Author's Ramblings: Chapter 20... wow. I haven't started writing this so long ago and it really snowballed out of control. And to think, I still haven't come to a point where I know how much longer will it take to end.
And so far, we have over 400 reviews, 300+ both favorites and alerts... it is nice to see a story appreciated. Really, it is.
But I won't spend my time writing needless stuff here. Enjoy the chapter.
Chapter 20 : The Choices People Make
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March 25th, Friday, 12:00
Ashford Academy
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The past few weeks were some of the strangest she could remember. To Shirley Fennete, the fact that she had her date with Lelouch should have made her either happy or angry, depending on how said date turned out.
She was neither. Confusion had been the only result of the event, and it kept growing. On one hand, her feelings for Lelouch hadn't left her, instead only growing stronger, but she now realized one rather worrying truth… she knew very little of the man who had interested her so much, which was perhaps the reason for her interest. What drew the man that was Lelouch Lamperouge to his choices and actions? Why did he waste his time playing chess for money instead of focusing on his studies an ensuring a solid future for himself, and his sister, for whom he obviously cared very deeply?
And most importantly of all, what had changed in the last month? Lelouch had been absent more than ever, and yet it seemed that neither the teachers, nor Milly made much of a fuss about it. Both facts were strange, and not only to her mind. Not to mention that Nunnally had recently begun joining him in his escapades. How they simply dropped off the radar whenever they wanted was beyond her.
Finally completing her batch of homework, she turned to the only other person in the room (There was Arthur, but, despite popular opinion, he wasn't capable of holding an intelligent conversation). Rivalz, was as always, keeping himself busy, but the teen was feeling slightly down recently, mostly because his friend was either gone or dead tired half the time.
"Hey, Rivalz?" she called, bringing the teen up from his stack of papers.
"Yeah?"
"Have you seen Milly?"
"The Prez was around here somewhere just a while ago." he responded, face scrounged up in what he usually called his 'thinking pose'. "Dare I ask why? I think she had her sights set on poor Suzaku this morning."
It was perhaps unnecessary to say that both felt a shiver run up their spines at the words, both considering saying a prayer for their unfortunate friend.
"Something I wanted to ask her…" Shirley trailed off, turning her face slightly away.
"Agh… what is it with you people and secrets? First Lelouch cuts me out of our usual chess runs, and goes with Nunnally instead, then Milly starts going on 'academy business', then Nina joins her from yesterday, and now you? Damn, I need a hobby. Am I the only one here who's not hiding something?" Rivalz melodramatically complained, though Shirley could tell it was mostly good-natured joking, rather than being truly angry.
"Sorry…" she offered, smiling apologetically to her friend. "I'm worried about Lelouch, and I think Milly may know something I don't."
"That might be true. Besides, I'd really like to know what they are all up to." Rivalz agreed.
"Really…" Shirley added in her own form of agreement. "But how are we going to ask if we don't know where they are?" she asked a few moments later, and Rivalz felt the distinct urge to groan.
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"Hm. Black on the move, white has a material advantage, but a positional disadvantage."
Sitting with absolute calm, Lelouch considered his next move. Cornelia had drastically tightened up her security, meaning there would be precious few openings for him to use. Suzaku was hiding something he wanted to say but he couldn't gather the courage to do so. The Black Knights were growing better organized by the day, and with Todoh and his Four Holy Swords helping train the troops, the overall quality would improve, but that still meant very little against the vast numeric superiority Britannia held. Politics and cunning would have to serve as his main weapons to liberate this country. And if he moved the knight from g4 to f6 he would create a set of openings that would force white to either sacrifice the rest of his mobility or lose his queen.
His thoughts stopped for a moment at the slight irritation in his throat. After coughing slightly, he returned his right hand to its place on his cheek, his index finger tapping on his temple.
But, the whole situation lead to the question: what then?
At this point he had no truly functional method of waging open war on Britannia… the only contenders to Britannia's power were the EU and the Chinese Federation, and according to the most recent news, a ceasefire had been arranged between Britannia and the EU, while the Chinese had their own internal turmoil thanks to their, for the lack of a better word, government.
