Sorry for not updating sooner but I had to update my other story before starting this one. Have to keep the good balance to both of them. Hope you enjoy reading. Something interesting in this chapter. Read on and review if you can. I am eager for new reviewers.
Thanks yumiulrichlovers. I know you love UxY I'll have a chapter about that pretty soon. Just waiting for all the search for Odd settle down a bit to put that up.
Chapter 13: Digital Sky
Jeremy's POV
A week has passed since Odd fell into the digital sea and we still hadn't gotten him back. I had made a copy of Odd despite the fact that Lexia was near and with the codes William had given me I was able to make a firewall to prevent Xana from taking over but Lexia could easily blow through it so I had to use the codes that were on violet to do something against her.
We hadn't found much about Odd on the recovery area. We had his DNA structure and his memory but without his virtual DNA we couldn't do anything to bring him back.
"What is so important about his virtual DNA?" Ulrich asked.
"Without that, Odd will be able to come back to Earth but won't be able to go back to Lyoko. And even if we have that Odd wouldn't be complete," Aelita explained.
"Not only that but we will not be able to devirtualize him if he is nowhere in Lyoko, I mean, we only have his data. Where is the body in Lyoko? We wouldn't be able to materialize it. The most we could do is a polymorphic specter and you know it will fade if the supercomputer is turned off," I added. I was looking at them. We were in the Lab room but I wasn't doing anything on the screen. Angelo had gone on patrol with Hunter, Korran was out at work and Leiah was still on the Nurse's house.
I sighed heavily. William wasn't here either. He was a big help but he said there was nothing else he could help us with. It was extremely useful that he had the codes of Xana but I knew that Xana would start making knew codes for new programs he would design.
The elevator started. Maybe Korran came early or William probably. For a moment we were all silent. Odd's copy was here too but he was just sitting by the elevator with his eyes closed. He barely made a joke. He spoke like Odd and acted more of the time like him but without the humor.
The door parted and we startled when we saw who was behind the door. Leiah smiled, "Hey guys, I know Korran is working but is Hunter and Angelo here?" She had her son on her arms. He was warped up in a blanket.
"They are in Eonor," Yumi replied.
She nodded and looked at Odd, "They told me he was lost in the Digital Sea." Odd opened his eyes and looked up at Leiah, he shrugged like if she was speaking about him. "You recovered anything?"
"Much, but we still need to find his body. But we can't find it anywhere?" I replied holding my head between my hands. I had tried everything.
"What if it's not in the recovery area?" she asked. She already knew a lot because Korran kept her well informed.
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Sure," Yumi said, "Like when Ulrich lost his body."
I remembered, "I can use his human DNA to track him down," I said and turned to the computer. I started typing. The last time I had used this program I had used Ulrich's DNA now I had to change it to Odd's just like I did with the Replikas. The program started running. The scan would take a while.
Aelita frowned, "Jeremy, I need to go to Lyoko." She said. "Maybe I can feel him. You know, every being in Lyoko makes possessions. I could feel Xana's clearly because of how developed he was but if I concentrate I am sure I can feel him.
"I want to go with you," Leiah said taking a step closer.
"But Leiah, what about your child?" Yumi asked her.
"Here," Leiah gave Xohan to Yumi. "I already fed him so he shouldn't wake up until about two to three hours. That should be enough time to go to Eo, I mean Lyoko." She walked over to Aelita and dragged her to the elevator. "We'll wait the virtualization process."
"Okay?" I said unsure as the elevator closed. "They should be okay," I said and turned to the screen. I made sure they were on the scanners when I programed the virtualization. They would arrive in the desert sector. "Virtualization," I said and hit a key.
Aelita's POV
We are here, Jeremy," I said as I touched the ground.
"Sorry for the last time we met. I know I was too hard on you but we thought you were some warriors that were intruding here. That you were pad people," she confessed. "That until we came to Earth and found out that you were really good people," she added.
I nodded, "I accept your apology and I would like to say the same. I should have asked."
She shrugged, "We wouldn't have listened," she said anyway. I smiled at her and we started running towards some rocks. I jumped and landed on one. I sat cross legged and started meditating feeling all of the impulses there were on Lyoko. "So what do you do?" Leiah interrupted.
"Feeling possessions, that way I can track down any being. I need silence for a few minutes," I replied without opening my eyes.
"Right, sorry," she said. I concentrated on my other senses and the ones given me for being the princess of Lyoko. I knew perfectly what Lyoko way and how it worked. I felt the life within it. All the impulses it had. Every single beat of its heart. Everything was all connected and I could read that connection.
Somewhere in Lyoko I felt Odd's moving body but I couldn't read where the place was. It wasn't in the mountain area, neither he was on the forest, or sector five, and definitely not on the ice sector or the recovery area. I could still feel him. Somewhere, but he was too far away like to be in this area.
"Found him," Jeremy said. "He's very close to you, Aelita."
"That's impossible because I feel him far away," I said and opened my eyes to see Leiah sitting on the floor playing with her blades.
