A/N: I don't own Code Geass nor this story or the characters it features.

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Code Geass R3: Lelouch of the Redemption
Turn 01 - The Day the Demon did not Die

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'v'

The Imperial Crown Colony, near Tokyo settlement. Fourteen months earlier.

'v'

The young man's mangled corpse lay on a pile of refuse, its flesh torn in countless places. Horrible as the damage looked, C.C. had seen worse – and she had even experienced worse: the young man had not been dismembered or beheaded like she had sometimes been. She had expected the corpse to look even more horrible than it did and had braced herself for the shock of seeing it by picturing in her head the most ghastly scenes of murder she had ever seen – and it had not helped her in the slightest: the shock of seeing the corpse sent the immortal woman on all fours. She gagged and retched, and her mind was overwhelmed by a pain like nothing she remembered. Still she'd come to claim the body, and so she staggered in its direction, ignorant of the stink and the stains from the heap of garbage over which she crawled on her way to the piteous remains of her dead contractor.

The 99th Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia had gone out of his way to make himself hated - and he had been successful. His name had been cursed in every language spoken by man, and it would go down in history as that of the most heinous of monsters ever to walk the Earth, the megalomaniac tyrant who'd thought nothing of causing the deaths of hundreds of millions of innocents to become the sole ruler of mankind: Lelouch vi Britannia. The fact she knew this was exactly what Lelouch had wanted only added to her grief. C.C. had been one of the three people who were privy to his real intentions. Far from being the monster people would remember, Lelouch had sacrificed his life and even his memory to make the world a place without war.

C.C. did not reach his ruined husk. She still had a quarter of the way to make when she collapsed. Even though she knew it was useless she howled in pain and cried out his name. She had once worried Lelouch might be getting attached to her and had hoped they would be nothing more than each other's accomplice. She had never dreamed that she would end up having feelings for him. The pain she was now experiencing dispelled all the doubts she'd had about the reality of her feelings for him. In a sense they were Lelouch's gift to her, a gift far more precious than the death for which she used to long for: for the first time in centuries she remembered what it was to be human.

If only it had been possible for Lelouch to extend that gift without causing her such pain…

She had to look away from Lelouch to find the strength to close the distance between her and his body. She opened her improvised rucksack and took out the blanket she'd brought to wrap Lelouch's body into, and laid it next to him. C.C. reached for the corpse, still not daring to glance at it.

The flesh she touched felt inexplicably hot. Flesh that had been dead for several hours and left outside in a cold night wasn't supposed to burn with fever. It was almost as if…

C.C. gasped. 'It should not be true' she said to herself. 'It could not be true. It must not be true!'

She whimpered. As much as she wanted to look at Lelouch and see whether he still lived, she could not bring herself to look at him: she was afraid of having hoped Lelouch might somehow be alive only to see her hope crushed, either because he was really dead or because all she would be able to do would be to watch him powerlessly as death finally caught with him. And at the same time she cursed herself for being incapable to act. She was supposed to be an immortal witch, detached from humanity and with no other reason to live than to find a way to finally die. It would have been so much simpler if Lelouch had not become another reason for her to live.

Trying to stop herself from thinking, C.C. reached tentatively for Lelouch's chest, knowing that she was supposed to find a gaping wound open at his heart. But she didn't feel one.

She felt a pulse.

Her own heart racing, C.C. inspected the wounds on her accomplice's body feverishly. They did not quite look like hers did when they were mending on their own, but they were mending. No doubts were possible now: Lelouch couldn't die anymore than she could.

Trying to be as gentle and careful as she could, the immortal witch wrapped her accomplice in the blanket she had brought for him and she carried him away. She hoped they would be far enough from civilization when the enemy of the world awakened.

'v'

The same night. The Imperial Crown Colony, Tokyo Settlement. The Palace of Emperor Lelouch, residential wing.

'v'

When she entered the temporary quarters which had been set up for Nunnally, Princess Cornelia was surprised to find her younger sibling in the company of two young people, one of them a blond-haired woman Cornelia was pretty sure was the host of a TV news broadcast, the other a blue-haired teenager in his school uniform.

She cleared her throat to address them: 'I thought I had made it clear that I didn't want her Royal Highness' rest disturbed' she said, gratifying the two intruders with a withering glare. The young man recoiled, but the blond woman returned Cornelia's stare.

'They're both here at my invitation, big sister' Nunnally said.

