Author Note: Emotionally, this is a rough read… and that's all I can think to say. If you're anything like me, you'll secretly enjoy the torture. If not, you might be one of those people that bawls and hates me for being vividly brutal and depressing.

I don't apologize.

One last note — thank you to everyone in my fantastic Code Geass RP group. There are a couple characters in here that I've never tried writing extensively before. I thought of the way my friends in my RP play them and it gave me inspiration.

Prologue (the immediate aftermath of Zero Requiem)

Cornelia li Britannia backed away despite herself when the figure in the mask and cape materialized beside her. Her sharp eyes snapped to the sword. He'd flicked it clean in one pitiless arc, but in too much haste. There were still droplets of red that collected, running in thin rivulets down the channels on the blade. There were streaks on his mask as well.

The blood of someone well off slain, Cornelia reflected with a curl of her lip, but still, the figure who held the weapon now was just as distasteful to her.

"Zero," she greeted curtly. For Zero it was, despite the fact that Lelouch the Devil lay dead before her eyes. Indeed, there was no mistaking him, as well as the cries of "Zero!" that still echoed around the crowd.

Cornelia's eyes narrowed further. This Zero was different. So, another had chosen to take on the identity after all. But who left in the world had the courage and strength to do so, after everything the world had been through? And what did it mean for international politics, now that Zero had reappeared? Cornelia waited, but Zero didn't seem willing to offer anything other than his presence. His grip remained tight on his golden-magenta sword, and so Cornelia raised her voice to shout more orders. She hadn't the time for this strange new Zero yet, so as long as he was not an immediate threat….

"Release the hostages," she bellowed for the second time. "And back away, all of you that aren't in positions of authority!" Cornelia's gaze darted to the platform with the prisoners. Guilford was calmly holding back the riled crowd. Viletta Nu was freeing the Eleven that was her lover, sobbing with relief as he leaned forward to hug her.

Her joy, however, was drowned out by the wordless shrieks of the girl still on the platform. She hunched over the corpse there, shaking with aftershock.

Cornelia bit the inside of her lip and swallowed. Nunnally's hysteria refused to end even as the melee went on around her. To love someone that much, even after the atrocities he had committed… it was perhaps because Nunnally possessed a purity of heart that went unrivaled. Cornelia would have to do her best to have Nunnally comforted once the chaos slowed. She herself had lost the ability to see her half-brother as anything other than a hideous demon. Lelouch was unworthy of such beautiful tears, but Nunnally had always been kind. Her cries were long and loud.

Cornelia whirled away from the scene.

"Jeremiah Gottwald," she barked at the man as he pretended to look shocked by his surroundings. "I won't ask now what part you played in all this. Get the Governess down, and have the imperial float removed from public view immediately."

Jeremiah's single eye betrayed nothing. He stiffened to attention and responded briskly. "Yes, your highness!" Cornelia lifted her heel to move toward another knot of soldiers.

"No!"

The shout was high and shot with anguish. Cornelia turned back, saw Zero looking up, and followed his sightline to the float's platform once more.

It was Nunnally, who had stopped crying long enough to fight off Jeremiah's helping hand. "You mustn't!" she shouted, her voice tolling like a broken bell. "You mustn't take me away from him yet! All along, he—" Jeremiah knelt and spoke something beside her, but the girl shook her head wildly. "No! No! Onii-sama… onii-samaaa…." She sank down again, clutching what stained white fabric she could reach as her tear-streaked face found its nook against the shoulder of the corpse.

Jeremiah looked to Cornelia, who tightened her lips to stop their trembling and nodded.

When Jeremiah's hand closed around Nunnally's upper arm, Nunnally shrieked.

Zero jerked forward.

Cornelia was faster. "Don't move, Zero," she said darkly. Her firearm was out and ready, inches away from his helmet. Zero ground to a halt, but did not face her. "I've had enough of this fiasco," she muttered, half to herself. Jeremiah gave up and leapt down from the platform; his boot soles were crimson from where he had stood in the blood of the deceased. Cornelia opened her mouth to demand that Zero state his intentions, but Nunnally leaned as far toward them as she could and called out.

"Cornelia-onee-sama, you mustn't shoot Zero!" Her wide, bright gaze still swam with tears, but there was a spark there now. Cornelia looked away, unnerved. No one was used to facing those vivid, newly-seeking eyes of hers yet.

She did not lower her arm.

"You must let Zero speak," Nunnally wailed.

"He hasn't had much to say thus far." At her sneer, Zero turned to face her. "Lord Gottwald," Cornelia spoke before there could be any more protest, "Didn't I order you to get that float out of the public's view? The body of Lelouch the Devil cannot remain here."

Nunnally released another quiet sob, and Jeremiah Gottwald motioned for six soldiers to step forward to shift the float.

"I must be allowed to go to the memorial pool inside the palace." Zero had disregarded her attempts to ignore him, and Cornelia fixed her eyes on him in disbelief. "Alone," he specified. His tone was hard and unwavering.

"What makes you think I'll allow you inside the premises?" Her gun was still aimed at his head. "So soon, this request — immediately after slaying—"

"Please allow it, Cornelia-onee-sama!" Cornelia's head snapped back to Nunnally, who had begun to drift away as the float got moving. "Please allow it for my sake." She touched her throat, and the blood on her hand left a violent ruby mark there. Nunnally was backing Zero's request?

The float was moving faster now, and Nunnally let out a cry, for Cornelia had not reacted to her plea. Cornelia considered. The float grew more and more distant.

"…Onee-sama!"

She would have to conclude that Zero had no immediate intent to harm anyone; after all, he had dashed up and ridded them of the most harmful creature on earth mere moments ago. So be it, then. Slowly, Cornelia lowered her firearm.

"Very well," she replied, tucking away her gun. She addressed the remaining soldiers. "Send no one after him; permit him to take his time there completely undisturbed." Perhaps even Zero had something to mourn.

Nunnally sagged in relief and the float left them. Cornelia turned her full attention to the man in the mask.

"I will return. You have my word as Zero."

"Should you break your word, I will personally hunt you down and kill you on suspicion that you mean to harm us."

"You have my promise of cooperation and my gratitude."

Cornelia turned away in dismissal. "Then go, before I change my mind. My men will escort you." She waited.

Zero's helmet was turned toward the receding float. The dead body was no longer visible, and only the top of Nunnally's sandy hair peaked over the edge of the structure.

"Zero," she said. "Go." For a moment, all was still.

With a tight flap of his cape, Zero went.

Author Note: This fic turned out to be lengthier than my usual one-shots, so I've split it into two parts. I thought Cornelia's perspective made a nice intro (although don't ask me what on earth put me in her viewpoint). Part two is not far behind.