Disclaimer:
I do not own Code Geass, obviously. Oh well, I hope you enjoy reading.
Edit: 8. April, 2014
(Extremely late) Warning: This story will be heading towards AU in future chapters, likely from chapter six or seven onwards. Even I'm not sure of how much at this point, but it could range from quite a bit, to extremely AU. The characters will still have their original personalities, with possibly a few minor alterations, or believable, gradual changes in personality. The reason for this decision is the fact that there's so much more to write in AU, what with the origins and roots of Geass, or the Holy Britannian Empire's history, etc.
Possibly, or rather very likely, OC's will be added, but rest assured, I will put a LOT of thought into them before even considering adding them, as I, just like many, if not all of you, dislike OC's that are basically there just for one event or plotline to work out and are dead and/or forgotten after that along with some lame excuse. There will still be parts of plot and events from the Code Geass anime, atleast those that I feel the need have to be added, but the story will most likely diverge in later chapters. Moreover, Lelouch (and by extension, many other characters) will gain a considerable amount of power (and by power, I mean the supernatural kind), seeing as he isn't exactly a real threat to anyone (without the Black Knights). Yes, he has Geass and a genius level IQ, but his Geass can only work with direct eye contact, (and reflections and the like, whatever) and I don't think even genius level IQ could save him from a bullet travelling at nearly seven-hundred miles an hour, much less a Knightmare Frame and it's wide array of weaponry, i.e. a blast from a Hadron Cannon. Don't even get me started on Anya's Stark Hadron Cannon; that thing, just... Jesus...
Oh, and while we're at Knightmare Frames, he isn't even that good a pilot in the anime. Yeah, yeah, I know; the Shinkiro. But bear in mind he mostly only uses its Absolute Defence mechanism, which requires intelligence and intellect, rather than skills as a Knightmare pilot. And lastly, this story will be heavily focused on Geass itself, as not much is revealed about it during the anime, aside from the obvious.
If anything of the above is not to your liking, I suggest you stop reading now, and search for other Code Geass fanfictions that better suit your taste. I sincerely apologize for this late warning as I only just came up with all the above. (This whole story started out as an out-of-the-blue idea and a first attempt at writing fanfiction, rather than having a real plot in mind, but as the story has gotten relatively popular (of course nothing compared to some other stories on this site) and with the positive reviews, I actually put a lot of thought into where this was headed and what it would include.
Last but not least; the first few chapters.
I'll admit, reading those again was quite a pain; the descriptions are vague, it all seems kind of rushed, and just all in all it was rather unpleasant to read. Please bear with me, as I plan to better that in the newer chapters, and considering English isn't my first language, it's kind of a given. (That doesn't mean that I don't plan on improving upon it as much as I can).
Alas, until the next chapter of Code Geass - Take two! (On that note, I should probably change the title aswell...meh.)
Chapter one; another chance
Prologue
So...this is the end, then? Lelouche Vi Britannia thought with slight amusement as the sword piercing his heart was suddenly jerked out.
He knew what awaited him at the end of the road; for the the world to be at peace, he had to burden all of its hatred, pain and suffering and perish together with it. But, as his slowly dying form stumbled forward to the edge of the dais, he couldn't help but feel a slight bit of regret somewhere in the back of his mind. He would never be able to light fireworks together with his friends, or see his beloved little sister Nunally grow into the fine young woman he was sure she'd be. The dark prince smiled ruefully. He heard the crowd cheer and shout as he fell and slid down the dais, covering the flag of Britannia in his blood.
The fools didn't realize the courageous and virtuous deed Lelouche Vi Britannia had performed in order to ensure peace. But he didn't care, as long as there was peace.
As long as Nunally was able to live in a gentler world.
Said girl was clutching his blood stained garb in utter anguish as she screamed desperate cries, begging her brother not to leave her.
She had found out about the Zero Requiem as she touched his hand; Lelouch made her 'see' all of it. After she found out, regret washed over her. She had called him a demon and a monster, not knowing his true plan to create a gentler world for her. For everyone.
"I love you, big brother! I love you!" She cried as she sobbed into his chest. Lelouch smiled. With that, he could die in relative peace. Knowing that his little sister loved him.
"I...love you, too...Nunally," Were Lelouche Vi Britannia's last words as darkness took him.
"You did quite well, if I do say so myself," a booming voice chuckled. Lelouch's eyes snapped open. He quickly scanned his surroundings and gasped, "No, this shouldn't be possible," he breathed, "Why am I in the world of C?"
The dark prince was currently standing on top of the very platform on which he fought his father. That shouldn't have been possible by any accounts; when a person died, they were assimilated into the collective unconsciousness. So why did he still know who he was?
