Broken Valkyrie's Ascent

[Sonata]

Well... Because the knights know somewhat who zero is, the need to do the suicide mission for the jlf was not really needed as moral is high, because 3 of the 4 swords died Todoh is not as strong as canon, but Lelouch dodged a bullet because that annoying woman in the swords died before she fucked everything and more importantly Shirley's dad is not dead, unless fanon is right and he was part of Project C, Cornelia will murder him herself.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

"Tohdoh and one of his students, a Shogo Asahina."

Click to shrink...

Bit of an "ugh" moment for me. Would have preferred any of the other Seiken to Asahina

but Lelouch dodged a bullet because that annoying woman in the swords died before she fucked everything and more importantly Shirley's dad is not dead, unless fanon is right and he was part of Project C,

Click to shrink...

Chiba wasn't the issue for the betrayal, Asahina was (she was the one who acted on his info though, after he died), which is why I am ughing (with the circumstances, the bullet might still be avoided, unless he learns of Geass and thinks Lulu mincontrolled his precious Toudou -_-)

IIRC, her father being involved was revealed in one of the LN

 

[Naron]

Unrest circulated among their group as they walked through unmarked corridors. With how much they already walked, chances were good that their guides purposefully led them in circles first.

The only ones who projected calm were Tohdoh and Zero.

It was January 4th, the day they were to meet with a representative from Kyoto House. Zero's inner circle and the newly recruited Tohdoh were picked up via car in a remote location; even the approach itself was secretive more than anything else. Their ride bore tinted windows to prevent them from looking outside. They could feel the ascent through a number of underground tunnels earlier, but no more.

"Is this normal?" Kallen asked hesitantly, straightening up when Tohdoh's gaze found her. "Uh, sir?"

The oldest member of their group inclined his head calmly. "General Katase had special circumstances due to his many years of service to Japan, but yes. I was here twice before and had to go through this both times. It's for their and our safety; we can't reveal anything we don't know."

Their guides did not comment. Tohdoh himself failed to notice a number of looks going to Zero over his stoic explanation. The other members clearly remembered the masked man's argument for not showing his face.

Zero himself was silent. He had been since they met up, though he did not seem nervous at all.

Unfortunately, nobody had a chance to ask him anything at this point. They arrived in a larger room, partly occupied by two Burai-type Knightmare Frames. The mere sight of the machines made them shudder, weapons pointed down but ready to move at the slightest provocation.

The Knightmares flanked a small area blocked from view with a curtain. A half dozen regular guards were spread along and between them, completing the protection detail. Some noticed a floral scent in the air.

"This... is new," Tohdoh admitted quietly, just before they came to a stop. The doors closed behind them.

A pregnant pause followed as whoever the curtain hid drew out the silence. None of the visitors dared break it.

Then a voice sounded, clearly female. Deep, mature, and strong: "Be welcome to step before the Six Houses of Kyoto, Zero and the Order of Black Knights. We appreciate that you could follow our invitation on such short notice."

Zero inclined his head in response. Tohdoh imitated the motion with a little frown. The rest was primarily nervous, though Minami had to elbow Inoue to stop her from swooning. The blunette quickly got her head back in the game afterward.

"Seeing the esteemed Tohdoh-sama among your number makes it clear you are already aware of current events," the unknown woman continued. "No explanations are needed, only a question to be asked: what is your goal? Speaking of justice is well and good, but the Six Houses can not spend their ultimately limited resources on mere vigilante work."

She spoke at length, but the actual demand was unsaid. Nobody needed spelling it out: 'Convince us to fund you.'

Several people bristled in response. They had grown fond of their work by now, even those who were skeptical at first. Tamaki opened his mouth, barely stopped by an elbow from Ohgi.

Now it was Zero who drew out the silence, standing with his back straight and unrelenting. When he spoke however, there was something almost playful to his tone that confused his allies.

"Just like a bonsai must be pruned on the regular, the Japanese have their own weeds that need tending. Driving off Britannia is a final goal, yet achieving it means nothing if only a rotten society remains."

A short pause was left for effect, allowing everyone to digest this rhetoric. Ohgi frowned, well aware Zero normally did not talk in metaphors like those. Zero himself paid them no mind.

"Moreover, my designation of targets served as an effective recruitment strategy. Terror tactics may have their use, but only those who forgot that there are innocent people on the other side will back them."

Hearing him speak so casually about the ideology he himself propped up made mainly Kallen's and Tamaki's hackles rise. They frowned, but neither spoke up; Zero briefed them that they were selling something here, not making a moral argument. Meanwhile, Ohgi was looking more at Zero than trying to catch a glimpse of the elusive lady; there was an unfamiliar accent to his voice, too.

"Well spoken," the other side praised. "Kyoto House understands the importance of being certain whom we fight for, though concessions will be necessary to earn our backing. Tangible steps must be taken to challenge Britannia from here on out."

Zero nodded without hesitation. "The esteemed Kyoto House's support will enable us to proceed onto that stage."

"I am glad that you share our vision in this regard."

Nobody was surprised by this development, either. Zero covered it as a distinct possibility in the briefing. They had to face Britannia eventually either way.

Then however, Zero spoke up again: "But that is not all, now is it?"

Some of the guards twitched at the breach of etiquette. Others began to notice the hint of a teasing lilt to Zero's voice as well; this was not like him. Unlike Ohgi however, they put it on a case of nerves.

Silence hung heavy for a time, a rebuke for speaking out of turn. When the mystery woman answered however, her tone was even.

"You are correct. Kyoto House desires proof of your genuine feelings toward Japan and the Japanese. A commitment, so to speak; we worry that a man who hides his face may vanish amidst the crowd as swiftly as he appeared from it. As such we wish for Zero to lower his mask, so that we may know his identity."

Despite the even tone, her voice itself was weaker. Only Sugiyama noticed the difference, but could not tell why. Either she was thrown off by Zero's interjection after all, or she disagreed with the demand she made.

While his companions began getting agitated, Ohgi took a step forward without hesitation. He clasped one hand to his chest, calling out across the room: "Please hear me out! I've already seen Zero's face and I can assure you he only has the best of intentions!"

There was still a bit of uncertainty in his heart, but he pushed it away. Ohgi decided to trust, so trust he would. The others firmed up with his words, forming a front of unity around their leader.

Alas, the lady was unimpressed with their conviction.

"Unfortunately, we can not afford to gamble significant amounts of resources on blind faith. Please lower your mask, Zero."

Zero himself stood still and silent, as if deep in thought. Ohgi held his tongue as well, no matter how much he wanted to keep arguing. He already took a risk calling out the first time; insisting now would just mark him as having no manners at all. Inoue and Minami kept a tight leash on Tamaki also, who looked upset enough to start shouting.

In the end, Zero pressed a hand to his hip. "How about a little trade, Messenger-san?" he offered with audible amusement. "It's awfully one-sided to demand my identity without revealing your own."

This time the guards bristled. Several people gaped at Zero on both sides.

Sugiyama, Inoue, and Kallen were plain dumbfounded by how ballsy he acted. Ohgi and Yoshida both knew this was not something Zero would ever say. Especially not in a high-stakes situation like this.

And somehow, the person on the other side knew it too.

"...you are not Zero at all, are you?"

In response to her query, a gloved hand came up to pull off the mask. A wave of green hair spilled out back, adding a splotch of colour to the dark clothes. They already expected not seeing the man in question, but nobody was ready to find a woman beneath the mask.

Tamaki leaned over to Ohgi in the silence, dumbfounded. "That's not, y'know, Zero? Right?" he asked, pointing. Ohgi could only shake his head.

The woman herself wore a confident smirk, not even paying any mind to the Black Knights. "You may call me a collaborator," she offered, then her faint grin grew into a proper smirk. "Sumeragi Kaguya-chan."

Her words sent a jolt through both sides. The Black Knights, to a one, exclaimed in surprise; they knew the name Sumeragi, a family of traitors who sold Japan to maintain their power after the subjugation. The guards, on the other hand, were plain shocked.

"They know the young lady's identity!" one shouted, waving to the rest. "They can't leave alive!"

"How droll," the green-haired woman bantered back, mercilessly abusing the moment of lingering shock. "So you wish to depose of Tohdoh as well? Slay your peoples' hope for freedom personally?"

She motioned grandly to the stone-faced man standing right with them. It was even true, not just a setup or a trick. Everyone knew so.

The guards hesitated, which made the yet unintroduced woman grin wolfishly. She cocked her hips properly, finally revealing a bit of her figure that the cloak helped hide so far. Tamaki's soft "Damn" echoed in the silence, making the man himself wince.

"Lower your arms," Kaguya spoke at last, sounding somewhat tired of all things now. "In some sense I expected this outcome already. Excuse me."

The curtain shifted to reveal a young woman. She took slow, dignified steps forward in her white kimono, red floral prints the only actual colour on her beside her luscious, raven hair. Her expression was carefully schooled as she took in the Black Knights.

Kaguya's gaze rested on the dumbfounded Kallen for just a moment. The redhead scowled even now, which finally explained why she had been quietly hostile from the moment they met. Everyone beside the false Zero seemed primarily confused, excepting Tohdoh. He was the one other person Kaguya knew.

Her traversal was made in silence, only disrupted by the click-clack of her geta, traditional wooden sandals, on the floor. The woman that stood where Lelouch should be was taller than her, but not significantly so. Yet it still felt like she towered over Kaguya, an almost aggravating smirk in place.

Kaguya addressed her first, offering a faint bow. The lady returned it only to the extent she needed not to cause offense. Kaguya was fairly certain that she did it on purpose, well aware they were in a deadlock unless an agreement was reached.

"You have me at a disadvantage, miss," she began in an attempt at being friendly. "May I have your name?"

The older woman crossed both arms behind her back, seeming unconcerned with her situation. "I am known as C.C.," she introduced herself, which prompted several confused or irritated looks. They went ignored. "How curious that it is you here and not the venerable Kirihara, that boy was certain he would be the one."

Neither of them paid attention to the Black Knights behind C.C.; they shuffled around, hard pressed not to start whispering with each other. Kaguya had to stop herself from grimacing at the casual power play; they knew two of their identities. This established a clear pattern now. If anyone leaked this knowledge, then the Six Houses of Kyoto were done for.

Yet C.C. was right earlier: they could not afford to lose Tohdoh, not to mention the Black Knights. Kaguya had to salvage this somehow, although her worries were not that great yet. She had her own bargaining chips, it only took the right moment to play them. For now she had to make the best of this, as always.

"Kirihara-san came down with an illness over the new year and has yet to finish his recovery," she explained to keep the conversation going. "It was decided that he should not be our representative for this meeting for his health's sake."

C.C. listened curiously and without interruption. By the end however, she looked like she was laughing internally. "Foiled by chance, how typical. Yet they sent a child to greet us?"

Kaguya's smile froze on her face. Even if it was a fair question to ask, she still took offense and had to stop herself from reacting. That was what C.C. wanted.

"How dare you speak that way of Sumeragi-sama!" one of her guards shouted, aiming his gun again. "Show some respect to her, you dirty foreigner!"

C.C. did not even acknowledge the byplay, nor the weapon pointed her way. Her sharp, amber eyes rested solely on Kaguya, who smoothed out her expression.

"Age does not pre-empt ability, C.C.-san," she answered curtly, trying and failing to radiate disapproval like she saw her elders do. It had no effect on the older woman.

"Yet time is a defining factor in learning and improving your skills, girl. Or am I misremembering that the Japanese offer great respect to their elders?"

She was correct in a sense, yet the entire subject matter felt demeaning. Kaguya started to wonder how Lelouch could bear that woman's presence at all; she resolved to ask at the next opportunity. Then she nodded gently, still in a bid to portray the picture of grace.

"You are correct, of course. We can learn a great many things from heeding the words of our elders."

Then, just to be petty, she up and turned away from C.C.. The older woman's grin grew more pronounced, she could see it from the corner of her eye while approaching Tohdoh. It annoyed Kaguya, but she swallowed the feeling under the seasoned warrior's eyes.

Tohdoh watched her impassively until Kaguya offered a deeper, more respectful bow. "It has been a long time since last we met, Tohdoh-san. Please accept my condolences on the loss of General Katase."

He bowed back a little stiffly, as if unused to it. A flicker of pain ran across his expression, gone so fast she may have imagined it.

"I am just glad to see you alive and well, Sumeragi-san. You have turned from a little girl into a proper young woman."

Her smile grew a little more honest over the praise. It was kind of him to take her side in this debacle, where he could easily have stayed out of it.

She nodded, then offered a polite bow toward the rest of the group. "And as you all just heard, I am Sumeragi Kaguya. Despite the circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you all."

A smattering of dumbfounded responses followed, though the outright glares were gone. Kallen just floundered, half pointing at her without getting words out until Ohgi elbowed her. Kaguya knew she should not be so pleased about getting one over the older girl, but she allowed herself at least that much.

With no real responses forthcoming, she eventually had to acknowledge C.C. again. There was another question on her mind that she doubted anyone else could answer.

"Now where is Zero exactly? I can not conceive of him not being nearby."

C.C.'s grin grew in response, then surprised shouts came from the guards. Kaguya turned around to see what the ruckus was about, only to spot another Zero calmly descending from the right Burai via zipline.

This opened so many questions. Was he in there the whole time? How did he even get there without anyone noticing?

Kaguya was a little frightened by the casual ease with which their security was circumvented. Zero himself did not seem to care for it, nor for the guns pointed at him now. Much like C.C., he paid them no mind.

Kaguya only needed a moment to realise why: just like he was right between her people, she stood right between his. The Black Knights may not hesitate to shoot her anyway; and if not them, then C.C. might.

"Weapons down!" she called, trying for calm while well aware they scraped by disaster by a hair's breadth. Some urgency still bled into her voice, but she hoped nobody noticed. Going by C.C.'s little wink, at least she did. Perhaps she even knew what Kaguya thought.

The guards thankfully did as told, although they seemed both confused and unhappy at this point. Zero paid them no further mind as he approached them. Unlike his double, he properly returned the bow Kaguya gave. Then he offered his hand to shake, which she accepted in turn. It was more of a Britannian gesture, but she was not surprised.

"May I presume you are indeed Zero and not another double, sir?" she asked a little sardonically. "Is the real one perhaps hiding in the other Burai?"

Some muffled snorts from the Black Knights told her that the attempt at levity worked. Tension lowered a little, then a little more when Zero simply shook his head.

"Doing such a thing would be needlessly convoluted and serve no greater purpose, Sumeragi-san. My point has already been made."

She nodded in perfect agreement. Now that the games were over, she had to consider how to play this conversation.

"Yet you revealed my identity without giving yours," she prodded, aware it would be futile.

"Well yeah," Kallen heckled, "but he figured it out on his own!"

The redhead immediately had her mouth covered by the other Japanese woman in her group.

Neither Kaguya nor Zero acknowledged the interruption, staring at each other. Kaguya knew that Zero knew that she knew who he was. Just like he or C.C. deduced her identity via civilian dealings, she knew who dwelled beneath that mask from other sources. But if she said that now, people would get suspicious. At least Kallen could link her to Nunnally, and from there to Lelouch.

Then again, Lelouch and C.C. brought her in serious hot water with the other heads. They put a dent in her reputation as well, which almost demanded some form of retaliation.

Hence why Kaguya offered a serene smile. "And I have a good guess who you are, now that I could verify a few things," she revealed.

Just like that, the squabbling Black Knights became very quiet all of a sudden. Kaguya could not discern anything from Zero's mask, but she knew anyway that all attention lay on her. The verification was a lie and Lelouch knew it, but they had to keep up appearances.

"Knowing what I know," Kaguya continued, "there is really only one person it could be. But the consequences for you will be dire if I carelessly reveal my knowledge."

Zero was silent. He knew where she was going, yet waited for Kaguya to make her point. She almost let a satisfied grin slip through over putting him on the backfoot for once.

"It was decided by consensus to demand your identity in exchange for our support," she explained. "You made your point that mutual trust is imperative for cooperation to be fruitful. You know who I am, and I know who you are now."

In another life, Kaguya may have tried to get with Zero. A mysterious, masked hero fighting for justices ticked off a lot of boxes for her. This would be the perfect opportunity to make such a move, even. But while she could appreciate Lelouch being handsome, her heart simply did not really flutter when thinking of him. So Kaguya refrained.

"And for as long as my secret is kept, so will yours be," she ended. A meaningful glance went to the Black Knights, of which Kallen's eyes in particular narrowed. The redhead bristled under the assumption that she would make a fuss of Zero's identity; Kaguya knew for a fact that she would.

Zero himself gave no physical reaction to her implicit threat. He understood as well that they reached an agreement. "Of course," he agreed. "Not a soul outside of this room will learn that you are a member of Kyoto House."

Some nods followed from the people around them. She absently noticed that Tohdoh failed to hide a faint smile. In truth, Kaguya smiled as well; it had been mere politeness before, but now she felt a trace of genuine emotion slip into it.

Pulling her hands from her sleeves, she clapped them together to express herself as much as she was allowed. "Wonderful. Now allow me to show you what our support will entail."

She could tell she won the rest of them over as soon as another Burai and a quartet of power armour sets were rolled in.

The Black Knights were jubilant by the time they left. The sheer amount of material Kyoto House was willing to give them blew the group away. They had not even seen Kaguya's personal present, nor did Zero know of it. It was a surprise. Kaguya bemoaned only that she could not see their faces when Guren showed up at their doorstep; after all the convincing she had to do with the other heads, she wanted to see those reactions.

In Kaguya's eyes, Guren was Japan's response to the elusive white Knightmare.

Rakshata finished the final tests on her creation at the moment. Kaguya sat with Kirihara in the meantime, recounting the meeting for her mentor. He was wrapped in a soft bathrobe, sipping tea and listening attentively. The occasional cough made it clear that he was still ill.

By the time she finished, he wore an indulgent smile and bore a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "And you're unwilling to tell any of us who he is?" he prodded, to which Kaguya nodded.

"I had to ensure our own security, so I must honour my word even where the heads are concerned. If he could figure out two of us, he definitely knows the rest."

The elder offered a severe nod, their conclusions one and the same. "Indeed. The connection is not difficult to make once you know at least two. One could be a coincidence, but even that would draw suspicion."

Kaguya thought much the same thing. Yet even after all the rhetoric and agreement, she felt bad having to keep secrets from Kirihara.

"I wish I could tell you, grandfather."

He just huffed in response, then offered his empty mug for her to refill. "You have become more secretive the last few months, Kaguya-chan."

She stilled in surprise, the lack of motion somewhat hidden by the fact she still poured. He probably noticed, but said nothing of it. A soft chuckle came out of his throat, cut off by another cough.

"I imagine it's normal for a young woman to have her own private interests, so I will not pry too much. Just remember that our loyalty must be to Japan first and anybody else second," he reminded her gently.

Despite his acceptance, this only made Kaguya feel even worse. She never thought she would keep so much from her mentor of all people, especially something so important. She was tempted to tell him anyway for a tantalising moment.

"I know, grandfather. Do not worry."

But she swallowed those words. She could not tell him. In fact, she could not even say whether worries about her allegiance were justified or not; being with Nunnally, enjoying life just a little bit, made Kaguya wonder. Her resolve felt less sturdy of late. A nagging voice sounded in the back of her head, asking to live a little. She had duties to fulfill, there was no time to play civilian. Yet she did it anyway, with little thought for anything else.

Kirihara drank in silence while she pondered, then stood slowly. "I think I will head back to bed for now. Thank you for apprising me in person, Kaguya-chan."

He left a pause to look down at her with a little grin. Then he poked Kaguya's forehead, earning a surprised eep.

"And please stop overthinking."

The admonishment floored Kaguya once more. She stared up at him, having lost any idea of whether he actually knew more than he let on. Sometimes it felt like he knew every thought going through her head, but then he said things like these. Either he did not know, or he accepted her feelings anyway.

At the end of the day, she simply did not know what to do. She needed advice. So Kaguya hesitantly called after him.

"Grandfather? Is it bad to take a little more time to myself?"

The question gave Kirihara pause. He did not turn back, expression unseen. A thoughtful noise came from him while Kaguya fidgeted awkwardly in her seat.

When he spoke, it was slow and measured. Controlled, even.

"Take as much time to yourself as you need. I rather have you slack off and be a child on occasion than have you die from overwork."

She missed the gravity to his words; all tension snapped from her body in their wake, leaving only relief behind. Kaguya wiped a tear from her eye and smiled brightly, not that he saw it. Her mentor coughed again and kept on walking.

Kaguya in turn got up, cleared the table, and took off those geta so she could walk a little faster to her office suite. She wanted to call Nunnally and hear her friend's voice for a bit.

 

[Sonata]

Yeahhhhh, they are "Friends" and the lancelot is equipped with an ejection seat.

 

[Naron]

"Just look at this sick design!" Tamaki cheered. His mood was infectious at the moment.

Kallen sat in the cockpit of their newest Knightmare, grinning over how her friends acted like little kids on Christmas. The comparison fit far too well, seeing how Kyoto never told them this special machine was coming with everything else.

Then again, she felt much the same as the guys and Inoue. With the Burai and the power armour having arrived earlier, they got to field test all of this tonight. What was more, Kallen got to pilot Guren! Zero gave it to her of all people!

Even just a few hours of preparation were enough for her to get the controls down pat; Guren was a wonderful piece of technology and she read through the manual in record time. Not that she really needed it, anyone who knew a Knightmare Frame could pilot this one, too. It was streamlined to be incredibly user-friendly.

Thinking of that, Kallen glanced outside where the Tohdoh checked over his own machine. It was still a bit of a shock to work with a living legend; she barely managed not to make an idiot of herself when they were introduced. More importantly, Zero still picked Kallen to use Guren instead of him. It was an honour she would live up to, no matter what!

For his part, Tohdoh would take overall command of the Black Knight's new Knightmare squadron. All but him, his student Asahina, and Kallen were new pilots; yet having Knightmare Frames in the first place was a game changer. They all knew it, too.

Kallen watched on as others walked around their staging ground. She got a decent feel for the armour surrounding her frame, sleek and shiny. It was unlike her old patchwork Glasgow. The machine would probably be cannibalised for parts now.

While the pilots all readied up, their ground team finished donning the power armour as well. Zero was with them, bearing a modified helmet that resembled his mask.

It was a nice upside, Kallen figured: these armours meant nobody needed to wear another mask. Her mind whirled with the possibilities of what they could do with all this stuff, even though she knew she barely scratched the surface.

"Everyone is suited up," Zero declared, his voice cutting through her musings. "Get ready."

A number of affirmatives came. Kallen's mind emptied itself of anything but the mission, a low growl in her throat at the thought of hitting more Refrain dealers. They cropped up after the last batch got beaten down, but there were less and less of them by now. Maybe those would be the last.

With everyone ready, Tohdoh's voice sounded over the comms: "You have your routes and objectives. Move."

Several dozen people in power armour split off from them, Zero in the lead. Kallen and the other Knightmares followed Tohdoh out of the warehouse they picked.

They raced down the road and into the abandoned factory thir targets holed up in. It took all of two minutes to arrive, not quiet but far too fast for anyone to respond. It was too late by the time their landspinners became audible.

Kallen's brand new factspheres revealed the entire area as if it was day; she could easily spot the patrolling guards. Leaning forward, her expression tightened; at first Kallen was hesitant at their gruesome work, but she got used to it by now.

Guren was first on the perimeter, an errant swipe of her claw reducing a nearby guard to bloody chunks. The others followed, high calibres at the ready.

Tohdoh's voice sounded again for the rookies: "Remember, small arms only unless Knight Police is present."

Others acknowledged the order verbally, but Kallen only nodded. The big guns were not worth using on people, they had SMGs for that. Maybe she ought to feel horrified about reducing people to bullet-riddled corpses, but Kallen stopped doing that a while ago. Bastards like them tried to profit from her peoples' suffering, so they all had it coming.

She quickly broke off from the cleanup, aiming for where they knew the drugs were stored. Before she reached the main storage however, Asahina shouted over general comms.

"Contact! Above us!"

Just a moment later, a Gloucester hit the ground right in front of Kallen. She reared back in surprise at the purple machine, its golden lance shining in the sudden floodlights.

The Gloucester did not attack her, though. More Britannian Knightmares followed, but no immediate violence came. Everyone just... stared at each other for a moment.

And in the odd silence, Kallen realised with a start that the machine before her had a magnificent cape attached to its shoulders. She knew what that meant and almost hammered the comms button.

"I have Cornelia right in front of me!" she shouted into her mic, too dumbfounded to quiet down.

Kallen barely finished when the imperial princess shook off her confusion. A lance was raised in challenge, making Kallen bear her teeth.

"Engaging!"

"Fall back, Q-1," Tohdoh ordered calmly.

She grit her teeth at that, but did as told and reverted. It let her barely avoid a stab, though Guren could have dodged it anyway. The Gloucester pursued, but Tohdoh himself appeared by her side with his chainblade drawn.

"Support the rookies and watch for the white one," he ordered while engaging.

"Got it."

Kallen fell further back as the two began to duel. Britannian soldiers rushed into the area, though they wisely stayed away from the battling Knightmares. She was tempted to make a sweep for them, but she had bigger problems. Cornelia's elite forces ran circles around her own pilots.

So she threw herself at another Gloucester before it could impale a Burai, pushing the lance off-course. Bloodstained steel glinted in the floodlights as she grasped the machine's cockpit, only for it to evade. The Burai she just saved rammed into it however, forcing their enemy back into Kallen's reach.

Grinning, the redhead pressed her new favourite button. Guren's claw slammed shut, then her radiation wave emitter fried the whole enemy machine in seconds.

Return fire forced her to circle around, using the bulging Gloucester as a shield. Asahina already engaged that group by then. Kallen let go of her own victim, already aiming for another before the machine even exploded. The way the friendlies on her radar winked out one by one made her grit her teeth in frustration.

Before she could do anything about it however, she spotted him. He came right at her.

"White one confirmed," Kallen reported dutifully. "Engaging."

She got no response. Whoever remained on the line was too busy fighting.

It felt like both of them knew exactly where they were going. Kallen grinned at the thought of finally bringing this pilot down, whoever they were.

Unfortunately, KMF Lancelot quickly dashed any hope she had for a swift victory. Slash Harkens were parried on both sides, superheated sword met knife, and his experimental rifle was dodged at such close range. He never stayed in reach long enough for Kallen to grab him.

They almost danced across the factory grounds, a whirlwind of white and crimson. Evenly matched at every opportunity, they slowly wore each other down. Kallen lost her knife along the way, but blew up his swords in turn when he slipped up. Her heart thundered, her blood sang.

Separating from her opponent again, Kallen found a rocket coming her way. A quintet of Gloucesters followed in its wake.

She ducked under the projectile and continued to retreat; reinforcements were too much for her right now, much as she hated to admit it.

Then, thankfully, Zero's voice sounded: "Mission accomplished, retreat according to escape plan C."

The little glimpse she could spare while weaving around showed her a lot of dead Britannian soldiers. The power-armoured squad vanished into the night.

Tohdoh and Asahina retreated, banged up as they were. They raced out of the area with Britannian machines nipping on their heels, wrecked Burais littering the ground. Kallen made to leave as well under the cover of an exploding factory.

Despite that little distraction, it took her the better part of an hour to shake her pursuers in the dilapidated streets. She kept following the route Zero laid out, eventually rendezvouing with a truck to park Guren in.

Only when her machine powered down did Kallen have time to think. Her head throbbed, the leftover adrenaline still keeping her heart pumping.

This went about as wrong as it could have. Was this a setup? A trap by Cornelia? Would an imperial princess work with Refrain dealers?

Or maybe she just kept observing them, knowing the Black Knights would show up eventually?

Kallen tapped her controls without pushing any buttons for a time. In the end she reached for a damp cloth to wipe the sweat off her forehead again. She could not make heads or tails of this after all.

By the time she disembarked, her ride was loading up Asahina's Burai Kai. Tohdoh's protegé joined her on the ground soon after, offering a water bottle. Kallen thanked him tiredly and took a drink, then handed it back.

Asahina just grinned in turn, displaying an amount of energy that confused her.

"How are you still so chipper, Asahina-san? I'm pooped."

"Comes with the training," he returned playfully. "I just went through boot camp when the invasion happened. Never stopped keeping in shape."

The way he said it was innocuous, but Kallen's tired mind went to imagining his sculpted abs in an instant. She shook off the thought with a faint flush, thankfully hidden by the half-dark. Then she played over her little lapse with a nod.

"Makes sense. Do you have any insight on why Cornelia was there?"

The non-sequitur gave him pause. It was an important question that Kallen did want answered, especially after failing to figure it out herself.

Asahina frowned somewhat, pushing up his glasses in thought. "Looking back, it almost seems like her forces were surprised to see ours," he reasoned. "They didn't expect Knightmares, else they wouldn't have brought so much infantry. We were outnumbering her Knightmares at the start, too; if everyone but us and Tohdoh-san hadn't been rookies, we could've beaten her troops in a straight fight."

He had a point there, though the other implication made Kallen frown in turn. "You think we couldn't do that normally?"

She earned a sour look for that, followed by a sharp gesture into the nondescript distance. "The JLF was slaughtered almost to a man, Kozuki. So no, we really couldn't."

Kallen winced at the reminder, bowing her head in shame. She already forgot that bit over the recent excitement.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me."

"It's fine," he muttered, waving her off with a little sigh. "You just have to make sure not to forget that we're the weaker side here. This doesn't change even with Kyoto House's support and Zero in charge. Tohdoh-san agrees too, the only reason Britannia hasn't brought down the hammer sooner is that they're active in various theatres across the world. They're too big for us to face head-on."

After saying that, he glanced at her with a more discerning look. Kallen knew, just knew the next words he would say.

"I thought you would know that better than most."

The somewhat relaxed air between them turned frosty. Kallen scowled back at Asahina, not at all mollified by his matter-of-fact tone.

"I'm not responsible for being born half," she hissed.

He met her ire without flinching. Not a word was spoken. But Kallen could tell that he judged her in that silence. Just like so many others did over the years. As if she somehow had a choice. As if she were less for how she was born.

Their staring contest was interrupted before either of them gave. The truck stopped, their driver calling back that they reached home base.

Kallen was somewhat awake again by this point. She threw Asahina one last, scathing look and stood to walk away. She gave her hips a deliberate sway, but carefully did not look to check if he was watching. Let him see who he just lost all chances with.

Regardless, Asahina followed out a minute later. His expression remained blank and calm. Kallen ignored him as they emerged into a decently sized garage. From there they walked out onto the sidewalk, for HQ to drive by and pick them up soon after.

Kallen only relaxed again when the familiar seating area came into view. Zero already settled in his usual spot, looking over some notes. Tohdoh and Ohgi made it back before them, too.

For some reason however, Ohgi's hands were shaking as he looked through a small stack of papers. Kallen almost took it as nothing, but then she noticed that her friend's eyes quivered with unshed tears.

Kallen quickly took the seat next to him. "Did something happen?" she asked, startling the older man. He almost dropped his work, head snapping up.

Upon seeing her, Ohgi smiled.

"Kallen! You're alright!"

He then leaned over and hugged her tight. Kallen all but melted into the embrace, she needed it after the night she had. Nobody else commented, though she did not care what they may think either.

When they separated, Ohgi settled back down and Kallen took her own seat between him and Zero. She waited expectantly for a moment, but Ohgi did not speak yet. It was Zero who actually fielded her question.

"Inoue and Yoshida are among the casualties," he explained. The words were delivered calmly, but they stole the breath from Kallen's lungs. Everything suddenly turned on its head.

"N-No way, what happened?"

Now she had troubles not to burst into tears, either. It was like a punch to the gut, but on the inside. Yoshida was a cool guy, Inoue one of her female role models. She could not believe they were gone, yet Tohdoh said nothing to the contrary. Ohgi cringed, rubbing his eyes much like she did.

Zero's face turned her way properly now. He kept talking to her with that same, somewhat soothing calm: "Inoue was engaged by the white Knightmare before he changed course for you. Her pod got shot down after she ejected. Yoshida fought back two Gloucesters trying to outflank my ground forces on the way out."

"A gem in the rough, that one," Tohdoh supplied quietly. Zero nodded his agreement.

Kallen tried hard not to break into tears as reality slowly settled in. The absence of everyone else suddenly filled her with dread.

"What about the others?"

"Still en route," Zero calmed her. "They made it out fine."

Then Tohdoh chimed in, his voice firmer yet somehow gentle in the same breath: "It's in part because of you that so many made it out, Kozuki."

Kallen's head snapped to him, where she received a small nod of acknowledgement. "Most of the Britannian forces in pursuit focussed on you after that showing against the white Knightmare," Tohdoh explained. "Good work."

"T-Thanks."

Any other time, Kallen would be jubilant to be praised by a living legend. Right now, she had trouble being happy at all. She was clearly not good enough.

So Kallen began to brood. Nobody asked her to help with any paperwork, which she was grateful for. Even the revelation that they inflicted some decent losses on Cornelia's forces did not lift her mood; nor did it help any of the others as they trickled in alone or in pairs.

Far away from them, Nunnally was also unhappy with the situation as a whole.

Unlike those who fought that night, she could look at the situation with some detachment. Rather than any particular loss, she bemoaned the Black Knights' awful luck.

Cornelia was not there for them, no. According to Gottwald's report from the following day, she somehow managed to schedule her own raid for those Refrain dealers at the same time and date as the Black Knights.

