AN: Welcome back for another chapter! I hope you enjoy. XD

P.S. Sorry for any mistakes I may have missed.

Chapter 2: A Falling Star

Resting his back against the large tree that shadowed him from the sun, Lelouch stared off into the distance where the many Angels, children and adults alike, freely moved with wide grins on their faces whilst showing off their wings without a care in the world. It's been ten years since the incident on Earth and now at the age of twenty, the monstrous looks he got when he was younger has worsened over the years. Being treated as an outcast among the Angels has made life for him considerably lonely.

Is this what he deserves for lack of restraint and understanding?

The only reason why he hasn't been cast out to the Demon realm is because of two reasons: 1.) Because he was still a child and had a great deal of innocence inside him, and 2.) Having half and half colored wings made him a borderline walker of both worlds, so deciding his overall fate early back then was both controversial and immoral at the time.

Over the years The Council had put him through various of tasks to help bring back his wings purity, but all efforts ended in failures and frustration- making everything he did become futile. No matter how honest or noble he tries to be in order to forget, he'll never truly forgive himself for hurting that young girl. The guilt he carried then still holds firm grip around his heart.

Placing a hand over his beating heart, Lelouch closed his eyes and pictured her sweet smile. "I wonder what she's doing?"

"Lelouch!" Opening his eyes at the call of his name, a gentle smile formed seeing his younger sister Euphemia soar in the sky as lively as ever wearing an ecstatic grin. Descending to the ground and hiding her wings completely, she skipped towards the raven-haired Angel and promptly sat beside him. "Hi Lelouch." She cheered then kissed him on the cheek. "Guess what!"

"What?" Lelouch chuckled.

"I've been helping Nunnally train and she's gotten a lot stronger! She's able to sustain her spells for a longer period of time, so that means she might be eligible to train with an official Elder to become a Healer. Isn't that great?!" She threw her arms in the air.

"Wait, I thought Mom was going to be her mentor."

"She was, but let's be honest." Swiftly scanning her surroundings suspiciously, Euphemia leaned in closing the space in between them and whispered: "Mom isn't exactly the best Healer in the world. That's why she's a Guardian." She pulled away giggling covering her mouth with hand.

"Yeah, no kidding." Lelouch also fell into small fits of laughter with his sister before silencing with a sad smile. His sister Euphemia is always happy and so full of life... it's almost intoxicating. Her ambitions are as high as Suzaku's and her kindhearted nature makes her perfect to be a Guardian Angel. But their Mother wants her to strive higher than that and be part of The Council alongside their older siblings Schneizel and Cornelia.

"So have you heard? Suzaku will be taking his Warrior exam soon."

"Is that so?" Lelouch chuckled thinking about his goofy friend. "He's such a show off. He'll have all the glory in the world once he becomes the youngest Warrior ever."

"Aww Lelouch!" Euphemia elbowed his side teasingly. "Are you jealous of Suzaku?"

"Jealous of your boyfriend... No way!" A smirk crossed his lips when a crimson blush abruptly dusted her cheeks.

Covering her face in embarrassment, she shouted, "I'm not his girlfriend! We're just friend okay?!" Nervously peeking though the spaces of her fingers, she shyly looked at Lelouch. "He doesn't like me like that."

Lelouch rolled his eyes playfully at his sister's shyness before prying her hands away so he could see her adorable blush. "Who says he doesn't like you?" He slyly questioned capturing Euphemia's full attention. "If you keep crushing on him from afar then you'll never know if he likes you or not." Patting her head, he met her pretty eyes and says, "Sometimes you have to make the first move. You can't always depend on a guy to do it... especially someone like Suzaku."

"Why do I get the feeling like you know something I don't?"

"I'm his best friend, of course I know things about him you don't." As soon as those words fell past his lips, Euphemia childishly hit his arm as he began to laugh. Even if many of the Angels choose to ignore him, he's happy that his friend and family don't see him as a monster. Minus Schneizel, their occasional pity can be annoying from time to time, but he'll gladly take that over being ignored or treated as if he doesn't exist.

