Code Geass: Enduring Retribution

Key:

" " - Regular Speech

' ' - Unheard Thoughts

" " - Emphasis / Radio Communication

" " - Amplified Speech / External Speakers / Public Address System (PA System)

Disclaimer - Code Geass is owned by Sunrise Inc.

Chapter VI: Immortal in Exile

Japan. The Land of the Rising Sun. For seven long years this relatively large island nation, tightly squeezed between the Asian continent to its west and Pacific Ocean to its east, had served as the exiled Lamperouges' home. It was their home. And he was alone.

When Lelouch had realized that he'd pushed his mother out of the line of fire, it came to mind that he was probably going to die. After all, his mother had in his own timeline, so what hope could a child's body possibly have to survive fully - automatic rifle fire? The answer was pretty obvious: None. Though, while he didn't exactly wish to die, as who would really, he believed that it just might be for the best. True, he wouldn't be there anymore, that was a considerably blatant downside, but Nunnally would remain unharmed, her legs functional and eyes wide open. She would morn him, no doubt, but eventually, or so he hoped, the pain would fade away and she would be able to move on with her life. Besides, she would at least have mother at her side, so that would serve as some form of comfort, right?

'If I'm honest with myself, I'm not entirely sure about that.' He thought, pondering over the last conclusion.

To render things overtly clear, Lelouch did not fancy himself a martyr. He'd already sacrificed himself once for the world, therefore he failed to see why he should carry through with acts, such as the Zero Requiem, again. By no means did this imply he cared not for the world or would abandon his goal, no, but it did suggest the outcomes were driven by slightly less philanthropic means. Besides, if all went well he shouldn't have to die again, or at least that was the plan. C.C. might have appeared nonchalant about her numerous deaths, but he knew the truth. Dying hurt, and it was not a pleasant experience.

Despite what others may have thought of him, he was not selfless, and he knew that. Lelouch too had wants and desires, most notably his sister's happiness, unorthodox as it might've appeared. But is such a wish not selfish in its own way? He desired her happiness as it would, in turn, grant him his own form of joy, so could such a wish not be considered self - centered? Now, that didn't mean the actions he'd taken were diluted in the senses of their 'good' and 'evil', it simply placed a less altruistic motivation behind them, nothing more. In any case, by the end of the day, there was at least one positive consensus that could be driven from such information: If he could live, he would. Simple as that. How he would live was an altogether different question, thought such notions would be digressions from the main point. It all came down to his and his sister's happiness in the end. The world isn't perfect, humans cared about themselves.

But putting aside the highly moral and ethical debates that had briefly waged within his head, Lelouch came back to the matter at hand. He was in Japan, again, his time as a political exiled having started anew.

'Well,' Began a thought, 'let's see how this plays out'.

Slowly stepping out of the now grounded imperial jet, Lelouch set out to meet his fate, a small grin upon his face.

Kyoshiro Tohdoh was a soldier, through in through. Trained for years in the ways of the Samurai and a strict adherer of the unwritten Code of Bushidō, or "way of the warrior", the steadfast Colonel was a man of great dedication and virtually unmatched honor. And so it was, to his ever so slight annoyance, that he found himself at Osaka National Airport, acting as escort for an exiled Britannia prince, supposedly transferred to his country in a move of appeasement, though he knew better. For all intensive purposes, the boy was a political hostage, considered little more than a bargaining chip to be jockeyed by the two powers. It was sad really, though such was the way of the world.

Now Tohdoh perceived himself as a just man. While he did resent the fact of having been pulled off of regular duty, he could bare no grudge towards the child himself. Orders were orders, and the blame lay only with those in command. Such was life in the military, no matter which nation one hailed from. The Colonel also refrained from plainly judging their newfound 'guest' based solely on the fact that he was Britannian royalty, knowing it would be both unfair and unsubstantiated to begin with. He would give the boy a chance, and only then would he deem it just to determine his character. These views, however, did not seem equally shared among his troops, however, a made apparent by the ever so fervent Chiba.

