東京グール：花色よりも暗いブラック/Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black
"If it is true that all living things possess a 'soul,' then Arata has made it painfully clear that he has no intentions of helping you." -The One-Eyed Owl
Episode 1: Unwanted New Life
"...do we do...?"
"...organs damaged...transplant..."
"...permission...next of kin..."
"...full responsibility...!"
"...doctor...!"
"...save at least...she's already...prepare transplant...!"
'...H...Huh...?' A single thought ran through his foggy mind. Everything was blurry and out of focus, his senses dulled, his hearing muddled, even his sense of touch was numb. It was almost as if he were in a dream.
But...it didn't feel like it.
Every part of him felt numb. He couldn't feel anything: his fingers refused to move, his toes couldn't twitch, and his eyes remained shut. He also felt cold, as if he had been thrown into cold water. He could hear voices, but they were clouded and muddled. It was as if something was preventing him from hearing.
'What...'
The world around him was cold and damp, nothing but a void of water. It twirled and flourished around him, but below it, a murky darkness rested at the bottom. In a way, it could have represented a purity of sorts, and the murky darkness the tainted part of his existence.
He was unable to see much through the obscure blackness. It was as if it was all encompassing and imprisoning him into a confined space.
'What... was I...'
His mind was obscured. There were memories and thoughts, but everything was jumbled up like a mangled mess. It was impossible to define them.
It was just a mass of blurs, sound, emotion, all mixed and stirred up like a vicious storm.
Suddenly, the dark murk below shifted, churning. The watery void, which had been a light blue, was slowly becoming tinted red.
'Huh...? Red...is this...Blood...?' The voice questioned again.
The liquid around him had grown thicker and murkier, signifying that it was no longer water.
The air around him became hard to breath. His chest became constricted, his throat felt like it was being strangled. However, in this suffering, he found a strange warmth wrapping around him. It first touched his back, a softness that pressed into him, then wrapped around him, reaching to his chest and trailing up his body before reaching his face. His eyes were shielded by the warmth.
It all felt...comforting...
And yet, at the same time, it felt so... cold.
A voice whispered huskily in his ear, cold and malicious, and yet also at the same time, beautiful and gentle, a strange paradox of contradiction. "Wake up... Lelouch-kun~"
The warmth vanished from his eyes. His eyelids twitched, slowly fluttering open to reveal a white sclera and beautiful purple irises.
In the real world, slowly awakening from his own inner reality, the young man felt himself stirring awake. His breathing was still labored, as an oxygen mask was strapped over his face. His hair was unkempt and messy, framing his face, and his build was lanky and skinny, with hardly any sort of muscle at all. However, slowly, his left eye twitched.
Then, it snapped open. Instead of an immaculate white...the sclera was a soulless black, resembling the darkness of midnight. The iris was also a different color. It was the color of bloody crimson.
Veins were pulsing angrily around it, while the right eye was barely open to reveal the simple white and the purple center.
On that day, the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia, awoke with no humanity.
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
'At first, I wasn't sure what had happened. When I awoke, I found myself in what looked like a hospital, surrounded by men and women in white coats or dark blue uniforms with a white cap atop their head. I couldn't understand what they were talking about, other than catching something along the lines of a miracle or that they were astounded.
It took me about a day to re-organize my thoughts, as well as the mess in my memories. I knew something was wrong when I woke up, that strange feeling of disturb that irked me to no end. It was that I was supposed to have died, all for the sake of making a better world, and taking that hatred with me... and yet, here I am in a hospital bed. It was around that same time that my senses started to repair themselves. I was able to function more properly. A doctor named Kanou had informed me that I was involved in some kind of accident. My kidneys were damaged, and they were beyond repair. The only way they could save me was if they used the organs of their only donor: the other victim who died. I remember it, strangely... I can vividly recall as my supposed 'donor' tried to kill me, bearing something I couldn't understand.
And yet... I can remember how Suzaku put a blade through my chest. I couldn't understand it. Why did I have two sets of memories?
It was all so confusing and nothing made any sense whatsoever. I KNOW that I was killed by Suzaku after accumulating the worlds hatred onto my shoulders. I died before everyone, spending the last moments of life beside Nunnally in a half dead state.
Yet why was I visualizing something emit rely different?!
It also did not help matters when the doctors and nurses referred to me by a name I did not recognize whatsoever.
Luka Mezame.
Why on earth would they call me that? That is not my name. It's Lelouch...that much I'm aware.
There was also something else that I noticed... they were speaking Japanese. Just because I'm Britannian doesn't mean I don't know the language. When Charles zi Britannia sent my sister and I to Japan to be used as bargaining chips, we didn't know anything about it. Kaguya and Tohdoh, however, were the only ones who could actually speak English, the former being natural given her want to be involved in politics. By the end of the first month, we could speak Japanese fluently.
However, in Area 11, Japanese was banned for all intents and purposes. Hardly anyone spoke it... except perhaps those in the ghettos, and the Japanese resistance cells such as the Kouzuki Freedom Fighters, and the Japanese Liberation Front. The building and the outside world alone spoke that this wasn't the ghetto, so... why...