If nothing else, this encounter shook up Cornelia's forces as well. Tohdoh was a match for her, at least until her knight of honour, sir Guilford, reinforced her. Kallen matched the Lancelot blow for blow, too. And that was after apparently taking out a Britannian ace, someone from a unit called Glaston Knights.

Moreover, their power armour let the Black Knights trample all over the Britannian infantry; they did not have a single casualty. Nunnally still had some choice words with Lelouch for leading from the front while outnumbered three to one, though. It did not have much of an effect, seeing how he knew that she knew he would be perfectly fine.

Nunnally passed on what she learned, but Lelouch told her that the mood among his inner council remained subdued. Kallen in particular was hit hard by the losses; she was despondent in class and during student council work, citing her illness as the cause.

"Should I feel sad about losing those people?" Nunnally asked, absently playing with some of her voluminous hair. It was still a lot, even after Lelouch shortened it to only reach her butt.

C.C., who lounged on her bed, hummed in thought.

"Humans are adept at detaching their emotions from those they don't know," she explained idly. "Your not being sad about deaths among forces you never met is perfectly normal."

Nunnally frowned at her computer's screen in response. "But is this a good thing? Wouldn't it be better if we could empathise with strangers?"

She did not look at C.C., just like C.C. did not bother looking at her. The older woman chuckled softly.

"Some will argue that our ability to stay detached is what facilitates society. There could be no global interaction if everyone cried once bad luck strikes a stranger on the other side of the planet."

Her tone remained idle and conversational. Nunnally soaked up every word to examine all the same. Chances were that C.C. tested her again for fun.

"At the same time, it allows us to commit atrocities against others without feeling much of anything," she answered.

A thoughtful hum was the only response from C.C. She still seemed to enjoy messing up Nunnally's bedspread, what with how she audibly rolled around in it. Nunnally herself spent the pause scrolling through a few tables; nothing within really registered with her, so she scrolled back up a minute later.

"At the very least it allows to order atrocities from the far distance of a command position," C.C. finally said. "Soldiers are trained to follow orders regardless of their thoughts and feelings on the matter. An awful combination indeed, yet a necessity."

"And why, pray tell, is that necessary?" Nunnally pressed with a sour look to C.C., who was now wrapped in a blanket cocoon. The immortal's cheshire smile immediately made an appearance, just as annoying when upside-down.

"Because not having soldiers means being vulnerable, girl. Whoever has them anyway will stand victorious in the end, so everyone has them to keep everyone else at bay. Peace is a state in which all sides are content with the status quo, but it is human nature to want more than you have."

Neither of their expressions changed. All Nunnally gave away of her annoyance and crestfallen mood was the faint twitch of her brows. C.C. was not wrong and they both knew it.

"That still doesn't mean it's impossible," she muttered softly.

C.C. studied her with curiousity now, the smirk reduced to just a little grin. "It is impossible," she judged. "A state of perfect peace would require drastic measures, like Lelouch using his Geass to force every human on the planet under his sway. Free will means bad intentions, and diverging morals develop as a matter of course. You can't change that by smiling and asking nicely."

It all sounded so reasonable with the tone she struck, a sage advising a fool indeed. Nunnally hated it, so she kept arguing just to be contrarian.

"Free will also means good intentions and moral growth, though. Humanity isn't stagnant or always devolving into barbarism, C.C.."

The older woman chuckled heartily at that, almost condescending in the sound alone. "Ah, if only you knew. Humans have always coveted what others had, or killed each other over petty nonsence like national pride."

Nunnally was oh so tempted to snap back with a reminder of her own awful past. She barely stopped herself, realising just in time that this may be an opportunity to learn more about C.C..

"Then explain it to me," she demanded. C.C.'s mirth faded swiftly, so she followed up: "You always talk like you know these things by heart, so how did you learn them?"

Now the older woman's mood changed visibly, expression turning blank. She slowly unwound the blankets and rolled onto her stomach, watching Nunnally with her chin resting on both hands. There was something inscrutable to her gaze, an almost palpable weight.

"Have you considered the implications of my always reviving, no matter how gruesome the method of my death?" she queried.

Nunnally had to mull that over for a moment; she felt like the answer was obvious, but came up empty when trying to put the idea in words. More damning, she thought she found it in the past but forgot. C.C. waited patiently for her, though that did not stop the silence from turning oppressive.

"I imagine, well, that it gives you a unique perspective on life and how easily it can be taken?" Nunnally tried. The following chuckle made her feel sheepish, then annoyed again.

"You are such a darling girl," C.C. chirped. It did not sound at all like a compliment. "But I give you points for trying."

She huffed once more and shook her head, then rolled back onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

"Just as I can not die, I do not age."

It was a reminder as much as a revelation. Nunnally was taken aback, finally remembering that she had similar notions. The way C.C. said it meant this was more important than Nunnally thought; with the amount of wisdom she dispensed as a matter of course, her aloof behaviour....

"How old are you?" Nunnally asked slowly.

Her question prompted a faint smile from C.C.. "My," she teasted, "how rude to ask a lady her age."

Nunnally rolled her eyes in response. "It's rude to do that because older people don't want to be reminded of their loss of beauty or encroaching death. You don't have to worry about either."

"Fair."

She wanted to keep pressing. Nunnally knew C.C. dangled the knowledge she wanted like a lure for more funny reactions, though. Pressing gave the other woman what she wanted.

"Please tell me?" she tried instead. It was the first time C.C. really said anything about herself; Nunnally could not let it pass.

The immortal made a show of humming in thought, eyes never meeting Nunnally's. In the end, she stretched out a little and spoke to the room more than her.

"Let's say the Holy Britannian Empire was not even a pipe dream when I was born."

That made it at least three hundred years. Nunnally could hardly comprehend someone living that long, much less imagine such a life. The woman before her was present for the formation of empires, perhaps even involved in it.

She burned with curiousity now. A thousand questions were only held back by the knowledge that C.C. would only answer as long as she felt like it.

Nunnally restrained herself for the moment. Instead of asking away, she moved her wheelchair over to C.C. and dragged herself onto the bed. The far older woman watched with faint curiousity while Nunnally worked with only her arms. She did not ask for help and none was given.

It took a little while until she was comfortable, lying on her stomach right next to C.C.. Staring into those golden eyes from up close, Nunnally began to understand why C.C.'s gaze felt so odd. What the weight behind it was.

"So you know all these things because you saw them happen before?" she finally asked.

C.C. did not even bother nodding. "Again and again and again. There are almost simple patterns to these events."

"And nothing ever got better?"

Her question seemed to cause something now. C.C. kept her silence for a time, gaze a hundred miles and years away. Nunnally watched her beautiful features from up close, slightly tempted to poke her cheek to see what happened.

When C.C. did answer, it was without quite looking at Nunnally: "Sometimes things get better, sometimes they get worse. The only thing that ever improves is humanity's arsenal of weapons to kill each other with."

Her words were damning. Too damning, at that.

"But we're still here, even after all this time," Nunnally argued, unwilling to accept it. "I don't want to believe that all this is just humanity slowly dying."

A hand landed on her own then, squeezing softly. C.C. graced her with a kinder, almost motherly smile.

"I never said that, now did I? I said the peace you imagine is impossible."

"Huh?"

She squeezed Nunnally's hand again, offering comfort the far younger one was not sure what she did to earn. C.C. elaborated kindly for her sake: "Peace, true and total peace, is an ideal. It's perfect and thus unattainable. There have always been those like you who wished for it, yet fell short in one way or another. This doesn't mean their efforts were wasted."

There was more hope to it than earlier, but the turnabout made Nunnally frown nonetheless. Her heart jolted, torn back and forth between hope and hopelessness.

"Then what was all the other stuff about?" she demanded, upon which C.C.'s smile turned mischievous.

"Tempering your expectations, mostly. Then we got distracted."

Nunnally just uttered a soft huff in response. The silence that followed in its wake was a lot more pleasant than those before, though.

C.C. slowly reached out to cup Nunnally's cheek. "You remind me of Jeanne, come to think of it," she mused. "So young, yet filled with passion and the will to persevere."

Nunnally's mind stumbled, head tilting faintly. "Who?" she asked on reflex. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but she could not put any memory to it.

Unfortunately, she only got another mischievous smile in response.

"Even a mortal lifespan is not short, girl," C.C. advised. "You have time."

With the subject thus closed, the two just lay together for a little while. Nunnally eventually sighed and closed her eyes as well; the darkness behind her lids was nostalgic more than terrifying at this point.

"I do hope we have that time. Cornelia is still in the country and gearing up to hunt us."

A soft chuckle followed, only heard but clearly mirthful. "Of course she is," C.C. agreed. "The Black Knights pushed back, revealing a clear upsurge in manpower and material. They make for far more titillating prey than back alley dealers and small-time gangs. Britannia acknowledges you as a threat, just like you wanted."

Nunnally made a face. The 'now you face the consequences' remained unsaid, but she clearly heard it.

And the consequences followed indeed. Cornelia brought her A-game throughout the next month, harrying the black Knights around the country.

Jeremiah Gottwald was the main reason Zero managed to avoid every direct confrontation, instead of just most. The masked revolutionary adopted a hit-and-run approach, well aware they could not face Britannia in open battle. The implications of that understanding caused many a worried conversation between him and his sister.

Several skirmishes did happen throughout January, but the Black Knights always got away with minimum casualties. A number of dummy cells and subgroups with low clearance were busted as well, but nobody of actual value was captured.

As February began, Nunnally dared to hope for success. Cornelia's stay in Area Eleven would soon come to an end, she was needed elsewhere.

And then, of course, things came to a head just a week before Cornelia's departure.

It all began with a message from Gottwald, informing her that Chinese forces landed in Kyushu and ran over the entire area. What she learned was troubling in many a way.

The Japanese government-in-exile had returned to retake what was theirs.

 

[Naron]

Nunnally and Lelouch faced each other at the kitchen table, their teeth grit. C.C. sat with them while Sayoko stood ready in a corner, concern for once visible on the maid's face.

Nunnally's mind was racing as she tried to work through the implications of what happened.

They barely had any time, it would take only hours until the media caught wind of this invasion; Kyushu went dark as the coastal garrison was overrun, there was no way to keep it quiet. What was more, the Chinese arrogantly announced their casus belli as being allied with 'the rightful government of Japan'. They tipped their hand, but their exact plan was unclear yet.

No matter how much she tried to find the link she missed however, Nunnally could not narrow it down. She was lost.

"Is this good?" she hesitantly asked of her brother. "Or bad?"

Lelouch's face clouded over some time ago, which was enough of an answer once she noticed. He said nothing, not that he needed to.

"Why, is this not what the Japanese called for? Liberation?" C.C. chirped mirthfully into the silence between them.

Nunnally's lips curled downward in response. She knew that flippancy was meant to bait her, but could not stop herself from reacting. At this point she really wished C.C. would state it clearly, instead of hiding the intention behind sounding like a bitch about it.

"It will be war," Lelouch said. He gave no indication that C.C.'s interruption upset him, or that he heard it at all. All eyes were on him now.

Lelouch slowly lowered his chin in one hand, as he often did when thinking.

"Even with the Chinese digging down as they do, the numbers Gottwald gave us are nowhere near enough to face Cornelia in the field. That doesn't even take Britannian reinforcements into account. Same for the small fleet they have guarding their beachhead. They must know that, too."

"So there will be more Chinese forces landing later?" Nunnally guessed, curious. "A full-blown war on Japan's back?"

Lelouch nodded, but froze with his lips halfway open. He breathed a faint "No" that was more bafflement than shock. His eyes grew wider as some sort of realisation followed, a startled look given to Nunnally.

"No reinforcements will come," he declared softly. "They don't need them when there is an army waiting right here."

He just looked at his sister, who could not follow that quickly. At first she suspected the Black Knights, but felt that would not upset him so. It clicked once she tried to think of who else in this country could fight, though. Nunnally's eyes widened in turn.

"They wouldn't."

Lelouch snorted, a sound of disbelief as much as discontent. "The Chinese hate the Japanese, of course they would. Raise up what's left of their government to call them to rebel, let them bleed themselves out stemming Britannia's advance, then swoop in to claim the prize. It's an elegant stratagem, even."

"More like abhorrent," Nunnally snapped back, glaring at her brother for even suggesting this was good in any form. He inclined his head but said nothing, which elicited a growl from Nunnally.

She mimicked her brother's posture, chin resting on her folded hands.

"What do we do here? We can't allow them to use the Japanese as footsoldiers, especially the civilians."

Even if they could, she would not allow it. Lelouch did not even bother arguing the point, aware of her feelings and unwilling to do anything of the like himself. They had a good thing going so far, this would be a desperate move coming from anyone who wished to maintain Japanese society.

She received another text in the contemplative silence. After squinting at it, Nunnally sighed. "And Cornelia seems to have gathered as much as us, she's mustering forces as fast as she can."

Lelouch glanced at the clock on his phone in turn, slowly shaking his head. "She won't be fast enough," he judged. "The rebellion will begin today. I expect it as soon as the Chinese are done digging in to watch the slaughter."

He was probably right, which only upset her more. Nunnally nodded back, seething quietly as she read the update. "She also called the First Pacific Fleet for reinforcements, but it will take a few days for them to swing around."

Even as she relayed the news, Nunnally could see her brother's expression smooth out. She was lost, unable to form a coherent picture at the speed they needed. She was a passable strategist, but the mere thought of putting so many innocent lives at stake gave her pause. What if she messed up and Japan was torched again?

But even in her own petrification, Nunnally knew that Lelouch had begun assembling the pieces on a mental board.

"What do we do?" she asked him quietly, all but begging for guidance.

He reached over and took her hand, the contact calming her some. His answer to her question was slow and pondering.

"We have three broad options: intervene for either side, or do nothing. Going with the last one first, we can sit here and do nothing; hold out to let everyone wipe each other out before swooping in and taking Japan from whoever is left standing. This might even let us capture Cornelia."

Lelouch's voice gave no indicator of his feelings. Nunnally just felt sick at the mere idea of letting hundreds of thousands run into the grinder; her expression clearly told her brother what she thought of that approach. He nodded back.

"I don't like it much, either. The fact aside that it isn't palatable, I as Zero would lose all trust from the Black Knights regardless the result. Japan would come out so broken that reassembling her will be all but impossible. So that leaves two options: do we go into this declaring for Japan... or for Britannia?"

The pause he left was quite indicative of his thoughts. Him saying it out loud made Nunnally recoil from the idea as well. Them, aiding the empire? After everything that was done to them? Where the idea of letting the Japanese get slaughtered sickened her, this made her physically ill to even consider. Bile rose up her throat, barely forced back down.

And suddenly, Nunnally was hyperaware of C.C.. The immortal woman eyed them both with attentive curiousity, far more alert than she ever was before.

With what Nunnally learned about her barely an hour ago, realisation came with ice-cold clarity.

This was a turning point.

Nunnally took a shuddering breath, trying hard to keep the revulsion down. "I don't like where this is going," she muttered. "What do you think we can expect?"

Lelouch scowled, the rest of him still as a statue. His feelings on this were the same as hers, but he forced himself to analyse the situation anyway.

"If we declare for Japan and put everything we have into it, we can mitigate the casualties. We can stalemate Cornelia, maybe even drive her out. But the Black Knights are not trained enough for open battle, much less numerous enough to win. There isn't enough time to prepare the battleground, we would need to take all of Tokyo Settlement to even have a chance. The odds are against us even if the Chinese end up joining in."

He left a pause there, looking past Nunnally instead of at her.

"This is horrible timing. On the off-chance we do win, we will be heavily weakened. We will have to hope that the Chinese can be reasoned with. Even in that best case, they will ask for whatever rewards Sawasaki and the rest of the cabinet promised them, and more on top."

Nunnally's frown deepened with each sentence. What Lelouch outlined there was awful to consider, yet absolutely what an opportunistic person would do.

Her brother was quiet, clearly unwilling to even say the rest. There was no need to, Nunnally could tell his genius mind did not just stop there.

She swallowed some more bile, took a deep breath, and asked the question for both of them: "What of the other option?"

Her words hung heavy in the quiet.

Lelouch visibly fought with himself for a few moments. When he finally spoke, his voice was detached.

"If we declare for Britannia, our part in this lies in preventing an uprising. We need to gamble on Zero's reputation exceeding that of the previous government. Stay our hand to keep Cornelia free to deal with the Chinese uninterrupted. This will also not go over well with the Black Knights, at least at first. I need to leverage Tohdoh and hope he understands the true plan on Sawasaki's end."

It sounded overall simpler, better even.

"I hate this," Nunnally admitted.

Lelouch sighed. "I hate it too. This is our best option if we want to play the long game. If we just want to free Japan no matter what, then we have to sit back. Working with Sawasaki and the Chinese is our worst option."

"Our options are working alongside Britannia, a near-genocidal bloodbath, and exchanging one oppressor for another."

Despite her audible upset at being in an impossible position, Lelouch did not talk back. He knew she was right.

They sat and stared at each other as the minutes ticked by. Both of them knew what they had to do, but neither wanted to be the one to say it. Neither C.C. nor Sayoko interfered.

Nunnally closed her eyes, trying to make herself admit it. She could not get herself to speak. She hated it, the mere idea of what she must make herself say.

Her fingers closed around the empty teacup, then she hurled it past her brother. It shattered against the wall, producing enough noise to startle both Lelouch and Sayoko.

Scowling heavily in the ringing silence, Nunnally started tapping at her phone. "What would be Cornelia's best course of action if no reinforcements come for the Chinese?" she queried.

"A siege," Lelouch replied slowly, testing every word. "She can starve them out."

Nunnally said no more and finished the message.

Minutes later, Princess Cornelia arched an immaculate brow at Jeremiah Gottwald.

"A siege?" she asked, just to be certain she heard him right.

"Yes, your highness."

The man did not look at her, kneeling with his face to the ground. It was only him, her, and Gilbert, the latter of which stared down at Gottwald with a piercing gaze. They were just about to mount their Gloucesters when he approached them.

"You know what you are asking for? What you suggest?" Cornelia continued to question, just to make sure this was what she thought.

All she received was a faint nod and a firm "Yes, your highness".

For just a moment, Cornelia was torn. She knew Gottwald would never speak out such madness on his own, so it was a message. Even a rough idea of the numbers told her that Zero had good odds of defeating her here if he allied with the Chinese. But she could also imagine what the Chinese would do in the aftermath; it appeared that he could imagine it, too.

Did she trust her estranged brother to do the right thing?

The prudent decision for her would be to distrust this message and proceed to break through the Chinese stronghold with all she had. Losses would be notably higher than from a siege, but still less than if that message was a trap.

However, reason stalemated against her heart telling her to trust. And her gut agreed with her heart in this case.

Turning away from Gottwald, Cornelia managed to hide her grimace. It was not just her life on the line, but Euphie's as well. At the same time, her sister was all grown up now. She could look after herself.

This was a chance to earn back the trust she lost eight years ago. Perhaps her only one.

That thought settled it.

Cornelia turned to Gilbert properly now.

"Relay orders to cordon off the Kyushu stronghold and all access paths to the rest of Area Eleven. I will speak to Admiral Ramsay myself. All units are to remain outside of the enemy's effective range and not engage unless the Chinese try to break out."

Both men caught her drift at once. Gilbert simply nodded, Gottwald bowed his head deeper until she dismissed him.

Cornelia then ziplined into her Knightmare's cockpit, soon mirrored by her knight.

"Is this wise?" Gilbert questioned while they settled into their respective machines. He was ever the worrywart, but such was their relationship; she charged ahead, he stopped her with a firm grip before she tripped.

"You ask that a lot of late," Cornelia teased with a soft huff, well aware the noise would not be transmitted.

"Yes, well, I have trouble telling whether my princess turned into a nostalgic fool of late."

"Perhaps I have, Gilbert. Perhaps I have."

She dropped the banter there, still well aware this was not the best tactical decision. It was, however, the best decision to make as a sister.

A VTOL craft picked up her Gloucester soon enough and ferried her to the front lines, where dozens of G1 mobile bases were already setting up shop in defended locations. The vast majority of Britannian forces in the country mobilised for this endeavour, digging in like the invaders did.

Outside of some small skirmishes that were barely worth calling such, both sides stared warily at each other for the next few hours. Cornelia did not know it, but her actions were somewhat mirrored by the Black Knights; they, too, scrambled to make their own preparations. Unlike the Britannian army however, there were a great many heated argument when news of the plan spread.

Just an hour before nightfall, the expected transmission happened on all frequencies. They could be heard on every wireless, seen on each TV. It was obviously an inside job, but none could find the culprit in time.

Cabinet chairman Atsushi Sawasaki was visible front and center; clad in an ironed business suit, his dark hair cropped short, he oozed confidence and strength. A reminder to the older generations of what Japan once was.

He spoke in Japanese, scaring the Britannians who had no idea what was happening yet. It was a rousing speech about reclaiming what rightfully belonged to the Japanese; that they and their Chinese allies were occupying Kyushu, keeping Britannian forces occupied.

"The people of Japan bided their time to take back their freedom!" he declared grandly. "Everyone, I tell you that time is now! Rise up as one and-"

Just then, the moment his intentions were confirmed as what the other factions already suspected, the broadcast cut off.

Static sounded for a moment, then Sawasaki was replaced with Zero. The masked man's imposing figure seemed brighter than the man before him. And although he spoke Japanese, his speech was subtitled for the Britannian population to understand. Nobody realised it was pre-recorded.

"We have heard the traitors' words, but we shall not answer them!" Zero opened in a strong voice, offering his hand toward the screen. "People of Japan, I urge you to remember that while you all remained and suffered, this man and his compatriots fled into exile like cowards!"

He left a pause to let it sink in, during which a recording played. The whole country was shown how Chinese Gun-Ru Knightmare Frames raced along the shoreline.

"That man who speaks of rising up, of gaining freedom, who ran like a dog with his tail between his legs, now wants you who suffered so much to bleed like never before! There will be no freedom if you let his words fool you! Once the dust settles, you have just exchanged Britannia for the Chinese Federation."

The recording changed to a diagram of the country; it showed Kyushu in red and the rest of Japan in blue. The red quickly spread downward, then began to blink once it encompassed all of Japan.

"You were abandoned by these demons for eight long years," Zero continued, visible once more. His voice slowly grew from calm to a growl, louder and more impassionioned with every word. "Only for their first words upon return to be a call to arms. They want you to pay the price for their wounded pride in retaking Japan, without even a chance to hold it. Once more I ask you not to listen! Japan lives in all of us and one day she will be free again, but not like this!"

He spread his arms wide toward the end, as if to embrace them all. Then the broadcast cut off.

Cornelia saw it too, one brow raised in bewilderment. Satisfaction featured heavily in her mind; her trust paid off, although she did not expect him to do something like this.

Nunnally was on the phone with Kaguya throughout the broadcast, neither girl wanting to be alone. Zero made ready to act against whomever did try to rebel anyway, though they all hoped it would not be many. Kaguya shivered in her chair, unable to say much of anything; horror visions of a bloody rebellion played before her mind's eye.

Across the country, people looked out of their windows in worry. They wondered if explosions would brighten the night any moment now, whether they would have to flee their homes.

Millicent Ashford sat still at her TV, fear clawing at her heart.

Shirley Fenette held hands with her mother, her father's absence clearly felt. At least he was safe at whatever classified project he worked on elsewhere.

Nina Einstein sat alone in the shadows, deeply conflicted. She was still so afraid, yet Zero's words soothed her, even when spoken in that horrible tongue.

Rivalz Cardemonde hurried home early from his part-time job. Nobody would come in anymore after that, so everyone left.

Much to his dismay, he was the first one to see it.

What few units the Knight Police had in town were mobilised to patrol alongside regular forces. They were ready to do their duty. But they were completely unprepared for scores of strange, other Knightmares to take to the streets. Unmarked trucks appeared and suddenly, masked people in black uniforms were everywhere.

Yet despite it all, even with Rivalz's heart beating up to his chest, traffic continued as normal. A dozen armour-clad forms leapt across the street from one rooftop to another; they just kept on going as if it was normal.

He swallowed, focussing on the street as best as he could. Yet his eyes kept straying while his bike stood still at an intersection.

Most of the people he saw only had the upper halves of their faces covered; their Asian features were still fairly visible. Nobody smiled, many even frowned. They were unhappy, yet not a single shot was fired despite the copious amount of weapons on display.

Rivalz kept his head down as best he could and drove home, right past a vicious-looking red Knightmare with a long claw.

Similar situations played out across all of Tokyo and various ghettos. Black Knights patrols appeared everywhere and beat down the small numbers of people who ignored Zero's plea. Police frantically called for backup from the army, only to be told to hold fire; they were heavily outnumbered and their troops held at Kyushu, or so they were told. In truth, Cornelia could spare some forces, but decided to hold to that informal truce.

And hold it did. Even though neither side acknowledged working for or with the other, few innocents were hurt over the weeks that followed. The Black Knights openly patrolled for three full days before vanishing into the shadows; then, when a small group of terrorists came out to shoot up a Britannian store, thinking the coast was clear, they were quickly gunned down out of nowhere.

Things became calm afterward, life went on as normal. The only thing unusual for most people were the daily news reports about Kyushu's situation.

Lelouch and Nunnally got a bit more than the official version from Gottwald, but there was little of note to it; the invaders were contained on the peninsula, the Chinese flotilla that brought them annihilated when the Britannian First Pacific Fleet arrived. Their much larger force simply rolled over the Chinese ships.

Unfortunately, the landbound forces dug in too far away from the coast for naval bombardments. Cornelia did not commit aircraft into the plentiful anti-air guns, either. She was set on starving out the defenders.

Cornelia herself mused about the situation as February came to a close. She would be out of the country already if this had not happened. She also had to answer some pointed questions by her brother Schneizel about letting Zero do whatever; if nothing else, the fact Zero kept to his word gave her decision credence. Results mattered most after all.

"Scouts report movement among enemy forces," Gilbert interrupted her thoughts studiously. "They are forming up."

She glanced up from her desk, then down at her nightgown. It was close to midnight. Of course they had to pick this time of them all.

"Ready up."

Cornelia did not like being the one who reacted, but letting the Chinese come to her remained the better plan than cracking a fortified position. Not to mention that the last month gave her ample time to prepare their possible escape routes.

A grim smile sat on her face as she pulled the gown over her head, then swapped into her suit. It took less than two minutes, any care for her hair foregone. Cornelia grabbed her Gloucester's key and strode off. Gilbert shadowed her once again.

Alerted and woken soldiers raced all around them to support the current shift, who were already engaging Chinese forces. Kururugi's Lancelot raced ahead by the time she reached the hangar, in accordance with her standing orders; his response was exemplary even at a time like this.

Her faithful royal guard mounted up in droves around Cornelia. She settled comfortably in her cockpit and turned on the radio.

"Soldiers of the empire," she bellowed, making certain all heard her. "The time has come for us to prove once more that none can stand in our way! Our enemies are desperately trying to break out of the siege, let none escape!"

A series of acknowledgements and shouts answered while she started racing toward the battle lines. Her guard followed hot on her heels.

Mines exploded in the distance where Gun Ru forces rolled into them as they tried to clear a path. Rangers moved unseen in the dark, veterans of the middle east and some even recruited from there. They kept track of various Chinese battlegroups, striking them from the dark of night with impunity. Britannian soldiers and Honouraries both held the line with ferocity that Cornelia herself instilled during the hunt for terrorists.

She could almost feel the jubilation in their hearts when her and the royal guard leapt over the Britannian fortifications. Chinese forces broke immediately, fleeing back to their stronghold.

But while the Gun-Ru were fast, Cornelia was faster.

There was a grim satisfaction to her approach, slowly catching up with enemy machines and destroying them one by one. She and her squad worked their way through a third of the group before they were perilously far into their own cover.

By now she knew for certain that this was not just another prod at their defenses; this was a full-on breakout.

"Fall back, Princess," Darlton's grim voice sounded over the radio. "You are too close to enemy lines."

Cornelia just snorted in derision and gunned down a quartet of footsoldiers. A fifth one who survived threw away his gun in surrender.

"They are hungry and tired," she retorted. "I can do this much."

"Desperate beasts fight the hardest, Princess."

He had a point there, she could admit. However, pride won out over reason in this case.

"And yet they are put down in the end."

His sigh was either internal or not transmitted, though she knew he uttered one. There was no more backtalk, Cornelia's decision made. She raised her machine's golden lance up toward another group of Gun-Ru.

"Onward!"

The royal guard followed. Other Knightmare squads swarmed enemy territory at this point, too. Chinese mounted guns could hardly shoot into the hectic melee everywhere, even when the fighting moved on open ground. It was still dark despite the occasional flares going up.

Cornelia danced among the inferior machines, certain in their victory, when the ground right next to her exploded in a cloud of dust and stone splinters. The force of impact rattled her enough to whirl around, just in time to dodge another shell by a hair's breadth. It took one of her knights in the chest, blowing up with enough force to shatter the reinforced cockpit.

Other artillery pieces joined in, making Cornelia face a sombering reality: these idiots were willing to shell their own forces.

And they were idiots indeed; most machines hit were Gun-Ru, seeing how the Britannian forces began evasive maneuvers. And yet the Chinese still kept coming right at Cornelia. They seemed to have accepted their defeat, now wanting to go out in a blaze of glory.

She gritted her teeth and caught another shell on her lance. The resulting explosion shook her Knightmare, half melting and half crushing the attached arm. Yet Cornelia remained and kept on fighting in the thick of it.

"Darlton!" she barked. "Move in with haste and eliminate their artillery!"

"On my way already," was all he said.

Her royal guard took a beating at these odds. The onrush was too great to retreat from safely. Gilbert stood back to back with Cornelia, keeping her from getting outflanked with all his skill and sheer, bloody stubborness.

Then another friendly raced closer at breakneck speed. She only got a glimpse of her radar with how busy she was dodging, long since having lost sight of the overall situation.

A dirtied yet still white Knightmare leapt between her and another shell. The green-gleaming Blaze Luminous shield strained against its force, but it held back the explosion.

"General Darlton ordered me over, your highness," Kururugi explained frantically over the radio, already in battle with a rushing Gun-Ru. "We need to get you out of here!"

The stratagem had merit, Cornelia knew that. Retreat now and wipe out the rest over time. Or she could end this right now, remain in place and use herself as bait; dangle the chance of a great feat before her enemies, making them easy to be quashed in one go. It would take a direct hit to stop her from ejecting safely either way.

Heartbeat heavy in her own ears, body full of adrenaline, Cornelia made a snap decision: "We stay. This is total victory once Darlton is done with their ranged support."

So saying, she reoriented herself and engaged Slash Harkens. Her Gloucester may be down both arms, but she did not need them for the rabble.

"All units, form up and carry on!"

She knew she would have to replenish her guard after this. Not everyone got the chance to eject. But she had a prospective member right there.

Kururugi, to his credit, did not argue. Though he kept from leaping ahead of them this time. If anything, he acted as her guard would without any orders needed, protecting Cornelia's frame from being outflanked.

As they fought through the wave of Chinese machines and did their best to move erratically to avoid artillery fire, Cornelia had to admit once more that this Eleven outmatched her. It was both galling and humbling, but it also ignited her competetive spirit. She refused to be found wanting when compared to anyone, and so she fought with renewed ferocity.

Just then he leapt in front of her.

Cornelia did not even notice the shell coming her way before it rammed into his shield. The violent explosion was followed by smoke and dust... and Kururugi's IFF signal vanished.

Cornelia's senses sharpened at the unexpected turn, but neither she nor anybody else had a chance to act: the remaining Gun-Ru focussed fire into the smoke cloud. And somehow, Cornelia knew, their own foolishness achieved what their inferior technology failed to do before.

A comment from Asplund returned to her mind unbidden: Lancelot had always been and still was an energy hog. All the experimental technology it carried still needed refinement.

Her own Energy Filler sat below a third by now, which meant Kururugi's must have run out over blocking that shell.

She did not even have time to check immediately, too busy fighting off the remaining enemies. Cornelia only got a good look at what was left of Lancelot two minutes later, when Darlton reported the artillery destroyed.

The handful of Gun-Ru left by that point tried to scatter. She did not give them the chance.

"All forces advance! Crush what is left of these infidels, but take the instigators alive!"

Battlecries answered and battered machines overtook her. Cornelia remained where she fought, though; this was enough contribution from her, she reasoned. The soldiers could earn their keep now. Not to mention that she would need to swap Energy Fillers either way.

And, as much as she preferred not to think of why, her gaze was drawn to Lancelot.

The white knightmare was in a sorry state. Every part including the cockpit was riddled with bullet holes. It fell over mid-motion, joints locked and one arm partly destroyed by the blastwave.

With the fighting now well away from her position, Cornelia took a roll call of her guard. Most managed to eject, but not all. Which meant it fell to her to take stock.

She took a deep breath and disembarked to check the wrecks, starting with Lancelot. Gilbert continued to guard her dutifully, shining light on the broken machine for her to maneuver in.

They both knew what they would find, but witnessing it in person was all she could offer now.

 

[Sonata]

Oh man, please tell me Suzaku is dead, pleaseeeeeeeeee, let him be dead or at least, hurt enough to be out of duty for months.

 

[Naron]

Oh man, please tell me Suzaku is dead, pleaseeeeeeeeee, let him be dead or at least, hurt enough to be out of duty for months.

Click to shrink...

I sense quite high levels of dislike for the man. Any particular reason?

