Standard Disclaimer: Code Geass and its characters are not my property, etc. If you're offended by explicit, mature themes, then read on and let me try to change your mind. 18+ please.
Timeline Note: This chapter covers material from R2, Episode 20, until just prior to the two month time skip in Episode 25.
The Castaway Prince - A Code Geass Lemon Fanfiction by ClockMaker411
Chapter 7 – Kindred
Zipping up the split bodice of her divided black dress, with its symbol of the Order of the Black Knights prominent on the bust, C.C. frowned, plucking at the dark fabric with thumb and forefinger. Where it had been tight and appealing before, hugging her curves to full advantage, it now seemed to fit a bit more loosely – and it was no wonder, considering how little Lelouch had fed her during the days she had been left his care. For someone who had spent so much time tending to the needs his sister, he was disappointingly quick in forgetting even the most basic of necessities – daily provisions of pizza being the highest priority. Her stomach rumbled as if in agreement. But despite how much she hungered, C.C. doubted that Sugiyama would entertain that sort of request, considering everything that had happened. Another growl essayed from her belly. No, meals would have to wait.
She sighed as she smoothed the dress over her torso the best she could, drawing down the divided skirts snugly over her hips. At least that hadn't changed. Yellow eyes flickered to the tall stand mirror as she turned, looking over her shoulder to regard her backside. Yes, still quite lush and attractive. Lelouch would approve. Returning to the task of donning her clothes, she took up her triple-banded belt of dark red leather, closing its three golden buckles loosely so the belt was slung around a hip. Then came the detached black sleeves, C.C. slipping her arms inside and cinching the gold clasps of the red leather armbands, holding them high and tight on her upper arms. When she was finished, she looked herself over in the mirror, and finding her appearance satisfactory, stepped back toward the opened door of his bedroom.
There were still a few things she needed aboard the Ikaruga, before leaving, likely for the last time, to join Marianne in search of Lelouch. Passing by the bed, her hand caught the small Cheese-kun backpack she had redeemed, courtesy of Pizza Hut, that had lain beside the larger plush obtained by the same means. She inspected the main pocket – it couldn't hold much, but it would suit her purposes. Stopping before his low dresser, the top of which held a line of books taken from the shelves in the main lounge, C.C. knelt, ignoring the books to instead pull open the second drawer – hers.
The hastily stuffed clothing, she largely ignored; C.C. had never really favored the Gothic Lolita outfits that Lelouch had bought for her, and besides, they could be found elsewhere; the white prisoner restraint suits that she did prefer as loungewear were likewise common enough. What she did take, however, was the neatly folded white Chinese dress, the cheongsam, accented with red trim, that Lelouch had given her as a gift – it went carefully into her Cheese-kun satchel, followed just as carefully by the yet incomplete Pizza Hut point redemption cards that had been buried near the bottom.
As she was about to push the drawer closed, her attention caught on something blue, hidden amidst mess of fabric. Had this been the reason she had come, all along? Almost reverently she revealed it, peeling layers of clothing away until it could be pulled it out with both hands. It was, of course, the heart-shaped blue hat that she had taken off of Lelouch's head on that ridiculous "Cupid Day" event at Ashford Academy, what seemed ages ago. Gently it joined her dress in the bag, C.C. sighing softly at having to deform its shape in order to make it fit. She would have to take pains to keep it out of sight from Marianne, or else there would never be an end to the other woman's teasing. But worse yet, if Lelouch were to find it….
"What are you doing?" a familiar female voice demanded from the doorway, interrupting the thought. C.C. turned her head, the movement languid, her amber gaze settling calmly on the azure blue eyes regarding her in open accusation. Kallen stood with her hands on her hips, the disapproval clear in her stance as she stared, waiting, an eyebrow cocked. C.C. noted that the redheaded woman had taken the time to change as well – the snug flight suit was gone, and in its place the gray-trimmed black hues of her Black Knights uniform.
"Isn't it obvious?" she replied evenly as she closed the drawer with a push of her hand, "I'm collecting my things." Her lips pursed in contemplation, and she rose, taking her bag up with her. "The Ikaruga has recently become a rather… inhospitable place, to friends of Lelouch." C.C. found sweet satisfaction in the startled look that flashed across Kallen's features, she evidently expecting the anxious apologies of the orphaned slave girl, not the dry cynicism of the ageless witch. "Yes," she answered prematurely, seeing the woman's mouth work to form the obvious question, "I've regained my memories." Narrowing her gaze, C.C. fixed her with a pointed, very deliberate look. "Don't think that threats and shouts will drive me away from him in the future, Kallen." Again she forestalled her when blue eyes widened in disbelief. "I know what happened." Though keeping her features unreadable came with natural ease to C.C., less could be said about controlling the faint blush rising in her cheeks – it really was embarrassing, how quickly her former self had taken to Lelouch. "You should realize that now things are back to the way they were, I have as good a claim to his heart as you do. Better, from where I stand."
"And what do you mean by that?" Kallen snapped, apparently irritated at being unable to get a word in edge-wise, or perhaps by having her questions pre-empted – most likely both. Despite having posed the question, she gave C.C. no time to answer, continuing on in angry, biting tones. "Did you know that he almost gave his life to protect me?" Deep blue irises gleamed as they stared into golden yellow, her expression conveying the sense that she would not back down. "That he would have died, if Rolo hadn't–" Suddenly her mouth snapped shut, Kallen turning a deep crimson and averting her eyes downward, as if just now realizing what she was saying and burning with the shame of using what had happened as fodder in such a childish argument.
C.C. didn't mind the silence –the detail had been something she hadn't known. Marianne had briefed her on what had happened, for the most part – Schneizel's meeting with the Executive Committee, divulging Lelouch's identity as Zero, then his subsequent betrayal by the Black Knights, which had ended in Rolo rescuing Lelouch and escaping on Shinkirou. The rest she had pieced together using her own memories of those events, seen through the eyes of a slave girl. But this new development was… troublesome.
"But you see," C.C. began smoothly, with hardly a flicker of her disquiet evident in her voice, "that's exactly my point." She waited until Kallen's gaze lifted back to her, then continued, a single eyebrow arched. "If he truly means that much to you, then why are you still here, Kallen?" Slipping the straps of her Cheese-kun bag over first one shoulder, then the other, she elaborated. "At least I am preparing to go to him." Seeing the flash in those blue eyes, she again anticipated Kallen's question, stating, "No, I don't know where he is. But I will find him." Amber irises averted for a moment, as if contemplating something far distant. "We have a contract, after all." That last part was said musingly, almost to herself, but when she glanced back to the red-haired woman in the doorway, her inflection resumed its usual character of aloof sarcasm. "But you," she began as she deliberately swept her eyes down, then up the length of Kallen's body, indicating her uniform, "…you even wear the colors of what is now the enemy camp." And she wore them quite well, she had to admit; though Kallen was a bit shorter than herself, her body was far more voluptuous, while still remaining quite slender, whereas C.C. was long-limbed and slim. It was something she may have envied of her, in the past.