Cornelia relaxed, and she offered Nunnally's guests a rare smile: 'I will have to apologize to you both, then.'

'Your Highness is most welcome' the blond woman replied with a smile of her own. She looked quite the winsome girl, while her companion seemed too intimidated to talk.

'I need to talk to my sister' Cornelia explained, her voice now crisp and business-like. 'Would you two mind stepping outside?'

It was obviously not a request, and the two youths complied with Cornelia's wishes. The young man risked a 'See you later, then', to which Cornelia's sibling replied a 'See you' of her own, smiling apologetically. The warrior Princess escorted them outside and asked the guards at Nunnally's door to make sure nobody interrupted her conversation with her half-sister. Then she stepped back inside Nunnally's room.

Cornelia smiled. 'Friends of yours?' she asked casually.

'I met them both when I was at school here.'

'I'm sorry I had to interrupt this reunion' Cornelia said sincerely.

'It's okay.' Nunnally's voice was strained. 'It was weird. They said they had completely forgotten about me since I'd gone back to the Homeland, and all of a sudden they've just remembered.'

The two sisters exchanged meaningful gazes. They both knew of a means of altering a person's memory: Geass. Their late father Charles and late brother Lelouch had both had access to the supernatural powers of Geass, and neither of them had shown restraint in their use of Geass, as Nunnally herself knew from experience: her father had rewritten some of her memories and had made her lose her sight in the process, and then her brother had compelled her to surrender the key to Damocles against her will.

Her brother…

'Big sister' Nunnally said, 'I need to tell you something about Lelouch.'

'Am I about to hear the words he spoke to you before he died?'

'You're going to hear a bit more.'

Cornelia blinked with surprise. She had thought Nunnally wanted to talk about her brother's death because she needed to be comforted. The flinty determination in the young Princess' voice hinted at very different motives. 'Let's hear his words for a start' Cornelia said thoughtfully.

'They were "I destroy worlds, I create worlds".'

Cornelia nodded. 'Remaking the world in his image had really become his obsession. Apparently being murdered did not make him see the error in his ways.'

'He wasn't murdered. He committed suicide.'

Cornelia actually jumped. 'What do you mean by "he committed suicide?" ' She had spoken sharply. 'That Zero masquerader ran him through with a sword, it was no suicide.'

'He set up his own murder' Nunnally said with a thick voice. 'He gave Zero's mask to Suzaku.'

'Suzaku?' A worried frown creased Cornelia's face. 'Nunnally, Suzaku is dead. You may not have heard, since you were Lelouch's prisoner, but Suzaku was killed during the battle for Damocles. He was buried with great pomp seven weeks ago. They made it mandatory to watch the broadcast.'

'I know, they broadcast it to us prisoners too' Nunnally replied. 'I think it was a sham. There was no way Suzaku could become Zero if he was still the Knight of Zero.'

Cornelia did not reply. She looked at her sibling with concern.

'You're wondering if I went crazy after I saw what they did to brother' Nunnally stated. Cornelia looked at her. There was a small smile on Nunnally's lips.

'You'll have to admit I have reasons to worry' Cornelia finally said.

'I know.' She was still smiling. 'You've heard those tales of how one's life replays in their heads right before they died?'

'It's not infrequent among soldiers who suffered a near-fatal injury' Cornelia replied worriedly.

'When I took his hand I could see what he was remembering.'

'A hallucination?' Cornelia said sharply.

'No, I think it was a side effect of Geass' Nunnally countered calmly. 'He may not have realized he was doing it. I'm pretty sure he could no longer see or hear me.'

'And what did you see?'

'He made a pact with Suzaku. He gave him Zero's mask. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I didn't need to. He's done what I intended to do with Damocles before he stopped me.'

'You weren't going to do anything with Damocles!' Cornelia exclaimed. 'Schneizel was manipulating you! We all thought he was trying to stop Lelouch's madness when he was actually worse than him! He actually told me he wanted to play the role of God!'

'That's the reason I let him manipulate me' Nunnally replied calmly. Cornelia stared at her sister, an expression of shock painted on her traits. Nunnally spoke again: 'He could only become a God because he was the master of Damocles. Damocles would have become the symbol of the people's hatred, not him. Their hatred would have focused on it, so that everyone would have been free to move towards their futures.'

'They would have had the freedom of slaves!' Cornelia spat.

'That was the best I could offer them.' Nunnally smiled sadly. 'Big brother seems to have found a better way: he became the focus of the people's hatred, and then the people got their wish: he's dead. And now they are free.'

