Author's Note: Alright. I'm not sure how this chapter will turn out or if it will really have a whole lot of humor to it admittedly. This is kind of just an small idea and I decided since I was rewriting the story what better way to celebrate doing so than to write a brand new chapter?
Chapter Three:
It's Hard to Explain, Nunnally
Nunnally, like the vast majority of the world, had tuned into the SAZ celebration. Unlike the rest of world Euphemia's outing of her brother had directly affected her. For obvious reasons. Nunnally had paled, "Sayoko," she turned her head to the maid with a furrowed brow. "Was it really my brother under the mask?" The pleading in the young girl's voice tempted the woman to lie, but she knew she couldn't this time.
She nodded and answered, "It . . . was Lady Nunnally." Nunnally clearly had questions, but before she could voice them Sayoko's phone rang. "I'm sorry my Lady," the maid looked at the caller ID, "It's your brother."
"Answer it Sayoko," Nunnally felt herself trembling. Surprisingly more in anger at Euphie for outing them than at her brother. Even more so in sadness knowing life was about to change drastically for her.
Without another word Sayoko answered the call, "Master. You have a lot to answer for you know." She paused as he answered while also hearing it echoed on the TV, "Yes. Of course. I was already considering how to do that."
Milly burst into the room with the other Student Council Members, "We need to get you out of here ASAP Nunnally." The woman seemed very serious for once as she looked at them.
"Master. The Student Council is here. Seems they intend to help." Sayoko's eyes widened after a moment, "You want to take them with us?!" Milly was quickly at the maid's side and held out her hand for the phone. There was a brief moment of hesitance, but the phone was handed over quickly.
"Lelouch. We already have that plane ready to go. We just need to get what we can and leave . . . and what did she mean by taking us with you?" Milly raised an eyebrow curiously as Lelouch offered little to no explanation. "What do you mean you'll see us soon and will explain then? We're going to be up in the air within the next ten minutes! We can't just up and-FINE!" She hung up on him out of frustration.
She looked towards the others, "Go pack your things. Only grab necessities. We don't have time for much more than that. Sayoko. Go pack my stuff and I'll help Nunnally." Her tone was clearly irritated and not in the mood for any nonsense for once. They were unsure, but knew not to mess with their Council President when she got like this. So they nodded and moved quickly to pack.
"Wow! I never knew a place like this existed at Ashford." Rivalz was looking around the underground passages they were hurrying through.
"Shut up Rivalz. This isn't the time to marvel at our escape route. We are nearly there."
"Nearly where, Madame President?" Shirley asked as she tried to get some sort of information from her.
"A plane of course. Didn't you hear me on the phone? Are you going deaf Shirley?" Milly was clearly very stressed. Nina quickly decided it was best to not ask anything despite her curiosity.
Milly stopped and opened up a panel that was almost almost no different from the rest of the wall. She then entered a number before closing the panel again as the wall next to it rose into the ceiling. "Here we go . . ." She didn't pay any attention to the incredulous looks the others were giving her. They walked down the newly opened hall and lights turned on as they walked until the hallway emptied out into a large room. Milly clapped which turned on the lights.
"This is . . . incredible, President," Nina breathed out in admiration at the plane that sat in front of them.
"I hope you don't mind if you pilot, Sayoko." Milly smiled a bit sheepishly, "I haven't been taught how to pilot this yet and I know you have been." The maid nodded as she remembered, "Now get your stuff on board. It has taken a little longer than I intended for us to get here. We need to leave now before the crowd gets worse."
Shirley looked at her oddly, "Why would there be a crowd?"
She sighed, "If you remember Lelouch was too close to the microphone when he called these two. Those first few seconds were all that the world needed. He announced on national TV that his sister was here at Ashford. Right now there are likely people searching high and low for her. That means one thing. Get on the plane and buckle up," she grinned scarily at her friends.
After several minutes they were all seated and ready, "So . . . President. How is this supposed to take off? We are underground." Rivalz shifted uncomfortably as she turned her eyes to him.
"You'll see. This is no normal plane." Her grin was back and she called up to Sayoko, "We're ready now! Open the hatch!"
