Turn 11 ~Respite~

It was less than a joyous day for Feite on her return to Horai. A thick wind threw the rain up against the body of her Knightmare Frame. The waves crashed against the side of the dock while several members of the Black Knights shield themselves with parkas. The Voulge's feet touched the ground, and a large amount of heat shot out from its various vents. The float system's wings folded backward while the cockpit pulled back, and opened up.

A large amount of drizzle fell on top of Feite's head while she shielded her face from the heavy winds. She stared up at the sky, and shook her head before leaping to the ground below. She flicked her wrist, and pushed a small handheld device causing the cockpit to shut. A member rushed over to Feite holding the hood of his parka on. "Feite, we were unaware of your arriving. Is Zero coming back with the Ikaruga?" Feite stared briefly at him while flipping the collar of her jacket. She glared over at him causing the man to quickly silence himself. The raindrops had already soaked a part of her fringe causing it to fall completely over her right eye. "I came here of my own accord, I'm not sure if Zero will return with the others for quite a while. China is somewhat destabilized for the moment." The man swallowed the last bit of his words, and let out a faint nod. "Very well…." He rushed over to the nearby open hanger, while Feite continued to walk towards the residential district.

Feite felt a bit of nostalgia walking through the streets. It was something that she missed from Area eleven. There was a different life going on here on Horai, the people were helpful, and strong willed. There were no walls between them, a trait that brought a smile onto the young woman's face. She moved some of her wet bangs from her eyes, and looked up at the large apartment where waiting inside was Arcadia. "I'm home, my sweet girl."

The door leading into the apartment opened with a blast of warm air touching against Feite's cold body. She was soaked head to toe despite wearing the heavy officer's coat of her new uniform. The small laughter of Arcadia filled the apartment while a Japanese woman turned the corner holding the baby in her arms. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you to return home so soon Feite." Feite tugged off her wet coat, and placed it over her left shoulder. "There were a few things left to do, but I had to come back and check in. I'm very grateful that you're taking care of Arcadia in my absence Miss Ishikawa." Ishikawa waved her hand and smiled, "It's no problem; I promised Sayoko I would watch over her." Her eyes narrowed at Feite's wet clothing and simply shook her head. "You should go take a bath; you'll catch a cold walking around in those wet clothes. I'll go ahead and run one for you." Feite extended her hand over to Ishikawa, but she already walked towards the bathroom. "Thank you." She whispered while pulling off her boots, and quickly walking to the bathroom to prevent dripping any further on the hardwood floor.

In the apartment across the street, Sancia sat on a couch beside the sliding door leading out to the porch. She played with a teddy bear while a smile flashed briefly across her face. "Oh, looks like the wayward mother returns….it saddens me that I have to wait until the results to come before I can continue to do my work." Sancia glared out the corner of her eyes and quickly her nails dug into the teddy bear's curly coat. "Why is that woman so important? Why does the Emperor and V.V. care so much about her, and that bastard of a child?" She threw the teddy bear against the nearby wall, and climbed out of the chair. Crossing over to the computer, she quickly turned on the monitor, and turned back to the sliding glass window. "I can't wait to see your face…when I tear out your heart…"

Moments later, Feite soaked in the bathwaters with her wet hair clinging loosely around her shoulders, and back. It was a soothing feeling, a feeling that she had long since forgotten about. Her dedication to the Black Knights made it nearly impossible to take a full bath, often resorting to brief showers or nothing at all before the next mission came along. A soft hearted sigh exited from her mouth while turning her gaze up to the ceiling. 'There is still so much planning left to do. I'm sure Lelouch will want to attack Tokyo in order to rescue Kallen…The battle is approaching, and with the Chinese Federation falling into our hands, how long will it take for Britannia to realize it was a wrong thing to betray Lelouch a second time.' There was a knock at the door alerting Feite to get out of the water. Ishikawa's voice came from the other side. "I don't mean to interrupt Feite, but I've taken the liberty to make a meal for you. You should be hungry after that long trip." Feite shook her head, and let out a smug grin. "Thank you, I'll be out soon." She pushed herself out of the bathtub, and quickly drained the water. 'So much for soaking….' She sighed to herself, and grabbed the nearby towel.

