634Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I never have, I never will, and I am only saying this one so I will not repeat it in later chapters.
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Rise of the Black King
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Arc I
Revelation
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. . .
"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."
—Jean Racine
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. . .
November 22, 2010
Somewhere in Area 5
He first met her a few weeks after he left the Order.
She didn't look a day older than ten or eleven. She was curled up, shivering, beside a dumpster in the alley he was going to use as a shortcut to his temporary home. Filled trash bags surrounded her, her skinny frame was covered by a thin, tattered soot-covered jacket; her aqua-colored hair was greasy and matted as if it hadn't been washed or brushed in a while. Her face was covered in soot as were the tattered clothing that she wore beneath the jacket.
She noticed him and terror entered her dark eyes. She scooted closer to the wall, curling her arms around herself as if attempting to protect her. A pang of sympathy went through him. At one point in time, he had been very vain, arrogant, and unsympathetic toward those whom he felt were inferior to him. However, after he had received the curse of immortality upon fulfilling a contract centuries earlier, he had learned sympathy and compassion.
He knelt down in front of the girl. "It's okay, I won't hurt you," he said, keeping his voice soft and gentle, stretching out a hand toward the terrified little girl.
She shrank away, her eyes wide and disbelieving. It didn't surprise him. She didn't know him, therefore, she wouldn't trust his word. He sat back on his heels, studying the girl. "My name's B.B., what's yours?" he asked.
The girl swallowed. "T…Tara," she stammered out and he detected a slight accent in her voice, suggesting that she might be from the EU, which made him wonder what she was doing in Area 5.
"It's nice to meet you, Tara," B.B. said gently and blinked when he heard a stomach growl and Tara's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Someone sounds hungry." He reached into his jacket's pocket and pulled out a small bag of chips that he had on him, since he often brought snacks with him whenever he left his little home. He held it out to her.
"Go ahead," he said gently when she eyed the bag and then him with distrust in her eyes. "See? It's not open so it won't hurt you."
Tara's small hand shot out and snatched the bag out of his hand. She opened it and slowly began eating the contents, her eyes never leaving his. He simply remained crouched in front of her, trying to decide what to do with the scared little girl.
He contemplated calling Child Services. He knew that they would take care of her but, unfortunately, he didn't have his phone on him and he didn't want to leave her by herself. There were dangerous criminals roaming around in the night and he didn't want something to happen to the small girl.
Tara finished eating the chips and gazed at B.B., some of the distrust had faded by this point but he knew that one act of kindness wouldn't erase all of her distrust. It was understandable.
A clap of thunder sounded and B.B. looked up to find dark storm clouds rolling across the sky. Moments later, it began to rain. Tara shivered as the cold droplets of water landed on her and drew her tattered jacket closer, though it did little to ward off the cold rain.
B.B. gently removed his own jacket and draped it over the small girl, causing her to blink at him in surprise. "You don't want to get sick. My place isn't far from here. At the very least, it'll get you out of the rain," he said.
The girl wasn't stupid and she didn't move, her eyes narrowing.
He smiled at her. "All right, I understand that you don't trust me but you'll get sick if you stay out in the rain and I doubt you want that. I swear on my honor that I won't harm you," he said softly.
She still didn't believe him but, when a cold wind surged through the alley and she shivered again, she apparently decided that going with him was better than staying outside. Slowly, she nodded mutely.
He stretched out a hand to her and she placed a shaking hand in his. He pulled her to her feet and gently guided her down the alley and toward his little house where they both got out of the cold rain.
. . .
1
A Field Trip Interrupted
February 29, 2016
Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11
It was dark and clouds covered the sky, blocking out the light of the stars and the moon, and promising rain to come. B.B. suspected that the rain would come in the morning but he rather enjoyed the rain. The sound of rain on the window and the smell of freshly fallen rain always brought back memories of a happier time, of when he was able to spend time with his family.
Until they were taken from him.
