A/N - I'm a bit surprised at myself. I actually took less than a month to put the next chapter up! Is that some kind of progress, or wut? This took a while to write, though, since I had to rewatch some episodes of R2, and I even had a little trouble keeping the characters in-character. Still, I hope it all came out well. I'm also surprised that this is longer (400+ words more) than the first chapter, since I took more time writing the first one than the second. Anyway, this is just me nitpicking, don't mind me, har har har har.
Anyways, enjoy!
CHAPTER 2 - HAPPINESS
Karen Kouzuki was going to die.
She could barely believe it. She would have accepted a death in battle, fighting for the cause she believed in, but fate would not grant her this. She would have been happier to have been destroyed back at the Damocles battle, at least there she would been killed by a fellow warrior in the blaze of combat. Instead, she was going to die a criminal's death; a disgraceful way to end her life.
She looked at herself, wearing the white prisoner's clothes with belts at the sleeves that bound her arms together. She could try to walk, but for what? She wasn't given the opportunity to be incarcerated with her comrades; instead, she was deemed a dangerous criminal by the courts, and said that it was too risky for her to be left with her conspirators. In light of this, she was given a smaller cell that she inhabited alone. The cell didn't have the usual barred door; it had a thick steel door with a window at the top and a hole at the bottom to push a tray of food through. It wasn't the dark, dank and cramped solitary confinement cell that she had pictured, but it was small, barely had any walking room.
But then again, it wasn't so bad, she thought, considering what was going to happen to her in the next few days.
In the corridor where her cell was located, she shared the same kind of cells with other "dangerous" criminals, such as Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Li Xingke, Nagisa Chiba and Gino Weinberg. Why not, she thought, since these criminals were the infamous soldiers who did the most damage and caused the most casualties in the Damocles battle roughly two months ago.
"Karen, you awake?"
It was the voice of Kaname Ohgi. He was in the cell directly across hers. She couldn't help but wonder why Ohgi was in here. He played a more administrative role in the insurrection; he never participated in the battle, much less pilot a Knightmare Frame. Perhaps it was simply because he was a figurehead in the Black Knights.
"Yeah, I am. How are you holding up?" Karen replied.
"I'm...calm, surprisingly. What does that mean, huh? Guess I'm ready," he said aloud, with a chuckle.
"Ohgi-san..." she said, worriedly. She could tell that behind that "calm" voice, he was just as terrified as she was, maybe even more. She knew that Ohgi left a woman he loved and their unborn child outside these prison walls, back in Tokyo. She could only imagine how scared he must be, thinking what would happen to them should he die: how Viletta would react to his death, how his child would have to grow up in this cruel, hateful world without a father.
Karen knew how he felt, though. If she should die, she would be leaving her poor, frail mother behind. She couldn't even bear to think how her already sickly mother would take her only daughter's death. After all, she already lost a son to the war.
She could already imagine her collapsing, alone in their small home, without no one to pick her up and save her. She was frail enough to begin with, but to receive the news of her dead daughter, with no one to be with her at her weakest...She bit her lip, clenched her fists tightly, tried to stop her tears from flowing. She wanted to stop thinking about it, she wanted to get it out of her mind...
She didn't want to die.
"I've been wondering..." Ohgi said aloud, making Karen snap out of her reverie.
"W-what?" Karen said. She was shaking in fear, and was glad that Ohgi was there to help keep her mind off it.
"When was it...I can't even remember, but, when we betrayed Zero, when Prince Schneizel revealed to us that Zero was Lelouch, a Britannian Prince... We turned our guns to him and drove him away. I can't help but wonder if he's doing all this for revenge," Ohgi said.
"Revenge?"
"Yes. We relied on him so much, depended on his strategies and his 'miracles' for victories. More than once, he's saved our hides from certain death. Remember the first mission where we failed to retrieve his sister, Nunnally? We couldn't contact him for a while."
How could I forget, she thought. Depressed over the failure of their mission, Lelouch aimlessly wandered around the settlement. Karen was racked with worry back then, and even set out to find him herself after she couldn't contact him on his cellphone. She found him later, trying to take the drug Refrain, trying to forget his troubles, to go back to earlier, happier times. She stopped him then...
