[Edit 2018] Decided to rewrite this piece to include the events in Akito, hopefully this piece would not end up being weird.
Fallen King
o
o
I have never expected to receive any forgiveness from anyone, much less from you. Especially from you. Even if I knew how much you've treasured this friendship that we have between you and me. I know, because even during the time that you have stood before me as Zero; you have always treated me as the friend that you cared deeply.
It's not that it was that hard for him to figure it out. Zero's actions in the past do seem as if he cared a lot about the Lancelot pilot. Himself. Before his true identity was exposed before Zero and the rest of the Order, Zero had been ruthless in setting up their strategies and was not concerned whether or not he got killed in the battle against them. Aside of course, that time when he was made as a scapegoat to be blamed for Lord Clovis's murder. But that time Zero never knew that he was Lancelot's pilot. And ever since his identity was known, Zero had always tried to get him to turn sides.
I've realized it then but despite knowing that, I never tried anything to stop you. How stupid. If I had done something to stop you earlier, this would not be happening. Euphie would still be alive as well. Everything, would not be like this!
Suzaku glanced towards his viewscreen as he checked the level of his energy filler. He smiled weakly as he saw that it was still more or less in full condition. He had brought a spare just in case but he expected not to use it anyway. Britannia was not too far from Japan anyway. He glanced at the side of his already small cockpit to see that Lelouch was still unconscious. Guess the hard knock on the head earlier was still enough to keep him unconscious.
Suzaku felt a slight pang of hurt in his heart as he watched Lelouch sprawled in that cramped corner, wearing that ugly grey restraining suit. Considering Lelouch was still a Britannian prince, seeing him reduced to this was pitiable. Suzaku roughly pulled Lelouch towards him with one hand so that he partially lie on his lap. Getting help from Prince Schneizel to board Avalon in order to come to Britannia would have been better but he rather do this in secret. If Lelouch's identity as Zero, as well as the eleventh prince, was exposed, an even greater chaos would have happened and he did not want that.
Sorry Lelouch but the one who did the betrayal first was you... and for me to betray you in return, was fair enough. It's your fault if you are in trouble now...
xxx
"I, Charles di Britannia... hereby inscribe new, false memories—!"
Lelouch had let out the most bloodcurdling scream that Suzaku had never thought of ever hearing, during the long period of him knowing the person. He felt a part of him about to shatter as well, looking at the desperate look Lelouch gave but he kept his hold on him still. Lelouch tried to fight against him but suddenly his body jerked and he stopped fighting. Suzaku could barely see the red glow around his iris, a sign that the Emperor's Geass had already taken over him. He remained still, holding the young prince and kept his eyes open as the Emperor started talking about the false memories that he wanted to inscribe into Lelouch.
He was expecting that the Emperor would just rewrite Lelouch's memories to erase the fact he had been Zero, the leader of the Order of the Black Knights. Suzaku didn't expect the Emperor to give Lelouch a whole new set of identity and memories, turning Lelouch... into someone else. And by doing so, turning Lelouch into becoming the very person he didn't want to be.
A loyal servant to the emperor.
xxx
Suzaku paused in front of Lord Kingsley's temporary quarters as he willed himself to remain unconcerned. He knocked on the door promptly before hearing a reply from the other side, giving permission for him to enter. Suzaku walked into the room to see that the young lord was in the middle of getting himself dressed, several servants were helping him to put on his clothes. He immediately dismissed the servants as Lord Julius Kingsley stared at him questioningly.
In which, he couldn't help noticing that the young lord's left eye was half-shut for some reason. Yet, he thought he could see a glint of Geass from that eye. Was he mistaken?
"What are you doing? I'm being summoned by His Majesty and I don't intend to delay my arrival, and you've just sent off my servants!"
Suzaku was taken aback for a moment, before resuming his usual smile. "Of course... I didn't mean to cause you inconvenience, my lord. But since I'm here, I might as well serve you instead of your servants."
Kingsley eyed him warily before brushing him off. "Very well, as long as you don't mess up."
The young lord gave him an amused smile regardless, as Suzaku walked closer and picked up the lord's shirt that had been dropped by one of the servants earlier. "Then again, should I be honoured that a Knight of the Round has offered to dress me up?"
Suzaku bit his lips before replying. "There's no need for you to oblige me, my lord. The emperor might have granted me the position of a Knight, but that was still not properly officiated. Right now to you, my lord, I'm still a lowly servant."
The young lord smiled again in amusement.
xxx
As he dressed the young lord, Suzaku was in deep thoughts. Despite the fact this current situation was of his own doing, a part of him couldn't help being conflicted. He glanced up towards the young man as Lelouch ignored him. Somehow, Suzaku couldn't help feeling hurt at the treatment.
