Updates~!
NM: I like this story too much and my idea farm is working too well
CC: Go update something else for once
NM: But...those subplots though...
Enjoy~!
Euphie looked around. The mobile command center was currently empty, allowing her group to slip in with ease. They made their way upstairs, carrying their prisoners and Nunnally (leaving her wheelchair in a closet). Euphie changed into Zero's outfit. It was a bit large on her and had some dirt from all the hell it had gone through. Lelouch had multiple of the outfits, thankfully. So it didn't have a bullet hole in the middle of it. She looked at the cape next to her, but didn't want to bother with the crazy contraption her brother made.
She pulled the buns out of her newly shortened hair and let it fall around her neck. She pulled out her golden heart shaped earring and left them on the desk in front of her. A rustling sound echoed through the room and Euphie turned to see Rivalz and the others waking up. CC and Kallen were off to the side of the room and Nunnally was in a chair next to Euphie. Rivalz looked around, shocked to see Kallen in a Black Knight's uniform.
"I should've known." Millie said. Shirley looked at Euphie.
"So, you're the person that killed my father." She said. "Why? Did you have to cause all that damage? Was it necessary to destroy so many lives?!" Euphie sighed.
"I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm not the one responsible for your father's death." She said.
"Then who is?!" Shirley demanded.
"The original Zero, who is no longer with us." She said grimly. Kallen cringed.
"If you really want to blame anyone, Shirley, blame me." She said. Shirley looked at her. "I was the one who caused the explosion that destroyed the mountainside and caused the rockslide. If you want to blame anyone, blame me." Millie looked at Euphie.
"What did you mean by original Zero? What do you want with students?" She asked. Euphie looked her in the eyes.
"You know the boy Lelouch Lamperouge, correct?" She asked and they nodded. "Well, he has a kind of complicated past." Millie looked down, already knowing the story. "You see, Nunnally and her brother were, at one point, heirs to the throne." Rivalz and Shirley both gasped.
"You can't be serious! You don't buy this load of bull, right prez?" He turned to Millie. She shook her head.
"Rivalz, she isn't lying. The reason the Ashford family lost their nobility and Lelouch and Nunnally don't have parents is because they're the missing Vi Britannia children. My family has been hiding them for the past few years." She looked at Euphie. "I want to know how you found out."
"I've been helping my older sister look for them for the past few years. It's why we came here in the first place. Becoming Sub-viceroy was the best way to look for them." Euphie said. Millie's eyes widened.
"You-you're Euphemia Li Britannia?!" Shirley asked. Euphie smiled.
"Not anymore." She grasped onto the Zero mask in her hand tightly. "I have a new role to play now."
"Hold up, what do Lelouch and you have to do with Zero?" Rivalz asked.
"This should make sense. Lelouch wanted to destroy this world and build another for his sister. What would be the best way of doing that?" Euphie paused. "But then...I messed up..." She clenched the helmet even tighter. She sighed and looked down. "The reason that I had to step into the role of Zero is because..." She paused. "Lelouch is dead." She said. Rivalz looked like he might have a panic attack. Shirley just looked down and Millie just stared in shock.
"What happened to him?" Rivalz asked, looking down at the ground. "I have to know, I always thought of him as my best friend, but now there's this whole side of him I never knew existed. So, please, tell me how he died." Euphie looked at the boy. It was a fair request, although they would never trust her if they knew the whole truth.
"I...I can't believe it...but I shot him first. I tried to take him to safety, but a few nearby soldiers saw me with Zero and thought the worst, they...they finished him…" She said, tightly gripping the mask. A single tear fell down her face. Rivalz looked her in the eyes.
"Thank you." He said.
If only he knew…
Euphie thought.
CC untied the trio.
"You all can leave now, agreeing to not tell a soul, die here, or join us." CC said. Miley looked CC in the eyes.
"I can't reject Zero or the Black Knight's beliefs anymore. I would like to join you." She said firmly.
"Hold on, prez!" Rivalz said. "It's one thing to understand their motives, but it's another to become a full on terrorist!"
"He's right, wait just a minute. Are you sure about this?" She nodded.