It was naïve to think that any army, no matter how skilled or well-equipped, that he could raise here would be enough to stand up to the full might of Britannia's army. There were numerous advantages that Britannia held, among which, the most worrying one was its industry and technology. Not just Knightmare Frames, or even just military. Britannian medicine, in all of its branches, was the most developed in the world. Five years ago, Pendragon was connected to the world's first commercial fusion power plant. Not the scientists wet dream of cold fusion, but still immensely efficient and productive. Aside for the Japanese, Britannia had made the most of Sakuradite, creating high quality miniaturized circuitry, energy distribution systems, communication devices… the list went on.
And so, that brought him back to his problem. Deciding that the knight move was good, he picked the white figure, placing it at its new spot.
"Knight takes pawn, white's turn." He muttered quietly, his face a mask of absolute boredom which hid the scheming mind beneath.
There were options. There would always be options.It was simply the matter of him being willing to take them. But for now, he realized that there was little he could do. Until an opening presented itself, one he could use, he would be patient. Rome was not built in a day, and the patient wind reduced mountains to dust.
Sighing lightly, he got up and away from his chessboard, throwing off the comfortable white shirt he was wearing carelessly on the bed, and quickly redressing himself for a bit of training. He hadn't had the time for a relaxing run in over a week, and his body was beginning to ache for exercise. Thankfully, the classes today were very limited, due to several teachers being sick, so he at least had the spare time to fool around.
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In all honesty, Suzaku really didn't know just how he allowed himself to be persuaded by Milly. Then again, considering that she could persuade Lelouch, of all people, to dress up in silly costumes (the infamous cross-dressers ball came to mind, bringing a wince and almost unnatural twitch, as well as the distinct feeling of gratitude that he had only now joined the academy), he really didn't stand a chance, did he?
"Uhm… Milly? What exactly are we doing?" he asked from behind his pile of boxes which were haphazardly stacked in his hands. It was relatively lightweight for the teen, but still somewhat… well, strange.
"Working on organizing the Festival, of course." She responded in stride, guiding the teen into one of the rooms in the Council Clubhouse. "Put those there."
"Well, I'll explain quickly... you're a busy man after all, and all that." Milly spoke after Suzaku had put down the boxes. She seemed somewhat hesitant, which by itself was unusual for the young woman, and Suzaku noticed.
"Is something wrong?"
"No… well, there is but, it's not that important. You see… I wanted to ask a small favor from you, if I can?" she
"Uhm, sure. I don't know what I can do to help, but if I can, sure." Suzaku responded. The nervousness from thinking about what Milly was going to do was slowly receding.
"Here's the thing, every year for the Academy Festival, we organize a number of events, and among them is always something involving my family's Ganymede Knightmare Frame we keep in storage. Sadly, due to the fact that Nunnally has been drafted to help out with the Science Club activities, we don't have a viable pilot for it, so I was kinda hoping, if you could…"
"Step in? I'd be honored." Suzaku quickly responded, a smile spreading along his lips for multiple reasons. 'Bullet dodged.'
"Great! That's one weight off my shoulders. Thank you Suzaku." Milly responded, an almost beaming smile.
"It's no problem. It is just one event, right?" he returned, asking cautiously.
"Just one. Not sure what it will be yet, but we did receive an interesting idea on the subject."
"Dare I ask?"
"Making the world's largest pizza. One of the reasons we absolutely must have the Ganymede working and piloted. Otherwise, how are we supposed to spin the dough?" she clarified, as if explaining the most natural thing in the world, before she sauntered out of the room, leaving a curiously relieved Suzaku to his own devices.
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20:00
Kyoto, Sumeragi family home
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The sole remaining member of the once more numerous Sumeragi family was humming a tune as she walked towards her bath. Dressed in a robe of fine silk, and a small, subtle smile on her face, she walked to the large bathhouse built into the family estate.
Beneath the smile, however…
It would be fair to say that Kaguya was not a happy young woman. Growing up without her mother, who died in childbirth, was not easy on her, even though her father invested every possible human effort. She loved her father, deeply, and not just for the things he did for her. The death of Katsuro Sumeragi was not something she liked to think of much, it only reminded her of how little there was left for her in this world.
