AN: Hello, one and all, to my latest fiction. Well, actually, latest may or may not be strictly true, depending on when I post this, since I'm working on a few stories at once as you're aware.
Anyway, this here is the story of Code Geass, if Lelouch had a twin sister. This sister however is more than she seems, and from our world. I assure you this is an OC, not a SI, but it's designed in a similar fashion to such stories, because I wanted to add a character in that was my own, and had foreknowledge without time travel or such which I couldn't explain, and has also been overdone from my brief searching, and wasn't someone special or skilled. Yes, they'll be a little smarter than say, me, for example. But they aren't there to compete with the main characters for martial or intellectual skill. I wanted freedom to break away.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything... yet! One day, the world will be mine! But not Code Geass.
For the first two years of her life, she thought she was in a drug induced haze, the shapes moving around her, the sounds she couldn't quite understand. Her mind unable to properly process everything. But for the past year and a half, the three year old had gone to sleep early each night with a sense of wrongness, and a willingness to not wake up again the next day. To observers she merely enjoyed her sleep, but within the body of this three year old was the mind of a young woman who had the misfortune of finding herself in this situation, as she tried every night to sleep so deep she never woke again.
And yet, she found herself awake once more, a small boy beside her that was insistent poking her awake. He was merely lucky she'd taken a liking to him in the past few years, or she'd have thumped him as he started to loudly cry out, "She's here! She's here! Come on Nixie! She's 'here'!" Finally he tired of poking and shaking her and simply grabbed Nixie and pulled the form from the sofa she had been napping on in the sunlight, and the hard landing suddenly woke her mind from her daze. She was awake. He always did that, and the look she levelled on him, he learnt was one to step back from.
"Nunnally's here! Our sister! Come on, mother said we could go meet her." The boy only grabbed harder at her arm and dragged her to her feet, which made her stumble, she shook her head to clear the sleep, dreams of a past also dribbled out of her consciousness and into the recess of her memory as Lelonixia slowly followed Lelouch one hand firmly gripped by his, her other barely covering the yawn that broke loose and rubbed the sleep from her eyes from her late morning nap. She trudged, her feet dragged.
She was happy to meet her new sister, she'd been told to expect her soon, but, in her past life, siblings were never a thing she had to deal with, and in this new one, Lelouch was the older brother, and typically he was content running and reading and learning and being a child. But a younger sibling. That was something new, and a little sister. She'd met their half siblings, but it was different, she pretended to be shy, and watched. Unsure how to join in as Cornelia fawned over Euphemia, building daisy chains as a young Clovis challenged Schneizel to another chess match he'd never win. Their oldest siblings off attending more official matters and almost never met along with us. Even Schneizel rarely joined in these scheduled playdates of sorts. Where Clovis would resort to dragging Lelouch into his chess games instead.
But all this time, she was used to merely watching, to observing, being left alone, clueless with how to interact, she would admit, only to herself, the thought of a younger sister scared her. And as they approached their destination. Lelouch simply walking straight in, to grin wide at the sight of mother their beside the window, resting in a chair where the light could warm her and the new born gently cradled in her arms. Her brother must have been distracted by mother as she beckoned them in to greet their sister, as Lelonixia simply stood there, frozen in the doorway. Staring at the innocent bundle swaddled in cloth, the innocent unfocused blue eyes seeming to lock onto hers across the room.
And for once, once she stared, and watched from the outside, and felt content and whole. As the baby stared back, and within, she made herself a promise, to protect this. To learn, to join, to bind, and grow. To protect this family, and love it, with all her heart, all her might. Before that day, in that life or the past, family had consisted of one or two close friends, but as she stared into the blue innocent pools, she wanted something more. She wanted blood. Her blood, it sang, it called, and she found her feet walking before she noticed it herself. As she stepped right up next to her Mother and Lelouch. Still locking eyes with the innocent life before her. Swathed in light blue which only made her eyes seem to shimmer in comparison. Life reflected within.
Before she even knew it, she was already holding out her arms. Her hands. Before she looked up at her mother, before she finally started to ask if she may hold her. But she didn't have to. She understood. She knew what her daughter wanted, needed in that moment. And she stood there. Twenty years total, in a three year olds body, experiencing for possibly the first time, a love and purity she preached but never found. She leaned in carefully to press a soft kiss to Nunnally's head and to whisper softly in her ear, "Welcome home sister. I love you." The softly sleeping child seeming not to notice, and while she didn't notice her older sister. Lelonixia never noticed the smiles Lelouch and their Mother turned on her.
