Author's Note:Since I'm already working on the third chapter,I decided to upload the second chapter today. However,chapter 3 won't be uploaded until some time next week. But if I'm in my writing groove,I'll be able to upload it later. Enjoy!
Chapter 2:Closure
I was in the imperial garden with Nunnally and Euphemia. We were playing a game of role-play. I was playing as the father,Euphie as the mother and Nunnally as the daughter. We were having so much fun. Then,another girl was standing nearby,seemingly shy to approach us. I smiled at her and invited her to play.
"Hey,wanna play with us?" I offered.
"Um,sure."
"What's your name?"
"Anya."
"We're playing house!" Nunnally exclaimed.
"Yeah,I'm the mother,he's the father and she's the daughter. So um...you can be a daughter too I guess." Euphie said.
"Hey! You played as the mother last time! Why can't I be the mother?" Nunnally protested.
"So? There's nothing wrong with that. You can be the mother the next time we play."
"But I don't want to wait until next time!"
"Why not let Anya be the mother?" I interjected.
Euphie and Nunnally stopped arguing and stared at her. I got down on one knee and pulled out a silver ring.
"Anya,will you marry me?"
She smiled at me,before she replied. "Yes."
I grabbed her hand and kissed it as I slipped the ring on her finger. When I stood up,I felt as if Euphie and Nunnally were teeming with jealousy as they stared at her.
"On second thought..."She trailed.
"Will you two stop acting like brats!" I cried. The girls stopped arguing after I spoke.
"You should be the mother,Anya"
"Yeah,you should."
We ended up playing until the next attended dancing lessons and Nunnally had piano lessons,leaving the Anya and I alone in the garden. We kept talking about various things. We talked as if we were old friends,that's how we looked.
"Um,your highness?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you defend me earlier when they got angry with me for playing as the mother?"
"Because they're just being brats. I won't let anyone and anything hurt my friends,especially not over something childish as that."
"So,I am your friend?"
"Of course you are."
Eventually,we became the best of friends. We were always together,we were inseperable. We laugh together,we cry together,we did everything together. I was so glad to have met a girl like her. I know that I could never find anyone like her. But one day,when my mother was killed,Nunnally and I were exiled to Japan. On the day of our departure,I was waiting for her,but she never showed up,that's why I never got to say goodbye. Just then,every moment that we spent together,every memory of us together flashed right before me.
"Hi,I'm are?"
"My name is Anya Alstreim."
"I'm glad to have a friend like you."
"Even if my parents died,I don't feel lonely because of you,your highness.I can never thank you for that."
"No,I can never thank YOU for being here for me."
"Prince Lelouch...I..."
"What is it,Anya?"
"I like you!"
"Anya..."
"It's okay if you don't feel the same way my prince,I don't expect you to-"
"I like you too."
"You do?"
"From the moment I laid my eyes on you...I knew you were someone special."
"I felt the same way..."
What the hell?! I woke up,gasping for air. I shielded my eyes from the bright rays of sunlight penetrating through my windows. Well...that was a weird dream. Could it really be? Is the girl from my past really Anya? I wonder. Why can't I remember ever being with her? I looked over to my bed and saw Anya sleeping with a serene smile on her face. Her smile was contagious,for I also smiled when I saw her face. I decided to dismiss the dream for now. I panticated,rubbed my eyes and headed outside.
I opened Rolo's bedroom and was surprised to not find him there. Maybe he went off somewhere. I went to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast for Anya and me. I cooked some eggs,fried some bacon and baked some toast. I sat the table up and cleaned the kitchen. After cleaning,I went to the room to wake Anya up.
She was still sound asleep when I came in. She looked so peaceful that I had second thoughts about waking her up. But anyways,she has to eat her breakfast. I shook her gently on the shoulder to wake her.
"Anya,anya." I whispered softly. She groaned at first but then,opened her eyes. When her eyes fully opened,they widened.
"Lelouch?" She exclaimed in shock as she sat straight up. "Wh...where am I?" She asked as she looked around frantically.
"Anya,calm down." I requested. When she calmed down,that's when I started to explain myself. "You were tired last night. So tired,that you fell asleep on my shoulder. I couldn't just leave you out there and let you sleep in the cold night. Apart from that,I don't know where you live,that's why I decided to take you home and let you sleep here."
