A/N: I would like to apologize in advance. This chapter has been up on my other sites but it appears I forgot to upload it here.


Esile was reading at the indoor pool since she was dragged away by C.C. and Lelouch. The green haired girl swam around while the raven head was looking at files of applications for the Black Knights. Lelouch found it interesting how a Britannian was applying which Esile remembered it to be Diethard and C.C. mentioned how the number of people wanting to join has been increasing. From there, the two just continued with their conversation as Esile continued to read.

It became silent until C.C. said, "I'm surprised, Esile. Usually, you'd complain and ask 'why?', right?"

"I've learned just to accept the fact that I'll be dragged around a lot. After all, I am Zero's lapdog," Esile spoke blandly, "All I care is I'm able to read."

"Oh Esile." The said girl turned to the raven head. "Since you enjoy reading so much, I want you to read this manual on piloting a Knightmare." He lifted up the manual so she could see.

It was pretty thick which made the girl groan. "Seriously? Okay, there's a complete difference between reading for fun and forced reading. Also, I wouldn't exactly call that reading."

"If you don't want to pilot a Knightmare then that's your decision. I'll just have you share one with me."

"Okay, okay. I'd rather suffer this assignment than suffer being stuck in a tight space with you." She grabbed the manual from him and started reading every detail, instantly dreading it.


Everyone gazed in amazement as they stared at the newly given Knightmares. Esile was just scowling. Lelouch had informed her that there had not been enough Knightmares so she was forced to share one with him.

Lelouch and Kallen were conversing which Esile tuned out as usual. She was really pissed at the moment. "Cerberus." The said girl looked at the masked man. "Stop with the moping. One day you'll get your own Knightmare but for now you'll just have to settle with sharing one with me."

"That's easy for you to say. I was forced to read a manual, hoping I wouldn't have to be in a cramped space with with you!"

"It won't be that bad. Anyways, shall we be on our way?" She stared at him for a moment but in the end she complied and followed him to the Burai.


"So, you're not the least bit bothered by this?" Esile tried making small talk while the two were "hiking" on the Narita Mountains.

"No. I think it's a suitable place for a dog. You know, on my lap." She just scowled at him while he continued. "Don't worry. We're here now so there's no need for you to snap my neck." They came to a stop by a cottage and Esile couldn't be any more thankful for finally being out of the tight space and began to stretch. Lelouch walked up to the cottage without any worries. Esile had heard shouts at first but then everything seemed to settle down. She laughed knowing he had used his Geass on the men and made her way to the cottage.

"So, you can read but I can't." Esile said as she saw the raven head sitting with a book in his hand.

"I never forbade you from bringing a book and reading while we're with the Black Knights, did I? You just assumed so yourself." She just groaned and stared out the window. "The day I've waited for has finally come, Cornelia." Lelouch said to himself as he continued to look at his book.

Esile noticed C.C. outside and pointed her out to the raven head. "Hey, just letting you know, Pizza Girl is outside." He looked at her then at the window. Lelouch put down his book, stood up from his seat and went out to talk to green haired girl with Esile following him.

"C.C., what are you doing here?" Lelouch asked the said girl. She turned to look at the two of them. They continued on walking towards her.

"Just let her be. Nothing's gonna stop her, ya know?" Esile said with slight amusement in her voice.

The green haired girl ignored her and said, "I said that I would protect you, didn't I?"

"Aren't you overdoing it?" The raven head asked with a hint of irritation in his voice.

She turned around again before saying, "I've been wondering about something, Lelouch. Why are you Lelouch?"

"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you." He was becoming less patient making Esile snicker.

"You changed you're family surname to Lamperouge but you kept Lelouch the name that was given to you at birth." When Lelouch and Esile were finally at a fair distance from the green haired girl, they stopped in their tracks. Esile was admiring the snow since it had been her first time seeing it. "How sentimental? You can't let go of the past."

