Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or settings shown here.

Times were tough for us faunus back then, we barely counted as people, and everyone was more than happy to continue thinking that. Not us though, we knew we were different, but that didn't make them better than us! That's why we rose up, all across Menagerie, groups of faunus rose up in resistance! We fought tooth and nail!.. But sometimes, that isn't enough... I'm not going to lie; we were unskilled, unorganized, unprepared, and we were losing, losing badly. Every battle was just loss after loss after loss, and it wasn't just us rebels that were attacked, they came after everyone; men, women, young, old, rebel, non-combatant. If you were a faunus, you were going to get shot.

People were beginning to feel it you know, that sense of hopelessness, that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. There had been talk of even just surrendering, of begging for forgiveness! That the punishment was better than death.

Pvt. Alex Slate

An Orated History: The Faunus Revolution

This new planet was different, yet eerily similar to earth. Like the matter of everyone speaking Britannian of all things. But other than that, most things were utterly different than his earth.

Monsters called Grimm, huntsmen, dust, faunus.

Life here was truly different than back on earth.

'Grimm; monsters of the night, mankind's enemy of the night' the man mused before his eyes caught something, causing him to frown in displeasure. 'But not its greatest' he thought as he watch a man with antlers continue to be kicked. 'That titles goes to ourselves.'

He watched as the group of young men grow tired as the faunus stopped moving. Several moments later, a couple other faunus quickly came over and picked up their compatriot and made off.

'Some things never change...' He thought darkly as he went on his way back to his place of lodging. Noting how the faunus that he passed made sure to have their heads down and shoulders hunched as he passed. They looked gaunt, overworked. Life in the mines was pitiful.

He sighed.

Things here reminded him greatly of Japan.

He grimaced. As he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. Where they remained, throbbing, a dull headache of a reminder.

Thoughts of home were always followed by a sense of sadness.

The crowd was silent as they tried to comprehend what they saw; the tyrant, the evil, the monster, Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Britannian Empire, was just stabbed through by Zero, the man they all thought was long dead.

"Le-Lelouch" Suzaku whispered, tears falling down his face under the mask.

"This is punishment for you as well…" Lelouch whispered as he bent over in pain. "You will wear that mask forever," Lelouch wetted his hand in his own blood. "You are no longer Kururugi Suzaku… You will sacrifice your happiness… for the world" Lelouch clasped his bloody hand on the side of the Zero mask.

"I accept… this Geass" Suzaku answered.

Lelouch's bloody hand fell away as he lost strength in his body. Zero pulled the blade out and Lelouch took a step back to steady himself before falling forward as momentum took control.

Time seemed to slow as he slid down the ramp of his float. He was losing his sight, he could barely make out an indistinguishable blob at his side. He could still hear, but it was as if everything was coming through a filter.

The blob at his side began to speak and it took Lelouch a moment to realize that it was Nunnally, precious Nunnally.

There was so much left he wanted to say, but he just didn't have the strength to speak. He wanted to reach out to her, but his arms felt like lead.

Lelouch smile faintly, he held so much regret. So many sins. But the plan will succeed, it had too. Zero Requiem was all there was left for a chance at a more peaceful world, a better world, a new world...

A world for Nunnally to live in.

"Yes, I have... destroyed the world... and created... it... anew" Lelouch murmured as his weakening vision finally goes dark.

"You reckon he's still alive?"

"I dunno, I guess we should check"

Lelouch awoke to something poking him on the cheek.

Lelouch was abruptly brought back to consciousness in his dingy room to the sound of yelling and glass breaking. Instantly alert, his hand went for the handgun he kept upon his current nightstand. While the other went for the light switch.

His eyes took a second to adjust to the sudden change from darkness, but there were no other occupants of his room but himself. Though the yelling seemed to be coming from outside.

His curiosity piqued, he cautiously peeked through the blinds to see many people on the streets, some were holding signs while others threw rocks or bottles. They were yelling and moving as a unit, a possible rally, or riot even?

There was the sound of sirens in the distance, the crowd appeared to become even more agitated.

'Riot then' Lelouch thought as he watch the group of people luckily be moving down the street away from him.

Lelouch pondered what would happen now. There was most likely going to be a crackdown in response. And true to his thoughts, the sound of sirens were becoming louder, though the mob had moved past his line of sight.

Lelouch was just deciding whether he should go back to sleep or to turn on the television and see what news there was when Lelouch began to hear another sound over the distant yelling.

Then the yelling increased, and Lelouch could see figures once more, this time running towards him, fleeing the mob that had just passed by minutes ago.

Lelouch raised a brow in confusion before its fellow joined it as more and more figures came into views, a sea of figures fleeing now. Still yelling, but now in apparent terror.

The other sound was also getting louder and louder now, amplified and distorted by the narrowness of the street. It came and went in short burst, in uneven intervals a somewhat metallic sound.

Lelouch's eyes widened.

He knew now.

With his understanding came the sight of the Menagerie Special Constabulary. Those tasked with protecting the various interests of those that controlled Menagerie.

