Long Live the White King

"Is there any safe way to confirm?"

"It'll take some time. The Spanish ships initially turned northwards at slow speed, but then came about and began tracking southwardly. If we want to avoid provoking a battle, we should allow them a wide berth and just monitor them from afar."

"I see. How long do you expect?"

"If they maintain their current speed and heading, about forty five minutes before we can move in, another hour or so before a team can get on the ground. The brunt of the storm is moving in now, so it delays things, and it could delay things further depending on the storm's wobble too."

"Is there any chance the Spanish ships leave sooner?"

"I doubt that will happen. Assuming they aren't merely sailing aimlessly, they're likely intending to seek passage across the International Canal to return to Spain without a refueling stop. I'm sure they'd like to return home quicker, but they'd burn up too much fuel to make the trip."

"I suppose they fear retaliation by the UFN if they try to seek port, or punishment from Marrybell if the allegation is wrong."

"That would seem likely. They're as much hostages in all this. Under the pretense of a focus of resources elsewhere, the intent is to allow them to pass through the canal unimpeded."

"I see."

"We will continue to monitor this area and attempt to track Euphemia's location and movements. Zero should soon be able to rendezvous with you, so I don't think there's much more that can presently be done. I would suggest that you get some rest for the time being."

"Thank you, Kaguya."

It was Kaguya who delivered to Nunnally the news that one of her revived sisters was now dead once more. It was an awkward feeling to receive that news. Marrybell was her sister, but in life they were even more distant than Nunnally had been with most of the other children of Charles. Marrybell had spent so much time abroad that during Nunnally's return to Pendragon as a would-be prisoner Marrybell had been gone most of the time and had taken little interest in Nunnally's presence when there. Now of course with this atrocity in Spain and Londonium, it made sense that Nunnally wouldn't be overcome with sadness that a mass murderer of the worst degree was dead.

Some part of Nunnally probably hoped that would be the case. It'd be much easier to dismiss Marrybell's death as a natural consequence of justice for what she'd done and hold no further feelings on the matter. But a part of Nunnally's heart couldn't readily give up. That part of her was still hoping some grand illusion had been employed, some fantastic deception, where all those lives weren't lost. Then, maybe, her sister wouldn't be a terrible killer and there'd be some hope for reconciliation. It was, she knew without it having to even be raised to the level of present thought, a dream apart from this reality.

Schneizel didn't fully betray his thoughts. He did have a solemn expression when Kaguya delivered the news, but one could be forgiven for expecting him to put on more of a show. You almost certainly could have counted on the old Schneizel to be making it abundantly clear how troubled and saddened he was at the moment, all in furtherance of the mask he wore for the public, no matter how private the setting. Still, his earlier expression didn't seem forced. He plainly seemed unhappy about it. Somewhat the opposite of Nunnally, he'd once had a relatively decent relationship with Marrybell. He had helped convince their father that her exploits warranted her return to the family's good graces. To that end, her even being in the position to link up with Lelouch was a consequence of Schneizel's actions. Who knew what would have become of her had she never been able to return to the Britannia royal family? One could wonder about that uncanny happenstance quite a bit, but it made no real difference in the moment. The past couldn't be changed, and barring some development out of left field that flipped things on their head again, she was dead, again.

And yet again Sara found herself feeling just awkward. She wanted to console Nunnally, but she was deathly afraid of saying the wrong thing. She could hardly comprehend why she was even in the room to hear this news firsthand rather than some later announcement like a commoner. She wasn't at all dissatisfied, just… having a hard time wrapping her mind around it all. Why was she being granted such unfiltered access? Yes, the plain reasoning was far too clear to miss – unique circumstances, unique insight and information. But it just didn't feel real to Sara. It was like some macabre fugue dream. She felt like she needed to pinch herself to be sure she hadn't just passed out at the California Institute and this hadn't all been in her mind.

"Your majesty," Sara started in a soft voice, horribly unsure of herself despite pushing ahead to speak regardless. "I apologize for speaking, and I don't know the right words I wanna say, so this may sound inappropriate coming from me. But, I wanted you to know that I'm sorry you had to lose your sister again, and that you have to endure something like this. You shouldn't have to suffer like this just because you're strong."

"Is that what it is?" Nunnally queried wistfully. "I suppose I never considered myself strong, so the idea never crossed my mind. Is that what it is, Schneizel? The world believes I'm strong, so it takes from me at every chance it gets? It fills me with sorrow and misery because otherwise it wouldn't be fair for the world. I'm stronger than others, so I must be made to bear a greater burden than anyone else."

"Nunnally…" Schneizel responded with only her name, spoken solemnly.

"I'm so sorry, your majesty," Sara scrambled to say, kneeling on the floor and bowing her head, terrified she'd insulted and angered Nunnally greatly. "I beg you not to think anything of my stupid remarks. I would never mean to disrespect you in any way."

"No, you're fine, Sara. You've said nothing wrong, so please don't bow to me. If anything, I should apologize for placing you in this position. I doubt you had any desire to see your empress this way."

"I could never express my honor enough to you, your majesty."

"I've had some sparse thought as to what would be most suitable as a reward for you, Ms. Gridley," Schneizel said. "But I find myself thinking it too paltry for the magnanimity you've shown Nunnally. She may be empress, but she is also my sister, and I cannot help but feel joy at her being so well regarded by another."

"N-n-n-no, Prince Schneizel. I really don't deserve any such thing," Sara hurriedly and clumsily refuted. The idea of any reward seemed almost sacrilegious to her at this point. She couldn't even comprehend what she would even ask for… well, nothing that seemed plausibly deliverable.

Mercifully, as the embarrassment of bared emotions threatened to swallow up the room, an interruption came in the form of one of the security officers knocking at the door to the cabin. Entreated to enter, the young officer informed the empress that Zero's Knightmare was on approach and would be docking in moments, pending her majesty's approval, of course. At Nunnally's invitation, Schneizel and Sara joined her and Angela in making their way to the hangar.

They arrived a few moments after Suzaku had exited his Knightmare, waiting there after being informed that Nunnally was on her way to him. He'd started going over a request to the maintenance crew to check that his Lancelot would be ready to head out at a moment's notice if need be. Response on an actuator seemed sluggish, check the engines to make sure he didn't burn them out rushing here, check for stress damage on various surfaces… all mostly routine stuff.

Though he'd seen no dragons on arrival, the concern that could change, and the persistent fear from not knowing where Euphemia was, nor Shirley or Nina for that matter, was nerve wracking. After all, it had been their trump card that they could turn to the FLEIJA to take down Euphemia or Marrybell if circumstances required and allowed. He'd heard the news in route to the Avalon II; Marrybell wasn't a threat any longer, and a supped-up version of the FLEIJA ultimately did nothing to Euphemia.

