.
A/N: So, the inspiration for this two-shot came to me one night when I was lying awake, thinking how terrible it was that Euphie had to die. I mean, everyone'd seen it coming: Kill the nice person (almost always female) to shock the audience. How clichéd. I mean, the same theme's in pretty much every serious anime I've heard of so far: Mayuri in Steins;Gate, Aiko in Elfen Lied, Hiroko Asahina from RahXephon, Fuko and Nagisa in Clannad, Yung in Blue Gender, Nina in Fullmetal Alchemist – the list is pretty extensive. Still, it never cease to suck.
But then I started thinking. Something was bothering me. Wasn't there a loophole that Lelouch, the genius, should have exploited to keep Euphie alive and her reputation intact? I pondered it a bit more through the night, and this plot is what came from my twisted musings. I'm really proud of it, though!
Crack-ish, EuphemiaxSuzaku, a bit of GuilfordxCornelia. Implied LelouchxC.C. No limes/lemons. Happy endings all around, because that's what should have happened.
For the exact point where my line diverges from the canon, go to 16:25 of Episode 22, "Bloodstained Euphemia", when Lelouch yells "Euphie, don't!" Right there's when things change (in this, anyway). For the point at which my narrative begins, go to 14:38 of the same episode.
Disclaimer: Apparently, these are necessary for every story. Seriously, if I owned Code Geass in any way, shape or form, would I really need to write this stuff before each story? Wouldn't I just write the anime this way instead, huh? Did anyone ever think of that before hurling around accusations? Huh? Did they? (*sigh*) Anyway, I own nothing.
"Blah" – Zero speech
"Blah" – Emphasis to be placed on word
Blah – (italics outside of quotes) Character thoughts
xxXxx
"Consider: can the Universe be justifiably called infinite? Doubtful. It may not have a discernible end, but it had a beginning – and its component parts definitely have a limited cosmological shelf life."
Steins;Gate Episode 1
"Perhaps the Universe can justifiably be called infinite. But the possibilities within it? Different story altogether…"
Steins;Gate Episode 24
The Japanese Are Already Dead!
By Vetty123 (aka Okabe Rintarou, Worldline Unknown)
Chapter 1
The Japanese Are Already Dead!
xxXxx
During Zero's talk with Euphemia,
The Special Administrative Zone Stadium
Lelouch couldn't believe his ears. Euphemia had given up her claim to the throne? And she was genuinely trying to restart Japan? This was not a turn of events he'd foreseen. He needed time to think, and so resorted to laughing maniacally while sorting through his thoughts.
All this…for something Nunally said?
"And Cornelia?" he asked, desperately hoping to find a weakness in Euphemia's arguments.
"It's not like we'll never see each other again," she retorted, squelching his last remaining way out. He wheeled like a rat in a trap, blocked off at every turning.
A moment of silence. "Euphie, you are a fool…an amazing fool," Lelouch said, finally accepting his fate and admitting defeat.
She, however, thought that he was insulting her, and tried to justify her actions. "I know I'm not as smart as you Lelouch, I've never been able to beat you at games or studies; however – "
Lelouch broke in, cutting of her misinterpreted defense of herself. "However, in your usual rash Euphie-fashion you've managed to end up winning all of it. When I think of you, I don't visualize a sub-viceroy or a princess, I only see the plain little Euphie who you used to be."
She stopped short, then smiled as she realized what he meant. "Then will you join plain little Euphie and help her?" she asked, extending her hand to the erstwhile revolutionary.
Lelouch shifted away from the proffered limb uneasily, fully aware of what would happen if he took her hand. The end of the revolution. The end of Zero. But then a thought struck him, one that filled him with both disgust at his own weakness and an unaccustomed feeling of…hope? The end of Zero Requiem.
He continued looking at Euphie for a few moments more, returning her unblinking gaze. He came to a decision.
"You are…" he paused, considering his next words. "You are the worst opponent I have ever faced," he declared, stepping forward and taking her hand with his. And finally, his admission of surrender:
"You win."
"Huh?" Euphie blinked. She hadn't been expecting him to give up so easily, not after he'd been ordering her to "stain her hands with blood" just five minutes ago.
"I'll amend my plans to help out your Special Zone," he said, to which she let out a sigh of relief. He was quick to add, however: "But not as your subordinate, all right?" It wasn't really important, but he couldn't go down too easily, now could he?
Euphie's face, which had been brightening with each word Lelouch uttered, lit up brilliantly. The sight of her dazzling face invoked something foreign within Lelouch himself. Is this what it feels like to be hopeful? Well then, I'm hopeful, and everyone can know it!
With Euphie's deal, I can side with Suzaku. I can change the way things are from inside the system, like he's always wanted. We can work together to get to the very top of this filthy pyramid: with my Geass, it should be easy to take control without too much strife. This is good; this is great.
I feel fantastic.
Continuing, Euphemia smilingly said, "All right. Though you haven't got very much faith in me, have you?"
"Hmm?" Lelouch, confused by the tangent in the conversation, hummed inquiringly. What did she mean by that?
"Did you honestly believe that by simply threatening me I would shoot you?"
Lelouch realized what she meant. So that was it. Well, she doesn't know about my Geass, so it's only to be expected. "Oh no, you've got it all wrong." I wouldn't have had to threaten you, I'd just have ordered you. "When I really want people to follow my orders, they will not resist me – whether it's to shoot me, to grant pardon to Suzaku, or any order at all!"