"Of course, I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't." CC smiled.
Lelouch, after all these long years, I think I finally understand the meaning of friendship...and what loyal friends you had…
CC thought. Euphie sat down in front of the desk that once belonged to her brother. Kallen handed her a Zero mask.
"What's this for?" Euphie asked, looking at the mask in her hands.
"Well, this one has an improved voice changer. Can't have you out there sounding like a dead princess, now can we?" Euphie nodded and took the mask. She yawned loudly.
"I guess it really has been a long day…" She spun the chair around, facing the newest recruits. "Kallen, I assume you'll get them uniforms? They're going to need them. Also, you, Rivalz, do you have any Kingtmare piloting experience at all?" She asked. He shook his head.
"But, I do know the basic controls and I can learn how to."
"Kallen, one more thing, show him how to pilot a basic sixth generation frame, got it? Today opened a big can of worms and there's going to be a big battle soon." Kallen nodded and led the trio away. Euphie yawned again, but this time the sign of Geass appeared in her eye. She then closed her eyes.
The next thing Euphie saw was a man slightly taller than her with black hair facing away from her. He was wearing the outfit of Zero. He turned to face her.
"Lelouch?!" Euphie exclaimed. He sighed. He opened his eyes, revealing his right one to be deep violet and the other a pale blue.
"You're already a better Zero than me, Euphie." He said. "I never would've thought to recruit them, but here you are, telling them my life story and putting Rivalz in a Knightmare. You truly are something else." Euphie looked around. It looked like the same void that she and CC made their contract in, but instead of plain whiteness and blackness they were as colorful as they normally were.
"Lelouch...how..? I shot you..! You're dead!" She said, backing away in fear.
"Did you already forget our contract?" She looked confused. "Not only did you make a contract with CC to obtain Geass, you made a contract with me that very same moment. This is C's world and before I can move on, I need to finish showing you how to truly be Zero." A chair appeared behind him and a table in front of him. He removed a cloth from the top of the table, revealing a chess board. Euphie watched as a chair appeared on the other side of the table. She sat down in front of the black set of pieces. "Are you ready to begin?" She sat in front of the board.
"What does this have to do with becoming Zero?" Euphie asked.
"Zero is an idea, freedom, however, Zero is also a mastermind and the person who is putting that idea into motion until it becomes reality." Lelouch picked up a white pawn. "And thus, Zero is the black king, leading his pawns into battle in order to defeat the white pawns of Britannia and, eventually, destroy their king." He placed the piece back on the board. Euphie analyzed it. She picked up a black pawn and placed it back down elsewhere. The game went on for hours. The two trying to outsmart each other and predict the other's moves. Eventually, however, checkmate was called. "That's checkmate." Lelouch said, pulling the black king off the board and claiming it as his own. Euphie looked at the board.
"What did I do wrong?" She asked.
"It's simple, you just don't know the game well enough to play it this way yet. Don't worry, I won't stop helping you until you manage to best me at what I do best." The two played game after game of chess. Every time, though, Lelouch called checkmate. As the time flew by, Euphie began to strategize more, her plans became more elaborate, and she even fooled Lelouch into placing his pieces exactly where she wanted them. The two talked through every game. Euphie, curious about the Black Knights and Geass, and Lelouch, wondering how everyone took the news. That is, until one particular question came up. "What are you going to do about Suzaku?" Lelouch asked.
"What will I do about him?"
"He's the Black Knight's biggest threat and thus your greatest enemy, but he was also your lover, was he not?" Euphie looked down sadly.
"Right after you died, there was a huge explosion. I ran off and CC took me away after, but Suzaku most likely thinks I died in that explosion. He probably thinks that he failed to save me." Euphie said.
"I see, so, if you had the chance, would you kill him?" Euphie was startled by the question.
"I don't know if I'd ever be able to forgive myself if I did."
"That doesn't matter, if you are going to be Zero then you must accept the deaths of those closest to you as a consequence of freeing the world." Euphie analyzed the board in silence before realizing something.
