Part VI: At The Banks Of The Rubicon
"The wisest and best of our people despaired as deeply, found hope no easier, knew nothing, no way to end this unequal war of men and devils, warriors and monstrous fiends."
- Unknown
Toudou Nagisa, despite her sterling military record and rather fierce personality, was also very dedicated to the traditional Japanese ideal of what a wife should be, just as her husband was to the ideal of how a married man should act. As such, without protest, without being asked, she sat in the full military uniform outside her husband's meditation room, awaiting his decision with the utmost patience.
But at last, he had emerged. Like her, her husband was dressed in his full officer's uniform, his traditional katana held in one firm gloved hand by the sheath. His face bore none of the confusion that it had hinted at earlier- his eyes were clear, and determined.
He had made his choice.
Wordlessly, without asking him about his decision, Nagisa fell in step behind him.
"Where are we headed?" she asked quietly.
Toudou Kyoshiro was a soldier of Japan, first and foremost. And if Japan needed him, he would return to his country, and do what was necessary, even if it meant turning his back on the ideals he had followed for so very long.
That was what it meant to be the creator of a miracle.
"Tokyo," he said stonily. "We head to Tokyo."
Where Hideyoshi and the new Japanese government awaited his arrival, so that he might lead the armies of Japan once more.
This is the only way, Toudou assured himself grimly, grip tightening over his katana.
Years later, this would be called the turning point of the entire conflict, when the balance of power irrevocably shifted in favor of one side, and changing the course of history forever.
00000
"Almost there," Lloyd practically sang, glancing back at him from the pilot's seat- the plane was small enough that he could glance back through the cockpit door leading into the passenger seating area with ease. "You comfy?"
Suzaku resisted the urge to give him a blank look- it wouldn't work through the mask.
"I don't think comfort is something I need to be considered with, Lloyd-san," he said slowly. "How close is 'almost there'?"
"Another two hours," Cecile informed him from the co-pilot's seat. "He was exaggerating, I'm afraid. And please, Lloyd-san, don't look away from your console."
There were four of them on the plane- Lloyd and Cecile piloted the plane while Nina sat next to him in another passenger's seat, the three of them acting as his rather unceremonious escort to Kaminejima. Rakshata had elected to stay behind in Tokyo and provide support from the safe house, where she would set up equipment to keep both Ougi's group and Zero's group in contact (in reality, she was sick of constantly putting up with Lloyd and took the first opportunity she could to ditch him).
After a few minutes of sitting silently, Suzaku finally asked the question that had been bothering him for some time now.
"Why didn't you tell me about Lelouch's plan?"
Lloyd and Cecile didn't look back, but they visibly shifted, glancing at one another, wondering where to start. Because of their reluctance, it was Nina who finally answered him.
"He asked us not to," she said quietly, glancing up at him with a hesitant look. "He said you would have enough problems to deal with as it was."
"We were all part of the same plan," Zero reminded them, voice laced with audible irritation. "Why did you three even agree to help him?"
"Lloyd-san said that Geass interested him, and so Cecile-san agreed to help manage him," Nina replied softly, and glanced down at her hands, which clenched over the cloth of her pants. "And I… I wanted to destroy the Geass."
Suzaku understood the sentiment- after all, they'd lost the same woman to that Geass. Nina must have hated such a twisted thing for corrupting her beloved idol.
"What's waiting there, on that island?" he asked, glancing out the window, where Kaminejima stood far off in the horizon, defiantly untouched, unchanged since all those years ago.
"We don't know," she admitted. "Lelouch never told us the entire plan, just what parts we would need to play."
"That's just like him," Suzaku muttered, suddenly, irrationally angry. "But I guess it's too late to complain about it."
He let the silence that waxed over his angry words muffle that irritation, fixing his gaze on the island ahead, which waited, looming ever closer, radiating a nameless, disquieting malice.
00000
Despite himself, Lieutenant Keima couldn't quite suppress that tiny sliver of relief that snuck into his heart after Gino had escaped. Even if it meant that sooner or later he'd have to face his former commander on the field of battle and kill him there, at least it would mean killing him in a manner befitting a soldier, not sneaking around and murdering him quietly like a coward.
However, he couldn't exactly show that here, with the digitized face of the leader of the new Japanese government staring him in the face through a communication screen.
"You are to be commended for taking swift action at the base, Lieutenant Keima," Hideyoshi complimented, a thin smile on his face. "While it is regrettable that Colonel Weinberg escaped, the whereabouts of one man is not our primary concern at the moment, what with more pressing matters to attend to."