Euphemia replied, almost playfully, "Oh, now you're being silly! Stop playing with me!"
He continued along this vein, trying to convince her that his Geass really could control people's minds, heedless of his left eye's powers activating. "I'm serious!" How can I make her see my point? Ah, that's it! A vivid example ought to let me explain exactly what I mean.
He blundered ahead. "For example, if I told you to kill all the Japanese, it wouldn't matter how you felt about it."
The former leader of the resistance kept on talking, missing the blank look on Euphie's face as her neural pathways were altered beyond repair and the red Geass-rim of color appeared around her iris. He noticed, however, when she took a hesitant step back and stammered a frantic refusal.
"No…don't make me do it, please! I'm not –"
He took a breath of air in sharply. What was this? Surely I didn't…surely she isn't…
Euphie, shivering, raised both hands to hug herself, her pleading eyes lost in the distance as she struggled to fight off the overwhelming compulsion assailing her mind. "I'm not going to do it, please…!"
Lelouch could only stare in shock as his half-sister dropped to her knees with a cry. Euphie collapsed on herself, curling into a ball as she stuttered brokenly, "I don't want to kill them!"
"Did I…" the stunned boy asked himself. Has she been…could I have…but no. That's impossible! My Geass wasn't activated, there's no reason for her to be acting this way! Come on, think, you fool. What in the world is going on?
His scrambled musings were cut short by Euphie herself, who suddenly stopped struggling as though she'd reached a conclusion. Her head slowly looked up, and she uttered her words in a inflectionless monotone.
"You're right. I have to kill all the Japanese," she said, in that hypnotized voice. Lelouch's heart clenched and his mind raced to work out what was going on…then it came to him. His mismatched eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
"I've become like Mao – I can't control my Geass power!" This understanding gave the beleaguered boy no relief, as he felt the hope that had been kindled within his heart for a moment fade and sputter out. And I've got no one to blame but myself.
He madly tried to remedy the situation, knowing it was hopeless before he started.
"Forget the order I just gave you…Euphie! Wait Euphie, don't!"
As Euphemia grabbed the gun from the floor and turned to face the door, Lelouch's brilliant mind had already worked out the results of his actions.
Her name will be dragged through the mud, and the rebellion will gain support from every corner of the country in the face of Britannia's expected treachery.
Euphemia was halfway to the door, holding her bustle out of the way of her rushing feet as she ran to the crowd waiting outside. His self-condemnatory thoughts shrieked and howled within his mind, tormenting his already twisted conscience.
She'll be killed, no doubt; most likely by my very own Black Knights. And I've forced her into this cruel charade. Here was a chance for actual freedom, for bargaining with Britannia. And now, Zero Requiem will be played out, and the world will bleed itself dry.
Euphemia was almost at the door, moments from ruining the glorious dream she had come so close to making a reality. Lelouch thrashed wildly about the room, racking his mind mercilessly.
Focus, you idiot. You've got a mind capable of defeating Clovis' best troops with nothing more than a handful of amateur terrorists – this should be nothing more than child's play! Come on, there has to be a way out of this. Think. Think!
A fraction of a second before Euphie could wrench the door open and begin her inevitable massacre of the innocents gathered in the stadium, Lelouch's subconscious provided a possible way out. If nothing else, this attempt might gain a bit more time to work his way out of this nightmare he'd been dropped into. He opened his mouth and hollered at the top of his lungs the sentence that would change everything:
(Divergence Point!)
"The Japanese are already dead!"
Euphie froze with her hands on the door. Silence lay over the whole room as the girl processed what she'd just heard. Already dead? But that means…I won't have to kill anyone! She lowered her arms and rotated her body steadily until she was facing her half-brother, then cocked her head curiously, crimson-ringed eyes staring at him.
"Dead? Who killed them?"
Lelouch experienced a flurry of mixed emotions at that moment. Confusion: How on earth did she fall for that? Relief: Never mind, that was great! It worked, she's not going on a crazy, homicidal rampage! Yet! Pride: I'm such a genius. Then: Wait…who killed them? They're not dead, so…who killed them? Ummm…
"Ummm…" He bit his lip, focusing hard, unable to come up with an answer that would satisfy Euphie in her current state. Oh, great, you just bought everyone outside an extra four seconds of life. Way to be a hero, Lelouch.
The boy's neurons fired at a furious rate as the young terrorist searched his mind frantically. Currently there was only one thing going in his favor, and that was the fact that Euphie seemed to be resisting his Geass as much as possible. That could save the day…Or, maybe she'll do what every subject before this has done, follow your orders to the letter, and go kill the Japanese!
Suddenly, the mocking voice was silenced by the germ of an idea that took root in his mind, preoccupying his thoughts entirely. If they were…maybe…it might work?
The young woman kept looking at the young revolutionary, watching his face contort as he thought, before saying, "If they're really dead, I will have to kill nobody. But your observation makes no sense: there is a crowd of Japanese outside that must die. Goodbye, Lelouch." She turned to the door again, reaching for the knob.
"Wait! Please, you have to hear me out!" Lelouch shouted, double-checking his reasoning in his head. Would that logic apply? Please, please let Euphie believe this! Euphie, fight this, I know you're fighting…
"You don't have to kill anyone, and I know that you'd hate to kill someone if it was unnecessary, right, Euphie?"
The red-eyed girl looked at him and nodded. "I would dislike having to end another human's life if it were avoidable in any way." The intensity of the fire in her eyes died a bit as the two personalities within her clashed. The girl looked indecisive for a bare instant, before the ring in her eyes strengthened and solidified completely. "Still, the command was perfectly clear: kill all the Japanese."
