CODE GEASS R3

END OF HALCYON

TURN FOUR: THE NEW KID

Sophie yawned sleepily as she walked down the dorm room in her pajamas, blinking to look up at the placards on the dorm room doors. She stopped, suddenly alert. "Torako…Charlotte…" Wordlessly, she banged on the door. It didn't budge. "Oh dear." Sophie took a deep breath, and took a martial arts stance. In one second she was still, and the next, she moved, smashing the door in. "There. I must thank father for teaching me. Oh." She stepped into the room, avoiding the splinters that would surely pierce her feet, and peered into the room.

She saw Charlotte sleeping away as Torako slept in the same bed with a strange individual… "Torako?" Charlotte yawned, and woke up, rubbing her eyes. "Soph? What are you…" The debris registered, and she jumped to her feet. "Sophie! What did you do?! Tora—" Charlotte stopped, and looked at the bed.

There, beside Torako, was a green-haired woman sleeping, clutching one of the pillows. Sophie blinked. "Oh wow. Is that your new roommate?" Charlotte gulped and immediately ran to Torako, shaking her.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up! TORAKO!"

"WHAT?! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

"Who…who is that in your bed?"

"What? What do you—"

Torako slowly turned around. The weird woman was still here. "AGH!" She jumped out of the bed quickly, throwing a pillow at C.C.

"Ow. What are you doing?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! GET OUT OF MY BED!"

"Hmph. You think this is your bed?"

At that C.C started to go back to sleep. Charlotte shook her head.

"No! You can't!"

"Why not? I haven't slept on a bed for a long time…"

"Not that—just who the hell are you?!"

"C…C."

"C.C?"

"Yes."

Sophie nodded. "Makes sense. Do you know that the entire Britannian government is trying to find you?" C.C sighed. "What can they do? I've already escaped once—I can most certainly do it again." Charlotte stared at the two in amazement. "What are you talking about?" Torako sighed and prepared for the day. "It's complicated…"

James whacked the alarm clock, and stretched. It was going to be another tiring day; he could already tell. Getting up, he got ready quickly, and glanced at his roommate before leaving. Michael snored. A lot. He rolled his eyes, and put a hand to his mouth. "HEY! WAKE UP!" Michael woke up with a start, and fell out of his bed. "AGH!" James smiled, and set out for his morning jog.

Upon going outside, he saw the Student Council girls heading towards the Head Master's office. Hard to miss, it was built after Milly Ashford came to power; an opulent small mansion, it resembled the Club House. James started to run, then stopped. Among the girls was obviously a new student…foreign? She wore what appeared to be shorts and a tee-shirt, and had put her long green hair into a ponytail. "What the…?" Curious, James ran over to them.

Torako turned around and saw James approach. She blushed, and whirled around. "It's James!" Sophie only made a "eh" noise as Charlotte craned her head to look around, as C.C continued to walk. "Do you like him?"

"No! What makes you say that?"

"Hey guys! Fresh blood?"

The group stopped, save for C.C. Torako blushed. "C2! Don't be rude!" She only turned for a brief moment before walking again. "Hello." James grinned and started to chase after her. "Hey, wait beautiful!" Charlotte smiled and started to giggle, but stopped immediately when Torako started to fume. "Why that little…"

C.C walked, ignoring the approaching teenager. I wonder if they serve pizza here… "Hey! Wait!" She turned around, and the man stopped a few inches from her, panting. Alarmed by the sudden appearance, she took a step back. I'm fully prepared to kick your ass…I think… "Hey! You're a new student, right?"

"It would appear so."

"Hah! I'm—ah—wait a minute—(deep breath)—I'm James!"

"Hello, James. And goodbye."

"What?!"

She continued walking towards the office. I haven't time for you, boy. "HEY!" Suddenly, James started to chase after her. He was only ten meters away but he was closing in…Why am I always chased? She started to run, but she could tell her speed was off. Damn. All those years spent eating pizza and sitting around…I need to get back in shape…James stopped, watching the girl run. "Wow…she's fast." His thoughts changed suddenly when he saw the girl fall down. "Whoa!" She got back up, dusted herself, held her nose up high, and walked with what dignity she had left despite the bleeding knee.

"So your name is C…two?" C.C nodded. She was seated in the Head Master's office, and sat in the luxurious chair. Milly sat behind a mahogany desk and equally nice chair, surrounded by papers. Obviously she hates the paperwork. "Yes." Milly stroked her chin thoughtfully, and exited the chair. She walked around the girl, looking her up and down. Why am I always constantly being, 'checked out'? "I can't put my finger on it, but you look familiar…have I met you before?" C.C shook her head. Unless you really were a newscaster… "No. Can I enroll in the school?" Milly stopped her inspection and smiled. "Of course! Ashford Academy is welcome to any new students! However, we have papers to do and I'll need parental consent and—" She was interrupted by a thick, yellow envelope thrust into her face. "I believe I have all that you need. I understand a fee for the uniform?"

Taken aback, it took a while for Milly to answer. "Yes! And a Physical Education outfit, and—" C.C took out a wallet adorned with Cheese-Kun icons with a blue background, and produced a checkbook. "How much?"