Her father had grown tired with the fall of Japan and the death of his wife, her mother. He immersed himself deeply into the two things that remained to him: his work, and raising his daughter. The devotion eventually burned him out, and he died of a heart attack, two years ago, passing away in his sleep. She had been the one to find him next morning. It had been days before she could stop crying.
The smile faded as the memories returned, and a single tear threatened to spill out of her left eye. Balling her fists, she fought off the returning tears, bracing herself with the memory of what her dear father would have wanted, what she wanted. Japan would be free again, if she had anything to say about it.
Having calmed herself enough, she let her memories return, as she shed the robe, and began washing herself before she would enter the warm water.
There were a number of obvious parallels she could pull between her father, and a certain object of her affections. Both were kind, noble, yet hard and harsh when truly necessary. Decisive, but patient. Lelouch vi Britannia was intriguing to her even when she had met him all those years ago in the Kururugi family shrine, though back then she would neither use such a word to describe her rampant curiosity, nor was she free to pursue such an interest.
Now that thought was silly, and reminiscent of kinder, better times. The warmth of the water she slowly lowered herself in was a pleasant sensation after a long day. Balancing running the entirety of the Sumeragi Conglomerate with her education and supporting the Black Knights was no mean feat, and by the time night came, she was usually exhausted, meaning that such small comforts as a soak in the onsen were few and far between. Going out somewhere would likely have her bodyguards having heart attacks, the poor souls. She had a number of enemies, after all, and not all of them were that distant. Even among the Six Houses of Kyoto, unity was not absolute, and tensions prevailed.
After all, old people had to argue how Japan was to be liberate, or rather, who would get the most power afterward. The problem was, in her opinion at least, that none of them, herself included, were suited to guide a country in these turbulent times. Especially with the forces which would be arrayed against it. No, they needed a capable leader, who would be able to keep the country afloat. Lelouch, was sadly not an option, being foreign, but Zero…
"Now that would just be silly… having a masked man lead the state." She almost pouted as she whispered the words, nevertheless entertained by the idea, and already imagining a number of ridiculous situations that quickly cheered her up.
But regardless of the absolute silliness, Zero, as liberator and the effective father of a nation, would easily be accepted, regardless of everything. People loved heroes, and Lelouch, by extension Zero, was one in the eyes of the people. Like the clever Kitsune of old tales, he was, a trickster spirit who had given his blessing to a cause he had chosen.
For some reason, the image of Lelouch sporting nine tails and slightly eyes with slits came to her head, and now, she couldn't help but laugh. There were indeed times when her imagination got the better of her, but those were her private moments to enjoy, and perhaps share. Perhaps with the subject of her thoughts too… and what an attractive subject he was…
Quietly, Kaguya sighed and rose from the water, grasping at a nearby towel to dry herself. She had spent long enough, and it was as good time as any to go to sleep. The good mood she had built all but evaporated with the rest of the moisture on her skin.
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20:00
Tokyo Concession downtown, Skylight Bar
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Within what was one of the more famous soldier drinking holes, the entirety of the increasingly famous Carius lance had gathered for drinks. By order of their Captain, Jeremiah Gottwald, there was to be drinking and fun even if it killed them.
Kewell Soresi shook his head as he downed another shot of scotch. Jeremiah had changed, that much would be obvious even to a blind man, but it had taken him a long time to realize that the change had been for the better. If anything, his fall had taught him a semblance of humility, and restored the drive he had in the old days, before he had become margrave.
For a man who had until recently considered treason, he was starting to have a rather high opinion of his commanding officer. Again, that is. With the complete dissolution of the former Pureblood faction, Kewell didn't have much of a career, except by following Jeremiah.
'That's irony for you…' he thought bitterly. He was quite certain that the above stated CO had a very good idea of his plans, for one did not rise into the ranks of nobility unprepared for politics, and yet, he was yet to be called out on the fact. Which in turn meant that Jeremiah was giving him a chance, though it was obvious when he kept him in his squad even after all that had happened.