(Line Break)
The sun was in the process of setting after the long day. Having been gently shooed out of the room shortly after they each held the baby, Leloni felt she left a piece of her heart behind in that room, as she moved back to her usual perch, where she could watch her twin once more play with Clovis, the smile on her face having never left from this morning. The gentle smile of a warmth she hadn't yet felt before today. A fondness as she finally felt a part of this very skewed family. Sitting there with her favourite book in her lap, she compared the similarities she shared with Lelouch, and why they never before mattered to her. The same black hair, raven black, violet eyes. Each of them skinny, but she was sure they'd grow up at least a bit, if not ending up lean.
But, the thought of sharing so much with another, the idea of finally having a twin, it had hit her. And she'd been so aloof for all this time. She barely looked at the pages as their mother, Empress Marianne Vi Britannia, took a seat beside her, her focus on the game in progress stirred by the shifting of the cushions, pulled in to lean against the larger form, pulled into an embrace. The kindly woman looked down at her book, before looking across at the chess game in process. A smile gracing her face that could only be described as a 'mothers' smile, the content at watching proudly and serene in the moment as Lelouch gave another cheer of victory. Causing both of them to chuckle.
"My children, so young and yet so fast to mature." A gentle rub of Nixie's arm as the woman placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Lelouch, if you keep acting like that, your brother won't want to keep playing you. Be nice dear." After lightly admonishing the overly happy boy, she turned her attention back to her daughter, and the book in her lap. A tad surprised at her reading skills. "My dears, each so skilled. Such a big book for one your age. Would you like to share what it's about?" Nixie felt herself being guided, book and all into her mother's lap, where despite knowing her mother's fatigue, she lent in anyway for comfort they both seemed to need in the peace of the room with just the gentle conversation and the click of pieces moving.
"It's um... It's..." She stumbled at how to best explain the book without looking even more intelligent than she already did. But she just couldn't resist the allure of a whole world of new fiction to touch, to taste and explore. A new world of worlds in a library of the unknown titles and authors. Already in the past couple months having devoured a few titles, this was her seventh book, and her favourite. In fact, the book she kept returning to after each following title.
"It's okay sweetie, just take a moment. Collect your thoughts. It must be good if you're so tongue tied." A small gentle laugh of amusement at her floundering, Nixia paused, thought, and then did her best to explain it as best she could, mask be damned. "It's about another world, of magic, and um, shattered pieces of god, and how each person doesn't realise it, but as his children, the magic isn't some unnatural or unexplainable force. It's about how people have the power. People have their own power, theirs to decide what to do with. And, well, I really like it." Gently the ribbon bookmark was folded in between the pages and closed. Reverently she ran her hand over the cover. A calm only books could provide washed over her before she melted even further into her mother's embrace.
The two content to lay back, and rest, and watch Lelouch and Clovis, struggling over each piece, waging the war of kings. As Nixia thought instead back to her book of gods, and demons, goddesses, and devils, each divine and made by mortal's own hand. There was another reason she loved this book, it reminded her, of the powers to be unleashed in this very world. The people who were going to blind themselves with power and commit evil in the name of their own power, an excuse created with their own being. But in the end, no one, no matter what they did, became something they didn't wish to be. She knew what was to come, she knew, and she didn't know how to stop it. Lelonixia Vi Britannia, Forth Princess Of Britannia, as she was so named in this world, knew only too well how powerless she was, and worse, now, she had something she didn't want to lose.
(Line Break)
Nixie remained awake in the late hours of the evening after retiring from the lounge after dozing off in her mother's warm embrace. Too long had it been since she last felt such comfort, if she ever had in her past life, and it made her eyes water as she went through her bedtime routine. Brushing her teeth, changing into a nightgown, and then pulling out the appropriate books from her bedside draw. A pen already in her hand, she spread the first book open, a notebook, one requested by Nixie herself, Lelonixia wanting a diary and having asked a maid to bring her one, specifically with squared paper instead of just lines.
She set it out and browsed through each page from the beginning, hundreds of crosses, each box crossed out on each page she went through. This was a ritual she performed nightly since she was cognitive enough to think, to interact. Something she needed to do. And eventually after counting the pages, she arrived at her current place, and paced her pen in the box. And hesitated. For the first time since Nixie began this ritual, she hesitated, and it was during this distraction, she never noticed the weight that was pressing down on the bed until it jumped on her back and pinned her down. Laughter could be heard, and she knew whose it was. Lelouch clearly wasn't as tired as she was, and was eager to share his childish energy as he looked at the books gathered on the bed, confusion written on his face.
