The Demon and the Red Moon

Spinzaku Fact: Unnumbered: DO NOT engage subject Milly Asheford into the act of spin-kicking. You will regret pissing her off that much.

Chapter 23

Nunnally couldn't see, but she could guess she'd been moved to a room somewhere higher up in the government building than the apartments Schneizel had provided for her.

"Nunnally." The small princess almost jerked back such was her wince at the voice. She knew the person attached to that authoritarian baritone, she'd heard it all the time, even after moving to Japan. She could only just remember the face that belonged to it, never smiling down at her, but staring down at her all the same, with dirty blonde hair that Nunnally possessed herself, unlike her brother. And her eyes matched this man's she knew.

Nunnally mentally decided to act polite, even though every desire in her broken body wanted to scream and rage.

"Father," she greeted, as impersonally as she was able.

"I'm relieved to see you well," Charles zi Britannia said. His tone was not a warm tone, nor filled with relief or love.

"Are you?" Nunnally asked in a challenging tone. "Why?"

"You dare speak to your father with such impertinence?" Charles demanded. Nunnally even heard whispers coming from her closest handmaids to desist such rudeness.

"I dare," Nunnally challenged. "And why should I not? You made it clear through actions that I was worth nothing to you."

"You overstep yourself," Charles declared.

"How ironic," Nunnally replied instantly, her anger bleeding through her voice. "A girl in a wheel chair overstepping. Even if I can move my legs, I have never stepped over any line, as you should well know. You would know, if you had visited your crippled daughter." Her father did not speak. Was he pausing. Actually taken aback by a crippled girl.

"I gave you your life, your name, your very existence is thanks to me!"

"You gave me a half life," Nunnally refuted, her anger roiling now. "You could have protected mother, then I would not have lost her. Then I could walk for myself and have children. I'll never walk nor look down at my baby's face. Then you sent me away, and I lost my father and my home as well. What did you give me to be thankful for? A life to be lived vicariously through those around me? A human shaped parasite called Nunnally?"

"Or," Nunnally continued, "shall I number the times that I've awoken in the middle of the night at the memory of mother's body falling atop me, of being dragged away, seeing a red trail following me? I'll not deny the Emperor, choose on what I should thank you for, father?"

Nunnally actually heard in the following silence one of the nearest servants whispering a single 'damn' in astonishment.

"You blame me for events beyond my control. Your rage is misdirected."

"Who should I blame then, Emperor?" It wasn't a question, more of a blatant accusation.

Charles began laughing. Nunnally's rage burned even hotter in her chest at the sound.

"You are so like your mother, my beautiful child!" Charles's exclamation stunned some of the fire from Nunnally. "Marianne's blood runs hot in both her children, it seems. Do you know what Lelouch has done, even now?"

"What would you know of Lelouch?" Nunnally asked, accusing again.

"What indeed, would I know of Lelouch?"

0.0.0

"I know Lelouch has a traitor in his midst," Kallen shrieked, exasperated. Jeremiah frowned but didn't react any further at the countess. "You've been trying to kill him the whole time anyway, what do you care?"

"Prince Lelouch was unknown to me until recently," Jeremiah declared, as if that explained everything.

"Wait," Rivalz suddenly added, catching on. Milly jumped slightly, as if remembering. "Kallen's cheating on a prince who's also named Lelouch?" Kallen exhaled strongly through her nose as she placed the butt of her hand softly against her head to relieve a rising pressure that might become a headache.

Rivalz got it a moment later.

"Oh." Then he paused a second time as he comprehended the news.

"OOOOOH!" Milly gave an embarrassed sideways glance at Rivalz and covered her mouth, not wanting to speak or burst out laughing.

0.0.0

"Brother," Lelouch greeted, smirking. "Earnestly, you look quite well."

Schneizel couldn't help but smile. Not through any sense of being flattered, but strictly through his routine of smiling at a compliment.

"Considering we thought you dead, you look even more so," Schneizel declared, politely returning the compliment, and commenting upon Lelouch being alive after so long.

"You should never underestimate motivation," Lelouch declared. The black prince glanced at Villeta meaningfully. "This one is quite driven to advancement. One would suggest she rethink it, given a present example of a half-commoner prince turning to rebellion." Lelouch was about to add more, when Schneizel surprised him, the blonde prince placing a pair of sunglasses over his blue eyes.

