Random Curiosity

Summary:

While the newly freed Black Knights are celebrating, Lelouch speaks with Kallen and C.C. about the Vincent’s pilot, though he doesn’t reveal that it’s Rolo. Kallen doesn’t like that he’s keeping it a secret, but she nevertheless decides to reprise her role as the commander of Zero’s personal guard. Lelouch then puts on the Zero mask and heads outside to address the Black Knights who have by now been re-outfitted with their uniforms. Though the others are impressed to see him, Chiba Nagisa is quick to point out that they wouldn’t have been captured in the first place if it weren’t for Zero’s betrayal. When Zero’s only response to the question of what happened back then is that it was for the sake of winning, his men clamor for something more such as an explanation or an apology. Toudou, however, quiets everyone and declares that there are times when strategic matters have to be kept hidden. He continues on to say that that Zero’s strength is needed right now and that he doesn’t know anyone more resourceful. Ougi also speaks up on Zero’s behalf by asserting that only Zero can fight against Britannia and lead them to win the war of independence. All this gets the crowd sufficiently worked up to support him.

Lelouch eventually returns to Ashford and is surprised the next day when Suzaku suddenly shows up in class. Suzaku has re-enrolled in the school, and Villetta assigns him the seat next to Lelouch. Both Lelouch and Suzaku know that the Emperor of Britannia changed three things in Lelouch’s memory: Nunnally, Zero, and the fact that Lelouch was a Britannian prince. For that reason, the two act like they’re old friends being reunited when they see each other, and Suzaku joins the student council group during lunch. Rivalz and the others want to hear from him what Zero looks like, but Suzaku can’t say, and everyone’s attention is then turned to how Arthur is back too - and still biting Suzaku’s fingers. He later meets with Villetta and Rolo in the underground base, and since Suzaku didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary with Lelouch, Villetta concludes that Lelouch’s memories haven’t returned. Suzaku, however, insists that more investigation is needed. Through all of this, Rolo has been conflicted over what to do and if he should trust Lelouch. He accompanies his brother when Lelouch uses his Geass on one of the teachers, and Lelouch is quick to remind him that they’re siblings.

Meanwhile, the Knight of Three Zino Weinberg is attacking Area 11’s Britannian government offices with his Tristan Knightmare in order to test their defenses. Suzaku’s arrival there puts an end to it, and it turns out he had been expecting Zino to come with the Lancelot. Zino reports that the Lancelot will actually be coming with Lloyd on the following week, and he’s here now with Knight of Six Anya Earlstreim and her Mordred Knightmare. Three days later, Milly and the student council throw a huge welcome party for Suzaku, and Lelouch and Rolo are tasked with peeling potatoes. Rolo at one point thinks about using the knife on Lelouch, but Lelouch notices the way that he is holding the knife and tells him that it’s dangerous. Lelouch is aware that Suzaku had been watching them, and after Suzaku walks off, Rolo starts to tell Lelouch about the weakness to his Geass power. Lelouch later discovers that C.C. has come to the festival, so he covers her head up and hauls her off to a place where people won’t see her. While this is going on, Suzaku is catching up with Milly about their former classmates. He knows that Kallen is likely at the Chinese Consulate-General and that Nina has been writing papers for academic conferences.

On the topic of Nina, Suzaku starts to say that her specialty is different from Lloyd’s, but he stops himself because he realizes that Lloyd might be a touchy subject. Milly, however, is curious to know if Lloyd said anything and thinks that Lloyd might have been shocked that she got held back a year and had postponed the marriage. Suzaku tries to speak up for Lloyd’s sake, but he’s interrupted by Arthur suddenly taking the feather pen that he had been using and running away with it. Since this was Euphemia’s pen, he chases after the cat, in the process dropping the clipboard that had their giant pizza plans for today written on it. This clipboard is then picked up by Zino who had come to the festival with Anya. Lelouch and C.C. meanwhile are talking about how the person who gave the Emperor his Geass is the same person who informed Suzaku about the existence of Geass - V.V. Their conversation is cut short when Shirley comes looking for Lelouch, so he pushes C.C. into the nearby giant container of tomatoes. Since Shirley is under the impression that only she and Lelouch are here, she starts to ask Lelouch to do something with her, but she never gets to finish her sentence because he’s then attacked by a person in an animal costume.