"You don't think I want to go to him?" Surprisingly, Kallen spoke not with a defensive tone, but a solemn one, not having risen to the bait of C.C.'s last derisive remark. Her arms folded beneath her breasts, hands holding elbows, and she shifted in the doorway, not blocking the threshold but instead leaning with her back to the doorjamb, head bowed. "Rakshata's grounded my Guren – she says she needs to run performance evaluations! I can't take it, no matter how much I want to." Her eyes fell on the blacks of her uniform, and she grimaced. "And besides, there's no one here to speak on Lelouch's behalf besides me…. He's the reason why we've gotten this far – if I can somehow convince the others that we still need him, then maybe…."
A lilting, sardonic laugh interrupted her, C.C. enjoying Kallen's display of naïve hope. "They tried to kill him, Kallen," she reminded her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, the mocking mirth still lingering in her voice, "don't you think the time for debate has passed?" To that, Kallen did not reply, and C.C. shrugged, not wanting to belabor the point. Doubtless the Black Knights had struck a deal with Schneizel – Lelouch's life in exchange for a liberated Japan. After that was obtained, they would have no need of Zero, no matter how useful a symbol he might represent. But it wasn't in her best interest to convince Kallen; besides, it would hardly do if the redhead decided to follow her. If Marianne were right and her own suppositions on the subject proved to be correct, C.C. would be reunited with Lelouch very soon. And she needed time alone with him, without any interference from Kallen – the longer it remained that way, the better.
Turning back to the bed, she scooped up the larger Cheese-kun plush in her arms, holding it to her chest, then looked back to Kallen's figure in the doorway. "If you won't go," she uttered, "then it is here that we must part ways." The words were spoken with empty formality, but her tone softened a bit as she continued. "It has been… interesting, to be sure." Her chuckle was dry. "Knowing Lelouch, this will not be the last time we meet. Goodbye, Kallen." And with that, she sauntered smoothly past her, not allowing the other woman to see her hurry. She had taken too much time as it was, and Marianne would be getting impatient, but showing haste might betray her eagerness to be gone.
But Kallen's voice stopped her just as she opened the main door to the intervening chamber, segregated from the central corridor. "C.C.," she called in an inflection that was carefully tight, prompting her to glance back at Kallen over one shoulder. She hadn't moved from her place at the side of the bedroom door, though her head had turned, those sad, sapphire eyes lifting up to contemplate polished amber. "What makes you so sure that you'll find him?"
'Because I know him better than you?' was what first came to mind, but the look in those blue eyes stilled the harsh retort. Kallen did love him – of that, C.C. was certain, and perhaps it was that kinship, that common bond of loving the same, impossible man, which made her hold her tongue. Instead, her lips curved in something of a solemn smile, the expression in her own yellow irises mirroring perfectly that in Kallen's blue, as she murmured in a soft, quiet voice, only barely audible despite the absolute silence of the room, "We're bound by destiny."
A low, mournful lament echoed throughout the sandy clearing as the cold night wind swept in from the sea, bringing with it both the scent of salt and the faint but pungent odor of acrid smoke. Lelouch ignored the wind, despite how it whipped at his clothes and tousled the long falls of dark hair framing his face. His objective was inland, not behind and over the ocean, where even still he could hear the rhythmic boom of cannons and the quieter, but still punctuated chatter of gunfire, accompanied intermittently by sharp, sudden bursts of noise as metal wrenched and Knightmares were destroyed.
It was against this backdrop that he stood – that dark, sparsely clouded sky alit with cutting explosions of light that, in their short-lived glory, managed to outshine even the distant stars. The supposed coup d'etat arising from Shikinejima was all a diversion, of course – a ploy to keep the Emperor's support fleet distracted as Lelouch moved to confront Charles himself. And in the midst of that chaos, he would execute his plan to forever rid the world of his father's machinations.
Arms relaxed at his sides, Lelouch slowly walked between the two twin columns of Sutherland Knightmare frames, their float units folded on their backs as they each dropped to the left knee, lifting and crossing massive silver lances to form an archway of metal above him. He gave no pause to consider the pilots inside, each of whom he had subdued with his power, given the blunt command to follow any and all of his orders without question.
Whereas in the past, Lelouch had wielded his ability with surgical precision, carefully tailoring his instructions to accomplish only what he required and nothing more, he now swung it like a hammer, demanding an obedience so complete that his victims were left as little more than empty shells, robbed of both of free will and their former sense of self. The brutality of what he had done did not faze him. Perhaps he had used people so often in the past that he had now grown numb to it. But more likely, he would have done whatever it took, used whatever loathsome means were necessary, to accomplish this last, important act, as the beginning of his atonement.
From amid a rocky outcropping in the distance, Lelouch could just make out the cave entrance, given away by the telltale magenta glow radiating ominously from within. He took his time, walking leisurely, to assure that his father would have preceded him in entering the World of C. A gloved hand idly checked the satchel at his side, its payload of explosives and timed detonator arranged neatly within. Soon… soon enough, it would be done, and when he and his father were trapped together in that otherworldly place, perhaps Lelouch would at last receive the answers he had sought for so long.
Arms crossed beneath her breasts, Kallen paced restlessly within the confines of the small storage area, set apart from the remainder of the hangar bay. Because most of the surplus munitions had been used in the morning's battle to outfit their Knightmare Frames, the room was largely empty, allowing her an eleven-pace stride from wall to wall – a span she had counted out innumerable times. Though the hour was late – it must have been already past midnight, as the maintenance bay had been deserted when she had first made her way here – Kallen would not let herself sleep, despite the leaden tiredness behind her eyes.
With each step, the synthetic material of her flight suit creaked softly, Kallen having changed out of the charcoal hues of her Black Knights uniform. After what C.C. had remarked, the gray-trimmed blacks she had once been so proud to wear had seemed unbearably stifling, forcing Kallen to trade them for the clinging red of her jumpsuit. Or perhaps it had been another reason – the same reason that had brought her here, back to the storage area, where she had shared secret kisses with Lelouch less than a week before. Color rose in her cheeks and she stumbled, missing a step. It had been more than just kisses. She shook the feeling off, turning her thoughts back to the problem at present.
When the C.C. had departed, Kallen had again gone to plead with Ougi and the other members of the Executive Committee on Lelouch's behalf, despite how futile she knew the attempt would be. Ougi had heard enough, drawing her aside almost roughly. What he had said to her still stung, echoing vividly in her mind. "He used us, Kallen," he had growled through gritted teeth, "Manipulated us – controlled us with that despicable power to achieve his own selfish goals. And you still try to defend such a man?" Shaking his head at that, Ougi had then uttered, in tones of deep disappointment, "It would break Naoto's heart to see you like this." Kallen's lower lip trembled, remembering those cutting words – that look in his eyes. But she would not let herself cry.
She was… terribly conflicted, as if her heart were split in two. One part of her wanted nothing more than to go to him, to search for him wherever he was, to steal her Knightmare, orders be damned, and cover every inch of ground, looking… and yet, the other part dreaded what Lelouch might tell her when she did, at last, find him. When they had been alone together amidst the beams of the spotlights of the cargo bay, Kallen had said that she would forgive him anything. Had that changed? It was that part of herself, that growing doubt, which grounded her here on the Ikaruga as surely as had Toudou's executive order – an order that would only be rescinded if Schneizel requested their help in quelling this sudden, unexplained uprising within the Britannian military.
