Author Note: I have no idea how the Japanese school system works. So... If I'm wrong on something, tell me.
Resolve! The Will to Live on!
The idea of Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, is not easily encompassed in any document. It involves the concepts of honor, face, duty, personal courage, and self-esteem; but there is so much more. Whole tomes have been written that describe it, yet very few books or essays have captured its essence competently. In those days, I truly believed that to be the only truth.
XxXxXxX
It's been fifteen years since Ookami's leaving. Naoto is know seventeen years old and a senior in high school, one of the tops in his class. But things have not been easy for him and his mother. Ookami, somehow, kept forwarding money for them, but that still couldn't stop all of the disputs with the Britannians. The EU and Chinese Federation have been beginning with the Japanese Government to ally with them for security. To make matters worse, Natsumi was raped by a britannian with the last name of Stadtfeld. Naoto hated the man for that, but he also hated Ookami when he didn't even come home for that.
Kallen was the name of Natsumi's child halfbreed child. A young healthy girl, but even when she was born Naoto did everything he possibly could to stay away from her... almost everything.
"Stay away from me!" A five year old Kallen yeld as a son-of-a-noble and his lackies tried to grab her. "Stop or I'll screem!"
"Go ahead!" He smiled. "No one would stop me. I'm of a Noble class of Britannia."
"Well your wrong! This isn't Britannia."
"Yet." His lackies surrounded her, cutting off any forms of escape Kallen closed her eyes and then got into the fedal position. "Are you scared of what we're going to do to you?"
"No! She's affraid of What I'll do to you!" The heel of a shoe was kicked into the noble's jaw. Sending him to skid five feet and crash to the ground.
"What was that-" Naoto's foot drove his head into the ground. His lackies stood there in awe while Naoto dug out the Nobles cellphone.
"Naoto-nii..." Kallen saw through the little cracks in her hiding position.
"Ah, hello." Naoto said into the phone. "Can you send an ambulance? We are under the Onosegawa bridge. Please send for... one... two, three... four, five" He looked at the lackies with a demonic toothly grin. "Six ambulances."
"YOU PUNK!" They all yeld as they charged at Naoto. He through the phone aside as he started to fight the so-called great Britannians. Even with knives, they were no match for his lightening fast self-defense karate moves. Kallen kept her eyes and ears shut through the entire fight. When she finally did opened them. Naoto was surrounded by five Britanninans.
"Are you all right, Kallen?" Naoto asked with a warm smile. She was so scared, she could not get up, so Naoto picked her up and put her on his shoulders. Her sundress was muddied and torn, but as much as she disdained the dress and manner of upper class Britannia. While Naoto's dark blue packet, pants and white white undershirt school uniform did not have one wrinkle of the brawl. "Relax, Lelouch found me and told me everything."
The Ambulances roared by as they made their walk home. "So where is Lelouch-san?"
"He's back home with mom." He said. "Kallen, I don't like seeing you and Lelouch always picking fights." He put his sister down to look into her bright blue eyes. "You both have great heads on your shoulders. You two are in the first grade while all of the other kids are in kindergarden. You and Lelouch are strong. You are exquisite. You two were born with everything that most people will desire from God. Those who are different are persecuted. I don't know how it is otherwise, but at least in this world that's how it works. However, Kallen, you must be kind." She looked away with sadness. "But I'll tell you what. I already made this promise with Lelouch, and know I'm gonna make it with you." He stuck out his pinkie-finger. "You fight for Lelouch and I, and we'll fight for you. Promise?"
"Promise." She smiled like a goof as she wrapped her little finger around her brothers.
"Then lets!" Naoto scooped Kallen back onto his shoulders and ran full speed back home. Kallen stuck her arms out, pretending that she could sore above the heavens and beyond. "Kallen. Lelouch. No matter what happens from here on out, don't be sorry that you were born. Never say words like you can't smile or you hate people. If you can survive, a lot of happy times will come your way."
XxXxXxX
After dinner, Lelouch and Kallen played around outside. They were both trying to see how many fireflies they could catch before bedtime. Naoto sat on the Indian style porch watching his sister and the former young prince of Britannia fall to the ground and attempt count how many stars they saw. Soon enough though they counted themselves to sleep. Naoto picked both of them and put them into his old bed. Kallen rolled on top of Lelouch's chest as he pulled up the sheet over them. He then left the room, keeping the door opened a crack, and went to Ookami's study.
"Up late again?" Natsumi stood in the doorway as she looked over her son's shoulder. "You truly are your father's son."
Naoto put down his pencil and hid Ookami's past research under his homework. "I really wish you wouldn't compare me to him."
"You saying you don't believe me?" She asked. "I've seen you read his books and study his research."
"Oh, come on Mom! His 'research' is saying that alchemy is more important than advance machinery. Newton's Law eclipsed alchemy, ushering in the modern age. That's a historical fact."
"Yeah, on this world, you mean. I'm telling you-."
