Author's Note: Thank you so much, old and new reviewers alike. I'm sorry I can't post like the speed of light as I mentioned last chapter, but I'll try my best. Some of my reviewers are really smart and have guessed the major problem in this story. To them, I give you a pat on the back and a round of applause (I think you know who you are). Just don't tell anyone. Ssh! To answer Beverly, Vulcan Princess's question, I don't have a certain pattern with posting; I just post whenever I feel like it and whenever I have time to. I hope I had enough detail for you in this chapter, Warrior Pixie. And to everyone, read and enjoy!


I flew up gracefully to the next platform and as my feet touched it, the Xana symbol under my feet lit up brightly.

"Why hello there."

Startled, I almost fell back the way I had come. I looked up, expecting the worst but saw Ulrich standing there, grinning at me. I relaxed immediately and smiled. "Howdy." I headed for the tower wall. "How was your rematch?"

Ulrich shook his head in response once we were out of the tower and in the gloomy mountain region. "Interesting. He informed me as if we were chatting over tea that his name was Adam before he attacked me. I barely had time to leap out of the way."

I laughed. "Yours isn't half as interesting as mine. Right after he told me his name, I fell into one of those ice tunnels Odd likes to slide in. I flew out of it to find I was heading straight down into the virtual sea. It was cold for being virtual water! Anyway, I'd say that the guy I fought was out of practice."

I looked around, scanning everything in the vicinity for something unusual. "Hey, Jeremy?" I asked. "Are Odd and Aelita coming?"

"Actually, they should be somewhere right in front of you."

The pathway was empty in front of me.

"Come again?"

"I see them. Up there!" Ulrich exclaimed, pointing. I followed his finger to find myself looking at Odd dodging something. He was up on a high mountain platform and I watched as his nimble figure danced away from the edge of the platform. I noticed with unease that it was a sheer drop down. I also noticed that we were quite a bit away.

"Let's go," I breathed and started forward. I kept my eyes on the platform but I did see that the pathway wound around quite a bit. It didn't lead directly to the platform. It wound this way and that, creating holes in which one could drop into if one wasn't careful.

I was so concentrated on the spot where I had last saw Odd that when Ulrich cried out a warning it was already too late. "Yumi! Watch out!" I turned to face him (he was running a bit behind me), puzzled when blocks that were coming directly toward me intercepted my gaze. One shot and hit me in the leg before I could do anything. Ulrich's figure suddenly blocked my view of them when he jumped in front of me while I recovered.

I reached down and felt my knee to make sure I was okay. I suddenly felt very tired. I knew it was because of the physical demands I was making my body meet without proper rest. I rubbed it and straightened up, nevertheless. When I looked up I found myself staring straight at another block. I backed up and bumped into Ulrich. "We have a problem," he stated when he looked over behind him.

I chose that moment to look back at the platform. "Make that two!" I screamed. "ODD!"

Odd was tottering precariously at the edge of the platform. Suddenly, a laser was shot at him and it hit him squarely in the chest. I heard someone else's scream pierce the air as he lost his balance and fell off the platform. I recognized the voice as Aelita's but I watched as if in slow motion as Odd tumbled to his demise.

It was a miracle that my brain wasn't working in slow motion though my body was starting to. "Ulrich," I said rapidly. "Give your sword." I watched as Odd extended a hand and tried to claw the platform's flat surface, trying to get himself to stop. He'd done it many times before, using his cat like instincts to save his life. But this time I knew he wouldn't make it.

"Are you insane?" he said, blocking more shots with his sword.

"Give it to me!" I yelled at him. He handed it over reluctantly.

Immediately, I bent a bit at my knees and threw Ulrich's sword blade first at the rock wall that Odd was trying to slide to a stop on. The sword glinted in the sunlight and then buried itself a little more than halfway up the blade in the rock. I bit my lip as I watched Odd rapidly draw nearer to the sword protruding from the wall.

"Grab it. Please grab it."

A second later, he did. Odd's hand stumbled over the sword but he grabbed it immediately. Ulrich flinched beside me when his sword bent a little from the weight. But it held. I saw Odd look up at his savior in wonder.

Ulrich suddenly yelled into my ear. "What now, wonder woman?"

I glanced around and realized we were caught in between one block on one side and about five on the other. I spied the flat platforms they made. My lips curled slowly into a smile. "Let's play some hopscotch."

I jumped onto the nearest block. It swiveled around in confusion. I watched as the block on the other side took aim and fired at me. I sprang onto the next nearest block as the block I had been standing on exploded from the shot. Ulrich caught on and jumped onto the nearest block to him. Soon we leapt our way like frogs over all the blocks and when we landed back on the ground, the only block left standing was the one that had been doing all the dirty work for us. I snapped out my fan and sliced through the block. I caught my fan again and started running forward as the last block exploded.

