"Mom, why coat?" Joseph asked his mother one day when they were out walking in a park.
He saw her wear it on many occasions, even though it looked a bit worn out, it had some patches on it as well.
"What do you mean, dear?" Rebecca asked sweetly.
"Wear all time. It magic?" Joseph asked innocently.
Rebecca chuckled at that, happy that her son's imagination can go to such places. They sat down on a bench, and enjoyed the midday air.
"This coat, belonged to your great grandfather, Herbert Duford. He was in the Irish Naval Service and he traveled around the world with this coat on, every re-stitching and patch on it has it's own story, a piece of our family history. He passed this coat on to my father, who passed it on to me, and one day I'll give it to you." Rebecca told him nostalgically as she showed him the details of his coat.
"Nope." Joseph said simply.
"Nope?" Rebecca asked in confusion.
"No passing down. Be here forever!" Joseph told her gleefully as he hugged her.
Rebecca once again chuckled.
"I love your optimism, my little Joe." Rebecca told him sweetly as she returned the hug.
And for awhile, he didn't think he would be wrong.
...
Pendragon - 2009
Tonight marked another party at the Britannia home city. People came with their expensive outfits and haircuts and dance along the ball room with classical music. Marianne and her children were there to keep up appearances, Cornelia and Euphemia were there to guard her(well Cornelia was anyway, Euphemia wanted to come along), and Rebecca and Joseph came for moral support.
Milly Ashford and her grandfather Rueben were there to show their support to Lady Marianne as well. Plus, Milly always enjoyed spending time with the four Britannia siblings.
Joseph could see that Lelouch and Nunnally felt uncomfortable being there, seeing how the majority of nobility looked at them with contempt. So he decided to lighten up the mood.
He took two black-colored plates and put them over his ears.
"I, mascot of evil empire!" Joseph proclaimed in a high, squeaky voice.
That got a laugh out of Lelouch, Nunnally, Milly and Euphemia. Rebecca chuckled as well, happy that her son always found a way to cheer up his siblings.
"Thanks for coming out tonight. These parties always make my children feel awkward." Marianne said gratefully
"Happy to oblige." Rebecca said happily.
"No problem at all, Lady Marianne." Reuben said with a smile.
That's when a young man with turquoise-colored hair approached them, he bowed in respect at the two consorts.
"Lady Marianne, the car will be here in an hour to take you and children back home when ready." The young man said in respect.
"Thank you, Jeremiah." Marianne said with a smile.
"Jeremiah Gottwald, it's been awhile." Rebecca said happily.
"Yes, it's good to see you Lady Rebecca." Jeremiah said with respect and a smile.
Rebecca and Jeremiah crossed paths with each other multiple times at the Aries Villa whenever she and Joe came to visit. She thought he was a true gentleman that didn't let public opinion fuel his own thinking.
And while Jeremiah's loyalty was always to Lady Marianne, he held a lot of admiration and respect for Lady Rebecca. How she basically barged her way through the trenches that was Britannian nobility and still came out with her head held high. The lengths she would go through to make sure her son was treated equally and wasn't just a handicap was truly inspiring. He thought Prince Joseph was a good kid too, he always made things lively whenever you were in the room with him and always brought a smile to your face.
Rebecca grunted as she clutched her head a bit.
"Are you alright, Lady Rebecca?" Cornelia asked in concern.
"Oh yes, just a bit of headache today. Nothing to worry about." Rebecca said in reassurance.
That's when the piano kicked into a new song.
"Care for a dance while we catch up?" Rebecca asked as she extended her hand to him.
Jeremiah looked in surprise and glanced over to Lady Marianne, who nodded in approval.
"It would be my honor, your highness." Jeremiah said with a smile.
Joseph turns to Cornelia and curtsy in a dramatic way.
"Proper dancing, thou Lady Corn?" Joseph in a faux British accent.
Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Joseph." Cornelia responded as she extended her hand to him and they as well went out to the dance floor.
"Lelouch, will you dance with me as well?" Euphemia asked pleadingly.
"No fair! He's my brother, I want to dance with him!" Nunnally whined.
"Nunnally, learn to share your brother." Marianne gently lectured.
"It's okay mother, I can dance with both of them." Lelouch reassured as he took both of them by the hand to the dance floor.
"Yay!" Nunnally and Euphemia cheered happily.
"I call next!" Milly cheered.
Lelouch sighed, he knew this would be a long night for him.
They all entered the dance floor when a woman started singing an aria.
Oh, how divine
Glamour, music, and magic combine
See the maidens so anxious to shine
People swayed to the music with calm but passionate demeanor, including Rebecca and Joseph. Britannian Classical wasn't their favorite but they still had appreciation for its craft and their dancing, one of the few good things to come out of the culture.
"So, I can see you're making sure Marianne stays nice and safe." Rebecca commented as they continued to dance.
"Of course, I would gladly give my life for her and her children if I had to." Jeremiah said proudly.
"Just how did Marianne managed to scoop up such a loyal fellow as you, and where do I find your twin?" Rebecca asked with a smirk, making Jeremiah chuckle.
"Honestly, she reminds me a lot of you. Kind but fierce, smart and courageous to a fault, it's something to admire." Jeremiah told her with praise. Rebecca smiled.
Look for a sign that enhances chances
She'll be his special one
"Well, I appreciate that. I hope one day, my son will find someone as loyal as you." Rebecca said before succumbing to another ache in the head that made her clutch her head and groan in pain.
"Are you sure you're alright, your highness?" Jeremiah asked in concern.
What a display
What a breathtaking, thrilling array
"Uh, yes. Of course, just need an aspirin ." Rebecca said as a tinkle of blood started to come out of her nose.
This caught the attention of the children.
"Mom?" Joseph asked in confusion as he stopped dancing with Cornelia.
"Lady Rebecca?" Cornelia asked in concern.
Every prince, every dog has his day
Rebecca wipes and her nose and saw the blood.
"Damn it." Rebecca quietly said to herself as she started to slip into unconsciousness.
And I'll sing with passion, gusto, fit to bust
"Your highness!" Jeremiah exclaimed in shock and concern as he caught her.
"Mom!" Joseph yelled in fear as he ran over to her.
Cornelia, Lelouch, Nunnally, Euphemia followed behind. Marianne, Reuben, and Milly ran out there to see what was going on.
Oh, not a care in the woooooorld!
Joseph took his mother out of Jeremiah's arms into his own, screaming "MOM!" over and over again.
"Auntie Becky?" Nunnally asked in quiet fear, tears gathering in her eyes as she clutched Lelouch's arm. Lelouch himself was looking at the scene in confusion and concern, wondering what was wrong with his favorite aunt, same with Euphemia.
"SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!" Cornelia barked.
...
Hospital
Joseph stared intensely at the hospital doors that had his mother on the other side, he tried to push his way through to be with her and almost accomplished doing so but Cornelia convinced him to calm down and not scare his siblings, who were currently waiting with him in the waiting room, all still in their outfits from the party. Marianne told Jeremiah to stand guard outside while Milly and Rueben went home, understanding this was a personal matter for the family.
Joseph just stood a few inches away from the door, not moving at all for the last two hours.
"Joseph, perhaps you should sit down. Rest your legs for awhile." Marianne suggested with concern, holding Nunnally in her arms.
Joseph, in return, didn't say anything. Cornelia sighed tiredly.
