Boy In The Scroll

Chapter 7: Unfeeling Heart

Tamaki's teeth chattered loudly and Lelouch could feel the man shift as he removed his singed shirt to wrap it around Naoto's arm. "I can't believe he's gone," Tamaki whispered before he slumped over as he cradled the arm to his chest, unconscious.

Lelouch blinked at the sleeping man and shook his head. A lot had happened today and with the loss of a comrade only the emperor would look down on Tamaki's display of weakness. Lelouch sighed, only humans could show emotions like Tamaki did so frequently, the man was practically an open book. He was the exact opposite of Lelouch's father, and Lelouch was beginning to think he had much more in common with the emperor than he liked to admit.

Lelouch didn't feel any sadness in his heart. He didn't understand it. Death, killing, it was bad. But not a single tear escaped his eyes, no thoughts of sorrow or loss crossed Lelouch's mind. Did his uncaring heart prove that he really wasn't human anymore? Perhaps as a spirit he could no longer spare any sadness toward the death of a friend, all of his sorrow already went toward the loss of his mother.

Shaking his head, Lelouch slowly descended toward Ohgi's truck. The man looked just about read to leave and was closing the large door to the back of it. Making sure to stay out of eyesight, Lelouch gently set Tamaki down on the passengers seat.

Just in time too, considering Kallen just jumped into the back passengers seat. She took one look at Tamaki, mumbled something about lazy idiots and continued to lean back in her chair with a scowl. Lelouch supposed now would be the time to feel sorry for her as she had just lost her brother and didn't know it, but he still didn't feel his heart ache like it did when his mother died. Lelouch closed his eyes and sighed, giving up on trying to discover what triggered his emotions.

Soon the sun rose again even before they got back to camp. It seemed that even without an explanation, the rest of rebels had already guessed the worse.

"What happened?" Yoshida asked.

"I'm not sure," Ohgi stated silently as he carried Tamaki to one of the couches, unaware of Lelouch who floated right behind him. "We went to the harbor in search for Naoto. I received orders to load up the truck with the food shipment. Tamaki wasn't with me. I think he was with Naoto. I'm not sure what happened but Tamaki just appeared at the truck as I was carrying the last box. We'll need to ask him once he wakes up."

"So the Britannian's stole another of our comrades," Naomi stated sadly as she hugged her arms. She shook out her blue hair and looked away. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I need to go."

Lelouch floated above the small group, listening to their conversation. He couldn't believe that they were speaking of such matters in front of Naoto's sister, but he couldn't bring himself to really care. He just watched on with his usual cool and calculating gaze as the men and girl before him shed tears for their friend and brother.

Did he not care because he, himself was dead, or was it something else? Whatever it was, it troubled Lelouch. He didn't like the fact that he could not, would not care. He killed people and he didn't care. Killed! And his friend was gone. Dead! His entire mindset went against everything his mother ever taught him, and it certainly went against anything Nunnally of Euphy would agree with. His uncaring disposition screamed, 'I'm the son of Charles zi Britannia!' Lelouch didn't like it one bit.

XXX

To Lelouch, the days were becoming blurred together. Everything was in fast motion as the funeral neared. Usually when someone of Japanese decent died they would immediately be cremated before the week was up. However due to the fact that it was the rebel's leader who died and everything that came with trying to get Ohgi to take the position, things were delayed.

The morning the funeral arrived was a rainy day, just like the day Naoto died. It seemed to reflect everyone's mood as they all paid their respects to him. The funeral was done in secrecy as to hide the fact from the Britannian's. As the day rolled on everyone from the ghetto's stopped by 'base' to pay their respects. Eventually a shinto priest came to ward away evil spirits and burn the arm.