Her eyes widened in realization, as the memory came back to her as clear as crystal. She thought, he wanted to be comforted, wanted someone to tell him that it was all right, to make him think that it wasn't the end of the world.
But what did Karen tell him?
"I remember," Ohgi said, when Karen suddenly went silent, "We were being bombarded with depth charges. We couldn't fight back, we were heavily outclassed in both weaponry and tactics. To put it simply, we were in deep shit. We were nothing without Zero, and without him, we were about to be destroyed without a fight.
"But he came back, just in the nick of time," Ohgi said, with a hint of reverence in his voice, " And what did he do to save us? Air. He used AIR! Of all the possible..."
Ohgi fell silent. Karen knew how he felt. Zero was amazing, there was absolutely no doubt about that. Ohgi was telling the truth: The Black Knights, even the UFN, were truly nothing without the aid of Zero.
"I keep wondering...when Schneizel came to us, when he revealed to us all the information about who Zero truly was, and when we drove him away...did he betray us? Or did we betray Zero?"
Karen gasped, the words hitting her deep in her heart. They relied on Zero greatly, depended on his miracles, and got so far with him at the helm. How did they repay him? By driving him away. The thought hurt her, as she clutched her chest. Perhaps it was due to that pain that the words came back to her clearly, the words she told him when he was at his lowest.
You're Zero now!
You carry the responsibility of showing us a dream!
Keep your lie up until the very end!
This time, perform Zero's act...flawlessly!
She realized...she wasn't comforting Lelouch at all when she said that; she was only comforting herself. She couldn't stand to see their miraclemaker at his weakest, so she essentially told him to stop whining, get his act back together, and win their country back for them. Never mind his own personal pain, never mind that his own sister might be lost to him forever, just as long as the Black Knights get what they want.
Ohgi spoke once more, "I know several things: One, he was the one who caused the massacre in the Special Administrative Region announcement, not Princess Euphemia. Two, he used the Geass on fellow Japanese. Three, he abandoned us during the end of the First Battle in Tokyo. Lastly, he didn't tell us that there was a threat of FLEIJA being used in the Second Battle of Tokyo. I know that these were despicable things and he should answer to them, but...
"I keep wondering...if we just kept on forging forward, believed in Zero regardless of all the accusations thrown at him, I wonder where we would've ended up? Would we have won Japan anyway and finally driven the Britannian Empire away? Would Lelouch still become the Demon Emperor he's known as now? Would we...would we still end up here, waiting for our deaths?"
She had no words to say; everything she would say at this point, it seemed to her, would be irrelevant and unhelpful. Everything Ohgi said so far, she knew was true. Some people might have varying opinions, but Ohgi's words resonated with her the most; perhaps even moreso, since she knew the identity of the man behind the mask even before the rest of the Black Knights did.
"We made a mistake in trusting Zero," Ohgi said.
"Huh?"
"We trusted in Zero, the perfect hero of justice, the selfless symbol of our rebellion...who we should have trusted in was Lelouch, just another man who had his own problems to deal with. We treated him like a God, and once we find out that he wasn't infallible...we curse him and take him down. Maybe if we trusted in Lelouch, the person, worked with him, he wouldn't have to wear a mask."
His sigh was long and deep, and Karen could sense the sadness and guilt behind it. She could only wonder what he looked like right now, since she couldn't see him.
"Maybe...if we trusted in him, he wouldn't have taken revenge on us like this."
Afterwards, Ohgi spoke no more, and Karen didn't goad him to. She didn't want to disturb him any further, despite the fact that the silence only made her fear start to creep back into her already distraught heart. But despite the silent, grim atmosphere, her mind was still racing, her thoughts still fresh on Ohgi and her conversation just only a few moments ago.
She knew that some people might not see things the way Ohgi did. Up until the day they die, those people might forever curse Lelouch as the great betrayer, the Demon who sold his soul for power and prestige, the Devil King who took advantage of trusting people for his own selfish ambitions. She thought maybe Tohdoh or Chiba fell under this category; their patriotic nature would certainly fit. Maybe the entire world thought of Lelouch like this, Karen pondered.
And there would be the people who thought of Lelouch the same way Ohgi did, but those would be very, very few. Even she couldn't be sure if Ohgi would maintain that view of Lelouch as time passed; after all, Ohgi had a woman and child to leave behind; that thought alone might shift his views later on.
