11: Sector 5
Theme Song: A World Without Danger
11: Sector 5
Twilight couldn't believe what was happening. She had always wanted to talk to one of the Architects of Lyoko, but she had pretty much figured they were all dead. The idea that one of them was talking to her right now was surprising enough.
But to be talking to the head Architect was borderline too much.
“How did you know how to reach me?” Twilight asked Eos.
“That, much like my true name, is not important,” Eos replied, “What is important is the fact that we are talking.”
“Why are you contacting me now?” Twilight asked.
“Because I saw the girl,” Eos said, “You set Fluttershy free from virtual imprisonment. While turning on the computer itself was dangerous, you managed to free Fluttershy from XANA. I don't know if I should condemn you for your folly, or commend you for your diligence.”
“My folly?” Twilight asked as something inside of her snapped, “None of this would have happened in the first place if you hadn't abandoned Fluttershy from the beginning!”
Eos grimaced on the other end.
“You could have fought XANA, you could have materialized Fluttershy, but instead you turned the computer off and left her there! If you truly loved Fluttershy, you would have stayed by her and protected her, instead of running away!”
Eos sighed, “Harsh words, Twilight, but you are not wrong. The truth is, I am a coward. I created something powerful, and I feared it. Instead of facing it, I took the easy way out. Even now, the only reason I hide my identity from you is because of my fear.”
“Well, it doesn't matter,” Twilight said, “Unfortunately, XANA still has pieces of Fluttershy hidden in Lyoko. Until we get those pieces, we can't shut down the super computer and get rid of XANA.”
“Hm… even if you were to turn off the computer, as you demonstrated that wouldn't stop XANA,” Eos said thoughtfully.
“That's why I want to destroy XANA once and for all,” Twilight said, “That way, whether or not the computer is on, XANA won't be able to hurt anyone again.
“I see,” Eos said, “To that end, you will need help.”
Twilight's anger at Eos began to dissipate when she said that, “You can help us?”
“In terms of defeating XANA, no,” Eos admitted, “That is beyond even my capabilities. However, in terms of setting Fluttershy free from the super computer…”
“You can help me save Fluttershy?” Twilight asked, “How?”
“Tell me,” Eos said, “What happens when you try and turn the computer off?”
“She becomes lifeless,” Twilight said, “It's scary. It's like she turns off herself. We think that XANA stole her memory files, and is keeping them inside Lyoko.”
“Well, you're not wrong per say,” Eos said, “However, there is more to it then that.”
“More?” Twilight asked, now getting worried.
“Do you know what Fluttershy is?” Eos asked.
“I'm afraid not,” Twilight admitted, “All I know is that she's able to deactivate the towers that XANA activates.”
“She still has that, good,” Eos said cryptically, “I was wondering how you were able to fight XANA for so long.”
“Eos… what exactly is Fluttershy?” Twilight said, “Because you're making it sound like she's more than just a security program or anti XANA program.”
“I assure you that she is much more than a computer program,” Eos said, “I could tell you, but it would be better for you to discover that for yourself. You wouldn't understand it if I told you now, anyway.”
That annoyed Twilight at bit, knowing that Eos knew what Fluttershy was but refused to tell her. That just made her even more curious as to what she was though.
“Alright then,” Twilight said, “If you want to be enigmatic, fine. Don't tell me. Can you at least tell me where I need to go to find this thing that Fluttershy lost?”
“You already went there,” Eos said, “At least, two of your friends did. Fluttershy's memories, along with the core part of her that's missing are hidden deep within the security section of my sector.”
“Your sector?” Twilight asked slowly.
“Yes Twilight,” Eos continued, “The sector that I created to be the foundation of Lyoko. If you wish to free Fluttershy, you must journey to the deepest section of Agartha, also known as Sector 5.”
“Sector 5?” Rainbow Dash asked after everyone met up at lunch to be filled in on Twilight's conversation with Eos.
“That's what Eos called it,” Twilight said, “The actual code name for it is Agartha, but in truth its actually a fifth sector of Lyoko.”
“What is Sector 5?” Rarity asked, “Apart from being fifth sector?”
“According to Eos,” Twilight explained, “Its the center most point of Lyoko. It's there that all of the important programs within Lyoko are kept. We're talking the source codes for Lyoko, hidden programs and files...”
“And my memories...” Fluttershy said somberly.
“Yes,” Twilight said, “Eos said that the only way to find your missing data is to go into the deepest parts of the security section.”
“Well then, let's get goin,” Applejack said.
“Hold on. It's not that simple,” Twilight said, “First of all, you'll need to use those bikes to get around.”
“You mean that awesome bike that Applejack and Rarity were riding on?” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly, “Do we all get one?”
“Well, I have enough memory to make at least three more for now,” Twilight said, “Eos sent me a map of Sector 5's layout, and certain parts are broken up by a highway of information. Those motorcycles, Tera-Bikes as she called them, are the only things that can move on that rode. Falling off there is the same as falling into the digital sea in Lyoko.”
“So you need time to make more,” Rarity said.
Twilight nodded, “Also, Eos said that going into the security section is dangerous for another reason.”
“What reason is that?” Applejack asked.
“XANA,” Twilight said simply, confusing everyone.
“Um, isn't that a problem no matter where in Lyoko we are?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“It's different here,” Twilight said, “XANA exists everywhere in Lyoko, but he's all but taken over Sector 5. It's practically his home base.”
“The monsters there sure are different,” Applejack said seriously, “Ah fought a few in there, an' Ah was surprised by how strong they were. One hit damn near took half of my health.”
“And then there was that scary jellyfish,” Rarity said, “None of my attacks seemed to hurt it.”
“The only thing XANA can't access in Sector 5 is whatever is in the center most section of it,” Twilight said, “This includes the core of Lyoko and the keys.”
“Let me guess,” Dash said, “If we go through the security section of Sector 5, we're breaking the security of Lyoko itself.”
“Thus we're letting XANA into the deepest section of Lyoko,” Twilight said gravely, “Exactly.”
“I gotta give it to XANA,” Pinkie Pie said, “He's a really good planner.”
“Ah'll say,” Applejack said, “If we wanna save Fluttershy, we gotta lead XANA into the core section of Lyoko.”
“It stands to reason there's something there that he wants,” Rarity said, “He probably planned this whole thing just to get into core section.”
“Damn it...” Dash said crossing her arms, “And if just not go in there, he's gonna keep causing havoc. Shit, we're screwed either way.”
“There is another option, you know...” Fluttershy said somberly, “Just saying…”
“That isn't an option,” Twilight said sternly, “We're not going to kill you just to defeat XANA. Eos already took that route. We're not going to stoop to her level and take the easy way out.”
“So what are we going to do?” Dash asked.
“Ah say we risk it,” Applejack said, “We gotta start makin moves sometime. If we let XANA scare us off then we're lettin him win.”
