation with him a good while back. Imagination and courage. Let go of all fear, picture yourself doing things you never thought impossible. By doing that, you'll make even the impossible become the possible, Terrell's voice echoed in her mind.

"Maybe you need to actually listen to my advice one in a while and try it," Terrell told her. "Stop thinking of everything that can go wrong; trust yourself a bit. You've been training a lot so your body knows how to react."

"What are you saying?" Sahara murmured.

There was a moment of silence. Then, Terrell spoke. "Board Sahara, faster than you ever have before. Don't look back but reach for the sky. Don't think; just let your body do the talking. Become one with the wind...or something like that." She thought she heard him chuckle. "Just have fun. Enjoy it!"

"Don't look back," Sahara murmured. Determination filled her. "Make the impossible become possible. Let go of all fear." She set her lips in firm line and her eyes hardened as she glued them to the front. She leaned forward, picking up the pace. When she began to slip she leaned forward even more. Have fun! Terrell's voice echoed.

Sahara briefly closed her eyes, feeling the wind in her face. They flew open as she realized that the faster she went, the more free she felt.  Faster, her mind told her, Faster! She leaned forward more. Faster! As she sped up and the wind tugged her hair she felt a smile come to her lips. This was different. This was nothing like she had ever felt before. All fear was fleeing from her, all hesitation leaving. Every pore in her body just wanted to speed up.

The next corner approached.  Your body knows how to react, she heard Terrell's words. She felt not an ounce of hesitation as she approached the corner. She was upon it and swerved around it gracefully. Realizing she was catching up to the others, she leaned forward, wanting more speed. The board responded in a way she never knew it could.

It lurched forward with such a bust that it almost surprised her. Yet Sahara kept it together. It didn't even hit her that she was going faster than ever before; that she was staying on a board with no gravity pull and that one wrong move could kill her. Terrell's voice was gone too, as though he had decided to simply let her board. Sahara noticed none of it. All she wanted to do was go faster. Her adrenaline was pumping and she felt a feeling she had never felt before. A thrill she felt she never wanted to end.

She reached the fourth boarder and swerved, almost clipping the girl's board as she passed her with ease. Sahara was going too fast to see the look of surprise on the girl's face. She was already bearing down on the next boarder.

A balcony appeared before her. The boarder ahead took the bottom way but Sahara lifted her board, barely letting it register in her mind how she only had to think of what she wanted to do and her body would follow. She zoomed over the top of the balcony, coming out the other side so that she was right above the other boarder.

The boarder glanced up before leaning forward to gather more speed. Sahara did the same and she felt the board beneath her seem to shift into an even faster pace. She shot over the next boarder, aiming for the next one before her who was currently in second place.

She was still a distance off, and yet the gap was rapidly closing. Sahara was looking nowhere but in front, a smile plastered on her face as the wind tugged at her. In fact, she barely even remembered that she was in a race or that there were other boarders with her. Her eyes sparkled and she felt like she wanted to laugh out loud.

Why have I never felt like this before? She couldn't help but wonder.

The boarder before her glanced back. Seeing her coming up on her right, the girl swerved her board that way, blocking Sahara's path. Sahara simply swerved back to the left only to have the girl do the same.

Not put off in the least, Sahara faked a right. When the girl went that way, Sahara swerved to the left and pulled up beside her. The girl glanced over at her in surprise. Sahara ignored her as she pulled away. She as barely aware of how narrowly she made it around the next corner, or how she automatically crouched and pulled her board up, the bottom skimming wall and causing sparks to fly.

It was a few moments later that she caught sight of the leading boarder up ahead. Sahara bore down on him. Faster, her mind kept urging her. It felt like her senses were on fire, like nothing could stop her. For the first time in her life, Sahara felt in complete control.

And then, suddenly, just as she was catching up to the other racer, she watched him swerve to a stop. A moment later Sahara saw the hologram finish line.

"Race over," a voice said as she shot over it. As she skidded to a halt, the world rushed back to Sahara. She felt the rush and the feeling of control leave her as she wobbled, stopping herself only just in time from colliding with a wall.

Breathing hard, she stood, frozen for a moment.

"Yeah!" she heard the other boarder rejoicing behind her.

Another board crossed the finish line. The girl she had overtaken. The others followed soon after, none looking too happy with the result.

"I believe I won," the guy who had come in first grinned as he collected the points.

Sahara barely heard him as she still stood breathing hard. Her eyes were wide and she was trying to figure out what had just happened.

"You did good." She looked up to see Terrell walking towards her. "Looks like you actually listened to my advice." He grinned as he came to stand beside her. "So, how was it?"

Sahara shook head. "What was that?" she asked. "I felt like..." she shook her head, "I wanted to go on forever. But it lasted so short..."