But what did Karen think of Lelouch?
She didn't know. All this time, she thought she knew Lelouch, had him figured out ever since she discovered that behind the charismatic mask of Zero was her own classmate from the Academy. At first she thought that it was despicable for Lelouch to hide his identity, to actually have hidden agendas other than his promise to liberate Japan. However, as time passed, she thought it didn't matter anymore. Despite the fact that there was a Britannian behind the mask, she kept believing in his miracles, in his tactics, and would even see them through even if it meant her death.
She even thought she was in love with him.
But now, she wasn't so sure what to think of Lelouch. She wanted to hate him for all the evil he's done so far, but there was a nagging feeling in her heart, that there was another side to this evil, that there was, once again, a hidden agenda. It was nearly impossible to see if he was telling the truth, or had a different motive behind his actions.
After all, Lelouch always wore a mask, literally and figuratively.
But there was one thing she was sure about Lelouch. She believed it to be true with all her heart.
Lelouch didn't do this for revenge. He, like Karen and so many others, fought for their beliefs, to attain that small bit of happiness in their lives. They were on opposing sides, with different beliefs and ideologies, and they clashed in a most terrible battle.
However, she lost, and she knew that it would cost her her life.
There were times that even Lelouch couldn't see the many paths a certain step of a plan can take. Like any good strategist, he would consider each and every possible route, and create contingencies should the plan deviate from its intended path. To him, it was always a game of chess: not only should you be more than just a few steps ahead of your opponent, you had to consider your moves all the way up to the end of the game.
But, Lelouch was only human, and despite the fact he was a remarkable chess player and a great tactician, there were times that he couldn't predict what was going to happen. He was only human, after all.
Like now, for instance.
If he only knew C.C was going to react like this, he would've reconsidered pulling the box out of his pocket.
She was crying. For the first time, Lelouch saw C.C cry. Not bawling out loud, of course, but her tears were flowing nonstop, her open mouth was hidden behind her cupped hands, and her eyes were fixed on the small ring in the small box on top of his hand. Lelouch was never privy to C.C's whole range of emotions (he amusingly thought she could only be "cranky," "sarcastic" or "hungry") so he never was able to predict how she was going to react.
But, here she was, crying.
"Is something wrong?" Lelouch asked, slightly panicked, "Don't you like it? I know it's not exactly the most splendid of rings, but..."
The ring itself was just a simple golden band with a single diamond. Lelouch was not an expert on jewelry, after all. Thinking that her crying was because of the ring, Lelouch closed the box, but before he could put it away, C.C grabbed the box, clutched it tightly to her chest and turned around, as if hoarding the ring for herself.
"So...uh, you DO like it?"
She didn't say anything, and didn't even turn around.
"C.C?" Lelouch was getting confused.
"...you."
Lelouch thought he heard C.C say something but he didn't hear it. "Excuse me?"
Finally she turned around, and Lelouch was surprised to see that she was already wearing the ring on her left ring finger.
And then, she smiled. Lelouch had seen her smile before, but not like this one. He was used to her smiling when she was stuffing herself with pizza, or when she was picking on him, or when she was generally making problems for him, but not like this. Lelouch could feel his heart skip a beat when he laid eyes on that smile.
This was it, he thought. A true smile, from the bottom of her heart.
She's beautiful, Lelouch thought, despite himself.
"Thank you, Lelouch," she said, still smiling, "It's beautiful. I've...now that I think about it, I've never received a gift before."
Lelouch was stunned to hear that. "Never?"
Her eyes couldn't leave the ring; she was still looking at it so tenderly, turning her hand around to see the entirety of the ring. She replied, "I mean, I've received things before, especially when I still had my Geass, but those things were superficial, worthless. Tthis is the first real gift I've ever received. Thank you so much."
She's this touched from just a ring? Lelouch thought. I've seen some of her memories through the World of C, how she lived her life before meeting me...but I never imagined...
"Lelouch?" She asked, wondering why he was suddenly quiet.
"O-oh, sorry. I was worried, actually."
She cocked her head to the side. "Worried about what?"
Lelouch just waved it off and said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."
