Notes: A large part of this chapter was rebuilt from memory after I lost it in a computer crash. I also lost the Code Geass Wikipedia data that I use as reference. Consequently, there are bound to be more mistakes than usual. So don’t be afraid to point them out.

Chapter Summary: In response to Euphemia's betrayal, Schneizel assumes command of the Imperial Army, and his first act is the deployment of the Euphemia Retrieval Squad, which includes Anya, Gino, and a conflicted Suzaku.

Of Monsters and Men

A Code Geass Fanfic by

Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)

Part 9: The Devil in Miss Alstreim

"Do I really have to wear this?" Euphemia asked. "I feel so... odd."

Zero didn't speak as he took in his sister's new dress. He'd asked Kaguya and Diethard to transform her, and they had gone about the task with great enthusiasm. The end result was essentially a party dress, which borrowed its design primarily from Zero's cape. The dress was black with golden trim, and thanks to a pair of long gloves, exposed only small portions of Euphemia's upper arms. It was not so different from anything she would normally wear, but then again, she probably only owned one black dress.

"We both know that you would look lovely in anything you wore, Euphemia," Zero said at last. "Must we really obsess over the details?"

The old Euphemia would've blushed and fell silent. This one, however, fully aware that it was her brother under the mask, just scowled. "You're only saying that so I'll stop complaining."

"True. I value your happiness, but at times your silence is just as enjoyable."

Euphemia frowned at him. "Just for that, I'm going to tell Kaguya about that ticklish spot on the back of your neck."

Zero shifted uncomfortably. "...she found that ages ago."

"Then I wonder if C.C. knows?"

He froze. "You wouldn't dare."

"Yes, I would. In the short time I've been here, I've noticed that no one gets under your skin quite the way she does. There must be a reason for that?"

"There is: she's a menace. A useful ally, but still a menace."

"Really. And do you often share your bed with allies?"

There were, of course, two different images that question summoned to his mind, and Zero had no idea which Euphemia was thinking of. Either way, he was glad to be wearing a mask. Thankfully, he was saved from answering, as Euphemia didn't wait for a reply.

"And while we're talking about beds, you need to know something. Nunnally is afraid to sleep alone now." She'd said it with no accusation, although she was disappointed that he even had to be told, but the obvious shock and guilt on his face as he removed his mask made her think twice.

"Since she was kidnapped?" he said quietly.

Euphemia nodded. "I've been staying with her. I don't mind it, of course, and I've told her that, but I don't think she believes me. She tries so hard not to be in the way-"

"She could never be in the way," Lelouch whispered. "All of this is for her."

"She might believe that, if she knew who Zero was."

"I tried to tell her," he insisted. "She wouldn't let me, or at least she didn't want to hear it. But I think she does know, or she strongly suspects. She even made me promise not to try again."

"Things can't go on this way, you know. As I become more involved with the Black Knights, there will be nights when I can't stay with her. I know Kallen, Sayoko, Kaguya, and C.C. don't mind, but they'll have commitments, too. And I know if we select someone just to stay with her, she won't allow it. What are we going to do, Lelouch?"

"Nothing. But I," Lelouch sighed, "am going to spend more time with her. If that doesn't work, then..."

"It'll help," Euphemia said, smiling softly as she gently cupped his cheek. "I know it will." Then her smile faded. "Is that door locked?"

The words were barely out of her mouth when the door opened, admitting a Kaguya who was practically skipping.

"I just got a note from the JLF!" Kaguya said excitedly, running over and placing it in Lelouch's hand.

He read the note quickly, and was more than a little impressed. It wasn't just from the JLF, it was from the Four Holy Swords, and they wanted to meet with him immediately. If he played this right, it would be the perfect chance to unveil Euphemia to the public. "Kaguya, please go ahead and make the arrangements. But tell me, do you know these people?"

"Oh, sure! I once even saw Chiba-chan naked!"

This was met with complete silence.

"How did you manage that?" Lelouch finally asked.

Kaguya giggled and shook her head. "Sorry, Zero-sama, but that is a story best saved for after I've become your wife!" She waved to Euphemia before leaving them alone again.

"Well, that settles it," Euphemia said. "Now you have to marry her."

"What? Why?" Lelouch asked.

"How else are we going to hear the rest of the story?"

"I am not a mere piece of meat to be married off for your entertainment."

"Of course not," she agreed with a smile. "You're a rather cute piece of meat."

Suzaku's greatest weakness was that he forced himself to take responsibility for everything that happened in his life, good or bad. This approach ensured two things: that he would always have a cause to fight for, and that he would never be happy for very long.

He told himself that it was all worth it, though. One day, he would become the Knight of One, and then he would hold all of Japan in his hands. When that day came, he would be responsible for every single Japanese life.

One would think that simply being responsible for one life then, even a Britannian one, would be simple by comparison.

But ever since he'd brought Shirley home with him and begged Lloyd to adopt her as well, things had only grown more and more complicated. It was crazy, but the only other option was to do nothing, and allow Shirley to just become another blank face locked away in a mental hospital somewhere.

Every doctor that examined Shirley said the exact same thing: she wasn't crazy, just extremely gullible. She could provide no excuse as to why Mao, a perfect stranger, had been able to talk her into attempting to kill Kallen. But it had happened, and as a direct result, she could no longer trust in her own judgment.

