A/N: One of my reviews from last chapter informed me of an error that I failed to notice. When initially researching Madoka Magica lore for this story, I went to a Wikia page that stated that the date Homura went back to was on the 16th day of either March or April. Unsure of which one to actually pick seeing as I thought there was an option based on what I found, I went with April. Turns out, March was the correct month. No big deal. Easily fixed, right? Well, I thought so initially, but right as I was beginning to correct the month of the earlier chapters, I remembered something. Based on the timeline of the Code Geass novel I have, the events with Suzaku that are going to take place in the chapter below happened in April 2010. The way I've written this, I have Homura's return and Suzaku's sinful deed occurring on the same day, and in order to be right lore wise with both, it would call for a huge rewrite...

Ain't nobody got time for that.

So, since I am a bit more biased to Code Geass, I decided to leave the date as is and just accept the fact that my Madoka Magica lore is a bit incorrect. Even so, special thanks to the reviewer who pointed out the mistake to me. He taught me a valuable lesson I won't soon forget. Never trust Wikia. It lies! It lies I tell ya! Anyway, that's all I have to say on that. Enjoy the chapter.

First Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2017 sometime after Lelouch first appears as Zero.

Third Person Narrative = Taking place in the year 2010 when Homura has reset time to a few months before the Britannian invasion of Japan.

Italic Third Person Narrative = These sections are similar to the normal third person narrative accept that the narrator of those scenes is actually a character speaking. For example, C.C. often gives a small speech at the beginning of each episode in Code Geass. In these small speeches, she sometimes refers to herself in the third person. Assume that if this type of narrative shows up, someone unseen is speaking it.

Warnings: This story is basically one huge AU of Madoka Magica, except for Homura's flashback episode near the end of the series. In other words, the events of the anime and Rebellion have not occurred and will not occur. Also in this story, Homura has only been through twelve cycles rather than the rumored 100, meaning that her character development is an ongoing process. As for how Code Geass will tie in...well, we'll be exploring a little of that today.

Opening Theme: O2 by Orange Range
Ending Theme: Enrai (Distant Thunder) by Do As Infinity

Disclaimer: In addition to not owning the rights Madoka Magica or Code Geass, I also do not own the rights to a Code Geass novel entitled, STAGE -0- ENTRANCE by Mamoru Iwasa. This novel is set during the time Lelouch and Nunnally were living with Suzaku at the Kururugi mansion. Unlike the last chapter, a good portion of this chapter is one long excerpt of one of the book's chapters, modified by me to fit my writing style. (Please note that all dialogue is from the book itself.) I will put a proper citation at the end of the chapter. I definitely recommend buying the book Code Geass fans, it is so good and gives a lot of insight into certain characters.

"There's awful, horrible things in this world. I know that now." ~Madoka Kaname

April 16th, 2010
6:15 p.m.
Kururugi Estate

When Homura Akemi came across the calendar reading April 2010 posted on the fridge within the Kaname household in the city of Mitakihara, the son of Prime Minister Kururugi was running.

He was pale from the effort of doing so, but regardless of this he continued to run on the stone pavement beneath his feet.

He wasn't enjoying the run as he usually did. He was running as if he were running away from something. Hard as he try not to think about it, his worst fears had become a reality.

Before this moment, Suzaku Kururugi considered the issues concerning Britannia and Japan as ramblings among adults. It had nothing to do him. He was certain it had nothing to do with him, or Lelouch, or Nunnally.

He questioned why Britannia would want to invade when members of their own royal family were still here in his homeland. He wondered if the Emperor of Britannia cared about his own children, wondered why someone wasn't doing something to sheild them, especially now with war on the horizon.

Suzaku had no answers. He could barely think past the confusion spinning in his head, could barely breathe with nausea creeping up his esophagus, and could barely focus on running past the rage spreading through him like a disease.

When he reached the small annex where Lelouch and Nunnally lived, he kicked open the door and ran in without bothering to knock.

"Lelouch! Nunnally! Where are you! Answer me!"

Only silence responded to his words. Outside the sky was growing darker. Thunder rumbled through the area again.

