(A/N: In the year 2022 atb, war will break out between Britannia and Adrestia. Looking to the past to where they first met, can Lelouch and Edelgard find something that could have prevented this tragedy?)
2017 atb
3rd Day of the Great Tree Moon
Lelouch stared at the Imperial Princess with her gloved hand outstretched. He politely took a step and a half forward and shook her hand. "Lelouch Eisner," he said, gripping it firmly. He smiled. "Nice to meet you."
"I'm Nunnally Eisner," Nunnally answered. "I'm Lelouch's little sister."
Edelgard released Lelouch's hand and then bent over, hands on her knees, smiling at Nunnally. "Well, it's nice to meet you too, Nunnally." She reached veeeery slowly to caress the top of Nunnally's head. If Lelouch was too protective, she didn't want to presume to break boundaries. Lelouch watched her carefully, but allowed the Imperial Princess to stroke the top of Nunnally's head. He could always check it for bugs and trackers later.
Nunnally giggled. "Your hand is so gentle, Edelgard."
Edelgard put her hand back on her knee, smiling at the blind girl. "Well, a princess must always have grace and poise," she stated cheerfully.
Nunnally smiled brightly. "You're a princess just like our house leader, right?"
"Ah, so you're with the Violet Tigers," Edelgard deduced. "It's so hard to tell followers of the Goddess apart these days, I was about to ask your nationality myself if you hadn't clued me in. That is correct though. I am the sole princess to the Imperial Throne."
Lelouch stared at Edelgard as she talked to Nunnally about mundane things he already knew about her, like how her preferred weapon was an axe, and history pertaining to Adrestia's heritage when Rome still lay inside its borders.
The Empire of Adrestia used to have eleven heirs to the throne until recently. Edelgard is neither the youngest nor the eldest born to her father Ioinius von Hresvelg IX. During my exile, there was big news of the Insurrection of the Seven, but after that…silence.
"Something the matter, Lelouch?" Edelgard asked, finally standing upright. "You're staring awfully intently." She bowed slightly, hand across her chest. "Have I offended?"
Lelouch put on his innocent charm. "No. Not at all. Sorry, just lost in thought."
"And what, pray tell were you thinking about, exactly?"
The comment came from behind Lelouch who nearly jumped out of his skin, having not expected anyone to sneak up on him. The young man usually had incredible spatial awareness. To not notice someone sneaking up on him was tantamount to suicide given his current situation.
"Hubert, people can be lost in thought without thinking something nefarious," Edelgard chastised.
Lelouch pivoted to clockwise to catch a tall man with black hair to his left. He had the air of a man just so happy to scare small children to death in a haunted house, or that he was preparing to audition as Lurch in a remake of the Addams Family. …Maybe both.
"People can get lost in thought, but I take exception when such acts are done in front of you, Lady Edelgard. You had your guard down," Hubert said calmly with a sinister hint to his voice.
"Big brother, who is that? He sounds scary," Nunnally said.
Hubert bowed, more for the politeness of it—and for Lelouch's sake—than Nunnally's, "I am Hubert von Vestra, of house Vestra, and sole retainer to her ladyship, Lady Edelgard."
"The man behind the curtain," Lelouch remarked, smirking.
Hubert smirked back. "I see someone has done their research."
"Well, if you're going to attend Garreg Mach's Officers Academy, best to know all the players involved, right? Especially this year," Lelouch stated.
Hubert chuckled, nodding his head. "I happen to agree. But, I am a noble in servitude to her highness. Do you fancy yourself a scholar, Mr. Eisner?"
"No sir, just a curious commoner. The world is big after all. It is best to know our place in it," Lelouch remarked whimsically. He was undeterred by the implication of how long Hubert had been nearby.
If Hubert was unconvinced by Lelouch's lies, he didn't show it. "Well, be that as it may. I don't imagine we will be interacting much. In fact, you should consider yourself lucky. Lady Edeglard does not introduce herself out of the blue to many outside her social circle."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Lelouch said with a kind smile.
Hubert smirked. "Lady Edelgard, we should be off. A message has arrived regarding that matter you were invested in."
"Ah, thank you." She turned towards Lelouch. "Be seeing you."
Lelouch nodded and watched them go.
Edelgard and Hubert turned down a corner and positioned themselves behind the northern wall of the entrance hall behind the open door. The bridge to the cathedral faced Hubert with Edelgard having her back to it. They were certain they would not be heard if the spoke at low volume. Additionally, positioned as they were, Hubert, the bodyguard could more easily draw out anyone that meant Edelgard harmed by exposing her back…and then murder them in broad daylight.
"That man, Lelouch," he said, his own gloved hand raised towards his chin. "He's hiding a far great deal."
"So you noticed it too, did you?" Edelgard asked.
"Yes. The way he carries himself is too disingenuous. He hides his true face with a smile and kind words. I'll give him credit, if I wasn't naturally suspicious of everything around me, I might not have caught on," Hubert pointed out.
"Do you plan to look into him?" Edelgard asked.
"Should it come to that. Right now we have larger matters to attend to. Hiding one's true face isn't the same as not being who they say they are. Our enemies typically maintain their true personality out in the open. And many often use cheer to hide pain, as you yourself often do," Hubert pointed out. "But, if he seems like he may become a threat to the Empire, I will do what must be done."
"His sister must have been through a lot," Edelgard said, gazing down in dismay. "People aren't simply born like that. And, if she was, the burden it must place on him that he feels the need to bring her to a school like this."
"Perhaps they are all each other has, like you and I have each other," Hubert told her, feeling sentimental.
"No, the relationship you and I have is quite different," Edelgard told him sharply.
"Ah, my apologies," Hubert replied with a smile. "I did not mean to be so presumptuous."
"It's fine. You are my retainer for a reason. Now, about that matter you dragged me out here to discuss…"
"We should relocate if we are to discuss the specifics." Hubert handed her a glowing red crystal. "I believe you will be needing this for the meeting."
"I see," Edelgard said, taking a hold of it. "Understood."
Lelouch and Nunnally arrived early to their next lecture. Now that Lelouch needn't fear Marrybell's presence, he could go anywhere at any time. He sat and read a book he had procured from the library while Nunnally played Cat's Cradle with some rubber bands. The person giving his second lecture of the day was Professor Manuela. Her class was all about history and the faith of the Church of Seiros.
To defeat the enemy, one must know it, Lelouch found himself thinking. Unfortunately, Manuela's lecture didn't really tell him anything he didn't already know about the Church. But, as he'd already heard Hannemann's lecture for the day, this was his next best option.
After the day's second lecture, Lelouch was determined to meet up and find Shez. But…that was easier said than done. The purple haired woman had the absolute worst sense of direction Lelouch had ever known. Long distance was one thing, GPS map apps were a godsend, but put that woman in a mall and she'd trip over herself trying to get out from the fountain.
So, he started just asking around, eventually finding himself by the front entrance in front of a familiar face.
