Hello all and welcome back to A New Dawn! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Anyways, since this is part of a big 6-chapter post, I'll try to keep this short. For those of you who decided to keep reading, thank you! Please know that these early chapters, in my opinion, are the hardest to write in a true crossover. So please forgive me if I seem to be rushing the pace a little bit, you've got to understand that I want to get to the actual meat of the story as quick as possible. So, in some cases, I might end up cutting a few corners. I don't really think I did that here, but if you do feel like I did, I just wanted you guys to know why.

So, without further adieu, let's get onto the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own -man or Code Geass, all rights go to their respective owners.

Chapter 2: Homecoming

"It's quite the shock, isn't it?" The pope asked him as he returned to his seat. The man looked as if a massive weight had just been taken off of his shoulders. "Everything that's in that letter is the undisputed truth. After the Order defeated the Earl, innocence all over the world started to vanish. Even your friends, after a few years, lost the weapons that some had devoted their entire lives to using. Yet yours, Mr. Walker, remains like a persistent cancer."

"How did… how did I travel through time?!" After nearly five minutes of silence, Allen jumped up out of his seat and slammed his fists against the hardwood desk. "I missed everything! I missed Lenalee! The war! Lavi… everyone..." Clearly frustrated, he sat back down and cradled his face in his hands. "Tell me, how did I get here? What happened during the war?!"

"I can answer your first question, but the second one might be a bit... difficult." The pope said as he sipped his tea and sighed. After a few moments of rummaging through his robes, the man grinned and pulled out, what looked like, another letter from Cross. "From what few reports there are. After your disappearance Cross devoted everything he had into finding you... oh, and that reminds me, at that time you thought he was dead." Allen blinked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. With everything that had happened he had completely forgotten about Apocryphos. However, for some reason, he wasn't surprised to learn that his Master had survived. In fact, deep down, he always suspected it.

"That man is as stubborn as a cockroach." Allen mumbled as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm not shocked to learn that he survived. Plus... he was a follower of the Fourteenth... I doubt he'd willingly let himself die before completing that bastard's mission, whatever it was. And speaking of which..." he started as he nervously moved about in his chair. "Why aren't you guys attacking me right now? You do know what I am right?"

"I'll get to that in a second." The pope said as he rolled his fingers across his desk. "Now where were we? Ah, yes, that's right!" He snapped his fingers. "I was just about to tell you about how you ended up here!" Allen nodded as he perked up his ears. "I'm sure you remember being chased by a group of crows right before you woke up in this strange little time of ours."

"Yeah... I tried to escape using the ark but then one of them threw a charm at me, or something like that." Allen mumbled as he rubbed his aching forehead. "It was some sort of flame attack, it burned everything, even the ark gate... wait a minute." The pope smiled when he saw Allen's eyes widen.

"Bingo! That little flame attack that crow used was a charm designed to specifically interfere with the ark's interdimensional systems." The pope said as he got up from his chair and walked to one of the office's many filing cabinets. "You have to remember, Mr. Walker, that the ark isn't some magical device. At its core, it was a scientific invention. Even today we still don't completely understand its intricacies. However, all of those years ago, there was one man who did." As he talked, the pope reached out his hand and pushed a small button that was hidden inside of the cabinet. Suddenly, one of the bookcases swung open, revealing a hidden passageway.

"I'm assuming that person was my Master?" Allen asked him as he followed the man into the hidden hallway. Normally, he would've been shocked to learn about something like this. But after all that had happened to him that day, learning about a hidden passageway or two didn't phase him. The pope nodded as he led him deeper and deeper into the Vatican's depths. Slowly, the brick floor and walls turned into clean white tiles and marble. Monitors and pieces of advanced technology were scattered all around. However, even though everything was very different, Allen had a feeling that he knew where they were. "Is this the science section?" He asked, the pope nodded.

"Yes, after the holy war ended the vast majority of laboratories like this had to be shut down. But, this one was kept running for one very specific reason." The pope exclaimed as they finally arrived at their destination. Scientists and other researchers rushed around the room carrying stacks of paper and various other materials. And in the center of this chaos, jutting out of one of the central tiles, was a gigantic white gate.

