A/N: Turn 20? Really, I've written twenty of these already, huh? I feel accomplished. The 200 plus reviews only add to that. Thank you to everyone reading.
Disclaimer: Jackie: "CrazyNinjaPenguin owns the original characters but not the characters and elements of Code Geass. I trust you understand."
Ava li Britannia was broken. She could hardly bring herself to move from her bed. She hadn't looked at the throne since the day she learned the horrible truth; the truth that would haunt her. It just felt so empty. All the ambitions she once had, they were gone now and replaced with a sorrow and loneliness so crippling that Ava couldn't stand it.
Most people stayed out of her way. It had been two days now and she was given her space. She knew she had a country to run, she knew that even though she felt so defeated, that didn't mean Britannia was. She just couldn't force her body to move. Everything felt so pointless without Astrid. It still felt pointless when the knock came at her door that day. She didn't respond to it, but it opened anyway. Ava stared blankly at the one who appeared there.
"I'm sorry to intrude, Empress, but there are some matters which must be sorted out," Richter Novak spoke in a dry voice.
"Of course there are, Richter… Please tell me," Ava said darkly, hardly straightening herself up.
"Absolution has taken root in New Pendragon. Their message is spreading among the people and their forces are building exponentially. A full intensity war is likely at this point," Richter said, with a slight tentative quality to his voice.
"I see…" Ava said, shaking as she felt ever more hollow.
"Final decisions on the renewed Code-R project need to be set. That Geass user Margaret and her mother captured still needs to be interrogated," said Richter, his voice heavy.
"I know…" Ava spoke in a broken whisper.
"The Knight of One is waiting to speak with you," Richter than said, looking even more affected by the tension in the room.
"I'll speak with him," Ava said, her heart feeling even more broken and tormented.
"And everything else?" asked the advisors.
"Do you think I could leave it in your hands for now, Richter? I don't feel well," Ava spoke, feeling ashamed of herself.
"You're giving me the authority to make executive decisions in your stead, Empress?" asked the young man, raising an eyebrow.
"Just for now… just until I'm able to cope with… with…" Ava started. She began to cry softly.
"I understand. I'm sorry, Empress," Richter said, closing his eyes. "I can hardly imagine your pain."
"Love is the cruelest thing in this entire world, Richter. I'd avoid it at all cost were I you," Ava muttered very softly.
"You needn't worry over that, Empress. I've never truly loved anything my entire life," Richter said with a frown.
"Heh, is that so?' Ava started, looking at the man. "You're confident you will never find love then?"
"I wasn't going to bring this up, but I am to be married in just a matter of months," Richter said suddenly. Ava's eyes widened momentarily.
"Since when?" she started, staring at him.
"I proposed to her just last week," said Richter, nodding.
"And who is she?" asked Ava, eyes narrowing.
"Your cousin. Jackie," Richter said, smirking.
"You're joking, certainly. You'd have to have steel in your blood to tolerate the presence of that miserable woman longer than a minute," Ava said curtly, shaking her head.
"I see your point, Empress. That girl is royalty though. She is quite smitten with me. A man who does not snap up the opportunities that are laid in front of him will never get anywhere in this world," Richter spoke, an intensity entering his eyes.
"Britannia would be better off under your steely, unwavering hands rather than these trembling things. You've just proven that to me, Richter. One who can wade through that woman's hell by choice and keep face, is certainly stronger than me," said Ava, looking down at her hands.
"I'll do my best, Empress," Richter said with a staunch frown.
"Thank you," Ava rasped.
"Should the Knight of One be told to wait?" he asked.
"No. Send him in," said Ava. "Let me speak with that man."
"As you wish, my Empress," Richter said with a nod. "I'll send him in."
With that Richter Novak left. Ava's mind felt completely numb as she waited for what seemed like the longest time but couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Intolerable guilt and self-loathing filled every inch of her being. Tears trickled down her face again as her body began to shake. Then the knock on her door finally came.
"Please come in," Ava said in a cracked voice, hardly able to speak. The door opened slowly.
Gino Weinberg entered the room even more slowly. The usually good natured expression Ava was used to had been completely leveled. Ava was scared. She was intimidated. More than anything though, she was sorry. She couldn't stop crying in front of the man.
"Please kill me. You have every reason to…" Ava choked out, never looking up.
"I'm not the vengeful type, Empress. I'm sorry but I can't fulfill that wish," Gino spoke in a cold voice.
"I'm sorry," Ava said in a hard gasp, tearing up once more. "I don't know what to say… I don't know what to do...I just… I just…" Ava knew she must have appeared as a broken wreck, but that's what she was; she couldn't hide it.
"I ask you for a temporary suspension from active duty," Gino said, his voice tense.
"Temporary suspension?! That's all?!" Ava finally looked at the man, anger in her voice and eyes. "Leave! Get out of here! Join them. Become my enemy. Use your strength to crush me and my fucking mad dreams. For her… for her… I deserve to…"
"You really are such a child," Gino sighed. He stared at the other in contempt. "Astrid fought for those dreams until the end, yet you, the one who had them in the first place betrays them so easily."
"But I-I…" Ava started, feeling horribly pathetic.
"The world spins without her. You can't forget that simple fact," the man spoke, closing his eyes.
"Why… why does it have to be you who tells me that… ?" Ava said very quietly.
"I won't hate you, Empress. I won't find the nearest colored mask to pull over my face just yet. I've watched you grow up for a long time now, I'd like to think I know the person you are," said the Knight of One.
"You're making a mistake," said Ava, her voice holding a slight quiver.
"If Kallen Kozuki really killed my daughter, why should I join her side for it?" Gino asked in a jagged voice.
"You… you doubt it?" Ava started, surprised.
"I didn't say that. In this sort of situation we have nothing we can do but try and accept the things we are told," said Gino, his voice becoming more quiet and emotional. "No matter how difficult that is."
"I don't know if I'll ever be able to just accept it…" Ava said, shivering.
"I wouldn't expect you to. Not yet anyway. Not with how you loved her," Gino said. Ava raised her head in surprise.
"I suppose there's no denying that. I only wish I had realized it myself sooner," the young Empress broke into tears once more. "I wish I had been more open with her… I wish I had… I wish I hadn't been so foolish that day…"
"Throwing everything away now doesn't make up for the things you have done wrong," said Gino in a somewhat harsh voice. "I'll leave finding atonement to you, Empress."