Perhaps that's why they encourage him to keep his head held high.

"Lelouch vi Britannia."

"Yes?" Looking at the man who suddenly appeared before him, Lelouch took one look at his outfit and knew exactly who he is. Elegantly clad in all white and gold whilst wearing a complex-white mask to cover half his face means that he's a personal messenger for the members of The Council.

Pulling out a scroll from within his robes he held it out towards the raven-haired Angel. "You're being summoned by The Council." He sternly said then handed it over to the recipient when he stood from his spot.

Unraveling the message Lelouch scanned the script in silence, allowing a low chuckle to escape him when he finished. "I assume this is urgent?"

"Yes Sir, please come as soon as possible." The Council's messenger replied. "You will be awaited." Giving the outcast Angel a slight bow in respect, he turned on his heels and walked away for a few feet spreading out his strong, pure-white wings enchantingly before taking off in flight in a gust of wind.

Euphemia watched the man fly away for a moment before facing her brother. "What does it say?" She asked, standing and patting down her clothes.

"It appears that the Council has finally given up on me." He said smiling meeting his sister's gaze. "They're going to banish me to the Demon realm." Lelouch smirked and Euphemia's eyes widened terribly at his cruel joke.

"Stop it!" She nearly yelled hitting him hard on the arm. "That isn't something you should joke about."

"Too much?" The pinkette nodded her head slowly trying to hold back the tears that swam in her eyes. "I'm sorry Euphy." Lelouch apologized pulling his sister in a hug and patted her head in comfort. "I'm going to be alright, so don't worry okay?" Feeling her nod hesitantly, he pulled away pinching her cheeks cutely. "I'll see you later."

"Bye Lelouch." She whispered, giving him a small wave when he left her side and walked away in confident strides. He won't say it, but she knows how much he fears of being summoned, so seeing him walk away fearlessly breaks hear heart. Once Lelouch widened the distance enough, Euphemia looked away when his wings started coming out from within and spread disgracefully before he took off. Without a doubt she loves her brother dearly, but seeing his darkness always made her uncomfortable— not making her any better than those who mistreat him. And for that... it makes her really sad.

#

Opening the grand doors of the Council room timidly, Lelouch strolled inside with what confidence he had left in his pride while feeling the members eyes judgmentally stab him until he finally reached the podium. On his left side a distance away was his mother and surprisingly Suzaku, though deciding not to waste time wondering why Suzaku was here, Lelouch bowed his head slightly before meeting the sight of the five Council members who were all clad in white and sat in their chairs behind a gold desk exquisitely.

Schneizel the Leader, Ohgi the Guardian, Cornelia the Warrior, then Lloyd and Cecile as the Healers. All Angels who surpassed their previous Superiors and have been given the honor to keep order and peace between the worlds of Angels and Demons.

"Welcome Lelouch Vi Britannia. I'm glad you came here quickly." Schneizel who sat in the middle commented. "Do you know why you've been summoned?"

"Is it because—"

"It's because you've failed to reverse the darkness of your wings." Cornelia rudely intervened, purposely irritating Lelouch. "Even though the darkness you brought upon yourself haven't worsened, it also hasn't gotten any better. After everything we advised you to do in order to help bring back the pureness, you have yet to prove to us that you're worthy staying here in the Angel realm."

"... some sister she is." Lelouch thought gritting his teeth.

Ohgi's cleared throat echoed in the spacious room grabbing Lelouch's attention. "For ten years you walked the borderline between this realm and the Demon's. At a mature age, I'm afraid to say that the longer you stay like this, the higher the chances are of you becoming a grave threat. You were spared as a child had been give many chances, but I'm afraid we can no longer sit back and watch everything unfold. You're giving us no other choice Lelouch."

"Is that it? You're going to turn your heads and give up on me?" Boiling anger raged inside him, his fists clenched tightly trying to restrain his negative emotions. "It's easy for you all to sit back and make decisions for me when you have no idea how many damn things I tolerate from everyone everyday."

"Lelouch, language."

"No, I've been busting my ass trying to find my redemption but I can't."

