A Code Geass fanfic. I own nothing.
A sequel to The Funeral.

~ Truth and Lies

Truth or Lies

Ohgi sat in the conference hall, waiting. It was crowded in here, but to be fair it was the smaller one of the two conference halls in the house.

To his left was Viletta and to his right Tohdoh. All over the room people who'd know the old Zero's true identity was sitting or standing, waiting.

Also, a new face. Kallen had brought an old high school friend, the tv reporter Milly Ashford. They'd all been very supprised when Kallen had turned up with the britannian girl earlier that day.
At first she'd been denied access. But then the cheerful girl had started telling about everything she'd worked out by herself. And much to the surprise of the Black Knights, Milly Ashford had hit spot on. She was perhaps the only person in the world who'd worked out the truth by herself, by being extremely observant and stubborn.

She had earned the right to be at this meeting. As the other present had.

They were all old members of the core of the Black Knights. Ohgi, Viletta, Tohdoh, Chiba, Tamaki, Minami, Kaguya, Li Xing Ke, Kallen. As the news of empress Nunnaly's visit to Japan spread one after the other had requested to be present at this meeting.

If you can call this a meeting Milly wondered as she gazed upon the people surrounding her.

It's more like a trial.

Everyone were quiet, thinking about their own unanswered questions and the event eight months back. And of course..

The door opened and a servant stepped in, bowing before announcing.

"Her Imperial Highness, her majesty Empress Nunnaly of Britannia."
Nunnaly appeared through the door, her wheelchair being pushed by the impersonating of their questions.

Zero! Milly had never before seen him this close.

He killed Lelouch. My friend Lelouch.

Zero wasn't announced, something most of them noticed. Zero was never announced. For different reasons. Firsts of all, every person on earth knows who he is. There isn't a person alive who hadn't heard about Zero. He was famous before, but after killing the demon emperor the masked hero had gained almost god like status among the people in every nation.

Nunnaly didn't smile. Her young face was serious, as she studied every face in the room. Her appearance demanded respect.

"I was aware this would happen, Prime minister Ohgi. That your old comrades would be here. I only wish you would have placed enough trust in me to inform me about it."

"I am sorry your majesty. We were afraid that you wouldn't let us speak with Zero or that he might choose not to accompany you should he had known everybody would be here. " Ohgi apologized.

"Zero answers to my word. I would have ordered him to come." Nunnaly's words seemed so.. wrong. Ordering Zero? Could he be ordered?

"But as it is, prime minister, I too think it is high time we receive some answers. I've never before spoken with Zero of this matter. But now, with everyone present I believe it is time." Nunnaly smiled, her gentle famous smile.

"And please Ohgi. Zero may be many things in you and your friends eyes. But he is not a coward."

The young woman stepped out of the car, looking around with a rather bored expression on her face.

People looked briefly at her as the woman started walking down the street, continuing talking with herself.

She payed them no heed. She walked of the crowded main street and down a empty alley, disappearing from the public eye before anyone could recognize her.

She had some place to go, and someting to say. And something to do.

"Who are you?" Tohdoh voiced the first question. Zero stood before them, alone. Nunnaly now sat beside Milly and Kallen.

The masked man held his head high, his stature regal and alert.

"I am Zero."

"What is your name?"

"I don't have a name. I am Zero."

"You have a name, we know you do!"

"No I don't."

Kallen jumped up. "Who are you?" she demanded, slamming her hands in the table.
"Are you Suzaku Kururugi? Answer me now, or I swear..!"
"Kallen!" Ohgi placed a hand on her shoulder. "This is not how we agreed to proceed."

"But, Ohgi! He won't say a thing! What good is that he is finally in Japan if he doesn't answers our questions?"

"Take it easy Kallen." Nunnalys gentle voice sounded. The young empress looked at her guardian.

"I trust you with my life. You know that. I put my trust in you, despite not knowing anything about you.
Tell me Zero. Why did you choose to become my guardian?"

".. I was requested to do it."

"By whom?"

"By the late emperor, his majesty Lelouch vi Britannia."

Nunnaly lost her smile, and Kallen sat down.
"Why would he request that?" asked Ohgi, turning to face Zero.
"Emperor Lelouch spread hate and fear in the heart of every on the planet. He killed thousands. And yet you say that he requested you to guard Nunnaly?"

