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Code Geass: Rei of the Revolution
Chapter 33: Rendezvous at Kamine Island
"Kamine Island?" Ohgi asked.
"Yes, the Island of the Gods. It's an old tale." Katase said. "Apparently, there were rumors that this island that was near Shikinejima was said to have been inhabited by godlike beings that mysteriously disappeared for reasons unknown."
"If the Britannians are indeed on that island, then maybe there's something that goes deeper than just the Sakuradite." Todoh said. "Maybe the Sakuradite was an excuse to actually locate the island and find out more about the rumors surrounding it."
"So you mean we're headed for an island that supposedly doesn't exist but might actually be there." Naoto said. "This is getting interesting."
"But who would be interested?" Ohgi asked.
"Probably Prince #3 knowns." Naoto said.
"Clovis? You mean he must have been looking for the island?" Ohgi asked.
"Thats one theory. Remember, he hid a lot of things in the dark." Naoto said. "Maybe this island is one of those things."
"If it does exist, would that mean—?"
"It's possible." Tohdoh said. "Whatever is on that island must be very important. So important in fact that the Emperor wouldn't want anyone else knowing about the significance of the island."
Euphemia was in the shade under a tree. She could only think about the poor boy who was dragged into all of this. She couldn't help but feel so helpless for him.
Flashback
"Sister, please, you... you can't... you mustn't kill him. He doesn't deserve to die. He's just a child who was dragged into all of this. You don't have to—"
"On the contrary, sister. I have every reason to kill him." Cornelia said coldly as she was doing maintenance on her rifle that she disassembled. "He's a menace. He's a terrorist, killed my knights, including a father to five adopted children, and gave me this scar to remember him by. And the worst part about it is that he's Zero's disciple."
"But he's still a child nonetheless!" Euphemia said.
She stopped for a brief moment. She scrubbed the barrel off and began to reassemble the rifle.
"Yes. A child who has learned to kill." Cornelia said. "A child in the midsts of a group of belligerent savages with little human decency."
Euphemia was getting more and more furious from her sister's words.
"Does revenge matter more to you than anything else?" Euphemia asked.
Cornelia stopped as she finished assembling it.
"What?" Cornelia muttered. "Are you doubting my judgement?"
"What happened to that calm and honorable rationale of yours? Where was it then when Zero confronted you?" Euphemia asked.
"This isn't about revenge." Cornelia said.
"Liar!" Euphemia said.
"This is for you and the future of Britannia!" Cornelia said, standing up with her rifle.
"Then let me talk to him!" Euphemia said.
"NO!" Cornelia snapped at her sister. "NOOOOOOO!"
She slammed her rifle into a display case holding a few golden replicas of a few Knightmares. Among them was a replica of the Ganymede, the birth mother of all Knightmare frames. She hesitated to look at Euphie. She turned and looked at her with fire in her eyes.
"I will not risk losing you so you can convince him to leave the Black Knights." Cornelia said. "The history of Britannia has shown that we do not give concessions unless we are given no other choice but to concede."
She puts her rifle down.
"When our ancestors were forced out of our ancestral home, we let those people take it from us. When Zilkhstan countered our invasion, we fell back and let them take a bite out of our own pride." Cornelia said. "Then Clovis was murdered just as he agreed to a ceasefire with Zero. Then we were beaten in Narita and we were forced to retreat after the Yokosuka disaster. But not this time. No."
She looked to Euphie with very stern eyes.
"The line must be drawn here and now! This far and no farther!" Cornelia said. "I'm sorry sister, but I'm afraid he must die if we are to put an end to this rebellion of theirs."
Euphie looked distraught. She turned away without saying anything and left through the door. She went back into her room and got onto her bed with tears in her eyes.
Present Day
She felt so helpless. She wished she could save him. And yet... she couldn't even convince her sister to let this grudge go. Then there was Suzaku. Does he know? If so...
The Byakuen was being fitted with a prototype of what appears to be a four winged back unit. The unit was attached to the back. Rei looked at the Byakuen.
"Is this..."
"The Air Glide System. It'll get you to the island." Neha said. "But be careful. The energy drain will be a pain to put up with until we get some data out of it."
"Energy drain?"
"Yes, the energy required to keep it running might chip off a portion of the operational time the Byakuen has, so for that reason, we are putting back-up energy fillers for you to use." Nina said. "If you see the island, radio off to us and land on the island."
"Got it." Rei said.
"Alright, she's ready to go." Ganabati said. "I had to change out some of the parts in the joints since they've been damaged beyond repair."