Terrell reached out a hand and helped her off the board. Sahara's legs wobbled as they touched the ground.

"It's called racer's high," Terrell explained. "Not everyone experiences it. But..." he smiled at her, "it means that you let go of it."

"Of what?" Sahara asked with wide eyes.

"Your fear."

Sahara simply stared at him.

Terrell reached out a hand and flicked her forehead. "Don't let it get to your head. It actually makes some people addicted to racing in a bad way. Things can get very dangerous if you lose yourself to it because it makes you unaware of everything else. If that happens, the other racers can be in danger."

"Uh hu," Sahara said as she nodded her head. She glanced down at her hands, still unable to grasp what she had just experienced.

The other rouges began to disperse. The winning boarder left with a hoot of victory. The others were silent.

"It wasn't a bad first race," Terrell noted. "But..."

Sahara looked up to see his eyes had an evil glow in them. "You didn't win. Meaning I lost five thousand points."

"W...now wait a minute!" Sahara protested as she realized where this was going.

"You're going to have to pay me back," Terrell told her.

Sahara's jaw dropped. "But you were the one to make me race!"

"You were the one to lose," Terrell shot back.

"B-but...!"

"Or maybe..."

Before Sahara knew what was happening, Terrell had grabbed her hand and leaned his head closer to hers. "You could pay me back in another way..."

Sahara's heart sped up. He was coming closer, and yet she didn't want to pull away. For some reason she wanted him to come closer. His lips were mere inches from hers when she heard someone clear their throat.

Sahara froze. Terrell scowled as he pulled back.

"Were you doing naughty things?" a familiar voice asked.

Sahara turned to find none other than Naomi standing there, her hands on her hips with her lips pursed in disapproval.

Sahara's face warmed up.

"You have the worst timing, twerp," Terrell told her before he snatched up his board.

"Everyone's looking for you," Naomi replied calmly. "You didn't come to work."

Sahara's hand flew to her mouth. She had forgotten all about it.

"Reagan said it was because you went on a date." Naomi's eyes narrowed. "Were you?"

Sahara was at a loss of words.

"What's it to a twerp like you?" Terrell asked.

Naomi shrugged. "Alegra said you weren't good enough for Sahara. She said you were a player."

Terrell's eyebrows rose.

Naomi's forehead wrinkled. "What's a player?" she asked. "Does she mean card games?"

"Sure," Terrell replied while Sahara bit her lip. "And why are you here by yourself anyway?"

"She's not," came the reply.  Orion stepped out of the shadows, his board trailing behind him.

"Huh, I thought she would bring the angry one with her, not you," Terrell commented.

"If you mean Alegra, she's helping to close the café up," Orion replied. His eyes shifted to Sahara. "Looks like you had a race."

Sahara blinked in surprise, wondering how he knew.

"How'd she do?" Orion asked Terrell.

"Not bad for her first race," Terrell replied.

Sahara smiled.

Terrell shot a glance at her. "Still not ready for the big stuff yet though."

Sahara's smile dropped.

"I'm not so sure," Orion murmured. "The twins said they'd bring dinner to the warehouse," he added.

"Great, we might as well head back then." Terrell jumped on his board. He reached down a hand for Sahara. However, before she could take it, Naomi appeared.

"I want a ride," Naomi told Terrell.

"Go away," Terrell replied.

Naomi scowled. "You're supposed to be my slave."

"That deal is long over," Terrell replied.

Orion boarded up beside Sahara. He nodded to his board. Sahara climbed up behind him, neither Naomi nor Terrell noticing. They were still arguing when Orion began to board off.

"You think they'll be okay?" Sahara asked.

"Hey!" Terrell yelled out behind them as he realized what was happening. Naomi took the moment of his distraction to climb onto his board.

The rest of the way back was spent with Naomi trying to get Terrell to go faster and Terrell trying to find a way to get Orion to take her. When they arrived by the warehouse, Terrell and Naomi were still arguing.

"I'm not sure which one of them acts more like a kid," Sahara commented as she got off Orion's board and headed for the warehouse.

"Sometimes I think it's the bigger one," Orion agreed as he followed her.

"I can hear you!" Terrell protested as he and Naomi followed.

Sahara entered the warehouse to find the twins already waiting.

"Finally!" Reagan sprang up from where he had been sitting at the counter, staring at a pile of boxes Sahara could assume was food.

"You sure took your time," Arden commented as he eyed the group who entered. "Even Alegra beat you back."

As soon as he said her name Alegra appeared from the back of the room.

"Where were you all day?" she asked.

"I found them!" Naomi announced proudly. "But they were doing naughty things."

