Author's BIG BIG note: Wow, this is awkward. To any of you still reading this little ficcy fic of mine, I have to apologize for the abrupt end to the updating. I have several reasons for doing so: one, there was this little site called tvtropes that really pulled me in with its little deconstructing pages. This phase lasted for almost two weeks, followed directly by reason #2: an addiction to some certain electronic games. While I did that, I then discovered the announcement of a new Code Geass anime in the works, and this threw off my groove for a while. It was from this wrinkle that I was finally able to end up in a resolution to continue as I had always planned: ignoring any potential canons that might arise from the anime. This is a fanfiction after all.
So much for that, here I am now slowly encoding and uploading the rest of the subphases over the next few days. You might notice that the title has changed, that was intended and is something I'd planned to do when this little prequel series would be about to end. So sit back, pop some corn, read and anticipate the start of the real main fic, which should be coming up in the next weeks or so. (The time gap there will have to be much longer between chapters, as they will already be proper Phases in their own right.)
And by the way, I hate you tvtropes. For stealing my innocence. Now I shall never look at entertainment the same way again.
Under a clouded moon, a dozen people bled to death on the ground of their very homeland.
The scattered survivors could not doubt now what the source of the disaster that had wiped out most of their number, as a prodigious figure shrouded in darkness rumbled ever closer to them in the distance.
The Spirit of Honor and the Imperial Swords were rebel groups, one of the many that were formed from like-minded Japanese in the aftermath of the conquest of their beloved homeland. Though the Britannian dogs had been able to destroy one group or another as the years passed, there would never be an end to their resistance as long as one defiant Japanese still stood.
The two groups had met in this place just on the outskirts of Old Tokyo to discuss a cooperative strike on a certain Britannian airbase close to their location. As each had sustained losses leading to reduced numbers, they'd thought to achieve better with an alliance of sorts.
The brains of their group had just been ushered into a communal tent to discuss their strategy when they an overwhelming explosion rocked the area. Rushing outside, they saw the giant impact crater around which their dying comrades lay. The remainder had only a few moments of taking up defensive positions when they too were blasted to death from another explosion.
Someone in their number shouted, pointing the feeble glare of their flashlights on the ominous shape closing in.
Now, the remnants of what had once been two groups gripped their small arms, pointing them at the behemoth that advanced. With shouted insults and warcries in their native tongue they opened fire from cover, hoping to avenge their comrades.
Their insides turned to ice when they saw that their attacks had no effect on the monster. With a quick flash, the enemy retaliated with a devastating barrage of fire that reduced their already minute number to a bare single..
This man, gripped in the throes of his nationalistic fervor, now rushed at the behemoth, his hands clutching a pack of live grenades in each hand. With these he'd hope to turn the tide on the monster, even if he'd sacrifice his life in the process.
He would not get that chance, as he was mercilessly cut down by another hail. The dropped grenades rolled around him, and ruined his bloodied body further as they detonated.
A hush settled on the brief battlefield, broken only by the rumbling sounds of the behemoth vanishing into the misty dark.
For the two siblings, that mission had been the latest of many late-night runs they were ordered to do for the past days. After Lelouch had successfully cleared the previous objectives concerning the new Mind's Eye, the next round of missions then put them back into the Morgana, the Knightmare which they had been trained to use.
There had been sleepless nights for Lelouch, as he was forced to conjure a battle-plan that allowed for the conditions that stated that they accomplish their objectives under utmost secrecy. Because of the now clandestine nature of their new search-and-destroy missions, the boy's "Pieces" were rendered useless, thus negating the Siege Perilous to nothing more than an advanced reconaissance module.
There were long, stressful days for the younger sister Nunnally, too, as the new objectives stated her need to test out the new system being slowly set up around the settlement. She was ordered to monitor the network of cameras through her Mind's Eye terminal, a task that would have fried her brains from the long hours spent concentrating were it not for the special drugs that she was now forced to imbibe. Nonetheless, the girl's day would still end in a slight migraine, one that was heightened if that night was a mission night.
This was how the siblings spent the days following Lelouch's excursion: establishing the efficiency of their training through these missions. Lelouch had already grown tired of the monotony - the rebel groups hardly put up a fight! This would reflect in his later plans, each would seem highly identical to the previous. It was then merely a matter of patience as Lelouch watched his sister expertly obliterate each group. Is this boredom I sense? the boy grimly thought. Have I grown bored, of the-
killings?
For Nunnally, each mission had now been reduced to nothing more than an extended simulation game as she guided the Morgana's bloody golden claws in their sinister purpose. Perhaps it was her sole purpose now, the girl thought, to-
hurt people forever?
Regardless, it would be fine. Everything was all fine with me, for -
-she's with me.
-nii-sama's there.
