I wanted to thank a reviewer which pointed out a mistake. I'll go back and fix it shortly. It's nothing big, just a minor detail which has been corrected in this chapter. I don't know where I got the inspiration to write this chapter so soon. I was trying to focus on Fool's Checkmate and Broken Wings. *shrugs* oh well, I'm not going to complain. I said I'd go into Lelouch's world a bit and hopefully this chapter reveals a little of what's happened and also clears some confusion to those who aren't so familiar with the Code Geass series.

I probably should have said this before, but SPOILER WARNING! If you have not watched Code Geass and want to, then please, wait to read this until you've finished the series. Major plot points will be revealed in this story and I don't want to ruin the anime for you if you like surprises.

Okay, spoiler alert aside, enjoy. ^^

Chapter Two: Paradise Falls

Nunnally slowly opened her eyes. Everything hurt and she felt like she had endured a painful fall from her wheelchair. Then it all came back to her.

"Oh no!"

"It's okay, you're with friends." came a gentle soothing voice that reminded the sandy-haired girl of her mother.

She looked up at the speaker with her light purple eyes. "Did everyone get out safely?"

"Only four of us are here, who knows what happened to the others," replied the blunt, uncaring tone of the green haired girl.

"You're a cold one," replied Cid who was sitting at the table drinking his coffee.

The woman who had been trying to calm Nunnally gave Cid a stern look. "They've just been through something horrible, you can't blame them for their reactions. We all deal with fear differently."

"I'm not afraid. As an immortal I can't be killed. I'm just annoyed that I'm stuck here is all."

"No one's forcing you to stay, lady," retorted Cid.

C.C. glared at him before walking out the front door and slamming it shut behind her. This woke up the red-head that was laying on the spare mattress that had been pulled out for her to sleep on.

Kallen rubbed her eyes as if waking up from a simple nap. "What happened?"

"Oh good," Aerith smiled, "I'm glad you're awake, I was worried about your forehead, but you seem to be alright."

"My forehead?" Kallen placed a careful hand to her head and felt a large bump. Looking over to the mirror on the far wall she could make out an ugly purple bruise on her head.

Nunnally sat up and looked around. "Where are we? This isn't near the palace."

"Nope, this is Radiant Garden," replied Cid.

"A garden?" asked Kallen who looked outside the window. She only saw the gray bricks from the protective wall and the rooftops of nearby houses.

"It used to be a beautiful garden and will be once again, as soon as more repairs are made. I plan to plant a few flowers myself," replied Aerith with a gentle smile.

Nunnally looked down and saw Zero laying in a sleeping bag. It was the only thing they had left aside from the two beds. The girl tried to move to where she could try and stir him awake.

"Zero? Zero, please wake up."

Nothing.

Kallen looked over at him next and moved over to help. They both tried, but he was still out cold.

"He was pretty banged up, which is surprising with that helmet on," commented Cid with an annoyed edge.

Kallen looked up at them and for the first time, fully grasped the events of the previous night. "How did we get here?"

"Our friends Leon and Yuffie found you all on the steps not too far from here. You were unconscious and looked like we did when he ended up in Traverse Town."

"Can ya tell us the last thing you remember?" asked Cid.

Nunnally and Kallen looked at each other as they recalled the previous night.

~*~. . .~*~

It was the eve of Princess Nunnally's coronation. She was to be crowned the 100th Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire the next morning and she wanted her last night as princess to be spent with her friends. In spite of last month's events the world had recovered quickly after the fall of the Demon King. Peace had been restored to the world as every nation joined together to not only welcome Britannia, but to welcome every single person as family.

The previous king had enslaved the world, tortured the innocent and killed any who resisted. On the night following his death Japan celebrated for four straight days. Zero was the world's champion and hero. The man who worked miracles; an eternal light that burned through the coldest darkness. The man under the mask had been cursed by the king. A curse that was perhaps so cruel it made him feel hollow. However, he chose to use this curse as a gift. A gift to protect the future Empress and all she stood for. A gift to protect his friends and family, his country and every innocent person in the name of justice. That was Suzaku's new goal in life. A life made eternal by the power of Geass.

"Hey," called a voice from behind him.