Cornelia gave Nunnally a stunned look. 'They are' she said with a troubled voice. 'I had no idea you had thought things this far.'

'And there's no need for FLEIJA now' Nunnally said. 'Anybody who tries to start a war will be associated with Lelouch in other people's minds, and everybody else will turn against them. They'll be just as hated as big brother is.'

'They certainly will be…' Cornelia was shaking as she sat in one of the chairs that had been vacated by Nunnally's guests. 'Do you have any other reasons to believe Lelouch might actually have made the kind of plans you're suggesting?'

'Just one reason: he promised me he would make a kinder world.'

'He destroys worlds and creates worlds…' Cornelia mused. 'But he didn't care about you. He said it himself. And we know he was a first-class liar and manipulator. What makes you think he'd want to keep a promise he made to you?'

Nunnally smiled. 'Well, either he lied to me when he made his promise or he lied when he said he didn't like me. Judging from the results, either he screwed up – which means he didn't like me – or his plan worked, which means he kept his promise. He's left us free to believe whichever version suits us. I choose to believe his plan worked.'

Both sisters sat quietly for a few moments, their eyes on each other. The elder of the two had a troubled look on her face, where the younger of them looked serene, if still saddened by the death of her brother.

It was Nunnally who broke the silence. 'You had come to tell me something, big sister' she said gently.

'I had come to make a request, but I'm no longer sure it is a good idea' Cornelia replied with a frown.

'What was it you wanted to ask?'

'Well…' Cornelia swallowed. 'I was going to ask you to become a minister in the next government of Britannia.'

'You think I'm not qualified enough to be a minister after what I've just told you?'

'You've certainly given me afterthoughts. Don't worry about your qualifications, though, you're certainly more capable than most of our brothers and sisters.' Cornelia smiled ruefully. 'You're such a gentle person that it's easy to forget you're actually Lelouch's sister.'

'Was that actually a compliment?' Nunnally said, also smiling.

'It's as much of a compliment as being compared to the Demon Emperor can be.'

Nunnally sighed. 'The Demon Emperor…'

'I've heard quite a few people in resistance circles call him by that name in the past couple of weeks' Cornelia explained. 'You'd better get used to hearing this name. I'm pretty sure it'll stick.'

'I think Lelouch would have appreciated' Nunnally said sadly.

'Maybe he would have' Cornelia acquiesced, and she sighed. 'We will never know for certain. To speak frankly, I'm not sure we want to.'

Nunnally nodded. 'If anybody told the public Lelouch has sacrificed himself to make peace, there would be those who believe them, and those who've lost too much to believe. There'd be another war, and he'd have died in vain.'

Cornelia smiled. 'You're definitely a better politician than the family thinks.'

Nunnally blushed. 'I had to learn politics. When I was appointed Viceroy I wanted big brother to be proud of my actions, and then on Damocles I had to try and out-think him and brother Schneizel at the same time.'

'Make sure you mention that particular reference when you apply for your next job' Cornelia said wryly, earning a surprised look from her younger sibling. 'In fact, how about I went to find something suitable for you to wear at your job interview?'

Nunnally blinked. 'What job interview?' she asked, confused. 'What do have in mind? You've said you didn't think it was a good idea if I participated in the government of Britannia, and I don't see how my knowing a little about politics could have to do with anything else.'

'I can think of one' Cornelia replied. 'Schneizel had appointed you to do it.'

A chill ran down Nunnally's spine. 'You want me to sit on the Throne.'

'I want you to consider it. You don't have to give me a reply today. Or maybe you think any of your brothers or sisters could carry this burden better than you would?'

Nunnally winced. Her father had sired several dozen children, but the overwhelming majority of them had failed to distinguish themselves from the rest of their siblings. Should any of them ascend to the throne, it was inevitable that at least one of his siblings would challenge the authority of the weak Emperor, and there would be a civil war. Aside from Nunnally and Cornelia, only two princes and two princesses had gained sufficient notoriety to deserve being considered for the throne. Nunnally started to review them in her mind.

The two princesses certainly weren't better candidates than Nunnally herself. Guinevere was the eldest daughter of Charles zi Britannia, an authoritarian and vain woman who was more reputed for being a spendthrift than for her actual role in the Imperial government. Carline was Nunnally's age, and that was about the only point both teenagers had in common: the Fifth Princess thrived in conflict, and she would go out of her way to aggravate someone just for the sake of enjoying a challenge – not a desirable trait in a ruler whose major task would be to safeguard a peace and make it endure.

