...And welcome back everyone! Before we get started, a few simple things:

A/N: Barring all O.C, I own nothing

A/N 2: Thanks to everyone who went along with my April Fool's chapter. To make it up to you guys, I've included a deleted scene at the bottom of the chapter.

A/N 3: I actually considered writing this chapter in script form (i.e like a play), but I was halfway done with this when the idea occurred to me. I might to that for a later chapter however.

Alright, enough with the fluff! On with the story!

Chapter 10: Simple Conversations

There is only one reality – Haruki Murakami

You are right from your side, I am right from mine – Bob Dylan

The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place – Chinua Achebe

Negotiating has to do with persuading while making sure that the other side feels good about the outcome…The problem with win-lose negotiations is that the loser tries to get even. He may not get you today or tomorrow, but he'll get even at some point- John Capela

"What do you mean you sent us back?" Lelouch asked, his mind reeling in shock and confusion.

"Exactly that" the Geass Master replied. "I am the one who sent everyone back in time."

Whatever arguments had been previously taking place had been completely forgotten; all attention was focused on this strange man who seemed to appear out of nowhere. And that attention was saddled by a lot of questions. "How?" Suzaku asked, being the first one who managed to formulate the question in his mind.

"The same way that Lelouch is able to make the strongest will into a whimpering slave, Rollo freeze the fastest man in his tracks, and Mao learn the most clandestine man's secrets. Geass."

"But how?" Suzaku said. "Based on what I know, Geass is a primarily mental power. Anything Geass affects is based on how people think, behave, and perceive."

"You're right about that" the Geass Master replied. "However, your understanding of what that entails is… severely limited."

"Alright, so you sent us back" Nunnally said. "Why?"

"Why?" the Geass Master said, turning his head towards her. "Because I thought it would be amusing"

"Amusing?" Kallen said, stunned by the callousness of the answer. "You simply did this for a laugh? These are our lives you're dealing with!"

"Which I'm sure is all so very important to you. However, when you reach my age, you stop caring about what happens exactly to children like you all."

"Children?" C.C said. "I'm nearly 900 years old."

"Congratulations! That makes you less than half my age."

"Alright, so you've sent us back for a laugh" Lelouch said, refocusing the conversation in hopes of getting more answers. "Why are you making yourself known now?"

"Excellent, now we're getting somewhere." The Geass Master focused on Lelouch and took on an air of seriousness. "I'm here to keep to you on track for things to come."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, with the timeline being reset, other things have made their way into this world. Mainly, Ragnarok. Now, I know that most of you know what a serious issue it is. But judging by the argument that was raging when I walked in, you may have lost sight of that. So, I'm here to 'right the ship', so to speak."

"Wait" C.C said, her tone mixed with nervousness and curiosity, "Who are you? Why should we be listening to you?"

The Geass Master took a moment to consider this. "Pardon me" he said. "I don't believe I've introduced myself. For all intents and purposes, I am known as 'The Geass Master'. And you can say I am responsible for all of this."

"What do you mean?" Nunnally asked.

"Well, I was the one who brought Geass into this mortal realm. Every Geass User, as well as the Code users, can trace their gifts back to me."

"Wait, so you gave C.C her code?" Kallen asked, unable to keep the question in.

"No. C.C got her code from a nun who was once a whore; she got it from a madam who was a dancing girl, who got it from a lute player who was once a sergeant at arms, who got it from his general, who got it from me. Like I said, I've lived a long time."

"Wait, you gave this general his Geass and his Code?" Lelouch asked.

"No. You all know that every Geass user eventually loses control of their power, whatever it may be. What you don't know is that if a user with a runaway Geass lives long enough, the Geass will crystalize into a code on its own terms. But enough of these pointless questions" the Geass Master said, shifting the subject suddenly. "I didn't come here to discuss the ins and outs of Geasses. I'm here to talk about Ragnarok."

Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C all felt their faces drop in horror as those words were spoken. However, all Nunnally and Kallen felt was just confusion. "Ragnarok?" asked Nunnally. "What do you mean by Ragnarok?"

"Ah, you'll have to ask your big brother about that" Geass Master responded, rising out of his chair. "I'm just here to get you back on track to what needs to be done. How you get it done, I'll leave to your discretion."

"Wait" Lelouch said. "What would happen were we to…get off track again?"

"Well that would be unfortunate. But, if it is needed, what I'll be in touch. Granted, I won't need to come if such a thing happens. I'll just do this."

