Kyoshiro was a man of regrets. His name was celebrated on his people's lips, but every time he heard the cursed nickname, "Tohdoh the Miracle Worker", his soul howled in protest. If he had acted more wisely, with more prudence, then perhaps Japan would've never been invaded at all.

He still remembers the two young children who had slowly befriended his pupil. Two Britannian royals who had been cast out of their home. The Prime Minister hadn't listened when Kyoshiro had tried to explain that they were not the valuable hostages they had been led to believe. It was unfathomable that the children of Marianne the Flash would be cast out so easily, but her death clearly proved that the Emperor's affections were fickle.

Or so Kyoshiro thought until the Emperor announced to the world that his presumed dead son was hiding in Area Eleven and now heir to the Empire. No matter how he examined the situation, he could not understand it.

Lelouch had loathed his father. Any mention of the Britannian Emperor was met with scorn and insults. Despite the various rumors, this announcement could not have been planned between the two of them. A child could not feign such hatred for a parent.

Of course, the world did not know of the boy's greatest treason because Kyoshiro had dismissed his words as the foolish boasting of a child. He had known of knightmares. Lelouch attempted to warn him on numerous occasions. It was all for naught. No one could fathom such monstrosities being deployed on the battlefield. The closest they had heard of such technology were the janky robots tethered to an extension cord that lumbered through Britannian mines.

He had been a fool, and Japan paid the price.

Now, the boy, who most assuredly hated the Emperor, would sit on the throne. It made no sense.

From the opposite side of the room, the voices of the Holy Swords drifted over. "We must avenge our comrades! If we strike—"

"Security will be through the roof. We would not even get within a mile—"

"It's a fucking school. The campus is sprawling. There's no way they're covering every angle."

Kyoshiro closed his eyes in irritation. He had planned on visiting Kururugi's grave, but the announcement had derailed all plans as the city thrummed with extra forces. The local garrison had been supplemented with the Emperor's own men, causing many of the local Britannians to open their homes to quarter the extra personnel.

The Emperor seemed to be very invested in his heir's safety.

It made no fucking sense.

Why would he care now? He had left his children to die.

Kyoshiro knew what his men wanted. They wanted to make Britannia bleed and prove that the Japanese did not need to rely on a cosplayer prancing around to draw Britannian blood. Zero had risen from Clovis's bloody ashes. It would only be appropriate for the JLF to be reborn via delivering another prince's corpse.

Had Kyoshiro never met the kid, he would pursue this avenue without hesitation. It was a golden opportunity. The other insurgent groups, still strong in the northern and southern islands due to foreign aid, would definitely be converging on Tokyo to give things a fair shot.

And Zero—well, Kyoshiro had his suspicions regarding that.

"It is a trap," Kyoshiro declared as he rose, and his men snapped to attention. For a moment, he let his eyes linger on Chiba and wondered if he could risk his reputation by asking her out for some drinks. A young woman like her would never entertain someone like him. "Britannia would not so openly broadcast their Crown Prince's vulnerable location unless it was a deliberate invitation. For whom, we do not know yet."

"Zero?" Chiba asked.

"Perhaps," Kyoshiro agreed. "For now, we will watch and prepare." Irritation flashed across their expressions. "We will not wait for too long, but it is best for someone more foolhardy to spring the trap first."

Then, they would see how Britannia would react. How the Emperor would respond.

Regardless, the boy would have to die before he ascended the throne. If Lelouch's shogi game or ability to learn languages was any testament to his intelligence, he would be a fearsome foe when given actual power to back his plans. Odysseus had at least been an idiot. Schneizel's strategies and personality were meanwhile well documented. The boy didn't have to be exceptional. An unknown was dangerous enough already.

It had just been a day, Shirley tried to reassure herself as she worked in the student council room. Lelouch couldn't have forgotten them. He was their friend... except he was Zero. He was a liar. Rivalz could very well be deluded. He had no reason to look back at them. He was a prince, and they were mere commoners.

