Chapter Twenty Four: Solidarity Forever

Arc Six: Definitions Of Freedom

Opening: "Solidarity Forever" - Pete Seeger


"Thank you for all your help."

"It was never a problem. I hope you never have to undergo such unpleasantness again, Your Highness."

"Mr Lamperouge is fine, Doctor."

"I see. Good day then, Mr Lamperouge."

Shrugging his shoulders upwards to swing his long, Gannex raincoat over his shoulder, Minister for Finance Lelouch Lamperouge nodded to the elderly Britannian attendant before turning heel and stoically stepping out into the rain flooded streets of Tokyo, sighing as he raised his umbrella over his shoulder and began to shoulder his way through the crowd.

While he knew what he ought to do, make his way back to the Ghetto with the utmost speed and return to take his seat in the Legislature, he also knew they were not missing him. The Government would not have another critical meeting until after the Treaty at Midway was negotiated, and so he was left aimless, wandering the streets of the wealthy Central Business District where he had been healing from his gunshot wound.

The clouds, leaking heavily late into the day, did not allow an ounce of sun onto the busy streets, and the faces of all the passers by were hidden behind coats of various social classes. Lelouch did not enjoy not having anything to do, finding the time spent mulling about the various crossings and pedestrianised zones selling anything and everything dull and agitating.

Lelouch was well aware he did not have a great capacity for self reflection or pause, considering himself a forward thinking, proactive person that enjoyed the security of goals and objectives to abstract, lateral thinking. Even so, it took him several minutes of wandering to remember he in fact did have something important to do.

He hadn't seen Nunnally in days, and she was waiting in their room in the Ghetto. She had called on the hospital phone to roar at him several octaves higher than he had assumed possible, but beyond that she had been unable to see him. Even as he occupied himself with a brisk pace through the valleylike streets that wept at their walls, he found himself feeling the slightest guilt over his sister. She was ostensibly his motivation, and he had been ignoring her entirely. While he had been able to justify or ignore the problem while buried in work, now that he was no longer working or high these memories of his sister and other commitments and the things he used to do, before he had leapt onto that lorry.

He passed by a Royal Society. He wondered who was in there, whether they would be good at chess. The question was moot, as he would be recognised at the door as a Prince, which took the fun out of it.

"Woe is me." he hissed sardonically to himself, attempting to inject as much venom as possible into the voice that only he could hear. He hated the idea of self pity, especially over something as trivial in the grand scheme of things as his own ability to recreate. Ultimately, there were far greater injustices to fuss over, and so he would scold himself for what he perceived to be weakness. If anyone ought to be held to a high standard, it would be him, he reasoned. He felt he should not expect anyone else to put themselves into strenuous circumstances but the one person he could trust to do it properly; himself.

It was a productive way to turn guilt and longing for rest into pride that would motivate him, even if Ohgi would occasionally express concern over it being unhealthy. The question of it being unhealthy was irrelevant, as if it was, it would merely factor into his own sacrifice, to abuse the word which he had found too aggrandising and big for how he viewed what he was doing.

These were the various thoughts plaguing him as he trudged through the mud, eyes cast down before a middle aged Britannian ran into him centre mass, the man's own face buried in a phone as they collided. Lelouch recoiled back several steps, falling back on his rear heel as the weightier man recovered quicker, wobbling slightly before growing aggressive, roaring "Watch where you're going, dumbass!"

Not wanting to get into a fight, he waved it off with an apology and tried to move on, but the muscular man grabbed him be the chest and pulled him forward, roaring "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Lelouch sighed, and leaned his head back, uncovering his violet eyes from beneath his long fringe and staring the man down, who suddenly visibly realised upon recognising Lelouch's distinctive features that he had made a truly terrible mistake.

Immediately, he dropped Lelouch like he was a piece of molten steel and stepped back, which drew further attention to the scene, as the onlookers caught on piece by piece to what had happened. Lelouch continued to stare at the man, arching his chin upwards to increase his perceived height while briefly flitting his eyes to observe the crowd which had gathered around him. They definitely recognised him, and reactions were mixed.

For most, seeing Lelouch was a source of confused emotions, as they were likely unfamiliar with the exact details of how he was related to the Royal Family. Still, they understood him to be important, likely recognising him from the television appearance and the various talk shows that had discussed him thereafter, though their other feelings were likely varied. Some were respectful, some were excited, quietly squirming with glee, and some, having formed the not inaccurate opinion that Lelouch was a traitor, were angry.

