Disclaimer: When I blew out the candles on my birthday cake, I wished that I owned Code Lyoko... I'm still waiting for that wish to come true! I own nothing!

princesspie45: Thank you!

ron stoppable: Thanks. Well, the tower is shut down. Did you mean X.A.N.A.? Well, it will be, just not yet. You'll see why.

easterndragon65: Thanks! It has been updated!

Chapter 9: Musings

It was sunset at the factory. The silence of peace rested on each on them. They watched the sun glow from behind the pillars of dark cloud hanging ominously over it. Yumi was sitting next Ulrich, and Jeremie had his arm wrapped around Aelita. Odd and Fianna were sitting behind them, snickering occasionally at the romantic scene in front of them. The pinks, reds, oranges, and yellows contrasted deeply with the darks blues and greys of the towering clouds.

"Beautiful," Aelita sighed in contentment, breaking the silence. She rested her head on Jeremie's chest, causing him to blush a dark scarlet while Odd and Ulrich smirked. Yumi shook her head in disgust at their immaturity, closed her eyes and leaned into Ulrich who flushed. Odd snorted. Fianna elbowed him, causing him to scowl at her. "On Lyoko, you never got to see any wonderful sights. It was a different time of day in each region, but it always stayed that way," Aelita continued, oblivious to the chaos behind her. "I miss my home."

"Don't worry Aelita. I'm sure, with some help from you, I can save Lyoko's settings on my laptop, for you to see whenever you want. Until then, we won't shut it down," Jeremie said.

"Sure Einstein, but what if X.A.N.A. attacks again?" Odd asked, skeptical.

"Odd's got a point, Jeremie. If we shut down Lyoko sooner, then we won't have to ever worry about X.A.N.A. again," Ulrich pointed out.

"That's true, you guys, but what about Aelita? The whole point of not shutting down Lyoko in the first place was because we wanted to help Aelita. And now that we've gotten her out of there, she feels uncomfortable without her real home. Besides, it's not the end of the world if Lyoko stays up for one more day," Yumi lectured.

"Don't be too sure it won't be the end of the world, Yumi. That's doesn't mean that X.A.N.A. won't become smart and learn from his mistakes. But I've got to agree with Yumi, the world will survive," Fianna said, pensive.

Odd thought for a bit. "Alright, one more day. We'll live," he conceded.

They returned to admiring the sunset for a while. "You know, the sunset is so bright against the darkness of the sky. It's like stars against the night," Yumi commented wistfully.

"'To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and not worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.'" Fianna quoted.

"That's kind of like us, you know? Stars when the times are tough and we shine through the hardships and work," Odd commented.

"Wow Odd, I never knew you were capable of philosophy." Jeremie smiled, amused.

"Jeremie's right, you know," Yumi teased.

"Hey, just because I don't use my brain often doesn't mean I don't have one!" Odd cried, insulted.

"Odd, as my best friend and room mate, I've known you longest and closest, but I have to admit, you still amaze me. You eat your food as fast as possible, you sleep in a bunch of classes and still get average grades, manage to keep a dog away from everyone, and handle Lyoko. Now, you know philosophy. Next, you know he's turned into another Einstein, and the world can't handle two Einsteins," Ulrich sighed.

"Hey, so what if I'm wonderful? You all are just jealous," Odd smirked.

"Jealous? Of someone who spikes their hair up with a tub full of hair gel a day?" Ulrich asked in disbelief.

"Of someone who has a hairless dog?" Yumi contested.

"Of a guy who wears pink and purple?" Jeremie snorted.

"So what? I like pink and purple!" Odd retorted.

"Pink and purple are girl colors, Odd," Ulrich added.

"So what if they're girl colors? And Yumi, are you insulting my dog?"

"Well, what do you think?"

"Hey, Kiwi is a sensitive and smart dog, you know."

"You put your hair in that ridiculous spike with a tub of hair gel and then dye the middle with purple? No wonder you're called Odd. You are odd.

Aelita and Fianna watched, Aelita in horror and Fianna, amused beyond belief. Aelita rose to reprimand the four when Fianna raised her arm and whispered, "It's just in play, Aelita."

"But Odd is being insulted, by his own friends! Should he not take it seriously?"

"He knows they don't mean it."

"Oh, I see. Am I allowed to input my opinions?"

"Of course Aelita!" Fianna smiled evilly, waiting to see how the others would take it.

"But Odd, you wear pants and long-sleeve shirts during summer!" Yumi exclaimed

"So do you, Yumi," Jeremie commented.

"Jeremie!" Yumi glared. "Besides, you wear a turtleneck." Jeremie looked down and flushed.

