A/N: Well another story from my insane head, which was inspired by the best Code Geass and Bleach crossover in existence that is Soul Chess, although, admitted to not being his best work but nevertheless discussions with draconichero21 have been very helpful in producing this story.
A big thanks goes to VoGoshinki whose discussions I have been having with him has been very helpful as well too.
I wasn't going to post this story until I had produced more chapters of it, which four are currently completed. But in light of Bleach ending I decided to post this chapter to commemorate its end. The other three chapters I finished I'll post in about a week or so from this one to allow for enough feedback.
I had originally posted drafts of the chapters on my deviant art account to conduct a "test run" before finalizing and improving the chapters and posting them here, so from this point on all chapters related to this story will be posted here.
Now for this one for an obvious change is that Lelouch is going to be Quincy and both events of Bleach and Code Geass will be happening in the story, although there will be one or two years apart in order to avoid a messy entanglement of events. This will mean Japan will be occupied, which is one big change right there. Ichigo will appear at the conclusion of the training arc which will show what happened to Lelouch following the fall of Japan where he was taken in by a certain group of Quinces, unwillingly mind you.
Now I am aware of Giselle has been hinted be male or at least the manga has recently strongly hinted that to be the likely case, but as a precaution until sites update his/her gender status I am going to keep Giselle's gender unknown and I think I'll even play on the fact at how angry he/she gets when the subject of his/her gender comes up. I know it wasn't quite resolved, but I am going to play on it and take advantage of the questioned status of Giselle's gender.
So now that is out of the way I'll let you guys read the chapter and I'll explain further later on at the bottom of the chapter.
When I first met that boy I expected a pathetic weakling as I was told he was child with poor endurance. I thought my assignment to train him was merely a joke to humiliate me, but when I saw that look in his eyes I saw more than potential which was enough to convince me otherwise of what he could be. - Quintus of the Sternritter, September 5th 2010 A.T.B.
Chapter 1
A Prisoner in Shadow
A young ten-year old black haired boy was seething in rage in a corner of a small white room with a slab of stone for a bed and a blanket. His so-called room was more of a cell as the boy was now another prisoner of a strange and dangerous place, but he realized that he was in far greater danger than he ever was before. As he sat alone with his anger boiling within while at the same time he was worried for his younger sister whom he hadn't seen since his capture. There was no way to know how long he had been in this cell until he came too after losing consciousness during an attack on the mansion he had been staying at. Suddenly the door opened and an elderly man in his late eighties entered the small room with a short white-beard and short white hair.
His attire wasn't like any other style the boy had seen before as the old man wore a distinctive white, ankle-length cloak that features an odd insignia emblazoned on its back. The rest of his attire under the cloak consisted of a long, white, double-breasted trench coat with shoulder straps and a white, button-down bib. The coat was bound at the waist with a black belt, which was further adorned with a decorative buckle, and is worn over both white trousers and trench boots. Overall the man gave the air of hardened veteran soldier especially with the steely gaze his blue eyes was giving him. The old man was calmly studying the boy for a moment before speaking to him.
"Are you Lelouch vi Britannia?" the old man asked.
"Who are you and where is my sister?" Lelouch demanded barely able to contain his worry and anger.
"Your sister is safe for now, but I should warn you if you wish for it to stay that way you best do exactly as I say." The old man replied sternly before adding. "Do not misunderstand that I threaten your sister, but merely our king holds her life in his hands. Should you fail to learn our ways; then you and she shall be killed as your crippled sister is of little use to him."
"What are you talking about?"
"Allow me to introduce myself," the older man said with a polite bow, "I am Quintus of the Sternritter, a member of Vandenreich. I am a Quincy like you are, but I suspect your mother never mentioned this to you."
Quintus sat down next to Lelouch on his so-called bed and began to explain.