Instead, Shirley chose to rely entirely on Suzaku. He was the one who had stopped her from making a terrible mistake, and the only one who seemed willing and able to help her.

In truth, Suzaku had only been able to do so much. It was Lloyd who had changed Shirley's last name to Rosseau, so that her family could avoid embarrassment, and created the cover story that she was his recently orphaned niece. This unfortunately meant that Shirley Fenette had to have died in the explosion at Ashford. Suzaku didn't like the lie, but it got easier with each of Shirley's friends that he faced. It helped that the Ashfords had to be told the truth, so he at least had Milly to support him. But Milly insisted on visiting Shirley no less than twice a month, which meant Suzaku had to endure their whispers and giggling, most of which was no doubt about him.

Cecile was also a huge help, offering to include Shirley in her tutoring sessions with Suzaku. The two young women became fast friends, although Cecile's cooking only worsened with Shirley's help, something neither Lloyd nor Suzaku had thought possible.

But Suzaku's biggest problem, now that Shirley was living with him, was the inexplicable crush she'd developed on him. He could think of no other way to explain why Shirley suddenly began to hold his hand for no reason, or would entwine her arm with his, or otherwise touch him when it was completely unnecessary. Lloyd and Cecile were no help, they just thought it was funny how flustered Suzaku got at those times. But they hadn't known Shirley before, so they had no idea how completely out of character that sort of behavior was for her. Shirley had been in love with Lelouch for the entire time he'd known her, so the sudden transfer of her affections to Suzaku was both bothersome and worrying. Suzaku didn't know what frightened him more: that this could be the remnants of Mao's influence, or that Shirley might actually be in love with him.

Suzaku firmly thought of Shirley as a friend, and had no romantic feelings towards her. But he was very aware that even a simple refusal might further damage her already fragile mental state. On top of that, though he still had no idea whether Euphemia was alive or dead, and Suzaku felt that encouraging, or refusing to repel Shirley's advances was a betrayal of his feelings for Euphemia, which definitely WERE romantic in nature. But what would Euphemia think of him, if he allowed his feelings for her to harm a needy friend?

Anya's blog, "The Alstreim Archive," was one of the few things that she considered to be sacred. It contained daily accounts of her life which, while they were usually fairly boring, became increasingly important the more frequently that Anya forgot them.

Gino had learned this within his first week of being acquainted with Anya, largely because she kept taking pictures of him at the worst possible moments, such as when he was sneezing or yawning. Thankfully, Anya didn't upload all of the pictures she took to her blog, just the ones that she assumed would help jog her memory at a later date.

Anya hated to be disturbed while she was updating the blog, so any time Gino saw her using a computer, he stayed away unless she asked for his input. Neither wanted to risk interrupting her flow of ideas, out of fear that she might forget something vitally important. After all, the blog was one of the few constants in Anya's life, and perhaps the only thing that she had never, ever forgotten.

So on the day that "The Alstreim Archive" became "Flashdance: A Tribute to Lady Marianne vi Britannia," both of them were more than a little concerned. Anya woke Gino up that morning by sitting on his chest and shoving her laptop in his face, demanding to know if he knew anything about the sudden, drastic changes. There was no longer any mention of Anya in the blog, and several of the photos could only have from Marianne's private collection, which was sealed, and was certainly nothing that Anya should've had access to.

Anya was more upset by her life being erased, although she'd had the foresight to save copies of the original blog in several different places. There was no indication that any of those had been altered, at least, but Anya was reluctant to delete "Flashdance," anyway. For one thing, she still idolized Lady Marianne, and for another, she felt certain that she would only restore it at some point, so there was no point in even trying to get rid of it.

Gino could tell that Anya was a great deal more upset than she let on, as evidenced by the fact that she allowed him to hug her for a full twenty minutes. But he was determined to cheer her up, and asked to borrow her camera phone.

"Why?" Anya had asked, even as she handed it over.

"So we can make some new memories," Gino replied, holding the phone at angle and pulling her in close.

"How is a picture of our feet going to do that?"

"Hush, you," Gino muttered, but he redirected his aim until Anya stopped rolling her eyes. "Alright, on the count of three, say 'Gino is yummy!'"

Anya blinked, very slowly, and turned her head to look at him. Coincidentally, she did the latter just as the flash went off.

Gino, on the other hand, had been planning to plant a quick, mostly innocent kiss on her cheek. He missed. Sort of.

All Gino knew for sure was that he soon had a digital photo of himself kissing Anya on the lips, and a sinking feeling that she would NOT conveniently forgot this like he was hoping she would.

Kallen had always thought of paranoia as something of a useful extra sense. Considering that she was half-Britannian and half-Japanese, this was perfectly natural: someone was always bound to be after her. That she was also the pilot of the Guren only made this more the case, and she knew that Britannia would hunt her down inside of a day if they knew, as well.

Given all that, Kallen had no intention of staying in a hospital, where she was exposed and anyone could find her. Surely Sayako had checked the place out first, but considering Kallen had been bleeding all over her at the time, it would've been easy to miss something. Aside from that, Kallen had never liked hospitals much, and her experience with Shirley had only driven that point home again.

Besides, while Kallen was stuck there, Nunnally was without adequate protection. That could not go on.

What Kallen didn't take into consideration was that Zero had taken her irrepressible will into consideration.