"Joseph, standing there isn't going to-"
"Not moving!" Joseph said angrily through gritted teeth.
Cornelia and the others looked at him in surprise, they never seen Joseph angry before, not even towards those who were mean to him or his siblings.
"I suppose it makes sense. If it was Euphemia or our Vi siblings in there, I would probably be glued to the same spot he was in right now as well." Cornelia thought to herself in understanding and sadness.
It was then, a doctor came through the doors, Joseph came up to him in a millisecond.
"How mom?" Joseph asked quickly, really wanting to get the answer.
"Um, s-she's fine now. She's resting." The doctor stuttered, surprised by the prince's quick speed.
"Where?" Joseph asked.
"Your highness, how about you take a deep breath for a moment and-" The doctor didn't get to finish as he was suddenly pulled by his collar into Joseph's face.
"WHERE!?" Joseph screamed at the doctor, not wanting to hear anything else.
"Joe!" Cornelia yelled, wanting him to remain calm and not make a scene.
"R-Room 1-189!" The doctor stuttered fearfully, convinced for a second that the prince might have killed him if he delayed for another second.
Joseph then threw the doctor out of his way and ran into the infirmary, Cornelia uttered a quick apology and followed after him, along with the other siblings and Lady Marianne in tow.
"Mom!" Joseph yelled, racing towards her room, making sure to look at the numbers on the doors so he knew he was going in the right direction.
He found the room and rushed in, he saw his mom laying in a hospital bed. She looked tired, but besides that, she looked good.
She turned to him and gave him a small smile.
"There you are, my little Joe." Rebecca said in soft, tired voice as she reached out to him.
Joe smiled with tears in his eyes, he ran over to her and hugged her tightly.
"Hey, it's alright, I'm okay." Rebecca said to her son in a soothing tone as she rubbed his back.
The rest of the family finally caught up and were relieved to see Rebecca in good shape.
"Are you alright, Aunt Rebecca?" Lelouch asked in concern as he approached her bed, Nunnally in tow.
"Are you sick?" Nunnally asked quietly.
"I was probably just tired is all, Nunne." Rebecca said as she patted her head.
"Actually, it's more complicated than that I'm afraid, your highness." The doctor, who Joseph interrogated, said as he entered the room.
Cornelia gave Joseph a stern look.
"Sorry for being mean." Joseph said apologetically.
"It's quite alright, your highness." The doctor said forgivingly.
"I'm guessing he wanted to know where I was right away, huh? I would have done the same thing, though I probably would have thown the guy out of my way." Rebecca said with a smirk, not knowing that's exactly what Joseph did.
Making the others laugh and Cornelia sigh tiredly.
"What did you mean more complicated?" Marianne asked.
"I'm sorry, your highness. But only family members can-" The doctor didn't get to finish as he was interrupted by Rebecca.
"They are all family, doctor. What needs to be said to me, can be said to them." Rebecca told him, gently yet firmly. The doctor nodded.
"Very well, we ran your blood through our labs and...I'm sorry to say, you have Adult T-Cell Leukemia, your highness." The doctor said sadly.
The group looked on shock, except Joseph and Nunnally, who were just confused.
"Leu-Le-media?" Nunnally asked in cute confusion.
"Leukemia, dear. It's basically when bad blood hurts your body and makes you really sick." Marianne explained to her as she lifted her into her arms.
"Hold on, are you sure your data is right. It could be a misreading." Cornelia argued.
"We ran the tests three times in a row, your highness. I'm afraid it's true. The disease is attacking Lady Rebecca's blood cells at a fast rate and is poisoning her organs." The doctor told her.
"Okay, but, she'll get better, right? She just needs to go through some sort of treatment. Chemotherapy, it's called, right?" Lelouch asked in a hopeful tone.
The doctor looked at the children with sadness.
"...I'm sorry to say that the way the disease has rapidly progressed so far, no treatment will be able to eradicate the virus in time for recovery." The doctor told them in gentle straightforwardness.
The group looked at him in shock, not believing the words coming out of his mouth, except Rebecca, she just looked on solemnly.
"How much time?" She asked gently.
"1 or 2 months at most, your highness." The doctor told her gently.
"This is ridiculous! She was fine just a few hours ago! We have some of the best medical technology here and you're telling me there's nothing you can do!? How the hell did you get your job!?" Cornelia lashed out at the doctor, not wanting to accept this diagnosis.
"Cornelia!" Rebecca shouted, getting Cornelia and everyone else's attention. "Doctor, can you give us a minute?" She asked him gently. The doctor nodded.
"You have my deepest condolences." The doctor said regretfully as he left.
Euphemia, who hadn't said anything yet, looked at Rebecca with tears sprouting in her eyes.
"You're dying, aren't you, Aunt Becky?" Euphemia asked tearfully.
"...I'm afraid so, dear." Rebecca told her with a sad smile.
Euphemia came over to Rebecca and gave her a tight hug as she sobbed in her shoulder.
"Aunt Rebecca...I..." Lelouch slowly said, not sure what to say anymore.
"It's alright dear, I know." Rebecca told him gently.
"Guys, come on. Gonna be A-OK!" Joseph told them optimistically.
The group looked at him in confusion, including Rebecca. Cornelia went over to him and looked at him in sympathy.
"Joseph, I know this is hard to accept. But your mother-"
"Gonna be fine! Look, (points at himself) me fine! Not at first, then was! Same with mom!" Joseph interrupted Cornelia with further optimism, not wanting to hear any doubt.
"Joe, please listen..." Rebecca tried to tell him, to no avail though.
"No worry mom, find cure!" Joseph proclaimed as he kissed her on the head and then raced out of the hospital room, despite the protests of his family.
"We'll go after him." Marianne told Rebecca with sympathy. "Come on Lelouch." She said to Lelouch as she took his hand, he waved a sad goodbye to Rebecca who blew him a kiss.
"Mommy, do you think big brother Joe will really find a cure." Nunnally innocently asked her mother. Marianne smiled sadly at her.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see, honey." Marianne told her softly as they left the room.
"Euphie, won't do you go join them, I'll be with you in a minute." Cornelia said in a gentle tone.
"Okay." Euphemia said with sniffle after wiping the tears of her face.
After Euphemia left, Cornelia looked at Rebecca with a hopeful expression.
"It was miracle that you did find a cure for Joseph. Any chance you have another?" Cornelia asked.
Rebecca smiled in sad amusement and shook her head.
"I'm afraid I'm out of tricks this time, Corn." Rebecca said quietly.
It was nickname that Joseph had given her, which annoyed her to no end. But hearing it come from Rebecca in this state, she was very close to crying.
"If there's anything I can do for you, Lady Rebecca, please tell me so." Cornelia said with determination as she kneeled at Rebecca's bedside like a knight would. Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle
"You always have been a proper lady, Cornelia. Even when you were a child. Please, when the time comes, just be there for Joseph, when he really needs it." Rebecca told her kindly.
"I will, Aunt Rebecca, I will." Cornelia told her solemnly.
...
Aries Villa
For the next few weeks, Joseph scavenged through every medical book, every anatomy book, and every medical tv show to find a cure for his mom. None of them seem to have the answer. During this time, Marianne had him and Rebecca stay at the Aries Villa to help her in anyway they could since she had no servants herself. His siblings and Marianne put on a supportive front at first, but as Rebecca started to grow weaker and sicker, they realized they had to confront him about it.
