Code Sekirei: L.L. of the Plan

Written By Username: Seprith Li Castia

Attention: Warning: I make no claim to any of the rights and responsibilities for the characters, creations or other such things featured in this story. I humbly recognize and accept that all forms of ownership for this series and its character, places and things belong to their owner(s). I am merely presenting a non-profit form of entertainment based on their original content. I implore any and all readers of this fan made material to purchase the works in which this is based on to not only support the rights owners but to avoid spoilers caused from this work. I thank you.

Author's Notes: I have had this idea buzzing around my head for a while now, but I was not sure how to actually go about it but the author's note of a recent Sekirei fan-fanfiction I found (by MashiroNguyen) rather inspired me and got me think about it again. I thought of a way to combine the two series' mythology and found some of what I think are interesting character arcs you can explore because of this cross-over. Hopefully you all will agree.

About the cross-over itself: this is mostly written on the basis that you understand the Code Geass world pretty well. I am not going to take the time and explain what Britannia or the Black Knight are and just assume you already know. That being said, I am not going to assume you know everything about Serkirei. Not only is it not a popular as Code Geass, it is also more of the focus of the story. Lelouch will be the main character, but the events of Code Geass are all in the past: this story will be set post-Zero Requiem and Lelouch will have a Code, but no Geass.

Also, yes, this is a harem. Hard to imagine a Sekirei story that is not. Lelouch will be paired with five girls (four from Sekirei, one girl from Code Geass). Feel free to suggest who they are or try and convince me to add more, but it would require a pretty good reason in either case. You can tell by the tags who two of them are at least.

Looking for plenty of feed-back on this! I have tried romance on a smaller scale, but never a harem and I want to actually make it all a proper relationship, too. So fee free to comment on whatever you like.

Turn One: The First Ashikabi

Ascension Throne Britannia (a.t.b.) 2018

Kyoto, Imperial Crown Colony of Japan:

For the first time in its long history, the entire world had been unified under a single banner. From the shores of California to the Mediterranean Sea, from wastes of Siberia to the heights of the Himalayas, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and everything in-between, the world was held by a single nation: the Holy Britannian Empire. All that touched the air bowed at its might, bent low on aching knees, but every soul shivered in utter terror at the slightest whisper of the man and emperor who had made it all possible: Lelouch vi Britanna.

"Presenting! His Imperial Majesty!" cried aloud the nervous Master of Ceremonies, his voice quivering at each syllable despite their volume. Kyoto, Japan was not the traditional capital of the Empire, but with the Imperial City of Pendragon destroyed in the Great War and Tokyo all but destroyed in the battles previous, Kyoto was chosen as the temporary place-holder. All to the whims of His Imperial Majesty.

The first sign of his arrival was the chilling echo of foot-steps. They were not loud, for the Holy Britannian Emperor was not a large man, but in the expansive chambers around them there was little sound to compete against. Arrayed along every wall were the many masked figures of the emperor's nameless royal guard, each standing straight and resolute, while their Lord Commander, the so-called Knight of Orange Jeremiah Gottwald, dropped gracefully to one knee.

"The 99th Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia," the young Master of Ceremonies continued. He was young, not even aged twenty years, and he was the eighth person to hold such a position for His Imperial Majesty. He dared not ask what happened to the last seven. "Second Supreme Council Chairman of the United Federation of Nations,"—a meaningless title now, there was only Britannia.

Another step.

"Chief Executive Officer of the Black Knight!" Step. "The 53rd President of the Europia United!" Step. "The First & Only Ruler of the World!" Step. "And the sole owner of Earth!" Left unsaid were his many other titles; such as the Demon Emperor and the Enemy of the World.

His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia, was a thin man of above average height, a lithe frame, and long arms. His handsome face, wreathed in raven hair, and piercing with violet eyes would have been the talk of legend, compared more easily to ancient myth than modern reality, were it not for the ever present smirk that marred his lips. Every twitch, every muscle, every thought, every action screamed of arrogance and conceit, of superiority, of a man who could conquer the world. A smirk made all the more horrid because it was worn by a man who, in fact, held the world in the palm of his hands.