She could scarcely believe Lelouch had weathered all of Milly's antics, the indignity. It was not to be done. Perhaps, it was why Milly had made herself scarce since the devastating announcement, only occasionally spying from a distance. In her and Lelouch's absence, the student council work had piled up, and she sighed as she took half the pile to the table.

The entire school was outside, enraptured by watching Lelouch. She could barely stand to watch him and his obviously fake smile. There was a tension rippling under his skin. Or maybe she was imagining it, trying to reconcile him with Zero. They were so different. Lelouch had never been so flashy. He avoided the spotlight at all costs.

Without anyone nearby to reprimand her, she nibbled on the end of her pencil as she went through the budget sheet. All the clubs had turned in emergency fund requests, including her own swim and gymnastic clubs. They wanted to impress Lelouch. She wasn't inclined to help them.

Milly really should be here; she would have a blast with this.

What would her father say about this development? Once, he had sworn his life to the crown. He had served his nation dutifully for a tour before retiring and happily taking a job as a geologist. Would he be upset to have died at a royal's command? Even if they were Zero?

The door squeaked, and Shirley raised her head, surprised to find Lelouch slumped against the door.

"Le—Your Highness?' she asked.

He shook his head, lifted a hand, as if to ward her off, and closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly. A mere hour ago, she had caught sight of him, immaculate as always. There was none of that here. His clothes were fine, yet he radiated a damning sense of exhaustion as he slid down the door and into a small squat.

What was she to do?

"How are you?" she asked softly, unable to help herself. His breathing was still so deliberate, as if a lapse in control would lead to destruction. His fists trembled at his side.

In the recent chaos, she had thought to ask why he hadn't told them, his friends. How he could be Zero. Who he truly was. Where the lies ended and the truth began.

They had known each other for years. Lelouch was a creature who fled the spotlight, bearing it only long enough to not draw attention. He always left public facing tasks to Milly. He was the iron fist to Milly's will, and the negotiator working in her shadows to fix her accidental slights.

Since the announcement, he had the weight of the world's attention upon him.

She glanced back at the window, thankful that the students had given up staking it out late yesterday evening when it became clear Lelouch wouldn't come. Quietly, she closed the blinds, letting the room fall into darkness, and Lelouch's breaths grew quieter.

From the back of the room, she grabbed the warm blankets that they used in the winter for late night activities. Her breath stalled in her throat as she looked at him. This was the future of the Emperor. He killed her father. She shouldn't even look at him, let alone approach him.

She dropped the blanket over his shoulders. "The captain of the swim team might be an even bigger perv than Milly. She wants to put on a maid cafe. I have to camp out here to make sure Milly never sees it. She would approve it in a second, you know."

Nothing. His breaths finally calmed.

"It's so much work right now. Everyone wants to do something special, like that would matter. You already know them, and all this stupid playacting is for nothing. I really didn't want to think so many people were shallow. You know I thought you were shallow once?"

"Really?" he whispered.

"What was I to think, Mr. Slacker? You constantly skived off from class, and all the girls were practically throwing themselves at you. You were quite rude playing them like that."

"I..." Eyes crossed in befuddlement, he stared at her. "I didn't do anything."

"Exactly."

"And if you're going to drop anonymous love letters, of course, I cannot reply."

The tip of her ears burned. She had done that once. Had he actually wanted to get together with one of his mysterious letter writers?

"I told the ones who asked 'no'. They were always rude to Nunnally."

That part hadn't been a lie. He really doted on his sister.

"How is she?" Shirley asked.

Lelouch glared at his lap. "I haven't asked. She was... displeased with how I acted with Cornelia, and I fear if I talk to her..." He groaned. "I would say something stupid. She doesn't understand, nor do I really want her to. She hasn't even finished middle school, and I'm going to rip her away from all of this. I can't protect her anymore."

"The guards turned me away when I tried to visit her," Shirley whispered.

"I'm sorry," Lelouch whispered. "I would promise— But they do not listen to me."