On a certain day or three after (time had been a fluid haze for the siblings), Lelouch was using the portable computer terminal and Nunnally was doing her daily round of monitoring the system.
As the cameras had also been installed all around the vicinity of their safehouse, Nunnally would periodically return her attention to the images here once in a while. As she was in the process of finishing the precautionary safehouse scan, she was surprised to see a man, staring intently up at the last camera as if he knew it was there.
She watched as the man put a finger to his mouth and wink, and was then surprised when the man literally disappeared into thin air.
"Nii-sama."
"What is it, Nunnally?" asked the bored boy, concerned at the tone of his sister's voice.
"Someone's coming."
Knowing that asking "Who?" would at the very least be mildly insulting to his sister, Lelouch visibly nodded and shifted his chair from in front of the terminal to face the door.
"He's getting close...he's on our floor..."
Lelouch could feel the man's presence now, standing right outside the door. The door had been locked, but the intruder seemed to find it no problem, as after some jingling and scraping, the doorknob twisted in an unobtrusive manner, revealing their visitor who slouched in the now open doorway.
The boy recognized it: of course it was a familiar sight, although it was a figure that he had not seen in a long time. It was, of course, the mysterious, slouching platitudinous man.
The man made it a point to tip his head at a place where a camera had been placed - an action which both unnerved and annoyed Lelouch. Walking on in, the man then turned his lazy gaze on the boy, who still sat guardedly in his chair.
"Long time no see."
Not giving a chance for the boy to answer, the man tossed a small brown envelope on the floor, after saying further, "New intel. New orders. Might need about a week to finalize...everything, I mean. Expect identification papers by..."
As Lelouch stooped to pick up the envelope, he saw the man busy himself with pacing around the room, looking about as if he was searching for something.
"Have a chess board around? No? Too bad. Sorely miss our matches. Oh well. Will be back sometime soon. Good day to you both." After firing off the words in his peculiar, rapid fashion, the man exited as abruptly as he'd come.
The siblings spent a few stunned seconds in stock silence, before Lelouch cleared his throat and opened the envelope that the man had brought.
"Mission orders are..."
Nunnally heard a high-pitched gasp, instantly grabbing her attention as she tuned to the right cameras in the network. What she then saw was her brother's contorted face, with jaw literally dropped and eyes widened to the brink - as if what he was seeing was something so completely and exceedingly unbelievable to her brother.
"Nii-sama?..."
"..."
Lelouch struggled to utter a proper response, but found that he couldn't even summon the strength to stir his chords, to utter a word of protest or anything else at all.
WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY THINKING?
The crisp morning sunlight streamed into the dining room where Milly Ashford sat, morosely eating her breakfast in solitude.
Usually, she would be accompanied during this early morning by her maid, whom she'd insisted on dining breakfast with - refusing the norms of having the hired help eat separately from their masters. Besides, Milly had reasoned, that only applied to nobles, and they certainly weren't in a position to be called that now. Milly would use the time to talk about many things with her maid, and she had been pleased to know that the maid was not too put-off by this.
Just recently however, she had taken to sending Sayoko away during breakfast, something that did not seem to bother the maid in the slightest. Where this strange new behavior had come from, the maid could not guess, but Milly herself knew about it on some level.
For ever since that fateful day when that dreadful apparition of her childhood friend had materialized, Milly would always see the boy in her thoughts. Since that day, she had taken every chance she got roaming the city, hoping for another sight of Lelouch in spite of the latter's warning. She'd expected to feel his scrutiny, to discover him watching her from some high window or street corner. Frustratingly, she met no eyes of amethyst, only the uniformly attracted glances of many men.
Always she would see his new face, cold and stern, haunt her nighttime dreams and her daytime thoughts - hovering at the edge of her mind. It was a good thing that the new school term had not yet started, for this preoccupation would have hindered her duties as the newly appointed student council president. The matter was already doing its fair share of clouding her everyday activities.
Her grandfather had ordered her not to spread word of this around: as far as she knew, only the two of them knew that the siblings that had long been thought lost were still up and about, and possibly involved in something dangerous, if what Lelouch's demeanor implied. Reporting this to the royal family, her grandfather had reasoned, would only make matters worse for the Ashfords, fallen nobility as they were.
As she put away her breakfast, Sayoko entered silently from the door, bearing a note from her grandfather. The note contained a half-hearted reminder about a scheduled meeting with another potential suitor as well as mentioning something about the new school term, with some encouraging words for her to "pull herself together".
I'll try, grandpa, she thought as she started to get dressed. I'll try really hard.
The meeting that day was a messy affair. The man was far from ugly, unlike some of her past potentials, but he was no Adonis either. The man had seemed heart-broken when she'd nonchalantly declined any of the former's offers, and the meeting had ended early with an apologetic bow and some sweaty handshaking.
