AN:

Guest: I've fixed the names.

Chapter 124: Siblings

Area 11. Viceroy Palace. Main Gate. October 5th. 12:00PM.

"I've got a black car, four-door approaching." a Britannian guard reported over his radio to the main security office, signaling for the vehicle to stop in the process. Soon after, he approached gripping his rifle tightly while leaning into the window, knocking twice, "ID." he commanded with a single word, only to gasp in shock as he came face-to-face with the driver, "P-Princess Cornelia!?"

Meanwhile, the woman glared at him, not in the mood to be wasting time, "Here." she answered strongly, the seats crowded with the Irregular's as they kept silent, letting her speak to security uninterrupted.

Cautiously, he took her ID, feeling the pressure of her judgmental gaze ushering him along, "Y-you're clear to proceed." he said while returning the card, signaling the security office to lower the metal bollards.

Slowly, the Princess pulled into the courtyard, maneuvering to the parking lot where she would step out once parked, "Stay here." she told the girls, simultaneously lowering all windows for cool air to flow in.

"As you wish." Sancia answered on behalf of her sisters, who were crowded in the back, as opposed to her in the front passenger seat.

Letting out a shaky breath, Cornelia headed into the freshly rebuilt Palace, noticing the amped security immediately while heading to the elevator – eyes carefully tracking her, "Keep calm, Cornelia." she thought to herself, pressing the button to go up. "If Euphie's not here… then it's no big deal, I'll just ask Lila where she is." she then reached into her pocket, feeling the card Lelouch gave her with his number, helping her calm slightly. "She wants to see you. That's the kind of person Euphie is. A kind, compassionate girl. No… this is different… what if she hates me? What if-"

That's when the elevator came to an abrupt stop before her floor, soon opening for more occupants. "Princess Cornelia?" Villetta's voice greeted the woman.

"Ah… it's you…" Cornelia mumbled, clearly having forgotten her name.

"M-Margrave Villetta Nu." she answered.

"Oh yes. It's been some time, hasn't it?"

The dark-skinned woman nodded, noticing they were headed for the same floor. For the rest of the ride, silence filled the cabinet as neither were interested in conducting small-talk – Villetta feeling timid around the Witch of Britannia. Meanwhile, the aforementioned was too busy with her own thoughts to care.

As soon as they reached their floor, Cornelia stepped out, heading to the Viceroy's office, only to find her being trailed by Villetta – who kept behind by at least three steps. Eventually, the Princess reached her sister's office, and knocked on the door, "Come in!" the cute Princess' voice rung soon after.

Cornelia opened the door, motioning for the Margrave to follow her inside, "Th-thank you."

"Please, Lila, I need to see her." Suzaku's voice flooded their ears once the entrance closed, causing the Witch to freeze in shock.

"I told you, Suzaku, I don't know where Euphie is, only Rai does." the Innocent Princess answered reasonably.

"She can't just disappear like that. Surely she said something before-"

"Ah, Nellis!" Lila instantly shifted attention to her sister, "Where have you been!?"

"Lila… I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long." Cornelia said with a weak smile, catching the girl as she leapt into her arms.

"Euphie's been so worried! Especially after what Guilford said!"

"Guilford? What did he say?" the Older Sister asked, genuinely forgetting what she told him.

"He said that… that you were going away on an important mission and might not return…" Lila looked down, her face turning melancholic as she recollected the events, "Euphie looked so heartbroken at the news, and disappeared." she explained with a sniffle, "Rai says he knows but… but he won't tell me."

"It's gonna be okay." Cornelia said soothingly, patting the little girl on the back as tears began to fall, "I'll bring her back, don't you worry. Now, where's Rai?"

"H-he's… he's at the Kirihara estate. Ashford's construction is finished, but Nunnally wanted to stay there a bit longer, so he's protecting her."

"I see. Thank you."

With a kiss on the girl's head, Cornelia turned to leave, only to be stopped by Villetta, who asked, "Wait. Is it true… what happened at the Federation, I mean?"

For a moment, the Witch stopped dead in her tracks, not making eye contact while looking over her shoulder, "That depends, what do you think?"

"What I think?" the dark-skinned woman looked down, taken aback by the question, "Well… I honestly couldn't see you committing such an act, Princess."

A smile formed on Cornelia's face for a split-second, before disappearing, returning to her usually demeanor, "Thank you."

Villetta's eyes widened in shock as the Princess exited the office without further explanation, leaving her to wonder the truth. Though, Suzaku wasn't too keen on staying still, as he quickly followed her, boots echoing throughout the hallway, followed shortly by his voice, "Princess Cornelia. Wait."