The emperor's pure white regalia seemed a tangle of serpents, golden snakes drifting about the soft fabric and ensnaring the many eye-like ruby's that were already made famous as the "Demon's Eyes," an unfavorable comparison. The sole dictator of the world entered the chamber with the casual indifference one might show a common house plant, seated himself on his ornate throne like one might expect a god to sit his, and surveyed the room about him with barely contained antipathy. His cold amethyst eyes traced every figure in the room, lingering on each, and left them to kneel and prostrate before him far longer than was normally expected. Not one rose without his consent.

"Rise," spoke the Demon Emperor, his voice soft yet deadly. "Face me." The Lord Commander Gottwald rose easily, his face the very picture of a contented dog at his master's side, and the assembly of three kneeling behind him followed soon after. Rather than address either, however, the Emperor of the World drifted his eyes to his Master of Ceremonies. "You were mistaken," he said at length.

"Y-your Majesty," choked the young man, his hands and voice shaking at the address. There was a feeling in his chest now, one suspiciously like fear. "H-how have I—"

"I am not the president of the Europia United," interrupted the demon. "In fact, as of one hour ago, the Europia United no longer exists. They have signed the charter of the United Federation of Nations." They were forced to, he means. Not that it makes any difference anymore.

"C-congratulations, Your Majesty! The world is absolutely united! All Hail Lelou-"

"Yes, yes, all hail me," drawled the emperor mockingly. "But as my Master of Ceremonies you are expected to present all my relevant titles and honors."

It was terror that griped his heart, he knew that now. "I-I had no way of knowing, Your Majesty," he pleaded, his forehead reaching the floor before the words reached his lips. "I beg your pardon."

"I have no use for fools," dismissed the Demon Emperor. "Guards! Arrest this imbecile and have him imprisoned. He will be executed in one weeks' time." The same day, the world knew, that all the criminals who had opposed him in the last war, people like Kaname Ohgi, the Tianzi of the former Chinese Federation, and his own sister, Nunnally, were scheduled to be executed. His order given, the ruler of the world did not even watch as his royal guard seized the former Master of Ceremonies by his arms and dragged him away. There would be a newly appointed ninth Master of Ceremonies within the hour.

"Jeremiah," began the emperor, addressing is Lord Commander. "Why are these people here?"

"Your Majesty, they have sought an audience with you. They are the representatives of MBI."

Mid Bio Informatics was a privately owned think tank and medical technologies company founded first under Viceroy Clovis, briefly disbanding under Duke Calares, and finally thriving under Viceroy Nunnally. Their president was a former Eleven, now Japanese, but Emperor Lelouch cared nothing for race or creed. All were just slaves to him. "Proceed."

"Salutations, Your Majesty," began the dark haired man dressed in a white suit, his voice loud and his tone demanding. "I am Hiroto Minaka, the CEO of MBI, and I have come with an offer you will most surely not want to ignore." He drew one hand to his breast, over his heart, and extended the other towards the seated emperor. "An offer, I dare say, from the gods themselves!"

Lelouch vi Britannia had worn many masks in his life. Each multifaceted, each with their own thoughts and beliefs, and each made for a specific purpose. Of those masks, he knew what each and every one would say to an offer like this. The Masked Hero, Zero, would speak of calculated miracles and self-determination; the student, Lelouch Lamperouge, would feign contentment and evade. The Demon Emperor would—"What more could god give me that I couldn't simply take for myself?" Bold words, he knew, for the Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire to claim his reach extended beyond god. Bold, but not the first.