Those doubts had taken root after seeing the wealth of evidence that Ougi and the others had presented against Lelouch, of which his Geass was only a part. Toudou was convinced that Lelouch had orchestrated the apparent suicides of the remaining members of the Japan Liberation Front, rigging an explosive to destroy their Sakuradite-loaded tanker – a scheme that had all been to the purpose of securing Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords to his cause. Further, according to the dossiers, one of his victims had been Euphemia li Britannia, the Massacre Princess. How many thousands of innocent Japanese had died that day? Slaughtered, after being led into a trap baited by promises of equality? It was clear now what had caused Euphemia's sudden change in motives. Lelouch, unwilling to let the Black Knights disband in the face of Britannian compromise, had used his Geass, and then took advantage of the outrage generated by that massacre to incite the Black Rebellion.
But what had unsettled her deepest was Kinoshita's testimonial data; he had been Vice-Captain in Team Zero, second only to Kallen herself, and she had trusted him – she had liked him. And so to see him hunched over and bleeding, confessing what he had done, under orders, on the mission from which Lelouch had barred her – that attack on the secret facility in the Chinese Federation… it had almost driven her to tears. How could Lelouch have ordered such a thing? Kallen was a soldier, and killing did not faze her – yet her opponents had always been soldiers themselves. But to kill without quarter – no, to murder indiscriminately, scientists, civilians, men and women, old and young, even children….
Kallen stopped at the far side of the room, steadying herself with her palm pressed flat against the wall. There had to be some explanation – some rationale behind everything he had done, no matter how depraved it all appeared on the surface. Could this be what Lelouch had promised to tell her on the night that had never come, when he said he would put his trust in her, divulge everything, in enabling her to become his confidante? Drawing a breath, Kallen strengthened her resolve, blinking away the edging tears. She wouldn't judge him prematurely, as had everyone else – no, she would wait to hear his justifications for herself. Besides, C.C. had known the truth, and she still loved him despite it, and Kallen herself knew the truth of his love – how sweet and gentle and kind and compassionate he could be… what kind of man could be at one moment so loving, and the next, so utterly ruthless? There had to be a reason – she had to believe in him.
With a sudden push away from the wall, Kallen pivoted, a look of determination glinting in her eyes. She knew what she now had to do, and admonished herself for stalling so long. Her left arm snapped up smoothly, bringing Guren's red and white activation key, which had hung by a chain at her wrist, back up into her hand. She would find him. She would make him fulfill his promise.
But when she strode back into the hangar bay, she froze, suddenly surprised – the place that had been eerily empty before was now a bustle of activity, with suited Knightmare pilots running quickly to their units, weary technicians outfitting their machines with ordnance. So absorbed in her own thoughts, Kallen hadn't noticed the clamor arising outside the storage room. Her eyes picked up a familiar face amongst the crowd. "Tamaki! What's going on?!"
The wiry red-haired man paused in the middle of climbing the ladder to his cockpit block, leaning back from it with one arm hooked around a rung. "What, you didn't hear, Kallen?" he shouted back, "Toudou's orders! We're gonna fight at Shikinejima!"
Comprehension dawned on her – the proposed coup d'etat had been too quick and without apparent motive to be explained, unless the impetus behind it was Geass. Lelouch had to be there. Was he fighting, using Britannian soldiers now that the Order of the Black Knights had forsaken him, trying futilely in one last desperate attempt to kill his father, the Emperor? If he were in danger, she had to find him, get to him before anyone else did – to protect him. "Lelouch," she said under her breath as she sprinted down the ordered lines of kneeling Knightmare Frames, rapidly closing the distance to the gleaming red and orange of her Guren, "I'll come to you as quickly as I can, so please… wait for me?"
"Do you really think that wise, Lelouch?" At her comment, his hand wavered, fingers poised above the key that at a touch would open a private channel between his unit, Shinkirou, and Kallen's Guren. Pupil-less violet eyes that shone with the symbol of Geass turned their chilling stare on C.C., who sat precariously on the golden armrest beside him within the cockpit block of his Knightmare. The back of her seat doubled as the compartment where he had just put away his attire as Zero, exchanging it for the gold-trimmed black of his Ashford Academy uniform. She had changed as well, removing the black dress, preferring to wear just the white underclothing. The large Cheese-kun plush was still held to her chest, but she had set aside the similarly styled satchel.
"It's a private channel – it won't be detected by the others. If I can get her away from them, then perhaps…." His voice trailed off, and he squinted – for a moment, the display indicating the distribution of Knightmares in the area had seemed a bit blurry. Was he that tired? It was clear and crisp now, showing the remainder of his diversionary Knightmare force from Shikinejima being systematically destroyed by several units from the Order of the Black Knights, top among them Xingke, Toudou, and of course, Kallen herself. Though he was exhausted, this plan seemed straightforward enough.
It had been a few hours before sunrise when they had emerged together from the World of C, Suzaku having preceded them to collect a startled, amnesic Anya, now that Marianne no longer occupied a portion of her mind. After they had materialized in the mouth of the cavernous ruins, C.C. serving as the medium for transport in place of the irreparably damaged Door of Twilight, they had found that Suzaku had already gone. And so they had hiked alone back to the smuggler's cove where Lelouch had left his Knightmare, having discovered the cave by chance while approaching the island in Shinkirou's submersible configuration. Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention, he had thought it prudent at the time to leave his Knightmare in the cove and move inland on foot; now the ache in his legs made him wish that he had set the unit down a bit closer.
Forcing himself to focus, Lelouch turned his thoughts back to C.C., her yellow irises sharpening as they gazed down at him. "You're tired," she said, narrowing her eyes, "and you aren't thinking clearly. You're making a mistake." He raised an eyebrow at her.
He certainly was tired, that was undeniable – Lelouch had been awake for more than twenty-four hours, and the events of the past day had been strenuous, to say the least, taking tremendous toll on him both physically and mentally. Even before the hike, his arms and back had been stiff from the toil of preparing Rolo's gravesite, and now they throbbed, unused to the sort of exertion to which they had been subjected; it even hurt to swallow, from where his father had nearly choked him – at least from his tentative inspection, no permanent damage had been done to his throat. Coupled with the emotional trauma of losing his sister, then the subsequent betrayed by the Order of the Black Knights, as well as the revelation of the truth behind his mother's "death" – it was almost too much for him to bear.
But what he did know was that he wanted Kallen, wanted the closeness and companionship that only she could give him; what he wanted, more than anything at that moment, was to be together with her, to lose himself in her embrace, forgetting all worldly matters and concerns while in the shelter of her arms – a feeling that was unique to being with her. When they had last been together, aboard the Ikaruga, she had been walking away, her back to him, and he had thought that to be the last he would ever see of her in this lifetime – but now that she was so close, just a key press away…. C.C.'s words cut through the haze of his tiredness, her tones sharp and critical. "Have you forgotten already, Lelouch? If you contact her now and she follows you as you wish, then what will happen to her at the end of Zero Requiem? After you are gone?"
