"I'm overjoyed, Diana!" Clovis started, "They said you died when Japan was brought into the fold. What a blessing to have you back. We should depart for the homeland immediately!"
Diana stood roughly 4 feet from the throne the prince was sitting in, pistol pointed directly at said prince, while she glared intensely at him.
"Why?" Diana began, taking a step closer to Clovis. "So that I can be used like the tools you and the other royals are?"
The blonde chuckled a bit to her self, before lining the pistol directly at Clovis' head.
"It appears to me that you've forgotten why I was banished in the first place." Her eyes narrowed further, "I spoke out against his majesty,and payed the price for it."
Clovis swallowed hard as the stress of the situation grew.
"Dearest sister, I know you were banished to Japan, but believe me when I say that everyone back home would be ecstatic to see you alive and well!" Clovis attempted to reason.
"I don't want to hear it." Diana started. "I know that's no more than a ruse, as the royal family has no need of someone like myself. I am of common blood, remember?"
Diana holstered her pistol, and activated her geass.
"Now time to get to business, I command you Clovis la Britannia!" Diana shouted. "You will follow my every order from here on out!"
Clovis stared, eyes wide, and back straight, at Diana, until eventually red rims surrounded his irises, and his posture slackened.
"As you wish." The prince replied, while getting off the throne to bow. "I am yours to command."
"We'll start with questions then." Diana began, "Prince Clovis, do you know who killed my mother?"
"My brother second prince Schneizel and second princess Cornelia, they can tell you." Clovis stated monotonously.
"They were at the heart of this?" Diana asked incredulously, to which Clovis remained silent. "That's all you know isn't it?"
The blonde pinched the bridge of her nose, and listened as the footsteps of her accomplice grew nearer.
"Diana, need I remind you of our goal?" C.C. questioned.
"No." Diana stated dejectedly, "Prince Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Britannian Royal Family, you will answer for your crimes."
"Wake up sleeping beauty!" Called the voice of Andrew, followed by the feeling of a rolled up newspaper whacking the blonde on the head. "I knew you were sleeping because your hand stopped moving!"
Diana glanced around at her surroundings, and realized she was in the student council room. At the main table, where she sat, sat most of the other members. Frank sat at the far end of the table, closest to the door, Hannah and Barbara sat pretty much in the same seat, that was how close they were to one another at the moment. Andrew stood directly across from Diana with a playfully angry look strewn across his face, and a newspaper in hand. Not far from the central table, at a desk in the corner of the room, sat the final member of the council, Constanze, who was working on some sorta science experiment by the looks of it.
"Serves you right, abandoning me like that yesterday." Frank called from where he sat, bringing Diana out of her stupor.
"Come on guys you need to focus!" Andrew tried to reason, "If we don't come up with a fix for the club activities budget, there won't be money left for anything at all!"
"You know, it would have been nice of you if you would have reminded us about this mess a day ago." Hannah stated, while pinching the bridge of her nose, Barbara nodded in agreement beside her.
"I would have, but someone decided to skip out on us for half the day yesterday." Andrew blamed. "Besides, the past is in the past, we need to focus on the now. And right now, that means we need to balance this budget."
Diana sighed, rubbed her eyes, then got right back to work.
"Amanda! It's been so long!" A girl in the Hanbridge Academy uniform greeted.
"Ah." Amanda began. she too was wearing the Hanbridge uniform, and her hair was down, rather than it's normal spiky self. "It's good to see you too." She said, in a soft voice.
"Are you better for real this time?" Another girl asked.
"Yeah, I just have to go easy for a little while." Amanda confirmed. "Anyway, if I stay home any longer I'll never catch up."
"We were just heading to lunch, and since we didn't get to talk with you before class, we thought it would be fun for all of us to eat together!" One of the girls said.
"Uh, I think-" Before Amanda could finish she was being led out of the class by the three girls, she also noticed that the eyes of another student were trailing her, but paid no attention to it.
"C'mon, it'd be fun!" The last one called.
Amanda found herself being half drug, half led, out of the school, and out onto one of the fields nearby. Once out there, one of the girls laid out a picnic blanket, and they all four sat down to eat. Amanda zoned out while munching on a bit of the sandwich she had packed for her lunch, and only came to when the three girls who were with her jumped up and began shrieking.
"Amanda! Run! There's a bee!" One of the girls shouted, pointing at Amanda's direction.
