(A/N: Sorry for the wait folks, I promise it was well worth it. I haven't been idle on this series for a year for no reason. I have been closely working with a good friend of mine, Greatkingrat88-who is both my beta and sometimes co-writer as is the case with the very last scene of this chapter-to properly outline Arc 2 of Cornelia of the Defection. I will try to keep updates to once a month to once every other month given my friend's schedule. He is my quality control to make sure this story stays grounded and within the spirit of the series since I have a bad habit of being too nice sometimes or not covering all of my bases properly. And while that might work for a passion project like Fairy Without Wings—a Code Geass and Fairy Tail crossover that I've poured my heart and soul into and if you're a fan of my work you should at least give it a try—that doesn't quite cut it for a story like this.
Now then, regarding the poll you all voted on. After 209 votes that ended in a landslide, you finally get to see the fruits of your labor. Based on the statistic given to me, only 16% of you are going to be disappointed. Let's see how you voted and continue on with Code Geass: Cornelia of the Defection).
Standing in the middle of the hallway on his military base in the hangar of the Confederacy HQ, Zero and Kallen stood face to face with each other. Just seconds ago, Kallen had made a bold demand- she wanted to know the face of Zero, the true identity of the self-styled saviour of Japan. Time slowed down to a grind, as it so often does at such times, and though only minutes had passed, it felt more like an entire year. Finally, Zero decided upon a definitive answer- he was not going to back down from this.
"Well?" Kallen asked, bothered by the silence, "I'm waiting."
"Follow me, Kallen," Zero said, turning around.
"Does that mean that—?"
"It means follow me."
Kallen walked nervously behind Zero. In silence they marched together, until Zero arrived near an office door of some variety. This turned out to be his personal quarters onboard the military base. There was a desk, a twin bed, maps and charts of all sizes tucked in every corner imaginable and a potted plant over in the back corner; it looked a little messy, but well used.
Zero locked the door behind Kallen when she entered and then stood in front of her once again, flipping on the light switch. To trust Kallen with this? A few months ago, he had thought it folly to trust anyone fully, except Nunnally. But times changed, did they not? Cornelia would probably tell him he should have conferred with her first. Quite possibly, she was right. Then again, he couldn't lean on her for approval in every little thing. Kallen was… passionate. Loyal. And, a cynical little voice in his head added, that made her very susceptible to manipulation. She would likely not approve of the face she saw under the mask- but he was sure she was mature enough not to do something stupid. She had grown up fast, just like himself, under all of this tyranny… she was a soldier. She was exceptional. She deserved to know.
"You have every right to demand my identity out of me. I haven't known you long, but I believe you have a strong devotion towards my purpose- moreso than the others. I put you on my personal guard, and yet you feel as if you're guarding a phantom. You are right. I do trust you, Kallen." Zero put the fingertips of his left hand to his face. "However, I must make absolutely certain of something. If I show you this, you must swear not to repeat it to the others. This is for your eyes only." 'I can't manipulate her with geass.' He thought. 'I will have to take her at her word. I hope I'm not letting what little emotion I have sway me to make an illogical decision.'
"I promise. I…" Kallen made a fist in front of her throat, clenching it tightly to the point that her arm was shaking. "Let me see your face, Zero! I promise to keep it a secret, just like the others!" Kallen's heart was racing. This brilliant mind, this brave revolutionary who had all but singlehandedly turned the struggle around, gotten the infamous princess Cornelia on their side, was finally about to show her his trust in her. She felt like a schoolgirl, about to be noticed by somebody precious- not that she was about to let him know that. The back of Zero's helmet retreated into itself, and slowly he began to take the helmet off. Kallen saw his black hair, his eyes, and his unmistakable Britannian skin tone. Zero set the helmet down next to him on the table, gingerly with his left hand.
Purple eyes? It looked familiar; Kallen could've sworn she'd seen them before, but the rest of Zero's face was still masked by a black cloth.
Tugging at the inside of the cloth like the neck on a turtleneck sweater, Zero pulled down the cloth, finally showing his face to her. In an instant, Kallen's face changed- from triumphantly excited, to utter disbelief. He was… Lelouch Lamperouge, her classmate.
"Y-you… th-this…" Kallen's mind went blank for a second, the shock of the revelation being too much to process all at once. The brave revolutionary, the hero… was the shallow, unprincipled boy from school? Lelouch Lamperouge, the man who… who…
"Why is it you? This is a bad dream, right?"
It had to be. How… could somebody so lacking in principle be Zero? The zero?
"I'm afraid you're wide awake," Lelouch said, adjusting his collar so that it was less tight around his neck. "I am the man behind the mask."
"But… why? I… I don't…"
"That's why I led you here, to secrecy. There is much you do not know about me, Kallen. I think it's only fair I tell you if you're going to keep guarding me. The person you knew from Ashford? Forget him. He does not exist."
"Huh?" Kallen was confused. The idea was sinking in, at least logically, but she was still in emotional turmoil.
"It is all a façade. There is no Lelouch Lamperouge. There is only Lelouch vi Britannia, the former eleventh prince to the Britannian throne. There is no unmotivated jerk, only an outcast. What I do, I do for vengeance. I am a selfish and cold person, Kallen, I always have been."
"Then… you lied to the people of Japan?" Kallen blinked, still in shock.
"No." Lelouch said firmly. "I will get you your independence. Helping you furthers my own goals."
"And just what is your end goal, Lelouch?" Kallen asked angrily.
"I see I will have to explain it to you like I would a small child," Lelouch said with a smirk.
"Don't play games with me!" Kallen shouted.
"I'm not playing games. Think about it, Kallen- I said I was a former prince. What motive could that give me to hate my own country so? Let me start at the beginning. Seven years ago, my mother was killed by an unknown assassin. When I went to confront my father, the emperor, he exiled me and sent me and my little sister, Nunnally, to Japan. A month later, he invaded Japan, declaring war, leaving me to rot- and, as far as I know, presumed me dead along with so many other foreign civilians and soldiers. You are half-Britannian, Kallen, daughter to a nobleman. You should know how cruel the upper crust can be."
"Well, yes, but…" Kallen had to take Lelouch's words at face value. She had no way of disputing them, not now, not in this state of shock- zero was her classmate, and he was standing right in front of her. He was looking at her with a glare, one that looked like it was not directed at her, but at the world. It was a far cry from the lackadaisical attitude and mannerisms he carried himself with at Ashford.
"What… do you really want?" She asked.
"What do I want? I want to know who killed my mother. I want to make my father pay for casting me out. Seven years of exile changes a person, Kallen, and it certainly changed me. I will see this corrupt superpower ground to dust! I'll use whatever means necessary."
"But if you collapse Britannia, China will gain more power. And what about the EU?"
"Simply because a superpower falls, it does not mean its lands are lost. A country without a ruler is a country still, but a king without subjects rules naught, but hills. No, I will destroy Britannia and rebuild it anew. That is what I have decided, so that no one else needs to suffer the way I did." He shook his head. "My sister could barely believe that I was still alive. She too has worked tirelessly to get at the truth. Her own views have changed. She has clung to the military, working her way to the top, eager to turn its power on Britannia eventually. She came here to avenge Clovis, and found me instead. She intended to control all of the independent territories, and then lead a revolt so that she could dismantle the government, but keep the land, or so I am led to believe.