"A thousand years ago a special group of Human mediums, having the ability to detect the existence of Hollows." The Quincy began to explain. "Hollows are the ghosts of humans who had died and were unable to move on peacefully to the next world either by being chained to the human world to watch over a loved one, tied to a certain place or they held a grudge against an enemy. Either way the longer the ghost remains behind it's only a matter of time before it becomes a hollow with an eternal hunger seeking to fill the void in themselves by devouring other human souls living or dead." Quintus explained before continuing on. "We Quincy were trained in the art of hunting down and destroying these creatures by learning how to draw and manipulate Spirit Particles otherwise called Reishi into spiritual weapons like this."
The elderly Quincy explained before manifesting a sword composed of Reishi before Lelouch surprising the young man.
"I was charged with your training, but when I heard of your weak endurance I was concerned that this task was meant to humiliate me by giving me a weak student. However…you have a look in your eye that I think will prove me otherwise."
"What do you mean?"
"You have the spirit to fight back but the good sense to control it. Your eyes are full of hate, Lelouch. That's good, because hate keeps a man alive. It gives him strength. If you channel that rage and determination into your training then I promise I can teach you the power I wield and more. Obey and follow my instructions and I will make you into the strongest Quincy I have ever trained."
Lelouch contemplated it as Quintus saw in his eyes the interest and desire to wield the power he showed he could possess with training. A thin smiled formed on the old man's lips before he spoke to him again as he rose to his feet.
"But I should tell you through…your mother was a Quincy, but your father wasn't so that makes you a Gemischt Quincy, a half-blood. Everyone here is an Echt Quincy or pure-blooded."
"Then I'll make enemies because I am only half-blood right?"
"Yes you will as there are some so concerned with pure-blood supremacy here, but keep to my training and push yourself beyond your limits and their claims about your blood being weak will mean nothing. Remember your sister's survival depends on you exceeding my expectations during training."
Lelouch said nothing as his anger grew while Quintus walked to the door, but before closing the cell door he regarded Lelouch for one last time.
"Rest well young man for tomorrow your training begins."
With those last words the door was closed and Lelouch found himself alone once more with this thoughts, but now with the threat of his sister's life at stake unless he becomes a Quincy like the rest of them. Although the power that came with it intrigued him, but the fact he had no choice in the matter angered him more than anything. Furthermore he was concerned about the intentions these so called Quincy had in mind for him. For now Lelouch could nothing and yet endure and wait for an opportunity to make the situation more favorable to him.
I need to find my sister Nunnally and then….figure out some way to get out of this.
After some difficulty Lelouch managed to go to bed and doze off into a deep slumber.
As Lelouch slumbered the same dream as before came to him, because it was the start of his life's downward spiral and it was perhaps the first of the cruel lessons life had in store for him. He was so young back then and had no way of knowing what it truly meant to be a member of Britannian Royalty let alone the dangers associated with being a prince of an Empire that prompted the survival of the fittest mindset. What he saw that morning had craved itself into his mind and it would always be there as a constant and terrible reminder of just how cruel the world can be.
When he awoke that day it began like any other day the nine-year old experienced, but he soon realized something was wrong upon stepping out of his room and finding that the servants along with some members of the guards assigned to the Aeries Villa were hurrying to the rear of the villa. Lelouch's worries increased when he realized Nunnally wasn't in her room. Fear gripped his heart as he ran to where the servants and guards were gathering at. Upon his arrival a number of them blocked his way to the top of the staircase in the room ahead of him.
"Out of my way," Lelouch called out as he struggled passed the servants and two of the guards who were seemingly in shock from what was in the room ahead to notice a child wiggling past them. "What happened here and where is my mother and…"
Lelouch's higher brain functions came to a grinding halt once he entered the room that had been ahead of him now seeing what everyone else was seeing. It wasn't the broken windows or the damaged furniture and wooden railings of the large staircase leading up to where he was currently standing. It was obvious to even a child some kind of battle or violent struggle took place as two of the black suited bodyguards who accompanied her mother laid dead half-way up the staircase.
But the boy's violet eyes were upon a woman's body who laid half-way up the stairs wearing an elegant orange-brown dress. The dress and her long flowing black hair were enough for the boy to know who the woman was. His mind didn't want to accept what he was seeing as he tried so hard to reject the sight before him.
