The sound of bullets flying past her head caught her attention as her blue eyes looked down the sight of her rifle before pulling the trigger. She watched as the enemy mage fell towards the battlefield below lifelessly. Her attention quickly changed to another enemy mage flying towards her with a bayonet fixed. Quickly she turned her small body away from the charging mage. She was able to use the size of her rather small body to dodge the attack, however unfortunately the mage's bayonet was able to slash her upper right arm causing her to lose her grip on the rifle. Without wasting a moment, her left hand grabbed the holstered pistol on her hip before unloading two shots into the back of the man's head. She watched as the man fell towards the earth below before she turned to look out to the chaotic battle unfolding in front of her. The once blue sky was replaced with a dark gray as smoke from the destroyed tank made its way towards the sky. She watched as artillery rained hell over her fellow soldiers, the explosions blowing holes in the line of trenches like a hot knife through butter. She couldn't help but wince as the pain from her wound caught her attention, she quickly holstered her weapon before putting pressure on the wound. Her thoughts were cut short as a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"Major, we need to fall back or we'll get encircled!" her second in command Viktoriya Ivanovna Serebryakov or Visha for short, shouted as her panicked green eyes scanned the surrounding area. The small blond-haired girl let out a light 'tsk' sound as she pushed the Second Lieutenant out of the way of incoming fire.
"Visha, get everyone you can and make a break for it, I'll buy you some time." she said simply as she turned away from her second in command, her left hand grabbing her pistol once again. Visha opened her mouth to protest but was stopped by the blond-haired girl's glare. Visha couldn't help but bite her lip as she saluted the small girl in front of her.
"It's been an honor fighting alongside you, Major Tanya Degurechaff." she said as tears began to swell within her eyes as she flew away.
"So, this is how I die?" Tanya muttered as an unknown number of mages came into sight over the horizon.
"So, you have finally accepted the destined outcome, haven't you." a voice rang out in her ears as time stopped around the small blonde. A small smile crept onto her face.
"This is your doing Being X isn't it? Another attempt to make me believe right?" she asked with a slight amount of smugness in her voice
"No, I have come to realize that no matter how hard I try you will never truly accept me as your god. So, I came up with a different plan." Being X said simply making Tanya's eyes widen.
"What the hell do you mean by a different plan!" she screamed out as panic started to fill her body.
"If you refuse to believe in me in a world in which I control, then I will place you in a world where I have no power, and only then will you see a world where humanity must fend for itself." Being X said simply, before continuing. "Only then will you understand what I give to humanity."
"I will never believe in a piece of shit like you!" Tanya yelled out in anger.
"We shall see." Being X said simply. As time seemingly started to move again. Pain shot through her body as the impact of the enemy mages' bullets pierced her small body. Tanya couldn't help but chuckle as a bloody smile formed on her face as she looked at the on coming mages.
"Alright you bastards, you want to see me go to hell." she whispered as energy began to gather from within her as her eye changed from blue to gold. "Then I'm bringing you all with me!" she screamed as a blinding light engulfed her and those around her. The world was completely white and slightly fuzzy? Why was the world fuzzy? The sound of a light beeping was slowly drowned out as muffled voices started to fill the surrounding area. It wasn't until the sight of two women in medical outfits suddenly came into view did Tanya realize what was happening.
"Congratulations Lady Emily, you just gave birth to a healthy baby girl." She heard the doctor say as she was handed to a young woman, her long blond hair damp with sweat from the birthing process. A small smile appeared on her face as she saw the newly born baby in her arms.
"Hello there little one, I'm your mommy." She almost whispered, her face filled with pure love towards her child.
'So, this is my new mother huh?' Tanya thought to herself as she looked over the blond-haired woman currently holding her. 'Well at least I'm not an orphan again.' However, her thoughts were cut short by an unexpected person.
"What's her name?" A new voice asked, another young woman. Her long black hair flowing down the back of her rather expensive looking dress.
"Tanya, Tanya Ni Britannia." her mother said, gaining a gentle smile from the other woman.
"Tanya Ni Britannia. Huh." The woman said softly, before turning her attention to the blond-haired woman. "That's a beautiful name Emily." Getting a smile in return.
'Well at least I don't have to learn a new name.' Tanya thought happily before turning her attention to a different matter at hand. 'Ni Britannia is that some sort of royalty indication?' She thought, but decided to place that on the back burner for now.
"I wish Charles was here to meet her." Emily said with a hint of sadness in her voice which didn't go unnoticed by the other woman, as the black-haired woman wrapped her arms around her mother.
"Emi, you know he would be here if he could." She said reassuringly as she comforted the new mother. Tanya could see her mother visibly relax in the other girl's arms as she looked up to the black-haired woman.
