Eh, turn out the lights. . . It's so annoying to have to get up for such a- wait. Aren't I dead?

Those were his thoughts as he began to open his eyes once more. He was laying down, splayed on his back in a grassy field. He opened them fully, seeing the sun high overhead. 'Is this real?' The memories of his conversation among his family came to his as he breathed in and out. 'Fresh air?' He took in a great big breath, then coughed it out. 'Yep, I still hate the outdoors. Some things don't change.'

He smiled as he turned his head to the side, seeing someone beside him. "Euphie?" She began to stir, then jolted up waving her hands. "I'M UP! I'M UP!" She opens her eyes, seeing them in the field before turning to Lelouch. "Oh? It worked?"

Lelouch turned his head the other way. "I guess so." He grunts as he pulls himself to a sitting position. He looked down to his clothes, seeing his brown jacket, black turtleneck under it, and baggy black pants with regular shoes. His old casual town wear. He looked over to Euphie.

She wore her white, green, and orange casual dress. At least they didn't come back in their prince/princess getups. That would arouse suspicion when they found the nearest town. . . She looked at him, getting spooked a moment. "Lulu, don't talk when looking at me."

He was about to ask why, but she stood up, looking around until finding a puddle. She pulled him up, almost dragging him to it, making him look into the water, into his reflection. "My Geass is activated in both eyes!" Yep, still can't turn it off. "That asshole didn't give me my contacts!" he smacked his forehead. "great. Guess that's the first thing to do, then." He got up, preparing to head out until he heard a rip sound. "Wha- HEY!" Euphie takes a bit of ripped fabric from her dress, grabbing Lelouch and tying it around his head as a makeshift blindfold.

"Oh, hush. This will keep you from commanding every time you talk. You'll be a blind man until we get you some new contacts" He moved a few feet, waving his arms in front of him to keep balance. She chuckled saying, "Blind, not frankenstien! Plus it'll keep people from immediately noticing you until we work that out."

He stopped, sighing. "Fine. But this means you have to lead us to the nearest eye doctor. I need contacts ASAP."

(Scene change)

"NOTHING TO SEE HERE! JUST MY SEEING-EYE SISTER!" Lelouch yells as she leads him through the streets.

She scowls a bit. "You're the one calling attention to us. Stop yelling."

"Well, if you didn't already run me into a pole three times. . ."

"Lulu. . ."

"Ugh, fine." He stopped complaining until she stopped him.

"Here we are!" She sounded chipper. He grunted, annoyed, as they entered the eye doctor office.

"Ah, what can I do for you, today?" A japanese intern asked. Euphie began.

"Yes, we need to see a-"

Lelouch pulled the blindfold off his left eye. "Please go get the highest ranking doctor here, then forget ever seeing us."

"Yes, sir." He gets up and exits the front check in, leaving a miffed Euphemia.

"Why did you do that?"

He ignored her as the Britannian doctor walked out. "Ah yes. I know this situation. The blind man plays it up for a free check up, well that just won't do skippy." The doctor points to the paper work. "It's there for a reason."

Lelouch pulls the blindfold up again. "Write up a prescription right now for violet contact lenses."

The doctor straightens. "One moment, sir." He writes the prescription as Euphie glares at him.

"STOP THAT!"

"I want this damn blindfold off. I'm not risking you leading me through town another foot." He explained casually, making her glare harder. The doctor handed him the prescription, telling them to take it next door to see if they had some in stock.

They walked over and, after a few Geass glances to get it done faster, walked out with Lelouch's new contacts. "Ahhhh, much better."

"Someone's a little trigger happy." Euphie grumbles.

"Geass gets stronger the more it's used. As it stands, I can't undo certain orders. I'm hoping I can make it to where I can cancel an order, then Schneizel can have his end of the bargain."

She jumps a bit at that. "You're actually taking him up on that?"

"I fulfill my debts." Lelouch spoke as they walked.