"If I must say myself, Odd, you have the strangest life. You eat, no, inhale your food to fill your endless stomach, you have a dog without hair, or if it is, it's grey, and in Lyoko, you are a cat-man! What kind of life is that?" a mysterious voice said off-handedly. "I still don't know much of your life, but you still have the oddest life ever."

The four turned and gaped at Aelita who was smiling innocently. Fianna beamed at her; she had done well.

Yumi was the first to speak. "You... how... why... what... when... who are you and what have you done to our Aelita?!?"

"I am Aelita. I just got materialized from a virtual world called Lyoko; the four regions are the desert, polar, forest, and mountains. I own the mountains, Yumi has the ice, Ulrich has the desert and Fianna's is the forest. Ulrich likes Yumi and vice versa. The materialization program was made by me and Jeremie, who worked on it for 2 ½ years. We work together to defeat X.A.N.A. who activates towers, so I deactivate them. The code is Lyoko. Odd is the strangest person I know. Jeremie is the smartest. Yumi is the most mature and sensible. Ulrich is the bond of the group. Fianna is the one who taught me new things and..." she trailed off, seeing that her audience's attention was on Fianna.

Four intense glares were trained on Fianna who was quivering like a willow branch. "You taught Aelita this?" Jeremie asked quietly.

"Uh yeah, and before I leave, Yumi, Ulrich, you may want to murder Aelita for telling your very obvious secret." Yumi and Ulrich spun around and pinned her there with their gazes. "And umm... got to go! Come on, Aelita!" The two girls sprinted away, the others just seconds away.

"Faster Fianna, faster!" Aelita yelled.

Fianna just nodded her consent, speeding up slightly, panting hard. "We've got to hide!"

"There!" she shouted, and they ducked into the phone booth. They pressed their bodies against the walls and tried not to breathe. (Yes, I know, most phone booths are clear, but this one isn't. Work with me, people!) Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Jeremie stopped, gasping for air. "Where... are... they?" Yumi wheezed.

"They... must... run... really... fast," Jeremie panted.

"They can't be too far," Odd said, gripping a stitch in his side.

"I can't wait to murder the both of them!" Ulrich muttered and led the chase to find them. Once all of them were out of sight, Fianna and Aelita tumbled out of the booth.

"Did Ulrich mean it when he said he would kill us?" Aelita wondered, worried.

"Of course not! Even if he did, Jeremie, Yumi, and I won't let him. Anyways, want to get ice cream while we wait for them to find us?"

"What's ice cream?"

"Oh, Jeremie forgot to explain about it. It's just... oh, I can't explain it. Trying it out would be better." The two girls wandered about until they saw an ice cream stand where Aelita got a bubble-gum ice cream cone while Fianna got a cookies n cream one. (Yum!) They sat by the lake on a bench, talking about nothing, yet everything. They watched the sunset finally come down and twilight cover the sky.

"I love twilight. It's just the blues and purples and whites blending in the sky. The stars dot the painting..." Fianna sighed.

"Indeed," Aelita closed her eyes, savoring the ice cream. "You never did tell me what ice cream is made of."

Fianna grinned. "Ask Jeremie sometime."

"Jeremie is so kind. He is patient, trying to help me understand Earth. I never thought I would be human before. But, when I met Jeremie, I was sure anything could happen. Now look. I'm here in the flesh, all through Jeremie's assistance." Aelita smiled.

"Do you like him?"

"Of course! He is my best friend. He never gave up on me, always tried to materialize me... He is special."

"True. You know how Yumi and Ulrich are like? Do you like Jeremie that way?" Fianna probed.

"That is private." Aelita blushed.

"Aelita, no one is here, and you know I can keep a secret. So, do you?" Fianna asked, eyes glinting with mischief.

"Tell no one please." She looked around and whispered quietly in her ear.

Fianna nodded understandingly. A small crunch in the dewy grass alerted her to "Odd!"

"Crap."

"Yumi, Ulrich, Jeremie, get your butts away from here; we were having a private conversation." Fianna scowled.

"Hey, but it was just getting interesting!" Ulrich complained.

"Yeah, Jeremie was getting so red he was turning into a tomato." Yumi laughed.

Jeremie was a interesting deep crimson. "Fianna, tell me what she said!" he pleaded as they started to walk back to their homes.

"No! I promised not to!" Fianna laughed at his begging face.

"Please?!?!?"

"No! She'll tell you herself if Yumi and Ulrich confess about their undying love for each other!" She giggled insanely.

Odd muttered, "Note to non-existent mental self: Keep Fianna away from sugar.

"No way!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Wait, they confessed! They said that they wouldn't confess it, meaning that they do, they just don't want to admit it!" Aelita crowed in delight.

