Ugh! I am really sorry for the alert! I've deleted the chapter by accident! T_T

But you know? This might be a good thing. I did make lots of changes to this chapter, especially the 'Suzaku rescue scene'. Please go and read this chapter again. These changes are important. Again, my deepest apologies for the alert.

The next day, Lelouch stuck to the event from the original timeline which involved bringing Kallen to the Student Council's clubhouse, and like last time, she remarked that she didn't know such a place was in the academy. Just then, Milly entered the premises with a moving tray that had lots of delicious-looking food on it.

The former prince took the opportunity to speak before Milly could. "It seems that Madame Prez prepared all kinds of goods for your inauguration party."

The older female raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute; how did you know I was going to include Kallen in the Student Council?" Very shortly after asking that question, her infamous, mischievous grin appeared on her face. "Maybe... you actually like her?"

A small blush appeared on the redhead's face... as well as a tiny frown. This Britannian boy told her that he was including her in the Student Council because she was 'frail' and 'weak' and other clubs would prove to be too 'strenuous' for her. But now it seems he has 'ulterior motives'. She should have expected nothing less from a Britannian pretty boy. As if she would fall in love with a Britannian of all people!

While the scowl on the biracial teenager's mug went unnoticed by the female president, the vice-president noticed it and almost smirked because he knew that she did feel disgusted at the thought of liking a Britannian... which was ironic considering the fact that she DID fall in love with him eventually. I feel like a mind-reader.

But immediately after thinking that, the handsome mug of the former prince paled as he remembered something, or more specifically someone VERY important. Only one name came to his mind. Mao. The former 'contractee' of C.C. How am I going to deal with this bastard?! He could read my mind and know EVERYTHING. A deep frown appeared on his lips. And instead of going after Shirley or Nunnally, he could easily go after one of my other friends... He certainly did not want that to happen.

Both girls noticed how the expression on Lelouch's face changed so quickly. From a serious to an aghast to an annoyed or frustrated expression. The blonde young lady pouted in worry, but the 'heiress' of the Stadtfeld family grimaced, and this time, it was visible. And now he doesn't want me? Typical Britannian.

"Lelouch, I don't think Kallen's that bad."

That snapped him out of his thoughts and brought him back to reality. He shook his head. "It's not like that, Madame Prez," He assured her before turning to the shorter girl. "Kallen, don't mind the president, please," The young man told her in a kind tone. "She likes teasing people and antagonizing them, but she usually means no harm. Just go with it."

The half-Britannian young woman blinked her sapphire eyes before nodding. "Okay." You didn't mention that one detail when you explained to me what the Student Council was about. She thought in annoyance.

Soon enough, the other members joined the party, and just like last time, Rivalz brought a bottle of Champagne. Before Shirley could snatch the bottle from his hand, Lelouch took it. "No Champagne."

"Wha?!" Not only the blue-haired boy was shocked, but also the rest of the council. "Since when did you become a goody-two-shoes?!"

"Well, the cork could fly and someone could get soaked."

"Oh come on!" The shorter boy whined. "Don't be such a party pooper! Give me that bottle!" The blue-haired boy tried to yank it.

As the two pulled the bottle from the hands of the other one, enough liquid gathered in the bottleneck and the cork went flying, hitting Lelouch's chin and soaking him with Champagne in the process. Everyone went silent as they looked at the now wet vice-president, who had an annoyed expression on his face. "Uh... sorry... pal."

Zero Begins Again

"But why should I be the one to bring him his clothes?" Kallen asked, trying as hard as she could to hide her disapproved tone behind her 'ill girl' persona. "It's Rivalz's fault, so he should be the one to take Lelouch's clothes to him."

"Well, because it was your inauguration party, I decided that you're the one who's supposed to be taking the clothes to Lelouch." Milly stated sweetly.

I suppose I should 'just go with it', huh? With a frown, she reluctantly took the clothes and walked to the bathroom.

After the redhead left, the female president cracked her infamous grin once again. "It seems that Sayoko already ships these two." She chuckled lightly.

The half-Japanese resistance member walked in a huff towards the bathroom. "This is why I hate Britannians." And he even has a Japanese maid! She doesn't seem to be an Honorary Britannian, but she also despised these so-called Japanese who work for Britannians. Just like her own mother.

But as she looked back, Lelouch has a crippled and blind younger sister, Nunnally. There was no way he would be able to take care of her all by himself. But couldn't they just hire a Britannian maid like them?

When she reached the bathroom, she knocked on the door. "Lelouch, it's me, Kallen." She heard him saying 'Enter' and did the deed. The resistance fighter saw him showering from behind the curtain and frowned. Doesn't he eat? As a Britannian, he should have stuffed himself with all the 'luxurious' food and looked like a pig, but nope. He looked more like a walking stick.

As the young freedom fighter put the clothes in a basket, the phone suddenly rang, startling her. The half-Japanese girl couldn't help but wonder: Why in the world would anyone put a phone in a bathroom?

