Never Simple
C.C. was dead. Her body lay adrift, floating aimlessly in the endless expanse of ocean surrounding the islands known as Japan. As to where that might be or how long she had been in this state, C.C. couldn't say. Time felt different when you died, or whatever state of in-between that was found by this curse she had born so long. But none of that mattered here, in this void C.C.'s conscious mind found itself when her body could no longer sustain it. There was no pain, no hardships and no struggle, only a peace and cathartic numbness. Is this what death is like? A question she often pondered at times such as this. To be honest, C.C. wasn't certain what laid beyond the grave. Even after acquiring centuries worth of experience and vast reservoirs of knowledge, C.C. knew as much about the afterlife as any other living creature on this planet.
It was unsurprising that such thoughts came to her as before, but C.C. merely brushed them aside, rather hoping to lose herself in this realm's emptiness until she might finally return to the living. Her mind however, did not wish to stand idly by while awaiting resurrection, instead finding interest in...other things. Her thoughts moved to recent events, the Black Rebellion, the FLEIJA's...Lelouch. Growing tired of this inherent and never ending blackness, or perhaps the thoughts she found there, C.C. focused inwards, delving deeper into her own mind.
She was now in a never ending hallway, paintings floated throughout the room around its metal walls and endless green skies. A web of memories, times long since passed and pillars and arches of apparent Greek origin could be seen throughout her mind's depths. C.C. scanned the paintings nearby passively, nostalgia crawling over her as her eyes passed each of them.
"Welcome, C.C., it has been a while." A voice, her voice, came from behind her. Turning, C.C. found the Keeper of her memories standing there, straightening up after having given a slight bow. She was an exact copy of C.C. physically, same green hair, golden eyes, but the familiar pale face might have been carved from stone and the normally white straight jacket she often wore was black.
"It has." C.C. murmured, remembering with bitterness both the good and bad of her past. "I wish to review my memories."
The Keeper nodded, "Very well, any particular memory that you desire to see?"
C.C. thought for a moment, "No, only that it has no particular value or importance. Give me a simple memory; preferably somewhere calm."
"Very well. One moment, please." The Keeper bowed before she disappeared.
Alone once more, C.C. studied the realm where she kept all memories. It was truly vast, she was in but one hallway of thousands more. Each one, a different place, a different time. I'm in the Napoleonic Period, I believe. She thought passively as she studied one painting, containing a moment in the little general's attack on Britannia's Isles.
Whilst amongst her thoughts and contemplations, the Keeper appeared once more. "I think I might have found one to your liking. Follow me." She turned away and started walking, leading her away from this hall. C.C. followed.
The walk was long, passing from hallway to hallway, each chain of memories becoming more and more recent. C.C. observed each hall as they passed, making a mental note of each. 75 years, 50 years, 30 years, 17, 13...This memory she found is rather...new.
"Why did you come here, C.C.?" the emotionless voice of the Keeper broke through her thoughts. She had stopped walking and turned to face C.C., golden eyes piercing through her own, a look C.C. herself had used thousands of times before. "You are not one to come down here willingly."
She blinked in surprise, confusion following soon after. Why of all things, would she ask me that? It was not a hard question, she should have been able to answer it in a heartbeat. C.C. did not know why, but she wouldn't, no, couldn't answer that question. Instead of answering, therefore, she replied nonchalantly, "You're me, shouldn't you know?"
"I am but a part of you, I do not know everything." The Keeper turned away, continuing to walk down the hall. She then added, "And perhaps that part only questions because you are afraid to answer?"
C.C. didn't respond. It was difficult, at times, to recall that the woman before her only knew as much as she did. The Keeper was merely a historian, a manifestation whose purpose was to store old memories for later use. Yet, that question was...strange. The Keeper did not bring it up again, however, and in a few short moments, they arrived at their destination. She stopped in the center of the hallway and turned to face C.C.. "We have arrived, the painting is over there." She pointed towards a nondescript painting off to the side of the hall. "Whatever it may be that brings you here, I hope you find it." With that, the Keeper left, disappearing once more.
