A/N: Oh man, you don't even understand how much I love all of you guys! All the emails I receive because of this fic make my day; every single one of them! Man, now I'm starting to think big; I might be able to reach my goal of 100 reviews. =O That'd be an amazing checkmark. I mean, I got 28 within the first two chapters (thanks so much to all those who have reviewed)... imagine what I can pull off once we get into the midst of things!

Dreams aside, I better get writing.
I pray that you read and enjoy!

NOTE: I'm also looking for a beta-reader who can help me space out my work. Even I have to agree; these paragraphs are rather difficult to read. If any of you wish to volunteer your service, please leave a review here saying so. But for now, if it troubles you that much, try copy + paste -ing the chapter and use some other program to help you read. =) Thank you for your time.


A large ship made its way into a private bay 100 kilometres away from the Tokyo settlement under the cloak of night. The bay itself had no real dock; unlike most bays, twenty-five feet of water surrounded the area instead of the water depth gradually becoming shallower until the water touched the shore. If one were to fall over the edge, they would be falling into a deep abyss of murky water.

The area was unmarked and one of the rare places in Area 11 that remained untouched by technology and war; that was, until the Black Knights discovered it and used its traits to their advantage. This specific location had been used as a meeting place before, so a secret pier had already been built. There were no lights or landmarks that the Black Knights could use as means of guiding them properly, mainly to make sure that no one would accidentally stumble upon this place. That, including the darkness of the night, made the docking procedure rather difficult.

The Guren Flight-Enabled Version along with a couple of the remaining Knightmares the Black Knights had in their possession were required to go ahead of the ship in order to help assist in guiding it into the bay; the Guren remained in the lead due to its excelled manoeuvrability and helped mark the spots for the helicopters to drop off the flightless Burais. The war machines landed with a loud thud and almost shook the ground around them. The bush seemed to shuffle slightly as a few native species departed the area in fear of their lives, unknowing that the Black Knight's intention wasn't to cause harm to the ecosystem.

Every single fog light on board the large cargo ship was blazing directly ahead as the ship slowly made its way into the deep bay. Its mechanics rumbled loudly amidst the quiet haven of nature and woke up several creatures that had slept through the aforementioned landing of the Knightmares. The rolling waves its arrival caused disrupted the once placid and still surface of the water. A startled deer leapt past the Guren as the red Knightmare took to the air once more and landed on the flat surface of the ship. The other two flightless Burais couldn't help but remain in place as the helicopters that had dropped them off here an hour ago have already departed towards a secret base in the Tokyo Settlement.

The Knightmares had taken the liberty of removing any debris and obstructions that could potentially damage the ship as it came in, but the ship rolled in slowly and cautiously just in case. As soon as it made it to the side of the giant pier, a door opened on the side of the ship opened and revealed a large metal ramp as it made its way down and attached itself to the flat surface of the pier. At the top of the ramp stood Kallen Kouzuki, Zero, and Nunnally vi Britannia in her rusty hospital wheelchair along with a couple of other armed Black Knight soldiers that were to escort the masked revolutionary for protection as were his wishes. The Knightmares monitored the three with their weapons armed in case anyone came about with the intention of attacking their leader, their ace, and their hostage despite the lack of the possibility of anyone discovering this location in the first place. Even Zero considered the tight security rather overdone and pestilent, but was grateful for it; it provided him with an overwhelming sense of security he hardly had when on the battlefield.

Rolo Lamperouge in his black Ashford uniform suddenly sprinted out of the small warehouse where many provisions for the Black Knights were stored. By the time Rolo had finally reached the three of them, a few soldiers had already begun to empty the ship of damaged Knightmares they were able to recover from the kidnapping mission. Wrangled and serrated clumps of metal were carted down the ramp and to the small warehouse where Rakshata and her maintenance crew would fix them up to the best of their ability.

The younger Lamperouge who played Lelouch's false brother during the year Lelouch spent under Geass-inflicted amnesia smiled brightly at the masked terrorist. Rolo had heard that the Black Knights were returning to this spot from intelligence and, during the night, snuck away to greet them on his Vincent. "It's good to see you're back, nii-san." Rolo greeted enthusiastically in Japanese. The chestnut haired boy didn't know much of Japanese language himself, but had taken the liberty of learning that one phrase along with a few others in order to surprise the brother he adored so much.

Zero nodded silently, hardly noticing the language Rolo had spoken in, before turning his attention to Kallen; Rolo was not even the least bit offended. "Kallen, I need you to stay with C2 and the others on the ship." Zero commanded. "Your presence would serve a higher purpose helping out here for a bit. It is not as though you can return to Ashford, regrettably." The revolutionary then turned to Rolo, gesturing with his head that they were to start walking and head back to the warehouse now. He put his gloved hands on the handles of Nunnally's wheelchair once more and was about to walk off with the two of them had it not been for Kallen suddenly grasping his shoulder.

"N-Now wait a minute!" she protested before failing to stifle a yawn. Her lack of sleep had made her receptiveness to Zero's words dull and only now did she realize what he meant by those words. "It's been the longest time since I've been to the Tokyo settlement; there's no way in hell I'm staying in this dump! I don't care what you say, I'm coming with you!" And with that, she defiantly stomped towards the small warehouse by the bush before looking over her shoulder stubbornly at Zero who gazed at her silently, his mask covering any emotion on his face. "Aren't you coming?" she quipped scornfully, her nose up high in the air.

