Last time: Charles tried to end the world – dick – but Lelouch said no to that and the Emperor and Marianne went bye-bye. Not before Kallen got to punch bad mommy though; it was glorious. And Schneizel is revving up but no one cares about him…yet. Meanwhile the gang's back in the real world and everyone's remembered their shit...

So naturally, we cut to one month later...

Hail!

October 5th
Holy Britannian Empire
Pendragon
Imperial Palace, Throne Room

"This is Milly Ashford reporting live from Pendragon, where it seems the whole of high society has gathered in one room." An exaggeration, but the former Queen of Ashford Academy had learned long before her journalism career that the truth often needed spicing up a little bit.

Not too much though, the massive hall in which her father and grandfather had once pandered to the whim of the Emperor was filled almost to bulging with nobles to the left of the royal red carpet that led from the huge gold-leafed double doors all the way to the Throne itself which sat upon an elevated plain and as many Princes, Princesses and Royal Consorts as could be fitted on the right.

The former noble heiress spared the bloated gathering a single glance before returning her attention to the camera in front of her that was broadcasting to the entire Empire. "And why wouldn't it be after a summons by His Imperial Majesty calling for all able members of the peerage to assemble today, especially after his month long silence following the F.L.E.I.J.A. event?"

She said it with an upbeat tone even though just thinking about that terrifying day left her a little sick, but she just pushed it down and carried on. Her part in today's proceedings was almost over, she just needed to get this out. "Whatever it is that's broken the Emperor's silence, we will all find out very soon."

That was the question on the minds of every Royal and Noble assembled. Where had the Emperor been this last month? Public appearances weren't exactly his thing but to disappear off the map entirely was something else altogether.

"How come we didn't hear anything about him coming back?" Carine, the Fifth Princess, asked irritably. "I had to fly in from Area 10 for this crap. I could've been knocking on those Ozzies doors and then this happens!"

Her ranting was more or less ignored by her elder siblings, Guinevere and Odysseus, who had their own worries. Just looking around at how packed the usually spacious hall was told the Crown Prince (by virtue of birth only) that something really big was about to go down and no one wanted to miss it – that would smell of lacking favour and the Emperor crushed anyone who tried to do a run around on him. Of course, his light scanning of the room pointed out a few very notable absences.

"Still no sign of Schneizel or Cornelia." He noted lightly, trying to make it seem harmless.

Guinevere just sniffed at the observation. "Nelly's always been too much of a bloodhound to focus on the important matters." How her half-sister could tolerate such despicable conditions military life afforded still perplexed her after all these years. But it was the other one that she did worry about. "But Schneizel…for him to snub Father like this…"

She needn't finish the thought, he knew exactly what happened the last time a Royal disobeyed a direct order from the Emperor: Their grandfather had been killed and Charles zi Britannia assumed the Throne. For such a parallel to be noted was…well, 'worrying' didn't cover it.

No sign of Bismarck either. Odysseus noted to himself, hoping against hope that that was a good thing…but he'd been missing almost as long as their father which was just as concerning. Unable to help himself, he let out a weary sigh. I just want this to be over, these matters of state were never my forte.

Turning his gaze away from the Royal side of the hall, the First Prince now took a look at the Nobles who had attended. Honestly he couldn't decide if they were here because the Emperor wanted them here or because they wanted to get a share in whatever bloody crusade was sure to follow this declaration. Frowning, he noticed quite a few of the usual suspects had turned up again: the simpering Cissia's, a Baron line that had been desperately trying to rise up the ranks for the last decade; the Earls of New Cambridge and Phoenix, rats who had torn apart the Ashford Foundation to get every last patent they could after Duke Reuben was forced to abdicate his position to his mediocre son; even the Marquess of Alaska had made the trip down here.

But it was in scanning these old faces that, moving up to the front row, Odysseus noted something interesting: *a new face in the form of a beautiful young woman in a deep red dress and transparent sleeves. Her hair was styled interestingly, the front bangs hung out low, framing her face quite tastefully, but at the back he could just see that the side not facing him had her hair tied back in a small tail while the same red locks on her right fanned out freely.

Curious, he poked Guinevere again. Ignoring her responding scowl, he indicated the woman who had caught his eye. "Do you know who that is?"

