What is this, a crossover episode?

C.C., the immortal Code

Imperial Capital Pendragon, Underground

One month, two weeks after Lelouch's accession

A familiar light welcomed her to a realm she frequently visited, nowadays more often than usual. In the same grim temple housing the massacre princess of Britannia, C.C. could discern the distinct rhythm of distant music in the air as she walked casually towards the only corner of C's world where a touch of humanity retained its marvel.

"~…And driving down the road I get a feeling- that I should have been home yesterday~… yesterday~…! Country roads…~ take me home~! To the place~ I belong~!" Not too far away, C.C. saw the source of the music and a pink figure dancing gracefully to the beat.

Her back was turned away from the entrance, letting the pair of stereo speakers blast apart her non-existent eardrums while she swayed her barely able body to the tune of the soothing song and sung along terribly, slurring half of the lyrics together. It wasn't until Euphemia did a swivel around and caught sight of C.C.'s presence that she suddenly dropped her embarrassing dance and furiously blushed a deep red.

"-AHH! C-C-C- Miss C.C.! Y-you spooked me there, jeez!" Hiding a devious smirk beneath her friendly smirk, the immortal only shook her head at the princess's childish behaviour.

"Girl… cringe."

"Oh, thank you very much for that opinion then!" Euphemia said as she cutely pouted. She tidied up her hairdo and straightened out a few wrinkles on her dress before turning back to the device playing her country song. "-Nelly, please pause. But add that song to my… let's say, third favourite list, thank you." And the volume immediately died down.

"Must be really lonely in here if you're naming your phones."

"It's so true! I can only play around with voice-controlled devices and watch tv, there isn't even internet here!"

"That tends to be the case in purgatory, be glad your mouth and eyes still work the way they used to."

"I mean… I guess." Euphemia moaned sadly, she let herself slump down over a plain mattress. Not that it mattered what material she laid on, the only things she seemed capable of interacting with were gadgets with audio input and the floor.

"It's not all that bad, you can watch all the movies and tv shows you want, see? I brought you the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy." C.C. stepped through the transparent ghost and plugged a disk drive into Euphemia's computer, the layer of dust coating her keyboard served as another cue to the pink-haired girl's disabilities.

"Thanks, truly lavishing in my life of indulgence, I am."

"Put up with it a bit longer, we're working on finding a way to bring a generator in here."

"But I don't wanna put up with being in here! I wanna… I want to…" Euphemia's temper tantrum was stopped as soon as she realized her jest hit too close to home.

"Euphemia… do the deceased deserve another chance at living?" C.C. splashed a dose of her cold dilemma on the souring mood, putting their false sense of happiness back into the toy box labelled optimism.

"I'm too biased of a person to ask that, aren't I?"

"You and me both, girl. But that's why it's something you should decide. As the saying goes; if there's a will…" The princess elegantly twirled to her feet; her previous playful spirit blown away by the seriousness of C.C.'s attitude.

"Even if I deserved death, I still want to live. Not for my sake… but for Suzaku. I know my life ended in disgrace and tragedy, I can tell from yours and his reluctance to speak of it. Therefore, if I must live with my tarnished name, then the world shall call me so. If I must tread to the depth of the abyss, I will do so if it means I can be there for him." Euphemia's expression hardened; the aura of an imperial princess returned.

"You believe in the miracle of love?"

"I do." She replied without missing a beat.

"Heh, then so will I. Love overcoming all obstacles is a trope for the ages, but then again, I've learned to appreciate a flair for the dramatic." C.C. exposed her exotic smile for the Emperor's dead sister. She pondered to herself the mystery behind the universe's sense of humour at twice letting her see someone else's dead lover.

"So… is there anything you can do?"

"I'm going away with Suzaku for a bit, you won't see us for about a week."

"Sounds fun. Where're you guys going?"

"Europe, there's a place where a lot of my old research is kept. We're thinking that maybe it'll help us further our understanding of your current state of being, as well as Suzaku's power. Hopefully, there's something that'll make you whole again, little miss." As her reply, a heartwarming smile landed over Euphemia's features and beamed a ray of joy into the grumpy immortal.

Maybe Suzaku's obsession over the princess wasn't so erroneous after all.

"…~Country roads…~ take me home~!"

Kallen Stadtfeld, Knight of Ten

Imperial Capital Pendragon, Knightmare development department

Two days after C.C. went on vacation

Kallen ran her fingers over the slick surface of the crimson Guren, her sight darted across the armoured giant, seeking spots of dirt or dust the mechanics missed during their inspection. When she found no marks of decay dirtying her treasured war machine, the satisfied soldier leapt off the shoulder of her Knightmare and nailed a five-metre drop with ease.