Instead of stopping, the woman entered a jog, entering an elevator just as its doors were about to close, leaving him in the dust. However, the Knight didn't choose to call another elevator, rather, he chose to rush toward the stairs, looking over the balcony at the daunting floors he had to descend. Suzaku took a breath before flipping onto the railing, using it to launch himself backwards towards the lower level, where he would catch himself and repeat the process until reaching the bottom, landing with a thud.

He quickly recovered and ran into the main lobby, where he managed to catch the end of Cornelia's hair on the way out. Following the trail, he sprinted onto the pavement, glancing left and right, only to find a car – driven by Cornelia – barreling towards him. At the last moment, the Knight leapt into the air with a twist spin, allowing the vehicle to pass before returning to the ground, "What the hell was that?" he wondered as she sped toward the exit. "Has she been Geassed?"

The Princess quickly swerved her car around another corner, disappearing as her wheels squealed against the pavement, leaving behind tire tracks, "Certainly matches some characteristics. No… if Lelouch were to Geass her, why would she be avoiding me specifically? Wouldn't he know that's only going to draw suspicion?" he shook his head, clearly out of his depth with information, "The safest bet is to assume she's Geassed, and keep careful track of her movements. If anything out-of-the-ordinary occurs, then I should be able to react in time."

"Suzaku, what a pleasant surprise." Schneizel's sultry smooth voice called from behind, taking the boy by surprise, "We were just looking for you."

To the Prince's right, Kanon stood just a step behind, one arm behind his back, with a gentle expression. "Prince Schneizel." Suzaku turned to the blond, "Is there something you need?"

"Well… I was originally here for my sister, but… she seems to be busy." the man chuckled, "How are your knees, by the way? That was quite the move you pulled to dodge her."

"Ah-I'm fine." the boy responded, "Say, are you here because-"

"Of her shooting Euphie?" Schneizel finished his sentence early, "Word travels quick, but no. I'm not here to persecute her for that, especially without concrete evidence. Instead, I need her help regarding the EU. You wouldn't happen to know where she's heading?"

"She's off to the Kirihara estate." Suzaku explained, "Off to see Rai, since he's the only one who knows where Euphie is."

"Ah, that makes sense." the blond turned to his assistant, "Come, Kanon. We might be able to catch them in time."

"Wait." the Knight called, "Can I come with you?"

Without hesitation, the Prince responded, "Of course. After all, I need your help too. Though, I hope you're not bothered with tight spaces."

Kanon pulled out the keys to a red sports car, motioning to the back, "It's a two-seater, but there should barely be enough room to fit someone in the back – as unconventional as it is."

"That's fine by me."

Kirihara Estate. Dining Area.

"Nunnally, your tea is ready." Sayoko told the Princess as she sat on a pillow.

Kirihara held the brew to his nose, letting the steam travel into his nostrils, taking the aroma's in full, before finally having a sip, "Mhm. Delicious"

Rai took his cup, watching as an upright stem swirled around the liquid, his mind still clouded by the discussion with Oiagros. That's when Nunnally tried getting his attention, "Hey, Rai."

"Yes, Nunnally?" the Knight glance at her as she placed a cup to her lips, carefully tipping it so she could take a sip, accidentally burning the tip of her tongue in the process.

Sayoko noticed the girl hiss, and moved to clean her mouth with a napkin, simultaneously guiding the cup back to the table, "How's Euphie?"

"Well… last time I checked, she wasn't doing too good. Hopefully, the company she's keeping cheers her up."

"Maybe Lila and I can see her this weekend? I'm sure that's okay, right?"

"Nunnally, I would happily take both you and Lila to see her anytime you want, but it's not me stopping your visit." Rai let out a depressed sigh, taking a sip of his tea, ignoring the mild burning sensation on his tongue in the process, "But Euphie… she's… she's told me not to allow visitors until further notice."

"And what about Guilford?" the innocent Princess asked, "Why's he allowed to stay with her?"

"It was Cornelia's wish that he protect her, so that's an exception. Plus, he doesn't ask too many questions, so I guess that's a positive for her."

That's when Sayoko suddenly sat up, looking toward the door while saying, "There's a car pulling up."

"I heard it too." the Knight got up, moving toward the front alongside the ninja, "Stay here." he ordered Kirihara and Nunnally, "We'll be back."

Rai closed the sliding door behind him, follow Sayoko as she headed down the hall, coming to a stop before the entrance, cracking it open to peek outside, "Wait… it's Cornelia."

"What?" the Knight rushed toward the door, holding a pistol beneath his cloak cautiously while heading outside, "Cornelia!" he shouted as she stepped out of the car.

"Rai!" the Princess responded, "Where is Euphie!? I need to speak with her immediately!"

"For what purpose?" Rai asked suspiciously, taking careful note of her moves, and looking for possible discrepancies.

"To apologize!" she pleaded, "I… I thought I could make everything right if I-"

"Wait." the Knight turned to Sayoko, and motioned her to go inside, complying shortly after. Then, he approached the Princess, standing close enough so they could converse, "You went to the Geass Order?"