“Dah,”, Rarity nodded, “I agree with AJ. We have to fight XANA at some point anyway. Sooner we end fight better.”
“Well, you know I'm down,” Dash said, “I don't like the idea of XANA getting what he wants, but if it helps Fluttershy, then I say what the hell.”
“I'm with Dashie!” Pinkie Pie said adamantly, “XANA's keeping Fluttershy hostage, and I don't like that! I say we set her free, and then punch XANA in the freaking soul!”
“So we're all in agreement?” Twilight asked, “We fight for Fluttershy, regardless of what XANA gets from the security section of Sector 5?”
When everyone nodded and smiled at Fluttershy, she gave them a teary smile.
“Thank you!” Fluttershy said, “Thank you all so much!”
“Agartha?” Trixie asked walking over to her bookshelf.
“Well, it came up once during class,” Twilight said, “Since you were so helpful before, I figured you'd know about this.”
“Well, Agartha isn't very well known,” Trixie said, “Except among those who look into the unknown such as Trixie. It's said that somewhere in the world is a doorway to a hidden land deep in the center of the Earth.”
“And that world is Agartha?” Twilight asked.
“Yes,” Trixie pulled out a book and showed it to Twilight, “It's sometimes associated with the mythical city of Shambhala believed to be in Inner Asia. While most believe the city to be a land filled with treasure and secrets of the world, Theosophists in particular believe it to be more of a network of tunnels inhabited by demons.”
“I see...” Twilight said, immediately seeing the connection of the names.
“Twilight, are you okay?” Trixie asked, “You seem troubled.”
“Oh, I'm fine,” Twilight lied, “Like I said, I was just curious is all.”
“Twilight, you are Trixie's best friend,” Trixie said taking Twilight's hand, “If there is anything bother you, you can talk to Trixie.”
“I know...” Twilight said, “But it's nothing I can't handle. Seriously, you've been a great help to me, Trixie. Thank you.”
Trixie gave Twilight an uncertain look, but she hugged her all the same. When Twilight stepped out of Trixie's room, she went outside to the schoolyard. She found a large tree to sit under, where she hugged her knees and silently shed a few tears.
She didn't tell her friends, but her opinion of XANA was changing. Before she saw XANA as a simple computer virus with an advanced AI. She was an expert when it came to computers, she could beat a virus. She could outsmart it.
But then she actually met XANA, and he showed himself to be far more than a computer virus.
XANA wasn't merely a machine. He was a machine, but like Fluttershy there was something more. He wasn't a machine simply acting automatically. He had true sentience and free will. He could learn, get smarter, and he could plan. He had shown that in the last few attacks.
He knew full well that they couldn't fully materialize Fluttershy, and he let them believe that they were on the right track. Just yesterday he activated a tower just to lure Twilight and her friends into Lyoko to trap them. Even now his plan was working, as the only way they could save Fluttershy was to give XANA exactly what he wanted. He planned this too perfectly. But none of that compared to what really had Twilight afraid.
What scared her was XANA's reasoning for targeting her.
Simple. I hate you Twilight. I want the pleasure of watching the life sucked out of you personally.
XANA hated her. Not Fluttershy, not her friends, he hated her. He may have wanted to take Fluttershy back, but he wanted to kill Twilight. He wanted her to suffer, and he was quite capable of doing that. She was now terrified of XANA, and what he could and would do to her.
“Twilight?”
Twilight looked up and saw Vice-Principal Luna standing over her with a worried expression.
“L-Luna...” Twilight said wiping her eyes, “What are you doing here?”
“I come out here a lot to think,” Luna said sitting down next to Twilight, “I didn't expect to see you out here crying though.”
“Oh… sorry...” Twilight said, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
“Does this have to do with XANA?” Luna asked. Twilight looked up at Luna about to deny it, but was met with a look that was both stern and motherly at the same time.
“You were right,” Twilight admitted, “Before, I was underestimating XANA. It finally hit me though. He's a threat, and he can kill us. Kill… me.”
“Twilight...” Luna said, clearly taken aback.
“He told me that's what he wants,” Twilight said, tearing up again, “He even told me that he's going to come after me personally, that he's the only one allowed to kill me,” Twilight broke down, “What am I going to do?”
“Oh Twilight,” Luna said embracing Twilight, “Talking about it is a good start. Do the others know?”
“No, they don't,” Twilight said, “I couldn't tell them. What would they think of me?”
“If they're true friends, I'm sure they'll understand,” Luna said putting her hands on Twilight's shoulders, “They're your team. If you can't trust them with your fears, then you can't trust them at all.”
“But Fluttershy will think that this is her fault,” Twilight said, “She'll tell us to just turn the computer off, killing her.”
“Would you do that?” Luna asked.
“No! Never!” Twilight said adamantly.
“But it would protect you from XANA,” Luna said raising an eyebrow, “That way he'd never be able to reach you.”
“I don't care! I'm not going to kill Fluttershy just to save myself! I couldn't-” Twilight noticed that Luna was smiling, “L-Luna?”
“You're a lot stronger than you think, Twilight,” Luna said, “XANA wants to break you, but you've shown that you're not going to let him beat you. He's evil, and full of hatred. Someone like him will not succeed.”
“It doesn't change the fact that I'm still terrified of him,” Twilight said looking down in shame.
“And that fear is fine,” Luna said, “Twilight, do you know the difference between bravery and courage?”
“Aren't they the same thing?” Twilight asked.
“Not at all,” Luna said moving a strand of Twilight's hair, “Bravery is when you have no fear. However, to have courage means that you not let fear stop you. It's okay for you to be afraid, as long as that fear doesn't stop you.”
Twilight hugged Luna, “Thanks Luna. I'm really happy that you joined our team.”
“I'm happy that I can be here for you,” Luna said, “I can't imagine what you'd do without me here.”
Neither of them knew this, but Rainbow Dash was right behind the tree listening to their conversation. She herself had begun seeing things differently. Sure, she and Pinkie Pie still joked around like Lyoko was a video game, but they knew much better. Dash herself wanted to be more useful, especially now that she saw how afraid Twilight was.
Dash walked back to her and Pinkie Pie's room, feeling even better about what she had planned.
After she finished making the bikes, Twilight asked everyone to meet her in her room.
“Alright, everything is set up,” Twilight said turning to everyone.
“So, we can transfer into Sector 5 now?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, yes and no,” Twilight said.
“Yes an' no?” Applejack asked, “What's that supposed ta mean?”
“Well, everything is set up per say,” Twilight said, “I mean, we could theoretically go into Sector 5, but we're still locked out.”
“This is very important place,” Rarity said, “I can't imagine being able to just walk in anytime we want.”
“Man, now I know this place is super important,” Pinkie Pie sighed, “Just like any other RPG, we have to go on this hour long side quest just to get the key into Sector 5 which will include finding someone's cat and buying some random item from a store that doesn't even sell it anymore, which means going to some other shop to get the item made, but we have to get the material first, which can only be found within Lyoko's Forest Sector and Mountain Sector.”