Glancing over at her, the First Princess could only shrug. "Never seen her before, probably some new blood come to try her hand at Court." This she said with barely concealed mirth. She'd seen that kind come through these doors before, all arrogance and sass, only to be sent home in disgrace (sometimes, to her constant glee, in tears) and their families ruined. This one would be no different. Although, she noted her brother's gaze lingering a bit and she couldn't help herself. "A bit old for you, isn't she?"

Her barb was not appreciated. Odysseus had been antsy about that plan of Schneizel's from the very beginning. Yes, he understood the necessity of politics, marriage was a useful tool to solidify alliances but the girl had been younger than poor Nunnally – rest her soul – surely they had moved beyond such acts. Worse still, Li Xingke and Zero's individual interventions had scuppered that plan entirely and resulted in the formation of a new power bloc on the world stage. Odysseus had returned to the Homeland a laughing stock and only his position as the Crown Prince had saved him from a crueller fate.

"Urgh! This is ridiculous!" Carine whined, cutting off any retaliation he might have made. "We've been standing around for hours! Get the old man out here already!"

Her complaint set off the rest of the gathered aristocracy who began murmuring amongst themselves over what was taking so long. They'd all answered the summons, they'd all shown their loyalty to His Majesty, so why didn't he return the courtesy and face them? Some even started to wonder if the summons had been genuine at all, what if this was actually a bid for the Throne and they had all been caught in it? And the really brave actually scoffed at it all and began making their way through the crowd to leave.

It was these people who came face-to-face with two new arrivals, who Milly made sure her crew got a shot of. "Oh my, if I'm not mistaken, that's former Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald of Orange and at his side is the Knight of Six herself, Lady Anya Alstreim." Oh Annie, she'd changed so much since they'd last seen each other…in her opinion it had all been for the best as Milly watched the two dangerous figures glare the bulbous naysayers back into line.

"Silence!" Jeremiah's strong voice carried through the Throne Room, hushing up the mutterings at once. Satisfied by their rapt attention, he and Anya marched down the red carpet until they passed the front row and took the necessary steps up to the elevated plain where the Throne lay empty.

Their actions however triggered another round of quieter murmurings from the audience. The Nobility were mainly the ones doing the asking though; wasn't that the guy who Zero embarrassed in Area 11? What was he doing showing his face here? And why was he in the company of a Round? The Royalty however were a bit more vocal.

"Hey!" Carine – shock of shocks – snapped at the two of them, "What d'you think you're doing?! That's the Emperor's seat you're standing behind, Alstreim! And you, Orange!" she turned and practically shone disdain for him as she spouted that unique insult. "You've got a lot of nerve to even show your face amongst true servants of His Majesty!"

Her vitriolic claim got some of the rabble going as well, jeering and booing at the disgrace of a Margrave who took it all without so much as a flinch. As for Anya, she merely glared at the imp who called herself a princess – bitch had always tried to make Nunnally cry in the past to the point even then-soft spoken Lelouch had gotten vicious with her. Just bear with it, she told herself even as she glanced over to the noble side of the room and discretely nodded at one of their number, the show begins in just a few minutes and we'll never have to deal with them again.

Presently, Jeremiah felt he'd given them enough time and so once again called out for silence with equally satisfying results. He may despise V.V. and Bartley for all that had been done to him, but he had to admit he rather liked the new pipes. "His Majesty will be here shortly. It is by His request we have come ahead to ensure a pleasant atmosphere."

And now the silence was tinged with fear, he could see it in their eyes as the previous mockers were now standing bug-eyed. Yes, that's right. He couldn't help sneering at the lot of them. His Majesty trusts me, Orange, to keep you all under control. So sorry…

"Of course Lord Jeremiah. We understand," Odysseus, ever the peacekeeper, stepped forward in hopes of smoothing things out before they all dug themselves deeper, "however, surely you can understand we are all somewhat concerned. His Majesty hasn't been seen or heard from in so long and…"

"You, and they, will be informed of his plans soon enough Prince Odysseus." The Orange Knight cut in, though keeping a respectful tone. The man had done nothing to earn his ire and so he would not show it.

"I-I see." The First Prince replied, a bit shaken by the man's courteous interruption and dismissal. "Then, can I assume the Knight of One has also returned?"

