Chapter II –

Leaving and starting a new life!

Getting out of Japan was hard, we traveled only through the night, so no one would recognize us and we stopped each time the sun came out and the people were starting to wake up. Sometimes we slept under some trees, one time we slept in a cave we found. We couldn't risk going to a hotel for I had become a little too known person and supposedly dead, if seen and recognized we risked not only our lives but also destroying all we had worked for. After some time in travelling on foot we were found by an old man with a cart as he was passing by the tree that we had lain next to. He nicely asked us if we want to travel with him and so we climbed up. For two days we travelled with him until he came to his home town and after that we went to a close by city where there were harbor and we brought ourselves a ticked to Russia, we were wondering about Chine but we were a little too known there, so we choose Russia as the better option.

Russia was cold, very cold, we no longer got the option of sleeping under trees or on some hills as we did in Japan, but somehow I found myself liking this coldness, for it numbed some of the pain I was feeling. We decided to travel to Moscow and it took us a couple of weeks to get there – we were using only short distance autobuses and we slept at most three nights in one city. When we finally made it to Moscow it was December 5 and it was snowing but calmly and it was so beautiful.

"Happy birthday, Lulu!" C.C said and smiled at me, then she kissed my cheek and hugged me. I smiled for the first time in a long while. "I hope that this year is much better than the last one and congratulation on making it to the age of nineteen!" She said as she let go of me.

"Thanks and hopefully it will." I said and after that we went in search for a hotel. After a couple of days we even found an apartment, it wasn't anything special , it had two bedrooms, one bathroom and a kitchen, it was close to a park and the rent wasn't much, just a normal prize. We started searching for a work because our money were already close to none. We found one in a bar but the bar owner told us that he didn't like younger workers and then we heard that the military were requiting people for a knightmare rider and taking in idea that we both were good with knightmares we decided to try it. It was a ricky move for if recognized we could be killed but then again we had never tried anything on Russia so maybe they could spare us and there was the fact that we had changed our looks. C.C now had short hair that was dyed brown while mine was now blue, her eyes were brown too while mine were black and my hair had grown a lot for the last 5 months.

Anyway we gave our documents and a couple of days later we got a letter that we were both given an okay to participate in an audition to see if we could really work with knightmares. Russia's knightmares were a bit different but we quickly got used to them and I guess we were good for we were one of the 50 chosen out of 600. After that we found that we would be trained for three months before we officially become a part of the military and then they told us that we would have to move to military compound. C.C was a bit angry and unhappy because she would have to wear their uniform and she no longer would be able to eat pizza but she complained the most about not living in the same building with me but she said the she hopes that we would at least train together.

Those three months were hellish and hard to live through. The meals were awful, the part where we had to wake up early was somehow not trouble to me but for C.C was indeed, taking in idea her constant complains. The training in itself was a hell for me in the beginning because I was very bad at running and at exercise but being our daily work out I started getting used to it. Our daily plan was 6 to 9 in the morning running, 9 to 9 and half we eat breakfast after that to 10:30 we run again, then we train in the field until 13:00, then we eat and when done we go to the shooting lessons that ends at 16:00, then we go to the knightmare lessons until 18:00 and then we run again until 19:30, we eat and then we are free until the next day.

When the end of those three months was coming we were told that some of the emperor's knights would come to examine us and would say which of us would become officially part of the military. I was surprised to learn that much as Britannia Russia too had knights – apparently they were ten and they went the same – knight 1 being the emperor's guardian and then the others were going supposedly by strength. Also each of the knights in a pair of two took care of part of Russia.

We also learned that knight 1 had died 2 weeks ago of a disease, he had been young – just about 31 – but had a cancer and had been too late for any cure. Our group of 50 trainee was very surprised by that information, while me and C.C were just listening to them.

"He was so strong, he shouldn't have died of disease."

"He was amazing."

"I hope I can become like him."

"He was my idol."

"Damn I'm sad, I used to be in love with him."

Was what we heard all around us.

Four days later knight 4 and knight 7 come to see our training and then after watching us for 3 days they called the names of some of us. Out of the 50 people they called 23 and told the others that they are free to go home.

After they had left the one that we were informed to be knight 4 stepped closer to us. He was taller than me, probably 1 meter and 90 centimeters, he had black hair that was cut short and blue eyes that gave the feeling that he was looking through anything.

"My name is Peter and for the next two weeks me and my friend Victor will train you, we will see what kind of knightmare would sweet you better and have one made for each of you" He said as he nodded at knight 7 which stepped next to him, apparently he was Victor. He was just a couple of inches less tall then Peter, had dark blue hair and black eyes and was smiling gently at us.

"What do you mean by kind of knightmare? Do you have different kinds?" I heard C.C ask and turned to her, then back to the two knights in front of us.

"There are the offensive once that are much better at attack than at defense- they those that use gun, those who use bows and those who use swords, then there are those who are good at defense and less strong at offense if there is any at all." He explained and we – me and C.C looked at each other, there weren't such things in neither Britannia nor Japan – most of the knightmares were the same only those of the knights were different.

And so our training with the two knights began. They told each of us which knightmare would sweet us best on the second day. Mine and C.C were more offensive but with a strong defense too and the two knights told us that they were surprised at us, we weren't good only with offense but for difference then others our defense was also very strong and the part that surprised them the most was that both of us were good with any kind of weapon, be it bow or sword or gun. After that they asked us which weapon we wish to fight with. I choose that mine main weapon would be a gun while I would also have a sword as a backup. C.C choose gun as main and both sword and bow as backup.

