ext_104361 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
inulovinkit.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
code_geass2008-12-14 10:27 pm
inulovinkit.livejournal.com) wrote in code_geass2008-12-14 10:27 pm
Entry tags:
Fanfic: Suzaku of Japan (ch 7)
Wow, this one ended up long...I'm thinking the next chapter will be out around Christmas time.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: LelouchxC.C., SuzaEuphie, (implied) Suzalulu
summary: So, what would have happened if Suzaku had received the Geass in Stage 1 instead of Lelouch? We'd have one messed up story on our hands.
Chapter 1 here.
Euphie tops. You know this to be true.
Ragezaku is my favorite Zaku.
“So, after all this time, Suzaku really did just want to die after all.”
“You’re surprised?”
“A little,” Lelouch sighed, sitting down on his bed. “I thought there was something strange about him ever since I saw him again after all these years…I knew he was different, but I never expected that—”
“He killed his own father?”
Lelouch glanced back at C.C. “I don’t understand. Why? Why would Suzaku do such a—No, it’s not just that…everything is different than it used to be. He was always such a proud kid; he never took anything from anyone. When we first met, we argued a lot—he didn’t like if people disagreed with him…in his mind, he was always right, and hardly ever admitted he was wrong. The Kururugi Suzaku I knew back then would have never bowed his head towards Britannia like he’s doing now.”
“Well, some things have changed, but one thing hasn’t.” Lelouch stared at her. “His geass. You did say he wished people would think like him when you were young, right?”
“Heh, that’s true. I guess that was the only geass that would have suited him after all.”
“So, why did you do it?” C.C. asked, casting him a sideways glance. “Why did you cast that geass on him?”
Lelouch was silent for a moment. “I’m…I’m not too sure myself. But…when I realized everything…realized that he wanted to die…I grew angry. Wanting to die for his sins? That’s just selfish! But looking at him as he woke up, and realizing all he wanted to die just made me—”
“Worried? Upset?”
“I don’t know, but…in that moment, I knew I didn’t want him to die. I couldn’t have him die. So, even if it meant using my geass on him…at least now he’ll try to live.”
C.C. sighed, “Well, you should be more careful about using your geass. It is a powerful weapon, you know. You need to be careful.”
“I know that, and I’ve been careful. But this…this was necessary.”
“I doubt Suzaku would see it that way. In his mind, you would have just taken away his free will in order to keep him around you a little longer.”
“That’s not why I—”
“Still, but that’s how it will appear to him. Are you planning on telling him?”
“About my geass? No. If he finds out I have it too, then he’ll suspect me of plotting behind his back. I can’t have that happen.”
“It will happen eventually, you know,” She hugged some new weird, yellow stuffed animal she had gotten from somewhere to her chest. “If you intend to stay Zero, then the fact that you’re not giving it up will tip him off sooner or later. And then what will you do? You know he plans on fighting Black Knights instead of ignoring them—”
“I know that!” Lelouch yelled, glaring back at her. “I know it’s inevitable. But…if I can hold out…put it off just a little bit longer…”
The witch sighed. “I know you don’t want to fight Suzaku, but as long as you are Zero and he is a knight of Britannia, it will happen. You chose this path when you chose to don the mask of Zero. You have a responsibility to Japan, to see this through, as he has a responsibility to the side he chose. You can’t have both; Zero and your friend. There’s only one outcome of this, and it is—”
“But, damnit, why!” Lelouch roared, slamming his fist against the wall. “Why does that—idiot—have to chose this way! He knew what I was planning on doing all along! If he cared about Japan at all—if he wasn’t so wrapped around his precious Princess Euphemia—”
“Lelouch,” C.C. cut him off. “You’re upset, and you’re rambling. This isn’t like you at all. If you plan on being Zero and changing Japan, then you can’t just sit here and mourn over a lost cause. Either stand up, and fight for what you believe in, or sit here and mope. Still, it won’t change anything. You’re too far into this to back out now.”
“What—What do you know, Witch!” Lelouch roared back at her as she stood up to leave. “What do you know about being in over your head?”
C.C. stopped for a moment, remembering…remembering old plans…old faces…old regret. “I know plenty,” was all she said, before leaving his room, and leaving him alone.
Lelouch was Zero; and if he still wished to be Zero, he would always be alone.
“Alright, Lelouch, what is this about?” Kallen asked, as soon as she was in Zero’s headquarters and the door was shut.
“Just give me a minute, and I’ll tell you,” he smirked, removing Zero’s mask and facing her. “Was the mission successful?”
“Enough of the small talk, Lelouch. Just tell me now. You promised you would. Why did you call me in here, and why did you decide to tell me of your identity? You said it was ‘necessary’?” They spoke in English, since all the Black Knights spoke fluent Japanese.
“Of course,” he answered, the smirk fading—now he looked deadly serious. “I needed someone here who knows of my true identity for the coming days—someone like you.”
“And why is that?”
“For the Black Rebellion.”
Kallen stared. “The…Black Rebellion?”
“Ah, you think that’s a bad name, then? I thought ‘Attack on the Tokyo Settlement’ was a bit long and lacking—”
“A—Attack on Tokyo?” Kallen stammered. “But Ze—Lelouch, that’s just—”
“Just what?”
“Isn’t it a bit…early to think of that?”
“I’d say it was a bit late, myself,” Lelouch smirked back. “But as for early, not at all. We have enough manpower and the knightmares to do it. The Britannians outnumber us, but with careful planning it will be an easy victory.”
“I see. And may I ask when this plan will be put into place?”
“When the Britannians give us an opening. In the meantime, I’m setting everything up in advance so it will be impossible for us to fail.”
“Alright then. But what does this have to do with me?”
Lelouch went quiet for a moment. “The attack on Tokyo will be swift—so they will have no time for evacuations. There will be many deaths—”
Kallen wore a mask, like always. “But it is necessary for the liberation of Japan, so—”
“Would you say that even if your classmates were sacrificed?”
She tensed, saying nothing.
“I have a plan, Kallen. It would be a way to spare the school.”
“Really?”
“Yes. During the attack, the Black Knights will need a base of operations. If we were to take the school as our base, and only keep the students as hostages, we can make sure none of them will be harmed.”
Kallen glanced away. Even in front of him, she always had to pretend. She would have liked not to care about any Britannians, but…”Yes, maybe that would be best. Though they are Britannian, they aren’t our enemy—”
“Are all Britannians considered ‘enemies’ to you, Kallen? What about your Britannian half? What about me?”
“That has nothing to do with it!” Kallen snapped back. “Britannians that are loyal and support Britannia are my enemy! As for the students…they were too young when Japan was taken…they are not at fault.”
Lelouch couldn’t help it—he smiled back at her. “That’s a very mature view, Kallen—most terrorists would just declare all Britannians their enemy, regardless.”
“Oh, and what about you then, Lelouch?” she countered. “You are Britannian yourself, yet you fight for Japan. Tell me, who is your enemy?”
For a moment, Lelouch smirked, and he didn’t lie to her. “Anyone who punishes the weak—they are my enemy.”
“Oh, so you say you fight for Justice? And here I thought it was revenge…”
“Revenge…a wrong to right a wrong done in the past…that is justice in itself. Justice and revenge are the same thing…So someone who says the fight for justice…they are no better than one who fights to get even. Isn’t it funny, Kallen? Good and Evil…such a thin line between them…”
It was late. So late that even Lelouch had already gone to sleep (and that boy never slept), and yet C.C. was wide awake.
She could feel it; it was so close now…no, he was close, just biding his time.
She sat on the loveseat in the living room, her large stuffed animal (Apparently it was called ‘Cheese-kun’) in her arms, as she looked up at the full moon on the rise.
Everything was being prepared now.
She didn’t think it would happen like this—she knew of the plan, but she had called it off, given up…and still, they were going through with it?
She knew very well the conditions of the plan. Go to Japan. Watch over Lelouch. And when he is ready, give him the geass. The rest was up to them.
But…
“You people lied to me, didn’t you?” C.C. glared at the faceless entity. “You told me Lelouch wasn’t to be harmed!”
‘Marianne the Flash’—Though she was a royal consort, she still continued her knightly duties to the Empire. She had children as was expected of her, but she always wished for battle—‘much more interesting than children’, she had always said.
Something had changed, C.C. knew it. Ever since Marianne had met the Emperor, came into his inner circle…she knew something had changed. Marianne was not the same Marianne she had known before.
And yet…C.C. still wished to stand by her. But she couldn’t always be with her. Though C.C. was a decent knightmare pilot, she was nowhere near Marianne’s skill. When Marianne the Flash left for battle, C.C. stayed at the villa. With her children.
“Miss C.C! Come look! Nunnally and I found a baby bird!” Ah, how she remembered those days…those long, happy summer days while they all awaited Marianne’s return…
When the plan was formed, Lelouch was not to be harmed. That was her term of the contract. She would give Lelouch the geass, if he was the only one they could use, but never was he to be harmed.
But after that—After Marianne was killed, C.C. realized it. The extend V.V. and the Emperor were willing to go for the sake of the plan. And now that physically, Marianne was gone—there was nothing standing in their way if they wished to get their hands on Lelouch and use him as they would.
That was why…at that moment in the Shinjuku ghetto, C.C. had given away the geass so freely. A geass needed to be given to someone, and soon—and so it was Suzaku she had chose. But maybe that was bad luck on her part, she had chosen to give the geass to that boy in hopes that it would get geass and the Emperor’s plot as far away from Lelouch as possible, but, unfortunately…
She sighed. And now, Lelouch had the geass. The plan was for her to offer it to him in hopes he would take it. Instead, he begged and pleaded for it, even after being rejected several times. She didn’t want to give it to him, she never did but…it was of his own will that he asked. No one else’s.
She was a fool—she had never heard all of what the plan entailed. She knew the final objective—but how they planned to use Lelouch and why—she had always thought it was irrelevant. But now…
Using V.V., especially if he was allowed to use his full power, was dangerous. And with Suzaku and Lelouch’s geasses—
It was hopeless. But all was not lost. She had given them Suzaku. His geass should be sufficient. They had promised her Lelouch wouldn’t be harmed, so it was very likely he would be used instead.
But for what? Now she didn’t care. As long as Lelouch wasn’t harmed—that was the important thing.
“What?” Suzaku gasped, hardly daring to believe it.
“It’s true,” Euphie told him with a smile. “It was approved by Schniezel this morning—it’s really going to happen!”
“But…how…why?” he continued to say, sitting down slowly on Euphie’s bed as they talked in her private chamber. “Japan…Japan is…”
“A protectorate under the Empire,” Euphie told him, sitting down next to him. “But in that place, that special region—the Japanese will be allowed to govern themselves. It will have only minimal Britannian control.”
Japan…a free Japan…?
“But for that to happen, how…why did you…?”
Euphie smiled back, “It was for Lelouch.”
“Lelouch?”
Euphie gave a small giggle, “Jealous?”
Not that! “You met with Lelouch?”
She nodded, “Just the other day, actually…I went to see him.”
“I told you he was all right. Nunally, too—”
“Yes, they’re fine, but…Lelouch, he seemed…burdened.”
“Burdened?”
“It’s okay, Suzaku,” she assured him. “I know about that. He told me. I know why he’s burdened but…I don’t like seeing him like that.”
