In the darkness of the G1's unlit command center, Lelouch looked upon his second favorite sister with a cold stare. Still, Euphemia did not falter, her hand unwaveringly extended to both her beloved brother, Lelouch, and to the notorious Area 11 terrorist, Zero.
"To me," Lelouch finally spoke, turning to fully face Euphemia, "you are the worst kind of enemy I face. Hm." With a firm grasp, he took her extended hand in a handshake.
"You win."
"Eh?" Euphemia softly questioned, her mouth almost dropping open from sheer surprise. Was Zero – no, Lelouch – giving in that easily?
"Let's plan how we can make this Special Administrative Zone survive," Lelouch continued. Euphy's hesitant look widened into a full smile as her heart leapt with joy. They could be together again – all of them. Lelouch and Nunnally, reunited with her and Suzaku.
"Ah, but I don't intend to become your subordinate."
"Okay!" Euphy agreed, laughing quietly. "But you sure don't have any confidence in me."
"Hmm?" Lelouch intoned, looking back up in curiosity.
"Lelouch, you thought that I would shoot you if you threatened me?"
Lelouch, for his part, looked a little nervous at that. "A-ah, you're mistaken." He turned around. "No one is able to go against any order I give, if I'm serious about it."
"Shoot me. Relieve Suzaku from duty," he listed, only half-turned to the Third Princess of Britannia. "It's the same no matter what order."
"Geez, you keep cracking weird jokes," Euphy replied.
"It's the truth," Lelouch insisted. He almost turned to face Euphy, but stopped to stare at the large, deactivated main monitor of the G1's command center. "For example, if I say, 'kill the Japanese', it doesn't matter what you think. But I'd rather you not do that."
"Uh-huh," Euphy slowly nodded, a little uneasy at the conversation topic. Then again, Lelouch had seen his mother killed, his sister crippled, his place in the line of succession lost, and he and his sister's lives forfeited by being sent to Japan. It was not unusual, Euphy thought, for Lelouch to be somewhat more callous than he had been even as a child.
"At any rate, all I want you to do," Lelouch fully turned to face his half-sister again, "is to do your best to make the Special Administrative Zone a success." Euphemia's face went blank for a second, before her smile reappeared.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, somewhat stiffly. "I will do the best I can to make the Special Administrative Zone a success!"
The two had hashed out some minor details for the announcement for the next ten minutes, before exiting the G1. As they neared the red carpet, Euphy's face took on a look of horror.
"Suzaku!" she yelled, seeing her knight collapsed on the ground, along with a green-haired woman and her other bodyguards. As she ran to Suzaku, Lelouch hurried to C.C., who was also unconscious on the ground. Euphy cradled Suzaku's head in her lap as the honorary Britannian – no, Japanese – knight began to stir.
"Are you alright?" she quietly whispered, gently stroking his chin. Suzaku nodded carefully, unsure of what had caused him to collapse at all.
Beside them, Lelouch was helping C.C. rise to her feet in a similar fashion, holding her as she struggled to regain her balance.
"What happened?" he quietly asked, wanting to deter the unwelcome ears of the other bodyguards that were beginning to return to consciousness, as well as those of Euphy and Suzaku.
"Your Geass!" C.C. quickly exclaimed. Instinctively, Lelouch rose his gloved hand to cover his eye, but instead felt the contoured surface of his mask.
"What?"
C.C. led the two of them toward the awaiting Gawain, her eyes betraying her neutral expression with anxiety and… a hint of fear? Lelouch was unsure of how to react to C.C. showing fear.
"I felt your Geass spiral out of control." To this, Lelouch opened the left eye module on his mask, revealing to C.C. the red bird that covered his entire eye. C.C. nodded, a grave look on her face.
"What do I do about this?" Lelouch asked, his tone characteristically even, but belying his worried mind.
"Keep it covered for now," C.C. replied, looking around. "We can figure out a better solution after this. The most important thing is that you don't unintentionally Geass someone into something that you didn't intend them to do."
Was, even now, Euphy under a Geass? He felt his stomach churn as he realized that he could've possibly ordered her to throw away Suzaku – or even kill all the Japanese. He quickly stilled his slightly tremoring hand, breathing deeply as he analytically approached the situation. Euphy was acting normally, so none of his outlandish suggestions, which he had made in humor, been taken as an absolute command. Coupled with the precondition of being eye-to-eye with the target, there was only one command that could've taken place…
C.C. looked taken aback as Lelouch began to chuckle. Even Suzaku and Euphy turned to look at the odd sight of Zero chuckling good-heartedly.