"That is correct."

"Why would he do that?"

Zero lowered his gaze.
"It is not in my place to question orders. I was requested by his majesty to guard his younger sister a long time ago. Years ago."

"So you knew Lelouch? Before he became emperor?" Milly spoke up, leaning forward.
"I am the only one here who've never met you face to face before Zero. But I am a reporter, I study persons and their ways. And you are not behaving at all like the Zero from before." Her face was serious.
"Lelouch was the first Zero. I know that, and more than that I understand why he chose to become a terrorist. I was among the few who knew who he really was, an exiled prince of Britannia. He tried to stay out of sight, to stay clear of the public eye. Unfortunately he couldn't. Despite him hating his family, he'd a royal upbringing, and with that came arrogance, confidence and charme. And in high school that's a dangerous cocktail.
He was popular among the other students, simply by being his self absorbed self. I placed him in the student council to give him a reason to avoid the most of the student body: work. That changed however when Suzaku came to our school.

I don't much about what happened with Lelouch and Nunnaly before they sought shelter in my grandfathers school. But I know that they were fostered by a japanese family, who took them in before the war and looked after them.
Lelouch once told me that was when he made his first and only friend.

I've only ever once heard Lelouch call someone friend and sounding like he meant it. And that was when he was with Suzaku.

I am sure they knew each other from way back, which is my I can't understand how they became enemies! Answer me that!"

Milly stopped talking, her voice a little higher than normal.
Zero shifted, almost uncertainly.

"I can't tell you the reason miss Milly because I do not know it. I don't know why they became enemies. But I do know that Suzaku Kururugi was sick of people dying, of people being killed in war.

"So he choose to become a solider? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

"Perhaps. But I'm afraid that the reason Kururugi and Lelouch became enemies was because of a mere twist of fate. In another time, if they had teamed up, much would have gone different."

"You talk as if you know what would have happened?"

"Neither of them would have had to die."

Nunnaly pushed herself forward.
"Tell me, Zero. Are you Suzaku? If you are, please tell me the truth! You promised me you would always tell the truth!"

"Suzaku Kururugi is dead." Zero answered. "Killed in the Battle for the Damocles..."

"Zero.. please, I beg you. Tell me, are you Suzaku?" Nunnaly sounded like she was about to cry. "Please. I've lost my brother. Suzaku were like a brother to both me and Lelouch. Please, tell me are you him? Are you lying?"

"Suzaku Kururugi is dead." Zero repeated. He then quickly stepped back as Tamaki rushed from his seat and tried to grap a hold of him.
"Tell us the truth you.. ARGH!" Tamaki was slammed to the floor, with Zero's hand on his neck, the other twisting his arm around.

The others jumped up, alarmed.

"hey man, hey hey! Take it cool! Let go of me!" Tamaki roared, twisting in Zero's iron grap.

"Let him go." Nunnaly's voice sounded gentle again. She'd gotten control of her feelings. "What Tamaki just did was wrong. It wasn't a part of our agreement, and for that I am sorry Zero." Without as much as sparing him an extra glance Zero released the struggling Tamaki.

"tell me." Viletta's voice sounded for the first time. She was looking at Zero, a frown on her face.
"Lelouch knew Suzaku was a knight of round, and Suzaku knew Lelouch was Zero. Why didn't Lelouch kill him? And why didn't Suzaku turn Lelouch in? They hated each other."

"Hated? I thought they were friends?" Ohgi looked at Milly. "You said they were best friends?" She nodded.

Zero got back on his feet, not answering.

"Zero?"

"They.. were friends. But they betrayed each other. Neither could never forgive the other."

"Betrayed each other? How?"

"In many ways. Lelouch killed Euphimia, Kururugi captured Lelouch and dragged him before the old emperor."

"Euphimia.." Chiba repeated. "She was innocent, wasn't she?"

"Yes. Forced to kill the Japanese by the power of Geass. Ordered by Lelouch vi Britannia."

"Then tell us why! Why did he order that! He killed our people for his own goals! Scheizel told us.."

"He did not tell you the truth. By the time he came to you and told you about the true nature of Zero, you already had your doubts about your leader. And then, all Scheizel had to do was to blow to the flame to create a fire."

"What about the recording? You can't tell us that was fake." Ohgi pointed out.

