Well, looks like it's time for yet another chapter. Although, as Taira brought up, me and canon don't get along well. Let's see...

When Lelouch and Suzaku entered the army, they were thirteen. In canon, Viletta is 26, Kewell is 27. Remove four years, 22 and 23 respectively. This allows a reasonable time, as both could easily have entered at that age.

In addition, Purebloods don't exist. I should probably have pointed that out earlier. Because, according to Fanon, Jeremiah started the purebloods after Lelouch and Nunally 'died' in Japan. I took that up and ran with it. Enough ranting, let's get started.

I apologize for the sudden drop in updates. I was away.

Without internet. I almost died.


"On that day, the Seventeenth Prince of Britannia revealed himself to be a kind of god. He heard the world..."

IOIOI

Lelouch awoke the next morning with a grin. Today was the day. The day where Clovis would be eviscerated, metaphorically, if not literally. Clovis had planned for a large celebration, attempting to gain favor by showcasing Lelouch's return. An amusing idea, to say the least. One that Lelouch planned to abuse to the fullest.

Suzaku woke, thrashing in his bed. Sweat dripped from the Japanese man's brow. A dream from the past, one that he'd forgotten, had returned. The ticking of a clock. The smell of death. How he hated that dream. Hadn't he repented for his actions. Suzaku stared out the window of the Student Council hall's building, watching the sunrise.

"I've killed and killed... Isn't it enough that I feel remorse?"

Kallen woke up glowering. Damn Britannian Prince with how everybody thought she was damn dating him. She stretched before getting out of bed, and then screeched.

"MAID!" A slim woman scurried into the room, complacent. Kallen looked at her coldly. The woman said quietly, "What is it mistress?"

Kallen replied, her voice filled with venom, "What is this thing that you've put out?" She pointed at the offending clothing, a slim black dress. The maid picked up the dress before answering, her voice filled with longing and sadness, "I t's for the ball being held at the palace today m'lady." Kallen blinked, confused. A ball? Why the hell was a ball going on?

"What ball?"

The woman smiled happily, glad to extrapolate. "The ball for his highness, Lelouch vi Britannia mistress! Prince Clovis has decided to celebrate his return to Area Eleven!" Kallen's stare grew colder as she heard the term 'Eleven'. This woman wasn't even a shadow of her former self, she was just trash. A worthless piece of filth for the Britannians to walk on. Why did she let herself be degraded this why? Why the hell did she stay?

"I'm not going." The maid blinked, confused.

"But mistress, you have to go! You were delivered an invitation by the prince himse-" Kallen cut her off, slicing her hand at the dress the maid held. The maid cried out as the dress fell to the floor. She dropped down, picking it up quickly. Kallen ignored her as she dressed for school, rushing out the door. She looked back, and spat.

"Worthless. Just god damned worthless."

IOIOI

Lelouch was not pleased. Somehow, Milly had gotten a hold of an invitation to the ball. And she had given one to every member of the student council, including Nunally. Nunally couldn't witness his plan. That would go over... badly, to say the least. He attempted to intervene in Milly's rapid discussion of when to leave, what to wear, and where it was, saying, "Milly?"

The buxom president turned, smiling widely. "Yes Lulu?"

Lelouch chose his next words carefully, running over half a dozen possible fatal choices, sixteen escape routes, and twenty seven ways to kill the people in this room. He rejected all that ended in the death of the people in the room. Suzaku and Nunally were in there, and he enjoyed the Student Council's company from time to time. "I... I think that perhaps the Student Council shouldn't attend." Milly raised an eyebrow.

"But you and Suzaku are going."

"Yes, but we have too." He ignored Suzaku's muttered 'I don't, he made me.' Suzaku had to be there. It was all part of the Plan. Milly pouted. "No, we're all going and that's final! If your girlfriend is going, I wanna talk to her! Tell her all your seeeecreeets." She winked at him knowingly. Lelouch had never felt more lost in his life. What secrets? He didn't have any- Oh god. If Milly told anyone about the Tragedy in Tell's Tavern, he would die of shame. He shrugged hopelessly, grinning in defeat. "Well, I suppose if you really want to." He glanced around, looking for any sign of refusal. Damn. Nobody didn't want to go. He walked over to Nunally, kneeling in front of her.

"Nunally, do you really want to go to Clovis' party? It's going to be dreadfully dull." His sister smiled at him, and nodded, touching his face.