"Oh." Was her reply.
"Anyways,breakfast's ready,come on. Or do you need to use the bathroom first?"
"No,I'm fine thank you."
"Okay,come on,let's eat."
I led her to the dining area,let her sit down and ate with her. We barely made any noise while eating. The only sound that can be heard was the noise of the utensils coming in contact with the plates. I broke the eerie silence by striking up a conversation.
"So,where are you headed after this?" I asked her as I took a spoonful of food.
She swallowed,drank some water and answered "I'll report to headquarters first."
"I guess so,they must be pretty worried about you."
"Then,I'll prepare for our...date afterwards." She blushed as she said this. I can feel my face heating up too,I must look like a tomato by now. Well,it's not like Anya looks any different,she's blushing too. It's the millionth time that I'm about to say this,but she looks absolutely cute while blushing.
"I see. Do you want me to accompany you?" She blushed harder when I asked this.
"Oh...uhm...n...no,I'll be f-fine on my own." She stuttered. She's blushing so hard,that I'm actually scared that her head might explode because of blushing.
"Okay. I'll meet you at the shrine around 3 pm is that enough for you? Or do you need more time?"
"No,that's enough time for me to prepare."
"Wait,how are you going to get back to your headquarters?" She raised her eyebrows at me before answering.
"I'll take a cab,like any normal person would." I blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh,right."
We finished our meal in peace. I cleaned up our mess,with Anya helping me. As much as I hate to admit,but,we kinda make a good pair together. After cleaning our mess,she went on to leave.
"So...this is goodbye then,for now." I joked. She just nodded in response.
"I'll see you later,Lelouch." She smiled.
"Yeah,see ya."
"Oh,and Lelouch,"
"Hm?"
"Thank you,thank you for everything. For taking me in,and taking care of me."
"Nah,it's nothing." I croaked out as I blushed.
"Bye."
"Bye."
When she went out the door,I smiled and I felt excited. Man,I was looking like an adolescent who just got his first kiss. I really have to loosen up. I went to the bathroom and took a shower. After showering up,I went to my closet and picked out my clothes. My attire,composed of a dark blue blazer,white longsleeves,a pair of matching dark blue slacks and leather shoes. Since I still had two hours before our...date,I decided to check the control room first. I hung my clothes in my cabinet and got dressed in a shirt and pants. I headed to the control room afterwards. I found Rolo,Miss Viletta and Sayoko inside. They all looked surprised when they saw me.
"Master Lelouch? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the art gallery by this time."
"Change of plans,Sayoko. I have to attend to something important in a few hours."
"What is it?" Rolo asked.
"I...can't really tell you."
"Why? Lelouch,is there something going on?"
"No,it's nothing,it's just...personal."
"I see."
"Sayoko,what time will the Chinese Federation press conference take place?"
"In about thirty minutes,master." Well,I guess I can make it there.
"Good,I'm heading there right now." I decided to attend the press conference,since it was a treaty signing,and it would give us an advantage against Britannia.
I boarded the Shinkiro,set it to auto-pilot mode and changed into Zero's outfit. It took me about half an hour to get to the new Chinese Federation Headquarters. The press conference lasted for over forty minutes. At the end of the conference,the Chinese Federation signed a treaty with the Black Knights,and they even promised to help us out in our struggles against Britannia. I looked at my phone and found out that it was already 2:30 pm. After the press conference,I immediately boarded my knightmare and flew back to school. I arrived twenty minutes later,since I practically used up most of the Shinkiro's power to get me home as fast as possible. I left my knightmare in the underground levels and hurried back to my room.
I ran as fast as I could and shockingly,I wasn't tired a bit. Maybe because I am so excited. I changed into the clothes that I picked out earlier,sprayed some cologne and went to the shrine. On my way,I was really excited. I tried really hard to keep my composure. Fortunately,I succeeded. I sat down the steps of the shrine,the same place where Anya and I went star-gazing the previous night.
My thoughts went back to what's going to happen between Anya and I when she finds out that I'm Zero. I didn't even want to think about it,but I knew,that it was something that I can't run away from. I have to deal with it eventually,so it's pointless to run away from it. I started to stare at the hard pavement,just thinking about solutions for the soon-to-be-problem. I can't use my geass on her,I wouldn't. My thoughts were interrupted by a small voice.