"Now that she and I are no longer fighting each other, we can work together to bring down our home nation, but we cannot do it alone. We only have command over a portion of Britannia's army. A large one, but far from all of it. Both its navy and its air force are beyond us. We need Japan. We cannot do this without them! And I cannot do this without you. You are an amazing pilot, and one of the few people I feel I can truly trust within this operation. Protect my secret, Kallen. Protect it with your life. Show me that my trust in you," Lelouch said, and gave Kallen his hand, "is not misplaced."
Kallen stood there startled like a deer in headlights. She had come up with many theories about Zero, but none of them were even close to the truth. She had always thought Zero to be somewhat older than her, somebody with life experience, someone reliable, a true hero. What was it that one philosopher had called it? The übermensch? Something like that. He certainly had seemed larger than life. But she certainly had not expected this. So what was it like, now that she knew the truth?
…well, at least he was handsome. But, if he were to be believed, he certainly was no hero.
Lelouch took his hand away. "I see. Perhaps it's too much to ask. I suppose you might not be able to readily accept that your original impressions of me are not the same as the truth, but—"
"That's not true at all!" Kallen exclaimed. "I… I was worried that you might be some sort of Britannian spy on the resistance. And you knew about my double life. And… you always seemed to have such untapped potential that you weren't willing to use. It made me angry," Kallen said, turning her head away. "But…" she looked Lelouch right in the eye, for real now. "If these are your true colors, someone that's willing to take a stand for what they believe in, someone that sees the way the world is and wants to do something about it, then I… then I accept you, Lelouch. I will fight for you, no matter what." Kallen grabbed Lelouch's hand, and she looked at him sternly. "Your secret is safe with me, Lelouch. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth. Just tell me how I can be of use, and I'll do it."
Kallen still wasn't sure if she was all right with this; it certainly was a shock- but Lelouch had proven himself as Zero time and again. The identity of her hero had come to her as quite a shock, but in the end, Zero's actions spoke for themselves. His identity was irrelevant, but knowing it was still throwing her for a loop. It would certainly take some getting used to, knowing the identity of her hero. However, Kallen knew that, without Lelouch, without Zero, this war was as good as lost. To that end, she had no trouble defending him just as loyally as she had up until now.
Lelouch smiled. "Very well." He put the cloth back around his mouth and put his helmet back on. "Then follow me once more. I have something I want to show you."
"Of course." Kallen said.
Kallen followed Lelouch down into the base's hangar. In one of the docking bays for Knightmares, an all-red Knightmare was slumped over.
"What's that?" She asked.
"It's called the Guren. Rakshata made it, and brought it with her from India. It's custom made, with a powerful secret weapon engineered into the right arm. It's of an experimental generation, more powerful than any Gloucester." Lelouch put his right hand on Kallen's left shoulder and dangled a key with his left hand just inside her range of vision. "It's yours. I recommend getting familiar with its systems as soon as possible."
"What? But… why should I have it? Clearly you should—"
"My skills are better used conducting the battlefield the way a maestro conducts his orchestra. Besides, if the enemy commander, especially the strategist, has a shiny piece of armor, it will only draw the enemy's attention. We need my head attached to my shoulders. I'll blend into the crowd more easily in one of the mass-produced Burai that the Japanese Liberation Front has been working on. You and Suzaku are our leading stars in this war. You are prodigy pilots that deserve the recognition your skills have shown. You have youth and energy that the rest of these so-called veterans lack. Your passion will drive you both, and see you back safely. Become familiar with the Guren. If you take care of it, then it will take care of you."
Kallen took the key and gripped it tightly in her hand, "Thank you, Zero." Kallen couldn't see it, but Lelouch was smiling behind his helmet.
"You are a valuable part of this army Kallen. Remember, you're one of the last lines of defense I have between this helmet and a bullet going through my head."
"I know," Kallen nodded. "I won't let you down!"
"Good to know. Anyway, I have things to take care of. I'll see you later."
"Yeah… sure… later." Kallen didn't know what else to say. She now knew Zero's identity and history, just like Suzaku, Cornelia and Taizo, and she had a new Knightmare Frame, a symbol of his faith in her. A look of conviction appeared on Kallen's face. I am your sword and your shield, Zero, she thought, clutching her key. You can count on me.
Pendragon, Britannia
Charles sat in his throne room, alone, with the lights off and Bismarck guarding the door. Then, through the a door in the throne room that connected to a passage way that connected to a thought elevator, a young boy looking no older than ten stepped out into the open with a bright smile on his face. "Good day, your majesty," he said greeting him respectfully.
"VV." Charles said.
"I heard about Cornelia's defection. It made for quite a shock around the world, wouldn't you agree?" VV said, walking into the room.
"It matters not," Charles said, rising to his feet. "She can do whatever she likes. If war has broken out, then we must make haste to complete the Ragnarok Connection."
"Of course, your majesty," VV said with a smile. "But, are you certain? She is your daughter, is she not?"
"I have no children that would betray me." Charles said coldly.
"Of course not, your majesty," VV stated, a cheery look on his face, almost laughing, as if Charles had been joking.
"What matters is that war is coming," Charles told him. "I will have Bismarck see to it that this rebellion destroyed."
"If you would like, your majesty, I would be more than happy to involve the order of geass in this endeavor. Crushing your enemies would be my pleasure… dear brother."
"The offer is appreciated, but the world is not yet ready to know the nature of geass. Besides, Bismarck is more than capable of handling the front lines without my help at all."
"And what of Schneizel's imprisonment?"
"Schneizel was weak and thoughtless and thus he was imprisoned. I have no need for incompetent children."
"But your majesty, is Schneizel not your best and brightest son?" VV asked.
"Not anymore," Charles stated.
"Now that was a shallow lie if I ever heard one," VV said with a smug grin. "You say what you say because you must as Emperor. If you want to avoid showing weakness as a ruler you must be all right with stepping on a few eggs to make an omelet. Speaking of which, I'm hungry. Shall we eat together, dear brother?"
"I don't see why not. It will take a bit of time amassing our forces before engaging in our first assault. Supper with my one and only brother would be delightful." Charles then rose from his seat and marched towards the door to speak with Bismarck about arranging an early dinner. VV looked at his own younger brother in disgust.
Despite what he says, he will not speak his full intentions even to me. What happened to our covenant without lies? If Marianne simply hadn't met you, you would not have been strayed from the right path, Charles. Don't worry- before this rebellion is over, you and I will claim the ultimate victory, VV grinned ear to ear, and we will slay god.
While it seemed Charles could not care less about Cornelia's Defection, The Knights of the Round had markedly different opinions. The Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein, was the least concerned with Cornelia's sudden betrayal. Even though she had been the most accomplished general in all of Britannia, having climbed her way through the ranks of a commissioned officer at a rapid pace, her lack of resources made Bismarck frown upon her rebellion. He frowned at the notion that Cornelia thought she stood a chance against such overwhelming odds, especially since his majesty had insisted that Bismarck himself take the helm, in order to bolster troop morale. The common men, the officers and soldiers, were definitely afraid of facing down Cornelia, but Bismarck was not. He always saw her, despite her brilliance, as just a child playing the role of the soldier. Cornelia was nowhere near ready to face him in battle, even with Zero's help. And when he killed them both in action, or arrested them so that they could be publically executed, he would make sure they knew it.
