Well, only four people reviewed the last chapter but then, I am updating only three days after the last update so I suppose that could be that why.

Bakura: or they decided that this story sucks

Bakura, you are an asshole, you know that?

Bakura: … you did not just figure that out now?

Good point. Anyway, this chapter is short—only eight pages—but it's got a pretty intense cliffhanger and the next chapter is, at the moment, 14 pages so that could make up for it...possibly. So, yeah, here is chapter 10 with the cliffhanger and the next update will come...whenever

Bakura: and by whenever, she means six months from now

Tch, it won't be that long. Anyway, whoops, I haven't thanked my reviewers.

Thank you to ewertondragon, Determined Savior, Xeenith, and Shimmering-Sky for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome as usual.

Here is chapter 10—yes, I know I already said that. Shut up, Bakura—and I hope that you enjoy it. Reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

. . .

. . .

I feel like I'm forgetting something...

. . .

. . .

"Lelouch, I want to ask you something," he said. They were currently standing in the empty throne room, facing each other. They had been going over the finer details of the Zero Requiem but something just kept bugging him and he found himself wanting to know…the truth, this time.

"What?" Lelouch asked.

"Why did you kill Euphie?"

"I already told you…"

"I want the truth," he said firmly. "I don't want a lie, Lelouch. I know you lied to me at the Kururugi Shrine simply because you've been lying for so long that it's practically become second nature to you but I want the truth. Why did you kill Euphie? And, on that note, why did you use your Geass on her?"

Lelouch was silent for a long moment. "I never meant to," he said finally and he could hear the sincerity in his voice. He reached up and removed the contacts from his eyes, revealing the permanent Geass glowing in both of his irises. "We had just been talking. Euphie had already convinced me to support the SAZ by this point, you know. I was trying to explain my Geass to her, without actually telling her what it was and that it was a Geass. I basically told her that if I ordered her to kill all the Japanese people, she would have no choice but to obey. But my Geass just went out of control the very instant I spoke that order, taking control of and implanting that order into Euphie's mind."

"I never meant for it to happen, Suzaku," Lelouch added with a sigh. "Euphie was probably one of the few siblings that I have that I actually truly care about. She and Nunnally and I were very close when we were younger and I did love her. I never wanted to hurt her. But, after my Geass went out of control, runaway is what C.C. called it, I couldn't take back that order. I can only order someone to do something once after all."

"As for killing Euphie, you have to believe me when I say that that was, by far, the hardest decision I ever had to make. I had no choice though. I couldn't cancel the Geass order I gave to Euphie and she would not have stopped until either someone killed her or she had killed all the Japanese people. I doubted anyone would actually kill her because, despite what she was doing, she was still a princess. But I also knew of just how heartbroken Euphie would have been had she succeeded in fulfilling that order, especially since she would have had to kill you in order for the order to be fulfilled."

Lelouch closed his eyes. "I killed her because I had no other choice, no matter how much I hated doing it, no matter how much I wanted to find another way, I knew there wasn't another way. In a way, it was a mercy killing her then because she wouldn't have to live with the knowledge that she had killed the very people she was trying to help, even if it was my fault."

He was silent for a long moment, studying Lelouch for any sign that he was lying to him. When he found nothing but sincerity, and agony, he realized that his old friend was telling the truth. And it was as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders; Shirley had been right. He couldn't forgive Lelouch simply because he didn't want to forgive him. Now that he knew Lelouch's side of the story, he knew that he could forgive him. He would never forget, never, but he could forgive.

Shirley was right.

Nothing was unforgivable.

. . .

Stage 10

Memories

Ohgi hung up the phone and placed it back on the coffee table in front of him. "He's still not answering his phone," he said with a frown.

"Maybe he's busy," Hikari suggested.

"That's probably it. Maybe he's coming up with some plan to kick some Britannian ass and doesn't want to be disturbed," Tamaki suggested.

"I suppose that's possible," Ohgi said. "Well, until we get in touch with Zero, there's really nothing we can do about that letter."

"But Gale said he wants to meet with a representative tomorrow night at seven and if no one shows up then he could think we are rejecting his offer when, in truth, we haven't had a chance to even discuss it with Zero yet," Masaki pointed out.