"Greetings, Lelouch! Nothing to report!" The Gatekeeper exclaimed, saluting.
"At ease," Lelouch said with a smile. "Have you seen a woman with purple hair walking around?"
"Purple hair? Oh! I think I did see someone like that down by the fishing pond," the Gatekeeper answered.
"I thank you for your Eagle Eye, good sir," Lelouch said and handed the Gatekeeper another note for his aid. He then wheeled Nunnally towards the pond.
Sure enough, there was Shez with two buckets—one for bait and one for fish—and a rod standing on the edge of the pier. Lelouch waited until she was done with her current cast, observing the Monastery pond. The pond had a deep reservoir that went far, far underground and connected to multiple rivers, allowing fish from all over Rome to end up in the pond, anything from Roman Swordfish to Micro Sardines.
Lelouch watched as Shez began to struggle. She'd hooked something big. He watched her carefully as she pulled and twisted and pivoted, even taking a step back. And then, with one mighty yank, pulled a rather large bluefin tuna out of the pond.
"There we go," she said aloud, finishing it off with a knife on her belt. She then dropped the now dead fish in the empty bucket. "There's lunch." She then gazed out across the pond and saw Lelouch staring at her. "Oh!" She waved excitedly and at one point even jumped about a dozen centimeters in the air.
Lelouch smiled and approached with Nunnally's wheelchair in his grip. Shez laughed as they got near. "I should have expected you two would end up here."
"Oh! Hello, Miss Shez! It's nice to greet you again," Nunnally stated, bowing at the waist.
Shez placed her hand firmly on Nunnally's head and caressed her like she was Nunnally's rowdy big sister. "Good to see you, Nunna. You've gotten much bigger since I last saw you."
Nunnally laughed. "Well, I am a growing girl," she said with a polite smile.
"I wasn't sure you'd show," Lelouch said to Shez.
"Eh, it just kind of happened," Shez said. "One minute I'm doing office work in the ambassador building, next thing I know, Prince Clovis is asking me to attend the academy."
"How's that going for you, by the way? I haven't heard from you in a while," Lelouch pointed out. "I was afraid you would get lost coming here."
"Hey! Come on! Have a little faith, buddy," Shez said, looking disappointed. "I'm trying my best here. I'm a warrior, not a desk clerk."
"What did you do to get Clovis's attention like that anyway?" Lelouch asked.
"An armed terrorist broke in and I subdued him without a weapon," Shez said like it was breathing air. "Broke his arm too. Sent him right to the hospital."
"Oh my! That sounds scary!" Nunnally exclaimed.
"Eh, when you're a freelancer like me, you know how to subdue all kinds of crazies," Shez replied.
"Any word on Britannia's involvement in Neo-Japan?" Lelouch asked. "Their intent?"
"Right now, it just appears to be a foothold, like with the other Seirosian superpowers," Shez said.
Lelouch nodded at this. It was true. The Alliance, Empire, Kingdom and Britannia all had an embassy on Neo-Japanese soil. However, Britannia was the first to set theirs up, and it was very soon after Rome finished subduing the Japanese. That didn't sit well with him.
Changing the subject, Lelouch said to the freelancer, "You seemed to catch Marrybell's attention the other day."
"Oh! Uh…that was…I was just trying to…you know…seem important," Shez said, taken off-guard by the statement.
"We need to keep a lower profile than that," Lelouch said. "I'll let it slide this time, given it signaled to me that you were even here, but going forward try not to draw attention to yourself. If people start looking into you, they're going to have more questions than answers, and that's not something either of us need at the moment."
"Yeah, I get you," Shez said, nodding firmly. "Won't happen again." Then, after a brief pause, turned her head towards her shoulder and unprompted said almost too quietly for Lelouch to pick up, "Shut up."
"Um, excuse me?" Lelouch asked.
"Huh? Oh! Sorry. Never mind," Shez said. "You know me. Airhead. Ahahaha," she laughed in an extremely fake manner.
Lelouch didn't sound convinced.
"Oh! Hey! Why don't we fish together?" Shez asked, abruptly changing the subject. "If we catch enough, we could make our own lunch today. I hear its cabbage salad. Bleck! I need some protein in me." She shook her head, looking dismayed. "I am so grateful Garreg Mach has such good food. If I had to have one more snooty rich person sandwich, I was going to hurl it at Prince Clovis' face."
Nunnally laughed uncontrollably, almost snorting.
"Hey, you survive on a diet of caviar and egg salad and see if you can maintain your sanity," Shez said, half-jokingly.
"Clovis always did like to spoil his employees," Lelouch said.
"You spoiled me better. I'd kill for your cooking again," Shez said.
Hmm, Lelouch mused internally. He briefly recalled how he and Shez met. It was almost three years ago.
2014 atb
14th Day of the Ethereal Moon
A terrible snowstorm had Ashford Academy. School was closed and travel was slowed to a crawl in the surrounding area. Nevertheless, whilst Lelouch sat in his room playing a computer game rather than studying, he briefly took gazes out the window. Ever the paranoid exile, he wanted to make sure no one would take advantage of the storm to try and bump him off. He heard the oven timer he'd set go off and went to go get the potato puff pastries he'd set for him and Nunnally to share.
He took them out of the oven and was about to settle down when he caught a glimpse of orange in the otherwise pure white world outside. He set the tray down on a cooling rack and went towards the window in the living room, behind the couch. There he spotted a person staggering in the blizzard.
Despite Lelouch's paranoia, he was still a good enough person to not abandon someone that was suffering and didn't deserve to. Grabbing a hat, scarf, jacket and snow boots he braved the outdoor cold, the harsh wind blowing at his face. The person had already collapsed in the snow by the time he found them. The snow around them was dyed red with their blood. Lelouch saw how filthy they looked too. Soot and dirt, and a little bit of oil, caked their skin and clothes. They had a weak pulse. Lelouch could see the light almost dying in their eyes as he flipped them over.
"Hey, can you walk?!" He asked to be heard over the wind.
The person choked on their own saliva trying to respond.
Despite not being the strongest person in the world, despite having not the strongest constitution either, Lelouch wrapped his scarf around this woman he'd found collapsed in the snowy courtyard and put her left arm over his shoulders. He then carefully brought her inside. Despite having trouble talking, the woman was able to walk of her own accord.
Her wounds looked worse than they actually were, once Lelouch had a chance to look at her on the floor in front of the fire place. It appeared that what had done the most damage to her was walking in the cold with open wounds.
The purple haired woman stared at the roaring fireplace warming her body as Lelouch continued to apply first aid to the numerous scratches and sores on the visible parts of her skin.
"Don't worry," Lelouch said to her. "You're not going to die today. My name is Lelouch." He smiled at her. "What's yours?"
2017 atb
3rd Day of the Great Tree Moon
Shez had stayed with him until she'd fully recovered. And she'd sworn her undying loyalty to Lelouch for saving her. After investigating her, Lelouch discovered she had no background, no real family to speak of, aside from a foster mother that was long since deceased. She didn't even have a last name.