Lelouch nodded along with the girl's reasoning, working out his next words in his head. "Absolutely right, so it was, so it was. Perfectly clear: kill all the Japanese. That's exactly what I said. But it is you who fail to understand that the order was superfluous – it is completely impossible for you to kill all the Japanese!"
Please let this work, please let this work, please let this work…
Euphie crinkled her forehead, confused. "Completely impossible? You're not making any sense, Lelouch. What do you mean?"
"In order to answer that, won't you please have a seat?" he asked, gesturing to a pair of chairs by a nearby computer deck. That's right, Euphie, take the bait. Ask me why there are no Japanese.
"Lelouch, I really don't have time for this. I am feeling obliged to go outside, and you are holding me back," said the Princess, looking eager to go above and get started on her work. After all, she had to kill all the Japanese. I guess I could ask them to die on their own, but I don't think that will work…I suppose I'll have to do it myself, then.
Lelouch frowned. The Geass had more hold over her free will than he'd thought – she actually seemed excited about going up and massacring people, which was completely against the Euphie that he knew. Ah, well, he had no choice: he was just going to have to bluff his way through this one.
He sat down. "Come, Euphie. I have news that may be of great interest to you."
He took a deep breath. Do or die time. This is what makes or breaks that glorious future Euphie had planned before I screwed everything up…
Drawn by the bait, Euphie walked over and sat down. Lelouch breathed a huge sigh of mental relief. One obstacle down, several dozen to go…
"A brief history lesson, Princess Euphemia." The girl frowned slightly, obviously thinking this was a waste of her precious Japanese-killing time. "Let me finish, please. In 2010, seven years ago, Japan was invaded by Britannia in the infamous One-Month War. The war culminated with the suicide of the president, Genbu Kururugi, and the colonization and annexation of Japan."
He raised a slender figure. "This is important. Japan was colonized, meaning that its inhabitants were changed on a fundamental level. Japan was also annexed, meaning that it lost its individuality and sovereignty."
She broke in here. "Lelouch, I must be going. I must kill all the Japanese on this island, and the sooner I do it the better". Lelouch frowned. Her compulsion must be strengthening over time. I'm going to have to present my trump card soon…
"Ah, but that is where you are mistaken. You see, Euphemia, there are no Japanese upon this island. In fact, there are no Japanese alive anywhere."
The Princess interrupted again, asking, "Whatever do you mean? Everybody who is not a Britannian and who lives upon this island must be a Japanese person. That's just logical."
"That's where you're mistaken, my misinformed Princess," Lelouch said, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "These people are not, in fact, Japanese."
"Not Japanese? Well, then…what are they?" she asked, baffled. What nonsense is he spouting?
"They're all Elevens, Euphemia," Lelouch said carelessly, with an airy attitude that belied the seriousness of the discussion. "Nothing but Elevens. Remember, Japan resigned its sovereignty and gave up its individuality over seven years ago, when they were annexed formally following the One-Month War."
Euphie's brow furrowed as she followed the reasoning. "But–"
Lelouch kept moving, talking fast, not allowing her to get a word in edgewise. "And when the Prime Minister committed suicide, he ordered the Japanese military to disband, and all Japanese citizens to lay down their arms and submit to the invaders. The Japanese surrendered unconditionally, and in doing so, laid down the title of 'Japanese' with their weapons, donning their current name of Elevens."
Euphie's eyes widened, and the ring of fire surrounding her iris dimmed a little and broke up in places. "So you're saying that…"
Lelouch finished her statement for her. "…The Japanese Are Already Dead!" (Roll Credits! Oh wait…)
There was silence following this epiphany. Lelouch watched with bated breath as Euphie mulled the concept over in her head, holding a discussion with herself. Come on, fate, don't fail me now…
"You're right," she murmured. I won't kill anyone.
Lelouch's head shot up, hardly daring to believe his ears. "What?"
Euphie's faced was beaming again, dazzling him with its radiance. "You're right! When Japan surrendered and agreed to be annexed, the demographic known as 'the Japanese' ceased to exist! All that is left…are Elevens!" Her blue-violet eyes were clear from the glowing shackles of the Geass, and her voice was normal again.
An inconceivable weight rolled off of the elder Lamperouge's chest: though the battle had been hard, was finally upon him. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to luxuriate in the pure relief for a moment. Thank you so mu–
"Oh, wait," a voice that was somehow indescribably plaintive and yet perfectly emotionless said.
Lelouch's internal celebrations stopped dead in their tracks. Slowly, he opened his eyes again and fixed them on the Sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven. "What? What's wrong?" he asked. Isn't this over yet?
"Those people out there…aren't they all here to join the Special Administrative Zone?"
His heart sinking inside his chest, Lelouch nodded slowly, unsure of where this conversation was going. Euphemia, however, was on a roll. Her eyes were circled with a blazing orb of fire.
Euphie nodded thoughtfully, rubbing her chin with one delicate hand. "And aren't they trying to revive Japan?"
Oh, confound it. Screaming on the inside now, Lelouch had no choice but to nod again, fully aware of the final conclusion now.
"And so," Euphie declared triumphantly, eyes blazing red, "Doesn't that make them all Japanese?"
Thinking fast, Lamperouge tried to buy himself some time. "Well, they're going to technically call the new nation the United States of Japan, so that would make them all…Japan-icans?" A weak effort, he knew, but he didn't think he was going to win this one.