"But maybe we should send a representative just to hear him out at least," Satoru suggested.

"It's too risky sending anyone to talk to this representative without backup. For all we know, they could be an agent for the Empire and could just be trying to draw Zero out," Ohgi said.

"I wouldn't put it past Cornelia to try something like that. She may be grateful to Zero for rescuing Princess Euphemia but I am not stupid enough to think that gratitude will last for much longer, if it hasn't dissolved already," Inoue said.

"Then we just go to the meeting point and kick this guy's ass until he tells us why he really wants to talk to us," Tamaki said firmly, smacking his fist into the palm of his hands.

"Tamaki, you're an idiot," Yoshida said, rolling his eyes.

"Antagonizing the P.U.A.B. probably isn't the best thing to do," Itsuki said.

"Why not?" Ohgi asked, turning his attention to the former leader of the Yamato Alliance.

Itsuki was scanning some information on the computer he had borrowed earlier and looked up at Ohgi's question. "I've been doing some research on the People United Against Britannia.," he said. "They're an organization that used to be based in the E.U. but were driven out after an assault on a Britannian embassy led to a clash with Prince Schneizel's forces. They lost the battle and started hiding out and striking in the Areas, most notably Areas Four and Eight."

"What happened?" Hikari asked.

"In Area Four, they bombed a school, killing eighty percent of the children and ninety percent of the staff there and not all of the causalities were Britannians," Itsuki explained, before he opened up another one and added, "And this one states that they had attacked and bombed a hospital as well as the Viceroy's palace in Area Eight."

"They bombed a hospital!" Inoue exclaimed.

"Even we never did that. Hell, I don't think even the JLF have done that," Masaki said with a shake of his head. "Do you really think Zero would work with these guys? I mean, didn't he refuse to work with Kusakabe because he was doing something similar, putting innocent lives in danger and killing them, I mean?"

"He said we were knights for justice," Ohgi said, pressing his lips together. "What the P.U.A.B. seem to be doing doesn't seem like justice to me."

The group nodded in agreement and fell into silence and then Ohgi glanced at the time and stretched. "It's getting late," he said.

Hikari yawned. "I think I'm gonna crash here tonight," she said.

"I think I will too," Satoru said.

"Goodnight then," Ohgi said.

"Goodnight."

After Ohgi and the rest of the former Kozuki resistance left, Hikari, lying down on the couch, turned onto her side to peer down at Itsuki, who had also decided to spend the night at the current headquarters.

"Hey, big brother?" Hikari said.

"What's up?" Itsuki asked.

"I'm curious. Haven't you ever wondered just who Zero actually is?" Hikari asked. She had been thinking about that for a while now, ever since she first met Zero back in Saitama.

"Yeah, I have," Itsuki admitted. "But he must be keeping his identity from us for a reason."

"But why? Doesn't he trust us?"

"Do you trust him?"

Hikari opened her mouth but then closed it because she found that she couldn't answer that question positively. Zero may have saved their lives at Saitama and he had managed to lead them to victory against Kusakabe and during all those drug raids but that didn't mean that she suddenly trusted him. But then she didn't trust a lot of people, her brother and her friends within the Yamato Alliance were probably the only ones she did trust.

"No, not entirely anyway," she admitted. She turned onto her back and gazed up at the ceiling. "I might trust him more if I knew who he was but he hasn't exactly done anything to earn my distrust, aside from keeping his identity a secret. Wonder if maybe he's actually a girl."

Itsuki chuckled. "I doubt it but I guess it's possible. Whatever he uses to change his voice could be hiding that fact," he said.

"Itsuki, do you trust him?" Satoru asked from where he was lounging on the armchair.

Itsuki fell silent. "I'm willing to give him a chance to earn my trust," he said. "The only reason I agreed to work with him was because Naoto trusted Ohgi and Ohgi seems to trust Zero. If Ohgi trusts Zero then I trust his judgment."

"Mm." Satoru fell silent. "I trust him," he said. "He hasn't let us down yet and he did help us put Cornelia on the run at Saitama."

Hikari smirked. She did like that they had managed to make Cornelia retreat and, whether it was part of Cornelia's plan or not, she felt it was an accomplishment. Her smiled faded and she added, "Wonder what Zero plans on doing about Cornelia? I mean it won't be long before her 'gratitude' toward Zero for saving that princess goes away, like Inoue said."