Suzaku couldn’t agree with her. “Well…it was because of a choice he made—”
“Maybe but now…he seems like he’s in too deep with it. He can’t get out even if he wanted to. He has to see it through, to the end.”
“No he doesn’t,” Suzaku cut in. “If he really wanted to, he could stop at any time. It is because he chooses not to stop that he—”
“Either way, I wanted to see. I wanted to see if there was any way I could lift his burden. Make it so that all of us could live somewhere in peace.”
“So you created this…thing.”
She nodded, and then glanced away. “Onee-sama’s not happy though…she thinks I did something wrong—”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” assured Suzaku, turning her back to him. “It’s…it’s a wonderful idea, Euphie. And the Japanese…when they find out, they will love you for it. You’ll have given them back some of their freedom and stopped all the violence in Area 11. You will be the most loved governor-general they’ve ever had.”
“That’s a funny thing to say,” Euphie smiles softly to herself. “After I’ve always been ignored because I was too young to do anything.”
“But Euphie…what you’ve done…this is greater than any of that! You’ll have brought peace to Area 11 at last!”
“It won’t be peaceful right away,” she told him, turning away. “There will be lots of people who will oppose this decision at first—I can’t bring peace in one day.”
“Then I will help you,” Suzaku promised her, taking her hand gently. “I’ll stay by your side and make sure this is a success. As your knight, I promise you that.” And then he placed the kiss of loyalty upon her hand.
“As my knight?”
“And also as myself,” he said, getting up to kneel before her. “As Kururugi Suzaku, I will help you in any way I can. I will follow you in whatever you do. I promise you that, Euphie.”
“Hmm, I wonder?” she smiled, kneeling down to meet him. “Can you keep that promise?”
“Of course I will keep it! I’ll give you my word! With my life, I—”
“I don’t like that,” she sighed, looking away, leaving a confused Suzaku staring at her. “It makes it sound like you’re any old knight—and I am just your princess…”
Oh…
“Well…how would you like me to say it?”
Euphie just smiled to herself, and then mused, “You know Suzaku, when this is complete, in about a month or so, it wouldn’t have to be like this.”
“Hmmm?”
“We wouldn’t need the excuse that I am a princess and you are my knight once it’s finished. In that place, Britannains and Japanese…Honorary Britannians too…everyone would be equal. We could…you know…I mean…if that’s…”
A blush sprouted on Suzaku’s face.
Oh.
“Well…” he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I mean…I guess…if it’s like you say, Euphie, then, I suppose we’d just have to wait.”
Euphie nodded, and then, after a minute, she turned back to Suzaku. “You know Suzaku,” she smirked back. “We don’t have to wait.”
“Euph—”
He couldn’t finish, because she shut him up so quickly. And really…maybe he didn’t care.
“Euphie?” Suzaku asked, sometime much later.
“Hmm?” she asked, snuggling next to him. “What is it?”
“What’s this plan of yours called anyway? You never said…”
“Oh, that? It’s going to be called the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.”
“The what?” Lelouch stared, as he stared at the morning news on his computer screen. “What the Hell is this!”
“Hmm?” C.C. came to lean over him, her long hair completely blocking his view of the screen, to his annoyance. “Well, it looks like your sister did figure out something after all.”
“This isn’t the…something I expected!”
“Well, she did say—”
“I didn’t expect her to find something that would work!” Lelouch stammered, flicking through the article. “Special Administrative Zone…what a joke!”
“You don’t think it—!”
“Of course it won’t work! There’s no way it could even last six months! With Britannia as they are, they would never allow this for long…Euphie’s just setting it up for failure!”
“She did do it for you, you know,” C.C. piped up. “You should be grateful that she was thinking of you while she’s got her arms wrapped around Suzaku—”
“Don’t bring that up!” Lelouch snapped, glaring back at her. “She wasn’t thinking of me, only her precious little Suzaku—”
“My, someone here is jealous—”
“I am not jealous!”
“Then what are—”
“I’m mad because he’s the one going after my sister! Without even asking me he—”
C.C. sighed. “If you say so.”
Lelouch clenched his teeth. “It’s the truth.”
“Anyway, what are you going to do? If this succeeds, then the Black Knights and your rebellion are finished.”
“I know that,” he said, calming down. “There’s really only one way out of this…”
C.C. noticed the way he clenched his fist. “I see. For Zero, there is one option. But for Lelouch…there is another. So, what will you do? Who will you choose? Zero? Or ‘Lelouch’?”
For a long moment, Lelouch stared at her, as if hoping she would have some wisdom or comforting words. But there was none. This was his decision and his alone. To preserve what he had as Lelouch now…or to move forward as the destructive Zero, towards an uncertain future. Which did he treasure more? The present he currently had, or was he willing to cast even that aside for the sake of his goal?
And then there was Suzaku…and Euphie…and Nunnally…Everyone…
Finally, he sighed, knowing what he had to do. “You said it yourself, didn’t you, Witch? I’m already in this too deep. I cannot give up now.”
“Zero!”
“It’s Zero!”
“Zero has appeared!”
The whole stadium was in shock as Zero, the Man of Miracles, the Hero of the Japanese, suddenly appeared before them, being lowered from the air as if a god.
In actuality, it was just a simple mechanism from a helicopter that could be easily spotted, but, well, appearances were everything.
The second he set foot upon the stage before the million Elevens, Britannian forces were all around him. “Zero! How dare you show your face here!”
Lelouch only raised a hand in defense, “Calm yourselves. I’m only coming at the invitation of Her Highness Euphemia li Britannia.”
Right on cue, Euphie—and Suzaku, Lelouch grudgingly noticed—burst through the crowd. “Yes, that is true; I invited Zero to come and negotiate.”
“Euphie—!” Ah, so it appeared Euphiemia forgot to tell Suzaku about that. Lelouch couldn’t help but smirk underneath his helmet.
“This is true, Your Highness?” the captain of the guards asked.
“It is. He is here by my invitation, so please, lower your weapons.”
The guards looked at one another and shrugged slowly lowering their weapons. However, Suzaku still kept his hand ready, just in case—his eyes glaring angrily, telling Lelouch to go away and leave him be.
Ah, but Suzaku, I can’t do that. Your princess invited me, did she not?
Euphemia—seeming not to notice the anger on her knight’s face—turned back to Zero, smiling. “Now then, shall we go negotiate, Zero?”
“Of course. Lead the way, Your Highness.”
“Wait,” Suzaku cut them off, stepping between Lelouch and Euphemia. “I’m going too.”
Euphie shook her head. “No, Suzaku, it must be a private meeting between me and Zero. Those were the terms agreed.”
“Private…” Suzaku continued to glare angrily, while Lelouch couldn’t keep the self-satisfied grin off his face.
“Kururugi,” Lelouch said, turning back to him. “Do you honestly think I would do anything to harm Princess Euphemia?”
For a moment, Suzaku battled with himself. And then, he snarled, “I don’t know, what would you do, Zero? You’ve been surprising us a lot lately.”
“Suzaku,” Euphiemia sighed. “It will be all right. You know he won’t hurt me.”
He had to admit it. Lelouch—even under the mask of Zero—would never hurt Euphemia. Folding his arms like a pouting child, he stepped aside.
“Thank you,” Lelouch spoke, walking past him. “You’re such a good little obeyer—following every order of your Princess—”
“Zero!” Euphemia glared, and though Lelouch wanted to draw this small victory out longer, he had no choice to follow her.
The fate of Japan depended on this meeting, after all.
“You shouldn’t tease Suzaku, Lelouch; he’s had it rough enough already.”
“Oh, it was just a little moment of teasing between friends, nothing more,” he told her, as he removed the mask. “I haven’t seen him in a while, so it was a bit overdue. He’s been so busy helping you with this project after all…”
“Speaking of this project, I need to know,” Euphemia told him, facing him once more. “You said we would negotiate here. So tell me; are you going to cooperate with this?”
Lelouch didn’t even blink. “No.”
“No?”
“Just as I said, no. I have too much—as Zero, there is too much I am carrying. I cannot just abandon all that.”
“I’m not asking you to abandon Zero, Lelouch—you could still cooperate as Zero—”
“But that’s just it, Euphie!” he lashed out. “As Zero, I had a plan—I was going to free Japan. Free this entire place and make it a true nation again. Not give it a breadcrumb and hope the people would be satisfied! This isn’t freedom, this is a sham! An arrogant Britannian thinking that just a little bit would be enough to satisfy the people!”
“But Lelouch, if you cooperate, then in this place—here, we could all be together. We wouldn’t have to worry about—”
“If I free Japan, we wouldn’t have to worry about that, either! For the sake of Japan, for the sake of myself, for Nunnally’s sake, I must—!”
“Lelouch,” Euphemia cut him off. “Do you really think Nunnally would want this? To find out her brother was a murderer? All for her sake…”
That kept him quiet. “I…”
“Lelouch…I pulled some strings and was able to talk to Nunnally on the phone about a week ago. And do you know what she told me she wants? She doesn’t want anything—only what she already has. She wants to stay there, at Ashford, with you, her loving brother, looking after her. She doesn’t desire for anything more than she already has. And yet you would go—leave her for days and weeks at a time, stain your hands with unnecessary blood—all for the sake of something she doesn’t want?”
Lelouch continued to remain silent. Nunnally…Nunnally wants…
Coming closer, Euphie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Lelouch I…I don’t want you to do this either. You’re carrying a heavy burden as Zero. Is it so selfish of me to wish that burden gone so you could be happy again?”
And, in one last attempt, Euphie leaned forward to hug him. “Lelouch…please…”
He could not hug her back.
“Yes, Zero is still in there with the Princess,” Suzaku spoke over the communicator at his ear. “No, nothing seems wrong yet…if something does go wrong, she has a panic button to warn us…No, I don’t…I don’t think responding in brute force would—”
Suzaku paused as someone came walking towards him…someone he had never seen before. It looked to be a small boy, with long hair…and a smirk on his face that proclaimed him anything but innocent. The boy came to stop in front of him, staring intently.
“I’ll call back,” Suzaku said to the man at the other end, shutting off the device. “Can I help you?” he asked, eyes narrowing towards the boy.
“Yes,” he smirked. “I’m looking for Kururugi Suzaku.”
“And what do you want with me?” Something didn’t feel right, there was something wrong…
A wide smile grew on the boy’s face. “I’m going to need to borrow you for a little while.”
“What do you—” Suzaku was cut off as the boy reached out and touched him, and then everything around him seemed to spin. “Wha—”
“You’re not ideal for the job, but you’ll get me where I need to go. You’ll do, for now…” Suzaku heard that voice in his head…There was only one other person who had done that, and that was—
He could think no more, as all faded to black before him.
“Well, Lelouch?”
“Euphie…”
“Please, Lelouch—”
“Euphie, if I give all this up, if I cast aside Zero, then…then what about everything I’ve worked for!” he asked, pushing her away. “What about Japan? How then will it be liberated? This SAR thing of yours could last for a few years, but not forever! The Japanese people won’t be satisfied until their country is theirs again!”
“But you’re going to free Japan at the cost of losing yourself, Lelouch! I don’t want that. Suzaku doesn’t want that. Nunnally doesn’t want that! So why do you—!”
“Because I have no choice, Euphie! I am Zero, the Man of Miracles! I must give the Japanese people—!”
