Turn 14 – Faithful Encounter

It had been days since the failed battle against the black knights in their territory, and with great shame the legion fleet returned to Tokyo. With defeat and the loss of personnel would normally make one's military lose its morale, but that wasn't the case with the Britannian Regulars. They wrote off the loss as a blunder due to the Legion using slaves, and those not even worthy of being honorary Britannians. The only people who took this loss seriously were the few Rounds members that were currently in Japan.

Aurelia had long since recovered from the painful physic transfer and it still caused her great discomfort even thinking about the reasons for it occurring. She had taken off from her duties as a Knight, and spent the days as a regular school girl with no real responsibilities. It was amusing for her, but only for awhile. It felt as if there were a hole forming inside her heart, as if one part of her died after feeling the pain of what she suspected was a gunshot.

This reminded her of the conversation with Guilford. He was investigating a gruesome scene that was reported not a mile away from the Avalon Foundation branch office here in Tokyo. There were hardly any witnesses in the area due to everyone wishing to see the Governor General and the famous Avalon family. Aurelia was deeply concerned about the safety of her close friend Azalea, but curiosity was sparked within her after discovering who may have caused the deaths of those men. Guilford's words echoed in her mind from the briefing that occurred several days ago when she was too weak to even move around freely. 'At the scene, we analyzed the blood where there wasn't a body…The examination came in and the blood matches Feite Avalon. That means we have a A-lister within Tokyo, and I want you knights to help me track her down."

Aurelia sat in the cafeteria playing with her macaroni with her fork while Shirley went off on one of her wild shopping stories across the table. Aurelia nodded a few times to humor what could be her only friend with the exception of Azalea. 'Guilford wants me to track Feite down…Suzaku, and Gino left school this morning. They're going to try the downtown areas, and investigate. I should try to track her down before they do. I have to find out why I could hear her voice when…' Aurelia moved her hand across her eye causing Shirley to stop telling her story. "Aurelia? Are you alright? You look like you have a lot on your mind." Shirley's eyes were sparkling while it was apparent that Aurelia had become close friends in their short while together. "Oh, it's nothing…" Shirley let out a sly sigh while leaning over the table. "Is it problems with Suzaku? You've had that look on your face for days now that he hasn't been at school." Aurelia grabbed her soft drink, and took a long gulp before glaring over at Shirley with a stern look in her eyes. "For the last time, there is nothing going on between the two of us. I only use him for research, and that is about it." Shirley's eyes narrowed while letting out a soft sigh. "Research huh? About what?" Aurelia got up from the seat, and picked up her empty tray. "I'm going outside for awhile…" She walked over to the nearby trash bin, and emptied her tray before placing it on top of the bin. Shirley got up as well, and quickly followed after Aurelia. "Hey, no need to act that way! Come on Aurelia!"