"No…m…mother…" Lelouch began to mutter in horror.
"Your highness…" One of the guards said noticing the young boy as his face became frozen in horror, but it was worse when he realized in his mother's arms was a little girl who was three years younger than him with sandy-brown hair and purple eyes. Lelouch didn't notice her at first because of how her mother was holding her but perhaps he was too shocked by his mother's dead form to think straight as he wanted more than anything to deny what had happened.
Unable to control his emotions anymore Lelouch cried out in anguish as the scene was too much for the boy to handle.
That is what it means to be royalty.
Lelouch as he slept struggled to endure the dream, but he knew even if he was awaken from it he would be in a nightmare worst than the one he experienced in his dreams. Even now there seemed to be no end to those nightmares, but it only fueled Lelouch's desire for vengeance.
The following morning Lelouch was awake by the time Quintus had returned for him intending to begin training him as promised. Lelouch said nothing, but he was confused by the seemingly never-ending darkness around them beyond the walls of whatever structure he was staying in. In fact after Lelouch went to sleep and woke up hours later he was confused by it believing he had somehow overslept. Quintus took notice of the look of confusion on Lelouch's face without even completely turning his head to look over his shoulder suspected correctly what the boy was thinking.
"Our home exists in a dimension within the Seireitei known as the Schatten Bereich, a shadow world if you would which is why there is no sun light in this place." The elderly Quincy answered knowing the question Lelouch had within his mind. "The Seireitei is the center of the Soul Society, the afterlife where everyone goes when they die, but don't worry you and I are very much alive as we found a way to enter Soul Society and conceal our empire from its residences by hiding in this realm."
"So no one beyond this place knows you people are here?"
"Yes that is correct."
The two arrived at an open training field outside of the large structure Lelouch had spent the night in. The field was made up of a large stone slab laid across the group that was easily larger than a football field. There was not a single soul upon it, but Lelouch was hardly intimidated by it while at the same time he wondered what short of training was in store for him. Once the two were in the center of the arena the old Quincy turned around to face Lelouch.
"Today we'll begin with the most basic technique a Quincy must learn before training can properly begin. You must learn how to manipulate and absorb the spiritual energy around you."
"What is involved?" Lelouch asked.
"Usually this is difficult to conduct in the world of the living, but here the very atmosphere is thick with spiritual energy so training to draw upon it for your use should be much easier here than in the human world." Quintus explained before dropping to his knees to sit in a cross-legged posture on the ground.
"You must feel the energy around you and draw upon it, so that you can manipulate it and use it to give your weapon form like this." Quintus said demonstrating his skill of Reishi manipulation by drawing in spiritually energy around him to form a bow. "You are far from this stage still, but this should give you an idea of what you'll be capable of if you can master this basic skill."
"Ok…" Lelouch began as he spent the next after under careful tutelage to draw in reishi and then manipulate it.
Despite no success, which was usually expected since very few Quincy get it on their first try. However as the two were training a young girl was observing the two and slowly made her way closer to them. Lelouch kept struggling to manifest something with the spiritual energy he was trying to take in, but just when he was seemingly getting something a voice from behind interrupted his train of thought.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh…" Lelouch said losing his concentration before looking over his shoulder to see a young girl about his age.
She was a young girl about his age with medium-length brunette hair, brown eyes and a fair-skin complexion. The girl had a bored expression on her face, but her attire was made up of a white shirt with shorts as well as matching shoes and socks on.
"So is this the new kid people have been talking about…he doesn't look like much."
"Bambietta, how dare you interrupt an important training session," Quintus snapped at the girl named Bambietta Basterbine.
The girl despite facing a superior and senior member of their empire displayed indifference, but she shrugged it off before taking a closer look at the boy before her.
"Uh are you sure you are not wasting your time with this kid. He looks skinnier than a twig," Bambietta said raising an eyebrow before adding, "I doubt he'll last three months."