As a result, the day that Kallen threw on her school uniform and snuck out of her room, she only made it five steps before a hand seized her shoulder from behind.

"You are surprisingly mobile for someone suffering from multiple stab wounds," said a familiar voice in her ear. "It looks like Zero's claims about you were not just empty boasts."

Kallen's eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder to see Nagisa Chiba staring at her. "You're the pilot from Narita."

"Yes. The Four Holy Swords have a contract with Zero, but only if you agree to help us."

"Help you with what?"

"Colonel Tohdoh has been captured by Britannia. If we don't act now, he will be executed. I realize it is he that owes you a debt, but-"

"I was getting bored in here, anyway," Kallen interrupted, smirking. "When do we leave?"

"Good morning, Cornelia. I am your uncle and guardian."

Those were the first words that Cornelia heard as she opened her eyes in the darkness, and despite the fact that she could recall no such arrangement, both the knowledge and the voice that gave it were soothing to her, so she continued to listen eagerly.

"You've been in a terrible accident, and forgotten many things. But I don't want you to worry, my dear. I've found you an excellent tutor."

Cornelia tensed as a bright light flashed in the darkness, slowly taking the shape of a young woman. She was composed entirely of a silver, shining material that sparkled with every movement.

"This is your tutor for the time being. She will teach you everything that you need to know. You may call her C3."

"First Lesson: Geass," C3 said coolly. "The mysterious power given to a select few. You will now receive a Geass that has been pre-selected especially for you: the Power of Absolute Reflection." With that, she raised her right hand, revealing a Geass sigil on her palm that blazed an angry red.

Cornelia knew what would happen long before C3 drifted closer to her, and so she began to scream as the incredible heat originating from C3's hand came closer and closer to her eyes.

"You will not die," C3 assured her in the same cold tone. "You will only wish you could..."

Suzaku knocked twice before easing open the door to Nina's hospital room. He was carrying a small but awkward potted cactus, and desperately hoping that Nina was the type of girl who would find such a gift interesting.

But as he walked in, Nina's eyes never left the television on the other side of the room, and when Suzaku saw why, he very nearly dropped the cactus.

Euphemia stared out at them from the raised hand of a Sutherland.

"They've been replaying it for the past ten minutes," Nina said softly, not even bothering to look at Suzaku.

Suzaku opened his mouth, but his reply was cut off as Euphemia began to speak.

"I am Euphemia li Britannia, former Third Princess of the Britannian Empire."

"'Former?!'" Suzaku asked sharply. "What does she-"

"Britannia has become nothing but a grand plague, contaminating everything it touches with greed and hatred. I have now witnessed for myself the harsh treatment of not only those people that Britannia has conquered, but of my fellow Britannians as well. And so I chose to stand with Zero and the Black Knights from this day forth! To those who love me, I ask you to stand back and watch our miracle unfold!"

Suzaku's hands went limp, and Nina snagged the cactus just as it began to slip from his fingers. "Nina, I... I have to go," he said numbly.

Nina watched him with a small frown, suspecting how he might be feeling. "Thanks for the cactus."

He murmured something and moved towards the door.

"She isn't in danger, you know."

Suzaku froze and looked over his shoulder at Nina, who was carefully studying her cactus. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, she isn't." Nina slowly raised her head to stare at him. "Not from the Black Knights, anyway."

Suzaku almost flinched, but instead said nothing as he left the room in a hurry. His cell phone began to ring the moment he was out in the hall, and Suzaku answered it with shaking hands. "Yes?"

"From the sound of your voice, you've seen the news, no doubt," Lloyd said in his ear. "You'd better get back here quickly. The Second Prince is asking for you, and he looks rather stressed. Oh, wait, he wants to talk to you."

"What?" Suzaku asked hoarsely, but the next voice he heard wasn't Lloyd's.

"Major Kururugi, I know you must have conflicting emotions right now. But Britannia needs you in this time of crisis, and I can think of no better person to bring Euphemia home safely. To that end, I would ask you to join my personal task force, the Euphemia Retrieval Squad. I can assure you that we will be the first to engage the Black Knights."

"Your Highness, the last part of Euphemia's message," Suzaku began in a rush.

"We know she was referring to Tohdoh. We'll be overseeing his execution, and I want you there in the Lancelot. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of time. I'll need an answer within the next few hours."

C.C. had partnered herself with many Geass users throughout her long existence, but Lelouch was the most frustrating and unpredictable. Every time she'd made up her mind about him, he did or said something that surprised her. And it was truly difficult to surprise someone who had been alive for so long, but Lelouch managed it consistently, whether it was intentional or not.

There were brief moments when Lelouch treated her like all the others had: as a treasure to be hoarded, a tool to be locked away until it was needed, or a valuable but insufferable thing that could ultimately be sacrificed for some greater purpose. And yet, there were times when Lelouch saw her as, and treated her like, what she actually was: an incredibly old person who had grown so weary of living that it was only right, no, human, to re-introduce a little light into her life.

C.C. wasn't sure whether to love or hate him for that, but to say that she didn't treasure each of those moments would be a lie.

