Hubris: Love

Disclaimer: I don't own the Code Geass Characters so please don't sue me for borrowing them

An unspeakable pressure filled the darker corridors of her mind as she sat staring idly at the gray walls of her cell. It was all over everything she'd ever tried to do was quickly coming to its end and all she could do was sit and wait. There was no point in fighting anymore, in the end she'd lost everything without even coming close to her goal. Not only had she failed, she'd lost everything in the process – everything she'd ever cared for was either dead or out of her reach. There was nothing left but to wait for the end to come.

"You're remarkably calm for someone facing execution."

The sound of his voice made her flinch inwardly, her body felt too numb to move much past a slight twitch in her fingers as she turned to see him standing in the open doorway. She wanted to cry but the only thing to escape past her lips was a soft chuckle. There was nothing worse in her mind than seeing the look of calm detachment reflected in his eyes as if she were nothing more than a pebble at his feet. It hurts. There was a slight tightening in her chest but she cast the discomfort away as if it were nothing more than a piece of extra clothing. I did this, all of it.

"I suppose you want me to beg for mercy?" Her voice felt so far from the turmoil boiling deep within her heart, "Maybe you want me to shout to the walls how I repent my sinful ways?" She laughed tilting her head slightly as she looked up at him, "Or maybe you just want to ask me again why I killed Euphie?"

Suzaku clenched his fists together as he glared back at her, once warm green eyes now filled with a cold hatred that struck the deepest part of her heart. Lelouch thought she heard the sound of something breaking inside, like the shattering of glass as it hit the floor. Lies. A voice inside of her screamed clawing relentlessly at the walls she'd built deep inside. Even if it is a lie…the truth won't matter. She scolded the weeping voice shoving it as far back as possible and locking it behind a door.

"I never expected you to tell me the truth, I realize now that you've been lying to me from the very beginning."

There was a sadness to his voice that caught her somewhat off guard as he moved to stand beside her. Suzaku reached down his fingers wrapping tightly around her wrist as he lifted her arm into the air between them. Lavender hued eyes watched him seeing without seeing, he remembered the light that had once glimmered like a beacon in the night. A smoldering light that drew you closer until there wasn't anything you wouldn't do just to catch a glimpse of it. He couldn't help but see the symbol glaring out from her left eye the sign of her betrayal was too fresh, too deep for him to ignore.

"I won't believe your lies anymore."

He moved before she could stop him, before his mind could convince him that such an act was as much a betrayal as her own actions. The world seemed to slow for a split second as his free hand came around to reveal a small syringe filled with a clear substance. There was a sharp sting on her shoulder followed by the soft hiss of the pressurized syringe.

"This time you're going to tell me the truth." Suzaku whispered in her ear as he released her arm letting her fall back to the floor in stunned surprise.

Horror replaced disbelief as she pressed her palm against the sight where the syringe had entered. Lelouch shook her head, her mouth opening and closing as she pressed herself back against the wall as if she might somehow disappear from the reality of what Suzaku had done. Her heart beat impossibly loud against her ears as she stared into those cold uncaring eyes. She shivered pulling her legs close, her body felt hot and cold at the same time as if her skin were ice while the inside of her began to heat up. She could feel the cold creeping inwards, until it seemed like all that remained of the heat was somewhere inside her heart.

"I – hate – you…." The words slipped past her lips as she felt her consciousness growing dimmer and dimmer. The world was slipping from her fingertips and there was nothing she could do to stop it, nothing but watch as it happened. No – please…no….

Euphie's words rocked her backwards as if she had already been shot, though the gun remained hidden safely inside her cloak. The idea of peace between Britannia and Japan, the quest for an Ideal lost amid the wreckage of death. Is she serious?! Lelouch felt as if her mind might explode from the pressure rising steadily inside of her. Here was a chance, a chance to do something their father had never – no, could never achieve in his wretched lifetime and all she had to do, all she had to do was cast aside her desire for revenge and take Euphie's hand. She almost reached out, almost took her half-sister's hand but the memory of a blood soaked childhood replaced Euphie's ideal.

He's the reason I'm alone in this world. The image of her father's face fueled the fire of hatred before it could die. Lelouch pulled the gun from where she'd hidden it and Euphie watched with a calm look in her eyes as if none of this surprised her.

"I can't let you ruin it…." Lelouch whispered.

"Are you going to kill me?" Euphie asked calmly.

Lelouch laughed shaking her head as she flipped the gun in her hand so that the barrel faced her, "No…you're going to kill me."

