//------------------------------// // Act lX: The Drug That Remembers // Story: Code Geass: Stryker of the Equus Rebellion // by Skye Mist //------------------------------// "...Clearing the last of the debris from around the Lake Kawagaitchi Convention Centre Hotel. It's been two weeks since Zero unveiled his Black Knights. But there's still little insight into the pony behind the mask." Reporters said. "They weren't able to track his escape route. They let the hostages go and somehow made it to the other shore." Sirocco awoke with a start when there was a crash. "Huh?" She opened the door to see the black blond-striped maned maid beside a broken light fixture. The cinnamon pegasus looked up at her. "Sirocco! I mean, miss. Forgive me. I didn't wish to wake you." "Again?" Sirocco sighed. "I'm sorry. It was the support chain this time, it broke." "Well, just get it cleaned up. And be quick about it. I have to leave for school." Sirocco said curtly. "Mistress, you've been attending school quite a bit lately. Making any friends there?" Sirocco stiffened. "I don't see how that's any of your business." She stepped back into her room and closed the door. The maid stared at the door, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. "Just go, will you..." Sirocco whispered, eyes shut, as she leaned against the door. "I know it's for welfare, but why waste it on the Elevens?" A drone said, walking up. "That's why I'm selling it to you, my friend. The Eleven population could use a little thinning out, if you ask me." "Your payment will be transferred to your wife's account." On the roof, several figures ran and flew. "Princess Chrysalis is a soldier. This sort of thing doesn't interest her all that much." All the lights suddenly turned off and gunfire rang outside the warehouse. "Hit the lights! Turn 'em on!" The drone exclaimed. The lights turned on, revealing Zero and the Black Knights, all armed. The drone's green eyes widened. "You're... you're the...!" "The Black Knights!" Sirocco shouted, standing. Everyone in class looked at her and laughed as she blushed in embarrassment. After class, Amber said to her, "That's not like you, dozing off in class like that." "Well, I..." Sirocco's mind drew a blank. "You could learn a thing or two from Stryker. He's an expert at sleeping in class." Fallout said. Sirocco turned around to see Stryker still at his seat, turned from the front of the class with a hoof raised to keep his head up. "He's not sleeping now, is he?" Fallout shrugged. "I don't know what he's up to night after night. But he sleeps through about half of them these days." Sirocco raised an eyebrow at that. "The EU is starting an offensive along the El Alamane front. We can't go on dragging our hooves around here. I want to solidify domestic affairs. It's high time Colony 11 was made a satellite nation. For that to happen, we need to stamp out terrorism, of course. But another major problem is the rampant abuse of Refrain amongst the Elevens. Productivity is plummeting. It's coming in on the Chineighse Federation's Kyustable route. We have to put an end to it." Chrysalis explained. "Yes, but be careful." Masquerade said. Chrysalis smiled. "You as well. I don't want you leaving the settlement." "Chrysalis, what about Black Knights and Zero?" Masquerade asked worriedly. Chrysalis chuckled dryly. "I'll let them roam free a bit longer. I owe them that for saving your life. However, upon my return..." She gently caressed Masquerade's cheek. "Once I've cleaned up this Colony, I'm entrusting it to you. Try to stay out of harm's way from now on. All right, Mirage?" Masquerade thought of her last encounter with Zero. "Because Xirex was a relative of the Nymphian Queen." Masquerade's eyes widened. "That reminds me... You're one of her children, aren't you?" Zero raised his left foreleg, and pointed the gun at her. A tense moment passed before Zero lowered his hoof. "But I suppose for now..." Masquerade sighed. 