Sure enough when Amanda paid closer attention to her surroundings she noticed a bee flying close by to her, so, acting like the sickly girl she had to, she got to her feet, sandwich in hand, and walked quickly away from the blanket to a safe distance.
"Why's a bee after me?" Amanda asked monotonously, upholding her sickly persona.
Amanda slapped the bee out of the air with a precise swipe, and killed it on contact.
"God I hate this!" Amanda started, returning to her fiery self, "I hate acting like such a fuckin' invalid!"
The girl took another large bite of her sandwich, and scowled off in the direction of the picnic blanket, when she finally heard movement coming from behind her. Crap! Amanda silently shouted, while turning around, Someone saw me
"D-Do you need anything?" Amanda asked the approaching blonde in her sickly voice.
"I want answers." The blonde answered, then everything went dark.
Diana's geass fueled demand seemed to work, as Amanda's stance seemed slouched soon after.
"Of course." Amanda responded, in a more toned down version of her normal fiery tone.
"Were you the one piloting the Glasgow in Shinjuku?" Diana questioned.
"Yes."
"Why terrorism?"
"Because I'm Japanese. Though technically I'm half Britannian." Amanda responded. Half blood? Diana pondered. But why go so far?
Diana deactivated her geass, and watched as the other girl shook her head a bit when coming back to her senses.
"Did you want something?" Amanda asked, once more in her subdued, sickly voice.
"Hm?" Diana began, "No. I'm good."
The blonde turned on her heel and began walking away. Oh, wait. Just to be sure. Diana thought, then turned back around to make eye contact with Amanda again, geass active.
"Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku." The blonde ordered.
Amanda's face contorted a bit at that, and it seemed as though it had a hint of recognition on it.
"What do you mean, about Shinjuku?" Amanda began, "Why would you say that?"
"Go back to class." Diana ordered, Geass still active.
"As soon as you answer my question, I will!" Amanda growled back, trying to maintain her sickly manner, but failing.
Diana flinched at that, It's not working? She silently recognized, What's going on here?
"Well?" Amanda asked, hand moving slightly behind her back.
"Well... It's just... I don't want you to talk about it around the other students." Diana lied, "They might try to show you what happened there, and I thought, with your health and all, it might not be good for you to get sick at a scene like that."
The fiery girl's arm made a slight jerking movement, and she glared at Diana intensely.
"Why would you care?" Amanda asked, still a little out of character from her sickly persona.
"Well I am the Student Council Vice President. I came here because the president wanted me to make sure you were all right, and make certain you hadn't seen some of the messed up things in Shinjuku." Diana replied, "Anyways, I must go, class is starting soon."
"Really?" Amanda questioned, only to suddenly hear the sound of the clock tower signifying that a new hour had started, and that class had, in fact, started.
"I'll see you later!" Diana called, while speed walking right out of that situation. It didn't work...
"So, how's campus life treating you?" The voice of Ohgi asked over Amanda's phone.
"I feel like a caged lion... I was stuck in history class just a bit ago..." Amanda responded, "Look, maybe I should just head back-"
"The army's on high alert right now." Ohgi interrupted, "Stay there, and let things cool off."
"I don't know." Amanda sighed, "What about the voice on the radio?"
"Can't go looking for a voice." Ohgi reasoned, "And besides-"
"I think I have a lead on the voice." Amanda interrupted. Don't tell anyone about Shinjuku. The blonde from earlier's voice replayed in her mind.
"Wha- But how?" Ohgi questioned. "Who?"
"I'm not quite sure about the lead yet, but I will investigate it further." Amanda reasoned, "But I'm sure it was a girl from this school."
The next day Diana stood out on one of the campus' bridges, taking in the sight of the artificial river, or more accurately, her own reflection in it, and the geass that shown in her eye. This is the only weapon I have. Diana reflected silently. And I don't even know how it works.
"Diana!" A male teacher called as he approached the blonde on the bridge, who deactivated her geass the moment she heard him. "Class will be starting in a minute, you know."
"Um, sir?" Diana reactivated her geass, "What are the topics going to be for the essays on your next exam?"
"The humiliation of Edinborough, the transfer of the capital, and north and south war topics."
Diana sighed at the answer, So, I haven't lost the power, then. She contemplated, then deactivated, and reactivated her geass.
"Sir? What exactly are the topics going to be for the essays on your next exam?" She asked again.
