rakuen | and then they fell. [rakuen revolution opening post]

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and then they fell. [rakuen revolution opening post]

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

Ah, I remember now. It's... a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her. The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess. No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep. Mechanical, monotonous.

"Next stop: Rakuen City. This train terminates here. The next stop is Rakuen. All change." The train rocks steadily as it winds its way through white drifts of now. Sunlight streams through the window, heating the air and making the seats almost uncomfortably warm. A puff of steam from the train winds its way lazily past the windows when the wind is right.

It's strangely difficult to shake off the sleep; the rhythm of the train seems to lull you back into slumber and the air is warm and heavy, making it hard to keep hold of a thought. Finally, though, the nausea settles, the last of the dream fades and you can take in your surroundings. And, perhaps more importantly, those around you in a similar state.

"We have arrived at Rakuen City. All passengers must leave the train. This train is terminating here. This is Rakuen."

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The question leaves 11 flabbergasted and he looks from Gino to Suzaku in confusion. He wouldn't have been so surprised about Gino not remembering him - after all he is not a particularely flashy person and to most foreigners, all Japanese people look the same anyway - but that Suzaku wouldn't remember him... They had met multiple times since the young man had been a child, after all. he hasn't even fully realized yet that they haven't recognized the other nation, either.

So the notion of 'Britannia is here and blocking the way for Zero and Britannia just found me in the same room as Zero this is bad' is fighting a hard battle with the confusion and indignation about not being recognized.

He will just try to pull out of contributing to this conversation until he either needs to rejoin it or has understood what is going on. Or both. That seems the best way to save face right now.

"I am sure Ms Britannia would be better fit to answer such questions." That way, he would also get around introducing himself by his number. It just is so very humiliating, especially when the empire herself is present.

That name! He looked at her closely, but she wasn't any of his siblings. He could say that without a shadow of a doubt. Judging by her age, he would have definitely known about her.

Again, he found himself without weapons. So he needed a new tack. The door on his helmet opened. "Release me!"

It was worth a shot, anyway.

The fact that neither Gino nor Suzaku didn't recognize her was surprising, but not unthinkable. They had never talked before that point, after all, as she rarely saw reason to speak with anyone else of note besides the current Emperor and (at times because of personal preference) Schneizel. So she let their lack of recognition slide. As she opened her mouth to answer, Zero in her grasp finally spoke again, causing her to pause.

An order? It was nearly laughable.

At the issued command, something faintly resembling a smile curled Britannia's lip as she looked at Lelouch and seemed to mull it over. But, to anyone who knew her, the chances of that actually happening had been nil from the start.

"And let you get away again?" She asked lightly, wondering about the small hole in the helmet as she pointedly tightened her grip. "I don't think I should."

But then, calmly as ever, she did release him- and push him back towards Gino. "I guess introductions are overdue anyway, I am The Holy Empire of Britannia and he-" she glanced at Kiku, "is Area 11."

No, she wasn't really all that happy about finding him and Zero in the same vicinity.

"Kinda hard to be a traitor when you're the first Knight of her Imperial Majesty, man. What rock've you been hiding under, anyway?" He gestured to his uniform before turning to catch Zero again in what was becoming some bizarre game of keep-away. Again, he steadied the guy, and would have let him go again, but the stranger had just spoken.

His burst of laughter was more surprised than anything. "This a joke?"

They didn't look like they were joking, though. "... What, seriously?"

Suzaku was staring at Gino in utter disbelief, first knight? Her Imperial Majesty, what on earth was he talking about. Lelouch was the emperor and Suzaku was Knight of Zero and Gino was the one in hiding.

That however paled to nothing when the woman who had caught Zero introduced herself and the man Suzaku had thought was one of the Black Knights.

"What? That's..." Not possible, insane...

Suzaku is definitely not the only one who has no clue what is going on anymore, though 11 doesn't have the additional brainbreakage of 'they are nations' going on so he is slightly better off. None of this changes the fact that he'd like to see Zero get away, though.

He simply makes a small gesture towards Britannia, making sure to keep any emotion or sentiment out of his next words. "You might have gotten a stand-in instead of the correct person." He doubts that that will change anything, but he cannot really tell the other nation to let go of Zero.

These people were claiming to be Britannia and Area 11? How could-- And his Geass-- This was making less and less sense and he could feel his headache getting worse as this conversation went on. He had to get out of here before someone decided to rip his mask off by force. So he would take the unexpected exit.

So he would try it one more time. The panel on his helmet snapped open again. "Gino Weinberg. Do not allow any of these people to hinder me!"

"His Imperial Majesty," Britannia corrected without skipping a beat, giving Gino a very weird look. "And seriously." She added cheerfully, looking pretty unruffled by all of these people expressing disbelief. With that taken care of, she looked back at 11 and frowned properly. "Real or not, he's still an accomplice." There was a pause as Lelouch tried his geass again, making her sigh.