"I cannot believe the Prime Minister had us play guard dog for some racist Britannian, this is utterly demeaning! We should have stayed on our previous assignment and have so other dregs take care of this!" The words she spat were as sharp as they were bitter, though he could only think of it as natural for the young soldier. She'd always seemed to harbor a rather irrational temper towards non - Japanese.

"I can't agree with you any more Chiba, this sort of job should have been given over to government agents, not soldiers. Colonel, why is it that we're here exactly, isn't there something better to do?" The question originated from the even younger form of Shōgo Asahina, a mere 21 years of age.

A third voice interjected itself into the conversation, its tone reflecting a sense of far greater patience and respect, that of Ryōga Senba whom, despite having just entered his 30s, was already reflecting signs of a both receding and whitening hair line, much to said soldier's displeasure. Stress was one of the less fortunate parts of military life. He spoke, "The reason why we are here is because we have been ordered to be here, no more, no less. As soldiers we are inclined to follow those orders, whether you like them or not. And as for those rather snarky remarks of yours Chiba, I don't think it's exactly appropriate for you to speak of him in such a manner, he is our country's guest after all. And as to his character, I truly don't believe you can speak of it with accuracy, you haven't even met the man, so it's only natural that you give him a chance."

It was then that a fourth, and final, person entered the increasingly heated conversation, that of Kōsetsu Urabe. Out of all of the members of the Four Holy Swords, it was Urabe whom Tohdoh believed to be of soundest mind, second only to Senba, often using logic and reasoning over the more reckless portions of emotion and belief, a trait he found admirable in the skilled swordsman. The blue haired Japanese spoke, "Ah, but that is where you are wrong Senba, the prince is not a man but a boy, ten to be exact."

"What do you mean he's only ten?!" Shouted a clearly displeased Asahina, voice cracking, "You mean to tell me they send us to play watchdog over a prince and he's just a brat to top it off?! Who's idea was this?!"

"This is ridiculous!" Continued an equally annoyed Chiba, a scowl on her face, picking up where her close friend left off, "The Britannian's hand us a political hostage to watch over and they don't even have the curtsey to send us a proper adult, its insulting! We didn't come all this way just to act as babysitters!"

Tohdoh, having grown weary of his Swords' youngest members dishonorable tone, finally lost patience and barked, "Silence!", the steel in his voice ensuring his word would be taken as an order.

Their leader's sudden outburst quickly silenced the two disgruntled member's, though their expression did not lose any of their disgust, clearly unhappy about the situation. The nerve the Britannians had.

The black haired Colonel then continued, "Chiba, Asahina, both of your words are as disrespectful as they are unwarranted! Neither do have have the sufficient information to judge the prince's character but you also disregard the fact that he remains nothing more than a political hostage, as you appropriately pointed out! By all accounts he has had no say in this and is being punished for whatever minor inconvenience he may have caused their Emperor, though I am dubious of its importance considering how cruel the man has shown to been! Furthermore, we are here because we have been ordered to be here, as Senba has stated, so you will silence yourselves and render your uniforms presentable, understood!?"

The young duo simply bowed their heads in shame while quickly replying with the traditional, "Yes Sir!", eyes glued to their feet as they attempted to slink away from the no doubt present glare their commander must have been shooting at them.

Calming himself from his impassioned outburst, Tohdoh regained his trademark neutral facade, carefully eyeing a small, white approaching aircraft, the Britannian Empire's insignia branded upon it's side. The prince had arrived.

Gesturing for both his Swords and nearby infantry company to follow, the Colonel swiftly made his way towards the now grounded aircraft, it's side hatch opening slowly. It was then that, for the first time, Tohdoh played his eyes upon the newly exiled prince.

The boy was, from appearances only, an interesting sight. His hair was a deeply colored raven black, not all too dissimilar to his own, while his eyes were deep violet, symbolic of his heritage towards Britannian nobility. What caught his attention, however, was how dark said eyes appeared to be, as if they held the experiences and knowledge, both good and bad, of another lifetime. It was rather unsettling.

Aside from these features, the boy appeared to be rather thin of frame as well, his body structure oddly feminine in appearance, lacking in girth though making up in height, his spindly legs and torso drawing him up to Tohdoh's midsection, just above the stomach.

