Chapter 24
The smell of salty air filled CC's nostrils as she was led down a set of stairs. Unable to see past her closed eyelids, the girl was putting all her faith in the raven-haired teen to guide her to wherever he was taking her. Taking one last step, she felt the ground change from the hardened stone to much softer sand. Although she obviously did not know exactly where he had taken her for her 'birthday', CC could tell that they were quite near the ocean.
A birthday, after all these centuries, the emerald haired girl mused silently. Can I really be allowed this after so long?
"Yes, if anybody is allowed such a thing, it would be you CC," Lelouch answered, startling her a bit. "And to answer your next question, you did ask that out loud."
"You have a nasty habit of hearing things you shouldn't Lelouch," his accomplice said with coy smile. "Have you ever heard of privacy?"
The teen let out a chuckle. "It's only private if you don't say something aloud. I can't be blamed for overhearing you. Anyway, you can open your eyes now, we're here."
Doing as she was told, CC opened her eyes slowly to reveal a small covered area located beneath a cliff and only a short stroll from the shoreline. Beyond that, and stretching as far as the eye could see, were the shimmering blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. The scene reminded her briefly of first awakening on Kamine Island, except this time it was not a bodiless and omnipotent being who had brought her here but rather the teen that currently held her hand.
Turning to look Lelouch straight in the eye, CC started to open her mouth to say something when another voice shouted from somewhere off to her left.
"Took you guys long enough! We've been waiting forever to get this party started," Milly complained as she ran over. "I guess that's what I get for sending Lelouch instead of Kallen or Shirley."
"For your information, we are late because the train was delayed on account of some 'restlessness' in one of the neighboring ghettos," Lelouch said evenly. "I can't really blame the Japanese though, not after that fiasco with the Special Zone and General Darlton."
The blonde council president threw an arm over each of her friends' shoulders. "Enough of that gloomy war talk Lelouch, everyone else is waiting for the guest of honor to show up. Why don't you go find the guys and get into your swimsuit while I take the birthday girl and do the same? I picked out something that should really look great on you, Cera."
The immortal gave her partner a hard look. "You never told me anything about getting in a swimsuit Lelouch. Especially not one that Milly, of all people, chose for me."
"Telling you would have ruined the surprise. I don't really see the harm in it," Lelouch said with a shrug, "one swimsuit is the same as another, right? Besides, I seem to recall you only owning a school's suit. Do you really want to wear that to the beach?"
CC didn't say anything for a moment as she searched both Lelouch and Milly's expressions for any signs of deceit or ill intent. Seeing none, the green haired immortal sighed and finally gave a nod of approval.
"Fine, I'll go along with your plans," she said before quickly adding, "As long as you keep your hands and eyes to yourself Milly."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you are talking about," Milly said with a wide grin before grabbing CC's wrist and dragging her off in the direction of the women's restroom.
Lelouch, having no intention of actually swimming due to his sister's own inability to do so, simply walked over to a cluster of umbrellas and towels laid out for the party. As he got nearer, he saw that Rivalz was trying – and failing miserably – to inflate a small raft by blowing into it. Ignoring his friend's pleas for help, Lelouch pulled a small leather-bound novel from his bag and began reading it. He had barely gotten through the first chapter when a pair of hands rudely tore the book from his hands.
Glaring up to see who the offender was, Lelouch wasn't overly surprised to see the innocently smiling face of Suzaku. "Why aren't you in your swim shorts Lelouch? It's not fun if you are the only one sitting on the sidelines reading some book while everyone else is in the water."
Lelouch didn't respond and instead tried to retrieve his book, without much success. Sighing after several more equally unsuccessful attempts, Lelouch gave up on his efforts and decided to answer his friend's question.
"Somebody has to keep Nunally company since she can't swim. Besides, we both know that this isn't exactly my idea of fun."
Suzaku titled his head in confusion. "But isn't that why Sayoko is here? To make sure that she has somebody to talk to?"
The knight's only answer was a blank stare from his raven-haired friend. Silently deciding that there was no sense arguing with the big brother side of the teen's personality, Suzaku switched tactics.
"What about Cera?"
"What about her?" Lelouch shot back as he once again reached for his captured novel.
"Don't you think that she would prefer to have her boyfriend swimming with her, rather than sitting on a beach with his little sister?" the brown haired teen replied as he once again moved the book out of Lelouch's reach.
"Just whose book do you think that is that you are holding?" Lelouch questioned, pointing at the spine's golden lettering. "A Complete History of Pizza isn't exactly something that is on my list of things to read. She had the idea of stopping by a bookstore on the way and getting it; on the off chance she ate all the pizza and got bored. That's the real reason we were late."
"Then why are were you reading this if it's not something you are interested in?"
"Because I figured that since she used my money to buy the thing, that I had every right to do so."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Suzaku said quietly. "In a sad sort of way."
Lelouch overheard this and fixed his friend with a glare. "What was that, Sir Knight?"
"Nothing at all!" the Japanese youth said quickly before suddenly pointing to something behind Lelouch. "Oh! Looks like the girls are all done."
