This story takes place ten years after the events of R1, Episode 21. The story diverges after that, and the how will be explained slowly.

I hope you all enjoy.

Todoh entered the house without knocking, without ceremony, his calm and stone face painted with a grimace. The old general stopped himself, the living room was a bleak thing, the smell of alcohol seemingly etched on the walls and the furniture. He grimaced, but stopped himself. The years had made him angrier, he thought.

"We need your help," was all he said, tempering his voice. Begging had never come easy to him. He glanced out the window, the sky was plainly blue, and the sun scorched across endless green plains. He could see about a hundred houses below the hill, a small and friendly community Todoh had learned. They needed to move out, soon, or risk bringing destruction to these peaceful people.

The red-haired woman was smoking from a tobacco pipe, puffed smoke came out of it before she took it away from her mouth. Always a pretty girl, Todoh thought, but now a beautiful woman, even unkempt. She wore breeches fitting the hot summer, but her long-sleeved white shirt did not. Her blue eyes stared at him, they had become sharper over the ages. With her legs crossed on her chair, she sat down the pipe.

"You already know my answer. And it hasn't changed. Nor will it ever. If you had been anyone else," she passed her hands over her hair, "you would be dead where you stand. You still might, if you come again." She picked up her pipe, and leaned back in her chair, smoking. But the way she lounged did not look like a defeated woman, but rather a lazing leopard.

"And the machine?"

"It is mine!" she said, furiously. "By my right, it is mine!" her voice was furious, but she did not stop lounging, her eyes were still fixed on the wooden ceiling. He stayed still, waiting for her to continue, but instead she continued to lay in her couch, smoking a cloud up to the ceiling. He shifted with a sigh: no better than his first visit. But he could do nothing. He bowed slightly, she deserved that much at least.

"We shall leave then, we will not disturb you any further. May you find peace in your life,"

Kallen's eyes finally fell on him, two balls of blue fire seemed to stare into his soul. The girl - no, she was no longer a girl - the woman nodded. "May you find whatever you seek," she glanced at the bracelet wrapped around his wrist, "no matter how bloody the path."

When he stepped out, the sun scorched as before, far too hot, far too much. Even when a strong wind gusted past him, all he could feel was the heat. He saw a young man, glancing at a garage next to Kallen's residence, and Todoh sharply called him over. "Is it over, sir?" the youth asked him. Todoh nodded, walking away. The black-haired lad was tall, taller than most men. "What about the machine? We won't take it?"

Todoh ignored him, memories of the past swarming over him, even as Jing continued to ask questions. A curious lad, a bit annoying, but good-meaning and competent. "I thought we were meeting a friend, sir. I don't see any help," Jing said, looking back at the house on top of the hill, as they walked away from the town, and towards a small fleet of trucks.

"I did come for a friend," Todoh said, still thinking, "but it turns out she died years ago."

Jing's mouth snapped shut after that, his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir."

The walk to the trucks took half-an-hour, they did not want to get too close to the village, but Todoh worried that even in these plains, it was not enough. He felt naked here, no mountains or forest to hide in, no rugged hills to slow enemies, but what other choice did they have? They had been pushed and pursued up north, outside of Tibet, outside of China. But he did not worry, they had provisions, and they would find friends, he was certain. Or should we head west, back to Japan? The idea was tempting, albeit the road was complicated.

A man waved at them urgently. Tamaki was once a man filled with joy. Simple, if Todoh were being honest. But a good man. He rarely smiled these days. "We need to go, now! Leanne said the Britannians coming in hot!" he shouted from afar, the danger seemed far too great for subtleties. Todoh and Jing began to run. They had set up here, surrounded by trucks, the small village, some called it, almost thirty tents had been set up, where the men and women could unwind and rest. By the time they reached the trucks, the tents and anything else had been packed.

"Jing, make sure everyone is in the trucks," Todoh told the young Chinese lad with a calm voice. Dark eyes stared back at him, Jing only nodded with a smile. He still finds danger exciting, oh to be youthful again! Tamaki approached him, the last ten years had made his face harder, and gray doted his hair. He threw a keychain towards him. Todoh caught it midair.

"You'll have the rear?" he asked. Todoh nodded. That was all they needed to say. Four Knightmares came out of the trucks, four old, rusting Sutherlands. Three of them, led by Tamaki, took the van, and the convoy began to move. Todoh stood in the back, following the trucks, but checking behind him every minute.