All seven rebels watched as the arm burned to ash and when it cooled off they all took turns retrieving pieces of bone with chopsticks. When it came around to Tamaki the man declined and fled the area. He didn't remember the events that took place at the harbor. It was a traumatic event and no one could really blame him for forgetting Naoto's death, or why Naoto even died. They all just guessed it was Tamaki's fault for not following orders to begin with… of course no one voice their opinion out loud to the red head, but Lelouch could hear them mutter it under their breaths.

"Lelouch, I wanna talk to you," Tamaki said as he walked away from his friends and toward the corner of the room.

Lelouch reluctantly followed, already knowing what all this was about.

"What's your problem?" Tamaki demanded. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and jutted out his chin toward Lelouch.

"I don't have one," Lelouch stated, matter-of-factly.

"You're standing-"

"Floating."

Tamaki glared, "you're floating there and you don't even care that Naoto's dead!"

"I do care," Lelouch said.

"Damn it! You're not even human!" Tamaki hissed. "How can something like you, even begin to care! You might say that you care, but it sure doesn't look like it! Where the fuck were you when Naoto died?"

"I was doing my job," Lelouch answered. He was more affected by that comment than he let on. "Besides, what were you doing?"

"Me? I can't remember!"

"Have you ever asked yourself why exactly, you can't remember?" Lelouch asked despite himself. He was treading on dangerous territory but pushed on. "Has it ever occurred to you that it might have been your fault?"

"What!?" Tamaki screeched, face growing red with rage. "How dare you! I wouldn't have killed him!"

Lelouch looked down at the man from his perch in the air. "Says the man that never listens to orders," Lelouch sneered. "If you hadn't let that ego of yours get out of control and actually listened to orders for once Nao-"

"Shut up!" Tamaki ordered. "How can you judge someone you've only known for three weeks? You know nothing about me! And by the looks of it you don't even care that Naoto's gone! You're the devil!"

That goes both ways! How could Tamaki say that Lelouch didn't care? Sure he didn't show any outward emotion- and that scared him- however that could be easily explained. He'd spent seven damned years in that scroll and hadn't shown any emotion since his mother died! Would it have been better if Lelouch pretended to cry? Emotions were alien to him…

Lelouch cut off his train of thought and floated closer to Tamaki, ready to fire back another rebuke.

"No! Get back!" Tamaki roared, stopping Lelouch in his tracks. "I don't care what you say. Just shut up and stay here." Tamaki stomped away and Lelouch could barely pick up his last words, "I'll deal with you later."

XXX

Tamaki growled quietly as he went back to his comrades who were now placing Naoto's urn on a shrine-like-shelf. How dare that spirit blame him for Naoto's death! What right did Lelouch have for placing that blame on him? If anything it would be the spirit's fault considering he had freaking powers! And besides, if Lelouch was a spirit could he, oh I don't know; um, resurrect the dead?

"Who were you talking to?" Ohgi questioned once Tamaki got closer.

"Lelouch," Tamaki growled the name.

"Oh," Ohgi nodded in understanding. "Does he know about Naoto?"

"Yeah," Tamaki growled.

Ohgi gave him a questioning look. "Are you okay?"

"Lelouch could have saved Naoto."

"I don't know about that… Besides isn't he just a kid?"

Tamaki turned his glare on Ohgi. Was it just him, or was everyone against him today? If only Lelouch could be see by everyone, he wouldn't need to deal with this right now!

"What kid?" Kallen asked. Her eyes a bit puffy from crying, but overall she seemed much better than before.

"Just some Britannian recruit," Ohgi shrugged.

Kallen frowned. "That's a kid?"

"Yeah…"

"You let a Britannian kid help, but not me?" Kallen asked, eyes narrowing.

"He's a special case. Naoto let him on," Ohgi stated and Tamaki just snorted.

"Did he have something to do with my brother's…" she was unable to complete the sentence. Finally! Someone that saw things the same way Tamaki did!

"No," Ohgi shook his head. "He was helping us and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to load the truck without being caught."

