Wow, this chapter took way longer than I expected. Alright, just a few things before we get started...

A/N: I own nothing (as always)

A/N 2: Here's a life lesson I learned in the past few weeks: Just because you have free time, doesn't mean you'll be productive. I had intended to have this story out before the school year began, but I slacked off and the school year's here. This story won't be going away, but (as always) I ask that you please be patient with me.

A/N 3: The working title for this chapter was "After the Quake"

A/N 4: Does anyone know a good reliable source for Code Geass News? I've been using r/codegeass, but it's rarely been helpful.

A/N 5: Should I add cover art for this story? I feel like I should, but I'm no artist and none of the artwork, official or otherwise, seems to fit. (Side note: Don't look up Code Geass on DeviantArt. As a matter of fact, don't go on DeviantArt)

Alright, enough of my whinging (Shout out to the Hound for teaching me that word). On with the story!

Chapter 7: The Art of Honesty

Knowledge is a deadly friend, if no one sets the rules – King Crimson

Guilford was positive that he had never seen a disaster on this scale before. Operation Erebor had been meant to be a victory of enormous proportions; if they had taken out the JLF, they would've dealt a big blow in terms of support and morale to the terrorist cells around the country. Instead, it had been an utter catastrophe: They had lost the majority of Knightmares, either to that landslide or to the red Guren. In addition, a large majority of the pilots who had survived the battle had yet to recover from the …unnatural attacks that perpetrated by the green-haired lady who had been running around the battlefield. Guilford shuddered as he thought about his encounter with the Code-R escapee. One minute, he was attempting to capture her; the next, he was reliving the car crash that had killed his brother and nearly killed him. And his encounter had been brief, only a matter of seconds; some of the soldiers had been exposed to her for up to two minutes. The battle had revealed three things: that Zero had powerful weapons at his disposal, that he knew how to use them, and that he wasn't afraid to employ them. And this was the man who had his liege captive. That alone was going to cost Guilford many nights of sleep. The masked terrorist had yet to make any demands, and he hadn't killed the Second Princess yet, so it was unclear what his intentions were. But the possibilities were frightening, at best. In any event, Guilford knew that he shouldn't dwell on that; true madness awaited him if he did. The only thing he could do was what Cornelia had instructed him to do in case something had happened to her: protect Princess Euphemia at all costs. These were going to be difficult times for the Princess, and Guilford knew she would need all the help she could get.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that Euphie wasn't getting help from anyone else, if her face from the current phone call was any indication. "Alright, call me back later, when you get something concrete" she said into the phone, before slamming the phone into the receiver.

"Another nobleman trying to take advantage of your sister's absence?"

"No. That was the team I had sent to search for Code-R". Seeing Guilford's look of confusion, Euphemia explained "When I got the reports that the Code-R test subject was on the battlefield, I sent a team to scour Narita to see if they could find the project itself."

"And there was no sign of the it?"

"Worse. Turns out that the project was in Narita, but they cleared out as soon as they got wind that a battle was happening in the vicinity. According to the man on the phone, we missed them by a couple of hours, and we have no way of tracking them."

Guilford cringed. As if they didn't have enough bad news to deal with as it was! It also made what he had to bring up even more of a nuisance to the princess, but the matter was imminent. "Your highness, I know that you may not want to hear this right now, but we need to talk about appointing you a knight –"

"You're right Guilford, I don't want to hear about it. I have several different things I need to worry about, and looking through a binder of noble bluebloods is not one of them."

"Your highness, I know that this may not seem like the best time, but it's a matter of –"

Guilford was interrupted by the ringing of a phone, which Euphemia eagerly grabbed in order to get out of the conversation. "Yes?" she asked apprehensively. "Alright, thank you." She then hung up the phone with a sigh of relief. "Finally, some good news."

"Really? What would that be, your Grace?"

"Suzaku, the Lancelot pilot, has recovered and is awake."

"And this is important because…."

"He might be the key to finding Lelouch and Nunnally."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Just what the hell were you thinking solider!"

Everyone in the room winced at the harsh tone that accompanied those words directed at Suzaku. It was clear that everyone in the room, even to the socially inept Lloyd, that Major Darlton was pissed. "You managed to wreck a hundred million pound project, and put yourself and your fellow soldiers at risk! You have to be the worst soldier I have ever seen!"

"I-I'm sorry sir" Suzaku stuttered.

"Sir, with all due respect, could you please go easy on him?" Cecile pleaded. "He's had a rough battle, and I'm not wholly sure that he's recovered." That was a genuine concern; Suzaku had woken up distracted and confused, unsure of where he was and how he got there.

"Well, he's deserved it!" was the barking response. "That was a completely bone-headed move, going out like that! What would have prompted you to go out like that?"

"That may have been my fault."

The room stood to attention as Princess Euphemia walked into the room. "Your highness!"

"I had ordered all troops to enter the battlefield following the landslide."

"That's what it was, your Grace" Cecile said, eager to give Suzaku a chance to escape further punishment. "At the time, he seemed like he was doing better, so we had no problem sending him out."

"And how did he perform?"

"He managed to take out two enemy Knightmares before engaging the Red Claw."

"Red Claw…?"

"It's what we're calling the Red Knightmare that took out so many of our troops your highness, on account of its color and claw like attachment."