Moments later, Feite sat at a table with an elaborate spread of a home cooked meal. It differed from the quick meals while on board the Ikaruga. This one followed along the lines of what Kallen used to bring for lunch when she attended Ashford. "Do you not have an appetite? I should have toned down the cooking…" The thoughts of rescuing Kallen returned, while Feite simple turned to the nanny, and shook her head. "No, I just was thinking about old times…" Ishikawa leaned forward in her seat across from Feite, and chuckled. "Old times? We're too young to say that expression…Anyways eat up you'll need strength for what is to come." Feite gave her a firm nod, and picked up her chopsticks beginning to eat from the elaborate spread of ethnic foods. "So, did anything happen while I was away?" Ishikawa let out a smile and quickly swallowed the small helping of rise in her mouth. "Yes, as a matter of fact Arcadia is showing signs of walking…that girl loves to explore this small apartment." Feite's eyes widen while looking at her daughter play in the nearby baby-pen. "Are you kidding me? My Arcadia is starting to walk." Ishikawa nodded and turned over to catch a glimpse of Arcadia pulling on her stuffed rabbit's ears.

"What? Feite left? I didn't say she could leave." Zero yelled while standing in the back of a briefing room with Tohdoh. His arm lightly tapped the wall curbing his aggression, causing Tohdoh to raise an eyebrow. "Was it you who promoted her to the autonomous unit? I'm confused Zero…" Tohdoh adjusted his collar, and stared at his reflection in Zero's mask. "Yes, it was I who gave Feite that position, but that is only for missions pertaining to our mission of defeating Britannia. Did she give you a reason?" Tohdoh let out a sigh, and gently rubbed his temple. There was a sign of discomfort in what he was about to say, but he gathered his courage, and replied. "With all of our losses in the past few days, the stalwart sacrifice she gave to the Black Knights. Feite deserves to be with her child at least for a short while….you a man of understanding should know this." Zero took a step back while Tohdoh's change in tone caught him off guard. "I know…very well…Tohdoh do not tell anyone that I spoke with you concerning this matter." Tohdoh closed his eyes, and returned with an annoyed look. "Why would I go to anyone else about Feite returning to Horai?" Zero walked past Tohdoh, and he glared out the corner of his eye. Lelouch scowled underneath the mask, he couldn't believe Feite would simply leave the ship without him even knowing about it. He needed her for a mission, one that would be able to tip the scale in his favor. The door leading to the hallway opened up showing C.C. leaning against the nearby wall. "Do you feel heartbroken that the siren left the ship?" Zero chuckled while signaling with a nod for her to follow him down the hallway. "Why would I be upset over that matter? It's simply a loss in our tactical strength. That is why I'm worried."

Tohdoh opened his eyes and reached into his jacket removing a small photo from his pocket. 'Does even Zero keep his feelings sealed up? Do I wish to become a man like him?' He stared at the picture of Nagisa taken months before the war that changed Japan took place. 'No, I will be different from him. I will not let anyone take you away from me.'

Zero entered the commander's quarters, and walked towards the closet at the far end of the room. C.C. followed shortly behind him, removing a few buttons from the collar of her jacket. "With everything weighing heavily on my shoulders, Feite should have spoken with me about leaving. Arcadia is my child as well…" He opened the closet door, and removed his helmet placing it neatly against a holder inside. C.C.'s mocking laugh filled the room while she tossed her jacket on the floor, and climbed on the nearby sofa. "So, you act serious in the briefing room, but behind closed doors you are a cute little boy or man considering that you had a child with that lioness." Lelouch shook his head, while removing his secondary mask and pulling down off his face. "Shut up witch, Feite's leaving had made he have to rethink my strategy. I'll leave Tohdoh, and Xingke to sort things out, as there are various factions still opposing our presence here. In the meantime, I will have to return to Area Eleven for a short while. I have a feeling that Feite will go there as well."