Why were they all speaking Japanese? More importantly, everyone I saw, whether they were patients or visitors or doctors or nurses, they were all Japanese as well. Of course, the biggest problem I had with this whole thing... was how they were viewing me, different name be damned.
I was the 99th Emperor of Britannia, the Demon Emperor, the enemy of the world... so why...
Why were they helping me?!
Why...why were they so intent on keeping me alive? They are supposed to leave me to die! I'm supposed to die to ensure this world's peace. Stop helping me! Stop trying to save me! Just leave me alone...!
JUST LET ME DIE!'
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
It was by the third day that the doctor who watched over Lelouch, Kanou, came by more frequently. He was an elder man with wrinkles, his white hair combed back neatly. Like any doctor, he was not seen without his gentle smile, and his white coat. "How are you feeling, Luka-kun?" he asked, a clipboard in his hand. "It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"
Lelouch did not answer him. The last couple of days had not been kind. His eyes looked empty, as if they were somewhere far away, and his hair was messy and unhinged. He was bathed recently, a few days prior to waking up, but he still looked disheveled. Perhaps it was just from the accident itself.
"I hear you haven't been eating well." Kanou said, taking the silence in stride as he jotted down a few things. "Is there something wrong with the food?"
"...I just don't feel like eating." he finally answered, his tone quiet and empty.
"I think I might understand." the doctor nodded. "You're still recovering from the accident. It's only natural. Just give it some time, and maybe your appetite might come back."
"...you said, accident." Lelouch looked back at him, his eyes still so void of life. "Wasn't I... stabbed?"
"Stabbed?" Kanou raised an eyebrow, looking up from his notes as he shook his head. "Oh, no, nothing like that. You were nearly killed in a steel girder accident. We had to use that girl's organs to save your life. Oh, and speaking of saving, how are your taste buds? I know the topic of food might be redundant to you, but..."
"...I don't know. It all tastes bland."
Kanou's pencil stopped, his eyes widening in surprise. "...Come again?"
"It doesn't matter what I eat." Lelouch told him. "Whether it's miso soup, or tofu, or rice, it all tastes like nothing."
"...Nothing?" The Doctor asked again in genuine interest.
"Yeah. If I were to describe what I eat, it all tastes like chewed up gum. Everything I ate, nothing was salty, sweet, bitter, spicy, greasy, dry, moist, or even disgusting. It was all...flavorless and no texture whatsoever." The patient shrugged.
"Is that so..." Kanou hummed, curious about the development before he regained his smile. "Likely just a phase. I'm sure you'll get your sense of taste back in no time." He placed his pencil back in his pocket and stood up. "I'll visit you again soon enough. Until next time, Luka-kun."
Lelouch said nothing as the old man left the room.
"That smile...it was fake..." the patient stated as he continued to stare at the door. He knew that the doctor was only putting up a facade. But the question is...why?
Why would the man need to do that? Was he aware of who he was?
At any rate, all he could really do was wait around, as much as he hated to loath it. He still couldn't understand why these people were trying to help him, nor why they still kept calling him Luka. It boggled his mind, and annoyed him.
He hated not knowing what was going on. He needed information. But... how would he obtain it?
He was still confined to this bed. He knew there was no way of escaping anytime soon due to his recovering body. He then looked to the monitor next to him and the clamp attached to his finger.
'...Maybe I should just die on the Hospital staff to get their attention.'
His hand just brushed against the clamp when-
"YOOOOOOO, LUKA-CHAN! YOU UP AND ABOUT!"
"H-Hide! That's rude!"
The door was flung open, causing him to jump. "Wha-?!"
"Heh, whoops~" the voice chuckled. "Sorry, kinda forgot."
The second voice sighed in exasperation. "Honestly, Hide..."
The loud male, who Lelouch assumed to be Hide was a young man in his late teens with messy blonde hair. A pair of head phones hung around his neck and around the yellow and black jacket he wore. He had a goofy smile plastered on his face as he looked at the male next to him.
The boy in contrast seemed to be the quiet type. He was a person of the same age, with with short black hair combed neatly and gray eyes. He was wearing a simple gray jacket and slacks.
Lelouch stared at the two in confusion and suspicion. More people who called him by that name... what relation did they have with him?
"Yo, Luka-chan!" Hide greeted him. "Damn, you really do like a zombie with that look!"
"Take a picture," Lelouch drawled humorously. "It'll last longer."
"You see, Hide?" the shy boy sighed, shaking his head as he turned to his friend. "I told you Mezame-san wouldn't want to see anyone like this."
"And miss out seeing our best bud when he's finally allowed visitors? Not a chance, Kaneki!"
Wait...these to guys were his friends...? Well, guess that explains the relation. But Lelouch then realized this would be an opportunity. He would finally be able to find some information about what happened.
"How are you doing, Mezame-san?" the boy named Kaneki asked, showing genuine concern. "I mean, after what happened with Rize-san, you must feel pretty awful..."
"Rize?" Lelouch questioned. Chances were, she was his organ donor... though it did make him wonder if she was human. The memories in his head showed quite the hellish image of her with a sickening grin, black and red eyes, and bloody red tendrils emerging from her back, blood clearly on her mouth. Whatever she was, she was anything but human.
