Chapter 15
By: Leelei
Author's Note: I didn't know how to write this last Note, so I decided to put it in a letter form, even though it's pretty corny.
Dear reader,
I'm so glad you have read this far, and hope that you will like the ending of this story. I know that, personally, I'm glad to see it's finally over. Since this is the last time I will be able to post anything for this fic, I need to justify it once more. Death and the Swordsman is obviously not a cannon Code:Lyoko fan fiction, you all know that, but actually has turned out to be a reflection of my life these past months since summer.
I told you once before that my horse was sick, delaying a few of these chapters from being posted, but he was actually receiving another surgical procedure for minor corrections to the one he had at the end of summer. That first one was a life-threatening emergency, and nearly loosing him that day wrecked my life for a long time. It's hard to explain my relationship towards my horse, since many still see him as just a pet, but he's more than that. He's like my best friend, I spend so much time and energy on him, taking him to horse shows every year and knowing that he would do anything I asked of him. As you read in this story, loosing a friend really hurts, and nearly loosing mine was proof enough for me.
After my experience with my horse, I found a much better understanding of death. I had feared it before, cringing at the thought of never waking again, but now I see it as something that can't be avoided and that shouldn't be feared at all.
"Death is viewed on Earth as a frightening, disastrous occurrence, and yet humans forget to realize that is inevitable. Not all unavoidable things are ominous. I am here as an angel to disregard the symbol of the evil thought of in it."
Writing this story helped me find peace with my near loss, especially since it was centered around the end of life. Although, every now and then as I was writing something, or thinking of a scene or chapter ahead of what I was typing, I had to remind myself, I couldn't fear the end. I had no reason to, since I had it coming.
But I had cheated Death. My horse is still here with me today.
Now reading through what I have posted, I could kick myself for all the stupid grammar mistakes I picked up on. Wow…I really should get a beta reader, lol. I don't know how you guys could have left all those nice reviews; I would've bashed the hell out of this fic for all of that crap if I were you.
Needless to say, this story has helped me grow out of the depression that followed all of my pain. My horse's recovery was long, and my daily routine of life has changed completely ever since his emergency. As I look back now, when I had to explain and defend parts of my story, I feel disappointed because I was reflecting a part of my life then, and not telling the story.
I think older Odd was a close representation of what I went through, but -crazy as I think it is- older Sissi is actually a better example of how I had changed. I just felt like I couldn't go on, nearly drowning in a life of misery and attempts to make myself happy with temporary relief as I waited for my life to just simply return to how I always lived it, in a never-ending system that I rarely ever broke.
But this is my reality now. I can't change it, so I have made my peace with it. This storyhas helped me move on, and look back without the pain reemerging again. It feels so nice to know that you have enjoyed it. I really did like how the plot and events of it unfolded, but the significance of it wants me to move on now. I have to end it here, since this is really the last chapter, although I'm glad to have shared this with all of you.
I hope to finish a few fics soon that are actual Code:Lyoko fiction. Although I want to move on so badly, I think I may end up writing more emotion-driven, out-of-the-show's-plot fics like these again. I know that I would really love to do an AU soon, but a couple earlier chapters in this fic made me realize that I adore writing about Lyoko and the team helping Aelita to fight X.A.N.A. and all his monsters. I guess I'll have to just wait and see what ideas hit me first.
Thank you again for all of your support. Every kind word, every expressed feeling, every request for the next chapter has really touched me, this fic closer to me than most others I have written and will write. Thanks again to Ransomed Heart for archiving this damn fic on her site. Lol, I don't know how you've put up with it, but thanks for not canning it even after all the controversial twists and turns. That and the one hundred reviews have already made my entire year. : )
So this is it. The end. The real end. I really hope you guys have read this…I know how much of a pain in the ass Author's Notes always are, especially long-ass ones like these. I wanted to have this on a separate web site and just leave an URL for it, but is really anally retentive about links these days. I probably would've just skimmed through something like this had I been reading anything else, but I really wanted to let you guys know how I felt. This story is my baby, and I love it to Death. Lol. ;D
There is no other way to say it… Thank you.
Have fun reading,
Leelei
Archived at: Ransomed Heart's Fan Fiction Page
Ulrich shifted his weight in the soft bed as he was coming back to his senses. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a hospital, with several beeping machines around him. Quickly he panicked, sitting up and supporting himself by pushing his hands down on the bed, but then a sharp, physical pains surged up his back and through his palms. With a small cry, he gritted his teeth and tightly shut his eyes again, laying back down.
When he reopened them a few moments later, a nurse had arrived and was checking his monitors. "Oh!" she said after looking over and realizing he was awake. "Good, you're up early. Just as the doctor had predicted." She had a kind look to her, with a comforting smile to match.
