Code Geass: Whatever Happened to Lelouch?

Pendragon, the capital city of the Holy Britannian Empire, was destroyed by a F.L.E.I.J.A. launched from the Sky Fortress Damocles on the orders of Schneizel el Britannia. However, the capital remains untouched by any nuclear weapon strike, what with its citizens and structures being intact.

"Where am I?" asked a curious disembodied male voice, overlooking the capital, which by now had begun to gleam in the late afternoon.

Another voice, this one female, flatly answered, "You're here in Pendragon."

"Impossible! It was destroyed!" exclaimed the male voice, who promptly inquired, "Am I dreaming?"

"No. You're not dreaming."

Amidst this ethereal conversation between two disembodied voices, a unique car made to resemble Pizza Hut mascot, Cheese-kun, was on its way to the Imperial Aries Villa. The car's driver had long, lime green hair and was seen sporting her sleeveless Black Knights uniform.

"Yes, I know this is Pendragon, but it's still strange to see it. I mean, I've lived in Pendragon. And I know this… is the Aries Villa. Something's not right."

"Just wait and watch. You'll see how things unfold."

By now, the Cheese-kun car had arrived at the front gates of the palatial estate and after a brief moment, was allowed to enter the main grounds. The vehicle parked itself before the mansion's main entrance where a valet stood by waiting. C.C. had exited her car and tossed the keys to the valet, who then did his duty while she entered the opulent residence.

C.C. soon found herself in the lavish, expansive foyer of the Aries Villa, where she saw a familiar figure standing between the two large stairways (the one on the right was where her old 'friend,' Marianne, was apparently killed).

"V.V.?" she said to the boyish looking immortal, the murderer of his raven-haired sister-in-law.

The blonde with an appearance of a prepubescent child, wearing the same clothes when he lost his code to his brother, Charles zi Britannia (sans blood stains), turned around from the windows and acknowledged the green-haired woman. "Yes, it's me, C.C. Are you here for the—?" he replied, nonchalantly.

C.C. answered, "Of course. I am here for that." The two immortals had skipped the pleasantries and headed right to the point. C.C. was now standing right before her male counterpart.

"It's in the back of the house." remarked V.V. with a bored expression on his childlike face.

The immortal witch asked, "Am I early?"

"No. They're just arriving now." affirmed the perpetual ten-year old. "You're one of the first ones though."

"Will you be joining the rest of us, V.V.?" said C.C. before walking to the estate's vast backyard.

The former head (or rather, usurper) of the Geass Order bluntly reasoned, "Nope, 'cause somebody's gotta be here to tell others where to go."

"I thought that's what servants were for." replied C.C., raising her eyebrow.

"Meh. I just don't wanna go." said the psychopathic manchild, divulging his other reason for staying behind.

C.C. promptly walked away, and was about to leave the palatial foyer, but not before asking another question. "V.V., I thought you were… dead." The witch said this with some odd concern.

"I was here at the start of it all, C.C." replied V.V., who by now focused his attention on the windows, rather than the visitor. "I won't miss the end."

C.C. simply turned away and headed to the back of the Aries Villa.

The two disembodied voices resumed their conversation after witnessing what has happened thus far. They see C.C. having just exited the villa and about to join a few others in this gathering; among these people include Nunnally vi Britannia, Suzaku Kururugi, Kallen Kouzuki, and the rest of Ashford Academy's Student Council (Milly Ashford, Shirley Fenette, Rivalz Cardemonde, and Nina Einstein).

"That child… or whatever is the proper term, is V.V."

"Yes."

"But C.C.'s right. He is supposed to be dead."

In the expansive backyard are dozens of chairs (with a gap in between, so that there is a left and right set of seats) as well as a banquet table. Jeremiah Gottwald and Sayoko Shinozaki both notice the presence of their master's accomplice, and as such, warmly greeted her. "Ah, Miss C.C. We are grateful that you made it here. You'll be in the front, left side," said 'Orange.'

