Suzaku stared at the screen for a long time after Nunnally accepted Lelouch's offer, unsure as to what was happening and what it all meant.
"Sir Kururugi… can we come back in yet?"
Rather than answering the security guard's tentatively diffident question, Suzaku sat down heavily in the nearest chair and thought over what he'd seen and heard. Lelouch had played his part brilliantly, of course, projecting only Zero and nothing of the caring brother Lelouch was underneath. In fact, Lelouch had done a far better job than Suzaku was comfortable with, hearing his friend lie and manipulate Nunnally like that because there was no way he could actually be serious about setting up another special zone…
What if he was?
Euphemia had died trying to establish a bastion of freedom in Area 11. She'd killed as well, as far as the world was concerned, using that same bastion of freedom as a trap and a lure. The bad memories associated with the SAZ were too many to count – both for those few who knew what had happened and the many who didn't. It was a legacy of blood and betrayal and pain and Lelouch could not have just supported Nunnally in taking on that legacy. That was unthinkable.
The other option, that Lelouch was that comfortable lying to Nunnally for his own gain, was almost as distasteful. But not quite. As much as Suzaku would have hated to see Nunnally betrayed by anyone, particularly Lelouch, he had to admit it would be better than Lelouch actually following through on his promise of helping her establish the dream that ended taking Euphemia's life.
Watching Nunnally though the cameras, her calm bravery, her grim satisfaction in securing her sister's murderer as an ally (…if only she knew…); the way, after Zero ended communications, that she whispered into the air "Lelouch, please. Give me the courage I need…", Suzaku knew that this was important to her. More than that, he knew that he would have to support her in this. He would have to stand by her side, as he'd stood by Euphemia's, and pretend that he wasn't seeing Kirihara-san's blood blooming on the front of his clothes, hearing the screams and gunshots behind the doors Lelouch had closed, feeling Euphemia's body cooling in his arms as Lelouch took all the blame and guilt upon himself.
Pretend that he wasn't imagining Nunnally in that exact same position.
Suzaku wouldn't risk letting that happen again. At least not without shouldering some of that burden himself.
"Sir Kururugi? Are you alright?"
Lelouch knew better this time. He'd be more in control, more cautious, more careful. He wouldn't take the same chances he had with Euphemia. And if he did, Suzaku wouldn't let him. Suzaku had promised to work with Lelouch, at his side, but he wasn't going to follow him blindly. He still wasn't sure that Zero's path was the right one, but he was certain that, now that Euphemia was gone, it was the only one left for Suzaku to take.
He wouldn't risk Nunnally as he'd allowed Euphemia to risk herself. Neither would Lelouch. Probably.
God, he hoped so.
"Sir Kuru–"
"I'm done here." Suzaku stood and strode past the two guards, ignoring the put-upon expressions they tried to hide. It didn't matter that he was a knight, or even a rounds. To some, he'd always he a trumped-up Number. He didn't care.
He stopped to check in with the Captain to keep his word to Nunnally. The man was dismissive and curt, but given the way Gino was pouting cheerfully, as only Gino could, he was probably that way with anyone who challenged his authority. Suzaku had met just as many high-ranking officials who were more put off by the fact that he was young and a Knight of Rounds, with enough military and political power at his back to outrank them all, than that he was Japanese.
As he left to return to Nunnally's side, Anya unexpectedly spoke up.
"I'll accompany you, Suzaku. It's been a while since I've seen Princess Nunnally."
Suzaku hesitated for a moment, then nodded. It was unexpected, yes, but Anya had never been the most predictable of people. "Of course."
Nunnally had completely composed herself when they arrived, smiling at Suzaku, then making a small sound of surprise. "Anya?"
"Hello, Princess Nunnally. Gino and I are here with Suzaku to ensure your safety." Anya held out her hand for Nunnally to take, the motion smooth and practiced. Suzaku was a little surprised by Nunnally's familiarity with the Knight of Six, but shrugged it off as something he just hadn't known about.
"We'll be arriving in a few minutes. Are you comfortable here? Is there anything you need to before we land?"
Nunnally nodded. "I have a statement that I'll read once we're there, but that's already prepared. Otherwise… I'd like to ask you both about Zero."
Suzaku nodded, trying to keep his face blank for Anya. "Of course. Did you receive the military briefing?"
