Throne of Glass
Part Three: To Seek Tomorrow
Chapter 2 is now rewritten. It was surpringly much easier to do than chapter 1, even considering the difference in length.
Chapter 44: Dancing on Strings
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Temple Tower; 2018 ATB
He closed his eyes, and in the darkness, he could feel it. The thrum of a power unknown simmered beneath, waiting to be released.
It was an alien feeling, yet somehow as familiar as any other sensation. He knew in his very soul what lurked within, what it was he now possessed.
"Hey, number eleven, wake up." A crack of a baton against his cell snapped him to attention, and his violet eyes lazily fluttered open. One of the guards whose face he had taken to memory stood before him, glaring at him.
"At attention, you have a very important guest." The guard turned, bowing to the man behind him before hastily retreating from sight.
His veins filled with ice at the sight, and his jaw tightened as the figure approached him.
"Greetings, my errant son."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed in a furious glare. "When have I ever been a son to you?" He spat.
The man-the emperor of Britannia-returned a bemused smile. "Since the moment you swore to kill me. That is when you became my son."
The exiled prince made an incredulous expression before turning away. "You make a habit of trying to kill your own sons then?"
"You still live."
He scoffed. "No thanks to you."
"I would not be so sure, Lelouch. I have always kept an eye on you." The emperor told him. "And you have made quite the mess for me."
He was not sure if he truly believed that. Did he actually always know? "That's all it was to you? A mess?"
"What else would I call it? You could not comprehend the burdens that occupy my time. All else is trivial in comparison." He said with heavy handed condescension.
Lelouch snarled. "Is that right?"
"But I believe you should be the one to clean up after yourself. I haven't the patience to pick up after a child." The man declared, his cold eyes narrowing in a glare. "Charles zi Britannia engraves into you…false memories of a false li-"
"No."
The words died in the emperor's throat, as if he no longer had the will to speak them. He stood dumbstruck, looking at his son's furious expression.
"You will not impose your will on me, father." Lelouch ground out, every word laced with pure hatred.
The emperor smoothed his features, returning to his cold countenance. "So it would seem."
Though it was far from the expected outcome, Charles supposed it mattered not. "It appears that witch gave you a rather troublesome power, but it will do you no good here. Sit quietly and behave yourself, until the time comes."
He turned away from his rebellious son. "Ragnarok approaches…all the same."
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New Delhi Outskirts, Disputed Area Nineteen; 2020 ATB
Despite herself, Kallen couldn't help but stare in a mix of awe and fear at the unnatural scene before her.
"So, that's a FLEIJA, huh?" She muttered.
It was an affront to nature that inspired a primal dread within her. The redhead was unable to tear herself away from it, even as she guided the Guren toward Cornelia's flagship, the Artemis.
Arriving at the airship, Kallen noted the strange apprehension palpable in the air. The simple reality of it was that the entire enemy fleet had been eradicated. On paper, this was a great boon that should be celebrated. Of course, it was not that simple, and no soldier aboard the ship felt the desire to. They shuffled around, going through tasks with machine-like motions, muttering to themselves and to each other. Even men like these could be shaken to their core so thoroughly.
She made her way to the bridge, finding Cornelia in front of a monitor with a man she only saw on screens.
"There you have it. As much as I disagree…that's what we are to do."
She could see the frown set upon the chief general's face, brought about by whatever the prime minister had just told her. "I'm not really surprised, but…very well. I'll begin immediately."
Kallen sat a respectable distance away, as not to intrude. Cornelia caught sight of her and gave a slight nod. The action was not missed by the prime minister.
"Is that Lady stadtfeld?" Schneizel spoke past Cornelia, apparently catching sight of her lurking in the corner. "I don't believe we've ever had the chance to meet."
She winced, stepping forward to address him. "Ah…no, your highness." She spoke curtly.
"You were just visiting our brother, weren't you?" He asked her. "I had just seen him recently myself."
The man paused, as if deliberating something. "Allow me to ask-even if I already suspect the answer-did you know that it was Lelouch who created the FLEIJAs?"
It was not Kallen who reacted to this, but rather Cornelia. "Are you serious, Schneizel?! Why didn't you tell me this?"
"Forgive me, I hadn't wished to burden you with it, while I am still trying to sort it out myself. I only recently learned of it from him directly, and there's much I do not understand." He offered to placate her.
"It would have been helpful to know." She growled.
"Nothing would have changed, Cornelia. Your orders are still the same either way." He said with finality before turning his attention back to Kallen. "Now, do you have anything to say, Lady Stadtfeld?"
