Code Xana Episode 66: Flowers in these Weeds
Author: James the Lesser/The Bunnyman
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own These Characters! Moonscoop Does! Actually, I own most of these characters, I made them up, but the place and the settings and the back round stuff is Moonscoop.
Please read my episodes, 53-119 plus the OVA of Code Lyoko to know what is going on. Oh and Code Xana the Movie and Episode 1-65
Dante is outside of the gates of Central Academy, the school Naia went to with flowers he picked out of the field near the sewer entrance in the woods. He thought the big yellow flowers were pretty and was surprised by how many grew in the field since most other flowers were scarce in the wild. He looks and sees a pink haired girl walking out of a building. "I hope she likes them." Dante is nervous. He knew giving flowers to a girl was being more than friends but he really liked the flowers and he really liked Naia. She was the first person outside of the group who made friends with him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be more than friends but he really liked the flowers he found and wanted Naia to have them. "Naia, over here!" Dante waves his arm at her to get her attention and puts the hand with the flowers behind his back.
"Hey Dante ready to go to the pool?" Naia already had a bag with her swim suit and towel in it. She jogs over to Dante and notices he was hiding something behind his back. "What you got?"
"Um, I, well, I found these in the field and they were pretty so I, um, here." Dante takes the flowers out from behind his back. Naia's reaction however was not one he expected, laughter.
"That's great Dante." Naia takes the flowers from Dante. "Giving me weeds, what's next?" Naia throws the flowers on the ground. "Well, ready to go to the pool?" Dante doesn't answer. "What?"
"I, why did you throw them on the ground? And what do you mean weeds?" Dante thought they were pretty yellow flowers but Naia, and everyone else, knew them as Dandelions.
"Ha ha, very funny. Come on Dante I don't want to be outside any longer than I have to." Naia starts to walk down the sidewalk but stops when Dante doesn't follow her. "Ok you want to do something else?"
"I, what was wrong with them? They were pretty flowers." Dante feels stupid thinking Naia threw his flowers away because she didn't like him back like he liked her. "I'm sorry." Dante turns around and walks away.
"Ok I have no idea what just happened." Naia is as confused as Dante but for different reasons. She thought Dante was being funny. She didn't understand that Dante didn't understand a lot of the things since Xana didn't teach him about interacting with the real world. Xana also didn't teach him about flowers and weeds. "Well, if he's not going to the pool I guess I'm not going either." Naia goes back into the school stepping on the Dandelions extremely confused.
Dante is walking through the woods mad at him and feeling even more stupid. "I'm an idiot what was I thinking?" He continues to walk until he gets to the field with the flowers he picked for Naia. "She called them weeds but they're flowers." He picks one and holds it to his nose. "They don't smell like other flowers but they're still pretty." He looks at the Dandelion. "I better go back to Lyoko." Dante throws the Dandelion on the ground hoping that going to Lyoko will make him feel better. Or at least make his bad feelings go away.
"Hey, Dante's here." Sanne and Krieger were at the Factory working on a locator program to find Franz. Well, Sanne was working on it Krieger was reading a school book. The alarm alerted Sanne that Dante was back at the Factory. "I thought he was doing something with Naia today."
"Maybe he forgot something." Krieger had mostly been watching Sanne work since he wasn't that good with the Super Computer. "Or Naia had other plans. Maybe he can help you make a new vehicle." Sanne had lied to Krieger and told him she was trying to make a new vehicle since she had told Krieger she was going to stop helping Franz.
"Uh, yeah, maybe." Sanne crosses her fingers and hopes Dante was just coming back to ask for money or something. Dante and Skitz so far were the only ones who knew about Franz besides her. "Wait, he's going to the Scanner Room." Sanne brings up the security camera. "Dante what's going on?"
"Send me to Lyoko please." Dante gets into the middle Scanner. "Now please." Soon the doors close and Dante lands on Lyoko. "Thanks."
"What happened Dante?"
"Nothing. Um, Naia had to do um, homework or something." Dante goes into the Way Tower in the Forest Sector then lies down. "I'm an idiot."
"What?"
"I, um, I need to talk to myself and um, could you turn the sound off Sanne? Please?"
