Interlude 16: Differential properties
A beautiful sunny and cheery winter's day at Ashford Academy. Everyone's out and enjoying themselves in the fresh fallen snow.
I wish I could join in. But..I can't forget what I've seen.
It's strange, if someone had told me that the person who helped me come out of my shell, who showed me how to be more comfortable with myself, who helped me to realize that the Ele-..no, the Japanese aren't the monsters I was afraid all these years..that he was actually Zero, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven himself? I would never have believed it.
After no less a person than his own father, the Emperor of Britannia himself, proclaimed it so and called him a king in his own right? I don't know what to believe anymore.
He did...something to my friends. I don't know what that red light was. All I know is that ever since that day, they don't seem to remember anything about Lelouch, Nunnally, or what happened to them. Suzaku is gone, no one has seen him since the battle. And Kallen?
Something's going on with her, I just know it. She's acting...I don't know what the word is, fake? Plastic? Like she's made of brittle crystal barely holding together. All the evidence suggests that whatever the emperor did to Milly and Rivalz, he likely did it to her as well. He called it 'a false life and false existence', maybe it has something to do with memories?
Milly said to me a while ago that she thinks Kallen is being pressured by her mother, or worse. So she's not going to press her too hard. It sounds plausible, even logical.
Except for something troubling. Someone is having her watched.
I don't know who they are, but I've seen her being followed and watched by people when she isn't looking. I wouldn't even have noticed if I wasn't looking for it. Side glances at her, people having hushed conversations on devices, walking in the same direction and turning aside if she looks their way.
I just know something terrible is going on, and I felt utterly helpless, because I can't stop it. Missing my friends is bad, knowing that the ones here are beyond my ability to help is worse.
Sounds of raised voices emanate from the meeting room as I enter the club house, wiping off my snow boots on the welcome mat.
"-doesn't matter how I'm feeling. I want to know what's going on, and where he is."
..Kallen? It sounds like her, but...her voice, it's different somehow. She's never sounded this energetic, this passionate before.
"Kallen please, this isn't the time-"
A loud thump of someone hitting a surface, a table maybe, causes me to freeze in place as the argument continues.
"God damn you, you immortal bitch! Stop treating me like a glass netsuke and tell me where he is! After everything I went through, you have no right to keep me from asking him what's going on. Now tell me where Lelouch is!"
...Lelouch? She remembers him? Milly and Rivalz didn't when I mentioned the name to them previously. My ears perk up as I slowly get closer to the door, trying to hear more of the conversation.
"Woah woah! Ease up Kallen! We all want to know what's going on. But my buddy wouldn't leave us to dry like that. I'm sure that-"
He remembered him too?! What's going on?! Are they back to normal again?
"No! Fuck that! He's going to talk to me right the fuck now! I got two big messages for him, and somebody is going to tell me what the fuck they mean! NOW TELL ME WHERE THAT BISHONEN MOTHERFUCKER IS!"
...Oh my god. She had her memories altered too.
It's the only explanation that makes sense. Why else would she be acting so out of character? Wait, does that mean...her entire personality prior to this was an act? Was she even our friend to begin with?
"Tsundere-chan, listen to me, we don't have time for this. Iah'bahad and Snake have killed off the local agents around you and delayed the OSI from realizing we're here. But we cannot stay in this country. I have to get all of you out of here as soon as-"
OSI!? Killed off?! Oh god, oh god, oh god. This is a black knight operation! The organization isn't dead!
The impact of a fist on flesh makes me gasp as I peer through the gap in the door, seeing Kallen with a furious look on her face, make up around her eyes starting to run, standing over a green haired girl in a business suit. Kallen reaches down and hauls the girl to her feet, holding her up by her shirt lapels, "After everything I've been through, I deserve to know the truth! And so do Milly and Rivalz! We all got our heads fucked with by Lelouch's bastard father, so fess up CC! Where. Is. Lelouch!?"
"...Saudi Arabia."
Area 18? Why would he...the Black Knights. They fled the country.
"What," Kallen whispers, her voice displaying incredulity and shock.
The limette sighs and closes her eyes, "We couldn't stay. Area 11 was lost to us. It was the only place we could go that would let us recover and not be at the mercy of various other powers. Laila's people gave us a base, and the supplies to let us recover."
Laila? Ah, Laila la Britannia. The current viceroy of Area 18. Wait, what? She's Clovis' sister, why is she of all people aiding them? She isn't holding a grudge for Lelouch killing...oh. Oh god. Lelouch killed Clovis.
