Title: Code Geass: Lelouch, the Next Step

Author: SkyDragonKing

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama, Tragedy, Romance, Action, Fantasy

Rating: T - for Teen

Summary: After everything he's done, all of the regrets, the people he's hurt, Lelouch would leave it all behind in the Zero Requiem. Yet, fate seems to have chosen a different path for the demon as he is faced with demons of his own.

Before I begin, I'd like to thank Yuzuki Inohara for helping, give my frantic mind some direction whilst developing this story. I greatly appreciate all of your help throughout this whole ordeal.

Chapter 1: The Day the Demon Passes.

"Yes..." He said softly. All he could manage at that moment was a whisper. His younger sister held him, scared, in more distress than he was it seemed; her eyes wide in panic as she held his hand. He couldn't feel her touch, nor see her now. The large crowd around him, his prisoners that were to be executed, Zero, all were unnoticed by the fallen king.

"I..." He tried to say. So many things had come before but now it was finally over; all of his agony, his pain, his despair, was over.

He was dying.

Lying there in his sister, Nunnally's arms, in his tattered, bloodied robes, the robes of the Emperor of Britannia.

He was stabbed through the chest with his own sword, but he did not inflict the pain upon himself; yet, he greeted the assault with a smirk before he fell from his pedestal, in the position he was now in.

"I destroyed...the world." Proud of his accomplishment, his smile told that story.

What they said was true, one's life does flash before their eyes during their final moments.

"...and created..." All of the people, his family, friends, loved ones, rivals, enemies, those he held closest to his heart and his moments with them all passed him by. What he had thought was forgotten, flashed through his eyes, his smile not fading.

"A new...!" The last light he had in his eyes, whatever glimmer of life, had faded away. He had succumbed to the wound inflicted upon him.

He went limp. His violet eyes closed one last time.

He was dead.

Lelouch vi Britannia, the Ninety-Ninth Emperor of The Realm, was dead. The Demon, as he was known, was no more.

He felt saddened about leaving his younger crippled sister behind without her big brother, he felt saddened by many things, but he had to do them.

He had to do them, turning his friends, allies, and soon the entire world against him. For the Zero Requiem, he had to, he had to die.

It was the perfect plan.

The perfect plan that was perfectly executed.

Everything would be fine in the world now. The cycle of hatred that he had focused upon himself was over. Peace would now rule the world. No more war, prejudice, racism hunger, poverty, it would all be gone. Especially with the countries of the world having already united under their shared hatred for him.

It was a success, and now he was dead. Nunnally, Suzaku and so many others must have been crying for him, but he couldn't see the tears or hear their pleas to him. Perhaps it was easier this way. It was the best way his intelligent mind could think of.

The Zero Requiem worked exactly as planned as Lelouch's world was now black.

...

...

...

..

.

The room was bright with sunlight, so bright that it hurt his eyes when he awoke. Shielding his eyes with his hand he groggily rose up, now sitting upright on the leather couch.

"Am I...? Is this...?" He whispered before moving his hand, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light as he lifted his head up.

"I guess there is an afterlife after all." Lelouch mused to himself, his smirk showing as he brought his head back down. Perhaps reflecting on what he had just experienced, or maybe that there actually was life after death and people weren't just blabbing on. But then, Lelouch realized something.

"What?!" His eyes went as wide as they could. He was in disbelief, for he knew the room he was in. It was the room he grew up in.

He was in the Aries Villa.

In the former home of his mother, Marianne, in the destroyed Britannian capital of Pendragon! Lelouch knew that the capital was destroyed, he remembered the moment exactly, and it wasn't so long ago, maybe a few months, so how...?

"This is...my old room but...!" He head snapped in every direction, his eyes moving even faster.

"Wait a minute...! I know Clovis..." Lelouch whispered, recalling how his half-brother, Clovis la Britannia had built an exact replica of the Aries Villa in Japan when he became the Viceroy...but...that building was destroyed not so long ago.

Lelouch shook and held his head as he slowly rose up from his seat. That's when he noticed something else was amiss, his wardrobe had changed as well; no longer was he wearing his ripped, bloody, white tunic that he was previously wearing. Instead, he was donning a white shirt, with ruffles and a pin in the top fold, gray pants that were neatly pleated, of course and black shoes.

Looking up from himself, Lelouch brought his gaze to his dresser which wasn't so far from him in his grand bedroom.

He saw his reflection in the mirror that stood next to it and found yet another surprise.

His Geass.

He couldn't see it in his eyes.

"Maybe..." He thought aloud as he walked up to the mirror. "I really am dead, now that my Geass is...!" He gasped before the red markings that had come to haunt him appeared, consuming his irises. Lelouch was surprised but not enough to make him jump back, however he did flinch before he…

"...!" He took a sharp breath as he watched the Geass in his eyes fade away, his eyes returning to their dark violet color. His face scrunched up in confusion once more. He had only seen Geass do that once before. His father, Charles zi Britannia, the Ninety Eighth Emperor of Britannia, the man he killed, once had the ability to make his Geass appear and disappear on command.

"Looks like my Geass has evolved even further...but does that mean...?!" He closed his eyes and clenched his face as he held his head.

"No!" He grunted as he pounded his fists on the surface of his dresser causing a picture frame to topple over.

"No, the Zero Requiem worked perfectly! So why...!" Still hunched over his dresser, Lelouch's hand found its way to the fallen picture frame. He looked up and flipped the frame over so that he could return it to it's proper position.

His eyes widened in shock yet again and his hands were shaking as they held the picture frame up. For within the frame, was a picture, and a fairly recent looking one at that, of himself, Nunnally and his mother! All sitting, Marianne in between her children, her first born on her right and her little girl to her left. Lelouch was in disbelief, for lack of a better term.

There was no way...! He watched Marianne die, she vanished right before his eyes after he shunned her and his father for their plans of uniting all of humanity under the power of the Geass Code. His grip tightening on the edges of the frame, Lelouch began to grow angry at the sight of his mother sitting happily next to him, so happily when he knew how vile the woman truly was. He had to look away, and his unsuspecting gaze brought him to another of his pictures.

Himself, Cornelia...and Euphemia. This picture was also pretty recent, but third princess, Euphemia li Britannia was also dead. His tight grip on the picture of Marianne loosened and the frame shattered on the floor.

He killed her, manipulated her will and caused her to become the symbol of cruelty to the world, and yet here she was standing next to him and her older sister, Cornelia at what looked like a party of sorts.

As if it never happened.

What's going on?! If he was really dead, then wouldn't his Geass have disappeared? And...wait, this sounds ridiculous! Unless…

"Wait...I'm not..." Lelouch looked away from the picture of Euphemia and back at the mirror. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

Could there have been a chance that he was still alive, that he was just rendered unconscious by his injury.

"A lucid dream?" Lelouch asked his reflection before he remembered the broken frame on the floor by his feet. If he was really having a lucid dream, then he can control what happens in it; so he focused entirely on the frame. If he wanted that frame to repair itself, it would and also prove his theory that he was dreaming. Lelouch concentrated heavily on the scattered pieces of broken glass, but nothing happened. So much for that.

What was happening? Where was he?

Lelouch asked himself these things as he wandered over to the large French doors across his room. As he recalled, his old room overlooked the grand courtyard of the Aries Villa, the beautiful variety of brightly colored flowers, the carved statues, paved walkways, the open lawns, everything he remembered from when he was a boy. It was all there, but instead of nostalgia, Lelouch felt only confusion, distress.

The gentle breeze played with the black strands of hair that draped his face as Lelouch tried to think over his situation some more. However, rushed footsteps and tired breathing interrupted his thoughts.

Whack!

'What was that?' Lelouch thought, looking around his view of the courtyard. He heard the footsteps again, racing and this time he could have sworn that he heard someone let out a grunt or some forced noise.

Whack! The racing feet resumed.

Lelouch still couldn't find the source of that noise until he realized that it was coming from below him.

"...!" He gasped at what he saw. This was by far the biggest surprise he'd found thus far. His knees nearly gave out from the sheer sight of it as the rest of his body trembled.