Silently thanking his luck – and forgetting what he held in his right hand – Suzaku jogged over towards the approaching women, followed shortly by Lelouch and a winded Rivalz. The three males stopped short, however, upon taking notice of the girls' choice of swimwear. Milly, with her usual carefree attitude, had chosen to wear a rather revealing – much to the delight of a leering Rivalz – yellow bikini that left little to the imagination. To her right, a blushing Kallen tried rather unsuccessfully the fact that she was clad in a two piece that looked as if it night have been a size smaller than needed. To her right, Shirley wore a light blue bikini top and a pair of denim shorts, both of which she seemed to be trying to use to gain the attention of Lelouch. And finally, shielding herself behind Milly, stood Nina. The shy, bookish girl seemed none too pleased about her surroundings or her present attire of a dark green one piece swimsuit.
"Wow Prez, you look great!" Rivalz declared cheerfully.
Giggling at the obviousness of the blue haired teen's actions, Milly just waved off the compliment. "I don't look nearly as great as these three though. Although I think poor Kallen's might have shrunk a little."
"Oh boy, did it ever," Rivalz muttered joyously as he snuck a glance at the embarrassed redhead.
"By the way, Shirley spent a lot of time picking that out, just for you Lelouch," Milly said with a devious grin as she threw her arm around said girl's shoulder.
"I- I have no idea what you're talking about!" Shirley defended vehemently, although her flushed cheeks did little in convincing anybody. "I just bought this and thought I should try it on…"
"Riiight," both Rivalz and Milly hummed simultaneously.
Taking note of the lack of four particular people, Lelouch interrupted the banter. "I only see four of you, where are my sisters and Cera at? Nunally didn't hurt herself or anything, right? Those bathrooms can be so dangerous and are breeding grounds for all sorts of–"
Everyone sighed and rolled their eyes at how paranoid the young man could get when it involved his youngest sister and her well being. As Lelouch continued to list off the various and increasingly more unlikely reasons for the remaining girls' absence, Milly gave Suzaku a brief nod. Returning one of his own, the Japanese teen covertly moved one hand behind his long time friend's head and gave him a solid smack. Rubbing where the hand made contact, Lelouch spun and fixed his friend with a forceful glare.
"Care to explain why you just did that?"
"Milly told me to do that whenever you started to act like a crazy person with a sister complex. Her words, not mine."
"Figures it was her idea… And I do not have a sister complex!"
"Really? Then explain to me what you call a boy who obsesses over his little sister day and night," an all-too-familiar voice demanded from behind that sent a chill down Lelouch's spine.
"A good sibling," Lelouch said evenly as he slowly turned to face CC, Nunally, Euphemia, and Sayoko. "Although I doubt that you would…"
Lelouch's retort trailed off as he was face to face with his sister and the immortal woman and saw what both were wearing. He allowed a brilliant smile at seeing that Nunally wore the violet one-piece with a skirt and golden trimming that he had given her for her birthday last year.
"Wow Nunally, you look perfect in that," he said truthfully, earning an adorable giggle and smile from the girl.
"You're the one who picked this out for me, silly," Nunally replied cheerfully.
"I know, but that swimsuit looks like it was made for you," he said while recalling the strange looks he had gotten from the tailor that had, in fact, made it specifically for her.
"How about CC? Sayoko said she looked really pretty but what do you think?"
Realizing that he had yet to even take notice of the immortal due to his swooning over Nunally, Lelouch shifted his gaze over to her. Almost immediately he could tell that Nunally and Sayoko had been right about the immortal. Trying to keep his appraising to a minimum, Lelouch could only think of one word that did any justice in describing CC in the stark black one-piece that clung to her body like a second skin and revealed a portion of her midriff.
Beautiful…
Despite his efforts to avoid detection, CC immediately took notice and felt her face heat up and her heart skip a beat for reasons unbeknownst to her. Unlike her male counterpart, however, she was able to conceal this much more easily thanks to centuries of practice. After giving herself a moment to recover from her unexpected reaction, CC allowed herself one of her trademark smirks.
"Is something the matter Lelouch? You seem to have lost your train of though," she said slyly. "Could it be that you are distracted by something you see?"
Mentally cursing himself for being so easily found out, Lelouch decided to take the unexpected route and go on the offensive for once.
"Indeed I am, Cera," he said with as low voice as he took several steps towards a surprised CC. "How could I not be speechless at seeing my girlfriend in something that makes her look so wonderful?"
The teen was rewarded beyond expectations when not only CC, but also everybody present, let out a collective gasp of shock at his completely unexpected 'confession'. It was all he could do to not give in the urge to laugh at how totally stunned he had made the usually unflappable emerald haired girl so instead he settled for a barely concealed grin. Seeing that this might be his only chance to push this rare victory, Lelouch took CC by the hand and pulled her into an embrace and moved his lips to her ear.
"Looks like I win this one, witch," he whispered amusedly, taking great pleasure in seeing how she jolted slightly at their sudden closeness.
Turning her head to face the boy who dared tease her, CC smiled a sweet but equally intimidating smile. "I'll make sure you pay dearly for this one, you demon."
