Dragonsong

Karen

White was talking to Pink-Gold through the window, and P-G was frantic about something. Later on, White was talking to Dark Gold, and let herself be talked into something. Then that night, they were all at a party and had to leave and...violet -

The party was over, with Pink-Gold a big star. White got to witness a very happy picture between Dark Gold and Strong Bronze.

I stretched out my new dragon body outside. Poor Aelita; how would she be able to relax for…whatever she had to do?

Well, her friends would be able to help her. I'm not sure how well I would, though. I lifted my head up to look at her window. Then I reared up and extended my neck. Doing that, I could just barely look through.

Aelita? Are you awake?

Aelita opened the window. "Yes, Karen. What's up for today?"

I think you already know this. You're going to be frantic about something all day. Could you maybe fill me in?

She sighed. "The Subdigitals concert is tonight. I'm so nervous about it."

Oh. I get nervous about performances too. I get around it by imagining that there's nobody in the audience except for a few friends.

Aelita smiled. "I could imagine that only the people I've invited are there."

Who did you invite?

"I haven't given the tickets to them yet, but I've invited Jeremie, Odd, Ulrich, Yumi, and…oh, I forgot you couldn't come."

I sighed. It's okay. I was only a dragon yesterday.

Yumi

I was with Ulrich and Odd near the snack machines. Odd was worried about how he was going to get two tickets for the concert: one for him and one for his new girlfriend.

I suggested, "Why don't you try asking my little brother? He's always got some connections."

"Hiroki! Thanks, Yumi, you're the greatest!" As he was walking away, he paused, looked over his shoulder and added, "Ulrich, you should go out with her."

Ulrich looked at me, blushing, and asked, "We're just good friends, right?"

"Right." I hoped he hadn't noticed that I was blushing, too.

Aelita stopped by, and blew off some of her worries to us. "Just thinking about it gives me butterflies, and I wish I could stop thinking about it. And what's more, I got Karen a ticket to go to the concert, but she can't go, not with the way she looks right now!"

Ulrich groaned. "Why can't she just let Jeremie make her an antivirus?"

I said, "She still doesn't trust him that far, Ulrich. I don't know why. But I've got an idea."

I went and talked to Karen. "Listen, you still have that humongous sweatshirt, right? And you still fit into all those clothes, right?"

Right…

"Well, if you put that stuff on, and curl your neck up so that it's a bit shorter, I doubt anyone would notice."

What about my face? Karen cocked her head. My face will draw attention like a magnet!

"So we'll use a mask. I could ask Hiroki for one of his."

Wouldn't that look stupid? One of Hiroki's masks being on a teenager, I mean?

"Nobody will care; they'll all be looking at Aelita. If anyone asks, we could say that you got a serious skin problem that you're embarrassed about."

With my neck in that position –

I suddenly felt a misgiving. "Can you do it?"

She twisted her neck around and stood up straight. It works, but it's dreadfully uncomfortable.

Whew. "It's just for one night. Would you do it for Aelita?"

She looked at me, falling back onto all fours. She looked like she was measuring me for something. I will…if you do something for me.

I braced myself. "What?"

Ulrich

We went to visit Aelita backstage. Karen was with us, dressed up and wearing a mask. Aelita looked very happy to see us, though she did ask where Jeremie was. I said that he was lost in the crowds, and she seemed to accept that.

When we left her to her focusing, I asked, "Yumi, how'd you convince Karen to come along?"

Before Yumi could answer, Odd spotted his girlfriend.

When we were waiting, Karen suddenly stiffened. "What's up?"

Something's wrong.

Right after that, Yumi's cell phone went off. It was Jeremie. "Xana's activated a tower!"

"The Subdigitals just cancelled Aelita's performance, and Karen just said that something was wrong."

"Sounds like Xana. I'll meet you at the factory."

After Yumi hung up, I said, "Let's go find Aelita."

Karen nodded stiffly. I'll ditch this stuff, since I know there's going to be a return trip.

That was actually a good idea, since we had to fight off the Xanafied Milly and Tamiya. She shed the clothes and the mask, grabbed Odd and Yumi, and flew out after the woman carrying Aelita.

I figured that this was the best plan and took on the media.

Karen

Odd gasped, "Karen! I didn't know you could carry both of us!"

I can't. I'll have to drop one of you two. Right after I finished that thought, I let go of Yumi. She hit the ground running, while I improved my grip on Odd.

We got there just in time to kick the Xana-possessed lady. I abstained from attacking. After all, the point was to subdue her, not kill her, and my weapons were just not suited for harmless fighting.

Jeremie came in right around then. "Where's Aelita?"

Yumi answered. "She's already on Lyoko."

We virtualized. All of us did. I was nervous about that, because I wasn't sure my telepathy would work there.

As it turned out, that wasn't a problem. I could talk on Lyoko! "Hey, Jeremie, my voice is back!"

"That's great, Karen, but you have to rescue Aelita!"

I flew up and around, trying to figure out the best strategy. I spotted William get devirtualized by Yumi's flying fans right after hitting her. My hearing was good enough to hear what they said.

William: "Game's over, Yooyu!"

Yumi: "Same for you, Handsome!"

Now, that's probably not what William said, but that's what I heard, and I thought it was so ridiculous that I laughed. My laugh was still a dragon's roar. Oh well.

Suddenly, watching Aelita, I had it: the one thing that would take Xana off her back. I dove for her. "Aelita!"

She looked up as I destroyed the Manta that was bothering her. "What is it, Karen?"

I landed. "I know how to shake off Xana's insistent pursuit, but you will have to trust me when the time comes!"

Aelita studied me and, finally, nodded.

"Good," I said, and I heaved her up and carried her all the way to the tower.

Jeremie's voice came with welcome words: "Return to the past now."

While we were at the concert, Jeremie was smiling, so I guess Aelita and he had made up again. While we were listening (it seemed way too loud to me, but my hearing was sharper), Jeremie asked, "What was your idea, Karen?"

If we took away the thing that Xana wants most, then there won't be many more Aelita-nappings.

"I'm not sure I get it."

Jeremie… I blew out a careful sigh. We have to get Franz Hopper out of the computer.

"But Franz Hopper won't come out of the Digital Sea unless Aelita's –"

I looked at him.

"Oh, man. You've got to be kidding!"

I am dead serious.

"But I don't have a program ready!"

You don't have to. I have an idea. Don't worry; we don't have to do it tonight. It can be tomorrow after school.

We exited the building, and Aelita met up with us again. "Finally I managed to shake off those two." 'Those two' being Milly and Tamiya, no doubt.

Jeremie was very happy to see her. It made me smile.

Ulrich looked at Yumi and asked, "By the way, you never did answer my question last time around."

Yumi decided to play dumb. "Uh…what question?" She knew exactly what question; she was blushing.

"How'd you get Karen to come?"

"Um…" She looked at me. I nodded.

"She, uh, kind of made me promise to do something after the concert was over. And it was about you."

Ulrich's eyebrows went up. "What?"

One more hesitation and I lost patience. YUMI!!!

Yumi clasped her head. "Karen! Not so loud!"

I glared at her through the mask.

She sighed, and right in front of everybody, she caught Ulrich's head with both hands and kissed him on the lips.

I counted the seconds to myself, enjoying the moment. One…two…three…she must really like him.

She pulled back again, and they were both a gorgeous shade of red. Ulrich said just one word: "Oh."

Yeah. Oh. Personally, I didn't know which was sweeter: that she held the kiss for so long, or that Sissi happened to come out of the theater right at that moment.