A booming laughter unceremoniously derailed his train of thought. Lelouch whirled around and searched for the source of the disturbing laughter. "Show yourself!" he shouted. The voice, surprisingly enough, complied, "As you wish." The amusement in the distinctly male voice was very much present.
Lelouch stared in disbelief as a completely black figure with a white mask appeared out of thin air. The mask was akin to those he saw in the thought elevator, white, with a large number of black lines and circles adorning it. There were some differences however, as this mask had two eye-holes with a Geass sigil in each. The sigil was also on the forehead of the mask. Apart from that, and a markedly male build, the figure had no distinctive characteristics.
The dark prince started chuckling, "So, what do I owe the pleasure, god?" As he saw the dark figure twitch ever so slightly, a smirk appeared on his face.
"Sharp as ever, in life as in death," god stated with mirth in his voice. Lelouch asked, "I guess so, but am I really dead? It...doesn't seem like it."
"That's right, you're not dead, atleast, not completely," The amused tone was starting to grate on Lelouch's nerves. "But nevermind, let's get to why I've brought you here." The figure snapped its fingers and two two lavish looking armchairs appeared, one behind each of the two highly interesting individuals present. The dark prince and the figure known as god sat down and regarded each other for a moment. "So, the reason I brought you here is to offer you a choice." God spoke, hands folded in his lap. "A choice?" Lelouch inquired. God nodded, "A chance to redo your revolution, from the beginning."
Lelouch gaped at the dark figure before him, "You...you could send me back in time?" God replied, "Of course I could, don't you humans rely on me for miracles anyway? Besides, I'm indebted to you, for saving me from that accursed construction your father and his brother created." The dark prince considered his words for a moment, and spoke, "God is indebted to me," he sighed and smiled amusedly, "even after my death, for lack of a better word, the surprises don't cease."
"So it seems," came god's reply.
"So, what does this second chance at life entail?" Lelouch asked. Somewhere in the back of his head he was quite surprised at such a conversation taking place.
"I will return you to a certain point in time, and you'll still retain all your current memories." Lelouch nodded. "Also, your Geass will undergo a few...changes," he said cryptically, causing Lelouch to raise an eyebrow, "Changes?"
"Yes, it will be more powerful, and you'll be able to erase and rewrite commands," Lelouch sighed in relief, I don't need another incident like the one with Euphy. He shuddered.
"Anything else?" He asked, trying not to remember the massacre he had caused, albeit unintenionally. "Yes," came god's reply, "but, I'm afraid I can't tell you anything else about the powers your Geass will develop."
"How come?" Lelouch asked in slight annoyance. God sighed, "When you killed your father, you gained V.V.'s code, but it wasn't complete, as you didn't assimilate all of it, out of some reason even I do not know of. That fraction of the code wasn't enough to gain immortality, but it was enough to alter your Geass." God gazed off into the vast nothingness of the C world, "You'll have to figure out those changes yourself once I send you back," He turned to Lelouch, "that is, if you accept my offer."
The dark prince considered everything for a few moments, scenario after scenario of how this would play out racing through his mind. "I accept," he stated calmly, "but, may I ask of you a another favors?"
"Go ahead," God spoke calmly.
"Bring Rolo, my little brother, back," God looked at him curiously,"he didn't deserve to die like that," Lelouch's voice was tinged with regret. Even after he had told Rolo that he hated him and that he was merely an imposter taking on the role of his sister, his false little brother gave up his life for him. He didn't want to admit it, but only after Rolo died did he realize how much he meant to him; they were 'real' brothers for a relatively long time after all, and even after his memories returned, Rolo stood by him, aiding and protecting him during his revolution.
"That might prove to be a slight bit difficult, as he will be removed from the future," the dark figure looked contemplative, "I don't know how it will affect the river of time, but it could range from an unnoticeably small ripple to a large alteration of the series of events that will occur," he spoke in a serious tone.
"That's a risk I'm ready to t-" They were both interrupted by a bright flash of light.
"Lelouch?"
The dark prince recognized the voice instantly; it was the very voice that, for the past year, encouraged him when he thought that he couldn't go on, soothed him and grated at his nerves at the same time and a voice that he found a surprising amount of comfort in.
C.C.'s voice.
Opening his eyes, he saw the immortal witch that he'd become so fond of during the past year standing there, regarding him with mild curiosity. Her figure was still as stunning as ever, which was only complimented by her waist long green hair and beautiful golden orbs that were currently locked on him.