And with that, he snapped his fingers and pointed at C.C. All eyes turned towards her, and immediately noticed that her eyes had suddenly turned black. She then spoke with the Geass Master's voice, saying "A nifty way to keep tabs on all of you, don't you think?"

"Then why didn't you do this?" Nunnally asked.

"Simple" said the Geass Master. "I thought it would be best if you had a face to associate with my voice. And I figured you all could do with a shock."

And with that, he was gone.

"Wait! Where did he go?" Suzaku said, looking around the room.

"How did he leave?" Kallen asked.

"Probably the same way he came in" Lelouch said, recovering the quickest. "Look, we need to we to figure out the implications of all this."

"Before we get into that," Nunnally said, "What was this 'Ragnarok'" that the Geass of Master was talking about?"

Lelouch looked towards Suzaku and C.C, who looked at him. Sighing deeply, he briefly closed his eyes. This was going to be a difficult one to explain.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the Geass Master entered back into the Sword of Akasha, a slight snicker emanated behind him. Turning, he saw that the Dimension Supervisor was looking at him with a small smirk on her face.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing" she said. "Just admiring the ease with which you lie. Like that story about the code; we both know that lute player was only ever a lute player. For someone who cares so much about the precious characters, you mislead them with a surprising deftness. How long do you think it will take them to figure out that at least half of what you told them were lies?"

"What matter is it to you? It's no concern what the truth is, only what they think the truth is. And if you're so worried about them being misled, then you only have yourself to blame."
"What do you mean by that?"

"If you hadn't sent back Suzaku, there wouldn't have been a need for me to enter the fray."

"Enter the fray? The way you talk, you make it sound like you just walked into a war zone."

"With the amount of hostility that was flying around the room, it might as well have been. But never mind that. Why did you send back Suzaku?"

"Honestly?" the Dimension Master said. "It looked like fun. You've sent two people back and the gods sent a third, so I decided to get in on the action. And I knew that sending back another person would irk you greatly."

"Well, at least you managed to get one thing right. That did irk me greatly."

"And why was that? Because your precious drama got disrupted yet again?"

"No. I'm irked because with each person that gets sent back, we lose more control over the situation. And that greatly diminishes our power to act in the case that crisis happens."

The Geass Master has a point

Both the Geass Master and the Dimension Supervisor looked up. Apparently, the gods had decided to get involved with the conversation; and by the sound of their voices, it seemed they themselves were getting tired of the bickering.

The more men and women that are sent back, the more problems arise. They will inevitably have their own agendas, and these agendas will eventually clash; both with the others and with ours. At a certain point, all we can do is let the matter unfold as it will.

"Agreed" the two immortal beings said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ashford Academy always seemed to be busy in the afternoon. Even after the classes had ended, students seemed to buzz around the campus, be they attending clubs, studying, or just hanging out with their friends. As the weather was getting warmer and the semester was coming to an end, the campus had a strange air of laziness mixed with anxiety, as the students either were trying to enjoy the weather, or they were frantically worrying about the various exams and papers that were coming up upon them. This year, the air had an extra tinge of nervousness, as Area 11 was becoming increasingly wracked with conflict. Despite the administration, the student council, and the Empire all trying to assure everyone that there was nothing to worry about, many still felt worried and it made its way into the popular subconscious of Ashford Academy. It only manifested in small ways, like a nervously told joke or a reluctance to make plans. But these worries were below the surface today, for the sun was out after a series of particularly gloomy days. And with that came the student body of Ashford Academy trying to enjoy a positive day for a change.

It was this scene that Lelouch was looking over when he gazed out beyond the balcony upon which he stood. He had just come out of explaining the Ragnarok to Nunnally and Kallen, albeit a few details that he felt they didn't really need to know, or at the very least shouldn't know. Both had received it with silent shock; it was a lot to process, but with everything that the two had seen, both in this timeline and the previous one, Lelouch was confident that they would be able to move forward relatively quick. Lelouch himself was on this balcony trying to process some of the other things he had learned in the past few hours. The enigma that was the Geass Master was the one for troubling him the most. Whoever he was, it was clear that the Geass Master was a very old and very powerful. It was clear that he had a vested interest in seeing Ragnarok undone. It was also clear that despite his power, he was unable to do much about it; otherwise, he wouldn't have to Lelouch and company to break up the fight that had been about to break out. Whatever was happening, it was moving quickly, and he would need to prepare for several things that he had thought he wouldn't have to worry about for at least year now.