Euphie frowned. "Well, the Colonies of America called their citizens 'Americans' before they were destroyed, after all. And 'American' was the common collective plural for 'America', so it only makes sense that United States of Japan follow suit and call its own citizens by the correct derivative – Japanese. And I must kill all the Japanese, so I must kill everyone in the United States of Japan. And everyone in the stands above is here for that, so I must kill them all!"
Helpless in the face of her twisted logic, Lelouch could only watch powerlessly as the deranged princess turned to the door again, prepared to open Pandora's Box and release every evil upon the earth. No, not Pandora's Box: she wasn't even leaving hope behind. Looks like the Zero Requiem will have to come to fruition after all. I'm sorry, Euphie. I'm really, truly sorry. I tried…
However, just before Euphie's hand grasped the doorknob, the door was flung open from the outside. Standing in the rectangle of light, breathing raggedly and on the verge of collapse, but still maintaining a completely emotionless face, was the last green-haired witch Lelouch had expected to see.
"C.C.? What are you doing here?" he asked, blessing her sudden appearance. How did she get past the guards? Never mind, that's not important. Just keep Euphie busy, gambit. My bishop is in danger, but I'm willing to sacrifice my queen to save her if necessary…
"Came to…check if …your Geass is…out of…control…"she gasped out, breathing heavily from her exertions. It had been a while since she'd had to move so fast, but it was imperative that she warn Lelouch before something that could ruin his plans happened.
"You came all the way here to tell me that?" he asked, thinking furiously. This exchange will probably buy me a good seventeen seconds to come up with a plan. More than enough time.
"Yeah…I thought…you should know…" C.C. panted out.
"Excuse me? C.C., is it?" Euphemia's buoyant voice cut in. "Who are you? Why are you here?" The princess was still clutching the gun, but the green-haired girl was too busy recuperating from her earlier activity to notice. She straightened a bit as she delivered her response, taking deep breaths at intervals.
"I'm a close friend of…Lelouch. Nice to…meet you. I'm here…to attend the ceremony…and to warn Lelou–"
BANG.
There was a sudden flash of light that illuminated the room starkly, casting harsh shadows upon the walls. C.C. collapsed to the floor slowly, a bullet hole placed neatly in the center of her forehead.
Lelouch was not concerned in the slightest for C.C. – he knew the witch was immortal, so that bullet hole would be little more than an inconvenience. There was no doubt in his mind that she'd be up and about in a few hours, wondering what'd happened. As a matter of fact, from the moment C.C. had appeared in the doorway, he'd suspected that she'd end up being shot and had indeed planned for the eventuality. No, he was not worried about his contractor at all.
He was terrified, however, for Euphie. She shot C.C., and just because she was here to attend the ceremony! She's willing to kill everyone in the stadium, just because they want to be Japanese! Think! I have to contain her! THINK!
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Lelouch's mind went into overdrive, conjuring up possible scenarios and determining the flaws within each one. He had spent his time simultaneously pulling up eleven different plans in his head to deal with the situation and had found errors in each one of them, narrowing the field until he was left with only one. He calculated probabilities and rigorously refined his plan, until he was confident that it would work.
Euphie was still staring at the prone body of C.C., so Lelouch decided to make his move at once. Pivoting counter-clockwise exactly 75˚, he took six rapid paces to his Zero helmet, picking it up and placing it snugly over his head. He entered into communications with his waiting squads immediately and ordered them to hold their positions under all circumstances. While he was rapping out individual commands to each squad and assigned contingency parameters, he used the next 2.7 seconds to sprint to his next objective: the door.
As he moved, he considered each and every word carefully. He was literally reasoning with the reasonless here, so his logic would have to be absolutely impervious. As he drew nearer to his sister, he prayed that his scheme would work.
The Princess had just finished staring at C.C. and, certain that she was dead, was stepping over her body to get to the door. Before she could get there, however, she was blocked by a rapidly moving body that slammed the door shut and stood in her way.
Lelouch, or, rather, Zero, stood in her path. "Wait, Princess Euphemia!"
"Lelouch, I don't want to hurt you, but you're obstructing me. I must kill the Japanese, so…" She raised her gun and leveled it at Zero's helmet. "Get out of my way."
Zero raised a hand grandiosely, not intimidated in the slightest by the pistol pointed at his face. He stated imperiously, "You are rather grievously mistaken, Princess Euphemia. My name is not Lelouch, rather, I am Zero, leader of the rebellion, and the one man in Jap– I mean, Area Eleven who can help you achieve your goals."
Euphie looked at him, confused. "Huh?"
Lelouch nodded and continued his somewhat insane speech: "That's right, Princess! I, Zero of the Rebellion, am both capable and willing, indeed, more than willing, to make sure that no one who calls themselves Japanese is left alive!"
Euphemia lowered the gun, eyes wide. "Really? You can do that?"
Zero leaned in conspiratorially and stage-whispered, "Yes, indeed I can! However, I will require some assistance from you. Listen carefully, and, whatever you do, don't stray from my orders. Follow my commands, and I can guarantee you this: no one who calls themselves Japanese will remain breathing in this land!"
There was a pause as the Geassed girl considered the proposition. Lelouch was not a praying man, but this seemed as good a time as any to open communication lines with a deity. Better safe than sorry, at any rate. Come on, Euphie. Take the bloodless way. I know the real Euphie's in there, and I know that she doesn't want anyone to die. Just take my offer.
Trust me, Euphie.