Watching the man slink dejectively into the distance, Milly sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly. Deep down, she knew that some day she would have to respond concretely to a potential suitor. For on her shoulders was placed the burden of raising her family's fallen status back to its former glory by marrying a proper nobleman, thus the reasons for her numerous "meetings" in the days following her coming-of-age party. At some level, she knew that her grandfather had also anticipated this, knowing full well how occupied her mind was at this time. Perhaps, she surmised, that had been why there had been no proper briefing from him or any other Ashford - in order to give her space - but if that was so, then this day had effectively been a waste of time.
She looked around her, hearing the noise of hundreds of people congregating the meeting had arranged for them to meet near the city's entertainment center. Milly debated for a while if she should enter and continue her fruitless search, but...
Not today, she thought glumly.
She signalled for her ride to take her back to the Ashford Estate. The normally uneventful ride was livened up when a Knightmare Frame parade marched nearby - forcing her driver to take a longer, alternate route. It looked like the local military was flexing its colors after successfully putting down an uprising of some sort.
Her final glimpses of the tall, metallic humanoid weapons made her dull mood worsen, for some reason. Perhaps it was the large weapons they were holding.
Back home, she planned on informing her grandfather of the failed meeting immediately so she could have more time to immerse herself in the girls' communal bath at Ashford. The chance of any student being there at this time was low, but she hoped for one nonetheless, to free her mind for a bit.
"Ah, Milly dear. Welcome back. I have something..."
She saw her grandfather in his usual chair at his office, looking oddly strained. Must've been a tough day, preparing for the new term, she thought.
There would be new students, of course, most of them coming from the mainland, and with them came the nonstop, voluminous letters of recommendation from their families: letters that her grandfather was required to pore through for authenticity(and to a greater extent, security for their own family).
Wanting to not stress her grandfather further, she decided to limit the time and quickly said, "The meeting went just as usual, grandpa. I'll...I'll be turning in early, then." She turned to leave.
"Wait, dear."
She stopped, surprised at the oddly high pitch of voice her grandfather's had become. It carried with it the weight of something foreboding, and she turned back apprehensively.
He was holding a sheaf of papers in his hand. He held out one page for her to get, at the same time looking at her with incredulous eyes.
She then understood what had been disturbing her father, the moment she saw what the paper was.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back."
Shirley heard the sound of the opening and closing of her door from where she was in the kitchen.
It was dinnertime, and the food that she had painstakingly cooked for the past hour was ready on the table.
"Oh? Is that steak I smell?"
Her husband appeared, looking tired in his power suit. Recent days had been hard for the superhero, due to the increasing number of crimes in the city, and it was a rare night when he would come home early like this.
He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the lips as she brushed the raven bangs coyly.
"I've cooked your favorite dishes..."
"What's for dessert?"
"I...", she paused, blushing to the roots of her orange hair. "I was hoping that..." She felt his fingers touch her lips.
"I'd like to have dessert first then," he whispered in her ear. "My little orange plum..."
She gasped as she was carried off her feet away from the kitchen, to fulfill a hunger that her food alone could not sate...
"Wow, she's really mumbling like an idiot."
"Can you make out what she's saying?"
"I think I heard 'my honey', 'take me'..."
"Eww, how gross can your imagination go?"
Huh? Images of hot passion dissolved to nothingness in her mind as she snapped back into lucidity. Shirley found herself back in the reality of her classroom as she'd seemed to have left it - some time ago.
Immediately, she saw her friends standing in front of her seat, looking curiously at her. One girl in particular, Sophie, was putting her palm on Shirley's forehead worriedly.
"What're you doing, Sophie," the orange-haired girl asked weakly.
"Checking if you have a fever...", the other girl replied in a mock anxious tone.
"I do NOT have a fever, if you should want to know," Shirley said in slight exasperation as she shook the hand off. "What made you say that?"
"Well, it was because you were going on a Sophie episode."
"A what? How rude!" Sophie huffed, turning to the others now.
"Sophie episode? I was...?", Shirley asked worriedly, feeling her head.
"What are you calling a Sophie episode~~~" Sophie asked with puffed out cheeks.
"Going on about something called honey~"
"And 'dearest'..."
Sophie recovered from her shock and said, "Yeah, we've been wondering about that, are you fantasizing about that guy again? Gosh, it gets tiring to hear you go on and on an imaginary boyfriend - "
"What would you know Sophie," Shirley countered, "about boyfriends? Last time I heard you were still fawning over the guy who's had a steady for almost a year now. And," she added with raised chin, "he's not imaginary, he's real."
"Oh, then where is he now?"