Far from being quelled, Minaka seemed almost elated at the young emperor's answer. "Only the very power to shape not only this world, but the very fabric of reality itself!" he cried, his hands waving wildly about him as he spoke. The slender woman beside him, with prematurely greying hair and narrow eyes, fixed Minaka with a look that reminded the emperor greatly of his one-time accomplices, Lloyd Asplund and Cecile Croomy. "I have found a boon, dropped from heaven, and destined to change our very world! The End of the Century—No! The end of the millennia, if not the very apex of humanity!"

"Your Majesty, this fool is raving mad!" balked Jeremiah Gottwald, withdrawing a blade from his sleeves.

"And in what you call madness, I have gained true sight!" shouted Minaka, ignoring the feverish whispers of his female counter-part. "I have seen it! They very edge of our known reality!"

Geass, the word came to the young emperor; the Collective Unconscious; god, came another. "Do you bring proof of your claims?"

Minaka's assistant and Jeremiah spare the two equal glances of bewilderment, but Minaka declared boldly, "I have more than that! I have brought with me not only proof, but an apple from Eden's tree!" Thus spoken, the CEO of MBI gestured dramatically to the small figure at his side. It looked, simply enough, as a child aged no more than ten; matted grey or dark hair, a small figure, and covered by what seemed little more than a surgical smock.

This was not, since he first took the throne of the world, the first time some-one had offered him a child. The reasons were left unspoken, the children unspecified, but the implication clear. These people had also been sentenced to execution, but their death would not come in a week. They were delivered on the spot. But the figure of this child, head bowed low before him now, was not of the frightened and trembling visage those had been. The child was trembling, yes, but not out of fear.

"I have had people killed for offering more," he challenged, gesturing to the child; his tone even. Minaka looked amused, his assistant approaching fear, and the girl-

"Enough of this!" suddenly screamed the child, evidently a girl. "He's mine!" Then she moved, her small form crouching low before dashing forward in a rush of movement capable of out-pacing even the likes of Suzaku Kururugi. Her hands were shrouded beneath her gown, her intent unclear, but her destination plain as she made her way for the seated emperor. This was not, Lelouch reflected, his first would-be assassin; not even his first in this room, but it would only be his second child. More than a few of those attempts had ended at the end of Jeremiah's blade.

The Knight of Orange wasted no time in moving to protect his liege, the cybernetically enhanced human able to cross distances faster than possibly any other in the world. His arm mounted blade already extended, the Lord Commander swung low at the child, intending to kill, only to be pushed aside by a rapid jab of the child's fist. Too fast for Lelouch to see, but then Jeremiah felt himself pushed aside in her mad rush to reach the ruler of the world.

Seeing his royal guard knocked aside, the Demon Emperor wasted no time revealing his true eyes to the whole world; two shards of blazing red that burned out at the world, but with each hurried step of the child he felt that burning sensation push inwards, into his mind. "D-di—" he tried to say, his voice oddly weak and his breath faint. This, it seemed, was enough for the child to reach him, jumping up at him.

He felt small hands wrap around the folds of his royal regalia, felt a rough foot balance itself on his waist, but they were a distant sensation now. His eyes burning, his heart clenching, and his mind a scream with a thousand thoughts ranging from the Zero Requiem to now. But rather than fight, than run, than using his Power of the King to command, he found himself stilled by the swirling gray eyes that met his own shining red in wonder and building joy.

Then he felt small lips pressed against his own, a searing pain in his eyes and soul, before his vision was carried away on wings of darkness.

Ascension Throne Britannia (a.t.b.) 2033

Shinto Teito (Former Tokyo Settlement), United States of Japan:

There was something oddly relaxing about train stations. Whether it was the constant feeling of motion, the hypnotic rhythm of the tracks, or even just the constant buzz of chatter from its commuters, Renji Takayama could not say. Seated as he was on a bench over-looking the procession, he smiled faintly at the rush of people disembarking from the last arrival—"North bound Kyoto Line has arrived, please stay clear of the tracks," a kindly woman's voice announced as the train doors slide upon.