There was something of a conflict roiling inside of Princess Euphemia's head. On the one hand, she had been told to kill all the Japanese. And kill means kill, so someone must die…
But there was another voice within her mind, a voice that wriggled and struggled to be heard. The voice was weak, but continued grappling with the compulsive force heedlessly. No! Don't kill them! Listen to Lelouch!
The girl tapped her chin lightly with one finger, standing above the corpse of a witch and holding a smoking gun. There was a desperate figure standing before her who wished for redemption and atonement, blocking her path to the door beyond which lay the fate of the future. She made up her mind.
She giggled lightly, and nodded her head. She then proceeded to listen to Zero's very precise orders, laughing aloud at intervals as she agreed to cooperate fully with the terrorist's plan. After all, this would make her work so much cleaner and quicker!
Besides, the little voice within her whispered to itself, relieved, this way, no one has to die.
The massive crowd gathered in the stadium was growing restless, with uneasy murmurings whispering through the ranks. Low mutters of 'treachery' and 'betrayal' were being passed along, and the more dissident members of the mass were beginning to rouse themselves. The media was getting impatient as well, and the Imperial Guard Knightmares were shifting in their places, wondering what the Princess and Zero were up to.
Suddenly, a hush swept over the crowd as two figures appeared on stage, walking forward to the center. Necks craned and eyes strained to catch a glimpse of Zero as he walked to the center of the stage and stopped, on display before all mankind. By his side was the Princess Euphemia, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet and looked fairly giddy with joy.
Had the cameramen been focused solely upon her face, the faintest hint of red in her eyes would have been visible to an extremely discerning observer. However, today the cameras were all on Zero, the mysterious revolutionary, as he prepared to give his speech.
The crowd's unnatural silence continued as Zero stood there, a lone figure before the world. He stretched his arms out and rippled his fingers like a pianist; a player of the organ of emotions.
"People of Area Eleven! Seven years ago, your Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi, chose to betray the nation that had trusted him with everything by surrendering to the invaders without so much as a fight. On that day, in that August long ago, he took the coward's way out, and Japan was no more."
"Ever since that day, the former military of the Japanese nation has been resisting Britannia, striving to reclaim their lost national pride. But I realize something now."
Zero fell silent now, and Euphemia took her cue and jumped in, just according to plan.
"The State of Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, formally known as Nippon-Koku, is dead. It ceased to exist when they agreed to be annexed by the Britannian Invasion Force, and it shall never be reincarnated."
Euphemia paused here, and Zero jumped in to fill the gap. The crowd was deathly still as he continued:
"That is why, my friends, I have decided that I will not assist the efforts to create a special zone for the people of Japan."
Stunned Silence swept across the stadium, no, across the nation. The Silence coated homes and apartments all over Japan and covered all observers who were sitting numbly, completely dumbstruck by Zero's (Zero! The biggest revolutionary ever!) refusal to help remake Japan. At the end, the Silence was feeling quite exhausted, but strove on.
In a filming studio somewhere, Diethard Reid was staring dumbly at the television screen before him. What?
Outside the stadium itself, Kallen, Tohdoh and Ohgi were sitting passively at their Knightmare Frame controls, completely immobile. While their squad members gossiped eagerly of conspiracy and intrigue, these three remained silent, calmly awaiting their leader's next words.
With the entire planet hanging onto his lips, Lelouch smiled beneath his mask before continuing:
"The old Japan was corrupt! Grown bloated and decadent, it collapsed as its own vitiated structure was faced with a power that it could not withstand. Confronted by Britannia, the hollow artifice that was Japan crumbled to nothing, taking the Japanese with it."
The spectators to this global pageant were silent, taking in his words. Confusion was the most popular emotion.
Zero silenced the questioning masses with another grand sweep of his arms, flinging his cape wide before the world. "And that is why…I will not rebuild Japan!"
A Quiet fell upon the entire world until the Quiet got tired, never having had to deal with so many people simultaneously, and handed the job over to a Lull – for experience, of course. The Lull took one look at all the people, squeaked inaudibly and subtly pawned the job off to long-suffering Silence, which sighed before laying over the planet once more.
It was relieved beyond belief when quiet murmurs began to break out, rising and clashing until a full-fledged hubbub ensued. Eventually, one of the bolder members of the crowd stood up and shouted:
"But aren't you the revolutionary? Isn't it your life goal to free the Japanese? Why won't you help us?" His comrades murmured, casting dark and suspicious looks at the figure on the stage.
Lelouch remained unperturbed. True, I am a revolutionary, but my life goal is simply to eradicate Britannia – a job that will be made much easier by this plan. He took a step back, bringing Euphemia to the forefront. The Geassed girl spoke, and said:
"Zero has agreed to help re-instate Area Eleven as an international power, but he had two conditions before he agreed to assist me with my plan. These conditions are to be enforced by Britannia, by authority of the power vested in myself as Sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven." Lelouch took over once more, drawing all attention to himself.
"The first condition: the name of the new country founded here today will not be Japan, but rather the United States of Japan."
Here the Lull stepped in, filling in for the exhausted Silence.
It was broken again by low murmurs among the crowd, neighbors whispering to each other, That's it? That's all he wanted? There were very few in the crowd who had any problems with this, but many heads were scratched as people wondered, what kind of a condition is that? Their baffled and bemused thoughts were silenced, however, by the next words from the podium.
