Disclaimer: Code Lyoko - I don't own it. I do like it. If only that were enough...

Hi there! This is, I believe, my fifth fanfic. (If I'm wrong, please don't correct me. My math ego doesn't need any more bruising.) ;;

I feel really horrible about not updating Yumi's Bouquet, another one of my fics that has been dead for awhile. I would have, but this one has to be turned in for a contest. You understand, right? Anyway, enjoy!

Awakening

I've always been different. Maybe that's because I've never had a duplicate. There has always been, and will only ever be, one Scyphozoa. "That's because you are special," my creator, XANA, used to say. "You, my son, are one of a kind."

Yes, I thought bitterly as I trudged through the maze of corridors that connected the rooms in my home. But, "dear father," that's just because you could never figure out how to replicate me. Otherwise, I'd just be another number, wouldn't I? I'd be disposable, too. XANA had poured everything he had into making me, but had found it impossible to mass-produce me as he had with the rest of his creations. And so I found myself the one and only Scyphozoa, my father's pride and joy. I'd always hated it.

I reached the door to the Sleep-chamber room. The light above the door scanned my humanoid form, the one I chose to take while in XANA's base in the digital void, taking in my dark red hair, wide-set grey eyes, and – just for the heck of it – elongated ears that gave me a slightly elfish appearance. (A trait, I admit, I took from one of my father's enemies) I would much rather not look horrendous all the time. But who am I kidding? a voice inside of me, the truthful part, asked. No matter how much I change my outer-appearance, I will still be what XANA made me – a monster.

"Access granted," said a brisk, mechanical voice. I jumped, coming back to reality. "Access granted," it repeated. "Welcome, Master Scyphozoa." I scowled, wishing for the umpteenth time that my father hadn't programmed the doors to say this. The metal doors in front of me opened and I walked inside slowly. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the dim lighting. As they did, I made out the shapes of the thousands upon thousands of Sleep-chambers, all lined up in rows according to which type of monster they contained. I brushed my fingers lightly against the cool glass of the nearest one. This one, I noticed, held a Creeper, as the humans called them. Its body was curled into a tight ball, sealed in eternal slumber until XANA found need for it. I envied the creatures in this state, hanging suspended, without a care in the world. Almost as much as I envied the dead ones.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded and a hologram of Carthage appeared above the containers. "Dispatch pods, C-677436 through M-897007," said the computer's voice. "Release from dream-sequence now." The glass on a couple of Mantas along with a large group of Creepers, including the one I had been standing in front of, slid back. The Creeper I had been watching fell to the floor, picked itself up, and stared, transfixed, at me. On impulse, I reached over and touched its shoulder gently. I felt its mind open to me, and a few emotions reached my mind; fear, confusion, curiosity, and, above all, a determination to kill the humans, as it had been created to do. I grimaced, remembering that these newer versions came equipped with emotions, though none as complex as my own, along with the usual pain-sensors and instincts. This change was worse for everyone, except for maybe XANA, who seemed to take just as much pleasure in watching his own creations suffer as he did others.

I sent a wave of calm to it, soothing it. "Everything will be fine," I said to it softly. "Just go out there and fight." I sensed its comprehension and relief at my words. I hastily pulled my hand away so that it didn't receive my emotions.

"Teleportation sequence commencing," said the mechanical voice. All of the newly awakened monsters disappeared into blue light. I knew that they were all speeding away to Carthage right now, preparing to defend my father's secrets. I let the guilt and regret spread through me like a poison. I had told a lie to that Creeper. Nothing, from now on, would ever be "fine". The poor creature's fate was to either be killed today, or on another day soon to come, feeling every blow. "May you perish in your first battle," I whispered as I left the room. It was my idea of a blessing.

I decided instead to visit the Holding Chamber. This was where the lucky few monsters that made it out of battle alive stayed until they were needed next. Since the humans had reached Carthage, the fight in one of the minor sectors must be over. This meant that the survivors must be returning to the Holding Chamber.

Left… Right... Another right… Why did he have to make navigating this place so confusing? I wondered. Had I not spent my entire existence here, I would have gotten lost for sure. But the equivalent of two Earth years is enough to teach you how to get around. I arrived at the holding chamber, which, as always, was guarded by KA-088921. This particular unit was a Krab outside of our home, but had been assigned the job of keeping track of the returning monsters after several weeks passed without his death. His chosen appearance was a grey, shapeless form, with squinting eyes and eight arms (or legs, I could never tell which) sprouting from unlikely places.