"Who knows? We can ask him when we see him next, I suppose," Itsuki said.

"Wonder when that'll be."

Itsuki shrugged. "I dunno," he said.

. . .

C.C. was worried.

It was already late and Lelouch still wasn't back yet. While that normally wouldn't affect C.C. at all, as it did Nunnally who had voiced her concern to both C.C. and Sayoko before Sayoko had put her to bed, this time it was different. This time it was because she could feel stirrings in the World of C as if someone with a Geass was close by.

She only had a link to the contractors that she contracted with, which was why she knew that Lelouch was still alive, if not entirely conscious, but she was still connected to the World of C. That was why she had sensed that odd stirring of power around Suzaku Kururugi and that was why she felt as if Lelouch had just come into contact with another contractor but not one of hers.

Could this be one of V.V.'s contractors? She thought as she relaxed on her stomach on Lelouch's bed, chewing on a slice of pepperoni pizza.

I think it might be.

"Can you tell, for sure, whether it is or not?" C.C. asked quietly after swallowing a bite of the food.

…I believe it is and V.V. does seem a bit worried. He hasn't said anything to Charles, probably out of fear that I would hear, but I can see the worry he's trying to hide on his face. He knows something.

"Hmm. I think that he knows something's gone wrong with one of his contractors and he's possibly worrying over how to deal with it and if it will affect anything," C.C. mused. "I suppose that's what happens when someone is so new to giving out contracts like V.V. is. I told him that he needed to actually think before giving out a contract or else he could end up making a big mistake." C.C.'s thoughts went to Mao, the child whom she had contracted with in an attempt to mold him into the perfect person to fulfill her wish only for it to backfire when Mao became practically obsessed with her and unable to fulfill his end of the contract. To this day, Mao was still her greatest mistake.

I was not expecting V.V. to give a contract to anyone other than Charles or someone in the Order.

"Then again, how do we know this contractor is outside of the Order? He or she could have gone rogue after I left. I did stop paying attention to the Order members after I left after all," C.C. said, taking another bite of her pizza. "Well, it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that this contractor, whoever it is, is in the same vicinity as Lelouch and Lelouch isn't exactly conscious enough to deal with him or her."

So you're going after him?

"I do have to prevent him from dying after all," C.C. said with a shrug.

That's true.

C.C. got up, finishing off her slice of pizza, and heading toward the door. Even if it was dull at the moment, due to Lelouch's semi-conscious state of mind, the link that C.C. had with the exiled prince was strong enough for her to follow.

. . .

Lelouch stirred and, with a groan, blinked open his eyes. He had to blink them a few times as they adjusted to the dim-lighting of the room he was in. He felt chains around his arms and slowly lifted his head to find that his arms were chained above his head and he was seated on the ground. He blinked again, trying to remembering what exactly had happened.

He and Suzaku had been walking down the street, searching for a store to buy those supplies that Milly requested/demanded they get and then they had been hit by…something and the next thing Lelouch knew, he was in some…room who knew where.

"Hello," a cool voice said and Lelouch looked up to find a white-blonde haired girl with sunglasses over her eyes standing in front of him. The exiled prince bit his lip to keep from frowning in frustration because this girl's sunglasses prevented him from Geassing her into letting him go once he figured out just what was going on.

He didn't even know where Suzaku was either.

"And who might you be?" Lelouch asked, keeping his voice even and his face impassive.

"I'm Bree," the girl said, leaning forward. "And you, Lelouch vi Britannia, have been a huge thorn in my side for far too long." She then giggled when Lelouch stiffened, wondering how the hell this girl knew about his heritage. "You look so pathetic when you're shocked, Mr. Exiled Prince. I know all about you, probably more about you, your family, and your friendship with Suzaku Kururugi than you know yourself." She giggled again as she leaned back.

"You're crazy," Lelouch said flatly.

"Maybe I am. I would have to say, with all the timelines I've seen merging and twisting like braids, I think I would have to be crazy by now," Bree said.

Lelouch blinked, confused by Bree's words. What does she mean by 'all the timelines'? He wondered.

