So this chapter revolves mainly about Suzaku's thoughts after the events of Zero Requiem. There are italicized ones that corresponds for a flashback. And you can see that it has the same layout as the first one shot: REQUIEM. Because in this one, I also added a song along with it. If in REQUIEM I used the song 'See You Again'. With this one, I used the song 'Our Farewell' by Within Temptation. You shall listen to it as you read this for more of the feels! Because when I am writing this one, it instantly played from my playlist so yeah. I cried from the start of writing this one until the end of it because I keep on repeating the song all over.

foxydame: Here is your request for Suzaku's POV! Actually, his thoughts alone. :D

REQUEST: "Can you write from suzaku's POV plz." from foxydame.

REDEMPTION

In my hand

A legacy of memories

An' I can hear you say my name

"Hurry up, Lelouch!" Suzaku called back to Lelouch who is some meters away from him. Nunnally has her strong hold onto Suzaku just as the latter carries her on his back. "You are indeed so slow!"

Lelouch then shouted, "Just because you are such an exercise nut! But if you reach the top, go ahead. You already have Nunnally with you, I'll just follow you."

Suzaku stops and stare ahead of him.

"I told you, Suzaku, go ahead and I'll—" Lelouch instantly stopped himself at the time that he finally reach the top of the hill and seeing the sight ahead of him.

The view of a close lake, the setting sun just by the horizon. It is indeed peaceful, quiet, beautiful.

"This is another of my special places," Suzaku said as he turned to Lelouch's direction. "In times that I need to relax myself, I'll stay here for some minutes. Then all the stress and trouble in my mind will finally be gone. What do you think of it, Lelouch?"

I can almost see your smile

Feel the warmth of your embrace

"It's beautiful!" Lelouch beamed with a wide smile as if it his first time to see something unique like a curious child.

Nunnally sighed behind Suzaku. "I can say that it is indeed beautiful."

The two boys cast her a glance, asking.

"Even if I can't see it, I can feel the relaxing ambiance the place has. The warmth of the breeze and the heat of the fading sun, it is indeed beautiful."

"Nunnally…" Lelouch mumbled, sadness warping onto his system.

Suzaku realized it that he instantly says, "Nunnally, when you can see again, the three of us will return here, and we'll enjoy the view. The three of us together!"

"Really?"

"Yes, we promise, Nunnally. You'll see it as well, just as the three of us had been here, no matter what!" Suzaku then turned to Lelouch. "Right, Lelouch?"

Lelouch smiled at him gently and nodded. "Yes. That's our promise."

But there is nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

Yes… That's our promise eight years ago… Just one of the many promises that you had, Lelouch. You promise… but that is also a lie.

Is this our farewell?

The sun just set few minutes ago. On top of the hill is an unmarked grave. Fresh white lilies was placed on top of the tomb. Other kind of flowers, majority of them were red roses, were placed beneath the white lilies and there are some surrounding it.

Ever since the video was released to everyone who is close to Lelouch, the tomb was slowly littered by flowers as a remembrance. But among all, it was the white lilies that catches the view, because it is white and the only different color among the many others.

Zero stands across the grave. He had already remove his cloak around him and the mask that hides his face, the very item that conceals Suzaku Kururugi's identity from the rest of the world.

He stares intently at the unmarked grave after laying down the white lilies he have brought along with him. He can't think of any flower that will match Lelouch to tell the truth. He could bring though red roses since it seems to be the embodiment of them together, the red flower were the color of Lelouch's eyes and the stem and leaves were the color of his eyes. But many other people had brought that very flower already. Nunnally says that it was her older brother's favorite flower that's why. So to have a change, Suzaku decided that white lilies is an uncommon one.

A lily has a lot of meanings from hope, faith, purity and innocence, to cleansing, becoming and transitioning, and to majestic, remembrance and promise. There is no other best flower for Lelouch but the white lilies alone.

He remember that one time, that very afternoon before Zero Requiem. It was all on that day that the truth was finally opened for Suzaku to see.

Sweet darling, you worry too much, my child

See the sadness in your eyes

I always thought that you are completely and purely white.

You are not alone in life

Although you might think that you are

"You called for me, Your Majesty," Suzaku stated as he knelt on one knee. He had been wearing different clothes already, much more simple than his Knight of Zero uniform. He cease himself from wearing the said uniform since that day that he was proclaimed dead.

"There's no need to bow at me anymore, Suzaku," Lelouch told him.