There was a time when he, Villeta and Jeremiah were friends, rather than simply colleagues, but he had cast that off. Foolishly, he might add, because quite frankly, he missed their antics and them more than he dared admit. Sometimes, he could really be a complete idiot.
Besides, it felt good seeing his former friend and superior back to his old self, before he became a noble. Jeremiah Gottwald had earned his position through sweat and blood, and was a masterful pilot. It seemed that his demotion did little but light his spirit ablaze again. For a moment, he actually felt sorry for the poor fools that would undoubtedly come his way, while reminding himself that it could have been him on the business end of Gottwald's crosshairs. Definitely not a pleasant thought.
"Doing better Kewell?" Jeremiah called as he sat down next to the man, putting down his glass of what seemed to be some strong alcohol. Kewell couldn't tell the exact sort, he didn't drink much himself.
"I guess." He responded, taking another sip from his own glass. "You sir?"
"Been worse, been worse." Jeremiah stated with a smile which quickly faded. "I'll cut the crap here. I know what you intended to do, and I know mostly why. You're likely wondering why the hell are you still alive. For one, you've been a friend for years, and despite several decent opportunities, you didn't take a shot at me. And there's the matter of dealing with Marika…" he trailed off, resisting the urge of slamming his head into the table. Despite the obvious seriousness of the matter, Kewell laughed at the comment, well reminded of the 'incidents' regarding his sister. "Anyway, I'm giving you a second chance here, a clean slate. Don't mess it up."
"Sir… Jeremiah. Thank you." Kewell responded in a mostly quiet voice, but his superior heard him well, and smirked confidently. His only response was to raise his glass in salute.
"Don't thank me yet… I get the feeling we might regret being in the military soon enough." the captain responded, walking away and leaving a rather sober Kewell to ponder the meaning of his words.
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To Villeta, the night was going on rather well. Much to her joy, the pay raise she got finally had her back at the level of income she needed to get her old apartment back. Then, the exemplary performance of Carius lance during the situation with Todoh and Zero ensured that they would be getting more assignments later on, meaning a further possibility of a promotion.
All that, and more. In the end, her doubts about her new service had all been laid to rest, as Lelouch vi Britannia proved himself to be extremely capable. But that was hardly all she noticed.
The entity that was Lelouch operated on many levels, a different person on each. On one, he was Zero, the brilliant rebel strategist who struck fear into the hearts of Britannians, while giving hope to the conquered numbers. On another, he was Lelouch Lamperouge, student of Ashford Academy, and generally kind blind teen. And the third, which was perhaps his true self, was Lelouch vi Britannia, brother of Nunnally and partner of C.C., ironically the living paragon of Britannia's beliefs. Only the strongest, most capable people were worthy of leading, and for all his faults, Lelouch was nothing if not strong.
However, such a multi-faceted personality came at a price, one she realized very few noticed. Nunnally and C.C., she was certain did, but likely remained quiet, not willing to add to his burden. It likely slid past Jeremiah, for all the man's skill and capability, some things were simply beyond him. The conversation she had shared with her lord was a private matter between the two of them, not something to be shared with others, and she intended to keep it that way.
She couldn't help but let a smile cross her lips at the thoughts. She found her service to Lelouch strangely fulfilling. The knowledge that there was someone looking out for you, even if it was for their own interests, was a relief of sorts. Besides, if what she had learned of her liege so far was any indication, she would not be sacrificed with, or without a point. While he didn't mind sacrificing his pawns in chess, he still saw people as something far more, despite his attempts at concealing it. In a funny way, it reminded her of one of those silly comic books about a wizard and his knight.
Though, something had to happen to sour her mood. Life was after all, rarely ideal.
"Soresi." She greeted flatly, not really willing to grace her colleague with anything more than civility, and retaining her focus on her glass of wine.
"Nu." The brunette man responded as he sat down. "I come in peace." He added tentatively a moment later.
"That, would be a bit hard to swallow, don't you think?" she nearly spat.