As he heard footsteps behind, he knew that the other development he hadn't prepared for would need to be dealt with now. Turning around, he saw Suzaku coming towards him. At least he's not looking to kill me this time he thought. Suzaku, doing his best to ignore Lelouch's gaze, walked to edge of the balcony and looked onto the scene that Lelouch had been gazing at. After a few seconds he said "I never really had a chance to appreciate how pretty Ashford Academy is."

"It really is a pleasant sight" Lelouch said, playing along with the line of conversation. He knew that Suzaku would get to the point of his visit soon enough.

"At first I was too nervous about my new surroundings to take it in" Suzaku continued. "Then I was too focused on the tasks that were at hand. But having been sent back in time, I've found myself appreciating things that I took for granted once."

"I know what you mean. I've been doing the same thing myself."

Suzaku was silent for several seconds, letting the breeze be the only sound between them, before sighing deeply and saying "I'm sorry for trying to kill you."

"I accept your apology" Lelouch said. He had decided to forgive Suzaku for trying to kill him; after all this wasn't the first time that he had tried to do so, and he had even succeeded at the very end of the previous timeline. In any case, Lelouch had always thought of Suzaku as one of the few true friends he had and felt that he could be a very good asset. As such, he had been doing as much as he good to avoid antagonizing him.

"What are you trying to do this timeline?" Suzaku asked.

"I'm doing what you had asked me to do: I'm trying to make my lies truths." And that in itself was true. The Black Knights this time around were focusing just as much on the various criminals and mob bosses as they were on the Britannian military. The Black Knights had now truly become a force for justice.

"Does that include the lies you told me about Euphie and her death?" Lelouch sighed at that question. Suzaku had always doubted Lelouch's version of the events at the SAZ, no matter how many times Lelouch had claimed that it had been his plan all along. He had never told the truth to Suzaku in the previous timeline, and he saw no reason to change that this time around.

"No. This time around, Euphie will to see the SAZ come to fruition."

"That still doesn't explain why you actually did it."

"Does it matter now? I realize that it was a mistake, and I don't plan to make it twice. I have every intention of letting you and Euphie ride off into the sunset, but I'm not the person you need to worry about. The Emperor is."

"I don't think that the Emperor will be able to complete Ragnarok so –"

"It's not just Ragnarok I'm talking about. I'm talking about possible actions at the SAZ. Do you remember my game against Schniezel in China?"

Suzaku struggled to pull up the memory as he adjusted to the sudden shift in the conversation. A lot was happening that night, so it was a little unclear. "Think back to right before Nina attack me" Lelouch prompted, at which point Suzaku remembered. "Schniezel had set himself for defeat by exposing his king" Suzaku said, "but you refused to take it."

"That was because of what it meant at the time" Lelouch said, and for the first time, Suzaku looked at Lelouch. His oldest friend and his greatest enemy had his eyes closed in a look of bitterness and regret. "It meant that it was the only victory I could achieve, and the only way I could achieve it was because it was offered to me. We now find ourselves in a similar situation; only now, the Black Knights and Japan are now in Schniezel's position, and the Emperor now finds himself in mine. Consider what type of man Charles zi Britannia is. This is a man who religiously espouses the creed and virtues of Social Darwinism, a man who begins funeral speeches with the phrase "All men are not created equal", a man who will happily cast aside his own children on the grounds that they are too weak to fit into his own twisted schemes. Do you really think he will happily take the king that was offered to him? Do you think he will be happy with a stalemate?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Whilst that conversation was going on, another was taking inside the Lamprouge's apartment. This one was between Kallen and Nunnally, who were coming to terms with the revelations of the Ragnarok project.

"You know, with everything that I've seen" Kallen said after a minute of silence, "I keep thinking that I won't be surprised by anything. And yet…"

"I know what you mean" Nunnally responded. "It has undeniably been a very weird time."

"What do you think of the explanation Lelouch and Suzaku gave us?" Kallen said.

"I believe they told us the truth"

"But…?"

"They're clearly holding onto something that they don't want us to know"

"Yeah, that sums up my thoughts on the matter" Kallen said with a sigh. Why is it that Lelouch makes things harder for me to do my job? she couldn't help but think. Lelouch was her charge, her commander, and her boyfriend. His protection was one of her highest priorities. So why was it that he had to make things so hard for her?

"I know that Lelouch is trying to protect us" Nunnally said, "but the fact that he thinks that the way to do that is keeping secrets is perhaps the most annoying thing him."

Kallen nodded in agreement, then caught on to a single word that Nunnally said "Protect? Lelouch is trying to protect me? He knows better than anyone that I can look after myself."