"He appears there," Jeremy insisted.
I shook my head and looked up at the sky, "That's impossible," I said. "Wait," I looked at Leiah and then back up, "Leiah what's that?"
Leiah looked up and squinted her eyes to see. "I, I think it's…"
William's POV
I was on the campus. It was getting annoying now. Where ever I went Sissy wasn't further than twenty feet away. I was on the library and she was there. I was on the cafeteria and she was there. I was headed to my dorm and she peeked over the corners.
I turned a corner and waited. As I predicted Sissy walked slowly and stiffened when she saw me looking at her. "Oh, William, um, I was just passing by," she said trying to sound casual and she totally failed on her try. There was nowhere to go through here.
"More like stalking me," I corrected her resting my foot against the wall.
"Sorry," she looked down. "Um, I just… Never mind, see you around."
"I didn't tell you to go," I said. She stopped and looked at me. "What are you afraid of?" I demanded crossing my arms over my chest. This was the least populated area on all the school and right now there was no one here.
She took a shaky breath, "It's just that I have no one else to be with and I thought that maybe you would like some company since I saw you alone and…"
"Who said that? What? I can't be by myself without anyone near me?" I asked cutting her midsentence. She looked down, obviously hurt. I looked up at the clouds. "Sorry, it's just not my best day," I said.
She nodded, "It's okay, not like I could say any different."
I sighed, "Come on," I jerked my head for her to follow me into the woods. We started walking through a path. I already knew this whole forest by heart. "So you are afraid that Herb will come and pounce on you at any moment," it wasn't a question.
She looked at me shocked but obviously that was it. "Well, yeah, I have no one else to protect me and after what I saw at the dorms…"
"You thought you could use me as body guard," I finished her sentence.
"No," she said quickly, "I thought that maybe I could spend some time with someone that doesn't think I'm whore," she said and flinched at the last word.
I stopped and sat down at the foot of a tree. Sissy sat down next to me. "Are you really that desperate?"
She closed her eyes, "I regret everything I did to anyone in the past. I should have been nicer," she said. If Milly and Tamiya get to tape record this they would be stars of the Kadic's Newspaper.
"Cheer up, Ulrich's group considers you as a friend, you know," I said.
She looked at me wide eyes, "Really?"
I shrugged, "You aren't that bad. They know about how you really are and even though your faults they have gotten to the conclusion that…" I trailed off before continuing.
"That I can't change who I am," she completed the sentence and that was exactly what I was about to say.
"No," I said quickly, lying as I said.
"Don't try to cover the sky with one hand, William. I know everyone sees me like dog kibble after passing through the system." I saw a tear escape her eye. I quickly was in front of her.
"Hey, no, really," I said wiping the tear away from her face for her. "Please, you really are a good person."
"Stop lying," she ordered looking at me in the eyes. "I know you think like the rest, and I don't blame you."
I shook my head, "What if I say I don't? And what if I really mean it?" I said. She looked at me in the eyes like if I had hit the right spot.
"I would say that you are the most crazy person I've ever met," she said. I couldn't help but laugh. She smiled. "What's so funny?"
I shook my head. "You really aren't that bad," I said and I closed some space between us. She pushed me away as she blushed.
"Err, William, I don't think I should. Uh, we should…" she trailed off.
I stroke her hair making her blush violently. "What if we do?"
She pulled back, "I, I don't know," she said with a sigh. "William, I'm not good enough for you. You can pick on another girl, one that is not as bad as me."
"Who said I wanted anyone else," I said and for some reason I felt this jolt of electricity that settled down on my stomach like butterflies and I instantly recognized the feeling. It ran through me like fire but all I could feel was the strong feeling of wanting to comfort her. Then I realized with whom I was speaking to. It was Sissy Delmas, daughter of the principal, and for some odd reason I didn't care. "Give me an opportunity," I pleaded. "I promise I won't fail you," I said. She just blushed more violently as if it were ever possible. I closed the gap between our lips not even waiting for her reply.
Ulrich's POV
We were on Lyoko. Yumi, Aelita and Leiah were here too. Jeremy had stayed back with Xohan. I was surprised he knew how to hold a baby and he said that he has a few cousins. We were on the desert sector.
"Jeremy, where is the access?" Aelita asked him.
"Let's see. I'm looking through the data base," he said. "Huh, weird, there is nothing about this area. Um, I found an access. Uh, oh, well looks like the access is on the tower right on your south.
"Jeremy, there are no towers south," Aelita said as the vehicles appeared.
"I was talking about the tower Odd created," Jeremy informed. "Only way to that area is that tower." We all nodded. I got on the Overbike, Yumi and Aelita got on the Overwing. Leiah looked at the Overboard and got on it.
She sighed, "How does this work?"
"You'll get the hang of it," I assured her.
"Uh, okay?" we started towards the tower that wasn't so far. Leiah was better on the Overboard than when I first used it.
