Flames and Waves

Note: A Code Lyoko story, involving Tamiya and Millie. We don't see the two very often, but in the last episode of Season 4, A Lack of Goodwill, questions arise. This is the answer to a rather important question, "What if Millie and Tamiya were virtualized into Lyoko ?"

Chapter 1—Curious Little Girls

After their interview with William, the two best friends had wondered about this "Lyoko" that the replica William had spoken of as well as XANA. They had seen the room that housed the scanners that virtualized the Warriors into Lyoko, but neither Millie nor Tamiya knew what these chambers were for. Satisfied with their newly published scoop for the "Kadic Trumpet", they received many letters but no answers to the questions that had flooded their inbox. Inquisitive, and hungry for answers, the two friends waited until evening to sneak out of the girls' dormitory without being detected.

Remembering how they had stumbled into the old abandoned factory the last time when following the replica William, Millie took the lead and her friend Tamiya followed close by. Before long, they had walked, crawled, and climbed their way into the entrance of where the computer was operated by Jeramie, and he gave the command of what the next course of action the Warriors should take. Tamiya could recall the typed sequence and wondered if it would have any affect.

"Go stand in one of those chambers, Millie, I want to try an experiment.", Tamiya said, with a huge grin and a girlish giggle.

"This is exciting, but also quite unnerving. Are you sure I'm going to be alright, Tammy ?", Millie said, with some concern. Tamiya turned around to look at her red-headed companion.

"Of course you will be, Millie. Have I ever misled you ?", Tamiya said, finishing the sequence and pressing enter. She was so overconfident that she spun around in Jeramie's chair and launched herself straight out of it. With a surprised scream, she had thrown herself directly on top of Millie and then watched in horror as the scanner doors shut.

"What's happening ?", Millie said, hugging her friend close.

"I don't have any idea, but I want to get out of here !", Tamiya said as she tried banging the doors open, but nothing she seemed to do worked. They were engulfed in a brilliant white light that momentarily blinded them. No matter what, the two girls held each other tightly hoping that they weren't meeting their maker at such an early age. Even if they were, it didn't matter because together, they weren't so afraid and they were ready to face anything.

Chapter 2—Seeing Lyoko Through Child-Like Eyes

By the time Millie and Tamiya had opened their eyes, they had changed, particularly in their clothing.

"This can't be possible !", Tamiya said, astonished.

"It can. I think we're in the virtual realm. What did the clone call it…Lyoko ?", Millie said, awe-struck. The girls marveled at everything they saw in the forest sector as well as their bizarre but beautiful new outfits. Millie was dressed in a light blue and periwinkle battle dress and a headband of the same color, as light blue is the color of natural gas and flame in its most primitive state. While Tamiya, on the other hand, wore a sea-green battle dress and bloomers, also with a headband. Millie's power was fire, and Tammy's was water.

Millie executed a kick out of excitement and was set aback at the sudden burst of flame that followed.

"Woo, that made me a little dizzy.", Millie said, chuckling. Tamiya waved her hand in a delicate motion and water flowed from the dew below to form a sphere in her hand.

"Incredible.", Millie said, looking at how calm the water was, even in spherical state.

"I wonder why this happened ?", Tamiya said as she flattened her hand and the water dissipated.

"I don't know but we don't have time to pause and think…we've got company !", Millie said as she pointed to the Krankelats approaching them. The young ladies didn't know what the robots were, but they knew they weren't friendly, so in a blind sprint, they ran in the opposite direction, trying to avoid being fired at.

Chapter 3—Coming to the Girls' Rescue, although it Seems, They are Skilled

Jim, making his evening rounds was checking to make certain all of the students were asleep and not troubled by any worries or awakened by nightmares. By the time he came to Millie and Tamiya's room, he became worried. The friends weren't in their room and he wondered where they had gone. Not wanting to alarm other students, he quietly awakened his closest friends and let them know Millie and Tamiya were gone, but he wasn't sure as to where.

All he knew is that he had a horrible knotted feeling within his heart, and he knew the little girls were in grave danger.

Jeramie was slightly angered at the fact that the girls had gotten into the factory and beamed themselves to Lyoko, but soon he was on the headset giving the girls instructions. Through their fear, the girls had been destroying Krankelats with their newfound abilities.