"I'm sure you will, but this was worth it."
Before CC could make any witty remarks, Milly – who had broken out of her stupor first – practically squealed in delight, causing everyone to jump slightly. "I just knew that swimsuit would work! I had no idea that you had it in you Lelouch!"
"Neither did I," both Kallen and Shirley muttered disappointedly.
"Lelouch is like this all the time with her," Nunally said happily. "Most of the time they don't even know I'm listening in; they just seem to go off in their own world sometimes."
Euphemia – dressed in a white bikini – nodded in agreement. "Nuna's right, they really are comfortable with each other when they don't think somebody is paying attention."
"You aren't one to talk, Elizabeth," Lelouch pointed out. "Both you and Suzaku looked like you were about to start something a few nights ago on my couch."
Nodding in agreement, CC gladly picked up where he left off to put what just happened into the back of her mind. "It's a good thing that Lelouch spoke up when he did that night or we might have had to burn the couch."
Both of the accused flushed almost immediately upon understanding what exactly was being suggested. Lelouch worriedly looked over at his wheelchair-bound sister to make sure she hadn't also gotten the implications of what was said; she had not. Before she could, the violet-eyed teen decided that it was best to move the topic away from such things.
"What's done is done," he said while turning to face Milly. "How about we get on with whatever you had planned for the party?"
The blonde, seeing right through his real motivations, nodded in agreement. "Good idea, my loyal vice-president. Rivalz, did you blow up that beach ball like I asked you to?"
The blue haired boy nodded and proudly produced a large, colorful ball. "You bet I did. Can't have a beach party without some beach volleyball, right?"
Milly slapped her friend on the back. "That's the spirit! Alright, so the teams are going to be Lelouch, Cera, Elizabeth, and Suzaku versus myself, Rivalz, Kallen, and Shirley. Nunally, do you and Sayoko want to help keep score?"
The small brunette nodded happily while her maid gave a simple bow.
"Ok, then let's–"
Kallen raised her hand meekly. "Um Milly, is it alright if I sit this out? I don't think it would be a good idea considering my health."
"I guess that would be ok, but who would take your place?"
"I'll just sit this out instead," a grateful looking Lelouch said quickly.
"Not happening," everyone said at once.
"I know, Sayoko can," Nunally offered helpfully while giggling at her brother's sigh of dismay. "Do you mind doing that?"
"Of course not, Lady Nunally," the woman replied kindly before looking down at her usual uniform. "Although I think I will have to change before doing that. Would everybody mind waiting a few minutes before starting?"
Lelouch waved her off. "That is fine Sayoko, you don't have to ask me for permission. Today, just consider it a day off."
"Thank you Master Lelouch, I will do that," the woman said respectfully with another bow.
With that, the maid took off at a quick jog towards the changing rooms with a bag under one arm. Everyone sat back in expectation of her taking a while but had barely gotten comfortable when Sayoko returned – barely five minutes since her departure – wearing a plain brown one-piece swimsuit and a straw brimmed sun hat.
"I apologize for taking so long everybody, I admit that I had some trouble putting my swimwear on," she explained with an uncustomary embarrassment with yet another bow. "It's been quite some time since I've actually had a day off and been to the beach."
Kallen gave Lelouch a subtle glare as she misinterpreted the Japanese maid's statement.
"It had nothing to do with me," the teen said quickly. "I believe she just meant that she rarely takes breaks, despite me telling her to."
Sayoko nodded. "Master Lelouch is correct, I do have a debt to his family after all."
"For the last time Sayoko, we consider you family so you don't owe me anything. Just relax for once and let's get this game over with."
Everyone nodded in agreement and quickly took to their team's respective sides. As soon as Nunally called start, Milly let loose with a vicious spike that sent Lelouch scrambling out of the way to avoid being hit. Grinning at how well her plan worked, Milly's team proceeded to continue aiming all of their serves at the area covered by the non-athletic teen, scoring several more points before Suzaku finally managed to shove his friend out of the way and send the ball flying over the net and into the sand of the opposing side. Deciding to switch tactics, Euphemia smartly placed Lelouch in the back where he might have a chance of stopping something – assuming he didn't dodge those as well, CC mused silently.
With CC serving balls and Suzaku acting as the main line of defense, their team managed to quickly pick up the lost ground, thanks to the sorely lacking skills of both Shirley and Rivalz, who was more focused on watching his teammates jumping to block rather than actually playing. Soon enough the scores were pretty much even, with Milly's team essentially being made up of herself and Sayoko who, to everyone's surprise, was able to match Suzaku almost point for point and block for block. Lelouch's team, on the other hand was suffering just as badly in the realm of actual useable players. Both of the former royal siblings proved to be next-to-useless when it came to actual playing ability and instead mostly opted for helping direct the actions of both CC and Suzaku.
