Judas' Kiss

Karen

Pink-Gold was very upset because of nightmares that morning. Kind Bronze, Strong Bronze, and Small Brown all left with their families. Then Pink Gold got a message and went to Lyoko. Soon after that, a message came through and…blue.

Later, they were in Jeremie's room, and presents were given out.

I looked up. Maybe I could convince Mom to let me stay here?
Ulrich wasn't very happy to be leaving. "During the holidays, my dad gets more stressed out than ever, and that makes my mom hysterical. I'd rather stay here."

The boys all left, and Aelita, Yumi and I were all standing at the gates.

"Well, I'd better get home. I'm supposed to help my mom clean up."

I called my own mom and got her permission to stay at the school. My excuse was that I didn't want to be pestered by my little brother.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I just…"

Aelita was quiet for a minute. Then she said, "You still didn't have to."

I grinned. "Anything's better than Mark, Aelita!"

Aelita

I laughed. Karen did have a sense of humor.

We went to our room, where I settled down reading. Then a window popped up on my computer, and it was playing "Twinkle, twinkle little star"!

I walked over. The next thing that happened on the screen was a message from my father! He was expecting me on Lyoko!

The screen bugged up, so I couldn't get an answer. I looked at Karen. Her face was announcing that she knew that this was going to happen. "I'll virtualize you. He wants you either in the Ice Sector or Sector Five, and I'm inclined to think Ice Sector."

I smiled. "You know, you're getting more and more like Jeremie."

"I most certainly hope not: he'd try to stop you, where I know you must. The dragons say so."

I laughed. Her jokes about her dreams were something of a relief.

I dropped into the Ice Sector. There was a simulation bubble there! I ran over and pushed through. I was home!

Going into the house, I found my father playing the piano. I won't be ashamed to say that I started crying in his arms. He had escaped destruction. He had a message for Jeremie, but first…

"By the way, Aelita, did you virtualize yourself?"

"No, Daddy. This time, Karen did. She's the only Lyoko warrior currently with me. She knew this was supposed to happen."

"Well then, I'd like to meet her. I can just send her a message and she'll be here shortly."

"I'm not sure she'll answer. She didn't tell me this part of her dream, and she doesn't like virtualizing."

Daddy looked a little spaced. Then he said, "She's answered. She'll be here in just a few minutes."

I told him about the Skidbladnir, and for a moment he seemed confused. He only acknowledged where it came from when I reminded him.

Sure enough, in just a few minutes Karen came walking in. And by then, I had reached a conclusion. "You know, Daddy, when I said that everything was as I remembered, I meant it."

"Of course, Aelita. I wanted you to feel like you were right at home."

"Yes, and everything is here, not one thing is missing…except one thing."

"What's that?"

I narrowed my eyes. "My mother."

Both his eyebrows and Karen's went up. "But Aelita, your mother disappeared a long time ago."

"I know. And I miss her very much. And I'd want to see her again very much and you know that. And since you're such a perfectionist, you'd have made a replica of her in the simulation unless you're not really my father."

He started standing up.

I stepped back. "You keep away from me, Xana!" I ran through a door, but was immediately forced back – by William!

Karen knocked him flat and dragged me out of the house. It was almost exactly like the time that William tried to kidnap me on Earth. Then we ran into the edge of the bubble.

Karen asked, "Now what?"

I sang my creativity, and shattered the bubble. Actually, I didn't know that would work. I was guessing.

William said, forming his sword from smoke, "It doesn't matter. I can destroy you no matter what."

Karen laughed at him. "You talk a lot more, but there isn't really anything to it."

Karen

A hum reached my ears. It sounded a lot like the Overbike. Aelita and I both tried to take flight, but the Blok that used to be Franz Hopper shot Aelita back down.

"You want to leave? Be my guest!" William said. He used some smoke trick, lifted her up, and threw her over into the Digital Sea! And the Blok started shooting at me again, so I couldn't rescue her! But then William looked over.

Ulrich commented, "It's like he's waiting for something."

Then a big glowing bubble came from the Digital Sea!

William yelled, pumping his sword in the air, "Victory!"

By then, another Blok had joined him. They both started shooting at the bubble, which apparently was Franz Hopper. I flew out to the other platform and stared at Xana's Manta. Odd destroyed one Blok and the Manta, while I hovered, uncertain about what I should do. By then, Franz had dropped Aelita and William had downed Ulrich.

Then William destroyed Odd and came to my platform. He almost did away with Franz, but Aelita threw an Energy Field. That was just enough time for Franz to get away. William, in a fit of temper, destroyed Aelita and yelled, "NO!"

I laughed and dived for him. "Now it's my turn to destroy you!"

He looked up at me and…dropped his sword. My claws impacted his chest and I snarled, "It's over, William."

And he…kissed me! As he was disappearing, he kissed me on the lips! Just before he disappeared completely, he said, "No, Karen. It's just beginning."

I landed again – not the best landing, considering my angle. What was that about?

"It's simple, really," Jeremie said. "Franz Hopper managed to escape when Lyoko went down. Xana knew that the only way to get Franz Hopper to appear was to rescue Aelita."

I hadn't told him about the kiss. He was explaining how Franz Hopper was able to rescue Aelita.

Then Odd handed out his presents to everyone. I laughed at the lousy picture of a dragon that he gave to me. Oh, well. It's the thought that counts.

Jeremie invited Aelita to stay with his family for the holidays. Both she and I stared out the window. "What are you thinking, Aelita?"

"About my father. Even as a specter, I could still feel his presence; like he was holding me in his arms."

I was glad that Aelita's answer was so cryptic. It meant that nobody would ask me about my space-out look, and I wasn't sure I wanted to tell them about the kiss. It did make things simpler for Ulrich if he knew, but…

What was its purpose? And was I falling in love?