But she'd been good to him, good to Nunnally. She stayed at Ashford while she recovered all winter. She cooked, she teased, and she even helped Nunnally study, even when it was clear Shez was out of her depth.
"Shez, since you don't have a family, why don't you become part of our family?" Nunnally had proposed.
"Ah, no. I couldn't possibly…" Shez had answered.
"You should," Lelouch had told her. "From now on, you're Shez Lamperouge. It was my mother's maiden name."
And then he'd told her…all about him. Shez had her secrets, sure, but…Lelouch wanted to trust her. If she had ill intent, in the three months he'd let her spend closer to his sister than even Milly, she would have already done so, he felt. With the bonds shattered between himself and his half-siblings, Shez was the one of only two people he could really call "Big sister."
"Hey! Earth to Lelouch!" Shez called, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are we fishing or what?"
Lelouch smiled. "Sure," he said. He then sat down with Shez by the pier, and the two fished and later on, cooked themselves a hearty meal.
Combat training was mandatory for all students at the academy. The professor, a man named Jeritza von Hrymn, was a large man in a white mask, with blonde hair and a beige tunic. He spoke with a very bored and stoic tone of voice as he addressed the students.
"Today, we will be assessing your combat capabilities with training dummies and sparring partners," he said. "Please do not worry about minor injuries as medical staff are always on standby. And please do not worry about the training equipment, we will be able to…replace it."
A student with a snippy attitude spoke up sharply. "What about HLKMF training? I heard Garreg Mach students learn how to customize them."
"Customization and distribution of HLKMFs will occur after the mock battle at the end of the month. We need to assess your physical abilities to determine which models are best suited for your specific aptitudes."
The rude student seemed to accept this answer.
"You may begin whenever you are ready," Jeritza told the assembled students.
Lelouch wheeled Nunnally away from some rowdy students and towards training targets. "Let's practice like we always did, Nunnally. Try casting silence in a sixteen square meter area."
"Okay!" Nunnally agreed and focused magic through her whole body, lighting up a square of the training grounds with magic. Lelouch could feel the energy pouring out from Nunnally as his own magic seemed to be neutered. He raised a hand and focused magic down his arm…or at least tried to.
"Good, very good. Now cast Restore. Same area."
"Right!" Nunnally exclaimed happily and took a deep breath. More green light flowed out from her and soon Lelouch found himself able to use magic once again.
"Good work. Now then. I'm twenty paces out in front of you. Cast Wind towards me and then approach me and cast Heal," Lelouch instructed.
"Right!" Nunnally declared and focused energy down her arms. "Haaaaaaaaaaaaa…Voom!" She thrust her arms out in front of her as a blast of spinning green magic barreled towards Lelouch. The projectile was slow enough that he could dodge it, but he allowed it to hit him and knock him over into the dirt. Nunnally heard the thud and spun the wheels of her chair to get to where she heard him fall over.
Lelouch stood up once he was no longer disoriented and brushed her cheek with his arm. Nunnally grabbed it. "Heal!" Her magic restored his minor pain from getting hit and falling over.
"Good work. Your skills haven't rusted at all," Lelouch said, giving his sister a firm pat on the head for a job well done.
"I'm always here when you need me," Nunnally smiled confidently.
"Right," Lelouch said. Now then… he turned his attention towards some nearby targets. Dark magic flowed down his arms. Miasma!
Lelouch raised his arm sharply and quickly to shoulder height, glaring at his target. A ball of powerful dark magic shot out of Lelouch's palm and slammed into a nearby target, disintegrating it on contact.
Good. My skills haven't rusted either, Lelouch thought.
"Oh my, that's some very powerful magic."
Lelouch and Nunnally looked towards the person that had observed them. Lelouch saw a woman with blonde hair that he almost mistook for Milly, but the grace and poise she carried herself with instantly made him realize otherwise. In fact, judging from her maturity, Lelouch deduced she was actually older than the former Student Council President.
"Oh, hello," Nunnally said, turning towards the source of the voice. "Were you watching my brother and me?"
"Yes, I saw your brother here take a nasty fall. I thought maybe he had let his guard down," the woman said and then giggled silently to herself, "But now I can see you were just practicing with some sibling bonding exercise. I'm actually very impressed with you, young lady. You can't even see, yet you're still finding a way to be useful."
Nunnally smiled. "Like my friends at my old school would tell me. I'm not handicapped, I'm handicapable."
The blonde laughed. "Handicapable, I like that. Oh, where are my manners. I am Mercedes von Martritz of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. It's nice to meet you two."
"I'm Lelouch Eisner," Lelouch said, approaching with an outstretched hand. "And this is my sister Nunnally."
"We're from Britannia!" Nunnally exclaimed happily.
"Oh, I see," Mercedes said with a smile. "Well it's nice to meet both of you."
Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch noticed another girl approaching the area swiftly…only to trip after she collided with a barrel she just barely banged with her hip. She went tumbling to the ground, barrel and all. "Gah! Who put this stupid barrel here?!"
"Oh my!" Mercedes exclaimed, startled.
Lelouch, in an effort to seem more like a normal person winced at how embarrassing that fall looked.
"Is she okay? Did that girl get hurt?" Nunnally asked, wheeling her chair in the direction of the crash.
"I don't think so," Lelouch said amicably and went over to the girl who had fallen, crouching down. He offered his hand. "Are you all right?" He asked. "Can you stand up?"
The girl looked up at Lelouch and while he was offering his hand like any kind soul would, all she could see were his handsome features, pink bubbles, and somehow the sound of saxophones. She blushed, jaw falling open. "Bah!" She didn't take his hand and quickly got up on her own, dusting herself off. "I-I-I-I'm fine! Tooooootally fine!"
"Are you sure, Annie?" Mercedes asked the redheaded girl that fell. "You took quite the tumble."
The girl identified as Annie laughed happily. "I'm fine Mercie. I don't feel a thing. But what about you? You said you'd watch my super cool new spell and then you just…weren't there!" Annie exclaimed.
"Oh, my apologies, Annie. I saw this fine gentleman fall over and I was suddenly very worried about him," Mercedes said, bowing in apology.
Annie smiled warmly and bubbly. "That's so like you, Mercie. You're always so concerned about others." She turned towards Lelouch. "Oh! I should probably introduce myself. My name's Annette, Annette Fantine Dominic of House Dominic."
The heiress to the barony of Dominic, Lelouch thought, gazing intensely at Annette and then glanced slightly right towards Mercedes. I don't recall Baron Martritz having a daughter though, especially one older than myself. Adopted perhaps? For now though, Lelouch played things normally. "I'm Lelouch, Lelouch Eisner. I'm a commoner from Britannia. This is my sister Nunnally."
"Hello!" Nunnally waved.