Zero chuckled, bemused by Kallen's actions. He wasn't at all fazed by her response; in fact, he said those words as a means of triggering her anger. That night, the masked terrorist was tragically bored and needed to find some form of comedy wherever he could seek it, even if it meant at the expense of others. Otherwise, he would have fallen asleep on his feet; the fatigue was getting to him. "I figured you'd say that." he replied softly before raising his voice so the spectators who stopped what they were doing after seeing Kallen's outburst could hear as well. "Very well... you can come back with us to Ashford as well if that is what you wish." And without another word, he, along with his other two siblings, walked right past her without giving her a second glance.

Kallen stood still on her spot, completely stunned. The red-haired woman could only stare back at the black cloaked man as he instructed a couple soldiers to retrieve some items aboard the ship before continuing on his way towards the warehouse. She just wanted to return to the Tokyo settlement; when she protested, she had no intention of visiting Ashford Academy. In fact, it only crossed her mind now. All this time, she had thought that it would be impossible to return considering her relation to the Black Knights. But now her leader was giving her permission... just what was he playing at?

But then a smile erupted on her face and a tear began to form in her eyes. She swiped it off before running after Zero and others. "I...I-I actually get to return to Ashford Academy, return to the Student Council, return to those days!" she giggled gleefully to herself. She had never been so happy about going to back to school before. The Guren pilot never considered how much she missed those blissful days and how much she envied Lelouch as she and C2 monitored his movements while he was under his Geass-inflicted amnesia. Kallen was now wide awake as she jubilantly ran up to Zero's side, thanking him, before sprinting off to get a change of clothes she had kept in the warehouse.

"Zero, is that...?" Rolo watched Kallen's movement carefully before turning his attention back on his elder brother. He was referring to the crippled girl in the wheelchair, her eyes closed and her head resting on her shoulders. A Black Knights jacket was cloaked over her dress to keep her warm as she rested. Today had been a long day and her brother had allowed her to sleep through the night while he ensured her safety in his hands. A chilly breeze swept through the bay and blew about both of Zero's younger siblings, their almost identically coloured hair shifting slightly. The younger boy shivered and envied the peace draped over Nunnally.

"You know her name, Rolo." Zero replied callously, his voice shifted through the voice alteration device. "And you know exactly who she is. It is not as though there has been a ban placed on you that states that you must refrain from uttering her name to me or anywhere else." A gloved hand gently brushed through the princess's silk-like hair; it is a good thing that while she was back at the homeland, she was treated well. "We have successfully captured Nunnally vi Britannia, the 11th princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and Viceroy of Area 11... That is, had it not been for the staged kidnapping that took place earlier today." Zero stared at him much deeply through the mask and leaned in as he murmured in a softer tone so no one could overhear, "We have successfully captured our sister, Rolo."

Rolo's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at the revelation. "O-Our sister..." he whispered under his breath, completely taken aback. The entire time he had spent with Lelouch, he knew that the love the raven-haired boy had shown him was meant to be directed to the girl in the wheelchair beside him right now. Because of this, Rolo had always hated her in a sense; he hated her for being so lucky to be related to such a wonderful guy as his and her elder brother. But, aside from just now, because of the obscurity of the facts his "mission" had provided him, the assassin had never really thought of Nunnally as his sister in turn. The chestnut haired boy shuddered as he continued to walk on beside Zero who clearly was unaware of the complexity of the impact the masked terrorist's words have had on Rolo.

"My sister..."


Zero, Rolo, and the sleeping Nunnally made their way into the warehouse and entered a private office at the other side of the warehouse. Kallen was in there and had already conveniently changed into more normal, casual clothing consisting of a pink blouse that showed off much of her cleavage and cut off just above her diaphragm, a blue cardigan, and black short shorts. In her hand was another bundle Lelouch had prepared earlier for Nunnally and himself; it was a white plastic bag filled with their old Ashford Academy uniforms.

Zero closed the blinds and shut the door before taking off his mask and placing it onto a cluttered desk covered in several different schemes and blueprints; a typical architect-styled work area. "Kallen, Rolo, may you two please wait for us outside?" Lelouch requested as Kallen handed him the bag of clothes. "We'll meet up with you at the back as soon as we're finished here. Then we can head to the Tokyo settlement together." He began to strip down without much consideration of the other two who promptly exited with red faces to avoid looking like perverts. Laughing to himself once again at the cruel joke he played, he pulled off his clothing and slipped on the white dress shirt in the white grocery bag before he shook Nunnally's shoulder softly. "Nunnally, wake up." Her soft breathing abruptly halted as she regained consciousness, sucking in air quickly before exhaling and then resuming her normal breathing pattern.

"Lelouch, is that you?" she whispered softly to the loving Lamperouge that knelt in front of her. Lelouch made a small noise in reply and she smiled softly. Her brother removed the Black Knights jacket that crumpled upon her lap that she had been using as a blanket and placed it on the desk after neatly folding it first. She then remembered about her newly gained ability to see once again, and was about to open her eyes when she recalled Zero's order to keep them shut. Her eyelids twitched with the conflict. "Big brother, is it okay if I...?"

Lelouch nodded, despite his sister being unable to see it. "Of course, Nunna." he answered softly. "Open your eyes; it's why I returned your sight to you, right?" He watched as Nunnally opened her eyes carefully, vigorously blinking afterwards. Her eyelids felt stiff after sleeping and the strange heavy sensation was foreign to her. Even though she enjoyed this gift, right now, her eyes felt like closing off the scenery around her once again so she can sleep some more. Lelouch turned on the lights, allowing her to see more clearly, though this caused her to half-lid her eyes as her pupils adjusted. Lelouch then handed her the clothes in the bag while removing his own and placing it on the desk behind him. "You need to change into these clothes before we can go back, alright?" the raven-haired teen explained softly.