"I noticed." She looked away. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I—"

The door jostled, and Shirley shot to her feet, face burning in embarrassment. The softness in Lelouch's face vanished, and he rose with all the graceful bearings of a prince as the blanket remained discarded on the door.

Rivalz peeked through the cracked door and slipped inside, pale as a ghost. "What the hell—Lelouch!"

"Rivalz—" Lelouch grunted as his friend collided with him in a hug.

"Best bud! You haven't forgotten us! How couldn't you tell me! I'm your best friend. Didn't you trust me? I never said anything about the time with the mob—"

"Rivalz," Lelouch hissed.

Rivalz sprung backwards, paling even further as he saw her.

"What mob?" Shirley asked dangerously.

The two of them cringed, like it was months ago and she had just caught them returning from gambling.

"Your ability to keep secrets is subpar," Lelouch told his friend coldly.

"Man..." Rivalz rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't see her there. And I kept it for over a year."

"What mob!" Shirley asked, her voice growing shrill.

"Please," Lelouch hissed. "Someone will overhear."

"I knew you gambled, but I at least thought you had the common sense—" She flinched as Lelouch's glare sharpened, suddenly reminded that she was yelling at an imperial prince—not just any, the crown prince. If the Knight of One heard, it would be her head on the chopping block for disrespecting the royal family. "I apologize."

Lelouch's shoulders sagged, and he collapsed into a nearby chair. "Just— This is why I didn't say anything."

"Because you don't trust us," Rivalz said bitterly.

"No." Lelouch gestured vaguely at her. "Because it changes things, and it shouldn't have mattered."

"You're a prince," Shirley snapped. And Zero! How could it not matter. "You were just playing at being a normal student."

Leaning back, Lelouch closed his eyes. "No. I didn't consider myself a prince anymore."

"But the Emperor—"

"Lied," Lelouch growled. "The truth is I was no prince. I had been exiled, along with Nunnally, for mouthing off to the Emperor. But because he is the Emperor, he can happily rewrite history to suit his agenda. So I am no longer disinherited and am now his Judas goat for whatever scheme he has in mind."

The hatred lacing is words felt wrong, alien. They echoed in the room, carrying the same weight as Zero's speeches. Her eyes fell, unable to stare any longer at the stranger with a familiar face. "But he's your father."

"How many children do you think he has? Family means nothing to him."

Rivalz slowly drew a chair out for himself. "That was the big fight with your parents, then. What changed?"

Lelouch said nothing, simply hunching over the table in anger. But she knew. Zero had happened. There was no collaboration between father and son. As impossible as it was to fathom, Lelouch utterly despised the Emperor—his father. She could scarcely entertain such a thought. Loyalty to the Emperor was preached in every classroom, in every restaurant, at every school club. He was the Father of their nation, and according to some, could hear God himself.

Perhaps the problem was that looking at Lelouch she felt none of that. She knew at least part of him, and he was not some bigger than life figure. Here, he simply seemed tired, fueled purely on fury.

And when she tried to imagine it otherwise, imagine Lelouch as simply an estranged child, she remembered her own father. How he smiled. How they laughed together. How her heart shattered when she was asked to identify his body. How could anyone hate their own flesh and blood? Their own father?

"The Emperor intends for me to die," Lelouch said. "He has no need for an heir, nor would he ever relinquish power... So I need help. I never wanted to drag you into my mess, but people know we are friends, and you will be targeted, regardless. I'm sorry."

"But," she protested, "he named you his heir." She hadn't even thought she would be in danger because he was a prince. If anything, he would be in danger because of Zero.

"Because I have no allies and all of my mother's old enemies." Lelouch rolled his eyes. "My blood is sullied by commoner blood. It's enough for half the court to call for my death were I to ascend to the throne. I don't even have the power to help Suzaku. The Knight of One isn't here for my protection. He's my jailer, to ensure that the sitting duck doesn't wander off somewhere safer."

Rivalz tapped his finger along the table edge. "So it is like gambling. You've just won the big pot, but the room is filled with big pros who won't let you leave."

After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch nodded.

