Ch 1: Destruction at Pendragon
Cornelius, son of the late Emperor Charles Di Britannia... Brother of Schneizel El Britannia... Close compatriot and Brother to Lelouch Vi Britannia... and now the Lord High Commander over the capital city of the Holy Britannian Empire, Pendragon! Cornelius stood on a large dais over looking the large castle city of Pendragon, the marble white giving it a majestic look as he gazed down upon it. The red carpet that lined the floor of the master bedroom felt almost like velvet under his feet, and for all he knew, it was. Looking over the white battlements and the esplanades, the gold topped cathedrals, the alabaster trimmings and the royal blue linings... it brought back memories that the man would soon rather forget... and a few he would cherish for lifetimes.
First Person: Cornelius
"I must be getting nostalgic... It's been years since I've been here... and nothing has changed... Well, except that father isn't here to scold me about being barefoot on the carpet!" Chuckling I turned from the gorgeous view when a knock came from the ten foot tall cherry wood french doors behind me. The doors opened outward and let in one of my may aids, I was thankful that my brother, and now Emperor, had left me such fine people to deal with.
"My Lord, I have a woman who is claiming to know you, she is outside wishing for an audience... Should I let her in sir?" The man, now kneeling before me and just about groveling, asked.
"IF, it will get you off the floor and away to your friends sooner, then yes, of course... Now, there is no need for such deeds with me lad, I would better yet see you standing with me, than below me." Walking over I placed a comforting hand on the mans shoulder and eased him up to his feet before sending him off with my response.
"Yes, My Lord!" And off he went.
"Jerald..." I turned to one of the other aids in my room, "I need you to clear up the next hour, I know there isn't much to do at the moment since the war is on, so this should be simple." I smiled kindly to the young man, he was pry in his late teens early twenties, but seeing as I was no older than twenty six... I didn't have much room to talk.
"Yes, My Lord, It shall be done." Jerald gave me a humble bow, which I responded to with a gracious nod, and left the room. I was now alone with just my shadow guard for company, at least till the woman gets here.
Less than ten minutes later a lanky blond haired woman, along with the aid I had sent off, came waltzing right on into my room. The woman held herself as though she were of old nobility. She wore her long white hair in a braided ponytail fashion, several strands hung across her face, framing it exquisitely, She wore a golden sundress that had dark, royal blue, trimming around the hemming of the dress. She had beautifully majestic cerulean eyes, deep as the ocean and just as wonderful, her nose was almost aristocratic in shape, but not as bold, making for a average look, but one that complimented her looks all the more. Her lips, pink and full, were curled up in a slight smile, an inviting one at that. Even though she was lanky, she was not a twig, she was curvy, yet not overly, just enough to give her form but not enough to over play her looks. She was a goddess in human form... and she walked the part.
"My good Prince Cornelius... what a surprise to see you here... I know we haven't met, but I have heard so many great things about the 'Master of the Morglay'... But I thought you would be..." She paused for a moment, letting me take the lead.
"Brutish, Madam?"I replied with a mischievous grin.
"YES! But I see I am to be surprised even now... Such a joy it is to still be able..." She sighed with what seemed regret as she walked around my chambers, my guards were watching her like a hawk, not letting her get close enough to kill me, should she wish to.
"I'm afraid I don't follow, but, 'Able to what'...?" I asked, confusion apparent in my voice as I walked the room, counter to her.
"Able to still be surprised of course...It's been a long time since that's happened... To this extent anyway..." The woman was looking out towards the veranda when she turned her head slightly towards me and smiled warmly in my direction. "Might I ask that you remove your guards... I wish to speak with you on some very.... sensitive business... Concerning Lelouch..." Her smile faded slightly at the mention of Lelouch's name, though for what reason I could not ascertain.
"I... I think that is a reasonable request... Soldiers of Britannia! I hereby order you to stand outside my room and to only come in until I say other wise or you hear a disturbing noise." I Swiftly dispatched my men, they all quickly cleared the room, leaving me and the woman alone. "Mi'lady... I know it is not within a gentleman's code of conduct... But, might I be given the name by which I may call you?" I gave her a respectable bow, one that she deserved for my impudence at asking the fair maiden her name.
