Disclaimer: Code Lyoko is copyrighted by Moonscoop.
This chapter was written by me. It was edited by AeroJester203 and AwesomeFanFictionAuthor.
I only own Lila and Mia. Mary is owned by AeroJester203.
Author's Note: Please do not skip to the end of the chapter. Have I peaked your curiosity? If so, please don't skip, seriously.
Enjoy!
Distant Memory
Early morning
Inside Lila and Aelita's room
POV Lila's
Dear Diary,
Since the recent visit from the real Mia, things have been calm. In fact, this week, we're all going on vacation. Aelita and I will be going to Mary's house at the end of the day.
Since my birthday is approaching soon, I can't help but wonder how I'm going to celebrate it. I miss seeing Mary in her regular form... I'm glad she's posing as Mia—I really am. At the same time, though... I'm a bit jealous. I'll admit to that. I used to have Mary all to myself... but I guess she should at least get the chance to experience life as a student.
I'm grateful that Aelita and I get to spend the week at Mary's house. Good thing Aelita won't be alone during this vacation. I think it's great that she has family who will be there for her.
It amazes me that we've been trying to get Mia free for so long though. She's a brave person for sacrificing herself to save her father. Three months in Xana's captivity... I can't imagine what she must be going through, just as I can't imagine what left Uncle William so scared of Xana's return back in my future. Maybe Mia and Mary will be able to talk it over since she was a captive of Xana, too. That might-
I stop writing when I hear Aelita sobbing in her sleep. Even with Mister Puck sleeping next to her, she's been having nightmares recently. Aelita uses her cover to wipe her tears away, and I think about whether I should wake her up. But it's probably best if I let her sleep.
I close my diary and lock it with its key before putting them away in the drawer, along with the pen. Quietly moving to my closet, I look at my MP3 player and headphones on the top shelf. I found them buried deep in the closet around a month ago. I'll have to remember to put them in my suitcase when I leave.
Grabbing a towel and my clothes along with soap and shampoo, I open the door, and close it quietly so as not to disturb Aelita while I go to take a shower.
Afterwards
In the park
After taking my shower, getting dressed and brushing my teeth, I'm with Aelita and the others, heading to the gate of the park where the parents of Kadic's students were directed to pick up their others are packed up and ready to go on vacation. Along the way, Aelita's explaining her current troubles.
"What, you're still having nightmares?" Yumi asks as we keep walking.
"Yeah, they keep coming back every now and then," Aelita replies. "What's more, they're always the same. But don't worry, Jeremy, I'm used to them."
"No Aelita, it's not your nightmares I'm worried about," Jeremy says, looking at her.
"It's Xana, isn't it?" I ask.
"I told you, it's no big deal," Aelita replies. "Yumi won't be far for the holidays. Lila and I are staying at Mary's house; we'll be keeping an eye on Xana from there. So there's no need to worry."
"I don't care about Xana. I know you'll be spending time at Mary's... I feel like I can't be comfortable unless I'm watching over you, myself," Jeremy explains. Then he shakes his head, saying, "I'm going to tell my dad I'm staying here."
"No, you're not," Aelita insists. "You should spend the holidays with your families. For me... it's not the same. Sorry, Lila."
I nod, "It's okay, I understand. Time travel aside, I'm still legally your adopted sister here."
Aelita smiles slightly.
As we approach one of Kadic's main entrances, Ulrich speaks up dourly, "At holiday time, my dad gets more stressed out than ever, which makes my mom hysterical. I think I'd rather stay here."
"Yeah, me too," Odd says. "My sisters drive me nuts."
"You think that's bad? Guess who has to study for half the vacation time..." Sissi mutters. "At least the other half will be spent with my mom."
"At least you don't have any siblings who like to play jokes on you. Last year they locked me in the bathroom all night, just because they thought it was funny," Odd explains.
"They did?" Yumi asks incredulously. "But- That's even worse than my kid brother! I thought they were older than you, Odd?"
Odd shrugs, "They are, and they're a lot bigger than me too. That's my problem."
We can't help but laugh at that. Aelita stops laughing when she notices something and points towards the road.
"Hey Ulrich, William, aren't those your dads' cars over there?" she asks.
We see Ulrich's mother waving to us from inside one vehicle and Ulrich's dad who is in a tan beige suit with a red tie, still buckled in as he waits. William's father is on the other side, outside, waiting for his son with the engine still running.
"Well, the show must go on. See you soon, everybody," Ulrich says, getting ready for a high five.
Odd obliges, slapping his hand while quoting, "May the force be with you." I might have finished all of the Harry Potter books recently, but still need to catch up on the Star Wars stuff. Ulrich puts his hand on Jeremy's shoulder.
"See ya," Jeremy says. Aelita and I wave goodbye. Ulrich and William start walking.
"Hasta la vista, you guys," William says while pointing at us, probably referencing something I'm not familiar with.
