[Fanfiction] [Code Geass] Her Immortality
Title: Her Immortality
Author/Artist/Iconist: angels_archives
Fandom: Code Geass
Claim: Lelouch vi Britannia/Euphemia li Britannia
Prompt Set: Indigo
Prompt: 6. Immortality
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine! Especially the lines from the Thomas Hardy poem, Her Immortality scattered throughout the fic.
"Unto the place where I last saw
My dead Love's living smile."
Lelouch vi Britannia, after becoming the Holy Emperor of Britannia, visited the place that settled her fate only once. His faithful friend and loyal Knight chose to remain behind in the car; he couldn't blame him at all. Tonight was the first and last time. With a heavy heart, he entered the vandalized and bloodied stadium that was supposed to give birth to the new Special Administrative Region of Japan.
He descended the staircase to head towards the stage. A row of plush red chairs were lined along the wall. The red carpet was still there. It occured to him that nobody had cleaned the mess. The Government of Britannia ignored it after the incident. Patches of dried blood clung to stone; the smell of death permeated the atmosphere. In the indigo twilight, it was the site of a terrible nightmare.
His steps slowed down. Violet eyes scanned the surrounding area. The memory came back with a vengeance. The dead bodies falling, the gunshots firing and the terrible but beautiful voice commanding the army to exterminate all of the Japanese...
A gasp of pain escaped his lips. Lelouch gritted his teeth and climbed the stage. The stadium easily seated thousands. Thousands of hopeful people came that day with their desire for freedom from the oppressive Britannian empire. And thousands also died.
He remembered it all too well. How many times did he dream of it? How many nights was he tortured by it? He raised a shaking hand to cover his left eye, the container of the Geass. For the first time in his life, he hated having the power of kings.
The newly crowned Emperor sat down on the edge of the stage, forgetting his pristine white slacks and cape. He stared at the site of carnage and hate. The sounds of guns and screams and hysterical orders rang in his ears. The sight of a panicking crowd and a reluctant army made him want to close his eyes. It was everything that he could do to turn everything around. He placed his face on his hands.
Lelouch knew that he could only use his Geass once. He realized with a sinking heart that once he accidentally ordered the Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia to kill all the Japanese, he could not undo it. It was his fault for removing Zero's mask. It was his fault for not controlling his power. It was his fault for not thinking at all...
He was ready to give anything up for her. The Black Knights, the rebellion and the plans to crush Britannia was set aside for her. It was inevitable because Euphemia only wanted the greater good. So Lelouch was ready to step aside to give way for her vision.
And he ruined it.
Lelouch gripped his hair tightly. The pain was unbearable. He couldn't believe that he still suffered for it. Although he promised himself that he will not hesitate or regret since he started, he did. She was the only one he regretted.
"What's wrong?" a soft voice asked.
He blinked. The place was getting to him. There was no way he heard that. It was totally impossible...
Lelouch uncovered his face and looked up. The moon was right behind her; it blinded him for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw.
Euphemia was smiling down at him. She was wearing a perfectly lovely white dress with a crown on her head. Her voluminous pink hair were gathered into two buns while the rest flowed down her back. Blue eyes stared down at him kindly. He couldn't help but notice that her skin was suffused with the same pale moonlight glow.
"Euphie!" he exclaimed, shocked.
She smiled widely. "I'm glad you remember! Lelouch, don't be afraid."
"What are you?" The Emperor managed to blurt out. He couldn't believe that he was actually seeing things. Madness definitely ran in the family.
Euphemia li Britannia sat down beside him. "I'm a shadow, a shade of my former self. You called me to you. I am dead and you know it, Lelouch."
I killed you, he thought involuntarily. I'll know.
"It's nice that you decided to visit me," she continued conversationally. Her smile was bittersweet. "Nobody does. Not even Suzaku-kun. It's been a year since I died and no one remembered... But you visited me tonight."
Lelouch stared at her soft gaze. Even in death, Euphemia was kind and gentle. Regret washed over him. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be," her voice was serene. He suddenly remembered the pretty little girl who always forgave those who hurt her with a loving smile. "I was meant to die. Lives are so short, Lelouch. You're trying your best to rectify your mistakes. It's admirable."
His cheeks burned. Euphie was the only one who could make him blush with her careless comments and romantic thoughts. "Do you know my plans?"
