A/N: Welcome all! To my first non-Naruto fic! This is for the show Code Lyoko. Sorry for those waiting for my other stories. I just couldn't get this out of my head. I started rewatching this show, then I looked for some fics for it. And this idea would not leave my head. So I decided to start writing it down so I can get the gears running for my Shy Naruto and Runaways fics. So without further ado, the adventures of the Lyoko warriors begins!
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko either.
Chapter 1: The Question
Jeremy Belpois was in his dorm working at his computer late at night. On the screen was his best friend, Aelita, as well as his work on the program he was developing. "Alright, I think I've finally got it!"
"That's great Jeremy," Aelita said. "Do you really think the materialization program will finally work this time?"
"I hope so. Then we can finally meet each other in the flesh."
"And stop XANA for good," she added. "I'm so excited! I can finally live in your world!"
Jeremy smiled. He'd been looking forward to this for almost a year. He remember the day they met. He had gone to the nearby factory looking for parts for his mini robots when found a supercomputer and started up the mainframe. And when he got to the keyboard and started seeing what was on it, he met Aelita, a form of AI with no memory of who she was, who had been slumbering in a virtual world called Lyoko. Their friendship began, with Jeremy promising to materialize her into the real world. And it wasn't long before he made some more friends. Ulrich Stern, Odd Della Robbia, and Yumi Ishiyama. All of them became close friends who could count on one another.
But that wasn't all that happened. Another AI, called XANA, had awakened as well. XANA would activate one of the many towers in Lyoko in order to cause mayhem in the real world. In order to stop him, Jeremy had to virtualize Odd, Yumi, and Ulrich into Lyoko so they could escort Aelita to the activated tower so she could shut it down. And it wasn't easy. XANA would send monsters of different shapes and sizes to thwart them. Worst was while Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi could be safely devirtualized if they lost all their life points, the same could not be said for Aelita. If all her life points were gone, she'd be gone, forever. There was another problem as well. While the supercomputer had a time reversal feature, it could not bring the dead back. So if someone died from one of XANA's attacks, then even with the return to the past, they were gone for good. Thus, their adventures were often a race against time.
It was only another reason for Jeremy to finish the materialization program. Once Aelita was in the real world, they could shut the supercomputer off and stop XANA for good. Jeremy worked day and night whenever he could, sometimes forgoing food and sleep. His previous attempts had failed.
And now he believed he had finally done it. "Alright, here goes nothing. I'm starting the test now Aelita. Here we go!" Jeremy ran the program and though he wasn't religious, he prayed to whoever was listening that the program would work this time. Unfortunately, his prayers went unheard as a red exclamation point appeared on his screen, indicating that he had failed once again. "Damn it! Not again!" Jeremy shouted as he banged his desk.
"Don't worry Jeremy. You'll get it," Aelita assured him.
"I don't know," Jeremy said, his head down. "Every time I think I've got it… It's just getting harder to stay optimistic after so many failed attempts."
"Jeremy, looked at me." Jeremy lifted his head and looked at Aelita's face on the screen. She couldn't deny she was disappointed that it failed, but she didn't lose a bit of hope. "I know you'll do it one day. I have complete faith in you."
"Thanks Aelita. I promise, I will free you," Jeremy said with renewed determination.
"I look forward to that day."
"I guess I should start working on a new materialization program right now," Jeremy said as he prepared to start.
"No," Aelita said shaking her head. "You need sleep. My studies about your world revealed that lack of sleep can cause serious problems to your health. We can try again another time."
Jeremy sighed. All of his friends were telling him he need to sleep more. He couldn't deny that it was getting harder to stay awake in class, nor the bags that were forming around his eyes. "Fine. Goodnight then."
"Wait," Aelita said before Jeremy could cut the connection. She seemed nervous, which he found odd. "Before you go to bed, could I ask you something? Something I've been wondering about for a while?"
"Of course. You can always ask me anything," he assured her.
Aelita smiled. "Ok, well, can you tell me about love?"
Jeremy was taken aback. "W-what was that?"
"I was asking about love. In my research into your world, there are many mentions of love, and you and Odd have mentioned how Ulrich and Yumi are in love. It's gotten me curious," Aelita explained. "You'll help me, right?"
Jeremy couldn't help but blush a little. "Well, I'm not an expert on the subject, so I don't think I'll be much help."
"Anything help you can give is fine," Aelita told him.
Looking at her. Jeremy gave in. It was difficult for him to refuse her. "Well, how can I say this?" Jeremy asked himself as he scratched the back of his head. "There are… different kinds of love. There's familial love. It's the love you have for your family."
"Like how a mother loves her son."
"Exactly, and vice versa."
"It'd be nice have one," Aelita said quietly, but Jeremy heard her.
"Moving on," he said, hoping to take her mind off that. "There's also the friendly kind that exist in close friendships, and the last one, um, well it's a bit, err, tricky." Jeremy paused, wondering how best to explain it. "It's a really special kind of bond, often between a male and female."
"Often?"
"There are… exceptions." Jeremy said, remembering one of his old neighbors back home. "As far as I know, when someone is in love, they get this feeling that is usually a result of special relationships."