Yumi smiles at the line, "It's not all that long."
"Try to have some fun," Aelita says.
"Yeah, don't stress out too much," I add.
Ulrich and William continue walking to the cars. A small yellow car pulls up by the gate, and Jeremy picks up his suitcase.
"There's my father," Jeremy says. He looks at us, "Aelita, Lila, are you two sure that you-"
Aelita interrupts before he can finish,
"Go on now. Lila and I won't be all alone. We'll have Kiwi for company at Mary's house."
"Yeah. As much as I would love to meet my grandparents... I don't want to cause any trouble," I say.
"Okay, I understand. Goodbye for now," Jeremy replies, waving to us. Odd starts walking over to us.
"Speaking of Kiwi, don't give him any cheese at all. That gives him gas. And that's more powerful than your energy fields," Odd jokes, waving his hand in front of his face.
Aelita laughs lightly. "Thanks for the tip."
Odd walks over and catches up to Jeremy, waving to Ulrich and William again as he goes. The two boys' fathers start driving away. Jeremy and Odd's parents soon take off as well, once they're in the cars.
Yumi starts walking to the entrance before turning around to speak with us, "I'd better go. I promised my mom I'd help her clean up."
Aelita waves goodbye to Yumi, "Okay, yeah. See you, Yumi."
Sissi looks at us, "You know, when my father gets here, I could always ask him to-"
I shake my head with a smile, "It's okay, really."
Principal Delmas's car pulls up to the front shortly after Sissi's offer.
"Well, I guess that's me," she says somewhat wistfully, grabbing her suitcase to get in.
Yumi starts moving to leave, "I should get going too. But, Aelita, Lila, are you two sure you don't want to spend the holidays with us? I'll call my parents and tell them-"
Yumi takes her phone out, but Aelita turns to her.
"No, we'll just be in the way," she insists. "Besides, Lila and I could use some time by ourselves, and we'll have Mary too."
Yumi nods understandingly and shows us her phone, lifting the front of it, "Well, if you need anything, you two know my number."
"Okay," I say.
Aelita waves Yumi and Sissi off, "Have a nice holiday, you two."
Yumi walks past the entrance towards her house while Sissi goes into her father's car with her suitcase stored in the backseat.
Afterwards
In the courtyard
Aelita and I are walking across the empty courtyard. It's a somewhat eerie feeling knowing the school is completely unoccupied save some custodians, out of sight at the moment.
Jim is somewhere on campus too, serving as a makeshift security guard to make sure nobody breaks in or vandalizes the campus while most everybody is away. He never seemed to mind the duty in the days leading up to the students' departure, telling it to everybody who'd listen.
"Once we get back to the room, we'll have to start packing," I say, trying to break the silence.
"I know," Aelita says somewhat vacantly.
I look at her as we head for the dormitory, "Aelita, are you sure you're alright?"
She shrugs, "I think so. I'm glad I get to spend the holidays with you and Mary, I really am. It's just..."
I subtly prompt her to go on, "Hm?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it," Aelita says.
Even though I know it's probably far from nothing, I also understand that she doesn't want to talk about it. We soon reach the dormitory building, and Aelita opens the door for us.
Lila and Aelita's room
As we enter our room, we see Kiwi sleeping soundly on Aelita's bed in the bottom bunk. Aelita and I smile at Kiwi curled up on the mattress as I close the door behind me. I think he's going to like Mary's house a lot, it certainly has more space than a dorm room.
Aelita pets Kiwi with a smile, the dog moving slightly, but enjoying the affection even in his sleep. She grabs Mister Puck, staring at him for a while before starting to rub Mister Puck's cheek with her thumb as she closes her eyes.
"Aelita?" I ask, concerned.
She puts her favorite doll down, turning to me, "Sorry. Let's start packing."
I nod.
Afterwards
Aelita and I continue packing our suitcases. I put my headphones in the suitcase along with my MP3 player. I put the copy of Jeremy's laptop in there too, just in case I need it.
Suddenly, something pops up on Aelita's computer, playing a sequence of sounds.
"Hm?" she hums in curiosity.
It seems to be a song... I think it's Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, if I'm not mistaken. A while back, my father used to tell me that was one of my mother's favorite songs as a kid. I never knew why, but I think I'm about to find out.
"What's that song?" I ask.
Aelita goes to our computer and sits down at the chair. I pull my own chair over so I can sit next to her.
"It's, um... it's a song your grandfather used to play for me a lot when I was little," Aelita replies.
"Wait... so do you think that-" I start to say, but a message box pops up.
On the side of it is indeed Franz Hopper's picture. Next to the input field is Aelita's Lyoko avatar. Aelita pauses the song, prompting an instant message to appear in the chat window.
Aelita? Are you with your friend Lila?
My eyes widen. He... knows about me?
