A/N: first I want to thank everyone for their reviews and second I do want to offer an apology to those who felt offended by me using characters from Code Geass OZ of the Reflection. My only reason for doing so mostly was for plot progression and most importantly for the sake of not using OCs out of fear that I could make them overpowering or worse. Although I assure you that the person Orpheus reports to is from the main stream and rightful Code Geass canon. Once Maribelle and other characters have served their purpose that will be it of them with more focus on the main cast.

Chapter 7

Things get a lot worse

It was probably the most tense and difficult moment she has ever faced in her entire life as Maribelle was facing a dangerous and a no-win situation where the princess saw no way she and her ship could escape the current situation they were in alive as ships she had never seen before had them surrounded and people who were floating in the air seemingly without the aid of technology had them surrounded as well which further stacked the odds against them. The slow rising numbers of unknown units caused their chances of survival to drop lower.

"Your highness," Oldrin from the cockpit of the Lancelot Grail began before adding. "We have another unknown ship; I am guessing it must be some kind of battle cruiser."

"I don't understand they don't seem to be using a FLOAT system," Cecile commented as she was confused because the EMCOM sensors and visuals gave incomplete readings. The question on her mind was just how it was possible for their ships and their soldiers keep floating, but the answer was outside her knowledge as far as she knew.

"Your highness what should we do, we should attack before they do." Johann suggested, but the princess knew it was a bad idea.

But suddenly…at the same time a pair of two flying individuals was approaching to the ship with their approach announced by a surprising message. The unknown identified himself as Lelouch vi Britannia, but of course there was an obvious scoff of disbelief from Johann and a few others. However Maribelle believed otherwise rising from her command chair.

"Miss Croomy please focus our cameras on that man and zoom in on his face," Maribelle ordered.

"Yes your highness," Cecile replied as she did as she was ordered. Upon closer inspection of Lelouch's face the sight of the face belonging to her supposed dead stepbrother made her gasp.

"All soldiers stand down, you too Oldrin."

"Yes your highness," Oldrin replied.

"Your majesty I don't think," Johann began, but Maribelle cut him off.

"All units are to stand down and signal those two that they may come aboard. I want an escort to bring them to me on the bridge of the ship immediately."

"Yes your highness," Johann replied before leaving the bridge.

For the next five minutes Maribelle waited for Lelouch and the young unknown woman who was accompanying him outside of the ship to be brought to her. She began pacing around the bridge waiting for them while more ships outside were surrounding them. But it wasn't long before Lelouch with Nanoha accompanying him arrived on the bridge.

Maribelle looked upon Lelouch as the resemblance to the young black hair boy she had last seen seven years ago stood before her. She was wary, but she was hopeful and she knew there was one thing that only Lelouch would have known. It was something he had taught her seven years ago when they were children meeting during Lady Marianne's funeral.

"If you are my brother then just tell me one thing," Maribelle began. "Where is the site of the King in the battlefield, and why?"

That question was confusing for many present with the sole exception of Lelouch and maybe those close to him heard him make mention of it before.

"With his men, because if the king cannot lead then how can his subordinates follow?"

Maribelle was stunned as only Lelouch could have spoken those words.

"My brother it is you," the young woman said happily while trying to keep her composure.

Meanwhile below on the ground Hayate was standing on the roof of a building looking at the Grandberry along with Signum and Vita. The trio had been left behind after agreeing that Lelouch with Nanoha accompanying him should make contact with the Britannian ship. Vita almost wanted to storm the ship and eliminate the threat, but Hayate and Lelouch agreed that the ship was deliberately left behind as a bait to draw the attention of the TSAB.

"This sucks we should have gone with them," Vita complained.

"Then we could have provoked a full scale battle that would have ended in a one sided slaughter," Signum pointed out.

"So sending Nanoha and Lelouch alone onto that ship was a good idea?"

"It is the best way to obtain a peaceful solution to the matter," Hayate said calmly, although to be fair the young girl was a little nervous about the situation too. "Besides don't forget that Nanoha-chan is with him so there is nothing to be worried about."

"I agree…he has always deeply trusted Nanoha-san," Signum said speaking in agreement with her mistress.

"I know," Hayate said before remembering a time which she believed their bond as friends grew stronger and laid the foundation for possibly something more in the future.

