Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.

Author's Note: Well, here it is, my first Code Geass story, in fact, it's my first story period. Constructive critisism and encouragement is appreciated.

With his empire shattered, he marches on towards hell, all for the sake of dragging one man down with him.

Towards Hell

A cool breeze swept through his midnight-black hair, making it look wild and unkempt. Mismatched eyes impassively watched the sun set in the distance, the last rays of orange luminance being cast away by the darkness of twilight. He had discarded the special contact lens C.C. had given him to hide his Geass because, after all, what was the purpose of hiding a secret everyone knew about?

That power, the power of kings...

It had been such an asset to him when kept it hidden away from others, but now that his abilities were fully uncovered, it was nothing more than an eyesore to him. They knew of its powers, of its conditions, and of its weaknesses.

His eyes wandered to Rolo's grave, to its makeshift cross, and to the locket his younger brother had always kept on him. It was ironic, really, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Rolo to hate him, to despise him. Lelouch had even told him that he hated him and had tried to kill him on more than one occasion, but right before his death, the young Geass-user had waved it off as a mere lie.

Lelouch didn't have the heart to deny him his final comfort.

They were nothing more than strangers in reality, but somehow, in some strange way, they became brothers with a bond as thick as blood.

His Geass-infused eye burned with self-hatred, both eyes narrowing.

Rolo was a killer, a murderer, but above all...a pure soul. He had given his life to make sure Lelouch would keep his, he had sprung in front of those trecherous Black Knights to save him and had flown him all the way to safety in the Shinkiro, and the prince thanked him for that from the very bottom of his tainted heart.

It was all for one reason...

The death of his father, Charles di Britannia.

With his beloved sister Nunally dead, that was the only remaining reason he existed, why he still had a purpose. Lelouch had fallen from his high and mighty persona of Zero, headed straight for hell, but he would be damned if he was going to go alone. No, he would drag his wretched birth parent with him by the throat, laughing all the way until they were at the devil's feet.

There was nothing else to do. He had lost everything. Absolutely everything.

The Black Knights, Nunally, Rolo, C.C., Kallen...

Kallen.

He couldn't stop his lips from quirking into a pitiful smile. His Ace Pilot, his most trusted ally, his Q-1, Kallen Stadtfeld. She stood by him until the very end, willing to die as long as it was with him. He couldn't let that happen. He had lost so many loved ones already, he couldn't drag his last one down with him.

"Tell me, Lelouch, what am I to you?"

Those words would probably stay in his head for as long as he lived. What was she to him? The moment she asked that question, a million answers swarmed into his head, but they all fused into one: She was everything to him. But, if he told her that, she would have stood by his side and died. So, he did what he does best.

He lied.

"You, Kallen, you were one of my most valuable pawns."

She wasn't facing him when he told her, as she was still shielding him from the Black Knights. But the tremor that went through her body was as clear as a winter stream. She didn't have to look at him for him to know that she was crying. But like all good soldiers, her next answer was monotone and controlled.

"I knew it..."

"...Farewell, Lelouch."

She walked away from him, since the first time they had created the Black Knights, she had left him defenseless and alone. Just like he wanted it. He had planned on dying with her thinking that she was nothing to him, but his heart screamed in protest and took control of his vocal cords for a split second.

"You must live on, Kallen."

The shock and realization on her face as she realized the purpose of his actions was burned into his memory. She whirled around to face him, just in time to see the Black Knights open fire upon their once treasured and trusted leader.

"Wait!"

Fate, however, had other plans for the rebellious prince. The Shinkiro sprang in front of him just a split second before the rain of bullets hit him, the ever faithful Rolo piloting it. Wasting no time, he activated his Geass and disoriented everyone's sense of time, including Lelouch's himself. The next thing he knew, he was in the hands of his personal Knightmare, flying high over the seas away from danger.

Now, he stood alone, with no one to protect him. His most trusted ally, Kallen, had most likely lost her faith in him, even if she did realize the meaning of his actions, and if she didn't trust him, no one would. His life was over, there was no other reason to live other than the death of another. What kind of life was that? Living solely for the purpose of death?

