AN: Wait... do I have to put a disclaimer here?

JBS2294: Ah, I didn't know that. I just saw it on other stories and thought to put it there just to be safe.

Lethana: Their meeting will be interesting for sure. Or at least I hope it will.

PhantomGuest: I'm glad that you like it so far.

DarkDremora: I have an idea for Shamna's Geass, though the main focus will probably be on Cornelia with the brief time that'll be spent in Zilkhstan.

Guest: I don't know if it's the same person or not, but I'll treat your questions as one entity. For Marrybell and the Glinda Knight's, I do want them to appear, but I don't have a clear vision for it right now. Pollux and Castor are two that I wasn't aware of, though after looking them up, I may include them, but only by changing Pollux's Geass. Also, I won't be using any Geass' from Nightmare of Nunally, simply because I think they're just too much. I'll think about including Mariel Lubie, but if I can't fit her into the story, then she most likely won't appear.

Chapter 51: Exodus

February 7th. Black Knight Warehouse.

"Damn. You're lookin' good, Naoto." Tamaki greeted his friend as he exited Zero's office.

"Really?" the new metallic voice responded, "I mean… I feel… powerful with this on. Is this what he feels like?"

Ohgi chuckled as his friend flexed in the Zero outfit, "Just remember not to get too drunk on that power."

"Yeah, and you have to remember to not tell anyone about my identity." Naoto replied, "After all, I'm still supposed to be the same 'Zero'." Of course, the reason for Ohgi and Tamaki knowing of his identity, was simply because they accidentally caught him changing into the outfit moments earlier. Luckily, it didn't take much convincing for them to keep his new identity as Zero a secret.

His friends responded with a mock salute before heading downstairs, where the Zero Kagero was nearing completion, "Good morning, 'Zero'." Rakshata greeted the Kozuki, "You'll be happy to know that your ever faithful steed will be ready in two days. And trust me, you won't be disappointed, as you'll actually be able to compete with ace's now."

Naoto clenched his fist with excitement, "Finally. Finally, I'll be able to have a fighting chance." he glanced at his leather glove and smiled, "Damn. This feels way better than it should."

"Zero." Naomi called from behind, "Have you seen Naoto? I need to talk to him about something."

"Ah. I have him meeting an informant today." the man inquisition lied, "Do you want me to pass on a message?"

"Oh… well… I…" the girl began twiddling her fingers, "It's just… I know it's not really professional, but I wanted to ask him if he would come with me to this new boba place."

"Boba?"

Rakshata chuckled at the interaction, before walking away. Honestly, she was no good at real-world relationships. Instead, she preferred to spend her days working on new creations, like the Guren , or the Zero Kagero.

"I actually don't know what boba is myself… but I hear it's pretty good, and I want Naoto to try it with me."

"Oh. Well, I'll be sure to pass on the message when I get the chance." After all, Naoto didn't have to stay as Zero 24/7.

"Zero." Tohdoh's voice called from the warehouse entrance, "I need to speak with you in private."

"Sure thing." Without another word, Zero followed the miracle worker back into his office, where the man took a seat on the couch. Once the door closed, their conversation began, "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"Are you really not going to take off your mask? Lelouch? It's just us after all." Tohdoh asked.

"Well… there's a problem with that," Naoto turned to the door, "Lelouch doesn't want me to tell anyone about his trip to the Middle East under any circumstances. That includes you, Tohdoh."

"Oh, I see." the Japanese man nodded, "You don't want someone overhearing our conversation. I'm sorry, that was foolish of me to use your real name so carelessly."

"That's alright. But let's focus on the topic at hand."

"Of course." Tohdoh took out a folder and passed it to the masked man, "As you can see, we have reliable intel detailing that Carine will be attacking the Blood of the Samurai group in a few days time. Katase says we're going to make contact with their group, and see if some kind of alliance can be made."

"Excellent. When exactly will contact be made?"

"Tomorrow. I hope you can join us for negotiations."

"It'll be my pleasure."