"There's an activated tower three clicks to your right. You'll have to watch your balance. Just don't look down, or you won't make it.", Jeramie said, still a little miffed, but wanting to help the girls out so they could return home safely.

Tamiya was the first one to take the narrow pathway to the field where the tower was located and Millie followed soon after. The two of them weren't frightened any longer, and both of them thanked their helper in unison.

"Hey, we're almost there !", Millie exclaimed hopefully.

"Don't get too overconfident…There are tarantulas that beg to differ.", Jeramie said and the others silently cheered the young ladies on. The tarantulas were tricky machines and could fire lasers with pinpoint accuracy. Tamiya got hit with a laser in the arm and grunted slightly. Millie, in a fiery rage, shot off "flame punches" and obliterated every last tarantula on the board.

"Who else wants some !", she yelled, her call echoing through Lyoko. Tamiya had just about reached the tower when she saw what her friend had accomplished.

"Girl, I think that was a bit of overkill.", she said, with a slight laugh.

"Nothing is overboard as far as friendship is concerned.", Millie said, her feral nature switching back into the sweet, innocent child of light she was.

Without any other complications, the two had entered the tower and awaited the code from Aelita, who was standing next to Jeramie. Her hand was on his shoulder and she was quite impressed with his stoic resolve and tranquility. After Millie and Tamiya did as they were told, they were re-materialized and brought back into the real world.

"I had no idea either one of you had elemental skills !", Taelia said, quite impressed with how well the little ones fought before Jeramie had come to give them guidance.

"Well, the abilities just happened. It's like they chose us.", Millie said, blushing slightly.

"You two girls were really amazing ! Both of you could make an excellent addition to our squadron.", Jim said, hugging the girls close just happy that they were back. They hugged him in return glad to see he had been the one to call for the others' help.

All of them looked at Jeramie, noticing he had a rather serious look on his face. This usually wasn't like him, but they knew he was deep in thought. He recalled how he had watched the girls racking up kills left and right against some of XANA's deadliest monsters. They even did well against the flying types, which were most challenging to defeat. After much careful thought he looked the girls straight in the eyes and said two words;

"You're in !"

Chapter 4—New Allies

Both girls were extremely happy to know that they were Lyoko Warriors now. Jeramie was more than pleased to welcome them aboard, because according to him in the battle against XANA, the more soldiers that they had on the side of good the better off their defenses would be against XANA and his monsters. But the girls had a confession to make.

"I know you're going to be upset with us but we wrote a story covering the mysteries of Lyoko in the school newspaper. Since then the Kadic Trumpet's inbox has been flooded with questions about everything concerning Lyoko and even…William.", Millie stated, awkwardly.

"We can remedy that, but you two will remember everything.", Jeramie said, quite straightforwardly. He would have to initiate a "return to the past", which would increase XANA and Umbra's power, but there was no other option.

"Just promise us what you have seen remains a secret.", Yumi said, with a rather congenial grin.

The girls crossed their hearts, faithfully.

"We promise !", they said in unison. And with that, Jeramie initiated a return to the past and the article was long forgotten, but XANA had grown even more powerful and his Master Umbra had become nearly undefeatable. His next battle against the Warriors, he vowed to be the victor. Even if it meant separating the Warriors one by one painfully, he would do so to ensure that the spoils of conquest would be his.

Chapter 5—Sewing Seeds of Hatred

XANA wanted to break free from his Master's clutches, but he couldn't seem to shake the hold Umbra had over his conscious actions. However, with Umbra's latest conjuring of a gardener named Flora that he had sent to Earth to sew seeds of hatred between the Warriors, his attention had been diverted. Pretending he was still under the psychic force of Umbra, XANA was able to bluff his way through normal activities and prepared to make himself useful in the next battle between himself and Umbra.

Back on Earth…

"Wow ! All this equipment is just amazing !", Millie stated. Suzanne blushed lightly at the praise, but she was delighted to give the two girls their updated communicators. The others had updated versions as well and they were in pen form. They could now communicate easier as well as send a signal that represented a many-pointed star. If the Warriors saw this, they would know it was time to assemble and translate themselves into Lyoko.

"These should be much easier to use.", Suzanne added after everyone was given their pen-communicators. Thanking her, they smiled and Tamiya noticed there was a gardener growing flowers near the shed.

