To Fay, even if it was rushed, I hope you find it semi-pleasing at least.
I don't claim to be a writer, and if I happen to write sometimes, they are simply kept locked up for personal read, and in my native language.
I got 'blackmailed' into speed-writing this, so read it with a grain of salt :)

Code Geass belongs to who ever owns it (which isn't me)- Guest stars:: Rolos locket, and Orenge-kun.

PS: Remember, always wear protective gear, helm, jacket - and drive carefully.

"But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams beneath your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams..."

-William Butler Yeats-

"Iris is a genus of 260 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. Greeks believed that the goddess Iris would search for a purple iris planted above a gravestone to know whether the deceased wished to be escorted to heaven. Named for this goddess, the iris flower has left an indelible mark throughout history. Iris Sanguinea is a purple iris commonly known as Blood Iris or Ayame in Japanese"

Japan, Tokyo, 2028 a.t.d.

The hooded figure raised its forearm and wiped the sweat off its face. Pausing momentarily, his gaze settled on the dirty, dusty and now soaked fabric. He wondered why he did that...Pebbles and small stones scattered left and right as he dragged his feet forward. Three more steps, two now, and he stood still. This was the last one for today. It was getting late.

"I'll do the rest tomorrow" he told himself, as he settled the bucket he was carrying with his left hand on the ground. Raising his heels slightly, he leaned a bit forward, and started lowering the center of his body to the earth, until his right palm and his knees touched the grass .A sharp pain filled his legs when his entire weight settled on the knees and drove them deeper into the unwelcome ground.

"You're getting old... No, you 'are' old"

"You shoulda brushed the pebbles away a bit first. Idiot"

(It's just pain.
It goes away.
It always goes away.
Yet some wounds may never fully heal.)

He lifted his right hand casually, and examined it. Tracing two fingers from his left hand on the rough surface of his right palm, he found the sharp object embedded deep into the flesh. Trapping it, he plugged it out. Dark green at its base, turning brown midways and finally pitch dark black at the sharp point. It glistered with a hue as the red liquid trickled slowly from the top. Spreading his fingers, he watched the thorn fall to the ground. He glanced in front of him. Any sign of plantation seemed to stop right at the edge of his knees. In this two square meter surface that unfolded, the earth was ravaged, dry, full of little rocks and stones. Deep lacerations crisscrossed forcing the edges to form various uneven levels. Covering it was a maze of a sickly lavender vine with dark thorns puncturing the earth, submerging and emerging in various dancing patterns, these impassable walls surrounded the scorched earth and drowned every single stem of grass, every leaf, all evidence of life that dared leaned towards it. Near the top settled a marble gravestone, not bigger than a pillow. He gazed back at his bucket. Hanging by the edges were various pieces of dirty scrap clothing, the evidence of previous usage clear upon them.

He scratched his neck at the base of his chin with his right hand. As the fingers withdrew, they got entangled in a white piece of cloth that slowly released its grip around his neck and settled evenly on his hand.

"Why did I wear a scarf today, it's not even cold"

Staring at the pure fabric, he saw a slight pink stain forming, slowly expanding on the surface, turning darker red in the middle..

"Collateral damage.. might as well" whispered, as his fingers gathered the rest of it, and trapped it inside his fist. He soaked it in the bucket next to him, drained it slightly, and started scrubbing gently the marble stone.

L.L.
2000-2018

"I'm almost done, just a little more"

He turned to dip the cloth once more, and his eyes drifted towards his left..

"You look better than me"

He gazed at the maroon looming figure that towered a few meters away from him. The metallic statue was at least 3 meters tall. It was kneeling, with its right leg bended, the massive plates that covered the knee joint were touching the ground, its right arm extended slightly forward, and terminated into an almost oversized claw. The sharp fingers bended inwards and the armored knuckles braced the structure of the Knightframe firmly against the ground. It was silver from the elbow and downwards, although various islands of rust have appeared all around it. Its composure from the waist and upwards seemed to lean as forward as possible. Even with that advantage, and the left arm reaching as far as it was allowed, the crimson-red painted fingers touched the ground almost one feet away from the marble stone. It's head was tilted a bit downwards, the lower jaw made of titanium wasn't dyed but the rest was dark scarlet. Its cobalt blue eyes stared silently back at him.

And as the moisture settled on the glass blue eyes, it led to invisible rivers that gathered it at their base, forming a bigger one... and this destructive avatar of war was crying.. Why are you crying?