"I see" Euphemia responded. She then turned towards Lloyd. "Lord Asplund, what damage did the Lancelot receive?"

"Well, the legs were completely torn off, so that's the biggest problem. A number of the navigation systems are out of sync, so we need to fix them as well. And finally, Warrant Officer Kururugi threw up all over the cockpit, which doesn't affect the operation at all, but is still quite a mess."

"Right then. In that case, the punishment for disobeying Major Darlton's orders will be cleaning out the cockpit. Is this agreeable to everyone?"

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, except for Darlton. "Your Highness-"

"Darlton" Euphie said quietly, "I know that you're anxious about my sister, but could you please try not to take it out on the soldiers?"

"Yes, maam" Darlton replied, having been suitably chastised.

"Right then, I need a word with Suzaku. Alone."

These words were met with looks of confusion, but no one questioned the princess's orders. Soon, the doctors, soldiers, and scientists had filed out of the room and the two were alone. As soon as the last person walked out, and the door closed behind them, the princess dropped all decorum and ran into a hug with the Lancelot pilot. "Oh, thank goodness you're going to be fine."

"U-Euphie…" Suzaku manage stutter out, his eyes filled with shock and tears.

"Just promise me something? Promise me you won't try to throw away your life like that again. You're one of the few truly decent people I know."

"O-Okay."

"Great. Now on to something more serious" Euphemia said, as she pulled away from the hug. "I know that you're the son of the last prime minister, which means you may be one of the few people who could answer this." She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, and reopened them filled with a determination most people associated with her sister. "Do you know what happened to Lelouch and Nunnally? Do you know what happened to my siblings?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nighttime in the park was not the same as night in other places. There was lighting throughout, so the sounds of crickets chirping and owls cooing did not sound threatening. Yet the lights weren't too bright, so you could look up into the night sky and see the stars. Not many people walked through this park during the night: Elevens weren't allowed in the settlement outdoors after nightfall, and no criminal would to try anything against any Britannians walking about out of fear of the police. It was the perfect place to take a walk and find a rare piece of serenity. This is where two Britannian students were walking, having just come out of a concert held by the local orchestra.

"Well, that was a lovely performance." Lelouch said, and he meant it. It was rare for him to get these breaks from his various lives, and he had learned to relish them.

"It certainly was" Shirley said, walking along side. She seemed happy, but something seemed to be nagging her. Something was on the edge of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"So," Lelouch began, sensing that the potential conversations had been exhausted, "which train do you are you going on? I know which line I need for Ashford, but I don't know going back since your dad's in town-"

"Lelouch, there's something I need to tell you" Shirley said, finally working up the courage to tell her long suppressed feelings. Lelouch turned around, already expecting what was coming.

"At first, I didn't like you. You seemed to have this bored expression that made it look like you didn't care about anything. But then, I saw you help out an old couple with a car accident, doing everything with the same bored expression. It made me curious; it made me want to know more about you. And the more I learned, the more I fell in love with you." Shirley's face was now completely red. She moved to embrace Lelouch, but found herself held at arm's width by the raven-haired teen.

"Shirley, I guessed your feelings a while back. I knew that you had a crush on me, but I didn't expect the infatuation to go this deep. I…I would urge you to forget about me. Much about what you probably think about me is false. You're an amazing friend, and you deserve the best. You deserve someone much better than me. And besides," Lelouch said as his red-haired ace flinted across his mind, "my heart belongs to someone else."

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, each mulling over the others words. Finally, Shirley spoke in a cracked voice, her eyes barely blinking back the flood, "You know, a part of me knew that this would happen. Yet I kept hoping that my biggest desire would come true… Promise me one thing, Lulu? Promise me that this girl, whoever she is, promise me that you'll make her the happiest girl in the world?"

"Of course."

And with that, Shirley turned and ran off in the night, the tears now flowing freely. Lelouch looked blankly into the distance, wondering if he should go after the orangette, if there was something he could do to console her. Just then, his phone went off. Seeing that his phone didn't recognize the number, he answered in a cordial tone. "Hello?"

"Well really, Lulu, did you need to break the poor girl's heart that hard?"

Lelouch felt a chill run through him as he recognized the maniacal voice on the other end. "Mao, where –"

"Not here, my dear time traveler. Meet me at the bench on Asheby Lane; I'll be waiting for you." And with that, the line clicked and only a dial tone was heard.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Lelouch approached the mind reader with a sense of apprehension and caution, going over what he knew about Mao. The man had been C.C's last contractor before him, and had been abandoned when he had begun to go insane. Lelouch had fought him three times, and they had been some of the trickiest fights he had ever had. So, he knew that he had to be careful, since-

"Ugh, could you get to the part where you actually strategize?" Mao asked as Lelouch sat down on the opposite side of the bench. "As much as you flatter me, I'd rather not listen to your retelling of my biography"

Okay, straight to business then, Lelouch thought. He's clearly not here to kill me, he wouldn't have announced himself. Of course, he's insane, so maybe he would. Besides, he's not that good at-

"Hey! Don't go underestimating my stealth skills! I managed spy you and your sister for the past couple of weeks, didn't I? By the way, you were totally right, that ninja-maid of yours is totally training her."