"Three hundred…"

"I understand that there is a Swim Club, correct?"

"Yes! Do you want to join?"

"No. I just want a swimsuit."

"Every student is required to join a club—"

"I'll join the Student Council. Here you go."

C.C handed the check to a stunned Milly. "Is that all?" The Head Master nodded, and took the check. Before throwing it into a check graveyard, she noticed C.C's knee. "Whoa. What happened to you?" She stiffened. Why am I getting frightened? "I. Fell." Milly opened a drawer, making dust fly everywhere. "I KNOW I have some Band-Aid's somewhere…where the hell are they…?" C.C prepared to leave, not wanting to stay in the room any longer. Reminds me of when I was little…"I'll be fine…it was nice to meet you…" Milly triumphantly held up a small, light-colored strip "WAIT! Aha! I found one! Get over here!" C.C flinched, memories of her past life rushing through her mind…

A small girl in a dirty dress walked down the muddy road, carrying a rucksack, holding it close to her chest. "Can't. Drop. Can't. Drop." Immersed in her duty, she ignored the cart that was speedily roaring down the road. The horses rushed towards her, making mud splatter everywhere, and then the cart disappeared. The girl's eyes widen, and she began to cry. "Dirty! Oh no!"

As if the world was against her, the gray clouds above thundered, and it began to pour rain. The girl was beginning to tear. "No. Dirty. He won't be happy, no." Desperate, she ran to the closet building; the local pub. The sudden warmth surprised her as she entered the bar; a fireplace was blazing. She gulped, nervous. There was tall, angry looking men everywhere in the bar, and the place stunk of resentment. It was a smell she knew all too well. Walking carefully, she ducked behind and wove between the crowded pub, careful to not drop the dirty rucksack. "Almost. There. Yes."

She thought about what she should do. Raining. Master will be angry if I come home dirty, me and bag. What? The girl squeezed out of the crowd and found herself in a dark hallway. Wait here. 'Til rain stops. Finally safe, she sat down in the corner, placing the bag beside her. She breathed. Just wait. Will be okay. Will be okay. Quietly, she started to hum. Hmm. Hm. Hmm-Hmm-Hmm. Feeling much braver, she decided to sing—her small voice echoing in the dark hallway.

The little girl soon comforted herself. She grew happy, but it disappeared when, without warning, a door next to her opened. A drunkard walked out, and with one step with his clunky boots, stepped on the rucksack. Horrified, she pushed the man away and snatched the rucksack. She ran out into the rain, and found shelter underneath a tree. Cowering, she slowly opened the rucksack; the contents were ruined. "No. No. No. No. Master will be mad. No." Angry, she threw the remains and ran, not caring where she was going, just wanting to leave this awful world of hers, running…

C.C came back from the memory, panting wildly, holding her face in her hands. Milly rushed to her, trying to console her. "C2! Are-Are you okay?!" She nodded recovering from the sudden flashback. "Don't-Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Okay, well, you just fainted! I wouldn't call that okay!"

"At least I didn't black out or anything!"

"'Or anything'?! Is blacking out normal for you?!"

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING?!"

"I DON'T KNOW; WHY ARE YOU?!"

C.C opened her mouth to say something, stopped, and then burst into a series of giggles. Milly joined in with her infectious laugh. It was a couple of minutes until they both calmed down. C.C wiped a tear away with a single finger as Milly sniffed. "Oh my god…I'm sorry, forgive me…" Milly smiled, and hugged C.C tightly to her chest playfully. "Ahh! Don't worry about it! This whole school is full of crazy people!" C.C gulped nervously. "Is that good or bad?" Milly stopped hugging her, and looked her right in the face. "It's damn good!"

Micheal was about open the door to his mother's office when a green-haired girl opened it; she walked into him. "ACK!" C.C, startled, held her hands up. "OH! I'm sorry! Um, excuse me!" Micheal jumped away, instantly frightened. "Ack! Who are you?!" Milly walked out of the room, her hands on her hips. "WHAT?! Is that any way to greet your new classmate?!"

"Oh! I'm sorry. My name's Micheal."

"You're…her son?"

"Yeah."

"And your dad must be Rivalv then…"

"How do you know him?"

C.C blinked. Shit! How do I know that?! It'll be weird if I just came out and said, oh, yeah, well, I used to go to school with him. Heh. She took a deep breath. "Ahh…I heard about him from my…dad." Micheal raised his eyebrows.

"Your dad?"

"Yeah! My dad! He used to go to school with him."

"Oh. Well, that's cool!"

Milly nudged Micheal in the ribs roughly. "Show her around town, Micheal. She's new, right?" C.C nodded. "Yeah. I mean, look at her! That body, that figure, that asss—" C.C interrupted. "Asking-questions-urge! Do you guys have pizza here?"

"Yeah…err, I mean—! Pizzzzza! Pizza! It's at the Cafeteria!"

"Can you show me where it is?"

"SURE! Okay! Uhh, just follow me!"