"I see..." Rei said. "I'll be more careful with the Byakuen."
"You better." Ganabati said.
Rei got in the cockpit and placed the key in before closing the cockpit. The head pops out and the eyes lit up. The Knightmare opened its wings. A pair of pink diamonds appeared and phased out as lights on the wings came on. The doors above opens to reveal the blue sky. The Byakuen's thrusters moves the Byakuen out of the sub before blasting it forward in the sky, flying off to the distance.
The doors close before the submarine begins to dive.
The Byakuen was flying in the sky right now. It was unreal. He hadn't actually done the simulator, but he was getting used to the controls very quick. Rei headed for the source of the feeling.
Back on the Sub...
"Incredible..." Nina said. "It's almost like a fighter jet..."
"Yes, almost like those aerial Knightmares we saw in Narita." Neha said. "Now if we could get the money to build an actual ship with this technology, provided it works, we wouldn't need this submarine."
Nina looked to Neha as she was looking at the readings she was getting from the Byakuen.
"Neha... I... I have a confession to make." Nina said. "Before Rei came into my life... I... I was a xenophobe and... I was afraid of leaving the settlement. But on that day on Lake Kawaguchi... changed everything."
Neha looked to Nina.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?" Neha asked.
Her face turned red.
"I knew it." Neha said.
"W-Well... when I found out he was... a half-blood, I wasn't sure what to think. But then he told me about the death of his parents, about how his dad, a Britannian scientist, being gunned down for trying to do what was best for his wife and son." Nina said. "They even killed his mother. I... I never saw what war was like until footage of the Shinjuku Incident got out. Ever since then, I wondered what it would be like if the roles had been reversed. Honestly, it frightens me to even think that millions of people went through that and that we Britannians never stopped to consider how frightening it would be if the roles were reversed."
Nina looked at Neha with bravery in her eyes.
"If it weren't for the people who took him in, he wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for Le—Zero, Rei wouldn't have a place to be in." Nina said. "He would have been all alone. He would have been nothing more but a soldier who wouldn't even value himself above others, who couldn't even be selfish for one minute of not literal seconds. He... he would have tossed his own emotions off to the side."
Neha never really knew that about Rei. An orphan forced to fight on the battlefield because he had nowhere else to go... He was no different from her. She was an orphan herself. They were both in the Black Knights for only one reason, to stop the pointless bloodshed created by Britannia.
"Of course, I think he might be in love with someone else..." Nina said.
"How would you know?" Neha asked.
"Nunnally." Nina said. "He's been out with her a few times and regularly, he comes to her place to fold origami with her. So I thought, 'maybe he loves her' and that 'he must have a reason for loving her,' and that has me wondering whether or not I should be jealous or happy for Nunnally."
Nina clutched her chest.
"To be honest, I want Nunnally and Rei to be happy... and yet... I'm not sure if that's what I truly want." Nina said as tears were coming from her eyes. "I..."
"Nina," Neha spoke. "I think I get it now. You're not sure if you want him to be happy with Nunnally or if you would rather want him to be happy with you. But let me tell you this: he cares about you too. It's possible he wants to be happy with both you and Nunnally."
"Neha... don't you have any romantic feelings for him?" Nina asked. "Don't you think that he might love you too? That he would want to be happy with you, me, and Nunnally?"
"Well... I do have romantic feelings for him, but..." Neha said. "To be frank with you, I'm not sure that he deserves me."
"What?" Nina asked.
"The only connection we have is the Byakuen, the Knightmare I designed for him." Neha said. "Even if we start having a serious relationship with one another, I'm not sure if it will work out."
"Neha, of all the nonsensical things I've ever heard in my entire life." Nina said. "How can you say something think like that?"
"Nina..."
"You may have been the designer of the Byakuen, but the Byakuen is what brought you and him together." Nina said. "Cherish those feelings you have for him. Just cherish them for as much as you want."
Lelouch saw something to the distance. Wait... this feeling... no it couldn't be... The figure came closer.
Then he saw it.
The glinting white armor. It was the Byakue! It was flying! Lelouch waved his arm out.
'Lelouch!' Rei thought. "Serpent! I have found Zero! I repeat! I found him! He's on the island you guys talked about!"
"Alright kid!" Naoto said. "Now go find Kallen! She's gotta he somewhere!"
"I will!" Rei said.
The Byakuen made it for the shore. As Rei approached, he slowed down and had the Byakuen touch down. Rei opened the cockpit and jumped out. Rei hugged Lelouch and held onto him tightly.