 

[Akuma-Heika]

The white knightmare was in a sorry state. Every part including the cockpit was riddled with bullet holes. It fell over mid-motion, joints locked and one arm partly destroyed by the blastwave.

With the fighting now well away from her position, Cornelia took a roll call of her guard. Most managed to eject, but not all. Which meant it fell to her to take stock.

She took a deep breath and disembarked to check the wrecks, starting with Lancelot. Gilbert continued to guard her dutifully, shining light on the broken machine for her to maneuver in.

They both knew what they would find, but witnessing it in person was all she could offer now.

Click to shrink...

Right now I am guessing that Suzaku is the one who will become the cyborg instead of Jeremiah

 

[Sonata]

I sense quite high levels of dislike for the man. Any particular reason?

Click to shrink...

He is the one that has all the idiot balls handed to him, he just exist to make Lelouch look good and to show what not to do. The guy had a plot armor soo strong even Lelouch the Mc got killed and the guy just keep on going like a Mary Sue

 

[Naron]

The morning sun cast her first rays along the battlefield, revealing the dead. A stillness haunted the aftermath, as if the world held its breath.

Although the rangers still hunted down some stragglers, the overall result was undisputable: total victory. The Chinese forces had been crushed, Sawasaki and his contemporaries were seized without further complications; the cowards surrendered instantly, now they awaited their fate in a cell.

Cornelia already decided to have the lot of them publically executed. They would serve as an example for the price of challenging Britannian supremacy.

For now however, there were more important things to do.

Her forces still recovered bodies and material from the field. A steady influx of names filled the list, though it was ultimately shorter than she feared. Prisoners of war were to be processed as well, though she would have to get some people who spoke Mandarin for that.

A somber mood took hold of the main camp, for once unaffected by Cornelia's presence. She knew the feeling all too well; celebrating their victory came later, for now her men and women were simply tired. She felt much the same.

Passing by Gottwald, Cornelia changed course. The man stared into the distance, a mug of coffee in one hand and a set of dog tags in the other. She came to stand by his side, neither quite looking at the other.

"How many?"

He drew up his head some in response, revealing a serene calm. Gottwald slowly offered four dog tags for inspection, but he also offered her each name. All members of the Purist faction, she noticed. The only one he paused at was Viletta Nu, whom Cornelia recalled was a commoner who earned her knighthood on merit. She was also a close supporter of Jeremiah Gottwald, so perhaps there was a little more between them than the documents said.

Regardless, she offered a sympathetic nod and moved on. Gottwald remained where he was, looking at the battlefield in whatever ritual he chose to honour the fallen.

Cornelia's current goal was a place she did not expect to approach willingly before last night. The Camelot Institute's trailer was parked a short ways away, brought along by Asplund as usual.

Only today, the frame held inside was in pieces. Nobody had bothered to even hose off the mud and dirt yet. No tarp hid the many holes riddling their proud frame.

It felt miserable to see this prototype so broken. Cornelia could not quite tell if this was because of the machine or the devicer, though. It bothered her a little.

What bothered her more was the sight of Lloyd Asplund, though. She found him calmly tapping away at a computer station, looking for all the world like nothing happened. His assistant was nowhere to be seen, the man himself too engrossed in his work to even notice the sound of Cornelia's footsteps.

Once they were near enough, Gilbert cleared his throat in her stead. The noise finally served to get Asplund's attention; only in his turning around did Cornelia find traces of exhaustion. The man was tired just like the rest of them, though he still rose and offered a deep bow.

"Oh my, what a surprise to see your highness so soon," Asplund greeted, still mellow but for once without that mocking lilt. "How may I be of service?"

Two sentences and she already felt a headache coming on. She was tempted to ask how he could be so unaffected right after a major battle, but swallowed the question.

"Where is your assistant?" she deflected, mainly for time to order her thoughts.

In turn, Asplund pointed his thumb over his shoulder. He indicated one of the siderooms that was clearly locked. "Dear Cecile took Suzaku's death rather badly and locked herself in there to grieve," he explained. His calm tone and that lilt did not fit his words at all. The way he did not waste any time on pleasantries was both appreciated and alienating.

"You do not seem all that shaken yourself," Cornelia prodded, curious despite herself. His nonchalance did not fit the fact he was ready to stand between Kururugi and Cornelia before.

Asplund bore a tired smile in response. "Well, that is because I don't care about people, your highness. Losing Suzaku was a shame, but there will be other devicers."

It really did not add up. What was true with this man? Perhaps his constant swings in behaviour were a strategy to stay unpredictable. He certainly managed to incite Cornelia's curiousity.

"You were surprisingly lenient on Kururugi for someone who does not care beyond their abilities as a devicer."

It was a statement as much as a question, to which Asplund threw her an outright mischievous grin. "Why, that is quite simple, your highness," he lectured, that familiar cheer returning at last. "Just because I don't care does not mean I need to be a jerk about it. It's much easier to work with people if they like you."

His words gave her pause, the man himself still far too mellow about it all for Cornelia's liking. She felt more than heard Gilbert shift, agitated over Asplund daring to quip at her in such a manner. Cornelia herself could not help but arch a brow, dubious.

"Noblesse Oblige?"

Her bewildered question actually got a little laugh out of the scientist. Asplund immediately shook his head and waved his arms to emphasize.

"No, no," he denied immediately, only to pause with a thoughtful hum. "Then again, the concept does align closely with my own views. But as I just said, being polite and friendly with people even when I don't have to loses me nothing. It is much the same reason why my brother and sister-in-law oversee our earldom; I don't care much for it, but they do. So why would I try to hold onto the reins and risk them trying to engineer an accident to get them from me? As is, they are happy playing politics in my stead, and I am happy advancing human knowledge one step at a time."

He laid it out so matter-of-factly that Cornelia felt compelled to believe him. There was logic to it, but she still had trouble conceiving of anyone willingly stepping away from their power and influence. Why would he not want that? The coffers of an earldom could easily bolster his research budget, or let him actually rent proper accomodations after he spent his entire budget on Lancelot.

It was the premise of him not caring that threw her for a loop. Who did that?

She barely, barely stamped down on the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. This was not why she was here.

"Do you have anything about Kururugi's next of kin?"

His interested "Ohoooo!" made her twitch. Going by the look in his eyes, upsetting her was the intention behind that response.

That was when Cornelia realised his demeanour really was just another mask to trip people off. Make them show their hand once upset. She smoothed out her expression, refusing to play his game and waiting stoically.

"My," Asplund chirped soon enough, "what an honour for our late friend. I do indeed know his next of kin, your highness."

He told her the details he had, which was really all Cornelia needed. She made a point not to thank him, just like he made a point to bid her goodbye in the most gratingly cheerful way imaginable.

Despite the annoyance of having to deal with Lloyd Asplund at seven in the morning, she at least got what she came for. So she went to make some calls, the cleanup left to her troops and auxiliaries.

Not even two hours later, Cornelia was led through a place she never expected to visit in person: Mt. Fuji, the most plentiful Sakuradite deposit in the world. The former Japan's greatest bargaining chip for political independence against the surrounding superpowers, but also the greatest lure for their conquest.

Moreover, unlike what the wary and worried onlookers may suspect, she had not come for an inspection. No, she was the bearer of bad news, at least this one visit having to happen before the official announcement.

The Elevens bowed deeply as was proper, but not all of them could hide their alienation. They did not want her here, that much she knew. But Cornelia paid them no mind, she expected the animosity. Gilbert would cover her if anyone dared act on the feeling; he shadowed her as always, still oozing displeasure about this decision but keeping his silence.

Kururugi was not one of her guard, so she was not obligated to deliver the news in person. His saving her life at least once however, if not twice, made Cornelia feel he earned the courtesy. Being a confidante of Lelouch's only added to it. And lastly, his next of kin was the only one she could reach on short notice.

Cornelia traversed the facility in silence, expression curt. The guide provided to her was much the same, if rather more uncomfortable to be in such close proximity to an imperial princess.

She was soon admitted into a moderately sized office, where she found the girl she was looking for. The teen was accompanied by an elderly man that Cornelia already knew, both of their expressions too blank to hide their respective worry.

Her brow twitched, but she did not bother questioning Kirihara's presence here. An imperial princess asking for Kaguya Sumeragi by name ought to raise all sorts of red flags for them; she was a pretty girl, already blossomed into maturity. A good bit too young for Cornelia to consider, though they naturally did not know that.

The girl herself curtsied, then took a knee as was proper. Even Cornelia could not find fault with her manners. Kirihara bowed as well, though no more.

"Please forgive my not kneeling, your highness," he offered by way of greeting. "These old bones no longer allow it."

She could use the breach of protocol to make an issue of it if she wanted. She had the right under Britannian law. But even Cornelia not wanting to aside, Asplund's words still ghosted through her head; this was an ancient man older than her own father. He had good reason to do as he did, alienating him for no reason was indeed useless.

So she simply nodded her head. "Of course. You may stand as well, Ms. Sumeragi."

The young lady climbed to her feet, but kept her eyes on the floor. It appeared eerily reminiscent to the one and only time she met Kururugi face to face. She felt compelled to order the girl to look her in the eyes, but chose not to force the issue for now.

This was never an easy conversation to start, nor did they give her an opening by asking for the purpose of her visit. After letting the silence linger for a moment, Cornelia got to it.

"I will make this brief," she began. "You are both aware of the situation in Kyushu. It has been resolved as of last night. Unfortunately, Major Kururugi was among the casualties our forces incurred during the battle."

She could see it for just a moment; a spark of surprise, then pain flaring in Sumeragi's expression. She wiped it away about as quick, displaying a surprising expertise for one so young. She remained composed as well, finally raising her eyes.

"Please forgive the interruption, but I was under the impression my cousin is part of the Engineering Corps?"

Cornelia nodded. That much was true, but the girl clearly did not know the whole truth. Another point in Kururugi's favour. "He was acting as devicer for an experimental Knightmare Frame developed by the Camelot research group. Live combat testing was among his tasks."

She was too focussed on Sumeragi to notice Kirihara's eyes widening for but a moment.

The girl herself accepted the news solemnly. "I see. Though I still wonder why your highness would deliver the news in person; from what I understand, this is not a part of your highness's obligations?"

She was a sharp one. Her ability to stay focussed deserved respect as well; Cornelia could tell the faint tremble of her body, yet none of it was audible in her voice. It was a shame this one was not born Britannian, really.

"Ordinarily, you would be correct," she agreed. "I made an exception in this case. Major Kururugi lost his life protecting mine. Sir Guilford."

Gilbert stepped up on her word, handing over a set of papers. They were filled out with all due haste, the copies already sent off. Cornelia received them first, then offered them to Sumeragi, who accepted hesitantly.

"Due to his heroic deeds," Cornelia explained, "I have petitioned to award him the Victoria Cross for exceptional valour in combat. Aside from his death certificate, you will find an invitation to the ceremony set in a week's time to receive the medal in his stead as his next of kin."

She received no more than another faint nod in response. A part of Cornelia felt with the teen, even though her own reaction to death had long since been blunted over many years of campaigning. Still, she took pity on her.

"I imagine this is a lot to take in for you, so I will take my leave now. My condolences."

With a nod offered to Kirihara, who bowed back in response, Cornelia made to leave.

A shaky "Wait, please" gave her pause. Turning back around, she found Sumeragi standing there holding the documents gingerly. The young woman's expression was too blank to not be hiding pain.

"How exactly did he die, your highness?"

The question made her frown, a faint curl of her brows as it reminded of her own inadequacies. But now was not the time to think or speak of that.

"His energy ran out while he blocked a shell headed my way. The Chinese capitalised before the smoke even settled."

It was a stupid maneuver in retrospect. They could not even see their targets. It never would have worked if Lancelot had been responsive. Cornelia did not say any of that, though; it would be insensitive.

Sumeragi nodded back, carefully placing the papers aside. Then she curtsied once more. "Thank you, your highness. Both for indulging my request and informing me as soon as you have."

Cornelia returned another almost stoic nod. She was not stopped this time and under no illusions what would happen about as soon as the door closed behind her.

What she did not know was how fast the news spread to her wayward brother and sister, though.

Nunnally and Lelouch were just as devastated as Kaguya, who retreated into her personal quarters and was barely ever seen for the next three days. Nunnally knew that her friend arranged a small burial for Suzaku's remains, but she could not attend herself; as much as she wanted to, Tohdoh and old man Kirihara were both present for it.

Instead, she and Lelouch visited the day after.

Staring down at the cold stone her friend now lay under, Nunnally felt her chest cramp up. "This isn't how it should have been," she murmured sadly.

Lelouch did not even have words. He was more shaken than he ever was, or at least more than he ever showed her. Just for today, he did not pretend everything was fine for her sake. She would not have believed him anyway; Suzaku was his dearest friend, now he died just like that. All his ambitions were gone with the wind.

She faintly wondered why Suzaku never said anything about being the pilot of that white Knightmare. If they had known earlier, they could have done something. Now it was far too late.

Her brother placed a single ivy on the grave. "Please find peace, Suzaku," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm going to do it for your sake, too."

Nunnally heard him just fine, but she had little to add. She already cried plenty, now she only wanted to scream out. To rage against the unfairness of this world. She wanted to break something. Suzaku was a good and kind man, he deserved better than this!

Instead of any of that, she put a forget-me-not next to the ivy.

They stared at the grave in silence for a time. The quiet remained unbroken when they made to leave. Nunnally's mind kept circling around one particular thought, but she did not dare speak it until they returned home.

"We can't even blame Britannia for this, can we? It was all Japan and China."

Lelouch shook his head faintly. "No, Sawasaki is to blame here. The Japanese are not at fault."

His teeth were clenched despite the calm words. Nunnally knew the feeling well. She wanted to blame Britannian and Cornelia so badly, but she knew deep down that neither of them was responsible for this.

Meanwhile, people across Japan discussed the current events heatedly. It already started during the siege and Black Knights' peacekeeping; Japanese and Britannians both asked themselves what Zero was doing. Even many who believed the Black Knights' claim to dispense justice were confounded by the whole series of events. The country was in turmoil on both sides, though nothing close to an actuall rebellion.

With all this knowledge weighing on them, the siblings watched the memorial service on TV like in trance. Cornelia held a speech for the fallen, extolling their valour and honour. Special honours were offered, only a dozen names spoken directly; each one for some sort of accomplishment.

Kaguya was not introduced by name, though Nunnally recognised her easily. She stood clad in white to receive her cousin's medal with a somber bow.

The surviving soldiers who received awards saluted to the pictures of the fallen.

Nunnally was well aware of the worried looks she and Lelouch received from the rest of the student council. Neither of them cared for their thoughts right now, though. She just wanted it to be over and to do... something. Anything but this, really.

If nothing else, this event fostered a deeper understanding in both of them. Nunnally carried it in her heart for a week by now, still too upset to say it out loud.

Once they were finally back home and each held a cup of tea, Lelouch broke the silence.

"It was weird to see his face right amidst Britannian soldiers," he mused. "Perhaps he got further with this change from within than we expected."

He was stalling and they both knew it.

Nunnally bowed her head low, hand slipping into his. The words forced themselves out like the bile she forced down all this time.

"Japan can't ever be free again."

Lelouch stilled, paling further than he already was. His other hand grasped hers like a drowning man would a piece of driftwood. It did not stop Nunnally from speaking; from saying those damning words they both thought: "Even if we managed to shake off Britannia, the Chinese Federation would just swoop in to grab the prize. And if not them, then Europia will. The Sakuradite is just too tempting a resource."

Her brother deflated as she spoke. The truth from his sister's mouth was too much to keep deluding himself. A toneless "Yes" was his response, much as Nunnally hated to hear him agree.

"And even if we did away with the Sakuradite and solved all the other issues, the masterful tightrope act Japan's previous position was can't be restored. The occupation shattered that carefully cultivated equilbrium between the superpowers. A small country like this either falls in line, or is made to do so."

His words hung heavy in the air between them. Nobody was happy with this, even C.C.'s smirk was gone. Lelouch took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a moment, hands squeezing Nunnally's.

Then he looked her straight in the eyes.

"We need to improve Japan for even a chance to free them. China's upper echelons are filled with self-serving Eunuchs who'll stab us in the back at their first convenience. Europia has to deal with Euro-Britannia. The other coalitions of states are too far away to make Japan a member. They are on their own. We're all they have."

Nunnally was slow to nod her agreement this time, too many thoughts racing in her head. "And breaking Britannia's stranglehold by way of rebellion doesn't work," she added. "Cornelia will just return and the result would be worse than what happens right now."

She did not say it, but she knew they were of one mind on it: they could incite a rebellion, but it would kick off a free-for-all between the three superpowers. It may even be effective.

If it were for revenge against the emperor, Nunnally would even consider doing it. But at the end of the day, Japan was only tangentially related to that goal; a means to an end, no more. She liked this country too much to set it aflame for such a small chance at getting her wish.

"The way forward would be to make Britannia ease off," Lelouch began to muse, talking more to himself than her. "Improve relations between the two peoples living here. Basically...."

He trailed off with a pained look, so Nunnally finished the sentence for him: "What Suzaku tried."

She squeezed his hand as she said it, her chest achingly tight. The loss still weighed heavy.

The silence lingered long enough for C.C. to break it.

"Unfortunately, he was the wrong man for the task," she told them somberly. When both siblings looked to her, the immortal elaborated without further prompting: "Any group will close ranks before an outsider's aspirations. Yet a figure of prestige and authority is needed to broker the sort of improvements you seek."

She paused there for effect, staring at each of her contractors in succession. Nunnally felt like C.C. could see to the bottom of her soul. Perhaps she even could.

"You're both thinking it. Say it."

She did not want to say it. In fact, Nunnally wanted to say it even less than she wanted to admit Japan's freedom was a pipe dream. She barely realised how hard she squeezed her brother's hand, nails digging into his much like his dug into hers. Their helpless looks turned to glares, which C.C. bore without reaction.

The tap-tap of Sayoko's shoes and gurgle of tea being poured was the only noise between them for a time.

In a way, C.C. was right; they could not run from the idea forever. Nunnally took heart and made herself say it.

"If we return-"

"No."

A year ago, she would have wilted if her brother snapped at her like this. Retract the idea, smile prettily, and accept his choice to not upset him. Now however, Nunnally sadly shook her head. She knew better.

"You can't just deny it, Lelouch."

"But I will," he growled back. "We will never return. I won't let them marry you off for some small profit."

Nunnally arched a brow in response. As happy as it made her that he still cared, now was not the time. "And I'm the only one under that risk?" she shot back. "You're almost of age, I would only be betrothed for now."

The way his eyes narrowed at her made Nunnally grow defensive. She let go of his hands to cross her arms, frowning back. "I hate the idea as much as you do, but we need to consider it. Zero and codename Angel only have what pittance of power the Black Knights let them have. Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia can gain a lot more than that."

Lelouch's jaw worked soundlessly as he mirrored her posture. He frowned at the table more than her, well aware she was right and that she knew it. Nunnally let him think for a bit, trying not to spit out in disgust at herself. She was seriously considering to reveal herself to the world, with all that entailed; it was something she could never take back. The mere idea of the many risks involved almost gave her nausea.

When her brother finally spoke, his words were somber.

"I promised the Black Knights a free Japan. Perhaps I knew even back then that it was a lie, that I just said it to make them fall in line. But now...."

He did not finish the sentence, but Nunnally understood. She could not help but huff faintly. As much as he acted the ice-cold jerk, Lelouch's heart was too big for his own good.

"Empathy is a heavy burden indeed," C.C. gently interjected once more. "The further you rise, the more it will press down on you."

With the reminder that other people existed, Nunnally turned to the far older woman in full. "What do you think of the situation?" she asked, well aware of her far greater experience. Nunnally met her probing gaze without hesitation and was awarded a faint smile.

"Change is paid in time or blood, sometimes both," C.C. told her. "It's possible if you reclaim your birthright, but you will have to do so in Britannian fashion. It can't be a mere return, it must be a triumphant one; results matter more than anything in the empire."

Nunnally nodded her understanding. She was distinctly aware of that, but hearing it said out loud served as a stark reminder. Her heart beat heavy in her chest and she could almost hear Lelouch's from where she sat.

Her brother seemed to entertain the idea as well now. "If we can do something suitably impressive, that will earn us clout among the peerage," he mused. "We can leverage this into getting a foot in the door."

About as soon as he said it, their eyes met. Realisation began to settle in between them, they knew it without either needing to say it. Nunnally's expression tightened, once again mirrored by Lelouch.

The decision was made.

"Then let's make a plan," Nunnally declared. "If we do this, then we will do it in a fashion the bards shall sing of for centuries."

He smiled, as did she. Their expressions were anything but nice. C.C.'s smug smirk joined them a moment later.

Then they got to it. There was much to prepare.

 

[Sonata]

Yes that useless guy is dead and we even got a freebie in Viletta, now the problem is that they can't free Japan, it will last free maybe a few hours if that.
Wonder what they will do, maybe conquer China, is not even that hard. Just go there and geass up to tianzi.

 

[Naron]

Wonder what they will do, maybe conquer China, is not even that hard. Just go there and geass up to tianzi.

Click to shrink...

And then get killed by Xingke, who is entirely too smart not too notice if that happened?

 

[Sonata]

And then get killed by Xingke, who is entirely too smart not too notice if that happened?

Click to shrink...

Tianzi is a puppet, just geass the eunuch and free Tianzi, everyone is happy, China can start to rebuild and Japan gets a protector. Because like hell will Britannia leave anyone be. Charles will try to get CC soon enough and VV will try and kill Lelouch and Nunally like the little bitch he is.

 

[Naron]

"I only ask that you consider it," Zero closed genially. He had great amounts of practice with this pitch for the Black Knights by now, arguments selected and honed.

Before him stood a band of Japanese men, thirteen in all. A small, insignificant resistance cell. They gathered in the half-dark of an underground tunnel, their leader a scarred man who scowled at Zero. His bare arms were crossed, but his tells spoke more of stern negotiation rather than confrontation.

"You make a good case there, Zero," he answered after a moment. "What exactly do you expect from us if we do join up?"

Just as so often, he had them at least interested. Unfortunately, Zero knew, the hardest sell was yet to come. He made a faint motion for the men in front of him and began leading up to it: "The Black Knights allow for a modicum of choice for their recruits. Whether you prefer field work or desk work, be it intelligence or combat or scouting. I am of the opinion that everyone should be allowed to pick the sort of task they excel in."

He received a number of nods in response, the idea clearly appreciated. But this was not the difficult bit. Zero gauged their reactions and found only acceptance, so he continued.

"However, there may come a time when I ask you to turn your weapons upon fellow Japanese." Unrest followed that statement, which he quickly cut off: "Rest assured that I will never give such an order lightly, nor without proper justification."

Some muttering still remained, but he had not lost them yet. The leader nodded once more, if more slowly than before. It was not a promising reaction, but hope yet remained. Experience told him he would lose them now, though.

"In addition, and I know this is much to ask, you will be required to work from within the Britannian systems instead of against them."

And almost like clockwork, the shouting started.

He did not know who spoke first. It did not matter, either. Most of the exact words were lost in the buzz, but the sudden vitriol could not be missed. Curses, accusations of being a Britannian plant or puppet, the like.

Lelouch suppressed a sigh under his mask, long familiar with this turnout. He slid back the eye covering for his Geass, repeating an order he knew by heart now: "You will follow any order given by me or those I designate my successors happily."

And just like that, the shouting cut off. It was replaced by a chorus of excited agreement that made his skin crawl. One should think he would get desentisized sooner or later, but Lelouch preferred not to be. It was a heinous thing to do, but one that must be done. For Nunnally's sake.

Once the noise died down, Lelouch gave his orders: "I want you all to drop by this Black Knights base within the week to register, then lay low until further notice. Don't speak to anyone about this conversation or its contents, beyond that I recruited you all personally."

The whole group saluted with almost silly grins, accepting a small sheet with directions to one of the decentralised recruitment outposts. Zero nodded at them and took his leave with a polite goodbye.

The erstwhile terrorists talked excitedly among each other as they walked the other way.

C.C. appeared from the shadows a little ways away, though Lelouch paid her no mind for now. He composed a text to his sister and tried to get rid of the lingering distaste.

At the end of the day, Lelouch did not like taking these peoples' free will semi-permanently. Were it not that Nunnally's wellbeing depended on it, he would not have done it. But now that they made the choices they did, he would enslave as many as he must without hesitation. That did not mean he had to like it, though.

"That's zero out of how many now?" C.C. queried loftily.

Lelouch rolled his eyes at her, not that she could see it. "Seven hundred and two. Not that I'm surprised, but still."

"How unfortunate for your pride that not a single cell could be convinced to follow of their own volition."

"Shut it, witch."

She just smirked in response. Lelouch scowled at that, but left it uncommented. Ever since he realised that his complaints only amused her, he bore it as stoically as he could. C.C. did not even have the decency to turn around when he stopped to swap outfits for the same reason; he ignored her, changing in silence.

Stepping back into the sunlight, Lelouch made his way back to Tokyo proper. He long since put Geass on the checkpoint guards, so their coming and going remained unnoticed and undocumented. Everyone else gave them no more than a glance, seeing how they appeared like a young couple by all accounts.

Throughout the walk back, Lelouch's mind kept circling around the fact they were almost done. Only a few resistance cells remained, then they had them all. It took over three months to get this far. It probably would have taken another three or something if Cornelia had not given the Japanese resistance a bloody nose.

Now that the famed Witch of Britannia left for her own campaign however, life long since returned to normal in Tokyo Settlement. Although police patrols were still a bit more frequent than before the Chinese's stunt. Not that he expected another one anytime soon. Nobody did, really.

The reminder drew a faint huff out of him. "Ironic how nothing changes here while the Chinese Federation goes into civil war," he mused idly.

C.C. gave a minute shrug in turn. "Such is the nature of people. But to think that incident in Kyushu would become a casus belli, or for the young Tianzi to declare war on the Eunuch generals. That's the irony of it, really."

He could only agree with her assessment. The teenaged empress, really only a puppet of the Eunuchs, charged her supposed advisors with criminal incompetence, malpractice, negligence, and acting against orders. They were declared enemies of the throne and of China in the same breath.

"I imagine her loyalists make the actual choices there," Lelouch reasoned. "She's too young to wage war on her own."

This earned him a knowing look, over which Lelouch rolled his eyes. C.C. smirked. "Not that young, but yes. Perhaps the terrorists will do something, now that all eyes are on China?"

She had a point there, roundabout as she had to be in public. Only Britannia was watching Japan at the moment; most international attention lay on how the war in China turned out.

Lelouch argued back in the same speculative tone: "Unlikely. We still have the army here, don't we?"

C.C. inclined her head. Of course they both knew exactly what the resistance would and would not do, considering Lelouch owned just about all of it. Still, they could not rest on their laurels. Cornelia may be gone, but she left a sizable number of troops stationed in the country for Euphemia's perusal. According to Black Knights intelligence, they were slowly shipped out as the quiet held.

Their bid to appear like normal citizens petered out from this point. Soon they took the train, then walked back to Ashford Academy. C.C. vanished into the crowd at some point, making her own way back so as to not be seen entering Lelouch's place.

Getting back into the academy's bustle, his mind returned to more domestic matters for a time. Such as the day basically everyone but him looked forward to. It came far faster than he would have liked, cutting time from his extracurricular activities.

After all, Millicent Ashford graduated soon. The party she meant to throw was the largest she ever conceived. Lelouch slept through most of his classes because the planning took so much time and effort. At least she accepted the need for proper catering this time, instead of insisting they make all the food themselves; Lelouch might just have gone on strike otherwise.

True to form, the party was big and loud. Both were things he could have lived without. At least the small media presence stopped Milly from insisting he dance with her. It did not, however, stop her from demanding a dance with every other student council member, excepting Nunnally.

The siblings were present for a time because it was expected, though they kept away from the actual crowds. Nunnally in her wheelchair would not fit there anyway. All the same, Lelouch could tell his sister somewhat wanted to join them with her braces; they were developed far enough to appear even elegant by this point. Secrecy's sake was the sole reason she stayed in her wheelchair at school. Secrecy was also why she only snuck out for walks after dark. Perhaps she even thought he would not notice, or not send Sayoko along to watch over her.

As they watched the party from the sidelines, Nunnally rubbed her temples. "I wish we could just leave," she groaned at him quietly.

"Which would be improper," he retorted softly. "Bear with it another fifteen minutes."

"I hate etiquette."

Her grousing drew a fond smile from Lelouch. His hands found her shoulder to squeeze gently, offering reassurance. But he could not help but tease a little: "Even though Mr. Ashford always praises you for picking up the rules so fast?"

It was true praise, too. His sister had a knack for keeping her composure; he was still a little befuddled to hear her despondent or upset while no trace of these feelings showed on her face.

"I can be good at something without liking it," Nunnally muttered, barely heard under the loud music. "Etiquette is just a bunch of rules to remember, and I'm good at memorisation. As are you."

The last bit was added with a pointed look. Lelouch raised his hands in surrender, smiling faintly. "Guilty as charged, but I also had a bit of a head start back then."

They left it at that. Partly because they were in agreement, but primarily because a red-faced Milly came their way. She still giggled like a loon and carried a cup of likely spiked punch.

"This is where you were!" the blonde chirped, leaning against the wall on Nunnally's other side. "Now what's with the long faces, this is a party!"

Neither sibling reacted to her teasing. Lelouch took over dealing with Milly, as he often did: "It's your party most of all. I will dance when it's over and I'm free of planning it."

"And you know I don't like loud noise," Nunnally added sweetly.

Milly pouted at them and their indifferent tones. "You've never been more similar than right now, you know?" she groused. "Why can't you put those etiquette lessons to better use and pretend you like it?"

Both siblings pretended not to notice the implied question of what they needed the lessons for. Milly tried to wheedle the plan out of them ever since Nunnally first brought it up with her grandfather, Mr. Ashford. She had yet to find any success, and today was no different. Nunnally's smile turned mischievous.

"As you are dear to us, dear Millicent, we generously dispense with good manners."

Milly's cheeks puffed out some more. She turned her head away with a playful huff. "Party poopers, the both of you."

Nunnally giggled at that. When she reached up to take Milly's hand, the older girl softened up immediately.

"What are you planning to do now? I heard you got engaged?"

Someone might call her on changing the subject, but Nunnally knew more than she should on this. Lelouch had not heard of it until now. Milly herself turned back in wonder, too.

"When did you-? Oh whatever, yeah. I was."

Lelouch worried about her for a moment, but the complete lack of worry on Milly's end kept him in check. She was not being forced into anything, he thought.

"So it's a proper match?" he asked for clarification, but Milly shook her head with a huff.

"Nope, not at all. Mother got an Earl twice my age, but I wormed my way out of it. He just wanted the old Ganymede, can you imagine?"

The news gave them pause in turn. Milly giggled at the sight of their mirrored, dumbfounded expression. "So I sold it to him instead and he dissolved the engagement so fast you wouldn't believe it. I'd be almost offended that he didn't want this."

She struck a pose as she said it, showing off her voluptuous body. Lelouch remained unimpressed beyond a roll of his eyes, though he noticed Nunnally peeking for a moment. His sister managed to take her eyes away, though.

"And why aren't you?" he asked to play over it.

Milly shrugged good-naturedly in turn, then leaned back against the wall. "He's a science man, through and through. Not sure if he jerks it to his machines or not at all, and I honestly don't want to know."

Nunnally giggled. The sound was loud enough to be heard, drawing a side-eye from Lelouch. He was still uncertain what to think of her appreciation for this sort of joke of late. Then again, making her laugh ought to have been Milly's intention, crude as it may have been for a young lady to say. They were all commoners here, so she could talk as she wanted.

She was also distracting them, Lelouch noticed. Hence why he backtracked to deprive her of the satisfaction: "So if marriage isn't in your plans for the future, where are you headed?"

Milly gave no indicator whether she actually meant to dodge the question. Her grin could mean any number of things.

"Well, my dear vice president. The money I got from the Earl would be enough to live from for a good, long while, but I rather keep it as a nest egg. It honestly took me some thinking to find something I feel like doing. University doesn't really appeal, you know?"

Lelouch, who was well known for sleeping through classes, only gave her a look. Milly chuckled in response. "Of course you know. But no, I was thinking a journalist would be interesting. Think I could do a news anchor with my looks?"

"Any day," he agreed. The answer came so promptly that even Milly was surprised.

"Why, Lelouch," she cooed, tossing her hair with a sly grin. "Could it be?"

He just arched a brow in response, saying nothing. The only way to escape Milly's teasing was to not play the game. She could be pushed off-balance with actual compliments, but that was a delay at best.

Nunnally chimed into their banter with some cheer: "Anyone who says you aren't beautiful is a liar, Milly. Just because we acknowledge it doesn't mean there is any other interest."

Lelouch heard the 'we' in there. Milly did too, going by how impish her grin turned. "And you too, my sweet? Oh me, oh my, whatever will I do now? You're making me blush!"

This time they both rolled their eyes. Milly laughed at them, her hand snaking over both of their shoulders moments later. She had to stretch a little to get Nunnally properly.

"I will miss hanging around you two, you know?"

Lelouch nodded faintly. "So will I," he admitted.

"And I," Nunnally agreed.

They remained like this for a bit. It could not be called companionable silence due to the music and the buzz of a hundred conversations, but still. For a minute they were in a small bubble of their own, away from interruption.

