Just as the red and blue Knightmare Frames flew off, the scenery started shifting even more rapidly. Countless images of Rai conversing with some fellow male schoolmate who had brown hair and green eyes flew by. In the midst of all the chaos, Setsuna managed to spot a figure in the distance, clutching his head and in obvious pain by the way he was shaking while lying sideways on the ground. "...... Rai?"
The only response he was able to pick up was a faint scream that was lost in the rapid bits of conversation coming from the memories. 'Is he... the real one?' The Meister started moving towards the fallen body of the other male but soon found himself in a large open sports stadium where thousands of people were settling into the stands. Britannian military officers and Knightmare Frames were stationed as security around the stadium.
Setsuna managed to see Rai, dressed in a white ceremonial Britannian military uniform. He was standing near the entrance of a mobile fortress that was connected to the stage area of the stadium. Behind him were three security officers while the same male schoolmate who had been featured in the flying images stood beside him dressed in his own version of the ceremonial uniform complete with a unique pin on the left side of his torso. There was a particular sight that caught the Meister's attention. Specifically, the black machine parked near the mobile fortress that was kneeling down. From the way that it received wary looks once in a while from the three security officers, Setsuna came to the conclusion that it must have be Zero's personal unit.
"Suzaku... was it a good idea to leave Princess Euphemia alone with Zero?" asked Rai as he kept watch on the fortress entrance.
"Orders are orders, Rai. We have to follow them," replied the other male as he glanced at a small device in his hands. "Even though she has that call switch to notify us during an emergency..." He trailed off and turned around to the kneeling black Knightmare Frame with a strange look on his face.
"What's wrong?" The three officers also turned towards the black machine, wondering what he was looking for.
"What is... this feeling?" While the others seemed distracted, Rai took this opportunity to slip away and entered the mobile fortress only to find that it was dimly lit as only a few sources of light were available from blinking consoles coming from the internal systems.
"Someone turned off the power?" He started down the darkened corridor when he heard footsteps rapidly approaching him. "Who's there?"
It took a while for his sight to adjust to the poorly lit chamber but he managed to make out a female figure in a dress. "Oh! Hello there Rai!"
"Princess? I'm glad you're safe." He took a moment to compose himself. "I apologize for violating my earlier order to leave you and Zero alone but..."
"That's not important now! The important thing is that I kill all the Japanese!" exclaimed Euphemia in that bubbly tone of hers.
"W-what?" Rai was so shocked at her sudden outburst that it allowed her to move past him. He reached out for her and managed to get a hold of her left wrist. "Wait! What are you talking about?! Why would you do such a thing?!"
"So you won't help me?" Before he could answer, Euphemia pulled out a small gun and shot him in the shoulder, forcing him to release her.
"GAAHH!!" His free hand immediately went to the shoulder that had been shot in an attempt to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry but I have to kill them all. You just sit here and relax while I get to work!" She quickly resumed running towards the entrance while Rai tried to give pursuit. Unfortunately, his entire body felt entirely sluggish due to the fresh wound so all he could do was stumble towards the entrance rather than chase after her.
As he dragged himself to the stage, he saw Suzaku and the other security officers who seemed to be unconscious and the closing of the pilot hatch of the black machine. But that didn't matter right now. All he could think about was trying to get to the Princess in time before she turned the Special Administrative Zone into a nightmare. He barely managed to hear one of Cornelia's Knights, Andreas Darlton if he remembered correctly, speak up. "Sub-Viceroy? Where's Zero?"
She got to the microphone and tapped it to ensure that it was working before speaking into it. "Everyone who calls themselves Japanese: I have a request to ask of you. Can you all die?"
"No..." He couldn't let her throw everything she worked so hard for away. As the crowds started murmuring uncomfortably in response to her request, Rai summoned all of his available strength, activated his power and shouted out with all his might: "Euphemia Li Britannia, do not kill the Japanese!! Everybody else who heard her last words, forget what she just said!!!"
As the bird-shaped symbol flared from his forehead, a large red aura enveloped the entire stadium for just a moment. Euphemia's body stiffened for a moment before she collapsed on the red carpeted ground. While Rai struggled to catch his breath, he saw Suzaku sprint past him towards the princess. "Euphie!!"
She came to just as he gently lifted her upper body off the ground and into his arms for comfort. "Suzaku? What happened?"
"I... I can't remember," confessed the Japanese male. He then noticed that he was practically cradling the female in front of hundreds of thousands of fellow Japanese. "Here, let me help you up."
"Thank you, Suza-" Euphemia's eyes widened as she saw the injured Rai who had now fallen to the ground since he had used up most of his strength. "Oh my gosh... RAI!!"
"Heh... glad I still made it," replied the young man in a raspy tone as he saw the princess and her knight run towards him.
"Save your strength, Rai! That's an order!" The princess turned her attention to the stunned officials still sitting on those large chairs. "Darlton, get a medical team on stand by in the infirmary!"
"Yes, your highness!"
He felt himself being lifted piggyback style by his friend and comrade just as he heard a large machine's engine start up. "S-Suzaku...... Zero... he......"
"Hang on. I'll get you to the G-1's medical bay in a minute!" As Suzaku started running back to the fortress, the last thing that Rai saw before blacking out was the sudden ascension of the black Knightmare Frame.
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(Posted Sun, 17 Jan 2010 03:34)
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