"Brother, I love you…" whispered Nunnally, as she clutched my bloodstained hand to her face.
"Yes… I…" I struggled to find the words as my life flashed before my eyes. "Destroy… worlds…" I forced the last part out with my dying breath, because it was vital Nunally hear the last part. "Create… worlds…"
In my final moments, I saw everything. Suzaku, Japan, Nunally, the Black Knights, Shirley, Kallen, C2, all directly affected by my actions, though changed for the better or the worse, I could not tell…
As I closed my eyes, I suddenly felt free. Free and light. I felt as though I had been carrying a heavy weight all my life and had suddenly cast it off. Not only that, but I felt free of… Discomfort. I had never realized that my body was always uncomfortable or in pain in some way or another. I felt good. Better than good. I felt great. "I'm dead" I realized. Although dying itself had been painful, being dead was… A relief. I felt as though I had just completed a difficult test, and was now free to do as I pleased.
I opened my eyes. I saw Nunnally screaming at my body. "Brother! No! Brother, open your eyes! BROTHER!" she cried, burying her head in "my" blood soaked chest. The prisoners looked on in shock, and then looked up at Zero, who flourished his sword. I cry came from a familiar purple-haired woman in the audience.
"Lelouch the Demon had died! Release the hostages!"
"Yes!" came the answering cry from the on-lookers. As civilians rushed toward the float, I saw Jeremiah ordering a retreat. But above all the confusion, I heard Nunnally's last words to me.
"This is unfair." She said tearfully. "I would've been happy with just you, brother. I can't bear a future without you brother… I just can't…
I'm sorry to leave you like this, Nunnally I thought with all my might, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. I started this all for you. But after awhile, it became something more. I had to take everyone else's lives into consideration. I had to create a better world for everyone. And you're strong, Nunnally. More than you realize. You'll be able to make it without me. I know you can.
As everything slowly faded to white, the last thing I heard in this world was a repeating chant of the legacy that I had started. My final masterpiece, almost breathtaking in its elegance and acumen: the Zero Requiem.
"Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero…"
I suddenly saw myself looking at a variety of scenes. Kallen going to school, Zero and Nunnally meeting Ohgi, a pregnant Villetta watching her husband on TV, Anya and Orange-boy working in an orange field, the Damocles evaporating into the sun, and finally, C2 riding in the back of a hay cart.
"The power of the kings, known a Geass, brings one solitude. Not quite accurate, is it?" At this point, to my shock, C2 locked eyes with me. "Right, Lelouch?"
I chuckled to myself. I should have known better than to stop expecting to be surprised by C2, even when I died. And what do you mean by that, my friend? I thought, knowing instinctually that she would be able to hear me.
"Oh, you'll find out soon, I expect." Said C2 aloud, prompting an odd look by the man driving that cart.
Suddenly, everything faded to white again.
When the whiteness settled out, it took the shape of a beautiful orchard. A little ways away, from atop hill, there was an elaborate mansion. From the shade of an apple tree about 10 feet away stood a man. As he began to approach me, he emerged into the light and I could discern his features better. He was tall, about 6 feet high, with olive-toned skin, red eyes and black-brown hair. When he was about 5 feet away, he began to speak in a deep, melodious voice.
"Greetings, Lelouch vi Britannia. I bring salutations from my master, and would like to tell you: well done. You have truly lived up to your potential."
I narrowed my eyes. This wasn't what I expected. I had expected a void, nothingness, or at the very least hell and damnation. Certainly not an orchard (which had a strange, majestic feel to it) and not congratulations from a mysterious man and his "master."
"Where is this place? Who are you?" I demanded. The man in front of me laughed.
"Always the chess master, eh, Lelouch? When confronted with an unfamiliar game, you immediately try to figure out the rules. Splendid."
"Don't dodge the question."
"Hmm…" Considered the man as he pondered the inquiry. "Who am I? That's a good question. I've had more names than I care to remember. However… For the time we are together, I suppose you could call me R.T.H."
Ignoring the fact that he wouldn't tell me where we were (I was dead, and therefore was to expect weird stuff like this) I pressed on. "Very well, R.T.H. Why are we here?"
"I am here to make you an offer on behalf of my master-"
"Master?"
"I suppose you could consider him what humans generally refer to as 'God', although that's not quite the right term. I any case, who he is is irrelevant… At least for the moment.
Lelouch vi Britannia, you have done well. You have succeeded in almost every test that came your way, and you have effectively re-made the world into a better place than it was before. My master applauds your noble efforts, and would like to give you a chance to live in the world you have created."
I could hardly believe my ears, though to my credit, my expression only flickered for a second. "What do you mean?" I asked, remarkably calmly, considering the situation.
"You heard me. You can live in the world you created. There are a few conditions, though: 1. Everyone who died during the Black Rebellion will be given back to their families, from both sides. This will include Shirley and Euphemia. 2. The exploits of Zero and Emperor Lelouch will be forgotten. 3. You will no longer have the power of Geass."
I contemplated this. "Is that all?"
"Yes.'
I considered this. No longer having Geass would be somewhat of a letdown, but then, I suppose that in this new, peaceful world, I wouldn't need it. But something else was bothering me…
"Will I retain my memories?"
"You will remember everything. You will also have the power to let other remember. Also, we are unable to erase the memories of Code-bearers. So people like C2 will also keep their memories."
"Very well, then. I accept your terms."
As everything faded to white for the last time, I heard R.T.H. shouting one last warning to me. "Also! You may have created a peaceful world, but evil still exists. There will always be those who wish to usurp the peace! We cannot guarantee…"
But that was all I managed to hear before it suddenly all went dark.