Sitting forward in his chair clasping his hands together on the table, Schneizel smirked. "Then what's holding you back Lelouch?" His question was simple, and it was enough to put Lelouch on edge, entertaining him quite tastefully. "If the usual redemption routines won't work on you then tell us what's holding you back so we can help."

"I don't know." Lelouch lied.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'."

"Just as it came out. I don't know."

"That's not a good answer Lelouch."

"Then I don't what tell you."

"Surely there's something you're not sharing with us." Schneizel interrogated further.

Not wanting Lelouch to make himself worse that he already has, Suzaku hurriedly stepped in front of his best friend's podium and says, "Excuse me for intervening, but I would like to speak on behalf of Lelouch and suggest that maybe he needs to spend time around humans. He hasn't had any interaction since that day and—"

"If you've forgotten Guardian Kururugi," Cecile softly cut him off. "It's because of Lelouch's interaction with a human that brought him here in the first place."

"With all due respect," Marianne started, taking her place beside Suzaku, "Lelouch was young and didn't understand. We all know how curious young Angels in training can be about humans. It's my fault for not keeping a better eye on him in the first place."

Lelouch cringed internally trying not to rouse any suspicion from the Council members. Nobody knew that the girl he harmed was aware of his nature. It was because of his strong fascination with her that lead him to allow her to form an attachment. Sure she wasn't exactly his friend, but he was her's and that's why it's still hard for him let go what he did to her. If he tells the members now about his early forbidden attachment then-

"I know you don't want your youngest son to meet the same fate as his father, but ten years is enough. We have no other choice than to dismiss him." Lloyd bluntly added.

Marianne's eyes widened in fear for her son. "But—"

"If you exile Lelouch to the Demon realm then you'll lead him astray. Technically he's still an Angel and you'll doom him if you send him away while his wings still have purity." Suzaku quickly added in his friend's defense— not remotely agreeing with the Council's lack of rationality. "Maybe the physical act of harming a human wasn't what caused this." He briefly looked at Lelouch and Marianne before turning back to the members. "Maybe it's a strong emotional distress, just like what was suspected in the very beginning. Sure it's only natural to feel guilty after hurting someone, but perhaps that pain was taken to the next level and affected Lelouch differently."

Schneizel's grin widened following the young Guardian's proclamation. "You're very sharp Suzaku. That's exactly what I was thinking." He nodded at Suzaku in approval then looked at Lelouch who coldly stared back. "You have a good friend Lelouch, you're lucky to have him by your side." He snickered in amusement when his younger brother turned away.

Oh, yes… he had his suspicion about his younger brother. He figured Lelouch formed an attachment when he wasn't supposed to, and now he's too reluctant to speak.

"As a person who's close to him, do you really believe that sending Lelouch to Earth and live among the humans will help? Despite it being the reason why he's in this situation?" Lloyd questioned the young Guardian.

"Yes Mr. Asplund, I think it'll help. I have faith in my friend and I'm aware that in most cases emotional damage to the wings is hard to overcome and is rare for someone to reverse the darkness completely. So all I ask is for you to give him a chance to prove himself."

After taking a moment for the members exchange looks silently, Cecile stood from her seating and walked around the desk to meet them at the podium. Smiling at the duo who's fighting for Lelouch, "I appreciate you dedication to him." She happily says then faces Lelouch. "We'll need time to discuss this, but keep in mind that if Suzaku's suggestion is approved... this will your last chance."

"I understand."

"Now if you may excuse us, we would like to speak with Miss Marianne alone."

"Sure, no problem." Suzaku quickly answered then tugged on Lelouch's hand. "C'mon, let's sit outside." Not giving Lelouch the chance to resist, he tightly held onto him until they were out of the room, having the sounds of the doors shutting upon their departure echo throughout the grand room.

#

"Are you really that clueless Suzaku?" Lelouch laughed elbowing his friend in the arm. "You're sharp but honestly, how dense are you?"

"So Euphemia likes me… is that what you're saying?"

"What makes you think that she doesn't?"

