CONTINUED STORY

"Nunnally... it'll be okay. Really."

Nunnally only shakes her head, despite Kallen's words, an attempt to comfort her. Refined to her wheelchair once more, her long blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, still wearing the scarlet dress she had been forced to wear that morning...

That morning... was it really only that morning when she was all chained up, displayed for the public to see and humiliate on the ever-slowing moving Knightmare? When she sat there and tried to break out of her endless whirlpool of confusion for what went wrong that past year?

Her tears are gushing now, wracking her body with painful sobs stabbing her heart with every tremble, every shake. This morning, her brother was still alive. This morning, Lelouch vi Britannia was still well and healthy, decked out in his magnificent emperor capes. This morning, he still ruled over Britannia. This morning, he was still alive.

"Nunnally... Nunnally... I know how it feels... but I promise, everything will work out in the end. We'll have world peace now..."

But Nunnally isn't listening to her words. Kallen doesn't know the whole story. Kallen doesn't know that it was Brother who was the Zero she had met almost two years ago at Shinjuku Ghetto. Kallen doesn't know that he never betrayed them, that no matter which side of the war they were on, he was always fighting for the greater good. Kallen doesn't know the real story behind that mask, the many wars and battles it's seen, the deaths and bloodshed it witnessed. The many wearers, all the sorrow they've gone through, watching time pass by and by as they fought against themselves. Kallen doesn't know anything about what has happened.

One day, they will know. The whole world. They'll all know the bravery and heroics of Zero, that he never turned his back onto the Black Knights, onto Area Eleven. He never... he never... he never got swallowed by the lure of power! Someday, the whole world will know the truth... it'll always present itself...

Her sobs have grown louder now, wails still escaping from her mouth without permission. Almost unwillingly, Nunnally buries her head into Kallen's shoulder, instantly creating a wet patch on her uniform. Unsure what to say, Kallen allows it, her fingertips softly stroking Nunnally's tangled hair.

"Nunnally, Lelouch-"

But Nunnally knows what Kallen will say – that Brother was a monster, someone taken by greed, that the world would be better off without him. Trying to cease the flow of tears, Nunnally attempts to squeak out the first word she has uttered for hours on end.

"Brother... he... he never...!" But it's useless. She's unable to even talk without swallowing her own tears. So far, she has been stripped of her mother, her sight, and her ability to walk – Nunnally vi Britannia is just a shell now. An empty, hollow shell awaiting death, to join the people she love.

"It's okay, Nunnally," says Kallen soothingly.

Nunnally can only shake her head, her hair flying in all directions as she does so, settling themselves everywhere. Kallen... she deserves to know, yet she doesn't... one day, she will, but not now... The future ahead is a long one filled with joy and peace for those who were not even close to knowing the person Lelouch vi Britannia was. But Nunnally and Suzaku... the only two people who know the truth... their lives will be burdened with that forever. Even if they tell everyone, the fact that they were among the first to know will never change.

Eventually, Nunnally's sobs have died down to the occasional hiccup. Devoid of her tears, her heart numb and cold, as if experiencing the pain Brother had felt as he was stabbed to death. Still stroking her hair, Kallen sits there, waiting for Nunnally to wear herself out, to be the first to speak.

Long moments pass, the seconds ticking by. Her throat raw and sore, her eyes still brimming with the tears that never left, Nunnally tries to think about anyone but Brother, anything but Brother's death. None comes. The only other sanctuary she can think of is to talk it out, another seemingly impossible task. But Brother achieved the impossible task. So can she.

"Brother..." After choking out that one word, Nunnally can't hold it anymore. Wrenching herself out of Kallen's fingers, she shoves the controls for the wheelchair forwards, ignoring Kallen's yelps. She can't stand it here, with someone watching her, as if reading her thoughts, invading her privacy. No, somewhere... alone...

The twists and turns of Ashford Academy is so familiar to the years she's spent here with Brother, she doesn't even hesitate before making the turns. Squeezing her eyes shut to give herself the solitary darkness to confide with, she deftly turns into a room. She doesn't know which one. Her mind had done the navigation for her.

She keeps her eyes shut, because opening them again would be a burden too great to bear. The nothingness she has experienced for the past years welcomes her in, and she starts echoing that one, distinct word in her head...

Why? The question she asks herself the most, the one she asks the heavens the most. What did I ever do...? What did Lelouch ever do...? All... he wanted... was to make me happy... What went wrong? Why... why is this...

Slowly, Nunnally opens her eyes, and instantly regrets it. Here is the dining table, where the two of them had sat on countless evenings, discussing things that seem so weak now, in the face of all they've come through.

The cranes...

It's like a slam to the chest – so strong, that Nunnally actually cries out. An eternity ago, they had sat here on an evening, a table of origami spread out before them as they made that final vow...

"Look!" Nunnally held up a small pink crane, freshly folded by Sayoko, in her hands. "They say that if you fold a thousand of these cranes, your wish will come true. If you have a wish, then..."

"Oh! No, I don't," said Brother. "What about you, Nunnally? Do you want something?"

Nunnally dipped her head and thought for a moment. "That the world might find peace."

"By the time your eyes allow you to see it, I'm sure it will have," said Brother softly.

"Really?"

"I promise."

Brother had come so far... so close... to granting peace to this world. Within two months of her sight being given back to her, the world has risen to a peaceful state. But with it comes a horrible cost – a final sacrifice to make her happy.

Nunnally is not happy – far from it. Brother had come all that long way – through battles and betrayals, through guilt and death – working to please her goal. If only they hadn't brought it up that horrible evening, Brother could be still alive right now, his presence occupying the space emptiness now conquers. Lelouch vi Britannia didn't even have to work towards making her sister happy, because she already was.

Finding Brother's picture on the wall, Nunnally brings out the tears she had thought nonexistent, and whispers back those last few words she had said to him...

"I would've been happy just being with you, Brother..."

I haven't written for so long it feels so weird to write now... aaaargh... this was the best I could come up with after an hour.

Yeah... to all of my watchers back on the Hunger Games, Blizzard is still at a standstill, sorreh. Writer's block... ugh.

So, yeah, um, I'm not an anime addict or anything; I was just insanely bored so I just watched Code Geass, because wingzG1128 on dA (PXLight on here) said it was good so I watched it. And yes, it was amazing. So I got inspired like I did with Trauma Team so, I, uh, you know. Wrote this. Which takes place after Lulu's death and all.

Yeaaah. It's horrible, but... whatever.