"Kallen, can you please answer the phone?"

"Um, sure." She walked to the phone and answered. "Hello?"

"Glad to see you alive and well, Q-1."

The proud Japanese young lady gasped in shock; it was the voice from Shinjuku! How did he know that she was a student in Ashford Academy?! Just who was this guy?!

"Meet me tomorrow in Tokyo Tower at 16:00 PM. Bring your friends if you want to."

"Wait! Hold on!" But he ended the call. A still shocked Kallen couldn't quite understand what just occurred. She felt the adrenaline rush through her entire body, and her heart beating rapidly.

"Kallen?" Came the black-haired boy's voice from behind the curtain. "Who was that?"

"I guess it was a wrong number..."

"Oh, okay."

Back in the Lamperouge household, a certain Japanese maid was seen holding a recorder to a phone. She smiled after the call ended. "My, Master Lelouch thought this through, didn't he?"

Last night...

"Kallen Stadtfeld?"

"Yes," Lelouch replied. "She is a half-Britannian half-Japanese student who excuses herself from school by pretending to be a sickly girl in order to fight the Britannian forces with her friends."

Brown eyes widened in surprise before quickly recovering. "And you learned all of that by using your Geass on her?"

He sighed. "It was regrettable, but I really had no choice," He shook his head. "I had to know why would a Britannian student fight alongside some Japanese terrorists, and besides, her piloting skills were incredible." He remarked in awe. "Knightmare pilots like her don't fall out of the sky just like that."

"So, what are your plans with her?"

"Well, I presume that Rivalz is going to bring a bottle of Champagne to her inauguration party," The former prince of Britannia began. "I will try to yank the bottle from him until the cork flies and I get soaked with liquor."

Once again, the Japanese young maid was stunned. He was willing to go this far just to get this girl on his side? But he did say that she was a very gifted Knightmare pilot... She didn't interrupt him and so he continued. "And if Milly comes to you asking for clothes, give her the clothes and convince her to make Kallen bring them to the bathroom."

"And then?"

"It will take her at least one minute to reach the bathroom," He replied. "Once you finish counting, call the phone in the bathroom while putting this near it." He gave her a black recorder. "This has a record of my voice. The reason why I'm doing this is because this action will not make her suspect that I was the person who helped her and her cell fight the Britannian forces in Shinjuku. With me taking a shower and having the record of my voice call her at the same time, she won't tell that I was the one who helped her. And also to tell her about our meeting place."

The young maid couldn't help but stare in awe at her liege. She knew that he was a genius, but how far he thought this out impressed her even more. Lelouch noticed that and smirked at her. "You haven't seen anything yet, Sayoko."

Lelouch walked out of the bathroom wearing his casual clothes. As he entered the council's room, his sister cried, "Lelouch, it's awful!" Just like the first time.

"What happened?"

"Someone tried to kill Prince Clovis!" Milly exclaimed.

On TV, a very familiar scene was unfolding. The young Japanese pilot of the advanced Knightmare was being dragged by military soldiers while wearing a white straight jacket.

"I repeat! Suzaku Kururugi arrested for attempted murder on Prince Clovis!"

A smirk appeared on the young man's face. Apparently, everything was going according to his plan... whatever it was.

Later that night, Lelouch was seen tucking his sister in her bed, a disturbed look was on her face. The tall teen frowned, even though he knew why she was sad. "What's wrong, Nunnally?"

"Suzaku did survive the war after all, huh?" She asked. "But I'm pretty sure he didn't do such a thing to Brother Clovis."

"Yeah, I agree," He winced and remained silent for a brief moment, but then sighed. "Nunnally, even if there were witnesses saying that Suzaku was somewhere else when the true culprit attacked Clovis, all of the Britannian higher-ups will dismiss them and won't take them into consideration."

A worried look appeared on the blind girl's face, and that caused her older brother to feel sorrowful. Before he could speak, she spoke up. "But Brother Clovis is a kind man," She stated. "He won't let them execute Suzaku even if he DID try to kill him!"

The violet-eyed youngster merely stood up and turned away from her. He did promise C.C that he will try to make his precious sister more aware of the true nature of Britannia. Her innocence might vanish eventually, but unlike the way it disappeared, or more specifically, KILLED in the previous timeline, he will make sure that she becomes less naive and more knowledgeable about the outside world. The handsome prince turned back to his sister. "Something tells me that Clovis is no longer the kind and doting brother we've known, Nunnally," He told her. "Time changes people, after all."

The scowl never left the pretty face of the crippled princess, and she remained silent for a short while. "Brother, do you hate our siblings for not doing anything about us and Mother?"

The violet-eyed young man noticed that she included all of their siblings and not only the Viceroy. "Well... no, not really."

The wavy-haired former princess moved her head down as if she was looking at her hands. "You know, I believe they all love us, Lelouch," She pointed out. "And the reason why they didn't do anything was because they were afraid of Father."