Princess Cornelia frowned from her chair, resting her chin on the hilt of her sword. Whatever Euphemia may have accomplished in the past, she simply didn't have the right to cut deals with known terrorists. She called on Guilford, telling him to order his men to prepare to subdue the masked man and contain the situation.
She had no idea what the intent of the first condition outlined by Zero was – really, who cared what the name of the new nation was going to be? And such a pathetic distinction, too. Nonetheless, she was confident that his second request would be something outrageous. Once he made it, he'd be taken in on charges of treason and inciting of revolution.
Maybe he'll demand his own private army. Or, better yet, he'll order each civilian to carry arms and be prepared to join the militia at any time needed. He could also ask for control of the country's vital resources: probably wants some Sakuradite mines for his Black Knights. Well, we can't have any of that…"Guilford, are the guards ready?"
"Yes, Princess Cornelia. They have been informed of the situation and await only your command to capture Zero."
Cornelia paused a moment, before reconsidering. "Actually, Guilford, just tell the knights to arrest him when he's finished talking. Try to do it quickly, and for God's sake don't let his Black Knights cause a massacre. Especially that Guren Mk II. If that shows up, things could get messy very quickly."
Guilford nodded his understanding as he contacted the pilots. A few minutes later, he reported back to his Princess. "They have been apprised of the new developments, Princess, and are prepared to take him into custody the moment he finishes talking."
She smirked. Excellent. "Remember, I want him alive. If he gets killed, who knows how long it could take to stamp out the riots…"
She relaxed as she took a large mouthful of the glass. It was a hot day, and she was thirsty. The fluid ran down her throat as she continued debating what his request would be.
Her musings were interrupted by the live feed of the stadium. The silence (which had seemed somewhat…tired) was lifting, and the man on the stage was rattling off his second proviso. She turned her attention to him, mildly curious as to what he was going to say.
"–econd request is a matter of mere semantics, nothing important, really. I only ask that, as the new face of the future, we find it within ourselves to cast off the sullied trappings of our ancestral nation, and embrace with joy a new moniker! Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we burn our old, decrepit selves and seize the new body that approaches us. And it is to that end that the only other condition I have is this: I…"
The world waited with bated breath. Cornelia, bored, lifted a glass of water to her mouth as she watched the event through half-lidded eyes. What'll it be, mystery man? Power over the military? Control over the mines? Well, it doesn't matter. Once your done talking, you're mine.
"I propose to…"
All around the globe, Britannians and Elevens alike crowded around their televisions, like puppets being pulled by Zero's strings.
"I propose to label the nationals of the new-founded country Japanians, rather than Japanese."
.
.
.
Huh? Stunned silence followed this statement, noiselessness resonating in waves off of television sets around the globe.
Actually, Silence had gone on indefinite break due to work-related stress, so it was more of a Stillness than anything else. The Stillness was accompanied by dazed blinking, unconscious head-scratching, and confused-look exchanging.
Has he gone mad? That was the only explanation that seemed to fit the facts, but nobody liked to consider the possibility that their glorious leader was clinically insane.
The Stillness broke, and people stopped acting and began reacting.
On the other side of the ocean, for the first time in several dozen years, Charles Vi Britannia, 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, was completely dumbstruck.
Princess Cornelia spat out the gulp of water in her mouth, drenching her dedicated assistant's face. Cornelia perfunctorily handed him a kerchief from her pocket, but neither of them seemed to pay it any mind (although Guilford would forever deny keeping the handkerchief she gave him in his wallet…for safekeeping, naturally). They sat there for a second longer, staring at each other like idiots.
Guilford wiped his face with the handkerchief absent-mindedly, wondering what on earth was happening to the world. The poignant silence stretched interminably, and was only broken by a beeping from the command console. Guilford mechanically walked over and checked the communication. He turned his recently-dried face to his Princess, who was still frozen in the same position.
"It's Euphemia's bodyguards…they are requesting clarification regarding the orders. One of them asked, and I quote, We're supposed to arrest the guy who said THAT? Do I tell them to continue as per the plan?"
Cornelia shook herself out of her daze and looked at him for a second, before snapping to attention. "What? No, of course not! Rescind all orders concerning the abduction of Zero, and tell them to stand by until further notice!" Guilford relayed the new mission data while Cornelia rubbed her head. What in the name of all that is holy is going on? Is this a joke? Where are the hidden cameras?
Even Kallen and the other officers were taken off guard. The chatter between the Black Knights rose furiously, with Tamaki spouting one ludicrous theory after the other. Only the previous orders of Zero himself kept the revolutionaries in rank. Don't break formation until I contact you, he'd said, and they planned to do just that. Even if it does look like he's lost his marbles as last…
Ignoring the rampant confusion among his friends, subordinates and relations that his statement had caused, Lelouch continued talking blithely.
"Yes, the name. I repeat: my second term is that there be nobody left calling themselves Japanese; rather, we shall all be re-born together into the new nation as Japanians."
The crowd in the stadium looked at each other dubiously, questioning the advisability of having such an obviously unstable man as one of their leaders. Nobody had any real issues with changing the name – after all, the first condition had given their country a new title, so they couldn't really complain. Still, after all that hype…
One man in the back called out, speaking for the entire crowd. "Is that it? That's all you wanted?" Several voices joined him, clamoring for an explanation.
Lelouch spread his arms wide again. "Indeed, that is all. And why not? Shed the putrescent remnants of the archaic government that once plagued you, and integrate fully with the country that is to come! Why cling to the trappings of a failed nation that betrayed the trust its own people had put in it?"