Whatever the case was for his crowd, the poor man who had picked the wrong moment to get in a fight quickly fell and grovelled, whimpering "I'm sorry Your Highness, I didn't mean- I mean I didn't know, that you were-"

He began to trip over his own words in a truly pathetic display as Lelouch looked on, hoping he would be absolved by the sheer penal power that was Royalty. He likely hadn't had a personal encounter with Royalty in his life, and could only rely on the image of the Royals that he would be familiar with; absolutist rulers who held the power of life and death.

But Lelouch was neither of these things, and so as the man put himself at Lelouch's feet, the Minister moved a foot back, calling down "Get up.", with as little scorn as he could manage for addressing such a pathetic man.

The man obeyed, cringing over as he stood himself a head below Lelouch with a bent back and cowering expression.

"I'm sorry, sir…" he spoke, words broken with shivers and hesitation, as Lelouch hissed "Stand properly!"

Upon receiving the instruction, the man gingerly carried them out, as Lelouch stared down his nose in apathy for his worry, until they finally drew to level height. Lelouch sighed, and gave a more neutral face before saying "Be more careful in future, we wouldn't want to run into someone important, mm?"

The man nodded as he realised he was being let off, nodded hastily and vacated at superluminal speeds, leaving Lelouch surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.

"Don't bash into anyone else now." he drily commented to the vacant air, which drew a laugh and relieved the tension from the atmosphere.

The human perimeter now seemed to shuffle slightly, allowing the uninterested commuters by while closing in on Lelouch, eager to see him, though uncertain as to what to say.

In general, those with the most polarised opinions spoke first, as he heard a cry of "Feck off back to the Ghetto!", however the shouter was put down with shaking heads and the occasional "Bad form."

Lelouch attempted to move along, however the crowd had other ideas, keeping him to a few paces a minute. He couldn't push, for the same reason he had treated the man who had hit him with courtesy; he had an image to cultivate.

Still, it appeared it would take awhile for him to get anywhere, until the large screens lit into life, drawing people's attention upwards, including Lelouch's.

After some static, the wide image cleared to display the face of the Viceroy, Cornelia. Aware he was being observed, given his public opposition to his own family, Lelouch looked upwards with further neutrality, silently hoping a deal had finally been signed after almost two weeks.

"Dearest Citizens of this corner of our Empire, I greet you from the Island of Midway, bringing news of the fate of Area 11."

Lelouch's eyes widened in silent excitement, as those around him realised what was happening, and delighting at the opportunity to see the live reaction of one of the people who had pushed most for change.

"After meeting with the Representatives of Yuaikai and the Provisional Government standing for the Fuji Strikers, issues regarding the sensitive nature of the status of the Japanese Islands, we have reached an agreement that will satisfy all parties, and ensure the highest level of economic and civil representation within the state for all citizens. This new agreement, the Cooperative Imperial Protections and Commonwealth Act, hopes to enact these changes, as agreed by Prime Minister Suzaku Kururugi and Defence Minister Kaname Ohgi in their capacity as representatives to the Provisional Government, Schneizel El Britannia as Prime Minister of the Empire, and myself, Cornelia Li Britannia as Viceroy, witnessed by Euphemia Li Britannia, who spearheaded the concept of a Specially Administered Zone of Japan."

Lelouch finally cracked a confident grin, as he saw the boxes tick away off his own mental list. It appeared that his friends had, in the words of Cornelia, "in their capacity", performed their duties. Now, he could only wait to see if they had done it properly.

"As such, the Britannian Territories in Area Eleven are to be reorganised into the Representative Protectorate Of Japan, which shall constitute the area of the Home Islands, excepting the islands of Sakhalin, Okinawa, and Kamine."

This was par for what Lelouch had been expecting, though the fact that Britannia had insisted on an island as small and unimportant as Kamine to be explicitly excluded was noteworthy.

She continued, "This state shall be a representative democracy under the Empire's sovereignty, legislated by the elected officials within the local Government and managed by the Governor, to ensure the highest level of both security and protection of individual rights and equality."

While Lelouch recognised that the Britannian heavy crowd was not representative of his constituents, the reception was mostly positive, though he feared how the Black Knights' sympathisers, who opposed Britannia in concept, would react to a compromise bill that kept Japan under the "yoke" of the Empire.

After all, practicality was not their strong suit.

"In return for a new, representative state free of the discrimination that marred Area 11, and in the interests of maintaining the flow of labour, Britannia will retain a seven year lease on Mt. Fuji and its facilities, and a twenty three year lease on the ports at Tokyo, Nagoya, and Nagasaki."

