Notes

1) The Promise: Rebellion of Dreams is the edited version with extensions of the original work, The Promise.

2) C.C. is pronounced (C-Two).

3) This story is non-canon and is an alternate string of events from the original.

4) I do not own CODE GEASS.

5) Chapter five and selected chapters contain the national anthem of Britannia and it is not my work but a production of the creators of the Code Geass anime.

6) Certain chapters were inspired by the Code Geass Voice Dramas.

7) This story contains only the character's thoughts and it does not reflect the psychology and intentions of the writer.

The Promise: Rebellion of Dreams

Prologue

Black skies shield the roaming clouds,

Floating about a scape of suffering from above,

Lightning descend like a virulent fluid of destruction,

Over heaths, rifts and valleys alike,

Spilling fear and panic to all below,

In a cycle of everlasting decimation.

To torment species weak and ill,

Blast life to its deepest, darkest recesses,

Until a demon is born from the heavens up high,

Its descent toils the fiends to their limits,

Slay all but he who's missions' past,

Dwells within bitter lies and morose darkness,

Growing new sentiments of hate upon ancient hatred,

To sever the link that bound the cycle, of,

Eternal drought, famine, pestilence and war.

He who was born to rule them all,

Brought to be with awesome might,

Mystical and transcendental his power corrupts,

To create worlds,

And liberate souls,

From a world of anguish and grief.

Fall thereafter in solitude,

Only to be reborn a gentle spirit, and foster,

A new paradise, of,

Bounty, tranquil, compassion and peace.

Geass, the power of the kings lead one to isolation; seldom do they ever grow and die content.

-CODE/GEASS

Prologue

Springtime had always been the season of life; with its full bloom flowers of many exquisite colours that flood the air with the continuity of fresh scents. Aside from this flamboyance, this sublime force of nature called life, summer had always been the greatest time to enjoy life to its fullest. A young Britannian by the name Lelouch Lamperouge stood on an intricate stone-bridge above a clear stream and gazed at the sky as warm sunlight lit his pale, relaxed face and cooked his dark hair and back under the standard black uniform of Ashford Academy. The youth studied clouds, gliding slowly along a field of blue brilliance and spoke softly in solitude, "Ah, the warm and nurturing sun, your light shines ever so greatly on this blasted world without equity! If only your brilliance that makes the grass grow and flowers bloom can make humans virtuous. Alas, that is but a dream I cannot live in, perhaps a dream that cannot exist!" Lelouch looked down into the glittering waters of the stream, subsequently into the reflection of his dark purple eyes. The boy watched patiently at the stream, observing the grace of flowing water. He snapped out of his lonely trance and mused at his nether companion in the waters, "Lelouch of the other side, how are you? Are you some renegade mastermind who vies for justice or just another bored student like me? I guess I will never know how it is like on your side but I hope it is a better place." The sound of a siren echoed across Ashford Academy and startled the birds to fly. Lelouch pondered deeply but was disturbed by the racket of the lunch bell. He turned his head to face a large Neo-Classical building and thought silently, "Hmm, lunchtime I see, how free until the bell sounds once more. School is just like the Bastille, the place is tight under surveillance, with strict rules and exact schedules. I cannot stand this rigidity therefore I am an outsider to the system. I will witness its fall one day, I will make it fall if that is the last thing I do!" Lelouch's usual lazy eyes flared when he cursed at the system but school was not what he hated; it was the Holy Britannian Empire, an empire that stretches from the Aleutians to Kamchatka above the fifty degrees parallel, North and South America. As the sound of students could be heard from a distance, Rivel, Lelouch's friend ran to his spot to the bridge energetically and exclaimed, "Hey Lelouch;" and asked, "Are you ready?"

"Well yeah," Lelouch replied passively. He had always spoken with little effort in putting emotions but the people around him never bothered to ask why. The two headed for Ashford academy's front gates, where Rivel parked his blue motorbike.

"Where to Lelouch," Rivel inquired while handing a helmet to his friend.

"Take me to 1766 East Knight Street; I have an important appointment with yet another one of them aristocrats," Lelouch replied as he combed his dark hair with his hand gently and secured his helmet.

"Alright then…say, why weren't you in class?" Rivel asked.

Lelouch hopped into the sidecar and replied bluntly, "You know me; classes are of no use to me."

"Either you are very cocky or just plain stupid," Rivel scolded, "A full education is beneficial when applying for a job."

"Perhaps half and half," Lelouch replied, "I am confident I can manage a decent wage when I grow up."

"What do you expect to be when you grow up if you do not care about school at all," Rivel questioned.

"Anything that would make the world a better place; not for myself but everyone else," Lelouch replied with a bored look.

Rivel reacted with a puzzled face and returned with what he could think of, "That ambition of yours sounds like something bigger than you can chew!"

"Do I sound too unrealistic," Lelouch asked for his friend's honest opinion.

Rivel did not reply to his question and went another direction in the conversation, "I have been wondering all this time, how do you manage your high grades without attending classes?"

"I know everything taught in class beforehand, I just show up from time to time for kicks," Lelouch replied immediately.

"Sometimes, I do not know if you are genius, a lunatic or just silly," Rivel commented.

