A/N: Another extra finally, yay.

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own my characters.

Setting: The Gottwald farm/Nunnally vi Britannia's mind. A few days after the events of Turn 15.

Nunnally wore a gentle look as she peered out the window at the orange groves. Just a few days ago she had been freed from the house where Ava had been keeping her. She still wasn't sure what to think of everything. Ava was clearly in the wrong. She had undone what her dearest brother had achieved with his sacrifice. She had created war from peace. Even so, Nunnally still couldn't bring herself to hate the girl. She gave a sigh as memories began to replay before her eyes.

---

Nunnally wore a content smile as she sat on the Britannian throne. Her smile deepened as a woman and a child approached. The woman was her older sister, Cornelia li Britannia. The child was her three year old daughter, a girl Nunnally hadn't seen since she was still an infant.

"Here Ava, this is your Aunt Nunnally," Cornelia spoke, smiling to the young child who clung to her mother's leg shyly, half hiding behind it.

"You needn't be frightened, Ava," said Nunnally with an inviting smile. "I'm not a scary person."

"O-okay…" the girl said with a stutter as she emerged out in the open and approached the Empress.

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, Ava," said Nunnally, tilting her head. "Come closer."

Ava moved forward timidly. She was looking mostly at the steps in front of the throne rather than up at the woman herself. Nunnally continued to smile.

"Now Ava, your Aunt here has a really important job, did you know that?" started Cornelia, placing a hand at the small child's head.

"N-no. What is it Mommy?" asked Ava in a very quiet voice.

"Aunt Nunnally is in charge of running the whole Empire of Britannia. She oversees everything and makes all the important decisions regarding our country," said Cornelia in a soft voice.

"I'm not sure I get it…" said Ava looking down.

"Let's just say that Aunt Nunnally is someone everyone in all of Britannia looks up to and loves a whole bunch," Cornelia said in an animated voice. It did Nunnally wonders to see her sister like this.

"Really? Will everyone love me like that too someday?" started Ava tentatively.

"Well only one person gets Aunt Nunnally's job, Ava, and it's Aunt Nunnally. But I'm sure people will love you too," Cornelia spoke, smiling.

"Okay…" said Ava looking slightly disappointed.

"Who knows, Ava, I just might give you my job someday if I ever get sick of all the attention," said Nunnally with a laugh.

"Really?" Ava started with wide eyes.

"Sure," Nunnally continued to smile.

"I like Aunt Nunnally, mommy. She's a lot nicer than Aunt Ari-.. Aririnet." Ava charmingly stuttered.

"Isn't she?" Cornelia laughed.

"Sister! You're not supposed to say things like that," Nunnally started, shooting Cornelia a glare.

"Come now, Nunnally. It never hurts to be honest with them. We don't want Ava to grow up to be a liar, do we?" Cornelia spoke, smirking softly.

"Whatever you say…" Nunnally sighed.

"Anyway, I think we better be going," said Cornelia. "Say goodbye to your Aunt Nunnally, Ava."

"Good bye, Aunt Nunnally," said Ava with a cute bow.

"Good bye, Ava. It was nice meeting you," Nunnally replied warmly as the girl's mother took her into her arms. The two soon left. Nunnally continued to smile long afterward.

---

It was strange remembering such things now. Ava had been nothing but innocent at their first encounter. She was a simple child no different from any other. She was shy, timid and warm. One might point out the irony of her interest even then in Nunnally's "job", but Nunnally figured this was just the natural desire of a child wanting to be loved.

Nunnally smiled as her thoughts advanced five years.

---

Nunnally sat in the castle library, perusing some books with a smile. She began to remember all the years where pretty much her only regular access to books was what her brother would read to her. She missed those days. Even if being unable to see had been a hardship on everyone, herself included, Nunnally sometimes wished she could go back to those days they spent together.

A soft knock came at the library door while Nunnally thought. She turned. "Come in," she said invitingly. The door slowly opened.

