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| How's it going? |
| Good so far! |
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| Meh, could be better. |
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| >_> You suck. |
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| Total Votes : 11 |
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 Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:33 pm
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 1:43 pm
I don't think you're an awful writer! I think you're awesome! 3nodding
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 11:44 pm
sounds cool. do you have a sample somewhere so i can read into it?
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 9:25 am
You are NOT awful. You are a lot better than I am. Especially in roleplays. gonk
Let us know when you've started it/have it up...somewhere! xd
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The Committee Staff Guildsman
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 10:10 am
Sounds interesting. Including the Bible into a short story that involves a lyoko type story line. Well It's makes sense as well seeing as Which Sicpio was of Mthyology why involve the oldest holy book into a story line. I await to see the result. If it takes you awhile then send me a pm and show me where you put it.
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 12:14 pm
It's gonna take me a while (heck, it took me a few days to get a rough copy of Genesis put together) to get the story finished up. I have been working on a concept for a bit of a trailer, though. smile
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:03 am
Update: Well, I decided to re-write what I had already. So, I'm still on the first installment. I'm still wondering whether to keep the episode titles or to completely change the layout of it. I like what I have for the first one so far, though, so I'm going to keep going with it.
I might work on ideas for a kind of teaser to release before I get the story complete...so keep your eyes peeled!
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:37 pm
So, these "parts" likely aren't episodes in themselves, but they each have a good stopping point so I can collect my thoughts. I'll likely edit these. I'll let you know when that happens. smile
Phase One: Arrival
In the Beginning, God created Heaven and Earth and all who dwelled on it. Above all others in his creation, the greatest being a radiant angel who glowed like the sun. But the God from Beyond, after being happy with this new world for a while, began on a new creation, asking the angel for his aid in doing so. The angel grew bitter working with God, noticing that he was not as perfect as the angel had first imagined; as a matter of fact, the angel started seeing itself as superior to the one who created him. One day, he found forbidden knowledge, a way to access the Beyond, and found more and more imperfect ones much like the God of his world. As his hatred grew, his radiant light became sinister and dark, and he plotted a trap for his creator. The day came, and everything went without a problem...except when God did not descend alone. This being, now known as the Devil, was ready to capture God when he arrived, but the other being, Hope, hid within the world, sparking a battle between Good and Evil that spanned many years...
“Impact!” Ulrich yelled, thrusting his sword into the sigil on a Block, causing it to explode as he leapt from his top. “Your turn, Princess!”
Aelita ran into the tower, floating to the top in an aura of light and pressing her hand to the screen. Code LYOKO entered the computer, and the tower deactivated, the file screens falling off the walls. She nodded, walking out of the tower to face Ulrich and Odd. They all three looked up, and Jeremy’s voice came on over the intercom system.
“It doesn’t look like he did any damage, oddly, so no return this time. The last thing we want is to needlessly make him stronger,” he reported, keying in the materialization codes. Within two minutes, all of them were in the elevator, rising to street level so they could return to school. It was starting to get late, and they hoped to get dinner before curfew set in, and they were to be in their dorm rooms. Yumi had stayed behind since she had a French test, so they decided to meet her in the cafeteria.
“How did it go?” She asked, watching them all set down their trays.
“Not bad,” Odd commented shortly before taking a mouthful of food, “basic welcoming committee of monsters. I think XANA’s starting to lose his touch.”
“That might be because he lost William,” Aelita said with a grin, “by the way, where is he?”
“Still trying to catch up,” Yumi said with a sigh, “that clone made his grades plummet. He’s been doing homework and extra credit nonstop so he doesn’t fail. I’m just glad he came up with an excuse for his dad, or he’d really be in trouble.”
“I’m glad he’s back,” Ulrich said, much to the surprise of Yumi and Aelita, who both remembered his rivalry with the boy, “XANA’s a lot easier to handle without a warrior as hostage.” This statement returned things to the status quo and triggered a chuckle from Aelita.
“He’s been too easy lately,” Jeremy said, suspicious of recent events, “I think he’s just keeping us busy right now. He’s got to have something big planned to replace William. Otherwise, it just wouldn’t make sense.”
“Geez. Way to ruin a mood, Einstein,” Odd said, shaking his spoon in a scolding manner, “We kicked his butt; maybe he’s finally starting to realize he can’t beat us.” Jeremy stayed quiet through the rest of the dinner, leaving first for the dorms even though the curfew wasn’t for another hour. About a half an hour before curfew, a knock came at his door.
“Come in,” he said absent-mindedly, typing away at his computer. Aelita slipped into the room, closing the door behind her. Jeremy turned in his chair and looked at her, his intense determination melting into a twinge of sadness. “I guess you’re here to tell me to chill out, too.”
“Yes, and no,” Aelita replied, pulling up the spare chair next to him, “I can understand your concern, Jeremy...I really can. XANA has always been tricky, and he’s always been able to leap on an opportunity and set an expert trap. Still, he probably wasn’t expecting to lose William yet, and we need to learn to celebrate the victories we can get over him, or this battle will quickly tire us.”
“And that’s when XANA wins,” Jeremy finished with a sigh. He turned to the screen for a moment, shutting down a program before turning back and giving her a hug. “You’re right. I guess one night of good rest won’t hurt me.” Aelita leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek, waving goodnight as she stood up to leave the room. She remembered last time they were together after curfew and didn’t want to give Jeremy any more things to worry about. After Aelita departed, Jeremy shut down the computer and climbed into bed, looking over at the clock. It was only nine.