Meanwhile, in his private room within the Ikaruga, Lelouch looked over at C.C. with a look of absolute confusion on his face while watching C.C. show him how to change a diaper. "It's this simple; I can't believe you can't do a simple thing like this." Lelouch chuckled slightly, and shrugged his shoulders. "It's the woman's respon…." C.C. cut him off and held up a finger to hush him. "Don't let Feite hear you say that Lelouch, she would beat you senseless…after-all you're weaker than her in stamina." Lelouch crossed both arms over his chest, and looked down at Arcadia. "It doesn't seem she notices that her protector isn't here anymore." C.C. held a small stuffed bunny in front of the small infant, and glanced over her shoulder at him. "I'm glad enough that she is comfortable with me here…she always cries when you hold her." Lelouch scratched the side of his face, and nodded while a drop of sweat rolled down his cheek. "I guess that's why I need to finish this as soon as possible." He paused for a moment regaining his composure, and walking over to the nearby couch. "C.C. I have something important to talk to you about." C.C. picked up Arcadia, and instantly the small child placed her small hands against C.C.'s breast. She quickly looked down at the child, and laughed. "I'm not your mother…plus I can offer no milk for you small one…or perhaps this is a sign that you're not like normal girls." Lelouch growled from over across the room, and pointed his finger furiously at her. "Don't say things like that!" C.C. patted Arcadia on the head, and walked over to the couch taking a seat across from Lelouch. "I'm only kidding you fool, what did you want to speak to me about?" Lelouch leaned forward, placing both elbows against his thighs, and looking over at C.C. "When I was at Ashford, I was approached by a girl who claimed she was the White Queen. How is this possible C.C? I want you to tell me more about the Order." C.C.'s eyes narrowed while quietly rocking Arcadia in her hands. "The Queen approached you was it? That must be odd, considering that she is very cautious around men. Perhaps it has something to do with Feite not being in a state to communicate with the Queen." Lelouch raised an eyebrow, and gave C.C. a shocked look. "What happened to Feite?" C.C. looked over at a photo on the wall, and got up from the couch. "I don't know the details, but Lelouch I felt that she was wounded greatly. She is alive, but that is all I know." Lelouch let out a sigh of relief, and stood up moving over to the witch. "Tell me more C.C. the White Queen asked me to join her under her own banner against my father. Why does a woman who can take control of others need my help?" C.C. shook her head, and crossed over to the nearby crib placing Arcadia within. "The Queen is capable of things far greater than I; a power which she keeps to herself is the power of body transmission. She is capable of transmitting her soul to any area that is within close proximity of her, a Geass witch or if a priestess is present." Lelouch shook his head while confusion appeared once again in his brow. "Priestess? What do you mean?" C.C. shook her head, and gently rubbed her temple. "I see this is going to take awhile. I was told a small amount from the one that cursed me with her immortality, but from what I know a priestess is a being who contains the blood of a first witch. The blood line has grown thin over the course of several thousand years, and for now I've only be able to find two people with the traits that allow for her transmission ability to work." She looked over her shoulder at Arcadia, and then back at Lelouch. "The two female rounds members, the small girl called Anya, the elder, Aurelia. Also due to artificial manipulation of her genetic structure Feite is transitioning to something in-between."

Lelouch's eyes went wide with shock, he took a few steps back, and his eyes trembled. "Does that mean that the Queen is capable of possessing Feite or those others at any time?"

C.C. chuckled slightly, and promptly shook her head. "No, the Queen uses them as conduits to boost her power from any centralized location. The Queen rarely uses this ability unless it's a matter that upsets the balance of the world. Lelouch we should be weary of accepting the Queen's support. Her record with winning against Britannia is poor at best…"

Lelouch ran his hand across his chin while the explanation seemed to quell the fear that was beginning to build in the back of his consciousness. "C.C. why does the queen not possess the Emperor or his knight of One in order to slay him?" C.C. picked up a small stuffed animal, and ran her hand alongside the fuzzy backside. "I don't know, perhaps she thinks herself to be a goddess, she doesn't wish to meddle too much in the society of mortals. She prefers a figure similar to her own, a body that is capable of weaving men around her finger like a silk thread." Lelouch grinned momentarily, and got up to his feet. "C.C. is there a place where we can get more information about the Queen? I want to read into this more before I accept this woman's help." C.C. placed the animal into the crib, and looked down with a warm smile on her face. "The Geass Order is where most of the information is kept under lock and key. It has been moved from location to location, and even I do not know where the location is. That twin you've been running around with may know. You should find out, as he was once allied with V.V."

In the rain filled streets below Suzaku walked quietly with Gino walking slowly behind him. "This is getting us nowhere Suzaku; if she's hiding her it'll be impossible to find her." His eyes wandered to a nearby fruit vendor, and picked up an apple. He wiped it across his chest, and pulled out a small coin from his pocket tossing it over to the vendor. Gino took a large bite from the apple, and looked over at Suzaku's determined expression. "We can't let ourselves get distracted, we have to find her, and with her capture we can easily destroy the black knights." Gino looked over at Suzaku with a concerned look on his face. "Suzaku, what are we going to do when we find her?" Suzaku turned his head to the side, and shook his head. "We're going to bring her to justice…Come Gino, we have a few more places to investigate." Gino could feel the agitation coming from Suzaku. He could see the pain and longing for revenge residing within Suzaku's eyes. He moved his hand forward, and grabbed Suzaku by the shoulder. "Suzaku, you're not acting like yourself. We should take a break." Suzaku smacked Gino's hand off his shoulder, and turned around. "Take a break? Gino, we have a fugitive who committed treason for killing an Imperial Princess. I would gladly tear this city apart if it meant me getting my revenge…" His eyes widen as the word slipped away from his lips. "Suzaku…" Gino paused while Suzaku stormed off down the street.