I knew it! Wait, you were near Nunnally! Wait, I can't get off topic. Alright, you clearly want something, don't you?

"Yes, but you'll probably won't be able to guess it."

Of course I can, you're too easy to read. It has something to do with C.C, it always has to do with C.C when it comes to you.

"Well, you're not wrong, but it's not the in the way you're thinking. You see, I want to join the Black Knights."

Lelouch could only stare blankly. Of all the possible scenarios that could have arisen, this is one he never thought could have happened. What could've driven –

"Before you go any further, a friendly piece of advice: stop thinking that something will never happen. You of all people should know that when you think that, it winds up happening and it screws you up tremendously. You don't often fail; but when you do, it's spectacular. As to your main query, there are a few reasons why I would like to join up with the Knights. First, it's clear that C.C has a special connection with, or will if your memories are anything to go by. And since your heart and loins are set on the redhead in the Guren, you're not really a rival for her affections. Second, you clearly know how to beat me. One time was you being lucky, but the other two were really good strategies, well thought out. Believe it or not, I have a sense of self-preservation; I'd like to avoid being killed again. And finally, well you look like you have an exciting future ahead of you. The first time I met you, all you had done was kill your brother, made a speech on a boat, and caused a landslide. Nothing too exciting. But now? You've conquered the world, stopped apocalypse plots, and generally had a very exciting life. Point is, I want in. You are extremely entertaining, and I want to be a part of it all.'

"Well that explains your reasons. Now explain this: why should I let you join the Black Knights?"

"Well, let's go through the reasons, the ones I'm pulling from your head. First, you know I could be a problem, so keeping me close would help limit that. Second, I could be an enormous asset, if you keep me under control. Ooh! I could be head of intelligence and interrogation!"

"Fine! Is there anything else you need, you wack-job?"

"Ooh, watch the language!" Mao said with a chuckle. "If you keep that up, I won't tell you about the other time traveler! No, not your sister, the other other one."

"What? WHO?" Lelouch blurted out, the annoyance quickly slipping away. It hadn't occurred to him that there was another time traveler –

"Oh, that is obvious. Honestly, does anything that's not related to your grand strategy come across your mind until it actually happens? Well in any case, I won't divulge that secret; I want to see how long it takes you to find them. I'll give you a hint: They're closer than you think. And with that, I'm off! See around Zero! Looking forward to working with you! Give C. C my love!"

As Mao exited into the night, Lelouch could only think one thing:

Good lord was that asshole annoying.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where is my brother?" Nunnally wondered aloud, as she folded another origami crane.

"He really could be anywhere" C.C responded, who sat across the table, engaged in the same activity. "The man runs an underground resistance group, he could be doing something clandestine to undermine Britannia."

"I doubt that; if was something to do with the Black Knights, he would have told me about it."

C.C laughed. "You think that. But truthfully? He could very well be out there right now, enacting plans he knows you won't like. The whole 'date' thing could be a giant ruse, to distract you from whatever he planned to actually do."

Nunnally frowned. "Maybe, but that wouldn't explain the phone call from Milly." A couple of minutes ago, she had gotten a call from Milly, who had gotten a call from Ms. Fennette, who said Shirley had returned from her date in a puddle of tears and locked herself to cry her eyes out. So, clearly Lelouch had been on that date. However, there were still a ton of questions. Unfortunately, Lelouch wasn't answering phone. And that demonstrates the crux of the problem Nunnally thought. Lelouch had never been good at communication, or at least at open communication. Nunnally knew that Lelouch could (and probably was) hiding as much about the Black Knights as he wanted to. She knew that it was to protect her, but it was frustrating all the same. Nunnally knew that there had to be more that she could do; it was convincing Lelouch to let her do it that was going to be difficult.

Just then, Lelouch himself walked through the door, with the look on his face suggesting that he was in deep thought. "Evening, Lelouch" C. C said as he moved to his word without a word.

"Oh, evening" Lelouch responded. His voice suggested that he had not realized that the two girls were in the room. "How's your night been?"

"It's been alright. How was your date?"

"It was alright."

"Don't give me that" Nunnally said, annoyed that her brother was attempting to hide yet another thing from her. "Shirley's mother called Milly, who called me. According to them, Shirley's in her room, crying a river."

"Okay" Lelouch said, before sitting down at the table with a sigh. "Shirley confessed, and I rejected her."

"Well, that makes sense" C.C said. "The only mystery remaining is why you are so morose about it. You don't strike me as the kind of man who would be bothered by such a thing."

"He isn't" Nunnally said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. And that was definitely true. If Lelouch had really cared that much about Shirley's feelings, he would've addressed them long ago. And Nunnally knew that he had done more heinous acts than break someone's heart without any bother. Whatever was bothering her brother, this wasn't it. "So, what's really on your mind, big brother?"

Lelouch sighed. Clearly, he hadn't intended discuss this matter, but now he had no choice. "I ran into a familiar face from the previous timeline" he said, looking towards C.C. "Your…former contractor."

"WHAT!" C.C yelped, her hands slamming on the table as she shot up from her seat. "Where is he? What did he want?"

"I don't know where he is" Lelouch admitted, holding his hand up in an effort to signal C.C to calm down. "But he had an unusual request. He…he asked to join the Black Knights."