"Man, that's nerve wracking. No wonder you're so stressed." His chair tipped backwards as he rested his feet on the table. "Distraction doesn't work because there's nowhere to run to. What about the time you convinced them all you were working for someone else?"

"That... could work. I would have to make contact with my siblings though, and I barely managed to argue my way into coming here."

Rivalz's grin was slightly too eager. "I could reach out to your old gambling contacts. They have to be shitting their pants right now."

"I want to help," Shirley interrupted. Her lips pressed together as she tried to gather the courage. "I want to understand."

"Shirley..." He sighed. "You already have so much—"

"Because of my father?" she snapped. "Yes, exactly, Lelouch. My father died, and one of my friends has apparently been lying to me for years."

"It wasn't like—"

"You can change things! But you support the Black Knights. Zero killed my father!"

Lelouch grimaced. "I'm sorry."

Because he was Zero, but even now, he wouldn't tell her the damn truth. "I don't want your apologies. I want to know why he died. Why does everyone have to fight! Why can't Suzaku be here! Why do you spit on your family and your history and your fucking country!" Her eyes squeezed shut, and a broken sob escaped her. "Why must you always lie?"

She didn't wait for his answer, rushing out of the room and slamming the door behind her. The Knight of One startled, but she couldn't muster the courage to greet him properly as tears stained her cheek. Instead, she burst into a mad sprint back to her dorm room, ignoring Rivalz's shouts behind her.

Lelouch didn't call after her.

For two days, Richard had stewed in his righteous hatred for Lelouch Lamperouge, the so-called crown prince. Of course the prat would be given such an honor on a golden platter. He had done nothing to deserve it but existing. Last Richard checked, a gambling addiction didn't qualify you for any sector in government or any proper job.

There was just something about being attractive that gave you a pass on life, and unfortunately for him, Lelouch Lamperouge was the most eligible bachelor on campus and now all of Area Eleven.

Richard rolled his eyes as a gaggle of gossiping school girls passed by with unpleasant giggles. Naturally, their discussion topic was the resident prince. If they were any less shallow, then they would not be so enamored. Prince Lelouch was a creepy fucker with a sadistic streak that made Richard's heart thunder whenever he was near.

His heritage did explain one thing: the blatant murder of their classmate, Julie, a few years back.

The fucker should be in prison, not ruling the nation. But when your father was the Emperor, it didn't matter that your mother was a common whore.

"Stop glaring," Isaac hissed with an elbow below his ribs. "Sir Bismarck nearly took off Nathan's head this morning when he tried to approach the prince. You'll end up dead if you're not careful."

"I don't care," Richard growled. It wasn't like the prince was anywhere near, just some stupid guards to protect his royal ass. "Sometimes, justice needs to be taken into one's own hands."

"At least they removed the Eleven slut."

"Should've waited a few more days. Just imagine how elated he must've been to be the Emperor's personal toy. His heart would've been shattered to be kicked out afterwards."

"Come on," Isaac whispered, pulling him along by his elbow. "I'm not going to be caught talking in the school hall like an idiot."

"I resent that," Richard grumbled but followed him outside into the gardens. The hedges cast long ominous shadows in the setting sun. Ahead, ten more students milled, all displeased with the latest announcement.

They were all loyal citizens of the Empire, but sometimes light needed to be shined upon unpleasant truths. The Emperor would see the error of this attempt. It would serve Lamperouge only right to have his hopes and dreams shattered.

"You are late," said the pompous noble brat who organized this get-together. With the benefit of hindsight, the resemblance between his and Lelouch's mannerisms was unmistakable.

"Sorry." Richard shoved his hands in his pockets. "We took the scenic route to shake off stragglers. It seems not all of you had such foresight."

"Can you be any less of a prick?" Lizzy snapped at him. "Some of us have things to do."

"You're only here because he dumped your ass." Richard sneered. Before that incident, she had dumped him so she could pursue the so-called ice prince. It rankled being second place to Lamperouge in all affairs when the boy didn't even bother to try.