"Very well, then all tasks at hand have been cleared. Euphemia!" Lelouch loudly exclaimed, causing the Britannian group beside them to face him. "Are you ready?"
Euphy beamed. "Yes."
Quickly taking the lead, Euphemia made her way toward the stage, followed closely by Suzaku on her right side and Lelouch on her left. Just the thought of Suzaku and Lelouch walking side by side, united in a common cause, made Euphy's naturally happy countenance shine even brighter, and as she came forward to the awaiting microphone, with the eyes of ten of thousands upon her in person and millions watching around the world, she couldn't help but smile.
She waited as the crowd's thunderous cheers died down to a reasonable silence, before taking a deep breath.
"I'm de-," Euphy stopped as she winced from the feedback. Nervously smiling as she played it off, a few chuckles echoed throughout the crowd but quickly fell silent once more. "I'm delighted that you are all here to see the creation of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan!" The crowd went wild at hearing their long-trampled nation's name. Euphy, gracious as she was, let the crowd go on for a few moments before continuing.
"Many of you are already registered to participate, and I am sure that there are millions more that want to see what this Zone is about and what it can do. As a Britannian royal, my words can only mean so much to you all, so here with me, I have someone the Japanese people have put their trust and faith into. Please, let us welcome Zero!"
If the crowd had cheered over hearing Japan being acknowledged by a Britannian, and a royal no less, they went ballistic seeing Zero shake Euphemia's hand and stand at the microphone in front of them. For many, they had admired Zero for his dedication to restoring Japan, and this was the first time most had seen him in person.
"Zero! Zero! Zero!" As Lelouch stood there, clothed and masked in the garb of Zero, he couldn't help but be awed by the sheer magnitude of the influence Zero had. Tens of thousands were openly cheering with wild abandon, and he could hear, from outside the stadium, hundreds of thousands more that cheered. And he was sure that across Japan, many more cheered for the name of Zero.
"People of Japan," Lelouch dramatically began, flaring out his arms, "I welcome you! For the last few months, our movement has grown and found success. Not all of you supported the tactics employed by the Black Knights, but we all supported the same goal – the restoration of Japan!"
Pausing slightly to take a breath, Lelouch continued. "However, our struggle was set to be a long and painful one. For every victory the Black Knights would achieve, we would only grow animosity towards ourselves and our goal. But now," Zero extended an arm, hand open, "we have a new path to that goal! Princess Euphemia may be a Britannian, but she is no less a kindred spirit to the cause then I am!"
At this, Euphy stifled a laugh, keeping her smile as best as possible. Of course she was no less a kindred spirit to the Japanese liberation movement than Lelouch, as two Britannian royals.
"Many of you have followed me to this juncture, and I am honored that you have done so, but from henceforth, follow Euphemia! She is a light in this dark world, but a light that shines as brightly as the sun! Let us commence the Special Administrative Zone of Japan!"
Stepping back, Lelouch imperceptibly sighed from behind his mask as the Japanese crowd went wild. Euphy smiled at 'Zero' as she came forward to the microphone.
This was it. The end of Zero. He was a symbol to the Japanese people, that their nation was not forgotten, was not weak, and would not be trampled upon without a fight, but now… Euphemia could be that symbol. She could be human where Zero could not. A relatable person with that could emphasize with the struggles of the Japanese.
Yes, Lelouch decided, as Euphy continued with some details about the Zone. It was time to finally hang up the mask.
Zero was dead.
But the Japanese were reborn.
TSUKABA – In the last quarter, the Special Administrative Zone has seen its population increase from seven-hundred forty-four thousand, eight-hundred fifty-one persons to two million, one-hundred twenty-two thousand, three-hundred forty-seven persons. As a result, the Zone has received six additional land grants from the Viceroyship of Area 11. The nominal gross domestic product of the Zone has been estimated to be roughly one-hundred fifteen billion pounds. Population growth has increased over the course of the quarter, and the Population Statistics Office expects a year-on-year population growth rate increase for Q1 FY2019 based on current trends.
- Q1 FY2018 Special Administrative Zone Condition Report
For immediate release
21 March 2018
TOKYO – Sub-Viceroy Euphemia's 'Special Administrative Zone of Japan', which was announced in September last year, has been a massive success for Area 11. Over two million Elevens, now known as Japanese, have moved into the SAZ, which has seen three size expansions in the last month alone. According to official reports, the immigration stream into the Zone has not lessened in the past month, but rather increased as the Special Administrative Zone has gained a reputation for being better than the existing Eleven districts in Area 11. Officials in the Zone tell us that they plan to revamp 'Japan's' political system to account for the rapidly increasing population. Due to the security improvements and economic gains from the creation of the Special Administrative Zone, other Areas are now looking at Sub-Viceroy Euphemia's model as a prototype for potential implementation.