"Why such chivalry... And from a Prince no less... My oh my, how this world has gone... Very well good Prince, you may have something of my name. You may call me, E.E... Cornelius..." The woman smiled sweetly to me, like one would a lover, and made her way over to my desk. Upon sitting on it I made my way over to the other side of the desk, leaning on it for support.
"Mi'lady E.E... You said you had information concerning my brother... Lelouch... What might it be... that would have you so aggravated and flustered?" All my joviality washed away like a flash flood then, not letting any of my emotions give way to allude to my thoughts.
"Your brother... Lelouch, and current Emperor of Britannia, is planning something big... He is going to need knights for after it's inception... The goal of these knights is to help safeguard the world... This is all apart of the 'Zero Requiem' and is something that will not, EVER, leave this conversation... at least until it's all said and over with... and even then you would have to be careful..." E.E sighed and gave a small snort of contempt.
"I take it then, that my brother has no clue of your existence... Hence the reason behind the secrecy... But I must ask... Why should I trust you?" For what ever reason I was completely enamored by this woman... She had yet to say anything that was overtly sinister and I had little reason NOT to trust her... But I also had little reason TO trust her...
"Yes, If he were to find out that there are more beings out there like his lady C.C... then this world might see a witch hunt for the ages..." She gave an almost imperceptible shiver at the remark of 'Witch hunts' and sighed heavily.
"I understand your... reluctance then... To come forward with such information... And I will respect your current status by not saying a word to the Emperor... Seeing as he has enough on his plate as it is." I gave a dry chuckle and moved off to get something to drink from the liquor cabinet that sat next to the cherry doors. "Would you care for a drink Mi'lady?"
"No thank you Cornelius... I'm fine... though maybe a small glass of water would be good..." She smiled tiredly and leaned back on my desk, making the most catching posture I had ever seen.
"Mi'lady, it is hard to focus when one such as yourself are in such a... provocative way..." I chuckled as I saw her cheeks redden and her eyes dilate somewhat at my sidelong comment.
"Um... If you say so..." E.E curled herself up somewhat as she sat on my desk, making her look even more tantalizing, it's a good thing that I am no where near as forward as the rest of my family, excluding Lelouch.
"Here you are Mi'lady." I gave her the small snifter of water, seeing as those were the only glasses available; I took a long pull from my wine before I continued. "Now, What is this business concerning my brother... From what you have said I can gather that he is in need of knights to safe guard the world... But from what I have seen that is almost impossible... Unless one has the same power as my brother... But even then, it is a daunting task." I waved my free hand about at the end of my tirade and took another pull form my glass.
"..." E.E was very quiet after that last bit and was staring off into the distance.
"E.E, is everything all right?" I slowly made my way around the desk and placed a hand gently on her shoulder, hoping to not startle the woman. She flinched slightly at the caress of my hand and looked up at me with guilt in her eyes... A sight I would rather have not seen.
"You are correct Prince Cornelius... It is a futile attempt without the power of Geass... Hence my being here..." She looked down away from me, an ashamed smirk and down cast eyes plaguing her beautiful face.
"Ah... So the true meaning behind this meeting is revealed... And it is of a facet I would have thought long past my caring..." I chuckled, earning a skeptical glance from E.E.
"You aren't mad? Mad that I would be willing to give you such a wretched power?" She was more than just a little flabbergasted by my response to her reason being here, in my room, talking to me about becoming a knight.
"Mi'lady E.E, I have seen and done things that most would consider obscene and against the laws of humanity and nature... I deserve to be held in a small white room and given little to no care save for a few bites to eat every other day until I die... SO, all I see when being told that I am able to be gifted Geass is only just a way to help repay my debt to humanity and the other creatures that call this world home... I deserve more than just the torments that Geass can hold for me." I have done many things that even Lelouch would turn green at seeing... even my brother Schnizeil, the only one of us distant enough to be able to beat Lelouch outright, is turned pale by some of my acts... and yet I still retain my humanity... Or at least what's left of it.