This person turns out to be Kallen, and she apparently came to take C.C. back to the Chinese Consulate-General. Lelouch begins to tell Kallen that C.C. is in the tomato container, however Shirley then pulls him away from her, not realizing that it’s Kallen inside the costume. While Shirley and Kallen are fighting, Suzaku and Milly arrive on the scene looking for Arthur, and shortly thereafter, C.C. starts banging on the walls of the container from within. Before anyone can investigate the container, it gets picked up by Zino piloting the Knightmare that they were going to use for the giant pizza. Zino drives off with the container to participate in the event, and it just so happens that Arthur gets in the Knightmare’s way, so the cat tries to run away. Milly and the others chase after the Knightmare and the cat, but Lelouch is unable to keep up with them and has to come up with a different plan. Right as Zino is dumping the contents of the container onto the pizza dough in front of the student body, Lelouch uses his Geass power on one of the guys in charge of the event and gets him to release all the fire-extinguishing gas they had prepared for the stage. This blankets the area in pink gas and allows C.C. to get away unnoticed. During the commotion, Villetta accidentally runs into Kallen and knocks the top off her costume. Villetta doesn’t recognize Kallen, and Kallen is quick to cover herself back up again.

Afterwards, Lelouch meets with Kallen and C.C. on the school rooftop, and Kallen tells him about Villetta seeing her. Kallen only knows Villetta from having seen her with Ougi at the previous school festival, but even this is news to Lelouch. When he expresses surprise that Ougi kept a secret from him, C.C. says that he’s blind to these things. Nevertheless, Lelouch decides to use this to his advantage and has Rolo capture Villetta. Revealing himself to her, Lelouch notes that she gained the title of Baroness for her services in finding out Zero’s true identity. However, he also accuses her of being in secret contact with Ougi Kaname of the Black Knights because he knows that if word of this got out, she’d lose that title. With Villetta now stunned, Lelouch brings out the wine Shirley bought and wishes her a happy birthday. As for Kallen and C.C., they get picked up by Li Xingke, and Lelouch requests to be put in contact with the Chinese Federation’s head eunuch. Since these plans are now in motion, Lelouch’s only other concern is Suzaku, and the two meet on the school rooftop. It is there that Suzaku reveals that he intends to become the Knight of One because the Knight of One has the special privilege of getting any area he wants, and Suzaku wants Japan.

He goes on to explain that he lost an important friend and an irreplaceable woman, and so for the sake of not losing anyone else, he wants to gain power. For that reason, Suzaku feels that the Japanese don’t need Zero anymore, and he then calls up the person who he says is going to become the new Governor-General of Area 11 next week. Lelouch doesn’t realize what’s going on until Suzaku hands him the phone and he hears Nunnally’s voice on the other end , asking if it’s him.

Preview

For what was largely a school-fun episode, this sure had a big shock at the end there. It almost caused me to do a spit-take (fortunately I wasn’t drinking anything at the time). I think Nunnally being the new Governor-General could be both good and bath for Lelouch. On one hand, it makes it all that much harder to attack Area 11 Britannian targets if he knows that it might cause her any physical or mental harm. On the other hand, knowing Lelouch, he’ll find a way to use her new position to his advantage while Suzaku’s not looking. There’s also the question of what effect Nunnally’s appearance will have on Rolo, if any. He’s already somewhat unstable, and Lelouch probably needs to be extra careful around him since showing affection for Nunnally might drive Rolo off the edge.

Still, this is quite a clever trap by Suzaku. Never mind the future ramifications, Lelouch’s immediate reaction will be pretty key (notice that he’s turned away from Suzaku so that Suzaku can’t see his facial expression). He can’t respond to Nunnally as if he knows her because that would give away the fact that his memories are back. The problem is that Nunnally’s memories appear to have never been wiped, so if he pretends that he doesn’t know her, then he might risk her getting worried about him, and I suspect he doesn’t want to cause her any mental anguish. Unfortunately for him, that might be his only option. Either way, I can’t wait to see Lelouch unleash his fury on Suzaku for putting Nunnally into play (regardless of whether this is all Suzaku’s own plan or the Emperor’s or whatever).

The other interesting thing this week was Villetta (no, not the fanservice, though that was certainly there) and how Lelouch appears to be blackmailing her now. I’m not so sure it’s a such good idea for him to reveal his identity to her at this point though. I keep getting the feeling that this will come back to bite him, but I guess he likes to keep his enemies close. Now that I think about it, I could see him using Ougi to keep her in line, so maybe this isn’t such a bad idea. The focus for next week though will be on a Pacific Ocean Knightmare battle, and it looks like Lloyd’s finally going to show up.