"Yes. But while I'm sure it's helpful to know that Zero has an estimated one million Black Knights at his command, that's not what I wanted to talk about."
Anya shrugged. "I don't really know much else about him, Your Highness. But Suzaku should."
Suzaku most certainly did. "I'll try to answer any questions you might have."
"Can I trust him?"
That hurt. Suzaku knew that Nunnally had no idea she was asking about Lelouch, and it was a reasonable question, but it still hurt Suzaku vicariously for Lelouch's sake. "That… would probably depend. What would you want to trust him with?"
Nunnally smiled. "That's a more hopeful answer than I expected from you, Suzaku-san. Given what happened at the Special Area Zone, with Euphy."
She had no idea. Suzaku managed not to take in a pained breath. "What happened there… shouldn't have happened. But Zero never gave his word, so he never technically broke it."
"That's very generous of you," Anya said.
"I'm not… I won't let lies rule my life. If I'm going to do something, I want it to be for the right reasons. Euphy… Princess Euphemia wanted the Special Area Zone to protect people and make them happy. When I was fighting for Japan's security, before I met her, I was just doing it for my own peace of mind, selfishly. She taught me that the reasons are as important as the goals, or else we lose track of what's important."
Nunnally reached for Suzaku's hand. "She was always like that, wanting the best for others. Suzaku-san, I want to bring back the Special Area Zone again. I don't think what you and Euphy were trying to do was wrong. Was it?"
That was a complicated question. Suzaku honestly wasn't sure anymore if such a thing was truly possible, or if it wouldn't end in the inevitable disaster that Lelouch had seemed so sure it would have. But one thing was for sure.
"No. I can assure you that Euphy wasn't the one who was wrong."
Nunnally smiled and released his hand. "I knew it. Thank you Suzaku-san."
Euphemia wasn't wrong. Nunnally wasn't wrong. But… Lelouch wasn't wrong either. Suzaku had fought against him, honestly and earnestly, but he'd come to realise the truth that some things were worth fighting and killing for, even spending others lives for, and freedom was one of them. Euphemia and, likely, Nunnally were both trying to better the lives of the Japanese, something that was desperately needed. But Lelouch was trying for something more – outright liberation, by the Japanese themselves.
…or at least that's what he presented it as. Frankly, the fact that Zero was well known to be non-Japanese undermined that somewhat, but at least the Black Knights were a Japanese organization, working towards Japanese goals, in Japan. That meant something.
Suzaku saw now that the peace he'd been fighting for, the peace he would have happily settled for, would have been an illusion. Without freedom, that peace could be taken away in a heartbeat by whoever was in charge of Area 11, and that person would never be Japanese.
Unless Suzaku had managed to become the Knight of One which was, in hindsight, a ridiculous goal. This was as close as he'd ever get, and Nunnally was the best Viceroy Area 11 could ever have.
But as it stood now, Japan was at the whim of whichever Britannian official held the position of Viceroy. With Nunnally in that spot, yes, Japan would be free and prosperous, her people respected and very nearly autonomous, at least as far as Nunnally would be permitted to let them be. But she wouldn't hold that position forever. Another Calares, another Clovis, even, and Japan would be right back at Area 11, before any of the policy changes.
There was a difference between fighting a losing battle for pride's sake and strategically using what resources were at hand to gradually wear away at an occupying army. Lelouch wasn't fighting Suzaku's father's war. He was fighting the war Suzaku's father should have fought.
Suzaku was certain of this. Almost completely. With only the smallest voice of dissent in the back of his mind, wondering if this was just Lelouch acting out against his father. Even if he was, that didn't make the other points invalid.
…despite Suzaku's history of justifying his loyalties and reasonings to himself. Suzaku sighed, the sound fortunately hidden in the sound of the airship descending, but Anya was still looking at him oddly.
Suzaku shrugged. "We're almost here, Nunnally. Shall we get ready to disembark?"
"Please." Nunnally settled back in her chair, prepared for Suzaku to push her.
Anya placed a hand over Suzaku's on Nunnally's wheelchair. "You should get in the habit of addressing her properly. If you're going to be her guard, you'll need to present yourself better."
Suzaku knew protocol. He had an instinctive knack for it. But with his mind filled with Lelouch, he'd forgotten that Nunnally wasn't just Nunnally. He needed to watch that. "Right. Thanks."