The quiet filed the child with anxiety, causing him to tremble almost violently as he called out again with all his might.

"Lelouch! It's me!"

Silence hung in the room again for a few seconds until Suzaku heard a soft whimper, a voice that wasn't his own coming from the floor above him. Not daring to have any sense of relief until he was sure things were alright, he ran up the stairs.

When he reached the hallway on the second floor, he could clearly hear Lelouch groaning.

Calling out his friend's name, Suzaku threw open the thin sliding door to find the raven-haired boy laying face down on the wood flooring next to the bed. The sight nearly choked him.

"Lelouch! Hey, wake up," he shouted, running to the prince's aide. However, when he tried to sit him up, Lelouch retaliated by sinking his teeth into his arm.

Suzaku winced at the pain. "Ow...idiot! Lelouch! It's me, Suzaku!

But Lelouch still didn't stop. He kicked Suzaku's stomach, grabbed his hair, and tried to get away. It was as if they'd reverted back to the day they first met, when the two boys were aggravated by the mere sight of each other.

"What is with you?" the Japanese boy questioned angrily, almost worriedly as he fought to hold Lelouch down. Beneath him, the Britannian prince shuddered, turning himself around in the process.

Suzaku gasped upon seeing Lelouch's normally clear eyes muddled in a drug induced haze. "What's wrong with him..."

The violet-eyed boy weakened, but not before grasping at Suzaku's chest. His hand twisted in the white dogi he wore.

"Father..."

At first, Suzaku thought Lelouch was asking for help, but within seconds that expression of helplessness on his friend's face shifted into one of pure, raw rage.

"Father...I knew it," he muttered, bitterness dripping from every word. "You knew this would happen...and you abandoned us! Father!"

Suzaku narrowed his gaze in understanding, finally seeing the entire picture of what was happening around him. He had always questioned why Lelouch only allowed him to get close, why he considered everyone else around him a threat. Now the reason was clear.

What wasn't clear was why he was able to become his and Nunnally's friend.

"Nunnally..."

Snapping back to attention, Suzaku got straight to business. "Lelouch! Where's Nunnally?"

Lelouch muttered something inaudible, exhaustion beginning to overtake him.

"Hey, don't close your eyes," the Japanese boy ordered, feeling even more frantic than before. "You're going to protect Nunnally, aren't you?"

The boy's body began to slump over, a weak scowl on his face now. "Sorry...I misunderstood you...sorry...so can you...at least...at least...save...Nunnally..." His words cut off. Suzaku tried once more to shake his friend awake, but it proved to be of no use. He must've been drugged to fall asleep.

As the son of Genbu Kururugi began to lift his friend from off the floor, he glanced across the room, noting the messy state it was in. He could guess what happened from that. Lelouch probably fought the people who tried to take Nunnally away. And then, in the struggle, he was drugged.

He stared down at Lelouch as he laid him on the bed. His eyes were shut tight, his expression showing signs of worry. Such an expression didn't belong on the face of someone so young.

Lelouch probably didn't have the slightest idea of the words he'd spoken or who he'd spoken them too, as is usually the case when anyone is under the influence of a powerful substance.

To Suzaku, it didn't matter. Lelouch asked him to protect Nunnally. To save her.

Those words shut out everything else.

A couple droplets of water fell from the sky when the boy stepped out of the small annex building, his movements much slower than before when his mind had been in a state of panic. Now it was clear what he needed to do.

He would protect his friends, no matter the cost to himself.

Such a mantra was very similar to the one Homura often chanted to herself when failure was imminent, when despair took its hold.

Suzaku didn't give himself a chance to think of what the consequences would be. He was far too young to see how this moment in time would affect him and the rest of Japan.

Eventually, he found himself at the entrance of the estate again. It was sprinkling by the time he entered the training hall, the place where he had stashed Tohdoh's sword just two hours ago.

Now he held the hilt of the blade firmly in his right hand as he approached his father's study.

