They couldn't believe their eyes. C.C.! In the present time, they had never met of course, but during their travels in the Sengoku period after defeating Naraku, they had crossed paths on various occasions. So she must be the one that gave Lelouch and Cornelia their powers... I should've known... Baka.
"What brings you here, C.C.?" Kagome inquired, after recovering from her initial shock of seeing the aforementioned girl.
"Maybe I should be asking you that?"
Oh, C.C.! Her antics drive me up the wall, and I see she still hasn't changed! But then again, that is less than surprising. After living for centuries, understandably, your habits are rather hard to change. But seriously... You'd think we know each other well enough for her to drop the act?
With a mental grumble, Kagome refocused on Euphy and Nunnally, but telepathically, she started a conversation with C.C. Please, don't tell them anything. No one knows of my our time-travelling.
With an almost imperceptible dip of the head, C.C. averted her gaze to the royal siblings.
"Like I said. Lelouch and Cornelia know me. And we're friends." C.C. motioned to Kagome, watching nervously for their reactions, and Sango, who had been practically silent the whole time.
Warily, Euphemia nodded, and gestured for C.C. to take a seat, and so the green-haired woman took up residence to the left of Kagome.
The five engaged in awkward small talk for a while. Eventually, they warmed up to each other, and by the end of the hour, they were genuinely, heartily laughing and joking around. Even the hiss of the front door went unnoticed in the clamour of the dining room.
"We're back."
Two exhausted teenagers trudged into the room. Raven-coloured hair askew, and lavender locks plastered to her face, Lelouch and Cornelia stopped in their tracks in shock at he sight before them.
"Welcome home, Lelouch and Cornelia." The ladies chorused together in unison, seemingly with rehearsed coordination.
"I'm so glad; I was worried!" Nunnally greeted, completely unaware of the gawking her siblings' incredulous looks. They were gawking at everyone at the table, but at a certain emerald-haired individual in particular.
"I'm assuming you two ate out tonight, judging by your appearance?" Kagome winked. I think tonight will be even more entertaining with your appearance, Lelouch. You get so flustered sometimes... I'm sure Cornelia will catch on eventually.
"Thank goodness! I thought you guys got caught up in all the uproar caused by Zero and Infinity!" Nunnally continued obliviously.
"I tried calling you guys but you both didn't answer your cell phones!" Euphemia frowned at Lelouch and Cornelia, gushing with concern.
"I wanted to tell you, Miss C.C., my friend and I have all been waiting for you as well." Kagome drawled lazily, awaiting for the currently inarticulate royal siblings to process what was going on.
"On of your friends goes by such an unusual name; only her initials!" Nunnally noted to Lelouch and Cornelia. "And why didn't you tell me that we had new students at Ashford? I was just wondering are they your girlfriends Lelouch? That's an awful lot of girls to be seeing all at once, big brother!"
Cornelia, as expected, was the first to regain her senses, but was still somewhat fazed by the sudden audience. "N-no, you've got it wrong, Nunnally. They're my f-friends. Yes, they're my friends. I teach at Ashford, so Milly's father introduced me to them; they just transferred to Lelouch's class recently so we haven't had the chance to tell you!" Oh my god. A couple days in the role, and I already have to lie to Nunnally...? I don't know how long I can keep this up... Especially if I have to lie to Euphy...
"He made a promise about our future together, right? To the three of us." C.C. had a malicious gleam in her eye, but otherwise, her betrayed no emotions, as the immortal witch dragged Sango and herself into a spiralling madness of word play.
"A future together...? You mean marriage? To all of these ladies? T-that's certainly strange Lelouch. You never hang out with girls..." Nunnally looked rather gloomy at this point, and her head drooped.
"Lelouch..." Euphemia started, watching Nunnally in her peripheral vision, "I always thought you weren't the type into starting your own harem? Although it is certainly permitted in the Empire..."
"NO! That isn't what they're talking about! It's like a..." Cornelia stammered.
"They're-they're kidding around! J-just kidding!" Lelouch finished.
"No we're not." Was the blunt response from the ladies at the table.
"I guess everyone's different..." Euphy trailed off, staring at Lelouch and Cornelia, attempting to read any emotion off the either of the royal siblings. Lelouch was somewhat shocked, and Cornelia was schooling her emotions to her trademark scowl, scanning the new-comers in the room.
"I suppose it isn't that strange... If you feel like you're ready for..." Nunnally gasped as she was abruptly cut off with the sound of shattering porcelain, as a cup fell to the ground, causing her to wince.
That's the only way that I can talk to them in private... I have to isolate them... "Oh C.C., look what you've done... You're soaking wet..." Reaching out to roughly grab the C.C. by the shoulder, and yanking her out of the chair, he turned to the rest of the ladies, "Come on, let's get you to the bathroom into a dry change of clothes. The ladies can help you so that it's not too awkward." He used his other arm to grab Kagome, with another chestnut-haired girl already latched on, lugging them through the door. He nodded at Cornelia, signalling for her to follow him to his bedroom, and proceeded to head for the door. "And they were kidding before! Kidding! Just a dumb joke, that's all!"
Throwing one last word out to Nunnally over his shoulder, he rounded the corner and walked down the hall in silence, with four girls in tow.
When they made it to his spacious room, he shoved C.C. on the bed, who fell limply onto it without complaint.
"Who are you?" Scouring the room with a venomous glare, Lelouch stared down his first victim.
"She said my name. I'm C.C." The simple retort only served to irritate Lelouch. I want a detailed, elaborate answer that will satisfy me! This doesn't cut it!
"That's not what I meant. Why aren't you..."
