Dictata ex Estas
As he stood there, he just remembers, and remembers and remembers. And he remembers:
There was a day, where the cicadas stopped chirping and the little birds overhead could be heard with their merry song.
"Let's keep it this way, just the three of us. Together, forever."
A little warm silence.
"We'll go to school together, live together, laugh together, play together, like always." The little girl continued.
"We could even work together! Maybe we'll open a pet shop. Filled with huge dogs and fluffy bunnies and little brown kittens-"
"Wouldn't the kittens bite you first, Suzaku?"
"True, true, oniisama. Remember the time when a stray cat came in?"
Laughter and giggles as memories came up.
A
Pause
The birds sang their cheery song.
"You know, Suzaku. When you grow up, you'll probably become the Prime Minister of Japan. You're the son of Prime Minister Kururugi." The violet-eyed boy voiced.
"Never mind about the pet shop then…" A bit of thought, "Lelouch, you can become the Emperor then. You're a prince of Brittannia right?"
"Emmm… But I renounced my name-"
"Never mind, I'll help you. The both of us will be the rulers of our countries. Our people will get along, like the three of us. We'll visit each other often. Our people will live happily!"
"What about me, Suzaku?"
"Nunnally, well, you can be the Empress. The three of us will lead peaceful nations, where everybody will laugh and smile together, and nobody will be discriminated against."
"We'll have beautiful beaches with white sands and forests that are green forever then? Onii-sama, wouldn't that be great?"
"Yes, Nunnally, of course."
Smiles and silent laughs as three kids were lost in their joyful daydreams of lovely princesses, handsome princes and happy endings.
The birds had now stopped singing, instead, listening in on the conversation.
"Onii-sama, Suzaku, I feel happy…"
"Is that so, Nunnally?"
"Yes… Onii-sama, you?"
"As long as you're happy, Nunnally."
"But that's cheating…" the girl made a face, and then unable to sustain it, she erupted into a smile. "What about you, Suzaku?"
"Huh? Well, ermm… Yes… I guess I am. Ever since the two of you came."
That was a day, where the cicadas stopped chirping and the little birds overhead could be heard with their merry song.
But they were never truly happy together in the end. He continues to remember, and this he did:
There was a day, where the night sky blinked with its thousand eyes. They were the same as always, the same as when Mother-
The boy tore his eyes away from the stars.
A criket chirped.
"I have no time for the weak."
No, that man was wrong! How could he think like that? How could he be so inhuman? How could he-
The boy turned to look again.
"In this world, only the strong survive."
"Is that right?" he said, gazing at the image of his father hanging on the palace wall as he passed it.
"Is that right?" he echoed, gazing at the old stars hanging from the dark void overhead.
"Inequality itself is not evil. Equality in itself is evil!"
A thousand All-Hail-Brittannias and its echoing roars rushed through the halls.
The stars were slowly winking themselves out.
So was this nobility system not cruel?
"The Japanese fell because of their imprudent belief in an equal system. Brittannia has conquered as we are strong, we have a superior system; we acknowledge only the strong, only the strong can survive. Everything is unfair; as inequality itself is justice, and Brittannia is the justice in this wayward world!"
But is that the truth of this world? Was equality really evil? Was inequality true? Was the world unfair? Was it justice to neglect the weak?
Lelouch did not think so.
"Lelouch are you alright? Do you need me to carry Nunnally for a while?"
"Yes. No. I mean, I'm fine. I was just… thinking about stuff…"
Was Brittannia right?
"Let's hurry. The sun's coming up soon. We'll have to leave before the soldiers come."
That was a day, where the night sky blinked with its thousand eyes.
And he never really thought of that anymore; everything had just snow-balled itself to this point, but he remembers, and just remembers:
There was a day, where sunflowers tilted their heads to the golden orb above and voices were silent next to the crickets' clamour. The two boys ran out, joyfully sprinting through the yellow mass. They grinned like proud little kids who just tricked a few adults and escaped to play what boys all played in the bright sunny fields, running about near the mountain ranges. Falling onto the greens and idle flowers, they gazed at the white puffs floating lazily above. The sunlight fell indolently upon their tiny faces, tanned and pale alike.
In their happiness, and joviality, they lay there, enjoying the peaceful moment.
Silent
Joy
A single dandelion floated past.
"Let's go up the hill, I bet there'll be a nice view up there!" the tanned boy suggested rolling over to face the other.
A nod of agreement from the other, they got up and ran towards the ledge nearby. The pale boy slipped, only to be pulled up by his partner. Up upon the hill, looking to the blue sky with white puffs floating lazily, they saw a grey mass approaching. The tranquil blue turned melancholy, the sunflowers slumped down their heads, and the crickets stopped chirping. All there was was two boys upon a hill and a grey mass above.
All there was was Brittannia invading Japan.
…
"Onii-sama, Father… did he really…"A meek girl trembled in his arms, "he knew we were here didn't he? So why?"
Said boy was silent.
That was a day, where sunflowers tilted their heads to the golden orb above and voices were silent next to the crickets' clamour.