Coming down the final point, both physically exhausted teams were having difficulty finishing their opponent off as the ball merely bounced back and forth over the net. After nearly five minutes of fruitless playing, Lelouch surprised everybody by suddenly moving behind CC and hitting the ball that was meant to go over her head with all his might, sending it over the net and into the sandy field beyond, barely a foot from the net. The teen's actions however, served for him to lose balance and fall on top of a stunned – somewhat irritated – CC.
As the dust cleared and everyone crowded around the awkwardly positioned pair, Suzaku let out a chuckle upon seeing how Lelouch had landed on the green haired immortal. The 'couple' had landed with CC sprawled out on her back with the raven-haired teen on top of her, his face on her stomach and both covered in a fine layer of sand. Lelouch groaned and rubbed his forehead as he slowly pushed himself off from whatever it was he landed on only to break out in a choking fit to see who it was. CC, fighting off a confusing mixture of irritation and outright embarrassment, scowled at the boy with a reddened face.
"It looks like we aren't the only ones who can't keep to themselves," Suzaku told Euphemia with a grin.
"I guess not," she replied with a giggle.
Nunally tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
"Nothing Lady Nunally, Lelouch just fell down after scoring the winning point," Sayoko said as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Oh, ok. You should be more careful Lelouch, you might get hurt."
"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," he said as he got up and brushed himself off before helping the fallen woman below him. "Sorry Cera, I didn't mean for that to happen."
"What, the fact that you somehow managed to score the final point in an actual sport or the fact that you fell on me because of it?"
"You know what I meant."
"Of course I did, but it's more entertaining to hear it from you."
"Is it really?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it is."
"This is what I meant when I said they go into their own world," Euphemia interrupted with a giggle.
Milly nodded. "Oh well, at least he's finally acting like a normal guy. I was getting worried about him for a while, turning down that army of fangirls that are always asking him out."
"I'd like to see you deal with one hundred raving girls who stalk me on a regular basis and not have to hide," Lelouch retorted.
"You're just looking a gift horse in the mouth," Rivalz said jealously. "If I were you, want to know what I would do?"
"Not really," everybody answered simultaneously.
The blue haired teen dejectedly lowered his head. "Nobody ever wants to…"
Shirley placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's because we already have a pretty good idea of what you were going to say. Don't think your staring went unnoticed, we caught you peeking at us during the game."
"Yeah, that was a little creepy and probably why you lost a game of beach volleyball to Lelouch of all people," Kallen chimed in with crossed arms.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" the offended males demanded at nearly the same time.
"Well," CC began monotonously, "she means that you are a pervert, Rivalz. And she was telling you, Lelouch, that you have the physical prowess of a child and that nobody should be able to lose to you in a sport."
"Since when is appreciating the female form being a pervert?!"
"And who needs to be an athletic nut like Suzaku?"
"It became being perverted when you started doing it," Shirley said, earning a nod from Kallen.
Rivalz opened his mouth to respond. "But–"
"And you don't have to be as gifted as our dear knight," CC interrupted, "but you should be able to at least run more than five minutes without nearly passing out."
"Face it guys, you're outnumbered. Might as well quit arguing so we can get on with the fun!" Milly exclaimed excitedly.
Lelouch and Rivalz grumbled in frustration but eventually nodded their assent. With those matters settled and the girls reigning victorious for now, the group moved on to the next phase of Milly's plan for the party: taking a swim in the ocean. Rivalz quickly started wrestling the raft into the water with the help of Suzaku and Euphie, although the later wasn't of much help and was eventually just asked to carry the oars instead. Milly and Shirley had already dragged a reluctant Kallen into the ocean and were in the process of trying to get her to become involved in their water fight.
Deciding he wanted no part in the insanity that was to follow – and because he was still wearing a pair of normal shorts and shirt – Lelouch settled for sitting beside his sister on a towel and giving her a description of what was happening. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Sayoko had also decided to make her way towards the beginnings of a water war; after making sure that her young charges had everything they needed of course. He made a mental note to do more things like this after he finished his revolution, as a way of thanking the loyal maid for all her service over the years, both in his household and – as of recently – his growing Black Knights' covert operations.
Suddenly he felt the towel shift slightly as another person joined him. Already knowing who it was from sound alone, Lelouch didn't even bother to turn when he addressed them.
"Are you enjoying the party so far, CC?"
The immortal let out something resembling a giggle, much to the puzzlement of Lelouch. "For the first time that I can remember, I am. I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical of the idea at first but I'm actually glad I decided to do this."
"That's a relief," Lelouch said with a chuckle. "We all spent a lot of time planning this after all. Even Nunally lent a hand with coming up with a location to do this."
The young brunette nodded excitedly. "I was just thinking that you are always stuck inside, that you might like to be somewhere outside that was really pretty."
"Your idea was very nice, thank you Nunally," CC said kindly. "And you too Lelouch."
"You don't have to thank us CC, we're a family after all," Nunally said with a smile.
Lelouch nodded as he looked CC right in the eye. "She's right about that, you know. I don't really know how things would have been if we hadn't met; I would probably have been stuck living that same stagnant life."