Finally, however, came the young prince's attire, one of the more noticeable aspects of his overall appearance. The boy was dressed completely in black, his shoes, pants, shirt and cape all colored in the imperceivable dark color, with not more than a select few golden highlights acting to contrast the various portions of his figure. It gave him an ever so menacing air, as curious as such might sound.

Observing his now present charge, the Colonel and his subordinates traced the boy prince's movements with focus, noting the aura of perceived confidence and invincibility I'm his gait, a smile upon his face. What came next would catch the group of Japanese soldiers completely off guard.

"Konichiwa Kyoshiro - san, I am Lelouch vi Britannia." The boy spoke in perfectly fluent Japanese, his head bowed low as he faced Tohdoh's figure from affront. He then continued, "I am honored that it was you and your Four Holy Swords that came to escort me today, I believe it will make for quite an interesting conversation while you escort me to my destination", his tone expressing sincere respect and, possibly, delight?

The young prince's greetings, combined with his showing of traditional Japanese respect, had temporarily frozen the vast majority of nearby Japanese forces, who simply starred at the boy for several moments. Adding to their bewilderment were the facts that he'd not only spoken their native tongue in a flawless manner, but that he'd also prostrated himself, he, a Britannian Prince, the very definition of smug superiority, in front of not more that a mid - ranked Japanese officer. It was a unique experience, to say the least.

Awakening from his brief period of uncertainty, Tohdoh looked upon his charge and returned the curtesy, bowing down himself though speaking in his slightly accented Britannian, emulating the respect he had been shown by the boy, "And it is my honor to welcome you to the proud nation of Japan, you Highness."

At the mention of his formal title, both the Colonel and the Swords caught a brief glimpse of a frown upon the boy's face, before said child spoke, "As much as I appreciate your adherence to formalities, I would prefer if you could do away with such titles, they are as petty as they are meaningless. I would also appreciate if you could simply address me as Lelouch for the duration of my stay, if you would allow me in kind to do away with your ranks as well." Lelouch then extended a his right hand to the front, expectant of a handshake that would seal the agreement.

Once again Kyoshiro and his Swords were caught aback by their charge's apparently nonchalant and respectful demeanor, although less than previously due to the similarity of the two cases.

The Colonel, on his part, starred dumbly at the young boy's small hand, before finally extending his own, grasping it in a firm shake, a grin now having formed across his face, pleased at current turn of events. The day would not be so bad after all. He spoke while shacking hands, "It would be my pleasure Lelouch."

'Strong grip.' Tohdoh dully noted within his mind, considering the pressure he was experiencing despite the boy's weak constitution, though he did notice rather large muscles near the arms and legs. Maybe he practiced swimming?

Their introduction complete, the officer than proceeded to introduce his Swords to the prince, although, once again, the boy caught him off guard, accurately pinpointing each and every member of the famed squad, drawing both pleased and unhappy expressions from the group, the former consisting of smiling Urabe and Senba, while the latter included a scowling Chiba and Asahina. Clearly their opinions of the boy differed greatly.

It wasn't long before the group made their way to the arranged convoy, Lelouch, yet again, surprising the surrounding men as he asked permission to ride along with the swords instead of in the arranged limousine, explaining how he "would much prefer their company then being alone in some state car". They unanimously accepted, though Chiba and Asahina more out of suspicion than interest.

And so, the convoy, an amalgamation of trucks, motorcycles and one empty limousine, save for the driver at least, made course for their designated destination, the Kururugi Shrine.

Marianne vi Britannia, 5th Empress Consort of the Holy Britannian Empire, was tired. Ever since Lelouch's 'death', her daughter, Nunnally, had fallen into a state of sickening depression.

Upon first having announced the news of her brother's 'demise', Marianne's little girl had believed it to be a joke, her smile falling to leave her face as she teased her mother on the basis that lying was a very nasty habit and how she'd expect better from mother. As Marianne continued, however, the little auburn haired girl's smile gradually began to fade, eventually reaching a point where she entered a stage of denial, crying over her loving sibling's departure from the world. The fact of seeing her only remaining child, at least the one who could stay by her side, cry, had truly been a heart wrenching experience for the warring mother, a feeling of guilt flowing over her being considering the omitted detail that it was all a lie. She sobbed little on her part, having spilled enough tears the day past, the comfort of truth and Charles' request for secrecy stealing her resolve for the ends, despite how painful the means appeared to be.

