Chapter 1: Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first attempt at a Code Geass fic. It was inspired by a song called Secret Crowds by Angels and Airwaves. I don't own either the song or the anime/manga.

Another shout-out to AlSmash, who allowed me to briefly borrow an idea of his, it's Nunnally's knowing that Lelouch is Zero.

Fic has been revamped!

Secret Crowds

Lelouch sat back, looking at his little sister. She was actually very pretty.

At fifteen he was already the aristocrat he was meant to become one day. They'd just eaten dinner; a bit late due to Lelouch's increasing workload at school and his recent election to the Student Council. At a rather young age, actually, but he was a promising student, even if he did spend the majority of his lessons staring out the window, somehow his homework was always done, he had nearly perfect scores and he could answer any question set to him by the teacher.

They'd learned to leave him alone, because pestering him only annoyed him, and then he was a handful. The one teacher was still scared of him due to his numerous assaults on her intelligence.

Nunnally smiled at him, innocent-looking when he knew her innocence had been stolen a long time ago, via the witness of their mother's murder. By his father, who couldn't, no, who wouldn't, protect Lady Marianne, supposedly his favourite wife.

The entire kingdom knew what'd happened after that... Lelouch had renounced his claim to the throne and the two siblings had been sent to Japan as a type of bargaining chip, where they were killed.

Lies! Lelouch would later think he was more like his father than he wanted to be. They were both built in lies, they both thrived of lies, like it was some strange addiction. Lelouch was a pawn of lies when he used the Black Knights as pawn in his mental chess game, some characters got an important role, like Knight (Kallen) or Queen (C.C.), but he wouldn't admit that.

He still felt betrayed and hurt; it probably would never go away, the way his father carelessly tossed them aside like ragdolls, citing that they had no use for him other than bargaining chips, as if they were in some gambling game. Perhaps that was where Lelouch's obsession with gambling began in the first place.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally called out, unsure if her brother was still there. He sometimes fazed out, lost in thought.

"I'm here, Nunna," He reached out and gripped her small hand. She squeezed his hand.

"Will you tell me a story? Or read one to me?" She pleaded. He was sure that if her eyes were open, they'd be huge.

"Let's get you to bed first, okay?" He said kindly, seeing that it was rather late, and they both had school the next day.

He wheeled to her bedroom and helped her to her bed after she'd been helped into her pyjamas. He wasn't at his best physical performance, but she was remarkably light and he could easily move her.

He sat down in a chair beside her bed, perching his chin in his one hand. Nunnally made herself comfortable, snuggling into her pillow, and waited.

"You know, sister, if I had my own world, I'd build you an empire. It would stretch all the way from Japan to India, and it would be filled with wealth and desire," He said. That was his dream, a gentler world, one where she could be happy and prejudice wasn't a problem.

"Wealth and desire?" She wondered tentatively, "Why would anyone want that?"

"Wealth is normally anything monetary, sister, but here it means wealth in your heart. Where you can be surrounded by all those you love, and you can have all that your little heart desires."

Nunnally giggled. "All I desire, Lelouch, is to have my big brother with me."

He pretended to scoff, "Would you let me finish this story, woman?!"

Nunnally giggled again, but motioned for him to continue.

"If I had my own world, Nunna, I'd ascertain that it had a past to be proud of. Not what Britannia has, a place filled and built on murder and a twisted dictatorship, a past to admire! Where everyone would be equal, where children could play outside without fear of death, where no one would be a slave and everyone had rights." His voice jumped a bit, and he mentally chastised himself, he should keep his emotions in check.

"That's a nice dream, big brother," she said, "but go on, I don't want you screaming at me again."

He laughed heartily. "Most of all, Nunnally, there wouldn't be any murders, no more wars, no more terrorists," His eyes became a tad hazy, he knew to attain this ideal world, wars and murders would have to increase before it would die down entirely, and murder would never die down completely – it was human nature... some twisted desire to live when others died. That was what he wanted to do when he was old enough. He wanted to stand up against their father, to kill the mad man, to get revenge! He would do it somehow - he'd already started to plan on it: he'd move first, the leader of the rebellion that he would form, maybe using the terrorists as his pawns. He'd always make the first move in any battle, because of the king didn't move first, how could he expect his subordinates to follow?