This, more than anything, was why Renji loved coming here; the broad smiles of fresh faced youths arriving to take their college exams, lovers greeting each other just inside after a long absence, and the general happiness that came from seeing happy people lead their happy lives. Old ladies bending down to hug their grand-children, nervous teens clutching textbooks, and straight backed businessmen walking with a stride in their steps. It was a sight Renji never would have imagined in his own youth, and to see it now…

That was when he saw him; a raven haired teen. Britannian, by the look of him, but that was not really that strange anymore, with a handsome face, pale skin, and firm jaw. He would have been remarkable only for charming looks, but it was his eyes that caught Renji; they were an odd shade of blue, sort of catching, but it was the set of them. Stern, focused, and lackluster, they were the eyes of a warrior, but no-one this kid's age could have seen the kind of fighting you would need for those kinds of eyes.

He wore a finely pressed, but rather plain looking black suit with a high collar and was carrying a long tube of some kind, balanced in one hand and leaning against his shoulder. The kid's eyes traced the crowd around him in a rapid glance as his long legs carried him across the station platform in easy strides. Renji did not know why, he really was not the type to talk to strangers and only really liked people-watching, but he found himself compelled to speak:

"You look lost," he said as the teen was about to pass him. "Need some directions?" The kid stopped politely at being addressed, his pale gaze shifting to meet that of Renji's own dull browns. He could tell, both from the confidence of his steps and the look in his eyes, this kid needed no such help. He looked like a man on a mission and that only further piqued Renji's interest in the boy.

Rather than dismiss him out-of-hand, the boy smiled evenly. "Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I'm looking for this address," he said, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket with his free hand.

Renji, who would have been happy to help even if he was not curious about the boy, read the address and frowned. He had lived in Tokyo almost all his life and had not seen much reason to leave even after they changed its name to Shinto Teito, so he knew that particular address well. "The Tokyo Memorial Cemetery," he nodded gravely. "Yeah, I know it. You got family there?" That would explain his eyes; ah! to lose your family so young.

"An old friend, actually," the teen said, his smile even. "I couldn't make the funeral, sadly, and since this is my first time coming back in a while I thought I should pay my respects."

"I understand completely," said Renji. More than a few of his friends were buried there, too, and he did not visit them half as much as he would like. "Best way to get there is to take the roads south before taking the second exit. From there you should be able to see the Tokyo Monument – that means you're there." Constructed just after the Demon Emperor's fall, the monument had been dedicated to all the victims of the FLEIJAs, but more specifically the millions who had died when Tokyo was destroyed. He had lost even more friends then. Bringing himself back to the moment, he nodded to the still busy station around them, "Might want to take a cab out that way, unless you have somebody waiting for you. Although you might want to wait until the station clears a bit before you try."

Looking around at the busy station, the teen seemed thoughtful. "No, I'm alone, and I think I might just take your advice. You wouldn't mind if I waited here, would you?"

"By all means," he smiled, patting the open space next to him. "Not another train scheduled for about an hour so you shouldn't have to wait long. Oh! My name's Takayama by the way!" He had never much cared for formalities, but some people got nervous if he was too forward.

"Thank you, Takayama-san." As the teen gently placed his long package down and took at seat, he added, "I'm a little embarrassed about my name so I usually only go by my initials. Is that alright?" At the other man's nod, the teen smiled and said, "Then you can call me LL."

"Then, LL-san, do you mind if I ask about what you're carrying there?"

"Just a gift; an old promise I made," he answered, patting the cylindrical container. "To my friend."

Smiling faintly, Renji nodded. "It's good to try and stay in touch even after…" Death. "Everything."

"It's not easy sometimes," LL looked up then, his eyes staring off far into the distance. "What about you? What are you here for? Visiting family?"

"Me?" asked Renji, waving away the idea. "No, no family for me. I just like to come here and think about things."

"Things?"

"Japan, mostly. The past, often. But lately it's Tokyo that's been on my mind."