She looked at the ring again. It almost felt like a dream, yet she knew that this was real; she wasn't asleep, and if she was, she thought, she'd rather not wake up. Never had she felt this swell of happiness before in her life, it was almost too much for her.
Then, she remembered that short fantasy of being married just a while ago. She smiled gingerly. Was it far off? Would even she get the chance?
"But...a ring! Girls normally don't get rings for gifts, y'know, unless, the guy has...well..." C.C couldn't stand saying it. It was just too embarrassing, as she felt the warmth starting from her cheeks crawl up to her ears.
"Huh? What're you talking about?" Lelouch replied.
She mentally slapped herself. Is he serious? "You know what I'm talking about!"
"I honestly don't," Lelouch said, with a rather plain look on his face. C.C couldn't tell if Lelouch was toying with her or he honestly didn't know. She just sighed and looked at the ring again. The gold band and the sparkling diamond seemed to shine alluringly even in the low light of the chapel.
Well, it is beautiful...I guess I'll let him off, for now, at least, she thought, smugly.
"Anyway, let's go," Lelouch said, pointing towards the door.
C.C raised a brow. "Where to?"
"To the next stage of the plan," Lelouch answered.
C.C had no idea what Lelouch had in store for this evening. After they left the chapel, Lelouch asked her to wear a blindfold, telling her that the next part was going to be a surprise. C.C, of course, being C.C, adamantly refused to wear such a thing. She looked at the long, rectangular piece of black cloth in Lelouch's hand with such an odd look that Lelouch couldn't tell if she was utterly disgusted or very interested.
"You and your twisted fantasies," C.C teased, "Next thing I know, you'll tie me up with rope and..."
Lelouch groaned aloud, saying, "Of course not. Why would I think of something like that?"
"Why wouldn't you?" C.C replied, with a smirk.
"Honestly? I don't think that'll satisfy you." Lelouch replied, shrugging.
"Really? Then tell me what will," she whispered into his ear as she gingerly clung on his shoulder.
Lelouch shivered as her hot breath touched the lobe of his ear. But, he calmed himself and replied, "Put on the blindfold and maybe you'll find out."
She was a bit taken aback, but replied, with a short laugh, "My, you're getting good at this."
"Well, I learn from the best," he replied, tossing her a wink, "Now, please put it on."
"Okay, fine. I'm putting it on, geez," she replied, taking it from Lelouch's hand and promptly tying it around her head, covering her eyes.
"Well, I can't see anything," C.C said. There was nothing but black in her field of vision.
"That's sort of the point," Lelouch said, "Now, let me make sure..."
C.C heard Lelouch's footsteps circle to her back, and then she felt her blindfold tighten slightly.
"What? Can't you trust me for just one second?" C.C asked.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Lelouch asked in return.
She smirked. "Seriously, you're too uptight, you know that?"
"And you're too carefree. Now, come on."
She felt Lelouch's hand close around hers. C.C was pleasantly surprised; as his slender fingers gently, but firmly held on to her hand, she realized that Lelouch's hand was slightly larger than hers.
But for some reason, Lelouch's hand felt a little cold and clammy. She didn't know why, and as much as she wanted to ask him what was wrong, she didn't want to ruin the atmosphere Lelouch was trying his hardest to make. While she didn't know what Lelouch exactly had in store for the evening, she could feel that he was trying to make it as pleasant as possible.
She was touched...not something she experienced often in her long, lonely life.
"Let's go," Lelouch said, and gave her a slight tug.
C.C went beyond holding on to his hand and clung snugly on Lelouch's arm. Lelouch was startled as C.C placed her head on his shoulder. Before Lelouch could complain, she quickly said, "It's much easier this way."
Lelouch sighed and just resigned to C.C's advances. Her hold on his arm was tight, but not to the point that it was getting uncomfortable. In fact, Lelouch thought, despite himself, that it actually felt quite nice.
"Well, lead the way," C.C said.
"Alright, let's go. It's not too far." Lelouch replied.
The two slowly walked along the corridor of the palace. Just as Lelouch had ordered, the guards had vacated this particular area of the palace, and patrolled the surrounding areas instead, ensuring no one unwanted would enter. He planned tonight to be just the two of them, with no interruptions, no imperial business, nothing. For just tonight, he wanted his whole attention fixed on making this evening as memorable as possible.