Oh Darwin. No wonder he's been so different. He killed his own brother. Oh no. An exiled prince has killed another prince. And he's in rebellion. If Zero isn't dead, then that's why they won't release his identity. It would cause the second emblem of blood.
Kallen's face hardens and twists with anger, her fists balling up as she holds the other girl up with one arm, the other one poised to strike her across the face, "You came all this way to pick me up, and that smug prick couldn't even come hims-?!"
"He can't even move. He's in a coma," CC's icy cold tone rings out, her eyes open and narrowed in a frozen expression, Kallen stopping in place, her blue eyes wide in shock on hearing her speak.
A coma? I didn't see what happened to Zero, the news shows all think he's dead. The 'Elevens' wouldn't have given up so quickly if he was still alive, in their words. It should have been obvious there was something suspicious when nobody had footage of him losing the battle or getting killed. Britannia is hiding something, there's something about that battle they don't want getting out.
"How...how long?" Milly whispers, her hands over her mouth in horror.
CC sighs, her face heavy with worry and regret, voice cracking as she speaks, "Since he passed out after the horrific injuries Siegfried inflicted on him. I saw his eyes close for what I thought was the last time, screaming his name for him to stay awake as he bled out in the cockpit, impaled by shrapnel."
Kallen's face is numb, a mixture of emotions I can't figure out on her face as she lets go of CC, hands dropping to her side. What is she to Lelouch? Were they...together? And why do her eyes look so strange? Almost like...
CC reaches up, putting her arms on her shoulders after taking a deep breath to steady herself "Kallen. He shouldn't be alive right now. Rakshata and Bartley were able to save him, but he's been recovering from the surgery for that for the last few weeks. He might be waking up soon, but there's no definite date."
Rivalz blanches as he sits down with a sigh, "Geeze Lulu, you don't do things by halves, huh?"
He looks up with a thoughtful expression, "I'm curious though. How did you know we'd be here? Or hell, that Kallen would be here? Last I remember before my head got whammied is that she got buried under a building."
Buried under a building?! Was she caught up in the fighting?!
Kallen looks at CC with a calculating expression, and an intensity I've never seen on her before, there's something about her eyes that looks wrong and I can't put my finger on it, "You knew. You knew I'd be here."
The green haired woman nods slowly, "Kallen. There's something you need to be aware of. Your capture wasn't an accident. Someone deliberately ensured Cornelia's forces didn't find you first."
Cornelia didn't capture her? So she was a black knight. But...who did? Wait, what's CC saying? I can't hear her..oops!
The door clatters open as I faceplant onto the carpet from leaning too hard on the door, startling everyone in the room...oh god! That redheaded guy has a knife!
"Please don't hurt me! I was eavesdropping and wanted to know what was going on! I just wanted to know if my friends were back! I'm sorry, I'm sor-!"
My apologies are cut off by Milly and Rivalz rushing over to hug me as Kallen leans against the table, sighing deeply as she looks at CC.
"CC, I…"
My cheeks blush both from the hug I'm receiving, and the hug&peck on the cheek the green haired woman gives to Kallen.
"I'll explain more later. When Lulu is back on his feet. You deserve to know what you're involved in."
Milly nuzzles my cheek, "Oh Darwin, Nina...I'm so so sorry. I wish we'd had the chance to tell you.."
Rivalz's arms stretch around both of us as he gives one of his cheesy grins, only the wetness in his eyes betraying the emotion within.
"I'm sorry you had to see us get geassed. We never should have involved you in this crazy shit," he mutters with a sigh.
Geass? As in the old irish magic? …..Oh my god.
"Magic is real?!" I squeak out, face going white as suddenly everything I know about the world is upended.
Maybe I was too afraid to consider the implications of what happened to them and Kallen. Too busy looking over my shoulder to think about the idea that magic existed and the world I thought I understood and could illuminate with science was more than I could ever dream of..
"It's not magic, not really. You could say it's an expression of something in the human consciousness, or perhaps something we were cursed with. Those of us who can grant this power, this geass, are called Code Bearers. But that's far less important, Nina Einstein, than an important question. What do you wish to do, now that you know about it?" CC proclaims with an intense gaze into my eyes.
...Who is this woman, with amber eyes that burn like flame, and presence and demeanor greater than Princess Cornelia? Why do Milly, Rivalz and Kallen look to her like a leader?