Lelouch retorted back, "Well 'C.C.' swings to the other extreme, doesn't it? It's not a human name." C.C. quickly turned to look at them, Lelouch making gasp. The wind began to blow, having snowflakes go along with the wind.

"Lelouch, Esile, do you know why snow is white?" The raven head had a thoughtful look on his face while the green haired girl smirked along with the blue eyed girl. "Snow is white because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be." After a bit of silence and staring, Esile sneezed. The two of them just looked at her since she had just broken the mood.

"Okay, I grew up in the deserts of Southern California so I am not used to the cold." Esile defended.

"This is cold for you? You really are something." Lelouch said shaking his head. The blue eyed girl began scowl and grumble. "Well C.C., we'd love to stay and chat but unfortunately Esile and I have important matters to take care of." Lelouch said while putting his mask on.

"Oh hell no! I'm not gonna go back in that Knightmare with you." Esile said while having her arms crossed, "I'll just stay here with C.C. If the others wonder where I am, just tell them that I or Cerberus decided to take a nap."

"A nap?" C.C. and Lelouch said simultaneously.

"Just go back to the others!" Lelouch shook his head once more before complying. C.C. and Esile just watched him as he left and the blue eyed girl sighed with relief. "Glad that's over. I'm just gonna go read Lelouch's book. Better than nothing, I guess. Oh, and C.C.?" The green haired girl brought her attention back to Esile. "Although, this is my first time seeing snow, I couldn't be any more happier. It's absolutely beautiful. Just another one of nature's gifts." After her statement, she went back into the cottage.


"Hmm, Lelouch's taste in literature isn't half bad. I guess that's how he has his intellect." Esile was saying to herself. Suddenly, C.C. came storming in.

"Esile, we should go. Lelouch may need our help sooner or later." She didn't have time to react since the green haired girl just yanked her up and started dragging her away.

"Alright, fine. Since complaining never got me anywhere."

The two got closer to the scene where Lelouch was standing on a cockpit, cornered by the Lancelot, Suzaku, while at gunpoint. C.C. and Esile stopped running and started walking slowly. Esile immediately went to Lelouch's side whereas C.C. walked up to the Lancelot. "Stop, now! Don't even think about hurting him!" The green haired girl shouted. When she got closer to the Lancelot, she reached out her hand and placed it there.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Lelouch exclaimed. "You're challenging a Knightmare?"

"It's a problem if you die. It'll be indirect contact but it's worth a try." The Code symbol on her forehead began to glow. Esile tried to pull Lelouch away since C.C. had ordered her to do so beforehand, but he pushed her away and jumped off the cockpit while walking up to the green haired girl. The blue eyed girl sighed and followed suit.

"Hey! Are you using Geass on him?"

"I'm just feeding him some shock images. I can't tell what he's seeing, though. Anyway, you've got time to get away, now."

"What about you?"

"I can't move yet. You two go first."

"Come on. Let's not waste any time now." Esile tried pulling away the raven head but he just pushed her aside.

"Don't be foolish. I can't keep owing you favors." He placed his hand on her shoulder, making the two of them gasp.

C.C. looked back at him and yelled, "No, not now!" She gasped again but in pain. Dammit, Lelouch! This wouldn't be happening if you weren't so full of pride. This must be really painful for C.C. "St-Stop it! Stay. Out. Of my. Mind! Stop it. Why now?" She was crying out in pain. Her hand tensed on the Knightmare "You're unveiling me." Esile just watched the scene unfold in front of her. Although, she didn't want to interfere with anything, she felt completely useless.

Suzaku couldn't take it anymore and began to fire at random. Dirt clouds began to form while rocks flew around. "What's happening to him?!" Lelouch exclaimed.

C.C. was shielding Esile and Lelouch while screaming, "Idiot! Get away, now!" A small but sharp rock embedded itself in her chest and she writhed and gasped in pain.

"C.C!" Lelouch and Esile shouted simultaneously.

"Hurry!" She managed to get out before passing out.

"Zero, we have to go and get out of here!" Esile commanded. Lelouch picked up the immobile girl and the two of them began to make a run for it.

