Turn 10: CC's Pain

Location: Icirrus Moor

Time: 8:30 AM September 15th

Condition: Cloudy

"Quickly, lock it with a thunder wave!" Lelouch commanded the emolga. "Lampent use a confuse ray. Good now double team him with a night shade and volt switch. Gurdurr sweep them off their feet with an knock-off. Keep up the pressure with another ember. Now finish them off!"

A group of Plasma recruits started clapping at Lelouch's masterful command of their pokémon. They looked very pleased, if not, a little bit embarrassed they couldn't even pull that off as a team. "Wow that was amazing." They gave him many complements.

CC watched as Lelouch explained to the recruits how it all worked. This had been going on for a month. Team Plasma, or White Plasma to be specific, had grown in popularity since he and his small band had kicked Team Rocket out of Mistralton and Icirrus City.

Team Plasma has two factions called "White" Plasma who follows more closely the ideas held by their original Leader N, and "Black" Plasma who follows the modern edicts of their current leader Colress, a scientist with a very different take on things. The titles of white and black plasma are in reference to the clothes specific to their uniforms. White Plasma wears the classical Knight Armor that they wore in the beginning. Black Plasma wears a much more modern looking militaristic outfit with a sleek design.

Things had run smoothly for Lelouch. CC on the other hand had felt steadily weaker since that day in Mistralton City. Despite that she'd been getting plenty of rest and hadn't used any of her powers since then she just kept getting weaker and weaker. Her body was sore, her limbs were cold as ice while her head felt like it was on fire.

She hadn't felt this weak so suddenly before in her life. The thing that was getting to her was she didn't understand why, Lelouch was providing enough pizza and sustenance; and he hadn't been using any of his more taxing abilities either. Whenever she moved she could feel each muscle stand pull, it was horrible.

"CC, are you alright?" She heard Lelouch's voice as if it was being muffled by cotton balls in her ears. She turned to see that he had been shouting to get her attention yet she only was just starting to hear it now. She wondered why he hadn't tried to speak with her mentally like they always do.

CC attempted to speak with Lelouch via their connection, but she didn't get any response, she wasn't even sure it was reaching him. Something was wrong, something was interrupting her abilities. She couldn't think of anything that could do this to her like this, she hadn't felt this horrible since…

Her eye's widened at the realization of what must be happening. CC would have to speak verbally if she wanted him to hear her. "Lelouch," She said but it came out so quietly she didn't think anyone heard, but that didn't matter now.

Her body had given up. CC's body became so numb that she didn't feel it when she flopped back into the ground, but she saw the sky suddenly fall around her until it seemed to be the only thing she could see. Her vision jumbled about signifying to her that she had just hit the ground. Her vision began to blur and she blinked attempting to stay awake. Her vision jumbled again when she saw Lelouch suddenly kneel down looking directly into her eyes. He looked like he was shouting but she couldn't hear a thing. She tried to reach up to him but nothing was responding, not even a finger twitch.

She saw the Lelouch had grabbed her hand and looked as though he was screaming her name. "Le… louch." She whispered quietly to herself as everything went completely dark. You're hands aren't as soft as they were when we met.


"CC." She heard a kind and gentle voice. She opened her eyes and saw N smiling down at her. "It looks like you dosed off. Where were you just now?"

"I'm not sure, would it really matter anyways?" CC asked looking around. She was lying in a very soft bed in a beautiful room. The walls were made of fine pure white wood with marble pillars and the floor was made of fine marble tiles.

"You were muttering again, about him." N told her.

"Can't you read my thoughts?" CC asked him.

"Not when you're asleep like that, sometimes when you're just between asleep and awake. But I generally can't read you unless you want me to." N explained, pulling a bit of her hair back behind her ear. "And you are very defensive when asleep milady."

"I told you not to call me that." CC explained.

"Hmph, you're so cute when you're flustered." He smiled rubbing her head making a mess of her hair. It wasn't something that particularly bothered her when he treated her like some sort of child but she didn't like it when her hair got involved.

"What have you been up to?" CC asked.

"I've been working with Ghetsis on Project Usurper. The Castle is almost complete and now that we have you, there's nothing that can stop us." N chirped.

"I wouldn't say that." CC explained.

"I think you're too modest." N said. "You're the most powerful and magnificent creature I've ever laid eyes on. Like an electrical storm, both beautiful and deadly if you get too close."

"And here you are messing up my hair." CC pointed out making N laugh a little.

"Would you like help out of bed?" N asked her.

"No thanks." CC insisted while sitting up on her own. She then noticed a computer tower on a table nearby with a giant gaping hole in it. "What happened there?"

"It seems that Ghetsis' scientists have been working behind my back on something called Project Knightmare. It's where they take a pokémon and weaponize it. It made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it so I destroyed all the research on it. To think they believe they can make a pokémon stronger or more beautiful than they already are." N grimaced. "To be safe I insisted that I keep the tower in case they attempt to resurrect it."

CC almost smiled at his words. "You always stand for what you believe in N. That's one of the things I really like about you."