And in that time, Lelouch had an idea. He glanced to Milly in consideration, then to Nunnally. His sister was in a better mood for the moment, so he decided to just do it without consulting her.

"Though it would be funny if you ended up working for us one day," he ventured in that faintly amused tone that signalled he was joking. Milly chuckled in response, then threw a grin back at him.

"Funny, yes. Also problematic, now wouldn't it?" she shot back, playing on their need to stay anonymous. Lelouch nodded, fully aware of the way her expression shifted.

"Wait a second. That training with grandad...."

She trailed off, looking to them for another hint. Lelouch knew she would figure out something from there, so he quickly distracted her with a business card. "If you're serious about going into journalism, this man may be able to help you. He's one of the bigger fishes and an acquaintance of mine."

It was no lie. A curious case, too. Diethard Ried required no Geass to jump onto their plan once they approached him. He already took over PR for Zero some time ago, now he was also involved in Lelouch's and Nunnally's play. He did not know all the details, but his general agreement was surprising enough.

Milly took the card with a curious look, glancing between it and Lelouch.

"You're planning something," she accused.

Lelouch had ample practice with faux nonchalance. He returned his best vapid smile. "Aren't I always?"

And with her focus on him, Milly completely missed Nunnally's undisguised mirth. His sister easily caught onto what he did there.

Milly herself heaved a theatrical sigh and pocketed the card. "Alright, keep your secrets," she groused playfully, pushing off the wall as she did. "I'm going to sniff them out soon enough. Oh, and do give Shirley a dance, yes?"

Lelouch's brow twitched faintly in response. She saw his reaction and put on a minute frown, her back to the crowd. "She's still worked up about her father vanishing on that classified assignment, infrequent calls or no. I know you don't like her back, but just for today?"

She had a point, but Lelouch was still not enthused. He tried hard to not give Shirley any reason to get her hopes up. But leaving her alone with her thoughts was not the right thing to do, either.

In the end he sighed. "Fine. One dance."

"Good boy. Now off you go."

Nunnally giggled, though Lelouch did not react to the teasing. His only response was to demonstratively wheel his sister away, leaving Milly to stand alone. The blonde's chuckles were soon swallowed by ambient noise.

"Over there," Nunnally pointed after a few moments. On following her finger, Lelouch spotted Nina hiding in a corner of her own. He did as told and brought his sister there, only to be dismissed with a faint motion.

"I'll be fine from here, you go find Shirley."

While he went another way with faint amusement, Nunnally began to maneuver her wheelchair. She felt this happened often of late, them going different ways. But then again, they were still as close as ever despite the change in their relationship. Lelouch trusted her to handle herself, just like she trusted him to do the same.

Nina was people-watching, so she saw Nunnally coming some time ago. They exchanged small waves once she got close.

"Do you mind if I hang out here for a bit?"

The older girl shook her head and pulled a chair aside. Nunnally slotted in at the otherwise empty table with a smile, right next to her friend. "You don't like the party either, do you?"

"It's not so much that I don't like it, I'm just a little tired," Nina admitted. "I even got to dance a bit."

Nunnally was happy to hear that her friend enjoyed herself. At the same time however, she saw an opportunity to tease and took it immediately: "Oh my, someone you have your eyes on?"

She ducked her head in response, shaking it quickly. "No, just some classmates being nice. And Rivalz."

"And Rivalz," Nunnally agreed with a soft giggle. Nina joined in after a moment, relaxing again. Nunnally started musing after they calmed down: "It's sweet of him to offer everyone a dance, though. He even asked me despite, well, that."

She motioned for her wheelchair, prompting a nod from Nina. "Yeah, I feel kind of sorry that he's crushing on Milly of all people."

It almost sounded like something more. Nunnally was a little tempted to dig, but she thought she got the intent well enough. Nina did not have any greater interest in Rivalz, she just pitied him. Nunnally did too, really. His attraction was wholly one-sided.

"Maybe her being off into the world will help him get over that. I hope he finds a nice girl who likes him back."

Nina nodded agreement. The two of them were of the same mind on this. Then she changed the subject, seeing as this one ran its course.

"Say, is Kaguya coming by soon?"

That she asked for the Japanese girl was a tad surprising, but not too much at this point. Nunnally nodded back with a renewed smile. "We got next Saturday scheduled, yes. I'm still really happy that you keep trying."

Her friend smiled back sheepishly, though it did not last long. Nina's shoulders slumped and she heaved a little sigh; it did not even reach Nunnally's ears over the noise. "I'm honestly still conflicted," she admitted. "I know they, her people, they aren't all bad. I knew that before too, but it was just so scary. It still is, but I can't forget that Zero of all people protected me back at the Kawaguchi incident. I don't know what to think."

Nunnally's smile stayed firmly in place as she listened to Nina's woes. She was well aware this was not at all what happened, but she could hardly say so. And if it ended up helping Nina get over her xenophobia, then she would definitely keep her mouth shut.

Nina, hearing no response, averted her gaze shily. "And it helps that Kaguya is really cute," she murmured. This time Nunnally was almost certain she meant a little more than that.

She was entirely unsure how to feel about that. On one hand, crushing on a Japanese person was certainly improvement. On the other hand, those feelings of Nina's could make a lot of trouble down the line. Not to mention that Kaguya was unlikely to return them.

"I see," Nunnally said, wincing a little at what she had to say next: "But I think Kaguya doesn't like girls that way, at least from what we talked about before."

She felt sorry for putting Nina on the spot like this; the older girl adopted a good deer-in-headlights look.

When Nunnally kept quiet after that, Nina slowly began to nod. "I, I see. Thank you for telling me. And for, y'know, not being bothered."

"Why would I be bothered by a friend?"

The immediate response earned her a tender smile. Nonetheless, Nunnally decided it was time to change the subject again.

"Anyway, what about your research? Any progress lately?"

It also helped that Nina liked to talk about this one. Even more so once she realised that Nunnally was quick on the uptake; younger she may be, but she could follow Nina into subjects that went past high school physics just fine. In truth, she only understood part of what her friend explained, having to ask for dumbed down versions several times. But then again, even Lelouch had trouble keeping up when Nina got into science mode.

Listening to her friend ramble about this and that, Nunnally made a mental note to keep her in mind for hiring later. Once their plans came to fruition, and they would because nothing else was acceptable, they would need an R&D department. Not only would hiring her prevent others from exploiting Nina's bright mind, they could also make sure she did not produce anything dangerous.

Overall, Nunnally was content to just listen for a time. Only when the orchestra suddenly cut off did the two of them become aware of their surroundings again.

In fact, the entire ballroom fell silent in moments. The sudden quiet pounded heavily in her temples.

Both girls stopped to look what happened. Nina gasped, Nunnally's eyes widened ever so faintly.

For right there amidst the quickly parting crowd stood Euphemia li Britannia. Flanked by two uniformed guards, the princess seemed perfectly at ease in her radiance; she dressed in bright colours that harmonised with her pink hair.

A covert look around revealed more guards quietly taking position across the perimeter. She had every reason to feel safe.

Nunnally felt the opposite right now. Something cold grasped around her heart, every hair on her body stood on end. But she forced herself to relax as best as she could, even though a soldier took position nearby. The woman did not even spare a glance for her and Nina.

They would react if this was about her, she told herself. She was fine.

Euphemia graced the room as a whole with a smile, projecting her voice with clear practice: "Please do not let me disturb this celebration. I have merely come to congratulate the graduates, first of all dear Millicent."

Milly herself appeared from the crowd, clearly off-kilter by the unexpected arrival. She curtsied in her gown, which the princess returned genially. Conversation slowly started up again, which made it impossible to hear what those two were talking about from Nunnally's spot.

This did not stop Nunnally from staring at Euphemia, whose gaze strayed across the crowd on occasion. Nobody dared approach her highness directly, but there were many excited whispers and gestures.

It took a little while to notice that Nina was still in mild shock from seeing an imperial princess in the flesh. The moment she recovered, their own conversation derailed into the subject of the hour; that being how radiant Euphemia was. Nunnally let her friend gush with a fond smile. Anybody would be excited when royalty appeared at such a comparably small function.

Euphie only stayed for a few minutes to exchange pleasantries and take some pictures with the graduates, but her presence lingered.

It took until after Nunnally herself got out of the ballroom before she could hear her own thoughts again. She grimaced under a headache while Lelouch peacefully pushed her along.

"It's weird that she came here just for Milly, isn't it?"

"It is," Lelouch agreed, his voice so low only Nunnally could hear. "She was looking for us in the crowd."

Even if it was not much of a surprise to hear, Nunnally did not notice at the time; she was too distracted by talking to Nina and the incessant noise.

"Makes sense. But why? And why now of all times?"

"She needed a proper excuse to not cause scrutiny," he guessed. "Milly was once her playmate too, that's enough to justify a personal appearance." He left a pause, thinking. "I guess you were right about her after all. That we can trust her."

It took her a moment to remember what he meant. That was a while ago. Nunnally nodded, a faint smile playing around her lips.

"I'm glad I was. A lot could have changed over the years."

"But her being predictable didn't."

Lelouch put his phone away as he said it, having just received a message. He took a detour to the student council room, where they found Euphemia and Millicent talking quietly; both girls looked up when the door opened, with Euphie's lips curling into a full-on smile.

Milly rose with a knowing look at the same time. "Don't let me bother you. Her highness was oh so curious to meet my elusive vice president, one could almost think she were looking for a groom."

None of the three royals gave her the satisfaction of a reaction, which caused a pout.

"We did argue about that when we were little, did we not?" Nunnally mused, causing Euphie's expression to turn melancholic.

"Yes, that we did."

Milly threw up her hands and left, causing the sisters to giggle. Lelouch closed the door behind them in the meantime, Nunnally maneuvered her wheelchair into the room. She was the first to embrace her sister.

Euphie held her tight. "Oh, Nunnally. It's been far too long."

Being held like this made her tension recede some more. "You make it sound as if we didn't see each other last year," Nunnally quipped, which earned a watery chuckle and another tight squeeze.

"Being held up by terrorists together does not a good reunion make."

Once they separated, Euphie hugged Lelouch as well, crying and smiling at the same time. "I am glad to see you both alright. Or as well as you can be, considering."

"It's good to see you still as kind-hearted as you used to be, Euphie," Lelouch answered gently.

They sat down to talk for a bit after that. Nunnally quickly realised that their half-sister made a notable effort not to bring up any heavy subjects; she did not even ask about Zero or their plans, just how life had been. There was a certain interest in their lives as commoners, which she had trouble imagining. Nunnally mused about golden spoons for a bit while Euphie talked about her own upbringing in turn, but put the matter aside.

However, Euphie's attempt to keep things relaxed was something Nunnally could not accept. Sweet a gesture it may be, she refused to keep quiet and drop it on her older sister. The next phase of her and Lelouch's plan was nigh.

"May I ask you something?" she interrupted a retelling of a recent ball where Euphie had to deal with prospective suitors; that one was apparently notable for Cornelia not hovering over her shoulder.

The chatter cut off immediately. With how Nunnally interrupted, the older girl knew this was something serious.

"Who beside you knows about us?"

Much to Nunnally's surprise, the answer came swiftly; Euphie must have expected the question sooner or later. "Beside myself, Cornelia and sir Guilford know. And Ashley, my aide. The woman who was with me at the conference. No one said anything to anyone else."

That was a lie, though an understandable one. Nunnally doubted that Euphie was aware of Cornelia sending Gottwald their way. She nodded regardless, glad that the surprise was still intact.

She also turned to her brother vindictively. It was finally time to say it.

"I told you so."

His annoyed look drew a soft laugh from Euphie; the remaining tension caused by Nunnally's question faded away. At least for a moment, that was. Once she calmed down, the pinkette looked at Lelouch; she never said anything, but her sudden poise belied the question at the tip of her tongue. Nunnally knew it, Lelouch knew, and Euphie knew that they knew.

In the end she seemed to decide on not asking directly. Rather, she kept talking: "I feel worried of late for the calm in this country. The number of terrorist attacks has gone down drastically since Cornelia left, even though it should have been the opposite. Is something going on that I should know about?"

With her so focussed on Lelouch, Nunnally used the chance to study her expression. Euphie gave little away, but there was a smidgen of unease. Moreover, the way she worded her inquiry made it clear she knew they were involved to some extent.

Lelouch, being just as versed in hiding his feelings, smiled back pleasantly. "Rest assured it's nothing that needs to concern you at the moment. Though one of us may contact you in the near future."

"Whatever for?"

He glanced to Nunnally in question, who put a finger on her lips. She could not stop them from curling into a mischievous smile that her brother mirrored.

"That, I'm afraid, is a secret for now. Will you help us anyway?"

Just as they wanted, the way they set this up roused Euphie's suspicion. She looked back and forth between them, not even trying to hide her minute frown.

"You promise you have no nefarious plans?" she asked carefully.

"Oh, they are nefarious," Nunnally told her conspiratorially, enjoying this far too much not to tease a little more. "But they aren't aimed at you."

Her words had the desired effect, exasperating her sister. The feeling slowly transitioned into a helpless sigh, though. Euphie shook her head. "Whatever will I do with you two? Very well, I shall aid you for as long as it does not conflict with my duties as viceroy."

She may just regret that promise already, what with the way both her half-siblings smiled so pleasantly. Yet they gave her no chance to dig for clues; Nunnally changed the subject immediately, glad that Euphemia was still a little naive somewhere in there.

 

[Sonata]

Something feels off, like there is too much calm, something is going to go wrong soon enough and it will be big. Wonder what made xinque rush the civil war, in canon China still lost and he didn't try. Lelouch is also rushing his geass evolution too because he is using it a lot more than in canon by this point, hope it doesn't go off at a bad moment.

 

[Naron]

Kaguya's tension bled away when she saw her friend walking up the street. She felt a little safer already, even if the people around still gave her a berth, sneers, or leers.

That insecurity came back with a vengeance when she spotted the woman who followed Nunnally. Even with her hair done up and a pair of glasses on her nose, C.C. was unmistakable; Kaguya remembered her well from January.

But why would Zero's collaborator and occasional body double accompany Nunnally on a mundane shopping trip?

On second thought, Kaguya realised it made perfect sense: C.C. was someone Lelouch trusted, of course he would send her along to watch over his sister. Not to mention that having a third woman with them was less conspicuous than a man.

The smug little smirk on C.C.'s lips annoyed Kaguya a bit, but she could do little about it. At least her feelings settled when Nunnally greeted her with a quick hug.

"How do I look?" she asked, twirling around for Kaguya. The hem of her peach-coloured sundress swished around her ankles, hiding the machinery that kept her upright. Her purse was just as cute, clutched tightly while she moved.

Kaguya offered a thumbs up. "You look great," she gushed. "I love the ruffles!"

Nunnally ran a hand over said ruffles with a silly grin. "I didn't think this would suit me, but my brother insisted. I think he was right."

Kaguya could only agree. She was vaguely aware that people still looked or whispered, but they did it less so than normal now.

Her friend was positively glowing, and not just because of the clothes; she shifted her balance from one leg to the other with an almost manic energy. She also wore her hair in a ponytail and put on a pair of cosmetic glasses. Not a single Ashford student would recognise her like this, even Kaguya needed a moment to notice her earlier.

It was sad that these measures were necessary, but Kaguya did not let that thought show. Nunnally could walk, that was all that mattered.

"Tsk tsk," she made slyly, waggling her finger at Nunnally, "a boy having better sense of taste than a girl. Shame on you."

Her friend just rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "And you picked yours on your own?"

Kaguya nodded brightly in response. She knew a common, pale green sundress with floral print was nothing much, but they just never had any gothic lolita type dresses. She would have loved to try wearing those. Still, style or no, Kaguya knew herself.

"Tell me I don't look good in it, I dare you."

Nunnally giggled softly, shaking her head. "No, all good. You're gorgeous. And then there's her."

She pointed a thumb to C.C. with the last bit. The older woman dressed in a button-down shirt and slacks instead.

"Why, is that envy I hear?" she teased, one brow ticked up ever so slightly.

The "Yes" from Nunnally came without hesitation, surprising Kaguya. It also confused her until she realised that her friend wanted to wear pants, then she felt a little sad again. Maybe, she told herself, the next version of their exoskeleton could allow for that.

But that was enough heavy thoughts for now. Kaguya slipped into the silence with a polite smile. "You wear them well, miss. Nice meeting you, I'm Kaguya."

C.C. turned to her then. Seeing those amber eyes in proper light made Kaguya feel a little smaller under her attention, but she stood her ground. C.C. thankfully played along with the ruse and gave her name in turn; it would not do for any potential observers to ask how they knew each other before.

"And now that we're done admiring each other, we can get going," Nunnally declared. Kaguya agreed wholeheartedly, seeing that she only had limited time.

Her friend's good mood took an immediate hit, however; the first store they went refused Kaguya entry. She could interject quickly enough to stop Nunnally from making a fuss, but it put a damper on things.

It got a little better after that, but Kaguya once again noticed how many unfavourable looks came her way. Although C.C. was not much better off, she got her own number of sneers and even leers.

After half an hour passed and every single look or comment slid off the older woman like running water, Kaguya grew curious. She wished for half that much composure already.

"Doesn't it bother you? The looks, I mean."

C.C. glanced her way, expression blank. "You don't seem too bothered, either," she observed idly. She had a point too, but Kaguya still felt this was different.

"Maybe you're just better at hiding it, but I feel you really are not bothered in the slightest. I, well, I am. But I know better than to show people that."

The other woman somehow managed to appear listening attentively, even while her full attention was on a set of risque underwear. Kaguya just could not read her; she had no idea if C.C. thought about what she heard, or about wearing those lacy things.

"Part of it is age, girl," she offered a moment later. "Most people grow to care less about the opinions of others as they move on in years. Another part is that I have nothing to protect and no need to keep the opinions of others in mind. I don't need to appease anyone, nor will others suffer the consequences of my misbehaviour."

Kaguya winced. That... hit a bit too close to home. She came out here to not have to deal with this sort of thing; apparently, even a day out with Nunnally could not go without politics and higher stakes. It was hilariously ironic.

Then again, considering the ridiculous plan she was somehow roped into supporting, that was a vain hope to begin with.

Still wanting to change the subject, Kaguya pointed to the set of lacy bra and panties C.C. studied before. "Are you really thinking about wearing those?"

The older woman uttered a huff that somehow sounded fond. Her gaze softened for some reason.

"Is there anything wrong with wearing them?"

Kaguya opened her mouth to respond, then closed it without a sound. She was taught that wearing this kind of thing was improper, but she did not know why exactly. She learned rules, not the reasons behind them.

"I don't actually know," she admitted slowly. "I just know that I am not supposed to."

That earned her another of those fond huffs. C.C. sized her up for a moment, a faint smile flaring up on her face.

"Yours is the body of a woman, Kaguya. The only one who decides what you wear is you."

She could only arch a brow this time. They just had the subject earlier. "I can still not wear whatever, though. Proper dress is important."

C.C. conceded the point with a nod, followed by an impish grin. "But only where others will see," she corrected. "What you wear or not wear underneath your clothes is no concern of others."

And Kaguya had no response to that. Or at least none that had any proper grounding. Her gaze flitted to the set of underwear in consideration, then back to the knowing smile on C.C.'s face.

They looked at each other for a long moment, then Kaguya slowly reached out to grab a few more risque sets in her size. C.C.'s smile grew.

Kaguya felt like a naughty girl right now. At the same time however, she did not mind in the slightest. Nobody else cared about it either, beyond the usual response to her presence; the looming expectation of judging looks or being shamed did not become reality. Her money was taken without so much as a second look, her purchases packed up.

"I want your confidence," Kaguya told C.C. as they left the store.

"I want her confidence too," Nunnally agreed. "Do you think we can take it somehow?"

C.C. just smiled enigmatically and let them banter. Unfortunately, neither girl found a way to steal her character traits that afternoon.

They went window-shopping across the mall next, though actual purchases were few from that point. The one thing that stood out to Kaguya was a pair of matching keychains for their phones; both had little shooting stars hanging off them now. Kaguya still glanced at hers over lunch.

Lunch, in this case, meant hot dogs. Bought from an Honourary-operated stand. The owner gave Kaguya a scathing look for about as long as it took them to order, then he was all smiles. Notably, his fake smile was far easier to tell than hers or Nunnally's.

She somehow managed to not let it bother her too much this time. The meal itself helped with that, being a notable change of pace. Home only had traditional Japanese food, so this stuff hit a spot she did not even know she had.

While she still enjoyed her last bite, Kaguya noticed how Nunnally's eyes strayed. Her friend stared longingly at a shop selling sports equipment; various balls and bats, protective gear, and the like. It was sad to see her yearning, but maybe Nunnally could play one day. They had the technology.

Hence why Kaguya forewent the reassurances. Instead she took straight to teasing.

"Could it be we have a tomboy in our midst?" she quipped at her friend, who looked back to her in confusion. When Kaguya flicked her eyes to the shop she was watching, Nunnally rolled hers.

"Not everyone can be happy arranging flowers."

"Why would flowers not make you happy?"

Nunnally shrugged in response. "They just don't, at least not in the same way. I like the energy in sports."

There was something left unsaid about her wanting to play, now that she could.

Her longing was obvious enough that Kaguya felt tempted to change course and buy something they could play with; they would, however, all need to wear pants for that. She did not want to get her dress dirty, nor risk anyone seeing something they should not. Be that her underwear or Nunnally's braces.

"I get it, I guess," she relented after a moment. "It's kind of why I come out here every once in a while, instead of ordering what I want."

What Kaguya left unsaid was that actually being here in person made her feel like an actual girl. She could never feel this way at home, what with all the work and the need to appear proper at all times. There was more to a girl than manners and a pretty smile, but the men often seemed to forget that.

If Nunnally caught that part, she did not comment. There was something odd to her expression, though. She must have noticed they were being followed, too.

They left the mall with their purchases soon after. Only a few steps outside however, C.C. huffed ever so faintly.

"Did you notice?" she asked, prompting both girls to look at her. C.C. chuckled in response. "Of course you did. Don't look behind, children."

It was oh so tempting to do it anyway and see who followed them. Kaguya managed to stop herself, her mind already on planning a solution. A swift route through the most populated areas ought to get rid of whoever they were.

Unfortunately for her, Nunnally had other ideas. Her arm wrapped around Kaguya in a sidehug, during which she could whisper into the Japanese girl's ear.

"Do you trust me?"

That question in this moment made alarm bells ring in Kaguya's head, but she nodded anyway. She trusted Nunnally.

Her dearest friend let go as if nothing happened and turned, pointing... at a side street.

"Let's take a shortcut!" she announced cheerfully, dragging the quietly horrified Kaguya and almost laughing C.C. after her.

She must have gone mad, Kaguya felt. Even if they both had tasers, what would they do if there was more than one?

Horror visions played before her mind's eye for a moment. But then she spotted Nunnally's smile; a reassuring one, aimed straight at her. She had a plan, even if Kaguya could not even fathom what that plan was.

Pushing the fear back, Kaguya's breathing calmed somewhat. Nunnally asked for her trust, so she would have it.

Her heartbeat quickened again when no less than five rough-looking men cut off their path. Two more caught up from behind, trapping them in the alleyway. Kaguya screamed internally, but on the outside she was as deceptively calm as the others. She really, dearly hoped that Nunnally did not think about fighting them; her friend just got out of the wheelchair, there was no way!

One of the five men in front of them stepped forward, bearing a smile that could be pleasant in another situation. "So sorry to interrupt your little stroll, ladies," he started, seeming pleasant enough. What followed was not: "I hope you don't mind if we take that here Eleven off of you? There's someone who wants to meet her."

Kaguya's heart skipped a beat. This was about her in particular. Racism or politics? She could not tell yet.

Nunnally put down the bag with her purchases, her motions tense. None of that tension was audible in her voice, though: "And who is that someone, exactly?"

Her polite inquiry caused a dismissive gesture. "None of your business, lady. Not like they'd give you the time of day when you're running around with them, anyway."

"How droll," C.C. quipped with her usual smirk. The teasing caused some agitation and made the spokesman frown, but nobody challenged her about it.

Meanwhile, Nunnally made a show of thinking it over. That pleasant smile of hers never quite faded.

"Unfortunately," she declared in the end, "she is with me and will stay with me. You will have to go through me if you want her."

It was delivered conversationally, yet somehow reassuring enough to keep Kaguya calm for the moment. She knew Nunnally could not back it up, but felt happy her friend would stand up for her anyway.

The spokesman just sighed and waved for the other goons, who advanced as one.

Kaguya got ready to pull up her dress's hem and run, but Nunnally was faster. She surged forward and kneed the spokesman in the grown. He went down with a squeak.

Her smile was still in place, completely unconcerned in the face of four frozen thugs.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked them quietly, that serene smile now off-putting. Even Kaguya felt a little intimidated.

They hesitated a moment, then shook it off and tried to grab Nunnally. Yet something seemed to stop them from touching her, their hands just freezing in place; Nunnally used the confusion to knee a second one where it hurt.

Shouts of pain and heavy thuds drew Kaguya's attention behind them, where C.C. stood over the downed forms of the other two thugs. She seemed completely unaffected by the violence, as if this were a normal occurence for her.

Then the thunder of rapid footsteps made her head snap back to Nunnally, who watched the remaining three run away.

"Not all that committed, were they?" she quipped idly.

Kaguya could only stare at her friend in abject confusion and even a little fear. She never associated Nunnally with violence before. The other girl seemed just fine, patting down her dress as if nothing even happened.

C.C. joined them with a little nod. "Perhaps you should take some training in the martial arts as well, girl," she suggested. "Knowing only one effective trick makes you predictable."

"I might. Good thing they were all men, though."

"It works just fine against women."

Her wisdom given, C.C.'s attention then turned to Kaguya. Something in her expression shifted at the sight of her. She strode over with quick steps, then clasped the shaking girl in a tight hug. Kaguya melted into the embrace, glad for something solid to hold onto.

"It seems this little one does not have a mind for battle," C.C. commented softly.

"Oh. Oh no, I'm so sorry." Only now did Nunnally seem to notice. Another pair of arms wrapped around Kaguya from behind a moment later. "I didn't even think about that. Are you alright, Kaguya?"

Her shaking slowly abated, but the undercurrent of fear still remained. "I, I was never this close to something like this," she admitted shakily. "How can you just, just do it? And not feel anything?"

It made her queasy. Not just the thought of hurting others so directly, but also the thought of getting hurt.

"Most need time and exposure to get used to the violence," C.C. soothed. "You are no different."

"But I don't want to."

Kaguya's words were barely more than a whisper. She knew, intellectually, that her actions behind the desk could hurt people. But she did not have the stomach to get any closer to the violence than this. She did not want to have it, either.

"You will have to," Nunnally said. A promise as much as a premonition. She may even be right.

Kaguya hated it anyway.

She wiggled in the embrace until the other two let her go. Looking back at her friend, Kaguya could not help but frown; she was still too shaken to compose herself.

"No, I do not. I am not a soldier and don't want to be."

Nunnally's eyes narrowed the faintest bit in response. "You just got almost abducted and don't want to change anything about it? What if we're not there next time?"

"Then I can shake them off in the crowd, like I was planning to do before you started this madness!"

She threw up her hands for emphasis, wildly motioning for the alleyway and the two figures still on the ground. Nunnally crossed her arms in response and began to glare properly. It sent shivers down Kaguya's spine, made her take a reflexive step back.

Nunnally blinked at that, eyes widening. Her hands dropped a moment later.

"You're scared of me."

Kaguya froze.

She was right. Kaguya felt scared of her friend right now.

But more than that even, her being scared upset Nunnally. Yet she could not stop herself from shivering.

"I don't understand how you can hurt people so easily," she explained softly. "No hesitation, no mercy."

"Because they wanted to hurt you."

Her admission stole Kaguya's breath away. Her hands still shook from adrenaline, but she felt a little warmer now; there was someone in this world who would spill blood for her sake. Not for her status or money, but for her.

Kaguya managed a watery smile in response. "Give me a bit to calm down, okay? And thank you. For being there for me. I may not agree with the methods, but I appreciate you doing it for my sake."

Nunnally smiled back and they came together for another hug. It was nice and calming.

Unfortunately, a pained groan interrupted them. Looking back to the two thugs on the ground, Kaguya suddenly remembered there ought to be four of them; she could not find them, though.

C.C. saw her searching and threw the younger woman a grin. "They recovered during your episode," she explained. "Smart boys they were, they went for lighter pastures instead of trying again. The human body is surprisingly resilient, especially if you only flail about."

As if to make her point, the two she took care off were still in the process of coming to.

Nunnally let go of Kaguya then, expression firm. "I want to find out who sent them, and why," she demanded frostily. "And I want them all dead."

Kaguya barely managed to bite down on her shocked gasp, but her surprise must still be visible. She mutely shook her head, trying to will Nunnally to understand she did not want that. Her friend was so different right now, it still scared Kaguya a little.

Surprisingly, C.C. came to her aid.

"Take another look at this lot, girl."

Nunnally glared, first at C.C. and then at the two men too scared to stand. They looked up at them fearfully.

Kaguya looked, too; she found both them wearing ragged, well-worn clothes. They were not truly dirty, but not clean either. One had a beard that needed more care, the other a shadow of one. Their hair was uneven, completely unlike her own, Nunnally's, and C.C.'s well-tended manes.

They were Britannians without doubt, but they looked little better than the Japanese people down in the ghettos.

That realisation gave her pause.

Gang violence in the ghettos declined over the last months, but she remembered hearing how bad it was before. She saw pictures, too; even if the other heads tried to keep her from them. She could not just let this happen, for their sake and for Nunnally's sake. She refused to be a mere bystander.

So Kaguya grasped her friend's hand tightly.

"Let me, please."

Her request earned a surprised look, but Nunnally relented without a fuss. Her quick agreement was a relief for Kaguya; she appreciated Nunnally's readiness to defend her, but that penchant for violence concerned her just as much.

Knowing she was safe for now, Kaguya approached the scared men. She then offered the one with the beard a hand.

"Please get up, the ground can not be comfortable."

At first she only got a baffled look in response. Kaguya simply kept smiling until he took her hand. It was difficult to actually help him up, but she persevered; soon enough the man stood in front of her a little awkwardly, easily a head taller than her. His buddy rose on his own, but nothing else happened. They were uncertain what to do with this.

Kaguya kept smiling at them, as non-threatening as she could be.

"I would like to have a word with you and your friends. Would you be so kind to lead us to them?"

Her request made the first man's expression harden. "You think I'm that dumb, lady?" he sneered, "I-" "Better remember that she's not alone."

Nunnally's pointed interjection was a reminder on its own. She immediately returned to being perfectly pleasant when they looked to her; C.C. flanked her with that smirk of hers, but Kaguya could not tell on whose expense it was right now.

When the man waffled around for a bit, Kaguya had to suppress a sigh. Threats only worked so far.

"Please ignore her for the moment," she requested gently. "My friend will not hurt you unless her hand is forced. I mean you no harm, either. I just want to know why this happened."

Unfortunately, he kept stonewalling her. While this seemed to be a failure however, the other one spoke up after a time: "Alright, I'll do it."

"What the fuck, man?" the first spat back in surprise, wheeling around.

The other hesitated before addressing Kaguya: "How old are you?"

"Fourteen, why do you ask?"

To her growing confusion, the response visibly surprised the first man. The second winced. "Yeah, 's like I thought. Didn't realise at first, you don't look fourteen," he explained before turning to his buddy. "'s just, James got a kid that age, doesn't he? I can't stop thinking what if this stuff happened to her? 's not right."

Kaguya had no idea who this 'James' was, but she felt this was progress. The bearded man nodded slowly, a quiet "I guess" barely heard. He looked at the three of them with a wariness that Kaguya felt was unfounded, but then she remembered what Nunnally said earlier.

The beard-less man waved faintly. "It's this way. Jus', jus' tag along."

Glances were exchanged and they got to walking, the men in front and the women behind them. Nunnally frowned, but her expression smoothed out before they even left the alley. Kaguya still saw it though, and it worried her.

"Are you angry with me?"

Her friend slowly shook her head. "Not with you. I don't agree, but I will accept it if that's what you want to do."

So saying, she moved a step ahead to talk to their guides: "Who hired you?"

Her voice was curt, so unlike the usual warmth that it threw Kaguya off a little. The men looked back warily, but the cooperative one answered again: "We don't know, 'least not for sure. 's always some middleman coming in when there's a job to do. Not like we really tried to figure it out, though. Probably some noble."

"Boss might know," the other muttered.

Meanwhile, Kaguya's mind ran a mile a minute. She tried to figure out who might be responsible, but there were too many possible suspects. She doubted that those two would know any more.

She did not get much time to think it over, either. Soon enough they reached a run-down street that took her attention away. The place looked only marginally better than the ghettos, same for the people; her would-be abductors fit right in with them.

It quickly turned into a walk of shame for the two men leading them. People knew each other here and the three of them stood out like sore thumbs. Kaguya felt a little bad for the two, though Nunnally and C.C. did not seem to share that feeling.

Oddly enough, it was the three of them who people worried about now. The wariness every single person treated them with said it all. Kaguya knew she was no threat, but these people did not.

More importantly however, Nunnally's stance shifted. Some of the tension bled out of her posture, expression finally smoothing out in full.

Kaguya nudged her softly. "Second thoughts?"

The look that question earned her was answer enough.