The Woman's eyes widened with shock, "H-how did you know?"

"Oiagros told me." he muttered, withholding his prior knowledge of the Order, as he didn't see an opening to do so, "He also said… you were captured by Zero."

"Lelouch." she whispered back, this time shocking him instead, "I've already been informed that you know Zero's identity."

Rai glanced at the car, where he saw the irregular's staring at him, wide-eyed and anticipating the end of their conversation, "Geass. Have you been Geassed?"

"No. Lelouch… he's… he's far more understanding than I thought he would be." Cornelia answered, before returning to her previous plea, "I'll tell you the rest later, but I have to see Euphie!"

As much as it pained him to do so, the Knight still had one more question to ask her, just to make sure she wasn't some kind of imposter, "The message you gave Guilford… why'd you choose those words specifically?"

Cornelia looked down, feeling utter dread as she recalled her last conversation with her beloved Knight – one that brought her much anguish to admit, "I… it's because I genuinely believed it." she confessed, "I… I thought it would be my last mission. Something I wouldn't return from, just so Euphie wouldn't be haunted by the power known as Geass. But… now that I've returned, I realized it wasn't right." she finally looked Rai in the eyes, her expression filled with determination and resolve, "I wasn't thinking about how she'd react. How Euphie would feel if I had passed. In trying to atone for what I did, I ended up causing her more harm than good. That's why I need to see her. Please, Rai, let me see my sister."

Hearing the sheer conviction in her tone, it was safe for the Knight to assume – without a shadow of doubt – that this was the real Cornelia, "Euphie, she's currently in Hokkaido."

"Hokkaido? She's staying with the Sumeragi's there?"

"She thought it would help, being around Sakuya."

"Then let's head out at once." she turned to the car, motioning for the girls to get out, "I'll leave them here, don't worry they're-"

"Friends of Nunnally?" Rai asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked at Alice, "I recognize you, but the rest… not so much."

"They were a part of the Britannian Foreign Legion." Cornelia explained, "But now… they've agreed to protect Nunnally on behalf of Lelouch."

The Knight nodded in understanding, but before he could respond, the low roar of an approaching sports car cut their conversation short, followed shortly by the source itself, driven by Kanon Maldini, who expertly drifted it around a bend, coming to a smooth stop in front of the estate. Soon after, Schneizel calmly stepped out, a charismatic smile present on his expression, "Sister, it's so good to see you."

"Schneizel!?" the Princess panicked, instantly fearing for the worst, with Suzaku's surprise presence not doing anything to calm her. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"Hm?" noticing her distressed voice, the Prince put a hand on his chin, curiously, "Cornelia, are you feeling alright?" he asked, watching her swallow hard, as if trying to get rid of her fear that way, "If you're thinking I'm here to arrest you, you're wrong." he said, attempting to calm her, "I've heard the rumors, but I don't care. Ever since childhood, you've dotted on Euphie like a mother hawk, so I highly doubt them to be true." his voice ever calm as always, "Although, your actions don't reflect your innocence, dear sister. But that doesn't matter… for now."

"S-so what do you want?"

"I need your help regarding the EU. We're planning a full-on offensive on their territories, and I want you to assist me in invading Africa. Meanwhile, Marry will conduct operations in Europe with her Glinda Knights."

"W-wait. We're going to war with Europia? Why? Weren't you planning on renewing the treaty?"

"Unfortunately, General Smilas has gotten too ambitious, and needs to be put down. This is the perfect moment to strike, as most of Europe doesn't exactly agree with his… conquest, to say the least." Schneizel explained, "Anyway, I'll dive into further detail once we're on the Avalon. For now-"

"Wait. I… I have to speak with Euphie first." Cornelia pleaded, glancing at Suzaku, who was now listening intently.

"Oh? Well, I'm sure we can stop on the way. Do you know where she is?"

"I… um… I…" the Princess glanced at the corrupt Knight repeatedly, who held an unreadable expression. She was still wary of him, and what he would do to her, given the chance. Of course, she could try creating a lie, but all things considered, she'd rather save that for a last-ditch effort.

"Suzaku, may I speak with you privately?" Rai approached the boy.

"Very well." Suzaku surprisingly agreed, following his colleague into the forest, out-of-sight.

"You were saying, Sister?" Schneizel quickly regained the Witch's attention.

"H-Hokkaido. Rai told me she's currently staying there with-"

"Jugo Sumeragi?" the blond finished her sentence prematurely.

"Wait… you know him?"