"Of course…" Ava said. "You can have your temporary suspension then, Knight of One."
"Thank you," was all the other said. He then left without another word, leaving Ava again to her grief and misery.
---
Richter Novak wore a smirk on his face as he walked down the castle corridor. The Empress' loss had turned out to be his luck. He had been just systematically handed full executive authority over the whole of Britannia. For as long as it took that girl to come to terms with the grief of losing the one she most likely had loved, Richter was the acting Emperor. He hardly knew where to start.
"Richter!" a call came to him. Richter turned around. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of an all too familiar face.
"Yes, what is it Margaret?" asked Richter, his voice becoming brusque.
"I.. Well, we haven't talked in a while…" Margaret Enneagram started, smirking uneasily. "I just thought that maybe we could…"
"If you'll excuse me, I'm really rather busy," Richter said, turning around and beginning to walk, keen on getting away from the annoying girl. "The Empress has placed a number of tasks in my hands."
"Oh… so you've seen her… how is she?" the girl asked in a low voice, walking along, ignoring the hint.
"Broken beyond repair," Richter said rather honestly, sighing.
"Oh… well…" Margaret choked. "Those two… they were in love, weren't they?"
"Most likely," Richter said, looking down.
"I still can't believe it. Astrid of all people…" Margaret shook her head. "I swear that if I meet Guren out there on the battlefield I won't show any mercy."
"Should war really be dictated by our personal grudges. Margaret," Richter grumbled in disdain.
"Perhaps not, but emotions can make us stronger. I doubt you've failed to hear the exploits of the Knight of Eight, Richter" said Margaret, nodding.
"Heh. There's a difference between emotion and acute psychosis," said Richter, his eyes narrowing again.
"Perhaps," Margaret said tilting her head. "Anyway, where are we headed?"
"I am on route to interrogate the woman you captured," Richter said in a heavy voice.
"It really would be better if she could do that… it's her specialty." The redhead sighed.
"You try talking to her then. See if you could find the response I failed to," Richter said pointedly.
"No, I believe you. It's just a shame," the girl said in a soft voice.
"Well, this will have to be where we part ways today, Margaret,," Richter said with latent cold, hoping to be rid of the girl.
"Cool. Perhaps we could meet up and talk sometime soon?" Margaret started, tilting her head.
"I'm sorry. The next few months I must devote to preparations," Richter said, smirking.
"Preparations? For what?" the girl asked innocently.
"My wedding to the Third Princess of Britannia," Richter said callously, closing his eyes.
"Wait! W-what was that?!" Margaret started, her voice becoming weak.
Richter didn't answer, he just walked ahead of the girl, imagining the look of shock and horror that she must have had upon her face.
---
Megami Subarashii yawned as she sat in her holding cell. God she was bored. Being a prisoner was boring. It was insufferable. She was used to being able to move around freely. She had been allowed to go anywhere without anyone seeing her. Now she was confined. They had even chained her by the wrist to the bed so as she couldn't slip out when her meals were delivered. They had her captive completely. That's why she was excited when the door opened.
"Dinner time?" she asked hopefully. The food sucked here, but eating it at lease gave her something to do.
"I'm afraid not. I'd like a word," said a cold, rigid man with light-brown hair and a frown on his face.
"Would you now? And who might you be?" Megami asked.
"You'd do well to realize that I am the one asking the questions here," the young man spoke, his glare icy.
"Fine, however you wanna do this. Personally I was hoping that cute Empress would do this bit herself," Megami laughed, smiling as she thought. It had been six years since she had seen Ava li Britannia. She was eager to finally meet the girl who had been at the very center of her decision back then.
"Your name?" asked the man.
"Megami Subarashii," she said with a toothy grin.
"I'm not a fool, woman. Even with just a rudimentary knowledge of the language I know that that is nothing more that crudely constructed alias," the interrogator said harshly, contempt in his eyes.
"Well, it's the only name I have for you at the moment. I've discarded my others," Megami shrugged.
"I'm not here to listen to your nonsense. Now tell me, and tell me clearly. What name were you born under?!" the young man demanded.
"No can do. Don't recall it. It was only used a year and a half before my parents got rid of me," Megami said, still cheery somehow.
"What other name of yours exists on record?" the man asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Probably none. Ever since my parents got rid of me I've been going from one nonexistence to the next. I have no country, I have no home, I hardly have anyone who knows me. I'm more or less a wandering phantom," Megami said, strangely amused by herself.
"How do I know you aren't just a creative liar, woman?" the man asked.
"Bring me before your Empress. I'll answer her questions. That should do," Megami said, shrugging.
"Where did you acquire the power, Geass?" asked the young man with a nod.
"It was given to me at a very young age. You needn't worry. Japan doesn't have a witch or anything. I'm just a freak... and I haven't a clue where Chiharu got hers, really," Megami continued to completely fail at being intimidated.
"You are to answer all questions directly! Now tell me, who gave you Geass?" the man asked in a stern voice.
"Eh, I don't know. There's a stretch of time in my past that's a little hazy in my memory," Megami shrugged.
"You will remember!" the man demanded.
"Or what? Sorry, but I don't see any threat from you," Megami laughed.
"I'm the one who decides the date of your execution," the young man said very seriously.
"I don't quite believe you. Reports indicate that the Empress hasn't issued an execution order since she's taken power," Megami said giving yet another laugh.
"You pick interesting things to pay attention to, woman. But you should be aware that things are about to change here in Britannia," the other said in a harsh voice.
"Whatever you say. Death doesn't scare me anyway. My life lacks any definable purpose as it is," Megami shrugged. "But if you have me killed, you'd be missing out."
"What are you babbling about now?" the man scoffed.
"You realize I'm a mercenary right? I don't have any more love of your enemy than I do you Britannians. I fact I have a deep seeded loathing for the Black Knights and those associated with them. Pay me and my Geass is yours to use," Megami said in an easy voice.
"You've answered none of my questions in a satisfactory manner. Do you honestly think I could trust you just like that?" the man shook his head.
"Suit yourself. But I'm not lying. I really am a free agent. Let your Empress gauge my loyalty herself, then you'll see," the woman said in a soft voice.