The homeless people and visibly poor families they passed only reaffirmed Kaguya's understanding of what was going on; these people could not afford to be picky with what they did. If someone came and offered them money, they all but had to take it. Nunnally understood just as much, her compassion finally returning; protectiveness pushed it back thus far, but now she all but drank in the destitution around them.

It took a minute for Kaguya to realise that Lelouch never would have let her friend go to a place like this. It was the first time Nunnally actually saw something like this with her own eyes. She only ever heard about it before, literally and figuratively.

One could practically see her disposition shift over the next two hours.

Their guides brought them to a particular hidey hole in a side street, where they reunited with the rest of the abduction team. The group was quite surprised, not at all happy with their buddies, and still a little scared of Nunnally. There were several more people present though, one of which was that boss the one thug mentioned. Curiously enough, the faint mutters about 'damned Elevens' were nowhere near the level of aggression that Kaguya usually experienced in town.

The conversation that followed just confirmed that these people had no real choice if they wanted to keep themselves afloat. Although they were unwilling to rat out their employer at first. Kaguya stopped any violence with a calming motion to Nunnally, who scowled.

"How about a deal, then?" she suggested kindly. Her words earned the leader's undivided attention and Kaguya could not help but smile. Keeping it pleasant instead of pleased was a challenge, though.

Her offer was simple enough: "My company is opening a new factory soon and still on the lookout for workers. It won't be anything glorious, but it is honest work. All I need from you are a few names."

The middle-aged man she mainly spoke to was surprised for a moment. His brows knitted together as he sized her up; the well-tended hair and clean clothes, even her polished shoes. Kaguya knew how stark the difference between them was, how much wealth she portrayed in comparison. Nunnally and C.C. were much the same.

Some muttering could be heard around the room, but she could not understand anything at the low volume. Her attention rested solely on the leader, who sighed upon meeting her gaze again.

"How do we know you're going to hold to your end?" he questioned warily.

Kaguya understood where he was coming from. "Because I have something to gain here, just like you," she explained reasonably. "Finding workers faster means I turn a profit sooner, after all. It is both prudent and the right thing to do, so I have no reason to go back on it."

"Even after my boys tried to kidnap you?"

He had a point there as well. Thankfully, Kaguya already knew what to say; this discussion was not too different to one she thought she would have with Nunnally.

"Would you have taken that sort of work if you had a choice?" she asked back, earning a frown that she ignored. "Any revenge I might want would be for the people who sent you."

It was both the right thing to do and efficient, cutting off the snake at the head instead of the tail. She could see that the leader understood her reasoning, too. He nodded.

"Alright."

Then he gave her a number of names she quickly jotted down. Kaguya knew only one of them, a minor noble who tried and failed to get into the Sakuradite trade before. With Sumeragi Zaibatsu tied to Kirihara Industries and others, she imagined that they wanted to ransom her for concessions.

In turn, Kaguya wrote a letter of recommendation in carefully chosen Japanese. The Kanji alienated her unwitting hosts somewhat, but she managed to assure them it was what she promised. "Most of my company's staf consists of my people, so this will prove it is authentic. I will also let them know to expect you. Please carry this letter to the office within a week or two, then they can get you set up."

She was not looking forward to the upcoming argument about hiring Britannians, but a deal was a deal. Directions and office times were added, as well as her business card; the leader accepted all of it with great care.

A set of awkward goodbyes followed, then the three women were on their way again. It felt a little weird to still carry her shopping bag, but that could not be helped.

What worried her was the grim look on Nunnally's face, though.

"Dare I ask what you're thinking?"

The other girl opened her mouth, but hesitated. She seemed to change track before speaking: "I doubt you want to know. But that aside, I'm not happy that our day out got interrupted like that. You have to go soon."

Kaguya just smiled at her. "We can schedule another, it's fine," she reassured her friend. "The important thing is that everyone is alright. Thank you for standing up for me, both of you."

C.C.'s response was a barely audible huff. Nunnally dragged her feet sheepishly. "That's what friends are for," she said.

They exchanged one last hug on those words, then parted ways so Kaguya could call her driver.

She was not at all surprised when the next day's news contain mention of a certain businessman and associates being strung up by the Black Knights. The spray-painted line 'Do your own dirty work' over their homes' facades told her exactly who was responsible. It made her shudder, but it also reassured her.

Nunnally could do what Kaguya was too queasy to, and Kaguya could keep her cool where her friend lost it. They made a good team, kind of like Lelouch and Suzaku but in reverse. Though thinking of her late cousin only served to dampen Kaguya's mood.

Regardless, not a word of these events was breathed to the other heads, or anyone else on Kyoto's payroll. She knew exactly how they would react, and it was at least at the level of Nunnally's initial response. Rather, Kaguya pushed through her new policy to hire destitute Britannians as well; it would cause more headaches for the staff, especially if fights broke out, but she felt something may come of this as well.

She could only wait and see for now. And hope that her friend's mad plan did not shake things up too far.

 

[Naron]

Ohgi felt more than a little awkward.

Of course he talked to the Tohdoh more than once over the months, seeing how they were both in the Black Knights now. But it was never just the two of them. He felt tongue-tied, even though they just walked side by side to their destination.

Tohdoh himself remained unflappable as usual. If the silence bothered the older man, he did not show it. Rather, his attention seemed more on scanning the all but deserted streets. The evening sun glared into their eyes whenever they turned her way.

Despite his hesitation, Ohgi did want to talk to the legendary commander. He had questions burning on his tongue, but they all turned to gibberish when he tried to put them into exact words. So all he could go with was something noncommittal to test the waters.

"Do you know what he wants with us, Tohdoh-san?"

The question earned him a sharp look. When they first met, Ohgi thought those glances were rebukes of some sort, or perhaps disapproval. By now he understood that this was simply Tohdoh resting expression. His wrinkles ran deep for a man in his thirties, making him appear more stern than he actually was.

When the older man did speak, his voice was even: "Likely something that everyone else is not supposed to know. Your group seems to stand high in his trust, Ohgi-san. Yet even they were not called along."

Ohgi nodded, having felt much the same thing. "I guess so," he agreed, "but I can't really say what it is he wants to show or tell us. Unless...."

He trailed off. After throwing a casual look around to ensure nobody was close enough to listen in, he lowered his voice just in case: "I never thought to ask, but have you seen his face?"

The look he got this time was notably sharper, even a little suspicious. When Tohdoh did nod in the end, it was such a soft motion that Ohgi almost missed it. He frowned in turn, that idea now out the window.

"Then it's not that. But I think that makes the two of us the only ones who have, so maybe that's why he wants only us tonight?"

He was spitballing and knew it, but good ideas sometimes came from throwing stuff at the wall. As Ohgi mused however, he became aware of Tohdoh's renewed interest.

"You saw his face?"

"Uh, yes? He agreed to let me see, back when the Black Knights started. It was a compromise so we can trust each other."

A thoughtful noise came from Tohdoh, but the older man did not share his thoughts. Ohgi wondered by himself when Zero revealed his identity to Tohdoh, or why; he felt it was not his place to ask, though. They all had their secrets. Perhaps it was even the same reason as with him.

"Then it is likely the reason he asked for the two of us, yes," Tohdoh said a moment later. "I'm still unclear on what he wants with us, but we will find out soon enough."

The last part came with a nod toward the old warehouse they were told to meet Zero in. The men walked past it before doubling back through a side alley; meetings like these always required that they made sure they were not followed.

The inside was dark for the most part, with orange light shining through the intact windows. The ambient lighting was still bright enough to tell the place itself had not actually been abandoned; it was one of their safehouses, hidden in plain sight. Moreover, the largest ray illuminated Zero's figure, bent over some sort of paperwork at a desk.

The men entered quietly, though their steps sounded loud in the comparatively empty hall. Ohgi winced at the noise, but nothing else happened.

Zero finished with a sheet and put it aside as they arrived. His head rose and he stood to greet them: "Tohdoh-san, Ohgi-san. Thank you for taking the time out of your schedules. You were not followed?"

Tohdoh, being the older and more experienced one, answered for them: "We weren't. What is our purpose here?"

If his curt tone or how direct he was bothered Zero, there was no indicator of it. He simply nodded back and got to it.

"With the state of the country as it is, I needed to do a lot of thinking lately. A paradigm shift has become necessary. And to that end, I have called you to meet someone."

It was a surprise and somewhat worrying to hear, but Ohgi reserved his judgement.

Just about as soon as Zero finished, steps sounded again; the men turned to the staircase leading underground, where a young woman emerged. Ohgi's eyes hung on her face for a moment, so clearly Britannian. She was more than cute. Pale blonde hair ran down her back, her arms bare because she wore a sleeveless shirt and vest; the sight was kind of scandalous, but Ohgi managed not to stare.

A long, pleated skirt swished around her ankles and completed the ensemble. The young lady looked well put-together overall. Her kind smile put him at ease without him even realising.

"You?" Tohdoh asked then, reminding Ohgi where they were. His companion seemed dumbfounded, brows raised as he stared at the woman.

"I," she agreed, speaking in accent-free Japanese: "It has been a long eight years, Tohdoh-san."

More than that, she bowed to them properly, as if she had been taught all her life. Now Ohgi suspected that she was half like Kallen. Perhaps Zero was too, if they worked together? He never thought to ask.

Then the other, even more important part registered: Tohdoh knew this woman, and she knew him.

"That it has," Tohdoh answered at that moment, relaxing somewhat. "You have grown into a proper woman since then. Has Britannian medicine advanced so far to cure you?"

The young lady shook her head gently. "Unfortunately not. If you would look down, you will see that I found an alternate solution."

So saying, she pulled up the hem of her skirt; it rose to right below her knees, revealing a sturdy metal brace of some sort running down each leg. What sort of injury that meant was obvious, but Ohgi still felt like he missed something important.

"Sumeragi Zaibatsu was kind enough to accept my order for the development of these over the last year," she added, still wearing that smile.

That gave Ohgi pause, though; he knew the Sumeragi heiress, or rather matriarch, was aware of Zero's identity. Now it started to seem more like an entire rabbit hole.

Before he could find a good place to interject and ask questions however, the lady turned to him: "But where are my manners? Please forgive my being so rude not to introduce myself. I am Nunnally vi Britannia."

This time she curtsied.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Ohgi Kaname," he returned reflexively, then his brain caught up. "Wait."

He stared at the young woman in front of him, trying to determine if this was a bad joke. Had he ever heard of a Britannian princess called Nunnally? He could not recall one by that name, he only knew Euphemia, Cornelia, and Guinevere. Although Ohgi knew there were a lot more, he never had the time or desire to learn about Britannia's royal family.

He laughed a little awkwardly, trying to play over his lapse. "Sorry, I must have misheard something."

However, Nunnally shook her head at him in turn. "I'm afraid you heard right," she confirmed firmly. "Though disinherited and currently in hiding, I am still an imperial princess."

That answered one question, but opened up two more. Ohgi did not even know where to start now, or how to react. Turning to Zero in search of help, he found him with his mask down; his brows were scrunched into a frown.

"You also know her as Codename Angel," Zero added slowly. "She has overseen the Black Knights' budget since the group's conception."

Ohgi looked back at him, then to the princess again. She nodded at him turn and offered an understanding smile.

"Please take your time, Ohgi-san. I know this is a lot."

He just nodded back dumbly, grateful when Tohdoh chimed in to fill the gap: "A paradigm shift was what Zero called it. What exactly does that entail?"

"In a moment, Tohdoh-san," Nunnally answered with one hand raised. "First of all, I wanted to tell you that I'm glad you made it all this way."

Tohdoh nodded in response. "I can only say the same. Although I'm not sure of my feelings on the matter, I know I would never wish death upon a child."

So saying, he turned ot Ohgi, who slowly got through the surprise. Tohdoh finally offered a bit more of an explanation while motioning for Nunnally... and Zero: "You may not remember anymore, but the empire sent a pair of hostages to Japan before the occupation. I met them on my assignment to train the young Kururugi heir."

His words were enough for Ohgi to connect the dots. Zero bore his wide-eyed look stoically, though he did confirm what Ohgi asked without words.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, or Lelouch Lamperouge for my cover name. I apologise for the misdirection, but I hope you understand why I never spoke of this matter before."

Ohgi listened intently, a feeling of betrayal surging up from somewhere. It bubbled and nearly burst out, ever so barely held back. The Black Knights were created by a Britannian prince, by an enemy.

But then, Ohgi remembered, that same man led them against Britannia. Against his own people. Without hesitation or compromise. The mask suddenly made perfect sense, too; everyone would think just like Ohgi did right now, nobody would believe him. But was it the truth?

"Okay," he said slowly, never taking his eyes off Zero. "But why?"

There were so many questions encompassed in this one word, even Ohgi himself did not know which one he wanted answered the most.

Zero, or Lelouch rather, exhaled slowly. "Tell me, Ohgi-san," he growled. "What kind of man do you think is capable of ordering war on a country where he sent his own children not a year before?"

The undertone to every word was nasty, even though Ohgi only caught a trail of it. But what was more, he saw the look in Lelouch's eyes; this dark look that made a shiver run down his spine. Ohgi knew then that the man before him was no friend to Britannia.

"Is that why justice is so important to you?" he asked, trying to fit the pieces together with what he learned now.

The question was answered with a faint smile: "Justice is a buzzword, Ohgi-san. It has as many interpretations as there are people. To me, justice is to treat people according to their actions, without regard who their parents are or where they were born."

It was a bit of a non-answer, but Ohgi took it. Lelouch told him enough to make sense of things. He still felt like he needed some time to digest everything, but he also knew this meeting had not even started properly. So Ohgi pushed those feelings back, smoothed out his features, and offered a nod.

"I won't lie, this is a lot to take in. I will probably have some more questions later, if that's okay?" he asked, receiving only a nod. "Alright then. Let's get to business. You're telling us, well, me this for a reason, right?"

Both siblings nodded this time. Before they said much of anything however, they led their guests into the basement to talk. Ohgi and Tohdoh were sat down opposite to the pair, whose demeanour turned fully serious.

"To start off," Nunnally began once they were seated, "Tohdoh-san, Ohgi-san, what is your opinion on the current situation in Japan?"

That was a hard one to start with. Ohgi had some opinions, but inclined his head to the older man.

"The situation we have is stable," Tohdoh said. "Britannian military presence recedes again and Princess Euphemia seems sympathetic enough for a viceroy. The Order of the Black Knights grows steadily, becoming a true fighting force with time and experience."

"Our people, er, the Japanese I mean, they're doing better lately," Ohgi started once it was clear Tohdoh was done. "Gang violence is going back, we almost rooted out human trafficking entirely, and there's enough food and medicine available to keep people going. I heard that a lot of new jobs opened up recently, and they hire at decent rates. There's still a long way to go, but I think we're in a good spot."

He tried to read anything at all from their expressions, but they may as well each have worn that mask.

Nunnally was the one who engaged their points, hands folded in her lap: "I concur with your assessments. Things are looking up of late and I'm glad we were the force that brought this change."

Her tone remained even despite the positive words; Ohgi felt the 'but' coming by the absence of her earlier warmth alone. Then she surprised him with another question, though.

"And your opinions on our future?"

He could only make a confused noise in response, uncertain where this was going now. A hopeful gaze went to Tohdoh, whose eyes were narrowed; his attention rested solely on Nunnally.

"Could you specify that question?"

"Of course. I wish to hear your opinion on our odds to drive Britannia out. And to keep them out."

The silence that followed weighed heavier than before. Ohgi knew he missed something in that question, or maybe the way it was asked, but he could not tell what. It felt important, too.

Thankfully, Tohdoh spelled it out for him: "You don't think we can."

"Do you?" Lelouch asked back. His tone was measured, but both it and Tohdoh's lack of response made Ohgi shudder.

"Wait, hold on!" he interjected, unwilling to believe this was happening. "We already got this far, and with Zero here there's got to be a way!"

Nunnally smiled kindly at him, even if it brought little comfort.

"I wish it were," she said. "Japan is a small country, Ohgi-san. She kept her independence by playing the three superpowers against each other into a stalemate, not through being a threat. The last time something relevant happened here, Cornelia herself brought down the hammer. She only left to return to her own campaign. Imagine for a moment what the response would be if we did manage to free Japan."

The picture she painted was a bleak one. Something he did not want to believe. But after those eight long years and everything that happened, Ohgi could not help but see what she meant. No matter how much he wanted to believe otherwise, he could see it. Tohdoh remained silent, just as aware of it; maybe the reminder of how the JLF was utterly crushed drove the point home with him.

But what else could they do? Zero, Lelouch brought them farther than anyone else since the subjugation. If he of all people thought it could not be done, then all hope was lost.

Except that they did not seem hopeless right now. And with what they said earlier....

"You have a plan?"

The siblings nodded gravely in response, though neither of them seemed happy. "We do," Lelouch confirmed. "But we need your support to see it through."

Ohgi inclined his head in response, wondering and dreading in equal measure; if direct rebellion was doomed to failure, then how would they free Japan?

Looking between the men and seeing them both receptive, Lelouch unclasped his hands. "If Britannia can't be driven out without coming back or another superpower swooping in, then we must change Britannia instead," he explained. "For that purpose, Nunnally and I will make our return to the Empire. And we will take the Black Knights with us."

Even the lead-up did not prepare Ohgi for this bombshell. He expected parting words, some desperate gamble, but not this. His desperation sparked into anger then; how dare they suggest everyone become a part of Britannia?

"No," he snapped. "Never."

If his glower fazed the two, they did not show. Ohgi kept going: "Why would we suddenly bend the knee after all we did the last years? This is unacceptable!"

He looked to Tohdoh for support next, but found the older man in deep contemplation. The sight, the mere idea he may consider this madness, snuffed out Ohgi's temper in an instant.

"And they know that we will react this way," Tohdoh reasoned. "Explain your reasoning, Prince Lelouch."

For some reason, this of all things made Lelouch's brows knit into a frown. "I do not demand this sort of address from people I respect, Tohdoh-san," he answered swiftly. "Please do away with it. This goes for you as well, Ohgi-san."

Tohdoh simply nodded, but Ohgi felt surprise now. He did not think Lelouch respected him enough to even say such a thing.

With that out of the way, the younger man steepled his fingers again and began to explain: "We don't like this plan any more than you do, else we wouldn't have been in hiding for so long. None of our feelings change the truth, though: it's through our blood that Nunnally and I can get the power to change the status quo permanently. We can gain political sway in the empire, obtain resources barred from the Black Knights otherwise, and push for reforms. It will take time and effort to cast the Japanese as equals, but we decided that is better than a fleeting freedom brutally crushed after."

He left a pause there to gauge their reactions. Tohdoh gave nothing away while Ohgi was simply stumped; with his feelings tamed for the moment, he could not help but follow along Lelouch's reasoning. He wanted to hear more.

"I realise that you may not be familiar with Britannian doctrine, so I would like to explain it to you in short: results matter beyond rules. Success excuses all misdemeanor. If a Japanese officer acts against orders, they are court martialled no matter what. If a Britannian commander does the same and succeeds, they are lauded instead. This aspect of Britannian culture is important to our plan."

It sounded like madness to him. Being rewarded for stepping out of line? Ludicrous! Tohdoh seemed just as baffled, even if he kept his silence.

But at the same time, Ohgi knew that Britannia was not like Japan. He did not know what the exact differences were, he could not see any past events where this sort of thinking applied, but he also did not think Lelouch a liar. Kallen would know, he needed to check with her sometime. Naoto would have known, too.

Now that he thought of him, Naoto had always encouraged them to act as they saw fit; to tell him if his orders were bad and why. It took some getting used to, but they were better off for it.

The men both kept their silence, urging Lelouch to continue. He had their undivided attention.

"With what I just told you, it should be understood that the mere act of announcing our survival to the world will not get us much of anything. Power and prestige come from delivering results. That is why we will announce our return by claiming the Order of the Black Knights as ours. Not only does this give us an experienced Japanese fighting force to work with, it also severely reduces 'terrorism' in the country. That is something even Cornelia could not achieve despite her best attempts."

And it made sense, too.

Ohgi did not want it to make sense, but it did. Moreover, he had to believe that these were their honest intentions; if it was all a plot to get their pedigree back like a part of him screamed, then hope was already lost for the Japanese.

Ohgi was not a strategist. He was an elementary school teacher turned guerilla. He could not make the plans. But he could also not avoid reality; he would not be alive anymore if he did. Looking to Tohdoh for wisdom again, Ohgi found Japan's most respected military man silent. He did not refute any of the reasoning they were given.

The silence lingered an uncomofrtably long amount of time.

Ohgi thought back to Naoto, to Inoue and Yoshida. Then Kallen, Tamaki, Minami, Sugiyama. All of them believed in a better tomorrow. They were ready to fight for it, even to die for it. But if they could not win a straight fight, which even Ohgi understood made sense, then....

He took a deep breath to steel himself. Death before dishonour was what he would have chosen before. Ohgi rather died for his country's dream than turn on it. But the many thousands who died for that dream had not brought it any closer.

"Promise me," he demanded quietly.

Everyone's attention lay on him in an instant. Ohgi met Lelouch's gaze firmly. "Promise me this is the truth. That you won't go behind our backs after getting reinstated as royalty."

He knew well that promises were only worth as much as the air used to make them. He knew that, but he needed something to cling to. Anything at all. Perhaps Lelouch could tell that need from his gaze, for he never averted his eyes.

The younger man nodded ever so faintly, then intoned: "I so swear on my beloved sister's life that we will not betray your trust on this. Our work is for Japan."

Nunnally twitched as he said it. Tohdoh, too, was taken aback. Looking between the siblings, Ohgi could tell this was not said lightly. He heard no lie in Lelouch's words, either. His chest felt less constricted now, his heart beating a little easier.

Ohgi chose to trust Lelouch back when he first showed his face. He was still uncertain now, still worried, but he decided to trust him again. And so Ohgi Kaname inclined his head.

"Then I will go along with this."

It sounded oddly final, now that he said it. A path taken that he could never return from. But when he saw Nunnally's grateful smile, Ohgi could not help but think it would work out.

"Thank you for your trust, Ohgi-san. It means more than you can imagine."

Her gratitude was so earnest that Ohgi felt sheepish to receive it. He knew words were cheap, but he was just as willing to hold his as they were.

They then turned to Tohdoh, whose brows were still creased. Ohgi felt even more sheepish now, having announced his decision before waiting what Tohdoh would do, but nobody seemed to mind. The older man's gaze remained sharp, his mind at work.

"The recent restructuring of our forces is not a coincidence," he pointed out. "How long have you been planning this? Why now?"

The reactions were immediate. Lelouch began to scowl for just a moment, though it faded just as fast. Nunnally's smile dimmed into something more forlorn. She folded both hands in her lap and answered for both of them.

"We had to re-evaluate after the Kyushu incident."

Something in her subdued tone told Ohgi there was more to what she said. Nobody elaborated for his sake this time, though; Tohdoh seemed to understand what she meant after some thinking. By the way his expression softened, Ohgi did not feel like digging.

He could see their point even without it; Kyushu was a mess. Any of their own attempts to free Japan may end similarly. That was a chilling realisation, now that he thought about it.

"I can see the wisdom in your planned course of action," Tohdoh said hesitantly. "Even still it goes against my pride to agree with it, and many others will feel the same. I know you have as much reason to hate Britannia than us, but they will only see symbols of all that they hate."

"We know," Lelouch answered with only a hint of a growl. "But they look to people like Zero, you, and Ohgi-san for guidance. If you speak in our favour, then it may be possible without a schism."

"And you would gamble on that chance?"

Lelouch snorted at that. It was a dark sound, containing little mirth. His expression remained serious. "I rather take a gamble on a gamble than walk down the road to certain failure."

Then he smirked.

"You will find that I'm good at hedging my bets, Tohdoh-san."

While Tohdoh did not outwardly react, Nunnally rolled her eyes at her brother. The fond gesture filled Ohgi with nostalgia, making those two appear so much more like Kallen and Naoto than he thought they would. He was the only one to notice, though; Lelouch and Tohdoh kept holding each other's gazes instead.

Then the older man nodded his assent. "Very well. You have my support. When do you plan to announce this paradigm shift?"

Lelouch made an idle motion into the distance, an easy smile dancing around his lips. "We will clear the final conditions soon. Our schedule is not completely set yet, but we expect the general announcement to come no later than July."

"That's pretty soon," Ohgi chimed in with some surprise. July was only a few weeks off. He felt a little miffed that they kept it a secret for so long.

"Why didn't you talk to us about it earlier?"

"We had to make preparations of our own," Nunnally explained in her brother's stead. "Not to mention refine the plan itself before presenting it. It would have been ridiculous to propose a harebrained scheme to you when so much is at stake."

This, he could understand. Ohgi made an understanding noise, though the part about stakes raised his curiousity.

"What's the worst case we're looking at?"

His question prompted a thoughtful hum from the princess, who began to muse out loud: "Well, the worst case in general is a complete fracture of the Black Knights, after which the situation returns to what it was before. No more Zero, no Japan Liberation Front. If someone vindictive also spread news of our survival, we would have to flee the country."

"Why is that?", Ohgi asked back. He had winced over her breakdown, but failed to follow the logic at the end. "Couldn't you return anyway?"

It was evidently the wrong thing to say. Nunnally's smile vanished entirely, her stare turning hard. Ohgi did not know what just happened.

"I understand you are ill informed of how Britannian nobility works, Ohgi-san. If I may explain?" she requested, her voice forcefully calm. She barely waited for his nod.

"I will spare you the various details. In terms of reputation, us returning after eight years of hiding but without anything to show for it would be seen as us crawling back while begging for scraps. This would bar us from many an alliance and make us seem weak. With no Empress to protect us through her own pedigree, this makes us all but defenseless and easy prey. The absolute best we could hope for is to get assassinated before long. Else his majesty may decide to marry us off to spend the rest our lives in golden cages."

Every sentence she spoke revealed more of a growl to her words. The very real disgust and emerging glower took Ohgi by surprise. She was not angry at him, yet he still felt the urge to duck his shoulders.

Chancing a glance to Lelouch, he found the prince bearing the exact same expression. Those two never looked more like siblings than in this very moment.

Nobody needed to spell out that they would never let what Nunnally explained happen to each other or themselves. Ohgi honestly did not want to know how far they would go prevent it. What he knew was that he just stepped on a landmine, so he needed to take responsibility.

"I see. Thank you for explaining it to me, and please accept my apologies for bringing it up."

Nunnally's expression smoothed out in response. Her smile returned as she shook her head, faint though it was. "There is no need to apologise, Ohgi-san. You could not know."

"You two have as much riding on this as we do," Tohdoh chimed in then, thankfully changing the subject. "Is there anything you need help with?"

A round of polite offers and refusals followed, then Lelouch stood to see them off. "Please be sure not to speak a word of what our plan is to anyone," he urged the pair. "Not even each other, if it can be avoided. If anyone asks what we spoke about, it should be fine to let them know that we spoke of our plans for the future. Everything else is classified."

He smiled mirthlessly while Ohgi and Tohdoh agreed to his request. Ohgi worried a little that his old friends would get something out of him all the same, though; he had to make sure to stay away from any booze they might come by until then.

Then, much to his surprise, he ended up shaking hands. First with Lelouch, then Nunnally. Holding her delicate hand made him realise in full just how personable they were; he never expected to ever meet a Britannian royal who would treat him as an equal, yet here there were two. They were people just like him.

Once farewells were said and the pair had walked into the night, both siblings loosened up.

Nunnally heaved a deep sigh, rubbing her forehead. "That's the difficult part done," she reasoned.

"Yes," Lelouch agreed. "For once fortune favours us."

His sister huffed at him, playfully crossing her arms. "We wouldn't need fortune if you hadn't already used Geass on Ohgi-san."

"How was I supposed to know that we would end up doing this? I needed to make sure he couldn't reveal my identity as Zero."

"And with how he behaved throughout his career under you, I feel it safe to say you were paranoid."

Lelouch shook his head at her. "That's no dessert for you, young lady," he decided as he got to cleaning the space they occupied for the last hour.

Nunnally rolled her eyes in response.

"Oh nooooo," she drawled, "whatever will I do? My ass is too fat anyway."

"Language."

She stuck out her tongue in response, making it clear that choice of words was quite deliberate. Be it her own relief about things working out or another reason, Nunnally did not feel like keeping up proper manners at the moment.

There was only one important matter left, but neither of them worried about it. This would work out, no matter how many minds they needed to break.

 

[Naron]

Kaguya was worried.

Somewhat surprisingly, the meeting of the six heads around her was not the reason. Not even the renewed attempt by Munakata to arrange an engagement for her. Although it was ironic that he tried to set her up with Zero this time.

No, Kaguya was worried about the upcoming talks. She held her silence, barely not chewing her lips; that would give away her current state. The fact she said so little on people trying to decide her future already garnered Kirihara's attention.

"You seem amenable to this arrangement, Sumeragi-san," Osakabe noted, likely having noticed as well.

Now that she was put on the spot, Kaguya had to say something. She shook her head in a measured way, trying not to look frantic. Now was as good a time as any.

"I am not, Osakabe-san. In fact, I would prefer if we put the matter aside. I received an important petitition earlier that the house needs to discuss."

Munakata's minute frown was wiped away as fast as it appeared; she saw it anyway, not that it surprised her. This was his game she cut short. Kuboin and Yoshino agreed without any issue, though. So did Kirihara, of course. Anything to get her out of the hot seat, even just for a while.

"Please tell us about this petition, Sumeragi-san," Kirihara prompted, a twinge of curiousity in his request. Kaguya inclined her head in turn, well aware that she had to justify bringing it before the house.

"I have been made aware that Zero requests to speak before Kyoto House. He wishes to introduce himself properly and discuss a stratagem of his that requires the house's undivided support."

The way she planned to introduce the subject was altered several times and endlessly rehearsed in her head. This initial pitch did its job in earning the group's attention, but she still needed to walk the tightrope. Asking for all of Kyoto House to support him meant they needed a unanimous decision; all six heads needed to be convinced.

Thankfully, Zero dangling his identity as a lure seemed to work. At least Kirihara clearly suspected something going on, but he held his tongue.

"We learned since that Zero is Britannian," Munakata started thoughtfully. "Can you, who is aware of his identity, confirm that taking this offer is worth our time?"

It was a fair question, though also dangerous to field; she did not want to start this on a hostile note by coming on too strong, but ceding too much ground would weaken her friend's position. Kaguya took a moment to consider her options before nodding.

"I believe so, Munakata-san. Though I must urge the house to tread carefully. While he offers us this as a token of good faith, Zero is not a man to be crossed lightly. I am under no illusion that even the majority in this room will look kindly upon him."

There was some shuffling in response to her warning. Even greater was their curiousity. Kaguya felt mean baiting them like this, but she promised to help. The venerable elders were unused to not knowing things; their curiousity was just as natural as any younger man's. This was about as irresistable as she could make it.

Of the other five heads, she could tell Kirihara studied her in particular. He was not mulling over the proposal so much as her words and actions. Sometimes she wished for the power to read minds, just to know what went on behind his eyes.

After some time of silent contemplation, Osakabe spoke up: "Seeing that he is already aware of our identities, I believe it is about time we are awarded the same courtesy. All present have the experience to judge a situation objectively, and we already know Zero is not Japanese. I am in favour of granting his request."

"The least we can do is hear him out after all the work he did," Munakata added. "In favour."

Kubouin inclined his head as well. "Considering that he is our most prominent piece on the board, it is only prudent to treat him with respect. In favour."

Though it was a positive response, Kaguya almost winced at the wording. She alone was aware Zero made no mere piece; he was the chessmaster. If anything, Kyoto House was about to become a piece on his board. She kept those thoughts to herself, though.

Meanwhile, Kirihara offered a more measured response: "While it comes with risks to invite such a powerful man into these chambers, he has proven his care for the Japanese people and spirit beyond all shadow of doubt. In favour."

With four out of five in agreement, all eyes turned to Yoshino, whose eyes were closed in thought. "In favour," he said simply. No reasoning was given, although Kaguya would have loved to hear his.

"I am in favour as well," she finished as a formality, "which makes the decision unanimous."

Osakabe nodded at her. "Then it is decided. We will receive Zero. As you are our main point of contact with him, please set up a time and date."

This time she could not help her mirthless smile from breaking through. Maybe it was her having the advantage, but she thought they really should know better by now.

"If I may offer a piece of wisdom, Osakabe-san?" Kaguya requested, making the entire group perk up in wonder. "Zero ever has his own plans. He is already here."

Several elders froze in place for just a moment. The rest of them revealed their surprise through perfectly blank expressions. Not one of them had seen this coming.

"You wish to tell us that Zero has already been allowed into the inner sanctum," Munakata asked, slowly and in disbelief. "Without even knowing that we would grant his desire to step before us?"

"He has. At times I wonder if perhaps he is precognitive, for the house granted his request just as he anticipated."

Her quip caused a little chuckle from Kirihara, belatedly followed by Yoshino. The other three held their silence, all somewhere between intrigued and scandalised. By herself, Kaguya was simply glad they did not notice how nervous she felt deep down; knowing what she knew, those two siblings would have forced their way in if they were denied.

"The boldness of youth is certainly a force to be reckoned with," Kirihara joked lightly, then made a gentle motion toward the door. "See them in, Sumeragi-san."

She bowed and stood without another word, striding away with measured steps. Once out of sight however, Kaguya took a moment to rub her aching thighs and calves; sitting seiza style for so long was and remained bothersome, even with ease of practice.

