Warriors Rising
Note: Code Lyoko fan fiction, reincarnated earth time line. With Jeramie's development of a new function for the vehicles on Lyoko, his vision of LyokoZord is realized. XANA is still trying to take control of the world by placing everyone under his spell. He broadcasts his lullaby over the radio waves, thus turning people into his mindless drones, doing whatever he calls them to. The Warriors, who are protected by Jim's talismans, are able to enter the world of Lyoko and engage in the final showdown between them and XANA with the help of the bigger, badder, and better
Lyokozord.
"Together we fight as one !"--Eragon to Sapphira, from the movie Eragon
Chapter 1—Mindless Airwaves
It was a rather sultry summer day before school was to start and Jeramie Belpois had started attending his new college classes. It was the first time he felt so free, particularly with his refined social life. He and Aelita were still dating and hoped to wed after finishing their schooling and becoming employed. But he didn't realize that his life was about to become a tad more complicated when everyone around him began acting strange.
Jeramie wiped his fevered brow from having been out in the sun too long. He tended to overheat in such humid weather, but he had brought along a bottle of water for such an emergency. With a few swigs, he was feeling better and less like the energy had evaporated from him. As he looked around, expecting to see people playing on the first day of school without having much work on syllabi mentioned, no one was doing much of anything. They were walking around as if they were bland, soulless creatures. He didn't understand why this could be unless the heat was affecting them that much. But then he caught something peculiar by way of his superb hearing. It was a local FM radio station broadcasting a typical program of music, possible prize giveaways, useless information, news, latest celebrity gossip, etcetera. There was a signal that was lower than that of the actual broadcast, that of which he couldn't configure audially. His eyes narrowed, but then he had an epiphany. He was fortunate. Somehow he wasn't affected by the signal like everyone else had been.
It might've been something to do with the blessed talisman that Jim had given him during graduation, but he couldn't be certain as if something like that had kept him safe. But that didn't matter now. He had to alert the others and gather them together for a reunion of sorts. XANA was up to his old tricks, yet again.
As soon as the others had been contacted, they could see just what had been happening.
"I know this sounds ridiculous, but I think our talismans have some kind of spiritual energy, keeping the signal from affecting us.", Aelita said.
"I told you guys these are blessed by the shrine masters. They have mystical powers that no evil and I mean no evil force can touch.", Jim said, observantly.
"Not even XANA.", Emily added. The Morales family nodded in unison.
"We have more pressing matters to attend to though.", Yumi alerted them.
"Then we haven't any time to lose.", Ulrich stated, in a serious tone.
"Come on, let's go everyone !", Jeramie said, exuberantly, as they held out their communicators, gave their vocal commands and were teleported to Lyoko.
Chapter 2—Back In Enemy Territory
Surrounded by his entourage, XANA chuckled.
"They've begun doing my work, the clods. Before long, the entire world will be ruled by ME.", XANA said, with a sinister grin.
"You mean us, right, darling ?", Revenia asked, with a sultry tone. She stroked his cheek gently as she sat upon his lap. She was soon shoved out of the way, and Hypnotica took over. Then Chronia pushed her aside as Thunderia simply watched. She'd let her sisters fight over XANA for a while, but the squabbling was ridiculous.
"Oh, of course I do, ladies. The world will be ours.", XANA said as soon as he kissed all the ladies and left them speechless. He was enjoying his eminent victory as the world was being turned on its head, but he wasn't aware his victory was going to be short-lived.
One by one, the Warriors were virtualized into Lyoko and XANA's once pleased expression turn into one of anger. Before the Warriors even had time to think of a plan, XANA sent his creatures out to do his dirty work while he went elsewhere to harness the energy waves flowing into Lyoko from around the globe. He used a jar he formed from the surroundings of the grotto he knew as his sanctuary. He would wait until the right time to reappear.
While the Warriors were battling different creatures as well as XANA's entourage, Jeramie thought this would be the best time to summon the new vehicles. He shouted out his command code and the vehicles came swooping in to carry the Warriors away from the action.
"Hey, Einstein. Why does it seem like we're running away ? What are you planning ?", Odd asked, not really understanding Jeramie what Jeramie's offensive strategy was.
"You'll see Odd. Watch.", Jeramie said, hitting a button on his communicator. One by one, each vehicle started to link and the Warriors were moved around until they were placed in their proper seating arrangement.
"Allow me to introduce the new and improved LyokoZord.", Jeramie said.
