Here is the second half of Blissful Normality, as promised. While it is essentially filler it, like the first part, will have much that ties in with things to come. In fact, even the filler serves a small purpose. I'm glad people weren't wracking on how awful my attempt at some light-hearted writing (if you haven't already figured it out, I am a very serious writer and humor is something that I am mostly incapable of producing). So hopefully this chapter will be just as good as the last (if nothing else, it will make next chapter all the more desirable, as next chapter is going to be my favorite one yet). If it raises hopes any, I found a rather useful muse in listening to the R2 OSTs while I write; it has proved infinitely helpful for setting a mood. So has Mosaic Kakera (the 2nd ED from season one), which is, if you're interested, my greatest inspiration in writing this. So if you want a small hint at where this fic will go, listen to that song.
On a completely unrelated note, Masterkeyes (author of A Friend Indeed, and quite possibly the most awesome writer I have yet met – forgive the rhyme) pointed out to me that my use of Japanese honorifics in the earlier chapters was incorrect which, surprisingly, hadn't previously occurred to me. But as I thought about it I realized that technically Britannians would be speaking english and that use of Japanese honorifics is wrong, so I went back and modified all of those. I would not be surprised if I have missed some, so if anybody comes across ones that I have missed, kindly let me know, okay? And to those of you who actually liked my use of Japanese honorifics, well, it is technically incorrect. And since I am obsessive when it comes to being correct (although the correct I usually strive for is one I personally define), I feel it is my sworn duty to correct this... incorrectivity.
With all that said, and with one last shout out to Masterkeyes (who I have forgot time and time again to give honorable mention at the beginning of a chapter, as per his request), this disasteriffic chapter can get underway!
"We need to fortify El Alamein!"
"No, peace negotiations are our best policy! Fighting further will just result in more casualties!"
At its formation, the style by which the Euro Universe was run was an effective method. A council of the leaders of each of the twenty-seven member nations made for a democratic union that carried the best wishes of all the member nations. Over time the bond between the member nations began to waver, until eventually they broke apart entirely, forming two different groups within the council. These two groups opposed eachother at every turn – when one side wanted change, the other wanted things to remain the same. When one side wanted peace, the other wanted war. It had become a standard thing to go into a council meeting expecting a fight.
Their latest meeting was no different. Seven of their nations had been absorbed by Britannia over the past week alone, leaving the council a divide of ten on each side. Germany, France, and Italy held largely all of the authority within the council, with the rest being figureheads representing countries beneath one of those three. Internal corruption had turned the E.U. into a union of power hungry leaders seeking only to expand their own influence within the country, even at the expense of the country as a whole. It was for this reason that they found themselves in the despairing situation they were now in, backed into a corner by the swift and decisive advances of the Prime Minister of Britannia.
"If we can stop the Britannian advance at El Alamein, we can reclaim our territory and more! We could turn the tables on Britannia!" Marius Islami, the council representative of Italy, cried. His features were soft and refined, with slightly pointed ears and a perfectly groomed moustache, with a small nose and narrow slits for eyes, the irises a sparkling emerald. He was an imposing figure in the council, with persuasive abilities that had placed him in a dominant position over well over one third of the council, carrying more influence than any other leader in the council. His word was opposed only by the German and French representatives, as could be expected.
"We turn the tables on Britannia, and then what? Unless we drive them from both Russia and Africa, we cannot do anything but fight back and forth with Britannia. The border areas will be engulfed in never-ending conflict," Bergen Osiria, Germany's representative, shot back swiftly. Unlike Marius his features were far less imposing; short brown hair reached to the top of his neck, blue eyes and a poorly kept beard were his only distinguishing features. But he carried himself with a high and mighty attitude in an attempt to place himself higher than the others in the council, and in some regard he was above them. Although each member state had an independent military that came together in wartime, his was by far the largest. It had long been a policy of war mongers to keep him on their side, and this instance – where he advocated peace – boded ill for said war mongers.
"I agree," said the third and final of the three dominant representatives, Edward Baudet from France. A french moustache curled to either side of his nose, the ends pointing toward deep, icy blue eyes. Wavy black hair framed his face and he gave a cold glare to any that looked even remotely in his direction, marking him as the most feared of the leaders in the council. It was a legacy to live up to in a sense. All French representatives had the sworn duty of living up to the name of their age-old leader Napoleon Bonaparte, who had been responsible for much of the E.U.'s current power. As the successors to such a man, it was their duty to be just as imposing and talented as he. "We would be best off negotiating peace, and waiting until the Empire of China and Britannia exhaust themselves. Then we can make our move."
"If we can just defend El Alamein from Britannia until they exhaust themselves, we will not need to involve the Empire of China! Their squabble is over Area 11. I say, let them have their little island. It isn't the only Sakuradite resource, and it isn't the only advantageous location in the world. Once they have Area 11 they will be satisfied and will back down, and we may have our way with the exhausted Britannia. When they are dealt with, we can deal with the Empire of China as necessary," said Marius, ever the persistent one.
"You seem to be forgetting that the leaders of the Empire of China are all young and talented, more so than many of Britannia's leaders," said Edward. He flicked a wrist and pointed his index finger toward the ceiling, stating matter-of-factly, "That Li Xingke. The Lancelot's pilot, Kururugi Suzaku. And Zero. All of them are threatening figures who will seize upon a situation that is presented to them. Without a doubt."
Much of the table chorused their agreement to that statement. The only ones that opposed were those that followed Italy like lapdogs and those very few that, despite their standing in the council, had the courage to step and fight for what they felt was right. In those few moments the two sides of the divide shifted immensely, as it sometimes did, and new alliances were silently made while new enemies were silently pointed for no good reason. Within just twenty minutes of talking, it had come to pass that Marius Islami decided it was high time he expand further upon his influence in the council. Did he really need to? No, of course not. But it had become human nature to act on such whims whether you really needed to or not. This was one such instance. And besides, being outvoted and having those advocating peace overrule you was reason enough, really.
Outside the Vivendi Head Offices building – on the top floor of which was the meeting room for the member nations' council – many vehicles flying flags of one of the many member nations waited to pick up the representative corresponding with their respective flag. All except one. It was no surprise that the Italian representative didn't always go straight from the meeting back to the airport, and so few thought anything of it – a normal occurrence that needed no further observation, and nothing more. Now when several of the vehicles in the pack suddenly came to a stop halfway to the small communes of Dugny and Le Bourget, where the aptly named Le Bourget airport awaited them, suspicion was aroused. But there was no time to ponder it as they were on the road a moment later, providing the excuse that they had something of such importance that they couldn't relay it any way but in person.
Again, nobody thought anything of it.
But these strange – albeit not unheard of – occurrences were watched closely by some. Extremities between member nations had come to a point where expecting use of force was something people could see the logic in expecting. Even so, it was a subject so rarely touched on by either side that oftentimes representatives ignored the possible threat in its entirety. For that reason many were overly shocked to see these small but noticeable suspicious actions reach their apex; the German representative's vehicle, which had been leading the train of vehicles, was engulfed in a ball of fire as a slash harken slammed into its side. The others hastened to go into reverse, but by then it was much too late. The Panzer-Hummel launched its other slash harken into the front of the French representative's vehicle, destroying it instantly. The rest followed in short order with two well placed shots from his cannons. And coincidentally, those who had made their timely halt some time ago were untouched.