Present day

April 16th, 2017
Noon
A.S.E.C. Laboratory: Tokyo Settlement Government Bureau

Seven years have passed since that day...the day I murdered my father the Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi. War was inevitable, but his call for do or die resistance would have destroyed any chance for Japan to have peace.

Zero is a lot like my father. Prideful. Stubborn. He holds no qualms for spilling blood if it means achieving his end goal.

When he saved me from being executed for a crime I didn't commit, he asked for me to join his crusade against Britannia. I refused to do so.

Anything gained through contemptible means is meaningless.

It was a hypocritical statement for me to make. Despite piloting the white knightmare known as Lancelot, I'm far from being a symbol for justice. I'm merely a traitor to my countrymen and those who work around me see me as little more than an Eleven who managed to attain the rank of Warrant Officer thanks my bosses Professor Lloyd Asplund and Miss Cecile Croomy.

More importantly, like Zero, my hands are stained with blood. Truthfully, the only difference between us is that I'm trying to find the right way to release the people of Japan from discrimination and despair. Ever since that night seven years ago, that's all I've tried to do.

Because back then...on that night...

Seven years ago

April 16th, 2010
7:00 p.m.
Kururugi Estate

As far as Genbu Kururugi was concerned, everything had gone well. He was celebrating with a what he thought to be a well-deserved smoke.

Tohdoh wasn't there anymore. He was being confined in another room.

Truly this was a triumphant moment. Soon, all his ambitions will come to fruition.

Taking a seat on the sofa, Genbu exhaled smoke with the sinister smile from earlier still plastered along his face. Yes, victory was his and his alone.

Suddenly the phone rang. The call was coming from within the mansion.

The Prime Minister picked up the phone. A muffled voice on the other end began to speak. As he spoke, the light sound of rain tapped against the window.

The smile fell from his face.

"How many?" he questioned, pushing his cigarette into the ashtray before making his way to the window. Pushing a blind up slightly, he noted the rain and the distant silhouettes of soldiers. The muffled voice answered his inquiry and Kururugi found himself oddly impressed with Tohdoh's foresight. Apparently he wasn't the idiot he thought he was.

"Fine," The Prime Minister muttered, his fingers leaving the blinds. "Leave them alone. It's just a matter of the master answering to the yelp of his dog. That Kirihara. I guess he was more suspicious of me than I imagined.

As Genbu continued to speak with the man on the other end of the phone, a small figure came to stand behind his door.

Another light rumble of thunder sounded, accompanied by a single flash of lightning. The rain fell faster.

The Prime Minister was still talking, his movements taking him toward the door to the study when it opened before him, causing the man to gasp and grasp the phone more tightly in his hands. With terror in his heart, he stared at the space the door made. At the end of his sharp sight was...

A small shadow...

Wearing a white dogi and navy hakama.

Genbu's initial reaction was to sigh in relief. Once that action was complete, he allowed his anger to take over.

"What do you want, Suzaku?"

The boy in question didn't answer, only stared back at his father blankly.

"I'm asking you what you want," Genbu roared, aggravated by his son's apparent foolishness. "Your father is busy."

Suzaku still didn't reply.

Clicking his tongue, the man turned away from the boy, speaking into the receiver again. "It's me. No, it's nothing. I'll call back. Just keep quiet until then." He hung up, his sharp gaze falling to the boy once again. He noted that his left arm was hidden behind his back.

"Suzaku..."

"Father..."

They both spoke at the same time. Lightning flashed outside the covered window.

Suzaku took a tentative step into the study, though clearly it wasn't because he was scared. If anything, his movement resembled the dull limp of a decaying zombie; moreover, his lifeless gaze and expression added an extra layer of truth to the grim imagery.

"Please father." His voice was also emotionless. "Please don't start a war."

For a few fleeting seconds, Genbu Kururugi was completely dumbfounded. With an almost curious tone he asked the simplest of questions.

"What?"

"Please." Suzaku lowered his gaze. "Don't harm those two."

Genbu's expression changed then, and for a few seconds he looked at his son as if he were his greatest foe.