"Right, very funny. Maybe you should try studying, huh?" The teacher began, "Just apply yourself, you'll do fine."
"Yes sir." Diana bowed a little as he passed, So, it only works on a person once.
The blonde stretched a little, than began heading to class.
"The aristocracy was highly educated, with such an emphasis on edification and training, they produced a superior breed of ruler." The blonde standing not to far away from Amanda answered, "And secondly, they possessed heightened efficiency, since only a small number of the very best were carefully chosen from their ranks..."
It could be... But, I can't remember well enough to be sure. Amanda lost herself in her thoughts near the end of the answer, But if she wasn't the voice, then why'd she lie to me back then...
The fiery girl sighed, If she knows who I really am... I'll need to take care of her.
The bell signifying the end of class came sooner rather than later, and as Amanda began packing away her things, a certain blonde approached her.
"You think that you could spare a minute?" Diana began, "I need to talk to you."
The girls around Amanda looked on in shock at the request.
"Sure." Amanda replied, and stood up. "I was wondering when you were gonna ask."
As Diana led Amanda out of the room, the fiery girl could just hear what the girls were whispering behind them.
"I didn't know the two leaned that way..." One murmured.
"Either way, I think they'd be cute together..." Whispered another.
Amanda's face grew warmer at the rumors, Maybe I should have phrased that better...
The two girls kept walking until Diana opened the door somewhere inside a building Amanda had never been in with a keycard. The two entered the room, and Diana made her way to a kitchen within, and gestured for Amanda to sit at the dining table. When the fiery girl took a seat, she heard the sound of water running. Now's my chance. She thought, while unsheathing her wallet knife.
"I bet you're wondering where we are." Diana asked from the kitchen, after turning off the water.
"Y-Yeah." Amanda responded, in her sickly persona.
"Well, this is my residence in the academy." Diana stated, while rounding the corner, and taking her seat a little bit away from Amanda.
"You live here?" Amanda asked, "As in, in this bougie apartment?"
"Yes." Diana confirmed. "It was a favor by the principal."
"Okay." Amanda shrugged it off, "But why are we here?"
"It's so that we could talk in private." Diana answered.
"And you're sure we won't be disturbed?" Amanda asked.
"Yes." The blonde responded.
"Alright then," The fiery girl began, "How'd you organize that ceasefire."
"I don't know what you're ta-" Diana started.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Amanda shouted. "I know it was you in Shinjuku!"
"Fine." Diana confirmed, "You got me. I was the one on the radio."
"Now answer my original question." Amanda ordered.
"If you wish to know," Diana began, "It's because I held Clovis captive in the G-1 mobile base."
"You what?" Amanda exclaimed, dropping her knife and standing suddenly. "And you let him go?"
"No." Diana assured. "Prince Clovis is dead."
Amanda's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. What? The fiery girl was stunned, But that doesn't make any sense!
"So I'm to believe you snuck on to the G-1 undetected, killed Clovis, and went on your marry way without repercussions?" Amanda began, "Why haven't they announced his death then, hmm?"
"I don't know exactly why they're covering up his death, but I can guess that it's to stop anarchy from spreading." Diana stated, "As for the undetected bit, I wouldn't go so far as to think that was the case. I left a trail of blood from the moment I neared the G-1, to the moment I escaped it."
"And you're certain they won't find out it was you?" Amanda asked, while sitting back down.
"Of course. I made certain to cover my tracks thoroughly." Diana confirmed.
The two were bathed in an momentary silence, that was however, until the sound of a tea kettle in the kitchen went off.
"That'd be the kettle. Would you like to join me for tea?" Diana asked.
"Huh?" Amanda began, "Oh... Sure."
The blonde got to her feet and went into the kitchen, a few moments later she returned with a tray full of tea items. She handed Amanda a cup, and grabbed her own. After the fiery girl took a sip of the tea, she realized that there was an extra cup.
"Why'd you bring a third?" Amanda asked.
"Why, for our guest of course. You can come out now." Diana motioned toward the kitchen.
A green haired girl stepped out from around the corner, pistol in hand, and made her way to the seat across from Diana to sit down.
"You said we were alone!" Amanda shouted at Diana.
"No." Diana started, "I said we wouldn't be disturbed. But I had to have a contingency for if you made a move against me now didn't I?"