"Ok Dante, I'm here if you need anything." Sanne turns the sound off so Dante could think and talk things out trying to figure out why he had done what he had. "Krieger, could you work on my shoulders?"
"Sure Sanne." Krieger gets off the floor and goes over to Sanne and gives her a massage as she continues to work.
As Sanne works and Dante thinks about what to do someone else decides the situation was perfect for an attack. Super Scan off, no sound and with Sanne working on finding Franz she shut off Dante's ability to appear in a screen or send himself back and warn her of an activated Tower.
"Pulses!" Dante sits up. "Xana's attacking, Sanne, Xana's attacking call the others!" Sanne doesn't respond. "Sanne, Sanne!" She can't hear him. "She turned the sound off. I have to send myself back." Dante goes to the center of the platform and floats to the second platform. He walks over to the control panel and places his hand on it. "Wait, she, what is she doing? A new vehicle program shouldn't be taking this much power away. Why can't I go back? What is she doing?!" Dante looks up. "I can't get a hold of Sanne and I can't go back. Xana's attack will be completed before Sanne and the others know Xana is attacking." Dante floats down to the first platform. "I have to get to the Tower." He runs out of the Way Tower and sees the pulses. "Good, this Sector but where?" He looks around. "North, I have to go." Dante runs north for the activated Tower hoping the others would find out about the attack soon enough.
Ark and Mira are walking in the woods after Mira's roommate interrupted them. "Are you sure the Factory will be free? I haven't seen Krieger or Sanne all day." Ark was mad that Mira hadn't locked the door. "I don't want to be stopped again." Ark squeezes Mira's hand.
"I'm sorry I didn't think she'd be back until later. You think I wanted her to see me with you like that?"
"No. It reminds me of when I walked in on Krieger and Sora."
"Which time?"
"Every time. Although I guess Miranda doesn't care about seeing your…" Ark is cut off when he trips over something. "Ow, what the heck was that?"
"Walk much Ark?" Mira laughs a little. "Hey, what's that?" Mira points and Ark turns to see a giant Dandelion.
"Uh, I want to say Sunflower but those don't grow around here." Ark walks over to the Dandelion stepping on the large leaf that he had tripped over before. "I think it's a Dandelion but its way to big to be a Dandelion." Ark grabs the main stalk and pulls the head of the flower down. "Smells like a Dandelion but the size, it's amazing." Ark lets go of the stalk.
"We should take it to the school. I bet we'd get extra credit points in science." Mira walks over to the giant Dandelion. "Hey, what's that?" Mira leans in close and sees the Eye of Xana! "Ark we have to get away!" Mira stumbles over a leaf and falls on her back.
"What's wrong? It's just…" Ark is cut off when a giant leaf knocks him down. "Xana!" Ark tries to get back up but the Dandelion flower comes down and knocks Ark to the ground. Another giant Dandelion appears.
"Aaaa!" Mira is attacked by another giant Dandelion. Ark tries to get his phone out to call the others but another giant Dandelion smashes it with a leaf.
"Get away Mira! Get away and call the others!" Ark is knocked around by two giant Dandelions as a third on attacks Mira.
"I can't! Help me Ark!" Mira feels a leaf wrap around her and lift her into the air. "Help me!" The leaf squeezes Mira hard. "It hurts!"
"Mira!" Ark rolls forward then leaps at the third giant Dandelion. He reaches for the leaf squeezing Mira and rips it off. "Get out of here! I'll hold them up." Ark turns his back on Mira. "Go!"
"I, I'll call the others." Mira runs away then gets her phone out. She calls Sanne first. "Sanne, there's an attack! Xana possessed Dandelions and attacked Ark and I!" Mira trips and drops her phone. She tries to get up but is pushed down. Another giant Dandelion had attacked Mira. "Sanne! Get to Lyoko!" Mira yells hoping Sanne could hear her as the possessed Dandelions attack her.
"Crap." Sanne hangs her phone up. "Krieger, stop that!" Sanne smacks his hand away. "Mira called, Xana's attacking!"
"What? But the Super Scan didn't find an activated Tower."
"I turned it off. And the sound so Dante couldn't warn us." Sanne turns the sound on and puts the headset on. "Dante, I'm sorry, where are you?"