And despite everything she'd learned about him, it had still shocked C.C. when Lelouch begged her to help Nunnally. Lelouch didn't normally beg, for one thing, but he was convinced that she was still mad about his choosing Nunnally's safety over C.C.'s desires. In truth, C.C. had expected that to happen eventually (much sooner than it had, really), and of all the things Lelouch could choose over her, Nunnally was one of the few she was willing to forgive him for. She understood, or had, once, what it was like to live completely for another person. Lelouch could not help the circumstances of his childhood that made Nunnally dependant on him for survival, any more than C.C. could alter her own tortured past.

Aside from that, Nunnally was probably the only person who not only treated C.C. as a person, but as a genuinely interesting one at that. This was a completely new experience, or at least a rare one. C.C. couldn't remember the last time anyone had been honestly interested in learning about her, aside from the probing, rapid-fire queries Lelouch had practically attacked her with moments after first finding her in his home. And those didn't really count, as he'd mostly given up when she refused to answer and stole his bed for the first time.

But Nunnally seemed to care about who she was and what she'd seen... and not just for research purposes, or because what Nunnally could see for herself was limited. It appeared that Nunnally, for whatever reason, actually liked her, and thought she was "neat." Hearing that word from Nunnally's lips had made C.C. pause in a way that worried her. It worried her because she was largely okay with it.

That would only lead to serious problems. Already C.C. had stopped thinking of Nunnally simply as Lelouch's sister, and more as someone to be protected. At one time, she could've passed this off merely as devotion to Marianne, but even that would not explain why C.C. found herself coordinating with Euphemia, Sayoko, and Kaguya as to who would spend how much time with Nunnally on any given day. The others all found interesting activities to occupy Nunnally's time, but C.C. rarely did anything other than sit with her. Nunnally was used to her being quiet, and claimed that the sound of C.C.'s breathing was soothing. She didn't know what to make of that, but Nunnally always thanked her afterwards, perhaps very aware of that the fact that C.C. had not been asked to do any of it.

C.C.'s first attempt to take away Nunnally's nightmares also turned out to be the last. Instead of inspiring shock images, as her touch was known to do with enemies, C.C. intended to reverse the process, and hopefully remove the images from Nunnally's mind entirely. With any luck, she might actually forget that she'd been kidnapped altogether, and C.C. had already warned Lelouch that there might be some short-term memory loss. Of course, there was a very good chance that C.C. would begin to experience the nightmares, but she'd slept through worse.

The attempt began well enough. All Nunnally had to do was sit there and think about the things that were bothering her, while C.C. touched her forehead and removed them one by one. They were almost done when Euphemia, not realizing what they were doing, walked up behind C.C. and touched her shoulder.

Although she'd known the risks, C.C. hadn't thought to lock the door. Only certain people even knew where Nunnally's room was, and of those, even less had access to it. But only Lelouch knew anything about C.C.'s powers in detail, and she hadn't even told him about this aspect of them. It was far too private, and far too tempting, if he ever wanted answers that she wasn't willing to provide.

C.C. jerked away from them both as soon as she was able, but not before she got a flash of Euphemia and Nunnally as children, holding hands and laughing as they ran through a field of flowers.

There was a long, tense silence, and then it happened.

"C.C.," Nunnally said softly, "you knew my mother?"

"You didn't just know her, you two were friends," Euphemia whispered, unable to keep the accusing tone out of her voice. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

She thought about saying nothing, but that wouldn't have satisfied Marianne at all. "My memories are private. There is no one I feel comfortable sharing them with."

"But you had to know what they might mean to us," Euphemia insisted. "To Nunnally especially!"

"And yet there are things about Marianne that neither of you are ready to learn. I am under no obligation to share my memories with you."

"Does Lelouch know about this?" Euphemia demanded. "He doesn't, does he?"

C.C. closed her eyes in annoyance. "There's no point in arguing. You can't do anything. Lelouch and I have a contract. He won't like it, but he will take my side in this."

"You're wrong, C.C.," Nunnally whispered. "My brother will be very angry if he finds out about this. Don't make him choose sides. I don't want him to make you leave."

Euphemia stared at her sister in disbelief. "Nunnally, she doesn't trust us. I'm starting to think she doesn't even like us much."

"She doesn't have to, Euphie. She likes my mother, and Lelouch needs her. You said so yourself."

"Don't get your hopes up," C.C. warned her. "I may never tell you anything."

Nunnally smiled and shook her head. "One day I hope you'll understand, C.C. You make us happy just by being here."

Nina knew she was in the hospital for little more than a bump on the head, and that she could've been released days ago. But she'd used her Geass to buy a few more days of rest. She'd needed the time to think.

Most of her thoughts were centered, surprisingly, not on Euphemia, but on Rolo. She couldn't figure out why her Geass hadn't worked on him, and how he'd managed to vanish right before her eyes. The only logical conclusion was that he had his own Geass, though she couldn't even begin to decide what it might be.

Suzaku was the more immediate concern, though. He probably wouldn't accept Euphemia's choice, and however well-meaning he was, his misguided attempts at saving her might not only endanger the former princess, but interfere with Zero's plans. And while Nina was not one of the Black Knights herself, she would do everything in her power to see that Zero succeeded. It was the least she could do with the gift she'd been given.

But just as with Kallen, Nina's escape attempt was intercepted by an agent of Zero, although not in the same manner. For one thing, Zero had sent Chiba to the hospital. But no one had told Diethard Reid anything about Nina being in the hospital. He'd used his own resources to discover that, wanting to be sure that nothing to do with the explosion at Ashford was overlooked. He had not recognized Nina's name in the news reports, but he had known her face at once.