But when he spoke again, his tone reflected little more than distaste. "What are you talking about? Are you foolish?" Shaking his head in frustration, the older Kururugi tried to leave the room but was stopped by a hand taking hold of his sleeve. He attempted to shake the boy off him, but Suzaku wouldn't budge.

"Please."

In that moment, the Prime Minister was unable to hold back his temper. "Stop bothering me!"

He flung out his arm and finally, his son let go.

At the same time, however, he heard a heavy clunk. It seemed Suzaku really had been hiding something behind him, but the man didn't bother to see what it was, nor did he bother to ask Suzaku, who was on his knees on the floor, if he was alright. He made the decision to depart without saying another word to the boy. After all, he understood he was taking something precious away from his son. Even so, what was one sacrifice? The Britannian Prince would live. Only the girl would have to die. His son would get over it.

What the man didn't realize was that his son's line of thinking was much different than his own. Too different to reconcile.

This entire confrontation had been the boy's first and last attempt to reason with his father. Only one option remained in his mind.

Suzaku rose to his feet, watching his father as he approached the door. "If that's the case..."

Genbu Kururugi stopped briefly, a small sign of hesitation showing in his stance. It appeared he may have wanted to say something...

But those words will never be uttered.

Feeling his resolve as the hand along the hilt of Tohdoh's sword steadied, Suzaku glared menacingly at the back of his father's head. "Then...you can't leave father."

The man turned, his son's words prompting him to do so. His body involuntarily twitched when a foreign object sunk into his stomach, tearing through organs and intestines before escaping out the other side of his body. A stream of crimson squirted out of his back, splattering against the ornate door Suzaku had entered in through.

Outside, another flash of lightning tore through the sky and was immediately followed by a crescendo of sound that shook the Earth.

More blood leaked from the source of the wound, sliding down onto the boy's considerably smaller hands.

"Gah...Suzaku...you..."

He plunged the blade deeper, the room momentarily illuminated by another flash of white light. "You can't leave."

Genbu Kururugi, the Prime Minister of Japan fell dead at the hands of his son that very instant.

In another room of the mansion, Nunnally was alone in the dark, the only sound being the ticking of a clock and her own breaths.

Suddenly, she heard the creak of a door opening. The blind, crippled girl lifted her head at the sound, noting the footsteps slowly approaching. "Who is it?"

There was no answer, only the footsteps.

Nunnally's initial anxiety transformed into a paralyzing fear. She was about to scream when a voice responded.

"Nunnally, are you okay?"

She felt a small bit of tension leave her body. "Suzaku?" Overwhelmed with relief, the girl didn't notice the slight tremor in his voice.

"I'm sorry someone put you here," he told her. "Father...I think he was a little drunk." Suzaku came behind Nunnally then, his hands gripping the handles on her wheelchair. As he did this, the blind girl picked up on the sound of something dripping and the smell of something metallic.

"Um...Suzaku?"

"Don't worry," he interrupted. "He's sleeping already. I'm sorry to surprise you."

The young girl tried to speak again, but Suzaku cut her off once more.

"Let's go home Nunnally. Lelouch is waiting." He lowered the casters and began pushing her wheelchair out of the room.

For a few fleeting seconds, the boy thought he might be okay. He pretended he was dreaming, that he was having a violent nightmare after watching some scary movie or something similar. Within seconds he decided this had to be the case and was grateful that, at the very least, his nightmare would have a happy ending. He'd take Nunnally back to Lelouch and then he would wake up. His father wouldn't be a monster plotting the death of his friends or war and he would get to grow up happily alongside his best friends.

However, when Suzaku reached the hallway his stomach churned at the crimson splotches he'd tracked everywhere. Suddenly his eyes widened, his heart dropping to his stomach as he finally saw the blood flowing down his palms. Even the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair were stained with his sin.

"Ugh! Urgh!"

Nunnally almost jumped in fright. "Suzaku!? Suzaku!? Are you okay?"

The Japanese boy fought against the wave of mania hitting him, praying desperately for the strength to simply run away without causing the girl any more distress.

"Yeah," he started, lying through his teeth in a way that felt unnatural. "I'm just...Sorry, I guess I can't." He was struggling to get words out. "Nunnally, please ask a servant to take you back."