He was mostly just impatient to see Nunnally. Until this whole incident with the Alters happened he'd allowed himself to forget how sensitive Nunnally really was. Somewhere in his mind he'd already thought she'd surpassed her big brother. But her confidence wasn't unflappable, and the stresses of these weeks were taking a toll.

He imagined, as she'd fleetingly mused as much out loud before, that Nunnally might presently be filled with disappointment. It wasn't until arriving back on the Avalon II that he realized one of the simple wishes Nunnally had – that she and Marrybell meet and talk – was going to lie unfulfilled. She'd never had the chance to confirm face-to-face if that Alter was indeed her own sister or not. He was having something of a hard time figuring out if that was better or not.

"Ah, she's okay," he thought upon seeing her. She didn't seem particularly happy, but she at least didn't appear to be too broken hearted or morose. And, for now, they were safe too. They could get back to Pendragon and regroup and figure out the next steps in how to deal with Euphemia, perhaps now with a fresh set of possibilities now that Marrybell was out of the picture.

"Welcome back," Schneizel greeted Suzaku, who was still wearing his helmet.

"How're things here?" Suzaku asked.

"We've stopped here momentarily once you began to get close. It is a convenient area to charge the solar array. After consideration it was agreed that ensuring the shields were ready at maximum capability was worth the risk of delaying the arrival back to Pendragon," Schneizel explained. "Given the situation, it seemed more appropriate to strengthen the defense around Nunnally at all times."

"I agree. For whatever she's planning next, I imagine Nunnally will be a target," Suzaku agreed.

"Is it wise for us to return to Pendragon then? Would that not turn the capital into a battlefield?" Nunnally questioned.

"You do have a point," Schneizel agreed contemplatively. "It is a bit of a conundrum, as we don't really want to announce your location haphazardly either. Doing so too directly could be viewed as a challenge that would invite a reprisal we aren't yet prepared to face. It may be better to make a general announcement that empress is away from the capital, and leave it at that, despite the risk of stoking anxiety among the people."

"We can't ignore the potential of her using the capital as a hostage either," Suzaku noted dourly, the idea itself seeming to sting his senses. "We should think about how to fortify Pendragon's defenses further as well. Maybe with Kallen and C.C. here…"

Suddenly, Sara collapsed to the floor, unconscious, with a dry thud.

That was the last thing Nunnally remembered before she woke. She didn't remember falling asleep, or more accurately passing out it would seem. She didn't recall anything unusual at all other than a chill of fright in seeing Sara fall over so abruptly. It was another moment she feared would be searingly haunting her dreams from now on.

As she looked around she saw two more people near her passed out on the ground. Just a few feet ahead of her was her brother Schneizel, and just ahead of him was Suzaku. Looking around she could feel a slight, dull, headache; something just a little different from the onset of the migraines she was all too accustomed to. The area didn't seem familiar. It clearly wasn't aboard the Avalon II. The rocky terrain, swirling winds whipping through the wide valley that looked to perhaps be the remnants of a long ago dried up river, and a sky filled with dark grey clouds that made it look much more like early evening than early afternoon. The air was warm and moist, not the cool of late fall. That helped narrow down the potential locations, Nunnally surmised, but didn't well answer how it was they ended up in this place, nor how long they'd been there.

A sense of foreboding crept up Nunnally's spine, but she couldn't place it. She tried to put it aside for the moment, focusing instead on Schneizel and Suzaku. She wheeled herself over to where her brother was first, pausing a moment to try to figure out exactly how she was supposed to try waking him. She couldn't reach him with her hand from her chair, and wasn't entirely sure of the idea of trying to bump him with it either. She was left to only call out to him. In the empty valley with no signs or sounds of animals or any other life, her voice carried a good deal, echoing off the nearby cliffs. It took nearly a dozen urgent calls, but Schneizel and Suzaku both began to stir.

"Any idea where this is?" Suzaku asked, once he and Schneizel had gathered themselves back up and started peering around.

"If I had to hazard a guess, I would say we're somewhere in the Southwestern area of Britannia, not too far away from the California border. It can be assumed that this storm overhead is the leading edge of the one that was passing over the California Institute," Schneizel answered.

"Then I suppose the next question is how we ended up here," Suzaku asked rhetorically as he paced a short distance away to survey more of the area. "What happened to everyone else aboard the Avalon II? I don't even see any tracks around here – no tire tracks, landspinners, not even footprints."

"Is it possible that with all this wind that it was just blown away? The footprints I mean," Nunnally asked, her sense of foreboding growing.

"While certainly not impossible, it isn't terribly likely either," Schneizel assessed. "I believe it would require much greater windspeeds, or for us to have been here for a considerable amount of time, for wind alone to have blown away any recent signs of traffic in this area. Lest we forget, Nunnally, you are here with us, and your chair itself would too leave wheel marks in even this fine dust."

"That almost makes it seem like we were just placed here," Nunnally stated.

"Almost like magic?" Suzaku rhetorically asked. The question hung in the air a moment before he said. "Although this canyon's wide, we can see there are cliffs to either side. But they look rather sheer, so it's probably not possible to climb. That means there's only two directions we can go. Britannia and the Black Knights will certainly start searching for us, if they haven't already, so our priority should be to get to somewhere with cover so we aren't caught in the rain, and then hold out there until they can find us."

"Yes, that would seem the most prudent course of action," Schneizel agreed. "Do you have a mind of which direction to take of our two options?"

"It's too difficult to judge the direction of the sun with all this cloud cover. But, if we assume that this is the same storm that was heading for California, then based on the direction the clouds seem to be moving this area of the canyon looks to give us the option of southwest or northeast."

"Northeast would seem to be the preferred path. It means little, but it would place us at least in the general direction aide would likely come from."

"Shall we get going then?" Nunnally asked, rolling herself off in that direction.

The canyon had a haunting feel to it. The way they wound up here for certain was a big part of that feeling. But it was more than just that anxiety. The heavy overcast was a little disorienting too, coupled with that potential loss of time from suddenly waking in an unknown place. There was also the seeming lack of noise. It wasn't silent – the sound of swirling winds, rustling of foliage echoing off the rock walls, occasional echoes of small pebbles loosening and falling to the canyon floor from the cliffs above. But there were no birds, no insects, no animals. It was an eerie atmosphere, almost like being placed in a fictionalized place with only a select number of sounds being piped in.

But the trio did their best to keep their thoughts separate from that. There was no end to be served in letting the mere unfamiliarity of the environment grip them with fear. Instead, they silently mulled the fear of who they would end up confronting. Because it seemed obvious. They hadn't arrived there aboard the Avalon II. There was no known reasonable way they got off the airship, cruising at hundreds of miles an hour thousands of meters in the air, unless you went with that absurd reasoning of "magic" being the answer. That left only one answer as to who the culprit would be.