The ninja maid added, "And please help yourself to some food and drink. There's pizza, your favorite, I believe."

"Thank you, Jeremiah, Sayoko." replied C.C., who then provided an uncharacteristic response. "But I'm not hungry, even if you have pizza here."

Gottwald and Shinozaki understood the witch's answer. The cyborg inquired, "Would you like to—?"

"Confirm that he's really dead?" cut in C.C., certain that was his expected question.

Slightly taken aback, Jeremiah quickly recomposed himself and replied, "That wasn't what I meant, Miss C.C."

"Although I have lived for centuries and people in my past have become mere memories, I have yet to shed a tear for any of them. Until now. I have been crying ever since he died." said the immortal witch.

"He always thought very highly of you, Miss C.C." assured Sayoko.

Gottwald said, "Well, in his own way, I'm sure. If only things had been different—"

"Well, things are different now, aren't they?" stated C.C. as she, Sayoko, and Jeremiah all grimly faced the open coffin up ahead. And lo and behold, was the lifeless, slender body of the 99th Emperor of Britannia, Lelouch vi Britannia, in the confines of that open casket.

"But that's…" said Lelouch's disembodied voice, "…that's me."

"You couldn't tell from what those three were saying?" snarkily replied the unknown female voice.

Outside the Aries Villa, Schneizel el Britannia and his aide-de-camp (with emphasis on the camp), Kanon Maldini, had arrived.

"We're here, sir." informed the White Prince's assistant, while he parked the white limousine in front of the estate and helped his superior exit the vehicle.

"Thank you, Kanon." Schneizel politely replied with an aristocratic air, who then solemnly looked at the palatial estate before them.

The earl saw his liege with that look. He asked, "Is something the matter, Prince Schneizel?"

"I would suppose… this place brings back memories." stated Britannia's Prime Minister. "After all, it is rather appropriate that we would hold the funeral here, where it began. To say otherwise is to disrespect the man I still love and fear the most, even if he's gone."

Kanon silently nodded before he and Schneizel joined the others in the back of the estate.

In the early evening, more and more guests had shown up, including princesses Euphemia and Cornelia li Britannia, as well as core members of the Black Knights, such as Kyoshiro Tohdoh, Kaname Ohgi, Nagisa Chiba, and I suppose, Tamaki, too, to name a few.

As the li Britannias walked together outside and saw the open coffin ahead, the battle-hardened 'Goddess of Victory,' remarked, "I guess… I should have seen this coming. That I knew how this was going to end for him. That he would go down on his own volition for the greater good. Manipulative bastard of a half-brother."

"But he's still our brother, sister." dolefully corrected the pink-haired, peace-loving young girl.

While Sayoko greeted and arranged the seats for the Black Knights, Jeremiah took it upon himself to do the same for the li Britannia sisters. The cyborg went down on one knee and bowed. "Princesses Cornelia and Euphemia, it is an honor to receive the two of you for tonight's gathering," he robustly declared.

Both sisters promptly took their arranged seats (front, right side) after accepting the man's proclamation and of course, telling him to stand back up.

Meanwhile, the Black Knights were in the midst of taking their own seats. Tamaki, loudmouth that he is, brashly exclaimed, "It shouldn't have happened! Not like this! He and I were like best buddies, and now he's gone!"

Ohgi tried to calm his impetuous friend, while Tohdoh and Chiba merely ignored the baka and closed their eyes. "Tamaki, he's gone. We've all seen it happen," retorted Kaname.

But Tamaki would hear nothing of it. He ranted, "But he's Zero! Everyone knows he's the Man of Miracles! He can do anything!"

"Doing anything means being dead as well." crisply stated the leader of the defunct Four Holy Swords. Tohdoh's words were said without him even opening his eyes; this finally shut Tamaki up for the rest of the funeral, more or less.

A little while later, a nondescript white van arrived at the Aries Villa estate. Its driver, a silver-haired Chinese albino, with a penchant for wearing sunglasses and headphones, exited the vehicle.