"Oh uh…hi…" Annette said, staring at her. The young noblewoman had never met someone that was blind, let alone paraplegic, so Nunnally's appearance took her by surprise. "You're um…uh…"
"I got injured really badly when I was little. Even with magic as good as it is, some injuries are difficult to heal, if not outright impossible," Nunnally said.
"Oh that's such a shame. Poor girl," Mercedes said, frowning, showing sympathy. "I hope whoever did that to you got what was coming to them."
"It was a terrorist attack on the homeland soil," Lelouch said. "We were walking down the street when it happened. While Nunnally's external injuries were fixed, the medics and clerics couldn't do anything for her sight and spine."
"Whoa, heavy stuff," Annette remarked, taken aback.
"I suppose terrorism comes to all nations, like the Tragedy of Duscur in Faerghus," Mercedes commented.
Lelouch nodded in agreement. "If only the Glinda Knights were formed sooner, I imagine perhaps Nunnally could have been saved." Build up Marrybell and Oldrin and I won't look suspicious.
"Oh wow! Yeah! The Glinda Knights! They're so cool! I know they're not my countrymen, but I just think Oldrin Zevon is so awesome!"
"Yeah, Oz is pretty great, huh?" A girl asked, approaching the group. She had a sextet of pistols holstered at her waist. She was wearing a beret and had short, green hair with blue eyes.
Annette gasped, shocked. "GAH! Oh my god! You're Sokkia Sherpa! Oooooooh!" She squealed, smiling, blushing. "I'm so star struck!"
Sokkia laughed. "Good to know the Glinda Knights have fans outside the homeland. Princess Marrybell is hoping to spread our influence past our Empire's borders in order to help keep the peace. Maybe you'd like to start our Faerghusian branch."
Annette blushed brightly, unable to wipe this bubbly smile off her face. "Me? A leader? No. No. I couldn't possibly." She giggled.
Expanding the Glinda Knights? That's new. But…his majesty will never allow it. If she's expanding though, then her aim must be to help with the subjugation of other nations, turn the Glinda Knights into its own superpower. Marrybell…I know you too well. It's a clever plan, but it needs work. So, what else are you hiding in order to aid its success?
"I used to watch the KMF leagues when I was little! I'm so glad the Church of Seiros made it an International League! Go, Hurricanes!" Annette exclaimed, chuckling.
Sokkia gasped. "Traitor! First you tell me you're my fan, then you cheer for your own team! The Fireballs are much cooler!"
Lelouch, for no other reason than to add chaos to the situation, added whimsically, "I prefer the Nexuses myself."
Sokkia gasped even louder. "Heretic!" She shook her fist at Lelouch, looking adorably offended as if she was trying to force puffs of steam out of her temples. "Liar! Thief! Traitor! Scoundrel! I should have you arrested!"
Lelouch put up his hands defensively. "Well now, I guess I should have expected a former KMF star would take the league as serious business."
Sokkia beamed with pride, putting her hand on her chest as she tilted her head towards the sky. "For your information I was allowed to carry over my HLKMF crystal from the league and have it modified for military purposes. Such is the perk of already being a Knight."
Annette gasped. "Nooooo way! You have your HLKMF crystal on you. Show me! Show me! Show me!"
"Well, all right, but only for a little bit!" Sokkia said, winking as she drew a checkmark through the air with her left hand. She took out a reddish-brown crystal and then held it high above her head. "Go! Go! Glinda Knight Transformation!"
The crystal gave off a bright light as the energy released from it blew away dust in a 4-meter radius. Suddenly, armor seemed to form around Sokkia until she was completely surrounded by mechanical looking armor, but it wasn't metallic. It was energy generated by the magic crystal—made of magically mutated Sakuradite and infused with nanites—to produce a 7" tall, half metric ton battle suit. It was the latest in what was called MagiTech and it was the most advanced weapon of war in the entire world: the Hard Light Knightmare Frame, shortened to HLKMF.
Sokkia's was dark red, almost maroon with featureless head and two golden spokes, like the cross-section one would hang a scarecrow on, justting out from the shoulder blades. Lelouch noted the thrusters at the edges, suggesting this had a more advanced energy cell for flight propulsion using pseudo-rocket flame, like the flame jutting out of the back end of a missile.
"Awwwww yeah!" Sokkia declared, pumping a fist, "Check me out! I'm the coolest! This is my HLKMF! Code Name: Scarecrow King!"
Lelouch suddenly took half a step back having barely had time to notice a rather heavy looking silver axe go hurtling through the air and smash into the chest of the Scarecrow King, causing it to malfunction on the spot as Sokkia fell on her butt. She scuttled back like a human hermit crab as the axe fell to the ground. She quivered in fright.
Sokkia, Nunnally, Lelouch, Mercedes and Annette all looked at the direction of the thrown axe, finding Jeritza standing there, looking decisively unamused. "Needs work," he said bluntly.
Annette laughed. "Guess the professor wants us to stick to the curriculum."
"I think I peed myself," Sokkia said, voice shaking, and gulped.
As Lelouch and the others resumed their combat class, Edelgard and Hubert were already leaving Professor Manuela's lecture.
"I will never understand how these fools dedicate themselves to a fake goddess," Hubert remarked.
"It's not our place to question their faith," Edelgard said. "Not yet anyway. Patience Hubert."
"Indeed."
"Lady Edelgard!"
Hubert sweat a little. "Speaking of patience…"
A redhaired girl with an ox-horned hairstyle came running up to Edelgard and her retainer.
"Hello, Monica," Hubert stated to the girl.
"Greetings, Monica," Edelgard said with a smile.
"Good evening, Lady Edelgard," she said with a smile and then with a disdainful look added, "Hubert." She then looked back to Edelgard. "Is everything okay? Have you been adjusting to Garreg Mach properly?"
"I'm fine, Monica. I've been fine, since you asked me that same question two hours ago," Edelgard lamented.
"You can never be too careful," Monica said with a big smile. "Garreg Mach and Rome itself are far removed from what you'd expect in the Empire. I was here almost a year last year, so I'm a wealth of information!"
Edelgard laughed a little. "Yes, yes, I know. Actually, I was just on my way to go speak with your rescuers. Would you like to join me?"
"Lady Edelgard, I would watch paint dry as long as I was watching it with you."
Hubert felt a bead of sweat dribble down his temple a bit faster than the last one. Monica's enthusiasm and dedication to Edelgard certainly knew no bounds or limits.
The trio found Marrybell and Oldrin moseying about the Seirosian hangar where the KMFs for the Knights of Seiros were all kept under magnetized lockdown. The two Britannian women were marveling at the different KMF models strewn about the hangar.
"It's amazing how much Rome outdeveloped Britannia at its own technology, don't you think so, Mary?" Oldrin asked.
"Mhm," Marrybell seemed to agree, but something about the advanced designs made her think foul play was afoot. Before she could ponder it any longer, a voice called out to her.
"Princess Marrybell! Lady Oldrin!"
