Disclaimer: I own nothing of Code Geass, nor of Guilty Gear, nor to a lesser extent, BlazBlue and Rewrite. I do own this story, and all the inspirations along with it. And of course, the brain where the ideas came from.
Zero, the self-proclaimed Command Gear, had many depths to him.
Sure, he was smart, resourceful, was a good predictor and judge of people and their intentions, and most of all, a super-powered being, a self-aware Gear who did not fear his true self.
But he could also be a tad eccentric at times. It made Kaname Ohgi suspect that Zero was really as juvenile as his human disguise, Alan Spacer appeared. Granted, he hadn't known the Gear for long (no one in the "family" had) and what seemed strange to them all might just be the real manifestations of Gear personality. It was a disturbing prospect for they who were close to mastering their true forms under Zero's guidance.
Each had their faults: Tamaki had his Refrain addiction, Kallen her insecurity, he himself harbored jilted heart syndrome, so it made sense for Zero, the one who'd made the world turn, to exhibit signs of being, well, a kid.
A kid who loved to read. He, Tamaki and Kallen, when they were called in to the next meeting, entered the room to see their leader poring over stacks and scrolls and all other manner of archaic texts, leather-bound, ars-bound, invisible or sentient, in colors of grey, black, brown, gold, silver and plain white. The one spot in the room where he'd been sitting was covered from floor to ceiling with the objects, with the Gear himself murmuring excitedly on the floor, in his Alan Spacer persona, and alternately giving an exclamation or an exhalation.
They stood like that for quite a while, before Zero looked up, blinking the eyes behind the mask, and flushed. "Terribly sorry, dear friends, it's scholarly mania, if you would believe, gets a hold of me sometimes..." The disguised Gear stood up, pushing his way through the piles to stand before them, rubbing his hands.
"As you can see, that is Gaia's first contribution to our union." He turned to gesture to the piles. Ohgi saw the same smile he'd seen on himself before he discovered himself, when he was but a lowly schoolteacher. "Grimoires of forbidden lore, books detailing secret histories and arts most in the world will not see in their lifetimes. We've barely touched the surface, friends, but this is already a huge step."
"So what's this got to do with us?" Kallen asked.
"You're free to read of them if you want," said Zero, who sounded surprised at the question. "There may be differing impressions you lot can get, t'would be interesting, to tell the truth... but moving on, the reason I've asked a meeting is stored in a big, inconspicuous crate down on the basement below."
The redhead made an exasperated sound. Ohgi felt that he could sympathize. They had just walked up many flights of stairs, and though years of doing legwork for Gaia had done great for his stamina, at his age (and that was a thought, for being a Gear seemed to do nothing for age) the steps still stole a few breaths away from him.
"No need to worry," he assured them. Ohgi felt the scant seithr in the room pull, and in the next moment the surroundings bled away like wet paint. After he blinked, the new area came into focus, a wide open space dimly lit by a few feeble lamps and smelling of fossil-based diesel.
Behind Zero, in place of the books, was the crate he had mentioned, metal and unmarked.
"Behold friends," the Gear said, sweeping his hand towards the object. "The second part of Gaia's gift: our own Knightmare."
)()()()()()()()(
Lloyd Asplund blinked, slowly tilting his head millimeter by millimiter in tune with the object in his hand. It was an aluminum cylinder whose surface was transparent so as to reveal the contents inside, which was a tiny pen-sized scroll-like object swimming in a pile of goo. When tilted to one side, the object slowly dripped down the inside surface, and so followed the Earl's head.
The cylinder was a curious little invention by some anonymous mage of some metalworking circle (which he didn't bother to remember). Sealed by blood signatures obtained from the receiver, the fragile object was set to break open, revealing its contents on the specified time and date set by the sender. On the surface was laid an array which responded to the recipient's bio-signature, allowing them and only them to see what was inside. To anyone else, it was just another cylinder.
The object could also be broken by sheer stress – anything above a Level 8 ars set to destruction could override it. That was when the drop of liquid sakuradite would be ignited, destroying the evidence while potentially damaging the infiltrator.
His opinions on the impracticality of a device used frequently by Intel aside, Lloyd could do nothing more but wait for the time when the cylinder would be unsealed. He supposed it had something to do with the news on the current tense situation with the EU, thus necessitating future instructions forwarded by the Britannian center in Area Eleven, most especially by those nosy spooks at Intel.
"It has nothing to do with me," he'd commented drily to Cecile when she'd timidly asked. "If it's something to do with the Prince, couldn't he speak to us directly?
"No, I rather suspect a game is afoot. A dirty, dangerous game that can surely mean only ill for those not in the know. If I'd have to guess, now that the Valkyrie's here, there may be instructions for a coup."
"Sir!"
"...Or something less dangerous. Instructions to celebrate Her Majesty's birthday perhaps?"
After one last tilt, Lloyd looked over the top of his glasses at the Gear that had finally made its way to their Division after two – count 'em – two years. Two years of nothing but red tape, to which even the Prince could do nothing without calling attention to his support of Lloyd's pet project. Ah well, the Earl thought, Maybe it'll be good target practice for the Lancelot.
As if on cue, the Knightmare's Devicer walked into the bay in his Ashford uniform, ready for duty. He seemed to look over and glare at something as Lloyd trotted up to greet the Knight.
)()()()()()()()(
Suzaku wasn't the type of person to give himself to bouts of paranoia. He didn't even know what the feeling was. But the sight of the Britannian district's plants moving and shifting whenever he passed by was more than a little unnerving, even as the shaking bush or the waving branches stilled when he looked back.