"Nu-N-Nunnally...!" He whispered. It was all he could manage given what he was seeing.

Jogging over to the opposite corner of the grass Tennis court, racket ready in hand...was Nunnally. Her long, sandy brown was tied in a pony tail as it hung down, far past the shoulders of her white, collared shirt that hung over a light purple skirt that matched her eyes and sneakers well.

Nunnally was running.

She was really running around, smiling, playing like a normal girl again; Lelouch had not seen his little sister stand on her own, let alone run in what seemed like forever. It really was as if a dream had come true, but…

'If this isn't a dream, this better not be someone's sick idea of a joke!' Lelouch mentally threatened nobody in particular as he watched. In fact, he couldn't take his off the game.

Completely focused on Nunnally, Lelouch could not see anything else. He watched for about thirty more minutes, thirty minutes which felt like seconds to Lelouch, until he saw Nunnally race to one end of the court as she flailed her racket up at the ball. She had failed to get the bouncing green ball over the net; it was game, set and match and Nunnally had lost.

She sighed in disappointment, and hung her head for a brief second, but it was only a second. Nunnally picked herself up with a smile as she dusted herself off, but could do nothing about the grass stains on her skirt.

"That was a good game, your highness. Your skills are improving." Her opponent said. It wasn't until this woman spoke that Lelouch had looked her way. He was so caught up in seeing Nunnally move about that he completely missed it.

"Yeah, but I still can't beat you, Sayoko." Nunnally smiled as her opponent approached with towels in hand.

Wait, Sayoko?! Sayoko Shinozaki?

What on Earth was she doing in the Aries Villa? Maybe Lelouch was dreaming. He knew that the Japanese woman standing opposite his sister was originally employed by the Ashford family, who supported his mother once upon a time, and helped him and Nunnally when they were all alone; was that why Sayoko was here?

That's when he noticed the short haired woman look up in his direction.

"It looks like we have a spectator, Princess." She said, causing Nunnally to turn around and look up, making eye contact with Lelouch whose expression still was overflowing with disbelief.

Nunnally smiled and waved at him.

"Hey, sleepy head! About time you woke up!" Her voice seemed to have pulled Lelouch away from his thoughts as he shook his head completely free of them.

"Uh...I-I'll be right down!" He shouted back. He stumbling over his words like an idiot, but what other reaction would he have after seeing what he had seen. He also stumbled over the broken frame on the floor in his room. Well, he was never the most coordinated person around.

"Ah!" Lelouch winced as he noticed the cut on his finger, bleeding, stinging. What was the saying, 'Pinch me, I must be dreaming'? Well Lelouch was just pinched, and it hurt.

He could almost rule out the possibility that he was dreaming entirely as he sucked on his cut, finally making it to his bedroom door, almost.

"Wait, princess...?" He muttered as he walked in the hallway, recalling what Sayoko had referred to Nunnally as. That's right, given everything he had observed so far, it would only make sense that in this setting he is 'Prince' Lelouch.

But what was this setting?

That Lelouch still didn't know as he trekked through the huge manor he once called his home. It had been so long in fact, he nearly had taken a couple of wrong turns on the way down, but Lelouch finally made it outside to the courtyard.

Maybe Lelouch, could get some answers from his sister and Sayoko. If he was dreaming, then he could use his Geass to get them to tell him. This would be the final test to see if Lelouch was in a dream or not. And if his Geass didn't work...well, Lelouch didn't have any other ideas at the moment.

…

Nunnally and Sayoko were in the middle of talking when Lelouch arrived. They were all cleaned up, the sweat brought out from their Tennis match was patted down with their towels, one of which Nunnally wore around her neck like a scarf. When he approached, Nunnally rose up from her seat and whipped her towel off her neck, unknowingly tossing beads of sweat Lelouch's way, making him flinch.

"Oh, sorry Lelouch." She apologized as she meekly smiled, Lelouch used a finger to wipe some of the sweat off.

"It's alright. That was some game you had. I guess all that practicing is paying off?" Lelouch complemented before he lied. Clearly not knowing his situation, he thought it best to go with the flow; there was still a chance he wasn't dreaming, and pain could be inflicted upon him. He needed to tread lightly.

"Thanks, but I guess after five years something's gotta give!" Nunnally admitted. Her answer gave Lelouch the impression that she had to practice very intensely to reach the level she was at now.

"Please Princess, don't be so modest. Especially in front of your brother, he was present when you were runner up at the House Tournament last year." Sayoko butted in. Runner up? That piece of information caught Lelouch by surprise. He had no idea Nunnally had so much athletic potential. It actually upset him some to know that after seeing her being confined to that wheelchair before...before all of this! However…

Was this even the same Nunnally he knew? That same gentle girl who illuminated the world with her smile. Her happy demeanor told him yes but…

"If you excuse me Prince, Princess, I must make for the Ashford Manor now, so long." Sayoko bowed slightly before dismissing herself. The Ashfords? Well, that was a matter for another time. Lelouch watched her go, and once she was out of sight, he decided it was time to run one final test on his 'dreaming' theory.

He despised the thought of attempting to use his Geass on Nunnally again! However, he needed to know what was going on? Why were they Prince and Princess again? Why were they back in the Aries Villa? Why wasn't he dead?! He watched Nunnally gather up her equipment, preparing to leave when he decided to act.

"Hey, Nunnally?" He asked while her back was still turned, as he activated his Geass; the red design encompassing both eyes. Half of him hoped that this worked, the other half was angry at himself for even attempting this. She turned with her usual sweet smile.

"Yeah, wha...?" She seemed rather distracted by something, a couple of somethings.

"Nunnally, does the name 'Zero' mean anything to you?" He asked with his Geass.

The topic of Zero was the best logical choice to go with. As far as he knew, Zero was the biggest threat to the Empire of Britannia, Zero was the outspoken leader of freedom, Zero was him, emphasis on the 'was him'. Nunnally furrowed her brow as she stood upright, her duffle bag hanging off her shoulder.

"No, I can't say that it does...Lelouch?" She asked him, still wearing that confused expression she met his question with.

"Yes?" Lelouch replied. Nunnally relaxed her expression, raising a playful brow and a smirk rising.

"Where did you get those contacts? They're freaking me out." Lelouch was quite dumbfounded by that remark. Not only did his Geass fail to work, but he was mocked for it!

Eye contacts...?! Well, she had a point there. Lelouch forced a smile before looking down and reaching for his eyes, pretending to remove a pair of contacts.

"Sorry about that, it was just a silly gag I found on the Internet. I thought I could scare you with it." Another lie, but he couldn't tell her what was happening with him. That he died and then woke up in his childhood home, that he remembers her as a handicapped girl that couldn't even stand; she'd think he was insane!

"Right...!" A light chuckle filled Nunnally's words before she and her brother began walking off together.

"So Lelouch, are you going to be ready for later?" Nunnally asked rather randomly as they approached the large arched doorway that led back inside the house. Perhaps this method of simple questions would be a better way for Lelouch to grasp the situation here. He smiled as he played along.

"What was that?" He asked innocently. He really didn't know, but he was playing it off as if he simply dozed off. Nunnally's head whipped around so fast that her neck would've fallen off had she gone any faster.

"You can't tell me you've forgotten already?! Lelouch! Tonight's the night of the Rounds Ball; mother is throwing the party in the Grand Hall of the palace for all the Knights of the Round. The Knight of Eleven came back a few nights ago, so all twelve of them are here in Pendragon!" Nunnally exclaimed. She seemed pretty worked up about the affair, and with good reason.

All twelve of the Rounds? Even while he sat upon the throne, Lelouch had only encountered roughly half of them. To meet the rest was perhaps the reason for his sister's excitement. The fact that his mother Marianne was hosting, actually wasn't that strange; Lelouch knew, especially after all the countless stories he had heard, that his mother was once the Knight of Two. As the title reads, she was ranked second amongst the mightiest warriors of Britannia, but left her position once she became pregnant with Lelouch and became an Imperial Consort to Charles.

"No need to shout, Nunnally. I knew what you meant; you're too gullible!" Lelouch smiled as the brother-sister pair made a stop in front of another large doorway.