Suzaku lifted his head to look at the other young man, surprised himself to see that Lelouch isn't wearing his usual white emperor robes anymore. He was dressed in all black, a sign of mourning than the usual funeral white robes. It is odd for him to see Lelouch this way, especially with a black cloak covers him fully until his knees and paired up with black boots, as if he had come pass the winter season.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch questioned him, realizing that he is looking at him intently and in curiosity.

Suzaku finally stood up and lowered down his gaze. "Nothing."

Never thought

This day would come so soon

We had no time to say goodbye

"Sorry if I called you here with such risk," Lelouch told him softly as he moved close to the window panel. The sunset outside cast shadows inside the room and is the only thing that lighted up the whole empty throne room.

"There's nothing to worry about it. Why did you called me?"

"Just to assure myself that you haven't still run away."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you can't kill me could you?"

Suzaku stiffened.

"You would say that you hate me but in the very end of everything, you still find it hard to believe that it was only you I err to do the killing," explained Lelouch as he stared outside. "That's what I can see."

"It's simple, Lelouch," Suzaku replied. "You told me that you wanted 'tomorrow'. But… You're leaving that to me. You're simply escaping it then again. What is really your wish?"

"That's an odd thing to ask. You keep on telling yourself that you want to kill me, do you? That only proves the fact that you are in doubt."

"Is that… really fine with you?!"

"The world needs tomorrow. A tomorrow where I do not exist."

How can the world just carry on?

I feel so lost when you are not at my sight

"That's your wish? In the end, to give everyone a future?"

Lelouch then turned to him. "When Britannia conquered Japan… no, when Britannia conquered the whole world, the powerless and the weak… do you think the Numbers has a future of their own liking?"

Suzaku lowered his head and asked, "I want you to tell me then. Why did you order me to live with your Geass? It's because I am a Number that needs to have my own future as well?"

"I should be laughing at your question. Even if… I tell you, that's your curse to bear." Lelouch then brought his hands to his face and started rattling, muttering, as if the façade of someone not afraid had finally break apart, "To tell the rest of the truth, I do not know what to do anymore. I do not want to leave…"

The knight instantly looks up at him surprised. He can hear his majesty sobs on his own. He doesn't know what cause such thing for the young emperor in front of him to finally break his emotions into the open.

But there is nothing but silence now

Around the one I loved

"I do not want to die… I… do not… want to… die! I want to live, damn it!"

Is this our farewell?

Suzaku's heart is about to break, seeing his dearest friend all highly and mighty, breaking apart in front of him. The person he thought to be so cold-blooded, ready to sacrifice his life is really afraid to lose that thing that every individual treasured. And here is someone, in front of him, is just another human afraid of dying even if he is too assured that he isn't since the start of everything. "As I thought… Lelouch… I—"

He then heard Lelouch laughs. "It was a joke." The emperor then straightened up, removing his hands from his face. He then saw him laughing at him without any possible tears at all. "What? Did you feel sorry for me a little bit? You know very well that I must die as punishment for all the crimes I've done. It seemed so sad, but I am happy."

Suzaku gritted his teeth and hissed at him, "You're a liar!"

Lelouch laughs much more. "That's right. Everything I do, everything I say, it is all a lie."

"I…" Suzaku muttered as his hands closed into a tight fist. "I detest you! I want to kill you so much because I hate you! I won't let anyone else, except me kill you!"

"Ah, that's fine, then," Lelouch replied with a smirk.

Sweet darling, you worry too much, my child

See the sadness in your eyes

The knight then closed his eyes for a moment before he himself knelt down on one knee again in front of the young emperor.

His emperor then told him, "I've already told you that there's no need for you to kneel in front of me. It is all part of a show, right? And why would you kneel at someone you are so angry at?"

Suzaku reached out to touch the lower portion of Lelouch's cloak and lean his lips close to it in respect. "I am not on my knees because you are the emperor. I am on my knees to pay respect to your resolve." He loosened his grip and then stood up once again. "That's all."

The knight then turned around and leave the throne room. That evening, he received the full costume of Zero, handed by Lord Jeremiah to him as ordered by Lelouch. He received no other notice since then.

That's the last time that he and Lelouch talk; since the following day, he had killed him.

You are not alone in life

Although you might think that you are

"You…" Suzaku started as he gritted his teeth. "You gave me this punishment. But still…" He then falls to his knees and shouted along with his cries of grief and sadness. Every since that day that Zero Requiem was completed, he may have cried but not like this. Not like the gentle ones as well when he had watched the video. It was only now that he indeed cried, a strangled one of loss.