Anything for Nunnally.

"Nunna, if I had my own world, and you had an empire, you'd spread love so fast that... as fast as I move when confronted with Gym class."

Nunnally laughed at her brother's joke, even if he himself was the butt of it. Lelouch's humour was a tad dry, and he didn't make a lot of jokes… not that she could blame him, he was so busy with looking after her, school and his new membership to the Student Council.

"To overthrow Britannia, we'd have to create a rebellion, big brother," Nunnally sighed, "and you'd be the leader, you've got such a pretty face, and you can sell anyone their own clothes." She went on.

Lelouch nodded mutely. Nunnally had the same idea he had had when he was merely 10 years old. Only Nunnally wouldn't approve of his methods, seeing as he would taint his hand with evil to destroy evil, he'd wage a war and do anything to win it, for her... while she would go by the book, which was a place she'd never excel.

Because Charles Zi Britannia was still on top and he'd stop her. Even if it meant killing her. He had no heart, worse yet – he was an awful politician! He was an absent emperor and left everything to the viceroys to handle. No wonder the viceroys were so haggard-looking most days. Safe for Clovis, he was always happy.

Charles Zi Britannia needed to die before the new world order could be made, and Lelouch would ascertain the emperor's death himself. His wanted to use a sword, but that would be a bit messy, and a gun was too loud. He'd have to be creative and give the forbidden and sadistic part of his mind a chance to work. It was a part he normally kept under wraps and locked away.

"We'd watch your words and speeches and slogans spread hope like fire," She said, "Or you'd watch and I'd listen."

"Bad choice of words, eh?" He said thickly.

She nodded.

"Secret crowds..." He said next, wishing to change the topic, "they will come together, underground and in the areas, where they'll decide to follow the dishonoured prince... or to kill him. Some will suspect it's a trick by the emperor to clean out the areas and thus all the rebels."

"Which is something our father really would do," she noted, "he just is that ruthless."

"But those who do believe me... their voices will be the loudest. And they shall be my guard." He said, and Nunnally agreed.

"Big brother?" She started, "If I had my own world, I'd show the life people led inside it. They'd be happy, unafraid... Each unique and each loved."

Lelouch thought it was a beautiful notion. She was smart for a twelve-year old, Lelouch was really proud of her.

"Of course there will be both friends and enemies in this… my world, but my world will survive. We'll survive better than we do now. And our brothers and sisters will be there for us..." She trailed off, clearly thinking of Euphemia, Cornelia and Clovis, the new viceroy of their area.

At that point in time, Clovis was still a loved man, he still had a conscious and he still fought for the rights of the Japanese. In time, arrogance and vanity would take over, just as it always did when he grew bored of something. He'd been the same as a child, and Lelouch had no doubt that he'd remained the same. How did that old saying go? A leopard can't change its spots? Well, Clovis couldn't change his skin or heart any less.

Lelouch touched her hand, before rising and tucking her snuggly into her bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep tight, Nunna, and hold on to your dreams."

Lelouch made his way to his bedroom.

One day, he'd start a revolution; he'd be the leader with the terrorists as his back-up and his army... He didn't know when he would implement it, but he figured the moment would present itself in due time.

He'd fool them all.

And he'd do it for his sister. And she wouldn't like it.

. . .

Two years later

Zero had just stepped out into the open, a dramatic persona, hidden by a mask. No one knew who he was, or if it even was a he or not. Of course many suspected...

It could be a disgraced Japanese, an enemy of the emperor's, a common Japanese man (or woman)... Suzaku Kururugi among them, and it would've been believable were it not for the fact that Kururugi was too... good to fit the role. There wasn't any other way to describe him.