(April 10th 2010 A.T.B.)

It was outside the Kururugi Shrine on a mountain pathway as a makeshift starting line had been set up while two wheelchairs stood side by side to one another. Nunnally was in her wheelchair while behind her Suzaku was holding the handles while next to her was Hayate in her wheelchair, but standing behind her was Vita ready to push her. Fate was acting as referee for the whole event as the first wheelchair race was about to begin, but the only people missing were Nanoha and Lelouch. The lack of Lelouch's presence was probably for the best since he would likely try to stop the whole race between the two girls.

"Are you ready Nunnally-chan?" Hayate called out.

"I am, but Suzaku and I will win."

"Forgive me, but I think Vita and I will claim victory." Hayate said confidently while Vita grinned smugly.

"We'll see about that," Suzaku said as he got into the completive spirit of the race about to happen.

"Two laps around the course….get ready…set…go," Fate said dropping her hand as Vita took off pushing Hayate across the smooth pathway while Nunnally and Suzaku were racing to catch up with the two to win the wheelchair race. Vita despite being seemingly younger and less fit than Suzaku was able to push Hayate ahead of the two as Suzaku was giving his all to catch up with the two.

Meanwhile as the race was underway Nanoha and Lelouch were running along the pathway trying to find the others and also discover what they were up to. The black haired young man very concerned, although Nanoha tried to be the optimistic voice of reason.

"I am sure it's nothing," Nanoha said taking point as Lelouch needed to stop to catch his breath while he was panting while his head was covered in sweat.

"The fact they left without saying a word to me is a sign of trouble Nanoha," The former prince said after a few moments of catching his breath. Lelouch had both hands on his knees trying to summon up more strength to continue on ahead while Nanoha opposite of Lelouch was full of energy. But the sound of rushing wheels alerted the young girl that something was coming very fast down the path. The young woman stepped aside, but Lelouch who was still in the middle of recovery was unfortunate caught in the path of a speeding wheelchair being pushed by Vita who couldn't really see in front of her due to her own size and the wheelchair and Hayate was cheering as she held her eyes close at that moment so none of them realized they had just ran down Lelouch.

All they thought they hit was a speed bump, but seconds later Nunnally and Suzaku came speeding by and they too ran down the fallen prince without even realizing it.

"LELOUCH," Nanoha cried as she hurried to the fall boy's side as he had tire tracks from wheelchairs on his back and foot prints as well too. There some burses, but no deep cuts or any signs of serious injury. However Lelouch wasn't responding as she was trying to get through to him by slapping his right cheek a little. "Please say something Lelouch-kun!"

"Uh…no mommy I don't want to go to school to day I want to stay home and play with my toys," Lelouch muttered as the impact was enough to knock him clear back to preschool.

Hearing the cry Fate came down the trail and happened upon the scene where she saw her best friend trying to pull Lelouch out of harm's way before the racers came back around for a second lap. The blonde haired woman went to help Nanoha get Lelouch off of the path before Fate knelt down next to him searching him for any signs of potential serious injury that could be life threatening but it was unlikely Lelouch had any.

"Will he be alright," Nanoha asked worryingly.

"He should be fine, but maybe Shamal should look him over," Fate replied.

"What were those two doing?"

"Hayate and Nunnally wanted to have a wheelchair race."

"A wheelchair race, I don't think Lelouch would have liked that idea."

"They believed so too, which is why they didn't tell him."

Nanoha said as she looked down at the injured Lelouch.

"Fate, without us poor Lelouch-san is helpless isn't he?"

"I think so too, but you should give him credit. Despite all of the challenges before him he tries very hard to take care of Nunnally."

"But we are helping her out too right," Nanoha said hopefully.

"Yes I believe we are."

(Present Day)

Aboard the Grandberry, but more specifically on its bridge Lelouch and Maribelle were meeting for the first time in seven years. It was a family reunion under tense circumstances, but Lelouch was intent on defusing the situation one way or another. However he did have his Geass available to him but the young man decided on trying to deal with the issue more diplomatically if possible. Maribelle on the other hand was in shock at the appearance of her seven-year presumed dead step brother who had died in Japan during the war that saw the former independent country become Area 11.