The machine was covered with dents, scratches and holes all over its armored pads. Grass and vegetation had already started to cover its toes. Old wounds, old scars, this frame has seen its fair share of battles, you could read it all over it. The chest armor extended into a beak shape, and a pair of green jewels featured prominently on the front. There was no evidence of slash harkens, or missile launchers. But a solid MSV forked knife was still attached to the main part of the frame.

"Are you yearning.. are you longing for that which you can't reach?..."
"I know we look similar" he chuckled "but we have a major difference..."

His sorrowful eyes fell on the four feathered Energy Wings which seemed completely intact and were leaning inwards protectively, instinctively.

"You can still fly"

Looking back at the stone he examined it thoroughly for further dirt or stain. He found none. Sighing ,he turned his eyes to the horizon. An amaranth sun could barely be seen in the distance, more than half of it had already disappeared, its rays still caressing the landscape, everywhere they touched caused explosions of various hues of red. The Knightframe glimmered in its crimson dye, its wings reflecting the sunbeams, and the area the hooded figure was kneeling at suddenly came under the attack of the looming light, the white marble stone appeared stained under the pressure of a myriad small red dots...as if it was raining blood..

His hand trembled, and the cloth landed among the thorns.

"Time to head back" he whispered, as he started to rise while extending his right arm forward to retrieve the small piece of fabric in front of him.

And if someone, from somewhere, right this minute, could have seen the expression of the face under the hood, he would have swore that those old and sorrowful eyes had just opened widely, in surprise...

" You... remarkably made it rain.
Rain of blood."

Throwing her car keys on the table in the corridor, she gave the door behind her a gentle shove.

"I'm home mom" she announced.

Letting her handbag pummel to the floor next to the table, she started taking off her suit jacket.

"Mom are you listening?" she said, louder this time, leaning forward and peaking inside the living room.

"Sssshhh, don't yell, I can't hear what they are saying -" said a middle aged woman who was sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the room. She turned around and smiled lovingly.

"How was your flight?" She asked with tender eyes, waiting..

"Boring.."

"It's about to start, come on-" she beckoned.

"I want to take a shower mom-"said the slender redhead female- who appeared to be no more than mid to late twenties. Her formal jacket gets tossed somewhere behind her. It landed on top of a pair of high heels. She pushed the door on her left with her knee, as quick fingers were already unbuttoning the blouse she was wearing. With feline steps she reached the edge of the bed, moaning slightly as the wooden floor soothed the aching skin of her bare feet. Blouse got tossed towards the direction of a dress robe. Deft hands reached behind and unzipped the skirt. It sailed downwards smooth and curvy hips, thighs, and legs to land securely around her ankles. Moving towards the bathroom her eyes fell on the phone answering machine. She pressed the 'Play Messages' button, and left the device next to the bathtub. Seconds later, the rest of her clothes were off, and she's inside, her fingers dancing on the touchscreen mounted on the wall...

'SHOWER'
'QUICK OPTION'
'NO FRAGRANCE'
'NO BATH OIL'
'SELECT TEMPERATURE : HOT'

"I don't need any of these, not today, not today….Today it will be all me and you. No cover. No masks. No lies"

The machine keeps barking

~...I was wandering..would you like..~ "Nope"

~..hey it's me again.. how are you.. dinner on Friday?~ "Pass"

Water started flowing from above and she's already applying half a handful of shampoo & conditioner on her red hair-

~..hello babe.. I know you're there.. I'll be there at 7..~ "But I won't."

~...I heard the news...I'm happy for you, give my love to your mother..~ "Thank you Rivalz"

~...so about that promise.. how about...~ "You promised. Not me."

She stared at the clock, and her cheeks flash red at the thought of being late..
Adrenaline rushes through her, and she feels exited, and she feels... alive..

~...hey sexy cherry blossom of my heart's desire.. it's me your eternal love Ginrrrbrzzz~ -CRAAAAAAANK-

"Sometimes I wonder if you cursed me with some sort of voodoo magic for that department"

"Kallen, are you alright?" A gentle voice speaks from inside her room

"I heard a noise..."

She tilted her head back, fingers working quickly through her hair, rinsing the last remains of shampoo.

"I'm fine mom, don't worry. It wasn't me. I think that wireless answering machine was haunted .I just stared at it, and it went ~fssssssssew~ and flew out of the window"

And suddenly her room fills up with a crystal clear laughter...
Yes laughter, she thinks, to laugh means to feel joy, means to be alive.. and she smiled, as her hands work a towel hastily around her naked body, trapping every trail of water that runs on her. She stepped in the room, and put on clean underwear, glancing again at a clock mounted on the wall.

The TV inside the living room is still on, playing commercials.