Right after Rivel and Lelouch exited Ashford academy's gates, a girl with orange waist-length hair chased the vehicle but could not keep up. She squint her eyes with a hand above her brow and discovered Lelouch turning his face towards her. "Lelou, why do you always leave me here and have fun somewhere else," she said with an annoyed tone. Another girl with blonde neck-length hair followed her distressed friend and asked, "Shirley, are you worried about your darling Lelouch again?"

Shirley turned around to face Milly, a friend one year her senior and said, "Milly? I just hope he isn't off gambling again!"

"I see you were just concerned," Milly emphasized.

"Yes I was just con… Hey! What is that supposed to mean," Shirley asked with a light blush glowing on her cheeks.

Milly gave a wink, turned around and said playfully, "Nothing."

Moments later, the boys arrived at a large mansion which belonged to a local Britannian aristocrat, Lord William Lincoln. In the mansion, there was a game of chess between Lord Lincoln and an old fellow by the name of Edward Bethame who was on the losing side. The ticking sound on a timer clicked until a metronome-like bell rang alarmingly to signal his doom. Lord Lincoln was carefully filing his fingernails and laughed, "Your time is up old man, your move?" The elder Bethame struggled to touch his piece as if it was the end of his life and amidst that moment Lelouch with his companion Rivel barged through the mansion door. The arrogant aristocrat reacted with an amused smile, "Hah! So you have called forth your reinforcements?"

"Let me play the rest of this game," Lelouch declared. The old man left his seat for Lelouch.

"So you are the student I am expecting," the aristocrat clarified.

"Indeed," Lelouch replied definitely.

Rivel looked at his pocket timepiece and asked, "How long do you need, traffic is packed at this hour?"

"Ten minutes, no later," Lelouch answered confidently.

"Ten minutes to lose," the aristocrat scoffed.

"We'll see," Lelouch said as he picked up the black king on his side.

The aristocrat found everything too interesting and asked Lelouch with widened eyes, "You begin with that in such dire conditions? Either you look too highly of yourself or you are an amateur."

"If the king does not move, how do you expect his subordinates to follow? On that point, is there a difference between an amateur and a professional? Both usually enjoy what they do."

The aristocrat snickered at Lelouch's bold statements, "I would love to see you lose, foolish boy! How about this, if you can pull this off and beat me, I will double the bet to two thousand pounds but your rate remains."

"Deal," Lelouch accepted as he moved his king one square to the bottom left.

After a number of moves, Lelouch yawned and said, "There are a limited number of moves you can make. I am afraid my odds of winning have greatly increased since the start of a dire condition."

The aristocrat replied agitated, "I can still survive your tactics you pompous student," and made his move by shielding two of his pawns and a bishop with a knight.

Lelouch gave out a slight smirk, "Think again…Checkmate!"

"Impossible! How did you," the aristocrat stammered at his consequential defeat.

Lelouch stood from the ornate cushioned chair he was sitting on and said, "Too possible! You play by the book and lack variation. Pampered aristocrats like you are all just the same; you do not think by yourselves and follow a traditional set of rules passed down from previous generations along your title. Seldom does your kind change for conservative reasons. You need to develop some flexibility. I give you three months; perhaps you would be an interesting opponent by then," Lelouch commented, "I believe our wager was two thousand pounds, correct?"

The aristocrat was dazed beyond word and asked, "What is your name?"

Lelouch turned around and said, "The name is Lelouch, Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch exited the mansion with twenty one-hundred pounds bills and tucked it in his breast-pocket on the inside of his uniform that he sewn on as an addition.

"Wow! This was your fastest record yet, nine minutes flat! How did you do it," Rivel asked.

Lelouch cocked his head towards the sky, "Once you anticipate what type of opponent you face, you then calculate their strategies and moves. After that, what remains is timing and an open strategy, garnished with clever tactics to seal the deal…Checkmate!"

"Two thousand pounds in nine minutes, you are earning like an entrepreneur," Rivel commented excitedly.

"This amount was nothing compared to the day I saved you from a similar moment," Lelouch said light chuckle.

Rivel drove his motorbike swiftly down the road and into a highway off a bend. "We have fifteen minutes to spare, plenty of time," he assured they would return to school on time. Lelouch did not reply and simply spaced out as he hid snugly in the sidecar. A moving truck sped on the highway and cut across many cars unprofessionally. There was a girl about Lelouch and Rivel's age who was on the left of the truck's front seat.

"We have to move faster," she said to the driver.

"I am trying but those fools are in our way," the man replied with a bad temper.

Kallen gazed at the boys before them and thought to herself, "Those two are from Ashford Academy. Why are they here?"

Rivel turned his head in response to the truck driver's incessant honking and said, "Lelouch, can you believe it! That truck driver at the back is flipping the bird at us! Those elevens just do not understand common courtesy!" Lelouch was busy in his own world until the truck behind them crashed into nearby infrastructure.

"To hell with that," Rivel exclaimed.

"Rivel eyes on the road!" Lelouch exclaimed as they lost balance.

Rivel pilot expertly and went to the side of the road and said, "Whew that was a close one!" Unfortunately, the vehicle broke down amidst traffic chaos, "I'm out of gas! Of all times, why now," Rivel complained.

Lelouch spotted an abnormality hovering above the truck which was across where they were, "I wonder what that was," he asked internally and hopped out of the sidecar.