"No, it's not. However, when Scheizel played it he didn't let you hear the entire thing."

Silence.

"What?" Kallen stammered. She had heard the recording after Lelouch had fled together with Rolo. "There was more?"

"Of course. I will never understand why you took the word from your enemy for true just like that. But if you want, I can play it for you. Again."
From his pocket Zero withdrew the small recorder that had started everything. Without any warning he pressed the button.

'I need to know.. did you you use your geass on Euphi, be honest!'
'.. yes.'
'You caused her to massacre the japaneese.'
'I ordered her to do it.'

Stop.

"This is the part you all know. The next part is the one Scheizel never intended for you to hear."

'Why would you use your geass like that!' Suzaku's voice were brimming with repressed emotions. 'Answer me!'

'… to motivate the japanese people. If the especially administrated zone of Japan had been established the Black Knights would've collapsed.'
'And Shirley's death?'

Milly and Kallen froze, staring with wide eyes at the recorder.
"He didn't.." Milly whispered, not believing her ears.

'Also my fault.'
'...You are not even human, you know that? .. Shirley.. and Euphi.. were both of them nothing more than pawns for your ambitions?'
'Yes, that's right. So all the sins are mine alone to shoulder!' the sudden change in Lelouch's monotone voice caused the listeners to jump in surprise. Or perhaps it was his words.

'My little sister had nothing to do with it!'
'Why, you coward! How can you use Nunnaly like that?'
The silent sound of cloth against stone could be heard.
'Suzaku.. I am sorry. For the first time in my life I'm bowing down to another person. Shame and honor means nothing to me. All I want is this, and.. my geass be damned, just please you have to save Nunnaly! I beg.."
The smashing sound of flesh against stones could be heard, as well as the gasp of pain from Lelouch.
'After everything you've done, you really think this is sufficient? You believe some bowing and begging is enough to get me to forgive you!'
'No of course I don't but it's all I've got, I've nothing else left to offer. You are the only person in the world who can safe my sister now!'
A small silence where only the sound of Lelouch's struggled breathing could be heard.
'So you believed that I would just ignore the past and forgive you. That everyone is going to forgive you? The people you tricked, the people who died thanks to you!' Suzaku's voice were shaking.
'And what about Euphi? You want to apologize? Bring Euphi back to life, right now!' Suzaku sounded desperate, Lelouch's breathing becoming increasingly more difficult by the second.
'I want to see you safe the world with all your malice.. Right now! You are Zero, the miracle maker aren't you?'
'I've performed no miracles, it's all been calculation and stage production. The mask they call Zero is a symbol, just a device that lets me tell lies.'
'.. a device? Your really expect me to buy that excuse, do you?'
The sound of a person grasping and lifting another sounded just as Lelouch's breathing became easier.
'If you are going to tell a lie then keep it up to the very end!'
'I can't go back to the past, it's not a choice. You know I can't undo what's already been done!'

A sharp intake of breath, then Suzaku's voice boomed.
'Lelouch, you will answer me!' The sound of a body hitting the ground was heard.
'Why did you use your geass on me to make me want to live! WHY?"

"The geass you used on me that drives me to live has corrupted my convictions. Why would you put such a curse on me?"
"I only did it because I wanted to survive."
"Then why did you safe me when I was accused of Prince Clovis' murder?"
"I wanted to make the japanese trust me, that's all."
"Why did you safe the student council members from the hotel jacking?"
"Because I thought it presented an ideal opportunity for the Black Knights' debut."

A long silence followed. Only Lelouch's ragged breathing could be heard. No one dared to say a word.

"You are lying, aren't you?"

Zero paused the recording, observing the silent, shocked faces of people gathered around him.

"That's what Scheizel didn't want you to hear." Zero placed the recorder in his pocket again.

"The truth."

Dam dam dam. I feel bad about borrowing so much monologue from the show (episode 17, R2 the taste of humiliation.)

But, the conversation between Lelouch and Suzaku are quit the turning point for many things in the story. So here you are.

I'm still have no idea where this is going. I thought I had the final chapter all planed out.. and well I still do but there's been some major plot changes.

In other news, I've finally moved. So now I have a lot of lonely nights with only my laptop as company. Which means lots of time to write which means awesome.
Hope everybody entered the new year safely.