They were chasing after the flee mob members. The thing in their arms flashing, and as they flashed, so did the fleeing figures falter and fall, momentum sending their bodies splayed across the street.

As he continued watching, he began to feel his anger rise.

Some things never did change...

Lelouch was pulled from his dark thoughts at the sound of his motel door bursting open.

Lelouch's gun was already up before his body finished turning.

Lelouch came face to face to two faunus, one male and the other female, One with rabbit ears and the other with fox ears, both looked to be around his age wearing dirty and disheveled clothing.

Lelouch's look of surprise was matched by their look of fear and terror. They flinched at his firearm.

Lelouch could also now hear orders being shouted over the sound of weapon fire. They were coming. They were searching.

Lelouch's mind processed several possible scenarios before making up his mind.

He took a deep breath, nostrils flaring.

How he remembered this feeling! Since arriving in this world, he had always felt something was missing with his current life on Remnant. Life had been dull, it lacked color to his eyes. It lacked everything that made life what it was.

But now he understood. That feeling within his chest was lessening. Replaced by the rush of adrenaline that came with leading troops. That came with control.

Lelouch idly ordered a troop of faunus to hide in the woods by the roadside. He remained with the other half in the tall grass.

Lelouch remembered this feeling, he hadn't felt this alive in a long time. Did that make him a warmonger than? No, he did not thirst for war. But he could not lie to himself, he was very good at what he did; born for it almost. To lead, to command, to play the game... To perform.

Even now, his old theatrics came to the forefront as he took command over the ragtag group, he would not deign to call them 'rebels', let alone an 'army' at this moment. They lacked training, arms, leadership. But that was what he offered to them. So some came, some followed.

Soon, all will.

Lelouch smirked as they came into view, marching down the dirt path. He looked at the switch in his hand. He waited a moment longer before depressing the trigger. Standing up as explosions rocked the columns of soldiers. The attack had commenced. He smirked underneath the mask; he had missed the feeling of a successful strategy.

They had questioned his ability, they had asked for a miracle... They had begged for a kindling of hope.

So who was Zero to deny them?

The festivities were in full swing. They had done it! Victory was theirs after a single year of hard fighting!

But one man wasn't joining in the celebration.

His mind was on the future, his right hand tapping the black king chess piece upon the armrest within what used to be the commander's quarters in the fort.

Things were about to enter a new level of conflict; no longer were the Revolutionaries confined within the borders of just Menagerie, the utter defeat and capture of Fort Castle and its occupants gave them access to the airstrip and with it, access to the other continents.

Now, they could take the war to them. If it came to that of course.

The taking of Fort Castle also left them with an array of weapons, machinery, factories and even raw materials that were in perfect condition; apparently, they expected the Faunus to lose quickly and be promptly sent back to work in the factories and mines. How arrogant.

He smirked. It had been easy, almost laughable so. Having fought against the might of Britannia, and then the rest of the world, the Constabulary stationed here, and the Atlesian Operations Battalion that came after were soundly defeated.

The tapping momentarily stopped as a thoughtful look crossed his face; he needed to reopen the mines, the Dust there was too invaluable to not harvest, and they needed everything they could get their hands on. he was sure the Atlesian forces were going to counterattack. Plus, the dust could be used to open trade and begin the process of legitimization.

He sighed; he needed to get in touch with the Council of Vacuo, they were his best chance of political recognition. With their support, it could force Atlas to back off, especially with the beginnings of an anti-war sentiment forming. Though, it was probably going to cost them an arm and a leg for their support. Which is why he needed those mines fully operational again.

They weren't going to like having to work the mines again. But if they wanted to keep their newly won freedom, some dirty work was the least of their worries.

He snorted. At the very least, the miners will get protective gear this time around.

The tapping resumed as he frowned again; he needed to make sure patrols were still going around, Grimm activity had been on high for a while now, now was a bad time to let their guard down.

He needed to set the framework of a functioning bureaucracy now.

There was still so much work to do in the post-war period.

" -ith the victory at Fort Castle, the Faunus Revolutionary Army held full control over Menagerie. This led to the call for ceasefire by Atlas and then the subsequent Treaty of Durst, where the Faunus were given back the rights initially taken away from them. Menagerie was also officially recognized as the fifth and newest kingdom of Remnant by Vale and Vacuo. Mistral ratified the agreement several years later, and Atlas officially did so just a decade ago. Since the revolution, the new christened kingdom has flourished from a mixture of economic wealth, cultural surge, and also political stability."

"An excellent summary of the Faunus Revolution! Thank you -..." Professor Oobleck paused to recall the name of the speaker.

"... Lelouch. Doctor," the speaker answered the unspoken question. "Lelouch Lamperouge."

A/N: Hi all, Desodus here, been a while. This is my first foray in writing again in over a year. I have nothing to say: I just lost the motivation to write. I lost the drive to write a full story. But now, I hope to relight that fire within myself. I don't promise anything. I've got a lot of unfinished chapters to revisit.