Disclaimer: Code Geass is owned by Sunrise Studios
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The darkening sky was littered with menacing black dots. They approached from the Chinese Federation's territories like swarms of flies. Wave after wave rushed towards the east. Behind them were fleets of airships and carriers that hovered closely to the ocean. Their large bodies pushed through the dense air and a menacing shadow formed below them. Endless waves of machines both large and small flew across the vast ocean. Near the front leading the massive fleet was a lone black Knightmare. It was different than the others that followed it. It exuded a certain elegance and power; it was the infamous Shinkirou. Inside the cockpit, the Black Knights' iconic leader and Britannia's most dangerous enemy, Zero, was piloting it. Inside, enlarged images covered his screen.
The man's violet eyes shifted from picture to picture, savoring the memories that each one held. He looked around, glancing at the familiar faces. Several, if not all consisted of Ashford Academy and its inhabitants. Even one or two had C.C. in it. He smiled softly at the peaceful times that the pictures portrayed. Directly in the center of his collage was a photo of his dear sister Nunnally. She smiled sweetly as Suzaku and Kallen attended to her. Flowers and small gifts occupied their hands and broad smiled adorned each one of their faces. Seeing his sister's smile automatically brought one of his own on his face.
Lelouch lightly pressed a button on the control panel in front of him and all the pictures surrounding it disappeared. He moved it to the side and had the next one appear. The first thing that came on screen was a photo of the Britannian-Tokyo Headquarters. However, it was unlike any other. With the push of another button, the picture distorted and formed into another one. It displayed a fairly empty hallway. Patrolling the hallway were two guards clad in thick armor. Their guns were cradled in their padded hands and the sound of their boots hitting the floor echoed. It was a security camera feed from one of the corridors in the headquarters. Lelouch watched with minimal interest in the feed and continued passing through the cameras, spending no more than a minute on each. He was about to move onto the next one when he saw something that piqued his interest. He caught two familiar figures passing through the adjacent hallway. Lelouch recognized the figures and rushed to find the feed that would show them to him. At last he found it.
A male figure with a wiry frame was escorting a young lady. The man's chocolate hair swished and bounced as he walked.
"Oh? So Suzaku looks like you're here after all. I thought you were assigned to Shinjuku a few days ago. What a surprise," he smirked.
He continued watching the screen. Sharp, alert emerald eyes looked straight ahead. His leather-covered hands were holding onto handles that pushed the chair in front of him and his deep blue cloak trailed behind him. Chestnut-colored hair caught his attention. Lelouch's focused eyes were instantly drawn to the petite figure sitting in the chair like a magnet. He immediately recognized the figure's soft face. A shocked gasp escaped from his mouth as his violet eyes widened. His bored expression and his relaxed form suddenly disappeared. Seeing the image of his dear sister, his body shot toward the screen. He stopped just before it, his face inches away, refusing to let his sister out of his sight.
"Nunnally!" he whispered.
All previous attention that went to Suzaku immediately transferred to the young lady. He observed intently at her every movement. He witnessed every moment, from her changing expressions to her unheard words. Her gentle hand would occasionally reach up behind her and lightly touch the hand that was pushing her along. An unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling rose up in his gut upon seeing his enemy and his sister together. Lelouch's energy was slowly sapped from his body as he forced himself to go on. At this time he couldn't take it much longer. He shut off the feed and pushed himself back against his seat.
His slouched body leaned to his side and into his gloved hand. Fingers slowly ran through his dark hair, feeling the strands graze the back of his hand. He grasped a fistful of his hair and a scowl curled his lips.
Why is Nunnally in Tokyo? That's not part of my plan; she's not supposed to be there! She should've been in Kyoto by now!
Lelouch's expression suddenly became morose.
No…I can't… I can't have her be involved. I'll just abort the mission and—NO, it's too late. In just a few hours we'll be reaching Area 11's shores. There has to be some way that I can resume the attack as well as ensure her safety. What do I do?
He raised his head and glanced at the picture he had set aside earlier. He took a look and the carefree face of his former best friend caught his attention. Beside him was someone of greater importance.
