...It Was The World!

It was a bright day, the sun rose high above the skyscrapers and building of the Tokyo Settlement. We sat, there all of us, Lelouch, Nunnally, Shirley, Milly, Suzaku. We were discussing Milly's upcoming wedding to Suzaku's coworker. In this time Lelouch never gained the power of Geass, we were never royalty. Nunnally still had her sight and legs. It was beautiful. Of course it wasn't true, no it was a fabrication conjured up from unconscious desires. But it was still so beautiful. No, no this isn't reality. This is a lie. In order to achieve what I want I must keep moving forward and face reality. But did I want reality? The scene faded and instead it was only me, Lelouch, Suzaku and Nunnally. But it wasn't peaceful, no it was anything but. I carried Nunnally on my back while Lelouch and suzaku lead the way. The beautiful landscape that was once Shimōsa Plateau was now a wasteland filled with bullet casings, corpses and blood you could see mothers holding their dead children sobbing uncontrollably hoping it would bring them back.

No.

This is the past.

And to move forward.

One must not look back.

I awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air.

I could still hear the screams echoing. I collected myself.

'Keep moving forward.' I was prepared to leave my bed and fetch a drink when I felt something tug on my arm. I had a feeling I knew who it was. Yes you guessed it, Akeno. 'What's this girls problem?' I thought to myself. Defeated, I laid back down next to her, she was unsurprisingly naked. I ran my hand down her arm, it was soft, it was euphoric feeling. In the end though, I didn't deserve to enjoy things like these. So I set my mind back to work. If she really wanted to sleep with me she would've asked, she's confident enough to be naked in front of a complete stranger. She probably got off on teasing people. That's my assumption anyway. It had felt like hours had passed though in reality it had only been four minutes. The sun started to pierce through the blinds of the room as an alarm clock started blaring. Akeno stirred in her sleep. Her eyes fluttering open.

"Morning." She said shutting off the alarm. I didn't respond. I sat up and left the bed.

"Somebody's grumpy." She chuckled. I didn't respond. "Don't worry I didn't take your first time, or was it?" She was playing with me, I didn't give her the satisfaction of having fun with me.

"You know, you're the opposite of Issei, teasing him, he gets all flustered and embarrassed but you, you don't seem to acknowledge it. Is it because you don't want to get attached? Or maybe you feel like you don't deserve it." Akeno lifted herself up from the bed, retrieving her underwear and bra from the ground.

"Y'know..." I spun back round and pushed her back onto the bed.

"I'm getting real tired of your First Year Psych student bullshit."

"My, my you are grumpy." Akeno slowly started to get up, it was to be expected she was obviously much stronger than me but she rarely would've needed to flex it. "You've made your point." I relented, running a hand through my hair. I walked over to the dresser where my school uniform was and started changing.

The air outside the room was unnaturally cool, not freezing but jarring enough had you not been prepared. Making my way over to the kitchen i began to draw out my real strategy for the day. I could use the others teleportation to make my way to Babel Tower. From there I would use one of Rias' group to keep an eye on Lelouch during the fray. Making sure he gets separated but keeping him safe. Rias said we only needed to get him and she could restore his memory. Afterwards I would leave it all in Lelouch's capable hands, he would take charge anyway, he's always been that way. I entered the Kitchen/ Dinning room/ living room. The others, or rather every girl was there, alongside Issei. Whom for some reason made me feel something weird in the out of my stomach.

"Morning Lincoln and Akeno, good night sleep?" Rias said with a gleeful look on her face. I was a bit confused. Akeno wasn't behind me, I checked at least four times. Ah but of course she could fly, why else would she have wings? So I looked up, yeah she was there, wearing a kimono She had taken her underwear off again. I scoffed.

"Just delightful." I stated sarcastically. I walked past the harem and towards the fridge. It was packed full of sugary treats, processed foods and sodas.

'How do these people stay in shape with all these foods?' I thought. Managing to find something somewhat nutritious I pulled a pan out of one of the cupboards. I was making an omelette, nothing fancy and anyway it wasn't like there was much ingredients to have something fancy. A few minutes passed of me overhearing the conversations of the others.

"She wouldn't know decency if it was shoved up her ass." The small girl said. Koneko her name was.

'Ironic.' I thought yet dare not say. But something else caught my attention.