"Lelouch where are you going," Rivel hollered. With a fed up look he spoke in agitation, "And he just leaves me hanging in the middle of a problem! I know he wants to help out but now we will be late for school!"

Lelouch climbed into the damaged truck and fell into it. The truck started to move as he hit his head against the truck's interior wall. "Ow, that was one rough hit," Lelouch spoke in pain. He looked around if there was anything of interest stashed within this rickety moving truck, "Hello, anybody here?"

A faint feminine voice echoed from some given space in the truck, "It's you, finally I have found my," the voice was interrupted.

"Huh? Who's speaking," Lelouch inquired quizzically.

"Save me," the faint voice sounded again, now with more force.

Unaware of what was going on outside, Lelouch could not hear the command broadcasted by helicopters: Stop where you are and surrender the weapon!

The girl with red locks looked annoyed and exclaimed, "I knew stealing that weapon would be a bad idea!"

Her truck-driving companion returned with a rough response, "Just drive those cursed Britannians to the ground!" She followed her superior and headed for the back of the truck. In fear of getting caught, Lelouch hid behind a pomegranate-shaped shell and observed what was going on. He got a good glimpse of the girl's face and thought to himself, "Wait, she looks familiar."

The girl removed a cloak that covered a bipedal machine armed with a rifle, "I will teach those cocky Britannians a lesson they will never forget," she exclaimed in anger and left the truck. The engine was called a Knightmare Frame, commonly used by Britannia on the frontlines of battle. The one she unveiled was an older Glasgow model.

"Help me," the eerie voice beckoned.

"Alright, quit bugging me whoever you are," Lelouch replied as he unsealed the spherical red shell. A jet of aromatic steam pushed him to the ground as he struggled to retain balance. To his amazement, Lelouch gaped at what popped out of the container; it was a girl with lime green hair that flowed to her waist like a calm river radiating with lulled grace. Her mouth was covered with a white cloth and her limbs were tightly bound by leather straps buckled on what appeared to be a straightjacket. The girl was silent and fell off her capsule in the moving frame. Lelouch accelerated with the remainder of his strength and caught the girl from free-fall. "Speak to me! Are you alright? Answer dammit," Lelouch exclaimed anxiously while removing the cover off her mouth. He examined her pulse and said, "Good god, she is still alive." At that precise moment, he felt a sudden jerk around him and reasoned that the truck had abruptly stopped.

Lelouch flung open the backdoor and carried the girl to the outside. The exterior was a collapsing building with dust and rubble everywhere. "Where am I?" he questioned, "I have to get this girl to a hospital dammit!" Then suddenly, the sound of uniform running reverberated from a distance and an entire squad of military personnel appeared before him.

"Hold it right there and relinquish the girl," proclaimed a rough, stern voice.

Lelouch thought internally, "What the…why the hell would the Special Security want from me?"

An officer stepped forward from the array of well-disciplined soldiers and said, "I will ask of you once more; hand over the girl and you will not be prosecuted."

"I have nothing to do with her, I am serious… she needs to see a doctor," replied with his innocence.

"We will escort her to a medical facility after you hand her over."

"Alright," Lelouch replied as he carried the girl forward.

"You five search the truck," the officer ordered.

The five guards made it to the truck to inspect what was inside and who was driving. "We found the driver," a guard exclaimed.

The severely injured truck driver gasped for breath, "Death to Britannia, long live Japan!" In his final hour, he pressed a red button and the entire vehicle exploded like a blast of hellfire.

Lelouch immediately turned around and stared in shock.

"Terrorists, seize him," the officer ordered.

"What? I am not a terrorist," Lelouch yelled.

"Then explain the deaths my men," the officer asked in return.

"I swear I am innocent! Look, I am a student from Ashford Academy!"

The officer pointed a gun at his face at a distance and said, "Student or not, does it matter?"

"How will you explain this to my school?"

"What will the death of one measly student affect?"

"It is inhumane!"

The officer shrugged in response to his refutation, "If I let you free, the honour of Britannia would be tarnished. It is a pity that I must kill a fellow Britannian like yourself; if you were an eleven, I would have happily executed you without fair trial, any last words?"

Lelouch gave a disturbed glare, "Britannia had no honour to begin with!"

"So be it, arrogant radical," the officer exclaimed.

The girl in Lelouch's arms awoke, jumped out and landed on her feet, "He mustn't die," she exclaimed with her body spread across. The sound of a fatal gunshot echoed in the dark and wide space. A bullet pierced the girl in the forehead and entered a mark across her forehead as her hair flung in midair.

"Whoops, I guess there goes another test subject," the officer responded indifferently.

Lelouch gaped in horror as his heart raced by the trauma, "No! You could have lived! Why did you end your life to save me?" He gawked at the officer and asked, "How can you treat her like an object!

Miraculously, the girl gave a sudden response and grabbed Lelouch by the arm. His mind flushed away to another world, a separate dimension in which the current space and time was removed from his conscience. Lelouch was in shock when he discovered he was standing face to face with the girl who just died.

"Do you want to live," the girl asked.

"Yes, I must live for my sister Nunnally" he responded.

"You appear to have a purpose to live."