"Thank you again for coming by and testing out the modifications, Dame Kallen."

"No problem, Miss Cécile. Thank you and team Camelot for keeping her in top condition."

"We never got the chance to ask you. How do you rate the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements?"

"It's honestly an eleven out of ten, I absolutely love it." Kallen combed her hair hastily. Cécile saw her light brashness and smiled gently.

"I'm glad to be of service, it prides me to see the S.E.I.T.E.N. utilized by such a talented Devicer like yourself."

"Thanks, I mean it. You and Lloyd saved my life during the battle of Tokyo. Maybe not intentionally, but I wouldn't have made it out alive without the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N." It was a bit unfortunate the short-lived Flight-Enabled Guren never received the spotlight it deserved, although Kallen imagined its spirit lived on as its bulkier winged self.

"Well, thank God everything ended up working out. Otherwise, we'll be court-martialed for failing to prevent the enemy from requisitioning our prototype… I was really scared for a whole week… ahaha…" Cécile's mouth might be laughing, but her eyes were definitely shuddering at the horror of being locked away or worse.

"Oh man, that reminds me of when Lelouch first arrived in the Shinkirō, I saw you do a double-take and looking totally mortified. Don't feel too ashamed though, that's the least bad reaction I seen of someone who just realized Zero's identity." It wasn't an everyday occurrence to grasp the fact that the person asking for the Britannia throne was actually an intentional vigilante and an infamous military commander.

"Yeah, that was… an experience, for sure. I still sometimes jump out of my bed in the middle of the night, rushing to write down a new idea for an attachment to counter the Radiant Wave Surger or pierce the Absolute Defense Field."

"Right, I guess it isn't easy working behind a computer. Sorry for all the trouble we caused you before, must be hard letting go of past grudges." Kallen gravely remarked. After all, she used to be renowned for her hatred of Britannia.

"Please don't worry about it. We've done our fair share of harm to your people as well. In the end, it's the war at fault, not the soldiers." Cécile so slightly dipped her chin, a hint of regret lingered in her eyes.

"I agree, water under the bridge."

"Let bygones be bygones" The Knight of Ten and the Knightmare developer shared a knowing look, both parties concurred that no good could come from feuding over history.

"Anyway, for the Guren modification I tested out earlier, what was that about?" Hearing Kallen's inquiry, Cécile immediately lit up in excitement. She tapped around on her touchscreen tablet at an incredible speed before sharing the image of the Guren's blueprint with its pilot.

"We're trying to reduce the weight and size of the Radiant Surger to make it compatible with standard Knightmare handheld equipment, maybe design it so the right arm can transform between a default mode for regular usage and a Radiation Wave mode." True to her claim, Kallen examined a few slides of Guren's signature claw, each reducing in size.

"So like- you're trying to make it a Lancelot that's also red."

"Rather crude way of putting it, Dame Kallen, but not too far from the truth. Our goal is to eventually mass-produce the Guren's technology and make it available for all Britannian Knightmares."

"Ohhh, I'm not sure how much I'd like that. I won't feel so special if everybody is flying around one of these." Kallen half-seriously joked, her mild questioning frown told the scientist of her actual opinion.

"Standardization only serve to streamline the production cycle and increase unit output, I'm sure you'll be happy to have replacement gear ready to go on the battlefield." Kallen briefly recalled back to her midair upgrade from Type-two to Flight-Enabled, it wasn't a half-bad thrill ride.

"I see, that's fine, I guess. I'm not actually stopping you guys. You geeks have your fun with it." Receiving the Knight of Ten's approval, Cécile offered a quick bow of respect and gratitude. "Hold on, what's this… thing you're adding to the Guren's back?" Kallen scanned the blueprints again, noticing something new.

"Ah, yes. We're adding a retractable cape to it. It's purely cosmetic, but sometimes presentation can be just as important as capabilities, right?" Cécile playfully voiced her pitch and winked, revealing a more relaxed side of the young researcher.

"…That's pretty awesome, I'd appreciate that." Kallen just couldn't say no to a bold fashion statement like this one. "You seem to have your hands full with just the Guren, are you guys doing fine? If you need any additional manpower you can always let me know."

"Thanks for your kindness, Dame Kallen. Despite how it looks we aren't that busy these days, time of peace doesn't stimulate militaristic advances, after all. Although I could use Lloyd's help with the Gawain, I can't handle all the system configs by myself." Cécile's casual conversation with Kallen brought up two points of interest for the red-haired knight.