"Well, it's about time that I removed you as a pain in my ass permanently, Your Highness," Bree said, sneering out the last two words as though they were a curse.

"You said you wouldn't harm him," Suzaku's familiar voice snapped.

Lelouch glanced over Bree's shoulder to find Suzaku, in the same predicament as him, glaring at Bree with icy green eyes.

"I said I wouldn't harm him physically, my dear White Knight," Bree said with a giggle and a flirtatious smile tossed at Suzaku that the brunet completely ignored in favor of glancing at Lelouch, mouthing 'Are you all right?' to which Lelouch nodded briefly.

Bree scowled at the blatant dismissal and glared at Lelouch. "You know, this is all your fault," she said coolly. "If only you didn't have to come around and fuck up everything, every single time, in every single fucking timeline, I wouldn't have to do this."

"Just what did I do to get you so mad at me?" Lelouch asked, sounding bored. Frankly, now he was just trying to get Bree to remove the sunglasses, or perhaps get close enough that he could knock them off and then use his Geass on her.

Except…

Lelouch flicked his eyes toward Suzaku. Do I want him to know about my Geass? He thought. He knew that C.C. suspected Suzaku had a Geass of his own but Lelouch just didn't know if he wanted anyone to know about his own power. Just because he suspected that Suzaku already knew about him being Zero didn't mean he wanted Suzaku to be privileged to all of his secrets.

"You. Ruin. Everything!" Bree growled slowly. "And I want to kill you so badly but that would really fuck up the timeline so I just decided to, at least, prevent you from fucking up my plans regarding my dear time-traveling White Knight."

Lelouch was beyond confused. This girl wasn't making any sense. Perhaps she really was insane. His thoughts drifted as he found himself latching on to Bree's last words.

Time-traveling White Knight...?

"What are you planning on doing?" Suzaku called.

Bree grinned back at Suzaku. "I plan on showing him exactly how much you value your 'friendship' with him, my beautiful White Knight," she said. She sat on her heels in front of Lelouch and added, "You see, my Geass has a secondary ability that can only work if my ability goes out of control. At least, that was how I figured out I had it. It allows me to give someone their memories of another timeline. Granted, I don't get to choose which timeline and, granted, I don't get to choose whether he receives only some or all of said memories but it'll work either way 'cause I have no doubt of which timeline he'll get his memories of. I mean, my Geass is called Absolute Future so I guess that'll mean he'll get all his memories of that specific timeline but ah well. It'll still work out well for me! Because no one can forgive what happened."

"Nothing is unforgivable," Suzaku said. It sounded as if he was quoting someone else.

Lelouch blinked, still not entirely sure what Bree was talking about. He understood that she had a Geass, and apparently couldn't control it, and it had to do with other timelines and memories. It was called Absolute Future and, apparently, it would…give him his memories of another timeline?

Was that even possible?

Then again, Lelouch mused that his Geass shouldn't be possible either.

Bree laughed. "You're really funny, you know that, Suzaku, my love? We're gonna be so powerful together. You and me. Our Geasses will work so well together," she said happily.

So he does have a Geass of his own, Lelouch thought, not as surprised as he thought he would be.

"Now, time to get started," Bree said, turning her attention to Lelouch. "Bruno, dear, cover our dear exiled prince's left eye. I don't want to be Geassed while I'm doing this."

A broad-shouldered man with pale-red eyes knelt beside Lelouch and immediately covered his left eye, causing him to scowl. He did try to get free though, but it was in vain.

Bree removed her sunglasses, revealing the red bird-like sigil around her left pupil as she locked eyes with Lelouch. "Remember," she ordered.

Lelouch's eyes widened as the bird-like symbol flew toward him—so this is what those whom I've Geassed have experienced—and then a searing pain exploded in his head as memories that were, and yet weren't at the same time, his own surged through his mind.

The Shinjuku Ghetto…

Saitama with a different outcome that involved the complete annihilation of the Yamato Alliance…

The Kawaguchi incident in which Nunnally did not go…

And then memories of things that hadn't yet happened. (1)

. . .