Pulling the middle drawer, she selected a black tank top and let it hang halfway outside the furniture...
She found herself rummaging through her closet, shoving hangers left and right until her hands came out with a crimson red jumpsuit, with white reinforced pads who were outlined by black heat resistant fabric for the hips and the shoulders as well as the outside of the arms all the way to the back of the hands. The red fabric ended at knee high, and the white protective material blended in, all the way down to the angles, ending in a pair of comfortable black boots. She unzipped it all the way and allowed the torso and the arms to fall as she turned it around. Finding herself looking down into two dark holes where she's supposed to put her legs, her lips formed a crooked smile, and she hesitated...Exhaling and with renewed vigor she shoved her right leg inside. The fabric enveloped the skin smoothly as she pulled it upwards almost effortlessly.. and the crooked smile became a full one...

Thrusting the other leg inside, she danced her hips slightly left and right as she jumped, pulling the jumpsuit all the way up to her waist line. Her eyes opened wider, realizing that her little stunt had turned her all the way around and facing her bed, and she felt a rush on her face, and her cheeks, blushing; oh how she hated when she blushed especially in front of him, as a pair of emerald eyes stared back at her .Her head tilted slightly forward, and her red banks fell sideways, covering her ears and the sides of her face. She extended her arms and lowered them in front of her, fingers interlocking. She started walking forward towards the bed shyly, in a straight line, her hips swaying. And all this time, the emerald eyes follow her every move, her every step. She stopped in front of her bed, bated her eyelashes...

What is this knot in my stomach, this weird sensational feeling...

She reached forward, picking up a soft velvet black figure. Its about one fourth of her size, and has the shape of a chess piece...a King. She brought it up to her head and hugged it tenderly, carefully burying her face inside. It smells beautiful. Backing her face, she placed a tender kiss upon the soft material and returned it once more on the bed. And quickly she pinched it.

"That's for peeping" she proclaimed steadily, a serious look on her face.

As she started to turn sideways, she brought her body back, her right hand moving like a cobra, and pinched it again. The snow white cat that was sitting on the bed as well, made no move or any indication of intrest.

"What" she looked at the cat with an apologetic look on her face "he was about to make a snotty comment, so I beat him to it."

"I know very well you've seen it before, but if you wanna see it again, you better behave, huh!" She said teasingly

The emerald eyed cat rose smoothly and stretched her front legs forward as she arched her back, her tail swinging slowly left and right. Kallen put her hand gently on the its head and massaged the animal behind the ears.

The TV in the living room doesn't play commercials any more

~Ladies and Gentlemen, we're back with you, from the illustrious Grand Hall, this is your hostess Milley Ashford, and we are transmitting globally live. Just an hour ago the annual Nobel Price Award Ceremony ended..~

Putting her black tank top she stopped in front of her desk. Next to her laptop, rests an heart shaped box. It is gleaming white, with golden ornaments on the cover, a heart shaped one, and inside it there was a gold four leave clover. She lifted the cover, and a soft melodic sound reached her ears. Inside there were two strangely shaped USB sticks, one is beak shaped white and red, and the other is fully black... She hesitated.

"Mine is faster..." she said

(Red, my favorite color .Red the color of my hair, of my clothes, of my Guren. Red like the life that was slipping away from your frail body, that day, the day you died, the day something inside me died...)

~...this year's award for both Physics, Chemistry and Medicine had but one winner..~

"Mine is stronger..." she speaks softer now

(Stronger like my resolve. Like my feelings for my lost brother, for his cause... Stronger for the sake of my mother, for the dream we shared...)

~...we would like to congratulate the combined efforts of Lloyd Asplund and the Rakshata Chawla . on the great progress, accomplishment and achievement of the experimental substance called F.L.E.I.J.A. The press conference of the representative of Lloyd Asplund and world known nuclear physicist, mathematician and researcher Miss Nina Einstein...~

"Mine is unstoppable..." she whispered

(Unstoppable like my passion and my determination in the battlefield. Unstoppable like the force that came down crushing your enemies every time it needed. Like the feelings I have for you...)

~...::clapping sounds dying down::... Hh..Hi.. Mmy namee is.. Nina Einstein.. and..er.. and today I will..ehh.. tell you about the final parts of our research on.. the experiment called F.L.E.I.J.A. We have unshakable evidence that our pharmaceutical product will enter its final stage in 2 years. The genetics and DNA study have..~

She arched her back, her head tilted sideways, her shoulders trembled, and she bit her lower lip slightly..

"Mi.. ne.. is.." a soft moan escaped her lips, and she feels her cheeks blossom again.