Odysseus had been their father's eldest child, and since the 98th Emperor had not designated one of his other children as his heir, Odysseus was now technically the legitimate Emperor of Britannia. But he was far from having the required skills to rule a globe-spanning Empire, and he was too indecisive and weak-willed to serve capably even in the role of figurehead.

On the other hand, their brother Schneizel had proven he was a peerless politician and administrator. After their father had started to disengage himself from the business of running the Empire to focus on his research, Schneizel had become the de facto ruler of Britannia for several years. But in his case the question was how to stop him from seizing the throne. If he became the ruler of Britannia, the United Federation of Nations' response would be to wage war with him, and he was quite capable of winning such a war. The only peace that was possible with Schneizel as Emperor was peace enforced at gunpoint, and that was the very situation everybody had been so desperate to escape after Lelouch had won the Battle of Damocles. No, they must not allow Schneizel to get anywhere near the throne, and it was urgent to place it out of his reach before he could manage to rally other princes to support his claim.

It left two possible candidates: Nunnally and Cornelia.

'What makes you think I would be a better Empress than you would, big sister?' Nunnally asked.

'I'm certainly a more experienced ruler than you are' Cornelia said frankly, 'but I'm a warrior, and I think like one. To keep an open mind when negotiating just isn't in my nature. I intended to take the throne, and I had come to offer you a seat on my government because I'd have needed someone like you to make me see things from a different perspective.'

'That sounds like a brilliant idea. Why are you changing your mind about becoming the Empress?'

'Because you're the one who sees things from that different perspective. I could be a good wartime Empress, but Britannia needs a peacetime ruler, someone who will try to understand other people's concerns in their dealings with them. And then because, like I said earlier, you're such a gentle person that it's easy to forget you're actually Lelouch's sister.' Cornelia smiled. 'I was never capable to look at the bigger picture the way people like Lelouch or Schneizel do. You've just proved you have that capacity. Given time, you'll become just as good as dealing with the day-to-day business of running an Empire as I am, and I can advise you for as long as it takes you to get there.'

Nunnally was lost in thought for a minute. Then a happy smile lit her face. 'I'll do it.'

'Are you certain of this?' Cornelia asked her with concern. 'You haven't much time to think this through.'

'I'm certain' Nunnally replied serenely.

'There will be no turning back.'

'There was no turning back when I triggered the launch of Damocles' FLEIJAs.' Nunnally smiled. 'We both think it's the best for Britannia and for peace, so let's do the best. We'll have more than enough time to worry about the rest.'

Cornelia studied her younger sister's face for a few moments. Then she stood up, and she curtsied: 'Yes, your Majesty.' She smiled. 'You'd better get used to it.'

'Do you mind finding something for me to wear at that job interview?' Nunnally's eyes twinkled.

'I'll see to that as soon as I know who you're going to see.'

'Let's make it a very short list of people: Zero, Miss Sumeragi and maybe the Tianzi if Miss Sumeragi thinks we should hear the voice of the Chinese Federation. I don't know if the E.U. will be reforming, but even if they are it'll be a while until they agree on a representative. Can you think of anybody else?'

'Li Xingke' Cornelia said. 'The rank-and-file of the Black Knights think Zero is their natural leader, but the upper echelons have been betrayed by our brother and they won't just submit to this new Zero.'

Nunnally blushed. 'I didn't think of this. Thank you.'

'Don't worry. You're not used to dealing with top-level military. Actually-'

'-it will make my interlocutors more likely to trust me as long as you're not whispering in my ear - or even better, not sitting on this conversation' Nunnally said, smiling apologetically.

'Touché.' Cornelia smiled. 'You'll definitely do fine.'

Cornelia curtsied, and she made her exit. After the sound of her footsteps had faded in the distance, Nunnally closed her eyes, and she pictured her brother's face in her mind. And she talked to him.

'I'll make you proud, big brother' she said. 'I promise.'

'v'

'v'

A/N: You will notice this story is articulated in "Turns" like the Anime series. However each "episode" will be covered in several updates: I don't fancy walls of text that much ;)

I bet nobody was surprised Nunnally looks set to become Empress. I didn't think I should picture her as the innocent girl she's been during most of the series, not after what she told Lelouch on Damocles. I'd like to explore that side of her in this story, and hope you'll like that Nunnally.