"I've discovered a seventh sector." Cam casually stated at breakfast. It was sevearl days after their last trip to Lyoko. During that time, Cam and Emi had been working on fixing the materialztion program and figuring out her visions. Alexei, Kya, and Lynn retraced Emi's steps the day she found the Hertiage. They went to te Herigmate several times to search. So far they'd found nothing interesting.
"Are we going to explore it?" Alexei asked, earger to return to Lyoko. "We still have to check out the other two as well."
Cam nodded, "Since we haven't been to this one, we'll go there first."
"How will we get there?" Kya took a bite of her apple. "We needed a portal for the island sector and an orb to transport us to the fifth sector."
"I've already looked into that." Cam explained. "Emi's had her keys back for a while now, yet we've haven't been able to figure out how to use them. So far, they've allowed us to 'complete' the materalztion program and bring Emi to earth. I think the keys triggered something on Lyoko to reveal that portal."
"Like a defense mechaicm?" Kya asked, as she thought back to what they'd learned about adaptions in biology class.
Lynn pointed his spoon at Cam. "You think the keys reacted to Emi being in danger from Xana's monsters? So the portal was opened, allowing her to espace?"
"Bingo." Cam nodded. "My other theory is that Xana forced Emi into the portal for some reason. Than transported her to sector five trap her and try and steal her keys."
"Maybe Xana doesn't have access to the Island sector unless Emi goes through first." Alexei thought aloud. "It is a new sector, which means there might be more hidden keys. Xana was after them before. He probably hasn't given up on them. Hince, forcing Emi into a new sector and trapping her in another. Everything always goes back to those keys."
"Did he just say something smart?" Kya asked, as she glanced between Lynn and Cam's shocked expression. "And it make sense?"
"What?" Alexei asked, having missed the total shock he'd give his friends.
"Alexei's theroy isn't bad." Cam acknowledged his best friend's theroy. "In any case, I've found a way in. All we need to do is get Emi to the portal's loaction and she'll allow us to enter."
"Along with Xana." Lynn pointed out. "Let's not forget that once Emi opens the portal. Xana can send monsters in."
"She'll be fine. We'll be there to protect her." Alexei made a muslce, to show he'd been working out. "It's also a good chance to test out the finished vechiles."
"Let's meet at the manison after school." Cam ingored Alexei to continue the conversation. "I've already told Emi."
Everyone, but Kya, was execited to go back to Lyoko.
"I can't go today." Kya poked her food with her fork. "My old coach is coming to watch me practice today. He'll be able to provide feedback I need bfeore the next competition."
"Don't worry, Kya." Cam reasurred her. "We'll go without you, join us when you can."
Emi's POV:
"Final lap!" Jim shouted. He stood by the esge of the feild recording our times as we fnished the final lap.
"Can't...run...any...more." Wave paused to catch her breath. Sweat poured down her face and neck. "G...go on without me." Overdramatic as usual. Her least favorite class is gym. Why? Because of the sweating. SOmething about it makes her hair fuzzy.
Odd and Ulrich easily passed us, as Aelita kept Jeremie company further back. Wave had been kepting a good pace, but now.
"_ get up. Unless you want more laps." Jim stopped the stop watch, as Odd and Ulrich passed him.
"I'm up!" The threat of running more laps had Wave moving.
"At this rate, you'll never beat me." Odd bragged. "Looks like your deserrts will be mine for a week."
Wave puffed her cheeks out. "Not gonna happen! We still have two weeks left before the eigth grade mathron."
After gym class, we all met in our usual spot by the vending machines. When Yumi joined us, she arrived in the middle of another Odd/Wave debate.
"Those two still going on about the bet?" Yumi leaned against the wall, watching the site before her.
"Yup." Aelita answered. "They probably won't stop until the mathron's over."
The eigth grade mathrion isn't actually a marthon. Eigth graders from Kanna and Kadic are divided into teams. The teams completechallenges as they race from Kadic to Kanna. Teams split themselves up into pairs in rely race style. Teams have to make it to different check points to pass a baton to another teammate. This continues until the last teammate arrives at Kadic.
Odd and Wave made a bet as to which team will win.
"Come on guys." Jeremie said. "It's almost time to leave."
That got Wave's attention "Where are you guys going?"
"The library." Ulrich said the same time as Odd said, "The mall."
"We're going to study at teh library near the mall." Yumi quickly answered.