"That's Mao!" cried the Black Prince's disembodied voice, observing the madman joining the other guests. "This is all wrong!"

"No. It's not all wrong. It'll all make sense in due time, Lelouch."

"Just who are you exactly?"

"As I told you before, just wait and watch. All will be revealed, eventually."

Shirley, Nunnally, and Suzaku all tried their best to ignore Mao's presence; at the very least, Jeremiah's Geass Canceller came in handy, so no one's mind in the funeral was in any real danger. As such, Jeremiah personally escorted the psychotic telepath himself into the right aisle of seats (second row from the back).

Slowly but surely that evening, additional guests had assembled themselves together in the funeral of Lelouch vi Britannia. Such people comprised the likes of Charles zi Britannia and Marianne vi Britannia, Li Xingke and Tianzi, Gilbert G.P. Guilford, Andreas Darlton and his adopted sons, the Glaston Knights, to name a few.

"So this is the Aries Villa, right?"

"How very perceptive."

"But… it looks the same as it did before the incident between my mother and V.V. It doesn't make any sense. Why are we here? Is it because this is where it all began?"

"There are many things in your life that never made sense, such as the power of Geass. Why are we here, you ask? Well, because in a way, it was and still is a part of you, Lelouch."

At around seven that evening, all the lights outside and some inside the Aries Villa were now illuminated so as to provide the guests a comfortable viewing of the gathering at hand. Since the funeral did not start at until eight, the guests passed the time conversing with one another as well as partaking in food and beverages if they should choose to do so.

Lloyd Asplund, Cecile Croomy, and Mariel Lubie have their share of banter whilst partaking in some food and drink at the banquet table. Earl Asplund was more than happy that his assistant was not involved in the preparation of the food, given her… eccentric cooking ability.

"…and so, as I was saying, Miss Cecile and Miss Mariel, even though I'm no biologist, when you've got an empire that's obsessed with Social Darwinism and tries to conquer every country, you get Britannia!" enthusiastically said the eccentric engineer. "And then one day, a cog of that machine, I mean, exiled prince of that empire, who, after a series of contracting viruses, erm, going through tragedies, decides to destroy his own nation, you get Lelouch vi Britannia!"

Mariel replied, "So you're saying that it takes a particular series of circumstances that led to this moment?"

"And you've said this all without making me correct you?" added Cecile.

Rakshata Chawla, Lloyd's scientific rival, also intervened. "Why, Earl of Pudding, I've never pegged you for someone who actually cares about matters outside your own work."

"You won't ever stop calling me that, will you, Rakshata?" replied Lloyd, with a resigned air. "I am making an effort, so you all can give the benefit of the doubt here, won't you?"

This conversation is but one of many that has been going on since people first arrived, however. Lelouch's parents, Charles and Marianne, also have their brief talk.

"I can't believe our son's dead, Charles," remarked 'The Flash,' who despite Lelouch's rejection of her and her husband's Ragnarok Connection, still felt remorse.

The former emperor haughtily retorted, "Well, I for one can't believe he didn't die when he dressed up as some pretentious, overly theatrical, so-called masked Knight for Justice… as Zero."

Back in the front row on the right side, Nunnally saw her friend, aka 'The Speed.' She beamed, "Oh, Alice, please sit next to me."

"As you wish, Nunnally." replied the tomboyish blonde, who was on her way.

Eventually, the gathering numbered in the couple hundreds, as Knights of the Rounds, Rolo, Kaguya, Diethard, and many others joined in; most of the guests had to stand because there were quite not enough chairs outside. It was now eight o' clock, and the funeral was about to begin.

Finally, Nunnally vi Britannia, no longer blind, but still requiring the use of a wheelchair due to muscle atrophy in her legs, was wheeled at the front and center of the gathering by Suzaku, this one dressed as Zero.

"There's my Nunnally. Doesn't she look so cute, whoever you are?"

"You really are a siscon, aren't you?"

"..."

