Rise of Swords

By Storm Wolf77415, Wing Commander White Wolf, and Centurious the Azure

The Valeyard's Lamentations

Andretti's was a modest but upscale establishment in the Tokyo Settlement. The strong scent of onions, garlic, and freshly chopped tomatoes permeated the air, a welcome and inviting scent for all of its patrons. Mario, The proprietor, an Italian immigrant who had immigrated to Japan before the invasion, had become good friends with Sebastian after helping him to deal with some bigoted Britannians. As such he was always willing to give him a discount when he came in to eat. He had been extra generous tonight, since he had brought the girl of his heart with him.

Shirley was wearing one of his favorite dresses, a strapless number with a short jacket over it. The strident emerald green was the perfect contrast to her long copper red hair. Neither of them said a word. It would have just ruined the moment. She gave him a gentle smile, cupping her chin in her hand, her lime green eyes glinting in the soft light of the chandeliers overhead.

"I'll be totally honest, I could get lost in those eyes of yours." Sebastian said, eliciting a blush from her. He held up his water glass. "A toast to us." Shirley held up her glass, and they clinked them both together, "Happy Anniversary, Shirley."

"Happy Anniversary to you, Sebby." She replied, and they both took a big drink. The other customers couldn't help but feel warm at the sight of the two teenagers, so carefree and in love. If they only knew the truth of what they both had endured. For the man known as the Blade Wolf, his mind was shifting back to another time and world. One that only existed in his mind but still felt real to him.

The redheaded swimmer picked up on his distress. She cocked her head to the side, gently reaching out to hold his hand. "Are you okay?" Shirley asked.

"I'm thinking about the past…the path I initially took, and how foolish I acted." He sighed, relishing the feel of her gentle skin against his palm. "There are times when I feel totally unworthy of you." Sebastian closed his eyes. "I did…a lot of really horrible things back then. It's a stain on my soul that will never go away."

"Then tell me, Sebby! If it bothers you that much, bottling it up inside isn't going to help you!" Shirley implored him, her green eyes begging him to share his pain.

"You really want to know? If you did, I'm afraid you'd never want to speak to me again, and I may just say forget it, and end everything right here and now." He replied, but Shirley was adamant.

"Sebby…you went to all this trouble to fix that! If you're going to move on from it, you need to talk about it. Isn't that what I'm here for?" She smiled.

Sebastian relented, he could face down Eighth and even Ninth Generation Knightmare Frames with no problems, but he was powerless against Shirley's smile. "Okay…I'll tell you what happened. The thing you have to understand is everything started with your death, Shirley. You were my moral compass, once I lost you. I stopped playing nice."

"Both Lelouch and I concluded that we couldn't stay at Ashford any longer, we had lost too many people already, and we didn't want to put Milly or Rivalz at risk. We withdrew from school entirely, and became Blade Wolf and Zero full time." He would have clenched his hands if Shirley wasn't holding them. "Lelouch dealt with his grief in the best way he knew how. He threw himself into his work, setting up the UFN, making the preparations to retake Japan."

"As for me…I hid behind my mask, spent all my time training. I would never again fail. As a result I started becoming really aggressive in how I fought…and acted. More than a few times I snapped at someone for a relatively minor slight."

"Didn't you try talking to anyone?" Shirley asked.

"That would mean revealing my identity, not to mention having to answer a lot of awkward questions." His fingers tapped on the table. "Granted…if I had told Toudoh-sensei. He probably would have kept my secret. If anyone could have helped me through it…He would have. But I was too wrapped up in my angst to care. I reasoned if I still had my comrades in the Black Knights, and a cause to fight for, then I could move forward."

"The only thing driving Lelouch at that time was liberating Japan and getting back Nunally. She was the whole reason we were doing this in the first place after all. The Second Attack on the Tokyo Settlement was do or die for all of us. Of course, it meant facing Suzaku. We had him cornered, all Kallen had to do was finish him off. But due to that stupid Geass Lelouch put on him. Suzaku fired the FLEIJA…and for a time, we thought Nunally was dead."

Shirley sniffled a little, The Blade Wolf reached to wipe away the tears. "It only got worse from there. Schneizel took advantage of the confusion to out both of us, just because he could. He told them about Geass, convinced the entire BK leadership that Lelouch had brainwashed them. He promised Ogi he'd give them back Japan in exchange for us." This time Sebastian's hand did clench. "No one was thinking clearly that day, because Ogi said yes. The others confronted us, demanding the truth, but Lelouch was so whacked out of his gourd, he would have welcomed death if it meant being with Nunally again."

She sniffled a little, knowing how important the handicapped little girl meant to her two brothers.