"Well, I'm not sure. We don't talk as much like we used too… but I guess that's because I've been really busy with the upcoming Warrior exam and all." Suzaku whispered off wearing a sad frown. He really likes the beautiful woman and thinks she has an amazing personality, but he's not exactly confident enough in himself now to confess his long-term strong feelings for her quite yet.

"Aren't you happy?" Lelouch asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"You're a Guardian Angel now, isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Yeah…"

"So why are you pushing to become a Warrior?"

Sheepishly smiling at his best friend, "Gut-feeling I guess." Suzaku replied scratching the back of his head. "It's not bad, just a lot of hard work and dedication."

"You're an overachiever, y'know that right?"

"I do now." Giving his friend a cheeky-grin, Suzaku laughed— throwing an arm around Lelouch's shoulders and pulling him into an headlock and started ruffling his mop of ebony hair. "I love you man."

"C'mon get off of me." Lelouch complained, palming his friend's face in an attempt to free himself from his strong headlock. "You're going to choke me!"

"Haha, you're no fun." Suzaku loosened his grip and as soon as Lelouch found his freedom, he briskly added space between them.

A curtain of silence fell between the two friends as they watched the clouds in the blue sky pass. To Lelouch the silence was comfortable; but in his troubling state of mind, not knowing where he'll end up at is scaring him. Back when he was a child his mind filled with many hopes in dreams, and truthfully he thought that by now he would be a Guardian Angel, but nothing has worked in his favor. Instead he's here worrying about his fate. He should be standing by his best friend's side and say: 'We did it.'

Clearly that's not how ambitious dreams and the reality of life work.

Turning to his friend who seemed happier than ever, a warm smile passed on his lips as he placed a hand on the brunettes shoulder— grabbing his attention. "Thank you for coming to my defense. My brother would've eaten me alive in there."

"I know... you were cursing and everything." He placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder also and smiled. "You're my best friend, and I'll always be here to help."

"Suzaku—"

"Lelouch vi Britannia." Schneizel called stepping down the steps alongside Ohgi and Marianne where the two young men were previously sitting. "After a long discussion, we decided that the last and best plan of action is to go with Kururugi's suggestion and send you to live among the Humans."

"If the darkness is truly a strong emotional distress, perhaps it's best for you to overcome the barrier that's holding you back by living with humans, understanding, and form a Guardian bond with them to reverse the damage." Ohgi added.

"Okay?" Lelouch switched his gaze over to his mother who's clearly conflicted. "And if I refuse to live with the humans?"

"Lelouch." Marianne hastily stepped down the remaining stairs and firmly gripped her son's shoulders. "This is your last chance, if you refuse or can't complete the task with the time they give you, then you'll be sent to the Demon realm just like your father and I don't want that!" Tears welled in her eyes in heartbreak and she pulled him in a tight hug. "I love you... I can't lose you too Lelouch."

Gently wrapping his arms around his mother, Lelouch looked at his best friend then towards the Council members who watched in patience— waiting for the heartfelt mother-son show to be over with. Pulling back after a moment, he carefully cupped her cheeks staring deep into her sad eyes. "You're not going to lose me." Passing her a smile, he kissed her on the forehead before leaving her side to stand in front of the two members who were sentencing him. "I'll go… just tell me when—"

"You'll be leaving today little brother. Is that okay?" Lelouch nodded and a proud grin appeared across Schneizel's lips. "Alright, follow me."

#

"Remember the rules Lelouch… Lelouch… Hey!" Snapping her fingers averting her son's attention away from the entrance to the Human realm, she met his violet hues that clearly had nervousness embedded within. "Did you hear what I said?"

"Not really." He bluntly answered.

"Listen, this is very important. Be wary of attachments that can harm you. You can only have a friendly relationship and nothing more. This is a very rare opportunity the Council is giving you because so far every Angel who has tried finding redemption this way wound up in the Demon realm for doing the wrong things like killin and—"

"Mom… I'm not going to harm anyone. I learned my lesson."

"Please be careful then, five years is a long time for something to go wrong."