"Checkmate." She declared. Lelouch looked down in surprise. He watched her queen topple his king. She elegantly grabbed the white king off the board, claiming it. Lelouch clapped for her.
"Good job, Euphie. You finally managed to win." He said with a smile on his face. "Please, protect Nunnally. That is why Zero was created. Zero was created to make the perfect world where she can be happy." Lelouch looked her in the eyes. His mismatched eyes stared into hers.
"Of course. I am a knight for justice, after all." He smiled at her. The chess pieces disappeared one by one until the board was completely empty. Lelouch folded the board in half and set it back on the table, which then sunk into nothingness. He stood up and his chair disappeared.
"There is one last thing I have to show you. The true nature of those in the royal family." He hugged her tightly and the mark of Geass appeared in her eye. She closed her eyes and watched the memories of her sibling doing terrible things. Clovis ordering the extermination of the Shinjuku ghetto, Cornelia doing the same to lure Zero out of hiding, and the death of Marianne. Lelouch backed away from her slowly. "Now you know the true reason behind Zero's existence." Euphie watched as he turned around and began to walk away. "Goodbye, Euphemia." He said. She watched in horror as he began to fade away.
"No wait! Don't go! I need you!" She cried. He turned around and smiled.
"I never said I was leaving, I'm simply going to the other side." He said. "Farewell, dear sister." He completely disappeared, leaving Euphie alone in the void. She screamed into the emptiness.
"Why? Why did you leave?" She asked. A faint beeping sound echoed through the whiteness. She looked around, but saw nothing. It slowly got louder and louder. She blinked a few times to see color slowly filling the world.
"Euphemia? Are you finally returning?!" A voice said. The blurry colors and lines straightened themselves out into a person.
"CC? Where am I?" CC looked ecstatic to see Euphie awake.
"You're in the hospital."
"What? How did I get here?"
"You fell asleep and slipped into a coma unexpectedly."
"How long was I sleeping?"
"One year." Euphie gasped.
"What happened while I was out?"
"Lelouch Lamperouge and Euphemia Li Britannia are now both officially dead in the records, Zero has gone MIA, and Nunnally is on a missing persons list in this area. That trio Kallen decided to bring to the Black Knights have become very promising. Rivalz is an excellent pilot, Millie works in media, and Shirley helps recruit. Well, they all were in the Black Knights, and still are, but we've hit a slight bump in the road." CC paused. "You disappeared, and between that and the already existing rumors that Zero died at the SAZ only weakened the Black Knights. Cornelia's forces met ours in the Tokyo settlement and she quickly defeated us. Although, when we fled, Nunnally…"
"What happened to her? Please tell me!" CC looked down sadly.
"She...she was captured along with several of our members. Britannia plans to execute the officers, but they made Nunnally the viceroy of Area 11." Euphie sat up.
"Well then, we've got to move quickly if we want to rescue her." She said. CC smiled, but it was soon replaced with a look of caution.
"Are you sure you're ready?" The symbol of Geass appeared in Euphie's eye.
"Of course."
Later…
Kallen walked through the halls of Ashford Academy's clubhouse. CC called her earlier and told her that Zero had returned. She noticed a closed door a leaned closer to knock before a rather disturbing sound hit her ears. Euphie was groaning and grunting while CC was laughing.
"Why is this so tight?!" Euphie yelled.
"Just undo it and try again, we have a bit to clean up before Kallen shows up." Kallen leaned closer and pressed her ear against the door only to hear more grunting and moaning.
What the hell are they doing in there?!
She thought.
"It won't come undone. How can someone wear this?!" Euphie asked. CC continued laughing. Kallen backed away, horrified. She heard shuffling and laughing coming from the room.
"Here, let me." Kallen heard people moving around and clothes rubbing against each other. "Better?" Kallen backed away before the door opened.
Meanwhile…
Euphie put on Zero's outfit quickly. She pulled the cape out of a duffle bag and began trying to figure it out. She threw it over her shoulders and it locked into place. She tried to adjust it, without luck. It wouldn't budge.
"Why is this so tight?!" She yelled.