"Good evening, everyone." declared Nunnally, with a hint of sadness in her otherwise sweet and gentle voice. "As you all know, my name is Nunnally vi Britannia, one of many sisters to the deceased Lelouch vi Britannia. Is there anyone here who would like to say anything about the departed?"

It was not a moment later that a red-haired, teal-eyed young woman named Kallen stood up from her seat in the front row on the left side of the seating arrangements. She announced, "I would like to go first, please, Nunnally."

The youngest successor to the throne nodded and had Suzaku/Zero wheel her back to her designated area.

Kallen, code named Q-1, was seen walking to the front and center, and had sported her Black Knights uniform, as well as her preferred spiked hair style for this occasion.

Once she was ready, the Ace of the Black Knights began her statement. "Hello, everyone. My name is Kallen Kouzuki, but some of you may know me better as Kallen Stadtfeld. Regardless of my surname, I am here to tell you what kind of a man Lelouch was and how he died. Because… I am the one who killed him."

"What?! This is ridiculous! Kallen didn't kill me, it was—!"

"Just watch and listen. It'll all make sense later."

"And this is how my tale begins…" continued Kallen.

Kallen shifted uncomfortably when she started telling her story.

She narrated, "The Zero Requiem, as you all know, was an elaborate plot made between Lelouch and Suzaku, in order to bring out an era of world peace and reconstruction. However, in order to successfully complete the Requiem, Suzaku, as the new Zero, would have to be in stable physical condition to publically assassinate 99th Emperor Lelouch. The problem was that in the climactic battle between his Lancelot Albion and my Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements… was that Suzaku sustained injuries that made him unable to complete his part of the conspiracy."

"But the geass command I gave to Suzaku… to live, should have allowed him to escape unharmed."

"Apparently, it did not according to her story."

"And so… while I, along with all the others who were captured for our resistance against Lelouch's tyrannical regime, found it quite a shock to find him enter my own cell days before we were supposed to be publically executed," continued Kallen, as her eyes started to water. "He had such a pathetic expression, asking, no, begging me to kill him in Suzaku's stead."

"I was extremely hesitant, even though I wanted to kill him, but…" revealed the red-haired young woman, "…he seemed to be giving me an insanity plea. He kept telling me that he was a broken man, and had to fight off his darker self from destroying everything he touches. That he needed me to end him."

"I know I'm not the healthiest of individuals, physically and psychologically, but…"

"In my confusion, and quite possibly, way to end Lelouch's suffering, I found myself plunging the knife he offered into his stomach," confessed Kallen, tears forming in her eyes. "And, he… lay in my cell, dying from excessive blood loss. Lelouch came to my cell because he loved me. And killed him, because I loved him. What a messed up love story, huh?"

Kallen fought back the tears as best she could and walked back to her seat not long after.

"Her story... twisted as it was, had me killed by Kallen like that? That wasn't how I died, though."

"No, it was your death. Or at the very least, it was Lelouch's."

"But I am Lelouch…"

"Yes, and so was he."

"What is that supposed to mean? Does this mean I am really dead, regardless of how I died?"

"Not quite yet."

"Are you supposed to be Death?"

"I don't think Death is a person, Lelouch."

"Then tell me who or what you are! Tell me what's going on! How did Kallen find out about the plan if Suzaku was injured?"

"Perhaps that 'Zero' told her? You possess a genius level intellect and are a master strategist and tactician. Why don't you try to find out who I am?"

"..."

By now, it was Suzaku's turn to tell his story of whatever happened to Lelouch. This Suzaku was seen wearing his Knightmare pilot outfit and appeared to be a mess, what with scattered blood stains on his person. Like Nunnally and Kallen before him, Kururugi headed over to the front and center of the funeral.

"Ah, now we're getting to how I really died, aren't we?"

"Wait and see."

"What's going on?! My corpse is now dressed in the garb of Zero without the mask?!"