Bismarck was determined to make this a repeat of seven years ago. The Japanese's quick surrender during the war in 2010 had not been a testament to their true fighting capabilities, but the overwhelming technological advantage had made the 'war' a rampant slaughter, not a show of skill. But now, with Britannian technology now at their disposal, the enemy would have home field advantage, and a chance to show what they were truly capable of. Bismarck relished the challenge. Of course, to him, such challenge would be destroyed by the sheer numbers advantage he would be able to summon in preparation. While Cornelia had a significant portion of the Britannian army, plus the Japanese army, navy and air force, Bismarck had Britannia's entire air force, navy and the remaining manpower to spare. Not to mention he had the resources to quickly and effectively reproduce lost Knightmare Frames if the soldiers managed to escape and live to see another battle- Britannian industry was without a doubt the most powerful in the world.
He would be the aggressor, sending his troops from all sides like a bombardment around the island nation of Japan. The first wave of which would come from Area 12, formerly known as the Philippines. They would strike within 72 hours. Then, while the enemy was still reeling, he would barrel down on Japan's coastal front and slaughter the lot of them. The rebellion would be over before it had begun- but it would be amusing to watch Britannia's Goddess of the Battlefield squirm before she was inevitably crushed.
The knight of Four, Dorothea Ernst, duchess of Delaware and one of Bismarck's most trusted inner circle members, was troubled as she sat in her study, contemplating everything that had happened. Cornelia's defection had hit Britannia hard- not only in the vast loss of manpower and military stability, but to the soul of Britannia itself. Nobody had ever thought Cornelia anything less than heroic, an exemplary general of the empire and living proof of the superiority of royal blood. Now, she was a traitor, a wretched enemy of all they held dear- from icon to arch-enemy in a single fell stroke. It worried Dorothea, and it worried the other generals too, whether they liked to admit it or not.
Dorothea had been chosen for her loyalty, her bravery, and her dedicated service. Although she was by no means a poor leader, she was honest enough with herself that her greatest strength was not leadership or tactical brilliance, but the faith and devotion she had to her cause. She loved her country with all her heart; she had done so from a young age, and had never wanted anything more than to give her life in service to it. Now, it seemed, this was more likely a prospect than ever. If she were to put her skills to a scale of one to ten, she would rank herself a six as a leader and a pilot, but a definite ten in terms of patriotism. The world, in her eyes, was black and white- Britannia was a nation of heroes, and its enemies were brute savages, ignorant at best, and irredeemably villainous at worst. Cornelia had been part of this- that was what made it so hard to comprehend- and rejected the best of worlds. She had become a villain, somebody to strike down.
Though she was ashamed to admit it, even to herself, this terrified Dorothea. Cornelia was by far the greater general, the greater pilot, the greater commander- she had been a pillar of strength, one they had all relied on, and now she was… gone. She had always believed she would have one day taken Bismarck's place- yes, thank god for Bismarck, the one man she was sure could outmatch the wicked witch.
Yes, Cornelia's treason had shaken them all to the core. But Britannia had endured the ages, seen rulers come and go, great and mediocre- and it would weather this storm, too. Its legacy was older than Napoleon, older than William the Conqueror, older than Rome. Britannia endured.
Most indifferent about the whole ordeal was the youngest member of the Knights of the Round, the fourteen year old Knight of Six, Anya Alstreim. Ever since she became a knight at the young age of 12, no one could really get a read on her. She had simply been recommended to Bismarck by Charles, and her piloting skills were no joke. She was not indifferent, she simply recognized the situation for what it was- that a new enemy had appeared before Britannia, and she would work hard to correct that error.
Luciano Bradley, the Knight of Ten, known sexist psychopath that he was, only had one interest in mind: he wanted to personally defeat Cornelia, so he could drag her back alive and make her his own personal pet, no matter who he had to bribe to make that a reality. The prize of a once proud Britannian Commander-in-chief excited him. He was also furious that a good friend of his, Kewell Soresi, had had the gall to join Cornelia in her endeavors. It was believed that all of Cornelia's most loyal—approximately 65% of the entire Britannian army—was currently on Japan's soil, ready for action. He had wanted Kewell's sister and her friend, Liliana Vergamon, as his cute little subordinates for the Valkyrie Squadron- So much for that. Oh well, the broads he currently had serving him would work out just fine, especially the hot brunette currently in the middle of sucking his dick while he watched TV.
At the bottom of the chain of command was the newest member of the Knights of the Round, with only a month on the job, Monica Kruszewski, the Knight of Twelve. She was just as troubled as Dorothea, but for vastly different reasons. Of all the Knights of the Round, and Britannian generals, Monica was the most sympathetic towards Zero, and probably understood Cornelia's decision to defect the most. She understood the suffering of the Japanese people, and their desire to lash out at the world. However, she was a loyal member of the Knights of the Round, she had earned the green cape she always wore. While she understood her enemy's position, she was not one to be duped by their silver tongue. Such things only motivated her to put an end to conflict as swiftly as possible. She had a knack for warfare, but she disliked needless bloodshed.
After having seen Cornelia's live broadcast, as she was escorted in a limousine to her office, Monica reflected on her career up until now. It had not been easy. Most of the warfare Monica saw had put her in incredibly tough scrapes only for her miraculous inherent luck and competency in war tactics to let her survive to fight another battle, usually with the subsequent battle ending in her victory. "The Zombie Knight" she had been known as given her tendency to rise from the dead as she would be sent reeling from the frontlines only to counterattack fiercely. Monica took comfort in the fact that she had a knack for getting herself out of bad situations, but unlike her new opponent, she lacked the foresight to avoid getting into those bad situations in the first place.
Monica had met Cornelia before, served under her directly during the conquering of Area 14. She had always considered Cornelia her better, always wondering why it was she that had become a Knight of the Round before her. Was it because Charles had long suspected Cornelia would turn on him? Did Cornelia deliberately not want to be in such a high position? Monica had so many questions and not enough answers. She felt she could only find them on the battlefield.
However, of all the Knights of the Round most troubled by Cornelia's actions, Nonette took first prize. Cornelia had been her friend for years. Nonette considered them besties. Whether or not Cornelia agreed with that consideration, especially now, was up in the air. For the first couple of hours after the broadcast, Nonette had been in denial.
"Not my Nellie," she had said to herself. There was no way Cornelia, the actual living breathing real thing, and not a robotic clone- such was the way Nonette's brain worked- could have said all those things and meant it. But, after the initial shock, which was a rare emotion for the usual perky Nonette, she had come to her senses. Since then, she'd been working tirelessly to establish a secure connection line, making absolutely certain that no one would be able to trace or track the phone call she was about to make. Nonette's ability with technology wasn't quite at an elite hacker level, so this had taken quite some time.