Nunnally glared at Lelouch dryly. "And you're too good of a liar." She pouted as an eyebrow twitched. "Whatever, I'm going to get cleaned up and get ready. The party starts at seven o'clock after all!" Her excitement for the event later was too much for her to hold her pout as her smile showed.

"Right, I'll see you later then Nunnally." Lelouch gave a slight wave as Nunnally walked off into the bath house section of the villa. He watched her go for as long as he could. He probably would never get over the sight of her walking on her own, never.

As Nunnally left his sight, the wistful smile Lelouch was wearing dropped instantly and was replaced by a frown before he turned sharply and stormed off.

…

'I don't understand any of this!' Lelouch thought to himself as he returned to his room, walking through the large, elaborately decorated hallways of the villa. The large, obnoxious portraits of noblemen past staring down at him; old decrepit eyes making Lelouch agitated even more, they always annoyed him as he walked past the other gaudy decorations.

'Clearly I'm not dreaming, given the circumstances...' He glanced at the cut on his finger that had since stopped bleeding, but the stinging was still felt.

'But if I'm not dreaming, I have to be dead! There's no other way! I was killed, stabbed through the chest. So why am I here? Back in the Aries Villa as Prince; my mother, father and Euphie still alive! Nunnally...!' Lelouch stopped for moment, looking out of one of the many windows that bordered one side of the hall and looked out to the outer grounds of the Villa.

'And what's more is that my Geass...' He looked at the mirror, the faint reflection of the red symbols in his eyes staring back at him. They faded before he sighed and continued moving.

'My Geass seems to have evolved further, but the fact that it didn't work on Nunnally only confuses me even more!' If he was dreaming, which he wasn't, then the Geass would've worked no problem. Death most likely would've erased the Geass from Lelouch's body, but it was still there and...!

"Argh!" Lelouch audibly growled at the ever more confusing thoughts racing through his head.

If he wasn't dreaming and he wasn't dead, then what on Earth was happening?!

These thoughts and possible theories would never leave his mind it seemed.

As Lelouch's frustration grew, he caught a man, a servant quickly walk from the corner of his eye. The man, as he could see, was getting closer and closer to him until, "Prince Lelouch, your highness!" he called out.

Lelouch turned around to face the flustered man. He was carrying several rolls of paper in one hand and a small box filled with fabrics in the other.

"Yes, what is it?" Lelouch did a good job hiding his anger as he spoke calmly. It wasn't the servant he was upset with anyways; the servant did his best to bow to his prince.

"My lord, do you have any idea where your mother might be? I was asked to get samples of the decorations for the celebration later...!" The servant nearly lost his balance and came close to dropping everything he held in his hands.

"...b-but it looks like Lady Marianne isn't in her quarters any longer...!" Lelouch looked at the man for a few seconds longer before an idea crept into his head, other than the one of his mother making a fool of this poor man.

"No, I don't, I'm sorry. Why don't you drop everything and go home? In fact quit, you can find a much better job than this I'm sure." Lelouch said, his Geass shining through his eyes.

The man stared blankly at his prince, causing Lelouch to think that his Geass had failed him again.

"Yes, your highness right away!" The man suddenly cheered before relaxing his arms, everything plopping to the floor. Lelouch recognized the subtleties in the man's actions and the look in his eyes.

His Geass worked.

The man ran off cheering about going back to school and becoming an architect or something. Lelouch watched only for a moment and returned to his thoughts.

Thoughts that there wasn't even a Zero to speak of. How could that be?! Zero was the most famous name in the world, Lelouch made damn sure of that! Yet, when he asked Nunnally, she had no clue as to who he was talking about.

Unless...he wasn't in the same world he left...?

No, that's ridiculous! No way that can happen. It made absolutely no sense to a logical person such as Lelouch, especially someone as cynical as him.

However the matter of his Geass kept him thinking. It didn't work on Nunnally, who he had used it on once before, a moment he would very much like to forget. However, it did work on that servant just a moment ago. It was a very interesting notion indeed, as it made Lelouch ever more curious, and annoyed!

None of this made any sense! Lelouch just wanted to sit down and relax for a moment before going for another round of thinking about this, this...situation!

Just down the hall from his room, relaxation was in Lelouch's sight, however, there was someone standing outside his door.

Oh good, who could it be now? Another servant Marianne sent on a wild goose chase, perhaps? Lelouch could see that it was a man, rather tall and was wearing what looked like a robe. A very familiar looking robe, orange in color, and the golden insignia of the...oh man! It was a Knight of the…

"Jeremiah?!" Lelouch blurted out in surprise, causing the turquoise haired man to turn around.

"Oh, Prince Lelouch there you are! I was about to knock on your door, but it looks like I don't have to." Jeremiah was looking for him? Why?

Wait a minute! Jeremiah Gottwald is a Knight of the Round?! When did this happen?

"Uh...I mean, how can I help you?" Lelouch said as he blinked. His brain was going to explode at this rate!

"I came here to inform you about the conference with your father tomorrow afternoon." The knight explained to the prince.

"Conference...?" Lelouch muttered aloud, loud enough for Jeremiah to hear.

"Yes, conference; I hope you've made up your mind by now, you know how impatient your father is with political matters." Jeremiah reminded his prince. About what was up for speculation to Lelouch. Then again Lelouch could always use his Geass on the knight.

No wait, it wouldn't work. Lelouch had used his Geass on Jeremiah a while back. In fact, the knight standing before him was one of the first people Lelouch used his Geass on; the night that Zero was born, to be precise.

"Oh well, you'll find out at the meeting, Jeremiah; but if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for later. I'm sure you do as well." Lelouch said, hoping to dismiss the topic. Jeremiah looked at Lelouch for a few seconds longer which made the prince feel anxious, like he was under the microscope until the Knight cracked a smirk.

"Right, I'll see you at the celebration later. My lord..." He gave a slight bow to his prince before walking off. Lelouch watched Jeremiah walk off until the knight was out of sight before swinging his bedroom door open and slamming it shut behind him. He dragged himself across the room before plopping on his bed on his back, looking up at the ceiling.

"How many more surprises am I in for?" Lelouch muttered as he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing mind.

…

"I forgot to tell him when and where..." Jeremiah, rather Sir Jeremiah remembered, muttering to himself as he neared the end of the hallway. He was taking a shortcut, knowing the Aries Villa well enough to do so without getting lost. Jeremiah had been in the Villa more than enough times to find faster ways around the grounds.

"Oh well, I'm see him later anyway."

He made his way down a couple of flights of stairs and soon found himself in the foyer, the very large foyer with a very large staircase, columns in every corner, and a massive crystal chandelier hanging above. Almost in the center of the huge entrance, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Well, if it isn't my successor as the Knight of Two, Sir Jeremiah Gottwald. Tell me, what brings the honorable second knight of Britannia to my humble home." The feminine voice said with a ring of charm to it. Jeremiah turned around to find the lady of the house standing on top of the main staircase.

Marianne vi Britannia, the fifth Imperial Consort to his majesty and the former Knight of Two, stood now in the presence of the incumbent.

"Ah, my lady, what a pleasure it is to see you!" The Knight courteously bowed to his predecessor as he greeted her. Marianne had begun to make her way down the stairs, walking along the tapered carpet that decorated them.

"I just tried to speak to your son, yet he seemed rather distracted during the exchange. Is everything alright with him, Lady Marianne?" He asked with noticeable concern, the scrunched brow and frown on his face was proof. The mother simply shrugged.

"I would assume so Jeremiah, but then again it's Lelouch we're talking about, the boy who over thinks everything." Marianne stopped on the final step, her long flowing black hair bouncing. Like her son, Marianne shared the same features as Lelouch, with her deep violet eyes looking on at the knight in front of her.

"I hardly think being meticulous is a bad thing, my lady." Jeremiah raised a brow playfully.

"Oh not at all Jeremiah, but you should know as well as anyone that my son is adept with things in theory, but when it comes to practical use, well..." The lady of Britannia stepped closer to Jeremiah as she mused about her first born.