The siblings' words, combined with the fact that they saw her as family, very nearly brought a tear to CC's eyes. As it was, the emerald haired woman couldn't manage to maintain eye contact with him and looked downward as she struggled to find the right words. The idea of her having a family was one she had not dared entertain in centuries and even now she was still having trouble believing it was possible. After all, she was still unable to age or die and was unsure whether she could deal with losing her first real 'family' to the flow of time.
Lelouch noticed her hesitation and quickly divined the reason for it. Without a second thought he took one of CC's small hands in both of his own, which made her look back up at his serious face.
"Cera, I know what you are thinking and you need to remember my promise. I told you that I was going to make sure you weren't going to have to suffer alone any more and I meant it. A very wise person once taught me this and now I'm going to say it to you; don't worry about what may happen tomorrow, just think about today."
"They must have been an extremely wise person indeed if they managed to teach you something," CC said with a small smile as she wiped away the lone tear that had finally managed to make its way down her cheek.
"She is probably the wisest I have ever known," Lelouch replied with a chuckle. "Has that set any doubts at ease?"
His golden-eyed accomplice nodded.
"Good," he said simply. "Then I guess now is as fine a time as any to give you your present from Nunally and I."
"You didn't have to after doing this for me," CC said earnestly. "This party is more than enough."
"Don't be silly, close your eyes CC," the younger girl said excitedly. "You don't want to ruin the surprise, right?"
The immortal woman reluctantly closed her eyes and waited for whatever it was that the Lamperouge siblings had up their sleeves. Once he was sure that she wasn't peeking, Lelouch slid a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Opening the lid, he removed the contents of the box: a simple golden necklace with a lone amethyst set in the chain. Lelouch moved as quietly as he could behind the immortal and paused as he stared at her back before nervously reaching around and pulling the open necklace around her neck.
CC gave a small, involuntary shudder when she felt his cold hands brush the nape of her neck and heard a little click. She fought off the urge to open her eyes when she felt the teen shift behind her and instead opted to wait until either of them gave her permission to do so. The seconds turned to minutes and still neither Lelouch nor Nunally said a word. Growing impatient, CC was on the verge of saying something when she felt something entirely unexpected; a small pair of arms wrapped around her waist and peck on the cheek.
"You can open your eyes now," Nunally said with one of her infectious giggles, much closer than she was before.
Finally opening her eyes, CC was more than a little surprised to see the young girl had been taken out of her wheelchair and was now in the process of giving the emerald haired woman a hug. Without a second thought she wrapped her own arms around the brunette and brought the still-giggling girl closer into an embrace. Looking down at her chest to see what it was that lay there, CC took a deep breath as she examined the present. The hue of the simply cut stone immediately reminded her of the teen's eyes that even now were observing her face for a reaction.
"Thank you again, both of you."
"So I take it that you are happy with your gifts?" Lelouch asked with relief seeping through his tone.
"I already said it before, I was just happy to know you two cared enough to do this for me. But to answer your question, yes, I absolutely love them."
"That's good to hear, because you should keep that in mind when it's my birthday," Lelouch said playfully.
"Sorry, but I was under the impression that it was a man's job to get the girl spectacular gifts," CC retorted.
Nunally smiled at the usual banter. "She does have a point Lelouch. You always tell me whenever I try to get you something that just being able to spend time with me is enough."
All three laughed at her use of Lelouch's own words against him to ensure CC's victory in the verbal battle. It wasn't until a couple minutes later that they had stopped enough to resume a normal conversation but even then they just sat in the comfortable silence and observed as their friends played in the water. It continued like that was for almost an hour, with either CC or Lelouch answering one of Nunally's questions or the younger girl entertaining them with stories that Sayoko had shared with her about Japan's history.
As the sun began fading in the sky, their friends slowly started wandering over, looking tired and most of them soaked from head to toe. The only real exceptions to this were Euphemia and Nina, both of whom had apparently been content to relax in the raft talking while Suzaku raced both Sayoko and Rivalz – the older woman winning by a fair margin even while pulling the raft of girls behind her. Both Shirley and Kallen, arms crossed over their chests, refused to say why but they kept a noticeable distance from the energetic student council president; CC had a pretty good idea why.
"Ooh, nice necklace there!" Milly crowed. "A gift from Lelouch?"
CC nodded.
"Very nice choice, my stoic vice pres. Who did you ask for advice?"
"Lulu wouldn't need to ask anybody, I bet he found it all on his own," Shirley defended, although she lacked her usual enthusiasm as she stared at the gleaming gem in jealousy.
"Actually, he did come to me for ideas at first," Euphemia said before covering her mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry Lelouch, I didn't mean to say that…"
"Don't worry about it dear," Suzaku said lovingly, "it doesn't look like he took your advice of a starlit picnic or chocolates anyway. Although I have to say, he did do a pretty good job picking that out."
"Alright, alright I get it," Lelouch grumbled. "None of you besides Shirley think I'm capable of picking out gifts for females."
"I don't think that any more," CC reassured him as she absentmindedly fumbled with her necklace. "This was the best birthday I've ever had, thank you everyone."
The student council members all shook their heads.
"That's what friends are for," Kallen said warmly.
