Hell, it's about time. Yes! This story is back and kicking! I apologize so very much for the delay. I had this chapter finished and ready 2 weeks ago, but with Comcast screwing up our internet there was nothing I could do with it. I went to a friends house with my laptop and that's where this is coming from. I promise that there will be no more delays like that. I will try to get a chapter out once a month at the LATEST! As always thanks to Hellfire for beta-reading this. Velshard don't know where you are man but I hope you change your mind =). Anyway a cool little tidbit...This chapter was written in Japan! I spent a month and a half there for homestay and man, it was the best experience of my life. I love Japan and WILL revisit it, and hopefully someday live there. More exciting news! To help make up for my long delay, I have not only written this chapter, but 2 new stories as well! A new Fire Emblem story Happy Birthday! Wait, It's Not Your Birthday? Take The Present Anyway (My first foray into the world of FE fanfiction) and Prom Night (A story similar to my classics such as The Truth Hurts with humor and romance). Check them out from my profile. As always enjoy and once again, I apologize for the wait.
Edit: Haha I apologize. My internet had died on me just as I was posting this. I had assumed this chapter made it. Forgive me!
Chapter 7: The Resistance Force
"Why...why are we here so early?" Roy asked, looking around.
A rough, well worn dirt road lay before them. All around them tall, slightly bare trees stood firm. Patches of grass grew on the rough countryside. In the distance if one looked hard enough with the assistance of the rising sun, old crumbling ruins could be seen off in the distance.
Lucia let out a loud yawn next to him. "We're going to start heading to the coordinates of the rebel base Benny sent us."
"I understand that." Roy replied. "My main question is... WHY ARE WE IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE?! AND WHY ARE WE UP SO DAMN EARLY!" He screamed. A flock of birds were rudely awoken in a nearby tree and noisily flapped out, cawing and screeching their displeasure.
"We need to cover a lot of distance. And the earlier we're up the less likely we are to be followed or spotted." R.R. responded. "I told you last night, remember?"
Roy mumbled an excuse. "Can't we drive?" Lucia asked hopefully, twirling her long green hair in her finger. "Or teleport?"
"No. We need the teleporter for Raven. If we drive into a rebel base into a car, the chances of them reacting aggressively is higher." Lucia grumbled rebelliously before grudgingly following R.R., her feet dragging.
Roy reached for his belt and took out a small pellet. He popped it in his mouth, and following a small sploosh, was rewarded with the sweet sensation of cool water in his mouth.
"How long have we been walking?" Lucia moaned. Her elegant appearance had quickly diminished due to the rough journey. Her long beautiful hair had turned slightly brown due to the swirling dust all around them. She slouched forward, her face a silent mask of anguish. Her long jeans that gripped her slender legs were dirty and ragged. Next to her Roy was doing better due to his training, yet even he lagged behind R.R.. His jacket hung on his shoulder and his shirt was dirty and ripped. Ahead of them R.R. strode unmercifully, keeping the same pace. His long white clothes were brown with dirt and dust but he continued onward like a machine. R.R. couldn't help but grin victoriously. With the help of the code his muscles kept healing, thus feeling no pain at all. "R.R." panted Lucia. "Can..Can we take...a break? Please?"
R.R. halted and looked around. To his left lay the large remains of the ancient building he had seen earlier. A rusted iron gate opened a pathway into the ruins. Some nearby trees provided shade on a lush green field of grass on which the remains of the building decayed. R.R. glanced at the two briefly. "Fine. Take a breather. I'm going to check out the ruins." With that R.R. slipped over the gate and disappeared.
Lucia collapsed inelegantly underneath a tree, groaning. "I can't feel my feet....That's a bad thing, right?"
Roy chuckled as he carefully placed himself next to Lucia. "You'll get used to it."
Lucia looked at Roy from the corner of her eye. "What if I don't get used to it?"
Roy grinned evilly back. "Pain. Aches. Soreness."
Lucia's head fell back and thumped against the tree as her body shivered. "This whole rebel thing sounded so much better on paper."
Roy let out a hearty chuckled as he glanced at the ruins behind him. "So where are we? These buildings don't look to old, rather recent in my opinion. There isn't much sign of nature's grasp on them."
Lucia cupped her chin as she flipped through her mind. "If I remember these are the remains of a school that was destroyed by Emperor Lelouch's invasion around two years ago. There were no survivors and the school ceased to exist."
Roy's mouth dropped slightly at the horrible act. "He...destroyed a school?! Why?"
Lucia was silent as she tried to remember. "I'm not sure if he destroyed it specifically, but rumors say that the occupants were housing members of the New Britannian Empire. What I do know is that the headmaster had turned his school into a hospital for wounded."
Roy gritted his teeth and punched the ground angrily. "Lelouch...."
