Valentine


Valentine's Day. Infatuated love filled the air while the students were passing out gifts and presents for their loved ones. William, Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita, Jeremy, and Odd were sitting at their favorite bench. "I like Valentine's day. It helps you realize the mistakes that others make to try and impress you," William said making the others laugh.

"Well, I'm going to spread my special Odd charm for the ladies this time," Odd said confidently.

"More like spread your bad foot smell," Aelita remarked. Everyone, except Odd, laughed. William got up.

"Well, I'm going to check up on Mechanist. She's always working on holidays," William muttered walking away. Yumi's eyes were intensely looking at the ground.

"Are you okay, Yumi? You seem in deep thought. Are you trying to figure who to give your Valentines to?" Aelita asked smirking at a blushing Ulrich.

"No, it's just what Sissi said. You remember yesterday when the activated tower just popped up? Remember she muttered something in Japanese?" Yumi reminded. Everyone nodded.

"Do you know what she said?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, but I don't know what she meant by it. She said, 'She's just as stubborn as her mother.'" This left everyone in shock.

"Do you think that Sissi knows who my mother is and what happened to her?" Aelita asked.

"I don't know. That's why I'm wondering," Yumi said returning to her train of thought. Meanwhile, William reached the corner of the door to Sissi's room. Strangely, she wasn't there. When he turned back around to go out, Milly and Tamiya from the school newspaper popped up.

"HI, William," They both said excitedly.

"Hey, guys," William replied.

"We're asking everyone who their Valentines is today. Can we ask you?" Milly asked.

"Sorry girls," William rejected, "I don't have a Valentines this time."

"Come on, we know you like a girl. Please tell us because we won't leave you alone until we know," Tamiya said sternly. "Now tell us!" They kept pressuring him.

"Alright, alright! It's um...uh...um...Sissi," William said not believing he just said that. The two girls ran off happily with the news.

LATER

"YOU TOLD THEM WHAT?!" Sissi shouted. Odd, Jeremy, Aelita, William, Sissi, and Kiwi were all at the factory. They were on the floor laughing while Sissi continued her dreaded anger glare at a frightened William.

"They were pressuring me. I couldn't say Yumi or Aelita. I ran out of options quickly," William said defensively. Sissi rubbed her head.

"You know that Lion says that we aren't suppose to have intimate relationships here," She muttered.

"Really? Lion tells you that?" Aelita asked, "Isn't that a little harsh?"

"It's to keep us focused on the mission. We can't get distracted by frivolous things like love," Sissi said coldly, returning to the computer. William shamefully disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Odd asked.

"He's a Lion Warrior remember? He can transport anywhere," Reminded Kiwi. "But I don't think Lion would say something as mean as that. He's strict but not that strict." Sissi sighed.

"Look, William's a nice guy and a good friend. It's just that I can't be side-tracked by something like this. That and Lion did say we aren't suppose to be in intimate relationships," She said defensively, getting up from her chair. "Now I have to go back and clear this whole thing up." She said disappearing too.

"Oh, that reminds me. Um...Aelita will you be my valentines?" Jeremy said presenting a beautiful necklace. Aelita gasped in happiness as she put it on.

"It's beautiful, Jeremy. I love it. And yes, I will be your valentines," She said kissing Jeremy's cheek as he blushed. But then she smirked, "Are you sure that this one doesn't possess me to go to Lyoko like the other one." Jeremy laughed.

"Trust me, it doesn't. Right Kiwi?" Jeremy asked unsure now.

"I don't see any towers activated. It's safe. Where did you get it?" Kiwi asked.

"From a local jewelry owner. She was very kind in giving it to me at a low price," Jeremy replied.

"Oh so it's cheap," Aelita smirked. "I'm just kidding. It's wonderful." The necklace seemed to shine on its own.

Back at the school, Ulrich was pacing around waiting for Yumi. Suddenly, Yumi came. "Yumi!" Ulrich exclaimed surprised. "Um...here you go," he said giving her a bouquet of flowers.

"Oh, thank you Ulrich," Yumi said sweetly.

"I made sure that I gave you something for Valentines. So I don't repeat forgetting your birthday," Ulrich said rubbing the back of his head. Yumi kissed him on the forehead. She had to tippy-toe in order to do it. Ulrich had grown a lot over the years. He still wore his green jacket and shirt. But now Yumi was up to his nose. Ulrich noticed that Yumi was antsy. "Is something wrong?"

"Um...you see um...Ulrich...I um...I was," She was confused. Thankfully, William brushed by in a sour mood.

"Hey guys," he said sadly.

"You seem like you just got rejected from a girl," Ulrich commented.