Details pertaining to the subject began to emerge as C.C. approached the painting. It was a forest. Deep greens and beams of light danced through the canopy of the unassuming scene. Continuing her pace, she soon found herself before it, placing her hand on the canvas's surface, ready to enter the world and memory that lie beyond.
C.C. now stood in the middle of that forest. It was a cool day, the shade of the trees speckled by rays of sunlight, sounds of birds and other animals evident. Finally, I might get some peace. She gave a sigh, relief evident. Looking around, C.C. couldn't find her memory's self, who normally would be seen nearby. An oddity, she decided it might be wise to take a look around, and perhaps find out when this memory might have occurred.
It is strange, she thought to herself, walking through the wood. This memory is recent, only a decade ago, and yet, I can't recall this place. It must have been a very simple memory. She continued walking, soon the forest's spread began to thin, giving way to rougher terrain. A small cliff could now be seen, nearby there held a small garden of sunflowers, facing the sun as true to their name. This is familiar, I wonder...
She studied the landscape, no one was in sight, for the moment. Exiting the forest entirely, she moved towards the center of the clearing, hoping to get a better look. The rays of sun, or the memory of it, warmed her being as it cascaded down her skin and clothing. Reaching the ledge, she turned, giving herself a clear view of the clearing and the surrounding forest. Leaning against the ledge, she watched the area for a few moments.
It wasn't long before she heard a noise in the distance, silencing all other sounds of the forest. The noise of twigs snapping and the slight rustle of leaves now permeated the air, heading her way. It was then that she noticed a figure step forwards from the dark tree line, C.C. had finally found herself. She was wearing a kimono, dark blue with patterns of sunflowers below the waist. Her past self stuck to the shadows, quickly surveying the area then ensured she couldn't be noticed by the fast approaching sounds. Soon, two young boys broke into the clearing, both were around the age of ten with short hair, one with brown hair and emerald eyes, the other with raven black hair and eyes of bright violet. The boys ran up to the ledge, completely oblivious to their immortal observer, simply enjoying a fine day in the woods. The brown haired boy ran up to the cliff's edge and climbed it with ease, his companion, on the other hand, had some difficulty. The raven haired boy stopped a few feet away from C.C., giving her a chance to truly study him.
Lelouch? Her heart leapt to her throat, mind finally connecting the dots. No, no. How could I have been so clueless. No. Not now...
A friendly hand reached down to help Lelouch up the ledge, pulling him from her view. She pushed away from the ledge and turned to look at the two boys. Both were turned away from her, staring off into the horizon beyond the forest, C.C. already knew what they saw. Hundreds, no, thousands, of aircraft flew into view over Mount Fuji. The boys, naive of what was to come, merely observed the craft with child-like curiosity and wonder.
Little did they realize that this was the end, their worlds would never be the same after this. The war for Japan had begun. C.C. could only watch, as the attack began, she already knew what was to come. Today is the first deployment of the Knightmare Frame. The planes continued on their course, beginning to descend at various points across the island. Japanese forces were already deploying forces in preparation for the attack, but, as the immortal knew, it would be no use. The boys continued studying the craft until a voice was heard behind them.
"What are you boys doing up there?" They turned quickly, finding the past's C.C. staring beyond them, noticing for the first time the aircraft in the distance. "So it has begun," she observed to no one in particular, eyes shifted to study the two boys. Then, after coming to a decision, she yelled with a voice that demanded absolute obedience, "You two! It's no longer safe here. If you wish to live, follow me." She then quickly turned and made her way back where she had come.
The two boys, obviously surprised by the woman's sudden appearance stood there motionless. Then Lelouch, regaining composure first, nudged his companion, Suzaku, into action. Both boys quickly followed suit soon after, perhaps not the best decision, in another circumstance, but one that might have saved their lives that day.