Watching from an apartment above, Jeremiah Gottwald looked down at the crowd below. He easily spotted the cloaks belonging to the two Rounds members standing below. A smile grew on his face while his eyes focused on Suzaku walking below. "So, you seem to have made quite a name for yourself Kururugi Suzaku." A small laugh escaped his lips while moving his hand to grab a nearby glass of wine. Jeremiah took a moment to smell the wine, taking in the aroma before drinking it down. "You won't find that girl here; most of the people in this area are under the Geass of a close personnel friend of ours." The golden eyepiece over Jeremiah's left eye opened up revealing a bluish Geass sigil resting on a cybernetic eye. It let out a brief flash, while a large bluish orb extended from the apartment and into the streets around him. "I'll find you Rai, and convince you that you chose the wrong side."

Back at Ashford Academy, a small vehicle was parked in front of the school while it was finally time for Milly to leave the academy after recently graduating. She had postponed it long enough, and with the engagement being called off between the Asplund family, and the Ashfords it enabled her to pursue a path of her own.

"I was somewhat scared of the real world after graduating, have you decided what you're going to do?" On the nearby bed, Azalea sat while flipping through an old photo album. She looked over at Milly while she seemed to be wrapped in the nostalgia of the past. "I don't know, I've gotten a reply from one of the jobs that I applied for. I think I may try being a reporter for awhile, and see how it goes from there." Azalea closed the photo album, and moved it into the nearby box. "I see, but if you want I could see if you can get a job in our company." She put a finger across her lips, and sighed. "Except you really don't have many technical skills…" Milly shook her head, and turned over to her cousin. "Working as a salary woman isn't my style Azalea, I want to talk with people with a smile on my face. I want to show Nina that I can be separate from my family, and mark my own path." Azalea got up from the bed, and crossed both arms over her chest. "Aside from starting out on a career, was there anyone here that you'd like to say a goodbye to?" Milly looked down at her desk at a letter sitting on top of it. "I've said my goodbyes already, but there is one person…" Azalea walked over to Milly, and patted her shoulder lightly. "If it's a boy you really should get it off your chest, or you'll end up regretting it. I'm going to wait in the car. I'll see you in a moment." Milly looked down at the letter, and a smile appeared on her face while Azalea left the room. "You've always cared about me, and I always pushed you aside…I should at least try to get to know you more…Rivalz.'

Outside the room, Aurelia leaned against the wall with her eyes opening and head turning to spot Azalea stepping out. "So, is Milly going to wait a while before you and her leave?" Azalea rubbed her temple slightly, and nodded. "That girl is stubborn, but she has some unfinished business here with a boy I figure. Anyway, it's rare for you to wait to talk to me, what do you want to talk about?" Aurelia kicked off the wall, and motioned for Azalea to follow after. "I think its best that we talk on the go." Azalea raised her eyebrow at the suspicious nature of Aurelia, and followed her nonetheless.

In the elevator the two were given some sort of privacy from the ears of eavesdropping students. Aurelia leaned against the back end of the Elevator, and stared across at her close friend. "Azalea, I thought I'd ask you something that you probably know the answer to." She paused for a second, and stared over with a penetrating gaze. "Where is your sister hiding?" Azalea closed her eyes, and let out a soft sigh. "Do you wish to arrest her Aurelia? I heard all about Guilford's investigation, our faction has a lot of soldiers stationed here in Area Eleven. Even ones that you probably think are still loyal to our emperor." Aurelia shook her head, and stared up at the ceiling. "I don't intend to do anything to her, I just want to talk to her…I think she's the only one that I share a connection with." Azalea gave her friend an odd stare while moving her hands to her hips. "A connection with what do you mean?" Aurelia crossed to the elevator panel, and hit the stop button. The elevator buckled slightly stopping in between two floors. "We're both connected to the White Queen…and I want to know why. Feite has been at the center of Geass for a long time. Tell me Azalea, we can arrange a meeting in the country side, allow me to talk to Feite. This is a favor I'm asking of you…" Azalea eyes went wide at the passionate display and removed a mobile phone from her pocket. She dialed a phone number, and held the mobile to her hear. "Rai, I want to bring Feite to a place she knows quite well in the country side, I want you to bring her to Kururugi Shrine." Aurelia paused for a second with her eyes wide. "Kururugi Shrine?"