"Brother you're alive, but what are you doing here?"

"Well this might be hard for you to swallow sister," Lelouch began with a matter of fact tone.

Taking a moment to glance at the flying humans Maribelle turned her attention back to her brother.

"I don't think that might be a problem, but what exactly are you doing here?"

"That is a story upon itself," Lelouch replied while shrugging his shoulders before asking, "However why are you and this ship here. I assume the larger vessel that fled must have been using you as bait to divert the attention of the military forces here."

"It was exactly what he said to us before that light enveloped the Grandberry, and we appeared here." Maribelle explained confirming what Lelouch had suspected, but the former prince noticed that the girl before him hesitated for a moment before adding. "Pendragon…it was completely erased from the map, a crater of nearly 15 KM was all that remained from it."

Lelouch was stunned by this news while Nanoha on the other hand was outright horrified and her expression showed that.

"The rest was flattened rubble or burning ruins in a radius of a hundred kilometers. The last census of Pendragon was of 25 Million people…and all…are gone except for us, Cornelia and Euphemia. All of the Royal Family is gone."

Despite what Lelouch might have felt for the majority of the royal family and the noble families the sudden destruction of an entire city and the surrounding area was a lot to swallow because this raised over a hundred red flags in regards to Orpheus and his unknown superior. If they are willing to go that far and considering not too long ago they had planted a bomb that would have inflicted the same amount of damage further demonstrated their outright disregard for innocent civilians.

Even I wasn't so...extreme…

"The Dimensional Navy is likely pursuing the ship and once word of this reaches them they will deploy their fastest ships to hunt it down," Nanoha pointed out to Lelouch.

"The what," Maribelle asked.

"Right, sister this is Nanoha Takamachi. She is First Lieutenant and is a Combat Instructor; a member of the Armed Corps' Air Combat Training Division is that right?"Lelouch asked before Nanoha nodded her head. "She is a part of an organization called the Time-Space Administration Bureau."

"I never heard of them," Cecile commented.

"I am not surprised I only became aware of them a short time ago myself. But to summarize it they are an organization, an Interdimensional security force formed jointly by a union of advance worlds and civilizations that also monitor cultural growth and provide disaster relief to each world. While they protect and monitor all worlds they avoid interfering in the affairs of developing worlds like Earth for example, but that doesn't mean they don't monitor what happens on Earth."

"I see," Maribelle replied.

"The TSAB, about over a month ago, was victim of another raid in a security facility. During it, one of Orpheus's men lost a data device," Lelouch began before adding. "They had been observing the situation in Japan from before, and inside the Device, they found evidence that pointed that they would attempt to sabotage the Special Administrative Zone of Japan opening ceremony, by killing me and planting the evidence that would blame Euphemia of the deed. While they couldn't stop them from sabotaging the ceremony at time, they acted fast enough to remove me to a medical facility in the cruiser observation and retrieve Nunnally before she was taken as a hostage likely."

As Lelouch spoke this, Maribelle was for a few seconds confused, then her eyes widened and she took a step back.

"Wait you were at the ceremony…then that means you're," The princess said realizing Lelouch's dual identity. "You are Zero, but how could that be possible?"

"Even if it's hard to believe, it's the truth; I am Zero, the Commander of the Order of the Black Knights."

Nanoha was worried because she was sure saying that Lelouch admitting he was Zero was a bad idea especially since he is on a Britannian ship currently. Maribelle on the other hand was having a difficult time accepting the truth that Lelouch was Zero as with a shaky voice she asked.

"Why…why you caused such chaos. Why fighting your own family? Why did you kill Clovis, why are you killing Britannian soldiers and inciting the world to more suffering?"

"Destruction must come before reformation Maribelle, Nunnally wished for a gentler world and I intend to give it to her, but I also wanted to find the ones who killed my mother. However I completed one of those objectives and what I found out wasn't pleasant."

"But if you are Zero…then I have to arrest you."

"I am sorry, but right now Lelouch is under the protective custody of the Bureau and so I am afraid we cannot allow you to detain him." Nanoha said stepping into the conversation, but after considering the situation outside Maribelle knew there wasn't much she could do about it.

"I suppose I can't…"

"However if that ship was quick to destroy Pendragon and then threaten to destroy this city then Orpheus must be stopped at all cost, Nanoha could you pass this along to Hayate?"