"What do you want?" he snapped as I approached.

"Just give me the list of returning monsters," I sighed, not feeling much like arguing with him today.

He picked up the clipboard with an arm coming out of what I could only guess was a head. "Returning units," he read off, his beady eyes flicking from me to his clipboard with lightning-fast speed. "H-894553, H-894635, KE-788964, and KR-984338."

My breath caught. "Not T-308752?" I asked.

"No," KA-088921 replied sullenly, once again focusing all his attention on glaring at me, as if hoping that this would make me leave. "I can keep track of my files without your help."

I let out my breath slowly. T-308752 had been a Tarantula, and she had been a sort of friend to me. She, at least, gave me someone to confide my thoughts in, never telling anyone else about my hatred of my father and secret desire to be free. And now she was dead. I wished that I could cry, but XANA had never bothered to program me with tears. I would miss her greatly, but the pain was mixed with a sort of bittersweet joy. "Good for you," I murmured softly. "Good for you, T. At least one of us got out of this place, one way or another."

"What was that?" KA-088921 asked.

"Noth-" I started to answer, only to be interrupted by the computer's voice. "Master Scyphozoa to the Briefing Room," it called.

"I've got to go," I told KA-088921 unnecessarily, before starting down the passage that led directly to the Briefing Room. I didn't even have to wait for the doors to scan me; they flung themselves open before I got close enough. I entered the Briefing Room and looked around. My father, XANA, was sitting at the other end of a long table in front of me, staring intently at a screen through William Dunbar's eyes. I felt, not for the first time, a wave of guilt for reducing poor William to this, trapped inside of his own head while XANA used his body. Another terrible deed I had done with my own hands – well, tentacles – on my father's orders.

XANA didn't turn around as I entered, but continued to watch whatever was on the monitor with great interest. "They have hurt me for too long," he growled at last, moving over a little so that I could see what he was staring at. The four humans – Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita, and Odd, I remembered their names were – looked back at me. "No longer. I have a job for you," he said, addressing me at last.

I bowed my head in respect, averting my eyes. "Yes, father?"

"I want you to capture her," XANA pointed to Aelita on the screen, who was throwing an energy field at one of the Creepers. "I want you to make her throw herself into the digital sea." William's handsome features arranged themselves into a cruel smile.

I jerked my head up, unable to stop myself. "But doesn't that mean…?"

"She'll be trapped here. Like you. Like me. Like her worthless father. Or," he added as an afterthought, "she might die. Personally, I'd enjoy either outcome." His mad laughter echoed eerily around the room, sending shivers up my spine.

I stared at XANA in horror. Here I had spent my entire existence wishing to escape my father's clutches, and now I was asked to force my same fate onto someone else. Either that or I'd be responsible for her death. I felt vaguely sick. Without willing it, the question I had wanted to ask since my very creation burst from me. "Why?"

My father, who had turned to watch the Lyoko warriors again, whipped around. "What did you say?" he asked in a deadly whisper.

"Why?" I repeated. "Why are you doing this? What could you possibly have to gain-?"

Abruptly, my creator was no longer standing across the room, but was right in front of me. He drew his hand across my face, knocking me to the ground. "You will not ask questions," he snarled, voice quivering with fury. "You will do as I tell you to." He had stooped and seized the front of my shirt, and now yanked me up violently so that my feet dangled uselessly several inches above the floor. "I created you. I created all of you."

"Yes," I sneered, everything I had been longing to say for years suddenly spilling out of me. "Yeah, you created us so that we could die for you and your worthless cause – to kill others. What's the point?"

He slammed me against the wall, now holding me by the throat. "Your loyalty is something I'll get whether you like it or not," he screeched. "I own you. You are mine."

I laughed humorlessly. "But you can't own us. Not since you made us feel. We're not just machines. We are alive, whether you like it or not." And then, the pain came. Every atom of me was on fire. I can't tell you for how long XANA tortured me – maybe it was only an instant, maybe it went on for hours. I only truly regained consciousness when it was over and I was lying on the floor.

"If you had been disposable like the rest of them, I would have killed you," XANA hissed to me. "Now go. Capture the girl." And he was gone.

I lay on the floor for what felt like a long time after XANA had gone, still panting as though I had just run a marathon. When I finally did open my eyes, it was to find another of XANA's creations standing over me. It had chosen a short, squat figure, with a tiny head and probably the brains to match it, appearing more like an overgrown flea than anything else. "Come," KE-788964 squeaked. "The Creator has asked me to escort you to the Teleportation Area."