"Tokyo," the teen nodded, the name sounding strange on his tongue. Not unfamiliar, but distinctly uncomfortable. "She's been through a lot, hasn't she?" It was not the sort of thing you expect a teenager to say, but he was not wrong.

"A whole lot," agreed Renji. "She's picked her feet up from the Occupation, alright, and you can barely tell there was even a war here now. Should be a time to be cheery, sure, but Tokyo didn't really make it in the end." Not really, not since it was now called—

"Shinto Teito," Like before, that name too sounded strange on his tongue; strange and distinctly unpleasant. "Why was it changed? The name, I mean."

"Damned if I know. Just something that happened," shrugged Renji. "After the war, the new government had a lot on its plate to deal with; little time to be rebuilding a whole city. Most of the government moved to Kyoto; 'temporarily', they said at the time."

"Then who did rebuild it, Takayama-san?"

"MBI," he answered, the initials alone enough. Whether you were Japanese, Britannian, or whatever else, you knew that name. They had basically conquered the world, just a lot more quietly than the Demon Emperor did. "Bought up the whole city at first. Heard it was some sort of charity thing at first, organized by their vice-president, but a few years back they got aggressive about it. Now MBI's President Minaka owns the whole city and it was he who changed the name. That," he pointed towards a tall blackish-blue tower toward the center of the city with a giant clock set at the top. "Is MBI's global head-quarters."

Absently, LL brought a hand to his neck, seemingly messaging it, but his eyes looked out at the city with the kind of calculation you see in a man with a plan. "You feeling okay?" asked Renji.

Only just now realizing what he was doing, the teen quickly straightened his collar, hiding his neck in the process, and answered, "Just fine, Takayama-san. Just an old wound. From childhood."

Nodding in understanding, Renji smiled, "Know that feeling. Got a few of my own from the war."

"You were a soldier?"

"Soldier? No, I was more than that. I was in the Black Knights!" He was not proud of everything in his life, but he was proud of that fact. Pulling up his sleeve, he revealed a bit of scaring on his forearm. "That right there I got from shrapnel at the Battle of Narita!"

"Narita?" repeated the teen, seemingly surprised.

Misunderstanding his meaning, Renji nodded sagely, "Never heard of it? Not surprised it doesn't make the history books. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't much to talk about, but it was big for us."

"Were you a Knightmare pilot, Takayama-san?"

"Not everyone needed a giant robot to make a difference," chuckled Renji; that was the first question everybody asked him. "No, I was ground forces there. Under the command of Inoue-san." A good woman, a fair commander, and another friend lost along the way to Japan's freedom.

"You must have fought alongside Zero-sama, too? What was he like?"

Renji laughed happily; that was the second question everybody always asked him. "Like nothing you'd ever believe without seeing it for yourself. A myth made real." Even now they were happy memories; from a time when the world was obvious and the bad guy plain to see and he could help be the hero. It was every boy's fantasy.

"Then you must have resigned after the Demon Emperor was killed, right?" Japan was free and the world was a peace, it made the most sense to LL.

"Uh, no actually. I resigned after Zero was killed," then, realizing his mistake, he added, "After I thought he was killed; the second time, I mean. After the Second Battle of Tokyo." He felt the kid's eyes on him before he saw them, the question there in his gaze, so he explained, "Just didn't seem right after. To be a Black Knight without Zero." It had nearly killed him to resign; he believed in what they were doing and wanted to do his part.

"Did you ever consider going back?" asked LL, clearly sensing his struggle.