He clenched his hand into a fist but relaxed it as he looked away from the sky and wandered over to his desk. After organizing everything again so that he would be able to find what he needed to at a moment's notice, he sat down and opened his laptop.
He cast a sidelong glance at the sleeping form of the girl he had started a contract with and he thought about what she would be doing the following day. She had volunteered for the mission and yet he felt strangely uncertain about letting her go through with it. He mused that he may have become a bit protective of the girl since he found her in Area 5 almost six years ago.
And I haven't felt that way toward anyone since I lost Eva and Daniel, he thought, a small sad smile crossing his face as he thought about the small girl and the teenage boy that had been among the only family he had left. Of course, due to the fact that B.B. wasn't exactly as old as he looked—he was many centuries older than what he looked and Eva and Daniel had been his many times great niece and nephew—he couldn't exactly tell them that he was their many times great uncle. They would have never believed him; Daniel hadn't until he became the first person that B.B. entered into a contract with. But still, he had felt protective toward them and had wanted to ensure that they had a safe and peaceful life.
And then Britannia had come in and ruined it all.
He remembered seeing his niece and nephew's bloodstained bodies after they were gunned down by Britannian soldiers, the latter trying to use his power to protect the former. The soldiers had been led by the very person for whom his hatred was reserved before he had ascended the throne. B.B. had tried his hardest to protect them but had been shot for his efforts; due to the Code, he had come back to life but it had been too late to get any help for Eva and Daniel.
He shoved the thought aside, reminding himself that he would get his revenge soon enough and he was going to try and start the following day.
He wasn't expecting the girl to actually succeed but he hoped that she would be able to implement the backup plan that would get her out of there alive. He didn't want to lose her, not only because she had to fulfil her end of their contract but also because he had come to care for her. He didn't exactly show it that much but he did.
The girl murmured under her breath in her sleep, starting to toss and turn and B.B. glanced up, watching as she sat up sharply with a small scream, gazing around rapidly. B.B. put down his laptop and moved to the girl's side, sitting down beside.
"It was just a nightmare," he murmured.
The girl gazed at him, terror still in her eyes but she swallowed and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. This wasn't the first time that she had experienced a nightmare; she had been experiencing them off and on for the past six years.
"I'm okay now," the girl said quietly.
"You should get some rest. You have a busy day tomorrow," B.B. said.
The girl nodded. "I'm not gonna let you down," she said firmly as she rested her head on her pillow and drew her blankets to her chin. "Goodnight."
"Sleep well," B.B. replied and watched as the girl closed her eyes and drifted into sleep again.
. . .
March 1, 2016
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11
Rain fell from the overcast sky as the bus made its way down the puddle-laden streets. Tall buildings flew past and flashes of lightning illuminated the dark sky. Lelouch Lamperouge watched the falling rain splatter against the windows of the bus, his chin resting on the palm of his hand and his body leaning against the side of the bus. His entire posture screamed boredom.
The students in both the middle and high school divisions of Ashford Academy were on a field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. The trip wasn't mandatory but, due to the offer of extra credit for their Art History classes, the majority of Lelouch's grade had decided to go. Unlike his classmates, Lelouch didn't need to go; he already had extremely high grades, despite either not showing up to or sleeping through his classes, so he didn't need the extra credit.
"This field trip sounds like it's gonna be fun," Nunnally Lamperouge, Lelouch's little sister and the reason why he was going on the field trip, said with a bright smile. She was seated near the back of the bus on her wheelchair with Lelouch seated near her.
When the announcement of the field trip had first been made and the date was set, Nunnally had been excited to go. Due to Prince Clovis la Britannia's fascination with art, the day that was decided on for the field trip was the Art Day Clovis created in which activities that included painting, ceramic work, and drawing would be held at the museum they were visiting. That was what Nunnally was looking forward to the most. She asked Lelouch to go with her simply because she wanted to spend time with him and Lelouch couldn't say 'no' to his little sister.
"I'm sure it will, Nunnally," Lelouch replied.