They didn't want to think about that either. Alone out here in an uncertain location, to be confronted by Euphemia would have seemed to be invariably a recipe for death. Without question they'd all be fodder for her, relying purely on their ability to persuade her against their demise. With each feeling some manner of certainty of her want to see them dead, Nunnally feeling that to be in no uncertain terms Euphemia Alter's ultimate goal, there wasn't any reason to think too hard about meeting her in this canyon.

That left them with not much to think on. Their minds could search for a new topic, but their thoughts only circled around back to that set of topics – the eerie atmosphere, and the prospects that Euphemia Alter would show herself to them at any moment. It was a deeply foreboding feeling, a sense of imminent death and cruel hope with each passing moment that she wasn't there, a hope that rescue might come before she did.

They wanted to fill the silence with something, but didn't know what or how. It was an odd thing, natural silence. It sort of fed itself, made you feel guilty or criminal for doing anything to break it, but relentlessly antagonizing your mind with discomfort for not doing so.

Should they sing? That… didn't seem likely. This wasn't some scout troop wandering about, nor a group of school kids of a field trip.

Find something to talk about, anything to talk about. But that would require thought of a subject. And thinking of a subject would mean evaluating topics. And that was too much thinking before you were back to thinking about things you didn't want to think about.

This ineffective cycle of thought and non-thought was unmercifully ended by a sound of footfalls – the click, click, click, of heels on rock. The steps were themselves not anything particularly unusual, but with the lack of much in the way of other sounds they were obvious in the intermix with the drone of the winds. It almost seemed intentionally amplified in volume precisely so that it could be audible. With it was another sound, like something scraping the rock.

About forty meters ahead, the canyon turned to their right rather sharply. That was where it seemed the sound was coming from. They stopped in their tracks, steeling themselves for the arrival of whoever it was that was in this canyon with them.

"This isn't exactly what I had planned," the all too familiar voice stated. "The timing is off and there are guests who didn't arrive. But, for an improvised spell, I suppose I would be too greedy to expect things to work out perfectly. Even so, it's nice to see you again, Nunnally."

"I wish I could say the same, Euphemia," she replied somberly, glaring at her woeful sister.

Euphemia emerged from around the bend wearing a single shouldered wrap dress of a brilliant cobalt blue, contouring to her figure and ending at about halfway between her knee and ankle. She wore a pair of pumps, somewhat flatter than common for her formal attire in her prior life, matching the cobalt of her dress. The scrapping sound was evidently of her now familiar sword, sheathed in its scabbard, somewhat carelessly being dragged across the ground behind her as if she were too tired or too indifferent to carry it properly, her attire not permitting wearing it on her hip without some awkwardness.

"Now that's not very nice, Nunna," Euphemia chuckled. "Hello to you too, big brother Schneizel, and Zero."

"Euphemia," Schneizel said calmly. "This certainly isn't the sort of encounter I was imagining. I should presume that you are responsible for bringing us here then. Were such tactics truly necessary?"

"Do not take offense for my saying so, but I hadn't intended to have you come along," she answered him with a smile. "But that's my fault. I feared that being too specific would make the spell too likely to fail entirely, but I suppose I made it too broad which introduced unnecessary variability. Magic is so fascinating and fun to work with. I wish I could have learned from a true magic user. I can only imagine how great it would have been to learn magic from a real master."

"Is that really you, Euphie?" Suzaku asked.

"Oh, sorry, Suzaku. I suppose I was ignoring you a bit."

The last time Suzaku had been this close to Euphemia, she was in an intubation chamber aboard the first Avalon, her skin already deathly pale, her eyes darkened and greatly lifeless, as she laid dying from the gunshot wound placed in her by the previous Zero. It wasn't that he didn't believe Nunnally from that first night, or that he didn't trust the weeks of reports and recordings. But it was a different experience to have her right there in front of him now. He'd spent so many nights years ago dreaming of being with her. He'd pushed those dreams away, telling himself that she would want him to focus on making the world a better place, not just pining over her. He let the focus on being Zero guide him. But with her sudden reappearance, he found her in his dreams once more.

It was a struggle. He'd put on that determined veneer, refuting that this person could be Euphemia. Euphemia was sweet, and kind, and caring, and determined. She could be stern as anyone if finding her nerve, and was very smart despite how little many seemed to credit her for. And she could be a bit silly at times when not overly focused on her duties.

But Euphemia wasn't a killer.

Yes, she had, in fact killed a number of folks that day, but it wasn't her fault. She had been under the control of Geass, compelled against her will to commit that heinous act. Was that the case now too? Was all this because she was under the control of a Geass? Well, no. That couldn't be. Euphemia died. Zero shot and killed her. Yes, C.C said that this was the same Euphemia, but that couldn't be. C.C had to be lying, or mistaken. And Cornelia… what could you expect? Seeing someone in such a convincing guise, in a tense moment with her daughter in possible danger, of course Cornelia would accept whatever reality is in front of her if it meant saving her daughter. Right?

But the moment she said his name, Suzaku felt he'd lost. It was as if the notion was engraved on his bones and soul at that moment – this is Euphemia li Britannia, his Euphie.

"It's been a while, my traitorous knight," she said with a cold, piercing, smile.

It hurt. Had those words really just passed over her lips? "Did I hear wrong?" he asked himself. She may as well have just plunged a sword in his gut what for the pain of those three words. One could question his strength, his capability, but his loyalty? It was one thing to be judged a failure for not being there to rescue her, but had she viewed that as a betrayal?

As if momentarily struck stupid, Suzaku could only say, "Traitor?" in the form of a question.

"Is that not what you'd call it? You, who were to be my champion, went against everything I desired once I was gone. Or had you never understood my desire to begin with? How else do you fathom turning over Lelouch to our terrible father, using Nunnally as bait to entrap Lelouch, your merciless hunting of the Black Knights, and agreeing to any plan that would have Lelouch killed, let alone being the one to do it with your own hands. Where in any of that do you see my will or my beliefs?"

"N-No… that's not…" Suzaku fumbled in his refutation. He had questioned himself on these same things long ago – if he was acting on his own pure anger and hatred, or if he was living up to Euphemia's will. He wasn't always proud of the choices he made, but he'd done what had to be done to put an end to all the killing and madness. Lelouch… Lelouch had to die. His hands were stained with too much blood, his soul weighted down by too many sins. Surrendering his life as a means to serving as the cornerstone of a new era of peace was the only possible atonement.