'When he spoke to me that night, what was he alluding to? ...Greymane, what would you make of all this? About what Zero is doing. And of me...' Sirocco yawned as she stopped outside the student council room. "Dang, this double life sure is a killer." "Come on, Greymane, hold him down!" She heard Raincloud say. "Hmm?" She walked into the room to see everyone dressed up like birds. Raincloud wore a rainbow-colored parrot outfit, Amber wore a peacock-themed outfit, Shadow wore a white-feathered dove outfit, Greymane wore a black-and-white woodpecker outfit with a red frill, and Fallout wore a grey-shaded peregrine falcon outfit. Stryker was beginning to look like a flamingo with all the pink makeup that covered his face. Struggling to untie himself without magic, Stryker exclaimed, "Damn it, Greymane, cut it out! Stop it! I'm not kidding!" "Sorry, Stryker. But it's the president's orders." Greymane said. "Yeah, like you're not enjoying this at all! And can't I just wear a costume, or better yet, transform?!" Stryker yelled, still squirming around. "Would you hold still?!" Amber exclaimed. "And you don't see Shadow transforming into a dove, do you?" Raincloud turned around to Sirocco, sporting a parrot beak on her muzzle. "Good Macawning." Sirocco blinked. "Uh... Good morning, I guess. What's all this?" Fallout looked up from holding Stryker still. "What do you mean? Didn't we tell you? It's our welcome party for Arctic." "Sounds like fun...?" Sirocco said uncertainly. Raincloud shrugged. "Well, classes are postponed, so we might as well have some fun, right?" Amber pointed with a hoof over to a rack. "I set some stuff aside for you, over here. To make up for all my getting so upset before. Take your pick." She blinked. "What? For me?" Stryker stopped squirming for a bit and smirked. "She doesn't need a costume." Sirocco looked at him. "Hmm?" "You're already wearing a mask, right?" He asked. A silent message weaved through his words. Sirocco scoffed. "You really are a riot, you know that? You ought to be on television." "What do you think, Miss TV Star?" Fallout asked, turning to Amber. "Oh, I thought that she meant Stryker." Greymane said, confused. Amber groaned. "Would you quit joking about that? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt. We've been hounded with questions day and night. Even in the locker rooms!" "We haven't been able to leave school grounds in a week." Raincloud sighed. "Not that I don't feel for you, but I don't see why we can't leave either." Fallout frowned. Raincloud closed her eyes and said dramatically, "Hmm, that's the price of friendship. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 'It matters not that we were born apart, upon this day we die as one.'" Fallout blinked. "Is that your idea of a love quote?" She turned to him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "If I go down, then we all do." "That's a little dark. Right, Greymane?" He asked, turning to Greymane for backup. Greymane was teary-eyed as he said, "I'm glad... that we could all be together again. You know, like this." Stryker smiled understandingly. Fallout hopped over Stryker's head and threw a foreleg around Greymane, causing them both to fall. "Come on! Hey, we're supposed to be unwinding in here!" Amber, Raincloud, Stryker, and Shadow laughed at Fallout's antics. Amber smiled, "That's what's so refreshing about Greymane, though." "Yeah, but once in a while you just want him to get a clue, you know?" Raincloud said. "Oh, sorry about that." Greymane said awkwardly, as Fallout used his hooves to make him do a funny face. Fallout said in a silly voice, "Oh, you lovely pretty bird." They laughed again. "Oh Fallout, never change!" Amber said. Sirocco smiled. 'It's so funny to think I helped save their lives.' 'Ever since we made our big splash at the hotel jacking, the Black Knights have taken the world by storm. We've become a friend to the weak, just as Zero proclaimed we would. Terrorists who involve civilians, an overbearing military, criminal syndicates, corrupt politicians and profiteers, if the law would not punish them, then we would. In the blink of an eye, we'd become heroes. Support for us has swelled. And we've even gotten our hands on some Knightmares again. Of course, no one could show that in public, because-' "Stop pretending you're a Black Knight." A mare said to the filly. Sirocco was snapped out of her thoughts. She stopped walking for a moment. "But why?" The filly pouted. "You musn't ever say anything against Nymphia. We're Elevens. Have you forgotten that?" '...Because our leader Zero had killed Prince Xirex. There are many in our ranks who wish to know his true identity, myself included. But if we push too hard, I suspect that he would vanish. And without him, I'm fairly certain we'd be finished.' Stryker buzzed down the steps of the Tempus home. Fallout ran up to him. "Hey, there, pal. Haven't seen you much lately." "Really?" Stryker glanced at Fallout as he continued walking. "Yeah, really." "Hmph, guess I've been busy." Shadow Aura sat the computer, her thoughts drifting back to the hotel jacking and her aunt. '"Are you alright, Shadow?"' She stopped typing for a moment. 