"Yeah, I wouldn't doubt that," The young man knew that was one of the main reasons, but there were other reasons such as losing the right to the throne and looking down on him and his sister because their mother was a commoner by birth. "But when it comes to people who are not Britannian, they treat them as if they are lower than dirt. This is the policy and beliefs that the Emperor built the Holy Britannian Empire on: To look down on and mistreat others simply because you are Britannian and they're not, and there's also his strong belief in Social Darwinism." Lelouch knew the truth behind his father's motives, but he refrained from telling his sister for obvious reasons. He then held her hands. "Nunnally, I'm sorry I kept all of this from you. But it was for your own sake. I didn't want you to know about the terribleness of Britannia."

His sister remained silent for a short while before speaking. "I knew that the outside world isn't a pleasant one," She admitted. "But I believe that maybe... it could be changed for the better... by changing the Britannian system from the inside."

His best friend's exact words. At first, the teen-aged prince thought it was naive and preposterous to do such a thing, but it turned out that the brown-haired Japanese wasn't completely wrong. It's just that Suzaku wasn't the right person to do it. "Yes, it could, but there's only one way in order to do that."

"What is it?"

"If someone is capable enough and benevolent takes the throne."

A loud gasp of shock was let out from the young lady's mouth. "You're going to take the throne, Lelouch?!"

He let out a small chuckle. "No way," He replied. Probably. "But I hope that someone who has these traits will take the throne in the near future."

A small frown appeared on the face of the younger sibling. "Brother, do you think Suzaku will somehow be... saved from his execution?"

"Well... only if a miracle happens," He caressed his sister's sandy-brown locks gently. "Now, good night, Nunnally."

"Good night, Big Brother."

After he walked out of her room and closed the door behind him, Lelouch leaned on the door and looked up; a sad smile was on his face. Idiot. He insulted himself. You still believe that your Geass, strategies and tactics are the works of miracles? Why did I let myself believe miracles could happen in the first place?

The teen-aged royal opened the door to his room, only to see C.C munching on a slice of pizza from her second box. Huh. And here I thought it was her fourth.

"You know, you never told me why did you frame Suzaku Kururugi for threatening Clovis." The immortal woman asked almost nonchalantly, not sparing a look at the boy.

The violet-eyed boy merely folded his arms. "And you know what?" He asked rhetorically. "For a woman who doesn't want to answer questions, you sure ask lots of them," He remarked before shrugging. "But I suppose I shouldn't complain, right? After all, I believe that's how immortals act like."

That caused her to stop eating and turn to him. "What do you know about me and immortals in general?"

"I know nothing," Previously. "I just assumed that immortals are always bored and uncaring about the world. But when they do find someone they deem 'fascinating', they take interest in them."

The witch smirked. I guess arrogance runs in the family. "Silly boy," She said. "What makes you think I am fascinated by someone like you?"

"I don't think you're fascinated by someone like me," He stated. "I KNOW that you're fascinated by someone like me." He smirked back at her.

The lime-haired woman kept staring silently at him; her bored expression was still on her face. "You have a wild imagination, boyo," She commented before going back to guzzling her pizza. "So, are you still going to tell me why you framed Kururugi?" She inquired. "I do find it strange that you would frame the man who had sacrificed himself to save you," She put her right index finger to her lips in thought. "Now that I recall, you presumed that he died after that officer shot him for not obeying his orders... or maybe you knew all along that Kururugi survived that bullet?"

Lelouch stared tiresomely at the persistent immortal. Typical C.C. He turned his head away from her. "Just like you have no obligation to answer my questions, I also have no obligation to answer yours."

The green-haired woman almost frowned; Marianne's son was really cautious and not very trusting of others. But then again she had to admit he was right. She was keeping her relationship with both of his parents a secret from him, as well as her connection to their plan, a plan to end the world as they know it. If their son ever finds out about it, he will do everything in his power to stop it. But as interesting as he was, how will he prevent such a plan from occurring? For now, the woman will keep quiet but keep a watchful eye on the boy. "Fine. I won't ask any more questions. Happy?"

"Satisfied." He confirmed with a smile.

In the government bureau, a chubby man was pacing around restlessly. Sweat was running down his face. It looked like he was seriously worried about something, and he really couldn't be blamed for that because that man was Bartley Asprius, the man who told Prince Clovis to send troops in order to find the gas canister that contained the most important part of Code-R, the immortal woman C.C. It seems that someone did manage to open the canister and obtain a Geass from the immortal woman, Yes, he knew about Geass, unsurprisingly. That person then controlled Prince Clovis and put the blame on that Kururugi boy, but who could it be? He gritted his teeth in frustration. A Geass that can control other people and turn them against their will... how troublesome... how TROUBLESOME indeed...

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door and told the person knocking to enter. The bulky man was surprised to see Jeremiah Gottwald enter, a serious expression was on his face. "Well, well, well," He began, forcing a huge smile on his face to hide his anxiety. "If it isn't the hero who captured the criminal!"