But, here she sat at her computer, ready to call Cornelia and hear the truth from the horse's mouth. Of all the Knights of the Round, Nonette was the least troubled about the prospect of fighting Cornelia and her army. This was, of course, a fact Cornelia knew all too well, even without knowing the other members personally. Nonette had always been Cornelia's better in combat. In fact, on Dorothea's scale, for Knightmare piloting, Nonette would have broken said scale, and taken it not up to eleven, but to twelve, surpassing Bismarck. Nonette's leadership skills certainly lacked, and sometimes her eccentric behavior could call her loyalty into question, but Bismarck knew that she deserved her position in the knights because she was just that good of a pilot. Talent like that could not go to waste.
Briefly reaffirming these facts in her head, Nonette sat in the comfort of her own home, in front of her personal computer, phone hooked into it via USB. She then hit the call button to establish a complete secure connection between her and Cornelia. She could only hope that Cornelia would answer her. The phone rang once and then twice. Nonette held her breath. Two rings meant that an alert person could now see the caller. If Cornelia cancelled the connection now it would mean she heard Nonette's call come in, saw who it was and sent her straight to voicemail. Fortunately for Nonette, it rang a third time.
Come on, pick up, pick up, Nonette thought apprehensively. She really didn't want to have to hear the call go all the way to voice mail after six rings or more—a sign that Cornelia might not have been aware her phone was going off—and then not leave a voicemail in try again to avoid Cornelia calling her back at a bad time. She was going to talk to Cornelia directly, no ifs ands or buts about it. It hadn't even occurred to Nonette that Cornelia was busy preparing for war and therefore might not have time to take her call, such was the quirky mind of Nonette Enneagram.
Fortunately, in the middle of the fifth ring, Cornelia finally answered. "Who is this?"
"What are you doing, Nellie?"
There was a slight pause, before Cornelia finally said, a bit hesitantly,"Well, hello to you too, Nonette."
"No, no, what are you doing?" Nonette asked firmly.
"Can I assume this is a secure connection?" Cornelia said, a bit apprehensively.
"Answer the question, Nellie!" Nonette said, her tone uncharacteristically sharp. She almost… shouted.
There was a slight pause. Nonette never raised her voice, not as far as Cornelia could remember. In fact, Nonette could never remember raising her voice in anger since the time that she was a little kid, going through the temper tantrum phase. She swallowed upon realizing this.
Cornelia eventually responded. "I'll take that as a yes then."
"Please, Nellie. Tell me what's going on. I'm your BFF…aren't I?" Nonette said pleadingly.
"What do you want to know besides what I just said on the public air waves earlier?" Cornelia said.
"Tell me why, Nellie. Why are you doing this? What's going on? I've known you since you were little and I can't figure out for the life of me why you would do such a thing. If you've really turned your back on the empire… if you've really become a traitor, then you'll die. You're a good person, Nellie. No one else knows you like I do. Please tell me what's going on. I'm your bestie. I have a right to know."
On the other end of the line, sitting in her office, Cornelia lowered her phone from her ear, letting her arm hang down by her waist. For a moment she considered coming clean. She wanted to tell Nonette everything, explain to her the reasoning behind her actions. After all, Nonette would make a much better ally than an enemy. But even if she explained it to Nonette, there was no guarantee she could convince her to join her rebellion, and if she told Nonette the truth, she'd be betraying Lelouch's trust. Nonette was her best friend, but Lelouch's faith in her took priority over her still. That was just how it was. Even if there was a chance she could convince Nonette to join her in her rebellion, the chance that Nonette would take everything that Cornelia said, tell it to Bismarck, or Charles, and use it against both of them by exposing Zero's identity, was not a risk she was willing to take. If the faith between her and Lelouch shattered or was shaken after having come so far to get him to trust her, it would break the very foundation of their alliance, and victory would certainly slip from their grasp.
With all that now clear from her mind, Cornelia knew that lying would not cut it with Nonette. She would simply have to decline to answer. Raising the phone back to her ear, Cornelia spoke. "There are reasons, Nonette, good reasons. And I wish I could tell you what they are."
"Well, they had better be good reasons, because you just committed high treason. I know I don't say this as often as I should, but I like you a lot Nellie. You're my best friend, and I really don't want to see you hang from a rope. Or, who knows, I might have to be the one that ultimately kills you. And I don't want to do that. That would make me sad," Nonette said. So strangely typical for her, she sounded not so much miserable as just a little bummed.
Sighing internally, Cornelia decided that a half-explanation was better than no explanation. "Have you ever woken up one morning and just decided that you're not sure if the life your living is worth living? Have you ever looked at the things you do, see how it affects the world and just feel hollow inside? Have you ever asked yourself, for what reason am I continuing to go on day after-"
"I thought you did everything you did for Euphie?" Nonette said.
Cornelia paused, as she rearranged her thoughts from Nonette's interruption. "Serving and protecting Euphemia, acting as Britannia's attack dog. I had to do what I did in order to protect my sister, to make sure she was well cared for. When I was young, everything my father said about non-Britannians was gold. Growing up as a soldier, I'd have killed a thousand men, ten thousand even, if he gave the order."
Nonette realized where this was going. She knew Cornelia well enough. "Nellie, I thought we were over the whole Marianne thing."
"It is never over. Someone murdered the empress from within, and I want to know who. My father insists on covering it up, and I won't stand for it! This empire is built upon a foundation of lies, lies that I only then saw through, after the innocence in me was killed. I could only cover up my own loathing for my empire by gunning down its enemies, blaming them for everything that had happened, hoping that I was wrong, that I could find an answer from some random number before putting a bullet through his head.
"But no, the empire I serve is corrupt to the core. It is rotten, Nonette, like a carcass left out in the sand. I had every intention to serve it proudly, trying to unite the world under Britannia's banner, so that all eyes would be on me when I eventually turned the military upon its ruler, seizing power and reforming Britannia in a way that I saw fit, one where Euphie could be safe, where no one would live in fear of losing that which is precious to them. I wanted to protect the world." Cornelia said, and chuckled. "That must sound very silly, coming from someone my age, I'm sure."
"It's really silly." Nonette agreed. "Since when are you an idealist?" She said, concerned. "Even if you say your innocence was shattered, you still act as if you have the power to become some sort of messiah. That's kids' stuff, Nellie."
"Hmmph. Maybe I never really grew up somewhere inside, or maybe Euphemia rubs off on me. Who can say what's real and what's fiction anymore? I just know what it is I feel is right, and I follow through the only way I know how: brute force."
"But then why the sudden rebellion? You just said you wanted to wait until Britannia had conquered the world."
"Something changed," Cornelia said seriously. "I'm sorry, but that's all I'm willing to say on the matter."
"It's Zero, isn't it?" Nonette asked, now sounding more like her usual upbeat self. "He did something to you, didn't he… or she? I dunno, is Zero a she? I've seen some speculation on forums that Zero's really a woman."
Just like that, her sullen mood was gone, and it was just like old times- Nonette as eccentric as always, just… talking. Cornelia's expression appeared to be a combination of confusion and annoyance. "…what?" she asked flatly.
"Well, I mean… he has a very lean figure, and it's totally possible his helmet has built in filters to make his voice sound deeper. I've seen some of the theories, and if you ask me, it's totally possible he's a flat-chested school girl. It's kind of a romantic idea really, fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by daylight… not that we are the evil ones, mind you." Nonette said soberly, as if her tirade had been a well presented university lecture. "Then there are people who think these are the communist Illuminati Jewish Atheist Catholics who planted him to rebel and overthrow Britannia. Not that I have anything against Jewish Atheist Catholics, but overthrowing a whole kingdom is kind of mean, don't you think? I mean, think of the chaos! Think of what it will do to the economy, our international standing, and our kitten population. I mean, do you really think it's fair to take it out on the kittens? Do you, Cornelia?"