Everyone turned to Pinkie Pie with varying degrees of “WTF”.
“That… was horribly precise…” Rarity said slowly.
“I pray to God that doesn't happen,” Rainbow Dash said, “Seriously, if we have to go on some random quest that has nothing to do with our mission, I'm done.”
“Don't worry,” Twilight said, “I'm sure Eos will help us once we get to Lyoko.”
“How do ya know that?” Applejack asked.
“She helped us before, remember?” Twilight said, “She wouldn't tell us to go to Sector 5 and then not give us the means of getting there.”
“How did you get there before?” Fluttershy asked Rarity and Applejack.
“Well, Ah went ta the edge of the Desert Sector,” Applejack explained, “When Ah got there, some weird sphere came outta the Digital Sea an' scooped me up. Ah felt like Ah was flyin, an' after a few seconds Ah was in Sector 5.”
“I just woke up there,” Rarity said, “I did feel really tired though, so XANA must have pulled me there unnaturally.”
“Which means Applejack's method is the real way there,” Twilight said, “Okay, we'll head out tomorrow after classes end. This is going to be our toughest mission yet, so we need to be prepared.”
“Perfect,” Rainbow Dash said getting up and stretching, “Pinkie Pie, wanna help me train?”
“Sure Dashie,” Pinkie Pie said skipping over to Dash. As they left, Rarity held her head looking a little tired.
“Rares, are ya alright?” Applejack asked.
“I'm fine,” Rarity said, “Just headache. Didn't get much sleep last night.”
“You should go home for now, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, “Get some rest for tomorrow.”
“Dah,” Rarity said, “You walk me home?” Rarity asked Applejack.
“Sure thing,” Applejack said smiling, “Ah'll be back before curfew, maybe.”
“I'll cover for you,” Twilight said looking at Fluttershy, who took her hand smiling, “Assuming I'm not preoccupied when Luna comes charging in.”
“Have good night, you two,” Rarity said, “See you tomorrow.”
“Take care Rarity,” Fluttershy said. When Rarity and Applejack left, Fluttershy sat down on Twilight's bed and folded her arms, “Twilight, I'm worried about us going to Sector 5.”
“Yeah, me too,” Twilight admitted, though for completely different reasons, “It'll be okay though. Even if its a little different, its still a sector in Lyoko, right?”
“I hope so,” Fluttershy said, “Still, knowing that we're essentially giving XANA what he wants is...”
“When the time comes, we'll deal with it,” Twilight said, trying her best to sound brave, “Who knows, once we know exactly what XANA wants in Sector 5, we might be able to intercept him.”
“He's gotten the upper hand before,” Fluttershy said, “I hate to say it, but right now XANA is winning this war.”
“He is, for now,” Twilight said turning to her computer, “He won't be winning for long though. We're… going to beat him,” Twilight said, her hands trembling thinking about the intense hatred XANA had for her in particular.
Fluttershy must have sensed her fear. She got up and embrace Twilight from behind. It was a truly loving gesture, one that Twilight appreciated.
She loved this angel so much.
“Dashie, what are we really doing?” Pinkie Pie asked Rainbow Dash as they walked to the factory.
“There's something I need to get here,” Rainbow Dash said.
“We're not going to mess with the computer, are we?”
“Hell no,” Rainbow Dash said, “That's just asking for trouble. Right now, the only ones I trust even touching that thing are Twilight and Fluttershy. I just need to get a book, is all.”
“A book?” Pinkie Pie asked in confusion. Dash just left it at that though, and continued into the factory. Once there, she and Pinkie Pie took the elevator down into the main computer room.
Pinkie Pie shuddered, “This place is really spooky without Fluttershy on screen to greet us.”
“Yeah, and knowing that our main enemy is right downstairs doesn't help either,” Dash said walking around the computer, looking for something, “Now if I were a nerdy computer genius, and I found a super advanced computer, where would I keep… Ah hah! Found it!”
Pinkie Pie looked as Dash pulled out a really thick text book from under the keyboard.
“Is that the instruction manual?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Closest thing to one we'll get here,” Rainbow Dash said looking it over, “Man this thing is thick… Oh well, better start reading. Come on Pinkie Pie.”
“Wait,” Pinkie Pie said running after Dash as she walked to the elevator, “You're going to read that?”
“Yeah, why not?” Dash said.
“It just seems a like a bit much,” Pinkie Pie said looking at the humongous book, “My math book isn't even that big, and have you seen how big that book is?”
“I'll be fine,” Dash said, “I may not be an egghead like Little Miss Perfect, but I have my own skills too.”
Pinkie Pie shrugged her shoulders, content with Dash's answer. She clearly knew what she was doing. Still, Pinkie Pie wouldn't be caught dead reading something that big. She'd spend an afternoon playing Bubsy 3D before reading something that big.
She thought about that, and changed her mind. Nothing was worse than playing Bubsy 3D.
After their afternoon classes, Twilight and Fluttershy went to Applejack and Rarity's fencing class to wait for everyone else. It looked like Rarity was feeling better thankfully, as she was really aggressive in class. That was the Rarity they all knew and loved.
When they were done, Rarity called her parents, apparently telling them some lie about maybe spending time with Applejack (as the entire conversation was in Russian, Twilight could only make out a few words). She and Applejack got changed, and met up with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash near the secret passage.
After the six girls climbed down into the sewers, they all picked up their vehicles and rode off, Fluttershy now riding her own scooter close to Twilight. They reached the factory and swung down to where the elevator was, Twilight getting off alone at the computer room while everyone else took the elevator all the way down to the scanner room.
“Okay, I'll transfer Applejack and Rarity first,” Twilight said, “After that, Fluttershy, Dash, and Pinkie Pie will follow.”
“Transfer Applejack!” Twilight said as Applejack stepped into her scanner.
“Transfer Rarity!” Twilight continued as Rarity entered her scanner.
“Scanner Applejack!” Twilight said matching Applejack to her avatar on Lyoko.
“Scanner Rarity!” Twilight said, now matching Rarity to her avatar, “Virtualization!”
Applejack and Rarity took form in the air above the Forest Sector, and landed near the edge of the sector. Applejack walked over to Rarity.
“Now, are ya sure ya feelin better?” Applejack asked.
“Dah,” Rarity said, “Much better. Was just anxious about going to Sector 5 again.”
“Hopefully we won't have ta deal with that weird jellyfish again,” Applejack said squeezing Rarity's hand, “Ah'll protect ya from it.”
Rarity looked into Applejack's eyes, then turned away smirking, “That was horribly cheesy line.”
“Hey, Ah'm tryin ta be romantic here!” Applejack fussed playfully, making Rarity laugh.