"Don't worry I'll be fine. When I come back, I'll be my normal again okay?" Nervously turning back to the entrance, Lelouch could actually feel his gut twist and turn rather uncomfortably. Standing close to the edge of the cliff wasn't exactly the problem, it was looking down at the large-clouded white and blue wormhole that's making him anxious. Sure he hasn't look down at the endless pit since he was ten years old, but seeing it now after a long time has never felt so intimidating.

"It's not that bad Lelouch." Suzaku chuckled standing close to Lelouch. "Luckily for you, you'll be asleep when you go down."

"Wait... you're sending me off? Do you even have permission to—"

Shrugging his shoulders shamelessly, "Schneizel and Ohgi has given me the honors to do it."

"The fact that they're trusting you to do this is scary." Lelouch chuckled, bringing out his wings and spreading them almost proudly for all to see despite the halved colors. Turning his back towards the entrance, Lelouch waited for Suzaku do the same in bringing out his pure-white wings and stepping closer to him. "You better pick a good place Suzaku."

"Haha, you're in no position to make demands." Leaning in leaving mere inches between from their faces, Suzaku stared deep into Lelouch's amethyst eyes and almost immediately the raven-haired Angel became enthralled. Their minds synced and their wings spread even further to the maximum length due to their connection. "This is gonna hurt a little."

"Huh?"

"Sleep." He whispered lightly touching Lelouch's forehead, instantly his body became limp, his eyes closed in enchanting slumber and with a slight push from Suzaku, Lelouch fell backwards in the wormhole as his black/white wings stayed open supporting his fall. "Be careful Lelouch."

"Where are you sending him?" Marianne asked looking down the wormhole in concern.

"You know I can't tell you that." The brunette turned to the worried mother who kept her eyes strictly on her son until he was no longer in sight. "But I wouldn't worry about him, I know he'll find the redemption he needs down there."

"It's not like that... I'm just worried he'll come in contact with the girl who did this to him. She's a serious threat… I can feel it."

"I doubt they'll ever see each again, and if they do... maybe she can lead him to his redemption." Suzaku concluded.

"Or maybe she'll lead him to his fall as an Angel."

#

It was late on a snowy night when she found her freedom after a long and hectic shift at the diner. All day she had to deal with rude customers and perverted men who used every chance they got to feel her butt or lift up her skirt and laugh whilst catcalling. As annoying as it may be, she's forced to learn how to brush it off since this is the only job she can get. Being a waitress is without a doubt a pain, but at least it somewhat pays.

Wrapping a worn scarf around herself warmly, C.C. finished putting on her mittens as she waited for her friend Milly to gather her things and locking the place. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah! Thanks again for staying an extra shift… I really needed the help." Milly smiled at the green-haired woman kindly. "Y'know, you put on quite a show back there— don't you agree?"

"That jerk asked for it." C.C. rolled her eyes recalling the not so fond memory as they walked to the bus stop. "I gave him too many warnings, so it's his fault it happen. I don't regret what I did."

"I bet, but you didn't have to go all out." Milly sheepishly smiled at the woman who wore a scowl on her face. As a waitress herself she understands the troubles C.C. goes though on a daily. Many men that comes by have taken a liking to unique beauty, and while not all of them are disgusting predators, sadly for C.C., many of them are. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's over… time to move on." C.C. responded coldly, still feeling bitter about the unfair treatment she gets at work.

Earlier there was a group of men who harassed and rudely called her out of her name. The mistreatment went on for a while until she told finally told them to stop. Three of the four men did as she said, but the fourth didn't bother listening. He continued speaking to her rudely, occasionally groping or smacking her backside whenever she passed by, and even slipped money inside her clothes asking for carnal favors. Finally C.C. snapped— dumping food all over him along with two pints of beer before slapping him senseless. Of course he got upset and they were both yelling at the top of their lungs— going at it like cats and dogs until the manager finally came. The group of men were apologized to and were given refunds, but C.C. on the other hand paid the price for the outburst and gotten into a heap of trouble. Forced to clean up the mess she made all by herself.