"Er…" Cornelia began. "Yes, I think we can agree that, er, the kittens should be left out of this."
"See, that's why you're still my bestie," Nonette said, practically beaming. "And then there are these guys who think he's just a shill for the world bankers. It sounds crazy, but if you think about it, doesn't it-"
"No." Cornelia said firmly. "No, if you think about it, it still sounds completely moronic."
"Yeah, you're right." Nonette said cheerily, without missing a beat. "Then there are people who think that he's an exiled prince long thought dead, but secretly kept alive in Japan and long nurturing a grudge against his homeland due to being sent away, but come on, that's just way out there. Some people are just crazy, aren't they?"
Cornelia let out a nervous chuckle, and coughed. "Ah, yes… that was a very long list of equally insane conspiracy theories, none of which made more sense than the other. That is to say, none at all."
"I thought so too." Nonette said happily, as if them being on different sides was not an issue, as if nothing had happened at all, as if they were just two girlfriends catching up. "I mean, some of them make you think, and I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for Jewish Atheist Catholics in case they've got some funny business going on, but on the whole, yes, it's all poppycock. Probably. I guess I'll just have to settle for not knowing. Maybe I'll get lucky and you'll take me prisoner someday, and we can have a long and proper chat." She snorted, laughing at the notion. "I mean, fat chance, but a girl can always dream."
"…yes, quite." Cornelia said cautiously. "I really am sorry, Nonette. I really wish I could tell you, but… I can't."
"I'll be fine." Nonette said reassuringly. "Ooh, I forgot to tell you about the theory about how we're all actually controlled by lizard people from mars, which, if you ask me, the jury's still out on that one."
"Uhh…" Cornelia said, not sure how to calm this storm of insanity. The things people could come up with in such a short time span…
"'Cause I heard Clovis faked his death, and that he's secretly been a deep cover operative for his majesty's secret service. His identity as a prince was, in fact, extremely deep cover while he sailed around the world, tracking down terrorist organizations, escaping poorly constructed, slow-working death traps, and having pointed conversations with bald guys who like fluffy white cats. And seducing nubile young women along the way, of course. You can't be a spy hero without having lots of sex along the way."
"…how on earth would he have time to do all that while being the governor of Japan and a prince?" Cornelia asked. Nonette's tendency for the bizarre never ceased to amaze her.
"Body double." Nonette said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now, I may only have heard this on a thread on w/conspiracy-"
"What now?" Cornelia said, blinking.
"Weddit." Nonette explained. "It's a website for like, everything. Keep up, will ya? Now, Prince Clovis, or as we think he might be named, Archibald Thorne, his majesty's finest-"
Cornelia stopped listening after a while. Nonette's words, though coherent phrases, stopped sounding like actual sentences and more like insane ramblings the more time went on. Eventually, Cornelia could take no more, and interrupted Nonette by palming her face, sighing and saying, "Nonette, you need to stop believing everything you read."
"Oh, I know, but it's fun to speculate, yeah?" Nonette asked, sounding much happier than she had when the two women had started this conversation.
Cornelia sighed again. She spoke seriously as she removed her hand from her face. "So is this where we stand then, as enemies? I agree that I would rather not have to put a bullet in your body, but if you don't let me bring you in alive, and you won't join me, I won't have much choice in the matter."
"Hmm, nope, can't think of a thing," Nonette answered. "You know, that whole sworn loyalty to king and country thing, that wasn't exactly taken lightly by me, Nellie. Maybe it never occurred to you, but some of us just can't betray our countries that easily. Weird, right? Maybe, just maybe, if you're fixing to tell me your reasons, I might be willing to change my mind."
"I'm sorry, but that's not a risk I'm willing to take."
"Then I'm not willing to risk that you're doing the right thing, Nellie. And that's disappointing, because you know that if we meet in battle, you can't win against me. My Elizabeth is way stronger than your Gloucester, and let's face it, I'm the better pilot. If we fight, then because you're a traitor, I'll have to kill you. And I'd rather not do that. It'd be really tragic, you know?"
It's really unnerving when she says things like that and doesn't sound nearly as miserable as she claims, Cornelia thought.
There was a long, awkward silence before Nonette spoke again. Gone was the merriment in her voice, the constant cheer that Cornelia felt like she alone knew was, for the most part, an act. Speaking from her heart, she said, "Please don't make me kill you, Nellie. If I'm being honest, I don't think I could live with that."
"I'm sorry, but I've made my decision, Nonette. We will settle this on the battlefield. Whatever happens, happens. Goodbye, Nonette." Cornelia abruptly hung up, and sighed deeply. Fighting Nonette had always been on her mind, but it had been only an afterthought, looming like a spectre at the back of her head. While any number of things could prevent the two from facing off, now the looming and threatening possibility of facing down one of, if not the most, skilled pilots in all of Britannia was right in her face, and the terrifying image of staring down Nonette's custom Knightmare, The Elizabeth, filled Cornelia with more terror than Bismarck's custom Knightmare, the Galahad. Nonette wasn't just a good soldier; Cornelia thought of her as outright perfect. The cheeriness, the upbeat behavior, always smiling… after serving with Nonette for so many years, Cornelia knew that behind that smile hid something much more- a champion of a pilot, more terrifying than Bismarck, more skilled than even Suzaku. She was terrifying in her own right, and, Cornelia suspected, only half as silly as she seemed.
The woman could fire three shots without flinching in under a second, each one a kill shot. She was not somebody to be trifled with or taken lightly. She was a goof to the core, true enough, but a veritable juggernaut on the battlefield as well. That was what made her the most terrifying woman in all of the Holy Britannian Empire, even more than Cornelia herself. Nonette never held back, and never took prisoners unless ordered to. She was precise, efficient and outright lethal when to her enemy. Cornelia had always admired that about her, always trying to match Nonette's skill, but the gap between the two women had never closed in the last seven years. If anything, it had only gotten wider.
However, what bothered Cornelia most of all about the situation had nothing to do about Nonette's skill, but it was simply because that, like Nonette, Cornelia did not want to have to gun down or execute one of the few people she considered a friend. Nonette had one thing right- she had known Cornelia since she was little. She always looked out for her in the military. They had fought together many times like a pair of angels- or demons, depending on which side you were on- descending onto the battlefield with fury and without mercy. They always had each other's backs. They had a long history of winning together. How could Cornelia raise a gun to someone like that, much less kill her? She had always been there for her, especially when Marianne died and when Cornelia tried to save Lelouch and Nunnally. Nonette understood her better than anyone else in the world besides herself. If Nonette refused to be taken prisoner, then Cornelia was of the mind that her death should come at nobody else's hands but hers, and that was a thought she did not want to entertain for even a nanosecond.
She sighed. Feeling lousy, Cornelia took up the phone again, and dialed another number. The signal beeped for a while, before she could hear it being answered.
"Euphemia?" she asked. "Shall we go out for dinner together?"