Twice, black cats crossed his path. He stared after them as they disappeared into the crowd. He wasn't superstitious, but it made him queasy.
More than once, he thought he could spy a hint of pink disappear from the corner, or behind a street object when he looked over his shoulder (Predictably, no one was there when he doubled back).
And then, on his way to Honorary Duty, a flock of tiny birds alighted on the transport's roof as he was paying the driver, and the lot just stood there and stared.
With all the thoughts on his mind, he didn't even have time to express his misgivings on the Special Division's new Gear to Earl Lloyd when he reported in.
Pink...
He remembered the briefing. There were no indications she was a mage-sinister or anyone dangerous.
But as he passed through a park, a shortcut towards Ashford Institute where Lelouch was waiting, he felt the hairs on his neck rise. He swiftly twisted his head.
"Euphie...?"
"Hehehe... Finally caught you, mister armored! Or is it mister unarmored now... wait, your name was Suzaku right? I'm sorry, mister Suzaku then." She stuck her tongue out playfully, and then clasped her fingers together.
Well he'd found her. All that remained was to escort her back to Lloyd's, the nearest Britannian authority here.
"Hey, do you think you could you give me a tour of Japan, mister Suzaku?"
He blinked, surprised. "I'm sorry... miss Euphie, but I'm on the way to-"
"Come on, come on!" she exclaimed, suddenly tugging the his sleeve. "Just for a little bit. It won't take all day." But the afternoon was wearing away.
Thinking up a plan, he nodded at the insistent girl. "Okay then, miss Euphie. I'll show you Japan. But I do have to repeat that it's no longer Japan-"
"Yes, and that's why I meant Japan Japan, not Order Japan or Britannia Japan. I wanna see Japan just the way it was- is. Okay, lead the way then!"
"Please excuse me then, I've a call to make to my friend..."
"Oh, you're free to bring your friend! Is he a nice person like you, mister Suzaku?"
"No, he's a smarter, more capable guy, but he's almost always unavailable. He's nice when he is."
"Aw, I'd sure love to meet him." He turned away. Suzaku tried speaking in code to Lloyd, but it only seemed to confuse the engineer, who suggested that he head for home and rest.
Should've gotten some Knight's phone number. Legion-Master Tohdoh was naturally out, as superior, but surely there were some other Britannian Knight of equal rank he could've asked a number of for these sort of situations. "No- what I mean to really say sir, is-" He heard a leaf fall to the ground.
When he twisted to look, Euphie had disappeared. He instantly dropped the connection, looking left and right alertly. Nothing. It was as if the girl had been an illusion.
Suzaku scratched his head furiously. Had he been talking to no one? Was the stress of being student, Knight and Knightmare Devicer indeed getting to him, as Nina had suggested? (It was weird, the shy genius giving him tips on work) But then-
His eyes fell on the leaf on the ground. When he picked it up, he could barely discern the message on the green surface made out of the darker spots on the leaf. It was as if the leaf had developed just like this and the spots had merged to form a clear, coincidental message.
But it was Euphie, so he was sure now it couldn't be just that.
"Going on ahead, -E" He squinted. There was a strange symbol below the -E.
Suzaku Kururugi sighed, placing another call on his phone. The Knight had another duty to fulfill. He naturally couldn't just abandon this new situation. Lelouch would surely understand.
)()()()()()()()(
"Finally, finally someone comes in! Hello there, Nina dear, why don't you take a seat over there and we'll have Sayoko fix you up a nice warm cup of tea while you relate to me all the facts of your absence..."
"Um... I'm not sure I can stay long, Milly..." The bespectacled, pale-faced girl tried to pull away nervously, already herded to a chair.
"Oh that's no worry, we have plenty of time! Plenty of time to have tea, talk, and gossip, and tell me where the heck my top minions went!" Nina Einstein squeaked, her previously cheerful inner demeanor vanishing like a puff of hot smoke. "Okay. Shirley I can understand. She needs to go find a healing tutor. Suzaku's a Knight now, understandable, youngest Knight in Area Eleven and all that- but there it ends. Lelouch – he's a pain we all know clearly about, but still a pain, has to take supplementaries now for all the missed classes, Kallen – she always goes off, I can't touch her as she is, but this time the truancies are getting ridiculous, Rivalz – I'm going to have to discipline him later for extending his 'leave of absence' without my approval, but you – Nina! You, I never expected to be a delinquent. You're as much my ally of a model student as Shirley! Where've you been?"
"Does the council need to do something...Milly?"
"Not particularly, no," Milly blinked, as if the question was unexpected. "But it's part of the council job description that people show up! How can we, the representatives of the students' wills, do our jobs if our A players don't show up! Shirley's helpfulness, Lelouch's preciseness, Rivalz' enthusiasm – they're our prime movers, Nina, and that includes you."
Nina sighed, bowing her head as if in contrition. If only they picked a better target- but how was I supposed to know she'd grow up to be like this?
And where's Lelouch when you need him anyway? She exhaled a long sigh, an action which seemed to tick the Prez off.
"Now, you know I'm an understanding, permissive superior, and that after saying my angry bit I can easily go on to forgive you. But that's only after the reasonable explanation you guys will be giving me. So?" Milly crossed her arms before her chest, and leaned back. The Gear maid came in just in time to set down the tray of steaming tea.
"I've been in contact with my parents..." Milly's face fell. She knew Nina's "parents" well... guardians duly appointed by the Order to officially support her before she came of age in lieu of the real deal. "...And they were talking about a grant they've been looking at...they tell me the Fallson circle's on the lookout for promising new apprentices and they thought I would make a fine candidate..."