And like that, the dead body was indeed wearing the blood stained Zero costume, sans the iconic mask. None of the guests didn't seem to mind the change, or even acknowledge it whatsoever. This bewildered our Lelouch to no end.

"Hello… my name is Suzaku Kururugi." announced the not-so-white knight, with his hands still trembling. "And I'm here to tell you all of how I killed my best friend and worst enemy, Lelouch vi Britannia."

The brown-haired, green-eyed Japanese soldier added, "It was at Kamine Island, during the Black Rebellion…"

"I don't like where this is going…"

"It doesn't matter what you like. All that matters is that you die in the end."

Suzaku, still shaking, continued, "I can still remember it after I went through a catharsis. I told him many terrible things, like how he was hopeless and would betray the world the way it had done to him. That his very existence was a mistake! That he was the very epitome (A/N: or apotheosis) of a monster. That I would take care of Nunnally once I killed him…"

Lelouch recalled this particular event with uneasiness. It was the day he lost, and one of his greatest failures.

"Suzaku!"

"Lelouch!"

"…And I did. Once the brief gunfight and physical struggle was over, I easily overpowered him and pulled the trigger. Three times. One to his head, and the other two to his heart after I removed the liquid sakuradite bomb away." Suzaku nearly collapsed, but regained his footing. "And that's… how he died."

"I actually did think he was going to kill me right then and there. Well, in my life, not this Lelouch's. It sounds strange referring myself in third person."

"But he didn't kill you, did he?"

"No. He did something much worse. After all, I did end up living a false life for a year because of the consequences of that day."

"It is interesting you say that, because in an alternate version of that event, you somehow gained a code."

"What?!"

"But that's another story…"

The two seemingly invisible specters saw Suzaku return to his seat, which was strangely next to the other Suzaku (the one dressed as Zero, ironically enough). Not long after, C.C. and Nunnally each took their turns telling the story of how their Lelouch had died, which somehow was by their hands due to What if? situations.

In the case of C.C., she had accidentally shot Lelouch in the head in an attempt to stop him from engaging Cornelia in their first confrontation at the Saitama Ghetto. And in Nunnally's story, he and Suzaku actually failed to disarm the F.L.E.I.J.A. she launched due to a slight miscalculation made by Nina Einstein on the anti-F.L.E.I.J.A system. This would explain why Lelouch noticed one body with a bullet hole in the forehead and the lack of a corpse in each respective account.

"So it would seem that I am attending, or rather, I should say, overseeing my own funeral. And each person telling a story about me is from alternate versions of my life. Therefore, a different life means a different death."

"That's right."

"It's like a dream, but it's not a dream. I don't know how to explain it. And then there's you, some woman whose voice is familiar yet unknown. You say I'm dead, but I don't believe you."

"Quite the impatient young man you are, Lelouch. Regardless of whether you choose to believe or not, the truth will eventually come out. Then, make your judgment and we'll see."

As if by contrived coincidence, Mao took his turn right after Shirley was done. Shirley's story was how she had had Lelouch (as Zero) at gunpoint when his knightmare was heavily damaged and found herself unable to shoot him or Villetta; this had the unfortunate consequence of Lelouch's secret being exposed as well as his inevitable execution.

When the mind-reading Geass user took the 'stage,' his very presence unnerved those he had left an unfavorable impression, namely Shirley, Nunnally, and Suzaku. Mao's version of Lelouch's death was just as disturbingly unreal as others before him. This was because according to Mao, he had prepared an additional bomb (having realizing Lelouch's resourcefulness) and made it so that it would detonate if the first one was somehow disarmed. This second bomb, of course, killed Nunnally and Suzaku, while Mao simply shot Lelouch in the heart.

"I seem to die a lot from gunshots, don't I?"

"Yes, it seems that way."

"I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that guns were involved during the first murder of my mother."

"Maybe."

And on cue, both Rolo and Schneizel's stories involved the use of firearms in the death of Lelouch vi Britannia. Like Mao, Rolo simply shot Lelouch when he first demonstrated his geass to Lelouch in the surveillance room. And in Schneizel's tale, the Black Knights ended up gunning down 'the man he loved and feared the most' during their betrayal; apparently, Rolo did what his 'big brother' told him in that one, and actually left.