"Suzaku?"

"I'm sorry..."

Nunnally called out to him, clearly wanting to know what the heck was wrong with him, but Suzaku couldn't turn back. He ran into the first room he could get to.

The room he chose turned out to be the wrong one.

He ended up back in the study, his father's body lying in its metallic-smelling grave.

The child wanted to turn around and run, but found he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead he walked further into the room, another sense of mania crawling over his flesh like a panicked spider.

"I killed him...I killed my...what have I...why did I..."

His reasoning suddenly felt inadequate in his own mind, almost like he expected his father to still be alive somehow. Did he honestly believe people didn't die when they were killed? Did he think he was living in a fairytale world? Did he think actions didn't have consequences? Did he think he could reverse the effects later?

All these questions run through Suzaku's mind as he makes his way to the corner of the room, his heart weighed down by the tragedy he created with his own hands. He wants to say it was the only way to save his friends, but he can't convince himself of it. He can't convince himself of anything anymore.

Suzaku saw no better way of dealing with his sin than to cry about it. Muffling his sobs with the bloodstained dogi he wore, he simply sat there and cried alone in his father's study.

Thirty minutes later the door opened. the boy didn't lift up his gaze until he saw the familiar boots his sensei wore. Even more shame washed over him, but instead of cowering away from the stern glare of his master, he looked up. His tears were already gone.

"Sensei..."

The boy saw shock displayed on Tohdoh's face. If he'd seen that expression a day earlier, Suzaku would have laughed and said, "Man, I got you good, sensei."

No such words would escape him now.

Someone else entered the room, speaking when Tohdoh couldn't, but the child didn't listen. An older man, a very wrinkly older man, said a number of things before finally turning toward him.

"Suzaku Kururugi."

He couldn't respond, even though he heard his name, he simply couldn't respond.

"Boy, you unsheathed your sword. That is a fact that we cannot change."

Suzaku still didn't answer, but he was listening.

"An unsheathed sword is not satisfied until it sees blood, and your sword is still not in its sheath. The man paused briefly, waiting for a response Suzaku wouldn't give. "Yes, even if you killed your father. Your eyes say so. Your body and blood say so. Then...it's up to you. Where are you going to sheathe your sword? It's up to you what you choose. How you want to take responsibility for the blood you've shed, and the blood you're going to shed in the future. But if you cannot do that...then take your life here."

The young boy flinched for the first time hearing those words.

But the old man was still talking. "And if you can't do that, you have no place in this world. You don't even deserve to live. Remember that."

Suzaku shakily got up to his feet then, not casting a glance on the man or his sensei.

I still think about those words sometimes. In moments when rage seeps into my consciousness, in those transient instances when my pride is attacked and everything inside of me wants to kill...I remember Kirihara, the stunned expression on Tohdoh's face, and the oath I took from that terrible day forward.

Never again...

Never again will I...

April 16th, 2010
8:30 p.m.
Kururugi Estate

The young boy walked alone in the storm, the raindrops soaking his hair, shoulders, and arms.

No longer wearing the bloodstained dogi, Suzaku traveled slowly to the small annex building wearing a normal shirt and shorts. Tohdoh had cleaned him of the blood. He doesn't remember it, or rather, he chooses not to remember it.

The light emanating from the annex building makes it seem like it's home.

"But this place..."

Unable to look at the building anymore, Suzaku cast his gaze elsewhere, his mind set on walking away and never coming back. He couldn't face them: his friends.

However...

"Suzaku!"

The Japanese boy stopped, shifting unsteadily on his heel as Lelouch came running out of the building. He was already out of breath from running.

When he reached Suzaku, panting and sweating, he spoke quickly, practically spitting out the words as he fought to catch his breath. "Suzaku, you're finally here. What happened?"

Suzaku didn't answer the inquiry, instead choosing to make one of his own. "Where's Nunnally?"

The question distracted the raven-haired prince. "Oh. She just came back. She's inside."

"I see...and you're awake now?"