Ulrich could feel his breathing quicken as his sight darted around the room. "Where am I?" he asked, his mind finally picking out a question from the many that were plaguing him.
"Sweetie, you have nothing to worry about," the nurse replied calmly as she stepped over to his bed. "You're in the hospital right now. We needed to treat you for some minor injuries you received from a car accident that you were involved in earlier this evening. Honey, could you please tell me your name?"
Ulrich could see that she had clipboard in her hand, undoubtedly with at least his name on it, but knew that she had to test his memory for amnesia or any other damage. "Ulrich," he finally answered. "My name's Ulrich Stern. I go to Kadic Jr. High. I'm…I'm a boarding student there."
The nurse smiled again and wrote something down. "Well, Ulrich, the doctor has just stepped out for his break, but he'll be back shortly to speak with you about what has happened, and any pain that you might be experiencing right now. Until then, there are some people that have been waiting a long time to see you."
Ulrich's eyes suddenly widened. "There are?"
"Yes. I'll send them in now." The nurse left him with another smile, clutching her clipboard as she walked out of the room, gently shutting the door behind her.
A wave of emotions immediately filled him as Ulrich thought about his friends. 'Will I really get to see them again?' he thought, his experience without them causing him to loose grip on reality. Soon, he pushed himself up again and grinned. "Oh my god…" he wondered out loud. "I think I'm back!"
His attention jerked to the entrance of the room as he heard loud footsteps running through the hall. Suddenly they stopped and the door slammed open, Ulrich crying out at the sight of his first visitor, "Yumi!"
"Oh, Ulrich!" Fourteen-year-old Yumi ran over, throwing her arms around him, seeming to be minding his injuries as she buried her red, tear-stained face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ulrich!" she started to sob. "I'm sorry!"
"Shh," Ulrich responded as he put his arms around her, gently rubbing her back as he held his girlfriend close to him. "It's okay," he told her. "I'm okay." He pulled her slightly away from him, gazing into her dark, sparkling eyes. "We're okay."
Yumi's sorrowful features quickly changed as she smiled. She leaned in, pressing her lips against his as they hugged again. They parted just as the others came in, her parents leading the group.
"Yumi!" her mother exclaimed, seeming worried about her daughter's haste, but then smiled when she saw Ulrich awake. "Ulrich, oh it's so good to see that you're all right, dear."
Yumi's father followed in with her. "I'm glad you're okay, son," he said with an appreciative smile of his own.
"Thanks," Ulrich replied. He looked over at the others filling the room; the principal came in next, then Dorothy and Jim, all letting them know their happiness to see him as they were followed by his two young, sullen friends, Odd and Jeremie.
"Ulrich!" the two boys cried as they raced over next to Yumi.
"Man, did you ever give us the worst scare!" exclaimed Odd as he brightened at the sight of his friend.
"He's right," Jeremie added with a grin. "You really had us worried, Ulrich. It's good to see that you're up!"
Ulrich looked around at all the people surrounding him and smiled. "You…you guys have no idea how grateful I am to see you…"
The principal came over to the other side of his bed. "Ulrich, I contacted your parents earlier. They had just arrived at the airport and should be here within the hour."
"Thank you," replied Ulrich, anxiousness already building inside of him not only just to see his parents, but to see them together. Then he remembered another thought and looked to Jeremie as the principal took his spot again to speak with the adults. "Jeremie," he lowered his voice. "Is Aelita okay?"
The young blonde gave him a confused look but also kept his voice to a whisper, "Yeah, she's fine. Why?" Then he seemed to remember as well. "Oh! Don't worry, Ulrich. It really was just an old trick. I checked with her earlier on my laptop, and she's perfectly fine."
"A little worried after hearing about her trusty swordsman over here," Odd joined in the quiet conversation, "but she'll be happy to know that you're okay." He winked at Ulrich. The brunette boy shared a smile with him, happy to see his best friend again as he had always known him.
"Oh," Yumi interjected. "Ulrich, you won't believe what Sissi brought you."
"What is it?"
"Look," Yumi glanced back to Jim and Dorothy, each hearing her and unrolling a long banner that read 'Get Well, Ulrich' with hundreds of signatures on it.
"After she heard what happened to you, she woke everyone up at the school and had them all sign it," Odd explained. "Mrs. Hertz drove her up here to drop it off."
Ulrich looked over the banner, not being able to read every signature from his distance, but smiling at all the writing he could see. "Is Sissi still here?" he asked, looking to the principal.
"…No, Ulrich, I'm sorry," the administrator apologized uneasily. "She was still too emotional for me to let her stay."
"Look, Ulrich, she and Milly signed the largest on each end. " Jeremie pointed back to the large, red-colored paper. "They were both really upset when they heard what happened to you."
