Kallen as she sat there in horror, as she watched the terrifying hellfire spread through the land's entirety. The embers blew profusely into the air, decorating the entire atmosphere with a chaotic shade of crimson. Ashes harshly sprinkled their delicate bodies nearer and nearer to the growling smoke, dedicating themselves to the cruelty that lay before them. There were people screaming helplessly, trying to get someone, anyone, to save them from their devastating plights. Soldiers were desperately attempting to escape, doing whatever they could to make it out of this strange place alive, from shoving civilians into the mud, or trampling them to death, or even decapitating them for being too slow. One by one, everything was reduced to nothing, an empty existence that claimed so many lives.

What was this? Purgatory? Hell? One moment, her eyes were closed, the burning depths slowly claiming the Lancelot, then the next, she was here. This place wasn't Vermillion, that much she knew. The black towers were too grand for that, as were the courtyards. The dead forests near the battlefield were a new thing, as was scorching ocean, whose pristine waters were slowly filled with bittersweet bodies. The castle up ahead was made entirely of stone, with large, arched windows reflecting the carnage around her. The banners waved wildly around the hazy smoke, proclaiming a victory it had already lost. She only had to look closer to realize that she'd been here before…

…fighting that Black Knightmare.

She looked down. Suddenly, everyone she knew disappeared, replaced by frantic enemy forces who were endeavoring to keep themselves alive. Rags decorated the grounds, and the beauty she admired within the Chinese Federation, the lights that radiated in justified vanity, the decorations that proudly showed off nationalistic glory, had vanished.

In the center of it all was Zero, riding on the shoulder of the Lancelot Albion. That usually unreadable mask was now amplifying all his emotions revealing every little thought he had in his head. His gloves shrouded the shadows curling near his hands, and his clothes were in disarray, making him look more like a demonic beast than her commander. His mask could have easily reflected some deadly grin dancing upon his lips.

And he was shouting something. She could definitely hear him saying something, but what? Was he gloating at how easily he decimated their numbers? Was he demanding compensation for both Oghi and Nunnally? Was he ordering them to leave and never return? Was he inviting them to join the UFN, in return for their complete surrender?

All the pilot could remember was the searing flames engulfing this place. The darkness etched itself into the archaic madness, and in that insanity, she could see Zero leading it like an old, fallen orchestra. The instruments were already rusted, falling apart at the seams, with the audience nowhere to be found. And still the conductor pushes forward, attempting to get the players to raise their once melodic songs, though the nightmares fell on deaf ears. His laughter was all rhythm the players needed, a murderous beat that taunted every human listening to it, daring the listeners to dance in that lost, tainted innocence, challenging them in every single way. Within that dark elegance, she remained hypnotized.

"Kozuki."

She jolted at the static, her eyes falling away from the blossoming nightmare. She barely managed to choke out his name. "Z-Zero…?"

"Why are you here?" he asked in a very calm, eerie manner. "What about the hostages?"

"Todoh's taking care of them…"

"I told you to stay behind."

"Y-yeah…but," the words were stuck in her throat. Though his voice was soft, sonorous, she couldn't tell if that was rage embedded in his tone, or disappointment, or sadness…or indifference. Yet at the same time, it captivated her, holding her against her own fiery will. But she pushed on. "We all got worried, so I decided to follow you."

Up ahead, Zero slowly turns to her, one hand against the front of his mask, the other steadying himself against the Knightmare. His dark cape flowed resiliently against the smoldering air, creating large, fearsome black wings. "Are you alone?"

"Yes sir."

"Then could you do something for me?"

"What sir…?"

She thought she heard him smirk then. "I want you to stay right there. Wait for me until I get back. There're some rats that've escaped."

Kallen was about to protest, when a big, red alert popped up onto her screen. Her mouth was slightly agape, as she distraughtly tried to move the Guren, who wasn't obeying her orders. She kept fumbling with it, trying to regain whatever senses she had left, the panic gradually rising in her chest. She had no control over her own armor.

The electricity flowing from the wires to the metal nearby. She kept herself back, shock overtaking her entire being. The Guren's wings were immediately shut off, and the rumbling resonated everywhere from within the Knightmare, and it didn't take Kallen to realize what was happening. Zero hacked her system.

He shut her down, just like that.

The white Knightmare disappeared then, along with Zero. Kallen clenched her teeth. Her knuckles blanched, while she turned her attention to the already cremated corpses lying around her. Stay here? With all this happening around them? Didn't he realize that she was his bodyguard, that it was her job to protect him? Didn't he know what was going to happen if this mess wasn't resolved? But more importantly, where were they? What exactly did he do here? How many people have died already from this one incident alone?

The questions pounded inside her head, like a bunch of immature children trying to get her attention. She replayed Zero's command over and over again. He talked as if she were nothing more than a spoiled brat, wanting to get in on the action. He acted like she knew nothing about combat, even though he's seen her skills. The situation wasn't urgent, yet he never clarified the orders he's given her. What would happen if she asked about them? Would he pretend that he didn't know what she was talking about? Would he cut her off, as he did now? Yes, she was his soldier, and she was the one at fault for going off on her own like that, but her pride was hurt all the same. The embarrassment was hard to ignore.