"Sister, who do you think put Jugo in the Hokkaido block?" Schneizel asked with a charismatic smile, "Though, I never thought she'd meet him." he mumbled, secretly hiding the fact he already knew about Euphemia's visit to the Hokkaido months ago – thanks to his hidden camera's within the Kirihara estate. "Nonetheless, we'll depart at once. A plane would be best, so I'll make a call to Yokota." he then extended a hand, "We'll be taking your car, by the way. It's the only way to fit all of us."

"What about your car? Are you sure it'll be okay here?"

"Of course it will. Isn't that right, Taizo?" the blond glanced at the main entrance, where the old man was now standing with Sayoko and Nunnally at his side. "Were you planning on leaving without saying hello first?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Schneizel admitted, "I'm on a tight schedule, I hope you can understand."

"You're going to see Euphie?" the Innocent Princess chimed in.

"That's correct. She'll return soon, so you'll be free to meet her anytime you want; or anytime she's open, for that matter." her brother informed, before turning to the direction where Suzaku and Rai were finally returning. The former holding an unreadable expression, while the latter was clearly disturbed. Thankfully, there weren't any signs of a scuffle between the two. "We'll be leaving for Yokota at once."

"Where to?" Rai asked.

"To the Hokkaido block. We'll be meeting Euphie."

"And Suzaku's going to be tagging along?"

"I don't see why not." Schneizel answered without hesitation. Though, upon seeing the silver-haired Knight clench his fist in annoyance, he asked, "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all." Suzaku responded for his former student; his expression now one that said, "I told you so." which Rai didn't appreciate.

Nonetheless, their quarrel concerned the Prime Minister little, and he quickly motioned to Kanon – who received the keys from Cornelia – to start the car.

Chinese Federation. October 5th. 6:00AM. Ikaruga.

"A thick fog's rolling in." Naoto mumbled as he stood just outside the cave.

"It shouldn't be a problem." Xingke reassured, "This will help conceal your fleet as you move out."

The Kozuki looked into the distance once more, barely making out the figure of four aerial ships hidden within the fog. They were drastically smaller than the Ikaruga, but that didn't matter in the face of their purpose; being an escort, "Asuka-Class… that's what they're called, right?"

"Correct. They're certainly not as strong as the Ikaruga, but they've got enough firepower to contend with the Caerleon-Class. Drastically cheaper too."

"Is the other flagship still in construction too?"

"I believe so, but it's in the final stages now. By the time we're ready to attack Japan, it'll be ready."

"Thank you, once again." Naoto shook hands with the Chinese Warrior, who responded in kind.

"It's not like we're doing this without purpose." Xingke responded, "The fall of Britannia is better for all nations."

"Speaking of nations…"

"Yes. It's still in the process of being drafted. Don't worry about it."

Naoto glanced into the cave, watching as the final Knightmare was loaded into the Bay, "If that's the case, then we'll be on our way."

"I'll look forward to your return in the future. Good Luck, Naoto." the Warrior bid the man farewell, before returning to the Forbidden Vermillion City with his people.

Letting out a sigh, the Kozuki walked back to the Ikaruga, quickly finding himself in the second Knightmare bay as the Disel siblings looked over their new Sougetsu, "Is it just me, or is my Sougetsu thinner?" Maya said, her voice up a pitch due to her stuffy nose.

Mario took note of the latches on the back of his frame, as if something was supposed to be connected there, "No. You're right. My Sougetsu's missing something." he then looked at his sister's, noticing matching latches on her front.

However, before he could come to a conclusion, Rakshata interjected herself between the siblings, "Are you interested in – quite possibly – one of my greatest creations?" she smirked, particularly directing the words at Maya, "I'd happily give you the rundown if you'd like."

"As if I'd accept that from you." the black-haired girl protested, crossing her arms in a fit.

Her brother – on the other hand – wasn't nearly as unreasonable, "We'd like to hear more about it later, please."

Despite her previous objection, Maya didn't say anything to reprimand him, secretly wanting to know the true purpose behind their frames new features. Meanwhile, Lelouch looked over his new Knightmare, "The Shinkiro."

"Made from parts of the Gawain." Rakshata added, calmly moving to his side, looking over the jet-black frame, "I hope you didn't have any feelings for its predecessor."

"The Gawain served its purpose well, and will continue in this new one."

"I was being sarcastic." the woman mumbled, her tone unamused. "Anyway, you'll find this to be much better suited to your fighting style than the Kagero."

Zero's eyes wandered to their newest frame, one outfitted specifically for their recent prospect, "What is its name again?"

"Hm?" the Indian woman glanced at the orange frame, "The Benihozuki."

"Are we running out of name's or something?"

"I'll have you know, it was requested that way. If you have a problem with it, ask Kallen and Benio about it."

Lelouch stifled a laugh beneath his mask, watching as Jeremiah gave his new Knight Giga Fortress a nod of approval. That's when Naoto approached from behind, crossing paths with Orpheus as he checked out his Byakuen's new specs, "So what? Am I stuck with the Kagero now?" he joked.

