Author's Note:

Hello everyone! I have returned with my final entry for this story. It's a little shorter than I expected it would be, but I feel it acts as a solid conclusion to my weird series of one-shots. It takes place around both episodes 21 and 25 of R2.

This chapter strays a tiny bit into the land of my head canon, so I apologize if any details don't align with yours. The creators left a lot regarding Geass up to interpretation, and, well, this comes from part of my own interpretation.

I'll meet you at the bottom. Enjoy!

Chapter 7: Reunion and Parting

The visitors in the other realm watched as the emperor and his wife dissolved into the nothingness of the alternate reality they occupied, taking all signs of Geass with them.

Well, maybe not all.

Suzaku observed the profile of his now-motionless companion. Lelouch had finally accomplished his goal of defeating his father, and Suzaku couldn't help but feel slightly bitter, even if Prince Schneizel had sent him to commit essentially the same deed himself. Suzaku knew the emperor's entanglement with Geass would eventually spell ruin for the world, but that didn't mean he wanted Lelouch to achieve his victory either. This was Zero's reason to exist. This… desire for vengeance was what had caused so much death and destruction over the past year. It hurt, now, to see that man's dreams realized at the expense of so many others', even if Suzaku didn't himself disagree with the end result.

"C.C., are you going as well?"

Lelouch's voice snapped Suzaku out of his thoughts. C.C... despite having led an operation to capture her, Suzaku knew next to nothing regarding the immortal witch who'd apparently gifted Lelouch his accursed power.

The source of Geass…

The woman had obviously been a major player in the war so far, being by Lelouch's side through it all, but it was only today that Suzaku was able to meet her face-to-face (well, at least without losing consciousness). What struck him wasn't her vibrant hair color but rather her eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of times long past.

Does Lelouch think she's leaving, now that this is over? Will Geass be gone for good then? Gone except for…

"When death comes, you want to at least be smiling, right?" C.C. replied evenly.

Lelouch huffed at her statement, leaving Suzaku to wonder if the words held some special significance between them.

The woman looked up. "And you two…" Suzaku found himself surprised at how innocent she appeared then, still folded on the ground. "…what are you planning to do now?"

Two? Does she mean… the both of us?

"You rejected Charles' plan. Instead, you chose reality and the forward march of time. However…"

Suzaku tightened his grip on his sword, pointing it towards his former friend. Yes, the immortal witch was correct. There were still matters left unresolved. Unlike the other man before him, the knight knew there were still things to be accomplished. And he would start here. "I know. Lelouch is the person who murdered Euphy."

Lelouch spun around and met the brunette's gaze. His eyes were hardened, now both possessing a similar crimson glow. "What of it?"

For a moment, they stared at each other in silence, no one saying a word. Then, Suzaku couldn't take it anymore, the lack of remorse in his eyes. Maybe he'd been able to stand alongside him against a common enemy, but that didn't mean Suzaku was ready to forgive. "What of it?! You killed your own sister and used her as a pawn in one of your petty games! Wrongful acts do not go unpunished in this world, and I swear to you, Lelouch, you will pay for your crimes in one way or another."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "Pay? Is that what this is to you now? Some arbitrary measure of right and wrong? Tell me, Suzaku, did I not achieve my goal I'd been searching for all this time? You yourself bared that same sword towards my mother, so I can only assume you ultimately came to the same conclusion as I, that that man's plan couldn't be allowed to continue, no matter what the cost. Maybe by now you can finally see the truth: sacrifices are a natural means to an end result."

Suzaku felt uncomfortable at Lelouch's words, especially since some of them echoed his own proclamations to Lloyd and Cecile aboard the Avalon. The circumstance then was different, however, so he pressed on, regardless. "That isn't true! Good people died for you, Lelouch, people with aspirations and dreams of their own, and I won't allow it to go on any longer."

"As if you have any right to judge. The last I recall, you had some idiotic death wish yourself. Or have you, in your delusions, somehow forgiven your own actions as well?"