"I wonder what activities are going to be held," Nunnally said with a tilt of her head, causing light-brown hair to spill out over her shoulder.
"Who knows? Probably basic things like painting or whatever," Lelouch said.
"Probably. I remember Brother Clovis was always a talented painter," Nunnally said with a smile.
"Yeah," Lelouch said, a twinge of worry went through him but he pushed it away. He knew that the worry came from the fact that if Clovis ever saw them then they would be recognized in an instant. However, he knew that he was probably just being paranoid; Clovis rarely ever attended these kinds of things.
"Hey, Shirley! What was that assignment we were supposed to do on this trip for the extra credit?" Rivalz Cardemonde, one of Lelouch's friends and a member of the Ashford Academy Student Council, said, turning in his seat to look at another of Lelouch's friends seated behind him. He had dark-blue hair and a hopeful look on his face.
Shirley Fenette was tall with long orange hair and yellowish-green eyes that were currently narrowed at Rivalz, her arms folded across her chest. "You shouldn't have skipped class that day with Lulu or you would've known what the assignment was," she scolded, tossing a glance at Lelouch as she said that.
"Ah, c'mon, Shirley, please tell me! I'm in danger of failing Art History," Rivalz pleaded.
Shirley sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Oh, all right. You're supposed to write a three-page double-spaced report on one of the pieces of artwork on display," she said.
"Thanks, Shirley," Rivalz said. "Though I can't say I'm thrilled with the assignment. Man, Lelouch, how the heck are you passing that class with an A? What's your secret?"
Lelouch's lips quirked into a small smile as he shrugged. "I honestly don't know. It just happened," he said.
"Oh, please, everyone here knows you're a genius, Lelouch," Milly Ashford, another of Lelouch's close friends whom he'd known for a lot longer than the rest of the Student Council, said, poking her head over the window seat in front of him. She was a tall, blonde girl with bright blue eyes and a mischievous smirk on her lips. "Well, academically anyway. You're still pretty clueless, especially when it comes to Shirley."
Lelouch blinked at Milly, confusion in his amethyst eyes. "What about Shirley?" he asked.
"I rest my case. Oh, look, we're here," Milly said and disappeared back into her seat as the bus came to a stop in front of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Lelouch, deciding against questioning Milly further, followed his friends out of the bus, moving over to take over pushing Nunnally's wheelchair. He guided her over to the last member of their little group, Nina Einstein, who was already flipping through the guidebook that had been handed to them when they left the bus. She was a short, dark-green haired girl with round-rimmed glasses hiding indigo-colored eyes.
"All right, class, gather around," Mrs. Hawley, their Art History teacher, called and Lelouch tapped Nina on the shoulder. When she glanced at him, he nodded to where the rest of the class had already gathered at the entrance to the museum.
"Oh, thanks," Nina said softly.
"You're welcome," Lelouch said and pushed Nunnally over to join the rest of the group.
"I just wanted to give you a few reminders," Hawley said. "For those of you in my class, remember that next Wednesday, your three-page report on one of the artworks on display will be due for ten points extra credit. I will not accept any late assignments. Also, Mrs. Riley told me to tell her class that they will have an art project based on a piece of artwork on display in this museum that will be due a week from this Friday."
"I'm gonna have fun with that," Nunnally said.
"At least you get something fun," Rivalz muttered.
"At noon, we'll gather in the lobby and head over to Red Phoenix Restaurant for lunch and then head back to the school. Have fun," Hawley said and led the way into the lobby of the museum.
After Lelouch got Nunnally the audio tour guide, the two of them began the tour with the rest of their friends trailing after the siblings. Lelouch scanned many of the tapestries, paintings, and sculptures that filled with museum with disinterest. Unlike Clovis, Lelouch didn't really care for art.
"Oh, I think I'm going to do my report on this," Shirley said, gazing at a painting of a beautiful landscape with snow-capped mountains and a winding stream bordered by snow-covered riverbanks. "It's so pretty." She pulled out a notepad from her backpack and quickly wrote down the information on the tag so that she could look up more information on it later.