Of course. He drew back his hand, if reluctantly, settling it back on the armrest of his chair. In his exhaustion, he had forgotten just what his plan would involve – what it would mean for those around him. Using his Geass and the strength of the Imperial Throne, he would conquer the world, taking its hate upon himself, and after he died, slain by the man who was the very symbol of justice, what would happen to those who sided with him? They would be exiled, if not killed outright, but worse…. C.C. finished the thought for him, voicing it aloud. "You would ask her to betray her values, her friends? Fight against them, perhaps even kill them, sacrificing everything for a love that would only culminate in your death?"
Lelouch gritted his teeth, then, with an angry flutter of fingers on the keypad, dismissed the communications screen. Her points were valid, but no less irritating, she the voice of reason against the fatigued thoughtlessness that had gripped him. He couldn't help but lash out, speaking without thinking, his words sounding harsh even to his ears. "Do you stop me for Kallen's sake, or yours, C.C.?" They had the desired effect, a stricken look of hurt flickering across her features as he gazed at her; seeing that expression, he regretted the remark immediately, but said nothing, concentrating instead on plotting the course of underwater travel necessary to avoid the patrolling Knightmares in the sky above.
"It's for your sake, Lelouch," C.C. whispered softly, leaning against the enclosing wall of the cockpit beside her. "Aboard the Ikaruga, Kallen told me that you were willing to give up your life to save hers… this is no different. Find that strength now."
Feeling suddenly abashed, Lelouch drew in a tight breath, releasing it slowly. "Thank you, C.C." He regarded her with a sidelong glance, but she did not meet his eyes, C.C. giving only a slight nod as her face buried into the back of Cheese-kun's head. Eyes shifting back to the radar display, Lelouch watched, not without some wistful regret, as Shinkirou separated itself from the blue triangles signifying friendly units in the area, still clustered in Shikinejima. When they were distant enough, they would remain submerged and undetectable until they could rendezvous with the Avalon, and assuming Suzaku had enough control over his subordinates to get Lelouch within eyeshot, Geass would ensure that the rest of the journey to mainland Britannia remained uneventful.
The wait might be long, depending on how quickly Suzaku could make the arrangements for the Avalon's departure. Still, Lelouch would welcome the respite – it would allow him to get a few hours of much-needed sleep. His eyes turned to C.C., seated on her perch beside him; doubtless she needed the rest as well. A faint growl came to his ears, echoing loud within the confines of the cockpit, and C.C. hugged her plush tighter to her middle, as if to muffle the sound. Having been consumed in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the rumbling of her stomach, but recalling it now, it had been quite audible even during their walk back to his Knightmare. A thought nagged at him, and recalling it suddenly, he reached down, opening a compartment beneath his seat and fishing out a foil-wrapped package along with a small bottle of water.
Questioningly, amber eyes met his, prompting Lelouch to offer her a wry smile. "Field rations," he explained, proffering the package and the water bottle, "You're hungry, aren't you?"
"Yes… thank you." She blushed, setting Cheese-kun behind her, and then collected the silver parcel in her hands, looking at it circumspectly. The water bottle followed. Opening the ration, C.C. perused through the number of smaller bags within, packed tight to ensure no wasted space. "It's cold," she said, wiggling out the entrée of the dish – what appeared to be a stew of some kind. "How do I…?"
"Here, allow me." Lelouch took the bag from her hand, and after a bit of sifting, found the chemical pouch used to heat the meal, along with a smaller package of dense biscuits. "It'll take a few minutes, but you can snack on these if you like," he said offhandedly, handing her the biscuits. She accepted them gratefully, tearing the bag open with her teeth when her fingers proved inadequate, then took a tentative bite of the powdery white cookie. He sampled one himself, after setting up the stew pouch in the heater bag, pouring in a bit of bottled water to start the exothermic reaction. The biscuits were as chalky as they appeared, tasting like dust in his mouth, but with some determined chewing a little sweetness came through. C.C. seemed to like them, finishing hers and his as well, once he offered; it still hurt to swallow, and the dryness of the biscuit did nothing to soothe the soreness of his throat.
Sipping the water, Lelouch checked on the food; he had placed it on the armrest opposite that where C.C. reclined, leaning the doubled bag against the cockpit wall to prevent it from bubbling over. "It's about done," he said, drawing out the inner bag that held the now heated stew, "but be careful, don't burn yourself – hold it by the edges." Gingerly, he opened it for her, and she accepted it just as carefully, if eagerly, the spoon from the ration already held in one hand. "Stir it, first." Complying, C.C. stirred the dish, taking a sniff of the stew and wrinkling her nose, but she began eating readily enough as soon as she judged it suitably cool.
Lelouch turned away, allowing C.C. to enjoy her meal in silence. He knew he should eat, yet it was difficult to muster the energy. What he wanted now was – well, truth be told, what he wanted was likely still on Shikinejima – but barring her, what he needed was rest. At least C.C. had stopped him before he had foolishly made the mistake of speaking to her. He breathed deeply, as if the indrawn breath would fill his resolve as it did his lungs. It was for her that he must do this, must go through with Zero Requiem – for Kallen, Nunnally, Shirley, Rolo, and the countless others who had died, whom he had killed, directly or indirectly, while walking his path of carnage, while fulfilling his oath to become evil so that he might rid the world of evil. When he awoke, he would be resolute – hard enough to accomplish that goal, knowing full well what it meant – but for now, as his eyes closed, he hoped that the gods would be kind enough to grant him one last, sweet dream of her.
C.C.'s quiet voice interrupted him gently, coaxing his eyes to open, if grudgingly, to look at her. "You've barely had anything." It was an astute observation, and holding the bag in one hand and the spoon in the other, C.C. offered him some of the dark brown stew. "Eat." Lelouch began to shake his head, but she insisted, yellow eyes brooking no argument as she left her perch on the armrest to take up residence on his lap. Sighing, he relented, opening his mouth and taking in one spoonful, then another, which, despite being a bit over-seasoned, was not as bad as it had looked. And so she fed him what was left of it, in between swallows of water, C.C. quite content in her newfound seat. When it was done, they shared the small pound cake that was the meal's dessert.
It was in the silence that followed, after she had put away the numerous foil wrappers that had segregated the contents of the ration, that she finally spoke to address the tangible tension that had lingered between them ever since their reunion in the World of C. "Lelouch," she began, in an inflection that seemed carefully contained, "I wasn't quite honest with you before – about Kallen. Yes, I had another motive." C.C. paused, glancing down, and close as she was, still sitting in his lap, he could feel each uneven breath she exhaled – it was warmth against his skin. "I wanted to be alone with you." Hesitating, her lower lip trembled, a faint trace of color blooming in her cheeks. "There's something I want to know."
Lelouch had foreseen this, of course, but having known that it would come made it no less difficult, in the end. Slowly, he nodded, the violet depths of his eyes revealing nothing, only studying her countenance, so close now that he could read every subtlety in her demeanor as he spoke a single word. "Ask."