“Virtualization!” Twilight's voice was heard. A few seconds later Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy were rendered into Lyoko and dropped down a bit in front of them.
“Now, are you love birds ready to jet?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yeah yeah, we're ready,” Applejack said hitting Rainbow Dash's arm, “Twilight, what next?”
“Head to the edge of the sector,” Twilight said, “I didn't feel safe transferring you right there, just in case I over shot it and dropped you into the Digital Sea, so you're a few meters away from it.”
“I see it,” Fluttershy said pointing ahead, “This way everyone.”
Everyone followed Fluttershy to the edge of the sector. It was nice to have the entire group together for a change.
Which meant XANA was going to devirtualize one of them really quick once they got to Sector 5.
Right as everyone was running to the edge of the Sector, Twilight got an email from Eos.
Once they reach the edge of the Sector, open this program and type in the code THESEUS. That will call the chariot and bring send them to Sector 5.
This showed Twilight two things. One, that Eos was in fact watching them right now from wherever she was, and two, she had planned on getting them to Sector 5 from the beginning.
Twilight dis as was requested, opening the chariot program once they arrived at the edge of the sector and putting in the code.
THESEUS
In Lyoko, a white sphere came out of the Digital Sea, and flew over to the five girls. At first they wondered how they would all fit inside of it, but when it opened up, they seemed to all be broken up into data bits and carried off to the center of the sector.
HOLOSPHRE SYSTEM
ACTIVATED
After a few seconds, the chariot let them off in the same dome shaped room they were in before with the moving ceiling.
“This room makes me feel dizzy,” Rarity complained.
“Neato...” Dash said looking around, “This is the coolest sector ever!”
“I bet the final boss is in here somewhere,” Pinkie Pie said, “Either that, or something needed to fight the final boss.”
When the walls stopped moving, a single door opened in front of them. Rarity and Applejack looked confused.
“Huh?” Rarity asked, “Why only one?”
“That is weird,” Applejack said, “Twilight?”
“It looks like the layout of Sector 5 is always changing,” Twilight said, “Since last time you both went into the security section, the chariot let you guys off somewhere still in the security section.”
“So we have ta clear the security section in order ta get into the core section?” Applejack asked.
“We don't need to go there anyway,” Dash said, “Remember, we came here to get Fluttershy's memories.”
“Rainbow Dash is right,” Twilight said, “Speaking of… I have gifts for you guys.”
In front of the girls appeared four futuristic motorcycles like Applejack rode the other day. One was the same red and black one that Applejack used, but there was a pink one, a blue and black one, and a silver and black one.
“Oh this is sweet!” Rainbow Dash said running over to the blue one.
“These are your new Tera-Bikes,” Twilight said proudly, “You'll use them to travel from one part of Sector 5 to the other.”
“Hey, think you could make something like a one wheeled bike, or a hover board, or a flying scooter?” Pinkie Pie asked Twilight.
“I may be a master programmer, but even I have my limits,” Twilight admitted, “Besides, this is more organized and easier to program.”
“It'd be cooler though...” Pinkie Pie pouted folding her arms.
Rarity walked over to the silver and black one. She got on, started it up, and smiled in almost ecstacy, “Mmm… that sound is wonderful.”
“Uh oh,” Dash said, “Future biker chick at six o'clock.”
“What? Even someone classy as moi can appreciate hum of good engine,” Rarity said.
“Are you sure it's the hum that's getting you excited?” Pinkie Pie asked with a smirk. Even Fluttershy started giggling at that. Rarity's face turned beet red and she looked away with a scowl.
“S-shut up!” Rarity fussed.
“Alright y'all, let's get movin before the claws come out,” Applejack said getting on her bike.
“I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna enjoy this,” Dash said getting on her bike and starting it up.
“Fluttershy, we'll ride together,” Pinkie Pie said getting on her pink bike. Fluttershy sat down behind her hugging her waist.
The four bikes rode off down the tunnel, Applejack's leaving a red trail, Dash's leaving a blue trail, Rarity's leaving a white trail, and Pinkie Pie's leaving a pink trail.
“Hey, this isn't too hard,” Pinkie Pie said, “I was thinking that we'd have to learn how to ride these things.”
“Along with programming the bikes themselves,” Twilight explained, “I also made a driving program and transferred that into you. Fluttershy, if you want, I can make one for you later.”
“That's okay Twilight,” Fluttershy said, “I kind of prefer to be a passenger. Though, you should probably have one yourself just in case.”
“Hey, check this out!” Dash called out. She hit the acceleration on her Tera-Bike popping a wheelie, “WHOO!!!! This is too much fun!!! Race you guys to the end!”
Dash rode off at high speed.
“Dash!” Rarity called out, “Ugh… that girl...”
“You were thinkin it too, so don't even try it,” Applejack said to Rarity before racing after Dash. Rarity sighed and rode after them.
“Fluttershy, are you okay back there?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“I'm alright,” Fluttershy said, “Go for it.”
“Hang on!” Pinkie Pie floored the acceleration on her motorcycle and rode after everyone, now officially entering the race.
Naturally Dash was right in front, but Applejack and Rarity were close behind her. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy managed to get right behind them, but couldn't get past anyone since there wasn't enough rode.
Right when everyone got really into the race though, an alarm went off around them. Fluttershy turned to see three robotic bikers riding after them, their bikes looking just like the Tera-Bikes but with XANA's symbol on the front.
“Um, we've got company!” Fluttershy cried out.
“Those are called Bikers!” Twilight said from the real world, “It looks like the pathway up ahead closed off! You'll have to take them out before you reach the end or you'll be cut off!”
“Then that's what we'll do!” Applejack said breaking off from everyone to get next to one of the bikers.
When she reached the biker, she pulled out her shotgun to fire at it, but it drove ahead out of the way.
“Shoot! They're too fast!” Applejack said.
“I've got this!” Pinkie Pie said, “Fluttershy, take the wheel for a second!”
“W-what?!” Fluttershy cried, watching as Pinkie Pie actually stood up on her bike. She jumped off it and used her Homing Attack hitting the biker Applejack tried to hit, knocking it off its bike killing it. Pinkie Pie landed perfectly on her bike, much to Fluttershy's relief.
“Don't do that again!” Fluttershy fussed.
“I make no promises,” Pinkie Pie admitted.
Rainbow Dash rode up next to another biker and had an interesting idea. Remembering a movie just like this, she rode in front of the biker making it hit the blue trail behind her motorcycle. Instantly the monster was deleted.
“Guys! I found an easier way to kill them!” Dash called out, “Just make them hit the trail behind you!”
“Dah!” Rarity said clashing her sword with the gun of another biker. This one was determined to kick or ram her off her bike, and refused to let her get ahead.
Applejack saw that and rode up in front of the fight, “Rares! Break away on three!”
Rarity counted to three in her head, and broke off from her foe. At the same time, Applejack rode in front of the monster hitting it with her red trail, killing it.