"Which one's that one?" Nunnally asked.
"Umm, number 22," Shirley said.
Nunnally scrolled through the audio guide until she found the appropriate file and played it, tilting her head to the side. "Oh, I think I know where that is," she said. "It sounds beautiful."
Lelouch gazed at his sister, wondering if, perhaps, this wasn't a good idea. She sounded sad as she said that and Lelouch knew that there were times when she was upset by her inability to see. However, her bright smile came back and she happily asked to go on to the next exhibit and Lelouch decided that if Nunnally was happy, that was all that mattered.
The group continued to wander around the museum, taking in all the artworks on display; from ancient tapestries depicting battles to paintings of the Emperor that Lelouch glowered at to landscape paintings of mountains and streams and valleys to sculptures of various important people in history. Nunnally seemed to be enjoying herself, despite only being able to listen to descriptions and information on the exhibits themselves. Rivalz seemed bored out of his mind and Milly was looking around with a calculating gleam that always suggested she was coming up with ideas.
When they came across an exhibit dedicated to Area 11 pre-invasion, bittersweet memories filled Lelouch as he gazed around. Area 11, Japan, used to be beautiful, he thought as he studied a picture depicting a shrine that was almost identical to the Kururugi Shrine with a couple of cherry blossoms in front of it. Then Britannia came.
There was no denying that Lelouch hated Britannia, though his hatred was mostly focused on the Emperor himself. After he and Nunnally were exiled following him rashly demanding that the Emperor look into his mother's assassination more, he had fallen in love with Japan. It had become more of a home to him than Britannia ever would be. As it was, the Kururugi family treated him a hell of a lot better than the Emperor or the majority of his half-siblings ever did.
A few hours later, it was noon and the group gathered in the lobby, ready to head over to the Red Phoenix Restaurant for lunch. Nunnally was happily cradling the foam crane that she had painted earlier. "I wish I could've made another one to give to Sayoko," she said.
"Maybe we can come back the next time this is held and do it then," Lelouch suggested.
Nunnally beamed.
"Oh, looks like we're the first ones back," Milly noted, scanning the lobby, which was only filled with a few new visitors and Mrs. Hawley.
"The others should be back soon," Shirley noted.
"I hope they get here soon. I'm hungry," Rivalz murmured as he sat down on a bench in the lobby. "I shouldn't've skipped breakfast this morning."
Before anyone could respond to that, a girl with pale-purple hair and dark eyes skipped over to join them. "Hi," she chirped. "Do you think you can help me?"
"Sure," Shirley, who was always friendly to everyone she meets, said. "What do you need help with?"
"I'm looking for someone but I'm not entirely sure he's here even though he said he would be," the girl said. "Do you think you can help me?"
"Sure. What's he look like?"
"Blonde, blue eyes, taller than you, he's in his mid-twenties, I think," the girl said.
Shirley looked thoughtful. "I don't think I've seen anyone that fits that description. Have you guys?" she asked, turning her gaze to everyone else.
"Nope," Rivalz said.
Milly and Nina shook their heads.
"What about you, Lulu?" Shirley asked, glancing at Lelouch who looked thoughtful. The description, however vague it was, made him think about his half-brother Clovis for some reason.
"I don't think so," Lelouch said.
The girl's eyes flicked toward him and then to Nunnally. "Shame. I was really hoping that he was here," she said with a pout.
"Maybe he's just late," Shirley suggested.
"Yeah, maybe he is. Well, thanks anyway," the girl said with a friendly smile that seemed almost fake to Lelouch and walked off but not before Lelouch saw the smile fade into a scowl. He blinked at that but decided it wasn't important.
Soon, more of their classmates began to file into the lobby, chatting with their friends or scrolling through the photos they had taken while they were wandering around the museum.
"All right, everyone," Hawley said once everyone had gathered around her and she counted everyone to ensure that the number of students she had left the academy with were there. However, before she could go on, the doors to the museum opened and Lelouch froze as a very familiar blonde young man walked into the lobby surrounded by members of his Royal Guard.