As expected of C.C., her question was not direct, but rather, quite roundabout, her own amber irises regarding his visage with equal care. "Twice now," she began, speaking in a timbre that was both intimate, yet insistent, "you could have had me, if you wished." She paused, averting her gaze momentarily before it flickered back up to him. "I was your slave… I wouldn't have denied you, even if I had wanted to." Her brow twitched, denoting the volume of her frustration, immense as it had to be to penetrate the cool serenity of her mask. "And yet, you refused. Why?"
"You had lost your memories," he replied smoothly, a wry twist shaping the line of his mouth, "I wouldn't take advantage of you like that." It was only part of the truth, and C.C. seemed to sense it, narrowing her stare and arching a single, fine eyebrow. Sighing softly, he acquiesced, glancing away for a moment before he added, "It wouldn't have been the same, with you not yourself. It would have had no meaning."
Seeming satisfied by the answer, C.C. leaned closer, the arm nearest him slipping around his shoulders as her other hand lightly touched his cheek. "And now that I am myself?" she asked, her whisper a seductive invitation of breath along his skin, "…Would you refuse me now?" She ventured closer, her lips a finger's breadth away, then a hairsbreadth. Lelouch did not answer in words, but rather, turned his head ever so slightly, denying her the kiss that her closeness had sought. For C.C., the gesture was enough.
"So you have chosen her, after all." The statement was solemn, not scornful, as she pressed her cheek against the side of his neck. "What of me, then?" The arm around his shoulders tightened, holding him closer, as the hand at his face slipped down to clutch at the black fabric of his uniform. "I warned you, Lelouch," she began, in tones not of foreboding, but of melancholy, "…that the power of kings would isolate you. That in the end, it would be just you and I. Was I wrong?" She did not wait for him to answer, speaking again, her voice tight. "Would you deny yourself what little measure of happiness I could give you?" The plea was uttered into the curve of his neck, but she pushed away slightly, regarding him with golden eyes whose edges welled with unshed tears.
"Do I deserve even that?" Lelouch mused darkly, but the expression in her eyes culled the thread of cynicism. Seeing her so open, so vulnerable, made his breath catch in his throat. He did feel something for her – she had long been his accomplice, his confidante, and at times, his lover – and he did know that a part of him had returned her love, but he understood as well that it was only a fragmentary sentiment compared to what he held for Kallen. And he would no longer exploit C.C.'s feelings for him for the sake of that momentary satisfaction, as he had in the past – it would be betraying both his respect for C.C., and his love for Kallen.
Still, it was the affection he had for the woman astride his lap that prompted him to reach out, cradling the side of her face to his neck as he smoothed the green tresses of her hair. "This is my penance," he murmured softly, "…my atonement. Misery is what I deserve." His hand slipped beneath the locks of her hair, moving to hold her gently at the back of her neck. "But what about you, C.C.? Twice you've had the chance to end the misery of your immortal life. Why did you not?"
Her response was long in coming, and for a moment, he thought she might already have fallen asleep, but she did reply, her soft-spoken words carrying a thread of crestfallen cynicism. "Perhaps I thought you would keep the promise you made to me. To die smiling, wasn't it?" He knew her very well, knew her mannerisms and the inflections of her speech, and he thought he could tell when she was lying – this was one of those occasions, as evidenced by the minute tremble of her shoulders as he held her, and the soft quaver in her voice. "But that seems impossible now." Lelouch remained silent for a time, considering not the words she had spoken, but the true message that her demeanor conveyed – that she had hoped to have his heart, but in the end, it had already been given to someone else.
"Will you do something for me?" she asked in a plaintive whisper, the request hesitant and uncertain, so unlike the aloof confidence with which she normally spoke. He found himself nodding, unable to deny the raw emotion in her request. Settling back against him, C.C.'s body felt tense as it pressed against his own, as she said, in a voice that sounded on the verge of crying, "I'm cold… can I stay like this, just a little longer?" In wordless assent, his hand rubbed the nape of her neck in soothing circles, while his other arm slipped around her middle to hold her closer. "Thank you," she mumbled into the side of his throat, relaxing visibly in his arms, and Lelouch pretended not to notice the warm wetness of her tears as she wept.
"Lelouch…" she said under her breath, sea blue eyes widening in stunned shock as they stared up at the main viewing screen on the bridge of the Ikaruga. Transfixed, Kallen's gaze followed his every step as he languidly, insolently, took his seat on the Imperial Throne, looking as elegant as ever in the gold-accented black school uniform of Ashford Academy. "Why…?"
Lelouch was alive, and in Pendragon, of all places. How long had it been since she had last seen him, on that fateful day in the belly of the Ikaruga, when they had been alone together in the glare of the spotlights? A month? How many days had she spent looking for him, looking for his body, scouring the rabble at Shikinejima for any trace of evidence that might shed some light on his whereabouts, or even if he were alive or dead? But there he was, looking no different from how she remembered him – full of confidence and vitality, those violet eyes she loved so much now sweeping across his dominion with an air of youthful arrogance. Why…? If he were alive, then why hadn't he tried to contact her, to assuage her worries? He loved her – he had confessed it! – but why didn't he at least send some message – a call or text, anything! – so that she wouldn't have had to spend so many nights awake, tossing and turning, fearing what might have become of him?
Her breath caught in her throat – the nobles gathered to witness his self-investiture as Emperor had apparently had enough, as a trio of guards rushed at him, their halberds leveled – only to be met by a sudden blur of black, the figure dropping unexpectedly from the rafters and shattering their weapons with a spinning kick. "Suzaku?!" she sputtered in disbelief, the sentiment only magnifying as Lelouch introduced him regally, bestowing upon him a rank that superseded all other Knights of Rounds – the Knight of Zero. How… how could he do this? To not only take Britannia, but to ally with Suzaku – a man who had been his enemy, and her rival, from the very beginning of this struggle? And why Suzaku? Hadn't she sworn to be his knight? Shouldn't she have been the one beside him, wearing the mantle of the Knight of Zero? And yet… he hadn't even let her know that he was still alive.
Kallen clenched her jaw, dark blue eyes sharp with feminine disapproval. This had to be some scheme they had concocted, but to what purpose? Having lost the Order of the Black Knights, had he turned to his only other path to power, the Empire of Britannia, as a means to dominate the world? No – it couldn't be that simple. She knew him, knew the kind of man he was – there had to be some other explanation behind the superficial desire for power, some other motivation behind his actions, just as there had to be a reason for him to commit the acts that seemed so atrocious in retrospect. She would hear those reasons for herself, as he had promised her in that moment outside his quarters, and when she did, she would see that all her doubts had been unfounded – that at the core of him, he was good, his motives pure, despite all he had done in donning a cloak of evil so that evil itself could be destroyed. It had to be true. It had to be.
"Be ruthless," C.C. had said to him, the words now echoing in his mind as his violet eyes traced the slender figure leading the way a few steps in front of him, uniformed in the charcoal and sable of the Order of the Black Knights. Despite all he had done in the few days following his ascension to the throne – the destruction of his father's tomb, the abolition of the nobility, and the restructuring of the core tenets of Britannia itself – Lelouch knew that this trial would be, by far, the most difficult: a cruel, but necessary test of his resolve.