- KT-TV News Report, 21 March 2018
PENDRAGON – BREAKING: The Royal Convention, convened on July 11th, has ended this afternoon. They have found the 98th Emperor of the Realm, Charles zi Britannia, to be legally dead after his two-month-long disappearance. In a surprising move, both Odysseus eu Britannia, the eldest child of the late emperor and the heir presumptive, and Guinevere de Britannia have abdicated his position in favor of their younger brother, Schneizel el Britannia, who was the Second Prince and Prime Minister of the Empire. In a press conference, when asked about the implication of leapfrogging his siblings and succeeding his father, Prince Schneizel remarked that, "We came to an agreement about the best path forward given our circumstances. After much deliberation, we found this to be the best option to continue the line of succession and broadcast to the world that the Britannia is still as strong as ever". His coronation has been set to take place on August 15th.
- Special Breaking News – Britannian News Network
10 August 2018
2027
"Concluding negotiations with the European Union, Emperor Schneizel has reclaimed the British Isles for the Empire in exchange for returning Spanish and French territories. This is a monumental achievement given the historical context…" The rest of the news report faded into the background as Lelouch tuned it out to hear what the person beside him was saying. They were standing in the kitchen of a rustic-style house, situated by a lake in the Ibaraki Prefecture of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.
"What was that?" Lelouch asked, putting down the tomato he was about to slice.
"I said, did you get the provolone?" Shirley asked, looking faux-angrily at her former Student Council vice-president. "You know she prefers that as the type of cheese."
"Yes, yes," Lelouch said, pulling out a block of provolone cheese. "I can't believe you still think I'm that incompetent when it comes to her."
"Well, hurry up! Everyone will be here sooner rather than later!"
"Alright, alright!"
The kitchen door that led to the outside garden swung open, revealing a happy-looking Kallen, still clad in her Special Zone Self-Defense Force uniform. She was carrying a small bag of groceries, which she put on the table.
"Ah, Kallen, perfect!" Shirley exclaimed, delighted to see one of her friends. "Here, wash your hands – we still need to make the salad." With a quick "alright" – in the same vein as Lelouch's, in fact – Kallen got to work. A few minutes passed before the sound of a motorcycle outside became apparent. Wiping his hands on his apron, Lelouch took it off, slung it over a chair, and headed to the front entrance of the house, where he saw Rivalz parking his trusty old bike, now boasting over ten years of reliable service. The passenger in the sidecar exited as Rivalz jumped off his seat, and together – but, as Lelouch noted, separately, as if they were friends – Rivalz Cardemonde and Milly Ashford walked up the stone path.
"Greetings, my friends," Lelouch dramatically said, extending his arms as if to encompass them both. "Welcome to my humble abode."
"Geez, Lelouch," Rivalz muttered, smiling. "Don't need to be so dramatic."
"You look cheerful today," Milly remarked. "It's a good look on you."
"What can I say?" Lelouch replied, still smiling. "Every day is a good day now."
"I'm just happy that you found your stride. I was afraid that you would stall out like you did at Ashford for a while."
Before Lelouch could reply, an official looking car pulled up by the curb. As it came to a stop, the passenger door by their side opened, revealing a beaming Euphy. From the other side, Suzaku exited, as did Nina Einstein. Lelouch looked at the three incoming people with a curious eye.
It was hardly surprising for Euphy and Suzaku to be arm in arm – after all, the two had been married for some years, though Lelouch could easily remember the controversy when Euphemia, who had just been recently reinstated as a Princess of the Empire by Schneizel, announced her engagement to Suzaku, a Japanese citizen. Still, they worked through all of the troubles together, and no one could deny the love they for each other.
Behind them, Nina walked up the steps to the front of the house. Hardly the shy little girl she was in the Student Council, the past ten years had done wonders for her in multiple ways as she blossomed into a confident woman. Lelouch remembered her issues with the Elevens she interacted with while she was attending Ashford, but that was ten years ago. Interactions with Japanese people had opened her mindset and made her more accepting of the different people she lived aside. Now, she was the Science Minister of the Special Administrative Zone.
"Lelouch!" Euphy yelled, rushing up the steps to hug her half-brother. Lelouch, for his part, just smiled as he reciprocated, looking up to meet Suzaku's eyes as the latter made his way to the door.
"Lelouch," Suzaku greeted warmly.
"Suzaku," Lelouch nodded back in return. "And Nina too. How have you been?"
"Work has been tough, but otherwise it's all been very rewarding," Nina replied.