"I'm in the Forest Sector. I'm looking for the activated Tower but can't find it." Dante had been following the pulses but was getting lost.
"Ok, I'll start the Super Scan, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry I needed a distraction." The attack kept Naia throwing his flowers away from his mind. "Just hurry I'll need help."
"Ok." Sanne calls Skitz as Krieger calls Sora. "Yeah, you heard me, Dandelions. I'm guessing Xana did something to them so they were dangerous Skitz."
"Yeah whatever, I'm sure Mira and my dummy of a brother are so scared of a bunch of little weeds."
"Weeds or not Xana did something to them." Sanne hangs up then looks over at Krieger. "Is Sora coming?"
"She's on her way." Krieger puts his phone away. "Well, I can go now if you want to send me."
"Sure. Dante doesn't have his mage profile so he can't really fight." Krieger takes the ladder down to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Krieger, Scanner Krieger, and virtualization." Krieger lands near Dante.
"Hey Dante want some help?"
"Yes, actually, are Dandelions weeds or flowers?" This question catches Krieger off guard.
"What? Wait, what was the question?"
"Are Dandelions flowers or weeds?"
"They're weeds. Why?"
"I, I was just wondering. I didn't know." Maybe Naia thought it was a joke and that's why she threw them away. I'm such an idiot! I can build my own Quantum Computer but I don't know that Dandelions are weeds. "Sanne are the others coming or not?"
"They're on the way. The Super Scan is still looking for the Tower. I don't know what is taking so long." Sanne waits for the others and the Super Scan. "By the way Dante, Dandelions are weeds. Why do you think they grow in the wild? If they were flowers they'd be kept in greenhouses and sanctuaries like every other flower. You see them in the field?"
"Uh, yes. And I wondered since they looked like flowers if they were flowers or not." I'm so stupid! What was I thinking?
"Well, I think they're pretty even though they're weeds. Yellow is such a nice color." Sanne sighs. "But too bad they don't come in pink."
"I, I, um, Sanne just tell us when the others get here." Dante and Krieger continue looking for the Tower.
Sora gets to the Factory first. "I hope Krieger is already here." Sora had been spending her time making plans for either getting Krieger back or at least break him up from Sanne. She didn't know how she could have been ok with Krieger breaking up with her. At first it was no big deal, she some how knew it would happen. But then something happened and she couldn't stop thinking about the two and how Krieger had left her. What it was she didn't know. Sanne thought it was Xana trying to use Sora to break them up and Sora went with it but she didn't believe it. She let her last boyfriend break up with her after leaving Kadic Junior and she wasn't going to be dumped again without getting back at the man, the boy, who dumped her. She gets on the elevator and takes it down to the Control Room. "Hey Sanne, where's Krieger?"
"He's on Lyoko already."
"What's the attack?"
"Attack of the killer Dandelions." Sora makes a quizzical look. "That's what Mira said anyways."
"Ok, well, I can go now if you want me to."
"Sure, I'll tell Krieger and Dante that you're on the way." Sora takes the ladder down to the Scanner Room. "You guys will have some lady company." Sanne laughs a little. "Transfer Sora, Scanner Sora, and virtualization." Sora lands near the other two. "The Super Scan still hasn't found the activated Tower. Maybe Xana stole it from the Forest Sector."
"Maybe. But I don't think we'd see the pulses here." Dante looks around. "Sanne, send a vehicle I need to get up high." The Overwing appears and Dante gets on it. He flies up high over the trees looking for the activated Tower. "Wait, I can't see any Towers except for the Way Tower."
"Xana's done something."
"That he has." Dante looks and follows the pulses. "If Xana sent monsters to guard the Tower it would be easier to find." Dante tries to follow the pulses but at several points they seem to converge and bounce around randomly. "I, I think Xana has us beat."
"Mira and Ark are in trouble! They're being attacked by Xana! You have to find the Tower!"