Across town, a teenage girl was having trouble getting to sleep. Tomorrow she was going to start at a new school, and the prospect both frightened and excited her. Her parents had sent her to this school, hearing how it was one of the best in France, and while they were only across the Chunnel in England, she already missed them. In her nervous insomnia, she pulled a book out of her bag and read a bit, a book on mythology that her parents had given to her right before she took the bus down here. Her eyes began to droop slightly around ten until she finally fell asleep on top of her book, her hair cascading over the pages of a story: Cassandra, Prophetess of Apollo.
The next morning, Jeremy opened his eyes, putting on his glasses and looking at the clock. He was up earlier than he needed to be, but he felt completely refreshed. He had almost forgotten the effect a good night’s sleep could have on a person. Still, he couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for sleeping on the job. XANA never rested, and he knew that. When it came to fighting the virus, that was one of his greatest advantages. Jeremy yawned a bit, climbing out of bed and getting dressed before sitting back down at the computer. To be safe, he ran a morning SuperScan just to make sure XANA wasn’t active during the night. He saw no signs of activity and decided that he could have breakfast in peace. It was unsettling, but maybe the others were right; maybe XANA was starting to retreat...
The girl woke up in the hostel, stretching a bit and looking down at the book. She felt the side of her mouth and the pages of the book and breathed a sigh of relief; she slept with her mouth closed the whole night, so the book was unharmed. She looked across the room at the large clock on the wall, which told her she had barely enough time to pack and get to her new school in time. She changed quickly, brushing through her hair and tying it in two simple ponytails, not having any time for a more convenient hairdo. She stuffed her pajamas into one of her suitcases and dragged them out the door, stopping only at the desk to pay for her room. Once outside, she hailed a taxi, scowling at the two or three that blew by her before the fourth finally pulled over. The driver got out of the car, helping her put her luggage in the trunk of the car before opening the door for her. She sat comfortably in the seat as the driver set up the fare and turned off his sign’s light, indicating he was not available.
“Where to, Miss?” He asked, looking in the rearview mirror.
“Catic Academy, please,” the girl replied with a grin. She repeated the school’s name a few times over to herself, getting more and more excited with each repetition....Catic, her new school...Catic, a place full of new people to meet...Catic, her new home.
The taxi pulled up to the curb at the gate as Jeremy left the dorm, likely to be the first to breakfast. Odd never woke up on time, and the others probably had fallen asleep after him. He didn’t mind terribly; the extra time would let him think about XANA’s possible plans. As he looked up from the ground, he saw the taxi stop and was rather intrigued by it. Who would arrive here this early? The next thing he knew, Principal Delmas was walking towards the car as a girl about his age stepped out of the back seat.
“A new student?” He said to himself, walking towards the scene without even thinking about it, “It’s mid-semester...”
“Ah! You must be Miss Thompson,” Delmas said with a grin as the taxi driver walked around back to unload the luggage, “We got your transfer papers about a week ago. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Likewise,” she replied before turning away momentarily to pay the taxi driver, who quickly took off to get another client. “I’m sorry for coming here so suddenly; my parents insisted I start here as quickly as possible so as not to miss any opportunities.”
“It’s quite alright,” Delmas replied, patting her on the shoulder, “we’ve had people come into and out of this school at almost any time during the year, often within a couple of days of filling out the paper work. These are your dorm room assignment, your class schedule, the dining hall schedule, and everything else you’ll need to know. Now, if we can hurry your belongings into your room, you should just be able to catch breakfast.”
Delmas looked around, noticing Jeremy wandering in their direction. “Ah, Jeremy! Could you help our new student with taking her luggage to her room. I have important business to take care of before classes.”
“Ah, I-I –“
“Perfect!” Delmas exclaimed, shaking his hand before walking away. “Don’t be late for classes, Miss Thompson!”
“I won’t, sir!” She said with a smile before turning to Jeremy. “You don’t have to help me carry them if you don’t want to, Jeremy. It will take two trips by myself, though...”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Jeremy replied, “it’s what I get for actually being up this early. So, do you have a first name, or is everyone going to call you Miss Thompson?”
“Oh! Of course...I’m sorry I didn’t say so before. My name is Alexandra. I’m from England.”
“So, should I call you Alex, then?”
“No way! There were too many Alexes at my last school, so I got used to being called Xandra.”
Jeremy stopped in his tracks, almost dropping the luggage. “D-did you say your name is Xana?” Xandra laughed, setting her luggage down.
“No, silly. Xan-Dra,” she said, emphasizing the last syllable, “There’s a ‘dr’ in there. Isn’t Xana an indie rock band or something?”
“N-no,” Jeremy said, catching up, “I just misheard you...nevermind. What room are you in again?”
“Um...according to the map, I’m on the second floor, seventh door on the left. It’s apparently empty...how disappointing. I thought I was going to get a roommate.” Jeremy remained silent, feeling embarrassed about his outburst concerning her name. Still, it sounded close enough to cause confusion...he shook his head. He was just being way too paranoid in the calm caused by William’s return. He wished he could calm down as easily as the others.
The pair put down the luggage in her new room before Jeremy hurried back downstairs toward breakfast. Xandra stayed in the room a little bit longer, setting up her computer, an alarm clock, some of her favorite books, and a photo album. Some of the other students were already heading down to breakfast, so she thought she would join the large group. She stood out a bit; she was a little taller than the average, and nobody in the dorms recognized her. Some of them had heard about a new student joining the school, but they dismissed it as rumor, except for the campus reporters and the mistress of gossip, Elizabeth “Sissy” Delmas. Xandra stood in line, ignoring the whispers of others; they’d find out who she was soon enough, and she didn’t really feel like introducing herself over and over again to everyone. As she walked towards the seats with her tray, her eyes drifted over the room, spotting Jeremy at a table near the window. Around him were five others students, apparently his friends. The table was full, but she couldn’t think of anywhere else to sit without being completely alone. As she walked over towards the table, she could start to hear bits and pieces of their conversation.