"You speak of the Black Knight's 5th Airborne fleet heading in from the Eurasian continent towards my position," Keima said quietly, inclining his head. A troop movement that large and that sudden couldn't be hidden- and indeed, it was very likely that Brittania did not care to hide this show of force.
"Again, your swift, efficient manner is commendable. On behalf of our nation, I am honored to call you a soldier of Japan." Hideyoshi smiled a little wider. Keima was reminded of a wolf baring its fangs at its prey. "You are hereby ordered to repel these invaders of our great nation's airspace, and to order them to leave. If they do not, you are authorized to use whatever amount of force you deem fit to protect our nation's sovereignty."
In short, he was to shoot down the Black Knight's fleet- a direct act of war.
Keima swallowed, throat tight.
"Yes sir."
This was for Japan. This was for the sake of his nation, so that he would not have to turn his gun on his own people.
But was it worth it?
"Splendid," Hideyoshi clapped his hands, looking pleased. "Oh, and one more thing- I won't have the commander of our forces at Shiroda be a mere Lieutenant. Though naturally we will have to wait to present you formally with your rank insignia and the official paperwork, consider it an executive mandate and an official promotion for now, Captain Keima."
"Thank you sir," the newly minted Captain replied quietly, saluting as sternly as he possible could. "I will do as you ask."
"I know you will," Hideyoshi said, almost smugly, and returned the salute. "Japan, Banzai."
"Japan, Banzai," Keima repeated, forcing enthusiasm into his voice.
As the leader of his nation signed off and the screen went blank, Keima tried to relish the promotion, and only found a bitter taste in his mouth that sang only one word.
Traitor.
00000
"So, what's the plan?" Gino asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly, glancing around the small wooden table in the kitchen where they were holding their impromptu strategy meeting.
Those who had stayed behind at Jeremiah's safe house after Zero had left elected to take a few hours rest before making any decisions on how to act- it had been a trying day for all of them, and they were all exhausted. Ougi, Viletta, and their children were given the main bedroom, while Sayoko, Rakshata, and Anya were given the secondary bedroom, as was proper. The rest of the group, Tamaki, Gino, Minami, and Jeremiah slept on futons and the couch, trading shifts so that one person would be awake and make sure they weren't under attack.
Now that they were all awake, it was time to begin planning. Gino sat at the far end of the table, closest to the door. Jeremiah sat to his right, with Sayoko standing behind him (there weren't enough chairs and she declined to sit as a result), and Minami filled in the seat next to Jeremiah. At the head of the table, opposite Gino, sat Ougi, with Viletta sitting next to him, across from Minami, and rounding out the other end of the table was Tamaki. Like Sayoko, Anya, the last member of their conclave, elected not to sit, instead leaning against the wall in the living room, looking rather disinterested in the whole discussion. Rakshata was also in the safe house, but she was busy in the spare bedroom, tinkering with equipment ("It doesn't matter to me what you're doing. My job is to support you, after all," she said idly, taking a casual puff of her pipe).
"Wait, before we begin…" Ougi began slowly, and turned his head towards Sayoko and Jeremiah, fixing them with a stern look. "So far we've avoided the issue, as Zero seemed to trust you, but I think it's time you explained some things to us. You kept bringing up mentions of Lelouch- how is he involved in all this?"
"My master believed the world might be menaced by Geass, and left us tools and directions to combat it," Jeremiah answered succinctly, seemingly unaffected by the accusatory tone of the Prime Minister. He neglected to mention the Zero Requiem, but instead lied smoothly, "He had several contingencies left behind in the initial months of his reign, so that even if he were to be killed, we would have the means to fight Geass."
"Why would he care?" Tamaki challenged, looking irritated.
"Lelouch-sama hated Geass. I believe it took away the lives of several people he cared for- despite his use of the power, it did not mean he believed it should exist," Sayoko said quietly, bowing her head.
Jeremiah stepped in after she had finished. "I know it may be hard to reconcile what has passed between us, but right now, you can at least believe we are fighting for the same reasons, for the same goal."
Tamaki kept glancing at them suspiciously, but Ougi sighed and nodded. "You saved the lives of myself, my family, and my friends when you had no reason to. I suppose it's only right that I pay you back with some degree of trust, at least."
"Thank you," Jeremiah said sincerely. He was still lying to them, true, but it was in the name of preserving his Emperor's noble sacrifice- what they wouldn't know wouldn't hurt them. Thankfully, they hadn't questioned as to why Lelouch's contingency plans included Zero, his supposed murderer- they might have already guessed the truth, that this Zero was a product of his majesty's own designs, but avoiding having to confirm that suspicion would have to be enough.