"You mean the ones that involve kissing and uses the terms 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend'?" Jeremy blushed but nodded. "But what do you mean when you say it's a result of those relationships?"
"Well, normally a couple isn't in love until they reach a stage in their relationship. In fact it's rare for two people to go into a relationship already in love with each other. Some relationships start in the hopes of eventually evolving into love and some just start because, well to be honest, I don't really get it myself. I've seen Odd date a few girls and he's freely admitted that most of those relationships were mere flings. Like I said, I don't really understand. I think Yumi would be better at this," Jeremy offered.
"You're doing a great job so far Jeremy," Aelita assured him. "I think I'm starting to get it, so please continue."
"If you say so," Jeremy said, not entirely convinced that he was explaining it right. "Anyway, it's not often a person ends up with their first love. Sometimes it's because that love turns out to be nothing more than a crush. A simply attraction that doesn't last."
"How can one tell the difference?"
"I don't know. I guess time helps you learn the difference, I think. Honestly, I'm just going by what I've seen. I don't know what it feels like. Although, if how Yumi and Ulrich act are any indication, I guess people in love tend to get jealous often."
"So I've heard." Aelita said. Both Jeremy and Odd told her about how whenever Ulrich was around another girl, it bothered Yumi. The same happened to Ulrich when Yumi hung around other boys outside the group. "What about you Jeremy?"
"Huh? What about me?"
"Is there… a girl you're attracted to?" Aelita asked hesitantly, though she wasn't sure why.
Jeremy blushed. "Um, w-well, n-none of the girls here at Kadic really my type," Jeremy answered, hoping it would satisfy her sudden curiosity.
"Really?" she said. She didn't understand why she felt a hint of relief and scolded herself for it. Jeremy deserved to meet a nice girl he could one day love. He was a great guy.
Meanwhile, Jeremy tried to hide his relief that she wasn't prying anymore. He didn't want to tell her she had pecked his interest. Things would start to get weird between them if she didn't feel the same. Also, he assumed the reason was that he was really looking forward to materializing a program like her. "W-well, it's getting real late. It's… Oh wow! Almost 3!" Jeremy exclaimed as he looked at his alarm clock before yawning. "Guess I really should sleep."
"Yeah. Thank you Jeremy. I've got a better idea now. Do me a favor though?" Aelita asked.
"Of course. Anything."
"Eat all you meals tomorrow, then make sure you spend the night asleep. No working on materialization until you're completely refreshed," Aelita told him. She didn't want his health to fail because he spent all his time trying to help her. "I can wait."
"But…" Jeremy tried to argue but Aelita wouldn't hear of it. "Fine. But I'm gonna start retrying as soon as I can afterwards."
"Thank you Jeremy. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Aelita. Pleasant dreams."
"Can't. I don't sleep, so I can't dream, remember?"
"Oh, my bad," Jeremy said.
"No problem. I'll be sure to have some nice dreams once I'm human. And maybe one day you'll tell me about yours." Jeremy doubted that. There was no way he was going to tell her about his recent dreams, the ones with her in them. They ended the connection and Jeremy switch off his computer and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, inside one of the towers in Lyoko, Aelita continued her research. 'There are so many wonderful things in the real world! I can't wait! To be able to feel, smell, and taste. I'm sure Odd will enjoy showing me why he loves food so much, if he leaves any for me that is,' she thought with a giggle. 'And me and Yumi can finally have some girl time, one that doesn't involve monsters trying to devirtualize us. And give Ulrich some tutoring. From what I've heard, he needs some help.' Aelita couldn't wait to spend time with her friends, especially Jeremy. Living on Lyoko was lonely. The only other inhabitants of the virtual world were XANA's monsters, and they weren't exactly friendly. And when her friends were virtualized, there wasn't anytime to hangout because that had to stop whatever XANA had planned and then they left. The moments when Jeremy connected to her through his computer were her only real escape from the isolation. Sometimes one or more of the others were with him, but most of the time it was just him and her. They would either work together on the materialization program, or just talk, growing closer with each session. 'It'll be nice to be there in person. I can find out why his cheeks change color. And do all the things I want to do in the real world and more with Jeremy. Go to the beach, see movies, and simple things. Like touching him, holding him, ki-' She stopped her thoughts and shook her head. 'No, I can't do that. We'd have to be dating. At least according to my studies. Still, I think a light peck on the cheek from time to time would be acceptable between friends.' She started musing about what her new life will be like. 'Maybe I can experience what love is once I'm out of here.'
Alpha: Short, but I think I did well. Next chapter will feature the Lyoko warriors fighting off one of XANA's attacks. An original one.
Odd: You know what would make this story a real hit? If you left out Sissi.
Sissi: Please. If anything, this fic should be more about me! With Ulrich of course. (She bats her eyelashes at Ulrich)
Ulrich: Um, how about no.
Sissi: Oh don't play hard to get, Ulrich dear.
Ulrich: Then how about I play impossible to get? (Odd laughs)
Sissi: Hmph! So stubborn!
Herb: Um, Sissi? I think it would be nice if you and I...
Sissi: Not a chance Herb! (Herb sighs)
Ulrich: Come on Odd. Let's get outta here and meet up with the others.
Sissi: Wait for me Ulrich. (She runs after him)