"Nunnally was a Persona-user, and you didn't tell me?"
"You did not need to know, Trickster," Igor said, his demented smile looking increasingly malicious as his bulging eyes leered at his prisoner.
"She's my little sister! If I don't need to know about that, what do I need to know about?" Lelouch shouted back angrily.
"We have been over this before, Inmate!" Igor boomed, killing intent flaring once again. The Velvet Room itself began to shake violently, causing Shi to break down into sobs. "Do not presume to question me! You may be the Trickster with the best chance of averting Ragnarok, but do not think for a moment that you or the Black Knights are irreplaceable! If you persist in this prideful folly, your ingratitude shall only lead to ruin!"
So that was it, why multiple teams of Persona-users had appeared. If one team fell in battle, or proved impossible for Igor to control, then he would still have more pawns whom he could manipulate into preventing Ragnarok, whatever that really meant.
The aura of killing intent faded. "Still," Igor laughed, "That rebellious spirit of yours is precisely why you are so interesting, Trickster, and why you have accomplished so much in so short a time. If you must know why I could not tell you of her power in a word, it would be 'confidentiality'."
"Confidentiality?" Lelouch didn't believe it for a second.
"Are you really so surprised, Trickster?" Igor asked. "While I never told you about your little sister's power, did it ever occur to you that I also never told her about yours?"
Wait. If Igor was in the position to choose not to tell Nunnally about such things, then that meant…
"Yes, Trickster," Igor said, his rictus grin seeming to grow wider. "I see that it has dawned on you at last. Your little sister is a Trickster in her own right, and is bound by her own contract, though her power as of yet less mature than yours, as she has only awakened to it relatively recently. Of course, if you are upset with me for concealing this from you, then Shi and Tsu must also share the blame. You did not honestly think that they could establish a new doorway into this place without my permission, did you? Not only did it facilitate Tsu's experiment in interacting with you in the human world, but it granted your sister easier access to our assistance in her own rehabilitation, as was necessary given her infirmities. Just as Tsu devoted more of her time to you, Shi was sent into the human world to be your sister's personal attendant."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Lel-Trickster… um… Inmate," Shi said, hastily correcting herself as Igor's authoritarian presence seemed to loom menacingly over her. "Please don't be angry at me or big sister Tsu."
"He never asked, so he has no right to complain," Tsu smirked cooly.
"Your family's potential is truly remarkable," Igor concluded. "Producing not one but two Tricksters is no small feat. And as much as he drives the world toward ruin, your father's power is not to be discounted either." Igor chuckled to himself. "Would you like to see your sister here?"
No, he did not, but when had Igor ever cared about what he wanted?
"Welcome back, Miss Inmate," Shi said softly, moving to a cell across from his own, while nervously glancing back at Igor. "There's someone our Master wishes for you to see."
Lelouch faintly heard the sound of someone rising from one of the prison beds, and then Nunnally appeared, dressed in a straitjacket like his own. Her hair was its usual sandy brown color, but her violet eyes were open, and she was able to walk under how own power. Why wouldn't she be able to? This was a dream, after all. He couldn't help but notice though that a heavy metal ball was chained to one of Nunnally's ankles, just as a similar but somewhat larger ball was chained around one of his own.
"Big brother, is that you?" Nunnally asked.
"Nunnally…" Lelouch whispered.
"Is that how you greet your sister?" Igor asked. "In any case, the two of you are presently sharing the same dream together. Your destinies are now even more intertwined than ever. What happens to one of you will surely affect the other."
Lelouch sensed a hidden threat in Igor's words, which outwardly seemed far more kindly when directed at Nunnally. She probably hadn't had the chance to see through his deceptions yet. But the meaning of the Master of the Velvet Room was clear to Lelouch.
Step out of line, and your little sister will pay the price.
Just like Mao, Igor would use Nunnally as a hostage if it would serve his purposes.
The prison bell rang.