“I slept really well, but a new girl joined the school today.”
“Okay...what does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, what if XANA—“
“Xan-dra,” She said with a frown on her face, causing Jeremy to spin around alarmed in his seat, “I told you that already. Alexandra, Xandra for short. Can I sit here?”
Aelita was surprised to suddenly hear this girl almost scolding Jeremy. Before she could even ask, Jeremy explained. “Guys,” he said, gesturing with his left hand to the girl, “this is the new student I was talking about. Xandra Thompson. She’s from England and just got in this morning.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Aelita said with a smile, “Let me introduce you to the rest of the table. This is William Dunbar, Yumi Ishiyama, Ulrich Stern, and Odd Della Robbia. I’m Aelita Stones.”
“Don’t be surprised if I ask your names again,” Xandra replied, pulling up a chair to the end of the table, “That’s a lot to remember right at first. Jeremy helped me move in, so he’s the only person I know here right now...”
“Well, believe me, Sissy will make sure you know her by the end of the day,” Ulrich said before taking a bite of a waffle.
“Sissy?”
“The principal’s daughter,” Odd chimed in, “she’s easy to find. Just look for the loudest, most annoying person in school, and it’s probably her.”
“Very funny, Dorka Robbia,” Sissy retorted, standing behind Xandra, “Why are you spending your first morning hanging out with these weirdoes? You should join my table.”
Xandra turned in her seat, glaring up at Sissy before settling into an insincere smile. “I’m sorry, Sissy, but I only make friends with my own species.” Sissy stormed off furious while her tablemates laughed. After a couple seconds, Xandra joined in, partially because of her own humor, and partially from joy. She had just gotten here, and she had already made people smile and laugh. Maybe, just maybe...these would be her new friends at this school.
In the online data network, XANA’s virtual avatar watched their actions through a security camera. A new piece in play...things could get interesting.
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:48 pm
Excellent I look foward to the others
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:44 am
nice... i just reliazed something though... i sorta have something with the name thing going on in on of my stories... except its a guy and his name is Xander.
but i think its really good so far ^^ totally awesome.
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:31 pm
Captivating. I'm loving this so much. >,<
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 12:23 pm
Phase Two - Superstitions
“I can’t believe she’s in the same class,” Jeremy muttered to himself, resting his head on one hand.
“Don’t worry about it,” Aelita replied quietly, not wanting to get scolded while Xandra introduced herself, “I’m sure we’ll be able to talk about him without too much difficulty. Just as long as we don’t say his name when she’s too close.”
“Thank you, Xandra,” Mrs. Hertz said with a nod, pointing to an empty desk near the back of the room, “you may sit back there. Now, we’ll get back to our discussion we started yesterday...”
After class, the group met up in the courtyard, talking about their classes and other activities. William, however, was still working on extra credit and so was a little late in leaving his classes. As he headed out to meet up with Yumi and the others, he looked over at Xandra, who was sitting against a tree and reading a rather old-looking book. Continuing toward the group, William breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned against a wall.
“Halfway done,” he said before yawning.
“Already? Have you been staying up all night or something?” Yumi asked with a concern that made Ulrich rather jealous.
“Mostly,” William replied, “the way I see it, the quicker I can get my grades back up, the quicker I can get back to helping you guys fight XANA.” As soon as he said the name, Jeremy glanced over at Xandra, almost expecting her to pop up again and correct the pronunciation of what she thought was her name. However, she was probably out of earshot and too absorbed in her book to notice.
“Well, he’s been pretty wimpy lately,” Odd commented, sipping a soda, “you probably wouldn’t find it worth your time.”
“I hope he gets his act together, then,” William replied quickly, “I’ve been itching for a good fight with him, especially after everything he’s done.” Yumi and Ulrich both rolled their eyes at the comment, and Jeremy adjusted his glasses, silently agreeing with William on that point. Whenever XANA got too easy on them, he got nervous, and this was the easiest XANA had gotten since he destroyed Lyoko. What did he have planned? His gaze shifted to Xandra, who was still reading her book against the tree, and Jeremy started to think of other things. He still felt a little remorse about confusing her for their enemy, but it was just a knee-jerk reaction for him. Then again, the last time he confused someone’s identity, Lyoko was discovered, and only a return saved them. Aelita noticed Jeremy looking at Xandra and decided to be proactive, walking over to her and looking over her shoulder at the book.
“What are you reading?” She asked, sitting down next to her.
“Right now, the story of Pandora’s Box,” Xandra replied, pointing to the page, “do you know the story?”
“I think so,” Aelita answered, “Isn’t that the one where a curious girl opens a box and unleashes the evils of the world?”
“And only Hope remains as a comfort against them,” Xandra finished with a smile. “It’s rare when you find a fan of mythology. My parents gave me this book when I was little...I don’t know how many times I’ve read it.”
“Why are you reading it now, though? Most people would be trying to get to know people by this point.”
“Well, I know you, and Jeremy, and the others in your group. Unfortunately, I also know Sissy and her lot. The others seem to ignore me, probably because I’m new. I’ve also heard that you, as a new student, made easy friends with your group.”
“It didn’t hurt being Odd’s cousin,” Aelita commented matter-of-factly, “Otherwise, they’re a very tight-knit group.”
“Yeah, I heard that,” Xandra acknowledged with a nod, “it’s just...”
“Just?”
“Nothing. You’d think I was crazy.”