"Alright, now with that settled… how exactly are we supposed to capture the head of the new government with only seven people?" Gino asked again, glancing around the table. "From the looks of things we don't have a whole lot of weapons or ammunition, so our options are kind of limited."
"Our best bet would be to take him as he's on the move," Minami offered.
Ougi shook his head, folding his hands and propping his elbows up on the table. "He won't leave the government building, not when his stronghold of power is there. Until he's confident, about the situation, he won't leave. And we can't wait that long- if we do, chances are any chance of undoing this situation will be lost."
"So what, we've got to go in and get him ourselves?" Tamaki blinked, looking incredulous. "You're kidding me."
"It sounds like it's our only option," Anya cut in, sounding bored as she continued staring out the window. "But if you're afraid, you don't have to come."
Tamaki bristled. "Oi, what did you say you little-"
"Tamaki!" Ougi said sharply, before his head bowed and he sighed. "Now's not the time."
"She's right though," Sayoko interjected, nodding, "If you can't get him to come out, you will have to get him yourselves."
"The government building is a fortress, however… getting inside alone will be a problem," Jeremiah murmured, furrowing his brow. "To access the higher levels especially, we will need security codes."
"Do you think they've had time to change the security codes?" Viletta questioned, glancing around the table.
Minami met her look and shook his head. "The only one who knows the master code to change all the security passwords is Ougi-san. Otherwise, it would take them weeks to replace the system."
"We do have an advantage," Sayoko said slowly, and all eyes turned towards her at the word 'advantage', "And that is that they will not expect you all to return so soon, and to take the offensive. That alone may prove to be enough initiative to win the day."
"Well, it sounds like we have a plan, doesn't it?" Gino glanced about, and across the table, Ougi nodded determinedly. He grinned. "Let's get started then."
00000
Lloyd and Cecile landed the plane on the outskirts of Kaminejima, close to those strange, eerie ruins where he had once confronted the original Zero, and then later the former Emperor of Brittania himself, where he had learned of the demented plan that Charles Zi Brittania had imagined for the world.
As he descended down the ramp of stairs and stepped onto the island, Zero glanced back at the plane and its occupants.
"Thank you for your help," he said quietly, and inclined his head just enough to show his appreciation even through the mask.
"We'll stay here, on standby, so just come back here when you've finished your business here," Cecile informed him, smiling pleasantly as she stood at the top of the ramp, at the left side of the door.
"Um… g-good luck, Suzaku," Nina whispered, using his real name for the first time. The three of them had always known how the Zero Requiem would play out- it was why they had agreed to work with Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C. in the first place. But none of them had once said his true name.
It meant more than Suzaku thought it would, and he was grateful the mask hid his expression as he spoke. "Thank you."
Lloyd appeared behind them, carrying a thin, cloth wrapped bundle that caught Suzaku's eye. With a grin, he tossed the bundle towards Suzaku, who caught it deftly, and glanced back at Lloyd.
"Just in case," Lloyd said without prompt, and waved him off.
Suzaku opened the bundle, and, very briefly, everything around him halted.
It was just as he remembered it- the same violet color, the same overly ornate dressings, from the hilt that looked as though it were a pair of wings to the green colored tip that flashed when the light hit it just right.
It was the sword he used to kill Lelouch vi Brittania.
"Why did you…" Suzaku frowned and glanced back up, but the ramp had already receded and the door was closed.
He stood there for a few moments, holding the weapon he had used to murder his best friend years before.
Then, finally, reluctantly, he sheathed it into his belt, just as he had done on the day the Zero Requiem came to its tragic culmination, and started on his way. He already knew where he was headed- where else would this final confrontation with their mysterious enemy take place other than those ruins which led to the Sword of Akasha, after all?
The walk towards those ruins brought memories, most of which he did not look upon fondly. The first time he had come here, it was by accident, and he had become stranded here with Kallen and learned her true nature and identity, and had been cursed with a Geass order that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The second time, he had pursued Lelouch to this island in with a vengeful heart and turned a man he had once considered as close as a brother to his mortal enemy. And the last time he returned to this place, he found himself inexplicably allied with Lelouch, and starting down a path neither of them anticipated.
Each time, some tumultuous change had taken place.
What would it be this time?
"Ah, you're here," came C.C.'s familiar airy tones, and she practically materialized out of the woods, with Kallen following close behind. The redhead gave him an acknowledging nod, which he returned.
"We're heading to where that Sword of Akasha is, aren't we?" Zero asked.
C.C. nodded, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "I knew you would remember."