One day, Marianne, Cornelia, and Lelouch found him using the living room as some sort of conspiracy map.
"Um...Joseph, what are you doing?" Cornelia asked in a very confused manner.
Joseph looked up in surprise, not even hearing them come in.
"Oh, hi! Came to help?" Joseph asked excited.
"Help with what exactly?" Lelouch asked, just as confused as Cornelia.
"Find cure finally! Very close!" Joseph said gleefully.
"He's going with a mythology route this time." Marianne said in a tired manner, as his searching have been keeping her up all nights.
"Greek mythology! Find God of Medicine with confusing name!" Joseph exclaimed as showed them a picture of a statue of the Greek God, Asclepius.
"Joe..." Cornelia spoke out, trying to get his attention.
"Use magic powers for mom!" Joseph explained enthusiastic.
"Joseph..." Lelouch spoke up as well.
"Heal her and live happily-" Joseph didn't get to finish his statement.
"Joseph! Stop for a second!" Cornelia yelled, finally getting his attention.
"...What?" Joseph, genuinely confused by his sister's anger.
Cornelia sat down and gestured Joseph to do the same. She took a deep breath before looking at Joseph in a serious manner
"Look, I know how much you love your mother and that you want this to work out. And while me, Lelouch, Lady Marianne, and both Nunnally and Euphemia have been trying to find those answers for you as well, we need to start accepting the reality of the situation. Your mother is dying." Cornelia told him in a straightforward manner.
"I know, but fine later. Find cure." Joseph told her in an obvious tone.
"Joseph, life is not some comic book film where the good guys always win or a cartoon with a princess and prince kissing at the end. We have tried everything from tests to experimental drugs, nothing has worked! Your mother has grown weaker each day to the point where she can't even get out of bed without assistance! We are out of miracles!" Cornelia said to him piercingly.
"I miracle! Should be dead!" Joseph pointed to himself as he yelled at them in anger, shocking the group, never have they seen Joseph like this before. "Alive because mom! Saved me! Gotta save her!" He continued to yell in angry determination, before quieting down and resuming to look at documents about Asclepius. "...Gotta." Joseph said quietly.
The group looked at him in silence, not sure what to say, they could only feel sympathy for the boy in denial. Finally, Cornelia put a gentle hand on Joseph's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Joe. No one, especially at your age, should. But you need to say goodbye before its too late." Cornelia told him softly, like a big sister should.
"She's right Joseph. I love Aunt Becky, she's like a second mother to me, but we need to start preparing for the worst." Lelouch told him with sadness in his voice, hating that he had to tell his brother this.
Marianne didn't say anything, just looked in sympathy.
Joseph stared at them for a moment before arching his eyes in anger.
"Quitters..." Joseph said quietly.
The group looked in surprise.
"J-Joseph..." Cornelia said, not expecting him to say that.
"QUITER!(Pointing to Cornelia) QUITER!(Pointing to Lelouch) QUITER!(Pointing to Marianne) ALL QUITERS!" Joseph screamed at them as tears sprouted from his eyes.
He kicked the table a little harder than he meant to as he sent it flying into the wall, but he didn't care, he didn't want to hear any of the negativity concerning his mother. He swiped his eyes and ran away.
"Joe, please wait!" Lelouch tried to go after him, but he was stopped by his mother.
"Let him go, Lelouch. This is what's necessary for him." Marianne told her son gently.
Lelouch didn't like it, but he nodded his head in understanding.
"When Ragnarok is complete, I'll make sure Joseph is reunited with Rebecca first." Marianne thought to herself.
...
Joseph rushed to the room his mother was staying in while she was bedridden, he slammed the door hard, shaking everything in the room and startling Rebecca.
"Joseph?" Rebecca asked, startled by her son's anger and sudden appearance.
Joseph, seeing his mother confused and a bit scared, calmed down.
In the last few weeks, Rebecca had gotten thinner, her skin had gotten paler, and they had to shave her head because her head was falling out. It was accurate to say she looked like a ghost of her former self. Her appearance even made Nunnally scared as she cried and had to be taken out of the room.
But Joseph didn't care, he thought she looked beautiful no matter what, and he always told her that, making her smile from his kind words.
"Hi mom. Still beautiful." Joseph told her softly with a smile as he sat next to her on the bed.
As always, she smiled at the comment.
"Thank you, dear. Now tell me what all the ruckus is all about." Rebecca asked in a motherly tone.
"Eh, siblings, stupid argument, no worries." Joseph reassured her happily.
"...I'm guessing they gave you that intervention I asked of them." Rebecca said in a solemn tone.
Joseph's happy demeanor went away as he looked at his mother in shock.
"Mom...?" Joseph asked, very confused now.
Rebecca looked at him with sorrow.
"I wanted to say it myself, but I just didn't want to break your heart this way." Rebecca said quietly.
"No give up! Found miracle for me! Find for you!" Joseph told her in desperate determination. Rebecca smiled sadly at him.
"One of the things I always loved about you was your optimism, my little Joe. And it will help you carry on in this world when I'm gone." Rebecca told him, her voice starting to break.
"Nope. Not listening. Lalalalala!" Joseph said as he covered his eyes and squinted his eyes shut, not wanting to hear anything.
"Joseph, look at me..." Rebecca said, tears starting to gather in her eyes.
"Mmm-mmm!" Joseph said as he shook his head violently, tears starting to gather in his own eyes.
"Joseph, please..." Rebecca said in a begging tone.
"NO!" Joseph yelled as he was practically clutching his ears at this point, tears streaming down his eyes.
"LOOK AT ME, DAMN IT!" Rebecca screamed at him as she pulled his arms away from his ears, shocking Joseph into opening his eyes as he never heard his mother yell at him before, ever.
And when he looked at her, he finally saw just how skinny she looked, how pale she looked, and how her smooth brown hair was now all gone. What once was his mother was now this frail woman he could barely recognize.
He could finally see his mother was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it.
"Listen to me...you are...the greatest thing that has ever happened to me...and I'm sorry...I'm s-so sorry..." Rebecca said as she finally broke down.
In return, Joseph did the same as he clutched his mother as tight as he could.
"DON'T DIE! DON'T DIE!" Joseph wailed into his mom's chest.
Rebecca could only say, "I'm so sorry...", over and over again as she sobbed into his back.
...
A few days later, Rebecca had finally passed away, dying in her sleep.
Joseph never left her side, not even to take a bath.
When he finally left the room for the guards to transport her body, the first thing he did was slowly stroll up to a wall before suddenly banging his head hard against it. He had to be restrained by Cornelia as he screamed for his mother and angry, sad tears streamed down his eyes. Cornelia held him in her arms, soothing him, being there for him like Rebecca had asked.
At first, his siblings were scared by their brother's behavior, but then they could see just how much pain their brother was in. Nunnally was the first to go up to him as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, finally calming him down. In return, Joseph wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder, they were soon joined by Lelouch and Euphemia, who were shedding their own tears.
Rebecca was cremated as per her request and they had a small memorial for her that was attended by the Vi Britannia Family, the Li Britannia siblings, Reuben and Milly Ashford, Guilford, Darlton, and Jeremiah. The Emperor didn't show up, but none of them really expected him too.
Joseph, surprisingly, didn't attend either. He just sat in the bed where his mother died and clutched the urn his mother's ashes were in, silent tears ran down his face.