Nunnally smiled. "Trust me, I'm sure he does. But you have to understand something about Lelouch. We lost our mother at a very young age, and I myself have … my own vulnerabilities. On top of which, he managed to lose a lot of people he considered his friends in that past timeline, including yourself. Don't forget that you were captured at one point. As a result, Lelouch tends to feel very protective when he finds someone that he cares about. So when he's keeping secrets from you, me, Suzaku, or even C.C, that's just his way of trying to care for someone."

"I see…Wait, where is C.C?"

"She went off towards her room while Lelouch and Suzaku were explaining Ragnarok. I think the encounter with the Geass Master affected her worse than the rest of us."

"Well, she just got possessed by a man who claims to have vast power and was twice her age. Can you blame her?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Imperial Palace in Pendragon was everything that someone would assume it to be. The seat of the Britannian Emperors was vast and expansive, spanning nearly three times the size that Versailles was rumored to have been. The hallways were laden with a nearly obscene amount of art; it was the world's private largest collection of paintings and sculptures, their creators a veritable list of Britannia's finest. The throne room was said to be able to hold an audience of a thousand people; the Grand Ballroom could at least twice as many. Every room was designed to project a sense of power and control, that Britannia was stronger than any other nation now or in the past.

Yet the two conspirators, a man and a boy, did not meet in any room. They met in a small hallway, one of the ones that ran adjacent to one of the minor gardens. Both wore hooded cloaks to hide their identities. The man was disguised because if he was recognized it would draw unwanted attention to his plans. The boy was disguised because the larger world believed that he had been dead for over sixty years.

"How is the project progressing?" The man asked, his strict and authoritative voice being used as a fraction that people familiar with him would be used to.

"Slowly" the boy sighed, speaking with a voice that oozed calculation and danger. "The machine seems to keep being broken in various places. The machine has a sort of muscle memory that makes repairs somewhat easier, so we're trying to fix it, but it appears that we are moving at a far slower pace than we anticipated."

"I suppose it is to be expected in a matter like this" the man said. "We're are building a machine that the world has never seen before, and will never see again. It is only natural that the process would be subject to various snags and complications."

The boy agreed with a simple nod of his head. They walked in silence a little while longer when the man asked, "On the other matter in Area 11…Do you believe that you will be ready in time?"

"I believe that I am capable of pulling it off" the boy replied. "However, I do advise having troops on standby. Geass can be a very unpredictable power"

"Too true. Too true."

The pair then turned to another matter, continuing the conspiring that went on most of the night.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The curtain arose for the second act, where the young Sophie Faninal and her father await the arrival of the Rosenkaviler and his silver rose. While the two of them discussed the upcoming society wedding, Lelouch silently waited for a voice to speak through his earpiece, a voice that he never liked hearing. He honestly hoped that he and Kallen could attend something like this one of these free of anything involving the Black Knights. But this had been a last-minute affair (Kallen's stepmother had pawned the tickets off to them after her father had to go away for business suddenly), and with the time-frame he was operating on –

"Lulu, my dear" he heard Mao's voice say through the earpiece. "This is definitely on you. We could have very easily done this before or after the opera?"

Well, it's very hard to prove that two people are collaborating when the one of them never speaks. In any case, you've irritated me, so I figured this was a good way to punish you.

"Sticking me in with a crowd, not a bad effort. You should've tried a little harder though; practically everyone here is focused on either the music or the lyrics in some way or other, so it's not the unbearable cacophony you'd expect. Plus, I've now discovered how good opera is for tuning out thoughts. I've always used recordings of C.C, but this works as well. Why am I being punished anyways?"

You know why.

"Is it because I couldn't see the Geass Master coming? By the way, scary looking dude. I'm surprised you would get on his bad –"

Did you know about Suzaku?

"…"

Did you know?

"…I feel like there isn't a good answer to that question."

True enough. In any case, I didn't just ask you here just to torture you. Did you get the file?

"Yes, I did. Seeing how these are profiles of those dick-less clods who currently hold control over the Chinese Federation, I'm guessing you want me to spy on them."

Close. I want you to kill them.

"Huh, should've figured. You going to give me a reason why?"

You're my chief intelligence officer. And you can read my mind. So, you know what the current situation in China is at the moment, and you know what a problem it will become. Therefore, I am sending you over so that you could deal with the matter before it does. And before you considering objecting, know that I will cut off C.C from her pizza, and there will a mountain of evidence that implicates you as the culprit.

