Chapter Text
May 2009 a.t.b
Japan 𑁋 Kururugi Shrine
The cherry blossoms have started to fall, signaling the end of Spring and the start of Summer. The heat began to rise slowly as the cool air of night began to fall with the sunset. Two young boys play with sticks near a storehouse. Their laughter fills the air as they half spar, half pretend to be samurai. Both boys have bright, emerald eyes and soft, walnut hair. Their voices are almost the same, with minor differences in cadence and heft.
The first boy takes the upper hand and, with great heft, says, “You need to surrender your troops to me!”
The second boy responds to his attack and says in rhythmic tones, “Not before you agree to my demands!”
They keep laughing and playing as they hear their father call to them. His voice is commanding and loud enough to carry over the distance between them and the shrine. They both drop their sticks and run over to their father. They all enter the shrine and make their way into the living area. They pass through the home and to the back office, not making eye contact with the servants as they walk.
“You both need to come and sit with me. I have something very urgent and important to tell you.”
Both boys sit near the small kotatsu in their father's office, in front of his keyaki desk. He wasn’t a man who preferred tradition, but he did enjoy his office looking as if it still belonged to ancient high-ranking officers. If there was one thing about Genbu Kururugi, he valued rank and status above all else.
“As you know, only one of you exists to the world. Taizō, Kyoshiro, and some of the higher-ranking Sumeragis know of you both, like your cousin Kaguya. THAT is why you can play freely on these grounds. However, soon, you will no longer be able to.”
Both boys are surprised by his words but do not make a sound. They glance at each other, unsure of what will happen to the other. Their father has always been a serious man, but something about this feels different.
“In a few days, we will be receiving political hostages from Britannia. As the Prime Minister, I will be housing them here.”
The boys gasp. Genbu grumbles slightly before continuing.
“Yes, we will be receiving Britannians as political prisoners. A prince and princess. They will be under our care and watch to make sure Britannia does not infringe on our peace agreement. They want our sakuradite, and we could use these hostages as we please in the future.”
Genbu smirked at the thought of using these hostages for political power, but that smirk quickly faded as one of the boys spoke up.
“So…does that mean we𑁋?”
“It means you both cannot be seen outside together. Only one of you at a time, if at all,” Genbu interrupted with a hint of anger. “YOU are Suzaku Kururugi. Your brother is your copy. He was an unexpected but welcome parting gift from your mother. You may be twins, but you are not equal."
The boys don’t like to be reminded of this. They don’t like being reminded that only one of them is legally a person.
“The others have been made aware of our new circumstances, and Kyoshiro has argued for you both to have time as a child and as a soldier. If you can manage to not be seen and stay hidden whilst the other exists, then you are both welcome to continue to live as brothers in this house. If you are seen𑁋”
“WE WON’T𑁋,” both boys shouted.
Genbu glared at their outburst, stopping them in their tracks.
“Good…from now on, you are both to only go by Suzaku Kururugi. Your nicknames are a privilege that we can no longer afford. You are welcome to use them amongst each other, but they will be limited. I do not need to explain why. We must prepare a routine. I will talk to the servants and Kyoshiro, as this will affect your studies, and we will begin under these new arrangements starting tomorrow. This needs to be perfect before the prince and princess arrive. If anything goes wrong…We cannot afford for Britannia to learn of your existence. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir!”
Genbu turns away from the boys and dismisses them. As the boys made their way back to their room, they contemplated this new normal.
“Do you think they’ll be nice?”
“Does it matter? They’re BRITANNIANS. They’ve been trying to conquer us for forever now. Dad always talks to old man Kirihara and Tohdoh Sensei about how they are all liars and thieves.”
“I guess you’re right. I was just hoping not all Britannians were bad, but for all we know, they could be the WORST. Maybe them being here really means an end to the fighting, though? It’s hard seeing all the villagers and citizens in the nearby town on edge.”
“Yeah, it bothers me too…”
They continue on in silence and begin to get ready for bed, deciding to wash away the dirt and grime from a day of play. Clean and feeling sluggish, they remember they need to finish their philosophy books before seeing Tohdoh Sensei tomorrow, unsure if it will be a normal lesson or if they will begin this double life after all. The weight of this reality begins to settle on their little shoulders.
“Do you think Tohdoh Sensei will start teaching us anything new tomorrow?”
“Aren’t we starting to live as YOU tomorrow?”
“I guess this means you’ll have to learn to be me every day?”
“Shouldn’t be too hard. We like the same things.”
“Are you willing to eat extra spicy curry?”
“Only if you agree to eat shiokara?”
“BLEGH! Deal.”
The boys erupt in laughter again, some of the somberness dissipating.