"Guess I earned that one." Kewell muttered, his voice rather surprisingly regretful. "I made… no, it's foolish to call it a mistake. To be honest, I had truly thought Jeremiah was off his rocker, and was going to get us all killed, or worse. There were other motivations, I won't lie. But… dammit, I want to at least try and make up for what I've done."
"I'd like to think we were friends once Kewell." Villeta responded, stopping to think for a while, before letting out a small sigh. "If Jeremiah gave you a chance, then for old time's sake, I guess I can as well."
"It's all I ask." Kewell said somberly. Villeta shortly turned her face towards him, sending a cold look that perfectly explained what she would do if he messed this up, before it slowly faded into apathy.
She eyed her glass shortly, before finishing it off quickly, and got up, slowly walking away from the bar and back to the others from her lance. She hadn't spent much time socializing, but the pilots of Carius squad were decent people.
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March 26th, Saturday, 10:00
Britannian airspace over southeastern Asia
Avalon-class Air Fleet Battleship 'Avalon' under the command of Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia
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Ironically similar to his brother, prince Schneizel was sitting lazily on his chair and playing with a chess game that had given him more than enough grief over the years, namely, the only time a certain long gone younger sibling had brought him to a draw. It was a favored pastime of his, especially in moments when he had to consider a difficult situation such as the one that presented itself in Area 11.
For now, it would serve as a fine method to relax himself from the constantly growing tensions between Europe and Britannia. He had been at Brussels when the ceasefire was arranged, serving as Britannia's representative.
The ceasefire was just that, a temporary measure that both sides agreed to, mostly so they could handle other issues and then fully focus on beating the tar out of one another. Charles zi Britannia didn't care one way or the other, as Britannia had sufficient military strength to fight their way through most of Europe.
A large number of reports had arrived earlier in the morning, but he had decided to take a few days off from the problems of Europe, and focus his considerable skills on one man who just might be capable enough of challenging his own skills: Zero.
Still, it wasn't fair to say that he wasn't enjoying himself. The ship he was aboard, was the result of four years of research, of carefully planned actions, money infusions to the right place, and manipulation on a scale that would make Machiavelli proud in his grave. That by itself, a result of his hard works was enough to make him feel content, if not happy.
If anyone were to find out the real reason why he was happy, they would likely be shot. After all, Second Prince Schneizel el Britannia had a reputation to upkeep, one which would be irrevocably ruined if it were found out that the beloved scion of the Holy Empire was taking its first airship on a glorified joyride across the world, mostly because he could.
That is not to say that he did not appreciate the entirety of its power. Oh no, the prince knew well the rather impressive arsenal the Avalon carried with it, as well as all of the experimental technologies that were built into it, but its true advantages didn't lie in the weapons, nor in the expertly adapted Blaze Luminous shielding it now possessed, courtesy of his protégé, earl Lloyd Asplund. No, the true power lay in the fact that the Avalon served as a mobile hangar for Knightmare Frames, as well as a research and development facility, fully powered by a fusion generator that could keep it afloat effectively for several thousand years… that, and provide full output for all integrated systems, and refuel the Energy Fillers for the total six frames it could house. And the new Float technology… If he knew Lloyd as well as he thought he did, the eccentric scientist was going to start doing backflips once he informed him of the 'upgrade' he was going to bring for his prized Lancelot.
He reminded himself, it was the little, everyday pleasures that made life enjoyable.
"Captain Vertis, what is our estimated ETA to Cambodia?" he asked the ship's captain, who while under his authority, was still in charge of the airship itself. Captain Matthew Vertis was the first man to successfully pass the Todoromo Agency's rather strict training for the matter, and as a former pilot himself, he had plenty of airborne experience.
The relatively tall and lanky man stood proudly in his uniform, knowing full well that his position was at the beachhead, a pioneer in the field, and it showed. The shortly cropped black hair was barely visible under his hat, and his face was freshly cleared of all facial hair. Two green eyes lively kept their attention at the four subordinates in charge of piloting from their perch behind a hawkish nose and a smile that ended in a scar on the left side, the thin line following up to his ear.