'It could always be worse.' She thought to herself, knowing how her son truly could have lost his life, and herself her own, should the dual miracle of that night not have happened. By the end of the day, it was but mere emotions that were strained, and not lives. Things could have ended up in a much more dire manner.

So there lay Marianne, a wailing Nunnally in her arms, huddled against her mother's chest, tears weighing down the silken fabric of the Empress' dress. The little princess would soon after cry herself to sleep, the raven haired woman still by her side, lounging on her child's bed, holding on tightly. She could offer no more comfort.

'I truly hope we've done the right thing Charles.' Was Marianne's introspection, the day's final thought before, she too, fell into the soothing embrace of dreamless slumber.

Unnoticed by the duo was an amber eyed witch, peaking into the darkened room through a small slit in the door, a slight frown upon her face.

"Something isn't right here…" She muttered, before calmly making her way back towards her room, her footsteps light and soundless, as if she were a cat sneaking around the house.

Within the li Britannia estate, a 20 year old Cornelia stood within her room, body facing towards the window. It had begun to rain, fat droplets of water pouring down upon the otherwise dry Arizona region, the sky darkened by the menacingly gray overhead clouds. It was as if the sky itself grieved over Marianne's loss.

She had only just entered her room before having begun to contemplate the outside, having been, only mere moments ago, consoling a heartbroken Euphemia. She knew her sister had grown close to Lelouch over the years, a little to close to her taste, actually, but the emotions she had poured out as she lay sobbing into her sister's chest indicated a far more intimate relationship, possibly boarding that of love. It was an unsettling notion, to see such expressions of sorrow at such a young age, but all Cornelia could do was attempt to comfort the little girl that Euphy was.

She herself morned for the loss, having become attached to Lelouch as she had with a select other few siblings, thinking it unfair for such a tragedy to strike one so young and so promising. He'd truly been the epitome of his parents, in virtually every way, right down to Knightmare piloting, as Marianne had informed her once. To see his death was an unpleasant memory she buried deep inside her, unwilling to revisit it. She took comfort, however, in knowing how the situation could have been worse, with Lady Marianne's death.

It had come to her as a small shock, really, when her idol had finally come to explain the situation to her after having woken from her stupor. It was Lelouch who'm had saved his mother, at the cost of his own life, by firing upon the intruder while pushing his parent out of harms way, taking the full force of the oncoming rifle fire. She'd known Lelouch to be defensive in his nature towards those he'd love, as well as his knowledge of firearms, as he'd shown on his Day of Foundation, but the fact that he'd been so paranoid so as to carry a pistol within the sleeves of his night gown was one detail too much. Just what kind of thoughts had been running within his head, she wondered.

"I guess it's all rather moot point now." The 2nd Princess sighed, still starring out the window.

She'd lost a good sibling and almost lost her favored idol. She would not let such thing happen again.

Cornelia could only guess what the remaining vi Britannia's were going through at this time.

Schneizel el Britannia sat within his drawing room, a glass of Brandy in his hand. He didn't drink often, disliking the alcohol's effect upon the mind, but that didn't stop him from enjoying one of life's small pleasures here and now, more often in times of peace or those of pain. This occasion was the latter of the two.

The news of the 11th Prince's demise had been formally announced at Court, not but a day following the, so called, Aries Villa Incident. Not exactly an original name, true, but that was besides the point. To say there was more than one pleased face was an understatement. While the sly grins and elated expressions had not made themselves shown, it was more than obvious to how satisfied the majority of the nobles at court had been, the death of the 'Commoner Prince', as they called him, being a cause for secret celebration. The death of Lelouch had brought them great satisfaction, their ranks being rid of the eldest child of the vi Britannia line, as well as his automatic removal from the quest for the throne, a subject that had bothered them to no end. While the emperor was notoriously indifferent to his relatives, both Marianne and, especially, Lelouch, had garnered the old Monarch's attention, a fact which chaffed at both the nobles' and other royal family members' egos to no end. It was made worse considering how promising said prince had appeared, with many believing he would be only second to Schneizel as heir, an opinion he himself was inclined to agree with. His younger half - sibling had truly proven to be of an exceptional caliber.