"Wha'd you tell them?" Milly was always allowed the privilege of breaching private spheres; only Lelouch and lately Kallen had taken a shine to resisting her at every attempt.
"... I told them I'd be thinking about it, that I was grateful, but..." She let the silence nervously trail off. Uncertainty. It was a genuine feeling in this moment, not feigned nor imitated off the protagonists of the latest Japanese-made comics.
"You want to know what he thinks?" The Prez flashed a brilliant, knowing smile.
She found herself nodding meekly, rubbing her worn, ungloved thumbs together. "He hasn't told me what he intends to do-"
"Did you know Suzaku invited him to the Order?"
"Wha-?" She stood up abruptly, the jarring action sending her untouched tea sprawling. Milly, seemingly anticipating that, had lifted her cup in the air a split-second before. Nina gaped openly at the Prez, who nodded sagely to herself.
"Oh yes. A real testament to their friendship. I don't believe anyone knows, and it was purely by chance that I was able to find out... I don't know why Suzaku wants Lelouch in there, probably something to do with Nunnally, Zero – or both. But I do wonder- how can that Lelouch, who's always at the bottom of physical be even remotely considered for a Knighthood? I mean-"
"There are the Order mages." She said abruptly.
"-And they're in top physical shape," Milly pointed out. "And I don't see that kid accepting – nor Suzaku for that matter – any sort of work below technician."
"There are...other ranks..." She caught herself in that thought, slapping her hand quickly to her mouth. "I-I- I mean, there are other ranks that don't require physical- I mean, he can be an advisory," she wrung her hands, looking for a suitable term, "-satellite advisor to a Knight."
"An auxiliary?" Milly made a noblewoman's laugh. "That Lelouch would find it 'completely unacceptable'!"
"Yes, he would..."
"It's also curious, Suzaku invited Lelouch and Kallen (though he was merely reinviting for the latter) but not Rivalz or the rest. I mean, if he thinks the Order needs people like Lelouch, wouldn't eager young souls be better in the short run first?"
"...I don't think the Order 'needs' people Milly."
"Well, you'd have to figure- with Zero and the whole Gear outbreak sort of thing, sooner or later the Guardians will find themselves too tired and stretched all over-"
"And they wouldn't accept just anybody into the Order," Nina continued firmly, her eyes on the spilling liquid. "No offense to Rivalz or Shirley, or you Milly, but there's a certain strength needed to be in the Order. A willpower... something that those two have."
"What are you talking about? What kind of willpower?"
"Something..." she clutched her uniform beneath the table. "Something that would drive them unto death."
Milly made a commiserating snort. "Maybe not death, but I know everyone's got things they'd fight for. Things they'd want to risk near-death for. There's always that something – even if they'd fail spectacularly against the odds in the end. Why do you think we beat the Black Beast? Why do you think magical girls exist?"
"...You might be right..."
"Although I do have to agree with you there on Rivalz." Milly poured herself another cup. She nodded to the maid Gear which had just arrived to clean up the mess and fished her cellphone, one of many, from her pocket. "I don't think he'd have the sheer guts to last in the Order."
)()()()()()()()(
Two monsters crashed against each other: a dog-sized hercules beetle and a wolf bristling with scales. He glimpsed the familiars fight it out, tooth and claw as he passed the meditation area by.
Tiny creatures. Only used by the least-inexperienced of Gaia's mages. Mindless cannon fodder, but effective as such in tying up Order rank-and-file. The really big and "monstrous" creatures with more complicated brains and powers were only able to be conjured up by those who'd stayed in Gaia the longest, and were subsequently deemed to have adopted its creeds well enough for the secrets of summoning to be revealed to them.
It didn't take any genius, and he knew the unscrupulous type that came to Gaia in droves well, to be smart enough to do the bare minimum of their due diligence: fulfilling their quota of years of service, pledging long chants of allegiance every year, spending boring hours listening to recordings of long-dead preachers and activists, among other "mundane" activities. Scum like those who betrayed the Exalted One belonged to those types.
What did it matter? They were all being digested in Little Orochi's stomach anyway.
But still- he gritted his teeth behind the mask that was to ever portray an easygoing face and at the same time clenched his fingers, under whose nails hid the weapons of his specialization- he should have seen it coming a mile away. Eliminated them before they had a chance to ensnare the Exalted One in their scheme, and from there falling into the machinations of one Zero.
He felt his cellphone vibrate inside his pocket. An unnecessary ornament, but one that did his cover justice. He shook his head, having finally reached his destination.
A pair of mages, hand-picked by the Exalted One herself, stood to attention in front of the door to the archives. When they saw him, they nodded, relaxing their poses as he passed through the sliding door.
For he of little magical strength, with consequently weak sensitivity to seithr and Ars, the Vault was an intoxicating attack on his senses. The smell of the preserving arrays, the sight of many anti-scrying and security wards blinking all sorts of sharp, bright colors, and the sounds of the whirring and skittering of the things being kept inside, all combined to leave a common man like him reeling. A mage might have better impressions.
Inside the Vault were stored the Far East Branch's most coveted objects, artifacts, forbidden lore, Nox Nyctores unbound to an owner, specimens from all magical creatures from Gears to dragons, and other assorted curios. They meant little to him, but apparently Zero, and by extension his mistress, thought differently.
He found the palanquin-bearers and the palanquin itself behind an enchanted statue of an unknown creature. They were beside a box the same size as the palanquin itself, made of stone and riddled along its surface with defense ars that made it look like it was scarred and bleeding.
"Exalted One, your servant has come. How may this body serve you?"