Suzaku froze, unable to respond to the claim. Lelouch walked towards him as he gathered his bearings, placing himself directly in front of the sharpened blade. "What exactly do you plan to do Suzaku? Kill me here and now?"

Suzaku swallowed and spoke words he couldn't trust. "If that's what it takes."

"Can I at least make a request, then?"

The knight didn't respond, knowing Lelouch was just toying with him.

However, those thoughts soon left him with the former prince's next words. "Give me a few months."

His grip wavered slightly. That… wasn't expected. "What?"

"You heard what I said. Wait a few months' time, then make your choice."

Suzaku narrowed his eyes. "I'm not falling for one your tricks again, Lelouch. Do you really expect me to believe that, after all this time, you would just willingly -?"

"Nunnally is dead."

Lelouch's stern expression had wavered as he spoke those words. Before, Suzaku had been able to look into the boy's unnatural eyes and convince himself that his former friend was now as inhuman as the power he wielded. Now, however… Suzaku knew this was a sore subject for them both. He relaxed his stance by just a little and waited for Lelouch to continue.

"Nunnally is dead, and my identity has been exposed. Thanks to Schneizel, even the Black Knights have turned on me, and now Lelouch vi Britannia, not Zero, is likely considered the world's most-wanted man. There's nowhere left for me to go."

Suzaku, contrary to the nature of the conversation, lowered his sword back to his side. Lelouch continued. "Once I escaped the Ikaruga, I knew a task still awaited me here: to end the emperor's rule once and for all. Now that he and my mother are gone, my goal should be considered accomplished. But, Suzaku, you saw it too, didn't you? The err of their ways?"

The knight narrowed his eyes but gave his answer anyway. "They wanted to lock people in the present, robbing them of their futures and freedom of choice." He paused, wondering if his next thought was necessary for emphasis. No, Zero needed to hear it. "Sounds familiar, doesn't it, Lelouch?"

Lelouch glared but otherwise ignored the jab. "Exactly. They planned to take away the future. And until now I'd been too short-sighted to see the truth: my mission doesn't end with Britannia's defeat. That leaves too many holes… and a power vacuum Schneizel would be all too happy to fill. What would this have all been for if the world remains in chaos? A peaceful world: my job isn't finished until that finally becomes a reality."

For a moment, Suzaku imagined it, Lelouch's words. Peace… that word felt almost foreign now. (The sunflowers were in bloom then. Hearing the hum of the summer cicadas, he pulled the panting Britannian boy onto the jagged clifftop…) He'd been burdened by the guilt of his father's death for so many years, while the sky rained fire, and the once-beautiful fields of Japan burned red with the blood of his countrymen. Even now, it didn't end.

And, as Suzaku quickly remembered, Zero was certainly at fault for the loss of so many lives. To claim that it was now his responsibility to bring peace… it was both appropriate and terrifying. "Any peace achieved by you or your Geass would be meaningless. You're not running any – "

"No, I'm done running. Didn't you hear me before? There's nowhere for me to run. This time, I'm not leaving Suzaku. What we do hereafter will be done together, a proposal I recall you making at our previous meeting. I'm asking for a few months, and if you don't think I'm keeping my part of the bargain, you'll be by my side to end it at any moment you please. But then, all of this would have truly been for naught."

Suzaku remained silent, his hand still twitching on his sword. (There's nothing we can't do together.) "And what, exactly, do you plan to do?"

Lelouch closed his eyes slowly before opening them once more. He took a breath, one that strained with the weight of his words. "I have an idea but need some time to work out the details and gather the resources. It's a modification of a plan I considered some time ago but never decided was worth implementing. In essence, it involves soiling my name even further than it already is, uniting the world under a common enemy, and destroying the demon of Lelouch vi Britannia."

Suzaku paused, not necessarily in comprehension, but in an unfortunate understanding of Lelouch's intentions that ran deeper than he wanted to admit. "Some sort of twisted martyr then? Instead of being revered for your bravery, you'd be despised for your misdeeds."