Clovis la Britannia hadn't changed much since Lelouch last saw him. He was slightly taller and his blonde hair had gotten a bit longer but, other than that, he hadn't changed. His blue eyes scanned the crowd of students curiously as if he wasn't expecting them to be there.
Milly quickly shifted until she was standing in front of Lelouch and Nunnally as Clovis's eyes passed over them.
"Your Highness! This is an unexpected surprise," Mrs. Hawley said.
"Brother Clovis is here?" Nunnally whispered, reaching out a hand and Lelouch gently took it.
"Yeah but Milly's hiding us," Lelouch murmured back.
Nunnally nodded slowly, a little confused. She had been very young when they were exiled and so didn't know the full story behind what happened to cause their exile. She only knew that their father had exiled them and thought it was just to keep them safe from the people who murdered their mother. That was why she and Lelouch had remained in hiding and hadn't revealed their presence when Clovis had become Area 11's Viceroy.
Lelouch, on the other hand, knew the real reason, though he didn't have the heart to tell her it; it was because he, being rash and stupid and jumping headfirst into the situation without thinking about the consequences, had confronted the Emperor, a stupid plan now that he thought about it.
Hn, hindsight is 20/20 I suppose, he thought.
He briefly wondered if he had handled that matter differently, would he and Nunnally have remained in Pendragon? Or would they still have been used as bargaining chips during the Sakuradite Crisis?
He pushed the thought away, reminding himself that there was no point in thinking about 'what ifs'. Nothing could change the past and it wasn't as if it would matter. The Emperor had made it plain clear that he cared little about Lelouch and Nunnally.
Why should I care about that weakling?
You are dead to me. Dead the moment you were born.
He gritted his teeth and shoved the thought out of his mind, not wanting to think about the bastard who sired him.
Nunnally squeezed his hand gently and he calmed down.
"I certainly was not expecting so many students here at once," Clovis noted with a smile.
"We will get out of your way if you wish, Your Highness," Hawley said.
"No, no, it's fine. They're here to enjoy the wonders of art and I won't stop them. I do hope they enjoy it like I do whenever I come here," Clovis said.
"I'm sure they have, Your Highness," Hawley said.
At that moment, the pale-purple haired girl wandered over to join the group of students. She meandered her way through the crowd and came to a stop in front of them, prompting the students to look at her in confusion. It was clear that she wasn't a student and yet it was almost as if she was pretending to be one.
"Excuse me, Your Highness?" she said.
Clovis turned to her in confusion. "Yes?" he said.
The girl smiled brightly. "It's about time you showed up. I was getting bored waiting for you," she said.
She was looking for Clovis? Why? Lelouch thought.
He got his answer a moment later when the pale-purple haired girl smiled and, suddenly, Clovis and every single member of his Royal Guard were thrown backwards as if struck by a powerful, invisible wind. She then whirled around and Lelouch was just able to catch sight of the glowing bird-like sigil around her left eye before an invisible two-by-four slammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards along with the other students. He heard Nunnally cry out and snapped his head up as soon as he landed to find her skidding across the floor, having been thrown out of her wheelchair, toward him. He caught her, causing them both to skid back a few more feet.
Nina, who had been sent skidding alongside Lelouch, lifted her head as she came to a stop beside the siblings. "W…What just happened?" she asked.
"I don't know," Lelouch said. But I don't like this. His mind went to that odd bird-like sigil in the girl's eye.
"Whoa, it sure is powerful," the girl, the only one who was still on her feet, said with a satisfied laugh.
The Royal Guard had gotten to their feet at that moment and began firing at her but the girl turned to gaze at the bullets flying at her. They were suddenly diverted into the large double doors leading into the museum as if a wind had slammed into them, throwing them off course.
