A/N: SkyeElf challenge 2 with Bramblerose 4. The prompt was Nunnally's thoughts on Lelouch's death. I chose a bit of a clichéd idea, but the idea still counts.

I don't own Code Geass.

The Eden Idea

My name is Nunnally Lamperouge. My greatest achievement is the fact that I am Lelouch vi Brittania's little sister.

My greatest achievement isn't even my own - don't you think that's funny? Everything Brittania knows me for, is a carefully designed, although brilliant, plan.

It was also one large lie.

I steered my wheelchair down the long hallways. There were portraits of almost everyone in my extended family: Cornelia in her favourite armour, Euphie with her beloved flowers, Clovis doing a very dramatic pose, Lelouch in all his pride... Though with Lelouch's portrait, he'd included Kururugi, his knight, and probably his best friend.

Even I was there - I guessed Lelouch had it put up during his time as the demon emperor.

I was headed to the garden. The garden was safe. Very safe. It kept me safe, even though there were no bulletproof windows and I refused to have a knight to protect me. This garden was sort of like Eden in its beauty, and the way the small woodland animals hid in the tree only strengthened this idea. I could use it to fool myself into thinking of a simpler time or just to a time that it had always been like this, that Lelouch never existed and the pain in my chest wasn't real.

I'm tired of being babied. I didn't need protection! Rather - I did not WANT protection!

I laughed bitterly as I finally entered the garden, the wheelchair wobbling the tiniest bit over the grass and pebbles. This place was the only place that could bring me any form of happiness. Mostly because it was where I numbed the pain a bit.

Happiness was a memory. A memory of love and fondness and being cared for or read to by Lelouch. That bloody idiot took my wish for a better world literally.

I would trade that better world for him. Because I am a selfish little girl. Because now that I have this gentler world I wished for - I'm not satisfied with it. I will never be satisfied. I want my brother back!

As I got closer to the white roses, the ones Lelouch loved so much, bile rose up in my throat and my eyes burned. I turned the chair violently, causing me to topple over onto the mildly wet grass. Today numbing the pain didn't seem to be an option.

I swore silently. Yes, I, Nunnally Lamperouge (I still preferred Lamperouge), the perfect little girl, the demon emperor's little sister, swore. Bitterness tends to do that to a person. It breaks you, in a way. Causes you to become something you despise.

I propped myself up on my arms, trying to get up, but my legs were utterly useless. I must've squeaked when I fell, because there was someone with me. All I saw were a pair of thin legs with ballet shoes, and I wondered who had invaded my closet.

A pair of strong arms picked me up and helped me gently into my chair. I looked around to see who it was, who was my hero, but all I saw was myself.

She - I mean I - did not look happy. She was standing next to my chair, an expression of disgust on her face.

"Pathetic." She sneered, her face turning into an ugly scowl.

"What?" I snapped at her, or rather at myself. This was very confusing, but stranger things have happened to me.

"You are a pathetic little girl, wallowing in your self-pity as though you were the only one harmed in Lelouch's stupidity." She spat, turning towards the white roses again. She didn't feel the huge hole in her heart? Did she even have a heart?

"I don't pity myself -" I tried to say.

"That's a bunch of bull and you know it," She interrupted me, quite crudely, "You're supposed to take up your position as Empress, not let Cornelia do it, because you and I both know that will result in another war, more deaths, more pain and poverty and suffering and slavery and every damn thing that happened in this war! Cornelia is a very good person, but she is run by her will to fight. What did Lelouch fight for if you're just going to gag every time you see a white rose? If you're going to just sit here and do nothing?"

I stared at her. How dare she pretend to know what I am going through? She isn't me! She couldn't possibly be... could she?

"I'm quite aware of what you're feeling," The other me said, "I am you, only I am stronger than you will ever hope to be."

She was right.

"Look, kid, I know Lelouch was a bastard when he shut us out. And let's face it, that moron did it a lot." The other me said, sitting down on the grass next to me. I eyed her long legs, wondering if my legs were really that long or if I was dreaming.

"His intentions were good." I defended him quickly. She rolled her eyes and grimaced.

"Yes, I realise this, kid; but he was an idiot for shutting us out." She repeated her sentiment.

"He was a good man!" I yelled at her, and she looked amused at me, "He did everything he did for me! He wasn't a bad person, his methods were, but he had a good heart! He fought this world for me, so I could be happy!"

She rose to her full height again, "Then fucking do something about it!"

I jumped at her crude language. I hadn't used that word before, had I? I stuck with what small children thought of as swearing.

I glared at her. "Get out," I ordered her, "get away from me."

"Kid, I AM you. I am Nunnally Vi Britannia - I am proud of my brother, I am strong and I can run this country with a compassionate heart, I can stop wars and I can avenge my brother."

"My father's dead; Lelouch avenged both of us." I replied.

"Avenge him by being what he wanted you to be! Not some snivelling, pathetic and selfish little girl who hides in a garden of lies; because this place can't protect you and you should do well to remember it!" She yelled at me, "Grow the heck up, Nunnally! Open your eyes to world and see the despicable things they are doing while you are hiding away in a stupid garden! Stop running and turn to fight!"

My eyes burned. I wanted to cry. I really, really wanted to cry. I missed him. I missed him so much. Kururugi read to me, but it wasn't Lelouch.

Something was shaking me, my shoulders, gently, and the other me disappeared.

"Wake up..." Kururugi's voice came through to me, and I lurched awake violently. It had been a dream? I was a bit thankful, my sanity was still intact.

"What is it?" I asked. Kururugi was going around my bedroom, tossing clothes and other things into a bag. I knew this routine, he always did it when something bad was happening – I was running, he thought.

"You're under attack, Nunnally, we have to get going." He said urgently. Who was attacking me?

"How many guards are here?" I asked. He stopped in his task and looked at me curiously. His eyes filled with a passion I hadn't seen since Lelouch died. He must've missed Lelouch too. Why didn't I ever think of confiding my emotions to him? He probably needed someone to talk to too.

"Enough to fight. No, enough to fight and win." He corrected himself. I nodded, propping myself up in bed.

"Are we fighting?" He asked, coming to meet me and helping me to my chair.

"Yes, we're fighting. And I've finally chosen a knight." I smiled, fingering the controls of my chair. He grinned at me.

"Lelouch would've been proud." He said softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"And he will be proud of both of us, Zero." I said, wheeling myself away from my hiding spot.

My name is Nunnally vi Britannia. My greatest achievement will be to be the greatest empress they had ever seen, to make this hell-hole a gentler world and to redeem my brother's name.

It's about time I started to fight my own battles. And I will be doing it this morning in my pyjamas.

. . .

A/N: Please review!