"I assume he's...off saving other people in...the settlement?" Shirley had a strange thought. What if he was that type of hero, saving other damstrels in distress. Did that mean he didn't have favorites, that he wasn't the type of person to choose only one, who had several preferences, did that mean she wasn't the only wife, there was a whole bunch of them... a harem? Idiot, idiot, how could I be fooled, but he was cool, and kind wasn't he? He would never do that, she was the only -
"Earth to Shirley: COME BACK HOME!"
She was brought back to reality again by a light chop to her head, and the orange-haired girl shook her head to clear out the distracting thoughts.
"She's been Sophie-ing a lot more these days, that girl."
"It's a sickness! A sickness!"
Her face flushed, Shirley was about to shout for her friends to stop making fun when the bell for the first class in the morning rang.
Truth be told, Shirley never, ever forgot about the stranger's face. She remembered every single detail of him - each scar, mark and the striking eyes. He was ever present, in her dreams at night and at day, with the latter things causing her to be ridiculed by her friends.
For surely, the man(she could not guess her age) WAS an enigma: from his outlandish clothes that only the filthiest of Elevens would wear, to his apparent prowess in hand-to-hand combat. i and the eyes.../i Everything about the stranger enthralled and absorbed Shirley, who knew full well that she would not be able to have another chance of meeting him again. To meet the superhero that had come once in a blue moon for her.
Her friends didn't believe her, because there was no proof! If only she could show them that proof, maybe a chance sighting, or some sort of Knight-police report, but it seemed that the superhero had remained as enigmatic to the public as he was to her.
It's hopeless, the girl thought to herself. The girl closed her eyes in tired resignation as the first instructor came in to start their classes for the day.
As a student of Ashford Academy, Shirley was expected, like all other young Britannian ladies enrolled here, to learn the very basics of what would be taught, and nothing else. The rest of the time, they were expected to dip their feet into the social pool in the hopes of fishing up potential future suitors. The more prestigious the suitor, the more pride it brought to their families, and so it was almost always an obligation to attend parties, join clubs and essentially stand out to attract interest.
Shirley was one of those few who slightly chafed at this invisible yet apparent rule in Britannian society: for she aspired to some greater height in the future within her mind. It was fortunate that her parents were just as understanding (to an extent).
And this is why a part of her thought that she shouldn't be wasting time following such an obscure entity, that it was useless to chase after fruitless endeavors...Giving herself a mental pick-me-up, Shirley resolutely opened the textbook in front of her.
When next she looked up, she received a sudden, stunning jolt in her spine when she saw HIM there.
It was...the stranger! There he was, as clear as the weather, the physical manifestation of her fantasy made true! There was the superhero, coolly regarding the rest of the class, dressed impeccably in the school uniform, luminescent eyes turning to look...at...
The girl would not notice what she did at that instant, but if she were to see it from a bystander's eyes, she would have seen a red-faced, flustered girl exclaim loudly "IT'S YOU!" for all the class to hear, and then collapse in a heap with an audible thump onto the ground.
"Welcome back."
It'd be a long time before Shirley could get out of this particular trance.
Rivalz Cardemonde was not a grade A student, that was true. He could not expect some Britannian agency to take notice of his skills and carry him off into their own number, assured of a steady future and the chance of serving the Fatherland with distinction.
Nor was he one of those popular Prince Charmings that dotted the school, reaping their share of popularity among the ladies. These would be future Dukes and Counts, nobility one and all, wielding a powerful social life at this early stage. That social life was something that he knew he would not be able to get into.
But one could not call him an idiot. He was not stupid enough to not recognize one (or both) of the above at first glance.
The day should have been uneventful and its end was not something he was particularly looking forward to.
But when Lelouch Lamperouge first came into the room, Rivalz felt then and there that the day had picked up. The boy then had an inkling that he was not the only one to become extremely interested at this new development, as he could feel the once downcast mood of the room perk up.
Minutes later, after Shirley was carried to the infirmary, Rivalz decided to keep a closer eye on this transfer student.
What else could he do to waste time sitting here in the classroom? The boy was not too keen on spending another boring day sketching(poorly) the face of the newly appointed student council president. And so, Rivalz Cardemonde started his own private mission for the day, in the hopes of figuring out the enigma first.
One thing for sure: the transfer student was highly intelligent. It became readily apparent when, even without a textbook on hand, he would recite something asked of him by the teacher with expert precision. There was a certain moment when Rivalz saw the teacher open his mouth slightly while listening to Lelouch's long utterance only to interrupt the boy hastily and with a somewhat nervous giggle.
"That's...university material, advanced...ahem-
"-thank you, sir Lamperouge. You may sit down."
He saw the boy wordlessly sit down and then resume staring outside the window.
