Disclaimer: Ah, you know by now I don't own Code: Lyoko…

AUTHOR'S RAMBLINGS: Wow. Can't believe that this is it. The last chapter! Wow. I've never done this, but I guess now is as good a time as any. I dedicate this chapter to those reviewers that have stuck through the entire story. To SaphireRaider, MylindaAntoinette, Kazetatsu, and Rycr, this is for you. Thank you to you and to all those of you who have reviewed this story! You have been a big help! Thank you once again!

Now, look forward to seeing the prequel to this story… See you there!

Code: Lyoko

Mirror, Mirror

Part XIV: The Second Seal

Kiwi didn't know exactly what had happened, but he definitely knew something was wrong and that something, or someone, was missing. He just couldn't put his paw on it. When his master returns with his friends, he had greeted them with all the usual excited-ness he usually did, but he didn't understand why none of them seemed happy. They stayed for a little while longer at the huge old house, and he tried to cheer them up by acting silly. Usually, his master would laugh happily at him and then give him a soothing belly-rub. But not this time. He even tried his famous 'chasing his own tail' act, but even that failed to produce the slightest smile. Kiwi looks over to his master's sad face. His master had collected him and the two came back to the cozy room his master had on the school grounds. Kiwi had watched him plop down onto his bed and roll over onto this side, not saying a word. Then, he leapt up onto the bed next to his master and tried to nuzzle his way under his master's arm. Instead, his master said something to him he had never before said. "Go away." Those words rang in Kiwi's ears and he felt a strange pang inside him. His master had never said those words and meant it before! He had obediently moved to the foot of the bed and laid down, wondering if it was something he did to upset his master so much.

Kiwi whimpers, wanting to cuddle up with his master so bad. He wags his tail slightly and looks at his master's face, trying to show that whatever he did, he was sorry. Then, he crawls slowly on his belly towards his master. Then, Kiwi sees him wipe his eye with his hand and cocks his head slightly to the side. Kiwi whimpers again a little louder and sees his master look over at him. Kiwi notices that his master's eyes were….leaking water. He had seen them do this before, a long time ago. Kiwi also remembers that the water tasted salty. "C'mere, boy," Odd calls to him softly. Kiwi stands and walks over to him. He feels his master wrap an arm around him and pull him close. If he could, Kiwi would have had a smile on his face. Kiwi licks his masters chin and the distinct taste of the strange salty water appears on his tongue. Kiwi hears his master apologize for pushing him away and begins to feel him scratch his ears. Kiwi looks up at him and wags his tail hard, trying to let him know that he held no offense. Then, Kiwi's mind wanders to that large white, sweet treat that was in the old house. He begins to wonder what they did with that. His master had given him some of it earlier, before they left him alone. Kiwi licks his lips as he remembers how tasty it was.

Ulrich pounds the Body Opponent Bag, or BOB for short, with a fury of kicks and punches. His body begins to tell him that it is tired, but his mind continues to replay those last moments before Atilea died, then switches to images of Thadeo smirking evilly at him. Ulrich feels all the anger and pain rise up inside him again. He pushes his body harder, forcing it to continue pounding away at the BOB. Sweat rains down from his brow as he leaps in the air and connects perfectly with the BOB's head with a jump-turn round kick. He lands and spin-side kicks the BOB in the midsection, causing it to rock back. Instantly, he lets loose several precision punches and hand strikes on the bag. All the while, scenes of Atilea's death and the fight with Thadeo play repeatedly in his mind, further fueling his brutal attack on the BOB.

Yumi cautiously enters the empty room, save Ulrich, and watches him from a distance. She's seen him like this once before and knew to just leave him be until he exhausted himself. She hugs her arms and sniffs as she takes a seat near the door. Her heart longs for his touch, but she has to keep herself from interrupting him. He reacted to Dr. Hopper's death similarly, but not nearly this… intensely. Yumi starts to wonder why, but it hits her. Atilea was their age. Granted, Dr. Hopper was a good friend to them and an even better father to Aelita, but he never really connected to them like Atilea did. Then there were the circumstances around his death. At that time, they were trying to get X.A.N.A. back into Lyoko and place the first seal on him to keep him there. There wasn't that much time for the group to grow that close to Dr. Hopper. Aelita was really the only one to connect with him. Not that she blamed her. If she had been separated from her father for that length of time, she would have wanted to spend all the time she could with him. Yumi subconsciously looks at the floor and lets her mind replay all the times her and Atilea shared. A smile creeps onto her face as she remembers that first night they spent together. Her, Aelita, and Atilea stayed up to the most insane hours of the morning, giggling and carrying on. But, now she was gone. Yumi remembers when they first returned from Lyoko, and how Aelita fell into Jeremie's arms bawling and hearing him apologize over and over to her for being unable to save her sister. Yumi's smile fades quickly as she feels sadness begin to overtake her again. Despite the fact that Atilea stole a kiss from Ulrich and had very strong feelings for him, Yumi knew that she cared for all of them the same. Except for Aelita. Aelita was her 'big sister' of sorts and would do anything for her.