'It's been a while since I last saw Aunt Mirage...' Taiyang and the Four Holy Swords were discussing Zero and the Black Knights. "Why would the masses flock around those who saved Masquerade?" A nymph by the name of Caeca questioned. A drone, Slit, added, "Even Sythi has said that they would send the Black Knights the Guren MK II." Another drone by the name of Arques widened his eyes in disbelief. "To those would-be Robin Hoods?" "They're not part of the resistance. Killing Arset was proof of that." Another nymph, Cyeas, narrowed her eyes. "The colonel killed himself, didn't he?" Caeca asked. Slit answered, "Well, I hear they didn't try to stop him." He turned to Taiyang, who'd been listening patiently. "In any case, Lieutenant Colonel Taiyang, we can't let this stand." "Mistress Sirocco, mistress Sirocco." The maid called. Sirocco headed downstairs. She stopped near the bottom. "Madam President?" Raincloud smiled. "I just dropped by to give you something." "Huh?" Sirocco blinked in confusion. The maid asked, "Where would you like me to show her to? The parlor perhaps. Or maybe-" "We'll be in my room." Sirocco said curtly. The maid bowed her head. "As you wish." A nymph came into view above the stairs. She scoffed, "Oh, I heard you had a friend down here, I was sure it would be a colt. Out all night and missing school. Not to mention all your visits to the ghetto. You're lucky your father's back in the homeland. " She narrowed her eyes at the maid in particular. "No fighting one's blood, is there?" The maid looked down and stepped off to the side. Sirocco replied acidly, "You're the one who's enjoying Dad not being around here, aren't you?" "Hm." The sudden crash of a vase turned their heads towards the maid. "Oh dear, what have I done?" "What's wrong with you?" The nymph said scathingly with a scowl. "Forgive me, milady, forgive me." The maid began picking up the broken vase pieces. "Can't you do anything right? Besides selling your body, that is." "Quite the complicated home life you have, isn't it?" Raincloud commented. "So what was it you wanted to give me?" Sirocco asked. Raincloud gave her an envelope. "Grandfather asked me to pass this on." "You mean the principal?" "Your transcript since middle school." Sirocco's eyes widened. "I thought I'd better give them to you off of school grounds." Raincloud said. Sirocco sighed. "So my secret's out then, isn't it? That I'm actually an Eleven and Nymphian half-breed." She began signing the papers. She spoke through her teeth. "That was my dad's old colleague down there. She only lets me stay here on account of my father. My mother was that clod of a maid who knocked over the vase." She gave the paper to Raincloud and spit out the pen. "And your father... is he the head of the Flash family?" Raincloud asked. Sirocco stared down at her hooves and nodded. "My mother is such a fool. In the end, she wound up a servant to that witch. All because she was Japonese. If Dad knew what really went on, he'd probably take me and my mother far away. The witch lets her be like royalty when Dad comes here to visit, but it's back to being a maid when he's not. And no matter who's ridiculing her, all she can do is laugh like it's nothing. She didn't have to stay in this house, you know? Dad offered her a chance to go to Equestria, to be a normal pony there. But she refused." "You hate your mother?" Raincloud asked. Sirocco shook her head. "No, I just find her depressing. She used to be a lot different." She picked up the teapot and began pouring two cups. "Well, this is getting a little heavy. Imagine, the wife and the daughter and the other nymph, all living