"Is what Zero doing actually right, I mean look at all the people that died because of him or related to him." Xenovia stated, her words were flowing with arrogance and privilege. I kept my cool. My meal was finished I placed the omelette onto a plate and washed the pan on which it was cooked.

"Hey wheres ours?" Issei asked.

"If you want some, by all means go make one. I made sure there was enough ingredients left." I began digging in.

Soon after it was time to leave for school. I walked slightly behind the rest of the group, not wanting to have to make conversation. 'We'll get you back Lelouch. We'll get Nunnally back. I will, I promise. I'll write those wrongs.'

"Vali? What are you doing here?" I overheard Issei ask, I looked up towards the group, in front of them was some guy with silver hair, and a smug look on his face. Oh whatever I'll let them deal with him.

"Hey just came as a reminder, that rating games about to go down. It would be a shame if the grabbin' dragon and the sister of Satan didn't show up. Who's he?"

Rating games?

Grabbin' Dragon?

What the hell.

"That's Lincoln. He's my cousin." Rias stated. "Oh?" I could half make out a smirk on this Valis face. I turned my gaze back around to the school where Vali was now. I stopped walking, sizing this guy up.

Not as much as a scratch on him, he knew Issei and Rias, he had referred to Satan in their conversation, he's a devil.

I stepped forward, he didn't move, the sly smirk still on his face. I moved in closer, from an outside observer you'd think i was going to kiss him or something.

His eyes, I've seen them before, both in a mirror and in my brother.

Devil royalty or at least a prestigious family? Maybe.

He moves and acts like he doesn't care, but not arrogantly, which decreased the likelihood unless he despised his family, thats also a possibility. But then why? Mustn't be proud of his heritage. Or at least rejects it, trauma? Not physical trauma at any rate

There's something else too, an uneasy feeling, I've sensed it before.

Issei!

That's the link, him and Issei share something that makes me feel uneasy. A sacred gear? Could be it they speak to each as both rivals and friends at the same time.

"Yes?" Vali asked rhetorically. He had height on me so I was the staring up at him giving me the confrontational disadvantage, despite my instincts. I kept walking.

First period was mathematics, a boring subject with even worse tutors. Second was English, this was mandatory in every area under the empire, being born as royalty I could speak half the languages in the world and was fluent in a further half of those. Boring once again. After that class it should've been Performance Arts. The key word in that sentence being should. I skipped it and headed to the Occult Research Club. I spotted Kiba on the way to it, I did not approach him. Making my way inside everybody was there and waiting, I took off my shirt.

"What you doing man?!" Issei asked throwing his hands up.

"If I go there dressed as a student from a place dozens of miles away I'll only draw attention. I need to change it up a bit. I untied my shoes, threw off my socks and unzipped my pants. I looked around to the others, some watched intently, others minded their own business.

"Who am I going with?" I asked nobody in particular but it was Rias who would respond.

"Irina." Rias quietly said. The others were abnormally quiet. With all their power these people must have felt intimidated? By me? Hmm.

"And who is that?" I pulled the Tuxedo pants up.

"Me!" One girl said, the one with the light brown hair. She was one of the few who were transfixed on watching me. I stopped all I was doing. I slowly walked towards, no facial expression on my face other than disinterest. I got in close with her, close enough where she was confused and uncomfortable. All eyes were on me. Irina's eyes darted around, her face beet red and sweaty dripping from her brow. It remained this way for one minute. Out of nowhere I shot my hand behind her and groped her at the same time I forced my tongue into her mouth. She involuntarily moaned and slightly recoiled. She shoved me away after a few seconds, Every one was even more transfixed on me now. All eyes were practically spears.

"She won't do." I quietly stated tying my bow tie.

"W-what?" Irina scratched her head.

"Three reasons. The first reason is the way she responded when I invaded her personal space, she was nervous and confused though my intentions should be clear to anybody I'm bringing along with me on this. The second, she's far stronger than an average person the only reason I didn't go flying through that wall is because I expected it to happen and I'm half devil. If some random person decides to grope her -and make no mistake they will- they will die, obviously not good for us. And the third reasons is that she is an Eleven. And unless she wants to dress up as a slutty bunny -where she will have to deal with drunk old men, violent psychopaths and rapists who will attempt to do much worse than me.- she's not coming." I explained my reasoning.

"But did you have to show us?!" Rias demanded, her tons was filled with an obvious irritation.