"Spare me the praise, Bartley," The teal-haired man told the bald man sternly. "I have some questions and I need some answers, and you better respond with honesty."

The stout man gulped at that; he didn't have a good feeling about this. "S-s-sure."

"What is Code-R?" The orange-eyed man began with the most important question. "And is it true that the thing in the gas canister wasn't actually gas but a girl?"

Shock washed on the general's face. Panic began running through his entire being, and he started sweating bullets. "I-I-I-I-how-h-how-"

When Asprius started stuttering, Jeremiah grabbed him by the collar and made sure that the tanned man's face was mere inches away from his. The panicking man gulped. "Bartley, Prince Clovis has been making lots of unwise decisions lately," He pointed out to him. "I want you to tell me every vital and significant piece of information that will let me prevent His Highness from making more questionable decisions so he won't be demoted or even worse, disinherited."

Even though he was scared of the Margrave at the moment, Bartley knew that he was right. But what could the leader of the Purists do against the power of Geass? He sighed and slowly pushed Jeremiah's hands away from him. "First of all, you must keep what I'm about to say a secret from everyone because it's very confidential and if this information gets to the Emperor, this will be more than enough of a reason for His Majesty to disinherit Prince Clovis."

Orange eyes went wide in shock. "The Emperor has no knowledge of this project?!"

The general shook his head. "The canister had a girl in it and this girl is the most important part of Code-R," He began explaining. "We were conducting experiments on her because she is immortal."

"Immortal?" The Margrave repeated in disbelief. "That's not possible."

"It is the truth," The chubby man insisted. "We have fatally wounded her several times, only to see her injuries healing in a short period of time."

The teal-haired man frowned at that, disgusted at the fact that they would go as far as fatally wound someone in order to prove something. He ignored that for now. "But where did you find her? And for how long have you been conducting experiments on her?"

"I'm not really sure where did we find her, and we've been doing this for a few years now," He replied. "However, that's the only information we've gathered so far, unfortunately." It's better if Jeremiah doesn't know about Geass. Otherwise, he will gain the power for himself and rise through the ranks.

All of a sudden, orange eyes widened as a thought crossed his mind. "Bartley, I know what happened with Prince Clovis!"

The bald man blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"She's the one who threatened His Highness," Jeremiah began explaining. "Of course, she wanted to take revenge on him for conducting all those experiments on her by threatening him." He then put his hand under his chin in thought. "I received a report saying that Kururugi was the one who accidentally opened the canister and released her." He shook his head. "Ungrateful woman, telling His Highness to accuse the man who released her of attacking and threatening the prince. But then again, she must've done that because she knew that he was the son of the last Prime Minister of Japan before it became Area 11, and his death will make the Elevens consider him a hero." He turned to Bartley. "What do you think, Bartley?"

All this time, the chubby general was staring at the taller man in bewilderment. Even though C.C has every right to go and threaten the blond prince, it wasn't enough to make him submit to her completely. Of course, he what really happened to the Prince, but he didn't want the Margrave to know that.

"I wouldn't doubt that she was the one leading the terrorists in Shinjuku," The more muscular man continued. "And she will most likely be the one to save Kururugi from his execution. What a truly despicable woman. Saving the very man she accused to make herself a hero to the Elevens, which also means that Kururugi won't be the hero." He smirked. "I shouldn't be surprised if she did those things. After all, centuries of loneliness and watching people die while she was unable to made her heart as solid as a rock."

The tanned man raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting that at all. "Um, how do you know about how immortals feel, Jeremiah?"

"Isn't that obvious?" He asked with a grin. "Fictional works, my dear Bartley. Fictional works."

The bald man sweat-dropped. "... right."

"So, what does she look like?"

"W-Well, she has long green hair and golden eyes," The plump man began. "She's about average height."

"What about her facial features? I bet she looks like an old lady."

"Not at all. She looks like she's in her teens."

Again, orange irises went wide in shock. "Unexpected..." He merely blurted out.

Worry washed on the obese man's face once again. We are currently working on developing the Geass Canceller, He thought. Jeremiah seems to be the perfect candidate for that, but... he must know about Geass first... Something that the bald man didn't want to happen in the first place, ironically.

The next day, for the meeting with Kallen and her friends, Lelouch didn't really change the script from the original timeline. But, I have to change some words DURING the meeting.

Right now, he was standing in the train, wearing his original Zero outfit. He had to admit that the dark purple suit was more comfortable than the suit he wore during his second rebellion. His back was facing the sliding door that Kallen's resistance group will enter from soon. He then heard the sliding doors open as the resistance group entered. They started asking him questions, and of course he didn't answer them. When the train entered a tunnel and everything turned dark, he turned around to face them, startling them. "Greetings. My name is Zero."

"Zero?" The Afro-haired man, Kaname Ohgi repeated.