When Lelouch had first laid eyes on her, after disembarking from his personal shuttle, he had almost inadvertently broken the cool façade of pleasant serenity that he had donned as his mask, so intense had been the sudden rush of emotion at seeing her again. But he had contained the sentiment, if only barely, upholding the pretense of affable politeness for the sake of watching cameras as they strolled the grounds of Ashford Academy. And now that they were alone in the Student Council Clubhouse, the wide, carved door closing gently behind him, he would exchange that guise for another. "Forgive me, Kallen," he whispered under his breath, too softly for her to hear.
Stepping forward quickly, he closed the distance between them, his left hand encircling her right wrist and spinning her round; she nearly stumbled forward, but he caught her in his arms, Lelouch seeing only the briefest glimpse of surprise on her features before crushing her to him in a desperate, passionate kiss. At first, she fought him, but soon the hands that had been pushing him away began to cling to him instead, fingers clutching at the gold-trimmed white stole complementing his imperial robes. She returned the kiss, and Lelouch reveled in it, losing himself, if momentarily, in the feeling of being so close, as he struggled to commit to memory every vivid detail of what would surely be their last intimate embrace, from the heady warmth of her body and the faintly lingering scent of her lavender soap, to the silken heat of her lips pressed to his, and the sweetness of her mouth when those lips parted to deepen that connection – even the soft gossamer flutter of her eyelashes against his cheek as she blinked away tears, tears that fell warm and wet on his skin.
It was only for want of air that he broke the kiss, drawing in several uneven gasps while he held her close, enfolding her black-clad form in the whites of his robe. "Lelouch…" she breathed, only now seeming to again find the will to push him away, "No…wait, there's something I– ahh…." Her words faded into quiet moans as he began to kiss her neck, teeth and tongue nipping playfully at the creamy skin just above the line of her gray-edged collar. He would have to be careful here – his aim was not to overcome her fortitude, but only to set her off-balance enough that she…. "Wait…" Kallen said again in a soft, desperate plea, as his lips and tongue traced the contours of her ear, "…stop, Lelouch, please… stop…." His left hand released her wrist only to slip to her flank, fingers edging under the layers of her uniform and caressing the skin beneath, his intent clear as his hand moved from her side, to her stomach, slipping ever lower until his fingertips dipped into the waistband of her shorts.
That movement seemed to have the desired effect, as she pushed him suddenly away with hands at his shoulders, keeping him at arm's length. Those blue eyes were intense as they gazed into violet, Kallen's face still flushed crimson in embarrassment. "Stop," she repeated, more firmly now that she was no longer distracted by his insistent kisses, "There's – there's something I need to ask you." Her breathing was still somewhat ragged, coming in long, uneven breaths, but the cast in her features conveyed an inarguable sense of determination. It was here, in this mindset, that he needed her to be.
"Of course," he murmured softly, his right hand reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Anything for you." She shivered even at so small a touch, and he softened his expression, adding, with a smile, "…but at least let me touch you. It's been far too long, Kallen – I've missed you."
The admission seemed to unsettle her, Kallen averting her eyes momentarily as the color deepened in her cheeks. She did not draw back, though, and quickly enough, her stare lifted back to his, sapphire irises looking like nothing more than deep wells of rippling blue, rimmed as they were with tears. "Why…" she began in an inflection that was equally fragile, "…why didn't you tell me that you were alive?" Her gaze shifted, lowering to appraise the decorative ruby prominent on his sternum, as the words spilled out unbidden. "I looked for you, day and night, in my Knightmare, at Shikinejima, thinking you were dead… but when I didn't find you, I searched all over Tokyo – even the tunnels under Shinjuku – everywhere I could think of, but you weren't–"
Lelouch interrupted her, taking a step closer and pressing his forehead lightly to hers, forcing her to meet his eyes, as the edge of his thumb wiped away a rolling tear. "I'm sorry, Kallen," he said gently, giving a half-hearted, half-abashed smile of apology. "I wanted to contact you, but I couldn't – for your own safety. If I told you where I was, you would've tried to come to me, wouldn't you? If the Black Knights thought you were defecting…." Lelouch trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. "I wouldn't risk your life like that." The smile returned. "But it doesn't matter now that we're together again." His lips brushed a kiss along her own, as he whispered softly, "You can be where you belong – at my side."
Kallen shivered again, her lips trembling as they returned that fleeting kiss. She was beginning to succumb to him – he would have to be more careful. Leaning back slightly, Lelouch allowed her a moment's respite, and she took it, drawing a breath to collect herself. "And what is it that you're trying to accomplish, Lelouch?" she asked, the steadiness in her voice returning as her blue eyes fixed on him. "By taking Britannia, destroying all that it stood for? And even siding with Suzaku?" Her brow twitched at that, betraying the irritation she must have felt toward the man. Inwardly, he sighed – the title of Knight of Zero had also been a tool, a wedge – a seed of doubt, planted inside her resolve.
The hand at her cheek shifted to hold the side of her neck, Lelouch speaking quietly, in tones of regret. "It was necessary to involve Suzaku," he admitted, "since you were otherwise unavailable. Suzaku, with his Lancelot Albion, provided a needed show of force by defeating the Knights of Rounds, solidifying my claim as Emperor." He pursed his lips wryly, looking away for a brief instant before meeting her stare once more. "But with the both of you, our strength would be undeniable." Ambition glinted in his violet eyes, and the look was not lost on Kallen.
"Strength toward what end?" Though her features were guarded as she asked the question, Lelouch thought he could see a flicker of doubt in her expression as she regarded him, awaiting his answer. It was that which he had to cultivate, but subtly, or else the decision she would inevitably have to make would not seem her own. Imperceptibly, he steeled himself for what was to come.
The best lies are often woven around strands of truth, and Lelouch capitalized on that fact now, the inflection in his words steady as he answered with a simple reply. "Peace, Kallen." The hand at her neck, he withdrew; it would be better if he seemed reluctant, now. "Britannia is a means to that end," he confessed, glancing away as his lips compressed into a fine line. "While I would have preferred to have sought it as Zero, it seems that this is the only path left open to me." Shrugging slightly, Lelouch turned his attention back to her, his smile grim. "When someone wins, the fighting will end, and at last, there can be peace."
Brows furrowing, Kallen fixed him with a suspicious stare, as she began, her tone inquisitively accusing, "So your purpose here today, your petition to join the United Federation of Nations–" He interjected gently, forestalling her conclusion.
"My intent is honest. If peace can be achieved through the tenets of democracy, then all the better." He certainly could not reveal the true extent of his plans here, and so, he added in a reassuring tone, "I only hope that my fellow council representatives will see my actions over the past few days as just, and admit Britannia into the federation."
Her arms crossing beneath her breasts, Kallen regarded him sharply, blue eyes studying his features. "And if they refuse?" She arched an eyebrow.
