"This thunderstorm has got to be X.A.N.A.'s doing," Yumi panted as she leaned against a scanner before stepping in. "We rarely get them here, and nothing like-" her words were cut off by another muffled boom. "Nothing like that," she finished and Ulrich and Odd nodded.
"You guys go," Aelita said, shivering slightly. The thunder sounded as if it was getting closer. "I'll catch you up." Her friends nodded, and Aelita heard Jeremie the familiar commands into the computer. His voice echoed over the loud speaker.
"Jeremie," she said softly as she stepped into the scanner herself. "Be careful. If you even think you hear the sound of static in the factory, get out of that computer room."
Silence. "Jeremie?"
"I know, Aelita. Don't worry about me. You be careful too." Aelita smiled, and nodded.
"I will."
With that, she heard him put the commands in for her own virtualization. Despite everything, she felt that rush of fear and adrenaline she always felt when going back to Lyoko. It was a virtual nightmare, but it had been her home for so long. Digital air surrounded her as she felt herself be virtualized. Her eyes slid open, and she dropped, landing among the silent mist and hills of the mountain region.
Her fellow warriors grinned at her. "Ready to go, Princess?" Ulrich asked her, smirking and stretching.
Aelita smiled. "I'm always ready."
"Good, because you've got quite the welcoming committee," Jeremie called to them. "At least ten hornets, and more coming. I'm sending you your vehicles. Aelita, you know what to do." Aelita grinned. She flicked her hand over the star bracelet on her wrist, then sailed up into the air on virtual white and pink wings.
The hornets- nasty things, buzzing and hissing though the air at breakneck speed- noticed her, and three broke away to chase her. Aelita giggled, feeling the rush she had become used to.
"Hello, boys," She stopped in mid air. "Can't keep away from me, could you?" Humming softly, she felt the energy come to her, and watched as a small pink ball of static and energy filled her palm. She grinned at the oncoming insects.
"Here's a kiss from me," she called, and let the energy field fly. It hit one of the hornets square in the face, and it blew up. From below, she could hear the cheers of her friends.
"Awesome, Princess!" Odd was yelling as he blew up a hornet of his own, and did a loop-de-loop on his overboard. Aelita laughed, shaking her head.
"Ahhh!"
Jeremie's voice, tight with fear and pain, echoed around them. Aelita gasped, and almost lost her power over her wings.
"Jeremie?" No answer, and panic filled her heart. "Jeremie!"
"Let's hurry," Yumi shouted, also sounding nervous. "Let's stop the attack before it gets worse."
Aelita could barely think for the terror that Jeremie could be severely hurt. Just then, pain blasted at the small of her back, and Aelita screamed, loosing control of her wings. Yumi swooped towards her on the over wing, and Aelita caught the edge, barely.
"Thanks," she panted as she pulled herself up.
"You won't be thanking me just yet,' Yumi said suddenly, her voice full of dread. "Look what's waiting for us at the tower."
Aelita peeked around Yumi, and winced. "Oh, glorious. Flotsom and Jetsom."
Yumi snorted a laugh in spite of herself. "I'm assuming William's Flotsom?"
Aelita smiled wryly. "You're the one he likes. You guess." Yumi made a face.
"In that case, can he be Ursula?"
Aelita laughed and nodded. "You and me can go after the pretty boy," she said, and nodded to the boys. "Could you two play keep away with the Skyphazoa for a minute or too?"
Ulrich grinned. "Sure, Princess."
"Calamari time!" Odd shouted and sped towards the massive jellyfish that twisted and turned gracefully next to its possessed master.
Aelita and Yumi rolled their eyes, and zoomed towards their enemy.
"Hello, William," they called in unison. Yumi hopped off the overwing while Aelita took to the air. William turned his blank, black eyes on them. Yumi smirked.
"Did you really miss us that much?"
"Aelita, look out!"
Aelita spun, and just barely missed getting picked up by the Skyphazoa. She sent a glare towards Odd and Ulrich, who were running towards her.
"I thought you said you'd play keep away!"
'That stupid jellyfish is way too good at keeping away from us!" Odd yelled, trying to hit the thing with another of his laser arrows. The Skyphazoa dodged it easily, and moved toward Aelita.
She didn't have time for this, Aelita thought as she backed up, petrified. Jeremie was no where to be heard, and she had to get to the tower before the factory got electrocuted- with Jeremie in it. Suddenly, an idea occurred to her. It was risky, but…
Live a little. Hadn't she been telling Jeremie that all morning?
Her eyes narrowed, and she took to the air.
"Aelita?"
Relief filled her heart when Jeremie's voice echoed around Lyoko. "Jeremie! What happened?"
"The storms really bad now, but I'm okay. The elevator's down, but I got the super computer on back-up power, so we're alright for the moment. If you guys hurry, we might be able to get out of this mess without a return to the past. But, Aelita, what are you doing?"
Aelita smiled slightly. "Living a little." Jeremie started to protest, but she ignored him. Instead, she set her eyes on the ugly, graceful monster that had tried to put it's tentacles on her way too many times for her liking. Her eyes narrowed, and with a shout, she dived straight at the thing.
"Aelita!"
Tentacles reached out to grab her, but missed as she whizzed by its head at breakneck speed. She turned sharply, and flew up in a tight corkscrew around the thing. She felt the numb sides of the clear arms bounce harmlessly off her, and felt a ray of hope. Maybe this would work. She went faster, and slide away from another tentacle as she skimmed over the ground.
The Skyphazoa let out a scream of obvious fury, and Aelita turned back around.