Then, after taking a deep breath, Kaguya left the chambers proper. A pair of guards stood before the side room the siblings waited in; Kaguya told them to leave, but also ordered that none were to enter the inner sanctum while Zero was inside. Her orders were taken with some surprise, but the two men ultimately bowed their heads and trooped off.

Once they were around the corner, Kaguya knocked politely. She waited a moment before entering as well, just in case.

Inside, she found that Lelouch and Nunnally already took off the Zero suits they arrived in. Kaguya imagined that everyone expected C.C. under the second one, which was a fair assumption to make. But it was Nunnally, and she dressed somewhat formally in a cream-coloured blouse and dark pencil skirt. Lelouch wore a button-down shirt and black pants to match his sister; they could be office workers with a little imagination, though their postures were too prim.

Their eyes were on her as soon as she poked her head inside.

"They're ready for you."

While Lelouch simply nodded, Nunnally already walked over to her friend. "Any trouble?" she asked, revealing some of her own worries. Kaguya shook her head in response.

"None at all. The trouble starts now."

Her fatalism earned a little grin from her friend. As if she knew something Kaguya did not.

"Let that be our concern," Lelouch reassured her gently. "Thank you for taking the risk on us, Kaguya."

That faint smile he graced her with did funny things to Kaguya's stomach. Why did he have to be so handsome? She barely managed not to blush and returned the smile, but it was a fight.

"That is what friends are for, no? Though I won't lie, even I hate the idea of what you want to propose."

Nunnally wrapped her into a quick hug as she passed by. "Trust me," she muttered, "nobody hates it more than us."

The corridor remained empty, so she quickly led her guests into the six house's chamber. All heads turned at the sound of their footsteps, studying the two newcomers with interest. Kirihara was notable for turning deathly pale at the sight of them.

Nunnally kept back, letting her brother come forward to take center stage. He bowed toward the seated men.

"I am grateful to receive this chance, venerable elders."

"As am I, venerable elders," Nunnally followed right after with a bow of her own. Even Kaguya could tell that several of them looked at her legs more than her face; the pencil skirt did nothing to hide the exoskeleton encasing them, even if Rakshata reduced it down to mere braces by now.

Bracing herself, Kaguya made a soft motion toward their guests. "If I may introduce Prince Lelouch vi Britannia and Princess Nunnally vi Britannia. Upon a time they came to Japan as hostages, but today they stand before us as allies."

The pair first curtsied and bowed respectively in Britannian fashion, then both bowed once more as the Japanese would. Kaguya had double-checked their etiquette to make sure they would not act subservient before; they were polite, treating the six houses as their equals.

The elders were visibly shocked, though. Wary looks went back and forth between the siblings.

Then Kirihara began to chuckle, cutting off anyone else trying to speak.

"So that is what it was," he guffawed. "The seed planted that day has sprouted. You bear the mask, young man?"

"I do, Kirihara-san," Lelouch confirmed with a faint bow toward the older man. His smile was placid but polite. "Certainly you understand why the masquerade was a necessity until now."

Kirihara huffed again and threw Kaguya an amused look. She knew that he now knew why she acted odd for the last year.

"I understand just fine, but I am curious what plan of yours brought you to us today."

Though he seemed amenable, the rest of Kyoto House was less so. "What exactly is the meaning of this?" Munakata chimed in warily. "Were you aware that Zero was a Britannian prince, Kirihara-san?"

"At most it was an idle fantasy, Munakata-san," Kirihara reasoned, more calmly now. "I urge you and the other houses to remember that this man, no, both of these two are no friends to Britannia."

So saying, he turned back to Lelouch and Nunnally, who waited patiently for them. "I imagine you are already well aware of everyone present, but introductions are only polite."

He received faint nods from both and took that as his cue to take over from Kaguya. With her free to observe, it was quickly apparent that none of the other heads were pleased by this development. Opinion turned even further against the siblings when Lelouch finally got to explaining the plan in broad strokes.

It was not as awful hearing it now; Kaguya still remembered when they first approached her on it. She had a lot of questions, even now she remained divided on the matter.

After his spiel about Britannian values they wanted to exploit, Lelouch moved onto the part most important here: "But success hinges on more than just military power, as this venerable group will know quite well. An industry is required to support it. Hence why we need the six houses' support in this endeavour. Japan once was an industrial powerhouse, with most of her remaining assets now belonging to the six of you. If we could leverage these assets toward our cause, then improvement will not be far off."

There was the crux of the matter; no matter how nice he worded it, Lelouch wanted their companies. Nobody missed it, the dark looks going around were fairly obvious.

Kaguya knew they would not even entertain the notion, so she spoke up to ask the question in their stead: "Assuming we were to accept your proposal, how exactly would this be realised?"

It felt disingenuous to push the matter like this, but she could hardly let her friend down. They deserved a fair chance.

Lelouch turned from the group as a whole to her in particular, that polite smile still in place.

"Of course we understand that this is a big step," he began. "We speak of major companies that were led by the people present or their ancestors for many years, after all. Neither my sister nor I would dare think to just take them away. No, the idea is to change nothing of the internal structures beyond officially putting all six houses under our patronage. While it will provide us with the means to affect change, it will also guard all of you from further exploitation."

His assertation calmed the group somewhat, having assuaged the most important fear. Kaguya still remembered being very cross with the plan's first iteration, which did not include any particular procedure after swallowing up Kyoto House.

To some surprise for her, Kirihara seemed particularly mollified by the clarification. He leaned forward curiously. "I imagine this also requires full disclosure of our relevant activities," he probed. "Seeing that a retainer can not be seen acting against their patron's wishes, or without their knowledge."

Though the words easily came over his tongue, they made Kaguya's spine tingle; she could tell everyone else was unhappy about the mental image of being subordinate like this. Even Kirihara did not like the idea, though if he was the most open.

"That is indeed the case," Lelouch confirmed simply.

While the other four held their silence so far, Osakabe chose that moment to speak up. "This is madness," he said. There was no real heat to his voice, which may just have made it worse. He was plain certain and a little weary.

"Not only that," Kubouin added with a frown, "but it is utterly disrespectful to expect the six houses to bend the knee and become subsidiaries. All we have is your word, and we know what a Britannian's word is worth."

With all eyes on Lelouch, only Kaguya noticed Nunnally bristle. Her brother was perfectly composed, that fake smile still in place.

"Contracts can be written, collateral provided. But all of this necessitates a willingness to cooperate on both sides, Kubouin-san. We are well aware of what we are asking, just like we are aware of what we will ask of the Order of the Black Knights soon. If this body could offer a different solution with greater likelihood of success, we would love to take it."

His response agitated Munakata and Osakabe in particular; likely the reminder that freedom was unattainable through conventional means. Kaguya felt similar, even after several months spent thinking of a better way and coming up blank. It just felt wrong.

That was when Yoshino finally broke his silence, a hint of humour to his voice: "There is always a way, young man. Perhaps not one easily found, but life will often find it in the end."

As expected, he was not on board with this either.

There were a few more questions about details, but it did not matter much what Lelouch explained or how well he maneuvered the situation; the house's leanings were quite clear throughout.

And then Munakata set off the powderkeg.

"You mentioned providing collateral, Prince Lelouch," he began thoughtfully. "If we were to assume we agreed to this scheme of yours and offered everything we possess, would you be willing to do the same? Would you give as your younger sister as a hostage?"

Kaguya twitched in barely suppressed horror. That was not the plan; in fact, this was so far off the plan she expected a bloodbath at the mere suggestion.

She was the only one taken aback, though; the other heads waited patiently for Lelouch's response. Kaguya could tell the smile froze on his face. He did admirably in hiding his feelings, even Kaguya only had an inkling because she knew them both.

Then Nunnally placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. Somehow that brighter smile of hers was more intimidating right now.

She stepped forward to address the house, ever polite: "I am afraid that is the one thing neither of us will accept. We were both hostages once. As this venerable group may recall, no good came of it."

Kaguya exhaled softly. It was a good save, nobody could deny that. Nunnally avoided Munakata's trap, even he acknowledged this with a soft nod. But his expression made clear where his opinion lay.

"Then I believe it is time we vote. There is no need to discuss this any further."

"I believe we have not heard everything yet, Munakata-san," she was quick to deflect. "A matter this important should be discussed from all available angles."

For some reason, this caused him to look at her with something akin to gentleness.

"We are all well aware of your connection to the prince and princess by this point, Sumeragi-san. While your desire to aid them is admirable, I believe it is ultimately misplaced. Please temper yourself as we know you can."

His words were like a slap to the face.

Not only did he disregard her counsel out of hand, he even blamed it on her youth all of a sudden. Kaguya was not sure whether to snarl or cry, especially when Kubouin and Osakabe agreed with Munakata.

So they voted. Lelouch and Nunnally were not even asked to leave for the final deliberation, the house just up and ignored them.

It ended just as Kaguya feared, with two in favour and four against. The only one beside her to agree was Kirihara, which still made for a surprise. The other heads seemed to think the same.

"What is your reasoning, Kirihara-san?" Yoshino inquired. "Yours is not the heart of a young maiden after all."

And now he made it about Kaguya being a woman. She was actually angry by this point, thinking back to the conversation she once had about seceding from Kyoto House. Perhaps a schism was near after all.

Her mentor remained calm throughout, though. "I deem this as an opportunity to reach where we could never reach before today," he reasoned. "Having access to Britannian resources and knowledge from the inside appears as a boon that is worth the risk. But I am well aware my opinion is not shared."

"Although there is always another means," Osakabe noted thoughtfully. He glanced to their guests, still present and quiet as they waited for them. "After all, we do have a Britannian prince and princess on our hands."

Kirihara turned to him in response. "What are you suggesting, Osakabe-san?"

The other man glanced between the members of Kyoto House, then motioned for Lelouch and Nunnally. "If memory serves, there was a rather prolonged search for the missing royals after the occupation began. I imagine that a number of concessions can be gained in exchange for their return."

For just a moment Kaguya scowled, but that burst of anger was soon forgotten. Horror settled back in; not that someone would suggest ransoming her friends, but that she knew for a fact Osakabe would not survive the night. She barely managed to look at the pair, whose thoughts were still hidden behind polite expressions. Only Lelouch's slowly unclenching fist told of his inner turmoil.

"That is out of line, Osakabe-san," Kaguya chided sharply. "Not to mention that we will gain precious little by leveraging a pair of exiled royals."

Her rebuke seemed to agitate Osakabe in turn. Kaguya could not care less about taking the proper tone with her elders right now, though.

Unfortunately, she was all but alone again. His suggestions seemed to have set roots. Yoshino chimed in next: "Yet was it not that the death of Prince Clovis caused Britannia to increase security and military presence by several orders of magnitude? I find it hard to believe the emperor would not care for his own."

A snort disrupted their conversation. All eyes flew to Nunnally, who still bore that same smile. Lelouch stepped back, letting his sister take the lead now.

"That particular bit of nonsense aside, Yoshino-san," she said sweetly, "I hope you are aware of what you are suggesting?"

How could someone be menacing by smiling and speaking softly? Nunnally did it with a perfectly calm posture and demeanour, even!

Kaguya shivered, now only waiting for the violence. She already tried to stop this, any more and she would risk shattering the house's unity.

Yoshino looked at Nunnally with wry amusement. The sort one offered to a misbehaving child. He could not tell the threat.

"I am quit aware, princess. Your rudeness aside, I believe you know your own worth."

"Indeed I do," Nunnally agreed with a hum. She said no more, which clearly threw Yoshino off; he may have expected a tantrum or something.

Most of the heads began to clue in that something was very wrong.

"Kaguya-chan," Kirihara said slowly. "In your opinion, what will be their response if we attempted to force this issue?"

She did not want to answer the question. Her friends' eyes were on her now, curious and encouraging more than anything. Kaguya looked back to her mentor, pale and shivering ever so faintly.

"I imagine they will kill us all and take everything."

Munakata and Osakabe reared back in surprise. Yoshino and Kubouin showed surprise as well. Kirihara only nodded his understanding, though.

"So about as expected," he reasoned.

"Oh, not quite."

Now all eyes went to Nunnally, who still smiled that sweet smile of hers. "There are only four people in this room I would kill, at most," she explained kindly. "We have not heard Kubouin-san's and Munakata-san's stances on trying to ransom us yet, have we?

Hearing his name seemed to animate Munakata; he glowered back at her as he snapped: "You dare threaten us after you come to beg for our support?"

"The situation changed when we went from discussing our proposal to your starting to discuss using us as bargaining chips," Lelouch answered, his voice cold as death. "If you wish to lay the blame on someone for this, Munakata-san, you may wish to look to your right."

Kaguya winced, thankfully unnoticed by all. Lelouch was right, but his bluntness and disrespect clearly annoyed the older man. Negotiations broke down completely and everything was horrible. What now? Were they really going to kill four of the six heads?

She could not allow it. If there was a chance to prevent this, Kaguya must find it.

"Certainly there can be a peaceful resolution to this?" she tried desperately, asking Nunnally most of all. She could still secede, maybe Sumeragi Saibatsu alone would be enough to satisfy their plans. At this point Kaguya was all but begging her friend not to do it.

But Nunnally's expression did not change.

Kaguya's hopes died in the cradle. She bowed her head, trying desperately to hold back tears. A rustle of cloth announced movement, then a slender hand cupped her cheek.

When she looked up again, she almost lost herself in Nunnally's eyes. Her friend's smile was tender now, a real one instead of a fake. "Of course there is, my dear friend," she soothed. "Listen well."

She leaned even closer to whisper into Kaguya's ear: "Close your eyes."

Kaguya stared back owlishly while Nunnally leaned back. She wanted to believe that she meant it, even though this was so clearly an excuse. There would be violence the moment she looked away.

But what could she do?

Sniffling weakly, Kaguya did as told and closed her eyes, then covered them with her hands to hide her tears. She listened as Nunnally moved on and whispered to Kirihara as well. It was a cold comfort.

Osakabe's voice sounded loud in the tense silence: "What is the meaning of this? Do you mean to tear through Kyoto House's solidarity?"

"No," Nunnally responded sweetly. "This is how we restore it. Lelouch?"

A drawled "Yes" was his only response. Some rustling followed as the other heads probably turned to him. "The four of you will follow my and Nunnally's every order from hereon out."

His order was absolute, even she could tell. But all the same, it arrested her desperation; Kaguya was completely confused now. What was this about? One could not just make people comply by telling them to.

And yet all four men agreed happily with his demands. Not grudging or scared as if he pointed a gun at them, but with audible delight.

She opened her eyes to look what happened. Lelouch rubbed his forehead for some reason, while the men who were discussing how to ransom him and Nunnally five minutes ago smiled as if Japan were already free. They were alive and well, but it made no sense.

Exchanging a baffled look with Kirihara, she found her mentor just as dumbfounded. He did not even try to hide it.

Their confusion only grew when Lelouch continued: "You will never consider using us as hostages again. Furthermore, you will back our plan to unify Japan's remaining industrial power under our aegis."

And once again he received nothing but agreement. It was surreal to watch.

"I believe the previous vote should be repeated," Nunnally added, still as sweet as before.

The four almost clambered over each other to voice their being in favour. Kaguya could only stare as her friend led them around everything the two needed like dogs on a leash, then ordered them out of the room.

When it was only the siblings, her, and old man Kirihara, Kaguya dared to speak. A single word that encompassed all her feelings on what just happened.

"What?"

She stared at Nunnally in search of explanation. Her friend settled down in one of the empty seats first, Lelouch by her side; they faced the two Japanese, now a little more relaxed than when there were six of them.

"Is this some sort of weapon you developed?" Kirihara guessed. "I can only think of it as mind control, no matter how ridiculous the notion. What is more, you refrained from using it on me. Why is that?"

He did not even ask about Kaguya, they all knew why she was spared whatever this was.

Lelouch inclined his head at the elder, perfectly willing to explain: "Were it up to me, I would have used it on everyone. Nunnally made the call to leave the both of you unaffected, but I understand her reasoning. Despite the madness we came to propose, you both agreed to support us. You were willing to bet everything on us, so it is only fair that we bet everything on you in turn."

He left a pause there, the severity in his tone completely at odds with the words he spoke. Kaguya felt a little lighter, knowing that he meant her and her mentor no harm. But the prospect of what just happened still scared her.

Lelouch thankfully explained that next: "This power you witnessed is the reason we decided to take the gamble. It is known as Geass and manifests as an ability that interacts with the human mind, though the specifics vary per person."

His voice had something soothing to it. She could hardly deny what she witnessed, either. Kaguya slowly regained her composure as her mind reengaged the situation properly; she still left her mentor to cover for her a while longer, though. Kaguya rather searched her best friend's expression. Nunnally shed her previous smile for something more severe to fit the situation.

"Do I understand it correctly that this 'Geass' is indeed mind control?" Kirihara pressed.

"Yes. I can implant any one order in the mind of people whose gaze I meet while my Geass is active."

That was terrifying. But it ignited her curiousity at the same time. "Can you tell us more about it?" Kaguya asked slowly. She imagined a scenario where every single freedom fighter possessed a power like this. Was it possible? "Where does this power come from?"

"C.C. is the one who gave us Geass," Nunnally explained readily, "but she won't grant any more. By what she said, she prefers to focus on one contractor. My getting one was already an exception on her end."

Lelouch nodded to his sister, both of them ignoring Kaguya's soft frown. He took over seamlessly.

"That aside, the only unifying theme about Geass is that they can't affect the physical world directly. C.C. is not forthcoming with details, but she confirmed this much. We only have a sample size of two, but our respective powers are nothing alike. I imagine that different people can have the same or a similar power, but this is not a given."

A moment of silence followed as everyone dwelled on what was said. Kaguya continued to calm down, though an undercurrent of worry still remained. How much of what she did recently was her own will?

"May we inquire what the young lady's ability is?" Kirihara asked then, thoughtful as much as curious. Nunnally nodded in response.

"Peace," she said.

Looking back at her friend, Kaguya noticed a crimson gleam in her eye. Leaning closer, she could tell it took a shape not unlike a bird. She could not feel anything different about herself.

"While in the reach of my Geass, no one is able to hurt another. Neither with deeds nor with words. The only exception is myself."

The gleam faded once more while Kaguya thought hard about what she learned. This was fantastical, but she heard and saw proof now. Part of her wanted such a power for herself, but the rest wanted nothing to do with it.

Kirihara's chuckle disrupted her racing thoughts. "Leave it to Britannians to weaponise even peace itself," he joked.

Nunnally blinked at him, then broke into giggles.

"I didn't even consider it from that angle, Kirihara-san. But you're not wrong," she agreed with good humour, then turned to her brother. "With all that said, I think you should immunise them."

Lelouch cast a look back at her, brow creasing a little further. But he nodded, agreeing to something Kaguya was not sure she understood the meaning of.

She looked between the pair. Nunnally seemed almost expectant for some reason.

"What's with that look?"

"See?" she answered. "I told you you won't remember."

Kaguya's gaze wandered from Nunnally to Lelouch, who now bore that same crimson shape gleaming in his eye. A shudder ran down her back and Kaguya unconciously leaned away from him.

"W-What did you make me do?"

Be it her faint tone or her posture, Lelouch heaved the faintest sigh. Then he repeated the same motion he did earlier, rubbing his forehead. Only now Kaguya spotted how he applied a contact lense, putting it on with such ease he must have practiced.

"I ordered both you and Kirihara-san to not reveal anything about our Geass to anyone who isn't already aware," he then explained. "A safety precaution more than anything, but as we explained, it also immunises you. My Geass only works once per person."

"O-Oh. I see."

Her heartbeat slowed down a little. Kaguya felt she should be more wary, but this was Nunnally and Lelouch. She trusted them not to lie about that, not after they already told them so much. It would have been easy for them to just force the matter if they wanted. Even if being unable to remember that part of the conversation bothered Kaguya, she still began to relax.

Nobody died, the plan was agreed on, and more. And after how her contemporaries acted, she could not even find it in herself to be upset on their behalf.

She still had trouble fathoming the extent of these Geass, but she clearly saw their potential. If Lelouch could get close to Britannian nobility, he could get them all under his sway; there was nothing they could do about it. And unlike her contemporaries, Kaguya did not feel a moment's worth of sadness for these people.

A bloodless revolution of Britannian core values no longer seemed impossible, just a major undertaking. It might take years to achieve, but now she knew that it would work in the end.

"How do you plan to proceed?" Kirihara asked curiously. His voice shattered the renewed silence, drawing smiles from both siblings. They were anything but kind.

"Kyoto House's cooperation was the final condition we needed to clear," Lelouch admitted. "We will notify you of our next steps soon."

So saying, he stood. Everyone else followed his lead, then Lelouch shook hands with Kirihara and Kaguya.

"For better or worse, the two of you are our accomplices now. We will drag this world into the future, kicking and screaming if we must."

To Kaguya, those words were the most cynically hopeful she ever heard. Yet she never believed in success more than in this very moment.

 

[Sonata]

One of the things the Anime never explained or even alluded is that, what a free Japan is, you can argue that Japan is the people, culture and the land, but of the 3 only the land remains, the people at least the new generations don't remember what Japan is, the culture is totally erased, they are brittanian in everything that matters. There are remains of old Japan but that's all, you can't make a culture out of remains, not when the Brittanian culture even as it is, is less oppressive, less rigid.
Thats probably why they never show japan again after Lelouch took the throne.

 

[Naron]

One of the things the Anime never explained or even alluded is that, what a free Japan is, you can argue that Japan is the people, culture and the land, but of the 3 only the land remains, the people at least the new generations don't remember what Japan is, the culture is totally erased, they are brittanian in everything that matters. There are remains of old Japan but that's all, you can't make a culture out of remains, not when the Brittanian culture even as it is, is less oppressive, less rigid.
Thats probably why they never show japan again after Lelouch took the throne.

Click to shrink...

All very possible. I have the feeling that subject fell off the cart because they had other stuff to cover. And even if they reached that philosophical question, the point you make would completely break one of the core premises of the whole series; freeing Japan.

Regardless, I agree that Japanese culture as it was would not return unscathed, even if Japan were fully free. There are still enough people left to remember the 'traditional' values and culture, but Britannian culture would still have tinged just about every aspect of it. At the same time, change is not necessarily a bad thing; it is just different. The people could still call themselves Japanese and have it be true.

 

[Naron]

Just as Zero, no, Lelouch outlined, July 1st was the day it happened. A general assembly was called and nobody heard what it would be about. Ohgi did not need to be told to know.

He caught Tohdoh's gaze as they shuffled into the hall. The older man offered a miniscule nod, standing not far from Ohgi's own group with his apprentice Asahina.

"Does anyone know what this is about?" Kallen asked them in the meantime. "He isn't usually this secretive."

A smattering of negatives followed from the others. Ohgi tried not to let anything show, a bit of an odd feeling in his stomach. He just could not shake the feeling of unease, even after agreeing to the plan. Would it really work out? Would people follow them into this?

Someone clapped his shoulder, startling Ohgi.

"What's up with you, buddy?" Tamaki asked, still in good cheer as usual.

He stuttered for a moment, caught off-guard. "O-Oh, yeah. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought. Did you want something?"

His old friend just laughed. "Now don't be a worrywart, I'm sure it won't be that bad. Just asking if Zero said anything to you about what's going on."

Of course they would ask him, too. Ohgi hesitated, glancing from Tamaki to the rest of his original group. He had the feeling that they would laugh and call him delusional if he told them even half the things he learned in that meeting. But he nodded anyway, unwilling to lie to their faces.

"I think this is about the restructuring he and Angel talked to me and Tohdoh-san about."

Some understanding noises followed his deflection. Something about what he said made Tamaki's eyes gleam, though.

"Hold on, Angel was there? The lady herself? No way, you never told!" He leaned on Ohgi's shoulder with another laugh, nudging him conspiratorially. "C'mon, be a pal and tell me if she's cute at least."

That question gave Ohgi pause. He stared at Tamaki for a long moment, unable to answer properly. Nunnally was a sweet young woman, but he did not think of her in that way.

Unfortunately, the others went along with Tamaki's antics. Kallen sidled up to Ohgi next, fluttering her lashes as she did. "Could it be Ohgi-san has a girlfriend he didn't tell us about?"

"W-Wha, no! Stop this, guys!"

There was some laughter at his expense while he tried to prevent a misunderstanding. Thankfully, Ohgi was not alone.

"Questions like these are inappropriate," Tohdoh's calm voice cut through the laughter. "Have some decorum."

His pointed attention drew some twitches from the others. Apologies were muttered, to which Tohdoh did not react beyond a little nod. Asahina frowned, looking from his mentor to the other members. Ohgi himself felt a little bad for his friends, but he was mostly glad they let off him now.

After letting the silence stand for a moment, he decided to play nice and take the sting out of Tohdoh's rebuke: "Anyway, I think you'll all get to meet her soon."

He was not so sure if they would like her, but Nunnally seemed personable and kind. Her being Britannian might be a little issue, being a princess a bigger one, but Ohgi believed in his friends. It would work out fine. So he left it at what he said and stayed out of the quiet discussion what Angel would be like.

From what he saw while looking around, the room filled quickly. Noise levels rose as people talked among themselves about the possible reason for this assembly. Ohgi never met most of the people present, though there were some he recognised; members of cells his group worked with before joining the Black Knights. He knew several of them were hardliners, so them joining the Black Knights came as a surprise. They seemed just as happy to be here as everyone else.

And then Kirihara Taizou entered. Bent by age and dressed in a simple robe, his presence earned confused and notably agitated responses from the crowd. His walking stick clacked loud on each step in the sudden silence.

Sumeragi Kaguya walked by his side, clad in another kimono. The teen looked completely composed and unaffected by the whispers. Ohgi felt for her, seeing how used she must be to this sort of treatment.

Just about everyone wondered what these traitors were doing here. Nobody but Ohgi's group and Tohdoh knew that both of them were among Kyoto House's leadership. They said nothing of it either, simply taking a spot next to Tohdoh; the lauded soldier greeted Kirihara with a respectful bow, which Sumeragi mirrored a moment later. They spoke quietly for a moment, too far away for Ohgi to overhear in the renewed buzz of conversations.

And then, last of them all, Zero entered. The sudden and total silence was all the announcement he needed.

Heads turned to the back entrance, from where he strode into the room. Ohgi felt like something was not quite right with his boss, but could not put his finger on what. The masked man strode past the assembled groups, offering faint nods this way and that; Ohgi received one, as did Tohdoh and Kirihara.

He climbed the stage set up in front without breaking stride. The expectant silence was swiftly filled.

"Thank you all for following my call today, and welcome to the Black Knights' general assembly. I have brought you here to explain a matter of grave importance."

He left a short pause, flaring out his cape for effect. Both hands were now clasped behind his back as he oversaw the many people present. Nobody dared interrupt.

"As you will be aware, the Chinese Federation is in a state of civil war and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Some have urged me to take the opportunity and make a grasp for freedom. I have considered the matter for a long time and came to a sad conclusion."

Ohgi nodded along sadly. He already knew where this went. The way Zero phrased it sent a wave of worry through the crowd. His mask and prim posture did not give his own feelings away, though.

Not until he ripped the bandaid off in two simple words.

"It's impossible."

An outcry followed at once. Nobody even tried to stop it, the individual voices indistinguishable. Their sentiment was more than clear, though. Even Kallen and Tamaki were part of the people shouting.

Zero waited patiently for the crowd to air their feelings, then raised one hand to bid for silence. His hips were cocked ever so slightly as he did, continuing only once it grew quiet again.

"This is not me admitting defeat," he clarified. "We simply need to face the facts. As the venerable Tohdoh can verify, Britannian advantages in men and material are too great to overcome in battle."

A hand was extended toward the seasoned general, who voiced his agreement without hesitation. His words were almost painfully loud, projected into the room to carry. And with them came an almost electric wave of wariness.

"We all remember the Japan Liberation Front's tragic fate," Zero added solemnly. "We, too, will end this way if we follow the same path."

He left a minor to pause to let that sink in, motioning for Kirihara and Sumeragi right after. "But one blocked road doesn't mean the goal is out of reach. The kind heads of Kyoto House, represented today by Kirihara-san and Sumeragi-san, have agreed to lend their undivided support to a new paradigm. A plan that will improve conditions for Japan in the short term, and eventually obtain her freedom."

And just like that, the buzz of conversation returned. Even Ohgi himself was surprised that Kyoto would agree with this, but the representatives inclined their heads in agreement. Sumeragi seemed a little stiff from nerves, but that was to be expected.

Everyone fell quiet again when Zero continued: "I won't lie to you: the sacrifice asked to walk this road is steep. I know every single one of you is ready to lay down their life for Japan, but this isn't what we need today. And it begins with the introduction of a treasured ally of mine."

Somehow, Ohgi knew what would come next. He watched almost in a daze as Zero gestured grandly for a door at the side, just as it opened. In walked Lelouch, dressed in a suit not dissimilar to Zero's.

Ohgi stared at him owlishly, then back to 'Zero'. Now he got what felt so odd about it, that was C.C. in the suit.

Kallen made a strangled noise by his side, but the renewed cacophony around them drowned out whatever she meant to say.

Lelouch himself stopped next to Zero to oversee the room. His expression was calm, even in the face of many hundred agitated Japanese people. To Ohgi, it felt like the sharp lines of his face were more pronounced today.

"You know the guy, Kallen?" Tamaki asked, barely audible over the noise.

"Yes," Kallen hissed back, unable to turn her eyes away. "He's my classmate."

Ohgi did not dare look at her; his expression might just give away that he knew what came next. His eyes were glued to Lelouch, who waited for the buzz to die down. Only then did he place one hand on his heart in greeting.

"I am Lelouch vi Britannia, formerly fifth Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. If not for these circumstances, we would have never met face to face."

He left a short pause to cast his gaze around. Shocked silence answered. Primarily for his identity, but also for the fact he addressed them in fluent, accent-free Japanese. Even Ohgi had trouble speaking, not that he planned to do so.

Lelouch, seeing the crowd still receptive, carried on: "My sister and I have silently supported Zero since the very beginning. Some of you may remember that we were here in Japan when the occupation began, not as conquerors but as hostages. We, too, want for Japan to be free once more. This makes what I have to ask of you even more bitter. But it is the only way forward."

"Though he was a fool in life, it seems Kururugi Suzaku had the right idea after all."

Ohgi thought he heard a note of melancholy in that last statement. It may even add to the puzzlement that kept the expected outcry at bay for a little longer; it was only a matter of time, though. Lelouch seemed to be aware of this as well.

"Suzaku was a dear friend whom I lost too soon," he continued. "We all have lost too many already. Any military procedure would cost us more for no gain. Hence why Zero and I have come to ask of you one final sacrifice. Not of your lives, we know you are ready to lay them down. No, today we must ask for your pride as Japanese."

He projected his voice well; it reached around the room, carrying a soothing cadence with it. Not perfectly even, but calm. Ohgi heard the underlying growl, but it was so subtle he was not sure anyone else picked up on it.

Not that it mattered. The first people began to shout now, breaking the dam. A litany of accusations followed, once again becoming basically incomprehensible because everyone screamed over each other.

Lelouch weathered it all without so much as a twitch. Zero did much the same. Ohgi watched on mutely, worried what would happen next. If a single person drew a weapon now....

Much to his surprise, Tamaki was among the first to stop shouting. His old friend's eyes narrowed further, sizing up the young prince; then his gaze turned to Ohgi, a clear question on his face. Ohgi nodded back, letting Tamaki know that he knew about this already.

The two looked at each other for a long moment. Ohgi knew the feelings surging through his countrymen, friends and strangers alike. He knew that Tamaki was looking for stability right now, something to trust in. Lelouch was unknown to them yet.

So Ohgi began to walk forward. He made his way on stage in silence, though people gradually began to notice; the process only became faster when Tohdoh followed. Ohgi offered a quick bow in greeting, which Lelouch returned; he bore a faintly curious look now, but did not stop him from addressing the crowd.

"Good afternoon. I'm Ohgi, second-in-command under Zero. I know how this all sounds to you, but I beg of you to hear Prince Lelouch out. I've already heard it, as has Tohdoh-san next to me. We both agreed with his reasoning, and I trust them to see us through this."

To his own surprise, he actually meant every word. Somewhere along the way, Ohgi began to trust Lelouch and Nunnally. Maybe it was that he knew who Zero really was, but in his heart he knew that he just wanted to trust them.

The noise had already receded to a quiet buzz after his impromptu speech. It died down entirely when Tohdoh backed him up: "Distasteful it might be, but Prince Lelouch and Zero are correct: this is the only way forward. I witnessed Britannia's might firsthand, facing them on the battlefield is impossible with Japan's means. So we can either grovel before the Chinese Federation or Europia, or find a different way."

A contemplative silence followed. Even Ohgi was silent as he took in the true meaning of those words again. They never had a chance at fighting for freedom on their own.

He also noticed that Sumeragi had gone a little more pale; her gaze flitted from Lelouch to Ohgi and Tohdoh, then back. She must have known all this already, but he got why she was so worried. This situation was still fairly tense, even if they made it past the first hurdle.

"Remember that we have already seen improvements made," Zero added into the silence. 'His' voice was ever so faintly off, but one could not tell if they did not know it was C.C. under the mask. "Although Princess Cornelia bloodied us and ours, she also rooted out corruption alongside the Black Knights. All the same, Princess Euphemia began introducing laws to ease the burden on the Japanese. This, too, happened because of him."

