Knight of Zero
Suzako Kururugi
2000 – 2018
Here lies a consummate and invaluable Knight to Her Highness Lydia vi Brittania, 99th Empress of the Holy Brittanian Empire
How many dozens of times had it been now? How many times did his eyes gaze upon that marble slab engraved with the name of his former comrade in arms? How often did he let his sight linger upon the name of a Japanese woman who had risen to become the greatest Knight of the Empire?
Had he truly lost count of the number of moments he had stood before this stone slab, wishing he had told her? Told her the truth, before it wouldn't have made a difference any longer. Before the rise of the 99th Empress, before the fall of the 98th Emperor. Maybe even before the launching of the F.L.E.I.J.A..
The soft, distant noise, of a wheelchair be pushed along grass grabbed Gino's attention. Ah, yes, he reminded himself, this was the anniversary of the Demon Empress's death. Some were spending this day in celebration, the 100th Empress, once again, was here at her sister's grave, and quietly contemplating…something. Gino really wasn't sure as to what. And, as always, Zero, the one who saved the world from the ultimate tyrant, accompanied her majesty to the cemetery.
Zero. Gino still didn't know what to make of her. And he knew it was a her. Bismarck and Monica had always sworn that Zero was really a man. So did a lot of the world, actually. But both he and Luciano had agreed (for once) about this. They had told the Knights of One and Twelve that there was no way a man's hips worked like that, and had somehow managed to rope both Anya and Suzako into an impromptu fashion show, one that involved the four of them with black leather pants strutting their stuff for the bafflement (or enjoyment, in Nonnette's case) of the other Knights of the Round.
"As you can no doubt clearly see, Lord Bismarck" Luciano was saying while pointing at a strutting Gino Weinburg, "a man's hips behave in a certain fashion." He leapt onto the stage, dragging Anya with him. Arm in arm with Anya, the Knights of Ten and Six strutted side by side as Gino took up the role of narrator.
"Even at a younger age," Gino began, "a woman's hips tend to sway in a certain way that, while certainly possible to be imitated by a man's, have their own unique way of moving that is simply…naturally feminine."
"As enlightening as this all is, Gino, Luciano, I don't see how this has to do with Zero being female," said Dorothea.
"And that," Luciano said with a smirk, "is what brings us to our pièce de résistance, if you pardon my french. Suzako, it's time."
Suzako strolled from behind the curtain, wearing a perfect replica of Zero's outfit, sans mask, and a disgruntled expression. Well, almost perfect replica. Luciano and Gino had decided that making the pants leather, and black, would somehow aide the enlightenment process.
"Suzako," said Gino with a pout.
Suzako blinked in surprise. "What's wrong, Gino?"
"You're not strutting," he whined.
Suzako face flushed red somewhat at that comment. "Do I…really have to?"
Luciano and Gino presented her with perfectly synchronized evil sneers. "Yes."
"Very well then, I'll do it."
And she did do it.
And at that moment Gino's lost his train of thought. Which decided to leave the station and switch tracks before he could continue down memory lane.
"I need to remember to send Luciano and Kallen a present for their wedding," he mumbled to himself.
"The hell did you just say?" shouted a voice from beneath the ground. And before Gino had time to prepare his heart against shocks, the pale, translucent form of the ghost of the 99th Empress of the Holy Brittanian Empire stuck her head through Suzako's tomb to stare at the Knight of Three in shock.
Prime Minister Kaname Ohgi of the United States of Japan glanced up at the window of his Brittanian hotel room. "That noise," he whispered to himself, "it sounds like that of a man who just lost his last shred of masculinity…"
"What was that, dear?" asked his wife, Viletta, as she paused from making airplane noises at their infant son in an odd attempt to try to get him to eat.
"Nothing, dear. I was just thinking of how beautiful you looked today."
Viletta cocked an eyebrow. "Who do you think it was this time?"
Ohgi shrugged. "I could've sworn it was Gino, but he's supposed to be in Quebec at the moment."
"Oh, shut up will you?" hissed Lydia vi Brittania, former 99th Empress of the Holy-Crap-it's-the-Brittanians-we-should-hide-our-oranges Empire.
"How are you? How did? Whodunnit?" Gino finished his broken train of thought lamely.
