Chapter 7: And up we go
Disclaimer: I do not own code Lyoko or a place in the alps either man of all the luck...
Ulrich gazed in wonder as the city lights slowly faded and the blackness that engulfed in the country then further as the plains slowly grew up into the sky as they were reaching the mountains soon and it was a full moon out tonight. At the last stop Emily had offered to let Ulrich sit in the front as she needed to catch up on some sleep in the back.
As the car door slammed shut Ulrich was now sitting Next to Emily's father "Colonel Thomas Leduc" He looked over at Ulrich. He gulped Hopeing that this colonel wasn't going to talk about something boring or try and intimidate him. They sat there for a few miles on the empty road as they ever ascended into the mountains. The only lights anyone had seen was that of the cars headlights and the reflection of the moonlight on the snow. The sight of it calmed Ulrich some the surreal image of neither light nor dark as they crossed rolling hills and all the nature. Then with his new found peace he could the courage to speak up. "The mountains are amazing." He said since he had never really been to any before.
"Emily's father smiled and then responded. "You haven't seen anything yet wait until we go through the 9 mile tunnel." and he smiled again as they hung a hard left and right before them there it was.
Emily's father took a deep breath and Emily could be herd from in the back. "Where are we?" she asked. drowsily
"The 9 mile tunnel?" her father replied
"Ulrich looked back and saw the groggy Emily suddenly sober up and she took a deep breath."
"What's going on?" he asked.
Emily's father expelled the air from his lungs and said. "This it what we call the 9 mile tunnel its not really 9 miles long but it seems that way if you try and hold your breath all the way through."
"And why do that?" Ulrich asked a little puzzled.
"Emily spoke. "My grandfather was one of the men to work on this tunnel when it was first being built and ever since then He always said that if you hold your breath all the way through Your deepest wish will come true." she smiled "Just a silly family tradition I guess... oh here it comes get ready" she exclaimed taking a giant Breath.
"Ulrich did the same and before they knew it there was a whoosh of air and then they were in the tunnel moving along all holding their breath there was no noise except the humming sound that cars made in the tunnels. At first it was easy just a short span and Ulrich thought that he was going to make it no problem. but then the reality hit him as his lungs began to burn he wanted to give in as he looked around Emily was faring fine and so was her father so he couldn't give in just yet. As they continued he began thinking of what his wish was anyway. He thought on it as a way to distract himself from the burning in his chest. His mind bounced around through the whole quarter and how hw just wanted something to change for once and to get out of the school with a girl and see a movie. That all happened he thought so what was next, but as he thought of seeing a movie with a girl Yumi appeared in his mind and not Emily.
However before he had a chance to think on that he was interrupted by Emily's father Expelling the air from his lungs as he sat there gasping for air trying to drive. Ulrich had his own hand clamped down on the door handle and he felt the burn go his toes to the tips of his hair that had shagged itself out a little form normal. Every muscle in his body tensed up as he tried everything he could not to breathe. Emily under similar circumstances was in the back seat her face almost beat red as she pounded a clenched fist on the backseat trying to fight the urge to breathe. Ulrich saw light at the end of the tunnel and held it as long as he could but it as no use he finally came up for air. It sounded like he had tried to scream except forgot to use his vocal cords as the air rushed out of him and he began panting trying to get those terrible spots in his eyes (The ones you get when your brain is O2 deprived) to go away.
It seemed as soon as he had managed to regain some of his wind there was a great flash of white light and they were on the other side of the tunnel overlooking the largest valley he had ever seen. It was huge Maybe 10 miles wide and snow-covered all of it shining an eerie lunar white color the evergreens covered in snow and the cliffs with giant icicles on them it was all too amazing for words he had never seen such a beautiful thing in his life he was caught up in the moment and all of its spectacular emotion it produced... and then Emily exhaled.
"So what did you wish for?" Ulrich smiled and asked the exhausted Emily who was bent over breathing deeply.
"She looked up at him strands of her long black hair hanging about her face and she said "If I tell you it won't come true will it.? and a smile formed on her still red face."
They drove on for most of the night Ulrich and Emily's dad talked some but for the most part Ulrich leaned the seatback and slept much like Emily did in the backseat.
Later...
Ulrich awoke to "Hey sleepyhead get up." Slowly his eyes pried themselves open and through a blurry haze he saw Emily leaning overtop of him with the car door open.
"Yawn..." Ulrich let out a long drawn yawn and rubbed the sleep out oh is eyes and looked around. They were in An ice covered parking lot at the base of a mountains and just on the outside of a Swiss alps town. He yawned again and pulled himself up and out of the car. This time he saw a log cabin not to far out of town and on the mountain side a little bit. "Is that where we will be staying?" He asked pointing it out to Emily. "Ittle be almost like camping out." he added a bit enthaustaicly.
Emily just smiled at him. "No silly when I said we have a lodge I meant it." She giggled a little bit and grabbed his arm. "Common we got to get moving, they say a storm is coming in and if we don't get airborne in the next fifteen minuets we might end up stuck here in one of these hotels."
"Airborne!" Ulrich said in surprise.
"Yea." Emily looked at him and couldn't help but to smile at him "He was so cute when he was confused...Hell he was cute all the time" "Common get your bags and we gotta go." She popped the trunk.
"Where's your dad?" Ulrich asked as he pulled his backpacks from the trunk and then slammed it shut.
"o'l He's on the landing pad fueling up the chopper."
"What!" Ulrich Exclaimed.
"Yea." Emily said "Common Let me show you she said as she shouldered one pf his bags and took him by the hand out around back of the train depot. And sure enough there it was A little helicopter sitting on the landing pad as Emily's dad was talking to a man and fueling it.
"Hey Ulrich." Emily's dad hollered over at him. "I see your finally up." Ittle be a few minuets before we can get up off the ground so you two can take a quick look around town if you want."
"Ok dad." Emily yelled back and fully shouldered Ulrich's second backpack. "Common Ulrich" she said again taking him by the hand and they walked off into town.
"The town looked rather old and rustic like it had been around since the 1930's and had just gotten stuck in a perpetual return to the past cycle. There were shops that still sold traditional wool hiking gear like coats sweaters helmet liners, and even traditional Swiss skis. There were stuffed bears (real full sized ones teeth and all) Rams and any other mountain creature that Ulrich could imagine. It was all so knew and wonderful like the jade that had formed an armor about him at Kadic had begun to peel away and he was starting to be free of that accursed skin of Routine.
As he was taking it all in he said. "Its so beautiful here."
"Yea it is..." she replied and the thought he herd her choke up a little.
"He turned to her and imminently he could see a small tear running down her right cheek...
"Are you Ok?" He asked.
"Yea its nothing.. she said looking down for a moment hiding her face from him and snuffed up the tears and said regaining her composure "I think We should get going now. I'm sure my dad is ready to fly by now and she started off to the Heli pad closely followed by Ulrich.
"Was it something I said" Ulrich thought to himself as they walked through the snow back to the chopper.
Emily's turn to shine... "Oh no what now?" Am afraid I have no choice but to break out the three D's Delima, Drama' And the ever popular Daring. Wish me luck.
Oh yea for all you Yumi fans out there have no fear her part to play in this story is far from over.
And remember Im always open for Thoughts and ideas about my stories good or bad you are entitled to an oppion and i would like th hear it. Peace