“But you don’t owe them anything, Lelouch! You’re making excuses!”
“I owe them a dream that I gave them! How can I sit back and abandon that?”
Euphie sighed, “Lelouch…there is still a way, you know. Zero could still give them that dream.”
“How?”
“If you cooperate with the SAR. If you encourage the Japanese people so it becomes a success—I was promised by Schniezel, that if the SAR is a success, then perhaps it can be expanded—expanded for the whole country. The reason that Japan is in such a bad state that is now is because of the rebellions and terrorism—if you help me, get the Japanese to cooperate, then they will get their chance to be free!”
“Still as a state under Britannia?”
“But they will be ruling themselves! Lelouch—its everything you want, isn’t it? A Japan free of Britannian influence, free for you and Nunnally to live in peace. Your Black Knights would be satisfied with that…especially since I offered them all full pardons.
Lelouch thought for a long moment, and said nothing.
“Please, Lelouch,” Euphie continued to beg. “Please, join us. Together, with you, me, and Suzaku, we could change this world for the better!”
“Euphie…even if all of Japan becomes a special administrative zone…we will all still be forced to bow our heads to Britannia…unless…there is only one way that Britannia could be virtually freed without a war.”
“And what is that?”
“The Knight of One.”
“The Knight of One?” Euphie stared. “But, the current Knight of One is…”
“I’m not talking about the current Knight of One…I’m talking about another knight…another knight that would be perfect for the job—one who would most certainly take Japan in, making sure that all other Britannian influence was kept out—”
“You mean Suzaku.”
“He hasn’t told you? It was his ambition to be Knight of One and ask for Japan as his territory. He put that ambition on hold after becoming your knight, but he still wishes for it.”
“I see…I guess…I know why Suzaku didn’t tell me…But, to become Knight of One—”
“All he needs is a Royal Recommendation to get into the Knights of Rounds. From there, he could rise through the ranks to eventually become the Knight of One. And, once that happens—”
“But…would he do it? Would he really try so hard to become the Knight of One?”
Lelouch chuckled to himself. “Really, Euphie, I thought you knew Suzaku better. Don’t you know he’s very ambitious? He just hides it well.”
“I know him well enough, Lelouch.”
“How well?”
“That’s none of your business,” Euphie smirked as Lelouch stared at her, almost too afraid to ask. “But, if you think he would go for it…then I will give my recommendation for him to be appointed to the Knight of Rounds.”
“You’ll do that?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?” she spoke, grabbing a pen and paper from the desk and writing quickly. “There, it’s done—they’ll have to be an official reading of course, but for now—”
“Still, that leaves a problem,” Lelouch told her, stepping forward. “If Suzaku—your knight, is off to serve in the Knight of Rounds, then who will you appoint afterward to be your protector? It would have to be someone you know you can trust, because if they find out about this—”
“I know that, and I already added it in,” she smiled, showing Lelouch the small memo.
I, Euphemia li Britannia, hereby give my formal recommendation for my knight, Kururugi Suzaku, to be appointed to the Knight of Rounds.
And, since I shall be without a knight at that time, I appoint Zero to by my new knight instead.
Lelouch stared at her. “Euphie…”
“Lelouch…I need you if this is going to work out,” she begged. “We can stay here, begin rebuilding Japan and cheering Suzaku on while he completes his task. And once he is triumphant…then we will have succeeded. Please, Lelouch, be my knight. Make the Black Knights cooperate with us. With all of us working together, then we could change Japan without a war! Please…”
“Euphie,” Lelouch sighed. “I am Zero, and I cannot give up being Zero…but maybe I can try your methods, for now.”
The princess’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Really?”
“You asked for my help, didn’t you?” Lelouch grinned, “And what older brother would I be if I didn’t reach out to help my sister when she needed it?”
“Lelouch!” she said, jumping forward to hug him.
He gave a small laugh, “Now, Euphie, is that any way to treat your knight? I’m sure Suzaku doesn’t mind, but you know, this is a formal appointment—”
“Of course,” she said, stepping back as they play-acted once more. “Do you, Zero, accept the position as my knight?”
Ah, they never needed this sort of formality, but Lelouch couldn’t help it. And he’d have to get used to it from now on. Kneeling down before her, he said, “Of course, my princess,” he grinned in memory; these sorts of plays on formality was what they used to do as children.
“Lelouch, you sound like Suzaku,” Euphie giggled as he stood back up. “You don’t have to go overboard—”
“Speaking of Suzaku, you never did tell me how well you know him—”
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know,” she chuckled.
“I do want to know!”
“I said it wasn’t any of your business, Lelouch—”
“You’re my sister, and he is my best friend, of course it’s my business!”
“Aha,” she couldn’t help but grin at his discomfort, “I’ll say one thing though, Suzaku is one of the most honorable men I know—It took a lot time before I convinced him it was okay to—”
“Okay to what?”
“Oh, nothing…”
Lelouch glared, “You had better just be teasing Euphie, or I’ll—” He turned away from her, and then froze. The door to the small room was open.
How long had that door been open? If someone had overheard—if Zero’s face was revealed, then all their plans would be—
Someone walked in…a small someone, the height of a child. Eupemia had noticed and was silent as well. When the person came into the light, they seemed to be no more than a child—a child with long blond hair, and purplish eyes…
But the child was wearing a sinister smirk, the kind that even made Lelouch’s skin crawl. There was definitely something not right about this.
Grabbing his gun and stepping in front of Euphie, Lelouch demanded, “Who are you?”
The boy kept silent, only continued to smile in that eerie way of his.
“As my position as knight to Euphemia li Britannia, I demand you name yourself!” Lelouch roared, the words sounding unfamiliar and foreign on his lips.
At that, the boy finally gave in. “If you insist…my name is V.V.”
Lelouch hesitated. “V.V…?” Had he heard that name before? Sometime in his childhood?
That momentarily pause was all V.V. needed. He rushed towards him, Lelouch firing once—and missing. And that was when the child’s hand made contact with his chest.
The room spun all around him, and Lelouch, trying to maintain control, fell to his knees.
“Lelouch!” that was Euphie…Euphie was kneeling down next to him—looking into his eyes.
Lelouch saw it all happen—he saw himself do it all, but he couldn’t control it all—
The geass in his left eye activated.
No! What is this—?
His mouth spoke the words, but he never ordered them—
Wait—I can’t—
“KILL ALL THE JAPANESE.”
The red ring around her eyes lit up—she fell back in horror.
No…Euphie!
And then it released him. Lelouch fell forward, panting heavily. What happened? What was that? That thing touched me and then I…Euphie!
He jerked up, seeing her lying motionless on the floor. “Euphie!” he grabbed on to her, praying she was all right. “Euphie! Are you okay? I—”
Slowly, she looked back upwards. Her expression was blank—around her eyes was that telltale red ring, and she spoke in an emotionless voice, “Yes…I must…Kill all the Japanese…”
No…No…What have I…?
“Euphie! Euphie stop it! Ignore that order! Don’t—!”
Suddenly, a gun was pointed right at him, Lelouch could hardly breathe—Euphie had picked up the gun he had dropped before. No—this was no longer Euphie—she would never hold a gun, much less…
“I’m sorry, but I have to go kill all the Japanese, Lelouch. You asked me to.”
No I…I didn’t…Euphie!
She stood up, brushing her skirt off, before heading towards the door. There was only one thought in Lelouch’s mind—Stop Euphie, NOW.
“Euphie! Don’t—!” He grabbed for her, pulling her back. He may have to hurt her, maybe even have to overpower her, but as long as he could keep her from going out there until he got a hold of C.C. to find out what was going on—
Lelouch froze when he heard a gunshot ring out. Something flew past his face, catching and ripping out a few free strands of his hair. Euphie stared back at him, gun pointed right at his face. For that one moment, he couldn’t move. Euphie…
“I have to go kill all the Japanese.” She repeated, easing out of his grip and then turning sharply away. It took a few moment for Lelouch to recover, and when he did, he ran for her again.“Euph—”
The spinning came back, and he fell to the floor once more. Euphie…? Looking up, Lelouch could see the child, V.V., standing over him.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t let you or that other one get in our way,” V.V. smirked, as everything faded again.
Euphie…I… Were Lelouch’s last thoughts as he fell into unconsciousness.
Suzaku came to in the hallway, jumping at once to his feet, remembering that small child, and then…
What? I…
Green eyes grew wide as he saw the scene around him. Dead men…everywhere. And all these men…it looked as if they had shot themselves. These people… His stomach gave a jolt as he remembered that time, in Shinjuku ghetto…when he had ordered—
No, it couldn’t be that! He didn’t use his Geass to—
Wait…where was he anyway? Turning down the hall, he saw the room where Zero—Lelouch, and Euphie had been talking…but the door was slightly open. Was the meeting over already?
He was just about to go and check inside, when he heard the sound of gunfire. What? No—
Suzaku took off at once. What had happened? Had the meeting failed and the Black Knights—
No, it couldn’t be…Did Lelouch really betray them anyway?
He took off in a run, heading towards the light at the other end of the hall. Euphie…get to Euphie… Yes, if he got to Euphie, everything would be all right…He would make it all right—
But when Euphie’s knight stepped out into the sunshine, he was met with a sight he would have never expected.
There was gunfire. There was blood—bodies everywhere. But the ones that were attacking weren’t the Black Knights—they were Britannians.
“What…What the Hell is this!” Suzaku roared, switching on the communicator. “What’s going on, where is Euphie—”
But no one answered. Why weren’t they answering? What was—
And then he spotted her—a flash of pink hair near the end of the stage. “Euphie!” he ran towards her, no other thought in his mind but getting her to safety. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back, “Euphie, what happened? Why is Britannia—”
It was then that he noticed the gun in her hands, the bloodstains on her skirt. And that look in her eyes…that emotionless stare. “Suzaku, let me go. I have to kill all the Japanese.”
He froze. “What…Euphie…you…” Then he noticed it—red rings around her eyes—Geass! But geass…this geass…Putting a geass like this on Euphie, that was downright evil! Who did it? Who would dare put a geass like this on Euphemia!
“Let me go. I have to finish—”
He grabbed her by both shoulders, “No, no you’re not going to finish this! I’ll save you, Euphie!” The geass in his left eye lit up.
Think…I can’t alter her personality…I have to make it so she’ll stop without being different…
He was rambling, sure, but he had to say it; something, anything to make her stop!
“Euphie…Euphie could never do something like this. She could never order this—she could never live in a world that was this cruel—she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed something like this to happen! Euphie can’t stand aside and allow people to die! She couldn’t watch as people were—”
He continued on, but her expression never changed, neither did the red ring around her eyes.
No…no…Why wasn’t it working? No matter what he said, why did she still—?
And then Suzaku’s breath hitched, remembering what C.C. had told him before, “One geass cannot cancel out another.”
No…no…it couldn’t be! It couldn’t be that—
“Let me go, Suzaku. I need to finish killing all the Japanese.”
No! Tears filled his eyes, “Euphie, you can’t—”
There was a shot, and then Suzaku fell to his knees, screaming in pain. Blood soaked through his white pants, splattering onto the stage—she had shot him in the leg.
“Euphie…” he gasped, looking back up at her, the princess he served, the woman he loved—as she marched away, continuing her deadly crusade.