Oddly, his question prompted Jeremiah and Anya to share an amused glance before the Knight of Six responded, rather flippantly. "Oh, the Knight of One is a lot closer than you think."

As she was giving them this cryptic message, Jeremiah was glancing over at the far end of the hall to the double doors where their ally waved three fingers over her head – thirty seconds to show time. Without acknowledging it he then glanced over to Anya again and gave her a short nod.

She returned in kind and quickly delved into her pockets, retrieving her camera phone and setting it to record. The problems with her memory may be a thing of the past but that didn't mean she couldn't keep videos of more fun times, and this was going to be priceless.

Smiling indulgently at the youngster's actions, Jeremiah returned his focus directly ahead and saw the call sign – ten seconds to show time – his cue to get started. Swiftly he went down on one knee in the Britannian salute of fealty and barked out for them all to do likewise. "Now bend the knee to His Imperial Majesty!"

His announcement covering an order prompted the fanfare to begin as Anya followed suit. The rest of the hall stared at the two in confusion, what the hell were they doing? Bend the knee like some commoner grunt? As if they would sully themselves to do so! One particular noble who showed no signs of ever doing so was the young woman Odysseus had spotted who remained ramrod straight, not even deigning to answer the ridiculing remarks around her.

Odysseus himself saw this act and realised pandemonium was only one angry word away. He didn't know why Father would throw his weight around in such a way, these days he hardly cared which of his own children were still alive, but history had taught him what happened when someone defied his will. As such, the Crown Prince made himself the example and promptly went down on his knee, head dipped low.

"Odysseus!" Guinevere gasped in amazement at her brother's action, "What are you doing? Get up at once!"

"Bend the knee." He ordered his sisters, and the hall at large, in a rare moment of backbone. Useless he may be but he'd be damned if he saw anymore of his family dead for that man's entertainment. "Just bend the knee and get it over with."

"As if!" Carine snorted, her nose turned up so she missed the glare that Anya sent her way, "If the old man wants to play big shot he can do it where we can all see him!"

"Fine." He snapped back, raising his voice enough for the rest to hear him, rightly fed up with the girl's impetuousness. "I hope you enjoy the Australians' hospitality then, sister."

A low blow, to be sure, but everyone got the message. Lelouch and Marrybell were still held up as examples of what happened when Charles zi Britannia was challenged by his own family. A moment after Odysseus' words, the Royal side of the room looked considerably shorter as every Consort, Prince and Princess (as well as said children's own Consorts) immediately went down on their knees. The Nobles soon followed suit, though with a bit more grumbling on their parts – what did it matter to them about a long dead Prince and a Princess so stupid that she didn't even show up for this event? But down they went nonetheless, lest they lose out.

All save one. Glancing up, Odysseus noted to his alarm that the woman in red had stayed up still looking straight ahead. What the devil is she doing?! When the Emperor wants you to bow, you bow! Were he not so frightened for his own family he might have done something, but as it stood he could only give the girl's relatives his silent sympathies as the large doors behind him slammed shut and measured footsteps began to make their way up the red carpet.

Boy was he in for a shock.

"Well, isn't this interesting." Commented Milly from the back as she watched another couple begin their progression through the Throne Room, hand in hand, up towards the chair in question. "Now who is this dashing young man and his lovely lady?"

Inside though, she was grinning such a catty little grin. Oh she was so glad they'd come to her, she wouldn't have missed out on a prank like this for all the dirt in Ashford (and she had a lot of dirt).

And weren't they just dressed for the part? The young raven-haired man was decked in his signature colour: a black ankle-length opera coat with gold trimmings and filigree and purple inner lining, under which was a purple waist jacket and white opera shirt that was topped off with a white ascot, and a pair of black formal trousers and Balmoral-style shoes summed up the lower half; the woman on his arm was…well the only word to describe her was gorgeous. **A simple petal style hairclip was clasped behind her right ear which held the beautifully combed lime green hair in place as it fell past her bare back, drawing attention to her dark green dress that flowed all the way to the floor ending with stylised interweaving gold latticework that was mirrored in the complementary sleeves that covered her arms from her wrists to just below her shoulders. They would be the incarnation of beauty were it not for their expressions: identical smirks that just oozed guile.