"Yes, but I should teach you how to use the communication functions of your staff," Nanoha replied as she was contacting Hayate to brief her on the situation. As Nanoha and Hayate were talking giving the girl an update on the situation as well as making her aware of what has happened on Earth if the Bureau wasn't aware of it already.

"Who was it then, who killed Lady Marianne?"

Lelouch turned his attention back to Maribelle who had asked that question.

"It was a man who called himself V.V. He is Charles zi Britannia's brother who had slain my mother out of jealousy and Charles…covered up what happened."

As that was happening Hayate was relaying what Lelouch had found out to Lindy who was horrified that such an event had taken place on Earth, but it wasn't long before her own superiors verified the information confirming that Pendragon along with much of the surrounding area was destroyed. Hayate along with Lindy were seeing live photos of the devastation, but as they were seeing the photos the Bureau had given the orders for the Dimensional Navy to scramble as ships were being sent out to hunt down the ancient battleship.

The problem was that its sheath systems would make a search difficult to conduct.

"We cannot allow that ship to get away otherwise it could wipe out another population center like Pendragon," Lindy noted while she knew this would delay her retirement once again, but even she knew this matter took importance above all others.

"I'll make sure things cool down here on our end, but what is the word on the Britannian ship. Nanoha-chan and Lelouch-san have confirmed the ship is not hostile and it isn't with the enemy."

As the conversation went on between them Signum was leaning against the wall observing her mistress, but she was concerned for Lelouch at the moment. Now that the situation was quickly escalating the female knight was hopeful they could resolve the situation quickly and apprehend Orpheus and those he was involved with.

Now it was the question of what would happen next.

Meanwhile in another corner of the city safely away from the chaos at the Midori-ya Shop operated by Nanoha's parents, Shamal was sitting with Nunnally as the young girl had just finished eating lunch. Now the two were having a conversation together in regards to Lelouch. The idea of her brother going out and rebelling against Britannia while potentially risking death frightened her in a number of ways, but after regaining her true memories of what happened seven years ago her thoughts regarding her brother's actions as Zero have softened a little.

"Your brother cares for you Nunnally you must know that, he did what he did to protect you. I don't think he had any other options."

Nunnally was quiet as she poked at her strawberry cheesecake before saying, "I know."

The young girl was quiet again, but inside of her mind the young girl was wishing that her brother didn't have to resort to violence. But after regaining her memories of what really happened she wasn't sure so if that was even possible.

"Even if your brother remained by your side there was still the present danger of something happening to both of you."

"I know, but it's just hard to accept my brother did that. He killed older brother Clovis and then he…I know it was an accident," Nunnally began as her voice became silent for a few moments until saying "Shirley's father."

Shamal regarded the young girl with a sad look wishing something could have been done back then to take Lelouch and Nunnally with them when Nanoha and others left the Earth in wake of Japan being conquered.

"From what we could see; the death of Shirley's father burdened him and even more so when she was manipulated by an insane Geass user," Shamal began to explain. "In the case of Clovis, I suspect that it was a mix of the anger to have been almost killed by members of his royal guard. Seeing how Clovis admitted to killing all those people just to protect his reputation and rank, and the likely awareness that as he used Geass with him, he couldn't risk that he were to tell Charles or anyone else that he and you were alive."

Nunnally hung her head down low after listening while trying to eat her cheesecake. The girl's mind was abuzz with many questions including what would happen to her and Lelouch, but she was more worried for her brother as he was the only family Nunnally had.

"What will happen to my brother?"

"Officially your brother has not been charged with anything, but he was put into protective custody. Even with his Geass power the Bureau has no grounds to really arrest him." Shamal answered before adding. "Even if he did commit crimes, they happened in the event of a conflict. Also, the evidence of the acts committed by Charles against you, it will gravitate. Also there is the added factor that Lelouch is now bonded with an Al-Hazard Device, and Nanoha was identified of all things as a descendant of the royal lineage of that lost civilization is likely to change the stance of the TSAB about Earth."

"What do you mean, what is Al-Hazard?"

