Death and the Swordsman

Chapter 7

By: Leelei

Author's Note: Lol, here ya go, Indome. It's not finished yet, but a step closer. : ) I hope you guys don't hate this chapter. It's one of my favorites along with the previous one because there's so much change in the characters versus the very beginning of the story. I just wanted to let you know that, yes, it is Jeremie's turn this time, but this is also a chapter that I used the PG-13 rating for. Nothing real serious, but please, I don't want any complaints. Thanks again, and please drop a review on the way out.

The image reappeared and Death and Ulrich stood in a dark room. It was a decent sized dorm, with plain walls, an empty desk and chair, and a tall cabinet on a lone wall with a few drawers built into it. On the bed pushed up against one of the walls, a blonde teenager laid with his back facing them, staring blankly at the peeling paint of the cold surface in front of him.

"Jeremie….?" Ulrich inquired out loud quietly, his brow furrowing as he tried to understand the scene. Death floated next to him, but remained silent.

There soon was a gentle knock on the door and the teen showed no response. A minute or so passed before the visitor opened the door slowly and entered. "Jeremie?" she asked. It was Yumi, having just arrived after driving from the school and her encounter with Odd and his friends. "Jeremie, it's me. Yumi."

"…Yumi…" the blonde replied distantly, turning on his side to face her. Ulrich then recognized him. It was Jeremie, but he was about seventeen years old then. He looked almost the same as he did when he was younger, save his glasses were a size bigger to fit him after his growth spurt, and his hair was slightly shorter than before. He sat up on the bed, swinging his bare feet down to reach the floor. Ulrich noticed that he still wasn't very tall. Although it was late in the afternoon, he still seemed to be wearing dark colored pajamas, like he had no intention of leaving the room. Overall, he looked thin and pale, and was missing that clever glint in his eye that he had always possessed as a boy.

Yumi moved to crouch down in front of him. "How are you?" she asked softly.

Jeremie didn't answer, just stared at the floor without raising his eyes to meet her. "I miss her…" he replied quietly.

"Jeremie, I know. We all do." Yumi felt hurt at his response; the same that he gave her every time she visited him.

"Where is Odd," said Jeremie, stating his question more than asking.

"He had detention today, so I left without him to make it here in time for the visitation hours. I'll make sure he comes next time, okay?"

No reply, or even a look from him. Jeremie then pulled himself back onto the bed and returned to his lonely position. Yumi stood as her brow creased, troubled by his depressed state. "Jeremie, would you like to go for a walk?" No response. She then sat down on the edge of his bed, a few inches from his feet. "Or maybe a ride? I showed you a picture of my new car, remember? You said it was nice." He still remained silent. "Let's go for a drive, maybe get some ice cream…?"

His silence frustrated Yumi, as it always did over the years, but she only showed it through sorrow. Her eyes filled with tears, but she kept her voice even. "Is there anything you need, Jeremie? Please, speak to me."

Jeremie turned on his side again so she could see his face, but then returned his stare to the floor. "I don't need anything," he finally responded flatly.

"Okay." Yumi said, realizing how quiet her voice had become. The water in her eyes was growing harder to keep held in. A tear streaked down her face as she reached over and brushed a piece of Jeremie's bangs out of his eyes. "I love you, Jeremie," she told him. "You're my best friend, and please don't ever forget that."

She stood and pulled her keys from her skirt pocket as she wiped the moisture from her face. The nurses had suggested she leave when he started refusing things, telling her that he would only grow impatient and irritable if she offered too much. Always, though, she ended her visit by reminding the teen how much she still cared about him, knowing the encouragement would help him hold on.

"When would you like us to visit you next?" she asked.

"Whenever." Jeremie mumbled without looking up at her.

"Okay…" Yumi said again, not wanting to push him any further. "I'll see you later, Jeremie. Try and get some sleep tonight, please," she suggested, having learned of his new case of insomnia from the doctor when she had checked in. Jeremie didn't reply, but she waited a few moments hoping he would. After a long silence, she finally broke it when moving to the door. "Good-bye, Jeremie," she called to him sorrowfully before closing it, taking one last look at her pitiful friend before leaving. The image faded back to complete white as Yumi walked slowly down the hall, passing all the other dorm room doors as she searched through her key chains on the ring for the key to her car.

"Death, I don't understand." Ulrich said with a confused look. He turned to the apparition for an answer. "What happened to him? Is he okay?"

Death seemed to sigh again. "Jeremie's story is a difficult one, Ulrich. But I must tell it to you, however. This was your wish.

"You now know that after your death Odd and Yumi didn't have enough strength between them to protect Aelita against X.A.N.A.'s worsening attacks. Jeremie did everything he could –absolutely everything- but it just wasn't enough to save her. As loosing Aelita became one of the hardest moments of his life to live through, the event slowly overtook his mind, the loss driving him to near insanity.