“There he is!” Lelouch heard, as he slowly came to. He felt himself being forcefully, painfully, lifted up and held.
“Zero!” There was a gun muzzle pushed to his temple. “What the Hell did you do to Princess Euphemia?”
Euphie…Oh, he remembered. Her words, that blank stare, the shot at him…all because of him, because of his geass…
“Answer us!” Lelouch looked up, through his long bangs. There were only about three of them. No big deal, but…
Euphie…
Eyes set on all of them, Lelouch released the geass, voice wavering, “Lelouch vi Britannia orders you to die.”
A moment of silence, and then shots were fired. A second later Lelouch was free—free to grab his mask from where he had left it on the table. There was a droplet of blood that had fallen on Euphie’s memo—the one that proclaimed Suzaku a Knight of Rounds and Zero as her knight.
Hmph, a foolish thought, looking back at it now.
That was almost a fairytale of an idea—life was never that simple, as it had been proven…
Walking outside, Lelouch was met with what he expected—a disaster. Using the communicator in his helmet, he spoke to the Black Knights, trying to sound unphased, “This SAR was merely a trick to lure us out—the Britannians betrayed us. They incapacitated me and tried to arrest me while they carried out this little plan. Now, we need to salvage what we can. Fight the Britannians, and save the Japanese! That is an order!”
Now that that was that—he needed to find Euphemia.
Find her, and… He picked up a gun from a fallen guard. Put her out of her misery.
“No, let me—”
“Not now, we can’t let you go!” Cecile said, as Suzaku struggled to get off the stretcher. “We need to attend to your leg, before—”
“That doesn’t matter!” He yelled, getting up despite the pain. “Euphemia—I have to find Euphie!”
“Suzaku-kun, please, stay still or you will—”
“Get out of my way!” roared Suzaku, forcefully pushing her aside. He stood up, eyes glaring, daring someone else to try to stop him.
No one dared.
He limped over towards the Lancelot—once inside the knightmare, he could put his leg at rest—but he had to do this. He had to find Euphemia. Before everything was lost—!
“Lelouch…?” Euphie asked, as Zero met her on the battlefield, gun pointed at her.
“Yes, I’m sorry, Euphie…” Lelouch bit his lip. “I didn’t mean…no, it was my fault. I should have been more careful…I should have never asked for the geass, when I didn’t…”
“I don’t understand…I have to kill—”
“Stop that!” Lelouch roared, tears spilling over his eyes. “Just stop that! Don’t say that! Not now, when I—!”
For a brief moment, that expressionless look morphed into something else—a concerned look, perhaps? No, it couldn’t be…a geass command was absolute. “Lelouch…”
But, maybe it was nice to hope. “Euphie…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I just…I never wanted this. I wanted what we planned—our own little Japan, with me as your knight…to protect you as your
brother…Yes…that’s what should have happened. I can’t tell you how much I wish…but…”
She said nothing, only continued to look at him like that—as if she pitied him. But why would she pity him?
Even if Euphie was still there, Euphie would still hate him now.
“I won’t ask you to forgive me, I don’t deserve it, but…I wish that…oh damnit, it doesn’t matter now…just…I’m sorry…”
“Lelouch…I…” The geass was still there, but she dropped the gun in her arms, though it was already too late.
The Lancelot flew overhead—a new float system had been added, and Suzaku couldn’t wait to show Euphie—once this was all over, and they would laugh about it later, he would show her, he would take her for a ride—“Euphie!”
Suzaku’s head turned sharply as he heard that gunshot. And then, he couldn’t breathe anymore.
Zero, no Lelouch—he had…he was the one—
“EUPHIEEEEEE!” Suzaku screamed, swooping down , all guns on the Lancelot firing. But Lelouch wasn’t worried—Suzaku was too emotionally distraught to hit anything. And after grabbing Euphie, the knightmare whisked away—no doubt to try and save her.
But there was no saving her…Lelouch knew that. Euphie was already gone…
And it was because of him.
“Euphie!”
“Calm down, Kururugi, we’re—!”
“Please, let me go! Let me go see Euphie!”
“You can’t, we need to operate on her, as quickly as possible—!”
“Just let me—!”
“No, we can’t! We have orders from to keep everyone out!”
“But Euphie is my—!”
“Suzaku-kun!” Cecile called, as she ran towards him—unable to keep the pity from her eyes. Suzaku was there, covered in blood and tears—blood still seeping from his leg—while he begged and pleaded to see his princess one more time.
“They won’t let me in, they won’t let me see Euphie!” his voice choked on the words, as he was unable to hold the tears in—like a lost, scared child.
Cecile sighed, turning back to Lloyd. He too, looked concerned. “Suzaku,” she told him softly. “You brought Her Highness back, that’s one thing. Now all you can do is wait until they finish with her. Now come on—we have to tend to your leg before it gets worse.”
“But—”
“Come on, Suzaku-kun,” Lloyd said, trying to lighten the mood. “Either you come voluntarily, or I drug you this time. And I don’t think the latter will be very pleasant.”
Suzaku clenched his fists, and then, plopped down in a chair outside the room. “I’m staying here.”
“But, Suzaku—”
“I said I’m staying here! I’ll wait for Euphie to be allright—and then I’ll worry about myself!”
“Suzaku, if we don’t check your leg out, then you might—”
“That doesn’t matter! All that matters is that Euphie is safe! She’s all that I—” He could say no more, if he wanted to keep himself from falling into tears.
Please, let Euphie be all right…Let her be all right—!
It was only minutes later that the doctor walked out of the room. “Eu—Euphie—?”
The doctor said nothing, only turned aside. Tears filled Suzaku’s eyes as he couldn’t accept that.
“Euphie…what happened to Euphie? Is she okay? Is she—!”
“She is…gone.”
Suzaku couldn’t move. He couldn’t say anything, just…Everything he had ever wanted had been destroyed in one instant.
“No…it can’t…it can’t be…She can’t be—!”
The doctor turned away, “I have to go report to His Majesty, if you will excuse me—”
“No, please—!” Suzaku screamed, completely losing it. “Let me see her! Let me see Euphie—!”
He stood up on his injuried leg, trying to run for the operating room door, but he never got to it. Acting quick, Lloyd pulled out a needle and stuck it in the knight before he got too far. A second later, Suzaku fell unconscious, sedated.
“Lloyd, you didn’t have to do that,” Cecile told him. “Suzaku he’s…”
“I know,” Lloyd sighed, “But…he could injure his leg more if we don’t operate on it now. If we don’t remove that bullet soon, he may never walk again, and I don’t think Her Highness would have wanted that.”
Slowly, Cecile nodded, as they called for a stretcher to carry Suzaku off to surgery. Though they both wanted to leave him awake to mourn—there were other things he would have to attend to soon.
The Black Knights had just declared war on Britannia.
“So, you didn’t cast that geass of your own will.”
“No, I…I was going to give up…I was going to go along with her plan. Everything was going to be all right…but it was that thing—that V.V.”
“V.V.?” C.C. gasped. But I thought…I thought he was going to use Suzaku?
“You know him?” Lelouch’s voice was cold, hard—if there was any chance that C.C. was involved in this, then—
C.C. sighed, “Not personally. But he is a geass giver, like me…a very powerful one, who can manipulate other’s geasses to his will. That’s probably what he did to you.”
“But why? Why me? Why, of all people, Euphie? What did she ever do to anyone?”
“I don’t know, but…” C.C. stopped, looking over at Lelouch. He was sitting there, knees folded up to his chest—and he was crying. Much little a little boy she once knew.
She came over to him, and, without another thought, hugged him to her chest—remembering how she used to do that long ago.
“C.C…I—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she told him. “No matter what happens…I will always be here. We are accomplices.”
“Yes…” And that was all he had left in the world.
“You will have to stand up and walk forward soon,” she told him in a soon, motherly voice.
“I know.” The Black Knights were ready. By using the massacre—the conditions were set. For the Black Rebellion, it was now or never. “I know, but…for now…I just…”
C.C. said nothing, but held him close, letting him mourn. She couldn’t help but pity him. Though he was Zero, the heartless man who rebelled against Britannia, right now…he was just a boy. Just a sad little boy who had just lost his beloved sister. Yes, don’t worry…I will always be here. I promised you that, long ago…
Euphie…Lelouch promised. I’m sorry things didn’t work out, and though it won’t be done in the way you want…I will give you that free Japan that you desired.
Suzaku stared at the ceiling of his hospital room, the world still not feeling quite real.
Euphie was gone. War was beginning. Euphie had declared him a Knight of Rounds, and Zero as her knight in his place. But Zero had fled. And there was that massacre. And Euphie—Euphie—!
He shut his eyes quickly—no, he had already cried enough! He couldn’t afford to now—!
Geass. Someone had cast a geass on her. But who? And why? Why would they—!
Suzaku gulped as the thought came to him. Yes, he knew one person a geass like that would benefit. There was only one person who had that opportunity…only one who had a connection to a geass giver.
But…no…he didn’t want to believe it…Lelouch would never use and kill his own sister! And that order…why did she make him a Knight of Rounds…Exactly! Why bother making her make Lelouch her knight if he was just going to turn around and—Lelouch would never—!
‘Lelouch’ maybe, but not ‘Zero’. It was Zero that needed an excuse for a war…It was Zero that shot her—!
But…that proclamation…that order…
Does it matter? Does Zero ever do things logically?
The raw rage built inside him. Yes, there was only one person it could have been! There was no other who could have done it!
So all this time…’Lelouch’ was just a lie…the real person his ‘friend’ was…Yes, the real ‘Lelouch Lamperouge’ was none other than that heartless bastard, Zero!
Suzaku sat up with a jolt, angry tears filling his eyes. Lelouch! His fingers clenched, wanting nothing more than to wring that bastard’s neck! Death…only Zero’s death could bring that satisfaction!
He tried to get out of bed, but pain shot up his leg. Damn it! Damn him! He did this to Euphie—he was the one who did this to him! Like this, he wouldn’t be able to go after him until he recovered—Damn him to Hell!
Practically snarling in rage, Suzaku swiped that pin—that symbol of his knighthood off the side table.
Clenching it in his fists, he vowed, Fine, Lelouch, since you have shown me your true colors—then this is war!
Chapter 8 here.
I know the 'Zero is my knight!' thing seems a bit weird, but it is sorta important in the R2 arc (in fact, the whole Euphinator plot is important in the R2 arc, so pay attention) but also, I saw a fanart once of Zero bowing before Euphie, and the image stuck.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: LelouchxC.C., SuzaEuphie, (implied) Suzalulu
summary: So, what would have happened if Suzaku had received the Geass in Stage 1 instead of Lelouch? We'd have one messed up story on our hands.
Chapter 1 here.
Euphie tops. You know this to be true.
Ragezaku is my favorite Zaku.
“So, after all this time, Suzaku really did just want to die after all.”
“You’re surprised?”
“A little,” Lelouch sighed, sitting down on his bed. “I thought there was something strange about him ever since I saw him again after all these years…I knew he was different, but I never expected that—”
“He killed his own father?”
Lelouch glanced back at C.C. “I don’t understand. Why? Why would Suzaku do such a—No, it’s not just that…everything is different than it used to be. He was always such a proud kid; he never took anything from anyone. When we first met, we argued a lot—he didn’t like if people disagreed with him…in his mind, he was always right, and hardly ever admitted he was wrong. The Kururugi Suzaku I knew back then would have never bowed his head towards Britannia like he’s doing now.”