"No problem Z-man! I was actually halfway flattered that you'd assigned me to an assignment of this magnitude. When is my plane leaving?"

Tomorrow, at 0800.

"Lovely. Now if you'll excuse me, I see the current Minister of Agriculture nearby with his wife. Excuse me while I go and wreck his marriage."

As Mao walked up to a stuffy noble and told him that he looked better than he had at the brothel last week, Lelouch removed his earpiece. Just then, he felt Kallen clasp his hand and rest her head upon his shoulder. Returning his attention to the stage, he saw that the Sophie and Octavian had entered an aria of finding their true love. Soon, my love, he thought, holding her hand, we'll be able to enjoy moments like this without any dark clouds in the background.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Soon enough, the opera was over and the curtain fell. The audience gave the cast a standing ovation, and then proceeded to go their separate ways to their home. Soon enough, Lelouch had seen Kallen to her house and was now at his own house as well. Entering the apartments above the student council building, he was surprised to see Nunnally sitting at the table with her origami cranes, who had been clearly been waiting up for him. "Nunnally" he said, taking a seat next to her. "You should've gone to sleep by now."

"I know" Nunnally said with a sigh, "but we need to talk."

"About what?" Lelouch asked, picking up one of the paper birds and examining it before realizing it wasn't one of her usual cranes, but rather a disguised memo passed along from Jeremiah.

"About secrets" Nunnally responded, "and about the truth."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know anything about the Geass Master?"

"No. Trust me, if I had even heard of the Geass Master, I would've tried to plan for him."

"I believe you. But you're asking me to trust you. And why should I trust you when you won't tell me the truth."

"Nunnally, I've never lied to you-"

"That's not the same thing. I believe you've never lied to me…in this timeline anyways. But you're still not telling me the truth. The whole truth. I know you're still holding things back; there are still things you're not telling me."

"What do you mean?"

"I know that you're running missions behind my back. You seem to forget that I run the communications for the Black Knights. So, it strikes me as kind of funny when I watch the news and see that the Black Knights have conducted an operation that I have no memory of us conducting. It's not that the operations are anything major: a gangster here, a corrupt noble there. It's the fact that you're doing this behind my back that gets me. But none of that bothers me as much as the fact is that some of the other secrets that you've been keeping. I don't doubt anything you've told me about Mother's murder or Ragnarok, but I can't help but feel like you're holding something back; like there's something you're not telling me."

Lelouch sighed before responding. "I apologize for the Black Knights operations; I promise that I'll brief you in the morning. As for the other matters…you're right. There is something that I'm not telling you. But believe me, it's only for your protection."

Nunnally slammed her fist on the table, angry that this was again the line of reasoning her brother was taking yet again. "Dammit Lelouch! What is it going to take you to realize that I'm no longer the weak little girl that needs protecting? I may be stuck in this chair, but this time I can see! Which means that I'm starting how many lies you've weaved around me for my 'protection'. What makes you think that the truth won't protect me any better?"

Lelouch chose his next words very carefully; it was very rare that his sister was this angry. "Nunnally, I'm sorry that you feel that way. I promise you that I will be as open as I can be. But as for what I'm keeping secret about Mother's death and Ragnarok won't help you or protect you. I honestly wish that I could forget what I know myself. Nunnally, if you believe nothing else I say, believe this: I only want you to be as safe and as happy as possible. And what I'm not telling you will only bring hurt you in more ways than you could imagine."

Nunnally nodded her head in understanding. The answer hadn't sated her curiosity, but she saw the desperate honesty in her brother's eyes and felt there could be no other course but to accept it. She was about to add something else, when a long yawn escaped her mouth. Before she had a chance to protest, Lelouch was wheeling her to her room and helping her into bed. He was about to leave when Nunnally grabbed his arm. "Big Brother" Nunnally said, trying to fight off sleep for a few minutes longer.

"What is it Nunnally?"

"I know that you're doing …everything you can to protect me. But know that I'm doing everything I can to…protect you as well."

"That's nice, Nunnally –"

"I no longer …have dreams about…Mom. Now they're…about…you."

Nunnally felt her brother's hand tighten around hers. "What do you mean?"

"I now see…you…on the parade float…"

Nunnally struggled to finish the thought, but she didn't have to. Soon enough, Lelouch had taken Nunnally into a warm embrace, something that she hadn't felt in a while. "I know that you're worried. But don't you worry; I promise you this: Even though I may go away from time to time, I will always come home to you."

