Hello everyone! I realize that It's been far FAR too long since I last updated this story. This is one of the titles that I said I'd be taking off the back burner. I know this chapter isn't as long as you deserve it to be, but I did decide to introduce a character earlier than was originally planned. I figured it'd help move the story along faster and help the characters interact more and get Lelouch moving in a more positive way, even if everything around him isn't giving him a fair chance. you deserve more and you'll get it soon, but I won't promise it'll be in the next week or month. aside form working on other stories I'm also trying to take care of a few personal things and that also includes working out. I put on a few pounds during the holidays and my doc said I need to set up a schedule for exorcising and eating better. Hopefully not being able to eat my favorite snacks won't interfere with my writing. Either way I'll fight through it because as I've said before. I may not always update often, but I will never abandon a story.

Enjoy!

Turn 5: Making Wishes

Walking down the streets at night was calming to Lelouch. The darkness had been his friend for a long time and the shadows seemed to miss him as well and comforted him like a blanket would comfort a young child. It was at night where he could think more clearly, feel more relaxed and shed his false attitude and truly be himself. Looking up at the sky he noticed the moon would soon vanish into its darkest phase. Most likely over the next two or three nights.

As he passed a construction site he let his mind wander, not really thinking about anything important. Giving his mind a rest was surprisingly so easy out here. Away from that stifling apartment, away from Cornelia, Suzaku, the television where he was constantly reminded of his friends. Friends he could never again interact with. Lelouch knew it was best, but the loneliness and the memories were beginning to eat away at him. Just like he knew they would.

"So, why? What drove them to save the Demon King?"

He looked down at the sidewalk in front of him, not noticing the four men that were approaching him until it was too late.

. . .

Suzaku had looked in all of the usual places and found nothing. Three hours into the search and neither he, Cornelia or the drone had any luck. Suzaku knew it'd be hard. If Lelouch didn't want to be found you wouldn't be able to find him. It was simple as that.

However there were few that knew Lelouch better than he did. Under the mask of Zero he searched the city on foot. His friend couldn't have gone too far with his low stamina and he didn't think he had enough money on him to take a train or cab.

"I hope he's not off gambling," Suzaku thought as he searched yet another empty district.

. . .

Lelouch had been forced into a back alley. The men had grabbed him from behind and brought him to a more private setting.

"Why are you attacking me?" Lelouch asked. He wasn't deluded enough to believe that his single act of self sacrifice would stop all crime, but it hadn't been that long and already crime was beginning to revive like a weed. If you didn't destroy the root it would always grow back.

The man who seemed to be in charge smiled down on him, as if he believed he was superior. "Because, I don't like your face."

He looked over to his comrades, "He looks just like that damn Demon King. Am I right?"

"Yeah," replied one.

"Give 'im black hair and he could be his twin," replied the second.

The third was keeping a lookout, but couldn't help chiming in, "I say we teach him a lesson not to go around looking like that."

The leader patted his friend on the shoulder. "Now, we don't want to kill him. It ain't entirely his fault he was born with that face,"

Lelouch was weighing his options. He couldn't outrun them and he realized he couldn't use his geass on them either. He had met these men before. When he had ventured into this area and came upon a nobleman selling Refrain to elevens while commanding a gang of them as his muscle. It was pretty stupid on his part, but at the time he wasn't exactly in his right mind. He wondered if he should have ordered them to kill each other instead, but it was too late for that now.

"I can't help how I look. I may resemble the demon king, however that doesn't make me the same person," He mentally scolded himself for repeating what his sister had told him before. He'd forever deny accepting what she had said.

"Well, we can help you there, kid," the leader replied.

Lelouch didn't like where this was going.

The men pulled out knives as they drew closer. "For a fair payment we'll change how your face looks so no one else will mistake you for a monster."

Lelouch was powerless to stop what was about to happen and yet, part of him didn't think it was such a bad idea, despite the pain he'd be in when it was over.

"It's amusing how we always end up reuniting like this."

Lelouch knew that voice. The men turned to look to the entrance of the alley. Standing there was a young woman with long green hair and golden eyes.

"C.C.? What are you doing here?"

He should have known she'd know if he had survived. How could she not? They were connected through their contract after all.

"I knew you were alive, yet locating you was more difficult then I had expected. Still, we're here now so it no longer matters how. All that's left is to deal with these-"

"These what!" cried the leader of the group. He was getting pretty pissed off that they were being ignored. "Get lost bitch, we ain't got no beef with you, unless you want to entertain us later that is."