Anya didn't quite smile, but she looked pleased. "Anything to make your job easier."
Suzaku wished it could be that simple.
OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO
Lelouch hurried home after announcing that the Black Knights would participate in Nunnally's new Special Area, his mind racing. He'd have a lot of explaining to do once he met with the Black Knights again, and he had the feeling they wouldn't be too pleased. But it was necessary to make it clear from the beginning that Nunnally was out of bounds, untouchable.
The problem with that is that his options were severely limited if he couldn't go against Nunnally. He'd only managed as he had against Euphemia by framing it in his mind that he was fighting against Cornelia. When Euphemia finally roused herself against him, Lelouch had crumbled almost immediately, despite the fact that it would have been a betrayal of his Black Knights, and force him to abandoning his own ambitions.
With Nunnally it was even worse. The mere thought of hurting her or stressing her, or forcing her to choose between violence and anarchy made Lelouch sick. He simply could not continue with the Black Knights as he had been, that much was certain.
So what then? Stopping everything wasn't an option either – Lelouch wouldn't let his father win, especially not this way, by using Nunnally against him. Working with Nunnally, as he'd promised and as he would have with Euphemia, was appealing in a way. It would place him close to Nunnally again, which was something he dearly wanted, enough that it almost overruled the fact that this wouldn't work, that it was doomed before it started, and that it would inevitably place Nunnally in a very awkward position when it failed.
Almost. But he had enough common sense left to convince himself that that option wasn't a good one either. The SAZ was inherently flawed, and the brunt of the blame would be taken by Nunnally and himself, leaving his father and Schneizel to clean up the mess with even more draconian regulations and restrictions. An alliance with Britannia, on any level, was impossible.
Kidnapping Nunnally was still on the table. With Suzaku guarding her it would only be a matter of time before an attempt could be safely made. And that would appease the Black Knights, and incense the Britannians, making Lelouch's fight easier and more legitimate. Sure, it might catch the attention of some of his siblings, as Clovis's death had attracted Cornelia to Area 11, but Lelouch wasn't afraid of that.
What he was afraid of, however, was Nunnally finding out he was Zero. She wouldn't know the context or the actual events, but surely she would believe, as did most of the world, that Zero had killed Euphemia. Despite her willingness to talk to him as Zero, Lelouch never wanted her to know what had truly happened, that he was the one responsible for their sister's death, or that she had died by Suzaku's hand. And keeping her imprisoned would increase the chances of her figuring out who he was. No one knew him like Nunnally knew him.
Which made kidnapping her a last resort. But if Lelouch couldn't remove Nunnally from the conflict, that only left moving the conflict from Nunnally.
That would be a tough sell. It suited Lelouch's needs well enough – he would need allies to take on Britannia, and he had enough of a reputation to start courting neutral nations like Australia, or recently occupied Britannian Areas like Area 18 or 19. But the Black Knights were, predominantly, Japanese, and their fight was for Japan. Then there was the logistics of neutralizing them so that ambitious or foolish members of the Black Knights wouldn't consider starting another rebellion without Zero.
Lelouch grimaced as he closed the door behind himself. No, he couldn't take that chance. He'd have to make sure they stayed out of trouble himself somehow. Which would mean sending others as ambassadors to the other countries.
…wasn't Kaguya in China? That was an idea… Lelouch had been rather impressed with what little he'd seen of her, and was more than certain of her loyalty to Japan and to Zero. If he sent her as an ambassador and split his time between backing her up and commanding the Black Knights (leaving Toudou and his cool head in charge the remainder of the time) he could maintain order and increase his potential power base at the same time. He might still need to keep his men happy with the occasional refrain bust, but overall this option seemed the best.
It wasn't as if he could move the Black Knights themselves away from Japan. Although that would solve all of his problems…
"Nii-san?"
Great. Rolo was home. Lelouch forced himself to smile. "Rolo. Anything happen while I was gone?"
"Nothing." Rolo hesitated, then stepped forward. "Nii-san, you don't look well."
The amazing thing was that Rolo sounded genuinely concerned. He wasn't completely playing his part properly, though – he didn't reach out a hand or offer Lelouch something to eat or drink. Sloppy, Rolo, despite the sincerity that practically dripped from his words. "I'm fine. Have you or Villetta received any orders regarding the new Viceroy's arrival?"
