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.