Thank you: Invader Designia, brunettebookworm14 and Usagi323 (who also reviewed last time but I didn't get the alert till after I updated. I'm so sorry! But thank youX2 Usagi-san...which is the name of my Fruits Basket OC...LOL! That fiction not published yet...XD) Let the awesomeness begin...haha, just kidding! ^-^
Two Days Later...
Isabella stood in the pouring rain staring down at Shirley's grave, tears leaking out of her eyes.
Why did she have to kill herself? Why?! Why did she have to die...
The sound of footsteps were behind her and Isabella perked her ears, listening to the light squeaking of shoes over wet grass. Isabella kept her back to whomever it was and the footsteps stopped. She sensed someone behind her and an umbrella hovered over her head. Isabella looked over her shoulder to see a boy dressed in the Ashford Academy uniform, his deep violet eyes peering at her and his dark brown hair dripping rain drops.
"You'll catch a cold if you stand out here any longer," he said and Isabella bowed her head, not saying a word. "You're in most of my classes, aren't you Isabella?"
She nodded, still not saying anything and hugged herself, feeling cold. The boy stepped closer to her, coming under the umbrella as well and his violet eyes focused on Shirley's grave.
"I knew her too. She was one of my best friends," he told her and Isabella tilted her head.
"Yeah? Shirley was like my sister. We've been friends since birth...or we had been...then for some reason she--committed--I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk about it since I'm sure you know," Isabella said and the boy nodded.
"Yes, school isn't the same without Shirley around," he said and Isabella noticed how his voice held a certain note as if he had lost someone else as well.
"Have you...lost someone else too? Another friend?" she asked before thinking.
There was a pause and Isabella felt herself blush.
"Sorry...I shouldn't have asked. I'm so impulsive...I always act before I think," she admitted and the boy smiled.
"It's alright, and to answer your question, yes," he said and Isabella felt a pang of empathy. "She was very important to me. I loved her...I still do."
Isabella stared at him, her green eyes flooding with empathy. She raised her hand to his face and rested her warm fingers against his wet cheek, offering a small smile.
"I don't know how much comfort this is to you, but my mom always used to tell me before she died, that no matter what happens, everything will turn out right in the end," she said and the boy turned his head towards the warm touch of her hand. "It sounds preachy and cleche but to add my own twist to it, I say Fate's a bitch at times but even so, everything falls into place afterwards and everybody wins one way or another."
He laughed lightly and opened his eyes, which were smiling.
"Thanks. To be honest, that's comforting."
Isabella beamed.
"I'm glad I could help. Hi, I'm Isabella," she added just to formally introduce herself.
"Hi, I'm Lelouch Lamperouge," he said and Isabella removed her hand off his face.
"I think we should go back to school so neither of us catch pnemonia," Isabella said and Lelouch still held the umbrella over them.
"Alright, I'll walk with you."
Isabella prayed a good bye to Shirley and then touched the Lotus necklace that was left behind for her that hung around her neck beneath her rose.
I'll come back soon, I promise.
One Year Later...
Isabella awoke and stretched her arms, the sunlight shimmering through the curtains. She relaxed her hands behind her head and looked over at her sleeping roommate Kallen, who had moved in at the headmaster's request shortly after Shirley passed away and Nina had moved out. Incapable of rolling over and going back to sleep, Isabella pushed the covers off of herself and crept into the bathroom, a change of clothes in her hand.
"I wonder what Lelouch is planning today...he's always running off with Rolo..." Isabella wondered aloud as she replaced her pajama bottoms with jeans. "They both are going to fail all thier classes if they keep it up...ah...why do I keep getting these cold feelings towards Rolo? It's the same with Suzaku...and my brother whenever I think of him..."
Isabella pulled a blue tank top over herself and began to brush her hair, which had grown to the middle of her back.
"Another weird thing I can't remember is getting my hair cut...it used to be down to my hips..."
She set the brush down and began to braid her black locks together in twin braids.