"And he's pretty obnoxious, so I'd like to kill him anyway. Though I guess Charles or Schneizel might prefer something else..."

Gino blinked down at Zero, eyebrows furrowing as he digested the command. Okay, the Empress had told the Knights to obey Zero if what he wanted was reasonable, and. Hey. This wasn't too bad as far as requests went, but there really was something about the way he said it that made Gino want to punch the faceplate.

"Sure, sure. Not my fault if she hears about this and cries. But you've gotta be going somewhere before they're hindering you--."

Oh, that chick who said she was Britannia wanted to kill him. That counted as a hindrance. "Good enough for me. You wanna get out?"

"Yes his imperial majesty," Suzaku agreed with the girl who claimed to be Britannia but that really couldn't be true. He glanced at the man, the man claiming to be Japan and then at Gino as he offered to protect Zero.

What on earth was going on.

"Wait, you're going to help Zero??"

"Yes," he replied to Gino. Now that this particular problem was on its way to being solved, he could move on with figuring out just what was going on here.

"I am sure that it would be of advantage to let the humans decide what course of action should be taken in this situation." As nations, they should stay back in situations like this that are very much about interpersonal decisions between humans. ...Not that he expects a nation that is pretty much still wet to realize this. "It is one of those things that should be decided between them."

Okay, he might try to use that truly very wobbly rule to his advantage right now.

Just as Suzaku was expressing his disbelief, Britannia was giving a series of very confused blinks. Finally, after a moment, she tilted her head in confusion. "The Knight of Three is a traitor?"

Because really, what else could she draw from a Knight of Rounds assisting a known terrorist? Still, her confusion was palpable. Of all the knights she would have suspected of this kind of treason, Gino had been one of the lowest on that list. If anything, she would have pitted it on Suzaku, not for his number heritage, but for his personality of doing whatever was necessary to achieve his goals.

And then Japan was speaking, appearing to be so very diplomatic in a situation that was impossible for anyone involved to act as such in.

"You think so? But the fight is pretty uneven right now."

"Her Imperial Majesty." Gino corrected, yet again. "Who is, incidentally, the only reason I'm helping you right now, Zero! If she hadn't ordered us to listen to you, I'd hand you over in a second flat. For the record."

Man, everyone was confused right now, weren't they? "Knight of One," he added, with a half-salute to 'Britannia'. "Not a traitor. Anyway, it's been great catching up, but we're getting out of here."

Suzaku looked at the four others around him, completely confused. "What are you talking about Gino, are you really going to help Zero?" He looked to the woman who had claimed to be Britannia and then man who claimed to be Japan.

"What is going on?"

While 11 couldn't answer Suzaku's question at all - none of this made any sense, if he didn't know better he would have said that either all of them were under a unusual kind of fox charm or that someone had released a kind of drug into the air. Or that ...well, mainly Gino was lying on purpose. But on which purpose?

He only looked at the blond and the masked man next to him in passing, and then turned so he could see both Britannia and Suzaku. He would not answer the empire's remark about uneven fights. Sure, it was tempting, but absolutely not worth it. And even answering indirectly... sometimes, the other nation was surprisingly good at understanding what he had almost not said.

"It might be easier if we answered the question of why we are on this train and where we are going first." It was a quick question - not so much out of interest, more to distract. The first solid thing that came to mind.

Lelouch will say it for you, Japan. "When has Britannia ever been interested in an even fight?" And with Gino's support ensured, he made a move to leave again. He would get his ownn answers once he was off of this train.

"When we're losing, obviously." Britannia replied shamelessly with a side glance at Lelouch. "When you're losing, you find a way to even the odds. Then you find a way to put them in your favor, that's how you win." And, maybe it was just a casual step, a shift in balance to stand more comfortably, but Britannia chose at that moment to lean against the backs of one of the seats that put her closer to Suzaku.

"And the Knight of One is Bismarck. You're still at three, Gino." She added cheerfully, seemingly amused by what she assumed was mere ambition to go higher.

"Anyway, does anyone know where this Rakuen City is?"

"Try again, that guy," and he jabbed a thumb back towards Suzaku, "took care of Bismarck over a year ago. You've gotta get yourself a better history book if you wanna impersonate the empire. And, beats me!" He seemed just fine with continuing to smile even as he moved to get Zero past the others, not really that interested in their talk about winning and losing when his head was starting to pound again.

"Sounds Japanese."

"That doesn't make you Knight of One Gino." Suzaku said darkly, especially since Gino had disappeared after that very incident. "Only the emperor can give out Knight of Round titles and you fought against him."

He shook his head at the other question, glaring at Gino when he moved Zero past them, unbelieving that he could be doing this.

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and then they fell. [rakuen revolution opening post]

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