Well that was pretty much established. The guy would fit in well in academics, and could be called one of those geniuses.
During break time, when the stoic atmosphere in the classroom would temporarily be broken, giving way to energetic banter, Rivalz saw the youth remain at his seat, still in the same position as before.
"No, you go talk to him..."
And strangely enough, the girls were now spending the time in small groups, whispering to each other while they ogled the transfer student, who looked as if he was oblivious to it all. Rivalz wondered at that as he looked on.
Oh, I get it...
The groups had now singled out their representatives, reluctant girls who started awkwardly walking towards the transferee. Seeming to take courage from seeing other people try the same thing as them, the girls then boldly walked to the boy.
And then, the boy was literally surrounded by a gaggle of curious students.
When did he get so popular, Rivalz thought bitterly. Looking around the room, he found the boys wearing the same expressions as him.
But the question now was, how would the new guy react?
The world had seemed to turn on its head for Subject R., better known as Lelouch Lamperouge outside the Project.
After receiving the mission proposal, he and Nunnally had then spent a few hours discussing this unnatural development. The issue that Lelouch focused on was that if he were to actually do this, then he would essentially be leaving his sister behind and alone in the safe house.
And that was the last thing in the world that he wanted to do.
He'd brought it up when that man had formally briefed them, demanding that the orders be changed or some other mission be given, but he was met with a sheer force of denial, together with the reminder of the man's own sword of Damocles that they both knew hung over Nunnally.
"But at least tell me why I have to do this! I have no use of a school, we- I was already forced to learn a lot of things!"
The man was just as adamant in his denial to share the details, and was firm in handing out the boy's tasks.
The boy seethed within as he listened to the man drone on and on, and it would have turned into a sort of fury had he not known what worse it would just do to Nunnally. And so he sat and listened for hours - sitting for a few more afterwards in silence.
"Cannot say. Hard to fathom intentions. But you must do it. Mission."
The enigmatic man had said that on one occasion afterward when he visited them again to brief him on his new identity.
"What sort of mission is this? This is far from the normal thing that you would have us do!"
"Right," the man had nodded, "but he deems it a mission. And thus, you must do it."
The boy took the hint when the man briefly glanced over at Nunnally who was sitting nearby.
And just as outrageous, he would be forced to go to Ashford Academy, a place where he swore to never to return to unless it was to finally enact his plan for revenge. Lelouch had decided, for Milly's (and Nunnally's) sake, to hold off on doing it. Along with the knowledge that he would be hurting his old friend with his actions, he knew that doing it without meticulous planning would jeopardize the Project, and by extension, Nunnally.
Now here he was, forced to go there, to act out the role of a spy (to what purpose, he did not know). Officially, he was "Lelouch Lamperouge", son of a minor nobility, sent to Area Eleven as part of a coming-of-age ritual. That was the gist of his identity, and the identity he'd presented on his letter to Reuben Ashford.
His second meeting with the man had been a tense and awkward affair, with Lelouch acting the part of the sullen but eager youth, which also forced the old man to play along. There was a slight satisfaction for Lelouch in seeing the other visibly perplexed; though the was quickly squashed as soon as he went out of the office, approved forms in tow.
For Milly was there, ambushing him with a hug that could've given bears a run for their money. As it was, Lelouch played the part here too, and was just as relieved to see her play along with a knowing wink.
"I'll be sure to give you a tour of the campus later on, Lulu," she whispered before turning to leave with a noticeable smile on her face, leaving a ruffled youth standing in erect attention.
The last and most primary concern then, for Lelouch, had been Nunnally. She had been obedient to her role in the mission, that is, to monitor the Mind's Eye network that had successfully infiltrated the Settlement, and had been very much enthusiastic in encouraging her brother to assume his role.
But on the night before his first day in the Academy, as they lay close together in the bed, Nunnally voiced her own concern.
"Nii-sama," he heard her whisper as he felt him grasp his hand tightly in the darkness.
"What is it, Nunnally?", he asked in the gentlest voice he could muster.
"Are you excited about tomorrow?"
"Not exactly..."
"Oh, nii-sama, you don't have to say that...At least you get the chance to be there, and to see Milly again, and meet many friends..."
"But I won't be able to guard you." That was one of his most persistent worries.
"And you worry too much. I don't like to say it, but please, just enjoy this mission. Become the person they expect you to be, and more...Please, nii-sama..."
He felt her hold tighten.
"At the very least, do it for me..."
Soon he could hear the hushed sound of her slumbering breath, even though the grip on his hand remained strong and tight. Lelouch turned his head to look out the nearby window, seeing the shrouded lights and hearing the muffled sounds of the people in the night.
The violet orbs burned in the darkness for quite some time after.
"Um..."