"I thin..." Jeremiah was about to reply.

Until there was suddenly a chime that was heard throughout the entrance hall of the villa. It was the clock that was mounted into the wall atop the staircase Marianne had just walked down. The sound caught the attention of the two in company as they observed the time.

"Only two hours 'till the ball already?! I have to prepare!" Marianne shouted in surprise as she stormed back up the stairs, leaving Jeremiah behind. So much for a farewell; Jeremiah, being a chivalrous knight, stood as he watched the lady go.

"Just remember, all battles are won in their preparation, my lady." The knight muttered with a neutral expression before turning to leave the Aries Villa, his orange knight's robe flowing behind him as he walked out into the sunlight.

…

"What does this mean?" Lelouch said quietly as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He stood there, his shirt unbuttoned as he held it open to get a better look at his torso.

His chest, where he was stabbed.

There was a scar.

In the center of his chest, in the middle of his rib cage there was a deep dark scar. Slowly, Lelouch ran a hand along it. It hurt him slightly as he winced upon the initial contact.

At least now there was proof.

So with this evidence, the scar, he had to be dead, right? He was sure he wasn't dreaming, so that had to be the only other logical explanation for what was happening. Him still being alive would never be able to explain for everything he's seen so far.

Was he really in another wor...?

Then there was a knock on the door.

Lelouch quickly covered his chest up and went for the door. Opening it, he found Nunnally on the opposite end, already ready.

A pink dress with red lining bordering a broad white stripe going down the middle. The sleeves of the dress, and the waist were ruffled. There was a red ribbon tied at the base of the bust line, and the dress fit Nunnally's body rather snug, something big brother Lelouch wasn't crazy about. Yet, she still looked amazing to him.

"Nunnally?" He said. What was she doing here? As he recalled, their bedrooms were on opposite ends of the building, so it seemed out of the way for Nunnally to walk all the way over.

"Are you almost ready? I was supposed to leave with Euphie but she just started getting dressed now. I swear, she could be such a space head sometimes!" His little sister complained about their half-sister Euphemia while she let herself into his room.

"Well, almost I...!" He was explaining until he saw Nunnally briskly walk up to him.

"You're another one; here!" Nunnally huffed as she fixed his tossed up shirt. Her hands brushing up against his chest as she re-buttoned and adjusted the ruffles on his shirt.

She touched him right where his scar was.

Yet it didn't hurt at all.

"Nunnally be careful!" Lelouch warned her, backing away, hoping she hadn't discovered the wound. Maybe she didn't touch it.

"Of what; there's nothing wrong, is there?" She asked, the backs of her hands on her hips, brow raised. A little attitude from Nunnally; it was weird, almost like...mother. Then again Lelouch remembered the tantrums his sister used to throw when she was first put in her wheelchair, so she wasn't always a little angel.

This Nunnally seemed to have a temper too.

Wait, what did he just...? This Nunnally...?!

And what did she say? As far as Lelouch knew, there was a huge dark scar across his chest. There was something wrong there! There was something wrong everywhere!

Did she not see the horrible scar on him? It was hard to miss!

"There, now hurry up. It's six-thirty already!" Nunnally impatiently reminded him as she sat herself down at the edge of his bed. His shirt was all fixed, and all there was left to do was put his jacket on.

The outfit he was wearing was very lightly colored. The shirt was similar to the one he was wearing earlier, with the cuffs ruffled as well. Light grey pants, similar colored jacket with silver cuffs and lapel, with gold lining.

"All right Nunnally, I think I'm all set." Lelouch affirmed as he looked at the pocket watch he attached to his jacket. They had time, but the real reason he picked up the accessory was so that he could give his Geass one last look before putting it, and the watch away.

"Great, let's go! Mother left a car for us out front." Nunnally cheered as she hopped off the bed and quickly walked out of the room. She sure was excited for this party.

So was Lelouch.

The sheer size of this Rounds Ball, as Lelouch had come to know it as, was large enough for anyone to know that a large variety of people would be in attendance. A large variety of people for Lelouch to use his Geass on and get some answers. It hadn't worked on Nunnally earlier, but was a success on that servant who was probably still running around somewhere, leaving Lelouch to guess that the same rule still applied; his Geass could only work on a person one time, and one time only. He had to be cautious.

"Lelouch, come on!" Nunnally called out, taking Lelouch away from the jumbled up mess that was his thoughts. Lelouch was so caught up in his own mind that he didn't even notice when he had exited the villa.

"Oh, right...! Let's get going." He said, standing just outside the large, ornate building, Lelouch walked over to the open wheeled convertible that was waiting to take him and Nunnally to the ball.

Lelouch stepped in, taking a back seat next to Nunnally before the driver put the car in gear and drove off for the Grand Hall. As the wind brushed all around him, while usually relaxing, did nothing for Lelouch as he prepared himself. He needed to ready himself for facing them again, all those people he had wronged, fought against, and downright hated. It wasn't going to be easy to see all of those faces in the same crowd, but as far as he knew, nothing he did in the past seemed to be on the minds of anyone and so many other things were so radically different.

He couldn't keep himself from pondering, was he really in a different realit...?

He shook his head away from that possibility. That sort of thing just didn't happen.

At the moment, the best possible explanation for everything that was happening to him was that he may just be dreaming after all. That he probably is in a coma, his body lying down in a hospital bed somewhere in physical trauma from the stab wound inflicted upon him by the new Zero.

That all of this was just a hallucination from medication being given to his unconscious body.

It was the only logical reason Lelouch could come with at this point.

Lelouch sat up straight from his reclined position and looked to his right where Nunnally was sitting. One arm over the edge of the car, her long hair flowing in the wind and a big smile plastered on her face. Nunnally really seemed to be enjoying herself and getting excited for the ensuing celebration. Lelouch observed her enthusiasm. The smile on her face still had the plaguing effect it did in Lelouch's memories, causing a grin to creep up on his visage.

Maybe he could give his mind a break, just for tonight. Relax and just enjoy the party.

Relax, just relax. Re…

He couldn't. He couldn't rest, his mind or his body as he tensed up in his seat as the Imperial Palace drew ever closer.

…

The Grand Hall.

Well, not exactly; Lelouch and Nunnally had arrived to the Imperial Palace and were escorted inside, into the room just outside of the Hall. It served more as a foyer, to the Grand Hall and where, what Lelouch could conceive as a cocktail hour, was being held. Brother and sister walked in to the bustling crowd of aristocrats, military higher-ups and any other important members of Britannian high society.

"Oh, there you two are! I've been looking for you!" The cheerful voice of Euphemia li Britannia called out as she stepped towards the approaching Lelouch and Nunnally, the latter of which looking perplexed.

"B-but, how did you...? Euphie, how did you beat us here?" Nunnally narrowed her eyes at her half-sister while Lelouch tried his best not to stare as the two girls conversed.

'Euphie...' His thoughts of last encounter with her raced through Lelouch's mind. His Geass accidentally affecting Euphie, making her order the genocide of innocent people.

Him shooting her, taking her life.

At least as far as he knew, but it looks like he didn't know much since she was standing there, right in front of him.

It made him feel sick, all the regret he had when he looked at her. He just wanted to...

"Lelouch!" The pink haired princess called out, snapping Lelouch out of his trance.

He shook his head before he took another look at her. In her usual color, pink, Euhpemia wore a knee length dress with white and red trimmings. The dress was similar to Nunnally's in color and design, only Euhpie's had separate white sleeves that were attached to a collar which had a pink rose stitched to it.

"Ah, sorry, I've been having a bit of a rough day...!" Lelouch ran his hand through his hair as he spoke laughingly. Rough day, well isn't that the truth!

"Oh, wait, you're going to father's military meeting tomorrow right?" Euphemia said with the raised brows of sudden realization. So she knew about it too?

"Carine, hey!" Nunnally suddenly called out, waving to Carine ne Britannia, the scarlet haired, blue eyed, Fifth Princess of the Empire, who just happened to be the same age as Nunnally. Nunnally waved before walking over, leaving Lelouch with Euphemia.