“Well, some things have changed, but one thing hasn’t.” Lelouch stared at her. “His geass. You did say he wished people would think like him when you were young, right?”
“Heh, that’s true. I guess that was the only geass that would have suited him after all.”
“So, why did you do it?” C.C. asked, casting him a sideways glance. “Why did you cast that geass on him?”
Lelouch was silent for a moment. “I’m…I’m not too sure myself. But…when I realized everything…realized that he wanted to die…I grew angry. Wanting to die for his sins? That’s just selfish! But looking at him as he woke up, and realizing all he wanted to die just made me—”
“Worried? Upset?”
“I don’t know, but…in that moment, I knew I didn’t want him to die. I couldn’t have him die. So, even if it meant using my geass on him…at least now he’ll try to live.”
C.C. sighed, “Well, you should be more careful about using your geass. It is a powerful weapon, you know. You need to be careful.”
“I know that, and I’ve been careful. But this…this was necessary.”
“I doubt Suzaku would see it that way. In his mind, you would have just taken away his free will in order to keep him around you a little longer.”
“That’s not why I—”
“Still, but that’s how it will appear to him. Are you planning on telling him?”
“About my geass? No. If he finds out I have it too, then he’ll suspect me of plotting behind his back. I can’t have that happen.”
“It will happen eventually, you know,” She hugged some new weird, yellow stuffed animal she had gotten from somewhere to her chest. “If you intend to stay Zero, then the fact that you’re not giving it up will tip him off sooner or later. And then what will you do? You know he plans on fighting Black Knights instead of ignoring them—”
“I know that!” Lelouch yelled, glaring back at her. “I know it’s inevitable. But…if I can hold out…put it off just a little bit longer…”
The witch sighed. “I know you don’t want to fight Suzaku, but as long as you are Zero and he is a knight of Britannia, it will happen. You chose this path when you chose to don the mask of Zero. You have a responsibility to Japan, to see this through, as he has a responsibility to the side he chose. You can’t have both; Zero and your friend. There’s only one outcome of this, and it is—”
“But, damnit, why!” Lelouch roared, slamming his fist against the wall. “Why does that—idiot—have to chose this way! He knew what I was planning on doing all along! If he cared about Japan at all—if he wasn’t so wrapped around his precious Princess Euphemia—”
“Lelouch,” C.C. cut him off. “You’re upset, and you’re rambling. This isn’t like you at all. If you plan on being Zero and changing Japan, then you can’t just sit here and mourn over a lost cause. Either stand up, and fight for what you believe in, or sit here and mope. Still, it won’t change anything. You’re too far into this to back out now.”
“What—What do you know, Witch!” Lelouch roared back at her as she stood up to leave. “What do you know about being in over your head?”
C.C. stopped for a moment, remembering…remembering old plans…old faces…old regret. “I know plenty,” was all she said, before leaving his room, and leaving him alone.
Lelouch was Zero; and if he still wished to be Zero, he would always be alone.
“Alright, Lelouch, what is this about?” Kallen asked, as soon as she was in Zero’s headquarters and the door was shut.
“Just give me a minute, and I’ll tell you,” he smirked, removing Zero’s mask and facing her. “Was the mission successful?”
“Enough of the small talk, Lelouch. Just tell me now. You promised you would. Why did you call me in here, and why did you decide to tell me of your identity? You said it was ‘necessary’?” They spoke in English, since all the Black Knights spoke fluent Japanese.
“Of course,” he answered, the smirk fading—now he looked deadly serious. “I needed someone here who knows of my true identity for the coming days—someone like you.”
“And why is that?”
“For the Black Rebellion.”
Kallen stared. “The…Black Rebellion?”
“Ah, you think that’s a bad name, then? I thought ‘Attack on the Tokyo Settlement’ was a bit long and lacking—”
“A—Attack on Tokyo?” Kallen stammered. “But Ze—Lelouch, that’s just—”
“Just what?”
“Isn’t it a bit…early to think of that?”
“I’d say it was a bit late, myself,” Lelouch smirked back. “But as for early, not at all. We have enough manpower and the knightmares to do it. The Britannians outnumber us, but with careful planning it will be an easy victory.”
“I see. And may I ask when this plan will be put into place?”
“When the Britannians give us an opening. In the meantime, I’m setting everything up in advance so it will be impossible for us to fail.”
“Alright then. But what does this have to do with me?”
Lelouch went quiet for a moment. “The attack on Tokyo will be swift—so they will have no time for evacuations. There will be many deaths—”
Kallen wore a mask, like always. “But it is necessary for the liberation of Japan, so—”
“Would you say that even if your classmates were sacrificed?”
She tensed, saying nothing.
“I have a plan, Kallen. It would be a way to spare the school.”
“Really?”
“Yes. During the attack, the Black Knights will need a base of operations. If we were to take the school as our base, and only keep the students as hostages, we can make sure none of them will be harmed.”
Kallen glanced away. Even in front of him, she always had to pretend. She would have liked not to care about any Britannians, but…”Yes, maybe that would be best. Though they are Britannian, they aren’t our enemy—”
“Are all Britannians considered ‘enemies’ to you, Kallen? What about your Britannian half? What about me?”
“That has nothing to do with it!” Kallen snapped back. “Britannians that are loyal and support Britannia are my enemy! As for the students…they were too young when Japan was taken…they are not at fault.”
Lelouch couldn’t help it—he smiled back at her. “That’s a very mature view, Kallen—most terrorists would just declare all Britannians their enemy, regardless.”
“Oh, and what about you then, Lelouch?” she countered. “You are Britannian yourself, yet you fight for Japan. Tell me, who is your enemy?”
For a moment, Lelouch smirked, and he didn’t lie to her. “Anyone who punishes the weak—they are my enemy.”
“Oh, so you say you fight for Justice? And here I thought it was revenge…”
“Revenge…a wrong to right a wrong done in the past…that is justice in itself. Justice and revenge are the same thing…So someone who says the fight for justice…they are no better than one who fights to get even. Isn’t it funny, Kallen? Good and Evil…such a thin line between them…”
It was late. So late that even Lelouch had already gone to sleep (and that boy never slept), and yet C.C. was wide awake.
She could feel it; it was so close now…no, he was close, just biding his time.
She sat on the loveseat in the living room, her large stuffed animal (Apparently it was called ‘Cheese-kun’) in her arms, as she looked up at the full moon on the rise.
Everything was being prepared now.
She didn’t think it would happen like this—she knew of the plan, but she had called it off, given up…and still, they were going through with it?
She knew very well the conditions of the plan. Go to Japan. Watch over Lelouch. And when he is ready, give him the geass. The rest was up to them.
But…
“You people lied to me, didn’t you?” C.C. glared at the faceless entity. “You told me Lelouch wasn’t to be harmed!”
‘Marianne the Flash’—Though she was a royal consort, she still continued her knightly duties to the Empire. She had children as was expected of her, but she always wished for battle—‘much more interesting than children’, she had always said.
Something had changed, C.C. knew it. Ever since Marianne had met the Emperor, came into his inner circle…she knew something had changed. Marianne was not the same Marianne she had known before.
And yet…C.C. still wished to stand by her. But she couldn’t always be with her. Though C.C. was a decent knightmare pilot, she was nowhere near Marianne’s skill. When Marianne the Flash left for battle, C.C. stayed at the villa. With her children.
“Miss C.C! Come look! Nunnally and I found a baby bird!” Ah, how she remembered those days…those long, happy summer days while they all awaited Marianne’s return…
When the plan was formed, Lelouch was not to be harmed. That was her term of the contract. She would give Lelouch the geass, if he was the only one they could use, but never was he to be harmed.
But after that—After Marianne was killed, C.C. realized it. The extend V.V. and the Emperor were willing to go for the sake of the plan. And now that physically, Marianne was gone—there was nothing standing in their way if they wished to get their hands on Lelouch and use him as they would.
That was why…at that moment in the Shinjuku ghetto, C.C. had given away the geass so freely. A geass needed to be given to someone, and soon—and so it was Suzaku she had chose. But maybe that was bad luck on her part, she had chosen to give the geass to that boy in hopes that it would get geass and the Emperor’s plot as far away from Lelouch as possible, but, unfortunately…
She sighed. And now, Lelouch had the geass. The plan was for her to offer it to him in hopes he would take it. Instead, he begged and pleaded for it, even after being rejected several times. She didn’t want to give it to him, she never did but…it was of his own will that he asked. No one else’s.
She was a fool—she had never heard all of what the plan entailed. She knew the final objective—but how they planned to use Lelouch and why—she had always thought it was irrelevant. But now…
Using V.V., especially if he was allowed to use his full power, was dangerous. And with Suzaku and Lelouch’s geasses—
It was hopeless. But all was not lost. She had given them Suzaku. His geass should be sufficient. They had promised her Lelouch wouldn’t be harmed, so it was very likely he would be used instead.
But for what? Now she didn’t care. As long as Lelouch wasn’t harmed—that was the important thing.
“What?” Suzaku gasped, hardly daring to believe it.
“It’s true,” Euphie told him with a smile. “It was approved by Schniezel this morning—it’s really going to happen!”
“But…how…why?” he continued to say, sitting down slowly on Euphie’s bed as they talked in her private chamber. “Japan…Japan is…”
“A protectorate under the Empire,” Euphie told him, sitting down next to him. “But in that place, that special region—the Japanese will be allowed to govern themselves. It will have only minimal Britannian control.”
Japan…a free Japan…?
“But for that to happen, how…why did you…?”
Euphie smiled back, “It was for Lelouch.”
“Lelouch?”
Euphie gave a small giggle, “Jealous?”
Not that! “You met with Lelouch?”
She nodded, “Just the other day, actually…I went to see him.”
“I told you he was all right. Nunally, too—”
“Yes, they’re fine, but…Lelouch, he seemed…burdened.”
“Burdened?”
“It’s okay, Suzaku,” she assured him. “I know about that. He told me. I know why he’s burdened but…I don’t like seeing him like that.”
Suzaku couldn’t agree with her. “Well…it was because of a choice he made—”
“Maybe but now…he seems like he’s in too deep with it. He can’t get out even if he wanted to. He has to see it through, to the end.”
“No he doesn’t,” Suzaku cut in. “If he really wanted to, he could stop at any time. It is because he chooses not to stop that he—”
“Either way, I wanted to see. I wanted to see if there was any way I could lift his burden. Make it so that all of us could live somewhere in peace.”
“So you created this…thing.”
She nodded, and then glanced away. “Onee-sama’s not happy though…she thinks I did something wrong—”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” assured Suzaku, turning her back to him. “It’s…it’s a wonderful idea, Euphie. And the Japanese…when they find out, they will love you for it. You’ll have given them back some of their freedom and stopped all the violence in Area 11. You will be the most loved governor-general they’ve ever had.”
“That’s a funny thing to say,” Euphie smiles softly to herself. “After I’ve always been ignored because I was too young to do anything.”
“But Euphie…what you’ve done…this is greater than any of that! You’ll have brought peace to Area 11 at last!”
“It won’t be peaceful right away,” she told him, turning away. “There will be lots of people who will oppose this decision at first—I can’t bring peace in one day.”
