Disclaimer: Code Geass and its characters belong to Sunrise, Inc.
We all know how it went.
Lelouch, as Zero, attempted to take Nunnally away from Britannia, so he could be with his sister again. What he didn't realize (or perhaps he did), was that, at their meeting, as Zero, he was her enemy. She, after all, at that moment, was to become Britannia's presence in Area Eleven.
The result should have been obvious.
The next day, the new Administrative Zone was announced. The Black Knights understandably were distrustful and angry at the idea, recalling how its previous incarnation went. However, instead of going against it head-on, Zero decided that they went into exile. There they would pool their resources, gather new allies, and later become the military strength of the United Federation of Nations ― the single great threat to Bitannian supremacy.
And the rest was history, as the adage went.
But, what if the Black Knights were a little less angry when the new Viceroy made the announcement? What if one Black Knight in particular decided to not focus too much on the news but on the reactions of the people around him instead. Perhaps he would have noticed Minami's light blush on his cheeks? Or how Tamaki's shirt buttons weren't aligned at all?
Or that Kallen had been staring at her phone, deep in thought, and would later go off on her own to some secluded area to make a call?
What if Ohgi had been that Black Knight, and decided to check on his late best friend's little sister, surrogate brother though he dubbed himself?
Perhaps...
"Kallen?" he would have called out, as soon as her call apparently failed to connect.
"Ohgi-san," she would reply, not really having called him by the honorific that meant 'brother'.
"Something on your mind?" he would ask, which was the brotherly thing to do. She would go quiet for a short while, probably thinking about how she would express it. He, in turn, would be hoping it wouldn't be something awkward.
"You knew Oniichan better than anyone else here, right?"
"Yes," he would answer, because it was the truth. Had she asked that before the Black Rebellion, however, it wouldn't have, for it was Inoue who held that honor. But we digress.
"Do you think―" Kallen would pause, gather her thoughts, then sigh before continuing.
"What if he never let me know about being in the resistance, and I never knew," she would look away, probably still composing the scenario in her mind, "then our father shipped me to Britannia to keep me safe, without knowing what really happened to Naoto, except that he never came back home.
"What if I came back some time later, all the time thinking terrorists had killed him, and he thinking our father had taken me away against my will.
"What if," she would face him now, having formed her question fully in her mind, "he thought to rescue me, but I ran from him, because I thought he was kidnappng me, not knowing who he was because I thought he was dead."
The first thought on Ohgi's mind would probably have been Where did this come from? if it weren't for the honest concern in Kallen's expression. This was important to her, and it was also clear that she needed to make a decision that was somehow related to this scenario.
So he would allow himself to step into Naoto's shoes. While it was true that their resistance group was meant to ultimately restore their Japanese way of life, it was basically so that their own families could enjoy a normal life once again, a safe one ― one without fear, discrimination or violence.
If Naoto were to become a mere nameless terrorist to Kallen,
"I think he'd try to keep fighting, but his heart won't be in it as much, anymore."
"No, scratch that," he would quickly counter himself. That's not Naoto. "He'd probably blame himself first, for keeping his work secret from you, for leaving you alone too many times. For letting you feel even more alone by not telling you he's not really dead. Then he'd probably try to convince you that he's really him and tell you all about what happened and why he was in the resistance.
"But probably won't let you join anyway."
They would both share a chuckle on that last statement. Indeed, the two of them teamed up with Inoue (we need more girls in this team!) to bully Naoto into letting her join the group.
"But what if he thought from the beginning that he can't let me know, no matter what?"
"Well, I'd hate to be him."
"Because he'd be the loneliest man in the world," he would elaborate at Kallen's questioning look.
He would elaborate further, by telling her how proud Naoto sounded every time he told his friends about his baby sister ― whether it was about her accomplishments, or anecdotes about her too-clever head atop her too-tiny body, or how she played the tomboy even though she enjoyed dressing up.
"You're probably unaware about all this," he would finish, "but his world revolved around you. All this," he would wave a hand to their surroundings, "were so that he could live up to your image of him. Of the hero brother you always idolized. If you suddenly rejected all he had worked for," here, he would give a shrug, "I'd say he'd take it hard. He'd start wondering if it was all worth it, maybe even give it all up."
Her eyes would widen a fraction at the revelation, then nod her thanks while a small smile would briefly grace her lips. Then she would steer them back to the business at hand.
"If he did fall into such a state, do you think Inoue-san would stand a good chance at snapping him out of it?"
"Ino―?!" He would catch himself. He would even berate himself for not noticing the obvious between his two departed friends, and that he shouldn't have been surprised that Naoto's bright baby sister would notice. He would then give this question some thought before finally giving his reply.
"I don't think she would," he would reply. "For all the admiration she had for your brother, they didn't really have that much in common. What he would need was someone who could, or does understand what he's going through. Someone who would know how to reach him where he was, and able to pull him back out of it."
"Like you?"
"Nah," he would admit, clearly embarrassed. "I'm an only child, as you know. I wouldn't know what it's like to have a sibling, much less losing one like that.
"But, as someone who listened to all his praises of you, I'd probably be the one he would open up to."
"Yeah," she would agree. "He probably would."
"And, only after that will he start picking himself up and make a decision. What he'd decide," he would shrug his shoulders here, "damn if I knew. But I'd stay his friend, no matter what."
With that last statement, she would give him a hug. A really tight one that she rarely gave anymore. "Thanks, Ohgi-san."
"You're welcome," would instinctively leave his lips along with a chuckle. "Now," he would later ask after breaking the embrace, "mind telling me what that was all about."
"No," would be her reply. "Not now, at least. Maybe someday?"
"All right," he would agree. He would even pat her on the head, just like he used to when they played school, when they were younger. "When you're ready, I want to hear all about it okay?"
"Hai, sensei!" she would reply, playing along, but meant it all the same.
Later she would leave, and Zero would return some time after she did. And much of what transpired would be very much the same as it would have been, as if the conversation never took place.
But what if, because it did take place, that Black Knight would pause, note the names...
Lelouch vi Britannia...
Nunnally vi Britannia...
Brother and sister.
Make certain to capture the new Viceroy unharmed. Have I made myself clear?
Zero disappearing briefly when they failed to capture the new Viceroy.
Zero unresponsive, then irrational after the loss of Tokyo Settlement.
Find Nunnally!
Perhaps, instead of simply asking Kallen to bring Zero to hangar four...
"When you asked me about Naoto losing you, you were worrying about Zero, weren't you?"
Her eyes would widen, probably even think about denying it vehemently. But seeing in his eyes that he knew the truth, but with no anger at all behind them, she would nod.
Perhaps, even to one person, a little less anger had been present in these two crucial moments...
"Listen. They want him in exchange for getting Japan's freedom. You need to get him out of here."
...perhaps things would have turned out differently.
A/N:
Sooo... This is me coping with work stress. I needed to write this to remind myself to not let my anger get the better of me.
Ohgi was selected for the usual reasons, and Minami was too busy fanboying.
In the light novel Red Tracks, it was hinted that Inoue had an unrequited crush on Naoto, that she would later project to Ohgi (leaving poor loverboy Sugiyama in the dust).
As always, feedback is appreciated.
~ryder77