PLEASE READ:

Okay. Because of general awfulness in this fic, it's going to be finished rather quickly with few to no edits to the chapters already posted. If I ever get around to fixing it, I will, but for right now enjoy it as is.

BTW, for my purposes, everyone's memories were fixed once Lelouch had died. (Meaning that Milly and co. remember Nunnally)

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. Unfortunately.

Chapter 1

Rain poured down among the war-torn streets. It was nighttime, and the only open convenience store was dimly lit, struggling to survive among the destruction. Every now and then, someone would pass by. Cars were rare—people hurried through the rain on bicycle or foot, mostly. Nobody noticed the boy standing on the corner in the rain. He was looking up at the sky, unmoving. He didn't even flinch as a car suddenly turned the corner, raising a wave of water that soaked his shoes.

At least, the water should have soaked his shoes. The boy acted as if he hadn't even felt it. Raising a hand above his head, he watched in fascination as the big drops of rain fell straight through it, leaving only cold feeling behind. Turning, he looked for his reflection in the darkened glass of a closed clothing store. A familiar face stared back at him. The same black, chin-length hair framed a pale face in which intelligent violet eyes were set. A red jacket, nice black pants, and a black sleeveless turtleneck. He chuckled, remembering a much more uncomfortable white outfit.

Then he blinked. Wait, what am I thinking? Why am I even here? Could it be…I'm still alive?

But he knew that couldn't be the case. Indeed, a sword had pierced his heart, and he even remembered his death. Yet he was moving around a familiar city. So, he decided to look around for a familiar face. I guess I could start at Ashford, if it's still there. How long has it been?

Barely a month, Lelouch. A voice echoed in his head, curiously and painfully familiar. It reminded him of bubble gum and time spent playing in the grass as a young child before the war. You've only been gone for a month; there hasn't been time for much change.

Euphie. Lelouch sighed her name within his head. There was a bit of surprise, yes, but he'd been prepared to meet her sooner or later. I am dead, correct? That's what I planned, so…

Why are you still there? Euphie asked, anticipating Lelouch's stalled answer. You could say as a punishment. Or a gift. Either way, you're in limbo.

Why?

I don't know—it was decided by someone higher up than I am. And I think you have to do something before you can proceed.

Fine. Lelouch could feel Euphie's voice fading from his head. Euphie?

I have to leave now, Lelouch. We'll talk again.

Euphie!

What?

I'm…I'm sorry. For everything, really.

Warmth and sincerity radiated from her voice as she answered. I know. I forgive you. Good luck.

And just like that, Lelouch was left alone, staring at his reflection and feeling oddly heavy. He tried to turn around, and his limbs felt weighed down. He was happy to have talked to his lost sister but…A punishment? That I understand. But a gift?

Then, Lelouch looked up at the now-night sky. It was a time that he usually would have been asleep by, but…

Can ghosts even sleep? That's what I am, right? A ghost. It made sense really. He couldn't touch raindrops, people seemed to be ignoring him, and he was hearing dead people's voices. Besides, when people thought of ghosts, they said they were souls 'in limbo,' right?

Suddenly, Lelouch was filled with a longing to see what had happened. Was Nunnally okay? What about his other friends? How was…'Zero' faring? He wanted to know, but was faced with the crisis of how to get there. He stumbled across the street, narrowly missing a car—or so he thought. Did his hand just pass through the door? Unsure, he stopped and sat under a tree in the park on the other side of the street. The rain was slowing, and Lelouch closed his eyes.

oOo

By the time Lelouch next opened his eyes, the rain had stopped and he was staring up at a ridiculously sunny sky. Groaning, he sat up.

Euphie? He whispered in his mind, feeling a bit stupid. Hello?

About ten minutes later, Lelouch was about to give up in disgust when he heard a faint Yes?

Um…Do you know how the whole being a ghost thing works?

I can say you're basically like a human. You can sleep, move, walk, and even touch things sometimes. And…Here Euphie trailed off, sounding uncertain.

And? Lelouch prompted, his eyes narrowing involuntarily.

Well…you can speak to people sometimes…but…

Well?

It's rare, and even then few people actually believe what they're seeing or hearing.

Lelouch groaned, already feeling tired of conversation in his head. I'm basically alone for the rest of my 'punishment.'

Not true. You just have to find someone. It may be rare, but the closer you were to someone in your life, or the more attuned they are to their surroundings, the easier it will be to see or hear you. There are other ghosts that will be able to talk to you, too.

How long does it usually take a ghost to find what they have to in order to decide their fate? Asked Lelouch.

Um…the lucky ones already know what they have to do.

So I'm an unlucky ghost. What a surprise. How long does it usually take?

There's no set number, but there are some ghosts are still around from medieval times and such…

Lelouch sighed. So he could be alone on Earth even longer than any of his still living friends. I guess I deserve that.

There are some benefits. Some ghosts even have extra…abilities. I've only heard of a few, but things like flying, or allowing humans to become invisible by touching them, or, in the rarest case, allowing humans to see them by simply touching them. Mostly, though, these skills only activate in order to help the ghost find what they need to in order to…well, 'move on.'

Let me guess, I have the ability to walk through walls? Lelouch remembered his hand passing through the car that had almost hit him. What a wonderful consolation prize. I shall use my abilities for all they're worth. He thought as sarcastically as he could.

Considering you can't usually touch or move anything, it's the next best thing. It's not an extra ability though. Euphie paused as if she was about to add something else but seemed to decide against it. I'll leave you by yourself, now. It won't do you any good talking to me; just hurry up and find what you're supposed to look for. Be careful!