But some thought it was a long lost member of the royal family. Possibly darling Chuckles' brother (that 'didn't exist' – the nobles liked this explanation, everyone seemed to have forgotten about the young blonde, who'd supposedly died as a child), or Lady Marianne, making a startling comeback from the dead, her death faked because she knew the evil that her spouse had carried in his mind, for he had no heart, or one of her two children the couple had shared... Rather Lelouch than the girl, Lelouch had always had a rebellious streak in him, whilst the girl was simply described as 'too sweet' to even fathom such an idea.

Little did they know…

Or it was one of the current royals. Cornelia was a favourite for being the hero Zero, Euphemia was too soft, like Nunnally, while Cornelia was a warrior, always on the frontline in her knightmare with an eager will to battle. They didn't take into account that Cornelia was a great fighter, but she was a lacking strategist, which Zero obviously was.

Some thought it was Charles himself, only Charles was too large to fit into Zero's costume, not that that deterred anyone from accusing the emperor in the privacy of their homes of it. A plot to kill the ultimate rebel would discourage any other rebels from acting, with casualties and human lives thrown into the midst. It was a smart plan, to stop the terrorists before they even truly started, but, alas, it wasn't Chuckles' doing. It would've been a brilliant plan to dissuade the Elevens and all the other areas from standing up to his rule.

But Nunnally knew who it was.

The moment Zero took centre stage, she noticed the way he talked, it was the way her brother did when he delivered a formal speech at the school for the Student Council, or when he spoke to the headmaster, even if they did know the Ashfords personally and he was friends with Milly.

She noticed how charismatic Zero was, how he could talk anyone into joining him, safe for Suzaku, who was the only one who ever could've resisted Lelouch's charm, that was perhaps why Suzaku had been Lelouch's best friend, because he hadn't tried to suck up to the prince, because he wasn't taken in by the charm and pretty words.

She knew Lelouch killed Clovis. It broke her heart that he had, but she knew why he'd done it, because some people had to die somewhere for the world to become a better place. And Clovis was vain and selfish; he'd been as a child too, but at the beginning of his rule as viceroy, he had fought hard for the Japanese.

She thought he was a filthy hypocrite, and she felt guilty for thinking so. Lelouch had once told her that Clovis was a dreamer, with his good intentions to change Japan, which was why Nunnally'd thought he'd be at their side when the time to stand came, but Clovis had no willpower, he didn't pull through.

She smelled it on him too. It was after a failed battle where thousands ended up dead; she could smell the mud, the blood's strong iron smell, the sweat, the gunpowder... and her thoughts were confirmed. He was Zero. Her other senses were heightened, after all.

And he was doing it for her. Yet she still allowed it, because she was a bit selfish herself, she wanted a world where she wouldn't be judged, where she wouldn't be treated as an invalid when she knew she was smarter than they all thought and she had a cunning she hid.

She was nowhere near Lelouch's genius, but she could think for herself. That was why she played the role of an ignorant schoolgirl, when she knew she'd take her place when this thing was over! Lelouch wanted her to become empress, and she would.

Meanwhile, she had to bide her time. One day she knew she'd be able to see again, she was forcing herself to overcome the power that crippled her sight. She wouldn't sit back and let Lelouch stain his hands with the blood of Britannians, Japanese and their family alike. She'd taint her own hands, because she had to. She didn't want to, but she would. He'd do anything for her, and she would do anything for him. He was her big brother, her best friend… her hero.

One day, when she was better, she'd take a stand, one Lelouch believed in too. The two siblings could work together towards a greater world. To the world Lelouch told her about in the story he told her that night; a place filled with prosperity and desire, a place with a history to be proud of, with their idol, Zero, as the controversial hero (forget the entire anti-hero thing) and her at his side. Instead of zero to hero, Zero would be the hero.

One day… she'd grow up to be someone her brother and mother could be proud of.

And when that day came, the world should watch out, because Nunnally Vi Britannia was a force to be reckoned with!

. . .

A/N: Please review! I had fun writing this!