Pre-notes: I have a confession to make. All the tangents are experiments in storytelling approaches. Thanks very much to those who reviewed all the previous tangents, especially the fifth one. Every review is taken into account for future works. If I'm confident enough, I just might end up writing that other story.

Disclaimer: Code Geass belongs to Sunrise.

Part 3.033: For Brother

Nunnally vi Britannia is dreaming.

Unlike most people, she can tell when she is dreaming and when she's not. How, you may ask? It's because in her dreams, she can see. In her dreams, her body is whole. In her dreams, her world is whole.

She is seven years old, and sitting in the gardens of the Aries Imperial Villa, making flower wreaths with her mother. Her brother is in the gazebo, playing chess with someone she can't see. Probably their Schneizel-niisama, she thought. He only plays half-heartedly with everybody else, and she could tell that right now he is deep in thought.

She is running to her brother, now, having finished her wreath. Her smile widens when he thanks her for her gift, then she becomes confused when his expression turned into a sad smile.

"There's something I have to do," he told her, giving her hands a light squeeze. He gives her a kiss on the cheek then turns away, releasing her hands.

She tries to follow him, but her legs give out from under her. She tries to follow him with her gaze, but her surroundings turn pitch-black. Now she calls out for him, reaching out to try and make him take her hands and show her the way, but he does not come.

Now she is fifteen years old again, with legs that could not walk, eyes that could not see, and she remembers.

"The kind and gentle world that you wished for is now within reach," he had said right before she felt a needle pierce her arm. Soon she felt herself grow drowsy.

"With how well you handled Area 11 by yourself, I know that this new world will be in good hands," she heard him speak, his voice suddenly older and far away. "I only regret that I have to leave you to make it happen.

"I love you, Nunnally."

"Oniisama!" she cries out into the darkness, but knows that he won't be answering her calls.

She hugs herself and lets herself cry. She has missed him dearly in the past year, having suddenly been pushed back into the world they both left eight years ago. Naturally she has asked for him, but everyone she asked refused even to speak his name. She returned to Japan hoping that, as Governor and through the SAZ, she could make it a better place for both Britannians and Japanese. She hoped that, when the threats that haunted them all their lives pass, he could finally reveal himself and they could be together again.

Then she learned that Zero was actually her beloved brother, and her entire world shattered. Never did she think that her kind and caring brother could commit murder in cold blood. Never did she think he could cause the death of innocent civilians. Never did she think that a terrible power such as Geass could corrupt a heart as pure as his.

However, at the Damocles, she learned what he was trying to accomplish. When the magnitude of the sacrifices he made and was about to make finally dawned on her, she refused to let him go through with it. He, however, expected her reaction and put her to sleep.

Now she has withdrawn deep within herself, not wanting to come awake in the world without her brother.

"Why do you cry, Nunnally?"

She turns her head towards the sound of the voice, and is surprised to see someone there. The voice is not unknown to her, but she wonders why she can see how the person looked.

Had they met before she lost her sight?

"C.C.-san?"

"Why do you cry, Nunnally?"

"Because," she answers tentatively, "Oniisama is leaving me, and he won't be coming back."

"What if he hasn't gone yet, and you have the power to have him stay?"

Nunnally's face turns hopeful at the words. "You mean...?"

"What if you can save him, Nunnally?"

There was no need to answer that question.

"What do I need to do?"

Diethard Reid was tense.

It had nearly been thirty-six hours since Tamaki contacted him saying his cover was blown, yet he had not received word that he can now return to the Black Knights. If everything had gone according to Lelouch's plan, the cue should have arrived more than half a day ago.

Moreover, he had intercepted some communications that the Black Knights have captured the young emperor - hours after receiving Tamaki's call. The Avalon was also observed turning back then leaving again around that time.

There was just no other explanation: something had gone wrong and Lelouch got himself captured.

His suspicions were confirmed when Kururugi Suzaku - clearly battered but hardly even limping - arrived alone in their hideout moments later.

"Any word?"

"I was hoping you'd have some for us," Diethard replied.

"This isn't good," Suzaku began, slumping on a nearby chair. "Even C.C. didn't show up." Diethard slammed his fist against the table.

"Then we'll have to assume that the Black Knights did capture him."

"Where is Nunnally?"

"Still asleep in the next room," replied Diethard, turning to face him. "That's another thing I'm worried about. The sedative we gave her wasn't even that strong. She should have woken up soon after we arrived here."

Suzaku was about to speak when Jeremiah Gottwald suddenly burst into the room, his tone urgent.

"Turn on the news."

Complying, Diethard reached for the remote and turned the television on. The sight of the blindfolded and handcuffed Lelouch escorted by armed men wearing the Black Knights uniform greeted them. All listened intently to what the newscaster said.

-...ror Lelouch vi Britannia is now in the custody of the UFN. Charges have been promptly filed by the UFN Supreme Council, and his trial is set to begin early tomorrow. With the gravity of the charges and the absence of witnesses for the defense, it is expected that a verdict will be reached in the same day. In other news...-

The room fell silent when the television was turned off, each absorbing this piece of information his own way. They have waited too long to make a move, trusting that Lelouch's plan would work flawlessly as it usually did. Now that the UFN had him, there weren't many options left for them to choose from.

"We have to get him out of there," it was Jeremiah who spoke.

"That's a given," answered Suzaku, "but if we break him out now, we'll end up starting another war."

"That's true," agreed Diethard. "If we wait it out, though, he's as good as dead. The Black Knights already had precautions against his Geass set up, as well. He won't be able to get out of there by himself, and Tamaki's already been found out. Best we could do is try and get witnesses for his defense."

"...which we don't have," said Suzaku. "Anybody who'll stand as defense witness would most likely be arrested then put on trial next. Although we could probably say we've been forced to do those things because of Geass, but-"

"-he's the one who used it, therefore getting His Majesty an instant 'guilty' verdict," Jeremiah finished for him. "What if we mention the Geass Canceler?"

"No better," sighed Diethard. "It would only show him as a cruel ruler, commanding his forces not with loyalty but by stealing their will, giving it back once they proved useless. The Geass argument could work, though, if he wasn't the one who cast it."

Suzaku seemed to catch on. "You're suggesting an impostor, then?"

"It's not impossible," reasoned Diethard, "with the present technologies, a face and a voice can be easily simulated. Them falling for Tamaki's disguise is proof enough. We could say the impostor used the confusion caused by the disappeareance of the former emperor and a wild guess of Prince Lelouch's survival after Princess Nunnally reappeared as Governor. He'd then use Geass on whoever suspected he wasn't who he said he was."

"It could work," agreed Suzaku. "I could mention being fooled at first because we've been friends during his stay at my family's shrine."

"One problem though," interrupted Jeremiah. "Villetta Nu is there. She knows about Geass and how to detect it. One check of His Majesty's eyes and it's all over."

"What if he does not have a Geass?" All three turned to face the speaker.

"Nunnally!"

"What if my brother does not have a Geass, Mr. Reid?"

Understanding what she was implying, Diethard answered, "Then all we need to explain is why he was found wearing Zero's costume."

Nunnally nodded. "I may be able to help you with that."

"Nunnally," Suzaku cut in, "you don't have to get mixed up in this. Lelouch wouldn't-"

"Oniisama had been protecting me all this time, Suzaku-san," countered Nunnally, her tone determined. "It's my turn to save Oniisama."

End-notes: Apologies for the later-than-usual update. R2 Nunnally was a lot harder to write than I thought. If anything's off, let me know.

Date last edited: 2009-02-25