"Once more, our time is up," Igor said. "May you two guide each other toward your successful rehabilitations."
The power of the Fool increased, as Lelouch understood Igor's motives better. The Star, representing his bond with Nunnally, felt stronger as well.
xXx
"I swear, Zero, if you keep going off by yourself like that, I'm so going to murder you myself to save our enemies the trouble!" Kallen fumed.
The Black Knights had convened in Mementos. While they could have chosen any number of covert meeting places, the entrance of the Palace of the Public was as close to neutral ground as they could find, especially considering who they would soon be meeting with.
"Not only did Medjed survive being pulled under at Shirley's Palace, but you encountered the Black Mask, and he gave you a warning not to continue venturing into the Metaverse," Milly frowned.
"But Medjed is dead now, and there is not one Black Mask but at least two," Leila said, methodically processing the information. "Possibly more."
"One person causing mental shutdowns is horrible enough," Euphemia murmured. "What if there really are multiple Black Masks?"
"And to top it all off, Nunna and her friend are Persona-users too?" Shirley asked with concern. She had just got out of the hospital, and the first order of business was bringing her up to speed, which was the other main reason for selecting Mementos as their meeting place.
"You should talk, Shirley," Milly replied. "Next to her, I'm sure you're the last person any of us expected to become a Persona-user."
Shirley flushed. "Geez, you don't have to put it like that, Madam Prez."
"Well, this meeting quickly got awkward," Arthur said. "Of course, it was pretty heavy to begin with. So that's an improvement? I guess?" He shrugged. "What do I know? I'm a cat."
"We're being too loose with our codenames," Lelouch said. He turned to Shirley. "You'll need one too, if you're serious about being a Black Knight."
"Huh?"
"That's right," Milly said, moving closer to Shirley. "What kind of self-respecting phantom thief would use her real name during a heist?"
Shirley looked unconvinced.
"It helps keep your normal life and your life as a thief separate. It also eventually helps you react faster by association if you're called your codename in combat," Lelouch explained. "Plus we don't want to be advertising our true identities as we're infiltrating someone else's Palace, that is to say their distorted psyche, since our targets usually aren't friendly."
"Oh, I see," Shirley nodded. "What are your codenames again? I know you were shouting them while you were fighting my Shadow, but I wasn't exactly in my right mind at the time, so it's a bit foggy." She turned to Lelouch. "I know you're Zero."
"That's correct."
Arthur was the first to speak up. "I'm Tama." He sighed. "Why couldn't it be Merlin?"
"All cats should be named Tama," Kallen replied. "Anyways, I'm Queen," she said assertively.
Shirley didn't back down. "I see," she murmured. "You're really different than you are at Ashford, aren't you?"
"That weak, useless wallflower?" Kallen scowled. "She's a just a mask that I have to wear in public." Her tone softened. "I really am sorry about having to lie to you about it. Almost everything that people know about her is a lie, but it's no lie that I consider you a friend, as a member of the Student Council and now as a Black Knight… Even if we haven't been on the best of terms lately."
"I'm Diamond!" Milly piped up before it could get any more awkward between Kallen and Shirley. "Isn't this just the sort of thing a classy cat burglar would wear in a movie?"
"If you say so…" Shirley said, not sounding convinced.
"My codename is Bishop," Leila said in turn. "I'm pleased to have the chance to properly introduce myself. Welcome to the Black Knights."
"Aw, that's no fair, Bishop!" Milly pouted. "You make it look like I don't have any manners!"
"I'm Noire," Euphemia continued. "The way you faced yourself was incredible. You really know what's important to you. I admire that. Between you and Queen, my brother is in good hands."
"Why, thank-" Shirley paused as her mind finished processing what Euphemia had said, and then did a double take. "Wait, what?! Lulu…um… Zero has a sister besides Nunna?! Since when?"
"Technically, she's my half-sister," Lelouch said, waving a hand, "but that's a long story, not one that we have time to go into right now."