Tohdoh and Naoto left Zero's office and headed downstairs, there they were greeted by Sugiyama and Yoshida were having a small argument. "Dude, I'm telling you, Zero's not going to answer such a ridiculous question."

"But don't you think it's suspicious? I mean… I've seen Kallen enter his office, and leave like… 3 hours later."

"They're probably just having some kind of meeting." Yoshida replied.

"Oh yeah, 'meeting'. As if I'm going to believe that!" Sugiyama argued, "Seriously, do you think Naoto knows?"

"If he did, I know he'd be furious. Remember how protective is he of Kallen? I doubt he'd be okay with her having a relationship with-"

"What are you two talking about?" the man in question asked.

"Z-Zero!?" the two Japanese men comically exclaimed.

Tohdoh sighed as Nagisa slowly approached from the background, "Your resistance group sure is… lax."

"Trust me, they might be messing around now, but when it comes down to business, we turn into the highest functioning resistance group around."

"I hope so." Nagisa chimed in, "While the Knightmare's are impressive, I'm not too impressed with the people. Speaking of Knightmare's… where's the Guren?"

"Kallen's having its arm being worked on."

"Oh… I see. That's a shame, because I wanted to see if she'd give me some pointers in Knightmare combat."

"Well, I'll let you know when she gets back."

Meanwhile, Sugiyama and Yoshida were nudging each other in the background, before finally the former stepped forward, "Hey… Zero. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Well… I just want to know…" Sugiyama sighed heavily before finishing his sentence, "What's your relationship with Kallen?"

Naoto felt a mark of annoyance grow on his forehead, "Oh great… now even these guys are starting to see it."

Of course, this comment didn't go unnoticed by Tohdoh, "What? They're not implying what I think they are… right? Though, I don't think they'd confront Lelouch if they didn't at least have some decent chance of being correct."

"What are you implying?" Naoto asked to make sure they were on the same page.

"I mean… we've all seen her enter your office for hours at a time. And it's just one too many times to be considered a meeting. I mean, even when you're not around, she goes in there, and comes out with a change of clothes. We just want to know what your relationship's like."

Zero felt the eyes of Tohdoh and Nagisa drill into the back of his mask, making this situation more stressful than it had to be, "The relationship between myself and Kallen is purely professional. There's nothing more to it." he answered flawlessly.

"That's exactly what I'd expect from Zero." Tohdoh added, "After all, There's a fine line leaders must draw between themselves and their subordinates." upon hearing this, Nagisa eyes turned melancholic. However, that would soon change, as the miracle worker finished his sentence, "Of course, on your downtime, you can feel free to have those kinds of relationships. Especially since, we don't want you to run yourself into the ground."

"Yes. I understand that." Naoto responded as he felt the beginning of a headache form, "But my answer still hasn't changed."

Suddenly, Ohgi and Tamaki appeared out of nowhere to rescue their friend, "Zero! My best bud, you have to check out the Kagero!" the latter boasted while putting his arm around the masked man's shoulder.
"I apologize for the abruptness, but we're going to be very busy for the next few hours." Ohgi informed their guest.

"No, it's okay. I still have to inform Katase of our meeting. Come on, Nagisa, let's go."

As the two JLF members left, Ohgi turned to Sugiyama and Yoshida and said, "Why're you two just standing around? Didn't I tell you two to go unload the new shipment?"

"Ah… uh, yeah. I do remember you saying something about-"

"Just go do it!"

"Y-yes sir!" the two replied with a salute before running off.

Naoto sighed while rubbing his mask, "Maybe being Zero's harder than it looks…"


"My lady." Suzaku entered the Viceroy's office, where Lila sat at her desk, going through a stack of papers, while Euphemia was on the couch, doing a similar activity. Both were waiting for him, "You had something to speak with me about?"

"Yes." Lila was the first, "You'll be happy to know that we've discovered the mole, and have successfully put him into custody. Not only that, but we managed to intercept his message, replacing it with our own. So, make sure you're prepared on Thursday."