Wave's interest quickly faded. "Count me out. I'll be in my dorm doing some sampling."
"Make sure the volume's low this time. Or Sissy will be mad...again." Aelita referred to last night when Sissy woke up the whole dorm trying to get Wave to shut her music off.
Wave smirked. "Oh, I've got something planned for little miss princess." Knowing Wave, Sissy isn't going to 'enjoy' DJ Wave's tunes.
As Wave left, I also took my leave of the group. The others will be waiting for me at the mansion. It's time to explore the new sectors.
Lynn's POV:
"Did I miss anything?' Emi asked as she stepped off the elevator.
"Nope, Cam was just explaining how we're getting to the new sector." Alexei answered.
"This will be our first time going to a hidden sector." Cam stopped typing to look at us. "getting in might not be easy."
"We've identified the portal's location. It's a start." Emi turned towards the elevator. "Is Kya coming?"
Joining her, I shook my head. "She'll come after figure skating practice."
The elevator opened, allowing us to enter the scanners. "Hope you like hiking. Your off to the mountain sector." Cam said, before sending us to Lyoko.
Upon or arrival, two cyberbikes waited for us. Emi rode with Alexei as Cam guided us. Everything was quiet, we made it with no problems to the portal's location. The portal is located on a giant rock in the center of a circular platform.
"Now what, Cam?" Alexei leaned on his bike.
"Emi should be able to open it." Cam answered. "Try planning your hand over it and use your ability."
Emi shrugged, than did as instrusted. Standing in front of the rock, she placed her hand on it. She than began to hum low, than said. "Esolc latorp!" 'Close portal'
We never know what she's said, until after the affect happens. Emi can control and maniplute Lyoko. To do this, she has to say the opposite effect of what she wants backwards.
"It's open! Hurry, Xana's sent some bloks." Cam's warning came, as several bloks came into view. Emi hopped onto the cyberbike with Alexei. They went through first, than I followed.
Kya's POV:
"Stressing won't solve anything." Calex offered me a bottle of water.
"What are you doing here?" I sat watching Lilie work with Mara. Our shared practices are less frequent wit the upcoming competition. Lilie wants to devote equal time to both od us, when we pracitce our routes. Shared pracitces gave veen working on improving basic technquies and moves.
"I'm on the school's paper." Calex took a seat next to me. "Britt asked your coach if we could get some photos.
Britt is the editor of the school newspaper. She's in the seventh grade, which makes her the second youngest editor in Kanna's history. Britt has a frienemies relationship with Mara. My understanding is that Mara brings some good ideas to the newspaper. However, she also tries using it as a personal blog and gossip column. No doubt to Britt's dismay.
"Let me guess, Mara's idea?" It wouldn't be the first time Mara wanted the spotlight. TO think, she'd use her position on the newspaper like this.
I took the water from Calex, as he took out his camara. He showed me some of the pictures he took.
"Yes, it was Mara's idea, but not for the reasons you think." He switched to a picture of me doing a camel spin. "She wants to create a series focusing on the sports teams and clubs at Kanna."
The next picture is of Mara talking to Lilie. "That's actaully not an awful idea." Not that I'm telling her that.
"Kya!" Lilie called from the ice. She waved me over.
"The moment of truth." I left Calex and made my way to the ice. My former coach , befily greeted me.
"Neither of you is going to like this" Lilie's smile didn't match her tone. Which isn't good. She'll get a good luagh, while Mara and I suffer. "You've both improved, but have areas you still need to work on. There's only so much I can tell you. Sometimes it's better to learn from someone else."
She turned to , who clearted his thorat. "Which is why I suggested you girls helping each other. Kya's landing after jumping are execllent and from what I've seen, Mara's tranisitions to and out of spins is flawless."
"The two of you will spend the rest of today and next pracitce helping each other." Lilie looked from me to Mara. "Kya will work with Mara on her landings and mara will help Kya improve her tranisitions."
"Okay." Mara simply said, to my shock.
"Kya." _ said, when I huffed and rolled my eyes. "Somehing wrong?"
All eyes turned to me.
"I don't see why we have to waste time like this." No way am I going to use my preicous training tiem aruging with a brat who won't listen to me. "I'm not disagreeing with you observations. But Mara and I don't get along, Lilie you know this. We're both gonna end up aruging more than training. I'd rather use that time wisely amd do something productive."
"I told you they wouldn't go fo for it." Lilie looked at _. "You owe me five bucks."