Some distance away the Italian representative, Marius Islami, was already pulling into the airport when his cell phone began to ring. Laughing softly he lifted it and pressed it to his ear, saying almost too eagerly, "Hello?"
"The bastards are dead, as per your orders," a man's voice, a gruff sound that could be associated only with the most battle hardened of soldiers. "What will we do with the remains?"
"Dispose of them in an orderly manner. We need to make this seem professional."
A small pause, "... It was professional."
Marius sighed, "Professional terrorist work. The terrorist network is a thing of the past, but terrorist activities are not entirely nonexistent. We can spin it to come off as such."
"What will you be doing about the nations themselves?"
"I," Marius laughed softly, leaning back in his seat as the vehicle turned a corner and came to a halt. "I will be creating a far more unified E.U."
o--o
Adapting to school life was an easy thing for everyone after a long summer's break. The two months of sun, surf and relaxation transformed into a practiced school routine without incident, and afternoons spent at the beach became small spots of free time in which one wasn't wrapped up by their lessons. It was a simple thing that nobody questioned and everybody went with regardless of their personal opinion – who would rather be in a class instead of being elsewhere relaxing anyway?
Unfortunately, the transition from soldier to student – or bodyguard – was an entirely different matter.
In the two weeks since they had returned to Ashford, nobody was more bored than C.C., who had to do little more than follow Lelouch from place to place all day. While this had been something she did from time to time in the past, the professional attitude she had to carry herself with as his bodyguard made it a job rather than a choice, and that took any and all potential fun out of it. There were no teasing remarks or outright teasing in general. Just silently trailing behind, pretending to be studying each and everyone they passed as though they may jump at Lelouch given a moment's notice. By the third day, C.C. had already lost it. By the end of the first week, she had been ready to give up, satiated only by Lelouch handing over his credit card – albeit reluctantly. But even pizza, in all its splendor, wouldn't hold her patience much longer.
It was for that reason that she had decided to skip out on being Lelouch's bodyguard for the day – it was a Friday, and Lelouch could conjure tons of reasons to explain her absence – on the grounds that she was going to have some time to herself. Lelouch had been skeptical as she said this, but he hadn't questioned the matter and he hadn't tried to convince her otherwise. She could tell he had enjoyed her company during the long school hours and he had almost looked like a lost puppy when she had seen the group off that morning, but she had her reasons. Reasons that somehow excused her now being in Karen's room, searching through the deepest depths of her walk-in closet in search of an outfit that she surely didn't have in her possession.
To her surprise, Karen had a rather wide array of feminine clothing. Low cut dresses seemed to populate the entire right side of the walk-in closet, each and every one shimmering with the light pouring in through the open doors of the closet. Most were either varying shades of red or blue, but there was the occasional green in with the mess of dresses. C.C. sifted through them rather quickly, ultimately deciding none suited her tastes. Granted she couldn't entirely remember what her tastes were, but she remembered enough from the many magazines she had time to read over the years – particularly in the earlier stages of her contract with Lelouch, back when they still lived at Ashford - to know what she had thought looked cute at the time.
The left side was filled with more casual clothing, consisting mainly of blouses and many pairs of jeans – several of which had tears in them, in the knees or elsewhere. C.C. finally settled on a black ruffled blouse with a pair of slightly torn navy blue jeans, a casual look that C.C. felt was entirely too foreign to her. How long had it been since she had dressed in such a casual manner, anyway? Satisfied she retreated into the bedroom and began taking her time searching through the drawers of her vanity for a makeup kit or something of the sort. It was little surprise that Karen didn't have such a thing, however. Giving herself a once over in the vanity mirror, C.C. decided such trifling things were highly unnecessary for her.
The rest of the day had been a blur. Several hours had been spent in front of the TV watching whatever piqued her interest, while just as many were spent in the dining room with several boxes of pizza to one side of her, a pile of magazines on the other. Teen idol magazines had been her topic of choice for the day, and within an hour's time she had been thoroughly educated on the subject of teen likes and dislikes. Such information could prove useful for what she had planned later that day, after all. A glance at the clock told her that he pizza binge and reading session had left her with over four hours to spare, and so with nothing else to do she grabbed a small bag off of the table and rummaged through it, finding Lelouch's cell phone tucked in its depths. With his cell phone in hand she took off, confident that Lelouch was observant enough to realize that she would have his cell phone if he returned and found her gone from the house.
When Lelouch returned home after school, with the rest of his motley crew in tow, he wasn't surprised to find that C.C. wasn't in the immediate vicinity. Rummaging through the bag on the table confirmed his suspicions that she had gone out. What he hadn't anticipated was the spare cell phone – another necessity that had been paid for in full by Xingke – having a text message. Flipping it open, a message displayed over the screen, saying simply, "Clovisland. Thirty minutes." The number attached to the message was that of his own cell phone, and so with a soft laugh Lelouch quickly changed before using the monorails and catching the 5th Circinate Line, taking him almost to the Viceroy's Palace, where there was a ten minute wait before catching the 2nd Line as far as the Old Tokyo Memorial.
As Lelouch exited the station at the Old Tokyo Memorial, a familiar sense of dread washed over him. Directly in front of him was a large structure made of a polished stone, depicting the Emperor of Britannia – the man depicted didn't look one bit like Charles – lifting the crown off of another man's head. A sword lay between them, representing unconditional surrender. "As if the Japanese didn't have enough to hate," said Lelouch as he gazed upon the memorial with interest, taking in every inch of its structure. The Emperor depicted before him was missing one of his hands in a manner most certainly not within the vision of the sculptor. The man kneeling was likewise missing a hand, likely as revenge for the slight to the Emperor before him.
The walk to Clovisland from the memorial was one of undisturbed silence. All around Britannians went about their business as though he didn't exist – and since several were victims of his Geass, there was reason for that. Many were businessmen or women, going to one place or another for an important meeting that, in the scope of Lelouch's world, were hardly important. Occasionally he would be graced with a passing glance, and if the Britannians even recognized him they didn't let it show. For this Lelouch was glad, as he would have drawn unnecessary attention to himself had they recognized or acknowledged him. Curse C.C. and her frivolous way of doing things.
It was little after four when he finally arrived at Clovisland – had they increased their prices since he last visited? - and had gotten inside. The massive Ferris wheel in the center of the amusement park loomed over him as he walked, eyes shifting from side to side in search of the witch who had the audacity to call him out to such a public place in the first place. Unfortunately he wasn't as inconspicuous as he had initially hoped he would remain to be, and it was only a matter of moments before he was surrounded by people, some curious, others violent. It occurred to him then that the average Britannian's opinion of him was subject to be different from person to person which, while a simple enough concept, bemused Lelouch. As he tried to push his way through, people shouted out to him either praises of his heroism, remarks of how he had betrayed the empire, or simply spewing, "Zero," as though it were a plague upon him. The exchange was interesting in and of itself, but by the time Lelouch had broken free of the group his tolerance of them was waning.