"Please, not now, dear servant," the Holy Woman said dreamily, unseen inside the palanquin. It was strange, now that he thought about it. His mistress rarely ever deigned to use that archaic thing. The palanquin-bearers, constructs tied to the conveyance itself, were made from his mistress' flesh and blood, and they gave off a pallid sheen.
"You must be wondering why I've come with this transport, loyal servant."
"I am nothing before your clairvoyance, Exalted One."
She giggled. "I suppose it was a whim. I haven't used this since I was a child. And I find that it fits, in a sense, with my purpose here. What do you think is inside that box, servant?"
He glanced at the big box again. "I can only venture to guess – something secret, something that you're planning on opening. Beyond that, I must humbly say my mind has no business knowing."
"Very good." She seemed pleased. "While Lord Zero has expressed his gratitude for my first gifts, I myself find it inadequate. Surely His Excellence-" and here he gagged at the term- "-cannot merely be satisfied by such little things. So I thought: what other thing may better secure his interest than in offering him something audaciously more. Something locked in the Vault."
He was silent, trained enough not to ask what the "something" was. He only knew from brief briefings, and the occasional talk overheard that the Vault held a massive repository of everything that Gaia didn't even want its own mages knowing. Its contents were mysterious, like a magical treasure cave, and only the Holy Woman, along with the equally nebulous figures that led the whole of Gaia knew what was hidden inside.
Not even he should know. Members of his station didn't need to know. So why-?
"It's a wonderful, super-secret artifact- a prototype, from what I've been told. I'm not really sure with the specifics. The object inside this box is the newest to be added into the Vault, you see. Only over five years old.
"Are you familiar with Knightmares, servant?"
"To a degree, Exalted One," he replied promptly.
"I've sent Lord Zero a Knightmare, but I believe it wasn't enough. The Gekka is too old, too out-dated, too much Order-like. I don't want Lord Zero to feel like he's joined forces with Guardian. And when I sat and thought long about it, I had a sudden inspiration! Why not offer this?
"This, loyal servant, is an experimental Frame, built on the Gekka's skeleton. Its maker is an equally loyal servant of Gaia, and her own grandfather was the spirit behind the Gekka itself. This Frame was supposed to successfully emulate our methods – siphoning magical energy from within than without. But no one was able to use it, and so, she abandoned the project and gave it to us. And now..."
He saw a white-gloved hand emerge from the curtains, and he hastened to keep an eye on the surroundings. Even the Vault was not exempt from danger. His mistress' mere exposure could mean the only opening an enemy would need.
The Holy Woman, on the other hand, didn't seem to be mindful of the danger. She absently stroked the box's surface with a finger, as if testing its feeling on her skin. Then the hand withdrew, and he relaxed his muscles.
"I've never seen it myself... but I've sent envoys to our comrades in the Federation. With luck, the good doctor will be enjoined to pursue her past work. Guren... what an elegant name."
)()()()()()()()(
"What do you mean to do with the Knightmare, Zero?" asked Ohgi. The man was scrutinizing the crouched Frame, identified as a Gekka, and was doing the best impression of a skeptical platform buyer.
"What do you know about Knightmares everyone?" he asked as a way of answering. Lelouch unlocked the box of auxilliary tools that was needed to screw in the loose parts that still needed attachment to the Frame's internal core. He clutched and weighed each tool in his hand, recalling the classes of Knightmare engineering at the Academy. He caught Kallen's eye, who quickly looked away from Alan Spacer's mask.
"I dunno, only read about 'em, and seen a lot on TV," offered Tamaki, who watched him begin to work.
"I was able to learn to ride a Burai before, but that was a long time ago." Ohgi laid a tentative hand on the Gekka's unpainted armor.
"The Academy taught me a bit," said Kallen, strangely keeping her eyes on the ceiling. "Learned to use them. I remember learning how to repair them."
"Good." He readied his wrists, a tool clutched in each hand. The three stood back and watched as he got to work. Gaia giving them the Knightmares currently used by the Order was very telling. He'd supposed they had some method of duplicating Sutherland or even Gloucester manufacture. Perhaps they were only given to trusted members.
"What're we gonna do with the Knightmare, Zero?" Tamaki asked again after the mask had well and truly threatened to torch his skin away. "You want us getting in there and raising hell for the Order in those things?" The man offered a weak chuckle.
He beamed at them. "Yes."
Kallen was still understandably skeptical. "You mean as a Gear." Lelouch made a small nod. "You actually think it can work."
"Theoretically," he said after making a show of thinking for a moment. "Today will show for us the outcome of my theory."
"What if you fail?" asked Ohgi. "You do know what happens to even humans failing to use it right?"
Lelouch wanted to lash out at the man, remembering his own abysmally average sync rate. Glancing at Kallen, it seemed she had remembered.
He smiled reassuringly. "You forget who I am. I have the habit of making the impossible possible."
"Yeah. You can do it, man!" cheered Tamaki. "Making the impossible possible – that's cool." The man was getting to be a useful pep-provider.
"Thank you." A prickling second, and he was Zero – Zero of the tail. He laid his not-quite monstrous hand on the activation sigil, an archaic feature of the earlier Gekkas and was virtually phased out in the Sutherland generation. He concentrated, summoning his will-
Pain- Well, that was expected. He felt around with his senses. No sign of rejection, meaning he was still in contact with the Frame's array. Come on, sync-
An explosion. Zero felt the rough surface of the concrete bite into his back. He was angered at the way his tail writhed like a separate entity next to him as he was helped up by Tamaki.
"You okay man?"
"Yeah...I guess it's kinda part of being a Gear, maybe?"
