Hey everyone! Zero here! ~( ^_^ )~

Sooo..it's been a..MONTH?! Oh my geass, I'm very sorry guys! I wish this chapter will serve as my apology for not updating soon. I don't own Code Geass, for your information. Anyways..

Enjoy! ;)

Chapter 3: Contract And The Unsealed Destiny

Ashford Academy

"Lelouch, can you hear me?"

The raven stared up at his rather impatient girlfriend. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Oops. Sorry, didn't hear you." he chuckled nervously.

"You know what? Ever since you got out of the hospital, you're always busy in la-la land these days. Why is that?" Kallen crossed her arms and gave him a curious look. Lelouch froze in his place and gulped.

"Kallen, it's nothing. You don't have to stare at me like I'm dating another girl." he joked as he sweatdropped. The redhead continued to look at him with narrow eyes. "I promise I'll never cheat on our love. Remember what I said on our first date?" Lelouch added.

"You better keep that promise, Lelouch." Kallen said. "Or else, you'll get a lot of bashing from me. You don't want my fist on your face do you?" she threatened.

"O-of course not! Even if I'm the heartthrob of this school, you'll always be my girl." Lelouch said and placed a hand on her right cheek. "Tell you what, let's go on a date this Friday night."

Kallen was astonished to hear him ask her out. "H-huh?" She was in a loss of words, unable to process everything in her mind. He has told her so many sweet things that her brain cannot come up with anything for her to say and her heart was pounding so hard. "Lelouch..I.."

"You decline?"

"No, you moron! It's just that..well..." Kallen started and looked down at the ground, blushing furiously. She suddenly groaned "Why am I always speechless EVERYTIME you ask me out?"

"Well, what kind of reaction does a girl do when her boyfriend asks her out for date?" Lelouch asked with sarcasm blended in his voice.

"They jump up and down and...squeal like a fangirl." Kallen said, with her eyes still glued on the ground. "But, I'm not that kind of type. I hate doing that."

He grinned at her "Obviously. You're like a tomboy sometimes you know. No offense to you, but that's the truth right?"

She only nodded. "That makes sense. Right now..I don't know how will I react. You're just so sweet. And for that, I'll give you this one.." Kallen said and she finally locked her sapphire orbs into his violet ones. She rested her hands on his shoulders and gave him a peck on the lips.

Lelouch's face heated up from the gesture. "A-a kiss?" he stammered. "That's your reaction?"

"Yeah..sorry if it's late. Are you happy now?"

"Yes, I'am, miss beautiful." Lelouch teased. The redhead rolled her eyes.

"Oh, shut up. You've said enough already." Kallen said. "But thanks for that last compliment anyway. I'll see you later, then." She winked and walked off.

Lelouch sighed. "Girls can be so..." Just then, his phone vibrated. He shoved his hands into his pocket and groped for the device. When he touched a solid object, he took it out and flicked the screen open. It was a message from Suzaku. He began to read.

From: Suzaku

Subject: Urgent talk

Hey, man. Sorry if I disturbed you but would you mind meeting meeting me in the gym, alone? I need to tell you something really .

Without a word, he left the hallways and made his way to the gym.

-oOo-

Suzaku walked out of the men's locker room after changing back into his school uniform. He felt totally exhausted after 3 hours of running laps around the gym. He sat on one of the bleachers with a deep sigh and watched the other guys do different physical tests as he waited for Lelouch.

"Exhausted?" a male voice joked. Suzaku looked at the approaching figure. "It's only been 3 hours. Why feel that way?"

"I ran 20 laps today. Why wouldn't I feel exhausted?" the brunette chuckled. "I'm sure you can only take 1 or 2 laps. Your stamina is pretty low, you know that?"

"I know who I'am, exercise nut. And yes, I can only take up to 2 laps." Lelouch said as he sat down beside him. "Anyways..I got your text, you said you're gonna tell me something really important. So what is it?"

There was silence for a brief moment. Suzaku spoke "Well..it's just about that dream I had yesterday. Did you dreamt about it too?" he asked.