"Then where's the Earl of Pudding? I haven't seen that cheeky bastard ever since he tried to paint the Percival back to white."

"He went with the Avalon to Europe, saying stuff about a great opportunity to test out the new Long-Range Remote Access system… we don't even know what Suzaku is doing there, for God's sake!" Through their repeated interactions, Kallen viewed Cécile as a kind-hearted Rakshata that never was.

"Yeah, that tends to happen with him these days. Anyway, what's this about the Gawain? I'm a bit curious."

"Right, if you wanna follow me, I'll show you right now." Once Kallen nodded in consent, the blue-eyed scientist led her to the hangar next door.

At the same second the two floodlights blasted their radiance on the Knightmare front and centre secured in its harness, Kallen instantly felt enveloped by memories of the good days gone. The sight of the nostalgic Gawain reminded her of a Lelouch who was so beloved by the Black Knights of yore, a Suzaku who had yet to grow jaded and uncaring after Euphemia's death; and herself, who still held on so fondly to the dreams of Japan's former glory.

"…Gawain… but it's not really, is it?" However, just like her memories were cherry picked from the best moments in her life. The machine before her only resembled Zero's first aerial Knightmare.

"No. Emperor Lelouch ordered us to rebuild the Gawain with Shinkirō's armaments. So far, other than components both Knightmares share like the Druid System and Float Unit, we're able to fit the defense shield, the Slash Harkens on the fingers and the Hadron Cannons on the wrist. Things like the Fortress Mode is being worked on, but its main weapon, the Phase Transition beam is proving to be difficult to fit in… you don't really care, do you?" Kallen could swear she had never fallen asleep faster in her life than this.

"Sure, sure, definitely not a snore. So what is its actual name? Please name it something stupid… like the Ga-kirō… or the Shin-wain—"

"-I was thinking of calling it the Gawain Galatine, but I see you've completely elapsed me in intelligence, Kallen." Could it be anyone else other than Kallen's most obnoxiously lovable boyfriend, she didn't even have to guess.

"Oh, my- I mean, Your Majesty, welcome!"

"Miss Cécile, good day."

As the generous Emperor exchanged pleasantries with the beautiful developer, Kallen uninhibitedly dodged to the sidelines, keeping her conspicuous presence at an all-time low. Time and time again, Lelouch's calming gaze meant for Cécile would find its way into Kallen's sight just as she peeked over at the pair's discussion, causing either party to break away awkwardly and a tint of pink to grace the Devicer's cheeks.

God, it is me? Am I making this whole thing way more difficult than it has to be? I gotta think of some way to apologize… what to say, what to say! Thousands of ideas for an icebreaker zapped through her mind at the vision of Lelouch, almost all of them equally embarrassing and none of them enjoyable. The pair of king and knight had eluded each other ever since the first arrival of Marrybell, and that situation was as far from personal as possible.

"-…Kallen, do you have a bit?" Out of nowhere, Lelouch confronted his unprepared Q-1.

"Oh- Your Majesty, I- I was just…" Kallen spun herself around at sonic speed to answer Lelouch's beckon, fast enough to whip her nose with a loose strand of her own hair and brighten her already glowing blush.

"Kallen, we're the only ones here right now. I've sent Miss Cécile away." So he claimed, not like Kallen was in any state of mind to check the validity of their privacy.

"Right, so like… should we talk about that thing… you know, the thing?"

"We should… probably, we should."

Except they didn't speak, at all. Not for a whole minute when the two teenagers just remained uncomfortable under their skin.

"-Look, I—"

"-Listen—"

The cumbersome atmosphere was only worsened when Lelouch and Kallen clumsily tried to announce their feelings at the same time, sending both of them back to the starting line.

"You… can go ahead, ladies first."

"Right, okay…! I just wanna say- err… I'm really sorry for making everything so weird after that night in Tokyo. And- err… especially since I'm the one who engaged first- well, not engage but-! I just- you know what I mean! I shouldn't have gotten on your case for having done it with C.C. before me! That was really immature and I'm sorry!"

Kallen was one fluster away from a total mental shutdown as she spilt out all of her inner monologue in a single massive unorganized spew. From the smile hanging off Lelouch's lips and her own burning sensation of embarrassment, the panicking girl knew the colour of her face had been set to a hot red.

"Kallen… I've forgotten how adorable you can be sometimes." Following his comforting words, the gorgeous monarch leaned in for a hug.