"What do you want with me? Who are you?" I whisper, gulping as she kneels to look me in the eye.
"My name, is CC, an immortal from 600 years past. I am the Queen of Hell, the original Witch of Britannia and wife to Zero, also known as Lelouch vi Britannia. And I came here to reclaim those who are mine. And I would have you join us, should you wish to do so," she says, holding out her hand, palm facing upward.
A loud cough from Milly interrupts her as the blonde glares back at the greenette, "What do you think you're doing? Nina has no part of this, you can't just co-opt her into this war!"
Rivalz lets go of the hug, raising an eyebrow at the two of them, "Ladies, I'll be the first to admit this is some weird shit we're in. But..," he rubs the back of his head, giving a nervous laugh.
"Could we maybe talk about this later? Somebody said something about OSI coming sooner or later, and I kinda enjoy living."
The green haired woman nods as she stands back up, "Indeed. We have an hour, perhaps two at most. I want to pack up a few things from here that Lulu will be happy to have when he wakes up, and then we'll be gone."
A loud smack of a fist hitting a table draws our attention to a white faced Kallen.
"Holy fuck! I just realized! My mother is in danger! We can't just leave her here!"
Her mother? The duchess Stadfelt? Why would she be at risk?
"I don't understand, do you think the OSI would go after a duchess to get to you?" I ask with a quizzical look on my face, only to see everyone else grimace, Kallen herself clenching a fist in anger before letting a breath out.
"Fuck, that's right. You don't know. Give me a sec," she says, grabbing a handkerchief to wipe at her face, and what the heck?!
She's-! She's-!
"I've been lying to a lot of people for...awhile. 私はカレンこうずきスタドベルド。私は半日本人、半ブリタニア人。"
...I don't know what she said, but I know what it was. The same thing that made me afraid not too long ago at Kawaguchi, the same reason why I started shivering when I looked at the epithantic folds around her eyes.
She's Japanese. An Eleven.
"I said, my name is Kallen Kozuki-Stadfelt. I'm half Japanese, half Britanni-"
Try as I might to stop it, the involuntary whisper of fear comes out again as I look at her.
"...An Eleven."
Rivalz groans nearby, "Aw geez, really Nina?"
A squeak of fear escapes my lips as Kallen's face twists in anger, before a pained expression crosses her face and she sits down, bitter recrimination present.
"I...I..I'm sor-"
"Don't."
I stop dead still at the strong and neutral tone she just spoke in.
"Don't. After all the shit you've seen, and that we've been through today, I don't blame you for being afraid of me. Or my people. We haven't exactly covered ourselves in glory, tearing apart Jap-Area 11 and Tokyo. Or my boss slash...whatever our relationship is at this point."
The air hangs still as I try not to hyperventilate again at the sudden revelations coming my way. That I've been going to school with someone who was a black knight, an Eleven, and that most of my friends have been lying to me about what they've been doing.
"Why?" I whisper.
Milly looks down at me, biting her lip, concern written on her face.
"Why did you all lie to me? Is there anyone I know who wasn't involved with the black knights? Shirley? Suzaku? Nunnally?"
CC responds with a sigh as she pulls out a cigarette case, lighting up a joint with a small lighter and taking a toke on it before speaking.
"In order? No, Lelouch thought she was too innocent to be involved in this, and deliberately went out of his way to break up with her to drive her away. Yes, Suzaku has been involved since Lelouch took the credit for killing Clovis. And yes, in an unofficial capacity since Kawaguchi when she confronted him, and...in an official capacity with his incapacitation necessitating someone to take up the logistical slack."
My head...my head is spinning…
"Kallen here though? She predates even Zero. Her birth mother, a japanese woman, was a refrain addict, and is currently recovering at a rehab center. Hence her distress."
The redhead gives a sideways glare at the other woman, "It's an easy thing for you to be nonchalant about, green bitch. It's not your mother who might be a target for the fucking vampire or OSI if they realize I've fled the country. So you're going to go fucking get her, and I mean NOW!"
I...I think I'm going to be sick...the room is spinning now…
"HEY! Somebody get a bucket! She's going to hurl! Nina, breath, slowly, in, out, in, out," Milly yells out, then shifts to speaking to me in a conciliatory tone as a bucket is placed in my lap by the tall redheaded man..at which point the last of my self control evaporates and my lunch finds itself outside the confines of my intestinal tract as I dry heave the remnants out.
Is someone holding my hair? I think it's Milly, judging by the hand on my back. Or is that Rivalz? Everything is blurry, my throat hurts, and my eyes are watering.