"Fine, but you owe me an explanation, Zero!"
"Oh, you have no idea how much of an explanation he owes you, Shirley," Kallen said. "He's the biggest liar of any of us. Of course, he had a good reason for most of his lies."
"No matter what the truth is, my feelings for him won't change," Shirley said softly.
"Hey! That's my line!" Kallen snapped.
"Well, I believe that's all of our veteran members," Lelouch said, diverting the conversation back to the topic at hand. "What would you like your codename to be, Shirley?"
'Um… let's see… so far you have a number, a royal title, a precious stone, a clerical rank, and a color…" She frowned. "I'm sorry, Arthur, but I have no idea what a 'Tama' is."
Arthur looked up at Kallen. "See? I told you 'Merlin' would have been a better codename. At least people would know what it is. It's a lot cooler too."
Kallen shook her head. "No, I stand by what I said. All cats should be named Tama."
Arthur groaned.
"You're looking for a theme, aren't you?" Leila asked thoughtfully.
"I will say that 'Queen' and 'Bishop' are named after the chess pieces, not the ranks," Lelouch explained. "And while it may not have been their intentions, 'Diamond' and 'Noire' could be connected to a standard deck of playing cards."
"Why are you Zero then?"
"It's actually a Tarot reference. The Fool Arcana is represented by the number 0."
"I didn't think you were into that kind of thing," Shirley said.
"The Fool is 22 in some decks though," Leila interjected, "representing its role as the highest trump card in those decks."
"Again, do you really have to be a show-off?" Kallen sighed.
"Still, the Fool?" Shirley began. "Lu- Zero, you're not a-"
"I am. Who but a Fool would challenge the mightiest Empire on the planet, fighting with a force of only six at his side? But that's not a bad thing. People underestimate the Fool's true potential until it's too late. Someone once said to me that the Fool, like the number zero, is empty, yet filled with limitless possibilities. It is with those possibilities that I will create a new world!"
"I knew there was more to you, Zero, than you let on at school. It's actually refreshing to see you so passionate about something. But my own codename…" Shirley frowned. "This is harder than I thought."
"You could be 'Heart'!" Milly said excitedly. "As in the suit of cards! I think that would be a great fit for you, Shirley!"
"Heart?" Shirley's cheeks went bright red. "Don't you think that's a little…"
"Perhaps one of the suits in the original French would work," Leila said.
"What are their names in French?" Shirley asked. "I haven't heard them before."
"Diamonds is Carreaux, Hearts is Cœurs, Spades is Piques, and Clubs is Trèfles," Leila replied smoothly.
"Your pronunciation is beautiful, Bishop," Euphemia smiled. "Practically flawless. Even official translators have a bit of an accent that marks them as non-native speakers."
"Thank you," Leila said modestly. "My parents were fully bilingual, and they raised me as such too."
Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Is that perhaps because they were planning on…?"
Leila nodded. "I assume so, yes."
Shirley looked on in confusion.
"Say, Leila," Milly said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I bet if you sprinkled some French or even just the accent into your everyday speech, the guys would be all over you! Of course, Queen and our newest member might not like it if you started putting the moves on our leader."
Leila shifted uncomfortably.
Shirley shook her head. "I don't think those suit me."
"There's Caïssa," Leila suggested.
"The muse of chess?" Lelouch asked.
"Too obscure," Milly interrupted. Shirley nodded in agreement.
"I'm not opposed to a chess theme…" Shirley said thoughtfully. "But all that's left is Rook and Knight… I'm not a king, and I definitely don't want to be 'Pawn'. A rook is a tower, right? They fire arrows from them, and my Persona-" Shirley began.
"You're trying too hard to force it to fit a theme," Lelouch told her. "The rook carries a strong connotation of a fortification. Maid Marian is unsuitable for such a role."
Shirley frowned.