Lelouch could practically feel his ears twitch at the sound that had brought him out of this slight reverie, and with an exasperated sigh, he turned his gaze from the window to look at the source.
This would be the fifth time that he would be accosted by this bothersome class, with the previous times ending in a cold rejection from him and some shocked, puzzled (and sometimes angered) countenances. He did not know how to react to this attention, and that was why he reacted in the only way he knew how. That was how he found himself, at the middle of the day, mired in an uncomfortable atmosphere within the room. Yet like the start of the day, all attention was still maddeningly focused on him.
Why couldn't they just study their lessons or something instead of insisting on idle activities?
The next accoster was, surprisingly, male this time. He was giving him a look that was entirely different from before. It seemed to Lelouch that the boy was sizing him up for some reason.
Lelouch narrowed his eyes. If there was to be a fight now, it was better to strike proactively than be hit first. Then again, he had another thought that if he were to fight, it would draw more attention to himself, a fact that he did not currently want.
"What do you want?" he asked tentatively.
"Hey there, you said your name is Lelouch? My name is Rivalz. Rivalz Cardemonde," the other said with a short bow.
"I see," Lelouch said curtly as he returned his gaze to the window.
"If it would be fine with you," the boy interjected more loudly this time, "would you like to have lunch with me?"
"Lunch?" Lelouch turned his head quizzically.
"Yeah, it's that time of the day, you know...gotta stock up for the afternoon marathon!" answered the boy enthusiastically.
Lelouch could still feel the eyes of the entire class on this exchange, and it was making him more than uncomfortable.
Damn it all...
"Very well," he nodded, rising from his chair abruptly. "Lead the way, then."
"Oh, that's great! Well then..."
Lelouch followed the boy outside the room reluctantly, mentally shaking off the multitude of eyes trailing after him as he did so.
Outside in the hall, Lelouch tuned out the other one's voice from his hearing, choosing instead to focus on the lavish decorations that were scattered throughout.
Once again, Lelouch found it hard to believe that the Ashfords had indeed fallen that far; in the five years since his mother's death, the family that had fallen because they had sponsored the slain Empress was just as affluent as before, evidenced by this very institution, and the many profuse things adorning its many halls.
The question of that family's involvement was something he hoped to resolve later, especially if it was responsible for their current state.
Lelouch cocked his head to the side when he caught the other boy's eye. The boy, Rivalz, was it? was still talking animatedly, about something unrelated.
For he honestly had no idea what he was supposed to do in this situation. How would they be able to spend lunch? Would they be talking about something while eating?
"Oh it's you Shirley! How are you doing?"
Lelouch saw the girl who had mysteriously fainted before turn the corner in front of them. The girl was oddly flustered when their eyes met, her face going the same shade as her hair as she looked away.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine now...it's just anemia...w-what are you doing Rivalz?"
"Oh, I was just about to take my new buddy Lelouch here to lunch! Care to join us?"
Lelouch frowned. The boy knew at least this much; that one mustn't flippantly invite membes of the opposite sex like so. Perhaps it was a legacy of his old royal roots?
He watched the girl become even more animated as she stammered, "M-m-me? I-I couldn't possibly...b-but..." Their eyes met again but this time, as she hastily broke off the connection again, she nodded.
"OK! Well then, introductions should be underway, this is my-OUR classmate, Shirley Fenette. And you might've missed it, Shirley, but his name is..."
"Lelouch. Lamperouge," the raven-haired boy cut in with a short bow. "It is my pleasure."
"P-p-pleased to meet you..." The girl jerkily bowed in response.
They continued to walk down the corridor, presumably, for Lelouch, towards the food hall. Along the way, Rivalz engaged the new girl, Shirley in small talk, and Lelouch saw the girl gradually calm down her movements as they did.
These two were now Liabilities #3 and #4, which meant they would be the first ones to be eliminated should something go amiss to jeopardize his other identity. More lives... Lelouch gritted his teeth. Two more in danger because of him. Two more who had no idea what he was capable of, and what he and Nunnally were going through. Two more out of the millions in the whole world.
"Found you~~", came a voice near his right ear.
Abruptly, Lelouch pivoted, tensing his pre-conditioned body into a battle-ready position to face whatever threat was there behind him, and also firing up his brain into a prepared state. But what he saw was behind him quickly deflated that feeling.
Before them stood Milly Ashford, who was grinning from ear to ear.
"I was just about to pick you up from your classroom, but it looks like you've got nice new friends already!" She looked at the other two.
"P-p-president?"
"For real?"
They looked visibly stunned, and Rivalz was opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.
"How do you do? It seems that you've already met my old friend, Lulu. I'm Milly Ashford, the-"
"Student Council President!" Rivalz exlaimed. The boy suddenly grabbed the front of Lelouch's shirt. "Lelouch, you're old friends with the president?", he demanded.