“Thanks AJ,” Rarity said riding up next to Applejack.
“Ah told ya Ah'd protect ya,” Applejack said with a smile.
After a few more seconds, the girls made it to the end of the rode, which opened up to a completely different section.
Rainbow Dash stopped her bike and got off looking around. This place was a bit more like a labyrinth made of multiple platforms suspended over a pure white abyss. Ahead it lead into a more closed off section with four pathways.
“Okay, now this is different,” Dash said as the others rode in after her.
“Huh...” Applejack got off her bike and looked around, “Where's we end up this time?”
“You guys are now in Security Level 1,” Twilight said, “If we clear the security here, we'll be able to access Level 2.”
“That means XANA will be able to as well,” Rarity said.
“Don't remind me,” Twilight sighed, “He's already infiltrated this section, so be careful. According to Applejack, the monsters here are stronger.”
“Well, as long as we stick together we should be fine,” Dash said walking forward, completely unaware of the hazard next to her, “We can handle a few monsters, right?”
“Dashie! Look out!” Pinkie Pie cried out. Dash looked to see a section of the wall shoot out to hit her. Applejack ran over to her and pushed her out of the way just in time.
“Holy shit!” Dash shouted, “Is this place trying to kill us?!”
“Remember when I said this is security level one?” Twilight asked, “Meet the security!”
“The whole place is changing!” Fluttershy cried, pointing forward. The pathway ahead was beginning to close itself off too.
“Oh, now what?” Twilight fussed. She got an email from Eos, who thankfully was still watching them.
You need to find the switch that deactivates the security in the room before you can proceed.
“Okay Eos just sent me information,” Twilight said, “Somewhere in that room is a switch that will deactivate the security.”
“And all we have to do is find it, right?” Dash asked, “We got this!”
“Be careful,” Twilight urged, “I don't know what will happen if you lose your hit points here. It should follow the same rules at the other sectors, but better safe than sorry.”
The five girls began running forward through the labyrinth, as it violently tried to kill them. Parts of the walls, ceiling, and even the floor opened and moved in various ways trying to either crush them or make them fall into the abyss.
Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie didn't have much trouble dodging the constant assaults of the room being more agile. Pinkie Pie mostly ran around on all fours and even rolled out of the way while Rainbow Dash elegantly flipped and jumped away using a combination of free running and what looked like gymnastics.
Rarity and Applejack had it a little harder, both from not being as fast and from trying to keep Fluttershy close to them. Rarity took Fluttershy's hand and mostly waited for the pathways to be cleared before going forward while Applejack moved ahead taking the more dangerous routes.
Everything seemed rather straight forward, until they hit a section that broke up into four hallways.
“It looks like a maze in there,” Twilight said, “I can't tell which path is the right one.”
“We ain't got time ta wait till ya figure it out,” Applejack said, “As say we each pick one an' go in.”
“Got it,” Dash said.
“Good luck, everyone,” Pinkie Pie said. Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy nodded and they all ran down a different path, Rarity and Fluttershy going to the left, Applejack taking front left, Rainbow Dash taking front right, and Pinkie Pie taking the right.
Dash, not wanting to waste time, chose to use her super sprint to tackle most of the maze at high speed. While she ran through the maze, she was shot in the chest by a creeper, falling back.
Rainbow Dash: 60 HP
“Ugh… Damn it! That hurt!” Dash fussed getting up and looking at the monster, “So, you're one of the new guys, huh?” she pulled out her kunai and spun them around on her fingers, “I've been on a bit of a losing streak, and I plan on fixing that today. Wanna help with that?”
Rainbow Dash VS Creeper
The creeper answered her by firing another red laser out of her mouth. This time Dash was ready though, as she dodged to the side and threw her kunai at its head. It seemed to do a bit of damage, but clearly her weapon wasn't a good match against this thing.
Didn't mean she wasn't gonna win though.
She ran back a bit, leading the creeper away. As it crawled after her, it saw Dash waving to it in the distance. It fired at her, but she instantly vanished as it was just a clone. The monster crawled deeper in the maze, and felt something land on its back and start riding it. Dash pulled out two more kunai and threw them right in the monster's head, and jumped away as it exploded.
“Well, that wasn't too hard,” Dash said dusting herself off. More lasers began firing in her direction, and she saw three more creepers crawling after her quickly, “Seriously XANA?!”
In another part of the maze, Pinkie Pie was running away from two more creepers as they fired at her. Since they were somewhat built in the same way as tarantulas she thought they would be weak to her just like them.
She was so wrong.
“Okay, this is not a fun level!” Pinkie Pie cried running away on all fours, “I knew I should have grinded more!”
One shot got through, hitting Pinkie Pie in the back and knocking her to the ground screaming.
Pinkie Pie: 50 HP
Even though she was in Lyoko, Pinkie Pie's confidence was beginning to suffer. Nothing she did worked against these monsters, and she didn't even need to be able to see her life to know that one more hit from those and she was done.
“Dashie...” Pinkie Pie said, her eyes watering a bit, “Help me...”
One of the creepers tried to fire at her, but something hit it in the back killing it instantly. Pinkie Pie looked and saw Applejack reloading her shotgun pointing it forward.
“How do you like getting shot in the back?!” Applejack shouted firing at the other one. It moved to the side and fired at Applejack, who took the hit but blocked in order to reduce damage.
Applejack: 65 HP
Applejack reloaded her shotgun and fired, but once again the creeper moved out of the way. Seeing Applejack fight snapped Pinkie Pie back into the moment, and she rolled into a ball.
“Spin Tackle!” Pinkie Pie shouted, charging toward the creeper. She knocked it off its feet, doing minor damage, and Applejack followed up by firing at its head killing it.
“Pinkie Pie, ya alright?” Applejack asked.
“Yeah Applejack, I'm fine,” Pinkie Pie said with forced cheer. A raised eyebrow from Applejack caused her to wilt though, “Oh, I'm not okay at all. I hate this place. None of the monsters can be affected by my attacks, and without Dashie with me...”
Applejack put her hand on Pinkie Pie's shoulder, “Why don't we stay tagether then,” Applejack said, “At least till we find Dash.”
“Thanks Applejack,” Pinkie Pie said hugging Applejack, “You're the best.”
While they proceeded forward, Rarity and Fluttershy were in a completely different section of the maze. Oddly, they weren't running into any monsters.
“Quiet,” Rarity said looking around, “Too quiet.”
“Rarity, I have a bad feeling about this place,” Fluttershy said, “Maybe we should go back.”
“Nyet,” Rarity said shaking her head, “We're not leaving until we clear security here.”
They heard an odd sound behind them. Something like an underwater growl. Rarity tensed up when she heard that, as she had a run in with that thing before. She and Fluttershy turned around and saw the same giant jellyfish monster from before.
“You again!” Rarity said pulling out her sword, “So, trying to isolate us, XANA?”