The Knight nodded in response, before Euphemia chimed in, "And now for my announcement, which I forgot to tell you about on Sunday." she took in a deep breath while standing up, "Lila and I are going to announce our Knights next week."

"That's great news." Suzaku said with a false smile.

"Yes, it is. Our choices have come down to both you and Rai, as we're both in agreement that you two are the most qualified."

In reality, being qualified was synonymize with most trustworthy to them, as the two Princess' knew the boys personally.

"I'm happy to hear that."

"Really? Because I'm not." Carine abruptly entered the room, and turned to Lila, "While it's obvious I won't be able to change your mind, I hope that you choose Rai as your Knight."

"Why?" the innocent asked as Euphemia stood between them defensively.

"Because, you can't have some… some Number as your Knight. It's unbecoming of a Viceroy and shows weakness."

"On the contrary." the pink-haired Princess spoke out, "I think it shows that Lila's willing to work with the Japanese in bettering their lives. After all, through working with Britannia, Suzaku's shown that he's one of the most accomplished-"

"I don't care how accomplished he is." Carine cut her off, "Lila better choose Rai, and that's final."

"Who the hell is Rai?" Suzaku's eyes looked toward the ground, "I haven't really questioned his existence since he's mostly been inconsequential. But… it's obvious that he's not some nobody in this timeline. So who is he?"

Of course, no one in the room was aware that the silver-haired boy was half-Japanese, otherwise, the red-haired Princess would blow a fuse over the lack of pure-blood options.

Lila looked down in disappointment. Clearly, she wanted to choose Suzaku, as she knew him the best, and felt like having him at her side would alleviate the stress she was feeling from being the Viceroy. Though, she also knew Euphemia wanted to choose the Japanese man, so her heart was conflicted. Should she stake her claim on the Knight she wants? Or appease both of her sisters, and choose the 'Britannian'?

"Why do you care who she chooses so much?" Euphemia shouted in outrage, "After all, it doesn't affect you!"

This was a poor argument.

"On the contrary, dear sister. This decision affects me more than you could even comprehend. As, if Lila's mother found out she chose to ally herself willingly with an Eleven, someone who was once accused of murdering Prince Clovis, then she would be beyond outrage. And that's not even mentioning how Guinevere would reprimand me." Carine explained with conviction, "So, that's why she has to choose Rai."

Whether she knew it or not, Lila was slowly being bullied into choosing the silver-haired boy, and Euphemia's presence wasn't making the choice any easier. Because honestly, if she wasn't here, the innocent Princess wouldn't have any qualms with choosing Suzaku.

"J-just get out!" the pink-haired Princess shouted.

"Nope. Remember, I have to do my work in here. You're the only one who's intruding, as you don't even have a proper job here."

"Why do you speak to your sisters like that?" Suzaku finally couldn't keep his mouth shut, and spoke out.

"Huh!? What'd you say to me?" Carine approached the Knight with an enraged look, "How dare you speak to me in such a tone!"

"Wait! Please don't hurt him!" Lila shouted while rushing to Suzaku's side, "He's just-"

"You don't need to defend me." he gently pushed the Princess out of the way. Of course, he wasn't confronting Carine for her, it was instead for Euphemia, who he valued dearly in this timeline due to her untimely death from before. "I can't just stand idly by as Carine bullies you to get her way."

This comment obviously enraged the red-haired Princess, as she could barely contain her outburst, "H-how dare you!" she shouted, "I'm not a bully! I'm just doing what I think is right for my sisters, and if that's a crime, then you don't know the first thing about protecting your loved ones!"

"I know that feeling more than anyone. Hell… I even know how it feels to fail them… that's why I won't accept you treating-"

A loud slap rang throughout the room. Carine had struck Suzaku making him slightly turn to the right, "Shut up! You filthy Eleven! You don't know the first thing about defending loved ones! All you know is killing!"

While she didn't know it, the Princess unintentional struck a nerve within the Knight's mind, which made him remember those he killed. Their terrified faces as he shot, stabbed, and crushed their bodies with the weight of his ambition. Zero's ambition. Lelouch's ambition.