together." Raincloud said. Sirocco shrugged. "Eh, it could be worse. Three square meals and a roof, right? I mean, it's not unbearable. Most of the time, anyway." She muttered the last part as she took a sip of tea. "That's good. Still, somethings in life we can bear on our own, but when you add them all up, they eventually break you." Sirocco looked at her questioningly. Raincloud exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry. I won't lie, I'm always hungry for secrets, but I'd never talk about this." Meanwhile, in a smaller cramped room, Sirocco's mother, Amber Flurry, unlocked a drawer. She took a deep breath as she gazed on the bottles of Refrain. 'Life can be perfect again... We can be one big, happy family again...' "I can't believe you teared up. That's so embarrassing." Stryker commented while reading a book as the two of them were in the student council room. "It's called honesty." Greymane said before wincing. Arctic chirped as she stayed on his hoof. "Well, good thing the Black Knights were there to save them. That's all I can say." Stryker said. As Arctic let his hoof go, Greymane realized something. Stryker turned to glance at him when he felt his emotions. "If they wanted to catch criminals, they could have joined the police force, you know? Why don't they, I wonder." "They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I tend to agree." Stryker said, going back to reading. Greymane turned around. "The police may not be that effective right now, but they could evoke change from within." "Yeah, and in the process, they get all tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy." Stryker scoffed. "If they had done everything in their power to change things, that might hold water. As long as they don't, then all of it's just self-righteous posturing." Stryker glanced at Greymane again. "Self-righteous?" "And what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self-satisfying gratification." Greymane said. Amber walked in. "Oh, it's just you two?" "Anyway, I guess I gotta go back to the base pretty soon." He said, winking at Amber. "See you around, Amber." "See you later." Amber nodded. As the door closed, Amber took a deep breath. 'Here I go...' "So Ry-Ry... I was, um..." She blushed. "I was thinking if you had some time, you and I-" "'Back to base.'" Stryker narrowed his eyes as Amber blinked in confusion. "Now that was an interesting choice of words. 'Go back', implying that's where he thinks he belongs." "Refrain?" Sirocco asked into her phone as she stopped walking. "It's a psychotropic, makes you think you've gone back to the past." Rough Boulder said. "Must be all the rage here in Japone." Sirocco said. "Yeah, well... Who doesn't long for the days before the occupation, right?" "Mm." "This stuff was specifically targeted at the Japonese. Can't very well ignore it. Soon as the Burais are stocked, we move." Boulder said. "Supplies keep rolling in. And I hear lots of creatures are ready to join us. Black Knights sure are popular, huh?" Sirocco said. "Well, we are the heroic knights for justice. I'll call you when the ammo gets here." The call ended there. "Come on Eleven, say something." Sirocco turned her head to see five Nymphian drones abusing an Eleven stallion. "You are sorry, aren't ya?" Sirocco looked around, but no one helped the poor stallion. "Bowing your heads is what you Elevens do best, right?" "Eleven..." Sirocco growled. "Eatin' bad food really makes us wanna off somebody, you know?" Sirocco began to walk over, but a holed hoof stopped her by the shoulder. She turned. "Stryker." He shook his head. "No, there's five of them. You wouldn't stand a chance at all." "So you think I should just ignore it?" She narrowed her eyes as her volume increased a bit. He turned towards the commotion. "Go on, take a good look at that Eleven." "Come on, what's the matter? Aren't you gonna cry?" "Buddy, just say you're sorry." "If we intervene and help him win, he wouldn't be able to sell a thing tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Nymphian slave. That's just the price you pay for working in the settlement." Stryker said. Sirocco turned to him. "Well even so-" "You got a problem over there?" Sirocco was cut off as the drones began walking over to