"You truly are an insufferable woman," the man said. He then turned around. Megami giggled as he left. He was obviously considering it. Megami was positive it would only be a few more days until she was informed she had a new employer. She was cool with that. She truly did want an opportunity to meet and work with Ava li Britannia. She just hoped that it didn't mean running into Chiharu on the battlefield. That's the only thing that would prove impossible.
---
Hildegarde gave a light moan as she stirred. The pain to her stomach was severe. That's the first thing she realized as her eyes opened. She recalled the fight; she recalled the startling things she had discovered during it. She didn't recall much after that. She supposed she wasn't dead. It was true luck to survive being half impaled on a sword.
"You're awake," an angelic voice chirped. Hildegarde looked around, becoming cognizant of her surroundings, which appeared to be a hospital room. Her eyes quickly found the source of the voice, the Japanese beauty Yasuko Tohdoh.
"Y-Yasuko… you're… what are you doing here?" Hildegarde asked in a heavy voice.
"They said it was okay for me to leave my room to visit you," Yasuko said with a smile, kneeling in front of Hildegarde's bed.
"Wasn't it part of that Chinese woman's mission to free you?" asked Hildegarde, staring at the other.
"I stayed behind. I wanted to save you," Yasuko said in a very quiet voice.
"Yasuko, that's treason," Hildegarde said rationally, though her heart suffered through pangs of intense emotion.
"I know what it is, okay. Still… I couldn't… not after how kind you were to me… I wanted to do my part to help you," Yasuko said in a serious tone.
"You saved my life then, Yasuko, at the cost of so much. I won't ever forget that," said Hildegarde smiling. "Thank you."
"I honesty never thought about doing anything any different…" Yasuko said looking down. "I wonder if that makes me a poor soldier."
"Even if it does, Yasuko, it also makes you a wonderful person," the knight said with a soft nod. "You show compassion to a person in need, even if she is your enemy."
"I could never think of you as an enemy, Miss Hildegarde. Besides, you did the same thing for me back in that prison," said Yasuko smirking softly.
"It's not the same and you know it," Hildegarde said with a mild expression. "I stuck my neck out to save your life when I didn't have to but I didn't willingly go against the ones I had sworn to serve in doing it."
"I guess you're right," said Yasuko looking down. "I can't help but wonder what everyone thinks of me now, even if this would always be my choice."
"Yasuko…" Hildegarde said in a soft, voice looking at the beautiful girl, finding herself filled with warmth.
"Miss Hildegarde, I'm so glad you're alright… I've never been so scared," Yasuko said looking sad. Hildegarde lifted her hand and placed it at the girl's cheek. She gave a very quiet gasp and blushed.
"It's all because of you, Yasuko. Those two would have surely killed me…" said Hildegarde, her eyes meeting Yasuko, a sure desire entering her.
"I'm a horrible person," said Yasuko, suddenly beginning to cry. "Hiromi, Chiharu, Mom and Dad and everyone… I love them so much… and yet I'm not sure that I even want to go back now."
"Yasuko… what are you--?" Hildegarde started. She cut herself off when the other suddenly threw her arms around her and began to embrace her.
"I think I love you, Miss Hildegarde," Yasuko said in tears. Hildegarde's heart leapt. It felt so beautiful. Her arms found their way around the girl.
"That doesn't make you horrible, Yasuko. You're nothing but beautiful in my eyes," Hildegarde whispered at the girl's ear.
"I'm scared. I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to fight Hiromi and I certainly don't want to fight you. I want this war to be over. I want to…" Yasuko was now sobbing full force.
"I want the same things you do, Yasuko. But the two of us… we lack the power to bring an end to this. A war like this will only end when someone wins," said Hildegarde.
"So, you intend to keep fighting?" asked Yasuko.
"I must. Say what you will of her, but my opinion of my Empress is high. I won't betray her. Ever. Even for love," said Hildegarde, smiling at the girl.
"I'm not asking you to. Your pride, your strength, those are two of your most beautiful points, Miss Hildegarde. I will never blame you for anything your sword happens to cut," said Yasuko, her eyes serious.
"If you truly mean that your strength is no less than mine," Hildegarde said with a smile.
"I'm not strong. You're the one who survived wounds like these," Yasuko said, smiling as she pulled herself off of the other finally, giving her some space.
"What's your opinion of the woman who gave them to me, Hu Xuemei?" said Hildegarde her mind wandering back to the fight.
"She's a really strong soldier. Really committed. She's kind of like you, except so much colder," said Yasuko, smiling.
"Yasuko, can I share a secret with you?" started Hildegarde.
"If you want… I mean if you're comfortable with me knowing…" Yasuko said shyly, but showing definite curiosity.
"By my Empress' orders I have received the power of Geass," Hildegarde told the girl, closing her eyes.
"Whoa, really?! What can yours do?" asked Yasuko, her eyes wide.
"I can see memories from the pasts of others. I have very limited control of it, and I don't think I can use it on the same person more than once, but I have seen things…" started Hildegarde, only to trail off.
"You saw something strange about Xuemei then?" Yasuko asked.
"I did. Something unbelievable, something that would destroy the faith of her people," said Hildegarde, remembering her vision.
"Their faith? Why would Xuemei be at the heart of something like that?" asked Yasuko, raising her eyebrows.
"The Tianzi is a symbol of purity. What I saw in that girl's memories could be seen as defiling that purity," said Hildegarde, looking down.
"Oh my god, her hair! You're not saying that she's... that Xuemei is her daughter, are you?" Yasuko started, her eyes going wide.
"That's what my vision seems to indicate," said Hildegarde, her expression a stern one.
"But Xuemei's too old to be the Tianzi's daughter," said Yasuko after a moment's thought.
"Pregnancy is often possible a lot earlier than most women ever would chose to have children," said Hildegarde.
"So the Federation's holy symbol of purity had a child with a man when she was still just a child herself?" Yasuko said, clearly in disbelief.
"I believe so," Hildegarde said, closing her eyes.
"Wow, that's something," Yasuko said.
"I'm not sure what use it is knowing though. I'm not the type who likes to fight with such weapons; even if I was, who would believe me?" started Hildegarde.
"True enough," Yasuko giggled cutely. "So, you use your power on me yet?"
Hildegarde felt a tinge of shame as she recalled her first Geass vision. She blushed. "Perhaps," was all she said.
"Hmmph, exactly what sort of embarrassing things did you see?" Yasuko started with a cute glare.