"Nothing is a secret when you're in heaven," Euphie said, laughing. "I hope you'll join me there someday."
"I don't think so," he answered slowly "I am not fit for it. Euphie, I've arranged my death..."
She shook her head vehemently. Her blue eyes were serious. The soft and tender voice recited a poem from memory:
"A Shade but in its mindful ones
Has immortality;
By living, me you keep alive,
By dying you slay me."
"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. "Are you telling me to stay alive?"
Euphemia clapped her hands in delight. "That's right! I don't want you to die."
"But that's not possible. Zero Requiem has already commenced. There's no way the people will want me to continue to rule..." Lelouch argued. He respected her wishes, he truly did, but there was no way he could call his plans off. "I'm trying to cleanse your reputation, Euphie. If I die in Zero's hands then I am purged of my sins."
The ghost reached out and cupped his cheek. Her voice was a tender whisper. "Lelouch, I don't care about that. What I care about is you. I want you to live as long as you can to care for Nunnally and to change the world."
"Nunnally will do that," he said feebly. "She will follow your vision and your instructions. Guide her instead of me."
Euphemia smiled sadly. "If you die then I am truly dead. My memory lives in your heart although it hurts you everyday. Didn't you know that through you I achieved immortality?"
"In human records, I think," Lelouch murmured "you exist as the Massacre Princess."
She waved her hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter. To my family and friends, I am forever their beloved girl. I am immortal because of their memory. I exist through your love."
Violet eyes saddened. "As much as I want to do what you want, I cannot. I must finish what I started."
Euphemia li Britannia leaned forward and kissed his cheeks. It was like a breath of wind, the lightest of touches. Even her tears glowed in the soft moonlight. "Then I will wait for you, Lelouch, until the time comes."
Lelouch's eyes widened as she got up. She curtsied gracefully as a princess of the fallen empire. Her body was disintegrating into a million glittering silver particles. He forgot that she was a ghost, a shade or a shadow. He felt his heart break when she tried to touch his cheek for the last time.
His grief became slightly bearable. Even in death, he knew, she will welcome him with open arms. Perhaps then his hurting heart will cease when enveloped by her love and grace.
Author/Artist/Iconist: angels_archives
Fandom: Code Geass
Claim: Lelouch vi Britannia/Euphemia li Britannia
Prompt Set: Indigo
Prompt: 6. Immortality
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine! Especially the lines from the Thomas Hardy poem, Her Immortality scattered throughout the fic.
"Unto the place where I last saw
My dead Love's living smile."
Lelouch vi Britannia, after becoming the Holy Emperor of Britannia, visited the place that settled her fate only once. His faithful friend and loyal Knight chose to remain behind in the car; he couldn't blame him at all. Tonight was the first and last time. With a heavy heart, he entered the vandalized and bloodied stadium that was supposed to give birth to the new Special Administrative Region of Japan.
He descended the staircase to head towards the stage. A row of plush red chairs were lined along the wall. The red carpet was still there. It occured to him that nobody had cleaned the mess. The Government of Britannia ignored it after the incident. Patches of dried blood clung to stone; the smell of death permeated the atmosphere. In the indigo twilight, it was the site of a terrible nightmare.
His steps slowed down. Violet eyes scanned the surrounding area. The memory came back with a vengeance. The dead bodies falling, the gunshots firing and the terrible but beautiful voice commanding the army to exterminate all of the Japanese...
A gasp of pain escaped his lips. Lelouch gritted his teeth and climbed the stage. The stadium easily seated thousands. Thousands of hopeful people came that day with their desire for freedom from the oppressive Britannian empire. And thousands also died.
He remembered it all too well. How many times did he dream of it? How many nights was he tortured by it? He raised a shaking hand to cover his left eye, the container of the Geass. For the first time in his life, he hated having the power of kings.
The newly crowned Emperor sat down on the edge of the stage, forgetting his pristine white slacks and cape. He stared at the site of carnage and hate. The sounds of guns and screams and hysterical orders rang in his ears. The sight of a panicking crowd and a reluctant army made him want to close his eyes. It was everything that he could do to turn everything around. He placed his face on his hands.
Lelouch knew that he could only use his Geass once. He realized with a sinking heart that once he accidentally ordered the Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia to kill all the Japanese, he could not undo it. It was his fault for removing Zero's mask. It was his fault for not controlling his power. It was his fault for not thinking at all...