He finally spotted C.C., leaning against the railing surrounding the Ferris wheel with an amused look on her face as she watched Lelouch break free of the crowd of people. He made his way over to her with his brows furrowed with an expression of blatant displeasure, panting as he reclined against the railing next to her, eliciting a chuckle from her in turn. "That was... cruel," he said. C.C.'s only answer was to break into a soft laugh. "Why Clovisland?!" he gasped, turning slightly without lifting himself off of the railing to glare at her.
"I wanted to go on a date," said C.C., as though the fact were something he should have expected from the beginning. And in hindsight, thought Lelouch, he should have.
"No," was Lelouch's subsequent response. C.C. frowned briefly, but the small flicker of emotion didn't remain for long, masked behind an indifferent expression.
"And why not?" asked C.C., her eyes searching his for a reasonable excuse to decline her request. She found no such thing, after a moment's search.
"What do you mean, 'why not'?" exclaimed Lelouch, turning fully to stare at C.C. with an incomprehensible expression. "This life we are living right now, C.C., isn't real! This isn't our life – this is a small vacation, at best!"
"And?" C.C.'s own expression was unreadable, but their was a noticeable layer of incredulity gleaming.
"And?!" cried Lelouch incredulously. He waved his hands in a frantic manner, and he was growing steadily more aware of the people casting he and C.C. wary glances as they passed.
"Suzaku told you to enjoy the peaceful time we do have," C.C. added, going in for the finish. Lelouch's protests all died out as she said that, recognizing the truth to her words. With a sigh, Lelouch realized the futility in objecting further.
"So, for whatever reason, you want to go on a... date," he said, not hiding the fact that he thought the concept was unheard of.
"That is right."
"You aren't going to tell me this reason," noted Lelouch, sighing. C.C. nodded. "Fine. What did you have in mind for this 'date'?"
Wordlessly C.C. pointed toward the Ferris wheel behind her. With a sigh Lelouch took her by the arm, looping it through his own and making his way toward the lineup. The line seemed to part ways as Lelouch arrived, much to his bemusement, and it was only a moment before they were seated in one of the cars, lifting up toward heights they hadn't reached in some time. And the feel of being so high up on a Ferris wheel was vastly different than being in a Float System equipped Knightmare Frame. "You have an eye for things like this, do you C.C.?" asked Lelouch, the silence growing unbearably thick for him.
"A magazine said Clovisland was a good spot for couples to go," she replied, adopting a quoting tone of voice.
"C-couples?!" Lelouch gasped, turning sharply to look at her as though she had lost her mind. C.C.'s expression was as indifferent as ever, although she seemed more pleased with herself than normal.
She tapped a finger to her cheek thoughtfully, "Is that not right?"
Lelouch's left hand made its way to his face and he groaned deeply, shaking his head, "No... thats right. Clovis wanted this place to be a happy place, because of all the conflict in Area 11."
"Forget about him, Lelouch," replied C.C. sternly. She looked at him from the corner of hey eye and caught his distraught expression. She added, "Mourning won't serve any purpose."
The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence, save for some pleased noises C.C. made as they reached the top of the wheel. Lelouch couldn't help but wonder why she had never been on a Ferris wheel in the past, although he let the question slip from his mind, forgotten into the depths of it where it would never be heard from. What she had or hadn't experienced in her many years of life were of no consequence to him, after all. As they stepped out of the car at the end of the ride, C.C. seemed far happier than Lelouch had ever seen her. Happier even than when she was engrossed in a piece of pizza.
For the next two hours, the tension of the forcefully planned date disappeared entirely. Despite himself Lelouch allowed himself to enjoy his time spent, going from attraction to attraction, as were C.C.'s whims. The roller-coaster ride proved to be especially exciting for Lelouch, with a multitude of twists and turns as the track led them around and between most every other attraction in the amusement park. It was oddly reminiscent of being in a Knightmare Frame, with the swift movements throwing them to and fro. The sensation brought a feeling of absolute bliss to Lelouch that he wasn't aware that he could still feel, and they ended up riding it twice more over the course of their stay.
The other attractions were no less amusing, although more so for C.C. than for Lelouch. Ring toss turned out to be a disaster when Lelouch's lack of strength and coordination resulted in him unceremoniously hitting the person running the ring toss in the forehead. Many a snide remark was made at Lelouch's expense from them on regarding his expertise in the art of ring toss, but they came to an abrupt halt the moment Lelouch had threatened to reclaim his credit card.
The rest of the attractions were visited more as a formality than anything else. C.C. had insisted on going to everything the amusement park had to offer. Lelouch had dutifully accepted, having long since surrendered to the inevitability of the situation. None of them were as enjoyable as their first choices, but when they finally left at nearly seven o'clock, both were wholly satisfied. C.C. had become a permanent accessory for Lelouch's right arm, clinging tightly to it as they walked, although this development had coincidentally been made not long after the amusement park had begun to swarm with couples on dates, many of which including the woman of the pair clinging to the man in a like fashion. Lelouch hadn't complained when C.C. did so, and that had been that.
Lelouch sighed as he checked the watch on his right wrist, "Suzaku is probably wondering where we are..."
"You didn't tell him you were going out?" C.C. seemed genuinely surprised by this.
"I just changed and left." Then with a glare he added, "Because you gave me a time frame."
"I expected you to be late."
Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "I know you did. Which was why I had to be on time."
"You won't let me win over something so trivial? Arrogance is an understatement in your case," sighed C.C., shaking her head in a pitiful manner.
"You care about winning?" countered Lelouch.
With a shrug C.C. replied, "Not really."
"Damn you!" Lelouch and C.C. exchanged a glance and upon realizing that it wasn't the other that had said it, looked ahead. They had absently been making their way back toward the Old Tokyo Memorial, where two men now stood. One Britannian and one Eleven, if the ragged clothing on the latter was any indication. While the Britannian was dressed well, as could be expected, in black slacks and a white striped button up shirt, the Eleven was dressed in torn and faded blue jeans and a tight fitting gray shirt, with dirt layering both articles of clothing. The Britannian was staring down at the Eleven with a sneer, pointing to his pant leg, where a small spec of dirt had settled. "That is your fault, filthy Eleven! Clean it up!" Rather than obeying, as many Eleven civilians would have in that situation – at the very least, that was how it was when last Lelouch saw, many months ago – this Eleven stood, glaring at the slightly shorter man and giving him a rough shove.
"I am not an Eleven!" he hissed loudly, eliciting glances from several passers-by. "I am Kojiro Miyami. A Japanese! I'm Japanese!" Before Lelouch could so much as blink the two men were upon eachother, punching and swiping where they could. Before long Kojiro had been pushed up against the base of the memorial, his head hanging back and a smug smile on his face. "Going to deface your own memorial with the blood of a 'filthy Eleven'? Go for it. This memorial is nothing more than a slight to the honor of the Japanese."
"And get your blood on our memorial? Bollocks." The Britannian took a step back to admire his handiwork. Kojiro's right wrist had been snapped when the Britannian caught an incoming punch and twisted the caught hand around, his face was bloodied from a hit to the nose and several hits to the mouth, and several teeth had been knocked out. Despite all the damage done Kojiro lunged, tackling the Britannian to the ground and landing a left hook to the side of the Britannian's face. With his right hand damaged he had only his left hand to rely upon, but that proved to be enough. He landed four consecutive hits before the Britannian regained the wind in his lungs and fought back, delivering a devastating knee thrust to the gut that took Kojiro down immediately.