"L-l-Lulu?" Shirley asked with steadily reddening face, looking at Lelouch.
Milly giggled and curtsied. "Nice to meet you, as I said, my name is Milly Ashford, and yes, I am the new student council president."
Lelouch said nothing as he extricated himself from Rivalz's frenzied grip. He watched as the other two shifted their attention from him to Milly.
"So where were the three of you going?" Milly asked, looking from person to person.
"To lunch! I was just about to show Lu-Lelouch here to the hall for some lunch!" Rivalz replied enthusiastically.
"I see...well, I hope you don't mind me tagging along?"
"Sure!" "NO!"
Rivalz and Shirley exclaimed, respectively altogether as Lelouch was about to say no. Lelouch was surprised to hear Shirley share the same opinion. Milly had then narrowed her eyes for some reason.
"Th-that is to say...too much t-trouble..." Shirley muttered shamefacedly.
"Oh?", Milly inquired of the stuttering orange-head, a devilish smile appearing on her face. "Well, it's not too much trouble at all."
Lelouch felt that it was his time to speak out now, as he cleared his throat. "So are you coming with us or not? Let's not..waste time."
"Oh, of course! Come, come, come, you're all invited to eat in the Clubroom."
"Clubroom?"
"Are you sure, Ms. President?" Rivalz asked tentatively, though Lelouch could see that he was really excited about this.
"Yep, it's all the way back there. Come on, you're all invited, and no, that includes you, Lulu!"
"No thanks, we were just about to-"
Lelouch felt Milly grab her arm as he was just starting to walk away.
The boy looked down at the arm that had grabbed him, then up to meet Milly's hopeful gaze. As their eyes met for one brief moment, he could almost feel as if the old Milly was standing in front of him, inviting him once again to the garden.
Sighing inwardly, he nodded, and with this, Milly then led them triumphantly away.
"So, Lelouch, how did you get to know the President?", Rivalz whispered.
Lelouch said nothing and looked away, but apparently, Milly had overheard and proceeded to answer the two of them with a smile.
The youth was reassured that Milly was still playing along, regaling them with a tale of childhood friendship that was actually close to the truth - barring him being a Britannian prince and all. Curiously, Milly did not allude to the fact that Nunnally existed, though it seemed that that was fine for now.
"So how was Lulu's introduction? He didn't intimidate your class, did he? I remember him getting like that sometimes." Milly sighed melodramatically.
"Oh, nothing like that happened," Rivalz laughed. "Just..." the boy glanced at Shirley, whose face had reddened slightly, "Shirley...fainted..."
"You did?" Shirley shook her head with eyes shut. "Are you alright?"
Milly giggled, seemingly having an amused time as the other girl's face deepened further in the color spectrum. Through it all, Lelouch remained watchful, wary of whatever Milly was planning.
After some time, the group finally reached the Clubroom amidst cheerful banter (with the exception of Lelouch). Inside were some furnishings, most prominently a long, wooden table at the center, surrounded by seven chairs placed lopsidedly at its sides. The room had one occupant who was reading a book on the table.
It was a short, bespectacled girl with dark-green hair. She was about to say something as she looked up to the sound of the group's arrival, but fell short when she saw the others who had come in with Milly.
After a quick look of inquiry at Milly, the girl tried to stand, but was waved down by Milly.
"This is Nina Einstein, a friend. Nina, has my grandfather sent a note yet?"
"No, but Sayoko-san was just in earlier, looking for you."
"That's all right, I'll call her. Have you eaten lunch dear? If not, please stay, I'd appreciate if we could have a talk with our new friends."
"Friends?" asked the girl slowly as she tentatively looked back towards the other newcomers.
"Yep," grinned Milly. "This day shall be remembered as the day when this circle of friends would form the newly appointed student council," she declared with a grand gesture.
One might have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed, immediately broken by the door opening, and someone attempting to leave.
Milly was able to intercept Lelouch in three steps, grabbing the boy's arm for the second time in the day.
"Why?" growled Lelouch.
"Why what? Why me, or...?"
"Why," Lelouch looked around before whispering fiercely, "why are you doing this? Why these feeble attempts? I already told you before about...about us, didn't I?"
"You told me before that you didn't want me to be involved, but how can you say that when you're enrolled right here in this school...that's saying something about your words, isn't it, Lulu?", replied Milly calmly.
The others were still looking on confusedly at this scene, and after a few tense moments, Lelouch cleared his throat and asked loudly, "Why choose us?"
Milly smile widened, her face radiating triumph for all in the room to see.
"This academy has an important role in Britannia. Mainly, it serves as a jumping board of sorts for the young men and women enrolled here, to jumpstart their roles in our society..."