"Complete rejection..." he murmured aloud, his thoughts awhirl. Ohgi nodded sagely while Tamaki looked crestfallen. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kallen stare at him with an inscrutable expression.
"A mere setback," he proclaimed, striding up to the Knightmare once more. The Gekka's decorative visor glinted, as if challenging him. This time, he allowed himself a smirk and reverted back into Alan Spacer. Quickly, he raised his hand-
- And found himself synced. All the status being read to him was optimal and green, and the warmth of the Knightmare's insides gave him the only encouragement he needed. Through the Factspheres he spied the others' expectant faces, including Kallen's who still seemed skeptical.
No way around it. The concentration was, as usual, killing him. This was the time. Lelouch took a deep breath, and transformed-
A supernova exploded from within him, igniting his body into a furnace of pure pain. He rocked and shook instinctively, dimly aware of the status signs blinking red and danger, but he held on. Through whatever damned pain the experience would bring him, through the chance of unfortunate, accidental death or permanent entombment, he would hold on, hold on to himself, to himself, to himself-
The roaring furnace became a bright bonfire, then the flames of the hearth, then a flickering candle, then a single, stray spark. The darkness of the Frame's interior, a marked contrast to the multicolor norm, surrounded him when next he opened his eyes.
His eyes instantly sought his hands. Gear. Then they went to the status. Green.
He did it.
He'd done it!
He laughed then, a high, reverberating rumble that filtered out through the Gekka's communication speakers. "I did it! Yes! I have done- I have achieved it! This is true Gear!" The power threatened to run away from him, but he reined it back. He looked back at the sync rate, still average, but he no longer seemed to need to concentrate as much. There was no mental strain. Just a cold, clinging darkness instead of the colored, glowing warmth.
He tested the Gekka, moving its body, clenching and unclenching its fists, walking its feet and activating its Landspinners. With them, he slowly coasted to Kallen, who stood still, mouth open in shock while the others made surprised sounds.
"See what we can do, young flame. There is no height we cannot reach, no obstacle we cannot overcome with effort." He held a hand to the girl. "There is no longer any need to fear or live under its shadow. I have done it!"
)()()()()()()()(
The scant acres apportioned to the endangered race that the Order was meant to "Preserve" was fundamentally a colony within a colony, its flora and fauna meticulously bred and culled within the confines of the forested ecosystem that was meant to emulate old Japan, all for their benefit.
Elevens were allowed to take up residence here, and some did live in the several villages dotted throughout the forest, mixing new amenities like ars-barriers and Net transceivers with traditional housing and design. But most found the cloistered environment too stifling, and either followed the mass exodus to the satellite colonies, or found residence in the other Districts, which they were certainly well in their rights to do. Some hiked up their clothes, packed their most precious belongings, and emigratedm from the Preserve, never looking nor turning back.
Suzaku remembered only a dim glimpse of the area, knowing that his father had transferred to the Britannian district sometime before he began pre-school, and then only returning here shortly before... that event.
He shook his head. Mustn't think too much. I'm just here to retrieve Euphie.
It would have been a chore for the casually-dressed Knight to find one human in the admittedly wide forest, but some clues made themselves known to him as soon as he stepped past the Order Knights into the district itself.
Crooked branches, distended trees, and most obviously, a shrieking flock of birds on the sky atop a tree he spied in the distance. The trees seemed to murmur a chorus, their branches blown by an unseen breeze.
"Are you Snow White?" asked Suzaku when he arrived at the clearing. Within, a literal crowd of animals were surrounding the girl on almost every part of her body, and the trees whistled and waved around them. Euphie herself was giggling loudly, as if she were being constantly tickled.
"Oh, I know that story! Sister used to read me that, everyone was so kind, except for the big, mean witch! Oh, how I hated to hear her plan bad things for dear Snow White! Why do you say I'm like her, mister Suzaku?"
"Because you always seem to be surrounded by animals and..." He suppressed a shiver when several branches brushed themelves against his nape. "...plants..."
"But I couldn't possible be- These kind friends are only greeting me, silly! They're telling me everything they know about Japan." And with that, Suzaku was treated to a bizarrely cute scene of Euphie making all sorts of squeaky animal noises using the back of her throat. The sight extinguished his resolve to just grab her arm and bring her out.
"What about you, Suzaku?" Even this Knight, killer of Gears, found it intensely disturbing for a multitude of eyes to be fixed on him all at once in that moment. "What can you tell me about Japan?"
After a moment, he answered hesitatingly. "Japan was before. Japan...was my ancestors' land. Because of a lot of bad things, it no longer is." He saw the animals disperse when Euphie stood up.
"Don't you wish to see Japan as it was again? Look at it all, Suzaku!" said Euphie in wonder, spreading her arms wide and twirling on her feet. "It's such a wondrous, beautiful place to see! The plants, the animals, the wide blue sky, the smell of grass and earth, the sound of the trees' gossip and the water tumbling over the rocks, don't you want all of the outside to be like this? Don't you wish all of Japan, all of the world to be like this?" The greenery seemed to explode, and Suzaku had a vision of pink petals falling on the seasonal wind, the cool gentle winds caressing every part of his body, his hand clutched tight in his mother's warm hand.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," murmured Suzaku, overwhelmed for the moment. "But what can anyone do? The world's become too much ugly for anyone to help."
"And that's where everyone comes in! Won't you help me then?"
"Huh? Help?"
Euphie ceased her boundless motions and returned to stand on two feet. She smiled fearlessly, turning her pure eyes to his. Suzaku thought he could see something grand and imposing, something divine, behind them.
Much like Lelouch at times, now that he thought on it.
"This is my gift to you, the Japanese, and the whole world, mister Suzaku. I will heal Japan!"'