Nunnally examined them carefully before she nodded in reply. She knew what she had in her hand; it was her old middle school uniform for Ashford Academy. It consisted of a white blouse, dark red tie emblazoned with the golden Ashford insignia, a short pink dress, a pair of white high socks, and matching dark red loafers. She knew what they looked like before; her brother had described it to her before. However, she never really realized that pink could look so... pink. Even though eight years ago, she had the capability of sight, she had forgotten what it was like to really see. Now that she could, the princess had a new respect for the gift and hoped she wouldn't inexplicably lose it again.

The two siblings changed right then and there; completely comfortable with the other's presence in the room. The two were used to it after all these years of Lelouch helping Nunnally into her clothes back in Japan or when he helped her into her school uniform when Sayoko was busy cooking breakfast. Lelouch finished first as usual, buttoning the final button of his Ashford Academy jacket before helping out Nunnally into her outfit like he used to back in the day. Nunnally felt so comfortable to his touch; it brought back an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. "Lelouch..." she whispered as he helped pulled her high socks up her leg. "We're going back to Ashford?"

"Of course." Lelouch replied in his own soft whisper, fixing up the final sock before examining her sister and making a noise of satisfaction. "Oh, but you need to go in a disguise." he continued. "Even though you never made your debut yet, you're still a princess." He grabbed the plastic bag sitting on the floor which held all their clothing and pulled out a hairnet, a long lilac-haired wig and sky blue coloured contacts; he was grateful that he could rely on Geassed persons to follow his orders to the letter. "Light purple is still your favourite colour, right Nunna? Or is it... pink?" He pulled out a blush pink-haired wig from the bag and placed the purple one back. Nunnally's eyes widened considerably as the pink wig swished through the hair as Lelouch messily threw it over her hair, purposely leaving a few strands over Nunnally's face as he examined what it looked like on his sister. "We can just give the other one to Kallen." he affirmed.

Nunnally giggled with glee as her brother stuffed her wavy chestnut hair into the white hairnet and carefully placed the wig onto her head. His touch tickled her; the both of them were completely aware that one of Nunnally's weak spots was around her neck. A little brush against the skin underneath her head and she burst out laughing hysterically with an irresistible tone that made others laugh along with her. Lelouch chuckled as well as he fixated the wig onto her head with a touch of finality before examining her looks once again. Because the contacts were uncomfortable (he had experience with this), Nunnally would wait until later to put them on. The princess looked completely different with short and straight pink hair; it was a lot different from her usual look. Just before they returned to school, he knew that they would have to visit a professional make-up artist to finalize the last few details to create a much more successful disguise.

The princess gestured over to a mirror she spotted onto the ground and Lelouch picked it up and faced the somewhat grimy glass surface towards her. She gazed at her new looks closely, tousling the wig hair playfully as her huge grin remained on her face. Her indigo eyes shined brightly amidst the dark room and really did affect her appearance. Even though she was blind, with just a wig it was already difficult to discover her new identity. "I love it, big brother!" Nunnally exclaimed happily. "Pink! It's just so... pink!" She felt as though she had returned to being five year old Nunnally once again playing with Lelouch and Euphy back at the homeland, throwing pillows at each other and telling stories and arguing and... Needless to say, it was a long list. Those were good times and she dreadfully missed those days. Her grin shrunk down to a solemn smile. "Lelouch, I was thinking about Euphy..."

Lelouch wrapped his hands around Nunnally's as though to comfort her. His hands were cold in comparison to the princess's and he shivered at the mention of his first love's name. His insides felt as though they froze over; a feeling that resembled swallowing cough syrup containing acetaminophen. He remembered his promise to Nunnally; eventually, he would have to reveal all. "Nunnally, now is not the time." he hissed as he removed the wig and hairnet to put them back in the bag. "I promise that once we get to Ashford, we will talk about it, alright?" His hands fumbled around his sister's before he wrapped her pinky finger around his. "Now how did that song go again...?" he murmured thoughtfully before he began to sing softly. "Cross my heart, hope to die..."

"Stick a thousand needles if you lie..." Nunnally continued hesitantly, singing along as softly as she could. She gripped tighter onto her brother's pinky as feelings overwhelmed her again. However, she refused to cry now; she had to be strong for the both of them. She bounced the two hands together and did her best to plaster a small smile on her face as she sang, "Pinky promise song!" and finally let go of her brother's pinky. Lelouch smiled lightly before giving his sister a warm hug. "You promised, big brother." Nunnally whispered into his ear before closing her eyes; fatigue washed over her and drained her quickly of all remaining energy she possessed. "You... promised..."

"Yes, Nunnally, I did promise..." Lelouch whispered back. He didn't move as he felt his sister grow limp, a clear indication that she had crashed; any energy remaining had been wiped out by whatever emotions and conflict had raged inside her and eventually, her body couldn't take it anymore. In a few moments, she was fast asleep in his arms, breathing softly again and left alone to her dreamless sleep. The princess's older brother gently caressed her head in his arms before he slowly pushed her back onto the wheelchair and fixed her position so she wouldn't be uncomfortable as she slept. Nunnally didn't make any signs to indicate that she was aware of these movements. "At one point, I promised I would never lie to you. But now..." He stopped his train of thought to pack his Zero uniform into its case that was left behind in a small corner by the door. He placed the mask, however, back on his face for good measure. "...But now I had to promise to tell the truth."