"My purpose is to avenge for the poor and weak, ending my father's reign of terror!"

"Then I will grant you a power of unfathomable immensity but you will live a new life. You must agree to give me what I desire in return. It is the power of the kings and you must be prepared to lose everything you have as of today. Do you accept the terms of my contract?"

"Yes, I, Lelouch vi Britannia accept the terms of your contract!"

Lelouch returned to reality where he left off.

"Any last words rebel?" the officer asked.

Lelouch gave out a sinister laugh after the officer's remark.

"What do you find so amusing?"

"Those five men over there are dead and you will be joining them," he exclaimed followed by hysterical laughter.

The officer pointed his gun in fear and demanded an answer, "Elaborate you foul-hearted terrorist!"

"Oh I will! I will explain it crystal clear for all of you," Lelouch exclaimed as a mark identical to the one on the girl's forehead activated. "I, Lelouch vi Britannia command all of you to die for me," he commanded.

"Yes your highness," the entire military squad responded obsequiously. They pointed their pistols in their mouth and opened fire.

Lelouch burst into laughter, a demonic laugh and said, "This is too easy, it is so beautiful! My command is resolute! I have control over the will of others who stand in my way! This is too good, all too good! I have lived a lie, the lie of living. Everything was a lie, my name, my time, my existence. I was disowned by my treacherous father only to live in this garden of hell, only to witness the weak and poor subject to racism and slaughter. Only with this incredible power I will begin to learn about the truth!" He looked beneath at the dead girl's body and said, "Feed me more truth whoever you are! This power is the knowledge I seek! This power is almighty!"

Chapter One: Happy Days

Dreams reveal a myriad of truths.

-Old Britannian saying

Part 1: Dream

"Lelouch, you will have a sister," a woman told her son of the good news. She appeared to be a lady of high class, dressed in a bell shaped skirt tightly bound at the waist by a corset.

"Really, where is she," Lelouch asked.

"You will have to wait," his mother said.

"Is she in some postal office? Do I have to wait for her like mail?" the young boy asked.

The gentle lady giggled at her son's remark and said, "No but something like that."

"Lady Marianne," a voice cried from behind, "Lady Marianne! I present a letter from your brother, your excellency!"

The letter read:

My dear sister Marianne, how are you? I served Holy Britannia to fight for a brighter future for your son and your welfare. I have recently received the most delightful notice from your husband Charles that you are expecting a daughter in the upcoming months. As your brother, I congratulate you with utmost felicity. I hope your newborn child will be as charming and kind as you are. As a soldier for this great empire, I wish you and your husband good luck and peace. I look forward to meeting your boy Lelouch in the future when my new niece arrives.

Best of wishes and warm regards,

Victor

Lelouch Lamperouge awoke from his happy dream and rejoiced in the bright sunlight, streaming through his bedroom window. His calm purple eyes glistened before the light as he awoke from his wonderful reverie. He had been sleeping on the ground since her arrival four months back; it was uncomfortable but the generous thing to do for a visitor. The girl resting on his bed was named C.C. She appeared very calm in her slumber, like a beautiful fairy lulled into a deep stasis for eons to pass. Lelouch started the day by rubbing his eyes and a couple of stretches and neatly folded his temporary sleeping mat.

Lelouch was in a good mood that day so he started the day off by humming a bright and simple melody while he changed out of his pyjamas into his casual-wear.

"My Lelouch, you are in a mighty good mood today," C.C. spoke from his bed. This startled him as he stumbled over his pyjamas. Lelouch turned around and discovered C.C. awake, sitting on his bed. She was unusually early that day and that frustrated Lelouch.

"C.C. you are awake!" he said with a grin of false happiness.

"I couldn't help but notice your level of energy today. Are you adding humming into your daily routine?" she asked with a wink.

"Don't you interfere with my habits girl, I like to change in peace and quiet," Lelouch said with great sense of superiority.

"Have I? If you think I have, then I must say I couldn't help it," she said, while wrapping his blanket over her body.

Lelouch thought C.C. was acting too cute to be herself but was extra cautious from his position. He was naturally this paranoid when it comes to interacting with others, especially dealing with the opposite sex.

"I sleep on the floor because I let you sleep on my bed. I have to share my food and room with you. You should respect me for being so generous!" Lelouch exclaimed.

"Well, it was your choice anyways. But I commend you for that, you are a nice boy," said the five hundred year old witch who cannot age nor die. Her youthful face said otherwise.

"What got your spirits up?" C.C. questioned, playing with her long, green locks.

"I had a beautiful dream," Lelouch said with a smile.

"Do tell, was it about me?" C.C. looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"You get all excited over my innocent dreams but you pollute it with your perverted thoughts," Lelouch stated with disgust while pointing at her with the expression of "shame, shame."

"I was just teasing you, stop acting cynical," C.C. commented, she looked at him with a scornful look.

"Well, my dream was more like a recollection. A memory of the day my mother told me I will get a sister. She was so happy, I was so happy and I just wish that day would last forever. It was like a golden sundrop casted over the cascading azure sky, vivacious and capricious," Lelouch described it as a perfect moment.