"Her outfit makes a matching pair with Zero's, don't you think?" Euphemia asked
Shirley blushed as all eyes settled upon her, though Kallen looked distinctly uncomfortable as well.
"Er, wasn't here a book character that dressed all in black? A French female spy, I think?"
"Milady de Winter?" Leila asked raising an eyebrow. "I don't think that's right. If we were trying to be faithful to the literary reference, then I would be the one best suited for the codename 'Milady', but she…"
"Milady was a textbook psychopath," Lelouch finished.
"Exactly!" Leila nodded.
"Really?" Milly asked. "I thought she wasn't that bad."
"I think you're remembering an adaptation," Leila said gently. "Later authors have rewritten the character to be more heroic, especially in works aimed at children."
"Dang!"
"Don't mind it," Lelouch told her. "Britannian education tends to... underplay foreign literature."
Shirley's eyes lit up. "I remembered another book character that was dressed all in black and wielded a sword! I think he was an outlaw from Area 3."
"Zorro?" Lelouch asked.
Shirley smiled. "You know him?"
"Yes, but I'm surprised you do. There's a strong anti-establishment theme in his stories, so the books are hard to come by. Have you ever been to Area 3, or shall I say, Mexico?"
"Yes! Dad…" Shirley faltered, but managed to compose herself. "Dad took Mom and me to Acapulco for a long holiday once. It was years before we moved here, but I remembered that trip well because of the La Quebrada cliff divers."
Milly beamed. "I can see how they made an impression on the star our swimming club."
"Do you remember if Zorro had a love interest?" Shirley asked.
"As a matter of fact, he did," Lelouch replied. "She was promised to Diego de la Vega - that was Zorro's real identity- in marriage since they were children, but she fell in love with his outlaw persona without knowing they were the same man."
"Doesn't that sound perfect for you, Shirley?" Milly asked. "I think we've found it! What was her name?"
"Lolita Pulido," Lelouch supplied.
"Ugh. Nabokov ruined that one," Milly frowned.
"This is hopeless," Shirley sighed.
"We could just give you a provisional codename like 'Rookie'," Arthur suggested.
He was met with grumbling disapproval from the other Black Knights.
"It would be a shame to spend so much time on it and not come up with a name for her," Euphemia said.
"May I submit one last idea?" Leila asked.
"Go ahead," Shirley replied sullenly.
"La Dame, or Dame for short. It means 'lady' in French, but the latter used to be used in Britannia for a woman of equal rank to a knight." She paused. "It also is the name of the Queen piece in French chess."
"Ooh, now you can have two queens, Zero!" Milly teased. "What a naughty boy!"
"Dame…" Shirley said, testing the sound of the name. "That works!"
"But that makes it sound like she's an old lady!" Arthur complained.
"Don't let any female knight hear you say that," Kallen said sharply.
"They can't," Arthur grumbled. "Outside of Persona-users, people can only hear me meow."
"Are you decided?" Lelouch asked Shirley. "Will you be Dame henceforth?"
"Yes, Zero!"
"Sorry we're late!" a familiar voice called out. "It's good to see you! Though I didn't expect there would be so many of you…"
Nunnally entered Mementos in her guise as a phantom thief, followed by Alice and three other girls, though one of them appeared old enough that perhaps "woman" would be a better descriptor. As for their thief outfits, Nunnally and Alice were the odd ones out among the irregulars. Each of the other Irregulars wore what resembled pilot suits, which while stylized, were of a uniform design, dark purple, almost a shiny black, with red trim, and were closer to regulation than Nunnally's. Lelouch supposed that if they had all suffered through the same experiments and escaped at the same time they might have very similar ideas of rebellion, and accordingly their attire reflected that unity of purpose.
"So these are the Irregulars," he murmured.
"That's some outfit," Milly muttered as she saw Nunnally. "I didn't know she had it in her."
Lelouch ignored her and stepped forward. "Greetings! I am Zero, and I speak for the Black Knights!" The Black Knights introduced themselves by their codenames in turn.