And with that, she was gone. Lelouch exhaled, wondering if he could speak normally.

"So, all I have to do," He said aloud, surprised that he sounded just as he always had. "Is find the one thing that's keeping me from heaven or hell—but I don't know what that thing is! But of course, I'll be stuck here until I find it. This must be like immortality, only worse. I can't even play chess with anyone."

Lelouch looked around. He felt tired, but he realized he had to decide what to do next. Well, it's only been a month. It would be nice to see a familiar place.

Though he didn't have a clue how to get there, Lelouch started walking, figuring he had all the time in the world anyway.

oOo

It took him about four hours to make it over to Ashford. Standing at the gates of the beautiful school, Lelouch felt that it was worth it. The calm campus, in the middle of classes, lightened the burden he felt on his chest. If that makes sense. I mean, do ghosts even have real forms or are we just souls?

Nevertheless, walking through the familiar campus made him feel lighter, as if he was still alive.

Once he passed his old home, though, all thoughts of happiness disappeared from his mind. Now he wasn't thinking about the place, but the people.

Nunnally, Suzaku. Kallen, Milly, Rivalz, Nina, Gino, Anya. Even C.C., I suppose. Lelouch even missed those he'd only had the pleasure of knowing for a short time. Looking around to see if anyone had spotted him (not that it mattered, he was a ghost anyways), Lelouch walked purposefully towards his former home.

He glided through the door, half expecting to hear his sister say "Welcome home, brother!" and see that Suzaku had beat him there already in anticipation of the plans they often made during school. Instead, he was greeted with a punishing silence as the light wind he made as he moved stirred the light dust that covered everything in the room.

Lelouch reprimanded himself for thinking something so good could have possibly happened. I should have known. Of course there's no one here…Nunnally and Suzaku are out fixing the world I destroyed. The last thing on their minds would be coming back to an old school to reminisce.

Still, he felt the need to walk through his old home. The table where he'd once sat with his sister and folded cranes, where he'd eaten and tutored his friend, where he'd just talked and enjoyed their company—it was now empty, the vase on it that usually contained flowers—also empty.

He heard voices outside the window, and moved so that he could see the path outside. Oh. Milly and Rivalz. Why are they here? Milly should have graduated.

He watched them until they disappeared into the building below him. Lelouch leaned against the window, contented to lazily watch students until he heard the door open behind him. He froze before he remembered that he couldn't be seen.

"It's gotten dusty in here." Milly's voice echoed through the empty rooms.

"That's what happens when you don't clean a place for so long." Rivalz swiped a finger along the table, making a face at the dirt he picked up. He sneezed suddenly, causing both Milly and Lelouch to flinch. While Milly laughed, Lelouch ghosted over to look at his friends, standing directly in front of them.

Milly looked the same as she always had—bubbly, smart, and cunning—but Lelouch could see the sadness that tinged her blue eyes, making them seem as if they contained tears.

Rivalz had the same sadness in his eyes, and as Lelouch watched, he glanced around the room.

Milly stopped laughing and sighed. "I wish…"

"What?"

"I wish everything was the way it was before…When I was still Prez and we had culture festivals, and Nunnally, Nina, Kallen, Shirley, Suzaku, and L-Lelouch were all there…" She paused, tears pouring from her eyes. "A-and, I wish they still lived near here and we could see Nunnally and Kallen and Nina more often than just every now and then…and the way Shirley and Suzaku and Lelouch died…Gods, they were all so young…"

Rivalz moved over and hugged her, his hand moving between her shoulders in small, soothing circles. Lelouch turned away, several disjointed thoughts running through his mind.

So they still believe Suzaku's dead…that's good.

They don't hate me for what I've done? That hurts. It would have been much easier for you to move on if you'd just let yourselves hate me.

I wonder—no, I need to see how Nunnally and Suzaku are doing.

I wonder if Suzaku's happy that I died. Nina probably is.

I hope Kallen managed to go back to school. I wonder if she's made up with her real mother.

Another sob from Milly brought him back to his senses. Feeling terrible, Lelouch reached out a hand to try and comfort her.

His hand passed through Milly's. Lelouch nearly gasped with surprise before remembering.

Right. I'm a ghost. I can't interact with anyone. I can only watch. He thought darkly, getting up and exiting the room, allowing his friends to have some privacy.

oOo

As Lelouch walked around the Ashford Campus, he was only dimly aware of the approach of the end of the day. He didn't pay any attention to the students that passed him until he saw a familiar flash of red.

He turned and yelled "Kallen!" before running towards her. She couldn't hear him, but Lelouch was happy to see another familiar face. And it made him happy that she had gone back to school. As he got closer, Lelouch recognized the startup key for the Guren hanging around her neck.

Kallen was a smart girl. She'd been loyal to Zero for the longest, even when she knew his identity. Even as the Demon Emperor had died, Lelouch had seen her screaming for Suzaku to stop, for Lelouch to get up. Lelouch knew that she'd figured out his plan, and probably knew who the new Zero was as well. He hoped he hadn't caused her too much pain or suffering in the time he'd been alive, but really…he was grateful. That there had been someone so trustworthy by his side for such a long time.

Feeling like a stalker, Lelouch followed Kallen as she exited the school grounds and began walking home. They'd been walking for quite some time when suddenly Kallen stopped. Lelouch, who'd been following her only by watching her feet, nearly collided with her. He looked up.

Oh…This isn't good…

oOo

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