"Big brother, of course I do! I thought that when we went back to Japan together, with Suzaku, we would all spend more time together! But..." She faltered, and put her hand down, looking sad. "Ever since we've gotten here... I've seen less and less of you. If Alice hadn't been around, I wouldn't have had anyone to talk to." Alice was Nunally's friend from school, the only person that Nunally spoke to, other than the Student Council and Lelouch, on a regular basis. Lelouch felt a pang in his heart. He had been far more busy recently, what with all the planning. He smiled at his sister, holding her hand. "All right Nunally, you and the Student Council can attend." His sister opened her mouth. "Yes, Alice can come too." Nunally closed her mouth, grinning widely. "Thank you, brother!" Lelouch nodded in affirmation to Suzaku's raised eyebrow, the one asking 'are you sure?'. If he was going to hell, he would make damn sure his sister was happy, protected, while she was forced to watch.

IOIOI

Naoto groaned. God dammit. His little sister just couldn't stay out of fucking trouble these days, could she?

"Look sis, it's no big if you wanna go to the party. Hell, I think you should. But stop trying to prove that the prince is some kind of magnificent bastard." She'd been trying for days now. Citing times he'd been missing from class when Japanese died, that he was here in Japan during the invasion, and a bunch of other information he couldn't process. He had no idea how she found out that he took a shower every day at precisely 22:14, but he was damned if she was going to get herself arrested because of it. His sister glared at him, furious.

"He is, Naoto! He's gonna kill all the Japanese one day, or do something stupid like take over the world!" Her brother rolled his eyes. Yeah. A fifteen year old was gonna take over the world. It would only take him what, two, three years? He doubted that.

"Fine. Whatever. Lelouch is the devil incarnate." His sister nodded. "But, if you're going to this party, I'm going too. I want to talk to the guy who you keep claiming is a raving madman who stabs people in the eye when he wants too."

"You forgot 'sadistic, depraved, psychotic sociopath'."

"Whatever Kallen."

IOIOI

Suzaku stared at the ballroom, opening and shutting his mouth. It was... big, to say the least. Huge felt like an understatement. Lelouch laughed at his expression. "Suzaku, the word you're looking for is 'expansive'. Like the Empire." Suzaku flinched at the venom in Lelouch's voice. Didn't he know that most of the Empire was in the room? And could hear him?

"Lelouch, don't say that," The knight murmured to his friend, "People might hear you." Lelouch nodded absentmindedly. He was more interested in the approaching peacock. Wait a minute...

"Lelouch! So glad you could join us!" Oh. That was no peacock, but instead, his brother, Clovis. Clovis appeared to be wearing a ridiculous rainbow suit, as well as a carrying a cane.

The cane was a bright purple, and had a stupid toucan head. Lelouch wondered if Clovis had dressed in the dark. He doubted it though, Clovis dressed oddly for fun.

He smiled at his older brother, his smile both polite and disgusted. "Hello Clovis, you're looking... colorful today." His brother grinned widely, before grabbing Lelouch's arm and dragging him to the main table. A few nobles were talking as Lelouch walked up. Oh dear god, he hated nobles. Always so smug, and filled with a pseudo-knowledge of what was going on.

IOIOI

Suzaku watched as his friend began to speak with nobles. He felt rather sorry for the prince, having to deal with nobles.

"Oh, hi Suzaku!"

Then again...

Suzaku turned around, and faced the Student Council. Nunally wore her usual clothing, and Suzaku felt a stab of pity for the girl, unable to dress differently. Alice had let down her blonde hair, and wore a strange black and white dress. Shirley seemed at ease in her vivid green, while Nina stood awkwardly in a long gown. Rivalz wore a normal tuxedo, and he stared at Milly's dress. It was... remarkable, to say the least. Remarkably revealing, that is. When Suzaku thought back to it, he couldn't remember the color so much as the actual look of the dress. Suzaku attempted a smile.

"Hello everyone. Milly that's an... interesting dress you have on." Milly grinned widely. Suzaku inwardly cursed. Shit. She had wanted him to notice it.

"Thanks Suzaku! The Ashfords may be down on their luck, but we know how to take notice of important events!" Suzaku nodded politely, inwardly thinking, "More like be noticed."

Shirley groaned. "Milly, you're getting so much attention dragged over here! Lulu will notice!" Milly cocked an eyebrow, before pushing the sides of her arms against her chest as she bent towards Shirley, attracting even more attention.

"Oh? And isn't that a good thing?" Shirley blushed crimson.

"N-n-no! Lulu has important stuff to do right now! We sh-shouldn't interrupt him!" The blonde sighed, and dragged off her redheaded friend to discuss how to play 'Annoy The Britannian Prince' properly. Rivalz followed, and Alice appeared to have vanished with Nunally. Leaving Suzaku and Kallen standing there.