And with that the three of them turned towards the cave mouth ahead of them, a place that each of them knew all too well.
Kallen remembered seeing Lelouch's face break through the mask of Zero, and shuddered.
"By the way," C.C. said suddenly, and turned towards Kallen, who stepped back in surprise. "Remember, I left Lelouch in the plane. Be sure to pick him up when we're finished."
Kallen opened her mouth to retort 'Why don't you do it, he's your pet', but was interrupted by Suzaku's confused words.
"Wait, what?"
Kallen glanced over at him with a helpless shrug. "… it's her pet turtle. She named him Lelouch."
Suzaku paused, and laughed despite himself. After a moment, Kallen's lips twitched and she chuckled as well.
"When you two are finished," C.C. said slowly, glancing back at them as she advanced deeper inside the cavern. Remembering the situation they were in, both of them straightened and followed her duly, up the small flight of stairs onto the raised stone platform, and then finally to the imposing, archaic stone wall where the symbol of Geass was carved in more smoothly than any tool of the ancient world could have accomplished.
"Just what was this place?" Kallen found herself wondering out loud, eyes wide as she stared up at the symbol of Geass.
"They called it a Thought Elevator- a ruin of the ancient world, created by the users of the Geass that lived millennia ago," C.C. said tonelessly, without looking around. "The best way I can describe it is that it is a door to the World of C."
"What is that?" Kallen asked, blinking.
"It's better if you see it for yourself. Place your hands on my shoulders, both of you, and hold on tight," C.C. instructed. After they had done so, she closed her eyes, murmured something inaudible to both Suzaku and Kallen, and suddenly the world disappeared in blinding light.
And as the light continued to wash over her, Kallen heard an unfamiliar voice.
"So, you're here at last."
Blinking, her vision returning, Kallen glanced around to find the voice that had spoken to her.
Her surroundings, however, had been altered so suddenly and dramatically that her search was stymied. Where there had once been dark, encroaching cavern walls there was now nothing but the golden sky of an eternal twilight between night and day, highlighting the edges of clouds that filled the horizon with an effulgent brilliance. The three of them stood atop a stone platform that floated in this twilight sky, with a number of stone steps which also floated, unsupported, that led up to a large, dominating structure that reminded Kallen of pictures she had seen of ancient shrines dedicated to the old gods mankind had worshipped so long ago.
Suzaku, for his part, already knew these surroundings, and was less surprised by them than he was by the familiarity of the voice, and his eyes followed the stone steps all the way up to the top, where the speaker stood.
She stood at edges of the shrine, a wide, friendly smile on cherry red lips that was reflected in her eyes that held the same unique violet shade as her son's, on a face that held the angular beauty of a warrior goddess, as long, lustrous black hair cascaded down to her waist. She was clad in a simple, olive-brown one piece noblewoman's dress with a white collar and cufflinks, with a ribbon tied underneath the collar which bore a darker shade of brown.
Kallen didn't recognize her, but the other two members of her group did.
"How are you still alive?" Suzaku breathed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Welcome!" she said in answer, spreading her arms out wide. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Hello Marianne," C.C. greeted coolly, face unreadable as she stared up at the other woman.
"Ah, C.C., good to see you," Marianne Vi Brittania, former Empress of Brittania, said cheerfully, nodding at her one time friend and contractor. "You don't seem very surprised to see me."
She smiled wider, a tiger's grin. "I suppose I have my darling son to thank for that, hmm?"
00000
"Adjutant Guilford, we have almost breached Japanese airspace," his aide reported quietly.
Guilford nodded in acknowledgement from his specially designed seat, whose control panels acted on verbal commands to accommodate his disability, and could immediately report the conditions of the ship or the greater fleet on command. The true commander's chair was to his left (and therefore, his chair was to its right), its seat currently vacant- the true Commander was still nowhere to be found, and he refused to take that chair.
The airship that he was currently commanding, The Vigilant, was Princess Cornelia's own personal vessel and was currently acting as the flagship of the 5th Airborne Fleet. Its design was reminiscent of The Avalon, her brother Schneizel's old flagship which had long since been retired, but equipped with the more advanced technology available now, including faster propulsion systems, twin Hadron cannons located on either side of the front bow, and a Blaze Luminous system. It also bore twin emblems; at its front bow was emblazoned the universally recognized symbol of the Black Knights, and at the crest sat the flag of Neo Brittania, symbolizing its twin allegiances.