"Yeah, the hot babe you were with!" Hide revealed. "What? Did you forget her or something? Some boyfriend you are."
"Boyfriend?"
Hide's joking manner vanished. Suddenly, he looked just as confused and concerned as Kaneki, the two exchanging looks before turning back to him. "You... really don't remember?"
"Not really no." Lelouch shook his head. "My head's a mess... I can barely recall anything."
"Seriously?" Kaneki frowned. "Then, do you at least remember us? Or when we first met?"
Lelouch was about to open his mouth when a sudden flash of pain seared through his head. "...nrgh?!"
'Hey, new kid!'
'...what is it?'
'Don't, what is it, me! You look like your dead to the world!'
'H-Hide! That's rude!'
'Aw, come on, Kaneki! Don't tell your not interested in the new guy too!'
'W-well, I am, but...'
'Then that's that! Say, my name's Hideyoshi Nagachika! But, that's a mouthful, so just call me Hide! This guy is Ken Kaneki! What's your name, newbie?!'
'If I tell you, will you let me read my book in peace?'
'Maybe~'
'...Mezame. Luka Mezame.'
'Nice to meet'cha, Luka-chan! So... you wanna be friends?'
The memory faded away, setting in place with the stream of ones he knew to be his, and the ones he knew nothing of. "...I just transferred to your middle school, and you didn't leave me alone, even after I told you my name." Lelouch recounted, oddly disturbed by how this memory came to be as he had no record of it, and also wondering why he had a smile on his face.
Hide's face broke into a grin. "Come on, you had to admit, we had fun at the end of the day, right?!"
Lelouch was confused again, but once more, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"You, maybe, but not me."
Hide's face contorted into playful horror, a hand on his chest. "Uwaaaah! Dear sir, you wound me!" A moment later, he laughed. "Kidding aside, you sure you're alright man? I mean, getting nearly crushed underneath steel beams? Definitely not the best way to go."
"I'm just glad he's alright." Kaneki chimed in. "I'd be sad if Mezame-san died... although, it's also sad that Rize-san died too. I'm sure her family must be grieving to."
"Yeah, maybe. And probably pissed."
Lelouch frowned. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"Right, you probably don't know." Hide remembered that Lelouch had been in the hospital all this time, and therefore had no knowledge of the outside world. "That doctor guy, Kanou or what's his face? He performed a transplant WITHOUT the consent of next of kin, including that Rize chick."
"...Come again...?" Lelouch's eyes widened. Kanou...transplanted his organs without the consent of either party's family?! That was a pretty risky move...A risky move that seems suspicious.
"Yeah, and because of that, Kanou-san has been under hot water." Kaneki nodded in affirmation. "For the last ten days, he's been criticized by the media, and even his own colleagues."
"I think I can understand that." Lelouch replied. "He did go against proper procedures."
'But... it all seems so suspicious.' he thought to himself. Kanou had done an organ transplant without the consent of neither his family, nor this Rize woman's family either. 'What is he thinking? Dammit, if only I could ask him myself... Wait, hold on a minute.'
"You said he didn't ask permission from my family, right?"
"Well, kinda hard to do that when they're both dead." Hide deadpanned before he cringed, realizing what he had just said. "...sorry, didn't mean to bring up the touchy subject."
Lelouch froze at his words...but only slightly.
'...so my parents are dead...'
Then again, the thought was natural. Charles and Marianne were dead, consumed and absorbed into C's World. However, given the strange circumstances...
'Everything is still so confusing.' Lelouch sighed mentally in annoyance. 'I don't have any information whatsoever other than what Hideyoshi and Kaneki told me. Chances are, 'my' parents are Luka's, assuming I'm actually him... Tch, how annoying.'
"S-say, Mezame-san?" Kaneki spoke up, wanting to break the tense atmosphere. "Are you... feeling alright? You've been quiet for a while now... and you're doing it again."
Lelouch snapped from his thoughts, looking up at the shy boy. "H-huh? What?"
"Whenever you're deep in thought, you frown really deeply." the boy pointed out to him. "And whenever you do, you're forehead creases."
"Is...is that so...?" Lelouch faked a tired smile. Really...so they know Luka that well?
"Yeah, kinda makes you look like an old man." Hide joked with a grin. "Well, we'll get out of your hair now. Oh, and tell me if you meet any hot nurses, alright?"
"Hide!"
The blonde simply laughed as he left the room with a furiously blushing Kaneki, leaving the young male alone to his thoughts. He gave a tired sigh as he allowed his body to fall back, a hand at his forehead. "Talk about a headache..." he murmured. Ever since he woke up, things were so out of place, it wasn't even funny. If at all anything, it was a gigantic -pardon his French- clusterfuck that made no sense whatsoever!
Although...he did have a working theory. So far, he found inconsistencies and irregularities that stood out quite blatantly, along with a few subtle ones he picked up. 'The only explanation for all of this is...' Lelouch shook his head. 'No, I need to confirm it for myself.'