"Oh, that's right," Lelouch said, almost chuckling sheepishly, "I forgot you've already seen my Geass power. When I used it in front of you, I was somewhat caught up in the moment." Lelouch paused and noticed that his case was on the table before Schneizel. That was excellent. "And you have my costume already here for me, I see."

"I must admit," Schneizel declared, "As a device of charisma, it is quite good, and very theatrical."

"So what now, then? A ballad? A game of chess, for old time's sake?"

"Capital idea, Lelouch," Schneizel noted, and waved a finger. At once, a board already set up was carried by a groomsman and set before Schneizel. "Please sit down." A trio of fully armored guards raised rifles at Lelouch.

Lelouch sat down across from his older brother with a smile.

"I must admit, I've grown to find this game rather simple compared to real battle." The second prince tilted his head slightly at the eleventh prince's words. "People are different."

"Wait," Villeta exclaimed, angrily. "This boy is a criminal, and should be dealt with!"

"Did you not engage in the action in the Shinjuku Ghetto?" Lelouch asked, not looking at the ebony knight. "I'm sure you'll include that valiant action against unarmed civilians in your resume after my capture." Schneizel's head snapped, actually snapped, to gaze at Villeta with black shades over his eyes seeming even colder than judgmental eyes.

"When I leave this building," Lelouch continued, "I'm going to take Nunnally with me. You can have Villeta and Ohgi, I'm sure they'll make able allies. I couldn't have done this without them." Schneizel looked back to Lelouch.

"I actually wanted to ask you a question Schneizel, and I know you're an honest man."

0.0.0

"Lelouch vi Britannia is the elventh prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia, from Marianne vi Britannia ne Lamperouge, by Emperor Charles zi Britannia," Jeremiah declared. Rivalz could only stare, still disbelieving. Milly and Kallen were perfectly accepting, already knowing. Kallen actually looked over at Milly, seeing the blonde's lack of reaction.

"You knew?" Kallen asked, surprised.

"We grew to teenagers in the same house, of course I knew!" Milly noted with a giggle.

Kallen's eyes darkened as she remembered exactly what Milly was, a hormone addled buxom who flitted to things with the energy of three people her age.

"What did you do," Kallen accused at Milly. Milly blinked.

"Nothing!" Milly decried, defensively.

"Would you two be competing for Prince Lelouch's heart, then?" Jeremiah asked, formal as ever.

Leave it to Camillia Asheford to make it even more awkward with her response. She smiled cheerfully, and just blurted it out as if she had no other care in the world.

"Kallen's got his heart, I was trying to get at his other parts!"

In her older years, Milly had one secondary regret about this time of her life.

She didn't have a picture of the reaction to that sentence.

Kallen blushed hard enough that she actually managed to turn a shade similar to her hair. Rivalz's mandible seemingly lost all muscle control and dropped three inches, and Jeremiah paused for so long that Milly later swore he'd shorted out.

"We are not done with this," Kallen hissed after a moment. "Why are you so interested in help Lelouch all of a sudden?" Jeremiah frowned at Kallen. The redhead actually saw regret burning in his one human eye, a deep regret.

"What do you know of Marianne?" Jeremiah asked softly.

"She was Lelouch's mother," Kallen replied, "A french knight from Japan that rose to become Empress of Britannia." Jeremiah didn't look away as Kallen rattled off the facts she knew.

"I swore to serve and protect Marianne before she married the Emperor, and I continued to do so as her personal knight. I know Lelouch and Nunnally as well. And I failed, and I must do all in my power to redeem myself to Marianne's children."

Kallen couldn't believe it, but the fervor in the cyborg's eye was unreal in how honest it actually was. "Miss Kallen," Jeremiah added, "if you can help me to prove my loyalty to prince Lelouch I beg you." With that the knight dropped to one knee before a half-blood daughter of a lesser noble, begging to serve.

Kallen looked away, feeling acutely emberassed at being bowed too, and then noticed that the whole of Asheford was staring.

"Get up," she hissed with a growl. Jeremiah did rise, to the redhead's relief. As if on cue Kallen's phone buzzed and she opened the device to read a text. "You'll get your chance it seems, Orange boy."

0.0.0

"Marianne was killed inside the most secure city in the whole of the Empire, if not the world itself," Lelouch recited the fact plainly. "There are faults in my memory of the event, which I believe were somehow placed there artificially. But you, Schneizel you are the second most powerful man in the Empire, and as such you are ideally placed to know the truth."

Schneizel contemplated the idea for a moment.

