Summary: Aelita is changing.

Disclaim. I don't own anything in this story (unless you count the plot)

White-hot pain flashed across Aelita's mind as an unknown force knocked her backwards. Aelita yelped, and put up an emergency shield of her magic, trying to stop her attacker. Cold/hot air lashed through her mind, freezing and burning her magic at the same time. The pink-haired girl yelled again, and tried to get her wings to move. She couldn't: they were frozen in place.

Cold, long fingered hands pinned Aelita's shoulders to the virtual ground, bracing her wings and legs, so she was unable to move. The "Princess" froze, forgetting to fight, as she looked into red, metallic eyes half hidden by golden bangs. Over her captor's head, Aelita saw two huge, pure white wings fan out in the virtual air, then fold into a resting position. Aelita gasped. The woman was a bioroid.

"Do not move, or you will be destroyed."

"Let me go," Aelita answered, staring into the stranger's eyes. "Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The bioroid's eyes glowed, then she let go of Aelita, standing in one fluid movement. "I lost my coordinates," she muttered, her voice strangely deep and smooth for a woman. "What is this place?"

Aelita stood slowly, vaguely envious of the woman's almost predatory grace. "Lyoko," she answered, watching the white-clad bioroid closely. "A virtual realm parallel to Earth. Who, in the name of the Goddess, are you?"

The bioroid simply turned very cold red eyes on the pink-haired girl.

"Aelita asked you a question," said a sudden voice, echoing in the sky. Aelita fought a smirk when the woman jumped, obviously surprised.

"Who speaks?" She shouted, her eyes darting franticly.

Jeremie let out a surprisingly sinister chuckle. "I do, bioroid. Tell Aelita your code, then, if you don't have a name."

"Aelita?" She spun to glare at the girl behind her. "I am to assume the voice means you."

"The voice's name is Jeremie," Jeremie muttered grumpily, and Aelita giggled slightly. Now that was the Jeremie she knew. Taking herself under control, she nodded, meeting the bioroid's eyes.

"Yes, my name is Aelita."

The woman's eyes flashed. "Seraph."

"What?"

"My code is Seraph. It is as close to a name as we bioroids are given…or so I thought." She eyed Aelita's blue green-wings and tight pink uniform as if unsure of what she was seeing. "Are you an Emulate?"

"I'm human," Aelita answered before she thought about the answer. She heard Jeremie chuckle, and a wry smile twisted her lips. "Well…mostly human," she admitted.

Seraph shook her head, and her long golden hair shook as if it was alive. "No, you are wrong. You have the eyes and wings of a true bioroid, the soul and mind of a human. What evil human did this to you, sister?"

"Sister?" Aelita echoed, shocked. One second the woman had been threatening her, and then suddenly she was almost kind.

"Enough questions, bioroid," Jeremie said suddenly. "Aelita, you're alright?"

Aelita smiled, hearing concern creep into his voice, no matter how hard he tried to sound tough. "Yes, Jeremie," she told him. "Physically anyway."

She turned to look at the bioroid, and frowned. "How are we to get you out of here?"

Seraph's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You can not force me anywhere, human."

Aelita placed her hands on her hips. "Unless you want to stay here, and help us fight X.A.N.A., it'd be better if you came back to Earth with Jeremie and I."

"What is X.A.N.A.?"

Aelita and Jeremie sighed at exactly the same time, and the pink-haired girl smiled. "It's a long story, Seraph. But, enough of the explanations. I don't know how you got here, but it's a good thing you are here." She gestured to her suit, and her blue-green wings. "I have no idea how I became this way. You have no idea where you are."

"My mission is revenge," the bioroid hissed. "I have no time to help humans."

Aelita's eyes widened. "Your mission?"

"Lucifer. The black-winged one. She will pay for what she has taken from me. My emulate is separated from me forever. I must repay the pain this separation has caused me."

"Lucifer?" Aelita and Jeremie asked together, incredulous. "The seventh sin?"

Seraph nodded, frowning. "Humans, I thought, did not know of our kind. You speak as if you known of us. What are you? Who are you?" She held up a hand, and a long line of light suddenly appeared inside of it. In seconds, it had materialized into the longest broad sword Aelita had ever seen. The weapon sparkled with light and shadows. "Answer or I attack."

Aelita opened her mouth, when she suddenly heard Jeremie curse. "What's wrong!" She called, closing her inner eyes in order to see Jeremie handsome face. The second she saw the alarm in his blue eyes, she gasped. "Not now."

Jeremie nodded grimly. "Now, Princess. X.A.N.A. has launched an attack. I'll warn Yumi and the others. Tell Lady Bioroid there the story, but make it quick. And be CAREFUL," he added, stressing the last word. "I don't want you to get hurt, Aelita."

'Lady Bioroid' glared at Aelita as she opened her real eyes. "Are you going to answer now? And what does he mean by an 'attack'?"

Aelita glared back at Seraph, at her temper's end. "If you'd stop asking questions, I'd answer them!" She half-shouted at the woman, who looked slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst. "Jeremie, I, and three of our friends fight X.A.N.A. He is a demonic soul inside of a machine, and my mortal enemy. He takes control of this world, and through it, tries to destroy earth. This has gone on for two earth years, and will continue until Jeremie is able to find my father's key to stopping X.A.NA., and we are able to shut him down. There, happy?" She was unaware that her eyes were now sparkling with blue lightning, as were the tips of her fingers. Seraph, however, was quite aware of this little fact.

"You are living lightning, human," she remarked dryly, stepping back slightly. Then she sighed, and smiled truly for the first time. "I guess I can be satisfied for answers for now." Aelita closed her eyes in thanks, and nodded.

"Follow me. You have a few more things to learn, if you're going to help us against this attack." The bioroid nodded back, and followed Aelita into the tower.

Sorry if it's a bit short…next chappy, I promise. Lots of fighting and fun. Thanks for reading….