"Yasuko?" Hildegarde started questioningly, a stray thought crossing her mind.
"Yeah?" asked the girl.
"When you said you loved me, did you mean that?" Hildegarde asked.
"W-what's this about all of a sudden?" Yasuko stuttered, blushing profusely. "Of course I did…"
"So between me and Chiharu Ohgi…" Hildegarde began to say, looking at the girl. She shook her head.
"I admired her for so long. I loved her. I still probably love her somewhere in my heart. But what I feel for you is very real and very intense. If I had to choose just one of you, right now, it would be you, Miss Hildegarde," Yasuko said very straight forwardly. Her tone held such a warm and gentle quality.
"I don't deserve sentiments so beautiful," said Hildegarde closing her eyes.
"Yeah you do," Yasuko replied playfully. Hildegarde laughed.
She smiled as she looked at Yasuko, knowing she returned the girls feelings in her heart. Love was a powerful thing. This thought led her mind back to the most recent vision. She could recall it all quite clearly.
She had been looking up the entire time but it was from a strange angle. The one she was seeing through was very small; she was being cradled in the arms of another. Logic had told Hildegarde she was seeing through the eyes of an infant. She was looking up at a young, teenage girl with pale skin and white hair; she was the one cradling her. This girl was talking to another Hildegarde could not initially see.
"She's really cute. I'm happy for you, Lihua," said a youthful feminine voice.
"Thank you," the woman holding the infant said in a somewhat somber way.
"Come on, that's no way for a new mother to act," the other voice insisted.
"I just... I just don't know what to do about this… Kaguya," the white-haired girl began to tear up, her voice cracking.
"You loved each other. When you found out he was dying, you made your choice to become as close as possible to him in his final moments. You can't blame yourself that this happened, Lihua," the other, Kaguya, spoke in a more serious tone, her hand entering Hildegarde's view to gently wide some tears from the young mother's eyes.
"I'm supposed to be an example. The Chinese Federation persisted because of the people's love for me… that I'd betray them like this… I just can't believe myself," said Lihua, still crying, the other still stroking her face.
"You've already given birth to this beautiful child, Lihua. You can't take that back now," Kaguya said. This stopped the tears.
"I can't have children. It defies my position. I won't be able to be in this girl's life," Lihua said, her voice heavy.
"You could still keep her close," said Kaguya smiling.
"What do you mean? How?" started Lihua.
"I have an idea," Kaguya said. She then moved forward, finally coming into Hildegarde's view, revealing herself to be a cute black-haired girl roughly the same age as Lihua. She whispered some words into Lihua's ears. The girl smiled.
"I-I… thank you Kaguya… if I did that… I could still watch his daughter grow up…" said Lihua, looking down at her child. She began to cry again.
"Lihua, what's wrong…?" Kaguya stated, placing hand at the other's shoulder.
"I just... I can't believe I won't ever see him again…" Lihua sobbed. Kaguya was soon embracing her and her child.
"I know I'm no replacement for the father of your child, but I'm here, Lihua, and I won't be going anywhere," said Kaguya.
"Kaguya…" Lihua said more pleasantly. "Thank you." She softly rubbed her face into the other's neck. "You don't know how much of a comfort you are to me. You don't know how much your words mean."
"I don't? You'll have to tell me someday then," Kaguya spoke playfully, still cradling the young mother in her embrace. Lihua looked up.
"I might," was all she said, before the vision stopped and Hildegarde had found herself facing Hu Xuemei again.
---
Hiromi Tohdoh wore a deep scowl on her face as she sat in an open room within the makeshift Absolution base that had been set up in New Pendragon. The Absolution message was spreading quickly. The resistance was taking hold. They were on the cusp of turning everything around. Hiromi wasn't happy about any of this, she couldn't be. Not when her thoughts were still on her beloved sister.
She sat waiting for some orders, killing her free time by doing nothing. She could have talked to Chiharu, but the fact that she was moping around about someone like that woman left Hiromi feeling a little distanced from her. She was uneasy and on edge. She wanted to jump at the next excuse to release some frustration. It was then that a girl she had first seen a couple days ago passed her by. It was the girl that was returned to them while Yasuko was not.
"Hey! You! Could we talk a moment?" started Hiromi, standing and approaching the girl, Amelia Gottwald.
"About what, Lieutenant Tohdoh?" the Absolution agent asked.
"I just want to hear it from someone else. Is what that Chinese woman said true?" Hiromi started in a cold voice.
"You mean about your sister?" asked Amelia, tilting her head.
"Of course I do!" Hiromi said, raising her voice. The other, who seemed to have a thick nerve, was not intimidated and instead glared slightly.
"She stated plainly that she did not wish to go with us," Amelia said, shaking her head.
"But why?! Why would Yasuko betray us?" Hiromi said, clenching her fist tightly.
"She wished to save the life of someone who had shown her kindness," said Amelia in a breezy voice.
"You mean the Knight of Four, Hildegarde Waldstein?" said Hiromi, scowling at the sound of the name, cursing this woman who had destroyed her precious sister's better judgement.
"Yes, I believe so," Amelia nodded.
"Damn! Why in the hell would Yasuko do something like this?!" said Hiromi before punching a nearby wall.
"I think I understand her situation. If it was a different knight, I might have made the same choice," said Amelia, smiling just slightly.
"It's ridiculous. Becoming attached to the enemy," said Hiromi growling. "But I know what I'll just have to do."
"What's that?" asked the assassin, tilting her head.
"I'll just have to kill the Knight of Four myself. Then Yasuko will have nothing keeping her there," Hiromi said, smirking in the corner of her lips. "That will open her eyes."
"She may come to hate you," said Amelia, looking down.
"Having her back at my side is worth any hate she may have for me," said Hiromi, narrowing her eyes and walking off, her mind set on what she must do.
---
Kyoshiro Tohdoh was perfectly expressionless as he faced his wife. He lifted the phone, ready to make a call he had been putting off a while. He found where he had written the number and dialed it slowly. He then held the piece to his ear.
"Hello?" started the voice on the other end.
"Kozuki, this is Tohdoh. How is the fight going?" Kyoshiro started, his expression dour.
"Ah, General...!" a tentative quality entered the voice of Kallen Kozuki. "We didn't win the battle for the capital, but Absolution has taken hold and is growing rapidly. We're poised to turn this thing around."