Nunally had been his connection to sanity, to his life. She was dead and gone, burned to ashes by Suzaku and his Lancelot. He had other minor connections, but they all branched off the string of life between him and his sister. With that string severed, all the others were cut as well.

But he would not fall to his knees just yet. He had his final task to accomplish, his revenge. A revenge that would come on swift, bloody wings.

He eyed the motionless Shinkiro behind him. His army was now reduced to a single Knightmare, and a single pilot. That wasn't the only problem. The Shinkiro had used up almost half of its energy reserves in his escape and he had no way of recharging it. Lelouch mentally cursed. If he only had the Guren at his disposal, with or without Kallen, things would be so much easier!

Why, why didn't he manage to hold together his fragile empire for just a little longer? Why did it have to shatter? Why did his empire have to shatter?

The answer was blunt and simple.

It was an empire of glass. From the very beginning, he had stacked glass upon glass, creating the vast and powerful army of the Black Knights and the United Nations. All it took was one slip, one misstep, and all the glass came crashing down, leaving him with the same thing he started with:

Nothing.

A man surrounded by selfish desires would never succeed. He knew that the moment he decided to start the war against Britannia. But somehow, someway, in the back of his mind, he thought that he could do it. He could win.

It was foolish of him. Wars were won by governments and nations with absolute loyalty to their leader, not by an army held together by glass shards.

It was all over. His death was imminent and inevitable. No one would pardon him, no one would forgive him for what he had done, even if it was accidentally. He had given the orders, he was the one responsible for the deaths of thousands of men.

No.

Not just men.

Women...and...children...babies...they all died that day because of his Geass, because of his accursed power.

After that campaign was over, he was locked within his chambers for days. He made C.C. get another room and wouldn't even allow Kallen in to comfort him. The realization of his mistaken actions sunk in over those days he spent in solitude. So much life, so much hope, and he had taken it all away.

He murdered the innocent, he murdered children.

He would burn in hell forever.

Even if the world somehow spared his life, even if his comrades somehow forgave him, he would not forgive himself. His death was set in stone, whether he or someone else would pull the trigger. There was no way he could live with himself much more, he was already struggling to get by.

Lelouch smiled, his magenta, Geass eye flashing through the dusk.

He had destroyed so much, he took away the hopes of so many. The ones that trusted him, the ones that believed in him...

"Kallen."

The ones that loved him.

"When all of this is over, will you come back to Ashford with me?"

It was insane of him to think that he could just go back to a regular life, especially with her. He was a selfish fool, trying only to use her for his own comfort. Especially the day when she had caught him with Refrain poised over his vein. He had wanted comfort, and wanted his Q-1 to give it to him. But, stubborn as ever, Kallen had refused and even slapped him square across the face.

The prince felt something warm trickle down his cheeks, giving them an irritating and itching sensation. He looked up. Funny, it didn't look like it was raining.

It took Lelouch a good minute to realize that he was crying.

The hot, wet tears streamed freely from his eyes, but his expression didn't change in the slightest. Crying was a rarity for him, so his eyes never puffed up and his face never contorted. He just stood there, perfectly still, as darkness swept over the land, weeping silently.

Now that everything he ever loved and held dear was gone, his eyes were set on only one thing.

Slowly, Lelouch turned around towards the Shinkiro, heading towards the colossal Knightmare frame. He was about to go on a suicide mission, so it was good for him to reminisce about all the things he could have had.

Friendship...

Suzaku.

A home...

Ashford...

Friends...

The Black Knights.

A happy sister...

Nunally.

An empire...

Japan.

Love...

Kallen.

A future...

Alive.

The cockpit of the Shinkiro hissed shut with a few exerted jets of steam. Inside, Lelouch turned the ignition key and entered his password. A few seconds later, the Knightmare flared to life. Tears still stung through his vision as he slowly took hold of the controls. The Knightmare turned and bended to the will of its master, lifting into the air with a quick boost and taking off towards the Emperor's flagship.

He was on his way to hell, but he wouldn't go alone.