"Mom," Naoto interrupted his mother. "No offense, I don't want to here your schoolgirl stories. I have homework to do."
XxXxXxX
Monday came along quickly, which meant back to school for the three of them. Naoto dropped Lelouch and Kallen off at the elementary school before he bolted five blocks to the high school. He skidded through the gate before the opening bell rung. He looked at his soles of his shoes and saw that the original groves were wearing out.
"Hey, Naoto!" Another senior with curly brown hair ran up to him. "How are your feet?"
"Hey, Ohgi," Naoto greeted his friend. A group of girls walked past them, but Ohgi was focused on a dark skinned, silver haired Junior who blushed brighter than he did. "Say something to her." Naoto nudged him on.
"Ah..." He opened his mouth, but nothing came out so he ended his chase. "What do I say?"
"Well how 'bout this? Confess your love to Villetta instead of embracing yourself and annoying me! Save you some time."
"Ah!"
"Trust me, pal. She'll be good for ya." He pulled Ohgi by his jacket to their class room. "C'mon, we're going to be late for class."
"Have you ever heard of respecting your elders, Naoto?" Ohgi asked as he was being dragged along.
"You're not even half a month older than me."
XxXxXxX
It was fourth period, and it was also lunch time for classroom 3-B. Naoto sat with Ohgi and another senior boy named ShinichirÅ Tamaki. The speaker system came on.
"Attention, attention," The principal said as Naoto opened a can of green tea. "Will Naoto Kouzuki, of classroom 3-B, please report to the office. That is all."
Ohgi and Tamaki both looked at his friend who was choking on any tea.
"Well you haven't changed. You're still causing trouble." Ohgi sighed. "So what did you do this time?"
"Maybe it is for those Brit-bastards you wailed on yesterday." Tamaki said as he punched his fist into his hand.
"Save the lecture, and theories, for later." He got up and head for the door. "Lets get this over with."
XxXxXxX
Naoto soon found himself in front of the principal and Rubin K. Ashford. "So what is this all about, Rubin-ossan?"
"Well I'm here to congratulate you on passing the test." Rubin shook Naoto's hand. "After you graduate, you will be attending Ashford Academy in the fall."
"I'm grateful... but..."
"But what?" Rubin asked.
"What about Lelouch and Kallen?" He asked. "They're far too young to young to be left on their own."
"They passed the test as well." Rubin smiled.
"But what about our expenses?"
"I'll take care of them."
"Fine," Naoto agreed to the deal. Lord know that his mother already knew about it and was preparing a huge celebration when they got home. The only problem was, that summer was the summer of 2010.
XxXxXxX
Naoto Kozuki studied the vast landscape before him. His eyes in an angry stare as he looked out at Tokyo glowing on fire before him. Britannian Glascows' tore though any Japanese tank division that came near them.
"Naoto!" Ohgi cried from the back of a pick up truck with all of their belongings. "C'mon! We're going!"
Naoto didn't think twice before jumping in the driver seat of the truck next to his mother. Lelouch and Kallen were in a different truck, which went on ahead of them. They drove down the road to get to the next town over. A bright light in the cloud hangover caught their attention.
"It looks like one of the Zero got a Mega-fortress." Tamaki said as the firey Mega-fortress came crashing to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Naoto saw it land near the other truck, causing it to flip onto it's side.
Naoto stopped the truck, and ran down the hill towards the truck. "Lelouch! Kallem!"
He searched the wreckage for the two kids. The driver, and anyone in the back seat, was killed. He then saw a small hand wave over to him. Lelouch was under a piece of the hood, with Kallen lying knocked out on his lap. He hugged both of them and whispered light prayers thanking God. But that ended when he heard a gun being set loaded on his back.
"Turn around slowly." A Britannian Soldier, who survived the crash said.
Naoto slowly stood up, still having his sights on Lelouch and his sister. He then turned around slowly, keeping his hand up.
"Kuzzan?" Naoto was shocked to see his old friend from school pointing a gun towards his chest in a Britannian body armor. "Can you really be proud of yourself?" He made a small hand jester for the kids to run. "Last time I remember, we Japan did nothing to anger Britannia. So how can this be justified?"
"If it's for the greater good for the world hereafter, so be it." He said in his rarely seen non-class clown voice. "The reality is that Britannia is the superior power. Justice can re-shaped, depending on ones standpoint. So I won't criticize your idea of justice. However," He pointed the gun at Lelouch, who was still carrying Kallen, as he fled. "If you get in my orders, I can't ignore that!"
Naoto then grabbed Kuzzan's wrist, twisted it to make him drop the gun, and then elbowed him in the face. Causing his nose to break and loose balance. "How can this be justice? CAN YOU REALLY BE PROUD OF YOURSELF?"
Kuzzan was able to regain his balance and pull out a pair of brass knuckles. He was able to make contact with the left side of Naoto's face. Naoto became blind in one eye, and his head started to swell, as he fell to the ground. Kuzzan then found his gun and pointed it at Naoto, but he then put it away.