Quintus sighed in annoyance before introducing the girl to Lelouch.
"Lelouch this is Bambietta Basterbine, she is one of our advance students and a potential future member of the Sternritter if she minds herself."
"Hey I got more potential than this wimp…it would be a miracle if you make a decent Quincy out of him."
"He only started his training too, which while later than most of you shouldn't be a problem. I see potential in this boy."
"Really…with all due respect sir I am not convinced."
"I'll defy expectations then and I'll prove you wrong," Lelouch said as he fed up with being looked down upon. It was bad enough he was forcibly drafted into this organization, bad enough they were holding his sister hostage against, however by this point Lelouch had enough. Lelouch's anger was clearly visible and he glared at the brown-haired woman before further stating to Bambietta. "I refuse to give up and simply die."
"You intend to back that up maggot?"
"That is enough!" Quintus snapped, but he was secretly pleased as this would further motivate Lelouch in his training. "Besides don't you have lessons to attend to Bambietta…" The old Quincy asked as his right eyebrow was twitching.
"I am already done with my lessons today." Bambietta said with a prideful smirk.
"Then wouldn't you mind leaving us to our training unless you want me to find you something to do." Quintus said with a commanding glare which made the girl shiver in fear.
"Whatever, but I wouldn't be shocked if your student epically fails."
With that Bambietta walked off, but once she was out of earshot the elder Quincy addressed his student.
"So tell me what did you think of her?"
"She is an arrogant bitch who is no different from some of the bigoted nobles back home if not worst."
"Well I agree she is arrogant…a trait commonly seen by the new generation of Quinces we have been seeing, but compared to some of the others seeking to become the new generation of Sternritter her personality is among the small few who are not so bad."
"So there are other children worse than her?"
"Yes in a variety of different ways, but for now you'll be spared from finding out."
"Oh Master Quintus is he the new boy?" Another girl asked having approached the two while they were discussing Bambietta.
The girl while the same age as Lelouch was a little taller with magenta hair that stretched mid-way down her back and matching eyes with a fair skin complexion. She wore something similar to the Vandenreich uniform, but it looked like the equivalent of a junior uniform as it was simpler in design than anything he had seen so far. It was white, but hers had a skirt with frills on it and matching leggings with white gloves on her hands and a white bow on the top of her head.
"Yes he is." Quintus replied before the girl politely introduced herself to Lelouch.
"Hello I am Meninas McAllon a cadet in training to become a member of the Sternritter. What is your name?"
"Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch replied.
"A pleasure, but I must say I am surprised an outsider was brought here for training. That has never happened before."
"So did that make me some kind of celebrity?"
"Not exactly, but I guess there really isn't much that happens here other than the usual rigorous training and preparing the new generation of Quincy here for the war that is to come. So with little else going on news like you needs to bring something new that people can talk about which is why it can get so big." Meninas explained.
"I see so you guys are pretty much totally isolated from the rest of the world then?" Lelouch asked which he had more or less suspected from what Quintus told him earlier.
"Meninas if you are free within the next two weeks could I call upon you to assist me with Lelouch's training?" Quintus asked as he had his right hand on his chin clearly thinking about something.
"Oh I would be more than happy to help Master Quintus." The girl replied cheerfully, but Lelouch on the other hand had a bad feeling about that.
The rest of their training went well for the rest of the day as the two trained well into the night or at least Lelouch suspected considering that unless you had a watch there was no clear way to tell night from day. Upon being sent back to his room the young man laid down on his stone-slab of a bed, although it wasn't comfortable it was right now the most comfortable thing Lelouch had felt all day. His body was exhausted and despite some initial problems Lelouch had made some progress, although he was still far from being a Quincy.