"A scapegoat. You were in that position once, back when this all began. I recall saving a headstrong Honorary Britannian soldier from his execution only for him to turn his back and willingly return to his captors. He feared how many lives would have been taken in retaliation if he escaped instead…"

"Hmph. It seems I misunderstood the word 'scapegoat.' Here I thought it meant one wasn't responsible for the crimes they were accused of."

Lelouch's lips curled up slightly. "True, I'll be taking responsibility for both the crimes I've already committed and the ones I have yet to commit, just as you wanted, Suzaku. But, this way, my end also serves a greater purpose, one none but a select few will ever be aware of."

Suzaku focused on Lelouch's eyes once more. The boiling seas of crimson stared back at him. "Why? Why would you do this? You said it yourself, that you've finally enacted your revenge on the empire that wronged you years ago, so why would you go through all this trouble now just to tarnish your own reputation?"

Lelouch shifted his gaze a little down and to the side. "You're right. By now, I should be satisfied. This moment is all I've dreamed of for the past eight years. But, when I made my plans, there were things I didn't foresee. F.L.E.I.J.A. weapons exist to decimate populations. The U.F.N. and Britannia are still locked in a seemingly endless war, with the E.U. and Chinese Federation already dissolving in its wake. And lastly, the Britannian Empire still exists with Schneizel at its helm, meaning Areas still exist with Numbers dying in their slums. You know just as well as I do, that's not what they would have wanted."

Suzaku felt something gather in his throat as he tried desperately to channel any sort of anger towards Lelouch's obvious manipulations.

The thoughts rushed forwards regardless.

(Bubblegum-pink hair curled around her face in long locks, accenting her fading complexion. Her voice cracked as she struggled to whisper.

"The ceremony, did it go alright? Is Japan okay?"

"Are the Japanese happy?"

"Oh thank God…")

Lelouch took a deep breath. "Nunnally – and Euphemia too – desired a peaceful world where people could be happy. They smiled because of the wishes of others, not because of their own. For their sakes, we must fulfill that innocent dream while we still have the opportunity – and the power – to do so."

Suzaku didn't want to agree. Lelouch killed Euphy and was partially responsible for the death of his other, full sister (not that Suzaku believed he ever wanted that, or that the incident was even entirely his fault). What Suzaku really wanted to do was to quickly draw his sword and plunge it into the chest of the arrogant man before him – the man who, even when admitting his weakness, continued to insist that the world should turn by his will – but his arms wouldn't move.

I… I can't do it. Not now. Not when Euphy and Nunnally…

Lelouch regarded him expectantly as the knight finally responded with a defeated sigh, slipping his sword into the holster at his hip. "I'm not doing this for you; I'm doing it for Euphy and Nunnally and everyone else who deserves a better fate than what you've left them. I'm staying by your side every step of the way, got it? And I swear if you try anything…"

A smirk. "Understood. As I said, I only need a few months, nothing more. Then…" His smile dropped slowly. "…it ends for good."

"Aren't you forgetting about something, boy?"

Lelouch turned to face the immortal witch who, frankly, Suzaku had completely forgotten during the previous conversation. In the past few minutes, she'd risen from her position on the ground, and now – despite her revealing clothing – her presence seemed to convey the gravity of her age. Her expression was stern, thankfully directed at Lelouch and not him. "I assume you still remember our contract."

Suzaku blinked. A contract? This was the first he'd heard of such a thing. Did the Geass have some unknown conditions to it as well?

Her partner regarded her briefly. "Since you likely both came from Kaminejima, I suppose you could exit that way as well?"

"Yes. I wouldn't say your plan to destroy the entrance worked as you would've liked."

Suzaku realized there was a reason for the increased rubble since his last visit to the island.

Lelouch then sighed and addressed him once more. "You should head back, then. I'll be there as soon as I finish with C.C."