Fluttershy looked up at the monster, and felt something come over her. It was a fear unlike anything she had ever felt, as if she were looking at XANA itself.
“S-scyphozoa...” Fluttershy said fearfully.
“Scyphozoa?” Rarity asked, “Is that monster's name?”
“It is,” Twilight said from the real world, “It's strange though.”
“I can't get any data on it at all,” Twilight continued. Her monitor only showed its name. Any other information on the monster came up blank. She couldn't even see a health bar on it.
“I met scyphozoa before,” Rarity said, “When I came here two days ago. Caught me off guard then, but not this time!”
“Rarity no! You can't fight it! You have to run away now!” Twilight urged.
“Rarity, please just listen to me! Get out of there!” Twilight continued.
“We need to listen to Twilight,” Fluttershy said, still trembling, “This thing is different from the other monsters.”
“Different?” Rarity asked, both she and Fluttershy backing away from the scyphozoa as it approached them.
“This monster...” Fluttershy said, “I feel...” she suddenly gasped in shock.
AHHH!!!!!!!
NO!!!! STOP IT!!!!! LET ME GO!!!!!
Fluttershy grabbed her head suddenly and screamed, shocking Twilight, Rarity, and anyone else who could hear her.
“Wait? Was that Fluttershy?” Dash asked, sprinting in the direction of the scream at high speed. She ended up running past Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who also heard the scream.
“Dashie?!” Pinkie Pie cried out.
“Ah bet she's followin the scream,” Applejack said, “We need ta go too!”
Pinkie Pie nodded and followed after Applejack, who thankfully got a good look at the direction Rainbow Dash ran in.
Rarity backed away from the scyphozoa, using her blade to slash its tentacles back as they reached for her and Fluttershy.
“Back XANA!” Rarity shouted, “Stay back!”
She didn't know if XANA was in control of this creature directly or not, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to let this thing get to Fluttershy, nor was she going to just let it catch her again either.
“Not again...” Fluttershy sobbed, “I don't want this again… I don't want to see this again…”
“Fluttershy, what's wrong?” Rarity asked.
Fluttershy just looked up at the monster, trembling and looking traumatized. Rarity had never seen her quite like this before. Rarity looked around the room and saw that all the passageways to their section had closed off, leaving them in a large arena like room.
She then looked up as the scyphozoa's tentacles reached out. There was nothing she could do as the scyphozoa grabbed hold of…
“Damn it!” Rainbow Dash shouted kicking the wall as it closed, “I was so close!”
Applejack and Pinkie Pie ran up to her.
“Dash, did ya find em?” Applejack asked.
“Right behind this wall, but it closed before I could get through,” Dash explained.
“Guys, you need to hurry!” Twilight said, “I can't tell what's going on in there! This new monster seems to jam my systems whenever it appears!”
“If we find the switch, will the walls change?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“I don't know,” Twilight said, “Maybe.”
“Either way, we can't just stay here and do nothing,” Dash said, “I'll go around and either find that switch or another way inside. If you see the corridor open, charge in.”
“Got it,” Applejack said.
“Dashie, hurry,” Pinkie Pie urged, “Fluttershy and Rarity are in danger.”
“I will,” Dash said, sprinting off at high speed. She ran as fast as she could, searching for that switch and/or another way into the room that Rarity and Fluttershy were stuck in.
Eventually she saw what looked like a button shaped like XANA's eye on a wall, guarded by two creepers.
“Twilight, think I can hit that switch with a kunai?” Dash asked.
“If you hit it just right, yes,” Twilight said, “But that is incredibly risky.”
“Gotta take risks every once in a while,” Dash said pulling out her kunai. She ran toward the switch as fast as she could, dodging the incoming fire from the creepers as best as she could. Once she felt she was close enough, she threw her kunai in the direction of the switch. This left her wide open as both creepers fired at her at the same time. The hits pushed her back as she devirtualized.
Rainbow Dash: 0 HP
Thankfully, her kunai hit the switch, deactivating the security in the room.
In the real world, the scanner that Rainbow Dash used opened, revealing Dash leaning against the wall of the scanner exhausted. She slowly pulled out her cellphone and called Twilight.
“Please tell me I hit it,” Dash said.
“You did,” Twilight said, “You were awesome, Rainbow Dash.”
“Tell me something I don't know,” Dash said with a smirk, hiding how she really felt. Truth was, she was terrified that she had missed the target.
Back in Sector 5, the wall slowly opened.
“She did it,” Applejack said in relief.
“I knew she could do it,” Pinkie Pie said happily. They both ran into the room, surprised and horrified by the sight they saw. The scyphozoa's tentacles were wrapped around not Fluttershy. She was sitting on the floor sobbing uncontrollably.
The one who was captured by the scyphozoa was Rarity.
Just like before, he held her up with most of its tentacles, a few holding her arms and legs, and some wrapped around her waist. There were also two more tentacles hovering over her head glowing red, and Rarity had a blank expression on her face.
“That is so wrong!” Pinkie Pie cried, “XANA, you are such a perv!”
“I still can't see! What's going on in there?!” Twilight asked frantically.”
“That new monster's got Rares!” Applejack said firing at the jellyfish monster, who this time seemed unfazed completely.
“Hold on, it looks like things are clearing up on my end,” Twilight said.
“What are you doing, XANA?” Twilight asked as Rainbow Dash walked into the computer room. They both looked at the monitor and saw something scary.
Installation: 19%
Installation: 22%
Installation: 26%
Twilight's eyes went wide when she realized what was happening, “Applejack, Pinkie Pie, get Rarity free NOW! XANA's trying to install something into her!”
“Like hell he will!” Applejack shouted.
“Ya messin with the wrong one taday, XANA!” Applejack shouted pointing her gun at the monster.
Applejack VS Scyphozoa
Applejack wasted no time firing at the scyphozoa, focusing mainly on the head. Still, nothing seemed to affect it. Either her shots weren't hurting it at all, or it had too many hit points to care. Either way, Rarity was in a lot of trouble.
Installation: 32%
Installation: 38%
“Pinkie Pie, help me out here!” Applejack commanded.
“I'll try!” Pinkie Pie said rolling into a ball, “Homing Attack!” her attack targeted its head, but she was pushed back into a wall by what seemed like a barrier.
Pinkie Pie got to her knees looking at the monster helplessly, “Applejack, I'm sorry, but none of my powers work here! There's nothing I can do!”
“Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!!” Applejack shouted firing wildly at the scyphozoa, “LET HER GO XANA!!!!”
Installation: 44%
Installation: 49%
“You need to change tactics!” Twilight said, “Whatever XANA's installing into Rarity, he's halfway done already!”
“What can Ah do?!” Applejack asked, “None of my attacks hurt the son of a bitch!”
Twilight thought hard, trying to figure out what to do. They needed to get Rarity free, but neither Applejack nor Pinkie Pie could directly damage the monster.