"Okay, now what?"

"Ashford Academy." He spoke, although he sounded extremely wary as he said it.

"What?! Why? People will recognize you."

"I need to contact the Black Knights, get in touch with Suzaku, and then to Nunnally. Problem is, the way the Knights are run is most likely a good deal different. New locations and the like. So, I need to find someone that I know the location of for sure." He pointed his logic to her.

She got a smirk as she took a knowing tone. "Checking on your 'Q-1' I see." He stopped in his tracks before sending a glare at her. "Aw, you can tell me!" Her smile only widened.

He continued walking. "Don't make me regret bringing you."

She takes a more considerate expression. "I wonder how she'll react to you."

He laughed a real laugh for once. "I'm gonna call. . . that she's going to slap me, a lot."

(Scene change)

Every day's the same these days. School itself was fine, but when you're used to working with Knightmare machinery, science and math aren't much of a challenge. Only things difficult these days are history classes, which now include chapters about HIM. She looked down at that thought. They were including him as he meant them to, the demon emperor. Knowing the truth meant that, in essence, she knew better about history than the world, but you have to conform to their 'truth' to move on.

Milly wasn't around much since she graduated, and Nina was off doing her science thing, so that left- "Hey, Kallen!" the leftovers. She turned to Rivalz. Since she was the last of their group around, they were grouped together for essentially everything. She liked it, seeing as how Rivalz was Lelouch's best friend at the academy. He enjoyed her company seeing as how she knew Lelouch better than he did, so they could have good conversations. "What's up?"

"My stress levels, so please don't attempt to hit on me like you always try and fail to." She teased.

He smiled and scratched his head awkwardly. "Hey, it's my job. What else can I do?"

"Learn how to court a girl, for one." She replied sarcastically. "Are you going out to the town again?"

His smile widened, then died before returning slightly. "Well, since I always took Lelouch out for his gambling, a lot of the nobles around here could tell I was a good runner for a good deal of needs. Some of them are offering management/delivery jobs. Guess he left me something to do before he did all that messed up stuff."

Kallen didn't like keeping him in the dark, but she pushed the urge to tell him away. "That's good. You can get good money and work your way up."

He picked up at that. "Yeah. I gotta get out there, though. See you later!" He ran around her and down the hall before halting by a few cute girls. Kallen could tell he was hitting on them, and failed when his shoulders slumped while they walked away. She had to laugh at that. She walked to through the campus until finding a seat to eat at. Before she could eat her sandwich, someone interrupted her.

"Hello, is this seat taken?" Kallen looked up to see some pink haired girl.

"um, no. Go ahead. I haven't seen you here before."

The girl chuckled. "I was here once. Is Arthur still around?"

Kallen jolted at that. "That demon cat?! You know it?"

This made the girl blink a few times. "I was the one who had asked Suzaku to take care of it. Why do you call it that?"

Kallen straightened. "You know Suzaku, eh? Well, that cat has a nasty habit of taking things that don't belong to it." She could swear she heard an annoyed 'I KNOW RIGHT!' from the roof for the building near the two. When she looked, though, no one was there.

On said roof, Lelouch was laying on the ground out of view after that outburst. He did NOT mean to say that. As if the gods were toying with him, he saw a familiar animal walk onto the roof. "Oh god, no. Arthur, go away!"

Back down below, the two girls hit it off. "So, Kallen, would you like to meet me up on that roof in an hour?"

Kallen seemed more than a bit confused. "Um, okay? May I ask why?"

"Well, let's say I have some business with Kallen Kozuki." With that, she got up to leave. Kallen seemed a bit distressed since the only people who call her that are the Black Knights.

"Wait, who are you?"

The girl turns around. "You can call me Euphie Lamperouge." She turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Kallen at the table.

(Scene change)

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" Euphie yelled at Lelouch on the rooftop. "How did you get into a fight with Arthur?!"