The maid allowed herself a smile of satisfaction as she pressed a red button on the dash. " The hatch is opening. Engaging thrusters now."
Milly was quite right about there being a crowd of people searching for Nunnally on the school grounds already. So they were in for a shock as the ground began to shake violently and a barrier, to keep in all the water, raised in the center of the fountain in front of the school. The fountain began to split in half as it opened up into a deep shaft. Students, teachers, and trespassers alike stared in pure confusion as a plane rose into sight from the shaft.
Milly cackled as she got the loud speakers on, "Yes. Hello. This is Milly Ashford and with me are my fellow members of the Student Council. I would kindly ask those who are trespassing on school grounds to leave immediately. Nunnally vi Britannia is no longer on the grounds. As an honorary member of the Student Council she is coming along with us on an indefinite vacation. Hold on to your hats!" She laughed hysterically as she hung up and the plane suddenly rocketed away from sight. Making it impossible to watch where it went. After several minutes Sayoko slowed down to find everyone other than Nunnally and Milly quivering in their shoes.
"Y-you could have given us more warning than THAT Milly!" Shirley yelled with no better way to express how that speed made her feel. Which wasn't very good.
"Where would the fun in that be, Ms. Ten," she grinned perversely as Nunnally let out her bell-like laughter.
"Seems Master Lelouch has caught up with us," Sayoko mused loudly enough for them to hear. Causing them to look over to see the Gawain next to them. "It seems he also brought a friend . . . though this one can't fly." On the ground to their other side was the Guren.
Shirley squeaked in fear, "Why is he bringing along a Black Knight?!" Nina shrank in her seat as her xenophobia took over.
Milly was frowning, "I'm not sure, but I'm going to call him . . ."
Lelouch was in the back seat of the Gawain and was trying to calm down still when his phone rang. He sighed when he looked at who it was and answered it. "Yes Milly? You want to know why on earth the Guren is following us? I invited the pilot."
He laughed after a moment, "Don't worry about her. She's a friend and needs to be protected much like all of you for now. You're asking why you need to be protected? I thought that was obvious," he mused not so much to himself, "I'll tell you when we get to the secret base and are settled in. We are almost there." He hung up on her, much to Milly's annoyance, and called Kallen next.
"Kallen. It's me. I'm going to go on ahead to prepare the base. Remember to not breathe a word to the other Black Knights about this. It is rather important as you know. I didn't invite you to protect my Q1. I wanted you to come along to protect my friend, Kallen. So please keep that in mind and don't argue." He hung up on her before she could offer any retort and told C.C. to speed up to their destination.
She just rolled her eyes even as she did as he asked.
Half an hour later they had arrived and there was a large shaft much like the one from Ashford Academy already open and waiting. Sayoko, with no hesitation, lowered the plane into the abyss while Kallen took an elevator for Knightmare Frames. The top closed soon after they had descended into the shaft. The plane successfully landed fairly quickly, but it took the elevator a few extra minutes to get Kallen and the Guren to the bottom. The lights never turned on so they stayed in the plane.
There was a clap and the lights powered on. Revealing Lelouch, in his full Zero attire along with his helmet set on his head again. "You can exit the Knightmare and plane now." He chuckled, "You first Q1. Might as well get this out of the way." The student council were rather confused, but so was Kallen. Lelouch never told her that their friends would be tagging so she didn't know what they were 'getting out of the way'. She shrugged before opening the hatch before lowering herself to the ground and jumping out.
Milly blinked as she looked at woman, "Is that..."
"Do you recognize her, Milly?" Nina furrowed her eyebrows, "I feel like I do too, but can't place her. She doesn't look like an Eleven . . ." The others shared the same thoughts as Milly grinned mischievously when she finally realized who it was.
"Let down the back, Sayoko!" Milly laughed lightly, "Please bring Nunnally when you come out too." She unbuckled herself and dashed out the back. Lelouch, though they couldn't see it, was rather unsurprised as Milly came barreling out of the plane at Kallen. "KALLEN!"