"That's good to hear," said Kyoshiro. "Anything else to report?"
"Uh, well yeah…" Kozuki said in a heavy voice. Kyoshiro felt a slight anxiety at the sound of her voice.
"Nothing happened to the girl, did it?" he asked hopefully.
"Hiromi's fine. It's your other daughter where the issue is," said Kozuki in a low tone.
"Yasuko?" started the man, prepared for the news.
"Well, we have confirmation that she is alive and well… I suppose that should be of some relief to you," said Kozuki, her voice still holding some sorrow.
"The enemy has her?" Kyoshiro asked, closing his eyes.
"Yes," said Kozuki. "But that's only part of the trouble."
"Please explain," said Kyoshiro, braced for anything.
"Yasuko willingly stayed with the enemy during a rescue attempt," the woman said in a very distressed voice. Kyoshiro's eyes went wide.
"Treason? Why would she…" Kyoshiro felt his heart fall. He couldn't explain it. Why would his child turn her back on Japan?
"It's not entirely clear. Reports indicate she stayed to save the life of a Britannian knight," said Kozuki, her voice low.
"That is troubling news indeed," spoke Tohdoh.
"If you don't mind me asking, how are things on your end?" asked Kozuki.
"I have my own foul news for you, I'm afraid," the aged General spoke, his voice heavy.
"What happened?" Kozuki asked, intensity to her words.
"Days ago, a large EU forced cornered and assaulted us. We pushed them back but suffered heavy losses and heavier damage to our ships and custom units," said Kyoshiro in a heavy voice.
"Are my girls safe?" asked Kozuki with lightning focus.
"Luckily, they are uninjured," said Kyoshiro. "The two of them did something to which I'm not sure how to react."
"What are you talking about? What did those girls get themselves into now?" Kozuki sighed.
"While the battle was flaring up, the two of them hijacked one of our custom units and took it out into the fray," said Kyoshiro, pulling the phone a safe distance from his hears.
"Those idiots! What the hell are they thinking?!" Kozuki shouted into the phone loud enough that it could be heard even at a distance. Nagisa could even hear it on the other side of the table.
Replacing the phone at his ear as the shouting stopped, Kyoshiro spoke, "I'm not sure what to do with the two of them now?"
"Tell Nagisa to give them both a hard slap across the side of the face. Also tell them that we will discuss this at length when I get back," Kozuki spoke, all the fury of hell in her voice.
"Understood," said Kyoshiro. "But there is still something about this ordeal I need your opinion on."
"Yeah, what could that possibly be?" asked Kozuki with a clear snort.
"Having never pilot a knightmare before, in their debut battle your daughters bested Edouard Valentin," Kyoshiro started.
"The EU champion?" Kozuki was, needless to say, surprised.
"The same. They were then instrumental in driving the rest of the force back," said Kyoshiro his voice low. "They showed a potential so extraordinary, that I'm at a bit of a loss. It's questionable we would have been victorious with a different pilot behind the controls."
"Heh! What do you expect?! They're my girls!" Kozuki was now much more enthusiastic.
"General Zhou has expressed a clear interest in tapping into that potential. With how thin our force has become the idea does not lack appeal for me," said the general in a deep voice.
"You're asking for my permission to turn my little girls into soldiers?" started Kozuki in a low growl.
"I suppose I am," said Kyoshiro.
"Those girls… it's difficult… I don't want them to fight… they're everything to me… but…" started Kozuki in a somber voice.
"If it's too hard for you, I won't pursue the subject any further," said Kyoshiro understandingly, remembering the day Hiromi had said she wanted to be a Black Knight like Nagisa and him.
"The choice should be theirs. If they really want to fight… it wouldn't be right to stop them…" Kozuki poke in a very quiet voice.
"Are you sure?" asked Kyoshiro.
"Yeah," replied Kozuki very simply.
---
Astrid Weinberg felt exhausted as she lay in her hospital bed. Her body was still in severe pain, but it was gradually becoming more bearable. It had been two weeks now. She had spoken with many doctors and nurses over the course of that time, but none of them would answer her questions. Her left arm was broken in four places. Severe burns lined her right arm and leg. Some ribs were cracked and there were cuts and bruises everywhere else. Luckily major spinal damage had been avoided. After the first week, Astrid was unstrapped and unbraced from the bed. Even so, she seldom had the energy to sit up. She just managed to when she heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," she said in a weary voice, groggy from her pain medication. The door opened. Astrid held onto the hope that it would be Ava who emerged.
"Hey. The doctors finally cleared you for visitors. I was in the area, so I thought I'd be the first," said the girl who appeared there. She wasn't Ava. In fact, Astrid had never seen this girl before in her life.
"Who are you?" asked Astrid weakly.
"Heh, after so many fateful meetings, you don't even recognize me?" the girl, who had dark skin and silvery hair said, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, but I don't recognize you," Astrid said, trying her hardest to place the distinctive looking girl. She couldn't.
"I know what you mean. You hardly look like I pictured you either," the girl said. "Still, it's great to finally meet someone with such strength face to face."
Then it hit Astrid. She gasped as she looked at the other. "That voice! You're Chiharu Ohgi!"
"Yup. Got it," the girl said, scratching the back of her head.
"So that means…" Astrid's heart fell. She felt like crying.
"You are now a prisoner of your enemy," said Chiharu, sympathy in her voice.
"No. Why… ? Why did it have to turn out like this…?" Astrid spoke between gasps, tears falling from her eyes.
"Absolution doesn't treat it's prisoners so bad. Neither they or us is going to do anything horrible to you," said Chiharu, shaking her head.
"I know…" Astrid said. "But that doesn't change how painful it is for this to happen to me now…"
"You mean because you have to be separated from your beloved…" Chiharu spoke, her voice becoming lower.
"Yeah…" cried Astrid. "She had only just come to reciprocate my feelings… and now this had to happen…"
"She?!" Chiharu started, her eyes becoming wide.
Astrid blushed as she realized what she had let slip. There really was no reason to deny anything to this woman though. "Y-yeah…" she said shyly.
"That's cool. I'm not the type to judge anyone for something like that," said Chiharu smiling.
"I wonder how she must feel at a time like this, all alone, unsure if I'm alive or dead," said Astrid somberly.