"And…"

"He's now a member of the Black Knights."

C.C began to laugh nervously, as if this was still one big joke. "You seem like a very smart boy, Lelouch, so I'm wondering why you would make such a bone-headed- "

"This is not a mistake; it's a calculated risk. I am well aware of the danger that Mao could be. However, I know that he could potentially be a huge asset if he is kept in check. And a large amount of that is going to come down to you C.C. You know him better than anyone else, and it should be more than easy for you to turn him into an asset."

C.C looked thunderous; however, she was unable to come up with a reasonable retort to Lelouch's argument. "Fine" she said crossly. "But don't be surprised if my pizza bill spikes suddenly." And with that, she stormed off to Lelouch's room.

"So, who were you guys talking about?" Nunnally asked.

"The guy we were talking about was C.C's former contractor, a guy named Mao. You met briefly in the previous timeline, when he …he kidnapped you."

Nunnally could vaguely remember who Lelouch was talking about. She couldn't see at the time, but she did remember being tied up down in the utility corridor downstairs. And she remembered a voice; a high-pitched voice that was equal parts cruelty and madness. If this was the man that her brother was talking about, he seemed to be an odd choice for recruitment. Lelouch had little patience for the nonsensical, and he tended not to forgive anyone who came after her. "What makes Mao good for being in the Black Knights? He seems like the kind of person you tend to avoid."

"There are two reasons why I allowed Mao entry into the Black Knights, and they both stem his Geass. He can read the minds of everyone within a 500-meter range. This could be a very useful weapon for us, but it also could be dangerous if it were to be used against us. Those are the reasons that I've brought him into the Black Knights."

"Okay" Nunnally said. "So why is C.C so worried about him?"

"After a certain point, a contractor loses control of their Geass; they can no longer turn it off. Because of this, Mao hears everyone's thoughts. It drove him to insane. A code-bearer can't be affected by a Geass, so C.C is an oasis of calm in a sea of cacophonic thoughts. As a result, Mao is obsessed with her. He is also in love with her, so he is unable to take her code. Thus, C.C abandoned him, and has taken lengths to avoid him ever since."

"Hence, her reaction."

"Exactly"

"Wait" Nunnally said, picking up on something that Lelouch had said. "You said that at a certain point, a contractor loses control of their Geass? Did that happen to you?"

"…Yeah"

"Really? When? How long do we have? What happened?"

"Slow down, Nunnally! One question at a time. Yes, I did lose control; it will happen in a few weeks or so. I've been more careful with my powers this time around, but it's still coming. But we can't worry about that right now, there is a bigger issue to worry about."

"What? You really expect that you can blow off something like 'I'm going to lose control of my mystical eye jutsu' off?"

"I'm not blowing it off, I'm dealing with it later. Me losing control of my Geass is something I've been planning for; this is something I wasn't." Lelouch sighed. He had wanted not to tell Nunnally about this till later, but now seemed like the proper time; if only so it would get her mind of the eventuality of Geass becoming permeant. "Mao revealed something to me during our conversation. He revealed… that we are not alone."

Nunnally looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean…we may be the only time travelers here."

Nunnally's eyes widened in shock. "But…t-that's-"

"Impossible? I thought so too. But it makes sense. There has been a lot going on around us, a lot has changed. We may have assumed that any and all changes that we didn't cause were a result of the butterfly effect, but what if that isn't the case? This is something that we have to investigate."

"But you got this information from Mao. Didn't you just say that he's insane?"

"Mao is many things, but a liar is not one of them. His powers allow him to use truths to devastating effect, so he's not one to use lies often. Plus, the two of us were sent back in time as well; why wouldn't there be a third?"

Nunnally accepted her brother's words. After all, if her brother was trusting this intel, she could too. "So, do we know anything about this time traveler?"

"Basically nothing. All Mao would tell me was that they exist and they're 'close', whatever that means."

Nunnally sighed and began to move her wheelchair towards her room, with Lelouch getting up to help her get into bed. "I take it that this new time-traveler has become a priority for the two of us?" she asked, secretly delighted that she now had a secret that was just between her and Lelouch.

"Yes" Lelouch responded. "A time traveler could be invaluable to us if they're on our side; but they could be devastating if they're on the side of our enemies. In the meantime, I'm going to recruit some allies that we don't have to constantly worry about."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jeremiah Guttwold was sitting in a bar, with the intention to induce amnesia via alcohol. The past few months had been some of the worst of his life since the death of Lady Marianne and her two children. For a short while, he had been the luckiest person in the world: he had unchecked power as the head of the Purist Faction and acting Viceroy, with a very real possibility of becoming a full Viceroy. Then Zero had appeared and somehow had tricked him into handing over Private Kururugi. Since then, everything had been downhill from there. He had been investigated for treason, demoted three ranks, and lost the respect of most of his fellow Purists. Whatever hopes he had of redeeming himself through the capture of Zero were dashed at Narita, when he had led an unsuccessful and unauthorized offensive in the hope of capturing the masked terrorist. The attack failed miserably, with the "Red Claw" wiping out half of his troops before it went to defeat the Lancelot and the Viceroy. Now, his two closest friends, Villetta and Kewel, were dead, and the purist faction was in shambles. This is what he told to a very patient lady who had sat next to him at the bar, eyeing him with interest. At the end of his tale, the woman smiled and asked him if he wanted to leave with her so that she could "help him move past his grief". Jeremiah acquiesced, and they left. However, he had only walked into an alley before he was punched in the stomach and bound with a rope. As Jeremiah struggled, he heard a familiar, metallic voice speak with a chuckle. "My, my, how the mighty have fallen" Zero said, as he stepped out of the shadows.