The next couple of weeks, Joseph was basically a zombie.
Marianne had him stay with them at the Aries Villa as he didn't want to go home and be faced with all those memories, not even wanting to be near his mother's walkman.
And he did everything with very little to no effort. He walked with a slouched position, he ate only when necessary, and only said simple phrases such as, "Yes", "No", and "okay". His siblings tried to cheer him up at points but he just patted their head and went into another room.
One time, as a way to try to left up his spirits, they brought the record player that his mother owned and some records for him to play, hoping to see him do some of his dance moves.
Instead, he just played really depressing music, particularly one that made everyone feel really awkward.
They, crucified our savioooooor, and nailed him to the croooooooooosssssssss
He aroooooooossssssse, he aroooooooosssssssse
Joseph just sat in a chair in a slumped form as he listened to the music.
"Mommy, what does crucified mean?" Nunnally asked curiously.
Marianne and Lelouch looked at each other uncomfortably.
"Um, I'll tell you when you're older, honey." Marianne said in a sweet, putting-off tone.
It seemed hopeless that Joseph was ever going to return to his old, full of energy, jolly self.
Until one day.
...
That one day, Lelouch was practicing on the piano while Nunnally was singing a song from an animated film about cats.
Do mi do mi do so mi do
Every truly cultured music student knows
You must learn your scales and your arpeggios
Cornelia and Euphemia came by to visit as well, and to check up on Joseph's well being.
"How's he doing?" Cornelia asked with concern.
"Still in depression, I haven't even seen him all day. Poor boy, it's like his soul was sucked right out of him." Marianne said sympathy.
Cornelia nodded in sadness, she hated seeing him so empty. Sure his antics were annoying, but they're what made him him. She wished she knew what to do.
Do mi so do do so mi do
Do mi so do do so mi do
Nunnally's singing was suddenly joined by another, a voice that belonged to none other than Joseph Du Britannia. Who came into the room with a smile on his face, his mother's urn in his arm, and a spring in his step as he came over to the piano. Shocking the group as they watched him.
Though it seems at first it doesn't show
Like a tree, ability will bloom and grow
Joseph put his mother's urn on top of the piano and picked up Nunnally as they sang the song together in harmony, Lelouch and Nunnally were confused at first but Lelouch didn't stop playing as saw there was a rhythm going on and Nunnally continued singing as she was just happy to see her brother happy.
If you're smart you'll learn by heart what every artist knows
Lelouch soon joined in the singing, as did Euphemia.
Your must sing your scales
And your arpppppppppppppppeggiooooooooooooooooooos
Joseph finished that last part with a dramatic high note as he jumped on the piano and did a dramatic pose, as if under a spotlight.
The group gave him a round of applause with Euphemia shouting "Encore!" Joseph bowed in the praise.
"You're back big brother Joe!" Nunnally said in glee, hugging her brother.
"Yep-per-rooni!" Joseph said in glee too as he jumped off the piano and gathered his little siblings in a big hug. Making them laugh in joy.
"I'm glad to see you're in good spirits again, Joe." Lelouch said, happy to see his brother like this again.
"Yes, indeed. What brought this on?" Cornelia asked, boggled by her brother sudden change in attitude after the last few weeks of misery.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah.(Zips his mouth close) No ruin mystery." He told them in a whisper.
This confused the group.
"Awww, but we wanna know." Nunnally and Euphemia whined.
"Secret is secret until everybody knows." Joseph told them with his dopey smile, before looking at them in a serious manner. "Sorry guys, been major downer, ruined mood." He told them apologetically.
This surprised the group.
"There's no need to apologize, Joe. You had every right to feel the way you did." Cornelia said sympathetically as she kneeled to Joseph's level. "But are you really okay now?" She asked, wanting to be sure this persona wasn't a rouse he put on.
He responded by giving her a tight hug.
"Abso-toda-lutely, Corn." Joseph simply said.
Cornelia couldn't help but chuckle as she hugged her brother in return.
"Hey, help with something?" Joseph asked the group after he let go of Cornelia.
"Of course, Joseph. What is it?" Marianne asked sweetly.
He went back to the piano and grabbed his mother's urn.
"Help say goodbye." Joseph said simply but with a smile.
...
Joseph, along with Cornelia, Euphemia, Lelouch, Nunnally, and Marianne went to the hill top they often played on. They created many memories there so it only seemed right that it would be the place that he would finally pay his respects. He held the urn in front of him in a loving manner.
"Mom, the greatest mom in world. No one could top!" Joseph exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Sorry, Aunt Mary." He said apologetically to Marianne.
"It's quite alright, dear." Marianne chuckled.
"Strong, blunt, courageous, took no shit!" Joseph exclaimed.
"Joseph, language." Cornelia lectured.
"Well, it is true." Lelouch added on.
"Big heart too, shared love with everyone!" Joseph cheered before turning serious. "Sad she's gone. Will miss her. But always love, no matter what, and always here(clutched his heart)." He ended with a heartwarming tone.
The group smiled at his speech, happy to see him better and finally saying goodbye.
"Goodbye mom, see later." Joseph declared as he opened the urn and spread her ashes across the grassy plains.
"We'll miss you Auntie Becky!" Nunnally said happily as she waved goodbye.
"I hope Heaven is fun!" Euphemia cheered.
This made the rest of the group laugh.
"Alley-oop!" Joseph said as he chucked the urn into a nearby lake.
"And there goes $900." Cornelia deadpanned.
"Oh well, at least he's happy." Marianne told her brightly.
"OH GOD, NO!" Joseph suddenly shouted, jump-scaring everyone.
"What! What is it?" Cornelia asked frantically.
"Mom's walkman, Mom's coat! Gotta get before really dusty!" Joseph told them frantically as he sprinted his way to his house.
"Joseph, your house is an hour away just from driving!" Lelouch yelled at him.
"Then hurry!" Joseph yelled back, not caring about the distance.
"Wait for us, Joe!" Euphemia shouted as she ran after him.
"Yeah, we'll help you!" Nunnally shouted as she followed behind.
"Nunnally, Euphie, wait!" Lelouch shouted as he ran after all of them.
Marianne sighed tiredly, she could see Joseph really was back to his regular self.
"I guess we should get my car and go after them." Marianne said with a tired smile.
"Indeed." Cornelia said with equal tiredness, knowing full well now that her brother was indeed back
...
Du Britannia Residence
When the gang finally made it to his house, they made a shocking discovery.
Men were removing possessions left and right, and they even had construction crew there. Presumably to tear the place down.
"What the hell is this!? I demand to speak to the person in charge here!" Cornelia ordered with tense authority.
A man in a suit approached them.
"I'm sorry your highnesses, but we have been authorized to repossess Rebecca Du Britannia's house and everything inside." The Business Man told them.
"What on Earth are you talking about!? It's decreed in Imperial Royal Law that unless dictated in one's will, when a royal family member dies, including the consorts, their possessions are all transferred to their next of kin!" Cornelia explained furiously.
"That is correct, but one of the clauses in that Law is being the next of kin must claim that title in two weeks time or the deceased's household and possessions hereby belong to the state of Pendragon." The Business Man told them in a professional manner.
"He didn't claim the title because he was too busy mourning, you jerk!" Lelouch argued.
