CHAPTER 1
Kozuki Kallen, now donning her Stadtfeld persona, entered the grounds of the Ashford's Clubhouse. All spirit void from her very being. Usually, even when she donned her sickly girl persona, there was still a fire in them, making the persona looked alive, but now? Now she looked like an empty shell.
Zero was dead. Her leader was dead. Japan had no more chance to gain their freedom from Britannia. Now that Zero, their esteemed leader who had managed to lead the Black Knights into winning in their battles against Britannia, was dead…
How? How did he die? Protecting Euphemia li Britannia from an assassination? Why would he protect a princess of Britannia? Why would he protect an enemy? Why?!
It didn't make sense!
"Kallen, is that you?" Kallen looked up from the ground, her thoughts dispersed after hearing Milly's voice calling her form inside the clubhouse.
"Madam President? What's… what's wrong?" the red head asked, noticing the distraught and downright sad look from the usually energetic and cheerful blonde. "Did something bad happen?" she asked, approaching Milly, a look on concern on her face. She needed to look strong, if only not to worry her friends.
"It's… It's Lelouch." The student council president said, pulling Kallen inside and closing the door behind them. "Don't tell this to anyone, but… as his friend, you should know. You heard that Zero died, right?"
'Of course. He's my leader. I heard it firsthand.' She wanted to say, but held her tongue. Instead, she confirmed Milly's words. "Yes… but what does it have anything to do with Lelouch, though?"
Milly closed her eyes in sadness, and said, "I don't know how Nunnally knew about it, but I know she wouldn't lie." She started. "She said that Lelouch was Zero."
The implication of Nunnally's claim dawned on Kallen. Despite her not knowing the Lamperouge siblings for long enough, she knew that Nunnally, sweet, kind Nunnally wouldn't lie about something like that.
It dawned upon her that on that dreadful day, not only did she lose her leader, Kallen also lost a friend.
Shirley watched with confusion as Princess Euphemia and Princess Cornelia entered the clubhouse, their respective knights trailing behind them. Shirley noted that Suzaku looked worse than how she saw him in TV. He looked like almost all his life had been sucked out of him.
Shirley wasn't that close to Lelouch, but seeing Suzaku like this hurts.
Still, why would two royals came here just because Zero was dead? Lelouch was dead? It didn't make sense.
She and the rest of the student council watched as Cornelia knelt besides Nunnally… and pulled her into a hug. Euphemia joined in the hug, and both she and Nunnally broke into cries while Cornelia shed silent tears.
Why were the princesses acting so close with Nunnally?
"Nunna… we're going to take Lelouch's… body to the homeland and—" but before Cornelia could finish her sentence, Nunnally cut her off.
The girl with sandy brown hair looked enraged at the Viceroy. "No! Don't you dare take my big brother to that accursed land! To anywhere close to that Man!" she screamed, her voice full of loathing though it was not really aimed at the Viceroy. Shirley had never heard Nunnally to sound so… like that. "It—it's because of Him, because of Britannia that my brother is now dead! Don't you dare take him there, Cornelia!"
Everyone looked at Nunnally as if she had grown another head, stunned with the hateful words she said to the Viceroy of all people.
Euphemia sobbed harder and hugged the little girl who had lost her brother tighter. "I'm so sorry, Nunna, I'm so sorry… it's because of me that Big Brother Lelouch is…" Euphemia couldn't complete her sentence as she let out another choked sob.
Nunnally cried together with her as she hugged the pink haired princess tighter.
Shirley did not miss the princess calling Lelouch 'Big Brother'.
But that did not matter now. If what she thought was true, then Princess Euphemia and Cornelia did not just lose an enemy-slash-would be ally… they also lost a brother.
The day became bleaker day by day.
One week after Nunnally's outburst, it had been decided that Lelouch would be buried in Japan, near the Kururugi shrine. Nunnally was sure that Lelouch wanted to be buried there, the place where they were happiest seven years ago when they were still young and (mostly) innocent.
The funeral was a private one, but Cornelia and Euphemia had called for Schneizel, who was the closest older half brother that Lelouch had, to come. They had explained the situation to him, and much to the Lelouch's friends' surprise, the usually cool and charming Prime Minister actually looked sorrowed by the death of his younger half brother.
Rivalz still couldn't believe that his best friend was a freaking prince, though an exiled one. Lelouch never really acted like it beyond his Ice Prince persona in school. Lelouch didn't seem intent on ever telling them too. He literally brought his secret to the grave. The only reason they knew was because the Viceroy and Sub-Viceroy visited Nunnally after his best friend's death.