Hours had passed. It was nearly midnight when Charles and Marianne did something unusual and went up to tell their story together. The corpse of their son in the coffin behind them was shown dressed in Zero's costume (without the mask and cape) and appeared to be missing his head for some reason…

"We told him that a peaceful world would be created once the Sword of Akasha slayed the gods ." stated the former emperor, arrogantly.

The raven-haired consort, melancholically added, "We told him that he should have joined us. But he refused us instead. He said that the world Charles and I had envisioned was one that would be kind and gentle only for us, not to others. That the world his sister and our daughter, Nunnally, envisioned was one in which kindness was given to everyone, even to strangers."

"And so, when my errant son tried to use his geass on the gods, the collective will of mankind, I knew that it was time to kill him before anything could be done!" continued Charles, showing no sign of emotion other than indignation. This was a contrast to his favorite wife, who displayed guilt written all over her face.

"Using my newfound abilities as an immortal warlock, I incapacitated both my foolish son and his traitorous friend, while Marianne took care of C.C., who barely resisted anyway," narrated the 'father of the year'. "But for some reason, the Ragnarok Connection had failed to even touch the gods we had so hoped to kill to free humanity from conflict. So, in my anger and frustration, I had decided to behead my son and Kururugi, with the latter's very own sword."

"Well, that… was very tasteless, for lack of other words."

"What did you expect? A peaceful death?"

"I never did expect to die peacefully, but this… C.C. didn't fight back at all?"

"She didn't resist when your father revealed her mark of immortality either."

After Lelouch's parents finished, the next person was announced by Nunnally to be the last one to give their words to the departed. And that person's name was Suzaku Kururugi, who was none other than Zero's successor, given his current outfit.

'Zero' came to the front and center, like the scores of others who had done the same in the past four hours. He took off his iconic mask and revealed himself as the late 99th emperor's 'Knight of Zero,' which did not trigger any surprise from the guests. From afar, Lelouch noticed that his lifeless body in the coffin was in the exact same condition wherein the day he died.

"Hello, everyone. As you all know, my name is Suzaku Kururugi. I was the one who killed my best friend and worst enemy, Lelouch vi Britannia, completing my part in the Zero Requiem," firmly declared the Japanese young man, with a hint of sorrow in his tone. "The Zero Requiem, which you all know by now, was to unite the world by focusing its hatred on the demon emperor. After I, dressed as Zero, publically killed him, the world would then move on and focus to resolve other problems, such as hunger and poverty. A very idealistic solution, yes, I know. And yet, it somehow all worked out."

He continued, "He and I had very different concepts on how to make the world a better place. He wanted to destroy Britannia, whereas I wanted to change it from within. But we were both driven by dark impulses that more often than not, made us lose sight of our goals. We both took to extremes, and we were both hypocrites and liars. The Zero Requiem was our way to atone for our sins, to punish ourselves as the cost for a peaceful world. The day I stabbed him through with the sword of Zero… was the last time I saw him."

And with that, this Suzaku Kururugi returned to his seat next to the 100th Empress of Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia. Everyone in the gathering (even V.V. who waited inside the Aries Villa) promptly disappeared like ghostly apparitions thereafter.

It was only then that the spirit of Lelouch was given form and materialized before the coffin that contained his appropriate corpse. The primary difference between the body and the soul here was the outfit on each Lelouch; the spirit wore his Ashford Academy school outfit, while the body was dressed in the white emperor's garb.

Behind Lelouch's spectral form appeared a wooden door, which bore the mark of geass.

"Did this door just appear out of nowhere?" said the Black Prince, inquisitive as ever.

"Yes, but does it matter why? Just open it and enter."

Lelouch, without hesitation, did just that.