"You would probably do the same thing," Rivalz said before adding with a grin, "if it meant extra pizza."
Milly smacked the prankster in the back of the head. "He's kidding, of course."
"No I'm –"
Another smack – more powerful than the previous – impacted the back of his head, this time courtesy of Shirley.
"Ow!" the boy cried out. "Right… I was just kidding…"
Nunally suddenly let out a tired yawn, immediately drawing the attention of Lelouch.
"I guess it's about time to head home," he said as he also took notice of the tired expressions of most of his friends.
"Yeah, I guess it is. Too bad we couldn't have all that pizza on the beach like we planned though," Milly said disappointedly.
At the mention of her precious meal, CC shifted noticeably and stared intently at the blonde.
"There was supposed to be pizza and nobody told me?"
"Don't worry," Lelouch laughed as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We can have as much as you like when we return to Ashford. I just think that Nunally had too much excitement for one day and needs to rest."
The emerald haired immortal nodded in agreement. "Fair enough, she does seem close to falling asleep," she said while motioning to the girl who leaned on her for support. "We do have a lot of work coming up at any rate that we need to prepare for."
Milly raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What sort of work? The school just got over exams and all of the teachers are still too busy with grades to assign anything."
"Oh, um… Lelouch, Cera, and I have been working on a little side project for a while," Kallen replied meekly.
"Booooring!" Rivalz declared, all potential interest lost as soon as the word 'project' found his ears.
Nina, on the other hand was rather intrigued. "Maybe I can help, I still owe Lelouch for helping me with fixing a problem with the Ganymede's navigation systems."
"I'm sorry Nina," Lelouch said softly, "but it's a rather personal project and we have all the help we need. I appreciate the offer and will definitely make sure to come to you if we need your expertise."
Nina looked dejectedly at the ground but didn't bother saying anything. The party soon broke up as everyone began packing and changing back into their street clothes. After saying their goodbyes and deciding to take the day off tomorrow from council duties, Lelouch led his group consisting of Nunally, CC, Euphemia, and Sayoko towards the train station for the long ride back to Ashford.
"Hey, Lelouch?"
"What is it CC?" the teen replied groggily. "Don't you see it's two in the morning? We need as much sleep as possible for tomorrow's invasion."
CC said nothing for a moment, causing the raven-haired teen to sigh in frustration before sitting up from his couch. Yawning tiredly, he slowly rose from his makeshift bed and shuffled over towards what had, once upon a time, been his own bed. Sitting down on the edge opposite of where CC lay, he waited until the woman said something; he didn't have to wait long and what he heard broke through the layer of sleep that threatened to reclaim him at any moment.
"What will we do about Nunally?" she asked quietly.
"What do you mean? We are going to concentrate the largest portion of our elite forces here and use Ashford as the command center," Lelouch reminded her. "There is going to be a ring of steel around this place so tight that nobody will be able to get to her. The school will be the safest place in the entire Tokyo settlement."
"That's what I was talking about. Do you really think that it's wise to allow her – or even Euphemia – to stay and witness what is to happen tomorrow? I would feel better, as I'm sure you would, if we moved them out of the city until everything is resolved."
The teen pondered this option for a moment. "What do you propose?" he asked finally.
"Send them into the Narita Mountains under the guise of a vacation," she explained. "That way they are far out of harm's reach and won't have to listen to a battle we both know they wouldn't approve of. Sayoko should be more than enough protection but if it makes you feel better, you could always Geass a few Britannian officers into providing an extra line of defense."
Again, Lelouch took a moment to think this over. He had already considered the idea of hiding them far away from the battle but had in the end figured she would be safest wherever Zero was, under the protection of the Black Knights. Now, however, he was having second thoughts now that there was only one full day until the full-scale invasion of the city. His partner's idea seemed sound enough and certainly had its own merits, but the big brother inside of him struggled with the idea of allowing his sisters out of his sights for even a minute. CC was beginning to doubt her plan to convince the teen would work when he at last broke the silence.
"I'll do it. But we will have to move fast if we are to keep their departure unnoticed and to have everything set up in time. Do you have any idea for a specific location for them to hide out?"
"Perhaps the hunting lodge used by the JLF as a decoy?" CC suggested. "As I recall, that should have survived both the Britannians and the landslide. Not to mention nobody will be looking there, since the former tenants aren't around any more and the military will have their hands full soon enough."
"Seems sound enough and it would be relatively easy enough to hide a small defensive force in the surrounding woods. Thank you for this CC, I was having my doubts about whether the original plan was enough to keep them safe."
The immortal shook her head. "No thanks necessary. You said it yourself, we're a family so naturally I was just as worried about their well-being."
"Regardless," Lelouch insisted quietly, "you are always lending your opinion and helping me with every plan, every step. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate everything."
CC chuckled, much to the puzzlement of Lelouch. "What happened to the boy in that cave who never thanked anybody?"
"A devious witch entered his life, turned it upside down, and cast a very powerful spell on him," the violet-eyed teen replied between bouts of laughter. "I could also ask the same of you though.