"That's the greeting I get after dying?" The dark prince asked playfully. C.C. quickly regained her composure, which she had lost for a moment at seeing someone very dear to her alive and well, even though they should have been dead.
"If you were actually dead, I don't think we'd be having this conversation," She had a playful smile on her face as well, her smooth and cynical voice bringing back memories to Leloch; memories that he truly treasured.
"Shut it, witch," Lelouch shot back, though the smile never left his face. C.C. simply smiled and turned to the dark figure that was observing their interactions with mild amusement, "I take it this is your doing?"
"Of course it is," the figure responded off-handedly, "Who else do you know of that can bring the dead back?" He asked rhetorically. "You'd be surprised," C.C. replied flatly, "Anyway, care to explain what exactly is going on?" God settled back into his seat, making himself comfortable, "I decided to send Lelouch and you back to where it all began."
"Let me guess, because Lelouch is the one and only being that you're actually indebted to and because you feel that someone who sacrificed so much to ensure peace deserves a second chance in life?" She plopped down into the armchair that appeared behind her during their conversation, a smirk on her face. God grumbled something about witches and demons, "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he waved her off.
Lelouch coughed into his hand, bringing the attention of the two to himself. "I think you were about to revive my little brother." God struck a slightly thoughtful pose for a moment, before replying, "Right, just give me a moment."
The Geass sigils on god's mask glowed once again, and after another bright flash, a young boy seemingly around the age of fourteen appeared out of nowhere. He had short, light brown hair and pink-ish violet eyes. Now that Lelouch thought about it, he actually looked like a cross between him and Nunally. The dark prince smiled fondly and stood up.
"Wha-What?" One moment he was in the Shinkiro, dying due to overusing his Geass, then darkness enveloped him, and now he was here, wherever 'here' was.
"Rolo."
He turned around to see none other than his brother, Lelouch standing there, arms open and a smile on his face. A genuine smile. "B-Brother?" Rolo asked in disbelief. "Yes," the dark prince replied with a loving tone.
Rolo felt the tears leaking out of his eyes as he ran towards his brother, nearly tackling him to the ground as he wrapped his arms around him. "I-It's really y-you," He cried into his chest as his brother soothingly rubbed his back, "Yeah, it's me, Rolo," The violet-haired prince replied, not being able to hold back a few tears himself.
The two other figures present simply remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the display of brotherly love. After another few minutes, Rolo let go of his brother and stepped back a little, still sniffling but not crying anymore.
"Brother, what happened? I thought I died..." Rolo was obviously confused as to why he was still alive. Or was it alive again? "You did, bu-" The dark figure who was silent up to now interrupted them, "I hate to interrupt you two, but if you plan on returning, we should attend to that know," God stared at all three of them, seemingly sizing them up for something or another, "staying in the world of C for prolonged amounts of time is...unhealthy, if you do not have a code like C.C. over there."
"I'll explain everything later, Rolo," The dark prince said to his surrogate brother as god stood up from his seat.
"So, are you three ready to return?"
Lelouch nodded and Rolo followed suit. C.C., however, looked thoughtful, "I'd actually like a pizza before w-" She was interrupted by yet another bright flash of light.
As the three regained their momentarily lost eyesight, they found themselves floating, for lack of a better term, through what looked like the flow of time. Images of various events that occured at some point or another sailed past them. Rolo was gazing at said images with curiosity, while Lelouch was staring right ahead with a confident smirk on his face. He turned to his green-haired accomplice to see her arms folded under her ample chest, her face had a look of annoyance on it; she muttered something about stupid gods and pizza.
Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle. For many, what he experienced within the past hour would be considered impossible, mad and completely crazy. But as he flew through the flow of time, revived little brother and immortal witch at his side, he couldn't help but think that what he felt right now was perfectly right.
He started laughing, loudly, catching the attention of both of his companions, "What's so funny?" C.C., who's grumbling about god and pizza was rudely interrupted by Lelouch's laughter, asked irritatedly. The dark prince's laughter slowly died down to a chuckle, and he grabbed both C.C. and Rolo's hands and pulled them close to him, wrapping an arm around each as he still chuckled.
Rolo smiled fondly while C.C. rolled her eyes and giggled.
Prepare yourself world, for the demon emperor is back!
AN:
This concludes chapter one, I hope you guys enjoyed reading.
Feedback is much appreciated, as this is the first fanfiction I've ever written. Depending on your feedback, the story will or will not be continued.
The reason I wrote this is that I thought the ending of Code Geass was was quite unfair for Lelouch. I mean, seriously, who deserves happiness more than that guy? Oh well, I'll be happily awaiting your feedback.