"Euphie, what-"
She leaned in conspiratorially. "But I need other people's help. I'm being always chased and booed by the bad people, you see... Isn't it scary? So, will you help me, mister Suzaku? Keep the bad people away so I can bring back Japan?"
The Knight was perfectly still, staring dumbfoundedly at the pleading girl. A million thoughts ran through his mind. He then shook his head and held out his hand.
"If you'll follow me, miss Euphie, I'll take you to a place where no bad person will ever come."
She took his hand without hesitation, but somehow she was pouting. "You're going to take me back to sister, aren't you? Hmph."
"I'm not!" he protested, surprised to hear his voice crack. He began leading her out of the forest, pushing past foliage that seemed reluctant to give way for them.
"Liar." And he heard Euphie laugh. "Oh alright then, sir Suzaku. I suppose sister must be worried enough. I don't want to keep her worried for long. It might be just the right time to end this 'adventure' – to prepare for the next one."
)()()()()()()()(
A gloved fist slammed on the table, and Viletta Nu used all the years of training under her belt to prevent herself from flinching.
"Why do you pester me with this, Lieutenant? You've made five different appointments, and you've been answered every single time. The 'Valorous Brigade' is being reconstituted into the Eleventh Pacific Reserve – my troops. You may get redeployment, but until the Homeland says so, you're here, with me. Does that make it any clearer to you?" The Valkyrie's eyes flashed.
"My many apologies for my lack of grace, Your Highness," Viletta said through dry lips. "B-But I was merely concerned for the sake of the men. We have yet to receive definite word on the whereabouts of Captain Gottwald, and without him, the death ceremonies-"
"Go. Do your death ceremonies. You have my utmost assurances that Captain Jeremiah Gottwald will never return to the Valorous Brigade again." The Princess looked away, as if already dismissing her. "I grieve for every Britannian soul lost to that monster, but if your persistence is due to your archaic traditions, then I suggest you lot grow up, commission a bar in the district, and spend an entire night there. I give you leave. For that night."
"Traditions, Your Highness?"
Cornelia looked back, frowning. "Sacrifices- a feast- why else would you mention death ceremonies which require the head of your Division? I thought those died a hundred years ago, aren't I right Darlton?"
"Isolated pockets, Your Majesty," the scarred Knight said graciously. "They still exist, though never reaching such elaborateness again to warrant..." he glanced at Viletta. "Now see here, Lieutenant. If this inconvenience of her Royal Highness is indeed due to your burial traditions then I'd suggest you scurry off and go do it. That may have been permissible under your old Captain, who you were already assumed wouldn't return to take command again, or under Prince Clovis – my apologies, your Highness- but now you're all under the Valkyrie. What we expect comes from the new Britannian paradigm – results."
"Thank you Darlton," Cornelia said, quirking an eyebrow at her impassioned Knight, who instantly fell silent. Viletta saw him exchange a glance with the other Knight. "As my loyal Knight has said, now that this District is under my command, there will be many changes. Zero is an enemy of the Empire, Lieutenant – an enemy of the Heirs. While he lives, I cannot return to my place in the battlefields of the Atlantic. There must be a reckoning with this Gear, and you will either aid me to the best of your abilities or get off my hierarchy. There are many more divisions who desire to be sponsored by me, and I'm not saying it lightly or arrogantly. There are many more...competent divisions who will jump at the chance to be sponsored. And if you don't want your own broken division to be kicked out disgraciously like old dogs, then you will do as I command. Do we have an accord, Captain Nu?"
"Captain...?" For once, Viletta's face relaxed, exposing shock.
"As of today, you've been promoted to Captain of the Valorous. Well met, Captain. Your first orders are to take your troops out to a night of drinking at the town. Or do something else that fits your group. At dawn the next, you will report to Lord Guilford's briefing back here, where the details of my next operation will be revealed to you. Dismissed."
"Yes, your Highness!" Viletta saluted crisply, albeit a tad numbly. Three pairs of hard, unfeeling eyes watched the newly promoted officer march out of the office, only catching her foot once on the carpet.
)()()()()()()()(
It had been fulfilling to have his theory validated.
It was gratifying to see the others do it successfully too. Tamaki hadn't lasted long, but he had vigor. Ohgi, seemingly a veteran, only let himself come free of the Gekka when he himself knew that he couldn't control it anymore.
Kallen... well, she was the other major point of this meeting. He wondered how much more he could keep saying "Focus" and "Do your best" without sounding like his own hated PhysEd instructor.
The way the Gekka was turning steadily red, as if it was running a literal furnace inside its Frame was the first warning sign.
"Kallen, are you still in there?"
An outburst at this point was bad – it had been accounted for, but he'd rather hoped it wouldn't happen. If the Order found out, he'd only have a short time herding them to safety and destroying the books Gaia had given them.
The second warning sign was the air in the basement, already an unventilated warmth, turning up the heat as if they were inside an oven.
"I- fine- I'm still h-e-r-here- I'm-me-myself-" The Gekka shook as if caught in an fit of epilepsy, its Factsphere and Landspinners deploying and retracting erratically.
"This is bad, Zero! Something might happen to her!"
There were so many things that could happen to her. There were already many unknowns to human-Knightmare interfacing, Gears that were unaccounted for were another thing entirely.
Damn, he should've researched and tested it himself first. Now, Kallen would probably-
It was no time to hesitate. Growling, Zero lunged, hand stretching like a speeding shadow towards the manual ejection override interface on the Gekka. Before he could reach it, however, two things happened.