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
It had been two weeks before Lelouch was finally allowed to leave the hospital. The doctors were astounded that he had healed so quickly, but they said little of it. They knew how irritated the boy had been during his stay, perhaps a hatred for being couped up for so long, and so very few of them actually interacted with him, sans Kanou. The man had checked up on him regularly, seeing as how he was the one who technically saved his life, albeit being scrutinized for his actions. Lelouch wasn't fooled, however. He could still tell a fake smile from a genuine one.
Right now, he was in the main lobby, dressed in more comfortable clothes. They suited him well, actually. It was a simple shirt that was modified to wear a hood around the neck collar, a black jacket over it with a pair of simple slacks. To keep the pants from falling off was a simple leather belt bearing an average buckle, along with a pair of well-worn sneakers. Now that he could actually look at himself, he was surprised to see how he appeared, at least by what the reflection told him just by staring back at him. He looked significantly older, but retained his purple eyes. His hair had grown to be rather unkempt, and was longed, now reaching past his chin and halfway down his neck.
'Is this... really me?' he couldn't help but wonder. He found himself shaken away from his thoughts when Kanou found him, that fake smile still present. "Oh, Doctor Kanou..." he greeted, bowing his head. He made sure to put on the act of the ever-grateful patient.
"Luka-kun." Kanou smiled at him, nodding. "Looks like you're doing well... very much better than two weeks ago."
"I suppose so." he shrugged his shoulders.
"So, how does it feel being out of the hospital at last?"
"Comforting. You really can't stretch your legs in bed." Lelouch remarked. "At any rate, thank you for looking after me through all of this."
"Oh, don't be." the doctor shook his head. "It was my pleasure."
"Very well... Oh, by the way, Doctor Kanou?"
"Hm?"
Lelouch smiled somewhat, trying to look as innocent as possible with also a tone of curiosity. Putting on such facades was rather easy... but then again, he had been living a lie for most of his life. "Have you ever heard of something called the Britannian Empire, or a king named Lelouch vi Britannia?"
Kanou hummed thoughtfully, a hand on his chin. "Hm... I can't really say I have." he confessed to the young man. "I know of the Kingdom of Britain back during the American Revolution, though. And I certainly can't recall of hearing about anyone by that name."
'...I knew it.'
His suspicions were now confirmed. The actions of the Japanese people from before, the interaction between himself, Kaneki, and Hide, it all made sense now.
He was no longer in his own world. The world he is in now is an entirely different realm.
A world where Britannia does not exist.
'...Well, this is a new experience.' he mused before thanking Kanou as he exited the hospital. 'Who would have thought that multi-verse theory was actually right? Still, if going by my memories... or rather, Luka's memories, then this place is definitely not without it's problems. Just what in the world IS Rize?'
He closed his eyes and dove back to the depths of his mind to try and find some form of answer...but nothing truly clicked.
All he could remember were flashes of a beautiful woman with violet hair and glasses. However, the sclera of her eyes were black with blood-red irises. He saw her licking up blood off her hand. Red tendrils snaked around her.
'Well, all things considered, I suppose the best thing for me to do is hit a library.' Lelouch shrugged before he heard something go off. Looking down, he saw that it was his cell phone. 'Wait, I actually have one?' he thought in surprise before he took it out. 'Huh, a bit low tech... Then again, Britannia was advanced through Sakuradite, and considering that it doesn't exist, maybe Sakuradite doesn't either.'
Regardless, he flipped it open, and pressed it against his ear. "Lelou-" he cut himself off, remembering that he was apparently in someone else's body. "Er... Luka speaking."
"Yo yo, Luka-chan!"
The ravenette sighed. "...What do you want, Nagachika?"
"What? Can't a guy say hello to a good friend? I heard you just got outta the hospital. Damn man. I knew you heal fast...but in just two weeks?!"
"Guess I'm just lucky." Lelouch shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, what's going on?"
"Nothing, really." Hide replied. "By the way, did you hear? There's been another Ghoul attack here in the 20th Ward. Nasty stuff huh?"
He paused in confusion. "Ghoul?" he asked. "20th Ward? What?"
"...are you sure you're supposed to be out?"
"Bite me, Nagachika." Lelouch growled. "I said before my memory is still like crap, didn't I?"
"Well, yeah I guess...I just didn't think that you would pretty much forget common stuff like this. I mean, seriously...stuff about Ghouls and Wards is all over the media and society. I'd thought something like that would stick in your head."
'Except I'm not from this world, much less am I even your friend.' Lelouch thought morbidly. "So, can I take a guess and say Ghoul's are monsters and wards are just districts?"
"More or less, yeah. Though I hear it's hard to tell Ghouls from us humans, though. And our ward is usually pretty peaceful. Makes you wonder if something is going on." Hide chirped thoughtfully. "Well, enough about that! You free tomorrow?"
"Perhaps. Why?"
"Well, you're just out of the hospital, and I'm thinking we should head to Big Girl to celebrate your release! Whaddya say, Luka-chan?"
A sigh escaped him. It sounded like a hassle, but he needed to put up this facade... at least until he had a better understanding of what this Luka person was.