A yell from Ulrich draws her out of her trace and she looks up to see him land a kick so hard on the BOB that it tips over backwards. That was it, the breaking point. Yumi knew that once he yelled like that, his body would force his mind to stop and he would calm down. Some people asked her if she was ever concerned that he might turn his aggression on her one day. She told them firmly 'no' because she knew him and how much he loved and cared for her. Yumi also found it very mature of him to release his stress and anxiety out in the gym on a bag before speaking to or even seeing her. He told her once that he didn't want to even be around her in he was upset. But it was also very rare for him to get upset like this. Yumi knew that she was safe with him, no matter what. He didn't just say it, he proved it, time and time again. Yumi watches him close his eyes and place his hands on top of his head as he pants hard. She notes that he had taken his shirt off and laid it on a stool close by him. Yumi sees that his chest and abs glisten with sweat in the light. She then notices he has gained a bit more muscle tone on him since the last time she snuck a look at his body. He drops his arms and swallows, then walks over to the BOB and stands it up. He grabs his towel that sat next to his shirt and wipes his face with it. Yumi stands quietly and starts walking over to him. He looks over to see her coming towards him and gives her a small smile. She returns the smile as he drapes the now damp towel around his neck. "How long were you watching me?" he asks her quietly. Yumi gives him a loving smile and replies, "Not long. How are you feeling?" Ulrich wipes a bead of sweat from his temple and answers, "Tired, not just physically, but mentally. I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Yumi." She smiles warmly at him and starts to hug him. "Don't hug me! I'm too sweaty and probably stinky!" he exclaims, but she ignores him. "I don't care! I love you, sweat and all!" Yumi states and wraps her arms around him. He concedes and wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She kisses him and then leans her head against his. "I love you, Yumi, but sometimes you can be a bit weird," he says chuckling slightly. "No more that you, Baby," she replies. "I don't suppose you've talked to Jeremie or Odd recently?" Ulrich shakes his head. "Not since we left the Hermitage. I do know Odd was heading straight to our dorm, but I don't know about Jeremie. And you know I came straight here," he replies and breaks from her hug to pick up his shirt. He finishes wiping the sweat off his body and slides his shirt back on. "I'm… really worried about Aelita. She's been hit hard by this," Yumi says. Ulrich nods and pulls a few coins out of his pocket for a drink. "Twice. First her father, now her sister. It just isn't fair. She's a sweet, smart, intelligent girl, and she doesn't deserve all that has happened to her," Ulrich states walking towards the nearby vending machine. Yumi follows him, hugging her arms. "Yeah, got that right. Sometimes I just wish we could turn off that computer and be done with it," she says. Ulrich grabs his fruit drink from the vending machine slot and turns to her. "Yeah, well, we tried that once remember? It didn't really work! X.A.N.A. somehow managed to turn the computer back on by himself! And to this day, I still don't understand Jeremie's explanation why he could do that," Ulrich replies, opening his drink. "You want something, sweetie?" he asks her, indicating the vending machine. She shakes her head and sighs. "I assume she's still going to sleep at the Hermitage tonight?" Ulrich asks after taking a drink. Yumi nods and replies, "Yeah. I asked her if she wanted me to stay with her, but she said no. I don't know how she's going to get any sleep. I know I wouldn't." Ulrich nods slightly and says, "I don't think any of us are going to get any sleep tonight. I know I'm not." Yumi steps up to him and slides her arms around his waist while resting her head against his neck and the two simply holds each other. "I'm gonna miss her so much…." Ulrich whispers. Yumi tightens her hug, and turns her head to bury her face in his neck. "I don't think…. I'll ever look at a dandelion the same ever again…." he continues. Ulrich feels tears hit his neck and wraps his arms tighter around his girlfriend. After a few more minutes, Yumi lifts her head and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I… have to get home. Mom and Dad'll get worried if I'm not back by the time I told them. I've also gotta come up with some kind of reason why I look like I've been crying if I can't put on a good enough act. Sometimes I wish I could just tell them what's going on," she says, leaning up from him. "I know how you feel. There are times I wish I could tell my parents, but I can't. None of us can, for their own safety. But, there will come a day when this is all over, once and for all. Then, we can tell the entire world what's been going on. After that, we can get married, have a couple of kids, send them off to college, then grow old together in a retirement home somewhere," Ulrich replies. Yumi frowns in mild bewilderment at his last statement and giggles. "What?" she asks in bewilderment. He chuckles and squeezes her gently. "Just kidding, sweetheart. We'll do all that, except for the kids part!" he jokes. Yumi giggles and smacks him gently on the back of the head. "Goober. Maybe eventually I want kids!" she states. "Well, there's a fifty-percent chance our kids will turn out like you, and that would be fine! It's that other fifty-percent chance that they'll turn out like me that worries me! I just don't know if I can handle another little me running around! Having been cloned kinda broke me of wanting that!" Ulrich replies and Yumi smiles at him. She kisses him and refrains from taking a jibe at him. "I hafta go now. Love you, Ulrich," she says, not really wanting to leave him. Ulrich sighs and nods. "Be careful going home, Babe. Love you too, Yumi." The two kiss again, then goes their separate ways.

Aelita didn't know when she actually fell asleep or how long she slept. All she knew was that she was crying while curled up in Atilea's bed, then there was a period of dreamless darkness, followed by the opening of her eyes to see the bright sunlight shining through the bedroom window. Aelita grimaces and curls herself up tighter in a ball, then buries her head under the covers. She didn't want to be awake or asleep. She wanted her sister, nothing else. But there was nothing she or anyone could do about that. Aelita tries to force herself to go back to sleep, if anything but to postpone the reality of her sister being gone. Instead, her mind decides to begin replaying images of Atilea over and over. Aelita squeezes her eyelids together tightly, trying to hold back the inevitable flow of tears. She felt so alone now that not even the comforting words of her boyfriend could soothe her. Jeremie had tried so hard last night to convince her that she wasn't alone, but it didn't help. She was an orphan again. Maybe it was her destiny to be without a family of any kind. Aelita sobs and bunches up a part of the sheet in her hand. Why? Why did Atilea have to go? Why did she leave her all alone?

Then, the chirping of a bird outside the window catches her attention. Aelita slides the covers off her head and peers angrily out the window to see a swallow sitting on the window pane. Go away! I don't want to hear that! she thinks at the bird. However, the swallow doesn't pick up on Aelita's angry mental message and continues to chirp happily. Aelita covers her head back up and rolls over to put her back to the window. Then her hand hits something hard in the bed next to her. She tosses back the sheets in surprise to see a face-down picture frame. Aelita starts to wonder where it came from, then remembers that she cradled it last night. Aelita's heartbeat slows down as she picks up the frame and looks at the picture. It is the only picture she had of her and Atilea together. Jeremie had taken it with his camera the day before Atilea… died. Tears begin to well up in her eyes as she stares at the picture of the pair of pink-haired siblings smiling at the camera. Why? Why did she have to die? It wasn't fair! Her sister loved this world! She had every right to live here too! Why wouldn't the computer let Jeremie fix Atilea's DNA and save her? Why? Why!

So many questions, so few answers. Aelita presses the picture against her chest and begins crying again. "Atilea… Sis, why?" she mumbles as tears roll down her face and fall onto the bed, instantly getting soaked up by the sheets. Then, a sweet scent fills her nostrils. Aelita looks up, sniffing, and sees the bottle of perfume she had bought Atilea the day before. The cap was still off the bottle and sat next to it. Aelita's vision blurs as a couple of large tears slowly escapes her tear ducts. Aelita's gaze returns to the picture and she runs her thumb over the smiling image of her sister. "I miss you so much, Atilea…. I… I never got to tell you how much I love you or about Mom and Dad or even show you their graves!" she says as a tear hits the glass covering the picture. Then, she looks up and sees that the swallow is still sitting in the window, chirping away. "I'm sorry, Mr. Bird, I didn't mean to be so… mean to you, even though there's no way you could hear my thoughts." Aelita says apologetically. "I'm just so…. lonely!" Aelita looks at the picture and wipes the tear off the glass. I love you, Sis, she says in her mind and wipes her eyes dry. She glances over at her pink cell phone and sniffs, trying to work up the courage to call Jeremie. She wasn't…. too nice to him before he left her and Yumi last night. A pang of guilt hits her and she frowns remorsefully at the phone, then reaches over to pick it up.