Lydia rolled her eyes. "You know of the saying 'she's rolling in her grave'? Well, there's a reason for it, and not just for illustrative purposes. The living can literally shock the souls of the dead awake. And what you just said-"
Gino blinked. "Oh, you mean Kallen, Ace of the Black Knights, falling madly in love with and marrying Luciano Bradley, Vampire of Brittania, and former Knight of Ten? Yeah, we don't get it either."
Lydia arched an eyebrow. "We?"
"The whole world," Gino replied.
"And that's why I told you I wanted to visit the human world in order to kill a Knight of the Rounds, Lydia," said another ghostly voice to Gino's left.
Lydia sighed. "Naoto, dearest, I understand that you're an overprotective brother, even after death, but you know as well as I that we're not supposed to get ourselves involved, at least physically, with the affairs of humans."
Gino tapped his chin, "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"This lovable idiot," Lydia said, punctuating her insult to the dead Japanese man with a slap to his head, "is Kallen's older brother."
"I would shake your hand," said Gino, "but considering you're dead and all…"
"Actually," said Lydia, "we're not dead, just reincarnated in an alternate dimension and stranded together on the sole remaining island left habitable after humans left to colonize the stars after Relena-"
Gino held up a hand. "How about we just go with spirits? Would that work?"
"Yeah, that works for me-" It was then that Lydia noticed Zero and Nunnally were making their way over to Gino. "Crap, gotta hide! Gino, keep quiet about us, okay? We're not supposed to talk with them."
"What do you-? Ah, you know what? Never mind."
Turning around to fully face his Empress and her Black Knight, Gino wasn't quite wholly prepared for the sight that greeted him. That of Nunnally holding onto (what looked like) a 1 year old baby with pale blond hair.
"Your Majesty," he barely managed to choke out, "I was unaware that you-"
Nunnally blinked a couple of times, before glancing down at the child in her arms. Her head shot back up, this time with a large blush adorning her delicate features. "Oh, no, this isn't mine, Sir Gino. It's y-"
"It better as hell not be!" muttered Lydia. But unfortunately for her, not quietly enough.
"Big…sister?" whispered Nunnally.
And, once again, Lydia decided the 'smart' thing to do was to stick her body partially through Suzako's headstone.
"I-" Lloyd paused and glanced at the trees behind him. "What the devil was that noise? And why am I feeling nostalgic for my precious Lancelot?"
Cecile quietly cleared her throat.
"Oh? Oh, yes, sorry about that. I, Lloyd Asplund, do so promise to love Cecile, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, so long as I live."
"You know something?" Rakshata said to Tohdoh and his wife Nagisa, "I would be inclined to believe him, if he didn't say that line in that flippant way of his."
"This is awkward," said Naoto.
"Honeybunches? We don't need comments from the cheap seats," said Lydia.
"Big sister….you're creeping me out," said Nunnally.
Lydia shrugged. "Love does strange things to people, Nunnally. Take Suzako, for example."
The others just stared at her for a while, before Gino asked, "And?"
"And nothing. Suzako's an example in herself. Just look at her," she said, pointing at Zero. She blinked a couple of times, before rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Oops."
Naoto slapped his forehead.
Suzako sighed and slowly took off her mask. "Looks like my secret's out," she said. She pulled down the black cloth covering her lips and offered Gino a hesitant smile. "Hey, Gino. Long time no see, huh?"
Suzako was prepared for shocked silence. She was prepared for harsh words, for questions that she still wasn't quite ready to answer. What she wasn't prepared for, but didn't mind too much, was Gino pressing his lips to hers, desperately trying to confirm in his own way that his was real.
She kissed him back, tears starting to form in her eyes. Yes, she thought, it's me, Gino. I'm real. I'm sorry. I didn't want it to end up like this, but….
His embrace spoke volumes. I understand, it said, somewhat. Still kinda confused about the kid, though. That couldn't be-
"Yes, she is, Gino," said Suzako aloud. "She's your daughter."
15 minutes and one no longer passed out Gino later, the Knight of Three was given the child, my daughter, he reminded himself, to hold. As he gazed at in fascination at the sweet little child in his arms, a thought came to him.
37. It had been 37 times he had visited the tombstone and had asked himself those questions.
THE END
AN: …I felt like writing some pure, but fluffy, crack. So here you go.