"It's so weird how I can't remember some of the simplest things...getting my hair cut...being angry with Suzaku or Rolo...and how could I know Rolo for so long but just meet Lelouch only a year ago...there's a link missing," Isabella told her relection which only returned the confused expression. "I've been trying to figure it out since that rainy night at Shirley's grave...something about Lelouch...the way he looked at me and the way he nuzzled my hand...something clicked..."
Isabella leaned against the sink and sighed.
"But how could I forget events in my own life...? My past...I always start there...let's see...the bombing that killed Mom and Dad...I was seperated from Michael...was a slave for seven years then Shirley came back and got me freedom back...but why does that seem off? I fell in love with someone because of that...but I didn't fall in love with Shirley...it couldn't have been her that won that chess game...no it wasn't her..." Isabella's eyes widened and she continued her train of thought, "but if it wasn't Shirley then who was it?!"
Isabella groaned and her brain hurt from trying to put the puzzle together. Too many pieces were missing but she was too stubborn to let it go.
"I have to figure it out...I will too..." Isabella assured herself and walked out of the bathroom then out of the dorm. She had to get out of the Academy to clear her head and she decided to go down to the bookstore nearby for a quiet place to think.
Isabella stepped out onto the healthy, green grass, the sun's golden rays warming her and she made her way down the sidewalk, passing fast food resturants and a Pizza Hut. Isabella glance sideways randomly and a whisp of icy blue hair caught her eye. It seemed familiar and Isabella caught the sight of a blue haired girl sitting out on a bench, her gold eyes observing her surroundings. The ebony haired teen studied her as she walked by, the gold eyes meeting hers. Isabella blinked and the girl was on her feet, thier eyes still connected for a breif moment then Isabella looked away, the strange feeling of the eyes still watching her.
Weird...she seemed familiar...
Isabella raised her hand to her forehead and continued walking to the book store.
It's so strange...I can remember things and yet I can't...what is it with me?
She reached her destination and stepped through the automatic doors heading straight for the fiction section.
Maybe I read too much...but maybe someone did some sort of spell...but who could do that?
Abandoning the romance section of the fiction half of the small store, Isabella scurried over to the area containing books on witchcraft.
I don't know of any witches...but maybe there's something in these books that can give me an answer about my apparent lost memories...
Isabella spent over an hour searching through mythology books and witchcraft books trying to come up with an answer or at least think of a hypothesis. She snapped the fifth book she had read through and slipped it through an open space on the shelf, her eyes hurting from nonstop reading.
I simply don't get it...I know there is no book that can tell me what's wrong with me but I couldn't even so much as get a hunch!
Sighing, Isabella walked out of the book store even more frustrated than when she left the Academy. Too many questions whirled in her mind like a cyclone and for a moment, it seemed she would have the answer then it would slip through her fingers like sand and water.
I have to figure this out...either that or I am going to lose my mind even more!
Isabella came to the Pizza Hut again and sat down on the same bench she saw the blue haired girl sitting. Inhaling the sweet air and realizing she had the rest of the day to herself, Isabella rose again and headed downtown. She kept her light violet back pack strap secure against her shoulder and braved walking through the ghettos.
"Damn Britannia," she muttered and spotted two young children trudging through the ruines of a house. "Hey!"
They looked up at her and thier eyes widened as they started to scurry away.
"No, wait a minute!" Isabella called out but they didn't stop. "They must think I'm a Britannian...well I'd rather be ripped limb from limb than be a part of that...demonic...presence..."
Isabella walked up to the ruined house and unzipped her backpack, leaving a paper bag lunch behind for the kids as well as a prayer they had a better home to go back to. Isabella continued on, the ghettos only getting worse as she walked farther and her legs grew tired. She sat down on a lingering cinder block and set her pack next to her, propping her head on her elbows.
"I wonder...maybe I could try and join Zero's rebellion...what the--?"
Geass...possess and read minds...
"You'll be extremely useful to Zero"
She kissed his hesitiating lips again...keeping her eyes shut...letting the rest of her senses take over...
I love him...
"Ah!" Isabella snapped back to her senses and rubbed her temples. "What was that?!"
Isabella glanced beside her and saw a long arm reaching for her bag. She snapped her head to her left and saw a dirty, Japanese man robbing her bagand she jumped to her feet but he was already running away, bag in hand.