"Your mother must have been a fine woman," C.C. said, resting her chin on her hands, cupped over her knee. She bore an exotic Celtic allure to her natural beauty which radiated from her amber eyes and fair skin, free from makeup and ornaments. Her hair, a luscious fluorescent green shined under the morning sunlight as it flowed down to her waist without curls or split ends.

"You look beautiful C.C." Lelouch said while staring into her eyes romantically.

"I do?" C.C. responded.

"But it makes me feel sick," Lelouch faked everything. It was his version of a sick joke.

He buttoned his shirt, which was the common "Ashford Academy male uniform," and left the room to attend to his sister.

C.C. lay back on Lelouch's back and cuddled up with her Chizu-kun doll and said, "One day. One day, he will satisfy me and fulfill the contract."

"Good morning big brother," Nunnally greeted her brother sweetly.

"Good morning Nunnally," Lelouch replied to her little rite.

"Nunnally, I actually had a dream about a time before you were born," Lelouch said while passing his sister a piece of toast.

"Really," Nunnally asked sitting still in her wheelchair.

She was crippled from the waist down and replied on her brother or another trusted individual for transport. Her eyelids were always kept shut but Lelouch still remembered her beautiful blue eyes from when she was very young.

"Mother received a letter from Uncle Victor about the good news."

"What was the good news and who is Uncle Victor?"

"You were the good news."

Lelouch's words sprinkled a sense of comfort in her heart. Nunnally could never remember what happened when her mother was alive, as if her memories were erased to a clean slate, waiting to be filled with memories unseen. She was blind by the eyes but sensitive at heart.

Miss Sayoko, the maid, entered the dining room with a pitcher of lemonade. She poured two cups of lemonade to their respective cups. Lelouch drank his lemonade and finished his simple breakfast. He made his way into the washroom, reserved for only Nunnally and himself down the hall. He opened the door and brushed his teeth.

After the usual morning routine, Lelouch and Nunnally left their dorm to attend school. He pushed her wheelchair into an elevator and pressed the button situated at the bottom. He pushed the wheelchair out once they reached the bottom floor, into the main lobby of their special dormitory. Due to Nunnally's physical handicap, the siblings generally do not mix with the other students in the academy. Normally boys and girls lived in separate dorms but they were the only exception. The academy never encountered any persons with disability until their arrival and Lelouch put a lot of effort into redesigning the school for people with special needs. He felt that every person deserved equal respect and must be helped accordingly to their needs.

"Can you find your way to class?" Lelouch asked his sister in a caring manner.

"Don't you worry, I know this school on the back of my hand," his sister replied with a sense of hope and confidence. Lelouch watched his sister move her electronic wheelchair down a ramp and thought to himself, "My sister is growing more independent every day and I am proud of her. I promised her that one day, we will return back to Britannia in full health and make the world a gentler place."

On the way to class, Lelouch walked down the halls, past every girl and boy his age. He ignored the words of admiration from the girls and the envious discussions from the boys. Many girls find Lelouch an attractive individual when it came to physical appearance, with his ink black hair; a trait from his mother, handsome purple eyes and well-proportioned nose. His elegant figure and graceful facial features made him look like a gentleman; civilized and collected. Rather than his blemish-less face, they actually admired his genius intellect (although he does not unleash his true potential in class). Despite his popularity, Lelouch did not make many friends and was usually an isolate. His interests differ from many boys around his age. Few shared his passion for chess and cooking. The truth was he possessed a couple of feminine talents, such as sewing and clothing design.

Recess was the time of day Lelouch spent his time leisurely in the school courtyard, observing people. He noticed the girl that he casted his Geass upon, marking yet another crucifix on the school's stone walls just behind a large apple tree. Geass is a spell, developed individually within persons and can only be given by a donor. Donors possessed an ancient and mystic power known as Code, which gave the carrier rapid regeneration and immortality.

The red-haired girl, Kallen Stadtfeld was picnicking with a bunch of her civilised friends on the field left of his view. Lelouch turned his attention to Kallen. In truth, Lelouch knew two Kallens: Kallen Stadtfeld, a timid straight-A student in Ashford Academy and Kallen Kozuki, a fearless pilot fighting for the liberation of Area 11 (Japan). He queried over the drastic difference between her natural and personal dispositions. He had always wondered: Which was the real Kallen? To his curiosity, Lelouch decided to spy on this interesting persona for a little while.

"I think Lelouch is looking at you," one of Kallen's friends said.

"Huh," the straight-A student responded inattentively.

"Perhaps you should go talk to him if he is really interested in you," another one of her friends advised.

"I think you got it all wrong, Lelouch is not the type of boy who would like me," Kallen replied, "I know because he ignores every girl in class, including me."

"You are too humble Kallen. I bet Lelouch is probably attracted to your sharp intellect and strong will."

"I do not think Lelouch will appreciate my absent-mindedness," Kallen rebutted by undervaluing herself, "Besides, I just study very hard and it isn't like I am a genius like him."

"You should go talk to him, small talk is important when beginning a relationship," another friend of hers advised.

"Alright, I will only do this to please all of you but in the future, I make my own decisions," the red-haired girl declared.

Lelouch leaned against a wall, observing Kallen's interaction with her friends and thought, "Kallen Stadtfeld is showing signs of normalcy… what is her motive?" She stood up and walked towards his direction. In his mind, he was thinking, "Oh crap, I did not factor this variable! Time to act natural." He gathered himself and tried to look calm. Kallen approached Lelouch with a simple, "Hello."