"It's true," Schneizel admitted. "I was put in charge of your mother's remains, and I can deduce that Clovis or Cornelia may have told you as such."

"Your mother?" Ohgi asked. "This is all about your mother?" His demanding question was clear, as was the meaning behind the words. Ohgi was accusing Lelouch about the prince's motivation to be Zero.

"My vendetta is just as valid as yours, Kaname," Lelouch retorted.

"I believed in Japan again because of you," Ohgi ranted. "I didn't need a vendetta to fight for that belief." Lelouch grit his teeth. He wasn't going to be denied the truth any longer for an idea.

"I commend you for that belief," Lelouch retorted angrily. "Seek validation elsewhere."

"Kallen trusted you!" Ohgi picked up Lelouch by the scruff of the neck and tackled him to the wall. Lelouch could only gasp at the impact knocking his breath from him. "You don't care about Japan! You just wanted us to conform your own ideals to overthrow Britannia! You're not different to them at all!"

(All these things I gave to you!) Lelouch's rage, long held dormant through force of will burst forth now. His eyes were red embers as he looked back up to Ohgi.

"You're dead!" Lelouch exclaimed. "You've been dead since the moment I saved your life! Who gave you an army to take back your country, your uniform you wear with pride, you victory, the triumph over your rivals? I gave those things to you! I plunged myself into rivers of blood, so you could hold your head high to fight against your oppressor! Have you known the loved ones of those casualties? Have you met them, have they cried to you as you lied that you were innocent?! Have you lied to everyone you love, to spare them the pain you yourself inflict on them?!"

Lelouch froze, his raging outbreak forgotten.

Nunnally.

While Ohgi had pounded Lelouch against the wall...

Nunnally had entered.

Ohgi growled, not seeing anything behind him, only that Lelouch had ceased speaking, his face a mask of shock, leaning against the wall before him. Ohgi growled and raised his fist to strike Lelouch.

"Mr. Ohgi," Schneizel called loudly, choosing this moment to restore order. Ohgi looked and was directed by a wave of a hand to sit down and ease his temper. Lelouch didn't move, Nunnally full in his site. Lelouch's Geass vanished from his eyes, going back further and dying like it never had before.

"You," Nunnally said, wincing at her own words, "You really are Zero, aren't you?"

Lelouch could only emit a pained gasp. Now she knew everything.

Nunnally actually shed a tear from her closed eye as Lelouch said nothing, unable to in the face of the truth.

"I left because I didn't want to be a burden on your happiness, even when Suzaku and Euphie argued that I shouldn't, that you wanted me to be safe. But you are Zero, and now I've heard you declare it, and all I hear is father's words in your voice. What you've done, all those terrible things. Was this your way to create a better world? Where is Shirley's better world? All those people you've killed in the name of a better world, or the revenge it really is, what about those people that desire revenge upon you?"

Lelouch looked down, not wanting to say what he really believed. Schneizel caught on instantly.

"Lelouch, did your plan actually account for the fact that you were just as guilty? Did you plan to do something to yourself in some sort of repayment?" Lelouch's mouth turned in the barest hint of a smile. Schneizel was the brightest, as usual.

"Ever since I knew Shirley's father had been killed by my actions, I planned to take a full punishment. Either Ohgi and Villeta, Shirley herself, or Suzaku would have eventually finished the plan, once Britannia was destroyed."

"This will end, Lelouch," Schneizel declared. The golden prince stood, and Lelouch actually looked up at his older brother. "You won't be leaving my custody, with your sister or without."

"If I stop now, what was all the fighting worth? All those people who've lost those they loved, are sins to be just forgiven and forgotten? No," Lelouch stood straight again, not leaning against the wall. "Japan is about to become the battlefield I've set up. No one will be able to sit by and watch. Your reckoning is here, Britannia."

Nunnally actually sobbed, seeming to fold in on herself.

"You'd unleash that again?" Lelouch looked back at his sister, feeling moisture run down his cheek despite himself. "We nearly died when Britannia invaded, but you'd unleash that chaos and upheaval on this land again?"

"No," Lelouch corrected. "This time it needs to be worse. Britannia will be made to realize that it cannot function by stepping upon the bones of other peoples. A great number of people are going to die in fire and light and Britannia will know what it's like to lose its pride. And when the Emperor comes to regain control I'll use my Geass and make him give the world its freedom again."

"I can stop you, Lelouch," Schneizel declared. Lelouch actually blinked in surprise, looking back at his older brother again.