"You weren't aware; but very recently, Lelouch was brought to a recent excavation on a Mid-Childan island. There he reacted to the ruins, which seem to be related to this Geass power of his. In response he activated and bonded with a Al-Hazard Intelligence Device in the ruins, a Device that also confirmed that the ruins were AL-Hazard, but the more important, it confirmed Lelouch and Nanoha as descendants of Al-Hazard lineage, and Nanoha being of Royal Line of this lost culture, as Raising Heart was confirmed to be a royal relic only useable for those of direct matriarchal lineage from the royal line."

Nunnally was understandably surprised by this information as Shamal kept going.

"Until now, Non-Administered World 97, Earth, was seen as an odd world that produced powerful mages every now and then. However the revelation that there are descendants of Al-Hazard Lineage, and possible relics one Earth, it's now imperative for the TSAB to open relations and start a process to try to integrate Earth to the TSAB. It won't be instantaneous, or easy, but it's now in the agenda of the TSAB to achieve this, and Lelouch, may be a key piece of the dialog with the Earth nations."

"You mean my brother would be some kind of ambassador?"

"Likely. Or some kind of enlace between the TSAB and the Earth nations."

Speaking of whom, back aboard the Grandberry a battle had been successfully avoided as Lelouch and Nanoha managed to assure the TSAB that the Britannian ship was merely being used as a diversion by Orpheus so a representative would be sent to meet with Maribelle. But as far as family matters went there were some unresolved issues the two siblings needed to work out.

"But you killed your own flesh and blood, Clovis." Maribelle said while she had been confronting Lelouch on his actions as Zero.

"Do you know why Clovis ordered the casual massacre of Japanese Civilians, as he had lost a classified subject that he had been studying behind Charles's back? Do you know what he told me when I confronted him about those deaths? He told me that those hundreds of deaths were nothing, if it meant to keep his reputation and image intact. In that moment, I simply couldn't tolerate that," Lelouch replied as his face betrayed no guilt for killing Clovis. "And Cornelia, the sister that I was so proud of once, what she did once she arrived," Lelouch snapped. "In order to flush me out, she thought NOTHING of ordering and executing another massacre of innocent Japanese just to try to bait me."

Maribelle was stunned, but she tried to say.

"But we are family this isn't supposed to happen."

"They may have been my family, but they thought nothing about the beliefs of Charles, but to exalt them, to revere them, to apply them. They chose to follow in the steps of the man that covered the killer of my mother, and in order to make a lie more believable, shot HIS OWN DAUGHTER AND MANIPULATED HER MEMORIES!"

The last statement horrified the young woman as Lelouch had enough being in the presence of his own family as he made his way to leave the bridge with Nanoha following him. Instead of rejoining Hayate the former prince began heading straight for the training field as Nanoha was following closely behind him intending on following the young man this time.

The sun was drawing closer to the horizon by the time the two arrived at the training field.

Lelouch knew Nanoha was there, but a single word wasn't spoken between them until at least two whole minutes had passed. The former prince took a deep breath before turning around to face Nanoha to address the young woman.

"Nanoha since you have been with the Bureau I want to hear your option on what is likely to happen next?"

"What do you mean?"

"Besides the ancient battleship which is an obvious threat, what will happen next?"

Nanoha realized what Lelouch was getting at before she answered. "As things are now, things are being discussed by the Grand Admirals and the Chiefs of Staff. What it's a fact that after the Pendragon Massacre and the revelation about Earth's link to the Al-Hazard civilization; there is a near unanimous voice in starting negotiations with the nations of Earth so they can start the talks toward a unified government in order to join the TSAB."

"I wonder if that would be wise. The EU and the Chinese Federation may or may not accept, but Britannia without a leader. But of course there is the question of how the world is reacting to what has happened," Lelouch said while contemplating possible situations that were likely happening on Earth as a result of Pendragon's destruction."

"In that sense, it's good that you are here," Nanoha said with a smile.

"You want me to act as a mediator between Britannia, the TSAB and the other nations…right?"

"I am not the one who would decide something like that, but it's possible they might," Nanoha replied.

"I don't think I would be the ideal choice for such a job. If anything I could offer my own opinions as a consultant."

"Regardless of that you are a leader of a rebel force, your skills in reaching accords and even manage truces with other factions it's something in what you excel. Add your natural charm and you can convince them."