He was ready to give anything up for her. The Black Knights, the rebellion and the plans to crush Britannia was set aside for her. It was inevitable because Euphemia only wanted the greater good. So Lelouch was ready to step aside to give way for her vision.
And he ruined it.
Lelouch gripped his hair tightly. The pain was unbearable. He couldn't believe that he still suffered for it. Although he promised himself that he will not hesitate or regret since he started, he did. She was the only one he regretted.
"What's wrong?" a soft voice asked.
He blinked. The place was getting to him. There was no way he heard that. It was totally impossible...
Lelouch uncovered his face and looked up. The moon was right behind her; it blinded him for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe what he saw.
Euphemia was smiling down at him. She was wearing a perfectly lovely white dress with a crown on her head. Her voluminous pink hair were gathered into two buns while the rest flowed down her back. Blue eyes stared down at him kindly. He couldn't help but notice that her skin was suffused with the same pale moonlight glow.
"Euphie!" he exclaimed, shocked.
She smiled widely. "I'm glad you remember! Lelouch, don't be afraid."
"What are you?" The Emperor managed to blurt out. He couldn't believe that he was actually seeing things. Madness definitely ran in the family.
Euphemia li Britannia sat down beside him. "I'm a shadow, a shade of my former self. You called me to you. I am dead and you know it, Lelouch."
I killed you, he thought involuntarily. I'll know.
"It's nice that you decided to visit me," she continued conversationally. Her smile was bittersweet. "Nobody does. Not even Suzaku-kun. It's been a year since I died and no one remembered... But you visited me tonight."
Lelouch stared at her soft gaze. Even in death, Euphemia was kind and gentle. Regret washed over him. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be," her voice was serene. He suddenly remembered the pretty little girl who always forgave those who hurt her with a loving smile. "I was meant to die. Lives are so short, Lelouch. You're trying your best to rectify your mistakes. It's admirable."
His cheeks burned. Euphie was the only one who could make him blush with her careless comments and romantic thoughts. "Do you know my plans?"
"Nothing is a secret when you're in heaven," Euphie said, laughing. "I hope you'll join me there someday."
"I don't think so," he answered slowly "I am not fit for it. Euphie, I've arranged my death..."
She shook her head vehemently. Her blue eyes were serious. The soft and tender voice recited a poem from memory:
"A Shade but in its mindful ones
Has immortality;
By living, me you keep alive,
By dying you slay me."
"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning. "Are you telling me to stay alive?"
Euphemia clapped her hands in delight. "That's right! I don't want you to die."
"But that's not possible. Zero Requiem has already commenced. There's no way the people will want me to continue to rule..." Lelouch argued. He respected her wishes, he truly did, but there was no way he could call his plans off. "I'm trying to cleanse your reputation, Euphie. If I die in Zero's hands then I am purged of my sins."
The ghost reached out and cupped his cheek. Her voice was a tender whisper. "Lelouch, I don't care about that. What I care about is you. I want you to live as long as you can to care for Nunnally and to change the world."
"Nunnally will do that," he said feebly. "She will follow your vision and your instructions. Guide her instead of me."
Euphemia smiled sadly. "If you die then I am truly dead. My memory lives in your heart although it hurts you everyday. Didn't you know that through you I achieved immortality?"
"In human records, I think," Lelouch murmured "you exist as the Massacre Princess."
She waved her hand dismissively. "That doesn't matter. To my family and friends, I am forever their beloved girl. I am immortal because of their memory. I exist through your love."
Violet eyes saddened. "As much as I want to do what you want, I cannot. I must finish what I started."
Euphemia li Britannia leaned forward and kissed his cheeks. It was like a breath of wind, the lightest of touches. Even her tears glowed in the soft moonlight. "Then I will wait for you, Lelouch, until the time comes."
Lelouch's eyes widened as she got up. She curtsied gracefully as a princess of the fallen empire. Her body was disintegrating into a million glittering silver particles. He forgot that she was a ghost, a shade or a shadow. He felt his heart break when she tried to touch his cheek for the last time.
His grief became slightly bearable. Even in death, he knew, she will welcome him with open arms. Perhaps then his hurting heart will cease when enveloped by her love and grace.