"'Stop' me?"

0.0.0

"I've detected Prince Lelouch's location beacon," Jeremiah declared. He flipped a control in the Knightmare's cockpit.

0.0.0

"I'm not predicting what's going to come to pass. I'm telling you, it's already been enacted. Castle." Lelouch's final word was spoken louder and more clearly.

The phrase had been programmed into a detonator when Lelouch had first begun his mission as Zero. Lelouch had anticipated that he may be captured, and that his uniform might need to be destroyed. The phrase triggered something in the case that held Zero's mask.

The case exploded with a burst of purple smoke, dark enough to turn the room to night. Lelouch dropped to the floor.

0.0.0

'The aim needs to be perfect,' Lelouch had said. 'Fire at the wrong angle, or with a burst of the cannons for a few seconds too long and you could vaporise the room. I've calculated it. Ohgi is going to pull me out of the line of fire if I know him. But if I achieve my objective or not, I can't be captured.'

C had merely stared, though she clearly agreed.

0.0.0

Jeremiah had fired as instructed, and the Gawain's cannons and Lelouch's predetermined targeting had done the rest. The outside wall of the room had been disintegrated, and the black and gold Knightmare floated over to provide a swift escape for Lelouch. The black prince tossed off the coat as he ran, it might catch the wind and throw off his jump. Th smoke, with a clear exit, blew from the room quickly, but it had achieved the moment Lelouch needed.

He jumped and trusted to the Gawain's pilot. He was caught in the golden hand of the knightmare. As Lelouch sighed with relief and not dying from falling, he also felt defeated. He'd failed. Utterly. Surviving the encounter may have been actually worse than failing. He moved to a crouching position in the hand.

"Lelouch!" It was a barest whisper in the roar of the wind. Still, Lelouch turned to look at the room from whence he'd jumped. Nunnally had rolled close to where the wall had been, only stopped by Schneizel putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. His little sister, his most cherished, held out her slim hand, pleading.

Lelouch's face went to a smile, even if his sorrow filled his amethyst eyes. His sister might never forgive him, but she still loved him. That was a minor comfort. Tiny, but the tiny spark of hope was worth holding to. Lelouch was jolted when the hand moved to deposit Lelouch to the cockpit of the gold Knightmare.

Lelouch took a step and dropped down into the cockpit, sighing at the cessation of the wind.

"Well done," He began, then looked down at the pilot. Jeremiah looked over his shoulder to meet Lelouch's shocked gaze with his human eye.

"Jeremiah?!" Lelouch's heart almost gave way from yet another shock tonight.

"Thank you, my prince," Jeremiah said gratefully, choosing to ignore Lelouch's surprise. "Come, let's away." Lelouch couldn't look away as Orange boy moved the Gawain away from the government building.

0.0.0

Milly and Rivalz were waiting with Kallen as Jeremiah deposited Lelouch to the Black Knight headquarters. Tohdoh also emerged. Lelouch was helmetless. Was there really a point to his mask anymore, he wondered briefly.

Diethard emerged a moment after Tohdoh and took one look at Lelouch before doing a double take.

"A Britannian student?! Even I couldn't imagine a twist like that," the reporter exclaimed, with indecent loudness. Lelouch began to walk toward the small gathering when Milly stormed forward, anger flashing in her blue eyes.

"Milly," Lelouch greeted, monotone. In response, Camillia Asheford brought her hand hard across Lelouch's cheek, turning the princess's hand with a thunderclap of sound from the impact. Lelouch turned his head to frown at Milly, who then promptly repeated her action with the other hand.

"You deserve this for what you did to Shirley," Milly roared as she brought her first hand to slap Lelouch again. She was stopped by Jeremiah catching her by the wrist.

"You will not strike the prince again," Jeremiah declared. Milly's rage fueled eyes went to Jeremiah.

"That was a dumb move, Orange," Milly declared, resolve in her expression.

"How so?" Jeremiah demanded, unimpressed. Milly drew back her right leg, and swung it hard between Lelouch's legs, hitting just the right spot to bend Lelouch over in agony. The group standing behind Milly actually gave out a few gasps, and even Tohdoh's stoicism was interrupted by the blow raising both of the samurai's eyebrows.

"Ah," was all Jeremiah could say. "My apologies, prince Lelouch."

Lelouch's first reply was a cough.