She needed to see her sister. Only by seeing the great big smile on Euphemia's face would she be able to keep her head in the game regarding what needed to be fought for and why, she was sure of it.
At the same time, Nonette leaned back in her chair, feeling exhausted from her conversation with Cornelia. She took a while to rest, taking in the reality of the situation. After some time, she regained her composure, and reverted back to the happy, carefree Nonette… for the most part. She waltzed out of her room, and out of her home, and walked toward the Headquarters of the Knights of the Round. Just as she had hoped, she found both Monica and Dorothea sitting around the lounge.
"Hey, girls!" she exclaimed, with a big huge smile on her face. "Who's hungry for pizza and thirsty for beer? I say we get a girl's night out while we still can!"
"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Dorothea asked.
"Since when does Nonette need a reason to celebrate?" Monica asked flatly.
"Oh Monny, you really do understand!" Nonette said and gave her a tight bear hug, pushing her head into her chest.
I understand you're a nutcase with too much skill for your own good, Monica thought, as she was smothered by Nonette's chest.
Dorothea sighed. Arguing with Nonette was often as fruitful as growing produce in a desert. "Where are we going?"
"Thanks so much for asking, Dora!" Nonette exclaimed. "I was thinking we dash on over to pizza hut, get three large three-topping pizzas, and then…" Nonette said, soon drifting off on an oddly detailed, and not very realistic description of the night ahead.
"Again with the plebeian food?" Monica exclaimed. "We could go out to the Ritz or Everest, and you want to go and gorge yourself on cheese and grease?"
"Yes!" Nonette said, and nodded enthusiastically, as if the answer was the most natural thing in the world. Monica didn't know how to answer that, and just sputtered incoherently, before gripping her hair like she wanted to pull it out.
"Jeez, whatever! I don't care! Just…let's go. I'll drive." Said Dorothea irritably.
"Hooray!" Nonette exclaimed. "This is going to be so much fun, I just know it!"
"If you get massively drunk, I'm not carrying you home. You can call your own damn cab," Dorothea said, and sighed. For all of her heroic bravado, even she could not stand Nonette sometimes. Honestly, why is someone like this a Knight of the Round?
While Nonette was out with her fellow knights, elsewhere, across the ocean, Lelouch had wrapped up his work for the day as leader of the Black Knights at Confederacy HQ. He had shed the mantle of Zero, and had taken a train back to Ashford. On his way, he had called Milly in advance, and asked her to meet him in the student council room. It was time to settle what little business he had left with his old life.
The sun had long since set, and the moon was high in the sky by the time Lelouch arrived at Ashford. Milly had borrowed the master set of keys to get them into the meeting room. The place looked normal, with its usual white board of objectives written in marker, papers scattered everywhere on the table and TV and computer over on one side of the room. Milly was about to hit the light switch, but Lelouch insisted that they remain off.
The two stood in front of each other. Lelouch was dressed in a black shirt with a red jacket and a pair of jeans. Milly was wearing her Ashford Academy uniform.
"So what's this all about, Lelouch?" Milly said. "Are you about to profess your undying love for me in these dark times?" she asked playfully, a coy smile on her face. "Oh, is that why you asked me to keep the lights off? Oh, Lelouch, you dog you, I didn't think you had it in you!"
Lelouch stood in the darkness with an unflinching expression. She was doing what she always did, tease, flirt, playfully mock him in the ways she knew he was weak to. But not tonight. Tonight, he would not acknowledge that.
"I want you to strike my name from the attendance record here at Ashford. Effective immediately, I will no longer be attending classes here."
Milly just blinked for a moment. Lelouch couldn't be serious…right? Thinking that, she laughed. "Oh wow… boy, do you have a sense of humor. I can't believe you said that with a straight face."
"This isn't a request." Lelouch said firmly. "I thought you should know that I'm not going to be here tomorrow, the day after that, or the day after that. I thought it would be easier on you, and the rest of the student council, if you knew that I am no longer part of the student body. You can handle that however you wish."
"Jeez, Lelouch, way to spring something heavy on a girl, with all that happened today. I get that your sister just turned out to be a traitor. It was a shock to me as well, you know." Lelouch said nothing. "You don't have to quit Ashford over this." She smiled playfully. "Or did you get some girl pregnant, and revoke your V-card when I wasn't looking?" She said with a smirk, but Lelouch only looked cross. Milly folded her arms. Clearly, he was not in the mood for games- usually, he'd be in a slight stutter by now, irritated, almost twitching his eyes at her. She had a feeling of foreboding, of dread, about what this was. "So you're leaving Ashford to go join your sister, is that it?"
"Yes."
"Does Nunnally know?"
"Yes. Euphemia's watching over her."
"A-ha! I knew it! That pink haired 'friend' of yours really was Princess Euphemia." She exclaimed.
"And you almost blew my cover, thank you very little!" Lelouch snapped.
"Hey, I backed off. I know you well enough to have your ass covered. Besides, it was fun to watch you squirm. I mean, think of the spicy story I could've made, gossiping about you hooking up with a princess." Lelouch, though not quite twitching, scowled intensely. "Sheesh, someone's grumpy today. What, did you have a hand in your sister's decision or something?"
Lelouch avoided eye contact. "You could say that."
Milly sighed. "You know, I really thought you had left this whole vengeance thing behind, Lelouch. I thought that maybe after three years, you might have moved on, maybe actually wanted to live normally." Milly's upbeat, quirky behavior could only shield her true feelings for so long. She was starting to feel the need to level with Lelouch.
"Who could want to live normally under such oppression? I was not living, merely existing, floating to day after day because my body simply refused to shut down. That's not life."
"You lost everything after your mother died, I know, but Lelouch…are you really willing to risk your life for answers?" Milly was sounding more and more irritated and upset with Lelouch's dialogue. Even her eyebrows were starting to converge in anger, a rarity for the young blonde.
"Yes." He said simply.
Milly stared at the floor in anguish. "Don't I matter to you?" she asked, balling her fists. "Doesn't Rivalz, Nina, Shirley or even Kallen and Suzaku?" Lelouch didn't answer her. Milly looked at Lelouch right in the eye with a peeved expression. She pointed at her clavicle with her right hand. "God dammit, Lelouch! You always have to be so quiet about everything! Why can't you just answer the questions you're asked, instead of staying silent or making up excuses?" She snapped.
"Because that suits a liar like me, don't you think?" Lelouch said, a smirk on his face. "The Prince of Lies, that's what they should call me when I eventually become king."
Milly raised her hand, and in one quick motion, she slapped him across the face.
"You're such an asshole!" she shouted. Lelouch put his hand on his cheek and now looked at Milly with a surprised expression. She was staring at the floor, shoulders shivering and from the sounds she was making it was clear she was crying. "You never think about anyone's feelings except your own. Does Cornelia even want you going to war? Don't you think she'd be happier if you just stood on the sidelines, so that she knows your safe? And even so, you two are fighting Britannia, our home country. How could you do something like that?"
"You wouldn't understand," Lelouch said, dropping his hands at his sides.
"Then make me understand!" Milly shouted. She marched forward, and grabbed the lapels of Lelouch's jacket and put her head against his chest. "If you go away, Rivalz, Suzaku, Nina, Kallen, and especially Shirley and I… we'll all be sad. You're our classmate… our friend. I don't want the next time I see you to be over a casket, or looking down at your body stepped over by so many soldiers after its been shot full of bullets. You're not a soldier, Lelouch. You can barely scrape by P.E. So why are you doing this?"