Lelouche rubbed at the scratches on his hands and clothes. "I'm barely here for two seconds, and that cat tries to take my contact holder."

The cat purred in Euphemia's arms. She laughed a bit through her anger. "I also can't believe that you're worse for wear than he is."

"Shut up!" He looked away, humiliated.

"The mighty demon emperor defeated in single combat by a stray cat." She couldn't contain her growing smile.

Subject change is the best way to get off this topic. "Shouldn't Kallen get here any second?"

"Yes. I'll go downstairs to prepare her." Euphie went down to the ground floor.

She met Kallen, just as she was getting to the front door. "Kallen! You came!" her tone was as happy as possible.

"Cut it out." Kallen ordered. "Who are you to use that last name you gave me? I don't take bullshit well." Kallen was easily pissed.

Euphie still held a kind look, but her smile faltered a bit. "That's the name I have. Or rather, the name I have to live with."

"What's your game? Who are you working for?" Kallen closed the distance, still standing like two girls gossiping as she pulls out her hidden switch blade.

"Please, there's no need for that." Euphie asked kindly. "The one I'm here with misses you, and only wishes to see you again." She tried to lead Kallen to the stairway, but Kallen pulled her back.

"Who?"

Euphie smiled. "He wants to see his Q-1 again." She says slightly sad. She turned to the stairs and walks up.

Needless to say, Kallen was more than shocked. Completely mindfucked, to say the least. Her mind started racing through the possibilities. Erm, possibility. "Calm down! Calm down!" She whispered to herself. "It's just Suzaku! Yeah. Playing the Zero thing up!" She rationalized it, but something told her this wasn't her Japanese friend. Her eyes started to tear up a bit as she looked to the stairway. "No. He's gone. This girl is messing with me." She pulls the switchblade out again as she sprints after Euphie.

"No one uses his memory to screw with ME!" She bursts through the door to the roof at full speed, initially after the pink haired girl. However, seeing the man next to her caused her to trip up as she barreled into him, falling on top of the man. The fall hurt as she finds herself straddling the man. He quickly tries to sit up but catches the man's face close to hers.

Silence. She sees HIM. She looks at the man for what seems like an eternity. Looking into his eyes. "Le. . . Lel. . . ouch?"

His expression softens as he smiles. "As much as I like this position, maybe we should get up."

Hearing his voice settled it. Tears built up in her eyes as she sat up on him, still straddling. Her hand went up to feel his cheek.

(Scene Change)

"ALRIGHT! I got a new job." Rivalz just got back from his interviews. "Can't wait to tell Kallen!"

SMACK!

Rivalz looked up at the sound. "Dang! That sounded far. Hope whatever it was didn't hit anyone. That would hurt like HELL."

(Scene Change)

"YOU BASTARD!" Tears were freely falling from her face onto Lelouch's jacket. He merely rubbed the red spot on his face. He still held a kind expression.

"Technically, I am, but that's semantics."

SMACK! "HOW-" SMACK! "DARE-" SMACK! "YOU!"

She fell onto him. "It's been two months! Why haven't you contacted us?" He held her for a while as she calmed down.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't really able to." She smiled. "Being dead doesn't involve cell phones. Couldn't text ya." He joked.

She glared at him with reddened eyes. "You're here now, so try a different excuse."

He held his hands up in a surrender pose. "I mean it! I was really dead!"

"BULLSHIT!"

"He was." She turned to Euphie. "And so was I, last I checked." Euphie smiled at her.

"Wait. . ." Her eyes widened. "What the hell? Aren't you?"

Lelouch cut her off. "Yes, she is. That's why I offered my old last name to her."

Kallen seemed a little white as she sniffled a little more from her crying phase. She looked back to him. "Explain. NOW!"

He chuckled. "Well, I was hoping to wait until I contacted Su-"

"NO! You're not pulling the same shit as when you were Zero. You're answering me right the hell now!"

He sighed. This will take a bit of explaining. . .