"I have the perfect gift for you.", she said, in a bubbly tone. Suzanne chuckled.

"Dear, you don't need to repay me.", she added, humbly.

"Yes, I do, Suzanne !", Tamiya said as she received a gorgeous emerald green lily from the gardener Flora and gave it to Suzanne. The affect of the hatred didn't even pierce Suzanne's pure heart, nor had it affected anyone else. Shocked, Flora's false façade began to crack and break, leaving her to blow away in the dust.

Scrying from the comfort of his tower in the Nightmare Sector of Lyoko, Umbra glowered. "This is absolutely no good whatsoever. I will have to face them altogether, even if that wasn't my initial plan.", he thought to himself. Thus he waited and watched for the Warriors to reappear in Lyoko after reading the message he had sent to him soon after Flora had been destroyed.

Chapter 6—Fighting As One

Soon, after gathering in the Factory, the Warriors beamed to Lyoko to prepare for Umbra's attack. No sooner had he sent XANA to do his bidding that he turned around and joined the Warriors. He winked at Sissi flirtatiously, which Odd found a bit garish. Odd simply rolled his eyes, harrumphing and crossing his arms.

"You'll have to face all of us, Umbra. I am no longer your puppet.", XANA said, looking his former master in the eyes. Umbra's red eyes glowed in loathing and he growled loudly.

From out of the digital codes surrounding them, creatures were created. Some they had never seen before.

"I don't care how many of you there are. I only wish to see you DEAD !", Umbra bellowed as he pointed his staff forward and the machines began to attack. In a split reaction, Suzanne had formed her shield and the Warriors could prepare for counterattack.

Though there were hundreds and thousands of droids, the Warriors were quite capable of bringing them down. Umbra stood back, knowing that their stamina couldn't hold forever, but he didn't count on the two newest Warriors to rush out from the depths of the onslaught to fight them together.

"Now, while he's distracted !", Millie said, executing a huge blast of fire against Umbra. Tamiya's deluge poured over him, but caused little if no damage. It simply rushed over him since a shield of his own darkness protected him.

"The Warriors themselves couldn't dirty their hands, so they had to send their little cadets to combat me ? Oh, how rich !", Umbra said, with an amused and flippant laugh.

"We may look small, but we're strong.", Tamiya said, coolly.

"Absolutely, especially together.", Millie added, confidently. The two held hands and executed a swirling attack of flames and waves, hitting Umbra's third eye precisely. The dark lord groaned in pain and nearly fell on his knees from the impact.

"Th-that's impossible though. You're just two little girls…You're not that powerful !", Umbra said, beginning to feel fear in his heart.

"Nothing is impossible with love.", Millie said, her voice gentle and ripe with wisdom beyond her years.

The Warriors then continued their battle. In an incredible display of might, the Warriors and their unlikely ally XANA had joined together to finally defeat Umbra. With one last blast to the heart, his most vulnerable spot, Umbra fragmented into dust and was no more.

"We've done it at last !", Odd said, with a triumphant leap into the air.

"However, we cannot be certain until the oppressed citizens of Lyoko return to the land and build it from the ground up.", Aelita stated wisely, with some sorrow in her voice.

"I'm sure they will. And even if evil comes again, we'll be here to fight it.", Millie said, optimistically.

"And I shall fight with you.", XANA said, pounding his chest proudly and bowing before them from the waist.

Epilogue

It wasn't truly known if Lyoko had fully recovered, but the citizens had been reborn in their homeland and were going about life as they had before Umbra had been defeated. XANA had reacquainted himself with the new Queen, Oleander and they had started dating once again. Both of them couldn't remember each other since their memories had been taken from them when Umbra had taken Lyoko by force, but now they were making new memories and hopefully wouldn't have to deal with the presence of villainy constantly breathing down their necks.

On Earth, the Warriors had resumed taking their classes and enjoying school as usual. After school ended, they attended a class on Pencat Silat, which even the younger children could attend. In the past they couldn't have, but with Jean-Pierre's more laid-back rules and statutes.

Even though they were no longer fighting, they would always be prepared should Umbra reappear, because it wasn't known whether he would revive himself. When that day came, if it came, they would be ready for whatever waited for them. After all, they weren't just friends but Warriors who took pride in fighting for all that was good within both of the realms of Earth and Lyoko and would continue being heroes, whatever the cost.

The End