Disclaimer: Code Geass and all it's characters/locations are the copyrighted material of....who? I dunno, and that lets you know it's not me.
Heart's Note: Inspired by the first two Audio Dramas (Turns .515 and .521, I think it was), R2's final episode (Which is literally gonna drive my little sister crazy when she sees it), and SuzuLulu fanart. What is it with me and bieng drawn to the animes that don't have happy endings? Urgh...
995- His eyes aren't red anymore. He stopped crying a long time ago. He cried during the first 500 cranes, never stopping as he prayed to every God he ever knew from the stories he'd been told. Prayed to every western, eastern, northern, and every southern God that would be willing to listen to one mans prayers. Prayed like he'd never prayed before, like the world was ending and he was trying as hard as he could to be taken up to Heaven. In truth, his world had ended 4 years ago. His world had ended when he'd been forced to take Lelouch's life. Forced to take the life of his best friend. The tears started again as he finished the last fold on his 995th crane in violet paper.
"Lelouch...I'm sorry..."
-0-0-0-
996- Empress Nunally has done everything but order him to move on. She is not a hypocrite, and Suzaku knows she still grieves for her brother as much as Suzaku does. Often, when he is at the Palace, they will spend as much of thier time together as possible. It's passed off as a political relationship, and it goes no further than a deep friendship to try and rekindle something they're both missing. Nunally is looking for her brother in the boy, and Suzaku is looking for a best friend in his Empress. But they both know it'll never work becuase Lelouch is someone who can never be replaced or forgotten, no matter how long they're without him. And so Suzaku returns to his cranes, folding his 996th out of black paper.
"I can't let go."
-0-0-0-
997- He can't sleep on stormy nights. He's never been able to sleep through storms. They always wake him up and leave him trying to hold back everything that wanted to roar out of him. Lelouch had seen many nights like this, and often had shaken his head with a loud sigh. "Idiot. Move over." He and Lelouch had shared his bed until he'd either fallen asleep, or the storm had faded away with the morning. But this storm is different, becuase Lelouch isn't here to sleep with him anymore. And so he sits up in bed, folding his 997th crane in red paper stained orange by lamp light and lightning bolts.
"Please..."
-0-0-0-
998- He isn't really Zero. He never was, and he can't play the role as well as Lelouch ever did. It feels like a letdown to his people, to Nunally's people, to Kallen, to C.C., and to Lelouch. C.C. trained him as best as she could, but it made no difference becuase he just isn't Zero! Why can no one see that but him? He doesn't cry beneath the stuffy mask, he's been trained to hold back the tears. But his fingers twitch as he sits and listens to Japanese people talk to him and lavish praise on the peacefull world the first Zero brought to them. It's when they've left he pulls a sqaure of paper from his cloak and folds his 998th crane from celestial blue paper.
"Tell me what to do..."
-0-0-0-
999- He stands on the highest balcony he could find, staring out at the country of Japan. It's beautiful at night, and the wind is quite nice to him on this overly sleepless night. He's had many of these over the past 4 years. Nightmares of killing Lelouch, or of Nunally dying, or of Japan falling to the ground a second time. He never dreams of his own death, because that wouldn't be a nightmare. It would be a release, something he's been trying to do for years. But even with the hold Lelouch's Geass had on him long gone, he can't bring himself to jump. And so he turns around, returns to his room, and folds his 999th crane out of golden leaf paper.
"Just come back..."
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1000- Suzaku folds his last crane out of white paper with his wish on it. He has folded them for the past 4 years, wishing and praying and hoping for some way to be with his friend again. He carries them all to the lake on the outskirts of the city, gently letting them float away one by one until they're all gone from sight, sinking under water and losing form as they become soaked in a lake that Suzaku thinks could be all the tears he and Nunally had cried for Lelouch over the years. He doesn't know how long he stands there, just waiting for something to happen. Maybe for his wish to come true, so he can see Lelouch one last time. Just one last time, that's all he's asking for.
"Just let me see him, one last time."
"Suzaku!" He turns, eyes wide as he sees Lelouch smiling at him from the top of the hill, one hand outstretched. Suzaku smiles, running to his friend again. They both vanish, and the last crane sinks below the water.
-0-0-0-
1001- Empress Nunally smiles at Suzaku's funeral. She has shed a few tears for the loss of her trusted friend, but she knows he is finally happy. Soon, she will begin to fold her own set of cranes. Each one will contain a wish for her people, and she knows each one will come true.
After all, her wish for Suzaku came true as well.
Heart's Note: I'm quite fond of this piece, because I believe they deserve a happy ending. Be it as friends or as lovers is up to you. (I, personally, am fine either way.)