“Wait,” Twilight thought about the monster's make up, “It's shaped like a jellyfish… Applejack, focus on the tentacles!”
“Got it!” Applejack said, pointing her shotgun at the tentacles that were glowing. She fired at those, finally catching the attention of the scyphozoa, “Pinkie Pie, the tentacles ain't protected!”
“So I can hit it now?” Pinkie Pie said rolling into a ball, “Perfect! Homing Attack!”
Pinkie Pie this time targeted the tentacles wrapped around Rarity, forcing the monster to drop Rarity. Realizing that they had learned its weakness, the scyphozoa flew off. Applejack ran over to Rarity sitting her up.
“Rares! Rares! Come on girl, wake up!”
Pinkie Pie helped Fluttershy up and they walked over to Applejack and Rarity too.
“Is she alright?” Fluttershy asked, now a little calmer than before.
“She ain't movin!” Applejack said, “Twilight, pull us out now!”
“On it,” Twilight said, “Thankfully that entire structure is like one giant tower, so I can use Code Earth right from there. Materialize Pinkie Pie! Code: Earth!”
Both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy vanished from Lyoko at the same time as Applejack embrace Rarity.
“Yer gonna be okay, Rares,” Applejack said as both she and Rarity vanished from Lyoko at the same time.
When Rarity finally came too, she was back in the scanner room, lying on the floor. Everyone except for Fluttershy and Twilight were standing over her.
“Everyone...” Rarity said weakly. Applejack immediately embraced Rarity.
“Yer okay! Ah was worried that monster had killed ya!” Applejack said.
“Nyet, I'm fine, AJ,” Rarity said returning the loving embrace, “Still, I appreciate concern.”
“Geez,” Dash groaned, “I'm the reckless one of the group, remember? You're supposed to be the voice of reason.”
“I know I was being foolish,” Rarity said, “But when I saw how scared Fluttershy was-” Rarity suddenly looked up, “Fluttershy! Where is she? Is she-”
“She's okay,” Pinkie Pie said, “She and Twilight are upstairs checking out your data. XANA tried to install another virus into you.”
“He didn't succeed, did he?” Rarity asked.
“As far as we know, he failed,” Applejack said, “But knowin him, we can't be too careful.”
“Dah,” Rarity said looking down. That was the second time XANA singled her out like that. She thought that it was Fluttershy that he wanted. Since when was she XANA's main target?
“It doesn't look like anything is out of the ordinary,” Twilight said, “Whatever he was installing, it either was destroyed when we interrupted the process, or it wasn't a virus to begin with.”
“We can't trust it,” Fluttershy said, “XANA is smart. As far as we know, he may have encrypted it or something.”
“I'll get in contact with Eos later,” Twilight said, “Hopefully she'll have an answer for us.”
“Yes… hopefully,” Fluttershy said looking away somberly.
“Fluttershy, what happened to you in there?” Twilight asked, “You seriously started freaking out when you saw the scyphozoa.”
“I don't know what happened to me,” Fluttershy said, “I feel like at the time I knew, but now there's nothing there. I just remember feeling terrified of that monster.”
“Whatever it is, it's definitely different than XANA's usual batch of monsters,” Twilight said thoughtfully, “What do you want to do?”
“I… think I want to keep going,” Fluttershy said, surprising Twilight, “That monster took something from me, and I want, need it back.”
Twilight got up from her chair and walked over to Fluttershy and took her hands, “You know, next time we go into Sector 5, you can stay here. How about next time, you operate the computer while I-”
“No Twilight,” Fluttershy said seriously, “I have to face this. The only way I can learn what XANA took from me is if I go back to Sector 5 myself.”
Twilight looked down seriously, and then embraced Fluttershy. Nothing needed to be said between them. Right now, Fluttershy just needed comforting.
Twilight couldn't let her fears show now, not when Fluttershy had her own fears plaguing her.
That night, Twilight couldn't sleep. She couldn't take her mind off of what happened. Now XANA had done something weird to one of her friends, and he was still at large watching, and waiting for his next move.
Twilight looked at Applejack, who seemed to be resting relatively peacefully in her bed. She was wearing the blinders that Trixie gave them though, so as far as Twilight knew she could have been awake.
She sighed and got up, going to her computer. She felt lost, helpless. XANA was something beyond her, and slowly Twilight was beginning to wonder if they could defeat him. When she turned on her computer, she was surprised to see an email.
I understand that it's hard, but I want to commend you for your bravery. Few people would be willing to face the evil that is XANA. He doesn't have compassion, he doesn't have a soul. He is pure evil, and will not rest until he has what he wants. What that is exactly, I don't know.
Still, despite your bravery, I understand that you are very young, and also very afraid. That is understandable, and I apologize wholeheartedly for putting you through this. This is my fault, Twilight, just as you said. You are cleaning up my mistake, and that isn't fair.
I have attached with this email my personal email address. It is encrypted, like all files I send you, but if you send me an email to this address, I assure you that I will get it, and reply back to you as soon as I am able. You may contact me here anytime, as much as you like.
There is only so much I can do right now, but I want you to know that you are not alone. I am here for you.
Eos
Twilight damn near broke down crying when she read that. She had spent so much time loathing Eos for making XANA and abandoning Fluttershy, yet she had opened the path for communication, just for her security.
Eos was a friend, probably soon to be one of Twilight's closest.
Realizing that she wasn't going to bed anytime soon, she decided to send Eos an email.
Dear Eos,
First I want to thank you for opening up to me. I have been worried about a lot, so knowing that you're willing to open up to me actually helps.
Secondly, I want to apologize for how I treated you before. You're not a bad person. I can see that now. Truth is, I understand why you took the route you did now. XANA is evil. He has said to me directly that he hates me, and that he himself wants to kill me. The idea that something so sinister wants me dead unnerves me.
Finally, there's something I wanted to tell you. That monster, the scyphozoa I believe it's called, installed something into my friend Rarity. We interrupted it, but it was more than halfway finished by the time we freed her.
Do you know what XANA uses the scyphozoa for? What did he install into Rarity, and should we be worried?
Please get back to me soon.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle.
After finishing the email and sending it, she felt more at peace. She had an ally who knew what they were dealing with, and now she had a way to reach her anytime she wanted. With Eos' help, maybe they could defeat XANA.
Twilight started feeling a little sleepy. She walked to her bed, fell down, and instantly went to sleep, feeling more at peace than she had for a while.
Ending Theme: Can't Fight the Moonlight
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Carthage and Agartha; Scipio and Theseus... You are a creative genius, Sapphire! And I love the changes you made to Agartha, especially the Bikers. Also:
Nice.
I may have just figured it out!
1. I love how Pinkie references the actual vehicles and to RPGs. Speaking of which, Tera-Bikes? Love it! Also, those Tron references.