The little noble twat turned up his nose and glared at them. "I believe we have a common cause to align us all. A delinquent is now the heir to the throne and we have a duty to the Empire to ensure only the purest noble blood sits there."

One of the other girls crossed her arms. "I don't care about that. The problem is he's going to be saddled with some noble bitch. We've been trying for years. It's not fair for some noble lady to swoop in and steal him."

Richard inwardly smirked at the noble idiot's obvious irritation. Even a noble like him could not compare to Lamperouge, and that was before the announcement.

"You do not understand—" the noble prat tried again.

Lizzy huffed. "We're done here then. Come along, girls. Now, remember it isn't a competition. The Emperor has over a hundred wives."

The remaining boys turned desperately to each other. Whatever happened, Lamperouge could not be allowed to ascend to the throne. Dating in Ashford was already so lackluster. It seemed only the girls on the student council were immune to his charms. Or at least they had to be if Milly kept offering them up as prizes.

"This sucks," one of them muttered. "Like seriously, what's so great about the guy, anyway? Have you seen him in gym. He would give a noodle a run for its money."

"Nobody can compete with royalty."

"Exactly!" the little noble twat exclaimed. "Do you truly think such a slacker could be a royal? This is a plot of some sort and we must uncover the deception. I bet he isn't even the real Prince Lelouch."

"He is a murderer," Richard interrupted, his chest tight. "Principal Ashford rewarded him by making him the Vice President. We all know he killed Julie."

"They're not going to announce her as a real princess as well?" one of the boys asked with disgust.

Richard clenched his fits. He still remembered how desperate Julie had been in the days approaching her death. No one in her family had been spared from the onslaught of misfortune, but she paid for it with her life. "He has no honor or virtue."

"There's a rumor that he supports the Black Knights," someone whispered.

A few looked away guiltily. Until Narita, it had been somewhat fashionable to do so with it being so tantalizingly forbidden. When Zero pranced around with his glorious speeches, sounding like a noble knight from a fairy tale, it had felt like a game. Narita was no game but a slaughter.

"What will we do?" Isaac asked, his brow furrowed. "He's guarded every day, and I'm not risking my neck by pissing off the Knight of One."

"We're not dying for him," Richard said firmly. "But we turn his justice against him. We'll just show the world the real him."

Isaac grinned. "So the journalism club, at long last, gets a real case."

The noble ponce scowled. "Smear his name? That isn't enough. His mother was a dirty commoner!"

"We're commoners," Isaac pointed out dryly. "I just don't like the idea of a murderer running around without any consequences. Lamperouge has always been a shady little fucker. I bet we'll find plenty of dirt."

"My girlfriend," someone mumbled.

The idiotic noble heir turned an interesting shade of puce as they dispersed, and Richard smirked. He would be a good loyal Britannian and expose the corruption about to take root. It always felt good to stick it to the twats via some righteous cause.

Lamperouge would pay.

"I'm a Black Knight," Ohgi admitted to Chigusa. He lowered his head in shame and tried to avoid the condemnation in her gaze. "I apologize for the deception. If you want to leave..."

Well, Zero would probably have words for him letting a Britannian go, especially one who might know of his identity. It had been foolish to consider betraying the man like that for his own curiosity, but Diethard's allegations rang in his ears. Did he really want to follow a man who so readily killed his allies? The detonation of the JLF ship had been so opportune.

Except now the Emperor had announced his heir who was sitting so close nearby. It was surprising that Zero hadn't called them yet to enact a new crazy scheme. A part of Ohgi was glad. Kallen attended that school, and while she would say otherwise, targeting it deliberately would be too much for her. She deserved a childhood.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Explain it to me," Chigusa asked quietly.

He waved his hand aimlessly at the window. "We were once a proud nation. Now, we live like this. Maybe we could be content and rebuild if Britannian didn't regularly invade the ghettos for sport or slaughtered us for minor crimes. Walking out in the streets can get you a beating without a Britannian to protect you. If there's a pickpocket, they administer fifty lashes, even for the kids. Some die on the post, the rest die from the infection afterwards."