Aelita looks at me, silently asking if she can tell him about my presence. I nod and she starts typing on the keyboard.
I am. Where are you?
Expecting you and Lila here on Lyoko. Someone wishes to meet her.
I blink in surprise, "Huh? Someone else is with him?"
"Strange. Why would he be expecting us on Lyoko?" Aelita asks. She starts typing.
You're not on the network?
For some reason, the chat starts fuzzing out. Aelita tries pushing a button on the keyboard.
"Oh, rats, it's bugged up," she curses.
"Just what we needed," I sigh.
Aelita snaps her fingers, "I know, let's go to the factory."
"Okay. I'm curious about this mystery person Grandpa wants me to meet," I reply.
Aelita smiles. Together, we get up from our chairs and then go to the door. She walks out first with me close behind.
Inside the freight elevator
Aelita and I are now inside the freight elevator, heading down to the lab.
I just can't help but wonder who this mystery person is. It doesn't make sense... unless... No, it couldn't be him. The original half of Future Xana, from the timeline where I died? Could he have somehow found his way into this timeline? Maybe he could have hitched a ride with Future Aelita... Would that even be possible?
The freight elevator brings us down to the lab, opening up once we arrive. Aelita and I go over to the computer. Aelita sits in the chair while I stand by her side, Strangely enough, the computer already has another message box with a message from Grandpa Schaeffer in it.
There isn't much time.
"Not much time for what?" Aelita asks, typing the question in.
"Here are the coordinates," she continues reading. Another window pops up with the location.
See you in a minute, my dear.
Aelita closes her eyes, then opens them.
"You okay?" I ask.
"I will be," Aelita replies. She starts typing on the keyboard, launching a preset virtualization for us. A timer pops up. Aelita gets off the chair. She and I run over to the ladder chute. Aelita climbs down first, then I follow her.
Inside the scanner room
The scanner room is dark, save the two open scanners letting light into the room. Aelita touches down on the floor first, stepping out of the way to let me down as well. The two of us run over to our respective scanners, getting in before the timer runs out. The scanner's doors close, the transfer, scanning and virtualization processes running automatically before a flash of light eclipses my view.
Lyoko's Ice Sector
The two of us land on the ice in a crouch position.
"Where to?" I ask, looking around as we stand up.
We hear something and turn around to see a rather large yellow bubble with a blue aura around it in the distance. It's in the position of the coordinates we were given.
"What's that thing?" Aelita asks.
I cross my arms, looking up at it,
"No idea."
"It... it sort of looks like a simulation bubble," she surmises.
"Then let's find out," I suggest.
Aelita nods in agreement before we run to approach it. If it is indeed a simulation bubble... this should be interesting. Once we reach it, Aelita and I slowly walk into the bubble, its surface "feeling" like viscous fluid as it envelops us, even though touch is artificial on Lyoko. We close our eyes and enter the simulation bubble completely.
Somewhere
Aelita and I drop to the ground, our hands touching what I believe is... snow. We look at ourselves to see that we're in our regular clothes.
Unbelievable, I think in amazement.
Aelita gasps at the house that's nearby, smoke coming out from the chimney.
"How can this be?" she asks.
"No idea..." I trail off.
We get up and start walking to the house together.
Inside the house
Aelita and I are in what appears to be in a much earlier version of the Hermitage. Before the men in black ruined it... before Aelita was forced to leave her home behind with her father and escape to Lyoko. The two of us hear someone playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the piano.
I think I know who it is, I think.
When we enter the room, we see the back of a grey-haired man as he stops playing the piano upon our arrival. He turns to greet us, and it's as I suspected... Grandpa Schaeffer.
"Daddy?" Aelita asks. She runs over to him and he gives Aelita a hug.
"Aelita, we have so much catching up to do. And there's so little time," he says while Aelita is sobbing. I can't help but feel bad for her.
"I thought you were lost on the network," Aelita says.
"Lost? No, my dear," he replies. "When Xana destroyed Lyoko, I managed to escape. I have information to give you. But first, I wanted so much to hold in my arms."
Aelita pulls away from him, "But how did you…?"
"I had to create the simulation bubble, so that I could finally-" he starts to say but she interrupts him.
"This is fantastic. Everything is just the same. Daddy... I want you to meet Lila," Aelita introduces.
My grandfather nods in greeting, "Hello, Lila... I'm glad I can meet my granddaughter."
I pause and ask, "But... how do you know that?"
I hear footsteps coming from the staircase. We turn our attention to the doorway as the new arrival enters. Aelita gasps, but I gasp louder as a familiar pink-haired girl steps into view. She looks at me and smiles.
"It... it can't be," I say in shock.
Looking identical to Aelita save for the pink hoodie over her usual outfit, the hood down, the Aelita that came to this timeline to save me stands before us alive and well.
Still smiling, she tilts her head towards Franz, "If it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't be here. Lila... it's good to see you."
