Disclaimer: Five: I don't own Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, Jeremie, or Aelita. Four: I don't own the factory, the school, the park, or the sewers. Three: I don't own Lyoko, X.A.N.A., or the factory. Two: I don't own Sissy or Jim. One: Isn't it obvious? I don't own Code Lyoko!!!

I am SO sorry for this VERY late update! I've got REALLY bad writer's block! (cring)

Thank you to all the kind reviewers who encouraged me to keep writing!!!

Chapter 6: Beginnings

Aelita raced down the tunnel, skating swiftly, Odd seconds behind her. They had heard Ulrich's anguished cry. She ducked a low-hanging icicle and accidentally slid through X.A.N.A. and barreled straight into Ulrich who was near the edge of the cliff. Aelita yelled, "Odd, stop!!!"

But it was too late. Odd glided through X.A.N.A. as well and bounced against Aelita who bumped into Ulrich, causing the three to soar through the frigid, polar air. Odd somersaulted in the air, allowing him to land neatly on his paw-feet. Aelita lithely twisted, not unlike the time swinging down the ropes. She landed in a crouch, but toppled to fall on her side. Ulrich, flying through the sky, didn't realize that he was until he did a faceplant on a conveniently placed Odd. "Owww Ulrich, could you have been a bit more graceful and not have landed on me?!?" Odd grumbled from underneath Ulrich.

"Sorry." Ulrich pushed himself up and pulled Odd up as well.

"It's fine; you're just really heavy," Odd panted slightly. "What happened to Yumi?"

Ulrich's face hardened, as if he was trying to suppress tears. "She flung herself into the digital void."

Aelita gasped. Odd's eyes went wide but he still tried to joke. "I didn't know she's a suicidal person."

Ulrich turned to him, solemn. "Was, Odd. Was."

"You didn't stop her?" Odd's face was full of horror. Ulrich nodded. "Oh my god." He blinked twice and fainted.

Aelita rushed over and caught Odd lightly, nearly dropping him in surprise when Jeremie's voice reached their ears. "So she's dead... again?"

Ulrich replied an affirmative.

Aelita began to cry quietly. "Not again. Not again," she repeated over and over, curling into a small ball as if it could protect her from the world. In five minutes flat, she fell asleep. (Uh, weird: yes. Realistic: no. Needed: yes.)

"Okay, I'm the only one conscious. Riiight..." Ulrich looked at the sleeping pair.

"Er, what are we going to do?" Jeremie wondered.

"Uh, I dunno, maybe go kill X.A.N.A.? Jeremie, go back to school. We can handle it here, but I just get this weird feeling. Like I'm being watched," Ulrich frowned in thought.

"But Ulrich..."

"Listen Jeremie, we can handle it. Besides, we need a liar to save our skins from the principal."

"Fine, just get Aelita to contact me if you need any help, okay?" Jeremie removed his headset, laid it on the keyboard, and left the factory. It was dark evening, and he had to sprint back to his dorm before Jim caught him off-campus after curfew.

Ulrich sighed and sat down next to the limp, virtual bodies. It was going to be a long night.

He mentally berated himself for not running faster or for not waking up soon. He wished Jeremie hadn't hesitating to transfer him. He grumbled silently at Odd for not helping him quicker. Ulrich played the scene over and over in his mind, watching again and again how Yumi fell. He sighed, leaning down tiredly on a glacier, closing his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Yumi. I wish you could come back, but you can't. So, I'm really sorry,' he thought but didn't realize he had also quietly murmured that out loud. It didn't matter. It wasn't as if anyone could hear him.

But he was wrong. Someone did hear him, and climbed down from their vantage point to land neatly in a crouch. They wore a familiar outfit that no one saw. They grumbled and shook Ulrich from his daze. "Agh, get up already..."

Ulrich groaned from his haze of tiredness. Who was shaking him? He drowsily rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked up. He blinked in astonishment and rubbed them again. 'Nope, my eyes aren't playing tricks on me. Oh my god.'

Updated finally! It's really, really short, but nothing gets better than this cliffie!! I meant to post this on Tuesday, but Fanfiction was updating the Document Manager, so I couldn't. Go review! I order you! Construction criticism wanted; flames are used to roast my homework! Buhahaha!!!! (sweatdrop)