She shook her head. "No, he never said a word of it to me. Not when I visited him…or any time before. He always kept secrets, and this is one I imagine he kept from a lot of people."
"I see. I assumed as much. But please keep in mind, this situation is beyond even his control. If you learn anything, tell me immediately." Schneizel said.
"I will." She nodded. Though it wasn't something she intended to do. Because one thing Lelouch did tell her was how much he distrusted his elder brother.
"Thank you, that's all I ask. Now Cornelia, we'll speak again at the staging point. So I will leave you to it. Until then."
Cornelia stared at the blank screen a moment, a frown set on her face. "You really didn't know anything about this?"
"I swear I didn't know a thing about it." She answered truthfully.
The princess eyed her a moment before sighing. "Alright. I suppose Schneizel was right, it makes no difference right now. Our orders are to begin an invasion into Yoake immediately, while such a golden opportunity has presented itself. That won't be a problem will it?"
"Not at all." Kallen replied without hesitation.
"Good, see to your preparations then, we leave tomorrow morning." The general said to her as she went on her way, her knight following behind.
Now alone, Kallen's hand went to find the book she had on her, running her fingers over its cover. It wasn't the first time Lelouch had returned a book to her, and she still had no idea why the guards never seemed to question why she left with them. But now at least, this much made perfect sense. "So that's why…"
He created the FLEIJAs. So what he had asked of her within this book would be crucial. "Don't worry, I'll deliver the message."
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New Tokyo, Yoake; 2020 ATB
"Our primary concern right now is an invasion from the Britannian Empire. Regardless of what anyone else's feelings on the matter may be, one thing is certain: the emperor will not bow to any such threats."
Naoto spoke rehearsed lines to throngs of reporters, clustered at the base of the new administrative center. "That being said, please understand we are not ignoring this new Zero, we have agents doing all they can to procure any information we can, but we are working with very little right now."
Beyond those who were allowed in, many more civilians clustered at the base of the government building. There was a restless tension in the air, and he could tell they were only a step away from less civilized conversation.
"Mr. Kouzuki, given the nature and result of the attack, do you believe it's possible that this Zero is a Britannian ploy to undermine their enemies' stability?" One reporter asked him in the short moment he was silent.
"It's a possibility we've considered, but we cannot say one way or another. Again, we know very little at this time." He told them.
"Then is it true our air fleet suffered catastrophic losses in New Delhi?"
"In the interest of national security, I will not disclose the state of our military affairs." He shut them down. He would certainly not advertise their vulnerability to the rest of the world. Even if Britannia witnessed it first hand, they could still claim it hadn't been as bad as it actually had been to the rest.
"There are rumors of a red knightmare sighted in New Delhi that once fought in the Ashford Rebellion now fighting for Britannia. Do you have anything to say about that?"
Did he have anything to say about that knightmare? Oh, he had plenty, but not for them. "There are a lot more specialty frames in use than there were back then, it's likely just similar."
"That knightmare was piloted by your sister, wasn't it?"
Naoto glared at the one who asked that. "Please refrain from asking personal questions. I will not be answering them."
But it was a question he has asked himself many times the last few years. His sister was never far from his mind. The night of the decisive battle, she simply disappeared without a trace. Then, in the months when Britannia eventually resumed their belligerent campaigns in Europe and Asia, those very rumors of a red knightmare fighting under the empire's banner began to circulate. It didn't help that not long after they first heard of it, the woman responsible for building the Guren vanished as well.
Just what the hell are you doing Kallen?
He'd asked himself that countless times.
Even as the conference slowly devolved into hysteria, that was now forefront in his thoughts.
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"Prime Minister Schneizel. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Clovis greeted his brother with all the patience he could afford.
"Clovis. You seem to be doing well, all things considered." The elder prince replied.
"You're interested in my wellbeing, dear brother?" He said with a raised eyebrow.
"So what if I am? Is that so wrong?" Schneizel said.
"For you, it is." He answered sharply. "What do you want?"
He sighed. "Very well, I'll be blunt about it. His Majesty has ordered Cornelia and I to invade Yoake without delay."
Clovis frowned a moment as he was told that. "That doesn't exactly surprise me. But why are you telling me this?"
"You're my brother, Clovis. I am concerned about you. I have a great deal of respect for you after you took the reins in spite of potential disaster." Seeing as how his brother did not look very convinced, he added "and our father is pointedly ignoring a very dangerous problem that concerns the both of us. Even if I must do as he wishes, it is still my hope the two of us can work toward preventing a disaster that will affect both our nations."
"I see now. You don't know anything either."
