Ok, brief intro... The Lyoko characters are now all dogs of differing breeds, with the exception of Jeremie, he is now and adult human like XANA. Confused? The story will help clear that up.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko or the song Hero. More fortunate people than I do.
I stand on the battlefield, my purple harness heavy, dogs lined by my sides for as far as I can see. As far as I dare see. On the other side of the valley there is another line of dogs. I scan the horizon, trying to recognize my opposition. It's Jeremie's army, that much I know.
I remember back to when I first learned about the XANA and Jeremie, I was only ten months old, almost at the age where they start taking dogs. They took my sisters and split them up. Three of them were assigned to Jeremie's Army, the other two, like me, assigned to XANA's Army.
A yelp was heard, the signal to attack, I had little choice in the matter, so I ran down the hill, shoulder to shoulder with my comrades. The opposing side did the same. The sides met in the middle, rearing and biting at each other. I heard Ulrich, a German Shepherd who had befriended me, yelp in pain. Oh, excuse me, it was Number 2652.
I forgot to introduce myself didn't I? My name is Odd to my friends and family, to XANA's Army I am Number 2651.
I'm so high. I can hear heaven.
I'm so high. I can hear heaven.
Oh but heaven, no heaven don't hear me.
I reared and lunged at Ulrich's attacker, a Poodle, what were they thinking? A Poodle in the army? Oh well, easier to beat. This Poodle was Number 3125, Sissi. I could tell, it said so on her harness, which was maroon. Interesting color choice I'll admit, but still, battle was battle, I had to get her to flee.
Yes, flee. Am I supposed to kill her? Yes, but I'm not big on killing, I'd rather get her to flee, despite the fact that XANA will see me and beat me later. I already had scars from his beatings, what were a few more in exchange for a life?
"Odd! I'll handle her! It's not worth it for her!" Ulrich yelled at me before he charged into Sissi. I stepped back and went to find my own opponent. Which wasn't too hard, it wasn't long until I saw a beautiful light colored Husky getting attacked by a black Pit-bull. I'd seen this Pit-bull before, and the Husky was on my side.
"Back off Darkling!" I growled as I barreled into his side. This Pit-bull was completely black, with brown eyes and a black harness. Dark in every sense of the word. Number 2666, William. He had been recruited at the same time as me and had been assigned to Jeremie's Army.
The Husky however, had been recruited slightly after Ulrich, Yumi, and me. I'll introduce Yumi later, this Husky had a pink harness and she had green eyes. She was Number 3026, but I preferred to call her Aelita, as that was her name. She was beautiful and not the best with fighting Pit-bulls, Rottweilers, or Boxers. I helped her out whenever she needed it.
"And fight who? The Golden Retriever Coward Number 2651?" William snarled.
"Coward? Darkling doesn't know what he's talking about!" I growled and lunged at William, jaws wide, a stupid move, but I hoped it would work.
"ODD!" I heard a call, "Do you remember nothing?" It was Yumi, her head hit my flank and my mouth closed instantly as I was knocked to the ground. I rolled instinctively away and jumped up before facing the Rottweiler that was Yumi, or Number 2675.
"You're so stupid! Darkling here could have ripped your jaw right off! We were trained better than that!" Yumi yelled, somewhat breathlessly.
"I know!" I yelled back, "But I didn't think that Darkling knew that and it was a surprise attack!"
"You just didn't think Odd!" She growled, "Take Aelita and go battle someplace safer."
"And that sentence makes a while lot of sense." I sighed.
"Just do it." Yumi growled as she turned to face William, "Ready for a real battle?"
And they say that a hero could save us.
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold on to the wings of the eagles.
Watch as we all fly away.
Aelita and I ran through the throng of dogs battling. That is, until I saw a dog I recognized. It had been a while since I had seen any of my family other that Louise and Adele in months, but this was unmistakably Marie.
"Marie!" I called out; her golden fur was spattered with blood and she looked angry as she turned her eyes unseeingly towards me.