“I don’t know when these Britannians are coming or which of us will be the first to meet them, but let’s make a promise to each other.”
“Ok?”
“No matter what, we don’t lose ourselves. We’re brothers, and we will always be brothers.”
“And we’ll always stick together! We will be there for each other. No matter what.”
“No matter what!”
The boys pinky-swear before returning to their books and falling asleep.
4 days later…
The boys easily fell into a rhythm. One would face the world as Suzaku Kururugi, while the other studied indoors and trained alone. Both twins wrote in the diaries they shared to keep their stories straight, track changes in relationships, or describe how they felt, trading them back and forth every day. Kaguya came to stay for a few weeks the day after they started their routine, which was a welcome surprise. Her being here made it easier for them to practice for the Britannians' arrival. The closer their arrival became, the more resentment grew within the twins. They would lose their storehouse. The one place they could play freely, even if they could no longer play there as brothers and only as “Suzaku.” The storehouse was still a place for them to escape to, away from strict rules and lessons. Now, it was void of their small belongings, their toys and “weapons”, and was being made into a kind of makeshift home for the Britannians. Their father admitted he wished to house them in the shrine but noted that Kaguya and old man Kirihara were occupying the only other living quarters available. It is easier to keep their secret if they’re not under the same roof, though. Still, did they really need to house them? This is not an ideal way to start their summer.
All seemed fine until the Britannians arrived: the prince and princess. As one boy prepared to write in his diary about what he'd studied during the day, before trading with his brother, the other twin came running into their room. He was frantic and panting heavily. He seemed scared, or was that shame?
“OH, MAN! I MESSED UP!”
“Huh? What did you do?”
“I was so angry! That kid! That prince!”
“You MET the prince!?”
“Yeah, the princess too. UGH, he was just so cocky! And he was LYING!”
“What happened!?”
“I was bored and thought we had more time before they got here. So, I went into the storehouse since the servants stopped prepping yesterday. I wanted to see what they did. They turned the upstairs into, like, a bedroom and moved out a lot of the supplies. They even made a bathroom and what looked like a kitchen.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah. I was upstairs when I heard some noise and stopped at the top. Then I saw them. Well, I saw HIM first. He was describing the place like it was this fancy Britannian-style room. He was lying. It bothered me. I told him the storehouse was ou𑁋MY place, and I called him out on his lying.”
“And then?”
“He talked back𑁋... I could just write this in the diary…”
“Well, YEAH, but come ON. You came RUNNING in. We can talk about it, AND you can write about it in detail for me later too. It’ll help you remember what to include too.”
“Yeah…ok…”
“So?”
“Right. So, he talked back. He said that Japan and Britannia are the same, but we use money while they use military power. I didn’t know how to respond… He just kept talking, and then I called him a liar. He told me I should talk to Dad about it, and I told him he lies about everything, cause he was lying about what the storehouse looked like! Then he told me to ‘Stop it!’ and came at me. Before I knew it, I hit him. Then I kept hitting him and called him names. I think I said, ‘Stupid Brit.’ Then I noticed the princess. She was yelling at me to stop hitting him, and I realized she…she’s blind…She started saying that she’d do anything and said, ‘I can’t fight. I can’t run away.’ She was begging for me to stop hurting him…I felt so bad…so guilty that I ran away. I said I was sorry, but…”
The boys sat in silence for a bit.
“Maybe we should avoid them for a bit…”
“Yeah, but he made me so mad! I feel bad for the princess, but that prince is a jerk.”
“What did they look like?”
“I hate to admit it, but they both looked pretty.”
“Pretty??”
“Uh𑁋yeah…,” he let out with a blush.
“Pretty how? Like a girl?”
“Well, yeah, but you could still tell he was a boy, and the princess is a princess, so she's supposed to be pretty. They look like they're close to our age; at least the prince seems like he's our age. The princess seems a little younger.”
“Ok, but what do they LOOK like? How can I tell them apart if he's pretty like a girl?”
Blushing, he continues, “Well, the prince has black hair and violet eyes. He looks high and mighty too, but he's scrawny and pale and looks like he's never had to work hard.”
“And the princess?”
“Her eyes were closed, so I couldn't see what color they are, but she's blind and crippled. So, she needs a wheelchair. She has, like, light brown hair and is pale too. It's easy to tell them apart, to be honest.”
“Hmm, well, I hope I can see them for myself, too. After letting all this die down. I'm very curious about how pretty they are. I've never seen a boy be pretty.”
“It was weird. He's got, like, girl clothes.”
“Huh, well, you can write about it now. Maybe it'll be clearer, and you can tell me exactly what was said.”