"Just to keep an eye on you. The security team has reported you attending classes on time and occasionally going out with friends, nothing more." Rolo smiled a little. "Right now you're in History class."
"Great. Good." Whatever. Lelouch walked past Rolo, barely sparing him a glance. "Just keep that up. I have to arrange a meeting of the Black Knights for tonight."
"Have you made up your mind?"
Lelouch stopped. "What?"
"Have you made up your mind? About what you're going to do about Nunnally."
Rolo was close to the last person Lelouch wanted to talk to about this. "Not yet."
"Why not… just forget about it?"
Lelouch stared. "Forget about it?"
"Everything. Zero, the Black Knights, this one-sided war… and Nunnally–"
"Nunnally?"
"Nunnally would want you to, wouldn't she?" Rolo moved slowly, non-threateningly, towards Lelouch. "If there's no Zero, there's no war. You can't go back to her, but you can stay here, as an ordinary student. You can be happy again. Don't you want that?" Rolo was well within reach, closer than Lelouch was comfortable with. "We were happy before, weren't we, Lelouch? And I'll stay, I promise. I'll be your brother, no matter what."
They had been happy. Genuinely happy. That was part of the problem. Even now, Lelouch remembered feeling genuinely proud the first time Rolo successfully jumped a horse, and the warm comfort of Rolo's body snuggled up to him as they watched a movie. Those emotions hadn't been a lie – just the reason behind them. And that made that year, and everything associated with Rolo all the more horrific and disgusting.
Lelouch smiled and stepped back. "The future's uncertain, Rolo. There are a lot of possibilities to choose from, and it's hard to decide which path is the right one. But there's one thing I can guarantee right now."
Rolo smiled hopefully. Lelouch felt his eyes harden. "We can never go back to that time. No matter what I become, I will never again be just an ordinary student. And if that's your ideal future, then that's fine, but if you pursue it, I won't be by your side."
That was enough to make Rolo's face fall into its typical bland non-expression. "I see."
Lelouch let his smile gentle. "I only want the best for you, Rolo. And I'll support whatever choice you make. I hope I have your support as well."
"Of course, nii-san," Rolo said easily, his eyes not quite meeting Lelouch's. "You can count on me."
"I always have," Lelouch replied absently, his mind already on the meeting he was planning for the Black Knights. Maybe… maybe he was settling for too little. Perhaps his ideal scenario was, in fact, attainable.
OoO-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-OoO
Kallen stared up at the ceiling as Tamaki and Ougi discussed Zero's order to support the Special Area Zone. Neither of them were enthusiastic, and Tamaki was certain that Zero was using this as a trap, but Kallen really didn't want to think about it.
Lelouch had abandoned the Black Knights over his sister before, even going to far as to wind up in Britannian hands after his botched attempt to rescue her. Was it really that much of a stretch to imagine him handing them over to her now, as a welcome home present?
"Where's Zero-sama?" A cheerful female voice asked, cutting through the agitated male ones. "I expected to see him right after returning from the Chinese Federation."
"Kaguya-sama!" Kallen sat up straight. "When did you get back?"
"Just now!" Kaguya chirped happily. "Thanks for taking care of Zero while I was away."
Kallen frowned. "Taking care…"
"Never mind that now," C.C. interrupted from her corner. "Was your trip successful?"
"Very much so. I was hoping to discuss it with Zero himself, but… I'm sure you'll pass along the message faithfully, won't you?"
Kallen couldn't help but be amused at the surprise that passed briefly over C.C.'s face. Clearly, being trusted wasn't something she was used to. "Of course."
Before Kaguya could continue, however, Toudou entered the room. "Ougi, can I talk with you… ah, Kaguya-sama. You're back."
"I am! It was a lovely trip, but it's nice to be home again."
Toudou smiled, "It's good to have you back." He hesitated. "Have you heard Zero's latest decree?"
"About joining the Special Zone again? I'd heard, yes. Do you know his reasoning?"
"No." Toudou raised his head to look Ougi in the eye. "If Zero's making decisions that aren't in Japan's best interests…"
Ougi frowned. "Do you mean to say…"
"What? No way!" Tamaki objected. "Zero's all about Japan! This is just another one of his traps, you'll see."
Kallen smiled at Tamaki's blind loyalty, but couldn't help shooting a glance at C.C., as if her perpetually bland face might show something of Lelouch's plans.