Why? Why does nothing make sense anymore?! Why me?! Why am I involved in this insanity?! Why are my friends being dragged into Lelouch's blood feud with his father?!
Hiccups escape my lips as I cough out the last of…whatever was inside my stomach. Darwin, I feel miserable. Then again, I don't think I've felt happy since that day I lost my friends. And now that I've found them again, it turns out I didn't really know them at all.
"Nina, I need to say something to you," Milly says, a determined look crossing her face as she takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry."
Huh?
"I'm sorry for lying to you about all the things I was doing behind your back, about being involved with the black knights, about Lelouch's endless secrets, all of it. I just...I wanted to make sure you weren't troubled by this. You don't have a stake in this war, or a reason to fight the empire you've been a part of for your entire life."
Milly...my eyes tear up as I sniffle, hands bunching at my skirt.
"But contrary to what CC thinks? We don't have the right to ask you to join us. I mean, sure, I'd like to have you onboard. But if you have that reaction to Kallen, after how long you've known her?" she says with a wince as Kallen looks aside, an impassive look on her face.
"Then you'd never tolerate being in the middle east with us. The Black Knights may be open to everybody, but there's a lot of Japanese people there. Koreans, Chinese, Indians, and yeah, Britannians too. But Japan is where the organization started, so obviously there's a large Japanese presence. And unlike Kallen? Not all of them will take being called an Eleven in stride."
But...they're the bad guys...aren't they?
No. The bad guys didn't brainwash my friends into caricatures of themselves. They didn't let the JLF butcher us at Kawaguchi, and they didn't bomb the city. Britannia did.
I..I just don't know.
"Can...can I think about it? I..I don't want to be alone..."
Milly looks at me with surprise, her eyes showing her utter surprise at my saying this.
"Nina...are you sure? Once you go with us, there's no going back. We're going to be wanted by the empire."
Eight months ago, I would have said no. There's no way I could ever go near E-e-elevens. Let alone a terrorist like Zero. Eight months ago, I was a stupid naive child, who thought Prince Clovis was a wise and just ruler. That my country started a just war to avenge the death of two murdered royals. That my friend, who helped me, was just an apathetic student.
"I...don't know. All I know is that I don't want to be here alone again, like I was when you and Rivalz, and Kallen lost your memories," I say with a sniffle as I lean against her, feeling her stroke my hair.
"Oi! What the fuck are we going to do about my mother!?" Kallen snarls out, grinding her teeth as she grips the table.
She's never been this agitated before around us, but then again? Maybe we just never saw the real her…
"Hey wait a sec. I got an idea. CC can't be seen, and Kallen was under surveillance. So...they'll expect her to go there if she remembered herself, right?. What if it's someone they don't expect?" Rivalz says with a sly grin on his face as everyone turns to look at him, wondering where he's going with this.
"You guys probably don't know this, but I'm actually a really good biker. How the hell do you think Lulu and I got away with cutting class to gamble so often?"
Taking off my glasses to clean off my tears from them, I ask in a low voice, "Rivalz, what are you saying?"
"That I'm a great get away driver, good at blending into a crowd, and most importantly? Somebody none of the big players in this have been paying attention to. Which is why I'm gonna go pick up Kallen's mom and rush her to...wait, where am I taking her again?" Rivalz says with brash confidence, before trailing off towards the end as practical reality asserts itself.
...Are all my friends insane? Am I the only one who's normal? I thought Rivalz was normal, that he was the reliable straight arrow. Now he's talking about sneaking out or breaking out a woman from a rehab facility?!
"Really? You'd that...for me?" Kallen says, her face looking askance and surprised at Rivalz.
"Well, sure. You're my friend. And saving somebody's mom is pretty heroic, right? I can't let Lulu do all the cool stuff," he says with a cheesy grin.
Rivalz kneels to look me in the eye, "Look, I get it. This stuff, all of it? It's crazy, totally crazy. But..well, I had a choice. I could run away, keep myself safe and not get involved. Nobody asked me to do this, I don't have a stake in this war and I haven't lost anybody I want to avenge."
That's true. I don't either. Not like everyone else does. I don't want to fight, I'm a student, a scientist, not a soldier.
"But? Sometimes you gotta stop and look at what's going on. Sure, I could ignore things, or say that I'm just a student. But? So's Milly. And Kallen. And heck, Lelouch. Exiled prince yeah, but he could have just walked away and sat this out. Caring for Nunnally, having to watch his back for his family or the OSI, nobody would have blamed him for deciding it wasn't his job to save the world."