(The look in those eyes, the taste of those lips..)

And her heart skipped a few beats.

"Ok you win" she pouted. "But only because its... safer" She pocketed the black USB stick and closed the cover of the box, then reached for her cell phone, and the bluetooth. Her fingers started to spin it nervously inside her hand. Her face expression became more serious.

~... by separating the DNA chain, with the help of the antibiotic product, we have created the necessary microcells, that have proved to be stable enough..~

The hesitation lasted but a few seconds.

"I took the time I needed to think about it, and I've made my mind"

She put the bluetooth in her ear, and dialed a number..it rung three times

-Hello, you have called the Shirley Fenette Adoption Foundation, how may I be of assistance?-

"Good afternoon, my name is Kallen Kozuki and I would like to book an appointment for the next day available..."

She rolled her eyes, and sighed -every time the same thing...

"Yes Miss, THAT Kallen Kozuki.. no Miss, there is no need.. No, I wouldn't like you to book me first thing tomorrow, I want the next available.." Her tone of voice impacted the last word coldly.

"Of course I'll hold..."

Her fingers tapped the surface of the desk, and she caught herself playing with an envelope.

She didn't even ask why, just signed my leave of absence effective immediately and told me when ever I was ready I could go back. God I just need some free time...

"Hello? Yes, I'm still here...Thank you Mss.. and about that other matter?" she bit her tongue and waited...

-...boy with red hair and purple eyes and girl with raven hair and blue eyes.. of course Miss Kozuki, we will be waiting for you at 17:00 in three weeks from now ..- came the voice through the device

"Thank you"

She stared back into her hand , the black USB key was still there.

"Alright, let's go. But guess what.." she smiled warmly..

"I'm driving... "-she blushed again-... "I know" -she tried to pick her choice of words-..

"I will smile more often, I promise"

She shoved her arms inside the jumpsuit and zipped it halfway up as she started moving towards the corridor.

"What the he.. Oh, is THAT so?" She didn't turn her head, she knew her cheeks were fired up again. She pulled the zipper all the way upwards. Arriving behind her mothers rocking chair, she laid a hand on her shoulder, where it was soon joined by hers.

~... and the conclusion we've come, is that the new substance, once it reaches its final stage and be ready for use, it will be named Euphemia, and its purpose is to help relieve, cure, and immunize the human organism and body against the addiction of REFRAIN...~

She felt the warm hand squeeze hers tightly. Looking down she gazed deeply into a pair of watered eyes.

"Kallen" her mother said in a loving voice "I am proud of you"

And she could not do, but smile back.

"Mother I have to go" she whispered as her lips laid a tender kiss on her hair.

"Ohhh.. so soon? I thought you were gonna stay home today, you just came back from that trip in Britannia. Where are you going if I may ask?"

"I have a... date.. Mom, really, I'd love to stay, but I'm running late. I'll see you soon, ok? And try to get some sleep tonight so we can go shopping tomorrow!"

~...That would be all, thank you very much.. Miss Nina Einstein, Mss Einstein a few questions please... ~

~...can you tell us why the head of the Rakshata Chawla . department that cooperated with you in this project, could not attend?..~

~...MD and Genetics Specialist Mss Kallen Kozuki could not be here, because she had to be somewhere more important...She said she's not sorry also...~

~...do you plan to assist the Department of Law and the Internal and Military Affairs so the new product can be used with the combination of REFRAIN in order to extract the truth from potential criminals and prisoners..~

She squeezed her moms hand, and turned around. She walked towards the exit door, when she heard a sound coming from inside her room. Pausing momentarily, she gazed inside. The white cat had her front claws on the leg of her favorite chair and it scratched it continuously, wounding the furniture each time.

"Mom, a favor pretty please? Order a thin 'n crispy cheese lovers and leave it by the table in the kitchen, will you? I might be hungry when I get back"

The cat purred and trailed its back on the leg, and settled its body slowly, emerald eyes piercing her, watching her.

~..I had anticipated such a question, and I have an answer here prepared by Mss Kozuki herself...~

"Oh, Nina..." she exhaled , disappointed.

~...ahem, Miss Kozuki would like to comment on that subject..~

"Come on Nina, it ain't that hard!" She waited with her hand on the door handle.

~..actually, I would like to correct my previous statement, this is a common decision between both of us on how we will deal with suggestions of such nature...~

She smiled and swiftly closed the door behind her.

~...You can go fuck yourselves...~

Commercial spots started to play immediately, but it was already too late.