Unable to watch any further, Lelouch stepped forward, "Stop it!" cried he, glaring down at the two. They cast him a wary glance before returning to eachother, clearly having not recognized him, which was either reassuring or an assurance of their idiocy – Lelouch preferred the later. Taking a glance around to ensure they were alone, Lelouch narrowed his eyes, "I said..." they looked at him again, and with a sweep of his right hand he removed the contacts in his eyes, "Stop fighting!"
The two blinked once, twice. In unison they stood, muttering words of apology to one another and wiping the dirt off of eachother's clothing. Satisfied, Lelouch replaced his contacts and turned to C.C., who was regarding him with an expression screaming displeasure. Lelouch uttered a nervous laugh and turned around again, avoiding the scrutinizing gaze of the witch as best possible. Kojiro and the Britannian had already taken their leave in opposite directions.
"You are reckless," said C.C., coming up beside Lelouch. "You know Schneizel yearns to discover your power, and so you respond by giving him two ideal test subjects. Has the time spent in normalcy dulled your wit?"
"Not at all," replied Lelouch, his tone frank. "I know the risks I have taken, which is why I ensured the command I issued was one that could not linger. It is Britannian nature to take their hatred out on those beneath them – in this case, the Japanese. That being so, the Geass command I gave him will keep him from fighting. Schneizel will have nothing to investigate."
"You seem to be underestimating Schneizel. You won against him in China only because you were given a good position, and because he was overconfident in his advantage," C.C. remarked, smirking at the glare Lelouch gave her. "He is every bit your equal otherwise, is he not?"
Lelouch solemnly nodded, "He is the only one whom I have never defeated at chess. I don't know if I can, even now."
"Time will tell," C.C. replied unnecessarily, shrugging.
"Yes..." Lelouch touched his right eye with his index finger, frowning, "Time will tell."
o--o
Many a strange phenomenon came with the arrival of the Empire of China in the Tokyo Settlement area.
The sky over Area 11 had been more clear. The grass had been more green. The birds sang freely and without fear, their delightful voices rising and falling in a perfect harmony that cleared the mind and soothed the soul. The thieves in the streets all but disappeared as though they had never existed. Oftentimes Elevens and Britannians engaged in meaningful conversations as though they were equals. These were just some examples of the happiness that came with the change that was occurring. A stranger occurrence still, however, was the sight of Todo Kyoshiro smiling. On a regular basis, and often without any true reason.
One Kaguya Sumeragi observed all these happenings with the greatest of interest and pride. Often would she confide in another how proud she was to have been a part of such a turning point in the restoration of Japan. Common arguments stated that the true head of Japan's restoration was in fact a Britannian himself, but this had long since ceased to bother her. Be they Britannian, Japanese or anything else, Kaguya had grown to accept all so long as their desire for change was true. Some would dare say she were far too optimistic and that Japan would never be the same if it relied upon others to assist in its restoration, but Kaguya cared not. After all, she'd realized long ago that Japan would likely not be returned in full to the Japanese. Lelouch was far too idealistic to let it end there.
And she found herself warming up to that idea. Why should the battle end in Area 11? Lelouch had indeed said time and time again that he would help all the Numbers, but nobody had thought much of it, really. Looking back on it, Kaguya found an appeal to that idea she hadn't before seen. They could take the fight to the Britannian homeland, perhaps even overthrow Britannia! What would come after that Kaguya couldn't be sure, but it was an idea worth pondering over. Just... not now.
Because right now was for other matters. Other matters standing right in front of her, to be precise; Cornelia Li Britannia. Clothing similar to that which she usually wore covered her powerful yet lithe frame. In lieu of her usual wear of matching dark crimson pants and dark crimson top, the top reaching down around the sides of her thighs and bearing golden linings spreading out from the center toward the sides, with a white cape with a unique collar that spiked and barricaded her entire head was one of nearly identical symmetry. Where there was no longer any extension on the sides of her top there was instead frilly lace that accentuated the lighter crimson of the dress pants she had opted to wear in place of the usual. In place of her white cape that reached nearly to the ground was a similar one of a darker shade, with the Britannian emblem etched into its back. The collar rose to the base of her skull where it spiked ever so slightly, bringing out the same imposing appearance she typically had.
Next to her stood Euphemia, dressed comparably simply. A frilly pink dress hugged tightly to her small frame, and her hair had been brought up into a small bun, several tendrils of her long hair escaping and assaulting her face with no discernable pattern. A light layer of blush had been applied to her cheeks and eyeshadow brought out the hint of purple beneath the blue in her eyes. Both were dressed to impress, so to speak, and for good reason.
Beside Kaguya stood the Tianzi, dressed in a white dress that matched her own black one, and behind her stood Li Xingke, the Commander-in-Chief of the Anti-Britannian Front. Behind Kaguya with a hand resting on her shoulder was Kyoshiro Todo, one of the highest ranking members of the Anti-Britannian Front. The four stared down the two princesses before them with studious gazes, oblivious to Diethard preparing cameras and other necessary equipment off to the side. There was nothing beyond the eyes of the two princesses they studied, searching for any reason that they shouldn't be here, getting ready to do what they were about to do.
The command center of the Hogosha was cast in a dreadfully uneasy silence as the apocalypse – otherwise known as the televised affirmation of the ceasefire between the Anti-Britannian Front and the Britannian army under Cornelia Li Britannia – approached. The lackeys and other lower rank men on either side of the room – as each side had been delegated to one party – dared not speak, for fear that they would shame their leaders. And the leaders dared not speak for fear that they would bring to the table reason to call off this ceasefire. Cornelia was the least worried of this detail, but the prospect of the Anti-Britannian Front surrounding and assaulting the Tokyo Settlement wasn't sitting well with her. It would certainly result in more damage than was necessary.
"Ready," Diethard's head poked from around the camera he had set up and his hand waved beside it, finger after finger dropping as he counted, "Five. Four. Three. Two. One... Go."
Kaguya revealed a paper she had been holding behind her back as she proceeded to recite, "As representative of the Anti-Britannian front and Empress of the Empire of China, we – Kaguya Sumeragi and Jiang Lihua – will be representing the Empire of China in this matter."
Cornelia in kind revealed a paper she too had been hiding and recited, "And as 2nd and 3rd princesses of the Holy Britannian Empire as well as Governor-General and Sub-Viceroy respectively of Area 11, we – Cornelia and Euphemia Li Britannia – will be representing the independent militarized zone of Area 11, as granted by His Majesty the Emperor."
"Though they are terms already agreed upon through our Grand Commander Lelouch Lamperouge, we offer the immediate release of all prisoners – offense and other such details irrelevant – as well as a share in the seasonal distribution of the Sakuradite resources within the territory of the Empire of China," said Kaguya.
"And we offer the full recognition of Japanese nationalism within Area 11 as well as the promise that all lost territory in Area 11 is to remain under the authority of the Empire of China," said Cornelia. There was a brief silence in which the viewers, although there were none as of yet and there wouldn't be for several hours when this was actually to be broad-casted worldwide, could register the true meaning of those words into their heads. After such a pause Cornelia continued, "The Sakuradite distribution is to be done in a manner that benefits both sides, with a minimum of fifteen percent. Agreed?"