"Are you still spending the night at my place?" Milly asked while putting on her obnoxious yellow beanie that stood out against the white snow and dark night.

"Yeah, I'm too tired to take the bus ride all the way home." C.C. said looking down at her watch. It's half past midnight and home is just too far away from work, so by the time she actually gets home it'll be closer to 2AM. "Thanks again for letting me stay the night."

Winking at the beautiful woman, Milly giggled, "That's what friends are for." She cheerily says then turned to the starry night sky.

They continued to talk a little longer until the bus finally came minutes later and both were happy to finally get out of the cold. Finding their place at the back of the bus in separate seats so they could each have their own window to look out of, C.C. was internally grateful that the separation was enough to silence the bubbly woman she called her friend. Not that she doesn't enjoy being around her, it's just that sometimes her 'high on life' attitude can be too much. But in the end she can't complain because to have a friend like her helps keeps her mind from frustrating memories.

Temporarily filling the void she constantly feels inside.

#

Once they made it to Milly's apartment after grabbing a quick bite, they sat around and talked for a bit before finally taking their showers to wash away all the troubles and stress of the day's work.

Turning the shower off and drying herself, C.C. dressed and slipped into one of Milly's sleeping shirts for the night. Although she's slept in her friend's sleeping shirts before, it still comes off as a surprise to her at how it fits her like a dress. Mainly because the blonde-haired woman is indeed taller and has a bigger bust than her. "Oh well, can't complain with what I got." C.C. mumbled and began wrapping her wet green hair in a towel when—

"Oh my gosh C.C.! Hurry up, come out here!" Milly yelled.

Finishing wrapping the towel around her hair, C.C. opened the bathroom door and strolled into the bedroom where she's currently looking out the window excitedly with wide eyes like small child receiving their long awaited wish for a birthday gift. "What up?"

"Come look at this!" Milly shouted, patting a place next to her on the mini couch she had sitting close to the window. "What do you think, is it a falling star?" Opening the curtains wider for C.C. to see, she pointed at the uniquely colored star cutting through the glittering night.

The falling star was a swirl of black and white that stood out beautifully. It had the gentle colors of neon blue and violet that effortlessly mixed in, giving it an ethereal glow, making it all the more irresistible to look at.

C.C.'s heart fluttered rapidly, her breath hitched suddenly and the empty void she has within the depths of her heart filled with a foreign feeling that felt almost too familiar. It's like the trance she's been pulled in has her stuck in a sense of deja vu. Placing a warm palm against the cold glass, C.C.'s words were trapped briefly in her throat as she continued to look at the 'falling star' in astonishment. "I-It's so beautiful." She whispered, scooting closer to the glass— mesmerized at the sight.

"Make a wish C.C… maybe it'll come true."

"I- don't believe in wishing on stars."

"Okay, more for me." Milly laughed and took a moment to make her wish. "Alright, I'm going to bed." She announced getting off the couch; but when her friend kept her attention on the falling star, a soft smile crossed her lips at how happy C.C. looked. It's almost rare to see her be so invested in something. Perhaps this star is a gift for her for all the troubles she goes through on a daily. "Goodnight C.C." Milly patted the woman on the shoulders before retreating to her bed for the night.

Still lost in captivation, a genuine smile appeared on her lips the longer she gazed at the falling star. Honestly feeling like she'd never seeing anything more beautiful in her life, C.C. placed a hand over her thundering heart that couldn't be controlled no matter what she did to calm her nerves. Then suddenly... goosebumps crawled her skin and butterflies raided her stomach when a fuzzy image of a nameless, faceless boy appeared- only his soft smile was crystal clear.

A very heartwarming smile.

"Who are you?"

AN: So what do you think? I'm so excited for their meeting! I hope you liked the chapter and thank you so much for reading, it really means a lot! Fee free to let me know what you think, comment, ask questions, review, etc. Until next chapter! XD

Thank you for this story's favorites and followers! You're all awesome.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing: Cris266, BlackWitchesCat, and Guest. Thank you for the feedback, I very much appreciate it. :)

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