"You tell em, girl"

Walking down the hallway, she opened the inner door towards the garage. Flipping the switches, the entire area suddenly bathed in light. She elbowed the punching bag that was hanging by the ceiling causing it to swing violently, and made her way towards the eastern wall, avoiding all the spare parts, tools, and general obstacles in her way. She had turned the garage into a mechanic shop but it didn't bother her one single bit. Opening the wooden board close to the wall, she lifted an old blanket and found what she was looking for .Folded neatly underneath, was a thin black leather jacket, with a grey stripe across the left shoulder, and a silver outlined symbol woven on. She put it across her shoulders, slipping her arms in the sleeves and fastened it. It fit perfectly. Picking up a pair of black gloves, she closed the board and turned her attention to the two supersport motorcycles that waited patiently, their neon lights closed and facing the iron door. Walking slowly, she reached the right one and run her fingers slowly on the leather seat. It was painted with dark red and white dye, while the left one had various hues of blue and yellow. Both of them looked the same size, but the expert eye could clearly notice the massive custom handcrafted exhaustion pipe of titanium with the carvings, the hidden afterburner nitro containers and the larger ceramic brake grips that the one she was touching was equipped with. The frame slightly titled forward, hinting customization of the forward suspension. The most noticeable difference between both powerhouses though, was the fact that while the deep red one had room for one driver, the cobalt blue one allowed space for two.

"Not today" whispered, moving past the red one.

She produced the black USB stick, and plugged it somewhere behind the fairing. A slight twist to the right, and the panel became alive, as various numbers started scrolling downwards while messages flashed in the middle of it.

::Please Wait::
::Please Wait::

~Greetings~ said a deep but stern voice from within the left speaker of the fuel tank. She shivered slightly as the skin on the back of her neck crawled, images flashing in her, images of.. him.

::Initializing::

She gave the USB stick another jerk, and the engine echoed inside the confined room.

::Checking fuel level - Pass, tank at 95%::
::Checking oil level - Pass, next oil change at 1344klms::
::Checking brakes::

The control panel kept flashing messages as the mainframe was testing the data. Kallen gave a quick twist to the throttle grip, and the bike roared in anger.

"You sound alright"she said. Her fingers worked quickly, two taps on the panel and the GPS menu appeared, a few more taps and it selected a destination from its memory database. She walked slowly towards the western wall, and stopped before the huge worktable. Scattered and littered everywhere where dozens of scrap papers, prototype drawings, transmission patterns, custom builds and exhausts. She glanced at the framed picture at the wall, and she blew it an invisible kiss as she smiled.

"Brother,just wait a little bit more, I'll be back, I got so many ideas about a new mounting, it's gonna fit perfectly on Naoto MK-III, and save us 6 pounds of net weight as well"

Picking up the pitch black helm she made her way back to the cobalt superbike. She mounted it swiftly, her thighs pressed against the hard cold surface of the vehicle. And she once again has this nostalgic feeling inside her. She put on the black helm and pressed a button on the side. The rear part of it started extending downwards until it almost touched the back of her neck, and stopped with a soft clicking sound. Reaching down, she opened a compartment and produced a USB cord which she connected one end to a slot at the lower left part of her helm and the other at a slot next to the gas tank cap. She selected a playlist from the mp3 screen on the control board, and fastened her leather gloves. Leaning forward and embracing the entire gas tank frame, her arms stretched reaching around it protectively, her head laying on top of it, listening, as it vibrated from the motor below. Quick glance on the control panel again. Tire pressure excellent, temperature at the proper levels, with a quick tap she selected the automatic option. The monitor on the control panel flashed once more...

::Black Knight Armament 606::
::Activating hzhzhzhzh::
::Security grips are free::

She pressed another button on the panel, and the garage door started to rise. Palming the grips, her left boot secured on the foot peg. Black handguards extended from the frame protectively covering her fingers and hands from the air.

::101, hzhzhzhz, standby for activation::

The twin neon lights turned on, and the garage door was almost open.

::Status Acknowledged::
::Second confirm has finished::
::hzhzhzh fuel boost::

She leaned forward, her abdomen touching the gas tank, her thighs pressed firmly against the frame. She made a mental note to replace the microchip for the computer voice communicator, it appeared there was something wrong with it.

"A favor for me please.." her voice barely a whisper, an ocean of emotions overwhelming

"Hold me tighter..."

And her heart skipped more than two beats.

(Hold on tight... Hold on to me... Because tonight.. It's all about..)