"Marianne…" Emily whispered as her blue eyes looked into the older woman's violent coloured eyes. Tanya couldn't help but feel slightly confused by her mother's obvious infatuation with this woman.
Chapter 1
The year was 2008 and a majority of the world was under the control of the holy Britannian empire, ruled by her father Charles zi Britannia the 98th emperor. Even though Britannian held most of the world under its control, it was far from the only superpower left in the world. The main opponent to Britannia's rule would be the Europia United or the EU for short was formed to keep the democratic nations within Europe and parts of North Africa safe from Britannia expansion. The second major competition Britannia faced was from the Chinese Federation, who controlled most of Asia. Of course, there were other nations that still stood against Britannia such as Japan and Australia, who used diplomacy to keep their independence from the three superpowers.
To say that Tanya was fascinated by this world's history would be an understatement, to her it was almost as if one day America decided to have a king and take over the world. It wasn't only the history that confused Tanya, but also how she or rather how her mother fit into this situation that confused her. You see her mother, Emily Ni Britannia, was a well-regarded knight within the court trained by empress Marianne Vi Britannia herself. However, it was during this time that Emily's attraction towards Marianne and Charles began to show itself, which didn't go unnoticed by the two. It wasn't long afterwards that she was asked to become Charles' sixth wife and Marianne's concubine, much to the disapproval of the other royals. It was because of this reason that she was viewed as an outcast by some within her own family.
"Lady Tanya." A voice called out. Tanya turned her five-year-old body to look at the maid who was standing in the doorway. It seemed that Being X decided to throw in a curveball as she looked at the long dark blue haired woman standing in the doorway, her brown eyes hidden behind a pair of clear glasses. Erica Rerugen, a loyal maid that worked for her mother for as long as Tanya could remember. It was clear that Erica was rather similar to a certain lieutenant colonel from her previous life.
"Yes, what is it?" she answered.
"Milady has asked me to prepare you for an important meeting." Erica said as she revealed a light blue dress, she was holding behind her back. A look of confusion appeared on her face as she made her way towards the maid.
"What sort of meeting?" she asked as she took the dress before making her way towards her bed.
"It would seem as if your mother has arranged for you to meet some of your family members." Erica said as she followed Tanya, noticing a frown forming on the princesses' face.
"Would you like some help princess?" she asked, as a small smile formed on her normally emotionless face. It was common knowledge within the house that the young princess hated wearing any sort of dress.
"Yes please." Tanya replied, as she started getting dressed, before continuing. "Erica what have I told you about calling me 'Princess', there's no need to be so formal with me."
"I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Erica replied as she brushed the blonde's hair before adding. "Princess." making the blond pout as she looked at herself in the mirror. Tanya's blue eyes roamed over her five-year-old body, which had an eerie similarity to her previous life. She watched as Erica effortlessly moved the brush through her short blond hair.
"Well, if it isn't the most beautiful princess in all the lands." a voice came from the doorway making Tanya and Erica turn their attention towards the newcomer. A beautiful young woman, her long blond hair flowing down the royal blue dress.
"Hello mother." Tanya said as she watched her mother make her way behind her, before wrapping her arms around her daughter before placing a light kiss to the young blonde's head.
"That dress looks very pretty on you." Emily said as she looked at her in the mirror before saying. "I know they're just going to love you."
"Thank you, mother." she replied as she looked at herself in the mirror. Even though she hated dresses with a passion, if it made her mother happy then a sacrifice needed to be made.
"Who exactly am I meeting today?" she asked as Emily simply smiled back at her.
"That's a secret." her mother said playfully as she raised a finger to her lips as she sent her daughter a wink. It took everything Tanya had to stop the slight twitch of her right eye as she followed her mother out of the room. The car ride that followed was rather pleasant, this being the first time within the last five years that she was allowed to leave the safety of her home. Tanya knew that this was mainly her mothers attempt to keep her safe from the rather large number of royals that 'disagreed' with the marriage between the emperor and her mother. Her thoughts were cut short as her mother pointed towards their destination, a rather beautiful villa that sat next to an even larger lake. But it wasn't the size of the villa that surprised the young girl, rather it was the two people who waited by the front door that surprised her the most. The first being a woman with long pink hair flowing down what looked to be a knight's uniform, but what caught the young blonde's attention was the way the woman's indigo eyes watched the incoming car like a hawk. However, the second woman looked oddly familiar, her long black hair flowing down her pale brown dress, a small but pleasant smile showing as she made her way towards the arriving car.
"Marianne, it's been far too long." Emily said as she got out of the car before making her way towards the older woman. Marianne smiled as she pulled Emily into a loving hug. "I've missed you so much." Emily whispered into the older woman's neck. Tanya couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable as she watched her mother practically throw herself at Marianne. However, a slight cough from the pink haired girl seemed to gain their attention.
