AN EPHIMERAL REENCOUNTER
6 June 1994
A 13-year-old Aelita stood at the lab in the factory, confused and dizzy, grabbing her head as if she just had gone down from a rough flight. Everything was blurry, she just saw the green of the walls, until she caught a stain of white.
- Aelita, is that you?
- Dad?
Waldo got up from the lab chair and immediately hugged Aelita.
- My princess, what have you done? I was-
- Dead. I know. And you'll be, you'll be alive just until that day that you saved us, the day that we thought that XANA had died. But Tyron-
- TYRON?! -exclaimed an enraged Franz.
- Yes. He had previously copied XANA's database program, so he recreated him. However, XANA was smarter than Tyron and got control over him and his resources to start world domination. That's why I'm here, to prevent you from creating XANA – Aelita breathed after such a fast and long speech.
- My dear, I think you're late.
Waldo sat on the computer chair and turned on the screen, which showed Lyoko full of monsters in every sector.
- XANA's already been created -said Waldo disappointed-. And it seems that he's showing off his massive power. I'd say that he's trapped again in Lyoko, he lost the Lyoko keys when you defeated him; if not, he'd have already ran away. He's in his original state but with the strength that Tyron gave him.
Aelita started to panic. This couldn't be, she was supposed to come back further, so his father wouldn't create XANA, and now… Her head was spinning while she hyperventilated more every second. She wanted to collapse, but she felt a huge pair of arms try to calm her down with a hug.
- Aelita, breathe. It's okay, everything's okay. Don't worry, you're with me. Let's figure something out.
Waldo started typing on the computer vividly, trying to find a solution to their problem: how were they going to hide from the men in black if XANA had taken total control of Lyoko?
- Xana's too powerful. Like this we can't even virtualize ourselves without being killed in the first two seconds, there are too many monsters -said a worried Hopper.
- So that means going to the fifth sector and launching the program might be impossible. Still, we need to try, at least let's try to hide in a tower and shut the computer off until Jeremy turns it on again.
- If we do that, I'm afraid you'll lose your memory again and I'll lose my corporate form. Everything will repeat again, or it could go even worse.
- But if we stay here, the men in black will find us eventually.
- Not really. They never found the supercomputer in our timeline; if they had, they would have turned it on, caught us and used XANA as a weapon.
- We can't stay here forever though. We'll need food, water…
- And they'll capture us if we go out. I think there's no other option.
After saying that, Waldo got up from the chair and headed to the elevator. He already had made his decision.
- What option dad? Where are you going?
Waldo kneed in front of his daughter and took off his glasses to show his eyes full of blessed tears.
- Aelita, I'm so glad that I had the chance to see you again. I'm your father, so I'll sacrifice myself one and a thousand times in order to save you. I'll let the Order of the Phoenix capture me.
- No, no. I won't let you!
- Listen, my princess. You need to stay here at least for a day. Go through the sewers to Kadic, then go with Delmas, he'll take care of you.
A small Aelita hugged her father for what she thought could be the last time. Tears running down her cheeks and joining the ones of her father.
- Dad. I can't lose you again. I've already lost everyone.
- You need to let me go. Switch off the computer and never turn it on again. It's too dangerous, XANA's too dangerous. You need to remake your life in this new timeline and forget about me.
- But those men will kill you!
- They won't, they want me, they want my intelligence for their purposes. In the worst case they'll erase my memory.
- Okay dad, I love you -said Aelita between sobs.
- I love you too, Aelita. Remember, live your life.
With that said, the little pink-haired stepped out from the elevator. Waldo got up and pressed the button, closing the doors and disappearing from the eyes of her daughter who, still in tears, decided to sit in a corner of the lab.
It was cold, dark and scary, small sounds that echoed through the walls of the factory, but Aelita had been through much more than that, she had to resist.
The next day at night, she decided to go to Kadic, just as her father had told her. She decided to use the sewers, hoping no one would see her there. Quietly she moved through those small paths, avoiding the rats and trying not to fall into the water.
But just as she was reaching the boiler room, she tripped and fell into the dirty water of the sewers. She climbed up fast, shivering and disgusted from the odour, and proceeded to walk faster to the principal's office.
Soaking, she arrived there and knocked on the door, hoping Mr. Delmas would be there. For her fortune, The door opened and Aelita was greeted by a younger Jean-Pierre Delmas, holding a 3-year-old Sissi in his arms.
- Aelita, what's happened to you? You're all wet, where's your father? -he said as he put Sissi down.
- D-do you kno-o-ow me? -said Aelita while shivering.
- How am I not going to know my niece? If you were just here 2 days ago taking care of Sissi, I still owe you those 10€.
Delmas opened a wardrobe and took a blanket. Then he approached Aelita and covered her with it.
- Here you are. Let's go to my room. Change your clothes and sleep you'll explain everything in the morning, including this letter your father's sent me.