"But obviously that's not your real name, right?" Kallen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Indeed it is not," The masked man confirmed. "Now tell me, did you grasp the difference between the settlement and the ghetto?"

The leader of the resistance, Ohgi stepped forward. "We know the difference between us and them is a huge one," He replied. "That's why we-"

"Resist them?" Zero cut him off. "If you believe that resistance against Britannia will get you anywhere, then you are very mistaken. You must wage a war against Britannia, but in order to do that, you must know who is your enemy first. Britannia is your enemy, NOT the Britannians."

"How can we wage a war with our limited resources?" A blue-haired man, Kento Sugiyama retorted. "We don't have the power to do such thing!"

"If you lend me your help, we will be able to overcome our enemies," Zero extended his right arm to them. "With my strategies and tactics, I will lead you to victory. What do you say?"

At this moment, the rebellious young lady stepped forward; the expression on her face matched the one she had in the last timeline during this meeting: Angry and suspicious of him. "We already have a leader and that's him!" She pointed at the man with the Afro hair and then folded her arms in irritation. "Why should we trust a man who's hiding behind a mask and make him our leader?!"

As Sugiyama and another man named Toru Yoshida who had brown hair agreed with the fiery redhead, the leader of the resistance felt conflicted. While his comrades were right about not trusting someone who was hiding their face, he had to admit that he was not fit to be a leader, something that he had pondered to himself about the night before.

Before Ohgi could say anything, the disguised man spoke up. "Humph," He huffed as he folded his arms; the others noticed that despite the fact that his arms were hidden beneath his cape. "And who said that I trust you?" He retorted back; his voice was somewhat laced with contempt. "I live in a world where I know I cannot trust people. What if you decided to betray me? What if you decided to sell me out to our enemies if I became a huge threat to Britannia? How do I know if you're not going to be led astray by false pretenses from Britannians?" He almost shouted the last question.

The four members of the resistance looked at each other nervously; they had to admit that he did make some valid points. The expression of Lelouch behind the mask softened as he looked at the only female in the group. "I know you have people who left this world while fighting for a dream," He stated. "And with my power, I can help you in realizing that dream. However, I cannot do it alone. One man cannot defeat an entire empire on his own for he needs an army to bring it down." Once again, he extended his right arm. "What do you say? Will you be part of my army and help me take down Britannia?"

Even though she couldn't see his face, the young woman felt as if he was addressing her specifically. It's like the faceless figure in front of them knew that she was the one in particular who had lost someone precious to her. She exchanged looks with Ohgi; can this man really make Naoto's dream come true?

And again, the masked man continued. "I also dream of a world purged of Britannia's tyranny... a world where kindness can also be shown to strangers."

Upon hearing this, both the redhead and the black-haired man's eyes widened. Yup, that was Naoto's dream. All of a sudden, the youngest one felt as if she could trust this man, that he would truly make her deceased brother's dream become a reality. She walked even closer to Zero, just not close enough. "Zero, my older brother died for the dream you spoke of..." She told him sorrowfully. "And no one ever declared before that they would wage a war against Britannia to make this dream become a reality... until now. That's why... I want to help you, Zero." She smiled genuinely at him.

The other three members looked at her in shock. "K-Kallen..." Ohgi stuttered.

A pained expression appeared on the face behind the mask. You have always been loyal to me, Kallen, He sighed inwardly, feeling regret for not trusting her more previously. And when I said that I know you have people who died while fighting for a dream, I was only talking to you, because out of all the Black Knights, you're the one who truly deserves to live a happy life. "Thank you, Q-1."

Sugiyama leaned to Yoshida. "I always thought Naoto's dream was a fool's errand." He muttered.

"Couldn't agree more."

The teenager heard their mumbling and turned back to glare at them, causing them to flinch. Before they could say something to defend themselves, the irate girl shrieked. "My brother was not a fool!" She huffed. "Don't you dare talk ill of him ever again!"

As they apologized to the girl, the Afro-haired man shook his head in disapproval. Behind his mask, the former prince of Britannia scowled. They didn't even have faith in their former leader, something I never knew, He reflected. I'll keep that in mind... in case things get dark.

Back in the Lamperouge Residence, C.C was seen lying on Lelouch's bed, staring at the wall while swinging her legs up and down. Surprisingly, she wasn't surrounded by empty boxes of pizza, and there wasn't even an open box with a half eaten one, or even a slice in her hand.

"C.C? Are you there?"

The look on the immortal witch's face remained unchanged. "Yes."

"I was worried because you didn't contact me in a couple of days."

"I was busy getting to know more about the one whom I gave a Geass to."

"I see. So, what did you know about them?"

"He's a young man who's very interesting."

"... that's not what I wanted to know, though I do find it surprising that you finally found someone who is 'interesting' enough for you."

As the pizza-loving woman remained silent, the unknown talker spoke. "What else did you find out about him?"

"He's not very trusting of others and is very cautious."

"Many people are like that. What's his name?"