But before that, he remembers:
There was a day, where the summer frogs croaked lazily in their muddy ponds. Upon their bulging eyes, reflected three kids, with their sticks lines, hooks and what not. Sunk down in the deep earth pool of water before them was their tall lines tipped with deadly metal. Sticks hovered over the skeletal pond skaters, wiggling dragonfly nymphs and a spider weaving its web.
…
Croak
…
Croak
Croak
…
Croak
…
…
A bird landed upon a tree.
…
Croak
Tweet
Tweet
…
Croak
…
Tweet
Croak
…
Croak
Croak
…
Tweet
…
"How long is this going to take?"
"You have to wait, Lelouch."
"How long?"
"Until the fish bites the hook. And with all the noise you're making, you'll scare all the fish away."
Lelouch just grumbled.
...
"Look! This is my fifth fish!"
"Wow, Nunnally! I only caught two
Lelouch could only look at the empty pail next to him. His hook had not lifted out of the water. Not even once.
"Like I said Lelouch, you have to wait."
He grumbled again.
"Fishing is for jerks!"
The frogs croaked as reflected upon their eyes, what had once been three kids turned to two.
"Nunnally, maybe I should have told him he forgot to put bait on his hook."
That was a day, where the summer frogs croaked lazily in their muddy ponds.
And he remembers this too:
There was a day, where the summer heat baked and the sky was grey with puffs of dirtied clouds. Silent footsteps ran down the hill, through the ashen sunflower field, behind trees, past a browned lily upon the road, into a broken city of stranglers and blood-hungry soldiers. Panting for breath, they sat huddled together. A stomach grumbled.
"Onii-sama, I'm hungry."
"I'll go get food then," he prepared to get up, "Suzaku, you stay here with Nunnally."
"Wait, Lelouch! How are you going to get food? There's no refugee camp and we have no money."
A finger pressed onto his lips.
"Onii-sama… Are you going to…"
"No."
"Then how-?"
"I have my ways, Suzaku."
"Promise me, Onii-sama. Don't…"
"Okay, Nunnally."
Nunnally stuck out her little finger, but Lelouch was gone.
…
A moment
…
A moment
…
A moment
…
Muffled footsteps came nearer.
"Here, Nunnally, an onigiri for you. Suzaku, you have one too."
"Thanks, Onii-sama."
Nunnally smiled and ate her meal merrily.
Lelouch just looked and enjoyed Nunnally's smile.
But Suzaku glared and ate solemnly.
That was a day, where the summer heat baked and the sky was grey with puffs of dirtied clouds.
He stops remembering for a while, and looks to the sky; it was a clear crisp blue with the sun shining ironically over him. And he continues to remember:
There was a day, when the curtain of summer rain fell outside, drowning out the sounds of the incessant cicadas and the relentless frogs.
Three figures sat together, hearts laughing and lips pulled up, safely under the shelter of a battered storehouse. Even though the vines decorated it with thorns, even though poisonous ivy slithered all over, even though the structure periled to tumble, it housed the warmest joy.
There was a day, when the curtain of summer rain fell outside, drowning out the sounds of the incessant cicadas and the relentless frogs.
Then, in the beginning was this:
There was a day, where the summer air was thick with smells of coming wet autumns and the winds of pine and rivers.
"No, Nunnally! Lelouch will marry me when we grow up!"
"No! Brother, you wouldn't do that now, would you?"
"He will marry me!"
"No, he wouldn't!"
A single raven-haired boy stood dumbstruck between the two, unsure of what to say in this heated argument between two princesses.
Yet, the end was this:
There was a day, where masses of innocent victims gathered under the red glow of the sun.
"Come on, we can afford to stay here one night. They have rations and everything. We'll leave first thing tomorrow."
Hushed in whispers, by-passers took no mind of the three children hunched together.
"But, what if they recognise us? Nunnally and I can't risk that!"
"Really Lelouch, you should learn not to be too paranoid."
A huff, which was followed by momentary silence, hung between them.
"Brother, Suzaku right. Besides, we hadn't had a proper meal in a while. It'll be nice to eat some warm food."
An exclamation, clashing with another conceited voice.
"See, even Nunnally agrees! So it's decided then! I'll go get the rations for all three of us if you're so relunctant, Lelouch."
The paler boy conceded, grousing under his breath tetchily, as the other skipped off eagerly.
…
Grumble~
"Hee… Brother, you were hungry after all."
The sudden colouration of the boy's cheeks was gratefully unseen.
…
And he came back so soon afterwards, arms full of plates of food that threatened to topple wasted on the soiled ground.
"Come on, let's dig in Lelouch, Nunnally! Itadakimasu!"
"Itadakimasu!"
And the three dug in fervently with gleeful laughter in their war-tired eyes.
There was a day, where masses of innocent victims gathered under the red glow of the sun.
But he knows, with a dreadful imminence,
That the future was only to be this:
A/N: Hey, I'm back writing! This fic's idea was inspired by Mikomi Pen's "The Fool Ascendant" :D Also, thanks to P.S for helping in editing a bit. ^.^ Please review!