One, the interfacing rings appeared in front of the Knightmare, ejecting an unconscious Kallen Kouzuki onto his oustretched arms. The girl's body was scalding, literally making his arms steam. He didn't entertaing the searing pain as the second event happened.
The Knightmare turned angry-red. Ohgi seemed to have recognized that sign, shouting something that Zero couldn't hear clearly.
Somewhere inside, Lelouch clucked his tongue. Alan Spacer returned, and quickly chanted one of the Ars Magus he was forbidden to cast in public.
Before the explosion of magical metal and liquid sakuradite, a sweeping blanket of pure shadow fell like a curtain over the four. There was a brief flash, and then the basement was filled with the glow of the fiery aftermath.
Tamaki stared in wide-open shock at the mess as the shadow receded. Lelouch wanted to reflect on the irony of losing a Knightmare on the day they'd just started using it, but then he had already started moving.
Another pull of seithr, and they were back on top. The three of them could hear the fire alarm blaring right outside the window.
"Take Kallen." He ordered. As Ohgi hastened to obey, Lelouch turned to the stack of files. Another set of forbidden incantations, and the lot was engulfed in a pouch of dark.
"We go. Now. Did you make sure no one saw you come inside?" He gestured for Tamaki, who had ran off to look outside the window, to come to them in the center of the room.
"Yeah... back-alley and all..." Ohgi choked up when the surroundings shifted again. They were on top of a rooftop.
"This is where you'll be, Tamaki." When the man grunted in understanding, Lelouch raised a hand in farewell and pulled seithr again.
"Make sure she gets home safely." Ohgi thinned his lips and nodded. He noticed the steam rising from the man's hands. She was still hot. Zero jerked his head upward as aerial platforms above screamed past.
A pull of seithr and Ohgi and Kallen disappeared. He was again in the room. Zero grabbed the pouch of darkness and then sent a fire ars onto the carpeted floor. A few more teleports and the rest of the rooms on the floor were in a blaze.
White and blue flashed past the corner of his eyes. Order Knights on the aerial platforms were already circling the building. Zero made one last jump, taking the precious pouch with him.
C.C seemed to have been waiting for him. The green-haired woman sat on the window of her room, legs swinging over the edge.
"You're back."
He exhaled a large gasp as he stumbled, headache and bodyaches and all, from the temporary rift in the fabric of reality. Lelouch wrenched off the mask of Alan Spacer while he slammed the pouch on the floor.
"I did it witch. I won your stupid bet." He gagged and found himself running for the bathroom.
"... Did you now?" he heard her murmur softly. When he pulled his head from the sink and returned, utterly exhausted, to the room, he saw she was looking at him with a strange light in her eyes.
"What?"
Lelouch thought he saw her shudder, but then realized it had been a shiver of dissent. "Nothing."
"...No mocking? No insults to my intelligence or jabs at my incompetence-"
"Little Gear, do not mistake my silence as a chance for you to gloat."
"So I've evolved to a Little Gear now? Thank the Emp- Thank the stars. Being just baby Gear was already growing on me."
He heard C.C utter her own sigh. "No, I don't suppose you're a baby now, aren't you? You've 'grown'. You've made an impossible condition work. But it begs the question, Lelouch – are you aware of what you've unleashed on this world?" No matter how long he pressed, C.C refused to answer.
)()()()()()()()(
"You have our greatest assurances, Lord Tohdoh, that the members of the Sumeragi Conglomerate will keep watch for the terrorist organization Gaia's movements. We are glad to be of service to the esteemed Order."
Tohdoh's eyes seemed to glare through the dimness of the chamber at the grainy video feet before the assembly of Knights, showing a vague outline of the Sumeragi heiress. His fellow Legion-Master had assured him that the heiress herself had consented to communicate personally with the Order regarding the Gaia sightings in Narita, but the veteran was angered to see the meeting reduced to a farcical video-conversation.
"Our deepest apologies, but the mistress is quite busy with an affair in the sakuradite mines and will not be able to be here in person-" an aide had apologized, bowing to them when he and the contingent of Knights had arrived.
"Then how can we know that we are indeed speaking to Sumeragi Kaguya herself?" Tohdoh'd demanded. The mousy-looking aide had wrung his hands.
Her voice was young and cultured as the reports indicated. She'd expressed understandable fear and concern for the colony in the aftermath of the reported Zero sighting and had pledged, lightly, all the resources the conglomerate could offer to help the Order in any way. She'd sweetly commended the efforts of the currently stationed Knights, and had (to him) indirectly prodded for the Order's current stance on the hotly debated restrictions of colony rights – whose relaxation would help boost Sumeragi income with the influx of non-Japanese and non-Guardians.
She had then cheerfully danced around the next subject of the Gaia sightings.
"You must understand, honored Sumeragi, that the sightings are no longer isolated cases. There is a definite pattern to their appearances."
"I understand the need for caution, honored Knights. And I assure you all that we of the Conglomerate are taking steps to investigate this claim. As soon as my people have reached their conclusions, I shall pass them along to the Order. Until then, there will be no harm in increasing the stationed Knights in Narita."
"Will you not object then, to cursory inspections."
A sharp, cutting silence ensued. "The gesture is appreciated, but we would request a three-week grace period before you formally start any investigation – for security purposes, most assuredly."
"This is Order business, respectfully, honored Sumeragi. You must agree."
"And again, we strongly request a three-week grace period. Surely that is not too much of a demand?"
He could not pressure the heiress for long. Too much and there would be massive friction among the remnant Japanese, who had many members of the old noble houses as Knights in the Order and who were perhaps sympathetic to the shared view that the Sumeragis and the other surviving clans shared – an independent, renewed Japan.