"Agreed," replied Kaguya, sparing a glance at the Tianzi who too nodded her agreement. She went on, "And the integration of Japanese is to be absolute. Ghettos are to be abolished, although improvement on those areas is a matter to be handled by the Empire of China. The Ghettos and Concessions are to be united, and Japanese will be given their full freedom within all of Area 11. Agreed?"
There was a long silence before, "Agreed."
"And furthermore," Kaguya went on, looking down at the paper in her hand. "Oppression of Japanese within Area 11 is to be made an offense punishable only in a matter fitting of one whom has committed murder. Oppression will not be forgiven, be it toward the Japanese or toward the Britannians, and both societies are to be treated as equals. Is this agreeable?"
Before Cornelia could respond Euphemia eagerly nodded, squeaking out, "It is most agreeable." And then with a hardened stare in her sister's direction she added, "Right, sister?"
The sight of Cornelia cowering before her sister's resolve was something that, were they not in a completely professional scenario, would have had the entire room roaring with laughter. This was only all the more true as she said quietly, "Of course, Euphemia."
Breaking the air of seriousness was Kaguya, having momentarily forgotten that she was being revealed to all the world as she began hopping on the spot, clapping her hands happily, "Wonderful!" cried Kaguya as she settled down from her apparent stupor of glee, smiling widely as she held out a hand to Cornelia. Likewise the Tianzi held out a hand toward Euphemia as Kaguya said, "Shake on it?"
With some hesitation and an elbow to the ribcage from her sister, Cornelia took Kaguya's hand into her own.
o--o
It may have been a long time since Lelouch had last referred to Ashford as his prison, but he was beginning to remember why he had considered it as such to begin with.
Sitting in class, listening to things he had taught himself years ago? Spend time in the company of people who saw him not as their classmate Lelouch Lamperouge, but rather as Zero and the Grand Commander of the Empire of China forces? Neither were things Lelouch longed to enjoy the thrill of. Namely because there was no thrill to be had in such things, but also because his time could be spent in better ways. He'd promised not to do more than what was absolutely necessary in matters pertaining to his rank – which ended up being only a couple public services to display the Empire of China's earnest desire to integrate both Britannians and Japanese into their society – but he still had other things he could do, such as repairing strained bonds with people.
Unfortunately, he had already exhausted that resource. He and Nunnally had had every Saturday to themselves for the past three weeks, a day which they spent doing the many things Lelouch had promised Nunnally they would do together when it was possible. There had been a visit to Clovisland – which unfortunately ended up being a disappointment on Nunnally's part when Lelouch ended up retelling the events of his date with C.C. there – followed by a visit to the recently named Clovis Memorial Museum, as well as visits beyond the Tokyo Settlement, to important or interesting locations all throughout Area 11. One such visit had led them to the Empire of China-built memorial at Itsukushima, where a statue of Kyoshiro Todo had been built in honor of his monumental success during the Second Pacific War, a long eight years ago.
Beyond Nunnally, there had indeed been others that he needed to make amends with – namely, the Student Council. Although he had declined their invitation for he, Suzaku and Karen to return to the council on the grounds that they were no longer people that the Ashford populace would accept as being amongst those exalted ranks, he had still made much time for them. There had been a particular World History assignment in which they had to make a five thousand word report on one of Britannia's historic events during the reign of the 98th Emperor Charles Di Britannia, and Rivalz – who's in-depth knowledge of such a point of world history was meager to say the least – was both surprised and delighted that Lelouch offered to be his partner. The fact that C.C. was an add-on when Lelouch worked with you was certainly a bonus.
Shirley had been surprisingly indifferent to Lelouch's presence which, while Lelouch no longer held her in any special regard, did hurt him. Still, he managed to break through to her one day a week past, when they had been caught in Milly's attempt to promote good will at Ashford. Numerous charity groups had visited the academy in the hopes of getting a large sum of money from the many rich people that attended. Shirley had unfortunately been limited in what she was aloud to provide, and had been pleasantly surprised to see Lelouch pooling in his personal funds with her's to support a charity group of her choice – a homeless shelter relief fund, in particular, which Lelouch would later admit in confidence with C.C. that he had had a special desire to aid that charity. Afterwards Shirley seemed to be all smiles around Lelouch and everything seemed to be normal, although there was still an inexplicable barrier between them that Shirley wouldn't allow to lower.
Milly had been a similar matter, in essence. That same charity event had been derailed by a certain group of student's openly displaying their refusal to part with their money for such a needless cause. True Britannian behaviour, really, but it had struck a chord within Milly. With Lelouch's help she – and several others – had been able to convince those delinquents the error of their displeasure, which was owed in no small part to Lelouch's persuasive abilities. And thus had all feuds been resolved, and thus had Lelouch been left with no motivation to attend school, as had been his problem before leaving Ashford to begin with. It had been unfortunate that Nunnally had tied him to Ashford for a long time, but that reason too had faded. And so what did Lelouch do?
Naturally, he skipped class. Starting with PE.
The grass whistled against the wind in the fresh, early morning air as Lelouch relaxed, leaning against a rather tall Oak tree out behind the academy. Birds up in the highest branches sang songs of joy toward the heavens, gracing the land with a calming feel that was slowly dragging Lelouch into the depths of a blissful slumber. Next to him sat C.C., her head resting lazily next to his own, although she was wide awake and staring absently toward the sky. Every so often a small sigh would escape her slightly parted lips, often followed closely by a graceful yawn from her partner. Save for the singing of the birds above there was a completely companionable silence hanging over them, and any words that needed be spoken could be picked up simply through their knowledge of eachother. Such was the bond they had come to share.
Now and then C.C. would lift her head to look at Lelouch and he in kind would immediately open his eyes, staring at her for just the briefest of moments. And then he would say, "I know," as though he understood exactly what she had meant to ask. And to some level he did, C.C. thought, her curiosity piqued. It was that curiosity that had made her lift her head once or twice when she really had nothing to say. And sure enough Lelouch would stare at her for that same few moments, but instead of answering he would simply chuckle lightly and return to the blissful state of relax that he had been in beforehand. He truly was an enigma, even to her, who had the distinction of being able to say she knew him best. Not even Nunnally could say she knew Lelouch to the extent that C.C. did, who shared much of who he was. They were two sides of the same card, both in the regard that they were partners and in the regard that they were very much alike.
And likewise was C.C. an enigma to Lelouch. It was no secret that C.C. was not her real name, of that much Lelouch was certain. But her true name was the least of her enigmatic qualities. Even with the bond they shared, he knew far too little about her. He could agree with the fact that there were probably several things he didn't want to know about her, but there were certainly just as many things he did want – and deserved – to know about her. When had she truly been born? When was her birthday? These were trivial matters of course, but they were just as unknown as the more important qualities. Like how she had known at least to some extent who he was the moment she saw him. That was a mystery he feared he would never learn, through her or otherwise. It irked Lelouch that she could know so much about him while he knew so little about her, and he had to admit that he hadn't yet come to terms with that fact.
"Hey, C.C.?" asked Lelouch, little more than a whisper, lest he disturb to pleasant calm.
"Hmm?" she grunted in reply, one eye glancing over at him from the corner of its socket.
After a moment of thinking Lelouch asked carefully, "Did you know my mother?"