Kallen allowed her one true love to pull her unsteady body closer for a homely embrace, feeling the connection of the flesh with her beloved king banished all the convoluted processes running in her head. Kallen couldn't help but be taken in by Lelouch's warmth, to be given a break from the entanglements of their emotion's complicated affairs. The sensation of loss almost immediately saddened her as Lelouch finally pulled free from the arms that warped around his shoulders and stared directly into her sapphire lens.

"I must also apologize for keeping the truth from you… Kallen. C.C. is a very important person in my life. Without her, there might not be the Black Knights, the UFN, and I'd never been able to meet you."

"I know… of course I know that. She's been there for you when I couldn't, she has done more for your cause than I ever could. Ace pilots are rare, sure; but the power of Geass is a once in a lifetime, right? And she really is beautiful, I don't fault anyone for wanting to be with her." Kallen briefly recalled her many confrontations with the witch in white over the years, the hints and clues were all there pointing directly at the truth.

"Kallen, I don't want you to think that way. You're just as essential to everything I am as C.C. Geass alone isn't enough to change the world order, without you there I wouldn't have accomplished anything."

"Right, obviously… I knew that too, I'm not questioning your feelings for me, it just… I dunno. Sometimes I go like- 'what do you mean Lelouch doesn't have time to go shopping with me?' and then I remember you're busy ruling over one-third of the world. I just need to get adjusted to it, and having a fight with you over who we- we had… sex with first isn't very adult-like."

"Again, I apologize for—"

"-No, no, stop that! It really isn't your fault at all! Your apology just makes me feel worse, I don't wanna be a shitty girlfriend with a shitty attitude. So why don't we just forget all about this awkward month we had and go back to being who we are normally, you know?" At that suggestion, Kallen smiled ecstatically for Lelouch.

"So, an Emperor and his knight at day who keeps their relationship private at night?"

"Something like that… yeah." Striking a fair balance between being his Empress or being his enemy, Kallen wasn't too bothered by the secrecy of their bond if it meant she could stay by Lelouch's side. "And don't let me stop you from pursuing C.C., I feel you deserve her for everything that's happened."

"Of course, I will- wait… sorry, come again?" For the first time in forever, Kallen was able to imprint the sight of Lelouch's disbelieving gawk with his lips apart in shock to her memory.

"I mean it, it's okay if you can't let her go. I've consulted a bunch with… well, mostly by myself and came to this decision mostly on my own. I love you, Lelouch, and I want you to be happy. I also like C.C. enough to not mind her company. So, I won't have any issues if you wanna find yourself a couple more wives or whatever… actually, please don't go wild like the last Emperor with over a hundred consorts… that'll make me uncomfortable…"

"Kallen… that's…" Through his open mouth, Lelouch squeezed out nothing more than the professional Devicer's name.

"Please, you know- make me your number one… person? As long as you value me, I won't cry about you fancying some other girl. Imperial privileges and all that, but if you ever officially marry someone… you know, me first." Without running her stream of consciousness by her logical brain, Kallen found it not even that difficult to divulge all of her deep dark desires; her furiously rosy cheeks notwithstanding.

"But I was- I planned on breaking it off with C.C… since I thought I knew how much you didn't appreciate it." There was a crisp layer of irony for Kallen to notice when Lelouch spoke his original intention. If she wasn't in such a rush to conclude the topic at hand, she could have bargained herself a far more lucrative deal than what she proposed.

"That's-! No, no! My mind is made up! It's fine, it's all fine for me! You should do what you want when it comes to… comes to romance and whatever, we'll make it work!"

"Oh… I see… I didn't take you for someone who is such… such a…"

"Such a cuckquean?"

"-No! Not at all, not at all what I meant! I'm just surprised by your willingness to… to be so open and progre— -I didn't expect that from you, Kallen."

"I guess… maybe I've hung out with Kaguya for too long. But let's stop questioning my willingness and openness and whatever, shall we? I think you deserve a lucky break after everything that's happened." Immediately, Lelouch sheepishly nodded, knowing further debate regarding Kallen's strange acceptance wouldn't earn him any goodwill.

"Of course, so then… what to do now?" Lelouch asked, quite a while later.

"You wanna… kiss and make up?"

"Or… we can always do more." That was a good suggestion if she ever heard one.

C.C., the immortal Code

Poland, Warsaw countryside

Three days since C.C. departed for Europe

"-Zero to Avalon, Zero to Avalon. Scheduled comms check, confirm." Suzaku spoke into earpiece as he kept both hands steady on the wheel of the Humvee.

"-Avalon, keep us on scanners at all times. Be ready to for my long-range acquisition signal, what's the ETA?"