"Hi," he replied.

"Have you been spying on me?" she asked directly, which tremendously differed from her usual self in class. This raised a bar for the Kallen Kozuki meter.

"No, I am part of the student council and I work as the "intelligence" in our school. It is one of my duties," Lelouch defended nervously at heart.

"Okay, I will tell the rest of the girls about your duties," Kallen turned around swiftly and walked back to her little social.

"Whew!" Lelouch wiped the sweat off his face and walked to another sector.

That afternoon, Kallen was up in the student council room, interrogating Lelouch's list of "duties."

"Spying? We do not do any of that," Milly Ashford blurted. Milly Ashford was the student body president in her grandfather's academy.

"My friends were suspicious of Lelouch spying on me," Kallen said.

"Lulu is spying on other girls?" Shirley Fenette raised her voice all flustered.

"Lelouch is not that type of guy!" Rivel Cardemonde defended for his friend.

Lelouch entered the room with a book in his hands.

"Lelouch, were you harassing other girls?" Milly asked.

"No," he replied bluntly. He noticed Kallen in the room.

"Lulu is it true that you were spying on Kallen?" Shirley asked.

"No! I was only monitoring the students and found Kallen's little social different from the rest," Lelouch explained.

"You see, Lelouch is not that type of guy," Rivel asserted in his defense, "He is too distant to girls and cannot communicate with them."

"Lulu, you like me do you?" Shirley asked.

"Sure, as a friend and member of the student council," he replied awfully.

"I understand now. I will be off then, there is a big test tomorrow and I have to study," Kallen left the room.

"She is so serious when it comes to grades," Milly commented.

"Don't worry, we have Lelouch for the theoretic and Nina for the technical," Rivel joked.

Like Lelouch, Nina Einstein was a quiet and intelligent student, especially in the maths and sciences who was usually found in solitude. Unlike Lelouch, she was not a popular figure.

Lelouch returned to his dorm in Ashford Academy and found Nunnally folding origami with C.C. again. It has been like this for an extended period of time, but he felt happy for his sister's joy.

"Lelouch, do you want to join us," C.C. asked.

"It is alright, you two continue what you are doing," Lelouch replied.

"Lelouch, why won't you join us for tea," Nunnally insisted.

"Alright, I will," Lelouch could not resist his sister's request.

"So you listen to your sister but ignore my requests?" C.C. was vexed by his biased choices.

"Sorry, but I do not really know you, you just come here for evening tea."

"No I don't, I stay…" C.C. was interrupted there.

"You stay within Ashford Academy's borders I know, but the point is you come here for fun," Lelouch prevented C.C. from spilling his secret acts of kindness by removing her from the picture.

Nunnally giggled at their little quarrel and said, "C.C. you really sound like his wife, are you sure that promise wasn't like that?"

"I told you I barely know her," Lelouch said awkwardly.

"I don't know but the two of you are convincingly close!" Nunnally teased.

"Don't think like that," Lelouch warned, "Let us just enjoy our evening, drinking tea and folding paper."

"It's called origami," Nunnally retorted.

Lelouch watched his sister and C.C. fold a wide selection of objects. After a minute of observation he said, "I have to go now, so see you later."

"Checkmate," Lelouch announced his victory in triumph.

"You are a formidable adversary Mr. Lamperouge," said his opponent, his rectangular spectacles gleamed from the lights above.

"I would have said the same to you," Lelouch replied with humility, "I am honoured to enjoy this interesting match Lord Sepulchre. Lord Guillemin Sepulchre was person who was in charge over security in the Tokyo settlement in the Colony of Area eleven. Despite his position of power, he was quite the young fellow who risen in ranks from his duties in the Middle East.

"You come from a boarding school, boy? You wear the uniform of an imperial academy, are you not?" Lord Sepulchre inquired.

"Yes, but I can manage my studies without effort," Lelouch replied.

"Well then, a rematch?" Lord Sepulchre insisted.

"Sorry, I have to return before the school gates are closed. Perhaps another time would be appropriate," Lelouch suggested.

"Very well then Mr. Lamperouge, till we meet again," the Aristocrat pledged his goodbyes.

"Adieu," Lelouch said waving back.

It was dark and Lelouch walked out of the train station to Ashford Avenue, down a straight path to the front gates of the school.

"Thank heavens it is still open," he sighed in relief.

Lelouch walked up to his dorm, up a helical stairwell and opened the door to his little "apartment."

"Lelouch, where were you?" It was C.C.

"I was playing chess until seven, as usual," Lelouch responded honestly.

"It is eight and you missed dinner. You missed a good casserole Miss Sayoko made for me and Nunnally," C.C. informed him.

"It is 'Nunnally and me'," Lelouch corrected her. He was trying to demonstrate his hostility by pointing out her mistakes in Britannian etiquette.

"Lelouch, is that you?" Nunnally asked as she entered the room in her wheelchair.

"Yes it is me," he replied with a nice conduct.

"Why are you this late today? Do you know how worried I was when I heard you were nowhere to be found on campus from Shirley?"

"Shirley told you that?"