Lelouch was caught off guard by his question. "What?" he asked back.

"Did you dream of something unusual yesterday?" Suzaku retraced his last phrase. "Like your some sort of...a wielder of a tremendous power."

"Tremendous..power.." Lelouch repeated each words in an astonished whisper. Don't tell me..not only we had felt the same connection but dreamed of the same thing to?!

"Y-yes..I did, last night. I was fighting and..you were fighting as well. There were swords on our hands and we were in.."

"Britannia." Suzaku finished. "We were battling the shadows out there. It felt like it really happened in reality. Similar to a memory. Did it ever happened to us?"

The raven shook his head. "No, there's no doubt that it didn't happened. And I don't think it's a past memory. So it only leaves us one thing..it might happened in the future or even now. Who knows, we can't predict time."

"I see.."

"You know what? I couldn't handle my curiousity anymore." Lelouch admitted. "I wanna know the real answer to these questions. Why are we the only ones feeling this strange connections? Who is doing all of this? Is it also related to that dream? There are just so many things I wanted to ask, but I'm sure no one will understand us. Because, compared to the old myths, ours is different. I'm not so certain about this, but it is related to supernatural beings and spirits which are not suppose to exist in this world. Suzaku, as my best friend, will you help me look for answers. Even if it means involving us into trouble.."

The brunette turned his head to him in utter shock. "Lelouch, are you crazy? Don't you remember what happened to both of us 3 weeks ago? In fact, you and I promised that we will never go through that ever again!"

"I know. That's why I'm asking you this. Because, I want to prevent it. You're curious about the case as well, right?"

"Well..so what if I'am? We are not about to get massacred with those shadows. I'm not accepting it, sorry."

"What if I tell you...that those shadows are actually planning to obliterate the whole world? You've seen them in your own naked eyes, so you can't deny that they're not real."

"But you never know, we might be hallucinating!"

"What's the reason for us, getting these scars on our bodies?"

"..."

Lelouch smirked in victory. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Nice knowing you, Suzaku Kururugi."

Suzaku groaned "Damn it, fine!" he snapped. "But if we get hurt again and end up in the hospital, you're the one who's to blame."

"Alright. "

-oOo-

She was watching them again, like a silent and mysterious stalker. She followed her accomplices secretly as they made their way to school together. However, regardless of the lack of expressions, she has a guilty feeling buried at the bottom of her heart. She felt like a troublemaker, enforcing young boys to walk on the path of blood, take up the sword of a warrior and protect their race and homeland. But defending millions of people is not an easy task, nor becoming a holder of great power. Back in her own world, it was always so peaceful and magical. Where supernatural beings are born and trained to become loyal and skillful fighters. She was happy back there and was a katana wielder. With the shadow's arrival, a black hole drained some of them, including herself to Earth.

Then, here she was, alive and well. But alone, living in the Silver Stone Realm, a hideout she summoned on her second day in the planet. She knows that the shadows should be defeat, but not without someone human to help her.

As the woman sat on the tree branch near the school building, she focused on the raven and the brunette. Luckily, they were both alone on the school grounds. "Now.." she whisphered. "Feel my connection." Her pupils became dilated and her eyes were in a yellow hue.

W-what the? It's that feeling again! Lelouch thought and turned around.

"L-Lelouch.." Suzaku said. "I can sense it."

"That might be.." Lelouch was interrupted upon seeing the tree nearby shaking vigorously. "Suzaku, over there."

"Huh?"

The brunette saw the tree and curiosity hit him. "It must be a cat or something.."

"No, it must be a supernatural being. We don't need to look around anymore!" With that, Lelouch sprinted towards the tree.

"Lelouch, wait!"

When they reached it, they saw a green haired girl, wearing a black cloak. She slightly turned her head and gritted her teeth. It would be much better if I just reveal myself later. I can't begin the contract in a school ground. I'll have to take the both of you to the realm. She looked straight into their eyes and increased the connection. Lelouch and Suzaku suddenly felt a dizzy spell wash over their bodies. After a few seconds, they passed out. She got out of the tree and pointed her index finger at their collapsed forms. Then, they disappeared after a blue light engulfed them. She smirked and faded away in snow white glitters.