"N." A commanding voice called from one end of the room. It was Ghetsis wearing a cloak that was half purple and half gold. On the gold half was a purple eye design and on the purple half a gold eye design. He had long wavy green hair like N's but a much grayer shade. He wore a bright red stylized monocle with a white trim. Under his cloak Ghetsis wore his usual white robe. "I heard about what happened, I'm so very sorry I was only working towards what was best for Team Plasma."

"What?" N's eyes widened. "You instigated Project Knightmare?"

"Of course, if we really want to liberate pokémon we'll need as much help as we can get." Ghetsis explained.

"That's no excuse! You cannot honestly think to bring change to the world if you do things like this." N shouted at him. This display shocked even CC a little. She'd never seen N stand up to Ghetsis like that before, he really had grown up since they met.

"How dare you speak to me this way." Ghetsis shouted back.

"Milord N, Lord Ghetsis, Milady CC." The other six sages walked in. "Everything has been set up according to plan."

"It is now time to strike." Another said.

"Alder has returned to his post as Champion." A third told him.

"Right." N said before turning back to CC and giving her a hand and a smile. "Come on CC, let's change the world together."

"Don't think this conversation is over." Ghetsis gave a dirty eye at him.


CC was suddenly awake. She inspected her surrounding to see she was in a small wooden house, it was the one Lelouch was using while here in Icirrus City. She had been laid on a couch with wooden arms and not much cushioning. She could feel her fingers which was a good sign. She lifted up her hand and wiggled her fingers, making sure that it was operational. It felt heavy and was very sore but it was movable at least.

She looked over to her right to see Lelouch staring intently at nothing with his hand holding his head. His elbow was resting on the arm of the chair he was sitting on with his legs crossed. He was wearing the simple black sleeveless shirt under a brown coat with a black trimming. He was trapped in his head.

"You're awake." CC wince when she heard Rosa's voice. Something about Rosa always bothered her.

"What?" Lelouch almost fell out of his chair when he heard Rosa. He stood up and walked over to CC.

"Are you alright?" Rosa asked kneeling next to her.

CC wasn't sure how Rosa expected her to respond; she'd never even said a word to her before. Did she think that just because she was sick she'd talk to her for some reason?

"CC, how are you feeling?" Lelouch asked.

"Fine." CC held her head which felt as though it was being squished under the weight of a groudon. "Shouldn't you feel it?"

"I haven't been able to feel any of this. If I'd have known I would have had you brought here sooner." Even though they were just speaking mind to mind she could hear the worry hidden just under the surface of his thoughts.

"That's right." CC remembered. "It's N, he's coming."

"What makes you say that?" Lelouch asked.

"Last time this happened was when N and I were together. His broken heart was so taxing to bear that I was reverted back into my Dark Stone. form" CC explained.

"How close is he? When will he be here?" Lelouch asked.

"I don't know. He's close enough that his pain is affecting me, although depending on how intense it is, it could be from any number of kilometers." CC explained.

"So there's no definite way of knowing." Lelouch glared off to the side.

Lelouch stood up and faced Rosa which quickly grabbed her attention. "Rosa, I want you and En to watch over CC for me. Don't let anything and anyone in here not even me, unless I say the password."

"What's going on?" Rosa asked.

"She's just sick, is all." Lelouch lied.

"Is it contagious or something?" Rosa almost stepped back.

"No, she just needs her rest and I'd rather her not be bothered by anyone." Lelouch continued his lie.

"Okay then." Rosa didn't seem sure about this, but she wasn't unwilling either. "What's the password then?"

"When I knock you'll say Code. In response I will say Geass, if I say anything else before or after you open the door, even if its only a sigh, then it either isn't me or I'm being manipulated." Lelouch whispered to her.

"Okay." Rosa nodded.

"I've got to go continue training everyone. Make sure she doesn't get up from that couch and don't leave her side under any circumstance." Lelouch said starting to leave the building.

"Right." Rosa saluted him as he left.

"And one more thing." Lelouch continued. "Protect her with your life, do you understand?"

"Yes." Rosa nodded.

Blake then burst through the door suddenly and closed it behind him. "Blake what are you doing?" Lelouch demanded.

"Sorry sir, I didn't mean to barge in so suddenly but we have a bit of a situation." Blake explained.

"What's that?" Lelouch asked.

"Some one's come into town and their insisting to see you." He continued.

"Who?" Lelouch didn't like the sound of this. Could N already be here?

"She didn't say. But she's really intent on seeing you, right now." Blake said.

It's just some woman, what a relief. Lelouch started towards the door. "Just go up to her and say that I'm busy for now." Lelouch said opening the door.

"Oh really Lulu." It was an all too familiar voice calling him in a name only one person used. Lelouch's eyes widened as he slowly turned to see who it was.

She was about his height with orange hair which she wore down yellow eyes and a big frown on her face. She wore a pink tank top trimmed in red with a white folded collar with white pants to complement her shirt. Her hands were on her hips. No way, it couldn't really be, "Shirley?"