"Not at all." Rakshata responded, taking him by surprise, "You'll find that we've procured something that will suit you perfectly."

The Kozuki followed her to a slim Black Knightmare, with dark blue accents stationed next to the Shinkiro, "This is mine?" he asked half-awe-struck.

"Of course. I thought it was about time you got your own frame." Zero added, gesturing to the Samurai Blade on the new Knightmare's side, "Enough of my hand-me-downs, you could say."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"You could start with a name." the Indian woman answered.

"Wow, you really are running short of them, aren't you?"

Rakshata rolled her eyes at the Kozuki's jest, "We have plenty lined up, for your information; giving you the rights to naming it is merely a courtesy. Now, what's your choice?"

"Hm… well, I'm not good with names… but…" Naoto gazed into his new steeds dim, purple eyes, taking careful consideration for such a big step, "How about… Magnus?"

Rakshata and Lelouch stared at him, perplexed by his decision, "Really?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing particular…" the Indian woman mumbled, "I just… thought you'd choose something Japanese."

"Well, like I said, I'm not good with names." the Kozuki repeated, "But, I think Magnus sounds cool."

Lelouch cleared his throat, before letting out a breath, "If that's your choice, then we'll accommodate it happily."

"Besides, the name doesn't particularly matter anyway. As long as the frame's good, that's all that counts."

Rakshata nodded briefly, "If you say so. I'll go put the name into our system now."

That's when Diethard suddenly approached from within the ship, his boots slamming against the metal floor repeatedly until he came to a stop before Zero, "I've prepared the new broadcast just like you asked. All you have to do is give the signal, and we'll flood any available channels with it."

"Excellent. You've done well." Lelouch responded calmly, glancing at Rolo in the distance, who was carefully listening to Mario.

"By the way… might I ask why we can't just use the original?" the reporter questioned, "In my opinion, it'd be far more effective, and require less hassle."

"The version I had you create will be far more useful in the long-run, appealing not just to the Chinese Federation, but the entire world. Could the original achieve similar results if used correctly? Of course. But most people don't care about the federation in the first place."

Diethard raised an eyebrow intriguingly, "Oh? I wonder what you're planning, Zero. Though, I have no doubt it'll be quite the spectacle."

That's when Tohdoh's voice came over the intercom, causing everyone to stop what they were doing, "Attention. Attention. The Ikaruga is preparing for takeoff. All personnel, man your post. If you spot any strange occurrences, report them to your nearest security officer at once. I'll say again-"

"It's time we get to the bridge." Naoto told Zero, directing him inside, away from Diethard, "By the way, where's Kallen?"

"She's a bit under the weather." the Prince replied calmly, "Though, there's a high chance she'll join us later."

"What happened?"

"Just caught a cold, that's all. I'm already taking care of her."

"Oh? Thanks for that. Is it okay if I stop by later?"

"Of course. You're always welcome."

Area 11. Hokkaido Block. Sapporo. 1:30PM.

Guilford stood outside the Prime Minister's building, arms behind his back as his fellow guardsman, Walther Lindstedt entered holding two cups, "Tea?" the blond asked with a smile, extending one to his new friend.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't." the Knight kindly refused, "Perhaps later?"

"As you wish." the kind man said, putting the spare onto a nearby white, round table. That's when they caught a glimpse of a car stopping in front of the courtyard; doors opening shortly after, followed by Schneizel, Cornelia, Suzaku, Rai, and Kanon.

Of course, the only one Guilford cared about was the Princess, "Princess Cornelia!" he called, approaching the gate at a quickened pace, while the other guards opened it for the Britannian Prime Minister. "You've returned!"

"Guilford, my Knight." the woman greeted her Knight warmly, "I apologize for leaving so abruptly, but I'll explain later. Right now, I need to see Euphie."

"At once, my lady." the bespectacled man bowed obediently, before turning toward the building, and leading them inside.

"Suzaku, Rai. A moment if you'd please." Schneizel called the Knights, stopping them from following his sister upstairs, "I'd say it'd be more appropriate to leave them alone, don't you?"

"Of course." the Corrupt Knight responded first, following the blond into the living room.

"Ah! Schneizel." Jugo greeted the Prince with a smile, "When's the last time we met? How are you?"

"I'm quite alright, Jugo." Schneizel took a seat on the couch across from the Sumeragi, attempting to match his energy, "How about you? Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

Meanwhile, Cornelia nervously followed her Knight to the second floor, watching carefully as he approached a door, knocking on it twice, awaiting a response, "What's the password?" a cute voice asked from the other end.

"Please, Miss Sakuya. I have something urgent for Princess Euphemia."

"Er! Wrong answer!" the niece proclaimed, "Access denied!"