I'm so glad, Lulu...On the outside, Milly Ashford was proudly ecstatic at this small victory. Inside, she was doubly more so, for finally being able to take the first step on the way to hopefully unravel the mystery that her friend had become.
"...For some students, it can become tedious for them to keep studying all day long. That is why clubs were formed, to facilitate each student's potential interest in an extra-curricular activity..."
Whoa, is this really happening? Rivalz knew that there was something special with the transfer student, and he was proven right when, in the space of an hour, he'd become acquaintances with the student council president, a person he'd been infatuated since he came into this school; AND he was being invited to join said council. To be together everyday, seeing this frame of perfect beauty in his every waking hour...Rivalz did not listen to the small voice in his head that disliked work and knew what joining the council would mean - for most of him knew that this was a one chance in a lifetime event, and turning it down would make him regret it for the rest of his life.
"...In turn, to facilitate these clubs, the student council was formed. Created by the students and for the students, it will be our sworn duty to look after..."
Is this a dream? After everything that had happened today, Shirley could not distinguish between fantasy and reality anymore. On this day, she was "reunited" with her savior. On this day, through Rivalz, she was able to meet her savior, and through the latter, also meet the student council president, who was the grand-daughter of the school's principal. In the blink of an eye, she was able to experience all of the above, and now, she of all people was being invited to join the student council! Being in the student council was a big deal, and she didn't know how her parents and her friends would react. But if it would allow her to get to know him better, then...
"...normally, the student council president (that's me) would pick from a list of top students; but since I'm in charge, we can do things a little differently..."
Nina Einstein was rightfully perplexed at this new development. Although she'd agreed when Milly had asked her to join, she was under the impression that the president would then pick out of a list that the principal would send. The girl could only pray that the blonde knew what she was doing, it was her responsibility as president after all. She also hoped that these candidates were at least competent enough - from the way they reacted, they didn't have time to prepare too.
"...now that the silly speech is over, let's get down to business! And the first agenda on the table, is of course, lunch!"
Milly was positively beaming at the end of her speech. All the others save Lelouch gave reluctant claps, pleasing the blonde, who bowed vigourously.
"So are we all set then, do you accept?" Milly asked with a flourish.
Rivalz was the first to answer enthusiastically with a big "OF COURSE!", Shirley nodded quite determinedly as if she'd made her mind about something, and the the other girl, Nina, was nodding albeit reticently. Milly nodded with satisfaction at each affirmative, and then looked with anticipation at Lelouch.
Milly Ashford, what are you planning? A dozen like questions flitted through Lelouch's mind, and there were a dozen more answers, that made little sense. How could he afford to join in all this tomfoolery, when this was all just an objective to clear? If only she knew...but then Lelouch didn't seem to like that thought of his old friend knowing about him and Nunnally.
As he looked with rigid coldness into her own warm eyes, a vivid image of the young Milly flashed briefly, superimposing this one. This was the old Milly, who dragged them all around to search for a lost hamster, who always had a challenge for him everytime she visited, ever cheerful, headstrong and demanding...
It was all ridiculous. To the one in a million person who was in the same position as him, it was a very, very absurd notion, to be pulled in like this like everything was normal.
But shouldn't things like this BE normal? Was this not how it was supposed to be, had it not all fallen apart on that fateful afternoon on the staircase of the Aries Palace?
Yes, it was absurd, and for the first time in his life, Lelouch laughed.
It was a mere outburst of air, definable as a snort, but it conveyed to all in the room the message.
"I suppose it can't be helped," muttered Lelouch in an ambiguous tone. The others read it as amusement - the boy did not know himself.
Milly Ashford smiled softly, and after drawing herself up, announced loudly and joyfully for all in the world to hear, "Well then, with this, the Student Council for this year is formally appointed! Don't you all let me down," she added in a wink to everyone.
"First order of business, as I said, is lunch."
Naoto,
It seems that the rumors were true. I heard down at the factory that the Spirit of Honor and the Imperial Swords have all been wiped out. Obliterated. Naoto, this is getting serious, the Britannians are using black ops to wipe us out, one by one. Hinata from the Blood of the Samurai thinks it's a mole from one of the groups. If that's true, then we need to flush it out as soon as possible. Somebody proposed a meeting of all the groups, but I know some of them won't come on principle. You should really come out soon, since most of them seem to listen more to you. When's our group's next meeting by the way? Tamaki's been getting a bit antsy, cooped up here doing menial jobs. Strange, but I'm actually agreeing with him that we need to do something. Something to give a message to those Britannians.
Nagata
P.S. Tamaki sends his regards to your little sister. You better watch out for Kallen, Naoto, or he'll kidnap her one day. Just joking. But I don't think Tamaki is...