"Y-you're right. I apologize for lashing out like that. I don't know hat came over me." he apologized, though, he wasn't sincere. Not in the slightest.

"No. This is unacceptable!" Carine screeched, "I will make you pay for this!"

"Stop!" Lila shouted while grabbing onto Suzaku's arm, "You can't… please… I refuse to let you hurt him."

"Lila, you dare choose this filthy Eleven over me? Over your own blood? You know this borders on the line of treason, right?"

The Innocent Princess looked Suzaku in the eyes, before shaking her head, "Even still… Suzaku's… Suzaku's not some Eleven. He's Japanese. And someone who's loyal to Britannia despite all the terrible things we've done to his people. That's why… that's why…"

"Don't you dare make him your Knight." Carine threatened while retreating, "Otherwise, there will be consequences. You can count on that."

With that parting comment, the warmongering Princess left the Viceroy office, "You were so cool!" Euphemia hugged her younger sister lovingly, "Not only did you fend off Carine all on your own, but you also stood up for what you believe in."

Despite the celebration, Lila was still melancholic, "But… I can't choose Suzaku as my Knight, no matter how much I want him to be."

Suzaku put his hand on the Princess' head, "Listen, Lila, you have the rare opportunity in life to make your own choice. To decide your own future. Don't allow Carine to make those choices for you. That's all I'll say." he then made his way to the door, "Now, I'll return to the ASEEC Warehouse and let everyone know to prepare for the upcoming battle."


Lelouch felt their large plane hit some turbulence midair, causing the five large crates within the Herculean hull slide toward them, before returning to their previous position, making him sink into his seat slightly, "Those aren't going to break the straps, are they?"

Meanwhile, Kallen slept peacefully to his right, with a long black duster covering her body like a blanket. She shifted slightly, moving her head onto his shoulder, allowing her to relax into this deep slumber. "I sure hope these sand cloaks work." Maya muttered while reading an instruction manual next to Mario, who was seated on Lelouch's left.

"I thought you were the one who helped work on this new tech?" her brother asked as the boxes slightly slid toward them, thankfully stopping because of the straps.

"Yeah… I mean, we need something to protect our factspheres, but there are so many moving parts. There's a good chance that the sand actually gets into the mechanism, preventing it from closing, or worse… opening."

Mario put his hand on Maya's head, causing her to pout slightly as he said, "Well, we won't know until we try. Though, if yours does fail, I'll come to your rescue, so don't worry about a-"

His sister rolled the manual, before striking his chest with it, "Don't sound so optimistic. It's disgusting if you're saying it."

"I'm just trying to be positive."

"I know you are, that's why it's disgusting." the black-haired girl poked her brother's cheek playfully, "Saying such things is so out of character."

"What do you know about my character?" he responded while swatting her hand away.

C.C chuckled at the sight, "Oh my. We sure have a motley crew here, don't we?"

"I really don't want to hear such comments from you." Lelouch muttered while the boxes slid away from them.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zero rolled his eyes while the door to the planes cabinet opened up, allowing a pilot to greet the group shortly after, "Change of plans. The airbase we were supposed to be landing at has been compromised, so we'll be dropping you off shortly at an emergency airfield that's been established along the way."

"So… Cornelia's already pushed this far, huh?" Lelouch clenched his fist, "Very well. Everyone, get in your frames, and prepare for battle. I have a feeling this temporary airfield will be compromised too."

Ignoring his comment, the pilot returned to the cockpit. The Prince gently shook his girlfriend awake, much to her dismay, though upon hearing the situation, she immediately locked in. Putting on the duster, she headed into the Guren through a small opening in its crate, turning on its systems as the plane slowly descended onto a small strip of land that was illuminated by blinking yellow lights. Upon making contact with the ground, the cargo hold began opening, allowing for the lead Knightmare, the Guren, to break free of its box, and exit onto the new land, wearing a black metallic cloak that shimmered in the sunlight.