That's when Cornelia finally took things into her own hands, "Euphie!" she slammed on the door, "Please! It's me! Cornelia!"

"N-Nellis?" the Innocent Princess' muffled voice came through the other end, followed by the sound of feet slamming against the hardwood floor. Shortly after, the door opened, revealing the pink-haired Princess; dark bags formed around her eyes, nose red as an apple, and her beautiful hair strewn in a disheveled mess, "Nellis!" she cried while jumping into her sister's arms, "It's you! It's really you!" Cornelia couldn't help but tightly embrace the girl as tears began to fall, coupled with constant rambles, "I thought you were gone!"

"Shh. It's okay… I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." the Witch of Britannia whispered, slowly sliding down a wall, where she could cradle her sister in a sitting position.

"Don't scare me like that…" Euphemia pleaded, tears falling onto her sister's clothes, "Y-you can't just up and leave with such a cryptic message… saying you might not return? That's too cruel!"

"I know. I know." Cornelia whispered soothingly, putting the girl's head onto her chest, "At the time… I didn't know how to make everything right… so I made a drastic choice. You don't deserve to be hurt like that, Euphie."

For the ensuing minutes, Euphemia simply sat in her sister's lap, crying profusely into her chest while Guilford secretly led Sakuya and Sakura downstairs, leaving the siblings alone to reconcile.

"Nellis…" the innocent girl said in a hoarse voice, "Wh-where did you go?"

"I… I know this might sound unbelievable… but… there's something I found out… something that may explain why I… I…" suddenly, Cornelia began choking on her own words, not wanting to relive such a traumatic memory.

Luckily, her dear sister instantly understood what she was getting at, "Don't worry. I know it wasn't your fault."

"Euphie… I know you want to make me feel better, but please, let me explain what I found first-"

"It's Geass, right?"

Cornelia's eyes widened in shock, staring at her sister like she was some kind of alien, "H-how did you know?"

"Rai told me." the pink-haired girl responded, "Of course, I didn't believe it at first, but I was looking for any excuse to dismiss your actions, so I had faith in him. Thankfully, it seems like he was telling the truth, considering your reaction." she then sat up, "But… who told you?"

Cornelia glanced at the door, quickly closing it on them before whispering, "Suzaku."

"Suzaku?" now it was Euphemia's turn to be surprised, "How does he know about Geass?"

"He said that he had fallen victim to it a few months ago, at the hands of Zero." she looked her little sister in the eyes, "Our Brother, Lelouch."

"Suzaku said Lelouch was Zero?" the girl asked, trying to gauge how much her Older sibling truly knew.

"No. I met him face-to-face after I got captured." she caressed Euphemia's hair gently, "He also told me that you knew about his identity for a while."

"Ah… um… yeah." the Innocent Princess admitted bashfully, "I found out the day after the attack on Yokota."

"Euphie…" the Witch held her sister close, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Lelouch told me to keep it a secret, that's why. And besides, if I had told you, there's no guarantee you would've taken the information well, even after meeting Nunnally."

"That's fair."

"Anyway, how did your meeting go?"

"Well… funnily enough, he was going to use Geass on me, and force out any information I knew about Lady Marianne's murder. Luckily… Kallen managed to stop him."
Finally, Euphemia felt a massive weight lift off her chest, giving her the confidence to speak freely, "Kally did!?" she exclaimed, "I… I didn't know she was a Black Knight. Ugh. And here I thought she was someone who Lelouch could live a normal life with." she then began giggling, fully taking what her sister said into account, "Though… it sounds like she's still got a good handle on him, doesn't it?"

"Well, she's not some 'Black Knight'. She's their ace."

"R-really? I knew Kally was athletic, but not to that extent." Euphemia then shook her head, "How are they, by the way?"

"Lelouch is… he's doing good. If you take into consideration how much his tone changed from wanting to Geass/kill me, to letting me walk free, then I'd say he's-"

"Lelouch wanted to kill you!?"

"It was just residual anger from back then… when I failed to protect Lady Marianne. But he's well past it now, so there's nothing to worry about." Cornelia attempted to reassure, but it was clear her sister was still disturbed by it.

"He didn't tell me about that… only mentioning Schneizel."

"That's… probably because he didn't want to hurt you." the purpled-haired woman added, "It's completely understandable, though; if I were in his shoes, I'd wish for the same."

"Just because you can relate, doesn't mean it's alright."

Cornelia caressed the girl's hair some more, before moving onto Kallen, "Anyway, simply off first impressions, Kallen definitely lives up to yours and Nunnally's descriptions. Though, what surprised me the most was how much I could relate to her…"

"You? Relating to a 'terrorist'? Who would've thought."

"Very funny." Cornelia rolled her eyes at the girl's jest, "It turns out, she was Geassed into killing Lelouch on the same day I… shot you."