"If not for your foolish actions, I would not have to do all this now. Certainly Nunnally wouldn't be on the throne. Nina would never have even had to complete the FLEIJA, which would have saved millions of lives. It's stunning to realize how much terrible consequence your poor choices carried. It took me a long time to come to terms with your betrayal. I came to accept that you and I never really reached the understanding that I had assumed we did. I had to reach that acceptance, otherwise I feel I would have succumbed to a maddening desire to dwell on the fact that my most mature romance was so illusory. Such a thing, I think, is easier to contend with after gaining a new romance, but also seems pointless to dwell on in that case, as that new romance I think should override considerations of that past failure.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I chose to forget about it. The things which I must do mean that I've no need to worry about it anymore. So long as you don't decide to oppose me, I won't have any reason to think about our unfortunate past. Out of respect for the affection we once shared, I will make this statement to you, Suzaku Kururugi. If you are willing to join me in righting this world, then I will welcome you. Otherwise, I only ask that you not interfere. I asked Shirley to spare you that day, and I hope that I can continue to do so."

"This doesn't make sense, Euphie," Suzaku impassionedly pleaded. "All this destruction and chaos – this isn't like you at all! You have to stop this!"

"Stop? And what is it you would like me to stop, Suzaku? What have you imagined that I've done that you would like that I should stop doing now?"

"Word games aren't necessary now," Nunnally challenged.

"To be truthful with you, Nunna, I am quite tired just today. It's been a trying day. No matter how much one prepares for the challenges in front of them, there is only so much that the mind can stand to endure suddenly. Despite what you might think of me, I am not so heartless as to feel nothing of the things that are unravelling in the world around me."

"You talk as if you're entirely detached from all of this – as though none of it is your fault!" Nunnally angrily challenged.

"Everything is my fault then, is that it? Once more, you want me to take the blame?" Euphemia countered, morose to the point it sounding like she may be close to tears. She raised up the sheathed sword, pointing the tip towards Nunnally. "Does that sound right to you?"

In a moment of panic, Suzaku drew his sidearm and aimed at Euphemia. He felt sick to his stomach to find himself aiming a gun at Euphemia. To drop it, however, was out of the question. There was no way for that gun to do anything to save them, everything they knew of Euphemia Alter said bullets meant nothing to her. And still, he couldn't just drop it. Nunnally was being threatened. His duty was to defend her. But against Euphemia? For certain, were it just about any individual aiming a weapon at Nunnally, he'd already have fired a shot to disarm them before they had a chance to even attempt anything. But here he was, only aiming a gun, at a being supernaturally imbued with the power to raze mountains and alter the landscape with a wave of her arm, and all he could do was aim a small caliber weapon at her.

Worse was the fact that she knew this. She knew she could have wiped them out in an instant. He could sense that sort of confidence from her. It was why she came out so confidently in the first place, striding around the bend in the canyon. And it was why she merely held up the sword, without attacking, and was now smiling knowingly. It was a game to her, and she was so far ahead she couldn't resist the urge to laugh.

Schneizel walked towards Euphemia with a bold, determined, stride. He held a pistol in his right hand, his finger on the trigger. It was a wonder how long he'd had a gun stashed on him, but for the moment it seemed a good thing he did.

Euphemia stood hunched over from her bout of full-hearted laughter, her sword now serving as a crutch. As she saw Schneizel approaching she took a wobbly step backwards, catching herself before she could slip. She steadied herself and stood straight, a lazy stare as her brother continued his approach.

She took a deep breath and said, "Big brother Schneizel. I really wasn't expecting you would be here today."

"My dear little sister, Euphemia. I couldn't well ignore something like this, could I?"

"Moving out to the front like this; didn't you use to lecture Lelouch about not moving his king out front carelessly?"

"You were always more attentive than you were given credit for. You've proven that over these last several months with the way you've outsmarted and outlast all of Britannia. I've wondered," he said, raising his arm up and pointing the gun squarely at Euphemia's head. Was it like this when Lelouch killed you?"

"No," she said with a small chuckle and grin. "He was much closer, and he shot me in the chest, remember?"

"Right, I never did read much into the story of precisely how you died then. I suppose a part of me simply didn't want to know the details."

"What do you suppose would happen if you were to shoot me now," she asked, tilting her head slightly with a widening grin.

"It certainly wouldn't kill you. But, given your current exhaustion, I imagine you would be incapacitated for a while. At least long enough to be bound so you could be transported to someplace for safe keeping. Even so, I'm hesitant about what to do next."

"Is that so? I've never known you to be hesitant, big brother."

"It only goes to show how little we siblings truly knew each other. A little hesitation is a sign of prudent thought. It is that razor's edge that separates a true king from a pretender to the throne."

"Despite the elegance of the law of parsimony, sometimes a more complex answer is inevitable."

"Your understanding of philosophy has improved over the years. Is that what this has all been about, a scientific proof?"

"Not at all. I was just remarking on the way philosophy informs practicality. The most practical person in the world, or to take it a step further, the person in all human history who has most strongly espoused the virtues of realism, in the end has only supplanted one ideal for another. Realist thought is a misnomer; an attempt to win an argument by planting a misleading seed in the minds it's meant to operate on. Ultimately, what I'm saying, is that every being who imposes their will on others is operating in pursuit of some ideal, regardless of how they seek to dress it up linguistically. It's all lies dressed up to sound more like the truth. I've no interest in a world of lies. So, because the world has seen fit to give me that task, since no one else seems willing to do it, I will see that this world of lies is torn down. That's why I've tried to give you as much room as is left to spare, Nunna. I know you weren't always a liar, and so I want you to come back to this side with me. We will end this world of lies together, this world that stained our dear Lelouch, and welcome him back to a world that is more suited for him. A world where he can be himself without the lies and deceit. I will make this world the sort of world he dreamed of creating. His dream, however, has you in it, Nunna. And so I would like to do all I can to see to it his dream is realized wholly.

"However," she added, raising her sword up once again, her expression turning darker. "If I must, I will comfort Lelouch's anguish at the fact that his little Nunnally chose once again to turn her ire against his wishes, rather than side with him."

"Enough of this," Suzaku demanded. The expression on her face, it was terrifying to see. She fully intended, he felt, to kill Nunnally. "Prince Schneizel, Zero orders you to shoot her right now!"

"I'm afraid that won't work, Kururugi," Schneizel stated, turning his gun on Suzaku.

"What!?"

"One of the many things I've learned," Euphemia explained. "Was how to cancel the effects of a Geass on another person. The night I burned the castle, I also paid brother Schneizel a visit and decided I would free him of the Geass placed on him by Lelouch."

"Then all this time, you've been helping her?" Suzaku questioned, aghast. It seemed fraught enough a challenge that Nina had been working against them for so long. The suspicion of a traitor working for Euphemia had completely passed over Schneizel precisely because of the thought that there was virtually no way he could escape the effects of the last Geass Lelouch cast on anyone.

But the ruminations of the extent of Schneizel's damage to their efforts would have to wait. It was all pointless unless they could extricate themselves from this immediate situation. They hadn't stood much chance in a three-on-one anyway, but what to do now? If nothing else Schneizel could prove an even easier path for Euphemia as a distraction. Suzaku was acutely feeling the pressure of this situation. There wasn't any way he couldn't. The question was how to resolve it. From the start they were up against a wall. Unfamiliar territory, lacking in sufficient personnel and weapons, against an enemy who can fell Knightmares with only a sword in hand.