The woman, who had dark hair and an elegant deep blue mask, stepped forward. "You may call me 'Order'. I am the leader of the Irregulars." She gave a wry smile. "Or at least, I was." She glanced down at Nunnally. "Since our latest member joined, her power has proved versatile enough that I have relinquished command in the field to her, so that she may best adapt our strategy to changing conditions. Nemo here has told me quite a bit about you, though I did not think that you would be the leader of the Black Knights."
"I am Speed," Alice said, introducing herself to the others.
"I'm Power!" a dark-skinned girl with a bow in her hair said, an impish expression on her face. It was hard to describe her mask… it was just so busy and brightly decorated… perhaps garish was the best word.
"My codename is Land," the last girl, with pale hair styled into a pair of dangling braids in front, said quietly, almost hidden behind Order. Her mask took the form of a pair of goggles, which seemed to be projecting a constantly updated stream of information in faintly glowing green characters into her eyes.
"Medjed told us about you," Lelouch said. "He said you escaped as he broke out of the Code-R laboratory in Narita."
Order frowned. "Mao," she said distastefully. "But yes, Medjed was what he called himself after they forcefully awakened his Persona. He wasn't quite right in the head even before they did that final experiment on him. But when he gained his power, it cost him whatever sanity he had left."
"He was like a cuckoo clock!" Power piped up.
"Even after what had been done to us, we couldn't subscribe to his brand of justice…" Land murmured. "He would hurt too many innocent people for his revenge."
"So he turned on us!" Alice added. "We didn't have our own Personas yet, so we couldn't fight him."
"Retreat is at times the only option," Land nodded.
Shirley stepped forward. "These experiments…" she said, her voice choking up. "What exactly did they do to you? And… is it true… what Medjed said…. that… that my father…?"
"You do not want to know what they did to us, or the countless others who did not survive," Order replied. Beside her, Land shuddered in recollection. "As for your other question… You must be Joseph Fenette's daughter, correct?"
Shirley nodded.
"I'm sorry. I don't know exactly what Medjed told you. But your father was one of the leading scientists for Code-R."
"No…" Shirley murmured, her shoulders slumping and tears forming in her eyes. "Father… How could you…. Why…?"
Lelouch stepped up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't want to believe it. But on some level, I knew Medjed wasn't lying," Shirley said between sobs. "Still, why would he do something so horrible? I can't understand it at all…"
She looked up at the Irregulars. "I know it can't make up for anything that my Dad put you through, but I'm so sorry… He wasn't all bad though… I want you to know that… he was nothing but gentle and kind to me…"
"There's no need for you to apologize, Dame," Nunnally said. "You had no way of knowing. I think I speak for the other Irregulars when I say that they don't blame you at all for what your father did."
"Only a deranged mind like Medjed's would think to punish someone who had nothing to do with those crimes," Lelouch agreed.
"Thank you, Nun- um… Nemo," Shirley corrected herself.
"So where do we go from here?" Leila asked.
"The Irregulars are willing to cooperate with the Black Knights where our interests align," Order replied.
"However, we will remain an independent group," Nunnally added.
Order nodded. "Any attempts by the Black Knights to impede the operations of the Irregulars or prevent any of its members from carrying out their objectives will be considered hostile acts, and will signal the termination of any alliance or truce between us."
Alice looked pointedly at Lelouch.
"Likewise," he replied. "We can accomplish far more together than by working against each other, and Nemo has vouched for each of you. That being said…" he glanced back at his fellow teammates. "The Black Knights do not kill, except as a last resort. Medjed left us with no other choice, but killing is generally counterproductive to our goals. Judging from the fact that you chose to change that Colonel's heart instead of inflicting a mental shutdown upon him, I trust that you understand that as well."
"It was Nemo's idea," Alice said softly.
"Though I admit, I've always been opposed to violence when it can be avoided," Land said.