The two turned to see three familiar faces from a foreign land.
"Oh! Monica! Princess Edelgard! Hubert! It's been too long," Marrybell said cheerfully with a polite curtsy.
"I must thank you once more for your daring rescue, Princess Marrybell," Edelgard said. "Were it not for you, I dread to think what would have become of Monica."
Oldrin puffed out her chest. "Terrorists are no match for the Glinda Knights after all."
Hubert put his thumb and forefinger by his chin as if stroking an invisible beard. "I seem to recall the terrorists you fought being quite peculiar, piloting jet black Knightmare Frames that matched no country's model." He stopped tilting his head and gestured his whole hand towards the two women. "I seem to recall hearing it was quite the difficult battle."
"It certainly was a harrowing experience," Marrybell said. "We nearly traded our own lives for the hostages twice. But, between the Grandberry and my knights, we were able to make a safe recovery from those foul terrorists. I just wish we had wiped them out."
"As do I," Edelgard said with a serious expression. "Terrorists have no business in a peaceful world."
"I just wish I hadn't been so sloppy when I was kidnapped. I failed to even see the face of my kidnappers."
"What's done is done," Hubert said.
Monica sighed in dismay.
"When I heard that you would be attending, I was actually the one who proposed to father that I take the Glinda Knights to Garreg Mach. I thought it might improve the standing between our nations. He was going to send Princess Euphemia originally, but…"
"Princess Euphemia?" Edelgard sounded absolutely flabbergasted at the idea. "The sheltered third princess? Her? I wouldn't trust her leading a band of mice with a flute, let alone soldiers into battle." She scowled in irritation. "She's too soft! She's nothing like her sister at all!"
"Not everyone has a backbone for war," Oldrin said. "But I agree that Princess Euphemia would've simply been a diplomatic bargaining chip. So Mary insisted we come in her stead."
"Mary?" Edelgard asked, surprised. "You seem awfully informal with the person you serve."
"Oz and I have no distance between each other," Marrybell said. "We've known each other since we were children. Oz saved my life once, you know."
"I suppose in Britannia that is simply how they do things," Hubert chuckled, although there was a hint of animosity to it.
Monica blushed. "I would never be so bold as to be so informal with Lady Edelgard," she said, playing with her fingers. "Even if we have known each other an awfully long time."
Oldrin laughed. "I think you two seem plenty close to me. It almost feel as if the three of you can accomplish anything together."
Now it was Edelgard's turn to blush. "Oh stop," she said, a dumb smile crossing her lips. "You're embarrassing me."
Oldrin only laughed more happily.
"By the way, have you given consideration to your strategy for the mock battle?" Marrybell asked.
"Do not think that just because you rescued Monica that that means you are entitled to our strategy," Hubert remarked.
"Oh no, perish the thought," Marrybell said, curtsying, "I was thinking that, as a token gesture towards our own, personal alliance, that we might team up on the other houses, saving each other until closer towards the end. After all, if our nations could show cooperation, it would send fantastic signals to our respective homelands."
"Hmmm," Hubert remarked, surprised at Marrybell's forethought. "I suppose you are not the head of the Glinda Knights for nothing."
"I would be honored to team up," Edelgard said, chipperly. "It would greatly benefit us both to see each other's military might without having to worry about being on the business end of it."
"Then it's settled. We will begin the mock battle with a truce," Marrybell said.
"Scheming between royals and you didn't invite me. Now that just hurts my feelings."
The women, and Hubert, turned to see a man with tanned skin in a yellow shawl approaching them with his hands behind his head. A woman with pink hair in pig tails followed closely behind him.
"Well, if it isn't the jester of the entrance ceremony," Oldrin said with an irritated looking smile.
"Ah, you wound me, my lady," the man said sarcastically, covering his chest. "I feel faint."
"Claude von Riegan as I recall," Hubert stated.
"Ah, so nice to be remembered your gloominess," Claude remarked nonchalantly. "You have me at a disadvantage."
"Perhaps if you spent less time being a clown and more time observing others, you'd know who I am," Hubert replied.
"Hubert, don't be rude," Edelgard said. She stuck her hand out to Claude. "Edelgard von Hresvelg. Imperial Princess of Adrestia."
"I'm Monica von Ochs, of the Ochs family," Monica said. "And this grump here is Hubert von Vestra, House Vestra."
Claude shook each lady's hand. "Claude von Riegan, of House Riegan, heir to the Alliance's largest and most prominent house."
"I'm Hilda," the girl behind him introduced. "Hilda Valentin Gonereil."
Oldrin put a hand to her mouth, gasping. "Did you say, Gonereil?"
"Ugh," Hilda remarked with a smile. "You know my brother, right?"
"Oh, no. Not me personally, but my mother, Olivia, often spoke highly of him. She said that despite his youth he always had the making of a hero. I hear he is the strongest general in the Alliance. Even Princess Cornelia dreads facing him on the battlefield."
Hilda sighed deeply, but kept forcing a smile. "Yup. That's my brother. Mr. Perfect."
"You say that as if you don't like your brother," Marrybell said.
"No, it's not that. I love my brother, but he can be a bit…much," Hilda replied.
"Yeah, I'll give Holst this, he's as extra in heart as he is in strength," Claude remarked, arching his back as he put his palms against it, fingers aimed at the ground.
"That sounds like someone I would love to meet!" Oldrin exclaimed. "I bet I could learn a lot from him!"
"Ah yes, I almost forgot about you," Claude said, chuckling. "No introductions necessary. Oldrin Zevon, the head knight of the Glinda Knights. A self-proclaimed heroine of justice with the skills to back it up. Given the Glinda Knights frequently get pass to help out other countries with terrorist problems, you've been all over Alliance news. Maybe next time you can help us out with our little Almyrian problem."
"Sorry, anti-terrorist unit only. Solve your border disputes on your own," Oldrin said with a wink.
"Ah, of course. My mistake," Claude said with all the seriousness of a stand-up comic, "The Almyrians just want to push north into Alliance territory so they can take our famous chocolate chip cookie cake recipe. Don't mind all the bloodshed and broken bones and the loss of innocent lives."
"Th-that's not what I—" Oldrin stuttered, getting flustered.
"Oh, don't let Claude get to you," Hilda said. "We can handle the Almyrians ourselves. He's just being, well, Claude."
"Still…" Oldrin said, frowning, "I didn't realize the problem at the Almyrian border was so bad."
"Honestly, I'd just as soon let bygones be bygones," Claude said. He extended his arm and craned his neck back a little. "The Church has brought together a lot of people by connecting them under one faith, but our different cultures separate each other. I'm hoping that this year at Garreg Mach will be fruitful for me. I want to spend it understanding the other nations, see how they operate and learn from them. You know, get together, roast marshmallows, hold hands and sing Kumbaya under a starry night sky."
"I…can't tell if he's being serious or not," Monica said, a little shaken up by her inability to get a good read on Claude.