Soon, the twin Sougetsu's followed close behind, with Zero's Burai, and a Ghedo Vakka; the new Knightmare that was to be delivered to the Kingdom of Zilkhstan. They all wore sand cloaks, except the Ghedo Vakka.

"Damn… so much sand…" Maya muttered as a sandstorm approached their position, "We should hurry to Zilkhstan." she pulled up a map on one of her displays, "If this map is correct, we have to head north, and we'll get there in about a day."

Suddenly, the plane that had dropped them off was hit by a stray shell from a nearby mountain. The source; a Britannian Sutherland equipped with an anti-Knightmare Sniper Rifle. Lelouch retracted his sand cloak through pressing a special button on his dashboard, allowing for his factspheres to quickly open and scan the area, "We've got incoming Sutherland's from the East. It looks like a small battle group. They're probably here to scout the area."

Mario and Maya quickly dashed toward the mountains with great difficulty, as the sand slowed them greatly, "Damn it… if only we had some sand boards." the latter complained as she dodged an incoming rifle shot, "We're sitting ducks like this…"

"Maya, Mario, retreat. We can't win this battle." Lelouch ordered as C.C moved around the sand unhindered, "Let's move north toward the mountains, they're closer, and we'll have an actual fighting chance."

"Got it, boss man." Maya reported as the siblings retreated behind Kallen.

Meanwhile, the Britannian battle group continued to fire upon their retreating backs, shouting, "Don't let them escape!"

Eventually, the Black Knight's made it to the mountains relatively unscathed, and used the cliff faces as cover. Due to being on solid ground, their landspinners were being used without issue, allowing the group to easily navigate the cliffs without issue. With this, they soon escaped their pursuers, as they couldn't keep up.

"Oh my, that sure was stressful." C.C commented as her Knightmare drifted around a corner, causing one of its wheels to slide off the cliff. Regardless, she was able to complete the drift, "This thing handles like a dream."

"Just don't bang it up too much." Lelouch reprimanded as he soon passed through the same corner. "We want this thing to be at least semi-operational when we deliver it to the Princess."

"Speaking of which, what do you think she's like?" Mario asked as he led the group through the mountains.

"Oh? What's this? Is my little brother finally growing up?" his sister wiped away a false tear, "They grow up so fast… though, I can't believe his first love is going to be a Princess."

"Be real! I just want to know if we're going to be dealing with some kind of psycho like the royal family. No offense, Lelouch." Mario retorted, "And I'm not your little brother! We were born at the same time!"

"None taken." the Prince replied as Kallen pulled ahead of him. She was still groggy from her nap, but was still able to handle the Guren flawlessly, "From what I hear, Princess Shamna is the head of Zilkhstan's military logistics, with her little brother, Prince Shalio, being their strongest warrior. Then there's General Bolvona Forgnar, who is the head of Zilkhstan's defense, successfully defending the nation from numerous attempts of the surrounding countries for decades." Maya fell to the back of the formation as she retracted her sand cloak, allowing her systems to scan the surrounding area, "Then, there's the King, Shams, who, despite his age, still appears to fight on the frontline personally."

"Do you think they're some kind of warmongers?" Mario asked as he leapt to the lower level of the mountain.

"Not exactly. The Kingdom of Zilkhstan is known as the land of the warriors, and they're famous for being mercenary's for hire. As long as you're willing to pay, they'll fight for you without qualms, regardless of your beliefs."

"That's not all, but I sense someone there has a Geass, a very powerful one at that." C.C added.

"Oh yeah, Geass. I forgot about that stuff existing." Maya muttered, "By the way, are you sure I can't study that eye of yours, Lelouch?"

"As I said before, over my dead body." the Prince responded, "Now I'm starting to regret telling you about it."

"Whyyyy?" the black-haired girl whined, "I thought you trusted us!"

Mario rolled his eyes at the interaction and said, "I think he's specifically talking about you."

"What!? You take that back!"

"Why? It's true."