"Hail the Shiroda forward operations base. Inform them that our forces are under orders to confirm the status of Colonel Weinberg and any still loyal Black Knights. The base is still considered the territory of the Empire and as such any attempt to interfere with our operation will be regarded as infringing on the sovereignty of the Empire. If they resist, we have authorization from Commander Xing-ke to use force to retake the Empire's rightful claim," Guilford barked, gripping the sides of his command chair tightly.
The communication's officer did as ordered, repeating the orders verbatim- this was a delicate operation, at the possible opening stages of a war. If anyone deviated even slightly from protocol it would be seen as endangering the entire operation, and, perhaps more importantly, history would look back on this moment and judge them all without mercy as the instigators of the third war between Japan and the Empire of Brittania.
As they waited for a response, he ordered all ships to decelerate, to avoid totally entering Japan's airspace until the last possible moment.
"Sir, we've received a response from the Shiroda base," the communication's officer reported.
Finally, a response.
"Put him on screen," Guilford ordered swiftly. A part of him hesitated, however- would showing the enemy his blindness put him at a disadvantage? Yet at the same time, a part of him rankled at the thought of hiding his disability, as if it made him less of a commander, less of the man who had stood at the right hand of 'The Witch of Brittania'.
He had no time left for recriminations, however.
"This is the current commander of the Shiroda forward operations base, Captain Katsuragi Keima."
Guilford recognized the name, except that the man he was thinking of was Colonel Weinberg's Lieutenant.
"You've been promoted, then, former Lieutenant Keima," he stated flatly.
"Indeed I have. And you must be Gilbert Guilford, Adjutant to Commander Cornelia Li Brittania," the Captain replied slowly. "Your reputation precedes you."
He ignored the hollow compliment. "If you are the current commander, what has happened to your former CO, Colonel Weinberg?"
Keima's hesitation was audible, even without seeing his face. "Colonel Weinberg has been relieved of his command. This base is now under the control of the Japanese government, and we no longer report to Commander Xing-ke or the United Nations Council, but to the interim head of the Japanese state, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hideyoshi."
Guilford frowned. "You are aware, of course, that the Shiroda base is still nominally a Black Knight's controlled facility and thus a sovereign territory of Neo Brittania. Your declaration carries the undertones of seizing a foreign territory then, if you are now the military force of a separate, sovereign nation."
"This base lies within Japanese territory. It was loaned to the Empire when Japan became a member-state, and now that we have once again returned to being an independent nation, you have no claim to what we allowed you to borrow," came the steely reply.
"Our claims put us at an impasse, then," Guilford murmured, a tone of weariness in his voice.
"Indeed," Keima agreed reluctantly. "We will give you a few hours to confer with your leaders and withdraw from our airspace. If you do not leave within this time frame we have provided, or if you continue on your course towards this position, the sovereign nation of Japan will take this as a hostile action and respond accordingly."
And with that, the connection cut.
"Orders, sir?" his aide asked, after a few moments.
"Our orders in this matter are clear," Guilford stated, furrowing his brow. "Do not stray from the course. We will retake the base by any means necessary, including military force."
All the old familiar places, Guilford thought wryly, remembering the passage of a book he had once read as a child. Once more, he found himself at the head of a force bent on attacking Japan yet again… maybe this world really would never change.
00000
"Wait, Marianne? As in, Lelouch's mom?" Kallen said incredulously, eyes wide. "But he said he already killed you!"
Marianne tilted her head to the side, gazing at her almost curiously, as if appraising her. "So, you must be Kallen," she said, clapping her hands happily, more like a mother meeting her son's girlfriend for the first time than the instigator of a war. "Hmm, it's a pity my son never saw you as more than a pawn. You'd have had such beautiful grandchildren for me!"
Kallen flinched as if struck by her words. Try as she might, she couldn't refuse that stinging phrase, 'more than a pawn'.
"Oh, and Suzaku-kun, you're here too," Marianne continued, turning her eyes towards Zero. "Still doing my son's bidding like a good little lapdog, are you? Poor Euphie must be so disappointed you forgot her and chose Lelouch over her."
Suzaku brushed off her words, angrily demanding, How did you survive? I saw you-"
"You saw me and my husband disappear, that's all," the Empress replied casually, shaking her head. "It's true though- what my son did nearly destroyed me, the way it did my husband. But at the last moment, I used Lelouch's own trick against him."
00000
Everything was undone! The Ragnarok Connection, their hope for a world blessed by the beauty of truth without the need for lies, unmade by their own son!
Charles couldn't accept it- even as his body began disappearing, consumed by the World of C that had turned against them, he lunged for Lelouch, screaming out his frustration, clasping one powerful hand around their rebellious son's scrawny neck.