"Nunnally..."
Lelouch's hand extended out towards the photo and lightly touched the young girl's face. He sought to feel the chestnut-colored locks curl around his fingers, but when they instead collided against the screen, they angrily curled into a fist.
"Damn it!"
The balled fist was then yanked from the photo and slammed down against the armrest beside him.
The sound of static broke the tense air in the cockpit. Through the intercom came a low and rough voice.
"Zero, sir there is an island 4 miles from our location that we can use as a rest stop. The crew is exhausted and the Knightmares need to recharge their fuel cells."
Lelouch's dark brows furrowed and he simply stared at the small box that emanated the noise. In his mind, he fiercely brainstormed ideas to secure his beloved sister. Each idea that came forth seemed bound to fail and bring about consequences to either side. Upon each failed idea, the violet-eyed man grew angrier. The indent in his brow was evident: a sure sign that he was completely frustrated.
"Zero? Can you hear me? We're nearing the island to recharge the troops."
Lelouch knew that he couldn't ignore him any further. He had to give some sort of reply or else he and the others would assume something went wrong, but he couldn't help it. Upon discovering Nunnally's presence in the targeted city, Lelouch desperately wanted to charge at full throttle to go rescue her, but he knew that was utterly irrational. Although Nunnally meant the entire world to him, he knew that charging headfirst into enemy lines wouldn't result in any good—worse, in fact. Lelouch decided that he needed to calm himself down before his surge of emotions would lead him to make dire mistakes. With clenched teeth and burning eyes, he turned to the intercom.
"Alright. We leave as soon as the Knightmares are prepared. There's no more time to waste with our mission at hand. It is imperative that we reach Tokyo by tomorrow night."
"Yes, my lord!" the voice shouted.
Both the static and the man became silent. Lelouch was once again alone in the cramped space. He could hear the faint voice of the man from the intercom commanding the fleet to land. Glancing at the monitor, he saw the hundreds of Knightmares and carriers dip down onto the wide plot of land below. Only he remained unmoving in the air as the rest descended from the skies. Slowly, he steered Shinkirou to follow suit. Lelouch opened the drawer beside him and pulled out his mask. He quickly pulled it on as the Knightmare touched down onto the grass and the cockpit opened up. He stepped out and saw that everyone was already performing their unsaid duties. For that split second the masked man felt a certain pride rise up inside him, but that was quickly casted aside. He lowered himself onto the ground from the platform and landed effortlessly. Not even a minute after landing, C.C. came strolling by. Her neon green hair swayed as she walked towards him in her usual carefree gait. She came up to him and leaned onto the Knightmare's leg behind her with her arms casually wrapped around her chest.
"We should be able to reach the shore by tomorrow. You are aware that as soon as we come into range, the Britannian forces will be alerted, right?"
"Of course. That's part of the plan," he muttered.
The green-haired woman gently tilted her head towards him with what seemed like a questioning look. Before Lelouch could confirm his thoughts, she spoke again.
"The Knights of Rounds will be difficult to handle, but nothing that will seriously affect your plan. As long as the troops do as they've been trained to do, everything should be running smoothly."
"Excellent. The plan must succeed. C.C., do whatever it takes to make it so."
C.C.'s golden eyes lazily shifted over to the motionless man.
"Judging from your humorless tone, I'm guessing you've discovered something important, haven't you?"
"Indeed. On the way, I found out through the security cameras that Nunnally is in Tokyo…"
From the corner of his eye, Lelouch could see that the news had little interest to her.
"Nunnally? She's your sister right?"
"Correct."
"Why not just go rescue her along with that woman?"
"It's a little more complicated than that. Even if I were successful in taking her with me, it won't ensure her safety. My sole purpose is to protect her. It'd be quite meaningless if I let her get hurt, especially from my own doing."
"Hm is that so? No wonder you're in such a foul mood," she sighed.
"Can you really blame me, witch?"
"No, I guess I can't, but at the same time neither really pertains to me. Unless your own life is in danger, I'm not exactly motivated to put myself out there."
"Hmph. That's expected from a witch like yourself," he smirked in a way that could be interpreted as a taunt.