Ulrich could make out almost whole lines from their long messages. "If I write something, will you please take it back to them?" he asked hopefully. The principal nodded. "Wow…I can't wait to talk to them again…all of them…"
"There's one from your soccer team, too." Odd pointed out a large, circular poster of paper cut out to look like a soccer ball with signatures and messages on it as well, already taped to the wall.
"We're not a team without you, Ulrich," said Jim after he and Dorothy had rolled up the first poster.
"Oh, I know." Ulrich smirked. "Tell them I promise to be back on the field as soon as I'm allowed to."
Dorothy had made her way over to him by then, having handed off her end of Sissi's poster to Jim, and stood on the other side of Yumi. "Ulrich, you look so well. I was very worried when I heard that you were involved in such an accident."
Ulrich suddenly felt confused. "Did they say what happened to me?" he asked her, the emotion showing on his features.
"As far as we were told, you were involved in a low-speed car accident," the nurse replied. "But the doctor said earlier that you're walking away with the least amount of injuries he's ever seen in this type of case."
Ulrich then felt a pain on his forehead, the creasing of his brow causing more discomfort than usual. He reached up and put his fingers to a row of stitches above his left eye. When he pulled his hand away, he noticed that it was red, knowing both would be from tripping during school, but also no doubt from skidding against he concrete while he was falling a second time during the accident. The scratches had been treated, he realized as he looked at both hands, and were already starting to heal. He knew that his back was hurt somehow, but not too badly as he only felt pain with sudden or large movements.
He looked over to his right hip, sensing something was wrong. Pulling back his bed sheets, he saw a large, black bruise as he peeked through his green hospital gown. His eyes widened and he remained still at the sight of the injury.
"Are you in any pain now?" Dorothy asked.
"A little…" Ulrich answered. "But…it's actually not that bad. I'll be okay."
"Good," said the school nurse. "You only have about a two-day recovery time before you can come back to Kadic." She smiled. "After that, I heard the doctor say that you should be walking, running, and playing soccer again in no time."
"Really?" Ulrich looked back to her, replying eagerly.Still smiling, Dorothy nodded. "Ulrich, you should know that you're situation has amazed many already. None of the police or staff in this building could believe how minor all of your injuries are compared to those they usually see people suffer from after being hit by a car."
"Yeah, Ulrich," Odd chimed in. "You're the luckiest person alive right now!"
Ulrich was examining his injuries again as they spoke, but his attention shot up to Odd as the blonde boy added his opinion. Then he forgot about his physical pain, gazing at all the people surrounding him.
Mr. and Mrs. Ishiyama stood next to Jim, Yumi's father's arm around his wife's waist as she leaned against him, both smiling at Ulrich's interactions with everyone in the room. Jim still held Sissi's poster, also smiling as Ulrich looked to him. The principal was next, seeming to still be wringing his hands, as the brunette boy knew he must have been earlier before the administrator knew of his condition.
Then he saw Dorothy, smiling before she stepped back to take a look at his monitors. He was left with his three friends surrounding him. As he looked at each of their faces, tears built up in his eyes. "I can't believe I'm back…" he mumbled.
"What?" Yumi asked, not hearing him.
He gazed into her eyes. They were the same as the ones he remembered looking into at his gravesite, but he felt burdens lifting from his shoulders to see that they weren't hopeless anymore. "I love you so much…" he said softly, almost under his breath as a tear streaked down his cheek.
"Ulrich…" Yumi reached over and gently held his hand. She smiled, whispering in return. "I will always love you."
Ulrich felt fulfilled, knowing that he would have another chance with the girl that truly loved him, and that he absolutely loved in return. He then looked over to his other friends.
Seeing Odd made him feel uncomfortable at first, but after he had heard him, he could tell that he was back to his old self. He knew then that he could count on him to be the same crazy, trustworthy, good-intentioned friend that he was before. Smiling, he looked to his third best friend.
Jeremie seemed to have been grinning the entire time. Ulrich was overwhelmed with relief to see the young boy happy and smiling, the blonde then pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and smiling as he made eye contact with Ulrich. He couldn't put into words how much he appreciated seeing Jeremie as his young, bright self again.
"You're right, Odd." Ulrich said, gazing at everyone in the room once more.
"Right about what?" his friend asked.
The audience in the room then heard more footsteps in the hallway, their attention turning to the new voices through the opened doorway. "Mr. and Mrs. Stern, you're son is in this room, just up this way," they could hear an older man, possibly the doctor, saying.
Ulrich started laughing. Everyone suddenly looked back to him, startled by his random action, but he spoke up again. "I am the luckiest person," he said, as he laid back, comfort taking over him as he looked upwards. He was crying, the tears streaming freely down his cheeks, but smiled as he knew he received everything that he had wished for. "Because…I'm alive again."
The End
Many more fics coming soon. Until then (yes, I still must ask, lol), please review! : )