The Demon Returns
By: Elina Peverall"Flashback"
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass all credit goes to anime and its makers.
AN: This is a one-shot (of sorts). This story is not really a main priority of mine to write right now but if I do have the time and feel like updating I just might. (No guarantee that I might even continue it,) Hope you enjoy!
Flashback
"His Majesty will now enter!"
Lelouch knew everyone was watching. In fact, the whole scene was being broadcasted throughout the empire. No doubt the allies and enemies of the Britannian Empire were also watching this. After all, everyone would want to see the crowning of the 99th Emperor to the Holy Britannian Empire, Schniezel el Britannia.
He silently watched as his brother walked towards the throne, his face carefully guarded with no emotion. The trumpets blared loudly at Schniezel's entrance.
No one spoke as his brother walked passed them, the events prior to silencing them.
When Schniezel finally took his place on the throne he immediately looked at him. The two brothers held each other's gazes for a moment. Lelouch knew what his brother expected of him and immediately bent the knee,
"All hail Emperor Schniezel
His voice carried across the room, the occupants repeating his was going according to plan. As the next Prince who had the power to take the throne, he'd bend the knee first to cement people's belief that he was allied to Schniezel. With their actions a few days ago and the rumours being confirmed of their alliance no one would question his loyalties.
"All hail Emperor Schniezel
"All hail Emperor Schniezel
"All hail Emperor Schniezel
Flashback Ended
"Lelouch?"
The Demon as many called him looked up, snapping out of the memory that occurred a year ago. Bright green eyes met the Prince's gaze with worry. Sighing he turned his whole body away from the car's window to face her,
"I'm fine Freya."
Said woman looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "That's a lie Lelouch" She then paused and lowered her voice "I don't believe you."
Lelouch didn't bother to say anything after Freya expressed her disbelief, she already knew what was bothering him. In fact, it was bothering her as well. She was worried, more so than Lelouch was as she had recently been made aware of the Geass Order and the many other enemies that lurked in the shadows. Each one of them waiting to take their revenge on the vi Britanians, particularly Lelouch himself.
Looking back at her, Lelouch decided to change the topic, rather than answering her previous response he gestured to a part of her lap and her left side,
"How are they?"
They both looked down to see their daughter and son fast asleep, their black hair inherited from their father covering their faces. The two children were curled up close together, their heads resting on their mother's lap as both of them were fast asleep. The scene was an adorable sight to those watching no doubt.
"They're both tired." Freya then brushed some of their daughter's long hair away from her face.
Lelouch leaned over in concern as his wife continued,
"Nunnally told me she couldn't get them to bed, they stayed up all night for us to come home."
Internally Lelouch winced slightly. Taking care of the twins was a lot to handle, according to their friends and family apparently they've inherited Freya's stubbornness and Lelouch's ambition and intelligence. Those traits lead to a deadly combination that made it impossible to get both children to listen to their caretakers. And when the two were determined even their Aunt Nunnally couldn't get them to listen.
Sighing once again, Lelouch looked at them fondly, "So who's idea was it this time? Lucien or Mary?"
A glimmer of amusement could be seen on Freya's face as she looked at their daughter, "Apparently Mary's."
"Oh?"
"Don't look so surprise Lelouch, it was you that gave her that assertive attitude of hers."
Lelouch neither denied it nor confirmed it. Instead, he looked at both Lucien and Mary, watching as their chests rose and fall from their steady breathing, occasionally Lucien would move in his sleep causing Mary to grunt sleepily in annoyance. Subconsciously, a smile wound its way towards his normally guarded face.
Freya caught his expression and smiled, albeit with a hint of sadness, "Lelouch?" She then hesitated, causing her husband to look back up to her, "Are you sure they're ready-"
Before she could continue a high pitch sound could be heard from outside.
"Your Highnesses!" Jeremiah yelled from the passenger seat springing into action.
Flashback Ended
"The Prince and his family, find the vi Britannians!"
Diethard Reid quickly snapped into action as he swung his camera over his shoulders and directed his subordinates around the area. He ignored the many Knightmare police and army personnel that attempted to direct the civilians away from the scene as they formed a perimeter. Diethard knew it was no use, soon the world would know what would happen, the empire could not stop the media from reporting it; that was for sure. Cautiously he approached the car wreckage, his camera focusing particularly on the two vehicles that he knew held the royals inside.
To think four hours ago Diethard had seen Prince Lelouch, his family and Princess Nunnally leave the ball in those very same vehicles that were now lit on fire was a shock. He noted the bullet marks on the other vehicles nearby that he knew made up the vi Britannians security. They too were also on fire.