While Schneizel himself was a rather unemotional man, it did not mean he could not come to care for those he was close to, a category Lelouch had been part of. The raven haired boy had impressed him, in more ways than one, since their first, and memorially cold, meetings. While he couldn't say they were allies, far from it in fact, he could say they were, at least in some aspects, friends, and like friends disagreed or agreed on various matters, be it politics, economics, warfare or other such subjects. It was another reason why he'd grown ever so slightly close to the boy, his intelligence. When he spoke to Lelouch, he had no need for masks, their both being to smart to effectively veil their intentions or feelings to one another. Their conversations were to the point, blunt, and deliberately avoided mincing their words, there was simply no need to do so. The exception was whenever they played chess, a practice they both drew great pleasure from, despite always ending in a draw. Lelouch was as challenging an opponent as he'd ever met.

And so, it was to both the pleasant, and less pleasant, memories, that Schneizel carefully sipped upon his liquor, enjoying the warmth it emanated from within his body and burn it caused while sliding down his throat. It was a tragedy, and he was saddened, but what good could come from grief? The best, and most logical, course of action was to move on and persevere. Such a thing is what Lelouch would have done, in any case.

"At least it's one less bidder to the throne…" He mused, before setting said glass down and eyeing the last, and unfinished, game he'd played with his brother, the black king standing proud within the board's center.

The journey to the Kururugi Shrine was one that would last an impressive six hours, a time - frame in which both Lelouch and the Holy Swords came to learn more about one - another. To begin with, it soon became apparent that the young prince disposed of a mind of an exceptional caliber, especially when it was applied to strategy.

"Lelouch?" Questioned Urabe in a gentle tone, rousing the boy from his shallow sleep, having fallen into slumber through the gentle rocking of the open - aired truck.

"Yes Urabe, what is it?" Questioned Lelouch, his voice slurring as he woke, a yawn escaping his lips as his mouth expanded to form an enlarged shape of an 'O'.

"Have you ever played Shogi?" He questioned, all the while raising his hand to present a miniature travel - on version of the game.

A small grin formed upon the Japanese man's face as Lelouch's eyes lit up, the prince stating, "Yes, I have played on occasion.", his voice expressing satisfaction at the possibility of the game.

Grabbing a nearby ammunition crate resting towards the forward portion of the transports, Urabe made room for himself between the leaned back forms of Senba and Asahina, positioning his body so as to fave his opponent from the opposite side of the board.

As the players began their dual of wits, the otherwise unoccupied Swords, along with Tohdoh himself, calmly observed the ongoing battle. At first, it appeared that Urabe would clearly emerge as victor, his positioning and tactics, combined with a small percentage of bias, convincing the honored unit's other members of the outcome. Lelouch's pieces, as they were seen, seemed both disorganized and uncoordinated at best, with no inkling of a common goal.

Chiba, who had begun to observe the game about midway, whispered to the nearby Asahina, "It seems the prince is going to have it handed to him by our friend." There was no small degree of smugness in her voice, her colleague merely nodding his ascent as he continued to eye the ongoing game.

"It would seem you are losing Lelouch." Came Senba's vocal reply, simply stating fact without a hint of malice in his words.

"Perhaps that is only what I want you to see." Was the prince's reply, a grin of his own now forming.

"And how so?" Questioned Urabe, clearly confused at the statement.

Lelouch simply flashed the man a smile, stating, "Know your enemy, know thyself, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril."

"Sun Tzu." Pitched in an equally observant Tohdoh, his comment earning a nod from the prince, his violet eyes still trained upon the board.

"And with this act," Lelouch began, an ivory piece in his hand, "the battle begins.", he finished.