"Is that our answer... Cornelius El Britannia? To be cursed with the 'Power of the Kings' and condemned to a life of solitude and despair... one where you shall have only the company of the shadows and those like you to sway the loneliness in your heart and absolve you of your sins?" E.E was no longer the provocative woman that strolled into my chambers not more than half an hour ago... Now, now she was a shrill business woman with an eye for detail and a mind like metal.
"In this pact for the ages I do solemnly swear to uphold the act of being my brothers knight, among others, to protect the world and its inhabitants and serve humanity till the end of my unnatural life... Or might I die a thousand deaths. I will take this power of the kings and make it my own, giving my life to the future fought and bled for by Lelouch and his comrades." I knelt down before the woman and awaited her faitful touch, the one that, for me, would signal the beginning of a new life under Lelouch and his future golden age of Earth.
"Then I, E.E, Give unto thee the power of the kings... Use this power to the benefit of the world and yourself if need be, for as long as your will aids that of humanity... you shall never be without your power. You shall be known as the Black Knight of Nine." E.E walked over to my closet and pulled out my long-sword and brought it over to where I was kneeling. Once there she took it in both hands and turned the flat towards me, from there she knighted me and set the sword down on the desk. She then took my chin in her hand and tilted my head up towards hers... But I was taken by surprise when I saw that her face was less than an inch away from mine.
"Now... Do you accept this gift, curse and all, to be your shield... AND your sword?" She asked and I replied. Kissing her gently on the lips I could feel a soft, soothing, energy seep into my body through the tender connection we were sharing. At first she had been surprised that I was so willing, before wrapping her arms around my neck and getting completely involved in the kiss as she sunk down to my level, falling down to both her knees.
WE gently kept this up for several minutes longer, after the transfer of Geass was complete, that is until we were interrupted by the sound of the door opening suddenly and three young officers barreled in.
"My Lord! We have urgent news!" The one in the middle, whom i presumed had led the unwelcome charge into my quarters, spoke in a hurried tone.
"What is it Lieutenant, can't you see I'm busy?" I growled and turned to him, pulling myself and Mi'lady E.E to our feet in a swift and graceful motion.
"My Lord, the master warship Damocles has appeared over the horizon... There seems to be a small fleet flying with it sir... and they are reading as being fully armed and capable of annihilating us My Lord..." The Lieutenant said rather calmly.
"Mi'lady E.E... I must attend to these matters... Would you be adverse to joining me in this endeavor... seeing as this might be our final battle here at Pendragon?" I smiled warmly at the blond woman in my arms, she was blushing profusely at being caught in the moment and at what I was asking of her. After a moment she nodded her head and smiled in understanding of the monumental problem ahead of us.
"Yes, Mi'lord I will attend with you..." With that we walked out of my chambers and our small party of five made our way to the command center.
"All Forces, ready for attack. The Damocles has made an appearance, all forces report to battle stations, this is not a drill, the Damocles has appeared with a large fleet around it and it is heading straight for us... all forces are to be ready in T-minus Ten minutes!" I took my finger off the toggle for the loud speakers and turned to my command crew, including E.E.
"Alright, I want everyone to try and form an orderly way of getting the cities populous under ground and away from the surface... WE need to make sure that as much of the population of Pendragon survives as possible. Are we clear?"
"Yes, My Lord!" Everyone saluted and shot off to do their assigned duties, meanwhile E.E walked up beside me and stood her ground.
"I have a bad feeling about this Cornelius... Just this feeling in the pit of my stomach that this is it... This cities final moment... and I can't place why..." E.E shuddered as I placed an arm around her, trying to comfort her.
"All will be fine E.E, I will uphold my promise and make sure that everyone make it out okay." I looked down and gave her a heartfelt smile.
"Sir! Incoming Projectile... It's headed right for the city!" The sensors station officer scrambled as he almost fell out of his chair in a panic.
"I am sorry... Cornelius... I was to slow..." I turned to E.E just as she turned to me... and in here eyes I saw a see of sadness so long and wide... That even I was swallowed up in its vastness for a moment. In our finall moments, knowing what was headed our way, we disregarded the whole situation and embraced for one last kiss... Right before everything was taken out by a massive white light.