"If diplomacy fails," he murmured sadly, "then there will be war." Returning her gaze, Lelouch steadied his voice, any hint of reluctance now gone, the violet stare he turned on her just as unyielding as her blue. "As I said, Kallen, for there to be peace, someone must end the fighting. And who better to end it, to rule the world, than I?" With a flourish of his hand, he indicated the black and gray uniform she wore, his demeanor carrying no small amount of arrogance when he spoke. "As Zero, I was nothing but a man with a mask, but you put your trust in me, and look what I was able to create. The Order of the Black Knights, the United Federation of Nations – all accomplished by my merit alone." A satisfied smirk upturned one corner of his mouth.
"Your merit, or your Geass?" The words had an edge to them, the flicker of doubt he had seen in her eyes having grown into an ember – one that he would have to fan carefully ablaze.
"My merit," Lelouch repeated sternly, the look that he leveled at her equally intense, as if locking eyes embodied the clash of wills. "I used Geass, yes, but only when absolutely necessary." That was another half-truth, another purposefully dropped opening to invite her attack. She pursued it staunchly.
"Was it necessary to use it against the Japan Liberation Front? To use it against Euphemia? She was your half-sister, wasn't she?" Accusation rang loudly in those words, joined by breathless incredulity, Kallen's cobalt blue augurs boring steadily down on him, grinding against unwavering irises of impenetrable amethyst.
"You doubt me, Kallen?" he replied, allowing a small trace of hurt to thread into the question, though the sentiment was mostly overshadowed by thick amusement. "Very well. I will justify my actions to you." Lelouch paused, as if to collect his thoughts, his right hand moving to his chin and rubbing it idly between thumb and forefinger, his left cupped the right elbow, as his violet eyes considered her carefully. "I destroyed the Japan Liberation Front because they couldn't see past their old, outmoded line of thinking. They wished only for a freed Japan, but Japan alone could not stand against the strength of Britannia – the first invasion proved that quite clearly. It was proved to me again, in the Black Rebellion." He pursed his lips thoughtfully, as if contemplating just how to phrase his words. "Japan has always been… a lynchpin, yes, but for a truly liberated Japan, the UFN was an absolute necessity. And to achieve that end, I needed capable commanders, like Toudou – not bickering generals who would second guess my every move."
Addressing the other part of her question, Lelouch flicked his wrist dismissively. "As to Euphemia… her Special Administrative Zone threatened everything I had built until that point. If she had been allowed to go through with it, the Black Knights would have lost favor among the Japanese, and the organization would have crumbled. I would not let that happen." Idly, his fingers plucked at the white fabric of his sleeves, removing a small speck of gray lint. "The massacre was necessary, to consolidate the support of the people."
Stunned by what she was hearing, Kallen's reply was breathless, her words broken and quavering, as if incapable of completing each thought. "But so many… Japanese…" she trailed off, her expression pained, "It was… necessary…?" She looked at him, aghast, the disbelief clear in her eyes, as if she were seeing him for the first time – seeing what he truly was. Forcibly she drew a breath, then said, in a tone that sounded almost numb, "…And the attack in the Chinese Federation?"
Lelouch forced himself to face those eyes, despite how heart wrenching it was to feel them on him – to feel the sentiment they conveyed: that she was looking at a monster. But it was not enough, not yet. He would have to destroy, and then create – to shatter her feelings of love for him, and transmute them into hatred. "A research facility," he explained quietly, "devoted to the study of Geass. Mine is the power of kings, Kallen – I couldn't leave it in the hands of others, so that they could challenge my rule."
"And that's how you plan to rule, Lelouch? With the threat of violence, and the power of Geass?" Her words were spoken softly, almost idly, her incredulity having been replaced by a blankness that was almost unnerving. Kallen's attention was no longer on him, her stare now downcast, tracing the swirling patterns of the marbled tiles decorating the floor.
The corners of his mouth upturning, Lelouch's smile was sinister. "It is the only way to rule." He folded his arms across his chest, a single eyebrow arching in consideration. "Now that I am using my Geass liberally, I've achieved in days what took months with the Black Knights – power, territories, an army, all at my beck and call, replete with the strength that was Britannia." Falling silent, he waited, violet eyes gauging her mood inconspicuously. She seemed close, now, the anger bubbling up behind the open apathy in her expression, given away by her lower lip trembling, mouth open to bare teeth.
"An army of slaves," Kallen said spitefully under her breath, blue eyes flashing as they slid back up to his, "I didn't want to believe it… but it's true, isn't it?" The edge was back in her voice, sharpened now, acute and cutting. "People don't matter to you – you see them as only pieces on your chessboard." She shook her head, jaw tightening, as her arms dropped to her sides and her hands balled into fists.
"That isn't fair, Kallen." His own speech was quiet, but not apologetic, Lelouch raising a hand to the side of his face, shading one eye with his fingers. "What does it matter if a select few must give up their lives for the sake of the greater good?" His eyes closed for short while, then opened slowly, regarding her through the shade of his lashes. "For the sake of peace?"
"For the sake of peace, or for your sake, Lelouch?" Her words were bitter, Kallen looking away momentarily before turning her the full weight of her glare on him, those azure blue eyes ablaze, raging with the fires that he himself had sparked inside her. "Tell me, Lelouch," she began, her voice rising as the scorn began to surface, "After you fight your war, what would you do to those who fought against you? To the Order of the Black Knights?"
Drawing a long breath, Lelouch ignored the rage now burning in her countenance, knowing that it yet had to be stoked into a conflagration. He proceeded, speaking in a chiding, condescending tone. "Come now, Kallen. Don't be naïve." Narrowing his gaze, he continued. "Do you think the others would follow me willingly? The Black Knights tried to kill me, after all – by all rights, they should be executed." Softening his expression, he added, reaching out as if to touch her cheek, "It is only for my love for you that I would spare their lives."
Kallen slapped the hand away, her jaw clenched tightly when she spoke. "Spare them, just to control them with Geass?" she spat, the words harsh in his ears. A look of hurt flickered briefly across his visage, but it did nothing to ebb the tempest of her anger, and as quickly as it had come, it was replaced by his own ire, the chilling frost of his violet irises a stark contrast to the smoldering heat in her sapphire blue. It was time, and he would be ruthless.
"Enough, Kallen." His voice was hard, Lelouch schooling the emotion from his features, all save his eyes, which still glinted like cut amethyst – icy, hard, and implacable. "None of that should matter. If you love me, then you will join me regardless." Slowly, deliberately, he offered her his hand in invitation, palm up. He held his breath.
She stared at it as if it were a viper, Kallen taking a half step backward, away from him. But her glare was intense when it shifted up to him – the look a combination of stunned disbelief, stricken pain, and the raw hurt of betrayal, all set to boil by the furnace of her fury, as she uttered, in a quiet rage, "The man I loved wouldn't have forced me to choose." Kallen turned her head sharply, and then let out a breathy laugh, the sound mirthless, lifeless, as she looked to one side, offering him her profile. "But that man was just a lie, wasn't he, Lelouch? Just another one of your masks." The bitterness in her words bit deep.