"Yes, that's right. My mind's been racing all day." Lelouch admitted. Then instead of the curious look he'd been getting all day, Lelouch saw Euphemia give a small smile to him. It shocked him some to see the gentle look on her face.

That was Euphemia, the one he knew and loved.

"Well, try not to worry about it now. I'm sure it will go well for you." Said Euphie. With that smile she had, her words had an impact on Lelouch.

'Try not to worry about it.' So simple, almost too simple, yet correct.

It was so...so, so Euphie! Lelouch never understood how that simplistic, easy going mentality of Euphemia's got her through the trivialities and squabbles of the royal family, but it worked...for her at least.

Lelouch rubbed his eyes with one hand before he gave a chuckle and a smile widened on his face. Why did her words affect him more than his own? He didn't want to think about it now. Now he just wanted 'not to worry.'

"Heh, thanks Euphie. Your advice is much appreciated." Lelouch said through another chuckle, sounding sarcastic to the third princess.

"Well, I'm glad to help!" Euphie said with her hands on her hips, showing some agitation on her face, but she soon dropped it when she spotted something in the corner of her eye.

"Oh, there's Cornelia, finally." Euphie turned her head when she landed eyes on her older sister. On her heels, she turned, about to leave before she looked over her shoulder at Lelouch.

"Oh, Lelouch, by the way, I saw the Ashfords over there." She winked, pointing it out by nodding her head in the direction of the other side of the room. "I'll see you later!" With another smile, she left.

"The Ashfords, why should I...?" Lelouch muttered to himself as he pondered Euphemia's parting words.

Not paying attention to where he was going, Lelouch bumped shoulders with another man. The two stopped and gave each other a quick look.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lelouch said dismissively, still inattentive.

"My apologies, your highness." The man said, making Lelouch take a look at him. A little taller than himself, red slicked back hair, blue eyes and a trimmed beard that covered only the area around his chin.

Lelouch nodded and the man walked off. He had never seen that man before, but for some reason he looked so familiar. Lelouch shook his head free of that thought. He wasn't going to worry about it.

Just as he began to move, the lights in the room flicked on and off once; like a theatre intermission, it was the signal for people to move into the Grand Hall.

The real party was about to begin.

'I should find Nunnally in this crowd, we'll probably being sitting together anyway.' Lelouch thought as the people around him began to file into the giant arched doorway that led into the Hall.

"Lelouch, finally, there you are!" That voice, called out to him. He stopped in his tracks, completely halted in the moving crowd after hearing the voice of that woman.

"M-mother...!" Lelouch mumbled as Marianne, in her amber colored dress, waved him over.

His hands balled up into fists, clenching tighter and tighter when he saw Marianne standing near Nunnally.

That witch...she better step away from his sister right now! That conniving, superficial…

...mother...that is busy hosting this large scale event, whose son should just let things be for the time being.

Lelouch unclenched his hands after taking a breath.

"I'll be right there!" He hollered back as he sifted through the now lessening crowd as the people were almost all inside the Hall.

"I thought you came in with Nunnally, how did you two get so separated?" Marianne raised a brow at her first born as he stepped up on the elevated landing in the corner of the room.

"Well, Euphemia trapped me in a conversation while..." Lelouch feigned a smile as he was interrupted by Marianne.

"Come on, we have to get inside!" She said quickly as she walked into a smaller door behind where she was standing, a side entrance for avoiding the crowd. Lelouch exchanged glances with Nunnally who shrugged in response before she followed their mother inside the Grand Hall.

Grand it most certainly was; large stain glass windows and columns bordering the sides of the hall, large statues positioned at either side of the wide staircase where a large crystal chandelier hung. A fleet of floral decorated tables at each side of the room, and at one corner of the room, a large band was making its final preparations for the event.

Lelouch and Nunnally were pulled to their mother's side as she waited at the base of the large staircase. Brother and sister stepped on the first step, behind Marianne. They were positioned for something Lelouch had no idea about.

As camera flashes went off, Lelouch took a look at his surroundings. He hadn't been in that room in years. He glanced up the staircase, its landing wide, had two smaller sets of stairs at either side that were being covered by large ornate drapes that bore the crest of the Knights of the Round. He saw something move behind one of the curtains before his attention was brought to his mother.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen and thank you all very much for being here with us tonight for our celebration!" Marianne addressed the crowd as they applauded.

What a nice picture this must've been. Marianne vi Britannia, the former Knight of Two, Imperial Consort to his majesty, hosting a regal event with her adorable children at her side. The prince knew well enough that this attention was being soaked in by his mother.

Lelouch heard some hushed voices from on top of the staircases, averting his gaze away from his mother. He knew why he was standing on those marble steps now.

"This, the Rounds Ball, is our celebration of Britannia's military conquest of the E.U. and those brave leaders who paved the pathway to victory!" Marianne said, taking a theatrical pose.

"Lives are destroyed and now we're celebrating...!" A feminine voice hushed angrily from behind the curtains as Marianne continues.

"I give to you all, The Knights of the Round!" Marianne held her arms out as the spotlight that was on her turned off and the area surrounding the stairs became illuminated instead.

Then, from behind the curtain to the left, someone stepped out. A woman with long blonde, braided hair with trimmed bangs hanging over her face. Cold blue eyes, shined through as her light green robe danced behind her.

"The Knight of Twelve, Lady Monica Kruszewski." Marianne introduced the young knight who walked down the steps until she stopped at the second step by the banister. Monica took a slight bow, thanking the applause she was given.

Lelouch wasn't surprised to see her, knowing that he watched Suzaku kill her in the brief Knightmare battle they had. However, Lelouch had seen a lot of people that should have been dead today and wasn't phased.

Heck he was supposed to be dead.

From the curtain to the right, another young woman stepped out. Lelouch looked behind him to see who was coming next; he never met the Knight of Eleven before, so he decided to take a look.

Once again, Lelouch's eyes went wide in shock.

The newcomer to step forward, began walking down the steps as the crowd applauded. Her big blue eyes did nothing for her at the moment, as she wore a neutral expression framed by her parted bangs. The red robe that completed her knight's uniform fluttered as she walked, her shoulder length hair lightly bounced as she descended the stairs.

"The Knight of Eleven, Lady Kallen Stadtfeld."

How?

Lelouch's face twisted in pure confusion and shock as he watched his ace pilot walk down the steps, his eyes following her as she went. He noticed she was wearing her hair down, much like she did when at school, only now the back of her hair was spiked out slightly, not as much as he remembered though. Also her trademark red hand-band seemed to be missing from her wardrobe, which he always wore with her uniform. Well, this wasn't the same uniform.

When she made it to the step he was on, her eyes glanced over to the prince. In that moment when their eyes met, Lelouch's confusion died out some, he saw the frustration that lay hidden beneath her neutral gaze; he knew her well enough to spot it.

If that was the Kallen he knew, that is.

Kallen made it to the step right below where Monica was standing and stopped in front of the Knight of Twelve. No acknowledgement to the crowd was given.

'Why are you here?' Lelouch thought as he looked over to Lady Stadtfeld.

Next, from behind the left curtain a young man stepped out. Lelouch knew who the mullet style orange hair belonged to.

"The Knight of Ten, Sir Luciano Bradley." The applause continued as the Knight gave a sly smile. The self righteous smirk stayed plastered on Luciano's face as he took his black robe and position next to Monica, behind Kallen.

Next to step out, from the same side Kallen previously did, was a woman Lelouch hadn't met before. Standing at above average height, short green hair, with one long, braided stand draped around the left side of her face, pale blue eyes and a perennial smile, this woman stepped forward.

"The Knight of Nine, Lady Nonette Enneagram." Marianne introduced her, while the Knight of Nine waved to the crowd as she stood next to Kallen, the applause kept going.

A man about Lelouch's height, maybe a little taller, came out next. Vaguely familiar to Lelouch, this light brown haired, blue eyed man made his way down the stairs as his blue robe followed him.

"The Knight of Eight, Sir Kewell Soresi." When Marianne said the man's name, Lelouch remembered where he had seen him before. Kewell Soresi was of the Purist Faction, as Lelouch could recall, and worked with Jeremiah and...