Jeremie pecks away at the keyboard of the quantum computer, trying to keep his mind from wandering too far from the task he set himself to do. He didn't really have to be here today, but it kept his mind occupied and off the pain of loss that he and his friends, especially Aelita, suffered. Despite all of them telling him that there wasn't anything else he could do, and that he did the best he could, it didn't feel like it. He still felt… partially responsible for Atilea's death. If only he had a better understanding of the principles of how the computer registered DNA and transformed it into a digital representation. Sure, he had a basic understanding and Aelita's father, Dr. Hopper, had explained a little more about the computer and its original function, but nothing really in-depth about how it preserves the subject's DNA. He did have a few theories, but nothing concrete. Also, he hasn't really had the time to test his hypotheses. They've been too busy fighting off X.A.N.A. and, more recently, Thadeo. Then, there was the death of Aelita's father and sister. Jeremie sighs and arches his back to relieve a sudden knot in it. He also felt bad about trying to pressure Aelita to let Yumi stay with her last night. It ended up in her almost yelling at him to leave. He resumes typing after shoving his glasses back up his nose. He sighs and feels his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. Jeremie glances at the time on the computer screen and wonders who could be calling him. Definitely not Odd. It was a Saturday and there was no way he'd miss a chance to sleep in.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sweetie."

"Aelita! Um, hi. How are you?"

"Lonely."

"Oh, uh, did you sleep well?"

"Not really. I… I think I cried myself to sleep."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to, um, help?"

"Yeah. Come and be with me. I need…. I need someone here to take away the loneliness."

Jeremie smiles and replies, "Sure, Aelita. I'll be right there, Honey." He hangs up the phone and quickly saves his work, then slides out of the computer chair.

Ulrich stirs his oatmeal subconsciously as he stares off into space. Odd swallows the last bit of orange juice and sees that his friend really isn't interested in eating his breakfast. "Um, Ulrich…? If you're not…" he says cautiously. Ulrich comes back to reality and glances down at his nearly full bowl of oatmeal, then shoves it towards Odd, knowing what his blonde and purple haired friend wanted. Odd smiles thankfully and begins to scoop more sugar on the oatmeal. After a couple of bites, Odd finds the silence a bit too much to handle. "So, uh, how are you holding up?" he asks. Ulrich once again returns to the land of the living and replies, "Um, as good as excepted, I guess. And you?" Odd swallows a bite and states, "The same, I guess. Yumi ok?" Ulrich nods and rubs the back of his neck. "She's, um, just more worried about Aelita, and rightfully so. Aelita lost her dad and now her sister. She's been through a lot here lately," Ulrich says. Odd nods and says, "Yeah, no kidding. Our pink-haired princess doesn't deserve all this. She deserves a great life and a family." He gets ready to take a drink but then remembers he finished off his orange juice. Odd glances at Ulrich's orange juice but Ulrich snatches it and begins to drink it quickly. Ulrich slams the empty orange juice carton down victoriously on the table and says, "Sorry, Odd, I don't have anymore orange juice! Look like you're just gonna have to talk Rosa into giving you another one!" Odd gives him a disproving frown and gets up. Ulrich chuckles as he watches Odd trot over to the counter. Then, he hears his cell phone ring and reaches into his pocket to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Baby. How are you?" comes Yumi's voice.

"Fine, I guess. How about you?"

"OK, I suppose. Did you get any sleep?"

"Not really, and it wasn't just because of… Atilea. It was because I let Odd get to sleep before me. I swear, that guy has a snore that could wake the dead. Sounded like a freakin' chainsaw running!" Ulrich hears Yumi giggle on the other end. "So, whatcha doing?" he asks.

Yumi blushes slightly and pauses before answering. "Oh, uh, I just got out of the shower." Ulrich blinks and feels his face begin to burn with embarrassment. "So, you have any plans for today?" Yumi asks quickly to get past the sudden awkwardness. Ulrich pauses in thought, then replies, "Um, not really. I had thought about going and visiting Aelita at the Hermitage. What about you?" Yumi shifts her phone to her other hand so she can brush the other half of her ebony hair. "Well, I did want to spend time with you. Then, maybe go and see Aelita. Perhaps, if you want, we can do both.," she answers his question as she finds a tangle in her hair that just won't come out. "Grrrr! Come on! Get out of my hair!" she says and Ulrich, not knowing what she is doing, raises an eyebrow. "Uh, Yumi?" he asks, nervously. Yumi realizes that she said that a little too loud. "Oh, sorry! I wasn't talking to you! I have this tangle in my hair…." she says. "Ah, say no more. I get it now. You want me to meet you at your house?" Ulrich asks. Yumi stands and sets her brush down after finally getting her hair to behave, then turns to her dresser and pulls out a pair of jeans. "Sure, sounds good. Hiroki has been bugging me, wanting to know when you'll be over again. I guess he's taken to you," Yumi says. Ulrich half-smiles humbly and replies, "Well, I think he likes the idea of maybe having a big brother around to distract his big sister away from picking on him!" Yumi pauses and shakes her head. "I don't pick on my little brother. He's the one who starts it with me! Though, in light of what happened, I should be more…" Yumi stops as she feels a lump suddenly form in her throat. "Yumi? You ok?" Ulrich asks after a couple of seconds. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I am lucky I still have a sibling and a family. Um, when do you want to meet?" Yumi replies. "I'll leave that up to you. You tell me when to be there and I'll be there," Ulrich says with lovingness in his voice. Yumi smiles and states, "Well, good for you! You've successfully learned how to relinquish control over to me! Another little thing you've learned to do before we get married!" Ulrich purses his lips as he realizes his girlfriend his right. "Humph. Well, don't go thinking you're gonna be Queen-of-Me that easily, Yumi. I do have two words for you: Tickle. Spot. Remember them well!" Ulrich hears her giggle and sees Odd heading back to the table carrying two orange juice boxes like trophies. "When do you want me to come over?" Ulrich asks. Yumi glances at herself in the mirror and replies, "Just whenever. But don't show up at seven-thirty tonight!" Ulrich rolls his eyes and states, "Of course not! I'll be over as soon as I finish breakfast…. Er, finish watching Odd eat breakfast, rather." Odd perks up at the mention of his name and gives Ulrich a curious look. "Ok, Sweetie, don't take too long. I wanna see you!" Ulrich hears Yumi say sweetly. "Will do, Hon. Love you! Bye!" he replies. "Ok! Love you, too! Bye!" Ulrich hangs up the phone and sets it on the table. "I heard my name," Odd says inquisitively. "Yeah. It was in the same sentence as breakfast. Or did you not hear that?" Ulrich replies. Odd gives him an innocent look. "No…." he replies simply. Ulrich sighs and shakes his head slightly. "Just finish your meal, ok?" he states blandly. Odd smiles and nods, then begins to chug one of the orange juice cartons.

