Author's Intro
All right, apology time. I'm really, really, REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in so long, especially when I'm so early into the story. But what can I say? I could say I've been hella busy with school and work and other various happenings, but that would just sound like an excuse. Oh, and you know what the worst part is? This isn't even the full chapter! Nope, this is just part 1 of it. I wanted to wait until I got the whole thing done, but I'm still far away from finishing it. So finally I figured that I owe you guys at least a little something since it's been so long since my last update. So yeah, over half a year and not much to show for it. In the words of Naveen from The Princess and the Frog, "Eh, sad but true." (Seriously, go and see that movie if you haven't yet).
Well anyway, I deeply appreciate your patience and for all my loyal readers that have stuck with me for the long haul. Seriously, you guys are the best. So without further ado, here's part 1 of chapter 4.
Chapter 4: Parting
It had been two days since Lelouch and Shirley's meeting with Suzaku. After returning to the hotel, they had decided that the best course of action would be to go to the address Suzaku had given to them and meet up with Rivalz. They stayed at the hotel until about noon and then checked out. They went ahead to the train station, stopping only for a quick lunch along the way, and departed on the train that would take them to Rivalz's address, which just so happened to be in Tokyo.
Lelouch and Shirley naturally sat next to each other the whole way, occasionally carrying on conversation over the following two days. They talked about Suzaku, Japan's liberation, Nunnally, Shirley's mother, the Student Council, and what might come of their meeting with Rivalz. Of course they were careful not to bring up anything that might give away Lelouch's identity as a Britannian prince or his former identity of Zero on the off chance they were overheard by one of their fellow passengers.
Right now they were in the final stretch of their journey as the train came to its next stop. After the passengers had been let out the conductor announced, "Next stop, Tokyo Metro Center."
Shirley perked up, "Well, our stop is up next Lulu. You ready?"
He glanced over to her and smiled, "As I'll ever be."
As the train went back into motion, Shirley looked out the window to get a good look at the city she was all too familiar with. However, she noticed that many landmarks had changed and the city looked quite different from how she remembered. "Wow, Tokyo sure has changed, hasn't it Lelouch?"
Lelouch looked outside and he saw that she was right. "Yeah, it has. There must have been a lot of reconstruction done after Blackest Night."
Shirley's bright smile slowly faded into and turned sad as she thought about all the people that must have died that day and how drastically it must have changed the city and its people.
"Yeah. I wonder what else has changed," she said. "I wonder how it affected Rivalz and Milly and Nina and the others. I hope they're all okay."
Lelouch noticed her sad tone and held her hand. "Well, whatever's happened while we were gone, we'll find out soon enough. And I'm sure everything will work out." He smiled. She smiled back.
As the train continued on its way, they looked out the window to see all the changes that had been made to the urban metropolis. There were a lot of new buildings that looked more modern and fancier than the ones they remembered and the city looked much more busy and industrious, but the overall layout was still basically the same. They took notice of and commented on the various locations until, finally, they reached their stop.
The train decelerated as it pulled into the station and the conductor announced, "Tokyo Metro Center."
The train came to a halt. The doors slid open and the passengers rose and began to exit the train. Lelouch too rose from his seat. "All right, let's go Shirley."
He offered his hand to her and she happily accepted it. They made their way off the train, carrying whatever few belongings they had. They walked through the threshold of the electric sliding doors, made their first steps onto the platform, and they were officially back in Tokyo.
For a few seconds they simply stood and took it all in. They watched the hustle and bustle of the hundreds of people traveling about the train station. They looked at the city skylines from the windows and soaked in the familiarity of the industrious city.
"Ah, it feels so good to be back in Tokyo, Lulu."
Lelouch smiled as he surveyed the bustling metropolis and he was filled with a genuine sense of satisfaction and nostalgia. "Yeah, it really does."
He thought back to all the times, both good and bad, that he had had in the familiar city. As he thought about it, he realized that being back in Tokyo truly was a breath of fresh air compared to the life of isolation he had been living for so long.
"Hard to believe it's been five years," he said. He turned to Shirley. "I guess to you it doesn't seem that long though, right?"