Meanwhile as Lelouch fell into a deep slumber Quintus was inside a large chamber deep inside the ice-encrusted building, the main headquarters of the Vandenreich called the Silbern. Quintus was kneeling on one knee before a man seated upon a throne. The man in question in which Quintus was showing such loyalty and respect to was very tall with a long face, broad chin, and pronounced cheekbones. He has long black hair, which reaches to his lower back, and reddish-brown eyes with thin eyebrows. He has well-kept mutton chops and a connected mustache, but was otherwise clean-shaven. His current attire was made up of a white, double-breasted trench coat, which has the Vandenreich symbol on the middle, with large buttoned cuffs and lapels, white trousers, and trench boots. Then completing his outfit he wore over his uniform a tattered, ankle-length black cloak, which has a red ribbon near the neck and is fastened to the left with a single large button.
"Tell me Quintus how is the boy…what is your impression of him?"
"He is a frail child your majesty, but I see in him great potential. If that rage within him can be tempered we can make great use of it as a training tool to push him further."
"I see…I am pleased with your report. I blame the fragility of his body upon his foolish mother, but thankfully she is no longer an issue." The man on the throne replied with a grin. "I assume you will continue his training tomorrow?"
"Yes your majesty I have already been planning what would be next, but his progress at manipulating and drawing in reishi while non-existent at first he was successful by the end of our first training session. His body is weak, but his talent and power are without question. All he needs is the proper motivation and training to develop them fully."
"I trust you'll be taking steps to correct the weakness of his body?"
"I am already making such plans for it your majesty."
"Good…that boy I have plans for him in the future, so I am counting on you to proper train him and educate him. If you fail the price for failing me in this task will be fatal."
Quintus began sweating at the lightly noted threat.
"I understand your majesty. I shall make Lelouch into the finest student I have ever trained." Quintus said while bowing his head before the Father of all Quinces, Yhwach.
A/N: First off I know some translations have used Wandenreich or Vandenreich as the name for them, but I am going to use the more common of the two.
Second I named Quintus for a character from the movie Ben-Hur for the quote he told Lelouch, although I do recognize that it's close to Quincy as well…*shrugs*. I chose the name because of his relationship with the main character who sought vengeance against the former best friend who had wronged him terribly, which was another factor that swayed my decision. I won't say anymore on it to avoid spoiling the movie if you haven't seen it, although if you haven't I would suggest checking it because it is both a classic and a good one.
Third I wish to note that Bambietta and Meninas along with some others who are around Lelouch's age have not received their powers yet from the king because they are still in training.
This chapter begins the Training Arc which will cover of Lelouch's time among the Vandenreich while being trained into a Quincy, but during that time he will meet with other characters who for some would be either around his age or younger since not all of them will appear as children. He has met Bambietta as a child along with Meninas so far with others to be introduced later on. I am anticipating the training arc could take six or more chapters depending on how upcoming chapters turn out. I have completed chapters up to four already, but I'll be posting a chapter every one to three weeks to allow a chance for a lot of feedback to accumulate so if there are any mistakes I can easily go back and fix them up.
Or until I run out of pre-made chapters.
Now the pairing will be Lelouch and Bambietta, I did consider the harem option but after discussing it among others it was deemed to be a bad idea in this case because for one thing it's highly unlikely Bambietta would be unwilling to share lol. However I am considering someone else to pair with Lelouch along with Bambietta, but I am going to wait and see how things play out. As for other characters like Ichigo for example I am still deciding on who to pair him with, but I might leave it open for now and decide on it later on once I get the other characters involved.
More than likely I'll probably pair him with Orihime while everyone else is still fair game.
I plan to have some events of Code Geass happen a little later than the Bleach ones to avoid a potential mess of things and to space things out a little for story flexibility. Even through a lot of things are going to be different once both Ichigo and Lelouch meet later on, although some things in their own way will stay the same.
However in terms of events of Bleach I have been talking with a few others about the end of the series and events leading up to it and let me say right now without spoiling anything is that there WILL BE SOME CHANGES. Which was part of my motivation for doing this crossover, so don't expect me to follow canon. Sure some major events may still happen, but won't exactly play out as they did in canon. I can make no promises it will be a complete break away. Still I hope to provide a better ending to Bleach than its rushed ending it among other problems.
So review and tell what you guys think.