"His name is-"

Suddenly, the door swung open, causing the witch to turn her head to see who had just 'entered'. It was none other than Lelouch, carrying a big shoulder bag which without a doubt had that peculiar-looking outfit in it. His face showed that he was annoyed, or more accurately, angry. It was obvious to her that he heard her talking, though he doesn't seem surprised that no one was in the room and she wasn't holding a cellphone. "You're back," She said casually, trying to avoid the subject. "How did the journey go?"

The Britannian youth folded his arms. I should've dealt with this sooner. "You know, I find it quite ironic that an immortal witch can communicate with the dead," He stated in a snarky tone with a hint of exasperation. "You better not communicate with that... 'specter' ever again." His tone sounded as if he was threatening her.

The golden-eyed woman shrugged indifferently. "And why should I listen to you?" She inquired.

"Maybe you'll change your mind after hearing this: I won't make your wish come true."

C.C's expression remained passive, albeit with a hint of seriousness. "You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me," The black-haired boy closed the door behind him and pulled something from his bag, a handgun. He pointed it at his temple, almost causing the usually emotionless girl's eyes to widen in shock. "Before I got my Geass from you, my life had no meaning," He began. "I was merely a hollow shell, and I felt as if each day drained a little amount of my life energy. It was more akin to slow death, and the only reason as to why I continue to live is my sister Nunnally." That used to be the case, and then lots of people -whether he knew before he began his quest or after- started to mean something to him. But then again... "However, when I got my Geass, I realized that if I don't do anything, I may not only lose my sister but also the friends I came to care for. If I were to go back to a life like that, then I'd rather..." His finger started to slowly pull the trigger...

"Wait!" The ageless woman jumped from the bed. "I understand. You were living a life without meaning, and you also figured out that you will lose your loved ones if you don't do anything." You knew that the person I was talking to will pose a threat to you as you probably deduced that they may have a connection to Charles, thus putting your sister and friends in danger.

The boy with the violet eyes nodded at her. "Now that you understand, can you please sever your connection with whoever that was?"

She shrugged. "Sure," But then her eyes turned serious. "But that won't stop them from trying to discern the identity of the one whom I gave a Geass to. They could also come to the conclusion that Zero is the one I gave a Geass to."

"Still, they will remain in the dark about Zero's true identity." At least for the time being.

It was the time of the execution. Prince Clovis la Britannia was sitting on a mobile throne with a communication device attached to his right ear, with four Sutherlands in front surrounding a vehicle which had Suzaku Kururugi on it. He was wearing a white straitjacket with two soldiers holding rifles standing over him. From a logical point of view, having two soldiers pointing rifles at a man whose hands were tied behind his back was... not very smart. Not to mention that he had a collar on to his neck that prevented him from speaking.

Lelouch wondered why would they do something like this, but then again the Britannians in the military weren't known for their high intelligence... with the exception of his sister Cornelia and Villetta Nu. He was glad that he got rid of the latter early on, and he hoped that he won't have to deal with the former if the Emperor saw his half-brother unfit to rule Area 11.

People from around the world sat down to watch the execution parade, and that also included the Student Council of Ashford Academy. But more interestingly, Nunnally was also there even though she couldn't see and standing behind her was... Lelouch? Or was it really Lelouch? Master Lelouch... be careful. Guess who?

The crippled young lady was wearing a frown on her face; she was obviously worried for her convicted childhood friend, and her big brother's words didn't make her feel at ease either. Oh, Suzaku...
She moved her right hand to grip her 'brother's'. As she did, however, she frowned. This hand... this is Miss Sayoko's hand! But the voice is my big brother's! What's going on...?

Back to the parade, Jeremiah Gottwald, who was leading the execution got a call from one of the soldiers telling him that a vehicle was approaching and it looked like Prince Clovis'. The teal-haired Purist grinned before speaking on the communication device. "Your Highness, I received some Intel telling me that someone is approaching while disguising their vehicle to look like your personal carriage," He reported. "Shall we stop here?"

"Yes, please do, Jeremiah." The blond prince confirmed.

The vehicle carrying the Honorary-Britannian and Knightmares came to a halt after hearing the leader of the Purists' order. Said man then demanded the 'disrespectful' people to show themselves, only to see the Britannian flag on top of the car burning away, revealing a figure wearing a strange outfit and a mask, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise and orange eyes to widen before the owner of said eyes grinned. A disguise to hide your identity and gender, eh? He thought. Clever, but it won't last for long.

Behind the mask, the teenager scowled as he saw the man before him grin. Why is he grinning? He asked himself in slight worry. Is it possible that he also came back from the future? That would've been VERY beneficial to the revolutionary prince, but seeing as how the loyal man didn't contact him at all, he deduced that Jeremiah didn't come back. "I am Zero."