While Suzaku continued talking boring military nonsense to the operator floating a couple of hundred kilometres away, C.C. was growing more and more agitated by those small disparities between her reminiscence of Poland's outskirts and the scenery flying by the windshield. Even if it had been almost twenty years since she last treaded a track across these wilted lands, for a certain period of her life Europe had been her home and she was nagged by her inability to remember.

I hated this place… this country… there's nothing but torment for me here.

"-C.C., we're entering uncharted lands. Take a look." Pulling the immortal away from her daydream, Suzaku slowed the jeep to a crawl as they came to a split on the untended roads.

"…Hold on, I know this place." When the memories of an abandoned life came back to her in flashes of recognition, C.C. laughed at herself inwardly for almost letting a grin slip away.

"That's good, where to?"

"Take a left here, go straight for about two klicks… and we should be there." Suzaku nodded and quickly drove onwards.

"I actually been here once, Europe, I mean." Entertained by The Knight of Zero's poor attempt at initiating a chit-chat, C.C. devilishly thought of ways to tease the unsuspecting young driver.

"Oh yeah? Do you mean the time when you and a Geassed Lelouch came here to help the Euro Britannia forces and instead got exposed and caught? I heard about that, funnily."

"…I don't know why I talk to you." In a short second, Suzaku transformed his neutral smile to an uncaring scowl which told C.C. she nailed a sensitive spot in the Japanese Devicer's heart.

"…Sorry, I guess all the stuff that happened hasn't been easy. You're doing a great job staying positive, I'll admit it. Euphemia will appreciate it once she comes back." Suzaku shot a glance her way before returning his focus on the path ahead, his wrinkled brow slowly mellowed out until the lukewarm frown was no more.

"I… I'm doing everything I can to be happy for Euphie, I want to welcome her back with a smile on my face. And I'm finding more good reasons to be happy, we came so far in understanding the World of C, understanding this Geass. But I'm just… so worried at the same time, failure is the scariest when you don't know the consequences."

C.C. ransacked her mind's dictionary but came up empty on words that could be used to comfort Suzaku. They both understand perfectly how impossible the task they had set out to achieve was. Betting everything on the last remnant of the Geass Order in their old European base for the hopes of finding a way to understand Suzaku's power and the nature of souls even C.C. couldn't decipher. However, Euphemia's old knight had grasped at straws for however long to finally find one with a ray of hope tied to the other end, even the witch herself was growing uneasy at the prospect of endless possibilities.

"It'll work, Suzaku. We'll revive your little girlfriend."

"I hope so, it is something I'm rather looking forward to."

— —

The muddy tracks paved over by nature's regrowth came to a rocky stop, the Humvee steadily crushed the fallen leaves of autumn under its heavy tires as Suzaku pulled the handbrake. After unbuckling her seatbelts, C.C. set foot onto the uneven terrain she used to visit often over a decade ago. The vastly greener landscape earned a musing sigh out of the former director to the Geass Cult, it wasn't a trip down memory lane she ever planned to visit.

"We should be close, it's somewhere around here."

"Then I'll leave the rest of the pathfinding to you." Suzaku slammed shut the door of their armoured vehicle, scaring a flock of birds to fly free from the dense forest surrounding them.

The two strode in reverent quietness, surveying the earth's wonders in minuscule details that neither of them had the time to appreciate until now. From the grassy moss spreading over the husk of a rusting abandoned car to the brief sightings of the wildlife flickering by as it disappeared into the lofty army of trees, they were almost tempted to forget the pretext of their trip and simply enjoy pure freedom from society.

"Hold on… I can hear voices, coming from our… ten O'clock." It was Suzaku who first broke the silence, his relaxed stance stiffened in preparation as his prepared to react to the slightest motion.

Distinguishing itself from the ambient chirps of the animals rustling about, there was a source of noises further up the path towards C.C.'s old residence. To her ears the sound of the strangers were joyous and carefree, all the sorrows of the real world filtered out by the laughter that echoed blissfully across the forest.

"Boy… calm down, they're just locals."

"You said this place is supposed to be uninhabited."

"Twenty years ago, maybe. I can't control where hippies want to make their home." C.C. commented, pretending to be nonchalant on the outside but discreetly annoyed on the inside by the burden of dealing with unrelated witnesses.

"You're right, let's go have a look. Make sure to cover your face."

Following the Knight of Zero's lead, C.C. draped her scarf up high around her necks, up to her nose and pulled over the hood of her hiking jacket. Suzaku modestly checked his sidearm concealed by the plain cloak hiding the holster and a humbler version of the Rounds uniform, whether it was humble enough to dissuade others from casting suspicion his way was another problem entirely.