"I guess you can say that," He said as he looked at the crowd around Sissi. He sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ulrich asked actually concerned for William. William told them about the incident this morning. Yumi and Ulrich couldn't help but laugh.

"I know, I know, it's funny. I just wish that it would end all ready," William muttered.

"Well, you have been more concerned about her than usual. I'm mean, the whole faint from stress thing, I would be worried, too," Ulrich said oblivious to Yumi's sudden glare, "But all the same you have been closer to her. You sure that you don't like her?"

"She says that Lion doesn't want us in intimate relationships. It distracts us," William replied.

"Wow, that's tough. It doesn't seem that Lion would do that, though," Yumi spoke up. The three could see that Sissi was being dogged by the crowd. William rushed over to Sissi. "You think that they'll get together?"

"It's possible," Ulrich replied.

"Okay, Okay guys. Leave Sissi alone. So she's my valentine, big deal," William directed, "Go on, get." Slowly the crowd dispersed. Sissi face palmed herself.

"Oy! This is ridiculous! Now I'll never get any peace. Please tell me this is good enough reason to take a trip back to the past. I hope Lion gets back from his trip to England," Sissi groaned. Now William was offended.

"Okay, Sissi. Am I really that bad?" He asked.

"No, no you're not. I just don't want people to assume on pure rumor. " Sissi said defensively. Will was still mad.

"Yeah, but you're acting as if I'm the worst person to even be in a relationship with anyone of any kind. Am I really that bad?" William asked.

"No no it's just I..." Before she could finish, their watches pulsed.

"If it's this bad, you may get your wish of never being in a grueling 'relationship' with me," William said bitterly. Sissi dropped her head in shame.

Meanwhile, Aelita was walking back to her room, when she heard some commotion. She looked outside to see hordes of people running from a bunch of men in suits. These guys were shooting lightning bolts like crazy. "I've got to get to Lyoko," She said running out the door. But One of the men barred her way. She threw her energy field at him, but he deflected it. "What? These aren't specters?"

Meanwhile, "They aren't your typical specters, they have a type of barrier that protects them against your weapons," Kiwi explained, "In any case, we have get moving." Jeremy, Ulrich, Odd, and Yumi were there. "Ulrich, Odd, you guys get to the school and make sure that the students are okay. And get Aelita, I'm worried about her." Just then William and Sissi came in the elevator.

"Hey guys. Is something wrong?" Jeremy asked.

"No," William said harshly. Sissi's face sunk further.

"Ah, some things said are worse than some things done. Anyway, Sissi, William, you guys go with Yumi and me to the forest sector. Jeremy, you manage the computer," Kiwi commanded. Everyone went to their positions. William was fuming in the elevator as it went down.

"So I guess things didn't work out on the first date?" Kiwi asked.

"Shut it," Sissi and William muttered.

WITH AELITA

Aelita ran and ran to the gym, trying to lose the new specters. But there they were, cornering her. She's got really scared. Then she snapped,"Leave. ME! ALONE!" she screamed as she created an intense sphere of fire around her, completely destroying the specters. She was shocked. "How did I do that?" Just then Odd and Ulrich came in.

"Hey, Aelita we're here to...whoa. What happened here?" Odd asked looking at the burn mark around the gym. Aelita was faint. Ulrich and Odd lifted her up gently.

IN LYOKO

"Yikes, that was close," Yumi relieved.

"Considering the circumstances here, I think being de-virtualized is a good thing," William muttered, stabbing his sword into a block.

"I said I was sorry!" Sissi shouted.

"Hey, stay focused," Kiwi commanded as his bark destroyed a tarantula. "Xavier, go now." Xavier ran into the tower to de-activate it.

"That was close. Ulrich said there's almost nothing of the school left. Launching a 'RETURN TO THE PAST NOW!'" Jeremy said.


"So, we were wondering who your valentines is. And we won't leave until you tell us," Milly said. The whole team, except William and Sissi, were hiding behind the corner to see what he would say.

"Well, actually-"

"I'm his Valentines," Sissi said coming in.

"What?" Milly and Tamiya said.

"What?" William said.

"What?" The group behind the corner said.

"Is that true, William?" Milly asked.

"Um...yeah it is. Now go run along," William said watching the team go away. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, I guess I was just embarrassed to have a little fun with this. I finally realize that we can use this to lead people astray. Plus," Sissi said taking William's hand, blushing a little, "You're not that bad." William smiled as they went with the rest of the group to the Hermitage to meet with Leon and Aslan. When they got there, Leon immediately saw that Aelita was worried.

"What's wrong, Aelita?" He asked.

"Well, in the attack that Platon sent, I was pinned against the corner. Then I did something that I didn't think I could do. Um... how do I put this plainly without you freaking out? I think I-"

to be continued