"Because I have to, not to mention I won't exactly be the rank and file. The chances of that happening aren't as likely as you might be thinking."
"Would you stop it with the vague answers and asinine remarks?" Milly said, her voice quiet but firm. "Why can't you tell it to me straight out? Why, Lelouch? Just why? I've guarded your secret for so many years, let you be part of the student council, gave you free room and board, I even hired Sayoko. So why now are you treating me like this, when I've given everything to you? Is it get back at me for all the obnoxious stuff I've done? If it'll make you stay, I'll apologize. No, I'll prostrate myself across campus and make a big deal about it! Whatever you want Lelouch, just don't walk away from this campus to what will surely lead to your death."
"Milly," Lelouch spoke her name, as he calmly grabbed her wrists and gently pushed her away from him. He was looking at her with a serious expression. He stood tall, taller than her, looking down on her oh-so-average height. Milly looked him right in the eye. "You were the only one I could really talk to for these last few years, but despite that you never really could see me. The mask I wore, it seems, has fooled even you. The person I am in the dark has been hidden from you all this time. In truth, I thought I would stay as empty shell well past my education, maybe become as old as Cornelia is now before I eventually tried to take down Britannia. However, things change. Something had happened, before Cornelia had any intention of defecting, which made me decide I wanted to go to war and stop Britannia. I'm sorry you feel this way, but perhaps I can cushion the blow. After all, your feelings speak only towards a shadow."
"Jerk," Milly said, crying again, momentarily struggling to break free of Lelouch's grip, but her distraught state prevented that and she just stared at the ground again.
"Call me whatever you like. It doesn't change reality."
"You're a liar and a scoundrel, Lelouch vi Britannia."
"Well yes, I know, I just said that," Lelouch said with a smirk.
"No, not like that."
"Then like what?" he asked.
"You say that everything you were at Ashford is a lie, but I know better. Perhaps you want to think of yourself as a broken man, perhaps you think your passion towards vengeance is the only thing you can feel, but you're wrong. You can smile, laugh, get surprised, panic, and even feel happiness and sorrow. I know… because I made it my job to make you feel those things."
"And you think those emotions are genuine?"
"Aren't they? If you have the burning desire for vengeance, then you can certainly emote in other ways. You're not broken, Lelouch… in a roundabout way… I was trying to get you to see that."
Lelouch looked at Milly seriously. Something about this didn't ring right to his ear. "What are you getting at?"
"I had hoped that if I could get you to see that there was more to life than brooding about what happened to you, that perhaps you might see me as the person that saved you from your world-hating, bitter self. But I suppose I might've also had," Milly said as she held her hand to her chest and smiled awkwardly, "ulterior motives after a while."
"…excuse me?"
"Oh my god, you are so thick sometimes!"
"Don't yell at me for something you weren't exactly making obvious," Lelouch said. Milly's indignation clued him into what she was getting at. He didn't need it spelled out for him anymore. "So you say you're playing the role of the loving bully. You wanted my attention, but didn't know how to express it?"
Milly only nodded. "If you're going to leave no matter what I say… then there's no point in hiding it."
"Of all the members of the student body, I never quite expected you to have genuine feelings for somebody."
"And now you're stepping on those feelings? You're horrible," Milly uttered.
"Just observing," Lelouch stated. "I never suspected it, because of your father's desire to restore the Ashford's noble status. I thought you were messing with me to play into that, or even drive me away. But… whatever it is you may feel for me, it is not something I can even begin contemplating whether I could reciprocate it or not. Starting a relationship before a war is the worst time for such things. I cannot be focused on the battlefield if I have to worry about you."
"Wow, is this how you turn all the girls down? No wonder almost every girl in school wants you. The idea of being the one girl to get past your steel exterior is a challenge anyone would make the attempt to accomplish."
Lelouch said nothing in response to this. Anything he could say would only give Milly more ammunition to make fun of him. Fortunately, Milly broke the silence on her own.
"So are you really going away… is there really nothing I can do to stop you?" Milly asked.
"Not a thing in the world," Lelouch answered.
"Then…" Milly stepped towards Lelouch and unceremoniously wrapped her arms around him, craning her neck upward as she pulled his body towards her and put her lips to his. She didn't do it for very long, only a few seconds. Lelouch's reaction was priceless.
"Wh-what did I just say? Now's not the time for me to get involved!" Lelouch exclaimed.
Seeing him flustered at last brought a smile to Milly's face. "I know, and that's why it was the perfect time to steal your first kiss for myself." Milly winked. "You're not the only one that can be selfish."
"Hhmmph," Lelouch said, but his scowl soon became a smile. "For your information, that wasn't my first kiss. Sorry, but you're too late."
"Oh my, what's this? Was I right before?" Milly asked, feigning surprise. "Did you really lose your virginity and get a girl pregnant?"
"I'll leave that to your imagination," Lelouch said with a smirk.
Milly laughed a little. "You're such a jerk." She put a finger on his face. "I meant what I said though. You're not going off to war only to come back in a casket, a body bag or for me to find you dead on the street. This isn't our final goodbye." Tears began falling down her cheeks again. "Understand? If you die out there, I'll never forgive you, Lelouch." Milly then wrapped her arms around Lelouch and buried her head into the inside of his shoulder, shaking a little as she cried. Lelouch wrapped his arms around Milly, holding her. In leaving her tonight, he would completely leave his old life at Ashford behind. In a way, she was his life and existence her at the academy- leaving her was leaving two things at once.
"Farewell, Milly," he told her. "If you're lucky, our paths will cross again in the future." He then let her go and headed for the door. "I have to pack. Please, don't let anyone know about this."
Milly nodded, and watched Lelouch go. Although he was still just around the corner, even when he had walked only so much that she could turn around, call his name and he could hear her outside, Milly felt as if Lelouch had just walked out of her life. Tomorrow he would be gone, and the next time she saw him, there was no guarantee he would be himself anymore, if she saw him at all. Milly was a tough young woman though, and she knew she could keep going despite the hurt- but she absolutely could not let Shirley know about this. If Shirley knew what Lelouch was really up to, she'd break. The red-head wasn't made as stern stuff as the student council president.
Sighing, Milly filled her spirit with as much resolve as she could. Tomorrow as going to be a rough day, and it started tonight. She had a lot of phone calls to make now, before she would get any sleep tonight.
It was the wee hours of the morning, well past midnight, when Lelouch finally stepped out of his house. He had several stacks of suitcases behind him being dragged behind him with Sayoko's help. Eventually, he made it to the edge of Ashford Academy's grounds, where Jeremiah was waiting for him to bring him to Confederacy HQ. Lelouch nodded to him, and to Sayoko silently, and was then brought to what used to be the Viceroy Palace.
Lelouch made himself comfortable, setting up his new living quarters as he felt suited his aesthetic tastes. He certainly had more room here than he had at Ashford. In some ways the extra space was uncomfortable, but Lelouch figured he'd simply get used to it.
It was almost four in the morning when he had finished unpacking. Lelouch was already in pajamas, and had just peeled back the covers to slide under them when Cornelia walked in.