Jeremiah's eyes widened in shock and rage. "You!" he snarled, as he tried to charge at Zero. Unfortunately, he was prevented by the ropes and the lady who had captured him.

"Don't be too rough with him Sayoko" Zero said to the disguised ninja. "I don't want our new alliance to start off on the wrong foot."

"Alliance? Why would I want to work with someone with you?" Jeremiah spat out angrily. "I am a loyal servant to Britannia, always have been, always will be!"

"Your loyalty has always been to Britannia?" Zero responded. "That's a lie if I've ever heard one. I know that your loyalty used to belong to a woman, the late Empress Marianne. I know that you failed to protect her that night in Aries Villa, and you've been trying to redeem yourself in the eyes of the Empire ever since."

"If you know this" Jeremiah said, struggling to hide his shock, "then why did you take away from me the one chance I had of doing so?"

"It was never intentional; events simply dictated how I would enact my plan. However, I will offer you another chance at redemption; not in the eyes of the empire, but in mine." Zero then removed his mask, to reveal a teenage boy with black hair and violet eyes. "Do you recognize me?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kallen sat in the hideout of Black Knights, pretending to read a book while trying to figure out her next move. So far everything had been working in her favor. Narita had been a success, and the Black Knights were now in a better position than ever. Yet Kallen knew she had to be careful now. With their successes, the Black Knights posed a bigger threat to the Empire, which could only lead to a greater reaction. Kallen knew she didn't have the strategic skills of Lelouch or his siblings, but she did have something that they didn't: knowledge of the future. However, there still obstacles to using it. She had to figure out how to convince Lelouch to trust her without giving away that she knew his secret identity (or rather his secret identities). She also had to figure a way to act on her knowledge of the future without exposing her position as a time traveler. And most importantly, Kallen had to figure out how to do both without setting off the pesky butterfly effect. As much as things were better in this timeline, there were still a lot of things different in this timeline, and the changes wouldn't stop there. And only complicating the matter was the nature of the butterfly effect, which made impossible to predict what would change and how. Kallen wasn't sure if she could take on every challenge that it would throw her way, but she knew that she would have to for the sake of herself, Lelouch, and everyone else.

"Here Zero, this came for you" Kallen heard Ohgi say, which pulled her out of her train into the conversation around her.

"Oh? What's this?"

"A love letter."

"Really? Well that's sweet, but I'm afraid that you're not my type."

The room burst into laughter, ranging from the small chuckles of Kallen and Minami to the busting laugh of Tamaki.

"And they say you have no sense of humor!" Tamaki said, in between gusts of laughter.

"You laugh to much" Kallen said. At least one thing that could be trusted during with all this change was that Tamaki would have an annoyingly big mouth.

"No, the letter's not from me" Ohgi said with a grin. "It's from the Kyoto group. They have requested a meeting! If we get their support, we'll really be in the big leagues!"

"Really?" Zero responded inquisitively. "I'd say that we're already in the big leagues, given that we've managed to capture a viceroy."

"True, but if we join up with Kyoto, we could solve our money problems."

"Money problems?" Zero asked. "There shouldn't be any money problems if you were following the budget I laid out."

"Well…" Ohgi said with a cringe, as he looked around the room nervously.

"Hey don't look at me!" Tamaki said defensively. "We're getting a lot of recruits. Expenses have gone up!"

"Tell me" Kallen said, putting down her book and glaring at Tamaki. "What type of expenses would you classify your expensive dinners with the new members as? Recruitment or miscellaneous?"

"That's enough" Zero said firmly. "I'll meet with Kyoto and see if we can't get their support. In the meantime, Ohgi will take over all financial matters."

"What! That's bullshit!" Tamaki burst out. "Why should we listen to you? Why should we listen to some masked asshole who won't show his own face!"

"Oh do us all a favor and shut up for once in your life!" Kallen shouted, standing up in rage. "Zero has done more than any revolutionary leader who has come before him! He's given us victory and prestige, isn't that enough?" Kallen grew angrier, as memories of the Black Knight's betrayal came back into her mind. "It doesn't matter who he is, or what he's done! He's our leader, and we have to trust in him no matter what!"

"Kallen" Zero said with a mollifying voice. "Thank you for the kind words, but that's really unnecessary given the circumstances. As for you Tamaki, if you want to prove that you're capable of handling our finances, then I suggest that you treat all the Black Knights to dinner with your own money. And I do mean all of them."

