Part three and final to my mini series. This part will have four chapters, each chapter telling about how the characters come to leave the war and their lives after war as is needed.

First we shall address Odd's depart from war.

So as not to confuse you all, there are very few humans in this world, it's mostly composed of dogs in big towns and cities while humans live in smaller towns and the towns of dogs and humans don't normally intermingle. Also, dogs are very advanced and human-like in technology and such.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko or the song The Riddle.

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There was a man back in '95

Whose heart ran out of summers

But before he died,

It had been a week since I got off of body duty; I marched off to battle like everyone else. The sky was dark, filled with ominous looking clouds, the air felt think and heavy, my heart beat against my chest, my paws felt strangely heavy, and I felt a little weak. Doubt clouded my mind but I shook it away as the signal blared and we raced into battle.

Looking back now, I suppose that something was telling me not to go to battle that day, I just wasn't listening.

I asked him

Wait, what's the sense in life

Come over me, Come over me

He said,

During the battle I watched as Ulrich ran headlong into the throng before turning, searching for Aelita.

"Hello Coward." Snarled a voice from behind me.

"Darkling, how kind of you to notice me." I growled, leaping at William.

William ducked, grabbing my left foreleg in his mouth and biting down hard. My blood spurted into his face as he grinned at my yowl of anguish. I heard the bone-crushing crunch, felt it too, as he snapped my foreleg in two. Swinging his powerful upper body he spun me before sending me crashing to the ground. My left leg, rendered useless, caused my pain as I tried to stand up. Finding that feat impossible, I knew then that I was doomed.

Ulrich came to my rescue, though it was too late for my leg, he chased William away as Aelita helped me to stand and hobble off of the battlefield.

Son why you got to sing that tune

Catch a Dylan song or some eclipse of the moon,

Let an angel swing and make you swoon

Then you will see, you will see

My leg was beyond help and it had to be amputated. They cut the skin and pulled it away easily before stitching me up. I could no longer fight in this war. I was going to be sent home. Or so I thought.

Then he said,

Here's a riddle for you,

Find the answer

There's a reason for the world

You and I…

When I returned to the place I had left previous to war what I found was an empty lot. My parents had taken Elizabeth and left without telling me. Now I had no home to go to, and to have a home, money is essential; I had a little money from being in the war, but not enough to get somewhere to live and cover my medical costs. Soon my funds wore thin, leaving me without money for food let alone medical costs. I had little choice but to go and sit on the street corner.

Picked up my kid from school today

Did you learn anything cause in the world today

You can't live in a castle far away

Now talk to me, come talk to me

I've seen so many dogs pass by me, happy families with homes to go to, warm beds to sleep in at night. I've seen a young Spaniel many times, she talks to me, and she loves to hear my stories of war. Her name is Cindy. She's black and white, the way her fur shines in the sunlight, the bright curiosity that glows in her eyes, its all so beautiful. I love to watch her run about her yard, which is just across from the street corner I sit on. She looks so healthy, so happy, it almost reminds me of Aelita.

Aelita, I have not heard from her in eight months. She could be dead, she could be still fighting, or she could have been discharged. I wouldn't know. It makes me sad.

He said,

Dad I'm big but when we're smaller than small

In the scheme of things, well we're nothing at all

Still every mother's child sings a lonely song

So play with me, come play with me

"Hey Odd!" Cindy calls from her yard, "Come and play with me, just for a little while."

"I can't Cindy." I call back sadly, "I cannot leave this street corner."

"Why not?" Cindy asks, bounding over to me, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

"It is too painful to move often." I explain, "My fur has all rubbed away under my harness and the skin is infected."

"You should go to the vet for that, they can help you." Cindy states.

"I would, but I have no money, they couldn't treat me." I explain, "Its not just my skin that hurts, where my leg was broken, the bone has gotten infected. I am dying Cindy, slowly."