I...I never thought of it like that. None of us are even out of high school, well, except for CC. I still can't believe she's as old as she claims to be.
Rivalz pulls out a cigarette, taking a drag and letting out a breath before continuing.
"Except he didn't do the easy thing. He, in typical Lulu fashion, did the crazy over the top thing. Guy decided to hop off my bike and go down to help a crashed truck. And that's what started it all."
Really? Such a little thing is what led to all this..?
Puffing out a smoke cloud, Rivalz points the cigarette at Kallen, "Kallen? She's been doing this shit since she was younger than Nunnally from what she told me. I couldn't have done that. Hell, she faced down Suzaku in the Lancelot. I'd be pissing myself with fear if I had to do that," he says bashfully without a hint of shame, hand on the back of his head.
I can't even begin to imagine how brave someone has to be to do that. Not like me. A coward who hid in a closet as her friends had their memories stolen from them. I'm a weakling, a coward, they don't need someone like me..
"And heck, who can forget brave little Nina?"
Huh?
Me? He's calling me brave?
"But..I'm nothing like any of you. I'm a cowardly little schoolgirl. I had to sit there shivering in a closet when the emperor..," my words trail off towards the end as I'm unable to even finish speaking about what I saw. Because I let them all down. Yellow to the end.
"Umm, Nina? If you'd done anything but stay quiet there? You would have been in the same boat as the rest of us. That's not cowardly, that's smart. See, here's what you're not seeing. Those last few months while we were all out of it? You stayed, you didn't just leave Area 11," Rivalz pronounces, a genuine broad smile on his face.
What? Why is everyone looking at me like they just solved a physics equation? What is Rivalz driving at no-
"Nina, think about this. You coulda just run. I mean, I don't know your relationship with your parents, but if you wanted to, you coulda just went back to the Homeland, right?"
...I could have. It would have been so easy. My parents certainly wouldn't have objected if I wanted to run away after being in a war zone. But..I told them no. Why did I do that? Why did I stay in this country full of Elevens...Elevens who...who...
My train of skipping thoughts derails as Milly envelops me in a hug, nuzzling her cheek against me, instantly making me relax, and blush from the close proximity.
"You were worried about us. You didn't want to leave us after what happened."
Like a flash of lightning, it hits me. I was worried about my friends. It would have been easy to abandon them, but..how could I call myself my friend if I ran away when they needed me?"
"You were there, watching, keeping your head down the whole time, afraid you couldn't trust anybody, not understanding what was going on, and you still stayed," Milly finishes with a whisper as she kisses my cheek.
"Thank you for being a good friend, Nina."
...Wow. I..I never even thought about it. Maybe I was brave after all. Maybe I can make a difference.
"Miss CC?"
The lime haired woman looks at me, an eyebrow raised in question.
"I've decided. I want to be with my friends, even if it means...facing my fears head on. Can I come with you?" I ask meekly, hoping she listens to reason.
The room seems to pause, everyone's breath being held, before she kneels down, touching my cheek with one hand, a warm smile on her lips that lights up the room.
"Of course you can. It won't be easy, and I cannot guarantee we will win in the end. But you are most certainly welcome to join the Black Knights, Nina Einstein."
The remaining time passes quickly as we scramble to pack up things we might need, things we're afraid we won't be able to come back for, and..a fair number of drugs and bottles of alcohol. Apparently Lelouch had an extensive collection which CC wanted to bring back to him.
The tall redheaded man, Iah'bahad I think CC called him?, left with Rivalz to help provide a distraction for Rivalz to sneak out Mrs. Kozuki from the clinic. Given that CC ordered him to 'make it loud and destructive', I'm probably better off not knowing.
Right now, we're in the back of an unmarked moving van, heading somewhere for the rendezvous point.
This is it. I'm leaving Area 11, maybe for good. To a faraway land, surrounded by people I don't know, many of them E-e-ele-no. Japanese. They're Japanese. I can't let my friends down anymore. Milly and Rivalz sacrificed for me, Lelouch took time to help me become a better person, Suzaku was kind enough to listen to my questions.
I'm not sure what I can do to help, but I know of the scientist who they said is leading their engineering team. Dr. Chawla is an expert in nuclear physics, maybe she'll be interested in my theories?