I looked down at the little creature. "The Creator" he had called XANA. I was surprised at the loyalty the Kankrelot – for I now recognized that it was one outside of here – showed. XANA was no creator, I knew. XANA could do nothing but destroy. Something clicked in my brain. I stood abruptly and walked towards the door. "Thank you," I added to KE-788964 as I left the room.

Time seemed to speed up as I made my way towards the Teleportation Area. In a matter of seconds, it seemed, I was standing in front of the doors leading into the room, being scanned once again. "Access granted," the computer voice started to stay, but I had already pushed through. Beneath my feet, I could feel the machine hum into life. I stood in the middle of the room on the Teleportation Platform, closed my eyes and waited… waited…

The first thing I became aware of was that my feet no longer touched the ground, a sure sign that I had returned to my monstrous form. The next was that my eyes were no longer closed, since I had no eyelids to cover them with. I looked around the room, sensing that the humans were near. Sure enough, they came thundering into the room a moment later. Aelita stopped dead when she saw me floating in a corner. The rest of the group was distracted by a group of Creepers, including the one I had spoken to before. I mentally wished it luck before diving for my target, Aelita.

She tried to run, but I caught her in my tentacles and hoisted her upwards, reminding me irresistibly of what XANA had done to me merely minutes before. Her eyes widened as I opened the usual link between our minds. But instead of prying into her mind, I let her see into mind instead. I told her everything, from the day that I was created up to XANA's brutal attack. I added at the end my request.

I could sense surprise emanating from her. Are you sure? she asked.

I sent back an emphatic affirmative. I know this is how this must be.

Gently, ever so gently, I set her down for the final time. She looked up at me, her green eyes reflecting the same pain and joy that was in my heart, mixed with pity for me and regret for what she was about to do. As she conjured a pink energy field in her hand, I thought of my father watching through his screen, expecting her to now turn on one of her companions. Well, won't he be in for a surprise, I thought, oddly amused by the whole thing now that I knew it would be ending soon. Let him watch his favorite die. Let him watch and despair. That was my last thought before the energy connected with my body. I felt a jolt go through me, then my world exploded into blackness.

I opened my eyes. Everything around me was a metallic gold, and light seemed to be shining from beneath me. Is this what it's like to be dead? I wondered. It seemed a bit boring to me. In the distance, I heard a muffled noise that grew louder. I realized that they were voices.

"… and so, using the traces left in Aelita's mind, I was able to recreate his DNA code, along with saving all of his conscious self," someone said.

"Wow, you really are a genius, Einstein!" another voice exclaimed, this one vaguely familiar.

"Do you think it worked?" asked a third voice anxiously, and I knew that I had definitely heard this person before.

"Only one way to find out," answered the first.

Suddenly, the barrier in front of me opened and light flooded in. I was momentarily blinded by the sudden rush of light. The five figures stooping in front of me slowly came into focus, and I recognized them as people I had only seen through Aelita's memories in this form.

"Hey, look," Ulrich said, a gentle smile on his face. "Is that him?"

"I think so," Jeremie told him. "We can't be sure, though."

"Why don't you ask him?" Yumi suggested.

"Yeah," agreed Odd. "Did you, by any chance, used to be a weird squid thing?"

Perplexed, I nodded. What did he mean, "used to be"? I held my hands in front of my face. They were no longer tentacles, or long-fingered and wide as they were when I was in the digital void. They were small, fat, and pink. A young human's hand, I realized.

I looked up, wide-eyed, at Aelita. She'd saved me somehow, and set me free at the same time. She smiled down at me, and carefully lifted me into her arms. She smiled, I thought numbly. She smiled at me. Me. The one who stole her memory, who effectively killed her, who made her delete the sectors of the place she once called home. As Aelita gave me a gentle hug, I felt, for the first time in my existence, truly free.

After a bit of clever computer work from Jeremie, and a lot of begging on Yumi's part, it was arranged that I was to be adopted by the Ishiyama family. I am now living with my new parents, sister, and brother. Although my body is frail and small – though Jeremie assures me I will grow bigger and stronger as time passes – and my powers to read emotions and memories are gone, I am happier than I ever have been before. Because now, I know what it is like to truly be loved.
The End!!! I hope you liked it. I, personally, am proud of myself for writing a fanfic without any romance! (Not a lot of laughs in this, though...) Feel free to review... Or vote for me, if you're participating in the contest. -wink wink-

Until next time,

-Railynn