She, however, sought a way to survive- if Lelouch was so disrespectful as to destroy the dream of his parents, then she would seek a way to destroy his dream as well.
Glancing up at the supernatural sky of the World of C, she spotted the representation of the collective unconsciousness of mankind- the 'gods', as she and Charles called it- manifested in the shape of the planet Jupiter.
There! An escape! If Lelouch's Geass could work upon them, why not hers?
With one last vengeful look at her son, Marianne vi Brittania cast her Geass upon the gods, and fled her own destruction.
00000
"By implanting my consciousness into the collective unconsciousness of all mankind, I survived. It was not a true existence, not at first- trying to place my conscious mind in with the will of all mankind was not easy, and I was nearly destroyed in the beginning. But over time, I began to grow in power, my sway over the gods increasing with each passing day- soon, I was ready to re-manifest."
Marianne smiled again, and glanced over at C.C.
"Is that what Lelouch thought might have happened?" she asked innocently.
C.C., expression still cloudy, nodded. "He thought one or both of you might have survived whatever he had done- exactly what he did to you was unclear, after all. But he could never be sure."
"He knew about this!" Kallen screeched, angrily whirling on C.C. "He knew that his mom was still alive?"
"He guessed," C.C. replied tonelessly. "And there was no evidence he was right until now-"
"Why didn't he tell us? He left that recording behind- he could easily have let us know what we were up against!" Suzaku interrupted furiously, also turning on the witch.
"What would you have done, if you had known? This information doesn't change anything," C.C. replied coolly, unfazed. "Stick to the matter at hand."
Marianne laughed, high above, and the entire World of C seemed to laugh alongside her.
"What C.C. is trying to avoid saying is that this was all just a game for Lelouch," she informed them simply, a girlish smile on her face, "After all, he would already be dead by the time I had regained enough strength to strike back against him. The only thing he cared about was spiting me, stopping me even from beyond the grave- what a brazen son I brought into this world!"
"You're lying! This… this isn't a game!" Kallen shot back, but the conviction in her voice was shaky, audibly fragile.
"I would think I knew the heart of my own son better than you, who fell for his every lie and yet claimed to love him," Marianne replied easily. The smile on her face never changed, but there was a cruel glint in her eyes, and Kallen shrank before her.
"So, the destruction of the Shiroda base, the deaths of all those people, the reason why the riots and tensions have been getting out of hand, and even why the Secessionist faction was able to take control so easily… it's all been you, hasn't it? Suzaku challenged, trying to ignore the anger in his heart that was still directed at Lelouch. "How did you do all of this?"
Marianne gave him a condescending look.
"You didn't hear me? I placed a Geass, my own will, onto the will of mankind. It took years to master, but the end result allowed me to affect the emotions of the general populace- nothing direct, mind you, but enough to encourage anger, mistrust, and hate." She sighed, looking almost nonchalant as she shook her head. "Humans are such simple creatures. As for more direct actions… I learned to manifest a body for those times- it wasn't truly alive, or even really human, but it allowed me to venture out of the World of C and act as necessary."
"So you did… all of this, killed all these people- killed your daughter- and started a war, just to spite your son?" Kallen asked angrily, narrowing her eyes. "You're insane."
"On the contrary, young lady," Marianne responded tartly, "I'm perfectly rational. I know humanity is a merciless animal that will turn on itself at the slightest provocation, that this world is full of ugly lies that keep people from understanding each other. My son, on the other hand, thought he could correct basic human nature- that he could turn enough hate on himself so that humanity would learn to get over its differences and unite as one people, in peace, by lying to everyone."
She laughed again. It sounded like bells tinkling, delicate and musical, but the air of cruel mockery was unmistakable.
"Which one of us was really insane, I wonder?" she asked rhetorically.
00000
Since the time she could talk, Sumeragi Kaguya always knew she would have to play a part in the world of politics. She was good at it, too- by the age of fourteen she was a respected member of the Six Houses of Kyoto, despite being decades younger than her peers, and by the age of fifteen she was the head of state of a multinational government. She did not luck into these positions, no matter what some people thought- beneath her sunny, sometimes silly exterior was a shrewd and cunning mind.
Once, Kallen had asked her if she would have liked a 'normal' life. Kaguya believed that those 'normal' lives that other girls her age had lived were boring- why wait to take the world stage?
Today, however, Kaguya wanted nothing more than to act like the young woman she really was, to pretend she was just the average girl her age, to not have the burdens of running an Empire on her shoulders when all she wanted to do was grieve at the loss of a dear friend.
But there was no time for grieving, no time for tears.
