"Why must I go?" C.C. pouted as Lelouch handed her a folded slip of paper.

"You know I can't risk leaving here. If I'm caught, the consequences will be too great. Besides, even if I somehow managed to get past their security while remaining anonymous, who do you think Suzaku would most likely listen to? A mysterious farmer who refuses to reveal his identity, or someone he knows?"

That didn't seem to make C.C. any happier about her task, but she remained silent.

"Besides, it's not like I'm sending you without any provisions," Lelouch said as he reached for a folded bundle. He handed this to C.C. as well. She looked puzzled at first, but when she felt the warmth and smelt the pleasant aroma emanating from the bundle, she could guess what it was. She unwrapped it slightly, and sure enough, there was another homemade pizza. Suddenly, a trivial but prudent thought occurred to her. "How am I supposed to get there exactly? We don't even know where we are let alone them."

Lelouch simply smiled. "Don't worry, I've planned that out as well," he said, beckoning her to follow him. One of the first things he had done when he found himself in their little world of seclusion was to construct a crude astrolabe to get a rough idea of where they were. He knew it was rather pointless, and he had decided against telling C.C., but lo and behold, the information was now becoming useful. As it turned out, they were much closer to the Tokyo settlement than he had thought. He stopped by the small river near their home, where he had constructed a simple raft. "Just let the current take you downstream until you reach the end of the river. From there, it's only a short walk to the settlement. You should be able to see some of the buildings by the time you get that far so don't worry about direction. When you're done, just follow the river back upstream."

C.C. simply sighed. She could see his mind was made up, and there was no convincing him otherwise. They said their farewells, and she was off.

…..

Zero flew low over the treetops, nearly skimming the peaks of several of the taller ones. Inside the cockpit, Suzaku glanced at the readouts from beneath his helmet. Earlier that morning, he had commandeered a Sutherland equipped with a float system and was now flying towards his destination. He had wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible. His mind raced, struggling to comprehend who would contact him through C.C. and why. Thousands of scenarios played out in his head, but none of them made enough sense. Could it be a new accomplice of hers? Or perhaps remnants of the Black Knights were going to attempt something and sought Zero's leadership to aid them. He sighed and refocused himself on flying. He would get his answers soon enough, he hoped.

The Day Before

"Master Zero, there's a girl here to see you. She says she knows you and that it's important."

Suzaku thought for a second, wondering who it could be, then consented. "Very well, send her in." The last person he expected was C.C. She walked into his office, presented him with a folded piece of paper in a seemingly annoyed manner, and then left before he could so much as speak. It took him several seconds to recover. Once he did, he unfolded the note and read it:

Zero:

Latitude 36N. Longitude 138E. 0600 Hours. Tomorrow. Come alone.

Consulting his instruments again, Suzaku saw he was nearing his destination. He found a suitable clearing a few miles away, landed the Sutherland, and got out. He walked for the remainder of his journey, relying on his handheld GPS for guidance. However, what he came upon was nowhere near what he had expected. He saw a figure dressed head to toe in long, white robes and a large wide-brimmed straw hat. Its back was turned to him, as it was apparently preoccupied with skipping stones across the river it was standing in front of.

"So, you came," Lelouch said, trying his best to disguise his voice. Apparently, it worked, as Suzaku made no immediate reaction to suggest otherwise. He began walking upstream and beckoned Zero to follow him. Seeing little point in doing anything else, he obeyed. They walked on in silence for what seemed like an eternity, until finally, the mysterious man – at least, Suzaku assumed it was a man since it had a male voice – halted by a small pond. Again, he addressed Suzaku without turning around.

"You and I are much alike, Zero. We both conceal our true identities because they are those of dead men." That worried Suzaku and confused him even more. This man knew who he was? At the very least, he was glad the man couldn't see his face, as it was now painted with a mixture of confusion, fear, and inquisitiveness. Finally turning to face him, the man continued. "We are both cursed to live out are lives though we yearn for the comfort and penance of death." That sent Suzaku's mind spinning. He couldn't even register what the man had just said. However, as it turned out, he didn't need to.

Lelouch raised his head so Suzaku could see only his eyes. Then, after looking back and forth a few times to make absolutely certain no one else was around, he removed his hat and the cloth covering his face.

"Lelouch?!!" Suzaku was stunned. It had to be an illusion. He removed his mask so he could look upon what appeared to be his old friend with his own eyes. It was him alright. Suzaku sank to his knees and then fell over into a seated position in pure, utter shock. Lelouch smiled, sat next to him, and began to explain everything, as he saw it would be quite awhile before Suzaku would remember that he had vocal cords. He explained how he had inadvertently acquired his father's code, leading to the failure of the Zero Requiem. Then he described how he had been living with C.C. in their closed-off world, and how he was happier than ever before. A more solemn look coming upon his face, he finished by describing his dream to Suzaku, and how he wasn't content to keep living like this. He desired to pay for his sins, avenge those he had killed, and he begged Suzaku to help him find away.

Suzaku could barely comprehend it all, and his mind was reeling even more than it had been earlier. Somehow, though, he managed to find his voice. He still wasn't thinking entirely straight, so he said the only thing that he could blurt out. "Trade places with me. Become Zero once more. Now that the world is at peace, you won't have to command troops or send people to their deaths. Instead you'd command political discussions. Besides, I can't imitate you as Zero at all. Everyone had noticed how far more lethargic and less passionate the new Zero is. I can't keep up the charade much longer." Lelouch took all this in. He had never even considered such a path. He had abandoned the mask long ago, as it only brought death and destruction in its wake. Yet what Suzaku had said was intriguing nonetheless. Zero as a political figure rather than a destroyer of worlds…

Seeing Lelouch lost in thought, Suzaku decided to throw in one last argument to seal the deal, one he knew Lelouch couldn't resist. "Nunally has been so distraught since your supposed death. She can barely keep herself together while she's on camera. And in private, she weeps more often than not. Over you, Lelouch. And on top of everything, she's been shoved into a position of political power, even though everyone knows she's not cut out for it. The people are confident that under her rule, the world will splinter once more within a matter of years. She needs your advice Lelouch; she needs you. Go to her."

And with that, he handed the helmet to Lelouch, face forward, the same way he had when he told Suzaku to kill him. The torch was changing hands once more. Lelouch however, was still struck by his words. He mentally cursed Suzaku for knowing that talking about Nunally would draw him in. Briefly, he considered what the bigger sin would be: dying in her arms, or revealing himself to her after that death only to tell her that they could never be together again. Finally, he relented and took the mask. "Fine." Suzaku grinned. "But this is not a permanent switch. You still have your contract with me, Suzaku."

Suzaku pointed him in the direction of the Sutherland he had flown in on. Lelouch guided him towards the small shack where he and C.C. Then they parted, and Lelouch was on his way.

Nunally, we'll be reunited at last. For real, this time.