Deep in a Desert waste land a Large portal opens up. Deep violets and purples stream forth from the opening, arcing back and forth across the opening, pulsating with power and anticipation, that is until it glowed its brightest and gave birth to a large bipedal like creature dressed in ornate robes and armed with a set of swords. The body of the Biped slowly floated down from the sky, seeing as he was almost a mile up, and landed softly against the hot dirt. There he lay for hours as he slowly regained bits of his consciousness and his ability to think and move.
Slowly this creature stood and looked around, in all directions, for miles to see, there was nothing but bone dry dirt and cacti everywhere.
Perspective: Cornelius
"Hmmm, it would seem that I survived... Which is rather impossible..." I thought to myself as I lay there on the hot craggy earth. The area around me was dry and sparse, having only a few tufts of wild grass and a couple cacti dotting the landscape. I noticed all this as I got up from my prone position and looked about for any other survivors, namely miss E.E... She was the only one who knew the true nature of my Geass and was also the only one who could teach me it's limits... Well, it looks like I would be doing this one on my own...
"I wonder if there are any settlements around these parts or not... It would be a god send if there were..." I sighed and made sure that my gladius and my long sword were in their scabbards. Granted my gladius is an ornamental sword, it is still functional for some combat situations... Looking around again I figured that I might as well get my bearings straight, I looked around and found that the sunn was still rising up into the sky, making for a warmer day than it already was. This let me know two things, one, I was in a dessert and, two, told me that that way, the way the sun was coming from, was east. So, placing the sun off to my left I looked to my right and saw a small tabletop mountain standing by its lonesome out in the distance. I pegged this as my westward marker and took off in its direction.
"I should pry gather some of these cacti branches... Seeing as I don't have any water they will make for a good drink later on." My thoughts were easily occupied by the prospect of getting a fresh drink of water, even if it would be coming second hand from a plant and that it would be relatively warm, but when in the wild one does not care. Taking less than ten minutes I came upon my first small cluster of cacti, they each stood about six to ten feet tall and were about as big around as I was. So I drew my gladius and went about hacking off a few limbs from each cactus and deftly stripping said limbs off any and all thorns. I kept some of the larger, and seemingly, thorns/needles and placed them in a small pouch I had quickly thrown together from a piece of my Princely over robes. As you can all deftly guess I had very little love for my worldly possessions, they cannot give you love, so why should you show them any, they are a tool and will be treated as such.
After de-thronging about nine cactus limbs and storing them in a tied up part of my robe I placed the pouch like piece of cloth on my belt and continued my trek towards the flat-top mountain. My reasoning behind keeping the thorns was incase I needed them for a future trap or not, or for a medical emergency were I would either need to stitch myself up or use them to hold my skin together. As I walked I would make small detours to fill up on more cactus limbs and thorns, seeing as I would go through at least one limb every half hour it seemed. Walking in the direct sunlight just so happens to make a person dehydrate faster than normal......... Who knew?!
Admittedly I knew it was going to be a while before I got anywhere close to the mountain, my sense of distance is almost worth shit when I don't have a map with me, and the sun was starting to get closer to the far horizon. Once the sun had gone well past it's zenith I figured it was time to make a small encampment and get myself situated for the night. To accommodate for myself, and the fact that I don't have a second person with me to watch my back while I sleep, I took to cutting down some of the larger cacti and shaving he thorns, and in some cases, spikes, off one side and placing them in a square with two openings. I was able to get them to go about five feet up on their sides to form a relatively safe haven for me to sleep in. All of the thorns and spikes I had cut of were pilled in the center of the small enclosure, they made a good source of kindling as I went about gathering dried up pieces of cactus and placed them in the fire along with some of hue he green pieces. Doing this would allow for the fire to burn hot at first and then smolder long on into the night as the green, water logged, cactus limbs burned slowly, the water would slowly evaporate from their insides and burn at a manageable rate.
Once I was done I went about looking for any kind of sustenance that could be found in such an inhospitable place as I was in. Luckily for me I spotted a few burrows around som of the tufts of grass and was able to discerned that some jack rabbits lived inside a few, while some others were filled with some curious looking reptiles that I had never seen before.
We'll it was time to get some food and then to figure out where on earth I was... And even if I was on earth in the first place... This was going to be a long day...
How wrong, and right, I was...