She planned for everything, didn't she? The fiery girl questioned silently.
"I... I guess..." Amanda conceded.
"Good." Diana stated, "Now onto the other order of business."
"What's that then?" Amanda asked, wishing she hadn't dropped her knife.
"A request." Diana began, "From the student council president."
Amanda released a sigh of relief.
"What's the request?"
"The president wants you to join the student council."
"And if I refuse?"
"I don't think you'd wanna." Diana started, "The teachers are much more lenient on you if you're in the council, as well as you get a master key to all classrooms. Also, you get to learn some of the school's secrets."
"Secrets?"
"Such as the tunnels that go beneath the school. An easy way for you to leave without anyone ever noticing." Diana revealed.
Amanda smirked at that, I see. The fiery girl thought, So, this rebellion thing isn't just gonna be a one off thing with you.
"I'm Andrew, the student council president, it's nice to meet you." Andrew greeted Amanda.
After the three girls had finished their tea, Diana took Amanda off to the main ballroom of the clubhouse, which was where the council members had gathered for the welcoming party that was being held for the fiery girl.
"I'm Frank, the secretary." The blonde boy said, "If there's anything you need help with, I'm your man."
"Hi, I'm Barbara." The black haired girl greeted.
"And I'm Hannah." The auburn haired girl stated.
"We're on the swim team." The two said at the same time.
A shorter blue haired girl approached, holding a sign that said: "My name's Constanze, it's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet all of you too." Amanda greeted, her sickly persona in place.
"Right. Shall we kick this off with a toast?" Frank asked, while pulling a glass bottle out of his bag.
"Champagne?" Hannah questioned.
"We shouldn't, we're on the student council y'know?" Barbara said tepidly.
"Oh come on, loosen up you guys." Frank said, while attempting to pop the cork off the bottle.
Diana walked over to Frank, and offered her hand in a gesture that made it seem as though she was gonna help.
"Let me see that." The blonde girl asked.
"Diana? Not you too!" Barbara called out.
"Here ya go." Frank said as he handed her the bottle, which she promptly put in her own bag. "Hey wai-"
"Now, did I see some juice around here?"
"Hey guys you should come see this!" Hannah announced from the other side of the room, where she stood in front of a television.
"What's up?" Andrew asked as he approached, the others not far behind him.
"Look."
"Prince Clovis, Viceroy of Area 11 has been found dead. Along with many of his upper staff, the prince was found dead this morning. Cause of death, a bullet to the head." The male newscaster on the TV announced.
"And now, a speech, from acting Viceroy, Jeremiah Gottwald." The female newscaster beside him stated.
"Prince Clovis has been taken from us. He fought for peace and justice against all of the Elevens. He died a martyr. We must all bury our sorrow, and carry on his will."
Diana smirked at the show that was being put on in front of her. They finally announced it, She glanced over at Amanda, who's eyes were trained on the television, her mouth slightly open at the affirmation of Diana's earlier claims. And they chose the perfect time to do so, didn't they.
"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news." The male newscaster announced, while appearing on screen again. "The person suspected as the murderer has been captured. According to this report, the suspect is an honorary Britannian. Private Atsuko Kagari, a former Eleven and honorary Britannian. I repeat, Atsuko Kagari arrested for murder."
Diana woke up in a cold sweat, she glanced at the alarm clock on her nightstand and saw that it was 3 in the her eyes, she got up, and stumbled to her desk with the water glass that sat next to her alarm clock. After quickly drinking the remaining water, Diana sat at her desk, and shuffled through her school bag, pulling out the bottle of champagne that she snagged from Frank. After the blonde pulled off the cork, she poured herself a glass. She took a large swig, eyes teary, then set the glass down again. Just then her bedroom door slid open, and closed.
"If I'd known we were going to have a party, I'd've dressed for the occasion." C.C. called from behind the blonde.
"Shut up." Diana stated solemnly.
"What?" The green haired girl asked, "Did you forget about our contract?"
"I said shut up!" The blonde shouted, while slamming her fist against the table.
"And here I thought you'd have a plan to get your girlfriend back." C.C. teased, "Instead, you're just wallowing in your own sadness."
Diana sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"There's no way to get her..." Diana began, "Unless- No, that wouldn't... Would it?"
Diana suddenly stood from her desk, a smirk on her face. She put the cork back on the bottle, and looked C.C. in the eyes.
"I have a plan."