"Still…not everyone had abandoned Lelouch. I burst in with two others, Yukimasa Ikuruga, and Konoka Sasaki. We grabbed him, took off for the hangar." He sighed, "It was a running firefight the entire way. I managed to get him into the Shinkiro, and Masa had gotten into his machine…but Konoka didn't make it. She was cut down by a burst of gunfire, just a couple feet from me. Another person I had failed to save…"

"Oh Sebby…" Tears began to form in her eyes. He took his napkin, gently dabbing the droplets forming on his girlfriend's face.

"This brings us to the hardest part of the story, dear. But it's the part you need to hear about the most." Sebastian took a deep breath. "This is the darkest chapter of my past. I locked it away with the hope of never facing it again, but sometimes…the best way to deal with your demons is to face them head on. Konoka's death was a…let's call it a mental turning point, the final straw for me after losing so much."

She held his hand, giving him the support to keep telling the story. "Losing the girl I loved, seeing my supposed comrades turn on us. I didn't know what to know to believe in anymore. Aside from my devotion to Lelouch, All I had to drive me was my anger and hatred. It's a dangerous mindset to have, it can lead you to make some really dumb choices."

Sebastian took in the texture of Shirley's palm, noting how soft her skin was. "After Lelouch became Emperor, a problem faced me. I couldn't be Blade Wolf anymore, he was a champion of the people, but I wasn't feeling very up to the task. I refused to take on my given name. Sebastian Connor had died when his girlfriend did. I needed to reinvent myself. An all-day Doctor Who marathon provided me with the answer."

"Doctor Who? Of all the sources you had. That's what inspired you?" Shirley giggled. The sound made Sebastian crack into a smile, struggling to keep from being too disruptive.

"Yeah, it did, honey. Specifically the saga known as 'Trial of the Time Lord.' A Time Lord known as the Valeyard was prosecuting the Sixth Doctor for supposed crimes he committed. Ironically, he was later revealed to be the Doctor himself, stripped of his altruistic nature. It appealed to me on many levels because I felt the exact same way. I had lost you. The Black Knights had turned on us. I didn't feel the need to be held back by any kind of moral code, so I created a new look to fit."

"I started wearing an all-black version of the Knights of the Round uniform, a long black leather coat, and a mask to hide my face. From that moment on, I was the Valeyard. My job was putting down any and all dissension against my king," He gave his girlfriend a haunted look, "Not going to lie, I was very good at it. A lot of people suffered at my orders. People were protesting about Lelouch's policies, and I would put them down with extreme force, even including shooting into the crowds. I didn't care what anyone thought. They were a threat and had to be dealt with."

He closed his eyes, letting his memories drift to those dark days just before the Zero Requiem, "As the Valeyard, I was an unholy terror to everyone. The only thing that brought me pleasure was fighting in my emperor's name. If I wasn't on the battlefield, I was miserable. I would lash out at anyone who got close to me, and generally acted like an asshole for no good reason."

Shirley's disapproval was clear on her face, but she didn't say anything. She smiled warmly, holding his hand. "Just keep telling me, Sebby. I'm not going to judge you." She said.

Once again, the Blade Wolf was relieved at his beloved's kind words, acting a soothing balm for his pain. "I suppose if I could sum up myself as the Valeyard in one word it would be…petty. I would do mean things purely on a whim, just to alleviate my boredom when I wasn't fighting. One incident in particular stays with me to this very day of just how disgusting I acted."

(Pendragon, Royal Palace, Two months prior to Battle of Fuji)

The doors swung open, admitting a dark figure. The servants gasped, scattering away as he stomped in, his considerable aura of menace intensified by the way his coat flapped out behind him due to the wind that blew in through the open doorway. A trio of maids began speaking in hushed whispered as he passed by.

"Oh no! The Valeyard is back already?"

"What is he doing here? I thought he was putting down that protest in Mexico?"

"That mask he wears scares me!"

It was then the fierce masked visage fell on the terrified young women. "You've got something to say to me, you little skanks?" He snapped. "If you do, then speak up! I'm right here!"

"No Master Valeyard! Nothing at all, sir! We didn't see anything!" The lead maid yelped, as all three of them snapped to attention, half expecting to be turned to ice by the intense blue eyes glaring through the holes of the black mask he wore.

"Then get the fuck out of my sight!" The Valeyard angrily stomped his foot, causing them to all scream and run off. "Stupid gossips!" He huffed, making his way to his private chambers. He stalked down the corridors, finding the former Fourth Princess sweeping the hall.