He looked at C.C, wearing the blindfold just as he asked, clinging on his arm with a smug smile on her lips. He could tell, she was still elated about receiving the ring. It was a little strange to see her acting so...so "happy" like this, but Lelouch admitted that he liked her better this way. He didn't know if this was her being true to herself or not, but for now, at least, he made her smile. That was all that mattered for Lelouch, and if everything would go according to plan, this would only be the start.
"You're being quiet. Penny for your thoughts?" C.C asked.
"It's nothing important," Lelouch replied. "Anyway, don't you think there's something odd?"
C.C raised a brow, though Lelouch couldn't see it behind the blindfold. She answered, "Odd? What're you...oh!"
With her eyes covered, all the other senses in her body seemed to be more active than usual, since her nose had picked up a rather delicious-smelling fragrance. The scent was wafting from somewhere near them, but by just smelling it, C.C could barely contain herself.
"No! No way! You're kidding me! No!" C.C was visibly brimming with excitement. Her grip on Lelouch's arm tightened, making him wince a little.
"Y-yes, yes it is," Lelouch replied, a little startled, but amused at how excited she was.
"But...but how! I thought...security was tightened! But -"
He chuckled. "I have my methods. Now, let's go."
Blindfolded, all C.C could rely on were her other senses, and even she knew it was foolish to just run in the direction of the scent, no matter how alluring the smell was. Her mind was already at work, and already thousands of images were already flowing through her mind. She couldn't wait, Lord knows how long she hadn't had one for such a long time. But feeling Lelouch's arm in her hands, she calmed herself down, and just let herself be led to wherever Lelouch was taking her.
Was this part of Lelouch's "plan?" It was starting to be too good to be true. First the ring, now...now, DINNER? Her heart was racing, her cheeks becoming warm and red. She could barely believe it, since Lelouch never really showed her any signs of affection before. Sure, there was some rare instances where he seemed to do so, but never, in the time she had known him, had he done something like this, whatever it is. She was definitely excited, and was happy about it.
Lelouch had planned all this, just for her? C.C was very, very happy, but kept it to herself; she had pride to think about, after all. She took it as a challenge, to see how long she can restrain herself. But even if she tried, it was getting rather difficult, what with the smell becoming stronger with each step. Maybe if they did this at a different time, during the day, maybe, and not a few days before the public executions, her mood might have been considerably brighter...
Then it hit her. The timing, the show of affection...it was weird. Something was off, C.C thought. Lelouch was still acting like his usual self but there was definitely something odd. A major event, the public execution, was about to take place only a few days from now, and Lelouch, the Emperor of Britannia, would decide to spend the little time he had on this "plan?"
She almost forgot her original intention of looking for Lelouch in the first place: to ask about the end of the Zero Requiem. It bothered her to think it, but was Lelouch doing this so as to take her mind off the Requiem and not ask anything about it? Everything seemed to fit; as much as she liked it, Lelouch was acting a little out of character. His cold, clammy hand just a few moments ago was also suspicious. Was he nervous or afraid of something?
Her hand moved to clasp onto Lelouch's hand. She felt him tense a little, but soon enough, he relaxed and they continued their walk.
His hand was still cold.
The blindfold prevented her from looking at his face. She could only wonder what kind of expression Lelouch was wearing. Was he wearing a confident expression, happy that everything so far was going smoothly...or did he look afraid, terrified of something?
The Zero Requiem...she had a terrifying thought. Is Lelouch trying to...No, he couldn't, she thought. It couldn't be...
"C.C? What's wrong? You seem tense," Lelouch said, worriedly.
"N-no...it's nothing, let's go!" C.C replied, trying to sound like her usual self.
She wanted to ask him, even moreso than before. She was concerned about him, but as much as she wanted to know the truth, she also knew that Lelouch made this "plan" just for her. C.C knew that if she asked him now, it might only hurt his feelings, and she didn't want to waste the effort Lelouch had spent.
That, and the deliciously cheesy aroma was getting closer.
It could wait, maybe after dinner, she thought. Right now, she was just glad that Lelouch was making this evening one night she would never, ever forget.
A/N - As always, thanks for reading! I hope I can keep this pace up and update with the next few days...or weeks! XD