Nunnally didn't say anything; she didn't need to. All she had to do was return the hug, which told Lelouch that she believed him. As she was laid back down, she said "Promise…that you'll…debrief me…tomorrow?"

Lelouch gave a sly smile. "Of course. Provided that you debrief me on the operations that you've been running behind my back."

Nunnally smiled and replied "Fair…enough". Of course he would know about those, she thought before drifting off into the happiest sleep she had had in some time.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Please close the door behind you, Euphemia"

Euphie did as her sister asked, cautiously curious at her tone. It had been a day since Cornelia had arrived back to the Viceroy's palace, released two days ahead of the launch of the SAZ as a measure of good faith by Zero. Her return had been a tense atmosphere, with everyone either expecting the Second Princess to arrive either some horrific condition or on the back of a bomb laden suicide Knightmare. But Cornelia had come back early that morning in her Gloucester unscathed, albeit a bit shaken. Euphie hadn't been able to see her sister then, as she had been going through various health tests and debriefings. Now it looked like they were going to talk; and from her tone, Euphemia knew that it wasn't going to be overly positive. Given that, she decided to respond with a serious tone of her own.

"What can I do for you, Viceroy?"

Cornelia blinked at the formality in her sister's voice, but recovered. "I'm not sure which one of us is the Viceroy now, but we can work that out later. I've been going over everything that's happened since I was captured, and we need to talk?"

"It is about the Special Administration Zone?"

"No, it isn't. In fact, you've proven yourself a more than capable administrator. This is by far the smoothest Area 11 has ran since it was conquered. A Special Administration Zone isn't the solution I would've come up with, but given everything you've been dealing with, I can't fault your choice. No, this is about your knight."

Euphemia clenched her fists; she knew where this was going. "Is this about his combat skills? Because I can assure you-"

"No, it's not that. I watched him spar against the Knight of Three earlier, you picked a really good one. And the arguments that you gave against any political objection that Guilford or Darlton could muster have been very sound. No, you know what this about."

Euphemia said nothing, only looked down and clenched his fists even tighter. Cornelia only had to look at her to know that her sister understood what this conversation was about. "Euphie" she said, "you know what you have to do."

"No."

"No?"

"No, I don't have to bre…do that."

"You have to. Could you imagine what would happen if news of your relationship broke? There are rumors already flying about suggesting that …. there are indecent… motivations surrounding his appointment."

"That's absurd. When he was appointed-"

"That doesn't matter. When this breaks, the nobles and the public will settle into one narrative or another, and it will be impossible to change their minds."

"When?"

"Yes, When. People here gossip, no matter what their rank, position, or ethnicity. And you're no great master of subtlety. You're not as bad I feared, but you're nowhere near where you need to operate on the level that the Imperial politics operate on. It's best to break things off as soon before things go to far."

"Are you telling me this as my sister? Or as the Witch of Britannia, lapdog of the Emperor?"

Cornelia felt her own fists clenching. Most days, she could tolerate her nickname; today, it particularly stung. "I'm telling you this as your sister. And the reason I became 'The Witch' is also the same reason I'm telling you to break up with your Knight: because I'm your sister. You weren't in the room when Father banished Lelouch. You didn't hear how cold and unforgiving he sounded. You know why that was? It was because Lelouch had the audacity to go and challenge the Emperor's wishes. That's what happens to anyone who goes against him. And make no mistake; as long you are a member of the royal family, you will have to go with him."

"What if I was thinking about…removing myself from his influence?"

Cornelia stared at her sister for a few hard seconds before her eyes widened in realization. "No. No. You couldn't possibly be thinking about that."

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Euphie, please think about this seriously" Cornelia said pleadingly. "Do you remember the story of the Donquixote family?"

"The one about the nobles who gave up their title and were then torn to shreds by an angry mob? You really going to use Guinevere's worst bedtime story?"

"Look whatever our sister's…objectionable views on the lower classes are, the story still holds an important point: Nobility has often had a very antagonistic relationship with numbers and commoners. If you forsake your nobility, there is no guarantee that you would go into the general population and be safe."

"I'll have my knight with me"

"Would you really? I don't know what he tells you, but he could be using you to further on his own position within the government." Cornelia would've kept with this vein, but she then noticed the fury building in Euphemia's eyes. She then decided to shift tactics to avoid an outburst. "Look, let's say your knight does stick by you when you leave. But how well will your policies hold up when you're gone? I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure how long I can uphold things like the SAZ. In any case, it is very possible that I am called away to deal with a military issue somewhere in a different Area. As such, the Emperor would name a new Viceroy in my place; most likely one with a…traditional view on how nobility, commoners, and numbers interact. Whatever progress you've think you've made could be undone in an instant. Am I clear?"