::zhzhzhzhz::

"Shortie!"she yelled, and her right hand turned the throttle grip, the superbike answered as the massive rear tire spun on the garage floor uncontrollably for less than a second, black smoke and burned rubber, til it found its grip, and human and machine propelled forward. It was after a decent distance that the front tire finally touched the tar on the road, a mixture of cobalt blue and dark colors blurred past the neighborhood houses at high speed.

~Take a right here~

A deep commanding voice echoed in her helmet through her speakers, causing shivers of longingnes to run down her spine. She tugged the front break slightly, the motorcycle bowed for a split second, and she leaned her body to the right side while her knee extended outwards. The superbike followed her bodies command and entered the turn swiftly. Halfway through it she jerked the throttle grip, RPM and Klm/h signals on the control panel rose quickly following the pace of her heartbeat and the exhaustion roared defiantly as the vehicle accelerated leaving rubber marks on the road as the only witness. Taking advantage of the trajectory, she pulled her body back and brought the bike in a straight position.

"Who are you?" Her voice was soft, remembering. She smiled underneath the shaded visor.

~It doesn't matter~

~If you wish to arrive safely, believe in me!~

"Oh, I so do. I so very do"

::Track No 35: You are listening to -::

"Madder Sky, I know already.." she glanced upwards at the setting sun... and the sky was indeed a scarlet red, red like the stain his back left that day as his life slowly slipped away...

A sudden gust of wind breezed through the abandoned streets of Tokyo, as a cobalt yellow bullet thundered down the highway, driven by female hands and guided by a male voice.

" I'm a monster who makes it rain blood...
I don't wish for you to know the smell of blood."

Lifting the now stained white scarf and blinking a couple times, he took a closer look. His eyes were not fooling him, neither was this some light contrast or delusion. There, underneath the sickly vine was a thin green stem producing from the ground. This vulnerable form of life extended upwards, its small leaves caressed by the reddish rays of the now setting sun. At the very end was a small fragile purple bloom, embraced by the top leaves. As if some cruel God had decided to play a sick joke, this young plant born from a battered, wounded, and totally dry piece of land was battling its way against all odds, evading the unforgiving maze of murderous thorns that the vine was threading above it.

"Blood Iris..Ayame... Aren't you a lucky fellow.. " he spoke softly..

Then his eyes got a glimpse of another.
and another..
and another...
Everywhere he looked, the ground seemed to be full of those small tender flowering plants.

"Im..impos..ible" he stumbled

With careful hands he studied the one closer to him. And his eyes went wider. At the spot where the stem was producing from the ground, the vine parted its way above it, interlocking in the process, driving the thorns into its own body. The precious fluid that resulted from those wounds was dropping very slowly but steadily upon the ground, at the places where the flowers made their appearance. The tender leaves were allowed to reach upwards, and in every spot they covered the vine, it had turned sickly black from the lack of the sun. He run his fingers softly above the thorny threads.

Something cracked inside him.

"I misunderstood you.." he whispered almost sobbing.

"You are killing yourself for them..."

(So I tell myself, I tell myself its wrong.. There's a point we pass from which we can't return.. I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.. All because of you..)

He rose slowly, and pocketed all the dirty rags.

"...the rain doesn't reach this forgotten and abandoned place.."

He tilted the small bucket, and drained the water around the grave before he started walking away slowly,cursing the pain in his legs.

It's just pain.
It goes away
It always goes away.

He didn't look back. He could not look back. He knew that image would never leave his head until the day he would close his eyes for the last time.

"Thank you..."

X

The boy rocked his chair to a point he almost fell. He wasn't older than nineteen. His eyes gazed upon the multiple screens in front of him.

"Man, I'm bored. Did it have to be us?"

"Oh, shut your trap. The day will not pass faster if you bitch about it" answered another one sitting next to him.

"But hey, I'd rather be out there, with everyone else. Everyone is celebrating today, you know."

"Of course I know. It's a national, hell, a world holiday today. The day we got rid of that bastard finally." He spat on the floor after finishing his sentence.

"Meh, I'd rather be at Ashford Academy now. They would be shooting fireworks, there will be drinks, I heard even the Prime Minister will make a speech there. And have you seen those girls there? Oh..."

"Well, there's nothing we can do" replied the other "we're stuck on duty now, keeping an eye on the cameras and the streets. Since there has been an announcement that all vehicles bar police cars, ambulances, and fire tracks are banned from driving today,it will be a quiet evening, if you quit your yapping. Perhaps he will be kind enough to let us go earlier, who knows."

"Don't count on that, I doubt it. I don't even know why he's here. I mean there's no reason for the Chief of Police in Tokyo to be on duty, this day. I even asked one of the old fellows here, he said that he comes in every year this day and stays on duty till the morning."