"That's horrible! Well, what happened afterward? Because obviously she didn't succeed."

"They have this thing called a 'Geass Canceller' and they used it to stop her. That's… that's what I went with Suzaku to find. If not, then the order would've persisted, and the risk of me harming you in the future would be high."

"Well… I'm glad Lelouch was able to help you with that. What about Suzaku? You said you got captured, right? How'd that happen?" Cornelia briefly explained the Geass Order, and the events leading up to her capture, sparing the deeper details of the massacre, "So what happens now?" Euphemia asked, "With Lelouch I mean."

"He's still my brother, so I won't kill him. But if he ever appears as Zero, I'll have to face him on the battlefield."

"Of course. I really don't know what else I was expecting." her little sister mumbled, "Wait… you're not going to leave again, are you?"

"Euphie… I… Schneizel wants me to join the operation against Europia-"

"No! I refuse! You can't leave me! Not again!" Euphemia demanded, tightly holding her sister down in the process, "We'll talk to Schneizel! Then I'm certain he'll let you stay!"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, followed by the familiar voice of Rai, "Euphie, Cornelia? Is everything okay?"

"Rai! Get in here, quick!" the innocent Princess commanded, which he compiled with quickly.

The silver-haired boy stepped inside just as the siblings separated, "Is there something you need?"

"Cornelia knows!"

"I'm… already aware." is what he wanted to say, but considering how fired up the she was, he chose otherwise, enjoying her returned joy, "Knows what?" he asked, earning a perplexed gaze from the Witch of Britannia.

After a brief explanation – perhaps too brief for him to truly comprehend the situation – Rai was put up to speed with the Princesses situation, "So that's why I need your help with Schneizel!" Euphemia finished her explanation, only leaving him with more questions than answers.

Regardless, he'd do his best with what he had, and began conjuring a plan; not bothering to ask more questions, "I think I've got a solution, but I'll need your support, Princess."

Unbeknownst to them, Schneizel was already aware of their plans. In fact, he was aware of everything, thanks to the bug he planted on Cornelia in a meeting an hour earlier.

"Hm… so Lelouch truly is Zero." the blond thought as he closed his eyes, secretly listening to their conversation through a small headset in his ear. In the background, Jugo was oblivious to his activities; too, occupied telling the Knights and Kanon a story about Princess Sherry. Schneizel merely nodded along, giving the impression that he was listening intently, "I suspected it ever since I caught that phone call with Nunnally; a Prince hiding amongst the Black Knights? Sure, Lelouch isn't particularly well-known, but if Zero was half as observant as I thought he was, then my dear brother's identity would've been exposed for certain. Good to know my suspicions were founded, finally." he then smirked confidently, opening his eyes to glance at Suzaku, "Though… as many questions as this answers, there are even more that are created. For instance, Suzaku and Uncle? I understand the former hates Geass – which is an entirely different problem all together –, and the latter isn't aware of his betrayal yet, but why someone so… foreign? Outside the royal family. A practical nobody."

The blond hummed, recalling V.V's request to meet Suzaku once more, that's when Euphie's voice rung once more, "Wait! You didn't tell me who Geassed you!"

"Oh… right." Cornelia cleared her throat, "In truth, I'm not familiar with these two, but their names are Castor and Pollux Rui Britannia."

"Our siblings!? Why would they want to hurt us? But wait… I've never heard that name before… Rui?"

"There are plenty of reasons, Euphie. Though, I truly don't understand why they resurfaced after so long." Cornelia then began telling the psychotic twin's story, or at least what she knew. The truth Schneizel fabricated a long time ago.

"Ah. It's been a while since I last heard that name. Castor… Pollux. A shame, they were basically one person split in two."

Undisclosed Amount of Years Ago.

"Big Brother! Play with me!" Pollux demanded as he sat at the center of a completely transparent cell, made of bullet-proof glass.

"I'm not in the mood." the blond responded, unamused, staring directly into the boy's eyes.

Pollux Rui Britannia. Pronounced dead at birth, yet by some miracle was revived a mere thirty seconds later. Most scientist at the facility considered it an 'act of God', providing life to the helpless.

But to Schneizel, they were all foolish.

Despite only being dead for thirty seconds, the lack of oxygen to Pollux's brain did unspeakable damage to his psyche, rendering him practically useless for most tasks that involved 'problem-solving'. At least, normal problem-solving. Growing up, the damage became all-too apparent through actions of harming his brother, Castor, and even the maids. By five, he was separated from his twin at the order of V.V, with nearly everyone having their minds altered by Charles, forgetting the existence of Pollux Rui Britannia. Including Schneizel himself. Though, the Emperor chose a different path for his son.