As they reached the front row the gentleman halted their procession to look upon the sole individual still stood up. The woman in question merely gave him a pointed look as if daring him to make something of it. The Verdette on his arm merely laughed at the pair of them, which triggered a light chuckle from the man who gave the redhead an amused headshake before resuming their march.

Three steps up, so small and yet so very significant, and finally the couple disengaged from each other. The woman went to stand beside Jeremiah on the Throne's left whilst the man himself stood facing the chair. Funny…in his memory it had always been bigger. Putting that out of his mind, he came about and took his seat, one leg crossing over the other as he looked upon his subjects.

Let the show begin.

"Rise." A hand left the arm of the Throne and waved up in tandem with his command.

His voice however drew new amounts of confusion as the assemblage rose back to their feet. That hadn't been the Emperor's voice they'd heard. It was commanding, imperious even, but the deep baritone that echoed over the walls was missing. His figure didn't match up either, the Emperor had been a giant but the one who sat in his Throne was a spindly thing who couldn't even be six feet tall. Who was this intruder?

Those were the questions of the Nobility and about ninety percent of the Royal side as well, but ten percent looked upon the figure and felt as if they were seeing a ghost.

It was Guinevere who actually managed to get the name out. "Lelouch?"

The now named young man turned his attention to her with a small smile. "Hello, sister. It's been quite some time."

"You-you're alive?!" Carine stuttered out in disbelief.

"Yes sister, I am." He confirmed listlessly, "I have returned from the depths of Hell intact, and now prepared to assume my new responsibilities as 99th Emperor of the Realm."

Emperor? A dark thought suddenly popped into Odysseus' mind as he listened to this resurrected phantom speak, even more so as he noted that Lord Gottwald and Lady Alstreim were standing proudly beside him…but surely not. Gulping down the worry, he stepped forward to greet his little brother.

"I'm so very glad to see you again Lelouch." He began, smiling easily so as not to cause any trouble. "When Nunnally was discovered we did hold out hope that you would find your way back to us too. But now don't you think you're taking this joke a bit far? That's the Throne of the Emperor and you know what-"

His mentioning their father immediately shut down the calm smile on Lelouch's face, trading it in for a cold glare that would have cut the man off if his next sentence didn't get there first.

"Charles zi Britannia is dead."

Everything stopped. Not just in the mighty hall but across the world itself, everyone watching the broadcast, listening to the radio, or spying on the proceedings suddenly took heed. They couldn't have heard that right. But Lelouch remained firm and then went one step further: "And I am the one who killed him. Therefore, by the laws of succession, that makes me the new Emperor!"

That declaration started everyone up again, the Nobles immediately poo-pooing the very idea that this stick of a man, a mere boy, would dare make such a statement. On the Royal side, reactions were considerably more vocal.

"What're you trying to pull?!" Carine shouted furiously, how dare he take what was rightfully hers after all the work she'd put in at Area 12?! "Get outta that seat right now!"

"Guards!" Guinevere called out, equally irate at her brother's antic. "Take that fool away and execute him at once!"

The stationed soldiers, ever loyal to Charles zi Britannia (just as they'd been 'conditioned'), immediately took up arms and rushed the group surrounding the Throne. They came from all sides, immediately blocking the side exits whilst the central aisle was quickly filled with guards rushing forwards, halberds aimed directly at the upstart who would steal their Emperor's seat.

Such a fearful sight should have had any pretender quivering…as for Lelouch, his only thought on it all was: All this commotion over a mere chair. As the wall of steel and zeal came rushing towards him, his attention slipped over to the Noble audience and nodded at his Queen. Enter the Leading Lady...well, one of them.

Upon seeing his go ahead, the newcomer sprang into action. Before the guards directly ahead could pass by, a streak of red suddenly overtook them, striking each and every one of them back with lethal force. As she did so Lelouch raised his hand high and, with a slight sense of nostalgia, clicked his fingers which signalled his Knight to act.

From above a white blur joined the red with a vicious spiral that slammed into the guards' weapons with such deadly accuracy that the heads of the halberds were snapped clean off, all of which sank harmlessly into the steps behind them as the two figures came to a rest on their knees. As one the pair stood back up, glaring down the aisle as if daring either side to come take a swing.