For what it was worth Kallen froze in place and had a look of absolute panic on her face before glaring at Lelouch. She became a great deal less frozen in place when Milly came up behind her and fondled her chest. She raged as she turned around to face her friend, "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU-"
Milly began laughing, "So you ARE Kallen!" The other student council members were standing there now, quite unsure what to think, "I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised that you are a Black Knight considering your background . . ."
Lelouch spots Sayoko pushing Nunnally towards them and he smiled, relieved she was okay, "guys. Enough. Let's get inside." He walked into the door beyond.
They soon found themselves sitting around a table with the exception of Lelouch, who was still standing, waiting for him to speak. With a sigh he removed his helmet and mask covering his mouth. Even as he did though he kept his eyes closed and put on a pair of sunglasses. Much to their confusion even as Lelouch kneeled before his sister, "Uh . . . Nunnally. Th-this is difficult to say."
On her part she had a frown that only got deeper. Both in disappointment and anger. "Big brother," her voice dropped off as she raised a hand a slapped him across the face. How she wished she could see so she could give him a proper piece of her mind. He isn't the only one who can intimidate with a glare alone. Her anger clear from the lines on her face when suddenly her eyes opened. She didn't react and instead slapped Lelouch several more times now she could see him. "How dare you. You put yourself in all this danger and now we have to go back into hiding."
Lelouch's eyes widened and his jaw hung open slightly even as his cheek turned a violent red. "Y-you opened your eyes! I know you opened them at me in anger, but I can't find a reason to be unhappy about that. You opened your eyes." Nunnally blinked when she realized that she did . . . and she could see. She smiled and, even though she tried to hold them at bay, she began to cry as Lelouch hugged her.
He pulled away as the student council members were staring at Nunnally in awe and, more importantly, happiness. "Nunnally. The reason why I have done all this . . . was for you. We could have only hid away from the world for so long. Whether it was on our own accord or thanks to someone else we would have been discovered at some point. It was only a matter of time unfortunately. I couldn't bear to return . . . to see you thrown away, probably to some noble, thanks to our father seeing you as a weakling. I-I was given a special power that made me believe I could win. I owe our friends and you, especially you, an explanation." His eyes lifted and looked into C.C.'s from afar.
C.C. had been watching from the doorway and decided it was time to make them aware of her presence. "I told you then that Geass was the Power of Kings. That it would condemn you to a life of solitude, but you took my offer in order to save your life there in Shinjuku. You have used it well so far, but I didn't expect the next stage of your Geass to activate so soon. Otherwise I would have prepared you and perhaps this whole situation could have been avoided." She stepped forward, "I am C.C., Nunnally. I am the woman who began living with you not long after your brother began this quest."
Nunnally turned the wheelchair around to face her, "So is this your girlfriend, Lelouch?" Shirley gaped at her and Milly had a pervy smirk on her face.
Lelouch paled, "NO. I told you before she isn't my girlfriend. She IS the one who kept ordering the pizza though." His eyebrows furrowed and he muttered, "And kept stealing my bed . . ." Unfortunately for him he said that too loud and the others heard him.
"Oh ho ho ho! So you've had this beautiful woman all to yourself hidden away in your room..." Milly chuckled deviously, "I do hope you at least been gentle with her."
C.C. smirked almost unnoticeably as her eyes shined with mischief, "Don't you dare, C.C.. I know that look." Lelouch stared her down and making her laugh. "Oh no . . ."
"Don't worry. I only slept in the nude . . . most of the time. Usually he slept on the couch, but sometimes he was just too tired to bother. I'm not all too modest." She adopted a teasing rueful kind of smile, "He did prove how much of a man he was a few times though."
Lelouch rapidly went pure white as his friends looked at him. Shirley rapidly looking more and more faint as Milly had a look of triumph on her face, "WITCH! Stop giving them the wrong impression!"
"What's wrong with telling them about the nights of passion we have shared? Especially when you oh so romantically called out my true name . . ." She shrugged, "Nothing is wrong with telling them that, my Warlock." Her taunting golden eyes were alight in amusement as she looked at his friends.