"Lelouch?"I looked up and saw...wow...she does look beautiful. I saw Anya standing in front of me. Wearing a pink collared skirt dress that extended to the top of her knees,a maroon colored mini-blazer,a pair of knee-length white-pink striped socks,a pair of cute maroon sandals and a large green ribbon tied on the top of her head. Wow,she looks...gorgeous. I noticed that she also put make up on her face,though it was very light,it was just right.
"Hello,Anya." I greeted as I stood up and approached her. I got down on one knee,I took her left hand and kissed the back of her hand gently. I looked up at her and didn't know if she was blushing or if it was her make up. "You look,exquisite." I commented,making her blush,this time I was certain that she is indeed blushing.
"Thank you."She thanked as she looked away in embarrassment.
"Well then,shall we?" She nodded in reply. I went on and signaled for a cab. I led her into the cab then sped off to the settlement. When we arrived at the settlement,I paid the cab and asked Anya if we could do something before I take her to the restaurant.
"Anya,would you mind going with me to the park?" I asked.
"No,it's fine." With that we headed to the park.
We sat down on the bench near the fountain and just started talking like old friends. A few minutes later,pigeons started to flock around us. I remembered something that my brothers and sisters used to do when we were younger. Also,it was what my friend and I used to do when we were younger. This should prove whether Anya really is that girl from the homeland ten years ago. I excused myself and bought a bag of bread crumbs from the nearby stand. I sat back down on the bench and grabbed a handful of bread stared at me with curiosity as I did this. Once I had a handful of bread crumbs,I threw it on the ground,then the pigeons rushed over and ate them.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked.
"Feeding pigeons. It's something I've always done with my mother when I was younger." I answered.
"It seems...familiar."
"Hm?"
"I used to do this with the prince when I was still with him." She answered sadly. My eyes widened,I can't believe it...it really is her. I resisted the urge to just reach over,hug her and tell her that I was that boy from the past. I almost shed a tear,but I manned up,I have to save it for later.
"Here,get some." I gave her the bag and she started feeding the pigeons. I smiled at her,she makes everything look graceful.
We continued to engage in light conversations. We talked about school,about her life,about my life and about a lot more. Of course I did most of the talking,since I can remember everything that happened over the course of my life. Time went by,we didn't even notice. We just sat there,talking,enjoying each others' company,and cherishing the time we spent with each other. I was surprised at how often I made her smile and laugh. I looked at my phone to check the time and it read 6:00 pm.
"Um,Anya,will you excuse me for a moment,I have to make a phone call."
"Sure thing."
I stood up and went a few meters away. I called a family friend who works at a restaurant called 'Argento Aso'. I called in a few favors,and since he is indebted to my mother,he told me that he'll take care of everything. He's one of the few people who know about my true identity here in Japan. Everything was set,time to get this show on the road.
"Let's go, to go."
"Go where?"
"Well,you don't expect to go out on a date with me without atleast having a meal with me. That's why it's called a 'date',Anya." I remarked sarcastically as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh,okay."
I signaled for another cab and went to the heart of the settlement. Once we arrived in front of the restaurant,a valet assisted us out of the cab. When I got out of the cab and had a look at the restaurant,my eyes almost popped out of my face in awe. I knew that the restaurant was big,because it's one of the most expensive ones in all of Japan,but I didn't know that it was THIS big. No wonder every nobleman eats here for dinner. I paid the cab then it sped off. Before going inside,I was met by someone familiar.
"Ah,Lelouch,my have you grown into quite a young man."
"Thanks Griggs,so,is our table ready?"
"Right from the moment you who might this beautiful young lady be?"
"I'm Anya."
"My goodness,the Lady Anya,the Knight of Six? Well I must say,that is quite a good catch Lelouch." Anya and I blushed at his comment. I forgot how gregarious Griggs can be. "This way my boy." Griggs announced. I was glad that he decided to dismiss the conversation. He lead Anya and I to a table for two near the window. I helped her to her seat,and sat down my self. Griggs gave each of us a menu,then jotted down our orders.