CC shrugged. "I met a hard-headed warlock who made a special promise and a kind princess who accepted me without a second thought."
"We certainly have gone through a lot, haven't we?" Lelouch mused to nobody in particular. "It's amazing that we haven't been found out, captured, or outright killed at least a dozen times by now."
CC nodded at the boy's statement, she had often thought the same thing in her 'past' life. Despite those close calls though, she knew that if it had been anybody else but the boy who sat beside her, that neither of them would be here in this room right now. That was the reason she had fallen for him, after all; the teen had a way of turning the impossible into a reality through nothing more than perseverance and sheer willpower alone. Chuckling to herself, the immortal began comparing some of the other men she had met throughout history that might have matched up to Lelouch. Napoleon Bonaparte came to mind but she quickly discredited him as he had all the advantages Lelouch had yet still eventually lost due to overconfidence. The Russian Czars also made it onto her list of candidates, but once again were soon discarded as they had also eventually lost their empires to the very people they had ruled over so ruthlessly. Finally, she came to the only other candidate that could possibly match up to him in terms of ability and, in this case, personality: the revolutionary George Washington.
Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly though as Lelouch gently poked her in the shoulder. "What is so amusing this time, you conniving witch?"
"I was just comparing you to Washington when I helped him with his little uprising as well."
He raised an eyebrow. "Why does it not surprise me that you, of all people, had a hand in that?"
"Because you know how much I love freeing the oppressed," CC said with a grin. "Besides, it was getting annoying having all of those redcoats constantly barging in like they owned the place."
"Something tells me the second reason was the bigger factor," Lelouch said with a laugh.
"You know me so well."
"More than you know, my dear witch. So what was this about you comparing him and I? I would have figured you might have said somebody like Bonaparte, to be honest."
The emerald haired immortal laughed at this, for reasons unknown to the teen. Once she had had her fun, CC began listing off her reasons for the comparison, each one bringing a slightly larger grin from the teen:
Both were obviously brilliant strategists, far ahead of their times in terms of how they fought.
Neither started with anything more significant than emboldened locals who had a desire to fight for their home but little training to do so.
Both held a strong sense of duty and honor, which reflected in the way they engaged the enemy and how they conducted themselves around their troops.
Lelouch nodded thoughtfully before letting out a yawn. "As interesting as that was, we should probably get to bed now. Good night, CC."
Not waiting for a reply, the raven-haired teen started to get up and move for his bed when he felt a small, yet equally strong hand grasp his own. Turning back to see what the woman wanted now, Lelouch opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out when he saw her expression. Locking her golden irises with his violet ones, CC gave him a small grin.
"As I recall, I never got my birthday wish," she said deviously.
"Your birthday technically ended a little over two hours ago," Lelouch reminded her as he tried unsuccessfully to retrieve his hand. "Fine… what is it?"
"For both of us to get a good night sleep," she said before pulling the startled teen onto the bed beside her with a hidden strength he had not known she possessed. "There, now you can sleep in your own bed and I won't get cold."
The teen wasn't so easily convinced and tried to once again get up and make for the safety of his own bed; he didn't completely trust her motives and was going to be damned if he would fall victim to the revenge she had promised on the beach. CC sensed this almost immediately and moved quickly to sit on the boy's chest.
Looking down at the scarlet flushed boy below her, CC smirked. "I'm not going to do anything to you in your sleep, if that's what you think. Just relax and accept my gesture for what it is."
"And that would be what, exactly?" Lelouch questioned suspiciously.
"A way of saying thank you for this," she said sincerely, pointing to the necklace that still dangled from her graceful neck.
To say Lelouch was taken aback slightly would have been an understatement. While she had become increasingly agreeable as of late, CC had never been this sentimental or open in the time he had known her. He had so gotten used to the idea that everything she said and did was a game or had some hidden meaning that only she knew, that this concept puzzled him. For all he knew, even this could be an act to lure him into a false sense of –
No, he thought determinedly, she's actually being genuine right now. No games, no hidden meanings. She really does treasure that necklace and wants to show her gratitude…
"Alright, you win CC," he said finally. "I'll accept your offer and grant your birthday wish."
"Good boy," she cooed before sliding off him and returning to her side of the bed. "Sleep well, Lelouch."
"You too, Cera."
As they both began drifting off to sleep, CC suddenly came up with one more thing shared by both her partner and that legendary general of so long ago.
You both managed to come out victorious and change the world.
Lelouch looked one last time at two photographs taped to the cockpit window of the Gawain. In the first, the older of the two, were four children of various ages smiling in front of a pond, a large villa looming in the background. The only boy in the picture was soaked from head to toe while the three girls – one with violet hair, another with pink, and the last with brown – giggled and pointed at him. It was one of the few mementos of his past life as a prince of Britannia and he had saved it to remember the last happy day he had shared in the mainland.