It would be risky if he begun to just act like himself...like Lelouch. It would definitely draw suspicion and confusion from those who were close to Luka. So this was the best option he could think of.
"If you insist..."
"Awesome!" the blonde cheered over the phone. "Talk to ya later!"
The call ended. Lelouch felt a wry smile spread across his face, a certain blue-haired friend in his mind. "I suppose he's the Rivalz of this world then."
Now that he thought about it...this was the first time he's really thought about anyone from his own world. Even through these past two weeks, he never focused on each individual person that he's known.
He figured that present circumstances took higher priority.
'Nunnally... Kallen... Suzaku...' he thought fondly, looking up at the pale gray sky above him. 'Are you all doing alright? Nunnally, are you happy in that world, even if I'm not here with you? Are you looking after her, Suzaku? Kallen... are you enjoying the life you have right now?' His mind went to his other friends, the ones who were not aware of his past nor true self as Zero. 'Milly... are you still reporting everything around the world? Are you still trying to get her to like you, Rivalz? Nina... are you doing what Euphie would want you to to?'
"...I miss them." Lelouch muttered to himself, a small smile on his face. "Even that damned witch."
The image of a green haired woman with butter yellow eyes popped into his mind. The woman who started it all. The woman who bestowed upon him the Power of the Kings. The woman who made it possible for him to carry revenge against Charles zi Britannia.
Truly, none of what he had accomplished, and what he had lost along the way, could have happened were it not for his chance encounter with her. He wondered, briefly, what his life would have been like had he not met her when he did. Perhaps, if he hadn't, he would still be living a lie, watching the world pass by him in discontent.
'...All I can do is hope that everything is alright in that world.' Lelouch thought. 'For now, I should focus on the present matter at hand... still, why am in someone else's body? And why does this Luka look so much like me? Why was I placed in his body in the first place? And moreover... how did I even get here?'
So many questions...yet none of them had answers. Lelouch was left to his own devices to figure things out for himself. It was frustrating...but not impossible.
At any rate, he needed to familiarize himself with this new world, and it's history.
"I just hope I can find the damned library."
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
It hadn't taken him long to find what he was looking for. The library was full of information, as one would expect, and it ranged from various subjects. Once he found an open computer, he immediately went into the internet, beginning with the history books.
"Unbelievable..." Lelouch muttered, absorbing each line of info with awe and amazement. "So Washington's Rebellion proved successful when Benjamin Franklin refused Britain's offer. That must have been the crucial point in time when the Holy Britannian Empire was founded. The United States of America was founded in it's place... To think that this could have been my world, had things gone differently."
It was certainly shocking. As he had thought, technological advancements were not made with Sakuradite, which did not exist in this world, but rather through accidents and the human imagination. There were still quite a number of problems that occurred, but even still... it was breath-taking. Now he knew how history nuts felt. Knightmare Frames were also not present, but he expected that. They needed a good power source, and it would take more volts of electricity needed to power a city for ten years for it to be operational.
"Humans have certainly come far, haven't they?" he mused before he moved onto the next subject. "Now, what about these Ghouls...?"
He typed up the term into the search engine and was greeted with a multitude of websites that contain answers.
"...What in the hell?" Lelouch blinked rapidly, staring at the results.
AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE CANNIBALISTIC CREAUTURES CALLED GHOULS
GHOULS! HUMAN OR MONSTER?!
COMMISSION OF COUNTER GHOUL WEBSITE
THE MAN-EATERS KNOWN AS GHOULS
LATEST NEWS ON GHOUL ATTACKS
"Cannibalistic...man-eaters...monster...attacks...?! What?!" The violet-eyed teen could not believe his eyes. Everything he found...was about Ghouls and the atrocities they have committed, painting them as vile creatures in humanity's eyes.
They were beings who look and act like human...but there are few differences. One is that they cannot consume human food due to a particular enzyme in their bodies. To them, human food is like a poison and supposedly tastes disgusting. Miso soup like motor oil. Bread like a moldy sponge. Rice like inedible paste. the examples go on. Another difference is the fact is that their eyes change when they attack or go hungry. The sclera turns black while the iris becomes red.
The final difference...kagune.
A Kagune was like a predatory organ that was derived of RC Cells, or Red Child Cells. Rc Cells were found in the body. All living things had them. According to some of the search results, the biology of a Ghoul was similar to that of a human, except they possessed an additional organ called a Kakuho, which was, more or less, a sack that contained Rc Cells.
On average, humans possessed between 200 to 800 RC Cells, and a Ghouls ranged from 1000 to 8000.
However, like any monster or threat or wild animal, there was always a hunter or exterminator to eliminate them.
The CCG.
Also known as Commission of Counter Ghoul. They are an organization tasked with the eradication of these beings. Their system works like law enforcement, but more on the Investigator side, as forensic work and detective skills were needed to find these elusive monsters.
Details were scarce and vague, but it appeared that they were really the only ones capable of handling Ghouls.
"...and here I thought this world was peaceful, minus the terrorists." Lelouch remarked after absorbing the information. "But, monsters that eat humans? You'd think the government would want to keep things like this a secret."