-oOo-

Lelouch groggily opened his eyes. He felt like he's missing something but he can't seem to recall what happened. He was laying down on something hard as a stone. He looked to his left and found Suzaku laying unconscious on the marble table. He sat up and winced as a stinging pain strucked his right arm. "I think I broke my arm when I fell.." he muttered. He began to scan his sorroundings carefully. He was stunned to see an eye like sign inscripted on the ceiling. And this place, it looks very ancient. As if it's a thousand years old. Lelouch was confused by the unfamiliar things he's seeing. "What is this place..I've never seen it before. It seems like an old place, yet it's marvelous."

He suddenly heard a soft groan from his friend. Suzaku awoke and sat up slowly. He rubbed his eyes. "Where am I?" he wondered. He was surpised to see Lelouch. "Lelouch? What are you doing here?"

"You mean, what are we doing here? Suzaku, I don't know where exactly are we. It just looks so mysterious and a bit creepy." Lelouch said.

"Really?" the brunette pondered and looked around. Widening his emerald orbs, he gasped. "Oh gosh, you're right. Is this a dream again?"

"I bet it's not. We might be getting close to the truth."

A female voice spoke up. "Actually, you're in reality. And indeed the truth is close." The voice was lacking intonation.

"Who are you? What do you want with us?" Suzaku asked the woman as she stopped in her tracks.

"I'm C.C..I'm a supernatural being from the Axis World. I'm a cyclops natural. Meaning, I can give powers to any race. May it be an ordinary natural from my world or a human being." she paused. "I assume that the both of you are confused for the moment. Wondering where are you or why did you come here, am I right?"

"Yes. We would like a full explanation for that." Lelouch answered.

"Very well. You are in an ancient realm named after the sacred stone of the Axis World. And that is the legendary Silver Stone. Basically, you are in the Silver Stone Realm. Only naturals can summon the realm in different dimensions.'' C.C. explained. "And as for your presence...you will be recieving a title greater than a natural and must posses a great power."

"What do you mean by that?" Suzaku asked. "Are you really trying to turn us into naturals?"

"No." C.C. said. "What I mean is, I'll give you boys a title and you'll have abilities of naturals."

"Why...tell us that?" Lelouch asked.

"Haven't you notice? Humanity is in real danger. Your country, no, the world is being haunted by shadows."

Their eyes grew wide. "That can't be.." Suzaku gasped in his disbelief.

"I knew it.." Lelouch said. "Ever since that incident, I've been always wondering if they're really real and they are..hold on.." His breath hitched. "It can't be true.."

"Sad to say, it is.."

"Where are they now?" Suzaku asked. "At least lay out the facts first."

"I don't know where they are now, but I'm sure that they will appear here, in Japan. It can be anytime or anyday. No one in this place can defeat them, not even firearms. They posses venomous powers, which can kill a human in less than a second. Their structures are just thin smoke, yet they are hard to fend off. So therefore, bullets are useless. In order to defeat them, you are to use two weapons: Swords and natural powers." C.C. said.

"You say that those shadows are just smoke. How are swords ever going to work on them? Or is it a different type of blade?" Lelouch inquired as she nodded.

"That's correct. The swords I'm going to provide you are more than just the ordinary ones. I'll explain more about it after we begin the contract. Are you two ready for it?"

There was a brief silence before Lelouch asked "Is this going to be painful?"

"You have nothing to worry about. However, you will only feel lightheaded at the start."

"Alright, let's do it." Lelouch said. Suzaku stared up at him in shock.

"Lelouch, are you sure about this decision?" he asked. ''We could die doing it. Who will protect the world, now?"

Lelouch smiled a bit. "We have no choice, Suzaku. If we don't accept this, then surely, the human race will perish under the hands of the shadows. And besides," he paused. "We're best friends right? It's just what they said. Togther we stand, together we face the future. Then, let's do that. Are you with me?"