He had never liked the majority of the Imperial Family for that matter, barring few exceptions like Euphie, Nunally, and Lelouch himself, the other Imperial Princesses and Princes were all either self-entitled brats, like Carline who threw a tantrum at the drop of a hat, or total morons like Odysseus, who thought Lelouch's take over was a bad practical joke.

The Valeyard let out a sinister smirk; perhaps he could have a little fun here. "Hey Pigshit!" He yelled at Carline. "Tell me why this hallway isn't spotless?" The former princess opened her mouth to protest couldn't get a word out before she was backhanded across the face by the masked warrior. She fell to the ground, nursing her sore cheek. A hand covered in a black leather gauntlet reached out, grabbing the collar of her maid outfit. "Well, I'm waiting for an answer!"

"I-I'm sorry Master Valeyard! I'll do better next time!" Carline whimpered, before she was unceremoniously dropped on her rear end. All she could do was cower before the dark figure in front of her. He snorted in disgust at how pathetic the Fourth Princess was. Through the thin slit of his mask, his lips twisted into a vindictive sneer.

"Strip…" He commanded. "You heard me, you little slut. I want you to strip down to your underwear right fucking now!" Sobbing, Carline removed her maid's dress, leaving her pink bra and panties. "Now crawl around on the floor and bark, just like the dog you are!" She could only manage a few feeble yelps in between her every growing sobs, only to be rewarded with a painful kick to the ribs courtesy of the Valeyard's steel-toed boot.

Having grown tired, he pulled his weapon out, pointing it right between her terrified eyes. "No! NO! I'm sorry Master Valeyard! Please don't kill me!" Carline wailed hysterically. Another snort emanated from his lips, before he lashed out, backhanding her one last time. The former princess crumpled to the ground, bawling.

"You're not even worth wasting the lead! Get out of my sight, you little tramp!" Shaking, Carline grabbed her clothes, taking off down the corridor. Growling, the Valeyard reached his room, slamming the door behind him, before locking it. The mask came off, revealing Sebastian's tear stained face. He broke down into silent tears, collapsing onto the bed.

Sebastian was unable to look Shirley in the eye after that. "I gained a new nickname after that incident…the Maid Beater. It's not one I'm proud of." Delicate fingers wrapped around his chin, forcing his head up. Shirley's hand brushed against his face. Her eyes full of nothing but understanding. She reached across to give him a gentle kiss on the lips.

Relieved, he concluded the story. "Suzaku gave me a lot of shit for that, but I was beyond caring by that point. It's probably why they left me out of the loop on the true nature of the Zero Requiem in the first place. They were afraid I'd sabotage it…they were probably right. If knew the truth, I would have tried to do everything in my power to stop it."

"Oh Sebby…" Shirley finally said, running her fingers along his face. "Thank you so much for telling me. I feel closer to you now than I ever have before."

"Thank you for listening to me. I should have done that a long time ago." Sebastian sighed one more time. "Still…I can't help but still feel incredible guilt and shame over my actions as the Valeyard. I would love nothing more than to just wipe it all away."

"Maybe you have a right to feel that way, but I don't think you should. We are defined by the choices we make, Sebby. Both good and bad." The Blade Wolf found himself lost in his girlfriend's smile as she explained her point, "Cutting away that part of yourself would mean you wouldn't be the man I love so much. Resetting time is a rather extreme move, but now you have a second chance. You and Lulu are tempered by your experiences. The same mistakes won't happen." She smiled even wider, "Especially since I'll be there now to keep you on the right path!"

Sebastian kissed her hand. "It's precisely that reason I love you so much, Shirley!" The couple finished dinner in silence, just enjoying each other's company. They left Andretti's, walking down the street back to Ashford holding hands. It was a warm night, the couple walked along, stopping on a bridge to look out over the Settlement. The Blade Wolf could finally say he had attained some peace of mind.

"You know, Shirley, having talked about this at last…I can't help but think about Konoka and Masa. I hadn't seen them since the invasion ended. And even then it was hard to be around them, knowing what was to come. But we're going to run into them before too long, and it will be nice to have them in the fold."

"When do they show up?" Shirley asked.

"I'll sum it up in two words you should know very well, honey." He leaned in close to her, barely speaking above a whisper, But those two words made lime green eyes widen, "Lake Kawaguchi. I think we both remember that."

"The hotel?" Shirley asked nervously, feeling goosebumps form along her delicate flesh in the night air. Sebastian put his arms around her.

"Yeah, the place where the Black Knights made their debut. Let me inform you of what really went down that night, Shirley. The truth is the Japanese Liberation Front's leadership never sanctioned Kusakabe's attack on the hotel at all! He did it completely of his own volition, and really pissed off General Katase and Toudoh-sensei in the process! They cast him out of the JLF entirely for that stunt."