Lelouch nodded. "Just now. Anyway, what happened? Considering the situation, even you..."

"It's okay," the disturbed child interrupted, stepping forward to embrace his friend. "It's over. Everything is over."

"Suzaku?" Lelouch's voice trembled slightly, surprised by the random hug. The Japanese boy let go quickly only to grip the front of the prince's shirt as a means to hold himself up when his knees gave out. It didn't work, but his grip remained firm on the fabric.

"Hey, let go," the prince outright commanded, looking exasperated by Suzaku's worrying display. "Actually, could you explain what happened?"

The other boy had trouble speaking, his eyes filling with tears again. "Lelouch...I..."

He paused.

And when he spoke again, it was with conviction as well as grief.

"I am never going to use my power for myself..."

"Suzaku?"

"Never again," the Japanese youth continued. "I can't...Lelouch..."

It was in this moment that the sword the old man spoke of was sheathed.

However, swords aren't the only weapons that crave blood.

Elsewhere, about five miles from the base of the summit upon which the Kururugi Shrine stood firm, a blonde, teenage girl, wearing the uniform of Mitakihara Middle School, approached with her shoes gracefully scrapping along the wet concrete.

Standing before the stone steps, her golden eyes drifted to the oval container she held in her hand. Despite the grey hue of the world around her and the pouring rain, the crystal shined brightly, casting a healthier glow along the skin of the gem's owner.

Present day

"Suzaku, you're looking troubled again."

Blinking, I watched as pale hand placed a porcelain teacup and saucer near my clenched fist. Without replying my eyes drift away from the cup and toward the woman standing over me.

Marie Castaway. She's an assistant to Lloyd and Miss Cecile whose about four years older than I am. With wavy, golden-blonde hair and matching irises that complement her soft features and elegant movements, its often a wonder to me how someone like her ended up working under someone like Lloyd. She deserves better.

Frowning, she gently patted my shoulder with her right hand, the silver ring around her middle finger shining in the fluorescent lighting. "Brooding like this all the time is bad for your health. You know Lloyd will skin you alive if you're unable to pilot the Lancelot in response to mental distress."

I attempted to smile for her, lifting the teacup from its saucer. "I'm fine." After taking a sip of the dark liquid, I added, "Thanks for the tea. It's delicious as always."

With a sigh, the blonde took a step back from me. "Well then, I suppose it's time I head out to my second job."

"Second job?"

From the lower deck of the lab, Cecile called up, "Miss Castaway works as an exterminator in the poorer districts of the settlement."

"Is that right?" I asked, giving her an incredulous look. "Forgive me if this sounds rude, but a job like that doesn't seem to suit you."

Smiling brightly, the blonde winked at me. "Appearances can be deceiving, Warrant Officer." She twirled then, the bottom of her lab coat spinning about as she struck a pose. "Bugs don't stand a chance against the great Marie Castaway!"

Cecile almost spit out her tea from laughing. "You sure have a lot of energy."

With a flippant wave to me, Marie started down the steps to reach the lower deck. "I imagine I must be. After all..." Suddenly a solemn expression replaced the bright smile from before, and for a few seconds, her eyes shone with an edge of sadness mirroring everything I'm feeling now on the seventh anniversary of my father's death.

"... those cockroaches can be real witches."

A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you all. I know it was very Suzaku centric, leaving little room for Madoka Magica stuff, but I have a good reason for that. After all, a very familiar Magi was near the Kururugi estate at the time as you all saw. The plot thickens. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Be sure to leave your thoughts on this chapter in the review box below. Constructive criticism is welcome.

Also, as promised, I once again bring you a proper citation of the long excerpt I used as a base for most of this chapter. Once again, I strongly recommend this book to Code Geass fans. I mean sure...I just spoiled a big part of it but...well ignore that. The book is great. If you love Code Geass as much as I do, you can't afford not to have this book and its following novels in your collection.

Iwasa, Mamoru. Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion - STAGE -0- ENTRANCE. Trans. Bandai Entertainment Inc. Tokyo: Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., LTD, 2007.

122-134. Print.