Suzaku didn't like the idea of leaving after promising to keep Lelouch under his watch. He could plan something with C.C. here without his knowledge…

His thoughts were interrupted as C.C. spoke to solely him for the first time. Her expression didn't change, but Suzaku felt the command in her words regardless. "Yes, someone should probably check on the young Lady Alstreim. She'll nonetheless be very confused when she wakes up in a cave rather than on the battlefield." He saw Lelouch's eyes widen as he realized the knight had to be in the vicinity for his mother to have entered the Thought Elevator. "We won't be long, I promise."

Unfortunately, Suzaku found himself agreeing with the excuse for his dismissal. He couldn't leave Anya alone and confused forever. A familiar face would be a welcome sight. "Fine. I'll wait in the cave, but I'm coming back in if you aren't out in ten minutes."

"We'll make it brief," Lelouch confirmed. C.C. made a strange expression then that Suzaku couldn't quite discern, but he decided not to linger on it.

He started to leave, but said, almost as an afterthought, "I never told Schneizel's men about our meeting at the shrine. They followed me there without my knowledge."

Lelouch responded evenly, "Of course."

Suzaku could tell he wasn't completely convinced. "I'm telling you this because I know there are some things you withheld there, and I'd eventually like to continue that conversation."

If Lelouch was surprised, he didn't show it. "I'll take that as assurance that you won't be leaving anytime soon." Suzaku stared at him. "Now, go."

Accepting his dismissal with only a hint of annoyance, the knight turned and approached the entrance of the strange space. Expecting to find a door or perhaps an opening of some sort, Suzaku was surprised to see nothing but sky ahead. As he reached the end of the floating platform, however, he noticed a growing distortion of the landscape, one that only got worse the longer he continued. The colors blended together, and the sense of vertigo increased until Suzaku could no longer tell where he stood. He suddenly felt a jolt, and when he blinked a few times, he found himself back in the cave of Kaminejima.

Please let that be the last time.

Suzaku turned around and inspected the Geass-inscribed wall behind him, wondering if he was only imagining how the etchings appeared more faded than before.

He stared at the symbols a little longer. How had they reached this point? Two years ago, Suzaku hadn't even known that Lelouch had survived the invasion. Their reunion should have been a joyous one, not the one they received full of pretenses and supernatural powers. Now, they could barely trust each other. How would things have been different, without the intrusion of Geass?

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

On the ground sprawled the small form of Anya Alstreim, already beginning to stir. Suzaku knelt by her side, whispering, "Anya? Anya, are you awake?"

The girl moaned a little before blinking her eyes open slowly. "Suzaku?"

"Yes, it's me. Anya, are you okay?"

"Urgh." The young knight gripped her head and began to sit forwards. Suzaku urged the girl to be careful as she stared back at him with her usual blank expression. "What happened?"

"Don't you remember?"

The girl looked to the side and shook her head in response.

Suzaku paused for a moment, hoping that he'd be able to come up with a believable story. He felt bad for lying, but he also couldn't quite tell her that she'd been possessed by the spirit of the late empress for the past seven years who'd conspired with the emperor to take over the world. For once, he was grateful for her memory loss.

The knight settled on the most truthful answer he could give. "The Mordred crashed on Kamine Island. I landed here to investigate some abnormalities, so I saw when you fell from the sky. After I found you unconscious, I brought you to this cave to recover, away from the fighting."

Anya regarded him with a tilted head before reaching down to remove her phone from her uniform. Suzaku watched as she presumably scanned through her diary, hoping that nothing would disprove his story. He sighed softly as she then closed the device and put it away without a word, placing her hands behind her body to bring herself onto her feet.

Suzaku moved forwards to grab her arm and aid her upwards. "Careful…"

"Mm. I'm fine." The young knight steadied herself once standing. Turning towards the exit, she began to leave.

Suzaku startled. "Wait, where are you going? You just woke up!"

Anya looked back, her face still unreadable. "Nothing hurts, though." Suzaku froze at the flaw in his explanation, hoping she wouldn't press further. She continued. "The battle's still going on, isn't it? Aren't you coming?"