“Yeah, it does feel less fuzzy in my head. Ok, I'll write about it𑁋oh, I should wash up first.”
As his brother left the room, the remaining twin sat in silence.
“A boy that's pretty?” he thought. “Weird.”
The other twin, on his way to the washroom, looked down at his hands.
“That poor girl…I hope she's ok now. I wonder if he's comforting her. Is he even capable of that? Ugh. Stupid prince. If only he weren't so cocky. If only he didn't lie.”
He kept dwelling on those moments as he began preparing for an early night in. He hoped tomorrow would be easier for his brother. Little did he know that the prince and princess would become their closest friends.
August 2017 a.t.b
Shinjuku Ghetto
Suzaku hadn’t thought about the arrival of his friends and the skirmish he had with the young prince in years. He had only thought of his brother. He didn’t realize at the time that being executed by the Britannian government for a murder he did not commit would mean never FINDING his brother. They had been separated all these years. Separated for far too long… He assumed he now had Zero to thank for saving him, but still felt he deserved to be executed. He needed to repent for his sins, but not until he found his brother. Though now he was officially acquitted of all charges and free to go. Why did all these thoughts and feelings come flooding back to him? Was it because he had just seen his long-lost prince the other day, or because the girl he’s currently with reminds him so much of that princess?
This girl wasn’t blind or crippled, and her hair was not a soft brown. Her hair was bright pink, and her eyes were a soft indigo. No, more of a blue violet. Something about them reminded him of the prince, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Yet, her demeanor was nothing like his. She seemed very kind, a bit naive but sweet. Heck, she saved a cat, but right now, her eyes were full of anger. She had just slapped a fellow Britannian.
“I will not allow you to insult this man any longer, you OAF!”
She was defending him, but why? They may have spent a nice day together, but there was no need to do that. Suzaku was accustomed to being treated unfairly by Britannians. Even though he had defended them from those rebels, he knew they would not be kind. So, why?
The Britannians left Suzaku and his new friend to themselves, and they could speak of what had just transpired.
“Euphie, why did you do that?”
“It’s not fair when people in power harm the weak…”
“Is it bad to be weak?”
Euphie gasps, caught off guard by Suzaku’s question. He continues, reminiscing about his time after that fateful summer with the prince and princess.
“Back then, when I was 10, the world seemed like such a terribly sad place. A world without any hope at all. Starvation, disease, filth, decay, racism, constant war and terrorism. Living in a never-ending cycle of hate. Rats running in a wheel. The cycle must be broken. Somebody has to do it.”
“How idealistic…”
“Of course, it’s doubtful if the one who does it will make all the bad things go away. I’m not that arrogant, so… No one should lose more of the people they love. At least, a world without war.”
“How would you do it?”
“I don’t know how you would do it. But if I stop trying, then my father’s death will have been in vain.”
“The Prime Minister’s death?”
“My own father died because he had to sacrifice his life in that war.”
“I see…”
Euphie and Suzaku stood in silence. Talking about all this now makes him feel as though the whole day has been a waste of his time. He should be looking for his brother. So their dream can become a reality.
“Suzaku!”
The sudden arrival of his former supervisors, Lloyd Asplund and Cecile Croomy, snapped him out of his thoughts. Lloyd was a tall, thin man with lavender hair and grey eyes. Cecile, his assistant, was a slightly shorter woman with indigo hair and blue eyes. She was behind the wheel of the dispatch trailer, and her window was rolled all the way down, yelling for Suzaku.
“Miss Cecile!?”
“It’s dangerous here! Get in!”
Lloyd would fill them in on the situation. The Pure Blood faction, Britannians who opposed Honorary Britannians and made him the scapegoat for Prince Clovis’s murder, was experiencing infighting within the ghetto via Knightmare frames. It appears their leader, Lord Jeremiah Gottwald, is the victim of this attack. He called it a “petty squabble” and remarked that the acquittal meant Suzaku was back to working for them, meaning he was Lancelot's pilot again. This gave him an idea. Thankfully, they were all IN the dispatch trailer.
“Wait! Isn’t this an opportunity to gather battle data for the Lancelot?”
Lloyd was all too pleased to hear this and began prepping the Lancelot, despite Cecile’s minor protests.
“I’m sorry, Euphie, but we have to say goodbye here. I think I can stop them with the Lancelot. I need to do this. I have to try. No, I must!”
This was only half true. Suzaku knew that if he could save Lord Jeremiah, he would be one step closer to moving further up the chain of command and even closer to finding clues to his brother’s whereabouts.
Suzaku enters the Lancelot as Cecile makes the final preparations.
“The Lancelot is ready to launch.”