"Precisely, so that means you shouldn't be raising your expectations."
The woman pushed herself off the Knightmare's leg and uncrossed her arms. She turned to the masked man beside her with a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Well, since you've got everything worked out, I'm going to go find something tasteful to eat. See ya," she waved as she turned to walk away.
After the troops' duties of tending to the Knightmares and the other ships were completed, everyone shifted over to their other set of obligations: food. Several units scurried about, unloading boxes full of food to feed the massive crew. A stream of people came in and out of the ships like a line of ants. More and more of the boxes appeared from the carriers' bellies. Many of the troops that weren't unloading the boxes were busy setting up camp. In a flash large tents were scattered amongst the wide land and shortly after, bonfires sprung up.
Every man and woman cooperated with each other in seemingly perfect harmony. However, that disintegrated as well. As soon as the camps were finished and the troops were well fed, the cohesive environment suddenly transformed into a large party. The troops seemed to be having a good time, making jokes and telling stories around the blazing flames.
Off in the back, Zero stood by watching them all. He somewhat envied their carefree nature, but couldn't hold it against them. They all knew that tomorrow might be their last day on this planet and understood their need to celebrate their last night to its fullest.
Without anyone noticing him, Zero slipped away into the forest. Even though he was aware that the troops wouldn't dare bother him, he wanted some time to himself. He wandered deeper into the forest and even deeper into his thoughts. The endless trees and shrubbery reminded him greatly of his experience on Kaminejima Island.
Zero awoke to the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and the distant cawing of seagulls. As his senses began to return to him, he felt the force of the ocean push him and soak his entire body. He felt lightheaded. As he gradually sat up, he held his head in his hand and let out a pained groan.
'Where am I?' he asked himself as he searched about his surroundings. 'How did I get here?'
He began to explore the island a bit. He walked cautiously around the shore, half-hoping to find someone else trapped on the island with him. Not far ahead, he saw a pile of rocks lining the shore. He decided to climb them in attempt to scout the land.
It took a while for him to reach the peak, but nevertheless attained it. He gazed around and saw nothing but thick trees and the vast ocean before him.
"Its climate and vegetation are similar to Shikinejima. It can't be far away. …I guess no one else is here. I'm going to have to find a way to get off of this island, fast. Hmph. It'll be difficult to contact Ohgi and the others, but calling for assistance from the Britannian army would be—"
The sound of pattering feet reached his ears, making him twirl in its direction. The first thing that came into view was lengthy hair the color of sakura blossoms.
'That hair…'
The next thing he saw was a pair of radiant violet eyes focused on him. Her face lacked fear and instead filled with unusual curiosity and determination.
'I can't have my identity revealed now!'
Before either could say a word, Zero drew out his pistol and aimed it at her head. Still, fear was not evident in her expression. Unaffected by his action, she took a step closer.
"Lelouch?" she whispered.
Although it was a whisper, he heard it as clearly as day. At the sound of his name, he gasped to himself, but continued to poise the gun at her.
"Lelouch, is that you? I haven't told anyone, I swear, so please let me know before you shoot me."
Underneath the bulky mask, the man stared in surprise at his half-sister. Sweat began to drip down the side of his face and his mind furiously debated on whether to keep her alive or not. Not long after, Lelouch gave into his conscience and lowered his gun. He tucked it away under his cloak and his gloved hand reached up towards his mask.
It hissed softly as it opened, revealing a shock of familiar black hair and piercing violet eyes. He heard her gasp as he gently removed the black facemask he wore, showing his naked face.
Tears began to well up in her eyes and she grinned from ear to ear. In her happiness, she hurriedly ran to him and wrapped him in her embrace, unknowingly pushing him off balance. The two fell, but neither seemed to mind.
"Lelouch, it is you! I'm so glad!"
"Euphy, how long have you known?" he asked as uncomfortable silence filled the air.
He and Euphemia laid against the large boulder that separated them. Even then, he could still see the remnants of her discarded clothing and the hem of his cloak on her body.
"Ever since the hotel-jacking" she replied meekly.
"I see..."
