As the night makes its daily call, two women of different nature ponder on the events that played.
It can't be. She thought as she tossed herself to a more comfortable position as the thoughts of doubt envelop her consciousness.
"Impossible." She muttered as her brows crunched up in frustration while distant memories disturb her.
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"Good morning, class." Said the man as he entered the room filled with mindless chatter.
"Good morning, Sir." Said the mindless chattering while they stood up in acknowledgement, the man made his way towards the familiar table on which an attendance sheet lay unmarked and silent.
He took his seat and gave a small nod at which the body of students took as a sign of take seat.
As his voice made the familiar monotonous call of names, each individual made their own ways of showing their existence.
After the rather predictable event, the dragging lecture took place, as it went the Sandman made an early appearance and sprinkled the majority a dash of succumbing sleep.
As the familiar spell takes it effect unto the susceptible youth that sat there thinking of way to escape such traps, only to realize they had already fallen a second too late as their lips began to droop with heaviness and boredom.
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As their young not-so-innocent minds began to be whisked away in dreamland, something miraculously managed to dispel the magic the sands of sleep holds.
"Before you drop off into your own personal dreamland Mr. Lamperouge, may ask if the report I assigned to you is finished. If so, mind waking up the class with it along with your infamous charm that seem to keep these ladies so captivated in looking at you slack off instead of actually listening to the lecture that compromises about 40% of the finals." Said the teacher as faced the class with an observing eye.
As the words began to take their toll, a group of boys laugh, while the girls referred to blush, a few gave out some uninterested expressions, a couple ears prick with interest and wait for a reply, while one smirked with an affirming nod.
"It would be pleasure." He drawled while throwing a brief glance the blushing blossoms that seem to coo in admiration.
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Therefore, another report went on, except the speaker actually managed to captivate the class's interest. He was charismatic. No man alive would deny that fact. As his honey-coated words charmed their way to the ladies, his hints of control and confidence won him the respect of the men.
As the report went on and almost coming to its finale, the speaker gave one more presentation that sealed his grade into a passing one for the whole semester.
"And before I make my final curtain call to my make-up report on Zero which Mr. Herman had given me, I would like to present you all the Mask of Zero." he said in his usual dramatic way that made his fan girls swoon in admiration and others go bug-eyed in disbelief and surprise.
"It is a replica of course." He added with an amused chuckle, which flustered everyone who actually suspected the truth behind the mask.
"And a very good replica I might add." Said a girl with crimson locks in a small voice that despite its lowness managed to garner everybody's attention.
"Gee, Kallen. I never knew you were interested in the whole Zero mystery." Remarked the blue-haired boy with eyes shining with naivety.
"Well, not really. I just thought it's a nice mock-up that's all." She defended in a small meek voice that could have fooled anyone, well, not everyone, for a purple eyed male eyed her in amusement.
"You're really observant when it comes to masks aren't you Kallen." said the boy in arrogance as he leaned his slender hip against the teacher's table.
She said nothing in response, only to be surprised by an oncoming object coming her way. Her sharp reflexes betrayed her, but her swiftness gave her a change of escape as she pretended to let the caught object slip from her grasp while releasing a startled yelp.
She was already trying to ignore a certain someone so she didn't hear the familiar signal called 'catch'.
"Geez, Rivalz what did you do that for?!" asked the annoyed owner while glaring at his rather foolish but good friend.
"Well, I thought she's like to see it up close. Also, I thought she would catch it." defended the blue-haired only to receive a rather predictable sigh from his thought-to-be forgiving and passive friend.
"And what gave you that idea?" she asked in her quite voice as it emanates some hints of boiling annoyance, while she reached for the fallen mask. She briefly observed the solid object, while noticing a small scratch at the back before standing up and returned it to the raven-haired teen.
Must be from the cat incident. She concluded while raising her eyes to a certain guilty boy.
"Well, I just thought you'd like to that's all." Answered the boy as if it would give all the explanation she needs.
"Well I don't." she answered plainly as she returned to her seat.
"I'm assuming that concludes your report then, Lelouch." Said the teacher as he glanced at the rather indifferent boy who gave him a verifying nod as he took his seat.
And as if Fate has taken pity on the dreading youth, the bell rang saving them from another grueling discussion easily read on their books.