C.C stepped forward, and at the same moment Milly grabbed Micheal by his ear. "OWW! Mother!" Milly glanced on both sides, and slapped Micheal on the butt. "Go get em' tiger." At that, she pushed him into C.C. Oh my god… Before the two of them stepped outside, Milly yelled, "SOW DEM WILD OATS, SON!"

C.C sat with Sophie, Charlotte, Torako and others at the lunch table in the Cafeteria. She finally got her pizza, and took a first bite when Charlotte leaned over and grinned. "Sooo…do you like James?" C.C nearly spat out the mushroom pizza she was eating. "Who?" Torako smiled, almost triumphantly before answering. "See? I told you, Charlotte, she only has eyes for—" Torako held her hand in front of her chest "—LA-LOU—!" She didn't get very far when C.C leapt over the lunch table and tackled her. James happened to be on the scene. "CATFIGHT!"

They both landed on the hard, granite floor, C.C on top and Torako on the bottom, both immersed in some weird death grip. Hissing wildly C.C pressed her face closer to Torako's.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Look who's talking, maniac! GET OFF OF ME!"

"Don't mention Lelouch to anyone, okay?!"

"Alright!"

"Promise?"

"YES!"

"Thank you."

A quizzical voice entered their conversation. "Does something seem to be going on here?" C.C got off of Torako quickly. "Nothing at all, sir! In my native country we usually attack one another in a primal tradition before we partake in our meal. Forgive me if it seems troublesome." The male teacher looked her up and down. "Really? Huh, you should take that up in our Culture Festival. Where do you come from, again?" C.C thought quickly.

"Uh…somewhere in the…"

"Let me guess…Scandinavia?"

"EXACTLY! But I come from an indigenous tribe and such so you may not be able to find it."

"What's your name?"

"Cee-two. Are you my teacher?"

The man held out a hand. "I'm your World History teacher, Mr. Kanon. I believe you are in my fifth hour class." C.C blinked while shaking his hand. "Kanon, sir?" He laughed. "Yeah. Weird name, I know…" She shook her head. "Nothing's wrong…well, see you later." He waved. C.C sat back down. Sophie noticed her puzzled expression. "Mr. Kanon was indeed the old assistant of past Prince Schenizel, C2, but now he's a history teacher. Did you know him?" C.C rubbed her temples. "Let me guess; is my Biology teacher Ms. Einstein?" Sophie nodded. "But its Missus since she's married to Kanon. She kept her maiden name."

Lelouch…the world has changed considerably.

And yet, my dear, you haven't changed at all.

I THOUGHT NINA WAS A LESIBAN!

I suppose Kanon changed her ways…

Dear God…is she going to recognize me?

Maybe, maybe not. Maybe you should cut your hair.

NEVER!

Or dye it? I always wondered how you would look as a redhead…

LELOUCH!

Torako sighed, and set down her hoagie, and looked directly at C.C. "Could I, at least, have a normal lunch without two people talking in my head?!" C.C frowned. "Whaaaaat? I haven't talked to him in years."

She has a point, you know.

"WHATEVER! You stay out of it!"

What do you want? Your precious James?

"What?! I don't like him!"

Yeah, right. You just keep denying that. Let's see where that goes, okay?

She also has a point.

Torako grabbed the headsets. "You know what? You can keep your little headgear crap—I'M GOIN' BACK TO MY DORM!" She stormed off without another word. Sophie quietly took the rest of her food. "Oh, and we have Physical Education with Charlotte's mother. Mrs. Nu. It's quite a surprise that no one hasn't noticed you yet, C2." C.C rolled her eyes. "I'm a little surprised too…did Empress Nunnally eradicate all records of the Black Rebellion and Zero?" Sophie drank the milk carton. "Yes. She didn't want anyone to remember the 'bad days'." C.C sighed. "Just doing that won't make anyone forget what happened."

Sophie's eyes peeked over the folded cardboard. "You speak as if you experienced it." C.C finger-combed her hair. "Uhh…I read a lot of books." Sophie set the carton down, and picked up a napkin, wiping her milky moustache away. "Surely you must remember what great lengths Zero went through in order to achieve, so-called 'world peace'" C.C smiled in spite. "You know your history, girl." Sophie sighed and threw the napkin away, wistfully looking outside into the Courtyard. "Yes, well, being the daughter of a Knight of the Round and partner of Zero begs knowledge of such things." With frightening speed, she returned her steely gaze upon C2. "I wonder if you can keep this charade for much longer." C.C bit her lip sullenly. "I've been keeping it up for most of my life."

Sophie giggled. "Well, when the time comes, inform me. I could be of some help." C.C glared at her. "I don't know if I can." The pink-haired girl shrugged. "Torako already did. I just thought both of you were in this together." C.C relaxed. "Yes, well, your relation with Britannia does make me think you might be a spy."

Sophie's sky-blue eyes twinkled. "I could be a double-agent for all you know. Of course, that's all just in a manner of taste." C.C sighed. "Doesn't hurt, I suppose." She raised a finger. "But I'll be watching you." She got up and left. Sophie watched her leave the Cafeteria, and finally adjusted her uniform, taking out a small voice-recorder. "Ahh, but as you see C2…" She positioned the small object between her index finger and thumb in the light. "…it is I who will be watching you."

THE END