"Don't get in my way," the girl said flatly and the Royal Guard were suddenly sent flying backwards again. They crashed into the wall hard and slumped to the ground, whether they were unconscious or dead, Lelouch didn't know and didn't want to know.
Clovis got to his feet, his hair mussed and his clothing ruffled and covered in dust from skidding across the museum's floor. His eyes were wide with shock and outrage. "Do you know who I am?" he demanded.
"Yes, I do, actually," the girl said with a shrug. "Clovis la Britannia, eldest son of Gabrielle la Britannia, Third Prince of the Holy Empire of Britannia. Royalty." She spat out the last word as though it were a curse and turned to face the students, a cruel smirk on her face when her eyes landed on Lelouch, who was holding Nunnally gently in his arms.
"And you aren't the only one here too," she said. "Three royals in one day. This must be my lucky day." She giggled and her eye began to glow again.
Nunnally screamed as she was torn from Lelouch's arms as if picked up by an invisible hand and thrown to the other side of the lobby, closer to where the pale-purple haired girl stood.
"Nunnally!" Lelouch shouted as Nunnally crashed hard into the ground, a whimper of pain escaping her lips.
"How could you do something like that?" Shirley exclaimed, getting to her feet nearby and staring at the pale-purple haired girl in utter shock.
Before long, all the other students were voicing their own complaints since Nunnally was beloved by the entire student body, no matter which division they came from.
"Shut up," the pale-purple haired girl snarled, yanking a gun out and pointing it at the students, causing them to shut up in fear. "This isn't any of your business. This is between me and the Royal Family. And I'm taking that princess out now." She turned the gun to Nunnally who pushed herself into a sitting position, unaware of the danger she was in.
Lelouch was, though.
The pale-purple haired girl pulled the trigger.
A bang sounded as Lelouch, a burst of adrenaline going through him, darted forward and threw himself protectively in front of Nunnally.
A searing pain exploded in his back and the last thing he heard was Nunnally's scream of horror before darkness claimed him.
. . .
Nunnally's scream of horror was echoed by all the other students that were gathered, except for Shirley. She was just staring in utter shock as Lelouch's bloodstained body collapsed in front of Nunnally, blood pouring from the wound in his back. Oh God, he…he… She couldn't think straight; she couldn't do anything but stare at the scene in utter shock.
She had always known that Lelouch doted on and adored his little sister but it still shocked her that he had willingly thrown himself in front of a bullet to save Nunnally. And then she found herself wondering why she was so surprised. She had always known that Lelouch cared about Nunnally so much that he would do anything for her.
"Oh God, is he…?" Nina trailed off, staring wide-eyed at the scene while Nunnally cradled Lelouch's body close, crying.
"Big brother! Wake up! Wake up, big brother!" she screamed.
"He's not waking up, brat," the pale-purple haired girl said coolly. "He's dead and, soon, you will be too." She pointed her gun at Nunnally who was still crying over her motionless brother's form, not paying attention to the fact that she was still in danger.
A gunshot rang out and the pale-purple haired girl screamed in pain as the bullet slammed into her arm, knocking her gun out of her hand. She whirled around to find that one of the Royal Guard had regained consciousness and was pointing his gun at her.
She scowled. "I took care of one. I'll just come back later to take care of the rest," she spat, pulled something from her pocket and throw it down. A cloud of smoke immediately filled the area, causing the fire alarms to go off and the sprinkler system to activate, pouring water down on the stunned still group of students. When the smoke cleared, the pale-purple haired girl was gone.
Shirley bolted to Nunnally's side, staring at her friend, and not-so-secret crush's, bloodstained body. She knelt down and curled an arm around Nunnally's shoulders as she stretched out her free hand to check Lelouch's pulse. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt it, however faint it was.
"He's still alive, Nunna," she whispered.
Nunnally whimpered. "He…He…" She trailed off and started sobbing.
"Somebody, get an ambulance here now!" Clovis shouted as he bolted across the floor, kneeling on Nunnally's other side, surprising Shirley. She recalled the pale-purple-haired girl's words about how there were three royals there instead of one and then her calling Nunnally 'princess' right before shooting at her.