As the surrounding Black Knights began to suggest expensive restaurants that the increasingly flustered Tamaki could treat them to, Kallen returned to her book and tried to suppress the terrible night in the hangar that had come back to her memory.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lelouch was sitting in his office, pondering over two problems in equal turns. The first was his upcoming meeting with the Kyoto group. He was certain that Kirihara would be the contact again, but he needed a way to be certain. C.C had did well last time, but Lelouch was worried about leaving Mao alone for longer than necessary. Mao was another option, but Lelouch wanted to be certain that this was the best option. The other problem that was troubling him was that of the other time traveler. Mao had said that they were closer, closer than he would suspect, but who was that? Who had been acting suspiciously lately? Who had been acting like they had prior knowledge events? Who-

A knock on the door interrupted his trains of thought. "Who is it?" Lelouch called out.

"It's me, Ohgi."

"Come in" Lelouch said as he put on his mask.

The door opened and Ohgi entered. Closing the door behind him, the deputy of the Black Knights took a seat across from his leader. "What are your plans for Kyoto?" Ohgi asked.

"I'll meet with them, and try to convince them that I am sincerely an enemy of Britannia. If all goes well, we'll have new allies to assist us on our quest. It's what might happen if the meeting goes poorly that I'm trying to plan for."

"Do you think you'll be able to convince them that you're an enemy of Britannia, Mr. Lamprouge?"

A silence enveloped the room, as Lelouch sat in shock. Finally, he removed his mask and asked "How did-"

"How did I figure out your identity? It was back when we met at the hospital that I began to have my suspicions. Here we had a Britannian student, who was fluent in Japanese and referred to the Japanese as 'Japanese'. This alone you made you an oddity. Kallen had let slip that she knew of your identity, so that only deepened my suspicion. But what convinced me was your voice; despite the voice changer, your voice still sounds similar, regardless of whatever language you're talking in. And there are the inflections in your voice that reinforce that similarity."

Lelouch smiled. "Well Ohgi, you certainly thought this out. My congratulations on discerning my real identity."

"Which one? The one you use every day, or your true one as the supposedly dead 11th prince of Britannia?"

Lelouch's eyes widened in shock again. "How – "he began, before realizing how he had been found out. "It was my last name, wasn't it?" Ohgi nodded, and Lelouch sighed. "I should have known this might have happened."

"The former Empress is the first thing that appears when you google the name 'Lamprouge', a testament to how thoroughly you've kept yourself off the web these past 7 years."

"…So, have you've told anyone else in the Black Knights?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you about this first. Whether or not I tell anyone will depend on how you answer this question: Why are you fighting Britannia? What are you getting out of this fight?"

Lelouch straightened up and adopted a look of determination and anger. "If you saw anything concerning my mother, I assume you saw what happened to my sister." Ohgi's nod confirmed that, so Lelouch continued "Shortly after the attack, I asked the Emperor why he hadn't bothered to visit his daughter in the hospital. You know what his response to that was? His response, and these are his exact words, were 'I have no use for that weakling'. That's the kind of man the Emperor is. He believes in 'survival of the fittest' that he won't bother to think of anyone that doesn't meet his standards, even his own children. You heard his speech during Clovis' funeral. The man spent barely anytime on his own son, and just talked about how 'all men are not created equal'. Because of those beliefs, he cares nothing for anyone who he considers weak, leaving a countless trail of victims in his wake. And those who don't go along with get tossed aside as well; that's why so many of the princes and princesses act in a similar matter. And because of this, the weak and powerless get trampled on with no regard. And this is what I'm fighting to change. I'm fighting for a world where no one is punished for being weak, that we're not segregated and divided based off who we are. That's what I'm getting out of this. Now the question I have for you is this: Are you still to fight with me so that I could create this world?"

"After a speech like that, of course. I'll also keep your identity a secret; I understand why you've kept it a secret"

"Thank you Ohgi. Any more questions?"

"Only one: Who is the green haired woman? What is she exactly?"

Lelouch smiled. "That one I won't answer now; I won't give up all my secrets in one night. I promise you though, I will give a proper explanation of what she is later on. I'll need her here so that it could be properly explained."

"Very well. I'll get the proper personnel ready for the Kyoto meeting." And with that, Ohgi left the room while Lelouch returned to pondering his problems, this time factoring in the new information.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The group met in the bombed out alleys of an abandoned town that once was known as Grinpa. The group had been named in the invitation of the so they had all expected to see each other. What came as a surprise was when Zero arrived pushing a veiled girl in a wheelchair. Seeing the confused faces in his fellow Black Knights, Zero said "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present K-2, who also goes by the name Kurohime."

"Really?" Tamaki said, in his usual big-mouthed way. "You expect us to believe that this Brit in a wheelchair is really K-2?"

Kurohime turned her head and faced Tamaki. "You must be P-2" she said with the clear voice they all recognized. "Nice to know that your voice matches your face."

While the others sniggered at Tamaki's expense, Ohgi approached Zero. "I'm surprised that you would bring someone …in this condition to a meeting of this importance."

Zero sighed. "Believe me, if it were up to me, she wouldn't be here."

"If it were up to you, I would be in an underground bunker, oblivious to the world" Kurohime said, looking up at her brother. "The invitation requested that I'd be here, in person, and it would be unwise to insult Kyoto with a non-presence during the first meeting. And if things go south…" she paused to gesture to the sleeves of her dress, which concealed a pair of kunai, "…I'll be prepared."

Suddenly, a tone went off on Zero's phone. He took it out his pocket, and looked at the message he had just received:

You were right, Kirihara is the Kyoto rep.