" 'New and improved' ?", Aelita said, as if the phrase was presumptuous.
"It was actually inspired by Jim and his love for Japanese action shows.", Jeramie said, with a smile and a laugh.
"Guilty as charged, as usual.", Jim said, with a jovial chortle. The mecha itself was reminiscent of the old sci-fi anime shows that had been chronicled and watched only by the most die-hard of otakus. Jim happened to have quite an extensive library himself, and claimed to watch the show Mecha Maniac for 'educational' reasons. Susanne knew better, though she and Emily were guilty of becoming addicted to Maniac themselves.
Jeramie, Susanne and Jim had to explain what each knob, button, dial and lever were for before they could turn around and attack again. Naomi mistakenly fired one of her weapons and decimated a whole legion of Bloks.
"Splendid job, Naomi, but be more careful next time, you nearly destroyed some towers.", Jeramie warned. Naomi grinned in her usual ditsy way, but she knew to take Jeramie's warning to heart. Before long, she had gotten the hang of how to control her her area of the Zord and avoided blasting any scenery or "safe" towers.
Chapter 3—Behold the Might of XANA
When XANA had reappeared, he noticed his army had been dwindling. The ladies were still alive, trying to enact every trick they knew as well as their talents to fight against LyokoZord but couldn't defeat the mech, no matter how hard they tried.
"You girls are weak, but joined with me, we will be invincible.", XANA said, returning from his grotto after draining the world of whatever energy had been left within it. He was so close to having the world on a platter, and all that stood between him and a utopia of his own were the meddlesome Warriors.
The ladies happily cheered their master on as they lent him all of their strength, power and at last, their life forces. As they dissipated into nothingness, XANA grew stronger, as well as larger. In time, his size dwarfed what was once the mighty LyokoZord.
"If you think you can defeat me with that little toy, Warriors, think again.", XANA said, executing a rapid spin kick that none of them saw coming. LyokoZord began to fly backwards, knocking down trees and slicing through the very mountains of Lyoko itself. There were some towers that were being destroyed within the wake of these two monstrous creatures. But it seemed that XANA had the advantage of size.
"You forget about the mighty sword we wield !", Sissi said, maneuvering her lever as if she was handling the sword herself without any trouble. XANA's hands clapped down on the sword and he filled his lungs with air. With a mighty exhalation, he blew back the mecha into a mighty mountain.
The Warriors knew that LyokoZord was getting damaged with each hit XANA delivered to it, and he was still kicking the mech when it was already knocked down.
"What are we supposed to do now ?", Herve asked, beginning to sweat. When Herve became concerned like that to the point of perspiring, it usually wasn't a good sign.
"Listen...", Yumi said, noting that Emily had begun singing. Why she was singing didn't make any sense whatsoever, but she sang with all of her heart. It seemed that the song itself was a recovery spell. LyokoZord's magic points, hit points and stamina were all back at 100 again.
The LyokoZord's mechanical arms pushed back harshly against XANA with a grand roar. XANA was growing frustrated, but he wasn't about to be beaten.
"Not fast enough !", XANA yelled, springing upward and nearly landing a forceful kick to the LyokoZord's solar plexus. But, LyokoZord caught the kick and turned XANA around in mid-air. He sprung back up on his feet easily and tsked the Warriors and laughed as he continued punching and kicking them. He hardly had a scratch on them, and now he had sunk to the level of taunting them just to make matters worse.
The battle continued and the Warriors were becoming winded, but they wouldn't give up. Together, they began remembering their lives on Earth and the magnificent times they had spent together. If they died here on Lyoko, the world would never be the same again.
"We can't give up...We mustn't. For the sake of everyone, even our enemies...we have to fight !", Emily said, her eyes starting to well up with tears of determination. The others who were touched, caught her motivation and listened to her sing to cast the recovery spell again before XANA could strike. XANA had been too busy gloating and laughing maniacally. He was caught off guard when LyokoZord came swinging back and skewered him with the Sword of Truth. XANA coughed and sputtered, falling to his knees.
"Should've known I could never win...Sissi forgive me for the wrong I've caused. I wasn't in my right mind...", XANA said before choking, retching and giving out his last breath. His body disappeared in the wind and Lyoko shook violently as the Warriors teleported back to Earth.
Chapter 4—What of Lyoko ?