Zero turned and saw Kallen. The ace pilot of the Black Knights and the former Zero's Q-1. She seemed gentle and sweet on first appearance, but appearances could be deceiving. Her short, spiky red hair reflected the strong fire that burned brightly in her eyes and in her soul. She was a true champion and couldn't be bested on the battlefield. Constantly an equal match for the Lancelot and its pilot, she had made quite the name for herself that would surely go down in history.

"I never got to thank you, for saving us that day," she said while walking up to him.

Suzaku had to keep his identity secret. From her, from the princess, from everyone.

"I couldn't stand by and watch the demon king murder countless of innocents. His reign of terror had to be stopped." Suzaku's best friend had a much better flair for the dramatics than he did.

"Still," Kallen smiled, "It's nice to know that there's someone else who shared his vision, even if he had lost sight of it."

Zero was about to reply when a flash of green caught his attention. A woman with golden eyes and long, flowing green hair that stopped just below her waist approached the two.

"The princess has requested an audience with all of her guests, It's in your best interests to hear what she has to say."

Kallen glared at the woman. Of all the people that knew the Demon King best, it was C.C.. Kallen never understood why he had valued her input over everything else, especially when she could be such a pain in the ass.

Zero motioned for Kallen to go first. "Shall we then?"

. . .

Princess Nunnally sat at the head of the main ballroom as she waited for all of her guests to gather before her. She nodded to C.C. when Zero and Kallen arrived and began.

"Everyone in this room played a big role in the events that occurred over the past two years. Some of you are from the Black Knights while others are from my own military."

It was true. Nearly every person who had been there from the incident in the Shinjiku ghetto to the first and second wars that the black Knights fought to liberate Japan to the destruction of the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads to the betrayal of Zero and to the Demon King's death. Some of them were soldiers, some students, some were just people who wanted freedom and equality for everyone. Nunnally acknowledged them all and knew that even the smallest role played a big part in the peace they all had today.

"I've gathered you all here because of your efforts and deeds and to reveal a truth that needs to be told."

Zero didn't like where this was going. What truth could affect everyone involved? He didn't have to wait long as she continued.

"You all know that the Demon King was my older brother, but...but that title is wrong. He wasn't a demon. He was a hero."

The room let out a collective gasp. It was Cornelia, her older sister who regained the ability to speak first.

"You can't be serious. After all the atrocities he committed? Killing his own siblings, using all those under him like pawns? Controlling the world through fear? Those aren't the deeds of a hero!"

"Unless that's what he wanted you to believe," C.C. cut in. "Honestly, you people can be so dumb sometimes. You wanted peace so he gave you peace. If you need more of an explanation than that you're all hopeless."

She then looked over at the princess, "Too blunt?"

Nunnally smiled, "A bit." She then continued with her speech, now that she once again had the floor.

"C.C. is right. It came off as a bit harsh, but she's right. My brother and I were forced to live in exile after being disowned by our father, the 98th Emperor, Char-"

"Please, don't say his name," requested General Tohdoh.

The princess nodded and continued. "We were forced to live in a country that was being taken over by the very nation that sent us away. Not that I minded it, Japan was and always is a truly wonderful land. I grew up happy with my brother always there..." she hesitated for a moment, reliving beloved memories that she kept treasured in her heart. "You've only seen one side of my brother and you accused him of being a monster. I'm guilty of the same crime, but I also knew him as a gentle person. Someone who would always go out of his way to make me smile, even if it meant going out late at night to get some pizza."

C.C. pouted a bit at the mention of pizza. Her accomplice still owed her some.

Nunnally picked up her glass. "I know you may not believe me and you have good reason not to, but know that what my brother did, he did it for us. For the world. Even if it meant he would never get to see the end result of his hard work."

She held up her glass. "To my brother, the 99th Emperor of Britannia!"

No one raised their glass.

"To the former king."

Everyone turned to see Zero holding up his glass. This surprised many, for it was Zero who had killed the Emperor. If he raised his glass to his fallen foe then,

"To the fallen!" declared Tohdoh.

Everyone in turn raised their glasses and repeated the toast.

Kallen was last to raise hers. "To you, Lelouch."

A clash of thunder sounded from outside as lightning flashed and lit up the windows. The wind kicked up and startled some of the guests. Kallen and Cornelia were among the first to the windows. A raging storm was blowing outside. Cornelia looked up and gasped in shock.

"What is that thing?!"