"She probably thinks of you constantly, going out of her way to find ways to try and distract herself from concerning about your fate, but in the end always keeps coming back to it," said Chiharu in a very low voice, that held a deep, reflective honesty.
"Are you in love with someone, Chiharu?" asked Astrid, surprised she did.
Chiharu was silent for a few seconds. She then spoke, a cheery but perhaps forced smile appearing on her face. "Nope, I've never been in love."
"You seem to understand it pretty well for never having seen it," said Astrid with a very slight giggle that only made her ribs ache slightly.
"Yeah… well, I just read a lot…" the other said, clearly embarrassed.
"Oh, what do you like to read?" asked Astrid.
"Mostly comic books," Chiharu said, looking to the side. Astrid giggled again. This time it hurt a little more.
"Wow, really? I never would have guessed someone like you would be into that sort of thing," she said.
"I guess it is kind of childish liking stuff like comics and video games, but someone once made me see that it's important to keep stuff like that, the stuff that makes you happy, close, even when things become difficult," Chiharu said, giving a distant smile.
"I think it's cool," said Astrid, smiling. She then sighed. "But isn't this all somehow strange?"
"Is what strange?" asked Chiharu.
"We're supposed to be enemies. Last time we met we were trying to kill each other. Why are we chatting like old friends now?" asked Astrid, her voice becoming heavy.
"Because we're human, Astrid. There's more to who we are than the cause we fight for, there's more to life than this war," said Chiharu, smiling. "When we met on the battlefield I wanted to defeat you because I believe in my cause, but I never hated you. On the contrary I was interested in the strong girl I was fighting. I was glad to meet you today."
"Me too," Astrid replied, smiling. Chiharu Ohgi really was someone cool.
"But, you're probably getting tired," Chiharu laughed. "I'll come back some other time."
"Alright," said Astrid. She was indeed on the edge of sleep at that moment. The heavy narcotics she was being given didn't allow her to stay awake very long at a time. A yawn escaped her lips. Chiharu waved as she walked out.
Astrid smiled. She still longed for Ava. She was full of anxiety and worry about what would happen to her in enemy custody. She was worried about what Ava would do without her, what Ava would do for her. Despite it all, it was nice to meet new friends. Chiharu thought this as sleep came.
---
Jacquelyn mi Britannia wore a scowl on her lips as she stood at the side of a room within the Britannian Imperial Castle, Richter and the entirety of her immediate family present on the scene. Her mother, Arienette, was sitting at a desk, looking over a book of photos, trying to get Jackie to pick out wedding decorations. Jackie honestly didn't care about decorations (as long as they were pretty and top class, that is), she was just eager to wed the young man, Richter Novak. He was a thrilling conversationalist, with a keen mind that saw things perhaps more as they are than any man Jackie had ever met. He was her perfect groom.
"What do you think of this one, dear?" asked Arienette, pointing to a photo of a room decorated with lots of pink and lace.
"Ooh, that one's pretty," said Jackie's less than intelligent older sister, Adelaide mi Britannia, smiling stupidly as did her equally stupid knight and husband Everett Coleridge.
"It's completely garish, mother," said Jackie, rolling her eyes.
"Well what sort of thing do you have in mind, dear?" asked Jackie's father, Hector Cosgrove, the most competent person in the room aside from Richter.
"I don't truly care so long as it's not hideous like all the pictures in this book of mother's," said Jackie in a stubborn voice.
"If you say every picture in the book is hideous, how can you say you don't care?" asked Jackie's younger brother by a year, Aeolus mi Britannia, a fool who thought he was smarter than he truly was.
"I care enough, dear brother, to not allow cheap garbage hang at the walls of my wedding, even if it is not a key concern of mine. I'd skip this entire process if I could," said Jackie. "What point is this overblown celebration that will be forgotten only weeks later? It would be preferable if marriage were treated like any other contract."
"You remember your sister's wedding, dear. The wedding of a princess is an important event that draws national attention, you can't just cancel it," said Arienette, shaking her head.
"Especially at a time like this, when the commoners are divided. It will be good for the nation to see you two together, especially given your choice of groom," said Hector, obviously alluding to the fact that Richter was a commoner by birth.
"God, I never said I was canceling the damned thing. I just don't care for it, that's all," said Jackie.
"Then pick a decoration motif already, Jackie. Bring an end to this process that has you so aggravated," said Richter in a sharp voice. Jackie looked at him. She was tempted to snap back, but instead let her fiancé's words seep in. She stepped toward her mother's book. She flipped through it. After half a minute of flipping from page to page, she found a tolerable motif.
"Something like this would be fine. I want it more personal though. Let me speak with the designer," Jackie huffed, before shutting the book.
"Whatever you say, dear," said Arienette with a soft smile.
"Come now, Richter, we're leaving," said Jackie, her eyes narrowing as she left the room. Her fiancé followed behind.
"Honestly, Richter, why does being around my family have to be so insufferable?" Jackie huffed once they were in a corridor.
"They seemed well intentioned to me, even if they are simple people," said Richter, nodding quietly.
"I'll never understand them. It's like they can only see what's directly in front of them," said Jackie with a sigh. "I'll never understand my mother."
"She's simple. I doubt there's much to understand," said Richter.
"But she's too simple. What sort of princess lets a man fifteen years her elder impregnate her out of wedlock when she's just seventeen and then let's him impregnate her twice more in the span of four years? I fail to understand how anyone could be that simple," spoke the princess acidly.
"That is rather a questionable thing. But perhaps you should thank that simplicity for it leading your parents to not cancel their honeymoon at the time that the world was inflamed in war, Emperor Charles had gone missing and the demon emperor was poised to take the throne, else you wouldn't have had a chance to be born," said Richter.
"A fair point, Richter," the girl nodded. "Still my mother and sister baffle me. Why pick a man whose only selling points are how he flexes his muscles and hefts his sword when you could have a true intellectual?"
"Lord Cosgrove does not seem so simple. He had some fame as a commanding officer in the war before he would become your mother's knight," Richter said evenly.
"Even so, that whole system sickens me. Mother expected me to pick some man to defend and protect me, some knightly guardian to shield the princess from harm. I can hardly stomach garbage like that, even if, due to the fact that my mother forgets to use her brain and my sister doesn't have one in the first place, they found their men that way, I would much rather have a visionary like you. Someone on the cusp of real power," Jackie said in a heated voice.