"That wasn't smart! Dang it Isabella...common sense! Hey! Get back here before I call the cops on you!" Isabella yelled and the man darted behind a building. Isabella followed him and saw he had stopped, his back to her and he was backing away. "Dude, what the hell? Give me my bag. I need it for school and there isn't anything you can hawk for a large amount of money."
The man didn't face her and Isabella strutted right up to him and snatched her bag out of his hand.
"Thank you, now, what are you--"
She followed his wide eyed gaze and the man ran off, leaving her alone with none other than Zero.
"Ze--ro-sama!" Isabella stammered and he approached her.
"You shouldn't do such foolish things here in the ghetto," he scolded and Isabella bowed.
"I'm sorry, I was feeling kind of off and set my bag down without thinking. Thank you for stopping that man...I don't feel like doing my history paper over again," she smiled, feeling highly embarassed and then slung the bag back over her shoulder.
His hands were on either side of her head and his body was pressed against hers, protecting her from the crumbling building...
A swish of green hair in the shadows...
Guns fired and she felt the searing pain ip through her body...
Crimson...blood...innocent people gone...
Geass...
"Isabella?" Zero had his hands on her shoulders and the outside of Isabella's irises glowed a faint red which grew weaker by the second.
"Don't shoot her Rolo! She's my best friend!"
"I didn't want to kill little Shirley...but she was another obsticale..."
Geass...
"No...wait, stop!" Isabella's eyes shone red even more and Zero tried to raise her head to eye level but she shook from his touch. "I don't want to forget!"
"Isabella, what's going on?!" Zero paniced and Isabella's eyes returned to normal, a confused look replacing the terror-stricken expression.
"Nothing, I just said thank you," she replied, seeming to have no memory of the previous thrity seconds.
She was having a flash back...this could mean she's about to get her memories back...
"Alright, just be more careful," Zero warned and Isabella nodded obediantly.
"I will, and thank you so much."
Zero turned on his heels, his cape swishing and walked away leaving Isabella biting her lip, hoping he hadn't taken her sudden flashback to heart.
Two Days later...
"EVeryone, get your pins ready!" Milly ordered as she burst through the door of the Student Council room.
Isabella finished glueing white lace around her red heart pin and clipped it onto her uniform shirt. It was Valentines Day and Milly had decided to make everyone design festive pins for the occasion. The point, get someone of the opposite sex to exchange pins (girls had red guys had white) with thier name on it and he/she had to be thier "valentine" that day. Isabella's goal: get through the day alive and avoid being scarred for life. Maybe get Lelouch to...Isabella shook her head, trying to bat away the impossible day dream.
Although...maybe I should tell him how I feel...but today he'll be bombarded with girls scrambeling to spill thier hearts to him, so, I guess I shouldn't...I'd just be another obsession confession.
"Hey, Isabella," Rivalz came up to her, a white heart pinned on his shirt, and Isabella squeaked in surprise, "are you going to exchange with anyone?"
"Uh, I don't think so," she said, her face glowing scarlet and the room seemed to grow one hundred degrees hotter.
"But what about Lelouch?" Rivalz asked quietly, leaning toward her more and she went brighter red when she stole a glance at Lelouch across the room.
"I doubt he'd want to trade with me since he's got so many other girls that like him...all of them are really pretty too," Isabella said and rubbed the back of her neck.
"You two used to be inseperable and I swore you confessed to each other--"
"What are you talking about?"
Rivalz was shocked and opened his mouth to answer but Rolo appeared, practically tackling Isabella.
"Isabella-onee!" he excliamed.
"Rolo-chan! You scared me!"
"Sorry, I couldn't hold him back," Suzaku said as he walked up behind Isabella, a white heart also pinned to his shirt.
Bitterness crept into Isabella and she found herself having to force a smile when she saw him.
I don't know why...but it feels like he abandoned me when I needed him most...no...Suzaku wouldn't do that to me...he wouldn't do that to anyone...however, these feelings return every time I see him...it means something...