"The ark!" Allen yelped as he instantly ran over to the gate.

"Go ahead and clear a path for the boy!" The pope called out to the scientists as he hurried to join Allen. "He's the boy I've been telling you all about." Without so much as a peep, the scientists all nodded before returning their focus back to their work.

"I can't believe it... why is there an ark gate here?" Allen mumbled as he instinctively reached out to the shimmering white gate. However, just before his fingers touched the surface, he was pushed back. "What the Hell?" He thought as he raised his fingers to his forehead. "Okay, if you don't want to let me in the easy way, I'll just create a new gate!" As he had done so many times before, Allen allowed the Fourteenth's melody to flow through his mind. "Now... summon a gate for me ark!" He commanded, however, his orders went unheeded.

"I know what you're trying to do, and that won't work." He heard the pope say as he walked up next to the confused exorcist. "After you vanished, the ark lost its connection to this dimension. Now only this gate remains." As he talked, the pope raised a hand up to the gate and sighed. "I can't tell you how much I've wanted to hop in here and just look around. But that's impossible now. The Earl's ark was destroyed in the war, so, until we can finally figure out how to restore the connection, this gate is all we've got." Allen frowned as he stared longingly at the gate.

"Tell me... it was the ark that sent me here, wasn't it?" He asked the pope, who grinned and nodded. He wasn't sure what it was that tipped him off, but after standing in the gate's presence for a few seconds, he just knew that it was the reason for his current situation.

"Yes, your master, Marian Cross, had the exact same theory. His hypothesis is that after you were attacked by that crow, the ark gate was somehow damaged. Which resulted in it sending you through the dimension of time instead of the dimension of space." The pope laughed when he saw Allen's confused face. "I know, that was my reaction when I first heard it too. But trust me when I say that it's the unadulterated truth."

"Okay... I guess I understand." Allen mumbled as he scratched his forehead. "Well, I guess that explains how I got here... I think." After taking one last look back at the gate, he turned back to the pope and looked around the room. "This seems like quite the large operation for such a defect. Why are there so many people here?" Granted, he knew that the ark was an extremely valuable, and advanced, piece of technology. But even then, requiring this many researchers seemed to be a tad... excessive.

"That, my little friend, is because of this." Allen raised an eyebrow when the pope handed him a small book. It was bordered with black leather, and had numerous bookmarks and scribblings written all over it.

"And this is...?" Allen asked the man as he skimmed over the book. "There's barely anything written in here." Once he was finished with it, he handed the book back to the pope and crossed his arms.

"I'm sure you're very confused, Mr. Walker, but allow me to explain." The pope said as he slipped the book back into one of his pockets. "That little book I just handed you contains all of the information the current-day Vatican has on the holy war after your disappearance." Allen nearly choked when he heard that.

"What? Isn't this the Vatican? You guys were the ones running the whole thing! How can that be all you have?!" The idea that the Black Order, an organization that was absolutely filled to the brim with pencil-pushers and record-keepers, kept no records on their excursions was simply laughable. Plus, when he supposedly vanished, they had two bookmen in their ranks! Where in the world did those records go?!

"I can tell you're confused, and a bit angry. But trust me, that's what everyone feels like. Besides a few snippets of information from your master, we have no idea what actually transpired between your transportation and the end of the holy war."

"How in God's name is that possible?" Allen asked the man, but he just shrugged.

"I have no idea. All we do know for a fact is that the Black Order won the war, which resulted in causing the majority of the world's innocence to disappear. Honestly, nobody alive today really has any idea as to what exactly happened to all of those people. The branch chiefs, researchers, exorcists, finders, crows, anyone with knowledge of the Order just seemed to vanish into the never-ending flow of time. And that's where the ark comes in." The pope said as he placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. "I started this project a few years ago after I became pope. I'm not the sort of person who leaves things up to fate, Mr. Walker. And with this ark's help, and a little bit of luck, I hope to shed some light on the mysterious past." When Allen realized what the man was alluding to, he took a step back and turned his head back to the gate.

"You're trying to re-open the gate, aren't you?" Allen said as the man nodded.