I run over to Future Aelita and pull her into a tight hug, sobbing in relief. I haven't cried in a really long time, but I just can't help it.
"But... daddy, how can this be?" Aelita asks. "She's... supposed to be-"
"Come, we have much to talk about," Franz urges.
I pull away from Future Aelita. I still can't believe she's alive.
Shortly after, Aelita and I are sitting on comfortable chairs. I'm sitting next to Aelita while Future Aelita is sitting next to Franz on the couch.
"My father... Our father, sorry, made a surprise visit," Future Aelita begins.
"A visit... but when?" I ask.
She answers, "When I was lowered into the digital sea."
"But... weren't you... gone, by that point?" Aelita asks gingerly, seeming uncomfortable with the topic. Can't say I blame her.
"I... I was on the brink, yes," Future Aelita replies hesitantly. "Inches away from death."
"So, I took her somewhere safe," Franz explains. "An unknown location, somewhere Xana couldn't find her. The towers regenerate one's life points, so after taking the bullet out and cleaning the wound... I simply had to leave her to heal. The tower's regenerative powers did the rest."
"Then why haven't you gotten in contact with us until now?" I ask.
Future Aelita shakes her head, "It's dangerous, Lila..."
"How so?" Aelita asks.
"Xana's still alive," her counterpart replies.
Franz sets his hands on his knees with a sigh, "As long as Xana hasn't been defeated, I can't rematerialize myself."
"And that goes for me, too," Future Aelita adds.
"However, you should be able to free your young friend," Franz offers. "What was her name again?"
"Mia," I reply.
"Yes, of course. I'm going to send a program to Jeremy via the supercomputer," he says. "By the way, how's your fight against Xana progressing?"
Aelita twirls her finger slightly to indicate a search, "We're hunting him down on the network thanks to our virtual ship, the Skidbladnir."
"Hm? The Skidbladnir?" Franz asks with a chuckle. "What a strange name."
"It sure is," Future Aelita agrees.
I raise my eyebrow, thinking, Shouldn't Future Aelita know what the Skidbladnir is? Future Aelita prevented my death in this timeline, so she must have at least beaten Xana early in her timeline. If that's the case she would have at least recovered all of her memories. She should know that name.
Aelita puts her hands on the arms of the chair as she looks at them curiously, "But you both know that name, it's in a book of the Viking legends you used to read to me before I went to sleep."
Franz looks at Aelita, and her alternate counterpart seems caught off guard as well.
"Yes, of course, the Skidbladnir," He agrees. "How could I forget?"
"It must have slipped my mind too," Future Aelita says to me sheepishly.
Aelita and I can't help but look at them suspiciously. Something's... off.
"Is something wrong, my precious?" Franz asks Aelita.
Future Aelita nods at me, "I can tell that there's something on your mind, Lila,"
"Why did you ask Lila and I to come to Lyoko, daddy?" Aelita asks.
"Because I wanted to see the both of you," he explains. "And so my other daughter here could be reunited with Lila. It's just been such a long time, Aelita."
"It's dangerous. Xana could attack at any time," Aelita reasons, putting her thumb under her chin in worry.
"Not as long as your alternate self and I are with the both of you," Franz reassures.
Aelita looks at me, and I nod lightly to give her the go-ahead. She then turns to Franz, putting her hands on the arms of the chair again.
"You know, when I said everything was the same as I remembered, I meant it," Aelita says.
"I'm glad you like it," Franz nods happily. "I wanted you to feel as if it were your home. Our home."
"I also appreciated the reunion with the Aelita that saved me..." I chime in, subtly tensed up to move from my sitting position.
"I'm happy to see you too, Lila," Future Aelita smiles.
"And it's true, everything here—nothing's missing," Aelita continues. "Except for one little thing..."
"Oh really? What's that?" Franz asks curiously.
She stands up, far more guarded as she answers, "My mother, Lila's grandmother."
Her father seems nonplussed, hesitantly replying, "But... you remember, dear, your mother disappeared."
I stand up as well, "That she did."
"Yes, and I want to see her more than anything else in the world. You know that. You've always known. You would have recreated her here, even if it was just a simulation, it would have been perfect for us to have a chance to know what she was like. That is, unless you weren't really my father."
"And that would mean... you aren't Future Aelita," I glare at the false Aelita. We start backing away from the two impostors as I continue, "I admit that you've gotten better at this, but you still don't understand the heart, Xana."
"Aelita!" the false Franz exclaims, apparently trying to keep to the charade.
Likewise, the false Aelita calls, "Lila!"
Aelita puts her hand up, closing her eyes as if to remind herself that this is fake. I keep my eye on the false copies, ready to strike if need be. I don't know if Future Aelita is still alive, but what I do know is that she's not in front of me now.