"For the moment, I'm past that cusp," Richter smirked. Jackie's eyes widened as she recalled what her fiancé had told her roughly two weeks ago, that he was making the executive decisions in lieu of the Empress for the moment. She smiled. She had yet to abuse this.
"We can plan our wedding more or less alone, don't you think, Richter?" asked Jackie.
"Most likely. Finding the necessary tools will hardly be an issue with my resources," said the young man, nodding.
"Then I have a fantastic idea," Jackie laughed cruelly.
"That is?" asked Richter.
"You recall that old system that was in place for the Areas prior to the Demon Emperor's War? You know, the viceroy system where Areas of significance or turbulence were handed over to specific members of the royal family?" Jackie began, smiling.
"You plan to have me ship your family out across the globe so as you can be rid of them?" Richter gave a laugh and shook his head.
"It seems like a fair enough plan. A member of the royal family is a symbol. It would send a message to the filthy Numbers and allow us to better keep them in submission," Jackie gave a rigorous nod.
"Your father might be able to manage governing an area well enough. Your brother too. Neither your sister or her groom, could manage it," said Richter, forwardly.
"Send father and mother to Area 11, brother to Area 18 and sister and her idiot husband to some out of the way hell like Area 10 or 13," suggested Jackie after some thought.
"Sending your family into such tumultuous Areas could very well lead to their death," cautioned Richter.
"Heh, they'd hardly be missed," Jackie said coldly.
"Consider it done then," said Richter quietly.
"It sure is convenient having dominance over Britannia," Jackie smirked with satisfaction. "My insufferable cousin doesn't show any signs of snapping out of her psycho depression, does she?"
"She'll sit at the throne and listen to my words sometimes, but her responses are limited. She still leaves the decisions in my hands. Her spirit has been torn to shreds. She's nothing more than a puppet ruler now," said Richter.
"I can't believe that freak. I caught her and that dead girl fawning over each other in the royal flower garden almost seven years ago. To think their disgusting little love affair lasted this long," Jackie spoke curtly, scowling as she remembered pushing Astrid Weinberg into some thorns and then receiving Ava li Britannia's fists. The most infuriating part of it was that her damned dead aunt had let Ava go with no punishment.
"Your cousin is a capable and intelligent woman. I find it a shame she is reduced to this state," said Richter coldly.
"My cousin is a freak. She always has been. The sight of her makes me ill. Oh how I hope she never recovers from the loss of her disgusting little girlfriend and ends up killing herself. I would love to be spared the pain of looking at her any longer," Jackie said caustically, filled with hate.
"She's the depressive type for sure, but I doubt she's suicidal. She's too indecisive, weak-willed and afraid of death to go through with something as bold as killing herself," the young man spoke knowledgeably.
"Honestly, how did someone like her become the Empress?" Jackie asked with indignation.
"Up until the death of Astrid Weinberg, Ava li Britannia was a capable woman, it's as simple as that," spoke Richter, nodding his head. "It was strength and ambition that led her to the top. For that, she'll always have my respect."
"That you could respect that freak..." Jackie growled. She then sighed and spoke in an easier voice. "But no matter. She's hardly an object now. The armies of Britannia now move as you tell them to, Richter."
"This war is a complicated one, but it is not so difficult," Richter spoke in a content voice.
"Yeah?" Jackie started, her head tilted.
"It's hard to win, but so long as we keep the capital we can't lose," the other explained. "Absolution is acquiring territory under their belt at a rapid pace, but their supporters are fragmented and suppressing them is usually easy enough."
"So, did you ever reach a decision on that special project you're now conducting?" started Jackie, recalling what her fiancé had told her of Code-R.
"I spoke with Wilde this morning. I've directed some funds to neural interfaces and am currently coaxing out of the man a new sort of destructive weapon that Ava li Britannia would approach with definite hesitation in her right mind," said Richter.
"And the cybernetics?" asked Jackie.
"The Empress wanted to use the Knight of Twelve for that. I decided to approach the Knight of Eight as well. She's young, able, has a strong killing potential, and would be missed by no one if she was killed or forced off the edges of madness, just like the other," Richter said.
"Brilliant thinking, as always, Richter," Jackie said in a pleased voice. "Two super soldiers is certainly better than one."
"I try my best to keep Britannia running," Richter started proudly.
"And you do a damn good job at it too," nodded Jackie. "There's only been one thing thus far I'd have decided differently."
"You speak of that woman, the mercenary?" Richter questioned.
Jackie nodded. "Of course. I see not how someone like that is possibly worthy of trust."
"I don't trust her either. Even so, there's little she could do to harm us if she does indeed betray her contract. Ava li Britannia's death would be meaningless at this point, and might actually serve to bolster support for our side. That woman, with her ability, is thus worth her steep price whether she flies for us or not," explained Richter rigidly.
"Whatever you say," Jackie rolled her eyes. "I fail to see how this stupid Geass thing even matters."
---
Ava li Britannia sat in her room, staring upward, pondering all the same things she had the last two weeks. This was childish. Stupid. Beyond pathetic. Even realizing that, she couldn't help it. She was a pathetic, stupid child and without Astrid there she couldn't bring herself to hide it. She was becoming unresponsive and irresponsible. Richter Novak was hard fisted when it came to executive orders. Perhaps Britannia was better off with him at the reins for the moment, but Ava knew it was just a matter of time before something terrible happened just because she couldn't compose herself.
Ava's solitary thoughts were interrupted suddenly by some sounds. She looked toward her door. It was open ajar. Nothing was there. She looked back down, but the sound of very soft footsteps drew her attention back up. Ava gasped as she looked all around, thinking that perhaps she was finally losing it.
"Who's there?" she started strongly. No response came.
Convinced it was all nothing, Ava sighed and sat up. She was just about to stand when suddenly something very strange happened. She was suddenly embraced from behind. It was as if by nothing at first, but then suddenly all at once a woman just appeared there. Ava was, needless to say, alarmed.
"Who are--? What are you doing…?" she's started frantically, her eyes wide.
"Oh, I'm just a mercenary serving the Holy Britannian Empire," the strange woman spoke.
"Mercenary? The Geass mercenary?!" Ava exclaimed, finally putting the pieces together. "Richter hired you?"