"I knew it! I knew you would be here!" Rei said.
"Why's that?" Lelouch asked.
"I felt something coming from this island and... here you are." Rei said.
"Well I knew you wouldn't abandon me." Lelouch said. "What about the Black Knights? Did they—"
"All of them are accounted for except for Kallen." Rei said. "We also have the Lancelot as well."
"I see... so it all went as I planned it..." Lelouch said. "How did you find out I was here?"
"I felt it coming from this island!" Rei said.
"This island... yes... it all makes sense now." Lelouch said. "This island... something on this island made all of this possible..."
"Huh?"
"A more powerful force on this island must have done all of this." Lelouch said. "But that begs the question: why us?"
"You mean... something spirited you and Kallen away?" Rei asked.
"Yes, that's correct." Lelouch said. "Whatever it was, it knew you would come here, or maybe that's what they were hoping..."
'Wait a minute...' Rei thought. 'Yes... the dream... Geass... Geass...'
His eye began to glow red with the power of Geass.
"Rei?"
He snapped out of it and his eye stopped glowing.
"Y-Yes?" Rei asked.
"You spaced out there." Lelouch said. "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah..." Rei said.
"Then we go find Kallen, grab her, and leave." Lelouch said.
He looked down and saw what appeared to be a dress. Wait a minute... that dress. He looked up and saw Euphie, only she had the cloak on. He put two and two together and his face turned red.
"Uh... Lelouch... you didn't..." Rei said.
"Huh?" Lelouch asked as he turned around.
He noticed Rei's face was red. Dread began to sink him.
'Wait... he didn't...' Lelouch thought.
He looked to Euphie who was red in the face as well.
"No! That's not what we did!" Lelouch exclaimed.
"Y-Yeah!" Euphie said. "I just—!"
"Then why are her clothes—?"
"Just turn away!" Lelouch said.
"R—Right!" Rei said as he did.
Euphie quickly got her clothes back on and gave Lelouch his cloak back. She breathed easy.
"Ok... now you can turn around." Euphie said.
Rei turned to Euphie, his face still red, and looked at her. It was totally different from when he first met her.
"Is that why Suzaku—"
"Is he alright?" Euphie asked.
"Yeah... but he's... he's become so... cold and bitter, mostly to himself..." Rei said.
"Oh... and Earl Asplund?"
"He's alright. Although... I don't like the way he treats things." Rei said. "But all he cares about is Knightmare Frames..."
"Well—"
"Rei, just go and find Kallen so we can get out of here." Lelouch said. "I'll watch Euphie."
He jumped into the Byakuen and started it up. The Byakuen moved on ahead. Lelouch looked to Euphie.
"How?" Euphie asked. "How come you managed to develop a prototype of your float system?"
"Oh no. It's not mine." Lelouch said. "It must be that Indian woman's handiwork."
"I see..." Euphie said. "I guess the Militarized Zone of India is getting chummy with the Black Knights..."
"That's one way of putting it." Lelouch said. "They want independence from the Chinese Federation. When they caught wind of the Japanese resistance movement, they saw an opportunity to benefit from it while having the movement itself benefit from the support of those opposed to Britannia."
"But must a literal war for independence always be the answer?" Euphie asked. "Does fighting really solve anything?"
Lelouch turned to Euphie.
"Euphie, you're not a child anymore. You're sixteen." Lelouch said. "And neither is Rei."
"But... isn't there always another way?" Euphie asked.
"There is no other way in this cruel world." Lelouch said. "Your pacifism won't help anyone, not even yourself. If you know something is wrong, but you don't have the guts to do what's necessary to change things, then you're a coward. And in this case, a coward patting himself on the back."
Euphie looked away from Lelouch.
'Even so...' Euphie thought before looking to Lelouch. "All I want, other than for everyone to be happy and at peace with one another, most importantly, I want us to be back together again. Like it was all those years ago."
"Euphie." Lelouch said. "Grow. Up."
"What?"
"The past will not do anything for you but act as a remainder about what to do now and for what comes next, not so you can revisit old memories." Lelouch said. "When our ancestors left the Old Homeland, they had to accept that it was gone. Just like how the Japanese has to accept that things have changed."
"Lelouch..."
"We have to accept things the way they are and try to find a way to change them for the future, not try to change them while looking to the past." Lelouch said.
"But I found something that I could do other than to kill people!" Euphie said. "The Special Administrated Zone plan. It establishes a perimeter from where Numbers will have the rights of ordinary citizens and will no longer have to live in fear without having to become Honorary Britannians."