"You get used to it," Hilda said with a sigh.
"Oh that hurts, Hilda. I am one hundred per-cent sincere all of the time," Claude said, but he didn't even sound sincere in that very sentence.
"I worry for the future of the Alliance if a man like you is to take charge," Marrybell said calmly.
"Oof, that cuts deep, Princess," Claude said, arching his back again. "But I totally get you. I'm worried about my chances with the Alliance too. My grandfather's not getting any younger and the round tables are some of the worst meetings I've ever sat in. I'd rather count tumbleweeds."
"Well if being a leader doesn't go well for you," Marrybell said, "I'm sure you could find yourself an easy job as a court jester."
"Ha-HA! Princess Marrybell, I don't think I've ever been so cut down by words alone before. I can see shades of that fierce leadership of yours on full display," Claude chuckled.
"Hey, since we're all gathered here, why don't we have dinner together?" Hilda asked. "We can learn more about each other as we eat. My big brother says nothing makes good company like good food."
Oldrin's stomach grumbled loudly. She held her stomach, laughing nervously.
"I suppose it has been a long day," Hubert said. "Very well. Dinner it is."
12th Day of the Great Tree Moon
Despite the Mock Battle taking place at the end of the month, Garreg Mach had plenty of bonding exercises for its students. In particular, starting today, all of the students would be heading out on an expedition to the northwestern wilderness of Rome. Students would be traveling in groups of five with drivers licenses or who could pilot Knightmare Frames would be prioritized as team leaders. Additionally, to facilitate cooperation, students would be limited to one per house, with all house leaders in one big unit. Since this meant that Lelouch would not be able to watch over Nunnally—nor would Shez or anyone from Ashford—he had to corral someone else to guarantee his sister's safety. Fortunately, he had someone in mind.
"Mercedes, a moment," Lelouch said with all the students
"Oh! Hello, Lelouch," Mercedes said. "Something I can help you with."
Lelouch nodded. "The trip requires only one to a house. I spoke with Seteth but I couldn't get special permission for six, though he seemed to sympathize with my situation. Would you…" he said, putting his back on the backrest of Nunnally's wheelchair, "Look after Nunnally for me? It would mean a lot."
"Oh, Lelouch, I'd be happy to! I know how much your sister means to you!" She smiled warmly. "I may not look it, but before I was adopted by House Martriz, I was a big sister at House Bartels!"
Bartels? Lelouch had heard of the massacre that left the house a wreck, but it was an Adrestian state secret as to the details. Mercedes is Adrestian? Because the Seirosian Superpowers all spread outward from the early days of the Empire it was next to impossible to tell lineages apart. Lelouch hadn't suspected for a moment, with his limited information network, that Mercedes wasn't just adopted into a different kingdom, but open about to a person she barely knew. Still… "What happened to your younger brother?"
"Oh? Emile? I haven't seen him since the fall of House Bartels. I hope he's okay," Mercedes said, frowning.
If everything I heard about the massacre is true, then Emile was the instigator of the entire event. No one knows what became of him though, or if is even alive, Lelouch thought. What came out of his mouth was, "I'm sure he's fine. He has a big sister that loves him to search for."
Mercedes beamed. "Yes! If there was one thing Emile could always count on, it was how much I loved him. You're so kind, Lelouch."
"Lelouch is very kind. He wouldn't even smash a spider to save a butterfly," Nunnally said with a smile.
Lelouch waved his hand dismissively, smiling nervously, "Well, I wouldn't go that far."
"WAH!" The trio heard a loud outcry followed by groaning, "Owwwwwwww."
"Oh dear," Mercedes said as the trio peered around the van that Mercedes had selected she would drive. She was the eldest member of the Blue Lions, so it was practically a given that she would be driving her team's van. "Are you all right, Annie?"
"Yeah, just carrying too much," Annette said, as she sat on her knees, rubbing her sore neck. A crate full of individually wrapped pastries was sprawled out all over the parking lot.
"Let me help you with that," Lelouch said.
"Ah!" Annette gasped blushing. Her face broke out into a dumb smile she couldn't get rid of no matter how hard she tried. "No! No! No! I can gather it all up myself! Ahahaha!"
"Well, if you're sure," Lelouch said, chuckling.
Annette gathered all of her things and picked the crate back up. "Sorry, I can't where I'm walking with this bulky thing. It's not heavy, just obstructive."
"That's a lot of snacks," Lelouch said.
Anette smiled, still blushing. "W-well, I like my sweets. We're going to be camping for two weeks, so I thought I'd by all my favorites."
"Annie, why don't you go with Lelouch. He needs group members after all."
"Ahhhhhaaaaa, ummmmm," Annette uttered, blushing.
"I would be honored, Annette." He bowed. "I consider myself a tactician first and a mage second. A student from Fhrdiad's School of Sorcery in my unit would be a fantastic addition. I am in your hands."
"Ahhhhh! Oh my! Lots of pressure!" Annette laughed. "Ahaha."
"Thank you for protecting my big brother, Miss Annette," Nunnally beamed.
Annette could not help but hope the squeak coming out of her was too high pitch to be heard by human ears.
She and Lelouch carried the crate together to one of the vans and packed it into the back. "Let's see," Lelouch said. "We need an Adrestian, a Neo-Japanese, and a member of the Alliance still."
"Oh! Hey! Do you guys not have an Alliance rep? I'm down!"
Lelouch turned his head to see Leonie approaching. "Oh, hello Leonie."
"Yeah, we just ended up together and were about to recruit people," Annette said, nodding her head.
"Well, I'd be more than happy to come along. I'm pretty handy to have out in the wild. I used to go camping all the time as a kid."
Lelouch checked Leonie's armaments. She had an energy lance slung over her back facing one way two hunting pistols at her hips. Long range and melee? Good. "Leonie, welcome to the team." Lelouch then took out his computer cube and opened his email account. "Leonie. What's your email. I have a list to give you of things we'll need. You're an expert camper so you could probably procure them and pack them quickly while I get our other team members."
"Sure thing, boss," Leonie said.
Boss, huh? I like the sound of that.
After sending Leonie out to get some supplies, Lelouch packed her things and Annette's into the trunk. Lelouch then pondered his next move loud enough for Annette to hear. "Leonie's versatility doesn't make her a very good frontline fighter. She's more comfortable as a pivot. If we were acting as a forward unit on the battlefield, we'd need someone with heavy combat experience that can either take enemy fire or dish it out before they're attacked. We could also use a healer or we're going to need a lot of medical supplies."
"It's too bad we're limited to one per house. There's a guy in my class. His name is Felix…" Annette began, only to trail off. She frowned. "On second thought, maybe it's better we're one per house."
Lelouch decided not to inquire further for the moment. Suddenly, he was approached by a girl with red hair.
"Purple eyes. Short black hair. Almost six feet…you wouldn't happen to be Lelouch Eisner, would you?"
"Um, you have me at a disadvantage," Lelouch said.