Once Aelita composes herself, we continue backing away until we reach the door. Aelita pulls the door handle down as the impostors start frizzing. We're about to walk out, but gasp at the sight of Mia on the porch in her regular clothes. We yelp as she seizes our hands.
"Hello Aelita, Lila," Mia greets, her eyes pulsing with the symbol of Xana.
Mia pulls the both of us back inside the house. The copies of Franz and Future Aelita approach as we struggle to break free.
"Better give up, you two," Mia says tauntingly. "You two can't beat me."
"That's what you think," Aelita says.
I deliver a chop to Mia's wrist with my free hand, making her release me while her flinching lets Aelita get away as well.
"Let's go!" I exclaim as we run through the open door and across the porch.
We continue running from the two impostors and Mia, trying to reach the edge of the simulation again. I glance back and see them running at us as they became more bestial in their expressions. Almost... wolf-like.
Just like Aelita's nightmares... this is awful, I think.Is there no limit to how low Xana will stoop?
Sure enough, the two imposters turn into wolves while Aelita and I just keep running. We hear Mia laughing evilly from a distance, coming closer. While I can't spot her, she could be closing in on us with her Super Smoke. As we continue, the snow grows thicker. Thankfully, it's not real since I can't feel the chill... but it's slowing us down, and the wolves are still chasing us. They jump overhead and land just ahead of us.
Mia emerges from behind a tree, her and the wolves moving to corner us,
"Impossible to escape. This bubble is your prison... you get to watch the main event unfold."
"What are you talking about? What main event?" I demand.
"You'll find out," Mia smirks. "Give up, you two."
We keep backing up but stop when there's no more room to move. I still stand in front of Aelita, determined to protect her. The wolves are right by Mia's side and she pets one of them in smug victory.
"Alright... you win, Mia," Aelita says.
I look at her out of the corner of my eye in surprise. When she kneels behind me, I realize her plan. If Mia could use her Super Smoke…
Aelita puts her hands together and starts singing to activate her Creation. The entire simulation seems to ripple, a burst of energy flaring outward as it begins coming apart at the seams.
"No!" Mia exclaims while being engulfed by the light.
Aelita is able to shatter the bubble, freeing the both of us.
We're now back on Lyoko's Ice Sector in our avatar forms.
"Good job," I compliment while drawing my bow and nocking an arrow. The fight wasn't over yet.
Aelita nods while readying for battle too, "Thanks."
Hearing the telltale whir of Xana's monsters, we turn behind us to see Mia snarling at us in her own avatar form, the impostors-turned-wolves of the simulation revealed to be nothing more than two Bloks.
"It doesn't matter,"she insists angrily while summoning her kunai. "You'll lose no matter what, Aelita. And soon Lila... you'll see the truth."
I furrow my brow in thought, The truth... what does she mean? Truth about what?
"We won't lose yet," Aelita says, summoning her energy field in the palm of her hand.
Aelita fires her energy field at Mia. She uses her kunai to block the attack.
While she fights with Mia, I pull my drawstring back and let my arrow fly at one of the Bloks. Unfortunately, it's shot down by a laser, and I have to draw my hunting knife to deflect the following shots.
Aelita and I start backing up as the three push us to the edge of the ice. Mia holds out her kunai, but we hear the revving of vehicles coming our way.
It's the others! I think.
"Manta!" Mia orders. A Flying Manta from below the edge of the ice pops up. She points over to the others, "Attack!"
Taking the momentary distraction, I draw three arrows at once, "Aelita, I'll distract them—fly to safety!"
Aelita hesitates, but waves her hand over the star emblem to make her angel wings appear. Even though I'd never done it before, I use sleight of hand to transfer each arrow from between my fingers to nock and fire them at a rapid pace, one for each Blok and Mia. The only problem is that my accuracy is off because of the trick.
The first struck true and burst the Blok after piercing the Eye of Xana, and Mia has to focus on me for an instant to slice the incoming arrow with her kunai, but the last shot is a fatal mistake. It's off by an inch or two and broke against the Blok's stone shell instead. The monster thus has time to shoot at me before I can draw another arrow or my knife.
I shout in pain from the blow, chest sparking, Mia raises her hand and snatches Aelita with her smoke.
"Why don't you stay a while, Lila? You might learn something. Aelita, if you wish to leave... be my guest," Mia offers while gesturing off the edge and moving Aelita towards it.
"Mia… don't!" I plea while struggling to stand.
"Help! Lila!" Aelita exclaims.
I manage to get up and pull my hunter's knife out of my holster. I'm about to throw it at Aelita so she can devirtualize herself, but it's too late. Mia drops Aelita into the digital sea.
"No!" I exclaim. I run over to the edge while sheathing my knife and see Aelita screaming as she falls.
"Lila, hurry! Your arrows!" Jeremy exclaims.
I reach for my arrows, but black smoke surrounds me, paralyzing me.
"Mom!" I shout.