"The Knight of Seven, Lady Viletta Nu." The dark-skinned, silver haired woman walked down the stairs as her name was called. Wearing a gray robe, that shimmered in the light of the room, it's hue nearly matching that of her hair, Viletta gave a nod to the people as she took her place next to Nonette.

Lelouch wasn't as surprised to see Viletta and Kewell in this setting, unlike he was with Kallen; after all they did serve in the Britannian Military when he first crossed paths with them. Maybe they still had a connection with Jeremiah, which somehow led them to the positions they had now as they stood before him.

Another familiar face presented itself to the crowd as Marianne introduced the next Knight.

"The Knight of Six, Lady Anya Alstreim." The young girl, to Lelouch's surprise was a Knight here as well.

Still in her pink robe, with her pink hair and pink eyes, Anya, the youngest Round member of them all, being only slightly older than Nunnally, descended the stairs. However, there was something different about Anya this time around. The blank expression that was usually worn by the young knight was not there. Instead, Lelouch noticed the girl had much more of a determined glare in her eyes, looking with far more intent than ever before.

Anya took her place next to Kewell as the next Round member stepped out.

"The Knight of Five, Sir Gilbert G.P. Guilford." The tall man with long black hair tied in a ponytail, and blue eyes shielded by eye glasses, walked forward. Very formal, shoulders back, chin held high, eyes always facing forward, Guilford walked down the stairs and stopped when he reached his destination next to Viletta.

"The Knight of Four, Lady Dorothea Ernst." Marianne introduced the next Knight, and Lelouch turned to see. He had never met Dorothea before, even when he took the throne, and had only experienced her when she revolted against him and Suzaku, who had slain her. Yet she was here, as was he and everyone else Lelouch thought was dead.

The dark skinned, green eyed woman pulled her light blue robe along and took her stand, next to Anya.

Another Round stepped forward and Lelouch knew this one for sure. Standing tall, wild blonde hair that tailed in three braids, bright blue eyes, and a cheerful grin on his face, the Knight walked down the steps.

"The Knight of Three, Sir Gino Weinberg." Said Marianne as Gino gave a quick salute to the crowd, accompanied by a wink. Yep that was Gino. He walked down and took his place next to Guilford.

Things were rounding down now; there were only two other Knights left, and one of them begun his approach. The Second Knight of Britannia marched forward.

"The Knight of Two, Sir Jeremiah Gottwald!" Marianne happened to say with a little more gusto than the others. Perhaps it was because of the fact that the Knight of Two was once a position she so very proudly held, or maybe it was because Jeremiah once served in Marianne's personal guard as Lelouch recalled.

Either way, the current Knight of Two found his place standing next to Dorothea.

Finally, came the arrival of the First Knight. The crowd seemed to be more awestruck of the man than they were with the other Rounds. His sleek black hair, dark blue eye, the other was covered by a decorative patch that had the Britannian Military's seal on it; different from the green seal Lelouch remembered him having that had sewn his left eye shut.

"...And finally, The Knight of One, Sir Bismarck Waldstein." The stoic looking man was introduced by Marianne as he stood in his position, next to Gino.

Lelouch took a moment for himself and observed what had happened in front of him. All twelve of the Knights of the Round, the twelve mightiest warriors of Britannian Empire had assembled right before his eyes. Some surprised Lelouch, more than others as he directed his gaze towards Kallen, seeing the now slightly annoyed look on her face; at the same time, he was a little relieved to see some people as he knew them.

"The Knights of the Round." Marianne gestured to the twelve now gathered near her. The crowd's applause turned into a standing ovation and in response the Knights all gave a salute in unison.

...

"A one, two...a one two three four!" The band drummer cued the rest of his group as they began to play. Clarinets, horns and trumpets bursting in unison as the baseline carried them through the rhythm, accompanied by subtle piano chords; the music produced was very upbeat, provoking party goers to get on the floor and dance to the jazzy tune.

The Rounds Ball was in full swing, and while some were dancing, others were mingling, being socially involved, while Lelouch wrapped up his spectating of the event.

It was time to get some much needed answers, but there was one more pressing issue.

Where, would he even begin? There were so many different directions to go in, so many different avenues to venture down, Lelouch felt a little overwhelmed by it...well, not exactly.

Lelouch knew exactly where he wanted to start.

He recalled the history of the immortal witch who granted him his power of Geass, how she once had a contract with his mother, Marianne; how she still has a contract with her here, in this place.

There was one problem with this, however. Marianne knows of Geass, so if Lelouch were to use his on his mother, she'd recognize it, possibly causing a world of trouble for him if he wasn't careful.

Lelouch had to think of a different method to getting to the witch. If he was successful, he would finally know how he ended up in this bizarre place.

Glancing around the crowd, Lelouch thought to himself some more.

'I can't approach Marianne directly, it's too reckless to do considering her knowledge of Geass; but maybe it is her that I need to ask about.' Lelouch focused his eyes on his mother as she twirled about on the dance floor.

'My charming mother should be dead. Her death set off the chain of events that eventually led Nunnally and me to exile and stripped of our royal titles. If I find out what kept her alive, I'll find out where this strange place deviates from the world I'm from...!' Lelouch stopped himself.

...the world I'm from.

...this strange place...

His grip on his champagne glass tightened as he pondered his own thoughts.

Had Lelouch convinced himself that he was in a world, parallel to his own. The very notion of such a possibility was ridiculous. That sort of thing just didn't exist. Even if there was a different dimension that very much mirrored his own, how would he even have the means to arrive at such a place.

...?

Geass?

"The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude." The words of the aforementioned witch rang in his head.

Is this what she meant?

Is this what happened when those with Geass die?

Was he even dead?

Did this have anything to do with Geass at all?

Lelouch shook his head away from those thoughts. Right now, Lelouch wanted to learn about where he was and would move on to the 'how' later.

Like Euphie said, he wouldn't worry about it right now.

All that mattered now was getting answers.

"Prince Lelouch, there you are!" A familiar voice called out.

Not exactly the person Lelouch was looking for; he already used his Geass on the guy.

"Oh, Lord Jeremiah, it's been awhile!" Lelouch smirked, giving his sarcastic reply. This caused a light hearted chuckle from the current Knight of Two as well.

"I thought I would lose you in this crowd. Thankfully, I didn't." Lelouch took a sip from his glass as he heard Jeremiah continue.

"I forgot to mention earlier, the time and location of tomorrow's meeting has changed since yesterday. We'll be meeting in his majesty's war room at noon; I thought I should let you know since you seemed rather busy lately." Jeremiah explained.

Rather busy? Wasn't that the truth!

"Well, thank you for telling me Jeremiah, I appreciate it." Lelouch smiled. At least he had some valuable information. Why not try to poke around for some more?

"Say, Jeremiah?"

"Yes?" The Knight looked at the prince with some intrigue.

"You served in my mother's personal guard a while back, correct?" Lelouch asked. Jeremiah raised a brow, curious to the prince's question.

"...Yes, I did, but you alrea..." Jeremiah was answering until he was interrupted when Lelouch was attacked from behind and ensnared in a rather aggressive hug.

"Oomph!"

"Finally, you know you never answer your phone or respond to any messages; given how you've been acting lately, you had me worried sick!" Lelouch's attacker backed off, and once his balance was restored Lelouch saw who it was.

"Milly?!" He blinked at his long time friend that was standing before him.

"Yes, me! Who did you think it was? Are you sneaking around?!" She teased, crossing her arms under her very generous bust.

"...I'll be waiting for tomorrow, your highness..." Jeremiah slowly turned and walked away chuckling, integrating himself with the crowd.

Lelouch on the other hand, was, for lack of a better word, confused...again.

"Umm...uh..." He held his hands up defensively, trying to say something to her.

Sneaking around?

It was at that moment Lelouch had a better understanding why Euphemia brought up the Ashfords to him earlier.

"Umm, of course not...! You know that's...not me!" He blinked, his eyes scanning her.