"Is everyone ready?" Milly asked, her hands on the door knobs and everyone gave her a nod. "Alright! Go exchange!"
The blond opened the door and the members scattered in the hallways, returning to their friends and Isabella found herself solo.
"Isabella!" someone called to her and the eighteen year old turned around, seeing a boy running towards her. She didn't recognize him nor was she able to get a glance at his name tag, since he had a boquet of red roses covering it.
"Um, hello."
"Hi, I was wondering if you'd want to exchange pins, and I bought you these!" the boy said and shoved the flowers in her face.
"Uh--I'm sorry--but I don't know you--"
"We have myth together."
"I'm not taking mythology this semester. You must have me confused with someone else," she said and the boy lowered the flowers. His face went brick red when he saw her.
"Oh...I am so sorry...I did confuse you with someone else...my girlfriend actually. You look exactly like her from the back. Hair length and color...the same name too. I'm sorry! Oh God, she's gonna kill me!"
"Nah, it's okay. It was a mistake if I look just like her. Plus you had the roses waving all over the place," Isabella said and the boy laughed awkwardly.
"Right...I'm going to go find her."
"Happy Valentines Day!"
Isabella continued walking as the boy scampered away and no sooner had he left her alone, Rolo had caught up with her again.
"Hi again, Isabella-onee," he greeted.
"Hey Rolo. Are you going to trade with anyone today?"
"I doubt it unless it's a friend," Rolo replied and Isabella ruffled his hair.
"I think you should find a pretty girl to trade hearts with, Rolo, I think that would be adorable," she told him and Rolo felt his breath catch in his chest when she touched him.
"I dunno...I would ask you but you're like my older sister and I think Big Brother would be mad at me," he said and Isabella's eyebrows creased.
"Why would Lelouch be mad?"
"Maybe mad was the wrong word...irritated...no...maybe just disappionted..."
"Why?"
"I think he wants to trade with you," Rolo said and Isabella blinked.
"With me?"
uh-oh...I wasn't supossed to say anything...
"WellIdunnoaskhimbye!" Rolo stammered in a hurry and sprinted away, making Isabella's face go o.O.
"Okay then Rolo," she murmured and went downstairs. "I think Milly needed some plates for the party later...I'll get some to kill some time..."
Isabella weaved through the aisles and then tripped over a crouching person.
"Hey, what gives?" Isabella asked, her black hair spilling across her shoulders and a hand slapped over her mouth.
"Please don't say anything. I have so many people following me!"
"Lelouch?" Isabella blurted through his hand which came out more "Wewouch?"
"Oh, hi Isabella. What are you doing?"
He removed his hand and Isabella kneeled in front of him as he sat back.
"I was getting some paper plates for the party later in the Student Council room. What are you doing?"
"Hiding."
"From who? Fan girls?"
"Exactly."
Isabella placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.
"I am so sorry. I feel for you, I really do."
Lelouch laughed and pushed his brown bangs aside before leaning back on one of the shelves.
"Why don't you just tell them that you want to trade with the girl you're in love with?" Isabella asked after a moment and Lelouch sighed.
"They all think I'm talking about one of them."
"Ew."
"I agree...so you still remember that statement huh?"
"Of course. You told me that at Shirley's grave about a year ago...you said you lost the girl you fell for."
"Well, not to death," Lelouch said and Isabella cocked an eyebrow.
"Was she in love with someone else?"
"No."
"Then...how'd you lose her?"
"She forgot about me," Lelouch said quietly and Isabella had to lean back on her hunches before responding.
"How did she forget about you?"
"She was ordered to. Her memories were tampared with," Lelouch told her and Isabella felt something click.
Could I possibly...no...there's no way I'd be able to win the heart of Lelouch...
"What was she like...in your relationship if you don't mind me asking?" Isabella pressed on to see if anything he said would ring a bell.
Lelouch inhaled deeply, a smile on his face.