"Lelouch, calm down." Marianne gently ordered, making Lelouch huff out a breath in aggravation. She approached the Business Man. "Sir, would this authorization come from Emperor Charles himself?" Marianne asked in a polite but rather menacing tone, making the Business Man step back nervously.
"Um, y-yes your highness, he sighed the Repo document himself." The Business Man said nervously as he gave her the document from his coat pocket.
Marianne examined it and could see Charle's signature on there. For her, it wasn't too surprising.
Out of all his consorts, he always talked about Lady Rebecca the most unfavorably and how she "convinced" him into sleeping with her, this was probably his way of getting back at her.
Marianne sighed as she handed back the document.
"I'm sorry Joseph, but I'm afraid there's nothing we can do." Marianne told him gently.
But he wasn't paying to her, instead he had his eyes set on a specific dresser.
"FREEZE!" Joseph ordered while pointing at the men holding the dresser.
His shout made everyone, including his family, stand still in fear.
"Down." Joseph ordered as he then pointed his finger down.
The men, understanding the gist, did what he said, and literally the dropped the dresser with a "THUD".
"Show some proper care, would you!" Cornelia ordered, she may not be able to stop them from taking Lady Rebecca's stuff, but she could certainly make sure they treated it with respect.
Joseph went over to the dresser like a man on a mission and opened it. He didn't have to look hard for what he was searching for as it was right down the middle.
His mother's black overcoat, passed down from three generations.
"Ah-ha!" Joseph said with glee.
He took the coat and reached into a pocket, pulling out his mother's walkman with the turtle sticker on it. A turtle because they were her favorite animal. He looked inside the pocket and could see all her tapes were inside.
A breathed a sigh of relief as he hugged the coat tightly and warmly, happy he was able to get this piece of his mom back.
"Okay, all good!" Joseph told the men repossessing his house.
"HUH!" His family shouted in surprise, not expecting him to be say that. Cornelia approached him in a very confused manner.
"J-Joe, what are you-"
"Wait!" Joseph shouted again, interrupting Cornelia and making the men stop again.
He saw a man holding a picture frame with a photo of Rebecca with a baby Joe in her arms smiling sweetly at him inside. He went over to him and politely grabbed the photo from the confused man.
"Thank you.(To the confused man) Go ahead!(To the rest of the men.)" Joseph said casually as he walked away, clearly not caring about any of the other stuff in the house.
The group stared at him flabbergasted.
"B-bu-ba-but, what about..." Cornelia sputtered, trying to understand the occurrences that just happened.
"Don't worry your highness, he can keep those. The state of Pendragon has no need for useless relics as such." The Business Man told her offhandedly before being kicked in the shin by Euphemia, letting out a painful "OW!".
"You're a big jerk!" Euphemia said with an angry pout.
"Your highness, shouldn't you reprimand her?" The Business Man asked, not happy he was just bullied by a child, princess or not.
"Be thankful it's not a bullet to the head, you twat." Cornelia said with an evil eye, making the Business Man gulp.
The group caught up with Joseph, who was looking at his mother's photo with happiness.
"Joseph!" Cornelia called after him.
Joseph looked up in confusion.
"What?" He asked casually.
"Aren't you mad that your home is being taken away?" Lelouch asked in confusion.
"Nah, just house." Joseph told him like it wasn't a big deal, which for him, it honestly wasn't.
"What about all your clothes, surely you want those?" Marianne asked him.
Joseph stared blankly at her before realization hit him.
"Oh yeeeeeaaahhh...oh well." He simply said as he shrugged his shoulders.
Cornelia pinched her nose in aggravation.
To which the sound of a wrecking ball screeched through the air and they turned to see the house being destroyed.
"Bye house!" Joseph waved goodbye cheerfully.
Cornelia stared at the scene with scrutiny
"Out of all the audacity! But I guess it's no surprise, men like that show no respect to any-"
*BREAK!*
Cornelia didn't get to finish as she heard the sound of glass shattering and looked to see that Joseph broke off the picture frame.
"Wh-WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Cornelia asked, flabbergasted.
"Get photo." Joseph told her with casual simplicity as he took the photo out of the broken frame.
"You couldn't just-" Cornelia didn't finish her rant as she felt Lelouch grab her arm.
"Cornelia, take a deep breath, and let it go." Lelouch told her, knowing arguing with Joseph would prove no good.
Cornelia just sighed in utter defeat. Joseph looked at the photo and gave it a quick kiss.
"But are you sure you're okay with this Joe? I mean, this was the house you grow up in, where your mother raised you. Are you sure you just want to give up your home?" Lelouch asked, not wanting to see his brother further depressed than before.
Joseph in return smiled gently at him.
"Home here(pointing to brain) and here(pointing to heart), that all. Plus, already got important things." Joseph explained as he gestured at the coat and walkman.
He then put the coat on, easing into the sleeves and feeling the texture around him. It was big for his size, but he would grow into it.
"I must say, it suits you quite well." Marianne complimented.
"Yeah, just like Auntie Becky!" Nunnally added on cheerfully.
Joseph struck a few poses at that making his siblings and Marianne laughed. Cornelia just sighed.
"Well, if you are truly are fine with it. We'll leave it as it is." Cornelia said, finally letting it go. "However, now we need to think about where you'll be living, now that your house is gone, literally." She said in a thinking tone.
"Well, he's already been making himself comfortable with us for the last few weeks, might as well make it permanent." Marianne suggested wholeheartedly.
"You mean Big Brother Joe gets to live with us forever!?" Nunnally asked excited.
"Yay! That makes trips to seeing all of you guys easier!" Euphemia said with equal excitement.
"If that's what he wants, of course." Marianne said kindly.
"Ultimate sleepover!" Joseph cheered.
He then took a cassette tape from his mother's coat and inserted it into the walkman, pressing play, a playful but funky beat came on.
You went to school to learn, girl
Things you never, never knew before
Like "I" before "E" except after "C"
And why two plus two makes four, now, now, now
Joseph danced to the beat and got his younger siblings into the mood, the four siblings happily danced together, full of joy. Marianne and Cornelia simply shook their heads and smiled at the actions taking place.
...
Aries Villa
For the next few months, Joseph made himself at home with the Vi-Siblings and they had tons of fun together. Often playing together and protecting one another from the bullies who didn't think they deserved any love. And of course, he had his fair share of antics for them to experience. Like dancing on the roof, freeing all the horses and running around with them, and pranking Marianne with a whoopie cushion and a stink bomb here and there. He even got Jeremiah involved sometimes, whether he knew so or not.
He was a nice, if not eccentric, addition to their family. And yet, Joseph felt like something was wrong, like something was missing, he wasn't sure what it was.
One day, Joseph was putting on a show about a film he watched some time ago.
"Walter hugs Dude, both sympathy and apology." Joseph said solemnly as he hugs the air. "Then suggests bowling again!" He exclaimed with joy. "At Bowling Alley, sees Cowboy again. Talk some, then says 'Dude abides...'" He says as he points his fingers in a "cool" kind of way. "The End." Joseph finally finished casually.
Lady Marianne, her children, and Euphemia, who were sitting on a couch, looked at him in confusion.
"...That's it? That's how it ends?" Lelouch asked, very confused.
"Yep-yep." Joseph said with a smile.
"But what about Bunny? Does she ever reunite with her family?" Euphemia asked.