C.C. remained rooted to her spot, staring after them as they departed, watching until Lelouch could no longer be seen. Why? Why, of all memories, did it have to be this one?
She didn't have long to follow that trail of thought, however. Out of nowhere, a loud crash overwhelmed her hearing, dropping her to her knees. Soon after, another followed with equal volume, but it was more distinct. It was water crashing against a sandy shore.
The immortal witch was laying down, face down in the warm sand as cool water rolled over her as the tide continued to rise. C.C. had no time to enjoy the sand's comforting warmth or the chill of cool ocean water over her soaked body, as a fit of coughs overwhelmed all else. She pushed herself up with her hands, hoping what was to come would be quick. Whole body tensed, C.C.'s coughing fit sent steady streams of water from her mouth, splashing onto the sand below her. Water flowed out of her in torrents with each cough, her lungs on fire as the salt water irritated its sensitive inner walls as it evacuated her system. After a few minutes, what felt like hours, of vomiting all the water out of her lungs, she collapsed once more, energy spent and whole body sore from the ordeal.
"Well, that was worse than I remembered..." C.C. sputtered weakly between gasping breaths. The burning sensation in her lungs lessened after a while and she slowly regained control of her breathing. She tried rising once more. It was more of an effort than she had anticipated, but a second of struggling brought her to her feet.
Ensuring her footing was steady, C.C. looked around, hoping to get some idea where she might be. She was on a beach, obviously, and unfortunately there wasn't much else to say. There was a forest beyond it, that might suggest either she was on a mainland or a large island. The tide was gentle, coming in steadily but with apparently no rush. She looked outwards, towards the quickly fading light on the horizon. The sun was setting, indicating at least a few hours of drifting, but there was no way to tell if this was even the same day as the final battle between Lelouch and his older brother, Schneizel.
It was an unremarkable place, that might have been comfortable most anywhere on the globe. C.C. might have even believed its unassuming appearance, but then she felt it, a pulse. Faint, but familiar, she knew where this was. "Kamine Island?"
C.C. was immediately struck by how hoarse her voice sounded to her ears, probably due to the hours of disuse and salt water, but the code's healing abilities would soon take care of it. Another of the few times it came in handy. "I can't believe that I'm stuck here, of all places." A smile crossed her lips, the irony of her situation not escaping her.
A small chill suddenly crawled down her spine. She looked down, remembering her current wardrobe predicament. She sighed, smile disappearing, "Well, I guess this is what I get." She studied the sun's position on the horizon for a moment, A few more hours of sunlight...Might be time to start setting up a camp. Searching her clothes, she patted down her hips, and was surprised when she felt a slight bulge. Apparently luck has decided to smile on me. Reaching into the folds of her straightjacket, she pulled out a lighter, a small smile touched her face. She had not expected to still have it. It was cold and likely soaked, C.C. did not expect anything from it at the moment, but hopefully, it would be dry enough to use when the time came.
Well...better get down to business, hope I still remember how to do this. Heading towards the wood, C.C. hoped to find some dry wood that she might find to build a fire, then food and water would be next on the list. Hopefully, these next few hours would pass quickly. Why did I do this, again?
The escape pod hit the water hard, almost like concrete, the parachutes pulled out only at the last minute, slowing the descent enough that the collision did not slam C.C. around too much. But even that wasn't enough to wipe the smile off her face. She had actually felt something, actually cared, for the first time in so long, about the outcome of an event. The feeling was somehow euphoric, C.C. could not name a time she had felt more alive.
Opening the hatch to the escape pod, C.C. stepped out and sat atop it, letting the cool air flow through her hair as she stared at the sky above, focusing in on the Damocles. Lelouch should have successfully infiltrated it by now, won't be much longer. Suddenly, her exuberance deflated somewhat, leaving behind bittersweet. She knew what was to come, the Zero Requiem. Won't be much longer at all...