"Sanne, I, forgive me but if this works I don't know if I will be able to come back." Dante closes his eyes and focuses on deep into his chest where he could feel a power left by Xana. When Xana had been in him then when he was enslaved again for a short period he felt that Xana left something in him. He knew it was Xana's plan to do something to him at a critical point but Dante was going to use the hidden power to his own use. But Xana may use that to take him back. "Tell Naia I, that I thought they were flowers." Dante feels the energy come out from his chest and soon the Eye of Xana appears in his. "Let there be light, and there was, and the peasants rejoiced." Dante waves his hand and the activated Tower appears. "But it is too late is it not?" Dante jumps off of the Overwing and flies at Sora and Krieger.
Back on Earth Skitz and Barack get to the sewer entrance in the woods where they see Xana's attack. "Giant Dandelions, can't say that's not original."
"Yeah, um, how do we get into the sewers? They're blocking the entrance Skitz." Barack looks around and sees more of the giant Dandelions coming. "Skitz," Barack points to the other Dandelions. "We're surrounded."
"Are we boned?"
"We're boned." Barack laughs nervously. "They're just bloody plants how bad can they be?"
"We can take the school entrance if we can get past these guys." Skitz looks and tries to run but a giant Dandelion attacks her.
"Leave her alone!" Barack goes to help Skitz when another giant Dandelion attacks him.
"No, Dante, Dante!" Sanne sees Dante's profile go blank and disappear from the screen. "Stop Dante something happened!"
"I see that!" Krieger has his sword and shield out. "Dante stop!" Dante tackles Krieger.
"Stop it Dante we don't want to fight you!" Sora points her crossbow at Dante and creates an arrow. "I'll shoot you!"
"Go ahead little girl." Dante sparks with energy and his head turns all the way around. "I'd like to see you try."
"That's creepy." Krieger uses the distraction to push Dante off of him. "We're going to need help Sanne!"
"I, I have to wait for Skitz and Barack!"
"We need help now! Deactivate the Tower!" Sora fires arrows at Dante but his hand moves so fast he catches all of them.
"I knew it would be of no use." Dante turns the arrows into dust. "No, the Tower, it must be protected." Dante had felt Sanne virtualize onto Lyoko near the activated Tower since there was no barrier around it.
"Sanne get in the Tower!" Krieger tackles Dante to the ground and they nearly fall over the edge of the path way. "What has happened Dante? First you ask about Dandelions and now you're attacking us!"
"It doesn't matter!" Dante pushes Krieger off using his energy. "I revealed the Tower, Sanne will deactivate it." Dante shakes then snaps to attention. "But I'm afraid it is too late for Mira and Ark. Xana's attack should have already killed those two and gone after Barack and Skitz!" Dante creates energy in his right hand then throws it at Krieger. He blocks it with his shield but then the shield is destroyed.
"I can't deactivate the Tower yet. If Xana appears after and I, we need to do a return but not while Dante is like this." Sanne runs away from the Tower towards Dante. "Dante stop it!"
"Get to the Tower!"
"No, that's what Xana wants. If I deactivate the Tower he'll come and get his son. If I launch a return you'll remain like this. We have to stop this now!"
"You can't stop me! You had your power stolen by me, given to my mother and father!"
"Not all of it Dante." Sanne concentrates but can't bring her inner powers out. Her wings start to form but the wings have feathers missing and look frail. "I can do this, for Dante."
"I already told you that if I didn't come back that I was sorry, now deactivate the Tower you stupid girl!"
"Sanne do what he says!" Sora fires an arrow at Dante and hits him in the back. "Ha, not so cocky now are you?"
"Am I?" Dante turns towards Sora. "I know what you have been planning. It won't work, they'll never believe it. My parents watch you all the time, my father especially. None of the older Lyoko Warriors were as, built, as you are. Of course he likes that you hate Sanne as much as he does!" Dante sends an energy bolt at Sora but she dodges it.
"I don't hate her!" Sora has to make sure Sanne doesn't become suspicious. "You pervert, been watching me?"
"Not I, my parents. If they were not busy killing the others they would be here to watch you die!"
"Krieger, I, I don't know what to do. If I deactivate the Tower Xana will come and we'll lose Dante!"
"I know that. We, Dante, you aren't completely lost are you?" Krieger gets ready to attack Dante. "Maybe if you lose your life points you'll go to Earth and be normal." Krieger attacks but Dante blocks the sword with his arm.
"You can't send me back weakling." Dante grabs the sword and sends energy into it destroying it.