"That's good. But please, come in. I can hardly have my guests standing out on the front porch for the entire day." He gestured for his five guests to enter, and they all walked into the foyer of the small house, where Sayoko was waiting to take their coats.
"In here!" Shirley yelled from the kitchen. "Sorry to ask you all, but I still need some help in here! I wouldn't have if Lelouch wasn't such a klutz with anything physical!" Lelouch winced at that as everyone else laughed and made their way toward the kitchen. He turned to look at Sayoko, who simply said, "they are on their way back." With a quick nod, Lelouch headed to the kitchen as well.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw everyone already sitting done at the dining table. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he smiled as he looked at his friends.
Shirley. The girl who once loved him. She had long moved past that crush with a boyfriend back home, and as a working professional in the Tokyo Settlement, she was fairly well off and happy with her place in the world.
Kallen. After the disbandment of the Black Knights in the aftermath of the Special Administrative Zone's creation, she had joined the new self-defense force that had formed, as did many of the Black Knights. Of course, none of them openly said that, but as it was, much of the Special Zone Self-Defense Force was built around the nucleus that Lelouch himself had created. For her part, Kallen enjoyed her job, considering it was close to why she had joined the Black Knights in the first place.
Rivalz and Milly. He still wasn't sure what was going on between them, as they seemed to constantly be moving between being close to a couple and being 'just friends'. Milly's career as a news anchor had taken off in the past few years as Euphy and Suzaku gave her good stories to report on, while Rivalz still worked as a bartender, albeit now at a much higher-class bar in the Settlement.
Nina. Lelouch wasn't ever that close to her in school, but he appreciated how the worst parts of her personality had mellowed out over the years, while the stronger parts, like her loyalty and dedication, only grew. She didn't have to use her friendship with Euphy to gain an advantage she tore apart the scientific community with novel ideas.
Suzaku and Euphy. The couple was virtually inseparable. While Suzaku was no longer Euphy's formal knight, he still accompanied her nearly everywhere. As commander of the Special Zone Self-Defense Forces, he at least had a good reason to. Euphy remained the Royal Sponsor of the Special Administrative Zone, and like the Royal Sponsors of the other SAZs that had popped up around the Britannian Empire over the last decade, she helped fund extra programs and create publicity for issues that needed to be fixed. Unlike many of her fellow Royal Sponsors, however, Euphy's popularity was still sky-high as she became an icon of the resurgent Japanese culture, state, and people. In a larger sense, Euphy became a symbol of the new Britannia under Schneizel's reign – a more benevolent, peaceful Britannia. Her ideology and ideas extended far beyond what any of them could've ever imagined, beyond reforms or even the words of an emperor.
Seeing the completed pizzas being placed down by Shirley beside the salad bowls reminded Lelouch of their imminent arrival.
The kitchen door swung open.
"Hello everyone," Nunnally said, her wheelchair carefully being maneuvered to not bump into the doorframe on its way in. Her eyes shone brightly as she took in the sight of her friends.
Nunnally. His beloved sister. The one for whom he commenced the Black Rebellion. He was beyond thrilled to find that, just weeks after Charles' death, she had been able to open her eyes and see again. Given her infirmity, she still lived with Lelouch, though he made sure to take her to see others and visit new places frequently so she could still experience the world she had been denied so long.
And behind her…
C.C. smiled at Lelouch, her hair flowing behind her as a gentle breeze blew into the room. With the light of the sun behind her, she looked like she was cloaked in its warm embrace, making her seem more divine.
C.C. The love of his life. Shortly after he had disbanded the Black Knights and joined the Special Administrative Zone, he and C.C. had gone around the world to obliterate the Geass Directorate, culminating in them killing Charles zi Britannia and V.V. After that, they had simply settled down together, tired of all the bloodshed they had to commit to achieve peace. He didn't know exactly when they had fallen in love, but at some point, they had, and now they were here together.
"Let me go check on him," she whispered in his ear as she moved past him. As Nunnally got settled in at the dining table, C.C. returned with a small bundle. Lowering the bundle to Lelouch, he gazed upon his son. Soft green fuzz covered the top of his head, and as he stretched and yawned, the boy opened his eyes to reveal his bright violet, the same shade as Lelouch's. She took a seat at the dining table by Lelouch, who cheerfully held his infant son. C.C. almost immediately grabbed a slice of pizza, eliciting a round of laughter from the others as she held the pizza by her mouth slightly confused.
"What?" C.C. innocently asked. "It's provolone." More laughter came from the assembled group of friends.
Yes, this was the life of the Lamperouge family. He, Lelouch Lamperouge, with his wife and son, lived in peace. In a world being changed for the better from within.
All achieved without blood.