And while Diethard had not been involved with V.V.'s plans for some time now, he had never really forgotten meeting Nina. Their fathers had met to discuss a possible business venture, and V.V., seeming to be Nina's age at the time, had set himself up to be her new playmate. Diethard had no idea what V.V. had done to the girl, or why she should matter at all, but his curiosity wouldn't allow him to ignore this.

Nina didn't remember him when he walked into her hospital room with an armful of flowers. She had no reason to, as he'd barely said two words to her back then, and most of her time had been spent with V.V. (although she definitely didn't remember him, either, but for another reason entirely). But she was still the same shy girl to some extent, because she blushed and murmured that maybe he had the wrong room.

"No, I don't think I do, my dear," Diethard said warmly, setting the flowers aside and reaching to squeeze her hand.

The moment he touched her, Nina's mouth dropped open, her body going limp as everything she'd experienced in the past few days flashed before her eyes... and Diethard's.

"Are you alright, Nina? You look pale," Diethard said softly.

She blinked and looked at him through slightly glassy eyes. "Um... who are you?"

"Diethard Reid. You don't remember me, but we met long ago. My father is Headmaster Reid of the Imperial Colchester Institute. You had a play date with my... younger cousin."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember..."

"That's fine," he assured her. "I'm here for a different reason." Diethard reached up and drew back a hidden patch on his sleeve, revealing the emblem of the Black Knights. "I've come to take you out of here."

Nina's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. I see."

"Take all the time you need to get dressed and collect your things. I'll be right outside."

"O-Okay."

Diethard smiled at her before he turned to leave, chucking inwardly when she blushed again. This was turning out to be far easier than he'd imagined. The smile faded as he stepped into the hall and came face to face with someone from his past.

"You've grown, Diethard," V.V. said, sounding both pleasantly surprised and amused. "But what are you doing with my old playmate, I wonder? I'm not quite done with her yet."

Diethard frowned at him. "Keeping her safe, which is more than you've done."

"Oh, you're not nearly that chivalrous. What are you really up to, hmm?"

"I'm not going to hurt her, if that's what you're thinking."

V.V. smirked. "Did I say that? But you must realize that I won't allow your plans, whatever they might be, to progress any further until I get a satisfying answer out of you."

"I want to know what you did to her," Diethard said at last.

"Nothing I haven't also done to you," V.V. responded lightly.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"You're starting to bore me. That was always your problem, Diethard." V.V. shook his head and started walking away. "Play nice with my old toy, or our next visit won't be so pleasant. Oh, and I won't tell your father about your newfound skill. It'll be a nice surprise for the old boy, when you finally come back to us."

"That will never happen," Diethard snapped.

"One day you'll learn that Reids and time are tied to one another, and your control over it is tied to me. You'll be back with us sooner than you think."

Suzaku had been a soldier long enough to understand that Prince Schneizel's invitation had really just been a politely disguised order. He wasn't sure if he actually had much of a choice in the matter, one way or the other. Even if Schneizel actually allowed him to decline, it could have a negative impact on Camelot in general, and Lloyd and Cecile in particular. And of course everyone would call Suzaku an ungrateful Eleven for refusing an order from the Second Prince. He'd be lucky if he wasn't imprisoned again.

And there was always the chance that if he didn't personally save Euphemia, she could be hurt or worse by another soldier who wasn't as inclined to keep her alive and healthy. So there really was no choice at all.

But even after he'd accepted the invitation to join the ERS, Suzaku had no idea what he'd actually do. Euphemia had obviously joined the Black Knights willingly. She would probably resist if he tried to capture her. Lelouch wouldn't allow it, anyway. Attacking the people around them was one thing, but if it came down to it, could he really hurt two people who mattered so much to him?

These were the thoughts troubling Suzaku as he slowly put on his white piloting suit in his bedroom. Any minute now, he, Lloyd, and Cecile were supposed to attend a press conference that Prince Schneizel had arranged to respond to Euphemia's betrayal. From there, they'd proceed immediately to the staging area for Tohdoh's execution, to be held later that night. Suzaku had mixed feelings about that, as well, but Tohdoh's own words had sealed his fate. He had always told Suzaku that whatever path one chose in life, they should walk it with an unshakable belief in what they were doing. Tohdoh had made his choice, and he would die with the consequences.

"But will this really help restore Japan?" Suzaku murmured, closing his eyes tightly before a full-length mirror. When he opened them, the mirror reflected Shirley standing in the doorway behind him.

"Miss Cecile says you'll be leaving soon," Shirley said softly. "I thought I'd come and wish you luck."

He turned around, giving her a slight smile. "Don't worry, Shirley. I might not seem like it, but I am a trained soldier. I know what I'm doing, and I promise I'll come home safely."

"You didn't sound so sure when I came in," she pointed out hesitantly. "Do you really think you'll be able to save Princess Euphemia and Japan? It seems like a lot for one person to do."

"It is, but I have to try. I'm Princess Euphemia's Knight, and I know she wants to see Japan restored as well. That's the main reason she joined up with Zero, I think: she got tired of waiting for Britannia to do it."

"You... will come back, won't you, Suzaku?" Shirley whispered, biting her lip.

"I won't die, Shirley."

She shook her head. "What I meant was... you won't join the Black Knights, too, will you?"

