Dunno what I was thinking when I wrote this. I wrote one half and several months later wrote the second half in a flurry. Hope you enjoy this.
Pairings: MionXLelouch, implied SuzakuXShion and very very slight KeiichiXAnya
Warning: Angst. And lots of talking to self. I'm blaming the Syndrome.
Please Enjoy.
Murasaki Haiyashinsu
'Twas the middle of the night, no ordinary person would be visiting a cemetary unless they had serious emotional problems. Zero was still sneaking in anyway, and "emotional problems" maybe wasn't the best way to put the reason.
It was easy to avoid the security cameras. There was only a couple in the surrounding areas. The place Zero was sneaking to wasn't guarded at all. People claimed there was no reason to keep an eye on the tomb of the Demon Emperor. And why should they? The decomposing body doesn't need cameras on it.
Zero decided not to argue. It'd just be so much easier to get into the cemetary and visit Lelouch's grave this way.
Zero had been going only once every month. Thus, this would be the fourth or fifth time, maybe? Time was always short in the life of "Zero", sometimes Zero wondered whether the time would be cut off instantly in one swift motion.
That fear had gone after a few weeks. It was obvious nobody was going to harm the new Zero. Of course it wasn't the Zero from before...the previous Zero was much taller, with longer legs...
Different body parts...
Ridiculous arm gestures...
And a deep voice which was rather difficult to duplicate in the voice disguiser.
Zero finally reached the small grave of Lelouch Vi Britannia, fog swirling around the area from the help of night. It wasn't that grand (compared to other gravestones of the Imperial Family) only a plaque saying the name, the date of birth, and the date of death. So simple.
Lelouch really did end up hated. Just like he wanted.
Zero always had a knack for controlling emotions, always able to act like a completely different person sometimes, but after a while it gets tiring and you feel as if you've been lying most of the time.
...But right now, standing in front of the plaque, different things tugged at Zero's mind. Suddenly the helmet grew stuffy.
Raising a gloved hand, Zero paused, wondering whether this was a good idea or not. But this was 2 AM, most of the cemetary guards slacked off anyway, right?
Zero reached over, hearing the hiss of air escaping as the back opened, then the helmet was pulled off, and a trimmed green ponytail collapsed down her back. Next she removed the black cape, gloves and cravat. Finally, she removed the purple jacket, and she folded all these items up and laid them on the ground, making sure they don't get dirty.
Mion breathed in the cool air of the night, suddenly shivering at the goosebumps that decided to trail onto her skin. She picked up the small bouquet of flowers she had laid down, and stepped closer to the grave.
She got down on both knees, clutching the purple hyacinths to her breast. She made a shaky breath, running her fingers over the icy cold stone engravings. Then she laid the flowers overtop of the words "Demon Emperor".
Purple Hyacinths...Their meaning was what Mion always repeated after she laid the flowers.
"...I'm sorry..." She whispered, dropping her head, "...Please forgive me..."
It was her fault, anyway. She was the one whom Lelouch had given the helmet to. She was the one who took the sword and strapped it to her belt. She was the one who ran like lightning, avoiding the gunshots of the Knightmares.
She was the one who drew her sword out of it's sheath.
Lelouch's mask of fear broke in an instant and he was smiling as the sword was run through his body.
To everyone it happened way too fast. To Mion it was agonizingly slow. The "surprised" gasp of pain from Lelouch still rang in her ears today, she still dreamt of the blood that ran down his white regal clothes...
She still remembered when he raised a bloody hand and laid it on the helmet, giving her a carress of assurance, that she had done her job well.
She wished the helmet wasn't there, she wished Lelouch's hand touched her skin instead, like he had done before.
Mion squeezed her mint green eyes shut, forcing herself to mourn. The emotions were piling inside of her and she had to let it all out. Her fingers and nails dug into the grass as she struggled with herself.
Her eyes rimmed with red as she let out a gasp of breath.
She lost the battle against Geass once again.
Why would Lelouch curse her like this?
"Mion...please look at me."
"No! I won't! You're just going to-"
"Please, Mion..."
"Don't make me, Lelouch...!"
She began her final sob, "I can't kill you...I don't want to...!"
He had gripped her shoulders, "Mion, you must."
"I can't look at you, you'll just Geass me and make me kill you!"
He had asked her to trust him. He said he wouldn't do anything.
And she believed him.
She struck her fist against Lelouch's grave when she remembered his words. The words meant only for her.
"Mion...Don't cry for me anymore."