"Did Jackie Treehorn get his money?" Marianne asked.
"Does the Dude at least get a new rug?" Nunnally asked innocently.
"Don't know. Never explained." Joseph said casually.
"...I feel confused and very unsatisfied." Lelouch grumbled, pretty much speaking for the entire group.
"First time, yes. Second time, much better." Joseph explained happily.
"Hello everyone. What's going on?" Cornelia greeted as she entered the living room.
"Hi, big sister!" Euphemia greeted warmly as she came over to hug her.
"Joseph was just telling us about the most frustrating film I ever heard about in my life." Lelouch told her, still trying to decipher the film's meaning.
"Hmm, sounds interesting. Anyway, I actually came by to tell you, Joseph, that I enrolled you in Etiquette classes. You'll start tomorrow." Cornelia told him politely.
Joseph stared at her blankly for a second.
"Nah, I'm good. Thanks anyway." Joseph told her casually as he sat down with his siblings on the couch.
Cornelia's eye twitched.
"It's not up for discussion, you're going." Cornelia told him calmly but firmly.
"Wha-why!?" Joseph asked genuinely surprised.
"I've seen one of those classes, Cornelia. They're really boring." Euphemia argued.
"Yeah, boring!" Joseph agreed.
"You could fall asleep within a minute with one of those lectures." Lelouch argued as well.
"Yeah, fall asleep!" Joseph also agreed with.
"Joseph, you're about to be 14, you're at that age where you already should have started taking these classes and learning how to properly act like royalty. It's good to have knowledge of how our society works." Cornelia lectured.
Joseph just groaned and crossed his arms with a pout.
Cornelia sighed and kneeled down to his level.
"Look, I know your mother wasn't a big fan in learning this stuff, but she also believed that you shouldn't be treated with kids gloves either. That you should get the same equal treatment anyone else should, and that's what I'm trying to do here. So please, just give it a chance." Cornelia said to him in a big sister type of tone.
"Joseph, there are times you should listen to your big sister, this is one of those times." Marianne said, smiling at Cornelia in support.
Cornelia smiled back.
Joseph looked at both of them before finally sighing and muttering "Fine."
"Who knows, maybe it won't be so bad." Joseph thought to himself.
...
Pendragon
"This class SUCKS!" Joseph thought grumpily to himself as he was "listening" to another lecture by Miss Alicia Lohmeyer.
Joseph didn't think he had it in his bones to hate someone but MAN was this woman cutting it close for him. She was a C*** with a capital C!
The first time he met her, he thought she already had an unpleasant attitude with her, so strict and acting all superior-like just because she was his teacher. To make matters worse, she tried to take his mother's coat away from him!
At first she tried order him to take that "rag" off as it wasn't "befitting" for a prince. After Joseph politely told her no, she tried to forcibly take it off herself, to which he responded by snatching her wrist with a tight grip and saying: "Touch coat again. You die." in a calm but very menacing tone, along with a demented look that he picked up from his mother. It was suffice to say she let him dress however he wanted after that.
That didn't change her personality though as she still only treated him with the minimum amount respect needed, like a lot of people, she only saw him as the Dimwitted Prince and didn't care for his opinions when it came to world cultures and politics, even though he literally traveled around the world, and cast them off as "childish" or just plain "dumb". She insulted these people and their way of life without even meeting them, how on Earth did that make any sense?
And to top it off, IT WAS BOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGG! He felt like he could fall asleep within the first minute of the lecture, none of what she teaching was remotely interesting in his eyes and it didn't help she had such a dull tone when speaking most of the time.
If his mother had to deal with just ten seconds of this woman, she would have already kicked her teeth in and sent fire ants crawling up her legs that night!
She wasn't the only problem, Cornelia also insisted that he come to more parties to meet people and make connections, learn how to properly behave and talk at such events, watch more of the news for daily events instead of the usual cartoons and films, and even wanted him to study more classical music. It's not that he didn't like classical, it was just a little repetitive after awhile, at least with his walkman, he actually got a variety of rhythm, beats, and flow. He wasn't even allowed to have his walkman with him, Cornelia always made sure he left it behind at the Aries Villa whenever she took him to one of his lectures.
He thought about all this change that his sister and Miss Lohmeyer wanted him to do, how they wanted him to become someone he didn't resemble. It just wasn't him, it just wasn't in his blood.
So it was in the middle of the lecture, he made his decision.
He abruptly stood up and walked towards the window.
"Wha-Where do you think you're going Prince Joseph?! You still have an hour left of your session!" Miss Lohmeyer argued with her nagging voice.
When he got to the window, he turned back around and stared at Miss Lohmeyer with a blank face.
"Miss Lohmeyer, you most unpleasant, awful, bigoted, meanest, bitchiest, and boring-est woman on planet. And no longer wish to know." Joseph told her with a straight face and polite manner.
Miss Lohmeyer looked like she was about to have a heart attack, never in her life, has anyone ever spoken to her like that, especially not a moron.
A second later, Joseph took off his pants and showed his bare butt to her.
"Kiss it!" Joseph exclaimed as he spanked his cheek.
To which then Miss Lohmeyer shrieked and fainted on the spot. Joseph pulled his pants back up and jumped out the window
...
Aries Villa
Joseph strutted his way back to Aries Villa after some time, to which he was met with a very angry Cornelia, a surprised Euphemia and Nunnally, a laughing Lelouch who was trying to hold it back, and a ladylike giggling Marianne.
"Did you show your BOTTOM to your teacher!" Cornelia demanded out of him, very steamed.
"Gross!" Nunnally and Euphemia proclaimed.
"Yep." Joseph said happily. "Have announcement!" He exclaimed.
"Oh no! You are not getting out of this, this time young man! Alicia Lohmeyer is highly qualified educator who was recommended by several of my peers, and to traumatize her like that is unexcuseable!" Cornelia lectured, not letting Joseph get a word in.
"Honestly, I wish I had been there myself to witness it." Lelouch said, still trying to calm down his laughter.
"Me too." Marianne quietly added on with a chuckle.
"STOP ENCOURAGING HIM!" Cornelia yelled, pretty sure she was going to have an ulcer at this point, which just made Lelouch laugh even more.
"Guys." Joseph spoke up, waiting to say his piece.
"What! What could you possibly have to say for yourself about this!?" Cornelia demanded.
"I'm leaving." Joseph told them.
The group stared at him blankly before their expressions turned into confusion.
"What on Earth are you talking about?" Cornelia asked, her mood still in anger but now confused.
"Leaving. Going away." Joseph said casually.
Now the group was very confused.
"Wha-what do you mean 'going away'? From here, Aries Villa?" Lelouch asked, confused and a bit concerned now.
"Country itself, moving day!" Joseph cheered before walking past his befuddled family up to his room.
They stood there for a moment, trying to comprehend what he just declared. When it finally clicked in their heads, they raced up the stairs after him. They found him in his room "packing". Which was just his walkman and tape cassettes that he and his mom collected over the years, which he stuffed inside his coat.
"Hold on a minute! You're leaving Pendragon?!" Cornelia demanded.
"Yep." Joseph said casually as he stuffed more tapes his pockets.
"When exactly did you make this decision?" Marianne asked, not expecting this to happen.
"Today." Joseph said with the same casualness.
"Today? You just decided, out of the blue, to leave your country, today?!" Cornelia asked in disbelief, truly wondering if her brother had finally lost his mind.