"Just undo it and try again, we have a bit to clean up before Kallen shows up." CC said, laughing. Euphie looked around and saw clothing articles discarded all over the room. She moaned in disappointment and began attempting to take it off.
"It won't come undone. How can someone wear this?!" She asked as CC laughed.
"Here, let me." CC grabbed the cape and wrapped it around Euphie again, only looser. "Better?' Euphie nodded. CC picked up the discarded school uniform and duffle bag. Euphie sighed and opened the door. A disturbed Kallen stood in the hallway. She blinked a few times.
"What is it?" Euphie asked. Kallen silently walked into the room and heard the door close behind her.
"Zero is back, how will we tell the world?" CC asked.
"You said lots of the Black Knights got arrested, right?" CC nodded. Euphie smirked. "We'll break them out." Kallen's eyes looked like they would pop out of her head.
"You can't be serious! You're Zero in name only, princess. There's no way you could pull that off!" Euphie laughed.
"Watch me pull it off, and then the rebellion will begin again." Kallen looked at CC for help in disapproving Euphie's plan, but the immortal said nothing. "You're seriously going with this?!"
"I'm simply allowing her to go through with her plans, Lelouch chose her to be Zero for a reason." Kallen sighed.
"Fine, I'll help you. If you manage to pull this off then you'll have my respect and trust." She held her hand out. Euphie shook it.
"Now, how many Knightmares do we have and how many pilots do we have?" Euphie asked.
"Well, there's me and the Guren, Rivalz can pilot anything as long as it's not too complex, and a few Sutherlands and pilots." Kallen answered.
"So, we're at a major disadvantage. It's about time for Zero to return!"
Later…
Euphie smiled at her work. She was currently standing right in front of her sister's knight, Dalton. Apparently, her former knight, Guilford had died in the battle for Tokyo last year. Their Knightmares positioned for battle.
"I have a question for you, Dalton. What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means? Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil, or do you remain steadfastly just and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?" Euphie asked, grateful for the voice changing microphone. CC sat in her own Knightmare puzzling the question.
"It's a paradox, no matter what evil remains." Dalton seemed to ignored the question.
"In the name of Corneila and Britannia, I choose justice!" He charged after Euphie. She smirked.
"Do it, now!" Rivalz smiled and flipped a switch.
Earlier…
"I need you to do this in just a few hours, think you can?" He saluted.
"Of course Zero." He took the rough idea for electromagnetic field generators and disablers out of her hands and got to work. He only made enough for a small field, but it was more than enough.
Later…
Euphie watched as Britannian Knightmares got crushed as if they were nothing more than tin foil. The platform they were on was beginning to collapse. Kallen watched the scene play out.
"Well, damn, she really did it." She mumbled. Rivalz turned the magnets off.
"To all Black Knights!" Euphie called out. "Rescue our comrades!" The few remaining Britannian's quickly retreated, leaving Euphie to rescue the Black Knights. She slipped her helmet on.
Lelouch...I'll do this...for you…
She exited the Knightmare when the Black Knights were freed.
"Attention everyone! I am Zero! And I have returned to change everything!"
Oh man that was long!
NM: (Stretches) tired…
Euphie: That was huge…
NM: Hyena lord said that this should end with Zero's return
ALSO
ATTENTION
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NM~!
NM is two years old now! As a celebration I'll push myself extra hard and update everything I can today and tomorrow!
CC: Happy birthday, now you're one year older and your life still isn't over
To the reviews~!
Lordban: Just you wait for it…(smirking…)
patrick the almighty observer: Now you know, can't wait to write badsh*t crazy Suzaku :D, and yep!
Sleipnir34: Shhh...don't judge Code Geass logic…I honestly just thought it'd look cool :P
HE-SpecOps: I've had issues about this sort of thing, I've been working on it and it's gotten better, as for plotholes and that stuff, thanks! And, don't worry, I have the best idea farm *coughhyenalordcough* and lots of ideas involving them...even tragic ones...and thanks~! :D
Matsukaze Tenma: Good! I'd hope it's interesting, and there's your update~!
See you all next time!
Bye~!
(Pst, fanfic birthday was yesterday, but I didn't upload this till today…)