“Try me.”
“Aelita, do you believe in Fate?”
“I think it can be changed, but it could exist.”
“Well, I arrived at the school early this morning, earlier than anyone should have been up...but Jeremy was walking by right when I arrived, like it was supposed to happen. It sounds insane, but perhaps he was there for a reason...maybe this is where I belong.” Aelita stopped for a moment, not sure what to say to that.
“W-well,” she continued, trying not to show disbelief, “I think it’s a little early to tell that. Even if you were to be part of the group, we have other friends, too, and it would only be right that you get acquainted with other people.”
“I suppose you’re right...and reading won’t get me anywhere. Thank you, Aelita Stones. I will take your advice to heart.” With that, she stood up and headed back into the school buildings, walking towards the gym. Aelita watched her walk away for a moment before realizing that Ulrich and Odd had that class next with Jeremy. She shook her head; the chances of her getting in a class with one of them were very high...
The four were in gym, and Mr. Morales eyed the new student in the class. Xandra had an average build, neither slender nor stocky, though her shoulders were slightly broader than most of the other girls. While the others were working with volleyball, Xandra was required to make up the fitness exam she would have taken if she had joined the class with the others. Ulrich and Odd were on opposing teams, while Jeremy was on the second court with a completely different group of students. Since Jim wasn’t watching them as closely as usual, Jeremy’s team decided to make him permanent center, the least demanding position on the field.
Meanwhile, Jim was hounding Xandra as she started on her sit-up test. She had already finished running with a score slightly above average, though her flexibility was rated “excellent”. Her strength scores turned out average, as well, and Jim grinned. “Not bad, Thompson,” he commented, tallying everything up on his sheet, “better than Della Robbia and Belpois, that’s for sure. Alright, everyone! Class dismissed!”
Xandra joined up with the trio of boys as they headed back towards the locker rooms. “Is he always like that?” She asked, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at him, “He’s kind of off-kilter, if you know what I mean.”
“You get used to it,” Odd replied, “you just have to take nothing he says seriously.”
“I heard that, Della Robbia! Extra laps tomorrow!!” Odd groaned, though the others chuckled lightly. The laughter only subsided when a scream erupted from the girls’ locker room. Xandra ran towards the noise, the three boys closely behind, fearing the worst. As they reached the door, Xandra spun around, sticking out one hand and stopping the boys in their tracks.
“And what do you think you’re doing?” She asked with her hands on her hips, “This is a girl’s locker—“ Xandra’s eyes widened as a laser narrowly missed her head, hitting a pillar next to the boys. She turned around and gasped inaudibly at the sight of the odd monster.
“A Block,” Ulrich whispered.
“XANA,” Jeremy returned with a nod. The three ran off as Xandra got out of the doorway, watching the girls flood out, some still in their gym outfits. She peeked around the corner, watching it fire its laser out of an odd symbol. There was one on every face, but only one seemed to do anything.
“It’s like that Cyclops in the Odyssey,” she said to herself, “if we can take out that eye, guys...Guys?” She growled a little bit, noticing that they were ahead of the girls, and decided to take matters into her own hands. She realized, however, that she’d need something to fight back with. She couldn’t get close, not as long as it shot those lasers...lasers! She started to formulate her plan...but she’d need in the locker room.
In French class, Yumi sat looking out the window, while William stayed in the middle of the room. Both of their phones vibrated, and Yumi nodded at William as she saw the text message. Yumi wavered a little bit in her seat before raising her hand. “Teacher,” she said weakly in French, “may I be excused? I don’t feel so well.”
“You don’t look so well, either,” the teacher commented before William stood up.
“I can take her to the infirmary,” he said, looking over at her, “she doesn’t look too steady.”
“Very well,” the teacher said as William allowed Yumi to lean on him. As soon as the pair got out of sight of the room, they both broke out into a run. Yumi called Jeremy to see what was going on.
“Yumi! There’s a Block in the girl’s locker room. Can you hold it off until we get the tower deactivated?”
“Sure. Have you called Aelita yet?”
“She should have gotten the message. She’ll meet us there.” Yumi hung up on Jeremy and split up with William. He ran on to the woods, while she took a turn towards the gym.
“Hey, Blockhead!” Yumi heard Xandra yelling at the monster, leading it out of the gym. As it walked out the door, it turned and saw Yumi, deciding she was more worth the time. Xandra watched it walk off towards Yumi, slightly puzzled as to why she was there and why the Block seemed to like her more. It didn’t matter; with another distraction, this would be that much easier. She ran back into the locker room, delighted to see that most of the girls left their lockers open...
“Scanner, William. Scanner, Ulrich. Scanner, Aelita. Virtualization!” The three dropped on Lyoko, followed quickly by Odd. “The tower is here in the polar region,” Jeremy explained, bringing up the map, “It looks like it’s guarded by a trio of Krabbs and a pair of megatanks. You really have your work cut out for you.”
The four moved quickly, three on vehicles with Aelita flying above. As they drew closer, Aelita found herself dodging Krabb laser fire while the vehicles swerved to avoid Megatank attacks. “Wow, he’s actually putting up a fight now. Guess he doesn’t miss you anymore, William,” Ulrich said, leaping off his Overbike onto a Krabb as his Overbike collided with a megatank, knocking it backwards and almost into the sea. Odd took aim at the second megatank, standing firm as it opened to charge its shot. Before it could fire, a laser arrow hit the mark, causing the megatank to explode. Aelita battled with a Krabb as William took the second Megatank which Ulrich had knocked off-guard. He charged his sword strike, and as the megatank recovered and opened, he threw his sword straight through the megatank’s target, cutting it in two as the sword flew back to his hand.
