Code Lyoko: Revolutions and Evolutions

Chapter 23

It had been a long night as Aelita lay awake awaiting her mother's call which she felt was sure to come. In a way, Aelita felt as if she had been on a razor's edge in terms of what she knew was headed her way and indeed towards all the warriors with what her mother had told her in her message. However, until such time as Anthea was to call back, Aelita had no choice but to wait. 

Fatigue had already been mounting throughout the day. The finals she encountered had already taken a toll on her as she had studied. But the sheer number of things she had to commit to memory over this year, in particular, had played havoc on her. Aelita would never bring this up to Jeremy as she felt this was not his burden to bear but her own.

In this regard she was right, but she was also misguided in that she felt on some level he may not understand. The truth be told, all the Lyoko warriors had their aspects of doubt. The whole figuring out how to get over an invisible prison wall while exhilarating had taken its toll. What's more, the fact that this new program, North-Gate had been so easily able to put their true motivations before them had been in a word, awe-inspiring. Aelita had seen just what her friends were capable of and willing to do to achieve a mission's objective. Was this so much a bad thing? No. However, it was just a revelation of what people could and would do with their backs pressed against the wall. Inevitably a cornered animal will lash out against its opponent.

So, in turn, the team was beginning to do in the face of their new enemy. Ulrich, while his actions, Aelita didn't agree within a loyalty aspect to Yumi, she had to begrudgingly admit had proven useful in breaking the first set of chains in which North-Gate had them trapped. And if this was truly but a glimpse of what the team was willing to do, in a way, Aelita was proud of this risk they would be willing to take. The paths they took, as a result, may not be always morally or ethically pleasing, but then she realized this is what war was, not a war of ideals so much as it was a war of morals and standards being raised and lowered by turns often in reciprocation of actions levied against one warring party by another.

All this combined gradually made it to the back of Aelita's mind as she had to address these things and if not with the team, then at least with herself. Aelita laid on her bed, staring at the blackness that differentiated one wall from another. Focusing on her breathing and the near silence of the dorms, she waited a bit longer for the call from her mother. It was eleven-o-clock. She'd do her best to stay awake another half-hour. If the call had not come by then she would have resigned herself that the call would likely come the next day. She closed her eyes and rested for a moment and finally, she drifted off to sleep.

Aelita dreamed, she dreamed that she and her mother were in a town a smaller town she knew. As if this town were teetering on the edge of the present day and fifty years ago. Aelita was with Anthea getting two pizzas but she saw this panic-stricken apprehension to her mother's face. She was afraid, so very afraid.

"What's wrong mom?" she asked.

"They know, they know that I know and they're trying to kill me," Anthea said as she looked around herself as if expecting some great terror to come and take away her breath.

Aelita used a debit-card and paid for the pizzas and they headed out to the car. It was a small maroon sedan car. In many ways, Aelita knew it wasn't ideal at all for the snow and ice-filled mess that was outside, but she had faith it would get them to where they needed to go. Once inside, they pulled out of the gas station and went along their way.

As they drove along the road which was a true ice-rink due to the city's lack of maintenance, Aelita felt panic as at first, she saw the building where they were headed to but so bad was the ice and so great her mother's fears that they slid right past. They rounded the block and tried twice more. Aelita's terror was growing as the car slipped and slid diagonally point to point almost in a serpentine motion. She knew she was in a dream, but she couldn't stop the dream. She went first above the car seeing the car in its motion then back into her seat, filled with fear and uncertainty as just barely point by point they missed going into nearby ditches.