“Then I will help you,” Suzaku promised her, taking her hand gently. “I’ll stay by your side and make sure this is a success. As your knight, I promise you that.” And then he placed the kiss of loyalty upon her hand.
“As my knight?”
“And also as myself,” he said, getting up to kneel before her. “As Kururugi Suzaku, I will help you in any way I can. I will follow you in whatever you do. I promise you that, Euphie.”
“Hmm, I wonder?” she smiled, kneeling down to meet him. “Can you keep that promise?”
“Of course I will keep it! I’ll give you my word! With my life, I—”
“I don’t like that,” she sighed, looking away, leaving a confused Suzaku staring at her. “It makes it sound like you’re any old knight—and I am just your princess…”
Oh…
“Well…how would you like me to say it?”
Euphie just smiled to herself, and then mused, “You know Suzaku, when this is complete, in about a month or so, it wouldn’t have to be like this.”
“Hmmm?”
“We wouldn’t need the excuse that I am a princess and you are my knight once it’s finished. In that place, Britannains and Japanese…Honorary Britannians too…everyone would be equal. We could…you know…I mean…if that’s…”
A blush sprouted on Suzaku’s face.
Oh.
“Well…” he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I mean…I guess…if it’s like you say, Euphie, then, I suppose we’d just have to wait.”
Euphie nodded, and then, after a minute, she turned back to Suzaku. “You know Suzaku,” she smirked back. “We don’t have to wait.”
“Euph—”
He couldn’t finish, because she shut him up so quickly. And really…maybe he didn’t care.
“Euphie?” Suzaku asked, sometime much later.
“Hmm?” she asked, snuggling next to him. “What is it?”
“What’s this plan of yours called anyway? You never said…”
“Oh, that? It’s going to be called the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.”
“The what?” Lelouch stared, as he stared at the morning news on his computer screen. “What the Hell is this!”
“Hmm?” C.C. came to lean over him, her long hair completely blocking his view of the screen, to his annoyance. “Well, it looks like your sister did figure out something after all.”
“This isn’t the…something I expected!”
“Well, she did say—”
“I didn’t expect her to find something that would work!” Lelouch stammered, flicking through the article. “Special Administrative Zone…what a joke!”
“You don’t think it—!”
“Of course it won’t work! There’s no way it could even last six months! With Britannia as they are, they would never allow this for long…Euphie’s just setting it up for failure!”
“She did do it for you, you know,” C.C. piped up. “You should be grateful that she was thinking of you while she’s got her arms wrapped around Suzaku—”
“Don’t bring that up!” Lelouch snapped, glaring back at her. “She wasn’t thinking of me, only her precious little Suzaku—”
“My, someone here is jealous—”
“I am not jealous!”
“Then what are—”
“I’m mad because he’s the one going after my sister! Without even asking me he—”
C.C. sighed. “If you say so.”
Lelouch clenched his teeth. “It’s the truth.”
“Anyway, what are you going to do? If this succeeds, then the Black Knights and your rebellion are finished.”
“I know that,” he said, calming down. “There’s really only one way out of this…”
C.C. noticed the way he clenched his fist. “I see. For Zero, there is one option. But for Lelouch…there is another. So, what will you do? Who will you choose? Zero? Or ‘Lelouch’?”
For a long moment, Lelouch stared at her, as if hoping she would have some wisdom or comforting words. But there was none. This was his decision and his alone. To preserve what he had as Lelouch now…or to move forward as the destructive Zero, towards an uncertain future. Which did he treasure more? The present he currently had, or was he willing to cast even that aside for the sake of his goal?
And then there was Suzaku…and Euphie…and Nunnally…Everyone…
Finally, he sighed, knowing what he had to do. “You said it yourself, didn’t you, Witch? I’m already in this too deep. I cannot give up now.”
“Zero!”
“It’s Zero!”
“Zero has appeared!”
The whole stadium was in shock as Zero, the Man of Miracles, the Hero of the Japanese, suddenly appeared before them, being lowered from the air as if a god.
In actuality, it was just a simple mechanism from a helicopter that could be easily spotted, but, well, appearances were everything.
The second he set foot upon the stage before the million Elevens, Britannian forces were all around him. “Zero! How dare you show your face here!”
Lelouch only raised a hand in defense, “Calm yourselves. I’m only coming at the invitation of Her Highness Euphemia li Britannia.”
Right on cue, Euphie—and Suzaku, Lelouch grudgingly noticed—burst through the crowd. “Yes, that is true; I invited Zero to come and negotiate.”
“Euphie—!” Ah, so it appeared Euphiemia forgot to tell Suzaku about that. Lelouch couldn’t help but smirk underneath his helmet.
“This is true, Your Highness?” the captain of the guards asked.
“It is. He is here by my invitation, so please, lower your weapons.”
The guards looked at one another and shrugged slowly lowering their weapons. However, Suzaku still kept his hand ready, just in case—his eyes glaring angrily, telling Lelouch to go away and leave him be.
Ah, but Suzaku, I can’t do that. Your princess invited me, did she not?
Euphemia—seeming not to notice the anger on her knight’s face—turned back to Zero, smiling. “Now then, shall we go negotiate, Zero?”
“Of course. Lead the way, Your Highness.”
“Wait,” Suzaku cut them off, stepping between Lelouch and Euphemia. “I’m going too.”
Euphie shook her head. “No, Suzaku, it must be a private meeting between me and Zero. Those were the terms agreed.”
“Private…” Suzaku continued to glare angrily, while Lelouch couldn’t keep the self-satisfied grin off his face.
“Kururugi,” Lelouch said, turning back to him. “Do you honestly think I would do anything to harm Princess Euphemia?”
For a moment, Suzaku battled with himself. And then, he snarled, “I don’t know, what would you do, Zero? You’ve been surprising us a lot lately.”
“Suzaku,” Euphiemia sighed. “It will be all right. You know he won’t hurt me.”
He had to admit it. Lelouch—even under the mask of Zero—would never hurt Euphemia. Folding his arms like a pouting child, he stepped aside.
“Thank you,” Lelouch spoke, walking past him. “You’re such a good little obeyer—following every order of your Princess—”
“Zero!” Euphemia glared, and though Lelouch wanted to draw this small victory out longer, he had no choice to follow her.
The fate of Japan depended on this meeting, after all.
“You shouldn’t tease Suzaku, Lelouch; he’s had it rough enough already.”
“Oh, it was just a little moment of teasing between friends, nothing more,” he told her, as he removed the mask. “I haven’t seen him in a while, so it was a bit overdue. He’s been so busy helping you with this project after all…”
“Speaking of this project, I need to know,” Euphemia told him, facing him once more. “You said we would negotiate here. So tell me; are you going to cooperate with this?”
Lelouch didn’t even blink. “No.”
“No?”
“Just as I said, no. I have too much—as Zero, there is too much I am carrying. I cannot just abandon all that.”
“I’m not asking you to abandon Zero, Lelouch—you could still cooperate as Zero—”
“But that’s just it, Euphie!” he lashed out. “As Zero, I had a plan—I was going to free Japan. Free this entire place and make it a true nation again. Not give it a breadcrumb and hope the people would be satisfied! This isn’t freedom, this is a sham! An arrogant Britannian thinking that just a little bit would be enough to satisfy the people!”
“But Lelouch, if you cooperate, then in this place—here, we could all be together. We wouldn’t have to worry about—”
“If I free Japan, we wouldn’t have to worry about that, either! For the sake of Japan, for the sake of myself, for Nunnally’s sake, I must—!”
“Lelouch,” Euphemia cut him off. “Do you really think Nunnally would want this? To find out her brother was a murderer? All for her sake…”
That kept him quiet. “I…”
“Lelouch…I pulled some strings and was able to talk to Nunnally on the phone about a week ago. And do you know what she told me she wants? She doesn’t want anything—only what she already has. She wants to stay there, at Ashford, with you, her loving brother, looking after her. She doesn’t desire for anything more than she already has. And yet you would go—leave her for days and weeks at a time, stain your hands with unnecessary blood—all for the sake of something she doesn’t want?”
Lelouch continued to remain silent. Nunnally…Nunnally wants…
Coming closer, Euphie placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Lelouch I…I don’t want you to do this either. You’re carrying a heavy burden as Zero. Is it so selfish of me to wish that burden gone so you could be happy again?”
And, in one last attempt, Euphie leaned forward to hug him. “Lelouch…please…”
He could not hug her back.
“Yes, Zero is still in there with the Princess,” Suzaku spoke over the communicator at his ear. “No, nothing seems wrong yet…if something does go wrong, she has a panic button to warn us…No, I don’t…I don’t think responding in brute force would—”
Suzaku paused as someone came walking towards him…someone he had never seen before. It looked to be a small boy, with long hair…and a smirk on his face that proclaimed him anything but innocent. The boy came to stop in front of him, staring intently.
“I’ll call back,” Suzaku said to the man at the other end, shutting off the device. “Can I help you?” he asked, eyes narrowing towards the boy.
“Yes,” he smirked. “I’m looking for Kururugi Suzaku.”
“And what do you want with me?” Something didn’t feel right, there was something wrong…
A wide smile grew on the boy’s face. “I’m going to need to borrow you for a little while.”
“What do you—” Suzaku was cut off as the boy reached out and touched him, and then everything around him seemed to spin. “Wha—”
“You’re not ideal for the job, but you’ll get me where I need to go. You’ll do, for now…” Suzaku heard that voice in his head…There was only one other person who had done that, and that was—
He could think no more, as all faded to black before him.
“Well, Lelouch?”
“Euphie…”
“Please, Lelouch—”
“Euphie, if I give all this up, if I cast aside Zero, then…then what about everything I’ve worked for!” he asked, pushing her away. “What about Japan? How then will it be liberated? This SAR thing of yours could last for a few years, but not forever! The Japanese people won’t be satisfied until their country is theirs again!”
“But you’re going to free Japan at the cost of losing yourself, Lelouch! I don’t want that. Suzaku doesn’t want that. Nunnally doesn’t want that! So why do you—!”
“Because I have no choice, Euphie! I am Zero, the Man of Miracles! I must give the Japanese people—!”
“But you don’t owe them anything, Lelouch! You’re making excuses!”
“I owe them a dream that I gave them! How can I sit back and abandon that?”
Euphie sighed, “Lelouch…there is still a way, you know. Zero could still give them that dream.”
“How?”
“If you cooperate with the SAR. If you encourage the Japanese people so it becomes a success—I was promised by Schniezel, that if the SAR is a success, then perhaps it can be expanded—expanded for the whole country. The reason that Japan is in such a bad state that is now is because of the rebellions and terrorism—if you help me, get the Japanese to cooperate, then they will get their chance to be free!”
“Still as a state under Britannia?”
“But they will be ruling themselves! Lelouch—its everything you want, isn’t it? A Japan free of Britannian influence, free for you and Nunnally to live in peace. Your Black Knights would be satisfied with that…especially since I offered them all full pardons.
Lelouch thought for a long moment, and said nothing.
“Please, Lelouch,” Euphie continued to beg. “Please, join us. Together, with you, me, and Suzaku, we could change this world for the better!”
“Euphie…even if all of Japan becomes a special administrative zone…we will all still be forced to bow our heads to Britannia…unless…there is only one way that Britannia could be virtually freed without a war.”
“And what is that?”