"If it could send you here to the future, it might be possible to send you back." The pope told him as he scratched the back of his neck. "When you popped out of this gate a few days ago, I thought we'd finally done it, but obviously that wasn't the case. If we can open this barrier to the past, we might be able to learn about what happened all of those years ago." Allen walked over and leaned against one of the tiled walls as he tried to take in all of this new information.

"If what you're saying is correct, and you actually do manage to open the gate, then I could continue where I left off." The pope laughed when he saw Allen's smile. As expected of one of God's chosen, he was an optimist through-and-through.

"Yes, that's the dream. However, it may take quite a few more years to realize. As I'm sure you already know, the ark is an amazingly complicated device. Even with modern day methods we are still years behind even coming close to understanding it. So, I'm sorry, but your reunion with your friends is going to take awhile." Allen would be lying if he said that didn't upset him. He still had so much left unfinished back in his time. He couldn't just leave things the way they were!

"Never stop, keep walking." Allen didn't know why, but at that moment, he found Mana's words ringing through his head.

"I know Mana, I'll keep walking until the day I die." With a smile and his eyes burning with fresh determination, Allen got up from his spot and turned back to the pope. "It doesn't matter how long I have to wait. After all, for them, I wouldn't even be gone a day."

"Hah! That's the spirit!" The pope chuckled as he wrapped one of his arms around Allen's shoulders. It felt as if his neck had been put in a vice. "Don't worry kid, I promise I'll get you back to the fight eventually. But, for now, think of this as your long-deserved break." As Allen joined the man in an uneasy sense of comfort. He frowned and looked around the room.

"Still... even though you don't know anything about the war after my disappearance, that doesn't explain why you guys suddenly trust me. You must know about my position as the Fourteenth's host, right?" Yet again, the pope chuckled and reached out his hand.

"Didn't you hear me, boy? After the war the Millennium Earl and the Family of Noah vanished off of the face of the Earth. And, of course, that means their memories disappeared as well. You must have noticed some of the signs by now, signs that your unwanted guest has, so to say, left the building?" The pope said as he tapped the side of his skull. The second Allen realized what he was referring to he instantly started looking for the nearest piece of glass.

"So that's why..." he thought as he, once again, stared at his reflection. "He's... gone... the Fourteenth is gone." The realization came so fast that he could barely comprehend it. When the pope saw how happy that news made him, he burst out laughing.

"So you see, that's why we aren't attacking you boy. The Order feared you back in the day for your connection to the Fourteenth, but now, that's no longer a problem! And plus..." he placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. "After all that I've read about you, I think you deserve our trust for once." Once again, Allen was shocked by the news. He was finally free from the Noah's clutches.

"That means I'm back to normal." Allen mumbled as tears of joy trickled down his face. However, as seemed to be the theme of that morning, he wasn't completely right.

"Well... not exactly." The pope started as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pocket knife. "The lack of the Fourteenth's memories just means that your transformation into a noah has stopped. It doesn't change what your body has already gone through." As he said that, the man leaned over and lightly pressed the knife against Allen's right arm.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?!" Allen cursed as he recoiled back, a small stream of blood pouring out of his fresh wound. However, before he could say anything more, the pope just smiled and motioned for him to pay attention. "What the...?" Allen mumbled as he watched the wound miraculously start to heal. Within mere moments, his skin had closed and the injury had vanished.

"Any enhancements your body received during the course of your transformation, for example, the noahs healing factor, will remain. At this point the Fourteenth's memories have already directly mutated your genes, and nothing can change that." Allen frowned as he stared at his left hand, what the pope was telling him was basically that he'll never be completely human again. However, Allen wouldn't let that stop him, he'd keep on walking until the day he died. Once he had properly gathered his thoughts, he turned around and, with his right hand over his heart, gave the pope a light bow.

"I'm sorry for overreacting like that. I know you're just trying to help me, but you have to understand, this is a lot of information to take in." Yet again, the pope smiled and shrugged.

"Son, trust me, I expected worse. After all, you've just woken up in an entirely different time period with no way to return home for, if everything stays on schedule, years. Any other person would be distraught and depressed if they were in your position." Allen grinned as he placed a hand on the back of his head.