Tamaki huffed. Ohgi was such a traitor. If Ohgi knew what Lelouch was, he would also see things in the same light as Tamaki did. Tamaki frowned… what the brat said wasn't true right? It just couldn't be Tamaki's fault. Sure he was reckless at times, and didn't always follow orders, but it's not like he shot his own leader! Tamaki massaged his temples, god he wished he could remember what the hell happened.

"I want to fight," Kallen said. "Naoto's gone now and without him you'll need as much help as you can get. You know I'm the only one good enough to pilot the only Knightmare we have."

She left no room for argument and in the end Ohgi really didn't have any other choice but to let her do as she pleased. She was their best friend's sister, and was already involved in their criminal acts. Besides, she wasn't the same child she used to be.

"Very well," Ohgi agreed. "However should anything happen I need you to return to the Stadtfeld home. You have two lives to uphold, and as long as you have the Stadtfeld home to return to, you'll have something no one else has. A second life and a second chance. When things become to rough here, or when I tell you to, you are to return there and lay back for a while."

"Thats cowardly."

Ohgi shook his head. "It's not. You're simply ensuring your survival."

"Fine."

"Oh and you still need to keep up your grades in school."

Kallen's face fell. "You can't be serious. What about that other kid?"

"Lelouch is none of my business, and I have no power over him. You however…"

"Alright, alright!" Kallen grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest.

XXX

What. The. F.

Lelouch slammed his eyes shut as he struggled against his binds. Nothing budged. Lelouch groaned as he gasped for breath and hung from the chains that bound him in his current position. He couldn't see the chains, but he could feel it's rough steel biting into his flesh. It hurt. And he didn't like it. Damn that blasted scroll! He didn't sign up for this! He wasn't a wild animal! Why in the world was he chained like one? Where was Tamaki when he needed him? Lelouch winced as he struggled one last time, only to gasp when the chains got tighter.

Tears of pain blurred his vision, making everything a mass of colors. Lelouch groaned as he blinked his tears away. If only someone else could see him and help him out of this jumbled mess! Like Kallen! For crying out loud the girl was sitting right below him staring at a picture of Naoto.

"Where's Tamaki?" Lelouch groaned, but because of the pressure to his jaw he couldn't seem to open his mouth.

It felt like ages before Kallen stood up and rounded the corner. Lelouch could hear her shout something or another about some kid joining the resistance, and it wasn't until an hour later when Tamaki rounded that same corner.

Lelouch instantly locked eyes on him, he would have ask for help, moved, anything to get Tamaki to help him but his body wouldn't listen to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tamaki growled as he sauntered up to Lelouch with his hands stuffed in his pocket. "You look like an idiot."

Lelouch glared.

"What? You don't have any smart retorts this time?" Tamaki asked as he took a seat on one of the chairs facing Lelouch. "Well, maybe you were right, maybe it was my fault... Aren't you going to say anything?"

Lelouch blinked, did Tamaki just admit to being wrong? Impossible, Tamaki would never do that… would he? Lelouch was so focused on this dilemma that he didn't notice the pressure in his jaw release.

"So, you going to answer me or what? Did Naoto die because of me?"

"I don't know," Lelouch answered and was shocked to see that he could talk.

"But you said-"

"Before that," Lelouch started, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Could you release me?"

"Huh?"

"I can't move, and earlier you told me not to. So release me."

"Erm, you can move?"

As soon as Tamaki said that, Lelouch collapsed to the ground. He let out a shaky breath from finally being freed. His entire body tingled as if his blood was beginning to circulate again. Taking a look at his arm, Lelouch nearly bit his tongue when he noticed it was swollen from the lack of blood circulation.

At least one good thing came out of all of this. He finally discovered that Tamaki had power over him, and possibly the key to his freedom.

A/N: Chapters may be coming a bit slower. I'm moving to the State's next week (lol, 'States' I call it the Mainland) and then I start school the week after. So updates will most likely be slower until I get used to the environment, school and whatnot.