Upon approach, C.C. saw a set of tracks not so ancient leading into a sizable open field dug out by horse-powered carriages and mobile homes dismounted from the pickup trucks parked nearby. Tents, tables, fireplaces and all other types of camping equipment were framed around the trailer, giving something as primitive as camping an air of modernism.

At last, two dozen people scattered about the site, their nationality or age just as diverse as their hairstyle and appearance. All of them garbed in exotic clothing picked from a wide variety of colours and fashion, bright enough to make C.C. reconsider her own simple dress code. The hustle and bustle of the campground exposed their expertise in escaping the confines of civilization, they might just be the biggest gang of wanderers the witch had yet to run into.

Nevertheless, the group of mavericks had a single similarity in common; the bright smiles so sparkling as to draw envy from anyone passing by.

"-Hey! Hey, you two!"

It was inevitable for someone to notice Suzaku and C.C. as they closed in since they made no attempts to conceal their arrival. A vibrant woman ran towards the pair, waving her arm to garner their attention. On closer inspection, the immortal noticed she was more of a girl than an adult. More importantly, the unnamed lass was of clear Japanese descent.

"What're you guys? Tourists? Hikers? Whacha doing out here in a place like this? We're really far from any settlements, you know?" As the girl bombarded Suzaku and C.C. with her endless curiosity, the brown-haired knight shared a look with the Code Bearer.

"Afraid they recognize your voice?" C.C. leaned in and whispered, bartering information via eye-contact was a trick she was only willing to test out with Lelouch.

"Yeah, I don't what any complications, not with these people." Suzaku confirmed her suspicion quickly and backed off, letting C.C. handle the situation.

"-Indeed, we're travellers. We're looking for a cave formation somewhere around here, have any of your people seen it?" The undying witch spoke in a tone unbefitting her alluring personality, but it was necessary to stay covert and stash away her true character.

"A cave? I think so…? I gotta go ask someone else though, we're kinda busy preparing dinner right now. Why don't you guys join us?! It's been so long since we met anyone new!" Ahead of her invitation, the enthusiastic girl was already eagerly tugging on C.C.'s sleeves to pull her along.

"Wait- wait! We really shouldn't- we're in a bit of a hurry." C.C. tried her best to withdraw her arm, but the young teen of unexpected strength was steadfast about dragging her along.

"C'mon! It's no big deal! Night is closing in soon and we've a big dinner on the stove, don't feel obliged in the slightest!"

Jumbled hints and ideas raced through her nerves to form a line of coherent thought, C.C. couldn't determine to what degree was the friendliness offered to her by the stranger genuine. The potential probability of their true objective in the EU being uncovered was nigh impossible, for not even Lelouch was privy to their goals beyond a board explanation of helping understand Suzaku's Geass. Although she always had a nagging doubt in the back of her head, he knew more than he let on.

"Suzaku…?" In her quietest voice, C.C. leaned away from the hand seized by the amicable hippie and muttered to the knight tagging closely behind.

"Is it possible your cult survivors know we're coming?"

"…No, they're all dead." It wasn't with one hundred percent assurance that C.C. mumbled back, but she was fairly certain the Geass Order's eradication wasn't just a setback.

"Then it's most likely a coincidence, we'll scan the area and see what they're up to."

"You mean you will, I myself am getting hungry, and I can smell the aroma of cheese." Suzaku replied nothing, C.C. shook her head at his constantly distraught attitude sapping all the fun out of her teases.

"Just don't get compromised, I don't want it to get complicated."

"You said that already." Again, Suzaku's expression behind his scarf was only a mild annoyance.

Lead by the young miss into the crowd filled with songs and dances, it became obvious C.C. was dealing with a group of happy-go-lucky gypsies. Mixed amongst the occupied younglings were a bunch of older women parading their distinct ancestry and behaviour, the undying witch humoured a notion of herself growing older and wiser through the passage of time but quickly exiled the ludicrous concept.

"Have you two decided to stay? At least hang out for the night?" As the black-haired Japanese led the pair through a sea of unfamiliar faces, she slowed her stride and asked C.C. another friendly question.

"I'll be easier to persuade if I'm not kept on a leash, I'm certain." C.C. said to the unfamiliar girl still clutching to her wrist.

"Oh- right, my B. So, what do you think about our camp? We've been at this lifestyle for quite a while now, hopefully it's not the worst campsite you've seen?"

"It is certainly… unique. I've never met a real gypsies in my life, so do consider us intrigued." Visible happiness blossomed over the young one's features, it was so natural and pure C.C. felt the tingle of the heart just for doubting her sincerity. "What's your name, girl?"