"It's Number 1476 to you Xanine." Marie growled. Xanine was the word for one of the dogs of XANA's Army; Jerem was a dog of Jeremie's Army.
"Marie, don't you remember me? It's Odd!" I called to her helplessly, had my own sister forgotten about me?
"Odd?" She asked, peering at me closely. One of her eyes was milky and a cut ran through it horizontally. Her harness was lime green and across the collar was her number printed in big black numbers. 1476, Marie.
"Yes, it's me." I said.
"Odd, how did they pull you into this?" Marie asked, she sounded sad.
"I had no choice Marie, you know that." I said, "How are Elizabeth and Pauline?"
"Elizabeth's been sent home, she got attacked badly, she lost a leg." Marie said, sounding almost relieved.
"And Pauline?" I asked, feeling my stomach knot as I did so.
"She fell victim to a Xanine." Marie said, "During the last battle, I got my revenge though, that's when I lost sight in my eye."
I shuddered slightly, I knew that XANA's army only lost one dog during the last battle. I had known that dog, a veteran of war, Number 0001, Jim. Jim had been a St. Bernard, a powerful one, he had been the first dog of XANA's army. Now he was gone, at the hands of my own sister. Now I truly felt that I knew what Jim had said to me when I first got here. He had told every dog upon their arrival that although united we stand, we are marching alone. Now I knew what that meant.
Somebody told me that love would all save us.
But how can that be, look what love gave us.
A world full of killing, n' blood spilling,
That world never came.
"Jim," I whispered, "You killed Jim."
Marie nodded, "Was that his name? His number was 0001."
"You killed Jim." I repeated to confirm to myself and Marie, "Adele and Louise are fine." I whispered quickly, "Up until the battle began anyway." I turned and ran through the battling dogs.
"Hey coward!" I heard a snarl from behind me.
"Go away Darkling! I'm not in the mood." I growled over my shoulder, how did William get away from Yumi? What had happened to Yumi? I resisted the urge to find out.
"Darkling? Who's that?" Challenged the voice, not William, good, Yumi was probably safe, as safe as one can be in the middle of a battle. I turned to face my challenger, it wasn't William, but it wasn't someone that I was glad to see either.
"Why, hello Theo." I said with sickening sweetness, "How nice of you to show up, ready for another beating?"
"It's Number 2498 to you Xanine." Theo growled, "And no, but I hope that you are ready to go meet your sister, oh wait, sisters."
"What did you do to them?" I growled.
"Oh, Louise was just too easy to defeat, so predictable in her attacks; I hope I get a challenge with you." Theo said off-handedly.
"A challenge you want? A challenge you'll get!" I snarled, leaping towards Theo, catching him off guard as I sank my teeth into his foreleg.
"Stupid move Coward." Theo growled as his teeth sank into the back of my harness, he lifted me away from his leg, my teeth leaving gashes though he didn't seem to mind.
I thrashed against him, my head hitting the chest piece of his harness hard.
Something crashed into Theo's side, sending him stumbling; he released his grip on my harness as he did so. I shook myself and looked to see who had helped my out. Aelita stood snarling at Theo. The chocolate lab smiled as he lunged for her. She dropped to the ground, Theo's teeth just scraped her ears. As he was in mid-leap I ran, crashing into his side and sending him tumbling into a rather large and pointy rock, knocking him out cold.
And they say that a hero could save us.
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles.
Watch as we all fly away.
A howl echoed through the battlefield, a signal to fall back. The dogs around me snarled as they hesitantly turned and ran back towards their respective bases. I turned to see the bodies that we left behind in the field. There were only a few, but I recognized them from a glance. Number 1477, Number 2754, and Number 0487. Louise, Heidi, and Yolanda. Two Xanines and a Jerem. Yumi caught up to me, limping slightly, blood seeping from a wound on her right foreleg. I gave her a questioning look.
"Darkling and I fought it out until we got the fallback signal." Yumi explained, "Do you know why we got the signal?"
"No," I replied, "Me and Aelita met up with Theo."
That's when I saw Ulrich pelting towards us.