"Oh, my apologies," the girl apologized. "I'm Monica von Ochs, of the Ochs Family in Adrestia. Lady Edelgard suggested I join your unit. I almost completed my schooling last year, but it was cut short by a terrorist attack, so I wasn't able to graduate. I hope you need a good mage and healer."
"I could use more the latter than the former, but having a woman with experience is never a bad thing," Lelouch said with a smile.
"Yay! Er, I mean…ahem, I will serve you for this mission as Lady Edelgard wishes," Monica stated.
Sending me her most experienced classmate? I must have made quite the impression on the Imperial Princess. Lelouch looked at Monica talking to Annette about the quality of their food stores. The two proceeded to get into an argument about which flavored snacks were better. Or perhaps it's a means to spy on me. Edelgard I feel is willing to let sleeping dogs lie. He looked across the parking lot to Hubert's group consisting of Dimitri's right hand man, Dedue, Hilda Valentin Goneril, Oldrin Zevon, and a woman with blue hair from Neo-Japan that he did not recognize. But Hubert on the other hand…
"Lelouch," Monica suddenly called his name.
"Ah, sorry, I was lost in thought for potential team members," Lelouch said.
"Good. That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. We just need a representative from Neo-Japan, right? We need a good melee fighter if we're to succeed from what Annette was just telling me," Monica said.
Lelouch nodded in agreement.
"Well then, it's super fortunate you have me with you because I've already memorized not only the entire student roster, but also any class changes that have occurred," Monica stated.
I've been so busy getting adjusted that I haven't had time to ingratiate myself to everyone at Garreg Mach, Lelouch thought. Nunnally's safety has been my top priority and keeping a low profile my absolute second. I suppose someone who was here most of last year would already know how to memorize important people. Monica von Ochs…I'll need to be careful around her.
"Who do you recommend?" Lelouch asked.
"Someone who changed classes from the Violet Tigers to the Green Pheasants just recently. I saw her training yesterday. If we get her, then with our brains and her brawn, we're guaranteed to have the best unit at the academy, second only to Lady Edelgard's," Monica said with an upbeat smile.
"All right, I'm willing to hear out recommendations," Lelouch said.
He expected to have Monica give him a name, but instead she raised her hand up high and began waving, calling across the parking lot. "Kallen! Over here!"
Kallen?
Lelouch watched as the girl he knew as Kallen Stadtfeld approached him, but there was something…different about her now. Her hair was styled to look a little spikier at the ends and she looked…full of life, not like the frail girl he met on the rail car.
Kallen bristled when she saw Lelouch.
"What's the matter?" Monica asked, taking note of this.
"Sorry, it's just…I didn't want to have to be with anyone from Ashford," Kallen said.
"Bad history between you two?" Annette asked. "Oh, I'm Annette by the way."
"Mhm," Kallen said, nodding to Annette.
"You look rather healthy, Kallen. Good run with the cleric recently?" he asked, teasing her.
"Actually, when I joined the Officer's Academy, I didn't realize that Japan had its own class here. Permit me to properly introduce myself to you, Lelouch. My name is Kallen Kozuki, and I am proud to call myself Japanese!"
"Oh! You're half-Japanese?" Annette asked. Considering Kallen was originally with the Violet Tigers, that just made sense to her.
Kallen nodded. "But it's my Japanese heritage I'm proud of the most. I've done a lot of soul searching this past week and…I would like to be with my people. I know it might come as a shock, but…"
"No, you've no reason to get defensive," Lelouch said, shaking his head. "I only have one question for you: can you fight?"
"You bet I can," Kallen said with a stern look. She pulled an energy axe out from behind her back. It glowed with a radiant orange glow along the blade.
"Told you we were in good hands," Monica said with a smile, performing some mental back patting.
"Credit where credit is due. Once Leonie gets here, I'll get in the front passenger seat. Monica, you drive," Lelouch told her. She's been to the campsite before, presumably, so she'll likely have an easier time getting there.
"Taking advantage of my experience already, huh? I can see why Lady Edelgard likes you," Monica said with a friendly chuckle.
Lelouch looked over across the parking lot where Mercedes and Nunnally were. Raphael was with them, so that was reassuring. But Lelouch didn't recognize their other two allies. The first was a woman with brown hair in a black hat. She appeared to be singing, but Lelouch couldn't hear her song from here. And the other was a goofy looking guy with red hair that appeared to be a member of the Green Pheasants.
I'll see you at the main campsite Nunnally, be safe, Lelouch thought.
It had been about 30 minutes since Monica started driving. The scenery around the sovereign nation of Rome had been rather exciting for all of the women in the car. Lelouch, meanwhile, was preoccupied with designing battle strategies on his computer cube.
"Man, Rome's way different from anything I've seen," Leonie said. "Even the wilderness looks pristine and untamed."
"The scriptures of the Church of Seiros say that Saint Seiros fought many battles to preserve the wildlife in Rome and that Archbishops of the faith have built the country carefully to keep things as beautiful as possible," Monica said.
"If you believe the scriptures," Lelouch said without looking up from his cube.
"You don't believe in the church, Lelouch?" Annette asked, shocked.
"I mean I don't either," Kallen remarked.
"Well I mean, I'm not surprised you don't, Kallen. You're from Japan," Annette said. "Lelouch was raised on the faith though."
When it came to distributing the faith of the Church of Seiros to the Japanese, reception was lukewarm. Many Japanese resented the faith of the Goddess, choosing to keep to their own scriptures. This choice led to many parts of Japan being neglected by the church's rule and those deemed "heretics" were eliminated during wartime as heretics or terrorists in the last seven years of poorly attempted rebellion.
"Let's just say I lost my faith in the goddess a long time ago, and I have no desire to reclaim it," Lelouch said.
"You and Lady Edelgard would have a lot to talk about then," Monica said with a smile. "She's not exactly big on the scriptures either. Personally, I just think they're fascinating. The stories certainly have some truth to them, and they're a healthy way to determine how to live. Of course, if Lady Edelgard made her own church, I would become its most devoted servant instantly!"
"Boy, you sure are devoted to her," Leonie said.
"Of course I am! Lady Edelgard is the best woman in the whole wide world!" Monica exclaimed, chipperly.
Kallen rolled her eyes, not sounding convinced.
Annette knew it wasn't aimed at Monica personally. "I'm so sorry for what the church did to you guys," Annette said, frowning. "It wasn't right to just force the church upon you. I was really shocked."
"We all were," Lelouch said.
"Think of the alternative though," Monica said. "If the Church hadn't stepped in, Japan would be just another colony of Britannia. Or, worse, the conflict could have escalated into a war between Britannia and Japan backed by Faerghus and Adrestia. Nobody needed that."
"The church didn't have to destroy my home!" Kallen shouted. She then realized she needn't have been so loud. "S-sorry."
"It's fine, we all have scars," Lelouch said. "Some of us wear them on our skin, others over our hearts."
