Disclaimer: X.A.N.A.'s activated tower prevents me from executing my hostile takeover of Moonscoop. So no, I don't own Code Lyoko.

Thanks so much to the following reviewers: Mito, Ryan, Ria, Skyler, Mason, Tony, Nathan, and anyone else who participated.

' ' = Denotes thinking

After finishing another seemingly endless meditation session, Aelita stood up and allowed light to pour into her green eyes. Her bubble-gum pink hair and matching outfit stood in stark relief against the brownish-gray hills and rocks of the Mountain Sector. Trudging towards a white tower on the horizon she hears a soft clicking sound behind her. Aelita wheels around to face a Tarantula looking towards her from a few feet away. The two, one emblazoned with X.A.N.A.'s symbol, gaze at each other for a few seconds before breaking eye contact. The Tarantula turns away and wanders down a different path. Aelita's dull green eyes passively watch the monster disappear on the horizon, and then she slowly resumes her trek towards the nearest tower.

Aelita walks along wondering how long her existence would continue on Lyoko's desolate landscape. Knowing X.A.N.A.'s cruelty firsthand she concludes only an eternity or two of complete isolation loomed before her. Her once vibrant and wonderful life had deteriorated into nothing more than a meaningless existence. She couldn't help but stare at the dusty mountain path before her as she felt the emptiness clench at her insides. 'In that case, I might as well just end it.' Aelita quickly flings herself off the path into the Digital Sea below and relinquishes her grip on the world that had forsaken her. Immediately a pillar of blinding white light erupts into the sky where she touched the artificial water and vanished in that same instant. All is silent once more as if her actions never had occurred.

In the nearest tower, Aelita sighs with despair after regaining consciousness on the floor. 'Well, at least I can expect the usual result no matter where I jump. Even if oblivion would be preferable.' Calling up a program to act as a mirror she stares back into her blank green eyes and fervently wishes that something would spark in their depths. The black stripes under her eyes resurrect Aelita's memory of her first strong emotion all those years ago and X.A.N.A's most terrible deed.

-Flashback-

For what seemed like the millionth time, Aelita snapped out of her meditation to feel the pulsations of yet another activated tower. 'When will he ever rest?'

'Probably not until you're dead,' a cynical voice within her mind answered.

'Well, where's your optimism today?' replied Aelita.

'Wouldn't know, seeing as you obviously have it all.' countered the voice.

Giving up on arguing with herself, Aelita jumps down into the waytower to teleport into the Forest Sector. Observing that the activated tower pulsed with a red glow, she wonders how to get past the three Blocks guarding the exit. 'Simple. Run at them and maybe they'll be too surprised to retaliate,' pipes up a familiar voice.

Aelita considers the suggestion. 'Nah. For one it probably wouldn't work, and besides that just doesn't have a sense of style.'

Formulating a plan, Aelita leaps into the path and back from the safety of her boulder. As she suspected, the first Block swiveled towards the rock. It debated on investigating the flash of pink by the boulder and then crawled forward. The other two monsters stayed in their original positions and watched for any tricks in the forest. Aelita slowly creeps around her boulder to the tower side while the Block skitters to her previous location.

'Better be careful with this move; don't need to be having teatime in the Digital Sea. How she loved the quaint words she found on her many Internet trawls.' Shaking her head to focus, Aelita leaps over the boulder and kicks the unsuspecting Block off the path. A blazing pillar gushes into the air and warns the other Blocks around the tower. Forgetting about the giant giveaway of her actions, Aelita takes a shot to the chest and is thrown back towards the edge of the path.

Arms churning and a surprised look animating her emerald eyes she hurriedly jumps back behind her rock while laser fire flies over her head. Always having something to contribute, the voice pipes in 'Cut that one a little close didn't you?'

'Can't you see this is a really bad time to be distracting me?' quipped Aelita. The voice fell silent and in turn gave her an idea. She sank to her knees and released a pure note of song into the air. Weakened by the use of her magic, the elfin girl gazes in satisfaction as a mound of earth appears before her like a ramp. The Blocks around the tower become instantly confused, as their target disappeared behind a giant wall of earth. Aelita runs up the ramp, jumps high into the air with a back flip, and falls through the tower wall onto the bottom platform past the unsuspecting Blocks below. 'Now that's what I call a sense of style. Wouldn't you agree?' The voice doesn't reply. She soars to the top of the platform and places her hand on the screen. AELITA. CODE: LYOKO. The tower deactivates itself as she routinely executes a return to the past.

With an impish smile on her face Aelita revels in victory after another successful stop of X.A.N.A. Perhaps she can learn more about the humans and their customs while her enemy sleeps. That smile immediately fades as she feels more pulsations and a stronger presence of evil. Rushing out of the tower into the Ice Sector, she sees 3 Krabes and 3 Blocks rushing toward her…examples of X.A.N.A.'s ever growing strength. With a yelp Aelita twists around and runs back into the tower while laser fire rains down. The monsters, all carrying the mark of both Lyoko and X.A.N.A., open fire upon the tower.

Keening in fear, Aelita curls into a ball and wonders what to do as the tower shakes. 'I can't ever seem to beat him for any length of time. Is it hopeless?' A feeling of utter despair falls upon her and she wishes that this horrible sensation could be replaced with say, contentment? Research made that one sound nice. Her first strong emotion just had to be a depressing one. 'I seriously could use some help here.'

'Then ask for it.'