And true to his word, the true battle began. Lured into a sense of security, Urabe realized only too late that Lelouch's seemingly random movements were all but random, revealing themselves to be a series of traps and feints that rapidly wore down the Sword's own pieces, before completely annihilating from the face of the game. It was, for all intensive purposes, an absolute victory for the Britannian prince.

The complete and utter reversal of their comrades position came as a surprise to the observer's, not quite believing how the child had managed to bait and deceive his opponent in such a manner that it was only upon the traps sprinting that the reality of the situation dawned upon them. Everything, from the attitude to the moves, had been planned before hand, anticipating the enemy and drawing him ever deeper into the lions den. It instilled within them a newfound respect for the visitor.

Upon the game's end, Urabe simply smiled and held out his hand, exclaiming, "You are far smarter than you make yourself out to be Lelouch. Then again, considering how much you've surprised us so far, I can't come to think any less of you."

Lelouch flashed yet another smile, responding in his fluent Japanese, "It was an honor to play you."

Chiba, whose demeanor had gradually changed from pleased to soured, then inquired, "How about another game?" She would force the Britannian brat to eat face defeat if it was the last thing she'd do.

Violet eye shined at the blatant challenge, his grin becoming feral as he purred in response, "But of course…"

Needless to say, determination was not enough for the young soldier to defeat the even younger boy, her defeat acting as a sour taste in the back of her throat. It then came to Asahina's turn, with each Sword now taking their shot at defeating the noteworthy opponent. The result was the same as the two matches before, meaning victory for Lelouch.

Senba's attempt took much longer, an hour in fact, the balding man presenting a staunch defense as he faced down Lelouch's ferocious attacks, only to lose after a rapid series of splintered attacks and probings, moves which broke his defenses back and then allowed the enemy forces to overwhelm and defeat those pieces left behind. In a fashion similar to Urabe, the man simply smiled and commented upon his opponents skill, even going so far as propose a rematch at a later time should they meet again, something which Lelouch accepted in stride.

Finally came Kyoshiro's turn. If there was an opponent to match the young boy, then it was the Four Holy Sword's Leader himself. None had succeeded in beating the man, so it was only logical for the final match to come down to him. There was little over two hours left in the journey, time that would be put to full use as their conflict began. It would be said, at a later time, that said day's game would be the most difficult the Colonel would have ever played, and for good reason.

So far, with the majority of his opponents, Lelouch had maintained the same general strategy, one of receipt and ensnarement, save for a few minor details and changes. With Tohdoh, however, he knew such tricks would not work.

Tohdoh was a far more offensive player than his subordinates, preferring key strikes and powerful assaults over the more defensive and broad tactics of the challengers before him. This gained him an edge near the game's start, Lelouch having to readjust and compensate for the pressure being exerted upon him. The advantage, however, would not last long, with Lelouch soon forcing back the Colonel's offensive back towards the board's center, establishing his own line of defense. From thereon, the struggle became far more heated, planned to be surgical strikes turning into barbaric slug matches as each player moved and counter - moved so as to beat back their opponent, leaving no square be taken without some semblance of a fight.

Gradually, however, the Colonel's forces began to whither away at the prince's raids and skirmishes, his pieces separated and split apart, only for them to become encircled and, ultimately, vanquished.

The other members stood in admiration at the finale, the game having lasted a precise 1 hour and 57 minutes.

As Lelouch was able to speak, his head turned towards the trucks rear, observing the scenery before him, only to then freeze in place. So absorbed he'd become with his match against Tohdoh that he hadn't noticed the convoy having come to a halt, their destination but half a dozen meters away. There, at the entrance of the Kururugi family shrine stood Japan's Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi, at his left a still aged Taizō Kirihara and the petite form of Kaguya, and at his left…

Suzaku Kururugi.

Author's Note:

More of a 'setting - the - stage' style of chapter, at least in my personal opinion, so I apologies if anyone finds this portion less exciting due to the lack of action, yet I personally believe such portions are important so as to create a well founded plot. As a side - note, I always liked the Four Holy Swords, despite them being relatively minor characters, as you may have guessed. In any case, I hope you enjoy and are ready for more!