C.C. turned on her back and moved her arm in order to shield her eyes from the blinding lights above. "Do you think she'll do something stupid there? She and Kallen are best friends…will she mount a rescue?" Lelouch pulled his cape off placing it on a hanger before turning over his shoulder. "This is the first time, but I can't predict her movements anymore. She knows me too well, as do I. C.C. is there something that I should know why Feite is acting more like a witch than a human?" C.C. shook her head, and closed both eyes. "If she heard you call her that, it would break her heart. You still need to observe things before you can see the full picture."

In the walls of the Ashford academy, Milly walks with a familiar figure walking behind her. The knight of two was dressed in the uniform of an Ashford student and held a simple itinerary in both hands. Aurelia stared at the various artworks that decorated the schools walls, while Milly paused in front of one painting that was left from before the Black Rebellion. "Who painted this one? The woman in this looks beautiful." Aurelia stared at the picture of a blonde haired woman dressed in flowing white Greek-inspired toga. She was portrayed in a simple sitting pose but it was her intense gaze that kept Aurelia's attention. Although the work was clearly amateur, Aurelia was herself quite intrigued. "That was a winning portrait from one of our best art students." Aurelia glances over at Milly; she noticed a slight sad tone to her voice. "You appear quite attached to it. The strokes are too harsh, the lines not particularly perfect although, the model's beauty is captured quite well. The eyes in particular are very well done." Milly lowered her head, "The model was my cousin." She turns her saddened eyes away from the painting that should have been destroyed after knowing of Feite's betrayal. Aurelia nods, "Ah yes, of course. How could I have missed it? It is her. Shall we move on Miss Ashford? I'm curious to see more of the lovely campus and the students." Milly let out a small nod, and continued down the walkway.

The rainstorm was still afflicting the artificial island restricting transportation for at least a few days. Feite had managed to keep her return to Horai a secret only for a few hours, and quickly she had started to get progress reports from the research department concerning her pet project sitting in a dock several levels below in the islands production facilities. She glared blankly at a few schematics and gently rubbed her temple releasing some of the stress that had recently built up. "Why do I have to overlook this data?"

A scientist turned over from her computer, and let out a loud sigh. "Feite, you're currently in charge for the most part since Zero and the other senior members are still in China liberating it from the Eunuch aligned forces. So what do you think about the power generation system?" Feite ran her finger across the screen, and her eyes quickly narrow at something she didn't like. "The variables here are all wrong; did you run these in a simulation yet?" The scientist let out a small nod, and pushed up her glasses. "We've failed to find the right sequence to activate the float drive generators. This is very difficult to program, but we'll make the corrections and record the results." Feite pushed on the desktop, and returned to a standing posture. Her hand rested against her waist, while turning over to the doorway at the end of the dimly lit electronics room. "I'm going home, if we have any further problems relay it to Rakshata on the Ikaruga…"

Feite stepped out into the empty hallway, and paused to catch a glimpse of a woman leaning against the opposite wall. "My are you Feite Avalon? I've heard a lot about you from the others." Feite narrowed her eyes at the strange woman and paused in the middle of the hall. "You seem to know my name, but I have no idea who you are." The woman moved her hand to her chest, and smiled. "Forgive me; I'm Sancia…Sancia Delacruz. You're my hero you know that." Feite crossed both arms over her chest, and leaned forward. "Hero? Why am I your hero? You're obviously not Japanese nor have I seen you before. Who recruited you to join the Order?" Sancia faked a smile, but on the inside she was growling. The words were not breaking through Feite's tough exterior, causing her to rethink her strategy. "I was recruited by Diethard…I'm the assistant in the medical technology ward." Feite rolled her eyes, and turned her back to Sancia. "Diethard recruited you? That sounds like something that oaf would do. You must get a lot of discrimination not being Japanese, sorry I sounded like a bitch a moment ago…work has been hectic since Zero and the others are…" A high pitched noise ringed in Feite's ears causing her to immediately shake her head in discomfort. "Are you alright?" Sancia took a step forward only for Feite to extend her hand out to her. "No thanks, I've just been overworked…probably the battle against the Chinese is still causing my ears to ring." Feite turned to her side, and continued down the hallway rubbing her ear.