them. "Not feeling sorry for this Eleven, are ya?" One of them asked. "Nah, they feel the same way we do, don't you guys?" Another said. Stryker closed his eyes and smirked. "Not quite." He opened his eyes as his Geass manifested. "But you're tired of beating up Elevens now, aren't you?" A moment passed before one of them said, "Yeah. This is boring." "You guys wanna hit the arcade?" Another asked as they walked away. "I got no bits." Sirocco stared wide-eyed in confusion as Stryker shrugged. "Well, they got bored pretty quick, huh?" Sirocco trotted over to the beaten stallion. "Hey, are you all right?" He looked up and saw the uniform she was wearing. "Huh? A Nymphian student! What can I get for you? How about a nice California hot dog, miss?" Stryker walked up. "Is this your dronefriend? I can get him something too. I have ice cream, if you like?" Sirocco's eyes widened in dismay. She glanced at Stryker, who simply gave a near-missable shake of his head. "In some ways, Colony 11 is better off now than the old Japone ever was. Being made a colony of the Empire has stabilized its military and economic position in the world. Elevens can even attain full citizenship through the legal process. It's easy to become a honorary Nymphian. Just a question of pride, really. Though I can certainly understand why they'd resist." Stryker said as they sat on a bench. "And?" Sirocco questioned. "Hmm?" "Knowing all that, what does Stryker Surveil think about it at all? What do you wanna do?" She asked. "Nothing." Sirocco frowned. "You know, you've got a lot of brains but you don't seem to be doing much with them. It's all Amber talks about, saying how intelligent you are but how you barely ever apply yourself." "That's why I don't do anything." Stryker said, earning a confused look from Sirocco. "That Eleven we saw back there could tell you. He could lead a better life as long as he bows his head to Nymphia." Sirocco realized how close that was to her mother. Her eyes widened. Slapping Stryker with a wing, she yelled, "You must think you're pretty cool, huh? Just playing the critic and judging the world from the sidelines. Guess I was a fool to expect anything more from you. You know, I really thought you were a better drone than this." With that, she flew off. Stryker narrowed his eyes as he rubbed the cheek she'd slapped. "Hmph." Meanwhile, Amber Flurry opened the drawer. Nothing was left. Crescent and Ember sat at a bar. The latter asked, "So, about this Calico thing..." Crescent clenched his teeth. "Sorry to bring it up." She said. "Is this whole thing true, though? That you can't remember anything about when Private Greymane was taken." Crescent growled, "I don't expect you to believe me." Ember shook her head. "No, it's just that... during the whole Shineighku incident, I suffered some sort of memory lapse also." He turned to her with wide eyes. "You did?" She nodded. "By the time I regained my senses, my Sutherland had been stolen. But right before that entire gap in my memory, I remember running into some high school drone." "So you think it was that student?" She narrowed her eyes. "I can't remember his face, but there may still be a way to get to the bottom of this." "What the hell is Zero thinking? After all his talk about bringing down Nymphia, he's just got us running around helping the police." Eclipse whispered. "Still feels pretty good to have the will of the creatures behind us, though." Rough Boulder said. "Yeah, he's right. We're totally heroes on the Net." Torpid added. Sirocco sighed. "Are we in the right? I don't know anymore." Boulder turned to her. "Sirocco..." "There's the signal from Zero." Syphilis whispered. "I can't believe he got in there." Torpid exclaimed. "How many tricks does this guy have up his sleeve, anyway?" Eclipse asked. The workers inside the warehouse moved about, storing several shipments of Refrain. "Is the shipment for Nickeroya ready?" "Nice and safe here in the settlement." They spoke too soon, for the warehouse was under siege by bullets a moment afterwards. "Huh?!" The door was knocked down. Eclipse exclaimed, "The Black Knights have arrived!" "Intruders!" Both sides fired, but as Sirocco's Glasgow entered, the Nymphians ran. "Knight-Mares!" "Screw this!" "These Knightmares