"I remember!" the redhead shivered as she recalled that night, noting the cold, almost mad gleam in the rogue leader's eyes. Shirley cuddled up against Sebastian, who put a protective arm around her.

"Kusakabe's problem was that he was impatient and impulsive. He thought the JLF was moving too slowly for his tastes, and a lot of the younger guys in the organization agreed with him. The nutcase was just charismatic enough to get a small contingent to go along with his plan, which was tantamount to committing suicide. He couldn't realize that the nation he was fighting for was long dead!"

"So where do your friends come in to it?" She asked.

"When Toudoh-sensei realized what Kusakabe was up to, he sent Yukimasa and Konoka to try and talk some sense into him. It didn't go well, to say the least. So, they joined up with us, and you know the rest of the story." Sebastian looked up to the night sky. "I'll be really happy to see them again."

(Japanese Liberation Front Headquarters, Narita)

"ACHOO!" At that moment, far from the settlement in one of the last traditional Japanese style buildings still standing, a pair of youths sneezed at once. Both wore the uniform of the now defunct Japanese Self Defense Forces. "You okay, Kono? Not coming down with a cold, are you?" Second Lieutenant Yukimasa Ikuruga asked his female companion.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Masa." Second Lieutenant Konoka Sasaki sniffled, "Someone must be talking about us."

He let out a derisive snort. "With our luck, it's some group of crumpet-munchers going all passive-aggressive about how superior Britannians are to Japanese…the whole lot of them are nothing but a bunch of dickless assholes if you ask me." He muttered.

"So that includes Lelouch and Nunally too? Are they dickless assholes as you put it?" Konoka asked, a hurt tone coloring her voice.

"Okay, not all of them are scum, they're exceptions to the rule, Kono." Yukimasa's brilliant red eyes became a little sad. "I wonder how they all are right now."

Konoka sighed before going back to the newspaper in front of her, a huge picture of a certain masked revolutionary on the front. Violet eyes continued to gaze at the image of Zero. "I wonder who he is, Masa. This Zero character certainly seems to have made an impact in a way we could only dream of. Think he could be a former member of the Kururugi Administration come back to seek justice?"

Yukimasa shook his head, "I seriously doubt it, Konoka. You should know full well the types of guys Uncle Genbu hung out with. Nothing but a bunch of old stiffs too bound by honor and tradition! This is way beyond any of them." He picked up the newspaper to look at the photo himself. "This guy is something fresh. He's gotten people to stand up and take notice. I think he could be the one to unify the resistance. A symbol of freedom the Japanese people can rally around."

Konoka readily nodded, "The one thing that's always bothered us is how fragmented the Resistance really is! Even though we're all fighting for a free Japan, it seems like none of the cells are willing to work with each other. Everyone just does their own thing."

"General Katase says it's a matter of security. The entire movement would be wiped out if we united at this time." He rolled his eyes. "Security my ass! We've been at this for seven years now, and we do we have to show for it? I'll tell you…nothing! In fact, I think all we've done is make Britannia's presence stronger than ever. We need to change our thinking, Konoka. It's the only way we're going to win this."

She reached out to hold his hand, "Nothing against General Katase, but he's not going to do a thing about it. He's too set in his ways, and Toudoh-sensei is too loyal to the General to even bring it up, and there's no way in hell we can trust Kusakabe." She shivered at the mention of the JLF's least favorite officer.

"Yeah, Kusakabe is the last guy I'd want to reach out to about this. He's been acting really weird lately anyway." Yukimasa couldn't help but wonder about the arrogant man. It seemed he had been secluding himself a lot lately, with some of the other young soldiers like him and Konoka. He brushed it off, reasoning he could look into it some other time.

Konoka gave another glance to Zero's image. A new resolve crystallizing inside her. "We have to try and reach out to Zero, Masa. If any change is going to come, it will have to be from us."

The young man grinned, "I love it when you take charge, honey. It's late, how about we get to bed?" He stood up, pulling his closest friend to her feet. They returned to their barracks, where they settled down in their futons for the night. He pulled out a picture in a simple wooden frame, a picture of Yukimasa and Konoka as kids alongside Suzaku, Kaguya, Sebastian, Nunally, and Lelouch.

"I hope you guys are all right." He whispered quietly, "Konoka and I think about you every day, and hope you survived the attack on the convoy. We're fighting for Japan, and hopefully what we do will help to get Britannia out of here for good!" He gave the picture one last reassuring pat before sticking it back under his pillow, before finally going to sleep.