Suzaku's eyes widened. He had never even considered that. How could he? He'd devoted so much time and effort into restoring Japan from within Britannian law. And now there was Shirley to worry about, so he couldn't just leave. Before he could even think of a response, Shirley closed the distance between them, threw her arms around his neck, and practically smashed her lips against his in a bruising kiss. His hands flew up to grasp her waist, more as a way to absorb the impact than anything else.

And when Suzaku didn't pull away immediately, Shirley softened the kiss, her desperation giving way to relief and gratitude. Suzaku was her moral center now, the one she trusted to tell her what was right in the world. If he abandoned her, or pushed her away, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.

A million thoughts raced through Suzaku's mind as the kiss went on, but the one he finally settled on was a surprising one. Shirley believed in him and needed him, possibly more than anyone else ever had. She hadn't walked away from him as Euphemia had, or turned her back on him as Lelouch had. Instead, she was willing to be anything he needed, so long as it kept them together. It was likely that she didn't love him, and was simply offering her body to keep him close. And as much as Suzaku didn't like that idea, with Euphemia gone, he hadn't experienced any physical affection, and was startled to realize how much he missed and wanted it.

Shirley pulled away first, and was shocked to see such obvious desire in Suzaku's eyes.

"Shirley," he breathed against her lips, "don't do this if you really don't want to. It wouldn't be fair to either of us, and I... I don't think I could stop if-"

She kissed him again, digging her fingers into his hair and willing him to sense how much she wanted this.

Suzaku finally responded, drawing her closer and emptying his head of all thoughts but the soft sweetness of her lips, the slightly floral scent of her hair, and the way his heart was pounding in his chest.

Cecile walked in on them in that position ten minutes later, blushed, turned right back around, and walked out. This time she made sure to stomp her way down the hall to Suzaku's room, and when she got there, Suzaku was waiting for her by the door, while Shirley was on the other side of the room, staring out of the window. Both were blushing as heavily as Cecile was, so she decided not to make it worse by teasing them. "It's time, Suzaku. Are you ready?"

"Ah... yes, I am." He turned towards Shirley. "I, um..."

"I'll see you when you get back," she said, glancing at the floor as Cecile and Suzaku turned even redder.

"Right," Suzaku choked out, and then he all but ran from the room, dragging Cecile by the arm.

"It's about time," was all Cecile said when they were a good distance away, poking him in the arm and giving him a knowing look.

"Don't tell Lloyd," Suzaku pleaded. "I have enough to deal with without him teasing me over this as well."

Cecile smirked and patted his cheek. "I won't have to, those puffy lips will tell him everything." She laughed as Suzaku cringed and started hitting his head against the wall. "Keep that up, and maybe we can convince him you were in a fight instead."

Nunnally had always been more observant than most people gave her credit for. Either because she was blind, or a girl, or young, or supposedly innocent, everyone just assumed that she didn't pick up on certain things. Instead, Nunnally had quickly learned to turn these supposed hindrances into strengths. Lelouch would give her practically anything simply because she was his little sister, but with a little effort on her part, so would anyone else. She made sure to use that ability sparingly, though, so as not to become a nuisance to the people around her.

This time, though, Nunnally felt an intervention was necessary. There was a growing tension between Lelouch and Euphemia, although neither one would ever admit it. Of course Lelouch was happy to have her around again, but even that presented certain challenges he hadn't had to deal with in some time. The problem was that Lelouch tended to be rather aloof, even with those who knew him best, so it would be tricky to confront him.

Euphemia, on the other hand, had made herself entirely available to Nunnally, obviously eager to regain their former closeness (although they had done that within the first ten minutes of being reunited, in Nunnally's opinion). Even better, she was far easier to talk to, and far less likely to keep secrets, at least from Nunnally. In a way, Nunnally would always be closer to Euphemia than she was with Lelouch, if only because there were certain feminine topics that Lelouch had, in a fit of both wisdom and desperation years ago, asked that Nunnally never bring up around him. It was truly a huge relief to be able to discuss such things with someone other than Sayoko or Kallen (not that they wouldn't have been adequate, but Euphemia just inspired a comfort level that they couldn't).

Even better, Nunnally never had to ask Euphemia for much-needed hugs. Anyone else might've asked for a reason first, or at least been a bit uncomfortable with the sheer amount that Nunnally preferred. But Euphemia understood, having known and loved Nunnally before she lost her sight and the use of her legs. True, the amount of hugs Nunnally wanted had only risen since then, but it had been rather large to begin with, and only Euphemia had ever even come close to meeting the daily quota (Kaguya had rated a few honorable mentions, though). As a result, Nunnally spent almost two-thirds of her time with Euphemia wrapped in her older sister's arms, all without having to ask first.

It was, unknown to Euphemia, the perfect position to interrogate her from. And it began with a seemingly innocent question as Nunnally was once again going to bed early.

"Euphie, do you still want to marry Lelouch?"

That Euphemia laughed before answering was a good sign. "Oh, Nunnally, I can't believe you still remember that! You didn't mention that to Lelouch, did you? It might explain why he's been acting so odd around me lately."

"No, I didn't say anything to Lelouch. But do you still want to marry him?"

Euphemia hesitated before answering. "Sweetie, that was a long time ago. We're very different people now."

"Are you?" Nunnally countered. "I don't think so."