Are Lulu and Nunna royalty? She thought in disbelief.
"Nunnally?" Clovis said.
Nunnally's face turned toward Clovis, tears still streaming from behind her closed eyes. "Brother Clovis, Big Brother…he's…he's…"She broke off and started sobbing again and Clovis gingerly drew Nunnally into his arms. She buried her face into the prince's chest and continued to cry, one hand grabbing and clutching Lelouch's.
Shirley stared in utter shock, trying to comprehend what she was seeing, watching as Clovis attempted to soothe the distressed girl.
"N…Nunna, y…you and Lulu, you're royalty?" Shirley stammered out, though she knew it had to be true. The pale-purple-haired girl's words, Nunnally's reaction to Clovis, and Clovis's reaction and words to her confirmed it but she just still found it hard to believe.
Nunnally swallowed and nodded slowly, tightening her grip on her big brother's hand just as the paramedics arrived, quickly guiding a stretcher between them.
Shirley slowly, numbly, moved away as the paramedics came to Lelouch's side. She watched as they worked on stemming the blood flow and then lifted the black-haired Britannian onto the stretcher. She watched as they quickly guided Lelouch away with Clovis, holding Nunnally gently in his arms, darting after them, shouting orders at his Royal Guard, the rest of which had just regained consciousness, as he did so.
Lulu and Nunna are royalty. Why didn't they tell us? She thought.
She turned to find Milly, Rivalz, and Nina slowly making their way toward her. All three of them looked worried, though only Rivalz and Nina looked as surprised as Shirley felt, as did the rest of the student body. They were murmuring amongst each other, the same question was being passed around quite a bit.
"Are Lelouch and Nunnally royalty?"
Nina swallowed as she turned her gazes away from the pile of blood that lay where Lelouch had been shot. "I…hope that he's gonna be okay," she whispered.
"Me too but…was that girl right? I mean, she seemed to have a beef with the royal family and yet she shot at Nunnally," Rivalz asked.
Shirley nodded. "Nunna confirmed it when I asked her," she said softly.
Rivalz's eyes widened. "Whoa, that's big. Why didn't they tell us?"
"They felt that the fewer people who knew, the safer they would be," Milly said.
Shirley, Nina, and Rivalz turned to the Student Council President who was gazing at the bloodstain with a look of worry on her normally cheerful and mischievous face. "You knew?" Shirley said in shock.
Milly nodded. "I knew," she said. "My family was the one who supported Lelouch and Nunnally's mother until we fell from grace and came here after she was assassinated. I've known Lelouch and Nunnally since we were children. Lelouch asked me not to tell you about his heritage. He didn't want anyone to know since it might put them at risk."
"I…guess I can understand that," Shirley said. She turned toward the double doors and bit her lip, worrying for her crush.
By the time the remaining members of the student council returned to Ashford Academy, the rain had let up but the mood was still somber. Due to the events of the day, the students were allowed to go home as soon as they got back to the school. Milly had briefly contacted Sayoko as soon as they arrived, telling her about what happened
"I'm going to go check up on Lelouch," Milly decided as she watched a few of their classmates get picked up by their parents. "You coming with?"
"Do we even know which hospital he was taken too?" Rivalz asked.
"Most likely the Mercy General since that's the closest to the museum," Milly said. "We can ask when we get there. So?"
Shirley nodded. She wanted to see Lelouch, wanted to know if her friend was going to make it or not, and wanted to help comfort Nunnally if the worst case scenario came to pass. She found herself hoping that Lelouch would survive; she knew that Nunnally adored Lelouch just as much, if not more than, Lelouch did her and would be devastated if Lelouch died.
"I'll go with," Rivalz said.
"Me too," Nina said softly.
"All right then. Let's go," Milly said and led the way away from Ashford Academy and toward the hospital.