Silence dominated the group for what seemed an eternity. How long had they been driving? Four hours? Two? It had not even been twenty minutes. Inside the Knightmare, Todoh began to sweat, the air conditioning unit in the device had been in disrepair for half-a-decade. "Leanne, do you see anything?"

After a moment: "No sir, I lost them, but they're hot on your tail." He finally saw them, dots in the distance, but he knew it was them. He wanted to tell his men to be urgent, to hurry with pace, but they were moving as fast as they could. Passing by a hill, Todoh talked:

"Tamaki, take care of the convoy, I will hold them here." he ordered over the radio.

"You'll die, Todoh, we can still lose them," Tamaki snarled, frustrated.

"I do not think so," they were no longer dots in the horizon, but three white-armored Knightmare frames tinted with gold. They were not driving through the ground, but rather hovering, gliding towards them with energy wings. "They will be on us soon."

"I don't care about your Bushido code, Todoh!" Tamaki snapped, "Let us stand with you!"

"Go!" Todoh snapped back. "This is an order!" He thought there would be protest, that Tamaki would come to his aid and the trucks would stop. But Tamaki was no longer such a fool, he knew the right of it, and he knew they would be destroyed.

"Curse you, Todoh!" was all Tamaki said.

He looked around, one hill, one accursed hill. Give him a mountain or a forest, and Todoh was certain he could find a path to victory. But with one hill…curse this terrain!

Todoh crouched his Knightmare behind a hill, and the convoy continued without him. He breathed, wary. How many times had he teased death? How many times had he escaped the maws of oblivion? He grinned, touching the bracelet strapped around his wrist, perhaps death would catch him today, he did not mind. Peeking over the hill he fired, at this distance he would hit nothing, but the three Lancelot-styled Knightmares stopped in place, darting to the sides.

"Who fires on Inquisitors?" an arrogant voice spoke over open communication channels in Chinese. The voice repeated the question in, Mongolian, and then English. "Rebels! You will be hanged for your misdeeds!" Peering over the hill once more, Todoh saw the three Knightmares glide towards him again. He fired two more shots, and took cover when a spread of bullets answered back.

"You fight Kyoshiro Todoh!" he cried back, "Lieutenant Colonel of the Japanese Army, the leader of the Four Holy Swords, General of the Black Knights, the Maker of Miracles!" He would need a miracle to survive this engagement. He fired after speaking, the three Knightmares had stopped, almost as if stunned by his words. But the three of them swerved in reaction to his attack, avoiding his bullets easily at this range.

"A famous dog is a dog, no matter how famous," the arrogant voice laughed, "His Majesty will be pleased when I bring him your head, Kyoshiro Todoh!" the man laughed again. Good, waste your time speaking. "You face Jerold Whitemane, High Inquisitor, I will have your head!" Todoh fired again, this time hitting one of the Knightmares square in the chest. A good shot, but not effective at this range. When he fired again, he saw green blurs surrounding each machine.

Energy fields, he thought wearily.

"Jerold Whitemane, a name for a fool who fights like one," Todoh spoke. The three machines approached him, but slowly, still with their energy barriers raised. He had to waste their time. He chucked one of the large grenades his machine carried, the three Knightmares huddled together. When the smoke cleared, they continued to approach him, slowly, unfazed.

"The maker of miracles!" Jerold Whitemane laughed in the intercoms, taunting him. "Oh, I had expected to put down rabid dogs today, not a crazed lion. Do not worry Todoh, your death will be honorable." A hole appeared in the energy barrier, and one of the Knightmares fired on Todoh's position. Ducking below the hill, the fire stopped, briefly, before continuing once more. He peeked around through another side of the hill, and fired with little time to aim. He had hoped for his bullet to go through the gap they had created in the barrier, but his shot was too frantic, and too sudden. Bullets whiffed past him: he did not have time to aim with these enemies.

He held on to his last grenade: for the end, he thought grimly. He planned to take them down with him. Another wild shot had no result, and this time one of the countering bullets pierced his Knightmare. Non-vital parts, thankfully. But a reminder of how outgunned he was. "I had heard High Inquisitors were brave pilots, but with how carefully you approach, I see you are nothing but cowards," Todoh goaded them.