"That he did," the woman, who was quite attractive, with long turquoise hair said. "You can call me Megami Subarashii."
"That sounds like a Japanese name, yet you don't look to be from anywhere near Japan," said Ava, staring at the peculiar stranger.
"I'm not. I've used numerous names throughout the years. That's just the one I'm using now," said Megami, smiling.
"Why are you here, Miss Subarashii?" asked Ava curiously.
"Megami, please," the woman corrected in a cool voice. "And I just wanted to finally meet you."
"Why is that?" asked Ava.
"Do you believe in fate, Empress?" asked the mercenary in an easy voice.
"Not at all," said Ava sternly. "There is no predetermination, no higher power controlling anything. Everything in this world happens solely because we make it happen."
"I thought like that once. Someone changed that view in me. Now seeing you, it's only further changed. Fate has its way in linking those with the King's Power," said Megami, her voice heavy.
"If fate exist it is far too cruel for my taste. Men are cruel as well, but they are a more tangible enemy," said Ava, looking down.
"I once knew an old man who could look into someone's eyes and catch a glimpse of their fate. Back then I didn't believe, so I thought he was a liar," said Megami smiling.
"I still would call him a liar. Regardless of fate's existence, it's not something men can see," said Ava.
"Maybe so," said Megami in a soft voice. "Still, our paths have crossed now, Empress. I'd like to think that that wasn't just chance."
"What difference does it make?" asked the Empress, looking at the woman strangely.
"I watched you a while at the door. I won't pretend to know what happened exactly, but I can guess that whether it to fate or man, you lost someone very important to you," said Megami in a somber voice.
"Yes. My beloved," Ava whispered painfully.
"Oh, how terrible…" Megami said, a sadness entering her eyes.
"Everything feels so empty. I feel so completely lost without her," said Ava, trembling.
"'Her'? Oho, another point for fate! Me and the Empress are kindred spirits!" Megami cheered, her smile than fell as she caught the Empress's glare. "That was insensitive of me. I apologize."
"It's alright," Ava said. "You're interest is with other girls then?"
"Sure is. I was sort of conditioned that way starting 13 years ago. All the men around me were psychos and idiots; all the women were competent and beautiful and showed me affection…" spoke the mercenary in a soft voice.
"Have you ever had just one person who you loved?" asked Ava, looking down.
"Yeah. I still love her too, I hope fate sees me back to her even if I know fate is seldom on my side," said Megami, looking down.
"With your ability you could probably escape and go back to her," started Ava. "Are you really intent on staying here?"
"Richter Novak asked me the same question. The only machine I'm being allowed access to is my Onryou. He's having it fitted with explosives; should my location ever differ from what he wants it to be… you get the picture," said Megami perfectly casually.
"I see. He certainly is a shrewd man," said Ava, smirking.
"He's also dangerous," said Megami slowly.
"I know… even still… I can't…" Ava spoke, her heart heavy.
"I understand what you feel. Believe me, I do," said Megami in a very low voice.
"And how is that?" asked Ava tentatively.
"My mother was a penniless and homeless woman in the far northern reaches of Britannia. I don't know who my father is. In a twist of fate a man from a strange Britannian organization approached my mother one day, and took me off her hands in exchange for some money. I was indoctrinated into a special program. At just two years of age I received my Geass from these people," said Megami.
"That's not the… you're not talking about the Geass Directorate, are you?" Ava started alarmed as she recalled the file she had read.
"I don't know what they called themselves. I just know that a boy named V.V. approached me one day when I was a tiny child and after that I was able to slip out of sight. I intermingled with other children, most older than me; I was a sort of test to see how Geass would interact with someone from a very young age, but still I made friends. We'd play and have fun, and it felt nothing but pleasant most the time," spoke Megami in a heavy voice.
"Zero massacred the Geass Directorate entirely. There shouldn't have been any survivors," spoke Ava, shaking her head, feeling pale.
"When I was just six, that happened. Impossible fear caused my Geass to suddenly evolve. The Black Knights became unable to detect me through sight. My Geass even eliminates heat signatures displayed over visual sensors. I was completely invisible to them. My friends weren't. I could do nothing but watch as every one of my friends, every single person I knew was systematically shot and killed in cold blood. Everything was dyed red around me and it wouldn't stop. I wanted to die then, but I was too scared. I just hid in a corner and watched as the bodies of my friends piled up. Twenty years later, the images are just as fresh as they were the day it happened," Megami spoke with incredible emotion. Even in her misery Ava felt for this other in her pain.
"How did you ever recover from that?" asked Ava, shaking a little.
"I wandered the streets out of sight for seven entire years, stealing just enough food to keep me alive. The images never left me, I never recovered on my own. I was a wandering ghost with no purpose in the world. Then fate led a certain woman to me, she and her associates rehabilitated me in many important ways. After seven years as that wandering ghost I wanted to finally become human again. Thanks to her, I was able to start," said Megami in a somber voice.
"I wonder if it will seven years before I'm able to take the step forward myself," said Ava, still trembling.
"Things take time. Loss is painful. No one expects you to be over this tomorrow. I certainly don't," Megami said in a soft voice, standing.
"Thank you for coming to talk with me, Megami," Ava spoke, smiling.
"Hey, it's nothing. It was fun," said the mercenary. "I'll try and stop in again."
"I'd like that," said the Empress, before the other disappeared from sight.
A/N: End chapter. Here we have the more proper follow-up to chapter 18. Mostly it's situational update chapter. I finally did the reveal on Megami's past. You pretty much know her whole backstory now. Interesting, hopefully. She got under Ava's skin quite a bit here. At the same time, Astrid and Chiharu are bonding. Kind of funny, isn't it. Hildegarde confirms the Xuemei fact that was highly debated but should have been rather obvious and receives Yasuko's confession. Richter is given power and a fiancee in an effort to prove that not all the girls in this are lesbians (just the one's you are supposed to like are… or, well Xuemei doesn't have a girl yet, and though she's admitted to being bi, Margaret doesn't have anyone either. Hiromi's only a lesbian if you really read into the Yasuko thing, and Amelia's yet to get a girlfriend either). Jackie really is a bitch. Anyway hope you liked it.
Two more extras posted,
Items to be added to the info page with the next update:
Adelaide mi Britannia
Everett Coleridge
Hector Cosgrove
Aeolus mi Britannia