The two continued to discuss as the sun heavily beat down on them. Slowly, the gap between them, formed after years of separation, began to close. The awkward aura that surrounded the two gradually dissipated and was replaced with sheer comfort and joy.
"Ne, I have a question"
"Hm?"
"Are you… Zero or…"
"I am Lelouch."
"Huh?"
"Right now, I'm the Lelouch that you've always known, Euphy. I will always be."
"Mm I'm glad," she grinned as she leaned onto his shoulder with an arm looped around his.
Hours passed by and the wind began to pick up. Feeling a bit chilly and drowsy, Zero decided to head back towards the campsite and rest. He arrived to find the previous rambunctious mood gone and complete silence in its place. The scattered fires of the various campsites were all put out and everyone seemed to be fast asleep. It was as if the island had never been disturbed by outsiders. He looked to the side and saw that the Knightmares and carriers were all set neatly aside, prepped up to go at the first sign of dawn.
Zero strolled around the campsite and casually looked about. Dozing bodies were huddled close to each other near the dying fire, each one with a thick blanket drawn across their curled bodies. Unfortunately, that was all they had. There weren't enough pillows to go around, so the majority of the troops had to go without them and sleep on their arms or on the dirt. Some of them even had to share blankets, especially the younger members.
In the near distance, he saw the faint outline of the tents that were set up earlier. He took note that all the people that were sleeping outside consisted of only men. There was a good chance that many if not all of the tents were inhabited by the females and by the senior members.
At least they managed to withhold their honor and modesty. Even if this might be their last day, it still would be dishonorable for the two sexes to be sleeping with each other so casually.
The masked man turned back towards the rows of Knightmares in search of his own until his foot stumbled upon a heavy object. When his foot made contact with the unknown mass, it let out a low, irritated grunt. Zero gazed downwards to see a snoring man by his feet. This man had a certain presence about him that was unlike any other member. He lacked sophistication and exuded crudeness even in his sleep. It was the Black Knights' one and only Tamaki.
Tamaki seemed to have been drinking heavily tonight. His flushed face equally matched the redness of his short, scruffy hair. His body was splayed like a starfish with a blanket twisted around his middle. Drunken snores resembling a broken vacuum cleaner sounded from his widely opened mouth and a foul smell arose from him. Tightly clasped in his fist was a nearly empty sake bottle. In fact, many empty sake bottles were littered around him. Lelouch found it amazing how this single man could intake so much alcohol and still be able to function properly.
"Heheheh. Mm it's alright ladies. I'm the captain of the Black Knights and Zero's right hand man. You don't need to worry about anything. The Mighty Tamaki will protect you…. Mm all I ask in return is that you stay a night with me…" he slurred as he rolled onto Zero's foot.
"Oh don't be so shy girls, there's plenty of me to go around!"
A smile crept up Tamaki's lips and drool started to spill onto the leg that he clung onto. Zero silently cursed him and yanked his foot away from the drunkard.
He proceeded further away from the campsite in search of Shinkirou. Lelouch didn't feel comfortable sleeping amongst his troops. Still highly protective of his identity, he was certain that some curious soul would wander up to him and remove his mask while he was defenseless in his slumber.
I can't ever allow that to happen. My identity must be concealed at all times. If anyone were to figure out that I am the Emperor's son, a rebellion is sure to ensue. That risk cannot be taken.
After some time, Zero finally found the Knightmare within the multiple rows of machinery. The Knightmare's platform emerged from the cockpit and lowered onto the grass. Zero nimbly hopped onto the steel surface and hoisted himself inside. Once the entrance was sealed, Lelouch removed the heavy mask and placed it on the dashboard. A pair of sharp, piercing eyes emerged underneath his dark locks and stared intensely at the blank monitor. Those eyes were slowly drooping as fatigue began to catch up to their owner.
The man bent over the control panel and daintily pressed a button. The screen before him gradually began to glow brighter and then became clear. The screen served like a window and displayed the night sky. The moon, distant and unreachable, shone brightly alongside the dozens of white stars that surrounded it. In the starry night sky, it was like a large pearl, waiting to be plucked by the hands of God to be carried away to an unknown land. The scenery was almost surreal.
