Prologue

The Death of the Demon

"Before creation there must be destruction. If my own soul stands in my way, then I must cast it aside" I slur, a deteriorated look on my face. My bloodshot violet eyes, darkly lined with sleepless nights, stare emptily back at me through a blurred vision. I concentrate on my tired reflection through my unsobered eyes in the full-length mirror. My ebony hair plays at the idea of being side-swept bangs. I run my finger though the scraggly mess atop my head, attempting to straighten them out. After struggling for several minutes, I give up with a long sigh, allowing them to hang just below my high cheekbones. My pale hollowed skin glows in the moonlight basking the room. My white, high collared cloak makes my skin look almost bloodless. I slouch underneath the weight of the guise, it's more than just fabric cloaking me now. It's heavier than it looks.

"True, yet…," A small voice comes from the corner of the room. I turn to face C.C, expecting more to her sentence. But instead of saying more, a distant gaze settles on her face. She sheepishly grins as I brush her pale lime hair from her eyes, bringing her attention back to this world. Glancing outside, she watches the grey, wintry sky on the horizon. "Tell me, Lelouch, have you been drinking again?" A frown plays at the corner of her lips.

"Yeah. Why? Am I not allowed to cope with the idea of my death?" I say, swaying a bit. As soon as it slips out of my lips, I regret it. Knowing C.C's wit, I expect her to say something like 'Well, you did this to yourself.' But instead, she embraces me. Holding her close, I feel tears in my eyes. This is the last time I'll get to hold her like this. I kiss her forehead as I blink away tears. I didn't think the Zero Requiem would have this much of an emotional strain on her. I expected myself to fall into some deep conundrum of alcoholism or refrain. I place my face onto her peach-scented hair, surrounding myself in her beauty.

After what seems like eternity, I glance down at her. Tears well in her eyes. Glistening waterfalls cover her cheeks. I try to pull her closer to our embrace, kissing her cheeks to rid her sadness. But she denies the invitation to be closer to me with a step backing away from me. She turns on her heel, waking briskly over to the window. She stares up at the large moon. I watch her gracefully sit on the large windowsill of the balcony before walking over to join her.

"Lelouche," she says lackadaisically, "You once told me that you found snow beautiful."

"Yes, and I still do." I reply, sitting down next to her.

"If I am that colorless snow, do you still love it?" She asks, focusing on the frosted crystals raining from the heavens.

I shake my head. "Of course I do, even though you are still a witch." I smile.

A diffident smile appears on her pale lips, while her sad eyes watch the snows beauty coat the ground outside. I lean down, kissing her. Not just her lips, but her entire face. I find my lips locking onto hers within moments. Soon after that we find each other in bed. I intertwine with her, I kiss her neck as my body moves below hers. Sweat bathes the sheets.

"Lelouch, won't you just lie with me?" C.C pleas.

"I cant, my witch. I have to attend the execution." I frown. "Trust me, I would do anything to stay with you." I stand, grabbing my clothes from the floor. I put them on hastily, taking one last look at her beauty below the sheets. I cover her with blankets, as she cuddles Cheese-kun. Her somniferous golden eyes close. I kiss her forehead again before walking from the room.

As I walk through the grand palace, my mind wanders. I had to play a martyr to get here. To sit on my father's throne of injustice and lies. 'Lelouch the Demon Emperor', I am now seen as all of the evil in the world. My pure dictatorship governs the entire world, all of it is disposable at my fingertips.

I round a corner, and a bout of dark laughter instantaneously escapes from my mouth. My entire plan worked. My grandeur. I pass the liquor cellar, stopping to take a bottle of fine scotch from its depths. I lean against the wall as I uncork it. Pouring myself a small glass of the deep amber liquid, I sigh. I watch the sun rise off of the snowy ground. The light sunlight sparkles, glistens, and flits through the air. My last sunrise.

As the sun gets higher in the sky, my thirst for the dark liquor gets larger. I drink another glass. And another. Finally, I take the bottle, and slouch in a small corner between one corridor and the next. This is my last day alive. My last day as Leleouch Vi Britannia. And I spend it drinking away my remaining life. Thoroughly intoxicated, my mind spins, finally setting on the idea of my death. I bring the bottle of scotch up to lips. The rim is cold. Much like death.

Suzaku, his long time friend will kill me, but not as Suzaku, as Zero. The figurehead that brought the Japanese and Britannia out of war, was myself, a man that I am no longer. I organized my army beneath me, the black nights, to fight for justice. While my ultimate goal was to kill my father, to right all of the wrongs, the Japanese who he fought sidelong with believed it to be justice. They turned against me in the end. But I ultimately won. I became the vain dictator that the public needed. Nobody knew I laid behind the mask during the entire time of the rebellion.

I rise, the heat of heavy alcohol thrums through my veins. All of the rebels that were raised under him were planning to be executed today. But they had no idea that the treacherous demon Lelouch will be their savior again, just as I was for them at the beginning of the war.