2. What was Dash hoping to get from reading an "instruction manual"?
3. I'm seeing that you flipped the role of the Scyphozoa. Still wondering what it wants from Rarity. Unless...
4. I noticed you made no reference to the timer from the series. Does it not have a timer here?
5. FIRST!!! TO VIEW AND COMMENT!!!
So far, so good. I haven't stopped reading yet, so keep giving me reasons not to stop! Well done!
So Spike in this is an email client? eos@spike.net?
I'm beginning to wonder if XANA is the 'nightmare' of the setting. And may or may not want to replace Twilight... Your XANA is so much creepier.
6415168 Maybe she still have that photographic memory trick and she's learning to operate the system so Twilight can be on the field more.
6415296 Possibly. And I think we all agree that this XANA is better. More interesting. More... sinister. More... likable, yet scary as hell. He rocks.
6415296 I know you were joking, but that email address sounded really cool, so I might use that.
6415340 I would be honoured if you did
I really enjoyed all the stuff in Sector 5. Including the little bit of Tron you put in, what with the bikes, and all.
I'm still sooo hyped to see what is to come!!
...Ever since this XANA took Twilight's form, I can't help but think of it as female.
I'm totally afraid for rarity now, XANA leave her alone
If this is only borderline too much, what would be too much?
Ouch.
Low blow.
Indeed. Got any bright ideas?
Oh?
I hate this cryptic bullshit.
Was Agartha part of the actual show or not, I forget.
Yep.
Yes.
Tera-bikes, terabytes. See? I can get tech puns. Also, RoAD. Yikes, so, no falling then.
Well, he's got every reason to make his home base as strong as possible.
Yes, we'll be seeing more of it I suspect.
Indeed. He is a master of the XANAtos Gambit, you don't go, you never get Shy's memories and keep giving it a chance to keep trying to kill you, if you do, it can get into the deepest part of Lyoko itself. And turning off the Supercomputer kills Shy, something they will not do.
Exactly.
Agreed. It'd be easier if he had a physical form, but that's what makes him so effective, like Sauron and Sombra, we never see him do much personally, yet we KNOW that he's there, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike, and all he needs is a single activated tower to wreak havoc.
You mean deck him in the shnozz.
I see.
Fascinating. Wait, Shambhala, wasn't that in that one Fullmetal Alchemist movie? Conqueror of Shambhala?
Wonder if she'll join the team? And anything THAT botherS you.
Oh yeah.
You'd be a fool not to be scared.
Who else?
But you won't.
Exactly. If you keep going, there's only a CHANCE XANA might win, if you DO turn off the supercomputer, by doing so knowing it'll kill Fluttershy, you'd be proving you're no better than him.
Not exactly.
Translation, it's OK to be scared, but accept your fear, and do something about it.
What are you planning or polychromatic haired one?
Define yes and no.
Ah.
Indeed.
And ya jinxed it.
Most likely.
Ah. I say drink a lot of water, it helps. Incidentally, the pouding headache of a hangover is due to severe dehydration.
I hope so.
Agreed.
Fair enough.
I hope this means Dash might be able to take the controls in the future.
Is it that bad?
All righty then.
Understandble.
Perhaps, but you've still jinxed it.
Wonder if AJ could get so mad she could devirtualize someone with a punch, or at least knock off health points, seeing as the Lyoko Warriors have devirtualized each other before, friendly fire IS a possibility.
That's a smart move. I do like how you include these little lines here and there that explain tiny things in the show that weren't before, it's a very nice addition. Say what you will, but this is one of the best crossover fics I've seen, heck, it's on par with Tatsurou's fics, granted, in a different way, but still, this is a good fic.
Theseus, I love all the Greek Mythos references.
DiD as was.
Most likely.
Basically.
Very. Also, red and black. I want to make a joke here, but I'm above that.
Clever girl.
Very funny.
Very funny, Pinkie.
Smart.
I'd say you should have one as well just in case.
Righto, AJ, you have a gun, Rarity, you have a long range attack, you do that.
That works.
This is one big TRON reference, isn't it?
Nice work.
This is like Metroid Fusion. In the game, you can deactivate Security door levels as you go along, giving you access to more areas, of course, in one instant, that means you're letting the X parasites, the enemies of the game in as well, and in one case, the guy who gives you your directions tells you that they've already infiltrated the place. Just like here.
Agreed. Also, rules aS.
This can't end well.
Wow, nearly half your hit points in one go.
I'd say try to throw a kunai at it right before it fires, that way, the blast feedsback and it's head goes ka boom! Or hit it in the symbol.
Shocker.
Uh oh, these thinks can 2 hit KO you.
They don't I'm guessing.
35 HP in one hit when blocked, yikes.
They're about to meet the Scyphozoa, aren't they?
You technically are.
Nothing Is Scarier...
Yeah, WORSE.
PTSD related to that thing.
Damn.
Let's hope.
Dashie!
Nice shot!
OK, all is good.
You're all doomed?
I want to make a joke here, but it's too obvious.
That can't be good.
Ainm for the XANA symbol or devirtualize Rarity!
Or that.
Neat.
EmbraceD.
Hope so, you wouldn't kill off Rarity like that, would you?
She's alive.
Not as far as I know.
Dunno, but it wants you for something.
True.
It turned her amnesiac...
Awesome.
You have no idea.
I don't miond the "friendship reports" as such. But yeah, your reworking of Sector 5 was pretty good.
Good as always. But I wonder what your planning. Keep up the good work.
Alright....chapter 11.
Hey wait a minute....that's my line! ....Except not as explicit.
Once again....Pinkie is random. Also...I don't think that's possible Pinkie.
So do I Twilight....an angel...this story's Lyoko Princess...just like her fellow rosette she's....well she's an Angelic Princess.
So Pinkie wants an Overbike, Overwing and Overboard. Hmm...who would drive what though.
Hmm....Tucker?
....And it's name is Tron.
So...Flutters had met Scypy before.
Confirming they've met....
....As if I didn't detest XANA enough for what he's done to Aelita...*draws out a sword* ....Flutters is the only other being who I'd give the same level of care as I would Aelita. BRING IT ON XANA!
There....wasn't going to be an....."alternate" take of this in that other version of this story.....right?
So....another good chapter in the books. The battle between the Lyoko Warriors and XANA rages on. Question is.....just what is XANA planning, why Rarity......and will the truth of what happened to Flutters cause me to want his immediate death? Suppose we'll find out later.
Ha! I see what you did you sneak!
Definitely scary
Nice call out to CL.
It's very strange, I'm supposed to trap Fluttershy to steal her memory.
When I read the previous one I thought there was an inconsistency because when Esciphozoos catches Yumi he steals something from her that prevents her from leaving Lyoko (I'm going through those chapters but more advanced in the second season) but here there are already 2 times that he catches Rarity and curious is that it is not removing anything, it is trying to install something 🧐