We continued our chatter until our food was served. Even while we were eating,we were still talking to each other. It's as if we never wanted to stop talking to each other. Actually,I was quite surprised with Anya.I never knew that she possessed a side like this. I thought that she was an introvert,I guess I pegged her wrong. She is an introvert,but if you try to talk to her,she'll reconsider. However,what surprised me the most about her was that she always smiles and laughs when she's with me. The whole day,whenever I'd talk to her or look at her,she would always have a smile on her face. It felt like she was trying to tempt me into falling for her...and I hate to admit but...she's doing a great job. We finished our meal a few minutes later. I decided then,that I needed to talk to her,seriously this time.
"Anya,can I talk you?"
"Aren't we talking already?" She answered playfully. I let out a chuckle at her cuteness.
"I mean,in private."
"Okay."
We took the elevator to the rooftop. Once we got there,I marveled at the sight. The rooftop overlooks all of the Tokyo Settlement. Wow,I guess I made a good choice going here for my first date. I led her to the railing,and looked her in the eyes.
"So,have you been enjoying the day?" I asked casually.
"Yes."
"That's good to hear."I chimed playfully.
"Lelouch,can I ask you something?" I noticed that she started to blush when she spoke.
"Sure."
"Why are you doing this for me? It's not that I don't appreciate your efforts,believe me,I really do. It's just that,nobody has ever done those things for me. Listen to me,comfort me,let me sleep in his room because I was so tired,make breakfast for me,ask me out on a date,talk with me for the whole day,stay with me in the park and eat dinner with me. I'm very thankful for everything that you've done,but...why are you doing it all for me?" She asked. I was afraid she'd ask this. She deserves nothing but the truth. I sighed,and looked at the distance.
"It's because you deserve it. When you told me that you don't have memories last night,I was hurt .I'm not doing this because I feel pitiful of you,no. I'm doing this because I care for you. Memories are something special. Memories are something that you can cherish until your last hour. Because at the end of the day,memories are what you have left when the bastards have taken everything else. I don't know what happened to you,or whoever did this to you,but curse them. When I found out that you have no memories,I...I was anguished. I never knew that you had such a tough life. That's why last night,when I was going star-gazing with you,I made a promise to myself. And that promise was to give you new memories. I decided to be one of the people in your life who will cherish you for who you are. That way,you'll have new memories,memories of me,of us. So that one day,when you look back at your past,you'll remember that you did find happiness and that someway,somehow,you'll remember that there's atleast one person who cherished you." I answered,not tearing my eyes away from the sky.
A minute of silence passed between us. Then I heard light sobs. I looked at Anya and saw that she was crying. I quickly searched my pocket for my handkerchief and wiped her tears away. I couldn't help but feel remorseful of what I've done.
"What's wrong?" I asked,my tone full of worry. To my surprise,instead of replying,she jumped forward and hugged me. She rested her head on the crook of my neck as she wrapped her arms around my neck. I wrapped my arms around her waist and just held her. "I'm sorry,Anya."
"Shh. Don't be. There's nothing to be sorry for. Th...thank you,Lelouch. Thank you for everything." She whispered.
"Anytime Anya,anytime." I continued to embrace each other until her cries subsided. When she stopped crying,I wiped her face and smiled at her. She blushed and tried to conceal a huge grin.
"You look cute if you do that,you know?" I remarked,making her blush more and smile more. "Anya,if you keep blushing,you're face might explode." I chuckled. She tried her hardest not to blush,but failed miserably. I also noticed something about her,she didn't even use her PDA. Now why wouldn't she?
"Hey,I noticed that you haven't used your PDA yet this whole time. Don't you usually record stuff in there?"
"It appears that I don't need it for today."
"Why?"
"Because I have new memories now." Her comment made me smile and happy on the inside. I hate to admit,but she's changing me somehow. I'm starting to get concerned if this will hinder me from destroying Britannia .But still,I promise that I'll see this through to the end,no excuses,even if I end up facing Anya. I dismissed the thought and continued to talk with her. It was getting late,and we have classes tomorrow. I guess it's time to go home,sadly.
"Hey,it's getting really late,and we still have classes tomorrow. We should get going now,don't want you to miss class because of me now."
