Warning: Rated for language, some violence and adult behavior.
The main characters of this story are based on characters from the cartoon 'Code Lyoko.' I do not own, nor do I claim, any copyright to these characters.
"Momma, Daddy, I have a favor to ask," Yumi said one morning, two weeks before graduation, "I want you to postpone the graduation party."
"Why, dear? Everything's been ordered, and I'm about to send the invitations out. Why have you changed your mind?" her mother asked.
"I haven't changed my mind, I just want you to wait a day," Yumi replied. She lowered her head and softly said, "I want to spend one last night with Ulrich before he leaves."
"I see," her father said, "one last fling to send him on his way, eh? Or maybe you two are planning to elope?"
"If it were that, father, I would have done it a long time ago," Yumi flatly said, "and even if I did, wouldn't I just be carrying on the family tradition?"
"Yumi!" her mother exclaimed, "apologize now!"
"I am sorry, father," she said, "but I am going to spend the night with Ulrich. You both know we've been together, and have never said anything about it. I'm just asking you to change the date of the party by one day. After that, he will be gone, and you won't have to worry about him anymore."
Before she went to bed that night, Yumi's father took her aside.
"I just wanted you to know," he said, "that if you two did elope, I would be proud to call him son."
Graduation Day was hectic. Yumi was rushing about trying to get ready for the ceremony, seemingly a thousand things that have to be done now.
Then Odd called to tell her that Ulrich had packed up and left that morning. Yumi almost dropped the phone.
She spent the rest of the day in a daze. Did something happen? Did his parents change their minds? Did he change his mind? These questions flew through the girl's mind and wouldn't stop. Several times, she almost broke down in tears as dark answers echoed back.
She graduated twelfth in her class. She received her diploma, turned her tassel and passed another Milestone in her life. All she could think about was Ulrich.
After the ceremony, as she was walking out with her family, she saw him. He was dressed like he always did, but he was leaning against the side of a white limousine. She ran over and jumped into his arms.
"I though something happened to you," she told him between her kisses, "I thought you forgot."
"Never," he replied, kissing her back, "I had to do the most foul thing I've ever had to do for this, and I won't let it slip away."
They had a quiet dinner together at the hotel, alone. Ulrich explained that his parents were also staying in the hotel, in the next suite, as it turned out.
After the meal, Ulrich said to her, "Yumi, I want to give you something."
He reached in his pocket, and pulled something out. He opened his hand and showed her what was in it. Two rings.
They were white gold chain circlets, and Yumi immediately recognized them. Odd and Sissi wore rings exactly like them on the ring finger of their left hands, where one wore wedding bands.
"I had Odd make them some time ago," Ulrich explained, "and I was going to show them to you when I proposed. Now it looks like that day will be even farther away than I thought if would be, so I wanted to give this to you now, so you'll remember me and what you mean to me."
He took one of the rings and placed it on her left ring finger. "Yumi Ishiyama, I love you with all my heart, mind and spirit. And I will spend all of the rest of my days with you."
Tears in her eyes, Yumi took the other ring and placed it on his left ring finger. "Ulrich Stern, I love you with all my heart, my mind and my spirit. And I will spend all of the rest of my days with you."
Years ago, in a dream more real than reality, they spoke almost the exact same words to each other as they stood literally at the edge of damnation and destruction. Their bond was formed that day, and never forgotten. Now, the thin silver chain that can not be broken flared white hot in their souls.
They left the dining room and went to the suite that was prepared for them.
Yumi awoke to a noise in the night.
She lay in bed with Ulrich spooned behind her, his arm draped over her. She was about to either settle back to sleep or wake him and make love again when she heard the noise again. It came from the suite next door.
She moved Ulrich's arm and got up, not bothering to dress, for they were alone in the room. She silently padded to a door where the noise came from. She quickly realized that this was a connecting door between their suite and the suite next door. She tried the door and found it unlocked.
She opened the door a crack.
From the next room came the sounds of someone crying. This was the noise that had awakened her. She peered through the crack she made when she opened the door and saw the two people in the room. She instantly recognized them, Ulrich's parents.
Ulrich's mother was lying face down at the foot of the bed, her hands bound behind her, naked. Above her, Mr. Stern stood, also undressed, holding a belt in his hand. He had bent over, grabbed his wife by her hair, and was saying something to her. Yumi could barely make his words out.