This was all just surreal. He had a difficult time processing all of this, but he couldn't brush off any of it.
It was while he was trying to process this information that he recalled that one specific memory of Luka's. The one where he saw that lavender-haired woman with the red tendrils. Lelouch's eyes widened in horror as it all clicked. The black and red eyes, the demonic appendages... only one thing matched up with that.
The woman was a Ghoul. Rize Kamishiro, Luka's organ donor... was a Ghoul!
Kanou transplanted fucking Ghoul organs into him!
'That son of a bitch!'
In a flare of rage, Lelouch stood from where he sat, his eyes narrowed into a lethal glare that was sharp enough to pierce metal. His fingers were clenched into fists so tight that they threatened to draw blood.
That doctor...knew all along! He intentionally transplanted Ghoul organs into his body like some sort of sick experiment! He was not a guinea pig!
And the bastard had the nerve to smile after all that!
'...tch, calm down Lelouch... calm down...' he tried to placate himself, his body still shaking in anger, oblivious to the odd looks the other people in the library were giving him. 'You don't know for sure if there's anything wrong with your body... So far, it's only been a lack of taste...'
He took a large intake of breath, and let out a calming exhale. The shuddering of anger ceased. Now calm, he sat back back down. 'There has to be more information on Ghouls. Maybe there's even something on them having their organs transplanted into a human... Alright, let's check the CCG website. Given that they're the ones who deal with them, it stands to reason that they know more about them.'
With that in mind, he began to look up any new sources of information regarding the Ghouls. At first, he merely had a rough idea of what they were, just basic information any common person would know. However, as he continued to look, the information began to become more detailed.
Some sources discussed the types of Kagune a Ghoul could have, the rare Chimera-types who possess two different types of Kagune, and the sense of taste for a Ghoul.
He examined the first piece of information regarding the Kagune. Each Ghoul's Kagune was inheritly unique, and it's shape and power was dependent on their RC Cell Quality, along with the location of the Kakuho. It was commonly found in four areas along the spinal cord: the tailbone, the lower midsection, the upper midsection, and the shoulder blades.
'Bikaku - Often a tail-shaped appendage. Medium range of attack. Has no apparent flaws.'
'Koukaku - A heavy, armored appendage that covers the Ghoul's arms. Close quarters combat range. Due it's heavy weight, a massive amount of force is required to maintain it. Given enough time, the weight will begin to wear them down.'
'Rinkaku - Multiple tendrils or tentacles. Attack range varies, but is capable of fighting multiple targets. However, because the appendages are very brittle, they can be destroyed easily.'
'Ukaku - A gaseous-like Kagune, often appearing on the form of wings. Specializes in high speeds and long range attacks. The Kagune is also capable of hardening into a crystal like form, hinting close-quarters combat as well. However, regardless of state, Ghouls burn off RC Cells much more quickly, and will quickly tire out.'
'Interesting...' Lelouch thought, taking all of this information into his head. 'Each Ghoul has one of four different types of Kagune, and each has their own flaws and advantages. From the sound of it, a Bikaku was a standard one, and a common one. It's obviously an all-rounder. Given that Rize had red tendrils from her back, she was obviously an Rinkaku, and according to Nagachika and Kaneki, she was crushed by steel beams... The force alone would be more than enough to destroy them with ease.' A hand came to his chin, his eyes narrowed closely. 'Something's off... steel beams falling right on top of her, and then me receiving her organs... I don't normally believe in coincidences, but... It's like someone planned it.'
Leaving the subject alone for now, Lelouch moved onto the Ghoul's biology.
They were said to possess more durable bodies. Their skin is said to be just as durable as steel, as well as their bones and muscles. The only weak point that can be damaged by normal means is the eye.
'Well, all they need now is super strength, heat vision, and the power of flight, and they'll be cannibalistic Supermen.' Lelouch thought in dry humor. 'Hm... It seems like their anatomy is more or less the same as that of a normal human's, all except for the Kakuho. Their bone structure is also the same, except it's far more sturdier. Due to an enzyme in their bodies, their sense of taste is fundamentally different. This means that they are unable to consume average human food, finding it to be disgusting while human flesh appears to be the only edible food source, hence why they are labelled as threats to society. They are also prone to devour other Ghouls as well.'
"Heh, cannibals indeed." he thought aloud. "Still... there has to be more... huh?"
Looking down at the information source, Lelouch saw a name written below the information. 'Hisashi Ogura...' Lelouch read the name. 'According to this information... he, aside from those in the CCG, is the only one who can really understand how a Ghoul's body works. Hm...'
Lelouch leaned back, folding his arms over his chest with a hand coming to his chin. Obviously, Ogura was the likely main source of information about these creatures, meaning he of all people, aside from those in the CCG, might be able to explain what was happening to him... though he couldn't just exactly tell the man that he had Ghoul organs in his body now. If he were to do that, Ogura might simply brush him off, or report him to the authorities.
And if the latter were to occur, he'd likely be exterminated, labelled a threat, or used as a lab rat. Neither of those sounded appealing.
'So, how do I approach him...?' Lelouch pondered before a thought came to him. A grin formed along his lips. 'Well, better than nothing.'