If he were to attack Euphemia… if he were to attack… Euphemia Alter, engage her at close range, that might be enough to keep her occupied and away from Nunnally. But how long could he keep something like that up? From the looks of things from the reports, a single wrong move and she was putting him on the ground, if not in it. He was at least confident enough that he was a more skilled fighter than her, but that didn't mean he was going to be at a strong advantage when his opponent could luck him in two.

And even supposing he could keep her occupied for a few moments, what then? Where was Nunnally to go? Even if Schneizel were still on their side, how far could they get pushing Nunnally's chair? Even if they could all sprint at top speed, how far could they get? Now, with Schneizel on Eupehmia's side? Even if holding Euphemia's attention, what was to stop Schneizel from taking Nunnally, prevent her from even trying to escape? This situation was seeming more and more fraught the more Suzaku tried to decipher a means of getting them out of it.

"Did you betray me, the same as Nina?" Nunnally asked, the sound of her heart tearing seeping through her voice.

"I applaud your skills in acting, Nunnally. You played the part of a pure and innocent queen splendidly. Even after you confessed your perceived crimes, the only fault the world placed on you was being born a Britannian and being weak. I can only begin to fathom how their view of you would be effected to know you willingly allowed your brother to be a puppet to be called on to act at a moment's notice."

"You were a madman willing to kill countless millions of people for your sick and twisted vision of peace. You manipulated people however you felt, and threw them away if they didn't serve your purpose," Suzaku bitterly countered.

"Your fiction of a new world in the wake of Lelouch's actions has been a failure, Kururugi. Until Euphemia's return, the old wars of the past were creeping back into reality day by day. Admit it, Kururugi. You saw for yourself first-hand how the nations of the world have been clamoring to fight amongst themselves. Without the strength of a resolute force to counteract the impulses of humanity, it wouldn't have been long before this world was plunged into another chaotic war."

"Is that why you hid the truth about what Euphemia really did?"

"What?" Nunnally asked in shock.

"Kallen thought it was strange too, ever since we interrogated Nina. But we didn't have any real leads. Nina said that all she was ever asked to do was pass along certain information to Euphemia, and to help Lloyd's team in looking into their lead on magic. But Kallen figured out by coincidence in talking to Angela that there was a serious misconception about what was really going on."

"Yes, there was," Euphemia declared. She grabbed the sheath in her left hand, drew out her sword with her right, and drove it through Schneizel's back, the point jutting out about where his kidney should be. They gasped in horror, no one more surprised than Schneizel himself.

"E-Euphemia," he painfully grumbled, blood trickling out the wound and off the tip of her sword.

"It was unexpected. I said only a few passing words to you, yet that was the result."

"I thought you accepted my help?"

"I never asked for your help, did I? All I said to you, if you recall, was that I didn't think Lelouch and Suzaku treated you the way you deserved, and that I would remove our brother's Geass for you. I then told you that I would be allowing you to make your own choices once again."

"That's right! And I chose to help you take control of this world and finish what Lelouch and I started!" he proclaimed in halting, garbled, disbelief.

"And you thought that lying again would make everything better?"

"What lie?" Nunnally asked, frustrated and horrified, her mind swimming.

"That Euphemia was starting the conflicts. That she was killing wantonly," Suzaku began to explain. "On the night the castle was attacked, there was an emergency called to the castle, and everyone evacuated. Because of the chaos with the fire and then Shirley's attack on the Black Knights base, it took a while for the investigators to find everyone from the castle. Given the state of the castle, and the fact that no one expected an attacker would warn their potential victims, it was assumed that night that everyone in the castle was dead. Prince Schneizel must have seen to it that they weren't around to divulge the reality to anyone – sent away on indefinite leave with full pay, thus it all buried in the avalanche of similar accommodations for those who were impacted or fleeing the threat of Euphemia. And since no official report about what happened made news thanks to Shirley's attack, with no one on the staff around the capital to answer questions or point out discrepancies, the attack on the castle almost became its own myth.

"Then when it came to the attacks on the bases, she was approaching the base and identifying herself, asking permission to get in. She was fighting back when they attacked her."

"Are you saying she's been innocent this whole time!?" Nunnally asked, not sure to take that as a relief or not.

"Not quite. You're not quite that naïve, are you, Euphemia Alter?" Suzaku said defiantly. "You knew right away you would be turned away. You took advantage of the fear and hatred directed at you to use as an excuse to then kill anyone who got in your way, claiming they attacked you first."

"Big brother Schneizel," Euphemia said softly, ignoring Suzaku.

"You leaked information to China, didn't you? You told them of Nunnally's plans and desire not to attack me, even though she was keeping it quiet on purpose."

"Having met Empress Tianzi extensively in the past, and conversing with her due to my position, I have a fairly good understanding of her mentality. Given China's situation, and her affinity towards Nunnally, it was obvious she would take the bait and attempt to fortify a stalemate situation. She could easily sell the situation to her people as a gambit to secure their futures in an inauspicious situation, while childishly hoping she could secretly support her friend.

"I was fully confident Marrybell would be unable to resist the opportunity to find herself a new battle. Despite everything else she may say, Marrybell has long been one who desires battle as a means of proving her superiority. Knowing that you had no need for the FLEIJA development facilities here in California, there was no doubt you were courting others to defy you. I honestly didn't expect the UFN to be so tepid, however. I must congratulate Lelouch on that creation."

"I had been so very angry with you. When I awoke and realized you had used me like that with the Special Administrative Zone, I was furious and very, very, sad. You had lied to me, saying you believed in my idea. But in reality you were planning for it to fail from the start. You only wanted to use it as an excuse to lure out Lelouch so that you and Cornelia could kill him and the Black Knights all at once.

"I was willing to forgive you for that, however. Even if that was your intention, you didn't know anything about Geass. The fact that it all fell apart was mine and Lelouch's failure.

"But then you fought Lelouch, and you killed all of our family. You even tried to kill Cornelia when she didn't agree with you. For that I truly hated you. Even so, I was still willing to forgive you.

"But even after all of that, even after you lived those six years as you did, and after I freed you from our brother's curse, you never gained an ounce of humility. When I told Nina I would cancel Lelouch's Geass on you, she told me she thought you would repeat it all again if you had the chance. Still, I told her, as with Marrybell, I would see what choice you would make. I was certain that one of my siblings would understand me, understand what I was trying to do. And then today, very violently, I had to directly confront the fact that some of the hope I placed in my siblings was misplaced. That despite my urging and wants, that Marrybell was who she was, and would not change. The rage I feel is only tempered by the sadness I also feel for having to kill two of my siblings in the same day, and the rage inside me burns even brighter for it.