He had come this far, and for her sake, he wouldn't let himself weaken now, despite how painful it was to continue. "You disappoint me," he said quietly, twisting his lips wryly. There was just one thing left now, a final bluff, to consolidate her anger, ensure her hatred. Lelouch hardened himself against it, and that sentiment seeped into his speech, the words cold and uncompromising. "I hoped I could convince you to come willingly," he began, sweeping his right hand to his face and deftly removing the contact lenses binding his power, "but I will have you, Kallen." His stare took her in, following the curves of her body almost possessively, the intent clear when he added, "All of you – willing or not." Pupil-less violet eyes, empty save for the twin sigils of Geass, lifted back up to her widening azure.
Though he had anticipated the slap, it was no less painful, taking him full on the left cheek. Afterward, he remained frozen, head turned to his right, eyes downcast, lest the anguish he felt in his heart be inadvertently revealed on his features. "You're despicable," she said viciously through bared teeth, and though he did not face her, he could feel the weight of the hatred in her glare, regarding him contemptuously – the hatred she would need to have, so that she could bring herself to fight against him.
Lelouch said nothing more, nor did he meet her gaze as she stared at him disdainfully. In his peripheral vision, he saw her head give a gentle shake, followed by soft-spoken words – quiet, but leaden with spite, cutting to the heart of him. "I can't believe I loved you." With that last derisive remark, she turned her back on him – something for which he was grateful. Her admission had cracked his smooth façade of cold indifference, the calculating calm in which he had enshrouded himself. And as he lifted his fingers to his face to replace the contact lenses sealing his Geass, Lelouch had to brush away the tears that welled unbidden in the corners of his eyes.
"To be his shield?" C.C. mused sadly to herself as she watched Suzaku depart, disappearing around a bend at the far end of the corridor. It was wrong to fault him – he knew little of her feelings, after all – but how could she become Lelouch's shield, protecting him from his enemies and bolstering his resolve, when it ultimately meant the death of the man she loved? He was asking too much.
She walked back to the captain's cabin, Lelouch having claimed the rooms as his quarters while staying aboard the Avalon. The wide white sleeves of her restraint suit swished softly at her sides, weighed down by metal buckles and nylon straps. The garb suited her mood; she was, after all, in a prison of her own making, Lelouch having refused to take her Code – he had been adamant about that – and she unwilling to force it on him, leaving her no choice but to wait as his days dwindled and Zero Requiem came to pass. And afterwards? Find someone else, bind another contract, in hopes that she at last might be free of the curse of immortal life? She didn't know.
Keying the panel, C.C. opened the door, revealing the lounge inside. It was smaller and perhaps a bit more traditional that its counterpart on the Ikaruga, but Lelouch had done much to make it his own, lining the walls in tall shelves laden with books, arranging the chessboard he was rarely without on the central table. He was not inside. Her gaze flicked to the closed bedroom door to her left, and with another touch to a panel, it slid open, its interior mostly dark, save for the dim light stealing in from the lounge, and an illumination strip running lengthwise around the room, set in the middle of each wall. But there he was, sitting hunched and listless at the edge of the bed, his head hung, elbows resting limply on his knees. Her heart tightened at seeing him so dejected. Discovering that Nunnally was alive, and that she was now his enemy, compounding what he had already endured for Kallen… perhaps it was just too much for one man.
She spoke into the silence – quiet words meant to be comforting. "You did well, Lelouch, in maintaining your mask for Nunnally." He made no movement, gave no reply, and so she sighed, stepping inside the room and allowing the door to close, C.C. crawling on the bed and finding a comfortable seat behind him, using him as her backrest. "She's on the Damocles… will you be able to fight against her?" Her head tilted backward, settling lightly against his.
"I have no other choice." He straightened his neck, pushing back on her a bit, and she could feel his chest expand as he drew in a deep breath. "Suzaku's right – this doesn't change our purpose." The breath became a sigh, as he added quietly, "I've been giving her special treatment for too long." As Emperor, Lelouch had already turned the world against him, espousing peace and justice only to betray those very principles by holding hostage the elected leaders of the United Federation of Nations. But to suffer Kallen's hatred, and Nunnally's enmity as well….
She shifted, turning to embrace him from behind, her arms lightly encircling his middle as she rested her cheek against the nape of his neck. "It's enough, Lelouch," she whispered softly, her eyes closing as she clung to him, "You've done enough. You don't have to go through with this." She continued in a tight, pleading voice, breathless and hesitant, "Come away with me – we could disappear, just you and I, leave all of this behind–"
Lelouch interrupted her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "You know that I can't, C.C." Though his words were quiet, they carried a strangely mixed sentiment – a sense of will to do what he must, coupled with a resigned sadness at what that would entail. "You know what would happen if I were to stop now." Tomorrow, the battle would begin – a battle to decide the fate of the world.
She held him tighter.
In the skies overlooking Mt. Fuji, two forces met in opposition, darkening the terrain below with both the shadows of their aerial fleets and the ground units sprawling across the landscape. On the one side was the army of Lelouch vi Britannia, the ninety-ninth Emperor of Britannia, spearheaded by the Avalon, and backed by escorts of Dreadnought battle cruisers and legions of Knightmares; on the other, Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia, in command of the Order of the Black Knights, whose considerable strength matched even that of Britannia, given the destructive power of their flagship, the Ikaruga, and of course, the elegant yet ominous aerial fortress, Damocles, floating high at their rear.
And it was with such a formidable array of pieces that two masters clashed, both brilliant strategists in their own right. In the beginning, it was a bloodless conflict, as each mind predicted, then countered the move of the other; but as it is with war, the violence could not long be suppressed, and soon open fighting broke out among the ranks. It was Britannia that made the first move, Lelouch launching a counterattack as his forces gradually became surrounded, but he met staunch resistance, compelling him to fall back and rebuild his formation. But Schneizel pressed his advantage, employing the Ikaruga's devastating Hadron Cannons to obliterate both Britannian flanks; and when it seemed that the tide had turned in favor of the Black Knights, nature itself made its fury known, Mt. Fuji erupting in a gout of flame and rock that engulfed the advancing U.F.N. aerial fleet, splintering it to pieces, at the cost of Britannian ground units caught up in the blast.
Amidst that chaos, Damocles unleashed its lethal payload, launching a FLEIA warhead straight at the Avalon, the heart of the battle formation, only to have it intercepted by a squadron of Knightmare pilots who, under the absolute control of Geass, sacrificed their lives to prematurely detonate the weapon before it reached the main contingent. Wave after wave of Knightmares swarmed the fortress, provoking volley after volley of FLEIA at the expense of thinning Britannian lines, until, in a surprise move, the Emperor himself charged forward, with his Knight of Zero, Suzaku Kururugi, at his back. Together they achieved what was thought to be impossible, counteracting the FLEIA reaction before it could reach full expansion – in the few moments gained by that unexpected turn of events, they broke through the Blaze Luminous defensive barrier surrounding Damocles to attack the fortress itself.
What happened afterwards was unknown to those still skirmishing outside Damocles' protective shield, where pockets of fighting yet raged between the surviving units of either side. But clear to all was how it ended – in a blaze of magenta as FLEIA bloomed high in the atmosphere, followed shortly after by the voice of the victor, relayed by all communications lines, all video channels, throughout both the Britannian Empire and the United Federation of Nations: Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia had taken Damocles, and with it, grasped the world.
End Chapter 7
