Hay, after what four years, I finally decided to publish a chapter! So yeah, since there was only one, kinda short chapter before this one, I figure that you can go re-read that to remember what just happened... even though this chapter has nothing to do with last chapter. I dont know if anyone's still waiting for an update on this story, if i was that person I would have given up, but if there is still someone out there that read the first chapter a while ago, thank you so much!

Anyway, thanks to Aelita Stones1 and Lyoko Dreamer for making me remember this was a great story and that it was here (Really, that's what inspired me to write this chapter). And also a big thanks to... YUKIIN, Sora Means Sky, york 999, xxdawnbreakerxx, and Lost Animus for reviewing the last and until now only chapter.

The word xana sends fear to many a heart

But it is only that to someone who is smart

Brains he has but courage he has not

Well, that wont do for this little plot...

Jeremy glanced around nervously, it was dangerous enough to go an open area like this, the ruined castle he was about to enter the only visible thing for miles, much less a forbidden area in Xana's territory. The blond boy shuddered, if he was found that'd be it for him, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice, taxes were high and getting higher by the minute. As the poor son of an even poorer merchant Jeremy needed all the money he could get, which was why he was here. He turned back to the castle, satisfied that nobody was coming, and began the process of climbing over crumbled walls and rubble.

The castle he was in had been vacant for most of the boy's life, the ancient walls crumbling with age and plants starting to grow on top of them. It had once been the capital of the land of Lyoko, but it had fallen some time ago when Xana attacked. For now the Hermitage was abandoned, and, as Jeremy soon discovered, empty of anything useful except for some nice sized rocks.

"Nothing," He fumed taking his anger out on a rock next to his feet, "I found out where this place was, snuck past the guards, came all the way out here and nothing!" With one last, painful kick, Jeremy hopped away from the rock clutching his bruised foot in one hand.

"Hay, who's down there?" A man called from one of the upper floors. Jeremy's eyes widened.

"What're you hollerin' at Fred?" another man asked.

"Someone's down there." The first man said. Jeremy looked around frantically, he needed to escape, needed to hide, but there wasn't anywhere to go, the only way out of the room he was in was in the direction that the two voices had come from.

"Well let's go check it out." A third man said, and soon footsteps were echoing down the hallway, not of just three men either if the sound was anything to go by. Jeremy ran around frantically pushing against every wall. Old castles had secret passageways, he reasoned frantically. The men were almost there when Jeremy tried the last wall. No stone gave in, no secret passage appeared, nothing. He needed to get out, they were almost there, he couldn't get out.

"Oh god, help." He muttered under his breath as he looked around frantically one last time, and suddenly there was a passageway in the far corner of the room. He didn't stop to question where it had come from, or why he hadn't seen it sooner. Jeremy just ran down the new corridor, not noticing when it closed behind him. He ran several fights of spiraling stairs before he collapsed, out of breath in a large room several floors underground.

After several minutes of heavy breathing and one last check to make sure that no one was following him, Jeremy finally decided to look around the surprisingly well lit room, and gasped in shock. Around the edges of the room were all the gold, jewels, and finery than Jeremy could have ever imagined, yet that wasn't what caught his eye. In the center of the room was a large pink rock of a kind that Jeremy had never seen anywhere. He stood up and walked towards the stone, examining it from all angles. It was semi transparent and almost seemed to be glowing, and on the side there was an inscription in a language that Jeremy had only read about in a very old book.

Heed to those who may enter this place

For you have no reason to fear

The light is not dark

Nor will it leave you

Until the king returns to his princess

And the prince is returned to his throne

For the pieces to be united

The last must be together

Forget the lies, pure heart

Until you give the last

And only then will you win.

When translated the runes really didn't make any sense, and Jeremy was almost sure that he had translated them wrong. But he wasn't a bookworm for nothing; he was probably the only person in his village who could read, much less in another language. There was some dust on it though. The moment Jeremy's hand touched the stone a bright light shown in his face as the gem began to glow from within.

He shielded his eyes from the light for a moment and when he opened them the gem was gone. In its place there was a girl in an expensive looking pink dress, with shockingly pink hair. Jeremy stared at her for a moment, noticing the rise and fall that signified breathing, before she began to stir. The girl sat up slowly, as if she wasn't sure what she was doing, and when she opened her eyes Jeremy realized that they were the most beautiful shade of green that he had ever seen. Her head tilted cutely to the side as she looked at him.

"Who are you?" She asked breaking him from his trance.

"Oh, me," Jeremy stuttered, "I-I'm Jeremy." The girl smiled sweetly.

"Hello Jeremy, I'm Aelita, would you happen to know where we are?"

So, it's short I know, but I managed to write this whole thing in about three hours... maybe two and a half, I'm not sure, I took a lot of breaks. Anyway, this story is now back in business... Kind of... anyway tell me what you think, constructive criticism is welcome.

/Eve/