"Le Grondement de la Haine."

The French term slipped from Euphemia's lips, and from the sword slipped a torrent of flames. The roar of the rush of fire drowned out the screams of the already weakened Schneizel. It was a grizzly moment, truly just a moment, too impossible to be believed. Nunnally was aghast, stunned speechless. She felt the tight hoarseness in her throat, a wanting to scream herself, but her throat was parched and robbed of the ability to make a sound.

With a grunt Suzaku rushed forward. Euphemia retreated, allowing the charred corpse that was once Schneizel to drop to the ground. The sword removed, the flames died out. There was no way anyone would have been able to identify that blackened pile had they not been there to witness the event.

"I've been very curious, Nunnally," Euphemia continued. "How hard was it for you to let him live for so long? Compared to what he did to me, the pain he caused you was a hundred times worse. After all, he lied to you constantly, and was careful enough about it to avoid letting you get close enough to use that little skill of yours. If not for everything he did, Lelouch might not have been backed into a corner and made the choice he did."

"I'll never forgive you!" Nunnally screamed bitterly. It seemed to have the opposite effect on Euphemia, brining a thin smile to her face.

"That's more like the Nunnally I remember," Euphemia remarked. "You always were a feisty one, right? Always shouting, always being so loud and brash… it was strange to see you so docile back in Tokyo. Nina told me about the struggle you had over these several years trying to contain that volatile temper of yours. I think it's a commendable thing that you dedicated yourself to improving your disposition, but being honest is something that shouldn't be forgotten either."

"I've had enough of your nonsense!" Nunnally demanded, beside herself with rage.

"It's not nonsense," Euphemia countered. "I know. Let's try something."

How long had it been? He wasn't sure, but the answer was that it had been long enough that the sensation caught him by surprise. That made no difference, however. The curse that he'd been left with by his best friend, an unyielding supernatural power that forced him to prioritize his life over all else in a dire situation. A comic book styled power that began as an order to live was in function an almost precognitive awareness of mortal danger. It didn't need him to be cognizant of the actual danger. As long as his body could sense it, regardless of how it happened, his body would also react to evade that danger. He'd figured out how to better employ it in the past. Incredible concentration in battle allowed him to rid himself of certain fears. If it wasn't a fear of death, it didn't trigger that Geass. So, by essentially casting a geis on himself, he could prevent that power from forcing him to act in ways he didn't intend.

Euphemia stabbed her sword into the ground, fixing it in place. She closed her eyes and raised her hands up about shoulder height. She took a deep breath and slowly let it back out. The air became tense. He hadn't known a reason, but Suzaku retreated from being as near to Euphemia as he was. It was all he could do to prevent himself retreating further, the curse of Geass cast on him screaming for him to run.

Slowly, in a sort of loud whisper, Euphemia said, "Engraved in me, a grave. From Thirteen Fangs split the heavens and tether the earth. May you be released, light from the Ends of the World, Anchor of the Storm!"

It felt like being in the perpetuity of a moment before a lightning strike. The air coursed with energy, the tingle of the agitated air on your skin. A light appeared on the ground beneath Euphemia's feet and grew outwards in all directions. It radiated upwards, as if strips of lighting had been placed into the ground. The ground began to crack, tremors threatening to throw Suzaku and Nunnally to the ground. The earth then split open all over the area. Spikes shot up around Nunnally, forming a sudden cage. Suzaku ran to her, grabbing at the poles only to find that they were broiling hot to the touch. He was relieved that Nunnally hadn't made the same mistake, less her hands be burnt the same.

It was becoming disorienting, realizing that his Geass curse wasn't reacting to everything it should. Suddenly he felt something grab at his right ankle. Before he could look down at it, he was pulled off his feet. Falling face first into the dirt, he was dragged several feet. As he squinted, in part from the pain of being dragged, in part to keep from having debris kick up to blind him, he could see what appeared to be a chain shoot up from the ground. It snaked after him, wrapping itself around his wrist, and jerking him up into the air. It pulled taught, fastening him to a giant boulder, bound hands and feet.

Suzaku struggled to pull free, the chains not so much as budging. He looked around to regain his sense of where he was. Nunnally was inside a cage of thick, irregular, bars that looked more like molten lances some ten feet high. Opposite her, still standing beside the sword she jammed into the ground, was Euphemia, wearing a soft and gentle smile playing innocent of the current events. In front of her was a large object, also lodged into the ground. Its exact shape was somewhat obscured by the more than half dozen chains crisscrossing around its full length like a chainmail sheath. It was cylindrical, wider at the top and tapering to a point as it met the ground, almost like a lance. Its size and form, however, were unusual; longer than any weapon a person would wield, yet narrower for most of its length. But also far too small for that of a Knightmare Frame.

Light radiated up from the ground behind her. A shrill roar, all too familiar now, reverberated through the air. The ground rattled freshly, a large claw appearing up as if emerging through the ground. A black dragon, possibly the largest they'd ever seen, crawled forth, slinking behind the master who summoned it. It waddled its way from behind Euphemia, circling around from her right and facing towards Suzaku. Much imagination wasn't needed to presume the implied intent, seeming more outwardly vicious and untamed than the others they'd seen in Euphemia's company before. The fact this one had a chain for a collar and leash didn't bode well for its timidity.

"Let's try something together, Nunnally," Euphemia declared, more instruction than request. "The truth is, I like you, Nunna. Even though we used to argue so fiercely, I genuinely enjoyed being around you. But you've been lying so much over the last several years, to the point that I barely recognize you as the Nunnally I used to know. I don't even know that Lelouch will recognize you anymore. So, I want to fix that. I will give you some time to answer a question. If you can answer truthfully, then things will be okay. If you lie, however, something rather unfortunate will happen."

"Are you threatening to kill Suzaku?" Nunnally questioned, unable to believe Euphemia was making such a threat.

"Suzaku… my dear loyal knight… or so I thought. But the moment you thought I was gone, you betrayed everything I stood for and used my name and memory to justify your own selfish actions."

"I would never use Euphemia like that!" Suzaku charged. "I know that I failed her, but I…"

"Suzaku… have you ever been able to lie to me?" she asked with a bright smile to mask the terrible sting of her meaning. "Do you still love me?"

"That's unfair… for you to ask me that now… how the hell am I supposed to answer that!?"

"That's the problem, isn't it? I was mistaken. I was just a naïve girl infatuated with the world I was being introduced to. I thought you were mine. But you weren't. What you loved was a dainty flower that affirmed your own ideals. You only used me to justify your dream that said you could follow along with the corrupt rules of the world and that would lead you to a peace and prosperity you sought. You only really saw me as the proof your self-serving dream might be right. And yet you couldn't do anything more than lash out when I was gone. How much time did my dreams occupy your thoughts? Did you ever really share them in the first place?

