The black sedan buckles, its wheels rolling over a bump on the road. Its passenger, a certain magician, wakes from his nap as the vehicle shakes. Opening his blue eyes, he watches as the lush greenery rushes past him, the car speeding towards its destination, the moon acting like guide through the dense forest. It was unusual to say the least for Mahesvara to be summoned to the Yotsuba Main House alone, without the Princess of the Yotsuba in tow. Tatsuya can still hear the worries and fears of his little sister as he left.

Sighing, the young teen brushes his messy ebony bangs out of his eyes, his mind trying a fifth time to think of a plausible reason for his summon. He took care of No Head Dragon and left no trace of his involvement nor was any information leaked. Furthermore, no questions were raised regarding his 'miraculous' victory over the heir of the Ichijou Family, Ichijou Masaki. Perhaps, the Yotsuba wished to teach the Ichijou a lesson for harming a Yotsuba? The Yotsuba are called the "Untouchables" for a reason. However, this was highly unlikely as it would reveal his relationship to the Yotsuba, plus they only see him as a guardian, not to mention that he can cast Regrowth. It would also force the Yotsuba into the light, a revolting prospect as the Yotsuba love the shadows. Finally, it would intensify the pressure exerted on the Yotsuba by the other Ten Master Clans, especially the Saegusa. So, what could it be? Tatsuya highly doubts that his dear aunt only wants to chat since that could easily be done over the phone. Some matter must have come to the clan's attention for him to be summoned, a matter of utmost importance…

"Sir, we have arrived." The driver states as a familiar wrinkled face opens the door for Tatsuya.

"Welcome back, Tatsuya." Hayama Tadanori respectfully greets the teen as he steps out of the vehicle. "Mistress Maya is waiting for you at the back."

As much as the kind butler was deserving of a warm smile, Tatsuya could only nod in acknowledgement and took the most efficient route to the back of the massive manor. As he crossed the vast residence, the eyes of maids, butlers, guardians, and other Yotsuba personal follow his form, none daring to approach the Demon King. Finally reaching the back porch, Tatsuya sees the illuminated form of his aunt in the distance enjoying a cup of freshly brewed tea. Stepping on the carefully manicured lawn, Mahesvara approaches the Demon King of the Far East.

Stopping at a respectful distance from the head of the Yotsuba, Shiba Tatsuya made his presence known. "You summoned me, family head?"

Yotsuba Maya did not look up from her cup of tea, its aroma entrancing her. "Hmmm…" She hums coyly. "It appears that way, doesn't it? However, my cute nephew, I was merely a messenger." Her purple eyes slowly turn to him, gauging his reaction.

Tatsuya's blue eyes harden but do not give anything away. "A messenger? So there exists a power above the Yotsuba head? I was not aware."

Maya's attention shifts back to her tea, disappointed by Tatsuya's signature stoicism, but she couldn't blame him since his emotions were removed. "I was not aware of it either until I became head." Putting down her now empty cup, Yotsuba Maya stands and turns to Tatsuya. "Shall we?"

With the moon acting as their only source of light, Maya follows a worn mountain path, the dirt and gravel eventually turning to polished marble steps while Tatsuya trails three strides behind. Ascending the stairs, their eyes rest upon a single story manor in a similar style to the main house, which lay in the valley below. Reaching the peak, only bird chirps, wind chimes, and the rustling trees could be heard. The two powerful Yotsuba cross the courtyard and quickly slip into the manor, the wind closing the doors behind them with a slam that echoed up and down the empty halls. The corridors were completely devoid of life, no servants or guardians. The only decoration they saw seemed to be the exposed wood skeleton of the building and the white paint of the walls.

Stopping in front of a familiar pair of doors, Maya quickly checks herself over, smoothing out the wrinkles in her signature wine red dress, as Tatsuya watches with slight amusement.

Reaching up, the Queen of the Night's hand hovers over the door handles. "I don't need to remind you that you must be on your best behavior now, do I?"

Sensing her serious tone, Tatsuya bows slightly, "No, you do not, family head."

Pausing for a moment longer, Maya silently gives her approval as she slides open the doors. The aroma of burnt incense hits their noses as what feels like the eyes of all of the portraits suddenly train their attention on the two guests. Candles dancing on his pupils, Tatsuya's eyes scan the walls, shuffling from one dead Yotsuba to the next.

However, a pair of amethyst eyes force him to stop his analysis. A feeling akin to uncomfortableness washes over Tatsuya, a feeling largely foreign to the teen who wielded the powers of life and death. Even though the orbs belonged to a painting, they seemed to dissect Tatsuya, stripping his flesh off until they reached the bone. As if finding Mahesvara to not be a threat, the violet eyes suddenly shift to a fatherly softness.

Shaking himself from the trance, Tatsuya sees a face similar to his staring back at him. The man with amethyst eyes in the portrait had a similar facial structure and messy black bangs. The resemblance was uncanny.

"That is your great-great-grandfather, the first Yotsuba."

Startled, Tatsuya and Maya turn around to the voice's source and see a young woman who smiles gentle at them.

She raises a tray, a warm soothing smell washes over them. "Tea?"