Nope. C.C. looked just as unimpressed as ever by Tamaki and otherwise nothing. She caught Kallen looking and just shrugged.
What did that mean? Was C.C. in the dark about this as well? Or was she just indicating her willingness to give up the Black Knights if that was what Lelouch wanted? Kallen wished she could read her better, or even at all at this point.
C.C. obviously had no problem reading her, however, which was even more irritating. Kallen decided to do her best to ignore her.
Chiba and Rakshata entered together, with Chiba moving immediately to Toudou's side. "Zero just checked in. He's on his way and would like to arrange a meeting of the upper echelon." She looked around. "Who appear to be all here…"
"Oh good! We'll be able to ask Zero himself once he gets here," Kaguya said. "That makes everything much simpler."
"Indeed. So you know when he'll arrive?"
The door opened and Zero walked in. Kaguya pushed her way past Toudou and Kallen, throwing herself in his arms. "Zero-sama! You're so cold, keeping your wife waiting like that!"
Zero caught her easily before releasing her, nothing in his body language showing tension or distraction. "Kaguya-sama. I'm glad to see you back home, and as lively as ever."
"And you're as surprising as ever," Kaguya returned easily. "Offering to support the Special Zone like that."
"I already told you, this is a trap to lure the Britannians in so we can get 'em," Tamaki said, his arm lashing out in mimicry of a right jab..
"And then what?" Zero asked. "How long should we fight an unending battle?"
Toudou stepped forward amidst the confused murmurs. "Are you suggesting a genuine alliance with the people who invaded and conquered us? Zero, we're… the Japanese people are fighting for their very freedom."
"The Japanese people…" Zero stood straight and faced Toudou head on. "What, exactly, does it mean to be Japanese, Toudou?"
Toudou shook his head. "I don't understand…"
"Is it the language? The rituals? Where you were born, where you live? Your parents and grandparents? What makes you Japanese, Toudou?"
"All those things and none of them," Toudou answered.
Ougi stepped up. "It's something more. Something… inside."
"Exactly. It's a culture, carried within your heart. A feeling of belonging, something that even the name 'Eleven' can't take away from you. You're Japanese no matter what you speak, what you're called, or where you are."
Kallen was well and truly lost. "What do you mean?"
"That, for the Japanese people who are fighting for freedom, being Japanese doesn't mean fighting or even being in Japan." Zero turned to Kaguya. "You've recently returned from China, haven't you, Kaguya-sama. Will we find allies there?"
Kaguya nodded. "I would say yes, but… Tianzi-sama is going to be married to a Britannian prince soon. I don't think we'll be welcomed after that."
Zero nodded. "We cannot, for Japan and for the rest of the world, allow that to happen. An alliance between China and Britannia would spell the end to any resistance movement in either empire." He turned to Rakshata. "I assume you still have some contacts in India?"
"Some. None that could help stop something of this scale."
"Then we must. As much as I am loathe to risk Japanese lives on outside issues, we must be aware that we're fighting a world-wide war, that the liberation of Japan isn't enough to ensure her continued freedom. Even if we secured Japan's freedom, the combined threat of China and Britannia would enslave the Japanese yet again. The only difference might be in the master."
Ougi was already shaking his head. "We can't just leave! What about the Special Zone? If that goes through then it'll be like nothing we ever did meant anything."
"And any alliance with China would end up with them taking us over, like they tried to at Kyushu," Rakshata added. "I rather thought you were against that, Zero."
"I am. And I've thought about the Special Zone. And I have solutions for both." He stepped back and, with a flourish of his arm and a twist of his wrist, he was suddenly the Zero who performed miracles, the one Kallen had feared had disappeared when Nunnally had returned. "But I won't do anything without your agreement. This is your land, and to ask you to leave, even for a short time and for the ultimate good, is asking a great deal. I can only promise what I've promised before. That I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that Britannia falls and Japan is freed."
"Even in this roundabout way?" Toudou asked. Zero inclined his head in acknowledgement and Toudou sighed. "Very well. You have a point that this war cannot be won through conventional means."
"But how are we going to get the Black Knights over to China?" Ougi asked, already planning ahead.
Zero placed a hand on Kaguya's shoulder. "Leave that to us."
Kaguya beamed triumphantly.