Zero made a sweeping gesture toward Lelouch, who nodded back.

"I am well aware what I ask of you," he offered, his voice full of understanding. "Pride is all that some of you have left after these brutal years. Britannia tried their hardest to beat you down, yet here you stand unbroken. This is a feat worthy of great respect. And I do respect every single one of you."

He left a pause there, raking his eyes over the crowd. Ohgi could tell the atmosphere turned from hostile confusion to more of confused surprise. Lelouch's lips twitched up into the faintest smile.

"I had never planned to return to the empire," he admitted, "but I need to put my pride aside as well. My and my sister's pedigree is what will see us through where no force of arms can, but I need your support for that."

And now he had them. Somehow, he had the crowd listening with rapt attention now. Even Ohgi did, despite knowing the plan already.

"Something I realised in talking with Ohgi-san a short while ago is that the Japanese aren't aware of an important core value of Britannian society. Allow me to explain it in short: success forgives any sin. If it sounds stupid, but it works, then it is not in fact stupid. Results matter more to Britannia than any proper reasoning or cause."

"It is this value that we will use. With a proper and triumphant return, my sister and I can regain our standing at court. With this reputation, we can push for more legislation. Once out in the open, we can pull strings to improve the lives of all Japanese. Freedom is a long way off, but it will follow eventually. But what I can promise you here and now is that we can stop your people from starving. We can renew their homes. And we can bring them proper employment instead of exploitation!"

His voice grew louder toward the end, clearly enrapturing the audience. Lelouch threw out his arms as if to embrace them all. "This is a chance for us to change the lot of your people without horrific bloodshed! Without another war! But we can't do it alone. We need you, every single one of you to support us!"

Cheers followed. First quiet, then louder. Small pockets of applause quickly spread across the vast room until it was a deafening wall of noise. Ohgi joined in as well; his mind rang with words and questions, but also hope. He believed Lelouch, and he would pin his hopes on him.

However, not everyone joined into the cheers. Some were silent. Kallen, for one. Sumeragi as well.

The applause slowly petered out into a ringing silence. Nobody dared speak for a time.

It was either incredibly fitting or incredibly ironic that Tamaki of all people broke it.

"What's gonna happen to Zero then?"

His question was heard by all and caused some murmured agreement. Zero 'himself' stepped forward in response, standing level with Lelouch to field the question.

"When I arrived on the scene, I was needed. But a revolutionary is not needed today. Moreover, I will be put to the sword for the murder of Prince Clovis. No amount of success will forgive the spilling of royal blood. Hence why I will vanish, to return when I am needed once more."

Ohgi tried not to smile or grin at their little game; of course Zero and Lelouch could not always be in the same area. Nobody could know who Zero really was. The crowd, who did not know that, grew agitated until Lelouch cut in.

"We will turn it into a tale of an overzealous supporter to appease Britannia. This is for Zero's own safety, for if Nunnally and I fail, he will return to lead you into battle once more."

With calm restored, he inclined his head at the crowd. "Take a moment to consider our request, talk it over. I'm available for questions as well."

Then Lelouch stepped from the stage and started touring the room. People slowly began to discuss the matter in response while he did, but Ohgi could tell a bunch of them already made their choice. But others had not, his own group among them; they were arguing fiercely.

Seeing that, Ohgi quickly got off the stage, but Kallen was already coming his way; or not, he corrected a moment later. She was coming Lelouch's way. Her expression was stormy, prompting Ohgi to correct his own course, but he was too late to intercept her.

The moment she reached him, Kallen grabbed Lelouch by the collar and dragged him within inches of her face.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

Her near-shout drew a lot of attention, people tensing up around the display. Nobody interfered, though. Even he held back for fear of what Kallen might do if pushed. At the same time, his respect for Lelouch grew a little further; the younger man seemed completely unfazed by her anger. He offered a calm smile in response.

"Was it not you who tore into me for doing nothing, Kallen? As you can see, I have been doing plenty."

Kallen shook him in response, completely unaware of the attention their little display got. "Why didn't you say something before now, huh?" she snapped

"You threatened my life for less, if you remember."

The idle reminder made Ohgi wince. Even Kallen was taken aback for a moment. He could tell she was not sure what to even be angry about, but she pressed ahead anyway in typical Kallen fashion.

"And then you even drag Nunnally into this? How could you, she's such a sweet girl!"

Ohgi winced again. Not just him, but everyone could tell that was the wrong thing to say. Lelouch's expression hardened in response, not quite as terrifying as some Ohgi saw before, but definitely not friendly anymore.

"You may take that up with her, next time you meet. Nunnally joined me of her own volition. Now let go."

"And what if I don't?"

She could not see it from up close, but Ohgi did. He spotted the gun being drawn from Lelouch's pocket and made a noise to interfere, but it was too late. The pistol was already pressed to her stomach. Kallen stiffened.

"You will," Lelouch answered simply, his smile just as polite as before.

A moment passed in absolute silence, then she let go. Lelouch pocketed his weapon without a care in the world, then carried on as if he did not just threaten her: "I was hoping not to have to do this today, but I guess turnabout is fair play, no?"

Kallen slapped him without any warning, then stomped off with an outraged noise. It was barely not a scream.

Ohgi was not sure whether to laugh in relief or cry about how this all went sideways. He hurried over, thankful that Lelouch did not draw his gun again. He just rubbed his reddening cheek without comment.

"You took that a lot better than I expected," he admitted. "Ignoring the one thing just now."

Lelouch inclined his head in response. "Kallen may have a fiery temper, but her heart's in the right place," he said. A shadow fell over his face for a moment, but it was gone just as fast. "Even then, she won't speak as if she knows my sister's wishes in her absence. Nunnally is old enough to make her own decisions, and I won't stand for anyone saying otherwise."

He only had the time to nod back before Sumeragi joined them.

"From the way Kozuki-san spoke of her, I have the feeling she doesn't know her particularly well," the young woman reasoned.

Ohgi could not help but throw her a surprised look at that. "Are you acquainted with Princess Nunnally, Sumeragi-sama?"

"We were playmates in childhood," she explained with a faint smile. "Our bond never lessened over the years. Though I will admit that it is not easy to see Nunnally's maturity, assuming she does not want it to be seen."

It was a bit of an odd thing to say, Ohgi found. Lelouch voiced his agreement, though; then he took his leave, venturing to talk to others. Which meant Ohgi was left alone with a young heiress who made him feel the slightest bit uncomfortable; she was beautiful, not looking fourteen at all but more like an adult woman. Moreover, all politeness aside, he knew she could end him with a word.

Despite all that, Ohgi still managed a smile.

"I'm glad to see you doing well, Sumeragi-sama. Though I'm also surprised that Kyoto House would agree with this."

About as soon as he said it, he knew others were listening in. Sumeragi must know it too, but she did not seem to mind indulging them all: "I admit to some surprise as well, Ohgi-san. The six houses discussed the matter for a long time before an agreement was reached. We ultimately agreed that continuing as we had would only fuel more death for little gain. Distasteful it may be to subordinate ourselves in such way, but I gladly do so to save the lives of my people."

It was beautifully said, but the way she spoke made Ohgi want to cry again. Only this time because all these children had to grow up too soon. Sumeragi, Kallen, Nunnally, even Lelouch. They were all too young to be dragged into this, yet they stepped forward to carry the world on their shoulders anyway.

He somehow managed not to let it show, bowing to the young woman before him. "I understand, and I can only offer my respect to you for making such a difficult choice."

She favoured him with a smile, but did not get a chane to respond; others stepped forward to talk to them now, asking questions and sometimes demanding answers.

Ohgi had a lot of talking to do from then on. The same went for Sumeragi, Kirihara, and Tohdoh. Lelouch was a given, of course. Through some incredible fortune however, the general mood was contemplative more than combative. What was more, Ohgi was once again surprised by how personable Lelouch could be; a Britannian prince talking to common people like equals tripped up more than a few, and it was certainly not an act. Incidents like the one with Kallen did not repeat, either.

Contemplation began to morph into acceptance over the next half hour. People were clearly not happy, but they understood why this was necessary. Many of them looked to their leaders and the Black Knights' leadership in general, too.

Not a single person walked out.

It was a miracle in itself.

Zero kept in the background as much as possible, until they were ready to wrap up. Decisions had been made, a path decided. The Black Knights would follow Lelouch into this madness. Now that it was time to adjourn, Zero held the closing speech; he reassured them all that 'he' would return once more when needed, then took his exit alongside Lelouch.

About as soon as they left, people began to file out while talking about what happened. Ohgi begged off his own group for a while to join a final meeting under the pretense of seeing Zero off.

While his friends moved on without him, Ohgi entered a smaller office space; Tohdoh, Kirihara, Sumeragi, Lelouch, and 'Zero' were already there. He came in with a polite greeting that the other occupants returned, then addressed Lelouch.

"So how did you do the speech with C.C.-san in that suit?"

The others were taken aback for a moment, though the man himself only showed a faint smirk. C.C. took off the mask and shook out her hair with a similar expression, then held up a little remote.

"That boy pre-recorded Zero's speech," she explained, "I only had to ad-lib on occasion."

"Hold on," Sumeragi interjected in surprise, "I didn't even notice a difference?"

She shrunk back a little when C.C.'s gaze fell on her, though the older woman seemed more amused than anything.

"I am a woman of many talents, girl."

"Politeness does not seem to be among them, though."

The Japanese men were taken aback by her catty response, rude as it was. C.C. just chuckled, patting Sumeragi's head in a manner that must be intentionally condescending.

"Aren't you a delight," she chirped.

Sumeragi bore the treatment stoically until C.C. got bored of it.

In the meantime, Tohdoh filled the silence: "I did not expect this to work, yet you made it work somehow. This, I can respect."

With everyone else voicing their agreements, only C.C. noticed the way Sumeragi Kaguya grimaced. She did not comment on it, though.

"Yeah," Ohgi agreed with notable relief. "That's the hard part over, or at least I think so. What's next?"

Lelouch smiled in response. There was no warmth in it this time. Ohgi felt a chill run down his spine.

"Now our work enters the next stage," the young prince announced as he drew his phone. A speed-dial was pressed and the call connected in moments.

"Are you in position? Good. All conditions are cleared on my end, now it's your turn."

He listened a moment longer before ending the call. Nobody needed to hear whom he spoke to, but it was Sumeragi who asked the actual question on their minds: "What do you have her do?"

"She will be the one to finish this phase of the plan."

And just as he spoke those words, his sister stepped into the viceroy's palace.

 

[Naron]

Nunnally's heart fluttered almost painfully, but none of it showed on her face. She walked with her back straight, head held high. For all intents and purposes, her gait oozed confidence. She belonged here.

Admittedly, entering the viceroy's palace was simple enough when dressed well. Her skirt flowed around each measured step, silver embroideries catching the light. Sayoko ironed her favourite blouse for today, too. The faint whine of machinery was audible only to Nunnally, who felt it more than she heard. Her skirt hid the braces from view as usual.

She passed by staff and other visitors with polite nods, many of which were returned absently. There was nothing big going on, just business as usual. A lot of business, mind, but that too was normal for the center of Britannian government in the country.

The only thing that stood out was a single island of calm. One single man who was not part of the crowd or the buzz, waiting patiently. He was dressed immaculate and his mere presence commanded responses from most; be it cautious peeking, respectfully kept distance, or curious whispers to one's neighbours.

The whispers only grew in number when Jeremiah Gottwald greeted her with a deep bow on arrival. Then he pressed a faint kiss to her knuckles. Nunnally was not as unfamiliar with the gesture as last time, but having an audience still flustered her a bit. The display earned its fair share of attention after all; a number of people would now try to figure out who she was and what she might want.

"Please lead the way, sir Gottwald," she requested, paying no attention to their surroundings.

"Yes, your highness."

His response was instantaneous and just as impactful. Business slowed to a crawl as people craned their necks to get a look at her. Whispers followed the pair, but the mere prospect of being an imperial princess gave Nunnally a comfortable amount of personal space. Jeremiah's curt expression did its part in that, too.

She swiped a stray strand of hair behind her ear as they went. For today she settled on letting it flow naturally, rather than binding it into a ponytail, or even a more elaborate style. Her pale blonde mane swished after her and Gottwald as he led her through the unfamiliar building.

And somehow, the rumours managed to travel faster than them. At some point people were peeking past doors to get a look at her. Nunnally bore her best fake smile as she ignored them all, indistinguishable from the real deal.

Their way was barred only when they reached the viceroy's office. Men and women with hard expressions stood guard, each clearly competent and none swayed by the presence of a tall Marquess. Each one wore the insignia of Euphemia's royal guard, newly established but no less capable.

The man who stood in their way glowered mainly at Jeremiah. A faint frown was levelled at Nunnally as well, but he rather snapped at the man leading her: "What exactly is the meaning of this? The viceroy is not expecting visitors this time of day."

Jeremiah inclined his head in turn. "Unfortunately, her highness could hardly book an appointment in advance," he demurred. "If you were so kind to announce Princess Nunnally vi Britannia, Captain?"

His words caused a clear stir among the guards, but the captain himself scoffed.

"We all know her highness is long deceased. Whatever you're playing at, Orange, you better stop it before I have you both detained."

Just like that, Jeremiah's polite front collapsed. He scowled back in a way that gave even the captain pause, tensing up already to mete out punishment. Nunnally placed a hand on his shoulder to prevent any violence.

"Please, calm. It is an understandable mistake, though not one I will bother with today. There is much to do after all."

So saying, she stepped forward and met the befuddled guard's gaze. "May I ask you to inform my sister of my presence regardless? I reckon she should be the arbiter of whether I am an impostor."

He sized her up for a preciously long second. Nunnally continued to smile, but her eyes had grown harder; she was ready to activate her Geass at a moment's notice and force her way in. He did not know that, but he could tell her intentions anyway.

"Impersonating a member of the royal family is a capital offence and carries the death sentence," he reminded them both.

Nunnally simply nodded back, Jeremiah did not react at all. The captain heaved a sigh so quiet only Nunnally heard, then knocked on the door and stuck his head inside: "Ashley, we need her highness for a moment. There is someone claiming to be Princess Nunnally waiting for her."

Jeremiah bristled again, but Nunnally kept her hand on his shoulder. It was an odd sensation to interact with anything through long-sleeved gloves; she never wore something like them before. They muted her sense of touch far less than she feared they would.

Thanks to her hearing, she could pick up the secretary's response easily: "Oh my. Of course, I will speak with her highness at once. Just a moment, please."

Quiet steps followed, then the opening of a door. Nunnally waited patiently, now unable to hear anything beyond muted conversation. She paid no mind to the guards watching her warily, though she made sure to stay near Jeremiah just in case.

The captain frowned in the meantime, looking between the two. Then he took a step forward.

"For safety's sake, may I hold onto your sidearm until the young lady's identity is confirmed? I do not trust you at this juncture, and I believe we would all prefer to avoid an unfortunate accident."

For just a moment, it seemed like Jeremiah wanted to explode. Nunnally could tell from how much he tensed up. But then he caught himself, smoothed out his expression, and handed over his gun. The captain received it with a grateful nod and the other guards relaxed notably; none of them considered that Nunnally might also carry a weapon.

"I will accept your apology at a later time," Jeremiah joked with a little smirk, clasping his hands behind his back. The other man huffed at that.

"For your sake, I hope I will have to apologise."

And as if on cue, Euphemia herself appeared in the doorframe. The royal guard stood at attention. Jeremiah bowed. And Nunnally met her sister's surprised gaze with a faint smile. Euphie's secretary peeked over her shoulder, only to startle at the sight of Nunnally and vanish into her office space.

"My, what a pleasant surprise."

Euphie quickly put on a delighted smile and stepped closer to look her over. "I did not expect you today, Nunnally."

Just like that, all wariness among the guards was replaced with utter befuddlement. They did not believe she was a princess until this moment. Nunnally smiled at Euphie, then motioned for them.

"It may not be necessary, but could you confirm once more that I am indeed me? Your guards were understandably wary, considering I died eight years ago."

A trace of mirth found its way onto Euphie's expression in response, but she suppressed it while turning. The royal guard took her confirmation with grace.

"Now, I believe you wanted to see me about something? Please come inside, I will have tea brought in a moment."

Euphie beckoned her at once. Nunnally nodded back, but turned to Jeremiah first: "Please wait here, sir Gottwald. I do not wish to be interrupted."

Then she approached the captain of the guard, who now seemed rather more nervous. As Euphie's retainer, Nunnally had no direct sway over him; he had, however, just offered enough misconduct to take insult over. She quickly disabused him of that notion with a reassuring smile.

"If at all possible, I would appreciate if word of my identity remain as closely guarded a secret as you can make it."

"Of course, your highness. I am grateful for your understanding of my position."

"You are simply doing your due diligence, Captain. I have no complaints about your conduct."

He only sagged in relief when the two princesses vanished into the office. The secretary was left behind as well, almost hiding behind her desk.

With a second door between them and any prying eyes, Euphie finally wrapped Nunnally in a big hug.

"Truly, how unexpected!" she cried. "What are you doing here?"

"In a moment," Nunnally stalled. "Let me enjoy this first."

She hugged back just as tightly, glad to get this opportunity. But at the same time, she could not help but look around her sister's office. It was spacious and clean, with only a single magnificent desk at the far end. Light flooded in through a window right behind that desk, meant to illuminate the viceroy as they entertained visitors. The glass was definitely bulletproof.

There were no personal effects she could spot, just a few tasteful paintings of landscapes from across the world.

Once Euphie finally let go, Nunnally could not help but approach a rendition of Mt. Fuji from before the extensive mines were built. That one was a bit of a statement, which gave her hope for what was to come.

"I didn't know you collected art," Nunnally commented while Euphie floated to her side, steps light as a feather.

"Only on occasion, though it makes for good conversation. There is a certain allure to nature and its untamed wilds."

"How bold for a purebred princess to yearn for the wilderness."

"Says you, sister dear," Euphie quipped back with with a soft, playful huff while stepping next to her. "Which one of us was the tomboy again?"

Nunnally put a gloved hand to her cheek and smiled back at her sister, the picture of innocence. "You say that like it were something bad. Next you will claim that you enjoy tea parties of late."

Her retort coaxed a proper laugh from Euphemia, who slung an arm over her shoulder for a sidehug. "Not at all," she denied with genuine joy. "I am so glad to see you once more, Nunnally. I just did not expect you so soon."

"I feel the same."

Nunnally kissed Euphie's cheek in response, then hugged her back properly. It was curious how she was actually a little taller than her half-sister, if far less curvy on the top.

"Even if this is no mere courtesy visit," Euphie prodded coyly once the silence began to linger. Nunnally nodded against her, then pulled back to meet her inquisitive gaze.

"I wish it could be, but alas. There is much to do and I need your help."

"You have it. What do you need?"

Her immediate agreement took Nunnally aback for a moment. She expected having to convince Euphie first, or perhaps negotiate favours to trade.

In the end, she could only smile in gratitude.

"I need you to stop being so sweet, or I might start swooning."

Euphie chuckled in response and clasped Nunnally's hands tighter. "Is that such a bad thing?" she chirped, batting her lashes at the younger princess. Nunnally giggled as well and squeezed back.

"I really missed you so much. If all goes well, we may get to stay in contact properly this time."

It was sad that she had to cut things short like this, but she had to get to the point. Euphemia caught thist first hint in an instant and drew the right conclusion: "Does this mean you plan to return after all?"

Nunnally nodded.

"Our plans have changed," she explained. "Lelouch and I will make our return. We will also have to step on your toes, for which I want to apologise in advance."

That announcement coaxed a little sigh out of the pinkette, more fond than anything else. "When has my adorable little sister not made trouble for me? The most surprising part here is that Lelouch is in on your mischief."

"Hey now, if anything it's I who joined in his mischief!"

She allowed herself one final laugh before fully turning serious. "But enough of that. I need to speak with his majesty. There are certain concessions we need from him."

Even now it left a bitter taste in her mouth to say it, but Nunnally bore the feeling stoically. Some things could not be changed, so she had to take them as they came. Euphie nodded her understanding, though Nunnally doubted that her sister truly did understand.

"May I ask what it is you need to ask Father about?"

"I believe it's easier for you to just listen in. I would rather not explain twice."

Euphie nodded, though she had a bit of an odd expression to her.

Nothing was said as they trundled over to the viceroy's desk, she only spoke up after starting her computer up from sleep mode.

"I have to say, your conduct is exemplary for one who lived among commoners for so long."

There was an obvious question implied in her praise. Nunnally well remembered the many reminders not to reveal an effort undertaken, to make it all seem natural as best as she could; but Euphemia was not just a dear sister, she showed herself willing to keep their secrets thus far. So Nunnally allowed herself a soft sigh and leaned on her shoulder.

"Remedial lessons, Euphie," she admitted. "Lots and lots of them. Mr. Ashford is onto us already, Milly probably figured out something's up, too. And there are so many more of them yet to come."

A dainty hand landed on Nunnally's own, squeezing gently in shared commiseration. "I understand that well," her sister agreed, still curious. "Why did you go through all that trouble, then? I did not expect either of you to change your mind. Much less for you to arrive on your own two feet."

The additional query coaxed a mischievous grin from Nunnally. She pulled back and twirled onto the desks other side, now having her sister's full attention.

"Well, our plans changed. As much as we would have preferred an alternative, this is what we must do. So we shall. But as for my feet, well. How about you see for yourself?"

She cheekily lifted her skirt while saying so, high enough to barely cover her undergarments. Euphie played along and covered her eyes in mock scandal, only to peek through her fingers. Those fingers fell away a moment later, though; she could clearly see the metal braces holding Nunnally's legs, their function obvious.

It felt kind of odd to have her sister stare so intensely, but Nunnally still let Euphie get her fill. Once she deemed it enough, she lowered her skirt and smoothed it out.

"Sumeragi Zaibatsu is still improving on the concept, but this is already vastly superior to the first version. Perhaps I will have the next one made ornamental, so I can show off my legs?" she mused, mostly to herself. The cheerful response wiped Euphie's complicated expression away and replaced it with another fond smile.

"They are nice legs, I will not deny that. But more than that, I am glad to see you walking again. Although we should probably stop horsing around now. Join me, please."

Nunnally did as told, just when Euphie set up the video call. She braced herself, but did not have time to truly calm her racing heart because the call connected rather quickly.

They did not get to see Emperor Charles, though. It was not that surprising in hindsight; even the royal family had no direct line to him, excepting Schneizel, the current prime minister, and maybe Cornelia.

No, the face greeting greeting them was blank, devoid of any emotion. Pale red eyes flicked from one princess to the other, only a shade darker than the pink hair framing her soft features. Nunnally recognised her from the list of important people to know, someone who sat right at the top.

"Greetings, Dame Alstreim," Euphemia began pleasantly. "Is my father available?"

Duchess Anya Alstreim, known prodigy and newly appointed Knight of Six, blinked back at her.

"Princess Euphemia. Is the matter urgent?" she inquired. Her voice was so close to monotone that Nunnally wondered where her emotions were. Although they were the same age, it would take someone that unusual to join the Knights Of The Round Table so young.

"I would say so," Euphie confirmed. "Perchance you remember my half-sister Nunnally?"

She motioned to Nunnally while introducing her, who inclined her head in greeting. Anya's eyes flickered back over, then remained on her with a surprising intensity.

Seconds passed in silence that quickly grew uncomfortable. Nunnally made for a smile that was not returned.

"It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Dame Alstreim."

"Likewise," Anya answered with a faint nod of acknowledgement. "But I wonder how I speak with Princess Nunnally vi Britannia, when she died eight years ago?"

In some form, Nunnally appreciated the bluntness; there did not seem to be any games being played, as the nobility was wont to do. So she reciprocated: "Reports of our demise were incorrect, which is precisely why I had sister Euphemia place this call. I wish to announce my and my brother's return to his majesty."

In that moment, she spotted the first trace of emotion in Anya's expression: curiousity. The pinkette studied Nunnally a moment longer, then glanced back to a pleasantly smiling Euphemia.

"This is above my paygrade," she declared in the same deadpan. "Please hold, I will pass the matter to Lord Waldstein."

The screen switched to a still image of the Britannian flag. Nunnally almost snorted, faintly aware that Euphie's lips twitched in amusement as well. Some tension bled out of Nunnally for the moment, even though this was not over yet.

"I start to understand how she became a Rounds at fourteen," she mused. "Dame Alstreim is certainly a character."

Her sister nodded back thoughtfully. "I still believe this is far too young to become a Knight of the Round Table," she admitted, "but it seems Dame Alstreim carries the burden well."

That was all the time they had to converse, though. The screen shifted once more, now to the image of an imposing man. His graying hair did nothing to disabuse one of the notion of refinement, nor did the scar running down his eye or the corresponding eyepatch. Although Nunnally did hear rumours that the eye underneath worked fine.

His expression was severe, even as he scanned the two young women with clear practice.

"Princess Euphemia and, I hear, Princess Nunnally," Bismarck Waldstein greeted them cordially, but without a trace of warmth. "I hope you are aware that his majesty was about to retire for the night. Dame Alstreim already conveyed the relevant information, so you need not bother repeating it. I will inform his majesty. Do not dare waste his time."

They did not even get a word in edge-wise before the screen went back to the flag. Nunnally blinked at it, wondering whether to be amused or affronted. He certainly did not mince words. Then again, he was the Knight of One. There was only one man more powerful in the empire, perhaps even the world. And his duty was not to appeal to anyone, it was to keep that more powerful man safe.

Seeing that Euphie seemed completely unaffected by his behaviour, Nunnally figured this was a normal occurence and said nothing.

This time they had to wait a full five minutes, which both sisters knew was intentional. Neither spoke, uncertain when they would be interrupted. Nunnally tried to clamp down on the butterflies in her stomach.

No amount of calming exercises prepared her for that screen shifting again, though. It showed a face Nunnally knew well, seeing that it was everywhere. Yet at the same time, she hardly knew the man wearing it at all.

Emperor Charles zi Britannia exuded a sense of pressure even from afar, something that most any likeness of his lacked. His hair was not done up elaborately as in the pictures, rather falling down his shoulders in silvery waves. Although that should have made him appear more personable, it did nothing to soften his features.

Sharp, lilac eyes so much like her brother's pierced through Nunnally's. She froze for just a moment in his presence, but the familiar anger helped thaw her limbs.

Euphie wordlessly slipped from her chair. Nunnally took it just as quietly, their roles now reversed. She held the emperor's gaze all the while, daring him to speak first.

He spent that time studying her with something akin to interest. Whatever thoughts went on behind those piercing eyes was anyone's guess, though.

"Nunnally,", he finally said, his voice a foreboding rumble.

"Your majesty," Nunnally returned tonelessly. Her irreverence in foregoing proper greetings caused no reaction.

"So you were alive after all. I do not see Lelouch with you, even though you alluded to his presence."

Nunnally inclined her head in response. "My brother finalises the preparations for our proper return as we speak. We felt it prudent to inform your majesty first of all."

His lips quirked up the slightest bit, barely visible to them. "And why is it that you return to the fold now of all times?" he questioned pointedly.

"Because we are ready, your majesty."

Her simple retort earned an arched brow and a curious "Oh?"; the prompt to elaborate was clear enough, so Nunnally did.

"When you cast us out, you claimed that we were nothing for having achieved nothing of our own power. Thus we spent the last years preparing to find our worth. We infiltrated the resistance in Area Eleven at every step and will soon flip it all, gifting a pacified Area to the crown."

A surprised inhale from behind her spoke of Euphie's surprise at the news. Their father was harder to gauge, but his brow ticked up a little higher. Nunnally knew that Area Eleven still had the highest concentration of resistance cells, even compared to the newly conquered areas and even after Cornelia's visit. He must know it too, and so he knew how big her claim was.

"While impressive if true, eight years seem a long time for just this," the emperor mused out loud. It could be called innocent if it came from anyone else. He was not so much fishing as giving her a chance to provide more achievements.

Nunnally hated bragging, but she knew what she must do now. "Indeed. We have also established a large-scale business operation and military force, the latter of which was honed against the most formidable army in the world."

Perhaps it was the words themselves. Perhaps the fact she said them with a straight face. Maybe even the sheer audacity of trying to sell a resistance group that way. Either way, the emperor smiled. It was more of a smirk, clearly telling her that he understood.

Euphemia was just as capable of reading between the lines. Her hand fell on Nunnally's shoulder again, squeezing in search of stability rather than rebuke.

"Then this shall suffice to reinstate you both," he finally decided. "It seems you and Lelouch lived up to your legacy, Nunnally."

A momentary silence followed the mention of her name. Father and daughter stared at each other. Nunnally tried hard not to snarl or rant at him, even though she relaly wanted to. He threw them away like trash and now acted like he 'graciously' took them back; it sickened her so much she might throw up.

Through some miracle, she managed to swallow the bile.

"There is one request I have to make, your majesty."

That tiny moment of annoyance, the twitch of his brow, made her feel a little better.

"And that would be?" he questioned, perhaps even actually curious.

Nunnally braced herself for the last hurdle and began to speak: "We require that a royal pardon be issued to those of our forces charged with felonies. We wish to ensure they can transition into Britannian service without undue hardships, and be their most effective."

Nobody in the room missed what that entailed, nor why they would ask for this. They would have enemies at court, likely far more than even their commoner-born mother. These people would take whatever they could get to bring them down, so they must not have this matter as a lever.

The emperor sized her up a moment longer, then exhaled in a manner that could be called a huff.

"Show me a pacified Area, and you shall have it."

Nunnally inclined her head the faintest bit. She could not bring herself to say thank you, no matter how much it may be expected. But saying nothing at all may cause problems, too.

"We will."

"Good. Euphemia," he demanded, gaze wandering. The older princess stiffened somewhat. "I leave the details to you."

"I understand. Good night, Father."

"And a good day to you. Nunnally."

"Your majesty."

The feed cut off without further ado. Nunnally allowed herself to relax a little, but she only really calmed down when the computer was turned off. She wondered if he was always this intense, but felt the question was not worth asking.

For her part, Euphie frowned down at the keyboard. "I have trouble comprehending this," she admitted softly. "To be honest, I am a little scared. For how long have you been planning this takeover of the Black Knights?"

And once again Nunnally had to decide whether to reveal a weakness. This time she hardly even considered which option was more favourable.

"About four months, since soon after Kyushu."

Euphie nodded slowly. She looked up to meet her sister's gaze, already regaining her composure. "With all due respect, this smells of Lelouch. You are a lot more straightforward, I doubt it would be different if you spun a narrative."

"And you are correct," Nunnally agreed with a wry smile. "Lelouch came up with the idea, I just added a few details to it."

"I can see why Father seemed so proud."

It was an absent response, almost too quiet to hear. Nunnally did hear it though, but felt like she must have misheard. The idea was ludicrous to her; there was no pride to be seen, only condescension.

Before she could bring herself to tell her sister off for being silly, Euphie moved on: "Does this have to do with the memory-altering power Lelouch has?"

Nunnally slowly turned to her sister in full, hoping for just a moment her ears were malfunctioning after all. The hardened look Euphie gave her disabused Nunnally of that notion. Her resemblance to the emperor became fully visible for the first time and it scared her a little. Euphemia really was his daughter, she could have that same intense gaze and bearing.

"Do not bother denying it, please. It missed me during the Kawaguchi incident, hence why I remember it was you who killed the guards in the room."

And that was damning evidence.

Nunnally panicked for a moment, worrying over who else Euphemia told. She had her sidearm, she could do something, but she did not want to draw it. But what else could she do right now?

Her indecision was noticed as a matter of course. Euphie put on another smile to reassure her younger sister. "Nobody knows," she explained gently. "I made sure to point Cornelia in the wrong direction once the discrepancy became known. All I want to know is what this power is, Nunnally. So please tell me."

"Alright," Nunnally agreed, almost unconciously.

Then she paused to a startling realisation: she had been had. Sweet, gentle Euphie just tricked her with information she could just have kept to herself. How did she never notice that shrewdness before?

"And that is really all you want?" she queried, a little wary now. Euphe smiled back nonchalantly.

"Perhaps a bit of support for my pet projects would not be amiss, but I have the feeling you will do that even without prompting."

Nunnally sat back down in response, placing her head in her hands for a minute. She saw no other way to express her feelings about this mess. But she also needed to mull over her options. This particular secret was more than a little volatile.

In the end however, she decided she might as well. Euphie would not be the first person they told; not to mention that she already showed willingness to keep this particular secret.

"Alright. Let me just call Lelouch and then I tell you."

"That is perfectly fine."

It seemed that Nunnally still had much to learn.

 

[Naron]

Ashford Academy was calmer than usual.

The students being on summer vacation aside, Millicent's graduation meant that everything had changed, or would change.

Although Milly herself was still present.

Nunnally sipped from the glass of wine she was allowed, watered down on her former president's order. Kallen next to her did the same, though her expression was carefully blank. The redhead must still be upset.

"I heard you didn't take it well," Nunnally tried. It earned her a glower, proceeded by Kallen ignoring her. She knew the older girl would say something eventually. She had not left her side after all.

For now, the two just watched Milly trounce Shirley and Nina at board games. Their erstwhile president had the devil's luck on her dice all evening.

"I guess it makes sense that you have that much luck," Shirley commented with a sigh. "Your tutor just landed that big job in the mainland, too. Are you sure you can't tell us anything?"

