Isa promised never to lie to Kallen. So when Kallen cornered her at school to ask about what was really going on, Isa didn't hold back.

"We have no name, no set leader, but we are united in our desire for a decolonized Japan, not just in name but in practice and in reparations. If you have to refer to us, just call us The Organization. We move separately, but we move as many parts of a whole. "

Isa became active in The Organization just before her father's death in the FLEIJA Massacre. His death only solidified her commitment to it—in the wake of the war, there was no such thing as an ordinary life for her anymore. She knew the other young Japanese people who were attempting to continue their ordinary lives were either privileged enough to not be affected by things or not aware enough to understand that the conditions of their lives were deeply intertwined with everybody else's.

"All you have to do to realize what's really going on, how all this is connected is to take one look at the FLEIJA crater," said Isa. "The UFN wants to assure us that FLEIJA will never be used again, but we believe Brittania still possesses the largest arsenal of FLEIJA warheads in history. We've got no reason to believe otherwise. The FLEIJA was not only a tool of terror but also one of the greatest threats to our planet due to the environmental destruction it wreaked."

Isa went on. Those in The Organization knew that Britannia had only left Japan symbolically. The Japanese economy was still reliant on the Brittanian dollar and most Japanese were left vulnerable and unemployed by the war. The UFN nor the Japanese government had yet to make a move to address the real concerns of people on the ground now that they didn't need public support for war. And worst of all, they knew that Brittania was attempting to pass a motion at the next UFN council meeting to place economic sanctions on Japan until Japan compensated for 3/4s of the damage incurred by the empire during the Black Rebellion. On top of damage expenses, the UFN itself wanted to recover funding by passing on the bulk of the expenses from contracting the Black Knights back onto Japan. With all these in mind, the current Japanese Minister Kaguya Shinomiya—whom The Organization considers to be a puppet head installed by former Viceroy Nunnally—had only one thing to say to the Japanese populace, that: "All this is a small price to pay for independence." But across the country, members of The Organization said No. They already paid their price and now they wanted what they were due. Britannia was not to pass sanctions, instead the UFN should force Brittanian to pay reparations for double the amount of time they occupied Japan. And not just to Japan, but to its colonies around the world.

"We have four demands," said Isa. "We demand Brittania be disarmed, that it pay reparations for the damage caused by the occupation, we demand the freedom of all Japanese political prisoners from Brittanian prisons and we demand to elect our own leader without the oversight of the UFN. Last night's incursion was to confirm our suspicions that despite UFN promises, weapons of mass destruction such as Knightmare frames were still being funded and researched."

"We already freed the prisoners. I was one of them–you must have watched it on TV the day that…" Kallen trailed off, not wanting to say Lelouch's name.

"There are more prisoners." Isa said, annoyed. "You can't believe that the Black Knights and the Japanese Liberation Front were the only active insurgent groups that posed a threat, do you? Brittanian has kept quiet about these prisoners, hoping to use them as a negotiating tool later on. You can ask JLF General Tohdoh if you don't believe me."

Kallen was tired.

"There's one more thing," said Isa, hesitating. "I told you I'd never lie to you but I'm not sure you'll believe me when I tell you this. But we discovered what Brittania was really trying to research. It sounds stupid but they were trying to harness an ancient power. We don't even fully know how it works."

"You're talking about Geass."

"So you knew. How many know?"

"I'm not sure if it really matters at this point. But what I want to know is—what now?" Kallen asked. "You guys seem like you have a lot on your plates. After last night's fiasco, the Brittanians, the Black Knights, everybody is going to come knocking at some point."

"Well that's up to you, Kallen Kozuki," said Isa. "We need an ace. Will you join us?"

—

Nunnally told him to take a break. Suzaku tried to push back, citing the urgency of the situation since the official handover ceremony would take place in a week, but Nunnally was adamant.

The aftermath of the Black Rebellion and the Zero Requiem had left Suzaku without a friend in the world. In the absence of friendship, he turned to the only man he had once considered a teacher: Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

Tohdoh, used to the life of a warrior, had now chosen the spiritual path of a monk. After taking precepts, he moved to a temple in Narita near the old JLF headquarters. In Narita he worked to help rebuild the community, which was still recovering from Zero's induced landslide on top of the war as a whole.

Since Suzaku was supposed to be dead to the world, the shrine in Narita was one of the only places besides Lloyd's laboratory where he could move about freely. What he liked about it even more than the lab was that unlike Lloyd, Tohdoh was a man of few words and even less now that he was a monk. So when Suzaku turned up the day after the incident at the port, looking as if Euphy had died in front of him for a second time, Tohdoh said nothing. Instead he wordlessly dropped a change of clothes into Suzaku's arms before getting back to work.

After changing his clothes, Suzaku met Tohdoh in the vegetable garden, where the old warrior tended to his plants and vegetables. The temple was a respite in the midst of constant construction and other rebuilding efforts throughout the country. From time to time, Tohdoh had also started taking in war orphans, if only temporarily. Suzaku was also an orphan but his situation was different—everything in his life since the day he killed his father had been of his own making.