C.C. looked down, away from the battlefield into the calm waves of the ocean, studying the dark depths beyond. I'll be alone then. My contract, once again, unfulfilled, and not even death can grant me escape.
The sounds of battle could still be heard from above, explosions, weapons firing, chaos. The immortal witch below paid it no mind, lost in her thoughts. Hard to believe I care so much about this boy... She mulled over their last few years together, and knew that it wasn't really that hard. From the moment she felt his presence when she was still imprisoned, she knew something was different about him. Even afterwards, he never ceased to surprise her. C.C. found no trouble understanding most people, as many were so alike, but Lelouch was an enigma. He was brilliant, creative and selfless, yet arrogant, at times naive and selfish, too. Yes, the man was a curiosity, master of many masks, Zero, Lelouch Lamperouge and the Demon Emperor, to name a few. It was hard to say what was really him, and what was merely the lie.
Nothing could be done to change what was certain to come. Lelouch was going to die, even if the Zero Requiem had never formed in his mind. It was only months now instead of years, but what was the difference to an immortal? He would still leave her eventually, as all mortals do.
Then why not run?
The question passed through her mind like a dagger, cutting all other trains of thought. She could run. Never to see him again, perhaps find another contractor, there wasn't anything truly holding her here. It wouldn't be the first time I ran. She reasoned, remembering Mao. Even if the circumstances are different, the results will be the same, neither can help me. And unlike Mao, Lelouch can't hunt me down, the Zero Requiem will take priority.
But something about the idea of running away seemed so vile, that she couldn't help but cringe as the reasons slid from her mind. Lelouch never abandoned me... Her heart trembled from the pressure, emotionally imbalanced, and with no real conclusion in sight. The thought of running away appalled her, but remaining by his side might be worse.
C.C. thoughts were cut short as she heard the sound of cocking guns. She quickly looked up, and saw five armed Black Knight soldiers holding her at gunpoint. Standing up, she studied them, outwardly calm but inwardly cursing herself. Damn, how did I get so careless? I should have seen them a mile away.
It was then that the young Kaguya stepped out of one of the two vessels around her escape pod, a triumphant look in her eyes as she smiled condescendingly. " C.C."
"Kaguya," C.C. gave a slight nod of recognition towards the young woman. So, Kaguya is no longer a prisoner. It appears the Avalon has been compromised. Mind pushing aside all emotion, she analyzed all possible ends to this confrontation. None sounding altogether pleasing.
Silence fell, the young princess obviously waiting for something. When C.C. said nothing, she spoke, "The traitorous knight Suzaku Kururugi has reportedly been killed. Aren't you going to beg for your life to be spared? Even for his sake, at least?"
Her voice was pleasant, Kaguya understood that there wasn't much C.C. could do. It didn't help that she had added the connotation towards Lelouch, but C.C. pushed aside her emotions once more. After studying the young woman for a moment, C.C. came up with a plan. It's risky, daring and a bit of a gamble, but it might just work. Face blank, C.C. asked in a light, curious tone, "Kaguya, you never knew Lelouch's true face until recently, is that right?"
The question surprised her, smile disappearing. "What of it?"
Good, she's caught off balance. Appearing oblivious of Kaguya's sudden change in tone, C.C. continued, "Well, in spite of that, you still understood a bit of his true nature, so you're obviously a very kind young woman."
That only furthered the woman's confusion, but before she could respond, a huge explosion in the sky drowned out all other sounds of battle, a strange pink glow emanating from its source. C.C. looked up to see the ever expanding orb in the sky destroy countless Knightmares. Lelouch's voice suddenly filled the battlefield, and before his speech even began, C.C. smirked. So he's done it, then. He's finally won.