"That's why you have no combat ability!" Power shouted. "I still say we should have just bashed that colonel's head in!"
"Now, Power," Order reprimanded, "Land is as much an indispensable member of our team as any of us. Her scanning and support abilities are second to none."
"Hear that, Bishop?" Arthur said. "Sounds like you can rejoin the front lines full time… if the Irregulars are willing to loan Land to us."
"That could be arranged… on a joint heist," Order nodded. She turned to Nunnally again. "Nemo, will you serve as a liaison between us and the Black Knights? Seeing that you share a roof with their leader, I can think of no one better suited for the task."
"I will," Nunnally nodded.
"So it is decided."
Lelouch would be lying if he said that he liked the idea of Nunnally venturing into the Metaverse, but at least this way he could keep tabs on her activities with the Irregulars, and continue to protect her.
But… a thought crossed his mind. What if in his desire to protect Nunnally, he had been holding her back all along?
With her sight and mobility restored in the Metaverse, Nunnally had become almost an entirely different person, who was now fiercely determined to protect her newfound independence, even finding the strength to stand up to him. In some ways, that determination reminded him of how their own mother, Marianne, had stood up to an entire court of jealous nobles to protect them. But back in the real world, Nunnally reverted to being as meek as ever. He supposed that she had to act as she had always done since their mother's death to avoid rousing his suspicions, but he realized there was another reason why Nunnally hadn't opened her eyes, even though she had proved herself more than capable of doing so.
Deep down, a part of Nunnally wanted to remain dependent on him. If she were to overcome her blindness in the real world, then that part of her feared that he might not need to care for her as much as before. That fear had only gained traction as he become involved in the Metaverse, leading the Black Knights on heist after heist, all the while spending less and less time with her. As long as Nunnally's legs remained crippled, there would always be some things she couldn't do on her own, but for everything else…
He was the one in Nunnally's way.
The realization was a bitter one for him, but the proof was right before his eyes. Not only had she evidently been able to take care of herself in the Metaverse for however many weeks, but she had found companions of her own that she could rely on, outside of his own circle of friends on the Student Council. That she possessed the Wild Card in her own right was the final nail in the coffin to any doubts he had. Given time, she could grow to be his equal in the Metaverse. Perhaps she would even surpass him.
So wasn't it time that he started truly treating Nunnally as his equal, rather than simply someone he had to protect?
Just as Nunnally's star was no longer the only light that guided him, Nunnally was more than capable of shining on her own.
The Black Knights and Irregulars discussed other things, including Mementos, but Lelouch only distantly followed the conversation.
xXx
"Nunnally…" he told her as they arrived back at their quarters in the Clubhouse. "There's something I have to tell you."
"Lelouch?" She asked, her eyes once again sealed shut.
"It was wrong of me to try to hold you back. I thought I was protecting you, but…" He shook his head. "I won't be here forever, Nunnally. Even stars eventually burn out. One day, you'll need to face the world on your own terms. But you've already taken your first steps toward doing so… I'm proud of you, Nunnally."
Nunnally seemed taken aback.
"There's still a lot you have to learn. But that's true of any of us, isn't it? Life is always waiting to throw new surprises at us. We'll keep growing and changing until our light is finally extinguished. The unknown can be frightening, and it can be more comfortable to crawl back and hide in the familiar, pretending that the changes around us don't exist. But if we have hope, we can face that future and create a brighter tomorrow. I may not need to be your protector…. but I can be your guide. So please, Nunnally. Open your eyes, and claim your future."
"Lelouch… I…" Nunnally stammered.
"No matter what happens, Nunnally, I'll always be your brother, and I'll be there if you truly need me. " He held out a finger to her. "Pinky promise?"
"We both broke the last one," Nunnally frowned.
"Would you prefer that we each swallowed a thousand needles, Nunnally? Or shall we just call that one even?"