"Yeah... well… optimism is part of the job, I guess." Allen said as his stomach suddenly started to rumble. "Oh, sorry about that."

"Ah! I nearly forgot that you're a parasite type! We've got to make sure that you keep that belly full! Otherwise it could attract some unnecessary attention." As the pope talked, he motioned for a nearby scientist to come near. "Are Mr. Walker's supplements ready?" He asked the man, who nodded. After a quick trip to a nearby stockroom, the scientist returned carrying a moderately-sized suitcase. After taking a moment to unlock the case, the scientist turned to Allen and showed him what it contained.

"Pills?" Allen confusedly mumbled as he raised one of his eyebrows.

"To be more accurate they're nutrition supplements." The pope said as he tossed Allen one of the bottles. Inside lay an uncountable amount of tiny green pills, each one shining like a polished egg. "We've got enough to keep you going for a few decades. Just take one at the beginning of every week, and you'll only have to eat as much as any other growing boy." That was possibly the best news he had heard all morning.

"What?!" He said as he stared intently at the tiny pills. Even though he loved to eat, being rid of the near-constant hunger that came with his innocence seemed like a dream come true. "I... don't know what to say, thank you." Allen said as he popped one of bottles open and swallowed a pill. "Gah!" He gagged. "They taste like sand." This time it was the scientists turn to giggle.

"Yes, sorry but we didn't design them with taste in mind." One of the researchers joked.

"Don't worry, Allen, I promise we'll get you some actual food after we discuss your future." The pope said as he started the march back to his office. Allen raised an eyebrow when he heard that.

"Future? I thought the general idea was that I'd continue serving the church as an exorcist." Allen said as the pope rolled his eyes.

"You have to think, my boy, there aren't any akuma left in the world to exorcise! Your job is done!" Allen's cheeks went a bit red when he heard that. He had been slaying akuma his entire life, so he just assumed he'd be exorcising them without thinking.

"If that's the case..." he started as the pope turned back towards him. "Then what will I be doing?" The face the man gave him when he asked that question was simply priceless. He looked like a father about tell his son that they were getting a pet.

"You, Mr. Walker, are doing exactly what your Master instructed us to let you do." He said as he waved the letter he was reading around in the air. "Here..." he handed the letter to him. "Why don't you give it a read yourself? It's in the very bottom paragraph." Allen nodded as he took the letter and frowned, he wouldn't lie to himself, he was positively terrified to find out what his Master had planned for him.

"As for my apprentice's treatment when he does finally show up. I'd like the Vatican to aid and guide him into a normal life, as they have done for the other exorcists. The pope agrees with me on this matter, and has set aside a sizable sum for Allen's future. Of course, how it will be utilized is entirely up to the current pope, but I trust that they'll do the right thing." Allen stopped reading as he hesitantly handed the letter back to the pope. "A... normal life... me? Is it really possible?" He didn't even consider that a possibility.

"You didn't honestly think that we'd need a child to fight our battles for us, did you? Please, give us future folk some credit. The age where the Catholic Church practically forced children into battle based on their relationship with innocence is over. Now, we are focused on recovery and more humanitarian efforts. Although..." the pope sighed frustratingly. "Those haven't been going too well on the account of a certain empire, but you let me worry about that."

"So what's going to happen to me?" Allen asked him as the two walked into a completely different room, this one was simply a wide open area, and looked like some sort of training arena.

"Well, first we're going to officially separate you from the church. It'd be a bit weird if someone found out that somebody as young as you is an established exorcist with ties to the Vatican." The pope started as he took out, what looked like, a modern phone and turned it on. "Then we'll find you a school, move you into an apartment, and we'll figure out where to go from there."

"I'm not going to be part of the church anymore?" Granted, that made sense, but the prospect of it still felt a bit weird.

"I'll give you an emergency line that connects directly to my office in the case of an emergency, but besides that, you'll have no further contact with us. When you leave we'll give you access to the account your Master setup for you, and then you'll be on your own. Cross thought that this would be the best deal for you, and honestly, I agree. You're no stranger to paperwork, and are already used to paying your own bills... oops... sorry about that." The second the word 'bills' reached his ears he froze up like a stone statue.