"The comfort and solace I once offered you, the conviction, the love, was in my own foolish belief you would change. I thought you were mine, and that you would reflect my passions and desires. But I was only a tool to you, wasn't I, Suzaku? You more or less told me so, and I was so blinded by my dreams that I didn't listen. To you I was proof of your own ideals. I was a princess in a rotten family who had real power, and you were able to use me to also gain power. If you could gain power, then others could also gain power and make a change, right? Yes, just have everyone fall in love with a royal prince or princess and then everything would be okay, right?"

"Of course I did! I did share your dream! I wanted to make the world…"

"No, you only wanted your princess back. The very idea that I wanted to abdicate my claim to the throne was against your world view. It would say that no matter what, even for someone like me who was just three steps from the throne, you could only get so far. You, an Eleven denied real rights under Britannia, couldn't hope to do what even a princess in line for the throne failed to. Your idealism of working from within such a corrupt center would have become even more of a hollow escape than it already was."

"No, that's wrong, Euphie. I loved you! I wanted to do everything I could for you! I even… Lelouch…"

"That's right. You tried to kill Lelouch. You never really thought I would want that, did you? Is that not strange, that you who knew me for only a few months would want to kill him, yet I, who even lost a dear brother, would not? Are you so special and privileged?"

"No, this isn't the Euphie I knew."

"That's right, go ahead and reject me. Reject me like everyone else. Everyone who treated me like a porcelain doll, not to be touched, or counted on to think for herself. Like a toy to move about as they pleased. As a convenient excuse for blame. I tried my best to love this rotten world, and I was met with scorn and treated like an idiot for it. I refuse to let this hateful, corrupt, world stand."

"Euphie…" Suzaku gritted. He wanted to rebuke her declaration, but he couldn't find the words to. Merely denying her wouldn't get anywhere. Yet, what else was there to do? How could he convince her to abandon this road of massacre and destruction?

"Regardless, he's your knight now, isn't he, Nunna?" Euphemia continued. "Not officially, of course. He has to continue to lie to the world and pretend he's Zero, but still he spends all his time in Pendragon around you. His cousin, his real boss, barely ever sees him. I almost feel sorry for Miss Kaguya. Even though you named Ms. Kouzuki as your knight now, it's still Suzaku who Lelouch chose to protect you, so you still don't let him go.

"But that's also because you needed to keep Schneizel under control. You didn't really trust Schneizel either. You were afraid he'd betray you, so you wanted to make sure that "Zero" wasn't too far away in case you needed him to force Schneizel to obey your intentions."

"I don't care what you say!" Nunnally replied with seething resentment.

"That's good, because it's not about what I say, Nunnally. It's all about what you say, and right now I want to hear the truth from you."

"The truth? What truth could I share with you when I don't believe a thing you say!?"

"It's hard to trust others when your own life is lived with nothing but lies piled on top of other lies. But I believe that change can happen. So, Nunna, can you start by telling me if you've ever had an unkind thought about Suzaku or Schneizel?"

"Go to hell!" Nunnally declared.

"That's not a good answer," Euphemia chuckled. She let a little slack into her grip on the chain, the dragon inching closer to the cage holding Nunnally. "I know it's a little difficult once you've been used to the opposite for so long, but I promise you that just letting out an honest answer will feel very good for you."

"You're sick and demented! You really think all of this will make us give up trying to stop you?"

"You're stubborn as always, Nunna. I guess you really want to see him eaten by a dragon, huh?" Euphemia not so passively threatened, loosening her grip briefly again. The beast snarled and turned its body in Suzaku's direction, it's tail whipping through the air near to Nunnally's cage.

"You wouldn't!" Nunnallly screamed.

"In reality, you've hated the two of them, haven't you?" Euphemia asked, letting out a little more slack, the dragon immediately making closer to Suzaku.

"Stop it!" Nunnally screamed, begged, nearly hysterical.

"That's not the truth, is it, Nunna? Not quite anyway. You don't actually want it to stop. You want to be the one to do it, don't you? You've hated them these last several years, maybe longer. You've hardly been able to stand them. But you've decided to wear a mask even more convincing than the mask of Zero. You wore the mask of a content, happy, empress. You pretended you liked them, maybe even loved them, not just to fool them, or fool the public, but to fool yourself. How many times have you looked at a mirror and pondered whether or not you could even remember who you really were?"

"That's not true!"

"Of course it is, Nunnally. I can see it in your eyes as clearly as a fire burning in the night. But you've felt the need to lie for all this time. I'm giving you a final opportunity to reveal the truth you've buried in your soul; to dispel the lie that has tainted your heart and this world for so long."

The chained dragon strained against its bindings, Euphemia's prisoner, bound as he was, could only look on. Suzaku appeared to have resigned himself. There was no good ending he could foresee here. This woman was no longer in any way the princess he once loved and served with all his might. It was as Shirley had said from the beginning; Euphie wanted the pleasure of killing him herself, and was going to eventually do so, no matter what. This appeared to be that moment.

What frightened him wasn't his own mortality, but Nunnally's. He couldn't waste time worrying about himself right now when he didn't have a clue about how to save her.

"Come on, Nunnally. You know I'm right. I just want you to admit it to yourself too. Go on, say it."

"Why… are you doing this?"

"Because I love you, Nunna. You're my precious little sister. Despite our disagreements, it's painful to see you living a lie this way. Do you honestly think this world you've been living in is the one Lelouch wanted for you? Was his wish that you be empress? Did he want you to perpetuate this world full of lies? All his life he only ever had a single wish. I know that you know what that wish was. Go ahead, say it. Remind us all again, what was the wish you had that sent him on his path to make this world his enemy?"

"All… I wanted… was to live a happy life with brother…"

"That's right. Your simple wish was to live a happy life. And his wish was to make this world one where you could do that. But are you actually happy? How can you be when your every moment is spent guarding the secret of your lie? You haven't even been able to mourn Lelouch in all these years because you spend every moment guarding your words and actions to make sure no one realizes you actually care for your brother. You make nice and pleasant with people who endlessly curse the name of those you love, your brother who sacrificed everything so they could sit comfy and content without a care. I'm asking that you tell me, tell this world, what you really think.

"Go on, tell us, Nunna. Tells us! Tell us! Be the you who was once so carefree and unbound! Be free of all the lies that have bound you! Tell us the truth, Nunnally!"

Nunnally's face was plastered in panic and fear. Her mind was racing in circles so quickly she felt dizzy and unable to think. Finally, it snapped. "I hate them!" Nunnally screamed, her ability to resist Euphemia's coercion failing. Euphemia's face twisted into a purely delightful smile.

"Who?"