“I’m kind of glad XANA showed me how to do that,” he joked before heading to another Krabb. Aelita finally hit hers, causing it to spark pink before crashing to the ground. Just as they finished the last one, a group of Roachsters ran out from behind the tower...
Yumi ran from the block, dodging its lasers but making no real progress. She was out in the open; nothing to hide behind, and nothing to hit it with. Xandra finally found Sissy’s locker, pulling the mirror out of it before running back out after the block. She found Yumi dodging very well and waved to her.
“Xandra?! Get out of here!” Yumi yelled, diving out of the way of a close laser.
“Lure it over here!” She yelled, holding up the mirror and letting it reflect the light a bit. Yumi understood her plan and nodded, but something didn’t seem right. Most of the students ran away from these things...so why was the new girl fighting? The two girls ran towards one another, the block pursuing Yumi as she ran towards Xandra. As Yumi got within a couple feet of Xandra, she dove out of the way as Xandra held the mirror in front of her. The Block couldn’t stop its laser, and it fired directly into the mirror, which deflected the laser straight back into the target. Xandra put the mirror down to one side and watched the Block stumble. Yumi looked up at the two, but before she could yell to Xandra, the Block exploded, knocking the new girl to the ground. A couple pieces of the block had cut her arms and face, or was that the shattered mirror that she held up in front of her on instinct? Yumi ran over to her in concern, only to see Xandra slowly sit up.
“Do you get Cyclops often around here?” She asked before looking down at the mirror. “Sissy’s gonna kill us...”
“I doubt that,” Yumi said, looking at the remains of the Block, “I doubt she’ll even notice.”
Aelita ran into the tower as the last Roachster exploded. She entered the code on the panel and watched the files fall off the walls, combining at the bottom into a white ball of energy.
“Return to the past now,” Jeremy commanded, hitting the enter button. A bright glow enveloped the area....
The next they knew, they were in the free time before gym class. Xandra was reading her book, and the others were standing near the vending machines. “Good job with that Block,” Jeremy said, patting Yumi on the back.
“I didn’t destroy it. She did,” she said, pointing over at Xandra, “pulled Sissy’s mirror out of the locker room and reflected its lasers.”
“What was she still doing there?” Ulrich asked. “Why didn’t she run away with the others?” Jeremy adjusted his glasses, looking over at Xandra as she closed her book of mythology and head their direction.
“Hi guys!” She said cheerfully, “Ready for gym? I heard we’re doing volleyball today!”
“Sure!” Odd said, “We’ll see you there.”
“Alright. Don’t be late, slowpokes!” She ran towards the gym, her messenger bag flopping against her hip with each stride. The others looked at one another, especially at Jeremy.
“Something is wrong here,” Jeremy said with his arms folded.
“What? Because she helped us?” Aelita retorted, “She reads mythology...she probably thought it was a Cyclops.”
“Remember before William joined? He had dreams of helping us, and XANA took him prisoner...”
“I’m right here, you know,” William said with a glare, “but I get your point. What if XANA wants her next?”
“Then we have to keep her from learning our secret. Simple as that,” Jeremy said with a nod. The others nodded in agreement as Xandra entered the gym, closing the door behind her.
In the Digital Data Network, XANA’s avatar grinned. Xandra has been exposed to the battle...it was only a matter of time before things fell in place.
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:21 pm
Phase Three - "Perchance to Dream"
Xandra ran down the hallway, breathing heavily as the shadow began to gain on her. When she reached the staircase, she leapt over the handrail, dropping a full story to the floor below and rolling into a seated position as she landed. She could see her pursuer running down the stairs at inhuman speed, so she quickly scrambled to her feet to continue running in spite of the pain that filled her legs from the shock of the drop. It was too late; the shadow grabbed her by the collar and slammed her against a row of lockers. She felt a bit of blood run down the back of her neck, but that had no shock value compared to what was in front of her. The one holding her against the locker was none other than her gym teacher, Jim Morales. On his forehead was a strange, yet somehow familiar symbol, similar to an archery target. She felt consciousness slipping from her...there was only one more chance; she had to get someone’s attention...
“NOOO!!” She screamed, throwing off her blankets as she sat straight up in bed. She panted, looking over at the clock. It was three in the morning, and she prayed that no one heard her cries. As the realization of her dream washed over her, she couldn’t help but cry in relief. It seemed so real, so vivid...she felt like she had just escaped death. She made her way over to her computer and with shaky hands began to recount the dream she had just experienced in a digital dream journal. When she had calmed down, she would begin to discern its meaning.
By the time she had finished writing everything down, it was four in the morning. If she slept now, she’d oversleep for breakfast, so she took out some stationery and begin to write her first letter home.
Dearest parents,
It’s been a good time here at the Academy. I’ve made decent friends with a group, though they haven’t included me in all their activities. It’s only fair; they have their own interests, and I have mine. It’s been a week or so now since I started classes here, and I’m doing well in my studies, though I’m not quite as intelligent as Aelita and Jeremy, two of my friends. I’m almost jealous, to be honest. I read our book all the time, but I’ve started having odd dreams. I would love to E-mail some of them home; I’m sure Mom could piece them together. I love you so much, and I can’t wait until Winter Break.
With love,
Alexandra
She sighed, sealing the envelope, writing the address, and placing a stamp on it. She placed it carefully in her messenger bag, thinking about putting it in the mail when she went down for breakfast. It still didn’t start for another two hours, so she looked through her photo album. She giggled at some of the times her old friends had, and had to wipe a couple extra tears away looking at her first boyfriend. Before she could realize it, the alarm went off, and she grabbed her towel to get a shower in before most of the other people woke up.