And everything unfolded similarly to the last timeline. Jeremiah ordering four Sutherlands to surround the fake vehicle, him demanding Zero to remove his mask only for the masked man to snap his fingers and reveal a gas canister. At first, the teal-haired man's eyes widened, but his now infamous grin appeared on his face once again. You thought I didn't know what that canister contained, didn't you? He asked. And because of that, you decided to use it to make us believe that you've taken everyone here a hostage. Soon enough, his grin was replaced by a deep frown as he realized something. But because the canister is now empty... she could've filled it with REAL poison gas! This is not good! He gritted his teeth as he pointed his gun at the masked man. "What are you planning to do with that?!"

The one hiding behind the mask couldn't help but feel uneasy upon seeing the orange-eyed man's changing expressions. From a grin to a scowl to a grit of teeth that ended with him aiming his weapon at the young man. Not to mention him asking that question before Lelouch could taunt him thus causing him to ask what he wanted. "Relax. All I want to do is a simple exchange: This for Suzaku Kururugi."

"You're insane!" The Purist exclaimed. "This man tried to kill Prince Clovis! There's no way I would hand him to you!"

"That's alright, Jeremiah. He can have Kururugi."

Everyone turned their heads towards the one who said that, Viceroy Clovis la Britannia. They were shocked to hear the prince issue such an order. After all, he just told his subordinates to release the man who had threatened to kill him. While the soldiers who were aiming their rifles at Kururugi were confused at first, they proceeded to remove the ties from the former Japanese young man's wrists. "STOP!" Only to stop after hearing the Purists' leader's shout.

"J-Jeremiah," A blond-haired Purist, Kewell Soresi stuttered. "What are you doing?! You're disobeying an order from Prince Clovis!"

The former prince smirked at the irony of the current situation. Previously, the man with the orange eyes demanded his subordinates to release Kururugi due to the influence of Zero's Geass, with Kewell asking his leader what was he doing. Now, Jeremiah was the one stopping his subordinates from releasing the accused man while the blond Purist protested about his leader not obeying the orders of a royal prince.

Still... "YOU! I know you're the one who tried to kill His Highness!" The teal-haired Margrave lowered his gun and pointed his free hand at the masked man.

This revelation stunned everyone present, and then the blond subordinate turned to Jeremiah once more. "W-What are you saying, Jeremiah?!"

"Kewell, this man- no... this WOMAN was the one who tried to assassinate Prince Clovis."

Now everyone was completely floored by what the Margrave said. Elsewhere, Bartley was seen palming his face. "That idiot," He muttered. "I told him to not spill the beans!"

The violet eyes of the exiled prince widened in utter disbelief. W-W-W-Woman?! Where the hell did that come from?!

"H-How do you know that?!" Kewell asked, still not convinced.

The furious Purist immediately calmed down once he realized that he had said too much. He did promise the stout general to not tell anyone about the immortal woman. Damn it! I have to think of something quick! He promptly found an explanation. "A female prisoner was reported to have escaped few days ago," He began. "That woman probably took this opportunity to reach Prince Clovis and threatened to kill him if he doesn't abide to her demands. She told him to accuse Kururugi to make him look like a hero to the Elevens, and then swoop in to 'save' him and make herself the 'true' hero."

More gasps were heard in the crowds of people. Even the 'Elevens' who were watching this at home were also shocked to hear such a thing. One Japanese man who had very short red hair groaned and slammed his fist on the table in front of him. That man's name was Shinichiro Tamaki. "Damn it! Why did Ohgi and Kallen agree to help this wench?!" The rest of the members couldn't help but agree with their comrade.

Inside the car, Kallen who was dressed as a chauffeur like last time looked up. Her sapphire blue eyes narrowed behind the shades she wore. "Zero... it's not true... is it...?" She asked herself in a whisper; her faith was somewhat shaken by the revelation from the teal-haired Britannian. Her hands started shaking while gripping the steering wheel... but after a short while, her hands relaxed as she shook her head. Get a grip, Kallen! She chided herself. Britannians are liars. He could be saying all of this to make Zero look bad in the eyes of the Japanese.

Elsewhere, Ohgi who was in the truck on the bridge gritted his teeth. "Why did we agree to help this guy...?" He asked himself in regret. "He's probably just a kid playing hero..." He shook his head.

Suzaku's green eyes hardened into a death glare. You... you are without a doubt the woman who was in the canister, right? He wondered bitterly. So, not only did you force Prince Clovis to accuse me of trying to kill him, but you also had the audacity to appear and 'save' me from my execution that you yourself were responsible for! He gritted his teeth while still retaining his glare. And what about Lelouch? You better not have hurt him in any way or even worse, killed him. If I find out that you have done something bad to him, I won't hesitate to arrest you if the soldiers agreed to let me go!