"So... what you're saying is that you're throwing me out to the wolves." Allen said as he shook himself out of his trance. The pope shook his head.

"Heavens no! We aren't monsters! Before I can let you go in good conscience, we'll have to teach you a few things first." With that, the man snapped his fingers, and a group of familiar masked individuals walked into the room.

"Crows?" Allen thought as he raised an eyebrow. "Why in the world are they here?"

"This world may be different to the one you're used to, but it's still populated by men. Before you leave, we're going to teach you about the technologies of this world. And, crucially, how to fight without your innocence. Once I'm sure you're ready, we'll give you the name of your new school and that'll be that." Allen sighed in relief when he heard that. For a second he thought they were going to try and ambush him again.

"So they're going to teach me how to fight without my innocence..." He thought as he squeezed his left hand. His entire life he had relied on his innocence to do most of the heavy lifting. However, for obvious reasons, it would attract unwanted attention if he just whipped it out in public. "Okay..." Allen started as his body tensed up, readying itself for battle.

"I hope you're ready, Mr. Walker, these three are the toughest crows we have right now. They'll beat the information into you without fail." With one last chuckle, the pope reached out his hand and smiled. "I'm a busy person, so we're going to have to say goodbye here. I wish you the best of luck with your life, Mr. Walker." He said as Allen smiled and gladly shook the man's hand.

"Same here, I can't thank you enough for all you've done." After a few more words of thanks, the pope nodded and left the arena, leaving Allen alone with his new mentors. "Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen." Allen said as he determinedly smashed his fists together. "Why don't we get started?" Without even saying a word, the crows nodded and immediately got to work. Over the course of the next few months, they would beat new techniques and forms of martial arts into him. Every morning Allen would wake up for physical training with the crows. At night, one of the nuns would stop by his room to teach him modern history. In that short time frame, he learned about the fall of America, the rise of the Holy Britannian Empire, and the creation of knightmares. This grueling process continued for months seemingly without end. However, thanks in part to his sheer determination, Allen managed to complete the training without fail. Soon, he was allowed to leave the Vatican for his new home. It wasn't much, but the pope was able to procure him a spot at a prestigious noble highschool in Japan, which was now simply known as Area Eleven. "School..." Allen thought from his seat on one of the city's many bullet trains. Currently, he was dressed in his school uniform. Which the pope had sent to his apartment before his arrival. "Ashford Academy, huh?" He mumbled as he read the name embroidered on his black uniform. It sounded like such a strange name for a school in Japan, to the point it seemed almost artificial. "Oh God, I hope I make a good first impression." He thought as he nervously twiddled with thumbs together. His mind still somewhat frazzled, he looked out of the train's window and frowned. Currently, he had a perfect view of the city's slums. Which he heard were filled with Japanese, or Elevens according to the Brittanians. "Those sure look familiar..." he thought as he stared at the rundown buildings. He had been forced to live in towns just like that in his youth, so he knew how hellish life was like there. However, before he could give it any further thought, the train came to a halt.

"You're now arriving at Ashford Academy." The intercom said. After taking a moment or two to gather himself. Allen took a deep breath, got up, and headed for the door.

"It's time for me to start a new life." He thought as he forced himself to smile. As fellow students poured through the terminal gates, he stopped and looked up towards the clouds. It was a beautiful day, and the sky was a perfect shade of blue. As he stood there, a soothing breeze blew through the train platform, causing his hair, which was now tied back into a ponytail, to dance in the wind. "My friends, wherever you are, watch over me." And with that, Allen took one last deep breath, and headed into the city.

Author's Note

And with that the setup is finally finished! I can't tell you guys how long it takes to write these first few chapters in a crossover! It's so hard to come up with an excuse to get two completely different universes like this to come together in a cohesive story. I hope that I succeeded in this endeavor, but that'll be up to you. Anyway, as I said before, I'm planning on keeping these rather short. The next chapter is where the action truly begins, and I hope you guys enjoy it! So, without wasting anymore of your time, I wish you all a fantastic rest of your day. If you like this story, maybe rate or review it. Well, that's all for me, so goodbye and I'll see you guys in the next chapter of A New Dawn!

Chapter 3: New Faces