Diethard watched on as the firefighters who were also on the scene were finally able to douse the flaming vehicles with water, what was left was steam and the heavy smell of smoke and gasoline in the air. Many of them approached the vehicles and attempted to break down the heavy duty doors of the royal's vehicles, quickly dragging the bodies out.
Diethard knew then that they were too late, there was no way they would have survived. The bodies although nearly unrecognizable were no doubt the Prince, his family, knight and driver. Each one of them was unmoving as the medics scrambled to check them. The other team of firefighters working on the other vehicle had the same results as them, the bodies that they took out were unmoving and burnt badly forms of the Princess, her knight and driver.
They were all dead. Diethard's fears were confirmed when the medics that examined their bodies shook their heads sadly, earning a reaction from everyone. Slowly, the knight police, firefighters, military and civilians on the scene took off their hats and in some cases helmets and bowed their heads, giving the dead a moment of silence. He himself followed suit and bowed his head as he focused the camera once again.
By now Diethard knew that this would be broadcasting live throughout the empire. Everyone would know what occurred that morning.
Years later this great tragedy that hit the empire would be forever called the vi Britannian Massacre.
Yet unbeknownst to many, this tragedy was a lie, the vi Britanians were never massacred. They lived.
"Turn it off Kanon," Schniezel ordered as he gestured towards the monitor. In its screen displayed the breaking news featuring the car wreckage. The scene was displayed at the side of a remote highway, the wreckage involving several cars. Two of them were lit on fire, the other five looked worse for wear as it appeared they collided against one another.
The Emperor's secretary nodded and followed suit. When he turned it off, Kanon Maldini slowly turned back to look at Schniezel in concern, he wasn't sure exactly how the Emperor would react to the current change of events.
Lelouch vi Britannia was an important ally of Schniezel's who helped the White Prince take the throne. If it weren't for the Black Prince siding with Schniezel, Kanon knew many of the Prince's siblings would reject his rule and attempt to usurp him. Lelouch, being the Demon Prince had easily dealt with the more foolish siblings willing to risk the ire of the Demon and the White Prince with his less favourable contacts. After all, he was called the Demon for a reason; it wasn't just his enemies that called him it due to their swift defeat on the battlefields but many others who hid in the shadows.
"You wish to say something?"
Kanon looked up only to see an amused smile on the Emperor's face. Schniezel already knew what he was going say; after all, he already expressed his concerns with the bargain struck between him and Lelouch. Never the less he spoke anyway,
"I still think you shouldn't have let Lelouch go."
Schniezel chuckled, "And what would you have me do Kanon? You and I both know that was what he wanted from the beginning. When it comes to his family, Lelouch would do anything to keep them safe. It just so happens he believes leaving is the only way."
Kanon shook his head in disbelief, "Surely his knights were enough? He also has your protection as Emperor."
"You don't know Lelouch like I do Kanon. To him, this is the only way he is sure to keep his family safe."
"By faking their deaths?"
Schniezel nodded, "Yes." Pausing for a moment his slowly morphed into an emotionless mask once again, "The vi Britannian Massacre as people are calling it; will make Lelouch's enemies believe he's dead. With Lelouch and his family supposedly gone they'll believe someone else got to him before they did."
Kanon understood then why Lelouch did it. What was the point of hunting down your enemy when they were already dead? Although Lelouch's death will have a minor setback for some of Schniezel's plans for the empire Kanon knew there was nothing they could do about it. As Schniezel would put it, the pieces had been set and Lelouch had made his final move. It was over now, the deal has been fulfilled. Lelouch filled his end of the bargain by helping Schniezel claim the throne, now it was his turn to let Lelouch and his family disappear.
5 Years Later….
"This way, Sir Kururugi," his escort happily chirped from a head.
For a moment, Suzaku ignored him in favour of looking at what caught his attention. When he first arrived at the estate, his gaze immediately landed upon its front lawn where the laughter was coming from. The sight that greeted him nearly made him double over in thought for a moment he was seeing ghosts from his past. A young girl was chasing after a boy who was of similar age. The two children looked to be playing a game of tag on the front lawn, the boy laughing as the girl tried to catch up. They were much older, obviously due to the many years that have passed by. But still, Suzaku recognized them. Their most notable features being their black hair and startlingly violet eyes remained the same. The rest of their features though have matured somewhat. Back then they were toddlers, only three years old. Now, however, if he did the math right they should be eight.
That's if they're really Lelouch's children, a voice whispered into his mind. Suzaku cursed silently, that wasn't possible; they were dead. Lucien and Mary's bodies were found in the wreckage, there was no way for the children in front of him to truly be them.