Mara shook her head, "I can't believe you Lilie."
Lilie snorted, "Oh please. I know the both of you to well. You may have agreed to it, but Kya voiced the simple truth."
"The two of you are still foing to do it." _ announced sternly. "I don't know the history between you and Mara, but you two could learn alot from each other."
"And if you don't do it..." Lilie's smile didn't reach her eyes, her eyes as she threaten us.
"Fine." Mara and I both said, not wanting to know what Lilie's threat was.
Calex had went to the lobby to gra a pair of skates. The pictures he'd taken from the stands were good, but didn't truly capture Kya and Mara's hard work. Calex hoped that by getting on the ice himself, his pictures would come out better.
No one was at the counter whe he walked up. "Hello?" Calex shouted, wondering were the workers were.
"Meow." A tiny meow drew Calex's attention to a kitten. The kitten stared at Calex for seeveral seconds, before walking away.
"Weird." Calex thought aloud, when the kitten came back. The kitten morioned it's head, as if saying 'follow me'.
He followed the kitten to another part of building. The kitten stopped ouutside the staff room. Again, the kitten stared Calex.
"You want me to open the dorr?" He asked, the kitten gave a slight nod.
"I can't, I don't work here." Calex explained. Calex thought the kitten rollowed it's eyes before pushing the slightly closed door, open.
Calex rushed ro follow the kiteen, trying to catch it before a staff member did. "You can't go in th-" He stopped short at the sight in front of him. On the floor were three people, two workers and Lilie. Concerned, he checked all of them to find they were asleep.
"Meow." The kitten sat by the door, staring at Calex again.
"Wait, if Lilie is here. Than who's with Kya and Mara?"
The kitten smrked, as if happy Calex realized this.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Calex half execpted the kitten to answer.
Instead, the kitten dashed out of the room. Calex followed it back towards the ice ring. The kitten arrived before he did. It contiously meowed, until it got everyone's attention.
"Kytt?" Kya skated over to pick up the kitten. The kitten scurried out of Kya's arms to her shoulder.
Lilie gave Kya a disappointed look. "Put the kitten down Kya. Your still at practice." When she tried to grab, Kytt, she was scratched.
Lilie tried to grab Kytt, who hissed and scratched her. "Why you little-" Lilie loughed to grab Kytt. Kya spun just out of her reach. "Get rid of that thing!"
Kya protectibely hugged Kytt to her chest. "Thing? Lilie, you love Kytt. You've tried to adapt her ten times!" Kya knew something was wrong when Lilie wanted her to get rid of Kytt. Lilie's Kytt's biggest fan and spoils her the most.
"I don't care!" Lilie's voice grew robotic, causing warning bells to go off in Kya's head. She nearly screamed, when Xana's symbol befily flashed on Lilie's forehead. "We're wasting time and Mara's been waiting patiently." Xana Lilie's voice went back to normal.
Kya shared a look with Kytt. Even through Kytt couldn't speak, Kya could teel that the kittenwas thinking 'time to panic, Lilie doesn't take sides'.
"Lilie's right," _ said. "There'll be time to play with the kitten after pratice."
Kya shook her head, "Let's take a break." She had to get away and call Cam. "Give us some time to think about how we-"
"Your not going anywhere!" Lilie grabbed Kya's wrist, stopping her.
Kytt jumped off/out of Kya's arm(s). She landed on Lilie's shoulder and scratched her face (several times). Lilie yelped and threw Kytt. Mara caught the kitten _.
That succssed in making Lilie mad. She dropped her Lilie facded, letting Xana's mark replace her puppils and appear on her forehead. "Your not going anywhere."
"Lilie?" Mara asked, shocked at the sight before her. "Look at what you've done!" She sneered at Kya.
"Me?" Kya was taken back by Mara's sudden out brust. "What did I do?"
"How about throwing a tanturm to start? You can't stand the idea of having me teaching you." Mara stated.
"Get your eyes checked!" Kya held her hand out for Kytt. "That isn't even Lilie! I've done nothing wrong. And as usual, your jumping to conclusions without proper edvience or facts!"
"Girls, a little help?" Calex's voice drew their attention back to the real problem. Xana Lilie had _ and Calex pinned to the ground. The two were struggling, in vain, to break free. Xana Lilie's strength was to much for them.