"Once, after Lel—" He caught himself, making the correction, "After the Demon Emperor said he was going to join the UFN." He could not bring himself to look the kid in the face; none of the kid's these days could imagine it: a time when the thought of Lelouch vi Britannia was filled with hope for a better future and not a haunting reminder of how far humanity could fall. "He was a great liar, had the whole world fooled. They called him the 'Emperor for Justice' in the early days. Some even thought he had secretly been Zero before. Then the UFN meeting, then the Battle of Mt. Fuji…"

Shaking away the memory, of crushed hopes and fear of living beneath Democles and FLEIJA; a teenager like LL probably could not remember the Demon Emperor's reign much, so he decided to change the subject. "And after the war, everybody sat down with the UFN and started making peace. With no more enemies to fight, the Black Knights started down-sizing. No use for a simple soldier then and there are worse reasons to lose your job than world peace…

"Still, no matter how it ended, I am proud of my time as a Black Knight," said Renji with a fond reminiscent smile. "I got to fight for my country, my people, and Zero-sama."

LL looked content, something about either Renji's words or face bringing a half-smile to his face. "I'm sure, in his own way, Zero-sama appreciated your service, Takayama-san."

"Doubt that," he laughed good-naturally. "I was no Kozuki-san or Ohgi-san. I am happy to have played my part, but I doubt Zero-sama even knew my name." How could he? He was just one of hundreds, later thousands, of Black Knights. Even if he was one of the first to join.

"Zero-sama seems the type to try and remember every soldier under his command, at least in the beginning," That said, LL brought himself to his feet, package in hand, nodding towards the almost empty station. "I hope you have a happy life, Renji-san."

"Thank you, LL-san. Same to you—" Then he realized something. "Ah! I don't remember ever giving my full name, LL-san?"

LL smiled evenly, a slight shrug on his shoulders, and said simply, "Must have mentioned it at some point. Have a happy life, Takayama-san."

Then he was gone, the charming and mysterious teenager walking calmly out of the station with a confidence Renji Takayama had not seen in years.

Ascension Throne Britannia (a.t.b.) 2033

Tokyo Memorial Cemetery, Shinto Teito:

During the Second Black Rebellion, the Tokyo Settlement was almost completely destroyed by the world's first FLEIJA war-head; the core infrastructure of what was then-Tokyo had been reduced to nothing in a span of seconds. Thankfully, some notable areas managed to avoid the blast; places like Ashford Academy, the surrounding Ghettos, and the Tokyo Memorial Cemetery.

LL had been here a few times before the war and only once after. Emperor Lelouch had chosen this place as the site of Suzaku Kururugi's empty grave, declaring it a state funeral and venerating the Knight of Zero as a hero and martyr with his grave stone towering over the rest. The Demon Emperor had been pleased to see the looks of hatred on every attendee's face, but LL regretted that there was no longer such a place to mourn his best friend. Instead, the obelisk honoring the Knight of Zero had been replaced by an ivory cenotaph marked with each of the twenty million names that had been slain by FLEIJA – a piece constructed jointly by the Japanese government and Nunnally, the 100th Empress of Britannia.

But he had not come here just to think about the past today.

Adjusting his collar, both to conceal his neck and protect himself from the chilly winds of the coming winter season, LL made his way deeper inside, his cylindrical package once more resting against is shoulder as he walked up the slopping hill. The Britannian design aesthetic he had seen as emperor had slowly begun to fade away, with rounded tombstones shifting to more traditional grave markers. There was also a clear intent to plant cherry blossom trees around the borders, but only some of the trees were present now.

As he walked, he tried to keep his eyes from trying to read the markers, anxious that he might recognize a name, and instead focused on the woman he could see gazing down upon one of the many grave markers ahead. Even at a distance, her natural beauty was apparent as a gust of wind sent her long violet hair shifting in the cloudy afternoon light. She wore the dress of shrine priestess, with hakama to match her hair and a white hoari, bound by sash.

"Miya-san," his voice called out to the woman, stopping only a few feet behind her. "I have returned to Japan."

"LL-san," she answered, her tone even; not turning to face him. "Why have you come?" She could mean Japan, but they both knew she did not.

"You know why, Miya-san," She still did not turn to face him, merely staring down at the grave marker before her. "Things are set to begin in the next few days."

"I am aware."