Rai stood in the kitchen while talking on the phone while Feite herself had taken more steps than she did before. The wounds were healing at an accelerated rate due to the Code R cells further evolving and mutating the genes of the once sickly girl, distancing her even further from humanity. The bandages that covered her eye were no longer needed, as the gunshot wound had already sealed leaving no scar. She was watching the news while Rai was finishing his conversation with Azalea.

Feite took a seat on the couch, and let out a sore groan while resting her back against the cushion. It would take a few more days of rest for her to move as gracefully as she usually did. She looked at the news broadcast with a set of disinterested eyes while trying to eavesdrop on Rai's conversation.

Rai ended the call and tucked the mobile phone back into his pocket. He looked over at Feite and crossed over to the back of the couch. His placing his hands at the edge caused Feite to look over her shoulder at him. "That was Azalea...are you well enough to walk? We're going to leave this place..." Feite let out a confused nod, and turned off the television. "Yes, but why do we have to leave?" Rai looked over at the window, and shrugged his shoulders. "I have to follow orders, and we've been asked to meet someone at Kururugi Shrine." Feite's eyes went wide at the sound of that place, and quickly started to get out o the couch. "Very well, but Rai we should be careful…" Rai moved across the room, and nodded. "I know….Lady Azalea rarely would call for such a meeting, now lets get ready to leave…I'm going to burn the apartment after I set off the Disturber to shut off power to this part of the city. I don't want Britannians finding out that I'm alive, or that you were being kept here."

From the apartment, a surge of energy shot out in a simple shockwave, the various street lights, and trains running in the area went to an abrupt stop. Shirley looked down at her mobile phone as it went completely dark. She and those around her look around in absolute shock while looking at the confused crowd. "What is going on?"

A few people around her quickly stay the same, as all their portable electronics were short circuited and unusable.

Shirley tucked the useless device into her purse, and sighed deeply. "Why do I always have bad luck?" She lowered her head, and walked quietly down the street. A surge of bluish energy shot through the area, causing Shirley and those around her to pause in place. A red sigil flashed around her eyes, and flickered releasing several memories that were once sealed away. Her hand let go of the umbrella, and quickly the droplets of rain started to soak into her clothes.

In the apartment above, Jeremiah moved his hand to the golden eye-piece on his left side, and with a small click pulled it off his face. There was a minor amount of scarring, but his robotic eye let out a small series of flashes while he blinked. "I don't need the amplifier anymore…it seems that someone had put some plan into motion."

"This is the Governor General's office; Knight of Seven Kururugi Suzaku is taking command of the forces in Sector six that has just lost power. The criminal Feite Avalon is rumored to be the person responsible for this attack. All forces are to be on guard, for anything that is to…"

Jeremiah turned off the radio and crossed his arms over his chest while chuckling loudly. "That foolish eleven, despite what he has pulled himself up to…" Jeremiah flicked his arm forward and from a concealed location on his right arm, a blade shot out. He stared at it for a moment, and grinned to himself. "He'll never be able to capture, or even touch that woman unless he casts away his humanity to do so." The blade retracted back into its concealed location before walking towards the front door to exit.

Shirley sat in the streets with her hand resting on her forehead. She was confused, as the memories were more vivid, and for the first time the gap that was in her heart seemed to be full. Her feelings for Lelouch, the rebellion started by his alter ego Zero all were clear, and felt as if they had happened hours ago. There was a mixture of anger in her eyes, while at the end there was some hint of relief. 'Lulu, despite it being you that was responsible for killing my father, you still cared so much about me…you protected me, and used that power to make me able to live…' She looked up at the dark sky above, and paused momentarily.

"Hurry up, we can't allow ourselves to get caught."

The voice caused Shirley to turn over with her eyes wide. The rain was thick, but she paused at the sight of the pair moving through the park. "It can't be…"

Feite ran into the back of Rai, and quickly glared over at him with a scowl on her face. "Why did you stop?" She paused for a second, and turned over to spot the eyes of one of her closest friends Shirley Fenette looking back at her. "Shirley…"