Suzaku was silent, absorbing everything inside his mind. Lelouch did made a good point. He nodded and said, "Yes. I understand now. Alright, Lelouch. We'll do it."

"C.C., give us the weapons for our journey as protagonists." Lelouch said. The supernatural girl nodded.

"Good. Just close your eyes and relax. This will only take a few minutes." The duo closed their eyes and removed the tension off their shoulders. C.C. grabbed their hands and her eyes glowed. Lelouch and Suzaku's world slowly began to spin and a sense of lightheadedness took over them, further getting sucked into the darkness. The first thing they saw are bundles of white strings on every side and the background was water, like they are swimming in the depths of the ocean.

"W-what is this..."

"I feel so light.."

They were trapped in their own consciousness, floating aimlessly at the landless surface of their minds. Strange images flashed before them. A gusty wind went sighing over their ears and there were millions of shining glitters all over the place.

"Do you want to be saved? Do you want to spare the lives of your loved ones, everyone on this planet and as well as yourselves?" C.C.'s calm voice echoed.

"Yes." they responded in unison.

"If so, then I'll propose a contract with the both of you. You will recieve a great power, inherited from the Axis world. I shall bestow you nature's possession's: fire, water, air and lightning. However, once you accept this contract, your objective is not only shattering cruelty but granting every natural's wish who are plunged in this world of humans. And that includes myself. As you complete it, you are going to walk on the path of blood, struggle and chaos. Once it's completion is confirmed, the powers given to you will remain and you will be condemned to a life of being a hero of all dimensions and at the same time, a human natural. Do you accept the terms and conditions to my contract?"

The scenario changed into pure black and a large blue orb floated in a respectable distance.

" And as for your group, you are the Dual Naturals. Carry this precious light into your hands, proclaim your true beings and you have what you need."

They held the lone orb into their hands and the light grew brighter. Their faces was changed from an astonished expression to a determined warrior.

"Yes, we accept the terms of your contract. We, the Dual Naturals, will fulfill your wishes and save humanity from extinction!"

It was glowing so much that it blinded their eyes and engulfed their bodies, causing them to lose balance and fall once again.

"Welcome to the first phase of our contract..Lelouch Lamperouge, Suzaku Kururugi. It's time to get back to reality." And then they knew nothing more but the rushing darkness filling their visions.

...

C.C.'s eyes returned to their normal color and tightened her grip on the boys' hands and released them. "It's time to wake up. The contract is now in progress." she said.

Their eyes snapped open. "T-that was..so strange. I can't believe what I'm seeing back there." Suzaku said.

"So am I. And about that..wish, what is that?" Lelouch asked.

"I'll tell you sooner enough. It is not really a secret but it is a rule to reveal it at the right time. But now, I'll just give your swords. Follow me."

The boys nodded in unison and followed C.C. out of the room. As they were trekking on the stoned hallways of the realm, they eyed everything around them. There were wild plants growing on the corners of the walls and mysterious inscriptions everywhere. A few vines lay on the ground. Torches illuminated the area.

"Surprised? This realm is a thousand years old already, yet it's still stable to hold everything in." C.C. said as she noticed their wandering faces. "The Silver Stone's power supports it. It will only fall if the stone is destroyed."

"Is that so.." Lelouch trailed off.

After a few more minutes of walking, they arrived at the main spot. C.C. turned to her soon-to-be-fighters. "Lelouch, Suzaku. This is the heart of the realm. The Bronze Phoenix."

Suzaku noticed the zodiac sign drawn on the floor. "What's that sign over there?" he asked, pointing at the legendary symbol.

"This is the insignia of the Axis World." C.C. said. "Naturals consider this sign as a mere symbol. To represent their courage. Now, about your swords.." She walked towards a marble table and picked up the two iron swords. She handed them their weapons and said "These are your reapers. They are not just ordinary blades so you have to be careful in handling it, especially your powers."

They held the swords into their hands and marveled at it, tracing its sharp ends with their fingertips.

"One more thing," C.C. added "Hold on to your swords and say this: Restore" Without showing any hesitation, they did as told.