The voice laughed. "Call us cowards all you want, but you will die today, Todoh," Jerold's voice spoke, amused by Todoh's taunt. The old general grimaced, he had never been good at angering his opponents, even though that is what he desperately needed. He could not pierce their careful approach. Those energy barriers were certainly his doom. But he peered over the hill again, firing and firing.

Finally, a bit of luck, one of his bullets slipped past the barrier and hit one of the Lancelot-based machines in the arm. But too little, too late. They were less than four-hundred paces away now, and the two undamaged machines suddenly rushed like the wind, the third one standing back, holding a rifle with one arm.

The melee ensured, the machines were far stronger and far faster: it was a losing battle. But Todoh fought as best he could with the melee weapons on the Sutherland, slashing and thrashing whenever he had the chance. It quickly became clear that for all their talk of killing, they meant to take him alive.

But even so, he could not keep up. Todoh could not close the gap in machine potential, and soon he had lost one of the Sutherland's arm. Oh, he had thrashed them thoroughly here and there, damaging one of the attacking machines' arm, but he was spent now. His Knightmare began to fall sideways, as one of its legs gave out. It's time. He grasped for the grenade -

"What!" he heard Jerold's voice filled with disbelief. A blur of red swept through, and the Knightmare frame further off that held its rifle with one arm suddenly exploded. Tamaki? Todoh wondered. He began to rise, but one of the Britannians slammed his machine down with a kick.

"What is this!" Jerold cried, his Knightmare standing with his remaining ally, looking at a new opponent.

It was red, a crimson red that colored the machine from leg to head, tinted with gold, with a green visor that gleamed in the sun. The machine stood proudly, a lean thing, that had hundreds of scratches and dozens of splotches of dirt and stains, but its metal hand-claws seemed brand new.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Jerold screeched.

"You are a High Inquisitor?" a woman's voice asked. Kallen. The Guren looked almost dismissive of its opponent. "And here I came looking for a challenge," the Guren turned around, "how disappointing." she said, in a mocking tone that could cut through ice. Her Knightmare even seemed to shrug!

To see an opponent dismiss you and turn their back… Todoh could only imagine Jerold's rage. "How dare you!" one of the Lancelot-based machines launched itself forward, the second followed. With its energy wings, they hovered off the ground quickly, attacking Kallen from each side.

It was too fast, too much for Todoh at least. The Guren lurched to one side - before either Knightmare had even moved - Todoh realized. Spinning, its hands struck one of the attacking Knightmares, thrusting its hand through the machine's cockpit. The other machine attacked angrily, and for a moment Kallen was forced back. The two machines, red and white, danced in the plains. The Lancelot-based machine attacked with energy swords, its flurry violent and quick. But the swords never touched Kallen.

Todoh nodded from his machine, appreciative. He was watching a master at work. Even with a weaker, slower machine, Kallen made the remaining Knightmare frame look sluggish and simple. Suddenly, Kallen's counter came. Like lightning, sudden and deadly. The other machine fell on the ground. "You -" Jerold's weak voice groaned, and he coughed over the radio.

"I'll crush you." Kallen declared in a cold voice.

The man screamed, and his Knightmare was destroyed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The small thudding vibration on his watch woke him up, but he did not want to move. It took him a few minutes, stretching his legs and arms, forcing his body to move. And when he did, the woman clung to his arm fiercely. Both shared the comforts of that silk sheet, keeping them warm in a bed that seemed impossibly comfortable. "Who gave you permission to go?" she asked, in a quiet and playful voice.

"It's Marika," Suzaku said in a low voice, hoping she would drift back into sleep.

"At this hour?" Euphemia said, still half-asleep. She drifted up, and yawned. Heir hair a proper mess, her night lace loose; Suzaku found the idea of leaving very difficult. "But if she is asking, then you should attend to your knight," she fell back down onto the bed, raising the sheet up to her neck.

"You get some rest," Suzaku said while dressing himself, "you have a busy day tomorrow."

"No need for any reminders," Euphemia shifted to her side, "How am I expected to rule an empire with only two hours of sleep?" she snorted.