Suzaku watched the entire incident, holding his breath. Lelouch was still frozen, his eyes wide and a red-ring around the visible violet iris. It was odd seeing his best friend being Geassed and yet Suzaku couldn't help but feel a small pang of satisfaction at the thought of Lelouch now knowing what it felt like to be Geassed.

He shook his head. Idiot, he was Geassed before in the old timeline, he thought, reminding himself that the Emperor had used his Geass on Lelouch in order to rewrite his memories when Suzaku had brought Lelouch before him.

Suzaku had been so filled with anger over Euphie's death that he had just wanted Lelouch to pay for killing her. While they were planning the Zero Requiem, though, Suzaku finally managed to ask Lelouch for the truth about what happened with Euphie and had learned exactly what happened and that it wasn't entirely Lelouch's fault.

Suzaku found himself hoping that Lelouch would feel the same way because he knew that his betrayal of Lelouch had nearly been the final nail in the coffin of their friendship. And it probably would have been had Suzaku not been present during Lelouch's confrontation with his parents in the World of C, or even before that when he'd thought he'd killed Nunnally.

He turned his gaze to Lelouch who was still frozen, experiencing the onslaught of memories from Bree's Geass power. It was hard to believe that someone had the ability to even do something like that though. It really was and yet it was actually happening.

Bree broke her eye contact with Lelouch, though the red ring didn't vanish. "He'll come out of it soon enough," she said with a giggle and gestured to Bruno to release Lelouch's other eye as she stood up. She turned to Suzaku and smiled at him. "Once he realizes that you're going to betray him, my love, he'll cut ties with you faster than I can eat a single piece of licorice." She giggled.

"How can you be sure that he will?" Suzaku asked.

"Duh. I already told you why. He won't be able to forgive your betrayal," Bree said.

"Nothing is unforgivable," Suzaku said again.

"You keep on saying that. You know I find it really annoying," Bree huffed, her upper lip curling in a condescending sneer. "Just what bitch out there actually told you such a stupid thing?"

"She's not a bitch. She's one of my closest friends," Suzaku retorted.

Bree huffed. "Whatever. The bitch is wrong though. There are things that cannot be forgiven," she said.

"You're wrong there, Bree." Suzaku's eyes snapped toward Lelouch. The violet-eyed exiled prince had lifted his head; the red ring around his irises were gone.

"What?" Bree said, confused.

"Nothing is unforgivable. Suzaku is right about that," Lelouch said with a slight demonic smirk. "He forgave me for killing the woman he loved. I forgave him for betraying me and turning me over to the Emperor."

"You did not," Bree growled.

"Oh?" Lelouch raised an eyebrow. "And just how do you know that? Did you not realize that when you gave me my memories from that other timeline, you gave me all of my memories, including the ones leading up to my own death? The Zero Requiem, Bree? Ever heard of it?"

He does have all his memories of the old timeline, Suzaku thought. He hadn't thought Bree's Geass could actually do that.

Bree looked confused and she turned around to stare at Lelouch. "What are you talking about, you damn demon?!" She broke off and her eyes widened as a triumphant smirk crossed Lelouch's face and his Geass activated.

"Do as I say until I say I release you," Lelouch ordered.

Bree stiffened, eyes widening as her eyes took on the red ring around the irises.

She walked right into that. Lelouch was goading her into looking at him but he did speak of things he wouldn't otherwise know of so I've gotta assume that Bree did succeed in giving him all his memories of the old timeline, Suzaku thought.

"Order your bodyguard to leave and release Suzaku and I," Lelouch ordered.

"Yes, Master Lelouch," Bree said monotonously before she ordered her bodyguard to leave. Her bodyguard didn't look too happy but, at a stern glare from Bree, he left. She then pulled out a key and walked over to Suzaku, unlocking his chains and then doing the same with Lelouch while Suzaku, rubbing his wrists, got to his feet.

Lelouch also stood up, much more gracefully than Suzaku, and studied Bree for a long moment, clearly trying to decide what to do with her.

"Don't hurt her," Suzaku said.

Lelouch didn't take his eyes off Bree. "I release you," he said and the red rings vanished. Bree blinked and then scowled furiously at Lelouch.

"Damn you, you fucking bastard! Why must you keep fucking everything up for me?!" she screamed.