"Oh, hello Cornelia, it's good to see you again. How's Euphemia been?" Emily asked as she turned her attention to the pink haired girl.
"Euphemia is doing fine my lady." Cornelia replied simply; however, Tanya could hear the slight annoyance hidden behind her words. Marianne couldn't help but smile as she looked at her apprentices greet each other before turning her attention to Tanya herself.
"Oh my, who might this cute young lady be?" Marianne asked as she bent down so she would be at eye level with the young girl.
"Greetings Lady Marianne. My name is Tanya Ni Britannia, daughter of Emily Ni Britannia, it is an honor to meet you, my lady." Tanya said respectfully as she bowed to the black-haired girl.
"Oh my, aren't you just adorable." Marianne said with a look of surprise before turning towards Emily. "She's far more respectful than you were the first time we meant." She joked, causing the older blond to pout. Marianne smiled as she turned back towards Tanya. "Oh, where are my manners." The black-haired woman said as she gestured towards Cornelia.
"This is your older sister Cornelia." Marianne said as she turned to her bodyguard. "Cornelia, why don't you introduce yourself to your younger sister?" She asked, making the pink haired girl sigh before turning her attention towards the young girl.
"I am Cornelia li Britannia, second princess of Britannia and Lady Marianne's personal guard." Cornelia said proudly as she looked down at her younger sister, though Tanya could see the slight glare that her older sister was giving her.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you sister, mother has told me stories about your time training together under her majesty." Tanya said respectfully as she bowed to her older sister, who looked unimpressed by her show of respect.
"Cornelia, would you be a dear and take care of little Tanya. Emily and I have some catching up to do." Marianne said, making Emily blush from the undertone of her comment. "Of course, my lady. This way please." Cornelia said with what Tanya could easily tell was a forced smile as she turned and made her way into the villa. Tanya was hesitant to follow her older sister as she turned her attention back to her mother, who only smiled as she gestured for her to follow. With a reluctant sigh she did what her mother wanted as she made her way into the rather large home. Without missing a beat Tanya followed closely behind her older half sister as they walked through the rather beautiful halls of the villa, though the interior wasn't the only thing catching the young blonde's attention. The slight looks from over Cornelia were starting to get on the young girl's nerves, but she did everything she could to keep the neutral expression from slipping.
'Why does she keep looking at me? Could I be some sort of threat to her?' Tanya thought to herself, but quickly pushed those thoughts away as they came to a stop in front of a glass door that overlooked a rather large open field. Cornelia wasted no time by opening the door and making her way through it with Tanya following closely behind. Tanya continued to follow closely behind the pink haired girl as they came to a stop and for the first time, she could finally understand the beauty of the villa as she looked out at the glistening lake and what looked like an endless field of grass. The sound of children playing caught her attention as she turned to see three kids running and laughing as they ran across the open field. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Cornelia smile slightly as she watched them play.
"Euphie!!" she called out, gaining the attention of the playing children. Tanya could see the pink haired girl turn and look at them before a smile appeared on her face as she waved at them before making her way towards them.
"Sister!" the pink haired girl called out as she ran towards them before stopping in front of Cornelia. "Did you finally come to play with us?" she asked with hope in her Violet eyes. Her long pink hair reached the top of her pale orange dress.
"I'm sorry Euphie, but I can't stay for long." Cornelia said, gaining a pout from the younger pink haired girl before turning her attention to Tanya, who was standing quietly beside her older sister. "Who's this?" Euphemia asked as she walked around the younger girl. Tanya couldn't help as a slight pang of nervousness ran through her body as Euphemia looked over her.
"M-my name's Tanya Ni Britannia. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tanya stuttered out, getting a surprised look from the pink haired girl.
'Why the hell did I stutter!' she screamed in her mind as the other girl turned to the other kids, who were making their way over to them.
"Lulu, Nunnally come here!" Euphemia called out as they got closer. The first one to come into view was a young boy, his short spiky black hair that reached the top of his white dress shirt that matched his shorts. Tanya could see his violet eyes looking her over before turning to Euphemia.
"Euphie, who's this?" He asked hesitantly as he moved in front of the other girl as said girl made her way to her brother, her long sandy blond hair flowing smoothly down her light pink dress. Tanya could see her curious violet eyes peeked out from behind her brother's back. Tanya was about to reply but was cut off by Cornelia, who decided to finally step in.
"Lelouch, this is your younger sister Tanya. Tanya, this is your older brother Lelouch and your slightly older sister Nunnally." Cornelia said simply. Making the girl, now named Nunnally, step out from behind her brother. A look of excitement clearly visible on her face.
"I have a younger sister!" Nunnally exclaimed as she grabbed the small blonde's hands.
"How old are you?" Euphemia asked.