"You really are all wrapped up in yourself, you horrible monster," she called, watching the Skyphazoa struggle to untangle its many limbs from around itself. "How does it feel to be trapped?"
She heard a cheer behind her, and saw the black mist of William's power fade as he was pushed into the digital sea. Her heart pounding, Aelita landed, and sprinted into the tower as fast as she could.

"I still say that was one of the coolest things I've ever seen," Odd was saying a little while later as they climbed up the ladder to get to the top floor of the factory. The elevator was still out, but Jeremie knew it would start working again as soon as the power came back on.
Aelita, who was walking next to him, blushed a little. "It was just an idea," she replied, shaking her head. "I'm amazed it worked."
Yumi watched her, smiling. "It was pretty risky, and you haven't done stuff like that in a while." Aelita blushed more and glanced at Jeremie.
"I guess not." She shrugged, smiling slightly. "I've just realized that…well, it's fun to shake things up a little bit." Her smile turned into a smirk for a moment. 'The Skyphazoa certainly wasn't expecting it."
"Neither was Einstein," Ulrich added, grinning. "I think he was about to have a heart attack when you started flying straight at that thing." Jeremie turned red, and nodded.
"Yeah, but it was a good idea," he told her, and smiled. Aelita's blush got brighter. "You were amazing."
"Awwwww," Odd called, and both of them blushed as the other three laughed.
"Oh, great!" They had reached the top of the factory steps now, and Ulrich was standing there, glaring. "It's raining!"
"Don't worry," Yumi said, nudging him. "It's a just little water. We can go through the tunnels."
Jeremie looked at Aelita. "Let's hurry, before the teachers realize we're gone." Aelita hesitated, then smiled at him.
"Um, Jeremie, do you think, if you…" she blushed. "Could we walk through town on the way back?"
Jeremie blinked at her, surprised. "I, uh…"
"Come on, Einstien, live a little," Odd called as he and Ulrich lifted the top off the ladder that lead down into the tunnels. Jeremie hesitated, then looked at Aelita.
"I don't have an umbrella," he told her, and Aelita's smile widened.
"That's okay," she answered, and to his surprise, ran out into the downpour. She threw her arms out and turned her face up to the rain. "It feels wonderful to be kissed by the sky."
Not for the first time that day, Jeremie's heart stopped for a second at the sight of her. The rain fell over her, making it seem as if she as if she was glowing slightly. She turned and smiled at him, holding out a hand.
"Jeremie, will you come and dance in the rain with me?"
Unable to breathe, unable and unwilling to deny her anything, Jeremie moved out into the storm, and took her hand. Aelita laughed, and threw her arms around him.
Jeremie, stunned, hugged her back as the rain fell. Looking at her as he pulled back slightly, his heart stuttered to a halt again. God, she was beautiful. Rain drops clung to her eye lashes and flickered down her face. She beamed up at him.
"Doesn't it feel wonderful, Jeremie?"
It took him a minute to understand what she was saying. "Y-yeah," he managed, but all he could feel was the warmth of her arms still around his shoulders and her body mere inches away from his.
"Jeremie…" Aelita's smile faded slightly. "I know you're so worried about the virus and the war, and everything, but I hope you can let yourself go a little, now and then. Like now." She smiled again. "Is it so hard to take a break, especially when you deserve one?
Jeremie shook his head. "I don't deserve one, though, I haven't-"
Aelita put a finger to his lips. "Yes, you do," she retorted, smiling warmly. "Why won't you let me help you be happy?"
Jeremie blinked at her. Happy? "Aelita, I am happy," he started, but she shook her head.
"No, you're not," she told him, her voice soft and serious. Her eyes seemed to shine with an inner light. "There's circles of darkness here." She traced under his eyes with a gentle finger, tickling his skin like the rain drops. "And lines of worry." She let her fingers skim over his cheek. "You've done so much for everyone, including me. You deserve to be happy, to take a risk and live a little." She smiled at him again, suddenly nervous. She hadn't meant to say all that. It had just come out. She blushed, and started to pull back.
"Live a little." Jeremie muttered, and she raised her gaze to his again. Her breath caught in her throat at the bright heat that suddenly turned his eyes to blue neon. "Aelita, you…"
She smiled, unsure why her heart was pounding so hard, why it was suddenly so hard to breathe. Then, to her surprise, Jeremie traced a rain drop that had drifted down her cheek a moment ago. "Take a risk, huh?" His voice was different, now, Aelita realized numbly. Lower and warmer. Her heart skipped a beat. What was this?
"Yes, I guess that's-"
Anything else she was about to say was cut off by the feeling of warm pressure against her mouth. Aelita gasped at the sensation, her eyes wide. Heat spiraled into her heart, yet she felt it all the way to her toes. Her mind went blank and her eyes slid closed.
After a second, or an eternity, Jeremie pulled away. The warmth was still in his eyes, but now there was also nervousness, there was fear. Did he just make a really, really stupid mistake?
Aelita, breathless, stared up at him, her lips, her own body, tingling still from the kiss.
"Jeremie…"
He smiled nervously at her, his face going bright red. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't of-"
"Don't you dare apologize for doing that," Aelita whispered, smiling brilliantly. She felt the rain still coursing down her face, and felt his fingers, gently, gingerly, do the same. A laugh bubbled up in her throat, and she threw her arms around his neck.
"A-Aelita!" Jeremie backed up, almost losing his balance. His blush was bright, by the neon of his eyes was even stronger. "What are you-"
Aelita smiled, happiness singing in her heart. "I'm just living a little," she murmured, and kissed him back.