"Ulrich! What's wrong?" I asked, he looked worried and shocked.
"I know why we were called back." He panted, "We have a captive."
"Captive?" I asked, "Who?"
"Adele caught Number 3571." Ulrich said.
Yumi gasped, "Hiroki!"
"No," I whispered, "Not Hiroki, anyone but Hiroki."
"It's Hiroki." Ulrich sighed, "XANA's got a plan for him."
My stomach churned, I had a severe punishment in store for not killing while I had the chance this battle, and I think now I know what it is.
Now that the world isn't ending,
It's love that I'm sending to you.
It isn't the love of a hero,
And that's why I fear it won't do.
Once back at the base, I saw that Ulrich had been right, in the center of a concrete circle, muzzled and tied to a metal pole, was Hiroki. His mustard colored harness was scratched and broken. His paws were bound with thick leather straps to the ground. He was defenseless. The dogs that had already returned stood crowding around the circle, and they whimpered and growled as XANA stepped towards Hiroki.
XANA stood, in his black shirt and pants, a whip in his hand and a black hat upon his head. His piercing red eyes scanned the area where all the dogs stood.
"Number 2651 come forward." He commanded, slashing his whip through the air. I padded slowly forward, looking up at him dolefully.
"You have failed to kill a single dog this whole month though you have been presented with the opportunity many times." XANA said, "Now, your final chance is here. Kill this dog, or I shall kill you. A dog that cannot kill is not worth the waste of air it breathes."
Hiroki looked at me, his eyes wide with fear as XANA stepped back.
I heard Yumi gasp and snarl as I took a step forward. To kill or be killed, that was my option. With so many dogs around there was no chance of escape. Jim's words echoed in my head, although united we stand, we are marching alone.
I stepped forward again until I would only need one swift bite to kill Hiroki.
"Don't do it Odd!" I heard Yumi snarl desperately, "Don't do it!"
"It's a Jerem Odd! Kill that Jerem!" I heard another voice call.
"United we stand marching alone." I yelled solemnly, "Kill or be killed, the horrific choice I must make. This war in unfair, tearing apart families, friends, and lovers, but in the words of Jim, Number 0001, we may stand united, but we are matching alone." With that, I opened my jaws wide and brought them crashing down on Hiroki's head, slamming it against the concrete as his blood filled my mouth.
And they say that a hero could save us.
I'm not gonna stand here and wait.
I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles.
Watch as we all fly away.
"Very good Number 2651, I have underestimated you." XANA praised. Praise I didn't deserve. I looked out and my eyes met Yumi's, her dark angry eyes filled with sadness.
"I'm sorry Yumi." I whispered, but I knew that she heard me.
She limped away to get some medical attention for her leg. Ulrich and Aelita shook their heads sadly.
And they're watching us,
Watching us,
They're watching us,
Watching us,
As we all fly away.
Night fell and I sat, staring at the stars with Adele.
"You captured Hiroki." I stated.
"I had to." She replied.
Aelita, Ulrich and Yumi joined us as we gazed at the stars.
"Pauline and Louise are dead." I said.
"Elizabeth's been sent home." Adele added, "I know."
"Hiroki's dead as well." Yumi stated.
"So's Sissi." Ulrich said, "I killed her."
We stared at the twinkling stars in silence.
"We do not howl at the moon. We cry to the stars, the eyes of our fallen comrades." Aelita said solemnly, breaking the silence.
Almost as if we were one, we took a deep breath, and howled forlornly to the dark sky. We howled for our families, that were dead or alone, we sang for our friends, dead or maimed, and we sang to tell the unfairness and suffering of war. Our song was joined by others until the air was thick and heavy with songs of sadness and despair. The sadness turned to hope though, hope flickering in all our hearts for the end of war, the end of cruelty, and the end of our lonely march.
And they're watching us,
Watching us,
They're watching us,
Watching us,
As we all fly away.
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So, what do you think? I got this idea while I was drawing, and I messed up the eye so the dog looked sad. Tell me what you think of it.