Mia walks up to me with her remaining Blok.
Aelita keeps screaming until she's engulfed in the digital sea. Mia releases me from the smoke and I drop to my knees.
"No..." I trail off.
Not again. I can't lose Aelita again! I think.
I hear Ulrich and William shouting. I look over my shoulder to see them and Odd making their way over to us.
"Lila, get out of there!" William urges.
I turn back to the digital sea, "What's the point? It's all over..."
The Flying Manta continues firing at the others from above. Ulrich jumps off his Overbike and throws his katana blade at Mia, who deflects the flying weapon with her kunai, never taking her eyes off the digital sea below. William jumps off his Overdrive and throws a fireball.
"Super smoke!" Mia exclaims in irritation.
She vanishes into the ice, dodging the fireball and the incoming vehicles. She reappears and starts walking along the edge a distance away.
Ulrich raises an eyebrow, "What's she doing now?"
"It sort of looks like she's waiting for something," William comments.
"I don't know, but without Aelita... it's all over," Jeremy says sadly. "Lila... if you can try... get out of there."
Waiting for something? But... My eyes widen.
"Why don't you stay a while, Lila? You might learn something."
Mia's voice echoes in my head, but I can't believe it at first, No, it couldn't be... Is she... waiting for Grandpa Schaeffer? But then... that would mean... Everything Xana did in the simulation was all because he had suspicions. He believes... that they're both alive.
The remaining Blok guards Mia, allowing me to stand up unimpeded as I look down, spotting what I think Mia was waiting for.
"Einstein, something weird is happening," Odd says as he watches from afar.
"Yeah, hang on," Jeremy replies, apparently checking the monitor. "I think I get the picture. Lila, what are you seeing?"
A bright pink light is shining from beneath the Digital Sea. As it grows, I can only say, "Something's... coming."
A blue ball of energy with pink aura around it emerges from the digital sea. Ulrich and William walk over to the edge as well.
"Victory!" Mia exclaims, lifting her arms in celebration.
The ball of energy rises up. Another Blok comes next to us, the two Bloks start charging their lasers.
"Fire!" Mia orders.
The Bloks start firing at the ball of energy, pushing it back back.
"Jeremy, Xana is trying to destroy a brightly lit bubble," Ulrich says.
"What do we do?" I ask.
"Protect it. That bubble is... Franz Hopper," Jeremy reveals.
Unbelievable... he's really alive. That means... Future Aelita could really be alive too... I trail off.
I take my hunter's knife out of its holster again and plunge it into one of the Bloks target eyes. Mia and the other Blok look at me, I back up. The Blok I attacked explodes and my hunter's knife drops to the ground. Mia disappears using her super smoke. I try to look for her, but it's too late. Her kunai plunges into me. I fall to the ice and devirtualize in a cloud of pixels.
Inside the scanner room
The scanner's doors open and I fall to my knees. Sissi is in the room, she must have been waiting for me. I guess that means Yumi is in the lab with Jeremy.
Sissi runs over and helps me up.
"You okay?" Sissi asks.
"I will be," I reply. Sissi brings me over to the freight elevator and we head up to the lab.
Inside the lab
The freight elevator's doors open. Sissi and I walk over to Jeremy and Yumi.
"What's going on?" I ask, looking at the monitor. It seems Grandpa Schaeffer's energy isn't doing too well.
"Hopper's losing energy," Jeremy replies. "Take out that Blok, and make it snappy too!" he exclaims, making a fist.
"We're doing what we can, Einstein," Odd says.
"Fighting Mia is no easy task," William says.
We see Ulrich and William's cards pop up. They start turning blue.
"Come on, Odd dear, you can do it," Sissi says, hopeful.
Odd's card pops up next. He's devirtualized, leaving Aelita all by herself to protect her father. Grandpa Schaeffer's levels continue to drop.
"It's all over," Jeremy says, his hand on his chin.
Aelita is next to be devirtualized. It looks like she gave Grandpa Schaeffer just enough time to escape.
Afterwards
Lila and Aelita's room
Aelita, Jeremy, Odd, and I are sitting on Aelita's bed. Kiwi is sleeping on Odd. Sissi is sitting on my chair, Yumi is sitting on Aelita's chair. Ulrich and William are sitting on the floor.
"It's pretty obvious," Jeremy says.
"There he goes again," Odd says, his hand on his head.
"You see, when Lyoko was destroyed, Hopper wasn't spread out over the network. He managed to escape. From what you explained, Lila, it sounds like Hopper saved Future Aelita just like he did with our Aelita. He brought Future Aelita to wherever he escaped to," Jeremy says.
"So he made sure to disappear with her on purpose, is that it?" Yumi asks.
Jeremy lifts his finger. "That's right. To get away from Xana. Which is why he's using Mia to constantly try and throw Aelita into the digital sea. He knows that's the only thing that could get Hopper out of hiding."