He leaned closer to the other guy.

"To tell you the truth I don't know what he's doing, but he locked himself up in the office. And he carried a good amount of sake bottles with him."

"Meh, he's an alcoholic?"

"Doubt it, he has a wife and kids, most people say he's alright, but he's way too strict and unapproachable. They say he's ex-military. Fought in the wars and staff. He still walks around with a katana, can you believe it?"

~..Come in Base.. this is .. xzxzxzxz..~ the intercom buzzed.

Leaning forward the left man pushed a button on the controls.

"We hear you, what is the situation?"

~..Highway 91A, unknown vehicle passed the interception XI driving south, at least thrice the allowed speed limit, it appeared to be some sort of supersport motorcycle. There's no way for me to pursue, but patrol cars AF3 and VF5 will be on it soon...~

"Understood, remain to your position, over and out."

The right man started switching the cameras on the monitors rapidly .A blur of images appeared everywhere, of empty streets and roads.

"Where is it, where the hell is it?" he spouted in anger.

"To all available units close to the exits of Highway 91A, we have a runner, please stand by for more information" barked the other in the intercom.

"There, I got you now!" exclaimed, as he froze an image on the screen. Working with the keyboard, he selected the part of the frame that had the license plates in it, and started to zoom in and changing the resolution.

Staring at the now clear image, he typed in the plate number into the database

::Please Hold::
::Please Hold::
::Status Vehicle: Unknown::
::Status Owner: Unknown::
::Please enter new number::

"What the hell.." he pondered. Double and triple checking gave him the same unknown results. The left one leaned closer to the radio speaker and started barking.

"To all units. The license plate is Sigma, Hate, Iron, Neron, Kap- " before he was able to finish his sentence, the phone next to them rung. Both men suddenly looked at each other, as the incoming line was from the Chiefs office. They pressed the button for the speaker.

"Control Room, at your order, Sir!"

~Hello Officer..~ the voice was stern,tired and old, but commanding.

~I heard there's something wrong with a vehicle...~

"Yes Sir, unknown vehicle moving southwards on borderline insane speed, we have patrol cars ready to intercep-"

~Call them back~

"Wh..what? Sir?"

~I said call them back~

"But sir?"

~Young man listen to me~ came the voice through the speaker. It was as if iron was grinded against iron

~From what I heard the license plates must be 'Shinkiro', correct? And underneath it there's a 'K-1',correct ?

"Sir..yes..sir, how do.. you know?"

~Leave the vehicle alone, call back all patrols. There's no way you can either catch up to it or stop it~

"But sir.. what we..aren't we supposed.."

~LISTEN TO ME GODDAMNIT! There's no way you can stop that! And the very last thing you really want on this motherfucking earth is to get between IT and its DESTINATION!~

They both started at each other with eyes full of surprise, until one of them gathered his composure and brought his attention back to the radio.

"Units abort previous command, I repeat, all units abort previous command."

The silver haired man slammed the phone back into its place. He looked back at the picture he was holding in his left hand. There was a woman in her thirties holding an infant child in her arms. She was smiling.

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity.. to have a life more than a soldier.. to make Chiba happy."

He raised his right hand and drained his glass. Was this the fourth or the fifth bottle? He had lost count already. A cold numbness slowly overwhelmed him. Soon it wouldn't even matter ...

"...irises smell stronger in the rain,
not the sun."

It was just her. Her, Shinkiro, his voice ,and the road. Nothing else mattered. Not the stop signs, not the signals, nor the red lights. Just the road. And that well known feeling, that memory that made her heart feel as light as a feather, made her skin crawling, longing for his touch, his scent, his kiss.

One quick jerk, and the panel flashed.

::Switching to Manual, Adjusting Parameters::

She smiled.

"Let's see how fast you can go, shall we?"

The exhaustion thundered as the gears started shifting upwards.. fifth, sixth, seventh...

~Take a left here, proceed for two hundred meters then turn right~

There was that voice again, that mysterious dark voice, to which she once pledged her loyalty and life, that beautiful voice that send her away many times, so many times... with beautiful lies... and he never realised that the more he pushed her away, the more she wanted to be by his side...

But this time it was calling her.

She turned the vehicle away into a dirt road, leaving clouds of dust and dirt behind her.

So close
Almost there
Almost...
Don't go...
Please don't go...
Where I can't follow...

She drove inside the old cemetery without pausing a second and wonder why the old iron doors were open, as if they were waiting for her. The superbikes motor groaned slightly and its lights went out. She took of her helm and placed it on the grip. Removing her gloves hastily, she threw them inside the helm, and started walking towards the small hill...