Sancia's friendly expression vanished while Feite's back was turned to her. She adjusted the small wrist mounted knife in her hand while her Geass appear in both eyes. 'Damned woman, you don't trust anyone except Zero…you are very smart for an exiled Britannian. Your movements, demeanor, are very much like a grand strategist…I won't be able to get close enough to kill you." She closed her eyes, and chuckled slightly. 'But your daughter is only protected by that weak Eleven…I can kill that small brat to get to you…'

'Beware that woman, for fiends exist...even in the sanctuary of the goddess.'

The tranquil voice from before fills Feite's mind while she entered the surface elevator. There was a throbbing sensation in her forehead, while her eyes stared blankly at the glass wall of the elevator. 'You again, why are you warning me? What do you want me to do?'

'Avoid her, and keep your child nearby…you must flee the island where you call home…I will ask of someone to assist you…Charles has found out….your'

Before the voice could finish the sentence, a pain shot through Feite's body. It felt like an electrical shock causing her body to tense up, her eyes widen at the sight of being trapped inside a tank of water followed by the piercing eyes of the Emperor of Britannia staring directly at her. Her heart locked up at the sight of the elderly man, only for the vision to vanish showing the interior of the elevator. 'This vision, have you chosen me as your vassal? Why do you care so much about my child, about my safety…the only place left to flee is…?' The elevator reached the surface where a pair of armed guard turned to Feite saluting her. "Turning in for the day Commander?" She waved her hand nonchalantly, and nodded. "Yes…"

Under the Sea of Japan, the Shinkirou moved elegantly through the turbulent waves. Lelouch tugs at the collar of his tee shirt, and stares at the location data for his rendezvous point. A smile flashed on his face while tapping his finger on the side of the cockpit. "Who would have thought the information department had so many connections in this city…sadly all of them are in my control." His eyes focused at the large gateway approaching and slowed down the Knightmare slightly. The gateway's locks detached and slowly pulled open allowing the Shinkirou to pass.

In the center of the aquarium, the transformed Shinkirou rises from the below tanks. With a loud splash the Knightmare stabilized and its cockpit shot slowly opened. Rolo leaned against the railing with his mobile phone in his hand. He quickly inputs a message before tucking the device back into his pocket. "About time you showed up." Lelouch glared over Rolo, and sighed. "Still responding with that cheeky tone Rolo?" He paused for a moment, and glanced at Sayoko who stood beside Rolo. "Sayoko, has anything changed while I was gone?" Sayoko removed the mask covering her face, and with her offhand tugged the wig off the top of her head. "Nothing urgent…The details are in the file, as you instructed." Lelouch climbed out of the cockpit, and balanced on the side of the Shinkirou. "Rolo? If you will…" Rolo walked down the ramp with his hands tucked away in his pockets. "I'll extend it in a second."

The lighting crackled in the early morning sky while Feite walked through the streets towards her apartment. She had both hands tucked into the pockets of her tall jacket while a concerned look was spread across her face. Every step caused a puddle of water to splash up while she quickly approached the building. 'I need to leave Horai…but.' Feite turned up to the tall building, and continued on into the building.