For the second time that day, C.C noted her humanity. Joy filled her at this victory, even if such could only be bittersweet to her. She was happy for him. She still couldn't help but roll her eyes as his monologue continued, however, You really know how to perform, don't you? Bet you were up all night preparing that one, but now is not the time for that. There are more important matters, for the time being... Back to the task at hand, C.C. noted that the Knights and Kaguya were focused on the sky above, fear and shock evident on their faces.
She focused especially on the young princess, leader of the group. Her fear and shock were belied by a waning confidence evident in her face and stance, desperation taking its place. I know that look, Kaguya losing her resolve like this will not end well. Most likely, I will be held captive as a last resort bargaining chip in some underground hideout. C.C. quickly realized that now would be her only opportunity to escape without resistance. So without a chance to reconsider, C.C. took another risk.
Walking towards the edge of the escape pod, she said calmly and loud enough for Kaguya to hear over the Emperor's victory speech, "It appears it is time to take my leave, Princess." She turned to face C.C. as the immortal continued her pace to the water's edge. Looking out into the sea, somewhat contemplative, C.C. added, "Surrender to him, Kaguya. You will be better off for it, as will the world."
Before she could react, C.C. dived into the ocean, swimming down to its lower depths. Her straight jacket, not meant for swimming, bogged her down, slowing her movement speed, but C.C. was an adept swimmer and pushed on. She had not drawn a deep breath before her descent, so her lungs were already burning for air. Just as she had planned. The pain in her lungs increasing rapidly, C.C. stopped, now almost overwhelming. I always forget how painful drowning is. Using all of her willpower, she tried to draw breath, breathing in all the sea water her lungs could hold. That should keep my body from reviving for a while.
It did nothing to lessen her torment, but it did hasten her own demise. Now, using the last of her strength, C.C. began swimming upwards, not to the surface, but hopefully close enough that she might be carried along a current to land. An arduous task, trying to swim upwards while death's cold grasp encircles your mind. As her body slowly died, brain activity slowing as it fell into its death throes, she realized the gravity of the risk she had taken. Her body might never find land, as there was no evidence, as far as C.C. knew, that a current would take her to it. Or even if she did manage to find land, that it might be weeks or even months later. There was also the possibility her body might simply sink, weighted by her wet clothes and filled lungs, taking years to be revived. All this to escape capture with dramatic flair. Her last thoughts in this world were given with what could pass as a chuckle, A gamble against the odds, with little hope of succeeding. I guess Lelouch's madness is contagious.
Oh right, that's why. C.C. stared into the dancing flames of her fire. Searching the area for dead branches and kindling, which were not easy to find, even in a large forest on an empty island. But, thanks to the lighter, she was quickly able to make a small, comfortable fire in a clearing she found inside the forest without any added trouble. Her clothes were laid out beside her, set out to dry by the warm glow. Reaching over them, C.C. grabbed a berry from the pile she gathered and put one into her mouth, they were bitter, but safe. Not pizza, to be sure, but it will have to do.
Not everything was perfect, C.C. had not found a decent water supply yet, but hoped to find one in the morning. Until then, she had to make do with what she had. A cold wind blew through the clearing, sending a chill down her nude figure. She shivered, pulling her arms and legs into the fetal position, hoping to fend off the cold. "I hope the clothes dry quickly," she muttered bitterly.
Moving closer to the fire helped, but its size made such comfort little, only warming a part of her at a time. Not much else could be expected from any fire, however, so C.C. couldn't complain. While not the first time C.C. had spent an occasion unclothed, it did nothing to endear such times in her heart. It was not from any propriety that she felt that way, such feelings would imply an attachment to the flesh. Her body was her prison, and she would have been freed, if not for her weakness, and his promise.
She had nearly done it, she had nearly given her code to Charles. Freedom and oblivion in her grasp. Her hands and teeth clenched at the memory, But the damned fool. I sent him away, showed him my past, hoping he would understand. But unfortunately, he did.
I promise you the smile you never had!
Her heart still leapt when she remembered those words, echoing in her mind. Lelouch had managed to discover what she truly wanted, her true wish.