It was a good fifteen minute walk before they reached the hospital's emergency room and entered it. It was empty save for a member of Prince Clovis's Royal Guard standing next to the door and Nunnally, seated in a hospital-issued wheelchair, listening intently to the doctors that were talking by the desk. She had gotten a change of clothes and her face was still somber.
The Royal Guard straightened, eyes narrowing when he saw the four of them and Nunnally turned her face toward them. "Who's there?" she called and Shirley could hear the quiet worry and sadness in her voice.
"It's us, Nunnally," Milly said gently.
Nunnally's somber face brightened a little bit. "It's all right. They're Big Brother's friends. They can come in," she said, turning to the Royal Guard.
"Very well, Your Highness," the Royal Guard said and relaxed against the wall, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the emergency room while Shirley, Milly, Rivalz, and Nina made their way to Nunnally's side.
"I think it's going to take me some time to get used to being referred to by that again," Nunnally said softly.
"How's Lulu?" Shirley asked, taking a seat next to Nunnally while the others pulled up their own chairs to sit in front of the brown-haired girl.
"He's in surgery," Nunnally said sadly. "The doctors are doing all that they can but…I just can't help but worry that it won't be enough."
"Don't think like that, Nunna," Shirley said firmly. "Lulu will be fine." I hope. She didn't repeat that out loud, even if she felt the same as Nunnally.
"Yeah, he can be incredibly stubborn," Milly said, reaching out and taking Nunnally's hand in hers.
"Yeah, Big Brother can be stubborn," Nunnally said with a somberly amused smile before it faded and she bit her lip.
Shirley curled her arm around Nunnally's shoulder but said nothing. She didn't know what to say. She supposed she was still in shock at the news. Finding out one of her best friends was royalty, and knowing he was currently fighting for his life, was not how she pictured her day would end.
But who was that girl? And why did she do this? Another question entered Shirley's mind as she recalled that no one, except Milly, knew about Lelouch and Nunnally's heritage.
How did that girl know Lulu and Nunna were royalty?
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: okay, I'm pretty satisfied with how the start of this story turned out (after rewriting it a couple of times) so I'm gonna leave it as is
Lelouch: you had me shot?!
Blaze: well, would you have rather I let Nunnally get shot?
Lelouch: hell no
Blaze: exactly
Lelouch: Do you have notes for this story as well?
Blaze: yes, I do
Note One: There will be many OCs in this story. Some of them are going to become major characters, two OCs and one group of OCs will be major antagonists and seven OCs are going to become major good characters. The remaining OCs that are introduced are going to be minor characters.
Note Two: Only two characters from the games, mangas, and spinoffs will be included in this story, though I may include two more. One comes from Code Geass: Oz the Reflection (She's a major character and a Britannian Princess in that) and the other two that I may include also come from this story but I won't decide whether they will be used until after I finish reading Oz the Reflection but, even if they are used, they won't make an appearance until Arc-III. The second is the main character from the game Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Lost Colors. Both of these characters may not be in character but I will try my best. Both of these characters' roles will not become very large, nor will they make an actual appearance, until late-Arc II and early-Arc III respectively. No other character from any of the spinoffs, mangas, or games will be included in this story.
Note Three: In this story, the legal age in Britannia and all its controlled Areas to join the army is sixteen. Yes, it is not standard in the real world but this is an alternate fictional world with an alternate history so I've changed the minimum age by one year (it's really not that much, honestly). I will say more on the subject of military training when we get to chapter 4.
Note Four: The main pairings for this story are officially Lelouch/Shirley and Suzaku/Euphemia with a few OC/OC and OC/Canon Character pairings scattered throughout.
Note Five: This story is non-canon compliant. Unlike Divergence, this story is not a rewrite of the series but, rather, its own story that will still take some events from canon and alter them while eliminating others and including many new, original events.
Lelouch: that it?
Blaze: uhhh (looks through notes) I think so
Lelouch: you forgot something, didn't you?
Blaze: I don't think I did but I probably did. Eh, if I remember, I'll include it in later chapters. Well, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.