Lelouch got behind Nunnally's wheelchair once more and draped the Black Knights jacket over her as a blanket again. It was Kallen's, as he recalled. He knew that as soon as he safely got his sister to the Knightmares, he would return it to the fiery-haired pilot. The student opened the back door of the office, leading back outside within the depths of the bush. The exit was placed in the farthest corner of the warehouse and led out into a deep part of the forest. All of the Black Knights activity was to the front of the warehouse and the bush provided the perfect cover; Lelouch did not fear of his identity being revealed, but just in case, he kept Zero's mask on his head.

The Vincent and a golden Sutherland that had been captured during the Black Rebellion last year waited patiently in a clearing that resided deeper into the forest. There was a rough path created that Lelouch was aware would help get them back to the Tokyo Settlement. Rolo and Kallen were already at the controls, chatting idly with each other with their respective cockpits open. A cable descended from the Sutherland as Lelouch helped Nunnally into the cockpit with Nunnally. Because the cockpit itself wasn't at all roomy and lacked space for another person, Kallen had to keep the roof open and drive carefully to avoid any harm befalling Zero's beloved sister.

"Here Kallen." Lelouch handed Kallen the Black Knights jacket that Nunnally was using as a blanket. "I believe this is yours, though if you don't mind..." Kallen remained silent as Lelouch placed it over his sister once again to keep her warm. The night was chilly and it would take a while out in the cold temperatures to get there; he didn't want his sister getting sick. As soon as he was finished with Nunnally, he placed his foot into the foothold and used the cable to lower himself onto firm ground before waiting in front of Rolo's Knightmare.

The Vincent then lowered its arms and cupped its hands, creating a place to allow Lelouch to sit. The Lancelot mass-production prototype could only fit one person as well, and because Rolo was the pilot, Lelouch was forced to remain sitting on its metal hands. He jumped on and placed the black case containing Zero's costume to the side before taking off the mask. The plates clicked loudly in the silence of the forest. He then zipped the bag open and placed the metal object into the case beside his folded uniform before closing it and looking around.

Despite being on Knightmares with full energy fillers, Lelouch only intended to go up to the outskirts of Tokyo where a second Black Knights warehouse was located. An old grey SUV, a vehicle more suitable for use in the city, was located there and Lelouch intended to use that to drive the rest of the way into the Tokyo settlement without raising suspicion. They were forced to use Knightmares now because they were the only vehicles available at the time. They would be riding the large mechas under the cover of the night with the off-road forest path concealing them as well, so being out in the open didn't matter. If they were spotted, Lelouch would most likely just use his Geass to have whoever spotted them forget what they saw.

"Take it slow and be gentle with her, Kallen." Lelouch instructed her lightly, gesturing to Nunnally to make sure Kallen didn't confuse the term her for any other being. "I don't want any harm to befall her. If anything happens, I swear I'm selling you out to Britannia." His tone of voice made it sound like he was joking and Kallen almost laughed as a result, but then she noticed his strict amethyst orbs which gazed at her dangerously, contradicting the criteria of a joking person. She soon realized that part of him really meant it and Guren pilot gulped before shaking the concern out of her mind with a stiff nod.

"Of course, Lelouch." Kallen replied. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to Nunna as well. Both of our best interests will be kept in mind then." With that, she pushed the Knightmare onward and took the lead. The raven-haired teen nodded, approving of her speed before looking up from his spot to the Vincent's factspheres. He gestured his younger brother up and onward and with a resounding jolt of the mechanics, the Vincent lifted its arms so Lelouch was against the mecha's chest before it followed the Sutherland's lead.


An hour into the ride through the dense forest, the path led into a deep ditch that spread over a short distance; a distance that could potentially damage her Sutherland's gear. The ditch was soaked with water which caused the soil to become sticky and impassable on unequipped Knightmares. The night only seemed to get darker and Kallen caught on to the presence of such danger last minute. Seeing this, Kallen instinctively used the Sutherland's suspensions to jump in the air, only to land roughly and almost wake Nunnally up.

"Kallen!" Lelouch shouted from behind with a tone of worry. His voice had a hoarse undertone to it, almost as though he had been sobbing. "What the hell are you doing? I said be careful, not jump around like a reckless maniac! Nunnally's aboard, remember?" He was back to being Nunnally's older brother, completely unaware of the danger himself. He sent her a menacing scowl; if his expressions could kill, the Sutherland would have immediately stopped in its tracks with a dead pilot in the cockpit. The Vincent followed the Sutherland's lead and leapt into the air, but it landed much more softly as though to help prove Lelouch's point and mock Kallen's Knightmare piloting prowess.

The Sutherland turned around so Kallen could face Lelouch. Her adept skills made her capable of continuing the path while driving the Knightmare backwards as so. "I'm sorry, Lelouch." Kallen replied solemnly, her voice shaky due to the terrible terrain they were currently on. "I didn't mean it. I really didn't. It's just that, well..." She paused for a moment before she took in a deep breath and ranted, "That pit was there and I couldn't get past it so I had to jump over it but—". Mid-rant, she didn't seem to notice Lelouch's eyes as they widened to the point where they almost seemed to bulge out of their sockets.

"Kallen, you fool, look out!"

The Vincent somehow sprinted ahead in a split second and smashed its arm against the side of the Sutherland, shoving it to the side. The sound of loud grinding metal was made while the two Knightmares skidded down different directions as a result. The momentum the sudden speed boost was difficult to stop and the Knightmare would have overrun the path if it weren't for the Vincent pulling out its Master Vibration swords and thrusting them into the ground in order to come to an instant halt. The MVS's left a remarkable ditch in the path, continuing to emit a dark red hum in the air until Rolo flicked them against the large boulder in the path, smashing the large rock to pieces, and placed them back into their sheath.