Suzaku's eyes widened slightly, having briefly forgotten the girl's resolve. Then, his expression became more composed. "No, not yet."

He looked her over. Anya's blank look barely wavered, but he still knew she expected him to return with her, back to the Knights of the Round to serve the emperor and defeat the Black Knights. However, Suzaku knew he'd already strayed too far from that path. Maybe he could return to Schneizel, but…

"I'll meet up with you later," the former Knight of Seven lied, "Go on ahead." As the girl nodded, and Suzaku watched the pink pigtails disappear from sight, he silently added, I just hope it won't be as enemies on the battlefield.

C.C. felt rather than saw when Suzaku left the Thought Elevator, not sure why he'd chosen to accompany her there in the first place. To threaten the emperor and his wife? To threaten their son? All were obviously futile.

"Is he gone?"

She nodded. "He is."

C.C. turned around to face her contractor, the one she'd all but abandoned following their siege on the Geass Order. She considered apologizing for that, then wondered if maybe she should apologize instead for deceiving him regarding her relationship with his parents. Though the latter felt more severe, C.C. also didn't want to provide him with another reminder of the recent confrontation.

Lelouch still wore a guarded look. "I'm glad you're back, C.C."

He was tense.

C.C. slowly walked over to him and rested her hand on his arm. She could feel him shaking slightly, underneath his costume. How unsurprising.

"You aren't well," she asserted.

It said a lot about his condition that he didn't even try to deny it. "I've sought only this moment for nearly half of my life now. And yet…" He trailed off.

"You don't feel like you've won?" she finished.

He didn't respond, but his accomplice didn't need him to. C.C. thought of the mother he disavowed after pursuing her killer so fervently. She thought of the girl who used to be his reason for living, needlessly caught in a preventable blast. She thought of his Geass and of all the people who'd forsaken him because of it. The boy may have put on a confident display in front of his parents, childhood companion, and even God itself, but C.C. knew better than to assume he really felt in control. "I think you know why that is."

Lelouch considered her only briefly. "Forgive me, C.C., I can't fulfill our contract," he said, never averting his gaze.

She tilted her head in acknowledgement. "I know. And I'll stay with you regardless."

He gave an unsteady sigh but otherwise remained silent.

"You've done enough for me, Lelouch. My contract is not the same as it's always been." A part of C.C. worried about how easily that emerged, the conclusion she'd only recently accepted. "If you're ready, then I am too."

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I've become pathetic, is that it?"

"Not any more than I."

C.C. released her hand, balanced on her toes, and wrapped her arms around him in a firm embrace. She ignored the small gasp that arose, rubbing the back of his head with her palm. "Lelouch, it's alright." She closed her eyes. "I understand."

After a long pause, he relaxed in her grip, and they allowed the sounds of his slowly shuddering breaths to soothe them both.

When they emerged back into the world, Suzaku was leaning against one of the nearby walls, arms crossed tightly over his chest. C.C. wondered what kind of torment the boy was putting himself through to justify what they were about to do.

The knight pushed himself off the wall and approached stiffly. He was obviously uncomfortable with this whole arrangement. "I sent Anya ahead, but we probably don't have much time until she starts wondering where I've gone."

That was met by a slight scoff from Lelouch. "What did you tell her? That you'd follow?"

Suzaku paused. "Something like that…"

C.C. knew Lelouch was resisting the urge to admonish him. "Contact her once you're in the Lancelot and tell her the emperor gave you a classified assignment. We're going to be gone for a while."

He frowned. "I came in a landing craft. The Lancelot's out of commission, and Lloyd wouldn't authorize the use of its successor."

"Its successor?" C.C. could hear the interest in her contractor's voice. He was taking note of that for later. "And what power does an engineer have to deny a request from the venerable Knight of Seven?"

Suzaku sighed. "Enough."

"Hm, you'll have to introduce me." Suzaku looked as though he couldn't be less thrilled from that statement. "Alright, contact Anya from your landing craft then."