"N-no Rias it's fine he was only-." I interrupted Irina, did she actually enjoy it? Glad one of us did.

"Yes I did. Telling you just wouldn't be enough and at any pace I needed to know her reaction. I've already figured who's coming. It'll be Kiba. He's not Japanese and he's not a woman. Hes also calm and reserved and will follow orders to the T. He's perfect." I chose Kiba not just because of those reason but because I also needed to test his... physical ability shall we say.

"I have a spare tux. It should fit you... you are Issei's size right?" I smirked eliciting a reaction from Rias.

"You arrogant dick! Why do you feel like we constantly owe you something! We only just met and here you are groping girls, intimidating my friends and being a nasty... just what's your problem?" Rias spat out venomously. I don't know what it was but I stopped dead in my tracks. I expected something like that to be said but hearing it, no amount of reasoning could stop what was about to happen.

"My problem, huh my problem. My problem… Why don't you answer me something? You see, my mother was killed when I was eight, then I was sent away to this godforsaken country, as a hostage. We then made our way through a war torn country. Where we saw mothers crying out for their children. Homes destroyed. Innocents murdered and displayed in the streets." I answered calmly but harshly, I was at the end of my fuse.

"I CAN NEVER UNSEE THEM EVERY TIME I SLEEP I HEAR THEIR SCREAMS SO YOU ASK WHAT MY PROBLEM IS! I'LL TELL YOU! THIS WORLD IS ROTTEN AND YOUR FAMILY'S REGIME ONLY HELPED PROPAGATE THAT FILTH! BUT NOW NOW YOU PEOPLE YOU WANT TO SUDDENLY HELP WHAT KIND OF SICK FUCKING JOKE IS THAT?!" I practically ran to Rias and held her up by her shirt.

"You're going to take me to Babel Tower. You are going to restore Lelouch's memory's and you and I will have no further-!"

WELSH DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!!

Oh shit.

"Get away from Rias!" Issei shouted in a filtered voice. Hmm so this was what made me feel uneasy about him. Rias looked.. strange, she wasn't angry or sad, she was calculating. The others all activated their 'special' abilities. Except the small femboy, yeah you heard me.

In a instant I was holding a Britannian made GS-876 Experimintal Sakuradite rifle.

"I wouldn't. This rifle contains a self destruct sequence. If my heart stops or I activate it, anything in a 1 kilometre radius will be blown up to heaven." I proclaimed. Each member of Rias' team had their weapons drawn and glares that could kill, except Irina, who was still in a state of confusion and Rias who instead of having a weapon or magic ready she had her hands at her sides. Her face, one of sadness, understanding, and... pity? I didn't need her pity, I needed her power. She started walking towards me.

"Rias!" Issei exclaimed trying to stop her. Kiba laid a hand on his armour.

"Get back!" I held my hand steady over the detonation button. "I'll fucking do it!" I spat out. My hand trembling. She continued moving towards, her steps were slow and deliberate. Her head hung low too. 'What's she doing.' she was right next to me and yet I still couldn't push the button.

"Lincoln. You're right." She fell forward and embraced me. This was something I couldn't read.

My mind was usually like a well oiled machine. But now that machine was defective and it wasn't doing anything that I needed it to.

She pulled herself up.

"Lincoln. It's not your fault, what happened to them it wasn't your fault."

"Wh-wh-what?" I asked perplexed.

"What happened to Lelouch and Nunnally. It wasn't your fault." The scent of her perfume must've caught my eyes or something, my vision suddenly became blurred.

"I-I know." I was stammering now. What the hell.

"It isn't your fault." Maybe they had drugged me? My knees gave way, yes they definitely must have drugged me, Rias caught me and caressed me in her arms.

"What did-did you do to me." The members of Rias group looked mostly confused, but their weapons were gone. I felt something hot streak down my cheeks.

"I-I-I couldn't save...them...I was too weak. It's my fault!" I cried out.

"It isn't." Rias said softly

"I-I..." I was a mess, a trembling, crying mess.

"I... couldn't s-save them. Mom, Nunnally Euphy! Lelouch..." my cries turned to screams, everything I had done, witnessed and everything I was about to do all came crashing down on me, my mind was on fire. All the while Rias stroked my head repeating the phrase.

Its not your fault

It's not your fault

It's not your...