"You can call me Ayano." The young Japanese held the frill of her two-piece dress and performed a cute twirl to her own delight, her admirable body and proportions did remind C.C. of a redhead comparable to her in beauty. "What about you and your companion, Miss?"

"I'm C… -Celery, and he is… Suez. Sorry for his aloofness, he doesn't do the whole 'socialize' thing too much." Off the top of her head, C.C. came up with the most outrageous alias for herself and Suzaku. The result of her improvisation was immediately apparent in the form of a peculiar gaze from their tour guide.

"So… you're a vegetable and he's a canal… that's pretty awesome, I gotta tell ya! Nice to meet you both! And I totally understand, mister, no hard feelings." Once her deception was proven effective on Ayano, Suzaku relaxed his riled stare and only shook his head at C.C. subtly. "Anyway, anything else you wanna ask me?"

"Tell me, what exactly is it you people do?"

"We're kinda a group of travelling merchants, personally I'm not too hot on the whole 'gypsy' thing, but don't tell the grannies that."

"Merchants? And what ware do you sell?"

"Oh, you know. Just about anything, we travel the lands, trading with anyone interested. But you're not here to get swindled tonight, are you? Just make yourselves comfortable and we'll have dinner ready shortly! …And then get swindled later, please." While Ayano was explaining the finer details of her team of rovers to the pair, Suzaku was probably deliberating on the tactical layout of their atmospheric environment looking as serious as he was.

"-Ayano! We're just about all ready to go! Bring the guests over and let's get at it!" Somewhere close to the long row of tables pampered in delicious cuisine, an alien voice called the name of their usher.

"Alright! Shall we head over to where the hot food awaits? We do have a tasty lineup tonight!" Gleefully, the carefree girl led C.C. and Suzaku over to the buffet where dozens more of her people were already digging in.

"-Oi, oi, Ayano! Have you seen Leila anywhere!?" Out of the bustling mob of dwellers on the move, a tall and sturdy young Japanese man with a natural slicked back cut pushed his way through the tide of masses. "I'm trying to find her but she's nowhere!" Very loudly, he yelled.

"Dude, you wanna blast my eardrums any harder!? Freaking Christ, Ryo! And I don't have a clue where she's at, she probably disappeared to mediate again."

"Then maybe you can help me. Her goddamn cat keeps running off whenever I try to feed them!"

"Man, you sure are useless for anything that requires even a touch of delicacy. Fine, you left the cat food at the usual place?"

"Yeah, yeah! You're the best, girl!" Just when the brawny jock was about to dart off elsewhere, he spun around and speedily shook hands with the two guests unprepared for physical contact. "-Welcome to our camp! I'm Ryo, I'll see you two around, strangers!" Left in the dust of a speeding young adult, C.C. mulled over what the normal reaction to receiving an impudent welcome should be.

"Well, so that's a thing I gotta do now. Don't let my absence stop you two from enjoying yourselves! Eat as much as you like, we have more stock ready to cook! Come find me if you need anything; or anyone else, really, we're all glad to help!" Thus, the cheerful Japanese left the two Britannian agents to their own device, herself running off and vanishing in the commotion.

"That was… unexpected, these people are here… just to be here…" Once Suzaku closed the gap, he murmured the conclusion to his observation to C.C.

"And there's nothing wrong with that, why don't we also take a moment to relax?"

"I suppose there's no harm… just don't let your guard down." Suzaku, cautious as he was known to be, warned C.C. to stand prepared, but by that time she was already chewing on the bones of a chicken leg with her face exposed.

"Boy, do I ever?"

C.C. always prided herself with her refined taste in gourmet dishes, even if most of anything that was privileged enough to touch her tongue was only passable in comparison to the wonders of pizza. The very same Italian baked goods that got her mouth-watering was only minutes away from coming out of the huge mobile oven on one of the wagons, the chef in charge stoking the fire and measuring its temperature.

"I do hope that girl will actually ask around for the base's entrance. I don't want to waste too much time here." Suzaku yanked C.C.'s delightful anticipation away from her pizza with his dismal statement.

"Suzaku… and you wonder why nobody invites you to hang out in the gaming room." Grudgingly affected by his dingy mood, C.C. deadpanned a dejected slander his way.

"I know, I know… I just can't help myself from being so anxious. You understand my feelings."

"I do, but try to loosen up a bit more. You're not doing yourself a favour by being such a worrywart all the time. Think of it this way; what'd Euphemia say if you told her you were miserable and uneasy the entire time you went on vacation?" One big bite of the roasted pork on her plate later, C.C. consulted the nervous knight.