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
"Sorry for asking you to meet on such short notice, Mr. Ogura."
"Ah, don't worry about it. It's quite alright boy."
Ogura was quite the elderly man. He was well in his fifties, dressed in a dark green suit with a red tie around his neck collar, which was attached to a simple white shirt. He held a bushy mustache atop his lip, while the majority of his hair was pretty disheveled.
"Still, I didn't expect a student to ask me about Ghouls." Ogura said, chuckling somewhat as he took his place in a chair that sat behind a desk. "Sorry, what did you say your name was?"
Lelouch put on a fake smile. "Luka, sir. Luka Mezame. I'm a student at Kamii University." 'Or at least, Luka is.' he thought shrewdly. "You see, one of my professors had given us an assignment, and sadly, it's on Ghouls. Going to a library really doesn't have much information, so I thought, why not ask someone who knows about them?"
"Well, I'm flattered you'd think so of me, but really, I'm not anyone special." the man stated. "If you really wanted to ask about the anatomy of a Ghoul, you'd probably want to ask someone from the CCG. Then again, they're pretty tight-lipped about that sort of stuff." Ogura shrugged his shoulders as he folded his hands into a ball, leaning forward. "So, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
"Well, fair warning, a few of my questions might seem like odd ones, or maybe stuff in science fiction."
"Oh?"
"Well, I suppose I'll be blunt. Would it be possible for a human to become a Ghoul through abnormal means? Like, infusing them with blood, sewing on body parts, or placing organs in their bodies?"
"...Hm...That is an interesting theory. To be honest, I don't believe I have a solid answer myself. But based on what I know, Ghoul Anatomy is barely different than Human anatomy. SO the possibility is out there, but I don't think it would be likely for such a phenomenon to occur."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Well you see...the level of RC cells a Ghoul has is above the normal amount for humans. If a person were to become infused with an exceeding amount of these cells, then there is a fair chance that fatal abnormalities could take place due to the body rejecting the transfusion."
"So physical deformities or mental degradation?" Lelouch inquired. Ogura nodded. "So, say such a thing were to occur... what sort of changes would there be to them? Theoretically speaking, of course."
"Another good point, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know. Their sense of taste would possibly change, but it wouldn't change the fact that they need to consume RC cells. Simply eating human food won't cut it."
"I see..."
'So far, so good.' the black-haired teen thought. 'Even if it is nothing but speculation, it will definitely help me figure out what's happened to me.'
"Actually, now that you bring this up, I have heard quite a little interesting rumor," Ogura spoke up. "Though I doubt it's of any use."
"If it helps me get a good grade."
"Well..." Ogura leaned back, digging into the recess of his mind as he dug up this information, a hand at his chin. "Supposedly, there exists a special type of Ghoul. Not a Chimera, where they possess two different types of Kagune, mind you, but rather, something that makes them unique."
Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Unique?"
The man nodded. "You are aware that Ghouls possess a Kakugan, where their eyes shift colors, yes?" The violet-eyed teen nodded. "From what I've heard, this unique Ghoul possesses only a single Kakugan."
"Really now...?" Lelouch's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
"Yes. Although, I am not sure that such a thing is true. But supposedly, only one of their eyes is capable of shifting while the other remains white.
"And why is that?" he asked, now genuinly curious.
"Well, from what I hear, supposedly..." Ogura leaned forward. "These Ghouls are half-human."
Shock overcame him. Half-human? It was actually possible for a hybrid between the two to exist?! "H-Half human?"
"Yes. They're known as One-Eyed Ghouls for that exact reason. Unfortunately, there is still a lot we don't know about Ghouls. We aren't sure if it's entirely possible for them to actually impregnate a human woman, or to have their eggs fertilized with human sperm. Although, if they truly do exist, then perhaps they have things that separate them. A stronger prowess, higher intelligence perhaps, or even an altered genetic makeup... possibly even the ability to consume human food without experiencing that terrible taste."
'I see...' Lelouch thought deeply. 'A hybrid between human and Ghoul... I wonder if humans who were given Ghoul organs count as artificial Ghouls... That is, assuming what I've learned so far can actually make one into a monster.'
"One last question, Mr. Ogura... Going back to my first one, if it's possible for a human to become a Ghoul simply by implanting an organ, which one would best serve as the catalyst?"
"Hm... That would likely be the Kakuho."
"Eh?" This was where Lelouch expressed confusion. The kakuho? But, the organ was exclusive to Ghouls. Surely it couldn't be compatable with a human being. He said as much to Ogura.
"Actually, the Kakuho vastly resembles the kidney organ." Ogura explained to him. "It would take someone who is very experienced in the human anatomy, or someone who understands the Ghoul biology well enough to distinguish a kidney from a Kakuho."
"Is...is that so..." Lelouch repeated, his mind drawing forth the image of the Doctor who performed his transplant surgery. 'So that's it...He must've implanted that Kakuho into me while the others thought he was transplanting kidneys!'
It was ingenious of him... that fact raised a large question: who was Kanou in the first place? How would he have known about Rize being a Ghoul?