Naturally, he was referring to the fact that Shirley had been unconscious for most of the five years they'd been away. Shirley thought about his words and, while there was some truth to what he said, it still seemed to her that she had been away from the city for a very long time.
"It's been long enough," she said. Having soaked in the atmosphere of the busy train station quite sufficiently, Shirley decided it was best to start moving. "Well, let's go Lulu."
She started to walk, but almost immediately she was stopped by Lelouch as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Shirley…I'm afraid I won't be able to go."
Quite taken aback by his words, she turned to face him. "What do you mean Lelouch?"
"I'm sorry Shirley, but I can't go with you to meet up with Rivalz."
His words almost felt like a slap in the face. She had been very much looking forward to seeing Rivalz and had completely expected Lelouch to be there with her. "What are you saying Lelouch? Why not? We've come so far and traveled all this way together." Her tone became more and more exasperated as she spoke, but she knew she couldn't speak to loud for fear of making a scene in a public place. "How can you just back out now?"
"I'm not backing out, Shirley." His words were quick and harsh, as if he were defending himself. Shirley gave a barely audible gasp, a bit startled by his words. Lelouch paused briefly and the calm returned to his voice. "I've been thinking about this for a while, ever since our meeting with Suzaku, and I've made my decision. I'm going to find Nunnally."
Shirley was quiet for a moment. She understood how Lelouch felt about Nunnally and how badly he must want to see her again, but she still felt uneasy about it. "Lelouch…I can imagine how you must feel…but do you really have to leave right now? You don't have to go rushing into this. We can talk about it. Maybe we can find out some other way to…"
"You said yourself that we need to face our past Shirley," he interrupted. "Nunnally is the only family I have left. I need to know if she's alive and I need to know now."
She was still unconvinced. "I don't understand Lulu. We've come all this way already. Rivalz is right nearby here. We can both go and see him together. Wouldn't you at least like to see him and the others before you do something major like this?"
"I'd like that Shirley, but unfortunately this can't wait. The longer I wait the more attached to me you'll get and the more likely I'll lose my resolve. Also, I need to do this while my presence is still fairly unknown."
She could see the reasoning behind his decision, but she still didn't want him to go. "Why did you wait to tell me now, Lelouch? Couldn't you have at least told me you were considering it?"
"I'm sorry Shirley, but I didn't want you to worry. I knew that if you knew about it you'd do everything to try to convince me to stay, but I am sorry for keeping the truth from you."
"But why would you go all this way with me if you were planning on leaving, when we're so close?"
"Actually, this stop works as a good parting point for us. You'll go see Rivalz, but this stop is just a transfer point for me. I'm getting on the red line which will take me to the Black Knight's Headquarters." They were both silent. Shirley didn't know what to say and Lelouch could see the sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry Shirley, but I need to do this."
She could see there was no hope in changing his mind, and deep down she did know that he had to do it. "Okay. I understand, Lelouch. Just promise me you'll be careful, all right?"
He gave her a reassuring smile. "I will." He felt a tinge of regret as he noticed Shirley still leaning on her cane. "I'm sorry to leave you alone in your condition, but I'm sure you'll make it to Rivalz okay, right?"
She thought for a moment, glancing down at her cane, but she gave a firm and positive response. "Yes. I'll be fine Lelouch."
"Good. Thank you for understanding, Shirley." As he finished speaking, the red line train pulled into the station. "Well, that's my train. I better get going." The train came to a complete stop. The doors opened allowing the waves of passengers to exit and enter. There were no words between Lelouch and Shirley as he made his way onto the train. He stood just beyond the threshold of the doors and turned back to her. "Take care of yourself Shirley."
The way he said it, it sounded to Shirley as if it would be the last time they would ever see each other. She cried out as Lelouch stood inside the train. "I love you Lulu!"
He smiled. "I know."
The doors sealed shut. The train went into motion, accelerating, and soon enough vanishing into the dark tunnel. And with that, Shirley was on her own.
Author's Notes
So there you have it. I know it's not very long, but hopefully it will tide you all over until I get the whole thing done. Again, really sorry about this, but I hope it won't stop you all from reading. Anyway, any and all reviews and story alerts and the like would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch! Take care =)
