Princess.
A double-edged sword of a word, really.
On one side, happiness. A term of endearment, used only by those closest to her. A fond memory, a distant dream worth smiling about. Something that would bring forth positive memories associated with the word.
She could always count on her brother, her knight in shining armor, to bring that forth. Ulrich was always looking out for her, always there to protect her when she could no longer fight. Always willing to stand between her and her horrors, to fight them head-on when she couldn't.
"Yumi, Odd, anybody, please!" her voice was piercing, a shriek into a void no one could hear. Lasers coming towards her, a large blade looming over her head. Even though she could be devirtualized from Lyoko just fine, the feeling wasn't pleasant, nonetheless. Eyes squeezed shut, Aelita braced for impact, only to hear metal clanging against metal, and no injury on her person.
"You didn't think I'd leave our princess unguarded, did you?" came the reply, a smirk evident in the tone. Looking up, Aelita is met with Ulrich's figure, holding off William and his monsters with his katanas braced in front of him. She sees him wink, and despite the situation, she giggles.
It's present in the way he jokes around with her at Kadic, the knowing looks they exchange when Odd has done something foolish once more, or when Jeremy knocks himself out after four days of no sleep. It's there when one of them has drama, or relationship troubles, and talks it out with the other, and it's there when one of them admits to the other that classes aren't as easy as they seem, and the two help each other out. It's something that most friendships cannot replicate, and most relationships do not have. It's something of familial closeness, that bond of brother and sister that is so dearly treasured, and yet, always forgotten.
The other side, a much darker reality; one Aelita doesn't like to acknowledge even exists.
It doesn't always begin the same, but the ending is always clear, and always repeats itself. It always involves a man, either in black, or resembling William, with a wide grin, and X.A.N.A. infected eyes, staring down at her.
"What's a princess like yourself doing here, all alone?" The grin grows impossibly wider, and Aelita shudders.
Hands creep towards her, forcing her further back, further down, and though Aelita is screaming, no sound leaves her lips.
"A princess such as yourself ought to be treated with care, hmm?" the man continues, his grip not at all friendly, and impossible to escape. She can feel his breath on her neck and her eyes squeeze shut as a tear rolls down her cheek, her mind already resigning itself to a headspace that's only meant to be used to cope with the unimaginable, but instead, has become her only means of escape from her terrors.
After what feels like hours, but only moments have passed in real time, her internal screaming stops. It's at this point that Aelita has broken free of the man from her dream, because she's jolting awake, gasping for breath while replaying the events of the nightmare over and over in her head.
Aelita knows that these dreams aren't normal, that something must be wrong, but she doesn't have a word for her experience yet in her vocabulary. So how could she explain what's happening to the others? How could she face any of them and voice what occurs in these dreams, and not feel ashamed? Tears are shed, whether she wants them to fall or not, and she cries for what seems like an eternity.
Sometimes, though, the double-edged sword can have both sides in play at once.
"Aelita?"
Startled, she turns her head towards the other side of the room, and sees Ulrich in the doorway, clad only in boxers, an oversized tee shirt, and mismatched socks. His arms are behind his head, as if he was mid-stretch when she looked over. His brow furrows, and his eyes are asking permission to enter the room.
"Ulrich, what are you doing here?", is what she tries to say, but about half of the words are never spoken aloud. Faltering, she motions for him to come in instead, patting the spot on the bed next to her. As he approaches, she tenses out of habit, before her body recognizes that he is in fact not a threat, and relaxes as he sits beside her.
"Rough night, huh?" is all he asks, but opens his arms regardless, an open invitation that Aelita is all too grateful to accept as she sinks into his embrace, his arms surrounding her once she's settled in them. Her face is buried in the crook of his neck, and she has no shame; this is her Ulrich, her brother, her knight. And while anyone else may question her intently, or badger her about her night terrors, her inner demons, Ulrich is always careful to only ask when she's ready to discuss them. "Don't worry, princess, I've got you."
While it doesn't always happen, Aelita has divulged her fears more than once, and Ulrich is always horrified to hear them. Horrified that someone so sweet and empathetic is experiencing such hardship and sorrow, even if it's through dream form. Other times, when words can't quite form, or she can't speak the horrors that occur in her dream, she's content to cry into his shoulder, to let him hold her until she's limp with exhaustion once more, and to fall asleep beside him until the terrors go away.
Until they subside completely, however, he's happy to protect his princess in any way she needs.