A pity such words were only that.
There was no hope now that he could fulfill either of her wishes. Lelouch would die, and that was that.
Frustrated, C.C. pushed him out of her thoughts, something that was becoming an increasingly common task. All C.C. wanted was to forget him, forget the strange feelings that were pulled to the surface when she thought about him. But every time, he found a way back into her head. He had given her hope, made her believe that life was not just existing. Now her mind unceasingly continued to bring him to the forefront of her thoughts, when all she wanted was an escape.
A rustle could be heard in the distance. It wasn't an animal, as the noise was loud, continuous and heading towards the clearing. C.C. put out the fire quickly, grabbing her clothes and headed towards the forest away from the sounds. She hid beyond the trees, concealing herself in the darkness.
Her clothes were still damp, but she started putting them on. If she was going to have company, it wouldn't be with her in the nude. Once she had on her white shorts and top, fifteen men burst into the clearing. After getting a closer look, C.C. noticed they wore white uniforms and masks covering their faces. Lelouch's forces, what is he doing here?
Straining her ears, she could hear what they were saying. In the quarter moon's pale glow, she could see the group searching the area, quickly coming upon her fire and supplies.
"A campsite, do you think it's hers?"
"Could be, we should report it, either way."
One of them pulled a radio from his hip and held it to his mouth, turning it on as he spoke, "Search party four, reporting in. I repeat, search party four, reporting in."
The radio crackled a moment then a voice responded, "Search party four, come in. You have some good timing, we were just about to call you."
The soldiers seemed surprised, "Oh? What is it, sir?"
The voice from the radio spoke again, "Disregard all previous orders, we need assistance in Area Four."
"But sir, we found a recently abandoned campsite, it could h..."
"Did you not hear me? This was a direct command from the Emperor himself! Now get over there, soldier!"
Whatever resistance might have been met by the group was immediately dashed at the mention of Lelouch, the Geass superseding all other commands.
"Very well, sir! We will obey!" The radio clicked off as the group quickly gathered and raced off back the way they came.
C.C. stepped out of the clearing, staring after them until the rustling of their movements was only a faded memory.
What are you up to, Lelouch?
A/N: So ends chapter 2. Hope you all liked it, I put a lot of time and energy trying to get all this done quickly. I apologize if C.C. doesn't sound right, this was my first time writing for her, and it's easier said than done to write for the beautiful witch. Anywho, thanks for reading, and for all the reviews in the last chapter, I loved reading them all and they really helped me push myself for this chapter.
I'm going to take a brief break with this story to focus on getting some others panned out, but I'll be back on track with this in a week or two.
A big thank you to DianzART for the privilege to use his awesome picture, Memory of Lelouch! If you want to see the full picture, a link to his homepage at deviantART is on my profile.
Lastly, a quick shout out to all my reviewers!
Ghibli Ninja: Thanks for being my first reviewer! And that's why I wanted to write this, I hope to give an idea of what might have happened between these two. And don't worry, only one more chapter with them apart, then we'll get to the good stuff. XD
ElementsofSurprises: Believe me, it is. I can relate to Lelouch and was able to pick up his voice pretty easily, I can't tell you how much I agonized over this chapter to get her voice right, I hope it paid off. :) And don't worry, the order's not going to show up any time soon. I liked the idea of it, and might play off it later, but I won't have any, "Ooooh, I survived your attack and have come to killz you!"(paraphrased, but you get the idea.)
Lunanite: Thank you very much! And I will be sticking to canon as best I can, I want this to feel as realistic as possible. So don't be afraid to call foul on me if I make a character too OOC.
EclipseLove: You have no idea how many times I reread your review to help through this chapter, thank you so much!
And to Beto, Marianne Flash and Jo710, thank you very much for reading and giving a review, I will always appreciate it!
And that's all folks! Thanks again for reading, hope it was up to expectations and be sure to review!