Milly returned a prim shrug and a wide grin. "I would gossip if I knew anything, but it's all pretty hush-hush for now. They didn't even tell me what or who, so my best guess is that Mr. Ried got a PR position for some noble house or something like that."

Nunnally gave nothing away still. However, the look Kallen threw her said that the redhead made an educated guess on that end. Nunnally pretended not to see and sipped her wine. Pranking Milly back felt cathartic.

"Why is it only us playing, anyway?" Nina complained forlornly.

From the next table over, Lelouch shot back: "Because someone needs to do the actual work."

As advertised, he and Rivalz were bent over some remaining papers. With Lelouch having been vice president, he would move up to replacing Milly next term. Nunnally knew better, though; he did all these preparations now, so that whoever replaced him did not need to.

Of course the excuse did not work on Milly, who threw a scrunched up ball of paper at Lelouch. "Come on, this is my going-away party!" she teased. "Enjoy yourself a little bit, you grump!"

The attack did not faze him, but he did put down the pen. Nunnally could not help but giggle under her breath, even though the tension remained. She knew they had to say it sometime, but she did not want to ruin the mood either.

While her brother joined the girls and got thoroughly trounced alongside Shirley and Nina, Rivalz wandered over to Nunnally and Kallen. It was nice that he could talk to them without any awkwardness, not even the feisty redhead seemed to mind his presence.

"What's with you two? You've been over here for a while, everything alright?"

When Kallen just offered a shrug, Nunnally took to explaining her own reasons: "I'm a sore loser, is all. Especially when the game is primarily based on luck. And I think Kallen just doesn't like board games. Besides, I rather take the chance to get drunk."

Kallen snorted at that. "Not on half a glass of wine you don't," she quipped back.

The other two laughed and Nunnally inclined her head to agree. "Fair enough. I think I like to watch them play more than I like playing either way."

"Yeah, I get that," Rivalz told her thoughtfully. "It still feels surreal that Milly graduated. Now she's leaving for the homeland. But I guess I get it." His musings earned curious looks from both girls. It sounded like there was a story, which Rivalz shared without any further prompting: "After the Black Knights and the stuff in Kyushu, my old man asked me if I'd rather come back. I had to do some thinking about that."

He fell silent after that, giving Nunnally time to exchange a look with Kallen. This was news to them, but not unexpected. Neither of them ever met or heard much about Rivalz's parents, but they did seem to care. From what he told them before, they were a perfectly ordinary couple.

"But I can hardly leave when my friends are all here, now can I?" Rivalz disrupted their thoughts with a big grin. He meant it to be heartwarming, but the comment put a massive damper on Nunnally's mood. She still smiled, but it was no longer an honest one.

"That's very sweet of you. And I'm sure most of your friends being beautiful girls has nothing to do with it."

He rolled his eyes, then reached forward to ruffle Nunnally's hair. "Come on now, that's not fair. Have some mercy on me, will you?"

She bore her punishment stoically, well aware that Kallen watched with a little grin of her own. Once Rivalz was done mussing up her crown, he smoothed it out a little and laughed.

"If we're honest, maybe that helped a little bit. But I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be any different if it were a bunch of handsome guys."

"Fair," Kallen agreed. The interjection drew both gazes to her.

"Or pretty girls," Nunnally added.

"Also fair."

They nodded to each other, no further explanation needed. Rivalz looked between them as if he had an epiphany, then seemed to shrug it off.

"Anyway, point is that's not the main reason."

"I get that," Nunnally assured him gently. "I was just teasing."

Then, because she still felt in a teasing mood, she batted her eyelids playfully. "Do you think I'm pretty, too?"

"Very pretty," he indulged her with a fond smile, then pointed to the other group. "But I can't say that too loud, or Lelouch will come for me."

The girls shared a chuckle over that, only to be interrupted by a victory cry. It predictably came from Milly, so another round went the same way as the previous ones.

Unfortunately, she could not stall forever. Nunnally wanted to heave a sigh, but swallowed it back down. Seeking Lelouch's gaze, she found the same reluctance in him; they would both prefer to just vanish into the night, but their friends deserved at least this.

Nods were exchanged, then Lelouch stood.

"Oh damn," Rivalz joked, "did he hear me?"

The sudden silence was a bit more foreboding than appreciated, but they could hardly change that. "No," Lelouch lied to begin with, clearly well aware what was said before. "This is about something else."

He turned to the room as a whole, hands clasped behind his back. Nunnally saw Kallen tense up a little, likely aware what was to come. Lelouch did not hesitate any further.

"It's a bit short-notice because we only just finalised our plans, but Nunnally and I will leave soon as well. I'm sorry things have to be this way, but there's something we need to do."

The baffled expressions all around really said it all. Nunnally gulped down the rest of her diluted wine to drown another sigh, still unhappy that it had to be like this.

To some surprise, it was Nina who broke the silence: "B-But you could've told us, right? We can help with whatever it is!"

Shirley and Rivalz immediately nodded and voiced their agreement. Kallen and Milly were suspiciously silent, though; the former already aware and the latter filled with suspicion.

Lelouch favoured Nina with a smile of his own, an honest one at that. "I know. This is why we didn't tell. It's too dangerous for anyone not already involved in high politics in some form. You would become targets for ruthless people looking to get leverage on us."

The poor girls were clearly lost, even more so than Rivalz. Shirley stood up, a hand pressed to her heart in worry. "But what does that mean?" she demanded. "Why are you going into politics? And how?"

And there was the crux of the matter. Nunnally could not help but wince, well aware that there was no easy way to say this. Lelouch knew it too.

"Because we are of royal blood," he said bluntly. "The Ashfords gave us shelter for the last eight years, but now it's time to reclaim what was once ours."

Just like that, three people stared at him in disbelief. Their gazes soon swerved to Milly, who was unable to meet them for once. Then to Nunnally, who inclined her head. "I have already spoken to his majesty about the matter," she revealed. "Much will happen and change is imminent. I hope you understand why we could never tell you."

"Why isn't Kallen surprised at all?" Milly asked quietly. Worry and suspicion clung to her voice. Of course she would notice that.

All attention swerved to the redhead, who had no compunctions to heave a sigh. "Because I've known for a week or so," Kallen admitted. "Kind of important when I'm involved in that stupid scheme. Don't ask," she added with a grimace. There was a lot of arguing between her and Lelouch in particular, it seemed she still disliked the plan. Nunnally allowed herself a little smile, but it did not last long in the face of the general incomprehension.

"This, I-" Shirley started, only to up and leave without another word.

Milly already stood to follow, but Lelouch waved her back. "I'll do it," he told her. "There was something I needed to talk to her about, anyway."

So he left too, leaving Rivalz and Nina to Nunnally. Although she had Milly for support; technically Kallen as well, but the redhead kept quiet in the background and filled up half a glass of wine for herself.

"I mean, I get why Shirley had that reaction," Rivalz admitted, having looked after them just like everyone else. "I don't even know if I can believe all this. Lelouch's been my buddy for what, three years now?" He hesitated there, his gaze falling back to the table. "Guess it explains why he never paid attention in class."

Nunnally could not help but snort; Rivalz should know Lelouch better than that. The sudden noise broke through the older boy's maudlin mood if nothing else.

"He doesn't pay attention because he's bored of the material. But you're not completely off, what he did is pull back on the tests to not stand out too much."

She huffed, mainly for emphasis at the reminder of what Lelouch actually did. "He made it a game to always get the exact score he wanted, instead of top marks."

It seemed that her brother kept that particular exercise a secret; even Milly was surprised by it. Curiously though, Nina was not.

"I knew he was smarter than he let on," the mousy girl mused, though still confused. "But if he's a prince, why would he hide it?"

Nunnally turned to look at her, waiting for the epiphany to come on its own. When nothing happened, she realised that her friend needed a little nudge: "Say, what do you think would happen to me if we were noticed ordinarily?"

Nina made to speak, but paused to follow Nunnally's tapping her paralysed legs. That was all she needed to understand, eyes widening.

"Yeah, hence why we kept this as quiet as we could," Milly agreed glumly. Then she pointed at Nunnally, almost accusing. "And hence why I do not understand why you suddenly turn around and return anyway. How do you prevent being married off somewhere?"

"I don't want to," Nunnally admitted, perhaps for the final time. She could not afford to say it again once all eyes were on her. "Lelouch doesn't want to, either. But we must. There is something only we can do, so we will do it. I can't tell you what it is, but I think you will catch on soon enough."

Then her expression grew tighter. They did not remember that Nunnally shed blood at the Kawaguchi conference, but she did. "As for keeping myself safe, you don't need to worry. We prepared accordingly."

Her tone was curt know, telling them that she would not explain any more about their preparations. Of course, this being Milly, Nina, and Rivalz, they still tried to wheedle something out of her anyway.

While Nunnally kept her silence, Lelouch finally tracked down Shirley on the rooftop. It was a simple process of elimination, really: Sayoko would have stopped her at the front door because they placed her there in case something like this happened. Shirley did not know that, so it was unlikely that she would pick one of the side exits to leave; even if she tried, they were all locked today.

It took a bit of searching the spots she usually went when upset, but it was simple enough once only areas in the administrative building were in consideration.

The sound of Lelouch's steps alerted her before he could say anything, but Shirley did not turn around. Lelouch stopped, aware that she knew he was there. They stood like this for a moment, Shirley looking out at the grounds and Lelouch staring at her back.

Then he stepped up and stood next to her, leaning on the railing. Neither spoke for a time, though he could see her looking in his peripheral vision.

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Shirley eventually demanded to know. "I mean, if you're a, a prince, then why hold back? Was this really just some game?"

Lelouch considered his words carefully, but for once he felt fine being honest. He still took a deep breath to center himself first, though.

"No. The years I spent with you and everyone here were the brightest of my life. If there were any other option beside reclaiming my pedigree, I'd take it. I don't want to return to court."

"Then why?"

Her voice cracked, making him even more aware of the unshed tears. Shirley in particular imagined more than just friendship, he knew that. It was ironic how delicate he had to be here, when he could inspire men and women to march to their death so much easier. Of course Lelouch could give her empty platitudes; perhaps he even would under other circumstances. But in this case, he felt responsible.

Even though it hurt to think back, even more so to make himself say it, he told her the truth: "I lost a good friend during the Kyushu incident. He was a Knightmare pilot, and a Honourary."

Shirley's soft gasp was heard, but Lelouch did not acknowledge it.

"He fought till the very end with the belief that achieving freedom through uprising was foolish. That he could change the relationship between our people from the inside. He was right, even if for the wrong reasons. He couldn't have done it because he was Japanese."

When Lelouch said it, he finally turned to face Shirley head-on. Her wide-eyed look told him she understood the gravity of what he said. So Lelouch motioned for the city sprawling around them.

"Looking at this, I don't think it's right. The Empire came and took these peoples' land away, took their everything. It left them to starve or discard even the pride they have left to grovel for scraps. The terrorism was an expected response, though it achieved little in the grand scheme of things. Suzaku was right on that. He died for his beliefs, now it's my turn to carry the torch. I won't have it be in vain, no matter what I must do to achieve it."

He slowly got worked up through his improvised speech. Shirley did not respond in words, but she hung on his lips throughout. Lelouch deemed it good enough and heaved a sigh, then allowed himself to slouch onto the railing.

"It will be dangerous for everyone involved, but we'll make it," he promised. Nunnally would be happy, even if this was the path they chose together.

Shirley nodded slowly, her jaw working soundlessly. After a moment of futilely trying to speak, she leaned onto the railing as well, face cast in shadow.

"It's just a lot to take in. Lelouch, I...."

She trailed off, losing her courage at the end. She did not need to say it.

"I already know."

Her head snapped back up. Shirley staring at him made the whole thing a mite embarassing, but Lelouch soldiered on; he tried to be gentle about it, but he must say it now.

"But I can't be anything more than your friend."

He wanted to say more, but his reasons may give her false hope; that even if he were in love with her romantically, which he was not, he would not allow anything to happen. The danger of being associated with an imperial prince, as a lover no less, would be tremendous. Lelouch would never do that to Shirley, nor any of his friends.

A faint sniffle could be heard, Shirley's head now lowered. "Okay," she murmured. "I kinda already figured something like that."

For one long moment, Lelouch considered taking her hand. Again he decided against it, to not give the girl false hope. This was hard enough for her as it were. But he would absolutely sic Milly on her later.

They remained like this for a while, neither speaking. Once Shirley felt ready to go back, the found the others in a similarly thoughtful mood.

And then, about as soon as they entered, Rivalz insisted that they stay in contact; Milly already figured out who Diethard Ried, her new mentor was working for. She could easily pass messages back and forth as part of her own correspondence.

None of them took no for an answer. Much to his and Nunnally's pleasant surprise however, Nina was particularly insistent on hearing from his sister on the regular. It seemed the two of them became proper friends along the way, despite what Nunnally said almost a year ago.

It was a bit of a relief, if sad that they had to separate. But such was life. Lelouch simply had to make sure they could reunite at some point.

 

[Naron]

Word of another princess in the country got around at an almost frightening speed. Even though there was little time to spread until the fourth of July, everyone seemed to know by then. Whispers of her visit to Princess Euphemia coursed across the populace, but her identity did not; Euphemia herself took this to mean that her royal guard did keep quiet.

The fourth of July was the day chosen for the official announcement. Despite it being prepared on short notice, a massive crowd awaited the speech anyway. This in itself was not unusual, but a certain sense of anticipation was. People of all ages and genders were in attendance, gossipping about who might be speaking to them that day.

Many also wondered about the marked strips of space that were left empty; none had been allowed to enter them, so those areas stood out.

Above the crowd, helicopters with camera teams circled the area. Various news anchours were already debating what the entire situation may be about, in expectation of a royal address.

Meanwhile, visible and invisible guards covered every angle of approach to the area; nobody could see their partly confused expressions under the riot gear, nor that half of them were Honouraries. They had been given orders that seemed contradictory by the viceroy herself, but clearly on behalf of another.

The guards believed they were here for a purpose, and so did the crowd. Neither expected that most security was merely for show. There would be no violence that day.

Then it happened.

People spotted the figure leaving the viceroy's palace, alerted their neighbours, and fell quiet. Waves of silence crested across the crowd until an uncanny quiet fell over the entire area.

Everybody recognised Marquess Jeremiah Gottwald escorting the young lady, but none could identify the lady herself. He walked exuding such pride that none dared question his presence.

The young woman projected confidence as well, as if she always belonged. Those who knew her were surprised by the shift in demeanour, all crowded around a singular TV. Those who shared classes with her did not even realise yet, all due to how different she looked.

She took measured steps, the embroidered hem of a silken skirt flowing around her ankles. She was the one who dictated the pace today, and everyone knew it. Her hair fluttered in a soft breeze, falling open in a pale blonde curtain. It shone brightly when hit by an errant ray of sunlight.

Excited whispers ran through the crowd, oftentimes shushed by others who would not have any disruption. They were too engrossed in what, to them, could only be an imperial princess. And they were correct.

When she came to stand atop the stage set up for this address, her gaze calmly swept across the crowd. Close-ups of her face ran across the country, depicting the kind smile she graced the crowd with. Now even her erstwhile classmates began to recognise her, although they could not believe what they saw.

After letting the silence linger a moment longer, the young princess began to speak; her words were of vigour, yet retained a soft note.

"I am Nunnally vi Britannia, secondborn of the late Empress Marianne. Now reinstated thirteenth princess of the empire, and thirty-second in line of succession by order of birth."

Her announcement caused an immediate ruckus. All knew that Princess Nunnally died long ago; there was even a public memorial to the vi Britannia line, courtesy of Prince Clovis. Nunnally had none of it though, cutting through the noise with contemptuous ease and a firm voice.

"And I return to the empire today, after eight long years. With nothing to our name and no accomplishments to claim, my brother and I had to remain among the common folk all this time. We were always there, watching and preparing to present our masterstroke to the people and the crown. Today, we shall prove once and for all that we deserve the standing since denied to us, regardless of our late mother's common roots."

The crowd was shocked into a state of silent awe. For those who bullied Nunnally at school however, this awe swiftly turned into dread. Yet those boys and girls could not be further from Nunnally's attention right now. She was performing an act, primarily for the other people she knew were watching.

The many royals in the homeland and scattered across the Britannian colonies all shared a common reaction: that of an arched brow at what they saw. Incredulity, perhaps a flicker of pleasant surprised, or displeasure at new players on the board were shared among them all.

Only three broke the pattern.

Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia's often placid smile turned the tiniest bit warmer.

Lord General Cornelia li Britannia brimmed with pride. Only her faithful knight of honour was allowed to see the silly grin she bore.

And Charles zi Britannia, the emperor itself, followed the proceedings with anticipation more than incredulity.

Nunnally knew none of this and had little time to consider her impact beyond the crowd in front of her. She had them in her thrall, eyes following the hand she cast outward, to the country surrounding them.

"In accordance with Code Orange," she continued, "our loyal retainers have given all they had to see our success. No matter what we asked of them, they followed. For this, they deserve only the greatest respect."

She left a moment of silence for the information to settle. With all attention on her half-sister, only Euphemia noticed how stiff Gottwald stood now. She alone could guess, and correctly so, that this was a fabrication for his benefit.

Others among the nobility picked up on the intended implications as well. Some raged internally, believing the leader of the Pureblood Faction to have been a fraud all this time. Others raged externally about the perceived betrayal. But most reversed opinions on a man they thought fallen out of favour; to them, it became clear that he would throw even his good name to the wolves for his liege. And they were right, even though Code Orange was a lie.

Nunnally left a suitable pause for the idea to sink in, well aware it would keep going like this. Then she continued: "Many gave their lives to see us here today, but many more have remained. All as one they will be rewarded, as is right and proper. In accordance with the Britannian Way, they wagered everything and achieved the impossible in our name. Regardless of where they came from."

Some already caught onto her intentions, but most were stumped by the last part. It was a matter of course that success and loyalty be rewarded. Euphemia in particular allowed herself a chuckle, all alone in her office for nobody to hear.

"Brother?" Nunnally queried next. A simple word as well as a cue; what whispered conversations began were abruptly cut off.

All eyes turned to seek the prince they now expected, but surprised noise from the back was needed to make the crowd realise where he came from.

Another pair of people strode through the parting crowd without any concern; a young man dressed in black and purple, escorted by a red-headed woman in a prim white suit. No one recognised her, not even her former classmates or stepmother.

Children were dragged out of the prince's way and people pressed together to make room for him. He graced especially the little ones with smiles, but did not stop for anyone. The sharply dressed woman by his side watched for threats that would not manifest.

At the same time however, unmarked trucks and Knightmare Frames entered the perimeter.

The guards could only watch them, still in disbelief that what they were told would really happen. Orders were clear to let them pass through. The crowds grew a little agitated and the reporters concerned; none noticed how well scripted the play was.

The prince made his way onto the stage, where Nunnally stepped aside for him. People hesitantly turned back to him instead of watching the arriving vehicles.

Until he spoke, that was.

"I am Lelouch vi Britannia, reinstated seventh prince of the empire and fourteenth in line of succession by order of birth. Today, my sister and I will give this country what it deserved for many years."

"Peace."

Where Nunnally was pleasant and firm, his strong voice seemed to hypnotise the crowd. The last word lingered in the ears of many, his certainty calming the people even as the trucks stopped nearby.

Unfamiliar Knightmare models took position along the sidelines; their black-clad pilots emerged to stand at attention. Then a crowd of unmasked Japanese in uniforms of the Black Knights flowed onto the grounds. Their arrival and obviously foreign appearance caused some unrest again, but Lelouch suppressed it easily.

"Much was given in accordance with Code Orange, but much was taken as well. One of our close allies is the person you all know as Zero. And though success may forgive many sins, some run too deep. Zero will not join us today. For their exemplary service over the last years, we decided to spare their life and banish them from Britannia and all her colonies."

He did not say 'Clovis', but many in the crowd and audience thought it. Wary looks were thrown to the Black Knights and some at the edge of the crowd tried to shuffle away from them. The Japanese were on their best behaviour, taking the marked areas that were left free just for them. They, too, looked up to the siblings with mixed expressions.

The cameras panned in on familiar faces in the front row; a young woman stood out, the only one not in black, but in a soft white and red dress. Right next to her stood a stern-faced warrior, his features sharp.

"Yet under Zero's leadership," Lelouch continued, now allowing warm pride to fill his voice, "the men and women who joined the Order of the Black Knights have proven themselves beyond all doubt." He spread his arms as if to embrace the people before him. "They showed the grit to stand up for their own in the face of adversity, facing certain death head-on. And they prevailed, even against the might of the Britannian army, the greatest military force in the world."

His words swept the crowd along. People began to nod in agreement to his very sound logic, antithetical though it was at its heart.

Nunnally took over from her brother then, voice still soft but firmer than before: "As such, for their continued loyalty to royal cause, every member of the Order of the Black Knights is issued a royal pardon. All misdeeds committed before today are forgiven by his majesty's will!"

Were cameras on Kaguya, they would have captured a rare case of her jaw dropping. Even the venerable Tohdoh's expression cracked to show surprise. Most Black Knights only spoke broken Britannian, but they got the gist of what just happened; only the two aforemention and Kallen truly understood what it meant, though.

Leading up to this event, the Order of the Black Knights absorbed every resistance cell in the country for this exact reason. There were no other cells left, yet only they knew.

Nunnally smiled pleasantly. Not a hint of unease or malice showed as she snuck their masterstroke past everyone else involved. She gave no indicator that she just up and used the pardon before clearing the emperor's condition, either. But as it were, actions spoke louder than words.

"And with this," she ended pleasantly, "we can not only claim the Order of the Black Knights as our own. No, we hereby also declare Area Eleven free of terrorists for the first time in eight years. No more violence will be inflicted upon the innocents on either side."

Her conclusion was taken with surprise; the crowd was abuzz with whispers in moments. Nobles across the country tried to figure out where her certainty came from, but could still not determine the true reason. And far away in distant Pendragon, Emperor Charles laughed uproariously at the gall his daughter had to interpret his words so creatively. Not to mention that she twisted his arm, as he could hardly contradict her now without causing a major scandal.

Only a handful of people even registered the very last part of her announcement on the broadcast. Schneizel and Euphemia were among them; one made a note in a new file he began, the other simply smiled. Justice had, after all, been among their siblings' goals.

"In addition," Lelouch added, his booming voice cutting off the chatter, "we also announce the formation of the Kyoto Conglomerate under our banner. The industrial capacities of this land have been woefully underused for many years. No more of that."

While most common folk were less invested in this part, five particular old men listened to it; only one held some trepidation, the others were unable to not support the venture. The nobility listened as well, suddenly filled with dread at the prospect of a new competitor.

Lelouch gave no further details, though. Aware that people would be chasing rumours soon, he moved on to the last part of the spectacle: "And this leads to the final set of announcements we will make today. It would not do to leave our greatest supporters unrewarded, after all."

And just like that, the anticipation returned. After all, everyone loved seeing people get their dues, and dream of being in their shoes.

"We begin with Kyoshiro Tohdoh and Shogo Asahina," Nunnally began, now that all was quiet. "Please step forward."

The men were a little wary, but they did as asked and took a knee before the royals; just like they practiced. It rankled to do so, but they both understood what was at stake. The attention of countless people, their gazes boring into them, made the pair uncomfortable. Tohdoh could almost feel Cornelia glare at him from wherever she was now.

But the moment passed and Nunnally smiled upon them.

"For outstanding service in accordance with Code Orange, we award both of you the title of knight of the empire. Sir Tohdoh shall be the lord commander of our royal guard and sir Asahina its first member."

And then there was thundering applause. Not from the Japanese who joined belatedly, but from the Britannians. It did not matter who they cheered for anymore; even if it was for just a moment, the borders between people were gone.

The men barely managed to keep their surprise over the crowd's response hidden, heads each bowed deeper. Nunnally nodded genially once the applause died down.

"The official ceremonies will be held in the near future. Please stand and make way for Kaguya Sumeragi."

Now the young woman since noticed stepped forward to take a knee as well, expression serene. She could do no more than hide her anxiety. Nunnally did not disappoint.

"For your exemplary service rendered since childhood, I hereby name you my lady-in-waiting."

While the crowd cheered and applauded once more for a woman so young fulfilling many a girl's dream, the nobility watching shared an almost collective intake of breath. A lady-in-waiting who was not Britannian was unheard of. Even Cornelia rubbed her forehead in exasperation, that proud grin now frozen on her face. It almost felt like sacrilege, but it was not against the rules as written.

Kaguya herself said nothing as she played her role. She simply stood once bidden, curtsied at 'her' princess, and followed Nunnally's motion to take a spot behind her. They were now officially attached to each other, for better or worse.

Next up, Nunnally turned to face Jeremiah. He followed the unspoken cue and took a knee, his expression unreadable. Even he did not know what was in store for him.

"And then, of course, Marquess Jeremiah Gottwald."

Everything grew quiet, even those watching the live feed were filled with anticipation. This was a turning point as well; not just for the man, but for their establishing a relation to nobility. Nunnally let the silence linger for effect.

"You out of all our retainers went above and beyond our expectations when we formulated Code Orange," she began, once again driving home the lie no one could call. "Ever loyal since before the fall of our dearly missed mother, undeterred by dishonour in the public's and peerage's view. For this outstanding conduct, I bestow upon you the highest title I can grant. You shall be my knight of honour."

Her announcement sent ripples through the empire, prudent though it was. Now that they were revealed, a knight of honour would help greatly to protect the young princess. He was twice her age, which was somewhat unusual and perhaps a little scandalous, but nobody could ever think him to be of bad stock.

Jeremiah himself bowed his head deeper, a rumbled "Yes, your highness" only heard by Nunnally. There was no applause this time, just a reverent silence.

Nunnally nodded to herself, her part of the award ceremony concluded. She turned to her brother next, who took over seamlessly. The woman by his side knelt in anticipation, a little before he gave her cue but fine all the same. Nobody could tell at a glance.

"While further rewards will be given to our less pronounced supporters and those who rather stay anonymous, I have but one announcement to add. My own knight of honour, my sword and shield till the end, will be Kallen Stadtfelt."

He motioned for the redhead, which caused a number of surprised gasps among Ashford students. They recognised her now, but there was no trace of the meek girl they once met. She was every inch a noble lady, firm and strong. "Her support was always integral," Lelouch continued, heaping praise upon his knight to be. "Even though she had to fake sickness and refrain from many of life's pleasure in pursuit of serving us."

And just like that, it was all tied up. All the important questions anyone might ask were answered. They made their play and took everything valuable in Japan in one fell swoop, then made away like bandits under cheers.

Applause sounded one last time as the prince and princess gathered up their particular group. The Black Knights mounted up again to return to their own dwellings; soon they would relocate to army bases, or open their own. Many of them still worried if this was really the right decision, but the bright smiles of just as many told them it was; they could not know most of these people had no choice in the matter.

Some needed an explanation of what was actually said, their Britannian not good enough to follow it all. But in the end, just about everyone was in awe about how easily Lelouch did as he said and changed everything for them.

The returned royals vanished into the viceroy's palace at that point. Flanked by their knights-to-be, with Kaguya following Nunnally, and Tohdoh and Asahina taking the rear. Nobody impeded them, if anything the staff bowed and curtsied wherever they passed. Some even knelt.

Lelouch and Nunnally stopped for no one on their way to Euphemia's office.

Once there however, Nunnally's smile grew a fraction as she saw the same officer from last time on duty.

"Captain," she greeted politely, garnering a faint amount of confusion from the rest of her entourage.

He twitched ever so faintly, but gave no other outward reaction beside a sweeping bow. "Your highness, her highness already expects you. Once again, I have offer my humble apologies for my past conduct."

"There is nothing to forgive." Nunnally shook her head gently. "Though it may have been annoying for me in the moment, you were merely doing your duty. May we?"

"Yes, your highness. Although I have to ask for any weapons you might carry, and for your guards to remain outside."

Lelouch followed her lead in dealing with the captain without further question: "Of course. Sir Tohdoh, sir Asahina, remain here and guard the door."

The "Yes, your highness" came a tad slow, even grudging on Asahina's end in particular. But they did as told, playing their role as they were asked. Doubtful looks from Euphemia's guard were ignored. The royal siblings redirected them soon enough anyway, seeing that first Lelouch and then Nunnally handed over their handguns.

Their gesture of good faith gave the captain pause. His gaze flickered from the weapons to their owners, but he accepted them. Then Kaguya's taser as well, which she only gave up after some hesitation.

They entered afterward. Nobody bothered trying to stop their future knights from following, nor was Kaguya held up. Euphemia rose from her desk once Nunnally entered, only brightening further when she saw the rest follow.

"I have the feeling you will make waves for a while, you two," she greeted them, striding over with regal poise. It broke about as soon as she arrived, embracing first Nunnally and then Lelouch. The younger princess simply smiled, settling on a comfortable chair while her brother got hugged. He, too, huffed at Euphie's antics.

"That was the plan."

Jeremiah had pulled Kallen back in the meantime, adopting something akin to a mentor's role for the younger noble. They both tried to keep to the background. At the same time however, this left Kaguya standing in place, uncertain how to behave now. And this was how Euphemia noticed her.

The pinkette turned to Kaguya with a renewed smile, though it was only halfway genuine. A polite curtsy was dropped that Kaguya hurried to return; she made certain to go deeper to express her lesser station.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ms. Sumeragi," Euphemia greeted her kindly. "I heard of you and your company before, yet never had a chance to meet in person."

Kaguya's smile was just as soft, though Nunnally could not tell if it was real or fake. "I am honoured to be in your highness's presence," she answered. "It is my firm belief that the country will prosper under your rule."

So it was a fake smile. Euphie, for all her youth, caught onto it as well. Her own smile cracked a little, though she did not exactly took offense. Neither was her response conventional, though.

"A word of advice, Ms. Sumeragi: nobody will believe those words coming out of your mouth. I would not believe them from any Honourary Britannian, regardless of how much faith I put into the system."

The younger teen stiffened a little while Euphemia spoke, but the pinkette finished on a reassuring note: "I recommend using less clear falsehoods for praise, or to find something you can genuinely praise the other about. Considering that you are now attached to Nunnally, your conduct may well reflect on her. I hope we can at least agree on her only deserving the best?"

Nunnally rolled her eyes in response, accepting a cup of tea from Sayoko. "We're in private right now, Euphie. Besides, your security needs improvements."

Her interjection took some attention off of Kaguya, who needed the moment to center herself. Euphie glanced to Nunnally, who pointed at her maid.

"My, now where did you come from?"

Sayoko simply smiled serenely.

Implied insult though it was to refuse answering to royalty, nobody called her out on it today. Kaguya whispered "Ninja" to herself, so quiet only Nunnally heard.

Lelouch levied a smile, much like his sister.

"She has a habit of being there when needed. I wouldn't hold it against the royal guard."

"You only say that because even you couldn't stop her," Nunnally cut in, prompting her brother to snort. Sayoko's expression did not change.

Euphemia looked betewen them, then back to Sayoko. After a momentary consideration, she clearly decided not to question this further. Rather, she turned back to Kaguya, who took the chance to regain her bearings. The Japanese girl bowed her head once she had her attention back.

"My apologies, your highness. I did not mean to offend earlier. Though I did not lie either. I am well aware of the legislation you passed and intend to pass. This is a vast improvement over past efforts to ease the burdensome lives of my people. For that, I am grateful."

The pinkette listened with a faintly arched brow, as if still in faint disbelief. Her smile soon returned, though. "I see. This is a sentiment I can appreciate, Ms. Sumeragi. Though I am curious: how long have you truly aided my siblings?"

Kaguya took the question with a faint tilt of the head. Nunnally frowned, wondering what game her sister played now. Then she caught the surreptive glances thrown around their current company and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Everyone here knows, Euphie," she explained brusquely. Then she flipped part of her skirt and crossed her legs, happy that she could do that now. "But even if it's been far less than the time we claimed, I would still be in that wheelchair without Kaguya. That alone is worth heaping every bit of praise and reward on her."

Her friend squirmed a little sheepishly, deserved though the praise was. She acclimatised enough to Britannian customs not to downplay it, as her own customs would demand.

Meanwhile, Euphemia crossed her arms in a good-natured smile. "Be that as it may, you should not get into the habit of sitting like that, sister dear. It is not proper."

"And we are still in private," Nunnally retorted with a dainty shrug. "I could only sit one way for eight years, so I will now sit however I want."

The older princess shook her head in fond exasperation, then found Lelouch's eyes. Nunnally figured that their silent exchange was about her, but not what they meant to communicate. Although they seemed to agree on whatever it was.

Euphemia then clapped her hands. "Well, it seems the important event of the day is taken care of. Assuming you will need to sort out your schedules for the next few weeks soon, how about I have lunch brought while there is still time?"

Nunnally could not help but groan at the reminder of the many duties and interviews she could expect. Every noble on this side of the planet would try to take her and Lelouch's measure before long. The shock and awe was not yet over, but they would have to capitalise as much as they could.

"Lunch sounds agreeable, sister," Lelouch answered for all of them. He earned a beaming smile in return.

"Marvelous. I already know Sir Gottwald of course, but I am also quite curious to hear about Dame Stadtfeldt. This will be a good opportunity to get acquainted."

Kallen looked clearly less happy with that idea, but she did not speak out against it.

Nunnally knew there was work to be done, but she decided to give it at least a little time to simmer. Right now she would get her sister and their other close allies acquainted, whether they liked it or not.