"I can." Sanne attacks Dante and as they battle her wings form into the bright pink feathers that they should be. "I won't let you go back to Xana Dante!" They roll on the ground and nearly fall over the edge several times.
"It isn't up to you! You must tell Naia I am sorry but I had to do it so you could deactivate the Tower!"
"Exactly! You're not lost yet we can save you I just don't know how!" Sanne sparks with energy and tries to destroy Dante hoping being sent back would heal him but Dante is too strong.
"I know how but you would never do it! Well, there are two ways really." Dante grabs Sanne by the neck. "Kill me Sanne or love me! Neither one will you do!" Sanne grabs Dante's arm trying to break his hold.
"Wait, I don't breathe on Lyoko." Sanne opens her mouth and hits Dante in the face with an energy beam. "What an idiot. Not like you could choke me on Lyoko." Sanne gets into a fighting stance. "Kill you or love you? You're my friend Dante of course I love you. If I didn't you wouldn't be my friend."
"Foolish girl. Love is a second hand emotion. The actions are what make love what it is." Dante sparks with energy ready to end the fight.
"Action?" Sanne looks over at Krieger. "Sorry but we can't let Xana get him." Sanne tackles Dante and wraps her wings around him pushing him close to her. "This better work." Sanne closes her eyes and kisses Dante. He tries to push her away then goes limp.
"You're going to let her kiss Dante and get away with it?" Sora smirks. "If it was me I wouldn't let her do that. Especially since Dante has a crush on her." Krieger ignores Sora.
"Sanne, did it work?" Krieger sees Sanne pull away from Dante who collapses to the ground.
"I, I hope that worked." Sanne runs over to the activated Tower as her pink feathers fall off her wings. She enters the Tower and runs over to the center of the platform. She floats up to the second platform and goes to the control panel. She places her hand on it and soon the screens fall around her. "Tower deactivated." Sanne brings up the return program. "Please work, please save Dante. Return to the past now!" The white bubble comes up reversing time.
"What?" Dante is back at the gates of Central Academy. Naia is walking over to him. "Why did we have to return to this point? Why not a few minutes before?" Dante doesn't have time to get rid of the Dandelions.
"Hey Dante, what are you hiding behind your back?"
"I, um, sorry." Dante shows her the Dandelions. "I, I know they're weeds but the flower part is um, pretty."
"You know, you're right." Naia kisses Dante on the cheek. "Thanks Dante. I guess you didn't want to waste money on flowers."
"No I, I, I thought they, the flower part was pretty and I, um." Dante continues to stammer trying to think of something that makes sense and doesn't make him look ridiculous.
"Its ok you have to live out of a factory, don't need to be wasting money on flowers when you can get something unique. No one else would have given me Dandelions. Only you could see flowers in these weeds."
"I, uh, yeah."
"I would say I'd put them in a cup or something with water but I don't think my roommate would understand keeping weeds, flowers, in our dorm room."
"Well, you can put them on the ground or something."
"Nah, you take them and keep them, wait." Naia kisses each flower head then hands them back to Dante. "Ok that was stupid." Naia laughs.
Not as stupid as thinking weeds were flowers. But she did like them, and, she kissed them, and me on my cheek. Dante rubs his cheek where Naia had kissed him. "I, well, want to head to the pool?"
"Sure, want to swim laps or just horse around?"
"I, uh, am not that good a swimmer and I don't think horses are allowed in the pool." Thankfully for Dante Naia thinks Dante is kidding about the horses and laughs. "But we could do something else if you want."
"Its ok we can go swimming. I like swimming its good exercise and its just fun to float in the water."
"Yeah, float, I can do that." Barely. "Um, I don't know, I, do we hold hands or something? I mean, I don't really think I, well, I gave you flowers but I, um, don't know." Dante has no idea what to do or say.
"We could but then I wouldn't be able to win the race." Naia takes off down the sidewalk for the pool. Dante runs after her making sure to keep a tight grip on the weeds, flowers.
A/N This of course comes from a Five Iron Frenzy Song. Dandelions is the name of the song and the main line is the title of this story. Next E is still on Sept 1, I just got this done and thought it was so cute had to load it up.