"I hate those selfish people who show up every year just to celebrate the fact that Lelouch died! I hate the former nobles and bureaucrats that make all those speeches saying how horrible my brother was and how they're glad he died! I hate myself for needing to rely on them and going along with their hateful words just to keep this terrible world from falling apart! I hate Nina for creating that horrible weapon!"

"And?"

"And most of all, I hate Suzaku. Suzaku… Suzaku… Because of him, my brother had to endure so much. Because of him, my brother was captured by our despicable father. He used me to try and trap my brother. And worst of all, he was the one who killed my brother. He should have talked to my brother, told me what he was planning, talk him out of it… anything but let my brother's life end like that!

"After the day my mother was killed, I had nightmares about it. I would see the moment that rain of bullets struck me and my mother, the look of her dying on top of me. Even now, despite knowing it was all a lie, I would still see that scene sometimes. Since my brother's death, that has been all I've seen in my dreams every night – Suzaku dressed as Zero, plunging that sword through his chest right in front of me! I hear someone screaming, and it sounds so sad and distraught, so heartbreaking. And I wake up crying, knowing that it was my own screams I was hearing. All because of him…"

Euphemia let out a small chuckle as she spun around in delight. She clapped her hands together as she came to a stop. "I'm so proud of you, Nunna. Don't you feel so much better now? You no longer need to carry that heavy weight of lying to yourself anymore."

"Euphemia…" Nunnally fumed, a look of putrid disgust and overflowing rage and contempt as her eyes bored holes through Euphemia.

Euphie smiled a wide, thin, smile consumed in glee, and laced with poisonous maliciousness. "You hate me too. You always had. When we were little, I would steal Lelouch's attention from you. We would fight like cats and dogs all the time. Even now, I bet it eats at you so much that Lelouch chose to tarnish his name and ideals, and ultimately die, for my sake rather than live alongside you. You were content that I was dead if only that it meant you didn't have to wish I was and shed that nice-girl mask you've taken to wearing.

"When we were reunited at Ashford Academy we sat down in that room, just the two of us, drinking tea, you must have thought I didn't notice you were oozing contempt for me. You wanted me to leave, but you had to strain courtesy because you were afraid for your life. You had to pretend that you wanted to see me still, that you liked me anywhere near as much as you thought Lelouch liked me, because you didn't want him to think any less of you.

"To think that nothing's changed since then. You've been doing the same thing with Suzaku all this time, haven't you? Because you were convinced that Suzaku and Lelouch were best friends, that Lelouch entrusted you to him, you accepted him begrudgingly. I wonder how many times you sat there smiling at him while you were actually cursing him over and over in your mind? How many times have you thought about killing him, about how you might do it?"

"Please… just stop it…" Nunnally softly cried, tears flowing down her cheeks, her body feeling drained and exhausted.

"It's okay, Nunnally. He's always hated you too. You corrupted his best friend. If Lelouch hadn't spent so much time taking care of you, he could've lived a perfectly content life. He wouldn't have created the Black Knights, or tried to fight Britannia the way he did, and Suzaku wouldn't have had to become his enemy. And most of all, Suzaku's hated you all this time he's been forced to wear that mask and pretend to be Zero, all because of the hold you held over Lelouch. He's had to stomach being beside you as your knight, every day being a constant reminder of all his personal regrets and failings."

"You find delight in making others suffer?" Nunnally asked through her tears. "You're not the Euphemia I knew at all!"

"No. The Euphemia you knew perished when she was one step away from fulfilling a promise. She tried to still believe, to still trust, even after the cruel ploy fate played on her. And then that hope was trashed as well. So she's done with all that. My efforts at gently urging this world forward are over. I will learn from our brother, Nunnally, and shake this world from its stupor. But I'm not Lelouch. I can't hope to be his replacement. That's why I needed to attain more power."

"Sacrificing all these people is your idea of a better future! Killing Schneizel, tormenting me and Suzaku! You even betrayed Marrybell, someone you called back from the dead yourself!"

"I admit, Marrybell was a mistake. I hold too much affinity for our familial bonds, so I disregarded the danger I knew she posed. Sadly, I was proven right, though I failed to adhere to those initial beliefs. As for those deaths, I did my best to avoid that outcome. Your castle, your bases, I gave fair warning to leave, but the warning fell on deaf ears who also saw fit to remain mute. They chose not to mention the critical details to you, Nunna.

"And that's why we have to go through this now. I really do love you, Nunnally. But your ignorance of what this world truly is, your inscrutable need to hold fast to the lies and deceit of this world, are a detriment to the future that is supposed to be. I want you to be a part of that future, Nunna. The world will change soon, and I worry you won't be fit to see it.

"Now then, about our dear, unfaithful, knight…"

"W-wait, you promised…" Nunnally screamed in fright.

Suddenly, a blast of energy tore through the air and struck the dragon broadside in its neck. It shrieked, lurched to the side, and swung its head back around furiously looking for the attacker. Another blast shot through the clouds and struck the ground near the dragon, kicking up a plume of dust. Enraged, it tugged tight on the chains leashing it and bellowed a bellicose bellow as if to declare it'd had enough. A molten stream was unleashed into the air, aiming at the unseen attacker hidden behind the clouds.

Without warning a red streak descended from the other side, shot across the ground, and struck the beast squarely in the side, knocking it several feet. The great winged beast tumbled to the ground, shrieking in anger.

Though there were differences to be sure, the Frame was familiar. The Guren wasted no time spinning around and making a b-line for where Suzaku was. Smashing the rock, it scooped Suzaku up midair, almost frightfully close it looked to crushing him in its hand. As it backed away from the spot, it turned its clawed hand towards the dragon again, as if about to fire on the beast. The dragon, however, was already up and none too pleased at being so challenged. It spit another searing inferno, the Guren's Radiant Wave arm casting a shield to blunt the heat from the flames.

With Euphemia, and as importantly her dragon's, attention focused on the Guren variant, another Knightmare approached, flying in at full speed towards the cage holding Nunnally. It was an unfamiliar model, painted in a green and grey pattern, sharing some physical similarities between the Lancelot and the Akatsuki. Stopping just short of the cage, the Knightmare grabbed hold of the bars and splayed an opening large enough to reach in and grab up the imprisoned empress. Nunnally secured, the knightmare projected a prismatic shield to its front and back as it took flight and slowly built up speed and left the vicinity.

Euphemia merely glanced over and watched as the Knightmare made off with Nunnally. The dragon, showing some heightened intelligence, or perhaps subtle mental link with its master, took notice as well, turning away from the Guren and snarling. It moved as if prepared to give chase but Euphemia tugged on the chain and it quickly settled down. This break in attention gave the Guren variant the time to also depart with being further accosted. Regardless, Euphemia seemed to be no worse concerned. She returned to the lance anchored in the ground and wrapped in chains. She touched it, several of the chains turning black and falling away like ash. Several more chains remained encasing the lance, the weapon itself giving off a very soft bluish light.