"Certainly not as much as I would like to. The entire world is in a delicate enough state as it is, without this complication thrown into the mix." Schneizel admitted. "So I hope that in this at least, we can work together; as it is in both our interests."
"Perhaps. If I learn anything, I'll let you know."
"That's all I ask. I wish you the best, Clovis." Schneizel said with a smile.
"Likewise."
Just as Clovis knew more than he let on, he did not doubt his older brother did as well. More than anything, he learned to take every single word out of the prime minister's mouth with as much caution as could possibly be. Schneizel was looking to find a way to spin this development in his favor. He had no interest in working 'together'.
But he certainly did not doubt his warning.
"Jeremiah, we have even less time than I imagined." He said to the man the moment he answered his call. "Britannia will be on our shores in a matter of days. See to it we are ready for them."
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Cornelia had almost managed to finally bury any lingering regrets she carried with her from that day. She was able to pretend like she had never considered turning on everything she'd ever known, like she'd not come within a hair's breadth of realizing she never knew anything. That she had always been lying to herself. Lelouch had ripped out her innermost secrets, and forced her to confront who she really was, her very reason for living. And then he fell, and she smothered that voice-his voice-that called out to her.
Cornelia had always been brutally honest with the world around her, but never with herself. For a brief moment, things felt normal again, she was just the Witch of Britannia, or the Goddess of Victory, it was in those titles she felt comfortable. It did not last.
She could feel it, deep in her bones, that even while the world gradually slipped further into chaos, the world would be destined for far more. This was only the opening chapter of the closing act.
"Is something bothering you, my princess?" Guilford asked as she absently gazed out a window.
Even though she could hide it from most anyone else, he could always see through her. "It's…complicated. Too much for me, Guilford. I don't know what I'm going to do."
"About our orders?" Her knight pressed.
"No, that's…easy to understand. I'm a soldier, orders make perfect sense. Yet, there's something more. I felt the same, back then." She thought back once again, unearthing emotions she tried to forget. "Even though it shouldn't be, I can't help but feel something calling to me. I don't know what…I don't know if I should answer.
One way or another, everything would soon change. And once again, she stood on the precipice of a vital decision, even if that decision was not yet clear.
But she knew without a doubt…that she should not forget her little brother.
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Ashford Tower, New Tokyo; 2020 ATB
Even though the tallest structure in the city no longer housed all the nation's armored forces, it still held a great deal of military equipment from the days of their rebellion. As such, the hangars were a bustling mess of people moving every which way.
The particular bay Kaguya was looking for was special among them. Designated hangar zero, it housed only three knightmares, none of which had been operated in quite some time. Courtesy of one Lloyd Asplund, along with the most brilliant minds of Ashford, stood the Lancelot Albion, a variation of the frame revolutionized compared to its predecessor.
The one she was here for was Megumi Sonzoku. While command frames had become rather common in a lesser capacity, none compared to the raw firepower and battlefield support this prototype provided. But it was, like all other advanced knightmares, beyond the skills of even an elite devicer. Those able to wield such might were of an ever fewer breed.
"K-kaguya, you really are here."
She turned from examining the white frame, seeing a young woman rushing to meet her. "Milly."
"I was told you were here, but I didn't believe it. You're…" She stared at her as though looking at a ghost.
"Alive, yes. Though you knew that, right? I was living in what was supposed to be your home."
"I was going to say: finally out of the house." The blonde said with a gentle smile. "I was…worried, you never would."
"Yes, well…I decided it was finally time to do something, instead of wallowing in the dark."
"You couldn't have picked a better time to do so." Milly said, turning toward the towering knightmare before them.
Kaguya followed her gaze, allowing for silence for a while. "I'm sorry. For leaving everyone for so long."
"No, there's no need to. We all miss him…but I know it was especially hard on you. It's okay."
"I…thank you." She hadn't known Milly all that well. Aside from the handful of brief interactions during the years she half spent 'attending' Ashford. But the older girl was something of a sister to Lelouch. She had to be grieving too.
"Now, enough of that." Milly said, adopting a more cheerful attitude. "Why don't we go over some of the upgrades your Megumi has received?"
"That would be wonderful." Kaguya agreed.
"And what about you, Suzaku?" She addressed the other who had remained dead silent since they arrived.
"You can go through the Lancelot with him too." She spoke for him. "He will be fighting as well."
"Sounds like a plan." She glanced at the third knightmare, a frame of black and gold. "That one…will have to wait some time longer."
"What is it called?" She asked. She had heard in passing what her Megumi had been fitted into, as well as what they told Suzaku. She had intentionally left this one out of any inquiries.