"Okay then."
We went down to the dining area once again and I met up with Briggs. He told me that he's gonna pay for our bill,as repayment for one of the many debts that he owes our family. I thanked him and signaled for a cab. The valets however,did it for me. Once the cab got there,we hopped on.
"I'll accompany you home first."
"Oh,you don't have to,I ca-"
"Anya,we're on a date,okay? Besides,I wanna make sure that you get home safely. Sir,to the gates of the Britannian Headquarters please."
"Got it." The driver replied as we headed out.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
In about fifteen minutes,we arrived outside the gates of the Britannian Headquarters. The guards balked our entrance at the gates.
"This is a military sector of the Holy Britannian Empire,civilians are not allowed beyond this point!"
Anya got out of the car and started to talk.
"It's me." The guards were shocked when they saw Anya.I got out of the car and caught up to her.
"L-lady Anya!" I wasn't sure if they were shocked to see a civilian with a Knight of the Round or if they were surprised at what Anya's wearing. She never really wore these types of dresses,especially in public. According to her that is.
"Thank you,Lelouch. I really had fun tonight. And...thanks for the memories.I...hope that we can do this again some other time." She blushed the entire time she said this. She also tried to avoid my eyes in embarrassment. I tilted her chin,just enough so that she could look at me and smiled charmingly at her. She smiled back and blushed harder.
"No problem,Anya. I'll see you tomorrow,okay?"
"Okay."She replied. For the umpeteenth time today,I was met by another surprise. After Anya answered my question,she approached me and kissed me on the cheek. She smiled at me and bade farewell.
"Bye,Lelouch."
"Bye,Anya." She entered the gates while I was still frozen in my position. She just...kissed me! She just kissed me! I couldn't help but smile like an idiot. I tried to regain my composure but I just couldn't. I turned away from the guards and screamed for joy. I never expected her to do that. It was just a kiss on the cheek,but to me,it meant so much more. Wait...am I...starting to like her?
"Hey kid I still have customers waiting. Hop on!" The driver chided. I was snapped from my paradox and hopped on the cab.
"Oh,sorry! Head to Ashford Academy please."
"Alright."
On the way back,I just stared to the distance. My gaze was glued to the backseat. I pondered on the issue-What is going on between Anya and me? I kept thinking about it. Do I really like her? She's very important to me and I like her more than anyone,but it can't possibly be us together. We're enemies. I frowned at the thought. I didn't want to face reality for the first time. I wanted to enjoy our time together first,something I rarely do with anyone. Soon,we arrived at Ashford. I paid the cab and walked to my house. I entered the door and saw the lights on. Hm,Rolo must be home. I checked his room and found him sitting on a chair.
"Hey Rolo."
"Lelouch? Where have you been? Thousands of girls are looking for you! They all asked me why you didn't show up on your 'dates' with them. Some of them have gone nuts!"
"Um..."Nuts! I didn't know that those girls would go mad. An even bigger problem is how am I gonna explain this to Rolo. Well,he doesn't really need to know,does he?
"Are you wearing a cologne?"
"Oh um...yeah." Oh boy.
"Why? Don't tell me that-no...did you?"
"Did I what?"
"Go on a date with someone? You rarely use your cologne." I can't believe I forgot about that. Since when did I become so careless?
"I didn't. I just dealt with something,that's all."
"Really? And what's with the gettup? Aren't we looking TOO formal?" Dammit Rolo!
"I told you,I just finished some business. That's all. Nothing more,nothing less." I answered. I left the room afterwards. I went to my own room and changed into night clothes. I brushed my teeth,washed my face,and went to bed. I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. What's going on between Anya and I? Are we...dating now? It can't,it just won't work out. Geez,I should really exercise optimism. All this thinking's making me sleepy. I know that I can't run away from it forever. Anya's going to find out about my true identity,that I am Zero soon. But,until then,I'll just enjoy the time I have with her. Since Britannia's not making any plans of wiping us out,that gives me some breathing room. Then I remembered,Kallen...Dammit! I have to devise a plan to get Kallen back. I can't lose my ace pilot in a war. I have to take action,fast. I guess I'll have to work on that in the days to come. But right now,I guess I'll just have to rest. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.