Let's see if you can convince him a second time!

M

P.S: If you want to get on his good side, recommend a good sushi joint, he's been craving some for a while. BTW, thanks for setting up the date with C.C. You've got to share your tips for convincing her!

"Hey Zero!" He heard Kallen call out. "The car is here, should we get in?"

"Yeah" Zero said, looking up from his phone. "Let's go"

Soon enough, they had all been seated in the car, moving towards the hideout of the Kyoto group. As the windows were blacked out, the discussion amongst the Black Knights turned to speculation about where they were being taken. "I bet we're going to the old amusement park in Urayasu" said Minami excitedly.

"Don't be ridiculous" Tamaki said. "It's probably an old shrine, where oni and ghosts reside."

"Calm down, you two" Ohgi said. "It's probably an underground bunker in the middle of nowhere."

However, Ohgi's words were proven false soon after as they felt the car stop and heard an elevator lift the car up. The doors unlocked and the Black Knights got out. Except for Zero, who had went to trunk to fetch Kurohime's wheelchair, all eyes were drawn to the large window, which gave a panoramic view of –

"Mt. Fuji! Holy crap, it's Mt. Fuji!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"The Fuji Mines! Wow, Kyoto's power extends this far!" Yoshida said, his voice also tinged with awe.

"It's beautiful" Kurohime said, moving her wheelchair so she could get a better view of the mystic mountain. She had heard of it from her brother and Suzaku, but nothing really compared to seeing it in person. Even with the mining equipment attached to its side, Mt. Fuji still stood tall and proud.

"It's disgusting" a new voice said from behind them. They turned to see a veiled figure behind a screen, speaking to them in a grizzled and bitter voice. "Mt. Fuji, a sacred mountain, once known for its clear water and quiet beauty, now bent to the will of the Empire; a place of hideous violation, a reflection of Japan has become."

Zero smiled under his mask, thankful that Mao hadn't lied to him. "I couldn't agree more…Taizo Kirihara."

The guards surrounding Kirihara swiftly pulled out their guns. "Anyone who can identify him must die! Especially those who are not Japanese!" one said, pointing his gun at the girl in the wheelchair.

"Enough!" Kirihara said. "Since you know my identity, it seems only fair that I know yours. Ohgi!"

"Yes?" Ohgi said.

"Take off Zero's mask!"

Ohgi moved towards Zero with apprehension, his hands timidly reaching out for the mask. Zero turned his head to his deputy commander and nodded, signaling his consent to take off the mask. Ohgi removed it to reveal a young Britannian male. Almost everyone in the room was shocked at the age and nationality of Britannia's most wanted; Kallen was equally as shocked, only at the fact that it was actually Lelouch under the mask and not C.C. Only the Kurohime and Ohgi remained unfazed. The guards began to aim the guns at Lelouch, but they faltered by the sound of their master's laughter.

"So, has the flower who has planted eight years ago finally blossomed?"

"It has Lord Kirihara" Lelouch said, bowing.

"I see. And the girl in the wheelchair back there –"

"Yes, that is who you think it is. However, her name is amongst this group is Kurohime."

"Yes. I'm surprised that you're having her involved in this conflict."

"My involvement was my choice, Kirihara-sama" Kurohime said, moving towards the veiled lord. "With the land being so hotly contested and injustices spreading rampantly, I could not sit by and do nothing. Zero, the Black Knights, and Japan need all the help they can get; and I intend to give all that I can give."

The old man chuckled. "I thought a flower was planted eight years ago, it now appears that two were planted. Ohgi! These two, Zero and Kurohime, are true enemies of Britannia and their identities must remain secret! I urge you to follow to follow these two; if you do, we will aid you generously with resources and intelligence."

"Arigato-gozimasu, Kirihara-sama" Lelouch said, coming out of his bow. As he began walking back to the car, he heard Kirihara ask "Are you intending to walk down the trail of blood?" Lelouch glanced back to see the old man look at him intently. "Intend to?" Zero responded. "I'm already on it."

And with that, the Black Knights prepared to leave, the meeting being an unequivocal success.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kallen looked around the darkened park, anxiously looking for Lelouch. She had tried to get him alone after they had been dropped off, but he had refused. Instead, she had gotten a text from him, saying that they needed to meet at the park by the opera house. The clouds threatened to release a downpour at any minute, but Kallen had too many questions to care about the weather. She was thinking about how to pose her questions when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey there Kallen" Lelouch said in what he hoped was a conversational tone.

"Don't 'Hey there Kallen' me Lelouch" Kallen said angrily. "What the hell is going on? Why are you revealing yourself to Ohgi and everyone else?"

"Interesting" Lelouch responded. "You don't seem to be the slightest concerned that I was Zero the entire time."

Kallen's eyes grew wide as the words registered. How had she messed up that much? And how was she going to explain –

"It's okay, Kallen" Lelouch said with a chuckle. "I know you time travelled."

Kallen could now feel heart her heart beating like a timpani. "H-How-"

"How did I figure it out? Well it started when Ohgi told me that you knew my identity. I knew that you didn't know who I was until later in the timeline, so that raised my suspicions. And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. You're piloting much better than when you were the last time this was going on. You seem to be much better prepared for the operations that we've been going on. And you've been much more defensive of me than you were in the previous timeline."