"Supposed to be dead?" C.C. cut him off. Oh, I love his angry face! It'll be tons of fun to push his buttons... Marianne... Your son is so short-tempered... Turning on her heel, she faced the wall, showing of her slender figure as Lelouch was provided with a view of her back. "So... Do you like the powersthat I gave you?"
I should've known it was you, C.C. I never would've thought I'd see you again, though. Kagome grinned, and in response, C.C. smirked. Although C.C. could not communicate with her through the mind, she could hear the thoughts that Kagome sent her way, and she knew C.C. was amused. A gleam in her eye seemed to coax Kagome, as if to say, 'come join in the fun'. Contemplating, the offer Kagome shrugged.
"As I thought... It was you..." Cornelia trailed off as Lelouch followed her movements with his eyes, as she made to sit down on the bed again, lying down with her arms out. What a strange girl... But she still hasn't answered my question! I saw her... She was...
"Are you two dissatisfied?"
Cornelia shook her head in disagreement, opting to remain quiet. "On the contrary, we're grateful."
"It allows me to speed up our schedule tremendously. Which is a huge help."
"Schedule?" Kagome and C.C. questioned at the same time, an incredulous look flashed across their faces momentarily before disappearing behind a mask.
"We have a schedule... For obliterating Britannia." Cornelia supplied.
"We'd have had to wait much longer for the initial move without the power."
"You believe you can destroy it, simply by using that power?" C.C. retorted sceptically at the prideful boy.
"You have it wrong. We intended to do it without this power..."
"I just knew he would turn out to be a fascinating guy..." C.C. sighed, flashing a grin at Kagome and Sango before she settled further into the bed.
"I know what you plan to do, Kagome. I can only assume that that is your friend you have there. An accomplice?"
"Indeed." Kagome replied tersely, nodding in Sango's direction. "She is my most trusted accomplice and companion."
"I have your weapon created already. If you have time to take a look at it tonight, I would be more than happy to show you the workings."
With a curt nod for affirmation, Kagome allowed Lelouch to continue his advance on C.C..
"What will you do now? I'm sure the military is after you."
"Not the entire military, only a small fraction of it. So it shouldn't be difficult to find a place to find a hiding place." And with that, C.C. immediately started to strip out of her clothes, carelessly tossing her prisoner garb to the floor, as Lelouch averted his gaze. "I can make do here." Quickly slipping under sheets, and pulling the covers up to just under her nose, she maintained a neutral expression, awaiting Lelouch for his response to her sudden change in demeanour.
"What?! You expect to stay here?" Turning to refocus on C.C., who had taken up residence in his bed.
"A gentleman would sleep on the floor."
"Don't joke around!"
"My being caught would cause trouble for you too."
"It's dangerous to stay together." Placing a knee up on the bed and crouching over her in emphasis, Lelouch leaned over C.C., glowering at her.
"If I wander the streets, they'll find me..."
"This isn't about you... It's my situation." Lelouch rebutted.
Exasperated, C.C. turned away from Lelouch, facing the wall, muttering, "I hate stubbornness."
"You sure take things casually, don't you?" Lelouch sighed irritably in defeat. Glancing around the room at the audience, he sighed for the umpteenth time, and gathered C.C.'s littered clothes, and neatly stacked them by the side of his bed, taking a seat on the floor. "How did you manage to survive before this? What did you do before now? And what's the deal with that so-called contract you spoke of?"
"Good night, Lelouch." C.C. answered forcefully.
Damn that irritating woman! I still need answers!
When C.C. doesn't want to talk, she'll never talk... "You know, Lelouch... Why don't you show me your brilliant new weapon for me?" Flashing a bewitching smile, Lelouch froze before recovering himself, and liberated a heaving sigh.
"Fine."
"Seven years since we used this signal. Long time, huh?"
"Meeting on the roof, like the old days."
"Yeah."
"I'm glad you're ok. I've been worried."
"Alive and kicking, thanks to you, Suzaku." Lelouch narrowed his eyes at his long-lost friend. You almost died, trying to protect me."
Suzaku shrugged, and waved it off. "I was just returning the favour. From seven years ago. Uh... What about the girl? You know, from the capsule?"
"She's staying with me now... We're trying to hide her here in Ashford, but she doesn't seem like the cooperative type."
"Is that so...?" Suzaku trailed off.
"But you would know more about her than I do, right?"
"No, the only ones who knew anything, were the inner circle of the royal guard."
"I see... I wonder why they're trying to hide this...? She must be important..."
"And your name... Do I still call you Lelouch?"
"The records count my old identity among the dead. I go by the name Lelouch Lamperouge now."
"Oh..." Suzaku trailed off again, his mind elsewhere.
"Why did you enrol in this school?"
"I'm surprised as you are!" Suzaku chuckled, "someone arranged for me to be in this school..."
"Who-"
But their conversation was interrupted with a school-wide assignment: "All Student Council members please report to the gymnasium now." Milly's exuberant voice rang through the campus, and Lelouch sighed. Today was the riff-off.
"I guess you have to go?" Suzaku questioned, to which Lelouch merely shook his head in response. "Why don't I go with you?"
"That would be great. Let's go; I'll show you where it is."
"And so Cornelia-sensei will be the judge, she'll be overseeing this 'game'. Understood?"
The council members mumbled in response. They had all been listening to Milly rambled on about the rules one more time, and try to motivate the tortured students.
Here goes nothing...
Author's Note: I really want to hear from you, my readers! :) I have no idea how many of you guys like the story, and want me to continue writing this, so I would appreciate it, if you let me know with a review! If I find that there is a lack of interest in this story, I will discontinue it, and it'll be up for grabs. :) So let me know! Yay or nay? Thanks for reading! (Also, I will be waiting for at least a couple of reviews before I consider it)