The left part of those two weeks they used in teaching us hand to hand battle and as embarrassing as it is I have to say that I got my ass whipped. They were too strong for any of us. I tried to use my head in thinking of any kind of strategy but it was useless, I wasn't neither fast nor stronger.

"Being in the military as a Knightmare rider doesn't mean that you have to be good only in controlling your knightmares but also to fight well, there might come a situation in which you would have to fight in a hand battle and what would you do then? You're already part of the military, you are this country's soldiers so I would give you an advice do try to train in fight. Now we would have to part and I would like to wish you all the best luck and I hope that one of you someday became a knight like us." Peter said on our final day and then Victor came from behind him with letters in hand.

"Now here are the envelopments for each of you, for the division you would have to go to." He said and then started saying each of our names, giving us the letters.

"Cecilia Lamperouge, Lelouch Lamperouge." He said last and smiled at us. "Well well seems like you like Moscow for your division is the one in here and your captains would be us two." He said and nodded at Peter and we smiled as they both smiled at us.

"Okay now go take all your things and there will be busses waiting for all of you to take you to the division you're supposed to go. Cecilia and Lelouch you will travel with me and Peter. Now I wish you all the best and hopefully we will see each other again." Victor said and with that both knights left.

We all bit each other goodbyes. Through the last three months and two weeks we had became very good friends, we had helped each other many times.

Soon both of us made our way out of the compound, there were the busses and behind them was a black hummer h3, from whish Victor came out.

"Well, you were done quickly. Come, climb up and let's roll." He said and so we climbed up. Soon after we were on our way to our new place.

In the Palace

"You majesty, I believe it's about time for you to choose another knight 1 for you need an escort!" An advisor of the Emperor said as he looked at his Emperor, who was sitting in big red chair, too big for him.

The emperor got of his chair as he shook his head and made his way to the window, he was tall, meter and 85 centimeters, with short black hair that looked slightly purple and purple eyes just like Lelouch's. He seemed not too old, 40 at most but no more.

"I do not need one right now, I can take perfect care of myself by myself! If anyone makes the mistake of attacking me he won't live long enough to even regret it!" He said with a serious voice as he glared at his advisor. "Now, to where did you go with the search of my son and watch your words, if you tell me once again that he is dead I am so firing you!" He asked and threatened as his eyes filled with hope.

The advisor smiled and opened his mouth to talk.

"We got lucky and found him, your majesty!" The advisor said and the Emperor smiled as his face filled with happiness.

"So where is he?" He asked.

"He is in Moscow, he just got in the military. You know how every 6 months we requite new knightmare riders to fill the missing places and your son participated in the examination together with another 600 people and made it to the 50 chosen once of which only 23 made it to the military and he was, together with his supposed sister, in those 23 people." The advisor said and smile at the face of the emperor which was full with pure happiness.

"My son is in Moscow? I can't believe this! I want to see him! Organize a meeting with him!" The emperor said with anxious voice but the advisor shook his head.

"It's not that easy. The boy has no idea that the father he believed was connected to him by blood is not really his father. The boy has no idea for the mother's secret affair, so please before you make the boy come to meet you, do think of how to tell him everything without making him leave." The advisor said and the emperor nodded with a sore face.

"You are right and now as I think about it, if he gets asked to a meeting with the emperor he will probably think it has something to do with his stun as Britannia's emperor position and he would probably go into hiding." He mussed and the advisor nodded his head.

"The boy is strong, I believe he will become one of our strongest soldiers and in no time you will get to meet him and then you will get the opportunity do explain everything to him."

"Just make sure that he doesn't get hurt or there will be a lot of heads running around." The emperor said with a serious face and the advisor smiled then nodded his head and left.

With Lelouch and C.C

We made it to the zone 1 of the Military as we learned it was called. It was build like a little city. There were houses for everyone and then there were bunch of training grounds. We learned that if we wanted we could be changed and be on call – which meant we could live anywhere we want but once we get called we would have 1 day to come back here. But taking in an idea that we didn't have anyone to stay to and neither did we have friends we decided that it's best to just stay here. We didn't have any regime here and we were happy for that. The only thing we had to do is run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

We had free aces to any of the training grounds and we were told we would get our knightmares in three days.

"You told us told us that we need to learn to fight not only with knightmares, so I was wondering if you could train us." I asked and the two knights smiled at us and then looked at each other.

"We are busy guys but we could spare an hour or two each day to train you and I would suggest you use the left time to train either by yourself of the two or you together." Victor told us and Peter nodded.

"Be in training ground 6 tomorrow at 9 a.m. Make sure you are well rested." Peter told us and then we nodded and then they left saing 'until tomorrow'.

And that's how we started our new life as soldiers of Russia. With everyday we become stronger and stronger. Peter and Victor usually trained us about 5 hours a day, sometimes less and we become a very good friends with them, in no time they were like bigger brothers to us and they too saw us like little brother and sister.

Well here goes the next chapter. I am sorry for not updating for so long but now I have about 4 or 5 more chapters of this written on my notebook all that is left is writing it on my laptop.

I hope you like it.

Now review, please…. That's if you want the next chapter to get published quicker.

Hehe…

Until next time.