Feeble links
Italics are thoughts. Disclaimer: I don't own CL but James is mine. Happens between season 1 & 2.
Chapter 1- X.A.N.As gift
Yumi sat on her bed wondering why Ulrich had asked to see her; he knew she had a family night in tonight.
"Darling," called Mrs Ishiyama. 'We're ready for you."
"Coming mum," Yumi pulled her hair out of her favourite black jumper.
Yumi gently trended down the stairs, but her hopes of not stepping on anything were squashed along with the toy that Hiroki had left on the stairs. As she entered the living room, she let out a gasp. In front of her lay a small mountain of exquisitely dressed boxes. Hiroki sat on the floor idle looking at the gifts.
"Shall we get going then?" Yumi said, before her mum could comment on the blackness.
Ulrich sat on the grass, waiting for Yumi to arrive. He couldn't wait to see Yumi's face when she saw Jeremy's surprise that he had been working on for weeks.
There came Yumi, skirting around the trees.
"Hey what's up? Why did you want to meet up?" Yumi panted trying to get her breath back. "I had to say I felt ill."
"It will be worth it," Ulrich rummaged around in his pocket. "Before we go I have... something for you." Ulrich blushed, fiddling with a little red box.
Yumi playfully grabbed the box.
"Wow" exclaimed Yumi. Inside the box was a black rose, mounted on a silver ring. Yumi wrapped her arms around Ulrich, not caring if anyone saw her. Yumi felt his body tense, and then relax. A vibration was felt at Yumi's side.
"Oh my god!" Ulrich pushed Yumi away. "Odd, keep your hair on.' A flustered Ulrich said to the open air, "We're coming."
"Race you there." Yumi said, obviously oblivious to how much that hug had meant to him.
The two reached the factory in record time. Yumi skidded off the rope, the ring glistening in the moon light, and touched the lift wall.
"You let me win, didn't you." Yumi ruffled Ulrich's hair.
"Well you have to win sometimes or you'll lose heart," joked Ulrich as he punched in the numbers.
As the elevator shuddered to a halt, on the scanner level, Ulrich couldn't help but smile.
"Come on Cheshire cat, let's get to Lyoko." The always impatient Odd huffed.
"Why are we going to Lyoko?" Yumi was now truly confused
"You'll see. Yumi, be prepared for a bumpy transfer through." Jeremy's voice crackled over the intercom.
Bump, thump, plonk. They had arrived in the forest region. Odd surfaced from behind a tree. Standing there, staring, was Aelita, who had only seen them a few times in normal clothes.
"You look nice with your hair down, Yumi." That was when Yumi realised why she had a rough ride to Lyoko.
"Come on follow me" gestured Aelita, her pink hair bobbing into the distance.
When the gang turned the corner, they saw the forest had been decorated with streamers, virtual food & toys.
"Thank you, guys." A bemused Yumi said.
They spent an hour playing games and mucking about; finally, having time to relax in Lyoko, after a tough few months. They gave up trying to get Jeremy to come. Earth tremors rocked their party. Not now please.
"Sorry guys, XANA's sent Yumi a birthday present, two platforms to the north," came the voice of reckoning.
"How can we, I'm the only one in my Lyoko form?" Ulrich was now glad he had come in his samurai form.
"Send Yumi home, Jeremy." Aelita said.
"Go home and get some rest." Jeremy started to type furiously.
If only they knew it would be the total opposite. Ulrich watched the last pixels of Yumi vanish.
"Right, Odd, let's protect Aelita as best as we can."
Yumi came out of the scanners feeling nostalgic. She wondered if she should stay. Before, she could decide the intercom crackled.
"Go on get home, it's your birthday. Give us a call if you see anything suspicious" Click. Yumi headed home, looking forwards to a long sleep.
Yumi got home & crept into her room. As she got undressed she kept Ulrich's ring on her finger. Her phone started to ring.
Odd found it hard to adapt to not being a cat. He actually had to walk instead of climb trees. It seemed too easy though. The tower was only a platform away.
"5 hornets at 12 o'clock"
It didn't take long for Odd to be devitalized. This left Ulrich with 4 hornets to deal with, and the battle had just begun. The hornets buzzed around the tower. Ulrich and Aelita both knew they were toying with them.
"I'm worried. These pulses seem too strong. " Aelita turned to face Ulrich. "I have bad feeling about this. Is Yumi alright?"
"Don't worry, everything will be ok," came the blonde genius voice.
All Ulrich wanted to do was get Aelita into the tower, stop this game and go to bed.
Yumi ignored the remaining calls, closed her eyes and dreamt about the factory. She stood alone in the scanner room, in front of her she could see everyone crying. Without thinking, she wandered towards the centre. At her feet lay her little brother, and when Yumi knelt down and touched him, he was cold.Withdrawing her hand, a thin silver-red thread of blood connected him to her for one final moment before that too was shattered and pooled on his face
"If only Yumi was here" sobbed Ulrich, who was sitting next to Hiroki.
"But I am here," Yumi said, "What do you need me to do?" Ulrich completely ignored her: he just kept sobbing.
"Ah!" Yumi sat up, shaking. 'Phew. It was only a dream' her hair was coming out of her night time bun. Yumi looked over to her phone. She had at text.
Aelita had made herself a place to hide, whilst Ulrich distracted the remaining three hornets. Ulrich stabbed a hornet that wasn't playing ball. With it gone, Aelita made a run at the tower.
The two hornets turned around and aimed their lasers at Aelita. Ulrich jumped on front of the lasers, saving Aelita as she went into the tower.
"Good job," came Odd's cheerful voice.
"What, do you expect less of me!" joked Ulrich.