'Is he related to the CCG?' he thought deeply. 'If so, it explains how he would have discovered that Rize is a Ghoul.'
'But even then...why would he even do this? the CCG exists to exterminate the Ghouls...so it wouldn't make sense for one of their own to just be going around creating Ghouls.'
Once again, more questioned were raised... and still he had no answers.
-Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black-
Luka's memories certainly proved useful to find his home. The apartment was rather modest with average housing, and a fully stocked fridge. He turned out to be quite the bookworm though, having various works of literature, ranging from classical works such as Charles Dickens and Shakespeare to even novels or works that Lelouch had never heard of, such as Montesquieu and Locke. There was even a great number of books written by a man named Edgar Allen Poe, though the more recent ones were written by someone named Sen Takatsuki.
"Quite the bookworm, Luka." Lelouch muttered as he took a tour around the apartment. "Hm, seems decent enough. Nothing really out of the ordinary." He stepped inside the apparent living room. On the table were various books, mostly relating to the subjects of Science, Mathematics, World History, and other languages. "And an honor student too. Heh, sort of reminds me of myself."
He stopped at the nightstand that stood in the corridor, which connected the main room to the bathroom and the front door. On top of it was a vase with various flowers, obviously to brighten up the room, but it was the photograph that sat next to it that caught his attention.
Lelouch stepped up to it to get a closer look. He took the image in his hands. His breath was suddenly hitched as his eyes grew wide.
"...Nunnally..."
Nunnally...or at least...a girl who looks exactly like her...stood next to him...Yes. STOOD! She was standing on her own two feet, her eyes wide open, revealing radiant blue irises to the world. Her light brown hair fell freely in waves, giving off a sheen reflected from the bright sun illuminating them.
The boy next to her bore a striking resemblance to Lelouch, except he had a bright smile on his face, and his hair was slightly longer and more unkempt, much like his own current state. Behind them was a woman with long brown hair that ended just at her chin, a gentle smile so much like Euphie's, her eyes a gentle blue. Next to her was a tall man, his face rugged and marred with dirt, wearing a muscle shirt with no sleeves and shorts, a utility belt with several odds and ends and small tools hanging from it. He was crouched down, one of his eyes set into a wink, while the other revealed the same purple gems as Lelouch. His hand was on the boy's shoulder while grinning from ear to ear.
'This...must be Luka's family...' Lelouch realized. How odd. The girl bore a striking resemblance to Nunnally, while the adults barely had any similarity to...those people.
His hands gingerly brushed up against the glass that kept the frame from becoming stained.
The moment he made contact, however, his head was wrought with pain once again. "Gagh!" he cried out, falling to his knees as his head was bombarded with memories... memories that belonged to the one who he resided in.
Flashes of images flew by. Smiling faces, rings of friends, exciting past times, dreadful exams, happy holidays...they were all there...filling his head with another person's life.
'Nii-sama! When are we going to play again?'
'We can play whenever you want, Nanako-chan!'
"N-Nanako...?!" Lelouch's head continued to throb. Was that the girl's name?
'I love you, Nii-sama! One day, I'm going to marry you!'
'Hahahaha! Well, we'll see how that goes when you're older, alright? After all, you're still so young!'
'Mou...~ I'm ten already Nii-sama! And you're eleven! It's not an age difference!'
'And that's still young!'
The memories were so gentle and warm... it reminded him so much of the days in the Aries Villa and in Ashford, back when he was still only a child, and a mere naive prince.
The memories faded away, though Lelouch was still shell-shocked, still on his knees with one hand on the photograph and the other on the table, his breathing heavy.
Wh-what...was that...?!" He could only mutter in short gasps. Was this...something that Luka was trying to tell him?
'Just...' he tried to gather his thoughts, but his body was still shaking from the pain the memories had brought him. 'Who the hell... are you, Luka?'
Next Time: Episode 2: The Hunger
Well, as you can see, this greatly differs from my usual writing style, and a vast difference to the original, as in Requiem for a Demon, Lelouch was Kaneki's adopted older brother, rather than his best friend. Anyway, Code-Emperor07 has kindly helped me out writing this. I owe him greatly for it. You might know him from his other stories, such as Fractured Existence, Cray's Last Hope, Resurrected Trials, and Crimson Dragon.
At any rate, this episode covered Lelouch's experience in a new body that is definitely not his own, and trying to figure out more on his situation. Next time, it's for his first, real look at the world he now lives in. Also, there will be a spin-off to this particular story, which relates to the trailer episode that I published as the first chapter of this story. Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Painted Bloody Red, will follow Lelouch in his path as a member of Aogiri, meaning he's gonna be one scary motherfucker, while Tokyo Ghoul: A Flower Colored Darker Than Black, will follow Lelouch as he tries to bridge the gap between humans and Ghouls, as one who lives in both worlds.
How will he do this, you ask? Hmhmhm... One word: Zero.
That's all for now! Tell me your thoughts in the reviews below! Did you like the reboot? Did you hate it? Did you like Requiem for a Demon more? You all have a wonderful day or night, wherever you live!
Demons Anarchy of Pride, out!