Five Years

Chapter Two - Hope

"- Lyoko is different. We'll end up fighting to the death again to retrieve our friend."

"I'll do anything to get him back." Ulrich announced, climbing the ladder to the pods.

"Just don't get yourself killed Ulrich. Go Aelita." Jeremy ordered. Aelita nodded and followed after Ulrich. They entered the pods and they went through the familiar flash of white.

Virtualized…they were back.

Ulrich looked Aelita and himself over. Jeremy hadn't changed much with their uniforms other than the colors. Ulrich's usual yellow and black uniform was now all black with darkly shaded parts of red wrapping around his body. Aelita's pink uniform had taken on a darker…yet angelic shade of pink and her wings shined; cloaked in the brightest of whites. Aelita still had her Energy Fields, although it seemed as though they've gotten much bigger and they were now the same darker pink as her uniform. Ulrich's blades had changed to the same red in his uniform while the hilt of the swords had been covered in black. Ulrich held both weapons out in front of him and noticed that they had felt much lighter than before…he also noticed that he hadn't been there for five years…

My fighting skills probably suck now… Ulrich thought to himself as he sheathed his weapons.

"We should be in the same place where we last fought X.A.N.A and his army." Aelita said, barely glancing at the horrific scene that easily filled her head with the same horrific memories.

Everything looked the same…even the craters and blood still stained the virtual stone ground, but Jeremy was right…Lyoko was different. It looked the same, but didn't feel the same.

"There isn't a single sign of X.A.N.A. I can't sense him at all." Ulrich said, cautiously scanning the mountainous sector.

"That's what we told you in the hospital Ulrich. We haven't seen any trace of X.A.N.A, Odd, or William since they fell into the digital sea." Aelita explained, placing herself next to Ulrich.

"This doesn't make any sense! Why would he up and vanish like that? X.A.N.A said he'd be coming back for me too…so where the hell is he!?" Aggravated, Ulrich kicked the closest stone. Red blurred his vision as the rock flew. He stared at the rock until it landed again. He walked towards it, bent down, and picked up that same rock; while he continued to stare at it.

"Ulrich?" Aelita asked, holding her hand out.

"What happens when something falls into the digital sea?" He asked, never breaking his gaze on the rock. Aelita slowly approached Ulrich, but her words got caught in her throat when she saw the red stained rock. She quietly cleared her throat, trying not to draw attention to herself…even though that was impossible since Ulrich seemed to be so fixated on that rock.

"We're not sure what happens when something falls into the sea. I had always assumed that whatever falls in…is either destroyed…or it becomes a part of Lyoko forever. Since none of us have fallen in and returned we have no way of knowing for sure."

Ulrich tightened his grip around the rock and walked to the edge of the sector. Looking down at the same waves that had swallowed his best friend he choked when the tears struggled to break free.

"Ulrich?" Aelita put a hand over her heart, while the other held it there. She knew this had to be hard for Ulrich…being betrayed by a girl he thought was his friend…losing his best friend and boyfriend…being in a coma for over five years…and now that he was awake and back in Lyoko…Odd was no where to be found.

"Five years…" Ulrich whispered to the blood stained rock. He slowly blinked, taking it all in without allowing a single tear to reach the surface. Ulrich took a few steps back and dropped to his knees then held his arms out as he lowered his stomach to the ground. His arms hung over the edge of the sector as he watched the waves crash into each other. Remembering that this was the same thing he'd done when Odd fell into the sea, he quietly chuckled to himself.

His chuckles didn't last long as he felt hot tears streaking down his cheeks and joining his best friend in the sea. Ulrich gripped the rock that was still attached to his hand and sat up on his knees. He could feel Aelita's sympathetic eyes drilling into his back, but he refused to look at her with more tears in his eyes. He lifted the rock up over his head and threw it over the edge, to be swallowed up by the sea. Ulrich watched the rock hit the sea, never to be seen again. Seeing that rock disappear beneath the water, Ulrich could feel something inside him break. His vision blurred, head throbbed, he dug his fingers into his scalp and snapped. Everything kept breaking.

"ODD!" Ulrich wailed as if he was back to that same day…as if Odd would hear his desperate screams. Aelita's body shook as her own tears fell to the cold cratered ground. Odd was her friend too, but Ulrich loved him…she couldn't imagine if it had been Jeremy instead of Odd, but she didn't want Ulrich to feel like he was alone in this. She ran to the edge, knelt down next to him, and threw her arms around his shoulders.