My musing is interrupted as the truck grinds to a halt, all of us pitching forward due to the lack of seatbelts in the back. This must be the place...wherever it is.
As the back door is raised, I blink as the light comes in, my breath condensing from the cold air. A few people in black uniforms salute us as we exit, and then move past us to start unloading boxes from the truck.
CC marches over, discarding her wig as she listens to something on a headset, frowning in concentration.
"But how can that be? You're certain? Very well, bring them in. If this is actually true, Kallen is going to have a fit," she grouses, tapping the device off.
Milly walks up, muffler on her ears, a winter coat over her Ashford uniform, "Something wrong?"
"Snake said he's remaining behind to cover our tracks and conduct a false flag fingering Europia for the OSI agents we had to kill. That isn't the problem though. Rivalz just told me that Mrs. Kozuki is claiming Iah'bahad..is Naoto Kozuki."
Kozuki? He's family? Wait. That shade of red hair...oh darwin, it does look like Kallen's..
"Miss CC, why is Kallen going to be-?"
CC rubs her forehead in annoyance, "Because Naoto Kozuki, her older brother, was supposed to have been killed three years ago during a raid by Prince Clovis' royal guard. Something I heard in passing from Ohgi and Tamaki..ah right. You wouldn't know them. They're two of the original Shinjuku cell Zero recruited."
Oh. That's..I don't even know what to say about that.
"That's..good, isn't it?"
If I had an older brother who I thought died, I'd be ecstatic if he was still alive. Well, if it was really him. We don't know for sure yet...do we?
Moments later, the roar of a motorcycle is heard outside.
"We'll have our answers one way or another. I have the means to see if it's really him. Open the doors! We're expecting that bike!" she yells out to two of the guards.
Just as the doors open, Rivalz's bike skids in, foot hitting the brakes as he turns the motorcycle to bleed off momentum, exhaust coming off the tailpipe as the engine slowly quiets down.
"Phew...that was close. Almost got spotted by a patrol gunship towards the end. We're safe now, Mrs. Kozuki," he says, taking off his helmet, as a brown haired japanese woman in a blue dress with a gray sweater on her slim shoulders takes off her helmet, looking around the warehouse we're using as a staging area. Looking at her features, it's easy to see her relation to Kallen, they have the same eyes.
"ありが-ah. Excuse me. Thank you, Rivalz-kun. This is..," her voice trails off as she looks around in astonishment, eyes widening as she sees the sword crane symbol of the Black Knights on display.
"This...Kallen is...a black knight?" she covers her mouth in surprise, looking frightened for a moment before taking a deep breath.
"Umm, Mrs. Kozuki? I think we've met in passing, I'm Milly Ashford, I'm a friend of your daughter's. Do you want to see her?" Milly says in a congenial and friendly tone as she walks over, helping the woman out of the sidecar.
"Milly-chan. Yes, she's spoken fondly of you. Before we go find her, please, tell me. That man, the one with red hair. Where is he?"
I hope he's alright. Then again, he seems to be a secret agent of some sort, so he's probably fine.
CC strides up, her heels clicking, "Mrs Kozuki? My name is CC, I'm the commanding officer of this operation. Before I summon Iah'bahad, I need to ask, are you absolutely certain he is your son? The man himself has little to no memory of his early life, and I don't want to give you false hope."
At this question, Mrs Kozuki looks CC in the eyes, blue to agate, holding the gaze for a few moments, before smiling warmly, "I'm so glad my daughter found a way to make friends after all. I haven't seen her since before Zero attacked Tokyo, and I couldn't leave the clinic to look for her. Is she alright?"
That look...CC knows something. The flash of some hidden emotion in her eyes, the way her hands clenched, just what happened when she restored Kallen's memories?
"It's not my place to say. Just know that she has been through a great deal. She'll be overjoyed to see you, and Mara willing, her brother. IF we can confirm his identity. Did your son have any distinguishing marks, or features you would know?"
She nods in response, "He has his father's hair and my eyes, but he also has a scar on his left foot from a time that he stepped on a nail. It's in the shape of a crescent moon. It should be on the ball of his foot."
Stepped on a nail? Yikes.
"Umm, Mrs Kozuki? How do you know about that? He could just be someone who looks like your son..." I ask quietly, causing her to turn towards me in surprise.
"Oh, I'm sorry, have we met?"
Being the center of attention is something I really don't like, but I've always been too curious for my own good.
"Nina Einstein, Mrs Kozuki. I'm...a friend of your daughter's."