Jeremie gently rocks his pink-haired girlfriend as she clings to his neck. "Why? Why did she have to do that?" comes a slightly muffled question. Jeremie sighs and gently rests his chin on her head. "Because she thought that was the only way to save us; to save you," he replies. "But… but I didn't ask her to!" Aelita exclaims and turns her head to look across the room at the table that still stands in the center of the room with all the party stuff still on it. "None of us did and none of us could have ever asked her to. I know I couldn't have," Jeremie states and gently rubs her back. Aelita sniffs then rubs her nose with her hand. "I miss her so much, Jeremie. I wish I could turn back time and find another way to beat Thadeo." Jeremie gently squeezes her comfortingly and she continues, "But… I can't. No one can." Jeremie sighs and says, "I still feel like I could have done more to save her or bring her back, but… I… just… couldn't. You have no idea how useless I felt being only able to sit there and watch helplessly. Broke my heart to see her go and, more than that, to see your heart being broken like that again. If I would have had more time, I probably could have saved her, but she was fading too fast….. I'm sorry, Aelita. I'm sorry I wasn't a good enough genius to save her! I'm sorry that I'm not competent enough to…." Jeremie gets cut off by a finger pressing against his lips. "Shhh, no, Jeremie, don't say that! You're not incompetent and you are a good enough genius!" Aelita says looking into his eyes lovingly and removes her finger from his lips. "Please don't say stuff like that. It's not your fault, so don't beat yourself up about it." She gently runs her fingertips down the side of his smooth face. He lowers his eyes and tries to get himself to believe her words. "I love you, Jeremie, and if anything, I should be the one apologizing, considering how I treated you last night." Jeremie lifts his eyes and meets her gaze, then a soft smile forms on his lips. "You don't have to apologize, Sweetie. I should have realized that you wanted to be alone for awhile. Sorry." She smiles and rests her hand against his cheek, then kisses him on the lips. Jeremie blinks, mildly stunned, after she pulls away. Aelita giggles softly and says, "Still not quite used to that, are you?" Jeremie shakes his head and replies, "No, not really. And honestly, I don't want to get used to it. The day I do, will be the day I start taking it for granted. I don't want to do that. You're too special to me to be taken for granted." Aelita presses her lips together and blushes slightly. "You're so sweet…" she says. Jeremie shrugs and replies, "I'm just being honest." Then, a knock on the front door catches their attention. Aelita stands and walks over to the window, then peers out to see who it is. She smiles and opens the door to let Yumi and Ulrich in. "Yumi! Good to see you!" she says, giving the Japanese girl a hug. Yumi returns the hug and replies, "And you too!" Aelita then steps to Ulrich and gives him a hug also. "Ulrich, glad you came too!" Aelita says as he hesitantly returns the hug. "Yeah, thanks," he says. Aelita returns to Jeremie's side and Yumi and Ulrich sits down next to each other in a couple of the chairs from Atilea's anniversary party. "Where's Odd?" Jeremie asks, wrapping an arm around Aelita's shoulders as Aelita lays her head against his shoulder.

"Odd got busted by Samantha trying to sneak an extra helping of oatmeal out of the cafeteria," Ulrich replies, with a strained smile on his face. Yumi fails to contain a giggle and Jeremie shakes his head. "Why am I not surprised?" he asks blandly. "Because that is the nature of Odd," replies Ulrich, then he sighs and glances at the floor. A moment of silence falls on the group of friends before Ulrich looks up at Aelita and Jeremie. "So, how are you doing, Aelita?" he asks. Aelita inhales and exhales deeply before answering, trying to keep her emotions under control and not let them overwhelm her. "I'm better. Though, I miss her so much. She… she was the only blood family I had left. Well, I say blood family, she wasn't really. She was a clone, a copy of me, but she made the choice to start making her own decisions and live her own life. And Atilea became my twin sister. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you guys aren't my family, because you are. You have been there next to me for… what seems like forever, and I wouldn't trade any of you away for the world. You have been so kind to me and so caring. I just don't know how to thank you properly for all that you've done," Aelita says. Yumi leans closer to her and says, "You don't have to. You are our family too, Aelita. Families stick up for their own, despite what calamities arise against them. Especially when one of their own suffers a loss." Yumi leans back, glances at the floor, and continues, "But this time, all of us were hit with loss. All of us were close to Atilea, granted some closer than others, but we were all… we all…" Yumi stumbles on her words and Ulrich wraps an arm around her as she tries not to let herself get overwhelmed by her emotions. "I told Yumi this last night, but I'll never… look at a dandelion the same ever again," Ulrich says, his voice beginning to tremble. "She gave her life willingly to save us all, without us asking or demanding it from her," he finishes, then looks over to Jeremie and notices that he is very quiet. "You ok, Einstein?" Jeremie lifts his eyes to look at his friend and shakes his head. "I wish I could say I was, but I can't. Despite the numerous times you all have told me that it wasn't my fault, I still feel somehow responsible for Atilea's death. I still feel like I could have or should have done more to save her! But… I didn't…" he says, trailing off. "Hey, you did all you could, Jeremie. Don't beat yourself up about it. Sometimes our best just isn't enough. We all know that, but I know for at least for me and Yumi, we learn from it and grow," Ulrich says encouragingly to him. Jeremie half-smiles at him. "Thanks, Ulrich. And I want to say this, right here, right now," Jeremie states and looks at his pink-haired girlfriend leaning against his chest. "Aelita, I promise I will find a way to bring her back to you." Aelita blinks and sits up to look him in the face. "What?" she states, barely able to get the word out of her throat. "I'll use all the knowledge I have and ever will have to bring her back home to you. Someway, somehow, I will do it! For you, my princess, my love," Jeremie continues. Aelita stares at him in shock, unable to respond. "I may not be able to bring back your dad, but… but your sister…. I will…" he says, trying to hold back the tears that have begun to well up in his eyes. Aelita's stunned look fades into a loving look and she searches for any words to express her feelings. "Oh, Jeremie…." is all she can say before the two embrace. "I will do my best to bring her back, I promise, and this time, my best WILL be enough!" he exclaims confidently. Ulrich and Yumi glance at each other and smile. After a minute, Aelita pulls back from Jeremie and asks, "You really think you can?" Jeremie pauses a second, then replies, "Yeah. Her DNA hasn't been used to make a Seal to place on X.A.N.A. and also I stored that DNA sample from her hair brush in the protected section of the computer. It'll take some time, but eventually I'll do it. Just like when I sought for so long to find a way to bring you back here to the real world."