Nunnally nodded and said, "Shirley was very worried as well. She said lately you have been missing afternoon classes. Where were you?"

"I was studying integral calculus and Gaussian quadrature in the library," was his alibi.

"I do not know what that is, but it sounds very complicated. I think you should make more friends," Nunnally criticized his isolate tendencies.

"I just think mathematics is a wonderful subject outside of school," Lelouch added.

"I was just saying. Say C.C., what is a Gaussian quadrature?" Nunnally asked.

"Don't turn to me and expect answers," C.C. said with a shrug.

"You should go now C.C., it is getting late," Lelouch pretended she lived in another dorm.

"I know," she looked behind her to see if Nunnally was still present and walked into Lelouch's room. Lelouch grabbed a new change of clothes and walked into the washroom.

(If you were wondering why Miss Sayoko was unresponsive over C.C.'s habit of sleeping in Lelouch's room; she was informed by Lelouch, in secrecy, to allow this particular 'stranger' in the house but to keep it a secret from Nunnally).

Lelouch returned to his room after a refreshing bath and it was dark. He found C.C. sitting on his bed with her Chizu-kun doll in her arms, under the brightness of a full moon.

"Lelouch, do you understand your terms of acceptance to this contract between us," C.C. asked him.

"No, you haven't explained everything yet."

"Well, the role of Geass is to be transmitted from one carrier to another carrier."

"I've deduced that far."

"In return to the giver, the receiver cannot use his Geass on the giver and must make a promise."

"Alright, I know I cannot use my Geass on you, but what is your wish?"

C.C. looked at him with a miserable look and hid her face from him with her hair draped in front of her forehead.

"I haven't decided yet but I just want to let you know."

Lelouch stared at her awkwardly and thought about what she would care for in this world. He thought, "She is immortal and bored from the toils of everyday life. What could an immortal witch want more in her life?" He wondered pensively over this matter and walked to his sleeping mat.

"Goodnight Lelouch," she said.

"Goodnight," Lelouch replied.

Part 2: Immortal's Desires, Mortal's Pains

Lelouch stared out his classroom window and thought endlessly about C.C.'s wish.

"Lelouch, would you be so kind to explain why Sophie wanted to eat the apple?" Ms. Abercrombie, the English teacher asked.

Lelouch at that moment just experienced a moment of discovery and exclaimed, "She longed for death because her agelessness became a mundane nuisance!"

"You are right," the teacher exclaimed, surprised he even paid attention.

Lelouch then reflected in silence, "Damn, if I continue to do this in class, I might blow my cover." Shirley noticed his blank stares and disturbed look throughout English class and was worried about him.

That afternoon, after contemplating minute after minute about C.C.'s wish, Lelouch returned to his dorm in search for her. She was lying on his bed as usual, sunbathing through what little sunlight passed through the window.

"Are you bored," Lelouch asked.

"Why yes," C.C. replied.

"You have lived for centuries, correct?"

"True."

"And you want to leave this world of eternal boredom."

"Why?"

"You want to rid yourself from the suffering in this world but cannot because you are immortal. That is your wish, isn't it," Lelouch assumed.

C.C. gave out a deep sigh and said, "You are mistaken Lelouch. I am not suffering or bored from living. I am bored because you never show me around the city or go sightseeing."

"Oh. So you do not wish to die?"

"No, you are being ridiculous. I just want to spend some quality time with you."

"Wait, what are you trying to insinuate?"

"Look who is thinking too complicatedly."

Lelouch was surprised by her remark and blushed a little from the embarrassment.

"Alright, I will take you out into the city tomorrow because it is a Saturday," Lelouch said.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise," he said in a calm and soothing voice.

"I am leaving Nunnally!" Lelouch hollered from the front door. He was wearing a brown jacket and black trousers.

"Where are you going?" Nunnally asked.

"To the mall, Rivel found this nice video game store," Lelouch lied.

"I thought you didn't like video games because you always die before completing a mission," Nunnally questioned.

"Well, he introduced some strategy based games and I seem to show interest in them," Lelouch fibbed.

Lelouch met with C.C. outside the dorm. She was wearing her typical "space-suit" clothes, a straightjacket from the Britannian military research corps.

"You really need a better taste in fashion," he critiqued.

"This is all I got from the laboratory," she explained. C.C. was a test subject for Geass research in one of the national laboratories. Her existence was kept in quarantine by several decades of experimentation on the nature and effects of Geass.

Lelouch and C.C. were in a women's clothing store at a mall in the heart of the Tokyo settlement. The place was filled with the smell of perfume and romantic music could be heard. Lelouch stood patiently beside a changing stall while C.C. browsed through a wide selection of dresses and skirts.

"Pick whatever you like and I will pay for it if it is within the affordable range. That will be between ten to fifty pounds," Lelouch introduced his conditions.

C.C. shuffled through a couple of dresses and picked one with a mahogany base and white frills, accompanied with a black sash and bow in front. The dress was pleasing to look at and it yielded a "Neo-Victorian" appeal, making it something unique from the crowd. She walked into the changing room and came out to show Lelouch.

"How is it?" C.C. asked for his opinion.

"It looks great, but I am surprised that you have a taste for the avant-garde," Lelouch commented.

"When you live a life that spanned five centuries, you will always appreciate the fresh things," she replied.