"His depression started out as the disorder usually did, with him sobbing at random times and missing more and more classes. The principal noticed his change in behavior immediately and had him attend sessions with the school psychologist, as he had asked Yumi and Odd to do as well. He knew the death of a close friend was disastrous, especially for friends so close and at such a young age, but he thought highly of the psychologist he had hired and wanted Jeremie to return to his normal life as soon as possible. He himself had sent Sissi to the new counselor everyday for three weeks after your funeral, and once a week following that for nearly two months.

"But Jeremie was never truly helped. After months of the treatment, day in and day out, and weeks after Odd had dropped out of the sessions, he still showed no signs of improvement. The psychologist turned to Yumi and Odd for help with for a solution, but the only answer they gave was a link back to your untimely death, the two still remaining loyal to keeping Lyoko and Aelita a secret.

"During all the time that had passed, Jeremie's grades went from straight A's to all F's with many zeroes in place of where his work should have been. He refused to attend class, and never completed a page of homework or took another test again. He spent most of his time on his computer, trying to make a connection back to Lyoko until Yumi and Odd found out what he was doing and were forced to remind him that Aelita was gone forever. After that, he was lost himself, sleeping more than usual and remaining in his room.

"The principal was growing worried about his behavior and how it was affecting life at the school. The other students all whispered and started rumors about him, and when Jeremie did come out of his dorm room, he was plagued with questions from the innocent, curious kids.

"Jeremie never answered, or even talked, to them. He soon started to snap at the other students, growing angry at their constant presence. His actions grew worse, and he became threatening and violent. The principal immediately removed him from the school, and had him quarantined in his room for a short time before his parents were notified.

"Not knowing what else he could do, the principal quietly expelled Jeremie and sent him back to his family. It was hard for Yumi and Odd to say good-bye to him, but by then Jeremie wasn't the same person that they had known before.

"Once he returned to his parents' home, they tried to welcome him warmly. Numb to what he had experienced, they immediately went on with life as nothing had happened to him. The sudden change had major affects on his personality, and he shortly grew hard to handle there, too."

"What could he do to them, though?" Ulrich asked. "He would've only been twelve at the time."

Death continued, "He kicked and screamed and swore loudly at them whenever they tried to help him, or scolded him for what they referred to as 'moaping around.' It wasn't long before one dinner together secured the decision for them to send him back to Kadic."

"What happened?" inquired Ulrich, sounding worried.

"He hit his mother and stabbed his father in the arm with a fork," Death answered, rather evenly for such a shocking statement. "They had at first asked him to be more cheerful around the house and to help a little more with the chores, but then became more demanding when he refused. Soon, he was yelling and cursing them, and during his rage was when he became violent."

Ulrich felt hurt at the depressing story of his friend, the tears building slowly in his eyes again. "So they sent him back?"

Death nodded. "The principal was upset that they had given up on their responsibility as parents, but welcomed Jeremie back for a short time. It wasn't long before he had found an opening at St. Genevieve's Home for Physically Challenged and Mentally Disturbed Boys, his parents immediately giving consent and the psychologist giving a quick diagnosis for his entrance. The boarding home was located just outside of Paris, and Yumi and Odd visited him regularly for years, the Kadic principal and also their high school principal even excusing them from class and providing transportation for them until Yumi was able to drive at age eighteen.

"The doctors and nurses at the home were impressed by the intelligence Jeremie showed the psychiatrists when he first arrived, but he rarely talked to anyone afterwards, only mumbling responses when needed and the occasional times when a nurse would overhear him talking to himself about a place called Lyoko, or a girl named Aelita.

"He never could let go, Ulrich," Death finished her explanation distantly, gazing away from the brunette. "He never, ever forgot her."

Ulrich knew he was crying again, the story burning a scar onto his soul. "If I would have been there…I could've helped save her…" he mumbled to himself.

"Yes, you would have," Death replied, the first thing she had told him that was a direct fact of what would have happened had he lived.

"I-I…I don't think so," Ulrich denied himself through a quivering voice. "My death couldn't have affected that many people."

"That many?" Death's questioning tone made Ulrich look to her as she continued speaking. "Ulrich, your death affected far more people than just your friends."

"More?"

"Yes, Ulrich, more."

Hey, I got a little bit of France in there that time! : ) St. Genevieve is the patron saint of Paris, and you can't get your license out there until you're eighteen years old (so I guess I should quit grumbling that I haven't gotten mine yet and be happy that I don't have to wait two more years). Chapter 8 coming soon…I hope. Until then, au revoir!