"In order to destroy him," Ulrich says. "And probably Future Aelita too," he surmises.
"But.. what about Future Aelita, then? Where could she be?" I ask.
"I have no idea. It's possible she's still recovering somewhere. After all... we thought she was gone. So her recovery might be preventing her from doing anything," Jeremy surmises.
"As long as my father and future self are still alive, they'll always be a big threat to Xana," Aelita says.
"And our friend Xana knows it," Jeremy says, leaning in.
"Well, before we blow Xana away for good, why don't we give each other our presents? Huh?" Odd asks, getting the presents out.
"We said we'd wait until after vacation," William reminds him.
"Yeah, Odd dear, we don't have to do it now," Sissi says.
"It's better this way," Odd says, holding all of the presents. He hands Jeremy his wrapped gift first.
"Since Xana made us come back earlier than expected, why wait, right?" Odd asks. He starts handing the rest of us our presents. Jeremy opens his to find a rubber duck.
"That's cool, Odd, thanks a lot. But... what am I supposed to do with it?" he asks. Aelita and I open our gifts. Aelita has a weird fork, spoon combo. Odd's given me a yo-yo.
"Nothing at all, that's what makes it fun, don't you think?" Odd asks. He sees Yumi and Ulrich haven't opened their presents yet. Sissi and William already have, Sissi's got some sort of ball. William's got a flames sticker.
"No, in Japan you never open up a present in front of the person who gave it to you," Ulrich replies. He blushes. Yumi winks at him. Jeremy hands gifts over to Aelita and I.
A pink scarf for Aelita. I unwrap my present, I'm surprised to see it's a Harry Potter Gryffindor winter hat and matching gloves.
"Oh wow... thanks, Jeremy," I say, surprised. I put my mittens and hat on, they're a great fit. Thankfully the dorms are kept cool around this time of year, so I don't mind wearing them inside.
Aelita seems to have given Jeremy a book, it seems we think alike when it came to presents. I wasn't sure what he likes to read, so I bought him something sciency. Aelita wraps her pink scarf around her.
"Thanks Jeremy," Aelita says.
"And that isn't all, you two. Tonight you're both coming home with me. My parents want both of you to stay for the holiday," Jeremy says.
"You mean - I-" I start to say but Jeremy nods.
"That's right, you get to meet your grandparents. Just let Mary know, okay?" he asks.
"I will. I'm sure she won't mind if I stay for a little while," I reply.
"But Jeremy... I don't want to bother your parents," Aelita says.
"It's no bother at all. They're the ones who insisted. I'll give you and Lila my room. I'll sleep in the living room. We've got a really comfortable couch," Jeremy says.
"What about Xana?" Aelita asks.
"Well, I'm sure Xana could use a vacation, too," Jeremy replies, chuckling a little. Aelita looks away, and I can't help but smile.
"What are you two thinking about?" Jeremy asks.
"About my father," Aelita replies.
"And Future Aelita," I add.
"When he saved me, even in his virtual form... I could feel his presence. Like he was holding me in his arms," Aelita says.
"For me... it just makes me happy knowing that Future Aelita is out there. Waiting for us. One day... soon, I hope... we'll all be reunited," I say.
Afterwards
Outside the dorm
I'm on the phone with Mary, about to leave with Jeremy and Aelita.
"I hope you don't mind, Mary. It'll only be for half of the holiday," I say.
"Not at all, Lila. Go, have fun," Mary says.
"Thanks, Mary. Sorry you couldn't make it to the lab," I say.
"It's okay. I didn't know what was going on, after all. If I had, I certainly would have come. But thank you for telling me the good news," Mary says. "It's hard to believe she could still be alive after all this, but that would be the only explanation from what you and Aelita experienced in that simulation. Thank you for telling me."
"You're welcome. Anyways, I'd better get going. I'll see you soon," I say.
"Bye, Lila," Mary says.
I hang up the phone and put it in my pocket. I look at Jeremy and Aelita, they smile. Meeting my grandparents is going to be something else.
...
Somewhere
Unknown POV
The same surrounding, day in, day out. It's been days, months perhaps that I've kept myself and this child hidden away from Xana. This child... she's been through too much. A human might say it's a miracle she's even alive.
It wasn't a miracle, however, it was me. I failed my first vessel, allowing her to become crippled in the process. Although I tried to save her... it was futile. The rest of her body wasn't working properly, so she died. I knew I couldn't make the same mistake with her best friend... Aelita. Aelita from the dark timeline she came from. She took a bullet to the brain to prevent Lila's death in this new timeline.
It was a safer decision for them to have her burial on Lyoko. Humans make rash decisions in the heat of the moment... and had they decided to bury her on Earth, she truly would have died, taking me along with her.