Euphemia nodded, looking down at her lap. Cornelia could tell that her message had gotten through, but she could also tell that it wasn't easy to digest. "Look Euphie" she said in a mollifying tone, "I'm not telling you to do everything right now; I understand that this isn't what you want to hear. But as head of the li Britannia line and your sister, it's my duty to tell you this before this gets too out of hand and you get seriously hurt."

"Thank you for telling me. If you please excuse me, Madam Viceroy, I must attend to matters in preparation for the launch of the Special Administration Zone."

As Euphemia walked out of the door without a look behind her, Cornelia couldn't help but feel that her first conversation with her sister upon her return had resulted in her alienation. Is it any wonder we keep killing each other when we're so bad at talking to each other? she thought as she sank back into her chair.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The atmosphere around the launch of the Special Administration Zone was one of a cautious jubilation. Those in attendance were hopeful; hopeful that the program did it would it said it would do. The Japanese in attendance didn't want much. All they wanted was the ability their dignity as Japanese returned to them; to not be labelled as "Elevens" and treated as dogs. The SAZ was their opportunity for that, and many took to it with enthusiasm. This was certainly the best chance that would probably ever come in their lifetime.

One of the few Japanese attendees who was not enjoying this momentous occasion was Suzaku Kururugi. This wasn't because he disagreed with the event. It was because his liege and beloved, Euphemia li Britannia, was requesting to speak with Zero. Alone.

"Your Grace, I still don't think that this is a good idea" he said as they approached the meeting room.

"Your objection is noted" the Third Princess said in a somber and professional tone, avoiding her knight's eye.

"I'm personally fine with Suzaku attending this talk" Zero said.

"I appreciate that" Euphemia said, "but this needs to be done between Zero and myself. Alone."

Suzaku nodded and stopped at the door, letting the two of them in before closing it behind them. There's seems to be a distance between them Lelouch thought, noticing how the two of them were acting overly professional. But before he could dwell on it too much, Euphie said to him "Could you please take off your mask? I'd rather there be no more secrets between us."

Lelouch had to silently scoff at that statement. But he did comply, thankful that the contacts had come in just in time. He would avoid another massacre. No matter what.

He was brought back to the conversation at hand when Euphemia started talking. "Do you believe that this will solve anything?"

Lelouch looked at his half-sister, who seemed to be looking at her own reflection in the window. The last time they had done this, she had been full of a precious and naïve optimism. Now, her face was care-worn and nervous, anxious about the consequences of her choices. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"I've…been doing some thinking about this. About the whole situation here. Will this actually solve anything?"

"I'm not sure. No matter what solution is put forward, someone is going to disagree and try to undermine it. But the fact that you were willing to actually give this a try suggests that there may be hope for the future."

"But how long will I be allowed to do this? How long can I keep pushing against what is expected of the Crown before our Father has me moved and replaced by with someone with a more conservative mindset?"

Lelouch knew how to respond; he had faced a similar issue when he was Emperor of Britannia. "The way for you do that is by creating safeguards now. But not in a way that it makes a big fuss; if people catch onto what you're doing. Create special regulations. Allow the changes you've made to seep silently throughout the populace. That way, should you go, your successor would find it near impossible to go back to the way things had been before, forcing them to continue what you began."

Euphie closed her eyes briefly, chuckling sadly. When she opened them again, there were tears welling up. "That's the rub, isn't it? In order to make sure that justice is done, I have to stay here as the Third Princess, Envoy of the Crown. But if I do that, I can't follow my heart." She sighed before continuing, "I'm in love with my knight, Suzaku. I love him with my whole heart. Whatever future I try to envision, I can't help but see him there by my side. But if I stay here as a princess, I'll never be able to continue our relationship without one of us, if not both, getting hurt. But if I give up my title, there's no guarantee he'll follow me." She turned to Lelouch, her eyes barely holding back the tears. "Tell me Lelouch, what should I do?"

Lelouch thought long and hard about his answer; matters of the heart had never been his strong suit. Finally settling on an answer, he moved to tell it. However, he had only opened his mouth when he collapsed to one knee, held his head in his hands, and gave out a primal scream of pain. "Lelouch!" Euphemia yelled as Suzaku burst through the door, expecting the worst. As Lelouch moved his head upwards and let out another scream of pain, Suzaku caught a glimpse of his eyes. They were not their usual violet, but black like…

like when the Geass Master had possessed C.C.