"Without you, all my plans are suddenly possible." He smiled like the demon himself. "I have a vision for the future, Naoto. And it doesn't include you."
He then left the burning rubble, leaving Naoto to die.
XxXxXxX
So this is the path that man has chosen... Man is... so callow... I'm sorry Ohgi, Tamaki, Lelouch, Kallen, Mom... I couldn't leave you with any words... Befitting that the man of the house would try and have the final word. I guess you can say that my life is passing through my... er... eye... that's true... Had to be the adult in the house ever since Mom was raped... I never finished Ookami's work... Alway got into fights about my eye color... I never liked Kallen when she was born... I thought Lelouch was a wise-ass when he started to stay with us... And yet... Those two kids are family... as if I was there father...
XxXxXxX
Naoto laid in the burning skeleton frame of the Mega-fortress., practically waiting for death. He could feel the the metal I-beam, which had him pinned down, be lifted and thrown of him. A grown man with long black hair hair tied in a pony-tail in dark grey body armor and three katana's on his side sat next to him. He sat crossed legged and rested his head on his mechanical right hand as he looked down on Naoto. Naoto tried everything he could to stand up, but his swollen mind were making orders his burned body couldn't do.
"So you're still gonna stand up?" The man asked. "It would be a shame if you died, kid. If you still wish to become stronger, then take my last name and become as strong as you want." He stuck out his hand. "Become my son."
"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"
XxXxXxX
On the Mandalorian Flagship named the Oblivion, on corse back to Mandalore. Naoto sat in one of the hangers, with a new autopart section for the left side of his face, looking out at the universe go by.
"My name is Adam," A man, a couple of years older than Naoto, looked down at him from one of the Eagle fighters. "I'm part of Aaron's police force. If you're gonna be our comrade, then lets try to get along."
"SHUT UP!" Naoto snapped at him.
"So how is the empire doing? Still bloody and rotten?"
"You're a Britannian?" Naoto asked.
"I was a Britannian. The Knight of Seven, actually. But I quit. But know I need to ask you something." He took out a picture of a women with chestnut colored hair and bright red eye's. "This is my fiance, Maria. She's waiting back home for me. Isn't she gorgeous?"
"Ah... yeah... I guess..." He looked away, after pushing the picture out of his face. "You okay with me? Being on your ship with no one to guard me or in handcuffs?"
XxXxXxX
When Aaron was sleeping, Naoto snuck in there with a military knife to slice Aaron chest open. Naoto stood on the side of Aaron's bed, with the knife raised up high. But Aaron rolled over and swung his arm with some unknown amount of force to send Naoto flying out of his room and back into the hallway. Aaron just continued to sleep like nothing happened.
XxXxXxX
When they finally reached Mandalore, the assignation attempts continued... and failed. He tried to cut Aaron head off with an axe, Aaron just punched him into a wall and continued his conversation. He tried over and over and over again to try and kill Aaron, but every single time he failed.
"Day after day he tries," Aaron's eldest son, Levitas, said as he watched Naoto's latest attempt. "He has guts alright."
"Has he passed the hundred mark yet?" the younger brother, Anthony, asked.
"Yeah, Probably."
XxXxXxX
At one of the celebration to celebrate... the fact there was nothing to celebrate about. Aaron's wife, Lara-Su, walked over to Naoto who was curled up and hiding his face from everyone. She put a hot bowl of food next to him.
"So how long are you going to keep this up for?" She asked in a calming, almost motherly, tone. "You will die if you keep up these failed assignations."
"...Why does Anthony and Zaps refer him as dad...?" Naoto asked.
"Because he refers them as his sons." Lara said. "Projects were once wanted all over the galaxy, and those two were orphans in a slum. But they are happy now." Naoto looked up, with tear stains on the right side his face. He saw both Anthony and Levitas dancing around the dance floor with out their shoes on. He was jealous of how much fun they were having. "Do you seriously want to continue getting almost killed, eh? It's time to reach a decision. Will you take our last name?"
XxXxXxX
Two years later.
"Naoto is at it again!" One of the samurai yelled as Naoto pulled out a dead sea monster on to the coast.
"Hey guys," Naoto smiled. "I found lunch!"
XxXxXxX
Naoto sat on the cliff looking out on the ocean.
"So I hear you made it into the 31st," Aaron stood next to him. "You surprise me, kid. You truly are your fathers son."
"Whatever Shit-king." Naoto snickered. Moments later, Aaron kicked him off the cliff.
"Enjoy the climb back up, Shit-kid!"
Naoto grabbed Aaron's ankle to pull him down with him.
XxXxXxX
For someone who was never meant for this world, I must confess I'm suddenly having a hard time leaving it. Of course, they say every atom in our bodies was once part of a star. Maybe I'm not leaving... maybe I'm finally home.
You are the people frozen by time.
Even though my hands have grown big.
You have remained the same.
Next Time: Welcome Home.