"The Fukushū Shōkan. Try as we like, no one could use the operating system quite like he could." Milly told her.
"I see. But you built it all the same."
"Couldn't help it." The blonde grinned. "But we're getting depressing again. Let's get you in that machine."
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Toromo Agency, Cambodia; 2020 ATB
Never before had Sayoko had this much trouble tracking down a single person.
Of course, it was master Lelouch himself that went to such lengths erasing the girl's tracks. She kept expecting to find her body at the end of every clue, much like all the others who were involved. Yet, she ultimately found herself here, in a place as secretive as her target's whereabouts. It was only due to the near untraceable tracks of Nina Einstein that she happened across this place..
It was most curious to the ninja that a clearly Britannian facility would be located within a nation not under imperial control. But, given that she understood who supposedly headed this organization, it did make some sense.
Without a sound, Sayoko crept her way through the facility, passing no small number of armed guards, as well as numerous technicians and scientists. Whatever they were doing here, it appeared to be on a massive scale. If the size of the compound was any indication. For what must have been hours, she scoured the sprawling complex in search of her target. She was certain the girl was here, she wouldn't have found this place otherwise.
"Is it really true, Miss Einstein?"
Sayoko overheard hushed words, and she stopped, creeping closer to where they came from.
"You're referring to the FLEIJAs, aren't you?" Came a soft and subdued voice.
Peering into the room, the ninja saw a man in a lab coat, one of dozens she'd found before. This one however, was speaking to a young bespectacled woman, who he had referred to as Einstein. That was her, though she looked a lot different than she did three years ago. Far more mature…and haunted.
"The prime minister said you were the one who created them." The other man said.
"That is correct." Nina replied, her gaze focused on whatever her computer had to show.
"But you never said anything about that before."
"No, I didn't. I was contracted to build the generators, that's all. I would have preferred never to speak of the FLEIJAs again." She told him. She sighed. "Prince Schneizel found out about that himself, and requested I help him. Given recent events I…agreed."
"You know who that Zero is then?" Her coworker pressed.
"I have no idea. The person I built them for is dead now. Someone else got a hold of them." Nina revealed. She was speaking of master Lelouch then. "But it's my responsibility all the same. That's why…the FLEIJAs will enable the project to reach its maximum potential. I will do what I can to make things right."
The man nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. The project will certainly be better off for it."
So Nina was developing warheads for Prince Schneizel? But it only seemed to be a recent decision. For whatever reason, the girl neglected to mention she was capable of it. But the prince discovered that on his own. But what was this project they spoke of? The compound was so massive, Sayoko wouldn't be surprised if a great portion of it was still unexplored. What was it they were doing here?
She did have another problem now though. While she may have found her target, she wasn't sure how she would be getting her back to Clovis. It didn't seem like she would be doing so willingly. That made things difficult. She'd hate to go back empty handed, but nothing short of abducting the girl would work here.
She supposed that would have to do.
Sayoko stalked the girl, awaiting a moment alone so she could spirit her away. Merely following her through a doorway beyond however, caused the blood in her veins to run cold.
She imagined this was the project they spoke of. "Oh dear. That's…going to be a problem."
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Paris, France; 2020 ATB
Plopping down into an office chair, Leila Malcal greedily partook of her black coffee. The last few days had been utter chaos, to put it lightly. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd slept well now. Even now, when she had some time off, her laptop was set up before her, and she idly continued working through dozens of reports spilling in.
"It seems President Myers is advocating for disarmament." Claus, her fellow officer commented.
"He's just currying favor with the public." Leila brushed it off, he was hardly the first. Whatever they thought would get them more voters.
"Well he's doing a plenty of currying." The other man added, drinking from his own cup. "A lot of people seem to agree with him."
"So I've noticed. The council won't do anything. They're too afraid of Britannia to bow to some unknown fool and put themselves at risk." She said, reading a story about Yoake's current conditions. She had always found that place fascinating, even after Allen's death. "Besides, no one wants to be the first to give in. It makes them look weak to the other nations."
"Even as more folks cry out to comply. Wouldn't it be nice if we all just stopped fighting eh?" Claus joked.
And a joke it was. Leila snorted. "Right."
A junior officer burst into the break room, his face flushed and eyes wide. Leila looked at him expectantly, she was quite used to interruptions by 'emergency' reports or orders.
"C-colonel Malcal, the just…London is gone!"
She frowned. "Britannia attacked London?" Of all the times for things to go that horribly-
"No, it's been destroyed…by a FLEIJA."
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