Kya let out a sigh. "Here, hold Kytt." She shoved the kitten into Mara's arms. Ingoring Mara's renewed rant, Kya moved into position. She was going to use a move that proved highly useful on Lyoko. Whether or not it would work in the real word, was another story. Kya took off towards Xana Lilie. Picking up speed, she kicked off the ground, exstending both legs out in front of her. The blades of the skates smashed into Xana Lilie, knocking her off of _ and Calex.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Calex asked, stunned by what Kya just did.
"No time to explain. We need to get out of here." Kya lead the others to the edge of the ice by the bleachers. She reached to open the gate that spereated the bleachers from the ice, when a jolt struck her. She was thrown back by the force of it, Calex caught her before she hit the ground.
"What's taking so long?" Mara shoved everyone aside and tried the gate herself. She too was knocked back by the force of it onto the ground. "What the heck?"
studied the gate. "It's electrically charged. We're not getting through, not without alot of rubber and some luck."
"I told you no one was leaving here." Xana Lilie stood up, with a grimance.
"Oh great, she's awake." Kya shook off the dizziness from the shock. She needed to be ready to defend everyone. Kya didn't know how long she'd be able to hold out against Xana Lilie. She just hoped Cam had realized there was an activated tower.
Alexei's POV:
"There's not much here." The Tundra sector, as we've named it, is a large vast flat treeless landscape, with platforms of varies sizes. It's not much different than the desert sector, expect it's cold. Like freezing cold. How the heck are we able to feel cold in a vitral world?
"Your right, let's stop for today." Cam said. "Esort Emi to a tower, than I'll bring you in."
"Boring." Leaning agaisnt my cyberbike, I watched the others. Emi sat on a rock, while Lynn tossed and caught his charkam. "Let's explore the other sectors. We've got time and nothing's happened."
"So far." Cam added. "We don't have enough data on the other sectors yet."
"Which we'll get by exploreing them." Lynn caught his chakram and looked upward. "We haven't made much progress, anywhere else we've searched."
"They have a point, Cam." Emi added. "One of the other two sectors could provide information."
A deep sigh filled our ears. "Fine, but only the Island sector. The fifth sector is to dangerous, espically with the Scyphozoa."
"Scyphozoa?" This is a new name. "You talking about that jellyfish like monster?"
"That's the name I came up with." Emi smiled brightly.
"That's our Emi. An inventive genius." Lynn placed the chakram on his hip and walked over to his cyberbike. "So which way, general?"
There was a beilf pause, before Cam answered. "Sorry fellas and Emi. Looks like Xana's activated a tower in the mountain sector. I'll guide towards the exit."
Lynn was already on his cyberbike, ready to go and Emi hopped behind me on my cyberbike. The three of us quickly followed Cam's directions back to the distroction. We exited with no problems. Everything was totally fine, until we came out into the mountain sector. The bloks Cam had warned us about earlier had been patientally waiting for us.
Lynn was the first one through, he veered to the left and circled around the gaint rock to avoid being hit. I came out immendtaily afterwards and followed behind him. He skillfully tossed his chakram at the first two, knocking their heads to make them spin stopping their lasers. "Head for the tower, I'll cover you!" Lynn caught the charkam and immedalty tossed it to the one directly in the center. The blok explosed, opening a path.
The remaining bloks changed their target to me and Emi. Emi ducked her head and held onto my waist tighter. I draw one sai into my left hand to parry lasers, while using my right to control the cyberbike. Deflecting lasers, I was able to make it safely off the circular pathform. Lynn couldn't stop all of the bloks from following us, because three gave chase. They aren't as fast as the cyberbike, but the barriage of lasers made riding differcult. Sheathing my sai, I continued forward, weaving in and out of the lasers' path.
"The tower's directly ahead of you." Cam stated. "I've began the hack, you should reach the tower just before I finish." Of course the hack, how could I forget about that? It isn't enough to get Emi to the towers. Before she can enter an activated tower, a hack to be performed. Xana coats his activated towers in a protective fire wall. We found out the hard way that Emi can still enter a tower with a fire wall. However, her digital data will be scatter across Lyoko's sectors. This has happened before. Cam just barely managed to collect her data from each sector and put it back together.
"Alexei, watch out!" Emi called, a moment to late. A flurry of lasers smashed into the cyberbike, insteadly deviliatlizing it. We crashed to the ground, landing meer feet from each other. Two tarantulas towered over us. Before I could react, they began firing a second round. I activited Shadow to avoid being targeted. Shadow allows me to disappear into Lyoko's viltaze background, becoming invsible. It's an aweseome ability for ambusing enemies. The down side is that for every second it's used, that's how many life points I'll lose.