"Restore!"

Both blades spread its bright rays all over them and when it slowly began to fade, they no longer look like ordinary school boys. They were clad in a black outfit with a black cloak to match.

"What happened?" Lelouch wondered. He looked down at himself, his eyes widened. "Is this..?" He glanced at Suzaku, who was dressed like him as well. "Suzaku, you look.."

"I know..I don't look simple anymore. Same thing to you."

"Say that word and you'll look like this." C.C. butted in. "Alright..that's it. However, before I'll let you go, the both of you must have a short training first. I must test your skills. Let's see what you can do." she smirked at her last sentence.

"Where are we gonna train?" Asked Suzaku.

"Behind this realm is an open space of the forest. It will be held there. Any other questions?"

"Yes." Lelouch said. "Does our powers have names?"

"Well..I'm not really familiar with it. But I can explain some on our second meeting, which is tomorrow night. If there's no other questions, then I'm going to open the door, leading to your training ground. I will summon a few enemies for you to defeat. Since you're just beginners, I'll take it easy. But it will get harder as you move forward." the green haired cyclops natural went over the nearby stand and pushed a ruby diamond down to its platform. With the ground rumbling, the front wall broke apart, revealing the rear side of the realm. Lelouch and Suzaku slowly walked outside. C.C. transported herself, in a respectable distance away from them.

"Are you all set, there?"

"Y-yes!" they responded hesitantly in unison.

"I'm closing the doors." C.C. called. Then, the walls behind them closed up. She grabbed her katana and readied it. "I'll give you guys a few tips before we begin. Firstly, focus on your main enemies. Second, don't get distracted and have presence of mind. And lastly, use your powers wisely. Avoid using them too much. Otherwise, you'll pass out in mid-battle. Understand?"

They nodded, removed the sword's cover, swung it to their left side and positioned themselves.

"Get ready.." she whisphered and her eyes glowed. She floated up a bit, with white wings sprouted out of her back. Her katana let out a black smoke and raised it up.

Suzaku felt sweat trickling down his face and he was breathing heavily. "Lelouch, I don't think we can-"

"It's alright Suzaku. It's only a training." Lelouch coaxed.

"Go!" C.C. declared and spread the dark magic. It formed two shadows, floating towards them.

"Suzaku, let's go!" the raven shouted.

The brunette nodded. "Roger that!"

Then, the duo took charge. They readied their reapers and jumped as high as they could. When they are close to landing, each blades glowed a crimson light with spirals around it and slashed off the couple of shadows, which have disappeared in dark sparks. They were standing alongside each other with determination visible on their faces. C.C. smiled a bit. "Hm..interesting. Round 2." she summoned three this time.

Seeing the black creatures, they splitted up. The shadow on the left side zipped towards the raven and extended its venomous claw at him. Lelouch ducked and attacked it using his lightning streak on the center portion. The one at the right targetted Suzaku. The brunette leapt up the shadow and with his fast speed, he swiped his green glowing sword at its torso. When it was dissolved into countless sparks, he suddenly lurched backward as he spotted a sailing claw coming in closer and it nearly scratched him. To his luck, Lelouch came for his aid and he tossed an indigo orb at its back which caused it to turn around to the raven.

"Suzaku, prepare your sword! I can sense that this shadow is different! We're gonna do a dual attack!" Lelouch yelled.

"Understood!" Then, the brunette's reaper was sorrounded by a light red power. Lelouch's sword turned sky blue. They ran, with both blades pointed at their last target.

"RAAAAAGH!" they screamed.

SLASH!

The shadow slowly vanished into dark sparks. C.C. was amazed by their teamwork. She landed and her wings disappeared. Her eyes have returned to their normal hue. She walked to the center of the training ground.

"Congratulations, both of you. You all did great. You are fit to be Dual Naturals."

To be continued...

That's about it. Hope you enjoyed it. I changed the title because the older one was too simple so I decided to lighten it up a bit. Please review! And watch out for the next one! The first phase of their adventure is close! :D

Until next time :)

~Dark Zero 1718