"What is this feeling, that has gotten hold of my heart.. this burning inside me"

Removing her black jacket she tossed it aside. Her pace quickened. Just like her heartbeat. Halfway up, she took off her cellphone, and removed the battery, throwing them both in a small bush.

"Go.
Quicker.
Faster..."

Her gaze fell on the scarlet Knightmare Frame ahead. A feeling of nostalgia consumed her, and she unzipped her jumpsuit and took her arms off. The fabric fell softly behind her until it stopped at her waistline. A soft breeze caressed her naked shoulders and arms, and it felt like his touch. Her still wet red banks covered the side of her face, and she blushed. Her heart was racing, and there was this weird sensation of butterflies in her belly. And she felt like a schoolgirl again, stroking dark hair, looking deep into purple eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of attention. Her soft footsteps carried her forward.

X

His Honorary Imperial white cloak whooshed on the pavestoned path. Was it that heavy before? It feels heavy; so very heavy, today. The proud man blinked his right eye rapidly; his only good eye and moved on slowly.

"Auntie Anya!" the small girl tucked the dress of a woman who was staring outside the window. She turned and lifted the girl up in her embrace, holding her there as she smiled.

"Why aren't you in bed, missy?"

"But papa promised me a story tonight!" protested the girl.

The pink haired woman played with the girls hair, as she holds it tenderly.

"Well, papa will be busy for a while, sweetie. I'll read you a story instead"

"But where is papa…" the girl sobbed.

She extended her arm, pointing outside the window.

"There, there.. Don't worry"

"Auntie Anya, what is he doing?"

"He's paying his dues, my little angel" the woman replied with a warm smile.

"But.. what is.. dudes, auntie? What is he doing?" the girl protested, looking towards the woman with those young innocent eyes.

"Let's just say he is doing.. the least he can do..- Alright, story time!" and woman and girl moved deeper into the small and cozy cottage house, laughing.

The wind battered his ocean green hair, it dragged his cloak left and right as it assailed him from all sides. Was it that windy that day? He doubted. He brought his heels together and stood up solemnly, gazing at the scarlet sundown. He held his cloak with his left hand, and placed a clenched right fist on his chest, above his heart. Silent words were heard by no one...

"Your Majesty.."

His head bowed slightly, and he did not move a finger until the morning sun made its appearance.

X

And she stares at the gravestone, and her eyes water. And something hidden deep inside her rises up, overwhelms her, and she shivers and she trembles, as she kneels slowly on this cold and unwelcome bed of thorns. And she embraces the marble stone lovingly as she lays her head on it, her red hair surrounds it like a crown of blood.

It feels cold, but not as cold as your eyes that day...

And she drives her body against the stabbing thorns, her arms holding tighter, closer...

It doesn't hurt as much as your lies did..

The thorns puncture her skin slightly, and she pushes deeper into that dread embrace..

It doesn't hurt as much as your absence..

And she wants to feel closer, much closer, to feel his heartbeat on her skin, to shelter his weakness, to hold his head in her arms, to tell him she loves him, and the thorns drive deeper into her frail skin

It doesn't hurt as much as that sword that stole your life that day, that sword that stripped my life that day..

And she just can't get enough of him, his touch, his scent, his closeness, and she pushes harder, and holds tighter. And small scarlet teardrops appear on her white skin from her wounds and start running down slowly, dripping on the frail bed made of thorns, and flowers. And she can't drown that feeling anymore, and she sobs uncontrollably and she cries like a little abandoned child, like she cried that day when she realised she was left behind...

It doesn't hurt as much as this.. yearning deep inside

And Kallen cries, and cries..
And she dies like everything died that day - only to be rebord the next morning... until the same day the next year.
And currents are pulling her down and it's getting harder to breathe..

"I am here my love. No more lies, no betrayals, no more pushing away. Just hold me tight, until this red sun goes away. And dry my tears. I have so much to tell you, so many things of this wonderful world that you made for us.."

And she talks for hours, her tender whisper carried away on the wings of a frail wind, and she feels him close and near, holding her, stroking her hair, kissing her neck...

"Lelouch, please tell me one more lie... about a dark haired boy with purple eyes and a redhead girl with blue eyes that grew old together..."

And a small bloom slowly opens up revealing deep violet petals, and gazes for the first time at a red sun...
Kallen swears that next to his scent, this is the most beautiful aroma she have ever witnessed...

"...remember the Irises

They smell strongest in the rain.
Even
when
it's
raining
blood..."