"What are you doing up at this hour?" he asked as he turned to face her.
"Checking up on you," she said.
"Shouldn't you be getting your rest?"
"We still have approximately thirty-six hours before we can expect the first attack. Most of my day was spent working with Katase and Tohdoh to ensure that we're not going to be taken off guard by Area twelve's oppressors. You and I can talk more about it tomorrow. You need to know the full details of what we're up against so you can plan around it. This first wave isn't going to be pleasant, and we'll need to minimize casualties as much as possible if we want to win this thing."
"I agree," Lelouch said and yawned.
Cornelia walked over to Lelouch sat down on his bed. She then reached out and put a hand up on his shoulder and gestured for him to sit down next to her. "How does it feel, putting the final nail in the coffin, exchanging your pen for a pistol?"
"I'm fine, sister. This is what I want. You don't have to worry about me. No one there really knew me for me. It's not a big deal."
"You attended that school for several years according to the records I was able to pull. Are you telling me you don't care what happens to the students there?"
"Are you telling me that you do?"
Cornelia took a deep breath and faced forward. "Even if my country brands me a traitor, I have the interest of the entire nation at heart. I could not claim I was just if I did not care for the lives of my people. That's why it surprises me to see you simply cast aside the people that have been around you for several years."
"They served their purpose. I am not a public school student, but I truly felt it to be a good cover. You surely didn't suspect it until you captured me. Truthfully you must have had to have hidden your true intentions behind a mask when dealing with politicians, yes?" Cornelia said nothing.
"Your silence means I'm right. Do you care about the fact that your cabinet has been locked up despite doing nothing but help you since you became Viceroy of Japan? Of course not."
"There is a big difference, Lelouch."
"There really, really isn't. Business is business. Secrets are secrets. We must all hide our true intentions behind a mask to those that cannot understand us." Lelouch put his hand on Cornelia's and smiled at her. "So that the people that do understand us can be appreciative of our honesty."
"So you're going to be all right then, just becoming a general, a public figurehead?"
"How hard could it be? I've lied for so long it wouldn't be difficult to become one of my lies, now would it? You've clearly put a lot more thought into your reestablishment of Britannia than I have. This is your decision and your rebellion, Cornelia. I'm simply the driving force, the motivator that got you to act."
"But without you, I could not have come this far so soon."
"I could say the same. If we hadn't joined forces when we did, we'd likely be at each other's throats by now. By my estimation, you would've attacked Narita to dismantle the pocket of JLF members that were stationed there."
"Well, we've saved lives and resources working together," Cornelia said and got up off Lelouch's bed. "Get some sleep. I'll expect your assistance first thing in the morning, after you've had something to eat. We still have a lot of preparing to do for the inevitable attack from Area Twelve."
"Of course, sister. You have a pleasant night too, what little is left of it."
Cornelia smiled, left Lelouch's room. She was about to close the door when she smiled and said, "Good night." She then shut the door and walked away, the inside of her stomach feeling like a thousand doe-eyed kittens rolling around in a field of flowers together. Those two words had felt like how she had always said them to Euphie growing up. Lelouch was truly back in her life, and though she wished the circumstances were different, she would make sure that if the two of them succeeded they'd succeed together. If they died, they'd die clenching the others hand. She would never leave him alone, not ever again. That was what being an older sibling meant to her.
Inside his cell, Schneizel el Britannia, second prince to the royal family, pondered this recent turn of events. Imprisonment certainly was a new experience, and he had always valued learning from these. However, after a week or two he had decided, quite firmly, that incarceration did not agree with him.
The prince was nothing if not in control of himself, though. Anger, despair, frustrations, these were most unproductive emotions that would only weaken him mentally- and, in the long run, physically. As such, he had bore the boredom stoically, creating little ways of entertaining himself. Imaginary chess with himself, for one, had taken up much of his time, the only restriction being that he already knew almost to perfection every strategy within the game. He would think up little riddles, he would take care to exercise regularly, with little squats, stretches and so forth, to keep his body awake and his mind sharp. Most of all, he simply thought, pondering recent developments.
He had considered, for one, the possibility that he might be tortured. He had never had to endure much pain in his life, and he was somewhat concerned about how he might react, should it happen. However, it was unlikely. While he most certainly possessed information that his enemies would consider vital, neither of his siblings were likely to raise a hand to him. Cornelia had the gall, certainly, but she was soft on family, and quite busy with preparing for war, no doubt. Schneizel smiled as he thought about her, shaking his head slightly. The silly girl, she was raised on Britannian honour and dignity, and had swallowed those ideals wholesale- she was the ideal Britannian in many ways, and now she used that to rebel. She never had had the vision to see that those were constructed, spoon-fed to the gullible.
Lelouch, for his part… he certainly was more ruthless. He reminded Schneizel of himself, perhaps five- no, ten- years ago. But unlike Schneizel, he was ruled by emotion- his childish anger toward their father, and by extension, all of Britannia itself. It was almost comical to think that this rebellion, worthy of a full scale war, was based on simple daddy issues- but, he reminded himself, history had seen rulers do far worse, for sillier reasons.
No, Lelouch would not torture him. As cold as he could be, he was too passionate, and above all else, too inexperienced. Had he been raised like Schneizel himself had, he might have known better- he might have known the true meaning of sacrifice, what it took to rule a nation. But he was a child looking for revenge, hiding behind the pretense of idealism, hiding again behind patriotism and justice. He would be surprised if Lelouch himself, deep down, knew what he really wanted.
The Japanese officers likely would- in fact, many of them probably had vivid fantasies about taking revenge on such a symbol of the empire that had trampled their honour and dignity. But they were under Lelouch's thrall, undoubtedly. Cornelia was a competent leader, but she had such… singular competence. She most certainly lacked the charisma and subtlety to convince an oppressed, despairing, angry bunch of savages that their oppressors were now their greatest allies, worthy of shedding blood next to in a war they couldn't possibly win. No, this was Lelouch's doing, beyond a doubt. He had not spoken to him since that one time, but with all likeliness, Lelouch had become quite the demagogue.
Schneizel yawned. It was time for a few stretches again soon, he decided. Imprisonment did not agree with him… but then again, he did not expect to stay here for long. Combat would soon be joined, and when that happened… well, the military would be keen to retrieve not only the second prince, but a major bargaining chip and strategic asset.
Schneizel stood up, and stretched himself. Lelouch… he would make for an interesting challenge, sooner rather than later.
(A/N: And that, folks will do for this chapter. Call it lateral movement if you wish, but the main point of this chapter was just so you didn't have to wait for the poll results. I mean, granted I am slowing down the pacing quite a bit compared to the first seven chapters, but that's just to raise tension hopefully at no cost to your interest. Next chapter I hope will get a little more interesting with actual warfare going on, but we'll see what happens. Might save that for chapter 10. Until then, I encourage you all to subscribe to me on twitter at draconichero19, support my fanfics on tvtropes, review, fave, subscribe and maybe subscribe to me on deviantART at draconichero18. Oh and as I said at the beginning, do give some of my other works a look through, though right now I'm only really updating Fairy Without Wings and this story since they're the "gold mines" for right now. I'll see you all for chapter nine. Until then from all of me to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)