As this went on, Jeremiah – bubbling with fury at these men's actions – had drawn his hidden blade and was carving a beautiful spectacle of death on Lelouch's left whilst, on his right, Anya flipped and somersaulted over her opponents, using her small size to her advantage, so that they all practically fell over each other as they tried to counter her lithe movements. C.C. and Lelouch meanwhile observed the short brawl with the slightest of attention, as if such a spectacle was beyond their interest.

Their work done, the two uncovered allies of his backed up so that they too stood either side of him, the woman standing to his right whilst the sixth member of their group, a Japanese man dressed in the trappings of the Knights of the Round, took up his position on the left.

Casually, as if his people hadn't just put down an attempt on his life, Lelouch made his introductions. "I am sure many of you are familiar with some of my friends here, but for propriety's sake allow me to introduce them anyway."

"First, Jeremiah Gottwald – loyal knight and servant to the Vi Britannia household. For his actions and unwavering Loyalty, I hereby grant him the position of Knight of One."

Once again he ignored the shocked gasps of the audience as he now moved to his right, "Second, Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six and vassal of the Vi Britannia household. For her service and friendship, I hereby elevate her position in the Rounds to Knight of Two."

"And now I come to my two Knights." He indicated the latest two to reveal themselves on his side. "You are likely familiar with Suzaku Kururugi, so allow me to introduce the Lady Kallen Stadfelt. To them I grant a new position in the Rounds – above all others – entitled the Knights of Zero."

This most unorthodox of decrees set off the audience again. A usurpation they could have seen coming, but to create a new position in the Rounds and then name two to the same rank…what arrogance propelled this boy? However the more he set out the greater undertone of fear began to grow in their ranks. Why wasn't anyone saying anything to stop this?

"Lelouch…" Odysseus tried one last time, breaking rank entirely and stepping up to look him in the eye, shifting a little as the new newly minted Rounds shot warning glares on him. "My lords and ladies, please, this simply will not do. Pulling a stunt like this on an international broadcast…"

"Brother, enough." Lelouch cut him off, his hand finding its way to his eyes looking for all the world as if he were pinching the bridge of his nose. "You speak the words of the herd around you, when I know you could care less for all of this."

Honestly, when it came to his elder siblings, Odysseus was the one he felt for the most. The man was too kindhearted for his position, which was why Schneizel had always run rough-shod over him even as far back as the days before Marianne's assassination. Sadly, he had only lost one manipulator for another but at least Lelouch would try to do right by the poor man.

As such he lowered his hand, contact lenses clasped between his fingers, and stared his red Geass stare into the Crown Prince's eyes. "So, for once in your life: Be truly honest with yourself and others."

"Lelouch, I must insist that you stop joking around and…" That was as far as Odysseus got until the twin cranes past between them. 0.6 of a second later he snapped into a firmer stance and diligently replied. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Before anyone could ask questions, he turned on his heel to glare at the confused stares of his half-brothers and half-sisters as well as the gluttonous lords and ladies who just wanted more of what they already had.

"You are all scum!" He yelled at them, decades of holding back his thoughts finally surging to the fore under his brother's command. "For years I've watched this nation smother the world in misery and death, sat back in my comfy chairs feeding off the labours of our own people just like the rest of you swine! But fear held me back! Fear of what our father would do if I spoke up! And why? Because of him!" Violently he pointed back at Lelouch who watched with some level of surprise at his vitriol. "A boy whose only crime was to ask why his mother was not given justice, tossed out to die in a foreign land! No more! I will have no more of it! As Crown Prince, but more importantly as a brother, I will not let this go on for one more day!"

His declaration finished he lapsed into silence, the only sound issuing forth being his ragged breaths as he brought himself back under control. As he did so the Geass command wore off and Odysseus suddenly found himself staring into the faces of a perplexed aristocracy, what were they all looking at? Hadn't he just been speaking to Lelouch?

"Odysseus…" There was a dangerous tone in Guinevere's voice as she got over her shock and scowled at her older brother. "Are you saying you support this…cretin?"

"Pardon?" What was she talking about? He hadn't said anything.

Behind him, Lelouch also recovered from his shock at his brother's words. He'd never thought that his eldest brother had felt so strongly, at most he'd expected a desire to step down but this…well it made his mind up over what came next. Glancing left, he silently indicated his brother to Jeremiah who got the message instantly and triggered his Geass Canceller.