"And establishes a puppet state government that Britannia can manipulate however it so damn pleases." Lelouch said. "So what if they get their rights back? What if they no longer have to live in the Ghettos anymore? So what if they no longer have to be Honorary Britannians? It wouldn't matter. It would still be the same as if they lived under the rule of the Britannians. What you're proposing is a complete insult to what they want. Peace is one thing, peace while being a slave is completely different matter."
"Why do you have to be so negative about things?!" Euphie exclaimed. "Why can't you at least be positive about something that won't lead to bloodshed?! Don't you care about Nunnally?!"
"I do care about her." Lelouch said. "But I don't long for a past out of reach. I long for a future that can be attained."
"A future covered in blood?" Euphie asked.
"A future where no more blood can be shed." Lelouch said. "If that means destroying Britannia, I'll do it. Nothing you say or do will change my mind."
"Then what about looking for Marianne's killer?!"
"Rei made me realize how pointless it would be." Lelouch said.
"Eh?"
"Yes..." Lelouch said. "That's the one thing you never understood about him. He made connections with others along his own journey. And through those connections, he got them to see something they either never once saw in their life or something that they had forgotten a long time ago."
"Lelouch..." Euphemia said.
"He made people see past their own faults and the faults of this world and gave them a glimpse at something else." Lelouch said. "He made others remember what they had forgotten for so long that they never once thought of remembering it until he showed them what it was that they had forgotten."
"I..."
"And in my case, he made me see that using others so I can get revenge would make me no different from my own father." Lelouch said. "And that Nunnally wasn't the only person I couldn't afford to lose. Not now. Not ever."
He turned away from her.
"Come on, if the Britannians are here as I suspected, they must be searching the island." Lelouch said.
"R-Right..." Euphie said.
With Kallen...
"So let me get this straight, you didn't know Zero was Lelouch the whole damn time and he didn't bother telling anyone?" Rai asked. "And even after all the crazy things you did for him, you're still going to fight for him?"
"Better than to let him fight on his own." Kallen said. "Besides... we cant turn back anyways. We leave him and Rei will have to take the mask of Zero... and that alone has its fair share of burdens."
"Oh yeah, sure. Letting a 14 year old boy be in command of an entire group of rebels who are fighting against a third of the world would be too much for him." Rai said. "But putting him in a literal killing machine is perfectly fine. It doesn't cross a single line whatsoever and is completely not affected by morality."
Kallen backhanded Rai.
"How the hell did you and Suzaku ever get along?" Kallen asked.
"At least I don't pretend to be sick all the damn time!" Rai said. "And more importantly, what the hell kind of cockpit is that? Did someone design it so you could have your ass hanging out in the cockpit?"
"Ever rode a motorcycle before? It totally beats sitting in a chair and holding a pair of control sticks around and doesn't give you back pain." Kallen said. "And at least I can see everything thats in front of me and what's off to the side without having to look at every different monitor all at once."
"My back is fine!" Rai said. "I just hate having my body tossed around and hitting my head on everything!"
The sounds of hydraulics could be heard off to the distance. The sound was getting closer. Out of the trees came the Byakuen.
'Rei!' Kallen thought.
'Shit...' Rai thought.
Kallen wasted no time in knocking him out. She took her bandana and got it back on and went over to the Knightmare. The Byakuen kneeled down and opened its cockpit hatch.
"Kallen Oneechan!" Rei said.
Kallen hugged Rei.
"Oh thank god you're alright!" Kallen said. "The others! Did they—!"
"They made it! And we even got the Guren out of there!"
"Oh thank god!" Kallen said. "What about Le—Zero?"
"He's ok too!" Rei said.
"And Suzaku, did we get him and the—"
"Uh-Huh!" Rei said.
"Phew... guess that means we did it." Kallen said. "Now let's get Zero and get off this island!"
"Yeah, but first..." Rei said.
He looked to the right, only to see the airship from before just below the cliff that they were on.
"Uh... Oneechan? I don't think it's going to be easy..." Rei said.
"Why do you say... that?" Kallen asked before looking to her left.
She saw the Britannian airship as well.
'Oh goddamnit...' Kallen thought.
A/N: Hey guys, im back. Today, I got to go to college for my biology class, so I'll be keeping this short.
Cornelia doing a Picard
To be honest, I had no idea where I was going with this one.
The that bit with Nina and Neha
They've been together for at least a few days and met and knew much about Rei before they actually met. The conversation had to happen.
And that's all I have. Later.