"Well, of course you wouldn't," Euphemia replied, squeezing Nunnally gently. "Our feelings for you have never changed. But marrying Lelouch was a childhood fantasy of mine. Is it so hard to believe I could grow out of it?"

"But I know you, Euphie. You aren't the sort of person who could grow out of love with someone."

"Then perhaps I was never really in love with Lelouch at all. I admit the idea of being married did fascinate me once, but the older I get, the less it appeals to me. Single life is far less complicated, and has much more freedom. Besides, being married would cut into my time with you."

Nunnally pouted. "That's no excuse! I'd gladly give up time with you, if I knew you were spending it with someone who made you happy!"

"You make me happy, Nunnally, and I won't abandon you again. I promise."

"Euphie, you never abandoned me."

Euphemia shook her head. "I wasn't there. It's the same thing."

"But you're here now, and I don't want you punishing yourself for my sake. That won't make things better for anyone. You and Lelouch getting married might."

There was silence for a long moment, and then Euphemia stated bluntly, "I don't want to marry Lelouch, Nunnally. I'm sorry if that upsets you, but..."

"It would only upset me if there wasn't someone to take his place in your heart. I don't want you to be alone, Euphie."

Euphemia laughed softly. "I'm not, not really. I mean, there is someone, but I-"

"Who?" Nunnally asked eagerly. "Tell me!"

"Well... there's Suzaku."

"Suzaku?" Nunnally asked softly, her voice trembling.

"Um, yes," Euphemia answered, clearly surprised by her sister's reaction. "I thought you liked him?"

"I do. It's just..." Nunnally bit her lip and lowered her head. "I wanted to marry him," she murmured.

"Oh," Euphemia said softly. "Nunnally, I didn't know. Just say the word and he's yours."

"That's not what I want at all, Euphie. If you two love each other, then it doesn't matter how I feel."

"I wouldn't be a very good sister if I could ignore the idea of my happiness causing you pain."

"I agree," Lelouch said as he suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"H-How long have you been there?" Euphemia whispered.

"Not very long," Lelouch replied evasively, approaching the bed.

"You're both leaving now?" Nunnally asked, recalling that C.C. had mentioned as much earlier.

"In a few minutes. Kaguya and Sayoko will be here if you need anything while we're out." He took Nunnally's hand and kissed it. "I might even have a nice surprise for you when I get back, but promise me you won't try to stay up and wait for it."

"Okay, I promise," Nunnally sighed. "But before you go, what do you think about Euphie getting married?"

"Nunnally!" Euphemia hissed, blushing bright red.

Lelouch chuckled and shook his head. "I think the only way the man could be luckier is if he'd had the enormous pleasure of falling in love with you first, Nunnally."

"That's not a real answer!" Nunnally protested, but she was blushing just as bad as Euphemia was.

"Well, we really need to go now," Euphemia said quickly, giving Nunnally one last squeeze and dropping a kiss on her forehead. Then she all but dragged Lelouch from the room, and the moment they were out of earshot, demanded, "You heard everything, didn't you?"

Lelouch's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Euphie, but you aren't a normal girl."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, frowning.

"It means that you're a former princess, and we may need to exploit that fact. So don't be surprised if I ask you to marry someone you wouldn't under normal circumstances."

"What does a princess know about being normal?" Euphemia asked with an uneasy smile.

"I don't know if this helps or not," Lelouch added slowly, "but there's a very good chance that I'll ask you to marry Zero, to avoid complications, and to ensure that you won't be mistreated. That... wouldn't be so bad... would it?"

"It... wouldn't be horrible," Euphemia murmured, avoiding his eyes. "I mean, out of all of my brothers, you're the only one I ever pictured myself marrying out of choice. Um, I mean, Cornelia always warned me that it could happen, so I tried to keep an open mind, but I never-"

"You're rambling, Euphie," he interrupted, touching her shoulder gently.

"Oh. Was I?" She laughed weakly. "I didn't notice..."

"I know it probably doesn't match up to your fantasy," Lelouch began, smirking when she slapped his shoulder.

"You DID hear everything!" Euphemia cried, glaring at him.

"Would it help if I mentioned that I was immensely flattered?"

"No, it would not!"

Kallen's eyes widened as she stepped out of the truck and followed Chiba into a warehouse. "What are those?"

"Our latest gifts from Kyoto," Chiba replied, following Kallen's gaze to the four Knightmares kneeling in the darkness. "I'm sure you recognize the basic design."

"Did Zero arrange this, too?"

Chiba snorted. "Your man is indeed resourceful, but we've been dealing with Kyoto longer than he has. Lady Kaguya insists on considering me a personal friend, for some reason, and that does have its benefits. I suggest you take a few minutes to rest, we'll be moving out very soon."

Kallen just nodded, watching as Chiba walked away. Then she looked at the line of Knightmares again, finally noticing that there was a fifth, and that it was the Guren. She was a bit annoyed that Zero had just given it to the Four Holy Swords prematurely, but maybe he'd just known that Kallen would accept the invitation. It was eerie, how well he could predict people's actions. Eerie, but damn useful.

Suzaku nervously drummed his fingers on his arms as he, along with many other Britannians, watched Prince Schneizel formally assume command over the Imperial Army on live television. So far he had no real reason to doubt the prince: Euphemia had always spoken of him kindly, at least, and it was his experience that royals rarely ever bothered to hide their dislike for a person, so Schneizel probably did genuinely care about Euphemia.