"Um, a little off topic here, but how far along are you on the Second Seal?" Ulrich asks. Jeremie and Aelita look over at him and Ulrich sees a confident smile cross Jeremie's face. "It's almost done. If things go well and X.A.N.A. doesn't get any crazy ideas, it should be finished in a couple of days," her replies. Aelita gets a surprised look on her face. "You got that far on it? How did you do it?" she asks. "Um, well, I got a lot done on it this morning. I couldn't sleep, so I snuck out of the dorm at four o'clock this morning and went straight to the factory. I worked on it until, well, until you called me this morning at, what, nine?" Aelita's jaw drops. "Four o'clock!" she exclaims in disbelief. He nods sheepishly at her and gives her a nervous grin. "How'd you get past Jim?" Yumi asks. "Well, honestly, it's kinda become second nature to be able to sneak past him," Jeremie replies. Ulrich sits back in his chair and shrugs, not really having anything profound to say. "Well, I'm impressed. Maybe you can show me how to do that," he states. Yumi turns her head to look at him. "And go and do what?" she asks. Ulrich pauses, then looks at his girlfriend. "Oh, I don't know. There is this Japanese girl I might go and see, but I don't know," he replies, secretly joking. Yumi raises an eyebrow. "MIGHT go and see?" she asks. A devious grin spreads across Ulrich's face and Yumi slugs him in the thigh with her fist. "Ow!" he exclaims, giggling. "You deserved that!" Yumi states, trying to contain her own giggling while trying to look mean and upset. Aelita giggles at them and smiles, shaking her head. Then, the glint off the pink and silver box catches her eye. She leans over and picks the box and its key, along with the now wilting dandelion that sat on top of it. Aelita turns and sits on the sofa, cradling the box and clutching the key. Jeremie swallows and watches her nervously as Yumi and Ulrich shift uneasily in their chairs. "Um, if you want us to leave, Aelita…." Yumi states. Aelita looks up at her friends and sees how uncomfortable they are, then sets the box down on the cushion next to her. "No. That's all right. I can open it later," she replies and holds the wilting dandelion in between her fingers. "I really need to spend time with my friends." Aelita smiles at them and gently sets the dandelion on top of the box before getting up and walking over to the table in the middle of the room. She pauses briefly before closing the lid on the partially eaten cake. "I've also have to put this away before it ruins," Aelita states as she picks up the cake box. Yumi stands and reaches for the box. "Here, let me help, Aelita," she says. Aelita hesitates then lets Yumi take the cake box from her. Ulrich glances at Jeremie and sees him sigh worriedly. Ulrich waits for the two girls to leave the room before speaking. "She's a tough girl, Jeremie, but she does have a limit," he says. Jeremie nods and sighs again. "I know. I just hope I'm able to help her hold herself together like I did when her dad died," Jeremie replies. "You can. And we'll be there when you need us to help," Ulrich says. A short pause passes and the two girls return to begin to clean the rest of the party stuff up. Ulrich smiles at Yumi as she tries to wave at him while carrying several cups and plates. Once they leave again, Jeremie says, "Thanks, Ulrich. I'm gonna need all the help I can get. Um, hold on a moment. Aelita, Ulrich and I are going to step outside for a minute, ok?" Aelita's head leans into view and she nods. "Ok, " she replies simply, then disappears back into the kitchen. Jeremie motions for Ulrich to follow him as Ulrich gives him a skeptical look. The two exit the Hermitage and Jeremie walks to the porch railing, then grips it with both hands tightly. "Truth be told, Ulrich, I don't think I can bring Atilea back. Ever," he says sadly. Ulrich frowns in concern for his friend. "Why do you say that?" he asks. "These seals, they are taking massive amounts of memory and processing power to compile. I just don't think the computer can handle the task anymore. Ever since we've stopped using the Return to the Past feature, I've noticed that the computer has begun to, well, to put it simply, get bogged down. It hasn't been rebooted for… well ever since I shut it down after we got X.A.N.A. back on Lyoko and he managed to turn it back on himself. That's been a while," Jeremie replies, turning to face Ulrich. "Um, I know I'm not the genius here, but why should that matter? It ran for quite a while without us rebooting it. And that was before we learned that Aelita wasn't just a digital person, but a real one," Ulrich states. "True, but every time we used the Return to the Past, the computer increased in power and resources, remember? That's how X.A.N.A. kept getting stronger. There where more resources he could call on each time he attacked. Also, the Return to the Past cleared out the active memory of the computer, freeing up that much more resources. I shouldn't have to remind you what'll happen if we use the Return to the Past now," Jeremie replies. Ulrich sighs and says, "Yes, I know. The Seal would be broken and X.A.N.A. would be free to escape again. I just… hate to see you end up breaking your promise to Aelita to bring back Atilea. It seems as though you made a promise to her that you can't keep." Jeremie presses his lips together and pauses, then hangs his head. "Maybe," he states sadly. "I just wish there were a way to increase the computer's power without having to use the Return to the Past." Ulrich thinks for a moment. "Why can't you just install more memory in it?" he asks. Jeremie turns to him and responds, "Several different reasons. First, Dr. Hopper made his own parts and despite my technical knowledge, he made it so that the technology of the computer can't be easily copied. Your typical, run-of-the-mill memory chips won't fit in it. Secondly, I'd have to turn off the computer to install it. That would have the same affect as activating the Return to the Past on the Seal. Thirdly, just adding memory won't give the computer the necessary boost it needs. It also needs more processing power and an increased amount of throughput on the local buses to handle the increased amount of data traveling along them." Ulrich blinks, trying to follow Jeremie's explanation. "Um, sounds like you need another computer linked to it to take some of the strain off the main computer," Ulrich states after a brief pause. Jeremie blinks and tilts his head slightly in curiosity. "Another computer? Ulrich, I may be able to use the quantum computer, but I can't build another one! First of all, I don't have the resources that Dr. Hopper had, financial or otherwise. He was working off a military grant; I wouldn't be. Then, there's the level of technological fabrication that would be involved in making….." Ulrich waves a hand to stop his genius friend's speech. "You've got your computer in your dorm room hooked up to the quantum computer, right?" Ulrich asks. Jeremie gives him a dubious look, then replies, "Well, yes, of course, you know that. Why?" "Well, what's stopping you from either using that one or hooking another up onsite at the factory and use it to handle some of the tasks?" Ulrich asks. Jeremie ponders the idea and glances through the window to see Aelita and Yumi sitting in the living room talking. "It would have to be a big computer or a conglomeration of many computers to help out, but it is worth a shot," Jeremie replies and turns to Ulrich. "But where are we going to get them? I don't think the school's just gonna let us use the computers in the labs, even if we got Principal Delmas on our side. Even he has to go through the school board to get major things approved and something tells me he would have a hard time giving them a good reason, despite knowing everything now." Ulrich half-smiles at him and replies, "Well, word has it that the school is going to upgrade all the computers in the labs shortly. Now tell me, what does the school usually do with the old ones?" Jeremie sighs and states, "They give them away." "Exactly. There's roughly thirty computers, not counting the laptops in the science building that are used there," Ulrich adds then he notices Jeremie's skeptical look. "Come on, Jeremie. It's worth a shot, you said. Besides, I'm just throwing ideas out there. At least consider it more than you have. I mean, it's Atilea's life we're talking about here," he adds. Jeremie glances at him and frowns. "You became attached to her, didn't you?" Jeremie asks. Ulrich is taken aback by the question and gives Jeremie a stunned look. "Well, not in the way you're insinuating, Jeremie! She was a good friend that made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, not just me! I love Yumi with all my heart and I would never let another woman get in the way. Atilea was just a bit ignorant of some of the social protocols we have here," he replies. "I'm not so sure she was ignorant. From what Aelita told me, she practically ignored at least two! Then, went one step further and, well, you know," Jeremie states. Ulrich frowns and asks, "How did Aelita know about that?" Jeremie chuckles once and replies, "They were sisters. They told each other everything, from what Aelita says. Look, I know you didn't do anything to make Atilea kiss you, I understand that. I don't blame you. But even I saw that you became close to Atilea, even before she told Aelita what she did." Ulrich sighs gruffly and turns from him to stare out across the Hermitage's yard. "You didn't see her die, Jeremie. It was painful to see her blow herself up to stop Thadeo, but that didn't compare to watching her die right in front of her sister like that. You didn't spend as much time with Atilea as Aelita and I did, so I guess I could see where you thought the two of us where closer than we really were," Ulrich states and Jeremie sees an upset look flash across his face. "Look, I'm sorry I said what I said. I'll do my best to bring Atilea back and to finish the last six Seals," Jeremie says and lays a hand on Ulrich's shoulder. Ulrich turns and looks at him, then replies, "You better. I'm gonna make sure you keep your promise to Aelita. She doesn't need anymore heartache." Then, a half-smile forms on Ulrich's face and gently pats Jeremie's shoulder. "Come on, let's go back inside. Our girlfriends are gonna get lonely without us!" Ulrich jokes and sees a reluctant smile form on his friend's face.