Kallen was unfazed by the Vincent's sudden attack and manoeuvred the Knightmare just in time to avoid tipping over. She threw the Sutherland's arms out and stretched them to their maximum span on either side in order for the centre of gravity to shift enough, but one arm smashed into a part of the large boulder that Lelouch and Rolo had just saved them from. Despite the damage, this fortunately bought the adept Knightmare pilot just enough time to shift one of the Sutherland's legs and regain balance. The Vincent whipped around once again and tossed Lelouch up in the air like an acrobat in order for him to catch Nunnally as she slipped off the cockpit behind Kallen from all the commotion. Kallen caught them in the Sutherland's uninjured arm just in time, sobbing in her cockpit from the near tragedy.

"L-Lelouch, I..."

"Nunnally, are you alright?"

Lelouch brushed his sister's hair away from her calm face; he seemed completely unaware of Kallen's panicked state. All he cared about now was the welfare of his sister. Nunnally's eyelids fluttered open; somehow she had remained asleep through the entire accident and only woke up now. Lelouch made sure to turn her away so Rolo and Kallen didn't find out that she had regained her sight. Nunnally looked up and saw the face of a panicked older brother who insisted on not letting her see what happened.

"...Lelouch?" she whispered softly. "What happened?"

"We got into a bit of a fray on the way there. All that matters is that you're fine though, right?" Lelouch leaned in and kissed his sister's forehead before tilting her upright to give her a warm embrace in his arms. He wrapped around her body tightly, as though he thought that letting her go meant losing her forever. "Does anything hurt? Any broken bones and such?" He continued to hug her as he stroked her hair, a habit that developed years ago in order to relieve Lelouch of the stresses of life. In any case, stroking his sister's hair was a lot more beneficial than turning to drugs as a stress reliever.

"I... I h-hurt..." Lelouch stiffened at Nunnally's response and was about to go into panic mode before Nunnally began to try and stifle her laughter. In the end, it failed and she burst out laughing against Lelouch's chest. The raven-haired teen reluctantly let her go, rather confused by what going on until Nunnally explained to him, "You were hugging me too tight, big brother, and it hurt!" The sound of her light giggles brought a smile to everyone's face, especially Lelouch who brightened up considerably. All signs of worry disappeared as the teen gave a thumb up to Rolo and Kallen. An audible sigh of relief was heard from the Guren pilot while Rolo in the cockpit remained static.

The Sutherland lowered its arm to the ground in order to deposit Lelouch. "Keep your eyes closed, okay?" Lelouch told his sister. Nunnally simply nodded in reply before Lelouch jumped off the Knightmare's mechanical hand and watched as Kallen carefully lifted Nunnally up to the cockpit again and helped her on. "Make sure to hold on tightly, Nunnally!" Lelouch called out from the base of the Sutherland. "We don't want you falling off, alright?"

"Of course, big brother!" Nunnally replied. For good measure, she clung around Kallen's waist. Lelouch spotted the discarded Black Knights jacket that must have fallen off of his sister when she fell by the foot of the golden Sutherland and took the liberty of dusting it off and throwing it up for Kallen to catch. Kallen wrapped it around Nunnally again to keep her warm before nodding to Lelouch.

"I promise, Lelouch. I promise that my recklessness will not get in the way of Nunnally's safety." Kallen assured him as confidently as she could, slightly afraid of being sold out to Britannia after recalling Lelouch's threat earlier. "I'm really sorry, though." Her hands gripped onto the Sutherland's controls; her stupid mistake almost unbearable. She wanted to beat herself up over it. If it weren't for Nunnally being okay as a result, she was sure that she would have ended up being brutally murdered by Lelouch... or worse. She sighed outwardly before turning her attention back on the ebony-haired teen who flashed a quick smile at her which triggered confusion.

"Don't worry about it." Lelouch replied as he bounded over to the Vincent and took a seat in its cupped mechanical hands once more. "You already know how much I trust you, Kallen. You also know how valuable you are to the Black Knights... and to me." he smirked. "Besides, this is why you are not alone and we work as a team. Don't forget that." The Vincent lifted its arms so Lelouch was raised back against the mecha's chest once more before driving off first. "Though now we'll take the lead and you'll have to catch up. Take care of Nunnally...!" His voice seemed to fade off as the distance between the two grew in an instant.

"H-Hey!" Kallen exclaimed angrily as she revved the gears on the Sutherland. She would have bolted off after him, but then she remembered all about her crippled passenger. The red-haired pilot turned around to face Nunnally, who was clinging onto her waist even more tightly than usual, almost as though she could feel Kallen's want to drive after them and treat this like a competitive race. The princess had a determined look on her face, but was oddly blushing. Perhaps the chilly temperatures of the night were getting to her as well. "Are you ready, Nunna?" Kallen asked, getting the Knightmare into a position that looked as though it were ready to burst out sprinting in a race.

"Of course!" Nunnally replied happily. "If it's a race big brother wants, then you have to be prepared to win. I want to you to see the look on big brother's face when he loses!" Nunnally recalled the sound of Lelouch's voice when he would lose to Suzaku in the little physical competitions they would have as kids. It was a rare event to see Lelouch whine about his loss these days, but that's because Nunnally knew that Lelouch had smartened up; Suzaku was an exercise nut and there was no way he could beat him in anything involving fitness, running, acrobats, martial arts... otherwise, no one else dared challenge Lelouch in anything else because Nunnally's big brother was a master at everything else. She wanted Kallen to have an opportunity to beat Lelouch as well and anything like a race was it. "Go as fast as you can!"