While he was amazed she had been capable of saying the word discrimination without a visible tic, it also confirmed she was reading a script, which did not surprise him. What did surprise him was the extent of the leasing, which he worried would be an actual issue for future voters rather than just one over symbols and feelings. It would, if mishandled politically, become the case that all that would change in this new state would be the skin tone of the employers and the colours on the flag.

Of course, that was the worst case scenario, and he was Minister for Finance, so he likely could work around it.

Nonetheless, she resumed "Following a transition period, a General Election shall be held to determine the Representatives of the new State, who shall select the Governor, and I shall step down."

Far away, Lelouch imagined the sound of Japanese men and women cheering. For them, and for him, that was the wham line, the moment where months of work came to a head, and he realised that they had won.

He grinned, and performed a subtle fist pump about his waist as the broadcast concluded, before realising he was in the middle of what was becoming a mass interview.

"Did you do that?"

"Obviously not, he's here!"

"Why didn't you go?"

"Wasn't he shot?"

As the questions fired up to the rhythm of the camera phones Lelouch stood back, recognising his job as a public official started today.

His angsting could wait. He had work to do.

Unfortunately, his colleagues had left him with a challenge. He could hardly claim to know enough about the Bill to be wholeheartedly supporting it, but it was the Bill his team agreed to. On top of that, it was worth noting the compromise aspects of the Bill could turn politically toxic. He had to be careful in how he responded, as the noise lulled to allow him a response.

Nothing he couldn't handle.

"While this is the first I have heard of the agreement formally being signed into law, having been intricately involved in its crafting and being in close contact with both Ministers representing the Provisional Government, I can say I am ecstatic to hear a deal which promotes the wellbeing of the Japanese workers who gave us our mandate while not infringing on the rights of Britannians has been reached. I fear to imagine what may have happened if the Black Knights succeeded in sabotaging the deal. I can only hope that all people of the RPJ, regardless of background, can rally behind this deal. This is the first step, but it is several rungs, and for that, I am very pleased."

It was an unscripted opening statement, but Lelouch always preferred it that way, as he stepped forward towards a new future, one safe for Nunnally, for Suzaku, and for himself.

Satisfied, he moved forward through the crowd, balancing persistence with manners as he heard his name hollered at increasing volumes.

"Lelouch!"

"Lelouch!"

"...Lelouch?"

The lattermost cry was different from the others, in a higher, younger pitch and sounding of confusion, rather than excitement. He turned back into the crowd for a moment to spy the tips of sharp blue hair that were unmistakable.

"Rivalz?"

"Hey buddy- dammit, get outta my way- hey there!"

Lelouch looked on with a certain admiration in the face of a determined Rivalz, who pushed himself to Lelouch with earnest, his greeting breaking off slowly and dimly, as if he had already run out of things to say. Not that Lelouch could blame him; their lives had drifted so far apart there was hardly common ground. Lelouch's life was now in the public domain, and Rivalz's seemed trivial in comparison. Even as he closed up to the Finance Minister, Rivalz' face fell as he realized that he looked rather foolish in front of the crowd, creating a scene for beoth himself and Lelouch.

For a moment, they stood apart awkwardly. Rivalz looked down, a little ashamed, as Lelouch thought of Ohgi, before coming to a decision.

"So what have you been doing?"

The younger teenager looked up in surprise as Lelouch displayed uncharacteristic interest in him. It didn't cost him anything, and while he was unconvinced he deserved it, Lelouch was willing to indulge himself for once. Their met eyes briefly, Rivalz's mixed with excitement and confusion and Lelouch's with invitation. After an awkward moment, Rivalz replied with eagerness.

"Just more school! We need you to catch up with the Council again. It's been empty without you, hell Shirley hasn't recovered, but we've been doing fine. Milly hasn't had to do go on any blind dates because her granddad's' on the run, and I'm gonna try ask her out on Friday!"

"Nice! Best of luck. And I'll certainly give it a try." Lelouch affirmed, not surprised by most of the news beyond his friend gaining some confidence. Perhaps it was banal, but there was certainly appeal in celebratory relaxation.

"Tell you what, I'm certainly not doing anything today, as you could probably guess, so do you want to go out and do something?"


Thank you, everyone. This has been an emotional experience, nearly seven months of writing to bring our characters to where they are now, with their guile allowing them to prevail. For Hearts And Minds will return, following a timeskip, both in story and in real life. Thank you again, and I bid both you, and R1, adieu. I'm taking a short break for awhile in lieu of this, but I'll be back on Wednesday 27th of December! In the meanwhile, I'd really appreciate a review, especially from the ~40 or so people who follow this story Chapter by Chapter and don't really offer their thoughts! That'd be a lovely Christmas present!

~Eth0