Lelouch gazed at the monitor that displayed the image for a while, just simply lying back and appreciating the night's natural beauty. His shoulders drooped and the muscles in his body began to relax. At that moment, just as he was about to succumb to sleep, a radiant streak of light came tearing across the sky.
The preoccupied expression strewn across his face dissipated and was replaced with a gentle smile. The shooting star brought forth nostalgic memories of his childhood in Britannia.
-
The sun had long set, but the evening was not dark. The vast sky illuminated the earth with the light from various stars and a large, full-bodied moon in the center as the main source. Outside in the royal garden were Lelouch, Nunnally, and their dear mother. The three were sitting on the cold grass, donning thick clothing and stared wondrously at the vast sky above them. Lelouch and Nunnally stared in awe at the beauty, calling and tugging onto their mother's arm at each thing that excited them. Calls for their mother and soft chuckling were all that could be heard.
Smiling, Nunnally suddenly jumped up and started dashing around in the grass with her arms raised high in the air. She was giggling happily as the grass grazed her legs and the wind rushed against her.
Lelouch, who naturally felt concerned over his beloved younger sister stood up from his seat and began to chase her down.
"Nunnally, be careful! You might fall and get hurt!" he called out.
"Aw but Brother this is so much fun! It's like the wind is playing with me," she laughed.
"Yes, but it's not safe! What if you get hurt?" he replied as he caught up to her. His fingers encircled her wrist and tugged her towards their waiting mother.
"It's ok, I have you to take care of me! I'm happy as long as I'm with you Brother!"
Lelouch couldn't help but smile at her sweet response. He looked back and saw her large blue eyes look up at him, full of youth and innocence. He felt glad that she relied on him to protect her and felt happy to do so.
On their walk back to their seats beside their mother, Nunnally glanced up and saw a streak of light cross the sky. Her eyes widened and her smile broadened. With her free hand, she reached out towards her brother and gently tugged on his sleeve, calling his attention.
"Look, Brother, a falling star!" she exclaimed.
"Hm? Where?" he asked as his eyes followed where her small fingers pointed.
"It was right there! Mom, did you see it?" she shouted excitedly.
The young girl escaped from her brother's hold and ran to the seated woman on the grass. She stopped just before her and pointed to the sky once again.
"Did you see the falling star?"
"Mhm I did. You know, if you see a shooting star, you can make a wish on it. Whatever you wish for, it will come true"
"Really?"
"Mhm, really. Whatever you wish for."
"I know! I wish for you, me, and Brother to always be together!"
"Oh that's a wonderful wish, Nunnally," she whispered as she took the girl in her arms.
Lelouch stood nearby, smiling at the two. Even though he hadn't seen the shooting star, he too wished for the three of them to be together, happy and without a care in the world.
That wish, that dream was crushed. The following afternoon, the sound of breaking glass and multiple guns firing filled the air.
Lelouch heard the noise and rushed to see what the commotion was about. He ran down the lengthy hallways and barged through the doors. He kept running until he reached the main stairway. There, he saw the broken glass and empty bullet shells scattered across the marble tiling. Scanning the lower floor, he saw blood splatters all over the walls and puddles surround a dark-haired woman face-down in the growing maroon pools. Lelouch immediately recognized the identity of the woman.
His violet eyes widened in shock and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He took a step back, unwilling to believe something so horrible had happened to his loving mother. Just before turning around to run away, his eye caught something underneath his mother's body. Small hands streaked in blood were hovering inches above her body from underneath, shaking violently. Small gasps and shuddering came below as well. It was then that Lelouch noticed the chestnut-colored hair that peeked out from the side. He knew that hair all too well.
"NUNNALLY!" Lelouch bellowed.
Impulsively, he dashed down the flight of stairs to the bloody mess. Young Lelouch, with all his might heaved their mother's lifeless body off the little girl and took her in his arms, not caring that the warm liquid was getting on him too. . Her body was trembling and she couldn't seem to move. He quickly inspected her body for injuries
"Nunnally—"
"Brother? Brother, is that you? How come everything is so dark?" she whispered between shuddering breaths.