Saving her has been a difficult process, but it would have been next to impossible if it weren't for Hopper. Aelita's body functions properly, unlike Lila's. I wouldn't have been able to save her otherwise. Lila and the Lyoko warriors of this timeline do not know that Hopper made a secret appearance. He saved Future Aelita after she was thrown into the digital sea. He brought us to this place... I'm not sure of its location. It might have been somewhere Hopper himself had hid.
The process took a great amount of my energy. Removing the bullet was a slow process, it had to be. This tower that we're in is similar to the ones on Lyoko. I believe the tower's regenerative powers have kept the child alive this whole time. All l I had to do was fix the wound. That took the longest time, healing her forehead.
I still remember how shocked Lila was when she saw her mother dying. By cooling her body... but not to the point where I couldn't revive it, I managed to fake Future Aelita's death. Lila never checked her pulse... and it's a good thing she didn't. Future Aelita has been here all of this time, away from the current timeline's Xana. I have been recovering myself, since I was nearly drained of all my energy from this. But it was worth it.
Future Aelita continues to sleep soundly during her time here in this tower. Although humans would say she's more or less in a coma. The last time Lila and the Lyoko warriors saw Future Aelita... she had pink hair. However, in anticipation of her recovery, I decided to alter her hair color to its black dyed color she had when she was mourning Lila.
I just hope she wakes up, I think. Lila and the Lyoko warriors of this timeline need to know Future Aelita is alive.
Suddenly, Future Aelita starts groaning.
She's waking up at last! I think, surprised.
Future Aelita wakes up, noticing her surroundings. She looks down at the lit platform she's on. "Where am I?" she asks.
You are in a tower, child. I am not sure of its location, but it is similar to the towers of Lyoko. Please do not be afraid of me. I've kept you alive. I brought you back from the brink of death, I tell her.
"Okay... so who are you?" Future Aelita asks.
My name is Xana. But please do not fear me as I am not the one you know of. I am the first true future iteration of the one you defeated in the dark timeline you came from. I arrived with Lila from her future world, I explain.
"The future? Is that where we are now?" Future Aelita asks.
Technically speaking, yes. In the split timeline you created by preventing Lila's death. Much time has passed since your injury. I am not sure how much, though. Time travel can be complicated. Confusing, even for a logical being like myself. Lila and the Lyoko warriors of this timeline do not know you are alive, but soon they will, I tell her.
"Okay... and could I ask you something?
Of course, I reply.
"Am I crazy? Is this some kind of joke?" Future Aelita asks.
No, it is not, Aelita, and no, you are not crazy. All of what I say is true, I tell her.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Future Aelita asks.
Calling you what, Aelita? I ask, confused.
"That name... Aelita. Who's name is it?" Future Aelita asks.
I sigh internally. There was a chance amnesia would come into play after being in a coma-like state for so long. It's why I altered her hair color... in hopes that Future Aelita would allow herself to remember the loss and pain she endured. After Lila experienced the traumatic event of losing her father, I erased those memories and helped her lead a less painful life in her future world.
Aelita, I must help you recover your lost memories. I'm not sure when, but soon, Aelita, you will regain your memories. You'll be reunited with Lila and the Lyoko warriors of this timeline. I promise.
Author's Note:
That's right! Future Aelita is alive! Let's talk about tropes for a second. Please make no mistake... she always meant to be gone. However, a question arised about Future Xana 1, the one we've just seen in this scene. What happened to Future Xana 1? Did he die with Lila when she was cremated? As we've just seen, no, he in fact left Lila's body and somehow entered Aelita's at an unknown point during the dark saga. Most likely he would have done so immediately after Lila's death but before Aelita time traveled into the past.
I am not a fan of faking a character's death just to reveal they are alive. That's not what my goal was. Future Aelita and Lila's death were both rushed, I felt guilty I couldn't bring Lila back. But Future Xana 1 was a piece missing in the puzzle. So eventually this is what me and my editor figured out. He would have found a way to keep Future Aelita alive.
Now some of you may be thinking, "Lila died with a gunshot wound to the head. So it appeared Future Aelita did too. What's the difference between them, and how is Future Aelita capable of surviving a gunshot wound?"
Well, most of it is thanks to her body's organs still working. As Future Xana 1 mentioned, Lila was crippled if you recall. Her body was working over time, along with Future Xana 1 to keep her alive. But it wasn't enough. Aelita still had a working body, so Future Xana 1 did what he could to save her. Plus, Hopper most likely mistook Future Aelita as his daughter, but must have surmised at one point that it wasn't actually her. So he dropped her off somewhere safe to keep her out of the current timeline's Xana's reach.
Now, where does that leave us for Future Aelita? Well, we won't see her again for a little while. But, does this leave the chance for her to return to the dark saga timeline? And does that mean we'll be revisiting the dark saga timeline at some point in time in the near future? Who knows?
You have to keep reading to find out.
Until the next one,
Don't forget to review. I would really like to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
LyokoWarrior1994