"Uhh..." Lelouch made her promise that she would keep Nunnally safe by keeping at a slow pace, but Kallen could never say no to Nunnally. She was just so pure and innocent; it was difficult to comprehend that she was a royal princess of the country she was trying to topple over. Kallen gave her a smirk. "Very well, Your Highness. If that is what you wish, then so be it!" Kallen revved the Sutherland's controls once more before screaming, "Hold on tight!" and throwing the Sutherland forward at maximum acceleration. The G forces were incredible at this speed and it only took a single minute for Kallen to catch up to Lelouch and the Vincent. The Sutherland leapt from the side of a tree trunk, leaving a deep gash in the wood, and flipped over the yellow Knightmare, Nunnally and Kallen squealing in delight, before it landed in front of the Knightmare and zipped forward. "Gotcha, Lelouch!" Kallen exclaimed happily before slowing down and returning to their normal speed.

Lelouch could only scoff before uncomfortably tugging at his collar. "Th-that wasn't a race, Kallen!" he blurted out. "What were you thinking?" He would have said more, but Nunnally was looking back at him, smiling fondly. She seemed to have enjoyed the half-race and was smiling like he had never seen in so long. It was almost like eight years ago back when Suzaku made Nunnally laugh for the first time since their mother died. The same scenario appeared here. He couldn't hate Kallen for making his sister happy. That was why he decided to humbly accept defeat before looking up at the Vincent's open factspheres to talk to Rolo once again.

"You got him, Kallen!" Nunnally exclaimed happily, noticing that Lelouch's attention had averted from them. "We won!" She sighed contently; this was a great night. She had never been on a Knightmare frame before and was surprised to see how flexible they could move. It made driver almost superhuman, able to perform acrobats and actions that they may not have been able to do on foot. That final flip over Lelouch, Rolo, and the Vincent made Nunnally gasp in awe; it was incredible. She couldn't help but open her eyes to see everything as it happened. The feeling of exhilaration was something she couldn't describe.

"So you had fun, Nunnally?" Kallen replied, just as content as the younger vi Britannia was.

"Of course!"

"Then I'm glad I have done something to make Your Highness happy."

"Oh, don't start with that! You're a Black Knight!" Nunnally didn't even notice her slip of tongue, though Kallen did. The red-haired Guren pilot looked down mournfully at the sound of the name of the resistance movement she belonged in. Nunnally was young and, though maturing, still didn't have a full grasp on the concept of the fight between her brother, Zero, and the Black Knights and her father, Emperor Charles and Britannia. They were mortal enemies, yet somehow they still enjoyed moments like this together.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Kallen answered hesitantly.

Noticing the tension, Nunnally stopped laughing and adopted a more serious attitude. She realized that maybe she shouldn't be joking about the Black Knights just yet, especially considering that she was supposed to be a princess belonging to the enemy of the woman in front of her. If Kallen were passionate about what she did, she had the potential to kill her. But yet... "Kallen, you know... they both adore you a lot."

Kallen looked back at Nunnally with a raised eyebrow. She had no idea what Nunnally had meant by those words. "What are you talking about, Nunnally?" she asked. Kallen then turned back around to focus on the road; she didn't want another accident like before occurring. The Guren pilot didn't really enjoy seeing Lelouch so upset over a mistake that was completely her fault. The Sutherland turned slightly as the path banked along, the Vincent still rolling along behind them in perfect synchronization with them.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kallen." Nunnally answered strictly. "They like you... Lelouch... and Zero."


"—Why did he... why is he Zero?"

As soon as Nunnally mentioned the two personas her brother possessed in one personage, Kallen instantly recalled the conversation she and Nunnally had shared moments ago. It was back on the cargo ship in the room that looked out upon the large deck of the ship. Zero, Ohgi, and Todoh had just departed to discuss matters involving the Chinese Federation, leaving Kallen alone with Nunnally. The red-haired woman had been hoping to talk about Ashford and the good times, but she had forgotten the details of Nunnally's situation.

"I..." The Guren pilot was at a loss for words, pitifully looking at the blind princess. She was, for once, glad that Nunnally was blind; that way, she wasn't able to see the expression on Kallen's face. The expression read of torment and misery, of anger and confusion. Kallen was still torn up about the whole 'Lelouch is Zero' concept. In fact, only seconds ago, Kallen had been hoping not to dip into this specific subject knowing that it would bring a lot of pain to the both of them.

"I'm sorry Nunnally, but I don't know the answer to that myself." Kallen answered reluctantly, brushing her hands softly against the princess's before standing up and slumping back on her own chair. Her muscles cramped after crouching in front of Nunnally's rusty hospital wheelchair and she felt compelled to relieve them. She sighed exasperatedly, her mind racking with reasons. "I know that he truly wants to liberate Japan, but I get the feeling that there is more to Zero's actions than that. Unfortunately, his true goals remain a mystery; even to me." Kallen looked down at her clasped hands gripped tightly against one another as they sat on her knees.

Nunnally had tears in her eyes and used her sleeve to wipe them off. She then sniffled a bit before saying, "...I see." The confident mask of a princess disintegrated before a friend she knew she could trust, leaving a defeated girl. For the first time in her life, Nunnally whimpered in fear; a fear generated by none other than her older brother. She had heard of all the tyrannous actions the Black Knights have taken with Zero leading them. In retrospect, the Black Knights were simply tools used to achieve Zero's needs. Whether he truly wanted to liberate Japan as a Knight for justice or was just doing all this to crave his own hunger for power, Nunnally didn't know. But she didn't care; as long as it didn't reach her.