"ODD!" Aelita held him as he continued to scream Odd's name at the unresponsive sea. Ulrich cries were left unanswered and he gave up on waiting for one. His shaking hands slowly went up and wrapped around Aelita's body, at this she only tightened her hold on her sobbing friend.

"Aelita."

"Y-yes Jeremy?"

"That's enough for now. I don't think staying there any longer would be good for Ulrich. We should let him rest…I'll continue to scan Lyoko for anything."

Aelita nodded and helped Ulrich to his feet. He was so distraught that he didn't say anything to Jeremy about leaving and he didn't fight Aelita when she dragged him back to the way tower. He didn't want to leave Lyoko yet, but he didn't have the energy to even try and stay. Ulrich gave up and leaned onto Aelita as they entered the way tower and became draped in the same flash of white.

They were back.

Ulrich and Aelita walked slowly back to the computer lab from the pods. Ulrich hadn't said a word, Aelita didn't push him. Jeremy saw the absolute disappointment and grief stricken expression that clouded Ulrich's, usually cheerfully charming, face.

"I have scanned Lyoko every day since Odd's disappearance, but the computer hasn't found a single sign of X.A.N.A anywhere on any of the sectors."

"Have you tried any of the other Lyoko worlds…we once travelled to?" Ulrich said, monotonously.

"I have. I did an entire scan of each Lyoko world we've discovered and…nothing. It seems as though falling into the digital sea does destroy you. Even X.A.N.A."

Ulrich didn't look away from Jeremy as he punched the wall. He pulled his hand from the dent he made in the wall as he walked towards Jeremy. Noses inches apart…

"Don't ever say that again." Ulrich walked to the door of the computer lab, only to be stopped by Aelita.

"No one at school knows about you being in a coma. We told everyone that you were on a trip overseas. As for Odd…he just ran away…vanished." Aelita whispered the last word.

Ulrich scoffed and left the factory, walking back to their dorm. Jeremy sighed and continued typing while Aelita pulled up a chair next to him.

School was going to be quite different now. Ulrich was stopped by several people; he'd forgotten most of their faces. He didn't care to talk to any of them and walked to his old room. He stared at the door, for what seemed like hours, and slowly turned the knob. He flicked the light on and was immediately attacked by Kiwi.

"Kiwi!?" He exclaimed, kneeling down. Ulrich petted the dog; he never really liked Kiwi, but he looked around the room and noticed Odd's side was completely clean, while his side had been covered in boxes that read: "Ulrich's Stuff Do Not Open! He'll be back soon!" He smiled, thanking, his friends for packing all his stuff up and keeping his room clean. He looked back down at Kiwi and noticed and bowl of food and water at the corner of his room. Ulrich smirked, stood, and plopped down on Odd's bed, since his was covered in boxes that he didn't feel like unpacking. He inhaled, but failed to catch Odd's scent. It's been too long…

"It's gone." He whispered, closing his eyes.

That night…every night Ulrich saw the same scene from that day in Lyoko. He watched his best friend, the only one he's ever loved, fall into the digital sea…disappearing forever. He'd wake up covered in sweat and tears, panting. Jeremy has even knocked on his door a few times during the night because he had heard Ulrich screaming. Some nights Jeremy even stayed in Ulrich's room, at least until he fell asleep. Jeremy would watch his best friend grimace in his sleep as the tears slid down his cheeks, staining his pillow. He hated seeing Ulrich, someone that is so strong, so broken…and shattered.

That night…every night Jeremy leaned over and whispered the same thing into Ulrich's ear, hoping it would calm him or give him the slightest bit of hope that he'd be with Odd again one day. That they all would.

"It's going to be okay Ulrich. We'll get Odd back, I promise."

Jeremy didn't know if he believed his own words, but he hoped that they were true. Every word.

He left Ulrich's room and without changing out of his pajamas or telling Aelita, he went straight to the factory. It was going to be a long night.

(A/N) Okay first, I'm sorry it took so long. I had some pretty intense Writer's Block. :( Anyways hope you liked the new chapter! By the way, this whole chapter is back in a flashback. That's why it's all italicized and the beginning part is from Chapter One when they first went back to Lyoko after Ulrich woke up from his coma. The flashback will soon meet up to the present which was at the end of Chapter One when Aelita said they found Odd. So please review and a new chapter will be coming soon! I hope. :)