"Watch out!" Kallen shouted while kicking the siblings into a nearby rock, narrowly dodging an incoming shell that struck the rock formation behind them.

"This isn't good." Lelouch muttered as C.C returned fire, "We're stuck in the middle of a Britannian offensive." he zoomed out his map, only to capture hundreds upon thousands of Sakuradite signatures just beyond the mountain. The only silver lining was the fact that there was another group, which was much smaller, and not as organized, gathering across from them. It was clear, from how they were moving, they were the Middle Eastern Federation.

"Push them back!" a Middle East commander shouted as his Bamide fired heavy shells upon the opposing Sutherland's.

"They're tearing us to pieces." a Sutherland pilot calmly reported to its squad leader as they hid within the mountains, "Should we retreat?"

A Gloucester slid to the Sutherland's side and said, "We'll hold here and wait for the center to break through, then we'll proceed to Zilkhstan as planned."

"Yes sir." another purple Knightmare equipped with an anti-KMF rifle reported while firing upon the Bamide's, striking one in its cockpit, destroying the machine.

"Hold here." Lelouch ordered as his group kept out of Britannia's sight, "Maya, can you get me in contact with the Middle Eastern forces?"

"I can try." the black-haired girl reported while typing away on her monitor. Meanwhile, Mario and Kallen made sure the area was secure, "Alright, I've got it."

Once the line had been transferred to Zero's Burai, he greeted their 'allies', "Hello, Middle Eastern Federation. I am Zero."

"Z-Zero?" the soldiers muttered with disbelief, "Isn't he supposed to be in Area 11? What's he doing here?"

"If you would like my assistance, I'll gladly help you crush Britannia here and now. However, in turn, you must grant me safe passage to the Kingdom of Zilkhstan."

"What should we do?" a soldier asked as another Bamide was destroyed.

The Middle Eastern commander closed his eyes, before saying, "Very well, Zero. We'll accept your terms."

Lelouch smiled, "Well, at least they're smart enough to recognize a good deal."

Kallen watched as her boyfriend turned to her, and giving a quick nod. Giving her permission to attack. In the next second, the Guren used its slash harkens to hook onto a rock face, before using her landspinners to wall-ride into the center of the Britannian position, taking them by surprise, "What the hell is that-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the red head crushed the opposing Sutherland with her claw arm, causing his friends to gasp in disbelief, "K-kill 'em!"

At once, the battle group fired upon the Guren from all sides. Despite this, the pilot masterfully maneuvered to a grouping of Sutherland's, and used her radiant wave surger to destroy three at once, before slicing the final two with its fork knife. Just then, a Gloucester with a jousting lance approached her from the side, so in response, Kallen knocked its weapon away, before jamming her knife through its chest, using the Knightmare as a shield to block incoming fire. That's when Maya and Mario charged in out of nowhere, destroying another group of Sutherland's with ease.

"Damn it… report to Princess Cornelia, our positions been- Augh!" before the commander could finish his sentence, C.C rounded the corner, and fired all of her cannons into the Gloucester's side, causing him to explode within seconds.

"These guys are way too easy." she muttered while firing upon another group.

"Retreat. I repeat, retreat!" another Gloucester shouted while hiding behind a rock, "We can't win in these conditions." as the Britannian Sutherland's began moving through the rocky terrain, the second-in-command ordered, "We'll regroup with Marcus' group, and push through the mountains!"

Kallen attempted to continue the chase, however, Lelouch stopped her by saying, "Leave them. I don't want to get caught in an ambush. Remember, we're out of our element here."

"Really? I couldn't tell, given how well that went." the Witch added with a smug smile.

"You're so cool, Kally!" Maya complimented the red head as they met up with the Middle Eastern Bamides, "You've seriously gotta give me some pointers!"

"I can try… but I don't know how much help I'll be." Kallen responded while rubbing the back of her head with an embarrassed smile.

"I'm glad that ended well. However, now it's time to see how honorable the federation is." the Prince mused as they stopped just before the false Knightmare's, "We've fulfilled our part of the bargain. Now, let us through."