It was like Nunnally said at the beginning of all of this.
"When I'm sure this matter is closed, then I will cry, Kaguya-san."
Nunnally couldn't cry anymore, so she would cry in her stead, once they had navigated through this crisis.
"Members of the Council," Kaguya breathed softly, exhaling, "As we speak the Black Knight's 5th Airborne Fleet, under the command of Adjutant Gilbert Guilford, is on its way to the Shiroda forward operations base. The secessionist troops that are currently in control of the facilities have stated that they have no intention of surrendering the base, and are prepared to use military force."
The assembled view screens that dominated the wall, filled with the faces of the members of the Council, seemed like an uncaring mob to Kaguya's eyes. Each of them only cared to further their own agendas- the only ally she could really count on was Tianzi, the Chinese Empress.
"This is under Commander Xing-ke's orders, is it not?" the Russian representative asked slowly, stroking his full mustache. "Are we to assume then, that military force is the only path available to us? Considering the Empress' statements on this issue…"
"The Empress is dead," interrupted the Ethiopian representative. "Likely at the hands of the Japanese. If we do not act, this Empire will fall apart."
"And if we do act, how is this Empire any different from the one under Charles Zi Brittania? Or even the Demon Emperor himself?" demanded another representative.
After that statement, there was nothing but chaos.
"Are we to just let the assassination of our head of state go unpunished then-"
"And what if we crush the secessionists in Japan? Won't that only spark fear amongst more member states and prompt them to consider withdrawal-"
"-it matters not, a show of force is the only message these people will understand-"
With a shaky breath, Kaguya stepped in, speaking over the debate, silencing them with her words.
"Members of the council, we will protect the sovereignty of this Empire- the secessionist forces have not gone through the correct political processes to achieve this so called 'independence'. They have removed the rightful, elected head of state from office, possibly killed several loyal members of this Empire, including our Empress, and are now seizing control of a territory belonging to our Empire. We cannot let this stand."
"What are you suggesting we do, Chairwoman Sumeragi?" De Gaulle, the French representative, questioned coolly, raising a silver eyebrow.
Kaguya swallowed. What she would have to say next would go against everything she had once believed in- but for the sake of peace, she would have no choice. If they did nothing, there would never be peace again, because this attempt at a world government would have failed, and be remembered forever as a reason why world governments would not work, and why no one should attempt it.
But even if they did this, and won- was a peace won through force of arms really peace?
God, forgive me Nunnally.
"I ask for this council to vote to declare a state of war against the current Japanese government, which is to be considered an unrecognized, illegal state," Kaguya said quietly, her words carrying all the force of a bomb.
00000
"Alright, we're in position," Gino reported quietly, around the corner from the government building, just across the street. Rakshata had provided them each with small communicators to place inside their collar- less conspicuous than any hand-held device, and she could monitor them even when they weren't talking to each other.
Behind him, Jeremiah watched his back, and Anya scanned the perimeter, careful to make sure they weren't spotted.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Ougi confirmed one last time, a hint of worry in his voice, audible even through the electronic filtering of the communicator.
The plan was relatively simple, as they were low on manpower and equipment to make anything complex. Ougi's group, consisting of Viletta, Tamaki, and Minami, would head in through one of the hidden escape routes embedded in the government building. These were sure to be watched, however, so that was where Gino's group came in- they would go straight through the front door, causing as much chaos as possible to keep the enemy from noticing Ougi's group, which would make its way up to Hideyoshi's office to capture him. If they captured him, they would be able to use him to force Japan to back down, using his life to insure that they all survived. If they didn't, they would all die.
This was the kind of mission he liked.
"With all due respect sir, we're used to going up against the odds," Gino quipped.
"Only do as much as you can- don't get yourselves killed, Colonel. That's an order," Ougi said sternly, but the concern in his voice was clear. "If it looks like things are going bad, pull out. Brittania will need you if we don't succeed here-"
"We will succeed here," Anya cut in suddenly over the communicator. Her placid expression was unchanged, but the slightest straightening of her shoulders spoke volumes about her determination.
"You heard her, sir" Gino said, grinning. "We should have some champagne to celebrate when we're done here."
"I'd like that," Ougi said quietly. "Good luck."
00000
The silence was deafening, and the supernatural scenery around them deepened that void, filling it with that unnatural malice that was undoubtedly being created by Marianne's complete dominance of this world.
Then, at last, Suzaku spoke again.
"I don't care who was right and who was wrong- this ends here," he growled, and his hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. "You've done enough damage already."