The picture had been taken by a servant girl, which he and Nunally – along with their half sisters Cornelia and Euphemia – had been playing with. That was the day when the young crown prince Lelouch vi Britannia had tried to toss a squealing Euphemia into the nearby pond. The plan had backfired when Cornelia heard her sister cry for help and ran over, only to misjudge her speed and instead tackle him into the pond. He had naturally been upset for a while but eventually the melodious sounds of the four girls' laughter forced him to join in. The servant girl, whose name still escaped him to this day, suggested they take a picture of the event so that they could always look back on it fondly. Later that day, the Empress found one and stared sternly for a few moments at the scared children before breaking out in laughter as well.
And then, that very same night, everything had collapsed. The night where his mother had been assassinated and his beloved sister crippled and blinded by the trauma of witnessing such an event. The next day was when he confronted his father and lost everything; his dear half-sisters, his home, his entire life. Shaking his head sadly, Lelouch glanced at the second picture.
In it was a depiction of the beach party, just after Lelouch had managed to score the final point in the volleyball game. To get everyone in the frame, they had set it on a rock and turned on the timer. After several disastrous attempts in which the camera went off too early, they had managed to get one that worked. Lelouch laughed as he recalled that both he and CC had refused to look at each other after the embarrassing fall. To either side of the pair were there friends and family, laughing and smiling from the excitement of the game. It was, he reflected, one of the most fun days he had in a while. His reverie was interrupted though when the cockpit slid open and he had to quickly reach for his mask.
He stopped, however, when he saw it was CC dressed fully in her Infinity costume. "It's time then?" he asked quietly.
"Yes, everything is prepared and the hangar is about to open," the immortal replied with a small nod. "Just looking at some pictures?"
"Yes, I was just remembering two of the best days of my life and thinking about how we won't be having too many of those before this is over."
CC placed a hand on his knee in comfort as the hatch sealed itself. "But we will have them again, Lelouch. Just hold that in your mind and we will get through this fight."
"Together," he reminded her.
"Exactly."
The pair looked at each other for a moment in silence before CC removed her helmet and shook her hair loose. Lelouch took the signal and began powering on all of their knightmare's systems with the practiced experience of a veteran. CC took her seat in the pilot's seat before once again turning to him one last time.
"Are you ready to make history, my warlock?"
"Of course, my witch," he said with a smirk before switching on the combat radio. "All units, this is Zero. All these months of preparation and struggle has led us to this one defining moment. We are about to engage in the deciding battle that will determine whether or not all of our combined efforts and sacrifices have been worth it."
"Remember, the enemy we are about to fight are not some rag-tag group of soldiers on patrol," CC said with steel in her voice. "We will be fighting the entire might of the Britannian forces in Japan, led by some of the best forces in the entire military and Viceroy Cornelia herself. If you don't move swift and keep moving, you will be crushed."
"Stick to your assigned groups and continue onto the objectives. If you make contact with an entrenched enemy, call it in and wait for support from myself or somebody else. Do not risk your lives unnecessarily," Lelouch ordered calmly.
"You cannot be of use to us, or Japan if you are dead."
"Now Black Knights," the masked leaders said as one, "commence the operation! For your family! For your honor! For Japan!"
A chorus of frenzied cheers blared from the speakers as hundreds of emboldened Knights mobilized. Lelouch picked up the detonator with which he would change for lives of thousands.
"And pray that history will forgive us for what we must do," he whispered quietly as he pressed down on the activator.
The Gawain shook and lights flickered as the horrendous sound of steel grinding against itself grew to deafening proportions.
The fight for Tokyo settlement had begun.
Author's note: Holy crap, it's been way too long since I've posted anything for the story. And for that, I must both sincerely apologize to everyone who has been waiting so patiently and thank all of those who have joined me despite my apparent disappearance. I had every intention of updating sooner but life hit me pretty hard and I just had to deal with each new event as it came up. I am glad to announce that I am back though and have every intention of updating on a more regular schedule.
About the chapter, looking back on it now, I realize that I might have made people a little more OC than I intended. Please let me know if it was, or if I'm just being overly critical of myself. On another note, I had so much fun writing that beach scene and the bedroom scene but I want to know what you guys think. Please, please, please tell me how I did and whether I need to change anything or do more ones like that. Hopefully the little extra length and fluff made up for my absence somewhat. Stay tuned for the half-way mark on the story and the long waited (for me any way) 1st Battle of Tokyo and what is probably the biggest change to canon so far.
On a final, somewhat more interesting point, I am holding a little "contest" for all of my loyal CluClu fanatics. If anybody can guess where I got inspiration for Lelouch's plan to save Euphie in their review or a PM, then I will let whoever answers correctly first ask me ONE question about ANYTHING relating to the story. This can be a question regarding future plot ideas or clarification on something that has happened but I failed to explain. The chosen review must be something more in depth than a "good job" or "10/10", however, and should give me some sort of advice or criticism. For obvious reasons, I can't pick entries from guest account so make sure you are signed in when you post. I will be choosing the winner and messaging them one week from today so all other entries after that point will not be eligible to win. Oh, and please don't post your questions along with your answer; I'll get those from our lucky detective.
Good luck everyone with the "contest", I'll be looking forward to seeing who gets it right! As always, I hope you enjoyed this so let me know how I did. See you soon with the next installment of All For You!