...and I'll leave it there for now.

a/n: Quick note on Mao. Originally, I wanted him to have a larger part in the story, but I just couldn't fit him in. He'll be back, but don't expect to see him for a while.

a/n 2: Speaking of things not fitting into the story, I had conceived this scene a while back (like when the first chapters were being published). It unfortunately couldn't make it's way into the story proper, but I liked the idea well enough that I decided to write it out and share it with you all. Enjoy:

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"Good Evening, Princess" Zero said, walking into the room. He walked in wheeling a rolling cart, on top of which a phone had been placed.

"Good evening to you as well" Cornelia said, eying the phone with a mix of curiosity and confusion. She didn't ask him what it was for; she had a feeling that she would find out soon enough.

"As we were discussing the other night, I am very interested in the project titled 'Krozer'" Zero said, sitting down in the chair in front of the former Viceroy.

"If memory serves me correctly, I believe I told you that hell would freeze over before I told you anything about it."

"Why do you resist me on this, Cornelia? You've told me several pieces of information already, why hold out on this?"

"Maybe I thought it was too valuable to compromise" Cornelia said, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe I am tired of sharing the plans and workings of the Empire with you. Or maybe I've just decided to hold out on you, simply because I know that you want to know about it and this is the only satisfaction I can get whilst stuck in my cell here."

Zero only responded with a short sigh, and reached for the phone.

"Who are you calling?" Cornelia asked.

"You've forced my hand. I have no other choice" Zero said, dialing a number. He held the phone for a few seconds before saying "Yes it's me. She's not cooperating. Put her on." He then handed the phone to Cornelia. "Who is this?" she says, speaking into the phone.

"Nelly? Is that you?" a young voice responds.

"I am Cornelia li Britannia. Who is this?"

"Nelly, it's me Nunnally."

Cornelia felt herself go cold. "That can be."

"Nelly, it's me!"

"Tell me something only Nunnally would know. Tell me what we were doing on Founder's Day, the year before Empress Marianne died."

"It-It was a sunny day. Really warm outside. We were playing out in the garden of Aries Villa. Lelouch and Clovis were playing with a Frisbee, which nearly hit Euphie. That got you very mad, and you smacked Clovis because of it. Then you got us all lemon ices. They melted and got on our clothes, so Mother got very cross at you. But you told us that you didn't care, because the smiles on our faces were enough to brighten the darkest room."

"Nunna?" Cornelia said, the tears welling up in her eyes. "Nunna, is that really you?"

"Yes Nelly, it is."

"Nunna, where are you?"

"I-I don't know. Listen! You have to tell Zero what you know! If- If you don't… "
"What Nunnally? What's going to happen?"

"He-He sa-said…. Ze-Ze-Zero sa-said…"
"What? What did he say?"

Suddenly the line went dead. Turning towards the masked man, Cornelia saw that he had pushed down on the receiver. "What did you tell that poor girl?" she asked with a snarl, desperately trying to keep her anger and her fear at bay.

"Oh, nothing too terrible" Zero said, a smirk creeping through his voice. "I simply told her that if you didn't tell me what I needed to know, I would have to take a brother on a trip. A long trip. One from which he may not return."

"You bastard" Cornelia responded. "YOU BASTARD!" You think that I'm going to let you –"

"Ah" Zero interrupted, holding up a finger for silence. "If you really mean that, you'll tell me about Krozer. Because doing that will allow me to move on to the next stage of my plans. So, by all means, gnash your teeth and snarl till your throat runs dry. But keep in mind that I have two vi Britannians at the moment, which makes them somewhat expendable at the moment. You have a choice before you: Do you tell me about Krozer? Or does the poor girl in a wheelchair have to sit around and wonder when her big brother will return home?"

Sitting back, Zero looked at the Princess's face. She was desperately trying to keep up an angry face, but he could see the fear bleeding through. It would only be a matter of seconds before she broke and told him everything. Lelouch felt his grin widen underneath his mask. He would really have to thank Nunnally; her acting skills, and her deviousness, had increased exponentially over the course of the past few months.

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Now there are a few reasons why this didn't make the final cut; the primary one being that I couldn't figure out what I wanted "Krozer" to be about (it was originally going to something involving the SAZ, but I ditched that idea). Nevertheless, I liked the idea and it felt similar to what was going on in this chapter, so that's why I put it here (in addition to giving you guys something for putting up with the prank chapter last time).

Well, that's all I got for now. See you all at the next chapter!