I am taking a bit of artistic leeway here. The places mentioned are my own, completely original, and copyrighted. Oh, and to address a problem that someone noticed, most things that I put in my stories will have an explanation or two eventually, later in this story or in another. The problem in question will be addressed in another story though... sorry.
Um, it may be just a wee bit unrealistic but to heck with realism. Gimme a good old fashioned fiction story anyday... Anyway, I will stop complaining again and let you read.

Sissi:

I was sitting in my dorm room doing the homework that I had been assigned. It was boring stuff, but I had been getting extra help laity. I knew what I was doing now and was able to do it, but it was still boring. The homework was a little math, a little science, and a little social studies; I had already finished the social studies and the science and all that was left was the math.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair; I began day dreaming. The traveler had changed my life so much now. Most of it was for the better, he had helped me in school, helped me with my friendships, and generally helped me improve my personality. But on the other hand I had been thrown into a war that had little to do with me. My new friends, Ulrich's gang, didn't remember anything and I lost Ulrich as a boyfriend.

This brought my mind back to the original agreement with the traveler. He had said that I would be able to be with the group that I had wanted to be with so much, and I had eagerly agreed. I didn't know that that would mean that I would have to be out of it first...

I sighed again and thought about what I had seen so far. I had been to the Lyoko Holy Lands and seen what that was like. The traveler had fought against Xanadu and the other creature many times, with my help of course. I had seen many impossible things, things that would have frightened me before... but I had also seen the place where Gwyosis lived, Aricitopia, as they called it.

It had been fabulous... the buildings were built into nature and everything seemed so magical. The Aricitics themselves were green wolf-like animals, and they lived mostly like so, but much of their lives were similar to a human's. They lived in cities built of stone, wood, and metals, like humans. They were creative, like humans; resourceful, like humans. Yet, it seemed, unlike humans, they seemed to live in harmony with nature. All of their buildings had plants and other animals living on and in them. Cities looked almost like mountains, and the countryside was unrecognizable.

Perhaps it was because of their special ability, the one that allowed them to literally become any thing that they had a sample from. At first I had thought that had meant any animal, but I realized that they could become anything, even things that weren't thought of as living. They were also somehow able to incorporate qualities of other things into themselves, whether or not they were that thing at the time. This would certainly change my views of the things around me, if I could become them...

I had been taken to Aricitopia for two reasons. The first was because during a battle against Xanadu I had become fatally wounded. The traveler might have been able to heal me, but he decided that he should just be sure. Quickly I was brought to Aricitopia and to the best 'doctor' they had. The Aricitic wasn't really a doctor, not for other Aricitics at least. Their ability made them immune to most things, and they were regenerative. But he was a doctor for most magical crisis. I was left in his care for a while, and when I was better the traveler showed me around.

It was only until after I had come back to earth, and this universe, that I was told how much of a risk it had been to take me there. Aricitics and humans don't usually get along. This is double for a human who can use magic. When an Aricitic takes a human form, from their DNA, and the human is capable of using magic, they become a more powerful variation called an Ariciticen...

In any case it was a real treat to be there while I was. Because the entirety of Aricitopia was created by Gwydion and Gwyosis, and because Gwydion is capable of traveling to other universes, there were millions of things there from other places. They had one library that held over a trillion books; books from nearly every universe and every time period. But what I found really interesting was the immense number of other creatures in the universe. There was an entire planet made up of animals that were half human half other animal. It seemed that there was one of every kind.

My mind drifted back to the problem at hand. I had to get this math problem done. I looked at my paper. The first equation was y ax b. The second problem, a little different, was y mx b. The third problem was y -b /- the square root of b squared – 4 ac over 2a. What I was supposed to do was name the equations... I was stuck on the first one, and had all the others done already.

I leaned back in my chair again and heard a crack of thunder. Suddenly the power went out. I jumped and relaxed again as the school's backup power came on. It seemed that we had a storm going on, which was odd because the sky had been perfectly clear an hour ago. I glanced at my clock and saw that it was twelve forty-six.

I stood up, and began pacing. The math problem was really getting to me... As I continued to pace I thought about it. Suddenly I began getting a really bad feeling. Something was wrong, but I wasn't sure what it was. As the traveler had taught me magic he told me that my senses would increase, as would my 'sixth' sense.

Quickly I sat down on the floor and calmed myself. I began allowing my mind to wonder casually and slowly I began leading it in the direction of the bad feeling. I began to see outside of myself, somewhere in town. I saw a movie theater, the Opal Cineplex, and I followed the feeling inside. It was pitch black inside but that was quickly taken care of when another flash of lightening created a surge and the movie projector began illuminating the room again. I saw the dark cloud that Xanadu used, but behind it was a hole in the movie screen. I suddenly realized what was happening; Xanadu was trying to get rid of one of us. Looking around the room I saw Odd and Sam sitting petrified, mere inches from the cloud. As the lights dimmed I heard them being lifted up and pulled into the hole, then I felt a rush and was knocked back into my body. It felt as though I had been smacked by a brick wall and I gasped for air. Another smack and I knew that Odd and Sam were gone...