If the question surprised C.C. she neglected to show it. "Why do you ask?" she asked, and Lelouch could tell she was subtly taking her usual approach to the questions she didn't feel inclined to answer.
"You seemed to know me when first we met. I seemed familiar with you as well, if only slightly. It wouldn't surprise me if you knew her, or – I dare say – knew something about her death," replied Lelouch, an edge to his tone as he fought to keep control of the question. It, unlike so many other questions, would not be avoided.
A heavy sigh, much unlike the soft ones Lelouch had been hearing all morning, escaped C.C. as she hung her head, seemingly in thought. "I did know her," she said after a long moment, uncharacteristically reluctant. The thought that he would ask this of her hadn't occurred to her before now, it seemed.
Lelouch sighed in kind and ran a hand through his hair, a gesture to bide time as he considered that. Finally he said, "And you knew her up until she died."
"Thats right."
"And that is why you seemed familiar to me; you and I met briefly while my mother still lived."
"Correct."
"Then why did you not tell me?!" cried Lelouch. The calm shattered under his sudden rage and C.C. almost flinched from the tone, but remained detatched and indifferent as Lelouch vented.
"Does any of this matter?" she asked in a clipped tone. Lelouch's anger began to dissipate at that moment and she said, "It wouldn't have changed anything."
It took a long moment for Lelouch to allow that to settle in, and then he said, albeit reluctantly, "I know."
"Then don't dwell on it."
Silence followed for many moments afterward. The birds ceased singing, contenting themselves with the occasional chirp. The flapping of wings signaled the departure of some birds and the arrival of others. At some points a bird would perch itself upon Lelouch's shoulder, pecking lightly at his face. At this point C.C. would chuckle and Lelouch would swat at the bird, and the bird would take off with a furious flap of its wings. The only departure from absolute silence was the sudden arrival of a small rabbit that piqued the interests of both Lelouch and C.C., primarily for its rather distinctive colors. It was a slate gray with a glossy coat, with small black spots all over its back and small white spots on its stomach on on the top of its feet. It stopped in front of Lelouch and stared hard at him for a moment, and then glanced over at C.C. before returning its gaze to Lelouch.
Lelouch tentatively picked it up, relaxing when it immediately began searching for a comfortable position within his arms to have a nap. "Do you think...?"
"It seems to like you," C.C. answered, chuckling lightly. "Mascot material, perhaps?"
Lelouch glared at C.C. and wagged a finger, "Absolutely..." he looked down at the rabbit, resting comfortably in his lap. It nibbled lightly on his finger in its sleep, often sighing in a contentment Lelouch didn't know was possible. It then occurred to Lelouch that perhaps this rabbit didn't have a family. It seemed to be just a baby, and that would certainly explain its behaviour to some degree. In that regard, Lelouch could truly sympathize with the unfortunate creture. And so he finished, "... Perhaps," with a small smile on his face.
At that moment C.C. jumped to her feet and stretched, her bones popping as she did so. "I've grown tired of this," she said quickly, noticing the quizzical look on Lelouch's face. "Lets walk."
Although reluctant to leave the comfort nature had to offer that morning Lelouch stood as well, carefully placing the rabbit on the ground where he had been. He didn't get more than three steps before he heard the soft pitter patter of small feet trailing behind his own. He stopped and turned around, finding the rabbit both awake and following closely behind. It didn't stop fast enough and subsequently bumped into Lelouch's leg, shaking its head of the resulting daze before looking up at Lelouch. Its eyes were large and inquisitive, a vision of a loneliness Lelouch was all too familiar with. Sighing he reached down, scooping the rabbit into his arms. It immediately scurried up his arm, taking a rather interesting perch upon his shoulder, nibbling on his ear lightly. C.C. burst out laughing at that moment.
"Ah... definitely mascot material," it took Lelouch well over a minute to realize she had spoken, so shocked was he by the sudden laughter. Laughter from C.C. of all people.
"He doesn't have a family, it seems," Lelouch replied, shrugging. He began walking again and C.C. had to pick up her pace to keep up with him, so fast that she nearly tripped over the ends of her pants several times. The halls of Ashford Academy were empty as class was in session, thus making it a simple matter for Lelouch to get to the library undetected. There he made toward a bookcase further to the back, pulling a book out of place. The bookcases around it began to shift, revealing an iron door. Pressing in a code on the pannel next to it the iron door opened to reveal a small elevator that Lelouch and C.C. used to reach the basement levels of the academy. Thankfully few knew of the place and even fewer knew how to reach it, so hows and whys weren't something Lelouch worried about should he be seen heading toward those bookcases.
There was a small room beyond the elevator, and passing through it brought Lelouch to a room he knew all too well. A large rectangular table was placed in the center of the dark room, with a massive screen embedded in the wall in front of it. On the far side of the room was a small love seat, although it was hardly necessary with the many chairs surrounding the table. It had been Lelouch's temporary hideout during his days as Zero back before he had left Area 11, and it had proved all too useful in those days. Even now he could remember the talks with Duke Henry at that table, reading spec reports and the like on the many things the two did together. It was unfortunate the duke had been recruited into India's research groups, as Lelouch hadn't heard from him since the Order of the Black Knights had first arrived in the Chinese Federation.
But there was something distinctly different about the room, particularly around the seats that faced the large screen. Nina was seated there, with many papers spread out in front of her. She hadn't seemed to notice the new arrivals, reading through whatever was in front of her intently, every so often scribbling something in on the side. Her expression was one of perfect focus, and Lelouch had to blink to make sure he was seeing right. Not that Nina wasn't studious in the least, because she was, but rather because what she was doing clearly wasn't something that could be associated with school work. Especially since she had only been in class a handfull of times since Lelouch's return, and even then she had seemed out of it. Lelouch was officially intrigued.
The rabbit made a little squeak as its nibbling of Lelouch's ear ceased, drawing Nina's attention from her work. She did a double take when she saw who it was, scrambling to gather up all the papers in front of her. Her efforts were in vain as Lelouch pinned one down with his hand, reading over it. "Sakuradite Disruptor...? All attempts to invent such a thing by Britannia have ended in complete failure..." said Lelouch, his interest drawn further out. "Do you actually have plans to make something like that, Nina?"
"I-I... I... No," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze.
"Nina," Lelouch made a tutting sound and he wagged a finger at Nina, making her blush hard with embarrassment. "You can't hide anything from me. Remember?"
"You would...?" Nina pointed to Lelouch's eyes.
Lelouch shook his head as he replied, "No, I would not." When Nina breathed a sigh of relief Lelouch chuckled, pulling his hand away. "So what is all this?"
"I..." Nina cleared her throat and then tried again, "I want to help."
"Help who?"
"The world."
"The world?"
Nina nodded, "There will come a time when everything will fall apart. I will be here when the time comes."
Lost in confusion, Lelouch was quite bothered by the fact that the topic seemed closed. Why must women scorn him by hiding their knowledge?
And then the rabbit started nibbling on his ear again.
"... Are you a woman too?"
o--o
Why, oh why, had he ever thought there would be a semblance of normalcy in all this?