"Guess this concludes our lesson. Prepare for a test tomorrow on the topics I've discussed earlier. Lelouch, I expect you to study for this one. Goodbye, class." Said the teacher as he exited the room with nobody noticing the reddish tint ringing his eyes fade.
"What?" he muttered as his jumbled memories began to make his head ache.
As he entered the Faculty Room, he briefly wondered on what happened for all he remembered was meeting a student, but the name escapes him, which is unusual since he could easily identify the students in the academy.
Must be a new transferee asking for directions. He thought while at the same time offer an excuse to his currently blocked memory. He leaned back in his seat and turns to a certain board. The words surprised him once more, for the handwriting was familiar but he never remembered the event ever taking place. In fact he never even recalled when he had given such assignment. But the proof was there staring at him.
The white strikes across the green background read.
Lelouch's make up report is due today. –DONE
Urgh! I need a break. He thought as his hand fell across his weary eyes. He tried once more to recall the events that played but he couldn't, his other hand soon came across a familiar notebook. The Class Record. He briefly scanned the checks he had made in class only to see a note attached to the next page.
Short test on the Chapter 11 tommorow. The first statemate read which baffled him quite a bit. His eyes then turned into saucer when they fell on another statement located at the bottom edge.
Lelouch's make-up report A+
"Okay, I really need a break." He said as he began to write a letter to the principal for his request of temporary leave.
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"Mr. Herman." Said the voice.
"Yes?" asked the man as he turned to meet a red bird-like symbol flying towards him and entering his eyes sending them to give our a reddish tint around them.
"You're going to make me do a report as a make-up for my low grades in history and grade it as you would have done without any prejudice. You're going to write anything important on a note to serve as a reminder. Now, write that I have a report due tomorrow and mark it as done." Commanded the voice in a sly tone.
"Sure." He answered as he turned to the office so he could write the note.
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As a teacher ponders on forgotten memories, a dark figure approached a lone red-head while giving her a certain key to their victory.
"It's yours." He said offhandedly as he dropped the key into her palm.
"I-I can't. It is only proper that you pilot it Zero." she said a bit flustered and overwhelmed.
"No. I don't need it. Besides, a king commands, while a queen attacks and defends. The machines is made for you Q1." He said in reply as he eyed her behind the dark tinted mask, only to see a pair of blue eyes grow wide in surprise.
He was about to leave her to her thoughts only to be stopped by a certain question.
"Wait, Zero. May I ask where you got your mask?" she asked with a familiar tone of reluctance and shyness.
"I got it made from a mask shop down town. Why?" he asked with suspicions hiding in his nonchalant tone.
"Well, I know this might sound foolish but a classmate of mine might have found the same shop for his report." She reasoned as another familiar blush blossomed upon her cheeks.
"Oh." That was his only reply until her sharp eyes found a familiar scratch on the mask's surface.
"Um..Zero mind telling me how your mask got scratched?" she asked as suspicions hinted at her curious voice.
"A scratch, where?" he asked in complete calm but inside he was already trying to find a way out of the question. He knew about the mark but he didn't think of it since it was hardly noticeable unless one would really look it up close.
Damn. So she noticed that too. She's more observant than I thought. He cursed as his mind grew a tad apprehsive since it seemed to refuse to give him an answer.
"Here." She pointed out as her fingers reached for it and suddenly withdrew.
"Sorry." She said as the blush grew deeper.
"No, it's all right." He answered in assurance, he then continued on which he hoped to be a plausible excuse.
"Hmmm… I must have picked up the copy by mistake." he said in a emotionless tone while his hands examine the surface of the mask.
"There was a copy?"she asked in true wonderment.
"Yes, maybe I took the rental." Said he in the same tone as before.
"They rent out copies?" asked the girl in astonishment.
People can rent the mask? But Lelouch said he had it made not rent. Hmm… maybe he sold it off and convinced the owner to make it a rental, considering he doesn't need it anymore. she thought as completely ignorant of the fact that she was just seconds away from the truth before her.
"Yes. It turns out that my popularity had gone through the roof so the guy made more masks as copies. If I examine it closely, It doesn't have the new features I asked the man to put in. I better go check if it is still there and take it." he pointed out to the pondering ace, while spying a flash of green on his hindsight.
