Yumigirl06: Yeah... umm... here's the next chappie... I don't own Code: Lyoko, yada yada yada, so yeah...

Odd: You okay? You seem... I dunno... different.

Yumigirl06: Yeah, umm... just kinda sore... I've been starting band again... I'm marching this year... whoo-hoo!

Ulrich: Think you'll be too tired to finish this story?

Yumigirl06: Uhh... heck no... I'm just... sleepy...

Angel Soleil runs in and jumps on Kiki.

Angel Soleil: Can I borrow Odd, Kiki?? PPPLLLEEEAASSSEEE!!!!!!

Odd: WHAT!?!?!

Kiki jumps awake.

Yumigirl06: Uhh... sure I guess.

Angel Soleil grabs Odd's arm and starts pulling him off the screen.

Odd: Wait! Kiki!

Yumigirl06 smiles to him and waves her hand as Angel pulls him away.

Yumigirl06: It's ok Odd... it'll be ok... I hope... ok, on with the story!

"C'mon Odd, we have to hurry." Yumi said as she ran, hand clamped around Odd's wrist, dragging him across the rotunda of the school.

"I'm sorry Yumi, but it's hard to after fighting Ulrich. I know you did, but you had time to recover." He panted as they reached the forest. X-Ulrich ran around the rotunda, looking for signs of his quarry. He walked through the park, listening intently for any noises. Yumi was able to see him from the safety of a tree. Odd was on the other side of the tree looking up at Yumi for her signal. X-Ulrich turned his back to them, and Yumi waved her hand towards Odd. The blonde boy nodded and picked up a rock he had seen earlier. He aimed it at a tree 20 yards away and threw, being careful not to draw attention to himself in the process. As the rock hit the tree, X-Ulrich's head snapped in that direction. He ran over to the area, and Yumi jumped out of the tree. Odd helped her up and they took off running for the passage. Along the way, Yumi stepped on a twig, snapping it. X-Ulrich heard this and turned back around. He took off for the origin of the sound while Yumi and Odd raced for the manhole. Odd made it there first and opened the cover. Yumi quickly looked around for anyone.

"No one's here, but hurry! Xana's gonna be here any minute!" Odd jumped down into it, grabbing one of the bars, leaving just enough space for Yumi to get down and close the cover. She half jumped down into the manhole, quickly covering it back up. Just as she did, X-Ulrich ran into the area. He ran straight to the manhole, but just stood over it. Yumi and Odd stayed still, not wanting to give him any reason to catch them. X0Ulrich stood there, looking around, not realizing his targets were right beneath him. Odd and Yumi could barely breathe as they watched through the holes the actions of X-Ulrich. After what seemed like a lifetime, X-Ulrich ran back towards the school. Yumi and Odd silently sighed to themselves and continued down the ladder to the skateboards. There was no talking as the two teens made their way to the elevator. Jeremie glanced over his computer to see Yumi walking to the computer, and Odd staying behind by the elevator.

"How's it going Jeremie?"

"Actually, pretty good. Aelita and Kiki found the door. It wasn't easy, but now that we found it, we need you guys to go in and help them just in case."

"Right." They both said as they got back in the elevator. Odd pushed the button again, and was lowered down to the scanner room along with Yumi. Once in the scanners, the teens waited for the program transfer from Jeremie.

X-Ulrich ran into the school's science lab, looking for his usual entrance and exit route. He finally spotted it next to the old utility closet.

'Ah, here we go... perfect.' He thought smugly to himself as he materialized himself into his vapor form He entered the outlet and headed for the place he knew they'd end up. Just as Yumi stepped into the scanner, Xana's evil vapor entered from a free outlet. He "saw" Yumi enter the scanner, then right before the door closed, entered into the scanner, allowing Yumi to inhale Xana's fumes. The last thing she could remember was Jeremie going through the transfer sequence.

"Transfer Odd. Transfer Yumi. Scanner Odd. Scanner Yumi. Virtualization!"

"Ergg... XANA!!!" Ulrich shouted into the darkness, pulling the chains that held him.

"Gah! What's the use? I can't break out... Odd... Jeremie... Aelita... YUMI!!!" He shouted, yanking at the chains in anger.

"I... couldn't help them..." He said hanging his head low and leaning over, letting the chains hold him up.

"I'm sorry... huh? Woah!" He said as the chains disappeared. Ulrich stumbled forward, trying to catch his balance. He stood straight, went to get his sword, then ran out of the chamber as fast as he could, looking for any sign of his friends. Odd and Yumi landed in Lyoko, and after a bit of a running warm up, met up with Aelita and Kiki. Kiki ran up to Odd and threw her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek.

"Umm... Kiki... not now" He said quietly, pointing to Yumi's depressed look. Kiki walked up to Yumi and hugged her.

"Hey, it's okay. We're gonna get him back."

"Yeah." Was all she said as she broke the hug and walked over to Aelita.

"This is the door?"

"Yeah. We need to hurry."

"Well, let's go." She said, void of emotion, and walked through the door. Aelita turned to Odd and Kiki with a confused look, and in return, received an 'I don't know' look, shrugged, and followed Yumi's action. Kiki shivered upon walking into the dark place.

"This place gives me the chills."