Marianne chuckled, covering her mouth with one pale hand. "You think you can stop me? Everything is already in motion- Japan and Brittania are going to war, regardless of whether or not I am here. Lelouch's tomorrow, this peaceful world he thought he could create will die today- just as he ended our dream, I will end his."
"I can still avenge Nunnally," Zero snapped back, and drew the sword. "And I can still kill you."
As of this point, that was all he could really focus on, the only real thing he knew.
The Empress narrowed her eyes. "Kill me? You misunderstand who's in control here, Suzaku-kun. I control the gods, and I control this world. With a thought I can make men hate each other half a world away, and you've stepped right into my seat of power."
"We'll see about that!" Suzaku roared, and bounded up the stairs to the shrine, leaping them three at a time, a blur of black and purple and gold movement.
Seeing him move brought Kallen back to the matter at hand, and she ran up the stairs as well, C.C. following close behind.
Marianne drew back, and extended a hand upwards, into the sky.
"Let me show you just how powerless you really are," she said slowly, a dark look upon her beautiful face.
Suzaku ignored her words, landing atop the shrine platform. His vision seemed tunneled, his only thought being to kill this woman that had murdered Nunnally. With a cry, he charged forward, sword raised for a killing slash-
Only to be blocked another sword, shining silver with gold trimmings on the hilt. His eyes turned towards this new opponent, and his heart skipped a beat as the world ground to a brutal halt.
This new opponent was swathed in a long royal blue cloak with gold trimmings and stitching that formed the symbols of Brittania's elite royal guard, servants of the Emperor himself that had not existed since the end of the war. Beneath that cloak was suit jacket of the purest, deepest white, folded over the chest by flaxen strings, with a petticoat trailing behind it (it couldn't be seen because of the cloak, but Suzaku knew it was there), and matching pants of that same brilliant ivory. Underneath the suit jacket was a black shirt with a high collar, with the same gold trimmings as the cloak he wore.
Suzaku knew this outfit like he knew his own hand.
After all, it used to be his.
"Like I told you before, I control this world. I can change its shape as I will- even something like this is not beyond my grasp," Marianne said condescendingly, her voice distant through his shock.
Zero stared at the man before him- a double, or perhaps a mirror image, of the man he once was- and could only gape as the Knight of Seven, Kururugi Suzaku, pulled away, straightening into a ready stance with his sword, emerald eyes alight with a deadly glint.
He drew back as well, circling his opponent, this false Knight of Seven, and the only thing he knew for certain was that this mirage would be the deadliest enemy he had ever fought.
"I believe you'll have your hands full with him," Marianne said lightly, smiling as she turned towards Kallen and C.C., who noticed her attention and drew back. "As for you two… it's been a while since I've fought with my own two hands."
She extended both her hands out, and in each hand a simple, unadorned long sword appeared. Nothing fancy, just straight steel, a leather bound grip, and a gold dusted guard. It was a weapon designed to cut and maim and kill, nothing more, nothing less.
Marianne's smile was as razor sharp as the weapons she now pointed at them.
"So please, play with me, won't you?"
00000
And in the skies above Kyushuu, the Black Knight's 5th Airborne Fleet readied itself to attack as the eyes of the Japanese soldiers at the Shiroda based watched carefully, both sides keeping close holds on their weapons, each side waiting for the other to take the first shot and renew the war between Japan and Brittania that seemed utterly inescapable.
Author's Notes
The chapter title refers to the phrase "Crossing the Rubicon", which is an idiom for crossing the point of no return, and specifically references when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon River in direct violation of Roman law (which is what eventually lead to his becoming dictator of Rome). Obviously, everything about this chapter is about being on the edge of no return and war.
I can't shake the idea that if Toudou and Nagisa got married, they would invariably become the traditional older Japanese couple stereotype, so that's how I wrote them. I can't really see them any other way.
I had to do a bit of research to see if it was even plausible for a military commander to be blind and still be fit for command before I used Guilford in this context. Luckily, I found a few historical examples of blind generals, so I believe it's not too much of a stretch.
We never got true confirmation that Nina, Lloyd, and Cecile knew what was to come in the Zero Requiem, but I don't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine they did.
According to the R2 novel about her, Marianne utilizes two swords in combat, so I threw that in there- she's also apparently good enough to take Cornelia and two Knights of Round on with two swords, so it'll be one hell of a fight. I think I'm just going to refer to Zerozaku as Zero and Clonezaku (as I call him in my story notes) as the Knight of Seven, because otherwise this is going to get confusing fast.
See you all next time for the end of Revenant!
P.S. Props to Candelabra who was the first to figure out Marianne was the Geass user.