"I think I have kindly provided you the answer you seek Kallen." he said to her trying not to show the relief in his tone.
"Yes, it seems you have. I better go look the Guren." She said as she began her retreat to the hangar.
"Yes. The mission shall commence soon." He said as he took off while a green-haired girl looked at him when he entered the room.
"That was close." she stated offhandedly as he took a seat on the couch.
"I know." He replied as he began to ponder on the plans of the oncoming fight.
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A stalemate yet again. I managed to win over Cornelia but failed to capture her. he pondered as he carried come files only to meet a orange-haired girl who hands him ticket and asks him if he'd join her in the concert. He was about to reply but she took off.
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Later on in the Black Knight's base, a man gave his commander a letter saying it was a love note only to be taken quite seriously. Much to his shyness, he corrected the man.
"It's from Kyoto. They're asking to meet with them. It's a big deal, since it's the Kyoto Organization can help our financial problems." Said the man only to be questioned once more.
"What happened to our funds?" asked the masked man as his mind shifted on a certain annoying red-head loud mouth.
"Tamaki lost it." somebody pointed out much adding to his annoyance for the said person being mentioned.
I better find someone to replace the pompous fool. He thought as he tried to figure out a way on how on earth were they going to avoid bankruptcy.
He spent the night pondering and caring for a certain lovable sister. As the day makes its appearance, he knew he had no choice but to meet with Kyoto's people.
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While amongst the rubble and mud, a tall green-eyed soldier spots a familiar face among the sea of dug out corpses only to turn and walk away at the call of duty.
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"Are you ready to pursue the path of carnage?" asks the old man as he look at the boy with sly eyes.
"I am. After all, it's my destiny to do so." Replied the boy in a tone laced with amusment and arrogance.
For Nunnally. He thought as he put on the darkness he had chosen to bear.
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No. Daddy! She mind screams as her eyes fell upon a corpse she had desperately wish to have not recognized.
While tears of anguish lace her cheeks, a silver haired woman looks upon a picture as suspicions lace her ambitious mind.
Could it be? She asks herself while stealing a glance at the crying couple.
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Damn it. I'm late. He thought as he ran towards the place where they were to meet. He found her, but something was wrong.
He apologized for his tardiness, as he approached her only to see her eyes red from crying.
"Lelouch, Zero is an ally of the weak, isn't he?" asks in a strangely morose tone of indifference.
"Yes. But – " he continued on, only to be cut off by her choked voice.
"Then why did he kill her father?" She exclaims as more tears poured out from her as she fell into his embrace.
NO! his mind screamed in denial as he looks upon the crying figure before him, broken and hurt.
"Father was kind, and never did anything wrong." She continued as she fell deeper into his embrace while her lips were mere centimeters away from his.
"Shirley." He whispers to her as if knowing what were to ask of him.
She asks him to save her while pressing her face closer to his, and he stood there as she begs him to only to yield in shock and guilt pressing upon him like a fallen ceiling.
I'm sorry. He said in thought as he deepened his kiss and let himself succumb to the pain of guilt and despair.
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Her swollen eyes flickered open only to close once more as memories of last night played in her mind.
"He might have joined the Order." Said the woman as her cold piercing eyes burrowed within her.
No. That's impossible. Lelouch, it can't be. She told herself only to recall a certain incident involving a cat and a mask.
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It can't be. Lelouch wouldn't do such a thing. But…NO! He's not Zero. He can't be. She shouted to herself as she followed the said teen. She was sure he wasn't what the woman had claimed to be.
He is not a murderer. She concluded more forcefully as an image of a smiling boy came to mind.
"But what is he doing in a place like this?" she asked herself out loud in wonder only to be answered by an explosion.
"What was that?!" she panicked as she tried to search for what caused the noise only to hear rapid fire echoing around her.
Stupid! You probably lost Lulu hours ago! Lulu's smart he won't be as stupid as to come here and get caught with terrorists. Unlike you! she said as she continued to run and search for a place to hide.
She was about to make her escape when a flung out cockpit cut her off. The cockpit was open exposing the pilot inside. As a metallic sound approached her feet, her eyes widen as recognized the man.
"Zero!" she exclaimed as her eyes fell on the well-known mask.