Soon enough, she found herself whisked away as Zero and the Black Knights hit Ashford. She was kidnapped by an unknown assailant who sent her back to the homeland, away from Lelouch for an entire year. A year without her big brother was tough; everyday seemed to be one of longing for the past. They told her that she wasn't to contact anyone in Area 11 and soon was immersed in many political duties she was forced to take up as a Britannian princess. Suzaku was the only who showed her any real kindness along with Schniezel and Odysseus when they had some spare time to spend with her. But in the end, she still wanted to be with the one person that made up her entire life.

A year later, she had grown up rather significantly. She had developed her own independence and was relying less and less on others to help her out with the most basic of needs. Lelouch had pampered her before and she was determined to show him, wherever he was, that she could handle things on her own. Her life seemed to create a straight path for her. As soon as she had heard of Zero's resurrection, she begged Emperor Charles to send her to Area 11 in order to be Viceroy there. This way, she could get closer to wherever Lelouch may be and show him what she had accomplished.

She recalled the telephone call Suzaku had set up and at that moment, her hope had skyrocketed. Lelouch was alive; in over a year, the two finally spoke to one another. She got to hear his voice! But there seemed to be something strange about the situation. Something occurred between Lelouch and Suzaku that Nunnally wasn't aware about. That night, her mind sparked with her plans of recreating the SAZ in honour of both Euphemia and Lelouch. This was her tribute; this was her big plan to seek her brother out to be reunited. He was alive; the phone call proved it. Now, like she knew Euphy had intended, she would use the SAZ to try and get back remnants of the past she had been longing for so long. Perhaps Zero could help out as well. She did recall Euphy giving him a chance before and she planned to do the same.

But after today, all of these hopes have been dashed and tossed out like the useless garbage they were portrayed as. Zero and the Black Knights have kidnapped her just before her plans could be realized. She was taken hostage and Suzaku left behind. Nunnally then learned of Zero's true identity; it turned out that all this time, it was her big brother underneath the mask. Her big brother had done all those terrible things. Her big brother killed Euphy. Her big brother, Lelouch vi Britannia, was Zero.

Some part of the young vi Britannia felt that she should be rejoicing right now. After a year, she had finally been reunited with her brother. Her brother had even given her the gift of sight. Even now, she was still happy. At the same time, because he was Zero, everything she had been working so hard for had been cast aside. Her mind was instantly clouded with fear for everything. This past year, she had set her goal and her plan seemed straightforward until her brother, of all the people in the world, threw a wrench in her plan. The straightforward path her life was to take was crushed and took on a more unrecognisable shape; she wasn't able to follow it.

Nunnally was, in a sense, frustrated as a result. She was also confused; many questions popped up as soon as she discovered Zero's identity. And finally, fear lurked about. The princess couldn't help it; in her mind, Zero was an evil being. But Lelouch was her entire life; the one person who made her life worth living... a good person, at the very least. Finding out that the two characters were really one person contradicted everything. At the moment, Zero enveloped everything. She wasn't thinking about the man behind the mask being her loving brother anymore but as the demon she had learned so much about through the media and others. Her warped concept of him was nightmarish, and her confusion between her brother's two identities only added to the horrific factor.

This is why Kallen had to tell her the truth. She wasn't surprised that she knew Lelouch's identity; she already figured that the raven-haired teen would reveal his face to his sister as soon as they rescued her. Nunnally was completely lost, all thanks to Lelouch, and she needed to be set straight. Kallen may not have been aware of the back-story, but she was empathetic to the princess's feelings. The Guren pilot got up again and lifted Nunnally gently off of the wheelchair before placing the princess on her lap as though she were a small child. She then began to bounce her up and down gently in order to calm her whimpering. It was an awkward position and seemed as though Kallen were treating the princess as though she were a baby, but it was the only thing she could do. Nunnally did look uncomfortable in that wheelchair anyway...

"Nunnally, I don't know what you are thinking right now, but I know that it can't be good if you have such a sad face on." Kallen murmured gently into Nunnally's ear. The Japanese woman then wrapped her skinny arms around Nunnally's waist and placed her head onto the crook of Nunnally's neck. "But always know this. Your brother may be Zero, but you have to remember the good times you two shared before. Those were not lies. Zero is the lie, Nunna. But his love for you is the truth." Kallen fixed her posture and stroked Nunnally's soft chestnut hair gently, somewhat surprised at her own words. Nunnally soaked Kallen's message in and nodded.

"...Thank you, Kallen." Nunnally lamented before hugging Kallen back. She began to sob into Kallen's jacket. "You don't even understand... how m-much... that meant to me..." she grieved, her voice soft. The princess sniffled and rubbed her face with the silk sleeve of her pink dress. "E-even though you're a B-Black Knight and I'm a B-Britannian princess... you're still so k-kind. Thank you, K-Kallen. A...And..." Nunnally did her best to stop crying for a moment to look up at Kallen's sky blue eyes. "...And I'm g-glad Zero has you w-with him..." she finished in a voice that was barely audible, a soft breeze through the trees.

Kallen smiled. In a way, Nunnally's words had hit her like bricks and it was difficult to comprehend what she was saying. That last statement, regardless of volume, shook her. She could only smile indifferently, her mind blank. She didn't want to think about anything anymore. Nunnally was enough. The Britannian princess was glad that Zero had his ace... Nunnally was glad that Kallen was with Lelouch. There were so many contradictions and she knew that those simple words would keep her up all night for the next week or so, but for now, she simply wanted to soak in the time she spent with Lelouch's beloved sister in her arms, not knowing when their next opportunity to do so once again would be. Kallen didn't notice the couple of tears that ran down her smooth cheeks, falling onto Nunnally's lap.