The twins froze and Alegra's eyes narrowed. Sahara's face heated up and Orion simply shook his head before walking to the food.

Terrell was staring at Naomi in disbelief. "Hey! When you put it like that, it really sounds bad," he said.

Alegra was glaring at Terrell. "What did you do to Sahara?" she asked.

"Nothing!" Terrell protested.

Alegra turned to Sahara, her face showing she didn't believe Terrell for a moment. "What did he do to you?"

The twins leaned forward in anticipation.

"N-nothing," Sahara stuttered.

Alegra's eyes narrowed even further.

"He let her race," Orion spoke up as he peaked into the boxes.

Alegra and Arden looked surprised while Reagan looked disappointed, as though it wasn't the answer he had been expecting.

"What is this meant to be?" Orion asked as he looked up from the boxes.

"Dinner," Reagan replied.

Orion made a face.

"You raced?" Alegra asked Sahara.

Sahara nodded as Terrell walked across the room towards the boxes on the table, muttering something about no one trusting him.

"How'd it go?" Alegra asked.

Sahara's eyes lit up. "It was fun," she exclaimed. "I don't know how to explain it...but it was different than anything before."

"Did you win?" Arden asked.

Sahara bit her lip and shook her head.

Alegra's eyes widened slightly.

"Relax, it was a rouge race," Terrell said as he pulled out something from the box. It almost looked like pizza, and yet the topping looking very gooey.  Terrell bit a piece off. "She did pretty well actually. If she hadn't hesitated so long at the start she may have won."

Orion, seeing that Terrell hadn't died after taking a bite of what the twin's had brought, got a slice out as well. He made a face before taking a bite. His face looked thoughtful as he chewed, seeming to try to figure out what to think of what he was eating.

Sahara watched before heading over. She actually still felt full, but she sat down and watched as the twins reached for slices too. Naomi and Alegra joined them.

"Life can't get much better," Reagan sighed as he leaned back and munched on a slice. "I mean we're like a real family now. We have a father whose always beating his children out of love."

Terrell glared at him, making Reagan scoot closer to his twin. Yet he wasn't put off. "A mother who is kind and gentle," he added.

Arden decided to join in. "And who seems to be getting closer to father." He winked at Sahara who felt like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

"The youngest cute daughter who...well will always be cute," Reagan continued. "And the two perfect..."

"Most handsome," Arden added.

"Yes, indeed," Reagan agreed, "Most handsome sons." He paused before shooting a glance at Alegra and Orion. "And then there's the other two."

"The other two?" Orion asked.

Reagan waved him off. "I'd say our crew is perfect."

"You're making this sound like a farewell speech," Alegra told him dryly.

"Farewell speech?" Reagan asked in horror. "We're always going to be together, right?"

Arden grinned. "Not if you get yourself killed off by Terrell."

Orion chuckled.

Reagan scowled at him.

"Right," Terrell spoke up. "And it's not like Sahara's ever going to leave."

Sahara's head snapped up.

"I mean, it's not like she's from another world and if she finds a way back you'll never see her again."

Everyone froze and Sahara stared at Terrell in shook.

Suddenly, Reagan burst into laughter..

"Good one," Arden told Terrell.

Terrell only grinned, yet for some reason his eyes weren't smiling.

Sahara swallowed as she reached for a slice of the food everyone was eating. She had forgotten about that part. I'm not from this world, she reminded herself. I have to get home to the Kane's... she felt her heart squeeze with an unfamiliar feeling.

She took a bite of the food, not really tasting it as she chewed. The twins laughed, teasing Orion, and Naomi soon joined in. Alegra watched them, shaking her head.

Sahara finished the slice.

"I'm going to grab some air," she murmured before getting up and heading for outside. She suddenly felt like she needed space; she needed to be able to think. She went outside and sat down some distance from the warehouse.

Letting out a sigh, Sahara leaned her head back. It was slowly getting dark and she thought she saw stars shimmering above, and yet she wasn't sure if they were real or simply lights from the city reflecting off the dome.

Hearing the twins laughing, Sahara shot a glance back at the warehouse. Warm light flickered out from it and Sahara couldn't help but smile as she heard Naomi squeal. Feeling a sudden wave of tiredness, Sahara rubbed her eyes.

It's not like she's from another world, Terrell's words echoed in her mind. "Why?" Sahara whispered as she pulled her knees up and buried her head in them.  Why did she end up coming to this world? Why did she find a family here? Why did she suddenly feel like she didn't want to leave?

She froze and then shook her head at the thought. No, the Kane's are waiting for me. My new parents...I have to go back. That's the whole reason I'm doing this. Besides, she rocked back, This isn't my world. Yet even as she thought it, she almost wished it wasn't so.