He pointed his finger out into the crowd, singling out every one of his audience members. "I ask but little of you as a people, and I give you my support in return. Do you wish for my assistance? Or shall I turn my hand against you?"
The implicit threat laced within the words silenced the crowds as they pondered briefly.
Then, slowly, an old man in the very front row stood up, leaning heavily on his walking stick. His head was balding, and he was dressed neatly in grey slacks and trousers. On his left sat a graying woman, and on his right there was a young man and woman holding an infant. Looking Zero in the eye, he spoke, his quavering voice carrying over the silent heads.
"One morning, seven years ago, my eldest son was drafted into the Japanese army. I remember the day he left to fight against the Britannian forces."
"It was a sad day. He rushed home to grab a few personal items before heading to the front. My youngest son was still at his high school; he had no idea what was going on. I stood in the doorway and watched as he ran about. My wife was inconsolable, tears running down her cheeks. She kept asking him, Why, son? Why must you go to war? He just said that it was his duty to fight, that it was the only way he could honor his country."
The old man broke into a coughing fit, frail body wracked with muscle spasms. His wife held his elbow until he calmed down and continued:
"He– He was so dedicated to his country…to Japan. He loved it more than anything else, and seeing the nation die took something away from my heart, for I had loved my country too. I still love Japan." He paused a moment, tears streaming down his cheeks as emotion infused his words.
"And yet…Japan was defeated. No, Japan surrendered. My son's death was made meaningless by the shameful actions of the country's leader and the despicable ease with which we were given up. My son had fought for a Japan that never existed and that was unworthy of his life. The old Japan was weak."
"And now, young man, you have given us the opportunity to build the Japan that my son deserved to die for, that deserved to be honored, that deserved his sacrifice. We have been disappointed before, but you offer us the ability to build our beloved homeland back up in the image of what it should have been. You give us a second chance to make our nation what it should have been."
The aged man, shriveled and decrepit, wracked with illness and infirmity, stood erect on his wrinkled feet. His walking stick clattered to the ground as his family stood with him.
"We grasp your chance gratefully, in the hopes of creating a nation worthy of the devotion of the dead."
There was silence throughout the entire stadium. Families and friends looked between each other, communing silently through their eyes. Slowly, a group of three who were sitting in the left of the stadium rose up. "As do we."
Another family stood up. Then another, then another, till the entire stadium was on its feet, proclaiming loyalty to the new Japan. Everyone, be they man, woman or child, was congregating and swearing to rebuild a Japan far better than the old one. Zero grinned. And, more importantly, agreeing to call themselves Japanians…just like I'd planned.
He gestured to Euphemia, signaling the beginning of the last segment of this pasquinade. She stepped forward and announced to the standing masses, "As Sub-Viceroy of Area Eleven, I, Princess Euphemia do hereby proclaim, with the full understanding and support of Viceroy Cornelia, the foundation of the United States of Japan, to be inhabited by Japanians alone!"
As though a trigger had been flipped, the celebrations began. Raucous cheers erupted around the enclosure, with people hugging and dancing and singing and laughing. Makeshift confetti poured from the higher stands, and the Black Knight forces discreetly melted away into the background as ordered, feeling distinctly optimistic. It was a glorious event, one that would go down in history as the founding day of the USJ, land of the Japanians.
Lelouch surveyed the joyous throng before him impassively, exulting wildly on the inside. His brain turned somersaults as he indulged in a moment of exuberant relief, before shouting, "Yes…YES! Japan is extinct! The Japanese are no more, and we, the Japanians, will rebuild the nation in the image we desire!"
A final cry of victory, hurled at the heavens above. "The Japanese are all dead!"
As the celebrations began in earnest, Lelouch quickly drew Euphie off of the stage and into a private room for a quick chat. She was unresisting and seemed to have fallen into a daze following her final speech. Stepping over C.C.'s body (which was still on the floor, although the bullet hole had shrunk), he swung the door shut. Checking to make sure that no one was around, he pulled his helmet off quickly and gripped her head with both hands. He peered into his sister's eyes checking for the red rim of Geass.
It was gone. He allowed himself to breathe easy. Maybe now I can rest on my laurels. Heaven knows I've earned them. His private pleas were interrupted by a quiet voice from the sister who was standing before him.
"I'm sorry, Lelouch…"
Those few words sounded a death knell as loud of the trump of doom within Lelouch's soul. All that effort and motivation was for nothing, after all. Euphemia was unmoved by the events, and still wanted to kill the Japanese. He hung his head in despair as he railed and raved in his head.
Oh God, why me? What else could go wrong on this, the most cockamamie of all debacles? Standing in that room where he had come so close to cheating fate, the boy felt like weeping uncontrollably. Euphie went on:
"…but there's no way you could force people to do what you tell them to. Don't be offended, I know you're smarter than me. You don't have to be my subordinate, after all. But…still, I don't think you could ever get me to shoot you. What kind of plan would that have been, anyway? It would have ruined the Special Administrative Zone that I'm so close to setting up."
Lelouch could only stare at the Princess, who returned his gaze evenly. His mind was still reeling from the twists and turns of the day, but he could feel a symphony of celebration swelling deep within his soul. After about a minute passing with neither of them blinking, Euphemia felt obliged to say something.
"Umm, Lelouch? Are you…feeling oka-eeek!" Her well-meaning inquiry was cut short as Lelouch pounced on her, twirling the Princess around like a madman before collapsing into a chair, letting it all out. Of course! She doesn't remember!