"Jeez. I heard how effective the Black Knight's were, but I didn't know they were so cut-throat." the commander commented, "Regardless, we'll keep up our end. Though, do you mind explaining what you're meeting with Zilkhstan for?"

Zero chuckled, "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to distribute such information."

Of course, the Middle Eastern forces didn't like this response, but considering that their Bamides were built for long-range combat, engaging the Black Knight's like this would've resulted in assured destruction. So, they reluctantly allowed Zero and his group to pass through.


C's World.

"Whoa… time travel, huh?" Suzaku muttered while standing up, "That's kind of scary."

Lelouch rolled his eyes as he stretched his newly regrown arm, "Now that I've told you, what are you going to do with this information?"

"Hmm… well, if what you're saying is true, then that means the Kallen in my 'timeline' is currently the one from your timeline, right?"

"Correct." the Prince walked past his friend.

Speaking to this version of Suzaku was much more pleasant than speaking to Karma Suzaku, who constantly wanted to rip Lelouch's head off. So, for Lelouch, it was a pleasant change. As for this Suzaku, he wasn't too pleased.

"Well, I'm not happy with this arrangement!" the Knight protested as they strolled through the endless abyss of C's World, "I mean, there's some guy out there using my body for malicious acts!"

"So? The same has happened to Kallen."

"And I think that's messed up too!" he stood in Lelouch's path, "Listen, don't you feel anything? The guy wants to kill you. Not only that, but he wants to kill Kallen!"

"Once again, that's not my problem." the Prince pushed past his friend effortlessly, "After all, that Lelouch isn't me, and my care for Kallen isn't nearly as deep as you think it is."

"How can you say that…" Suzaku muttered in disbelief. However, this only served to prove how different the two Lelouchs were, "So you don't care about her? Not even a little bit?"

This seemed to get through to the raven-haired boy, as he stopped dead in his tracks, before saying, "Any care I once had is gone. My care disappeared once I found out my actions were for naught. Everything I did… all the sins I tried to atone for… it was all worthless."

The Japanese man clenched his fist with rage, "Since when did you get so pathetic? The Lelouch I know doesn't just give up! Especially when he-"

"I'm not the Lelouch you know." Silence overcame the two as they stared into each other's eyes. One was full of life, while the other was practically dead, "I'm someone who's two years older than you. That means I've got two years of experiences that you don't have. Two years of heartbreak. Two years of challenges. And two years of sins that I've accumulated. Meanwhile, you've hardly done anything to warrant a lecture!"

"You think I'm trying to lecture you?" Suzaku grabbed his friend by the collar, "I'm just trying to tell you, that if I'm here, then that means Kallen's here too!"

"Oh… I hadn't even thought about that. Strange… I'm pretty sure I would've run into her by now."

"Even so… there's still a chance of her being here, and that's good enough for me."

Before Suzaku could walk away, Lelouch stopped him by asking, "And what do you hope to accomplish by meeting with her?"

"Isn't that obvious? If I can't talk sense into you, then she surely will!" as the Knight stormed off, the Prince followed by hovering above him.

"That Kallen doesn't even know I exist. After her soul was transferred here, she probably took off running out of fear." those words made the Japanese man shiver, "By the time we find her, she might just be a broken shell of her former self."

"Why the hell are you so morbid, huh!?"

"It's the truth. Without someone to explain to her what's going on, her mind won't be able to handle the sudden environmental transition. Logically, she might've gone insane by now."

"No. Kallen's stronger than that. She won't-"

"The Kallen you know is stronger than that." Lelouch interrupted him once again, "This Kallen's erratic. She won't listen to what you have to say if you come off-"
"For someone you don't know, you sure know a lot about her personality." Suzaku snapped.

The raven-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the comment, "Fine. Do as you please." he looked up at the Geassed planet, "It's not like it'll matter…"


AN: Next weeks schedule will most likely be the same, with only two chapters.

Also, Shams is an OC, but he's only here for Shamna. So, he's not going to play that big of a role in the grand scheme of things.