"Anyway Nunnally, would you be okay if we talked about something else?" Kallen eventually said after letting go of Nunnally's warm embrace and placing her back on the grey wheelchair. She took off the Black Knights jacket and placed it over Nunnally's shoulder. "You need to catch up on the things that have been going on at Ashford..." Kallen's eyes suddenly glanced over Nunnally's shoulder where she spotted C2 standing by the doorframe, watching them carefully with her attentive mustard yellow eyes. The green-haired immortal nodded briefly to her before walking away. How long had she been standing there? Was she sent by Lelouch to protect his precious sister? Or perhaps she was here on her own accord, wandering around until she spotted something that perked her interest. It was just like her to do something like that anyway.

Oblivious to the witch's presence, Nunnally grinned. "Sure, why not?" she exclaimed as though nothing had happened, though her puffy red eyes betrayed her. Still, her content disposition was enough. "Tell me what Lelouch and Rivalz and Milly and the Student Council have been up to! And have you seen Alice? She's my best friend at Ashford; tell me something about her!" She perked up so quickly; the princess was just as good at putting on masks as her brother was. Kallen feared that this may eventually crush her, but for now, she needed to keep Nunnally's spirits up until they got to the Tokyo Settlement.

"Well..."


"We're here!"

The forest path that seemed to go on forever finally guided them into a clearing where the sunrise could be seen. It was about five and they arrived just in time. A couple of cars could be seen on distant roads within the ghettos, minding their own business. They were completely unaware of the KMFs riding through the large clearing. Nunnally, who was opening her eyes secretly, and Kallen looked at the scenery in awe. It had been the longest time since Nunnally had been to the Tokyo settlement. As for Kallen, it had been a while since she had been in the Shinjuku ghetto specifically. The desecrated buildings brought back memories for the both of them; Nunnally recalled the news broadcast about the event at the Shinjuku ghetto followed by realizing Suzaku was alive for the first time in eight years. Kallen remembered the first time she had been contacted by Zero, or rather, Lelouch.

The Vincent and Sutherland then turned around into an old and abandoned warehouse before slowing down to a stop. Kallen sighed outwardly as she lifted Nunnally from her spot and helped her down. Lelouch jumped off the Vincent's metal hands before pulling out a key in his back pocket. As soon as Kallen placed Nunnally into Lelouch's arms, the raven-haired prince carried her over to a grey SUV that had been placed in the very same building, all according to plan.

"Thank you Kallen, Rolo, for all of you help." Lelouch said gratefully to the two Knightmare pilots before he unlocked the door and placed Nunnally in without requesting any help from the two others. After pulling the seatbelt over Nunnally's chest and listening for the click, he closed the passenger door before stepping into the driver's seat. He rolled down the window to say, "We'll meet you at the designated spot at the Settlement. Take your Knightmares to Point 5; there will be another vehicle waiting for you there."

"I'll see you soon, nii-san!" Rolo exclaimed happily as he opened the Vincent's cockpit to watch as the SUV started up and drove out of the doors of the warehouse. Lelouch stuck his hand out of the door and waved before pressing softly on the pedal and turning the wheel in order to drive away. A dust cloud followed the vehicle as it drove off towards Tokyo. As soon as the SUV carrying the two vi Britannias was out of sight, Rolo looked to Kallen who was still gazing off to the horizon, deep in thought. "Are you ready, Kallen?" Rolo asked her.

"Huh?" Kallen snapped out of her train of thought. She had been thinking about how quickly this was all going. Soon enough, she would be returning to Ashford. Even though she had been keeping tabs on Lelouch and the on-goings of Ashford Academy, it wasn't the same as actually attending the classes and such there. "Umm... right. Go on right ahead." She made sure to step back from the Sutherland as Rolo pulled out the Vincent's rifle. He then used up the remainder of the belt to completely demolish the golden Sutherland. The bullets smashed violently in the metal as the sound of gunfire ricocheted all over the warehouse. Kallen was used to the sound, but the action's nature still rocked her. Soon, the golden Knightmare was a smoking heap of serrated metal.

Rolo stood at the cockpit, his eyes emotionless and face cold. He shifted another one of the controls which caused the Vincent's hands to cup once more. Kallen hopped on in the same manner Lelouch did before fixing her cardigan and giving Rolo a thumb up. Rolo closed the cockpit roof and the Vincent began to move once more before a new whirring came into play. The Knightmare began to take on a new direction which made Kallen's eyes widen in surprise.

In a few short seconds, they were in the air.

The Vincent's float system had been installed recently and emitted a small green glow to mark its presence. Kallen swung her legs beneath the metal fingers casually as she gazed at the scenery now below her, almost expecting to see Lelouch's SUV along one of the roads. She wasn't particularly scared of heights, but being out in the open like this brought along a fear of being swept off by the wind. She clutched onto the Knightmare Frame's metal hands, glad that Rolo was still taking into consideration the speed he should fly at. A white bird grazed through the air beside her before it flew on faster than the pace they were at, almost as though it were challenging them. Kallen chuckled; if she were flying in the cockpit, she definitely would have sped up.

After all, she was almost there.


A/N: I know. The last part(s) didn't flow with the same smoothness I had been hoping to retain. Regrettably, I screwed up somewhere during the planning process and didn't take into consideration certain aspects of this chapter. I was supposed to cut off just as Nunnally discussed how her brother seemed to be rather fond of Kallen, but then I remembered that I still needed to discuss the cliff-hanger resolution from the last chapter... so from there on, it was complete improvisation. I had to cut out another part involving Lelouch and Rolo too... there's 2 000 words gone to waste. Whatever.

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