He walked up to her and looked at the price tag hanging over her waist.

"Sixty pounds," Lelouch exclaimed.

"Can I still get it? I really like it," she begged.

"Fine but we will not be getting any food if you buy any more," Lelouch warned.

Lelouch paid for her dress at the counter with his debit card. "Do you want to participate in a scratch and win?" the clerk asked.

"Sure," he said.

Lelouch scratched the piece of paper with his fingernails and won something.

"My you won a free coat, congratulations!"

"That's nice."

"It is a woman's coat though, but your girlfriend can have it!"

"Girlfriend," Lelouch exclaimed in a perplexed manner.

"Isn't she your girlfriend?" the store clerk assumed.

"No no no, she is my sister."

"Your sister? You two do not look related."

"She is my half-sister and my mother thought she needed some new clothes," Lelouch lied.

"Well, here you go and enjoy your day!"

The coat was brown and a little old fashioned for C.C. but she accepted her gift.

Lelouch and C.C. walked past a hat shop and C.C. could not help but noticed a small top hat that matched her dress. She stopped and looked into the window, wearing a face of astonishment, like a dog aching for a reward. Lelouch noticed C.C. was gone from his side and looked back to find her. He walked over to where she stood and said, "No you don't! I bought that dress you selected personally and that is it."

"But that hat over there is so cute and it matches my dress," she said with a pout.

Lelouch was not a man who would dig himself into the world of consumerism but he could not resist her face as it was irresistibly persuasive. Lelouch responded the way he would to his sister and said, "Fine, but just this once!" C.C. smiled and hugged him in public. He was embarrassed by her odd behaviour on that day and purchased the hat she coveted.

"I think it is ridiculous C.C."

"But I like it."

"You know, I always thought you were the conservative kind of girl, with that hard five hundred year old life of yours."

"I am still a girl, right?"

"Nunnally is too but she is never this demanding."

"You will learn more about me from dates like these."

"Dates? Did you just say we are on a date?"

"Isn't it what these are called?"

"Where did you get that from?"

"I observe the couples in your school; the more socialones," she said with a playful expression.

Lelouch thought to himself, "Note to self: Never go on dates with girls like C.C."

Lelouch's phone rang, it was Rivel.

"Hi Lelouch, I thought it would be nice if you and I ride bikes around town with George," Rivel said over the phone.

"Sorry I am busy," Lelouch answered.

"Busy on a Saturday?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then, bye."

"Bye."

He hung up on the phone and discovered C.C. holding his hand. He reacted with a sense of repulsion and said, "What are you doing C.C.? You are acting mighty strange today!"

"Am I or am I trying to fit in," was her refutation.

"You make me sick, witch," he said, shaking his hand.

C.C. did not respond insulted, in fact she was smiling.

Lelouch and C.C. walked out of the mall and into an outdoor marketplace filled with street-food vendors. Rivel and George rode their bikes past them and Rivel stopped his bike instantaneously to get a good look at who he believed were Lelouch with some girl he never met before.

"George is that Lelouch at that dango stall?" he asked.

"He sure does look like him, but who is that girl?" George commented.

"I don't know but she sure looks pretty."

"But her taste in fashion is just wrong, who is she, space girl?"

"She could be wearing a costume."

Lelouch and C.C. walked towards Rivel's direction, smiling carelessly.

"Hey Lelouch, so this is why you were busy!" Rivel shouted, moving his bike closer to Lelouch and C.C.

Lelouch looked at his friend waving at him and dropped his dango.

"I never thought you had a girlfriend?"

"Heh heh heh," Lelouch laughed sheepishly, "She is my cousin back in Pendragon."

"My you have a pretty cousin," Rivel commented.

"Are you two close," George asked as he approached them as well.

Lelouch was thinking, "Crap I have to get myself out of this conundrum!"

"I, Lelouch vi Britannia command you: Whenever you see this woman, you will pretend she is never there!" He executed his Geass on Rivel and George.

The two stood there petrified, and hypnotically said, "Yes master!"

Lelouch and C.C. walked past them and escaped. He grabbed onto C.C.'s arm and dragged her down two blocks. They turned at a corner and stopped there. Lelouch was severely out of breath, panting heavily, "I did not expect them to be here."

"Why was it so hard for you to accept me as your girlfriend," C.C. asked.

"Because you are not, dammit," Lelouch stated.

"We can at least play as a couple, we look cute together," C.C. teased.

"Look, I do not know what has gotten into you but it has become an annoyance," Lelouch scolded, "Quit it!"

"And what if I don't," she acted immaturely.

"Then you will be kicked out the house!" Lelouch scared, acting like the 'big man.'

"Fine Lelouch, I always knew you were no fun," C.C. said crossing her arms with her back turned against him.

"Let's go, I have to study for upcoming tests anyways," Lelouch said with his temper restored, "Besides a man of revolution needs to be serious or his goals will all be in ruin!"

The day had gone by like a flash. Lelouch lost quite a bit of money from purchasing food and clothing for his demanding guest. She too was dissatisfied by his prudish behaviour, even though he pampered her with all those generous 'donations'. Lovely Saturday was what C.C. called it because she had the fresh opportunity to roam the city and get whatever it had in store with her beloved Lelouch.