There was a large amount of laughter while Charles stared at the results on screen. He stroked his lengthy beard, and shook his head at the data. "So my assumptions were correct, Lelouch was indeed the father of this bastard child." He reached his hand out to the end table nearby and grabbed hold of a wine glass. Taking the glass in hand, the emperor took a sip before resting his head back. "Now that we know the truth, I can finally turn that woman against my foolish son by capturing that small runt." Bismarck crossed by with his hand tucked into his lengthy jacket's pocket. "You really think Feite Avalon will allow the agent to capture her daughter? The worst thing to do is take a cub away from a lioness. Will this not bite us back in the end?" Charles waved his hand over his shoulder, and laughed at the words from the knight of one. "I expect strict resistance, but that agent has that woman and child on constant watch due to her useful Geass."

In the living room of the apartment, Feite held Arcadia to her breast while resting her back against the cushion of the couch. She hummed a soft lullaby to the child, and stared at the muted news report. Her eyes quickly run across the closed captioning, and a smile beamed across her face. The Chinese Federation was quickly falling to the Black Knights, and the combined power of the Tianzi. It was a momentary sense of happiness that vanished instantly with Feite's eyes narrowing at the open window. 'I'm being watched again…' She pushed herself up to a standing posture, and crossed over to the balcony window. Feite glanced outside momentarily acting as if admiring the view. Her eyes however were scanning the building directly facing her own. 'Where are you? It could be anyone…' Feite's eyes widen while she let out a loud gasp at the explicit sight going on across the way. She turned her back to the window, and covered her mouth. 'Can't they close their curtains when they do such a thing like that?' Her face was completely red while a giggle exited from the child's mouth. "I'll don't look forward to telling you what they were doing when you get older."

Feite couldn't see anything out of the ordinary outside with the exception of the young Japanese couple living across the way. She shook her head while the nearby kettle started to whistle on the stovetop. "I wonder where we should go to get away from Horai…we can't stay at the Avalon estate in the Chinese Capital, or stay on the Ikaruga..." She closed her eyes, and collected her thoughts for a moment. "The only place to go is either London, or…" She paused for a moment, and let out a concerned sigh. "Tokyo…" Feite closed her eyes, and nodded. "What would you do in a situation like this C.C?"

Meanwhile, C.C. sat on a sofa with a piece of pizza in her lips. She chewed on it slightly while a faint smile appeared on her face. "It is for you to decide, the Queen has told me little of what is about to happen. She has a way with weaving the fate of others, by making them choose their paths. I can't interfere with her wishes, but I will tell you that Lelouch is in Japan for the moment." She put the pizza back onto the paper plate, and leaned back in the cushion.

Feite stood in the kitchen feeding a bottle of Arcadia. She fidgeted for a moment while Feite sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, but you have to have formula today…" The small infant suckled on the bottle while the young mother crossed over to a nearby white board.

There was a small schedule written in blue marker while the front door opened. "I'm sorry I'm late…" Ishikawa entered the apartment and took off her shoes placing them to the side. Feite shook her head, and smiled at her nanny. "There isn't a problem at all, I'm glad you came I have to go on a mission…" Ishikawa noticed the concerned look on Feite, and crossed over holding her hands out for Arcadia. "I see, that is the life that we chose, you have to fight for Zero and the hope of the Japanese people." Feite handed Arcadia over, and bowed her head. "Sayoko was very nice to have you protect Arcadia in her stead, you trained under her am I correct?" Ishikawa held the small child, and lightly patted her hand to Arcadia's back burping the infant. "Yes, so please do not worry about the safety of your child. I simply wish for you to return safely, a child without a mother is a very ominous thing." Feite nodded slightly, and crossed over to Arcadia. She leaned in and kissed the small child on the head. "I'll be back soon, take care of her for me while I am away."