Alone. The horror.

Kallen glared viciously at Lelouch's friend. Bastard. Didn't stand up for the Japanese, even though he was one, didn't try to stop Lelouch from being an ass, didn't he know how smug and annoying Lelouch was? She bet that Suzaku got off on that sort of shit.

Freak.

Suzaku ignored Kallen's stare. "I can feel that, you know."

She continued glaring. "Feel what, Sir Kururugi?" Suzaku felt the venom in her voice. It wasn't as bad as Lelouch's, who was like some sort of freakish mutant King Cobra, it was more that of a sea snake. Still deadly, though.

"You want to kill Lelouch," The knight stated bluntly. Kallen took a step back, startled. How could he know? How could he know? Was he psychic? Did she let something slip?

Suzaku went on, saying, "I won't let you. Lelouch is my friend, my best friend, and he's got a dream."

Kallen glared viciously at him, roaring, "I've got a dream too, y'know! I'm gonna-" She cut herself off. Was she really about to reveal the resistance to a Knight of Britannia? Had she lost herself that much?

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything about it." She stared at him, blank. What did he mean?

"I don't care that you want to kill Lelouch. I'd like to sometimes. But you won't kill him before he realizes his dream." He clasped his hand on her shoulder, and she looked him in the eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who'd killed before, and done it often. And well. Her knees shook at Suzaku's stare. It was the stare of a man who has accepted that he's a killer, and doesn't mind. He'll do it for what he believes in.

"Did Lel-" Suzaku cut her off.

"No, he didn't do this to me. I did this to me, to atone for my sins. And you think, you think, that I'm going to let you kill my one chance at redemption? Get ov-" Suzaku was cut off by Lelouch saying loudly,

"Personally, I believe that all Elevens should be flayed to death."

IOIOI

The nobles Lelouch was speaking with nodded in agreement. "It's no more than they deserve," one said. Lelouch cackled inwardly, remembering the beginning of this idiotic talk.

Clovis had walked him over to these cretins, and introduced him. Lelouch had phased out, not caring about their status, although he heard phrases like, 'big in sakuradite,' and 'a lovely lady,'. That made him care even less, until he heard one of them claim, "Those Elevens should be put in their place, your highness! They constantly interrupt my deliveries with their damn days off!" Lelouch's eye twitched. Nobles. Always thinking they're better. A woman replied, "Well it's not their fault. They're just numbers, they have no idea what they're talking about." This conversation continued for a while, before Lelouch said to the first man, "The Elevens are quite stupid. Look how they let us take over their country!" Clovis' eye twitched. He knew what Lelouch was about to do, and it would go badly for Clovis.

Lelouch would be fine.

The man nodded. "Exactly, your highness! You understand what I'm saying!"

"It's almost as if they wanted to be taken over, with their whole 'natural borders' and 'resistance that continues underground to this day'!" The nobles present nodded. Prince Lelouch was clearly a smart young man.

Lelouch continued to make these people look like idiots before saying loudly,

"Personally, I believe all Elevens should be flayed to death." The first man grinned, and replied, "Of course, it's no more than they deserve." Clovis intervened as Lelouch attempted to continue.

"Indeed, they're all obviously craving the attention Brita-" Clovis grabbed his brother's arm, dragging him away.

"Would you excuse us for a moment, please?" The nobles nodded. Clearly Clovis' wanted Lelouch to explain to him his plan on "Exiling the Elevens to the moon with a time machine and a doughnut." It soundedbrilliant.

"Lelouch, you made the Duke of Oxford look like a complete fool!"

"He made himself look like a fool. I was merely helping."

Clovis groaned. His brother didn't understand politics at all, with it's secretive nature and lucrative rewards.

"Just... stop until after your speech, alright?" Lelouch nodded. Clovis had no idea what that speech was going to be.

Clovis summoned a servant, whispered something, and a bell rung. It was time for dinner.

IOIOI

Lelouch sat near the head of the table, with Suzaku on his left and Kallen on his right. Clearly, it was to show his status as a soldier, as well as showcase the fact that he had no contacts. Lelouch wasn't worried. He would just use the plan. Kallen hissed to him, "What the hell was that Lelouch?"

Lelouch shrugged. "Nothing that concerns you, dear Kallen. It was merely a temporary amusement." Kallen seethed as Lelouch rung a glass.

"Attention everyone, I believe it is time for my speech."


Yeah, a cliffhanger. I'm sorry for that.

Wait. No I'm not. Sorry for the wait though. And that this chapter is shorter than the rest of them were, I wanted to get it out of the way.

I have to say, my favorite part of writing this is the snarky author notes.