"Naw, thought about in morning. Made decision two hours ago." Joseph said happily.
At that moment, Cornelia was very tempted to strangle her little brother, right then and there.
"But...don't you like living here with us, big brother Joe? Did we do something bad?" Nunnally asked sadly as tears started to sprout in her eyes, same with Euphemia.
"What?! Course not! Come here!" Joseph said reassurance as he lifted Nunnally into a tight hug, he also pulled Euphemia into it too. "Loved it here! Really fun! Leaving for me. Gotta." Joseph told them.
The group looked at him trying to understand.
"But why?" Lelouch asked in a timid way, feeling like the kid he was.
Joseph thought for a moment, trying to find the right words for his explanation.
"This, not me." Joseph said as he emphasized the space around him.
"What do you mean?" Marianne asked.
"This life, royalty, not for me." Joseph explained as he walked out of his room, his family closely following him, except Nunnally who stayed behind for a moment..
"You don't like being a prince?" Euphemia asked, trying to figure out her brother.
"Don't like requirements. The rules, the motto: strong survive, weak die, blah blah blah. Not into it." Joseph explained as he slid down the rail of the staircase as he often liked to do.
"You're going to leave for such a petty reason!? For goodness sake, you can't think you can just continue being a kid, can you?!" Cornelia asked, trying to comprehend all this.
"Um Corn, everyone becomes adult later, always." Joseph explained to her as if it was obvious, which just aggravated her even more. "Gonna get older, do own way, no one else's. Besides, like me, why change me?" Joseph explained with a smile.
They could see that he was really serious about this, they then heard Nunnally come down the stairs with a frame in her hands. Inside was a picture of her, Lelouch, Euphemia, and Joseph together, hugging and smiling at the camera.
"At least take this with you, so you don't forget us." Nunnally said timidly, sad to see her brother going.
Joseph smiled at Nunnally and gave her another tight hug. "Never forget family!" He reassured her and then proceeding to poke her on the nose, which made her giggle. He took the photo out of the frame, not breaking it this time, as he knew that would just piss off Cornelia even more than she is now, and then folded the picture and put it in his walkman case.
"Okay, let's back up a second, no one is saying goodbye. Where exactly do you plan on going?" Cornelia asked in a calm mood, trying to tone down her anger.
"Out of Pendragon." Joseph said simply.
"I mean after that?" Cornelia asked while grinding her teeth in frustration.
"Don't know, wherever." Joseph said simply again as he shrugged his shoulders.
"I see, and how exactly do you plan on getting around?" Cornelia asked, already not liking where the conversation was going.
"Don't know" Joseph said again with simplicity.
"How do you plan on paying for everything?"
"Don't know"
"What do you expect to eat out there?"
"Don't know"
"Exactly! You don't know! Which is why this whole "leaving Pendragon" idea is completely ridiculous!" Cornelia argued.
"I have to agree, you should at least have some sort of plan before going off on a venture like this." Lelouch said.
"Gotta try." Joseph said with confidence.
"WHY?! Why do you suddenly feel compelled to do this?! To just leave everything and everyone behind! I demand an explanation that's more than just you not liking how things are done here in Britannia!" Cornelia asked angrily.
"NOT HAPPY!" Joseph shouted.
There was a moment of silence. Joseph took a deep breath.
"Love you guys. Love spending time with. But...not same since mom gone, not sad but...feels less somehow. These preparations for future, feel more less than before. Want more more again. Don't care what happens next, want happiness now! Mom said do what feel right, this feel right. So doing it." Joseph explained solemnly.
This surprised the group, they never knew he felt like this.
"Well, what about father? Are you going to tell him about this?" Cornelia asked.
"Can if you want." Joseph said casually, knowing his dad wouldn't do anything to prevent him from leaving.
Cornelia rubbed her face in aggravation, clearly not getting through to him. She turned to Marianne.
"Marianne, you're his legal guardian, maybe you can talk to him." Cornelia said tiredly.
Marianne approached him, took a deep breath, and looked at Joseph with a sad but understanding look.
"Your mother once told me that all she wanted for you was to be happy with the life you had. And while I like to think I have tried doing that for you in the best way possible, maybe you have different ambitions on what that feeling is for you. And who am I to judge those feelings? So while I don't necessarily like this decision of yours, I certainly won't stop you from proceeding." Marianne said to him gently but understanding.
"What!" Cornelia said to Marianne in shock.
"Best Aunt Ever!" Joseph said as he pulled Marianne into a tight hug, who in return chuckled and patted his head.
"You must be joking, Lady Marianne!" Cornelia asked, not believing this what happened.
"Come now Cornelia, you took up military training at the age of 9." Marianne told her encouragingly.
"Yes, but I was surrounded by peers and supervisors! He's basically jumping out of a plane without a parachute!" Cornelia argued.
"No plane jumping. Walking from house." Joseph explained simply.
Cornelia then screamed through gritted teeth into her hands in aggravation.
Lelouch approached him with a sad look on his face.
"Is this really what you want to do, Joseph? I mean, how do you know this will fill that void again?" Lelouch asked solemnly.
"I don't. But always try. Not work, try different way. So on and on." Joseph explained with a smile, it was strange theory, but for him, it worked.
Lelouch sighed and took out his wallet.
"Here, this is my allowance I collected over the last month. Use it as you see fit on your endeavors." Lelouch said as he pulled out at least 200 dollars.
"Oh come on, bro." Joseph said, not wanting to take his brother's hard earned cash.
"Take it. Look, considering what kind of person you are, I don't think many people will believe you are an actual prince, no offense, so don't be afraid to take a handout every once in awhile." Lelouch lectured him.
"Well, mom did say it was rude to not accept a gift. Especially when it helps you out later on." Joseph thought to himself as he took Lelouch's cash.
"Thanks, little brother." Joseph said as he pulled Lelouch into a tight hug as well.
"Please be safe out there." Lelouch said quietly and sadly as he returned the hug, tear starting to sprout from his eyes.
"I'm going with you!" Euphemia shouted, surprising everyone, including Joseph.
"Absolutely not!" Cornelia yelled, putting her foot down at that suggestion.
Euphemia tried to argue, but surprisingly, Joseph stepped in on this.
"She right. My journey, not yours." Joseph told her in a big brother tone.
"But-" Euphemia didn't get to argue as Joseph put a finger to her lips.
"Lot more growing to do. Don't worry, have journey eventually. But this mine. Okay?" Joseph told her wisely.
"...Okay..." Euphemia quietly said as tears ran down her eyes and she hugged her brother tightly.
"Come on, group hug!" Joseph cheered, inviting everyone else in.
Marianne, Lelouch, and Nunnally happily joined in on that hug.
"Love you guys!" Joseph exclaimed happily.
"We love you too!" The group told him tearfully.
Except Cornelia, who just stood by with her arms cross, refusing to be apart of this fiasco.
"Come on, Corn." Joseph said, trying to peer pressure her into the hug.
"No. I'm not saying goodbye to you, it'll be wasted once you realize this was a stupid idea and you come back." Cornelia said stubbornly as she refused to look at him.
Joseph sighed, knowing how stubborn his sister can be sometimes, so he made it easy for the both of them. He went over and pulled her into a tight hug as well, even lifting her off the ground, which surprised her.