"And are you willing to—"

"You know my answer to that question, LL-san," The edge to her voice seemed to surprise even herself, because her next words was almost monotone and she repeated, "Why have you come?"

"Minaka and MBI have already begun releasing Sekirei into the city," he began. "You know that means it is only a matter of time before the fighting begins."

"I am aware."

"And do you intend to do nothing?"

"You already know my answer."

"Then tell my why."

She smiled slightly, her gaze turning fondly onto the still grave as she answered, "I promised Takehito-san, my husband,"—she emphasized—"That I was done with all that. That I am done fighting."

"Even if it means the Sekirei must suffer for it?" challenged LL, his look challenging her to refute him. "You are the only person who could walk into MBI and end this in an instant; deny Minaka what he wants, kill him if you must, and stop the Sekirei Plan before it even has a chance to begin."

"Takehito-san made me promise to not get involved," she repeated easily. "He made me promise that I would live a normal life."

"Is that your actual answer?"

Turning at last to face him, she said easily, "It is."

"Is that the answer of Miya Asama, the wife of Takehito-san," he asked; his eyes narrowed, his voice going stiff. "Or as Sekirei No. 01 Miya, the Pillar."

He knew the answer before he asked and he could tell by the dullness of her eyes the answer would be—"Sekirei No. 01 is dead. She died with Takehito-san; I am simply his widow."

"I thought as much," nodded LL, looking away from the wife of Takehito Asama to read the grave she had been standing vigil over.

Asama Takehito

2004 – 2032

Loving husband, good friend, better man…

A grimace crossing his face, LL said, "I'm sorry I couldn't be here to stop this, Takehito-san." Setting down his package, LL unsealed the cylinder's cap; the tube releasing a mechanical hissing sound as fog seemed to billow out. Reaching inside with his narrow fingers, he seemed to grab hold of something; pulling up gently to reveal a small glass cube. Miya Asama watched all this was a casual ease until she saw what was inside the glass: it was a lotus flower, its velvet like petals wrapped protectively around a brilliant yellow center as it sat suspend perfectly at the center of the glass cube.

"Long ago, in a Japan known before the Demon Emperor or even Britannia," began LL, his fingers cradling around the glass box. "There was a story; a legend, of gods descending from heaven on ships of rock – the Iwafune - to bring either peace or war to the land."

"Why have you come here, LL-san?" asked Miya, knowing the story well already.

But he ignored her, continuing, "In the world we live today, of technology and industry, the legend was dismissed as simple fable. That was until one man, Hiroto Minaka, thought he figured it out. Even in his youth, he was heralded as one of the greatest intellects of the age and pursued this legend."

"Why are you here?" she repeated, eyes narrowing.

"After years of searching he found it, the ship of legend; it had not come from heaven, but a distant star." LL's eyes looked up as if to see the star in question. "The ship carried not descending gods, but life-forms from that distant star called Sekirei. Using the technology found there, Minaka founded Mid Bio Informatics and using MBI, Minaka intends to start the Sekirei Plan. In that plan, the Sekirei will find their bonded Ashikabi and compete until there is only one left."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Miya. She already knew this and he knew that.

His eyes hifting from the sky to meet her, he answered, seemingly knowing her thoughts, "I know Sekirei No. 01 knew this. I do not know if Miya Asama knows this. Does she know almost her entire race will be rendered extinct?"

"She does." There was no feeling there; no echoes of remorse or hatred.

"And she still intends to do nothing?"

"She does."

There was silence between them, one filled with the weight of that answer. LL did not speak, did not mock or censure her for the choice, and merely nodded calmly. "For Takehito-san you would abandon everything," He was not asking a question, simply stating a fact, and when Miya did not move to correct him he sighed. "Before I left, Takehitio-san told me he would watch over things for me here until it was time. I had hoped he might find a way to stop things, but maybe that was expecting too much."