"H-hi, Aunt Nunnally…" spoke Ava li Britannia, Nunnally's sweet eight year old niece. Nunnally smiled at her.

"Ava! What a wonderful surprise! What are you doing here?" Nunnally began cheerfully.

"Mother left me in Aunt Arienette's care while she's away. But I don't like her so I thought I'd go read," started Ava, looking down.

"Now Ava, family is important. It's not right to say mean things about them," started Nunnally. "Why don't you go find your cousins? I'm sure they'll play with you."

"They all hate me… especially Jackie…" said Ava almost under her breath.

"I doubt that is true, Ava. Some times people just don't know how to show their love," Nunnally spoke with a nod.

"But Jackie told me to my face," said Ava, looking distressed.

"Did she now? I may have to inform the girl's mother of that," said Nunnally with a nod. "Even so Ava, you can't just stay to yourself. You have to make friends."

"But I do have friends at school. I have Astrid!" Ava said, looking much happier.

"And you're blessed to have her," said Nunnally with a nod. Astrid Weinberg, the spunky daughter of the Head of the Rounds had done a lot to bring Ava out of her shell. Nunnally was thankful to the girl.

"I am," said Ava as she pulled a book off the shelf and sat down before opening. To Nunnally's surprise it was a rather advanced history book.

"Ava! Certainly you haven't been reading something like that?!" exclaimed Nunnally.

"Why not? It's interesting," started Ava flipping fairly deep into the book.

"You certainly are a smart child. Your mother is right to be so proud of you."

"Hey, Aunt Nunnally. I was wondering something," the eight-year-old girl started.

"Yes, dear?" prompted the Empress.

"You know how you said that we shouldn't say anything bad about family?" asked the child.

"Yes. You really shouldn't," Nunnally said, shaking her head and smiling.

"Well, I was reading this the other day. This guy was my uncle yet all the books only say bad things about him," Ava spoke, putting the book in front of Nunnally. She stared down at a picture of her dearest brother, smirking maliciously while wearing the Emperor's regalia.

"Yes…" Nunnally stared at the picture and teared up slightly.

"Was he really a bad person?" the innocent girl asked.

Nunnally stared at the child a moment unsure of what to say. She considered lying to her. Lelouch painted himself as the villain intentionally. That had become the truth for the world. She couldn't bring herself to do this, especially after telling Ava not to speak badly of family.

"No… no he wasn't… my brother… he was someone good deep down," Nunnally spoke very deliberately, looking down.

"Then why is it like this in this book?" started Ava confused.

"Sometimes, for things to work out well, people have to hide the truth, Ava," said the Empress in a sad voice.

"But isn't lying bad?" started the girl.

"Yes. But sometimes it makes things easier for us all," Nunnally spoke.

"But that doesn't make it right. Even if it's harder, the truth is the truth. I don't think people should lie, especially not in books," said Ava with a firm nod.

"You're probably right Ava, but none of us can just make all the lies go away, and if we did, people would just be sad and confused by how much every thing had changed," said Nunnally.

"I guess…" said Ava, not looking sold on the thought. After that the conversation dropped. Ava seemed to have lost all interest in the history book and began to read a novel instead. Nunnally smiled and went back to her own book.

---

Nunnally sighed. She supposed the girl always had had a peculiar fixation with the truth. She had never expected it could flare up like it had. Even then, the girl was just a sweet child. She was remarkably intelligent for her age, prized honesty and cherished her one close friend.

Nunnally turned to even more recent memories, these from just five years ago.

---

"Aunt Nunnally!" a voice called as Nunnally sat atop her throne in the royal castle. A girl of twelve years approached rapidly, a serious look on her face.

"Yes, Ava?" Nunnally started kindly. She wore an even expression. It had been over half a year since they had received news of the girl's mother's passing. This was actually the first time Nunnally had seen young Ava, who had become quite reclusive of late, since the funeral.

"Do I have permission to remove books from the library and take them home with me?" the girl started.