Something tells me it's the right thing to do… and I think I have figured everything out what has happened thus far. It would appear that all tasks at hand have been cleared, at least for my funeral. And it's odd. Because, I know that I'm Lelouch. But with everything I've seen tonight, I am not quite sure which Lelouch I am anymore. And… I don't think it ultimately matters, like she has said several times before.

While his thoughts are running through his analytical mind, Lelouch found himself in darkness. However, there was a vertical beam of white light touching the ground from the ceiling (or sky?) in which a female figure stood within. It was almost as if the person in the light beyond was waiting for him to approach her.

Lelouch breathed in and sighed before heading over to the mysterious woman standing underneath the light. As he got closer, he could make out who the individual was, and it was someone he was very familiar with.

"This is what the human brain does when one is dying, right?" inquired the martyr of a young man, maintaining a stoic face. "It's what is referred to as a near death experience, or an N.D.E. It appears to meet all the requirements from what I have learned about it. I feel calm, peaceful even. My life replays itself over and over, although it's not quite the exact same life as my own. Therefore, I'm not dead."

The woman in question replied, "Not yet, anyway."

"But I am close to being dead, aren't I?" said the raven-haired Britannian royalty.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, Lelouch," answered the mystery woman. "You are very close to being dead."

"And this is another thing which occurs in near death experiences: you encounter relatives or friends, who died before you did. And I know who you are… don't I… Mother?" said Lelouch, unflinchingly.

Indeed, the woman that stood before him was none other than his own mother, Marianne vi Britannia, who had her arms in front of her. She had worn the same orange dress when she was 'killed' both times, by V.V, and arguably, her own son.

Marianne, with a motherly kindness, replied, "Yes, you do, my son."

"Are you real?" inquired Lelouch, hiding his disbelief. "Or just a figment of my imagination in my head before I die?"

"Is there any difference at this point? I mean, you've already come this far." observed the former empress.

Lelouch lightly shook his head and remarked, "I suppose not. It would be too subjective in the first place."

"Right, and what have you learned from attending your own funeral?" inquired Marianne, reaching out to touch her son on his right shoulder with her left hand. Lelouch decided to allow his 'mother' to do so, in spite of their somewhat recent antagonistic past.

"Learned?" he questioned, as he gently brushed her hand off his shoulder.

"Yes, Lelouch. Learned. Very few people get the privilege of attending their own funerals. You must have learned something after tonight," said Marianne, concerned.

"I've learned… that it does not matter what the story is about. Because some things remain the same. Even when they were talking about a different me, it was still me," he answered, after thinking things through. "Because they were all talking about Lelouch. That Lelouch doesn't compromise; he, I... just do things according to my plan. That I try to make the world a better place. Even if it is motivated out of a desire for vengeance. And… that I ultimately do my best to keep moving forward. Because, I seek the future."

"I sometimes fall, and err on my path, my journey. Sometimes, I die…in some blaze of glory, or for the greater good, like the Zero Requiem. Or by the F.L.E.I.J.A. due to miscalculations. Or gunned down, ala firing squad by the Black Knights."

"And sometimes, it's a small, pathetic, even ironic death, like when Rolo shot me when I was gloating to him. Or, when C.C. accidentally shot me when I tried to call her bluff back then."

"Everything in each story changes, because nothing stays the same. In some, I swallowed my pride following your death, mother, and stayed in Britannia and became known as the Black Prince of the Empire. I was even known as the Iron Prince in others. One story had Clovis discover me in Japan and had me sent back to the Imperial family, wherein I was forced into an arranged marriage and joined the military."

"I am Lelouch vi Britannia, Lamperouge, and Zero. I do what I have to even if it means becoming evil to destroy the greater evil. And I understand everything now. The end of every story about Lelouch, is me being dead. Because, in the end, I, Lelouch, die. Because what could I do when I achieve my goals to create a peaceful and gentle world for my sister? I can't live in obscurity, because by then, too many people will have known who I am. Instead, I keep going until I die. And I do, eventually. And until then, I keep moving forward into the future."