"Six hours, twenty five minutes your highness. Arrival has been confirmed, and Baron Mossfield reports that the packages you requested are entering final stages of assembly and should be prepared in forty-eight hours." Captain Vertis quickly responded. His voice carried the respect he felt for the prince, who while ten years his junior, was every bit the leader he didn't portray himself to be. Prince Schneizel didn't make foolish assumptions, and treated all those under his command with a great deal of respect and care. Every man and woman aboard the ship was handpicked according to their worth not their connections. From the pilots, to the engineers, the cooks, the medics, even the security staff. Everyone.
While Matthew Vertis was the first to pass the tests, he wasn't the only one. But he was the best, and the only one of the five who had the proverbial balls to stand and correct some of the misconceptions the prince had on the operation of the ship. Mostly, the kind that could get the men and women under his command killed, and prince Schneizel more than appreciated the gesture.
"Thank you Captain. I will be retiring to my quarters until our arrival, please send someone to call me should something happen." Schneizel retorted as he got up from his seat, slowly walking towards the chambers designated for him.
"Understood my lord. I bid you good fortune with your work."
"Likewise, captain." Schneizel responded politely before walking away. Once more, the Second Prince reminded himself of his plans in Area 11, and forced the rather strong desire to persuade Cornelia to let him handle Zero back. Unlike many of his family, he wasn't foolish enough to pounce just because she couldn't beat him… yet. Cornelia was a proud woman, and if he allowed himself to break that pride for something that was little more than a passing fancy at the time, he wasn't really sure he'd be able to live with himself.
His quarters were fairly Spartan, as he refused many of the luxuries the members of his family normally demanded. They were distractions that he could not afford, and frankly, did not need. A comfortable, if not spacious bathroom, a bed, working desk with a computer terminal and a dresser was all that was within. Though not visible, being placed at the bottom of his dresser, he had carried his old chess set with him, a sturdy, but simple wooden box he had bought off a trader somewhere back home.
Locking his door, Schneizel sat down in front of the computer terminal, patiently waiting for the system to start up before he began working on his next objective. The cold metal of the chair he was sitting on was barely registered, its slight discomfort ignored in favor of the task ahead.
If Euphemia really went through with what she intended, he would give his full support. Better to avoid war if possible, though he had little faith it would turn out well in the end. While Zero would possibly support the notion of a peaceful liberation of the Elevens, but on the other hand, his government (and father) would most likely not. But, he didn't understand why Euphemia was willing to make a sacrifice of the magnitude she was going to. It didn't make sense, unless she knew something he didn't, but considering her personality, it made little sense to keep a secret…
He sighed quietly, bringing his fingers to rub his temples. Knowledge was power, and his theories had begun taking a far more solid and sinister shape lately. It was time to confirm some things.
Such as, for instance the existence of a certain nonexistent family member and the truth behind several key events. Schneizel el Britannia was not going to be anyone's puppet, not if he had any say in it.
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11:47
Area 11, Tokyo Concession Subways, eastern section
Black Knights field command
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"I agree." Zero stated, his gloved hands serving as a rest for his chin. "We should not break up our sole special forces team. Yoshitaka has proven himself more than capable during our last operation, and he seems to have garnered the respect of the men. From this point onward, Taskforce Epsilon is permanently instated as Black Knights Special Division Epsilon, roster unchanged, under the command of Yoshitaka Minami, promoted to rank of Colonel. Aside from that, have you finished reviewing the recommendations?"
"The general idea seems sound, but it would take at least a week to properly organize, not to mention institute. A month in the least until we have a degree of discipline and an effective chain of command on the level the JLF maintained until its dissolution." Todoh stated his thoughts on the matter.
"Not to be the bearer of bad news Zero, but are you sure this can even be done properly?" Oghi questioned. Lelouch somewhat appreciated the voice of reason the man tended to be at most times, and his reactions, while seemingly questioning (and they were), served merely to arouse doubt, and have it ruthlessly squashed. " The men and women of the Black Knights are capable… but this requires discipline, organization, logistics… and I'm not sure we can provide all of this."