Lelouch walked through the corridors on his way to the student council room only to pause at the sight of Anya standing in the middle of the hallway. "Good Morning Lelouch…" Lelouch turned over with his eyes wide at the Knight standing in front of him. "huh?" A loud scuffling could be heard while Gino quickly pokes his head around the corner. "Hey, we've been waiting!" He stepped out into the hallway, and crossed over to Lelouch. "You're lord Lamperouge, the vice president, right?" Rivalz, Milly, and Aurelia step out after the two. Aurelia wore a simple girl's uniform with her jacket hanging over her shoulder. She glanced over at Lelouch with a pair of uncompassionate eyes. "So, you're Lelouch Lamperouge, you seem to be familiar with Anya, and Gino. I am Aurelia Bles, the Knight of two, and as of now a fellow student at this academy." She crossed over to Lelouch, and extended her hand to him. Lelouch slowly extended his hand and shook hers causing some confusion to fill Aurelia's face. "Is there a problem?" Aurelia shook her head, and let out a grin. "No, I'm still unfamiliar with the mannerisms of commoners." She cleared her throat, and regained her composure. "It'll be a pleasure to attend school with you." Lelouch rubbed his temple, and let out a small laugh. "You don't have to be so formal…"

It was well into the afternoon, with Feite staring down at the Voulge inside the hanger bay. She tugged on the duffle hanging off her shoulder, and started off toward the Knightmare Frame. It was a dangerous mission to undertake, one that wasn't sanctioned by Lelouch, or anyone else other than Feite herself. 'I have to do this for myself…I'm sorry Arcadia, the world will be more hostile for awhile longer.' She crossed over to the Voulge, and opened up the canopy.

Sancia took a drag from a cigarette and slowly exhaled while staring over at the harbor. Her orders had changed since contact with V.V. was cut off. She had to find out a way to get past the bodyguard Ishikawa that Feite had put in charge of her daughter's safety. 'That woman is skilled not only in close quarters combat, but she can outwit my planning…I'll have to figure out a way to kidnap the brat, and bring her to the Institute.' She glanced off into the distance to catch the Voulge taking off into the sky. 'I hope you said your last goodbyes, your world is about to be turned upside down.'

A warning siren fills the midnight sky while the Voulge skips across the waves of the Sea of Japan. Feite scowled at the large patrol carrier belonging to the Britannian Navy, and reacted quickly making a final adjustment by increasing the throttle. The Knightmare frame pushed through the waves kicking up a large amount of mist into the air.

"This can't be right, a single enemy is attacking?" Leaning over the main sensor console, the captain glared at the data. "It could be a scout captain." The first officer stood by a tactical map with his arms folded behind his back. He was rather calm despite the captain's concern for the Knightmare frame steadily approaching at high speed. "I suggest we lighten the mood with a missile bombardment, and sent out our air cavalry." The captain looked over his shoulder with an annoyed look, and signaled with his hand. "Launch the Sutherland, I want eyes on that machine, and contact the mainland in case we get breached!" The first officer removed his hand, and chuckled. "No frame can get past us without being spotted."

Feite's eyes moved around inside the cockpit while she quickly activated the particle spreader. The armor split open and quickly the jamming particles shot out from the interior armor vents. Her scowl faded into a grin while the effects of the jamming particles came quickly. "I'm not going to let you communicate with Tokyo." Her eyes moved to the launch catapults at the carrier's topside.

A few Sutherland were being brought up from the below decks at a hasty speed. The crews were rushing things, while short, and long radio communications were being jammed. "Get those Sutherland out!" The captain slammed his fist down on the communication panel, and growled. "We're being jammed, this isn't a normal machine!" The First Officer however stayed in the back in a rather calm mood, he shook his head, and laughed. "Stay calm Captain, our men will take out that machine, and we'll be able to contact headquarters."

A bright flash exited from the rifle's muzzle alongside the Voulge's shield. The built in rifle discharged several spent shells, sending the high velocity bullets into the deck of the carrier. The bullets slammed into the armor splintering the armor, and tearing holes into it. An unfortunate Sutherland was ripped to pieces sending its body to the deck blocking the use of one of the catapults. Feite snickered in the cockpit, and blasted over the length of the carrier.