"Did you really intend for an inspection, Lord Brother?" one of his Elites asked on the way back from the Sumeragi estate.
"It was something I was considering on the way here, but my personal inspections..." Tohdoh repressed a shudder. "Nothing against the Legion-Master here, but the Knights are far too lax. And the policies give too much power to the local Sumeragi. It is a troubling sight. And with Zero..."
)()()()()()()()(
"...It is certainly a troubling prospect for our Narita base. Please evacuate all personnel and equipment in the meantime. I trust you all to leave no traces."
"Yes, Exalted One." Some of the gathered members bowed and left the Holy Woman's chambers.
He approached the curtains, overriding another member's supplication. Well tough luck lackey, but I got something important on hand. "Exalted One, a message from the Eyes. Something for yours only."
"Very well. Servants?" Understanding the tone, the rest of the assembly filed through the door which glimmered shut behind them.
He handed the small, disposable datapad to his mistress. Honor and loyalty kept him from glancing at the obvious message engraved on the surface.
The Holy Woman made a short, surprised sound behind the curtains. "Oh my. My dear servant?"
"At your call, mistress." He prostrated himself even lower.
"Please send this immediately to Lord Zero."
He blinked rapidly behind his mask. "Z-Z-Zero- my pardons... Zero, most Exalted One? He... is not of Gaia."
"Please do it as quickly as possible through the normal channels. The information is of great concern to His Excellence. And this, together with the Guren, will hopefully cement his trust in me, and in Gaia."
He stood stunned in the darkness, masked face unbelieving.
"Servant?"
"R-r-right away, Exalted One!" He scurried off, more mouse than man. Zero, you better be a good match for the mistress or I'll be slitting your stomach!
)()()()()()()()(
"Can't you help?"
She shook her head. "You have to learn your lesson, little Gear. Using seithr to heal yourself when you're on the point of exhaustion is a stupid thing to do."
Lelouch grumbled, finishing the last touches to the dressing on his hands. They still stung and ached, and there were noticeable burns on the skin. When he'd set to expediting the healing process with a simple healing Ars, the exhaustion that had racked his body from the constant teleports had finally brought him down and he'd collapsed in an ungainly heap among the books.
C.C, despite her recent, strange praise of him, had nonchalantly walked back into the room, where she began to play a 'Net game, her back to him.
Twice he'd sent a book sailing through the virtual screen, which didn't seem to faze the witch as she guided her spaceship with effortless ease through a cordon of spiked aliens.
"Really, how childish of you Lelouch."
"I need help. This might set me back."
"Only if you say 'please'." Lelouch could swear the witch had smiled, judging from the way she saw her cheeks twitch.
"Fine. Please." C.C flashed her amused amber gaze on him when she turned around, and he had the sneaking suspicion that he'd been led by the nose all along as she let her virtual ship die and set to weaving the healing Ars.
The cellphone rang – her phone. C.C raised a brow at the ringing thing before kicking the stand down, causing the ringing phone to slide towards him. Swathed in the glow of the healing Ars, Lelouch gingerly picked the device up.
"Ohgi?"
"Fresh – just this instant, Zero. I think they intended for you only to unlock it."
Lelouch frowned at the attached message, a mass of gibberish symbols and scribbles. Fortunately, the cipher was just on hand, and it took him only a minute to make sense of Gaia's latest message.
"It seems I made the breakthrough not a moment too soon, witch." He said, staring off into space. C.C sniffed, nodding in satisfaction at the sufficiently healed hands as she let the seithr free. "They seem to be moving." He glanced back down at the message. "A new Knightmare... how did they know? Were they monitoring the Gekka?"
"You blew up a Knightmare? I'm guessing it was that suspicious girl."
"It was merely an accident. I – wait, how did you know it blew up? And how did you know it was Kallen?" His eyes swept accusingly at the green-haired Gear.
She shrugged, kicking off her sandals as she flopped onto the bed beside him. "A lucky guess with the girl... you told me she was one of the few whom you called in for this meeting and as far as I can tell she hasn't had control over herself yet. And it's very obvious from your loud thoughts how your last gift ended up."
Lelouch blinked to himself. "Perfectly reasonable, now that you mention it. Too often I lose track of the obvious, searching for the obscure, the bizarre, the disordered facts – a flaw, just as one acquaintance told me, long ago." He then brandished C.C's cellphone at her. "My former rival in the Palace Investigation Team."
"I'm pretty sure it's... a sibling?"
"Yes." Lelouch recovered his glasses from the pile of books, assuming the role of Lelouch Lamperouge once more. "I feel myself fortunate that I am informed of my opponent's next moves. Thank the Emp- Thank Gaia for small favors." He tossed the cellphone back to C.C, who caught it unerringly with her hand while she kept her gaze on the painted ceiling. "My dear sister's on the hunt, C.C, as I am to begin mine."
He redialed Ohgi. "Ohgi, please have Kallen recover as soon as possible. No- yes, I know, but time now is of the essence, as I have said. She will be my trump card. Our ace."
"Your failure's an ace?" C.C whispered. He rolled his eyes and glared at her.
"She's my ace," he repeated emphatically as soon as he hung up. "Even I, 'Justice reborn' can sense the power slumbering inside her. Kallen will be my ace, if she agrees."
"If you say so, Lelouch."
AN: Cut and remerged the chapter, as I promised. Still a bit busy being the gofer, so no daily updates yet until two weeks are past.
Thanks to my friend, I have here a shout-out here goes to reader chronodekar, thank you for reading and appreciating, I'm very grateful. And to the rest of you of course, named and unnamed – thank you.
Merlin Out.