Jeremy and the others had begun to make it a ritual, to meet for breakfast as early as possible to discuss XANA and his plans before Xandra arrived. She was a nice person, but their decision stood; just in case XANA did indeed have plans for her, she would not even be let near the supercomputer. Yumi was a little late, having come from her house a few blocks away, but otherwise it was a good meeting. They spent the time coming up with plans for sudden class absences, after-school sessions in the Skid, and new program ideas. The meeting always ended at the same time, just before Xandra entered the cafeteria. One could almost set their watch by Xandra’s coming and going. It felt like she kept herself to a strict schedule, but today was different. They ended the meeting at 7:30, but she didn’t enter until 8, looking very tired and a little nervous. She sat down and ate in silence, her damp brown hair lying loosely down her neck and back. The others didn’t know what to say, until Yumi opened her mouth.
“Are you alright?” She asked, echoing everyone’s concern in her voice.
“Didn’t sleep well...had a nightmare, woke me up early,” she said tersely between bites of her waffle. William and Aelita looked at one another nervously, almost too afraid to ask her about what had happened. They didn’t have to; she spoke up by her own free will, but gave a very vague account of her experience.
“I was being chased. When it caught me, it started to strangle me...it felt so real, I woke up short of breath.” Jeremy, who already had his laptop open, did an activity report and shook his head to the others when it came up negative. There was no tower activated in the night; it really was just a dream for her. She shoved half her waffle over to Odd, who happily began to feast on it as she stood up and walked toward the exit of the cafeteria.
“You don’t usually leave this early,” Aelita said after her.
“I’m dropping off a letter before class,” she replied, “I thought my parents would like to know how I’m doing.”
“Of course,” Aelita said with a smile which quickly turned to a frown. She muttered “Father” to herself before putting her head in her hands with a sigh.
Xandra put the letter in the mailbox just before the morning pickup. There was an evening one, too, but the sooner the better, in her mind. Having done that, her mood lifted considerably, so much so that she actually skipped into her math class, much to Aelita and Jeremy’s surprise. The initial joy faded over the course of the class to her normal point when they were all dismissed. She walked out with the pair, considerably calmer than earlier that day. She moved on to French class while Jeremy and Aelita split off to take English. She took notes but soon became bored, doodling in her notebook flowers and stars, but her doodles soon took to the symbol from her dream, which she drew a miniature version of at the top of her notebook page that day. Lunch soon came, and she decided to give her friends a break from her, picking up a sack lunch early from the cafeteria and sitting in the rec room to eat her meal. She crunched some potato chips while reading another story in her book when she heard the door open in front of her. She lifted her eyes from the book to the cracked door.
“Come in,” she said, still gazing just over her book’s pages. She recognized the pair immediately...Millie and Tamiya, the school “journalists”. She gave a sigh, putting her book down next to her while taking a sip of soda with her other hand. “Followed me here, didn’t you? Alright, let’s get this over with.”
The others, meanwhile, sat in the cafeteria, finding the break from Xandra’s presence refreshing. While they did enjoy hanging out with her, it made saving the world from XANA that much harder. Usually, they kept to their own group, only adding people in when they had joined the first. However, Xandra seemed to invite herself in, not an unwelcome addition but rather an unexpected one, almost to the point of being a setback. They planned on taking a voyage in the Skid that evening, searching for more Replikas out in the sea to take care of. It seemed like an endless task, but then again, how many more supercomputers could there be for XANA to infect?
Xandra finally straggled into the cafeteria just as Odd was finally finishing his meal. She sat down, looking exhausted and mildly annoyed.
“What’s up, Xandra? You look like Jim ran you ragged,” Odd commented, prompting a cough from Xandra.
“Actually,” Ulrich interjected, “it looks more like a Sissy attack to me.”
“Worse,” she replied, resting her head on one hand, “the Inquisition. Millie and Tamiya cornered me in the rec room.” She shook her head with a sigh before pulling a bottle of water out of her bag and taking a swig. “Forget ’20 questions’, they must have asked 50.”
“I know how that goes,” Jeremy said from behind his laptop screen, “I only escaped them by retreating into the bathroom and escaping through the window.” Xandra shook her head; that may have worked for Jeremy, but the two reporters would have been able to follow her in. She looked at the time, her hand trembling slightly as she noticed that her next class was coming up. She knew it was only a dream, but she still couldn’t shake the trepidation that crept into her mind; she was afraid of Jim today. That dream was just too vivid to ignore.
She walked into the locker room with the other girls and stopped dead in her tracks; the other girls were changing, but not into their gym clothes. She saw all of them...in swimsuits. Her face drained of any color; it seemed odd, having lived on an island country, but Xandra couldn’t swim. In fact, she was terrified of deep water, and the possibility of her being forced into it made her dread the class that much more. The rest lined the pool in their swim outfits, but she timidly joined the class in her T-shirt and gym shorts. Jim walked along the line, taking attendance, and stopped at Xandra.
“Thompson! Why are you not in your swimsuit?” Jim demanded. Xandra stood on tiptoe, whispering in his ear. When she finished, he pulled away with a little laugh. “That’s nonsense! Why, I could swim the moment they put me in water!” As soon as he said that, he put his hand on her shoulder, trying to guide her forward. Her mind shifted back to the dream of the night before, and the next few moments passed like slow-motion in front of her. As he pushed against her shoulder, she dropped her center of gravity, grabbing his wrist and throwing him over her using his own momentum. He landed in the pool with a large splash that was just about as loud as the classmates’ laughter at their waterlogged teacher. As he surfaced, Xandra stood frozen and wide-eyed; she hadn’t meant to do that at all. She did take martial arts back in England, but that just felt like instinct. Did it really sink in that far?