With the two of them breathless, they were able to find shelter in a cave. The sun was setting outside and Esile began to shiver from the cold and wetness of the cave. Lelouch undressed C.C. and checked up on her wounds and was surprised to find that they were healed. "This girl, she can't be human." Lelouch stated although he was saying it more to himself. "She recovers from wounds in ways that are beyond normal. She was shot in the head in Shinjuku, and yet... Clovis confined her for his private experiments. So she's not connected with Britannia." He touched the symbol on her forehead and continued to go on. "Her vital signs are at human levels. I better analyze a blood sample later and photograph the wounds."

Lelouch brought his ear closer to C.C.'s mouth so he could hear her. He backed away and gasped.

"You finally called me... by my real name." C.C. said in her sleep. Everything became silent except for the occasional drops of water from the ceiling.

"Esile, tell me what you know about C.C." Lelouch asked while breaking the silence.

Esile smirked. "What? Now you're asking for my help." He glared at her but she continued to keep silent. He kept that glare on her until she broke. "She's immortal. That explains why she was able to recover from her wounds and why she survived when shot in the head in Shinjuku." C.C. began to squirm around signaling them that she was waking. "That's all the information I can give you for now."

C.C. awoke and sat up. She and Lelouch began conversing with one another about her wounds and how upset she was about his pride. "_." Esile tensed at the sound of C.C's name but then relaxed and smiled to herself. "That's your name, isn't it?"

"You have a bad habit of eavesdropping." C.C. said with a hint of irritation.

"Well it's a good name. It's a lot more human than C.C." Lelouch retorted.

C.C. scoffed at him. "That's a joke. As if I want to be more human. After all, I've-I... I've forgotten everything. Every single thing. So what's the use of it? A name? But why?" She let a tear fall into the water.

Silence fell for a moment until Lelouch spoke once more. "It's a good time to say this. Yes, you saved today." C.C. looked up at him as he continued. "You did that before and then gave me Geass. That's why... I'll only say this once..." He turned his back to her, facing the water. "Thank you." Esile smiled while the green haired girl tested up.

"No one's ever... thanked me before." She commented while hugging Lelouch's cloak very tightly while tears threatened to fall. "Well then, can you show your appreciation?" Say it again, like you did before." Lelouch had a frown on his face before realizing what she had meant.

"Oh, you mean the name."

"Just this once. With tenderness, like you treasure it in your heart."

Lelouch turned to the girl and held his head up high. "Very well, then." He closed eye and spoke, "_." Esile's smile found it's way to her face again since she enjoyed C.C's name. "How was that?" The raven head questioned.

"It was bad. It was completely bad. It wasn't tender. There was no honesty or sympathy in it. You spoke it oddly and worst of all, it was cold."

"You're a picky girl." Lelouch pointed out.

"Exactly," C.C. said as though it were obvious, "That's why I go by the name C.C."

"That's too bad though," Esile said as the two of them looked to her since she had acted as a ghost the whole time, "I really like your name. _. It roles very nicely. You know, it's actually the only thing I didn't know until now. That's why, it's very special." C.C. seemed genuinely happy by the way Esile said her name.

C.C. dressed back into her straitjacket while Lelouch was back in his Zero costume. He called Kallen informing her about their safety and whereabouts. On the other hand, Esile was coughing and sneezing like crazy. "Looks like our ride's here." Lelouch pointed out.

"Zero! Are you okay?" Kallen asked. "The others went on ahead and-" She gasped as she saw C.C. "Who's that?" She began to eye her suspiciously

"Oh. You needn't worry. She's a very important friend." Lelouch told Kallen making C.C. surprised by his words. "C.C. I don't know why snow is white but I still think snow is beautiful. I don't hate it."

"I see." Was all she could say. Kallen was very confused by the situation so Esile walked up to her.

"Hey, don't worry. They wouldn't have been able to do anything with me around." She then earned a glare from the two.


A/N: Again, I deeply apologize for making you all wait!