"I am certain, and I have faith in those under my command" Zero calmly assured. "The complete reorganization of our chain of command is now a necessity to ensure our strength is not wasted. With roughly five hundred effective members of the Order, we can no longer afford errors in communication or failure of discipline. The people of Japan look upon the Black Knights as saviors, and for that reason, we must maintain the higher moral ground, otherwise, we are no better than the Britannians we seek to overthrow. This movement, must not come just as a revolution… but a liberation."
"In the end, we don't have a choice but to do this." He finally stated, shrugging slightly, as if to say that the situation was out of his hands.
A rather irritating matter settled into his mind, known commonly among people as the concept of bureaucracy, into which the leadership of the Black Knights was slowly turning. He had made the decision of allowing his subordinates to question him: a mistake in itself as it undermined his authority. It was one of the reasons he very much wanted to institute these changes within the Order of the Black Knights.
'But that's not the only problem. The Black Knights are growing past a size where I can effectively lead individuals. At a hundred, it was barely viable. Now? It would be suicide.' He mused quietly.
To be fair, the meeting itself was the least important matter on his mind. Balancing out some manner of existence in Ashford while leading a revolutionary army had come at a great cost to his personal life, and right now, there was one person he wasn't looking forward to talking to, but knew he had to. As unpleasant as it might turn out, it was his responsibility to explain everything to Shirley.
Aside from that hurdle, there were the matters of Nina, Suzaku and Euphemia… not to mention that he would very likely be meeting Cornelia in the flesh sooner or later, something he was decidedly not looking forward to. Especially if said half-sister decided she was going to be angry at him for not informing her and Euphemia that he and Nunnally were still alive (never mind raising a rebellion and beating her in combat not once, but several times). One could quickly come to the conclusion that the meeting might not end well.
Nina was a far smaller problem, but still an important one. She was difficult to predict, as her rather timid and withdrawn personality seemed to be merely a part of the whole... And the rest was a complete unknown to him. Her xenophobia was a distinct issue as well, but he hoped that overexposure to the terrible foreign demon that was Suzaku would have mellowed her out at least a bit.
Of course, he had absolutely no idea what to do about Suzaku and Euphie. Suzaku had managed to throw a monkey-wrench into his plans for anonymity, but considering that there weren't Britannian soldiers in frames waiting to pick him up at Ashford, he was quite sure that she hadn't shared the information with her sister. And there was the other matter there: the slowly growing relationship between the two.
Blind Lelouch may be, but not stupid as well. They were birds of a feather, the two of them, and he would have to concede that it was the best option that he could think of. Strategically speaking, of course.
'By the time I am done with this, if the background scenario isn't grade-A material for a soap opera, I'll be disappointed.' He mentally added before his eyes almost comically widened beneath his mask. 'Merciful gods, I might just end up like my father. On the other hand… would it truly be so horrible? It's not like they would try to kill each other…right?'
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12:32
Viceroy Palace, Chambers of princess Euphemia li Britannia
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Euphie closed her eyes for a moment as she heard the sound of knocking on her door. Cornelia had finally come, and it was likely to be a subject she really didn't want to talk about, either of them. She wasn't the kind of person to rush into confrontations, especially with people she cared for, but this had to be done.
"Enter." She spoke, calming herself as much as she could. 'Take small breaths, don't show hesitation. No matter what I do, I must make sure I impress upon Cornelia how serious I am about this.'
To her surprise, Cornelia seemed to be in a decent mood, and the specter of her latest defeat at Zero's hands had lifted, if only briefly… or worse, if only for her sake. Euphie may have been naïve at times, but she knew her sister better than anyone.
"Euphemia, how are those preparations coming along?" her older sibling asked diplomatically.
"Rather well, dear sister."
"There is something rather important we have to discuss Euphie. Namely, you have to select a Knight of Honor. You are old enough, and the situation warrants it, I am afraid." Cornelia explained as she sat down on the bed across from Euphemia. The younger of the two siblings only then noticed the file she had been carrying
"I understand. These are trying times, aren't they?" the young woman kindly offered.
"Indeed." She responded, bringing a hand to her head, the tiredness showing through only slightly in the barely visible bags beneath her eyes and the dull look in her normally vibrant eyes. Euphie took a deep breath before beginning.