"She was beautiful...extremely stubborn though and loathed people bossing her around. She was very determined to accomplish her goals which were high but she didn't care; she just wanted them to become reality and she wouldn't let anyone or anything get in her way," Lelouch told her and Isabella listened intently. "But most of all, she was extremely loyal and she didn't let her love blind her of the truth to who I was. She knew for the most part what she was getting herself into when she got involved with me...she didn't expect a cake walk which I could tell by looking at her and she accepted whatever good or bad luck came to her."
Isabella moved herself closer to him and he focused his eyes on her.
"I love her, I really do," he said and Isabella felt her heart pound when she felt his fingers carefully touch her hair.
"I'm sure she'll come back to you...if that doesn't sound sappy or cheesy..." she said and cleared her throat.
"I hope so."
They were quiet for a few minutes and Isabella began to fiddle with her heart pin. Lelouch's arm was propped above his shoulder, his hand directly above Isabella's head and his fingers delicatly touched her hair. Isabella met his eyes and swallowed hard to wet her drying throat.
Strange...I don't feel heart broken or any of that when he told me about the girl he's in love with...but I love him so why don't I feel so much as a little jealous when he told me?
"Isabella," Lelouch said after a minute and she automatically had her hand against his face. His eyes half closed and he turned his head into her hand just as he had done on the rainy night and enclosed his fingers over hers.
I won't let you hurt anymore...
Isabella tilted her head slightly and leaned in closer to him, his hand still over hers.
I love you, Isabella...
Her breath breezed over his lips and Lelouch could feel the electricity of her lips almost pulsing against his.
"Lelouch..." she breathed and Lelouch had his arms around her waist, pulling her body into his. Her hands glazed over the back of his neck and they kissed each other, thier lips pressed together desperatly for the first few seconds then relaxed.
His taste...
Isabella's eyes opened, the outside of her irises gleaming a faint red.
The rain poured...his lips kissing hers...his body shielding her from the debris...after Ami's death...he took off his mask and he kissed me...I love him...Lelouch freed me...not Shirley...I met her after I came to Ashford...
The red around her eyes dimmed even more and Isabella closed her eyes again. She felt Lelouch's tounge brush against her lips and she parted them her own touching his. Isabella felt her heart racing in her chest and she retracted her tounge from Lelouch's mouth, he mirroring her actions. He reluctantly let go of her and she tried to stop the irksome noise of the blood pounding in her ears. She felt her face flush red and Lelouch sat back.
"Well...to keep those squealing fan girls away," Isabella didn't finish but unclipped the red heart off her shirt and undid Lelouch's as well. "I'll trade with you."
She secured the red pin against Lelouch's shirt and she pinned his on herself then beamed.
"There, that'll keep them away."
Lelouch grinned and stood up, Isabella doing the same and grabbing the paper plates off the shelf.
"Thanks, Isabella," he said and she lit up.
"No problem!"
Three A.M.
She ran so hard her legs felt like they were on fire...they screamed for her to stop but she continued, the gun clasped at her side. A gun shot shrieked and Isabella felt herself begin to fall backwards. Someone caught her and she was carried off before slipping into unconciouness. When she awoke, a man with powder white hair leaning over her and his eyes gleaming red.
"Lelouch...don't hurt him...you can't possibly hurt your own son"
"Forget"
"Why"
"Forget about Lelouch"
"I can't"
The red shone and there was a flash then everything went black.
She found herself in a pure white area...there was a swish of rich, green hair and the familiar gold eyes were staring at her.
"Geass"
"What"
"Remember Lelouch"
"I do"
"Tell me everything you remember about him"
"He freed me from slavery...he's the one I've been best friends with since the beginning of my life...I fought with him as a Black Knight...Lelouch is Zero..."
"And"
"I love him"
The green haired girl smiled and traced her long, slender finger over Isabella's right eye.
"Geass..."
Isabella jolted awake, gasping and sat up, pressing her hands against her sweating forehead.
"I remember him...my Geass...I'm a Black Knight...Lelouch, I'm so sorry..."
Isabella thanked the Lord Kallen wasn't waking up as she walked out of her dorm, her most precious memories flowing back into her mind.
I think I should have made it a bit longer (Isabella having her memories erased) but I couldn't think of anything to put in. Hope you liked it! Reviews please! And happy New Year!! :D