Milly, as Lelouch knew, was very beautiful and this time was no different. She was wearing a rather relaxed fitting dress that draped over her form, blue in color, same as her eyes, that cut down the middle of her chest, exposing part of her bosom, while the broad straps met at her neck and were covered by a white collar around her neck, complete with a ruby red button that held a short white frill under it. Very quickly, he thought he noticed a shining...

"Ah, I'm just messing with you, come on!" She smiled, smacking him on the back, causing him to wince from the unexpected love tap.

"Heh, r-right...!" Lelouch managed a chuckle. Milly looked at him and frowned.

"Are you alright, Lelouch?" She asked in a much calmer tone. That's another thing he noticed. Milly was speaking to him so informally, compared to others who bowed every time they saw him.

"Uh, yeah I'm fine Milly, thanks for asking." Lelouch noticed her roll her eyes as he spoke.

"Lelouch, if something's bothering you, just tell me. After all, what's a fiancé for?"

What's a WHAT for...?!

"fi-fi-fi-fia-fia...!" He mumbled as he stood frozen in shock. His hands trembled until his lovely fiancé wrapped her arm around his.

"Well?" She looked at him, he turned his head, their eyes meeting until he trailed down and found the big diamond ring on her finger dazzle in the light. His eyes widened.

That settled it.

Lelouch was a betrothed man.

Rivalz must be freaking out somewhere.

Lelouch was engaged...to Milly!

Milly!

"Lelouch?" He heard her speak again, her gaze not faltering. He met eyes with her again before shaking his head slightly.

"It's nothing important, just some nonsense for tomorrow, that's all." He said with a smile; while partly true, it was not what was really eating at him at the moment.

"All right, if you say so. Now let's join in on the party please? For once I would like for you to dance!" Milly complained as they walked into the crowd together.

"Good luck with that." He smirked as he led her through the crowd. Her brow furrowed as she narrowed her gaze at him.

"Lelouch!" She said in an annoyed tone, only to have him chuckle in response.

"Heh, yes dear." He said.

'Somebody kill me...!' Lelouch whined in his head, as the smile he wore masked his feelings.

...

"Care to dance, my lady." He said as he held his offering hand out in front of her. She huffed, leaning on one of the giant columns in the room.

"Get lost, Gino." Kallen said, crossing her arms and averting her eyes from him. Half a chuckle escaped Gino as he replied.

"Where do you suggest I go then?" A playful smirk crossed his face as Kallen rolled her eyes. Turning, Kallen met face to face with Gino, their eyes meeting for a second.

"I need another drink." She said, looking down at her empty glass, shaking the ice inside. Kallen took a step forward, then Gino stood his ground, grinning.

"Easy now, this party just started, and you have maintain appearance, don't you?" He said. Kallen stopped suddenly and her eyes widened as she looked up at Gino, who raised his brows with less of a smile. "Don't want people thinking the Eleventh Knight of the Empire to be a drunk."

There was a silence between the two young Knights as they exchanged looks.

"Come on you two, liven up; this is a celebration in your honor after all." A man spoke up, distracting Gino and Kallen from each other, the latter's face dropped when she laid eyes on this man.

The same man that had bumped into Lelouch at the very start of the ball was now standing before the Knights of Three and Eleven respectively.

"Oh, Alan, good to see you again!" Gino chirped as his face lit up at the newcomer who nodded in reply. Gino held his hand out before Alan took it.

"The honor is all mine, Sir." Alan said, quickly shaking hands with Gino before turning his attention to the Knight of Eleven. The two had their own staring contest.

"My lady." Said Alan, a small smile crept up on his face as he gave a slight bow while Kallen frowned slightly.

"Dad."

...

On the opposite side of the Hall, a woman had just pulled herself off the dance floor and had adjusted herself. She was in her military uniform after all, and she'd be damned if anything bad were to happen to it.

She brushed her lavender hair behind her ear gave herself a quick glance downwards. Everything on her maroon and white uniform was in order, and if Cornelia li Britannia was anything, it was disciplined.

"Damn Euphie and her persistence. She calls that dancing...?!" Cornelia mumbled, cursing her younger sister for making step out of her comfort zone, so undisciplined.

"I hope everything's been to your liking, Princess." She heard Guilford speak from the right of her. She turned and found the honorable Knight of Five standing in his dark purple cloak, glass in hand, eye glasses shining in the light of the room.

He handed the glass to Cornelia.

"Thank you Guilford, but I…" She was saying, refusing the drink Guilford had offered until someone draped their arm across her shoulders, pulling the second princess of the empire towards them and Cornelia could smell the alcohol. Her face twisted in panic.

"Ah, lighten up both of you! We're at a party, act like it!" Nonnette hollered as stumbled with the addition of Cornelia's weight to her own as she awkwardly stood, bottle in hand.

"Give me that!" the princess snatched the glass from Guilford's hand and immediately took a sip before coughing.

"You always were a lightweight, Cornie!" Nonnette smirked as she finally let go of the princess.

"...!" Cornelia growled; she hated it when someone called her that. Actually, Nonnette was the only person to address the princess so informally.

"Doesn't this bring me back to military school." Guilford mumbled as he stood by the two noble-women who were, at the moment...were anything but.

"Yep!" Nonnette breathed as she draped her arm around Guilford this time. "You got that right Gill, just like old times…" She slurred as she poked her fellow knight in the chest, referring to him by his first name, Gilbert. Guilford became uneasy.

"This is NOT like old times, in ANY way, you drunkard!" Cornelia aggressively protested. A little too aggressively as her outburst received several glares from nearby partygoers, their eyes made Cornelia collect herself.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Nonnette said, voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Back then you were in charge of us, but now, as Knights of the Round, me and Gill here only obey your dear old daddy. Right, Gill?" Nonnette crossed her arms the contents of the bottle sloshing around as she bumped her elbow into Guilford's side, making her fellow knight uneasy.

"Uh, right...I think...oh thank God; Earl Asplund!" Guilford looked around to find his escape from the two ladies in the form of the four-eyed nobleman wandering about with his blue haired assistant. Guilford called for the man as he left the ladies behind.

"Wait…!" Cornelia tried calling out to him but the Knight of Five was long gone.

"What's the matter Cornie, still upset that he's not working with you anymore?" Nonnette slid over, next to Cornelia and bumped elbows with the princess, teasing her, but only received an annoyed glare in response.

"Ah, you're no fun." Nonnette pouted as she walked away from Cornelia. "Gonna go mess with someone else." The Knight of Nine wandered into the crowd; Cornelia watched, bewildered with the lady Knight, blinking as she thought.

"What the hell is it about that woman that gets under my skin, I swear…!" The second princess muttered as she gripped her glass. Suddenly a smile, a small one at that, crept on her face as she watched Nonnette go.

"I guess that's just the company I keep."

…

"So Kallen, how have you been? You returned from the Ukraine five days ago, and this is the first I've seen or heard from you." Alan spoke, breaking the silence between his daughter and himself.

Sensing the mood of the exchange another knight decided it was time to take his leave.

"Let me go get that drink for you." Gino smiled awkwardly as he took the empty glass from Kallen's hands and scampered away.

Kallen meanwhile, continued to stare at her father with that slight frown.

…

When Lelouch thought about it, it actually made a lot of sense. His engagement to Milly here; her family and Marianne worked together for years, and with children so close in age, an arranged marriage wasn't so far fetched.

What was far fetched, however, was Lelouch's pathetic attempts to dance.

"Wah…!" He yelped as he was flung around the dance floor. The fast tempo of the jazz music called for faster, aggressive dancing that involved a lot of twists and turns...Lelouch didn't like twists and turns, not one bit!

Thankfully, the band ended the song with a big bang, putting Lelouch's two left feet to rest. The people on the dance floor applauded the band for their performance. Then a single band member, the piano player started a new song on his own, a much more tame, relaxed song. The dancing crowd dissipated, along some of the people leaving the dance floor, was a certain prince.

"That was fun, you should come dance more often!" Milly cheered as she walked with Lelouch, arms locked; and if she wasn't holding him, he probably would've toppled over from dizziness.

"Yeah, well it'd have to be a pretty cold day in hell." Lelouch protested. Next time, he was just going to stay off the dance floor.