"Why do you always do this sis? I didn't know you still did it, but it's just lines in a book... Why don't you write something instead? You're always reading, won't even play with me, what about Nunnally, will you play with her?" His voice almost whining, pleading to understand. To which the younger girl simply rolled over onto her back, which Lelouch kept spinning, their momentum landing them both on the floor, where they separated, each wondered for the moment if the other was hurt on landing. Before Lelonixia simply burst out laughing. Followed by Lelouch. And for the next half hour they simply tumbled and fumbled and wrestled on the soft plush carpet as siblings do, the introduction of a couple of Nixie's pillows only added to the night.
And when Lelouch was finally out of energy, she led him to her bed. And gently tucked her brother in, before moving to the other side of the bed. Only to find he'd already fallen asleep. A warm smile on her face before she climbed into bed, and Nixia once more began her night time rituals, finding the lost page, she placed the pen to the paper, no more hesitation in her heart, she drew a circle. A single, the first, circle in a small square, on a page, in a book of crosses. And with that done, she closed the book, and put it away, to reach for the second, her diary, her real diary.
Now, to anyone else, this was simply a doodle book, coloured pens used to create swirling lines and dots. But the paper, thin enough to see through, was carefully coded. Now, Nixie wasn't smart. In this lifetime or the last. Well, she'd consider herself actually a little smarter this time around, possibly due to genetics, something to look into later, but she devised this system with care. And to not look out of place for a fanciful child seeking to draw something pretty to pass the time.
Each night she wished to add to her diary, each night she needed to express herself. Every inch of her soul. Both lives crammed into one, without risk, this is where she'd vent. Each colour would represent a separate page, which page was determined by a code that looked like pen testing in the corner. And from there, she'd doodle, fanciful lines linking words traced from the page of the book beneath. Acting as the key for her code. When finished, purple, red, green, blue, yellow, and more, from a dozen different pages, creating a piece of art from abstract flowing lines, which could be decoded carefully with time and precision.
The art of it was half the catharsis, it tired her out just before fully sleeping. It left her mind aching in a good way, itching for sleep. As she stashed her book and diary and pens away as well, careful not to wake Lelouch, before moving to curl around her brother. Keen to finally enjoy something she'd been so scared of these past few years. Family. Nixie placed a soft kiss to her brother's cheek, careful not to stir him as she whispered to him too, soft gentle words from her soul. "My embrace can't be your home, I can't keep you safe. But I can keep you loved. Keep you honest, honest to yourself, always be what you want to be. I love you too big brother."
Whether her words reached him or not. Nixia couldn't tell, as she too drifted off into a peaceful restful slumber curled up embracing her brothers side. His arms curling around her to pull his sister closer. And together they slept, pure and innocent, time allowing them this blessing.
(Line Break)
Things changed in the days that followed, Lelonixia grew all the more attached to her family, all the more active. Her sleeping schedule remained unchanged, and even Lelouch knew not to disturb her from her late morning nap, lest he risk his sisters foul temper, but these naps had an added side effect, often she found herself awake, with energy to spare in the hours of the morning Nunnally required attention. Like clockwork, her little sister would cry in the middle of the night, and she'd be waiting. Having already turned off the monitors so as to let her mother and maids sleep. Only to slip out once her sister was peacefully resting once again, and the monitors turned back on.
From there, she'd retire to her bedroom, where all the more often, her brother was sound asleep. This didn't happen over night, or a week, but slow and steady over time, she reached out. Grew closer, and did more. In the early evening she'd play with her brother, tiring them both out only to rest until he fell asleep, half the time in her bed rather than his own. And more and more, those crosses, were replaced with circles. Her diary grew ever the more colourful and decorative as she had all the more to say and share. But the evening and night wasn't the only thing that changed.
So too did the day, as she spent each morning eating breakfast with her family, a word she never tired of. Savouring their company before she engaged Lelouch in a chess match, where more often than not, she'd lose, but never once did she complain or protest. Nixie played to spend time with her brother, to bond and grow closer, and that there was the fun of the game. Without that, it was nothing to her. And then, typically, she'd coo and fawn and fuss over the little sister who'd just begin to wake up from her mid morning nap, and then drift off herself afterwards for her own.