"F-five." Tanya answered shyly as she tried to get a hold of the rather energetic conversation. Though Tanya could see the slight look of confusion on Nunnally's face as she heard her answer.
"But I thought I was older?" Nunnally thought out loud, making Lelouch sigh.
"Tanya, when exactly were you born?" Lelouch cut in, gaining the young blonde's attention.
"December 5th." She answered simply as the smile on Nunnally's face only grew larger.
"It's so nice to meet you little sister!" Nunnally said as she tackled her younger sister, it wasn't until later that Tanya realized that she was only younger by a single month. Tanya could see a small smile form on Cornelia's face as she turned and walked away from the group, leaving the young blond to the mercy of her older siblings.
"Sister, are you sure you can't come stay and play with us?" Euphemia asked, gaining her sister's attention. Cornelia couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle as she kneeled down in front of her younger sister.
"I wish I could, but duty calls." Cornelia said as she kissed her younger sister's head before turning her attention to Lelouch, who was watching Nunnally fond over her new younger sister. "Oh, and Lelouch. I'm leaving you in charge of looking after your sisters." she said teasingly before making her way back to the villa, leaving behind a pale Lelouch as he turned to see a rather large smile spread across Euphemia's face. Tanya could only watch in confusion as Euphemia and Nunnally pulled their brother off saying something about playing princesses and their royal night.
"What exactly am I supposed to do?" She sighed to herself as she watched her sister's run off giggling about something.
'I don't have any experience doing things like this.' She thought to herself as a feeling of sadness slowly grew within her. The memories of her previous life slowly filled her mind. The thoughts of the famed Tanya Degurechaff, devil of the rine, one of the greatest mages the empire has ever seen. Her cruel and uncaring tactics all for the chance to get the simple life, that very same life that set her on the road towards her death.
"Are you alright?" A voice asked, gaining her attention as she turned to see Lelouch standing next to her with a concerned expression.
"I guess you could say I'm just not used to this." She answered honestly, getting a sympathetic look from her brother.
"I can understand, those two are a handful." He said jokingly as he saw her shake her head.
"It's not that. It's just that I'm not used to having a family other than my mother." She said as her mind wandered back to her previous life. She was too caught up in her thoughts to notice a small smile form on Lelouch's face, as he made his way towards her.
"Then we just have to change that, don't we?" Lelouch said as he took her hand and led her away, gaining a confused look from his sister as she tried to keep up. Tanya could do nothing but try to keep up with her older brother as he led her towards a small tree on the top of the hill. It wasn't until they got closer to the tree that she noticed a small table with something laying on top of it, which she instantly could tell was a chess board, its pieces neatly placed on the board.
"A chess board?" She asked, getting a surprised look from her brother.
"Have you played before?" He countered with his own question causing Tanya to panic slightly.
"No, but I read about it in a book." She answered as she took the white king into her hand to look at the piece.
"Would you like to play a game?" He asked as he took a seat to the black side of the table.
'At least this is something I'm able to do.' She thought to herself as she took her seat on the white side. Without a second thought she grabbed the pawn at e2 and moved it to e4.
"Don't worry I promise that I'll go easy on you." Lelouch joked as he countered by moving the pawn from e7 to e5. Tanya couldn't help but smile as they both moved their pieces round the board in an attempt to corner the other.
'For a kid, he is quite good at this.' She thought to herself as she watched him take another one of her pieces. She could tell that he was thinking about every move and counter move he could make to take back control of the game.
"I have to admit Tanya, no one other than Schneizel has ever come close to beating me." Lelouch said, gaining a raised eyebrow from his sister.
"Schneizel?" She asked.
"He's our older brother, and the only person Lelouch hasn't been able to beat in chess." A new voice pulled them out of their game as they turned to see both Euphemia and Nunnally standing there.
"Yet." Lelouch corrected, gaining a giggle from the pink haired girl, who turned towards the young blonde.
"You got this little sis" Euphemia said, getting a small smile from her younger sister and a frown from her brother.
"Yeah, you can do it Tanya!" Nunnally cheered as her brother gave her a look of betrayal.
"To think even my own little sister would turn against me!" Lelouch said dramatically, getting a giggle from Nunnally who wrapped her arms around the small blonde.
"I can't help it; my adorable little sister is just so cute!" Nunnally said as she hugged her sister. Tanya had to fight down a blush that threatened to show itself on her pale cheeks. Tanya could only watch as Euphemia pulled Lelouch saying something about not wanting to be left out when she felt something strange grow within her chest.
'Is this really what it feels like to have a family?' Tanya wondered to herself as she watched her sibling joke with one another and for the first time in a long time she couldn't help as a genuine smile showed itself.
'If it is then I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can.' she thought to herself as she turned her attention back to her siblings. However, even good things have to come to an end.