“The Knight of One.”
“The Knight of One?” Euphie stared. “But, the current Knight of One is…”
“I’m not talking about the current Knight of One…I’m talking about another knight…another knight that would be perfect for the job—one who would most certainly take Japan in, making sure that all other Britannian influence was kept out—”
“You mean Suzaku.”
“He hasn’t told you? It was his ambition to be Knight of One and ask for Japan as his territory. He put that ambition on hold after becoming your knight, but he still wishes for it.”
“I see…I guess…I know why Suzaku didn’t tell me…But, to become Knight of One—”
“All he needs is a Royal Recommendation to get into the Knights of Rounds. From there, he could rise through the ranks to eventually become the Knight of One. And, once that happens—”
“But…would he do it? Would he really try so hard to become the Knight of One?”
Lelouch chuckled to himself. “Really, Euphie, I thought you knew Suzaku better. Don’t you know he’s very ambitious? He just hides it well.”
“I know him well enough, Lelouch.”
“How well?”
“That’s none of your business,” Euphie smirked as Lelouch stared at her, almost too afraid to ask. “But, if you think he would go for it…then I will give my recommendation for him to be appointed to the Knight of Rounds.”
“You’ll do that?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?” she spoke, grabbing a pen and paper from the desk and writing quickly. “There, it’s done—they’ll have to be an official reading of course, but for now—”
“Still, that leaves a problem,” Lelouch told her, stepping forward. “If Suzaku—your knight, is off to serve in the Knight of Rounds, then who will you appoint afterward to be your protector? It would have to be someone you know you can trust, because if they find out about this—”
“I know that, and I already added it in,” she smiled, showing Lelouch the small memo.
I, Euphemia li Britannia, hereby give my formal recommendation for my knight, Kururugi Suzaku, to be appointed to the Knight of Rounds.
And, since I shall be without a knight at that time, I appoint Zero to by my new knight instead.
Lelouch stared at her. “Euphie…”
“Lelouch…I need you if this is going to work out,” she begged. “We can stay here, begin rebuilding Japan and cheering Suzaku on while he completes his task. And once he is triumphant…then we will have succeeded. Please, Lelouch, be my knight. Make the Black Knights cooperate with us. With all of us working together, then we could change Japan without a war! Please…”
“Euphie,” Lelouch sighed. “I am Zero, and I cannot give up being Zero…but maybe I can try your methods, for now.”
The princess’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Really?”
“You asked for my help, didn’t you?” Lelouch grinned, “And what older brother would I be if I didn’t reach out to help my sister when she needed it?”
“Lelouch!” she said, jumping forward to hug him.
He gave a small laugh, “Now, Euphie, is that any way to treat your knight? I’m sure Suzaku doesn’t mind, but you know, this is a formal appointment—”
“Of course,” she said, stepping back as they play-acted once more. “Do you, Zero, accept the position as my knight?”
Ah, they never needed this sort of formality, but Lelouch couldn’t help it. And he’d have to get used to it from now on. Kneeling down before her, he said, “Of course, my princess,” he grinned in memory; these sorts of plays on formality was what they used to do as children.
“Lelouch, you sound like Suzaku,” Euphie giggled as he stood back up. “You don’t have to go overboard—”
“Speaking of Suzaku, you never did tell me how well you know him—”
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know,” she chuckled.
“I do want to know!”
“I said it wasn’t any of your business, Lelouch—”
“You’re my sister, and he is my best friend, of course it’s my business!”
“Aha,” she couldn’t help but grin at his discomfort, “I’ll say one thing though, Suzaku is one of the most honorable men I know—It took a lot time before I convinced him it was okay to—”
“Okay to what?”
“Oh, nothing…”
Lelouch glared, “You had better just be teasing Euphie, or I’ll—” He turned away from her, and then froze. The door to the small room was open.
How long had that door been open? If someone had overheard—if Zero’s face was revealed, then all their plans would be—
Someone walked in…a small someone, the height of a child. Eupemia had noticed and was silent as well. When the person came into the light, they seemed to be no more than a child—a child with long blond hair, and purplish eyes…
But the child was wearing a sinister smirk, the kind that even made Lelouch’s skin crawl. There was definitely something not right about this.
Grabbing his gun and stepping in front of Euphie, Lelouch demanded, “Who are you?”
The boy kept silent, only continued to smile in that eerie way of his.
“As my position as knight to Euphemia li Britannia, I demand you name yourself!” Lelouch roared, the words sounding unfamiliar and foreign on his lips.
At that, the boy finally gave in. “If you insist…my name is V.V.”
Lelouch hesitated. “V.V…?” Had he heard that name before? Sometime in his childhood?
That momentarily pause was all V.V. needed. He rushed towards him, Lelouch firing once—and missing. And that was when the child’s hand made contact with his chest.
The room spun all around him, and Lelouch, trying to maintain control, fell to his knees.
“Lelouch!” that was Euphie…Euphie was kneeling down next to him—looking into his eyes.
Lelouch saw it all happen—he saw himself do it all, but he couldn’t control it all—
The geass in his left eye activated.
No! What is this—?
His mouth spoke the words, but he never ordered them—
Wait—I can’t—
“KILL ALL THE JAPANESE.”
The red ring around her eyes lit up—she fell back in horror.
No…Euphie!
And then it released him. Lelouch fell forward, panting heavily. What happened? What was that? That thing touched me and then I…Euphie!
He jerked up, seeing her lying motionless on the floor. “Euphie!” he grabbed on to her, praying she was all right. “Euphie! Are you okay? I—”
Slowly, she looked back upwards. Her expression was blank—around her eyes was that telltale red ring, and she spoke in an emotionless voice, “Yes…I must…Kill all the Japanese…”
No…No…What have I…?
“Euphie! Euphie stop it! Ignore that order! Don’t—!”
Suddenly, a gun was pointed right at him, Lelouch could hardly breathe—Euphie had picked up the gun he had dropped before. No—this was no longer Euphie—she would never hold a gun, much less…
“I’m sorry, but I have to go kill all the Japanese, Lelouch. You asked me to.”
No I…I didn’t…Euphie!
She stood up, brushing her skirt off, before heading towards the door. There was only one thought in Lelouch’s mind—Stop Euphie, NOW.
“Euphie! Don’t—!” He grabbed for her, pulling her back. He may have to hurt her, maybe even have to overpower her, but as long as he could keep her from going out there until he got a hold of C.C. to find out what was going on—
Lelouch froze when he heard a gunshot ring out. Something flew past his face, catching and ripping out a few free strands of his hair. Euphie stared back at him, gun pointed right at his face. For that one moment, he couldn’t move. Euphie…
“I have to go kill all the Japanese.” She repeated, easing out of his grip and then turning sharply away. It took a few moment for Lelouch to recover, and when he did, he ran for her again.“Euph—”
The spinning came back, and he fell to the floor once more. Euphie…? Looking up, Lelouch could see the child, V.V., standing over him.
“I’m sorry, but we can’t let you or that other one get in our way,” V.V. smirked, as everything faded again.
Euphie…I… Were Lelouch’s last thoughts as he fell into unconsciousness.
Suzaku came to in the hallway, jumping at once to his feet, remembering that small child, and then…
What? I…
Green eyes grew wide as he saw the scene around him. Dead men…everywhere. And all these men…it looked as if they had shot themselves. These people… His stomach gave a jolt as he remembered that time, in Shinjuku ghetto…when he had ordered—
No, it couldn’t be that! He didn’t use his Geass to—
Wait…where was he anyway? Turning down the hall, he saw the room where Zero—Lelouch, and Euphie had been talking…but the door was slightly open. Was the meeting over already?
He was just about to go and check inside, when he heard the sound of gunfire. What? No—
Suzaku took off at once. What had happened? Had the meeting failed and the Black Knights—
No, it couldn’t be…Did Lelouch really betray them anyway?
He took off in a run, heading towards the light at the other end of the hall. Euphie…get to Euphie… Yes, if he got to Euphie, everything would be all right…He would make it all right—
But when Euphie’s knight stepped out into the sunshine, he was met with a sight he would have never expected.
There was gunfire. There was blood—bodies everywhere. But the ones that were attacking weren’t the Black Knights—they were Britannians.
“What…What the Hell is this!” Suzaku roared, switching on the communicator. “What’s going on, where is Euphie—”
But no one answered. Why weren’t they answering? What was—
And then he spotted her—a flash of pink hair near the end of the stage. “Euphie!” he ran towards her, no other thought in his mind but getting her to safety. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back, “Euphie, what happened? Why is Britannia—”
It was then that he noticed the gun in her hands, the bloodstains on her skirt. And that look in her eyes…that emotionless stare. “Suzaku, let me go. I have to kill all the Japanese.”
He froze. “What…Euphie…you…” Then he noticed it—red rings around her eyes—Geass! But geass…this geass…Putting a geass like this on Euphie, that was downright evil! Who did it? Who would dare put a geass like this on Euphemia!
“Let me go. I have to finish—”
He grabbed her by both shoulders, “No, no you’re not going to finish this! I’ll save you, Euphie!” The geass in his left eye lit up.
Think…I can’t alter her personality…I have to make it so she’ll stop without being different…
He was rambling, sure, but he had to say it; something, anything to make her stop!
“Euphie…Euphie could never do something like this. She could never order this—she could never live in a world that was this cruel—she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed something like this to happen! Euphie can’t stand aside and allow people to die! She couldn’t watch as people were—”
He continued on, but her expression never changed, neither did the red ring around her eyes.
No…no…Why wasn’t it working? No matter what he said, why did she still—?
And then Suzaku’s breath hitched, remembering what C.C. had told him before, “One geass cannot cancel out another.”
No…no…it couldn’t be! It couldn’t be that—
“Let me go, Suzaku. I need to finish killing all the Japanese.”
No! Tears filled his eyes, “Euphie, you can’t—”
There was a shot, and then Suzaku fell to his knees, screaming in pain. Blood soaked through his white pants, splattering onto the stage—she had shot him in the leg.
“Euphie…” he gasped, looking back up at her, the princess he served, the woman he loved—as she marched away, continuing her deadly crusade.
“There he is!” Lelouch heard, as he slowly came to. He felt himself being forcefully, painfully, lifted up and held.
“Zero!” There was a gun muzzle pushed to his temple. “What the Hell did you do to Princess Euphemia?”
Euphie…Oh, he remembered. Her words, that blank stare, the shot at him…all because of him, because of his geass…
“Answer us!” Lelouch looked up, through his long bangs. There were only about three of them. No big deal, but…
Euphie…
Eyes set on all of them, Lelouch released the geass, voice wavering, “Lelouch vi Britannia orders you to die.”
A moment of silence, and then shots were fired. A second later Lelouch was free—free to grab his mask from where he had left it on the table. There was a droplet of blood that had fallen on Euphie’s memo—the one that proclaimed Suzaku a Knight of Rounds and Zero as her knight.
Hmph, a foolish thought, looking back at it now.
That was almost a fairytale of an idea—life was never that simple, as it had been proven…
Walking outside, Lelouch was met with what he expected—a disaster. Using the communicator in his helmet, he spoke to the Black Knights, trying to sound unphased, “This SAR was merely a trick to lure us out—the Britannians betrayed us. They incapacitated me and tried to arrest me while they carried out this little plan. Now, we need to salvage what we can. Fight the Britannians, and save the Japanese! That is an order!”