"Of course you may, Ava," said Nunnally.

"Thank you," said Ava before turning to leave.

"Ava, please, we haven't seen each other in months! Can't we talk a moment?" Nunnally spoke as the girl prepared to walk away.

Ava stopped. "I suppose," she said.

"Good," Nunnally smiled. "So how has school been going?" She started with a perfectly innocent question.

"Fairly well. It used to be just me and Astrid, but now a lot of people seem to want to be my friend. It's strange," said Ava with a shrug.

"It's always good to make new friends. I'm happy for you, Ava," said Nunnally with a smile. Bringing up a new topic, she asked, "So what have you been researching?"

"Britannian economic trends," the other replied. Needless to say, Nunnally was surprised.

"Would you mind if I asked why?" she started.

"I'm not sure I should talk about it with you," said Ava tentatively.

"But Ava, don't you always say it's better not to hide the truth from people?" the Empress said with a nod.

"Very well," said Ava. "I'm curious, Aunt Nunnally, as Empress, is every decision you make in the best interest of Britannia?"

Nunnally was unsure about how to approach the question. She supposed she knew what the child was getting at, but she didn't know how to give a response.

"Sometimes an Empress has to make compromises, Ava, to keep the world a happy place," said Nunnally.

"But what of the people who's happiness is compromised by that compromise?" questioned the girl.

"It's a sad thing, Ava but not everyone in this world can have happiness. An Empress must strive to make sure the most people are happy the world over," said Nunnally.

"But why?" asked Ava quickly. "Shouldn't an Empress only concern herself with her own people. The people who love and respect her, the one's who look to her for guidance and support?"

"But that would be selfish Ava. People are people whether they're Britannian or not," started Nunnally.

"But the other nations' people have their own rulers to look after them. Why can't it work like that?" started the young girl.

"Because Ava, that's how war starts," said Nunnally in a full voice.

"I once read that fighting was a natural part of being human. Isn't war then intrinsic to society?" asked Ava, her head titled.

"But it doesn't have to be. And it's really something to avoid," started Nunnally.

"Why is that? A successful war can have great economic benefits. Britannia was at its richest when it was an empire of conquest," the girl said with a nod.

"You know what it's like to lose someone, Ava…" said Nunnally. "People die in war. People lose their loved ones. It's a sad, horrible thing."

"Mother's still out there… I know it…" said Ava looking down.

"Ava… you still…" started Nunnally but she trailed off, deciding it was best not to fight it.

"Anyway, I think I'll excuse myself, now, Aunt Nunnally," Ava spoke, looking depressed now. "Thank you for the chat."

"I'm sorry Ava," said Nunnally in a warm voice. "And I thank you as well for talking today."

With that Ava departed.

---

Cornelia's death had changed Ava so much. She had become much stronger, colder, resolute. It was an attitude that charmed the school boys and girls and won her many friends. Nunnally wondered if the loss of her mother, hadn't also had some adverse effects on her way of thinking about things. Remembering that talk, she could see the making of the Ava of today quite clearly.

Still, Ava li Britannia was a sincere child. Her philosophy wasn't necessarily pure evil either. She thought like Nunnally's father, but with less cruel words. Though Lelouch may have seen things differently, Nunnally never saw their father as an incarnation of evil. He was just a man with different priorities. She resented him for certain things he had done, sure, but the emotion was not pure hate.

Ava's wasn't evil back then, she just had different priorities herself, a different prospective. Maybe that was all this was now. Nunnally didn't know. She supposed it was foolish to think such a thing. Ava had clearly gone too far. That's why Nunnally was going to speak out against her.

But like always, she retained her faith in her family.

A/N: I was very surprised at how well Ava and Nunnally did in the poll (which I'm still going to leave up for a while). As I had wanted to write some scenes detailing the relationship of the two and how it had progressed, I jumped at the opportunity when I saw it. Anyway, I hope these little snippets of the past were informative. Thanks for reading.