She gripped the controls, grappling with her own rebellious thoughts, then she opened the cockpit. She stepped out into the burning atmosphere. It doesn't matter what he says; her previous resolve was, at this point, her top priority. There was no doubt that Kallen would follow the commander anywhere. She would do anything for him, and would even die for him, as long as he upheld the peace Lelouch died for.

So, in her eyes, there wasn't a need to do anymore damage. She held fast to her stubbornness and proceeded to run toward the castle, the key around her neck.

The memories came flooding back as she made her way there. Her eyes never took care to examine the bodies lying near her, nor did she pay any attention to the massacre Zero might have very well caused. She never looked at the once beautiful buildings, now cracked and ruined, ready to fall at a given notice, or the trinkets the civilians dropped while running, from precious jewelry to worthless toys. Her pupils focused entirely on the tall, imposing gates which guarded the castle, laying there, vulnerable to whatever nature had in store for them. She jumped over the railing and went into the magnificent structure.

All the doors were missing, she noticed, as well as the glass that supposedly protected the building. The shards crunched beneath Kallen's weight, while she hurried through this maze. The smell of urine and feces covered the air with disgusting accuracy, but even then, she could recognize the structure. Yes, she's seen this before. She remembered the mission she was ordered to carry out, by Lady Vivian, she believed.

That's right, she was here to capture someone, though for some reason, she couldn't remember who. Her body began recalling the details of this grandiose home, the calm demeanor she had, the once glamorous rooms she never stopped to admire, as well as the lurking suspicion of corruption lurking underneath that beauty. She remembered how she, along with the entire Zero Squad, arrived at the throne room, where they were captured by a man in a mask that reminded Kallen of a phantom. She remembered hoe the wires wrapped around her body, as well as his warning of what would happen if she and her subordinates struggled against their makeshift prisons. She remembered how the man taunted her, knowing full well she couldn't escape without his aid.

She's had enough of this place. The sooner they leave, the better.

There was no chance the leader would be in the throne room; that person was too much of a coward to face their own death gloriously. Then again, how could? The entire militia has fled, and there was no standing army, from what Kallen could see. The higher-ups have evacuated, probably waiting for another chance at a counterattack. They were all cowards, not at all like the soldiers she fought before, so her best bet were the bedrooms; people hide there all the time.

It only took her so long to check them all. There weren't many guest rooms to begin with, mainly because most of them were barricaded by nails, or were so desolate she couldn't even stomach going in inside the poor thing. At last, she made it to what she believed was the main room, though she had her doubts. Like all the others, it was ruined, a far cry from her normal expectations. Kallen grabbed her pistol and pressed her ear against the surface; it didn't seem like anyone was in there.

She kicked open the door cautiously, and rapidly ducked behind the side. She blinked, waiting for the blasting beats of gunshots. There was none.

Very slowly, she peeked from behind the corner. Her eyes darted back and forth. Here too; the enchanting prettiness she found within her memories was robbed here as well. There were no glass shards this time, but rather, dust and decay. The cobwebs brushed past her heel, covering the floor's ice radiant shine, and the smell was so decadent and musty, it was hard for Kallen to imagine anyone living here. There were no clothes, nothing of personal value. There wasn't even a bed here. And yet there was still another curiosity that caught Kallen's mind.

In the middle of the room there was a large, golden bird cage.

It was tall enough to touch the ceilings. The bars were so thick Kallen had a hard time wrapping her hands around them, and the space was so small she could barely see through it. Her eyes widened.

There was a person inside it.

There was a big door at the front of it, with a neat little lock in the middle. She blinked, held the lock in her hands, and examined it. It was old, like everything else in the castle, and it didn't look like it was going to hold up. Still, it seemed like the type you use only when guarding the important stuff. She looked back up at the man, lying there. She didn't know if he was unconscious or dead, or if he was waiting for her to come in, killing her when she was off guard. She rapped the bars with one hand. "Hey, you!"

No answer.

"Get up!" she demanded furiously.

Still nothing.

She narrowed her eyes, grabbed the knife hidden in her boot, and began picking the lock. If he tried anything, she would shoot just shoot him between the eyes. She turned around a few times, making sure no one was behind her, just before the cage door opens. She crept into the cage, closing the door behind her, the lock in hand. She took care to scrutinize the man a bit more.

He wore black, graceless Victorian clothes that seemed to suffocate his body. There was a dark purple choker around his throat, and his dark brown hair was splayed everywhere. The black straps across his mouth was tightly knotted across is neck, and there was a grey blindfold across his eyes. Both his arms and legs were bound by chains.

Any hostility Kallen had was gone, as she crept closer to the man. Then, in one fluid motion, she swept down and started removing the bondage. Her eyes took in the sights of the cage, and she briefly paused at the almost thousands of vials, vials used to pump refrain into someone's system.

She hurriedly removed the neck strap, and felt for a pulse. It was faint, but there was one. First the chains came off, then the leather straps, and finally the blindfold. She turned the man over, and froze.

This was Lelouch. This was Lelouch she was holding.