The boy jolted as a realization came to him. Looking at the girl's blank blue eyes, his fear was confirmed. He felt hot tears forming and clouding his vision, but he forced them back. In his arms, he felt his sister's body fall limp. A powerful wave of fear and denial coursed through his veins and something inside him snapped.
"Nunnally? NUNNALLY!"
Lelouch grabbed her arm and slightly jostled her, gradually with more strength as each call to her was unanswered. His small hand rested heavily on her arm and his face shot up towards the ceiling
"..HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"
She lay motionless in the white hospital bed. Her legs and eyes were wrapped in several layers of bandages. It's been days since the horrific incident by the stairway, but the memory continues to haunt Lelouch and fester in the back of his mind.
Earlier, he overheard the doctors discussing amongst themselves.
"I've never seen anything like this before," one said. "Her legs are lame and her eyesight is gone, but we can't find the reason."
"The poor girl must've been so traumatized from witnessing Lady Marianne's death that her sight left her," another mused.
"That may be the case, but that doesn't explain why her legs are no longer of use. We've tried everything that Britannian medicine has to offer, and yet nothing could explain it. What do you propose we should do?"
"I don't think there's nothing else that we can do. Like you've stated, we've tried everything and nothing seems to offer an explanation. All we can really do is pray for her sake."
Lelouch was infuriated. He stormed out of the building in search for his advisors. From them, he would arrange a meeting with his father, the Emperor.
Not long after being banished from Britannia, Lelouch and Nunnally went in search for their new home. He slowly pushed his sister's makeshift wheelchair through the winding forest path, weary of the dangers that might lurk in the thick shrubbery.
"Where are we going, Brother?" a soft voice asked.
"We're going to live with Japan's Prime Minister" he replied.
"A Prime Minister? Is that like the Emperor of Japan?"
"No, the Prime Minister is someone that the country's people elect into office."
"Oh how interesting!" she exclaimed.
Young Lelouch smiled down at her and then looked up. The leaves of the branches of the towering trees created a net above them, blocking his view of the night sky. A patch in the vast net revealed a shimmer of the crescent moon, letting the moonlight shine through the leaves. In that split second, he saw a thin streak of light and stopped.
'A falling star…'
"Hm? Is something wrong?" Nunnally asked. Her frail hand raised from her lap and rested atop of his.
Lelouch was brought back to reality at her gentle touch.
"Oh it's nothing. I just thought I saw something strange," he assured her.
She merely smiled and retracted her hand from his.
'That's right…Nunnally's sight has been taken away from her…she can never see another falling star again…'
Lelouch wearily wore a half-formed grin at the nostalgic image playing within his mind.
"Ah it's been so long since then. Everything's different now… but I suppose it's for the better. Our lives have changed and so the world must do so as well."
The world will become what you wished for, Nunnally: gentle and peaceful. Your last wish was crushed, therefore I will do everything in my power to make this one come true. Nothing else will stand in my way.
-
Oh man, this story is taking in all types of pairings! C.C./Lelouch, Kallen/Suzaku, Kallen/Lelouch, Suzaku/Euphie, Lelouch/Nunnally, wow! Once again, I do apologize for the lack of the primary pairing, Lelouch/Kallen, but I will surely make up for that! The next chapter shall be the one that everyone is waiting for! Honestly though, I had such a major writing block with the next chapter that was supposed to be this one. I figured that being away for an extended period of time again isn't going to fare too well, so I decided to make a filler chapter to satiate you readers' hunger for a bit.
OH as a last thing, let's see if anyone can figure out the lyrics to this song! If you can, I will give a shoutout and dedicate the next chapter to you! (Warning: songs can be in any language) It'll be a nice change, wouldn't it? :) alright, here we go! (Please state song name and artist)
"I saw you dancing on that speaker box, girl, what's your name? I see you texting on that bbm, can we exchange? I got 2 glasses at my table, can I show you the way? Tonight's the night to let it go, girl it's okay."
Happy New Year everyone! So how about it? Opinions, opinions, opinions!