The knight gave a sarcastic "Yes, Your Highness" and promptly left before his friend could respond.

While Lelouch was scowling, C.C. walked over to the wall of the cave and collected her Cheese-kun plush. She'd had a feeling they wouldn't be returning to the Ikaruga.

"I can't use the comms without either of us being traced. My phone worked fine for Rivalz's call, so the networks couldn't have been damaged too badly by the explosion, and I doubt they'll be monitoring those as closely in the midst of battle. We'll also have to travel below the water to avoid detection…" He held one hand to his face as he thought aloud.

Breaking his concentration, he turned to her. "Come on, hopefully the Shinkirou is still in the nearby forest. Otherwise, Suzaku will have to circle back around."

C.C. smiled slyly at the familiar opportunity. "Oh? The single man cockpit?"

"Don't obstruct my view," he countered, "It'll already take some effort to slip through the combined forces of both the Britannian military and the Black Knights."

"Maybe to avoid crowding, I should pilot, and you should ride on the outside."

C.C. thought she may have noticed the ghost of a smile in his eyes, hidden behind his usual irritation. "Try your proposal again once you've learned how to operate the keyboard."

A breeze entered the cave then, and Lelouch must have felt a chill, since he considered her expectantly. "I have a change of clothes for you ready in the Shinkirou, if you'd prefer."

"Mm, perhaps." She wasn't uncomfortable in her current attire, but changing into something more familiar wouldn't be unwelcome either.

Side by side, they walked out of the cave together, and C.C. caught herself considering the future.

Our time remaining is now finite. Is this what it's like to be truly living?

C.C. clutched the plush a little tighter and committed these feelings to memory as best she could.

Time didn't move quite as C.C. expected. For much of what she could remember, she'd been drifting, everything around her passing by at a pace too quick to be noticed. People, places, technology, ideas: nothing was eternal, nothing but her. Sometimes it slowed, in the moments that C.C. thought she might have her escape. Those moments would sometimes stretch into months or even years, but they never felt quite right. Then, time would speed up once more.

But now, C.C. had a reason to keep going. Her days with Lelouch were… stimulating, even by her standards. Time was slower, and it should have remained as such. Somehow, though, she found herself feeling even more removed than she had before.

C.C. knew now that Lelouch wouldn't be the one to take her code. She'd denied him, and he'd denied her in return. Still, she found herself lingering. Was it the deadline they'd set, the knowledge that there was something she desired other than death, and that even that would soon be taken from her as well?

One blink and it would be gone.

Lelouch claimed the throne with Suzaku at his side. C.C. watched from the wings, noticing how wickedly satisfied he seemed to enslave the nobility present, including several of his siblings. She was concerned, but for what exactly, she wasn't sure.

The days in the palace sped by as they always had, reminding her of years long past. Empty conversations, meaningless rapport, only two interesting people in its entirety. If it were anyone else, C.C. would worry about history repeating itself, but Lelouch wouldn't allow that to happen.

The Britannian aristocracy was abolished, the UFN was captured, and Pendragon was obliterated.

Nunnally was still alive.

C.C. could see the pain he carried every day, even when he tried to hide it. None of this was what he wanted, not really. Only when they were alone did he let his guard down, allow her to see how weary he'd truly grown of death and destruction.

Then, in an instant, she was back on the battlefield, protecting what it was she held dear. C.C. thought she may have understood Kallen then, smiling in pride at the thrill of it all. At having something she didn't want to lose. It almost felt as though… C.C. couldn't quite figure it out.

Lelouch declared his victory, and before she knew it, the end drew near.

C.C. couldn't remember the last time she'd prayed. For centuries, her lack of recollection wouldn't have been abnormal. Her existence felt more like a dream than a memory, and her distant past more like a story heard on the wind than personal experience. Now, however, she was beginning to realize that by entering the World of C and sealing herself inside her mind, she'd been able to recall more and more that she once thought she'd left behind.