'Lelouch… why? Why did you become Zero? Became the Empire's enemy?' He asked, as he watched Lelouch's coffin being put down into his final resting place. Rivalz closed his eyes, unable to watch the coffin lowering till the end. One thought was prominent from the other in his mind. 'Why must you die, Lelouch…?'
Nunnally threw a fist at her own legs, frustrated beyond believe. "Damn it, move already!" She shouted, eyes tearing with hot tears. "Big brother's dead! I can't stay useless, cooped in this damned wheelchair!"
She held tight on wheelchair, as she tried to push herself off the wheelchair. Her legs trembled as she tried to stay standing. "I… I must walk… I can't stay useless! I need to walk on my own!" she told herself, as she pushed away the wheelchair. Her whole body trembled as she tried to stay standing, but when she tried to take a step forward, her legs couldn't support her and she fell down to the floor.
"Damn it!" Nunnally cursed, eyes closed in frustration as she smacked the floor in anger. "Please, I don't want to be useless…! I need to… I need to—!"
She felt ringing on her head that instant, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in a room with big gears running on the walls, and masks floating around her. Above them was the planet of Jupiter, yet a glowing red crane like sigil encompassed it. "Little child, I have heard your will. If you accept, I will bestow upon you the Power of Kings, however, I have one wish that you must fulfill to complete our contract. Do you accept?"
Nunnally did not hesitate to answer. "Yes."
She needed power.
So she'd take it when offered.
'Watch me, big brother…! I'll make our dream come true!'
Suzaku stood at the edge of the roof of the Ashford Academy, leaning too close into the railing as he watched the empty ground below. Oh, how he wished he could just jump and die. That way, he could meet with Lelouch again, right? Not only will he atone for his sin for killing his father, he would also be able to atone for his sin for driving Lelouch in the path of being Zero and meet him again.
It would be so easy, stepping at the other side of the railing, and one misstep and—
When Suzaku opened his eyes again, he found himself on the ground, standing, and no sign of him having jumped from the roof. It was as if he had decided not to jump and went back down through the stairs, but he couldn't remember doing that.
Suzaku clenched his fists, biting his lips. 'Damn it, I failed again…!' He thought, a choked sob escaped his lips briefly. He looked up to the sky, his green eyes jaded, losing the life they had once before the tragedy took place.
He thought over to what Lelouch's last words were, and what Nunnally had said during the funeral.
"You know, Suzaku-san?" Nunnally asked, intentionally using Japanese since there were only the two of them there left after the funeral ended. "It's funny how the three of us fell in love with the same person—Big brother, Euphie, and I. The three of us were always the closest."
Suzaku's eyes widened. He might not really know who Nunnally and Lelouch fell in love with, but he knew who Euphie fell in love with. After all, it wasn't long ago when Euphie confessed to him. That would mean—
The brunet's hand flew to his mouth, covering them as horror and realization dawned upon him. 'Then—Lelouch's last words were—'
"He loved you, Suzaku-san. He never told me, but I knew he did." Nunnally continued, smiling wryly though her lavender eyes reflected the deep sorrow she felt. "He loved Euphie and I too much though, so he never tried to pursue you, letting either of us try to gain your love." Nunnally grabbed onto her skirt, as if trying to tell herself to get a grip. "I'm glad… that when he died… at least, he died in your arms, Suzaku-san."
Suzaku felt a single tear fell from his eyes as he remembered Nunnally's words. He then recounted Lelouch's last words.
"I never... told you, but I..."
—Love you.
Another strangled sob escaped his lips. He looked away from the sky, and without looking, ran away to the forest not too far away from the Ashford ground. He ran and ran and ran, not caring where his legs took him, hoping that in this moment of carelessness, he could somehow just die.
Suzaku never realized it, but—he might love Euphie, he really did. He loved Nunnally too.
But it was only now that he realized… that he loved Lelouch too, and that the love he had for Euphie was incomparable to his love for Lelouch.
Lelouch was always there for him since they met seven years ago and when they reunited again. As a friend, as an enemy, as his savior, as his destroyer—not even Euphie could understand Suzaku the way Lelouch did. Lelouch was the only one who really, truly understood Suzaku. It was the same in reverse too. Suzaku knew Lelouch, perhaps even more than Nunnally. Lelouch always hid his darker side from Nunnally, but with Suzaku, he never did.