So sorry your world is tumbling down

I will watch you through these nights

A few minutes later, he heard Nunnally calling for him, "Suzaku."

Rest your head and go to sleep

The new masked man glanced at the young empress and saw the grief on her eyes as well. He then stood up after smiling sadly at the newly arrived person who had come astride her wheelchair. The two of them then glance at the horizon across.

Because my child, this is not our farewell

Lelouch, do you remember? That special place I showed you eight years ago? I made a promise, right? When Nunnally could see again… the three of us…

This is not our farewell

AFTER THOUGHTS OF THE WHITE KNIGHT:

Suzaku Kururugi:

Lelouch, tell me. What have I done? What is the thing that I've clearly done that killed us both? Our tomorrow to begin with? The future that you've wished for the rest of the world… why does it need to be the two of us who need to sacrifice all of our hopes and dreams, even our very own friendship, just for the rest of the world's happiness? And yet, no one will remember us as heroes now. Zero is the hero, and he is just a symbol and nothing else. A masked man with no real face, simply nothing. So you are wrong to call me the messiah, because we are both the villains of this world that causes all of the wars.

I myself have cause one just because I killed my own father. You had cause one because your father decided to invade Japan. And the rest of the battles are meaningless ways to spill blood; because in reality, it was the two of us who were fighting each other and use the lives of people as our very own reasons.

Until now, I still remember that bright sunny day when Zero Requiem was completed. Anyone with eyes and will be stupid enough to think that everything is orchestrated might be just lurking out there among the crowd. Because we are both fools. Anyone who knew the two of us very well have concluded that everything is an act, prepared and calculated already. Anyone who knows me know that I have such physical prowess, almost inhuman. And anyone who knows you know that you'll never allow anyone to just defeat you so easily.

That's right. Your grip that time was loose and your aim is careless. And then you smiled, welcoming, as if you knew and accepted what is the next things that are going to happen. You didn't reacted when I aim the sword at you. It was only when I finally stabbed you that your eyes widened in horror due to the shock and pain. But still, you expected it, and I don't want to see you suffering that I make the wound much more lethal by piercing it much more towards you. And afterwards, you just smiled at me and tell me things that I clearly need to remember as your last will, bequeathing it to me, a punishment. But I know that you smiled because you are finally assured that at the best, it was I who do the killing.

I've read once somewhere that a true friend stabs you in the front. Other people might have laugh at it because it so happens to us literally. But I've been grieving because of it. It literally happened that it really hurts. You never assured me in your last moments because you know that it will just make me be insane with guilt. You yourself wanted me to move on that you didn't say any soothing words like it's okay or do not cry.

I remembered.

A year ago, I really wanted to kill you because of you killing Euphie, because of the many other countless lives that were sacrificed, the many others that have to die because of your Geass. But maybe, I really do not want to kill you because of hate, or I really don't want to kill you at all. Maybe, I just simply wanted to get rid of the Geass's existence on this world. Yes, that's right. I hate Geass itself. But how could I do that, you have accepted your fate and believe that I wanted to kill you even if you know my doubts yourself? You who is so willing to die, to have me do the killing… I felt so ashamed.

I, your friend, should have been the very first person to stop it and save you. But perhaps, I finally did save you.

Like me, you are also a prisoner of life because the world have been so bitter at you. And with this death, I freed you from those binds. You may have been on the top of the world, but you foremost is chained to do nothing but the good for the rest of the world. And I admire you for it, because you indeed prove it on your own way that you accepted that certain challenge of the world to you. And because of that, you indeed succeeded in breaking away from that very world by creating a new one where no one has to feel the same way as you do.

As I walk down the halls of any place that I am in need, where I meet everyone and hear anyone's expression, every time that I need to bear the pain of someone congratulating me and saying that I am their hero because I killed you… I am thankful for the mask because I can hide my true feelings. I might have nod at them, agreeing with them. In the contrary, I wanted to scream your name and tell them the whole truth, of the sacrifice you've made for them. That I, was merely a tool for that world you've created.

We both know that the world were we originally live in is indeed cruel. That's the very reason why you changed it. And until I am breathing, I will protect this world that you've created.

Dear friend, I know that we'll meet again one day. We'll all be reunited once again. I know very well that you are happy now. You might say that I am dreaming, but maybe, yes. Because I am so happy. I could face tomorrow now with a smile because I know that you are also happy. You don't want anyone else to cry anymore, you don't want anyone to lose a love one anymore, and you don't want anyone to be a prisoner of this cruel world.

Yes, that's right. Until that day…

So long, my friend.

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