The two exchanged glances, blushed, and began to protest in unison. "We didn't mean that!"

"Yeah right." Odd smirked

"It's not what you think!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Really? Do you know what I think?" Fianna asked, interested.

"You guys are crazy!" Ulrich shouted.

"Of course we are!" Odd and Fianna chorused.

Aelita and Jeremie walked from the mad chaos and strolled along together. After a bit of silence, Jeremie dropped the bomb. (Not literally for the dimwits of you out there, no offense)

"Aelita, do you like me?"

"Of course!"

"No, I mean, like-like. You know, like Yumi and Ulrich."

The said two above turned around and yelled, "We are not a couple!" in varying degrees of volume. For Fianna and Odd, standing next to them, they went temporarily deaf.

"Well, they are denying it now, but like them? Do you love me? Because I love you."


The author has decided to be evil and leave it there. It's... drumroll please...a cliffie!

Actually, the author doesn't do cliffies! They are evil, I tell you! Evil!!!! If we hate them, then most of the readers must hate them. They keep you there, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting... Ahhhh!!! The horror!

Okay, the author shall now stop ranting on the evilness of cliffies... and they must diesss!!!!! My precioussss, yessss they sssshall.... Hey, keep that for The Lord of the Rings. (smack) They have the duct tape to make you shut up! Now, as I was writing, Gollum shall stop ranting on the evilness of cliffies, and let the author make a few important announcements.

1. I am now back at school... Evil school!!!!! I don't have as much time as before to update, though you took your sweet evil time not updating. So don't expect immediate chapter updates. It will take a while.

2. This story shall only last a few more chapters. Yes, it's sad, the EVIL story is coming to an end.

3. There will be a sequel. It will be the last of the Lyoko trilogy, for the lack of a better title. Return to the Past will come sometime later. I need a break.

Now, the author will stop endlesssssly ssssspeaking on worthlesssss matterssss. Now, we hunt for my preciousssss!!!!! Now, we shall not. We shall now stop wasting your important time and get back to the story...

Good-bye for now, and don't forget to always look out for the bold print of morningstar and Gollum!!!! (My two alter egos)


Aelita took a deep breath and said sincerely, "Yes Jeremie, I do love you."

Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, and Fianna stopped dead as well as Jeremie. Their mouths hung open, Jeremie's out of shock that she loved him, and Yumi's, Ulrich's, Odd's, and Fianna's that she confessed.

"Y-y-y-you d-d-d-do?" Jeremie stuttered.

"Yes, I do, Jeremie," Aelita said, smiling serenely. Jeremie's face broke into a large grin, and he hugged Aelita, twirling her around and around. The others turned around, letting Jeremie and Aelita have their moment of happiness. (Also, because the author doesn't know how to write fluff)

Yumi turned around, grinning when she realized that Ulrich was standing in front of her and taking a deep breath. "I'm borrowing Jeremie's bluntness for now, but do you love me? I know I do, and this is hard to confess. I just need to know."

Yumi broke into a smile. "Ulrich, what do you think? Of course I do!"

Ulrich smiled in return with relief. "I didn't know. Really."

"Were you that oblivious?"

"I guess I was."

Odd and Fianna turned away from both couples. "I guess everyone has turned into a pile of sappy love-mush today." Fianna grinned evilly. "What do you say we record this?"

"How?" Odd asked, grinning evilly as well.

"I brought two cameras. They're the type that can record and take pictures. (Yes, I know they cost a lot, but how else am I going to get this on camera?) I had a feeling I'd need them." She handed him on. "Can you run fast?" He nodded. "Which do you want?"

"I'll take Yumi and Ulrich. I can get some serious footage. Besides, they don't run as fast." Odd smirked.

"Traitor. Aelita won't kill me at least. Jeremie won't be able to catch up."

The two sneaked off to separate hiding places. Odd hid behind bushes to see Yumi and Ulrich talking about what they liked about each other and gazing into each other's eyes. Odd turned it on and zoomed in on them gazing starry-eyed at each other. Ulrich started tiptoe up to kiss Yumi when Odd accidentally fell into the bushes. They looked at each other and then walked up to see what it was. When they spotted Odd, he squeaked, "Crap!" and took off to Kadic Junior High, Yumi and Ulrich in hot pursuit.

"Odd, we're going to KILL you!!!!!!" Ulrich shouted. Odd screamed in mock terror and shrieked in horror as Yumi and Ulrich gained on him. He started to run at full speed. Upon reaching Yumi's house, Ulrich kissed her good-bye, saw Odd taping it, and sprinted off after him.

"Bye Ulrich!" Yumi yelled before snickering and going inside. Odd was so dead.