Above the storm, was a strange dark orb which contained ominous red energy. The lightning was coming from it and spreading into the gathering storm. Kallen took a step back from Cornelia as two yellow eyes lit up from the base of her shadow. It began to rise up and take a shape of its own.

"We-we're under attack!" she shouted as she kicked the creature which lunged for her.

Panic and chaos ensued. Zero instantly stood in front of the princess to protect her. More creatures appeared out of the shadows and crawled along the ground, rising up to catch their victims off guard only to sink back into the ground and come at them from a different direction.

Some of the Black Knights tried to mount some kind of counter attack which didn't hold up so well, despite the General's strategy.

Meanwhile, Zero had tried to get Nunnally to safety. He pushed her wheelchair along the halls, being careful around corners and avoiding stairs wherever possible.

"I can't leave everyone behind," she shouted as the masked hero pushed her along.

"Forgive me, but I can't let these creatures hurt you. They'll be fine."

He kept pushing the wheelchair along until a large tree that had been pulled up from its roots tipped over and crashed through the window. Its thick branches just missed the princess as Zero pulled her from her wheelchair. The two fell to the floor as the broken wood settled.

Nunnally sat up from where she fell and looked at her previous position. Her wheelchair had been crushed under the weight of the thick branches. Zero hadn't been so lucky. A branch had struck him hard in the back and there was blood staining his mask.

"Zero?! You're injured!"

"Don't worry about me," he replied. His voice was thick with pain, but he brushed it aside. Her safety was more important. Besides, he was confident that his curse to live would keep him safe.

He tried to carry the princess, but in his current condition he couldn't lift her without stumbling. Still, he tried. He made it to the end of the hall when he went to stumble again. A shadow creature rose up from the ground and came at them. Nunnally screamed and Zero braced himself to kick at the creature when it was shot by someone from around the corner. It was Kallen. She and C.C. had managed to escape the main attacks as well.

"Thank god, someone else to talk to besides her," Kallen glared towards the immortal witch as she helped Zero carry the princess. It definitely made it easier for him.

"Let's go. It's no safe here anymore," C.C. stated as she led the others down the corridor and into a hanger.

The princess' personal flagship was sitting, fueled and ready to leave at any time. C.C. cared for Nunnally while Zero and Kallen occupied the pilot and copilot's seat. The door to the hanger slid open via remote control and the plane inched its way out of the hanger and on to the tarmac.

When it came to a stop at the start of the runway the four looked on in utter shock. all of the land surrounding the palace was dying, dead or simply not there. It was as if the ground beneath had fallen away into a vast, bottomless pit of nothingness.

Another rumble ensued and rattled the jet. C.C. looked out of the back window.

"We have to go NOW!"

Zero didn't like the fear that was clearly ringing in her voice. C.C. never showed fear. He pulled back and the plane rolled down the runway. Kallen got it up to speed and the ship rose into the sky, but not before a massive creature with its middle missing in the shape of a heart swung a dark, clawed fist at them. With its small wings it jumped up and ripped off the plane's tail and severely damaged its right wing.

"Everyone hold on!" shouted Zero.

The plane began to spin out of control and headed right towards to monster. It held out its claws, ready to tear the plane apart as if it were made of paper when Kallen decided to do something rash.

She turned the plane and aimed the nose right at the creature's head. If she was gonna go, she was goin' down fighting.

The plane struck the creature. There was an explosion and then nothing.

~*~. . .~*~

"Sounds like you got attacked by a Darkside," surmised Cid.

"A Darkside?" Kallen repeated in confusion.

"It's a type of heartless, one that comes when a world is being devoured by darkness," answered Aerith.

"But, our world was embraced with light," Nunnally argued.

"It don't matter if your world had light or dark, someone wanted your world's heart and they found it. We lost our world the same way," replied Cid.

"What do you mean 'your world'?" asked Kallen. "There only is one world."

"The universe is a lot bigger than you think," came a new voice.

They all turned to see Leon entering the room. "I've just spoke with Merlin. He said a star had recently gone out and he fears that what happened before might repeat itself."

"But, how can that be? Sora sealed all of the worlds with his Keyblade," replied Aerith.

"There are still many worlds he hasn't been to yet. Like I said, the universe is a big place."

Cid took another sip of his coffee and let out a long sigh, "Looks like the kid's adventure isn't over yet."