"Bye big sister, love you lots and lots. Regards to Darlton and Captain Buzzkill." Joseph told her sweetly. Cornelia just sighed.
...
The group watched Joseph leave from the hill top they hung out at, he waved goodbye as he walked away from them through the grassy plains.
"Bye guys!" Joseph yelled to them as he continued waving.
"We'll miss you, big brother Joe!" Nunnally yelled as she waved goodbye.
"Please write back!" Euphemia yelled as she waved goodbye as well.
Marianne just gave a simple wave and a smile.
"Don't do anything stupid or reckless!" Lelouch yelled, also waving goodbye.
"No promises!" Joseph yelled back happily.
Cornelia simply rolled her eyes at the exchange, still bitter this was actually being allowed.
"You really think he's going to come back?" Marianne asked.
"Trust me, he'll come to his senses in a day or two." Cornelia told her in reassurance.
"...We'll see." Is all Marianne said, doubting it was actually going to happen.
...
Joseph finally made it to the desert area that was on the outskirts of the Pendragon border, people eyed him wondering what he was doing, but they paid him no mind.
When he reached the top of a sandy hill, he looked at the land before him. And it was sand, a lot of sand, no signs of life for miles.
But Joseph wasn't scared, in fact, he was excited.
Because he felt something in himself, something he hadn't felt in awhile.
Free
So with that, he took a deep breath and started walking down the hill into the desert.
He picked up the pace and that walk soon became a jog, and soon enough that jog became a full-blown run!
He whipped his arms out as he felt the wind blow through his face, laughing in joy.
He didn't know what lied ahead of him, but whatever would happen, he would look forward to it with anticipation and enthusiasm.
...
A Week Later
Pendragon
Cornelia entered the throne room and kneeled before his majesty, Emperor Charles Zi Britannia.
"Hail, your majesty! It has been a week since your child, Prince Joseph Du Britannia, has left Pendragon on his own." Cornelia told him with her head down.
"And why does this concern me now?" Charles asked in a firm but nonchalant tone.
"I had thought that he would have been back by now, by it seems I miscalculated. I humbly request you let me and some soldiers search for him." Cornelia asked in a professional manner.
"Request denied." Charles immediately shot down, firmly.
Cornelia looked up in shock.
"But your high-"
"I am not going to waste military resources on a single child, prince or not. I admit, him leaving on his own was courageous if not stupid, but if he dies out there, it's not my concern. And frankly, that dimwit was no longer was my responsibility the moment his bitch of a mother died." Charles told her.
Cornelia's blood boiled at that moment as she the tighten the fist that was on the ground. Charles raised an eyebrow.
"Is there something you want to say to me, Cornelia? Or would you like it if I sent Princess Euphemia out to an Area for political negotiations?" Charles asked in a calm but frightening tone.
At this, Cornelia was able to calm down.
"No, your highness...at the very least, let me look for him on my own time." Cornelia requested, hoping to get something from this meeting.
"No. The war in India is starting to come to a stand still and I want you to go there immediately to end it. That is all, you are dismissed." Charles ordered, not letting her say another word.
Cornelia took a deep breath.
"As you wish, your majesty." Cornelia quietly said as she rose up and gave a bow to her father, she left feeling disgruntled and defeated.
...
The first few weeks proved to be tough for Joseph, as he had to deal with the forces of nature. From deserts to swamps, wastelands to forests to even war zones, it all proved to be a challenge for him.
Luckily for him, he had his teachings from his Sensei to fall back on. And one of those teachings was to learn to adapt to the environment around him, and use it to his advantage.
So with that, he taught himself how to hunt, make or find shelter, and use whatever resources that were there for him. And it didn't hurt to fall back on a film or two to help guide him, especially when one of them is literally about a man trapped on an island for four years. When he couldn't afford food, he found substitutes such as tree bark and things that grew in nature.
This is all helped him to grow stronger too, as he made sure to keep in shape, he couldn't travel well if he let his muscles lax too much. He made sure to do plenty of running, plenty of pushups and situps. He also made sure to practice the fighting techniques that Tohdoh taught him, he never knew when he would get into a fight.
And of course, he loved jumping. He took every chance to do so, whether it be up trees or on hills, it was super fun for him.
And with his legs getting stronger, he was able to jump higher,
and higher,
and higher.
Feeling the air rushing through his face was an experience like no other.
Over the years, he dealt with his fair share of people. Some were nice and generous, some were cruel and harsh, and some Joseph felt like they were just having a bad day. He also witnessed his fair share of events, some from a distance, some right in the middle of it, both were very exciting for him.
All in all, it was suffice to say he was truly happy with his life.
2017
Area 11 – Highway
The air was nice and crisp that morning, it was so nice that Joseph decided to take a deep breath in of all of it. He spread his arm outs to make sure the sunlight engulfed his entire being as he closed his eyes and a long smile formed on his face. He blissfully walked on the ledge of the highway leading to the vast city that was Tokyo and did a quick spin in 360-degree fashion, kicking his leg out while doing so. He could have walked on the sidewalk like any other person, but this was a lot more fun.
"Yep, today's going to be a good day." Joseph thought to himself.
Sure there was a ghetto a few miles away that had innocent people suffering, and he didn't have much breakfast either, but Joseph wasn't going to let that be a downer. After all, he could have some tree bark later if needed. What mattered is that he had his health, his coat, and most importantly…
His music.
He grabbed his Walkman from the belt sleeve of his pants and opened the slot, there's a tape in there labeled "Spring Tunes Vol. 22". He decided to put the tape back in his collection for now and save the rest of it for a later time if the situation called for it, right now he needed something to go along with his one favorite activities. Walking.
Therefore, he quickly got out his tape that was labeled "Walking Music". He examined the cassette to make sure it was rewound all the way to the beginning, he was glad to see he remembered to do so this time and inserted it into the slot of the Walkman. He was about to press the play button when he heard a faint sound coming from behind him, and it was getting louder.
He turned around and saw something he hadn't seen in a long time.
It was a fiery phoenix.
And it was coming right towards him.
Screaming and glaring at Joseph with a weird symbol in its eye.
...
Joseph woke up with a gasp. He breathed in and out as he tried to comprehend that very realistic dream that just occurred.
"Ah man, that was a weird-ass nightmare just now." Joseph said to himself, before realizing something.
"Wait a minute.(His hand going to his mouth) Did I just speak in a complete sentence? Did I just speak another one?" Joseph asked himself, completely flabbergasted.
He looked at his surroundings and saw he wasn't in Narita. Or in a bed. In fact, from the looks of it, he wasn't anywhere.
He was floating in the middle of a black, endless void.
"And where the Hell am I?!" Joseph asked, feeling completely lost for the first time in a long time.
To be Continued...
WHEW! Man, this chapter took me a shorter time to write but somehow it's also my longest one to date, clocking in at almost 12,000 words! Anyway, that's the last of the flashback chapters, as we'll be getting back to the canon of the show. As for what exactly was the thing that helped Joseph get out of depression? That's something that will be revealed later on in the series. I will have flashback moments occur like before that will show more tidbits of his home life, his six month trip around the world, and what he did during his seven-and-a-half years of travel. But I doubt I will make an actual flashback chapter for awhile, if ever again. I hope you enjoyed reading more insight of Joseph's past and look forward in reading about how he got himself into this predicament and what he plans to do to get out of it. Let me know what you think, laters!