Afternoons reserved for lectures from tutors, and private time to read and study. And this was perfection to Nixia. She needed for no more, and no less. For when she was done with classes, when the days came where they didn't have them, she spent her time in a book, never alone, not any more. Always in the company of family. Silent perhaps, but present, and she savoured it. She enjoyed the small things she could do for them, the small things they did for her in return. She wasn't oblivious to her brother's subtle attempts to join her in peaceful reading, to discuss literature with her. Nor were the small knowing looks from her mother ignored when she yawned after spending too much time with Nunnally the previous night.
The small family rarely saw Father, but Nixie never objected, the large man intimidated her, he was imposing, the emperor, possibly the most powerful man on the planet, and as much as he may have loved their mother, his warmth didn't extend to them, not visibly at least. The first time he imposed in their daily routine, was the first in cross she almost placed in her special notebook, almost. But once again, Nunnally saved her heart, warming it to the core as she reached up at her older sister, tiny digits wrapped tight as they could around her little finger, and once again, she made her vow, a pinky promise. To forever love the bundle in her arms, and cherish the family she now had. The home Nunnally always had in her.
And there was the young woman's salvation in this crazy world. And boy was it crazy, her lessons taught her that, the Holy Britannian Empire, covering a third of the world, and still expanding, ninety eight emperors and empresses to have held the throne. Weapons of war beyond her worlds comprehension and science to match. Her mother even showed her the cockpit of an early knightmare frame, taking the twins for a small ride around the villa, before it was time for dinner. And it only refreshed Lelonixia's mind of the series she watched once upon a time, a whole life time ago, and the wars to come. It only drove her to start planning, her night time diary entries becoming less about venting, and more about scheming. A need, to keep this imperfect perfect family whole.
(Line Break)
It was her seventh birthday, Lelonixia's and Lelouch's, the pair celebrated together, their joint birthday, which for the past four years had been filled with smiles and laughter, and playful jests from Lelouch about who was the older of the two. Which was always countered with a question by Nixie about who was the more mature, the turnaround in the once solitary and recluse girl only served to make such occasions brighter for the siblings that gathered in the garden of the villa. Shade provided by a large white canopy, where the buffet and cake resided. The parents mingling as the teenagers and young adults, the oldest siblings talked business, in some ways more involved in the politics than their mothers.
Leaving Cornelia, Clovis, Lelouch, Lelonixia, Euphemia and little Nunnally to play. While Cornelia was old enough, more than to partake in the politics and business of her siblings, being almost ten years their senior. Her attachment to her dear Euphie kept her firmly grounded among them as they played in the grass and on the fields. Little Nunnally sitting in her big sisters lap as Nixie gently threaded daisies through her hair as she braided it with care, like she'd once seen Cornelia doing years ago. Finishing it off with a kiss to the crown of her head, and asking only for a special birthday hug in exchange.
It was this that Cornelia and Lelonixia also found a bond over, while somewhat distant in age, they recognised the role of elder sister, and Cornelia recognised the role model she was to Nixie, who only smiled and thanked her when she asked who taught her how to braid hair. Telling her she practiced on herself after she saw what was required of a big sister, to be ready for her own responsibilities as she too doted on little Nunnally. It was from here their own friendship would be formed, just as Clovis and Lelouch bonded over chess, and Nunnally and Euphie played together.
This was also the time when someone other than Lelouch challenged her to a game, a game she didn't especially enjoy. But of course, as luck would have it, Lelouch had already gossiped about how she could play, and even beat him once or twice. Apparently 'A better opponent than Clovis anyway', according to him, which of course earned him a playful shove. But despite that it wasn't Clovis that challenged her, it was Cornelia. And that made her sweat. Nixie hadn't played anyone else but Lelouch in this lifetime, she wasn't great at the game, and she couldn't say no to the challenge, she'd never turn down family, not with a chance to share something it seemed ran in the family. But, she was scared.
Scared for the first time since she was born, scared of letting Cornelia down. She wasn't even scared of the impending future, for that, there was time, there was planning. But, right now, there was just her, and her elder sister. Who stared at her with a calculating gaze, almost as if she was appraising her, to see if she was worthy of being a big sister, capable of protecting her family, what she cared for. Or maybe that was all in her head? But as the board was set up, the pieces in place, and she let Cornelia choose. Nixie found herself reacting to white's opening move.
And they were lost to the game, each of them, focused only on the board and their opponent. Not noticing the crowd gathering around them as Lelouch beckoned their eldest siblings and parents to spectate. Wanting to show off how his twin sister could hold her own. And she was, Nixia wasn't great at the game, she would admit that, and without being humble. But what she could do, what she knew how to do, was read her opponent. She knew Cornelia, in this life, as a person, and the last life from the show, and she knew enough about Chess to deploy her pieces offensively fast enough to put Cornelia off kilter. Constantly she attempted to break through, white knights jumping lines only to be forced to retreat with carefully positioned pawns to jab at any perceived gap her opponent tried to exploit, and failed.