The look of confusion on Euphie's face was not unwarranted, after all Euphie wasn't the kind of person to kill even the tiniest of ants. I have to do this, this has to happen. Lelouch took a deep breath as she readied herself for death.

"I won't do it!" Euphie replied taking a step back.

"I'm not giving you a choice in the matter." Lelouch answered back, she called on the power lying dormant within her – her Geass, her Power of Kings. "Euphemia li Britannia, I command you -."

"That isn't my name." Euphie's words struck her like a whip and the power flowed back to wherever it had come from. "I renounced it."

"You – renounced it?" Lelouch blinked unable to comprehend what Euphie was telling her as if it were all some strange dream.

"There will probably be some big announcement later but I officially renounced my right as a Princess of Britannia." Euphie smiled.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because…I wanted to be with you. I don't need a crown, all I want is to stay by your side. Oh, Lelouch you must have felt so lonely all these years not being able to speak with anyone about your past. Having to lie to all your friends because the truth could get you killed – or worse…." Euphie moved closer to her then, wrapping her arms around Lelouch, "You don't have to be afraid anymore, I promise I won't leave you alone."

Tears rolled down her cheeks as her arms dropped limply to her sides, the fear – the hatred she had held onto for so long seemed to melt away. Euphie…. Lelouch sighed shaking her head, was there ever anyone else as reckless as Euphie? She chuckled wrapping her arms around Euphie.

"Why are you laughing?" Euphie asked leaning back.

"I'm sorry, it's just – I was going to make you kill me… I was so ready to die that I forgot who I was dealing with." Lelouch smiled. The happy years they'd spent together before the bloody tragedy filled her mind. Euphie had always been a strong person, with a gentle and caring heart. She could see the pain in others and knew almost instinctively how to solve the problem. Even if her means were unconventional and not well thought out, she always ended up above everyone else. Even their Father could not help but love Euphie.

"I would never hurt you, we're sisters." Euphie smiled.

"You don't understand…"

"…You wouldn't have had a choice in the matter…."

The words slipped past her lips as the world suddenly came back into focus around her. There as a moment of disorientation between which memory and reality settled back into their proper place. A horribly long time in which she relived Euphie's death once more. Lelouch felt her legs give way beneath the grief and the loss. The words she could never call back, the pain and horror of that bloody massacre – that final piece of her life shattering into a thousand little pieces of glass. It's gone…all of it. Her mind felt numb, as numb as the rest of her.

"Why…" She looked up at Suzaku her tears drying on her face as she felt the emotion slowly disappearing deep within her. Much to her surprise Suzaku knelt beside her, his eyes twin pools of sorrow and guilt as he reached out a hand to brush aside the tracks left by her tears. There was a gentleness about him now, as if his icy demeanor from before were nothing more than an act.

"Because, I promised Euphie that I would protect you…that I would not blame you for any of this, and that I would -." Suzaku took a deep breath and looked away for a moment, "I would keep you safe from yourself as much as from me."

She felt cold…her body trembled uncontrollably as she was led blindfolded and restrained down what she could only assume was a hallway. No light could shatter the darkness within the cotton bag placed over her head though she could still breath it did not stop the sense of claustrophobia from closing in around her. Suzaku's hand on her arm was light but strong, even if she'd had the strength to resist him she would not have gotten far blindfolded. They stopped and she heard the muffled sound of voices just before a door opened and she was pushed inside. She was forced to her knees, her face slammed into the floor not hard but enough to make her head spin. The bag was ripped from her head and she blinked at the dim lighting struggling against Suzaku's grip despite herself.

"Your Grace," Her blood ran cold at the words coming out of Suzaku's mouth and she struggled harder to twist her head around to see the man Suzaku spoke to. His grip on her neck tightened, "I won't allow you to cast your Geass on the Emperor."

Lelouch could just see Suzaku's face out of the corner of her eyes and this time she felt her body still at the sight. His eyes were cold, calm and utterly devoid of emotion as he glared down at her.

"Your Grace, I bring you Zero the leader of the Rebel forces stationed in Area 11."

There was the sound of something hitting the floor echoing against the walls and she flinched knowing that it was her helmet. A silence filled the room as the sound died, as deep and resounding as the clatter had been.

"I also return to you, your lost Princess – Lelouch li Britannia."

She kicked, struggling to lift her head despite Suzaku's earlier warning to behave. This is my chance! I can end this here. If she could just break free of Suzaku, a second was all she needed – a split second and she could finally put an end to her bloody nightmare.

"So you have."