She felt the power surge through her eyes from his own corrupted violet ones. She felt it embedd itself into her brain. She felt it all cease flowing instantly.
Since then Geass always stopped her to even get tears in her eyes over Lelouch. She tried for months, to break the power of the Geass, like Nunally did...but it was easier said than done.
She thought of Lelouch everyday, and sometimes she found the Geass useful in important situations, when she is Zero. The subject of the Demon Emperor brought up, people would talk bad about him, insult him, talk trash about how evil and diabolical he was, and the stupid Knight of Round who went on his side...
Mion wondered how Suzaku was. She knew he faked his death and had been under the past two months. Lelouch had given her twin sister, Shion, the duty to keep Suzaku protected. Thus, with a final goodbye, Suzaku and Shion left the Britannian palace, never to be seen again. Shion was always a sly woman, she could easily keep Suzaku under the radar. At first Mion believed the brunette 19 year old who was cursed as she was wouldn't like this idea...
But...living the rest of his life with Shion...it looked like he nor her sister didn't mind it one bit.
When Suzaku 'died', Mion was given the title "Knight of Zero". But a month after, it was her turn to fake her own death. Lelouch had everything plotted out, so it wasn't that hard...she always passed her gravestone when she visits Lelouch, her name and dates were on a small plaque that rested next to Suzaku's...
It suddenly got very chilly again, the 17 year old girl shivered in her sleeveless undershirt.
She looked around, "Man...it's pretty cold tonight. Remember that time me and you had to stay outside and scrub the windows for our punishment game?"
She laughed quietly, "It was cold as it is tonight...heh...Sorry about that, it was my idea anyway for the punishment game..I never thought I would actually lose..Ha...Next time I'll listen to you and won't underestimate Suzaku's physical strength again."
A stab of pain hit her chest as she realized what she had said. "Next time" didn't seem like a great thing to say. But, she was alone, nobody would correct her. Things would never be the same after this. She tried hard not to think of the old days.
She glanced back at the grave, "But, I'm sure things are going well with everyone. So...how's Shirley and Rolo? Oh yes, and...Rena..."
A scene flickered in her mind where all 4 of her deceased friends sat together in a classroom. Lelouch was smiling with a book, Shirley was looking over his shoulder as they read together, Rolo helped Rena with a box of stuff Milly had given to them to organize. Mion smiled, looking up at the stars.
"I'm sure you guys are having a ball. I...hope you're not bored." She blushed a tad, "...And..."
Her throat closed up and her green eyes rimmed with red, "I wish we could play chess together again...You always did win, but I always learned a new trick, and you said I got harder and harder to beat each day.
"It was always fun when you were around. I really liked it...even when you were an annoying spoiled emperor I couldn't help but laugh in the background at how you pretended to be."
She sighed shakily, then stood up, staring down at the engraved words.
"...So, this is what you wanted? Then I'll respect that. I hate it, but I'll respect it. Damn selfless brat."
She laughed to herself as she imagined Lelouch smiling and rolling his eyes at her insult.
"But, hey, check me out now! I'm playing the role of a man! Nobody's really noticed that Zero went 5 inches shorter and suddenly had two big melons! Do you know how much of a pain it is to hide those? Ah, well."
Her talking to herself was getting worse, she realized. But, she was talking to Lelouch, right? He was standing there next to her, wasn't he? He was listening, right?
...Right?
Mion reached forward and shifted the purple hyacinths so they looked pretty.
She became silent as she dressed up again. She began to think. Satoko and Rika were getting older, weren't they? Keiichi was in the Britannian army, right? He was pretty good, she was sure he'd be a Knight of Round one day. Satoshi was still unconscious, and now with Shion not visiting anymore, Satoko was told of her brother's condition, and thus she was the new one who visited.
Then she heard from Gino that Anya and Keiichi were...talking? That was ridiculous! Keiichi and Anya were two totally different people!
She shook her head as she pulled the black cloth over her mouth and nose. She reached for the Zero mask and while she gathered up all her hair, she put it on.
Damn, the ponytail was uncomfortable. She should trim it more. Heck, maybe she should get Rena's hairstyle.
Mion put the cape one, turning away from the grave.
Approximately 30 days 'till I come back, Lelouch.
Will you be waiting for me?
Will you get tired of me visiting so often?
Or will you get tired of me visiting too much?
Will you like it if I come sooner?
If you were real, would you embrace me if I brought you flowers?
If you were real, would you kiss me if I brought you flowers?
If you were real...
...
...Would you forgive me?
Zero left without another word.
Well, that's it. Stupid one-shot, huh?