We left the last chink of the desert area and we went down to the tower. We went straight down through the tower and I was glad it didn't led into the digital sea. We arrived at another tower. This one was just the same as any other. We dismounted our vehicles there.
"Who can ride on that thing?" Leiah asked us as she got off of it.
"Odd," I replied. She just nodded in response. I was the first one out of the tower and cringed when I saw the area. All of the area was composed by narrow paths and right below us sat the desert area with the digital sea under it. We were probably on what? Sky area?
"Jeremy, I'm sending visuals," Aelita said as she surveyed the whole area that seemed endless. It was like a net of vines, the same ones that connected all the towers together. I just couldn't believe it. Some of the vines glowed red for a split second every few minutes or seconds.
Yumi walked around me despite the lack of space. I was stiff as she did that. I certainly didn't want to fall. "I do not believe Odd did this," Yumi doubtfully.
"Impossible, it's just Odd's body in there," Jeremy replied. I heard some fast typing. "Odd should be a bit further from you. Head north," Jeremy ordered. We started to move. Yumi and the rest were fast but I was staying back.
"Ulrich," Yumi hissed at me when she saw I wasn't fast enough.
I looked up at her, "You know my problem," I said.
"Doesn't matter, Jeremy would have you out on Earth before you were half was to the ground," Yumi assured me but I still wasn't so sure.
Jeremy's voice came, "She's right Ulrich. I already have your virtualization process along with the rest just in case."
I nodded now a tiny bit more sure of myself and advanced at the pace of a normal walk. I still wouldn't risk running. Yumi rolled her eyes and ran towards Leiah and Aelita that were further ahead. Aelita started flying with her wings. Wish I had a pair of those.
"Not to high Aelita, don't reach the digital sky," Jeremy warned.
"Why?" Aelita questioned.
"Let's say it has the same effect as the digital sea," he responded at her doubt. Perfect, just what we needed.
"What is what keeps Lyoko so bright? There is no sun in here," Yumi asked.
"Two things," Aelita said. "One is the gloom of sector five and another is the digital sea, that is why there isn't much light on the ice sector or the forest sector. The forest sector is, after all, the highest on Lyoko." Yumi nodded.
I heard a hiss and took out my blades. Leiah must have heard it too because he had withdrawn her blades as well. "He's close," Leiah warned.
"Jeremy," I said.
"Behind you," Jeremy said. I turned and deflected an arrow but who I saw couldn't be Odd but it was. Though he was slightly changed. He had a big spike on each shoulder blade and he had silver stripes added on the sides of his stomach that seemed to have stretched a round his back.
He hissed and lunged himself at me. I knew I couldn't devirtualize him just yet so I pushed him back and he fell rolling with the impact. I noticed he had three smaller spikes along his back just on his spine. What had happened to him? He stood up. Leiah materialized in front of me, or virtualized but it was the same thing right now. She put her blades away and started fist fighting with Odd.
"Jeremy," Aelita warned.
"On it," Jeremy said. "Lure him into a tower," he commanded. We started pushing him. He would shoot an arrow every once in a while but we were close and long range attacks weren't that effective when you were fighting against two people that had fast reflexes. But I have to say that Odd really was powerful on fist fighting. He had thrown us back. I almost fell into the desert sector.
"Odd," Yumi called at him like a mother reprimanding a child. She took out one of her fans and waved it with force. A big gust of wind threw Odd off of his feet. Aelita created a rock just when he was landing that served as pillow and left him unconscious.
Jeremy laughed, "Nice going guys. Um, I can transfer his memory and everything into him from there. Just need to deactivate the copy of Odd first."
"Hey," we heard the copy say from the Lab room.
"Sorry," Jeremy said. The tower in front of us turned green. "Transferring," he informed. Then after a few seconds he said, "Okay, he should be up in a few."
I sighed and sat next to Odd's neutral body. "Good to have you back," I said. I waited a few moments and then Odd opened his eyes. He squinted and then looked at me.
"Ulrich? What happened? Huh?" he looked at his arm. He now had silver stripes on it. He looked at his shoulder blades, they had the spikes still. "I, I remember having fallen into the digital sea."
I nodded, "You did, we rescued your memory and DNA but your body was still here," I explained. He looked at the others that were sitting next to us.
He let out a goofy grin. "Sorry guys, there was nothing I could do." He looked around and frowned, "Where am I? Uh, we?" he asked.
"This area seems to be new," Aelita explained. "Glad to have you back Odd," she pulled him into a hug.
"Yeah, your copy was starting to get annoying," I added.
Odd pulled away, "Copy? Were you actually going to replace me?" We all laughed before Jeremy devitualized us."
I just couldn't let Odd dead for so much time. He's my favorite warrior so I wasn't going to have him killed. And yes, I like the idea of William X Sissy. I just thought that since both of them had somewhat the same personality they would get along good like a couple and that would let some space for Yumi and Ulrich on a relationship as well. That was my big surprise though there is more to it than what the eye may see. Thanks for reading. I'd be happy for new reviews. Hope to have next chapter up soon.