At one time, I think I would have bit my tongue before saying that about an Ele-no no no. Not again. I'm not going to do that anymore.
"You can call me Yui. Are you alright? You look nervous, Nina-chan," she says, a look of concern on her face.
Oh no, now I'm making her nervous because I'm nervous. This is so stupid, I never should have spoken up.
"I'm...I have..a phobia of Elevens. I'm sorry, it's something I'm trying to get over..," my words trailing off as I fidget in place, certain she's going to look at me with disdain now.
Huh? When did she-? Before I can move or say anything, she's holding me in a hug, an understanding smile on her face.
"I used to be afraid of Britannians. Aside from my husband, none of them have ever looked at me with anything but disdain. But even so, I wanted my daughter to grow up as one. Because I didn't think she would have a future as a number. I wanted her to go to school, to make friends and have the happiness I couldn't give her."
"..Why aren't you angry with me for calling you that? Why are you hugging me?"
I don't understand. Why is she telling me this?
Her blue eyes shimmer as she rubs my back, "But it seems my daughter was stronger than I ever thought possible. She made her own path, just like you did, Nina-chan."
Before I can say anything, she continues, hugging me tight.
"I don't know why you're afraid of my people. I can only guess something bad happened to you. But despite that? You're still here, among a group with many Japanese fighting for justice, and you said you were my Kallen-chan's friend, even knowing she's half Japanese. You're a very brave girl, Nina-chan. I'm glad she has people like you by her side."
My eyes water as I hold tightly onto her, tears coming out at the strange reality of being accepted by a Japanese woman, after admitting to being afraid of her people and told that I'm brave for coming here. Kallen, you're so lucky to have a mom like her…
"A certain young man helped me once, and my daughter has spoken fondly of him. I don't know if I'm right about this, but that young man...he's someone special to all of you, isn't he?"
"彼は私の夫です。" CC says with a solemn pronouncement. I think that was something important, but I don't understand Japanese. (He is my husband.)
"そうですか。そして私の娘も彼を愛していますか?" she says, her smile never wavering. (I see. And my daughter loves him too?)
"そして、私は彼女が大好きです。" CC says with a saucy wink that makes me blush. (And I love her.)
I feel like they're having an important conversation judging by the solemnity of the room, but I don't understand why they're doing it in Japanese.
"Umm, not to be rude, but what were you two saying? Also, Iah'bahad called, he'll be here in a few minutes," Rivalz says as he looks up from his phone.
"Don't worry about it. I was just telling something important to Mrs. Kozuki. Tell him to report in as soon he arrives. I'm going to go get Kallen," CC says as she walks away.
Much as I don't want to let go, Kallen, and maybe her brother if it's really him, need their mother more than I do.
"Thank you, Mrs Ko-, err, Yui."
She lets go after one last squeeze, "You're welcome Nina-chan. And I know about the scar because I treated his foot when I found out about it after he hid it from me for a few days because he didn't want me to know he'd snuck out of the house to go drinking with his friends."
Milly blinks, "Wait, why did he hide it? And how did you know how to treat that kind of injury?"
Mrs Kozuki giggles at that question, "Because he went out when he was supposed to be studying for his exams. And I'm a Nursing School graduate, I know how to take care of things like that. That's also where I met my husband, I was working at a maid cafe to pay for school. One day he came in and-"
"お母さん!" a loud cry interrupts her as a red haired blur glomps onto her, clutching her tightly, tears straining her dress. (MOTHER!)
"カレンちゃん、大丈夫です。どうしましたか?" she asks, worry written on her face, looking at all of us for answers, answers I fear we cannot give her. (Kallen-chan, it's okay. What's wrong?)
"お母さん、私から離れないでください。。" Kallen sniffles as she buries her head into her mother's shoulder. (mom, please don't leave me..)
I'd very much like someone to tell me what's going on here. There's something alienating about people having a conversation in another language in front of…
Oh. This..this is how numbers feel when we force them to learn our language. I can't be the only one who's thought about this. Maybe I should talk to Milly later..oh! She knows Japanese, she can tell me what's going on.
"Milly, what are they saying?"
My blonde friend looks down at me with a side glance of acknowledgement as she listens, "Well..Kallen recognized her mom, her mom is worried about her, and Kallen is asking her not to leave her. Honestly Nina? I think I'm going to have to ask CC to explain what she found out, I'm really worried about Kallen. Because this is not normal for her."