"Odd, you're not going to live this day through. When we're in our dorms, I will hurt you!!!!!" Odd winced in the bushes he was hiding in.

Fianna tiptoed over to Jeremie and Aelita who were talking. When the two looked her way, she yelped and flew into a trashcan. Luckily, it was empty and gave her a good view of them. Fianna listened long enough to realize that their conversation was about Aelita's materialization. 'Might as well tape this.' Fianna thought. It's the closest Jeremie will come to romance, for now.' As the two started walking back to Kadic, Fianna hopped out and trailing about five feet away from them. The little procession stopped in front of Yumi's house in which Yumi had entered just moments ago. "Well, here's your castle, my princess."

"Thank you, good sir. We shall meet again tomorrow." Aelita smiled before pecking him on the lips. "Ah ha!!!!" Fianna yelled in triumph as she recorded before realizing her mistake.

"Fianna, I'm going to KILL you!!! First, I'm going to pull out your eyeballs and then pull off your legs and then your arms! Then I'm going to watch your writhe in pain! After that, I'm going to cut off your head and dice your body! Finally, I will make a fire and burn your whole self!!!!!!!" Jeremie yelled in fury.

"Jeremie, don't hurt her too much. I still need a friend!" Aelita shouted after him.

Jeremie's threats mixed with Ulrich yelling at the top of his lungs, Odd shrieking like a baby, and Fianna screaming that Jeremie was too graphic.

"It's PG for heaven's sake!!"

"Odd, I'm going to kill you!!!"

"It's not that graphic! Besides, I'm just going to hurt you to the point of making you understand not to spy on me!!"

"AHHHH!!!!! Ulrich's going to KILL ME!!!!!!!!!"

Fianna dove into the nearby bushes where Odd was hiding. "Shhh."

"Where did he go? I'll have to strangle him!"

"I have to burn Fianna!"

"Let's go find them!" They cried together and ran off."

"Hey Fianna, can I sleep in your dorm? I have a feeling Ulrich would kill me in my sleep."

"Sure. You can sleep in the extra bed. It's lucky I only have one key. Also, if Jim comes, hide in the closet."

"Okay. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." They trudged off to the girls' dorms where Ulrich and Jeremie were waiting for them.

Their screams echoed through the halls of Kadic and summoned Jim to the site.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"What's going on here? Huh?" Jim panicked slightly. He calmed slightly, seeing only Jeremie, Ulrich, Odd, and Fianna. "Okay, who's being murdered?"

"Me!" Odd and Fianna squeaked in unison.

"Alright then. Wait, why are you in the girls' dorm, you three?" The boys looked slightly nervous. Odd looked so desperate that Fianna decided to help him out.

"Odd was just walking me to my room. Those two were waiting here," she said, wide-eyed and innocent. The two scowled at her.

Jim frowned. "Alright then, go away, you two. Odd, you better leave after your good-byes." He started to herd the other two to their dorms.

Fianna unlocked her door quickly and let Odd inside. (People, it will not be a romance! Perhaps it's because I can't write fluff!!) She began to rummage in her closet while Odd took the sight of her room in.

It was very clean and orderly. In the right-hand corner, there was a small mirror with a hairbrush and comb lying on the table underneath it along with a couple of bobby pins and two hair bands. In the left-hand corner, a silver laptop stood with a mouse and mouse pad on a different table. Her bed sat next to the computer while the extra one was near the mirror. A closet stood in the corner near the door. She retreated, triumphantly holding up a fluffy white pillow with golden suns embroidered in the corners. He also noticed the dark forest-green blanket had a golden sun as well. In fact, her pillow and her sky-blue comforter had silver stars.

"Did you do these?" Odd asked, gesturing to the embroidery.

"Yeah, I was bored one day. Do you like it?"

"It's nice."

Fianna flopped on her bed and sighed in relief. She walked into the closet and closed the door. "Don't come in; I'm changing!" came her muffled voice from inside the closet.

"Alright, but do you have anything I can change into? I can't wear these clothes," Odd said, kicking off his shoes. She walked out of the closet in a white shirt and purple cloth shorts and tossed a grey shirt and red cloth shorts to him. He caught them and entered the closet to change. Fianna piled her clothes on a spare chair, locked the door, and slipped into bed. Odd finished changing and fell into bed as well.

"Odd, do you snore?" Fianna asked suddenly.

A very loud snort answered her question. "Oh crap. Too bad I don't have ear plugs. I guess Ulrich won't be missing his dorm mate tonight."

And she was right. He didn't.

Are you happy? Since I can't update a lot I decided to give a longer chapter. I know it's pointless, but it was fun to write. It's just a conjunction. I needed the couples to get together and to have a intermission-like chapter. Hope you like it! Review!