So, this is an idea partially inspired by a fic I read where Suzaku's back in time with Lelouch, but Lelouch is clinically depressed. Also, by the movie Groundhog Day.

Disclaimer that I don't own Code Geass, or Groundhog Day, goes here. :P

Forgotten Path

Prologue

Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly known as vi Britannia, stood before the mirror in his bedroom. His expression was worn and haunted, a look that had graced his features for a long time now. Too long. As he stared at his visage, he automatically took in the features of his lineage, from the sharp shape of his face, the cut of his nose, down to the violet of his eyes, a keepsake from his mother.

And of course, as much as he hated it, there were hints of his father there as well.

Closing his eyes and sighing, Lelouch contemplated his day. He'd 'awoken' in Shinjuku once again, geass in hand, and the royal guard dead at his feet. C.C. lay not far, bullet hole in her forehead, though the bleeding had stopped as she'd no doubt been recovering. Being here again, having been on a repeating loop for who knew how long now, was wearing at his soul. If he even still had one after all this time.

The first time that Lelouch had ended up back in time, he'd viewed it as a gift. A gift that meant he could fix all of his mistakes, make everything right without having to resort to the Zero Requiem. A unique gift for an undeserving demon, but he'd reached for it eagerly. And it had worked. But then, after breathing his last at the ripe old age of seventy two, he'd ended up back in Shinjuku again.

The despair he'd felt had been forcefully pushed aside with Villetta's arrival, and he'd spent that loop trying to figure out where he'd gone wrong. And then the next one, the next one, and the one after that. Finally, he decided that some higher power, whether the 'god' of C's world or some higher deity, had decided to have some fun at his expense.

Lelouch was so done with it all.

The last certain amount of times, he'd actively sought an early death, not that it did him any good. A couple of times, he'd even let Villetta riddle his body with bullets right there in Shinjuku. (Privately he wondered what her reaction was later if it was found out who he was, and knowing that she'd killed royalty. At least, if that time line had even continued after his demise, he had no clue.) He'd 'woken' again almost immediately in the exact same spot, of course.

The last time, he'd tried to ignore everything. He'd turned his back immediately on Shinjuku, heading back down the underground tunnel he and C.C. had traversed what seemed an eternity ago. He'd let Clovis' forces overwhelm Ohgi and the others, learning later that few of them had survived. There had been no reaction to the news, other than a tiny twinge of guilt when he'd eventually learned that Kallen had been amongst those listed as deceased.

So today, he'd saved them all. He'd gone through the motions, guiding them through the battle that he knew better than the back of his hand, even going toe to toe with Suzaku for a short moment, his own Knightmare piloting skills having increased dramatically over the unnumbered loops. Then he'd stood before Clovis, pistol in hand, ready to shoot…

He'd walked away, leaving Clovis alive, under geass to forget that Lelouch had been there, and to forget Code R, C.C., anything to do with geass, and to delete everything he had on it all.

Letting out another sigh, Lelouch decided on a course of action. What he was about to do… It could possibly bring him a measure of peace. Well, he could hope, at least. This was something he hadn't tried yet, though he'd contemplated it on occasion. Using his geass to erase his memories, to spend at least one loop free from the never-ending tedium and hopelessness that he'd been feeling.

Staring intently into the reflection of his eyes, Lelouch's geass came to life. Wording this was important, he couldn't afford to screw up and somehow turn himself into a vegetable. So he carefully selected his words.

"Lelouch vi Britannia, I order you to forget what happened in Shinjuku," he commanded. "Forget about C.C., geass, time travel, and loops. You will live your life as Lelouch Lamperouge, formerly vi Britannia, and stay with your sister, never using your geass in this time line again!"

His geass flared, reflecting off the mirror and back to him, rewriting his neural pathways. His eyes were ringed in red as the geass took effect, then it faded, leaving behind a seventeen year old boy, slightly confused about why he was just standing there staring in the mirror.

So what did you think? Review Please!