The laughter bubbled up from somewhere deep within himself, laughter founded on selfish relief and juvenile sentiments: but laughter that signaled a change in the world. Letting it come to the surface, he lay limply in the chair as he gave in to his overpowering joy. Goodbye revolution, goodbye Zero, goodbye Requiem!
Eventually, the peals lowered to chuckles, which boiled down to the occasional snigger. Lelouch kept his hand plastered to his forehead and persisted in giving off relieved sighs every once in a while. Euphemia was starting to get worried.
Suddenly, Lelouch realized something. Quickly, he whipped out his cell phone and began scanning the most popular news sites he could find. Come on, something has to be up, this was literally the speech of the decade! He typed in keywords rapidly, ignoring the befuddled girl standing before him.
"Err, Lelouch…or Zero…you know that they're all waiting for us outside, right? We left the entire stadium waiting for our return, so could the laughter wait for another ti– Oh my goodness, is that girl…dead?" Lelouch turned his head at the sudden rustle of fabric and saw the Princess kneeling over the prone body of C.C. looking quite shocked. She rounded on the boy.
"Lelouch! How did this girl get here? Who shot her? How long has she been here?" Questions sprang from her lips, but Lelouch simply took her by the arm, swung the door open, and walked back out onto the stage to redoubled applause and cheering.
Euphemia took in the grand vista with an expression akin to shock. "Lelouch, what ha–"
"Not Lelouch, dear Princess. I am Zero, and this," he said with his helmet back on as he gestured to the panorama of people surrounding the pair, "Is your handiwork."
"I did this? But how…" Euphie's voice trailed off as she heard what the crowds were chanting wildly. There were groups stolidly chanting ZE-RO! ZE-RO! ZE-RO! ZE-RO! The vast majority, however, were chanting something very different.
EU-PHI-MI-A! EU-PHI-MI-A! EU-PHI-MI-A! EU-PHI-MI-A!
Banners proclaiming "Long live Sub-Viceroy Euphemia!" were held aloft by willing hands, and thousands of tongues called blessings and praise upon the slight figure standing at the center of the maelstrom of attention.
"When did this happen? I don't remember doing…well, anything that might have prompted this," she asked Zero, baffled. As far as she was aware, it'd been only a few minutes since Zero had revealed himself to be Lelouch. Then there was that confusing conversation, then…then what? I can't seem to recall…
Lelouch had already planned out what to say. "You don't remember? Well, that's hardly a surprise – that speech really took it out of you, eh? Small wonder that your memory's having a bit of trouble."
"Huh? What speech? When did I give it?" Euphie was frustrated with the consistent lack of answers. However, when she thought about it, it does seem like her mind is missing a bit of memory. Almost like she'd lost some time somehow, or something. Either way, she supposed that it was plausible to assume that she may not be remembering some things.
"You're tired. No problem, it's been a stressful day for us all, you the most. Anyway, to refresh your memory, take a look at this video."
He showed her the clip he'd downloaded a few minutes earlier. It was a montage of the speech that they'd both delivered in tandem, covering the important things that were said – notably, the two conditions that Zero had made. The news channels were frankly baffled by the demands, and so was Euphie. Nonetheless, they were all uniform in their reporting of the facts: Euphemia had succeeded, and a new nation had been born that day. When the video ended, Zero turned to the confused girl.
"Thanks to your efforts, The United States of Japan are free from Britannian control, and these are all your faithful Japanians."
Japanians? Euphie turned the word over in her mind. Japanians…It seemed to fit, oddly enough. At any rate, for some reason it seemed a lot easier to call these people Japanians than Japanese. If they were Japanese, I'd have had to kill them all.
Euphie halted herself. What? That didn't make sense. What difference did it make what they were called? Nothing, that's what. And what was this nonsense about killing people? These are my people, the Japanians.
She'd just reached this conclusion when Lelouch called to her, asking her to come face the media. She dismissed the matter from her mind, resolving to just call them Japanians till the day she died. Which she did, although she could never state precisely why if pressed for an answer.
Flash bulbs went off and microphones were extended as she made her way to the press conference. "Princess Euphemia! How do you feel after successfully founding the Special Administrative Zone, henceforth known as The United States of Japan?"
She looked around at the screaming masses that formed her new nation. She looked at Lelouch standing on the stage acting like Zero. She thought for a bit. Even with some of her memories missing, there was no absolutely doubt as to how she was feeling. She spoke, unknowingly echoing Lelouch's precise thoughts at that exact moment:
"I feel fantastic."
xxXxx
A/N: Review if you liked it. I wrote it in a rush after the first inspiration struck me, so lemme know what you think.
Also, stay tuned for the epilogue, which, believe it or not, is actually longer than this chapter! It will feature the following: Combat Rulers, an exclusive interview with Silence, C.C. and unlimited pizza, Cornelia's handkerchief, Suzaku Kururugi unlocking RAGE mode, and a really messy wedding to tie it all together. Seriously, check it out when it comes up! Maybe a week or two, depends on my finals.
Some quick notes: My apologies to CinemaSins (for using the Roll Credits gag) and Steins;Gate (for the 'divergence point' theory and the initial quotes). Also, the old man of the speech is not actually an OC (kind of). He's actually the first Eleven to be shot in canon, the one that triggers the whole mess (at 17:40 in Episode 22, "Bloodstained Euphemia). His family was represented accurately, but we obviously know nothing of his character – that was all me.
Is Lelouch dead at the end of L2, or isn't he? Review with your answer, my friends! Peace out.