In the end, it came down to Cornelia's gamble, a gamble that Nixie was waiting for. She was banking on it. She wasn't an offensive player, in fact, she often missed out on opportunities and potential defensive moves through offensive looking actions. And yet, she forced herself to a different state of mind, because she knew that Cornelia needed to control, needed to push, to drive forwards, and if she finally found the weak spot she was looking for, she'd push forwards. With abandon. And it worked, Cornelia pushed through her lines, taking a bishop and both her knights before the queen was captured, and with that, the plan was complete. The second half of the game slowly and carefully mopping up the other pieces careful not to lose any of her own, as each had exchanged valuable pieces, but being left with a queen among Nixie's allowed her to force the game to a victory.
"Checkmate." Her voice quiet as her throat was dry from lack of use as she questioned if she truly had her sister pinned and captured. Fearing an accidental stalemate by only pinning, a fear that was demolished as a round of polite applause went off around them, causing her to jump in surprise and shock at having been surrounded and watched as she was. Lelonixia's cheeks flaring crimson as she welcomed Nunnally into her arms if only to hide her face embarrassed by the praise.
"It seems we have two young generals on the rise, who would have thought Cornelia, competition?" Schniezel gently teased, which drew a laugh from some of the other elder siblings, Marianne focused on giving her two daughters a joint hug for the performance. As Cornelia graciously placed the pieces away. "I wasn't expecting that, she matched and countered me unlike even you brother. Perhaps she may be a match for you Schniezel, care to test that?"
Of course, Nixie at this point quickly shook her head, her face red, as she blurted out, "It was luck!" Trying to deny the praise they fixated on giving, the talent they tried to claim she possessed. But she knew how she really managed it, it wasn't skill, it wasn't mastery of the game. Not like her brother anyway, he could predict and calculate a hundred moves ahead of her, and she could never hope to match that. Her mind didn't work that way. But indeed, she still beat him on rare occasion, and like today, it wasn't simply luck.
"Don't insult me sister. You won, plain and simple." Cornelia's strict tone cut across the laughter and jests. Her tone flat and already showing the signs of a leader as Nixie could only nod and apologise. She never meant to slight her sister, she merely meant she didn't win the way they all praised her, she felt like she cheated. Of course, that word she actually whispered, softly murmured into Nunnally's hair as the little toddler looked up at her older sister with confusion. "Don't talk nonsense, this is chess."
And she was flustered, all in a mess as she struggled not to hide herself behind her younger sister. Lelonixia didn't want to accidently use her sister as a shield from anyone or anything, no matter how embarrassed or ashamed she became. The spectators simply watching, a few of the adults having moved on however as the siblings all convened around the now packed case of chess. "No. No, I mean... I didn't win on skill sister. I'm not that good at chess. I. I won because of you." And that only served to fluster her further, to which she passed Nunnally into Lelouch's lap, who embraced his younger sister and stared confused at the confession she made.
Even Cornelia was left puzzled, and the silence drove Nixia to fill it with words, an explanation. "I read you sister. I mean, I know you take charge, you push forwards, you lead. I, I didn't set that trap for you, but I knew if I let down my guard, I gambled on you pushing through my lines and the sacrifices I could make to capture you because you were put off at first being on the defensive. I watched your eyes, and knew where to focus on the board. I... I'm not that good. It's why Lelouch almost always beats me." And as the words filled the silence, the small girl slowly retreated in on herself, starting to regret speaking, to regret sharing this game and her heart with her family. Worried about rejection, which wasn't to come.
The hand that found itself in her hair gently ruffled her raven black locks as her chin was forced further down, a gentle chuckle melodious in her ears as Cornelia spoke up. "And that there shows an intellect unique to you. You'll make a great leader one day, if you wish to become a commander yourself." The hand eased up before remaining reached out, to help Nixie to her feet, which was quickly accepted. A grin spread beaming on her face as she looked up at the pink haired woman happily, and practically tackled the older sibling into a hug. And just like that, her heart expanded a little more, another piece given out. More happy memories, the day filled with laughter, and cake, and stories, tales without politics, or business, the rest of the day filled with family. Full and half siblings alike laughing and playing and joking together, a day Lelonixia would treasure.
AN: And there we have it, a chapter of pure character development and fluffyness and love and cuddles.
I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for more.