"That was pretty neat," Ulrich commented as we started running towards Odd.

I winked at him. "Thank you."

As we neared Odd, Ulrich said, "You go for Aelita and I'll give Odd a hand."

"Right," I said as I sprinted away.

"Ulrich, thanks for saving me," I heard Odd gasp breathlessly.

"Don't thank me. Yumi was the one that came up with the idea."

I smiled inwardly and pushed on. I felt myself tiring, something I had never felt in Lyoko before. I set my face and raced on.

As I rounded the bend of the rectangular platform I saw stairs that led up to it. I took them two at a time as I heard Aelita scream again. "I'm coming!" I yelled out, huffing and puffing as I finally leapt up onto the flat surface.

Aelita was dodging frantically as four blocks shot at her. They were in a semicircle around a blonde haired boy who was standing behind them, not even blinking an eye at what was happening before him. I finally got his attention when my fan noisily smashed into a block.

I ran up in front of Aelita and blocked the shots the best I could with my fan. I suddenly felt fear as I realized that my strength was draining away and if I was forced to battle another one of these mysterious boys I would not succeed. Ulrich, you better hurry up...

I took advantage of another lull in the shooting to explode another block. The blonde haired boy was regarding me seriously now, as if just realizing that this wasn't just a simple harmless game. He slowly unsheathed his sword. Aelita and I ran to the left to avoid being shot by monsters.

"Laser arrow!"

"Impact!"

Ulrich and Odd sprang out of nowhere. I watched them demolish the last two blocks. The blonde haired boy took that moment to lunge at me.

I barely managed to spring away in time. Aelita backed up and started to sway unsteadily on the edge of the platform.

I countered by letting my fan fly. It hit him in the stomach and sent him stumbling back a bit.

"AHHH!!!"

I turned to see Aelita topple off the platform.

"NO!" I screeched and threw myself on my stomach. I stretched out a hand and caught one of hers. She hung there, breathing hard, glancing down fearfully with me as her only lifeline.

My fan zipped over me. I hadn't caught it. It flew around in a wide arc.

I could feel Aelita slipping. I gritted my teeth and focused all my energy into keeping her from falling.

My energy was slipping away as well.

Suddenly I heard movement. I looked to my right to see the blonde haired boy with his sword raise, poised to strike me. It came down.

I used the last of my will to roll away from the deadly incoming blade. Aelita's hand slipped.

"AHHHH!!!!"

"AELITA!" everyone screamed at the same time. I watched in horror as her pink form fell away into the misty depths.

"Impact!" Ulrich screamed and stabbed the blonde haired boy from the back. He opened his mouth in a silent scream and de-virtualized. I barely even notice it happen. My exhausted mind replayed the scene of Aelita falling into the void over and over again, as if it was on a tape loop. I slumped on my knees and bent over to look over the edge again.

She was gone.

And it was all my fault.

Odd and Ulrich ran to the edge as well to see if there was any sign of her.

There wasn't.

I burst into tears as my loyal fan slid gently onto the ground next to me. I wanted to chuck it down after Aelita. It didn't deserve an owner like me. A failure.

Without another word, I picked it up, snapped it shut and turned on my heel to run. I flew down the platform steps, my tears running off my face with my speed. I nearly tripped every two steps but I stumbled blindly on. I was almost at the last at step when strong arms caught me around the waist, making me stop abruptly. I fought it but they restrained me and I finally crumpled into a ball.

I found it was Ulrich that was cradling me as I cried. He held me close to him as I cried on his shoulder. Odd came and joined us, wrapping his arms around me reassuringly. Why do they still like me? They shouldn't! They shouldn't!

My mind exploded into a furious rage. I broke free off them in one forceful movement and I stepped off the stairs.

"I-I can't do this anymore!" I wailed. "I can't take this! I-I can't."

Ulrich stood up calmly. "What are you talking about?"

I turned away from him and Odd and hugged myself. "Why is it always me?" I whispered to myself.

I made myself stop crying so loudly after a while and waited a while before I turned to face them. "I can't do this anymore," I said quietly. "I'm quitting. I'm not ever coming back to Lyoko."

"What?"

"No, Yumi you can't."

I nodded. "Yes I can. And I'm sure that Jeremy will be very happy if I do."

There was silence as the three of us waited to see if Jeremy would respond. But there was only silence from his end. I walked up to the edge of the pathway and looked down.

"Goodbye Lyoko..."

I spread out my arms and dove downward.