The next day, Aelita glances over herself in the full length mirror that stands in Atilea's former room. She smoothes her skirt out and brushes a stray strand of her pink hair out of her eye. It was a sunny Sunday morning and she found the quiet of the huge old house rather unnerving. Jeremie was off at the factory working on the second Seal, Ulrich and Yumi were at her parents house for a picnic, and Odd, well, who knows. He could be still in the 'dog house' Samantha sent him to or he could be still sleeping. Aelita glances over herself one last time before turning, picking up the photo of her and Atilea, and heading out of the room. She walks down the stairs as memories of her childhood and the time she had with her sister run through her mind. Once at the bottom, she walks to the sofa and picks up the pink and silver box with its key. Aelita clutches the box tightly as she heads out the front door and around the side of the house. She glances at the cement picnic table and visions of the entire group, including Atilea, laughing and enjoying themselves run past her eyes. Aelita then turns to the white picket fence nearby and swallows, feeling a lump begin to form in her throat. She walks slowly up to the gate and reaches for the latch. She pauses before opening the gate to glance at the picture she held of her and Atilea. "Just as I promised, Sis, I'm… taking you to see Mom and Dad," she whispers as a tear suddenly falls from her eye and hits the glass of the picture frame. Aelita pushes past the emotional flood and opens the gate then steps through. She closes the gate behind her and hugs the box and picture to her chest as she gazes at the two headstones in front of her. She almost has to force her legs and feet to take steps towards them, but when she reaches them, she falls to her knees between the graves. Tears cloud her vision as she sets the box and picture down on the ground. Aelita wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and then stands the picture between the headstones. She swallows, trying to moisten her throat so she can speak. "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry it has been a long time since I visited, but I'd like for you to meet my twin sister, Atilea. She was…. the best sister I could have ever… had," Aelita says glancing between the two headstones. "I want to tell you… what she did for all of us; to tell you of her sacrifice to save us."

Ulrich glances at Yumi who has seemingly drifted off into space. "Hey, you ok?" he asks. Yumi jerks her head and shakes it. "Oh! Uh, yeah, fine. Why?" she replies. "Well, you were just staring off into space with this blank look on your face," he states, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Yumi smiles and looks at her plate in front of her. "Well, kinda. I was actually watching Hiroki play over there on the swings. Ever since Atilea's death, I've been seeing my brother in a different light. Granted, he can be annoying as ever, but I've found myself being more… tolerable towards him. Look at him, Ulrich. He's a happy, ten year old boy without a care in the world. He's annoying, gets into my stuff, teases me about you, though, he's actually gotten away from that and has been enjoying the fact that you are around. But all that doesn't matter anymore. He's my brother and I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him. I just don't know if I could handle it as well as Aelita has handled her sister's death," she replies, playing with a lone potato chip on her plate. Ulrich smiles as Hiroki struggles to get the swing going, then lets out a sigh. "Why don't you go over there and spend time with your brother, Yumi?" Ulrich asks, gently patting her shoulder. Yumi turns to Ulrich and starts to say something but the warm look on his face causes her just to smile. She leans over and kisses him quickly before standing and walking over to where Hiroki is swinging. Ulrich smiles as he watches she gently gets Hiroki swinging properly, then take a swing next to him and begin to swing herself. "Would you like more punch, Ulrich?" comes a voice from in front if him and he turns to see Mrs. Ishiyama standing holding a pitcher of red punch. He smiles politely and nods. "Thank you, Ma'am," he replies politely and she takes a seat across from him. "You're welcome, Ulrich. Where did Yumi get off to?" she asks. Ulrich motions to the swings and Mrs. Ishiyama turns to see Yumi and Hiroki swinging and laughing together. "Well, there's something I don't get to see very often. Yumi and Hiroki getting along. Huh," she states in mild awe. "I think the last time I saw them get a long was on Hiroki's primary school graduation night." Ulrich chuckles inwardly and takes a sip of his drink. "It must be lonely to be an only child," Mrs. Ishiyama states. Ulrich glances up at her and shrugs. "Kinda. But, I guess I kind of know how it feels to have a brother having Hiroki around," he replies. "Well, I do know that Hiroki does see you as a big brother. Which is a good thing, now that my husband and I have gotten to know you better. Speaking of my husband, where is he? I asked him to get me the hot dogs out of the freezer several minutes ago. Oh, he better not be reading the financial section of the newspaper again….Takeo Ishiyama!" Mrs. Ishiyama says and gets up from the table. Ulrich chuckles and shakes his head. Strange. It felt odd to be around a family that seemed to care for him and not demand perfection from him every single waking hour of the day. Not that he didn't think his own parents didn't love him, but it was nice to not be pressured to be perfect. He returns his gaze to Yumi and her brother, who now are having a contest to see who can swing the highest. Yumi turns her head and waves to him as she reaches the apex of her swing. He laughs as she yelps at the sudden jerk of the chain. She slides her feet on the ground to stop herself swinging as Hiroki laughs in victory at going the highest. Yumi walks over to Ulrich and slides down next to him, panting. "Geez, I forgot how dangerous swinging can be!" she states, trying to catch her breath. Ulrich starts to say something, but a yell from Hiroki catches his attention. "Hey, Ulrich! I beat my sister at going the highest on the swing! I bet I can beat you too!" Ulrich glances at Yumi and she shakes her head, not wanting to get involved. "OK, you're on!" Ulrich replies and stands. Yumi raises an eyebrow and looks up at him. Ulrich smiles at her and hears Yumi's mom and dad exit the house. "Be right back, Yumi. I guess it's gonna take someone who isn't afraid of the dangers of swinging to beat him! I'll avenge you and regain your honor!" Ulrich says gallantly. Yumi runs her tongue on the inside of her cheek. "Oh, my hero," she replies sarcastically before giggling. Ulrich chuckles and walks over to the swings as Hiroki stops his swing and prepares to challenge Ulrich. He gives Ulrich a defiant growl as Ulrich takes a swing, then Ulrich gives him an equally confident smile.