Within a few seconds the air was littered with tracer rounds, the entire carrier was firing its cannons at the Voulge illuminated slightly in the sky above. The glowing from its float system was the only indicator of it being in the sky. The particles were still jamming the carrier's communications while each Sutherland to reach the deck was met with heavy fire from the Voulge.

"This is impossible, how is a single frame taking us out this much!" The captain growled and crossed over to the nearby window. He stared out and his eyes widen at the blur moving towards them. The switch blade moved forward along the shield of the Voulge while it boosted towards him. "This is impossible shoot that Knightmare frame down!" He looked over his shoulder at the open hatch, and his first officer was nowhere to be found. "James? You damned coward!" The captain shielded his face while the blade tore through the command tower slicing cleanly through it.

"Looks like I damaged you enough for today…good luck contacting Tokyo without your command tower." Feite looked over her shoulder, and blasted off into the darkness of the night.

Hours later, news reports started to flow in to the information bureau's office. Villetta stared at the footage of the heavily damaged carrier, and the injuries associated to the unprovoked attack. "It would seem that something came into the nation early this morning. Do you know anything about this Lelouch?" Lelouch stated at the destruction from his chair in the center of the room. He waved his hand dismissively, and shook his head. "No, but this doesn't seem like its part of my planning. Only thing is I'm assuming a vixen followed me home." Villetta raised an eyebrow in a fit of confusion, and firmly crossed both arms over her chest. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's Feite isn't it? It's predictable, but what reason would she have for coming to Area Eleven." Rolo leaned against the far wall, with Sayoko standing behind him. He moved some of his lengthy hair from his eyes, and sighed briefly. Villetta glared at him with annoyance growing on her face. "Feite Avalon what business does she has…" Lelouch held up his hand, and sighed. "I can't tell, I've lost the ability to predict that woman…even if she is the mother of my child." Villetta turned over quickly with her eyes wide. "What did you say? That girl….what about Shirley! I thought you…" Lelouch closed his eyes, and shook his head. "That is a tough case, but Feite was always at my side. Shirley was always in second place compared to her...Also, someone else has his eyes on her." He stared over at Rolo, and quickly clapped his hands to change the subject. "So, do you have any ideas how we'll deal with the Rounds that recently joined the council?"

"You're here early Kururugi; I would suspect that you were the type to sleep in." Aurelia leaned against the doorway of the empty student council room. She held an apple in her hand and took a small bite. Suzaku looked up from his seat at the end of the room. He flipped through a note book provided to him by Villetta, and shook his head. "Are you going to patronize me or assist me? I need to find something out…is the current Zero separate from him?" Aurelia lowered the apple to the table, and pulled out a seat. "There was no sign of him regaining his memory was there. The information bureau is still conducting close surveillance, and we can't override Villetta Nu's command. Do you want to discuss this in private Kururugi; I don't think speaking openly here is the right thing to do." Suzaku looked up from the paperwork, and raised an eyebrow. "What place would you recommend to discuss the matter?" Aurelia reached into the front pocket of her uniform jacket, and removed a folded piece of paper. "I would like to have our meeting away from the city, preferably at Kururugi Shrine." Suzaku sat in utter shock while Aurelia's penetrating glare shot through his tough façade. "Why do you want to have it at my family's shrine?" Aurelia folded the paper up and tucked it back into her jacket. "Forget I said anything about it, I want to talk to you in private about this mission."

Several hours later, a luxury vehicle was parked in front of the Kururugi shrine. The passenger however was nowhere to be found. The sound of a bell jingling could be heard through the entire shrine while Feite stood staring at the old shrine. It was maintained, possibly due to Suzaku becoming a rounds member. The floor boards and everything was exactly how she remembered it back when she was little. It brought a smile to her face, but it was only a temporary respite. A chilling wind blew through her hair, while a black tie danced off her chest in the breeze. "Tomorrow, I'll have to make a visit to Ashford, and then the Avalon Foundation's branch office. I'll have to use those resources to find out where you are at Knight of Two."