"The issue is if they trust me after they learn of my real identity…all hinges in this. You must understand that if my identity as former prince of Britannia is revealed then no one will be willing to trust me."

"I trust you," Nanoha said hesitantly.

Lelouch laughed, but he wasn't mocking Nanoha per sec but rather himself.

"That is reassuring, but that won't be enough there is a lot of risk involved."

"But that's what Zero does, no? To make the impossible possible…you were willing to fight an empire with rebels and tactics…why it would be impossible for you to find the way to bring peace through this?"

"I guess you're right," Lelouch replied with a confident smile. "I could fail its true, but maybe the situation could work in my favor."

"You should be careful."

Lelouch regarded Nanoha's look of concern. She was native to a fault, but she was still the same Nanoha who was there for him when they were children.

(Seven Years Ago)

It was a few days after the assassination attempt in which Vita had intervened against, but due to what had happened Lelouch was unaware of the fact that the small girl had dispatched them and was told that security personnel on the Kururugi Grounds had dealt with them. Nevertheless after Lelouch recovered the young man had run away prompting Suzaku, Fate, Nanoha and Signum to search for him. None of the others had any luck, but remembering a cave Suzaku had mentioned when Nunnally had vanished, so the young woman made her way to the location hoping to find Lelouch there.

Nanoha found Lelouch skulking in the cave bitterly crying quietly. The former prince was trying in vain to suppress his emotions, but the harder he seemed to try the more the tears wanted to come so the young man sobbed in solitude. Nanoha understood that as prideful as Lelouch was he just didn't want anyone to see him in his current state.

The young girl cautiously approached with the former prince unaware of Nanoha's presence until she was standing over him.

"What do you want?"

"Why did you run off like that Nunnally is worried about you?"

"She should be more concerned for her own welfare than mines when I am incapable of protecting her," Lelouch snapped as Nanoha realized why the young man was upset.

"It's because you were unable to defend yourself, so how could you protect Nunnally if you can't even protect yourself."

"Why do you care?"

"Because we're friends, do I need a reason?"

"It doesn't make sense if you don't."

"Some things don't always have to make sense, but if you have a friend in need you should help them," Nanoha answered before offering her hand to Lelouch. "There is nothing wrong with accepting help from your friends. Whenever you fall down I'll be there to help you up."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"Because you are a little helpless, but you truly wish to be there for your sister so why not accept my help, Fate and even Suzaku's help. I won't tell anyone you cried in exchange ok," Nanoha said with a sincere smile.

"Lelouch," Nanoha said as the young woman shook the boy's shoulder bringing him out of the flashback moment he was experiencing.

"No matter what has happened you have somehow managed to remain the same," Lelouch pointed out.

"What do you mean by that," The young woman began to ask before realizing and assuming. "Oh you mean I act childish?" Nanoha retorted, her hand touching her ponytail remembering her old hairstyle she had as a child. "Or I'm always that little girl with pigtails to you." Before Lelouch could say a word a third voice suddenly interrupted them.

"So what's your relationship with Instructor Takamachi?" Ginga asked stepping out from behind a tree. "I saw her carrying you back in the field the last time you two were here. Are you two dating?" Ginga inquired as she clapped both hands together, hoping it is true seeing that she will be having juicy gossip to share with her friends during lunch. Of course, she'll tell Subaru first.

"HUH," Lelouch and Nanoha said together as the two were embarrassed uncertain of what to say in response.

"Uh well," Nanoha began uncertain of what say because she didn't want to imply the wrong idea and she didn't want to offend Lelouch. The former prince wasn't certain how to respond either as he was trying to think of something.

"Well we are old friends," Lelouch began but he didn't know what else he could say.

However what Lelouch failed to realize at that moment was that he had unknowingly hit a nerve with the young woman, a fact the former prince was obvious to. Yet Nanoha didn't quite understand why she felt upset.

A/N: well now that one part of the story is done onto the next challenge, getting Nanoha and Lelouch together will be my toughest challenge and the mock battle will likely be in chapter nine at this point need to do some set up and preparation. Now mind you if Lelouch had been facing Nanoha alone he would have been a dead man, but with a team behind him he might have a slight chance at pulling it off. Anyway see you guys' next chapter.