As much as he could remember the past when Lelouch and Nunnally first arrived in Japan and lived under the Kururugi household... Lelouch had never treated him or other people in the household as beneath him. He hadn't behaved like how he'd imagine a Britannian prince would've acted and Lelouch had seemed to him back then as just a normal kid. Yet, this Lelouch that was standing in front of him had no qualms about treating him as a mere servant. A lowly Number.
Suzaku frowned.
Was this what Lelouch could have been... if he and Nunnally were never exiled to Japan seven years ago?
Lelouch suddenly turned his eyes back towards him as Suzaku yelped in surprise.
"What are you doing... Kururugi?"
"Ah! Please forgive me... my lord," Suzaku hastily spoke.
Suzaku sighed softly to himself, before helping the young prince with his robe... and putting up a bejewelled eye-patch to cover Lelouch's left eye.
"Hmph!", scoffed the other person as he stared down towards Suzaku, who started kneeling down to help him put on his boots. Almost as soon as Suzaku managed to slip the last boot for the owner, Lelouch immediately walked away towards the door.
"Come on, we have no time to waste here..." said the young prince as Suzaku scrambled to follow behind him.
xxx
"Wa... ter..."
"Suzaku... please... water...!"
Suzaku frowned as he turned to stare at Lelouch who was lying sprawled on the corner seat of the train bunker. Throughout the times he had spent with this Lelouch, the youth had never called him using his first name. It was always Kururugi, and at times when Julius was particularly in a foul mood... it was just 'Eleven'. Yet tonight, Julius had begged him for water... and referring to him as 'Suzaku'. The way Lelouch... had always called him as.
Did the Emperor's Geass on Lelouch has started to fail?
Suzaku took a glass of water and placed it on the small table beside the youth.
"Here," he said, unwilling to hand the offering to the youth directly. Julius's hand started to reach out towards the glass of water but somehow the hand missed its intended target and the glass toppled over. Spilling its content on the floor. Suzaku also couldn't help noticing that Julius kept grasping on his left eye that was covered by the eyepatch.
Couldn't he see that glass?
Julius kept trying to blindly find the fallen glass of water in vain before falling towards the floor himself. The youth continued squirming on the floor for a few minutes as Suzaku kept eyeing him from the side. It was only when the youth has stopped moving did Suzaku ran over to check on him, worried.
While the Emperor had ordered him to stand guard over Julius and acted as if he didn't care of the youth's fate, he could tell that it would still be in big trouble if he let Julius die. After all, they still haven't done a thing on what they were meant to do in Euro-Britannia.
Suzaku hurriedly carried Julius's unconscious body to his lap as he checked for his pulse. To his relief, the youth was still alive. Only passed out. Perhaps it was a bit too much for him to deny the youth his drink when asked earlier. He carried Julius over towards the nearby couch before pouring another glass of water for the youth.
Walking back towards the unconscious youth, he tried to get the youth to drink the water by shaking him awake. Julius didn't wake up as Suzaku tried to place the back of his hand towards the youth's forehead. It surprised him to find the youth was burning up.
Was this why he kept asking for water before?, he wondered.
Yet somehow, Julius didn't seem to have a fever. Suzaku frowned as he realized that only the area around Julius's forehead and eyes that were hot to the touch.
Was this... caused by the Geass? Did Lelouch's Geass—or perhaps the Emperor's—causing him to burn up like this?
xxx
Julius went back to normal the next day, oblivious to the last night's episode. And the youth had treated Suzaku the way he normally did. That puzzled Suzaku a bit, but just as well as they finally arrived at St. Petersburg station. It would have been trouble had they arrived with the youth in poor state.
The officer that was waiting for him gave Suzaku a cold penetrating look despite his neutral attitude. But Suzaku didn't let it show as he calmly shook the man's hand.
"What's this? This is all the welcome I get?"
For a brief moment, Suzaku thought he saw the man's expression wavered.
"Nevertheless, when next I return... the streets of St. Peterburg will be lined with the masses, cheering my victory and chanting my name."
Suzaku could see the man's expression turn sour as Julius made his appearance. Was it because the man was dissatisfied that the so-called high ranked officer he thought he was receiving was a mere youth or was he annoyed at the way Julius had spoken? Yet, whether or not Julius paid notice of the man's reaction the youth didn't show it as Julius continued speaking.
"By order of His Imperial Majesty. all Eastern front operational planning will hereby be conducted by me, Military Advisor Julius Kingsley!"
Suzaku glanced back towards Lelouch, as the youth let out a confident smile. For a brief second, he couldn't help thinking about Zero. But right now... Lelouch wasn't fighting Britannia as Zero, he was serving Britannia as Julius Kingsley.
There's no turning back... a voice somehow whispered in his mind. Suzaku pushed aside the guilt that started forming again inside his heart as he obediently stood in line behind Julius. Right now he was a step closer towards his goal, so he shouldn't let himself falter.
His new path was just beginning!