"You fought so bravely though!" Cindy cried, tears pricking her eyes, "You deserve a home, and to be able to get help so that you can live."

And Hey Dad

Here's a riddle for you

Find the Answer

There's a reason for the world

You and I...

"I know Cindy, but it's ok, I fought to keep dogs like you safe. All I want now is to know that you are happy." I say, trying to soothe the young pup.

"But it's not fair!" Cindy cried, "You deserve to be happy!"

With that she runs off, back across the street and into her home. I look to my right forepaw sadly; I never wanted to see her cry, to make her cry, never.

I said,

Son for all I've told you

When you get right down to the

Reason for the world...

Who am I?

"Cindy what is it?" Her mother asks as she runs into the house crying.

"It's not fair mom!" She cries, "Odd fought to bravely in the war only to come back and have nothing, now he's sitting on the street corner dying slowly and painfully. It's not fair! He deserves better!"

"That he does." Cindy's mother agrees, looking out the window at me.

There are secrets that we still have left to find

There have been mysteries from the beginning of time

There are answers we're not wise enough to see

Two days later I saw a newspaper blowing in the breeze, I trapped it with my right forepaw and saw an interesting article. The story was written and submitted by Cindy Delupes. I started to read it; it was titled 'Forever Marching Alone'

I am Cindy Delupes, an eight-month-old Spaniel, but that is irrelevant to what I have to say. Every day when I wake up in the morning, I look out my window to see the same scene. The dark street that gives way to gray sidewalk, the grass, the sidewalk cracks, and the sad looking dog sitting on the street corner. He's always there, but it's as if nobody notices him, nobody but me. He is a Golden Retriever with brown eyes. His fur is matted and in some places gone. His left forepaw is no longer there. He always wears a purple harness, upon which are printed the numbers 2651. I have asked him before, why do you sit there day in and day out? Why don't you go home?

And he replied sadly, I have no home to go to.

I ask him, why don't you go see a vet and get better?

He replies that he has no money.

I tell him that he deserves better, he fought in a war, and he deserves to be happy like everyone else.

He says that he fought to keep dogs like me, happy energetic puppies, happy and with our families, despite the fact that he has lost his own.

He can tell the most amazing stories, and the things he's seen, you can't even begin to imagine. His leg got torn off in battle, they stitched him up but his bone is now infected. His harness has rubbed his fur, making it fall out, and he now has multiple skin infections because of it. He is only two years old, but he has been known in the past as Number 2651. He has been branded with the mark of XANA.

His name is Odd Della Robbia, he is a veteran of war, he is dying slowly and painfully on that street corner, and he deserves better.

The batter swings and the summer flies

As I look into my angel's eyes

A song plays on while the moon is hiding over me

Something comes over me

I feel tears come to my eyes. Cindy's voice seems so strong in this writing; she must have worked so hard. I smile, for the first time in a long time; I smile as I look towards her house, knowing that there is one dog that cares enough to do something like this. I watch as Cindy steps cautiously out the door and bounds towards the sidewalk on her way to school. I have watched her do this many times before.

"Cindy." I call out, my voice croaks slightly.

"Yes Odd? I have to go to school." She replied, looking over her shoulder.

"Thank you. You really didn't have to do this." I say, indicating the newspaper article.

"But I did have to, I couldn't let my friend die like that." She says simply and scurries off down the street.

I smile as I watch her hurry away, happy that she cares so much, and hopeful that I might get help, maybe my pain will subside, maybe it will go away, but right now, I can feel no pain, all I can feel is the warmth of her actions spreading over my back and soothing my aches and pains like nothing I had felt before. There was a heart of gold in that one.

I guess we're big and I guess we're small

If you think about it man you know we got it all

Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball

And I love you free

I love you freely

Here's a riddle for you

Find the Answer

There's a reason for the world

You and I...

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You like? The others will be coming soon, I promise. This Cindy is totally different from the Cindy in Not One To Be Forgotten; sorry if that's confusing.