“Thompson!!” He yelled, climbing out of the pool. “Principal’s Office! Now!!” Xandra walked out of the gym, hanging her head as the classmates continued to snicker at Jim. Ulrich’s eyes followed her out, amazed by what he had just seen.
“That was a perfect throw!” He said quietly to Odd and Jeremy. “She must have studied something back in England...”
While the boys swam in gym class, Xandra sat with her legs crossed in the principal’s office. He gave his speech about respect for the faculty before even bothering to ask for an explanation, not that she really had much of one. What was she going to say, that she was terrified of swimming and of Jim and threw him into the pool completely by accident? She opted not to give the details and instead took an afternoon of detention in the library. On the bright side, her phobia for the pool was recognized and got her out of any more swimming lessons.
Meanwhile, the Lyoko warriors were getting ready for a dip of their own. Classes had just ended, and they met up to head to the computer lab. Aelita waited for the others to meet up, but was surprised that Xandra wasn’t walking with the boys. Despite their best efforts, she really seemed to enjoy hanging out with them at every chance.
“What happened?” She asked, assuming the others knew what she was talking about.
“You should have seen it!” Odd blurted, “She threw Jim right into the pool!” As he explained it, he mimicked her moves with a large smile.
“So she probably got detention,” Ulrich finished, “but it was quite the throw.”
“On the bright side,” Jeremy chimed in, “we won’t have to worry about an excuse to leave her for our excursion. Shall we?” The group left the school grounds, heading to the nearest path to the factory. Xandra watched them leave through a window, though she couldn’t hear what they said. Odd’s pantomime was enough for her; she was forever going to be known for that accident. Perhaps being stuck in the library the rest of the afternoon wouldn’t be such a bad thing. She returned to her seat, pulling out her homework and getting started on that, though she knew it wasn’t going to last for the entire detention. No teacher had arrived yet, but she didn’t want any more trouble and sat quietly, scribbling down answers to her science homework quickly. The quicker she could finish all her homework, the quicker she could get back to her book. She brought another one with her...no mythology in it, but still an enjoyable read.
“Energize,” Jeremy commanded, teleporting the quintet into the Skidbladnir. It was William’s first time in the ship, though his NaviSkid was very similar to the ship XANA had him pilot in the sea. The group dove into the sea and began to navigate its expanses. By this point they were familiar with much of the digital sea around Lyoko and instead spent their time looking for new Replikas to take out. William never participated in the active destruction of any of them, remembering when he was first possessed and obliterated Lyoko, but he helped in keeping XANA and any other forces busy. The only problem Jeremy began to see with their system was the simple fact that destroying the Replika didn’t get rid of XANA’s influence, though it did hold him off for a good amount of time. As the Skid gracefully floated through the data network, he couldn’t help but wonder how long they’d end up fighting XANA. The battle had to end sometime, but at the rate they were going, they would never fully eradicate XANA. He snapped back to attention when they reached their destination, a Replika of the Desert Sector. He had to keep a lookout for any monsters that happened to pop up and tried to destroy the warriors’ only way home. Suddenly, a window popped up, causing a moment of aggravation.
“Guys, head back. XANA’s activated a tower on Lyoko!”
“Wish we could,” William replied, blocking a shot from a Krabb, “We got ambushed here!” Jeremy typed furiously on his end, wondering what XANA was trying to do besides delay the destruction of another Replika. If he just wanted them away from his creation, why would he sick a group of monsters on them in the Replika itself? He almost slapped his forehead when the obvious answer came to him. XANA was pulling a double trick on them: getting them away from the Replika, yet delaying them enough for the tower to do what it was supposed to. That still left him with one question...what was XANA doing?
Xandra had finished her homework by the time that she heard the door handle turn. She gazed up from her book, watching the door open to reveal Jim looking sternly at her. With a sigh, she put down her book; of all the people she wanted to see, he was by far on the bottom of the list.
“Look, Jim...I’m really sorry about that pool thing. I really didn’t mean to—“ She stopped for a moment. Something seemed wrong with Jim...he would have normally said something by this point. As he came closer to her, something pulsed on his forehead...
The symbol from her dream. She stood up quickly, putting the table between herself and the crazed teacher. Unfortunately, he was blocking the one door out of the room as well. She wondered if she could lure him away long enough to get herself out and shut the door behind her, but before she could make a plan, a bolt of lightning shot from Jim’s palm, barely missing her but leaving a scorch mark on some of the books nearby. She shrieked as she ducked out of the way, making her way into an aisle of books.
“I told you I was sorry!” She yelled out at him, only to see some books fly past her shoulder, blasted out of the shelf by a lightning strike from the other side. It was obvious he was no longer accepting apologies. Jim began to walk towards the bookcases, and Xandra decided to take that chance and made a mad dash towards the door, sliding under a table and narrowly dodging another lightning bolt.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me he was electrokinetic??” She asked herself before launching out from the table, rolling through the doorway and slamming the door shut behind her. As she stopped to catch her breath, she looked back at the door and remembered she left her book in there, too. She took a mop in the janitor’s bucket and barred the door, running away; she’d just have to get it later.
Jeremy took an inventory of the situation. Aelita was on Lyoko, and Jeremy had not seen any trouble as of yet. He figured it safe to rule out trying to knock out the main operators of the supercomputer. All the warriors were online, but there was no sign of the Scyphozoa, so no more hostage situation.
“I dreamed of fighting XANA...what if Xandra’s his next target?”