Suzaku smiled. The prime minister had grown quite snide, lately. Perhaps an effect of dealing with Lelouch so much. She does need to rest though, he thought with a frown. Quietly, he finished dressing himself and went out to the common room. It was a humble abode, humble for someone of their position at least. White walls gave way to a round-table for dining, and divided by a half-wall, there was a couch and two recliners. Suzaku stopped in the mirror again, making sure his white-golden uniform was straight and well.

Near the entrance of the house stood a light-brown haired girl with sky blue eyes. Wearing a white-golden uniform similar to his, but hers included a long, wide skirt that reached down to her ankles. Marika Sorsei was a cute woman, allegedly. Suzaku never believed such claims, but even his wife claimed to be jealous of her high cheekbones. Her cheekbones! "Your highness," she bowed, "I'm sorry to interrupt you so early."

"You best be," Suzaku said, trying not to groan. "Make me some tea, I'll be at the porch."

A wooden balcony gave way to the rest of the estate. Beautifully trimmed grass, cherry blossoms in full bloom, with the Appalachian Mountains looming in the background. He sniffed. He longed for his return to Japan - Area 11 - a voice seemed to correct him in his head. It did not matter what it was called, he wanted to go home. It would be soon, soon enough. Sitting on a rocking chair, Suzaku breathed. As much as he hated this house, he could not deny its serenity.

"Your highness," Marika said, offering him warm tea. He sighed. He hated being called that. Sipping on the green tea, he observed Marika. She was standing like a statue, and she would stay like that until Suzaku commanded her. A hard woman. But at least she followed his orders out of her own free will, not like those…servants that followed and protected Lelouch. He motioned for her to sit. Marika did so, placing her hands on her lap.

"What is so urgent? Is it Lelouch?" he asked her.

She blinked. Even her stone face paled a little when she mentioned the emperor by his first name. "No, His Majesty is still in Europe investigating those ruins," she lowered her head, "I hear the noblemen of Europe are upset, he has not visited them."

Suzaku scowled. Of course he hadn't. Of course he focused on those damned ruins. Euphemia would have to deal with the "noblemen" of Europe. The word noblemen was trouble enough; the new nobility of Europe hated being called nobility, they still clung desperately to their ideals of republicanism, even when Lelouch decreed men as dukes and counts. Euphemia would have her hands full. "Then what is it?" he asked, far angrier than he had intended to be.

Marika somehow shifted even more warily, she reached over to her side and opened a bag, pulling out a fat laptop, she pulled the lid open. "One of the Inquisitors found Kyoshiro Todoh, your highness."

The wind made him shiver. "That old relic?" he tried to sound uninterested, "He poses no threat." He did not like thinking of Todoh, or many of his countrymen. His stomach jumped as if it had been stabbed, and shame suddenly came on him, weighing as heavy as the Lancelot.

"Of course, your highness," Marika said, lowering her head. She played the video. Most Britannian Knightmare frames these days recorded their battles, the video recorded in it seamlessly streamed unto a database. Three Inquisitors, hunters of rebels, chased down a fleet of trucks, until they came upon a hill. An old, rusted Sutherland blocked their path, using the hill to harass its enemies.

The Inquisitors approached slowly and methodically. Perhaps too much so. And then came the familiar voice: "You fight Kyoshiro Todoh! Lieutenant Colonel of the Japanese Army, the leader of the Four Holy Swords, General of the Black Knights, the Maker of Miracles!"

Oh, you old fool - "He escaped?" realization struck him. Marika nodded, pausing the video. "How?" he asked angrily. There was no way even these fools could lose to a single Sutherland with their machines, even if Todoh was their opponent. But that is good, let Todoh enjoy his freedom, let him enjoy his life. Better a life of running than a rope fastened around your neck.

"He was not alone." Marika said with a lowered head.

Of course. Todoh would not engage in a losing battle, unless he had no other choice. A trap, Suzaku thought. Marika continued playing the video, yet no trap came. The three Knightmares approached, and though Todoh tried, even damaging one of them, he was cornered and trapped. Suzaku looked on, eyebrows raised, waiting: how? How did he get away?

Then came the red blur, and Suzaku's eyes widened. He did not remember the last time he had been in shock. His head spun, his eyes still glued to the screen, and his mouth hung half-open. One, two, and then three, the red-blur destroyed all in its path.