Not a word had been said, only sips of tea and the clatter of porcelain could be heard. The mysterious woman had closed her eyes, drowning herself in the comforting beverage. However, the two guests found no such solace as the portraits scrutinized their every move: the fidget of a finger, the shifting of weight, or the displacement of a single strand of hair.

Once the three individuals completed the first round of tea, the green-haired woman turns to Yotsuba Maya. "Thank you for bringing Tatsuya, Maya. Have a good night."

Maya opens her mouth, but no words come out, the young smiling face commanding her to remove herself. "Y-yes, I understand."

As she gets up to take her leave, the family head of the Yotsuba glances at Tatsuya who has given the mystery woman his undivided attention. Opening the door, Maya bows and watches the two figures seated around the small table before the door slides shut.

Another round of tea passes. Another round of silence passes. Another round of scrutiny by the portraits passes. However, Tatsuya had not rested at all, his mind racing to decipher the enigma in front of him. Who was this woman? How much power does she hold over the Yotsuba? Is she a threat to Miyuki? Unfortunately, the young man could not find an answer because the secrecy of the Yotsuba reached to the extent of not knowing other clan members existed. He did not recall seeing her at all when he lived in the Yotsuba Main House as a child nor has he come across information pertaining to the existence of this woman.

He lets out a mental sigh. With his memories exhausted, Tatsuya turns to simply observing the woman. She appeared in her 20s or 30s. However, Yotsuba women had a knack for appearing younger than they actually were, so she could be older. Shifting his attention from her face to her arms, Tatsuya observed her movements of consuming the tea to be graceful and efficient, indicative of noble birth but a skill that can be learned given time. His eyes lowering to her legs exposed through a slit in her heavy purple kimono, her skin showed no scars that indicated a life of fighting and hardship. Still finding no leads, Tatsuya examines the woman as a whole. There were no chinks in her mental armor. Her golden eyes were ironclad, and her aura commanded respect and fear. Unfortunately for the poor boy, all of his efforts were in vain.

The pouring of another cup of tea prevents him from commencing self-chastisement. "Have you figured it out yet, Tatsuya?" Gold eyes lock playfully with frustrated blue ones.

Remembering his manners, the guardian bows his head respectfully. "I'm sorry. I do not know who you are, mistress."

Covering her mouth with a dainty hand, she chuckles at the struggling boy's plight. "That's alright. I would be seriously surprised if you did know. Most Yotsuba only learn of my existence once they become family head. Also drop the formalities. It's only the two of us here."

That was interesting information for Tatsuya. "Then why have you graced me with your presence?"

"Because I need you to do something for me, your great-great-grandmother." Her previous playfulness immediately dries up.

With that revelation, the teen finally makes sense of the urgency for his summon. Bowing his head lower, Tatsuya answers the first mother of the Yotsuba. "What would that request be?"

"The Saegusa have gotten hold of something that does not belong to them." The candles in the room dim, and warmth is sucked out of Tatsuya's body. The boy feels narrow gold eyes lock onto him. "Something that belongs to ME."

Not allowing himself to be affected, Tatsuya asks, "What would that something be if I may ask?" Saegusa and Yotsuba… That sounds like a mess to Tatsuya.

"The remains of your great-great-grandfather." The words practically laced with hatred, her gold eyes burning with unholy flame.

Tatsuya looks up at the giant portrait overlooking them. "Him?"

His great-great-grandmother turns. Getting off of the sitting mat, she walks over to the massive portrait and rests a hand on it as if begging for it to reach out to her. "Yes. They found his remains and will without a doubt conduct research. This not only would reveal Yotsuba secrets but also insults the Yotsuba. Therefore, you are tasked with retrieving the remains."

"I see. Where is the objective is located?"

His great-great-grandmother turns around to face him, but Tatsuya can only clearly make out her predatory gold eyes in the shadows. "Unclear. While the Yotsuba information networks are the best, the Saegusa have been steadily improving their defenses, and their many facilities are well-hidden. Find and retrieve the remains before the Saegusa analyze it. I estimate that you have two weeks. I do not care how you complete your mission. Just make sure you don't lead the Saegusa to our doorstep. Am I understood?"

"Understood. I will not fail you, great-g-"

She interrupts him in a warm motherly tone, completely foreign to Tatsuya. "Call me CC."

Lifting up his head in shock, Tatsuya barely makes out a soft smile on her face in the darkness. Immediately, he bows his head again. "I will not fail you, C-CC."

"I know you won't. Now, go, my child."

Taking that as his que, Tatsuya leaves the manor and descends back into the valley of the Yotsuba.

A/N: It took me a while, but I think I found a direction to take this story. If this turns out to be a dead end, I guess I'll just go back to square one. The Author Note ends here as I begin discussing my thoughts regarding this story.

I really want to maintain an air of mystery and intrigue in the story. I quite liked that I did not even mention CC or Lelouch's names in the 1st chapter. I don't know how I feel about officially revealing CC in this chapter since I feel like it detracts from the mystery and intrigue surrounding her. I may or may not change it later.

I don't plan on writing a lot of action scenes in this story since I really don't want to write them. This story seems to me more like a talking story rather than a fighting one anyway.

I appreciate everyone's reviews and the continued interest behind this experimental story. I wish everyone the best.

If you like my work, please check out Fourth or Changed Game and don't forget to review!