Odd stretches and lets out a big yawn, then feels Kiwi nuzzle his ribs with his nose. "Whoa! Cold nose! Cold nose! Cut it out, Kiwi!" he says, gently shoving Kiwi's muzzle away. Kiwi lets out a happy yip as Odd begins to scratch behind his ears. Then, Odd hears his cell phone ring and he leans over to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Morning. Did I get you up?" comes Samantha's voice.

"Um, not really. I actually just woke up. Whatcha doing, Sam?"

"Waiting for you."

Odd goes pale and tries to remember if he promised Samantha he'd do anything with her today. "Whatever I forgot I promised I'd do with you today, I'm sorry!" he quickly says. A giggle comes from the other side and Odd frowns, realizing that she was only messing with him. "That wasn't very nice," Odd states blandly. "Just keeping you on your toes, Odd. Actually, I called to see if you'd help me with my Italian vocab words. I'm having trouble with, well, all of them," Sam replies. Odd chuckles and says, "You sound just like Jeremie, except you've asked for help. He hasn't. Sure, I'll help you. Just give me a little time to get showered and dressed, then I'll be right over!" "Ok. Also, don't stop and eat anywhere. I have breakfast waiting here for you," Sam says and Odd's eyes perk up. "Really? Gee, thanks, Sam!" he replies and slides out of the bed. "Yeah, now hurry up, ok?" she replies. Odd smiles and says, "Sure. Talk to you later. Bye!"

Jeremie shoves himself back in the computer chair at the factory. He stretches and hears his back pop. "Ahh, that felt good…" he whispers. He drops his hands into his lap and smiles at the monitor. "Almost done. Gotta make sure the guys are able to be here when I activate the Seal. But one thing bothers me. Why isn't X.A.N.A. trying to stop me?" he wonders. Then, Jeremie pulls himself back up to the keyboard and begins typing away. A chat window pops up and Jeremie types, "X.A.N.A., are you there?"

What do you what, Human?

Jeremie freezes for a second before continuing. "I just wanted to know if you were still around, I guess. You've been usually quiet ever since Imuy…. Never mind."

Do not concern yourself with me. You most likely wanted to know if I were planning some way to prevent your second Seal from being activated.

"Well, yes, I do. However, I doubt you will tell me if you are or not."

Humph. You are correct, Jeremie. However, you humans did hold up your end of our bargain and for that, I thank you. Now leave me. I wish to be alone.

"This is kinda out of character for you, X.A.N.A. Is it because you saw what Atilea did to save us all?"

As I said before, do not concern yourself with me. And yes, I did see what she did. Now, go away.

And with that, the chat window closes and Jeremie frowns in concern. "Great. Better hurry up and finish this before he does do something to stop me." Jeremie begins to type away at the keyboard again, now working more intently than before.

Four hours pass and Yumi fidgets with a dandelion she picked earlier. She stares at the little yellow blossom and smiles slightly as her mind replays images of Atilea giving her a dandelion to put in her hair. Ulrich exits Yumi's house after helping her mother and father clean up the picnic table. "Hey, whatcha doing, Yumi?" he asks. She looks up at him and smiles, then he sees the dandelion in her hand. Yumi slides the flower behind her ear and sighs. "That's beautiful," Ulrich states and helps her stand. Then, his cell phone rings just as the two are about to kiss. Ulrich grumbles and reaches into his pocket to pull out his phone. "This had better be important," he says gruffly into the phone. "I, uh, well, yeah, it is," replies Jeremie's voice on the other end. Ulrich frowns and puts his phone on speaker phone. "Go ahead, Jeremie, but make it quick. Yumi and I are still at her house," Ulrich states and sees Yumi get a disappointed look on her face. "I just wanted to let you know that I've finished the second Seal! I want you guys to be here in case X.A.N.A. tries anything," comes the reply. Ulrich glances at Yumi and she sighs then motions that she is going inside. Ulrich puts the speaker back to regular earphone and says, "Fine, but you could have waited another hour or so. I was wanting to take Yumi to… our secret spot." Jeremie feels a pang of guilt and replies, "Sorry, Ulrich. I didn't know. But I really want this Seal placed before X.A.N.A. does anything. By the way, have either of you seen or heard from Aelita today? I can't seem to get her on her cell phone." "No, she hasn't been here or have called. She's probably at the Hermitage still but does have her cell on her," Ulrich says. "Oh, well could you do me a favor and swing by there on your way here and get her for me, please?" asks Jeremie. Ulrich sees Yumi exit her house and replies, "Sure, we'll drop by, but I can't guarantee she'll want to come." Jeremie sighs and states, "Ok, thanks, Ulrich. I'm gonna give Odd a call now. See you when you get here." Ulrich and Yumi sigh at each other. "I told my parents that you were taking me out to a movie and dinner afterwards so we're good for at least three hours," Yumi says. Ulrich nods and says, "Jeremie wants us to stop by the Hermitage and get Aelita. Apparently, she's either turned off her phone or she doesn't have it with her." Yumi nods and the two exit the Ishiyama's yard, then heads down the street.

Odd frowns and Samantha raises an eyebrow upon hearing Odd's cell phone ring. "Hello?" Odd answers. "Odd, good! Look, I've finished the second Seal. How soon can you be here?" comes Jeremie's voice. Odd cringes and replies, "Jeremie, I'm right in the middle of an Italian lesson! Can't this wait?" Jeremie pauses of a second then says, "Um, well, I really need you here in case X.A.N.A. gets ugly." Odd glances at a slightly frowning Sam and says, "Jeremie, I promised I'd help Sam get caught up on her Italian lessons and I can't just break away right in the middle of it!" "But I…." Jeremie starts. "How long will it take?" Odd asks. Jeremie pauses again. "Um, the actual application of the Seal shouldn't take more than a few minutes, but if X.A.N.A. begins to fight back, who knows?" he replies. Odd frowns at the answer. "Can't you go and do it without me?" "Well, yes, but if Ulrich and Yumi needs your help…" Jeremie starts. Sam sighs loudly and drops her pencil as Odd mouths 'I'm sorry' to her. "Odd, just go. I'll try to keep going on my own," Jeremie hears her say on the other end. Then, another pang of guilt hits him. "Look, Odd, I'm sorry I interrupted you two, but this is important. You can stay until the Seal is placed then you can go," Jeremie says. Odd nods and hangs up the phone. "I'm sorry, Sam. Jeremie's awfully persistent. I'll come back as soon as he's finished with me. Promise," he says to her with remorse in his voice. Sam sighs and relaxes, then gives him a soft smile. "Ok, but hurry back," she says, then leans over to him and gives him a small kiss on the cheek. Odd turns a bright red and gets a look of surprise on his face. "S—Sam!" he exclaims. She smiles and looks back down at her book. "Go, Odd. Your little genius friend is waiting for you." Odd nods and stands, still reeling from her small, but still surprising kiss. He glances back at her before leaving the room and sees her wave to him. He waves back and then heads down the hallway.