"Before we even start this, I think I should tell you that I've chosen my knight already."
A scowl quickly crossed Cornelia's face. "I should guess who it is, but I know I won't like the answer, will I?"
"No you won't. I've decided to make Suzaku Kururugi my Knight of Honor, and nothing will change my mind."
"But…" she tried, or at least she would like to think so, to stop this madness in the making, but she already knew this was a battle that could not be won.
"But what Cornelia?" Euphie cut her off, pressing with that steel Cornelia had only recently begun noticing in her sister's voice, and the look that you could bounce artillery shells off.
"Are his skills lacking? Is his loyalty in question? Does he not have the support of the Empire's favorite son?"
"No. That's not it..." Cornelia responded quietly, trailing off, unwilling to state what they both knew to be true.
"It is because he is an Honorary Britannian, because it is without precedent for one to become a Knight of Honor, isn't it?" she shot back, her voice reflecting what was beneath the visibly shallow anger: a deeply instated sadness which finally came out. "You can't protect me forever, Cornelia. Sooner or later, either father, the rest of our family or someone else is going to try and get to you through me, and you can't be everywhere at once."
Those words had provoked a reaction from Cornelia. The fact that her younger sister told her off, but without any malice whatsoever, a piece of caring advice from a little sister that wanted the best for her and was proving to be wise beyond her years. It was perhaps the first time it truly hit home that her little sister may not be so 'little' anymore, that Euphemia was finally becoming a grown woman. And it was both something that made her feel proud, and frightened her at the same time. And yet, she realized with the absolute clarity parents have at some point, that this was the point in which she could no longer choose to offer advice instead of making the decision.
"I've… made several decisions, along with that one. Can you trust me Cornelia?" Euphie asked in a quiet tone, but she wasn't done. "Can you trust me enough to let me put my life at risk for what I believe in?"
'I will not let myself be useless Cornelia. The little princess who has to be protected. Not anymore.'
Author's notes: And cut. I've intentionally left it off here for reasons obvious. Maybe I'll just play it evil and not reveal the result of the conversation to keep you guessing. Or maybe I won't.
A bit of humor, a bit of fluff and personal questing and all that. This chapter will be followed by a short timeskip up to April 6th where the next part of the story will begin, and the opening stages of the chaos to follow will unfold. No spoilers, though.
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To those of you who don't know, a Kitsune is a trickster spirit in the shape of a fox of Japanese folklore, renowned for its wit and cunning… and the occasional many tails(sounds familiar doesn't it?). I merely thought it a very decent comparison, and Kaguya, being raised the way she was, would have some degree of knowledge on the matter.
Also, it was never explicitly stated how many Knightmare Frames can the 'Avalon' house, so I've decided to go with one full squad, according to the Britannian organization of troops I've instituted. Even on experimental prototype grounds, it makes no sense for them to field an airship that can carry only one frame onboard.
Since Kanon Maldini didn't make an appearance until R2, and pretty much stayed attached at the hip to Schneizel, I think we can safely assume he didn't meet his favorite quirky assistant.
Considering Schneizel's somewhat, well, strange lines of thought, this was partly creative liberty on my part, partly one of the views one can take on the character in cannon. Regardless of his choices and actions, Schneizel cared for his siblings, and I would say especially for Cornelia, Euphemia and possibly, Odysseus, Nunnally and Lelouch. He had the chance to murder Cornelia, but chose a non-lethal shot near the end of R2, but then again, he effectively left Nunnally to die aboard the Damocles. Regardless, he is a complex character, and one short appearance is nowhere near enough to explore him, so for now, he may seem quirky.
Besides, fairly, how many among you can say that they wouldn't be excited to fly as the acting commander of the world's first true military airship?
Anyone have funny ideas as to why exactly I've made Yoshitaka Colonel rather than Captain or any other rank?
And finally, Euphemia. Lest you forget, she persuaded Lelouch to give up his revolution and revenge, and help her make the SAZ succeed, with nothing but a few minutes of talking.
Well, enough of that. Read, review and all that. It hasn't taken me this long to write a chapter in quite a while, so I hope it was at least enjoyable.