Chigusa quickly turned away. "Isn't it..."

"Necessary?" Ohgi sighed. "Before the invasion, this was one of the safest neighborhoods. I walked the streets as a child to fetch my parent's groceries. Nowadays, crime has soared through the roof despite the draconian punishments. It's worse because of them, honestly. If you're going to die because you stole from a Britannian, why not kill them instead?"

"I see," Chigusa said, not sounding entirely convinced.

"Zero rallies us behind the cry for justice, and he has helped by cleaning up the streets. I no longer need a gun to be safe walking down the street."

"Are Elevens even allowed guns?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, but you're screwed without one."

"The boy..." She faced him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "The new Emperor, do you think he will fix things?"

A part of him wanted to hope. Maybe Zero's silence was due to him fashioning some alliance. More likely, this was one of his strange but regular absences. Whoever Zero really was, he appeared to lead a busy double life. "No."

"You probably don't trust me," she mumbled.

He reached out in protest. "Chigusa..."

"Don't lie. I'm a Britannian, but you've been so kind to me, and you should hate me!" Tears welled in her eyes, and she lunged forward, desperately grabbing his jacket as she sobbed into his shoulder. "I don't understand. Why can't there be peace?"

"I don't know," he whispered as he rubbed her back. But if a Britannian could fall into his arms willingly, then surely there had to be hope. "I'll find a way... for us."

She nodded shakily and blotted at her tears with her sleeve. "Can I help? See your side for myself? I'm sure there is food that has to be prepared or uniforms to clean."

It was beyond his wildest imaginings. Sure, Diethard was a Britannian, but the man had a few screws loose.

"Of course. I need to head over actually." He winced. "I'm sorry. But I'll need to blindfold you. Is that okay?"

"It's not a problem," she assured. "Give me a minute to freshen up."

As she disappeared into the bathroom, Ohgi took a fortifying breath. It had been so long since he had a woman in his life. Who would've thought he would fish a girlfriend out of the bay... a Britannian girlfriend. Of course they were nowhere near that, but she was so kind.

While it was seeming more and more unlikely that she would recover her memories, this had to be the real her: kind and caring Chigusa.

She clung to his arm as he guided her down to the abandoned subway tunnels. Filled with sudden awkwardness, he fumbled for a topic and babbled about how they first met Zero to fill the oppressive silence.

"We're here," he finally declared, removing the blindfold, and pushed open the door.

"Hey Ohgi," Tamaki shouted before freezing. "Is that a Brit?"

He flinched. He had hoped to explain the situation to someone a little more calm.

Chigusa smiled sweetly and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for intruding. Ohgi has been taking such good care of me after my injury, and I wanted to know why he was so passionate. Forgive my impudence!"

"You sure about this?" Tamaki asked warily.

"Zero said we should welcome all who see the tyranny of Britannia," Ohgi reminded him. "I will keep an eye on her. It's fine."

Tamaki crossed his arms, his suspicion not fading. "Bring it up with Zero. He's in the back."

"He has a mission already?" Ohgi asked. It was unusual for him to drop by unannounced or spend the time near others instead of holed up in his office.

"The new emperor?" Tamaki rolled his eyes. "You get a girl, and you can't even think straight. If my best buddy says it's fine, then she can say. I'm going to kick some Britannian ass!"

"Sure," Ohgi agreed, barely keeping the doubt from his tone.

"Ohgi!" The deep voice of their leader echoed through the room as Zero walked forward. There was something different to him, perhaps an uncharacteristic bounce to his step. "And who is this?"

How was he supposed to explain... But he was Zero's second in command and that surely meant—

"Well, do you trust her?"

"Not yet, but I believe she means well. She lost her memories due to an unfortunate accident, but she is going by Chigusa."

The mask glinted as it inclined to Chigusa. "We will see what she can do. If she is useful, I will agree to her presence here. Keep an eye on her. She seems like one with a perceptive mind."

Well, that took a while but on we go. Hopefully the holidays provide me some more time to crank out updates.
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