No, it wasn't her continued existence that blocked her memory as it once had. In reality, she'd lost her faith long ago. As a child, she'd been betrayed by a holy woman and tricked into an accursed power. Watching her bloody wounds close and glimpsing a sigil upon her breast as she sprawled on the ground of the chapel, C.C. had originally believed she'd been branded with the Mark of Cain, destined to wander the Earth forever without ever reaching salvation. She'd blindly clung to her faith as she began her travels, praying that God would someday relieve her of her trial. Maybe she'd never make it to the promised land she'd once desired, but she was convinced even Hell would be more kind.

Deemed a witch by all she encountered, C.C. was cast even further from the light. And how could she blame them? Surrounded by supernatural powers, C.C. supposed she really did embrace the infernal the day she accepted her Geass and made her selfish wish. For good reason, God had forsaken her long ago. A witch she was, and a witch she always would be.

C.C. now knew better than anyone else the true nature of the one religions referred to as "God." There was no single omnipotent being, only the collective will of humanity itself. It united the souls of people in death and, to a lesser extent, in life. As a Geass user, she'd manipulated it from within. As a Code bearer, she stood beyond it. Members of the Geass Order worshipped it, while her previous associates had attempted to "slay" it and break down the barriers between humanity.

There was no "God", not as she'd once believed. Yet, here she was, kneeling before the altar of a false deity and asking favors from whomever would hear.

Do you pity me, C.C.?

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. What a foolish boy.

C.C. tilted her head forward and clasped her hands together.

"God… Collective Unconscious," she spoke softly, remembering his determined voice back in the World of C, "I, too, have a request."

The sun had fallen low enough in the sky to now shine through the stained-glass window above her, casting geometric colors onto the floor. It probably wouldn't be long before Zero interrupted the elaborate procession, charged forward, and plunged his sword into the man they'd both sworn to defend. She was here because she couldn't bear to watch it.

"Protect him, this world, and all those he loved."

One last wish, he'd promised them. One last Geass to usher the world into a new era of peace. Only one so youthful could be so idealistic. Didn't that seem appropriate?

C.C. remembered, then, the salty taste of her own tears.

"May those who loved him remember him fondly and forgive him of his sins."

He'd kept his secrets and flaunted his Geass, then unjustly taken additional blame unto himself. His former associates had settled on disdain even before his tyrannical reign. Yet, here he was, delivering to them the greatest gift he could when it would be even easier to prove their accusations correct.

"Relieve him of his burdens. He deserves to rest."

He may have prided himself on figuring out her true wish, but she'd long since discovered his. The wish of a little boy to be heard by those who had cast him aside. To be acknowledged by the world. She'd never known another individual to be so successful in their pursuit. He deserved so much more than the world would ever give. But still…

"Let him be satisfied with a smile before he departs."

C.C. paused as she reached her conclusion. She knew that the typical endings wouldn't be appropriate. Amen had no meaning with this kind of prayer, and other analogues were just the same. Instead, she concluded with the words she felt were most justified, words she hoped would convey her message regardless of her own selfishness.

For the opportunity to truly live once more…

"Thank you."

Author's Note:

And that's a wrap. Like with chapter 6, I wasn't completely satisfied with my writing, but I decided to post it anyway. It's a weird mix of two perspectives that almost kind of works I think? I may update all the chapters in the future with edits, but for now, it is what it is. My fic is complete.

I do have a few other ideas for one-shots, but I may incorporate those into a future sequel story as flashbacks instead. They tended to stray from canon a bit more, so they'd fit better there than in this story.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed my chapter and my fic. It's been years in the making, and it's hard for me to believe that my little passion project has been read by so many people now. I wrote these for myself originally, with no intention of sharing them online, so I'm glad to see that people have been engaging with them. Considering how many great fics I've read for this show before, I feel honored to have contributed something to the Code Geass fandom.

Thank you so much for your readership. Feel free to leave a review or PM me if you want to chat!