"That's right, Lelouch. You keep moving forward, regardless of how much blood you've stained your hands with," wistfully replied Marianne the Flash. "And then… you die. If and when they do find your body, they put it in a coffin. Or cremate you, whatever. Until that time comes, you keep fighting, because you have to. Because, you want to, as well. It gives you purpose in life. And without that purpose, or if that purpose is completed, you are what you called the world your father and I had envisioned: stagnant. And despite our differences, I still love you, Lelouch. It wasn't until after I was absorbed by C's world that I realized that you were right all along. Of course, Charles remains stubborn as ever, but he'll come around, I hope."

Both mother and son pensively looked at one another for a moment before the conversation could continue. The mother said to her son, "Lelouch, I still remember our lives at the Aries Villa. How you and Nunnally were virtually inseparable together. While my own life wasn't exactly perfectly happy, since I took the brunt of your father's jealous wives, at least you and Nunnally lived happily."

"For the first ten years of my life, anyway, you mean, mother," lightly scoffed the son.

"Yes."

Lelouch added, "And it all starts in the foyer, because of V.V., jealous of his own sister-in-law."

The spirits of Lelouch and his mother soon beheld that terrible scene which took place within the supposed safety of the Aries Villa. The sight of a gunned down mother on the stairway, now stained with blood. Her little daughter apparently blinded and crippled, as a result of 'witnessing' the murder. And a ten-year-old prince who has been deeply traumatized by the death of his mother and damage to his sister.

"This is how it all begins. And it will continue endlessly. This is my life." said Lelouch, closing his eyes to ignore the sight before him.

His mother firmly stated, "Your life always ends. Just as it is right now."

"Well, since this is my near death experience, am I going to wake up soon?" inquired Lelouch, unsure.

Marianne sadly shook her head and replied, "Not this time, my son."

"So, do I go to C's World when I die?" asked the dying aristocrat, already resigned to his fate, whatever it is. "Become part of the collective human unconsciousness? That I'm just alone in my dying brain. And you're not really here, mother?"

"I'm here, Lelouch. I am always here with you," assured Marianne, holding onto her son's lithe hands, as they returned to the funeral.

Lelouch looks upon his own dead body once more. "Are you ready to move on?" his mother gently asked him.

The Black Prince, having accepted that he is truly going to die, had replied, "To my final reward and go to C's World and become part of… the collective human—?"

"Oh, no. Not at all, Lelouch." Marianne's choice of words had confused her son. "You don't go to C's World."

"I don't?" replied Lelouch, perplexed.

"No, because do you know what your reward is for being Lelouch? You get to be Lelouch." revealed Marianne, placing a comforting hand over her son's shoulder. "And…when you're a child, you get ten years of real, blissful happiness, with me, Nunnally, Euphemia, Clovis, Cornelia, Schneizel, and anyone else that you know, love, and care about. Trust me, Lelouch, it's more than some people can get. Now, you're done. It's over. You can stop all the bloodshed and violence for at least ten good years. And it's time to move on now."

And like that, Marianne vi Britannia, aka The Flash, had vanished, just as her namesake suggested.

"Mother?" asked Lelouch, now alone, although not quite.

"Let it go and move on."

Lelouch replied, "I understand." The so-called demon emperor closed his eyes once again. Memories of his life flooded before him as everything around him had dissolved and was replaced by an all encompassing color of white…

"I destroy… the world, and create it… anew."

It was December 5, 1999 a.t.b in Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire that day. Nineteen year-old Marianne vi Britannia, favorite consort to Emperor Charles zi Britannia, had just given birth to her first child. In one of the rooms in the capital's general hospital, the nurse, standing before the empress (mostly prone on her hospital bed), held the infant in her arms.

"Your Majesty?" asked the nurse, who then gently put the newborn into the arms of his mother. "I'm pleased to announce that you've given birth to a healthy, young baby boy."

Marianne lovingly cradled her newborn son in her arms. "Hello, my son. My Lelouch."