Kallen felt weak, and found a bench to sit on while she caught her breath. As her breath steadied, the reason why Lelouch was talking so calmly dawned on her. "L-Lelouch, d-did you also-"

"Yes, I also time traveled as well" Lelouch said, taking a seat next to Kallen. "If you don't mind me asking, when did you wake up?"

"I-I woke up during the Shinjuku battle. You?"

"I woke up at the same time. How much time had passed before you were transported?"

"It had been a day after you…you-"

"Interesting. Nunnally told me something similar. I was transported back right after I was stabbed."

With those words, memories of the Zero Requiem flooded Kallen's mind. Without warning, she suddenly stood up and slapped Lelouch as hard she could. "HOW COULD YOU?" she yelled.

"K-Kallen, I have no idea how we were transported back –" Lelouch said nervously, silently thankful that no one was in the park to witness this outburst.

"I'm not talking about time travel! I'm talking about the Zero Requiem!"

Lelouch sighed. He knew he would have had to explain himself to Kallen, but hadn't planned to do it this soon. "Look, the Zero Requiem was meant to bring the world together. In order to do that, it needed a villain."

"And it just had to be you, didn't it?"

"Of course it did! Even if I could find someone with the status to become emperor, who would want the role of the Demon Emperor? Who would be willing to have their name go down in history as the ultimate villain? "

"Fine. But why didn't you take me with you?"

Lelouch sighed. "Whoever was getting involved with the Zero Requiem was going never going to 'survive'. C.C would've gone back into hiding. Suzaku had to take up the mantle of Zero, and stay behind for the rest of his life. I would've been dead. The reason I didn't include you in the plans for the Zero Requiem is the same reason I told you that you have to live back in in the hangar: You have a life of your own. You have your mother, you have-"

"YOU WERE MY LIFE!"

An atmosphere of silence developed between them, both processing the words the other had said. Finally, Kallen spoke up, ready to open her heart.

"Lelouch, at first I didn't know what to think of you. Despite you never actually applying yourself, everyone kept going on about how smart you were. So, I thought you were just a spoiled orphan coasting through life. Then I found out you were Zero, and I didn't know what to think. At first, I thought you were just using us for your own selfish gains. But then I thought about Nunnally, and I realized you were doing all of this for her sake. And I thought 'Wouldn't I being doing the same thing for Naoto? Wouldn't Naoto have done the same thing for me?' And as I thought about you and your motives in depth, pulling back the masks and deceptions, I… I fell in love with you."

Lelouch got up off the bench, facing Kallen. "You know Kallen, you may be one of the few people who truly gets me. You know what it's like to hide behind a mask, what it is to hide your true feelings from the rest of the world. I…I'm not sure how I'd get on without you. The month that you were in captivity with Britannia was some the toughest times of my life. But yet, I still pushed you away. Not just because I wanted to keep you alive. It's also because everyone I love seems to either die or get destroyed. I didn't want to happen to you."

"And yet" Kallen said, remembering her despair the night she time-travelled as she pulled Lelouch into a soft embrace, "you wound up hurting me anyways."

Lelouch felt his heart beat harder than it ever had. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's okay" Kallen said, looking up at him. "Ever since I realized my feelings for you and read your letter, I've been hurting. But there is only one thing that could make this hurt less." And then, unable to convey her deepest feelings, she kissed him briefly but passionately, before putting her head on his chest.

Lelouch, his face completely red and his heart racing, began to return Kallen's embrace. "Well, I did promise someone that I'd make the girl I love the happiest girl in the world. So if you're happy with someone like me-"

The rest of his words were cut off as Kallen kissed him again, this time with all the passion and love she could muster. Lelouch finally let himself go and returned the kiss, and the two were in complete bliss. Rain began to fall from the sky, but the two couldn't care less. To anyone who would've passed by, they appeared to be exactly what they were: A young couple happily in love.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So Nunnally traveled back as well? And there's a guy running around who can read minds?"

"Yes to both of them. I'm glad that they're both on our side this time around. For very different reasons, I'd hate to fight them again."

Kallen giggled at Lelouch's statement as they approached the Ashford clubhouse. They were both soaking wet from the rain, but that didn't bother them in the slightest. The two were happier than they could ever remember. Now, they were going to see Nunnally so that they could bring her up to speed. Soon enough, they were at Lelouch's apartment. As Lelouch opened the door, he called out "Hey Nunna-"

"Lelouch!" Nunnally said loudly as they entered. "We have company."

And indeed they did, Lelouch thought as he noted the group sitting around the table. Nunnally was sitting in her usual spot, wearing a mask of calm cheerfulness. Milly sat next her, her face filled with anxiety and worry. Suzaku sat across the table with a similar disposition, though much better hidden. And at the head of the table across from Lelouch, her pink hair undone, her disguise consisting of a matching cardigan and skirt accompanied by wire-rim glasses, sat –

"Hello Lelouch" said Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of Britannia and Royal Viceroy of Area 11, said. "It's been a while."

And...I think I'll leave it here for now.

Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, I hope it was worth it. I'll try to get the next one out in a more timely manner.

Comments? Insidious Remarks? Leave a review!

See you guys at the next chapter!