Lelouch was unfazed at all by the girl's anger. "Because I'm a 'fucking bastard' as you so eloquently put it," he said with a demonic smirk. "After all, I am, or became in that other timeline, the Demon Emperor, the most hated person in the entire world. Though, in all seriousness, you really must think highly of yourself if you truly think that I actually intentionally 'fucked up' your plans. I never even knew you existed before today."

Bree snarled in fury and stormed off, slamming the door to the room behind her as she went.

"You're going to let her go?" Suzaku asked.

"What's the point of keeping her around? I already released her so I won't be able to use my Geass on her anymore and I have enough blood on my hands as it is. Those memories…even if it's from another timeline, those crimes are still crimes that I committed," Lelouch said with a shrug and turned to Suzaku. His voice was expressionless and his face was a blank mask. Suzaku really couldn't get a read on what his friend was actually feeling about those memories, especially since he knew, for a fact, that quite a few of those memories weren't exactly pleasant.

"How do you feel?" he asked, deciding that he wouldn't remind Lelouch that most of them haven't happened yet. He, himself, still blamed himself for the deaths he caused in the old timeline as well.

"Like someone is constantly banging on my head with a slash harken," Lelouch said with a grimace, one hand going to his head. It wasn't exactly the answer that Suzaku was expecting but then he should've expected his friend to keep his feelings to himself. "I think it's going to take some time for my brain to actually come to accept these new memories."

"So you know…everything?"

"Yes, Suzaku, and, judging by your reaction, I suppose my suspicions were right. I had been wondering why she called you a 'time traveling White Knight' after all. You're not from this time, are you?"

Suzaku averted his eyes. I had been thinking about telling him about the future anyway. The only thing that was stopping me was whether or not he would believe me but, considering all that's happened today, I don't think that'll be much of a problem, he thought with a sigh.

"No, I'm not. I'm from about a week after the Zero Requiem was completed," he admitted, meeting Lelouch's violet gaze.

"Then did it work?" Lelouch asked. There was genuine curiosity in his voice. Now that he had all the knowledge of his counterpart, so to speak, from another timeline, Suzaku wasn't really surprised he was curious to know whether the Zero Requiem actually worked.

It was a shame that Suzaku didn't have good news for him.

Deciding that he couldn't put it off, even if he wanted to, Suzaku opened his mouth to respond.

Then an explosion sounded and the floor caved in beneath their feet.

. . .

(1) If you want to know what he saw, do the simple thing; rewatch both seasons of Code Geass 'cause that is basically what he sees.

. . .

A/n what do you think?

Lelouch: You. Are. Evil!

Blaze: no, I'm crazy. There's a difference

Suzaku: I thought you liked us? Why the hell did you blow us up?!

Blaze: I didn't, my crazy yandere character got out of hand and decided that she wanted to "Exit, Pursued by a Bear" but since I couldn't find her a bear, I settled for letting her blow something up

Suzaku: (facepalms)

Lelouch: did you really just reference Shakespeare?

Blaze: yup! One of my favorite plays by him too. And I don't own William Shakespeare

Lelouch: (sweatdrops) We do survive, don't we?

Blaze: duh. You two are the main characters. You could get thrown out of a fifty story window and still survive because of that.

Suzaku: ah, will that...girl come back?

Blaze: she plays a very large role in what I have planned for the Geass Order Arc in R2 so, yeah, unfortunately, she will come back

Suzaku: (starts swearing) How many chapters until then?

Blaze: (thinks about it) After this chapter, there are 19 chapters left of Divergence and, according to the outline I have, 10 chapters into the sequel is when she'll make her return appearance

Suzaku: so approximately 29 chapters?

Blaze: yup

Suzaku: anyway to make that 290 chapters?

Blaze: even I can't write a story that long. Rise of the Black King may currently be 80 chapters but it keeps fluctuating and I haven't gone above 81. That's pretty much the limit.

Suzaku: damn

Kallen: look at it this way, things can't possibly get worse

Suzaku and Lelouch: DON'T SAY THAT!

Kallen: (confused) why not?

Suzaku: you'll jinx it

Blaze: anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. By the way, if anyone can figure out which Shakespeare play I referenced, they'll get a virtual cookie of their choice. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter even with its cliffhanger and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.