Suzaku might only have recently known that Lelouch was really Zero—no, that would be a lie. Suzaku had had suspicions that Lelouch was Zero for a long time, but he was in denial, not wanting to accept it, but the suspicion alone proved that Suzaku knew Lelouch almost from the inside out.
Their feelings to each other, their love was one that they wouldn't even realize had been blooming all this time because they were just so used to be there for the other and being happy with each other. If one hadn't pointed it out, Suzaku was sure he'd never figure it out, knowing himself.
Still, the realization came too late. Lelouch was dead now, and their love could never be.
"The situation with the EU is worsening. I've been called back to deal with them." Cornelia said to her younger sister calmly. It had only been weeks after their half brother's death, yet neither of them were completely over it, Euphie more so than Cornelia, but Cornelia had to be strong from the younger princess.
"I'll stay here." Euphie said firmly, although she did not look straight into Cornelia when she said it, choosing to look at the floor with brows furrowed still in sadness. "Lelouch is dead, and Nunnally is alone now. She didn't want to come back to the homeland. I—I'll stay with her."
Cornelia frowned. Being here would hurt Euphie more. Being in the homeland would make Euphie move on from Lelouch's death faster. She was right though, despite the former eleventh prince's death, they still had one half sister here who won't (would never) come back to the homeland willingly, having just lost her brother. Nunnally, sweet, gentle Nunnally needed someone to be there with her now, as an emotional support if nothing else.
"I'll stay here. I'll go to Ashford to continue my studies. I've given up my status as a princess anyway for the SAZ, even if it failed, so I don't think it'll be a problem." Euphie continued, finally looking up to Cornelia. "Please, Nelly. Let me honor Lelouch's wish for me to take care of Nunna."
And with that, Cornelia knew she already lost the argument. "Alright, but I expect a call at least once a week from you two, alright?" she asked, resigned.
Euphie smiled a mixture of happiness and sadness. "Thank you, big sister."
"Why?! Why can't we find Lelouch here?!" Marianne cried out to the Emperor, gesturing wildly to the World of C around them. "You—you were able to talk with Clovis, right, Charles? Then why can't we talk with our son?!"
Charles was equally distraught too. He had been able to converse with Clovis, even now, he still could. It didn't make sense that they couldn't talk with Lelouch if he was here, in the World of C, where every human beings returned upon their death.
So why? Why weren't they able to talk with Lelouch?
"I don't know, Marianne." He said truthfully. "But it only means that we have to finish the Ragnarok Connection faster then, so that we can talk with Lelouch again."
"… You're right, Charles… with the Ragnarok Connection, we'll be able to talk with Lelouch again… and Nunnally too…" Marianne agreed after pausing for a bit as she calmed herself down. "Soon, Lelouch, Nunnally… son we'll be reunited again." A smile graced her lips, as she put both her hands over her heart. "Soon…"
One year later
Area Eleven was in chaos after Cornelia's departing to EU, having been replaced by one of the more bloodthirsty and racist imperial prince, Anthony re Britannia, sixth prince of the Empire. Movements of freedom from the Japanese had started again, riots could be heard almost every night, but unlike the time with Zero, none had been so successful so far.
Kallen had once again gathered the former members of Black Knights, the one she could get in contact with, anyways. Ohgi stood between the seas of Black Knights at the front in the warehouse that Zero had given them so long ago.
The former teacher regarded the red head with a questioning look. "Kallen, why did you gather us here? You know that without Zero, we can't really do anything."
Kallen shook her head. "No… we still have hope." She said, firmly.
As if on cue, a small figure entered the warehouse, followed by a Japanese woman dressed in the traditional kunoichi outfit. The opposite of Zero, who usually wore all black, the figure wore an all white dress, yet just like Zero, she wore a mask that concealed her face. She stopped just beside Kallen, standing straight.
"Who are you?!" Tamaki asked, looking at the figure suspiciously.
"I am Zero's younger sister." The figure said calmly. "And I'm here to complete my brother's dream. I will free Japan… and destroy Britannia!"
To Be Continued
A/N: This is the second chapter for For the Tainted Sorrow, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it too! Thank for all who have read, reviewed, followed and put this fic on favorite!
So yeah, we see now that Lelouch's death was rather... peculiar since Charles and Marianne were not able to contact him. Why that happened... well, that would be telling, eh? *wink*
I hope you look forward for the next chapter! Once again, thank you!