Sissi found XANA's death particularly hard to cope with. She had been crying constantly at night and nothing seemed to console her. She didn't want to tell Odd how she felt, he would never understand, let alone forgive her. She was in some sense, still in love with XANA after going through all of the horrors he had put her through, though her real boyfriend Odd had been far better to her.
One night, while remembering XATHURA's birth and death, and the recent demise of XANA, she broke out into tears and wailed. Jim was at home nursing a sprained ankle, or he would've been there to comfort her. Odd was far away, but even at this distance, he could sense she was troubled.
"Sissi, come on, pick up the phone. I know you're there.", he whispered while dialing her number on his cellular phone. Sniveling, Elisabeth picked up the phone and answered.
"Y-yes, this is Elisabeth Delmas. To whom am I speaking ?", she said, her voice shaking and her body trembling.
"Sissi, why are you crying ?", Odd questioned. Then, she froze and couldn't speak for a while.
"If I told you, you'd probably hate me.", Sissi said, weeping bitterly.
"No, I wouldn't. Believe me, there is nothing on this earth that could make me hate you. In the last few years, we've all been through hell and back, but no one has had more familiarity with the path to perdition than yourself...", Odd said, gently. His voice began to calm her, though her tears were still running rampant.
"Are you absolutely sure ?", Sissi said, biting her bottom lip nervously.
"Yes. You can trust me, Sissi. I love you with every ounce of my being. Nothing can change that.", Odd said, in a consoling and affectionate timbre.
"The truth is, I miss XANA. I think I had grown a bit fond of him.", Sissi said, feeling awkward about revealing her actual feelings for XANA, who had been an enemy. But at the end of his life, he had revealed there had been some good within him. Whatever tainted him had been released, and maybe, just maybe, he would be getting a second chance somehow.
"I understand you're confused. But you should know, I love you more than he ever did. He was conflicted between the definitions of love and lust. I'm sure he'll be forgiven in the great beyond, so don't worry. Just know this. I adore you, and I always shall. If I could put into words how deep my devotion goes, I would, but as you know, I don't do well with expressing myself except through wisecracks.", Odd said, with a chortle. His laugh made her giggle a bit. She wiped her tears and suddenly felt better.
"I'll be with you through this, and through everything else. Don't forget that.", Odd mentioned, before giving her a kiss over the phone and reminding her he loved her more than life itself.
"Come over here, and maybe we can discuss this better.", Elisabeth suggested with a soft smile, and with that, despite the hour, Odd had been able to make the long trek to Elisabeth's dorm in a completely different campus. But it had been worth it just to see her smile and to hold her close.
The Warriors were concerned with what had become of Lyoko after the defeat and death of XANA. It seemed that Lyoko had dissipated once XANA was gone, but such was not the case. To perform an ancient experiment, Jim had built a fire that night and began chanting a rustic spell. From the flames, he could hear the voices from Lyoko. It was as if Lyoko repaired itself on its own.
"It speaks...", he said, as if he was a mouthpiece himself.
"Incredible...", everyone said in unison.
"They thank us for our bravery for freeing them from their enslavement. Thanks to us, they can rule the land as they see fit.", Jim said, as soon as the flames began to flicker.
"I suppose that means Lyoko is every bit as alive with or without XANA. But now the true Lyokoians have been able to rise from their oppression and live as they were meant to.", Emily explained.
"Thank goodness. But you know, I as the Princess will have to make a visit to make certain they are fairing well...", Aelita mentioned.
"Of course, and I shall accompany you.", Jeramie said.
"And we can join you, should you acquire a royal court, my lady.", Ulrich added.
"All hail the Prince and Princess !", the others exclaimed. They would one day return as they had planned, but first they would have to worry about homework first before they had enough free time in order to make the trip necessary.
Epilogue
It was summer break, and Jeramie and his friends had finally had some time to renter Lyoko. They had met the true Lyokoians, who had been suppressed within the data files of the Internet. When XANA had been tainted with prospects of power and ultimate control, the Lyokoians were oppressed until they became part of the land itself. When XANA's power and control had been broken, they had been able to reappear and live in symbiosis with the land. When they saw Aelita they welcomed her with open arms, and they were more than happy to meet their Prince, Jeramie. The royal court too, were harolded as heroes and given a hero's celebration. They would always be seen as courageous by the Lyokoians and given generous cheers and praise. The heroes themselves wouldn't forget how important they felt. And even if evil did indeed come to visit Lyoko again, the Warriors would be ready. They would some day pass down their knowledge to their progeny, and the cycle would continue until evil was no more.
The End