She felt herself move without accordance, only to stop at the sight of a nearby gun.
"Zero. He killed daddy." She muttered as she picked the discarded weapon up and took aim at the unconscious figure.
"So, it is only right that –"she trailed off as her shaking hands tried to steady themselves. She was ready, the pain and fear has numbed her to an extent that she refused to listen to her conscience. However, as Fate would have it. The mask fell. And a face of the man she loves emerges from the shadows.
Lulu! She stared in shock as her eyes began to adjust and see the partly covered face clearer.
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The dark knights retreat as the white witch signals a their withdraw as a fallen kings worries upon the possibility of two unknown characters know the truth behind his façade.
One was shot. The other stole my gun. He stated in self-mediation.
Shirley. Could it be? He thought as he tried to remember what had occurred and hoped that what he saw was a mere trick of the eye.
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Diary,
I don't know what to do. I just found out that Lulu is Zero and that he was the one who killed daddy. I know I should have just let him get caught but I couldn't.
I still care for him. Why is that?
WHY?
Why would he lie?
She stopped there. Her tears were obscuring her sight, dampening the pages and making the ink bleed. She was torn between two loves and as she struggle to decide, her heart breaks even more. She could already feel the mounting pressure suffocating her. She could no longer bear it as she ripped the page of throw it away in a desperate attempt to forget the truth.
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"Lulu, why did you do this?" she whispered out only to feel the solitary winds of silence ruffle her hair and blow away her tears as she stood in front of the stone that signifies the crime her dear friend has committed. She gripped her hands tighter as she felt her bag grow heavier somehow with the gun she took.
What should I do? she asks herself as she gazes upon the picture of a smiling man.
"The answer's quite easy Shirley." Answered a white haired stranger as he eyed her through tinted shades.
"Who are you? How'd you know name?" she exclaimed as she turned to the direction of the voice.
"This Lelouch fellow sounds like a terrible person. He tricked you, he was Zero the whole time and he kept it from you. He even lied about the mask incident to save his hide." He continued ignoring her questions as his eyes glinted with hints of obvious insanity.
He knows! She thought in shock as images of the past flashed in her mind.
"You're nothing but a whore, you know that? I mean kissing the man who killed your beloved father is quite unforgivable." Continued the man as a sly manipulative smirk laced his angular features.
"You both must be punished." He stated while chuckling maniacally as her thoughts of denial and justification echo in his mind in sheer clarity.
"Besides, you're not only a whore a murderer as well. You killed that woman to save him. Despite it all, you chose to save you father's murderer. What kind of daughter are you?" he asked as he began to take in the images that flashed through her perception.
"Who would have thought that the great Zero is nothing but an ordinary high school student? I shall be elevated to nobility after I had him in." the woman chuckles under her breath as she turned to her direction as if remembering she wasn't alone. But it was too late she already shot the woman.
"That's right. You're a murder too. You're just like Zero." he said as he continued to play with her.
"No. I'm – " she tried to reason out but it seemed the echoing sound of the pistol was banging on her head.
"You sought a compensation for her father's death with Lelouch's kiss."
"No, No. it – I – " She denies it again only to falter as the of how warm his lips felt on hers.
"What a manipulative girl you are, you fake to be a damsel in distress to win sympathy and comfort from him." He says as he chuckled even more as he watches her squirm beneath his grasp.
".No." she said the words over and over again as she tried to cover her ears in a failed attempt not to hear.
"How long do you intend to play the tragic heroine?" he asks in venomous malice sending her deeper into mental anguish.
"You murder, and then go on to pick up men. You're no heroine." He said as he toyed with her even more
She couldn't take it anymore. The tears came and her knees gave out as the pain plunged into her deeper.
"If you don't repent, you and Lelouch will never earn forgiveness." Said the stranger as he took out her gun and gave it to her, her heart raced against her chest as her hand gripped the weapon.
I must repent. She thought as the strangers words echo in within her while she struggles to breathe.
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Cheakmate. The realization was echoing through him. He lost to the man. His thoughts immediately shift to a certain carrot-top.
He eyes the man with boiling abhorrence. He asked the stranger to tell him who he is only to find out he another one of CC's contracts as he gazed into twin glowing sigils staring at him in amusement.