"So, you think he's safe?" Mr. Stern said, "that nothing can happen to him now he's where I want him. Oh, no, it's not that simple, slave."
Mrs. Stern whimpered.
"Maybe I'll have them rape your son, over and over again," he sneered, "bring him back as a gay. Maybe make him perform while you watch. Would you like to see that?"
The woman shook her head violently no.
"Or, maybe I'll do something to his little Jap bitch. She's not good enough to be his wife, but maybe with a little training, mama-san could be his entertainment."
Mrs. Stern finally said something. "Please, I beg you. Leave them alone. He's your own son! Doesn't he mean anything to you?"
"He's my hold over you," Mr. Stern said, "what will you do to see to it I leave him alone, leave them alone?"
"Anything," she sobbed.
"Exactly," he replied. He straightened up, then brought the belt down hard on her back. Yumi flinched when she heard it crack! on Mrs. Stern's back. She saw the ugly red stripe slowly form on the woman's back, little drops of blood welling up in places.
"Now beg," he said, bringing the belt down again, painting another stripe, "beg for your son's life!"
"Please, don't hurt him!" she cried, "you have what you want, spare him!"
The belt cracked down again and again. "Beg for her! Quickly now, I'm almost ready to go fetch her and introduce her to her new life!"
"NO!" she wailed, "she's innocent! Leave her alone! I'll do anything! I beg you!"
"Yes, you will, my slave, my plaything! You will do anything..."
He bent over her again and forced something into her mouth. It had straps, and he tied them behind her head, then secured another set of straps under her chin and over the top of her head. He then produced another object, like a small flashlight, and touched her with it.
Mrs. Stern jerked upright as if she was launched in the air by something. Her face was formed into a rictus of agony as he held the object to her. She tried to scream but was prevented by the device in her mouth. He then removed the object torturing her and she collapsed on the bed.
"More," he said as he forced himself into her, then applying the flashlight thing to her again, "give me more, much more pleasurable feedback..." They both jerked about; he in ecstasy, she in agony.
Yumi stepped back, softly closing the door, shocked and disgusted, unable to watch any more. She had heard 'pleasurable feedback' before. Jeremie said that XANA had said it when it tried killing him at the American Embassy years ago.
A hand softly touched her shoulder. Yumi almost cried out in surprise. It was Ulrich.
"Now you know the whole story," Ulrich softly told her, taking her into his arms, "this is my reality. He was grooming me to be just like that. If he had never betrayed my uncle, I would be just like that."
"But, your mother," she said.
"It didn't start out that way," he replied, "when they married, he acted just like a normal person would. But over the years, he broke her. I don't know exactly how, but he broke her. She won't even consider disobeying him. She thinks he has spies everywhere watching her and me. That weekend at the air base years ago was the first time I ever saw her open up to anyone. I've always been happy it was for you when she did."
"Did you hear what he said, at the end?"
"Yes, I've heard him say things like that a few times after the Embassy Ball. He's possessed by XANA."
"But we destroyed it! You were there! Jeremie deleted that thing bit by bit!"
"All I can say is Jeremie didn't get it all."
"Does he know?"
"Yes, he does. Why do you think he's acting the way he has? He's protecting us: you, me, Odd and Sissi, maybe even Aelita. He wants us to have normal lives. He thinks he can do it alone with his Kadic Group."
"He's wrong," Yumi said.
"I know," Ulrich replied, "and you and I need to prepare. That's how come I didn't put up so much of a fight when dad pulled me out of Kadic. Where I'm going will prepare me for the next battle. I hope that whatever you do will prepare you for the same thing."
"I'll see to it," she said.
He turned her around, kissed her and said, "good, now come back to bed, the morning is coming too fast for my taste."
The dawn came quickly. They lay in each other's arms, savoring the moment, knowing that too soon they would be parted.
Finally, the end arrived.
They showered together, not wanting to part from each other yet, wanting just one more instant of that closeness, that intimacy.
She dressed in her usual attire, black shirt, dark pants, boots. He dressed in a Ravensbrook uniform. They tidied the room, then left.
Ulrich accompanied her in the limo back to her house. He escorted her to her front door, where her parents were waiting. He accepted Mrs. Ishiyama's embrace, her husband's handshake, and a hug from Hiroki. He then gave his Love, his Life, Yumi Ishiyama, one final kiss.
Then he turned, went back to the limousine, and left.