Oh!" Lucia exclaimed suddenly, shocking Roy. "I remember the name of the school! It was called Ashford Academy, one of the oldest and most respected schools in the world."
A chilly wind swept through the makeshift graveyard. The tombstones were skillfully cut with beautifully engraved words adorning their rough surfaces. The grass which had been well maintained in times past had now grown over the graves. R.R. stood before one grave, his face impassive. A nearby flower waved slowly in the wind. Turning to it, R.R. reached down and picked it, staring at it silently. Placing in in front of the tombstone he stood up, staring at the grave on last time before turning. The flower rested gently on the tomb, an apology for a promise he couldn't keep. "I'm sorry Rivalv, Milly. Looks like we won't be able to enjoy the fireworks with everyone." Lowering his head he turned around and began the lonely walk through the ruins of memories gone.
"Finally." Roy said as R.R. returned.
"You two ready?" He asked.
"Yup!" Lucia said, swiftly jumping to her feet, feeling somewhat refreshed after her little rest.
"Well then, lets go." R.R. motioned, turning once more to continue the long journey. After what seemed like a few hours they began to near the coordinates.
"We should be nearing the cords right?" Roy asked. R.R. nodded, glancing around. They had entered what seemed like a forest, with rows upon rows of neatly grown trees to their sides. "Weird place for a rebel base..." Roy muttered, examining the trees. A flash of light caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Turning his head he saw nothing. The tree's were strong and healthy, obviously cared for by a master gardener. Large, heavy, delicious oranges hung from the trees, ripe and ready for picking.
"These look delicious." Lucia said, reaching for one. Her mouth watered as she reached for the delicious fruit, her appetite ravenous due to the long trip. The tips of her fingers brushed a particularly large orange hanging seductively low. *CRACK!* A deafening sound rang in the air around them. The orange suddenly exploded, showering Lucia with juice and bits of the fruit.
Normally, Roy would burst out laughing at this sort of thing. An orange exploding for no reason in someones face? Priceless! However, his training and experience screamed the opposite. The loud crack and explosion came from a high velocity weapon, most likely a Sniper. Well hidden in these trees, he would be impossible to find. The precision required to hit the orange and avoid Lucia's fingers would require crack accuracy. They were dealing with an expert.
"I suggest you all hit the ground if you value your heads." A powerful voice rang out from the groove of trees.
Roy glanced at them from the corner of his eye. There was a brief shimmer in the sunlight and he swore. "Looks like he has speakers hidden in the trees. And the flash of light was probably a camera. With the number of trees, assuming he has a camera on all of them, he has every angle covered. It would be suicide reaching for my gun."
"Stay on the ground, I have my defensive systems locked onto you. One wrong twitch and it's all over." It was a deadly voice, cool and composed with what seemed like a touch of nobility in it.
R.R. pressed his face to the ground, desperately racking his mind for a way out of their situation. Like Roy, he grimly realized they were at the mercy of their captor. Lucia meanwhile sulked over the dirt and now orange stuck in her hair and all over her body. Her pupil shimmered briefly for a second as she looked at R.R. The image of the crane emerged, her Geass active.
"Stand up slowly." The voice said. It lacked the metallic and booming characteristics it had seconds ago.
"That was quick. He must have been nearby." R.R. thought, slowly raising himself from the ground. He raised his head slowly. "Impossible!" R.R. thought, his pupils dilating in shock.
A fit old man stood in front of them. His well groomed hair had turned white and wispy. The skin around his right eye sagged. Yet his body was slim and strong, his shoulders sturdy and held proudly. Instead of a right eye he had an elegant mechanical device that shined intensely under the afternoon sun. His left hand shot out and a dangerous blade extended from it, ready to slice open anyone in its way. "You have the impudence to tread upon the land of Jeremiah Gottwald?!"
"Jeremiah? He's still alive! He could give away my identity if he realizes who I am!" R.R. thought, panic setting in.
Jeremiah glared at each one, expertly assessing them. His gaze lingered on R.R., something scratching at the back of his head. His eyes shot open suddenly and his mouth slightly fell open as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
"No!" Mouthed R.R., desperately praying Jeremiah would understand.
Jeremiah stared at R.R. briefly before shouting. "Who are you and what reason are you here for?"
Roy glanced around and muttered to Jeremiah. "My name is Roy, the girl is Lucia, and my other companion is R.R.. We are here for the rebellion. We should talk somewhere safe." Jeremiah nodded before turning around and motioning for them to follow. "Where's the sniper?" Roy asked cautiously.
Jeremiah let out a loud laugh. "A cautious one aren't you? Guess they taught you to value your life. I left it in the trees. I've placed numerous snipers in trees all around the area."
Roy grinned in response. "You're rather cautious also, aren't you?"