As for Lelouch, his violet eyes widened, but this time, they became big because he figured out how the hell did 'Orange' get to that conclusion. I see! He exclaimed in his head. He actually figured out that it was C.C inside the canister! But how?! He never knew in the previous timeline! Was it possible that some different events occur even when he doesn't do anything? But then, he thought more about it and deduced something else. Unless someone told him about the content of the canister, though it strikes me as shocking that Clovis' lackeys would tell Jeremiah about Code-R considering how secretive they are. Well, it seems Clovis's subordinates weren't the most trustworthy bunch after all...

Still, I have to give credit to Jeremiah for uncovering most of the truth... even though it will most likely cause me some trouble in the future, whether with Suzaku himself or the Black Knights. The masked prince thought grimly to himself.

Soresi shot a stern glare at the crowd. "Stop overreacting for the littlest things!" He shouted and then looked at his leader. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to calm himself. "Jeremiah... no prisoner was reported to have escaped the last few days, so don't make these false claims again! This is high treason and you know that very well, Lord Jeremiah."

"But I'm not making false claims, Kewell!" The Margrave turned to face his prince. "Your Highness, you don't have to pretend anymore. Just admit to everyone what I said was true and I promise you that every single soldier standing here will fill this damn terrorist's body with every single bullet from every single gun and riffle that we have here."

"That's enough, Jeremiah!" Kewell exclaimed, having enough of his leader's bantering. "You're making yourself look like a fool!"

The masked prince couldn't help but agree. This is more humiliating for him than the Orange Incident. He thought before a frown appeared on his hidden lips. Still, I'm grateful for that fool Kewell for not believing Jeremiah's claims. I would've been dead if the opposite happened. Sweat ran down his face; it seems that luck was finally smiling for him again... or at least he hoped so.

The teal-haired purist ignored his subordinate's shouting. "Your Highness! Give us the order!"

"Jeremiah, release Kururugi at once," The viceroy ordered in a monotone voice. "That is the order."

The Margrave's jaw dropped to the ground, and the blond Purist gritted his teeth before turning to one of the soldiers. "You there! Release Kururugi!"

The soldier immediately obeyed, and the angry Suzaku walked down to meet with the one who 'saved' him. "So, are you really a-" His question was stopped by a shock from the collar.

Lelouch frowned again in annoyance. Even Suzaku thinks I'm a woman... and I shouldn't be too surprised that he's angry, huh? Of course, not after everything that Jeremiah said, even with Kewell falsifying his leader's claims.

As Zero, Suzaku and Kallen escaped using wires, the now crazy leader of the Purists tried to go after them by using his Knightmare, but was stopped by the other Knightmares. "What are you doing?!" He demanded, wriggling in their grasp. "Don't let them escape! Let me GO!"

The masked person pressed a button, and on cue, the canister opened. But instead of colored smoke like last time... it actually contained sweets and candies! When the children who were standing on the sidelines saw them piled, their eyes glimmered in joy before rushing to the canister; their parents tried to stop them, but it was futile. After all, how can a parent stop a child when they see sweets piled together?

Suzaku's green eyes widened in disbelief. S-Sweets?

"This is a gift from me to you, children!" Zero proclaimed.

"Thanks, Lady Zero!" They all exclaimed in happiness.

Hearing that caused the revolutionary to groan; he didn't even bother to resist the urge to do so. Upon hearing this, the once-convicted man looked at his mysterious 'savior' and realized that Zero wasn't a woman. He raised an eyebrow in surprise; this masked 'woman' was a man after all. The Honorary Britannian then frowned. Even though you're not the person I expected you to be, something tells me that what Lord Jeremiah had said was true, that you were the one who had tried to kill Prince Clovis if he didn't listen to your demands. His eyes darkened. I don't plan to arrest you anymore, but I still want to know some things from you.

"You children! Don't eat that! It could be poisonous!" The frantic Purist roared.

Many kids ignored him and continued to stuff their faces with all kinds of candy, but some of them turned to the teal-haired man, stuck their tongues out and blew raspberries. This made Jeremiah grit his teeth in complete irritation before groaning loudly.

Kewell pinched the bridge of his nose as he had no idea what to do in a situation like this. He turned back to look at the prince. How can he retain his calmness in these circumstances? As much as he hated to admit it, the prince did NOT act like this during a situation like this one. While Prince Clovis was a calm individual most of the time, he would lose his cool and panic when he's under pressure. So, how was it possible for him to remain THIS calm not only during this eventful night, but also for the past few days?! His eyes are half-open, and he seems so out of it... just what the hell is going on with Prince Clovis?!

TBC...

So that last scene was something completely random, but let me tell you this. It's preparation for next chapter. Prepare yourselves.

I was going to clear some misconceptions regarding a certain character from CG, but I decided against it.

So, about Sugiyama and Yoshida, I have no idea what they thought of Naoto. That just came out of the blue. No fan of CG has any idea on what the group thought of Naoto when he was the leader, no thanks to the writers. I wish some flashbacks were shown to us about the old days of the resistance. We would've gotten to know more about Kallen's past as well as the others' relationship with their deceased leader, aside from Kallen and Ohgi of course.

Thanks for reading. Please review.