Milly's eyebrows rose into her hairline as Rivalz gave a wolf whistle. Kallen was unsure if she was serious as she had gotten to know the woman a little. She knew she played around a lot, but also knew they were close. Shirley's emotions were flip-flopping between rage, sadness, and jealousy. "So . . . if you are doing all that is she your fiancee then, brother?" Nunnally's innocent ears and mind wouldn't consider such things happening between those who weren't in love with each other.
Lelouch twitched. "You-you are so lucky that you are immortal, Witch. What I wouldn't give sometimes . . ." The effect was instantaneous as everyone's face changed to being incredulous and not believing it. "Maybe we should just show them?" He raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"I don't think they'll believe it any other way," C.C. muttered dryly.
Lelouch reached into his costume and pulled out the same gun from his meeting with Euphemia. He pointed it at her head, "Nunnally. You are to turn away right now. You can look afterwards. "
Nunnally's face turned to one of horror, "You can't . . ." The other's looked pale suddenly.
C.C. shook her head, "Don't worry. I promise I'll be fine. Trust me. I've died in much worse ways than being shot in the head. This is the best way to get you all to trust what we are to say about Geass." Nunnally hesitated before turning her wheelchair around and not looking. "If any others-" she was interrupted by a bullet to her head and she fell back before not getting back up.
Shirley, not to mention the rest of the student council, looked ready to throw up. The orangette trembled, "She-she isn't getting up Lelouch. Oh my god! You killed her. Right in front of-"
He raised a hand to stop her there, "Get up Witch." He blushed almost unnoticeably before he kneeled down to her ear and muttered something into it.
Her hand twitched and he helped her sit up. C.C. had a faint, but not as invisible blush on her face. Much to his chagrin and Milly's curiosity. "See? I told you I would be fine." There was the definite hole in her head still, "It takes a few moments to recover after being shot in the head, girl." Nina, being the shy and rather scaredy-cat girl she was, had now backed away out of fear. With everyone else being stock still Nunnally took it as it being okay to turn around. In doing so she caught sight of the bullet hole in the girls forehead close on its own. Suffice to say Nunnally paled at even just that.
Lelouch took a breath and put the gun away, "Now that the most shocking thing is out of the way . . . how about we explain my motives and actions as Zero? After all I did promise to explain why I needed you all here."
Sayoko walked in with a tray of snacks, she left when his tale was done, and knocked the teenagers out of the reverie. "Thank you Sayoko," Lelouch nodded, "Now I hope you all see why I've done what I've done. I don't expect nor feel I deserve your forgiveness for some of my actions, but what's done is done. As for why I brought you all? You are all members of the student council and my friends. Even though Milly, and Suzaku, were the only ones who knew about our royal status . . . our father has never been one I would call fair." Milly knew that that is probably the understatement of the century and realized Lelouch probably made the correct choice in having them come along. "I had no desire for them to punish you for simply knowing us and not telling anyone. As it is the remaining students at Ashford are mostly just acquaintances and thus in no real danger."
Nunnally had understood from the start and seemed to be following suit, "I only didn't bring Suzaku as he was back at the SAZ and I'm not sure if we could trust him to not say anything. Plus he would have known exactly where we are right now." He chuckled lightly, "After all we are near where it all started. This base is under the ruined Kururugi estate. I thought it fitting for this secret base to be here."
Nunnally was the first to speak, "It will be hard to come to terms with, but hearing everything . . . most of what you have done was done fairly. You've made mistakes, mistakes you HAVE acknowledged, and do regret. So I can only forgive you." She smiled and took his hand. The others didn't say anything, but one by one put their hands over his to give him their support.
Author's Note 2: This doesn't have the amount of humor the previous two chapters have had, but this one has had its moments. I feel content where it ended and while I could do more . . . We'll have to see what the future holds.
Please look forward to The Search for Lelouch updates. I will be rewriting those chapters soon. I don't know if I will be able to finish what is left before that point, but I will try. I will at least finish it before July at the latest. Though I will try hard to write the new chapters for TSfL this month.