At the same time, Suzaku suspected that the prince also had a hidden agenda, as that was what everyone but Euphemia tended to say about him. Schneizel had crafted a rather pleasing public persona over the years, but that just made it more likely that he was a man that knew how to get exactly what he wanted.

Maybe it was a good thing that he still saw Suzaku in a favorable light, then.

The door on the far side of the break room opened, and Suzaku glanced over his shoulder to see Anya and Gino enter the room. Right away, he knew something was wrong: Anya was smiling and humming, and Gino looked exhausted.

Anya immediately sat down at the table and began fiddling with her camera phone, humming louder than ever.

Gino quickly crossed the room and pulled Suzaku towards the corner, keeping one eye on Anya the whole time. "I should probably warn you that Anya isn't quite herself today," he muttered.

"Clearly," Suzaku replied.

"What I mean," Gino continued urgently, "is that she's more someone else than herself."

"Does this someone else have a name they prefer to-"

"Marianne."

Suzaku's eyebrows rose.

"I'm perfectly serious. Watch this." Gino turned and cleared his throat. "Lady Marianne?"

Anya turned to him and smiled. "Yes, my dear Gino?"

Gino blushed faintly. "Ah, everything okay? Need anything?"

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine, darling, but thank you for asking." She blew him a kiss and went back to her phone.

Suzaku blinked a few times. "That is NOT Anya."

Gino rolled his eyes. "What did I JUST finish telling you?"

"What I mean is, are you sure you didn't just run into another girl with pink hair and assume she was Anya?"

"She was wearing Anya's clothes, using Anya's laptop, and eating Anya's food, so I'm PRETTY sure she's the right person. On the outside, at least. And it's happened before. Well, not to THIS degree for this long, but-"

"So it's normal for Anya to think she's a dead woman?"

Gino gave him a look. "That depends. Is it normal for a dead woman to take over someone's body?"

Suzaku stared at him.

"You think this is a joke, but it's not. Doctors can't or won't explain it, Anya can't control it, and now she might be gone forever." He shook his head and punched the wall. "Damn these cursed lips of mine! Too damn luscious for my own good!"

Suzaku warily took a step back.

Gino scowled at him. "Please. You're nowhere near THAT cute. I'd take my chances with Lady Crazy over there first. But that's what got us into this mess in the first place, I think."

"Should she really be piloting in that condition?"

"Are you serious? You do know WHICH Marianne that is, don't you? Besides, she seems to know everything Anya does, so that technically makes her twice the pilot Anya is. Besides, we recently got moved to a two-seater, so I can keep an eye on her."

Suzaku blinked several times. "You mean there's only two Knightmares on the entire squad?"

"Trust me, once you see the Gawain, you'll feel sorry for the other guys."

"Gino, what's your take on all of this?"

Gino eyed him curiously. "You mean, what do I think of Euphemia joining the Black Knights? Hard to say. I like to think I'm a decent judge of character, and I don't think she's the traitor type. But I don't think she's a hostage, either. So they must have had something that she wanted or needed, and wasn't getting here. Maybe power, or real fame, or-"

"Family?" Suzaku asked quietly, frowning to himself.

Gino tilted his head slightly. "What do you mean? She has family. She belongs to the Imperial Family."

Suzaku laughed bitterly. "That's exactly what I mean..."

Suddenly, there was a painful pinch on Suzaku's ear, and he found himself dragged down to stare into the frowning face of Anya.

"You need to get your priorities straight, young man," she said sternly. "If you go into battle like this, you'll only get yourself killed, and then what good can you do? Make a choice, and pursue it with your whole heart, or you'll never do anything right. She did, and now it's your turn. Is that clear?"

"Y-Yes, Lady Marianne," Suzaku murmured.

"Good boy." She released his ear and patted his cheek. "Gino, be a dear and dance with me? I'm so bored!"

Gino paled and pointed at the TV. "B-But the ceremony-"

"Is what's boring me. Come on, let's dance!" She grabbed his hands and began dragging him around the room in an awkward parody of what could've been dancing, had one of the partners been drugged or just very, very reluctant.

Suzaku shook his head and turned his attention back to the screen. "I want to believe this is right. But if Euphie really did leave to be with her family... what right do I have to take that away from her?"

End of Part 9.

Next Chapter: One More Miracle

Euphemia and Kallen must convince Tohdoh to work for Zero. But can they do that while still avoiding capture by Suzaku, Anya, and Gino?

Endnotes:

Okay, for those who think it wrong of Shirley to take advantage of a conflicted hero with a kiss at the most opportune moment, I point you in the direction of canon. I think the "my-father-died-so-you-have-to-kiss-me" trick is pretty low, and one of the things I like least about her character. Mind you, the main reason I feel that way is because Lelouch probably wouldn't have ever kissed her otherwise. Really, I think all of the Ashford girls react fairly badly when they don't get the guy (or girl) they want: Milly organizes school wide witch hunts, while Nina corners Table-kun (HA! did you get that?) and blows up lots of people (not simultaneously, thankfully, that would just be the worst level of wrong). Plus I feel bad that the really nice girls get killed, and they only seem to be kept safe by switching love interests...

If the idea of an Anya-Gino-Marianne triangle makes you want to toss your cookies, then maybe I did it right…