Tohdoh proceeded to weed, trim, and prune in silence. Watching him reminded Suzaku of his childhood when Tohdoh was his martial arts instructor. Suzaku would observe him do a move before imitating it, without any kind of verbal instruction to preface it. He learned training the body was not only about looking at somebody was doing but also deeply listening with all the other senses.

Initially Suzaku wanted to approach Tohdoh about being in charge of the country's rebuilding police force. The Black Knights were still contracted with the UFN and entangled with the Chinese Federation, so they couldn't focuse on solely Japan for the moment. Nunally and Kaguya thought it'd be a good idea to build something more local, of the people. But Suzaku had taken one look at Tohdoh and knew there would be no way he'd agree. Tohdoh was a traditional man, one of honor. He belonged on a proper battlefield, nothing less. He was tired of the politics and of foreign intervention—particularly that of the Black Knights and the UFN Zero was responsible for. He'd have no interest in the political symbolism of internal security. So Suzaku decided to ask Kallen instead. But that had turned out to be a false hope as well. Now there was even the danger that Geass had fallen into the wrong hands, again. How could he be so stupid?

Despite everything that had happened in the past few years, despite Euphy's death—

"Bring me that bucket over there," said Tohdoh. His calm voice jarred Suzaku out of his thoughts for a moment.

"Uh, this one?" Suzaku brought over a large bright pink bucket, which was printed all over with bananas.

"Hold it between your arms."

Tohdoh began to fill the bucket with newly harvested beets, carrots, potatoes, and daikon. Each vegetable hit the bottom of the bucket with a loud thud.

"General…this is getting really heavy. Mind if I put it down?" said Suzaku, grimacing a bit under the weight.

Tohdoh ignored him. "There's a family, surname Sato, who live 5 km down the mountain. Bring this to them."

"5 km? That means that's 5 km down, and 5 km back up! Also–Sato is an extremely common surname. You don't have a specific address?" protested Suzaku.

Tohdoh squatted back down to continue work on the rest of his garden.

"Make sure you walk the vegetables there. Walk like you are a free person," Tohdoh instructed.

—

When Kallen found Gino waiting for her at home, she told him she wanted to be alone. At least for a week. Despite Gino's hopeful naivety, Kallen always knew that there was no returning to civilian life for her. She only wanted to finish high school, maybe go to college for her mother's sake. There wasn't anything Kallen wanted to do with a fancy degree anyways. The only thing she knew how to do best was fight.

So, when Isa asked her to fight alongside her, did she hesitate? Deep down inside, she knew the fighting wasn't over—that Lelouch's death was no key to immediate world peace.

With or without Kallen, Isa said that The Organization would proceed to the next key event. They were to interrupt the official handover broadcast between the current Japanese Prime Minister Kaguya Shinomiya and Viceroy Nunnally. During the interruption they would voice their demands and the timeline for their demands to be met. The Organization would hold their knowledge of Brittania's Geass research—even though only Isa was the only one who really knew the specifics now of how the power worked—over the Britannians as a threat.

Kallen collapsed on her bed. She held that picture of herself, Naoto, and Ohgi from long ago. What would Naoto say? After all this? There was only one good photo of Lelouch that she'd taken from the student council room, taped above her desk with some early newspaper articles about the Black Knights written by Diethard. What would Lelouch do?

Lelouch...thought Kallen. Why won't you tell us what to do? We're lost without you.

She closed her eyes, trying to picture Lelouch and the expression he'd wear if he heard about everything that was still happening. In her mind, Lelouch opened his mouth and when he began to speak, Isa's voice came pouring out.

We need an ace. Will you join us?

It was uncanny how similiar the two of them were. Letting out a frustrated groan, Kallen rolled over.

The day after the port explosion, Isa was in the student council room waiting for her. Isa had gestured to Kallen to follow her silently into the student council storeroom where Isa turned on a small perimeter noise and technology canceling device. That's when Kallen started asking questions and Isa started answering.

The last question, which Kallen hesitated to ask, was about Isa's Geass. A sarcastic smile crept on Isa's face as she answered.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"I can make you see the person you love and miss the most."

"Oh."

"Poetry isn't it? I've still got to work out the kinks in it though, I'm not sure what the limitations are yet."

So it turned out that Isa didn't even have to use her Geass for Kallen to already see what she did in her. But at the same time, the more she got to know Isa, the less Kallen felt like Isa and Lelouch were similar. Isa was almost more mysterious than Lelouch. Kallen felt like if she wasn't careful she could fall deeper into Isa than she was able to handle.

After Isa had asked her to join her, she hadn't applied any extra pressure. To Kallen's surprise, Isa reached over and brushed her hand over Kallen's cheek, which had gotten a small cut from the fight with Suzaku.

"Whatever you decide," said Isa, "I want to thank you for protecting me last night."