And yet, the boy and girl looked just like young Lucien and Mary, Lelouch and Freya's children. Like Lucien, the boy, in particular, looked like a younger version of Lelouch, with the exception of having Freya's high cheekbones and slightly pointed nose. And the girl who Suzaku thought looked like little Mary had features similar to Freya and Nunnally.
It was at that moment that Suzaku halted his line of thought. They were dead, there was no way these two could be Freya and Lelouch's children. Suzaku blamed himself for their death's, perhaps if he was there things would have been different. Although he no longer served under Lelouch's command at the time of the massacre he had failed them.
Memories came crashing down on Suzaku as he remembered being reunited with his friend. It had been six years since the invasion of Japan and Lelouch had been found by the Britanian Military and returned to the empire. Suzaku had thought the day would never come that he'd see his friend again yet Lelouch seemed to have defied his expectations.
The Black Prince of the Empire who'd gathered quite a name for himself due to his military exploits in leading an army group that the media had dubbed the Phantom Army due to their last campaign against the MEF. It was like any ordinary day in Area 11 for Private Kururugi, life as an Honorary Britanian in the military wasn't much but it would have to do if it meant fulfilling his dream to help Japan from within. So as he trained on base it was to his surprise when he was called to meet someone, who was none other than his friend Lelouch. Lelouch had first asked him why. Why become an Honourary Britanian and join the military after the invasion of Japan. Not being one to lie, Suzaku answered truthfully. He wanted to change Britannia from within.
Of course, Lelouch didn't believe him, who would when terrorism and rebellion was a common option for former Japanese unhappy with the Britannian rule? But Suzaku was not like that, those things only led to the pointless killing, many of those lives could possibly be innocent Japanese and even Britannians.
It was at that very same moment when Lelouch offered him a position as a member of his royal guard, to serve him. In exchange, Lelouch agreed to give him Japan. It took him days to make his decision but after much thought, he agreed for the good of Japan and to redeem himself for killing his father.
By serving Lelouch he helped his friend place his brother formerly known as Prince Schniezel el Britannia on the throne. Along the way as a member of Lelouch's Black Knights he gained the name the White Reaper by the Europeans during the European campaign and it was at that time Lelouch commented how his skills were worthy of a Knight of a Round. At the time he laughed it off, believing Lelouch was joking. Unbeknownst to him, Lelouch was hinting at how he planned to give Suzaku Japan.
The Knight of One may request governance of any colonial area of his choosing from the Emperor. By serving Lelouch, an extension, he served his brother formerly known as Prince Schniezel el Britannia. To this day he was unaware how Lelouch was able to get his brother Schniezel to choose him as the Knight of One when he became Emperor. According to Lelouch, he was a Knight of the Round worthy pilot but even so he wasn't convinced. He was still an Eleven, no matter how skilled he was in a Knightmare and his exploits as a member of Lelouch's Royal Guard. And yet, Lelouch was able to fulfill his end of the bargain, he gave him back Japan….well, somewhat.
Area Eleven, now known as Japan was still a protectorate of the Empire and being the Knight of One Suzaku now governed the country. With some of Lelouch's help and his upbringings as the son of the late Prime Minister, he managed to gain control of Japan. The Japanese as they are now known are much tolerated and the ghettos were well under their way to being cleaned up. Things were looking good for his country and Suzaku finally felt as though he'd redeemed himself from the sin he committed by killing his father. But good things never last, Suzaku thought bitterly. Five years ago, news came to him that Lelouch and his family was killed, along with Nunnally and the rest of their knights and retinue. For what felt like the hundredth time, Suzaku asked himself the very same question he'd been asking himself after their deaths, could he have prevented it if he was there? Perhaps if he wasn't busy governing Japan, maybe he'd be there to protect Lelouch?
"Hello, Suzaku."Looking up to face the person who called his name, Suzaku's breath caught in his throat as he met the familiar green eyes that shone brightly in the morning sun. He could only stare in shock, his mouth hanging open as he looked at her with uncertainty,
"Freya?"
A warm smile crept on her face, Freya then nodded silently in greeting and turned away from him to face the lawn where the two children were. The boy and the girl were now running towards them. At that thought, Suzaku put two and two together as the boy immediately launched into her arms,
"Mother!"
Not far behind him, the girl who was about to follow her brother's lead stopped as she caught sight of him,
"Uncle Suzaku?"
He couldn't believe it, even though they were standing before him. Suzaku looked at them once more,
"Mary, Lucien?"