Odd stayed close to the girls, surveying the surrounding area. It looked as if the sun had not shined in this place for hundreds of years. Charred and burnt trees stood on either side of them, and the ground was riddled with ash and burnt grass. There was no life except the four people who had just entered. The air smelled of sulfur, and the wind that blew chilled everyone there to the bone.

"Jeremie, is he here?" Aelita asked, a quiet fear to her voice.

"Yes. Don't be surprised if you can't reach me here. I can still hear you, so if you need anything, call and I'll try to get it."

"Okay." They continued walking for a few more minutes, silence between them. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road; one going left, the other going right. Yumi faced the path on the right.

"Let's go this way." She said sprinting off. Odd, Aelita, and Kiki looked at each other, then took off in pursuit.

Ulrich ran on, never turning, always running forward, slicing down obstacles along the way.

'I have to find them. Who knows what Xana is planning...'

The four kids ran on, Yumi turning every now and then. She ran into a clearing of the burnt forest, panting hard. A minute later, the others caught up to her, panting just as hard.

"Yumi, wait... let's... take a break... for a minute." Odd said between gasps. Yumi nodded her head slowly and clumsily sat down. Everyone soon followed suit, one by one sitting down in their own slow way.

"So, does anyone know where we are?" Kiki asked as she looked around, taking in the scenery that was before her.

"This place..." Aelita said, breaking the small silence. Everyone except Yumi turned to face her, confused looks on their faces.

"It's..."

"Creepy?"

"Dark?"

"Smelly?"

"No, this place is known as the Dark Side of Lyoko. I never really thought I'd have to go in here."

"Why not?" Odd asked slowly.

"I read in the old files that this place was once populated by the thieves and criminals of Lyoko, before Xana showed up. Once he reared his ugly head, the inhabitants of Lyoko disappeared one by one. The cause of all this was Xana and his band of criminals. Once he had thought he had deleted all of us, he turned on his followers, scared of an uprising against him. Once he did that, he started taking over towers, not realizing that I would deactivate them. Once he realized he wasn't alone, he started coming after me. Then I met you guys..."

"And the rest is history." Odd finished.

"So, exactly what is this place again?" Kiki asked the pink haired girl.

"It's now Xana's home." Odd and Kiki gasped, while Yumi looked at Aelita, her eyes narrowing slightly. A crack from a limb was heard, sending everyone to their feet. Odd jumped in front of Aelita and Kiki, who was next to Aelita. Yumi had stood up slower, taking out her fan and readying herself for who or what entered into the clearing. As the shadowed figure wade it's way, it noticed the ones in front of him, and readied his weapon. Odd took aim, Yumi readied her fan, and Kiki unsheathed some daggers from her belt between her fingers in both hands. All was quiet, then Yumi cut into it like a knife.

"Hiya!" Was the sharp cry as she let fly her fan. Kiki followed suit with a spin move releasing her daggers, and Odd finished with his laser arrows. The shadowed figure watched as the fan, daggers and arrows came at them, then countered. He sliced at the fan, knocked down the daggers and dodged the arrows, all in one graceful movement. He then jumped into the clearing, aiming for the one that threw the fan. Yumi watched as he came toward her, as if saying silently, 'Hit me.' Kiki saw this, and held her hands out to her daggers.

"Daggers, vi!" At her command, the daggers shook back and forth, levitated to her hands level, then shot back at her, the handle facing her. Odd shot a couple more arrows at the shadowed person and turned to Kiki.

"Huh? Vi?" Kiki turned to face the figure and answered Odd.

"I'll tell you later." She shot the daggers at the attacker. He saw them, and was able to dodge all except one, which hit him in the shoulder. That interrupted his momentum and sent him to the ground next to Yumi. Everyone gasped when the faint light shown upon him.

"Ulrich!" All except Yumi exclaimed. Ulrich stood up, holding his left arm.

"Guys? Yumi? But, I thought you all were..."

"So did we." Yumi replied quickly. Ulrich walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Yumi, I missed you so much. I thought I would never see you again." Yumi kept her arms at her sides, letting Ulrich hug her, but not returning any of the affection. Ulrich noticed this, and pulled away.

"Yumi? Are you okay? You don't seem like yourself." Yumi stepped back a few feet, and smiled slightly. She reached at her side and pulled out 2 more fans.

"You're right." She said, opening them with one swift flick of the wrists, her voice changing to sound like two people talking at the same time.

"I'm not." Everyone gasped as Yumi landed a kick to Ulrich's stomach, sending him flying back into a tree. She then turned towards Odd and the girls. Odd readied his arrows, pointing his fist at Yumi.

"Yumi, don't make me use these." Yumi smiled as she started running towards them.

"You won't have to." She said as she hit Odd with both fans. Odd grunted as he felt himself being devirtualized. Kiki jumped in front of Aelita and readied the last of her daggers. Yumi's smile went into a serious frown as she caught the fans and raced for Kiki. Ulrich regained his breath, saw what was about to happen and ran towards the girls. Yumi kicked the daggers out of Kiki's hands and held an unsheathed fan under Kiki's neck.

"Say goodbye." Kiki closed her eyes and Aelita readied a scream. The only scream though, came from Yumi. She fell to the ground, her fans dropping at her sides, and revealed one Ulrich, his sword's handle facing them.

"I knocked her out. Before I got kicked, I saw a flash of red in her eyes. She's being controlled by Xana."