Right. Normal. The Kallen I know from school isn't her, it's a mask. Either one she was using to hide herself, or one that was forced on her by the emperor. Darwin, I feel like such an outsider here. This was so stupid, what was I thinking?! I'm here among a group of rebels and numbers about to leave the country I've spent the last several years of my life in, and for what? To go follow my friends on some mad crusade because one of them is a terrorist leader and-
The spiraling train of thought sputters to a halt as Milly wraps me up in a hug, the depression giving way to a long sigh as I lean against her.
"Sorry Milly. I...I just…"
Her blue eyes wink at me, "Nina, it's been a rough day for all of us. And I'm very happy you decided to come. If you ever need to talk, or vent, or just a hug? I'm here for you. We all are."
...I really don't deserve my friends. But I'm so glad I have them.
A clicking sound of heels alerts us to CC returning, the mysterious Iah'bahad trailing after her, his face concealed under a winter scarf and reflective sunglasses.
"Mrs Yui Kozuki, Kallen? I've brought him. Please confirm what you told me. Iah'bahad, please remove your left shoe and sock, then show us the sole of your foot."
The man gives a silent nod of acknowledgement, kneeling down to untie his winter boot, the wool sock following after it as he stands up, holding his leg up….huh, he's flexible. Putting your leg up above your sternum like that isn't easy.
"まさか。。なおと。。?" Mrs. Kozuki whispers, slowly walking up to him, her fingers trembling as they trace along the ball of his foot, a scar in a crescent shape standing in stark relief against the skin..oh my god. It really is her son. (It can't be...Naoto?)
"冗談だ。。" (You're kidding me..)
Mrs. Kozuki pulls down the scarf and glasses, gasping as she looks at his face without anything in the way...the same. He has the same eyes as Kallen and Yui.
"Naoto..?" "兄ちゃん?!" (Big brother?!)
CC steps between the two of them, nodding firmly, "Thank you. That's all I needed. I'll see if I can jog his memory. Iah'bahad? I'm going to do something, it might hurt, but it could bring your memories back. May I?"
For the first time, the man speaks his gaze turning to meet hers, "Will it change who I am?"
Kallen and her mother gasp at the smooth baritone voice, their composure clearly frayed at waiting.
"Not necessarily. It won't change what you have done or the feelings you have now. You may feel differently, but you'll still be Iah'bahad. You just may also be Naoto Kozuki."
The redhead nods and salutes, "Do what you have to, my queen."
"Milly, what is she going to do?" I ask in a whisper, wondering what I'm about to see.
"I don't know exactly, I'm just going to trust that she knows what she's doing."
...Given that she's older than all of us combined, that's probably a reasonable judgement. There's got to be an explanation for how all of this works. It can't just be 'it's magic.'
"Iah'bahad, who may be Naoto Kozuki, REMEMBER!" she yells as she kisses him, something flashing brilliant red on her forehead as he stiffens, eyes going wide.
Rivalz pulls out a cigarette, then pauses to offer one to Milly and I with an outstretched hand.
Should I ..You know what, to paraphrase Lelouch?
"Fuck it," I say as I pull out a stick, using his lighter to spark the stick up and taking a pull-
Oh god, my throat feels like it's on fire! Ow ow ow! This was so stupid! Whatever I was going to say is eclipsed by a coughing fit as I drop the cigarette, Rivalz picking it up and then rubbing my back with an apologetic look on his face.
"Sorry Nina. It's an acquired bad habit, you get used to it. I'll teach you how to smoke later. In the meantime, I think she's done," he says as he points to CC breaking the kiss and stepping back.
The redheaded man blinks, slowly looking around the room, his gaze passing over all of us before finally coming to rest on Kallen and her mother, his eyes widening as he slowly walks over to them, putting his hands on their shoulders,
"母。。カレンちゃん。。?" he says with his voice breaking, tears in his eyes as he starts to smile. (Mom...Kallen..?)
"兄ちゃん!!" "なおとくん!!"
The two of them embrace him in a tearful hug, a rapidfire conversation in Japanese breaking out between them. But you don't need to know the language to see how happy they all are.
"Rivalz..Milly, do you think we'll be alright?"
The bartender scratches the back of his head, "Well, who knows? But I can say one thing."
"What's that?"
He thumbs over at the reunited family, "I may not know if we'll be ok, but that right there? That tells me we're doing the right thing."
A small smile somehow finds its way onto my face at that remark. Maybe I just needed to hear someone say it straight like that. Because right now? I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be, for the first time in a long while.