I sick; they were gone and I had done nothing. There had been little that I could have done. All I could do now was find Gwyosis and tell him, though I was sure that he already knew. I should also tell the others...

I got up and opened my door. Slowly I walked out towards Ulrich and Odd's room. This was where I assumed that they would be, or at least Ulrich. I walked up to the door and knocked, I then listened for a response but the room was dead silent. They weren't there, which meant that the next person to contact was Jeremie. I began walking to his room. When I reached his room I saw that the door was ajar. I could hear Jeremie talking inside, and I heard Aelita's voice as well.

Suddenly to my right I heard thundering footsteps. I turned to see what it was and saw Yumi and Ulrich making a mad dash towards me. They had a look of dread on their faces, and I knew that they already knew. I sighed and knocked on the door. Jeremie and Aelita had long since stopped talking and he opened the door. When he saw me he nodded and when he saw Yumi and Ulrich he nodded again. He opened the door wider and allowed us in.

"Well," I said. "I assume that, by the look of fear and dread on your faces you all felt what I did."

"Like something was ripped from you, torn right out of your heart and soul?" Yumi asked.

"Two empty spaces where there should be something?" Aelita added.

"A slash in the fabric of space and time and then a slap or two?" Jeremie put in.

"And, lastly, the disappearance of Odd and Sam?" Ulrich added looking at literally.

There was a silence for a second. No one really looked at anyone else. We all just stared silently at the floor. I felt sick and I knew the others did as well. Really it felt as though the two had died...

"Well, initially they have." Gwyosis's voice came through the door. "They have been taken to another universe and we are having a hard time locating them. It seems that X.A.N.A. has become more powerful than any of us expected. For now we will have to wait until either Ginda or Gwydion get here."

"So much for leading a normal life..." Ulrich said.

"Hey, we are trying." Came a female voice.

There was a small flash of light and a rush of wind. A woman appeared in the room. I recognized her as Ginda and stepped back to allow more room for her. She was tall, about as tall as Gwydion. Her hair was very long and a light brown, as long as Gwydion's when he was 'older'. She appeared to be the age of thirty six, or somewhere around there.

"How about we let Gwyo-Professor Giis in..." she said and opened the door.

"Thank you Ginda." He said as he walked in. "Any news?"

"No, unfortunately. I haven't heard anything, neither from Gwydion nor Gwydevis."

"Um, who is she?" Ulrich asked.

"This is Ginda," I cut in. "She is, um..."

"Related to Gwydion, the traveler, someone who you still don't know about yet, apparently." She then turned to Gwyosis, "The 'living a normal life' thing again?"

"Of course... well, that got someone killed, but has that ever stopped him before?"

"No, your right, but aren't we supposed to be operating on minimal interference?"

"Tell that to Xanadu."

"Um, not to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but what are we going to do about this?" Ulrich asked.

There was a flash of light and a rush of air. Suddenly the room became a little colder and I felt a shiver run up and down my spine. I looked around and saw that everyone in the room was feeling uncomfortable; I knew who had arrived.

"Found them." Came Gwydevis's voice from the ceiling.

We all looked up and saw him sitting there hunched over with his hands on the ceiling. He was grinning down at us, almost like a large human spider. He was a youthful looking man with short dark brown hair and vividly grey eyes. There was an air about him that made me feel uncomfortable...

"Where are they?" Ginda asked.

"In a separately created universe, and a very small one at that. I had to go beyond it to even be able to enter without killing the two." He said in a giddy tone. "And Gwydion does know, but I doubt there will be much he will be able to do about it."

"You're joking." Ginda replied.

No he isn't. came a voice in my head. I recognized it as an Aricitic voice and looked over in the only space left in the room. We can't even access it, it seems that it is well hidden and locked.

"Gwydion?" I asked shocked.

Wrong. I am a different form, a fifth if you will... he is still trying to find a way, but it seems futile. Said the Aricitic. Say, why don't we go somewhere more open?

I suddenly felt a rush of air and felt myself being pulled. It was as if gravity had just shifted and I was falling in a different direction. When my eyes cleared and my mind stopped spinning I found myself in an open field. I wasn't sure, but it didn't look like a different universe.

"Damn, I am going to need help on this one..." said Gwydion as he literally walked into the universe. "Sorry I am late, traffic was hell..."

With the traveler's help the gang is able to recover the two lost friends. Jeremie gets to see something truly special, but when he returns to 'earth' with Aelita and the others something happens and he has a spur-attic memory recovery. With the memory of the factory, Lyoko, and the truth, how will Jeremie react. Find out in Tragedy Averted, Memory, and Return to Lyoko.