"…I guess you're right, I need to stop being so apprehensive. It's all gonna work out, I believe it will." Suzaku said unconvinced. C.C could attest to his best effort of calming down his nerves, knowing it wasn't a manageable endeavour for someone so used to being on the edge.

"That's all the better. Here, for you." After a refreshing wheeze, The Knight of Zero was comfortable enough to accept a cup of soda from C.C.

Suzaku slackened the dark scarf buckled over his mouth down to his neck and took a sip of the carbonated sweet drinks, his attention was at long last not so obsessed over uncovering a fragment of the Geass Order's legacy. For the next couple of minutes that the two shared in rowdy tranquillity, C.C. finally was able to enjoy the pleasure of a hot meal mixed with the excitement of more slices to come.

"-Excuse me, just trying to reach past you here."

That was until an anonymous figure caught the duo's attention. The newcomer was another Japanese teen in his early twenties, he had a head of deep blue with an ultra-thin braided ponytail dangling behind him and eyes a tinge brighter than his hair. It was definitely unusual for so many individuals from the land of the rising sun to be gathered in one place, C.C. speculated whether if she should be bothered by such a fluke.

"Oh, I'll grab it for you. What do you want?" Suzaku quickly set aside his drink and fished for a clean cup on the self-serving bar behind him.

"Thanks, I'll take an iced tea."

"Sure." Half a dozen seconds of pressing the button on the water tank later, Suzaku had filled the plastic cup and was about to give it over to the unnamed man.

It was in that very moment the two young adults met their gaze for the first time, both of their hands frozen in the motion of passing a drink from one to the other. It became abundantly obvious the hidden danger of Suzaku and C.C.'s sidetrack was boiling over to the surface judging by how quickly the cheerful mien of the blue-haired host soured to an utterly disbelieving scowl.

"You are… Kururugi Suzaku…!"

"…" Suzaku replied nothing and his expression altered none, but his thought already jumped miles ahead of his actions.

"…Goddamn it, you bastards just had to do this…" C.C. cursed under her breath, taking one bite of her food before the stares from the circle of bystanders made it too inappropriate to finish her supper.

Despite the sudden spike in hostility surrounding her, despite the two soldiers standing metres away taking a combat stance with their sidearms drawn, despite the shouts and screams rippling Suzaku's identity like a grenade being dropped in a fishbowl; there was only one thing C.C. completely understood in the conditions she was enduring, she wasn't getting to eat the pizza on that unfortunate night.

— —

Author's note

I hope it's not too boring reading a sidequest in a mostly Lelouch/Kallen fic, although I wanna say her character is pretty well developed at this point, and her screentime won't be as prominent as before. I also said my defense of Suzaku's character and whatnot, so if you don't enjoy where the story is going, I do apologize, but then again it is something I'd like to do.

The plot is a bit wonky with how C.C. and Suzaku just so happened to run into the gypies, but you know… you know. *dabs*

To reply to some reviews: I think everyone can agree that the red ring of a Geass victim is a visual aid and the Geass sigil of the Geass user is visible, just so we're in the clear.

Replying to islamy96's chapter eight review just kinda bashing me: I didn't say anything last time since I didn't think you'd stick around, but since you did I'll reply properly. Your first couple of points aren't wrong, I did say I'mma jump the shit out of the shark with the Euphie plot, so can't say I didn't warn you. And you're kinda right? I won't call it forced drama, because I personally think what happened is pretty nature? Kinda? Authors are normally terrible at critique their own work, and I'm the same, so if you can expand on what you think is bad about the story, that'll help me a lot, thanks. Although I can't agree with how you said the narration calling Marrybell a 'queen' equals sedition, that's just a non-objective description of her title, or whatever it's called in writing.

Replying to EVA-Saiyajin's review talking about how I made Kallen too dumb: I hate seeming like I'm constantly playing defense for myself, but I actually try not to write Kallen like an idiot and more inline with her canonical self when it comes to her personality. I think she acts around what you'd expect from a teenager in love, stumbles a bit when talking to her crush and makes it a little awkward. Her IQ is high, absolutely. The show presents that she's getting high marks in school without attending and an ace pilot out of the box, but emotionally she's always been pretty fiery. If you can point out parts where I mischaracterize her personality, for sure I'll go back and fix it.

So yeah, I'm always accepting of criticism as long as it makes sense. Since personally I rate my own story 6969/10 so it's obvious that it's perfect and flawless and literally should be canon and I'm definitely not a hack.