"It's fine," Lelouch added after regaining his breath. Kallen was impressed that Lelouch's voice remained at its normal timbre, instead of raising an octave or three. "I deserve all that and worse." Lelouch dropped to one knee, trying to recover from the blow. "I made a mistake, and it cost Shirley. I was careless."

"Milly, it's my fault, too," Kallen claimed, stepping forward, trying to draw some of Milly's ire away from Lelouch.

"What is it worth," Milly demanded. "Not just to destroy Britannia, but yourself at the same time?" Lelouch looked up at Milly, eyes wide. "Even if you survive this, if you lose you're life's over. If you escape, they'll never stop hunting you. In you win, how many people will hate you? You don't have any masks anymore."

Lelouch looked down slightly, remembering Schneizel's deduction about him.

"I have thought about it," Lelouch admitted.

"Hey, what's this meeting going on-?" Tamaki stopped talking as he saw what was going on. He then raised a pistol and aimed in the general direction of Jeremiah, Milly, and Lelouch. "What are these Britannians doing here?"

"Tamaki!" Diethard scolded. "That school boy is Zero, lower your weapon immediately!"

"That guy's Zero?!" Tamaki shouted, surprised. Tohdoh actually verbally scowled, emitting a long-suffering growl of a noise to go along with his expression.

"Yes, I am the man who claims to be Zero," Lelouch declared, exasperated.

"And he's a prince of Britannia," Milly added, scowling.

"Yeah," Kallen added, feeling like adding for no reason other than to add more speaking. "He's a Britannian, and a prince, and he's Zero."

"Yeah," Rivalz added, nervously following Kallen's example. "The Prince formally known as Zero." Lelouch's head actually creaked slightly as it slowly turned to direct a glare at Rivalz.

Tamaki just stared between the Britannians, mouth open. He then holstered his pistol to deliver two thumbs up in Lelouch's direction, along with:

"You're awesome, dude! After we win, I'm gonna start a restaurant themed after you!"

0.0.0

AN= so...really that chapter did absolutely nothing save kinda wrap up Ohgi and Villeta. Admittedly Lelouch fully notes that he failed in his goal, and he did, but he warned of the storm coming, which was to my plan, but still. Ultimately I tried about three times to get something viable to write, and this was less than what I wanted, but what I wanted also was the beginning of the battle for Tokyo/Japan, introduce Suzaku's participation and his abi- whooops, a bit ahead of myself there. Oh, I've got like thirteen more twists just waiting, and if you guys guess them, than good for you, you have been paying way more attention than I thought. Was planning to kill Cornelia off a bit, so...look forward to that...?

Funnily enough, Tohdoh now knows Lelouch, as does Diethard and I assume many of the senior Black Knights know Lelouch Lamperouge is Zero. And if any of them didn't seem him here, trust me, Tamaki will let them know.

Kind of an amusing note, but after writing a few pages of just kicking Lelouch in the balls in every way but literally, I decided to just do it literally. Thank you Milly for always being held in reserve as the great groin kicker when a character needs knocked down a peg. Almost tempted to put her next to V, and place bets on whether V rings the bell at the top of the measure with his head after Milly delivers. I want this to be your last mental image as you go to sleep after reading this, Milly kicking the child V into a bell so hard that his head rings it, and he falls right back down to do it again.

So, Now that I hopefully have made you roll on the floor laughing uncontrollably and possibly having your sombrero and fall off and drop your taco, time to answer some reviews.

Hellwyrm- I will be the first to admit this did not go according to plan. I will also admit that that plan was written in Crayon.

Anastacius- *ahem* WAAAAAAZZZZZUUUUPPPP? 8PPPPPPP Unfortunately, there may or may not be nice chapters ahead. Just repeated pages of kicking Lelouch in his emotional genitals.

KingofHeartless- Sorry, you have implied that Lelouch makes bad plays. The Inquisition will take your statement before summary execution.

Scarease- Hello little brother.

Forthwait WHAT?! *reads name again* that Forthwith? *checks link* THAT FORTHWITH? I'm actually so glad you reviewed this, if you happen to read this, your Geass for Kallen is excellent, and I am stealing the idea, because it very thematically fits a certain death seeker. They will be using it quite creatively I think when it is introduced as being possessed by him her, thing, it, or Arthur the cat, whomsover he or she or it Or POSSIBLY POSSSIBLY(!) Suzaku it is. It's not Suzaku, unless I'm lying, whych I may be. I misspelled which to throw anyone who reads this off by later mentioning that I misspelled it.