C.C. looked over to Lelouch and kept her face perfectly neutral. "Have you forgotten the Geass canceller? Lord Geramiya used it quite often to cure any victims of Geass."

Lelouch's eyes widened. "Meaning,..."

"Yes, you can use it on them again," she replied.

"What the hell is she talking about?" asked one of the men.

"She's probably drunk or high or something. Grab her and keep her quiet while we take care of her boyfriend. Then we can have our fun with her afterwards."

"Oh? Will you now?"

The men turned to look at Lelouch who made sure to make eye contact with each of them as he removed his special contact lens. "Then Lelouch Vi Britannia orders you, all of you, to act like proper citizens of this new, free world. You shall live your lives in peace and never act cruelly to others ever again!"

All men froze before saluting him. "Yes, your highness!"

Lelouch smiled then, a genuine emotion that he never thought he'd experience again.

. . .

Zero raced down the streets, getting more and more worried as time passed. As he rounded a corner he bumped into four men.

"I beg your pardon sir, I didn't see you there," the first man replied as he helped Zero to his feet.

"No, it's alright, I wasn't paying attention," Zero began to reply when he noticed the tell-tale red glow around the men's eyes. He could identify the mark of Geass right away. It was all the proof he needed to know that Lelouch had been this way. He took off running in the direction where the men had come from.

. . .

"So, how is life treating you after the death of the emperor?"

Lelouch blinked slowly as he and C.C. walked down the lonely streets.

"It's maddening," he replied.

C.C. smiled at this. "A completely honest answer? I expected sarcasm."

"I had every intention of dying that day, but others intervened."

"The new Zero? I'm sure Suzaku must have mixed feelings about sparing the man who killed Princess Euphie."

Lelouch looked up at the sky as the stars shown above the rooftops. "Yes, he still refuses to forgive me for that. However,..."

"His actions say otherwise," she finished for him. "If he still hated you for that then why would he not only spare you, but try to hide you from the world?"

"What's your point?" he asked.

"That some friendships really can survive anything life throws at them. You and Suzaku have both betrayed each other, yet you still manage to rely on each other when it truly matters."

"It's more complicated than that. He's pretending to be nice now, but the truth will reveal itself over time."

C.C. smiled at him with a knowing grin, "And what if time proves that his friendship is genuine? What then?"

"Then I'll be happy to be wrong for a change," he replied.

. . .

An hour later Suzaku made it back to the apartment. He was exhausted and it showed as he entered the apartment. He saw a shadow from the living room, signaling that someone was sitting on the couch. "Sorry, I thought I had found a trail I could follow, but it turned out to be a dead end. Any luck on your end?"

The woman on the couch leaned over and smiled with a pizza in mid-bite. "As usual, I don't need luck."

Suzaku blinked when he saw the green hair. "C.C.? But, how?"

"That's right, she's the one who found me."

The former knight of zero turned and was greeted by Lelouch who was in the kitchen carrying a plate with a few slices of pizza for himself. "I'm surprised you were running around looking for me dressed like that."

Suzaku blinked before realizing he was still dressed as Zero and quickly removed his mask. "Like you've never done anything like that? I recall the time when we chased Arthur through the school, it didn't seem to matter to you then."

"I wasn't dressed as Zero then," he replied.

"No," Suzaku agreed, "but you were hiding the fact that you knew me back then. It wasn't easy being an eleven in a school for Britannians."

"Japanese," C.C. corrected. "Japan has been freed just like the rest of the world. Therefore you are no longer a number."

Suzaku smiled at that. "Yes, that's right. It's going to take some getting used to."

"Shouldn't you call off the search for me?" asked Lelouch. "I'm sure you've got my sister and Lloyd searching for me."

Suzaku pulled out his phone, "Yes, that's right."

. . .

Cornelia sighed as she looked out the window of her office. It was a relief to know her brother had been found safe. She was going to have a serious talk with him when she returned to the apartment. Lloyd on the other had was just relieved he had one less thing to worry about.

Meanwhile at the palace, Nunnally was looking out of her bedroom window. The garden below shifted in the soft night breeze and cast dancing ripples of light in the pond. She turned her gaze upward then at the night sky. She hoped her party would end well and maybe allow her to move on. She hadn't told Suzaku or anyone, but every time she heard the door open she couldn't help but imagine her brother walking through the door. She reached up to close the window when a shooting star streaked across the sky. It was the most beautiful thing she had seen since regaining her sight and she quickly folded her hands and made a wish on it.

"Please," she whispered to the moon.