Here, they would study his developing mind until his escape years later, seeking out Castor through sheer instinct, becoming a great influence on the innocent boy's mind. How he was able to do was still being researched, but it's suspected that he snuck out during the night, when a guard would do routine maintenance on his cell; the only time it was allowed open.

Though, repeated 'escapes' were all orchestrated by V.V – who developed an interest for the psycho's mind, wishing to see what he'd do.

"You've been bad, you know that, right?" the blond scolded the cyan-haired boy.

"Oh come on! I should have the right to see my twin!" Pollux responded without hesitation, not fully grasping the consequences of his actions.

"So am I not enough?"

"Brother, you know I always enjoy our time together, but it always ends with you winning. It's not fair! I shouldn't have to constantly face-off against adults."

"Do you have any idea the influence you've placed on Castor? The things he's done? Your existence is supposed to remain a secret."

"Oh whatever. He wants to see me too!"

Schneizel's eyes softened with disappointment, "And I thought you were a promising prospect. Pathetic." he let out a sigh, before choosing to initiate his plan, "Castor has killed his mother, alongside all the staff in his manor."

"Really? Good for him-"

"A strike team is being assembled to put him down."

Pollux's eyes widened with shock, instantly darting to his older brother, "N-no… you're lying again! Liar! There's no way you'd kill someone so innocent-"

"We can't have a mongrel who can't control his anger exist in the royal family." Schneizel reaffirmed heartlessly.

The cyan-haired boy stared deep into his brother's unreadable expression, desperately trying to see if he was lying. In the end, there was nothing. Absolutely no tells. Schneizel was telling the truth. He was going to kill Castor. "No!" Pollux shouted, hyperventilating, "You can't do this!" he began pounding on the glass repeatedly, "Please! Spare him! You can even kill me instead!"

"Why should I?" the blond's words cut like a knife, effortlessly tearing down the helpless psycho's confidence, "What makes you think your pathetic life is worth anything? Someone who could never become Emperor… is worthless."

"Agh!" Pollux cried in pain, clenching his head in mental anguish, "Y-you don't know anything… you don't know anything! I'll become Emperor… then… I'll punish you, Schneizel! For this treacherous act… you'll writhe in pain for every single second! I'll make sure of it!"

Suddenly, a loud clap silenced the siblings, followed by the short stature of a blond man, "That's enough Schneizel." V.V smirked, knowing the time was now, "Listen, Pollux. I can save your brother."

"Wh-who are you?" the cyan-haired boy questioned, feeling utterly whip lashed by the mood change.

"Me? I'm your uncle. You may call me, V.V."

"U-uncle? C-can you help me!? Please. My brother, he's going to be killed by Schneizel, and I…"

"Asking for a favor already? You greedy brat." V.V smirked internally, realizing his plan to make the Rui twins completely dependent on him was working. "Don't worry, I'll save him, so long as you pledge allegiance to me."

By making Schneizel the villain in their eyes, V.V would appear a savior. Someone they could trust with their life, because he had saved them through the 'kindness of his heart'. In truth, this exchange couldn't be any more wicked.

"Even so, Lelouch managed to beat both of them… handedly, it sounds." the blond smirked with satisfaction, "Dear brother, you've grown so much, if we weren't enemies… I'd be proud. No. I am proud. Because, your existence will greatly aid my future plans. Though… this Geass concerns me greatly. I suppose the worst part about this is that I can't find out any more information about it. Which means… based on what I do have, I'll have to avoid an in-person confrontation with my brother at all costs, until I can find a way to neutralize it. Perhaps… Suzaku would be a good place to start? He seems to know quite a bit, and he hates Uncle, so that already works out. Only… how am I supposed to broach the subject?" Schneizel let out a sigh, rubbing his temple, as Jugo let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, come on, Schneizel! The joke wasn't that bad!" the man reasoned with another chuckle.

"Hm? Oh, believe me, it was." the blond effortlessly recovered in an instant, "It's best I use my time to create a plan. After all, there doesn't seem to be a rush, especially at the rate Uncle is going."

Of course, that still leaves Cornelia's treachery to deal with, and while a 'good Britannian' would certainly call for her death, Schneizel himself wasn't planning on doing anything of the sort. Mainly because, he was planning on doing something similar. Purposefully keeping Zero alive long enough to help propel himself to the throne. A secondary reason, is that he still does care for his siblings; maybe not as much as he should, but it's definitely there. The reveal that the masked man is secretly his long-lost brother changes nothing.

AN: I wish I could've made Cornelia and Euphie's conversation a bit longer, but this is it for now. Though, there may be more in the future.

Onto the Knightmares, there are three total original ones. Mario and Maya's will be explained in full later, but as for Naoto's, I want him to have something unique, properly making him a threat on the field. By the way, 'Magnus' is still up for debate on being his frame's offical name. I have a feeling it'll stay that way, but I wanted something Japanese originally (for obvious reasons).