"Is it Todoh, sir? That voice?" Marika asked, curious, uninterested in the red Knightmare. Suzaku turned around, looking at the mountains while trying to compose himself. He wanted to leave Todoh alone: he could at least do that for the man. He truly was no threat. There were probably a hundred resistance groups around the world that could do more damage than that living-legend. But the Guren…

"I'll crush you."

Those were the last words in the video, the voice of a woman all too familiar. He wanted to laugh when he watched the video again. The hairs on his arm stood up, frightened. Once more he saw the video, once more he saw the Guren tear through the three Lancelot-replicas. She always made it look easy, he thought bitterly.

"I'll crush you."

He shivered, this time without a breeze. Those words were not meant for the already defeated opponent. "Marika, prepare us for travel, we must go to Pendragon and with much haste."

"The capital?" Marika looked surprised.

"I'll crush you," he still heard Kallen's words.

"Yes, and arrange a meeting with Empress Cecile," he said, standing up. He looked down at his hands and he finally laughed. Marika jumped in surprise. He was shaking. He was actually shaking. Oh God, he really was afraid! But that was good - it meant he still had his wits about him. When was the last time he had seen C.C? Five years now? Green-haired and golden eyes, she would look exactly the same, Suzaku was sure.

As he walked into his wardrobe, he wondered of who he was most afraid of, Lelouch, C.C, or Kallen? The answer was obvious.

########

"You did not have to speak, they will recognize you," Todoh said, his Knightmare hatch opened as they both headed north. Their machines were running low on energy now, but Todoh claimed it would suffice to reach the convoy. Or so he claimed. Kallen remembered, ten years ago, how wide-eyed and star-struck she felt when talking with Todoh. But her years had brought her wisdom: even the wisest make mistakes, and even the wisest are nothing but flawed and miserable humans.

"It matters not," Kallen scoffed. "My hiding place was compromised the second you led those fools past the village," she thought half-sullenly. "Even if you had escaped them, they would have interrogated everyone, and they would have found me." The old man grimaced.

"My apologies, Kozuki. But when we learned you were here," Todoh stopped himself, shaking his head. "We all thought you were dead. Or worse, a slave to the Emperor." Kallen glanced at Todoh, judging his word and expression. He was going to say something else, but what?

"I will hang myself before I become one of Lelouch's pet," she spat. She glanced at her Knightmare controls, checking temperatures and power wattage, all to make sure her Guren was running smoothly. She always did her best to maintain it, even alone. You've gotten old too, huh? Those Lancelot rip-offs far outclassed the Guren.

"I'm glad to see your courage is unchanged," Todoh said, with a half-grin, the closest thing to a smile Todoh ever did. She sniffed. It was strange to see stern Todoh with half his hair gray. But the man still looked as strong and as hard as ever. "Why did you change your mind so suddenly, though? You could have fled."

"And leave you to Inquisitors?" Kallen asked while looking to the east, where the green plains seemed to last forever. "The idea of staying dead was tempting, I will not lie. But I could never abandon you like that." Todoh gave a slight nod. He understood - loyalty. Todoh would do the same for her, she was certain.

"How long will you remain with us?" was all he asked.

Kallen smiled. "I might stay with you lot until, for a while at least. But only under one condition. I need to go back to Japan." Todoh's eyes widened only for a moment, but his cool face returned almost instantly. She finally saw the convoy of trucks in sight, still riding north.

"Japan? I will not lie, I have been considering that option as well."

"Then perhaps we can go home together," she said plainly. Todoh was staring at her from his hobbling Sutherland, his hawk-like eyes trying to read her words.

"Why do you want to go back, Kallen?" his voice was grave. But Kallen's smile only widened.

"I plan to start a fire."

"A fire?" Todoh was incredulous.

She looked up at the sky. God, it's hot today! But for some reason, she wasn't sweating, and her heart remained calm. Calm! She had just announced to Lelouch that she was alive and well! And she had even sent them a warning. Kallen laughed, so loud and strongly that she thought Todoh nearly fell out of his machine.

"A fire so big that the Emperor will have no option but to come for me," Kallen said, and the Geass in her eye shined.

And so it had begun, the cinders of rebellion sparked once more, Kallen Kozuki led her forces against the Black Emperor, willing to destroy all he had created and reshaped, even if that included the world she lived in. For who could stop Zero's Knight? She would avenge her former master, and she would liberate her homeland, whatever the cost.