Several minutes later, Ulrich and Yumi stand at the main gate of the Hermitage. As they enter, Yumi notices that the gate to the fenced in area is open slightly. "I'll bet you she's in there," Yumi states, pointing towards the fence. Ulrich nods and the two cautiously head towards the gate to the fenced area. Upon reaching it, Ulrich pauses to listen through the cracked gate to see if Aelita is inside. He nods as he hears her voice, then hesitantly knocks on the gate. "Aelita? It's me and Yumi," he says. "What is it?" comes the reply. "Um, Jeremie asked us to drop by. He's been trying to get a hold of you to let you know he's got the second Seal finished," states Yumi. There is a moment of silence. "Aelita? Are you ok?" asks Yumi with concern in her voice. "Yes, I'm fine. Just give me a moment, please," Aelita replies. "Ok, Aelita. We'll be out here sitting at the picnic table when you are ready," Ulrich states. "Ok. Thank you," is the reply to his statement. Ulrich and Yumi turn and head toward the nearby table. On the other side of the gate, Aelita closes the pink box and locks it, then stands and brushes the grass off her skirt. She lets out a huge sigh and gazes at the picture of her and Atilea. "I'll be back later, Mom and Dad. X.A.N.A. is about to have another Seal clamped down on tight!" she says as a small, victorious smile creeps onto her lips. Then, she turns to exit the gate. As she exits, Aelita sees the slightly smiling faces of Ulrich and Yumi. "I'm ready to go. I wouldn't miss X.A.N.A. getting Sealed for the world!" Aelita says and her smile grows. Ulrich and Yumi return her smile and the trio heads toward the underground passage.

Jeremie smiles victoriously at his friends and shoves his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "You guys ready?" he asks. "You better believe it, Einstein!" pipes up Odd, who now has gotten really excited. "Um, Jeremie?" asks Aelita nervously. "Yes?" he replies. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to activate the Seal. In honor of Atilea," she says. Jeremie nods and smiles at her, then slides out of the computer chair. Aelita takes a seat and smiles at him, then turns to the screen.

The Inner Core of Sector 5. X.A.N.A. broods over the loss of all his children. Why? Why did they fail? Last time, he challenged them directly in the real world and lost. Then he reasoned that they would not be able to defeat themselves, so he created copies of all of them, save the human called Jeremie, but even still, they turned Atilea against him and forced him to remove his connection with her. But then, Dod and H'cirlu fused to create a being completely independent of his influence and was more powerful than he could have anticipated. Despite being completely overmatched, the humans managed to defeat Thadeo! Granted, it was Atilea's sacrifice that actually did the deed, but still, they won! It was so frustrating! What was it about this particular group of humans that….

Wait, what is that?

X.A.N.A. begins to quickly run an analysis. If he had the ability to gasp, he would have.

NO! This is impossible! How did he finish the Seal so quickly! I have to find a way to stall it! I… nnngghh! Nnnnooo!

X.A.N.A. feels the sudden restraint on his essence and tries to break free, but Aelita's quick thinking at the keyboard prevents him from slipping away. Then, the heaviness of the Second Seal causes X.A.N.A. to give out and a golden energy bar falls hard across the energy sphere that contains X.A.N.A.'s core intelligence.

The group watches the monitor intensely as the progress meter steadily makes it way across the screen. Then, it hits one hundred percent and a loud victorious yell from the group fills the room. Aelita hops down from the computer chair and throws her arms around Jeremie, nearly knocking him over. Ulrich and Yumi nearly get sent to the ground themselves from Odd's victory leaps. After a few more minutes of celebrating, Jeremie takes a seat at the computer and double checks the Seal. "Looks good! It's holding perfectly!" he states. "Never doubted it, Einstein!" Odd exclaims. Then, Yumi gets a curious look on her face. "I wonder why X.A.N.A. didn't fight back more than he did?" she asks. Jeremie chuckles and replies, "Well, we caught him off guard. I don't think he'll let that happen ever again, though. But, it was nice to have something finally go off without a hitch!" Aelita smiles and glances at the floor. "Atilea should have been here for this," she says and the room falls silent. Jeremie slides down from the chair and places his hands on her shoulders. "Yeah, she should have. Maybe one day she will be!" he replies and Aelita looks up into his eyes, then smiles. She wraps her arms around him and squeezes him tightly, causing him to gasp for air. "Aelita…! Air!" he gasps and she loosens her grip, then giggles at him. "Hey, Jeremie, I was wondering, how did you manage to get the Seal finished so quickly?" asks Ulrich. Jeremie looks up at him and smiles confidently. "I just took your idea from yesterday about hooking up another computer and put it into practice. I went to Principal Delmas and told him the situation. He let me have two of the spare computers in storage. He said if it were up to him, he'd let me have all the computers I wanted, but it might look suspicious on him if all of a sudden he gave me all the spare computers at once! Oh, and he said he was sorry that he wouldn't be here. He had to keep Sissi distracted today," he replies and then points to a corner of the room. The group turns and sees two computers standing next to each others with a mess of wires and cables running between each other and between them and the wall. "Hooked them up in a way that makes them act as one big computer instead of two separate ones, then I tied them to the quantum computer's core! I shunted several of the more remedial tasks to them and that improved the performance greatly!" Jeremie finishes and hugs Aelita gently. "Wow! I have no idea what you just said, but it sounded cool!" Odd says. "Um, I hate to crash a party, but I promised Sam I'd come back and help her once we got through here. Maybe later, the five of us can get together and celebrate properly." Ulrich turns to him and nods. "Sure. Sounds good to me," he states, smiling. Yumi nods and slips a hand around Ulrich's waist. Jeremie glances at Aelita and sees a bright smile on her face. It made him feel good to see her happy again. "Hey, I'll see you guys later! Bye!" shouts Odd and he takes off towards the elevator. "Well, if we are celebrating, Yumi and I will head into town and pick up a few things," Ulrich states. "Yeah, we'll get your favorite pizza, Jeremie, anchovies and escargot!" Yumi jokes, but tries to keep a straight face. Jeremie's smile disappears and a look of disgust appears promptly. Yumi fails to contain her laughter anymore and Jeremie gives her a disproving frown. "Ulrich, get your misbehaving girlfriend out of here!" he says. Ulrich nods while trying not to laugh himself, then takes Yumi by the arm and leads her towards the now returning elevator. After they have left, Aelita turns to Jeremie and smiles sweetly at him. "Thank you, Jeremie," she says. "For what?" he asks. "For being the most wonderful genius boyfriend I could ever ask for, and I know that you will find a way to bring back my sister. It may take a while, but I know you can do it! Now, I want to share with you what was in that pink box that Atilea gave me," Aelita replies and kisses him on the cheek. Jeremie blushes and allows her to lead him towards the elevator.

Meanwhile….

They will pay. All of them. I will get my revenge! They were the ones responsible for the death of my children! If only they were not so close… wait… That is it… That is the way to defeat them and regain my freedom! Heh, heh, heh!