Kneeling down, LL reached out to touch the marker over Takehito Asama's grave. "If you couldn't do it, if Minaka refuses to see reason, and…" His eyes shifted to his side, to the one-time Sekirei No. 01. "If she refuses to accept responsibility for this," He rose evenly, his lotus cube left at Takehito's side. "Then give it to me."

Miya knew what he wanted, but she asked regardless. "What can I give you?"

"Kouten," he answered plainly. "To solve all this, you need three things: the site of the Iwafune's crash at Kamikura Island, the Jinki used to operate it, and the control platform Kouten. Minaka has the former, but only Sekirei No.01 can use Kouten. Surrender it to me."

"And what would you do with it, LL-san?" asked Miya Asama distantly. "With the power of a god?"

"Let me ask you this in turn," said LL, a thin smiling pulling at his lips. "What trait is most important for governing the world?"

"Pride," answered Miya immediately. "Self-respect. Honor."

"You speak with wisdom, Miya-san," he recited the words like one might a script from a play. "But I would submit a different answer: the will to destroy."

"So you would destroy it, then? Destroy Kouten?"

"If the alternative is war, if the alternative is the disruption of the peace of this world," His eyes narrowed and for a moment Miya thought she could see the depths of red that had been there when they first met. "I would destroy anything."

"It seems he still yet lives, Lelouch vi Britannia," she thought aloud. To him, she asked plainly, "And if I refuse?"

"Then you know who I must go see next," answered LL evenly. "And we play Minaka's game her way. She and I, maybe one more, will fight, terminate, or kill ever last enemy until we have every Jinki, until we claim Kamikura Island from MBI, and until I pull Kouten from the sky. Either way, it is destroyed and either way peace will be restored."

"I thought that would be your answer," She looked away, once more gazing upon Takehito Asama's grave. "But it does not change mine."

"So it doesn't," he frowned, but did not seem surprised.

"Sekirei are beings of passion, if not love," remarked Miya. "For a Sekirei they are never truly complete until they find the person capable of completing them, often in ways they never imagined. For those who achieve this state, it may be possible to reshape this very world. But even with amazing power, there remains one constant driving force in all their lives: the pursuit of that passion, their Ashikabi."

She laughed lightly, without true mirth, a hand covering her mouth as she seemed to find amusement in the thought. "That being said, I always felt it was such a surprise that of all the Sekirei the first to react and find their Ashikabi was her,"—there was no mistaking the vehemence in her voice. "Or that you, of all people, would catch her attention."

"Takehito-san thought the Sekirei were tied to fate and that an Ashikabi was merely the manifestation of that fate," reminded LL.

"And do you believe it fate? Do you accept it?"

"Once I did," answered LL. "I thought that even if there wasn't any fate, there were sins you could only redeem yourself for through death and that would bind you just the same. Now I know there is no such thing." He brought a hand to his high collared shirt, undid the button there, and revealed the symbol of a bird etched at the base of his throat. "Now I know the only path for those who even death has denied is an eternal penance."

He eyes stared off into the far distance, beyond the cemetery and beyond even the world itself. "If the only path ahead is one paved in blood, then that is my fate; as an Ashikabi and as a person," said LL. "There is no other path to walk. I hope we meet again, Miya Asama the Widow, before things come to end."

As he clasped his shirt, the man who was once Lelouch vi Britannia turned away and readied himself for what was to come. The Sekirei Plan was about to begin…

TO BE CONTINUED...

Author's Notes: Most of this fiction will focus on the Sekirei side of the story, but I wanted to dedicate the first chapter to explaining where Lelouch, or LL, is now. Had a lot of fun writing the bit exploring the Demon Emperor's reign (something I so rarely ever get to see) and showing how the two worlds are connected. Next chapter will focus more on the Sekirei side of the story and properly introduce his first Sekirei.

Make sure and tell me how it came out, what you are hoping to see, and anything else that catches your interest. I will try and respond to any questions (either in PMs or in the Notes of the next chapter) so ask away.