Stumbling through the halls, I try to remember where the exit of the grand palace is. The world spins beneath my feet. I walk into walls trying to remember. The mid-morning light of the grand hall's windows suddenly stretch out endlessly before me. I turn to the mirror, attempting to say goodbye. All that comes to my lips though is a befuddled, slurred mess of inaudible syllables. My reflection is just a blotch of white. I hear water rising in my ears as my head swirls around my shoulders. I turn around for the final time, catching my foot and falling on my face.

Lying there for a bit, letting the pain reawaken my nerves, I sip casually at the bottle. Hell, why not die feeling no pain? My nerves are doused in the sappy bronze once more, I feel the heat rise in my face. The bliss of nothing washes over me.

I stand, having no recollection of consciousness, and make my way to the grand entrance. I can't tell whether I fall or fly to the doors. My posture seems to straighten itself, walking my body respectably through the high-ceilinged foyer. It won't allow me to make a complete fool of myself. With the bottle still in my hand, my body marches out of the front doors. Slowly walking down the steps, my body pulls me to my personal float unit.

As I collapse in the passenger side of the unit, I sleep for what seems like an eternity.

I wake with the countryside passing by. Clutching my head, I ask, "Where are we?"

The driver nonchalantly replies. "Almost there, your majesty." The familiar magenta ring lies along his green irises. I did use my Geass on all of these innocent lives. To serve me, and only me. But I did it only to fulfill my rule of the Demon Emperor.

"Where is the bottle of scotch I had with me earlier?" I ask in a slightly hungover slur.

"Right here," The driver points to the mini-fridge, "I made sure it didn't spill."

"Well done." I duck from the passenger seat of the float unit. The float unit is set up like a limousine, but above it is where I will sit to watch the execution. I grab the bottle, and thirstily drink until my hangover is gone. Sighing gently, I place my feet up on the dashboard, continuing to watch the countryside blur by through the window. A few minutes passed before the driver stopped the unit.

The driver motioned for me to move up the staircase to the throne. As slaves were shackling Nunally to the bottom of the unit, I took my place atop the grand throne. A sinister grin rises on my face, one that the public expects to see. Before the cameras begin rolling on the live 'parade of rebels', I take a few breaths. I cannot seem too 'out of character', especially on live film.

My smile is wide as I watch the prisoners barred bodies on the carts in front of me. I try not to let the look of sadness get to me as Kallen catches my eye. She is a complicated woman. I never knew how she really felt about me. Kallen looks away as soon as she notices my wicked face staring at her. At that I frown.

The clock strikes somewhere in the far-off distance. And there is Zero, the masked night, ahead of the float unit. I let myself sigh, as my legs begin to quiver beneath me. The media is instantly on who they believe to be Zero, trying to catch a glimpse at the infamous warrior under the mask. Suzaku lives inside of that body now, not me. That was who I was. Who I am no longer.

Zero stands for a lengthy period of time, a scenic entrance, just like I want it to be. Then he makes his advance. Dodging bullets from weaponry has always been Suzaku's skill, but with the Geass I laid upon him prevents any bullet from nicking his skin. I put on a horrorstruck mask, acting and dramatilizing my emotions.

The numerous black nights below me whisper and shout at the appearance of Zero, though I know some are skeptical about him. Few who were once in my elite squad knew the real identity of zero being me. But there is now way to tell what they are thinking now. I'm not even sure I would like to know what they are thinking.

Zero passes Jermiah, leaping off of his shoulder and onto the float unit. He jumps past Nunally with amazing speed as he makes his was up to me. I stand, drawing my gun.

"You Imbecile!" My voice shouts with fear and fortified anger. but mostly fear. My gun is now poised on Zero. He bats the gun from my hand using his sword. A small smile comes to my face.

Almost instinctually, Zero brings the sword to my chest. A gasp of pain escapes through my lips. the sword penetrates my body, as I sigh in pain. The sword glistens in the afternoon sunlight, wet with tainted blood.

Suzaku stops me from falling, providing a momentary shoulder to lean my woes on. I hear tears falling from his eyes. Suzaku is the only man I entrusted everything to, and now he…

"L-Lelouch," His voice cracks.

"This is also a punishment for you. You will wear the mask and be the defender of justice forever…" My hand rises to his cheek. My stained hand smears my blood onto Zero's mask. "You will no longer be able to live as Suzaku Kururugi…You will sacrifice yourself and all of your own happiness for the world…eternally…" My breath shortens.

"I accept...that geass" Suzaku says, waterfalls pouring from his cheeks. Suzaku pulls the sword from my body with a graceful flair of blood splattered from the tip of his sword. A handprint of blood remains on the mask as I tumble limply forward from my throne.

I land below, my sister next to me. Blackness creeps along my vision as I feel my warm blood drain from my body.

I hear Nunally's beautiful voice through a tunnel, she sounds so far away. "Brother?"

Her warmth echoes through my cold body as she grasps my hand with hers. "It can't be," Her voice quiets as her grip tightens. "You did all of this - for…" She begins to understand, seeing my thoughts and peering into my mind. I can feel her salty tears landing on my body. "Lelouch, I - I love you!" She exclaims as she brings my bloodied hand to her face.

My vision blurs, the blackness crowds around my eyes. "Yes. I destroy - worlds, to cre - create anew." I say, as my eyes gently close for the final time as Lelouch, the Demon Emperor.