Making use of every second Shadow is used is critical. Which is why I hopped off the ground and began my attack. Sneaking up on the first tarantula, I took it by surpise planning both of my sai into it's eye of Xana. The monster exploded into digital dust.
"Did you forget your suppose to be protecting Emi?" Cam's voice brought my attention to Emi who lay motionless several feet away. "While you were having fun, the second tarantula ambushed her. She's only got twenty life points left."
Deactiviting Shadow, I draw the tarantula's attention. "Over here!" To my 'luck' the monster turned it's lasers on me. That allowed Emi time to recover and make her way to the tower. I focused on dodging it's lasers to keep it away from Emi. Sounded like a good plan, that is until those bloks caught up. One exchanged it's usual laser for an ice beam. The stuipd thing froze my legs in a block of ice. Next thing I know, I'm being hit with a bombardment of lasers. The last thing I saw was Lynn arriving on his cyberbike as Cam announced, "Return to the Past now!"
"So what's the plan this time?" Lynn asked as repeated the school day once again. The Return to the Past had brought the group back to lunch time that day. "We already know there's nothing much in the Tundra sector."
"There's still the Island and Sector Five to explore." Alexei reminded them as he took a bite of his sandwich. "I think we should explore one of them this time."
"What ever your plan is, doesn't change the fact that I still can't go." Kya swallowed the bite of apple she took. "I've gotta repeat that awful practice." She didn't even want to think of what awaited her after school.
"Turns out I gathered enough data while you guys were there before to begin analysis it." Cam took a sip of his juice. "The data collector program I created has been working better than I thought."
"Are you saying we didn't need to explore those sectors?" Alexei asked, wondering what this data collector program was.
"That's not what he said." Kya explained. "It's a program that collects digital data from Lyoko and it's sectors each time we go. The program to collect data and other things we might normally overlook. If one of us isn't somewhere on Lyoko, the program can't run."
"How do you know so much?" Lynn asked, surpised Kya wasn't confused like him and Alexei. Normally the three of them needed Cam or Emi to explain things in base terms for the non-genuis to understand.
"Cam oringally created the program to track my failures while playing computer games. It allowed him to analysis my mistakes anytime I played a game and he wasn't there to see what I'd been doing wrong." Kya loved playing video games, but was known for being bad at them. Boss battles were the hardest for her. She wouldn't give up, but after a couple dozen failures she'd ask Cam for help. Since Cam was good at video games, he could easily beat most games within a few days. Instead of playing the game and to help Kya, Cam directed and adivced Kya by having her play the games in his presence. In theroy, this was meant to help her build and strength her video game playing skills. A good idea, that couldn't be used much. Because Cam spent most of his free time working on Lyoko related things, this often left Kya to fend for herself.
"By recording the data, I can then look over it later." Cam explained. "I applied it to the supercomputer after discovering the modifications to the materlaztion program. I'm hoping the data collector program can collect any data might leak or leave behind, in addition to hidden things on Lyoko."
"This is great and all, but can we discuss what happened to Kya at the ice ring?" Something about that attack had been bothering Lynn. "You said that wasn't Lilie, right?"
Kya nodded, "When the tower was deactivated, Xana Lilie disappeared into a cloud of dark smoke. That confirmed what I suspected and Calex's statement that Kytt had lead him to the real Lilie, who'd been asleep with the staff in the breakroom."
"What are you thinking Lynn?" Cam asked.
Lynn thought about the new monsters they'd faced on Lyoko. That combined with this new attack confirmed his worries. "Xana's gotten stronger."
Lynn arrived in the lab, as Cam was heared for the elevator.
"Where are you going, general?" Lynn asked.
"To Lyoko. Kya's not answering her phone. I'm worried she's caught in the attack." Cam's voice was full of worry. "Alexei's going to need help."
Lynn grabbed Cam's arm. "Who's going to complete the hack?"
"Emi can start the sub-hacking program(s) from Lyoko. All you have to do is enter the final codes." Cam explained.
Lynn appeared unsure. "Cam-"
Cam placed a calming hand on Lynn's shoulder.
that Emi was the trigger for them finding the other sectors. Having all of her keys must've unlocked something on