The blue wave passed over him and, a couple of blinks later, memories and clarity returned to Odysseus' mind. "…Oh…oh dear."

"Those were words you've always wanted to say, brother." Lelouch told him, standing from the Throne and stepping over to the edge of the top step, his words garnering Odysseus' attention and the man turned back around to face him. "Your opinion is one I share, and I intend to do something about it. There's just one thing I need from you."

One thing? He had an idea of what that one thing could be, it would be insane to go through with it though. They'd all be mobbed before they could get to safety, new Rounds or not. And yet they stood firm, so confident, as if the stunningly clothed legion before them was just another stepping stone on their way forward. Would that he could have even a bit of that conviction, his brief moment of it thanks to Lelouch's strange hypnosis notwithstanding…But Lelouch still looked upon him, waiting for an answer. He should just deny again and have the guards escort them away…

Instead a reckless urge, fuelled by his desire to see Father's way fall, took hold and he once again went down on his knee. Placing a hand over his heart, he looked up into his little brother's strangely glowing eyes and called out, "All Hail Lelouch vi Britannia! First of his name! Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire and all Her Territories!"

"What the hell, Odysseus?!" Carine now yelled at him furiously, "You're actually backing this commoner upstart?! No way! Guards, kill them all right now!"

But the guards looked just as confused. Jeremiah's Canceller had been indiscriminate, wiping away all of Charles' commands, leaving the poor men with an abundance of questions. What were they doing here? Hadn't they been doing something else? Why were they in Pendragon's Royal Hall and what was with these silly clothes?

"Hey! Do what I tell you, you damn incompetents!" The Fifth Princess shouted again, only to be met with the same uncomprehending stares which just served to piss her off further. When nothing still happened she growled angrily and broke rank, marching on Lelouch. "Fine! I'll do it myself!"

Her words prompted the four new minted Rounds to step forward threateningly, Anya getting there first and glaring down at her childhood tormentor. "Just try it, you little brat."

"Oh like I'm gonna be scared of you All-scream!" Said brat scoffed back, not letting up. "No way in hell am I letting some rabble ladder climber tell me what to do!"

Her words got the new Knight of Two seething, but she was halted by an arm passing in front of her. Lelouch just shook his head at her calmly before turning his eerie gaze back on the irate princess. "Is that so? Then let's make this a little easier for you all to grasp. Odysseus shut your eyes." His brother, confused and afraid, didn't argue and immediately hid his gaze. That done, Lelouch cast his stare over the entire hall, "And as for the rest of you: Acknowledge me as your new Emperor!"

His Geass practically screamed for joy as he let the twin Cranes loose on so many people at once (hundreds easily), and the first mind they set themselves upon was that of an angry little hyena of a girl. "Don't you give me orders you worthless excuse of a…!" And then she went ramrod straight, hand snapping above her heart as she zealously intone "ALL HAIL EMPEROR LELOUCH!"

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH!" Her decree was echoed by the entire assemblage.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH!" At the head of it all, the six conspirators smiled down at their new Emperor's work. An entire month of planning and now they could finally get to work.

"ALL HAIL LELOUCH!"

"Well now…" Milly murmured teasingly as she turned back to face the shocked camera crew, flipping off a pair of designer sunglasses she'd stuck on when nobody was looking. "Isn't that something? This is Duchess Millicent Ashford saying to the world at large: Gotcha!"

A/N: And that's Phase I officially complete! His Majesty has assumed the Throne. ALL HAIL HIS IMPERIAL FABULOUSNESS!

So Odysseus actually has a backbone...Blame Nemesis13 for portraying a rather nice man who had to put up with way too much crap from his family...don't expect to see much of him.

If this was the Anime I'd say that's where the OP would change. No more World End I'm afraid...so what would we replace it with?

Visual aid for Kallen and C.C.'s clothes can be found here:

*wwwdotzerochandotnetslash2291374

**wwwdotzerochandotnetslash2291373

I know. I'm terrible at clothing description.

Next up, not exactly what I'd call the beginning of Phase II. Rather a reaction from the rest of the world over what our dear little Emperor just pulled.