This was a question one Kururugi Suzaku asked himself on a regular basis. Now, the occasional feuds at home were one thing – all families fought, after all, and this makeshift one was no different. But waking up to an argument between Lelouch and C.C. about having used Geass on a couple civilians? Walking into the dining room to find the table swamped with pizza boxes, whether they were empty or not? Having a maid who is capable of fighting to a draw against most anyone, with some revived form of ninjutsu? It wasn't normal! And the time spent at school was a poor compensation, seeing as they were all treated as though they were celebrities – and occasionally, worse, treated as foul demon. Couldn't anything be normal?
No, Suzaku supposed not.
And it was for these reasons that he was hardly surprised when Li Xingke called him that morning, his first words being something along the lines of, "Why were emergency funds used to pay for the production of a... giant pizza?" But naturally, because this was a normalcy within the off beat and questionably sane lives of those living it, Suzaku had answered in a manner so nonchalant, Xingke had actually done a double take upon hearing it. After all, a giant pizza? To Suzaku, it made perfect sense that C.C. would have wanted such a thing and, although it made slightly less sense, it wasn't odd to him that Lelouch had agreed to it. Was it wrong that he found such unordinary things perfectly normal?
"Let me talk to Lelouch," was how he had eventually replied, and Suzaku could still remember the trace amounts of annoyance in his voice. Suzaku chuckled when he heard that, much to Xingke's chagrin. But could he help it that he thought that Xingke was playing babysitter? The thought amused Suzaku to no end.
As soon as he had overcome a fit of chuckling he had obliged, making his way to Lelouch's room upon the second floor. And it was here that things got too weird even for Suzaku. He froze as he gazed into the room, muttering some unintelligible reply to Xingke and shutting the phone off. Lelouch lay before him delicately curled in bed, a soft smile playing upon his lips. Normally this wouldn't be too odd – Lelouch often seemed happiest in his sleep – but there was one other object in this picture that had Suzaku blushing furiously. Lelouch was curled around C.C. with his arms wrapped around her torso, and she had her head reclining against his shoulder and her back pressing into his chest. Quietly, oh so quietly, Suzaku had shut the door and banished the thought of those two cuddling from his mind.
And yet when Lelouch came down into the kitchen with C.C. trailing behind him moments later, neither were any the wiser as to why Suzaku was avoiding their eyes. C.C. settled herself on the island in the middle of the room while Lelouch set to preparing breakfast, as he did every morning. It had come to be a wake up call for the house's inhabitants, for all of them knew that Lelouch would inevitably dispose of anything not eaten quickly enough. And since his cooking was enough to make one's mouth water, missing out was simply not an option. And thus Suzaku's reason for having been up so early to begin with. And given the smirk Suzaku saw from the corner of his eye, Lelouch knew it.
Breakfast came and went like a blur, and then everyone was up and about, carrying out the tedious Saturday morning tasks that required their attention. Jeremiah and Sayoko tended to cleaning the house from top to bottom, fixing anything even remotely out of place in a manner so meticulous that only they could have possibly pulled it off. Rolo and Karen were on guard duty as per usual, watching out for the ever present threat of attack. Though it had been many weeks and there had been no problem, Lelouch was paranoid in his determination to make sure no harm came to those he cared about. They had set many traps around the house, both visible and invisible, to safeguard the eventuality.
Nunnally and Suzaku went out for a day to themselves, as Lelouch had taken a rain check because of Xingke having called. He and C.C. took sanctuary in the third floor where they took to reading over supply reports and other such things to make sure their plans – as, though nobody knew about it but C.C., Lelouch had been planning something all along – were ready for when they returned to their positions back in Kyoto. The first thing Lelouch confirmed was the progress on their new Knightmare Frames, and was pleasantly surprised to find the new mass-production Frame from India, the Akatsuki, to be in the final testing stages of development. Though the Akatsuki closely resembled the Gekka, the true successor to the Gekka was to be the Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo. The only unfortunate matter was the inevitable failure in integrating Float Systems into mass-production units, limiting their air forces to Team Zero.
Thankfully, the completion of the Akatsuki and the Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo cemented their advance into Sevemth Generation Knightmare Frame technology, surpassing even Britannia in their armaments. This was an important benchmark for Lelouch, who had stressed the importance in showing the world that Britannia could not only be defeated, but be surpassed as well. It would be some time still before they had enough of these Frames to employ on the battlefield, but it would also be some time before there was a battle to be fought. And until that time, Lelouch could only hope that Britannia's own Seventh Generation advances were not completed. It would defeat the purpose almost entirely if that were to happen. And if Rolo's Vincent was any indication, they were getting close. Worse, the Vincent was much like the Lancelot in its technologies. An army of Lancelots, even if the pilots were nothing like Suzaku? Didn't sound too appealing to Lelouch.
Next to be confirmed was the attempts to make a weapon using Hadron technology for mass-production units. Although in concept it seemed to be an easy thing, like the Float Systems finding a cost friendly way of doing it was nigh on impossible. Even so, Rakshata's technological genius was shown in her resounding success and a Hadron powered rifle had been created with relative ease, with the only flaw being that it had to draw from the Frame's direct power source, rather than having an independent reserve of its own like the VARIS and the shielding devices did. For this reason the Akatsuki Frames had been granted a much more powerful power supply, though that had exponentially increased the price behind its production. It was only through the fact that they had a vast amount of resources to draw from that made its production possible.
As soon as he'd finished checking through the many spec reports that needed checking, Lelouch pulled out his phone. Bringing Xingke up in his list of phone numbers, he waited several seconds as the dial tone sounded before a click was heard, followed by muffled sounds very much akin to the soft chattering of a mouse of a likewise small animal. In the distance a loud screech was heard and then finally Xingke let out a districted, "Hmm?"
"You wished to speak to me," Lelouch answered his grunt, reaching over to the far side of the table he sat at, where his newly acquired pet rabbit was inside a cage. He released it, allowing it to take its place upon his shoulder, nibbling upon the remnants of a carrot that had been placed inside its cage the night before. Lelouch reached up and scratched under its chin as he listened to more of the distracted noises being made on the other end, eliciting soft happy noises from the rabbit. Growing impatient Lelouch asked, "Xingke?"
Xingke's voice was contemptuous as he stated blandly, "Schneizel will soon have finished making his move. Can we continue to delay?"
"No, we cannot. Is everything sufficiently prepared?"
"Our forces have been gathered to the key locations we detailed during our last meeting, and our new supplies have been stored in all the different locations we accordingly decided upon. When you are ready, so is everything else ready for you."
Lelouch nodded to himself, a gesture C.C. - who had been sitting nearby – took to be a subtle sign of being pleased. "And when will Rakshata be performing the first test runs on the Akatsuki?"
"The Akatsuki Jikisanshiyo has been tested, but unfortunately is, like the Gekka, fit only for limited production. The Akatsuki will be tested tomorrow, although we already are prepared to have many models ready almost immediately after. We will be able to outfit much of our forces with them within a few days." A sigh was heard in the background, followed by a groan from Xingke. "Lelouch, I have to go. When will you be ready?"
"I will be on board the Hogosha in three days' time."
"If that is all, then I must go. I have business... to attend to here," a click was heard, followed by the dial tone. Lelouch shut off the phone and ran a hand through his hair, smiling smugly to himself.
"Is your puppet rebelling against its puppet master?" C.C. asked, smirking.