really are amazing. Each one is an army unto itself." Sirocco mumbled. The Glasgow shot through a closing warehouse door. Sirocco gasped as she came upon a room full of creatures. "Japone! Japone! Japone!" "That's right, I'm getting married next month!" "I've been promoted! I'm going to the Maris office!" "Leave it to us! Japone is on the vanguard of technology!" "Refrain..." Sirocco murmured. "I'm studying abroad! I can't believe I got in!" '"When you add them all up, they eventually break you."' She remembered Raincloud saying. She gritted her teeth. "That's right, which is why I'm here." "Careful, it's dangerous to run like that." Sirocco widened her eyes as she caught the pegasus mare from falling. "Mother!?" "Really, Aurora. Please Sirocco, I need you to keep an eye on your little sister." Sirocco shut her eyes. "My God, how weak a mare are you, Mother...? First you give in to Nymphia, then to a horrid witch, and now this... My sister's gone. Let her go!" The Glasgow was suddenly attacked. Sirocco looked to the right as the arm was blasted off. A Knight-Mare stood armed. "The night police?!" Sirocco raced away, the police Knight-Mare in hot pursuit. Torpid exclaimed, "Isn't that a police unit?" Rough Boulder gaped, "They're in on this deal?" He turned. "Eclipse!" Eclipse exclaimed, "Don't look at me! When I checked it out, there weren't any cops involved!" "Corrupted filth..." Zero growled. Sirocco tried to dodge the police unit, but she couldn't attack with her mother still on the other arm. "You're in the way! Damn it! I don't need you! I don't want you!" She yelled. The police unit fired at the Glasgow's leg and it crashed loudly. Sirocco recovered to see her mother on the ground before her. "Sirocco... Aurora..." The police unit kept firing at her Glasgow. Sirocco gritted her teeth as she held out. Zero and the other Black Knights caught up to her. 'It won't work on a Knight-Mare.' Stryker thought, gritting his teeth. The police unit's gun ran out of ammo, and so, it began approaching the Glasgow. Sirocco exclaimed to hr mother, "Go on, run." When Amber Flurry turned towards her, she yelled, "Get moving, you idiot!" "I'm here for you." Sirocco stiffened. "I'm here for you, Sirocco. I'm here, as I always have been." "What...?" Sirocco felt tears well up in her eyes. "Then that's... that's why you stayed in her house? You stayed there for me?" She blinked them away. "You fool!" The police unit rammed into hers and drew a blade to strike into the cockpit. She blocked it with the Glasgow's remaining hand and prevented it from moving any closer. "Or maybe... I'm the fool." She shot the slash harkens into a shipment area. As the Glasgow was pulled towards them, the police unit was too. The police unit cockpit was crushed as the steel bar stopped it cold. "Sirocco!" The Black Knights ran out, sans Zero. Sirocco glanced back at her mother. "I'm so happy for you... You can finally become a Nymphian now, Sirocco. Nobody will ever be able to hurt you now, darling. And you're free to travel and use the phone anytime you want." 'So this... is her mother?' Stryker thought. 'Those who indulge in memories of the past are foolishly happy. Because they assume that tomorrow is coming. If Sirocco is struggling to dispel such illusions, I'll stand by her. All we can do is live each day, one moment at a time.' Unbeknownst to anyone, S2 stood on a steel beam above them. She stared down with an expressionless face as Sirocco ran from the Glasgow to her mother. 'False tears bring pain to those around you. A false smile brings pain to one's self. I know such from experience. I guess Amber Flurry and Sirocco do too...' Sirocco sat by her mother's hospital bed as the nurse said, "It's an after-effect of Refrain. She's unable to talk much. She'll recover eventually, but it will take time." "Mother, your sentence... you got 20 years. But you wait! I'm working to change things when you get out, I swear to you! I'll make a world where you and I can live a normal life again. So please, Mother..." Tears began to trail down her face. She started as a cinnamon hoof was placed on hers. "Hang in there... Hang in there, Sirocco... My little filly..." Sirocco smiled as the tears fell. "Don't you worry... I will. I promise you."