"What was that?!" Milly snapped while he nervously chuckled as they left the dance floor.

"Yes, dear." Lelouch quickly said, dodging the bullet.

…

"Fine." She blandly stated. Taking a quick look around, Kallen continued. "Where's Jaedyn?"

Kallen's question seemed strike a nerve in Alan somewhat as his brows narrowed and mouth turned into a frown.

"Your stepmother is in Area Eleven, she's staying in our house there; you know the one." He replied rather calmly. Kallen's face winced in anger, her eyes showing the most emotion. She took those words with such disgust. A breath was enough time for the Knight of Eleven to come up with a reply.

"Japan is a pretty tense place right now. Are you sure you're comfortable with leaving another one of your investments all alone?" Came her curt reply. Her father's frustration only seemed to deepen, yet a deep breath managed to calm him down.

"I'm not doing this now, Kallen…!" He breathed before sipping from his own glass. "Jaedyn is your stepmother and you will treat her like fam…!" Kallen intensified her glare before walking away, leaving her father mid-sentence, not letting him finish.

'Like hell I'm going to be lectured to by him!' Kallen thought as she left her father behind.

Alan did nothing to stop his daughter from walking out on their conversation, and just simply watched her go, a sudden sadness came over his expression.

"When will you see?" He said through a sigh, the red cloak looking back at him.

…

Waiting by the club bar, Gino watched from afar. His eyes not leaving; concerned over the situation he left behind, but he had to let them be, right? After all, it wasn't his business to-

"Something eatin' ya kid?" Gino's eyes moved to find his other colleague.

"Oh, nothing Nonette, why…?" He drifted off once he found the bottle in Nonette's hand and discovered the red shading on her cheeks. Then, before he could react, Nonette wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down to her level, their faces close.

"Well it looks to me like you're occupied with our honorable Knight of Frowns." Nonette nodded her head in Kallen's direction, just in time to see Kewell approach the upset knight.

"I think Kewell is a pretty happy guy, serious, but happy." Gino replied with Nonette rolling her eyes, letting him go.

"You know who I mean, kid. I don't think I've ever seen her look happy since she's been here." Nonette placed the back of her hand on her hip while gesturing the other towards the subject of their conversation. Gino returned his gaze to the other knights and frowned some.

"I-Sh...Kallen just takes her position seriously; look, she gets along." He said not taking his eyes of the exchange happening in front of him while Nonnette took another swig of her drink.

"That is just because she used to be a Valkyrie with Kewell's sister and he's just being a kiss ass." The Knight of Nine said while wiping her mouth on her long gloves.

"belch...Besides, we all take our jobs seriously." She added after a short burp. Gino immediately chuckled in response.

"You sure about that?" He said with a brow raised. Maybe she had enough for now. Gino looked back over at the other Knights in front of him and again, a neutral look on his face.

…

"Oh, there's Nina!" Milly cheered as she dragged her fiancè through the Hall, towards the terrace outside past the giant windows. As they approached Lelouch found a handful of familiar faces.

Of course there was Nina, but Cecile and Lloyd as well, all in dresses and a pretty colorful suit; also Guilford was standing with the four-eyed scientist.

"...I assure you Sir Guilford, the upgrades are complete and will be ready the next time you need the Gawain." Lloyd said as he pushed his wide framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. Guilford himself didn't look so convinced given the lazy response he was given.

"Hmm…" He grumbled until he spotted people approaching from the corner of his eye. Immediately the knight bowed his head.

"My lord." He said. Lloyd looked down at the humble knight, confused.

"Don't you think it's a little late for that Guilford, aft…" Lloyd waved his hands, trying to signal to Guilford to stand up.

"I think his gesture was meant for me, Earl Asplund." Lelouch spoke up as he approached with Milly. Lloyd and the others turned to see the incoming prince.

"Oh, Prince Lelouch; it's been quite a while since you came by to visit the research facility, you know?" Lloyd happily greeted the prince.

"What can I say, I've been busy." Lelouch shrugged as Milly took her arm from his.

"Oh, um uh, y-your higness…!" Cecile flustered as she gathered herself to give a bow to her prince, but had gone about it awkwardly and had stumbled over her dress, falling onto Lelouch. Luckily he did not fall with her, but that's not to say that he didn't come close.

Stopping them both from falling, Lelouch, as much as he could, tried to stand upright while holding on to the fallen Cecile. Thankfully, Guilford was there to help them both up.

"Oh my goodness, I-I-I'm so sorry your ma- your highness…!" Cecile said, her face red with embarrassment as she tripped over her words.

"...It's quite all right, Miss Croomy. Just an accident is all." Lelouch said as he fixed his ruffled clothes.

'This party is turning into more of a workout!' Lelouch complained in his head. His eyes found Nina bowing as well, doing a much smoother job of it than Cecile.

"Oh, Nina, you don't have to…" He was about to dismiss the young scientist until his fiancè came between them.

"Hey Nina, I almost didn't recognize you without your glasses; I told you, you look better without them!" She complimented the girl with dark green hair and indigo eyes; even with high heels on, Nina wasn't even at the level of Lelouch's chin, a mousy girl she was.

"I think I'm gonna die…!" Cecile cursed herself under her breath, face still red from her stumble atop the Eleventh Prince of the Empire, as she cowered behind Lloyd who scooted away very soon afterwards, very soon.

"How's your research project coming along by the way; and keep it simple, please?" Milly asked a chuckling Nina as the two young women began to converse. Cecile had no choice but to join them, scampering by Lelouch who made headway for the Knight of Five.

Lelouch had once used his Geass on Guilford before, but that didn't mean he couldn't get information out of him.

"Excuse me, Guilford…?" He said, hoping to engage the Knight. Lelouch had caught the man's attention...briefly.

"Mind if I interject?" Both turned to find The Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein behind them but coming closer.

"...Lord Waldstein…!" Lelouch said hushed, he almost froze in the aura of the man as he made eye contact with the exalted knight. Having never met in person, the prince didn't know how to react, it was almost like when interacted with his…

"My apologies, Prince Lelouch, but there are some pressing matters that I must discuss with Sir Guilford. Whatever it is you wanted, I'm sure you two can discuss it at length during tomorrow's meeting." Said Bismarck as he stood tall in between Lelouch and Guilford, looking down at the prince with his exposed eye.

"Y...yes of course, Lord Waldstein." Lelouch said quietly, maintaining eye contact with the First Knight of the Empire.

"I hope this doesn't inconvenience you, your highness." Guilford said apologetically; Lelouch merely shook his head.

"Not at all Guilford, the matter is rather unimportant anyways." He assured the knight.

"Very well. Guilford…!" Bismarck led his fellow Knight away from the prince.

Watching them go, Lelouch's eyes found Milly, Nina and Cecile in their path. He watched the ladies chat for a second before he brought his gaze back forward, facing the other side of the terrace.

"...!"

His heart stopped at what he discovered.

Standing at the opposite end of the terrace, at the edge, standing just before the guard ledge; nervous expression, eyes looking everywhere but always facing down, fidgeting hands, and keeping reservation, trying not to draw attention this person stood.

The attempt failed as Lelouch watched, stunned, too much to notice anything else. However, his breath returned to him as a single hushed word escaped him.

"...Shirley…!"

Okay, there it is; the lengthy first part in a, what looks like a long story.

My goal is to write 25 chapters total, with each one acting as an episode in a season of a show. Since Code Geass' seasons were 25 episodes each, that's how long I've decided to make this story.

If you couldn't tell, things in this story are not exactly the same as they were in the canonical story, but I assure you this isn't your typical run of the mill AU story, NO, not one bit.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter, and if you did, then stick around for the upcoming chapters. I have to warn you however, this chapter took me a very long time to write, considering school, work and life and what not and it may take me months to post the next chapter. But who knows, I could find myself with a lot of free time and crank out a lot of writing.

If you've managed to read this entire thing, thank you so much. Leave a review and let me know what you think of this story thus far. Favorite and follow me if you want.

Well, that's all I have right now, thanks for reading. ;)

- SkyDragonKing