"Correct. When fighting an enemy that controls 70% of the earth, caution is a good thing."
R.R. listened to the two's conversation dully, reaffirming their current situation. "With Jeremiah as the leader of the rebellion, it must be in much better shape than I expected. Jeremiah has proven himself to be incredibly capable in the past, I doubt age has affected his vigor that much."
"Is there a shower in that house?" Lucia asked hopefully, picking orange skin from her hair. A cottage lay in front of them, a neat wooden fence painted a bright orange surrounding it. A well cared for garden lay in full bloom, its colors giving the cottage a friendly welcome feeling.
"Yes. From the looks of it, you probably need it badly." Jeremiah said.
Roy let out a loud laugh. Lucia took the opportunity to throw the orange she held in her hands directly into Roy's mouth. "Thank you." She said politely, ignoring the coughing and gagging Roy. They stepped into the house, with Jeremiah leading Lucia to the shower.
"Why are you smiling?" Roy asked in R.R..
"Let's just say, this rebellion just got a little bit easier."
"Good news. We're going to need everything we can get to win this."
The door next to them opened and Jeremiah stepped inside. "Roy, was it? Can you do me a favor and reactivate the automatic defenses? You seem to be the most experienced in that matter." Roy glanced between the two and nodded, leaving the room. A silence settle over the room as its occupants stared at each other. Jeremiahs chair flew backwards as he collapsed onto one knee, his head bent low. The soft splash of tears hitting the ground could be heard as Jeremiah sobbed. "Your Majesty Lelouch...You are alive..."
R.R.'s gaze softened as he looked upon his loyal servant. "Jeremiah...You may rise. It is good to see you alive. How have you been? Actually, HOW are you alive? "
He rose, smiling. "A number of my organs were replaced with machines. I stayed in good health and maintained the mechanical parts. I've been fine these long years. I tended the farm with Anya for a while. It was a peaceful life, although I was never truly at ease. The requiem, C.C., it didn't go as planned. Although your goal was reached, the way in which it happened..." R.R. nodded, parting his bangs to show the code on his forehead. "As I thought." Jeremiah said, rubbing his chin. "And C.C.?"
R.R. lowered his face, his voice flat. "She...She died from her wound after giving me the code."
"I'm sorry." Jeremiah said softly, bowing his head in respect.
"Jeremiah!" Lucia yelled. "Do you have any spare clothes?"
Jeremiah turned to the door and stood up. Before leaving he stopped, holding the door open. "She was very much in love with you. In the 2 months before the Zero Requiem, where you spent most of your time alone, she wasn't the same. She tried to seem indifferent, her normal self. But anyone could tell she was worried and depressed. She stayed locked up in her room. The maids would often find her pillows wet with tears when they came into clean the room. I'll keep your identity a secret, do not worry. Lead this rebellion and make the world as it should, so you can meet C.C. with the success and pride you alone can carry." With that he slipped out, gently closing the door. R.R. remained motionless, his heart aching as thoughts of the witch played in his mind. "
You alright?" Roy asked, entering the room.
R.R. looked up and nodded, regaining his composure. Lucia and Jeremiah entered soon after. Lucia's hair had regained its natural shine and she looked ecstatic to be rid of the dirt and orange that coated her hours before.
"All of you wish to participate in the rebellion? The good news is I trust you. Now that everyone is here, should we head to the rebel base?" Jeremiah asked.
"Whoa, that quickly?" Roy asked suspiciously. Jeremiah nodded and motioned for them to follow.
"R.R. here confirmed to be a very valuable ally." Grabbing a nearby vase, he pressed down on it. There was a soft click and the wall in front of them shimmered and disappeared. Behind it was a spotless silver elevator. With a cheery ding, it opened. All of them shuffled into the elevator, and with a small swoosh the doors shut.
"This is pretty neat." Roy said, looking around the spacious elevator. The small window at the back showed them going very fast, yet the ride was smooth as could be.
Jeremiah looked at Roy and smiled. "If you think this is impressive, you're going to be shocked. We're a much larger resistance than you think." Another clear ding alerted them that they had reached their desired destination.
"Welcome to the headquarters of the White Knight's, one of Lelouch Vi Britannia resistance forces in the world. We're looking forward to your cooperation in seeing the world liberated from the grasp of a madman." A cheery voice said from speakers in the elevator. The doors opened as the three companions took an astonished step forwards into the base.
I hope that made up for the huge delay...It probably didn't though. As always R/R, although this time it would be greatly appreciated. It has been around a year since I last wrote a fanfiction, so any suggestions or reviews you have will be HUGE! Before you leave check out my other 2 new stories, Prom Night and Happy Birthday! Wait, It's Not Your Birthday? Take The Present Anyway. I hope you enjoyed the story and until the next chapter, Sayonara!