Now that that was that—he needed to find Euphemia.
Find her, and… He picked up a gun from a fallen guard. Put her out of her misery.
“No, let me—”
“Not now, we can’t let you go!” Cecile said, as Suzaku struggled to get off the stretcher. “We need to attend to your leg, before—”
“That doesn’t matter!” He yelled, getting up despite the pain. “Euphemia—I have to find Euphie!”
“Suzaku-kun, please, stay still or you will—”
“Get out of my way!” roared Suzaku, forcefully pushing her aside. He stood up, eyes glaring, daring someone else to try to stop him.
No one dared.
He limped over towards the Lancelot—once inside the knightmare, he could put his leg at rest—but he had to do this. He had to find Euphemia. Before everything was lost—!
“Lelouch…?” Euphie asked, as Zero met her on the battlefield, gun pointed at her.
“Yes, I’m sorry, Euphie…” Lelouch bit his lip. “I didn’t mean…no, it was my fault. I should have been more careful…I should have never asked for the geass, when I didn’t…”
“I don’t understand…I have to kill—”
“Stop that!” Lelouch roared, tears spilling over his eyes. “Just stop that! Don’t say that! Not now, when I—!”
For a brief moment, that expressionless look morphed into something else—a concerned look, perhaps? No, it couldn’t be…a geass command was absolute. “Lelouch…”
But, maybe it was nice to hope. “Euphie…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I just…I never wanted this. I wanted what we planned—our own little Japan, with me as your knight…to protect you as your
brother…Yes…that’s what should have happened. I can’t tell you how much I wish…but…”
She said nothing, only continued to look at him like that—as if she pitied him. But why would she pity him?
Even if Euphie was still there, Euphie would still hate him now.
“I won’t ask you to forgive me, I don’t deserve it, but…I wish that…oh damnit, it doesn’t matter now…just…I’m sorry…”
“Lelouch…I…” The geass was still there, but she dropped the gun in her arms, though it was already too late.
The Lancelot flew overhead—a new float system had been added, and Suzaku couldn’t wait to show Euphie—once this was all over, and they would laugh about it later, he would show her, he would take her for a ride—“Euphie!”
Suzaku’s head turned sharply as he heard that gunshot. And then, he couldn’t breathe anymore.
Zero, no Lelouch—he had…he was the one—
“EUPHIEEEEEE!” Suzaku screamed, swooping down , all guns on the Lancelot firing. But Lelouch wasn’t worried—Suzaku was too emotionally distraught to hit anything. And after grabbing Euphie, the knightmare whisked away—no doubt to try and save her.
But there was no saving her…Lelouch knew that. Euphie was already gone…
And it was because of him.
“Euphie!”
“Calm down, Kururugi, we’re—!”
“Please, let me go! Let me go see Euphie!”
“You can’t, we need to operate on her, as quickly as possible—!”
“Just let me—!”
“No, we can’t! We have orders from to keep everyone out!”
“But Euphie is my—!”
“Suzaku-kun!” Cecile called, as she ran towards him—unable to keep the pity from her eyes. Suzaku was there, covered in blood and tears—blood still seeping from his leg—while he begged and pleaded to see his princess one more time.
“They won’t let me in, they won’t let me see Euphie!” his voice choked on the words, as he was unable to hold the tears in—like a lost, scared child.
Cecile sighed, turning back to Lloyd. He too, looked concerned. “Suzaku,” she told him softly. “You brought Her Highness back, that’s one thing. Now all you can do is wait until they finish with her. Now come on—we have to tend to your leg before it gets worse.”
“But—”
“Come on, Suzaku-kun,” Lloyd said, trying to lighten the mood. “Either you come voluntarily, or I drug you this time. And I don’t think the latter will be very pleasant.”
Suzaku clenched his fists, and then, plopped down in a chair outside the room. “I’m staying here.”
“But, Suzaku—”
“I said I’m staying here! I’ll wait for Euphie to be allright—and then I’ll worry about myself!”
“Suzaku, if we don’t check your leg out, then you might—”
“That doesn’t matter! All that matters is that Euphie is safe! She’s all that I—” He could say no more, if he wanted to keep himself from falling into tears.
Please, let Euphie be all right…Let her be all right—!
It was only minutes later that the doctor walked out of the room. “Eu—Euphie—?”
The doctor said nothing, only turned aside. Tears filled Suzaku’s eyes as he couldn’t accept that.
“Euphie…what happened to Euphie? Is she okay? Is she—!”
“She is…gone.”
Suzaku couldn’t move. He couldn’t say anything, just…Everything he had ever wanted had been destroyed in one instant.
“No…it can’t…it can’t be…She can’t be—!”
The doctor turned away, “I have to go report to His Majesty, if you will excuse me—”
“No, please—!” Suzaku screamed, completely losing it. “Let me see her! Let me see Euphie—!”
He stood up on his injuried leg, trying to run for the operating room door, but he never got to it. Acting quick, Lloyd pulled out a needle and stuck it in the knight before he got too far. A second later, Suzaku fell unconscious, sedated.
“Lloyd, you didn’t have to do that,” Cecile told him. “Suzaku he’s…”
“I know,” Lloyd sighed, “But…he could injure his leg more if we don’t operate on it now. If we don’t remove that bullet soon, he may never walk again, and I don’t think Her Highness would have wanted that.”
Slowly, Cecile nodded, as they called for a stretcher to carry Suzaku off to surgery. Though they both wanted to leave him awake to mourn—there were other things he would have to attend to soon.
The Black Knights had just declared war on Britannia.
“So, you didn’t cast that geass of your own will.”
“No, I…I was going to give up…I was going to go along with her plan. Everything was going to be all right…but it was that thing—that V.V.”
“V.V.?” C.C. gasped. But I thought…I thought he was going to use Suzaku?
“You know him?” Lelouch’s voice was cold, hard—if there was any chance that C.C. was involved in this, then—
C.C. sighed, “Not personally. But he is a geass giver, like me…a very powerful one, who can manipulate other’s geasses to his will. That’s probably what he did to you.”
“But why? Why me? Why, of all people, Euphie? What did she ever do to anyone?”
“I don’t know, but…” C.C. stopped, looking over at Lelouch. He was sitting there, knees folded up to his chest—and he was crying. Much little a little boy she once knew.
She came over to him, and, without another thought, hugged him to her chest—remembering how she used to do that long ago.
“C.C…I—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she told him. “No matter what happens…I will always be here. We are accomplices.”
“Yes…” And that was all he had left in the world.
“You will have to stand up and walk forward soon,” she told him in a soon, motherly voice.
“I know.” The Black Knights were ready. By using the massacre—the conditions were set. For the Black Rebellion, it was now or never. “I know, but…for now…I just…”
C.C. said nothing, but held him close, letting him mourn. She couldn’t help but pity him. Though he was Zero, the heartless man who rebelled against Britannia, right now…he was just a boy. Just a sad little boy who had just lost his beloved sister. Yes, don’t worry…I will always be here. I promised you that, long ago…
Euphie…Lelouch promised. I’m sorry things didn’t work out, and though it won’t be done in the way you want…I will give you that free Japan that you desired.
Suzaku stared at the ceiling of his hospital room, the world still not feeling quite real.
Euphie was gone. War was beginning. Euphie had declared him a Knight of Rounds, and Zero as her knight in his place. But Zero had fled. And there was that massacre. And Euphie—Euphie—!
He shut his eyes quickly—no, he had already cried enough! He couldn’t afford to now—!
Geass. Someone had cast a geass on her. But who? And why? Why would they—!
Suzaku gulped as the thought came to him. Yes, he knew one person a geass like that would benefit. There was only one person who had that opportunity…only one who had a connection to a geass giver.
But…no…he didn’t want to believe it…Lelouch would never use and kill his own sister! And that order…why did she make him a Knight of Rounds…Exactly! Why bother making her make Lelouch her knight if he was just going to turn around and—Lelouch would never—!
‘Lelouch’ maybe, but not ‘Zero’. It was Zero that needed an excuse for a war…It was Zero that shot her—!
But…that proclamation…that order…
Does it matter? Does Zero ever do things logically?
The raw rage built inside him. Yes, there was only one person it could have been! There was no other who could have done it!
So all this time…’Lelouch’ was just a lie…the real person his ‘friend’ was…Yes, the real ‘Lelouch Lamperouge’ was none other than that heartless bastard, Zero!
Suzaku sat up with a jolt, angry tears filling his eyes. Lelouch! His fingers clenched, wanting nothing more than to wring that bastard’s neck! Death…only Zero’s death could bring that satisfaction!
He tried to get out of bed, but pain shot up his leg. Damn it! Damn him! He did this to Euphie—he was the one who did this to him! Like this, he wouldn’t be able to go after him until he recovered—Damn him to Hell!
Practically snarling in rage, Suzaku swiped that pin—that symbol of his knighthood off the side table.
Clenching it in his fists, he vowed, Fine, Lelouch, since you have shown me your true colors—then this is war!
Chapter 8 here.
I know the 'Zero is my knight!' thing seems a bit weird, but it is sorta important in the R2 arc (in fact, the whole Euphinator plot is important in the R2 arc, so pay attention) but also, I saw a fanart once of Zero bowing before Euphie, and the image stuck.
no subject
Please finish the next one soon! T-T
no subject
And that one's gonna come with a small...extra, to it. :3
lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Woah o: New icon XDBut Suzaku's all "sfljkhgldkjfhgdlkjfhg RAGE!!!!!!" right now o3o How would SuzaLulu work out? oO
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
It's called 'hatesex' my dear. X3
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
But the little side story isn't "canon" per se, to this story. I'm just going to take a scene that was originally just Ragezaku raging at Lelouch and...extend it. That's really all it would be.
And now you made me spoil too much. >.>
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
IECK LULURAEP!
Re: lol, I couldn't resist
no subject
Suzaku's dropped geass subplot anyone?no subject
no subject
But I always loved Lulu more. How Fate just kept reminding him that no matter how great power he had, no matter how noble, how kind his decisions, the Fate didn't give no less of a man's Fate to him.
And somehow C.C. talking she'd always beside him heard like Lelouch just running away if he took that offer. Just my biased thoughts, though.
Implied jealous!Lulu is nice as always. ^______^ And oh, brotherly Lulu... *A*
Anyway, don't forget your promise for the Seventh chapter! XDDDDDD
no subject
Though keep in mind though, Suzaku's gonna be kicking himself for something that happened in this chapter later on in the story.
I love jealous!Lulu. And brotherly!Lulu...they're things of his personality that really needed to appear more. Sure, we got them a bit in S1, but once R2 hit, brotherly!Lulu and jealous!Lulu went out the window. Kinda sad...:(
Don't worry, I won't forget. :)
no subject
Hmmm? What part? Wait, I guess I'll reread again.
Yeah, it's so sad because it didn't give us many side of Lulu... in R2 we just got his darker, more determined, more EBIL side...
OWH OWH O_O
no subject
What part? As for Suzaku "kicking himself" Just keep an eye on Suzaku during the whole Euphinator incident, for a start. (Also: V.V.)
But the whole Euphinator thing has a great importance to the R2 arc. I was kinda annoyed that an event of that magnitude wasn't really all that important to the overall CG plot. So, it got more important now.