"Where is she?" he asked only to be answered when he was Shirley walking on the train platform and they see her out the window.
"Shirley!" he called out to her only to see her tear-streaked face as she pointed the gun at him.
"Lulu, please die." She said as more tears flowed out.
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They stood there on the train platform. Like solitary statues of guilt, hurt and manipulation.
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"This gun belongs to Zero, your gun." She said while pointing a gun at him.
"You can use Geass if you like but as soon as you do, I'll shoot you instead." Said the man offhandedly as he points a gun at the teen.
Damn. What should I do? He thought as his mind raced to find a solution only to realize it would be useless considering his opponent can read his mind.
"Why, Lulu? Why did you lie to me?!" she screamed at him her voice tinge with the suffocating pain he knows so well.
"Shirley, I –" he tired to reason out only to be cut off by her declaration.
"I'll kill you so that daddy would forgive me. And… and I'll kill myself so that you would forgive me. We will repent for our sins together." She said in choked out sobs.
I see. He's using is ability to read minds to manipulate people. He concluded as she stared at his distraught friend.
"She killed the woman to save you." stated the man as his smirk grew wider.
I must reason with her. He thought as she tried to approach her.
He told her that the man is merely tricking her. But the man fired back that saying that he is the trickster. They shouted their raison d'êtres only making her more frustrated and confused.
Who should I believe? She asks herself as she struggles to keep herself from breaking down. And in her frustration she fired a gunshot, and it barely missed her firned's head.
She saw him fall back, and her eyes widen in recollection as the photos of himself and her fall out of his jacket.
Those were happy memories. She said to herself of only to be interrupted by once more.
"He killed your father!"
"He's just a murderer!"
The shouts of provocation dominated the silence and chaos of her thoughts sending her into confusion.
"Fine. I'll kill him myself." He concluded as he aimed his gun at Lulu, only to falter when she tried to shoot him.
NO! That was all that came to her when she heard him speak of killing Lelouch.
When the gun shot resounded and faded, she sank to her knees, soon she felt herself being enveloped in him embrace.
"Shirley, it's not your fault Shirley." He said as he continued to soother with his velvet voice.
"Lulu. I –" she said as she tried to speak only to be stopped by sobs.
"Sh…It's all right." He said as he embraced her tighter.
"I shot somebody. I even shot you!" she exclaimed as she began to cry even more.
"It's not your fault. Shirley, lay your sins on me and I shall carry them for you. Forget, Shirley." He said as he faced her green eyes with his purple ones.
"I – can't… It hurts too much to forget." She said as shook her head unknowingly sprinkling some of her tears on him.
"You can. I'll make you forget." He said in a determined tone as he activates his Geass.
I'll make you forget the pain I have caused you. he added as he uttered the command.
"Lulu, no!!" she shouts and struggles only to fall into the darkness and finally forget.
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Helios had ended his journey, a lone girl stood in front of a carved rock as she pays her respect to those who lost their lives. As pays her final goodbyes she sees a raven haired boy stading beside her, and asks him if he also lost a family member. He tells her that he lost a good friend.
"Loss makes you realize a lot of things, doesn't it?" says the boy as he gazed upon the monument with a melancholy look.
"I will miss her smile, and that the of us two will never fight or laugh together again." he added with a sigh of regret and loss.
"Did you love this person?" she asks him curiously as he waits for his reply.
"I don't know. And I probably can't know anymore." He solemnly replies.
"A new day will come." She said as turned to him.
"What?" he asked as if he had not heard her or understood the meaning that lay behind her words.
"A new day will come. I'll never forget her father, and more sadness will come, but a new day will come, so I doesn't need to hold it in." she explained while he agrees with and thanked her for everything, even if she may never know what everything really meant.
Yes. A new day will come. He thought as he looked about the starry skies in remembrance.
-END-
A/N: Okay people what do you think? Honestly. Anyway thanks for reading and pls review. Sorry for taking so long to update on the sequel and finale of The Masked Cat and on the 4th chapter on Twisted Circumstances. Pls. review. Suggest. And thanks.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to those who read and reviewed on my fics and added them to their list of faves and alerts. Special thanks to Worker 72 for the ideas.
PS I don't own the anime, get that!