Nunnally shook her head. "No." Feeling across the nearby table, she found a pair of needles, handing one to Lelouch and keeping one for herself. "We just need one each." However, she didn't move to swallow it. Instead, she held out her needle toward his outstretched pinky, while raising her own pinky toward his needle.
His understood her intent immediately. A blood oath. "Nunnally, you know that we don't-"
"No more lies, brother. No more secrets between us," Nunnally said insistently, her hands trembling. "Do you so swear?"
Lelouch relented. "I so swear, Nunnally."
With that, they pricked each other's pinkies with their needles, red droplets of blood welling from the tiny wounds. Lelouch inwardly recoiled a bit at hearing his sister wince in pain at his hands, but he accepted her pinprick without complaint. It was a small penance next to how much he had lied to her and stunted her personal growth. But then….
Nunnally opened her beautiful violet eyes in the real world for the first time since their mother's death.
"Big brother…" she murmured.
He had thought his bond with Nunnally to be unbreakable. But in that moment, his bond with Nunnally transfigured into something new, its strength growing exponentially greater than before.
I am thou… thou art I
Thou hast turned a vow into a blood oath
Thy bond shall become the wings of rebellion
And break the yoke of thy heart.
Thou hast awakened to the ultimate secret
of the Star, granting thee infinite power…
The new power that Nunnally had granted him was fearsome indeed. Lucifer, the strongest persona of the Star Arcana. It would be a long time before he would have the power to successfully summon and control a Persona as mighty as the Light-Bringer, said to be the brightest angel who was eventually cast down into Hell for his rebellion against God. What would Nunnally think if she knew that a Persona such as Lucifer was the ultimate realization of their bond?
But… At the same time, Lelouch felt raw power resonating within Nunnally. Of course. He was one of her confidants too, wasn't he? Did he also represent the Star for Nunnally? Or did he represent another part of the Fool's Journey for her?
No matter the answer, he knew that their renewed bond was mutual, and would endure for eternity.
"Aishite imasu," Nunnally whispered. Britannian didn't have the proper words to adequately express some feelings.
"Aishiteru, Nunnaly," he replied. Several moments passed in silence between them. 'Now let's get that wound of yours cleaned and bandaged."
"Okay."
xXx
He tucked Nunnally into bed and returned to his own.
"Pleased with yourself?" Tsu asked.
"Get your mind out of the gutter. As if I'd do that with my little sister."
"You keep telling yourself that," Tsu smirked.
"I'm telling you, nothing of the sort happened!"
"So you'd do it with one of your other sisters? The Third Princess, perhaps?"
"Why is it that you-"
"She's just teasing you, Mr. Lelouch," a small voice said.
"Shi? When did you get here?"
"I came over here so you and Miss Nunnally could have some time alone together. She seemed really happy, and I didn't want to disturb either of you."
Lelouch looked down at Shi incredulously. "Don't you realize how that sounded?"
Shi's eyes went wide. "Did I say something wrong, Mr. Lelouch?"
Tsu just laughed.
A/N:
Special thanks must go out to one of my readers, who sent me a skit in which the Black Knights were discussing ideas for Shirley's code name. Some of the dialogue and ideas within it were so compelling to me that it seemed a shame not to have them see the light of day outside of a PM. With that reader's permission, I took their skit and adapted it for official inclusion in my story.
And Nunnally's resolution! Lelouch's realization and maxing her Star Confidant just unfolded as I wrote the chapter, although I hadn't initially planned for it when I started the chapter. As I think I've said a number of times, I favor a "discovery" approach to writing. I plan the overall arcs of the story and the major plot points therein, but I allow myself to "discover" the details as I write, sometimes with entire scenes presenting themselves totally unplanned. I believe that this method helps everything flow organically, and if I'm pleasantly surprised by a development then hopefully so will my readers.
And no, Lelouch did NOT sleep with Nunnally. Of course, the subtext is there, but that's par for the course in Code Geass.