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.