"He will soon, if we do not move." Lelouch sighed and ruffled his hair a little, allowing the resulting mess to crumple around him. "The Chinese care not for their Empress, and they sing songs of the valor of their glorious Grand Commander, having come from the very royal court of Britannia to smite all who are enemies to the world. It truly is a marvel. You should hear some of the songs they sing in the streets."
"I have heard songs sung many a time in commemoration of someone. It is nothing new." C.C. stood and made to Lelouch's side, scratching the rabbit behind the ear as she went on, "But that would mean that Xingke is growing disillusioned with you, would it not? The Empress will be seen as little more than a figurehead to your desires, and Xingke would seek to put her in full power and take you out to do so."
Lelouch nodded, "And thus the plot thickens. But he is far too late; the curtains are closing on this stage, and I will soon be moving to the next. But I still need him."
"Is he that powerful?"
"That dispensable."
o--o
The desert air was thick, accentuated by the heat to make a humidity so dreadful that one couldn't help but feel as though they were going to die at any given moment. And it was a place like this that had been home to a vast majority of E.U. forces for some time, dreadful though it was. Sand billowed in the heavy wind, threatening to blind any and all who were foolish enough to be outdoors without the necessary equipment – namely, as cool clothing as physically possible and heavy duty goggles. And it was outside El Alamein, on the very edge of this terrain, that news reporters flocked from all corners of the Euro Universe to bear witness to the largest military display the E.U. had ever taken part in. One hundred thousand soldiers had been stationed at El Alamein, and over fifty percent of them were Knightmare Frame pilots and had Knightmares. It was to be a hellish battle should Britannia attack.
One reporter, a certain Catherine Yule, employee at BBC News as a reporter for upwards of fifteen years, wouldn't have missed this for the world. From the death of the last King of France to the recent supposed terrorist attack on many of the E.U. leaders, she had covered all of the major stories that had presented themselves in her career. Initially it had been, like any job, just for a paycheck. But with a natural reporting affinity like her's, could she help falling in love with the job? It had consumed her life long ago, to the point where she feared she may have a nervous breakdown should she fail to deliver the news required of her. And so, she did just that. Thus coming to El Alamein, despite the present danger in doing so.
"Alright, Miss Yule. You are on in five, four, three, two, one..."
"I am reporter Catherine Yule with BBC News, coming to you live from the El Alamein battlefront. It has been a long time since we have been aloud to visit the heroes on the battlefront, but with the reformation of the armed forces and the appointment of Vice-Commander Jarvis Dervan to the high command of our troops here at El Alamein, where even now they are preparing for what is most likely going to be a last stand against the Britannian forces. The troops led by the Prince of Faces, Schneizel El Britannia, even now grow closer and closer to this important defensive location." Catherine Yule was a voluptuous woman in every sense of the word, and she played on that factor in her work. A low cut black skirt fluttered about in the wing, and a tight fitting gray shirt hugged her upper body, showing off her sizable chest. Auburn hair was tied back into a ponytail where it normally would have covered her face from the wind, allowing two shining blue eyes to show through.
Behind Catherine, there was a buzz of excitement as column after column of Panzer-Hummels, some armed with a makeshift arm that allowed for holding a baton of some sort, began travelling south-bound on the main street, through the center of the city. As the last of them passed by reporters, Catherine amongst them, began trailing behind, fighting to get to a good vantage point from which they could get a shot of the moving columns. Katheringe finally managed to break free of the pack as they were passing a deserted side street where there was the entrance to a building that seemingly lead to the very heavens. Just inside the arched entrance-way was a spiraling staircase, and as Catherine continued to climb, it became increasingly possible that the rooftop may never come.
When she finally reached the roof she had, at long last, reached her ideal vantage point. With the immense quality of the scope feature on her camera, the distance was a non-existent problem. She unleashed her camera's power to its fullest, taking shot after shot with such expert precision that it was a wonder how each and every one came out seemingly perfect. As soon as she had taken her fill she retreated to the ground below, carefully navigating the streets in such a way that she effectively cut off the columns as soon as they came to a stop in the town square. It had long ago been decided upon as an ideal place to take a pause, primarily due to the significance of the location.
The outer reaches of the square were not filled with vendors as many of the North African cities' squares, if they had one, were. It was instead a massive wall that separated the living areas of El Alamein from the square itself, with the only way in and out of the square being the main road upon which the collumns travelled. In the center of the square was a massive statue of a hero from ages past, back in the early days of the Euro Universe's rise to power. A small pond surrounded the statue and the pedistal upon which it stood, and many had discarded spare change into the pond as an offering to their hero as a form of prayer.
"Vice-Commander Jarvis!" Catherine hollered out, ever the shameless one when it came to her work. Widespread dislike of reporters for their persistence? She couldn't care less what they thought. So long as she got her story, she thought, they could say what they wished of her. And when they were working some tedious minimum-pay job at god-only-knows-where, she would be at the heights of her career, rolling in more money than she knew what to do with. And would they have any excuse to look down upon her then? Then again, did they have any excuse to look down upon her now, when she had established herself as one of the most successful reporters of her time?
And it seemed the Vice-Commander was aware of who she was and her reputation, as he – standing atop his respective Panzer-Hummel – immediately ordered a halt to the slowed procession. He looked down at Catherine with an unreadable expression, but he waved a hand as if to urge her on. Not one to pass up such an offer she smiled brightly and nodded, "Just a single question," she spoke into her microphone in an honest tone and, realizing the truth in her words, Jarvis nodded. "What do you think of this? Being forced to take up defense against a vastly more powerful enemy, with only the natural defenses of El Alamein and your genius as a commander as your allies?"
Jarvis didn't seem surprised by the question, and he answered truthfully, "As a soldier, my personal opinion means squat, doesn't it?" with a dry laugh. Not waiting for a comment he went on, "But the reality of it is, that this is folly. Annexing the territories of the deceased leaders has doomed us, I'm afraid."
"Would you elaborate, Vice-Commander?"
"The people are unanimous in their support of only their respective leader. How is such a person to act then, when another leader comes marching in with his guards, stating that they will be taking over the unauthorized area? I smell trickery, and I fear the Prince of Faces is prepared to exploit it. Until then, I must continue to fight. Now, if you may."
That last scene? A dreadful attempt at writing someone with blatantly different mannerisms and such than the other members of the cast. But it will make due, for now.
One thing of interest to point out. Marius Islami does indeed sound familiar in case anyone is wondering, as I named him in close resemblance to Marina Ismail from Gundam 00, which I am eager to see the second season of. Words can't express how happy I was to hear it would be taking R2's time slot, essentially maintaining my love for Sunday mornings (unless, of course, the lovely subbing groups behind it will be slower than CG's were, which is highly likely).
There is only one other thing that needs saying – my take on the last episode. Or rather, my take on people's reception of it. Really, does it matter? Okay, it does to some, but is it worth sparking full-fledged arguments over? No. So, as a precaution (I don't expect this to be an issue) I will ask that nobody so much as mention that episode. Yes I know nobody has so much as mentioned direct events from the serious in correlation to my own take on the series, but I also realize that there are very few Code Geass fans not talking about the ending. And so it is, as I said, a necessary precaution to make.
And now onto Chapter 21 (technically 22, but my pre-written document still says 21), Three Nations Plan! Interpret that as you will, for now.