"Whoa, that's really profound," Annette said, taken aback by Lelouch's maturity.
"You get that from Captain Jeralt perchance?" Leonie asked him.
"Not really, the words just sort of came to me," Lelouch told her.
"Oh. I see," Leonie responded.
After a bit more driving, Monica proclaimed, "Oh! I see the campsite from here! That means it's only twenty more minutes of driving."
"Did you drive last time?" Leonie asked her.
"No, but I paid attention to the route. I have what you call…a photographic memory."
Ah, so we're a bit alike in that regard, Lelouch thought. He then thought much more cynically, I can't tell if her intentions are just out of devotion to Edelgard or if she's spying on me or not. Asking her directly would basically be revealing my hand. I have no choice, but to keep a close eye on her.
As Monica continued to drive the van, an explosion suddenly rang through the forest.
"What was that?!" Annette shouted.
"I don't know, but it looked like trouble!" Leonie exclaimed.
Monica did mental calculations before proclaiming. "That's where Lady Edelgard is!"
"Monica, pull over! We'll make a daring rescue on foot! If we keep driving an another explosion—"
Lelouch was cut off by yet another explosion, this one right on the street the group was driving on. Mages dressed in no nation's robes littered the trees. Monica skid the car to a halt.
"Looks like somebody's itching for a fight!" Kallen exclaimed.
"You don't think they're terrorists, do you?" Annette asked.
"Most likely," Lelouch said. "Monica! The van!"
"I'm on it! I'm on it!"
Monica looked for the safest place to pull over and stopped the van, turning it off. The group tumbled out of the van with Lelouch, Monica and Annette all taking aim with magic as Leonie loaded their rifle. They launched suppressive fire at the mages on the main road before heading towards where they saw the explosion.
"Monica, you were here last year, right?" Lelouch asked as the group ran for where the noble house heads were. "Do you have your HLKMF on you?"
"No! I was told I wasn't allowed to bring it because it would give my unit an unfair advantage. This was just supposed to be a routine camping expedition! We weren't supposed to fight!"
Leonie loaded her rifle and took aim at a mage jumping out from a tree, blasting him through the chest. He fell to the ground and rolled along it, heart obliterated. She discharged the magic shell from the firing chamber, loading a new one. "Well we have to fight now."
"We need to get to the noble lords, they're in danger," Lelouch said.
"Lady Edelgard is more than capable of defending herself," Monica said sternly. "She hardly needs help fending off terrorists." She then looked very apprehensive. "Still, I am worried for her safety." She looked at her group with gusto. "All the more reason we should press forward."
"I'll cut us a path!" Kallen exclaimed, taking out her axe. "KIAAAAAIIIIIIII!" With a screeching war cry like an amazon, Kallen charged forward, kicking ass and taking names. Lelouch, Monica and Annette provided her with covering fire while Lelouch put her rifle away and went to defend Kallen's flank with her energy lance. The group slowly made their way forward.
Nunnally, please be all right, Lelouch thought. I don't want you caught up in all of this. He tagged a would-be terrorist in the chest
It's too soon for the main operation to begin, Kallen thought. These people aren't even Japanese. What's going on? Kallen thought as she fought.
Monica pulled out her computer cube and stopped fighting for a moment.
"Is now really a good time for social media?!" Annette shouted.
"I'm not doing that! I installed a radar app on my computer last year. I should be able to get the enemy's numbers if I tap into their equipment," Monica said.
"Radar off an app? Now I've seen everything," Lelouch said. "Do it!"
Monica turned it on…and was not happy by the readout. She didn't need to say it, Lelouch knew. As the group made it to a mountainous clearing, they could see the chaos. The Knights of Seiros had spurred to action to fight off nearly 1,000 would-be terrorists.
"How did such a large force make it into Rome? I don't understand," Monica said.
"It doesn't matter," Lelouch said. "We need to—"
He never got to finish that sentence. An explosive fireball struck the mountainside cliff that the group was standing on and sent the quintet tumbling down the mountainside, causing serious injury on the way down. Worse, once they landed, they were surrounded by terrorists wielding energy weapons and firearms.
Blood poured from Lelouch's head as it ran into his left eye from where he cut it open on a sharp rock during his tumble. He got to his feet. One of his arms hurt and his shoulder felt numb.
No! It can't end like this! Not to some would-be no-name terrorists!
Nunnally's image flashed in Lelouch's mind.
He raised the hand of his bad shoulder, preparing to fire. However, when the bandit directly in front of him raised their rifle, Lelouch gasped.
I'm dead…
He expected the bullet to pierce his throat and kill him instantly. And then…a blur of grey and blue got between him and the projectile fired from the rifle. Lelouch heard the emitting of an energy sword, gazing to see a familiar silver energy blade.
He watched the projectile go sailing right back into the mouth of the man who fired it at him, killing him instantly. Lelouch stared at the figure that now stood before him. A gray coat hung over their shoulders, sitting comfortably underneath the blue hair that reached down to it.
A calm, yet stoic voice spoke as the terrorists suddenly got cold feat…at the arrival of but a single unit of backup. The figure turned their head, towards Lelouch, but not so much that Lelouch could see their eyes. "It's been a long time, Lelouch. What is it now? Three years to the day almost? Maybe a little more?"
Lelouch grinned. These terrorists seemed to have realized exactly who they were messing with now.
"I think you missed it by a week or two, but that's playing semantics," Lelouch said, clutching his shoulder. He looked all around. "There's a lot of them."
"I can handle it," his rescuer said to him.
Lelouch smiled knowingly. "Of course you can."
Kallen took a step back. Something about this newcomer seemed dangerous, but given what Lelouch was saying, they were on their side.
"Lelouch, who is this woman?" Annette asked.
"Our salvation," Lelouch said. "It's good to see you again," he said to the woman that had come to his rescue. He was in safe hands. The one person he needed to come to his rescue the most in this situation just so happened to be passing through.
When my family shattered and I had no one, before I even met Shez, there was one other woman in my life I respected and cherished enough to consider a big sister.
"I suggest you run," the blue haired woman said with an emotionless and stoic expression. "You hurt my family. If you run, I won't pursue. If you stay…" she held her sword aloft with both hands and furrowed her brow. "I will kill you."
A warrior so powerful and without compare that her own father compared her to Britannia's Knights of the Round. A warrior so peerless and feared she is known throughout the entire world as the Ashen Demon.
"I put my fate once again in your hands," Lelouch said with a smile, taking a step back. "Byleth Eisner."
(A/N: I wasn't sure how long it would take to incorporate Byleth into the story, but hey it works. I thought about maybe going day to day spending Lelouch's school time leading up to this moment, but the wind up has gone on for long enough, story needs more Byleth I decided XD. Next time there will be combat and you all will be able to see the changes to how battles are fought in this changed timeline with your own eyes. Be prepared for carnage and chaos next time on Lie and Seek! And until then, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic! Ja ne!)