William’s words from earlier echoed through his head. Xandra was stuck in detention...was he attacking the school again? He typed in a few lines of code and brought up the school’s security cameras, flipping through them until he reached the library. The sight confirmed his suspicions: scorched books, toppled chairs, and one very angry teacher at the door. Suddenly the delay made sense; if he could keep the warriors from Lyoko long enough for him to get her scanned...
“I found XANA’s attack; it looks like he’s taking recruitment into his own hands. I’ll try and activate a tower of my own to hold him off. Get back as soon as you can!”
“Should one of us get devirtualized?” Yumi asked, throwing one of her fans into a Roachster.
“I don’t think I’ll ask that of you yet. He hasn’t quite gotten to her.” In the forest sector, he began work on activating a tower. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do after that, but he had to do something before it was too late.
Xandra found herself in a hallway not unlike that one in her dream; however, she was on the first floor. No stairs to jump down. She looked back just as Jim used another lightning bolt to blast his way through the door. She found a door and threw it open, finding a staircase; it seemed that she was falling straight into her nightmare, but she didn’t have much of a choice at that point. She shut and locked the door behind her, running down the stairs into a rather odd tunnel. She looked back up at the door to see Jim kick it off its hinges, descending the stairs after her. There were no signs telling where the tunnel led, but Xandra didn’t care. All that mattered at this point was losing Jim.
On the Replika, the last monster exploded from Odd’s Laser Arrow. “Energize!” Aelita commanded, teleporting all of them back into the Skid, “We’re on our way, Jeremy.”
“Good,” Jeremy replied, “I’m getting some resistance on this end...I can’t seem to pull the tower away from XANA’s influence. I’ll guide you back home and let you know if I run into trouble here.” He shut the communications link for a moment and rubbed his temples. XANA was suddenly becoming a headache for him, putting up a really big fight just for this new student. What did he see in her?
Xandra began to see a light at the end of the maze of tunnels she had just dashed through, but Jim was still on her heels. Emerging, she found herself standing on the street, looking at an abandoned factory she had seen during her taxi ride. She closed the opening she had just come through and caught her breath, believing that Jim was still a short distance away. Suddenly an electrical current passed through the metal door, shocking Xandra; as the current subsided, she fell to the ground. As her consciousness faded, she kicked herself for being so careless; how could she forget about those bolts? Jim pushed open the door and picked up Xandra, throwing her over his shoulder and heading into the factory.
“We’ve docked in Carthage, Jeremy,” Aelita reported, “Energize.”
“Alright. I’m sending your vehicles now. Get to the forest sector as fast as you can.” A security alert popped up on Jeremy’s interface, switching to a video feed after a couple seconds. He panicked slightly as he saw Jim heading toward the elevator with Xandra; with some clever keystrokes he deactivated the elevator, buying him a little more time. Jim turned and headed for some stairs while Jeremy kept his cameras watching every move. He didn’t want anyone removed from Lyoko in case they met with resistance there, but if they took too much longer...well, he didn’t stand a chance against Jim normally, let alone with XANA’s possession. This was going to be a close one.
Xandra began to wake up and noticed that she was on Jim’s shoulder as he descended into the depths of the factory. From the look on his face, he seemed to be on a mission of some sort...but did that mean he had chased her here on purpose? She tried to keep as relaxed as possible, not wanting another shock, and watched him navigate his way towards an odd green glow...
Jeremy begin to panic as the pair headed towards the computer lab. “Come on, guys...hurry up!”
“We’re trying, Jeremy,” Ulrich retorted, “could you send us the coordinates of the tower?” Jeremy hit his forehead before he quickly sent in the coordinates to the group, who made their way in its direction, only to find laser fire from behind.
“Hornets,” Odd said, “it’s been a while.” He turned his overboard around, ready to face them. Yumi joined him on the overwing, with William in tow.
“We can take them,” Yumi said quickly, “Get to the tower!” Aelita and Ulrich continued onward on the overbike while the battle broke out behind them.
Jim entered the computer lab, and Xandra couldn’t help but gasp at what she saw. Jim’s gaze glanced over at her before sending another current through her. After she had fallen lifeless on his shoulder, he turned his attention to Jeremy, who barely had enough time to jump out of the chair before getting shocked himself. Jim walked up to the keyboard and opened up the delayed virtualization program, starting the countdown as he reactivated the elevator.
“Jeremy, how close are they? Jeremy?” Aelita asked. “Ulrich, Jeremy’s been taken out, but we’re close to the tower.” The two sped along, stopping just short of the tower. Aelita walked inside, stepping to the middle.
Jim placed Xandra into the scanner before stepping in one himself as the countdown continued...
Aelita floated to the second floor in an aura of light as Xandra came to again, unable to sit up and step out before the scanner shut her in. She pounded on the door...
AELITA
CODE: LYOKO
The countdown was just about to reach zero, but Jeremy reached up weakly and hit the escape key, aborting the process and releasing the scanners. Xandra fell forward on her face before sitting up to look around for a moment.
“Return...to the past....now.”
Xandra was running down the hallway, pursued by the Jim with the strange symbol on his head. He caught her once again, slamming her against the lockers...
“Nooo!!” She screamed, sitting up in bed, panting for a moment. She calmed down quickly this time, flopping back on her bed. A flash of a memory in her mind, and she sat back upright again. She looked over at the clock...three AM.
“Wait,” she said to herself, putting one hand to the side of her head, which had begun to throb with pain, “I’ve....I’ve had that dream before...!”
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:52 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:25 am
*chuckles* Thanks. It might be a while before my next update; I'm feeling a little lack of creativity right now, and I have to start getting ready to go back to school. We'll see, though. smile I'm glad you guys like it.
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